bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bovine milk β‐casein: Structure, properties, isolation, and targeted application of isolated products
Authors: Chen Xiaoqian , Fan Rui , Wang Yuanbin , Munir Maliha , Li Chun , Wang Caiyun , Hou Zhanqun , Zhang Guofang , Liu Libo , He Jian 
Published: March 2024

Abstractβ‐Casein, an important protein found in bovine milk, has significant potential for application in the food, pharmaceutical, and other related industries. This review first introduces the composition, structure, and functional properties of β‐casein. It then reviews the techniques for isolating β‐casein. Chemical and enzymatic isolation methods result in inactivity of β‐casein and other components in the milk, and it is difficult to control the production conditions, limiting the utilization range of products. Physical technology not only achieves high product purity and activity but also effectively preserves the biological activity of the components. The isolated β‐casein needs to be utilized effectively and efficiently for various purity products in order to achieve optimal targeted application. Bovine β‐casein, which has a purity higher than or close to that of breast β‐casein, can be used in infant formulas. This is achieved by modifying its structure through dephosphorylation, resulting in a formula that closely mimics the composition of breast milk. Bovine β‐casein, which is lower in purity than breast β‐casein, can be maximized for the preparation of functional peptides and for use as natural carriers. The remaining byproducts can be utilized as food ingredients, emulsifiers, and carriers for encapsulating and delivering active substances. Thus, realizing the intensive processing and utilization of bovine β‐casein isolation. This review can promote the industrial production process of β‐casein, which is beneficial for the sustainable development of β‐casein as a food and material. It also provides valuable insights for the development of other active substances in milk.
Cordyceps sp. WZFW1, a novel entomopathogenic fungus to control Ectropis grisescens (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)
Authors: Yang Feiying , Wu Yuekun , Tu Juan , Dong Fang , Dong Yue , Xie Feng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractEctropis grisescens is a notorious pest in tea plantations. The control of E. grisescens relies on synesthetic pesticides but the resurgence is always accompanied by increasing resistance. Therefore, it is crucial to use biological control to reduce the damage caused by E. grisescens. Here, we collected soil from a tea plantation, used Galleria mellonella as a bait insect and successfully isolated one entomopathogenic fungus. The isolated colony was initially identified as Cordyceps sp. using morphological observation. ITS‐rDNA sequence amplification and sequencing, molecular database comparisons, and phylogenetic analysis proved this fungus as a new species and thus named Cordyceps sp. WZFW1. Further virulence test of Cordyceps sp. WZFW1 against E. grisescens was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Lethal concentration was 5.74 × 106 spore/mL with a confidence level of 2.32 × 106 ~ 1.79 × 107 and lethal time was 2.98 days at 108 spore/mL and 7.47 days at 107 spore/mL, indicating Cordyceps sp. WZFW1 was effective at controlling E. grisescens. Our findings are significant as they contribute to the application of new entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) species as biocontrol agents, promoting eco‐friendly pest management practices.
Introduction: Restoration Epistolarity
Authors: Jasenowski Jaroslaw , Bayer Gerd 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe early modern age witnessed a number of revolutionary changes in the ways people communicated with each other. Within the shifting balances between oral and print cultures following upon Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, epistolarity played a crucial role in how written language was perceived as a source of reliable information. The highly dynamic cultural environment of Restoration England, existing as it did in various forms of intellectual exchange with other European and international spheres, brought forth a sizeable increase in various forms of literary practice.
Sidereal Messages: Print Letters in Restoration Astronomical Writing
Authors: Klaeger Florian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAstronomy, a paradigmatic observational discipline of early modern ‘science’, relied on epistolary communication for coordinating practitioners across the world, publishing discoveries and theories, and seeking their confirmation from other virtuosi. Epistolary form ‘travelled’ from an individual exchange between scholars, via the print publication of such letters for the benefit of a wider readership, to the framing of bespoke isagogic textbooks. This article explores the affordances of Restoration printed astronomical letters, contrasting their performance of familiarity between sender and recipient with the public nature of the communication. By reference to letters published in the Philosophical Transactions, individual print letters, and letter‐books, including Christiaan Huygens's Cosmotheoros, the article shows how each type utilizes the familiar and the formal aspects of the letter form differently. The print letter emerges as a form uniquely suited for performing individual authority and fashioning an expert community, as well as communicating expert knowledge to non‐specialists.
