bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growing Utilization of Radical Chemistry in the Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Gupta Anjali , Laha Joydev K.
Published: August 2023

Our current unhealthy lifestyle and the exponential surge in the population getting affected by a variety of diseases have made pharmaceuticals or drugs an imperative part of life, making the development of innovative strategies for drug discovery or the introduction of refined, cost‐effective and modern technologies for the synthesis of clinically used drugs, a need of the hour. Ever since their discovery, free radicals and radical cations or anions as reactive intermediates have captivated the chemists, resulting in an exceptional utilization of these moieties throughout the field of chemical synthesis, owing to their unprecedented and widespread reactivity. Sticking with the idea of not judging the book by its cover, despite the conventional thought process of radicals being unstable and difficult to control entities, scientists and academicians around the globe have done an appreciable amount of work utilizing both persistent as well as transient radicals for a variety of organic transformations, exemplifying them with the synthesis of significant biologically active pharmaceutical ingredients. This review truly accounts for the organic radical transformations including radical addition, radical cascade cyclization, radical/radical cross‐coupling, coupling with metal‐complexes and radical cations coupling with nucleophiles, that offers fascinating and unconventional approaches towards the construction of intricate structural frameworks of marketed APIs with high atom‐ and step‐economy; complementing the otherwise employed traditional methods. This tutorial review presents a comprehensive package of diverse methods utilized for radical generation, featuring their reactivity to form critical bonds in pharmaceutical total synthesis or in building key starting materials or intermediates of their synthetic journey, acknowledging their excellence, downsides and underlying mechanisms, which are otherwise poorly highlighted in the literature. Despite great achievements over the past few decades in this area, many challenges and obstacles are yet to be unraveled to shorten the distance between the academics and the industry, which are all discussed in summary and outlook.
miR‐186‐5p targets TGFβR2 to inhibit RAW264.7 cell migration and proliferation during mouse skin wound healing
Authors: Wang Yinglei , Li Yuansheng , Ni Dan , Wei Ziqi , Fu Zhe , Li Chao , Sun Huiling , Wu Yutong , Li Yilin , Zhang Yingxuan , Liu Naixin , Liu Yixiang , Wang Zhuo , Li Jiayi , Sun Dandan , He Li , Yang Ying , Wang Ying , Yang Xinwang
Published: August 2023

Background

Active peptides play a vital role in the development of new drugs and the identification and discovery of drug targets. As the first reported native peptide homodimer with pro‐regenerative potency, OA‐GP11d could potentially be used as a novel molecular probe to help elucidate the molecular mechanism of skin wound repair and provide new drug targets.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assay were adopted to determine microRNAs (miRNAs) and its target. The prohealing potency of the miRNA was determined by MTS and a Transwell experiment against mouse macrophages. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, realtime polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting were performed to explore the molecular mechanisms.

Results

In this study, OA‐GP11d was shown to induce Mus musculus microRNA‐186‐5p (mmu‐miR‐186‐5p) down‐regulation. Results showed that miR‐186‐5p had a negative effect on macrophage migration and proliferation as well as a targeted and negative effect on TGF‐β type II receptor (TGFβR2) expression and an inhibitory effect on activation of the downstream SMAD family member 2 (Smad2) and protein‐p38 kinase signaling pathways. Importantly, delivery of a miR‐186‐5p mimic delayed skin wound healing in mice.

Conclusion

miR‐186‐5p regulated macrophage migration and proliferation to delay wound healing through the TGFβR2/Smad2/p38 molecular axes, thus providing a promising new pro‐repair drug target.
Integrated analysis of single‐cell sequencing and weighted co‐expression network identifies a novel signature based on cellular senescence‐related genes to predict prognosis in glioblastoma
Authors: Bao Qingquan , Yu Xuebin , Qi Xuchen
Published: August 2023

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive cancer with heavy mortality rates and poor prognosis. Cellular senescence exerts a pivotal influence on the development and progression of various cancers. However, the underlying effect of cellular senescence on the outcomes of patients with GBM remains to be elucidated.

Methods

Transcriptome RNA sequencing data with clinical information and single‐cell sequencing data of GBM cases were obtained from CGGA, TCGA, and GEO (GSE84465) databases respectively. Single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) analysis was utilized to calculate the cellular senescence score. WGCNA analysis was employed to ascertain the key gene modules and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the cellular senescence score in GBM. The prognostic senescence‐related risk model was developed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. The immune infiltration level was calculated by microenvironment cell populations counter (MCPcounter), ssGSEA, and xCell algorithms. Potential anti‐cancer small molecular compounds of GBM were estimated by “oncoPredict” R package.

Results

A total of 150 DEGs were selected from the pink module through WGCNA analysis. The risk‐scoring model was constructed based on 5 cell senescence‐associated genes (CCDC151, DRC1, C2orf73, CCDC13, and WDR63). Patients in low‐risk group had a better prognostic value compared to those in high‐risk group. The nomogram exhibited excellent predictive performance in assessing the survival outcomes of patients with GBM. Top 30 potential anti‐cancer small molecular compounds with higher drug sensitivity scores were predicted.

