bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forward modeling and inverse estimation for nonlinear filtering
Authors: Cui Haoran , Zhang Long , Wang Xiaoxu , Liu Mingyong , Wang Binglu
Published: May 2023

The highly accurate state estimation of nonlinear systems is needed in many different application fields. In many existing nonlinear filters, the uncompensated nonlinear approximation error and widely used numerical sampling methods both seriously affect the estimation accuracy and numerical stability. In this paper, based on the variational Bayesian framework, a novel iterative nonlinear filter consisting of forward modeling and inverse estimation is proposed. In the forward modeling stage, a linear Gaussian regression process with distributed variational parameters (VPs) is designed to fit the whole nonlinear measurement likelihood. The distributed VPs consider both first and second moments information, so as to compensate for approximation error from the whole likelihood perspective, instead of only the nonlinear function approximation, which can further improve the accuracy of Bayesian posterior update. In the linear Gaussian regression process, the original nonlinear measurement function (NMF) is just viewed as a prior and no longer directly participates in the modeling of the measurement likelihood. Hence, in the inverse estimation stage, when maximizing the evidence lower bound to update the posteriors of the state and VPs, we can obtain closed‐form solutions without numerical sampling methods to approximate the integral of NMF required in many existing methods, which can guarantee numerical stability. Moreover, to avoid the random setting of hyperparameters and to block the propagation of the accumulated error, we propose two rules, estimation and lower bound consistencies, to conduct the hyperparameters' initialization at the beginning of iteration at each sampling time and also derive an optimization method to update hyperparameters during iteration. Finally, the performance of our proposed method is demonstrated in the nonlinear orbital estimation problems.
Optimization and evaluation of swing leg retraction for a hydraulic biped robot
Authors: Chen Guangrong , Wei Ningze , Lu HuaFeng , Yan Lei , Li Jin
Published: May 2023

To improve the locomotion performance of legged robots, the swing leg retraction (SLR) technique is investigated in a hydraulic biped robot. First, the influence of SLR on the locomotion performance of the hydraulic biped robot is analyzed in theory and simulations based on an extended spring load inverted pendulum model. The influence contains three performance indicators: energy loss/effiency, friction/slipping, and impact/compliance. Second, by synthesizing three performance indicators, using unified objective method and particle swarm optimization algorithm, the optimal SLR rate for gait planning based on Bezier curve is addressed. Finally, experiments are implemented to validate the effectiveness and feasibility of proposed method. And, the results show that the SLR technique is useful to reduce the impact force, improve the robot's locomotion stability and make room for impedance performance improvement of compliance controller. This research provides an insight for locomotion control of hydraulic legged robots.
The Application of Nanoparticle‐Based Imaging and Phototherapy for Female Reproductive Organs Diseases
Authors: Luo Lihua , Zhou Huanli , Wang Sijie , Pang Mei , Zhang Junlei , Hu Yilong , You Jian
Published: May 2023

Various female reproductive disorders affect millions of women worldwide and bring many troubles to women's daily life. Let alone, gynecological cancer (such as ovarian cancer and cervical cancer) is a severe threat to most women's lives. Endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and other chronic diseases‐induced pain have significantly harmed women's physical and mental health. Despite recent advances in the female reproductive field, the existing challenges are still enormous such as personalization of disease, difficulty in diagnosing early cancers, antibiotic resistance in infectious diseases, etc. To confront such challenges, nanoparticle‐based imaging tools and phototherapies that offer minimally invasive detection and treatment of reproductive tract‐associated pathologies are indispensable and innovative. Of late, several clinical trials have also been conducted using nanoparticles for the early detection of female reproductive tract infections and cancers, targeted drug delivery, and cellular therapeutics. However, these nanoparticle trials are still nascent due to the body's delicate and complex female reproductive system. The present review comprehensively focuses on emerging nanoparticle‐based imaging and phototherapies applications, which hold enormous promise for improved early diagnosis and effective treatments of various female reproductive organ diseases.
Collective Control of Potential‐Constrained Oxygen Vacancies in Oxide Heterostructures for Gradual Resistive Switching
Authors: Jeon Jaeyoung , Eom Kitae , Lee Minkyung , Kim Sungkyu , Lee Hyungwoo
Published: May 2023

Filamentary resistive switching in oxides is one of the key strategies for developing next‐generation non‐volatile memory devices. However, despite numerous advantages, their practical applications in neuromorphic computing are still limited due to non‐uniform and indeterministic switching behavior. Given the inherent stochasticity of point defect migration, the pursuit of reliable switching likely demands an innovative approach. Herein, a collective control of oxygen vacancies is introduced in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) heterostructures to achieve reliable and gradual resistive switching. By exploiting an electrostatic potential constraint in ultrathin LAO/STO heterostructures, the formation of conducting filaments is suppressed, but instead precisely control the concentration of oxygen vacancies. Since the conductance of the LAO/STO device is governed by the ensemble concentration of oxygen vacancies, not their individual probabilistic migrations, the resistive switching is more uniform and deterministic compared to conventional filamentary devices. It provides direct evidence for the collective control of oxygen vacancies by spectral noise analysis and modeling by Monte‐Carlo simulation. As a proof of concept, the significantly‐improved analog switching performance of the filament‐free LAO/STO devices is demonstrated, revealing potential for neuromorphic applications. The results establish an approach to store information by point defect concentration, akin to biological ionic channels, for enhancing switching characteristics of oxide materials.
Minimizing the Carrier Collection Loss of the Neutral‐Color Transparent Crystalline‐silicon Solar Modules via Hybrid Electrode Design
Authors: Lee Kangmin , Park Jeonghwan , Seo Kwanyong
Published: May 2023

