bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wedding Preparedness Of Prspective Bride and Groom
Authors: Eprila  , Yunike
Published: September 2022

Committed to entering marriage requires an understanding of the readiness to carry out a role in the family to be committed for life to form a happy family. The complex psychological challenges and problems associated with failure to properly prepare for marriage will result in misery and threaten the quality of life of family members. Research that explores the preparation of the bride and groom in entering the marriage gate is still very limited, even though this topic has implications for the achievement of family happiness. The purpose of this study was to explore the readiness of the bride and groom in undergoing marital status. This qualitative research explores the facts in the field to describe and analyze the phenomenon of the wedding preparation of the bride and groom. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with six pairs of prospective brides and grooms who were going to get married in the same year. Determination of participants is adjusted based on the inclusion criteria of research participants and the number is determined based on the results of data saturation. The theme of this research is the legacy of parental experience, ignoring the most important marriage, financial and work planning and the lack of anticipation of physical and psychological changes. The results of the study concluded that the preparation of the bride and groom that is not comprehensive has the opportunity to lead to marriage failure. Explanation of wedding preparation through the use of technology is suggested as an implementation of increasing literacy of the bride and groom, in collaboration with the Office of Religious Affairs which legalizes marriage.
Tertiarität
Authors: Fischer Joachim
Published: September 2022

»Fast alles, was sozial geschieht, geschieht unter der Beobachtung Dritter. Bald ist es das Publikum, bald das Wahlvolk, bald sind es die Konsumenten, die Eltern, die Kinder oder die Gerichte, deren Existenz beim sozialen Handeln in Rechnung gestellt wird. […] Solange es zwei gibt, gibt es nur Sozialität, sobald es einen Dritten gibt, gibt es Gesellschaft« (Jürgen Kaube). Diesen Status der Figur des Dritten im Verhältnis zum Anderen und zum Einen, von Tertiarität mit Bezug auf Alterität und Identität fokussieren die »Studien zur Sozialontologie«.

Auf den Schultern von Simmel und Freud, von Sartre und Lacan, von Lévinas und Girard, von Elias und Berger/Luckmann, die je Figuren und Funktionen des Dritten (der bzw. die Dritte) reflektiert haben, werden sprachanalytische, ödipal-trianguläre, sozialphänomenologische und polymorphologische Argumente systematisiert, um den unhintergehbaren Stellenwert des Tertius in den Urszenen der Vergesellschaftung aufzuweisen. In der Konsequenz zeigen sich die »generalisierte Dritte« und »dreifache Kontingenz« als produktive Sozialkategorien, um die bekannte Kluft zwischen Intersubjektivitätstheorien (Ego und Alter Ego) und Transsubjektivitätstheorien (das Kollektive bzw. das Dritte) zu überbrücken. Abschließende Erprobungen demonstrieren, dass relevante soziale Teilsysteme wie Recht, Marktökonomie, Politik, Medien und Familiarität, selbst die Liebe nur unter Einbeziehung der dritten Person sinngesetzlich adäquat verstanden und erklärt werden können.
Management in sozialen Organisationen
Authors: Gehrmann Gerd , Müller Klaus D.
Published: September 2022

Sozialarbeit mit Effektivität und Effizienz

Dieses Handbuch vermittelt allen Mitarbeitern in sozialen Einrichtungen die Grundlagen methodischer Arbeit:

Aufgabenorientiertes Management

Personalmanagement und Leitung

Ressourcen-Management

Selbstmanagement

Case Management

Qualitätsmanagement

Professionelle Konzepte und Methoden Sozialer Arbeit

Reform der Sozialen Dienste

Aktivierende Soziale Arbeit und aktivierender Sozialstaat
Landminen und Munition in Krisengebieten
Authors: Enke Thomas
Published: September 2022

Erstmalig in deutscher Sprache

Weltweit stellen Landminen und Kampfmittel eine nicht zu unterschätzende Gefahr dar. Das Handbuch Landminen und Munition in Krisengebieten ist die deutsche Version des "Landmines, Explosive Remnants of War and Improvised Explosive Devices Safety Handbook".

Es wurde durch den United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) erstellt und inzwischen in zahlreiche Sprachen übersetzt. Es hilft Ihnen dabei, Gefahren durch Minen und Blindgänger zu erkennen und ermöglicht so ein sicheres Reisen und Arbeiten in kampfmittelbelasteten Gebieten.

