bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Larger diatoms are more sensitive to temperature changes and prone to succumb to warming stress
Authors: Fan Jiale , Li Futian , Hu Siyu , Gao Kunshan , Xu Juntian 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe effects of ocean warming on phytoplankton have been extensively studied, but little has been documented on responses of differently sized diatoms to changes of temperature over wide ranges. We grew three diatom species, Thalassiosira pseudonana, Thalassiosira weissflogii, and Thalassiosira punctigera, with cell volumes of 199, 1805, and 13,599 μm3, respectively, at seven temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C) over 15 generations, and investigated their physiological responses. The optimum growth temperature (Topt), maximum growth rates (μmax), and thermal niche width (w) decreased by 16%, 48%, and 29% per order of magnitude in cell size increment, respectively. The cell volume of each species diminished significantly and linearly with increased temperatures, by 22% in T. punctigera, 17% in T. weissflogii, and 11% in T. pseudonana, respectively. However, the cellular biogenic silica (BSi) contents increased with rising temperature till the optimum growth temperature for growth, with the sensitivity of BSi to temperature changes (Q10BSi) ranging from 1.4 in the largest to 3.4 in the smallest diatom. The largest diatom T. punctigera showed the highest deactivation energy and succumbed to warmer conditions over its Topt, while the smallest was the most tolerant of warming. Although the moderate increase in growth temperature increased the diatoms' BSi levels, warming to temperatures higher than the optimum temperature for growth significantly reduced it. Our results suggest that diatoms acclimated to warmer conditions diminish their cell size but increase their mineralization of silica, which has profound significance in ocean carbon and silica biogeochemical cyclings.
Cord blood DNA methylation of immune and lipid metabolism genes is associated with maternal triglycerides and child adiposity
Authors: Waldrop Stephanie W. , Niemiec Sierra , Wood Cheyret , Gyllenhammer Lauren E. , Jansson Thomas , Friedman Jacob E. , Tryggestad Jeanie B. , Borengasser Sarah J. , Davidson Elizabeth J. , Yang Ivana V. , Kechris Katerina , Dabelea Dana , Boyle Kristen E. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractObjectiveFetal exposures may impact offspring epigenetic signatures and adiposity. The authors hypothesized that maternal metabolic traits associate with cord blood DNA methylation, which, in turn, associates with child adiposity.MethodsFasting serum was obtained in 588 pregnant women (27–34 weeks' gestation), and insulin, glucose, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids were measured. Cord blood DNA methylation and child adiposity were measured at birth, 4–6 months, and 4–6 years. The association of maternal metabolic traits with DNA methylation (429,246 CpGs) for differentially methylated probes (DMPs) and regions (DMRs) was tested. The association of the first principal component of each DMR with child adiposity was tested, and mediation analysis was performed.ResultsMaternal triglycerides were associated with the most DMPs and DMRs of all traits tested (261 and 198, respectively, false discovery rate < 0.05). DMRs were near genes involved in immune function and lipid metabolism. Triglyceride‐associated CpGs were associated with child adiposity at 4–6 months (32 CpGs) and 4–6 years (2 CpGs). One, near CD226, was observed at both timepoints, mediating 10% and 22% of the relationship between maternal triglycerides and child adiposity at 4–6 months and 4–6 years, respectively.ConclusionsDNA methylation may play a role in the association of maternal triglycerides and child adiposity.
Effects of variational formulations on physics‐informed neural network performance in solid mechanics
Authors: Radin Nils , Klinkel Sven , Altay Okyay 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn recent years, Physics‐Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have emerged as a promising method for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) in a variety of fields. To this end, an artificial neural network is used to approximate the unknown variables while the differential equation is embedded in the loss function to penalize the network's output. The present contribution focuses on the application of PINNs and its derivatives in the field of solid mechanics. We formulate the PINN framework by incorporating the strong form of the corresponding PDEs alongside initial and boundary conditions into the loss function of the neural network. The loss function poses as a residual, effectively constructing a minimization problem to solve the PDEs. The nature of the residual is further reformulated into the variations (weak) form by applying test functions and integration by parts. This extension leads to Variational Physics‐Informed Neural Networks (VPINNs), which impose a lower stringency on the solution. We demonstrate the performance of PINNs and VPINNs on a numerical solid mechanics problem.
