bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Isothermal Plane Couette Flow and Its Stability in an Anisotropic and Inhomogeneous Porous Layer Underlying a Fluid Layer Saturated by Water
Authors: Barman N. , Aleria A. , Bera P.
Published: February 2024

In this article, the linear stability of nonisothermal plane Couette flow (NPCF) in an anisotropic and inhomogeneous porous layer underlying a fluid layer is investigated. The Darcy model is utilized to describe the flow in the porous layer. The stability analysis indicates that the introduction of media-anisotropy (K*) and media-inhomogeneity (in terms of inhomogeneity parameter A) still renders the isothermal plane Couette flow (IPCF) in such superposed fluid-porous systems unconditionally stable. For NPCF, three different modes, unimodal (porous or fluid mode), bimodal (porous and fluid mode) and trimodal (porous, fluid and porous mode), are observed along the neutral stability curves and characterized by the secondary flow patterns. It has been found that the instability of the fluid-porous system increases on increasing the media permeability and inhomogeneity along the vertical direction. Contrary to natural convection, at d̂=0.2 (d̂=depth of fluid layer/depth of porous layer) and K*=1, in which the critical wavelength shows both increasing and decreasing characteristics with increasing values of A (0≤A≤5), here in the present study, the same continuously decreases with increasing values of A. Finally, scale analysis indicates that the onset of natural convection requires a relatively higher temperature difference (ΔT) between lower and upper plates in the presence of Couette flow. However, by including media anisotropy and inhomogeneity in the porous media, the system becomes unstable even for a small critical temperature difference of about 2 °C.
Graded alarm call behavior in wild fox squirrels (Sciurus niger)
Authors: Eddington Valerie M. , Nichols Hannah K. , Calistri-Yeh Adrienne , Young Vanessa K. Hilliard , Kloepper Laura N.
Published: February 2024

Distress or alarm calls are vocalizations made when animals are in stressful situations or faced with a predator. Squirrels (Sciuridae) are known for being very vocal; however, most studies on alarm vocalizations are limited to ground squirrels. We investigated the acoustic behavior of the arboreal fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) under different conditions. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that fox squirrels modify acoustic alarm behavior in response to different perceived threat levels and that this response is affected by sex and individual experience. Squirrels were trapped, and acoustic data were collected during periods in which the squirrels were alone, approached by humans, manipulated in traps, and handled by humans. Calls were categorized based on acoustic features, and we quantified the call rate (calls/s) across conditions. Threat level significantly affected vocal rate, with squirrels producing more calls overall when alone but shifting the proportion of emitted call types as threat level increased. Sex, capture history, and individual had no effect on call rate. These results suggest that fox squirrels use a graded alarm call response system to respond to threatening situations.
Performance study of ray-based ocean acoustic tomography methods for estimating submesoscale variability in the upper ocean
Authors: Ollivier Etienne , Touret Richard X. , McKinley Matthew , Jin Jihui , Bracco Annalisa , Sabra Karim G.
Published: February 2024

Ocean acoustic tomography (OAT) methods aim at estimating variations of sound speed profiles (SSP) based on acoustic measurements between multiple source-receiver pairs (e.g., eigenray travel times). This study investigates the estimation of range-dependent SSPs in the upper ocean over short ranges (<5 km) using the classical ray-based OAT formulation as well as iterative or adaptive OAT formulations (i.e., when the sources and receivers configuration can evolve across successive iterations of this inverse problem). A regional ocean circulation model for the DeSoto Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico is used to simulate three-dimensional sound speed variations spanning a month-long period, which exhibits significant submesoscale variability of variable intensity. OAT performance is investigated in this simulated environment in terms of (1) the selected source-receivers configuration and effective ray coverage, (2) the selected OAT estimator formulations, linearized forward model accuracy, and the parameterization of the expected SSP variability in terms of empirical orthogonal functions, and (3) the duration over which the OAT inversion is performed. Practical implications for the design of future OAT experiments for monitoring submesoscale variability in the upper ocean with moving autonomous platforms are discussed.
Phoneme dependence of horizontal asymmetries in voice directivity
Authors: Pörschmann Christoph , Arend Johannes M.
Published: February 2024

Human voice directivity shows horizontal asymmetries caused by the shape of the lips or the position of the tooth and tongue during vocalization. This study presents and analyzes the asymmetries of voice directivity datasets of 23 different phonemes. The asymmetries were determined from datasets obtained in previous measurements with 13 subjects in a surrounding spherical microphone array. The results show that asymmetries are inherent to human voice production and that they differ between the phoneme groups with the strongest effect on the [s], the [l], and the nasals [m], [n], and [ŋ]. The least asymmetries were found for the plosives.
Multi-session training in the evening schedule exhibits enhanced speech learning
Authors: Maggu Akshay R. , Sharma Bhamini , Roy Mansi S. , Rowell Tanaya , Seiling Lydia
Published: February 2024

