bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Eaten by the sea’: human rights claims for the impacts of climate change upon remote subnational communities
Authors: Cullen Miriam
Published: September 2018

The low-lying islands and atolls of the Pacific have been among the first places to experience the most severe impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Some of the affected islands are nation-states possessing the capacity to negotiate treaties and to directly participate in international forums such as the United Nations (UN). Others, however, are subnational jurisdictions, made up of people who live remote from the governing majority and yet are extremely vulnerable to national policy decisions, especially when it comes to climate change and its impacts. This article examines one potential avenue for redress for minority populations living in remote subnational jurisdictions where national policy on climate change arguably compromises their human rights: a communication to the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC). The article takes as its primary case study the people of the Torres Strait Islands, which form part of the state of Australia.
Catchment-scale groundwater recharge and vegetation water use efficiency
Authors: Troch Peter A. , Dwivedi Ravindra , Liu Tao , Meira Neto Antonio Alves , Roy Tirthankar , Valdés-Pineda Rodrigo , Durcik Matej , Arciniega-Esparza Saúl , Breña-Naranjo José Agustín
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Precipitation undergoes a two-step partitioning when it falls on the land surface. At the land surface and in the shallow subsurface, rainfall or snowmelt can either runoff as infiltration/saturation excess or quick subsurface flow. The rest will be stored temporarily in the root zone. From the root zone, water can leave the catchment as evapotranspiration or percolate further and recharge deep storage. It was recently shown that an index of vegetation water use efficiency, the Horton index (HI), could predict deep storage dynamics. Here we test this finding using 247 MOPEX catchments across the conterminous US. Our results show that the observed HI is indeed a reliable predictor of deep storage dynamics. We also find that the HI can reliably predict the long-term average recharge rate. Our results compare favorably with estimates of average recharge rates from the US Geological Survey. Previous research has shown that HI can be estimated based on aridity index, mean slope and mean elevation of a catchment (Voepel et al., 2011). We recalibrated Voepel’s model and used it to predict the HI for our catchments. We then used these predicted values of the HI to estimate average recharge rates for our catchments, and compared them with those estimated from observed HI. We find that the accuracies of our predictions based on observed and predicted HI are similar. This provides a novel estimation method of catchment-scale long-term average recharge rates based on simple catchment characteristics, such as climate and topography, and free of discharge measurements.
The Lessons of Community Rights Ordinances for Democratic Philosophizing
Authors: Thimsen A. Freya
Published: September 2018

Jacques Rancière's account of the political demonstration of equality makes an important contribution to long-standing conceptualizations of democracy as occurring apart from state institutions. Rancière's performative account of democracy, however, recognizes the impurity of political language used within state institutions as well as in democratic events. Rancière's polemics against “metapolitical” theories of social existence and the state take issue with how such forms of philosophy assume the primacy of their own capacity to explain political language. Community rights ordinances (CROs) demonstrate how conceptualizing shared political language as doxa reveals the possibility that a metapolitical rhetorical style can occur within Rancière's method of equality. CROs also demonstrate how the method of equality can operate in the context of democratic philosophizing.
Identifying differences in GPs’ working hours according to gender and employment position: A time sampling study using SMS text messaging
Authors: Van Hassel Daniel , Van der Velden Lud , Batenburg Ronald
Published: September 2018

In order to aid health workforce planning, we measured the number of hours worked by general practitioners (GPs). The twofold aim of this study consisted of assessing the feasibility, validity and reliability of an innovative method to measure working time and, second, to analyse differences in hours worked between six types of GPs divided by the combination of their gender and employment position. Our method was based on multiple time point observations using SMS text messaging. On average 19 GPs participated every week for 57 weeks. In total 1,051 GPs participated resulting in 61,320 valid measurements of time use. On average, GPs worked 44 hours per week. About 56% of this time was spent on direct patient-related activities, 26% to indirect patient-related activities, and 18% to activities not related to patients. There were substantial differences in working hours between male and female self-employed, those drawing a salary from a duo or group practice and locum GPs. For example, male self-employed GPs worked 51.6 hours per week, whereas male locum GPs worked 26.7 hours per week. Generally, differences in hours worked with regard to gender and employment position are smaller if we relate these hours to the number of FTE they worked. Furthermore, we conclude that the method of SMS text messaging based on the time sampling technique presents a limited degree of interference to the participants’ work and achieved reliable and valid results.
The Role of Resource Consumption Accounting (RCA) in Improving Cost Management in the Jordanian Commercial Banks
Authors: M. Al-Rawi Abdulkhaliq , al-Hafiz Hiba Abd
Published: September 2018

