bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global epigenetic analysis revealed dynamic fluctuations in levels of DNA methylation and histone modifications in the calli of Fagopyrum with different capacity for morphogenesis
Authors: Tomasiak Alicja , Sala-Cholewa Katarzyna , Berg Lea Sophie , Braszewska Agnieszka , Betekhtin Alexander 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBuckwheat characterises with high susceptibility to in vitro tissue culture conditions, which have been researched extensively to study a plethora of processes. F. tataricum morphogenic callus (MC) is characterised by its capacity for morphogenesis for up to ten years of culture, displaying an extraordinary level of genome stability, and comprises of proembryogenic cell complexes (PECC),which are the structures resembling somatic embryos arrested on the pre-globular stage. The non-morphogenic callus (NC) that appears on the surface of MC after approximately two years of culture due to endoreduplication cycles, is characterised by aneuploidy, rapid growth rate and high level of oxidative stress. F. esculentum embryogenic callus (EC) has different morphological and histological features, remains stable for up to three years of culture, has a dense, globular structure, and is capable of forming embryoids from the masses of embryogenic cells, but does not produce a non-embryogenic clone. In this work, immunocytochemical analyses revealed dynamic epigenetic changes in Fagopyrum calli. We demonstrated that; decreased level of H3K4me2 seems to be associated with pluripotency acquisition in F. esculentum EC and F. tataricum MC; DNA hypomethylation appears to be connected with the acquisition of the embryogenic potential and PECC reinitiation in F. tataricum MC. Moreover, we observed that H4K16ac and H4K5ac exhibited the highest variability during the course of passage in NC. Elevated levels of these modifications on day zero and day six for H4K16ac and H4K5ac, respectively, seem to be connected with endoreplication peaks, the processes which are characteristic of this callus.
Analysis of conditional randomisation and permutation schemes with application to conditional independence testing
Authors: Łazȩcka Małgorzata , Kołodziejek Bartosz , Mielniczuk Jan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractWe study properties of two resampling scenarios: Conditional Randomisation and Conditional Permutation schemes, which are relevant for testing conditional independence of discrete random variables X and Y given a random variable Z. Namely, we investigate asymptotic behaviour of estimates of a vector of probabilities in such settings, establish their asymptotic normality and ordering between asymptotic covariance matrices. The results are used to derive asymptotic distributions of the empirical Conditional Mutual Information in those set-ups. Somewhat unexpectedly, the distributions coincide for the two scenarios, despite differences in the asymptotic distributions of the estimates of probabilities. We also prove validity of permutation p-values for the Conditional Permutation scheme. The above results justify consideration of conditional independence tests based on resampled p-values and on the asymptotic chi-square distribution with an adjusted number of degrees of freedom. We show in numerical experiments that when the ratio of the sample size to the number of possible values of the triple exceeds 0.5, the test based on the asymptotic distribution with the adjustment made on a limited number of permutations is a viable alternative to the exact test for both the Conditional Permutation and the Conditional Randomisation scenarios. Moreover, there is no significant difference between the performance of exact tests for Conditional Permutation and Randomisation schemes, the latter requiring knowledge of conditional distribution of X given Z, and the same conclusion is true for both adaptive tests.
Soziale Arbeit in Afrika
Authors: Amadasun Solomon , Gray Mel 
Published: September 2023

