Browse Articles

Damage constitutive model and mechanical properties of a concrete limestone composite after acid corrosion

Induction of stigma-like structures in saffron (Crocus sativus L.): Exploring factors and metabolite analysis

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has held significant cultural and medicinal value since the Greek-Minoan civilization. As a triploid spice with vegetative propagation from the Iridaceae family, the three-branch style of C. sativus flowers, known as saffron, constitutes the most economically valuable part of the plant, renowned for its diverse medicinal properties. This study explores the in vitro induction of stigma-like structures (SLSs) from various explants of the Ghaen ecotype flower. The study found that the optimal sampling time for the majority of explants was the third week of October. Ovary explants exhibiting a prolonged response to hormonal treatments for the production of SLSs. Furthermore, intact, and injury ovary explants were found to be the most effective explant types for inducing SLSs. The explants were cultured on MS, 1/2MS, LS and B5 basal media supplemented with various combinations and concentrations of plant growth regulators. The results indicated that the B5 medium, enriched with 5–10 mg/ L BAP and 5–10 mg/ L NAA was the most effective treatment for inducing SLSs in all types of explants. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of saffron compounds in SLSs indicated similarities with natural saffron, albeit at significant lower concentrations: crocin (up to 10.2 mg/g), picrocrocin (up to 4.8 mg/g), and safranal (up to 9.7 mg/g). The highest accumulation of the three studied secondary metabolites was observed in the SLSs of style (24.4 mg/g), stigma (28.3 mg/g), and ovary (21.4 mg/g) explants, respectively. This study introduces a comprehensive procedure for producing SLSs containing the three most important metabolites of saffron for the first time.

Coregistration of eye movements and EEG reveals frequency effects of words and their constituent characters in natural silent Chinese reading

Abstract We conducted two experiments to examine the lexical and sub-lexical processing of Chinese two-character words in reading. We used a co-registration electroencephalogram (EEG) for the first fixation on target words. In Experiment 1, whole-word occurrence frequency and initial constituent character frequency were orthogonally manipulated, while in Experiment 2, whole-word occurrence frequency and end constituent character frequency were orthogonally manipulated. Results showed that word frequency facilitated eye-tracking measures, while initial and end character frequencies inhibited them. Classical word frequency effects on N170 and N400 in the posterior region and reversed word frequency effects over the anterior region were consistently observed in both experiments. Experiment 1 revealed an inhibiting effect of initial character frequency on anterior N170. In Experiment 2, interaction between end-character frequency and word frequency showed reliable effects on anterior N170 and N400. These results demonstrate both facilitating and inhibiting word frequency effects, along with inhibiting effects of character frequency and that word frequency moderates the inhibiting effects of end constituent character frequency during natural silent Chinese reading.

Iron deficiency and fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review

Background It is unclear what impact iron deficiency has on fatigue in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This systematic review examined the evidence of whether iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, was associated with fatigue in IBD. Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with IBD that can be difficult to manage and treat. A greater understanding of the role and contribution of iron deficiency to fatigue may help improve the management of this condition. Methods The databases searched were MEDLINE, OVID, CINAHL and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria were studies measuring iron status for iron deficiency (ID) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for fatigue in patients with IBD of any level of disease activity. Assessment of bias was conducted using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Studies were grouped for syntheses according to whether exposure was iron deficiency without anaemia (IDWA) or ID regardless of haemoglobin level. Results Two hundred and eighty-five individual database results were identified and screened; 32 complete records were reviewed, from which seven studies with 1425 individuals were deemed eligible for inclusion in the results synthesis. Considerable variation in the methods and statistical analysis used to investigate the relationship between ID and fatigue prevented any quantitative synthesis. Studies varied by population disease activity levels, approaches used to define ID and PROMs used to measure fatigue. Three studies directly compared fatigue scores in IDWA to those not iron deficient, two of which showed patients with IDWA had significantly lower fatigue scores. Four studies used ID irrespective of anaemia as the exposure and reported mixed results on fatigue, with only one study reporting a higher prevalence of fatigue in the ID group. Conclusions There was marked heterogeneity between studies in this review. Two studies found evidence of a slight increase in fatigue levels in patients with IDWA. Though this does not explain all fatigue in patients with IBD, iron replacement should be considered to improve fatigue in iron-deficient patients.