The Bishop of Exeter Versus Benjamin Hoadly: Pamphlets, Controversy, and the Uses of Epistolarity in Restoration England
Authors: Bayer Gerd 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis essay discusses the use of epistolarity in a pamphlet controversy that played out over a published sermon by the Bishop of Exeter and a critical response by Benjamin Hoadly. While the political, religious, and social aspects of the resulting pamphlet war are substantial, the present article discusses how the form of the letter was employed by the various authors who contributed to this controversy. It argues that the writers drew on readerly expectations about letters that reveal much about the role played by epistolarity within literary culture in Restoration England, in particular, how letters negotiated a contested space between factuality and fictionality that was shaped also by contemporary notions of novelistic writing.
Coffeehouse Curiosities: Materiality and Musealization Strategies in The Athenian Mercury
Authors: Jasenowski Jaroslaw 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBased on the epistolary interaction with readers, John Dunton's Athenian Mercury (1691–97) provided a platform for the discussion and dissemination of knowledge drawn from diverse fields. Plagued by doubts about its reliability, the periodical constantly had to (re‐)assert its credibility. One of the strategies the Mercury employed was to emphasize the physicality of objects via text, practising a performance of materiality. Taking the letter‐as‐object as its starting point, this article argues that materiality played a crucial role in not only the representation but also the active production of truthfulness. Examining how Dunton's periodical leveraged notions of the coffeehouse as an exhibition space, this article explores how the Mercury drew on musealization strategies to represent material objects to underline their existence and its own credibility. Interpellating readers as virtuosi, the Athenian Society staged the coffeehouse and even itself as a walk‐in curiosity cabinet, turning letters into matter and fiction into fact.
The Letter‐Writing Manual and the Epistolary Novel
Authors: Bray Joe 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe relationship between real and fictional letters in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries has been the source of much critical debate. Disagreement surrounds the extent to which the increasingly popular genre of the epistolary novel drew on the practices and techniques of actual correspondence. On the one hand are those who see epistolary fiction as developing out of real‐life letters, with some literary‐stylistic additions. On the other hand are those who reject this teleological approach in favour of one that emphasizes the functional versatility of the letter in the period, and the difficulty, if not impossibility, of drawing a distinction between its real and fictional incarnations. This relationship between real correspondence and epistolary fiction is brought into sharp focus by the genre of the letter‐writing manual, which rose sharply in popularity from the last two decades of the seventeenth century onwards. Concentrating on John Hill's The Young Secretary's Guide (1689), Thomas Goodman's The Experience's Secretary (1699), and G. F.'s The Secretary's Guide (1705), in particular, in this article, I suggest that the style of the letter‐writing manual from this period can, with caution, be compared with that of the epistolary novel. I pay particular attention to the ways in which letters in these manuals respond to and quote from each other and the often subtle ways in which they thus incorporate different voices. This polyvocality is taken further in Samuel Richardson's manual Familiar Letters (1741), which, as is well known, provided the raw material for his first novel Pamela; or Virtue Rewarded (1741). I demonstrate that some of the stylistic techniques which would prove crucial to the great epistolary novels of the later eighteenth century, including Richardson's, can be found, at least in embryonic form, in the letter‐writing manuals of the Restoration period.
