Dominant Component Research Articles

Diagnostic utility of renal shear wave elastography and renal Doppler findings in diabetic nephropathy: a case–control study

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus is a common systemic disease that affects the kidneys and could eventually develop an end-stage renal failure. Renal biopsy is considered a gold standard for histological characterization of diabetic nephropathy, of which renal fibrosis is a dominant component, affecting its stiffness. The objective of this study is to investigate a correlation between renal stiffness obtained by shear wave elastography, renal Doppler resistivity indices, laboratory findings, and the histological characterization depicted by renal biopsies (if feasible) in diabetic nephropathy patients and to compare their results with those obtained from normal population to explore the diagnostic efficacy of shear wave elastography. Shear wave elastography and color duplex US were performed in twenty-six diabetic nephropathy patients and twenty-six healthy (age and sex-matched) control subjects. The shear wave elastography-derived mean value of the renal tissue stiffness was measured (in kilopascals) as well as the resistivity indices of segmental renal arteries, and then the mean values were correlated to patients' clinical-laboratory data (serum creatinine and albumin/ creatinine ratio) and the biopsy results, if feasible.ResultsA significant positive correlation was found between the mean resistivity indices and the mean renal cortical stiffness at one hand and the patients' clinical-laboratory data with statistically significant differences found between the control, early, and late stages of diabetic nephropathy.ConclusionsShear wave elastography is a promising, non-invasive, and accurate diagnostic tool for assessment and differentiation between early and late stages of diabetic nephropathy with a significant positive correlation to the clinical-laboratory and renal Doppler findings.

Identification and quantification of nanoplastics in different crops using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Quantitative studies of nanoplastics (NPs) abundance on agricultural crops are crucial for understanding the environmental impact and potential health risks of NPs. However, the actual extent of NP contamination in different crops remains unclear, and therefore insufficient quantitative data are available for adequate exposure assessments. Herein, a method with nitric acid digestion, multiple organic extraction combined with pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) quantification was used to determine the chemical composition and mass concentration of NPs in different crops (cowpea, flowering cabbage, rutabagas, and chieh-qua). Recoveries of 74.2–109.3% were obtained for different NPs in standard products (N = 6, RSD <9.6%). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.02–0.5 μg and 0.06–1.5 μg, respectively. The detection method for NPs exhibited good external calibration curves and linearity with 0.99. The results showed that poly (vinylchloride) (PVC), poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polyethylene (PE), and polyadiohexylenediamine (PA66) NPs could be detected in crop samples, although the accumulation levels associated with the various crops varied significantly. PVC (N.D.−954.3 mg kg−1, dry weight (DW)) and PE (101.3−462.9 mg kg−1, DW) NPs were the dominant components in the samples of all four crop species, while high levels of PET (414.3−1430.1 mg kg−1, DW) NPs were detected in cowpea samples. Furthermore, there were notable differences in the accumulation levels of various edible crop parts, such as stems (60.2%) > leaves (39.8%) in flowering cabbage samples and peas (58.8%) > pods (41.2%) in cowpea samples. This study revealed the actual extent of NP contamination in different types of crops and provided crucial reference data for future research.

Hidden-Charm Pentaquarks with Strangeness in a Chiral Quark Model

The LHCb collaboration has recently announced the discovery of two hidden-charm pentaquark states with strange quark content, Pcs(4338) and Pcs(4459); its analysis points towards having both hadrons’ isospins equal to zero and spin-parity quantum numbers 12− and 32−, respectively. Herein, we perform a systematical investigation of the qqscc¯(q=u,d) system by means of a chiral quark model, along with a highly accurate computational method, the Gaussian expansion approach combined with the complex scaling technique. baryon-meson configurations in both singlet- and hidden-color channels are considered. The Pcs(4338) and Pcs(4459) signals can be well identified as molecular bound states with dominant components ΛJ/ψ(60%) and ΞcD(23%) for the lowest-energy case and ΞcD∗(72%) for the highest-energy one. In addition, it seems that some narrow resonances can also be found in each allowed I(JP) channel in the energy region of 4.6–5.5 GeV, except for the 1(12−) channel where a shallow bound state with dominant Ξc∗D∗ structure is obtained at 4673 MeV with binding energy EB=−3 MeV. These exotic states are expected to be confirmed in future high-energy experiments.

