bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impacts of biostimulants on crop yield and biological activity under drought conditions
Authors: Wadduwage Jenendra , Egidi Eleonora , Singh Brajesh K. , Macdonald Catriona A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIntroductionBiostimulants are proposed to have a role in sustainable food production and are being increasingly used strategies to limit the negative effects of drought stress on crop yield and soil health. However, how different biostimulants used alone, or in combination with conventional management approaches affect soil health and crop yield under drought in different soils is not well understood. Here we conducted a glasshouse experiment to investigate this.Materials and MethodsTwo soil types from fields maintained under intensive (IM) and extensive (EM) management practices were used with two commercial biostimulants [Universal Natural Plant food (UNP) and Converte Seed Primer (CSP)] on soil microbial populations and crop yield (lettuce) under well‐watered and drought stressed conditions. We examined the activity and biomass of soil microorganisms as well as seed germination and root and shoot biomass to examine the effect of application of biostimulants on parameters of soil health and crop yield.ResultsBiostimulants generally increased crop yield, basal soil respiration and microbial biomass, with effects stronger in EM soils than in IM soils, but effects on soil enzyme activities were variable. The combined use of biostimulant and inorganic fertiliser negated the benefits of the biostimulant on soil biological properties in some cases. Nevertheless, effects of biostimulants had a positive impact on crop yield with the combined use of soil‐applied and seed applied biostimulants have the greatest impact on plant biomass and also conferring some resistance in both soil microbial communities and plant growth to drought.ConclusionsWhile biomass and activity of the microbial community and plant growth responses to biostimulant additions are both soil and biostimulant dependent, their combined use has potential to aid both plants and maintain promote microbial activity under of drought, compared to conventional fertiliser treatments in extensively managed soils.
Rational Design of Selenophene‐infused BODIPY Molecules as Fluorogenic Probes for Lung Tumor Imaging – A Computational Approach
Authors: Kumar Surya , Ebenezer Cheriyan , Jaccob Madhavan , Vijay Solomon Rajadurai 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe BODIPY based molecules show promising properties towards bioimaging applications due to its structural flexibility and versatile optoelectronic characteristic features. Among many strategies in the development of such molecules, fusion of heterocyclic units into the BODIPY core structure is vital in tuning the π‐delocalization and spectral properties. Recently reported Thieno [3,2b] Thiophene based BODIPY (TTB) attracts a lot of attention while the caliber of their Selenophene derivatives are interesting and yet to be explored. Therefore, a systematic replacement of Sulphur by Selenium has been done on TTB and seven new selenophene fused TTB molecules are computationally designed and evaluated for their optoelectronic properties towards bioimaging of CDK2 kinase tumor cells. The optimized geometries indicate that all these molecules are showing excellent π‐delocalization and further stabilized by a range of intra‐molecular C−H−F and B−F−S/Se interactions. Molecular docking studies show that these TTB molecules are potential inhibitors and can be used for lung tumor imaging in biomedical applications. Molecular Dynamics analysis confirms their preferential binding inside the active site up to 100 ns. In summary, this study highlights the importance of Se replacement in designing new BODIPY‐based bioimaging candidates with excellent near‐IR luminescence and photo sensitizers for future biomedical applications.
Designing of Polymeric Nanoparticles for Enhanced Breast Cancer Therapy: Combining Paclitaxel, Boric Acid and Tannic Acid for Controlled Drug Delivery
Authors: Kaya Seçil , Solak Ebru Kondolot , Doğan Sema Yiyit , Demirkaya Aslıhan , Celep A. Gülçin Sağdıçoğlu 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis study introduces an innovative approach to enhance breast cancer treatment by combining Boric Acid (BA) and Tannic Acid (TA) with Paclitaxel (PTX) within gelatin/sodium alginate (Gel/NaAlg) nanoparticles, resulting in a synergistic combination therapy. The methodology involved integrating PTX, TA, and BA into the polymeric framework using an emulsion cross‐linking method. The resulting nanoparticles underwent rigorous characterization, confirming their suitability as a controlled release platform. Techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray Diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed for thorough analysis. The synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated a size below 204 nm, and extensive analyses confirmed their structural integrity and composition. Notably, Gel/NaAlg/PTX/BA/TA nanoparticles exhibited superior drug release kinetics compared to other formulations, offering a promising strategy for controlled release of hydrophobic drugs like PTX. Entrapment efficiency ranged from 49.84 % to 63.38 %, and drug loading capacities spanned from 49.81 to 61.42 μg/mg. This study pioneers a novel approach in breast cancer therapy by incorporating BA and TA into PTX‐loaded Gel/NaAlg nanoparticlesThese findings emphasize the importance of continued exploration in innovative drug delivery systems for more effective cancer interventions.
Investigation of Jatropha Oil Transesterification into Methyl Esters under Supercritical Methanol Environment using Advanced Heterogeneous Catalysts
