bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
[PSI]-CIC: A Deep-Learning Pipeline for the Annotation of Sectored Saccharomyces cerevisiae Colonies
Authors: Collignon Jordan , Naeimi Wesley , Serio Tricia R. , Sindi Suzanne
Published: December 2024

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prion phenotype in yeast manifests as a white, pink, or red color pigment. Experimental manipulations destabilize prion phenotypes, and allow colonies to exhibit $$[psi^-]$$

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(red) sectored phenotypes within otherwise completely white colonies. Further investigation of the size and frequency of sectors that emerge as a result of experimental manipulation is capable of providing critical information on mechanisms of prion curing, but we lack a way to reliably extract this information. Images of experimental colonies exhibiting sectored phenotypes offer an abundance of data to help uncover molecular mechanisms of sectoring, yet the structure of sectored colonies is ignored in traditional biological pipelines. In this study, we present [PSI]-CIC, the first computational pipeline designed to identify and characterize features of sectored yeast colonies. To overcome the barrier of a lack of manually annotated data of colonies, we develop a neural network architecture that we train on synthetic images of colonies and apply to real images of $$[PSI^+]$$

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, $$[psi^-]$$

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, and sectored colonies. In hand-annotated experimental images, our pipeline correctly predicts the state of approximately 95% of colonies detected and frequency of sectors in approximately 89.5% of colonies detected. The scope of our pipeline could be extended to categorizing colonies grown under different experimental conditions, allowing for more meaningful and detailed comparisons between experiments. Our approach streamlines the analysis of sectored yeast colonies providing a rich set of quantitative metrics and provides insight into mechanisms driving the curing of prion phenotypes.
Gesundheitsförderung für Beschäftigte 50plus – Ergebnisse der lidA-Studie 2022/23
Authors: Borchart Daniela , du Prel Jean-Baptist
Published: December 2024

Hintergrund

Ältere Beschäftigte sind eine besondere Zielgruppe der Betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung (BGF). Die Studienlage zur Verbreitung von BGF-Maßnahmen in Deutschland gilt als heterogen und schwierig abzuschätzen. Inwieweit älteren Beschäftigten ein BGF-Angebot offeriert wird, ist Gegenstand dieser Untersuchung.

Methoden

Im Rahmen der vierten Welle der repräsentativen lidA-Kohortenstudie wurden Befragungsdaten von 7514 Erwerbstätigen (geboren 1959, 1965 oder 1971) analysiert. Geprüft wurden die BGF-Angebotsquoten inklusive der 95 %-Konfidenzintervalle nach personen-, tätigkeits- und betriebsbezogenen Faktoren. Mittels multipler logistischer Regressionsanalysen wurde der Einfluss dieser Faktoren auf die Angebotschance untersucht.

Ergebnisse

Frauen, Personen über 60 Jahre, jene mit direkter Migrationserfahrung und mit schlechter Gesundheit erhalten seltener als Andere ein BGF-Angebot. Ebenfalls seltener erhalten beruflich schlechter Gestellte, körperlich Tätige, Teilzeitbeschäftigte ein BGF-Angebot und jene, die in Handelsberufen, Gastronomie, Verkehr, Sicherheit und in Reinigungsberufen arbeiten. Eine höhere Angebotschance haben hingegen Beschäftigte in größeren Betrieben und wenn im Betrieb weitere präventive und förderliche Gesundheitsstrukturen bestehen.

Schlussfolgerung

Gerade Beschäftigte, die aufgrund sozialer und gesundheitlicher Nachteile von Maßnahmen profitieren können, haben eine geringere Angebotschance. Dies deutet auf einen Nachbesserungsbedarf, um eine Verstärkung gesundheitlicher Ungleichheiten zu vermeiden. Auch ist zu überlegen, wie Beschäftigten ein bedarfsorientiertes BGF-Angebot offeriert werden kann, die aufgrund tätigkeitsbezogener Merkmale erschwerte Zugangsvoraussetzungen haben.
Optimal Design of BOG Reliquefaction Systems for LNG Carriers: A Focus on GMS Performance During Loaded Voyages
Authors: Shin Hyunjun , Kim Dongchan , Choi Wonjae , Lee Jong Min
Published: December 2024

This study proposes a strategy for evaluating efficient design of the Gas Management System (GMS) on LNG carriers by decomposing its performance to subsystems: the reliquefaction system (RS) and the fuel gas supply system (FS). With increasingly stringent maritime regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, the need for efficient LNG carrier operations has become critical. A major factor in reducing fuel consumptions and carbon emissions is optimizing the design of the RS, given its significant power demand for processing NBOG. However, effective GMS design must account for variations in RS operation performance, as well as the contributions of the FS in treating NBOG with changes in ship speed. This study compares GSM configurations with reliquefaction systems based on two representative refrigeration cycles: the nitrogen reverse Brayton cycle (NRBC) and the single mixed refrigerant cycle (SMRC), both analyzing effects of cold BOG utilization. Results indicate that the RS of GMS4A-aSMRC [the aSMRC is the refrigeration cycle which utilizes cold BOG within the Single Mixed Refrigerant Cycle (SMRC)] demonstrates superior RS design performance. However, the most efficient GMS configuration varies with the Boil-off Rate (BOR): GMS2-aNRBC [the aNRBC is the refrigeration cycle which utilizes cold BOG within the Nitrogen Reverse Brayton Cycle (NRBC)] is optimal aligning with its RS performance for a 0.11%/day BOR, while GMS3-SMRC without cold BOG in RS is the most efficient for a 0.075%/day BOR, owing to increased contributions from the FS. In this study, a performance index with a consistently comparable baseline is derived to accommodate compositional deviations from flash gas recirculation at NBOG disposal streams, enabling the GMS performance to be correlated with compatible values of its decomposed subsystem.
Migrant Democracy: Constitutional Promise and Political Struggle in Contemporary Italy
Authors: Albahari Maurizio
Published: December 2024

