bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of a low-cost IoT-based data logger for monitoring the palm sugar drying system using ESP32 and Modbus/MQTT conversion
Authors: Kusuma Redika Ardi , Karyadi Joko Nugroho Wahyu , Rahayoe Sri
Published: August 2024

Palm Sugar is made from coconut sap, evaporated and cooled to crystallize to form powder. To obtain palm sugar that is safe to store, the water content needs to be reduced through controlled drying, usually with a cabinet dryer. Unfortunately, this process may result in non-uniformity of product quality due to non-uniformity of temperature in the drying chamber, so a monitoring system is needed for evaluation. This study aimed to design a low-cost Internet of Things (IoT)-based data logger to monitor the drying temperature of palm sugar in a cabinet dryer. The data logger utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller to access 7-channel temperature data from the NT18B07 sensor module, which can only communicate in the Modbus RTU RS485 protocol, then converts it into Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) format. The Adafruit IO cloud platform was selected for the MQTT broker, whose data was then subscribed to by the IoT MQTT panel application and recorded in a Google sheet. A 20x04 I2C LCD and a microSD module were used to display and store data locally. The performance analysis results show that the designed data logger has a publisher-to-subscriber latency of 353 ms and throughput of 2 kbps. The designed data logger successfully sent data via MQTT, completing more than 97% of the 1440 daily logs with an interval of 1 minute. It also has a measurement accuracy and precision level of above 99%. The details of the specific design and its implementation were described.
Design of temperature-soil moisture control and monitoring system for chili cultivation in greenhouse
Authors: Telaumbanua M , Noval F A , Erika Y , Haryanto A , Lanya B , Wisnu F K , Ansari A , Indriyawati A
Published: August 2024

One form of plant care is to measure the microclimate when cultivating chilies in a greenhouse. The aim of this research is to design a control system to make it easier for farmers to access information on temperature and soil moisture on chili cultivation land. The microcontroller is integrated with email in monitoring and controlling climate factors in the greenhouse at a low cost. The sensors used are the DHT22 sensor and soil moisture sensor. Application Programming Interface (API) Pushingbox is used to simplify the system for sending data from the microcontroller to the website. The system can be accessed via the website monitoringcabai.weebly.com. Validation of the soil moisture and temperature sensors resulted in an RMSE of 6.04. Validation of the three greenhouse temperature sensors produced RMSE of 0.16, 0.14, and 0.16. The accuracy rate for greenhouse temperature control is 98.61% and soil moisture control is 99.95%. The greenhouse temperature control time was 47 minutes 44.4 seconds and the soil moisture control time was 41 minutes 51.6 seconds. The stability of the tool results in stable performance. The height growth of chili plants with the control system (in the greenhouse) was better than without the control system (outside the greenhouse).
Understanding superlinear speedup in current HPC architectures
Authors: Galeazzo Flavio Cesar Cunha , Weiß R. Gregor , Lesnik Sergey , Rusche Henrik , Ruopp Andreas
Published: August 2024

The performance of OpenFOAM in strong scaling tests on HPC systems with AMD EPYC processors exhibits a pronounced superlinear speedup. Simple test cases show superlinear speedups of over 300%, which significantly impacts the efficient use of computing resources.

With the last generation of HPC architectures, a superlinear speedup of about 10% to 20% was well expected and accepted by CFD users [1]. The measured superlinear speedup is much more pronounced and withstands the communication overhead to even larger scales.

A detailed performance analysis of OpenFOAM follows, employing various High-Performance Computing (HPC) architectures, including AMD, ARM and Intel systems. The performance metric FVOPS (Finite VOlumes solved Per Second) is introduced to compare the performance of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) applications when varying the grid size, as occurs in a strong scaling test. The achievable FVOPS depends on various factors, including the simulation type, boundary conditions, and especially the grid size of a use case. Analysing FVOPS on a single node level with varying grid size shows a significant difference in performance and cache utilization, which explains the large superlinear speedups seen in the strong scaling tests.

Furthermore, FVOPS can be used as a simple benchmark to determine the optimal number of grid elements per rank to simulate a given use case at peak efficiency on a given platform, resulting in time, energy, and cost savings.

The FVOPS metric also facilitates the direct comparison between different HPC architectures. The tests using AMD, ARM, and Intel processors show a peak in performance when employing around 10,000 grid elements per core. The presence of a large L3 cache on AMD processors is particularly advantageous, as indicated by L3 cache miss rates observed on AMD EPYC processors. Our results suggest that future HPC architectures with larger caches and higher memory bandwidth would benefit the CFD community.
Laser cladding technology for high entropy alloys: effect and applications
Authors: Prakash Om , Chandrakar Rituraj , L Martin , Verma Jagesvar , kumar Anil , Jaiswal Ankur
Published: August 2024

