bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of inspiratory muscle training on cardiorespiratory functions in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sarac Devrim Can , Bayraktar Deniz , Ozer Kaya Derya , Altug Gucenmez Ozge , Oskay Deran
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Although inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has proven effective in adult rheumatic diseases, its impact on juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) remains unexplored. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of IMT in children with JIA.

Methods

Thirty‐three children (13–18 years) with JIA were divided into two groups as exercise (n = 17) and control (n = 16). The exercise group performed IMT at home daily for 8 weeks. The initial IMT load was set as 60% of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and increased by %10 of the initial load every 2 weeks. The control group received no additional intervention. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FVC/FEV1, PImax, and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax) were evaluated. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2max), metabolic equivalents (METs), and maximal heart rate were measured with cardiopulmonary exercise test. Functional capacity and quality of life were assessed with 6‐min walk distance and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Arthritis Module. All participants were evaluated at baseline and post‐treatment.

Results

FVC ( ↑ 0.20 (95% CI: 0.07/0.32) liters), FEV1 ( ↑ 0.14 (95% CI: 0.02/0.25) liters), PImax (↑19.11 (95% CI: 9.52/28.71) cmH2O), PEmax (↑12.41 (95% CI: 3.09/21.72) cmH2O), VO2peak (↑158.29 (95% CI: 63.85/252.73) ml/min), and METs (↑0.92 (95% CI: 0.34/1.49) [ml/kg/min]) significantly improved only in the exercise group (p < .05). The difference over time in FVC, FEV1, PImax, VO2peak, and METs were significantly higher in exercise group compared to control group (p < .05).

Conclusions

IMT seems to be an effective option for improving respiratory functions and aerobic exercise capacity in JIA.
Left ventricular underfilling in PAH: A potential indicator for adaptive‐to‐maladaptive transition
Authors: Guo Jiajun , Wang Jiaqi , Wang Lili , Li Yangjie , Xu Yuanwei , Li Weihao , Chen Chen , He Juan , Yin Lidan , Pu Shoufang , Wen Bi , Han Yuchi , Chen Yucheng
Published: December 2023

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) still remains a life‐threatening disorder with poor prognosis. The right ventricle (RV) adapts to the increased afterload by a series of prognostically significant morphological and functional changes, the adaptive nature should also be understood in the context of ventricular interdependence. We hypothesized that left ventricle (LV) underfilling could serve as an important imaging marker for identifying maladaptive changes and predicting clinical outcomes in PAH patients. We prospectively enrolled patients with PAH who underwent both cardiac magnetic resonance and right heart catheterization between October 2013 and December 2020. Patients were categorized into four groups based on their LV and RV mass/volume ratio (M/V). LV M/V was stratified using the normal value (0.7 g/mL for males and 0.6 g/mL for females) to identify patients with LV underfilling (M/V ≥ normal value), while RV M/V was stratified based on the median value. The primary endpoint was all‐cause mortality, and the composite endpoints included all‐cause mortality and heart failure‐related readmissions. A total of 190 PAH patients (53 male, mean age 37 years) were included in this study. Patients with LV underfilling exhibited higher NT‐proBNP levels, increased RV mass, larger RV but smaller LV, lower right ventricular ejection fraction, and shorter 6‐min walking distance. Patients with LV underfilling had a 2.7‐fold higher risk of mortality than those without and LV M/V (hazard ratio [per 0.1 g/mL increase]: 1.271, 95% confidence interval: 1.082–1.494, p = 0.004) was also independent predictors of all‐cause mortality. Moreover, patients with low LV M/V had a better prognosis regardless of the level of RV M/V. Thus, LV underfilling is an independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with PAH, and it could be an important imaging marker for identifying maladaptive changes in these patients.
A multi‐country comparison of lower secondary students' critical thinking under the International Baccalaureate and national curricula
Authors: Johnston Samantha‐Kaye , McGrane Joshua A. , Vendrell‐Morancho Mireia , Hopfenbeck Therese N.
Published: December 2023

Critical thinking is an essential skill for life‐long learning, and, given its increasing importance as a graduate attribute, it is vital to evaluate how educational systems can best improve students' critical thinking through their curricula and classroom practices. This study evaluates the differences in the critical thinking skills of students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP), which explicitly emphasises critical thinking development in its curriculum and has been shown to facilitate classroom strategies to develop critical thinking, versus students enrolled in the national curricula in Australia, England and Norway. The study comprised 870 students across the MYP (n = 386) and non‐MYP (n = 484) curricula in Grades 9 and 10 across 21 schools. Data were remotely collected on their critical thinking skills, and several other relevant cognitive, non‐cognitive and background characteristics. A propensity score matching approach was used to match the MYP and non‐MYP groups on these characteristics and their critical thinking skills were compared using weighted regression. Findings showed that, overall, MYP students possessed higher levels of critical thinking skills than their non‐MYP peers with a moderate effect size (β = 0.38). This advantage also held at both grade levels and across Australian and English students, with no difference for Norwegian students. Thus, the MYP appears to be a promising exemplar for enhancing critical thinking among secondary‐aged students, although context needs to be considered. Based on these findings, recommendations of specific instructional strategies are offered, as well as future research to inform criticalthinking pedagogy.
Development of Efficient Ru/Deep Eutectic Solvent Catalytic System for Alkoxycarbonylation of Alkene without Acid Additives
Authors: Liu Yumei , Yang Deshuai , Zeng Guixiang , Li Kexin , Wei Shuang , Li Hao , Ji Min , Liu Ruixia
Published: December 2023