Transparent solar cells can be used where conventional solar cells are inapplicable, such as, in glass windows of buildings; however, reports on modularization, which is essential for their commercialization, are scarce. Here, a novel modularization method has been proposed for the fabrication of transparent solar cells and a 100‐cm2neutral‐color transparent crystalline‐silicon solar module has been developed using a hybrid electrode comprising a microgrid electrode and an edge busbar electrode. The transparent solar module exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.94 and 13.14% when connected in series and in parallel, respectively, with an average visible transmittance of 20%. Additionally, the module exhibits negligible losses in PCE (lower than 0.23%) in outdoor, mechanical‐load, and damp‐heat (at 85°C/85% RH) stability tests, indicating high stability. The transparent solar module proposes here could facilitate the commercialization of transparent solar cells.
High‐Output Single‐Electrode Droplet Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Asymmetrical Distribution Electrostatic Induction Enhancement
Authors: Wang Wenqi , Zhang Liqiang , Wang Hanchao , Zhao Yongkang , Cheng Jiahui , Meng Jie , Wang Daoai , Liu Ying
Published: May 2023

Droplet‐based triboelectric nanogenerators (D‐TENGs) have recently gained much attention due to their great potential in harvesting energy. However, the output performance of conventional single‐electrode droplet‐based TENGs is limited owing to low induced electrification efficiency. The asymmetric distribution of electric fields on both sides of the electrode edge enhances the electrostatic induction process and improves the output performance of D‐TENG. Herein, an induced electrification‐enhanced droplet‐based triboelectric nanogenerator (IED‐TENG) is developed to effectively enhance the output performance by simultaneously optimizing the electrode structure and the dynamics of the water droplet. One droplet falling from a height of 30 cm results in a −70 V output voltage and −6 µA short‐circuit current, which is 70 times and 20 times the full‐inductive‐electrode mode, respectively. The working principle and the relationship between electric signal and droplet dynamics are analyzed in detail. Moreover, the peak output voltage can reach −110 V, and the peak current can get −140 µA by using the power generation of multiple water droplets. The present protocol provides an easy and reproducibility strategy in energy harvesting and sensing areas.
Bio‐Responsive Macromolecular Drug and Small‐Molecular Drug Conjugates: Nanoparticulate Prodrugs for Tumor Microenvironment Heterogeneity Management and Therapeutic Response Enhancement
Authors: Li Yachao , Liang Xiaoyu , Shen Cheng , Deng Kefurong , Zeng Zenan , Guo Beiling , Xu Xianghui
Published: May 2023

How to break through the poor response of current drug therapy, which often resulted from tumor microenvironment heterogeneity (TMH), remains an enormous challenge in the treatment of critical diseases. In this work, a practical solution on bio‐responsive dual‐drug conjugates for overcoming TMH and improving antitumor treatment, which integrates the advantages of macromolecular drugs and small‐molecular drugs, is proposed. Nanoparticulate prodrugs based on small‐molecular drug and macromolecular drug conjugates are designed as a robust weapon for programmable multidrug delivery at tumor‐specific sites: the tumor microenvironment acid condition triggers delivery of macromolecular aptamer drugs (AX102) to manage TMH (including tumor stroma matrix, interstitial fluid pressure, vasculature network, blood perfusion, and oxygen distribution), and intracellular lysosomal acid condition activates rapid release of small‐molecular drugs (doxorubicin and dactolisib) to enhance curative effects. As compared with doxorubicin chemotherapy, the tumor growth inhibition rate is enhanced by 47.94% after multiple tumor heterogeneity management. This work verifies that the nanoparticulate prodrugs facilitate TMH management and therapeutic response enhancements, as well as elucidates synergetic mechanisms for drug resistance reversal and metastasis inhibition. It is hoped that the nanoparticulate prodrugs will be an excellent demonstration of the co‐delivery of small‐molecular drugs and macromolecular drugs.
Chiral Polymer Dots Show Unexpected Versatility of Highly Ordered Self‐Assembly into Chiroptical Liquid Crystals, Ultra‐Thin Films, and Long‐Ribbons
Authors: Yin Keyang , Zhang Jichao , Xing Pengyao , Li Honguang
Published: May 2023

