bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mono- and multimeric PSMA-targeting small molecule-thorium-227 conjugates for optimized efficacy and biodistribution in preclinical models
Authors: Böhnke Niels , Indrevoll Bård , Hammer Stefanie , Papple Alex , Kristian Alexander , Briem Hans , Celik Arif , Mumberg Dominik , Cuthbertson Alan , Zitzmann-Kolbe Sabine
Published: October 2023

Purpose

PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) is highly expressed on prostate cancer (PrCa) cells and extensively used as a homing target for PrCa treatment. Most prominently, PSMA-targeting conjugate PSMA-617, carrying a DOTA chelator and labeled with therapeutic radionuclides like beta-emitting lutetium-177 or alpha-emitting actinium-225, has shown clinical activity in PrCa patients. We sought to develop PSMA-targeting small molecule (SMOL) conjugates that show high uptake in PSMA-expressing tumors and fast clearance, and can easily be labeled with the alpha emitter thorium-227 (half-life 18.7 days).

Methods

A novel linker motif with improved competition against 3H-PSMA-617 on PSMA-expressing LNCaP cells was identified. A 2,3-hydroxypyridinone chelator modified with carboxyl groups (carboxy-HOPO) with increased hydrophilicity and robust labeling with thorium-227 was developed and allowed the synthesis of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrameric conjugates. The resulting monomeric and multimeric PSMA SMOL-TTCs (targeted thorium conjugate) were evaluated for cellular binding, internalization, and antiproliferative activity. The in vivo antitumor efficacy of the PSMA SMOL-TTCs was determined in ST1273 and KUCaP-1 PrCa models in mice, and their biodistribution was assessed in cynomolgus monkeys, minipigs, and mice.

Results

The monomeric and multimeric PSMA SMOL conjugates were readily labeled with thorium-227 at room temperature and possessed high stability and good binding, internalization, and antiproliferative activity in vitro. In vivo, the monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric PSMA SMOL-TTCs showed fast clearance, potent antitumor efficacy, and high uptake and retention in prostate tumors in mice. No major uptake or retention in other organs was observed beyond kidneys. Low uptake of free thorium-227 into bone confirmed high complex stability in vivo. Salivary gland uptake remained inconclusive as mini pigs were devalidated as a relevant model and imaging controls failed in cynomolgus monkeys.

Conclusion

Monomeric and multimeric PSMA SMOL-TTCs show high tumor uptake and fast clearance in preclinical models and warrant further therapeutic exploration.
Vaginal microflora following the use of a disposable home-use vaginal device and a commercially available ring pessary for pelvic organ prolapse management: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ziv Elan , Keller Nathan , Erlich Tsvia
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To investigate whether ProVate, a novel, disposable, self-inserted vaginal device for pelvic organ prolapse management, clinically affects the vaginal microflora, as compared with a commercially available ring pessary, to assess its microbiological safety.

Methods

This interventional, prospective, multi-center, open-label, randomized, controlled, statistically powered (noninferiority), home-use, crossover study was conducted at seven sites. Participants were randomized into either group A (using ProVate and then a new reusable commercially available ring pessary [control]) or B (using control device and then ProVate) with a 1:1 ratio. Noninferiority of ProVate over the control was evaluated for the primary endpoint, which was based on meeting one of the failure criteria: significant change in Lactobacillus spp., Gardnerella vaginalis, Candida morphotypes, or Staphylococcus aureus levels compared to the baseline (significant change: Nugent score ≥ 7 or > 1 scale unit increase in S. aureus or Candida morphotype), bothersome vaginal infection symptoms, or symptoms requiring treatment for infection.

Results

The study included 58 participants (mean age: 64.5 years, 91.4% postmenopausal). There were no significant microfloral changes in terms of the four microorganisms mentioned above, the rate of Nugent score ≥ 7 after use was low and comparable between the two devices, and the rate of patients with a > 1 unit-scale change (increase or decrease) from the baseline to the end-of-use phase in any studied microorganism was comparable between the devices. The failure rate was 15.5% for ProVate and 15.5% for control while using 383 ProVate devices over 1647 days or one control device throughout the study. Two patients had bothersome vaginal complaints and one had overt vaginal infection in the control group, but no such cases were observed in the ProVate group.

Conclusion

The primary endpoint of possible vaginal microbial changes, bothersome vaginal symptoms, or treatment-requiring vaginal complaints while using ProVate was successfully met. Our findings show that the vaginal microflora is comparable when using either ProVate or commercially available ring pessary (control) with a relatively low rate of vaginal infections.

