bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shatavari supplementation in postmenopausal women alters the skeletal muscle proteome and pathways involved in training adaptation
Authors: O’Leary Mary F. , Jackman Sarah R. , Bowtell Joanna L. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Shatavari is an understudied, widely available herbal supplement. It contains steroidal saponins and phytoestrogens. We previously showed that six weeks of shatavari supplementation improved handgrip strength and increased markers of myosin contractile function. Mechanistic insights into shatavari’s actions are limited. Therefore, we performed proteomics on vastus lateralis (VL) samples that remained from our original study.

Methods
In a randomised double-blind trial, women (68.5 ± 6 years) ingested either placebo or shatavari (equivalent to 26,500 mg/d fresh weight) for six weeks. Tandem mass tag global proteomic analysis of VL samples was conducted (N = 7 shatavari, N = 5 placebo). Data were normalized to total peptides and scaled using a reference sample. Data were filtered using a 5% FDR. For each protein, the pre to post supplementation difference was expressed as log2 fold change. Welch’s t tests with Benjamini–Hochberg corrections were performed for each protein. Pathway enrichment (PADOG, CAMERA) was interrogated in Reactome (v85).

Results
No individual protein was significantly different between supplementation conditions. Both PADOG and CAMERA indicated that pathways related to (1) Integrin/MAPK signalling, (2) metabolism/insulin secretion; (3) cell proliferation/senescence/DNA repair/cell death; (4) haemostasis/platelets/fibrin; (5) signal transduction; (6) neutrophil degranulation and (7) chemical synapse function were significantly upregulated. CAMERA indicated pathways related to translation/amino acid metabolism, viral infection, and muscle contraction were downregulated.

Conclusion
Our analyses indicate that shatavari may support muscle adaptation responses to exercise. These data provide useful signposts for future investigation of shatavari’s utility in conserving and enhancing musculoskeletal function in older age.

Trial registration
NCT05025917 30/08/21, retrospectively registered.
L-PBF of the Metastable β Titanium Alloy Ti-5553: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Meier Benjamin , Petrusa Jelena , Waldhauser Wolfgang 
Published: January 2024

AbstractTi-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr or Ti-5553 is a metastable β Titanium alloy with excellent mechanical properties. Compared to the most common titanium alloy, the α and β Ti6Al4V, even at high cooling rates as present in the laser powder bed fusion process, it establishes an β dominant microstructure which is further highly tunable by heat treatment at lower temperatures than Ti6Al4V.In the scope of this contribution, the processability of T‑5553 is investigated, and the effects of stress relief heat treatment are evaluated. Its influence of achieved microstructures on hardness and impact strength is shown.
New homogenization results for convex integral functionals and their Euler–Lagrange equations
Authors: Ruf Matthias , Schäffner Mathias 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe study stochastic homogenization for convex integral functionals $$\begin{aligned} u\mapsto \int _D W(\omega ,\tfrac{x}{\varepsilon },\nabla u)\,\textrm{d}x,\quad \text{ where }\quad u:D\subset {\mathbb {R}}^d\rightarrow {\mathbb {R}}^m, \end{aligned}$$

u
↦

∫
D

W

(
ω
,

x
ε

,
∇
u
)

d
x
,

where

u
:
D
⊂

R

d

→

R

m

,

defined on Sobolev spaces. Assuming only stochastic integrability of the map
$$\omega \mapsto W(\omega ,0,\xi )$$

ω
↦
W
(
ω
,
0
,
ξ
)

, we prove homogenization results under two different sets of assumptions, namely

$$\bullet _1$$

∙
1

W satisfies superlinear growth quantified by the stochastic integrability of the Fenchel conjugate $$W^*(\cdot ,0,\xi )$$

W
∗

(
·
,
0
,
ξ
)

and a certain monotonicity condition that ensures that the functional does not increase too much by componentwise truncation of u,

$$\bullet _2$$

∙
2

W is p-coercive in the sense $$|\xi |^p\le W(\omega ,x,\xi )$$

|
ξ
|

p

≤
W

(
ω
,
x
,
ξ
)

for some $$p>d-1$$

p
>
d
-
1

.

