bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low diversity and abundance of predatory fishes in a peripheral coral reef ecosystem
Authors: Williams Collin T. , Garzon Francesco , Cochran Jesse E. M. , Tanabe Lyndsey K. , Hawkes Lucy A. , McIvor Ashlie J. , Eweida Ameer A. , Marshall Paul A. , Berumen Michael L. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractSemi‐enclosed seas are often associated with elevated local threats and distinct biogeographic patterns among marine fishes, but our understanding of how fish assemblage dynamics vary in relation to relatively small semi‐enclosed seas (e.g., the Gulf of Aqaba) remains limited. Baited remote underwater video surveys (n = 111) were conducted across ~300 km of coral reef habitats in the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea. A total of 55 predatory fish species were detected, with less than half of all species (n = 23) observed in both basins. Relative abundance patterns between the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea were variable among taxa, but nearly twice as many predatory fish were observed per unit of effort in the northern Red Sea. In general, assemblages in both basins were dominated by three taxa (Epinephelinae, Carangidae, and Lethrinidae). Large‐bodied and threatened species were recorded at very low abundances. Multivariate analysis revealed distinct assemblage structuring of coral reef predators between the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea. Most of the species driving these differences were recorded in both basins, but occurred at varying levels of abundance. Environmental factors were largely unsuccessful in explaining variation in assemblage structuring. These findings indicate that biological assemblages in the Gulf of Aqaba are more distinct than previously reported and that reef fish assemblage structuring can occur even within a relatively small semi‐enclosed sea. Despite inter‐basin assemblage structuring, the overall low abundance of vulnerable fish species is suggestive of overexploitation in both the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea of Saudi Arabia. As the region surveyed is currently undergoing large‐scale coastal development, the results presented herein aim to guide spatial management and recovery plans for these coral reef systems in relation to this development.
High intraspecific variability and previous experience affect polyphenol metabolism in polyphagous Lymantria mathura caterpillars
Authors: Volf Martin , Fontanilla Alyssa M. , Vanhakylä Suvi , Abe Tomokazu , Libra Martin , Kogo Ryosuke , Lilip Roll , Kamata Naoto , Murakami Masashi , Novotny Vojtech , Salminen Juha‐Pekka , Segar Simon T. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPolyphagous insect herbivores feed on multiple host‐plant species and face a highly variable chemical landscape. Comparative studies of polyphagous herbivore metabolism across a range of plants is an ideal approach for exploring how intra‐ and interspecific chemical variation shapes species interactions. We used polyphagous caterpillars of Lymantria mathura (Erebidae, Lepidoptera) to explore mechanisms that may contribute to its ability to feed on various hosts. We focused on intraspecific variation in polyphenol metabolism, the fates of individual polyphenols, and the role of previous feeding experience on polyphenol metabolism and leaf consumption. We collected the caterpillars from Acer amoenum (Sapindaceae), Carpinus cordata (Betulaceae), and Quercus crispula (Fagaceae). We first fed the larvae with the leaves of their original host and characterized the polyphenol profiles in leaves and frass. We then transferred a subset of larvae to a different host species and quantified how host shifting affected their leaf consumption and polyphenol metabolism. There was high intraspecific variation in frass composition, even among caterpillars fed with one host. While polyphenols had various fates when ingested by the caterpillars, most of them were passively excreted. When we transferred the caterpillars to a new host, their previous experience influenced how they metabolized polyphenols. The one‐host larvae metabolized a larger quantity of ingested polyphenols than two‐host caterpillars. Some of these metabolites could have been sequestered, others were probably activated in the gut. One‐host caterpillars retained more of the ingested leaf biomass than transferred caterpillars. The pronounced intraspecific variation in polyphenol metabolism, an ability to excrete ingested metabolites and potential dietary habituation are factors that may contribute to the ability of L. mathura to feed across multiple hosts. Further comparative studies can help identify if these mechanisms are related to differential host‐choice and response to host‐plant traits in specialist and generalist insect herbivores.