Conclusion

Cellular senescence‐related genes and clusters in GBM have the potential to provide valuable insights in prognosis and guide clinical decisions.
Coordinating single‐cell and bulk RNA‐seq in deciphering the intratumoral immune landscape and prognostic stratification of prostate cancer patients
Authors: Sun Zhou , Wang Jie , Zhang Qiang , Meng Xiangdi , Ma Zhaosen , Niu Jiqiang , Guo Rui , Tran Lisa Jia , Zhang Jing , Liu Yunfei , Ye Fangdie , Ma Baoluo
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Prostate cancer is a common cancer among male population. The aberrant expression of histone modifiers has been identified as a potential driving force in numerous cancer types. However, the mechanism of histone modifiers in the development of prostate cancer remains unknown.

Methods

Expression profiles and clinical data were obtained from GSE70769, GSE46602, and GSE67980. Seruat R package was utilized to calculate the gene set enrichment of the histone modification pathway and obtain the Histone score. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analyses were employed to identify marker genes with prognostic value. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy of the prognostic model. In addition, microenvironment cell populations counter (MCPcounter), single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), and xCell algorithms were employed for immune infiltration analysis. Drug sensitivity prediction was performed using oncoPredict R package.

Results

We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between Histone‐high score (Histone‐H) and Histone‐low score (Histone‐L) groups, which were enriched in RNA splicing and DNA‐binding transcription factor binding pathways. We retained four prognostic marker genes, including TACC3, YWHAH, TAF1C and TTLL5. The risk model showed significant efficacy in stratification of the prognosis of prostate cancer patients in both internal and external cohorts (p < .0001 and p = .032, respectively). In addition, prognostic gene YWHAH was infiltrated in abundance of fibroblasts and highly correlated with Entinostat_1593 drug sensitivity score and the value of risk score.

Conclusion

We innovatively developed a histone modification‐related prognostic model with high prognostic potency and identified YWHAH as possible diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for prostate cancer. It provides novel insights to address prostate cancer and enhance clinical outcomes, thereby opening up a new avenue for customized treatment alternatives.
A global survey of health care workers' awareness of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease: The AwareNASH survey
Authors: Driessen Stan , de Jong Vivian D. , van Son Koen C. , Klompenhouwer Tatiana , Colardelle Yann , Alings Marco , Moreno Cristophe , Anker Stefan D. , Castro Cabezas Manuel , Holleboom Adriaan G. , Grobbee Diederick E. , Tushuizen Maarten E.
Published: August 2023

Background

The estimated global prevalence and burden of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced stage, non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is increasing. Yet, NAFLD remains largely underdiagnosed. In addition to hepatic morbidity and mortality, NAFLD is associated with increased cardiovascular complications, warranting a multidisciplinary approach. Despite its rapidly increasing prevalence, knowledge of NAFLD among healthcare workers is limited, especially with specialists outside the field of hepatology and gastroenterology.

Objectives

To investigate knowledge, practice and opinions/attitudes of healthcare workers towards diagnosis and management of NAFLD/NASH.

Methods

The survey was designed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary scientific committee established especially for this study. The survey was disseminated to healthcare workers from seven different disciplines through four collaborating societies, social media and at a cardiology‐themed conference from February to June 2022. Median and interquartile range were mentioned for numeric responses and proportions for categorical responses or responses on a Likert scale. Likert scale responses were treated as ordinal data and analysed with the appropriate tests.

Results

The full dataset included 613 respondents from 88 different countries (including 488 physicians). 64% of the surveyed physicians underestimated the prevalence of NAFLD. General practitioners and cardiologists underestimated the prevalence most often (74% and 77%, respectively). Compared to the other disciplines, cardiologists were least familiar with the symptoms and diagnostic criteria and felt least confident in diagnosing and managing NAFLD. Overall, 65% of physicians reported regularly using evidence‐based guidelines for managing NAFLD, yet 72% reported challenges in providing lifestyle recommendations. A lack of awareness was the most common reported reason for the lack of screening for NAFLD (68% respectively).