Impact of the Ruble exchange rate regime and Russia's war in Ukraine on wheat prices in Russia
Authors: Yugay Stanislav , Götz Linde , Svanidze Miranda 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe assess exchange rate pass‐through when the Ruble exchange rate was managed in comparison with when it became free‐floating. Estimates of the error correction model for milling wheat prices suggest exchange rate pass‐through to be strongest in Russia's North Caucasus, the region closest to the Black Sea ports, and weakest in the remote regions of Volga and West Siberia since the Ruble exchange rate became free‐floating in 2014. In contrast, we find Russian regional wheat prices and the Ruble/USD exchange rate not cointegrated when the exchange rate was managed. Further, feed wheat (Class 5) is only weakly integrated compared to wheat Classes 3 and 4 for human consumption. With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, exchange rate pass‐through to Russian wheat prices has decreased sharply. Thus, the Ukraine war drives the disintegration of Russia's wheat sector from international markets and adds to the risks of supply chain disruption and geopolitical risks, which may increase export supply volatility. To strengthen trade resilience, countries that are dependent on wheat imports should diversify their import sources.
Single and multi‐dose pharmacology of recombinant and urinary human chorionic gonadotrophin in men
Authors: Handelsman David J. , Idan Amanda , Desai Reena , Grainger Janelle , Goebel Catrin , Sleiman Sue , Savkovic Sasha , Kouzios Dorothy , Jayadev Venna , Conway Ann J. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveHuman choriogonadotrophin (hCG) treatment of gonadotrophin‐deficient infertile men uses hCG of urinary (uhCG) or recombinant (rhCG) origin, but these treatments have not been compared nor are there studies defining rhCG dosing in men.DesignhCG products were studied in randomized cross‐over single‐dose studies of standard (Study 1, 1500 IU and 62.5 µg, respectively) or high (Study 2, 5000 IU and 250 µg) dose and a multi‐dose population pharmacology study of hCG use.ParticipantsEight (Study 1) and seven (Study 2) volunteers in cross‐over and 52 gonadotrophin‐deficient men in the multi‐dose studyMeasurementsIn cross‐over studies, serum testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LCMS) and serum hCG, LH, FSH, SHBG and T (observational study) by immunoassays.ResultsAfter standard and high‐dose injection, serum hCG and testosterone responses had similar timing and peak concentrations except for a mildly lower early (<48 h) serum testosterone with uhCG. In the multi‐dosing study, both hCGs had similar pharmacokinetics (pooled half‐life 5.8 days, p < .001), while serum testosterone concentrations were stable after injection and did not differ between hCG products. Bench testing verified that 20% of pens from 4/10 individuals were used inappropriately.ConclusionsAlthough hCG pharmacokinetics are not formally bioequivalent, the similar pharmacodynamic effects on serum testosterone indicate that at the doses tested both hCGs provide comparable clinical effects. The starting dose of rhCG for treating gonadotrophin‐deficient men should be 62.5 µg (6 clicks) of the rhCG pen.
Deep and Fast Approximate Order Independent Transparency
Authors: Tsopouridis Grigoris , Vasilakis Andreas A. , Fudos Ioannis 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe present a machine learning approach for efficiently computing order independent transparency (OIT) by deploying a light weight neural network implemented fully on shaders. Our method is fast, requires a small constant amount of memory (depends only on the screen resolution and not on the number of triangles or transparent layers), is more accurate as compared to previous approximate methods, works for every scene without setup and is portable to all platforms running even with commodity GPUs. Our method requires a rendering pass to extract all features that are subsequently used to predict the overall OIT pixel colour with a pre‐trained neural network. We provide a comparative experimental evaluation and shader source code of all methods for reproduction of the experiments.
