bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature-Dependent Rotation of Protonated Methyl Groups in Otherwise Deuterated Proteins Modulates DEER Distance Distributions
Authors: Schmidt Thomas , Stadnytskyi Valentyn
Published: October 2024

Temperature-dependent DEER effects are observed as a function of methyl rotation by either leucine- or nitroxide-specific protonated methyl groups in an otherwise deuterated background. Both species induce a site-specific enhancement in the apparent T
m relaxation of the paramagnetic nitroxide label. The presence of a single protonated methyl group in close proximity (4–10 Å) to only one of the two nitroxide rotamer ensembles in AviTagged immunoglobulin-binding B domain of protein A results in a selective and substantial decrease in T
m, manifested by differential decay of the peak intensities in the bimodal P(r) distance distribution as a function of the total dipolar evolution time, temperature, or both. The temperature-dependent differential decay of the individual distance components was globally analyzed by fitting the DEER dipolar time traces to a three-site jump model that is defined by the activation energy of leucine- or nitroxide-specific methyl rotation. Temperature-assisted Tm filtering will capture the DEER structural analysis of biomolecular systems heterogenic conformations, including complexes involving multimeric proteins.
Dance displays in gibbons: biological and linguistic perspectives on structured, intentional, and rhythmic body movement
Authors: Coye Camille , Caspar Kai R. , Patel-Grosz Pritty
Published: October 2024

Female crested gibbons (genus Nomascus) perform conspicuous sequences of twitching movements involving the rump and extremities. However, these dances have attracted little scientific attention and their structure and meaning remain largely obscure. Here we analyse close-range video recordings of captive crested gibbons, extracting descriptions of dance in four species (N. annamensis, N. gabriellae, N. leucogenys and N. siki). In addition, we report results from a survey amongst relevant professionals clarifying behavioural contexts of dance in captive and wild crested gibbons. Our results demonstrate that dances in Nomascus represent a common and intentional form of visual communication restricted to sexually mature females. Whilst primarily used as a proceptive signal to solicit copulation, dances occur in a wide range of contexts related to arousal and/or frustration in captivity. A linguistically informed view of this sequential behaviour demonstrates that movement within dances is organized in groups and follows an isochronous rhythm — patterns not described for visual displays in other non-human primates. We argue that applying the concept of dance to gibbons allows us to expand our understanding of communication in non-human primates and to develop hypotheses on the rules and regularities characterising it. We propose that crested gibbon dances likely evolved from less elaborate rhythmic proceptive signals, similar to those found in siamangs. Although dance displays in humans and crested gibbons share a number of key characteristics, they cannot be assumed to be homologous. Nevertheless, gibbon dances represent a striking model behaviour to investigate the use of complex gestural signals in hominoid primates.
A review of graph neural network applications in mechanics-related domains
Authors: Zhao Yingxue , Li Haoran , Zhou Haosu , Attar Hamid Reza , Pfaff Tobias , Li Nan
Published: October 2024

Mechanics-related tasks often present unique challenges in achieving accurate geometric and physical representations, particularly for non-uniform structures. Graph neural networks (GNNs) have emerged as a promising tool to tackle these challenges by adeptly learning from graph data with irregular underlying structures. Consequently, recent years have witnessed a surge in complex mechanics-related applications inspired by the advancements of GNNs. Despite this process, there is a notable absence of a systematic review addressing the recent advancement of GNNs in solving mechanics-related tasks. To bridge this gap, this review article aims to provide an in-depth overview of the GNN applications in mechanics-related domains while identifying key challenges and outlining potential future research directions. In this review article, we begin by introducing the fundamental algorithms of GNNs that are widely employed in mechanics-related applications. We provide a concise explanation of their underlying principles to establish a solid understanding that will serve as a basis for exploring the applications of GNNs in mechanics-related domains. The scope of this paper is intended to cover the categorisation of literature into solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and interdisciplinary mechanics-related domains, providing a comprehensive summary of graph representation methodologies, GNN architectures, and further discussions in their respective subdomains. Additionally, open data and source codes relevant to these applications are summarised for the convenience of future researchers. This article promotes an interdisciplinary integration of GNNs and mechanics and provides a guide for researchers interested in applying GNNs to solve complex mechanics-related tasks.
METEOSAT Long-Term Observations Reveal Changes in Convective Organization Over Tropical Africa and Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Roca Rémy , Fiolleau Thomas , John Viju O. , Schulz Jörg
Published: October 2024

In the tropics, deep convection, which is often organized into convective systems, plays a crucial role in the water and energy cycles by significantly contributing to surface precipitation and forming upper-level ice clouds. The arrangement of these deep convective systems, as well as their individual properties, has recently been recognized as a key feature of the tropical climate. Using data from Africa and the tropical Atlantic Ocean as a case study, recent shifts in convective organization have been analyzed through a well-curated, unique record of METEOSAT observations spanning four decades. The findings indicate a significant shift in the occurrence of deep convective systems, characterized by a decrease in large, short-lived systems and an increase in smaller, longer-lived ones. This shift, combined with a nearly constant deep cloud fraction over the same period, highlights a notable change in convective organization. These new observational insights are valuable for refining emerging kilometer-scale climate models that accurately represent individual convective systems but struggle to realistically simulate their overall arrangement.
(In)attention to attractive brand alternatives
Authors: Brick Danielle J. , Thomas Veronica L.
Published: October 2024

