bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ВИКОРИСТАННЯ МОДЕЛЕЙ ЕКОНОМІЧНОГО ЗРОСТАННЯ ДЛЯ ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ СТАЛОГО РОЗВИТКУ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ МОРЕГОСПОДАРСЬКОГО КОМПЛЕКСУ
Authors: Girina O.B. , Merkt O.V. , Zagorodnia K.O.
Published: October 2024

Вступ. У досліджених роботах визначена модель Р. Солоу як базова та оптимальна для моделювання розвитку підприємств України в умовах посткризового відновлення. Мета. Ця стаття розглядає аналіз інвестиційної діяльності підприємства через призму моделей економічного зростання на прикладі розвитку державного підприємства «Морський торговельний порт Південний». Для виконання цього завдання використовується виробнича функція Кобба-Дугласа. Результати. Досліджено відображення науково-технічного прогресу в моделях економічного зростання, роль різних факторів у зростанні продуктивності праці. Детально проаналізовано моделі економічного зростання та продемонстровано можливий їхній вплив на діяльність морських торговельних портів. На підставі функції Кобба-Дугласа, розрахованої для компанії ДП «МТП Південний», розглядаються умови сталого розвитку підприємства. Аналізується коефіцієнт нейтрального технічного прогресу, рівноважна норма капіталовкладень. Для включення в модель Соллоу побудована функція Кобба-Дугласа для продуктивності ефективної праці. Був виконаний аналіз факторів вартості основних виробничих фондів (ОВФ) та чисельності робітників на темп приросту продуктивності праці за звітні роки з урахуванням як екстенсивного, так і інтенсивного їх впливу. Доведено, що у звітному періоді компанії темпи приросту доходу, які дорівнюють темпам приросту виробничих фондів, свідчать про наявність рівноважного розвитку підприємства. З’ясоване співвідношення між середньою та граничною продуктивністю чисельності та капіталу. Граничний аналіз факторів росту чистого доходу показав, що фондовіддача ДП «МТП Південний» не змінюється за розглянутий період та дорівнює граничній продуктивності основних виробничих фондів, тоді як середня та гранична продуктивність праці коливається по роках. Це також свідчить про те, що розвиток ДП «МТП Південний» має риси науково-технічного прогресу за Харродом. Висновки. Розглядаються можливість сталого розвитку ДП МТП «Південний» за умов додержання у своєму розвитку встановленої рівноважної норми капітальних вкладень.
Education as a tool for ensuring sustainable recovery and development in emergencies
Authors: Usyk Vira
Published: October 2024

Education is crucial in emergencies such as crises, wars, and natural disasters. It acts as a critical factor for the development of society and its readiness to overcome such adverse events. Public education management plays an important role in emergencies preparedness and response. Public management of education in emergencies is one of the critical elements of access to education and society’s resilience in emergencies. It helps preserve the educational process and supports the physical and mental well-being of citizens.
The recovery of education during and after an emergency requires the joint efforts of various actors with different roles and resources, including governments, international and humanitarian organizations, civil society organizations, local governments, teaching staff, learners, and their families. This interaction is essential in rebuilding the education system and ensuring access to education during crises and emergencies. Education in emergencies in different countries requires an individual approach and adaptation to specific conditions and needs. However, existing policies, strategies, and case studies in other countries and at the supranational level can help ensure access to quality education for children and youth in emergencies. According to the analysis of available publications, an essential component of the effective development and recovery of education during emergencies, in particular war, is the correct assessment of needs, the development of flexible strategies for access to education, and the improvement of the quality of education. Only timely and sufficient funding and, in particular, recognition of the importance of education during emergencies lead to a loss of skills and knowledge among the population.
Diplomatic mechanisms for ensuring food security (in the context of military conflict)
Authors: Nadolenko Hennadii
Published: October 2024

The article explores the critical issue of applying the mechanisms of crisis economic diplomacy to ensure global food security against the background of current challenges in agriculture and food markets. The article emphasizes the inability to provide the world’s population with safe and sufficient food due to the crisis that impedes access to and consumption of basic foods. The article analyzes the impact of external factors on Ukraine’s food security in the context of russian aggression as one of the main levers of political and economic pressure in international relations. It is substantiated that the transition from a simple food problem to a broader food security crisis requires more active use of bilateral and multilateral economic diplomacy mechanisms to gradually overcome it.
Countries individually develop strategies based on various factors, such as geography, climate, economic status, and security concerns. For Ukraine, studying the strategies of countries facing conflicts and seeking to ensure food security is of particular importance.
The purpose of the article is to study the effectiveness of existing mechanisms of bilateral and multilateral economic diplomacy to ensure food security in the context of military conflict.
The examples of the United States and China are worthy of attention, as they reveal their strategies and functions of the agencies responsible for ensuring food security. The United States emphasizes global food security through various initiatives, while China addresses the problem of limited arable land through a variety of strategies.
Social status of skilled workers in Ukraine during the military conflict
Authors: Herasymenko Yuliia , Velieva Viktoriya , Ostapenko Roman
Published: October 2024