ZusammenfassungDieser Artikel über die Soziale Arbeit in Afrika zeigt, wie sich die Profession auf dem Kontinent entwickelt hat, wobei vor der Kolonialisierung in den meisten Ländern traditionelle Strukturen und familiäre Verwandtschaftsnetze für die Bedürfnisse der Familien und Gemeinschaften sorgten. Diese traditionellen Wohlfahrtssysteme wurden bald von den kolonialen Sozialverwaltungen verdrängt, die die Soziale Arbeit einführten, um den Arbeitskräftebedarf in diesen Verwaltungen zu decken. Dies hinterließ ein Erbe westeuropäischer Theorien und Praxismodelle, die wegen ihrer kulturellen Unangemessenheit heftig kritisiert wurden und sich nur sehr schwer wieder ersetzen ließen. Anhand von Nigeria wird der ständige Kampf der Sozialen Arbeit um Relevanz, Anerkennung und Legitimität verdeutlicht. Überlastete Sozialarbeiter_innen setzen sich dort in unterfinanzierten sozialen Diensten für soziale Gerechtigkeit, Menschenrechte und soziale Verbesserungen ein.
The Effect of a Hydrophobic Coating on the Photodegradation of Dyed Nylon 6 Yarns
Authors: Sedláček Daniel , Roso Martina , Manian Avinash P. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractNylon 6 is one of the most widely used polymers in the world. For some nylon products, hydrophobic coatings are used for impregnation. However, it has been suggested in the literature that coating could accelerate aging. Therefore, in this paper, we focused on the degradation process of dyed nylon yarns with and without perfluorinated coating under accelerated weathering conditions. To monitor the degradation process, we used methods such as tensile test, molecular weight analysis, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. We found that the hydrophobic coating is unlikely to have a negative effect on the degradation process. However, the coating decomposes during weathering, and its concentration on the fiber's surface decreases. The type of dye used was identified as the most significant factor influencing the degradation rate. This was explained by the screening effect of dyes in the UVA region of the light spectrum. Manufacturers of nylon products, which require a pleasant appearance and safety, should, therefore, consider a careful selection of dyes.
Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from the Tampamachoco lagoon, Tuxpan River mouth, Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Botello Alfonso V. , Ponce-Vélez Guadalupe , Armstrong-Altrin John S. , Fragoso Susana Villanueva , Velandia-Aquino Laura B. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic chemicals that consist of carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, which are considered as high-priority persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Their source is due to an incomplete burning of fossil fuels and organic materials. In the present study, the distribution and concentrations of 16 priority PAHs in sediments of the Tampamachoco lagoon and Tuxpan River estuary at the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed. The surface sediment samples were collected during the dry (March–June) and rainy (August–November) seasons. PAHs were analyzed by means of a gas capillary chromatography-FID. In dry season, the average concentration of PAHs in sediments was 860 ± 390 ng/g, and in rainy season, it was 1140 ± 450 ng/g. During both seasons, the total concentration of chrysene was high and a domain of the compounds with 4 benzene rings was observed. The source of PAHs was investigated in 78.6% of the lagoon sites. 45.5% revealed indicators of a mixed origin between pyrolytic and petrogenic sources, and 36.4% was petrogenic, and the remaining 18.2% was pyrolytic PAHs.
Estimation of fracture half-length with fast Gaussian pressure transient and RTA methods: Wolfcamp shale formation case study
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed Farid , Weijermars Ruud 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAccurate estimation of fracture half-lengths in shale gas and oil reservoirs is critical for optimizing stimulation design, evaluating production potential, monitoring reservoir performance, and making informed economic decisions. Assessing the dimensions of hydraulic fractures and the quality of well completions in shale gas and oil reservoirs typically involves techniques such as chemical tracers, microseismic fiber optics, and production logs, which can be time-consuming and costly. This study demonstrates an alternative approach to estimate fracture half-lengths using the Gaussian pressure transient (GPT) Method, which has recently emerged as a novel technique for quantifying pressure depletion around single wells, multiple wells, and hydraulic fractures. The GPT method is compared to the well-established rate transient analysis (RTA) method to evaluate its effectiveness in estimating fracture parameters. The study used production data from 11 wells at the hydraulic fracture test site 1 in the Midland Basin of West Texas from Upper and Middle Wolfcamp (WC) formations. The data included flow rates and pressure readings, and the fracture half-lengths of the 11 wells were individually estimated by matching the production data to historical records. The GPT method can calculate the fracture half-length from daily production data, given a certain formation permeability. Independently, the traditional RTA method was applied to separately estimate the fracture half-length. The results of the two methods (GPT and RTA) are within an acceptable, small error margin for all 5 of the Middle WC wells studied, and for 5 of the 6 Upper WC wells. The slight deviation in the case of the Upper WC well is due to the different production control and a longer time for the well to reach constant bottomhole pressure. The estimated stimulated surface area for the Middle and Upper WC wells was correlated to the injected proppant volume and the total fluid production. Applying RTA and GPT methods to the historic production data improves the fracture diagnostics accuracy by reducing the uncertainty in the estimation of fracture dimensions, for given formation permeability values of the stimulated rock volume.
Modern therapies of nonsmall cell lung cancer
Authors: Jachowski Andrzej , Marcinkowski Mikołaj , Szydłowski Jakub , Grabarczyk Oskar , Nogaj Zuzanna , Marcin Łaz , Pławski Andrzej , Jagodziński Paweł Piotr , Słowikowski Bartosz Kazimierz 
Published: September 2023

AbstractLung cancer (LC), particularly nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is one of the most prevalent types of neoplasia worldwide, regardless of gender, with the highest mortality rates in oncology. Over the years, treatment for NSCLC has evolved from conventional surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy to more tailored and minimally invasive approaches. The use of personalised therapies has increased the expected efficacy of treatment while simultaneously reducing the frequency of severe adverse effects (AEs). In this review, we discuss established modern approaches, including immunotherapy and targeted therapy, as well as experimental molecular methods like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) and nanoparticles. These emerging methods offer promising outcomes and shorten the recovery time for various patients. Recent advances in the diagnostic field, including imaging and genetic profiling, have enabled the implementation of these methods. The versatility of these modern therapies allows for multiple treatment options, such as single-agent use, combination with existing conventional treatments, or incorporation into new regimens. As a result, patients can survive even in the advanced stages of NSCLC, leading to increased survival indicators such as overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Low-dosage enzymatic hydrolysis of organic municipal waste for sugar and ethanol production
Authors: Rudnyckyj Stanislav , Chaturvedi Tanmay , Thomsen Mette Hedegaard 
Published: September 2023