Inhalte auf einen Blick:

Minenräumen

Beachten von einfachen Sicherheitshinweisen

Kontakt mit Landminen, Kampfmitteln und IEDs

Verhalten bei einem Notfall in einem kampfmittelbelasteten Gebiet

Umgang mit Explosionen, Anschlägen oder sonstigen unerwarteten Ereignissen mit Munition
Types of Nonlinear Interactions between Plasmonic-Excitonic Hybrids
Authors: Gambhir Kaweri , G. Vedeshwar Agnikumar
Published: September 2022

The unique ability of plasmonic structures to concentrate and manipulate photonic signals in deep sub-wavelength domain provides new efficient pathways to generate, guide, modulate and detect light. Due to collective oscillations exhibited by the conducting electrons of metallic nanoparticles, their local fields can be greatly enhanced at the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Hence, they offer a versatile platform, where localized surface plasmons can be tuned over a broad range of wavelengths by controlling their shape, size and material properties. It has been realized that plasmonic excitations can strengthen nonlinear optical effects in three ways. First, the coupling between the incident beam of light and surface plasmons results in a strong local confinement of the electromagnetic fields, which in turn enhances the optical response. Second, the sensitivity of plasmonic excitations toward the dielectric properties of the metal and the surrounding medium forms the basis for label-free plasmonic sensors. Finally, the excitation and relaxation dynamics of plasmonic nanostructures responds to a timescale of femtoseconds regime, thus allowing ultrafast processing of the incident optical signals. This chapter aims to discuss all the aforementioned interactions of plasmons and their excitonic hybrids in detail and also represent a glimpse of their experimental realizations.
Community Participation in River Basin Management
Authors: Syahputra Benny , Fajar Berkah , Sudarno
Published: September 2022

River basin management can increase biodiversity conservation, land productivity, ecosystem restoration, rehabilitation, and land reclamation. River basin management cannot be handled by one institution alone but requires cooperation and coordination with various parties. Community involvement in river basin management has a strategic role and is carried out based on the principle of sustainability that combines a balance between productivity and conservation to achieve river basin management goals. Community participation has the power to make decisions autonomously in order to be able to solve the needs and interests of life and improve the standard of living by utilizing the resources that must be owned. In addition, it is also necessary to harmonize structural relationships between institutions in government both at the center and at the local level so that internal factors can be controlled, and programs and activities do not overlap in the management of natural resources and air. One of the impacts of climate change is the occurrence of river basin damage. Upstream river basins as buffer areas, water catchments, and sources of water filters will be damaged. Sensitive people will be more vulnerable, while people who can adapt will survive.
Organ Donation in Islam
Authors: Khoshravesh Sahar
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, the increasing scientific and practical advances in the field of organ donation have caused many discussions in the world. One of these topics is religious beliefs in divine religions, which has always been one of the most important challenges in the field of organ donation. Although there are differences in the views of different religions regarding organ donation, many of these views are close to each other. Often, different sects and religions have accepted organ transplantation with their own conditions. Based on Islamic jurisprudence and Shariah principles, organ donation is permissible under certain conditions; most religious scholars have also accepted this opinion. The Muslim holy book (Qur’an 5:32) has mentioned, “if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”
Vitamin D, Muscle Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness – An Evidence-based Review
Authors: Mirrafiei Amin , Firouzi Mahsa , Babaee Nadia , Davarzani Samira , Shab-Bidar Sakineh
Published: September 2022

Recent evidence reported that a higher concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25[OH] D] has been associated with greater cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF] and muscle strength in both sexes. Low levels of 25[OH]D may be related to hypertrophy of myocardial, high blood pressure, and endothelial dysfunction, which is related to decreased amino acid uptake, prolonged time to peak muscle contraction and relaxation, dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+, muscle weakness, myalgia, impaired neuromuscular function, and hypotonia. Because CRF is defined as a function of maximal cardiac output and maximal arteriovenous oxygen difference, low levels of 25[OH]D may lead to deleterious effects on CRF. Recent findings also indicated vitamin D3 supplementation that leads to an increase in muscle fiber especially type 2, the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers, and improved muscle strength. In this chapter, we will systematically review the observational studies and randomized controlled trials that evaluated the association of vitamin D with CRF and muscle strength.
Penitentiary Treatment: Its Perspectives in Argentina – Legal and Criminological Analysis
Authors: Daniel Cesano José
Published: September 2022

Argentine legislation (Law 24,660 and its amendments) regulates penitentiary treatment both as a stage of the progressive regime and as the activity of prison administration itself, made up of specific programs, whose objective is the social reinsertion of the convicted person. This chapter proposes, on the one hand, to analyse the issue of treatment from a regulatory perspective, outlining its distinctive notes, while also describing and problematizing the criminological aspects that characterize it. In this way, this integration (legal and criminological analysis) allows for accounting for those key elements related to carrying out treatment in prison facilities in Argentina.
Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain: Debate around Legal Challenges
Authors: Merchán Murillo Antonio
Published: September 2022

The rapid technological change and its development have led to an era of technology and applications that are leading us to transversal changes, based on the data that feed the Internet. This change is taking place through the Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (m2m) communications, robotics, big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI). In this context, it can be seen how artificial intelligence and blockchain are opening up, posing specific legal challenges to those imposed by technologies. Recent developments in AI are the result of increased processing power. The emergence of new traceability and authentication as blockchain can allow recording assets, participant transactions, which can provide valuable information on the origin and history. These facts should lead to study and to make regulatory proposals and to study the existing legal framework.
Novel Therapies in Clinical Development for Advanced Disease
Authors: Sánchez Arráez Álvaro , Maciá Sonia , Castañón Eduardo
Published: September 2022