Speech learning can be influenced by a variety of factors. A growing body of literature suggests a significant influence of sleep on speech learning, i.e., those trained in the evening outperform those trained in the morning most probably due to consolidation of learning that happens during the sleep for the evening group. Since, learning, in general, may be a process that spans multiple sessions, in the current exploratory study, we aimed at investigating the effect of a multi-session training paradigm on the learning performance of the morning vs evening group. We compared young adults who were trained in the morning (8–10 am; n = 16) with those who were trained in the evening (6–8 pm; n = 16) on a Hindi dental-retroflex pseudoword-picture association training paradigm. Overall, we found that the evening group learned to a larger extent both for the identification (on trained items) and discrimination (on untrained items) tasks. The current findings, even with a multi-session paradigm, are consistent with the previous findings that support enhanced performance by training in the evening. These findings may have clinical implications toward scheduling of speech therapy.
Single- Versus Double-Leg Cycling: Small Muscle Mass Exercise Improves Exercise Capacity to a Greater Extent in Older Compared With Younger Population
Authors: Haddad Toni , Spence Angela L. , Peiffer Jeremiah J. , Blain Gregory M. , Brisswalter Jeanick , Abbiss Chris R.
Published: February 2024

Manipulating the amount of muscle mass engaged during exercise can noninvasively inform the contribution of central cardiovascular and peripheral vascular-oxidative functions to endurance performance. To better understand the factors contributing to exercise limitation in older and younger individuals, exercise performance was assessed during single-leg and double-leg cycling. 16 older (67 ± 5 years) and 14 younger (35 ± 5 years) individuals performed a maximal exercise using single-leg and double-leg cycling. The ratio of single-leg to double-leg cycling power (RatioPower SL/DL) was compared between age groups. The association between fitness (peak oxygen consumption, peak power output, and physical activity levels) and RatioPower SL/DL was explored. The RatioPower SL/DL was greater in older compared with younger individuals (1.14 ± 0.11 vs. 1.06 ± 0.08, p = .041). The RatioPower SL/DL was correlated with peak oxygen consumption (r = .886, p < .001), peak power output relative to body mass (r = .854, p < .001), and levels of physical activity (r = .728, p = .003) in the younger but not older subgroup. Reducing the amount of muscle mass engaged during exercise improved exercise capacity to a greater extent in older versus younger population and may reflect a greater reduction in central cardiovascular function compared with peripheral vascular-oxidative function with aging.
C-terminal deletion of RelA protein is suggested as a possible cause of infective endocarditis recurrence with
Enterococcus faecium
Authors: Ortiz de la Rosa José Manuel , Martín-Gutiérrez Guillermo , Casimiro-Soriguer Carlos S. , Gimeno-Gascón María Adelina , Cisneros José Miguel , de Alarcón Arístides , Lepe José Antonio
Published: February 2024

Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by
Enterococcus spp.
represents the third most common cause of IE, with high rates of relapse compared with other bacteria. Interestingly, late relapses (>6 months) have only been described in
Enterococcus faecalis,
but here we describe the first reported IE relapse with
Enterococcus faecium
more than a year (17 months) after the initial endocarditis episode. Firstly, by multi locus sequence typing (MLST), we demonstrated that both isolates (EF646 and EF641) belong to the same sequence type (ST117). Considering that EF641 was able to overcome starvation and antibiotic treatment conditions surviving for a long period of time, we performed bioinformatic analysis in identifying potential genes involved in virulence and stringent response. Our results showed a 13-nucleotide duplication (positions 1638–1650) in the gene
relA
, resulting in a premature stop codon, with a loss of 167 amino acids from the C-terminal domains of the RelA enzyme. RelA mediates the stringent response in bacteria, modulating levels of the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp). The
relA
mutant (EF641) was associated with lower growth capacity, the presence of small colony variants, and higher capacity to produce biofilms (compared with the strain EF646), but without differences in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns according to standard procedures during planktonic growth. Instead, EF641 demonstrated tolerance to high doses of teicoplanin when growing in a biofilm. We conclude that all these events would be closely related to the long-term survival of the
E. faecium
and the late relapse of the IE. These data represent the first clinical evidence of mutations in the stringent response (
relA
gene) related with
E. faecium
IE relapse.
Competition between ammonia-oxidizing archaea and complete ammonia oxidizers from freshwater environments
Authors: Ghimire-Kafle Sabita , Weaver Matt E. , Kimbrel Madisen P. , Bollmann Annette
Published: February 2024

Nitrification is a key process in the global nitrogen cycle. Aerobic ammonia oxidizers play a central role in the nitrogen cycle by performing the first step of nitrification. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) are the dominant nitrifiers in environments with low ammonium availability. While AOA have been studied for almost 20 years, comammox were only discovered 8 years ago. Until now, there has been a gap in our understanding of whether AOA and comammox can co-exist or if one strain would be dominant under ammonium-limiting conditions. Here, we present the first study characterizing the competition between freshwater AOA and comammox under varying substrate concentrations. Our results will help in elucidating the niches of two key nitrifiers in freshwater lakes.
Contrasting roles for IgM and B-cell MHCII expression in
Brucella abortus
S19 vaccine-mediated efficacy against
B. melitensis
infection
Authors: Abushahba Mostafa F. N. , Dadelahi Alexis S. , Ponzilacqua-Silva Bárbara , Moley Charles R. , Skyberg Jerod A.
Published: February 2024