Understanding how consumers maintain their brand relationships has important implications for marketers as committed consumers contribute significant value to firms. In the present research, we propose and test one such way consumers protect their brand relationships, namely through attentional avoidance of attractive alternative partners. Across multiple studies, we find support for our theory that committed consumers avoid attending to alternative brand partners by recalling less about and spending less time focused on attractive alternatives. We further find that this inattention occurs because consumers view the competing brand as a threat to the consumer’s current relationship. In addition, we investigate a boundary condition of this effect, highlighting the importance of internally (as opposed to externally) guided (in)attention for protecting brand relationships. By identifying a novel, behavioral way consumers protect their brand relationships, we contribute to the literature on branding and brand relationships, self-threats, and reactance.
An exact analysis and comparison of manual picker routing heuristics
Authors: Engels Tim , Adan Ivo , Boxma Onno , Resing Jacques
Published: October 2024

This paper presents exact derivations of the first two moments of the total order picking time in a warehouse for three routing heuristics, under the assumption of random storage. The analysis is done for general order size distributions and provides exact closed expressions in terms of the probability generating function of the order size distribution. We also indicate how the methods and insights in this paper extend to different storage policies and multi-block warehouses. The exact results derived in this paper are used to investigate effects of routing heuristics, order size distributions and layouts on warehouse efficiency. As illustration, we model the warehouse as a queueing system. By using approximations of the average order-lead time in terms of the first two moments of the order picking time, we are able to find optimal warehouse layouts and batch pick sizes.
Genus-targeted markers for the taxonomic identification and monitoring of coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species
Authors: Jiménez-Velásquez S. , Pacheco-Montealegre M. E. , Torres -Higuera L. , Uribe-Gutiérrez L. , Burbano-David D. , Dávila-Mora L. L. , Renjifo-Ibáñez C. , Caro-Quintero A.
Published: October 2024

The Staphylococcus genus comprises multiple pathogenic and opportunistic species that represent a risk to public health. Epidemiological studies require accurate taxonomic classification of isolates with enough resolution to distinguish clonal complexes. Unfortunately, 16 S rRNA molecular analysis and phenotypic characterization cannot distinguish all species and do not offer enough resolution to assess intraspecific diversity. Other approaches, such as Multilocus Sequence Tagging, provide higher resolution; however, they have been developed for Staphylococcus aureus and a few other species. Here, we developed a set of genus-targeted primers using five orthologous genes (pta, tuf, tpi, groEs, and sarA) to identify all Staphylococcus species within the genus. The primers were initially evaluated using 20 strains from the Collection of Microorganisms of Interest in Animal Health from AGROSAVIA (CMISA), and their amplified sequences were compared to a set of 33 Staphylococcus species. This allowed the taxonomic identification of the strains even on close species and the establishment of intraspecies diversity. To enhance the scope and cost-effectiveness of the proposed strategy, we customized the primer sets for an Illumina paired-end amplicon protocol, enabling gene multiplexing. We assessed five genes across 177 strains, generating 880 paired-end libraries from the CMISA. This approach significantly reduced sequencing costs, as all libraries can be efficiently sequenced in a single MiSeq run at a fraction (one-fourth or less) of the cost associated with Sanger sequencing. In summary, this method can be used for precise identification and diversity analysis of Staphylococcus species, offering an advancement over traditional techniques in both resolution and cost-effectiveness.

Graphical Abstract
Biosorption of Cr(VI) by Theobroma cacao pericarp
Authors: Fernández-Pezua Miguel , Lavado-Meza Carmencita , De la Cruz-Cerrón Leonel , Gamarra-Gómez Francisco , Sacari-Sacari Elisban , Lavado-Puente Carmen , Dávalos-Prado Juan Z.
Published: October 2024

This paper reports a comprehensive study of Theobroma cacao pericarp (TCP) residues, which has been prepared, characterized, and tested as an inexpensive and efficient biosorbent of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The maximum adsorption capacity of TCP obtained at optimal conditions (pH = 2, dose = 0.5 g L−1, C0 = 100 mg L−1) was qmax = 48.5 mg g−1, which is one of the highest values reported by the literature. Structural and morphological characterization has been performed by FTIR, SEM/EDX, and pHPZC measurements. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of O–H, –NH, –NH2, C = H, C = O, C = C, C–O, and C–C functional groups that would be involved in the Cr(VI) biosorption processes. The experimental equilibrium data of biosorption process were successfully fitted to non-linear Langmuir (R2 = 0.95, χ2 = 11.0), Freundlich (R2 = 0.93, χ2 = 14.8), and Temkin (R2 = 0.93, χ2 = 14.7) isotherm models. Kinetics experimental data were well adjustment to non-linear pseudo-2nd (R2 = 0.99, χ2 = 2.08)- and pseudo-1st-order kinetic models (R2 = 0.98, χ2 = 2.25) and also to intra-particle Weber-Morris (R2 = 0.98) and liquid film diffusion (R2 = 0.99) models. These results indicate that Cr(VI) biosorption on heterogeneous surfaces as well as on monolayers of TCP would be a complex process controlled by chemisorption and physisorption mechanisms. The thermodynamic results indicate that the Cr(VI) biosorption on TCP is a feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic process. TCP can be regenerated with NaOH and reused up to 3 times.
Vom zweckrationalen zum resilienten Risikomanagement
Authors: Schumacher Thomas , Boonen Georg
Published: October 2024