The catalytic alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes is an attractive, atom‐efficient method for producing value‐added carboxylic esters. However, the conventional catalyst system for this reaction needs coordination with a noble metal, sensitive ligands and proton acid additives. Therefore, the design of a simple and efficient catalyst system without any acid additives under mild conditions is still a major challenge. In this work, a simple ruthenium/deep eutectic solvent catalytic system was developed to effectively catalyse the alkoxycarbonylation reaction without any sensitive ligands or acid additives under mild conditions. The conversion of 1‐hexene reached 99.0 %, and the ester selectivity was 99.1 %, much higher than that of Ruthenium carbonyl without deep eutectic solvent. The excellent performance of the catalytic system could be ascribed to the form of the ruthenium active species [Ru(CO)2Br3]− in the deep eutectic solvent. This innovative catalyst system presents a significant advancement in the alkoxycarbonylation reaction, eliminating the use of acid additives and delicate ligands.
Leveraging Flavonoids as Potential Inhibitors of METTL3 in Combating Cancer: A Combined Structure‐Based Drug Design and DFT Approach
Authors: Abo‐Dya Nader E. , Issahaku Abdul Rashid
Published: December 2023

Methyltransferase‐like 3 (METTL3) serves as a primary catalytic enzyme within the N6‐ methyladenosine (m6 A) methyltransferase system, playing a crucial role in various biological processes. However, its involvement in the pathogenesis of several cancers, have been well documented. The pursuit of small molecule inhibitors to counteract the cancer‐promoting effects of METTL3 has gained considerable momentum; however, no approved drugs are available. In this study, we employed computational techniques, including structure‐based virtual screening, consensus molecular docking, Density Function Theory calculations and MMPBSA energy profiling to identify potential METTL3 inhibitors from flavonoids. ST024026, ST99039 and ST4135876 were identified as promising candidates for METTL3 inhibition, as indicated by their favorable docking scores and robust energy profiles. Notably, their binding interactions were characterized by strong hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts, ensuring high stability within the METTL3 binding site. Furthermore, these compounds exhibited favorable physicochemical properties and ADME characteristics, coupled with minimal toxicity. Notably, their binding induced conformational changes in the protein, underscoring their potential as METLL3 inhibitors. These findings highlight the selected flavonoids as potential novel entry inhibitors subject to modifications and optimizations. To advance this line of research, additional biochemical testing and experimental validation are warranted to facilitate the development of highly selective and effective METTL3 inhibitors.
Chalcogenide Perovskite, An Emerging Photovoltaic Material: Current Status and Future Perspectives
Authors: Raj Rakshita , Singh Riya , Guin Mridula
Published: December 2023

Chalcogenide perovskite materials came into the picture of photovoltaic technology since 2015. Their admirable structural, electronic and optical properties make them highly promising for solar energy conversion. They have immense potential to solve the stability and toxicity issues of conventional perovskite solar cells. The maximum theoretical power conversion efficiency reported for them is about 30 % which is similar to CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite material. However their application in photovoltaics is limited by several challenges. In this review, we tried to provide an overview of the structural features of the chalcogenide perovskite materials and critically highlighted computational and synthetic accomplishments in this area. Various techniques developed for synthesizing these materials so far, have also been summarized. Along with that, the challenges associated in designing these materials for improved optoelectronic properties are also addressed. Serious research efforts are urgently needed for the realization of the dream of chalcogenide perovskite material based solar cells in terms of optimization of optoelectronic properties, synthetic cost, processing of thin films and application in tandem solar cell devices. This review may facilitate further progress in chalcogenide perovskite material based thin film solar cell in the future.
Optimization, Characterization, Molecular Docking, and In Vitro Release of BBH/Lysine‐β‐cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex
Authors: Liu Wei Ming , Zhou Hui Yun , Ren Li Jun , Yang Jia Jia , Hao Pei Yan , Tong Jia Nan , Chen Ya Wei , Chen Jun Liang , Park Hyun Jin
Published: December 2023