Brucellosis, caused by the bacterium
Brucella
, poses a significant global threat to both animal and human health. Although commercial live
Brucella
vaccines including S19, RB51, and Rev1 are available for animals, their unsuitability for human use and incomplete efficacy in animals necessitate the further study of vaccine-mediated immunity to
Brucella
. In this study, we employed
in vivo
B-cell depletion, as well as immunodeficient and transgenic mouse models, to comprehensively investigate the roles of B cells, antigen uptake and presentation, antibody production, and class switching in the context of S19-mediated immunity against brucellosis. We found that antibody production, and in particular secretory IgM plays a protective role in S19-mediated immunity against virulent
Brucella melitensis
early after the challenge in a manner associated with complement activation. While T follicular helper cell deficiency dampened IgG production and vaccine efficacy at later stages of the challenge, this effect appeared to be independent of antibody production and rather was associated with altered T-cell function. By contrast, B-cell MHCII expression negatively impacted vaccine efficacy at later timepoints after the challenge. In addition, B-cell depletion after vaccination, but before the challenge, enhanced S19-mediated protection against brucellosis, suggesting a deleterious role of B cells during the challenge phase. Collectively, our findings indicate antibody production is protective, while B-cell MHCII expression is deleterious, to live vaccine-mediated immunity against brucellosis.

IMPORTANCE

Brucella
is a neglected zoonotic pathogen with a worldwide distribution. Our study delves into B-cell effector functions in live vaccine-mediated immunity against brucellosis. Notably, we found antibody production, particularly secretory IgM, confers protection against virulent
Brucella melitensis
in vaccinated mice, which was associated with complement activation. By contrast, B-cell MHCII expression negatively impacted vaccine efficacy. In addition, B-cell depletion after vaccination, but before the
B. melitensis
challenge, enhanced protection against infection, suggesting a detrimental B-cell role during the challenge phase. Interestingly, deficiency of T follicular helper cells, which are crucial for aiding germinal center B cells, dampened vaccine efficacy at later stages of challenge independent of antibody production. This study underscores contrasting and phase-dependent roles of B-cell effector functions in vaccine-mediated immunity against
Brucella
.
Supplemental Material: Two pulsed activities of the Emeishan large igneous province in southwestern China inferred from dolomite U-Pb geochronology and significance
Authors: Xiao Di , Cao Jian , et al.
Published: February 2024

Table S1: Raw ratios and metadata for LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of sucrosic dolomite (SuD) and saddle dolomite (SaD) in the lower Permian Qixia Formation, Sichuan Basin. Table S2: Carbon, oxygen and strontium isotope compositions of matrix limestone, sucrosic dolomite (SuD) and saddle dolomite (SaD) in the lower Permian Qixia Formation, Sichuan Basin. Table S3: Rare-earth element + Yttrium and trace element (Manganese and Strontium) data for matrix limestone, sucrosic dolomite (SuD) and saddle dolomite (SaD) in the lower Permian Qixia Formation, Sichuan Basin.
Hyperammonemic encephalopathy induced by valproic acid
Authors: Zhu Qiuyu M , Singh Amitosh K , Chang Huai-En Rachel , Konka Sandeep A
Published: February 2024

Valproate (VPA) is broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug. Several adverse reactions including hepatotoxicity, fetal risk and pancreatitis are well known and labelled as boxed warnings in the USA. One adverse reaction that is less well known but clinically significant for its severe morbidity is hyperammonemic encephalopathy. We present a case of woman with hyperammonemic encephalopathy following the initiation of VPA therapy; she had a favourable outcome with discontinuation of the drug and prompt treatment with lactulose and L-carnitine.
Severe mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) treated with conservative arthroscopic debridement and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection
Authors: Seeto Alexander Henry , Wilson Mark Daniel , McMeniman Morgan , Astori Ivan Paul
Published: February 2024

Mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be treated with arthroscopic debridement, however, instability can ensue. Here, we present a fit and active woman in her 60s with severe mucoid degeneration of the ACL who underwent conservative arthroscopic debridement and treatment with intraligamentous administration of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). After 1 month, the patient demonstrated significant improvements in range of motion and pain symptoms, with nil resultant laxity. The patient was able to return to all recreational sporting activities and professional duties. Quantitative MRI conducted 6 months postoperatively revealed improved fibre orientation and formation of new parallel fibres. Compared with the preoperative scan, the mean grey value demonstrated darker pixel intensity with a smaller standard deviation (SD), potentially indicating a more uniform and less variable formation of ligamentous tissue. Therefore, PRP did not cause harm and was associated with benefit in combination with arthroscopic debridement.
Rasch analysis of a patient-reported outcome measure for self-perceived health among psychiatric patients in Denmark
Authors: Valentin Jan Brink , Mainz Jan , Johnsen Søren Paaske , Kristensen Klaudia , Kristensen Solvejg
Published: February 2024

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are valuable and necessary tools for establishing and maintaining patient-centred healthcare. The PRO-Psychiatry initiative was primarily initiated to support the patient’s voice in treatment decision-making and secondarily to monitor patient-perceived quality of care. The result of the initiative is a patient-reported instrument developed in collaboration between patients and clinicians. We aimed to validate the PROM developed for measuring self-perceived health among psychiatric patients in North Denmark Region, in terms of internal consistency, criterion validity and responsiveness.