The article examines the social status of skilled workers in Ukraine during the military conflict. The authors analyse various aspects, such as the impact of education on the socio-economic status of the population, the impact of education on sports and physical education, the impact of education on smoking, the distribution of workers by type of employment, the correspondence of the distribution of workers by profession to the main place of work, the distribution of workers by actual hours worked per week at the main job, the distribution of workers by the duration of job search.
Due to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, the situation with the social status of skilled workers is becoming particularly relevant and complex. The war leads to changes in the economy, social sphere and infrastructure of the country, which affects the lives of every citizen, including workers. One of the main challenges is maintaining the performance and health of skilled workers in the context of military operations. The increased risk of injuries, stress and other psychological and physical stress has had a negative impact on their professional and personal lives. It is also important to take into account the possibility of job losses and salary cuts due to the overall instability of the economic situation in the country during the war. This led to a deterioration in the financial situation of employees and their social discrimination.
The analysis of this article will help to identify important aspects that will assist in the formulation of effective social protection policies and programmes aimed at ensuring the protection, support and improvement of the social status of skilled workers in the context of military conflict.
ELECTROCHEMICAL PRODUCTION OF TUNGSTEN: STATUS AND PROSPECTS
Authors: Medvezhynska Olha , Omelchuk Anatoliy
Published: October 2024

An overview of studies of the electroche­mical reduction of tungsten compounds of different composition in various reaction media is presented. It is shown that among the variety of existing scientific and technical methods for obtaining tungsten, there are attractive prospects for the creation and development of a new industrial process that would ensure the direct electrochemical release of oxygen from its oxygen-containing compounds into molten mixtures based on chloride and calcium oxide. This scientific and technical solution is known in the literature as the FFC Cambridge process (FFC process).In contrast to the known methods of electrochemical reduction of tungsten compounds, this process allows the reduction of oxygen-containing tungsten compounds in the solid state and does not depend on the course of acid-base equilibria at the electrode/electrolyte phase separation boundary. The most favorable conditions for the reduction of oxygen-containing tungsten compounds are provided by electrolysis using a liquid gallium cathode in both galvanostatic and potentiostatic modes, and it is advisable to use the initial tungsten compounds in a finely dispersed state. The electrochemical reduction of tungsten trioxide in thee utectic melt of sodium and calcium chlorides occurs through the intermediate stage of calcium tungstate formation, so it is advisable to use CaWO4 instead of WO3 as the starting compound for reduction. Electrochemical reduction on a liquid gallium cathode in a molten eutectic mixture of sodium and calcium chlorides allows obtaining highly dispersed tungsten powder (11–35 nm) of high purity (99.9%) with a degree of extraction of at least 90.0% from both tungsten trioxide and from calcium tungstate. In addition, in this way it is possible to obtain not only pure tungsten, but also metal alloys and composites based on it.
Temporally Performing a Region: A Feminist Analysis of Southeast Asian Women’s Filmmaking
Authors: Deng MaoHui
Published: October 2024

Using Shireen Seno’s Nervous Translation (2018) as an emblematic case study, this chapter argues that Southeast Asian women’s cinema unsettles the linearity of “Southeast Asian-ness” by adopting a temporal strategy that celebrates the present tense in a relational manner. Comprehended as such, this feminist outlook towards time is one that does not reject time’s linearity, nor time’s non-linearity. Instead, it is an approach that invites the audience to be attentive to the ways in which the friction of temporalities works in the living present. In doing so, Southeast Asian women’s filmmaking offers us a way into thinking about the region of Southeast Asia from a temporal viewpoint.
Offending the Religious
Authors: Abillama Raja
Published: October 2024

The religious passions constitute the difference between and distinctiveness of Muslims and Christians that are not legally codifiable, cannot be registered by the secular positive law, and threaten, therefore, coexistence and the legal order that sustains it. The religious sentiments, the communitarian impulses, and the doctrinal or sectarian tensions are to remain contained and prevented from erupting into the public. This chapter describes the ways I which they could be buffered from provocation (incitement, arousal) by legal measures and judicial action that curb or silence the causes of provocation, such as certain modes of speech, or the projection of certain kinds of image.
The Unstable City: Rivers, Railways and Houses in Dombey and Son and Our Mutual Friend
Authors: Moore Ben
Published: October 2024

This chapter reads the railway in Dombey and Son (1846-8) and the river in Our Mutual Friend (1864-5) as forms of ‘anti-architecture’ which both connect and divide urban space, and which infuse the uncanny domestic houses of these novels with the same tendencies. Railway, river and houses are analysed via the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, including Lacan’s work on vision. The chapter argues that in these novels by Dickens we can locate new forms of architecture appropriate to the modern city of London, which are based on movement rather than stability.
Plautus’s Truculentus and Terence’s Hecyra : Patriarchal Authority and Women’s Credibility
Authors: Witzke Serena S.
Published: October 2024