The article addresses the tension between the internalization of a violent border regime intent on preempting migrant arrivals and the everyday democratic struggle against that regime. It builds on ethnographic fieldwork in Rome to illuminate conflicting political imaginations and existing practices of the already plural, albeit unequal, Italian polity. On the one hand, we see a bordered democracy. This democracy keeps investing in nationalizing itself, by fortifying the Mediterranean as a lethal border and by shoring up social, economic, and racialized boundaries. On the other hand, there is also an emerging migrant democracy. This migrant democracy actively works on two interrelated fronts: to build a more democratic, pluralistic, and egalitarian polity, and to reform how legal and physical access to the polity is governed in the first place. The article argues that, on both fronts, the anti-Fascist Constitution of Italy offers a viable political and ideological framework. More generally, the article proposes that if democratic politics and constitutional arguments are to produce more than a rhetorical edifice for democracy, they need to attend to the social, economic, and racialized inequalities of life in common.
Between God and Nation: The Colonial Origins of Democracy Support in British Africa
Authors: Becker Bastian , Dulay Dean
Published: December 2024

Popular support is important to the emergence and survival of democracy. In this paper, we study how church-state relations in former British Africa shaped long-run support for democracy. We argue that shared national identity was the basis for incentive alignment, facilitating cooperation over educational policy between church and state and engendering long-run support for democracy. Employing geospatial analyses of historical mission data and contemporary social survey data from 19 former British African colonies, we find that areas with missions originating from Britain exhibit better educational outcomes and greater support for democracy than areas that had non-British missions. Furthermore, areas with British Protestant missions show greater support for democracy than British Catholic missions, suggesting that Protestantism supplements the benefits of shared nationhood between mission and state. Our findings add nuance to scholarship on the colonial origins of democracy by highlighting the interdependent legacies of church and state.
The mental association between subjective vitality, energy conservation motivation, and cognitive effort motivation according to the schema model of self-control
Authors: Blaise Max , Bertrams Alex
Published: December 2024

According to the schema model of self-control, repetitive self-control efforts falter due to the activation of a reduced vitality schema, resulting in increased motivation to conserve energy and reduced cognitive efforts. Building on these assumptions, we conducted two randomized controlled studies to examine the mental associations individuals form between subjective vitality, motivation to conserve energy, and motivation for cognitive effort. In both studies, the participants were presented with vignettes featuring fictitious characters described as either vital or non-vital. In Study 1 (N = 487), participants attributed higher motivation to conserve energy and lower cognitive motivation to the character described as having low subjective vitality. This finding indicates that participants seem to hold a vitality schema, in which perceived levels of vitality influence how cognitive resources are allocated. Furthermore, the motivation to conserve energy was found to partially mediate the relationship between subjective vitality and cognitive motivation, aligning with the schema model’s predictions. Study 2 (N = 449) successfully replicated the findings of Study 1 using different measures. Overall, the empirical evaluation of this sub-component of the schema model adds a crucial piece to the postulated causal chain, emphasizing the importance of schema-based approaches in self-control research and opening new perspectives for investigating the mechanisms of cognitive resource allocation. Our results provide a promising foundation for future studies to investigate the schema model at a behavioral level, as mental representations can be viewed as precursors that prompt individuals to translate their cognitive concepts into corresponding actions.
Personality and sex differences in mattering and purpose-in-life
Authors: Fino Emanuele , Blanchard Alyson E. , McLean Lucas , Papazova Eva , Schermer Julie Aitken
Published: December 2024

Mattering and purpose-in-life are key aspects of individuals’ perception of who they are and their relationships with others. However, their associations with personality, as well as sex differences within these associations, remain relatively unexplored. Three studies investigated, respectively, the correlation between mattering and purpose-in-life across sexes (N

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 = 906), their measurement invariance by sex and associations with the Big-Five (N

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 = 400), and with antagonistic traits (N