Recent advances in melanoma treatment have supposed a dramatic transformation overcoming the situation that was faced 15 years ago, when advanced melanoma was a fatal disease, with less than five percent of patients being alive after 1 year of diagnosis. However, in spite of the impressive improvement that has been achieved with immunotherapies and targeted therapies that are completely part of the standard landscape for treatment, additional therapeutic advances are still needed. In this chapter, we review those systemic and local treatments which are undergoing clinical development, explaining their mechanisms of action and the already presented either preliminary or final results, most of them in terms of response rate.
Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Carriage and Infections
Authors: Cetik Yildiz Songul
Published: September 2022

Staphylococcus aureus is among the most common opportunistic infections worldwide, as it is found as part of the flora in many parts of the body. S. aureus is the leading cause of nosocomial infections with its ability to rapidly colonize the infected area, high virulence, rapid adaptation to environmental conditions, and the ability to develop very fast and effective resistance even to new generation antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), first identified in the 1960s, is one of the most successful modern pathogens, becoming an important factor in hospitals in the 1980s. MRSA is an important factor, especially in hospitalized patients and healthcare-associated infections. Patients colonized with S. aureus and MRSA are at risk for community-acquired infections. It is critical that multidrug resistance reduces treatment options in MRSA infections and MRSA strains. These microorganisms have been the subject of research for years as they spread and become resistant in both social and medical settings and cause great morbidity and mortality. With the rapid spread of resistance among bacteria, antibiotic resistance has increased the cost of health care, and this has become the factor limiting the production of new antibiotics.
The Silver Lining of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Fast-Tracked Vaccine Production and Approval
Authors: Lewis Mandala Wilson
Published: September 2022

From the time when the smallpox vaccine was successfully produced in 1798, vaccines have proven to be the most reliable means for preventing and controlling most infectious diseases because they significantly reduce morbidity and mortality associated with life-threatening infectious diseases. During the pre-COVID-19 era, the development, testing, and final approval for vaccines would take as long as thirty years and this was regarded as a normal procedure by most regulatory bodies. However, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic witnessed the development and approval of several vaccines in just six months from when the first SARS-CoV-2 case was reported in Wuhan, China. The speed and apparent ease with which the COVID-19 vaccines have been produced and approved has introduced a paradigm shift in the vaccinology field, creating an environment within which the production of vaccines for most infectious disease now seems possible. This chapter delves into the vaccine production and approval process and discusses the benefits of vaccines, the types of vaccines, and how they work. It also explores how lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic can contribute toward the expedited development, trial, and approval of vaccines against other devastating diseases of equally high, if not higher, mortality rates such as HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria.
GEOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF THE JOINT STRUCTURAL AND COMPOSITIONAL EVOLUTION OF THE BASEMENT AND COVER (NORTHERN LADOGA SWECOFENNIDES, RUSSIA)
Authors: Morozov Yu. A. , Terekhov E. N. , Matveev M. A. , Okina O. I.
Published: September 2022

Detailed studies of the deeply metamorphosed Early Precambrian rocks of the Northern Ladoga region allowed us to distinguish three deformation stages of the Svecofennian tectogenesis during which there occurred significant structural and compositional transformations of the "cover (Paleoproterozoic) – basement (Archean)" system. In addition to the structural-paragenetic analysis, which allowed to allocate transversal structural paragenesis in both floors, there are some other opportunities in the recognition of their-hosted granitoid veined bodies with a positive Eu anomaly. The rock varieties with this anomaly are always high in barium and do not show a direct correlation between the Eu anomaly and (La/Yb)n, Ca and Sr. This is contrary to the ideas about the occurrence of a positive Eu anomaly due to the substitution of divalent strontium by Eu++ and suggests that the formation of such rocks took place under the influence of deep reduced fluids. It was found that granitoids with a positive Eu anomaly were formed during the first and last stages of the structure evolution, with a predominance of brittle deformations and a deep-reduced fluid breakthrough. At the second stage, with the dominant manifestation of plastic deformations, when such fluids could be "blocked" within the system, there was a formation of granitoids with low barium concentrations and a negative Eu anomaly.
Parametric Models for Survival Analysis of Childhood Cancer Patients' Data
Authors: Keramatinia Aliasghar , Mohseny Maryam , Davoudi Monfared Esmat , Sadat Hosseini-Baharanchi Fatemeh , Shahabi Fatemeh , Safavi Naeini Nilofar , Kianpour Rad Sima , Sheikhpour Mojgan , Beladian- Behbhan Seyed Ehsan , Bahadorimonfared Ayad , Aphsharpad Mandana , Movafagh Abolfazl
Published: September 2022