Plautus’ Truculentus and Terence’s Hecyra have the same plot, an ideal locus for examining their authors’ social commentaries on citizen, masculine power and women’s limited ability to assert truth and be believed. Each play is considered the author’s most disturbing, and both demonstrate that women’s credibility is measured only by the service it does for patriarchal authority. Examining them together reveals their similarities and highlights the authors’ explorations of gendered epistemology. Despite both plays’ containing rape stories that are believed by the dominant society, this belief is not a #metoo victory. The stories are believed because they can fit a narrative that serves masculine citizen authority. In Truculentus, the harsh father believes because he can use the information about the rape to control the rapist. In Hecyra most of the men do not get to hear the rape story at all, and those that do believe because it is personally convenient. The consequences for the rapist in Truculentus are financial, for the rapist in Hecyra nonexistent. Even when believed, these plays observe, women do not get justice.
The new millennium evolution of state support for art film exhibition
Authors: David Jackson Andrew
Published: October 2024

Chapter 6 contextualises the creation of a new millennium KOFIC policy dedicated to providing exhibition opportunities for a struggling non-mainstream, non-commercial film sector. This issue in South Korean cinema was highlighted by the ‘Waranago Incident,’ in which four critically acclaimed movies were pulled from cinema screens when they failed to attract audiences on their openings. Theatres struggled to cope with the extreme fluctuations in attendance, and many art houses went out of business. KOFIC’s proposed solution to the economic plight of theatres and the lack of screening opportunities for Waranago-type films was to establish a countrywide network of art houses that would show art-house and alternative films. This chapter investigates the development of KOFIC policy towards art film distribution and exhibition in the first two decades of the new millennium up to the COVID crisis. It argues that the basis of this policy helped shape the successful expansion of South Korean cinema until 2011. Though groundbreaking in scope, the art house network policy faced challenges over film categorisation, equitable provincial distribution and control over programming that culminated in the cancellation of direct theatrical support and other crises. This chapter examines the evolution of KOFIC support for the art film sector.
Conclusion connections, entanglements and influences
Authors: Eldem Edhem
Published: October 2024

The conclusion revisits the major findings of the book, with reference to the ways in which the four major chapters explored the various aspects of the rediscovery of the Alhambra. It also explains how individual cases were contextualized within a broader framework, based on the dominant changes in the perception of the monument according to time and space. It insists on the entangled and (inter)connected nature of the chosen historical approach, pointing at several cases which illustrate the dissemination of ideas and images across various parts of the geographical space under study, and discusses the effort to bridge the micro- and macro-historical levels to tackle the diversity of available sources. It focusses on the multilayered character of Orientalist constructs, from the exoticisation of Spain to the development of Spanish Orientalism, and from the development of a mainstream Orientalist discourse in the West to its appropriation by parts of the Eastern world, particularly Ottoman Turkey. It discusses the significance of the divergence between Arab and Turkish perceptions and uses of the image of the Alhambra and Al-Andalus, the former developing into a conscious nationalist claim, while the latter reverted to an Orientalist discourse emulating Western modernity.
‘Oh, those grown-ups’ 1
Authors: Smith Angela
Published: October 2024

Redmer Yska’s archival research into life in Wellington from 1880 to 1903 reveals the city fathers’ unscrupulous attitude to public health in their rejection of sanitary reform. There were epidemics of acute infectious diseases caused by polluted water supplies; Mansfield vividly remembered her baby sister Gwendoline’s death from cholera. There is evidence as her stories evolve of a developing preoccupation with contagion in relation to children. It begins with physical disease but develops into an awareness of cultural and social infection arising from colonialism, patriarchy and British class consciousness.
The Calligraphic Arts in the Age of Ottoman Architectural Renovation
Authors: Neumeier Emily
Published: October 2024

Today, the eight calligraphic roundels hanging in Hagia Sophia’s cavernous interior remain one of the most visually striking interventions from the renovations initiated by Sultan Abdülmecid and led by Gaspare Fossati in the mid-nineteenth century. This series of monumental panels—some of the largest examples of Islamic calligraphy in the world—are often described by scholars as a unicum, conceived for the particular demands of restoring and outfitting this architectural space. This chapter situates these works within the broader context of what could be described as an age of architectural renovation within the Ottoman Empire, when the restoration of mosque complexes throughout the realm emerged as an important form of artistic patronage. In these renovation projects, the addition of calligraphic panels became an easy way to update an interior and call attention to the significant investment made by the project’s sponsor, functioning as distinct markers of able stewardship and new tastes in architectural aesthetics. Thus, the calligraphy placed on the walls of Hagia Sophia in the mid-nineteenth century is best understood as the culmination of a dynamic tradition of architectural practice that had evolved in previous decades.
From the Mouth of Angels: Folkloric Hagia Sophia
Authors: Anderson Benjamin
Published: October 2024

Accounts of the prominence of Hagia Sophia in Greek folklore have (under the influence of Michael Herzfeld’s study Ours Once More) emphasized irredentism: the desire, especially among intellectuals in the Kingdom of Greece, that the building be converted back into a church. This chapter reveals a different discourse, characteristic of the Greek communities of Constantinople, according to which a secret mass continued to be celebrated in the building despite its overt conversion to Muslim use. Hagia Sophia, in short, had never stopped being a church. Focusing on four authors (Patriarch Konstantios I, Skarlatos Byzantios, Jean Nicolaïdès and Eugène Michael Antoniades), this article explores how the emerging discourse of “folklore” provided a distinctive means for loyal Ottoman subjects to articulate the continuing Christian identity of Hagia Sophia.
‘This intricate interplay’: The Interconnectedness of Place, Atmosphere and Living Matter in Nan Shepherd
Authors: Szuba Monika
Published: October 2024