This research aims to demonstrate the ability of the resource consumption accounting system to create an addition to cost management at the Jordanian commercial banks through the following dimensions: providing appropriate information, reducing costs, and improving the quality of the cost accounting outputs of Jordanian commercial banks. The researchers relied on several study methods, represented in descriptive methodology for the purpose of scientific organized analysis and interpretation, the use of the questionnaire adopted on the basis of the theoretical literature of the previous studies and the analytical approach to describe the phenomenon as it is in fact and then to analyze, interpret and link it with other phenomena, in addition to the statistical approach by using statistical methods in processing and analyzing data pertinent to the subject matter of this research. The conclusions of the research have shown that resource consumption accounting system plays a positive role in cost management by providing appropriate information, reducing costs and improving the quality of banking services in Jordanian commercial banks. The most important recommendations were to urge the decision makers in Jordanian commercial banks to use of the resource consumption accounting system because of its positive impact on cost management, and the raise of awareness of cost accountants in Jordanian commercial banks of the need to develop the cost systems currently used to meet cost management needs.
Postcolonial Automobility
Authors: Green-Simms Lindsey B.
Published: September 2018

Postcolonial Automobility discusses how the automobile, with its promise of autonomous, unfettered mobility is a paradigmatic object through which one can assess the pleasures, dangers, and limits of global modernity in West Africa. Though automobile ownership is among the lowest in the world and accident rates are some of the highest, automobility in West Africa remains a powerful discourse about the construction of the modern self and about the ways that global African citizens inhabit their world. Exploring an array of cultural texts –plays, novels, films and videos – the author makes palpable the complex ways that automobility in West Africa is, at once, an everyday practice, an ethos, a fantasy of autonomy and mobility, and an affective experience intimately tied to modern social life. This study is the first to address mobility explicitly within an African context and it is one of only a handful of examinations that bring together issues of physical mobility and questions of postcoloniality. Furthermore, Postcolonial Automobility is part of what might be called the infrastructural turn in postcolonial studies, a turn that moves postcolonial studies beyond the much discussed tropes of hybridity, exile, migration, and displacement and towards discussions of how postcoloniality is experienced given the material realities of uneven modernity.
The Top Articles in Geriatrics 2016–2017*
Authors: Lam Kenneth , Gandell Dov
Published: September 2018

We present the top 11 articles in geriatric medicine in the past two years. The topics range from new diagnostic criteria for Lewy Body dementia, advances in biomarker diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a major review of dementia and risk factors, the optimal cutoff for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, antipsychotics in delirium prevention, mobilization of inpatients, intensive blood pressure treatment and statin therapy for primary prevention in older adults, and comprehensive geriatric assessment in vascular surgery and non-small cell lung cancer.
CGS 38th Annual Scientific Meeting Advances in Care: From the Individual to the Technology
Authors: Authors Various
Published: September 2018

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El proceso de una investigación cualitativa longitudinal sobre la transición a la maternidad y paternidad en España
Authors: Botía‐Morillas Carmen , Jurado-Guerrero Teresa
Published: September 2018

Se expone el proceso metodológico de una investigación cualitativa longitudinal y colaborativa sobre la transición a la maternidad y paternidad en España. Se ha entrevistado a parejas bi-activas en dos momentos de su ciclo vital, durante el embarazo de su primer bebé, y entre año y medio y dos años posteriores al nacimiento. Esta investigación longitudinal aporta cuatro importantes valores añadidos: 1. Estudiar los cambios de ideas, planes y actitudes sin los sesgos de memoria selectiva que suele producir el acceso a información retrospectiva; 2. Trabajar en equipo y de forma colaborativa permite obtener una amplia muestra formada por dos submuestras homogéneas socioeconómicamente, pudiendo acceder a diversidad de discursos con enorme potencialidad analítica; 3. Estudiar a ambos miembros de las parejas -sus prácticas, percepciones y justificaciones- enriquece el análisis frente a estudios que cuentan con una sola perspectiva, y permite un análisis crítico de temas sujetos a sesgos de corrección política, como los ligados al género, maternidad y paternidad; 4. Evidenciar, explicitar y justificar el proceso metodológico avala la calidad y validez de la investigación sustantiva, aportando información de archivo y trastienda.We present the methodological process of a qualitative, longitudinal and collaborative research on the transition to motherhood and fatherhood in Spain.  We have interviewed double income couples in two time of their life cycle, during pregnancy of the first baby and between one year and a half and two years after birth. This longitudinal research has four advantages 1. The changes of ideas, plans and attitudes can be studied without biases of selective memory, something usual in the access to retrospective information. 2. Working as a team and in a collaborative way allows us to obtain a wide sample formed by two socioeconomically and homogeneous sub-samples, being able to access the diversity of discourses with enormous analytical potential. 3. Studying both members of the couples, -their practices, perceptions and justifications-, enriches the analysis compared to studies that have only the perspective of one partner, and allows us to better analyze topics that suffer from  biases of political correctness such as those related to gender, motherhood and fatherhood. 4.Demonstrating, specifying, and justifying the methodological process guarantees the quality and validity of the substantive research, providing information of archive and back room.
Signaling pathways as linear transmitters
Authors: Nunns Harry , Goentoro Lea
Published: September 2018