Compared to the organic counterparts, chiral self‐assembly of nanomaterials shows persistency to kinetic factors such as solvent environments, and consequently, dynamic modulation of self‐assembly and functions remains major challenge. Here, it is shown that alkylated, chiral polymer dots (c‐PDs) give highly ordered self‐assemblies with amplified chirality adaptive to solvent environments, and one‐to‐many hierarchical aggregation can be realized. The c‐PDs tended to self‐assemble into nanohelices with cubic packing in the solid state, which, thanks to the thermo‐responsiveness, transformed into thermic liquid crystals upon heating. Cotton effects and circularly polarized luminescence evidenced the chirality transfer from central chirality to supramolecular chirality. At the air‐water interface, the c‐PDs are self‐assembled into monolayers, which further stack into multiple layers with chirality transfer and highly ordered packing. In addition, undergoing a good/poor solvent exchange, the c‐PDs afforded ultra‐long microribbons up to a length scale of millimeters, which are constituted by the bilayer lamellar stacking. The versatile chiral self‐assembly modalities with long‐range ordered packing arrays of carbonized c‐PDs via solvent strategy are realized. This feature is comparable to the organic species, although the c‐PDs have no atomic precise structures. This work would surely expand the applications of quantum dot ordered self‐assembly with adaptiveness to kinetic factors.
Rippling Colloidal Polyelectrolyte Complex for Customized Fingerprints with High Tactile Perception
Authors: Si Pengxiang , Zou Jihua , Wu Yun , Long Zhu , Sun Manyou , Cholewinski Aleksander , Huang Guozhi , Zhao Boxin , Zhang Dan
Published: May 2023

Fingerprints possess wide applications in personal identification, tactile perception, access control, and anti‐counterfeiting. However, latent fingerprints are usually left on touched surfaces, leading to the leakage of personal information. Furthermore, tactile perception greatly decreases when fingerprints are covered by gloves. Customized fingerprints are developed to solve these issues, but it is a challenge to develop fingerprints with various customized patterns using traditional techniques due to their requiring special templates, materials, or instruments. Inspired by ripples on the lake, blowing air is used to generate surface waves on a colloidal polyelectrolyte complex, leading to vertical stratification and the accumulation of particles near the top of the film layer. As water rapidly evaporates, the viscosity of these particles significantly increases and the wave is solidified, forming fingerprint patterns. These customized fingerprints integrate functions of grasping objects, personal identification without leaving latent fingerprints and tactile perception enhancement, which can be applied in information security, anti‐counterfeiting, tactile sensors, and biological engineering.
Synergistically Tuning Surface States of Hierarchical MoC by Pt‐N Dual‐Doping Engineering for Optimizing Hydrogen Evolution Activity
Authors: Chen Meng , Hu Lihua , Xu Li , Wei Junling , Wu Ping , Guan Guoqing , Wang Tiejun , Ma Yufei
Published: May 2023

Catalytic performance can be greatly enhanced by rational modulation of the surface state. In this study, reasonable adjustment of the surface states around the Fermi level (EF) of molybdenum carbide (MoC) (α phase) via a Pt‐N dual‐doping process to fabricate an electrocatalyst named as Pt‐N‐MoC is performed to promote hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance over the MoC surface. Systematically experimental and theoretical analyses demonstrate that the synergistic tuning of Pt and N can cause the delocalization of surface states, with an increase in the density of surface states near the EF. This is beneficial for accumulating and transferring electrons between the catalyst surface and adsorbent, resulting in a positively linear correlation between the density of surface states near the EF and the HER activity. Moreover, the catalytic performance is further enhanced by artificially fabricating a Pt‐N‐MoC catalyst that has a unique hierarchical structure composed of MoC nanoparticles (0D), nanosheets (2D), and microrods (3D). As expected, the obtained Pt‐N‐MoC electrocatalyst exhibits superb HER activity with an extremely low overpotential of 39 mV@10 mA cm−2 as well as superb stability (over 24 d) in an alkaline solution. This work highlights a novel strategy to develop efficient electrocatalysts via adjusting their surface states.
General Blending Approach of Fundamental Cold Flow Models for an Almost Complete Cold Flow Model in Terms of Tensile Test
Authors: Byun Jong Bok , Jee Chang Woon , Lee Kwang Hee , Joun Man Soo
Published: May 2023

The importance of two major issues in obtaining an almost complete cold flow model (ACCFM) from a tensile test, that is, the necking conditions (including the Considère condition and tensile strength) and several selected representative flow points in both pre‐ and postnecking strain hardening regions, is emphasized. It is shown using the AISI 1010 steel for automatic multistage cold forging (AISI 1010 equivalent) that all the traditional fundamental flow models (FFMs) such as the Ludwik, Voce, Hollomon, and Swift models cannot simultaneously satisfy the two major issues. A general blended flow model (BFM) is proposed, which is a linear combination of known basis blending functions satisfying the necking conditions. The number of basis blending functions is unconstrained. The constants of the linear combination, called blending coefficients, are calculated by a set of linear equations to meet the selected representative flow points. Numerous combinations of basis flow functions are tried. It has been shown that there is no interpolation case among all the obtained BFMs but that there are a few ACCFM‐acceptable cases among them, which are based on the extrapolation of the basis blending functions.
The Effect of Annealing Temperature and Temper‐Rolling on Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Lüders Strain of Fe–0.25C–5.9Mn–1.0Al–1.57Si Medium Mn Steel
Authors: Li Mengna , Hu Xianlei , Yan Shu , Liu Xianghua
Published: May 2023