Author of three novels (The Quarry Wood, The Weatherhouse, A Pass in the Grampians), one collection of essays The Living Mountain and one volume of poetry, In the Cairngorms, Nan Shepherd has recently enjoyed a significant rise in literary reputation, partly thanks to Robert Macfarlane’s introduction to Shepherd’s book of essays in 2011 and a foreword to her book of poems in 2014. Yet, the impression that some readers may have that Shepherd was ‘discovered’ or saved from oblivion is spurious. As we learn from Charlotte Peacock’s biography of Shepherd, Into the Mountain (2018), ‘[i]n the 1930s, the writer and poet, Nan Shepherd was one of North-East Scotland’s best known literati’ and that the few published books ‘established her reputation as one of the most highly respected members of the Scottish modernist movement.’ In her writing, focused on the Cairngorms, Shepherd offers detailed observations, which combine the material with the phenomenal. According to Macfarlane, Shepherd demonstrates ‘an obsession (ocular, oracular) with the eyeball’, yet this chapter argues that Shepherd’s concern lies not only in visuality but extends to other sensual and corporeal aspects of a subject’s experience of the world. Its focus on the material aspects of the world and the phenomenal experience. The chapter aims to explore how mind, body and the landscape intertwine and how the vegetal, animal, mineral and meteorological elements of the world interconnect in Shepherd’s work.
Mad housewives and women’s liberation: the psychiatric reinvention of the ‘woman’s film’
Authors: Snelson Tim , Macauley William R. , Kirby David A.
Published: October 2024

This chapter focuses on shifting understandings and representations of gender, domesticity, mental health, within psychiatric and cinematic discourse in the long 1960s. It focuses on the production and reception of two ‘women’s films’, The Three Faces of Eve (1957) and Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970). The films, in different ways, express the psychological ramifications of unfulfilled marriage and domesticity, and span the 1960s period, sitting either side of the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM). The chapter focuses on two women at the centre of these films, Chris Costner Sizemore (the real ‘Eve’ who was diagnosed with multiple personality, now dissociative identity disorder), and Eleanor Perry (scriptwriter of Diary). In different ways, both women were sidelined by Hollywood.
Subsurface Geosciences Learning in Virtual Reality: A Case Study in Central Luconia Province, Malaysia
Authors: Jiménez Grisel , Latiff Abdul Halim , Schulze Katja
Published: October 2024

The recent proliferation of Extended Reality (XR) applications in geoscience education and research has opened new avenues for the enhanced visualization and analysis of the Earth’s geodata. This study specifically explores the benefits for teaching when supplementing industry standard software packages, such as Paleoscan, Petrel, and JewelSuite, with 3D visualization in XR. The teaching focuses on but is not limited to an understanding of subsurface seismic and well data. During this study, the undergraduate Petroleum Geoscience students transitioned from 2D computer screen visualizations to immersive XR tools. The dataset selected for teaching focuses on the subsurface carbonate EX field in the South China Sea. The EX-field in Central Luconia is located 100–300 km from Sarawak’s coastline in water depths of 60–140 m. It includes a post-stacked time- 3D seismic cube linked to wells, allowing students to work with seismic data, adjust scales, and conduct preliminary seismic analysis. The findings revealed a significant improvement in respondents’ skills in comprehending and analysing seismic and core data, enhancing the overall learning experience in Petroleum Geoscience. This paper also examines the students’ feedback on their learning experiences during virtual subsurface visualization throughout their university degree in geoscience. For evaluating learning success, we used an approach that merges quantitative and qualitative data, The students’ perceptions were assessed through anonymous quantitative surveys and questions. The analysis of student responses emphasizes the valuable learning experience offered by 3D virtual environments designed for realistic first-person navigation and freedom of movement, like a real field experience. The results highlight the potential of virtual subsurface visualization for imparting essential skills to geosciences.
In silico PCR analysis: a comprehensive bioinformatics tool for enhancing nucleic acid amplification assays
Authors: Kalendar Ruslan , Shevtsov Alexandr , Otarbay Zhenis , Ismailova Aisulu
Published: October 2024