A multi-component category of an alloy containing very specific properties revolutionized the area of material science and the present engineering era. Laser cladding, a technique for surface coating, enhances surface quality and modifies properties using advanced coating technologies. In current trends, Laser cladding is mainly used in equipment and machine parts for enhancing surface properties, repairing damaged parts and surface coating caused by its advantages such as small heat-affected zone, low substrate damage, low dilution rate and exceptional metallurgical material bonding among coating and used substrate. Laser cladding improves substrates’ mechanical and various functional-specific properties, ensuring a high-quality balance between mechanical and surface attributes. The research society was able to investigate laser-cladding HEAs coatings because of the superior attributes of HEAs compared to ordinary alloys. This paper reviews current developments in laser-cladding HEAs coatings and the application of laser-cladding technology to HEAs materials. The laser cladding high-entropy alloy coatings have potential applications in corrosion, wear, and oxidation resistance, as well as their respective substrates. Cladded coatings composed of HEAs materials are measured to have shown potential applications in recent technology, opening exciting possibilities for the future. The study also discusses current trends and future prospects.
Thickness-extensible higher order plate theory with enforced C1 continuity for the analysis of PEEK medical implants
Authors: Tasneem Mohamad Hasan Bin , Al-Jahwari Farooq , Al-Kindi Mahmood , Al-Lawati Imad , Al Lawati Abdulmonem
Published: August 2024

Plate-like structures had been thoroughly studied in literature over years to reduce the computational space from 3D to 2D. Many of these theories suffer either from satisfying the free traction condition or thickness extensibility in addition to the consistency of transverse shear strain energy. This work presents a higher order shear deformation thickness-extensible plate theory (eHSDT) for the analysis of plates. The proposed eHSDT satisfies the condition of free traction as other theories do but it also satisfies the condition of consistency of transverse shear strain energy which is neglected by many theories in the area of plates and shells. The implementation of the proposed theory in displacement-based finite element procedure requires continuity of derivatives across elements. This necessary condition was achieved using the penalty enforcement method for derivative-based nodal degrees of freedom across the standard 9-nodes Lagrange element. The theory was tested for elastic bending deformation of Polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) which is one of the basic materials for medical implants. The theory showed good accuracy compared to experimental data of the three-points bending test. The present eHSDT was also tested for different conditions with a wide range of aspects ratios (thin to thick plates) and different boundary conditions. The accuracy of the proposed eHSDT was verified against exact solutions for these conditions which showed the advantage over other approaches and commercial finite element packages.
Mathematical modeling of 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) radiopharmaceutical transport in vascularized solid tumors
Authors: Abazari Mohammad Amin , Soltani M , Eydi Faezeh , Rahmim Arman , Kashkooli Farshad Moradi
Published: August 2024

18F-Fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) is a highly promising positron emission tomography radiopharmaceutical for identifying hypoxic regions in solid tumors. This research employs spatiotemporal multi-scale mathematical modeling to explore how different levels of angiogenesis influence the transport of radiopharmaceuticals within tumors. In this study, two tumor geometries with heterogeneous and uniform distributions of capillary networks were employed to incorporate varying degrees of microvascular density. The synthetic image of the heterogeneous and vascularized tumor was generated by simulating the angiogenesis process. The proposed multi-scale spatiotemporal model accounts for intricate physiological and biochemical factors within the tumor microenvironment, such as the transvascular transport of the radiopharmaceutical agent, its movement into the interstitial space by diffusion and convection mechanisms, and ultimately its uptake by tumor cells. Results showed that both quantitative and semi-quantitative metrics of 18F-FMISO uptake differ spatially and temporally at different stages during tumor growth. The presence of a high microvascular density in uniformly vascularized tumor increases cellular uptake, as it allows for more efficient release and rapid distribution of radiopharmaceutical molecules. This results in enhanced uptake compared to the heterogeneous vascularized tumor. In both heterogeneous and uniform distribution of microvessels in tumors, the diffusion transport mechanism has a more pronounced than convection. The findings of this study shed light on the transport phenomena behind 18F-FMISO radiopharmaceutical distribution and its delivery in the tumor microenvironment, aiding oncologists in their routine decision-making processes.
Historical and relative dominance of the convention on biological diversity agenda: a case analysis of decisions and recommendations
Authors: Park HyeMin
Published: August 2024

In contrast to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) gives developing countries greater bargaining power owing to their abundant natural resources. CBD negotiations tend to be increasingly dominated by agendas related to the CBD’s third objective: benefit sharing. The first and core objective of CBD is biodiversity conservation, but it is often neglected in favor of benefit sharing. To verify this tendency, this study used topic modeling to analyze the recommendations of the subsidiary bodies and decisions made by the Conference of the Parties (COP) over the past 30 years. The study identified the ten most frequently discussed agenda, then determined the relative dominant agenda between the COP and subsidiary bodies. By categorizing the negotiation agendas into strategic decision agendas and operational conservation agendas based on the level of the meeting which the agenda dominated, this study offers a new framework that can be used to understand how strategic and operational factors interact in CBD negotiations. The findings show that biodiversity conservation, the first objective of CBD, is no longer dominant, at least during negotiations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive investigation of all documents generated during CBD negotiations since its inception.
Changing water quality of a major rainfed river system of western India: insights from the Bhima river using water quality index
Authors: Yash  , Ghosh Anwesha , Arora Roshni , Kumar Chakresh , Bhadury Punyasloke
Published: August 2024