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 = 178), including potential sex differences in these associations. Study 1 found lower purpose-in-life in women compared to men, but no difference in mattering. Additionally, a positive and moderate correlation between mattering and purpose-in-life was observed, but no sex differences. Study 2 found higher factor covariance in men than women. Moreover, it showed that conscientiousness positively predicts mattering and purpose-in-life, neuroticism negatively predicts both, and agreeableness positively predicts purpose-in-life. Study 3 showed that primary and secondary psychopathy negatively predict mattering, grandiose narcissism positively predicts mattering and purpose-in-life, and secondary psychopathy negatively predicts purpose-in-life, in all cases showing no sex differences. These results highlight the importance of mattering and purpose-in-life in personality research and intervention, offering insights for personality development by addressing dysfunctional perceptions and fostering personal and professional growth across various applied settings. For instance, in counseling, leveraging mattering and purpose-in-life could help clients strengthen their resilience and coping skills. In educational settings, mattering and purpose-in-life could support learners’ self-efficacy and improve educational outcomes. In organizational settings, they could drive change by enhancing individuals’ confidence, productivity, and leadership.
Design of a Pharmaceutical 3D Printer Using Quality-by-Design Approach
Authors: Lafeber I. , de Boer T. W. J. , van Unen W. H. , Ouwerkerk N. , Guchelaar H. J. , Schimmel K. J. M.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Pharmaceutical three-dimensional (3D) printing is an innovative production technique which enables the manufacturing of personalized medicine at the point-of-care. A reliable 3D printer is paramount for the successful implementation in clinical practice. In this paper, the design strategy of a pharmaceutical semi-solid extrusion 3D printer is described, where the concept of quality-by-design is applied.

Methods

The technical design stages are divided in the conceptual design and detailed design stage. The minimal viable product, critical process parameters and implemented control strategies were defined.

Results

The critical process parameter with the highest impact is the temperature of the cartridge during preheating, i.e. prior to the production process. The temperature is controlled with an accurate thermistor, closed feedback loop and thermal isolation. The temperature can be monitored at all times using the graphical user interface and there is an audit trail using the logging system. Software was developed conforming to GAMP5.

Conclusions

Build-in control strategies in the design of the pharmaceutical 3D printer can mitigate risks during the production process of personalized medicine. The regulatory landscape surrounding 3D-printed drug products remains challenging. By using this design approach, relevant guidelines were taken into account during the design of a pharmaceutical 3D printer. Future development of the 3D printer should include the incorporation of process analytical technology tools and upscaling of feedstock production to further support the implementation of personalized medicine 3D-printed at the point-of-care.
Prognostic Factors for Vulvar Cancer Undergoing Primary Surgery: Case Series from a Single Tertiary Cancer Center
Authors: Shylasree T. S. , Das Ushashree , Kumar Neha , Naidu Lavanya , Deodhar Kedar , Chopra Supriya , Poddar Pabashi , Maheshwari Amita
Published: December 2024

To evaluate clinical outcomes in women undergoing primary surgery for vulvar squamous cell carcinoma) (SCC) with an aim to identify surgico-pathological risk factors associated with recurrence and survival. Retrospective cohort analysis was carried out between January 2011 and December 2018 for patients with vulvar SCC who underwent primary surgery. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for the estimation of the probability of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariate analyses based on the Cox proportional hazards model were performed to identify factors associated with DFS and OS. A p-value ≤ 0.05 in a two-tailed test was considered statistically significant. The study population included 81 patients; the median follow-up time for the entire cohort was 41 months. Recurrence was noted in 27 cases (33.3%), and the median time to recurrence was 36.14 months. The median overall survival (OS) was 40.8 months, and disease-free survival (DFS) was 36 months. On univariate analysis, depth of invasion (DOI), close margin, presence of lympho-vascular space invasion (LVSI), perineural invasion (PNI), groin metastases, and not receiving adjuvant therapy were significantly associated with increased recurrence rates. Deeper stromal invasion, presence of LVSI, groin node metastases, and recurrent disease were associated with poor OS on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, DOI, tumor-free margin (TFM), and PNI were significantly associated with DFS, and a previous history of recurrence was associated with OS. Vulvar cancers are relatively rare tumors with several local tumor factors such as TFM, DOI, LVSI, and lymph node status which may help determine oncological outcomes. Larger studies will definitely help establish more evidence.
ADAR1 expression in different cancer cell lines and its change under heat shock
Authors: Adamczak Dominika , Fornalik Michał , Małkiewicz Anna , Pestka Julia , Pławski Andrzej , Jagodziński Paweł Piotr , Słowikowski Bartosz Kazimierz
Published: December 2024

Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) plays an essential role in the development of malignancies by modifying the expression of different oncogenes. ADAR1 presents three distinct activities: adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing, modulating IFN pathways, and response to cellular stress factors. Following stressors such as heat shock, ADAR1p110 isoform relocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it suppresses RNA degradation which leads to the arrest of apoptosis and cell survival. In this study, we assessed the expression of ADAR1 across different cancer cell lines. We revealed that the presence of ADAR1 varies between cells of different origins and that a high transcript level does not reflect protein abundance. Additionally, we subjected cells to a heat shock in order to evaluate how cellular stress factors affect the expression of ADAR1. Our results indicate that ADAR1 transcript and protein levels are relatively stable and do not change under heat shock in examined cell lines. This research lays a groundwork for future directions on ADAR1-related studies suggesting in which types of cancer ADAR1 may be a promising target for novel therapeutic approaches.
Nonparametric estimation of bivariate cumulative distribution function
Authors: Mansouri Behzad , Rastin Azam , Mombeni Habib Allah
Published: December 2024

