bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 and the Mental Health of College Students
Authors: Knott Dominique , Cross JaNeen 
Published: November 2024

Background:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak significantly impacted those across the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a mental health strain particularly among college students.Objective:This article examines the mental health of college students and the challenges they experience surrounding COVID-19.Methods:This literature reviews the on-campus infrastructure, resources, and support during the pandemic.Findings:The common theme in the findings throughout the literature is the increase and prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among college students, with worsening results for students of color.Conclusion:The implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed to set future direction. Recommendations are provided to support the mental health of college students during future pandemics. Colleges and universities need to look to the schools of social work and social work educators for leadership and guidance in improving future outcomes.
Binder makes it run - how carrageenan boosts the performance of Li-S batteries
Authors: jovari Pal , Zalka Dóra , Vizintin Alen , Maximenko Alexey , Pászti Zoltán , Dankházi Zoltán , Shankar Lakshmi , Kun Robert , Saksl Karel , Fedorkova Andrea , Hegedüs Kristóf 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

We investigated the effect of carrageenan, a polysaccharide type binder derived from red algae on the performance of Li-S batteries. Electrode slurries were prepared without the toxic NMP, using only water as a solvent and dispersant. This process has the potential to be scaled up to industrial levels and can also be cheaper as it does not require expensive precursor materials. With the optimum amount of carrageenan, a capacity retention of nearly 70% can be achieved even after 250 charge-discharge cycles. Carrageenan-containing electrodes delivered 30 % higher capacity than the electrodes fabricated with the industry standard PVdF binder. XPS investigations confirmed the chemical binding of carrageenan to the sulfur active material. Accurate information on the oxidation state of S regarding the total volume of the sample was obtained by transmission XAS measurements on a working battery using tender energy X-rays. It is revealed that carrageenan traps shorter chain lithium polysulfides.
Internal cap-initiated translation provides efficient protein production from circular mRNA
Authors: Abe Hiroshi , Fukuchi Kosuke , Nakashima Yuko , Abe Naoko , Kimura Seigo , Hashiya Fumitaka , Shichino Yuichi , Sugiyama Satomi , Kawaguchi Daisuke , Inagaki Masahito , Meng Zheyu , Kajihara Shiryu , Tada Mizuki , Uchida Satoshi , Li Ting-Ting , Liu Yiwei , Maity Ramkrishna , Kimura Yasuaki , Iwasaki Shintaro , Ogisu Ryoko , Kawasaki Tairin 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Circular mRNA, emerging as a groundbreaking RNA therapeutic strategy, faces challenges in enhancing its translation potential. Here, we introduce two innovative molecular designs that bolster circular mRNA translation through an internal cap-initiated mechanism. The first design involved a circular mRNA with a covalently attached N7-methylguanosine (m7G) cap through a branching structure (cap-circ mRNA). This modification allows circular mRNA to recruit translation machinery and produce proteins more efficiently than IRES-containing circular mRNAs. Combining N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) modification, cap-circ mRNA exhibits a lower acute immunostimulatory effect, maintaining high translation ability, in mice. The second design features the non-covalent attachment of an m7G cap to a circular mRNA through hybridization with an m7G cap-containing oligonucleotide, significantly enhancing translation by more than 50-fold. This setup allows the design of circular mRNAs to synthesize reporter proteins upon hybridizing with capped mRNAs or long non-coding RNAs and to undergo rolling circle-type translation. These advancements have broadened the therapeutic applications of circular mRNA by minimizing their molecular size, elevating translation efficiency, and facilitating cell-type selective translation.
Effect of the honeycomb structure on the thermo mechanical buckling of sandwich nanoplates exposed to magnetic and thermal fields
Authors: Buğday Mustafa , Esen İsmail 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