Berberine hydrochloride (BBH) is an isoquinoline alkaloid, and its diverse bioactivities have been studied for decades. However, BBH exhibits poor solubility and low oral bioavailability, which hampers its potential therapeutic exploitation. In this study, hydrosoluble Lysine‐modified β‐cyclodextrin (Lys‐β‐CD) was synthesized. Then BBH‐Lysine‐β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complexes (BBH/Lys‐β‐CD IC) were prepared by the co‐deposition method and optimized using the Box‐Behnken design. In addition, phase solubility was studied and showed that BBH and Lys‐β‐CD can form inclusion complexes in a stoichiometric ratio of 1 : 1. The morphological characterizations exhibited that the IC had an irregular sheet and layered structure. The results of FTIR and 1H NMR revealed that BBH entered the Lys‐β‐CD cavity with non‐covalent interactions between host‐guest molecules. Furthermore, the binding pattern of BBH with the Lys‐β‐CD was investigated by molecular docking study. The release behavior of IC showed that BBH could be released slowly from the inclusion complex. Hence, the Lys‐β‐CD IC has broad application prospects in drug delivery and biomedical fields.
In Situ Synthesis of Highly Dispersed AuNPs – Hydrogel Composites via Plasma for Enhanced Catalytic Activity
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Li Zekun , Shi Mengge , Wang Zhao
Published: December 2023

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were effectively synthesized and highly dispersed within a hydrogel composite by glow discharge plasma reduction. The hydrogel structure was successfully preserved due to the low temperature operation of plasma. The gold was reduced in situ within the hydrogel channels via electron reduction, and the uniformly distributed metal particles benefited from the confinement effect. The particle size could be controlled by adjusting precursor concentration and the type of hydrogel used. Hydrogels based on gelatin were found to increase the interaction between gold and the hydrogel. This enhancement was attributed to the Coulomb force arising from the isoelectric point and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the hydrogel composites, which promoted the dispersion of AuNPs. The different treatment procedures confirmed that SPR induced changes in the hydrogel surface, which played a key role in the dispersion and anchoring of gold during the reduction process. As a result, the AuNP‐doped hydrogel composite exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue, with AuNP‐Gel‐1 achieving complete MB degradation in just 12 seconds.
Accessing 2‐Aryl Quinolines via Acceptorless Dehydrogenation and Transfer Hydrogenation Under Base and Solvent‐Free Reaction Conditions
Authors: M. Vageesh , P. Hima , R. Prasanna , Dey Raju
Published: December 2023

Catalytic hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions are one of the most active areas of research for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Despite several efficient homogeneous catalysts that have already been identified, highly active heterogeneous catalysts remain elusive. Herein, we report an easy and convenient wet impregnation method for the synthesis of Pd‐nanoclusters supported on ZnO nanoparticles. The catalyst displays a multifunctional role in 2‐aryl quinolines synthesis using alcohol and 2‐nitrobenzyl alcohol as reactants via dehydrogenation/hydrogenation pathway under neat and base‐free reaction conditions. The catalyst exhibits excellent selectivity and can be recycled five times without appreciable loss in its activity.
Targeting Diverse Wounds and Scars: Recent Innovative Bio‐design of Microneedle Patch for Comprehensive Management
Authors: Zhuang Ze‐Ming , Wang Yong , Feng Zi‐Xuan , Lin Xiao‐Ying , Wang Zheng‐Cai , Zhong Xin‐Cao , Guo Kai , Zhong Yu‐Fan , Fang Qing‐Qing , Wu Xiao‐Jin , Chen Jian , Tan Wei‐Qiang
Published: December 2023

Wounds and the subsequent formation of scars constitute a unified and complex phased process. Effective treatment is crucial; however, the diverse therapeutic approaches for different wounds and scars, as well as varying treatment needs at different stages, present significant challenges in selecting appropriate interventions. Microneedle patch (MNP), as a novel minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery system, has the potential for integrated and programmed treatment of various diseases and has shown promising applications in different types of wounds and scars. In this comprehensive review, the latest applications and biotechnological innovations of MNPs in these fields are thoroughly explored, summarizing their powerful abilities to accelerate healing, inhibit scar formation, and manage related symptoms. Moreover, potential applications in various scenarios are discussed. Additionally, the side effects, manufacturing processes, and material selection to explore the clinical translational potential are investigated. This groundwork can provide a theoretical basis and serve as a catalyst for future innovations in the pursuit of favorable therapeutic options for skin tissue regeneration.
Dual‐Antigen‐Displaying Nanovaccines Elicit Synergistic Immunoactivation for Treating Cancer and Preventing Infectious Complications
Authors: Chen Fangjie , Zhang Mengmeng , Yang Fengmin , Wang Lu , Liu Jinyao , Liu Junqiu , Pang Yan
Published: December 2023