One challenge in biology is to make sense of the complexity of biological networks. A good system to approach this is signaling pathways, whose well-characterized molecular details allow us to relate the internal processes of each pathway to their input-output behavior. In this study, we analyzed mathematical models of three metazoan signaling pathways: the canonical Wnt, MAPK/ERK, and Tgfβ pathways. We find an unexpected convergence: the three pathways behave in some physiological contexts as linear signal transmitters. Testing the results experimentally, we present direct measurements of linear input-output behavior in the Wnt and ERK pathways. Analytics from each model further reveal that linearity arises through different means in each pathway, which we tested experimentally in the Wnt and ERK pathways. Linearity is a desired property in engineering where it facilitates fidelity and superposition in signal transmission. Our findings illustrate how cells tune different complex networks to converge on the same behavior.
Human gut Bacteroides capture vitamin B12 via cell surface-exposed lipoproteins
Authors: Wexler Aaron G , Schofield Whitman B , Degnan Patrick H , Folta-Stogniew Ewa , Barry Natasha A , Goodman Andrew L
Published: September 2018

Human gut Bacteroides use surface-exposed lipoproteins to bind and metabolize complex polysaccharides. Although vitamins and other nutrients are also essential for commensal fitness, much less is known about how commensal bacteria compete with each other or the host for these critical resources. Unlike in Escherichia coli, transport loci for vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and other corrinoids in human gut Bacteroides are replete with conserved genes encoding proteins whose functions are unknown. Here we report that one of these proteins, BtuG, is a surface-exposed lipoprotein that is essential for efficient B12 transport in B. thetaiotaomicron. BtuG binds B12 with femtomolar affinity and can remove B12 from intrinsic factor, a critical B12 transport protein in humans. Our studies suggest that Bacteroides use surface-exposed lipoproteins not only for capturing polysaccharides, but also to acquire key vitamins in the gut.
Conditioning sharpens the spatial representation of rewarded stimuli in mouse primary visual cortex
Authors: Goltstein Pieter M , Meijer Guido T , Pennartz Cyriel MA
Published: September 2018

Reward is often employed as reinforcement in behavioral paradigms but it is unclear how the visuospatial aspect of a stimulus-reward association affects the cortical representation of visual space. Using a head-fixed paradigm, we conditioned mice to associate the same visual pattern in adjacent retinotopic regions with availability and absence of reward. Time-lapse intrinsic optical signal imaging under anesthesia showed that conditioning increased the spatial separation of mesoscale cortical representations of reward predicting- and non-reward predicting stimuli. Subsequent in vivo two-photon calcium imaging revealed that this improved separation correlated with enhanced population coding for retinotopic location, specifically for the trained orientation and spatially confined to the V1 region where rewarded and non-rewarded stimulus representations bordered. These results are corroborated by conditioning-induced differences in the correlation structure of population activity. Thus, the cortical representation of visual space is sharpened as consequence of associative stimulus-reward learning while the overall retinotopic map remains unaltered.
The microtubule polymerase Stu2 promotes oligomerization of the γ-TuSC for cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation
Authors: Gunzelmann Judith , Rüthnick Diana , Lin Tien-chen , Zhang Wanlu , Neuner Annett , Jäkle Ursula , Schiebel Elmar
Published: September 2018

Stu2/XMAP215/ZYG-9/Dis1/Alp14/Msps/ch-TOG family members in association with with γ-tubulin complexes nucleate microtubules, but we know little about the interplay of these nucleation factors. Here, we show that the budding yeast Stu2 in complex with the γ-tubulin receptor Spc72 nucleates microtubules in vitro without the small γ-tubulin complex (γ-TuSC). Upon γ-TuSC addition, Stu2 facilitates Spc72–γ-TuSC interaction by binding to Spc72 and γ-TuSC. Stu2 together with Spc72–γ-TuSC increases microtubule nucleation in a process that is dependent on the TOG domains of Stu2. Importantly, these activities are also important for microtubule nucleation in vivo. Stu2 stabilizes Spc72–γ-TuSC at the minus end of cytoplasmic microtubules (cMTs) and an in vivo assay indicates that cMT nucleation requires the TOG domains of Stu2. Upon γ-tubulin depletion, we observed efficient cMT nucleation away from the spindle pole body (SPB), which was dependent on Stu2. Thus, γ-TuSC restricts cMT assembly to the SPB whereas Stu2 nucleates cMTs together with γ-TuSC and stabilizes γ-TuSC at the cMT minus end.
Sámi álbmotbeaivi – «samefolkets dag» eller «samenes nasjonaldag»?
Authors: Lien Lars
Published: September 2018

This article is based on the current debate about whether or not the official Sami flag day 6 February may and should be referred to as "Sami Day" or "Sami National Day." While the Norwegian government is consistently referring to the Sami as a people (folk), the Sami decided in 2005 that the celebration referred to the Sami as a nation. The use of the term “nation” by the Sámi Parliament has created reactions among parts of the non Sami population, especially in current and historical Sami core areas, and in some political parties, especially representatives from the Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet). The negative statements in connection with the national identity of the Sami, reflects specific attitudes to the power relationship between the majority community and the Sami.