Epichloë fungal endophyte strains and their Lolium hosts affect resistance to Listronotus bonariensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

ABSTRACT Both adults and larvae of Listronotus bonariensis damage ryegrass (Lolium spp.), a dominant component of New Zealand pasture. Damage can be reduced by Epichloë festucae var. lolii, a biotrophic fungal symbiont of ryegrass, through the production of alkaloids with deterrent and/or toxic effects to insect herbivores including L. bonariensis. Here we report results from two pot trials and a field trial comparing endophyte strains with different alkaloid profiles that have been introduced to reduce or eliminate adverse effects on stock. Adult L. bonariensis feeding scars, number of eggs and the proportion of tillers with larval damage and the severity of that damage were recorded. Samples of pseudostem and leaf blades were analysed for alkaloids. AR1 endophyte reduced adult feeding, oviposition, and larval damage whereas AR37 had no effect on adults but was highly effective in reducing larval damage. Reduction in adult feeding and oviposition by different NEA strains was governed by concentrations of peramine and ergovaline. For plants infected with AR37, alkaloid concentrations that determined the extent of larval damage were influenced by host species and ploidy; tetraploid L. perenne was more severely damaged than its diploid equivalent; L. multiflorum cultivars were more susceptible than the L. hybridum and L. perenne cultivars.

Practical Model for the Calculation of Lateral Electromagnetic Loads in Tokamaks at Asymmetric Vertical Displacement Events (AVDEs)

This paper describes a new practical numerical model for the calculation of lateral electromagnetic (EM) loads in tokamaks during asymmetric vertical displacement events (AVDEs). The model combines key features of two recently reported trial models while avoiding their drawbacks. Their common basic feature is the superposition of two patterns of halo current: one perfectly symmetric and another perfectly anti-symmetric. This model combines the following features that have not been combined before (a) a helically distorted halo layer wrapping around core plasma, and (b) halo-to-wall interception belts slipping along plasma-facing walls. This combination almost doubles the lateral net forces. An AVDE creates significant lateral net moments. Being relatively modest at VDEs, the lateral moments become a dominant component of EM loads at AVDEs. The model carefully tracks the balance of net EM loads (zero total for the tokamak), as a necessary condition for the consequent numerical simulation of the tokamak’s dynamic response. This balance is needed as well for the development of tokamak monitoring algorithms and simulators. In order to decouple from the current uncertainties in the interpretation and simulation of AVDE physics, the model does not simulate AVDE evolution but uses it as an input assumption based on the existing interpretation and simulation of AVDE physics. This means the model is to be used in a manner of parametric study, at widely varied input assumptions on AVDE evolution and severity. Parametric results will fill a library of ready-for-use waveforms of asymmetric EM loads (distributed and total) at tokamak structures and coils, so that the physics community may point to specific variants for subsequent engineering analysis. This article presents the first practical contribution to this AVDE library.

Characterization by NMR Spectroscopy of the SEI Layer Formed on Ti3C2 MXene Materials Prepared with Various Terminations

The nature and content of surface terminations are one of the key factors that define the electrochemical signature of the widely studied MXene materials. In this paper, the surface termination of molten salt synthesized Ti3C2Tx MXene with -O and -Cl terminations (T=Cl,O) are studied for the first time using solid state NMR technique, with respect to conventional HF synthesized Ti3C2Tx (T=F, O, OH). Both materials have been further used as negative electrode of Li-ion battery. The evolution of surface terminations during the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer formation was studied from the SEI components formed in both MXenes. Analysis of the NMR signal provided insights into the porous nature of SEI with LiF as main component in HF terminated MXenes. While a thick uniform formation of the SEI was observed for the molten salt synthesized Ti3C2Tx (T=Cl,O) with Li2CO3 as dominant component.

