bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distyryl Carboxylic Acid Substituted BODIPY and BODIPY‐C60 Systems for Generation of Singlet Oxygen
Authors: Gürbüz Hande Eserci , Okutan Elif
Published: April 2024

BODIPY based molecules functionalized with water soluble moieties have been developed and recognized as liable triplet photosensitizers for phototherapeutic applications. In this work, we have prepared BODIPY analogues with dicarboxylic acid groups and bearing iodine or fullerene moieties for efficient intersystem crossing which display far‐red absorption band and high singlet oxygen production both in organic and aqueous media. In this perspective by using similar design the effect of the halogenation of the dyes versus spin converter on the skeleton were compared. The structures of the synthesized BODIPYs and BODIPY‐C60 (6–10) were elucidated by mass, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic techniques. Photophysical and photochemical properties of the compounds were examined using UV‐Vis. absorption and fluorescence emission spectrophotometers. The absorption intensities of the trap molecules (DPBF and ADBA) reduced because of singlet oxygen generation in the media. This study may provide useful infrastructure to elucidate the relationship between the use of fullerene (9) or iodine (10) where singlet oxygen quantum yield of 9 and 10 are determined as 0.87 and 0.97 respectively.
Mining Metal‐Biomolecular Framework/PANI Composite CO Sensor: Material Synthesis, Gas Sensing Performance and Mechanism
Authors: Hu Xiangming , Yang Zhenyu , Wu Mingyue , Liang Yuntao , Wang Wei , Wang Fusheng , Zhang Qian , Mao Jingran , Yang Ning , Wang Xuwei
Published: April 2024

In addressing the issue of poor gas sensitivity in semiconductor CO sensor materials used in mining, such as pure PANI. This study utilized an ice‐water bath in combination with an in‐situ polymerization method to synthesize a new composite material consisting of Cu(II)‐racemic glutamate nanofibers and PANI. The morphology, structure, and chemical bonds of the composite material were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‐EDS) and spectral analysis. The material's ability to detect CO (100–500 ppm) at room temperature was investigated, revealing a response value of up to 6.8 % for 400 ppm CO detection when the composite material was deposited on a ceramic interdigital electrode. The material exhibited good selectivity and responsiveness to CO detection at room temperature, attributed to the heterojunction formed between Cu(II)‐racemic glutamate nanofibers and PANI, which enhanced carrier migration. Consequently, the Cu(II)‐racemic glutamate nanofiber/PANI composite(Cu(II)‐RGlu/PANI) material shows promise as a high‐performance sensing material for CO detection at room temperature and as a low‐power, integrable sensor material for underground coal mines. This research contributes to the development of a theoretical framework for such applications.
Enhanced Efficacy of a TLR3 Agonist Delivered by Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus Nanoparticles
Authors: Jung Eunkyeong , Foroughishafiei Anahid , Chung Young Hun , Steinmetz Nicole F.
Published: April 2024

Intratumoral immunotherapies are those that are administered directly into a tumor to remodel the local tumor microenvironment and stimulate systemic anti‐tumor immunity. Small molecule toll‐like receptor (TLR) agonists are undergoing development as intratumoral immunotherapies, and here the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C) is considered. Because small molecule therapeutics often suffer rapid washout effects and ineffective immune cell uptake, poly(I:C) is encapsulated into nanoparticles derived from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV). The particles (but not the separate components) stimulate the activity of macrophages in vitro and are able to reduce tumor growth and prolong survival in mouse models of colon cancer and melanoma. CCMV‐poly(I:C) is also combined with oxaliplatin and found the combination therapy to be even more potent, strongly inhibiting tumor growth and increasing survival. The analysis of immune markers reveals that CCMV‐poly(I:C) VLPs with oxaliplatin promoted the infiltration and activation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and the production of IL‐4 and IFN‐γ, indicating a synergistic immunogenic effect. The combined treatment also enhances the rate of apoptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD). The data support the development of combination therapies involving immunomodulatory plant virus nanoparticles and antineoplastic drugs to attack tumors directly and via the activation of innate and adaptive immune responses.
SRFLOW‐Attention: Super Resolution with Multi‐Head Attention for Effective Use of Low‐Resolution Information
Authors: Ohtani Shinya , Kuroki Nobutaka , Numa Masahiro
Published: April 2024

This paper proposes normalizing flow‐based image super‐resolution techniques using attention modules. In the proposed method, the features of the low‐resolution images are extracted using a Swin Transformer. Furthermore, multi‐head attention in the flow layers makes effective use of the feature maps. This architecture enables the efficient injection of low‐resolution image features extracted by the transformer into the flow layer. Experimental results at x4 magnifications showed that the proposed method achieved state‐of‐the‐art performance for quantitative metrics and visual quality among single‐loss architectures. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Wastewater management decision‐making: A literature review and synthesis
Authors: Ko Daehyun , Norton John W. , Daigger Glen T.
Published: April 2024