Background: The rate of childhood cancer death has dropped steadily over the past 50 years. The pediatric cancer risk has remained under investigation. Objectives: This study aims at investigating the associated factors with the survival of pediatric patients with retinoblastoma, sarcoma, brain tumor, and leukemia cancer. Methods: The cohort study of 1879 children with retinoblastoma, sarcoma, brain tumor, and leukemia aged < 1, 1 - 5, 6 - 10, 11 - 15, and > 15 years in Mahak Hospital and Rehabilitation Complex from 2007 to 2016 were enrolled in the study. Median survival time was reported for each cancer. Parametric survival models including Gompertz, Weibull, lognormal, and log‑logistic models were fitted. Then, the model with almost minimum Akaike information criterion (AIC) was chosen. The hazard ratio (HR) and the analysis were performed by R3.5.1. Results: Totally, 270 (14.37%) patients with retinoblastoma, 667 (35.5%) with leukemia, 625 (33.26%) with a brain tumor, and 317 (16.87%) with sarcoma were included in this study; 815 (43.37%) patients were female. Gompertz's model was chosen to fit the data due to the minimum AIC. The associated factors with the survival of childhood cancers were as follows: Age < 1 year, parental relation, loco-regional relapse and chemotherapy alone (HR: 7.63, 1.56, 4.61, 1.12) in leukemia, other nationalities, metastasis or metastasis and loco-regional relapse and chemotherapy alone (HR = 3.74, 5.75, 2.12) in retinoblastoma, loco-regional relapse and metastasis (HR = 2.40, 3.71) in brain tumor, other ages except for 5 - 10 years, parental relation, chemotherapy alone, and metastasis (HR = 33.3, 1.80, 3.57, 3.8) in sarcoma. Conclusions: Age, parental familial relationships, combination therapy, and metastasis of primary cancer were the risk factors for survival of children with 4 common cancers of leukemia, retinoblastoma, brain tumors, and sarcoma, using the Gompertz model.
The Earth System, Justice, and Governance in a Planetary Age
Authors: Pedersen Stefan , Stevis Dimitris , Kalfagianni Agni ,   International Association for Environmental Philosophy
Published: September 2022

This commentary on Dipesh Chakrabarty’s Climate of History initially frames the work in the context of the ongoing transdisciplinary project of creating synergies or more precisely “consilience” between the sciences and humanities. When this project is engaged in on the premises of the humanities (and the social sciences), we end up with the Earth system and the planetary as the basic lifeblood of human society—what foregrounds existence in common. That this realization is already bringing forth new justificatory principles for governance in a planetary age is then related through a history of ecological justice concerns.
Molecular Pathogenesis of Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Understanding and Potential Treatment Implications
Authors: Keller Brian A. , Pastukhova Elena , Lo Bryan , Sekhon Harman S. , Flood Trevor A.
Published: September 2022

Context.—

Penile squamous cell carcinomas (PSCCs) are divided into tumors that are human papillomavirus (HPV) associated and those that are non–HPV associated. HPV and non-HPV PSCCs each display unique pathogenic mechanisms, histologic subtypes, and clinical behaviors. Treatment of localized PSCC tumors is linked to significant physical and psychological morbidity, and management of advanced disease is often treatment refractory. The identification of novel actionable mutations is of critical importance so that translational scientists and clinicians alike can pursue additional therapeutic options.

Objective.—

To provide an update on the molecular pathogenesis associated with PSCC. A special emphasis is placed on next-generation sequencing data and its role in identifying potential therapeutic targets.

Data Sources.—

A literature review using the PubMed search engine to access peer-reviewed literature published on PSCC.

Conclusions.—

Our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that underlie PSCC pathogenesis continues to evolve. PSCC tumorigenesis is mediated by multiple pathways, and mutations of oncogenic significance have been identified that may represent targets for personalized therapy. Preliminary results of treatment with immune checkpoint inhibition and tyrosine kinase inhibitors have produced variable clinical results. Further insight into the pathogenesis of PSCC will help guide clinical trials and develop additional precision medicine approaches.
ADAPTATIVE NEURO-FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM (ANFIS) APPLIED ON RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY SIGNALS TO DECIPHER AND CLASSIFY HEALTHY AND DAMAGED BREAST CANCER TISSUE
Authors: CABRERA CABAÑAS REINIER , LUNA ROSAS FRANCISCO , MARTINEZ ROMO JULIO CESAR , FRAUSTRO REYES CLAUDIO , Hernandez Vargas Marco Antonio
Published: September 2022