Luminescent manifestations of ytterbium ions in the crystal structure of silicate apatite

The manifestation of ytterbium ions in the microcrystals of the Sr2Y6.8YbSi6O26:Er0.2 solid solution with apatite structure was studied on the basis of low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and spectral-kinetic measurement data. Intracenter down-conversion luminescence of Er3+ ions in the visible and IR ranges was detected. Up-conversion luminescence of Er3+ ions is observed upon IR excitation due to excitation of Yb3+ ions and subsequent energy transfer Yb3+ → Er3+. Overlapping bands at 412 and 430 nm with a Stokes shift of less than 0.3 eV are observed in the PL spectra at room temperature. These emission bands are assigned to the spin-allowed and spin-forbidden 4f135d → 4f14 transitions from the low-spin and high-spin exciting states of Yb2+ ion, respectively. The PL decay kinetics for transitions from the low-spin states is characterized by a dominant component τ = 0.39 ns. An alternative model of Yb3+ luminescence center associated with a charge transfer band does not explain the data of low-temperature (5K) PL spectroscopy. At T = 5 K, a new wide emission band with a maximum at 696 nm and a Stokes shift of 1.1 eV appears in the PL spectrum. Two options of this PL band nature are considered. The first is the luminescence of defects having a vacancy nature. The second possible option is the manifestation of anomalous luminescence of Yb2+ ions, which occupy a different crystallographic position in the apatite crystal structure.

Analysis and Forecasting of Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Kenya and South Africa using Holt Winter Model

In this paper, Holt-Winters exponential smoothing approach is applied to model and forecast monthly CPI in Kenya and South Africa. Monthly data from January 2000 to December 2023 was obtained from Central Bank of Kenya and South Africa department of statistics. Time series decomposition showed that the trend component is the most dominant component in both countries. Kenya Holt-Winters estimated model has parameters 0.6756, 0.0077 and 1 for level smoothing, trend smoothing and seasonal smoothing respectively. On the other hand, South Africa estimated model has parameters 0.8917, 0.1057 and 1 for level smoothing, trend smoothing and seasonal smoothing respectively. The estimated models are efficient and effective as on average the fitted values are less than one percent off the observed values. The initial values for level smoothing, trend smoothing and seasonal smoothing are approximately equal in both countries. The estimated models are then used to predict CPI next twelve months. Over the forecast period, South Africa will experience a lower index as compared to Kenya. In both countries, it’s expected that monthly CPI will rise.

Secondary Metabolites from Symbiotic Bacteria of Seagrass and Molluscs as A Reference for Natural Food Preservatives