This study aims to model and analyze the thermo mechanical buckling behavior of honeycomb core sandwich nanoplates. The analysis is conducted using a new high-order shear deformation theory and nonlocal strain gradient elasticity theory, considering the thickness strain effect. The sandwich nanoplate, resting on a viscoelastic base, consists of a honeycomb structure in the inner layer and symmetric surface layers made of functionally graded material. It is subjected to thermal and magnetic fields. The core layer is made of biocompatible SUS304 stainless steel, while the surface layers are made of zirconium on the outside and SUS304 on the inside. The equations of motion for the sandwich nanoplate are derived by incorporating the thermal forces, Lorentz force, and the fundamental forces from the spring and shear basis into the equations. Hamilton's principle is used to obtain these equations and then solved using the Navier method. An in-depth analysis is conducted on the effects of parameters such as inclination angle, length ratio, and thickness ratio on the thermal buckling behavior of the sandwich nanoplate. In addition, the effects of surface layer material composition, temperature rise, external horizontal magnetic field, nonlocal effects and viscoelastic fundamental parameters are comprehensively studied. The thermal buckling behavior of sandwich nanoplate can be favorably modified by careful tuning of honeycomb parameters, material properties of surface layers, magnetic field intensity and viscoelastic fundamental parameters.
BOLD-CSF dynamics assessed using real time phase contrast CSF flow interleaved with cortical BOLD MRI
Authors: Roefs Emiel C.A. , Eiling Ingmar , de Bresser Jeroen , Osch Matthias J.P. van , Hirschler Lydiane 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) motion and pulsatility has been proposed to play a crucial role in clearing brain waste. Although its driving forces remain debated, increasing evidence suggests that large amplitude vasomotion drives such CSF fluctuations. Recently, a fast blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI sequence was used to measure the coupling between CSF fluctuations and low-frequency hemodynamic oscillations in the human cortex. However, this technique is not quantitative, only captures unidirectional flow and is sensitive to B0-fluctuations. Real-time phase contrast (pcCSF) instead measures CSF flow dynamics in a fast, quantitative, bidirectional and B0-insensitive manner, but lacks information on hemodynamic brain oscillations. In this study we propose to combine the strengths of both sequences by interleaving real-time phase contrast with a cortical BOLD scan, thereby enabling the quantification of the interaction between CSF flow and cortical BOLD.
Methods: Two experiments were performed. First, we compared the CSF flow measured using real-time phase contrast (pcCSF) with the inflow-sensitized BOLD (iCSF) measurements by interleaving both techniques at the repetition level and planning them at the same location. Next, we compared the BOLD-CSF coupling obtained using the novel pcCSF interleaved with cortical BOLD to the coupling obtained with the original iCSF. To time-lock the CSF fluctuations, participants were instructed to perform slow, abdominal paced breathing.
Results: pcCSF captures bidirectional CSF dynamics with a more pronounced in- and outflow curve than the original iCSF method. With the pcCSF method, the BOLD-CSF coupling was stronger (mean cross-correlation peak increase = 0.22, p=.008) and with a 1.9 s shorter temporal lag (p=.016), as compared to using the original iCSF technique.
Conclusions: In this study, we introduce a new method to study the coupling of CSF flow measured in the fourth ventricle to cortical BOLD fluctuations. In contrast to the original approach, the use of phase contrast MRI to measure CSF flow provides a quantitative in- and outflow curve, and improved BOLD-CSF coupling metrics.
Enhancing Sea Level Inversion Accuracy with a Novel Phase-Based Error Correction Method and Multi-GNSS Combination Approach
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , He Xiufeng , Song Minfeng , Zhang Taotao 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

