bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Engineering a novel entomopathogenic strain Pseudomonas chlororaphis for efficient production of double‐stranded RNAs and pest control
Authors: Xie Mengmeng , Wang Qinghai , Zhou Niexin , Yu Saisai , Zhang Guiming , Yang Sheng , Zhang Jiang 
Published: February 2025

AbstractBACKGROUNDRNA interference (RNAi)‐based pesticides are emerging as the next generation of pest control solutions. We have previously identified Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain R3‐3, which exhibits toxicity towards Plagiodera versicolora.RESULTSWe engineered a mutant strain derived from R3‐3, named P. chlororaphis BM, through knocking out the RNase III gene and incorporating a T7 RNA polymerase expression system to boost dsRNA production. We revealed that P. chlororaphis BM produced comparable amounts of dsRNA to the strain E. coli HT115 (DE3) while maintaining its insecticidal activity. Importantly, insect feeding bioassays demonstrated that P. chlororaphis BM expressing dsRNA targeted β‐Actin (encoding β‐actin protein) of P. versicolora and Srp54K (encoding signal recognition particle protein 54 k) of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata exhibited enhanced insecticidal efficacy compared to E. coli HT115 (DE3).CONCLUSIONSThe development of P. chlororaphis BM, a novel dsRNA‐expressing bacterium, holds promise for pest management due to its robust dsRNA production and sustained insecticidal activity. This research paves the way for leveraging biocontrol bacteria in RNAi‐based pest management strategies. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
The Effect of the Substrate Doping on the Properties of Structure Ga2O3–ZnGeP2
Authors: Podzyvalov Sergei , Kalygina Vera , Yudin Nikolay , Slyunko Elena , Zinovev Mikhail , Kuznetsov Vladimir , Shaimerdenova Leila , Baalbaki Houssain 
Published: February 2025

The influence of doping ZnGeP2 (ZGP) crystals on the electrical and photoelectric characteristics of Ga2O3/ZGP structures is studied. Samples are obtained by radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a gallium oxide film onto polished ZGP plates, undoped and doped with Sn, Se, Pb, or Zn. It is shown that the structures on doped ZGP with Sn and Se have a less dark current than the structures in undoped ZGP. The structures exhibit a photovoltaic effect under the exposure of radiation in the UV range with λ = 254 nm and in the long‐wavelength range with λ = 808. To obtain solar‐blind structures, it is necessary to use ZGP:Sn crystals. To increase the sensitivity of the samples to long‐wavelength radiation, it is advisable to dope ZGP plates with Pb or Zn. The behavior of the electrical and photoelectric characteristics of the studied samples with the doping different impurities is not related to the parameters of ZGP but is most likely determined by the change in the properties of the Ga2O3/ZGP heterointerface as a result of doping.
On the Estimation of Generalized Lifetime Performance Index Based on Exponentiated Exponential Distributed Characteristics Under Progressive Censoring
Authors: Yadav Abhimanyu Singh , Singh Sanjay Kumar , Saha Mahendra 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTIn this article, the generalized lifetime performance index (GLPI) is taken into consideration where the process distribution follows exponentiated exponential distribution. The different classical estimation procedures, namely, maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), least squares, weighted least squares, and maximum product spacing estimation (MPSE) methods have been discussed using progressively type‐II censored samples. Next, the Bayesian estimation of the considered index with gamma prior distribution has been derived using the symmetric as well as asymmetric loss functions. Further, the different parametric interval estimation techniques, namely, asymptotic confidence interval based on MLE and MPSE, bootstrap confidence intervals, and Bayes credible intervals have been obtained for the considered censoring schemes. Monte Carlo simulation study has been carried out to compare these estimators in terms of their mean squared errors and simulated posterior risks, respectively. Lastly, two real data sets have been re‐analyzed to illustrate applications of the proposed GLPI under progressively type‐II censored scheme.