Method

Patients in contact with a psychiatric hospital in the North Denmark Region from September 2018 to March 2021 were included in the study. The PROM constitutes a scale of 17 items covering various aspects of self-perceived health including well-being (7 items), lack of well-being (5 items) and social functioning (5 items), where the former domain entails the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. The potential range of the total scale score is 0–85. We applied McDonald’s omega, average inter-item correlation (AIIC) and differential item functioning (DIF). In addition, we used mixed effects analyses to estimate temporal correlations. The instrument was compared with self-rated overall mental and psychiatric health.

Results

The patient population consisted of 1132 unique patients and a total of 2476 responses corresponding to one response per patient pathway. McDonald’s omega was found to be 0.92 (95% CI 0.92 to 0.93), while the AIIC was found to be 0.42 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.44). For DIF, the largest systematic variation resulted in a maximum difference of 2.3 points on the total score when adjusting for the latent trait and was found when comparing initial measurements with follow-up measurements. The correlation between the total score and the outcomes regarding overall physical and mental health was 0.52 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.56) and 0.74 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.76). Similar correlations were found for the corresponding changes over time.

Conclusion

The scale showed high consistency and little systematic variation between the comparison groups. The concurrent correlations and analyses of responsiveness coincided with the prespecified hypotheses. Overall, we deem the Danish PRO-Psychiatry instrument to possess suitable psychometric properties for measuring self-perceived health among a psychiatric population.
Lepidoptera species richness and community composition in urban street trees
Authors: Ogushi Risa , Sun Edward , Campbell Leah R. E. , Chandrakumar Fritzi B. , Fort Ray , Graham Nicole , Grebert Julien , Grewal Orissa , Habib Idris , Hamamoto Sierra C. , Ho Karen , Huang Yanlin , Kim Ari , Manocha Naveen Kaur , Pandher Komal , Radakovich Emiko , Raghuraman Savitri , Read Tahlia , Roh Sara T. , Rutherford Lauren , Shannon Danica M. , Thain Julia R. , Thormeyer Markus , Varghese Athena , Wang Kelly Chan , Weel Rogier , You Jamie , Yuen Jessie , Zhang Hanyi , Tseng Michelle
Published: February 2024

The triple threats of climate change, habitat loss, and environmental pollution have stimulated discussion on how urban areas can be modified to mitigate heat increases and provide habitat for wildlife such as insects. The strategy of using trees to reduce temperatures has been adopted by numerous cities. However, the majority of street trees planted around the world are non-native. Studies conducted in non-urban areas have demonstrated in comparison to native plants, non-native plants are less likely to support native insect diversity. Here, we use a database approach to quantify the number of native Lepidoptera species associated with 76 of the most common street tree species planted in Vancouver, Canada. We tested the prediction that compared to non-native trees, native street trees will support a higher diversity and unique community of native Lepidoptera. As predicted, native street trees were associated with five times as many native Lepidoptera species, and the Lepidoptera communities supported by native versus non-native street trees were distinct. There was no difference in native Lepidoptera associations between broadleaf versus coniferous street trees. These results are consistent with studies that have used active sampling techniques to investigate insect richness on a smaller subset of native and non-native tree species. Collectively, these data provide good evidence that planting native instead of non-native trees will help stem the loss of insect diversity in urban areas.
Exif2Vec: A Framework to Ascertain Untrustworthy Crowdsourced Images Using Metadata
Authors: Umair Muhammad , Bouguettaya Athman , Lakhdari Abdallah , Ouzzani Mourad , Liu Yuyun
Published: February 2024

In the context of social media, the integrity of images is often dubious. To tackle this challenge, we introduce
Exif2Vec
, a novel framework specifically designed to discover modifications in social media images. The proposed framework leverages an image’s metadata to discover changes in an image. We use a service-oriented approach that considers
discovery of changes in images
as a
service
. A novel word-embedding-based approach is proposed to discover semantic inconsistencies in an image metadata that are reflective of the changes in an image. These inconsistencies are used to measure the severity of changes. The novelty of the approach resides in that it does not require the use of images to determine the underlying changes. We use a pretrained Word2Vec model to conduct experiments. The model is validated on two different fact-checked image datasets, i.e., images related to general context and a context-specific image dataset. Notably, our findings showcase the remarkable efficacy of our approach, yielding results of up to 80% accuracy. This underscores the potential of our framework.
Generating Cheap Representative Functions for Expensive Automotive Crashworthiness Optimization
Authors: Long Fu Xing , van Stein Bas , Frenzel Moritz , Krause Peter , Gitterle Markus , Bäck Thomas
Published: February 2024