Nucleic acid amplification assays represent a pivotal category of methodologies for targeted sequence detection within contemporary biological research, boasting diverse utility in diagnostics, identification, and DNA sequencing. The foundational principles of these assays have been extrapolated to various simple and intricate nucleic acid amplification technologies. Concurrently, a burgeoning trend toward computational or virtual methodologies is exemplified by in silico PCR analysis. In silico PCR analysis is a valuable and productive adjunctive approach for ensuring primer or probe specificity across a broad spectrum of PCR applications encompassing gene discovery through homology analysis, molecular diagnostics, DNA profiling, and repeat sequence identification. The prediction of primer and probe sensitivity and specificity necessitates thorough database searches, accounting for an optimal balance of mismatch tolerance, sequence similarity, and thermal stability. This software facilitates in silico PCR analyses of both linear and circular DNA templates, including bisulfited treatment DNA, enabling multiple primer or probe searches within databases of varying scales alongside advanced search functionalities. This tool is suitable for processing batch files and is essential for automation when working with large amounts of data.
Erlotinib regulates short-term memory, tau/Aβ pathology, and astrogliosis in mouse models of AD
Authors: Lee Hyun-ju , Hwang Jeong-Woo , Kim Jieun , Jo A-Ran , Park Jin-Hee , Jeong Yoo Joo , Jang Ji-Yeong , Kim Su-Jeong , Song Jeong-Heon , Hoe Hyang-Sook
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Erlotinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor that is approved by the FDA to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several membrane receptors, including EGFR, interact with amyloid β (Aβ), raising the possibility that erlotinib could have therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effects of erlotinib on Aβ/tau-related pathology and cognitive function in mouse models of AD and its mechanisms of action have not been examined in detail.

Methods

To investigate the effects of erlotinib on cognitive function and AD pathology, 3 to 6-month-old PS19 mice and 3 to 3.5-month-old 5xFAD mice and WT mice were injected with vehicle (5% DMSO + 10% PEG + 20% Tween80 + 65% D.W.) or erlotinib (20 mg/kg, i.p.) daily for 14 or 21 days. Then, behavioral tests, Golgi staining, immunofluorescence staining, western blotting ELISA, and real-time PCR were conducted.

Results and discussion

We found that erlotinib significantly enhanced short-term spatial memory and dendritic spine formation in 6-month-old P301S tau transgenic (PS19) mice. Importantly, erlotinib administration reduced tau phosphorylation at Ser202/Thr205 (AT8) and Thr231 (AT180) and further aggregation of tau into paired helical fragments (PHFs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in 3-month-old and/or 6-month-old PS19 mice by suppressing the expression of the tau kinase DYRK1A. Moreover, erlotinib treatment decreased astrogliosis in 6-month-old PS19 mice and reduced proinflammatory responses in primary astrocytes (PACs) from PS19 mice. In 3- to 3.5-month-old 5xFAD mice, erlotinib treatment improved short-term spatial memory and hippocampal dendritic spine number and diminished Aβ plaque deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation. Furthermore, erlotinib-treated 5xFAD mice exhibited significant downregulation of astrocyte activation, and treating PACs from 5xFAD mice with erlotinib markedly reduced cxcl10 (reactive astrocyte marker) and gbp2 (A1 astrocyte marker) mRNA levels and proinflammatory cytokine mRNA and protein levels. Taken together, our results suggest that erlotinib regulates tau/Aβ-induced AD pathology, cognitive function, and Aβ/tau-evoked astrogliosis and therefore could be a potent therapeutic drug for ameliorating AD symptoms.
Case report: target antigen and subclass switch in a patient with autoimmune nodopathy
Authors: Appeltshauser Luise , Glenewinkel Helena , Rohrbacher Sophia , Wessely Lena , Villmann Carmen , Sommer Claudia , Doppler Kathrin
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Autoimmune nodopathy (AN) is a new entity in the field of peripheral neuropathies and is defined by the presence of auto-antibodies against structures of the node of Ranvier combined with specific clinico-pathophysiological features and therapy response in affected patients. The target-specific antibodies do not only serve as diagnostic biomarkers but also for treatment evaluation during follow-up.

Case report

We report a 66-year-old female patient with various autoimmune diseases, including a history of membranous glomerulonephritis which presented with acute-onset, sensorimotor tetraparesis, cranial nerve involvement, and mild respiratory insufficiency. Under the suspicion of Guillain–Barré syndrome, she received intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) and achieved remission. At 8 months later, she relapsed with now a poor response to IVIg and developed additional features such as severe sensory ataxia, tremor, and neuropathic pain. Anti-contactin-1 IgG2 antibodies were detected, and the diagnosis was reverted to AN. Plasma exchange and rituximab treatment led to a serological remission and corresponding significant clinical improvement, and the therapy was paused. At 2 years after symptom onset, her condition worsened again with sensorimotor symptoms and severe neuropathic pain despite seronegativity for contactin-1. However, serum binding assays to teased nerve fiber staining showed recurring antibody reactivity against paranodal structures. Caspr-1 was identified as a new target antigen via cell-based assay, and high-titer antibodies of the IgG4 subclass were confirmed via ELISA. Hence, a new cycle of plasma exchange and regular rituximab treatment was initiated, with subsequent clinical improvement and serological remission. The serum neurofilament light chain (sNFL) levels were assessed retrospectively and rose and fell together with the antibody titer.