In light of these criticisms, it may be useful to see the historical development of the Sámi political mobilization and the common European tradition from which it was born. The Sami National Consciousness grew up in the early 1900s, equivalent to Norwegian nationalism in the wake of union resolution with Sweden. At first glance, The Sami opposition in the period after 1905 seems to be in the business and cultural spheres, but looking at the sources, there is a language that was also indicative of the Norwegian majority community in the same period. The Sami opposition to the Norwegian authorities developed early strategies to respond to assimilation and cultural imperialism. Although the pressure of the Sami opposition fell in periods, it was an important self-awareness of the Sami as political subjects. The Sami initiative is important symbols of Sami political commitment and the national consciousness. The Sami resistance struggle testifies that the conditions of the Sami not only came under the reconciliation policy of the Norwegian authorities, but that Sami demands for rights and respect for language and culture have been fought through well over hundred years.

The fact that the Sami nation-building process has been overlooked in Norwegian history writing is arguably an important reason why the idea of a Sami nation seems alien, provocative and partly revolutionary from a majority point of view. However, the Sami nation constitutes itself first and foremost as a cultural nation (cultural heritage, languages, myths, folklore, customs and history), not through demands for political independence.
Neuroblastomas in Eastern China: a retrospective series study of 275 cases in a regional center
Authors: Ma Yangyang , Zheng Jicui , Feng Jiayan , Chen Lian , Dong Kuiran , Xiao Xianmin
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Most studies on neuroblastoma (NB) have been conducted in Western countries or Japan. The objective of our study was to analyze clinical and pathological features, MYCN status, surgical methods, and prognosis in Chinese NB patients.

Methods

A retrospective, single-center case series study of 275 NBs was implemented. Clinical manifestations, pathological features, MYCN status, and surgical treatment were analyzed. Log-rank test and Cox hazards models were used to assess overall survivals (OSs).

Results

The cohort consisted of 105 females and 170 males, with an age range of five days to 15 years. MYCN amplification was detected in 21.5% of all cases. The median OS was 15.0 months for MYCN amplified group. The five-year OS rates were 70.8% and 18.3% for MYCN unamplified and amplified groups, respectively, and the comparison of Kaplan–Meier curves for these two groups showed statistical significance (P < .001 by log-rank test). Gross total resection (GTR, n = 111) and subtotal resection (STR, n = 58) were administered in 169 patients at stages 3 and 4 who received chemotherapy and the comparison of Kaplan–Meier curves for different groups in these patients had statistical significance (STR vs. GTR, P = .009; MYCN unamplified vs. amplified, P < .001 by log-rank test, respectively).The multivariate survival analyses showed statistical significance (STR vs. GTR, P = .047; MYCN unamplified vs. amplified, P = .001 by Cox regression model).

Conclusions

MYCN amplification is an independently adverse prognostic factor in Chinese NB patients at stages 3 and 4 and GTR is associated with improved OS compared with STR in these patients.
Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential
Authors: Libby Peter , Oren Ohad , Small Aeron M.
Published: November 2024

This JAMA Cardiology Patient Page describes clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP).
Skin Cancer Diagnosis by Lesion, Physician, and Examination Type
Authors: Chen Jennifer Y. , Fernandez Kristen , Fadadu Raj P. , Reddy Rasika , Kim Mi-Ok , Tan Josephine , Wei Maria L.
Published: November 2024

Importance

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US; accurate detection can minimize morbidity and mortality.

Objective

To assess the accuracy of skin cancer diagnosis by lesion type, physician specialty and experience, and physical examination method.

Data Sources

PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science.

Study Selection

Cross-sectional and case-control studies, randomized clinical trials, and nonrandomized controlled trials that used dermatologists or primary care physicians (PCPs) to examine keratinocytic and/or melanocytic skin lesions were included.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Search terms, study objectives, and protocol methods were defined before study initiation. Data extraction was performed by a reviewer, with verification by a second reviewer. A mixed-effects model was used in the data analysis. Data analyses were performed from May 2022 to December 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy comprised sensitivity and specificity by physician type (primary care physician or dermatologist; experienced or inexperienced) and examination method (in-person clinical examination and/or clinical images vs dermoscopy and/or dermoscopic images).

