Multiple Benefits Research Articles

Cost-Effective Milled Silicon and Exfoliated Graphene Anode for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries play a significant role in modern electronics and electric vehicles. However, current lithium-ion battery chemistries are unable to satisfy the increasingly heightened expectations regarding energy demand and reliability. To boost the overall energy density while ensuring the safety of Li batteries, researchers have focused on developing the battery materials [1]. Silicon has an ultrahigh theoretical capacity and has been regarded as the best choice for next-generation lithium-ion battery anodes, but it also suffers from dramatic expansion during cycling [2]. Hence mitigating volume expansion is one of the main challenges towards developing a successful Si based anodes. Herein, a facile air-controlled electrospray method to directly deposit silicon/graphene (Si/Gr) onto current collectors was described. This method is inspired by an electrospinning process and possesses all the advantages that electrospinning has such as low cost, easy scaling up, and simultaneous solvent evaporation during the spraying process. Cost-effective silicon/graphene (Si/Gr) composite electrodes have been investigated for the multiple benefits of Gr in providing mechanical integrity to buffer the silicon volume expansion while maintaining electronic contact with Si to provide a Li-ion transport pathway and to form a uniform solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. Our results revealed a superior battery performance including a capacity of 1000 mAh/g at 2C rates and minor capacity loss during long cycling. The details of synthesis, characterization, and lithium-ion battery results of the hybrid anodes will be presented.

The medial transorbital approach in cranioendoscopic skull base tumor resections for locally advanced tumors

BackgroundOrbital structure preservation and avoidance of facial incisions without compromising oncological outcome are key to maintaining function and quality of life in locally advanced sinonasal tumor surgery. A transorbital approach at our institution has proven invaluable during cranioendoscopic skull base tumor resections and there are few descriptions of this in the literature. MethodsAn IRB-approved retrospective chart review was conducted at a tertiary cancer center for patients between 2020 and 2022 undergoing cranioendoscopic tumor resections utilizing a transorbital approach. Data collected included histopathology, sinus origin, disease extent, stage, operative details, length of stay, neo-adjuvant treatment and adjuvant treatment. Recurrence, survival, and complication rates were assessed. ResultsFour patients were identified for inclusion, including a SMARCB1-deficient carcinoma, esthesioneuroblastoma, squamous cell carcinoma and meningioma. All patients had resection of gross and microscopic disease with preservation of orbital contents. Post-operatively, one patient had mild diplopia on inferior gaze, all other patients had normal vision. Median follow-up was 9.5 months. One patient had recurrence of disease intracranially. ConclusionsThe cranioendoscopic approach with a medial transorbital incision has multiple benefits. It avoids the need for a Weber-Ferguson incision with associated facial scar, allows for early intra-operative assessment for orbital invasion using tactile feedback and safe dissection of disease while protecting the globe and rectus muscles. This leads to preservation of eye function while ensuring an oncological resection. Other advantages include ligation of the anterior ethmoid artery and access for reconstruction of the medial orbital wall.

Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analyses of Curcumin Alleviation of Ochratoxin A-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the mycotoxins that poses a serious threat to human and animal health. Curcumin (CUR) is a major bioactive component of turmeric that provides multiple health benefits. CUR can reduce the toxicities induced by mycotoxins, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. To explore the effects of CUR on OTA toxicity and identify the key regulators and metabolites involved in the biological processes, we performed metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of livers from OTA-exposed mice. We found that CUR can alleviate the toxic effects of OTA on body growth and liver functions. In addition, CUR supplementation significantly affects the expressions of 1584 genes and 97 metabolites. Integrated analyses of transcriptomic and metabolomic data showed that the pathways including Arachidonic acid metabolism, Purine metabolism, and Cholesterol metabolism were significantly enriched. Pantothenic acid (PA) was identified as a key metabolite, the exogenous supplementation of which was observed to significantly alleviate the OTA-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and cell apoptosis. Further mechanistical analyses revealed that PA can downregulate the expression level of proapoptotic protein BAX, enhance the expression level of apoptosis inhibitory protein BCL2, and decrease the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2). This study demonstrated that CUR can alleviate the adverse effects of OTA by influencing the transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of livers, which may contribute to the application of CUR in food and feed products for the prevention of OTA toxicity.