Abstract:
One of the most notable causes of death in the world is cancer. We know that some of these variants can be eliminated with some method such as surgery or chemotherapy. In this paper we present an optimized method which is responsible for classifying breast tissue into healthy and damaged. After getting the spectra one of the main challenges in this process is the elimination of spectral noise composed of (a) fluorescence background and (b) high frequency noise; we used Adaptative Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) in combination with moving averages filter to eliminate these disturbances. When employing multicore technology to the set of biological spectra (data parallelism), we can clearly observe the significant reduction in processing time with a gain of approximately 59.67% compared to sequential process.
We highlight the advantages of applying a supervised learning algorithm like ANFIS on the principal components to perform the classification of healthy and damaged tissue and the results are compared with the well-known linear regression methods and vector support machines using testing table and k fold cross validation recording Mean Square Error values of 0.00458 and 0.002254 respectively. Based on the results obtained with this method, we consider that it would be an important clinical tool for specialists for a rapid and efficient automatic detection of breast cancer and consider the possibility of being applicable to other kinds of cancer, e.g., lung, prostate, stomach.
Keywords: ANFIS, Breast Cancer, Raman Spectroscopy, Automatic Detection.
We highlight the advantages of applying a supervised learning algorithm like ANFIS applied on the principal components from the point cloud to perform the classification of healthy and damaged tissue and the results are compared with the well-known linear regression methods and vector support machines. We highlight the advantages of using testing table method applied on ANFIS obtaining a considerable decrease in the Mean Square Error factor with a value of 0.00458, when we used cross validation The MSE decrease to 0.002254. Based on the results obtained with this method, we consider that it would be an important clinical tool for specialists for a rapid and efficient automatic detection of breast cancer and consider the possibility of being applicable to other kinds of cancer, e.g., lung, prostate, stomach.
Keywords: ANFIS, Breast Cancer, Raman Spectroscopy, Automatic Detection.
“We are Swedish Preschool Teachers”. Student Teacher Feedback on Internationalisation and Interculturality in Preschool Teacher Education
Authors: Abraham Getahun Yacob , Margrain Valerie
Published: September 2022

Course materials in teacher education programmes are one of the means to support young teachers learn content knowledge and pedagogical theories. The materials are chosen to support their learning in a range of areas, and this article presents the findings of a study that explored how
Swedish preschool student teachers perceived their course materials in relation to internationalisation and intercultural practice. Questionnaires were administered to students in a preschool teacher education at a Swedish university through the Survey and Report tool, and 94 students
responded. Findings indicate that the responding student teachers valued content and materials for three key reasons: (i) materials that were localised, (ii) practice-oriented, and (iii) prepared them for working specifically in Swedish preschools. Identity as a Swedish preschool teacher (Swedish
context and preschool teaching focus) appeared to be of greater influence in determining the responding students’ value of content than the higher education goals of globalisation and internationalisation.
Multicultural preschools in Sweden: Principals’ views on challenges and opportunities
Authors: Olsson Åsa
Published: September 2022

A quarter of all preschool children in Sweden have migrant backgrounds. This article explores preschool principals’ views on how societal and cultural changes have affected the demands on staff in multicultural preschools. In the study, twelve principals were interviewed in focus groups where they identified tensions and contradictions for teachers and parents. These are explored through “Dilemmatic spaces”, a conceptual framework that makes it possible to analyse teachers’ everyday practice in relation to societal changes. This article presents the dilemmatic axes that were identified, including preschool teachers’ efforts to show respect for other cultures, versus upholding Swedish culture; and to consider immigrant parents’ expectations versus communicating Swedish values, policies and routines.
Measurement of methane gas with high absorbance based on modified wavelength modulation spectroscopy
Authors: Li Shao-Min , Sun Li-Qun ,   Department of Precision Instruments, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Published: September 2022

In this paper, the wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) technique is modified and used for measuring methane with large absorbance. The WMS has been frequently used for gas measurement and relies on the linear relationship between the second harmonic amplitude and the gas volume concentration. However, the conventional WMS technique is only applicable for the gas whose absorbance is much smaller than 1, which is because the first-order approximation of Lambert-Beer's law is required in the derivation of the traditional WMS theory, and the first-order approximation holds only at low absorbance, hence the linear relationship between the second harmonic and the gas concentration does not hold at large absorbance. In the modified WMS in this work, it is not necessary to make any approximation to Lambert-Beer's law. The measured light is absorbed by the gas to be measured and then collected by the photodetector. The reference light is directly detected by another photodetector without being absorbed. The output signals of the two photodetectors are transmitted to the computer after implementing analog-to-digital conversion. In this way, the demodulated second harmonic signal remains linear with the gas concentration even at large absorbance. In this work, the traditional WMS theory and the modified WMS theory are both introduced, and a series of methane gas with concentration gradients are measured separately. The experimental results of the traditional WMS and the modified WMS are compared with each other. It is confirmed that the linearity in the traditional WMS theory no longer holds under large absorbance, but the improved WMS can still guarantee the linear relationship between the second harmonic and the methane concentration, which verifies the advantages of the modified scheme. Finally, through Allan's standard deviation analysis, the stability of this methane measurement system reaches the optimal value at the average time of 103.6 s, and the corresponding Allan's standard deviation is 1/26.62×10–9 volume.
Population dynamics and resource availability drive seasonal shifts in the consumptive and competitive impacts of introduced house mice (Mus musculus) on an island ecosystem
Authors: Polito Michael J. , Robinson Bret , Warzybok Pete , Bradley Russell W.
Published: September 2022

Background

House mice (Mus musculus) are widespread and invasive on many islands where they can have both direct and indirect impacts on native ecological communities. Given their opportunistic, omnivorous nature the consumptive and competitive impacts of house mice on islands have the potential to vary over time in concert with resource availability and mouse population dynamics.