Results

In all, 100 studies were included in the analysis. With experienced dermatologists using clinical examination and clinical images, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing keratinocytic carcinomas were 79.0% and 89.1%, respectively; using dermoscopy and dermoscopic images, sensitivity and specificity were 83.7% and 87.4%, and for PCPs, 81.4% and 80.1%. Experienced dermatologists had 2.5-fold higher odds of accurate diagnosis of keratinocytic carcinomas using in-person dermoscopy and dermoscopic images compared with in-person clinical examination and images. When examining for melanoma using clinical examination and images, sensitivity and specificity were 76.9% and 89.1% for experienced dermatologists, 78.3% and 66.2% for inexperienced dermatologists, and 37.5% and 84.6% for PCPs, respectively; whereas when using dermoscopy and dermoscopic images, sensitivity and specificity were 85.7% and 81.3%, 78.0% and 69.5%, and 49.5% and 91.3%, respectively. Experienced dermatologists had 5.7-fold higher odds of accurate diagnosis of melanoma using dermoscopy compared with clinical examination. Compared with PCPs, experienced dermatologists had 13.3-fold higher odds of accurate diagnosis of melanoma using dermoscopic images.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that there are significant differences in diagnostic accuracy for skin cancer when comparing physician specialty and experience, and examination methods. These summary metrics of clinician diagnostic accuracy could be useful benchmarks for clinical trials, practitioner training, and the performance of emerging technologies.
Complication Rates After Ultrasonography-Guided Nerve Blocks Performed in the Emergency Department
Authors: Goldsmith Andrew , Driver Lachlan , Duggan Nicole M. , Riscinti Matthew , Martin David , Heffler Michael , Shokoohi Hamid , Dreyfuss Andrea , Sell Jordan , Brown Calvin , Fung Christopher , Perice Leland , Bennett Daniel , Truong Natalie , Jafry S. Zan , Macias Michael , Brown Joseph , Nagdev Arun
Published: November 2024

Importance

Ultrasonography-guided nerve blocks (UGNBs) have become a core component of multimodal analgesia for acute pain management in the emergency department (ED). Despite their growing use, national adoption of UGNBs has been slow due to a lack of procedural safety in the ED.

Objective

To assess the complication rates and patient pain scores of UGNBs performed in the ED.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study included data from the National Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Block Registry, a retrospective multicenter observational registry encompassing procedures performed in 11 EDs in the US from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, of adult patients who underwent a UGNB.

Exposure

UGNB encounters.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome of this study was complication rates associated with ED-performed UGNBs recorded in the National Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Block Registry from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023. The secondary outcome was patient pain scores of ED-based UGNBs. Data for all adult patients who underwent an ED-based UGNB at each site were recorded. The volume of UGNB at each site, as well as procedural outcomes (including complications), were recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of all variables.

Results

In total, 2735 UGNB encounters among adult patients (median age, 62 years [IQR, 41-77 years]; 51.6% male) across 11 EDs nationwide were analyzed. Fascia iliaca blocks were the most commonly performed UGNBs (975 of 2742 blocks [35.6%]). Complications occurred at a rate of 0.4% (10 of 2735 blocks). One episode of local anesthetic systemic toxicity requiring an intralipid was reported. Overall, 1320 of 1864 patients (70.8%) experienced 51% to 100% pain relief following UGNBs. Operator training level varied, although 1953 of 2733 procedures (71.5%) were performed by resident physicians.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this cohort study of 2735 UGNB encounters support the safety of UGNBs in ED settings and suggest an association with improvement in patient pain scores. Broader implementation of UGNBs in ED settings may have important implications as key elements of multimodal analgesia strategies to reduce opioid use and improve patient care.
College Course About Flourishing and Students’ Mental Health During SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Hirshberg Matthew J. , Colaianne Blake A. , Greenberg Mark T. , Inkelas Karen Kurotsuchi , Davidson Richard J. , Germano David , Dunne John D. , Roeser Robert W.
Published: November 2024

This cohort study examines the association of a college course designed to strengthen skills for mental health taken in 2018 or 2019 with measures of anxiety, depression, and flourishing during the early months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020.
Benefits of Different Balanced Resuscitation Ratios for Thoracic vs Abdominopelvic Traumatic Hemorrhage
Authors: Brabender Danielle , Matsushima Kazuhide , Schellenberg Morgan , Inaba Kenji , Wade Charles , Holcomb John B. , Martin Matthew
Published: November 2024

This comparative effectiveness research uses data from the Pragmatic, Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios (PROPPR) randomized clinical trial to compare benefits with balanced resuscitation for thoracic vs abdominopelvic traumatic hemorrhage.
A guide for blood–brain barrier models
Authors: Soliman Yomna , Al‐khodor Jana , Yildirim Köken Gülnaz , Mustafaoglu Nur
Published: November 2024

Understanding the intricate mechanisms underlying brain‐related diseases hinges on unraveling the pivotal role of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), an essential dynamic interface crucial for maintaining brain equilibrium. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of BBB physiology, delving into its cellular and molecular components while exploring a wide range of in vivo and in vitro BBB models. Notably, recent advancements in 3D cell culture techniques are explicitly discussed, as they have significantly improved the fidelity of BBB modeling by enabling the replication of physiologically relevant environments under flow conditions. Special attention is given to the cellular aspects of in vitro BBB models, alongside discussions on advances in stem cell technologies, providing valuable insights into generating robust cellular systems for BBB modeling. The diverse array of cell types used in BBB modeling, depending on their sources, is meticulously examined in this comprehensive review, scrutinizing their respective derivation protocols and implications. By synthesizing diverse approaches, this review sheds light on the improvements of BBB models to capture physiological conditions, aiding in understanding BBB interactions in health and disease conditions to foster clinical developments.
Regional demography of Icelandic rock ptarmigan and its implications for harvest management
Authors: Johnson Fred Allen , Nielsen Ólafur Karl
Published: November 2024

The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a popular game bird in Iceland, but management of hunting has tended to be controversial. We were interested in whether regional differences in ptarmigan demography exist, and if so, their implications for harvest management.