The Bhima River originating from the Western Ghats of India, a global biodiversity hotspot, is one of the most dammed rivers, used intensively for multifaceted purposes including agriculture and domestic usage. The present study was undertaken from early pre-monsoon to start of monsoon of 2023 encompassing 68 sampling points across Bhima River and its tributaries to develop the water quality index (WQI). Environmental parameters including SWT, pH, DO, TDS and EC were measured in situ during the time of sampling. Surface water samples (1 L) was collected for estimation of dissolved nutrients. The concentration of dissolved oxygen was found to be below 2 mg l−1 in several sampling points representing hypoxic conditions of the riverine system. TDS and EC ranged from 55.12 ppm to 2983 ppm and 108.3 μS cm−1 to 5939 μS cm−1 respectively, indicating significant spatial and temporal variations. The concentration of dissolved ammonia (0.05 mg l−1–14.09 mg l−1), nitrate (5.88 mg l−1 to 1596.16 mg l−1), o-phosphate (0.21 mg l−1–35.47 mg l−1) and reactive silicate (36.70 mg l−1 to 1455.15 mg l−1) indicates possible influx of agricultural run-off and untreated municipal discharges. Calculations of water quality index (WQI) using the measured parameters showed ‘bad to very bad’ and ‘medium to good’ water quality along the Bhima River and its tributaries. In-depth analyses of WQI indicates pollution ‘hot-spots’ and hints toward urgent implementation of basin-level mitigation strategies for improvement of the ecological health of Upper Bhima basin.
High rates of hydrogen sulfide emissions measured from marginal oil wells near Austin and San Antonio, Texas
Authors: Townsend-Small Amy , Edgar Abigail , Fernandez Julianne M , Jackson Amy , Currit Nathan
Published: August 2024

Marginal oil and gas wells, or wells that produce less than 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day, represent 80% of actively producing wells in the United States, although they produce less than 10% of energy supply. Marginal wells are a disproportionate source of methane (CH4) relative to their production, and they emit harmful air pollutants, such as benzene and other hydrocarbons found in oil and natural gas. We made direct measurements of CH4 and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions from 46 wellheads in the Luling Field, Caldwell County, Texas, just east of the Austin/San Antonio Metroplex. We found that these wells are venting natural gas and are a large source of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a poisonous air pollutant. Hydrogen sulfide emission rates ranged from 0 to 5 ± 0.5 g H2S hr−1 with an average emission rate of 1.6 ± 0.1 g H2S hr−1. We also found ambient concentrations of H2S at dangerous levels (>100 ppm) near many of the wells. Methane emission rates were in line with previous studies of marginal wells, ranging from 0.0 to 2770 ± 390 g CH4 hr−1, with a skewed distribution and average emission rate of 710 ± 100 g CH4 hr−1. Oil production records from Texas were incomplete: some wells had oil production data from the year of sampling, but many had no production data for several years or decades, although they were actively pumping while we were on site. Interviews with local residents indicate that the closing of the county gas processing plant and subsequent loss of gathering lines may be the cause of gas venting and CH4 and H2S emissions from production sites. This deserves further scrutiny, as marginal wells in this region are a major source of H2S, a health hazard to people living and working nearby.
Reconstruction of sea ice variability in the Chukchi Sea during the last three centuries based on biomarker proxies
Authors: Jalali Bassem , Sicre Marie-Alexandrine , Ren Jian , Klein Vincent , Li Zhongqiao , Su Liang , Bai Youcheng , Astakhov Anatolii S , Chen Jianfang
Published: August 2024

In this study, we reconstruct three-century of sea ice cover history in the Chukchi Sea from the downcore profile of total organic carbon (TOC) and biomarker proxies, namely the Ice Proxy with 25 carbon atoms (IP25), the di- and tri-unsaturated highly branched isoprenoid (HBI II and HBI III) and two phytosterols (brassicasterol and dinosterol) in three sediment cores from the northern, eastern and southern Chukchi Sea reflecting different sea ice conditions. Our data indicate higher IP25 values in the eastern site and lowest ones in the northern Chukchi Sea site that are consistent with the modern sea ice distribution. They also underline the predominance of sympagic over pelagic production except at the southern site where pelagic production depicts a sharp increased over the last decades. We present a new approach improving the linear relationship between PIIIIP25 (PBIP25) and satellite-derived spring (summer) sea ice concentrations (SIC) to advance sea ice reconstructions across the Arctic Ocean. This method results in better assessment of PIP25 derived SIC and reconstruction of past seasonal sea ice conditions. They indicate marginal sea ice conditions at the three sites until 1950s–1960s followed by a reduction of seasonal sea ice as captured by PBIP25 index.
Child of the Delta
Authors: Alcántara Jared E
Published: August 2024