This study investigates the effect of austenite reverted transformation (ART) annealing temperature and temper‐rolling on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and deformation behaviors of cold‐rolled Fe–0.25C–5.9Mn–1.0Al–1.57Si transformation‐induced plasticity (TRIP) steel. The cold‐rolled steel annealed at 700 °C demonstrates excellent mechanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength, total elongation, and product of strength and elongation are observed as 1212 MPa, 31.8%, and 38.6 GPa%, respectively. The excellent combination of strength and ductility is related to the discontinuous TRIP effect; still, an inhomogeneous deformation is observed during tensile deformation, known as the Lüders strain. Temper‐rolling is used for the ART‐annealed specimens at 700 and 720 °C, and yield point elongation decreases when temper‐rolling reduction increases. When the temper‐rolling reduction increases by 8%, the yield point elongation of the specimen annealed at 700 °C is noted at 1%, while the specimen annealed at 720 °C exhibits continuous yielding. The strain‐induced martensite transformation and increased dislocation density in the ferritic matrix improve the early‐stage strain hardening rate, thus suppressing the Lüders band's formation.
Effect of Ruhrstahl Heraeus Refining Time on Inclusions and Rolling Contact Fatigue Life of a High‐Carbon Chromium Bearing Steel
Authors: Li Hao , Liu Jianxun , Ren Qiang , Zhang Lifeng
Published: May 2023

According to the variation in the average composition, the average size, the number density, and the area fraction of large‐size inclusions during Ruhrstahl Heraeus (RH) refining process, large‐size inclusions in the high‐carbon chromium‐bearing steel reach the lowest level when the vacuum cycle time is 25 min. When the soft blowing time reaches over 25 min, the number density and area fraction of large‐size inclusions increase. The rolling contact fatigue (RCF) life of the forged steel samples is measured using a thrust RCF tester, indicating that the fatigue life of no. 1 steel (vacuum cycle 40 min, soft blowing 20 min) is 12% higher than that of no. 2 steel (vacuum cycle 20 min, soft blowing 40 min). Based on the estimation of the characteristic size of inclusions in the forged steel by the statistics of extreme values (SEV) method, it is concluded that when the characteristic size and the chemical composition of inclusions in steels are similar, the RCF life is increased by 12% when the number density of large‐size inclusions decreases from 0.63 to 0.44 mm−2.
A flooded future for River Chub? Future impacts of climate change and urbanization on reproduction of a keystone native fish species
Authors: Kemp Stanley J. , Kemp Mary J.
Published: May 2023

Objective

Predicted impacts of climate change in the eastern United States are pervasive and complex, including increased precipitation, increased frequency of heavy precipitation events, and altered seasonality of rainfall. This will potentially lead to increased flooding frequency and severity. The River Chub Nocomis micropogon is an important keystone and engineer species in the eastern United States, primarily through its construction of nesting habitat, which is shared with other species (“nest associates”) in a mutualistic relationship. River Chub nests are vulnerable to high flows caused by excessive precipitation and by urbanization of watersheds. Using predictions of climate change models, we examined the potential for increased River Chub nest disruption under two climate change scenarios.

Methods

Published thresholds linking River Chub nest disruption with stream discharge were used to interpret fine-scale predictions of a downscaled climate prediction model (HadGEM2-ES) using a stochastic weather generator (LARS-WG6) calibrated to two climate change scenarios. This was examined for a case study watershed (Big Elk Creek, Maryland). The amount of River Chub nest disruption was compared between present-day stream discharge observations (1995–2021) and simulated data for 2061–2080 under the “worst case” (RCP85) and “probable-case” (RCP45) scenarios. Potential nest disruption in an urbanized stream that lost its River Chub (Gwynns Falls, Maryland) was also evaluated for comparison with Big Elk Creek scenarios.

Result

Significantly elevated nest disruption under both RCP45 and RCP85 relative to observed current conditions was found under status quo watershed characteristics in the form of more disruptive events, more disrupted days, and shorter periods of disruption-free days during the River Chub nesting season. Potential nest disruption in the urbanized case study stream was far greater than that observed for any scenario.

Conclusion

Increased nest disruption projected by the downscaled HadGEM2-ES climate prediction model was moderate and far below the level of nest disruption observed in flashy urbanized streams that have lost or may have lost River Chub populations in the region. The moderate impacts of increased flooding from climate change will interact with projected population growth and urbanization for the Big Elk Creek watershed. Mechanistic modeling of fine-scale processes by using stochastic weather generators shows promise for modeling the responses of ecosystems to changing conditions.
Soil, water and plants contamination by total chrome and chrome VI
Authors: Mario da Rosa Genesio , Caetano Manfio Julia , Andressa Flach Kauane , Tiburski Neto Alexandre , Rezende Mahnke Mathias , Dirceu Wastowski Arci
Published: May 2023