Formation and distribution of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in deep‐fried dough sticks under different conditions
Authors: Liu Yan , Fang Ying , Wang Zetong , Guo Liping , Xiao Junxia , Li Xiaodan 
Published: February 2024

Abstract(E,E)‐2,4‐Decadienal is an important product of deep‐frying systems and is regarded as a health hazard. The present study investigated the formation of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in deep‐fried dough sticks under different conditions, including types of deep‐frying oils, deep‐frying temperature, and dough composition. In addition, the correlation between (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal formation and deep‐frying conditions was analyzed. The results showed that the (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal content in the deep‐frying system was related to the linoleic acid level in the deep‐frying oils. Furthermore, adding 6% soy protein isolate to the dough considerably suppressed the formation of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in the deep‐frying system, resulting in the lowest content at 43.52 mg kg–1. The highest (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal content in the deep‐frying system (64.65 mg kg–1) was observed when a dough with a moisture content of 38% was used. The results of the correlation analysis revealed a strong association between the (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal content in the deep‐fried dough sticks and their oil absorption capacity. The (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal content increased with higher oil content in the deep‐fried dough sticks. Therefore, suppressing the oil absorption of deep‐fried dough sticks is an important approach for controlling (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal content.Practical applications: As one kind of traditional deep‐fried foods in China, deep‐fried dough sticks attracted the attention of consumers because of its desirable flavor and texture. Thus, it is crucial to improve its safety and quality. As is known, (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal is harmful to health, and it is the main aldehyde component in the deep‐frying system. Herein, it is important to improve the safety of deep‐fried dough sticks while suppressing the formation of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in deep‐frying system and reducing the content of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in deep‐fried dough sticks. On the one hand, the use of deep‐frying oils with lower level of linoleic acid could limit the formation of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in deep‐frying system, which could also be achieved with the addition of protein into the dough. On the other hand, suppressing the oil uptake ability of deep‐fried dough sticks is an important approach to limit the level of (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal in deep‐fried dough sticks.
Silibinin as a promising treatment for diabetes: Insights into behavioral and metabolic changes in an animal model
Authors: Dagli Gul Asli San , Boyuk Ozcan Gulbahar , Arihan Okan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDiabetes mellitus is causing serious health problems in the chronic period. Silibinin is a flavonoid obtained from the milk thistle (Silybum marianum), which is among the herbal ethnopharmacological administrations. In studies with silibinin, it has been reported that it increases the activity of pancreatic beta cells and insulin sensitivity and has a hyperglycemia‐reducing effect. However, behavioral parameters have not been evaluated together with insulin levels and liver function tests. Our aim in this study was to examine the effects of silibinin on insulin secretion, anxiety‐like behaviors, and learning in a streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced rat diabetes model. Wistar albino rats weighing 200–250 g were divided into 4 groups. Control: Saline solution, Diabetes: STZ 45 mg/kg, S 100: STZ 45 mg/kg + Silibinin 100 mg/kg, S 200: STZ 45 mg/kg + Silibinin 200 mg/kg. Administrations were continued for 21 days. On the 21st day, open field and elevated plus maze as unconditional anxiety tests; Barnes maze for learning and memory; and rotarod test for locomotor activity were conducted. Following behavioral tests, blood samples were taken under anesthesia. Blood glucose levels and ALT values were measured. Insulin levels were measured with an ELISA plate reader. Silibinin shortened the time to find the correct hole. Silibinin prevented the decrease in insulin due to STZ, exhibited a hyperglycemia‐reducing effect and decreased the elevation of ALT.