Assessing drywell designs for managed aquifer recharge via canals and repurposed wells

Sex-specific associations of serum testosterone with gray matter volume and cerebral blood flow in midlife individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Testosterone, an essential sex steroid hormone, influences brain health by impacting neurophysiology and neuropathology throughout the lifespan in both genders. However, human research in this area is limited, particularly in women. This study examines the associations between testosterone levels, gray matter volume (GMV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in midlife individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to sex and menopausal status. A cohort of 294 cognitively normal midlife participants, 83% female, ages 35–65 years, with an AD family history and/or Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE-4) genotype, underwent volumetric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to measure GMV and MR-Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) for measurement of CBF. We used voxel-based analysis and volumes of interest to test for associations between testosterone (both total and free testosterone) and brain imaging outcomes, stratified by sex and menopausal status. Higher total and free testosterone levels were associated with larger GMV in men, with peak effects in frontal and temporal regions. Conversely, in women, higher testosterone levels correlated with higher CBF, with peak effects in frontal and limbic regions, subcortical areas and hypothalamus. Among women, associations between testosterone and GMV were observed at the premenopausal and perimenopausal stages, but not postmenopause, whereas associations of testosterone with CBF were significant starting at the perimenopausal stage and were more pronounced among hormone therapy non-users. Results were independent of age, APOE-4 status, midlife health indicators, and sex hormone-binding globulin levels. These findings indicate sex-specific neurophysiological effects of testosterone in AD-vulnerable regions in midlife individuals at risk for AD, with variations observed across sex and menopausal status. This underscores the need for further research focusing on the neuroprotective potential of testosterone in both sexes.

N2 influences on CH4 accumulation and displacement in shale by molecular dynamics

Business environment and its impact on high-quality economic development: A configurational analysis of enhancement pathways

The nexus between the business environment and high-quality economic development is pivotal for fostering sustainable growth. This study delves into their interrelationship, recognizing its profound practical significance. We have developed a comprehensive index system to evaluate high-quality economic development, encompassing four key dimensions: green development quality, robust economic growth, innovation dynamics, and equitable societal benefits. Concurrently, a business environment index system has been constructed, capturing the nuances of government functionality, social context, and market dynamics. Employing system theory and a configurational approach, this research utilizes the fsQCA method to decode the intricate mechanisms, dynamic pathways, and synergistic interactions among diverse elements within the business environment that influence high-quality economic development. The empirical findings underscore the substantial impact of the business environment on high-quality economic development, highlighting two primary catalyst pathways: the "Rule of Law-Government Efficiency" trajectory and the "Market-Led-Credit Environment" route. These pathways reveal that government efficiency, credit accessibility, legal frameworks, market fairness, and openness are instrumental in driving high-quality economic development. Conversely, inefficiencies in the market mechanism and governmental roles often result in suboptimal development trajectories. The study advocates for policy formulations that recognize and leverage regional distinctiveness, optimizing local resources and strengths to spur high-quality economic development tailored to each region’s unique context.

Short bouts and long-term exercise reduce sedentary-induced bone loss and microstructural changes by modulating bone formation and resorption in healthy young male rats

The impact of tuberculosis-induced hyperglycemia on pulmonary microbiota and airway mucus secretion in individuals not previously diabetic: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

The lung environment harbours a community of microbes that play a significant role in health and disease, including innate protection against pathogenic microorganisms. Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, psychological stress associated with the tuberculosis (TB) disease, and the metabolites from the rifampicin treatment regimen have been reported to induce hyperglycemia and consequently type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in individuals not previously diabetic. The high glucose concentration is proposed to alter the composition of the lung microbiota and airway homeostasis, exerting an influence on TB disease and treatment outcomes. In this systematic review, we propose to synthesize literature on TB-induced hyperglycemia and its impact on lung microbiota and secretion of airway mucus in individuals not previously diabetic. A systematic search will be carried out on PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PROQUEST, Cochrane, SCOPUS, and manually on Google Scholar and references of relevant articles to identify other studies. We will review published articles that include studies on TB-induced hyperglycemia, pulmonary microbiome, mucin secretion, and (or) airway surface liquid upon TB diagnosis and during treatment. The quality of the study articles will be assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Meta-analysis will be conducted using random effect model for heterogeneity to pool estimates on microbial diversity. Egger’s test will be performed to explore any selective reporting bias. The findings of the systematic review and the meta-analysis will be reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol guidelines. This protocol was developed and uploaded onto the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database, registration number: CRD42024482248.