The chrome (Cr) is a metal utilized in various industrial sectors and its investigation in the environment is necessary, for the Cr (III) contain aessential micronutrients in the human nourishment and the Cr (VI), on the other hand, is toxic. In the present work soil contamination with Cr was realized in drainagelysimetersset in concentrations of 0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg kg−1 of total Cr, with the intuition to determine the total Cr and Cr (VI) flux in leached water, in soil and in plants of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). In the lysimeters were cultivated four plants, in three cultivation circles. In the end of the cultivations was observed, that the total applied Cr leached in the soil, evidencing the Cr mobility in latossoil with simulant characteristics to the ones utilized in this paper. The Cr (VI) concentrations in the soil increased soon after the treatment applications, but tend to decrees in the time elapse, the same tendences were observed for the total Cr concentrations in the leached water. The Cr absorption by plants was related to the Cr disponibility in the soil, for the soil concentration and the plants decreased with time passing. The Cr mobility in the soil possibilitated the groundwater contamination presenting risks to the water quality and, consequently to public health.
Holding Europe Accountable Nationally: Media, Parliaments and Voting in Europe
Authors: Costa Lobo Marina
Published: May 2023

While the EU’s importance has grown for decision-making, both in politics and policies, following a decade of crises, its accountability mechanisms at the EU level have remained largely untouched. Most of the studies which research the way the EU is being legitimised focus on the European Parliament elections. In this book, we argue that to understand how EU accountability works, it is necessary to focus instead on national elections and the national political environment. While this channel of accountability has been long established, it still remains, to this day, poorly understood. Beyond establishing its importance, with a multi-methods approach and in comparative perspective, the book explores the national contexts which foster or discourage the expression of EU preferences at the national ballot box. Through a detailed analysis of longitudinal trends in EU politicisation in media and parliamentary debates from 2002 to 2019, as well as their impact on EU issue voting in national elections held between 2019 and 2021 in six European countries, the book establishes rigorously the paths of European accountability at the national level, its propitious contexts, and whether the paths are similar from Greece to Germany. The findings have implications for both national and European Union democracy, underlining the importance that national institutions have in enabling citizens to hold the EU accountable.
Salient But Not Polarized: The Role of the EU in the Irish Electoral Arena
Authors: Heyne Lea
Published: May 2023

The 2020 Dáil elections have often been described as the end of an era—for the first time ever, Sinn Féin won the most votes over previously dominant Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Being the first post-Eurozone crisis and post-Brexit elections, they make for an interesting case study to understand the relevance of the EU in the Irish electoral arena. This chapter analyzes the EU politicization in Irish politics and media, and the determinants of party choice in the 2020 elections. First, we find that the salience of the EU has increased in newspapers and parliamentary debates over the past 20 years. Irish print media has also developed a more critical tone on the EU since the Eurozone crisis and Brexit. Parliamentary debates show a more nuanced picture, with parties converging in their tone on the EU, confirming that party competition in Ireland rarely takes place over EU issues. Our analysis of electoral behaviour does not reveal a strong impact of EU issue voting, but Sinn Féin still benefits from a Eurosceptic vote, despite the softer Euroscepticism the party recently adopted. Together with their successful mobilization of salient socio-economic issues, this can explain their electoral performance in 2020.
Consequences of EU Politicisation for Voting in National Elections
Authors: Lobo Marina Costa
Published: May 2023

In this Chapter, the conclusions of the research in the book as a whole are discussed. The book provides very strong multimethod evidence of the ability of voters to express their EU preferences when selecting national representatives at legislative elections, and how media and parliamentary parties condition it. Our double perspective on EU politicisation in the media and parliamentary debates lead to novel findings on the concept. In terms of salience and contestation, we found that the media and parliamentary debates follow different logics, with contestation being substantially higher in the media than in Parliaments. In terms of EU dimensions, we found that it is mostly policies being discussed in relation to the EU in both arenas. Yet, in this respect there are differences between countries: while Germany and Ireland discuss EU policies per se to a larger extent, in Southern Europe EU policies are discussed in relation to domestic issues. Looking at the consequences of politicisation, through experimental analysis, it is established that EU attitudes are a cause rather than a consequence of voting behaviour. Using observational data, we find that EU attitudes matter for both main mainstream and challenger parties, for parties which are Eurosceptic but also pro-EU parties, even if they do not replace the importance of the left-right dimension. Politicisation in both media and parliamentary debates are associated with the strength of EU issue voting. We conclude that the national channel of EU accountability, and namely the domestic institutions which contribute to it, need to be placed at the centre of the debate on how to hold the EU accountable.
Polity or Policies? The European Union in Parliamentary Debates and the Media
Authors: Santos Nelson , Nina Susana Rogeiro
Published: May 2023

It has been well established in the literature that “something like politicization” has occurred with regard to the European Union (EU). The phenomenon has been assessed and confirmed in different venues, including party manifestos, parliamentary debates and the media. However, studies tend to overlook the potential differences between distinct arenas of political discourse and to disregard the fact Europe is a multidimensional political issue. This chapter contributes to the debate on EU politicization by highlighting the differences between some of the arenas of political discourse, namely parliaments and media, and its potential consequences on how the EU is portrayed. Furthermore, the EU is also considered in its multidimensionality, allowing us to disentangle between polity and policy-related European issues. This chapter’s results show that policy-related issues are, in general, more addressed than polity-related ones; that economic- and financial-related matters still dominate the European debate; and that important differences emerge between parliaments and the media. The findings support both the need to consider the EU as a compound issue and how different arenas might picture the EU differently.
Experimental Evidence of EU Issue Voting
Authors: Pannico Roberto , Costa Lobo Marina
Published: May 2023