ATBC 2019 in Madagascar: Its impact on the National Scientific Community

AbstractConferences of the Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation aim to foster scientific understanding and conservation of tropical ecosystems by supporting research communication and collaboration among biologists and conservation practitioners working in the tropics. The annual meeting in 2019 was held in Antananarivo, Madagascar. To assess the importance of the meeting in the academic and professional development of the 89 Malagasy participants, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted 12 months after the meeting. Feedback from the respondents indicated that the three most important aspects of the meeting were developing networks (40.0%); improving professional skills (encompassing public speaking, data analysis, comments on their presentations, writing capacity, and ability to publish) (30.0%); and gaining visibility (16.7%). Among the respondents, 49.0% have subsequently become interest in problems associated with deforestation, 28.6% in topics related to conservation biology, 14.3% to new approaches for solving conservation problems, and 8.2% in food security issues. The survey found that language barriers and lack of funds for research (about 64.6% in both cases) were the most limiting factors to advance research programs for national scientists. The meeting also acknowledged three Malagasy scientists who received Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation awards. An important outcome was the “Ivato Declaration” a petition to bring to the world's attention the current conservation situation on the island and for which nearly 7000 people from 124 countries signed. The survey indicated that national scientists and students received multiple benefits and new opportunities from their participation in the meeting.Abstract in French is available with online material.

Why Australian farmers should not kill venomous snakes

AbstractMany Australians who work outdoors (notably, farmers and graziers) routinely kill venomous snakes. We argue that this attitude is misguided and dangerous. Despite their fearsome reputation, venomous Australian snakes pose little risk to human health (snakes kill an average of less than three people per year in Australia). Also, snakes confer a substantial benefit by consuming agricultural pests such as rodents. We estimate the magnitude of that benefit with data on snake diets, feeding rates and abundances. The most valuable rodent‐controllers are Brownsnakes (genus Pseudonaja), which are rodent‐specialists as adults and are abundant in agroecosystems across much of Australia. We calculate that a free‐living adult Eastern Brownsnake consumes at least 50 mice per year (probably twice that number), and that population densities of Brownsnakes in agricultural areas can exceed 100 per km2. Thus, Brownsnakes remove thousands of mice per square kilometre of farmland per year. That offtake plausibly reduces rodent densities because Brownsnakes take all age classes and both sexes of rodents by hunting in burrows. Tolerating Brownsnakes also would benefit the environment (e.g. less reliance on toxic chemicals) and the health of humans and domestic pets (fewer rodent‐mediated diseases) and counter‐intuitively, might reduce rates of snakebite (because many bites occur when a snake is attacked). In summary, a societal policy of coexisting with highly venomous snakes would confer multiple benefits to Australian farmers.

Clustering Approach for Reliable Wireless Communication

Multiple access techniques for 5G systems are based on principles related to security, efficiency, and performance increase. Multi-user shared access (MUSA) is included in code-domain non-orthogonal multiple access (CD-NOMA) techniques with multiple benefits including multiple-access interference minimization and system capacity increase. The additional benefits of MUSA include its grant-free nature, which makes it applicable to scenarios involving random access channels, minimal latency communications, etc. Depending on the high-frequency diversity of the fading-affected channels, this technique is also used to lessen their effects. This paper illustrates the concept of code correlation used in MUSA by proposing a method to allocate MUSA codes to active users in an uplink data transmission system based on clusters. This clustering approach (grouping of 3GPP TR 38.812 spreading codewords) enables performance improvement in different system configurations by implementing various scenarios and providing reliable results. It is demonstrated that four-length spreading code selection from 3GPP family codes is a satisfactory solution, and this cluster grouping can be designed in a less overloaded multi-user system. The challenges, advantages, and limitations of the proposed method are outlined throughout the study.