Density‐dependence and competition between Tranosema rostrale and Elachertus cacoeciae, two parasitoids of the spruce budworm
Authors: Martel Véronique , Régnière Jacques , Therrien Pierre 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCompetition between parasitoids for available hosts is common in insects. These interactions are often negative and are believed to reduce the overall impact of top‐down population regulation. In the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), two parasitoid species are very common and often interact during the period of low‐density populations between outbreaks: the koinobiont endoparasitoid Tranosema rostrale (Brishke) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and the idiobiont ectoparasitoid Elachertus cacoeciae (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Data collected from field‐implanted larvae of spruce budworm exposed in summer during a 35‐year period between 1987 and 2022 were used to estimate the response of these two parasitoids to the density of their spruce budworm host, and the nature and importance of competitive interactions between them. It was found that both parasitoids are most effective at very low host population density, and that a strong, density‐dependent, and negative correlation of frequencies exists between them. This negative correlation is evident both among and within years and indicates that the parasitoids have developed seasonal history and host choice behaviors that tend to minimize the negative impact of direct competition on their respective performance. It appears that the koinobiont T. rostrale manages, through those adaptive strategies, to avoid direct competition inside a larval host with the competitively superior idiobiont E. cacoeciae.
“He took her by the hand and told her to stand”
Authors: Evans‐Hills Bonnie 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis reflection highlights the importance of women's agency in response to crises and challenges today. The inclusion and participation of women improves the well‐being of all, be it in education, health care, the economy, or the government. There is a need to challenge interreligious dialogue settings that exclude or sideline women. Another critical area relates to the “freedom of religion or belief” agenda that sometimes concedes to misogynist perspectives in religious traditions. The text pleads strongly for full inclusion of women in the dialogue and human rights agenda.
The effect of HIV and mpox co‐infection on clinical outcomes: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Taha Amira Mohamed , Elrosasy Amr , Mahmoud Abdelrahman Mohamed , Saed Sara Adel Abdelkader , Moawad Wesam Abd El‐Tawab , Hamouda Esraa , Nguyen Dang , Tran Van Phu , Pham Hoang Tran , Sah Sanjit , Barboza Joshuan J. , Sah Ranjit 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIntroductionCo‐infection with HIV and mpox is a significant issue for public health because of the potential combined impact on clinical outcomes. However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence. The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to provide insight into the impact of HIV and mpox co‐infection on clinical outcomes.MethodsWe systematically searched major electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science) for pertinent studies published up to June 2023. Included were studies that described the clinical outcomes of people who had both mpox and HIV. We performed the analysis using OpenMeta and STATA 17 software.ResultsWith an overall number of participants of 35 207, 21 studies that met the inclusion criteria were considered. The greatest number of the studies (n = 10) were cohort designs, with three being cross‐sectional and eight being case series studies. The meta‐analysis found that people who had both HIV and mpox had a higher hospitalization rate than those who only had mpox (odds ratio [OR] 1.848; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.918–3.719, p = 0.085, I2 = 60.19%, p = 0.020). Furthermore, co‐infected patients had higher mortality rates than those who did not have HIV co‐infection (OR 3.887; 95% CI 2.272–6.650, p < 0.001). Meta‐regression analysis showed that CD4 levels can significantly predict the risk of hospitalization (p = 0.016) and death (p = 0.031).DiscussionHIV causes immunosuppression, making it difficult for the body to mount an effective immune response against pathogens such as mpox. Individuals who are co‐infected are at a higher risk of severe disease and death, according to our findings. Although hospitalization rates did not differ significantly between the two groups, it is critical to prioritize interventions and improve management strategies tailored specifically for people living with HIV.ConclusionThis meta‐analysis provides substantial evidence that HIV and mpox co‐infection has a negative impact on clinical outcomes. Co‐infected individuals had higher hospitalization and significantly higher mortality rates. These findings highlight the significance of early diagnosis, prompt treatment initiation, and effective management strategies for people living with HIV and mpox.