Solving real-world engineering optimization problems, such as automotive crashworthiness optimization, is extremely challenging, because the problem characteristics are oftentimes not well understood. Furthermore, typical hyperparameter optimization (HPO) approaches that require a large function evaluation budget are computationally hindered, if the function evaluation is expensive, for example, requires finite element (FE) simulation runs. In this article, we propose an approach to characterize real-world expensive black-box optimization problems using the exploratory landscape analysis (ELA). Based on these landscape characteristics, we can identify test functions that are fast-to-evaluate and representative for HPO purposes. Focusing on 20 problem instances from automotive crashworthiness optimization, our results reveal that these 20 crashworthiness problems exhibit landscape features different from classical optimization benchmark test suites, such as the widely-used black-box optimization benchmarking (BBOB) problem set. In fact, these 20 problem instances belong to problem classes that are distinct from the BBOB test functions based on the clustering results. Further analysis indicates that, as far as the ELA features concern, they are most similar to problem classes of tree-based test functions. By analyzing the performance of two optimization algorithms with different hyperparameters, namely the covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy (CMA-ES) and Bayesian optimization (BO), we show that the tree-based test functions are indeed representative in terms of predicting the algorithm performances. Following this, such scalable and fast-to-evaluate tree-based test functions have promising potential for automated design of an optimization algorithm for specific real-world problem classes.
sat2Map: Reconstructing 3D Building Roof from 2D Satellite Images
Authors: Rezaei Yoones , Lee Stephen
Published: February 2024

Three-dimensional (3D) urban models have gained interest because of their applications in many use cases, such as disaster management, energy management, and solar potential analysis. However, generating these 3D representations of buildings require lidar data, which is usually expensive to collect. Consequently, the lidar data are not frequently updated and are not widely available for many regions in the United States. As such, 3D models based on these lidar data are either outdated or limited to those locations where the data is available. In contrast, satellite images are freely available and frequently updated. We propose
sat2Map
, a novel deep learning–based approach that predicts building roof geometries and heights directly from a single 2D satellite image. Our method first uses
sat2pc
to predict the point cloud by integrating two distinct loss functions, Chamfer Distance and Earth Mover’s Distance, resulting in a 3D point cloud output that balances overall structure and finer details. Additionally, we introduce
sat2height
, a height estimation model that estimates the height of the predicted point cloud to generate the final 3D building structure for a given location. We extensively evaluate our model on a building roof dataset and conduct ablation studies to analyze its performance. Our results demonstrate that
sat2Map
consistently outperforms existing baseline methods by at least 18.6%. Furthermore, we show that our refinement module significantly improves the overall performance, yielding more accurate and fine-grained 3D outputs. Our
sat2height
model demonstrates a high accuracy in predicting height parameters with a low error rate. Furthermore, our evaluation results show that we can estimate building heights with a median mean absolute error of less than 30 cm while still preserving the overall structure of the building.
Screen-Printed Sensors Modified with Nafion and Mesoporous Carbon for Electrochemical Detection of Lead in Blood
Authors: Boselli Elena , Wu Zhizhen , Haynes Erin N. , Papautsky Ian
Published: February 2024

Lead (Pb) has long been acknowledged as a systemic toxicant, with pronounced health impacts observed even at low exposure levels, particularly in children. Adverse effects include diminished cognitive function, altered behavior, and developmental delays. Consequently, it is imperative to conduct regular monitoring of Blood Lead Levels (BLLs). In this work, we report on an electrochemical sensor based on screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) coated with Nafion and mesoporous carbon (MC). The sensor system uses simple sample preparation (acidification and dilution of whole blood), minimal sample volume (a few blood drops, 200 μl), and swift time-to-results (1 h). A limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.3 μg dL−1 Pb was achieved in whole blood. To demonstrate the practical utility of our sensor system, we evaluated its performance in the analysis of blood samples collected from children (n = 25). Comparative analysis with the laboratory-based gold standard method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) demonstrated approximately 77% accuracy and 94% precision. We anticipate that our approach will serve as a valuable tool for more frequent BLL monitoring, particularly in communities where access to laboratory testing is impractical or expensive.
Optimizing Synthesis Temperature for Lignin-Derived Hard Carbon Anode for High Cycling Capacity in Sodium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Härmas Meelis , Olgo Annabel , Adamson Anu , Koppel Miriam , Jänes Alar
Published: February 2024