AbstractEnzymatic hydrolysis (EH) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is challenging due to its complexity and heterogeneous character. This study investigated the effects of OFMSW compositional characteristics and pretreatment techniques on the efficiency of EH. The experiments involved varying enzymatic dosages and pretreatment methods, including heat pretreatment and anaerobic incubation of raw OFMSW. Remarkably, after thermal pretreatment, a saccharification yield exceeding 50% was achieved with only 1 filter paper unit (FPU) of Cellic® Ctec3 and 0.5 glucoamylase unit (AGU) of AMG® 300 L BrewQ per g of dry OFMSW. This resulted in the recovery of 239 g of sugar per kilogram of dry OFMSW. The study revealed that the decomposition of OFMSW by enzymes is limited after reaching about 50% of the sugar recovery yield, and high concentrations of inhibitors such as organic acids, alcohols, and potentially other organics and inorganics may contribute to this limitation. These compounds, however, serve as excellent preservatives, achieving contamination control during biological conversion. Sugar-rich hydrolysates were subjected to ethanol fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, leading to the conversion of most hexose sugars into ethanol, reaching 331 g of ethanol per kilogram of dry OFMSW, and indicating that the limitation of OFMSW saccharification was not due to product inhibition. These findings highlight the need for further investigation of the saccharification process of biowaste to overcome inhibitory effects and subsequently achieve higher efficiency of the following bioprocesses.
The Impact of Daytime Napping Following Normal Night-Time Sleep on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Meta-regression
Authors: Boukhris Omar , Trabelsi Khaled , Suppiah Haresh , Ammar Achraf , Clark Cain C. T. , Jahrami Haitham , Chtourou Hamdi , Driller Matthew 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundDaytime napping is used by athletes as a strategy to supplement night time sleep and aid physical performance. However, no meta-analytical overview regarding the impact of napping following a night of normal sleep (7–9 h) on physical performance is available.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of daytime napping following normal night-time sleep on physical performance in physically active individuals and athletes.MethodsThis systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Seven electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, SCIELO, and EBSCOhost) were used to search for relevant studies that investigated the impact of daytime napping, following normal night-time sleep, on physical performance in physically active individuals and athletes, published in any language, and available before September 01, 2022. Studies that included assessments of any physical performance measures were included. QualSyst was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies.ResultsOf 18 selected articles, 15 were of strong quality and 3 were of moderate quality. Compared with no-nap conditions, physically active individuals and athletes who napped experienced an increase in highest distance (effect size [ES] 1.026;p < 0.001) and total distance (ES 0.737;p < 0.001), and a decrease in fatigue index (ES 0.839,p = 0.008) during the 5-m shuttle run test (5MSRT). However, napping yielded no effect on muscle force (ES 0.175;p = 0.267). No effect of napping was found in one study that measured sprint performance and in two studies that measured performance during the 30-s Wingate test. Two of three studies reported an increase in jump performance after napping. Two of three studies reported an increase in repeated sprints after napping. One study reported an increase in upper-body power performance after napping, and napping was beneficial for endurance performance in one of two studies.ConclusionFollowing normal sleep, napping is beneficial for the performance of the 5MSRT, with no significant effect on muscle force. No firm conclusions can be drawn regarding other physical performance measures due to the limited number of studies.
Optimization of Physical Parameters Involved in Cell Lysis of Bacillus Sp. to Recover Bioplastic Polyhydroxyalkanoates
Authors: Bhat S. G. , Kodavoor D. B. , Raja S. , Varadavenkatesan T. , Somashekara D. M. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The increased global population has concurrently increased waste disposal, whose majority is conventional plastic. In this study, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), an alternative biopolymer to conventional plastics, were extracted from bacteria Bacillus sp., using response surface methodology (RSM), a statistical approach. To design, optimize and study the relationship between the parameters (glass beads weight, incubation time, water volume, incubation temperature, and shaker speed) Box-Behnken Design of response surface methodology was applied in Design Expert 10.0 software package. The solvent method is known in PHA extraction; however, this approach is environmentally hazardous on a large scale. The current study used a physical extraction method using glass beads for bacterial cell lysis. As a characterization, FTIR, 1HNMR, and DSC confirmed the recovered polymer as Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB). 31.53% (w/v) of PHB was recovered for 1 g/L biomass. PHB is known to be widely applied in various fields, specifically in medical applications. Genetically modified isolate, low-cost substrate, and recovery without solvent assure a cost-effective and increased PHA production. Glass beads can be reused in extraction, reducing overall production cost. Therefore, this work used a reduced amount of chemicals during extraction to recover the PHB. Thus, sustainability assures a better scope for the future promotion of PHA production in academia and industries.