Wastewater management decision‐making is complicated because of: (1) a complex regulatory structure, (2) the wide variety of conflicting expectations by stakeholders external and internal to the responsible utility, and (2) constrains including regulatory requirements, available technologies and practices, and customer willingness to pay. This review synthesizes the results from over 200 papers published since 2000 and presents a decision‐making structure and process which is (1) science and fact‐based, (2) reflects sustainability, (3) clear and transparent, (4) inclusive, (5) produces an objective‐oriented decision, (6) scalable, (7) repeatable, and (8) efficient. Tools supporting the decision‐making process are reviewed, including Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), process modeling, economic assessments, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA). Ultimately it was determined that engagement of decision‐makers and relevant stakeholders to assess their values and preferences, coupled with supporting data and analyses, is necessary to reach a decision that, critically, has the support needed for it to be implemented. The results demonstrate that an understanding of the components of the decision process, coupled with an orderly process, enables good wastewater management decision‐making.

Practitioner Points

A decision‐making structure and process leading to the selection of implementable solutions is presented.

The process possesses the following attributes: (1) science and fact‐based, (2) reflect sustainability, (3) clear and transparent, (4) inclusive, (5) produce an objective‐oriented decision, (6) scalable, (7) repeatable, and (8) efficient

An extensive summary and analysis of tools supporting the decision process are provided, including Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), process modeling, economic assessments, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA).

The critical role of internal and external stakeholders and differentiating their involvement relative to decision‐makers is emphasized.
Digital twin-driven smelting process management method for converter steelmaking
Authors: Fu Tianjie , Liu Shimin , Li Peiyu
Published: April 2024

The converter is an indispensable key equipment in the steel manufacturing industry. With the increasing demand for high-quality steel, there is an increasing demand for monitoring and controlling the status of the converter during the smelting process. Compared to other manufacturing industries, such as food processing and textile, converter steelmaking requires a larger keep-out zone due to its ultra-high temperatures and harsh smelting environment. This makes it difficult for personnel to fully understand, analyze, and manage the smelting process, resulting in low production efficiency and the inability to achieve consistently high-quality results. Aiming at the low virtual visualization level and insufficient monitoring ability of the converter steelmaking process, a process management method based on digital twin technology is proposed. Firstly, a digital twin system framework for full-process monitoring of converter steelmaking is proposed based on the analysis of the process characteristics of converter steelmaking. The proposed framework provides critical enabling technologies such as point cloud-based digital twin model construction, visual display, and steel endpoint analysis and prediction, to support full-process, high-fidelity intelligent monitoring. After conducting experiments, a digital twin-driven smelting process management system was developed to manage the entire smelting process. The system has proven to be effective as it increased the monthly production capacity by 77.7%. The waste of smelting materials has also been greatly reduced from 34% without the system to 7.8% with the system. Based on these results, it is evident that this system significantly enhances smelting efficiency and reduces both the costs and waste associated with the process.
A geospatial analysis of flood risk zones in Cyprus: insights from statistical and multi-criteria decision analysis methods
Authors: Ghanem Ma’in Abed Alhakim Naser , Zaifoglu Hasan
Published: April 2024

Over the past few decades, flood disasters have emerged as the predominant natural hazard in Cyprus, primarily driven by the escalating influence of climate change in the Mediterranean region. In view of this, the objective of this study is to develop a geospatial flood risk map for the island of Cyprus by considering 14 flood hazard factors and five flood vulnerability factors, utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) and remotely sensed datasets. A comparative assessment was conducted for hazard mapping, employing statistical methods of frequency ratio (FR) and FR Shannon’s entropy (FR-SE), and multi-criteria decision analysis method of fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP). The main findings indicated that the FR method exhibited the highest predictive capability, establishing it as the most suitable approach for flood hazard mapping. Additionally, vulnerability factors were aggregated using F-AHP to generate the vulnerability map. The resulting flood risk map, which is the product of flood hazard and flood vulnerability, revealed that 9% of the island was located within highly risky regions, while 13.2% was classified as moderate risk zones. Spatial analysis of these high-risk areas indicated their concentration in the primary city districts of the island. Therefore, to mitigate future risks within these cities, an analysis of potential expansion zones was conducted, identifying the best-suited zone exhibiting the lowest risk. The generated flood risk map can serve as a valuable resource for decision-makers on the island, facilitating the integration of flood risk analysis into urban management plans.
Feminisms and entrepreneurship: a systematic literature review investigating a troubled connection
Authors: Lagrasta Francesco Paolo , Scozzi Barbara , Pontrandolfo Pierpaolo
Published: April 2024