A Laser Ablation ICP‐MS Protocol for High‐Resolution Iodine‐to‐Calcium Ratio (I/Ca) Analysis on Corals
Authors: Prow‐Fleischer Ashley N. , Lu Zunli 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTRationaleCorals are continuous, time‐resolved archives of ambient seawater geochemistry and can extend climate records beyond direct monitoring. The iodine‐to‐calcium (I/Ca) ratio may be a proxy for local oxygen depletion in corals, but the current solution‐based ICP‐MS protocol limits sampling resolution. A protocol was developed for rapid analysis of coral I/Ca using laser ablation ICP‐MS.MethodsTwo reference materials, a powdered coral (JCp‐1) and a synthetic carbonate (MACS‐3), were compared for precision in measuring Sr, Mg, I, Ba, and U. Then, the influence of laser parameters (spot size, fluence, repetition rate, and scan speed) on iodine sensitivity from the reference material was evaluated to optimize laser settings for accurate and reproducible I/Ca calibration. Then, I/Ca was measured in line scans along and across the ambulacrum in a Diploria labyrinthiformis coral.ResultsWe find that JCp‐1 has greater precision in measuring iodine, as well as other traces, compared to MACS‐3. At a 10 Hz repetition rate, spot sizes from 150 to 85 μm obtained concentrations in agreement with certified values, but higher repetition rates overestimated iodine concentrations from JCp‐1. Certain scan speeds and fluence can introduce noise, likely due to matrix effects, but the signal‐to‐noise ratio can be improved by adjacent‐average filtering. Using this simple data filtering routine and optimized laser settings, the highest resolution for accurate I/Ca analysis is < 100 μm. While the fine‐scale (< 250 μm) I/Ca variabilities in parallel transects in a coral sample likely resulted from biomineralization processes, large ‐scale features (> 500 μm) along the ambulacrum tend to correlate.ConclusionsLA‐ICP‐MS has great potential for accurate, high‐resolution I/Ca profiling in corals using JCp‐1 as a calibration standard. Because of compositional variability near centers of calcification, it is important to pay attention to how the laser transect is aligned relative to skeletal elements, which may incorporate iodine differently.
Exploration of Active Substances and Its Potential Mechanism of Gancao Fuzi Decoction on Inflammatory Based on Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology
Authors: Geng Wei , Liu Shuang , Dong Hongjing , Arachchige Buddhika Niroshie Perumpuli , Qi Dongmei , Wang Xiao 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTGancao Fuzi decoction (GCFZT) is a traditional Chinese formula, which has been commonly used in clinical practice to treat inflammatory diseases. However, the active substance of GCFZT in the treatment of inflammation is not fully clarified. In this study, we used orthogonal experiments to design different GCFZT formulations, resulting in a total of 16 GCFZT formulations. Subsequently, UPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS was used to analyze the chemical composition of different formulations, and the anti‐inflammatory activity differences of these formulations were evaluated through an LPS‐induced RAW264.7 inflammatory cell model. Combined with machine learning algorithms such as PLS‐DA and RF, four main active substances in GCFZT were screened. Finally, network pharmacology techniques were used to investigate the potential anti‐inflammatory mechanisms of these main active substances, and the results showed that GCFZT mainly regulates the expression of core targets such as ALOX5, NFKB1, and TLR4 through main active substances such as chlorogenic acid, riboflavin, and formononetin, thereby affecting the NF kappa B signaling pathway, the Toll‐like receptor signaling pathway, and the Th17 cell differentiation. This study provides a reference for the anti‐inflammatory mechanism of GCFZT and a scientific basis for its clinical application.
Protocol‐Based PID Control for Stochastic Multiagent Systems Under Deception Attacks: Handling Quasi‐Consensus in Probability
Authors: Ban Jie , Guo Liangdong , Wang Zidong 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we investigate the problem of observer‐based proportional‐integral‐derivative (PID) quasi‐consensus control for a specific class of stochastic multi‐agent systems (MASs) subject to deception attacks. This study is driven by practical engineering challenges where communication networks are vulnerable to attacks and resource constraints. We consider the scenario where the relative output vector of each agent, after being uniformly quantized and managed through a Round‐Robin scheduling protocol, is exposed to deception attacks. To address these challenges, we develop a novel distributed observer‐based PID control strategy tailored for stochastic MASs. This strategy effectively accounts for system randomness and defenses against deception attacks. Using matrix inequality and stochastic analysis techniques, we establish a framework of sufficient conditions for achieving quasi‐consensus in probability and derive the corresponding gain matrices. The proposed approach is validated through numerical simulations, demonstrating its effectiveness in maintaining consensus despite deception attacks and quantization effects.