Trial registration details: ClinicalTrials.gov; URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03345121?term=NCT03345121&draw=2&rank=1; No. NCT03345121; Registration date, November 17, 2017; initial enrollment started on August 20, 2017.
Assessment of skin pigmentation-related bias in pulse oximetry readings among adults
Authors: Khanna Ashish K. , Beard John , Lamminmäki Sakari , Närväinen Johanna , Antaki Nicholas , Yapici Halit O.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Recent reports that pulse oximeters may overestimate oxygen saturation in individuals with darker skin pigmentation have prompted concerns from regulatory authorities regarding racial bias. We investigated the performance of TruSignal SpO2 sensors (GE Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland) in adults with varying skin pigmentation.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted using a set of pooled assessments of SpO2/SaO2 measurements from nine studies to assess bias, accuracy (Arms), and precision of TruSignal sensors in healthy adults under induced hypoxia. Subgroup analyses were performed based on oxygen saturation levels (band 1, ≥ 70 and ≤ 80%; band 2, > 80 and ≤ 90%; band 3, > 90 and ≤ 100%).

Results

Of the 10,800 data points from 131 individuals, 8,202 (75.9%) and 2,598 (24.1%) were assigned to the light and dark pigment groups, respectively. Bias was 0.14% overall and less than 1% across oxygenation bands. The difference in bias between dark and light pigment groups was statistically significant at the low oxygenation band with SpO2 ≥ 70 and ≤ 80% (+ 0.58% and + 0.30% respectively; p = 0.0035). Throughout the saturation range, Arms was 1.64% in the light and 1.71% in the dark pigment group, within device specifications and regulatory requirements. Oxygenation was the dominating factor in stepwise ANOVA modeling. The mixed model also showed that bias was strongly affected by the oxygenation range.

Conclusion

TruSignal sensors demonstrated higher bias at lower oxygen saturation, with less than 0.5% difference between pigment groups. These findings raise new questions, such as ways to improve pulse oximetry measurements during challenging clinical conditions, including low perfusion.
On the Two-Point Function of the Ising Model with Infinite-Range Interactions
Authors: Aoun Yacine , Khettabi Kamil
Published: October 2023

In this article, we prove some results concerning the truncated two-point function of the infinite-range Ising model above and below the critical temperature. More precisely, if the coupling constants are of the form $$J_{x}=\psi (x)\textsf{e}^{-\rho (x)}$$

J
x

=
ψ

(
x
)

e

-
ρ
(
x
)

with $$\rho $$
ρ
some norm and $$\psi $$
ψ
an subexponential correction, we show under appropriate assumptions that given $$s\in \mathbb {S}^{d-1}$$

s
∈

S

d
-
1

, the Laplace transform of the two-point function in the direction s is infinite for $$\beta =\beta _\textrm{sat}(s)$$

β
=

β
sat

(
s
)

(where $$\beta _\textrm{sat}(s)$$

β
sat

(
s
)

is a the biggest value such that the inverse correlation length $$\nu _{\beta }(s)$$

ν
β

(
s
)

associated to the truncated two-point function is equal to $$\rho (s)$$

ρ
(
s
)

on $$[0,\beta _\textrm{sat}(s)))$$

[
0
,

β
sat

(
s
)

)
)

. Moreover, we prove that the two-point function satisfies up-to-constants Ornstein-Zernike asymptotics for $$\beta =\beta _\textrm{sat}(s)$$

β
=

β
sat

(
s
)

on $$\mathbb {Z}$$
Z
. As far as we know, this constitutes the first result on the behaviour of the two-point function at $$\beta _\textrm{sat}(s)$$

β
sat

(
s
)

. Finally, we show that there exists $$\beta _{0}$$

β
0

such that for every $$\beta >\beta _{0}$$

β
>

β
0

, $$\nu _{\beta }(s)=\rho (s)$$

ν
β

(
s
)

=
ρ

(
s
)

. All the results are new and their proofs are built on different results and ideas developed in Duminil-Copin and Tassion (Commun Math Phys 359(2):821–822, 2018) and Aoun et al. in (Commun Math Phys 386:433–467, 2021).
Mathematics self-concept moderates the relation between cognitive functions and mathematical skills in primary school children
Authors: Passiatore Ylenia , Costa Sara , Grossi Giuseppe , Carrus Giuseppe , Pirchio Sabine
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we investigated the contribution of both cognitive and affective factors to mathematical skills. In particular, we looked at the protective role of self-concept for mathematical learning and performance. In a field study, we tested the relation of math self-concept and short-term visuo-spatial working memory to the mathematical abilities of second- grade primary school children in Italy (N = 105). Measures included the “Test for the evaluation of calculating and problem-solving abilities” (AC-MT 6–11), the backward Corsi blocks test (Battery for Visuo-Spatial Memory), and the mathematics self-concept sub-scale of the Self-Description Questionnaire-I (SDQ-I, Italian version). As expected, correlation and moderated regression analyses showed that mathematics self-concept and working memory both positively predict mathematical operations and numeracy, but not accuracy. Simple slope analysis confirmed our moderation hypothesis, with working memory predicting mathematical abilities at low levels of math self-concept, but not at medium and high levels. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Civil Society, Neighbourhood Diversity and Deprivation in UK and Sweden
Authors: Borkowska Magda , Kawalerowicz Juta , Elgenius Gabriella , Phillimore Jenny
Published: October 2023