Symbiotic bacteria from seagrass and molluscs have the potential to be a source of secondary metabolites. Compounds from these secondary metabolites, such as natural food preservatives, can be used in the bioindustry sector. This research aims to identify the potential secondary metabolites from symbiotic bacteria in molluscs and seagrass that can support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) public health program. The samples used in this study were symbiotic bacteria of mollusc from seagrass environments, symbiotic bacteria from seagrass, and seagrass samples. The seagrass samples were analysed phytochemically, while the symbiotic bacteria samples from molluscs and seagrass were tested for their antibacterial activity against food spoilage pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using the disc diffusion method. Bacteria that showed potential antibacterial activity were identified using molecular methods, and the content of active compounds was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The phytochemical analysis revealed that seagrass contains flavones, tannins, steroids, and compounds with potential antibacterial properties. GC-MS analysis indicated that seagrass is predominantly composed of unsaturated fatty acids, which have antimicrobial effects by damaging bacterial cell membranes and disrupting the function of enzymes essential for growth and reproduction. Ten symbiotic bacteria isolates demonstrated proteolytic, cellulolytic, and lipolytic enzyme activity, suggesting their potential as antibacterial agents due to their ability to break down cell walls. Molecular identification of selected bacteria revealed the presence of mollusc symbionts, including Vibrio owensii, Bacillus paramycoides, and Pseudoalteromonas flavipulchra. The symbiotic bacteria found in seagrass in this study included Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus paramycoides, Nocardiopsis alba, Nocardiopsis alba, Bacillus tropicus, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, and Bacillus tropicus. GC-MS analysis of selected symbiotic bacteria from seagrass showed that the dominant compound components were phthalic acid, bis(7-methyl octyl) ester (25.18, 43.84, 35.55 %), and trimethoxy-3-piperidyl-2,2'-binaphthalene-1,1',4,4'-tetrone (36.36, 47.71, 64.48 %). In conclusion, seagrass and its symbiotic bacteria, as well as symbiotic bacteria from molluscs living in seagrass, have the potential to serve as antibacterial agents and can be used as references for food preservatives. HIGHLIGHTS Seagrass and mollusc symbiotic bacteria produce secondary metabolites that have antimicrobial properties, making them suitable for food preservation The component that acts as an antibacterial agent is found in seagrass: Essential fatty acids, which can have antibacterial properties Symbiotic bacteria are microorganisms that live in mutualistic symbiosis with other organisms. The enzymatic activities of symbiotic bacteria can involve the production of enzymes that break down complex molecules into simpler molecules In food preservation, symbiotic bacteria, with their enzymatic activity, can be used as natural preservatives Using natural food preservatives derived from seagrass and mollusc symbiotic bacteria can contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to food preservation GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Dry fractionation of Australian mungbean for sustainable production of value‐added protein concentrate ingredients

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesDry fractionation, combining milling and air classification technology, offers an economical and sustainable pathway for the processing of value‐added protein ingredients from Australia's major pulse crops. Leveraging a wider range of pulses will help meet the growing demand for plant‐based protein ingredients. This study demonstrates the efficient processing of protein concentrates from Australian mungbean, which were characterized for key nutritional properties, phytochemical constituents, protein quality, and protein secondary structure.FindingsMilling and air classification of mungbean flour resulted in protein concentrates (fine fraction) with a protein content of 62.2 g/100 g (db), reflecting a two‐fold increase in protein content compared to the original flour (p &lt; .05). Ash, fat, dietary fiber, and free phenolic and antioxidant compounds, also co‐concentrated with protein in the fine fraction (p &lt; .05), imparting enhanced nutritional properties with the potential to deliver health benefits. The protein quality of dry fractionated mungbean protein concentrate was compared to a commercial source of mungbean protein isolate (88 g/100 g, [db]). Amino acid scores highlighted deficiencies in sulfur‐containing amino acids, methionine, and cysteine, as well as tryptophan and threonine. In vitro protein digestibility‐corrected amino acid scores for the mungbean protein concentrate and protein isolate were 63.7% and 59.5%, respectively. SDS‐PAGE protein profiles showed no major differences in protein composition, indicating that no specific types of proteins are lost during the dry fractionation process. Fourier transform infrared analysis of protein secondary structure showed that β‐sheets were the dominant structural component, with relative percentages of 36% and 49%, for the mungbean protein concentrate and isolate, respectively.ConclusionsThere is significant potential for dry fractionation to deliver value‐added opportunities for Australian mungbean, through the production of protein concentrate ingredients with enhanced nutritional properties for use in new and existing foods.Significance and NoveltyNutritional properties, protein quality, and protein secondary structure were compared for protein concentrates and protein isolates processed from Australian‐grown mungbean. Key findings from this study will inform pulse protein processors and pulse‐based food manufacturers.

3D Printed Ion-Responsive Personalized Transdermal Patch.