Dieser Beitrag in der Zeitschrift „Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO)“ schildert angesichts der multiplen Krisen für Unternehmen die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen des klassischen (Risiko‑)Managements sowie drei damit einhergehende Paradoxien und paradoxieangemessene Formen des Managements. Im Kontext von Familienunternehmen und der Paradoxie von Stabilität und Wandel ergibt sich eine Verknüpfung von veränderungs- und risikobezogenen Paradoxien, die für Aufsichtsgremien sowohl herausfordernd als auch chancenreich ist. Bezugnehmend auf die Literatur zu HROs werden Möglichkeiten aufgezeigt, das Risikomanagement stärker in Richtung Antizipation und Resilienz zu entwickeln. Ein Fallbeispiel eines Mehrgenerationenunternehmens illustriert abschließend sowohl zweckrationale als auch paradoxieangemessene Formen des Managements.
Phase Composition of AlTiNbMoV, AlTiNbTaZr and AlTiNbMoCr Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys: A Correlation of Predictions and Experiment
Authors: Kozlík Jiří , Lukáč František , Luna Mariano Casas , Šalata Kristián , Stráský Josef , Veselý Jozef , Jača Eliška , Chráska Tomáš
Published: October 2024

Designing complex concentrated alloys (CCA), also known as high entropy alloys (HEA), requires reliable and accessible thermodynamic predictions due to vast space of possible compositions. Numerous semiempirical parameters have been developed for phase predictions over the years. However, in this paper we show that none of these parameters is a robust indicator of phase content in various refractory CCA. CALPHAD proved to be a more powerful tool for phase predictions, however, the predictions face several limitations. AlTiNbMoV, AlTiNbTaZr and AlTiNbMoCr alloys were prepared using blended elemental powder metallurgy. Their phase and chemical composition were investigated by the means of scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Apart from the minor contamination phases (Al2O3 and Ti(C,N,O)), AlTiNbMoV and AlTiNbMoCr exhibited single-phase solid solution microstructure at the homogenization temperature of 1400 °C, while Al3Zr5 based intermetallics were present in the AlTiNbTaZr alloy. None of the simple semiempirical parameter was able to predict phase content correctly in all three alloys. Predictions by CALPHAD (TCHEA4 database) were able to predict the phases with limited accuracy only. Critical limitation of the TCHEA4 database is that only binary and ternary phase diagrams are assessed and some more complex phases cannot be predicted.
Microstructural Characterization of QC-Forming Al-Mn-Based Alloy Using Machine Learning Software
Authors: Zaky Adam , Leskovar Blaž , Naglič Iztok , Markoli Boštjan
Published: October 2024

The main objective was to investigate and evaluate the influence of TiC and TiB2 inoculants on the formation of not only the icosahedral quasicrystalline phase (IQC) but also the β-phase in our Al-Mn-Si-Cu-Mg alloy. First, the presence of both phases was confirmed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), followed by microstructural segmentation and quantification using the open-source machine learning software ilastik and Fiji. The ilastik software was selected because it allowed us to use different parameters to distinguish between the IQC and β-AlMnSi phases, which otherwise have similar color/Z contrast and are difficult to distinguish in a timely manner using other methods. The analyses were performed on a total of 3662 images taken during optical light microscopy. The results show that TiC inoculants better promote the ability to form IQC compared to TiB2. The use of TiC resulted in an increase of 40% compared to only 14% when TiB2 was used. Exceeding the TiC threshold of 0.0224 wt.% resulted in a 571% increase in the amount of β-phase compared to our non-inoculated alloy. Microhardness measurements were carried out on the IQC phase using the Vickers method, and an average value of 680 HV0.01 was obtained.
Surrogate Immunohistochemical Markers of Proliferation and Embryonic Stem Cells in Distinguishing Ameloblastoma from Ameloblastic Carcinoma
Authors: Robinson Liam , Smit Chané , van Heerden Marlene B. , Moolla Haroon , Afrogheh Amir H. , Opperman Johan F. , Ambele Melvin A. , van Heerden Willie F. P.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The current study aimed to investigate the use of surrogate immunohistochemical (IHC) markers of proliferation and stem cells to distinguish ameloblastoma (AB) from ameloblastic carcinoma (AC).

Methods

The study assessed a total of 29 ACs, 6 ABs that transformed into ACs, and a control cohort of 20 ABs. The demographics and clinicopathologic details of the included cases of AC were recorded. The Ki-67 proliferation index was scored through automated methods with the QuPath open-source software platform. For SOX2, OCT4 and Glypican-3 IHC, each case was scored using a proportion of positivity score combined with an intensity score to produce a total score.