The chapter focuses on the consequences of EU politicization on electoral behaviour. It investigates whether and under which conditions EU citizens consider their EU positions when casting a vote in national elections. First, we use a conjoint experiment to investigate the magnitude of EU issue voting in six EU countries. This design allows us to cope with possible endogeneity problems while simulating the complexity of the task faced by real voters. Second, we link the media data presented in the previous chapters to the experiment’s results to explore how EU issue voting is influenced by the informational context. The main results and several robustness checks show that in almost all the countries analysed respondents are more likely to vote for a party that shares their own position on the EU than for a party that does not. However, it seems that not all types of voter-party incongruence have the same electoral consequences. Finally, the findings also suggest a relationship between media content and EU issue voting.
The Left–Right Dimension, Europe and Voting in Bailout Europe
Authors: Heyne Lea , Costa Lobo Marina , Pannico Roberto
Published: May 2023

This chapter investigates several questions concerning the relative importance of EU issue voting in Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. First, the relationship between EU issue proximity and left–right proximity for voting behaviour. Second, the importance of both these issues contrasting mainstream and challenger parties. Third, whether EU parliamentary debates, measured in terms of tone, moderate the importance of EU issue voting. We use post-election online panel surveys collected in 2019–2020 in each of the bailout countries to analyse these questions. Our results show that, in all countries surveyed, EU issue voting does cross-cut the left–right dimension. Yet, left–right proximity has a higher impact on likelihood to vote for a party than EU issue proximity in all countries. Ireland stands out due to the relative irrelevance of both issues in explaining vote choice. European issue proximity to parties’ positions is a significant predictor of voting behaviour, but not a more important determinant of likelihood to vote than left–right for challenger parties. Finally, the tone employed by parties in EU parliamentary debates matters: For parties which have a more negative tone, EU proximity determines vote choice more strongly than for parties with a positive or neutral EU tone in parliament.
Krankheit und Kritik
Authors: Gonon Anna
Published: May 2023

Im analysierten Datenmaterial werden die psychischen Gesundheitsprobleme von Beschäftigten kaum zum Anlass genommen, Arbeitsbedingungen offen und kritisch zu hinterfragen. Dabei enthält eine psychisch bedingte Einschränkung des Arbeitsvermögens Ansatzpunkte, die eigene Arbeitssituation in Frage zu stellen. Als stigmatisierte Krankheiten, die für die Betroffenen mit Scham verbunden sein können, lassen sich psychische Erkrankungen mit dem Konzept der existenziellen Prüfung von Boltanski (2010) verstehen.
Konventionentheoretische Diskussion der Ergebnisse
Authors: Gonon Anna
Published: May 2023

Die folgenden beiden Schlusskapitel dienen der Zusammenfassung und Diskussion der Ergebnisse dieser Studie. Wurden die theoretischen Konzepte der Soziologie der Konventionen im empirischen Teil nur punktuell als sensibilisierende Konzepte in die Analyse einbezogen, so stelle ich in Kap. 11 systematisch Bezüge zum theoretischen Rahmen her. Kap. 12 präsentiert die zentralen Schlussfolgerungen der Studie.
Schlussfolgerungen
Authors: Gonon Anna
Published: May 2023

Die Studie nahm ihren Ausgangspunkt in der öffentlichen und sozialpolitischen Diskussion um psychische Erkrankungen als Grund für den Ausschluss aus dem Arbeitsmarkt. Die Zunahme psychisch bedingter Arbeits- und Erwerbsunfähigkeit verlief parallel zur aktivierungspolitischen Wende der Sozialpolitik (Streckeisen 2012), mit welcher der Akzent von finanziellen Transferleistungen auf die Integration in den ersten Arbeitsmarkt verschoben wurde. Die Arbeitsplätze psychisch Erkrankter zu erhalten, wurde damit zu einem dringlichen sozialpolitischen Anliegen.
Eingliederung und Rechtfertigungsarbeit
Authors: Gonon Anna
Published: May 2023

An den Schilderungen der Interviewten wird deutlich, dass Eingliederungsarbeit – zumindest zu einem gewissen Anteil – Rechtfertigungsarbeit bedeutet. Diese wird einerseits durch das Argumentieren und Begründen in Aushandlungssituationen geleistet, andererseits durch das Vorwegnehmen von Rechtfertigungsbedarf und die Orientierung an den dominierenden Rechtfertigungslogiken durch ein an sie angepasstes Verhalten. Den Begriff der „Arbeit“ verwende ich hier im breiten Sinn, wie ihn Thomas Luckmann (2002, S. 99) als Grundkategorie der „sozialen Konstruktion und Destruktion von Wirklichkeit“ bestimmt hat.
Eingliederung und Arbeitsorganisation
Authors: Gonon Anna
Published: May 2023