We fit integrated population models (IPMs) to monitoring data from six hunting regions of Iceland during 2005–2023, and then examined equilibrium and non‐equilibrium harvest strategies based on an objective to maximize sustainable harvest.

Survival and reproductive rates tended to be similar amongst regions, except in the demographically important Northeast, where survival was lower and productivity was higher. There was a negative relationship between post‐breeding age ratio (juveniles/adults) and spring abundance in all regions, although the strength of density dependence varied. Spring abundance was temporally stable in all regions, although harvest rates tended to decline, and adult survival rates tended to increase. Evidence for cyclical patterns in abundance was weak except in the Northeast, but this may be an artifact of the relatively short time series.

Sustainable harvest potential varied amongst regions and was greatest in the East and Northeast. It appears that harvests during 2005–2022 were somewhat less than the sustainable maximum. Non‐equilibrium harvest strategies, in which the allowable harvests depend on spring population size and anticipated productivity, are so‐called ‘bang‐bang’ strategies, meaning that no or very little harvest is optimal until the population is at or above its maximum level of net production.

Practical implications. Regional differences in ptarmigan demography warrant different harvest strategies. Yet, the hunting season in Iceland historically has been regulated on a country‐wide basis, with population abundance and dynamics in the Northeast playing a key role. To implement regional harvest management, decision makers must first agree on harvest management objectives that satisfy most stakeholders, who tend to hold very diverse values. Moreover, the historical relationship between season length and harvest rate is tenuous, yet season length is the primary mechanism traditionally used in Iceland to control harvest. The uncertainty in this relationship could be addressed in an adaptive‐management framework.
Effect of Precipitation Heat Treatment on a Mechanically Alloyed Al‐Based Composite Reinforced with Metallic Glassy Powder
Authors: Deng Guiying , Wang Zhi , Hu Yuan , Zhao Qizhong , Zhang Weiwen , Yang Chao , Li Liejun , Prashanth Konda Gokuldoss , Suryanarayana Challapalli
Published: November 2024

An Al‐based composite reinforced with titanium‐based metallic glassy particles is synthesized by the powder metallurgy method through mechanical alloying followed by hot extrusion. The effect of precipitation heat treatment on the structure and properties of the composite is studied. During aging of the solution‐treated composite, crystallization of the metallic glassy reinforcement becomes more pronounced as the solutionizing temperature, solutionizing time, aging temperature, and aging time increase. A reaction layer has formed at the interface between the reinforcement and the matrix after the aging treatment. It is found that the addition of metallic glassy particles promotes precipitation of the nanophase in the matrix. With appropriate heat treatment, the compressive strength, yield strength, and fracture strain of the composite have increased to 942, 635 MPa, and 27%, respectively. Herein, it is demonstrated that the mechanical properties of these composites can be further enhanced through an appropriate heat treatment process, thereby having significant potential for a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, and defense, where high‐strength, lightweight materials are critical for performance and safety.
Investigating Melt Pool Dimensions in Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Nitinol: An Analytical Approach
Authors: Rangaswamy Sampreet , Bourke Declan , Monu Medad C. C. , Healy Paul , Gu Hengfeng , Ahad Inam Ul , Brabazon Dermot
Published: November 2024

Nitinol (NiTi) has gained popularity across various industries due to its shape memory and superelastic properties. Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) has been increasingly utilized to produce NiTi components. This study focuses on single‐track nitinol samples fabricated via powder bed fusion using laser beam (PBF‐LB). Investigating the effects of laser power and scanning speed on melt pool dimensions reveals that melt pool width increases linearly with laser power and decreases logarithmically with scanning speed. However, melt pool depth exhibits outliers that deviate from these trends. Three analytical models are evaluated to predict melt pool dimensions, generally aligning with experimental trends. Notably, the Eagar–Tsai model delivers the most accurate predictions for melt pool width, with a mean absolute error of less than 10%, while the Gladush–Smurov model is more reliable for melt pool depth predictions, showing a mean absolute error under 20%. In contrast, the Rosenthal equation yields less reliable results for both dimensions. This suggests that a combined approach utilizing the strengths of both the Eagar–Tsai and Gladush–Smurov models may provide the most accurate predictions for the melt pool profile of NiTi in PBF‐LB.
Clutchable Fabric Actuator for Energy‐Efficient Wearable Robots
Authors: Zhang Huapeng , Shea Herbert
Published: November 2024