The paper aims to systematically review the literature that empirically investigates the relationship between feminisms and entrepreneurship. Feminisms, meant as movements, cultures, collective identities embedded with values and beliefs, could indeed contribute to challenge patriarchal gender norms that dominate the entrepreneurial world, so allowing new forms and narratives of business to emerge. To achieve the paper goal, a systematic literature review protocol is developed and the most prominent scientific research databases are queried. After a bibliometric framing of the retrieved papers, content analysis is adopted to identify the theoretical and methodological approaches, relevant topics and research gaps. Despite a considerable inhomogeneity in definitions, topics, and theoretical framings, the study shows that most papers agree on recognizing the crucial role of feminisms in: (i) women's entrepreneurial empowerment, especially in traditionally male-dominated cultural and geographical contexts and (ii) challenging the neoliberal paradigm. The study also inductively derives a definition of feminist entrepreneur, proposing an ontology that illustrates its relationship to the concepts of entrepreneurship, feminism and entrepreneurial feminist. From a managerial perspective, the study highlights similarities and differences among heterogeneous entrepreneurial experiences, thus unveiling feminist entrepreneurship features potentially useful for policy makers, educators, and practitioners. On the societal level, the research contributes to spreading knowledge about a phenomenon arguably disruptive in enhancing the inclusiveness of traditional entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Exploring novel approaches to digital self-regulated learning: a study on the use of mobile applications among Polish and Turkish EFL pre-service teachers
Authors: Kic-Drgas Joanna , Kılıçkaya Ferit
Published: April 2024

This study explores the digital self-regulatory practices of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pre-service teachers via mobile applications in the post-pandemic era. The research is motivated by the need to address the absence of literature on the self-regulatory learning behaviours of EFL pre-service teachers in the aftermath of the pandemic-induced shift to online learning. The study participants were Polish and Turkish EFL students aged between 19 and 23, enrolled at state universities in Poland and Turkey. A validated online survey tool was developed and utilised for data collection based on the piloting phase of the study. The survey employed a combination of multiple-choice and 5-point Likert scale questions to examine participants’ interaction with different types of self-regulated applications after the pandemic. The findings revealed that Duolingo was the most widely used application. This underscored the importance of listening as the most frequently used language skill. The study also revealed a shift in learning patterns among participants following the pandemic as evidenced by the technologies available. Overall, the main findings of this study may serve as significant impetus for further research on pandemic-related changes in digital self-regulated learning practices among EFL learners globally. The results of the study might find broad implications for example for development of a new generation of MOOCs responding various needs of learners as well as incorporating elements of self-regulation into the traditional EFL class to increase its efficiency.
Scratching the surface: The in vitro research that will be critical for conserving exceptional plants to scale
Authors: Pence Valerie C. , Bruns Emily Beckman
Published: April 2024

The conservation of threatened exceptional plants, which cannot be conserved by seed banking, requires in vitro technologies for many of the approaches needed for their long-term ex situ conservation. This study evaluated the current in vitro plant literature, as represented in Web of Science, to determine its taxonomic overlap with the families and genera of the 775 species currently listed as exceptional. Web of Science was searched using the terms micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, zygotic embryo, and cryopreservation, and the target genera and families were identified in the more than 19,000 articles evaluated. There were five families with significant overlap between the in vitro literature and exceptional species: Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Arecaceae, and Rutaceae. However, there was less overlap at the level of genus, with Citrus, Coffea, and Quercus having the most articles. Significant gaps were also found, with 14 exceptional families and half of the exceptional genera having no representation in the Web of Science search results. The 20 exceptional species with the most articles were all economically important species, and these had 343 threatened congeners that could be prioritized for research. A highly important group of exceptional plants that was significantly under-represented in the literature was tropical woody species, which form the backbone of the diversity of the world’s threatened rainforests. Overall, there are areas of strength upon which to build future work, but significant gaps where research should be prioritized for effectively conserving exceptional plants.
Exploring impacts of COVID-19 on spatial and temporal patterns of visitors to Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks from social media big data
Authors: Geng Dehui Christina , Li Amy , Zhang Jieyu , Harshaw Howie W. , Gaston Christopher , Wu Wanli , Wang Guangyu
Published: April 2024

COVID-19 posed challenges for global tourism management. Changes in visitor temporal and spatial patterns and their associated determinants pre- and peri-pandemic in Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks are analyzed. Data was collected through social media programming and analyzed using spatiotemporal analysis and a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. Results highlight that COVID-19 significantly changed park visitation patterns. Visitors tended to explore more remote areas peri-pandemic. The GWR model also indicated distance to nearby trails was a significant influence on visitor density. Our results indicate that the pandemic influenced tourism temporal and spatial imbalance. This research presents a novel approach using combined social media big data which can be extended to the field of tourism management, and has important implications to manage visitor patterns and to allocate resources efficiently to satisfy multiple objectives of park management.
Fasting hyperglycaemia and fatty liver drive colorectal cancer: a retrospective analysis in 1145 patients
Authors: Crudele Lucilla , De Matteis Carlo , Novielli Fabio , Petruzzelli Stefano , Di Buduo Ersilia , Graziano Giusi , Cariello Marica , Piccinin Elena , Gadaleta Raffaella Maria , Moschetta Antonio
Published: April 2024

Background

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents the hepatic manifestation of increased adiposopathy, whose pathogenetic features have been proposed as tumourigenic triggers for colorectal cancer (CRC). We aim to identify specific metabolic signatures involved in CRC development that may be used as non-invasive biomarkers, paving the way for specific and personalized strategies of CRC prevention and early detection.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed CRC onset during a time frame of 8 years in a cohort of 1145 out-patients individuals who had previously been evaluated for Metabolic Syndrome.