Authors: Demir Velid , Akgün Mesut 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe rationale for this study lies in the investigation of the transesterification of crude Jatropha curcas oil into biodiesel using advanced heterogeneous catalysts under supercritical methanol conditions. The oxides of strontium, lanthanum, and zinc (SrO, La2O3, and ZnO) were synthesized with varying loadings (2 wt %, 6 wt %, and 10 wt %) on γ‐Al2O3 using the wet impregnation method followed by calcination at 900 °C. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the prepared catalysts, multiple analytical techniques were employed, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. The performance of the catalysts was assessed through the measurement of biodiesel yield, where the SrO/γ‐Al2O3, ZnO/γ‐Al2O3, and La2O3/γ‐Al2O3 systems produced yields of 97.54 %, 97.49 %, and 97.36 %, respectively, under identical reaction conditions of a 1 : 40 oil to methanol molar ratio, 10 wt % catalyst loading amount, 300 °C reaction temperature, 90 bar reaction pressure, and a reaction time of 3 min. Despite a minimal decrease of 0.05 %, zinc oxide catalysts remain highly attractive due to their favorable price position compared to strontium. Additionally, the catalyst can be reused up to 12 times with minimal loss in biodiesel yield (~2 %).
Immediate mobilization in post‐anesthesia care unit does not increase overall postoperative physical activity after elective colorectal surgery: A randomized, double‐blinded controlled trial within an enhanced recovery protocol
Authors: Wilnerzon Thörn Rose‐Marie , Forsberg Anette , Stepniewski Jan , Hjelmqvist Hans , Magnuson Anders , Ahlstrand Rebecca , Ljungqvist Olle 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe level of post‐operative mobilization according to Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines is not always achieved. We investigated whether immediate mobilization increases postoperative physical activity. The objective was to evaluate the effects of immediate postoperative mobilization in the post‐anesthesia care unit (PACU) compared to standard care.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial, involved 144 patients, age ≥18 years, undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Patients were randomized to mobilization starting 30 min after arrival in the PACU, or to standard care. Standard care consisted of mobilization a few hours later at the ward according to ERAS guidelines. The primary outcome was physical activity, in terms of number of steps, measured with an accelerometer during postoperative days (PODs) 1–3. Secondary outcomes were physical capacity, functional mobility, time to readiness for discharge, complications, compliance with the ERAS protocol, and physical activity 1 month after surgery.ResultsWith the intention‐to‐treat analysis of 144 participants (median age 71, 58% female) 47% underwent laparoscopic‐or robotic‐assisted surgery. No differences in physical activity during hospital stay were found between the participants in the intervention group compared to the standard care group (adjusted mean ratio 0.97 on POD 1 [95% CI, 0.75–1.27], p = 0.84; 0.89 on POD 2 [95% CI, 0.68–1.16], p = 0.39, and 0.90 on POD 3 [95% CI, 0.69–1.17], p = 0.44); no differences were found in any of the other outcome measures.ConclusionsAddition of the intervention of immediate mobilization to standard care did not make the patients more physically active during their hospital stay.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NTC 03357497.
Insight into the dynamics of slip and radiative effect on magnetohydrodynamic flow of hybrid ferroparticles over a porous deformable sheet
Authors: Gherieb Sihem , Kezzar Mohamed , Ayub Assad , Sari Mohamed Rafik , Khan Umair , Muhammad Taseer , Hendy A. S. , Ali Mohamed R. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn the present work, we explored the magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer flow in the presence of pressure gradient across a flat plate. The effects of the slip velocity conditions, thermal Radiation the addition of hybrid Ferroparticles (i.e., a mixture of two types of magnetic nanoparticles for example, (magnetite () and cobalt ferrite ()) in base fluid ( ) and Porous wall (suction/ injection) are also considered in this study. Basic partial differential equations are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations using the appropriate similarity transformations. Then, this equation was treated numerically by using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg 4th–5th order method with the shooting technique and analytically via an efficient method called the Generalized Decomposition Method. The effects of various physical parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles are shown graphically. It is found that the incorporation of hybrid nanoparticles demonstrates a relatively substantial impact on the behavior of dynamic and thermal field; outperforming both non‐hybrid nanoparticles and regular fluid in terms of speed and temperature enhancement. The slip and permeability parameters significantly alter the flow structure. The positive values of the slip and permeability parameters enhance the flow velocity and reduce the temperature, leading to the desired flow behavior. Conversely, adopting negative values of these parameters reverses the effect. Furthermore, the radiation parameter enhances the temperature distribution. Additionally, the boundary layer separation tends to disappear with the increase in the magnetic parameter. The results obtained clearly show the accuracy of the proposed method and also indicate an excellent agreement between analytical and numerical data.
Surfaces and Riemannian Geometry
Authors: Pinkall Ulrich , Gross Oliver 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe most simple quantity of a one-dimensional curve $$\gamma \colon [a,b]\to \mathbb {R}^n$$
γ
:
[
a
,
b
]
→