Optimal H∞$$ {\mathcal{H}}_{\infty } $$ Problem and Application to Controlled Asymptotic Filtering
Authors: Stefanovski Jovan 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThe optimal variant of one‐sided ‐problem is elaborated, and an LMI‐based algorithm is presented, which works in the generic case. An application in controlled asymptotic filtering is presented, in which the matrices of the ‐problem are affine functions of controller coefficients. These two results are illustrated with examples.
Practical Finite‐Time and Fixed‐Time Guaranteed Cost Consensus for Second‐Order Nonlinear Multi‐Agent Systems With Switching Topology and Actuator Faults
Authors: Lu Rongxiang , Wu Jie , Zhan Xi‐Sheng , Yan Huaicheng 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates finite‐time and fixed‐time the guaranteed cost consensus problem for nonlinear second‐order systems, respectively, accompanied by unknown nonlinear functions approximated by a fuzzy logic system (FLS). Considering the possibility of actuator failures and topology switching, finite‐time and fixed‐time controllers are proposed to enable the system to eventually achieve finite‐time and fixed‐time guaranteed cost consensus, respectively. Furthermore, upper bounds on the guaranteed cost are obtained based on the Lyapunov functions designed for finite‐time and fixed‐time proofs, respectively. Finally, two examples are provided corresponding to the feasibility of proving the theorem using finite‐time and fixed‐time controllers, respectively.
A new hydraulic barrier with the gradient distribution of fixed net negative charges
Authors: Ma Tiantian , Liu Tingli 
Published: February 2025

AbstractBentonite, commonly used for geological disposal of high‐level radioactive waste and landfill liners, can experience increased permeability under high groundwater salinity, compromising its effectiveness. This article presents a novel approach to enhance the anti‐seepage performance of hydraulic barriers, particularly in hypersaline environments. The proposed design incorporates a gradient distribution of fixed net negative charges, based on the principles of the Donnan equilibrium and generalized Darcy's law. The Donnan equilibrium, caused by fixed net charges on clay particles, alters the salt concentration of pore water that seeps through the soil. This creates a semipermeable membrane effect on the clay, leading to a concentration difference of salts between the flowing water in the soil and the external water supply. The concentration difference is dependent on the density of fixed net negative charges on the clay surfaces. By artificially controlling the distribution of fixed net negative charges, a salinity gradient is induced in the pore water. Based on the generalized Darcy's law, the salinity gradient can counteract seepage driven by pressure gradients and effectively reduce the seepage velocity. The study discusses key factors affecting the gradient distribution of fixed net charges in the designed hydraulic barrier, including void ratio, external solution concentration, and cation exchange capacity. The new hydraulic barrier is compared with existing methods (traditional bentonite and polymer–bentonite mixtures), demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing anti‐seepage performance, especially in hypersaline environments.
Advancing a Comprehensive Equity Centered Theory of STEM Doctoral Persistence: A Small‐Scale Qualitative Exploration of Critical Capital Theory
Authors: Bancroft Senetta F. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTA longstanding failure to achieve racial and ethnic equity in STEM doctoral programs in the United States exists alongside a research landscape struggling to comprehensively explain this enduring failure. Towards a comprehensive explanatory model of STEM doctoral persistence and disruption of this failure, I previously proposed critical capital theory (CCT). CCT integrates critical race theory, forms of capital, and fictive kinship. Using a small‐scale critical qualitative abductive study, I explored the extent to which CCT explained participants' experiences and their science doctoral program outcomes. Narratives of factors influencing doctoral persistence were interpreted from interviews of 3 female former science doctoral students from racially and ethnically marginalized communities. They experienced immediate, intense, and sustained overlapping forms of oppression in their doctoral programs. To cope, all activated different forms of capital including non‐Bourdieuan forms. However, oppressive tactics used by faculty and administrators devalued their capital including supposedly high value Bourdieuan forms, constrained their ability to form fictive kinships within departmental networks, and negatively impacted their mental health and allegiances to science. To explain these findings, which align with other studies, I expand CCT to incorporate intersectionality and community cultural wealth and refined it to explicitly link capital, field, and habitus. Although the study's scale is small, these findings underscore the potential of CCT as an increasingly comprehensive tool to examine and explain STEM doctoral persistence. Further exploration across diverse STEM disciplines and contexts is needed to refine and generalize CCT, optimizing its utility to disrupt enduring inequities in STEM doctoral programs.