Results

28 patients developed CRC. No association between CRC development and visceral and general obesity was detected, while baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and non-invasive liver fibrosis scores were significantly higher in patients with CRC, compared to those who did not develop cancer. Liver steatosis and MASLD were more frequently diagnosed in patients who developed CRC compared to no cancer developers. Canonical correlations among metabolic biomarkers were not present in CRC developers, differently from no cancer group. In ROC analysis, FPG and non-invasive scores also showed good sensitivity and specificity in predicting colon cancer. We then calculated ORs for metabolic biomarkers, finding that higher FPG and non-invasive scores were associated with an increased risk of developing CRC.

Conclusion

MASLD and increased FPG may play a role in the clinical background of CRC, bringing to light the fascinating possibility of a reversed gut–liver axis communication in the pathogenesis of CRC. Thus, the use of non-invasive scores of fatty liver may be helpful to predict the risk of CRC and serve as novel prognostic factors for prevention and therapeutic strategies.
Storable Cheese Curd—Effect of Milk Homogenization as a Pre-treatment and Freezing and Extrusion of Cheese Curd on Production of Pasta Filata Style Cheese
Authors: Schmidt Florian , Graf Britta , Hinrichs Jörg
Published: April 2024

This study investigates the production of pasta filata style cheese from a storable, frozen intermediate material. Homogenization (2–16 MPa, single-staged) of milk (fat/protein = 0.9) was used as a tool to decrease fat globule size and consequently fat losses. Plasticization was achieved by using a single-screw extruder set up with double-jacketed hot water cycle. Non-frozen and frozen cheese curd as well as the extruded pasta filata style cheese pre-treated with different homogenization pressure was analyzed regarding the thermo-rheological properties. Fat and protein gain/loss during extrusion was evaluated by analyzing fat in dry matter (FDM) and protein in dry matter (PDM) before and after extrusion. Homogenization of cheese milk leads to a reduction of tan δ for thereof produced raw cheese curd material as well as the extruded products. Freezing and extrusion counteract the reduction of tan δ. A homogenization pressure of 8 MPa is sufficient to prevent fat losses during extrusion while still maintaining plasticization of the product for fresh and frozen material, respectively. The FDM after extrusion is 0.8% higher for fresh material and 4.9% higher for frozen material, which means that the fat concentrates during extrusion due to water loss. Moreover, there is no loss of PDM for all samples, regardless of the homogenization pressure. A combination of homogenization pressure, freezing, and extrusion leads to a plasticizable product without losses of fat and protein. Hence, frozen cheese curd can be used as a storable intermediate.
Indikationen zur Unterbrechung von rheumatologischen Basistherapien
Authors: Hintenberger Rainer
Published: April 2024

Entscheidungen über Therapiepausen bei Rheumapatienten sind komplex und bedürfen einer genauen Nutzen-Risiko-Abwägung. Einerseits besteht die Gefahr von Komplikationen durch ein Fortführen der Therapie andererseits kann ein längeres Pausieren zu Schüben führen. Nicht selten führt dies in der Praxis zu vermehrter Einnahme von Glucocorticoiden, nichtsteroidalen Antirheumatika (NSAR) oder ihrer Kombination mit den bekannten Risiken. Umso wichtiger ist es, eine Entscheidung nach mehreren Gesichtspunkten zu treffen, um für PatientInnen das optimale medikamentöse Management zu gewährleisten. Ziel dieses Artikels liegt darin, Ärzten als Entscheidungshilfe zu dienen, ob oder wann eine Therapiepause rheumatologischer Basistherapien indiziert ist.
Increasing Help-Seeking Intentions for Mental Health Difficulties in Early Adolescence: The Role of Cumulative Promotive Factors
Authors: Ashworth Emma , Saini Pooja
Published: April 2024

Despite evidence to suggest that receiving support for mental health difficulties can improve later outcomes, adolescents often do not seek help when needed. While factors that reduce the likelihood of help-seeking intentions are well established, little is known about the factors that may increase adolescents’ intentions to seek help. This study sought to identify promotive factors for general help-seeking intentions, as well as help-seeking intentions from formal and informal sources specifically, and to test the assumptions of cumulative promotion theory in relation to help-seeking. Participants comprised 290 early adolescents (aged 11–14) in Northwest England who completed a suite of online measures assessing their mental health, wellbeing, and help-seeking intentions. Candidate promotive factors were modelled, and a cumulative promotive index (CPI) score was generated for each participant. Hierarchical regression was used to analyse the data. A range of promotive factors were identified for help-seeking intentions. CPI scores were significant predictors of all three help-seeking outcomes, even after accounting for the variance explained by the individual promotive factors. Thus, this study confirms two key tenets of cumulative promotion theory in relation to help-seeking intentions amongst adolescents: (1) as the number of promotive factors increases, intentions to seek help for mental health difficulties also increase, and (2) the number of promotive factors is more important than their nature when increasing help-seeking intentions.
Plasma Corin: A New Biochemical Marker for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Ibrahem Mohamed Abdel-moniem , Saber Al-Karamany Amira , Esawy Marwa M. , Elasy Amina Nagy
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a risk factor for PCOS. Corin protein has an essential role in ANP synthesis. This study aimed to evaluate corin as a sensitive biomarker for PCOS.