Results

All cases of AC showed a relatively high median proliferation index of 41.7%, with statistically significant higher scores compared to ABs. ABs that transformed into ACs had similar median proliferation scores to the control cohort of ABs. Most cases of AC showed some degree of SOX2 expression, with 58.6% showing high expression. OCT4 expression was not seen in any case of AC. GPC-3 expression in ACs was limited, with high expression in 17.2% of ACs. Primary ACs showed higher median proliferation scores and degrees of SOX2 and GPC-3 expression than secondary cases. Regarding SOX2, OCT4 and GPC-3 IHC expression, no statistically significant differences existed between the cohort of ABs and ACs.

Conclusion

Ki-67 IHC as a proliferation marker, particularly when assessed via automated methods, was helpful in distinguishing AC from AB cases. In contrast to other studies, surrogate IHC markers of embryonic stem cells, SOX2, OCT4 and GPC-3, were unreliable in distinguishing the two entities.
Socioeconomic status, social support, coping, and fear predict mental health status during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a 1-year longitudinal study
Authors: Jarego Margarida , Ferreira-Valente Alexandra , Sánchez-Rodríguez Elisabet , Miró Jordi , Costa Patrício , Pais-Ribeiro José
Published: October 2024

Research has shown that both the COVID-19 pandemic and the governmental measures implemented to tackle it severely impacted people’s mental health worldwide. This study aimed at monitoring adults’ mental health status during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and assessing demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial variables as mental health status development's potential predictors. A total of 105 adults (79% women; age: 18–72) completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and measures of mental health status, social support, coping, and fear of COVID-19 at T0 (Apr-May 2020), T1 (Nov 2020-Jan 2021) and T2 (May 2021). A Hierarchical Linear Model was used to assess the mental health status development trajectory and its predictors. Overall, no statistically significant differences in mental health status emerged. At the pandemic’s beginning, social support, and positive/active coping predicted better mental health status. Higher socioeconomic status, supportive coping, and the use of substances predicted poorer mental health status. Individuals who were more afraid of COVID-19 continued to improve their self-reported mental health status over time, although at a slower rate than individuals who were less afraid of COVID-19. These findings suggest that, in the context of an epidemiological crisis, such as COVID-19, fear of infectious disease should be assessed as a routine care measure, while cognitive behavioral interventions discouraging the use of supportive coping and the use of substances should be implemented.
On computational analysis via fibonacci wavelet method for investigating some physical problems
Authors: Ahmed Shahid , Jahan Shah , Shah Kamal , Abdeljawad Thabet
Published: October 2024

In this work, we considered wavelet analysis and the application of the Fibonacci wavelet collocation method (FWCM) for solving partial differential equations (PDEs). The proposed technique starts with formulating Fibonacci wavelets using Fibonacci polynomials. Subsequently, the spectral collocation technique is applied to convert the given problem into a system of algebraic equations, which are then solved using the Newton method. Error estimation and convergence analysis of the proposed scheme are also investigated. The effectiveness and precision of the FWCM are demonstrated through a comparative analysis with exact solutions and other existing methods in the literature. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed technique is an efficient tool for solving PDEs and is also applicable for numerically examining similar types of physical problems.
Carleson Measures on Locally Finite Trees
Authors: Ottazzi Alessandro , Santagati Federico
Published: October 2024

We provide a characterization of Carleson measures on locally finite trees. This characterization establishes the connection between Carleson measures and the boundedness of a suitable Poisson integral between $$L^p$$

L
p

-spaces. Additionally, when the tree has bounded degree, we investigate the relationship between Carleson measures and BMO functions defined on the boundary of the tree.
Mind the Digital Gap: The Role of Regional-Level General and Digital Human Capital in Shaping ICT Use of Different Types of Entrepreneurs
Authors: Ramos-Poyatos Juan D. , Barrientos-Marín Jorge , Millán Ana , Millán José María , van Stel André
Published: October 2024

We investigate determinants of the frequency of ICT usage of three types of self-employed workers—self-employed with employees, independent own-account self-employed, and dependent self-employed workers—in 305 European NUTS-2 regions. Besides individual-level determinants, we also investigate the role of regional-level general human capital and of regional-level digital human capital, which capture distinct sources of regional knowledge spillovers. Our results show clear evidence for both types of spillover effects to exist. Moreover, we find that these effects also contribute to a convergence process in ICT use frequency (i) among the three types of self-employed within a given region and (ii) among regions.
Synergistic adsorption–photocatalytic degradation of the emerging contaminant hydroxybenzotriazole by a 3D sponge-like easy separation polypyrrole/TiO2 composite
Authors: Omar Rehab A. , Radwan Emad K. , Salih Said A. , Mohamed Gehad G.
Published: October 2024