Conclusions

Despite the growing burden of NAFLD, there is a significant gap in awareness, knowledge, and management among physicians treating patients with cardiometabolic comorbidities, particularly cardiologists. Hepatologists and gastroenterologists could play a role in educating their fellow physicians.
Feasibility study on a full‐scale wind turbine blade monitoring campaign: Comparing performance and robustness of features extracted from medium‐frequency active vibrations
Authors: Fremmelev M. A. , Ladpli P. , Orlowitz E. , Dervilis N. , McGugan M. , Branner K.
Published: August 2023

The present work investigates the performance of different features, extracted from vibration‐based data, for structural health monitoring of a 52‐meter wind turbine blade during fatigue testing. An active vibration monitoring system was used during the test campaign, providing periodic excitation of single frequencies in the medium‐frequency range, and using accelerometers to measure the vibration output on different parts of the blade. Based on previous work from the authors, data is available for the wind turbine blade in healthy state, with a manually induced damage, and with progressively increasing damage severity. Using the vibration data, different signal processing methods are used to extract damage‐sensitive features. Time series methods and time‐frequency domain methods are used to quantify the applied active vibration signal. Using outlier analysis, the health state of the blade is classified, and the classification accuracy through use of the different features is compared. Highest performance is generally obtained by auto‐regressive modeling of the vibration outputs, using the auto‐regressive parameters as features. Finally, suggestions for future improvements of the present method toward practical implementation are given.
The past, current, and future of the Africa Green Revolution: The case study of Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria
Authors: Elhassnaoui Ismail , Shehata Wahba Mohamed A. , Wolde Sinafekesh Girma , Mohamed Ben‐Daoud , Moumen Aniss
Published: August 2023

The “Green Revolution in Africa” is an agricultural revolution aiming to ensure food security in Africa. However, dissemination of existing knowledge about the “Green Revolution” is poor. The objective of this study is to investigate the existing knowledge on the “Green Revolution in Africa.” A systematic literature review (SLR) is performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA). The SLR method has identified 149 articles and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) reports on Africa's Green Revolution. Qualitative studies used four main databases, that is, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Springer Link. The authors developed three main themes to structure this study: the historic background of the Green Revolution, the status of agricultural development in Africa, and the results of Africa's Green Revolution policy, as well as alternative ways to achieve the Green Revolution in Africa and Sustainable Development Goals under climate change and global crises. The study found that the Green Revolution is far from reaching its initial targets as there is increasing hunger and poor crop productivity. Some studies proposed agro ecology, green technology innovation and smart farming, efficient irrigation, drainage and water management, and adaptation to climate change. For water stressed regions, other policies and strategies should be adopted such as rainfall harvesting, use of nonconventional waters and nonconventional crops and use of less water consuming crops. These are possible approaches to achieve Africa's Green Revolution in a rapidly changing climate and global crises.
Investigating the Utilisation of Waste Sand from Sand Casting Processes for Concrete Products for Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Faraj Sirwan , Al-Habaibeh Amin
Published: August 2023

Concrete is one of the fundamental materials in the construction industry. Typically, concrete is composed of sand, cement, aggregate, and added water to the cement ratio. To enhance sustainability and reduce the negative effect on the environment from industrial waste, recycling waste material into the concrete mixture is becoming an area of research by substituting some of the concrete ingredients with some of the recycled waste material in order to reduce the amount of fine natural aggregate used in the construction industry, maximise the strength and minimise the overall weight of the concrete product. Waste foundry sand is a by-product of sand casting, a waste product of the metal casting industry. The improper disposal of this waste foundry sand (WFS) could cause environmental issues. Consequently, its possible use in building materials, product design, construction, and other fields is crucial for mitigating environmental limitations. To minimise negative environmental impacts, researchers have proposed reusing this waste foundry sand by replacing, fully or partially, some of the standard natural sand within the concrete mixture. This paper investigates the mechanical and physical properties of concrete cubes containing recycled sand-casting material by demonstrating the experimental work to determine the potential benefit or limitations of using this material within the concrete in the construction and product design industries. According to the experimental results, waste foundry sand, with a substitution ratio of up to 30%, had a compression strength of circa 23 N/mm2 and reached up to 78% of the strength of a standard control sample within 7 days. The results hence suggest that waste foundry sand can be used in the production of concrete products when such reduction in strength is not critical. Such a range of products could include curbs, garden slabs, cycling pavements, gravel boards, etc. Additionally, utilising waste foundry sand will help to reduce the use of natural sand and the need for landfill sites, which has several advantages, including cost savings and environmental protection by reducing CO2 emissions during transportation.
Quantitative Assessment of Damage in Composites by Implementing Acousto-ultrasonics Technique
Authors: Prasad Kumar Shantanu , Jombo Gbanaibolou , Ismail Sikiru O. , Chen Yong K. , Dhakal Hom N.
Published: August 2023

This study focused on quantitative damage severity assessment in composite materials using Acousto-Ultrasonics (AU), an in-service and active non-destructive inspection technique in which Lamb waves are communicated through a damaged zone. This was done by activating a signal onto the composite material surface and acquiring the received waves after their interactions with the damage. It relied on early research that presented a series of stress wave factors (SWFs) derived from the frequency-domain of the AU data, as quantitative identifiers of the received signal. Although, the SWFs have previously been proven to determine the understanding of the spatial arrangements of the impact damage, the degree or severity of the damage inside the impact damage area has not been assessed. Therefore, the current research was a step in the right way toward that aim. AU waves were generated via a laminate with increasing concentrations of ply faults, across longitudinal length. The stress wave factors were first examined for an undamaged composite, and the SWFs were then connected with the fault concentration. The significance of the found linkages and the possible futures of quantitative assessment of the degree of damage by such relationships were examined. The stress wave factors showed clear and consistent patterns, as the fault concentration increased. With a rise in fault density, an element measuring the energy content of the waves significantly changed with R-sq(adj) = 91.33% and almost linearly, and provided a robust measurable trend, while other parameter exhibited lesser shifts with R-sq(adj) = 51.86%. The result obtained from the presented work provided a base to cost-effective and in-service measure to early detection of catastrophic failures in composite structures, including the wind turbine blades for renewable and sustainable energy generation.
Design and Prototype an Educational Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Model
Authors: Rahman M. R. , Hosseini F. S. , Taleghani P. , Ghassemi M. , Chizari M.
Published: August 2023

Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) cells fuel cells are being used as highly efficient and zero-emission power units to produce electricity from a renewable source. The purpose of the current study is to present the design of a simple PEM type fuel cell model that can be used in an educational environment. The study has illustrated possibility of the design through a product design specification (PDS) process. Three different designs were studied and ranked based on design parameters such as cost, environmental safety, size and weight, educational application etc. Then the highest score design was selected. The selected design then improved by utilizing a 3D computer modelling to come up with the final design. The developed design was then manufactured in house and assembled to form a full functional prototype. The model then was tested, and outcome was compared against existing fuel cell models. Test results show that the prototype can produce reasonable amount of electricity. However, the efficiency of the higher heating value and lower heating value of hydrogen was about 15% less compared to the existing fuel cell model. Furthermore, there are some concerns about the controlling combustible and flammable gas which need to be consumed immediately inside the system instead of storing the gas. The project is under development to be safe enough for any educational environment.
Energy Demand Reduction in Data Centres Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Sethuramalingam R. , Asthana Abhishek , Xygkaki S. , Liu K. , Eduardo J. , Wilson S. , Bater C.
Published: August 2023

A data centre is a facility where it hosts the server systems, computer systems, and its associated components such as cooling units, redundancy power supplies and power storage systems. Data centres are a very energy-demanding sector. Data Centre Dynamics magazine forecasts that by 2025, Data Centres will consume more than 2% of the global electricity supply. Due to this forecast, it is become vital to reduce the energy consumption in the data centre industry. On average, data centres use 30–50% of their total energy supply on mechanical cooling to cool their IT equipment. However, many of them still have difficulties with high-temperature regions such as hot spots in the server data hall which contributes to server downtime. Along with this, the power densities of the data centres are on the rise as the telecommunication industry at exponential growth over the years. This inefficiency in the temperature distribution can be resolved through advanced computational fluid dynamics software. It also becomes essential to expand the use of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) into key sections of Data Centre design, to reduce thermal inefficiencies. It is necessary to identify the potential issues at the initial stages to deliver efficient solutions which will work at a low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), to future-proof data centre facilities. This paper outlines the importance of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis in the data centre design. The mock-up data centre internal and external models are analysed in 6Sigma Software. The various parameters were investigated to optimise the energy performance of the infrastructure. The results also provided the analysis of the data hall with detailed rack inlet and 3D modelling of the data hall, external simulations with chillers and generators inlet temperatures highlighting trouble areas. Additional to this, Water cooled, and Air-cooled chiller performance comparison also studied and concluded that Water cooled chiller performance well than Air cooled chiller. Having the data hall air supply temperature 27 °C than 24 °C, has improved the energy efficiency in the data centre. The model developed in this study can be used as a benchmark study for the present and future thermal optimization of data centres.
Thermal Optimisation Model for Cooling Channel Design Using the Adjoint Method in 3D Printed Aluminium Die-Casting Tools
Authors: Zeng Tongyan , Abo-Serie Essam F. , Henry Manus , Jewkes James
Published: August 2023

In the present study, the adjoint method is introduced to the optimisation of the corner cooling element in two baseline cooling designs for a mould cavity, as examples of the Aluminium metal die-casting process. First, a steady thermal model simulating the Aluminium die-casting process is introduced for the two-corner cooling design scenario. This steady model serves as the first iteration of the optimised model using the adjoint method. A dual-parameter objective function targets the interfacial temperature standard deviation and pressure drop across the internal cooling region. For both design cases, multi-iterative deformation cycles of the corner cooling configurations result in optimised designs with non-uniform cross-section geometries and smooth surface finishing. Numerical simulations of the resulting designs show improvements in uniform cooling across the mould/cast interfacial contact surface by 66.13% and 92.65%, while the optimised pressure drop increases coolant fluid flow by 25.81% and 20.35% respectively. This technique has been applied to optimise the complex cooling system for an industrial high-pressure aluminium die-casting (HPADC) tool (Zeng et al. in SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-0246, 2022, [1]). Production line experience demonstrates that the optimised designs have three times the operational life compared to conventional mould designs, providing a significant reduction in manufacturing and operation costs.
Learning from the Past for a Sustainable Future: Environmental Monitoring and 3D Modelling to Assess the Thermal Performance of Heritage Buildings
Authors: Antón D. , Al-Habaibeh Amin , Queiroz T.
Published: August 2023