This comprehensive study sheds light on the promising potential of lignin-derived carbonaceous materials as sustainable and cost-effective anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, contributing to the development of eco-friendly energy storage technologies. Lignin, a complex and abundant biopolymer, undergoes a facile pyrolysis process to produce carbonaceous materials. The unique microstructure of lignin-derived carbon, characterized by a relatively high surface area and interconnected porous network, facilitates efficient sodium ion diffusion and accommodates volume changes during cycling. The effects of pre-treatment methods, carbonization conditions, and structural modifications of lignin on the electrochemical performance are systematically investigated. Furthermore, the electrochemical mechanisms underlying the sodiation/desodiation processes in lignin-derived carbon (LDC) based anodes are elucidated through advanced characterization techniques, including in situ spectroscopy and microscopy. Among the different hard carbon materials, pre-pyrolyzed lignin-derived carbon LDC-300–1400 (300 shows which pre-treatment pyrolysis temperature was used and 1400 is the post-pyrolysis temperature in °C) shows the most favourable outcomes, demonstrating a reversible capacity of 359 mAh g−1, 1st cycle coulombic efficiency of 81%, and good rate capabilities. Hydrothermally pre-treated LDCs show a slightly lower specific capacity value reaching up to 337 mAh g−1.
Decreased LPS-induced lung injury in pigs treated with a lung surfactant protein A-derived nonapeptide that inhibits peroxiredoxin 6 activity and subsequent NOX1,2 activation
Authors: Fisher Aron B. , Zani Brett , Han Thomas , Dodia Chandra , Melidone Raffaele , Keller Steven
Published: February 2024

Currently available treatments that can alter lung inflammation have failed to significantly alter mortality of acute lung injury (ALI). Peroxiredoxin 6 PLA2 inhibitory peptide-2 (PIP-2) targets the liberation of reactive O2 species (ROS) that is associated with adverse cell signaling events, thereby decreasing the tissue oxidative injury that occurs early in the ALI syndrome. We propose that treatment with PIP-2 may be effective in preventing progression of early disease into its later stages with irreversible lung damage and relatively high mortality.
Growth of Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Larvae in Small‐Scale Systems Using an Algae Concentrate Food Source
Authors: Tarnecki Andrea M. , Cleveland Alexes , Capps Meghan , Rikard F. Scott
Published: February 2024

Replicated studies are advantageous for optimizing larval rearing of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and increasing the availability of high‐quality seed for the continued expansion of the U.S. oyster aquaculture industry. Although small‐scale systems using live algal feeds have been used successfully, rearing larvae on algae concentrate presents additional challenges. To determine the feasibility of rearing oyster larvae in small‐scale systems using algae concentrate, oyster larvae were raised for 2 weeks in replicate control (1,000 L) and microcosm (17 L) tanks. Five aeration strategies were tested in the microcosms in two separate trials. Results of this study indicate similar survival in small systems compared to controls through the appearance of eyed larvae. Accumulated algae and pink biofilm formation in microcosms using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) airlifts suggest that this aeration strategy is undesirable. One‐ and 5‐mL air injectors maintained higher overnight oxygen levels than controls. The recovery of more eyed larvae after 14 dpf in control systems may be the result of significant temperature fluctuations in microcosms. Overall, this study demonstrates that algae concentrate can be used to rear oyster larvae in small‐scale systems, providing a live feed alternative that saves space and labor in replicated studies.
DSNet: A Computer Vision‐Based Detection and Corrosion Segmentation Network for Corroded Bolt Detection in Tunnel
Authors: Tan Lei , Chen Xiaohan , Yuan Dajun , Tang Tao
Published: February 2024

Corroded bolt detection has been confirmed as a major issue in the structure health monitoring (SHM) of tunnels. However, detection‐only methods will miss the corroded bolts, arising from the small rust area. In this study, the task is divided ingeniously into two parallel tasks, i.e., bolt detection and pixel‐level rust segmentation, and the objective is fulfilled by taking the intersection of the two tasks, with the aim of enhancing the performance. To be specific, a detection and segmentation network (DSNet) is proposed based on multitask learning, leading to reduced false and missed detection rates. The coordinate attention module enhancing the focus of bolts in tunnel patches is incorporated in the detection branch, and the cross‐stage partial‐based decoder which can more accurately determine whether a pixel pertains to the corrosion area is employed in the segmentation branch. The mentioned branches share the same backbone to simplify the model. Sufficient comparisons and ablation experiments are performed to prove the superiority of the proposed algorithm based on the corroded bolt dataset captured from a real subway tunnel, which is publicly available in https://github.com/StreamHXX/Tunnel-lining-disease-image.
Antibody Response to Influenza Hemagglutinin Conserved Stalk Domain after Sequential Immunization with Old Vaccine Strains
Authors: Kongchanagul Alita , Masrinoul Promsin , Boonarkart Chompunuch , Suptawiwat Ornpreya , Auewarakul Prasert
Published: February 2024