Herein, a 3D sponge-like polypyrrole/TiO2 (Ppy-TiO2) composite aerogel was developed for the first time to remove hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) from water. Mesoporous TiO2 was prepared via a sol–gel method, and then the Ppy-TiO2 composite hydrogel was prepared by oxidative polymerization and converted to aerogel by freeze-drying. The morphological, compositional, and surface characteristics of the prepared materials were detailly characterized. The characterization studies revealed that pure anatase mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully prepared and incorporated into amorphous 3D Ppy with a porous chain-like network structure. Coupling Ppy and TiO2 extended the light absorption to the visible region and decreased the electron/hole recombination rate. The performance studies revealed that the Ppy-TiO2 composite has higher adsorption and photocatalytic activities than the sum of the individual components. Optimum performance was obtained at pH 5.3 using 0.25 g/L of the Ppy-TiO2 composite with a Ppy: TiO2 mass ratio of 1:1. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding was pivotal in the adsorption process which was multilayer. The degradation of HOBt occurs primarily by holes, then superoxide anion radicals. The total organic carbon (TOC) analysis showed a 90% reduction in carbon content after 30 min of treatment. The toxicity study indicated that the photocatalytic process decreased the toxicity of the HOBt solution. The synergism between adsorption and photocatalysis, easy separation, and reusability promote the application of Ppy-TiO2 composite aerogel for water treatment.
The penetration efficiency of a dissolved model drug into hair follicles depends on the concentration of added nanoparticles
Authors: Busch Loris , Asadzadeh Darya , Klein Anna Lena , Suriyaamporn Phuvamin , Vollrath Mont Kumpugdee , Keck Cornelia M. , Meinke Martina C.
Published: October 2024

Hair follicles have recently emerged as promising drug delivery targets and gates for skin penetration. The so-called ratchet effect, which is based on an interaction between the hair shaft surface, the intrafollicular stratum corneum and nanoparticles, has proven to be very effective for the transport of active ingredients. Especially the nanoparticle-assisted decolonization of hair follicles constitutes an interesting new area of application. In a recently published work it was shown that small molecules as well as macromolecules solved in an outer phase of a formulation can be transported into the deeper parts of the hair follicles by adding nanoparticles to the formulation. In this case the nanoparticles constitute an entity independent of the drug and the transport is hypothesized to be based on an adhesion effect. In the present work, we focused on the impact of the particle concentration in the formulation on the transport efficiency of the model drug fluorescein sodium into hair follicles utilizing an ex vivo porcine skin model. It was observed that a particle concentration of 4% significantly enhances the transport efficiency of fluorescein as compared to 2% particle concentration. Doubling the concentration to 8% did not significantly increase the penetration depth. The effect evolved more efficiently when using 4 Hz circular motion massage as compared to 100 Hz oscillating massage. These results deliver interesting information on the optimal formulation as well as application parameters for a future application in clinical studies for e.g. skin antisepsis purposes.

Graphical abstract
Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review
Authors: Diyapaththugama Shashya , Mulaw Getahun Fentaw , Ajaz Madiha , Colson Shilton Natalie , Singh Indu , Jani Rati
Published: October 2024

Purpose of Review

The miracle fruit contains the glycoprotein miraculin which can modify the taste perception of food and beverages at low pH conditions, altering the consumers’ food preferences. This review aims to critically evaluate all available evidence on miracle fruit/ miraculin and taste modification and its potential role in improving food preferences.

Recent Findings

Miracle fruit suppresses sourness and induces sweetness in acidic food/ beverages. At low pH conditions, miracle fruit enhances the sweet taste and decreases the perceived intensities of salty and bitter tastes in solutions. However, the role of miracle fruit in sweet, salty, and bitter food is not adequately studied. The above effects alter the food-liking scores in individual foods and mixed diets.

Miracle fruit is a pH-dependent taste modifier with the potential to be used in food applications to improve consumer food preferences. Future research on the changes in food preferences with the optimum miraculin dose, food type, and intrapersonal variations in taste sensitivity is warranted.
Moral Injury for LGBTQ+ Individuals and their Communities
Authors: Anderson Joel R. , Darke Natasha , Hinton Jordan D. X. , Pehlivanidis Serena , Jones Timothy W.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Moral injury describes the severe distress and associated impairments that result from experiencing specific traumatic events. These are events that violate the values or core beliefs of the injured person, and are often directed from a person in a position of power. Research on moral injury is not new, but has typically had a limited focus (e.g., on moral injury sustained during war) and has only recently begun to focus on the context and severity of moral injuries for individuals from minoritized communities.

Contents of Paper

This paper: (a) puts forward a case that members of the LGBTQ+ communities are at-risk individuals for moral injury, and in particular religious or spiritual injuries; (b) presents the findings of a scoping review (using a systematic search) that evaluates the extant evidence on LGTBQ + moral injury, and; (c) details a series of considerations for practitioners who are supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of moral injury.

Conclusion

We close this paper with an urgent call for more on the scope and nature of moral injury for LGBTQ+ individuals and their communities, in order to help better inform interventions and other forms of support for survivors.
Investigating the relationship between cognitive impairment and brain white matter tracts using diffusion tensor imaging in patients with prolactinoma
Authors: Duru Mustafa , Demir Ahmet Numan , Oz Ahmet , Kargin Osman Aykan , Altunc Ali Tarik , Demirel Oznur , Arslan Serdar , Kizilkilic Osman , Poyraz Burc Cagri , Kadioglu Pinar
Published: October 2024

Background

Cognitive impairment is known to occur in patients with prolactinoma, but the underlying mechanism is unclear.

Objective

To evaluate cognitive function in patients with prolactinoma and to investigate the basis of possible cognitive impairment in brain white matter changes using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Methods

37 consecutive patients with prolactinoma and 37 healthy controls of similar age, sex, and education were enrolled in the study. Hormone levels were determined in all participants, comprehensive neuropsychological testing was performed, and DTI was used to reconstruct and evaluate white matter tracts.