Recent advances in features generation for membrane protein sequences: From multiple sequence alignment to pre‐trained language models
Authors: Ou Yu‐Yen , Ho Quang‐Thai , Chang Heng‐Ta 
Published: October 2023

AbstractMembrane proteins play a crucial role in various cellular processes and are essential components of cell membranes. Computational methods have emerged as a powerful tool for studying membrane proteins due to their complex structures and properties that make them difficult to analyze experimentally. Traditional features for protein sequence analysis based on amino acid types, composition, and pair composition have limitations in capturing higher‐order sequence patterns. Recently, multiple sequence alignment (MSA) and pre‐trained language models (PLMs) have been used to generate features from protein sequences. However, the significant computational resources required for MSA‐based features generation can be a major bottleneck for many applications. Several methods and tools have been developed to accelerate the generation of MSAs and reduce their computational cost, including heuristics and approximate algorithms. Additionally, the use of PLMs such as BERT has shown great potential in generating informative embeddings for protein sequence analysis. In this review, we provide an overview of traditional and more recent methods for generating features from protein sequences, with a particular focus on MSAs and PLMs. We highlight the advantages and limitations of these approaches and discuss the methods and tools developed to address the computational challenges associated with features generation. Overall, the advancements in computational methods and tools provide a promising avenue for gaining deeper insights into the function and properties of membrane proteins, which can have significant implications in drug discovery and personalized medicine.
Engineering of Layered Nanocarriers of Quercetin for the Treatment of Diabetes Using Box‐Behnken Design
Authors: Shah Priyank , Shende Pravin 
Published: October 2023

AbstractLayered nanocarriers are polymeric systems integrated with layers of glucose‐responsive polymers and polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether 2000 PEG2000 to enhance the targeting effect and release kinetics. The prime purpose of this research study is to demonstrate a controlled release of Quercetin from formulation of quercetin (Qu)‐based layered nanocarriers (LNCs) with higher stability and anti‐diabetic activity. The QuLNCs are synthesized using the nanoprecipitation method and optimized by Box‐Behnken design of the Design of Experiment (DoE) method. The Quercetin Nanoparticles (QuNPs) are prepared using Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Poly (D,L‐ lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymers where the two layers of Phenylboronic acid (PBA) are conjugated using 3‐amino propyl‐triethoxysilane (APTES) as a functionalizing agent followed by PEGylation of the entire system using PEG2000. The optimized QuLNCs are characterized by various parameters like Particle size (PS), Zeta potential (ZP), % Entrapment efficiency (%EE), Attenuated total reflectance‐ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), Differential scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in vitro as well as in vivo studies. The QuLNCs showed a % entrapment efficiency of 82.846 ± 0.957% and release of 85.04 ± 3.21% of Qu for 24 h from the layered nanocarriers. The in vivo studies of QuLNCs exhibited a significant controlled release of quercetin for modulating blood glucose levels. Hence, these results proved QuLNCs system acts as a favorable approach for the treatment of type 1 diabetes to offer a longer duration of action.
Optimal Coatings of Co3O4 Anodes for Acidic Water Electrooxidation
Authors: Ta Xuan Minh Chau , Trần‐Phú Thành , Yuwono Jodie A. , Nguyen Thi Kim Anh , Bui Anh Dinh , Truong Thien N. , Chang Li‐chun , Magnano Elena , Daiyan Rahman , Simonov Alexandr N. , Tricoli Antonio 
Published: October 2023

AbstractImplementation of proton‐exchange membrane water electrolyzers for large‐scale sustainable hydrogen production requires the replacement of scarce noble‐metal anode electrocatalysts with low‐cost alternatives. However, such earth‐abundant materials often exhibit inadequate stability and/or catalytic activity at low pH, especially at high rates of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, the authors explore the influence of a dielectric nanoscale‐thin oxide layer, namely Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, SnO2, and HfO2, prepared by atomic layer deposition, on the stability and catalytic activity of low‐cost and active but insufficiently stable Co3O4 anodes. It is demonstrated that the ALD layers improve both the stability and activity of Co3O4 following the order of HfO2 > SnO2 > TiO2 > Al2O3, SiO2. An optimal HfO2 layer thickness of 12 nm enhances the Co3O4 anode durability by more than threefold, achieving over 42 h of continuous electrolysis at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 m H2SO4 electrolyte. Density functional theory is used to investigate the superior performance of HfO2, revealing a major role of the HfO2|Co3O4 interlayer forces in the stabilization mechanism. These insights offer a potential strategy to engineer earth‐abundant materials for low‐pH OER catalysts with improved performance from earth‐abundant materials for efficient hydrogen production.
Kinetics of Light‐Responsive CNT / PNIPAM Hydrogel Microactuators
Authors: Gregg Aoife , De Volder Michael , Baumberg Jeremy J. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractLight‐responsive microactuators composed of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests mixed with poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel composites are studied. The benefit of this composite is that CNTs act as a black absorber to efficiently capture radiative heating and trigger PNIPAM contraction. In addition, CNT forests can be patterned accurately using lithography to span structures ranging from a few micrometers to several millimeters in size, and these CNT‐PNIPAM composites can achieve response times as fast as 15 ms. The kinetics of these microactuators are investigated through detailed analysis of high‐speed videos. These are compared to a theoretical model for the deswelling dynamics, which combines thermal convection and polymer diffusion, and shows that polymer diffusion is the rate‐limiting factor in this system. Applications of such CNT/hydrogel actuators as microswimmers are discussed, with light‐actuating micro‐jellyfish designs exemplified, and >1500 cycles demonstrated.