Methods

We examined the ecological niche of invasive house mice on Southeast Farallon Island, California, USA using a combination of mouse trapping, food resource surveys, and stable isotope analysis to better understand their trophic interactions with native flora and fauna. Specifically, we coupled the analysis of seasonal variation in resource availability over a 17-year period (2001–2017), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values of mouse tissue and prey resources in a single year (2013), and isotopic niche and mixing models to quantify seasonal variation in mouse diets and the potential for resource overlap with native species.

Results

We found that plants were the most important resource for house mice during the spring months when vegetation is abundant and mouse populations are low following heavy precipitation and declines in mouse abundance during the winter. While still consumed, plants declined in dietary importance throughout the summer and fall as mouse populations increased, and seabird and arthropod resources became relatively more available and consumed by house mice. Mouse abundance peaks and other resource availability are low on the island in the fall months when the isotopic niches of house mice and salamanders overlap significantly indicating the potential for competition, most likely for arthropod prey.

Discussion

Our results indicate how seasonal shifts in both mouse abundance and resource availability are key factors that mediate the consumptive and competitive impacts of introduced house mice on this island ecosystem. As mice consume and/or compete with a wide range of native taxa, eradication has the potential to provide wide-reaching restoration benefits on Southeast Farallon Island. Post-eradication monitoring focused on plant, terrestrial invertebrate, salamander, and seabird populations will be crucial to confirm these predictions.
Cultivation has selected for a wider niche and large range shifts in maize
Authors: Yang Rujing , Cao Runyao , Gong Xiang , Feng Jianmeng
Published: September 2022

Background

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple crop cultivated on a global scale. However, its ability to feed the rapidly growing human population may be impaired by climate change, especially if it has low climatic niche and range lability. One important question requiring clarification is therefore whether maize shows high niche and range lability.

Methods

We used the COUE scheme (a unified terminology representing niche centroid shift, overlap, unfilling and expansion) and species distribution models to study the niche and range changes between maize and its wild progenitors using occurrence records of maize, lowland teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) and highland teosinte (Zea mays ssp. mexicana), respectively, as well as explore the mechanisms underlying the niche and range changes.

Results

In contrast to maize in Mexico, maize did not conserve its niche inherited from lowland and highland teosinte at the global scale. The niche breadth of maize at the global scale was wider than that of its wild progenitors (ca. 5.21 and 3.53 times wider compared with lowland and highland teosinte, respectively). Compared with its wild progenitors, maize at global scale can survive in regions with colder, wetter climatic conditions, as well as with wider ranges of climatic variables (ca. 4.51 and 2.40 times wider compared with lowland and highland teosinte, respectively). The niche changes of maize were largely driven by human introduction and cultivation, which have exposed maize to climatic conditions different from those experienced by its wild progenitors. Small changes in niche breadth had large effects on the magnitude of range shifts; changes in niche breadth thus merit increased attention.

Discussion

Our results demonstrate that maize shows wide climatic niche and range lability, and this substantially expanded its realized niche and potential range. Our findings also suggest that niche and range shifts probably triggered by natural and artificial selection in cultivation may enable maize to become a global staple crop to feed the growing population and adapting to changing climatic conditions. Future analyses are needed to determine the limits of the novel conditions that maize can tolerate, especially relative to projected climate change.
Chances and challenges of long‐distance electron transfer for cellular redox reactions
Authors: Giese Bernd , Karamash Maksym , Fromm Katharina M.
Published: September 2022

Biological redox reactions often use a set‐up in which final redox partners are localized in different compartments and electron transfer (ET) among them is mediated by redox‐active molecules. In enzymes, these ET processes occur over nm distances, whereas multi‐protein filaments bridge μm ranges. Electrons are transported over cm ranges in cable bacteria, which are formed by thousands of cells. In this review, we describe molecular mechanisms that explain how respiration in a compartmentalized set‐up ensures redox homeostasis. We highlight mechanistic studies on ET through metal‐free peptides and proteins demonstrating that long‐distance ET is possible because amino acids Tyr, Trp, Phe, and Met can act as relay stations. This cuts one long ET into several short reaction steps. The chances and challenges of long‐distance ET for cellular redox reactions are then discussed.
Suppression of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cell growth by SKI via upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p21
Authors: Kawamura Etsushi , Matsubara Tsutomu , Daikoku Atsuko , Deguchi Sanae , Kinoshita Masahiko , Yuasa Hideto , Urushima Hayato , Odagiri Naoshi , Motoyama Hiroyuki , Kotani Kohei , Kozuka Ritsuzo , Hagihara Atsushi , Fujii Hideki , Uchida‐Kobayashi Sawako , Tanaka Shogo , Takemura Shigekazu , Iwaisako Keiko , Enomoto Masaru , Taguchi Y. H. , Tamori Akihiro , Kubo Shoji , Ikeda Kazuo , Kawada Norifumi
Published: September 2022