New sheriff in town: A quad model approach to examining the consequences of selecting a qualified lead independent directors
Authors: Hasija Dinesh , Ellstrand Alan , Ridge Jason W. , Johnson Jon 
Published: February 2025

AbstractResearch SummaryThe lead independent director (LID) position was adopted primarily to increase the efficiency of the monitoring function of the board. However, evidence of whether and how LIDs influence board monitoring has been limited. We apply and test the theoretical quad model in the context of the LID to examine whether selecting a qualified LID helps improve monitoring within the board. We argue that when a board appoints a qualified LID, it improves overall board monitoring, along with board meeting facilitation and interpersonal interactions between the board and shareholders. Using a sample of US firms, we find that firms that appoint qualified LIDs tend to have lower levels of corporate misconduct, better board meeting attendance, and fewer shareholder proposals.Managerial SummaryThis study explores the impact of selecting a qualified lead independent director (LID) on corporate governance, highlighting practical benefits for firms that prioritize strong board leadership. Our findings show that appointing a well‐qualified LID can enhance board effectiveness by reducing incidents of corporate misconduct, improving board meeting attendance, and decreasing shareholder activism. These results underscore the importance of careful LID selection as a strategic move to strengthen governance, ensure robust oversight, and improve communication with stakeholders. This research provides actionable insights for boards seeking to bolster governance practices by strategically leveraging the LID position.
Tailoring the Electronic and Hydrophilic Properties of Nickel Oxide Hydroxides by Bismuth Incorporation Toward Enhanced Alkaline Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation
Authors: Wang Xiaomei , Liu Bo , Duan Ruizhi , Zhang Hong , Zhou Xia , Hu Wei , Li Can 
Published: February 2025

AbstractIdentification of electrocatalysts with suitable electronic and hydrophilic properties is indispensable for boosting the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The incorporation of bismuth (Bi) into Nickel oxide hydroxides is presented to simultaneously tune these properties of the catalyst toward enhanced OER. It is shown that the Bi doping endows more reversibility of Ni, enhances the lattice oxygen reactivity, and leads to a weakly binding surface for the resultant NiBi(OH)x electrocatalyst. These can not only accelerate the redox transformation of OER intermediates but also enhance surface oxygen‐involved OER process, which collaboratively boost the OER kinetics. Moreover, the Bi incorporation manipulates the hydrophilic property of the electrode, which facilitates mass transfer by allowing more facile diffusion of gaseous products and electrolytes. As a result, the optimized Ni97Bi3(OH)x electrode delivers a current density of 500 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 357 mV without losing performance for over 1000 h, on par with the state‐of‐the‐art NiFe anodes. This work provides an effective strategy to enhance the electrocatalytic performance in OER through the integration of electronic regulation and hydrophilic modification.