In den drei untersuchten Unternehmen gehört es zu den Hauptaufgaben des BGM, sich um die Wiedereingliederung gesundheitlich eingeschränkter Beschäftigter zu kümmern. Die Devise lautet, dass eine Wiedereingliederung, soweit möglich und von den Betroffenen gewünscht, in jedem Fall versucht wird. Letztlich findet ein großer Teil der Eingliederungsarbeit jedoch an den konkreten Arbeitsplätzen und im Arbeitsalltag der Betroffenen statt und wird durch die Betroffenen selbst, ihre Vorgesetzten oder ihre Kolleginnen geleistet.
Experimental Structural Model: From Manual Paper Garment to Fabrication as an Architectural Practice-Based Approach for Fashion Design Education
Authors: El-Mahdy Deena
Published: May 2023

The study presents the integration of architectural design approaches in the fashion design process suggesting a new educational method based on structural model fabrication. The paper addresses the output of an experimental collaborative practice-based workshop titled ‘Fashion Clash’ that mixes both architects and fashion designers. The workshop focused on testing self-structural garments following a manual workflow which is divided into three main phases, (1) modeling and form-finding, (2) assembly, and (3) fabrication. Paper-based materials are used for transforming full-scale garments into textiles. The results presented seven garments displayed at a fashion show that show the effect of the folding techniques in reaching stability and highlighting the interdisciplinary integration of architects and fashion designers. The study concludes that implementing a parametric design logic based on architectural perspective in fashion would generate innovative ways of testing self-supporting geometry. Digitally computing the forces and structure before fabrication are left for further research.
Microglial P2X4 receptors promote ApoE degradation and contribute to memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Hua Jennifer , Garcia de Paco Elvira , Linck Nathalie , Maurice Tangui , Desrumaux Catherine , Manoury Bénédicte , Rassendren François , Ulmann Lauriane
Published: May 2023

Numerous evidences support that microglia contributes to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. P2X4 receptors are ATP-gated channels with high calcium permeability, which are de novo expressed in a subset of reactive microglia associated with various pathological contexts, contributing to microglial functions. P2X4 receptors are mainly localized in lysosomes and trafficking to the plasma membrane is tightly regulated. Here, we investigated the role of P2X4 in the context of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using proteomics, we identified Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) as a specific P2X4 interacting protein. We found that P2X4 regulates lysosomal cathepsin B (CatB) activity promoting ApoE degradation; P2rX4 deletion results in higher amounts of intracellular and secreted ApoE in both bone-marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) and microglia from APPswe/PSEN1dE9 brain. In both human AD brain and APP/PS1 mice, P2X4 and ApoE are almost exclusively expressed in plaque-associated microglia. In 12-month-old APP/PS1 mice, genetic deletion of P2rX4 reverses topographical and spatial memory impairment and reduces amount of soluble small aggregates of Aß1-42 peptide, while no obvious alteration of plaque-associated microglia characteristics is observed. Our results support that microglial P2X4 promotes lysosomal ApoE degradation, indirectly altering Aß peptide clearance, which in turn might promotes synaptic dysfunctions and cognitive deficits. Our findings uncover a specific interplay between purinergic signaling, microglial ApoE, soluble Aß (sAß) species and cognitive deficits associated with AD.
A new cell line based coculture system for skin sensitisation testing in one single assay using T cells, aryl hydrocarbon receptor knockout, and co-inhibitory blockage
Authors: Sonnenburg Anna , Stahlmann Ralf , Kreutz Reinhold , Peiser Matthias
Published: May 2023

Established in vitro assays for regulatory testing of skin sensitisation partly suffer from only moderate sensitivity, specificity, and predictivity when testing specific groups of chemicals. This may be due to limited biomarker response in vitro in cell types that interact as crucial players of in vivo skin sensitisation pathogenesis. Here, we propose a molecular approach to overcome this limitation. In our model, we apply genome editing and blocking of immunoregulatory molecules to increase the range of biomarker modulation by sensitising chemicals. To this end, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) knockout was done by CRISPR/Cas9 technology in THP-1 cells and combined with Programmed Cell Death-Ligand (PD-L)1 blockade. AhR-knockout THP-1 in coculture with HaCaT keratinocytes showed increased CD54 expression compared to wild type cells after stimulation with 10 µmol/L dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) that was further enhanced by anti-PD-L1. After stimulation of AhR-knockout THP-1 with 200 µmol/L mercaptobenzothiazol or 10 µmol/L DNCB, cocultivated Jurkat T cells significantly increased expression of T cell receptor-associated CD3. No such increase was detected after prior treatment of THP-1 with 150 µmol/L of irritant sodium lauryl sulphate. Additionally, higher levels of inflammatory cytokines MIP-3α, MIP-1β, TNF-α, and IL-8 were found in supernatants of enhanced loose-fit co-culture based sensitisation assay (eLCSA) after substance treatment. Hence, eLCSA allowed to discriminate between sensitisers and non-sensitisers. Thus, inhibition of immunoinhibitory pathway signalling by combining AhR knockout and PD-L1 antibody blockage into an assay involving main acting cell types in skin sensitisation may increase sensitivity and specificity of such assays and allow potency derivation.
Advances in testing for sample manipulation in clinical and forensic toxicology - Part A: urine samples
Authors: Wissenbach Dirk K. , Steuer Andrea E.
Published: May 2023