This chapter catalogues Joseph H. Jackson’s humble beginnings in Rudyard, Mississippi, his educational journey in Jackson, his first pastorate in Macomb, and his vocation as a circuit-rider in the Delta region. Rudyard was a town so small that the U.S. Census Bureau did not keep a record of its population. It was located in Coahoma County, a county that was 88 percent Black and 12 percent White, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, a region filled with former slave plantations and plagued by racial terrorism. Various sources are consulted, such as Jackson’s recollections in writings, biographical materials, U.S. Census reports, and research by historians.
Ascending the Ranks
Authors: Alcántara Jared E
Published: August 2024

This chapter tracks Joseph H. Jackson’s ascendance through the ranks of his denomination, the National Baptist Convention. He moved from virtual anonymity as a circuit-riding preacher in rural Mississippi and a graduate of Jackson College in the early 1920s to a preacher, leader, and statesman of international renown by the late 1930s. Before being selected to replace L. K. Williams as senior pastor at Olivet Baptist in Chicago, he made stops in pastorates in Macomb, Mississippi, Omaha, Nebraska, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also preached to tens of thousands and traveled the world as general secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the NBC.
The Unforgotten Women of the Islamic State
Authors: Vale Gina
Published: August 2024

The Unforgotten Women of the Islamic State explores the governance of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization through the lives and words of local Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish women. While the roles and activities of foreign (predominantly Western), pro-IS women have garnered significant attention, the experiences and insights of local civilian populations have been largely overlooked.

Drawing on the testimonies of sixty-three local Sunni Muslim and Yazidi women, The Unforgotten  Women of the Islamic State exposes the group’s intra-gender stratified system of governance. Eligibility for the group’s protection, security, ‘citizenship’, and entrance into the (semi-)public sphere was not universal, but required convergence with IS’s gender norms, through permanent erasure or at least temporary disguise of certain markers of difference. In some cases, this was directed by a premeditated ‘divide and conquer’ strategy; in others, this manifested as unregulated violences at the hands of individual group members, including women.

The structure follows the trajectory of IS’s increasing control of its ‘citizens’ and captive populations, from its militarization of society; imposition of law and order; provision of goods and services; and intervention in civilians’ private lives. Through analysis of diverse first-hand accounts and the group’s documentation, Vale argues that the presence, exclusion, and victimization of local civilian women were necessary to the functioning and legitimation of IS’s ‘caliphate’ project, and the supremacy of affiliated men—and women. As a fledgling proto-state, IS needed local Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish women. Though far from represented or protected, they were by no means forgotten.
Introduction
Authors: Vale Gina
Published: August 2024

The introduction starts with the escape of two Iraqi sisters from their hometown of Mosul—Iraq’s second largest city and then a cornerstone of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group’s project to establish and govern its proto-state. This story and the diverse experiences of local civilian women have been largely omitted from media and scholarship concerning the ‘women of IS’, thereby highlighting a key gap in current analysis. The chapter introduces intersectionality as the corrective lens of this book that reveals IS’s intra-gender stratified system of governance. The original framework of interconnected areas of control—militarization of society, imposition of law and order, goods and service provision, and intervention in civilians’ private lives—allows readers to unpick how the subordination of particular women in particular ways and spaces was integral to the functioning and legitimation of IS’s ‘caliphate’ project and the supremacy of its affiliated men and women.
Militarization of Society
Authors: Vale Gina
Published: August 2024

Islamic State’s (IS) ‘caliphate’ was a society at war. This chapter examines the group’s militarized proto-state from the perspectives of local female civilians, providing vital insight into an aspect of its governance that remains dominated and depicted by men. From the initial invasion and seizure of territory, to the consolidation and eventual collapse of the physical ‘caliphate’, IS created a stratified society. While the militancy of some pro-IS women was tactically endorsed by the group, the majority of civilian women were unacknowledged or erased from its documentation and policies. Yet, their experiences of invasion, genocide, widowhood, and the liberation battles reveal IS’s proto-state to be a society that both relied upon and reinforced the dependence of women on the protection and provision of its hypermasculine mujāhidīn. Women’s divergences from this ideal—through their age, ethnicity, religion, and group affiliation—directly shaped their eligibility for physical and financial security.
SWAMPy: simulating SARS-CoV-2 wastewater amplicon metagenomes
Authors: Boulton William , Fidan Fatma Rabia , Denise Hubert , De Maio Nicola , Goldman Nick
Published: August 2024

Motivation

Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants through genomic sequencing has been an important part of the global response to the pandemic and remains a useful tool for surveillance of the virus. As well as whole-genome sequencing of clinical samples, this surveillance effort has been aided by amplicon sequencing of wastewater samples, which proved effective in real case studies. Because of its relevance to public healthcare decisions, testing and benchmarking wastewater sequencing analysis methods is also crucial, which necessitates a simulator. Although metagenomic simulators exist, none is fit for the purpose of simulating the metagenomes produced through amplicon sequencing of wastewater.