Experimental investigating of the effect of CO2 injection parameters on asphaltene precipitation and formation damage in live oil
Authors: Shojaei Komeil Ghahramani , Moghadasi Jamshid 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWith the increasing consumption of oil in the world and increasing production of oil from oil reservoirs, the reservoir pressure starts to decrease. On the other side, the use of oil leads to an increase in carbon dioxide production in the environment and causes global warming.One of the effective methods of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere and increasing the reservoir's pressure is CO2‐EOR and carbon capturing and storing (CCS) which injects produced carbon dioxide from industrial sources into underground reservoirs. Carbon dioxide reduces oil viscosity and increases oil mobility producing an economical state. Moreover, with CO2‐EOR and CCS carbon dioxide can be stored in a depleted reservoir and helps reduce pollution and global warming.Besides the environmental and economic benefits due to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and increasing oil production, CO2 injection causes various problems in the formation. Many experiments indicate that asphaltene precipitation and wettability alteration caused by asphaltene, dissolution/precipitation of rock, salt precipitation, and sludge formation are some of the problems that occur during CO2 injection operations in low pressure and temperature. However, few experiments evaluate asphaltene precipitation effective factors, such as pressure, injection rates, temperature, etc., in high temperatures and pressure (HPHT) near reservoir conditions. Therefore, there was a need for a comprehensive investigation of various factors and the impact of each of them on the asphaltene precipitation and formation damage in HPHT conditions, so this research was designed to help future simulation and industrial utilization.A core‐flood setup was prepared to conduct CO2 flooding experiments and formation damage studies in HPHT conditions. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different parameters including pressure, injection rate, and type of injected gas on asphaltene and its effect on formation damage caused by CO2 injection. The second goal of this study was to investigate the optimum injection in every section. The third goal was to determine the oil recovery during the process of CO2 injection in different conditions.The results showed that an injection rate of 0.1 cc/min and higher injection pressures minimized asphaltene precipitation and maximized oil recovery. Replacing CO2 with natural gas liquids (NGL) gas reduced oil production and asphaltene precipitation. Overall, the experiments demonstrated the importance of optimizing injection parameters to limit formation damage during CO2 flooding. © 2024 The Authors. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Constructal design of a PCM cylindrical heat sink with three‐branched, two‐stages dendritic tubes
Authors: Ridha Hind Dhia'a , Ezzat Akram W. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAmputees who use prosthetic limbs suffer from the problem of high contact temperature between the socket of the prosthetic limb and the amputated part and lack of evaporation of sweat. These conditions lead to discomfort and failure to perform functions properly. In addition, these conditions help generate ulcers and accumulate harmful bacteria in this area. This paper presents a heatsink design to extract heat from the contact area. A cylindrical heat sink is designed for phase‐changing materials with three branched tubes in two stages. The current heat sink is used to cool the contact area between the amputated part and the socket in the lower prostheses. Three distributions of pipe branches are proposed. The distribution and pipe lengths were obtained using a constructal design method. In the constructal design, the lengths of the branched tubes were the degrees of freedom, the objective function was the minimization of the inlet temperature to the heat sink, and the constraint was the volume of the cylindrical heat sink. The metabolic heat transfer during exercise was estimated and its value was used to calculate the size of the cylindrical heatsink and the selection of the phase change material by testing three of them: water, tridecane, and dodecane. It was found that water gives the highest latent heat of melting and the lowest volume in addition to its availability. On the other hand, two cooling fluids were tested: water and air. It was found that water as a cooling fluid gave the lowest flow and the largest heat capacity. Constructal theory was used to design a cylindrical heat sink using branched tubes for the coolant in two steps: the first with three branches, and the second with nine branches. The degree of freedom for constructal theory was the length of the branches through the choice of their end locations. It was found that the branches of the highest length led to a reduction in temperature from 40°C to 15.48°C compared with the single tube, which reduced the temperature to 23.87°C. All tests recorded a pressure drop within the acceptable range of 3.1–5.43 Pa for the branches examined. The research demonstrated that using constructal theory achieved the best thermal dissipation within a restricted volume.
China's crisis management and market exit mechanism for banks—What is the way forward?