Discussion

This case demonstrates that autoimmunity to (para)nodal structures can reoccur especially in patients prone to autoimmune disorders and can switch its target antigen and subclass in the course of disease. The presence of auto-antibodies against different targets at the node of Ranvier has direct implications for therapeutic management. We suggest a close follow-up of patients with AN after successful therapy. In case of deterioration despite seronegativity, non-specific tests such as teased fiber assays and repeated screening for different target antigens should be considered.
Spatial and historical patterns of sedimentary organic matter sources and environmental changes in the Ross Sea, Antarctic: implication from bulk and n-alkane proxies
Authors: Yang Dan , Chen Wenshen , Huang Wenhao , Zhang Haisheng , Han Zhengbing , Lu Bing , Zhao Jun
Published: October 2024

Organic carbon (OC) burial in the Antarctic marginal seas is essential for regulating global climate, particularly due to its association with ice shelf retreat. Here, we analyzed total OC (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), radiocarbon isotope, n-alkanes and relative indicators in surface and core sediments from the Ross Sea, West Antarctica. Our aim was to investigate spatial and historical changes in OC sources, and to explore the influencing factors and implications for ice shelf retreat since the last glacial maximum (LGM). Our results revealed distinct spatial patterns of OC sources as indicated by n-alkane indicators in surface sediments. In the Western Ross Sea, n-alkanes predominantly originated from phytoplankton and bacteria, as evidenced by their unimodal distribution, low carbon preference index (CPI) of short-chain n-alkanes (CPIL = 1.41 ± 0.30), and low terrestrial/aquatic ratio (TAR = 0.22 ± 0.14). In the Southwest Ross Sea, n-alkanes were derived from marine algae and terrestrial bryophytes, indicated by bimodal distribution, low ratio of low/high molecular-weight n-alkanes (L/H = 0.62 ± 0.21), low CPI of long-chain n-alkanes (CPIH = 1.18 ± 0.16), and high TAR (1.26 ± 0.66). In contrast, the Eastern Ross Sea exhibited n-alkanes that were a combination of phytoplankton and dust from Antarctic soils and/or leaf waxes from mid-latitude higher plant, as suggested by both unimodal and bimodal distributions, high L/H (1.60 ± 0.58) and CPIH (2.04 ± 0.28), and medium TAR (0.61 ± 0.30). Geologically, during the LGM (27.3 – 21.0 ka before present (BP)), there was an increased supply of terrestrial OC (TOC/TN = 13.63 ± 1.29, bimodal distribution of n-alkanes with main carbon peaks at nC17/nC19 and nC27). From 21.0 to 8.2 ka BP, as glaciers retreated and temperatures rose, the proportion of marine n-alkanes significantly increased (TOC/TN = 9.09 ± 1.82, bimodal distribution of n-alkanes with main carbon peaks at nC18/nC19 and nC25). From 8.2 ka BP to the present, as the ice shelf continued to retreat to its current position, the marine contribution became dominant (TOC/TN = 8.18 ± 0.51, unimodal distribution of n-alkanes with main carbon peak at nC17/nC18/nC19, and low TAR (0.41 ± 0.32)). This research has significant implications for understanding the variations in Antarctic OC sources and their climatic impacts in the context of accelerated glacier melting.
The important role of ferroptosis in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Xie Hanhan , Cao Chun , Shu Dan , Liu Tong , Zhang Tao
Published: October 2024

Ferroptosis is a type of regulated cell death that occurs due to the iron-dependent accumulation of lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) from lipids. Ferroptosis is characterized by distinct morphological, biochemical, and genetic features that differentiate it from other regulated cell death (RCD) types, which include apoptosis, various necrosis types, and autophagy. Recent reports show that ferritin formation is correlated to many disorders, such as acute injury, infarction, inflammation, and cancer. Iron uptake disorders have also been associated with intestinal epithelial dysfunction, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies of iron uptake disorders may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of IBD, thereby improving the efficacy of medical interventions. This review presents an overview of ferroptosis, elucidating its fundamental mechanisms and highlighting its significant involvement in IBD.
Smartphone three-dimensional imaging for body composition assessment using non-rigid avatar reconstruction
Authors: Tinsley Grant M. , Rodriguez Christian , Florez Christine M. , Siedler Madelin R. , Tinoco Ethan , McCarthy Cassidy , Heymsfield Steven B.
Published: October 2024

Background

Modern digital anthropometry applications utilize smartphone cameras to rapidly construct three-dimensional humanoid avatars, quantify relevant anthropometric variables, and estimate body composition.

Methods

In the present study, 131 participants ([73 M, 58 F] age 33.7 ± 16.0 y; BMI 27.3 ± 5.9 kg/m2, body fat 29.9 ± 9.9%) had their body composition assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and a smartphone 3D scanning application using non-rigid avatar reconstruction. The performance of two new body fat % estimation equations was evaluated through reliability and validity statistics, Bland–Altman analysis, and equivalence testing.

Results

In the reliability analysis, the technical error of the measurement and intraclass correlation coefficient were 0.5–0.7% and 0.996–0.997, respectively. Both estimation equations demonstrated statistical equivalence with DXA based on ±2% equivalence regions and strong linear relationships (Pearson’s r 0.90; concordance correlation coefficient 0.89–0.90). Across equations, mean absolute error and standard error of the estimate values were ~ 3.5% and ~ 4.2%, respectively. No proportional bias was observed.