There are numerous lessons to be learned from historic buildings, such as the rich diversity of their traditional architecture, the use of natural and local materials, their durability and resilience, or because they allow for thermal comfort in severe climatic and weather conditions. Today, many of these heritage buildings are still standing and in use, but their shape may have changed significantly from when they were built. In this sense, to accurately analyse historic buildings, 3D models that approximate their geometry (as-is/as-built models) must be produced. Based on terrestrial laser scanning 3D point clouds, as-is 3D modelling can represent the geometrical alterations of the assets to enable diverse analyses and simulations. This work addresses Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem building, claimed to be the oldest inn in England, UK (1189 AD). Hence, this historic building presents numerous deformations such as warped and tilted walls, recess in walls, non-planar ceilings, and an irregular arrangement of bent ceiling beams. This Grade II listed building is located near Nottingham Castle, beneath Castle Rock, the natural promontory on which the castle is situated. A part of the inn is inside rock-hewn caves under Castle Rock, making it a unique landmark with special indoor thermal conditions. Due to the complex geometry of the building, laser scanning-based 3D modelling is found essential to communicate the building’s features to help understand its thermal behaviour. This paper aims to investigate how Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem building is capable of regulating indoor temperature and humidity in different locations, for which the as-is 3D modelling and environmental monitoring of this historic building are discussed. Based on the findings, the lessons learnt from studying old buildings could be utilised to enhance the sustainability of modern buildings.
Effect of powder particle size distribution and contouring on build quality in electron beam powder bed fusion of a medium-C hot-work tool steel
Authors: Sullivan Ethan M. , Sharif Hedås Saman , Jerhamre Engström Mattias , Lindwall Greta
Published: August 2023

An electron beam powder bed fusion (EPBF) printability study of a medium-C hot-work tool steel with focus on part density and surface roughness was performed using three different powder particle size distributions (PSDs) of 45–105 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$

μ
m

(typical for EPBF), 20–60 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$

μ
m

(typical for laser beam powder bed fusion), and a 50–50 wt.% mixture of these two powders. First, acceptable process parameter windows were generated based on as-printed density for each PSD. Full density parts (at least 99.5% dense according to NIST) were produced using the 20–60 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$

μ
m

PSD and the mix PSD. Fifteen different contouring strategies were also tested for potential improvement of the as-printed side surface roughnesses, which ranged from 23.3 to 25.7 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$

μ
m

among the three PSDs. Side surface roughness as low as 13.8 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$

μ
m

was attained by using contouring strategies employing two contouring lines, which were typically observed to be more effective than one-line strategies. Overall, the 20–60 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$

μ
m

PSD was determined to convey a better as-printed build quality over a wider range of parameters without sacrificing process productivity.
Prediction of the fatigue curve of high-strength steel resistance spot welding joints by finite element analysis and machine learning
Authors: Yu Zhengxiao , Ma Ninshu , Murakawa Hidekazu , Watanabe Goro , Liu Mingyao , Ma Yunwu
Published: August 2023

The process of resistance spot welding is extensively utilized in automotive assembly. Analyzing the fatigue strength of resistance spot welded (RSW) joints of thin plate high-strength steel holds significant importance in reducing production costs and enhancing vehicle safety during operation. By combining finite element analysis (FEA) and machine learning (ML), a novel method has been developed to predict fatigue curves of RSW joints with high-strength steels of different thicknesses, widths, and nugget diameters. In this study, the impact of various experimental conditions, such as the thickness and width of the sheet material, and the diameter of the nugget, on the fatigue test results, has been quantified. Moreover, the model established through this research enables accurate prediction of the F-N fatigue curves of RSW joints without the need for fatigue testing, thereby saving costs and time required for experimentation. The average error is approximately 8% of the experimental results.
Rare earths leaching from Philippine phosphogypsum using Taguchi method, regression, and artificial neural network analysis
Authors: Diwa Reymar R. , Tabora Estrellita U. , Haneklaus Nils H. , Ramirez Jennyvi D.
Published: August 2023

The Philippines produce some 2.1–3.2 million t phosphogypsum (PG) per year. PG can contain elevated concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs). In this work, the leaching efficiency of the REEs from Philippine PG with H2SO4 was for the first time studied. A total of 18 experimental setups (repeated 3 times each) were conducted to optimize the acid concentration (1–10%), leaching temperature (40–80 °C), leaching time (5–120 min), and solid-to-liquid ratio (1:10–1:2) with the overall goal of maximizing the REE leaching efficiency. Applying different optimizations (Taguchi method, regression analysis and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis), a total REEs leaching efficiency of 71% (La 75%, Ce 72%, Nd 71% and Y 63%) was realized. Our results show the importance of the explanatory variables in the order of acid concentration > temperature > time > solid-to-liquid ratio. Based on the regression models, the REE leaching efficiencies are directly related to the linear combination of acid concentration, temperature, and time. Meanwhile, the ANN recognized the relevance of the solid-to-liquid ratio in the leaching process with an overall R of 0.97379. The proposed ANN model can be used to predict REE leaching efficiencies from PG with reasonable accuracy.
Fairness, assumptions, and guarantees for extended bounded response LTL+P synthesis
Authors: Cimatti Alessandro , Geatti Luca , Gigante Nicola , Montanari Angelo , Tonetta Stefano
Published: August 2023