In recent decades, Global Navigation Satellite System-Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR) environmental parameters inversion has become a research hotspot in the field of GNSS. Among them, sea/water level inversion has become one of the applications with better inversion performance because of its clear mathematical relationship and horizontal reflection surface. Among the many sources of error in GNSS-IR sea level inversion, sea surface height variation is the one with the largest error magnitude. Currently, this error is corrected by estimating the rate of change of sea surface height to calculate the amount of the error model. However, the estimation of the rate of change is difficult to be accurate, making it difficult to correct this error precisely. Theoretically, the retrieval error results in an offset in the initial phase parameter in the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) oscillation sequence. Therefore, the error can also be inverted by estimating the phase. However, the phase determined during parameter fitting is between -π and π. When the error affects the phase offset magnitude greater than 2π, the integer cycle of it is not available, resulting in the phase-based correction model not being able to correct the error. In other words, the integer cycle ambiguity that exists in GNSS positioning also exists in SNR phase determination. In this article, a method for integer cycle determination based on the assistance of the traditional sea surface height variation error model is proposed, and an error correction method based on SNR phase and a multi-mode multi-frequency combination inversion method are also proposed. Two GNSS sites with different amplitudes of tidal oscillations are selected to carry out the experiments. The results show that the phase-based error correction method improves the sea-level retrieval accuracy about twice as much as that obtained by the traditional correction method. Meanwhile, this paper analyses the adaptability of the phase-based error correction method: good results can be achieved in the lower elevation angle interval, while the results are poor in the higher elevation angle interval. This study provides another solution idea for GNSS-IR error correction based on phase parameters, and the accuracy improvement achieved by this method is large and pleasing.
Development and evaluation of mobile learning application for practical chemistry among pre-service teachers
Authors: Sobowale Favour Mosunmola , Mohammed Ibrahim Abba , Samson Berechiah Manji , Ali Fati , Sadiku Abdulazeez 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Lack of proper laboratories and inadequate facilities have become some of the factors affecting the teaching of chemistry practical in Nigeria which therefore affects students’ performance. While there were many studies conducted on the effectiveness of mobile learning, literature remains very scarce in the Nigerian context. In order to tackle this problem, using ADDIE instructional design model, we developed and tested the effectiveness of mobile learning towards improving college of education pre-service teachers’ achievement in practical chemistry. The study adopted the use of repeated measures design whereby 50 pre-service teachers were purposively used in the study. A 40-item Practical Chemistry Achievement Test (PCAT) which was subjected to expert validation and reliability test was used to obtain data for the study. A normality test was conducted using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and it was revealed that the data were normally distributed (P > 0.005). The students were given two pre-test and post-measures before and after the 8-week treatment period. The data were analyzed using mixed design repeated measures analysis of variance and we found that students’ performance improved periodically with each testing period (F (3,147) = 109.475, P = 0.000 with an effect size of (ηp2) = 0.916) after the treatment. The finding also revealed no significant differences in the performance of the students on the basis of gender. Our finding has some implications for lecturers, researchers and policy experts on the need to incorporate mobile learning in education. Our finding provides insights on the effectiveness of mobile learning towards enhancing students’ chemistry practical knowledge.
Spatial prediction of Pb, Zn and Fe air pollution in urban environments: A case of Douala-Cameroon
Authors: MOUAFO Joseph Magloire FOSSOKENG , Toumeni F. Vanessa Chezeu , Tanaselia Claudiu , Petrisor Alexandru-Ionut , Bowong Samuel 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Plant biomonitoring is usually used as a tool for characterizing or monitoring air quality in complex urban environments. Trees are reliable bio-accumulators of air pollution and can provide information on the chemical composition associated with vehicular particles through their bark. In this work, geostatistical techniques are employed to examine the content of Pb, Zn, and Fe within 234 tree bark samples analyzed using a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument to map their spatial distribution throughout the city of Douala in Cameroon. We used the universal kriging to predict Pb levels in sampled sites where Pb values are below the instrument's detection limit. Heavy metal levels were predicted at unsampled sites using ordinary kriging. We found that the Zn and Fe levels exceeded the threshold set by the World Health Organization (WHO), at intersections with high traffic intensity and nearby sites. Pb levels also exceeded the threshold value throughout the city and increased with traffic intensity. Our results also suggest that the city of Douala is on high pollution alert, and mitigation measures must be rapidly integrated into the city's master plan, including the establishment of green infrastructures based on the choice of appropriate species to trap chemical elements from the air.
Distinct BMP-Smad Signaling Outputs Confer Diverse Functions in Dental Mesenchyme
Authors: Tang Qinghuang , Li Liwen , Li Yihong , Wang Amy , Li Hua , Wang Linyan , Gu Cong , Lee Jung-Mi , Wu Zhaoming , Kwon Hyuk-Jae , Chen YiPing 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

The canonical bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway plays a crucial regulatory role in tooth development by activating Smad proteins to regulate gene expression. Our previous research identified an atypical canonical BMP signaling in dental mesenchyme that is Smad4-independent but Smad1/5-dependent. This study demonstrates that phosphorylated Smad1/5 (pSmad1/5) and Smad4 transcriptionally regulate distinct gene sets in dental mesenchyme. Real-time monitoring of BMP-Smad transcriptional activity revealed that Smad4-dependent canonical BMP signaling is restricted to neurovascular cells surrounding the condensed dental mesenchymal cells where pSmad1/5 is present. Notably, we found that pSmad1/5 in dental mesenchymal cells form complexes with pSmad3 to prevent canonical BMP signaling. CUT&RUN assays revealed genome-wide co-occupancy of pSmad1/5 and pSmad3, indicating that pSmad1/5-pSmad3 complexes function as transcriptional regulation units. Integrative analyses of their transcriptional targets with RNA-seq demonstrated that the atypical canonical BMP signaling regulates tooth sensory innervation and is temporally required for maintaining odontogenic inductive potential in the dental mesenchyme. This enabled the identification of potentially critical genes for maintaining tooth inductive capability. Our findings elucidate the operating mechanism of atypical canonical BMP signaling in dental mesenchymal cells and clarify how BMP-Smad signaling exerts diverse functions across different cell types, shedding light on future tooth bioengineering strategies.
Nucleophilic Sulfur Dioxide Insertion Enabled Enantioselective Michael Additions to Access α-chiral Sulfones
Authors: Wu Jie , Wang Xinhua , Mao Yuyuan , Ye Shengqing , Zhou Xiaoyu , Li Shaoyu 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