Energy‐efficient yet energy‐dense soft actuators are essential for untethered wearable robots. This work reports a fabric‐like actuator, combining shape memory alloy (SMA) springs and electrostatic clutches (ESClutches). The SMA springs provide high force density, with only 18 g of materials generating 40 N of force at actuation strains of over 35%, but requiring 78 W of power to hold that strain. The ESClutches cannot generate motion on their own, but can maintain the force and contraction generated by SMAs consuming only a few mW, thus allowing the SMAs to be turned off. By combining SMAs and ESClutches, a soft wearable fabric actuator is developed with force and stroke suited for an upper‐limb soft exoskeleton, able to lock in any given position using negligible power. The design is scalable: the number and dimensions of the SMA springs and of the ESClutches can be chosen to meet size and actuator performance requirements. This work reports two wearable use cases, where the combined SMAs and ESClutches consume over 70% lower power than SMAs alone.
Highly Efficient Porous Glass Solar Water Evaporator
Authors: Liu Junsheng , Ruan Wenqing , Zhang Heting , Huang Jinbiao , Wang Jiahao , Fu Jianan , Sun Fei , Zhu Lixing , Zhan Yangguang , Ma Jiang
Published: November 2024

The global water crisis, exacerbated by excessive use and pollution, has resulted in energy scarcity and threats. Solar desalination provides a sustainable fix, with researchers developing photothermal materials and designs to improve efficiency and sustainability. Glass materials, with their exceptional chemical stability, are suitable for extreme desalination in acidic and alkaline conditions. In this work, we have developed a porous glass evaporator (PGE) with exceptional water evaporation efficiency, achieved through a novel fabrication method that blends glass powders with soluble salts to create structure with continuous pores. The evaporator's microstructure comprises micrometer‐scale pores that form interconnected porous channels, facilitating efficient water transport and preventing salt deposition. Under one sun irradiation, the PGE exhibits superior solar evaporation performance in pure water, achieving a rate of 2.21 kg m−2 h−1, with an evaporation efficiency of 98%. In more complex media, such as seawater and methylene blue solution, the PGE also displays excellent evaporation capabilities, reaching rates of 2.08 and 2.47 kg m−2 h−1, respectively. Even after sustained alternation between acidic and alkaline treatments, the PGE retains an impressive evaporation rate of over 2.0 kg m−2 h−1, coupled with structural robustness, making it a promising candidate for practical applications in extreme environments.
Photon‐Induced Ultrafast Multitemporal Programming of Terahertz Metadevices
Authors: Zhang Jing , Lou Jing , Wang Zhuochao , Liang Jiangang , Zhao Xilai , Huang Yindong , Chang Chao , Hu Guangwei
Published: November 2024

Dynamic terahertz (THz) metasurface can feature modulated and multiplexed electromagnetic functionalities, important for wave‐based computation, six‐generation communications, and other applications. The versatile dynamic switching typically relies on a series of complex or incompatible multifield activations, with excessive system complexity, additional loss, slow modulation speed, and inertial time‐varying properties, limiting more widespread applications. Here, a photon‐induced ultrafast programmable THz metadevice is reoprted in time‐frequency dimensions with polarization‐decoupled temporal responses. By the pixelated design with multi‐materials and triggering switches, the multimodal modulation transcends the constraints inherent in materials, enabling the ultrafast programmable temporal evolution. All the resonances can be independently programmed at the working band from 0.6 to 2 THz. The tri‐temporal (with switching time of 1.25, 1, and 4.75 ps) and bi‐temporal (with switching time of 2.25 and 4.75 ps) dynamic manipulations are performed by all‐optical driven molecularization process of hybrid metasurfaces loaded with silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) under different polarizations. Combining these features, the temporally programmed THz logic gates are last experimentally demonstrated, possessing basic operation of XNOR, NOR, and OR, as a proof‐of‐concept application. This reported light‐driven programmable THz flat‐optics allows ultrafast hybrid molecularization processes and new possibilities for miniaturized, flexible, multifunctional, and temporally programmable integrated devices.
Naturally Inspired Tree‐Ring Structured Dressing Provides Sustained Wound Tightening and Accelerates Closure
Authors: Chen Honggui , Zhang Rui , Zhang Guo , Liang Xiaoyang , Xu Chen , Li Yang , Xu Fu‐Jian
Published: November 2024

Mechanically regulated wound dressings require a rational combination of contraction and adhesion functions as well as balancing exudate‐induced swelling issues. However, many of the reported dressings face the dilemma of impaired function and impeded wound self‐contraction due to fluid‐absorbing swelling. In this study, inspired by the tree ring, a core–ring structured hydrogel dressing capable of mechanical modulation is designed, and prepare it using a simple two‐step photopolymerization process. The core covers the center of the wound, contracts spontaneously at body temperature to generate a contractile force of 3.4 kPa, and resists swelling. Meanwhile, the ring adheres to the normal epidermis around the wound and transfers the contraction stress to the wound edge. The integration of a functionally independent core and ring ultimately achieves effective wound traction and avoids dressing swelling. In murine and porcine skin wound‐healing models, this hydrogel with a closely connected core and ring promotes healing by accelerating epidermal closure (50% closure in mouse skin on day 2, 85% closure in pig skin on day 8), collagen deposition, vascular maturation, and extracellular matrix remodeling. These results can guide further research on mechanical force modulation in wound healing, with the potential for clinical translation.
Electric‐Field Control of the Local Thermal Conductivity in Charge Transfer Oxides
Authors: Varela‐Domínguez Noa , Claro Marcel S. , Vázquez‐Vázquez Carlos , López‐Quintela Manuel Arturo , Rivadulla Francisco
Published: November 2024