Realizability and reactive synthesis from temporal logics are fundamental problems in formal verification. The complexity of these problems for linear temporal logic with past ( ) led to the identification of fragments with lower complexities and simpler algorithms. Recently, the logic of extended bounded response  ($$\textsf {LTL} _{\textsf {EBR} }\textsf {{+}P} $$LTLEBR+P for short) has been introduced. It allows one to express safety languages definable in  and it is provided with an efficient, fully symbolic algorithm for reactive synthesis. This paper features four related contributions. First, we introduce - , an extension of$$\textsf {LTL} _{\textsf {EBR} }\textsf {{+}P} $$LTLEBR+P with fairness conditions, assumptions, and guarantees that, on the one hand, allows one to express properties beyond the safety fragment and, on the other, it retains the efficiency of$$\textsf {LTL} _{\textsf {EBR} }\textsf {{+}P} $$LTLEBR+P in practice. Second, we the expressiveness of - starting from the expressiveness of its fragments. In particular, we prove that: (1)$$\textsf {LTL} _{\textsf {EBR} }\textsf {{+}P} $$LTLEBR+P is expressively complete with respect to the safety fragment of  , (2) the removal of past operators from$$\textsf {LTL} _{\textsf {EBR} }\textsf {{+}P} $$LTLEBR+P results into a loss of expressive power, and (3) - is expressively equivalent to the logic  of Bloem et al. Third, we provide a fully symbolic algorithm for the realizability problem from - specifications, that reduces it to a number of safety subproblems. Fourth, to ensure soundness and completeness of the algorithm, we propose and exploit a general framework for safety reductions in the context of realizability of (fragments of)  . The experimental evaluation shows promising results.
Evaluation of meniscus extrusion during stair ambulation in healthy volunteers using dynamic ultrasonography: a feasibility study
Authors: Hashizume Takato , Ishii Yosuke , Nakashima Yuko , Okamoto Saeko , Iwamoto Yoshitaka , Okada Kaoru , Takagi Kazuya , Adachi Nobuo , Takahashi Makoto
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of evaluating medial meniscus extrusion (MME) during stair ambulation.

Methods

Twenty healthy young participants (mean age, 22.4 ± 0.9 years) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Synchronization between the three-dimensional motion system and ultrasonography was used to quantify the extent of meniscal extrusion and knee angles during different tasks, including gait, stair ascent, and stair descent. In particular, ultrasonography was used to record the movements of both the middle and posterior segments of the meniscus to obtain detailed information about these movements in relation to the knee angle. The difference between the maximum MME and the MME at the initial contact (ΔMME) was evaluated during each task in the stance phase.

Results

Visualization of the meniscus in the middle segment was limited with increasing knee flexion angle, whereas the posterior segments were visible during all tasks. ΔMME of the posterior segment during stair ascent and descent was higher than that during gait (gait: 0.68 ± 0.20 mm, ascent: 1.00 ± 0.39 mm, descent: 0.90 ± 0.27 mm, gait-ascent: p = 0.009, gait-descent: p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Evaluation that includes the posterior segment enables visualization of the medial meniscus and detection of its specific behavior during stair ambulation. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of evaluating meniscus dynamics during stair ambulation, and could contribute to a better understanding of these dynamics.
A mechanical-based seismic vulnerability assessment method with an application to masonry structures in Cosenza (Italy)
Authors: Liguori Francesco S. , Fiore Stefania , Perelli Francesca L. , De Gregorio Daniela , Zuccaro Giulio , Madeo Antonio
Published: August 2023

The paper presents a mechanical-based framework for the evaluation of local-scale seismic fragility curves. The approach is oriented to a seismic vulnerability assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings and makes use of basic exposure data easily obtained from survey or available in existing database. An efficient finite element model and static nonlinear analyses are employed to assess the structural behaviour. The mechanical-based fragility curves are evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations that allow to account for the uncertainties propagation. The proposed approach is tested on a case-study regarding the city centre of Cosenza, in southern Italy, using exposure information available from CARTIS database.
A review of methods for detecting rats at low densities, with implications for surveillance
Authors: Davis Robert A. , Seddon Philip J. , Craig Michael D. , Russell James C.
Published: August 2023