As one of the most common complications, infection causes the majority of mortality in cancer patients. However, therapeutic strategies that can simultaneously suppress tumors and protect patients from infection have been rarely reported. Here, the use of dual‐antigen‐displaying nanovaccines (DADNs) is described to elicit synergistic immunoactivation for treating cancer and preventing infectious complications. DADNs are prepared by wrapping immunoadjuvant‐loaded nanoparticles with a hybrid coating, which is fused from cell membranes that are separately genetically engineered to express tumor and infectious pathogenic antigens. Due to the presence of a dual‐antigen combination, DADNs are able to promote the maturation of dendritic cells and more importantly to trigger cross‐presentation of both combined antigens. During in vivo investigations, we find that DADNs can reverse immunosuppression by stimulating tumor‐associated antigen‐specific T‐cell responses, resulting in significantly delayed tumor growth in mice. These nanovaccines also elicit effective protective immunity against tumor challenges and induce robust production of pathogenic antigen‐specific immunoglobulin G antibody in a prophylactic study. This work offers a unique approach to develop dual‐mode vaccines, which are promising for synchronously treating cancer and preventing infection.
In‐Situ Construction of V2O5 Nanosheet/Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanosheet Heterostructures with Interfacial C─O Bridging Bonds as the Cathode Material for Zn Ion Batteries
Authors: Lashari Najeeb ur Rehman , Kumar Anuj , Ahmed Irfan , Zhao Jie , Hussain Arshad , Ghani Usman , Luo Geng , Yasin Ghulam , Mushtaq Muhammad Asim , Liu Dongqing , Cai Xingke
Published: December 2023

Layered oxides are widely used as the electrode materials for metal ion batteries. However, for large radius size ions, such as Zn2+ and Al3+, the tightly stacked layers and poor electrical conductivity of layered oxides result in restricted number of active sites and sluggish reaction kinetics. In this work, a facile in‐situ construction strategy is provided to synthesize layered oxide nanosheets/nitrogen‐doped carbon nanosheet (NC) heterostructure, which shows larger interlayer spacing and better electrical conductivity than the layered oxides. As a result, the Zn2+ ion diffusion inside the interlayer gallery is greatly enhanced and the storage sites inside the gallery can be better used. Meanwhile, the NC layers and oxide nanosheets are bridged by the C─O bonds to form a stable structure, which contributes to a better cycling stability than the pure layered oxides. The optimal V2O5@NC‐400 cathode shows a capacity of 467 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 for 300 cycles, and long‐term cyclic stability of 4000 cycles at 5 A g−1 with a capacity retention of 92%. All these performance parameters are among the best for vanadium oxide‐based cathode materials.
Porous Organic Polymers as Active Electrode Materials for Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Sun Haotian , Li Jingli , Liang Wencui , Gong Xue , Jing Aoming , Yang Wanru , Liu Hongxu , Ren Shijie
Published: December 2023

Eco‐friendly and efficient energy production and storage technologies are highly demanded to address the environmental and energy crises. Porous organic polymers (POPs) are a class of lightweight porous network materials covalently linked by organic building blocks, possessing high surface areas, tunable pores, and designable components and structures. Due to their unique structural and compositional advantages, POPs have recently emerged as promising electrode materials for energy storage devices, particularly in the realm of supercapacitors and ion batteries. In this work, a comprehensive overview of recent progress and applications of POPs as electrode materials in energy storage devices, including the structural features and synthesis strategies of various POPs, as well as their applications in supercapacitors, lithium batteries, sodium batteries, and potassium batteries are provided. Finally, insights are provided into the future research directions of POPs in electrochemical energy storage technologies. It is anticipated that this work can provide readers with a comprehensive background on the design of POPs‐based electrode materials and ignite more research in the development of next‐generation energy storage devices.
Enhanced Durability and Catalytic Performance of Pt–SnO2/Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotube with Shifted d‐Band Center for Proton‐Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Min Hyeongwoo , Choi Ji-Hyeok , Kang Ha Eun , Kim Dong-Joo , Yoon Young Soo
Published: December 2023

Worldwide, significant efforts are made to identify energy sources that can help achieve carbon neutrality and promote sustainable development. The development of a catalyst that combines durability and high performance is essential for the commercialization of proton‐exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In a fuel cell, carbon corrosion occurs during startup and shutdown due to improper local flooding caused by inadequate water management. In this study, a Pt‐based catalyst is designed with excellent durability and high activity. Introducing a metal oxide layer modified with Pt/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes reduces the direct contact between carbon and the fuel cell environment. This helps prevent carbon corrosion and inhibits the separation, aggregation, and growth of Pt nanoparticles. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits enhanced oxygen reduction activity due to the electronic effect of the metal oxide layer that is coated on it. In this study, by implementing a carbon erosion acceleration protocol, excellent catalytic properties during a load‐cycling experiment consisting of 5,000 cycles are reported. The practical application of the developed catalyst in PEMFCs offers an effective approach to developing Pt‐group metal catalysts with exceptional activity.
First Principles Calculation of Compatibility between Environmentally Friendly Insulating Gas C5F10O and CuW Contacts
Authors: Ding Can , Gao Zhenjiang , Feng Lu , Yuan Zhao
Published: December 2023