Authors: Xu Geleite , Shi Yifeng 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAs China's crisis management and market exit mechanism for banks (CMME mechanism) is still at an early stage of development, the legislation governing the mechanism is far from sufficient or satisfactory. With the aim of exploring how the holistic framework of China's CMME mechanism can be improved, this article systemically examines the mechanism from the perspectives of the major procedural components and the specially designed funding sources. Based on the analysis, three major types of weaknesses in the current mechanism are pointed out: ‘missing elements’, ‘unfit elements’ and ‘uncoordinated elements’. To be specific, some essential elements are missing from the current mechanism; some elements in the mechanism are unfit when applied to banks; and some elements are uncoordinated with each other within the mechanism. It is necessary that an overhaul of the mechanism be carried out to address these weaknesses. In addition, given that governments' involvement was demonstrated to be helpful in resolving bank crises in past cases, it would be better to institutionalise this experience in the CMME mechanism. Only with a well‐crafted CMME mechanism can bank crises be resolved in an orderly, effective and efficient manner.
Accuracy of and dental students’ preferences toward manual and digital cephalometric landmark identification: A randomized cross‐over study
Authors: Alhazmi Nora , Alsaeed Suliman , Almutairi Lamia , Almohammadi Duaa 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate dental students' perceptions of manual and digital cephalometric landmark identification methods based on their preferences, difficulty level, and procedure time required to provide insights into the future of dental education, considering incorporating digital technology in dental schools.Materials and methodsFifty‐five second‐year dental students were randomly divided into two groups: (1) group A, students who performed manual landmark identification first, followed by digital method; and (2) group B, students who performed digital method first, followed by manual method. The duration of the procedure was recorded. Subsequently, all students completed a questionnaire regarding the difficulty they experienced using a visual analog scale and their preferences. Landmark identification accuracy was measured.ResultsDigital landmark identification was preferred by 93% of students. The mean procedure time for digital method was significantly lower than that of manual method (13.00 ± 5.60 vs. 9.70 ± 4.60; p = 0.002). Group B completed manual and digital methods in a shorter time than group A. Group A experienced less difficulty with manual procedure than group B. However, statistically significant differences were not observed in the difficulty level of digital technique. A statistically significant difference in the mean accuracy was shown in favor of the manual method. However, this difference is clinically insignificant (p = 0.001).ConclusionsStudents considered digital method to be effective for learning and preferred it over manual method. Furthermore, digital landmark identification demonstrated better performance and was faster than manual method, suggesting that this must be incorporated in undergraduate dental education.
An analysis of POMC gene methylation and expression in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Chen Xuanyu , Qing Lili , Zou Tiantian , Wang Jia , Yin Wensa , Wang Zhiyong , Cheng Tiantian , Lu Yumei , Hu Liping , Liu Linlin , Nie Shengjie 
Published: February 2024

AbstractSchizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that affects millions of people and is believed to be caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Despite extensive research, the exact mechanisms underlying schizophrenia are still unclear. Studies have shown that numerous psychiatric disorders are associated with methylation of the POMC gene, which encodes adrenocorticotropic hormone, a critical player in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. However, the association between DNA methylation in POMC patients and schizophrenia remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated three fragments of the POMC promoter region, including 51 CpG sites, in the peripheral blood of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. The POMC protein level was measured via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The schizophrenia group exhibited significantly greater levels of methylation of the POMC gene than those in the control group. The methylation level of the POMC‐2 fragment was significantly greater in the patient group than in the control group. There were 17 significantly hypermethylated CpG sites in the patient group. After stratification by sex, POMC methylation levels were found to be significantly greater in male schizophrenia patients than in healthy controls; the methylation levels of POMC‐2 fragments were greater in the male patient group; nine CpG sites were significantly hypermethylated in the male patient group; and only one CpG site was significantly hypermethylated in the female patient group. The POMC protein level in patients was significantly lower than that in healthy controls. These findings demonstrate that the DNA methylation of POMC might be associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Overall, studying the correlation between POMC methylation and schizophrenia may contribute to the diagnosis and evaluation of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Minimum degree stability of C2k+1 ${C}_{2k+1}$‐free graphs
Authors: Yuan Xiaoli , Peng Yuejian 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe consider the minimum degree stability of graphs forbidding odd cycles: What is the tight bound on the minimum degree to guarantee that the structure of a ‐free graph inherits from the extremal graph (a balanced complete bipartite graph)? Andrásfai, Erdős, and Sós showed that if a ‐free graph on vertices has minimum degree greater than , then it is bipartite. Häggkvist showed that for , if a ‐free graph on vertices has minimum degree greater than , then it is bipartite. Häggkvist also pointed out that this result cannot be extended to . In this paper, we give a complete answer for any . We show that if and is an ‐vertex ‐free graph with , then is bipartite, and the bound is tight.
