bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Innovative Green Alginate‐Cellulose Composite for Light Lanthanides: Experimental Design and Comprehensive Studies on Kinetics, Equilibrium, Thermodynamics, and Reusability
Authors: Fila Dominika , Kołodyńska Dorota 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNowadays, there is a great interest in efficient adsorbent development due to the recent demand for lanthanides, which are widely used in high‐tech technology. Alginates, owing to their natural occurrence, gel formation capability, and safety, could be promising feasible adsorbents for lanthanide removal. This study proposes the alginate‐cellulose composite as an ecological, sustainable adsorbent for light lanthanide sorption. The structure, morphology, qualitative and quantitative compositions, average diameter, and pHpzc of the composite were discussed in great detail. Using the batch approach, sorption trials were performed to evaluate the metal sorption performance. The maximum lanthanide accumulation was attained at pH 5.0 and a dosage of 0.05 g. The uptake kinetics are successfully explained by the Ho and McKay model, whereas the equilibrium data is best represented by the Langmuir equation. The presence of Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Ni(II), and Co(II) did not have any impact on the adsorption capacity. In turn, the presence of Fe(III) ions led to a 15 % reduction in the adsorption. The lanthanide ions were eluted from the adsorbent following the treatment with 0.1 M HNO3. The adsorbent retained over 95 % of its initial adsorption capacity after 6 series of sorption/desorption studies.
Energy‐aware power allocation using Ladybug Beetle Honey Badger Optimization in multiple‐input multiple‐output‐non‐orthogonal multiple access with multiple users
Authors: Sk Khaleelahmed , VenkateswaraRao N. 
Published: March 2024

SummaryThe non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is highly capable of serving multiple users at similar times and frequencies. The power allocation (PA) is widely considered as a main factor in NOMA for efficient communication. Here, the application of multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) is added to NOMA to fulfill demands of enriched spectral efficiencies and extra user data. In this research, the Ladybug Beetle Honey Badger Optimization (LBHBO) is proposed for efficient PA in MIMO‐NOMA. Initially, the received signals from the user are modulated for amplitude and frequency. Then, user grouping is conducted by fuzzy local information c‐means (FLICM) clustering followed by using PA done by proposed LBHBO. This power is then moved to the transmitter and then to the channel estimation process. Moreover, cyclic prefix (CP) removal is carried out that tends to discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Finally, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) demodulation is performed for reallocated output. Furthermore, LBHBO is formed by combining Ladybug Beetle Optimization (LBO) and Honey Badger Algorithm (HBA). The performance offered by the LBHBO‐PA with maximal values with energy efficiency (EE) of 25.38 Mbits/s, sum rate of 1.29 Mbits/s, and achievable rate of 100.47 Mbits/s.
Disintegration characteristics of sodic–saline loessial soil after freeze–thaw and wet–dry cycles
Authors: Kong Fansheng , Xu Yan , Hu Zhongjun , Du Hua , Zhang Jinsheng , Zhang Zheyuan , Hao Wei 
Published: March 2024

AbstractGeological hazards such as gully erosion, collapse and slope failure occur frequently in loess areas, which are closely related to the soil disintegration characteristics. Understanding the impact of freeze–thaw and wet–dry action on soil disintegration in the context of climate change is essential to establish effective soil and water conservation strategies and prevent engineering geological hazards in loess areas. In this study, sodic–saline loessial soils with different clay content were subjected to freeze–thaw and wet–dry cycles, followed by aggregate durability tests, direct shear tests and disintegration tests to investigate the effects of the two natural processes on soil disintegration characteristics. The results showed that the samples subjected to freeze–thaw cycles primarily exhibited rapid and stable disintegration, followed by slow disintegration, whereas the samples subjected to wet–dry cycles revealed weight gain, continuous slow disintegration and eventual sudden disintegration. Freeze–thaw action continuously deteriorated the disintegration resistance of soil, while wet–dry action improved the disintegration resistance of soil after the first cycle, and gradually weakened it in subsequent cycles. Statistical analysis showed that, for samples undergoing freeze–thaw cycles, the number of cycles and clay content were positively correlated with the disintegration rate, while the aggregate durability was negatively correlated with the disintegration rate. For samples undergoing wet–dry cycles, the number of cycles had a positive effect on the disintegration rate, while the clay content, shear strength and cohesion had a negative correlation with the disintegration rate. At a certain clay content, there was a positive correlation observed between the surface crack ratio, crack length and width with the disintegration rate of the wet–dry samples, while shear strength and cohesion had a negative correlation with the disintegration rate of both freeze–thaw and wet–dry samples. Furthermore, the study outlined the disintegration mechanism of loessial soils based on internal factors, driving factors, resistance factors and evolutionary factors. This study contributes to the in‐depth understanding of the catastrophic mechanism of geological hazards in cold and arid areas and provides experimental evidence for its control and management.