The insulating gas and contacts in the arc extinguishing chamber of high‐voltage circuit breakers are the focus of research. In practical applications, the gas may react with the surface of the contacts. In this paper, C5F10O environmental friendly insulating gas, which has one of the potential alternatives, is selected as the research object. The compatibility of C5F10O and its decomposition products with CuW contacts was studied. This article uses the Dmol3 program based on density functional theory. The adsorption energy, transfer charge, and density of electronic states of C5F10O and selected typical decomposition products on the Cu (111) surface and Cu‐W surface were calculated, respectively. It was found that the original CuW metal properties were not changed before and after adsorption. The carbonyl O atom in C5F10O is easily adsorbed on the top of the Cu (111) surface, forming a stable CuO bond, which belongs to chemical adsorption. The interaction of the other three adsorption sites is weaker than that of the top site adsorption, which belongs to physical adsorption. C5F10O exhibits more active charge transfer and forms active W‐O chemical bonds when adsorbed on CuW surfaces than SF6. C5F10O has poorer compatibility with CuW alloy than SF6. C2F4 and C3F6 in the decomposition gas are chemically adsorbed on the Cu‐W surface. CO2, CF4, C2F6, and C3F8 do not form chemical bonds on the CuW surface. The adsorption stability of COF2 is weaker than that of CF4, C2F6, and C3F8. Compared with SF6 adsorption, the compatibility of C5F10O and CO2 on the surface of CuW contact is inferior to that of Cu contact. CF4, C2F6, C3F8, and COF2 in the decomposition gas can be compatible with the surface of the CuW contact. C2F4 and C3F6 cannot be well compatible with the surface of CuW contacts. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Conceptualising the Multi-actorness of EU(ropean) Foreign and Security Policy
Authors: Rieker Pernille , Giske Mathilde T. E.
Published: December 2023

This chapter seeks to conceptualise the multi-actor character of what we refer to here as EU(ropean) foreign and security policy. It takes a holistic approach to European foreign and security policy—a policy that covers multiple areas and is carried out by a multitude of actors and institutions. While the framework builds on institutional approaches, such as the literatures on multi-level governance and Differentiated Integration (DI), it adds a new dimension by applying a somewhat broader definition of European integration—a definition that captures more than just the processes that occur within the EU. Applying a broader approach towards European integration allows us to continue to perceive the EU as central to the European integration process, while also allowing for the inclusion of other processes that in some ways, either formally or informally, are linked to the EU. We argue that such a framework better captures the dynamics of today’s increasingly complex EU(ropean) integration process, characterised by opt-outs and opt-ins, formal and informal processes, enhanced cooperation, and various forms of governance led by actors at different levels and with different types of relations to the EU. As we will show in this chapter, a more generic definition of integration helps us develop a framework that captures this complexity and sees clearly the different roles EU institutions play in the various policy areas. The intention is to present a more inclusive conceptual framework that fills two key gaps in the existing literature on European integration in this area.
From Curriculum to Enacted Teaching of Photosynthesis, the Carbon Cycle and Sustainability in an Upper Primary School Class
Authors: Varg Lina
Published: December 2023

Primary school science teachers provide vague descriptions of students’ engagement in classroom communication. Furthermore, there may be a discrepancy between what science teachers consider important to teach and what is actually taught. The transformation of intentions into teaching often involves lesson plans which require considerable time and effort to construct. Interestingly, expert teachers tend to rely on, for example, teaching strategies, rather than elaborate plans to realize intentions. This case study contributes knowledge about the congruence between intentions, plans and teaching. A grade 6 teacher was followed during her transformation of the science syllabus into teaching, and data were gathered from interviews, documents, and observations. Content analysis and inductive thematic analysis enabled a comparison between intentions and teaching. Results suggest that the comprehensive lesson plan constituted an obstacle, rather than a tool for realizing the main intention of students practicing reasoning in science classes. The discrepancy did not stem from the teacher’s rejection of the curriculum, but rather from a lack of appropriate teaching strategies to allow for greater flexibility as she struggled to cover the curricular content. The results have the potential to be useful for engaging pre-service and in-service teachers in developing flexible teaching strategies and time efficient planning approaches in upper primary science.
Using External Representations to Support Mathematical Modelling Competence in Biology Education
Authors: Stöger Benjamin , Nerdel Claudia
Published: December 2023

The best explanatory approaches in the natural sciences are based on mathematical models. The COVID-19 pandemic or climate change illustrate the importance of mathematical modelling. This study focusses on the influence of external representations, texts, diagrams, and images, as well as mathematical expertise, on modelling competence for biochemical concepts. Especially the cross-curricular aspect of these tasks shows the influence of different science disciplines on concrete skills and abilities in biology. Consequently, the participants were asked to complete an enzyme kinetics task that was based on Schmidt and Di Fuccia’s (Giornale Di Didattica E Cultura Della Società Chimica Italiana 34(3):331–335, 2012) seven-step modelling cycle. A mixed-methods approach, involving quantitative frequency analysis and a qualitative analysis of the participants’ statements, was used. Elaboration behaviour was found to be increased through representation, as well as expertise. These results indicate the positive influence of external representations and mathematical competence on modelling competence. Furthermore, different biological topics (e.g. epidemiology) need to be elaborated as well.
Energy Justice, Prior Consultation and Energy Supply for Communities in Colombia
Authors: Reyes Luis Fernando Bastidas , Bustos Luis
Published: December 2023