The Gender Aspects of Agroforestry Practices in Maytemeko Watershed, Northwestern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to assess the gender aspect of agroforestry practices (AFPs) in terms of participation and benefit in northwest Ethiopia. An explanatory sequential research design of mixed method was employed to obtain and analyze the data required for the study. Household questionnaire survey which was collected from 138 randomly selected households, ethnographic observation and interview were used to collect data. The research result showed that though most women are implementing AFPs compared to their male counterparts, the number of trees and shrubs on farm plots are lower for women. At household level, women are taking highest responsibility to manage AFPs. It was also found that 40.3% (166.5 tons/year) of energy for cooking and heating is obtained from trees and shrubs grown in AFPs followed by natural forest wood sources (32.2% or 134 tons/year). The majority of the respondents (56%) confirmed that women and girls are responsible for fuel wood collection from the natural forest areas. In contrast, for those households who obtained the fuel wood from AFPs, men are most responsible to prepare the fuel wood. An average time which was needed to collect a bundle of fuel wood from natural forest area was four times more than the time needed to collecting the same amount of fuel wood from AFPs. This indicated that AFP is playing a crucial role in reducing the burden of women and girls by reducing the time and labor spent for fuel collection. Generally, implementing AFP is not only used to save the natural forest cover, but it also has an implication in gender balance for fuel wood collection. Thus, stressing the multiple benefits of AFP, agricultural extension workers should encourage farmers to plant trees on their farm lands by recognzing the gender aspects as well.

Volume holographic illuminator for Airy light-sheet microscopy.

Airy light sheets combined with the deconvolution approach can provide multiple benefits, including large field of view (FOV), thin optical sectioning, and high axial resolution. The efficient design of an Airy light-sheet fluorescence microscope requires a compact illumination system. Here, we show that an Airy light sheet can be conveniently implemented in microscopy using a volume holographic grating (VHG). To verify the FOV and the axial resolution of the proposed VHG-based Airy light-sheet fluorescence microscope, ex-vivo fluorescently labeled Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) embryos were imaged, and the Richardson-Lucy deconvolution method was used to improve the image contrast. Optimized parameters for deconvolution were compared with different methods. The experimental results show that the FOV and the axial resolution were 196 µm and 3 µm, respectively. The proposed method of using a compact VHG to replace the common spatial light modulator provides a direct solution to construct a compact light-sheet fluorescence microscope.

Prednosti i prijetnje tehnologije preciznoga praćenja i upravljanja na mliječnim farmama

In addition to the usual labor-intensive technological processes (i.e., feeding, milking, cleaning, and curing), an increasing importance in today’s milk production, is attached to the monitoring of animal behavior and the state of microclimate in a facility. While behavioral monitoring is performed on a smaller number of target animals on the smaller dairy farms, numerous modern electronic measuring devices are introduced for the sake of animal monitoring on the larger farms, such as the sensors and biosensors, pedometers, computers, 2D and 3D surveillance cameras, thermal cameras, microphones, laser detectors, and automatic scales, all grouped under the name of a PLF system (Precision Livestock Farming). This system works pursuant to the principle of monitoring and (individual or collective) data collection of select indicators, followed by a computerized algorithmic data processing, whereby the integration of a large number of data provides useful information leading to a decision-making proposal. According to the numerous study results, the PLF system pertaining to the dairy cows has a positive effect on the early detection of animal diseases or stress, which leads to a more rational use of production resources, resulting in a higher production efficiency and better animal welfare. Since a prcise-technology system does not only offer new opportunities but also represents certain dangers, however, it is recommended that future commercialization of precise-technology systems on dairy farms be entrusted to the opinions of professionals who will be able to objectively evaluate multiple benefits of these PLF systems, based on the results of a multidisciplinary research.

Advancing care coordination & patient and family engagement in pediatric surgery through enhanced recovery after surgery® protocols

The uptake of pediatric Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) protocols has gradually increased over the years. While many teams have accepted ERAS® protocols for their improvement in clinical outcomes, there are further domains of care that may be strengthened by the adoption of ERAS®. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery® principles provide the framework for coordinating care among the increasingly complex clinical team required to look after pediatric patients. Engaging our pediatric patients and their families throughout the ERAS® process has multiple benefits. Involving patients in the development and implementation process of ERAS® protocols creates more robust guidelines. In addition, engaged patients have greater compliance to recommendations and improved outcomes. The adoption of pediatric ERAS® guidelines enhances pediatric surgical outcomes, establishes strong teamwork, communication and care coordination and reinforces the patient and family needs as a top priority.