Facile microwave‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis of zinc phosphate nanocrystals as electrode material for high‐rate performance aqueous and non‐aqueous zinc‐ion batteries
Authors: Agudosi Elochukwu Stephen , Khalid Mohammad , Sanhueza Felipe 
Published: March 2024

AbstractExploring suitable and economically efficient cathode materials for zinc‐ion batteries plays a vital role in combating current challenges and achieving practical applications. Herein, Zn3(PO4)2 nanoparticles with exceptional battery properties were produced via microwave‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis. The synthesis was conducted at different microwave heating times (3, 5, 10, and 15 min) at a fixed temperature of 200°C. The structural properties of synthesized Zn3(PO4)2 were studied via XRD, FESEM‐EDS, and TEM studies, while the electrochemical parameters were evaluated through CV, GCD, and EIS in a standard 3‐electrode system with 1 M KOH as an electrolyte at a room temperature. The electrochemical results show that Zn3(PO4)2 synthesized at 10 min microwave heating time reported the best electrochemical performance with a specific capacity value of 38.90 and 31.89 C/g at a scan rate of 10 mV/s and current density of 1 A/g, respectively. Furthermore, a stability test of the synthesized electrode material reported an excellent cyclability of the electrode with 79% retention of the initial value of its specific capacity after 1000 cycles.
Garden cress seeds: a review on nutritional composition, therapeutic potential, and industrial utilization
Authors: Tufail Tabussam , Khan Tehreem , Bader Ul Ain Huma , Morya Sonia , Shah Mohd Asif 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe growing preference for natural remedies has resulted in increased use of medicinal plants. One of the most significant and varied plants is garden cress (Lepidium sativum), which has large concentrations of proteins, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. It also contains a wide range of bioactive components, including kaempferol glucuronide, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, terpenes, glucosinolates, and many more. These substances, which include antioxidant, thermogenic, depurative, ophthalmic, antiscorbutic, antianemic, diuretic, tonic, laxative, galactogogue, aphrodisiac, rubefacient, and emmengogue qualities, add to the medicinal and functional potential of garden cress. An extensive summary of the phytochemical profile and biological activity of garden cress seeds is the main goal of this review. Research showed that garden cress is one of the world's most underutilized crops, even with its nutritional and functional profile. Consequently, the goal of this review is to highlight the chemical and nutritional makeup of Lepidium sativum while paying particular attention to its bioactive profile, various health claims, therapeutic benefits, and industrial applications.