Under the Colombian prior consultation experience, it is normal for agreements with ethnic communities to deal with labor relations and capital contributions to strengthen communities’ self-government and to carry out productive projects. On the other hand, it is less common for these protected groups to obtain benefits from services or products that involve the development of measures subject to consultation. Here, the importance of considering the adaptation of the current Colombian energy regulation is raised by applying energy justice theory to situations where communities coexist with the energy projects and are disaggregated from the energy supply. Noting that these types of actions will be essential to accomplish the purposes of the energy transition and support the transformation to carbon–neutral economies, we will be aiming to respond to highly complex scenarios, typical of regions that accumulate a prominent social debt, mainly related to poverty reduction.
Land for Clean Energy Projects: For Community Energy
Authors: Hussein Halima I.
Published: December 2023

We must increase our share of renewables from today’s 29% to 60% by 2030, if we have any hope of keeping global temperatures at 1.5 degrees Celsius and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7—affordable modern energy access to all by 2030. To do this, we must streamline the approval process of renewable energy projects and eliminate barriers hindering faster approvals. Community opposition, which is one barrier, as per a US study on delayed or cancelled renewable projects between 2008 and 2021 is driven by two main concerns—land and environmental impacts. This conceptual article calls for implementation of the theory of energy justice in its five forms—distributive, procedural, restorative, recognition and cosmopolitanism—as a solution in engaging energy communities and addressing their concerns. Once community engagement is explored through the lens of energy justice, solutions emerge to solve this barrier by including communities in the energy planning process as opposed to further down the pipeline in project implementation; restoring and rehabilitating affected community lands and environments impacted by renewable energy projects, through recognising indigenous community connections to their lands; and funding the UNFCCC loss and damage fund to bring up renewable energy projects.
The Power of Energy Justice for Attaining and Maintaining Acceptance for Renewable Energy Projects
Authors: Vega-Araújo José
Published: December 2023

The renewable energy (RE) industry faces a significant challenge globally: gaining and maintaining social acceptance. Social acceptance of RE projects, including associated infrastructure such as transmission lines, is deeply rooted in justice and equity concerns regarding environmental and social impacts, cultural implications, land use conflicts, and the legitimacy of consultation processes, among others. This paper argues that if addressing injustices is a condition for securing social acceptance, energy justice can serve as both a goal and roadmap to unfold acceptability towards RE projects while serving to identify critical elements that must be addressed. It does so by outlining considerations for achieving energy justice in RE projects and presenting an example on the role, potentialities, and challenges of the figure of community advisors as critical actors for ensuring energy justice.
Solving Energy Justice in the European Union
Authors: Czarnecka Marzena , Krazniewski Marcin
Published: December 2023

The electricity sector will play a key role in the energy transition. In particular, this can have a transformative affect in the European Union (EU). One of the key aspects of EU policy that can contribute to energy transition is the role of energy communities. Prioritising low-income communities and communities of colour is necessary as these are disproportionately impacted by energy poverty. Community ownership can provide communities with a voice in energy production and distribution. Promoting energy communities can enable the development of clean energy development which overall can contribute to a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Formation of Energy Law as a Discipline That Integrates the Principle of Energy Justice
Authors: López-Ibor Mayor Vicente , López-Ibor Mayor E. J. I.
Published: December 2023

Justice and energy are undoubtedly a combination of the highest importance. It touches the most important values and foundations of society. It also brings together important elements such as energy and climate policy, regulation and principles of energy law. The transition requires overarching principles that are valid and applicable to all energy sources, hence the importance of identifying energy justice as a principle, its constituent elements and its legal, technical and economic implications. Energy justice, in turn, requires that energy law considers the entire supply chain; the impacts and projections, from the extraction or use of raw materials to infrastructure development, transformation and provision of economic general services of general interest.
Energy Justice as a Key to Achieve Affordable Energy
Authors: Fourcade Gonzalo Irrazabal Pérez
Published: December 2023

This chapter addresses the relationship between affordable energy and energy justice. Inevitably, affordability is obtained when there is fair distribution of the energy benefits and burdens, meaning securing affordable energy to all. Additionally, this chapter explores different restrictions, limitations and barriers that nations may face when achieving affordable energy with energy justice. In order to overpass those challenges, governments, financial institutions and consumers should re-think the instruments to achieve the ultimate goal. Some new tools are proposed for all the mentioned players, including boosting energy education as a key driver to engage consumers into the energy system.
Automating Value-Oriented Forecast Model Selection by Meta-learning: Application on a Dispatchable Feeder
Authors: Werling Dorina , Beichter Maximilian , Heidrich Benedikt , Phipps Kaleb , Mikut Ralf , Hagenmeyer Veit
Published: December 2023