Using low-cost sensors to assess common air pollution sources across multiple residences

Abstract The rapid development of low-cost sensors provides the opportunity to greatly advance the scope and extent of monitoring of indoor air pollution. In this study, calibrated particle matter (PM) sensors and a non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF) source apportionment technique are used to investigate PM concentrations and source contributions across three households in an urban residential area. The NMF is applied to combined data from all houses to generate source profiles that can be used to understand how PM source characteristics are similar or differ between different households in the same urban area. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in all three houses were greater, more variable, and significantly different to ambient concentrations recorded at a nearby ambient monitoring site. Concentrations were also significantly different between houses, with the World Health Organisation 24-h guideline limits for PM2.5 breached in one household. The applied methodology was highly successful at modelling concentrations for all the houses (R2 $$\ge$$ ≥ 0.983), finding that across the houses the I/O (indoor to outdoor sources ratio) was the lowest for PM1 (down to 0.08), and greatest for PM10 (up to 4.93). Whilst the sources could not be clearly distinguished further than being outdoors or indoors, the methodology provides clear insights to source variability within and between the monitored houses. These results highlight the importance of monitoring indoor air pollution to improve pollution exposure estimates, as whilst people may live in areas with acceptable ambient air quality, they can be exposed to unhealthy concentrations in their own homes. This method may be applied in future studies for extended periods to investigate the influence of source seasonality on PM concentrations or scaled up to investigate source variability across larger geographical areas.

Feasibility and resource utilization of nurse-administered subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy in antibody deficiency: A cross-sectional study

Primary and secondary antibody deficiencies (PAD and SAD) are amongst the most prevalent immunodeficiency syndromes, often necessitating long-term immune globulin replacement therapy (IRT). Both intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) have demonstrated efficacy in antibody deficiency. Comparative analyses of these two routes of administration are limited to nurse-administered IVIG and home therapy with self-administered SCIG. A third programmatic approach, SCIG administered by nurses in hospital-based outpatient infusion clinics, combines certain advantages of IVIG and home SCIG such as the provision of nursing support and the reduced risk of systemic reactions associated with the subcutaneous route. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the viability and resource utilization of nurse-administered SCIG with IVIG in patients with antibody deficiency. We hypothesized that nurse-administered SCIG would require a similar amount of infusion clinic time per month as IVIG, despite more frequent dosing, due to shorter individual appointments, while maintaining high patient satisfaction. Information on infusion duration, time in the infusion chair, direct nursing time, and treatment satisfaction using the Life Quality Index was collected. Time measures for each patient were expressed as minutes/4 weeks to account for the more frequent dosing of nurse-administered SCIG compared to IVIG. We determined that the total time, infusion time, and nursing time needed to provide nurse-administered SCIG was comparable to IVIG. The more frequent dosing of SCIG was offset by the shorter times required per infusion. Patients reported favorable treatment satisfaction with both nurse-administered SCIG and IVIG. We conclude that nurse-administered SCIG may be a useful treatment modality for well-selected individuals.

Screen time exposure and executive functions in preschool children

Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play

Background Youth soccer players in the UK transition into the professional game at 16 years of age. Understanding the differences between youth and professional standards can help coaches and clubs to support player development during this transition. Objectives To (i) assess the differences in technical and possession statistics between different age groups (U16, U18, U23) and outfield positions (central defender [CD], wide defender [WD], central midfielder [CM], attacking midfielder [AM], wide midfielder [WM], striker [ST]), within an English academy soccer programme, during match-play. Methods All matches were monitored using foot-mounted inertial measurements units (F-IMU; Playermaker™) to quantify the technical (touches and releases from the feet) and individual possession statistics (Time on the ball, Time on the ball per possession) from each match. Teams were instructed to play a 1-4-3-3 formation as part of their clubs playing philosophy, with positions defined per this formation. Data were analysed using a multi-variate ANOVA Two-tailed statistical significance was accepted as p ≤ 0.05 and measures of effect size were calculated using partial eta-squared (η2). Magnitude of the effect sizes were small (0.2<ES<0.6), moderate (0.6<ES<1.2), large (1.2<ES<2) and very large (≥2). Results Trivial to small effect sizes were observed across age groups for both technical and possession-based statistics during match-play. Across all age groups and positions, CD`s had the highest number of technical actions (touches and releases), whereas ST`s & AM`s, had the highest amount of time in possession of the ball. Further, positional analysis showed ST`s and AM`s had moderate to large decreases in time on the ball per possession at the U23’s age group in comparison to the U16 and U18’s, with no technical differences observed within the same positional analysis. Conclusion Attacking players (AM & ST) are required to move the ball quicker as they progress from U16 to U23’s within the current English football academy. Further exploration is required to assess if these changes are context specific given requirements of those age groups.