Spatial organization of astrocyte clones: The role of developmental progenitor timing
Authors: Ojalvo‐Sanz Ana Cristina , Pernia‐Solanilla Carolina , López‐Mascaraque Laura 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAstrocytes represent a diverse and morphologically complex group of glial cells critical for shaping and maintaining nervous system homeostasis, as well as responding to injuries. Understanding the origins of astroglial heterogeneity, originated from a limited number of progenitors, has been the focus of many studies. Most of these investigations have centered on protoplasmic and pial astrocytes, while the clonal relationship of fibrous astrocytes or juxtavascular astrocytes has remained relatively unexplored. In this study, we sought to elucidate the morphological diversity and clonal distribution of astrocytes across adult cortical layers, with particular emphasis on their ontogenetic origins. Using the StarTrack lineage tracing tool, we explored the characteristics of adult astroglial clones derived from single and specific progenitors at various embryonic stages. Our results revealed a heterogeneous spatial distribution of astroglial clones, characterized by variations in location, clonal size, and rostro–caudal dispersion. While a considerable proportion of clones were confined within specific cortical layers, others displayed sibling cells crossing layer boundaries. Notably, we observed a correlation between clone location and developmental stage at earlier embryonic stages, although this relationship diminished in later stages. Fibrous astrocyte clones were exclusively confined to the corpus callosum. In contrast, protoplasmic or juxtavascular clones were located in either the upper or lower cortical layers, with certain clones displayed sibling cells distributed across both regions. Our findings underscore the developmental origins and spatial distribution of astroglial clones within cortical layers, providing new insights into the interplay between their morphology, clonal sizes, and progenitor heterogeneity.
Diagnostic value of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio to predict recurrent pregnancy loss and abortion; a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Hantoushzadeh Sedigheh , Gargar Omid Kohandel , Jafarabady Kyana , Rezaei Mohammad Moein , Asadi Fatemeh , Eshraghi Nasim , Panahi Zahra , Shirdel Saeedeh , Mirzamoradi Masoumeh , Ghaemi Marjan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveThis systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in women with a history of abortion (missed and threatened) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in comparison with healthy pregnancies.MethodsElectronic databases including MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for NLR and PLR in women who experienced early pregnancy loss up to January 1, 2023 with a combination of proper keywords. Meta‐analysis was done for comparison with three or more studies and summary estimates were measured.ResultsA total of 390 citations were retrieved initially, and after screening, 16 articles were deemed eligible for the final review. Among these, 14 studies underwent meta‐analysis. The meta‐analysis revealed that the standard mean of the NLR was significantly higher in abortion cases compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in the PLR between the pregnancy loss group and the control group.ConclusionNLR was significantly higher among RPL patients compared to the control group, according to these data, NLR may be capable of being used in the diagnosis of RPL as an easy, cheap, and accessible modality. Further studies, which take these variables into account, will need to be undertaken to determine the diagnostic value of NLR and PLR in early pregnancy loss.
Thymoquinone protects thioacetamide‐induced chronic liver injury by inhibiting TGF‐β1/Smad3 axis in rats
Authors: Raghunandhakumar Subramanian , Ezhilarasan Devaraj , Shree Harini Karthik 
Published: March 2024

AbstractChronic liver injury due to various etiological factors results in excess secretion and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, leading to scarring of liver tissue and ultimately to hepatic fibrosis. If left untreated, fibrosis might progress to cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Thymoquinone (TQ), an active compound of Nigella sativa, has been reported to exhibit antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anticancer activities. Therefore, the effect of TQ against thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced liver fibrosis was assessed in rats. Fibrosis was induced with intraperitoneal administration of TAA (250 mg/kg b.w.) twice a week for 5 weeks. TQ (20 mg/kg b.w.) and silymarin (50 mg/kg b.w.) were orally administered daily for 5 weeks separately in TAA administered groups. Liver dysfunction was reported by elevated liver enzymes, increased oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis upon TAA administration. Our study demonstrated that TQ inhibited the elevation of liver marker enzymes in serum. TQ administration significantly increased antioxidant markers, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in the liver tissue of rats. Further, TQ significantly attenuated liver fibrosis, as illustrated by the downregulation of TAA‐induced interleukin‐β, tumour necrosis factor‐α, inducible nitric oxide synthase and fibrosis markers like transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), α‐smooth muscle actin, collagen‐1, Smad3 and 7. Therefore, these findings suggest that TQ has a promising hepatoprotective property, as indicated by its potential to effectively suppress TAA‐induced liver fibrosis in rats by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation via TGF‐β/Smad signaling.