The asymmetric hydrosulfonylation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls represents a significant goal in accessing α-chiral sulfones due to its high atom and step efficiency. In contrast to the well-established radical sulfonylation, the classical Michael addition using sulfonyl anions as nucleophiles for assembling α-chiral sulfone structures remains elusive and challenging. In this work, we introduce for the first time an organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls with sulfur dioxide insertion-enabled γ-keto sulfinates as the nucleophiles, which provides an alternative pathway for producing highly enantioenriched α-chiral sulfone derivatives with excellent atom economy. The methodology showcases an innovative mode of relay catalysis, where a bifunctional organocatalyst containing both tertiary amine and hydrogen bond donor sites catalyzes the initial nucleophilic sulfur dioxide insertion and subsequent Michael addition processes in two distinct manners. Mechanistic details of the transformation pathway and stereochemical induction were systematically verified through controlled experiments and DFT calculations.
Diurnal variation in nonstructural carbohydrate storage in leaves of trees and shrubs
Authors: Wang Ning , Liu Xiao , Ji Hongliang , Li Hong , Wu Pan , Yi Shijie , Li Qiang 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), including soluble sugars (SS) and starch (ST) are an important material basis for maintaining metabolic activity in plants, and are an important energy response to extreme weather. The differences in biological characteristics of different tree species lead to significant inter-species differences in NSC allocation. In this study, we conducted the field experiments in Xinjiang in August 2023. Sixteen common species (eleven trees and five shrubs) were selected for SS and ST concentration measurements in daytime and nighttime. We found that the NSC and SS concentrations of trees were significantly higher than those of shrubs. Through two-way analysis of variance, NSC concentration, ST concentration, and SS:ST were influenced by life form and time treatments. However, the SS concentration was influenced by life form treatment, but not by time treatment. The results showed that minimum sugar concentrations were necessary to sustain basic cellular functions. ST was a temporary storage substance that accumulated in leaves during the day and was degraded at night before being converted into SS output, thereby regulating the diurnal output of carbon assimilated in leaves.
Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking of Novel Isatin-Oxime Ether Derivatives as Potential IDH1 Inhibitors
Authors: Wei Kangning , Guo Kaige , Tao Ye , Gong Xuanming , Wang Liangliang , Guo Ming , Yan Guobing 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

A series of novel isatin-oxime ether derivatives were designed, synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR and HRMS. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2 and Hela) by MTT assay. According to the experimental results, compounds 6a (IC50=0.34μM), 6c (IC50=14nM) and 6r (IC50=45nM) were found as the excellent selectivity and high activity against A549, whereas compounds 6m (IC50=12nM) and 6n(IC50=25nM) displayed the significant activity for HepG2, respectively. Compound 6f (IC50=30nM), 6n (IC50=9nM) and 6o(IC50=20nM) also showed the excellent activity against Hela. From the experiments of cell migration and colony formation assays, the findings demonstrated that 6m can effectively suppress the migration and growth of HepG2 cells. In addition, the results of molecular docking studies determined the strong binding interactions between the potential active compounds 6m and 6n and the active sites of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) with the lowest binding affinity energy.
Rhizome induction and proliferation in Anoectochilus lylei for biomass and bioactive compounds accumulation
Authors: Ho Thanh-Tam , Park So-Young , Pham Thi Hong Trang , Ashaolu Tolulope Joshua , Le Thanh-Do , Ngo Gia Huy , Nguyen Tran Kim Long , Le Trung Hieu , Bich Van Ngo Thai , Quang Hoang Tan , Hong Hoang Thi Kim 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Anoectochilus sp. is a valuable medicinal plant with a long history of traditional uses. This study aimed to induce and optimize culture conditions for rhizome biomass cultivation in Anoectochilus lylei, providing a sustainable method for biomass and bioactive compound production. The highest rhizome induction rate (98.9%) with fresh weight (FW) of 12.64 g and dry weight (DW) of 1.14 g was achieved using MS medium supplemented with 2 g/L hyponex I, 2 g/L hyponex II, 2 g/L peptone, and 1.0 g/L activated charcoal. To optimize the culture condition, different salt strengths (MS, SH, B5) were tested, and ¾🞨MS medium with 2 mg/L BA, 0.5 mg/L NAA, 0.2 mg/L Kin, and 35 g/L sucrose was most effective for rhizome proliferation (127.33 g/L FW and 20.40 g/L DW). The highest total phenolic content (4.9 mg/g DW) was observed in ½🞨MS medium, while the highest flavonoid (1.05 mg/g DW) and polysaccharide content (150.66 mg/g DW) was recorded in control. Optimal bioactive productivity was observed in ¾🞨MS medium. In sucrose concentrations trials, 35 g/L sucrose yielded the highest rhizome biomass (157.17 g/L FW; 20.67 g/L DW). The highest phenolic (4.44 mg/g DW), and flavonoid (1.15 mg/g DW) were recorded at 10g/L sucrose, while polysaccharide (115.87 mg/g DW) content was observed at 35 g/Lsucrose concentrations. Additionally, rhizome cultures exhibited higher kinsenoside (2.94 mg/g DW) and polysaccharide content than both ex vitro and in vitro plants. Furthermore, the rhizome extract show suppresses inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, demonstrating potential for antibacterial applications. These results highlight the potential for large-scale bioreactor cultivation of A. lylei rhizomes for enhanced biomass and bioactive compound production.