Results

In patients with prolactinoma, short- and long-term visual and verbal memory, attention, concentration, and executive and language functions were impaired compared to the healthy group. When comparing the DTI results, lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values were found in the patients’ right uncinate fasciculus (R-UF), indicating neuronal damage. After applying the Bonferroni correction, the two groups had no significant difference in 42 tracts (p > 0.0012 for all). A positive correlation was found between poor FA scores on the R-UF and low scores on long-term memory, category and letter fluency tests. In addition, patients with hypoprolactinemia had the worst short-term memory scores, while normoprolactinemia had the best scores. Also, the poorer R-UF FA values were found in the patients with hypoprolactinemia and the highest in those with normoprolactinemia.

Conclusion

This study is the first to investigate reasons for cognitive dysfunction in patients with prolactinoma by DTI. No significant structural changes were found in brain tracts of patients with prolactinoma. Still, there may be a link between potential damage in the R-UF and cognitive dysfunction, and further research is needed. In addition, the results showed that the development of hypoprolactinemia is associated with cognitive dysfunction and emphasized that overtreatment should be avoided.
Seeded-growth synthesis of 20–60 nm monodisperse citrate-capped gold nanoparticles in a millifluidic reactor
Authors: Cornwell Mabel , Damilos Spyridon , Parkin Ivan P. , Gavriilidis Asterios
Published: October 2024

Gold nanoparticles have diverse applications, requiring advancements in their synthesis that facilitate scale up, size control and reproducibility. Using a seeded-growth method in a 20 mL two-phase flow reactor (ID 2.4 mm) at 35 °C, highly monodisperse gold nanoparticles of any chosen size from 20 to 60 nm were produced. Heptane was utilised as the segmenting fluid to transport the aqueous reagent-containing droplets through a coiled PTFE reactor preventing their interaction with the reactor walls and thus reactor fouling. Gold seeds ~ 12 nm were produced via a passivated Turkevich synthesis by reduction of high pH Au(III) solution using citric acid as reducing agent. For the seeded-growth in flow, the reagents utilised were the seed solution (diluted accordingly), a stabilising Tris base solution, tetrachloroauric(III) acid trihydrate and hydrogen peroxide as reducing agent. Seeded-growth synthesis was also performed using as seeds commercial 10 nm gold nanoparticles, with excellent Coefficient of Variation (CoV) and Optical Density (OD) of the grown particles (CoV < 8% and OD ≥ 1) demonstrating that they are monodisperse and have high concentration. The synthesis was able to produce 18 mL/h of grown nanoparticles solution at 2.2–2.8 mg Au/h without any divergence in the quality of the produced particles for over eight hours.
Glutamine Attenuates Inflammation and Stimulates Amniotic Cell Proliferation in Premature Rupture of Membranes-related in vitro Models
Authors: Xiang Xiang , Zhang Linshen , Li Su , Ren Yongwei , Chen Daozhen , Liu Lou
Published: October 2024

Premature rupture of membranes (PROM), with a prevalence of 15.3% in China, frequently results in adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this study, we aimed to identify amino acid metabolites that were differentially expressed in PROM versus healthy controls (HC) using targeted metabolomics and further explored their mechanisms of action with in vitro models.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to recruit 50 PROM and 50 HC cases for targeted metabolomics analysis. Twenty-three amino acid metabolites were quantified in the secretions of the posterior vaginal fornix of pregnant women between 31 and 36 weeks of gestation. Glutamine (0.0216 vs. 0.037 μg/mg, P = 0.003, AUC = 72.1%) was identified as the most differentially expressed amino acid metabolite between PROM and HC groups, and had a negative correlation with the abundance of Gardnerella (r=-0.3868, P = 0.0055), Megasphaera (r=-0.3130, P = 0.0269), and Prevotella (r=-0.2944, P = 0.0380), respectively.

In amniotic epithelial cell and macrophage co-culture model, Glutamine reduced inflammatory cytokines and chemokines expression and suppressed macrophage chemotaxis. In LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 inflammation model, Glutamine inhibited the expression of inflammatory proteins iNOS and COX-2, down-regulated mRNA transcription of TNF, IL-6, and IL-1β, and reduced the production of reactive oxygen species through inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, and therefore demonstrated its anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, Glutamine protected amniotic epithelial cell from autophagy and stimulated its proliferation, therefore may intensify fetal membrane and prevent PROM in vivo.

Our results suggested that low Glutamine level in vaginal secretion can be used as an indicator for PROM, and local Glutamine supplementation is a potential intervention and prevention strategy for PROM.
c-Myc inhibition and p21 modulation contribute to unsymmetrical bisacridines-induced apoptosis and senescence in pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Kurdyn Agnieszka , Pawłowska Monika , Paluszkiewicz Ewa , Cichorek Mirosława , Augustin Ewa
Published: October 2024

Background

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive cancers and is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. PC is characterized by rapid progression and resistance to conventional treatments. Mutations in KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53, SMAD4/DPC4, and MYC are major genetic alterations associated with poor treatment outcomes in patients with PC. Therefore, optimizing PC therapy is a tremendous challenge. Unsymmetrical bisacridines (UAs), synthesized by our group, are new promising compounds that have exhibited high cytotoxicity and antitumor activity against several solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer.