The current landscape of personalised preventive approaches for non-communicable diseases: A scoping review

Introduction Personalised prevention offers a promising tool to reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases, which represent a growing health burden worldwide. However, to support the adoption of this innovation it is needed to clarify the current state of available evidence in this area. This work aims to provide an overview of recent publications on personalised prevention for chronic conditions. Materials and methods A scoping review of scientific literature from Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature was conducted. Eligible articles included prospective primary studies and clinical practice directives on personalised preventive approaches for chronic diseases published between January 2017 to December 2023. The review followed Arksey-O’Malley guidelines and PRISMA-ScR checklist. Results We identified 121 publications including 60 primary cohort studies and 61 clinical practice directives. We extracted 249 personalised preventive approaches, 27% in primary prevention, 27% in secondary prevention, and 46% in tertiary prevention. In primary prevention, 50% of the 67 approaches were from cohort studies, mainly targeting cardiovascular diseases, and 50% from directives primarily focused on cancer. Secondary prevention included 66 approaches, 73% from directives mainly concerning breast cancer. Tertiary prevention included 116 approaches, evenly distributed among the two publication types and focusing mostly on cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Lastly, tertiary prevention is the most represented level of prevention both in primary research studies and directives (54% and 41% respectively). Conclusions Our study highlights a significant focus on personalised prevention in oncology in the past few years, with numerous recently issued clinical practice directives. We identified substantial original research in personalised primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, indicating growing interest in the field. However, the distribution of primary studies and directives across the three preventive levels anticipate challenges in generating evidence of clinical utility in primary and secondary prevention, with most approaches falling under tertiary prevention.

Associations of RANKL levels and polymorphisms with rheumatoid arthritis: A meta-analysis

Objectives This study examined the correlation between circulating receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) levels and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and investigated the association between polymorphisms in the RANKL gene and susceptibility to RA. Method We searched the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases for relevant publications up to September 2024. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess serum/plasma RANKL levels in patients with RA and controls, and to explore the relationship between RANKL rs9533156 and rs2277438 polymorphisms and RA susceptibility. Results Ten studies encompassing 1,682 RA patients and 1,288 controls were analyzed. RANKL levels were significantly higher in RA patients compared to controls (SMD = 0.665, 95% CI = 0.290–1.040, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis affirmed these findings’ consistency across different sample sizes and publication years. RANKL levels were positively associated with rheumatoid factor (RF) and Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) (RF correlation coefficient = 0.157, 95% CI = 0.028–0.282, P = 0.018; DAS28 correlation coefficient = 0.151, 95% CI = 0.125–0.370, P < 0.001). Additionally, the meta-analysis revealed significant associations between the susceptibility to RA and the RANKL rs9533156 C allele (OR = 0.609, 95% CI = 0.520–0.714, P < 0.010) as well as the rs2277438 G allele (OR = 1.206, 95% CI = 1.003–1.451, P = 0.047). These associations were consistent across homozygote comparisons and different genetic models. Conclusions This meta-analysis underscores the elevated circulating RANKL levels in RA patients and their significant correlation with RF and DAS28. Additionally, the RANKL rs9533156 and rs2277438 polymorphisms were significantly associated with RA susceptibility.

An analytical study of active earth pressure in cohesive soil considering interlayer shear stress