Degradation of phenol and sulfamethoxazole with persulfate and ozone with nano‐MnO2–biochar composites
Authors: Oh Seok‐Young , Lee Hyungwoo , Ryu Kwang‐Sun 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn this study, nano‐MnO2–biochar composites were synthesized as catalysts to promote the oxidation of recalcitrant organic contaminants. MnO2 nanoparticles coated on biochar were hypothesized to enhance the oxidation of phenol and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) using ozone and/or persulfate.RESULTSThe optimal percentage of MnO2 coating on the surface of biochar was determined, and the synthesis of nano‐MnO2‐coated biochar was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy–energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), X‐ray diffraction and EDS line mapping analyses. Compared with oxidation using ozone or persulfate in the presence of either nano‐MnO2 or biochar, the synthesized nano‐MnO2–biochar composite markedly enhanced the oxidation of phenol and SMX. This was probably due to the spreading of MnO2 nanorods on the surface of biochar and the synergistic involvement of nano‐MnO2 and biochar as catalysts. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the involvement of Mn3+ in MnO2 to promote oxidation using ozone or persulfate. The coexistence of ozone and persulfate could also promote oxidation. Hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and persulfate radicals (SO4−•) were major reactive oxygen species for ozone and persulfate systems, respectively.CONCLUSIONResults suggest that the synthesized nano‐MnO2–biochar composites may be effective catalysts for various types of advanced oxidation processes in environmental remediation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
The chromatic number of heptagraphs
Authors: Wu Di , Xu Baogang , Xu Yian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractA pentagraph is a graph without cycles of length 3 or 4 and without induced cycles of odd length at least 7, and a heptagraph is one without cycles of length less than 7 and without induced cycles of odd length at least 9. Chudnovsky and Seymour proved that every pentagraph is 3‐colorable. In this paper, we show that every heptagraph is 3‐colorable.
Integrating Fréchet distance and AI reveals the evolutionary trajectory and origin of SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Wang Anyou 
Published: March 2024

AbstractA genome, composed of a precisely ordered sequence of four nucleotides (ATCG), encompasses a multitude of specific genome features like AAA motif. Mutations occurring within a genome disrupt the sequential order and composition of these features, thereby influencing the evolutionary trajectories and yielding variants. The evolutionary relatedness between a variant and its ancestor can be estimated by assessing evolutionary distances across a spectrum of genome features. This study develops a novel, alignment‐free algorithm that considers both the sequential order and composition of genome features, enabling computation of the Fréchet distance (Fr) across multiple genome features to quantify the evolutionary status of a variant. Integrating this algorithm with an artificial recurrent neural network (RNN) reveals the quantitative evolutionary trajectory and origin of SARS‐CoV‐2, a puzzle unsolved by alignment‐based phylogenetics. The RNN generates the evolutionary trajectory from Fr data at two levels: genome sequence mutations and organism variants. At the genome sequence level, SARS‐CoV‐2 evolutionarily shortens its genome to enhance its infectious capacity. Mutating signature features, such as TTA and GCT, increases its infectious potential and drives its evolution. At the organism level, variants mutating a single biomarker possess low infectious potential. However, mutating multiple markers dramatically increases their infectious capacity, propelling the COVID‐19 pandemic. SARS‐CoV‐2 likely originates from mink coronavirus variants, with its origin trajectory traced as follows: mink, cat, tiger, mouse, hamster, dog, lion, gorilla, leopard, bat, and pangolin. Together, mutating multiple signature features and biomarkers delineates the evolutionary trajectory of mink‐origin SARS‐CoV‐2, leading to the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Quality of life following perioperative optimization with nutritional supplements in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery for cancer: A randomized, placebo‐controlled feasibility clinical trial