Materials and Methods

A case-control study was conducted with 70 PCOS patients and 70 healthy females. Plasma Corin levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The median plasma corin levels in PCOS patients and controls were 1785 and 822.5 pg/mL, respectively. Plasma corin levels were significantly elevated in PCOS patients than in the controls (p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off value was set at 1186 pg/mL. The sensitivity and specificity of Corin were 100% and 97.1%, respectively. Plasma corin levels were surrogate predictors for infertility in women with PCOS. It had an odds ratio of 5.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.1–32.7) (p = 0.04). Plasma corin levels were more highly detected in patients with PCOS than in the controls.

Conclusion

Plasma corin level has reasonable diagnostic interpretation for PCOS. Corin appears as a worthy distinct predictor of infertility in PCOS women. Therefore, Corin may be a substantial biomarker for PCOS.
Valuing a Reduction in the Risk and Severity of Asthma: A Large Scale Multi-Country Stated Preference Approach
Authors: Appéré Gildas , Dussaux Damien , Krupnick Alan , Travers Muriel
Published: April 2024

Asthma is a non-communicable and non-curable lung disease that affects 10% of children and 4% of adults worldwide and is associated with an array of environmental contaminants and chemicals. This article offers values suitable for use in cost–benefit analyses of the willingness to pay (WTP) for reduced severity of asthma in adults and children and in reduced probability of getting asthma for these two population groups, all in the context of reducing chemical exposures. To this end, an online survey was administered between November 2021 and May 2022 to 12 727 respondents from seven countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This article applies two stated preference methods for eliciting WTP: the contingent valuation method for reduced asthma severity and choice experiments for reduced probability of getting asthma of various severities. The context for such elicitations was a set of household products that contain fewer hazardous chemicals than what is currently available in supermarkets but are more expensive. The study finds that the WTP for reducing asthma severity in adults by one step, e.g. from “moderate plus” to “moderate”, is USD2022 529 per year on average. The parental WTP for reducing asthma severity in their children is USD2022 PPP 948 per year and is on average 1.8 times higher than their WTP for themselves. The mean value of a statistical case (VSC) of adult asthma which would be applied to predictions of new cases of asthma avoided by a regulation equals USD2022 280 000, while the mean VSC of childhood asthma equals USD2022 430 000.
The limits of self-reflection
Authors: Hallsworth Michael
Published: April 2024

I'm grateful to the authors for taking the time to read and respond to the manifesto. I have great respect for the contributions each of them has made to our field, and I'd like to offer some clarifications and reflections prompted by their thoughts.
Into the Stacks: Article Relaunch: “Power and Connection”: “An Indispensable Tool”: Reflections on Imperial Interpretations in Recent Immigration Histories
Authors: Bobadilla Eladio
Published: April 2024

Published in 2011, Paul Kramer's “Power and Connection: Imperial Histories of the United States in the World,” has become something of a classic text in the historiography of the United States. Twelve years and nearly 400 citations after its publication, historians of the United States who specialize in everything from empire proper to foreign relations to labor and capitalism have looked to this article for methodological grounding, direction, and insight. Countless historians across many subfields have found their work imprinted by Kramer's call for a more systemic and deliberate engagement with the imperial, beyond the “superficial and invocatory” threads of previous generations, such as (though hardly exclusively) those found in the New Left and cultural studies traditions (1348).
U.S. Military Humanitarianism and the United Nations
Authors: Drohan Brian
Published: April 2024

While the United Nations (U.N.) is typically seen as a major humanitarian actor—that is, an organization committed to alleviating human suffering and improving human welfare, it is not often thought of as a military power. But that is one of the many functions that the U.N. has adopted since its origin in 1945. For over seventy years, the U.N. Secretariat—the international bureaucracy responsible for the U.N. organization's executive and administrative functions—has conducted long-term expeditionary military operations across the globe in the form of peacekeeping and observer missions. The military wing of U.N. operations has only continued to grow in the twenty-first century. As of July 2023, 87,544 peacekeepers were deployed on active operations. And that number is lower than in the recent past, down from a height of 107,805 in April 2015.1 During that time, only the United States has regularly maintained more foreign-deployed forces than the U.N.
A First Responder to the World
Authors: Irwin Julia F.
Published: April 2024