The impact of interlayer shear stress on the distribution of earth pressure in cohesive soil is notable, but currently, there lacks a comprehensive theory that integrates this factor in the calculation of active earth pressure. Drawing from the Mohr stress circle specific to clay soils, a formula to calculate interlayer shear stress has been derived. Moreover, a robust model has been formulated to compute the active earth pressure in clay soils, incorporating elements such as interlayer shear stress, effects of displacement, soil arching, and the morphology of the sliding surface. To address the challenge of integrating interlayer shear stress in clay soils for an explicit solution, a numerical iteration framework was developed. This framework facilitates the calculation of the strength, resultant force, and point of action for the active earth pressure in cohesive soil. The efficacy of this solution was evaluated by comparing it with the Rankine solution, other existing analytical solutions, and outcomes from standard model tests. Notably, when compared with the experimental findings of the word previous study, this new method exhibited a higher congruence, with discrepancies no greater than 9.8%. This indicates a significant enhancement in accuracy, providing a methodological advancement in calculating earth pressure from static to ultimate active states, inclusive of non-limit active earth pressure during controlled wall displacement scenarios. This novel approach not only supplements but also refines the theoretical framework for earth pressure calculations, offering a more precise computational tool for practical engineering applications.

Teacher voices matter: The role of teacher autonomy in enhancing job satisfaction and mitigating burnout

This study aims to explore variables associated with teacher burnout at the end of the 2021–2022 school year and shed light on teachers’ mental health issues related to psychological factors. We collected survey data from 824 United States teachers. Using a moderated mediation analytic model, the results of this study showed that teachers’ autonomy had considerable interaction effects on job satisfaction and burnout with other variables in this study (i.e., administrative support on job satisfaction and job satisfaction on burnout). Teachers with more experience and higher job satisfaction showed lower burnout scores. Furthermore, results showed significant relationships between key variables influencing burnout. These findings are key as teacher attrition grows across the United States, and school leaders should look to support teachers’ well-being.

Extracting speech spectrogram of speech signal based on generalized S-transform

In speech signal processing, time-frequency analysis is commonly employed to extract the spectrogram of speech signals. While many algorithms exist to achieve this with high-quality results, they often lack the flexibility to adjust the resolution of the extracted spectrograms. However, applications such as speech recognition and speech separation frequently require spectrograms of varying resolutions. The flexibility of an algorithm in providing different resolutions is crucial for these applications. This paper introduces the generalized S-transform, and explains its fundamental theory and algorithmic implementation. By adjusting parameters, the proposed method flexibly produces spectrograms with different resolutions, offering a novel and effective approach to obtain speech signal spectrograms. The algorithm enhances the traditional Stockwell transform (S-transform) by incorporating a low-pass filtering function and introducing two adjustable parameters. These parameters modify the Gaussian window function of the basic S-transform, resulting with the generalized S-transform with customizable time-frequency resolution. Finally, this paper presents simulation experiments using both synthesized signals and real speech datas, comparing with the generalized S-transform with several commonly used spectrogram extraction algorithms. The experiments demonstrate that the generalized S-transform is feasible and effective, particularly when it is combined with the generalized fundamental frequency profile. The results indicate that this method is a viable and effective in obtaining spectrograms of speech signals, and has potential application in speech feature extraction and speech recognition. The pure speech dataset used in the experiments is sourced from a downloadable database and partially from a recorded speech set.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome and liposome hybrids as transfection nanocarriers of Cas9-GFP plasmid to HEK293T cells

Exosomes are natural membrane-enclosed nanovesicles (30–150 nm) involved in cell-cell communication. Recently, they have garnered considerable interest as nanocarriers for the controlled transfer of therapeutic agents to cells. Here, exosomes were derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells using three different isolation methods. Relative to filtration and spin column condensation, the size exclusion chromatography led to the isolation of exosomes with the highest purity. These exosomes were then hybridized with liposomes using freeze-thaw cycles and direct mixing techniques to evaluate whether this combination enhances the transfection efficiency of large plasmids. The efficiency of these hybrids in transferring the Cas9-green fluorescent protein plasmid (pCas9-GFP) into the human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells was evaluated compared to the pure exosomes. Both Cas9-GFP-loaded exosomes and exosome-liposome hybrids were taken up well by the HEK293T cells and were able to transfect them with their plasmid loads. Meanwhile, the treatment of the cells with plasmids alone, without any vesicles, resulted in no transfection, indicating that the exosome and exosome-liposome hybrids are essential for the transfer of the plasmids across the cell membrane. The pure exosomes and the hybrids incorporating liposomes obtained by the heating method transfected the cells more efficiently than those containing liposomes obtained by the thin film hydration technique. Interestingly, the method of combining exosomes with liposomes (freeze-thaw vs. direct mixing) proved to be more decisive in determining the size of the vesicular hybrid than their composition. In contrast, the liposome component in the hybrids proved to be decisive for determining the transfection efficiency.