Methods

The cellular effects induced by UAs in PC cells were evaluated by MTT assay (cell growth inhibition), flow cytometry, and fluorescence and light microscopy (cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and senescence detection). Analysis of the effects of UAs on the levels of proteins (c-Myc, p53, SMAD4, p21, and p16) was performed by Western blotting.

Results

Apoptosis was the main triggered mechanism of death after UAs treatment, and induction of the SMAD4 protein can facilitate this process. c-Myc, which is one of the molecular targets of UAs, can participate in the induction of cell death in a p53-independent manner. Moreover, UAs can also induce accelerated senescence through the upregulation of p21. Notably, senescent cells can die via apoptosis after prolonged exposure to UAs.

Conclusions

UAs have emerged as potent anticancer agents that induce apoptosis by inhibiting c-Myc protein and triggering cellular senescence in a dose-dependent manner by increasing p21 levels. Thus, UAs exhibit desirable features as promising candidates for future pancreatic anticancer therapies.
Digital Sovereignty, the Private Sector, and a Social Republican Alternative
Authors: Hoeksema Bernd
Published: October 2024

The European Union has stated the ambition to regain control over the digital sphere, which academics have construed as both a push for digital sovereignty and as a form of digital constitutionalism. The strategy promises to be an improvement over the previous period of digital liberalism. I suggest, however, from a republican perspective, that this strategy of digital sovereignty is not sufficiently critical of the reliance on the private sector. A dominant private sector comes with a risk of widespread infrastructural dependency and yields too much of the digital sphere to a way of thinking that is shaped in accordance with silicon valley companies. On a republican account, these are arguably forms of structural domination. To prevent these risks from materialising, the European strategy should instead emphasize the role of alternative ownership models, such as those found in the digital commons and in public service media organisations.
The Experience of Multistakeholder Dialogue in the Process of Elaboration of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in Peru
Authors: Fiestas Federico Chunga
Published: October 2024

Multiple independent studies have highlighted the remarkable process of multistakeholder dialogue in the development of Peru’s first National Action Plan (NAP) on business and human rights. While facing several challenges, not least a global pandemic, the process was indeed a success in so far as it opened up a new path for policy making in Peru: that of multistakeholder dialogue including actors who traditionally deeply mistrust each other. This piece describes the key enabling conditions and operational strengths that allowed for such a highly participatory process and, ultimately, resulted in some strong commitments on business and human rights.
The Emergence of Principles and Best Practices on Digital Assets: Proprietary Rights, and Enforcement
Authors: Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell Teresa
Published: October 2024

Digital assets have burst onto global markets as a new class of assets for investment, trade and finance. Their growing popularity and economic relevance have been, however, accompanied by legal uncertainties and regulatory concerns. Together with domestic and regional responses, a strong case for international harmonisation is to be made. This Paper explores the emergence of principles and best practices on proprietary rights, insolvency and enforcement as a crucial process of international legal harmonisation of rules for digital assets.
To Dog-Whistle or to Bark? Elite Communication Strategies When Invoking Conspiracy Theories
Authors: Blackington Courtney , Cayton Frances
Published: October 2024

When do politicians dog-whistle conspiracy theories (CTs), and when do they explicitly endorse – or ‘bark’ – a CT? Over time, does the use of dog-whistles shape the degree to which politicians bark? Drawing from the models of mass communication literature, we theorize that politicians who leverage CTs to garner political support have incentives to tailor their communication to their audience. When politicians speak to general audiences, they risk being punished for explicitly endorsing CTs. However, for parties that use CTs to rally their base, dog-whistling a CT may allow politicians to covertly signal support for a CT to party faithful. Conversely, amongst audiences primarily composed of party loyalists or CT believers, politicians have strong incentives to explicitly endorse CTs. We test our theory with data from Poland, where a series of CTs emerged following a 2010 plane crash in Smoleńsk, Russia that killed the Polish president and 95 other top officials. We draw on speeches and tweets discussing the crash from 2011 to 2022 by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, which sometimes endorses these CTs. We find descriptive evidence that PiS politicians both dog-whistle and ‘bark’. While they tend to dog-whistle more when the audience is more diverse, they tend to bark when the audience is more uniformly CT-supporting. We find some evidence that politicians bark more and dog-whistle less over time, which suggests that, with sustained use, dog-whistling may become understood by a wider array of audiences.
Relative fluid stretching and rotation for sparse trajectory observations
Authors: Aksamit Nikolas O. , Encinas-Bartos Alex P. , Haller George , Rival David E.
Published: October 2024

As most mathematically justifiable Lagrangian coherent structure detection methods rely on spatial derivatives, their applicability to sparse trajectory data has been limited. For experimental fluid dynamicists and natural scientists working with Lagrangian trajectory data via passive tracers in unsteady flows (e.g. Lagrangian particle tracking or ocean buoys), obtaining material measures of fluid rotation or stretching is an active topic of research. To facilitate frame-indifferent investigations in unsteady and sparsely sampled flows, we present a novel approach to quantify fluid stretching and rotation via relative Lagrangian velocities. This technique provides a formal objective extension of quasi-objective metrics to unsteady flows by accounting for mean flow behaviour. For extremely sparse experimental data, fluid structures may be significantly undersampled and the mean flow behaviour becomes difficult to quantify. We provide a means to maintain the accuracy of our novel sparse flow diagnostics in extremely sparse sampling scenarios, such as ocean buoy data and Lagrangian particle tracking. We use data from multiple numerical and experimental flows to show that our methods can identify structures beyond existing limits of sparse, frame-indifferent diagnostics and exhibit improved interpretability over common frame-dependent diagnostics.
Wine prices and weather: Are cult wines different?
Authors: Okhunjanov Botir , McCluskey Jill J. , Mittelhammer Ron C.
Published: October 2024