Invasive rats are the biggest threat to island biodiversity world-wide. Though the ecological impacts of rats on insular biota are well documented, introduced rats present a difficult problem for detection and management. In recent decades, improved approaches have allowed for island-wide eradications of invasive rats on small-medium sized islands and suppression on large islands, although both these still represent a formidable logistical and financial challenge. A key aspect of eradication or suppression and ongoing management is the ability to detect the presence of rats, especially at low densities. Here we review recent developments in the field of rat surveillance and summarise current published literature to recommend practices and the factors to consider when developing a surveillance program for either eradication or suppression plans. Of 51 empirical studies covering 17 countries, 58% were from New Zealand. Although detecting rats at low density is extremely challenging, advances over the past 15 years, have significantly improved our ability to detect rats. Motion-sensored cameras and rodent detection dogs have greatly improved our ability to detect rats at low densities, with cameras consistently showing an ability to detect rats at lower densities than other techniques. Rodent detection dogs are also able to reliably detect even an individual rat, although there are challenges to their widespread adoption, particularly in developing countries, due to the cost and skills required for their training and maintenance. New monitoring devices, the use of eDNA and drones represent current and future innovations to improve detection.
Column-coherent matrix decomposition
Authors: Tatti Nikolaj
Published: August 2023

Matrix decomposition is a widely used tool in machine learning with many applications such as dimension reduction or visualization. In this paper we consider decomposing X, a matrix of size $$n \times m$$

n
×
m

, to a product WS where we require that S, a matrix of size $$n \times k$$

n
×
k

, needs to have consecutive ones property. More specifically, we require that each row of S needs to be in the form of $$0, \ldots , 0, 1, \ldots , 1, 0, \ldots , 0$$

0
,
…
,
0
,
1
,
…
,
1
,
0
,
…
,
0

. Such decompositions are particularly meaningful if X is a matrix where each row represents a time series; in such a case the ones in each row in S represent a time segment. We show that the optimization problem is inapproximable. To solve the problem we propose 5 different algorithms. The first two algorithms are based on solving iteratively S while keeping W fixed and then solving W while keeping S fixed. The next two algorithms are based on greedily optimizing a single row in S and the corresponding column in W. The last algorithm first finds the optimal decomposition of with $$2k - 1$$

2
k
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1

non-overlapping rows, and then greedily combines the rows until k rows remain. We compare the algorithms experimentally, focusing on the quality of the decomposition as well as the computational time. We show experimentally that our algorithms yield interpretable results in practical time.
Teacher Planning and Curriculum Frameworks: A Case Study of ECEC Practice in Australia
Authors: Keary Anne , Garvis Susanne , Zheng Haoran , Walsh Lucas
Published: August 2023

Research indicates an uneasy fit between curriculum frameworks and practice. In this paper, we explore the more subtle practices of context, providing insights into why teachers plan the way they do. Specifically, we examine the Australian early childhood education and care curriculum framework and local practices by analysing teacher planning templates and interviews. Using Bourdieusian tools of field and habitus, we investigate how early childhood teachers plan their programs by selectively adapting curriculum frameworks. Our case study approach uncovers a range of influences on teacher planning and how local practices reflect broader national agendas for young children.
Habitat use by semi-feral Konik horses on wetlands—three-year GPS study
Authors: Anna Chodkiewicz , Martyna Prończuk , Marcin Studnicki , Dawid Wójcik
Published: August 2023

Free-ranging grazers are increasingly being introduced to areas of high natural value, such as wetlands. There is also growing attention that has been paid to the historical role of herbivores in shaping ecosystems and landscapes. Even though studies on the grazing of free-range horses were carried out in different regions and climates, still little is known about their habitat selection on heterogeneous marshy areas in the temperate region of Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the habitat use by contemporary Konik horses during the growing season on the basis of three-year GPS data for a semi-feral herd kept on wetlands. Almost 68% of the occurrence of Konik horses were in open habitats. The assessment of habitat selection by the horses confirmed their strong preferences for grasslands on mid-forest dunes and forest avoidance. Konik horses somewhat preferred mowed fen meadows, but the animals displayed differences in the selection of habitat, probably depending on its humidity and weather conditions in a given year which may limit the role of grazing in protecting these communities. Horses need different habitats in wetlands such as fen meadows, forest, and grasslands on the mineral hills. This should be taken into consideration for landscape management in areas where the introduction of wild or semi-wild horse populations is planned.
At all costs: educational expansion and persistent inequality in the Philippines
Authors: Ramirez Yee Karol Mark
Published: August 2023

This paper studies educational inequality in the Philippines from 1950 to 2015, examining changes in the association between social origin and educational attainment against a backdrop of educational expansions and fluctuating economic conditions. Using data from the World Bank STEP Skills Survey, the study employs a sequential logit model to illustrate trends in secondary and college completion, followed by a multinomial logit model to look into differences in college destinations (type and status) between advantaged and disadvantaged students. The findings indicate that despite sustained expansions in the past six decades, disparities in secondary and tertiary completion deepened in relation to social background. The paper also finds that although expansions occurred mainly in public higher education institutions, it did little to alter the trends in college destinations, with advantaged students still more likely to complete in “high-status” universities than disadvantaged ones. Finally, the paper sheds light on how economic recessions have varying consequences on educational attainment, routing disadvantaged students out of college in the short term, while resulting in significant declines in the likelihood of completing higher education for advantaged students enrolled in “high-status” public entities in the long term.
Disturbance alters phytoplankton functional traits and consequently drives changes in zooplankton life-history traits and lipid composition
Authors: Titocci Jessica , Fink Patrick
Published: August 2023