Hemagglutinin (HA) is the major envelope glycoprotein and antigen on the surface of influenza virions. The glycoprotein comprises a globular head and a stalk region. While immunodominant epitopes on influenza HA head are highly variable, the stalk domain is conserved. The variability of the HA head causes the antigenic drift that made the requirement of annual update of vaccine strains. Induction of antibody against the stalk domain has been proposed as an approach for a broadly protective influenza vaccine strategy. Sequential exposure to influenza strains with highly diverse HA heads but conserved stalks have been shown to induce antibody to the low immunogenic stalk domain. Here, we tested this approach by using old influenza vaccine strains that are decades apart in evolution. Inactivated whole virion vaccine of influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934, A/USSR/92/1977, and A/Thailand/102/2009 (H1N1) was sequentially immunized into BALB/c mice in comparison to immunization using single strain (A/Thailand/102/2009 (H1N1)). The sequentially immunized mice developed higher levels of binding antibody to the stalk domain. These suggested that using old vaccine strains in sequential vaccination may be a possible approach to induce antibody to the conserved stalk domain.
N-Substituted Phenylhydrazones Kill the Ring Stage of Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Amengor Cedric Dzidzor Kodjo , Biniyam Prince Danan , Brobbey Abena Amponsaa , Kekessie Francis Klenam , Zoiku Felix Kwame , Hamidu Sherif , Gyan Patrick , Abudey Billy Mawunyo
Published: February 2024

Antimalarial resistance has hampered the effective treatment of malaria, a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium species. As part of our campaign on phenotypic screening of phenylhydrazones, a library of six phenylhydrazones was reconstructed and evaluated for their in vitro antimalarial and in silico receptor binding and pharmacokinetic properties. The structures of the phenylhydrazone hybrids were largely confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. We identified two compounds which exhibited significant antimalarial potential against the ring stage (trophozoite) of 3D7 chloroquine-sensitive (CS) strain and DD2 chloroquine-resistant (CR) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with monosubstituted analogs bearing meta or para electron-donating groups showing significant activity in the single-digit micromolar range. Structure activity relationship is presented showing that electron-donating groups on the substituent hydrophobic pharmacophore are required for antimalarial activity. Compounds PHN6 and PHN3 were found to be the most potent with pIC50s (calculated form in vitro IC50s) of 5.37 and 5.18 against 3D7 CS and DD2 CR strains, respectively. Our selected ligands (PHN3 and PHN6) performed better when compared to chloroquine regarding binding affinity and molecular stability with the regulatory proteins of Plasmodium falciparum, hence predicted to be largely responsible for their in vitro activity. Pharmacokinetic prediction demonstrated that the phenylhydrazones may not cross the blood-brain barrier and are not P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates, a good absorption of 62% to 69%, and classified as a category IV compound based on toxicity grading.
Biofloc System with Different Carbon Sources Improved Growth, Haematology, Nonspecific Immunity, and Resistivity against the Aeromonas hydrophila in Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Tasleem Samiyah , Alotaibi Bader S. , Masud Samrah , Habib Syed Sikandar , Acar Ümit , Gualandi Stefano Cecchini , Ullah Mujeeb , Khan Khalid , Fazio Francesco , Khayyam Khayyam
Published: February 2024

Biofloc technology (BFT) is one of the most sustainable aquaculture system, which is based on the principle of nutrient recycling and addition of carbon to enable heterotrophic microorganisms to the system. To evaluate the performance of the biofloc culture system for Cyprinus carpio fingerlings, a 60‐day growth trial was conducted. The fingerlings (n = 600) of average body weight (4.92 g ± 0.14) were stocked in 12 circular fiberglass tanks (300 L, volume 10.59 cft) to form three biofloc treatments (T1, T2, and T3) along with one control group. The carbon sources for treatments were sugarcane molasses, tapioca, and wheat. The C/N ratio of 15 was maintained for all treatments. After 60 days of rearing, the fish were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila, and the relative percentage survival (RPS) was observed over 14 days. A haematological, nonspecific immune, and stress parameters were analyzed using blood and serum samples collected at intervals of 20, 40, and 60 days. According to the results, the carbon sources affected the water quality parameters but were still adequate for fish welfare. An increased biofloc volume was observed with tapioca. Growth performance and better feed conversion ratio were recorded in biofloc with the tapioca group. The hematological parameters, including haemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), white blood cells and lymphocytes were significantly (P  < 0.05) higher in biofloc‐based tapioca group than in other treatments and control. Further, the serum protein, globulin, albumin, total immunoglobulin, and respiratory burst activity were also found significantly (P  < 0.05) higher in biofloc with tapioca as carbon source. However, the lysozyme activity was higher in biofloc with the wheat group. The RPS in tapioca was significantly higher, followed by biofloc with wheat. In conclusion, the tapioca‐based biofloc can improve C. carpio growth, haematology, and nonspecific immune response under zero water exchange.
Laminaria japonica Aresch‐Derived Fucoidan Ameliorates Hyperlipidemia by Upregulating LXRs and Suppressing SREBPs
Authors: Zhang Yan , Liu Tian , Qu Ze-Jie , Wang Xue , Song Wen-Gang , Guo Shou-Dong
Published: February 2024