Rational Manipulation of Active CNT Encapsulated Fe Doped NiCoP Nanoparticles In Situ Grown in Hierarchically Carbonized Wood for High‐Current‐Density Water Splitting
Authors: Tian Cuihua , Tian Sheng , Luo Sha , Li Lei , Wu Yiqiang , Qing Yan , Yang Shoulu 
Published: October 2023

AbstractPrecise morphology design and electronic structure regulation are critically significant to promote catalytic activity and stability for electrochemical hydrogen production at high current density. Herein, the carbon nanotube (CNT) encapsulated Fe‐doped NiCoP nanoparticles is in‐situ grown in hierarchical carbonized wood (NCF0.5P@CNT/CW) for water splitting. Coupling merits of porous carbonized wood (CW) substrate, CNT encapsulating and Fe doping, the NCF0.5P@CNT/CW features remarkable and durable electrocatalytic activity. The overpotentials of NCF0.5P@CNT/CW at 50 mA cm−2 mV and 205 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and features high current density of 800 mA cm−2 within 300 mV for both OER and HER. Moreover, NCF0.5P@CNT/CW displays outstanding overall water splitting performance (η50 = 1.62 V and η100 = 1.67 V), outperforming Pt/C║RuO2 (η50 = 1.74 V), and can achieve the current density of 700 mA cm−2 at a lower cell voltage of 1.78 V. Overpotential is only 4.0 % decay after 120 h measurement at 50 mA cm−2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveals Fe doping optimizes the binding energy and Gibbs free energy of intermediates, and regulates d‐band center of NCF0.5P@CNT/CW. Such synergistic strategy of morphology manipulation and electronic structure optimization provides a spark for developing effective and robust bifunctional catalysts.
Structural Characterization and Immunomodulatory Effects of Polysaccharide PCP‐1 from Pleurotus citrinopileatus
Authors: Shi Le , Liu Yu , Zhang Zhong‐Fei , Li Yan‐Xia , Wu Yu‐Meng , Lu Yong‐Ming 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe use of fungal polysaccharides as immunomodulators has garnered significant interest. Here, the polysaccharide PCP‐1 is isolated and purified from the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus citrinopileatus. PCP‐1 is identified as a glucan with a molecular weight of 1670 kDa. Methylation analysis reveals that PCP‐1 consists of T‐Glcp, T‐Rhap, 1,3‐Glcp, 1,4‐Glcp, 1,4,6‐Glcp, and 1,3,6‐Glcp. PCP‐1 exhibits exceptional immunomodulatory effects, as it can dose‐dependently stimulate phagocytosis and promote the secretion of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species in RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, PCP‐1 significantly enhances the secretion of cytokines such as TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 at both the protein and mRNA levels, with concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 40 µg mL−1. At a concentration of 40 µg mL−1, the immunomodulatory effects are comparable to those of the positive control. Furthermore, PCP‐1 promotes the nuclear translocation of the p65 protein, indicating activation of the NF‐κB signaling pathway. The results demonstrate that PCP‐1 has the potential as a natural immunomodulator, with possible applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries.
Effects of wheat bran replacement with pomegranate seed pulp on rumen fermentation, gas production, methanogen and protozoa populations of camel and goat rumen using competitive PCR technique: An in vitro study
Authors: Jaberi Darmiyan Sanaz , Montazer Torbati Mohammad Bagher , Ramin Mohammad , Ghiasi Seyed Ehsan 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundMicrobial populations in the rumen play an essential role in the degradation of Cellulosic dietary components and in providing nutrients to the host animal.ObjectiveThis study aims to detect the effect of pomegranate seed pulp (PSP) on rumen fermentation, digestibility and methanogens and the protozoa population (by competitive polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) of the camel and goat rumen fluid.Materials and methodsPSP was added to the experimental treatments and replaced by wheat bran (0%, 5% and 10%). Rumen fluid was collected from three goats and two camels according to the similarity of sex, breed, origin and time and used for three gas production studies. DNA extraction was performed by the RBB + c method, the ImageJ programme calculated band intensities (target and competing DNA), and line gradients were plotted based on the number of copies and intensity.ResultsOur result showed that diets did not significantly affect the methanogen and protozoa population. Animal species affected microbial populations so that both populations in camels were less than goats. The production of gas and volatile fatty acids was not affected by diets. These two parameters and NH3 concentration and methane production in goats were higher than in camel. The pH of digested dry matter and microbial protein in camels was higher than in goats.ConclusionsTherefore, the competitive PCR technique is an effective method for enumerating rumen microbiota. This supplementation can be considered a strategy to achieve performance and environmental benefits.