In the twenty-first century, providing humanitarian assistance to other nations forms an essential part of the U.S. military's mission. Designed to “relieve or reduce endemic conditions such as human suffering, disease, hunger, [and] privation,” the military's humanitarian tasks include such activities as assisting refugees, delivering food and medical equipment to partner nations, and removing unexploded landmines.1 But among the most recognized—and best publicized—of the U.S. Armed Forces’ humanitarian activities are its foreign disaster relief operations. In response to such recent catastrophes as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 tsunami in Japan, 2019's Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, and the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey, the Department of Defense launched extensive humanitarian operations. Taking advantage of the U.S. military's vast global footprint, military leaders dispatched ships and aircraft, service personnel, relief supplies, equipment, and other material and logistical aid to the scene of these crises and to many others like them globally.2 Carried out for the humanitarian goals of saving lives and reducing suffering, each of these foreign disaster aid operations also shared a critical diplomatic objective: “generating goodwill” for the United States and creating a “favorable impression” of its armed forces.3 Never purely altruistic, the U.S. military's responses to global disasters also function as a valuable instrument of contemporary U.S. foreign policy.
“Presence and Preparedness”: The U.S. Military, Humanitarian Assistance, and Entangled Histories in Cold War Germany
Authors: Seipp Adam R.
Published: April 2024

During the night of January 17–18, 1955, the rain-swollen Rhine and Neckar rivers crested. At their confluence, inhabitants of the German city of Mannheim scrambled to protect their homes and property. Residents of the small islands on the outskirts of the city faced imminent disaster.
The U.S. Military: A Reluctant Humanitarian
Authors: Walters Mary Elizabeth
Published: April 2024

Since the end of the Second World War, the U.S. military has been among the most important providers of humanitarian assistance, particularly in the wake of natural disasters and conflict. Yet, aid organizations rarely consider the U.S. military a humanitarian actor, and military personnel do not identify primarily as humanitarians. Nevertheless, the logistics and manpower capacities of the U.S. military have often pushed it into humanitarian spheres. Once involved, however, the traditional humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence do not drive the military provision of humanitarian assistance. Instead, military personnel approach humanitarian assistance through their training, namely, moving items, building things, and managing people. They often pair a training-based framework with a general sense of helping those in need. The U.S. military is a humanitarian actor, but coming to grips with that requires reimaging humanitarianism. To explore the military as humanitarian, this essay first examines how the demands of logistics pushed the U.S. military into becoming a provider of refugee assistance in Albania during the 1999 Kosovo crisis. It then uses the 2021 evacuation and resettlement of Afghans to explore how the U.S. military's ready pool of manpower led it to become more deeply involved in humanitarian responses. Humanitarian crises are almost invariably complex and messy. The moral imperative to help those in need interacts with political and security priorities in often uncomfortable ways. That confluence helps explain why the U.S. military assists with some, but not other, crises.
Topologically free actions and ideals in twisted Banach algebra crossed products
Authors: Bardadyn Krzysztof , Kwaśniewski Bartosz
Published: April 2024

We generalize the influential

$C^*$

-algebraic results of Kawamura–Tomiyama and Archbold–Spielberg for crossed products of discrete groups actions to the realm of Banach algebras and twisted actions. We prove that topological freeness is equivalent to the intersection property for all reduced twisted Banach algebra crossed products coming from subgroups, and in the untwisted case to a generalized intersection property for a full

$L^p$

-operator algebra crossed product for any

$p\in [1,\,\infty ]$

. This gives efficient simplicity criteria for various Banach algebra crossed products. We also use it to identify the prime ideal space of some crossed products as the quasi-orbit space of the action. For amenable actions we prove that the full and reduced twisted

$L^p$

-operator algebras coincide.
Die Auszubildendenkonferenz
Authors: Schumacher Clara , Brüchmann Sabine
Published: April 2024

Was ist zu diesem Thema bereits bekannt?

Anforderungen und Ansprüche an das eigene Arbeitsumfeld sind von Generation zu Generation unterschiedlich. Die Arbeitswelt muss auf die Variabilität der unterschiedlichen Generationen reagieren. Besonders im Klinikalltag und im Angesicht der Herausforderung des pflegerischen Fachkräftemangels kommt dem Onboarding der Generation Z eine besondere Bedeutung zu.

Wie wird eine neue Perspektive eingebracht?

Um diesen genannten Herausforderungen zu begegnen, bietet sich eine klar definierte und gelebte Austauschstruktur an. So erhalten die Führungskräfte einerseits einen Einblick in die Lebensanschauung und die Bedürfnisse der Generation Z und andererseits die Auszubildenden die Möglichkeit, ihren Wissens- und Informationsbedarf zu formulieren.

Was sind die Auswirkungen für die Praxis?

Ein frühzeitiger Beziehungsaufbau zu den potenziellen neuen Mitarbeitenden ist so durch alle Hierarchieebenen möglich. Dadurch erhöht sich die Identifikation der Auszubildenden mit dem praktischen Ausbildungsumfeld und wird eine höhere Übernahmequote ermöglicht.
Perceiving Risk
Authors: Micalizio Caryl-Sue
Published: April 2024

“Risk” means different things to different people, and effective science communication must recognize and respect that.
The 2022 Tonga Tsunami on the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts of the Americas
Authors: Zaytsev Oleg , Rabinovich Alexander B. , Thomson Richard E.
Published: April 2024