Assembling Giant Nanoclusters as Heterogeneous Catalysts for Effectively Converting CO2 to CO Under Visible Light
Authors: Bai Kai‐Peng , Wu Chao , Lu Jin‐Tao , Chen Wei‐Peng , Cui Meng‐Di , Zheng Yan‐Zhen 
Published: February 2025

AbstractHeterometallic lanthanide‐transition metal (3d‐4f) nanoclusters with well‐defined structures and multiple active sites are excellent vehicles for achieving efficient catalysis and studying heterometallic synergism. In this work, two closely related yet different high‐nuclearity nanoclusters, 72‐nuclear {Ni28RE44} (1, RE = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) and 111‐nuclear {Ni48La63} (2), are synthesized using a mixed‐ligand strategy. Importantly, the crystal solids of these giant coordination clusters are insoluble when soaking in H2O/CH3CN and can be used as heterogeneous catalysts for visible‐light‐driven catalytic conversion of CO2 to CO. Cluster 2 exhibits a maximum CO production rate of 4800 µmol g−1 h−1 and a CO selectivity of 92% over H2. Furthermore, the catalytic properties are investigated of different rare earths in the cluster 1 series, found that 1‐Eu exhibited superior catalytic performance under identical conditions, likely due to the lower reduction potential of the europium ions. This study represents the first report of 3d‐4f heterometallic nanoclusters as heterogeneous catalysts for photocatalytic reaction and provides a reference for the study of high‐nuclearity 3d‐4f nanoclusters as catalysts for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO.
Do business and economics studies erode prosocial values?
Authors: Sundemo Mattias , Löfgren Åsa 
Published: February 2025

AbstractDoes exposure to business and economics education make students less prosocial and more selfish? Employing a difference‐in‐difference strategy with panel‐data from three subsequent cohorts of students enrolled in a Business and Economics bachelor's program (>900 students), we find that business and economics students become less prosocial over time relative to a control group of comparable students. Importantly, younger students appear to be significantly more malleable with respect to their to prosocial values. Furthermore, we observe heterogeneous effects across majors such as accounting, finance, and economics. Our research demonstrates a strong correlation between prosocial values and generous behavior.
Gastroscopic and Transabdominal Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Gastroesophageal Junction in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Authors: Köroğlu Mehmet , Ayvaz Muhammed Ali , Çeliker Fatma Beyazal 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease in the population. GERD is classified into two categories: nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive reflux disease (ERD).The aim of this study is to investigate the value of non‐invasive, cost effective and more easily applicable transabdominal ultrasonography (US) in the evaluation of GERD disease.MethodsThe study was designed as a single‐centre, cross‐sectional, prospective, single‐blind study. The thickness of the esophagus wall and fat, as well as the diameters of the hiatus and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), were measured using US.ResultsThe study had 99 patients, including 47 females and 52 males. Patients exhibiting esophagitis and reflux symptoms showed a significant increase in esophageal wall thickness, hiatus diameter, GEJ diameter and esophageal fat thickness, as indicated by US, compared to the control group. p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.001 for esophagitis and GERD; p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.004, respectively.ROC curve analysis revealed the accuracy rates for esophagitis were 67.9%, 70.5%, 73.1% and 69.2%, respectively. Individuals with GERD exhibited accuracy rates of 63.7%, 69.7%, 67.9% and 62.7%, respectively. The binary forward logistic regression analysis of both groups revealed that only the GEJ diameters exhibited a high level of significant (p < 0.0001) in predicting outcomes.ConclusionThis study found a sonographically visible difference in esophageal wall thickness, hiatus diameters, GEJ diameters and paraesophageal fat thickness between patients with and without GERD, particularly GEJ diameters were statistically significant to predict GERD. These data suggested that US could be used as a screening method before endoscopy in selective patients.
EEAPTMS: Enhanced ECC Based Authentication Protocol for Telemedical Scenario
Authors: Rajamanickam Siranjeevi , Vollala Satyanarayana , Ramasubramanian N. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTSecuring the credentials of the users while accessing online medical services, specifically in the Tele Medicare Information System (TMIS) environment, dictates its importance nowadays. Among all the security attacks, a TMIS could encounter insider attacks, which need to be handled with intense care, as they causes severe and unbearable damage to both the organization and users. In recent times, various protocols have been proposed using several cryptographic techniques, but later, when cryptanalyzed by different researchers, they were found to have security loopholes in preventing various known attacks, especially, insider attacks. This article proposes an Enhanced ECC‐based authentication protocol to prevent insider attacks in the TMIS environment: EEAPTMS. It is proved to be immune against all known security attacks by security analysis, which is done formally by the scyther tool and informally by cryptanalyzing it. The performance evaluation of EEAPTMS on the grounds of computation and communication cost is proved to be effective when compared to other existing schemes despite providing security against all possible ways of insider attacks.