Nomogram for predicting surgical site infections in elderly patients after open lumbar spine surgery: A retrospective study
Authors: An Yan , Cui Xinghui , Wang Hui , Sun Yingui , Zhu Baoqi , Feng Shuo , Jiang Jun 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe aim of this study is to develop a nomogram to assess the risk of surgical site infection in elderly patients undergoing open lumbar spine surgery and explore related risk factors. We reviewed the records of 578 elderly patients who had undergone open lumbar spine surgery. The clinical parameters were subjected to lasso regression and logistic regression analyses. Subsequently, a nomogram was constructed to predict the risk of postoperative surgical site infection and validated using bootstrap resampling. A total of 578 patients were included in the analysis, of which 17 were diagnosed as postoperative surgical site infection. Following the final logistic regression analysis, obesity, hypoalbuminemia and drinking history were identified as independent risk factors and subsequently incorporated into the nomogram. The nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination, with an area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve of 0.879 (95% CI 0.769 ~ 0.989) after internal validation. The calibration curve exhibited a high level of consistency. Decision curve analysis revealed that this nomogram had greater clinical value when the risk threshold for surgical site infection occurrence was >1% and <89%. We had developed a nomogram for predicting the risk of postoperative surgical site infection in elderly patients who had undergone open lumbar spine surgery. Validation using bootstrap resampling demonstrated excellent discrimination and calibration, indicating that the nomogram may hold potential clinical utility as a simple predictive tool for healthcare professionals.
Effects of photodynamic therapy in patients with infected skin ulcers: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Gu Rui , Fei Sha'ni , Liu Zhaoyu , Liu Xiaoqi , Fang Xiaoxiao , Wu Hengjin , Zhang Xia , Xu Guomei , Xu Fengquan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe purpose of the meta‐analysis was to evaluate and compare the photodynamic therapy's effectiveness in treating infected skin wounds. The results of this meta‐analysis were analysed, and the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using dichotomous or contentious random‐ or fixed‐effect models. For the current meta‐analysis, 6 examinations spanning from 2013 to 2021 were included, encompassing 154 patients with infected skin wounds were the used studies' starting point. Photodynamic therapy had a significantly lower wound ulcer size (MD, −4.42; 95% CI, −7.56–−1.28, p = 0.006), better tissue repair (MD, −8.62; 95% CI, −16.76–−0.48, p = 0.04) and lower microbial cell viability (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04–0.42, p < 0.001) compared with red light exposure in subjects with infected skin wounds. The examined data revealed that photodynamic therapy had a significantly lower wound ulcer size, better tissue repair and lower microbial cell viability compared with red light exposure in subjects with infected skin wounds. However, given that all examinations had a small sample size, consideration should be given to their values.
Vertebral microchemistry as an indicator of habitat use of the oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean
Authors: Shen Yongfu , Hussey Nigel E. , David Mboglen , Wu Feng , Li Yunkai 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, is a highly migratory, epipelagic top predator that is classified as critically endangered. Although this species is widely distributed throughout the world's tropical oceans, its assumed mobility and pelagic behavior limit studies to derive required lifetime data for management. To address this data deficiency, we assessed variation in the habitat use of C. longimanus by oceanic region and over ontogeny through time series trace element and stable isotope values conserved along the vertebral centra (within translucent annulus bands) of 13 individuals sampled from the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Elemental ratios of Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, Fe:Ca, Zn:Ca, and Ba:Ca varied significantly among individuals from both sampling regions while principal component analysis of combined standardized elements revealed minimal overlap between the two areas. The limited overlap was also in agreement with stable isotope niches. These findings indicate that C. longimanus exhibit a degree of fidelity to sampling regions but also connectivity in a proportion of the population. The relatively stable Sr:Ca ratio supports its occurrence in oceanic environments. The decreasing trends in Ba:Ca, Mn:Ca, and Zn:Ca ratios, as well as in carbon and nitrogen isotope values along vertebral transects, indicate that C. longimanus undergo a directional habitat shift with age. Combined elemental and stable isotope values in vertebral centra provide a promising tool for elucidating lifetime data for complex pelagic species. For C. longimanus, management will need to consider subpopulation movement behavior in the Pacific to minimize the potential for localized depletions. Further work is now required to sample individuals across the entire Pacific and to link these findings with genetic and movement data to define population structure.