Results

Our new simulation tool, SWAMPy (Simulating SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Amplicon Metagenomes with Python), is intended to provide realistic simulated SARS-CoV-2 wastewater sequencing datasets with which other programs that rely on this type of data can be evaluated and improved. Our tool is suitable for simulating Illumina short-read RT–PCR amplified metagenomes.

Availability and implementation

The code for this project is available at https://github.com/goldman-gp-ebi/SWAMPy. It can be installed on any Unix-based operating system and is available under the GPL-v3 license.
A case of adrenal oncocytoma: reviewing the literature of radiological finding
Authors: Sakano Maho , Wakabayashi Yukari , Shirota Natsuhiko , Ohno Yoshio , Suketa Aoi , Nagao Toshitaka , Saito Kazuhiro
Published: August 2024

Oncocytoma is a tumour that predominantly occurs in the kidneys and salivary glands. Only approximately 200 cases have been reported to be of adrenal origin to date, and only a few reports about its radiological findings have been published so far. Herein, we present the CT and MRI findings of an adrenal oncocytoma observed in a patient suspected of having mitochondrial abnormalities, along with the pathological findings. The tumour was roughly classified into three areas: a hypercellular region, a region containing fibrous tissue, and an oedematous region. These corresponded to the restricted diffusion area on the apparent diffusion coefficient map, the gradually enhanced area at the secretory phase on contrast-enhanced CT scan, and the obvious hyperintensity on the T2-weighted image, respectively. We also discuss these findings in the context of previously reported radiological findings in the literature. Diagnosing adrenal oncocytoma through imaging is challenging, and it is crucial to consider the possibility of malignancy while making the differential diagnosis. Small-sized homogenous tumours may be hard to differentiate from lipid-poor adenomas, while larger inhomogeneous ones are hard to distinguish from adrenal cancer.
Disease-specific survival outcomes for patients after locoregional treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ: observational cohort study
Authors: Wang Sabrina M , Li Yan , Nash Amanda , Ren Yi , Thomas Samantha M , Francescatti Amanda B , Barber Anne , Lynch Thomas , Frank Elizabeth S , Grimm Lars J , Thompson Alastair M , Partridge Ann H , Hyslop Terry , Hwang E Shelley , Ryser Marc D
Published: August 2024

Background

Breast-conserving surgery alone, breast-conserving surgery with adjuvant radiation treatment, and mastectomy are guideline-concordant treatments for ductal carcinoma in situ. The aim of this study was to compare survival outcomes between these treatment options.

Methods

A stratified random sample of patients diagnosed with pure ductal carcinoma in situ between 2008 and 2014 was selected from 1330 sites in the USA. Data on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up were abstracted by local cancer registrars. Population-averaged marginal estimates of disease-specific survival and overall survival for breast-conserving surgery alone, breast-conserving surgery with radiation treatment, and mastectomy were obtained by combining sampling and overlap weights.

Results

A total of 18 442 women were included, with a median follow-up of 67.8 (interquartile range 46.1–93.5) months. A total of 35 women died from breast cancer, at a median age of 62 (interquartile range 50–74) years. Population-averaged 8-year rates of disease-specific survival were 99.6% or higher for all treatment groups, with no significant differences between groups (breast-conserving surgery alone versus breast-conserving surgery with radiation treatment, HR 1.19 (95% c.i. 0.29 to 4.85); and mastectomy versus breast-conserving surgery with radiation treatment, HR 1.74 (95% c.i. 0.53 to 5.72). There was no difference in overall survival between the patients who underwent a mastectomy and the patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery with radiation treatment (HR 1.09 (95% c.i. 0.83 to 1.43)). Patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery alone had lower overall survival compared with the patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery with radiation treatment (HR 1.29 (95% c.i. 1.00 to 1.67)). This survival difference vanished for all but one subgroup, namely patients less than 65 years (HR 1.86 (95% c.i. 1.15 to 3.00)).

Conclusion

There was no statistically significant difference in disease-specific survival between women operated with breast-conserving surgery alone, breast-conserving surgery with radiation treatment, or mastectomy for ductal carcinoma in situ. Given the low absolute risk of disease-specific mortality, these results provide confidence in offering individualized locoregional treatment without fear of compromising survival.
A Cluster Analysis of Professional Quality of Life and Post-Traumatic Growth Amongst Medical Social Workers in Mainland China
Authors: Fu Fang , Ng Yong Hao , Ji Qingying , Chen Yuting , Cao Qing
Published: August 2024