Tempol improves aortic mechanics in a mouse model of hypertension

Hypertension-induced arterial remodeling is thought to be a response to increases in both mechanical stress and oxidative stress. The superoxide dismutase mimetic Tempol has been shown to reduce adverse aortic remodeling in multiple murine models of hypertension but in the absence of a detailed assessment of the biaxial biomechanics. We show that concurrent treatment with Tempol in a common mouse model of systemic hypertension results in modest reductions in both wall thickening and circumferential material stiffness that yet work together to achieve a significant reduction in calculated aortic pulse wave velocity. Reducing elevated values of pulse wave velocity engenders multiple benefits to cardiovascular function.

How Does Blue Infrastructure Affect the Attractiveness Rating of Residential Areas? Case Study of Olsztyn City, Poland

Blue Infrastructure (BI) is a system of water-based ecological and engineering interactions that provides multiple social and ecosystem benefits in an urbanized environment. The study answers the questions: (1) Can the assessment of the attractiveness of residential areas be influenced by the availability of water reservoirs with a specific functionality? (2) What are the indicators that determine this impact? The research aimed to develop a methodology for the evaluation of residential neighborhood spaces, considering the indicator of the functional value of water bodies and their accessibility. The following research hypothesis, that the recreational and esthetic functions of water bodies along with the accompanying infrastructure are the most attractive features that hold the greatest significance in evaluating residential areas close to them, was verified. Cartographic and field inventory studies were conducted to prove this. An inventory form was applied along with social research using a geo-survey to determine the ranking of individual water bodies. As part of the test of the developed method, all water bodies in the city of Olsztyn (northern Poland) were evaluated. The test revealed that the indicators related to the functional value of water bodies and their accessibility influence the assessment of the residential neighborhoods’ attractiveness. Therefore, they should be considered in the assessment of cities containing both natural and anthropogenic water bodies.

Unexploited economic and environmental benefits from cultivated forages in Zambia

Abstract Livestock production is critical for improved food and nutrition security, sustainability of ecosystems, and resilience. Zambia, like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, aspires to increase livestock’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product and generate economic opportunities. Global environmental change, however, and the potential of ruminant production to exacerbate it, requires the implementation of innovative and pragmatic technologies for mitigation of and adaptation to the adverse effects of environmental change. Feeding of quality cultivated forages is one of the improved options to address such challenges, especially with dismal cultivation in the country. Cultivated forages provide multiple benefits including an increase in livestock productivity and soil health and reduced greenhouse gas emission intensity. In this study, the seed requirement of promising forage crops to offset the current ruminant roughage gap is estimated. The nutritional and economic benefits of including forages in beef and dairy rations, and associated projected greenhouse gas abatement, are presented. Consequently, the study proposes contextualized business models in Zambia based on both demand-pull factors and supply-push technologies. Zambia is land-linked with eight neighboring countries, and a member of both the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa trade blocks. Therefore, Zambia could produce forage seeds for domestic use as well as the regional market. In addition, it can be a hub for feed production for drier neighboring countries and locations with good livestock production, thereby benefiting the whole region.

The regeneration of watercourses within urbanized areas. Some considerations about relevance, strategies, and design tools

Water is an essential element in landscape design. Dealing with it, with its presence or absence and knowing how to manage its different forms can guide to shape unique and significant places, but above all it is necessary in order to improve the ecological conditions in the area. Waterways, in particular, are among the most diverse and complex ecosystems on earth, characterized by dynamic processes. The restoration of rivers and streams has proven itself an effective strategy for the recovery and redevelopment of environmental conditions in different context and at different scales of intervention. The regeneration of extensive riverine areas both in urban and peri-urban contexts can help to transform climate crisis issues into opportunities to integrate multiple benefits such as biodiversity, flood protection, public spaces, and sustainable mobility through the implementation of a series of fundamental strategies and design tools.