Condition $$\bullet _2$$

∙
2

directly improves upon earlier results, where p-coercivity with $$p>d$$

p
>
d

is assumed and $$\bullet _1$$

∙
1

provides an alternative condition under very weak coercivity assumptions and additional structure conditions on the integrand. We also study the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equations in the setting of Sobolev-Orlicz spaces. In particular, if $$W(\omega ,x,\xi )$$

W
(
ω
,
x
,
ξ
)

is comparable to $$W(\omega ,x,-\xi )$$

W
(
ω
,
x
,
-
ξ
)

in a suitable sense, we show that the homogenized integrand is differentiable.
Quantum dots-based “chemical tongue” for the discrimination of short-length Aβ peptides
Authors: Głowacz Klaudia , Drozd Marcin , Tokarska Weronika , Wezynfeld Nina E. , Ciosek-Skibińska Patrycja 
Published: January 2024

Abstract A “chemical tongue” is proposed based on thiomalic acid-capped quantum dots (QDs) with signal enrichment provided by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy for the determination of close structural analogs—short-length amyloid β (Aβ) peptides related to Alzheimer’s disease. Excellent discrimination is obtained by principal component analysis (PCA) for seven derivatives: Aβ1-16, Aβ4-16, Aβ4-9, Aβ5-16, Aβ5-12, Aβ5-9, Aβ12-16. Detection of Aβ4-16, Aβ4-16, and Aβ5-9 in binary and ternary mixtures performed by QDs-based chemical tongue using partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) provided perfect 100% accuracy for the two studied peptides (Aβ4-16 and Aβ4-16), while for the third one (Aβ5-9) it was slightly lower (97.9%). Successful detection of Aβ4-16 at 1 pmol/mL (1.6 ng/mL) suggests that the detection limit of the proposed method for short-length Aβ peptides can span nanomolar concentrations. This result is highly promising for the development of simple and efficient methods for sequence recognition in short-length peptides and better understanding of mechanisms at the QD-analyte interface.
Graphical Abstract
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/carbon black/rPLA for high-performance conductive additive manufacturing filament and the simultaneous detection of acetaminophen and phenylephrine
Authors: Crapnell Robert D. , Arantes Iana V. S. , Camargo Jéssica R. , Bernalte Elena , Whittingham Matthew J. , Janegitz Bruno C. , Paixão Thiago R. L. C. , Banks Craig E. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and carbon black (CB) is presented to produce a high-performance electrically conductive recycled additive manufacturing filament. The filament and subsequent additively manufactured electrodes were characterised by TGA, XPS, Raman, and SEM and showed excellent low-temperature flexibility. The MWCNT/CB filament exhibited an improved electrochemical performance compared to an identical in-house produced bespoke filament using only CB. A heterogeneous electrochemical rate constant, $${k}_{obs}^0$$

k

obs

0

of 1.71 (± 0.19) × 10−3 cm s−1 was obtained, showing an almost six times improvement over the commonly used commercial conductive CB/PLA. The filament was successfully tested for the simultaneous determination of acetaminophen and phenylephrine, producing linear ranges of 5–60 and 5–200 μM, sensitivities of 0.05 μA μM−1 and 0.14 μA μM−1, and limits of detection of 0.04 μM and 0.38 μM, respectively. A print-at-home device is presented where a removable lid comprised of rPLA can be placed onto a drinking vessel and the working, counter, and reference components made from our bespoke MWCNT/CB filament. The print-at-home device was successfully used to determine both compounds within real pharmaceutical products, with recoveries between 87 and 120% over a range of three real samples. This work paves the way for fabricating new highly conductive filaments using a combination of carbon materials with different morphologies and physicochemical properties and their application to produce additively manufactured electrodes with greatly improved electrochemical performance.
Graphical abstract
Academics’ experience of online reading lists and the use of reading list notes
Authors: Kumara P. P. N. V. , Hinze Annika , Vanderschantz Nicholas , Timpany Claire 
Published: January 2024