Microneedle patches are easy-to-use medical devices for transdermal administration. However, the insufficient insertion of microneedles due to the gap between planar patches and contoured skin affects drug delivery. Herein, we formulate a prepolymer for high-fidelity three-dimensional (3D) printed personalized transdermal patches. With the excellent photoinitiation ability of 2-(4-methoxystyryl)-4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-1,3,5-triazine (Tz), a high-fidelity and precise microneedle patch is successfully fabricated. Upon irradiation of the white illuminator, the doped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the patch release heat and promisingly induce sweat production. With the introduction of Na+, the dominant component of sweat, the curvature of the produced transdermal patch is observed due to the ion-induced network rearrangement. The alkanethiol-stabilized AuNP with an end group of a carboxyl group causes controlled drug release behavior. Furthermore, the irradiation-induced photothermal heating of AuNP can facilitate the sustainability of drug release thanks to the substantially increased particle size of AuNP. These findings demonstrate that the developed prepolymer is a promising candidate for the production of transdermal patches fitting the curvature of the body surface.

Polyphenolic profile and in vitro biological activity of Serbian orange (skin fermented white) wines

Orange wines are made from white grapes, but with prolonged skin contact during fermentation. Available data on their composition and potential health benefits are limited, so polyphenolic profile (HPLC analysis) and in vitro biological activities (enzyme inhibition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory) of 24 Serbian orange wines were analyzed, including the correlation between determined composition and bioactivities. The wines displayed distinct polyphenolic profiles, enabling partial differentiation based on overall polyphenol content, including dominant components (catechin, gallic and caffeic acids), along with occasional occurrences of anthocyanins. However, no discernible distinctions were noted based on grape varieties, vintage, or producer. All twenty-four orange wines showed a reasonable inhibition of digestive enzymes and lipid peroxidation, twenty-one samples reduced ROS generation in the cell-based assay, but only two suppressed both PGE2 and TXA2 production in U937 cells, implicating possible functional food properties. No significant correlation between polyphenolic profile and determined biological activities was noticed.

A novel formation mechanism: One-step synthesis of high-purity MAX phase bulk via enlarged reaction depth

The synthesis of high purity MAX phase bulk still faces a big challenge. In this study, we fabricated 98 vol% MAX phase bulk doped with Al2O3 nanoparticles through spark plasma sintering by using larger size TixAl1-x powders (particle size ∼100 μm) for the first time, in which 91 vol% Ti2AlN was the dominant component. The phase transition mechanism for Ti2AlN was deeply revealed by both experiments and theoretical calculations. Ti proportion of TixAl1-x powders played a key role in the formation of Ti2AlN, and increasing Ti proportion leaded to higher content of Ti2AlN. Both Al migration from TixAl1-x and TiN nanotwins generated by N vacancies could enlarge the reaction depth, resulting in fully transformation of larger size reactants and thus high purity MAX phase as obtained. Further, the transition model for the synthesis of Ti2AlN was accordingly proposed, which contained three stages and was additionally verified by experimental observations.

Multi-index evaluation of different parts of Amomum villosum

To investigate the quality differences between the seeds and husks of Amomum villosum and explore the rationality of using the seeds without husks, this study determined the content of protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, epicatechin, quercitrin, volatile oil, water extract, and ethanol extract. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS), and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities were determined to evaluate the antioxidant activities of seeds and husks. The quality differences between the seeds and husks were assessed through orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) and analytic hierarchy process(AHP) combined with the entropy weight method(EWM). Significant differences(P&lt;0.05) were observed in all 10 indicators between the seeds and husks. The levels of epicatechin, quercetin, and volatile oil were higher in the seeds, whereas those of protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, water extract, and ethanol extract were higher in the husks. The seeds showed stronger scavenging ability against DPPH and ABTS radicals, while the husks showed a stronger scavenging effect on hydroxyl radicals. OPLS-DA significantly discriminated between the seeds and husks. Furthermore, volatile oil, water extract, DPPH radical scavenging rate, quercitrin, ABTS radical scavenging rate, hydroxyl radical scavenging rate, and vanillic acid were selected as the main differential indicators by variable importance in projection(VIP). Comprehensive scores calculated by AHP combined with EWM indicated that the seeds were superior to husks in terms of overall quality. However, there are still some dominant components and a certain antioxidant effect in the husks. Therefore, it is suggested to using Amomi Fructus with a certain amount of husks or utilizing the husks for other purposes.

