bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhanced electrochemical energy storage devices utilizing a one-dimensional (1D) α-MnO2 nanocomposite encased in onion-like carbon
Authors: Palaniyandy N. , Lakshmi D. , Thenmozhi G. , Kheawhom S. , Musyoka N. N. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis work describes the fabrication of a novel one-dimensional (1D) α-MnO2 nanorods encased in onion-like carbon (or) carbon nano-onions (OLC) via microwave irradiation techniques employing electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD), which is especially beneficial for rapid ion and electron transfer, and great structural stability. The composite of α-MnO2 and OLC demonstrates exceptional performance as an electrode across various electrochemical energy storage systems, including zinc-ion batteries (ZIB), sodium-ion batteries (SIB), and supercapacitors (SC) than the pristine α-MnO2. In SIB systems, the composite exhibits a specific capacity of 266 mAh g−1 at initial cycle with 50% capacity retention over 500 cycles, whereas the pristine electrode delivers only 39% capacity retention. The rapid yet controlled charge transfer kinetics facilitated by OLC addition in the α-MnO2 matrix outperforms as the ZIB cathode with an excellent specific capacity of 476 mAh g−1 with 100% capacity retention, while the pristine sample exhibits 77.5% capacity retention. As a SC electrode, the α-MnO2/OLC composite exhibits better electrochemical properties such as rectangular behavior, increased specific capacitance (792 F g−1), excellent capacity retention at high current densities, and others. The higher surface area that could be offered by the OLC to the α-MnO2 matrix facilitates the improved electrochemistry in the pristine sample and this kind of modification can be a viable solution to overcome the limitations of α-MnO2 for electrochemical energy storage applications. It is important to note that the performance outputs of α-MnO2/OLC composite are far better than the regular carbon (graphite, graphene) in α-MnO2 electrodes. Further, OLC provided with high surface area and ordered morphology can play the role of conductivity booster, structural stabilizer, and electrochemical active material in all the energy storage applications which may give a significant research attention in near future.
Composition of the rumen microbiome and its association with methane yield in dairy cattle raised in tropical conditions
Authors: Fregulia Priscila , Dias Roberto Júnio Pedroso , Campos Mariana Magalhães , Tomich Thierry Ribeiro , Pereira Luiz Gustavo Ribeiro , Neves André Luis Alves 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background
Methane (CH4) emissions from rumen fermentation are a significant contributor to global warming. Cattle with high CH4 emissions tend to exhibit lower efficiency in milk and meat production, as CH4 production represents a loss of the gross energy ingested by the animal. The objective of this study was to investigate the taxonomic and functional composition of the rumen microbiome associated with methane yield phenotype in dairy cattle raised in tropical areas.

Methods and results
Twenty-two Girolando (F1 Holstein x Gyr) heifers were classified based on their methane yield (g CH4 / kg dry matter intake (DMI)) as High CH4 yield and Low CH4 yield. Rumen contents were collected and analyzed using amplicon sequencing targeting the 16 and 18S rRNA genes. The diversity indexes showed no differences for the rumen microbiota associated with the high and low methane yield groups. However, the sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) revealed different taxonomic profiles of prokaryotes related to High and Low CH4, but no difference was found for protozoa. The predicted functional profile of both prokaryotes and protozoa differed between High- and Low CH4 groups.

Conclusions
Our results suggest differences in rumen microbial composition between CH4 yield groups, with specific microorganisms being strongly associated with the Low (e.g. Veillonellaceae_UCG − 001) and High (e.g., Entodinium) CH4 groups. Additionally, specific microbial functions were found to be differentially more abundant in the Low CH4 group, such as K19341, as opposed to the High CH4 group, where K05352 was more prevalent. This study reinforces that identifying the key functional niches within the rumen is vital to understanding the ecological interplay that drives methane production.
Real-time motion estimation based video steganography with preserved consistency and local optimality
Authors: Mohamed Hassan , Elliethy Ahmed , Abdelaziz Amr , Aly Hussein 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper introduces a novel steganographic technique for H.264 video that achieves an outstanding performance against state-of-the-art steganalysis techniques while maintaining real-time encoding performance constraints. The proposed technique embeds the secret message by altering the motion vectors (MVs) while preserving their local optimality and consistency feature to withstand the recently emerged steganalysis methods. Thanks to its macro-block (MB) basis architecture, the proposed technique satisfies the real-time constraints, eliminating the need to wait for the whole frame or group of pictures (GOP) and avoiding the need to perform any additional re-encoding step(s). Additionally, altering the MVs is performed in the motion estimation (ME) sub-pixel-refinement stage through a rule-based scheme that ensures each MB’s compatibility for embedding without detection by the aforementioned steganalysis methods. The proposed technique is integrated with the OpenH264 real-time video encoder and evaluated on widely used video sequences. The results prove that the proposed technique achieves a significant security performance against the steganalysis methods while maintaining an acceptable embedding rate, outperforming other state-of-the-art MV-based steganographic methods in real-time constrained environments. The proposed technique adds about $$1-2\%$$

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overhead beyond the encoder running time. The source code is publicly available here: https://github.com/HassanMohamedGit/OpenH264-RealTime-steg.