Medical social workers (MSWs) engage in complex and demanding work that inevitably affects their professional well-being. A public health disaster like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exacerbates the effects. This study aims to classify the professional quality of life (ProQOL) of MSWs during COVID-19 in mainland China. It further examines the relationship between ProQOL classification, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and demographic characteristics. ProQOL comprises three domains: compassionate satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. About 345 MSWs completed questionnaires that measured their levels of ProQOL and PTG. Through a k-mean cluster analysis, three clusters of ProQOL are identified. The first type is named as the Career Satisfied group, characterised by MSWs with the highest level of compassionate satisfaction and the lowest level of secondary traumatic stress and burnout amongst the three clusters. The second cluster is called the Trauma-Thriving group, consisting of MSWs with the highest level of secondary traumatic stress amongst all. They also had the highest score for PTG. The third cluster, the Compassion Fatigue group, comprised MSWs with the highest burnout and lowest compassion satisfaction levels. The results underscore the importance of tailored interventions for each type of MSW that emerges in a public health disaster.
Changes in the microbial community structure and diversity during the electricity generation process of a microbial fuel cell with algal-film cathode
Authors: Wang Haiping , Zheng Liguo , Tan Changyin , Li Ling , Liu Feng , Feng Hui
Published: August 2024

A two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) with algal-film cathode was constructed. It showed good electric-generating performance with three electric-generating stages: start-up, development, and stable. An average output voltage reached ~0.412 V during the stable period. A maximum power density during continuous operation was 19.76 mW/m2. Bacterial samples were collected from the anode in the three stages (A1, A2, and A3), and their community structure and diversity were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 4238 operational taxonomic units were identified based on the number of taxa. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes played a dominant role in the three stages and increased significantly during electricity generation. Compared with A1, the relative abundances of Proteobacteria in A2 and A3 increased by 23.30% and 32.06%, respectively, whereas those of Bacteroidetes in A2 and A3 increased by 5.56% and 14.50%, respectively. At the genus level, there were differences in the composition of bacterial communities among the three stages. Acinetobacter and Chlorobium became the dominant genera in A2, replacing Nitrospira and norank_f__Saprospiraceae in A1, and Sphingobacterium and Ochrobactrum became the dominant genera in A3. According to the sample cluster and principal component analyses, A1 was clustered into one class, and A2 and A3 were clustered into a second class. This work revealed bacterial community succession at the anode of an algal-film cathode MFC during the electricity generation process, which provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent promotion of electricity generation by algal-film cathode MFCs.
Individual differences in spatial working memory strategies differentially reflected in the engagement of control and default brain networks
Authors: Purg Suljič Nina , Kraljič Aleksij , Rahmati Masih , Cho Youngsun T , Slana Ozimič Anka , Murray John D , Anticevic Alan , Repovš Grega
Published: August 2024

Spatial locations can be encoded and maintained in working memory using different representations and strategies. Fine-grained representations provide detailed stimulus information, but are cognitively demanding and prone to inexactness. The uncertainty in fine-grained representations can be compensated by the use of coarse, but robust categorical representations. In this study, we employed an individual differences approach to identify brain activity correlates of the use of fine-grained and categorical representations in spatial working memory. We combined data from six functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, resulting in a sample of $155$ ($77$ women, $25 \pm 5$ years) healthy participants performing a spatial working memory task. Our results showed that individual differences in the use of spatial representations in working memory were associated with distinct patterns of brain activity. Higher precision of fine-grained representations was related to greater engagement of attentional and control brain systems throughout the task trial, and the stronger deactivation of the default network at the time of stimulus encoding. In contrast, the use of categorical representations was associated with lower default network activity during encoding and higher frontoparietal network activation during maintenance. These results may indicate a greater need for attentional resources and protection against interference for fine-grained compared with categorical representations.
Cystatin C vs creatinine eGFR in advanced CKD: an analysis of the STOP-ACEi trial
Authors: Spencer Sebastian , Desborough Robert , Mehta Samir , Ives Natalie , Bhandari Sunil
Published: August 2024

Background

In this secondary analysis of the STOP-ACEi trial, we explored the impact of discontinuing or continuing renin–angiotensin system inhibitor therapy in people with advanced chronic kidney disease on cystatin C estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods

Cystatin C eGFRs were calculated at baseline, 12, 24 and 36 months using Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) cystatin 2012, European Kidney Function Consortium and CKD-EPI Combined 2021 equations. We excluded samples obtained after the initiation of kidney replacement therapy. Primary analysis used complete case analysis and mixed-effects linear regression model, adjusting for minimization variables, baseline value, time-point and treatment by time interaction. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using a pattern mixture model to account for missing data that was not at random. To model the longitudinal cystatin C data with time-to-event data, a joint model was utilized which incorporated the cystatin C measurements at various time points and accounted for the occurrence of kidney replacement therapy.

Results

The mean cystatin C eGFRs (CKD-EPI 2012) at baseline were 17.8 mg/L [standard deviation (SD 6.3)] and 17.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 (SD 6.3) in the STOP and CONTINUE arms, respectively. The estimated least squares mean difference at 12 months between STOP and CONTINUE arm was –1.46 [95% confidence interval (CI) –2.39 to –0.52, P = .002]. The estimated least squares mean difference at 24 months was –2.27 (95% CI –3.48 to –1.06, P < .001). The estimated least squares mean difference at 36 months was –1.72 (95% CI –3.48 to 0.03, P = .05).