To successfully increase the share of renewable energy sources in the power system and for counteract their fluctuating nature in view of system stability, forecasts are required that suit downstream applications, such as demand side management or management of energy storage systems. However, whilst many forecast models to create these forecasts exist, the selection of the forecast model best suited to the respective downstream application can be challenging. The selection is commonly based on quality measures (such as mean absolute error), but these quality measures do not consider the value of the forecast in the downstream application. Thus, we introduce a meta-learning framework for forecast model selection, which automatically selects the forecast model leading to the forecast with the highest value in the downstream application. More precisely, we use a meta-learning approach that considers the selection task as a classification problem. Furthermore, we empirically evaluate the proposed framework on the downstream application of a smart building’s photovoltaic-battery management problem known as dispatchable feeder on building-level with a data set containing time series from 300 buildings. The results of our evaluation demonstrate that the proposed framework reduces the cost and improves the accuracy compared to existing forecast model selection heuristics. Furthermore, compared to a manual forecast model selection, it requires noticeably less computational effort and leads to comparable results.
Akzeptanz und Nutzbarkeit automatisiertes Fahren
Authors: Abendroth Bettina , Joisten Philip , Schaarschmidt Erik , Gianneli Tania
Published: December 2023

Die Einführung eines automatisierten ÖPNV schafft für alle ein neues Mobilitätsangebot. Das Kap. 4 beschreibt, wie durch die Analyse von Motiven der Verkehrsmittelwahl Rahmenbedingungen abgeleitet werden können, die die Nutzung des automatisierten ÖPNV fördern. Um Menschen von der Nutzung des automatisierten ÖPNV zu überzeugen, ist es wichtig, den Mensch als Fahrgast in den Mittelpunkt der Gestaltung von Mobilitätsangeboten zu stellen und seine spezifischen Bedürfnisse zu erfüllen. Mobilitätsangebote umfassen die gesamte Customer Journey, d. h. neben der eigentlichen Fahrt muss der gesamte Prozess aus Sicht eines Fahrgastes von der Planung einer Fahrt bis zum Erreichen des Zielortes betrachtet werden. Ein wesentlicher Aspekt für die Akzeptanz der Bevölkerung eines automatisierten ÖPNV ist die Verkehrssicherheit der anderen Verkehrsteilnehmenden. Daher schließt das Kap. 4 mit der Kommunikation zwischen avF und anderen Verkehrsteilnehmenden und macht dazu konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen.
Handlungsleitfaden zur Integration automatisierten Fahrens
Authors: Pitzen Constantin , Monheim Heiner , Zweig Mario , Yen Robert , Marquardt Christoph
Published: December 2023

Das Kap. 7 soll dem Leser möglichst praktische Ideen und Vorgehensweisen für die Integration eines automatisierten ÖPNV zur Verfügung stellen. Dabei bildet die Reihenfolge der Kapitel bereits einen Handlungsleitfaden: Beginnend mit der Frage ‚Wie ist bei der Integration automatisierten Fahrens vorzugehen?‘, ‚Was ist verkehrs- und raumplanerisch bei der Implementierung eines automatisierten ÖPNV zu beachten?‘ über die Frage ‚Wie kann ein automatisiertes Fahrzeug oder eine automatisiert fahrende Transportdienstleistung beschafft und implementiert werden?‘ und die Zulassung der automatisierten Fahrzeuge endet das Kapitel mit einem Einblick in die betriebliche Umsetzung eines automatisierten ÖPNV aus der Sicht eines Verkehrsunternehmens. Zur Illustration wird ein hypothetisches Projekt am Beispiel der bayrischen Kleinstadt Lindau am Bodensee beigesteuert, das die Implementierung zweier automatisierter ÖPNV-Linien als ein Instrument innerhalb vieler Maßnahmen für das Gelingen der Mobilitätswende beschreibt.
Sparse random matrices and Gaussian ensembles with varying randomness
Authors: Anegawa Takanori , Iizuka Norihiro , Mukherjee Arkaprava , Sake Sunil Kumar , Trivedi Sandip P.
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We study a system of N qubits with a random Hamiltonian obtained by drawing coupling constants from Gaussian distributions in various ways. This results in a rich class of systems which include the GUE and the fixed q SYK theories. Our motivation is to understand the system at large N. In practice most of our calculations are carried out using exact diagonalisation techniques (up to N = 24). Starting with the GUE, we study the resulting behaviour as the randomness is decreased. While in general the system goes from being chaotic to being more ordered as the randomness is decreased, the changes in various properties, including the density of states, the spectral form factor, the level statistics and out-of-time-ordered correlators, reveal interesting patterns. Subject to the limitations of our analysis which is mainly numerical, we find some evidence that the behaviour changes in an abrupt manner when the number of non-zero independent terms in the Hamiltonian is exponentially large in N. We also study the opposite limit of much reduced randomness obtained in a local version of the SYK model where the number of couplings scales linearly in N, and characterise its behaviour. Our investigation suggests that a more complete theoretical analysis of this class of systems will prove quite worthwhile.
Abelson Helper Integration Site 1 haplotypes and peripheral blood expression associates with lithium response and immunomodulation in bipolar patients
Authors: Sakrajda Kosma , Bilska Karolina , Czerski Piotr M. , Narożna Beata , Dmitrzak-Węglarz Monika , Heilmann-Heimbach Stefanie , Brockschmidt Felix F. , Herms Stefan , Nöthen Markus M. , Cichon Sven , Więckowska Barbara , Rybakowski Janusz K. , Pawlak Joanna , Szczepankiewicz Aleksandra
Published: December 2023