This paper proposes a nonparametric estimation of the cumulative distribution function of bivariate bounded data using the Birnbaum–Saunders kernel. We obtain its asymptotic properties and conduct a numerical study. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed estimator over the empirical distribution function and ordinary kernel estimator. We use the proposed estimator to analyse a real data set.
An Investigation of Second-Year Medical Students’ Use of Outside Resources at Two Institutions
Authors: Berry Andrea , Campbell Anna , Li Danxun , Bay Curt , Ikonne Uzoma
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Medical students have an unprecedented number of study resources available to use. There is a shift in the frequency of student resource use, particularly outside resources not provided by the academic institution, as students progress through the curriculum. This may reflect how individual students develop as self-regulated learners. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare medical student resource use at two institutions.

Materials and Methods

This is a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study that examines factors that are associated with outside resource use and frequency of resource use for second-year medical students across two institutions. A questionnaire was sent to second-year medical students at ATSU-School of Osteopathic Medicine and Eastern Virginia Medical School. Mann–Whitney tests were used to compare Likert-type responses between institutions. A thematic analysis was used to validate and expand on the qualitative dataset.

Results

Students across institutions are using outside resources frequently. We observed similar influence of factors for the use of outside resources such as preparing for licensing exams across institutions. EVMS students were more likely to be influenced by academic support staff and to use outside resources to prepare for course exams than ATSU students. Differences were noted when comparing the use of specific resources such as transcripts, self-generated student resources, and online resources generated by peers. Further, EVMS students more frequently used outside resources to study for disciplines such as physiology, microbiology, and pathology compared to ATSU students.

Conclusions

The observation that students across both institutions are influenced similarly to use outside resources to prepare for licensing exams is expected. However, we did observe some differences which could be explained by variations in curriculum and organizational features or programs at each institution. The results from the current study are consistent with what has been observed in previous studies. Establishing a better understanding of how students use outside resources will enable faculty and institutions to help students develop as self-regulated learners.
„… alle Jugendlichen suchen ja in der Pubertät den Sinn des Lebens“ – Radikalisierungsprozesse aus Perspektive von Fachkräften der Präventionspraxis
Authors: Bösing Eike , von Lautz Yannick , Kart Mehmet , Stein Margit
Published: December 2024

Der Beitrag widmet sich auf Basis von 25 leitfadengestützten Interviews mit Fachkräften der Islamismusprävention unterschiedlichen Perspektiven auf Radikalisierungsprozesse. Im Zentrum steht die Frage, welche Narrative und Annahmen über diese Prozesse im Handlungsfeld vorherrschen. Als Analyseraster dient eine Heuristik auf Grundlage der Synthese gängiger Modellierungen von Radikalisierungsverläufen. Im Ergebnis zeigen sich bei den befragten Fachkräften vier vorherrschende Typen, in denen jeweils unterschiedliche Schwerpunkte hervorgehoben werden. Im ersten Typ wird Radikalisierung als ein Stufenprozess verstanden, der mit einem identifizierbaren Auslöser oder Wendepunkt beginnt und zu einer intensiven Auseinandersetzung mit radikalen Ideologien führt. Der zweite Typ sieht Radikalisierungsprozesse als jugendspezifische Orientierung an, wobei Jugendlichen grundsätzlich eine erhöhte Empfänglichkeit für radikale Narrative zugeschrieben wird. Der dritte Typ hebt die Bedeutung des sozialen Umfelds und negativer Reaktionen auf religiöse Sinnsuche für Radikalisierungsprozesse hervor. Im vierten Typ wird Radikalisierung insbesondere als Rekrutierung durch etablierte radikale Szenen betrachtet, die gezielt neue Mitglieder gewinnen wollen. Dies geschehe durch Inszenierung als Vertreter*innen der Muslim*innen und durch das Ausnutzen gesellschaftlicher Debatten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Fachleute der Präventionspraxis unterschiedliche Perspektiven auf Radikalisierungsprozesse haben, wodurch Diskurse über das Phänomen beeinflusst und potenziell unterschiedliche Ansätze der Prävention impliziert werden.
Cultural transmission, networks, and clusters among Austronesian-speaking peoples
Authors: Macdonald Joshua C. , Blanco-Portillo Javier , Feldman Marcus W. , Ram Yoav
Published: December 2024

With its linguistic and cultural diversity, Austronesia is important in the study of evolutionary forces that generate and maintain cultural variation. By analysing publicly available datasets, we have identified four classes of cultural features in Austronesia and distinct clusters within each class. We hypothesized that there are differing modes of transmission and patterns of variation in these cultural classes and that geography alone would be insufficient to explain some of these patterns of variation. We detected relative differences in the verticality of transmission and distinct patterns of cultural variation in each cultural class. There is support for pulses and pauses in the Austronesian expansion, a west-to-east increase in isolation with explicable exceptions, and correspondence between linguistic and cultural outliers. Our results demonstrate how cultural transmission and patterns of variation can be analysed using methods inspired by population genetics.
Temporalities of speculation and discounting in the twentieth century
Authors: Pietruska Jamie
Published: December 2024