Metamorphism of Dolomitic and Magnesitic Rocks in Collisional Orogens and Implications for Orogenic CO2 Degassing

Abstract Carbonate-bearing sediments, containing calcite, dolomite or magnesite as major carbonate components, are important constituents of sedimentary sequences deposited on passive margins through Earth’s history. When involved in collisional orogenic processes, these sediments are metamorphosed at variable temperatures and pressures, and undergo decarbonation reactions. While the orogenic metamorphism of some of these lithologies (i.e. impure limestones and dolostones, marls sensu stricto and calcareous pelites) is relatively well understood, very little is known about the metamorphic evolution and decarbonation history of mixed carbonate–silicate rocks in which either dolomite or magnesite is the dominant carbonate component. Here we present the results of a petrologic study of representative samples of metasediments from Central Nepal, derived from Proterozoic dolomitic and magnesitic protoliths metamorphosed during the Himalayan orogeny. The main metamorphic assemblages developed in sediments originally containing different amounts of dolomite or magnesite are characterised in detail. Forward thermodynamic modelling applied to seven samples allows constraints to be placed on (i) the main decarbonation reactions, (ii) the P–T conditions under which these reactions took place, (iii) the composition of the fluids, and (iv) the amounts of CO2 released. We conclude that the CO2 productivity of dolomitic and magnesitic pelites and marls originally containing 15–40% carbonate is significant (&amp;gt;5.5 ± 1.0 CO2 wt% and up to 10.5 ± 1.5 CO2 wt%), whereas for carbonate contents above 60–70%, CO2 productivity is negligible unless aqueous fluids infiltrate from the outside and trigger decarbonation reactions. Since the dolomitic and magnesitic protoliths are significantly abundant in the sedimentary sequences involved in the still active Himalayan orogen, the decarbonation processes described here could contribute to the diffuse CO2 degassing currently observed at the surface. Furthermore, we propose for the first time that the peculiar magnesium-rich assemblages investigated in this study may derive from evaporitic protoliths, and that the whole Upper Lesser Himalayan Sequence may therefore represent the metamorphic product of a Proterozoic sequence consisting of alternating layers of carbonatic, evaporitic and pelitic sediments.

Physics-Based Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) Using Landsat OLI Images

The estimation of depth in optically shallow waters using satellite imagery can be efficient and cost-effective. Active sensors measure the distance traveled by an emitted laser pulse propagating through the water with high precision and accuracy if the bottom peak intensity of the waveform is greater than the noise level. However, passive optical imaging of optically shallow water involves measuring the radiance after the sunlight undergoes downward attenuation on the way to the sea floor, and the reflected light is then attenuated while moving back upward to the water surface. The difficulty of satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) arises from the fact that the measured radiance is a result of a complex association of physical elements, mainly the optical properties of the water, bottom reflectance, and depth. In this research, we attempt to apply physics-based algorithms to solve this complex problem as accurately as possible to overcome the limitation of having only a few known values from a multispectral sensor. Major analysis components are atmospheric correction, the estimation of water optical properties from optically deep water, and the optimization of bottom reflectance as well as the water depth. Specular reflection of the sky radiance from the water surface is modeled in addition to the typical atmospheric correction. The physical modeling of optically dominant components such as dissolved organic matter, phytoplankton, and suspended particulates allows the inversion of water attenuation coefficients from optically deep pixels. The atmospheric correction and water attenuation results are used in the ocean optical reflectance equation to solve for the bottom reflectance and water depth. At each stage of the solution, physics-based models and a physically valid, constrained Levenberg–Marquardt numerical optimization technique are used. The physics-based algorithm is applied to Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery over the shallow coastal zone of Guam, Key West, and Puerto Rico. The SDB depths are compared to airborne lidar depths, and the root mean squared error (RMSE) is mostly less than 2 m over water as deep as 30 m. As the initial choice of bottom reflectance is critical, along with the bottom reflectance library, we describe a pure bottom unmixing method based on eigenvector analysis to estimate unknown site-specific bottom reflectance.