Rationale

In bipolar disorder (BD), immunological factors play a role in the pathogenesis and treatment of the illness. Studies showed the potential link between Abelson Helper Integration Site 1 (AHI1) protein, behavioural changes and innate immunity regulation. An immunomodulatory effect was suggested for lithium, a mood stabilizer used in BD treatment.

Objectives

We hypothesized that AHI1 may be an important mediator of lithium treatment response. Our study aimed to investigate whether the AHI1 haplotypes and expression associates with lithium treatment response in BD patients. We also examined whether AHI1 expression and lithium treatment correlate with innate inflammatory response genes.

Results

We genotyped seven AHI1 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 97 euthymic BD patients and found that TG haplotype (rs7739635, rs9494332) was significantly associated with lithium response. We also showed significantly increased AHI1 expression in the blood of lithium responders compared to non-responders and BD patients compared to healthy controls (HC). We analyzed the expression of genes involved in the innate immune response and inflammatory response regulation (TLR4, CASP4, CASP5, NLRP3, IL1A, IL1B, IL6, IL10, IL18) in 21 lithium-treated BD patients, 20 BD patients treated with other mood stabilizer and 19 HC. We found significantly altered expression between BD patients and HC, but not between BD patients treated with different mood stabilizers.

Conclusions

Our study suggests the involvement of AHI1 in the lithium mode of action. Moreover, mood-stabilizing treatment associated with the innate immunity-related gene expression in BD patients and only the lithium-treated BD patients showed significantly elevated expression of anti-inflammatory IL10, suggesting lithium’s immunomodulatory potential.
Marine heatwaves as drivers of biological and ecological change: implications of current research patterns and future opportunities
Authors: Joyce Patrick W. S. , Tong Cindy B. , Yip Yuk Long , Falkenberg Laura J.
Published: December 2023

As humans accelerate global environmental change, extreme climatic events are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity. In marine environments, extreme events of particular concern are marine heatwaves (MHWs). Previous reviews synthesising subsets of field-based research examining the ecological effects of these short-term warming events have found they could drive important changes to ecosystems. Here, we reviewed the traits of published literature that has used field, laboratory, and modelling approaches to examine the biotic effects of MHWs, and highlight some of the key findings. Since its first use in this context in 2013, the term “marine heatwave” has generally been used in field-based literature primarily documenting changes in abundance, biodiversity, species distributions, and mortality, primarily in fish and molluscs. Research is increasingly also conducted in laboratory settings, with these investigations focussing on changes in mechanistic processes such as growth and biochemical responses, often in smaller or less motile organisms including seagrasses, algae, molluscs, and crustaceans. Given their different applications, these complementary approaches will provide a more complete understanding when used to consider the same taxonomic groups. Moreover, those manipulating MHWs in laboratory experiments could benefit from the consideration of a range of MHW traits (intensity, duration, and their combination), for species in both isolation and combination, and in the presence of additional abiotic stressors. As such, where future research into MHWs use varied approaches and treatment settings, they will contribute to a more holistic understanding of the biological and ecological effects of future short-term warming events in our ocean.
Perspectives in Searching Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) Produced by the Microbiota
Authors: Gallardo-Becerra Luigui , Cervantes-Echeverría Melany , Cornejo-Granados Fernanda , Vazquez-Morado Luis E. , Ochoa-Leyva Adrian
Published: December 2023

Changes in the structure and function of the microbiota are associated with various human diseases. These microbial changes can be mediated by antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), small peptides produced by the host and their microbiota, which play a crucial role in host-bacteria co-evolution. Thus, by studying AMPs produced by the microbiota (microbial AMPs), we can better understand the interactions between host and bacteria in microbiome homeostasis. Additionally, microbial AMPs are a new source of compounds against pathogenic and multi-resistant bacteria. Further, the growing accessibility to metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets presents an opportunity to discover new microbial AMPs. This review examines the structural properties of microbiota-derived AMPs, their molecular action mechanisms, genomic organization, and strategies for their identification in any microbiome data as well as experimental testing. Overall, we provided a comprehensive overview of this important topic from the microbial perspective.