Conclusion

Our results are consistent with the primary study's analysis and sensitivity analyses support these findings and provide additional insights. Our findings demonstrate the similarity of creatinine and cystatin eGFR results and therefore support the use of cystatin C as an alternative marker of eGFR in advanced CKD, particularly in those in whom creatinine is likely to be less accurate.
Obesity and cardiovascular disease: an ESC clinical consensus statement
Authors: Koskinas Konstantinos C , Van Craenenbroeck Emeline M , Antoniades Charalambos , Blüher Matthias , Gorter Thomas M , Hanssen Henner , Marx Nikolaus , McDonagh Theresa A , Mingrone Geltrude , Rosengren Annika , Prescott Eva B ,   the ESC Scientific Document Group, Aboyans Victor , Blomstrom-Lundqvist Carina , Nielsen Jens Cosedis , Donal Erwan , Döhner Wolfram , Ferrini Marc , Halvorsen Sigrun , Hassager Christian , Huber Kurt , James Stefan , Leclercq Christophe , Linde Cecilia , McEvoy John William , McMurray John , Mihaylova Borislava , Mindham Richard , Petersen Steffen , Piepoli Massimo , Rakisheva Amina , Rosselló Xavier , Szymański Piotr , Uchmanowicz Izabella , Vrints Christiaan , Windecker Stephan , Witkowski Adam , Zeppenfeld Katja
Published: August 2024

The global prevalence of obesity has more than doubled over the past four decades, currently affecting more than a billion individuals. Beyond its recognition as a high-risk condition that is causally linked to many chronic illnesses, obesity has been declared a disease per se that results in impaired quality of life and reduced life expectancy. Notably, two-thirds of obesity-related excess mortality is attributable to cardiovascular disease. Despite the increasingly appreciated link between obesity and a broad range of cardiovascular disease manifestations including atherosclerotic disease, heart failure, thromboembolic disease, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death, obesity has been underrecognized and sub-optimally addressed compared with other modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. In the view of major repercussions of the obesity epidemic on public health, attention has focused on population-based and personalized approaches to prevent excess weight gain and maintain a healthy body weight from early childhood and throughout adult life, as well as on comprehensive weight loss interventions for persons with established obesity. This clinical consensus statement by the European Society of Cardiology discusses current evidence on the epidemiology and aetiology of obesity; the interplay between obesity, cardiovascular risk factors and cardiac conditions; the clinical management of patients with cardiac disease and obesity; and weight loss strategies including lifestyle changes, interventional procedures, and anti-obesity medications with particular focus on their impact on cardiometabolic risk and cardiac outcomes. The document aims to raise awareness on obesity as a major risk factor and provide guidance for implementing evidence-based practices for its prevention and optimal management within the context of primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention.
Variation in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: the INTERASPIRE study
Authors: McEvoy John William , Jennings Catriona , Kotseva Kornelia , De Bacquer Dirk , De Backer Guy , Erlund Iris , Vihervaara Terhi , Lip Gregory Y H , Ray Kausik K , Rydén Lars , Abreu Ana , Almahmeed Wael , Ambari Ade Meidian , Ge Junbo , Hasan-Ali Hosam , Huo Yong , Jankowski Piotr , Jimenez Rodney M , Li Yong , Mahmood Zuhdi Ahmad Syadi , Makubi Abel , Mbakwem Amam Chinyere , Mbau Lilian , Navarro Estrada Jose Luis , Ogah Okechukwu Samuel , Ogola Elijah Nyainda , Quintero–Baiz Adalberto , Sani Mahmoud Umar , Sosa Liprandi Maria Ines , Tan Jack Wei Chieh , Urina Triana Miguel Alberto , Yeo Tee Joo , Ganly Sandra , Adamska Agnieszka , Wood David
Published: August 2024

Background and Aims

INTERASPIRE is an international study of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, designed to measure if guideline standards for secondary prevention and cardiac rehabilitation are being achieved in a timely manner.

Methods

Between 2020 and 2023, adults hospitalized in the preceding 6–24 months with incident or recurrent CHD were sampled in 14 countries from all 6 World Health Organization regions and invited for a standardized interview and examination. Direct age and sex standardization was used for country-level prevalence estimation.

Results

Overall, 4548 (21.1% female) CHD patients were interviewed a median of 1.05 (interquartile range .76–1.45) years after index hospitalization. Among all participants, 24.6% were obese (40.7% centrally). Only 38.6% achieved a blood pressure (BP) < 130/80 mmHg and 16.6% a LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) of <1.4 mmol/L. Of those smoking at hospitalization, 48% persisted at interview. Of those with known diabetes, 55.2% achieved glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of <7.0%. A further 9.8% had undetected diabetes and 26.9% impaired glucose tolerance. Females were less likely to achieve the targets: BP (females 36.8%, males 38.9%), LDL-C (females 12.0%, males 17.9%), and HbA1c in diabetes (females 47.7%, males 57.5%). Overall, just 9.0% (inter-country range 3.8%–20.0%) reported attending cardiac rehabilitation and 1.0% (inter-country range .0%–2.4%) achieved the study definition of optimal guideline adherence.