Alkaline pulping catalyzed ordered conversion of bark in supercritical water

The hydrophilicity of lignocellulosic biomass hinders the application of a high concentration slurry for supercritical water gasification, thereby reducing the gasification efficiency and energy self-sufficiency. A pretreatment method of alkaline pulping with KOH and NaOH was proposed to achieve the high feed concentration for continuous reactor and macromolecular simplification for barrier reduction of conversion. In this study, bark as an example of lignocellulosic biomass, whose 30 wt% and 40 wt% slurries with favorable rheology and stability, was prepared by alkaline pulping successfully. The minimum alkali consumption of NaOH and KOH pulping for 30 wt% and 40 wt% were 11%–14%, 16%–20%, and 16%–21%, 23%–28%, respectively. The most economical conditions were 180 °C and 24% KOH addition. All slurries prepared by NaOH and KOH at 180 and 200 °C could satisfy the industrial standard of coal-water slurry, and only 3–5 times higher than water viscosity. The bark macromolecules were restructured due to the hydrolysis of cellulose and lignin by breaking down the hydrogen bond and ether bond with trivial hydrocarbon matrix loss. The scattered crystal growth facilitated the uniform premixing of bark and water. Meanwhile, a surface particle charges potential increase leading to a heightened repulsive force by alkaline pulping furtherly enhanced the premixing effect. Additionally, metal ions could be deposited onto the bark surface during alkaline pulping. The chemical modification leading by alkaline pulping achieved the premixing of feedstock and water to form bark slurry. The conversion barrier was decreased to fulfill the ordered conversion, and 95.66% gasification efficiency for 40 wt% bark slurry was displayed at 600 °C with a preheated water of 6. Phenolic compounds and hydrocarbons were the most dominant components in liquid products. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in liquid products were detected at 620 °C with a preheated water of 4. The functional groups of organic matter in the slurry were significantly converted into the gas phase, and lattice oxygen was produced in the solid product. The alkali recovery was 65% at the optimal gasification condition, and achieved the maximum of 80% at 580 °C. The successful completion of this research affirms the dominance of the pulping-alkali recovery-gasification method for expanding the application of SCWG of lignocellulosic biomass in large engineering projects.

Attention-guided multi-granularity fusion model for video summarization

Video summarization has attracted extensive attention benefiting from its valuable capability to facilitate video browsing. While achieving notable improvement, existing methods still fail to sufficiently and effectively model contextual information within videos, hindering the summarization performance owing to a deficiency in powerful contextual representations. To address this limitation, we present a novel Attention-Guided Multi-Granularity Fusion Model (AMFM), which allows for optimizing the modeling process from the context capturing and fusion perspective. AMFM comprises three dominant components including a content-aware enhancement (CAE) module, a multi-granularity encoder (MGE), and a scale-adaptive fusion (SAF) module. More specifically, CAE dynamically enhances pre-trained visual features by learning the potential visual relationship across frame-level and video-level embeddings. Subsequently, coarse-grained and fine-grained contextual information is simultaneously modeled in the same representation space by MGE with the combination of self-attention and temporal convolution scheme. Furthermore, the multi-granularity representations with a significant difference in the semantic scale are adaptively fused by SAF. Our method can precisely pinpoint key segments by effectively modeling and processing rich temporal representations. Extensive comparisons with state-of-the-art methods on standard datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the ablation studies further verify the positive impact of each module in our model.