Conclusion

While continual advances are likely, smartphone-based 3D scanning may now be suitable for implementation for rapid and accessible body measurement in a variety of applications.
Transfer of beef bacterial communities onto food-contact surfaces
Authors: Guron Giselle K. P. , Cassidy Jennifer M. , Chen Chin-Yi , Paoli George C.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria on food-contact surfaces, especially biofilm-forming strains, can transfer to meats during processing. The objectives of this study were to survey the bacterial communities of beef cuts that transfer onto two commonly used food-contact surfaces, stainless steel (SS) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and identify potentially biofilm-forming strains.

Methods

Top round, flank, chuck, and ground beef were purchased from 3 retail stores. SS and HDPE coupons (approximately 2cm × 5cm) were placed on beef portions (3h, 10°C), after which, the coupons were submerged halfway in PBS (24h, 10°C). Bacteria from the beef cuts and coupon surfaces (n = 3) were collected, plated on tryptic soy agar plates and incubated (5 days, 25°C). Bacterial isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and assayed for biofilm formation using a crystal violet binding (CV) assay (72h, 10°C). Additionally, beef and coupon samples were collected for bacterial community analysis by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Results and discussion

Sixty-one of 972 beef isolates, 29 of 204 HDPE isolates, and 30 of 211 SS isolates were strong biofilm-formers (Absorbance>1.000 at 590 nm in the CV assay). Strong-binding isolates identified were of the genera Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Psychrobacter, Carnobacterium, and Brochothrix. Coupon bacterial communities among stores and cuts were distinct (p < 0.001, PERMANOVA), but there was no distinction between the communities found on HDPE or SS coupons (p > 0.050, PERMANOVA). The bacterial communities identified on the coupons may help determine the communities capable of transferring and colonizing onto surfaces, which can subsequently cross-contaminate foods.
The role of short-chain fatty acid metabolism in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Authors: Hou Maolin , Yu Qing-Qing , Yang Le , Zhao Haibo , Jiang Pei , Qin Lei , Zhang Qiujie
Published: October 2024

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are saturated fatty acids consisting of six or fewer carbon atoms, have been found to be closely associated with the biological behavior of malignant tumors. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review on the role of SCFAs in regulating cell cycle, apoptosis, tumor angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, protein regulatory pathways, and histone regulation in promoting the development of malignant tumors. Furthermore, we discuss the potential therapeutic strategies targeting SCFAs for treating malignant tumors. This review offers a theoretical foundation for investigating the mechanisms by which SCFAs impact malignant tumors and provides insights into developing novel treatment targets.
Improving water competency among children on the autism spectrum: the AquOTic randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kemp Erika , Nikahd Melica , Howard Mequeil , Darragh Amy , Crasta Jewel E.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

There is a critical need for evidence-based and manualized interventions targeting water competency including swim and water safety skills tailored to meet the needs of children on the autism spectrum, a group that is at a high risk of drowning. This study examined the efficacy of AquOTic—a 10-week occupational therapy-based aquatic intervention to improve water competency among children on the autism spectrum.

Methods

A total of 37 children on the autism spectrum (ages 5–9 years) were randomized to a waitlist control group (n = 24) or AquOTic intervention group (n = 37; 28 males). Blinded assessors administered the standardized Water Orientation Test-Alyn (WOTA) 1 and 2 and a Swim Skills Checklist to all participants pre- and post-AquOTic/control. Repeated measures mixed effects models were used to examine intervention effects.

Results

Average WOTA 1 scores increased significantly after participants received AquOTic (Δ = 5.7; 95% CI: 3.7–7.8;p < 0.001), and average WOTA 2 scores increased significantly after participants received AquOTic (Δ = 9.0; 95% CI: 5.7–12.3;p < 0.001). Average swim skills increased significantly after participants received AquOTic (Δ = 7.6; 95% CI: 5.3, 10.0;p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results highlight the efficacy of AquOTic to improve water competency among children on the autism spectrum. Further research is needed to examine long-term effects, dosage requirements to achieve water competency, and the impact of aquatic therapy on other health outcomes.

Clinical Trials Registration

clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05524753.
Impact of active root zone soil potassium levels on cotton yield and fiber quality under no tillage
Authors: Shao Jingjing , Liu Aizhong , Dong Helin , Li Pengcheng , Sun Miao , Feng Weina , Huo Feichao , Zheng Cangsong
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Potassium deficiency significantly hinders cotton growth and development, adversely affecting yield and fiber quality. Applying potassium fertilizer is a common practice to address potassium deficiency in the soil. However, the effectiveness of potassium fertilizer application depends on the appropriate soil potassium levels in cotton fields.

Methods

This study used a randomized block design with six different soil potassium levels and conducted experiments across 18 micro-zones in the field. This study aimed to investigate the response of cotton yield and quality to different soil potassium levels, to try to clarify the suitable soil potassium levels for cotton growth, so as to provide practical and effective help for determining the amount of potash fertilizer in the cotton field.