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and hyperlipidemia is one major inducing factor of CVD. It is worthy to note that fucoidans are reported to have hypolipidemic activity with species specificity; however, the underlying mechanisms of action are far from clarification. This study is aimed at investigating the plasma lipid‐lowering mechanisms of the fucoidan from L. japonica Aresch by detecting the levels of hepatic genes that are involved in lipid metabolism. Our results demonstrated that the fucoidan F3 significantly lowered total cholesterol and triglyceride in C57BL/6J mice fed a high‐fat diet. In the mouse liver, fucoidan F3 intervention significantly increased the gene expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) α, liver X receptor (LXR) α and β, and ATP‐binding cassette transporter (ABC) G1 and G8 and decreased the expression of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), low‐density lipoprotein receptor, cholesterol 7 alpha‐hydroxylase A1, and sterol regulatory element‐binding protein (SREBP) 1c and SREBP‐2. These results demonstrated that the antihyperlipidemic effects of fucoidan F3 are related to its activation of PPARα and LXR/ABC signaling pathways and inactivation of SREBPs. In conclusion, fucoidan F3 may be explored as a potential compound for prevention or treatment of lipid disorders.
Machine Learning and Statistical Test–Based Culvert Condition Impact Factor Analysis
Authors: Gao Ce , Li Zhibin , Elzarka Hazem , Yan Hongyan , Li Peijin
Published: February 2024

For managers of road infrastructure, culvert deterioration is a major concern since culvert failures can cause serious risks to the traveling public. The efficiency of the cost‐ and labor‐intensive culvert inspection and maintenance process can be improved by properly identifying the key impact factors on culvert condition deterioration. Although the use of machine learning (ML) techniques to predict culvert conditions has been proven to be a promising tool for enhancing culvert management and enabling proactive scheduling of maintenance tasks, the information provided by the developed ML models has been given little attention for further use and analysis. By utilizing the predictor importance results of an evaluated decision tree (DT) culvert condition prediction model and the Mann–Whitney U test, this study provided insights to the identification of the key variables influencing culvert deterioration. According to the findings, five impact factors, including culvert span, pH, age, rise, and cover height, often have significant impact on the condition ratings of culverts made of various materials. In addition, such a statistical test‐assisted factor identification process offered a way of identifying and enhancing the input variable selection for predictive ML model development.
Fast Extraction Algorithm of Planar Targets Based on Point Cloud Data for Monitoring the Synchronization of Bridge Jacking Displacements
Authors: Liang Dong , Zhang Zeyu , Zhang Qiang , Wu Erpeng , Huang Haibin
Published: February 2024

Transverse synchronization of vertical displacements of all jacking‐up points is an important monitoring indicator to replace bearings in assembled multigirder bridges during the jacking phase. Currently, using target paper to identify the 3D coordinates of control points reduces the complexity of monitoring operations and improves the stability of data precision. However, the existing planar target locating methods have low accuracy, inefficiency, and subjectivity, which seriously hinders the construction process of bearing replacement. Accurately obtaining the center coordinates of multiple targets from a point cloud in a short monitoring period remains a challenge. This study proposes a high‐precision automated algorithm to extract target center points in low‐density point clouds to quickly calculate real target center points. First, we construct a standard point cloud model of the target papers for scanning, including color and geometric features. Then, we extract the measured point cloud of the typical jacking operation phase based on the reflection intensity and size information. Next, we map the intensity values of the measured point cloud into the color channel and register the measured point cloud with its standard point cloud model using the normal vector estimation and colored ICP algorithms. Finally, we extract the center point of the measured targets. Numerical experiments and engineering test results show that the proposed method converges quickly with high precision and good robustness, which saves 91.4% of the time compared with the traditional method. In general, this research can provide effective technical support for 3D laser scanning in monitoring the operation phase of bridge jacking.
Multiobjective Stochastic Power System Expansion Planning Considering Wind Farms and Demand Response
Authors: Ghadimi Ali Asghar , Ahmadi Abdollah , Miveh Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2024

In recent years, due to the increase in electricity consumption and environmental problems, power system expansion planning requires new technologies. In this regard, the incorporation of renewable energy sources (RESs) and utilization of demand response (DR) programs need disruptive variations in the present power system configurations. This paper proposes a mixed‐integer linear robust multiobjective model for generation and transmission expansion planning (GEP‐TEP) taking into account wind farms (WFs) and a DR program based on time‐of‐use pricing. The suggested model is presented via mixed‐integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) at the first stage and then transformed into mixed‐integer linear programming (MILP) using the Big M linearization technique. Moreover, long‐ and short‐term uncertainties of load demand and WFs are incorporated into the recommended model to achieve more accurate results. The interval‐based method is applied for taking into account long‐term uncertainties while the scenario‐based stochastic model is applied for modeling short‐term uncertainties in the recommended GEP–TEP model. Lastly, the suggested model is investigated on various standard test systems to evaluate the effectiveness of the GEP‐TEP model.