Cholangiocarcinoma (CC) has a poor prognosis and different driver genes depending on the site of onset. Intrahepatic CC is the second‐most common liver cancer after hepatocellular carcinoma, and novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed. The present study was conducted to identify novel therapeutic targets by exploring differentially regulated genes in human CC. MicroRNA (miRNA) and mRNA microarrays were performed using tissue and serum samples obtained from 24 surgically resected hepatobiliary tumor cases, including 10 CC cases. We conducted principal component analysis to identify differentially expressed miRNA, leading to the identification of miRNA‐3648 as a differentially expressed miRNA. We used an in silico screening approach to identify its target mRNA, the tumor suppressor Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI). SKI protein expression was decreased in human CC cells overexpressing miRNA‐3648, endogenous SKI protein expression was decreased in human CC tumor tissues, and endogenous SKI mRNA expression was suppressed in human CC cells characterized by rapid growth. SKI‐overexpressing OZ cells (human intrahepatic CC cells) showed upregulation of cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor p21 mRNA and protein expression and suppressed cell proliferation. Nuclear expression of CDT1 (chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1), which is required for the G1/S transition, was suppressed in SKI‐overexpressing OZ cells. SKI knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Transgenic p21‐luciferase was activated in SKI‐overexpressing OZ cells. These data indicate SKI involvement in p21 transcription and that SKI–p21 signaling causes cell cycle arrest in G1, suppressing intrahepatic CC cell growth. Therefore, SKI may be a potential therapeutic target for intrahepatic CC.
Characterisation of a common hotspot variant in acute intermittent porphyria sheds light on the mechanism of hydroxymethylbilane synthase function
Authors: Christie Marthe S. , Laitaoja Mikko , Aarsand Aasne K. , Kallio Juha P. , Bustad Helene J.
Published: September 2022

Hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS) is the third enzyme involved in haem biosynthesis, in which it catalyses the formation of tetrapyrrole 1‐hydroxymethylbilane (HMB). In this process, HMBS binds four consecutive substrate molecules, creating the enzyme‐intermediate complexes ES, ES2, ES3 and ES4. Pathogenic variants in the HMBS gene are associated with the dominantly inherited disorder acute intermittent porphyria. In this study, we have characterised the p.R26H variant to shed light on the role of Arg26 in the elongation mechanism of HMBS and to provide insights into its effect on the enzyme. With selected biophysical methods, we have been able to show that p.R26H forms a single enzyme‐intermediate complex in the ES2‐state. We were also able to demonstrate that the p.R26H variant results in an inactive enzyme, which is unable to produce the HMB product.
The model of gravitational flows through a single opening
Authors: Hosoi Akinori
Published: September 2022

We proposed new basic equations and the approximate model for gravitational ventilation through a single openingm which can be incorporated into a ventilation network analysis. The new basic equations are the mass flow balance and the conversion equations of pressure difference and dynamic pressure at an indoor‐outdoor boundary. In order to calculate the mass flow rate by gravitational ventilation using these equations, the following two values at the boundary are required: (1) windward speed, (2) temperature profile. 1. We have shown calculation methods based on the one‐dimensional flow for (1), and used a flow tube model for (2). 2. The neutral pressure level and the inflow‐outflow wind speed can be obtained by steady‐state analysis of basic equations. The coefficients that optimize the calculation results were also shown. 3. We compared the approximate model with the CFD and verified their validity. Finally, the basic characteristics of single‐opening gravitational ventilation were discussed.
Remyelination varies between and within lesions in multiple sclerosis following bexarotene
Authors: Brown J. William L. , Prados Ferran , Altmann Daniel R. , Kanber Baris , Stutters Jonathan , Cunniffe Nick G. , Jones Joanne L. , Georgieva Zoya G. , Needham Edward J. , Daruwalla Cyrus , Wheeler‐Kingshott Claudia Gandini , Connick Peter , Chandran Siddharthan , Franklin Robin , MacManus David , Samson Rebecca , Coles Alasdair , Chard Declan
Published: September 2022

Objective

In multiple sclerosis chronic demyelination is associated with axonal loss, and ultimately contributes to irreversible progressive disability. Enhancing remyelination may slow, or even reverse, disability. We recently trialled bexarotene versus placebo in 49 people with multiple sclerosis. While the primary MRI outcome was negative, there was converging neurophysiological and MRI evidence of efficacy. Multiple factors influence lesion remyelination. In this study we undertook a systematic exploratory analysis to determine whether treatment response – measured by change in magnetisation transfer ratio – is influenced by location (tissue type and proximity to CSF) or the degree of abnormality (using baseline magnetisation transfer ratio and T1 values).

Methods

We examined treatment effects at the whole lesion level, the lesion component level (core, rim and perilesional tissues) and at the individual lesion voxel level.

Results

At the whole lesion level, significant treatment effects were seen in GM but not WM lesions. Voxel‐level analyses detected significant treatment effects in WM lesion voxels with the lowest baseline MTR, and uncovered gradients of treatment effect in both WM and CGM lesional voxels, suggesting that treatment effects were lower near CSF spaces. Finally, larger treatment effects were seen in the outer and surrounding components of GM lesions compared to inner cores.