ℝ

n

is its speed $$|\gamma '|\colon [a,b]\to \mathbb {R}$$
|
γ
′
|

:

[
a
,
b
]
→
ℝ
.
Dryland Social-Ecological Systems in Americas
Authors: Zhang Yangjian , Huang Ke , Zhang Jianshuang , Zhao Ran , Ojima Dennis S. , Gao Jie , Zhu Yixuan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAmerican drylands account for circa 20% of the global drylands and form a critical part of the global ecosystems. This study comprehensively assessed the ecology and socio-economic status of American drylands by analyzing original and published data. The research findings reveal that North and South American drylands have more differences than commonness. In terms of commonness, both North and South American drylands have higher productivity and soil fertility than other drylands of the globe. Under this high ecosystem productivity context, North American drylands are the high agricultural productivity regions and South America is the largest beef exporter in the world. There are several aspects of differences between North and South American drylands. North American drylands possess an ecosystem productivity twice that of South American drylands. Precipitation has significantly decreased in North America drylands, while South American drylands have become wetting over the past three decades. Population in both North and South American drylands have increased. Vegetation coverage trends exhibit a weak rising trend in South America, while North America drylands have become significantly greener, mainly due to croplands irrigation. The driving forces on land use change and ecosystem productivity in North American drylands comprise a variety of factors, while those on South American drylands are relatively simpler, mostly caused by one driving agent. In dealing with the dual pressures of climate change and socio-economic developments, countries in both North and South America have implemented a series of drylands ecosystem protection measures, such as setting national park and conservation agriculture. These efficient and successful experiences can be examples for other dryland ecosystem protection around the world.
Dryland Dynamics and Driving Forces
Authors: Wu Bingfang , Smith William Kolby , Zeng Hongwei 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDrylands are the largest biomes on Earth, yet also one of the most vulnerable to climate change and human activities. Dryland ecosystems in the world are characterized by unique and distinctive features and are known to be particularly sensitive to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Understanding the dynamics of dryland ecosystems and their direct and indirect drivers in socio-economic and natural terms will not only provide facts and knowledge about the dynamics and drivers of future trajectories, but also provide scientific guidance for the development of appropriate measures to improve the resilience of dryland ecosystems in response to human-driven climate change. We first provide an overview of the peculiar nature of dryland land cover, which features spare and patterned vegetation, soil biocrust, and man-made solar energy surface. We specifically highlight new opportunities for remote sensing observations and discuss their potential to provide new insights into dryland ecosystem functions and services. We next discuss the importance of and trends in water availability with emphasis on the different plant water utilization strategies found across global drylands, non-rainfall water absorption, water availability estimation, and hydrological impact of land cover changes. Together these factors determine the development and degradation of drylands across global gradients of water availability. We then outline the role of climate change, population increase, and human activities in driving dryland changes. We end with a forward-looking perspective on future dryland research.
Structure, Functions, and Interactions of Dryland Ecosystems
Authors: Yu Xiubo , Liu Yu , Niu Shuli , Zhao Wei , Fu Chao , Chen Zhi 
Published: February 2024

AbstractUnderstanding the interactions between the structures and functions underlying regime shifts in dryland social-ecological systems (SESs) and how they respond to climate change is critical for predicting and managing the future of these ecosystems. Due to the high spatiotemporal variability and sensitivity of drylands ecosystem to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, it is challenging to predict the state shifts of dryland SESs. This theme delves into the mechanisms and geographical heterogeneity of resilience and the maintenance of the stability of dryland SESs that involve threshold behaviors. We emphasized the importance of considering both biotic and abiotic factors to identify the factors that drive the evolution of ecosystem structures and functions in drylands. The research frontier involves understanding how ecohydrological and socioeconomic processes drive the evolution of dryland SESs in a geographically diverse and scale-dependent context, developing comprehensive indicators, models, and multivariable approaches, and the development of effective management strategies that can maintain the sustainability of dryland SESs in the face of ongoing global environmental changes.
Genetically proxied PCSK9 inhibition is associated with reduced psoriatic arthritis risk
Authors: Li Junhong , Li Jianfeng , Lin Chengkai , Zhou Jiaxiang , Wang Jianmin , Wang Fuan , Li Haizhen , Zhou Zhiyu 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Lipid pathways play a crucial role in psoriatic arthritis development, and some lipid-lowering drugs are believed to have therapeutic benefits due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Traditional observational studies face issues with confounding factors, complicating the interpretation of causality. This study seeks to determine the genetic link between these medications and the risk of psoriatic arthritis.