In the light of the current biodiversity crisis that affects in particular freshwater ecosystems, it is crucial to understand the effects of functional diversity loss on phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions in freshwater food webs. Here, we simulated the loss of phytoplankton trait diversity by applying different intensities of mechanical disturbance to a natural phytoplankton community in a laboratory experiment. Different disturbance regimes clearly affected the trait distribution and functional diversity of these phytoplankton communities. In the experiment’s second phase, these altered communities were provided as a food source to the zooplankton grazers Daphnia longispina and Eudiaptomus graciloides and their life-history traits and lipid compositions were investigated. Both zooplankton fitness and reproductive success were affected differently, depending on the grazers’ feeding modes. Phytoplankton fatty acid composition was generally reflected in the consumers’ tissue. Nevertheless, some selective PUFAs accumulation occurred and mismatches in some fatty acids suggested a possible enzymatic modification of dietary fatty acids adopted to face biochemical deficiencies of the diets. Overall, this study highlights how a loss of specific traits in resource communities could impact consumer communities, and shows how these altered community traits may affect food web dynamics.
Fine-scale niche differences allow the co-existence of congeneric aquatic beetles in supratidal rockpools
Authors: García-Meseguer A. J. , Abellán P. , Mirón-Gatón J. M. , Botella-Cruz M. , Guareschi S. , Millán A. , Velasco J.
Published: August 2023

Here we focused on the co-occurrence pattern on regional and local scales, and on the niche differences of two species of congeneric beetles (Ochthebius quadricollis and O. lejolisii, Hydraenidae) exclusive of supratidal rockpools. Abundances of adults and larval stages from both species and environmental variables were obtained in 10 pools from 12 localities along the Iberian Mediterranean coast. To determine the local co-existence pattern, we monthly sampled two localities in an annual cycle. On regional and local scales, we found negative correlations between both species’ pool abundances, which suggest spatio-temporal segregation based on their different environmental responses. The OMI analysis detected interspecific niche differences, larger in larvae than adults. The best regression models obtained for O. quadricollis larvae included depth, conductivity, and fine sediments as the main explanatory variables with a positive effect, and distance to sea and CPOM with a negative effect. For O. lejolisii larvae, the best models included CPOM and periphyton with positive effects, while pool area, depth and conductivity negatively affected. Our results suggest that subtle interspecific differences in ecological niches, mainly those related to pool hydroperiod and salinity, could determine spatio-temporal storage effects as the principal mechanisms of co-existence on local and regional scales.
Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Ameliorates LPS-induced Acute Lung Injury By Modulating M2a Macrophage Polarization Via the TREM2/PI3K/Akt Pathway
Authors: Qiao Xin , Wang Hua , He Yulin , Song Dongfang , Altawil Abdullah , Wang Qiuyue , Yin Yan
Published: August 2023

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an acute and progressive pulmonary inflammatory disease that is difficult to cure and has a poor prognosis. Macrophages, which have various phenotypes and diverse functions, play an essential role in the pathogenesis of ALI. Grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSP) has received much attention over several decades, and many biological activities such as anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory have been identified. This study aimed to determine the effect of GSP on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. In this study, we established an ALI mouse model by tracheal instillation of LPS, and by pre-injection of GSP into mice to examine the effect of GSP on the ALI mouse model. Using H&E staining, flow cytometry, and ELISA, we found that GSP attenuated LPS-induced lung pathological changes and decreased inflammatory cytokine expression in ALI mice. In addition, GSP reduced the recruitment of monocyte-derived macrophages to the lung and significantly promoted the polarization of primary mouse lung macrophages from M1 to M2a induced by LPS. In vitro, GSP also decreased the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and M1 macrophage marker iNOS induced by LPS in MH-S cells, while increasing the expression levels of M2a macrophage marker CD206. Bioinformatics analysis identified TREM2 and the PI3K/Akt pathway as candidate targets and signaling pathways that regulate M1/M2a macrophage polarization in ALI, respectively. Furthermore, GSP activated PI3K/Akt and increased TREM2 expression in vivo and in vitro. Meanwhile, GSP's impact on M2a polarization and inflammation suppression was attenuated by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 or siRNA knockdown TREM2. In addition, GSP-enhanced PI3K/Akt activity was prevented by TREM2 siRNA. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that GSP could ameliorate LPS-induced ALI by modulating macrophage polarization from M1 to M2a via the TREM2/PI3K/Akt pathway.