Interpretation

Remyelination varies markedly within and between lesions. The greater remyelinating effect in GM lesions is congruent with neuropathological observations. For future remyelination trials, whole GM lesion measures require less complex post‐processing compared to WM lesions (which require voxel level analyses) and markedly reduce sample sizes.
Ab Initio Study of Alloying Impact on the Stability of Cementite in Transformation‐Induced Plasticity‐Assisted Advanced Steels
Authors: Sakic Amin , Hofer Christina , Schnitzer Ronald , Holec David
Published: September 2022

Transformation‐induced plasticity (TRIP) steels from the third generation of advanced high‐strength steels (AHSS) contain Si additions to prevent the formation of carbides. Cementite (Fe3C) is a prototype among the carbides, and despite the importance of the influence of alloying elements on its stability, mechanisms by which the elements act have not been clarified so far. Herein, ab initio calculations are employed to study the impact of several alloying elements, including Al, Cr, Mg, Mn, and Si, on the stability of cementite. Partitioning energies are calculated to determine the segregation tendency of alloying elements between the phases such as ferrite, austenite, and cementite. The change in formation energy between the alloyed cementite and the pure cementite is then used to quantify the phase (de)stabilization. Therefore, both the partitioning energy and the change in formation energy must be considered together in a multiphase alloy system to make statements about the effect of alloying elements on the cementite stability are proposed. In addition, the effects of the technically most important elements Al and Si on the mechanical properties of cementite are calculated using the stress–strain method. Both the elements are found to increase the elastic stability of cementite.
Neutron Diffraction Measurements of Forged Ti–6A–4V Alloy under Tensile Loading
Authors: Puplampu Stephen B. , Penumadu Dayakar , Frost Matthew , An Ke
Published: September 2022

Herein, lattice‐specific elastic stiffnesses of a structural alloy with commercial, medical, and military aircraft applications are investigated by neutron diffraction. Macroscopic mechanical properties are characterized by conventional techniques and response to thermally induced strains is probed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD); these findings are compared to data given by neutron diffraction tools. The material used in this study is the forged Ti64 titanium alloy (6% aluminum and 4% vanadium). Diffraction elastic constants are found to range from 114 GPa to 138 GPa. Macroscopic moduli of 118 GPa and 116 GPa are found from extensometry and digital imaging correlation, respectively. The (101) reflection is the reflection that best matches the macroscopic material behavior with a modulus of 117 GPa for the studied material. The effect of mechanical and thermal strains on the axial ratio of the crystal structure is investigated. Texture is an important consideration when comparing micro‐ and macro‐scale behavior; texture from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps reveals minimal preferred orientation for the material under study thus indicating (101) planes suitably reflect overall material behavior.
Powder‐Based 3D Printing of Autonomous Concentration Gradient Generators
Authors: Parra-Cabrera Cesar , Dochy Ruben , Adriaenssens Jonas , Van Cauteren Hans , Piovesan Agnese , Verboven Pieter , Nicolai Bart , Ameloot Rob
Published: September 2022

Concentration gradients feature widely in many biomedical processes (e.g., cell evolution, chemotaxis, personalized healthcare, and drug screening). The concentration gradient generators (CGGs) developed previously have used either static gradients or gradients maintained by a continuous co‐flow. This article describes a platform for the manufacture of autonomous CGGs through inkjet 3D printing on a powder bed. The intrinsic microporosity of the 3D‐printed devices produces efficient flow‐independent gradient profiles. Computational fluid dynamics modeling of the porous devices reveals that mechanical dispersion, rather than diffusion or flow velocity, dominates the gradient formation. The gradients remain stable for up to 120 h with no need for external pumping systems and with minimal user intervention because on‐device evaporation and capillary forces are the sole drivers. The ease of transitioning between a computer model of an object and its fabrication allows the rapid development of custom concentration gradients.
Design of Radially Variant Phase‐Change Material Composites
Authors: Hoe Alison , Tamraparni Achutha , Zhang Chen , Elwany Alaa , Felts Jonathan R. , Shamberger Patrick J.
Published: September 2022

Phase‐change materials (PCMs) and high‐conductivity elements can be combined to form highly compact and efficient composite heat sinks. However, the design challenge presented by thermal composites composed of PCMs and high‐conductivity elements remains unresolved. Herein, design guidelines are presented for radially varying cylindrical PCM composites. Numerical and analytical techniques are utilized to explore the utility and limits of optimal composite designs selecting for 1) temperature minimization, 2) specific effective heat capacity maximization, and 3) volumetric effective heat capacity maximization. Significant increases in each metric are observed when implementing radially variant designs in cylindrical geometries, especially for metrics of heat capacity. Furthermore, a hybrid approach to variant composite design is presented, allowing for the balancing of different design objectives. The utilization of a variable design under high heat flux (10 ± 1.4 W cm−2) and short melting periods (up to 50 s) is experimentally demonstrated, directly resulted in a 65% decrease in total system mass and a 200% increase in specific heat capacity while maintaining strong temperature dampening performance. In a second case study, a 23% decrease in mass is demonstrated while maintaining strong specific heat performance, emphasizing the broad utility of this approach.