Methods
This drug target study utilized the Mendelian randomization strategy. We harnessed high-quality data from population-level genome-wide association studies sourced from the UK Biobank and FinnGen databases. The inverse variance-weighted method, complemented by robust pleiotropy methods, was employed. We examined the causal relationships between three lipid-lowering agents and psoriatic arthritis to unveil the underlying mechanisms.

Results
A significant association was observed between genetically represented proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibition and a decreased risk of psoriatic arthritis (odds ratio [OR]: 0.51; 95% CI 0.14–0.88; P < 0.01). This association was further corroborated in an independent dataset (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.25–0.94; P = 0.03). Sensitivity analyses affirmed the absence of statistical evidence for pleiotropic or genetic confounding biases. However, no substantial associations were identified for either 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors or Niemann–Pick C1-like 1 inhibitors.

Conclusions
This Mendelian randomization analysis underscores the pivotal role of PCSK9 in the etiology of psoriatic arthritis. Inhibition of PCSK9 is associated with reduced psoriatic arthritis risk, highlighting the potential therapeutic benefits of existing PCSK9 inhibitors.
Electricity consumption of anesthesia workstations and potential emission savings by avoiding standby
Authors: Drinhaus Hendrik , Drinhaus Jorrit , Schumacher Christine , Schramm Michael J. , Wetsch Wolfgang A. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Anesthesiology has a relevant carbon footprint, mainly due to volatile anesthetics (scope 1 emissions). Additionally, energy used in the operating theater (scope 2 emissions) contributes to anesthesia-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Objectives
Optimizing the electricity use of medical devices might reduce both GHG emissions and costs might hold potential to reduce anaesthesia-related GHG-emissions and costs. We analyzed the electricity consumption of six different anesthesia workstations, calculated their GHG emissions and electricity costs and investigated the potential to reduce emissions and cost by using the devices in a more efficient way.

Methods
Power consumption (active power in watt , W) was measured with the devices off, in standby mode, or fully on with the measuring instrument SecuLife ST. Devices studied were: Dräger Primus, Löwenstein Medical LeonPlus, Getinge Flow C, Getinge Flow E, GE Carestation 750 and GE Aisys. Calculations of GHG emissions were made with different emission factors, ranging from very low (0.09 kg CO2-equivalent/kWh) to very high (0.660 kg CO2-equivalent/kWh). Calculations of electricity cost were made assuming a price of 0.25 € per kWh.

Results
Power consumption during operation varied from 58 W (GE CareStation 750) to 136 W (Dräger Primus). In standby, the devices consumed between 88% and 93% of the electricity needed during use. The annual electricity consumption to run 96 devices in a large clinical department ranges between 45 and 105 Megawatt-hours (MWh) when the devices are left in standby during off hours. If 80% of the devices are switched off during off hours, between 20 and 46 MWh can be saved per year in a single institution. At the average emission factor of our hospital, this electricity saving corresponds to a reduction of GHG emissions between 8.5 and 19.8 tons CO2-equivalent. At the assumed prices, a cost reduction between 5000 € and 11,600 € could be achieved by this intervention.

Conclusion
The power consumption varies considerably between the different types of anesthesia workstations. All devices exhibit a high electricity consumption in standby mode. Avoiding standby mode during off hours can save energy and thus GHG emissions and cost. The reductions in GHG emissions and electricity cost that can be achieved with this intervention in a large anesthesiology department are modest. Compared with GHG emissions generated by volatile anesthetics, particularly desflurane, optimization of electricity consumption of anesthesia workstations holds a much smaller potential to reduce the carbon footprint of anesthesia; however, as switching off anesthesia workstations overnight is relatively effortless, this behavioral change should be encouraged from both an ecological and economical point of view.
Some new invariant sum tests and MAD tests for the assessment of Benford’s law
Authors: Kössler Wolfgang , Lenz Hans-J. , Wang Xing D. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe Benford law is used world-wide for detecting non-conformance or data fraud of numerical data. It says that the significand of a data set from the universe is not uniformly, but logarithmically distributed. Especially, the first non-zero digit is One with an approximate probability of 0.3. There are several tests available for testing Benford, the best known are Pearson’s $$\chi ^2$$

χ
2

-test, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and a modified version of the MAD-test. In the present paper we propose some tests, three of the four invariant sum tests are new and they are motivated by the sum invariance property of the Benford law. Two distance measures are investigated, Euclidean and Mahalanobis distance of the standardized sums to the orign. We use the significands corresponding to the first significant digit as well as the second significant digit, respectively. Moreover, we suggest inproved versions of the MAD-test and obtain critical values that are independent of the sample sizes. For illustration the tests are applied to specifically selected data sets where prior knowledge is available about being or not being Benford. Furthermore we discuss the role of truncation of distributions.