Conclusions

INTERASPIRE demonstrates inadequate and heterogeneous international implementation of guideline standards for secondary prevention in the first year after CHD hospitalization, with geographic and sex disparity. Investment aimed at reducing between-country and between-individual variability in secondary prevention will promote equity in global efforts to reduce the burden of CHD.
Comparative genomics of Metarhizium brunneum strains V275 and ARSEF 4556: unraveling intraspecies diversity
Authors: Kortsinoglou Alexandra M , Wood Martyn J , Myridakis Antonis I , Andrikopoulos Marios , Roussis Andreas , Eastwood Dan , Butt Tariq , Kouvelis Vassili N
Published: August 2024

Entomopathogenic fungi belonging to the Order Hypocreales are renowned for their ability to infect and kill insect hosts, while their endophytic mode of life and the beneficial rhizosphere effects on plant hosts have only been recently recognized. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying their different lifestyles could optimize their potential as both biocontrol and biofertilizer agents, as well as the wider appreciation of niche plasticity in fungal ecology. This study describes the comprehensive whole genome sequencing and analysis of one of the most effective entomopathogenic and endophytic EPF strains, Metarhizium brunneum V275 (commercially known as Lalguard Met52), achieved through Nanopore and Illumina reads. Comparative genomics for exploring intraspecies variability and analyses of key gene sets were conducted with a second effective EPF strain, M. brunneum ARSEF 4556. The search for strain- or species-specific genes was extended to M. brunneum strain ARSEF 3297 and other species of genus Metarhizium, to identify molecular mechanisms and putative key genome adaptations associated with mode of life differences. Genome size differed significantly, with M. brunneum V275 having the largest genome amongst M. brunneum strains sequenced to date. Genome analyses revealed an abundance of plant-degrading enzymes, plant colonization-associated genes, and intriguing intraspecies variations regarding their predicted secondary metabolic compounds and the number and localization of Transposable Elements. The potential significance of the differences found between closely related endophytic and entomopathogenic fungi, regarding plant growth-promoting and entomopathogenic abilities, are discussed, enhancing our understanding of their diverse functionalities and putative applications in agriculture and ecology.
De Novo Emerged Gene Search in Eukaryotes with DENSE
Authors: Roginski Paul , Grandchamp Anna , Quignot Chloé , Lopes Anne
Published: August 2024

The discovery of de novo emerged genes, originating from previously noncoding DNA regions, challenges traditional views of species evolution. Indeed, the hypothesis of neutrally evolving sequences giving rise to functional proteins is highly unlikely. This conundrum has sparked numerous studies to quantify and characterize these genes, aiming to understand their functional roles and contributions to genome evolution. Yet, no fully automated pipeline for their identification is available. Therefore, we introduce DENSE (DE Novo emerged gene SEarch), an automated Nextflow pipeline based on two distinct steps: detection of taxonomically restricted genes (TRGs) through phylostratigraphy, and filtering of TRGs for de novo emerged genes via genome comparisons and synteny search. DENSE is available as a user-friendly command-line tool, while the second step is accessible through a web server upon providing a list of TRGs. Highly flexible, DENSE provides various strategy and parameter combinations, enabling users to adapt to specific configurations or define their own strategy through a rational framework, facilitating protocol communication, and study interoperability. We apply DENSE to seven model organisms, exploring the impact of its strategies and parameters on de novo gene predictions. This thorough analysis across species with different evolutionary rates reveals useful metrics for users to define input datasets, identify favorable/unfavorable conditions for de novo gene detection, and control potential biases in genome annotations. Additionally, predictions made for the seven model organisms are compiled into a requestable database, which we hope will serve as a reference for de novo emerged gene lists generated with specific criteria combinations.
The hemispheric origins of meltwater pulse 1B
Authors: Velay-Vitow J , Peltier W R , Stuhne G R , Li T
Published: August 2024

Antarctica has been proposed as a significant source of the meltwater that entered the oceans during meltwater pulse 1B (MWP1B) approximately 11 500 yr ago. Support for this scenario has been provided by evidence that the deep fjords of coastal Antarctica, which were heavily glaciated at the maximum of glaciation, were deglaciated at this time. Further support for this scenario was provided by the observation that the inter-hemispheric sea-level teleconnection associated with significant Southern Hemisphere deglaciation at this time provided an explanation of the highly non-monotonic relative sea-level histories recorded at sites on the coast of Scotland, a region which had also been heavily glaciated at the last glacial maximum. Furthermore, it has been argued that a significant contribution to MWP1B must have also been delivered to the oceans by the abrupt Northern Hemisphere warming that occurred at the end of the Younger Dryas (YD) cold reversal, which also occurred approximately 11 500 yr ago. Our focus in this paper is to distinguish between these two possible primary sources of MWP1B. The investigation of how local alterations to ice thicknesses are able to explain evidence which has previously been used to argue for an Antarctic dominant MWP1B will lead us to the conclusion that the Laurentide may be primary source of MWP1B.