AbstractReading Lists Systems are widely used in tertiary education as a pedagogical tool and for tracking copyrighted material. This paper explores academics' experiences with reading lists and in particular the use of reading lists notes feature. A mixed-methods approach was employed in which we first conducted interviews with academics about their experience with reading lists. We identified the need for streamlining the workflow of the reading lists set-up, improved usability of the interfaces, and better synchronization with other teaching support systems. Next, we performed a log analysis of the use of the notes feature throughout one academic year. The results of our log analysis were that the note feature is under-utilized by academics. We recommend improving the systems’ usability by re-engineering the user workflows and to better integrate notes feature into academic teaching.
An automated approach for binary classification on imbalanced data
Authors: Vieira Pedro Marques , Rodrigues Fátima 
Published: January 2024

AbstractImbalanced data are present in various business sectors and must be handled with the proper resampling methods and classification algorithms. To handle imbalanced data, there are numerous resampling and learning method combinations; nonetheless, their effective use necessitates specialised knowledge. In this paper, several approaches, ranging from more accessible to more advanced in the domain of data resampling techniques, will be considered to handle imbalanced data. The application developed delivers recommendations of the most suitable combinations of techniques for a specific dataset by extracting and comparing dataset meta-feature values recorded in a knowledge base. It facilitates effortless classification and automates part of the machine learning pipeline with comparable or better results than state-of-the-art solutions and with a much smaller execution time.
Historical architecture pedagogy meets virtual technologies: A comparative case study
Authors: Guo Xiang-Min , Wang Dan-Cen , Lo Tian-Tian , Huang Xiao-Hong 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe immersive experience and diverse interaction modes provided by virtual digital technology match the spatial sensitivity and practical ability required in the field of architectural teaching, and its technological advantages can significantly enhance teaching outcomes. However, in the field of architecture teaching, there has been a lack of discussion on the suitability of different virtual technologies and teaching scenarios for historical buildings. Therefore, this study constructed a comprehensive adaptive evaluation system for virtual technology and selected 360-degree panoramic technology (360-degree PT), Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) technology, and Desktop Virtual Reality (DVR) technology as representatives for empirical study. The research method used in this experiment is a questionnaire survey, involving a total of 60 students majoring in architecture and planning, with a certain foundation in historical architecture knowledge. Multiple statistical methods are employed to analyze the data. The experimental data indicates that IVR technology performs the best in terms of learning outcomes, learning autonomy, and sense of presence, making it suitable for immersive and interactive learning needs. 360-degree PT demonstrates the best perception of architectural features, catering to the demand for visual effects. DVR technology exhibits the highest learning efficiency, meeting the need for simplicity, efficiency, and widespread application. On the other hand, augmented reality (AR) technology and mixed reality (MR) technology have lower adaptability and do not meet the learning requirements for immersive spatial experiences. This study is expected to provide a new technical pathway for teaching historical buildings and serve as a systematic reference for selecting specific technologies.
How to Know That You’re Not a Zombie
Authors: Ramm Brentyn J. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractI am aware of the tree and its leaves, but am I aware of my awareness of these things? When I try to introspect my awareness, I just find myself attending to objects and their properties. This observation is known as the ‘transparency of experience’. On the other hand, I seem to directly know that I am aware. Given the first observation, it is not clear how I know that I am aware. Fred Dretske thought that the problem was so acute that he issued the challenge of answering ‘How do you know that you are not a zombie?’ I propose that a view found in the Advaita Vedanta, that awareness is self-luminous, reconciles these two observations. I understand self-luminosity as the thesis that: (1) I am implicitly aware of my awareness and (2) I am phenomenally aware of a distinct phenomenal character of my awareness. In support of the first claim, that I apparently only attend to objects in the world when introspecting perceptual experience, suggests that I do not know my awareness explicitly, but rather that I must know it implicitly. In support of the second claim, I argue that the mere fact that I am perceptually conscious is not sufficient to allow me to know that I am perceptually conscious. In particular, the qualities I am perceptually aware of do not tell me that I aware of them, rather they just seem to be properties of objects. I also assess whether strategies for responding to Cartesian sceptical scenarios can be employed against Dretske’s consciousness scepticism. I argue that these strategies either fail to distinguish me from a zombie or they do not adequately describe my epistemic situation. By contrast to other accounts, if awareness has its own distinct phenomenal character, then it cannot be considered to be a prima facie property of the world, hence the self-luminosity of awareness provides a plausible account of how I know that I’m not a zombie.
Will the central land inspection affect the intensity of local environmental protection? Evidence from China
Authors: Ma Shichang , Zhang Yuan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractObserving the impact and alienation of local government implementation of central policies is helpful for a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of central policy execution and the systematic formulation of central-local management policies. This paper takes the influence of land inspections on local government environmental behavior as the research object, based on the land inspection system initiated by the central government in 2006. It uses panel data from 30 provinces in China and a difference-in-differences method to assess the environmental protection crowding-out effect of land inspections for the first time and conducts an in-depth exploration of its mechanisms and heterogeneity. The study findings are as follows: (1) In a long-term sample spanning from 1997 to 2020, the establishment of land inspection bureaus did not significantly increase the level of environmental pollution in the host regions. (2) In a short-term sample spanning from 2000 to 2015, the establishment of land inspection bureaus significantly increased the level of environmental pollution in the host regions. (3) The environmental protection crowding-out effect of land inspections is mainly due to the restraint on local government fiscal revenue. (4) The larger the economic scale, the more significant the positive effect of land inspections on the level of environmental pollution in the host regions.
Impacts of pristine, aged and leachate of conventional and biodegradable plastics on plant growth and soil organic carbon
Authors: Wright Amy C. M. , Boots Bas , Ings Thomas C. , Green Dannielle S. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractPlastic is an essential component of agriculture globally, becoming a concerning form of pollution. Biodegradable alternatives are gaining attention as a potential replacement for commonly used, non-degradable plastics, but there is little known about the impacts of biodegradable plastics as they age and potential leachates are released. In this study, different types (conventional: polyethylene and polypropylene and biodegradable: polyhydroxybutyrate and polylactic acid) of micro- and meso-films were added to soil at 0.1% (w/w) prior to being planted withLolium perenne(perennial ryegrass) to evaluate the plant and soil biophysical responses in a pot experiment. Root and shoot biomass and chlorophyll content were reduced when soil was exposed to plastics, whether conventional or biodegradable, pristine, aged or when just their leachate was present. The pH and organic matter content of soil exposed to these plastics and their leachates was significantly reduced compared to control samples; furthermore, there was an increase in CO2respiration rate from soil. In general, meso (> 5 mm) and micro (< 5 mm) plastic films did not differ in the impact on plants or soil. This study provides evidence that conventional and biodegradable plastics have both physical and chemical impacts on essential soil characteristics and the growth ofL. perenne, potentially leading to wider effects on soil carbon cycling.Graphical abstract
Periphere Neuropathie bei Diabetes (Teil 2)
Authors: Ziegler Dan 
Published: January 2024