In many countries, adherence testing is used to monitor consumption behavior or to prove abstinence. Urine and hair are most commonly used, although other biological fluids are available. Positive test results are usually associated with serious legal or economic consequences. Therefore, various sample manipulation and adulteration strategies are used to circumvent such a positive result. In these critical review articles on sample adulteration of urine (part A) and hair samples (part B) in the context of clinical and forensic toxicology, recent trends and strategies to improve sample adulteration and manipulation testing published in the past 10 years are described and discussed. Typical manipulation and adulteration strategies include undercutting the limits of detection/cut-off by dilution, substitution, and adulteration. New or alternative strategies for detecting sample manipulation attempts can be generally divided into improved detection of established urine validity markers and direct and indirect techniques or approaches to screening for new adulteration markers. In this part A of the review article, we focused on urine samples, where the focus in recent years has been on new (in)direct substitution markers, particularly for synthetic (fake) urine. Despite various and promising advances in detecting manipulation, it remains a challenge in clinical and forensic toxicology, and simple, reliable, specific, and objective markers/techniques are still lacking, for example, for synthetic urine.
Spatial ecology of a newly described oceanic manta ray population in the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Garzon F. , Seymour Z. T. A. , Monteiro Z. L. , Graham R. T.
Published: May 2023

The oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is a circumglobally distributed species, but little to no information exists for many parts of their range. The eastern central Atlantic Ocean is a particularly data-deficient area, where manta ray presence has seldom been reported and regional descriptions of the distribution, movement, and connectivity of populations are unavailable. This study makes use of satellite telemetry, coupled with ecological niche modeling, to provide the first description an oceanic manta ray population in the region based on observations from Cabo Verde, and describes the most likely distribution of the species in the region. Repeated surveys between 2015 and 2019 and data from 11 satellite-tracked individuals revealed a reliable and continued presence of manta rays in the archipelago, although the number of sightings was considerably lower than those reported for some of the major aggregation sites for the species and no individual was ever re-sighted. Ecological niche modeling indicates suitable habitat for manta rays exists in Cabo Verde for most of the year, though in considerably higher extent during the summer months. The model furthermore suggests possible seasonal connections between the archipelago and the wider Gulf of Guinea. The role of Cabo Verde in the life-history of oceanic manta rays in the region remains to be elucidated, though the low abundance and re-sighting frequency, coupled with modeling suggesting expanding and contracting suitable habitat, suggests that Cabo Verde might be a key stop-over along a potentially longer movement corridor.
Prophylactic Risk‐Reducing Mastectomy (PRRM): A Set Practice or Catch‐22 Situation in LMIC. A Single‐Centre Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mooghal Mehwish , Vohra Lubna M. , Khan Wajiha , Akbar Fizza
Published: May 2023

Background Pakistan's hereditary breast cancer has a higher‐than‐average prevalence. Our acceptability of prophylactic risk‐reducing mastectomy (PRRM) still needs to be determined, and genetic testing still needs to be offered to all eligible. The aim is to determine the number of women presenting to our centre who availed of PRRM after positive genetic tests and the main reasons restraining them from considering PRRM.

Materials and methods This study is a single‐centre, prospective cohort. We collected data from 2017 to 2022 on BRCA1/2 and other (P/LP) gene‐positive patients. Continuous variables are presented as means (±SD) and categorical variables in percentages, with a significant P‐value of ≤ 0.05.

Results Out of 477 tested individuals, only 95(20.12%) had a positive result. BRCA1/2 was positive in 70 cases, while P/LP variants were in 24 cases. Only 32.6% of eligible families underwent genetic testing, with 54.8% positivity. Altogether, 92.6% of patients had BRCA1/2‐related cancers. Only 25/95(26.3%) individuals availed of PRRM, the majority had contralateral risk‐reducing mastectomy 68% with a 20% reconstruction rate. The main reasons to decline PRRM were false belief of not having any disease 57.44%, followed by family/spouse pressure 51%, body appearance/societal perception, fear of complications/quality of life and financial constraints.

Conclusion Genetic testing and its implications are still a grey area for LMICs, primarily due to the scarcity of centres offering genetic testing to eligible populations, followed by prevalent perceptions about prophylactic surgeries among the masses. Addressing relevant issues in LMICs is the need of time.
A stochastic hierarchical model for low grade glioma evolution
Authors: Buckwar Evelyn , Conte Martina , Meddah Amira
Published: May 2023

A stochastic hierarchical model for the evolution of low grade gliomas is proposed. Starting with the description of cell motion using a piecewise diffusion Markov process (PDifMP) at the cellular level, we derive an equation for the density of the transition probability of this Markov process based on the generalised Fokker–Planck equation. Then, a macroscopic model is derived via parabolic limit and Hilbert expansions in the moment equations. After setting up the model, we perform several numerical tests to study the role of the local characteristics and the extended generator of the PDifMP in the process of tumour progression. The main aim focuses on understanding how the variations of the jump rate function of this process at the microscopic scale and the diffusion coefficient at the macroscopic scale are related to the diffusive behaviour of the glioma cells and to the onset of malignancy, i.e., the transition from low-grade to high-grade gliomas.