The impact of prior care experience on nursing students' compassionate values and behaviours: A mixed methods study

BackgroundCompassion is critical to the provision of high-quality healthcare and is foregrounded internationally as an issue of contemporary concern. Paid care experience prior to nurse training has been suggested as a potential means of improving compassion, which has been characterised by the values and behaviours of care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment. There is however a dearth of evidence to support the effectiveness of prior care experience as a means of improving compassion in nursing. ObjectiveTo explore the impact of paid prior care experience on the values and behaviours of pre-registration nursing students indicated as characterising compassionate care. DesignLongitudinal mixed methods design employing a modified concurrent triangulation strategy, comprising two work packages. Work package 1 was qualitative, and work package 2 adopted a concurrent embedded strategy with a dominant quantitative component. Research is reported in accordance with the Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study framework. Setting(s)Three United Kingdom universities. ParticipantsPre-registration nursing students attending one of three universities, and individuals who had previously participated in a Health Education England paid prior care experience pilot. Participant numbers at time point 1 were questionnaires n = 220, telephone interviews n = 10, and focus groups n = 8. MethodsWork package 1 consisted of longitudinal semi-structured telephone interviews. Work package 2 comprised validated online questionnaires measuring emotional intelligence, compassion satisfaction and fatigue, resilience, psychological empowerment, and career commitment (as proxies of compassionate values and behaviours), and focus groups. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. Quantitative data were analysed via Analysis of Variance in SPSS v 26. ResultsQualitative findings suggest that prior care experience has both positive and negative effects on students' compassionate values and behaviours, however positive effects do not extend to qualification. No statistically significant differences were found in any of the quantitative outcome measures between participants with and without paid prior care experience. A statistically significant increase in compassion fatigue was identified in both groups of participants post-qualification. Paid prior care experience did not prevent participants from experiencing reality shock on becoming a student or on qualification. ConclusionsThere is insufficient evidence of longitudinal beneficial impact to recommend paid prior care experience as an effective intervention to foster nursing students' compassionate values and behaviours. These findings do not support mandating a period of paid care experience as a prerequisite for entry into nurse education. RegistrationN/A.Tweetable abstractInsufficient evidence of longitudinal beneficial impact to recommend prior care experience as an effective intervention to foster nursing student compassion @PriorCareExp @Sarah_F_R

THE APOPTOSIS INDUCTION OF Zingiber oficinale ETHANOLIC EXTRACT-Treated HeLa (HUMAN CERVICAL CANCER) CELLS AND ACTIVE COMPOUND PROFILING USING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY

Cervical cancer accounts for the highest percentage of cancer-related deaths in Indonesia, accounting for nearly 60% of all cancer cases. Therefore, research into the anticancer mechanisms needs to be conducted. The ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale (EEZO) contains zingiberene, a chemical known for its anticancer activity. Understanding the mechanism underlying the apoptosis-inducing effects is crucial. This study aimed to elucidate the apoptotic pathway and analyze the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) profile of EEZO cells. The research commenced with the maceration of Zingiber officinale rhizomes using 75% ethanol to obtain EEZO. Apoptosis assays were conducted on both a negative control group and an EEZO-treated group of HeLa cells (cervical cancer cells). The apoptotic mechanism was evaluated using forward scattered light-side scattered light (FSC-SSC), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FTIC), and phycoerythrin (PE) flow cytometry. Apoptotic results were analyzed by comparing the control and EEZO samples, which revealed the number of viable cells, apoptotic cells, and cells in the sub-G1 phase. The major constituent of EEZO, which is expected to be a potent apoptosis inducer, was detected using GC/MS. The FSC-SSC results indicated a lower number of viable cells in the EEZO-exposed group than in the control group. FTIC results demonstrated that EEZO significantly increased apoptotic cell death, increasing from 68 to 1537 cells. PE flow cytometry revealed an elevated sub-G1 cell population, indicating the induction of apoptosis by EEZO. GC/MS analysis revealed five dominant components in EEZO, which had the potential to induce apoptosis: L-borneol, zingiberene, farnesol, beta-sesquiphellandrene, and alpha-curcumene ...