This article reviews Paul Crosthwaite’s Speculative Time: American Literature in an Age of Crisis (2024) and Liliana Doganova’s Discounting the Future: The Ascendancy of a Political Technology (2024), situating them within recent scholarship on a future-oriented, speculative, and economic subject. It focuses on the relationship between financial speculation and temporalities in the twentieth century, specifically on futures and the politics of value in American literature and the calculating technology of discounting. These books bridge what have been two distinct scholarly approaches to studies of capitalist futures: a theoretical focus on futures as cultural imaginaries or narratives of economic action and a material emphasis on practices for anticipating futures and managing risk. The article concludes with a discussion of power and profit in speculation and discounting, emphasizing inequitable access to speculative futures, and suggests that the multidirectional, nonlinear, recursive mode of financialized temporalities in these books might offer a guide to imagining and creating more just futures for us all.
A review of additive usage in polymer manufacturing: case study phenolic antioxidants
Authors: Orndoff Derek , Lone Sohail , Beymer-Farris Betsy , Wood Morgan , Sadler Jennifer , Ternes Mary Ellen , Hester Tracy , Miller Kevin M. , Seay Jeffrey
Published: December 2024

The March 2, 2022, United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14: “End plastic pollution: Toward an international legally binding instrument by 2024” provides an important path for addressing global plastic pollution, from monomer design and production through the value chain to the final fate of plastic products, including resource recovery. Of the goals set for this effort, simplifying the polymer and additive universe is among the most significant. One primary obstacle to resource recovery from plastic waste is polymer variability, which renders post-use plastic inherently waste-like. While simplification will not address microplastics and leaching of chemicals during use, these measures simplify the plastic universe and mitigate leakage which is critical to ensuring circular plastic use. This study provides a pathway for simplification of formulations through the elimination of problematic additives and revealing paths toward simplifying and reducing the variability in polymers, waste streams and pollution, while preserving critical uses. This study focuses on phenolic antioxidants to support this concept; however, these principles can be applied to other additive classes. The results show extensive duplication of chemical species with different trade names and the appearance of only minor changes to species with the intention of evergreening patents for improved marketability.
Strøby Egede, Vedbæk-Bøgebakken and Relationships among Scandinavian Mesolithic Skeletal Material
Authors: BABB JEFF , MEIKLEJOHN CHRISTOPHER , PETERSEN HANS CHRISTIAN , BABB MAUREEN
Published: December 2024

This paper derives from new work on Mesolithic human skeletal material from Strøby Egede, a near coastal site in eastern Sjælland, with two foci. The first confirms sex identifications from original work carried out in 1986. The second, and central focus, re-examines comments by one of us (CM) based on work in 1992, and a new statistical analysis including data from the two Strøby Egede adults. In 1998 it was suggested that the Strøby Egede sample more closely resembled Skateholm, on the coast of Skåne in southern Sweden, than Vedbæk-Bøgebakken on Sjælland, fitting lithic patterns noted earlier by Vang Petersen. We revisit the 1998 suggestion below, comparing data from Strøby Egede to those available from southern Scandinavia and Germany, and suggest that the 1998 comment was, in all probability, incorrect. The analysis below suggests overall morphological similarity between individuals in eastern Sjælland and Skåne, while noting the existence of apparent outliers.
TO THE CASSITERIDES AND BEYOND: GEORGE BONSOR’S ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF THE SCILLY ISLES (1899–1902). AN HISTORIOGRAPHIC OBLIVION
Authors: Herrera-Delgado José R
Published: December 2024

Between 1899 and 1902, Anglo-French archaeologist George Bonsor carried out an exploration of the Scilly Isles (United Kingdom). At that time the archipelago was believed to be the Cassiterides or Tin Islands mentioned by authors such as Strabo, Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy – an idea first posited by William Camden in his Britannia (1586). Adopting Camden’s theory and guided by ancient literature on the Cassiterides – which refers to the Phoenicians as the first controllers of this trade route – Bonsor sought traces of the Phoenicians and their tin trade in the Scilly Isles, becoming the first person to conduct such research from an archaeological perspective. Not having found any evidence, his exploration remained unpublished and went mostly unnoticed in debates about the Tin Islands over following decades. This paper presents a brief historiographical account on the Cassiterides before and after the explorations, as well as a critical analysis of Bonsor’s field notes regarding his use of ancient sources and his archaeological method. The analysis carried out suggests that Bonsor’s archaeological exploration has been overlooked thus far and that a new assessment of his work is required.
No reliable evidence supports the presence of the Javan tiger: data issues related to the DNA analysis of a recent hair sample
Authors: Sui Zheng-Yan , Yamaguchi Nobuyuki , Liu Yue-Chen , Xue Hao-Ran , Sun Xin , Nyhus Philip , Luo Shu-Jin
Published: December 2024