The Hunga‐Tonga volcano eruption on 15 January 2022 generated tsunami waves that impacted both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the Americas. A unique feature of this event was the dual tsunami generation mechanism, which led to motions with long (several days) ringing and slow energy decay. The first ocean waves to reach the coast were “atmospheric tsunamis” generated by atmospheric Lamb waves that propagated with the speed of sound (∼314 m/s) and circled the globe in both directions several times before being fully attenuated. The second type of ocean waves were classical “oceanic tsunami” waves forced directly by the volcanic eruption and which propagated across the Pacific at roughly 2/3 the speed of the atmospheric waves. This study focuses on time series of the Hunga‐Tonga event recorded by tide gauges, microbarographs and Deep‐ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis on and off the Pacific coasts of North and Central America and in the Gulf of Mexico. Atmospheric tsunami waves only were recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, where the sea level response to the second, westward (shoreward) propagating atmospheric wave was stronger than to the first, eastward (seaward) propagating wave. Along the Pacific coast, the atmospheric tsunami waves were approximately 3–4 times smaller than the oceanic tsunami waves, which at several Mexican stations exceeded 2 m in height. The broad frequency range of 0.2–0.25 to 30 cph spanned by the oceanic tsunami in the Pacific indicates that the “effective” source area for the oceanic waves was more extensive than initially proposed.
Contemporary dental student professionalism: moving towards a macro-level perspective
Authors: Cunningham Isabelle M. , Gormley Mark , Neville Patricia
Published: April 2024

Defining professionalism and developing educational interventions that foster and assess student professionalism are integral to dental education. Nevertheless, conceptual, methodological and pedagogic differences define the academic field, leaving students, educators and the profession itself struggling to make meaningful progress on how best to elicit and monitor dental student professionalism. This article proposes that more progress can be made on this important issue when a contextualised, sociological assessment of dentistry and dental professionalism is undertaken. We contend that identifying some of the socio-cultural demands in UK dental students' lives, and acknowledging how these pressures shape their interactions with the UK dental education system, provides a nuanced and contemporaneous understanding of what it means to be an oral health care professional at a time of social and health care upheaval. Dental educators can use this insight to work towards being more understanding of and responsive to dental student professional development.
Sprouty1 is a broad mediator of cellular senescence
Authors: Anerillas Carlos , Perramon-Güell Aida , Altés Gisela , Cuesta Sara , Vaquero Marta , Olomí Anna , Rodríguez-Barrueco Ruth , Llobet-Navàs David , Egea Joaquim , Dolcet Xavi , Yeramian Andrée , Encinas Mario
Published: April 2024

Genes of the Sprouty family (Spry1-4) restrain signaling by certain receptor tyrosine kinases. Consequently, these genes participate in several developmental processes and function as tumor suppressors in adult life. Despite these important roles, the biology of this family of genes still remains obscure. Here we show that Sprouty proteins are general mediators of cellular senescence. Induction of cellular senescence by several triggers in vitro correlates with upregulation of Sprouty protein levels. More importantly, overexpression of Sprouty genes is sufficient to cause premature cellular senescence, via a conserved N-terminal tyrosine (Tyrosine 53 of Sprouty1). Accordingly, fibroblasts from knockin animals lacking that tyrosine escape replicative senescence. In vivo, heterozygous knockin mice display delayed induction of cellular senescence during cutaneous wound healing and upon chemotherapy-induced cellular senescence. Unlike other functions of this family of genes, induction of cellular senescence appears to be independent of activation of the ERK1/2 pathway. Instead, we show that Sprouty proteins induce cellular senescence upstream of the p38 pathway in these in vitro and in vivo paradigms.
Targeted small molecule inhibitors blocking the cytolytic effects of pneumolysin and homologous toxins
Authors: Aziz Umer Bin Abdul , Saoud Ali , Bermudez Marcel , Mieth Maren , Atef Amira , Rudolf Thomas , Arkona Christoph , Trenkner Timo , Böttcher Christoph , Ludwig Kai , Hoelzemer Angelique , Hocke Andreas C. , Wolber Gerhard , Rademann Jörg
Published: April 2024

Pneumolysin (PLY) is a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) from Streptococcus pneumoniae, the main cause for bacterial pneumonia. Liberation of PLY during infection leads to compromised immune system and cytolytic cell death. Here, we report discovery, development, and validation of targeted small molecule inhibitors of PLY (pore-blockers, PB). PB-1 is a virtual screening hit inhibiting PLY-mediated hemolysis. Structural optimization provides PB-2 with improved efficacy. Cryo-electron tomography reveals that PB-2 blocks PLY-binding to cholesterol-containing membranes and subsequent pore formation. Scaffold-hopping delivers PB-3 with superior chemical stability and solubility. PB-3, formed in a protein-templated reaction, binds to Cys428 adjacent to the cholesterol recognition domain of PLY with a KD of 256 nM and a residence time of 2000 s. It acts as anti-virulence factor preventing human lung epithelial cells from PLY-mediated cytolysis and cell death during infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae and is active against the homologous Cys-containing CDC perfringolysin (PFO) as well.
Synchronization of Ti3C2 MXene/Fe3+ with sodium persulfate for the degradation of reactive dyes
Authors: Li Wanxin , Shu Dawu , An Fangfang , Liu Ruigang , Shan Juchuan , Han Bo , Cao Shaolei
Published: April 2024