Results

The results showed that the seedcotton yield was increasing, with the soil potassium level increased under no tillage. There was no significant difference among K4, K5, and K6 on seedcotton yield, which were significantly higher than K1 and K2. As soil potassium levels increased, the proportion of autumn boll and the proportion of outer boll also increased, indicating that higher soil potassium levels support the better growth and development of cotton in the middle and late stages, leading to increased boll sets and higher yields. Additionally, the available potassium content in the 0–40-cm soil layer was significantly correlated with yield and yield parameters but not with fiber quality indices.

Discussion

It is concluded that K4 treatment could provide sufficient potassium to meet the growth and development needs of cotton. Potassium fertilizer application is recommended when the available potassium content in the 0–40-cm soil layer falls below 122.88 mg kg-1 in the cotton field.
Telehealth regulating together pilot trial: emotion regulation intervention for autistic children and adolescents
Authors: Coffman Marika , Wells Miranda , Schmitt Lauren M. , Reisinger Debra L. , Horn Paul S. , Shaffer Rebecca C.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Autistic children and adolescents frequently experience emotion dysregulation, or difficulties with appropriately modifying their emotional reactions. Caregivers of autistic teens frequently seek psychotherapy support for navigating challenges associated with emotion dysregulation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to clinical services became limited, with interventions halted or transitioned into a telehealth format.

Methods

This study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a telehealth adaptation to an existing intervention for emotion dysregulation for children and teens with autism, Regulating Together. A within-subjects trial was conducted for Child (ages 8-12) and Teen groups (ages 13-18). The trial consisted of a 5-week-control lead-in period, a 5-week-intervention, and 5-and 10-weeks-post-intervention follow-ups.

Results

Twenty-eight youth with ASD + ED (n=13 Child and n=15 Teens, 71% male) participated. We observed a 93% retention rate across both groups. Improvements were found in reactivity, irritability, emotion and behavioral regulation, and flexibility immediately post-intervention and 10-weeks post-intervention in both groups. Additional improvements in dysphoria, cognitive regulation, and emotional control were observed in teens.

Discussion

Our results suggest promising improvements in ED through telehealth delivery of an emotion regulation intervention in autistic children and adolescents, along with possible improvements in accessibility of this intervention.
CT perfusion imaging in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. State of the art
Authors: Lolli Valentina Elisabetta , Guenego Adrien , Sadeghi Niloufar , Jodaitis Lise , Lubicz Boris , Taccone Fabio Silvio , Gouvea Bogossian Elisa
Published: October 2024

CT perfusion (CTP) images can be easily and rapidly obtained on all modern CT scanners and have become part of the routine imaging protocol of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH). There is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of CTP imaging in these patients, however, there are significant differences in the software packages and methods of analysing CTP. In. addition, no quantitative threshold values for tissue at risk (TAR) have been validated in this patients’ population. Here we discuss the contribution of the technique in the identification of patients at risk of aSAH-related delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and in the assessment of the response to endovascular rescue therapy (ERT). We also address the limitations and pitfalls of automated CTP postprocessing that are specific to aSAH patients as compared to acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
Immune-reactive tumor organoids system to determine the effects of microbial metabolites on cancer immunity and immunotherapies
Authors: El-Derby Azza M. , Schaaf Cecilia R. , Shelkey Ethan , Cook Katherine L. , Votanopoulos Konstantinos I. , Soker Shay
Published: October 2024

Immunotherapies are a revolutionary approach to treating cancer by utilizing the body’s immune system to target and combat cancer cells. This approach offers promising alternatives to traditional chemotherapies. Its potential to induce long-lasting remissions and specificity for cancer cells, which minimizes side effects, makes it a cutting-edge treatment with tremendous potential. With the increase of the clinical usage of immunotherapy, evidence emerges of the microbiome’s impact on both tumor growth and response to immunotherapy. The proposed involvement of the microbiome can change treatment efficacy by altering drug metabolism and reshaping the immune system response. Understanding the specific interactions between tumor cells, immune cells, and the microbiome is a critical step in the advancement of immunotherapy. To study the complex interaction between cancer immunity and the microbiome, various preclinical in vivo and in vitro models have been developed. We have recently described the use of an ex vivo preclinical model for anti-cancer treatment outcome prediction –tumor tissue equivalents (organoids). Specifically, immune-reactive tumor organoids are proposed as a novel tool for understanding how the microbiome influences cancer immunity and immunotherapy. More importantly, this platform can utilize patient samples to dissect patient-specific elements regulating cancer immune response and microbiome influence. This review presents the rationale for using the immune-reactive tumor organoids model to study the interactions between the microbiome and cancer immunotherapy. It will discuss available components of the model and analyze their interplay, summarize relevant experimental data, and assess their validity. Additionally, it explores the potential of immune-reactive organoids for personalized treatment approaches. Understanding the microbiome’s role in immunotherapy outcomes will lead to transformative cancer treatment via a simple change of diet or other microbiome manipulations. Ongoing research on microbiome-cancer interactions utilizing the described model systems will lead to innovative treatment strategies and improved patient outcomes.