Parametrically Excited Nonlinear Vibrations, Onset of Chaos
Authors: Schmidt G. , Dum R. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDie durch harmonische oder unharmonische Parametererregung und kombinierte harmonische oder unharmonische Zwangserregung entstehenden nichtlinearen Schwingungen werden iterativ berechnet. Das Abbrechen oder “Auffächem” der Resonanzkurven wie auch größere Unterschiede zwischen verschiedenen Näherungen deuten auf das Einsetzen chaotischen Verhaltens hin, in Übereinstimmung mit dem Melnikov‐Kriterium.
‘No Man’s Land’: Reflecting on and Theorizing Migrant Labour in the Mediterranean Agriculture
Authors: Papadopoulos Apostolos G. , Fratsea Loukia-Maria 
Published: October 2023

AbstractMigration is largely considered an urban phenomenon, with migrants seen as an expression of diversity that makes the urban environment more diverse. Nonetheless, international migration to rural areas has become an important area of research in the study of labour migration in nonurban, peripheral, agricultural, or remote regions. By 2000, the increasing role of migrant farmworkers had attracted the attention of scholars in the Mediterranean region and throughout Europe. The main objective of this chapter is to bring together the reflections and theories emerging from empirical research on migrant labour in Greek agriculture, highlighting certain comparative aspects between Mediterranean countries. Agriculture continues to occupy an important place in the Mediterranean economy and society, while rural localities maintain productive functions and amenities that attract international migration. This chapter is based on research conducted between 2017 and 2021, and in particular on qualitative interviews with key informants and with migrants originating from Mediterranean countries, who have crossed the Mediterranean and/or settled in Greece. It explores the various contributions and impacts of migrant workers on agriculture in the Mediterranean, while also addressing the impact of the economic recession and aftermath on these contributions.
Charged resonances and MDM bound states at a multi-TeV muon collider
Authors: Vignaroli Natascia 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
A multi-TeV muon collider proves to be very efficient not only for the search for new heavy neutral particles, but also for the discovery of charged bosons of the W′ type. We find that, by analyzing the associated production with a Standard Model W, charged resonances can be probed directly up to multi-TeV mass values close to the collision energy, and for very small couplings with the SM fermions, of the order of 10−3 − 10−4 times the SM weak coupling. Additionally, charged bound states of WIMP Minimal Dark Matter, specifically a Majorana fermionic 5-plet, can be discovered with low statistics by running above the kinematic threshold, at a center-of-mass energy just slightly above the mass of the MDM bound state. This opens up a very interesting possibility for the discovery of WIMPs, complementary to the search for the resonant production of the neutral MDM bound state component, which relies on an on-peak search. For 5-plet MDM, indeed, the proposed search strategy is more efficient than the WIMP searches based on mono-X, missing-mass and disappearing tracks signatures.
Causes and costs of global COVID-19 vaccine inequity
Authors: Ferranna Maddalena 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDespite the rapid development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and the widely recognized health and economic benefits of vaccination, there exist stark differences in vaccination rates across country income groups. While more than 70% of the population is fully vaccinated in high-income countries, vaccination rates in low-income countries are only around 30%. The paper reviews the factors behind global COVID-19 vaccine inequity and the health, social, and economic costs triggered by this inequity. The main contributors to vaccine inequity include vaccine nationalism, intellectual property rights, constraints in manufacturing capacity, poor resilience of healthcare systems, and vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine inequity has high costs, including preventable deaths and cases of illnesses in low-income countries, slow economic recovery, and large learning losses among children. Increasing vaccination rates in low-income countries is in the self-interest of higher-income countries as it may prevent the emergence of new variants and continuous disruptions to global supply chains.
Field tests for the identification of silts
Authors: Swart Duan , Dippenaar Matthys A. , Van Rooy J. Louis 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAccurately identifying soil texture and understanding soil behaviour in terms of plasticity is a crucial initial step in properly characterizing a site, which in turn facilitates appropriate sampling and scheduling of laboratory tests. Soil identification techniques in literature are effective at assessing pure clays and silt–clay mixtures. This paper presents a comparative study between field tests, soil plasticity classifications, Atterberg limits, mineralogical and chemical data, SEM imagery, and stereographical microscopy. Natural residual soils comprising varying quantities of clays, silts, and sands were used and subjected to the same field and laboratory protocols. The findings of this study demonstrate that a series of field tests can effectively characterize and classify soils ranging from coarse soils to fine soils exhibiting non- to highly plastic indices with particle sizes less than 2.00 mm. By employing a single list of field tests that only necessitate water and commonly available stationery materials on-site, the researchers have presented a valuable tool for on-site determination of soil texture and inference of the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). This approach streamlines the process and provides professionals with an efficient means of assessing soil properties and determining problem soils at an early stage of the investigation and during construction of high fills.