Phonons, the collective excitations responsible for heat transport in crystalline insulating solids, lack electric charge or magnetic moment, which complicates their active control via external fields. This presents a significant challenge in designing thermal equivalents of basic electronic circuit elements, such as transistors or diodes. Achieving these goals requires precise and reversible modification of thermal conductivity in materials. In this work, the continuous tuning of local thermal conductivity in charge‐transfer SrFeO3‐x and La0.6Sr0.4CoO3‐x oxides using a voltage‐biased Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tip at room temperature is demonstrated. This method allows the creation of micron‐sized domains with well‐defined thermal conductivity, achieving reductions of up to 50%, measured by spatially resolved Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance (FDTR). By optimizing the oxide's chemical composition, the thermal states remain stable under normal atmospheric conditions but can be reverted to their original values through thermal annealing in air. A comparison between Mott–Hubbard and charge‐transfer oxides reveals the critical role of redox‐active lattice oxygen in ensuring full reversibility of the process. This approach marks a significant step toward fabricating oxide‐based tunable microthermal resistances and other elements for thermal circuits.
Opto‐Electrical Decoupled Phototransistor for Starlight Detection
Authors: Zhou Shaoyuan , Zhang Xinyue , Wang Ying , Lin Dongyi , Zou Shoubin , Wang Jingwen , Xiao Luna , Zhang Dijie , Jiang Jianhua , Zhang Panpan , Zhang Jianbing , Tang Jiang , Zhang Zhiyong
Published: November 2024

Highly sensitive shortwave infrared (SWIR) detectors are essential for detecting weak radiation (typically below 10−8 W·Sr−1·cm−2·µm−1) with high‐end passive image sensors. However, mainstream SWIR detection based on epitaxial photodiodes cannot effectively detect ultraweak infrared radiation due to the lack of inherent gain. Here, we develop a heterojunction‐gated field‐effect transistor (HGFET) consisting of a colloidal quantum dot (CQD)‐based p‐i‐n heterojunction and a carbon nanotube (CNT) field‐effect transistor, which achieves a high inherent gain based on an opto‐electric decoupling mechanism for suppressing noise. The stacked heterojunction absorbs infrared radiation and separates electron–hole pairs. Then, the generated photovoltage tunes the drain current of the CNT FET through an Y2O3 gate insulator. As a result, the HGFET significantly detects and amplifies SWIR signals with a high inherent gain while minimally amplifying noise, leading to a recorded specific detectivity above 1014 Jones at 1300 nm and a recorded maximum gain‐bandwidth product of 69.2 THz. Direct comparative testing indicates that the HGFET can detect weak infrared radiation at 0.46 nW cm−2 levels; thus, compared to commercial and reported SWIR detectors, this detector is much more sensitive and enables starlight detection or vision. As the fabrication process is very compatible with CMOS readout integrated circuits, the HGFET is a promising SWIR detector for realizing passive night vision imaging sensors with high resolutions that are high‐end, highly sensitive, and inexpensive.
Assembly of Silicate–Phenolic Network Coatings with Tunable Properties for Controlled Release of Small Molecules
Authors: Mazaheri Omid , Lin Zhixing , Xu Wanjun , Mohankumar Mirudula , Wang Tianzheng , Zavabeti Ali , McQuillan Rebecca V. , Chen Jingqu , Richardson Joseph J. , Mumford Kathryn A. , Caruso Frank
Published: November 2024

Engineered coatings are pivotal for tailoring the surface properties and release profiles of materials for applications across diverse areas. However, developing robust coatings that can both encapsulate and controllably release cargo is challenging. Herein, a dynamic covalent coordination assembly strategy is used to engineer robust silicate‐based coatings, termed silicate–phenolic networks (SPNs), using sodium metasilicate and phenolic ligands (tannic acid, gallic acid, pyrogallol). The coatings are pH‐responsive (owing to the dynamic covalent bonding), and their hydrophobicity can be tuned upon their post‐functionalization with hydrophobic gallates (propyl, octyl, lauryl gallates). The potential of the SPN coatings for the controlled release of small molecules, such as urea (a widely used fertilizer), is demonstrated—controlled release of urea in soil is achieved in response to different pHs (up to 7 days) and different hydrophobicity (up to 14 days). Furthermore, leveraging the presence of silicon (within the coating) and post‐functionalization of the SPN coatings with metal ions (Fe3+, Cu2+, Zn2+) generates a multipurpose delivery system for the sustained release of micronutrient fertilizers, and silicon and metal ions, over 28 and 14 days, respectively. These SPN coatings have potential applications beyond agriculture, including nutrient delivery, separations, food packaging, and medical device fabrication.