Highlights

Sustainable PHA extraction alternatives, reducing environmental impact, were studied.

Glass beads are used to lyse the cell to release the PHA from the bacteria Bacillus sp.

Box-Behnken design optimized extraction parameters for maximum recovery of PHA.

The cellular lysis approach yields higher recovery than solvent-method recovery and is eco-friendly.

Graphical abstract
Utilisation of Health Technologies for Physical Health of People with Learning Disabilities: Point of Care Testing
Authors: Sud Dolly , Anandaram Archana , Atkins Helen , McAskill Robyn , Scott Sion 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe World Health Organisation defines health technologies as the “application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.” Innovative health technologies have immense potential to improve human health and well-being. However, their advent does not guarantee equitable health outcomes. Not all individuals have equal access to health technologies resulting in different health outcomes for those individuals. Barriers to adoption, implementation, access, research and design can lead to exclusion and perpetuate the health inequalities already experienced by vulnerable or marginalised groups, for example those with intellectual disabilities (ID). Point of care testing (POCT) is a health technology used to monitor physical health and has been available for almost a decade. POCT is reported to be minimally invasive, can be conducted in a wide range of settings, enables shorter time to clinical decision making, improved self-management of health conditions and patient empowerment. Despite the benefits of POCT, adoption, use, awareness and research of the use of this technology in people with ID to monitor physical health appears to be scant. This article will explore the application of POCT in this group of individuals for whom evidence informs us die up to 25 years earlier when compared to the general population, and physical health disease account for the overwhelming majority of premature deaths. This is a narrative review exploring the use of POCT for physical health of people with ID.
An Improved Golden Jackal Optimization Algorithm Using Opposition-Based Learning for Global Optimization and Engineering Problems
Authors: Mohapatra Sarada , Mohapatra Prabhujit 
Published: September 2023

AbstractGolden Jackal Optimization (GJO) is a recently developed nature-inspired algorithm that is motivated by the collaborative hunting behaviours of the golden jackals in nature. However, the GJO has the disadvantage of poor exploitation ability and is easy to get stuck in an optimal local region. To overcome these disadvantages, in this paper, an enhanced variant of the golden jackal optimization algorithm that incorporates the opposition-based learning (OBL) technique (OGJO) is proposed. The OBL technique is implemented into GJO with a probability rate, which can assist the algorithm in escaping from the local optima. To validate the efficiency of OGJO, several experiments have been performed. The experimental outcomes revealed that the proposed OGJO has more efficiency than GJO and other compared algorithms.
Introducing CNN-LSTM network adaptations to improve remaining useful life prediction of complex systems
Authors: Borst N. , Verhagen W.J.C. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPrognostics and Health Management (PHM) models aim to estimate remaining useful life (RUL) of complex systems, enabling lower maintenance costs and increased availability. A substantial body of work considers the development and testing of new models using the NASA C-MAPSS dataset as a benchmark. In recent work, the use of ensemble methods has been prevalent. This paper proposes two adaptations to one of the best-performing ensemble methods, namely the Convolutional Neural Network – Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) network developed by Li et al. (IEEE Access, 2019,7, pp 75464–75475)). The first adaptation (adaptable time window, or ATW) increases accuracy of RUL estimates, with performance surpassing that of the state of the art, whereas the second (sub-network learning) does not improve performance. The results give greater insight into further development of innovative methods for prognostics, with future work focusing on translating the ATW approach to real-life industrial datasets and leveraging findings towards practical uptake for industrial applications.
Revisiting Family Firms
Authors: Parise Gianpaolo 
Published: September 2023

AbstractI propose a novel measure to identify family firms based on the number of family links between high-ranking coworkers. Leveraging this measure, I reexamine previous findings in the literature and derive four novel facts: i) Measures of stock ownership misclassify firms with a large family presence. ii) Family-run firms exhibit value stock characteristics, whereas founder-CEO firms display growth stock characteristics. iii) Family-run firms pay lower costs. iv) Family managers behave myopically. I conclude that failing to consider family links can lead to highly misleading results in the study of family firms.
The Deterrent Effect of Whistleblowing on Insider Trading
Authors: Raleigh Jacob 
Published: September 2023

AbstractI study whether the Dodd–Frank whistleblower program reduced informed trading by corporate insiders. To identify the effect, I partition firms based on the extent to which this program affected the likelihood of whistleblowing at each firm. I find a relative reduction in trading profits on purchases made by insiders at more affected firms after the program was initiated. I analyze insider sales in settings where they are more likely to be informed and find a reduction in the number of sales before negatively perceived events. The results suggest that whistleblower protections and rewards can effectively deter insider trading.