ZusammenfassungDie Behandlung der diabetischen distal-symmetrischen sensomotorischen Polyneuropathie (DSPN) umfasst 3 Eckpfeiler im Sinne eines holistischen multimodalen Konzepts unter Berücksichtigung des individuellen Risikoprofils mit dem Ziel einer dauerhaften Verbesserung der Lebensqualität: 1. kausale Therapie: optimale Diabeteseinstellung einschließlich Lebensstiländerung als Basismaßnahme sowie multifaktorielle kardiovaskuläre Risikointervention, 2. pathogenetisch begründete und 3. symptomatische Therapie neuropathischer Schmerzen. Zur Behandlung der DSPN wurde ein stufenweises Vorgehen anhand eines evidenzbasierten Algorithmus empfohlen. Die multimodale Schmerztherapie sollte nicht allein auf eine Schmerzlinderung abzielen, sondern auch eine nachhaltige Verbesserung der Schlafqualität, der Mobilität und der allgemeinen Lebensqualität ermöglichen.
The influence of crack and interface oxidation on dwell fatigue crack propagation behavior of the nickel-base superalloy ATI A718Plus
Authors: Kirchmayer A. , Hausmann D. , Gabel S. , Pröbstle M. , Giese S. , Göken M. , Hünert D. , Neumeier S. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe crack propagation properties are an important and often limiting factor for the commercial application of superalloys in aerospace applications where the oxidation ahead of the crack tip plays an important role. Previous research on the Ni-base superalloy A718Plus revealed that the orientation and the volume fraction of the high temperature grain boundary phases δ and η have a major influence on the dwell fatigue crack propagation rate at 650 °C in ambient air but not in vacuum. In this work, the effect of internal oxidation at the η/δ–matrix interface and its effect on dwell fatigue crack propagation and mechanical properties are examined by advanced microscopic methods and micro-cantilever testing. During crack propagation, the crack tip is exposed to air where a Nb-rich oxide layer forms and embrittles the η/δ–matrix interface causing the cracks to deflect and propagate along the oxidized interfaces. Micro-cantilever tests on the oxidized interface show that these oxide layers also significantly reduce the local strength and fracture toughness of the material. This proves that interfacial oxide layers are the underlying reason for the reduction of the dwell fatigue crack growth resistance at 650 °C, particularly in microstructures whose η/δ–matrix interfaces are oriented parallel to the crack growth direction.
Graphical Abstract
Inline Determination of the Gel Elastic Modulus During Milk Coagulation Using a Multifiber Optical Probe
Authors: Villaquiran Zulma , Zamora Anna , Arango Oscar , Castillo Manuel 
Published: January 2024