Rapid activation of sodium persulfate (SPS) for the degradation of C.I. Reactive Red 218 (RR218) was achieved using Ti3C2 MXene reduction of trace Fe3+. The degradation rate of RR218 reached 97.7% using a mixture containing 3 g L−1 of SPS, 3.35 mg L−1 of Fe3+ and 60 mg L−1 of MXene stirred at 25 °C for 30 min. The intense reduction of Ti3C2 MXene triggers the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle thereby accelerating the activation of SPS. When reactive dyes were degraded by Fe3+/SPS/MXene process, ·OH played a major role. The dye degradation capacity of the Fe3+/SPS/MXene process decreased after 5 cycles of recycling. In addition, the wastewater treated under these conditions resulted in high dyeing efficiencies in reuse experiments. This study not only improves the understanding of the catalytic reaction of MXene but also provides a wastewater treatment and reuse process with low metal consumption and high efficiency.
The mediation effects of nightmares and depression between insomnia and suicidal ideation in young adults
Authors: Guo Zixuan , Han Xiaoli , Kong Tiantian , Wu Yan , Kang Yimin , Liu Yanlong , Wang Fan
Published: April 2024

Suicide is prevalent among young adults, and epidemiological studies indicate that insomnia, nightmares, and depression are significantly associated with a high incidence of suicidal ideation (SI). However, the causal relationship between these factors and SI remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between nightmares and depression and insomnia and SI in young adults, as well as to develop a mediation model to investigate the causal relationship between insomnia, nightmare, depression, and SI. We assessed insomnia, nightmares, depression, and SI in 546 young adults using the Insomnia Severity Scale (ISI), Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Scale (DDNSI), Depression Study Scale (CESD-20), and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Using the Bootstrap method, the mediation effects of nightmares and depression between insomnia and SI were calculated. The results demonstrated that nightmares and depression fully mediated the relationship between insomnia and SI, including the chain-mediation of insomnia and SI between nightmare and depression with an effect value of 0.02, 95% CI 0.01–0.04, and depression as a mediator between insomnia and SI with an effect value of 0.22, 95% CI 0.15–0.29. This study found that depression and nightmares may be risk and predictive factors between insomnia and SI, which implies that the assessment and treatment of depression and the simple or linked effect of nightmares play crucial roles in preventing SI in young adults.
Understanding the impact of modiolus porosity on stimulation of spiral ganglion neurons by cochlear implants
Authors: Sriperumbudur Kiran K. , Appali Revathi , Gummer Anthony W. , van Rienen Ursula
Published: April 2024

Moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss in humans is treatable by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve (AN) with a cochlear implant (CI). In the cochlea, the modiolus presents a porous bony interface between the CI electrode and the AN. New bone growth caused by the presence of the CI electrode or neural degeneration inflicted by ageing or otological diseases might change the effective porosity of the modiolus and, thereby, alter its electrical material properties. Using a volume conductor description of the cochlea, with the aid of a ‘mapped conductivity’ method and an ad-hoc ‘regionally kinetic’ equation system, we show that even a slight variation in modiolus porosity or pore distribution can disproportionately affect AN stimulation. Hence, because of porosity changes, an inconsistent CI performance might occur if neural degeneration or new bone growth progress after implantation. Appropriate electrical material properties in accordance with modiolar morphology and pathology should be considered in patient-specific studies. The present first-of-its-kind in-silico study advocates for contextual experimental studies to further explore the utility of modiolus porous morphology in optimising the CI outcome.
Anchorage performance of a new rebar bolt under different surrounding rock strength and borehole depth
Authors: Zhang Ming , Cao Chen , Li Guanghan , Guo Baolong
Published: April 2024

The theory and technology of rock bolting are fundamental research topics for strata control in civil and mining engineering. Rebar bolts are commonly used for roadway primary support in underground coal mine. To adapt to deep resource mining, a new left threaded rebar bolt has been developed. Compared to conventional rebar bolts, the result of installation test showed that the new bolt reduced of 41.5% and 57.9% in stirring resistance force and torque, respectively. In laboratory pullout tests, PVC and aluminum sleeves were used to simulate weak and medium strength surrounding rocks. The average peak pullout force, displacement at the peak load and energy absorption increased by 27%, 107% and 108%, respectively, using PVC sleeve; and increased by 113%, 109% and 212%, respectively, using aluminum sleeve. Field tests were conducted under soft coal, hard coal and medium strength rock geo-conditions. Different borehole depths were selected to precisely calculate the average anchorage performance of the new bolt. Results showed that the average peak pullout force of the new bolt increased by 37%, 38% and 28%, respectively, under different surrounding rock conditions. Moreover, based on on-site test results, the pullout curves in field-testing were summarised and classified into 6 different patterns, which were discussed from a viewpoint of causality mechanism. The research findings validate that the newly developed bolt has better anchorage performance compared to conventional rebar bolts, making it a new anchorage material for deep resource mining.