Contrasting packing modes for tubular assemblies in chlorosomes
Authors: Miloslavina Yuliya A. , Thomas Brijith , Reus Michael , Gupta Karthick Babu Sai Sankar , Oostergetel Gert T. , Andreas Loren B. , Holzwarth Alfred R. , de Groot Huub J. M. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe largest light-harvesting antenna in nature, the chlorosome, is a heterogeneous helical BChl self-assembly that has evolved in green bacteria to harvest light for performing photosynthesis in low-light environments. Guided by NMR chemical shifts and distance constraints for Chlorobaculum tepidum wild-type chlorosomes, the two contrasting packing modes for syn-anti parallel stacks of BChl c to form polar 2D arrays, with dipole moments adding up, are explored. Layered assemblies were optimized using local orbital density functional and plane wave pseudopotential methods. The packing mode with the lowest energy contains syn-anti and anti-syn H-bonding between stacks. It can accommodate R and S epimers, and side chain variability. For this packing, a match with the available EM data on the subunit axial repeat and optical data is obtained with multiple concentric cylinders for a rolling vector with the stacks running at an angle of 21° to the cylinder axis and with the BChl dipole moments running at an angle ß ∼ 55° to the tube axis, in accordance with optical data. A packing mode involving alternating syn and anti parallel stacks that is at variance with EM appears higher in energy. A weak cross-peak at -6 ppm in the MAS NMR with 50 kHz spinning, assigned to C-181, matches the shift of antiparallel dimers, which possibly reflects a minor impurity-type fraction in the self-assembled BChl c.
Changing prices after the reform of local public services: remunicipalization versus privatization
Authors: Albalate Daniel , Bel Germà , González-Gómez Francisco , Hernández-Gutiérrez José C. , Picazo-Tadeo Andrés J. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPrivatization and remunicipalization have been used as alternative options to reform the delivery of local public services; in both cases, mainly because of disappointment with the service performance, although ideological preferences might also play a role. The drivers and effects of water privatization have been widely studied, whereas little empirical evidence is available for remunicipalization, particularly regarding its effects. Using a sample of Spanish municipalities, this paper assesses the change in the price of urban water following remunicipalization as compared to privatization. The main finding is that remunicipalization leads to smaller increases in price; this outcome is, however, due to a few atypical municipalities with abnormally low prices before the policy reform. Once these influential observations are controlled for, whether the reform consists of remunicipalization or privatization makes no difference regarding price changes. It is also found that remunicipalization is much more likely in cities governed by extreme left-wing parties.
Normal science: not uncritical or dogmatic
Authors: Schindler Samuel 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWhen Kuhn first published his Structure of Scientific Revolutions he was accused of promoting an “irrationalist” account of science. Although it has since been argued that this charge is unfair in one aspect or another, the early criticism still exerts an influence on our understanding of Kuhn. In particular, normal science is often characterized as dogmatic and uncritical, even by commentators sympathetic to Kuhn. I argue not only that there is no textual evidence for this view but also that normal science is much better understood as being based on epistemically justified commitment to a paradigm and as pragmatic in its handling of anomalies. I also argue that normal science is an example of what I call Kuhn’s program of revisionary rational reconstruction.
Carbon pricing and aggregate macroeconomic performance in the Eurozone: a contribution to the climate policy debate using the EU ETS and Macroeconomic Performance Index
Authors: Olasehinde-Williams Godwin 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis article contributes to the carbon pricing debate by providing new evidence on the aggregate macroeconomic effect of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in the Eurozone. To this end, a novel macroeconomic performance index is created to capture the overall economic performance of the Eurozone countries. The index is a weighted aggregation of key macroeconomic variables—GDP growth rate, inflation rate, employment rate, exchange rate, and long-term inflation rate—for the 19 member countries of the group. The effect of the EU ETS on this macroeconomic performance index is then empirically examined while controlling for the effects of physical capital accumulation, human capital accumulation and regulatory quality. A panel framework covering the period 2005–2022 is set up to achieve this objective and the relationship is examined using panel method of moments quantile regression with fixed effects, as well as fixed and random effects regressions of Driscoll and Kraay. A number of important revelations are made. Firstly, the behavior of the macroeconomic performance index constructed clearly reflects the economic reality of the Eurozone, with downward spikes visible in periods corresponding with the economic crisis of 2007–2009, the Eurozone debt crisis of 2010/2011, the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2016, and periods around the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Hence, a case is made for the use of the macroeconomic performance index as a superior aggregate measure of the overall economic performance in empirical research. Secondly, a statistically significant negative effect of the EU ETS on aggregate macroeconomic performance in the Eurozone is confirmed. This shows that there are significant economic costs associated with the use of carbon pricing as a means of lowering pollution. Thirdly, the findings further show that the negative impact gradually decreases (in absolute values) from lower to higher quantiles. Overall, higher carbon prices cause greater economic disruption when macroeconomic performance is relatively poor but have less damaging effect when aggregate economic performance is relatively strong. Policy recommendations based on the study findings are also provided.