A recent study published in Oryx proposed that the extinct Javan tiger Panthera tigris sondaica may still survive on the Island of Java, Indonesia, based on mitochondrial DNA analysis of a single hair sample collected from a location where a tiger was reportedly encountered. However, upon reanalysing the genetic data presented in that study, we conclude that there is little support for this claim. The sequences of the putative tiger hair and Javan tiger museum specimens generated are not from tiger cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA but more likely the nuclear pseudogene copies of mitochondrial DNA. In addition, the number of mismatches between the two Javan tiger sequences is unusually high for homologous sequences that are both from tigers, suggesting potential issues with data reliability. The paper provides insufficient details on quality control measures, making it impossible to rule out the possibility that errors were introduced during the analysis. Consequently, it is inappropriate to use the sequences presented in that study to infer the existence of the Javan tiger.
The impact of schizophrenia genetic load and heavy cannabis use on the risk of psychotic disorder in the EU-GEI case-control and UK Biobank studies
Authors: Austin-Zimmerman Isabelle , Spinazzola Edoardo , Quattrone Diego , Wu-Choi Beatrice , Trotta Giulia , Li Zhikun , Johnson Emma , Richards Alexander L. , Freeman Tom P. , Tripoli Giada , Gayer-Anderson Charlotte , Rodriguez Victoria , Jongsma Hannah E. , Ferraro Laura , La Cascia Caterina , Tosato Sarah , Tarricone Ilaria , Berardi Domenico , Bonora Elena , Seri Marco , D'Andrea Giuseppe , Szöke Andrei , Arango Celso , Bobes Julio , Sanjuán Julio , Santos Jose Luis , Arrojo Manuel , Velthorst Eva , Bernardo Miguel , Del-Ben Cristina Marta , Rossi Menezes Paulo , Selten Jean-Paul , Jones Peter B. , Kirkbride James B. , Rutten Bart P. F. , Tortelli Andrea , Llorca Pierre-Michel , de Haan Lieuwe , Stilo Simona , La Barbera Daniele , Lasalvia Antonio , Schurnhoff Franck , Pignon Baptiste , van Os Jim , Lynskey Michael , Morgan Craig ,   EU-GEI WP2 Group, O’ Donovan Michael , Lewis Cathryn M. , Sham Pak C. , Murray Robin M. , Vassos Evangelos , Di Forti Marta
Published: December 2024

Background

The association between cannabis and psychosis is established, but the role of underlying genetics is unclear. We used data from the EU-GEI case-control study and UK Biobank to examine the independent and combined effect of heavy cannabis use and schizophrenia polygenic risk score (PRS) on risk for psychosis.

Methods

Genome-wide association study summary statistics from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and the Genomic Psychiatry Cohort were used to calculate schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder (CUD) PRS for 1098 participants from the EU-GEI study and 143600 from the UK Biobank. Both datasets had information on cannabis use.

Results

In both samples, schizophrenia PRS and cannabis use independently increased risk of psychosis. Schizophrenia PRS was not associated with patterns of cannabis use in the EU-GEI cases or controls or UK Biobank cases. It was associated with lifetime and daily cannabis use among UK Biobank participants without psychosis, but the effect was substantially reduced when CUD PRS was included in the model. In the EU-GEI sample, regular users of high-potency cannabis had the highest odds of being a case independently of schizophrenia PRS (OR daily use high-potency cannabis adjusted for PRS = 5.09, 95% CI 3.08–8.43, p = 3.21 × 10−10). We found no evidence of interaction between schizophrenia PRS and patterns of cannabis use.

Conclusions

Regular use of high-potency cannabis remains a strong predictor of psychotic disorder independently of schizophrenia PRS, which does not seem to be associated with heavy cannabis use. These are important findings at a time of increasing use and potency of cannabis worldwide.
An omnidirectional mecanum wheel automated guided vehicle control using hybrid modified A* algorithm
Authors: Bhargava Ankur , Suhaib Mohammad , Singholi Ajay K. S.
Published: December 2024

This paper presents Hybrid Modified A* (HMA*) algorithm which is used to control an omnidirectional mecanum wheel automated guided vehicle (AGV). HMA* employs Modified A* and PSO to determine the best AGV path. The HMA* overcomes the A* technique’s drawbacks, including a large number of nodes, imprecise trajectories, long calculation times, and expensive path initialization. Repetitive point removal refines Modified A*’s path to locate more important nodes. Real-time hardware control experiments and extensive simulations using Matlab software prove the HMA* technique works well. To evaluate the practicability and efficiency of HMA* in route planning and control for AGVs, various algorithms are introduced like A*, Probabilistic Roadmap (PRM), Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT), and bidirectional RRT (Bi-RRT). Simulations and real-time testing show that HMA* path planning algorithm reduces AGV running time and path length compared to the other algorithms. The HMA* algorithm shows promising results, providing an enhancement and outperforming A*, PRM, RRT, and Bi-RRT in the average length of the path by 12.08%, 10.26%, 7.82%, and 4.69%, and in average motion time by 21.88%, 14.84%, 12.62%, and 8.23%, respectively. With an average deviation of 4.34% in path length and 3% in motion time between simulation and experiments, HMA* closely approximates real-world conditions. Thus, the proposed HMA* algorithm is ideal for omnidirectional mecanum wheel AGV’s static as well as dynamic movements, making it a reliable and efficient alternative for sophisticated AGV control systems.
Bioethics transformed: 40 years of the value of life
Authors: Lawrence David R.
Published: December 2024