Haemoglobin Ottawa, sickle cell trait and vaso‐occlusive crises
Authors: Bobillier Cécile , Derclaye Isabelle , Ferrant Augustin , Maisin Diane 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA girl with a sickle cell trait had severe VOCs (vaso‐occlusive crises), her father also had a sickle cell trait but mild VOCs, and her mother had no symptoms. Electrophoresis on agarose gel under alkaline conditions showed haemoglobin AS (HbAS) in the girl and in her father, with an S band increased more than expected (46.2% and 41.2% respectively), and a band migrating at C (16.8% and 8.9% respectively) in both. There was a band at S (19.6 %) in her mother. The C band was attributed to a hybrid tetramer with haemoglobin S (HbS) and a Hb variant. A homozygous c.46G>C mutation (Hb Ottawa, the Hb variant) was detected by Sanger sequencing in the girl. Heterozygosity for Hb Ottawa by Sanger sequencing was shown in both the father and the mother. The father, with HbAS and heterozygous for Hb Ottawa, had mild VOCs. Heterozygosity only for Hb Ottawa did not produce any abnormality in the mother. A sister and two brothers of the index patient presented a Hb variant, probably Hb Ottawa, migrating to the S zone (all 20%) at electrophoresis, without HbS. These last three were asymptomatic. We conclude that Hb Ottawa, an α‐globin variant, contributes along with haemoglobin S (HbS) to VOC symptoms.
Screening biosurfactant‐producing actinomycetes: Identification of Streptomyces sp. RP1 as a potent species for bioremediation
Authors: Ayoib Adilah , Gopinath Subash C. B. , Zambry Nor Syafirah , Yahya Ahmad Ramli Mohd 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to isolate biosurfactant‐producing and hydrocarbon‐degrading actinomycetes from different soils using glycerol–asparagine and starch–casein media with an antifungal agent. The glycerol–asparagine agar exhibited the highest number of actinomycetes, with a white, low‐opacity medium supporting pigment production and high growth. Biosurfactant analyses, such as drop collapse, oil displacement, emulsification, tributyrin agar test, and surface tension measurement, were conducted. Out of 25 positive isolates, seven could utilize both olive oil and black oil for biosurfactant production, and only isolate RP1 could produce biosurfactant when grown in constrained conditions with black oil as the sole carbon source and inducer, demonstrating in situ bioremediation potential. Isolate RP1 from oil‐spilled garden soil is Gram‐staining‐positive with a distinct earthy odor, melanin formation, and white filamentous colonies. It has a molecular size of ~621 bp and 100% sequence similarity to many Streptomyces spp. Morphological, biochemical, and 16 S rRNA analysis confirmed it as Streptomyces sp. RP1, showing positive results in all screenings, including high emulsification activity against kerosene (27.2%) and engine oil (95.8%), oil displacement efficiency against crude oil (7.45 cm), and a significant reduction in surface tension (56.7 dynes/cm). Streptomyces sp. RP1 can utilize citrate as a carbon source, tolerate sodium chloride, resist lysozyme, degrade petroleum hydrocarbons, and produce biosurfactant at 37°C in a 15 mL medium culture, indicating great potential for bioremediation and various downstream industrial applications with optimization.