AbstractFrom a state-of-the-art point of view, it is currently possible to optically monitor the enzymatic coagulation of milk for real time estimation of the elastic modulus to cut the gel at optimum gel firmness. However, European cheese industry produces a wide variety of cheeses, many of them artisanal, and has a very fragmented productive structure with many small-, medium-sized companies. Therefore, if the technology is to be successfully uptake, it must be not only accurate but very low-cost. The objective of this work was to evaluate a low-cost commercial multifiber probe, for inline optical determination of curd firmness during cheese making. Preliminary tests were carried out to select the most appropriate fiber core size and wavelength and after that coagulation trials were performed following a fully randomized factorial design with two factors, i.e., concentration of protein (3.2, 3.6 and 4.0%) and added calcium (150, 200 and 250 mg L−1), with three replicates. The observed linear increase of the least square means of the initial voltage with the protein content (V0 = 0.15[P, %] + 0.88; R2 = 0.999), will be likely synergistic with the elastic modulus prediction if the model needs to be corrected for protein. Finally, the multifiber probe allowed predicting curd firmness using the proposed model with SEP values < 7 Pa. The present work has proven that a low-cost multifiber probe is suitable for accurate, real-time prediction of curd firmness during cheese manufacture.
Screening of Aroma-Producing Performance of Anticlostridial Lacticaseibacillus casei Strains
Authors: Renoldi Niccolò , Innocente Nadia , Rossi Anna , Brasca Milena , Morandi Stefano , Marino Marilena 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe cheesemaking industry is increasingly interested in using adjunct cultures with potential aromatic and anticlostridial activities. In this study, 34 Lb. paracasei and 2 Lb. rhamnosus strains were isolated from a semi-hard cheese and characterized for their proteolytic, esterase, and anticlostridial activity. Moreover, the strains were inoculated in a curd-based medium and the volatile compounds in the headspace of samples were evaluated by solid-phase microextraction–GC–MS analysis. Proteolytic activity was present in 30 strains, whereas only one Lb. paracasei strain showed esterase activity. All strains inhibited Cl. sporogenes, Cl. beijerinckii, and Cl. butyricum, and 18 isolates inhibited at least one Cl. tyrobutyricum strain. Principal component analysis and clustering analysis based on the volatilome grouped strains into three groups. One of these groups was characterized by high amounts of acids and esters and clustered with control samples inoculated with commercial starter cultures, suggesting similarity in the aroma profile. Strains belonging to this group with inhibitory effects against Cl. tyrobutyricum might be exploited as autochthonous adjunct cultures for the reduction of late-blowing defects in semi-hard cheeses.