Ethyl acetate extract of Terminalia chebula alleviates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in C57BL/6 mice.

Background: The Chinese pharmacopeia records Terminalia chebula as effective in treating prolonged diarrhea and dysentery, blood in the stool, and prolapse. Modern pharmacological research proves it has multiple pharmacological benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and other properties. Objectives: This study aims to clarify the role of Terminalia chebula's ethyl acetate extract (TCEA) on ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice, as well as explore the potential mechanism of action. Materials and methods: The variation of different extracts of T. chebula was detected using the HPLC technique, and the main components in TCEA were identified. DSS was used to establish a mouse model to mimic the physiological state of UC in humans; the alleviating effect of TCEA and positive control 5-ASA on UC mice were evaluated by gavage treatment. Disease progression was assessed by monitoring the mouse's weight change and disease activity index (DAI). The changes in colon tissue were estimated by measuring colon length, HE, and AB-PAS staining and detecting oxidative stress parameters. The results draw from Western blot and real-time PCR showed the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway may involve in the anti-inflammatory activity of TCEA. Furthermore, the gut flora sequencing technique was employed to monitor the differentiation of intestinal microbiota of mice induced by DSS and TCEA treatment. Results: TCEA significantly lowered DAI scores and inhibited the weight loss and colonic shortening induced by DSS. The colon histomorphology and oxidative stress levels were enhanced after TCEA treatment compared with DSS induced UC group. TCEA attenuated the inflammatory response by regulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway activation. Intestinal flora sequencing showed that DSS and TCEA greatly impacted mice's composition and diversity of intestinal microorganisms. But TCEA increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased the abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria compared with the DSS group, which contributed a lot to returning the intestinal flora to a balanced state. Conclusion: This study confirms the alleviating effect of TCEA on UC and provides new ideas for developing TCEA into a new drug to treat UC.

The Positive Aspects of Being the Parent of a Trans Child: Findings from Trans Pathways

The existing literature exploring the experiences of parenting a trans child tends toward reporting the challenging aspects of the parental journey. Studies also reference positive experiences such as enhanced parent-child connectedness and affirmation of personal values. Limited dedicated research focused on the positive aspects of parenting a trans child exists. We aimed to better understand positive parental experiences accordingly. Using data from a large cross-sectional survey, we explored parental responses (N = 134) to a single open-text question asking what parents had experienced as positive about parenting their trans child. We used the general inductive approach (GIA) to analyze data and report on common themes. Almost all parents identified at least one positive aspect; most cited multiple benefits. Five major themes emerged from the data: 1) Personal growth; 2) experiencing the strengths of the child; 3) improved aspects of the parent-child relationship; 4) positive change in the child; 5) experiencing social connection and support. Findings provide a nuanced addition to the literature on parental experiences and have clinical implications for those working with parents of trans children. A better understanding of positive parental experiences can aid clinicians in increasing parental support and acceptance for young people within an affirmative framework.

Design and analysis of an improved voltage‐lift‐based extended quadratic gain boost converter with reduced voltage stress across components

SummaryIncreasing the voltage gain of traditional boost converter topologies necessitates an unsustainable increase in the operating duty ratio. Because of their inherent architecture, these topologies are incapable of shielding their individual components from the detrimental effects of extreme duty cycle operation, resulting in increased power loss and inefficient performance. With the objective of attaining a higher voltage gain at a lower duty cycle, this research presents a new quadratic type boost converter derived from an improved voltage‐lift (IVL) cell and the conventional boost converter (CBC). By including an IVL cell in CBC, the voltage conversion ratio is quadratic in nature, and the steady‐state performances are improved over those of CBC. This proposed architecture includes a few new parts, such as capacitors, diodes, and an inductor but no controllable switches, thus the close loop control stays the same. During the entire range of the duty cycle, the proposed boost topology outperforms the conventional quadratic boost converter (CQBC) in terms of dc voltage gain. In addition, the voltage stresses on devices (such as switch and diodes) and intermediate capacitors are reduced compared with CQBC. In steady‐state conditions, the voltage gain and design expressions of the storage elements are determined using time‐domain analysis. The suggested extended quadratic gain boost converter (EQGBC) stands out because of its multiple benefits over existing step‐up converter topologies. The suggested EQGBC has been tested by simulation and hardware implementation to ensure its key performance features. A laboratory‐scaled prototype is developed, which has the capability of boosting the low input voltage of 12 V to a higher value of 48 V at a switching frequency of 100 kHz. The experimental outputs are in close accord with the simulation findings and mathematical analysis.