This article examines the evolution of bioethics over the past four decades since the publication of John Harris’ seminal work, “The Value of Life” (1985). It argues that while the core principles articulated by Harris remain relevant, bioethics has undergone significant transformation across four key domains. First, the expanding frontiers of biotechnology have necessitated engagement with complex issues beyond individual clinical ethics. Second, there has been a widening of the circle of moral concern to encompass nonhuman animals, disability rights, and global health equity. Third, bioethics has become increasingly entangled with public policy and governance. Finally, the field has seen substantial academic proliferation and institutionalization. These developments have pushed bioethics to adapt its frameworks and methodologies while maintaining fidelity to foundational principles. This article concludes by considering the future challenges and opportunities for bioethics in an increasingly complex technological and social landscape.
Upcoming Changes to the Prehospital and Disaster Medicine Journal
Authors: Franc Jeffrey Michael
Published: December 2024

In this editorial, upcoming changes to the mission statement, available article types, and instructions for authors are highlighted. These changes are expected to start on January 1, 2025.
Between the Chinggisid principle, loyalty, and self-aggrandisement: Jochid elites in the ‘Time of Troubles’ (1359 to circa 1380)
Authors: Landa Ishayahu
Published: December 2024

In the mid-fourteenth century, the Jochid ulus went through a phase of extreme political turbulence. Following the death of the last Batuid khan Berdibek (r. 1357–1359), during the next two decades, circa 1360–1380, a high number of power contenders rose at both the central and the local levels of the ulus. This article aims to map and exemplify those attempts as part of the broader theoretical discussion concerning the scope and depth of the khanate's crisis. It does so by combining an overall, bird's-eye perspective on the political history of the ulus by zooming in on the regional history, as well as through the analysis of both written primary and numismatic sources. None of the multiple patterns of reaction to the dying-out of the Batuid lineage clearly contradicted the idea of the khanate's unity and the overarching ‘Chinggisid principle’. At this point in time, the ulus still followed the centrifugal logic of the Chinggisid rule. At the same time, the crisis of the Jochid ulus of the mid-fourteenth century indeed prepared the very ground for the power division between the still-existing branches of the Jochid family and the break-up of the Jochid power domain of the fifteenth century that followed the last unification attempt of the ulus under Toqtamïsh (r. 1380–1406).
Migrants’ Relational Experiences with the Welfare State at the Street Level: A Focus on the Role of Language
Authors: Nordberg Camilla , Simola Anna
Published: December 2024

While previous research has highlighted the significant role of language in conditioning migrants’ access to key institutions of the welfare state, the question of how individual migrants experience linguistic disadvantage has been less in focus. Drawing on a relational approach, the article moves beyond the idea of language barriers as a static structure of (in)equality or a matter of individual shortcomings. It demonstrates how language policies and language ideologies, and their entanglements with more general trends in welfare policies and ideologies, shape migrants’ relational experiences with the welfare states and their representatives, and what are the implications of such interactions – or the lack of interaction. Empirically, it builds on qualitative data collected in Belgium and Finland, showing how language barriers and discrimination can result in Kafkaesque administrative processes that produce both material and affective hardship for migrants in these national contexts.
Short‐ and Long‐Term Seismic Velocity Variations and Strain Evolution at Ischia (Italy): Implications for Dynamics of the Hydrothermal System
Authors: Tarantino Stefania , Poli Piero , Vassallo Maurizio , D’Agostino Nicola
Published: December 2024

In active volcanic systems, the elevated pressurization of fluids and the movement of molten materials influence the stress state and mechanical behavior of rocks, but the direct measurement of these processes and the related evolution of rocks properties is difficult. By studying seismic velocity variations, we quantify the physical changes in rocks induced by long‐term volcanic deformation and the dynamic changes associated with the 2017 Casamicciola earthquake (Mw 3.9) in the active volcanic complex of Ischia Island, Italy. Our study reveals a significant dynamic velocity reduction (∼0.2%), primarily due to near‐surface damage, with a permanent drop linked to documented landslides and subsidence observed immediately after the earthquake. We also identified a positive long‐term linear trend in velocity variations, indicative of a generalized contraction of the Ischia Caldera, as revealed by geodetic modeling. Our results suggest a depressurization of the shallow hydrothermal system through degassing along faults or sills.
Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
Authors: Huang Kai , Lu Quanming , Liu Yi‐Hsin , Lu San , Li Xinmin , Tang Huibo , Peng E.
Published: December 2024

A three‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulation is performed to study secondary reconnection between two interlinked flux tubes produced by neighboring guide field reconnection x‐lines. The reconnecting magnetic fields of this secondary reconnection is enhanced toward the diffusion region, agree well with that in observations. The magnetic field pileup is attributed to the upstream magnetic tension force, that smashes the flux tubes into each other. We propose that the primary reconnection x‐line length is a key parameter to determine the formation of interlinked flux tubes and secondary reconnection therein. Interlinked flux tubes will form only if the x‐line is short; when the x‐line is long enough, the regular flux ropes are formed instead. The critical x‐line length to form interlinked flux tubes is determined by the distance between two neighbor x‐lines and the magnetic shear angle of the primary reconnection. The results provide a novel scenario of secondary reconnection generation during three‐dimensional reconnection.
Exploring Sources of Gravity Waves in the Southern Winter Stratosphere Using 3‐D Satellite Observations and Backward Ray‐Tracing
Authors: Noble Phoebe E. , Rhode Sebastian , Hindley Neil P. , Berthelemy Peter , Moffat‐Griffin Tracy , Preusse Peter , Hoffmann Lars , Wright Corwin J.
Published: December 2024