Microwave pretreatment of wastewater sludge technology—a scientometric-based review
Authors: Li Yuxuan , Campos Luiza C. , Hu Yukun 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis manuscript presents a scientometric review of recent advances in microwave pretreatment processes for sewage sludge, systematically identifying existing gaps and prospects. For this purpose, 1763 papers on the application of microwave technology to sludge pretreatment were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) using relevant keywords. These publications were then analyzed using diverse scientometric indices. The results show that research in this field encompasses applications based on the non-thermal effects of microwaves, enhanced effectiveness of anaerobic digestion (AD), and the energy balance of this pretreatment system. Overcoming existing technical challenges, such as the cleavage of extracellular polymers, reducing microwave energy consumption, understanding the non-thermal effects of microwaves, promoting AD of sludge in combination with other chemical and physical methods, and expanding the application of the technology, are the main scientific focuses. Additionally, this paper thoroughly examines both the constraints and potential of microwave pretreatment technology for wastewater treatment.
Sitagliptin elevates plasma and CSF incretin levels following oral administration to nonhuman primates: relevance for neurodegenerative disorders
Authors: Li Yazhou , Vaughan Kelli L. , Wang Yun , Yu Seong-Jin , Bae Eun-Kyung , Tamargo Ian A. , Kopp Katherine O. , Tweedie David , Chiang Cheng-Chuan , Schmidt Keith T. , Lahiri Debomoy K. , Tones Michael A. , Zaleska Margaret M. , Hoffer Barry J. , Mattison Julie A. , Greig Nigel H. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe endogenous incretins glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) possess neurotrophic, neuroprotective, and anti-neuroinflammatory actions. The dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin reduces degradation of endogenous GLP-1 and GIP, and, thereby, extends the circulation of these protective peptides. The current nonhuman primate (NHP) study evaluates whether human translational sitagliptin doses can elevate systemic and central nervous system (CNS) levels of GLP-1/GIP in naive, non-lesioned NHPs, in line with our prior rodent studies that demonstrated sitagliptin efficacy in preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is an age-associated neurodegenerative disorder whose current treatment is inadequate. Repositioning of the well-tolerated and efficacious diabetes drug sitagliptin provides a rapid approach to add to the therapeutic armamentarium for PD. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of 3 oral sitagliptin doses (5, 20, and 100 mg/kg), equivalent to the routine clinical dose, a tolerated higher clinical dose and a maximal dose in monkey, were evaluated. Peak plasma sitagliptin levels were aligned both with prior reports in humans administered equivalent doses and with those in rodents demonstrating reduction of PD associated neurodegeneration. Although CNS uptake of sitagliptin was low (cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma ratio 0.01), both plasma and CSF concentrations of GLP-1/GIP were elevated in line with efficacy in prior rodent PD studies. Additional cellular studies evaluating human SH-SY5Y and primary rat ventral mesencephalic cultures challenged with 6-hydroxydopamine, established cellular models of PD, demonstrated that joint treatment with GLP-1 + GIP mitigated cell death, particularly when combined with DPP-4 inhibition to maintain incretin levels. In conclusion, this study provides a supportive translational step towards the clinical evaluation of sitagliptin in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders for which aging, similarly, is the greatest risk factor.
A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based intervention on individuals with physical disabilities in China
Authors: Liang Lu-yin , Shek Daniel T. L. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIndividuals with physical disabilities (PD) face many quality of life challenges. In this study, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the impact of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on the psychological morbidity (indexed by depression and anxiety), emotional well-being (indexed by mindfulness and self-compassion), and health-related quality of life (QOL) among individuals with PD in China. A total of 512 participants with PD were randomly allocated to either the MBI group or the control group. Participants in the experimental group received an eight-week MBI in four sequential stages with different mindfulness meditation exercises. Results showed that participants who underwent MBI exhibited significantly fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, elevated levels of mindfulness and self-compassion, and enhanced health-related QOL compared to those who did not receive the treatment after intervention. The study yielded promising results for using MBI in promoting the well-being of individuals with PD in China. Suggestions for future research are also highlighted.