Life Satisfaction and Psychological Capital in Athletes with Physical Disabilities.

Athletes with physical disabilities practice fewer sports than people without disabilities due to the difficulties and barriers they face in their daily lives. Sports are a powerful tool offering multiple physical, psychological and social benefits and act as a facilitator in their societal integration and inclusion. Today, more and more studies are analysing the psychological strengths of athletes, as well as their well-being. This research aimed to describe the levels of life satisfaction and psychological capital in a sample of physically disabled athletes according to the following variables: age, gender, degree of dependence, type of disability and level of competition. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 101 federated athletes with physical disabilities in the Basque Autonomous Community, with a valid return rate of 79 participants. A study of the relationship between variables was conducted using student's t-test and ANOVA. A stepwise hierarchical multiple linear regression was also performed to assess the predictive capabilities of the analysed variables on life satisfaction. The findings showed that gender, degree of dependence and level of competition correlated with the psychological capital and life satisfaction of athletes with disabilities; male athletes scored higher in the self-efficacy and hope dimensions of psychological capital; athletes with lower levels of dependence scored higher on life satisfaction; and international athletes scored higher on psychological capital, specifically on the self-efficacy dimension. Finally, psychological capital and degree of dependence also had a significant influence on athletes' life satisfaction.

Optimized fertilization based on fallow season precipitation and the Nutrient Expert system for dryland wheat reduced environmental risks and increased economic benefits

In drylands, optimized management of fertilization based on precipitation is very important to reduce fertilizer inputs and environmental risks and improve crop yield and benefits. Based on a four-year winter wheat experiment with two treatments (FP, farmers’ practices; NE, Nutrient Expert system recommendation) at nine counties of the Chinese Loess Plateau, we determined the effects of NE on wheat yield, environmental risks, and economic benefits under three precipitation year types (dry, normal, and wet) and recommended optimized N fertilization. The results showed that the NE treatment reduced N and P fertilizer input rates by 21.7% and 50.0%, respectively, Nr losses by 30.1% and GHG emissions by 21.6%, but it did not affect wheat grain yield compared to the FP treatment. There were no significant differences in N and P input rates among the three precipitation year types, but higher grain yield and partial factor productivity of N and P fertilizers were found in wet years in the NE treatment. Additionally, soil nitrate N residues in the 0–100 cm soil layers were ordered in wet years < normal years < dry years. Based on the NE system, the optimized N fertilization method could further reduce the N fertilizer rate by 16.6% and 62.5%, Nr losses by 20% and 68%, and GHG emissions by 1.7% and 47.8% in normal and dry years, respectively, but could increase economic benefits by 3.3% and 5.6%, suggesting that optimized fertilization based on fallow season precipitation can result in multiple benefits for agriculture and the environment.

New perspectives in free nitrous acid (FNA) uses for sustainable wastewater management

The biocidal effects of free nitrous acid (FNA) have found applications in multiple units in an urban wastewater system, including sewer networks, wastewater treatment processes, and sludge treatment processes. However, these applications are associated with chemical costs as both nitrite and acid are needed to produce FNA at the required levels. The recent discovery of novel acid-tolerant ammonia oxidizers offers the possibility to produce FNA from domestic wastewater, enabling the development of next-generation FNA-based technologies capable of achieving self-sustaining FNA production. In this study, we focus on the concept of in situ FNA generation facilitated by acid-tolerant ammonia oxidizers and highlight the multiple benefits it creates, after a brief review of the historical development of FNA-based technologies. We will discuss how wastewater systems can be made more energy-efficient and sustainable by leveraging the potential of acid-tolerant ammonia oxidizers.