During austral winter, the southern high latitudes has some of the most intense stratospheric gravity wave (GW) activity globally. However, producing accurate representations of GW dynamics in this region in numerical models has proved exceptionally challenging. One reason for this is that questions remain regarding the relative contributions of orographic and non‐orographic sources of GWs here. We use three‐dimensional (3‐D) satellite GW observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder in austral winter 2012 in combination with the Gravity‐wave Regional Or Global Ray Tracer to backward trace GW rays to their sources. We trace over 14.2 million rays, through ERA5 reanalysis background atmosphere, to their lower atmospheric sources. We find that GWs observed thousands of km downstream can be traced back to key orographic regions, and that on average, all waves (orographic and non‐orographic) converge meridionally over the Southern Ocean. We estimate that across this winter, orographic sources contribute around 5%–35% to the total momentum flux (MF) observed near 60S. The remaining proportion consists of waves from non‐orographic sources, which although typically carry lower MF, the large spatial extent of non‐orographic sources leads to a higher overall contribution. We also quantify the proportion of MF traced back to different regions across the whole southern high latitudes area in order to measure the relative importance of these different regions. These results provide the important insights needed to advance our knowledge of the atmospheric momentum budget in the southern high latitudes.
A bright future for micro-LED displays
Authors: Bandari Vineeth K. , Schmidt Oliver G.
Published: December 2024

The development of GaN-based Micro-LED arrays achieving brightnesses exceeding 107 nits and high-density micro-displays with up to 1080×780 pixels marks a true breakthrough in the field. This breakthrough is a result of mastering a combination of long-standing challenges comprising wafer-scale high-quality epitaxial growth, sidewall passivation, efficient photon extraction, and elegant bonding technologies, and promises significant advantages for augmented and virtual reality devices, wearables, and next-generation consumer electronics.
Metabolic imaging distinguishes ovarian cancer subtypes and detects their early and variable responses to treatment
Authors: Chia Ming Li , Bulat Flaviu , Gaunt Adam , Ros Susana , Wright Alan J. , Sawle Ashley , Porcu Luca , Vias Maria , Brenton James D. , Brindle Kevin M.
Published: December 2024

High grade serous ovarian cancer displays two metabolic subtypes; a high OXPHOS subtype that shows increased expression of genes encoding electron transport chain components, increased oxygen consumption, and increased chemosensitivity, and a low OXPHOS subtype that exhibits glycolytic metabolism and is more drug resistant. We show here in patient-derived organoids and in the xenografts obtained by their subcutaneous implantation that the low OXPHOS subtype shows higher lactate dehydrogenase activity and monocarboxylate transporter 4 expression than the high OXPHOS subtype and increased lactate labeling in 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate metabolism. There was no difference between the subtypes in PET measurements of 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) uptake. Both metabolic imaging techniques could detect the early response to Carboplatin treatment in drug-sensitive high OXPHOS xenografts and no response in drug-resistant in low OXPHOS xenografts. 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate metabolism has the potential to be used clinically to distinguish low OXPHOS and high OXPHOS tumor deposits in HGSOC patients and to detect their differential responses to treatment.
Conjugated fatty acids drive ferroptosis through chaperone-mediated autophagic degradation of GPX4 by targeting mitochondria
Authors: Hirata Yusuke , Yamada Yuto , Taguchi Soma , Kojima Ryota , Masumoto Haruka , Kimura Shinnosuke , Niijima Takuya , Toyama Takashi , Kise Ryoji , Sato Emiko , Uchida Yasunori , Ito Junya , Nakagawa Kiyotaka , Taguchi Tomohiko , Inoue Asuka , Saito Yoshiro , Noguchi Takuya , Matsuzawa Atsushi
Published: December 2024

Conjugated fatty acids (CFAs) have been known for their anti-tumor activity. However, the mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we identify CFAs as inducers of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) degradation through chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). CFAs, such as (10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid and α-eleostearic acid (ESA), induced GPX4 degradation, generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxides, and ultimately ferroptosis in cancer cell lines, including HT1080 and A549 cells, which were suppressed by either pharmacological blockade of CMA or genetic deletion of LAMP2A, a crucial molecule for CMA. Mitochondrial ROS were sufficient and necessary for CMA-dependent GPX4 degradation. Oral administration of an ESA-rich oil attenuated xenograft tumor growth of wild-type, but not that of LAMP2A-deficient HT1080 cells, accompanied by increased lipid peroxidation, GPX4 degradation and cell death. Our study establishes mitochondria as the key target of CFAs to trigger lipid peroxidation and GPX4 degradation, providing insight into ferroptosis-based cancer therapy.