In this article, we examine how weather variables affect markets for U.S. high-end wines, both luxury wines and wines from the same region that are still high-end but not in the very limited highest category. Specifically, we compare so-called “cult wines” with “non-cult wines” from the same subregions that are known for their high-quality wines. We investigate associations between weather conditions and prices, price gaps (the difference between the secondary market price and release price), the number of cases produced, and wine scores assigned for both cult and non-cult wines. We further examine whether associations with weather differ across wine regions. Implementing a fixed-effects methodology, cult and non-cult wines from three U.S. regions were studied: both Napa and Sonoma in California, and Walla Walla on the border of Washington State and Oregon. Overall, the analysis suggests that weather is associated with various characteristics of wine markets, including prices, price gaps for cult wines, wine scores, and cases produced. The nature of the associations depends on the type of wine (cult or non-cult, red or white) and timing of weather conditions throughout the year and growing region.
Indigenous and Black Autonomies and Resistance
Authors: Stahler-Sholk Richard
Published: October 2024

This essay reviews the following works:

Indigenous Struggles for Autonomy: The Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. Edited by Luciano Baracco. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. Pp. vi + 239. $105.00 hardcover, $99.50 e-book. ISBN: 9781498558815.

Aprendizajes del movimiento zapatista: De la insurgencia armada a la autonomía popular. By Lia Pinheiro Barbosa and Peter Michael Rosset. Buenos Aires: CLACSO (Colección En Movimiento); San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico: El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), 2023. Pp. 152. Paperback, digital. ISBN: 9789878135694.

Colonialismo, comunidad, y capital: Pensar el despojo, pensar América Latina. Edited by Santiago Bastos Amigo and Edgars Martínez Navarrete. Quito: Religación Press, 2023. Pp. 419. paperback, digital. ISBN: 9789942708007.

Oaxaca Resurgent: Indigeneity, Development, and Inequality in Twentieth-Century Mexico. By A. S. Dillingham. Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press, 2021. Pp. xiv + 254. $30.00 paperback, $90.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781503627840.

Autonomías y autogobierno en la América diversa. Edited by Miguel González, Araceli Burguete Cal y Mayor, José Marimán, Pablo Ortiz-T., and Ritsuko Funako. Quito: Editorial Universitaria Abya-Yala, 2021. Pp. 692. Paperback, digital. ISBN: 9789978105504.

Black and Indigenous Resistance in the Americas: From Multiculturalism to Racist Backlash. By Juliet Hooker. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. Pp. x + 330. $42.99 paperback; $121.00 hardcover; $40.50 e-book. ISBN: 9781793615527.

Pensar las autonomías: Experiencias de autogestión, poder popular y autonomía. Edited by Alicia Hopkins and César Enrique Pineda. Mexico City: Bajo Tierra, 2021. Pp. 458. Paperback, digital. ISBN: 9786079675172.
The dawn is quiet here: Rise in [
$\alpha$
/Fe] is a signature of massive gas accretion that fueled the proto-Milky Way
Authors: Chen Boquan , Ting Yuan-Sen , Hayden Michael
Published: October 2024

The proto-Milky Way epoch forms the earliest stars in our galaxy and sets the initial conditions for the subsequent disk formation. Recent observations showed that the [

$\alpha$

/Fe] ratio among in situ metal-poor stars declined between [Fe/H]

$=-3$

and

$-1.3$

until it reached the lowest value (

$\sim$

0.25) and rose to the traditional value associated with the high-[

$\alpha$

/Fe] thick disk (

$\sim$

0.3) at [Fe/H]

$\approx$

-1.0. It was suggested that the rise in [

$\alpha$

/Fe] could be caused by an increase in the star formation efficiency (SFE), known as the ‘simmering’ phase scenario. However, gas inflow also plays a vital role in shaping the star formation history and chemical evolution of galaxies, especially during the earliest epoch of the universe. We investigate this unexpected [

$\alpha$

/Fe]-rise with an experiment involving a galactic chemical evolution model. Our model has five free parameters: the mass of the initial reservoir of the cold interstellar medium (ISM) at birth, the frequency of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), the cooling timescale of the warm ISM, the SFE, and the inflow rate of fresh gas. The last two free parameters were allowed to change after [

$\alpha$

/Fe] reached its lowest value, dividing the proto-Galaxy epoch into two phases. The models that reproduced the observed [Fe/H]-[

$\alpha$

/Fe]-track provided estimates for these fundamental parameters of the proto-Milky Way. We find that the rise in [

$\alpha$

/Fe] could also be caused by a large inflow of high-[

$\alpha$

/Fe] gas and conclude that the [

$\alpha$

/Fe]-rise could be a signature of the gas accretion that fuelled the formation of the Milky Way disk.