Inter-district and Wealth-related Inequalities in Maternal and Child Health Service Coverage and Child Mortality within Addis Ababa City
Authors: Mekonnen Wubegzier , Dechassa Worku , Melesse Desalegn Y. , Tejedor-Garavito Natalia , Nilsen Kristine , Getachew Theodros , Mulu Shegaw , Wondrad Naod 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn sub-Saharan Africa, urban areas generally have better access to and use of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services than rural areas, but previous research indicates that there are significant intra-urban disparities. This study aims to investigate temporal trends and geographic differences in maternal, newborn, and child health service utilization between Addis Ababa’s poorest and richest districts and households. A World Bank district-based poverty index was used to classify districts into the top 60% (non-poor) and bottom 40% (poor), and wealth index data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) was used to classify households into the top 60% (non-poor) and bottom 40% (poor). Essential maternal, newborn, and child health service coverage was estimated from routine health facility data for 2019–2021, and five rounds of the EDHS (2000–2019) were used to estimate child mortality. The results showed that service coverage was substantially higher in the top 60% than in the bottom 40% of districts. Coverage of four antenatal care visits, skill birth attendance, and postnatal care all exceeded 90% in the non-poor districts but only ranged from 54 to 67% in the poor districts. Inter-district inequalities were less pronounced for childhood vaccinations, with over 90% coverage levels across all districts. Inter-district inequalities in mortality rates were considerable. The neonatal mortality rate was nearly twice as high in the bottom 40% of households' as in the top 60% of households. Similarly, the under-5 mortality rate was three times higher in the bottom 40% compared to the top 60% of households. The substantial inequalities in MNCH service utilization and child mortality in Addis Ababa highlight the need for greater focus on the city’s women and children living in the poorest households and districts in maternal, newborn, and child health programs.
SNP Markers Associated with Some Root, Stolon, and Tuber Traits in Tetraploid Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) Grown Under Diverse Growing Systems
Authors: Yousaf Muhammad Farhan , Demirel Ufuk , Naeem Muhammad , Naawe Eric Kuopuobe , Caliskan Mehmet Emin 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNumerous loci, environmental factors, and their interactions have an impact on the phenotypic diversity of several significant traits in plants. One approach put forth in recent years for genetic research and finding quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for the specific trait is association mapping. The purpose of the current study was to pinpoint the genetic underpins of significant underground traits in potato. A panel of 192 diverse tetraploid potato genotypes from different countries were grown under different growing conditions (i.e., aeroponics and pot) to study root, stolon and tuber traits. Significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) were found between the genotypes for all examined traits, and the heritability (H2) of the traits ranged from 0.74 to 0.94. Genotyping was carried out using the SolCAP 25K array. 21,226 polymorphic SNPs were used for association mapping of underground traits. A GWASpoly R package was implemented for the marker-trait associations, and 78 genomic regions were found associated with the traits under investigation.. The history of potato breeding was reflected in LD patterns. The identified SNPs have their putative gene functions related to the root and stolon architecture and tuber growth (i.e., WRKY transcription factor, MAPK, the GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (i.e., GTPCHI), Glutathionyl-hydroquinone reductase, and pyrophosphate—fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase subunit alpha (PFPase). The results of the present study provides a framework that could be helpful for future potato breeding programs to increase tuber production and reduce the challenges of feeding the world's population in the years to come.
Culpability and Moral Vice
Authors: Lamond Grant 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper raises four queries about Simester’s defective engagement with reason account of culpability found in his Fundamentals of Criminal Law: (1) the characterisation of the account in terms of moral ‘vices’; (2) the basis for identifying a vice as a ‘moral’ vice; (3) what is involved in an agent manifesting ‘insufficient care and concern’ for the interests of others; and (4) whether the account is an account of culpability generally, or is instead an account of criminal culpability, i.e., the type of culpability necessary for criminal conviction.
Technology and the Situationist Challenge to Virtue Ethics
Authors: Tollon Fabio 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn this paper, I introduce a “promises and perils” framework for understanding the “soft” impacts of emerging technology, and argue for a eudaimonic conception of well-being. This eudaimonic conception of well-being, however, presupposes that we have something like stable character traits. I therefore defend this view from the “situationist challenge” and show that instead of viewing this challenge as a threat to well-being, we can incorporate it into how we think about living well with technology. Human beings are susceptible to situational influences and are often unaware of the ways that their social and technological environment influence not only their ability to do well, but even their ability to know whether they are doing well. Any theory that attempts to describe what it means for us to be doing well, then, needs to take these contextual features into account and bake them into a theory of human flourishing. By paying careful attention to these contextual factors, we can design systems that promote human flourishing.