Authors: Griffiths Christopher D. , D'Souza Daniel , Rodriguez Felipe , Park Lily J. , Serrano Pablo E. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundUp to two thirds of patients presenting for abdominal cancer surgery are malnourished pre‐operatively. Perioperative nutritional supplementation has been proposed to improve surgical outcomes, though its effect on quality of life (QoL) is not yet understood.MethodsA randomized controlled feasibility trial for perioperative nutrition among patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery was conducted. Participants in the intervention group received supplements for 30 days before surgery. Participants completed two QoL questionnaires (EORTC‐QLQ‐C‐30 and FACT‐G) at baseline, then 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively. Participants were compared between and within groups at baseline, Weeks 4, and 12 using t tests. Minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) were considered as a 10‐point worsening from baseline.ResultsSixty‐six participants were available for analysis in this study, including 33 in the intervention and 30 in the control arms. Baseline demographics were balanced between groups except for different rates of pancreas cancer (36% intervention vs. 9% control) and colorectal cancer (19% intervention vs. 34% control). At baseline, participants in the intervention group had lower overall QoL (59% vs. 77%, p = 0.01), role functioning (72% vs 88%, p = 0.045), and cognitive functioning (79% vs 90%, p = 0.047). Following surgery, role and physical functioning worsened in the control group, without significant differences between groups. Role functioning was persistently worsened at 12 weeks in the control group. The rates of MCIDs were similar between both intervention and control groups.DiscussionPerioperative nutrition was associated with preservation of QoL in the postoperative period following major abdominal cancer surgery compared to placebo.SummaryAmong patients undergoing surgery for cancer, the majority present at high risk for malnutrition. In this placebo‐controlled randomized trial among patients undergoing major abdominal surgery for cancer, preoperative nutrition supplementation was associated with the preservation of QoL in the postoperative period.
Tibia‐first, gap‐balanced patient‐specific alignment restores bony phenotypes and joint line obliquity in a great majority of varus and straight knees and normalises valgus and severe varus deformities
Authors: Graichen Heiko , Avram George Mihai , Strauch Marco , Kaufmann Verena , Hirschmann Michael T. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPurposeThe present study focuses on testing the capability of a restricted tibia‐first, gap‐balanced patient‐specific alignment technique (PSA) to restore bony morphology and phenotypes.MethodsThree‐hundred and sixty‐seven patients were treated with navigated total knee arthroplasty and tibia‐first gap‐balanced PSA technique. Boundaries for medial proximal tibial angle were 86°–92°, mechanical lateral distal femoral angle 86°–92°, and hip–knee–ankle angle 175°–183°. Knees were classified by coronal plane alignment of the knee (CPAK), with subsequent analyses comparing pre‐ and postoperative distributions. Phenotype classification within CPAK groups assessed pre‐ and postoperative distributions.ResultsPreoperatively, the largest CPAK group was type II (30.8%), followed by type I (20.5%) and type V (17.8%). Postoperatively, type II remained the largest group (39%), followed by type V (30%). All groups with varus/valgus deformities (I, III, IV and VI) became smaller. While in straight legs (II, IV), the CPAK was restored in more than 70%–75%, in varus groups (I, IV) in 40%–50% and in valgus (III and VI) in 5%–18%. The joint line obliquity remained the same in the majority of knees (straight >75%; varus 63%–80%; valgus VI 95%), with the exception of CPAK III (40%). The phenotype analysis showed for straight legs a phenotype restoration of 85%, for varus 94% and for valgus 37%. Joint line convergence angle was reduced significantly in all groups from 1.8°–4.3° preoperatively to 0.6°–1.2° postoperatively.ConclusionPSA restores bony phenotypes and joint line obliquity in the majority of straight and varus knees, while most of the valgus and extreme varus knees are normalised.Level of EvidenceLevel III, retrospective cohort study.