This paper explores the relationship between neighbourhood level density of civil society organisations (CSOs), diversity, and deprivation. We compare the UK and Sweden, two countries with different civil society traditions and welfare state regimes. We use data on formal civil society organisations to examine whether diverse neighbourhoods have lower levels of civil society infrastructure. In the UK, contrary to what could be expected from Putnam's assertion that diversity has a negative effect on trust, thus limiting civil society activities at the neighbourhood level, we observe a positive relationship between the density of CSOs and diversity. In Sweden, we find different patterns. First, we observe a negative correlation between CSO density and diversity. Second, we find lower density of formal CSOs in areas with high diversity and high economic disadvantage and higher density in areas characterised by low diversity and high disadvantage.
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)—a valuable alternative crop for growing in agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals
Authors: Flajšman Marko , Košmelj Katarina , Grčman Helena , Ačko Darja Kocjan , Zupan Marko
Published: October 2023

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a multiuse plant, which has been abundantly studied for phytoremediation purposes in recent years. The majority of experiments were performed in greenhouses with potted plants where hemp showed promising results. Only few studies tested hemp on site in heavy metal–polluted agricultural soil in real environmental conditions and practical assessments of hemp phytoremediation feasibility are lacking. We conducted a comprehensive study using 2 legal industrial hemp varieties (Futura 75 and Tisza) at three differently polluted locations (heavily polluted location, HP; moderately polluted location, MP; and slightly polluted location, SP) in the heavy metal contaminated Celje valley in Slovenia and determined the content of Pb, Zn, and Cd in 5 plant organs/tissues. The yield of each organ/tissue was determined as well to enable us to calculate the phytoremediation potential (PP). On average, plants grown in the HP location accumulated the highest values of all examined elements, followed by plants from the MP location and plants from the SP location, showing that the content of heavy metals in soil influences the accumulation in plants. Accumulation of Pb/Zn/Cd by plant organs/tissues was distributed in the following order: inflorescences (Pb-4.10/Zn-92.8/Cd-0.50 mg/kg) > seeds (Pb-1.79/Zn-92.6/Cd-0.27 mg/kg) > roots (Pb-1.15/Zn-15.0/Cd-0.44 mg/kg) > stem bark (Pb-0.42/Zn-12.4/Cd-0.23 mg/kg) > stem woody core (Pb-0.34/Zn-4.6/Cd-0.15 mg/kg). The only exception was for Cd, where roots accumulated a higher value than seed, yet lower than inflorescences. PP was calculated by multiplying hemp tissue/organ yield by the relative concentrations of heavy metal. The highest PP for Pb and Cd were achieved at the HP location (3.80 and 0.23 g/ha/vegetation period). On the other hand, tissue/organ yield was more important for high PP of Zn, where the SP location reached the highest PP for Zn (148.5 g/ha/vegetation period) due to the highest yields. Only seeds from HP and MP locations accumulated a too high content of Pb; otherwise, all other fibers and seeds can be safely used in the textile and food industry. Results of this study showed that hemp cannot be considered an efficient plant for the phytomanagement of contaminated areas. Nevertheless, hemp cultivation in heavy metal–polluted agricultural soils seems feasible since the majority of tissues/organs were not contaminated and different products can be obtained from various parts of the hemp plant.
Loneliness and Perceived Social Support in Endometriosis: The Roles of Body Image Disturbance and Anticipated Stigma
Authors: Calvi Catherine , Sherman Kerry A. , Pham Dione
Published: October 2023

Background

Research has identified that living with the chronic inflammatory disease endometriosis adversely impacts social functioning and interpersonal relationships, specifically, feelings of loneliness and a lack of perceived social support. Commonly experienced body image disturbance (BID), combined with the anticipation of endometriosis-related stigma from others, may result in further social withdrawal. This study aimed to quantitatively investigate the association between BID and social functioning (loneliness and diminished perceived social support), and the potential moderating effect of anticipated stigma on these associations.

Method

Participants (N = 212) with a self-reported endometriosis diagnosis completed an online questionnaire measuring social and emotional loneliness, perceived social support, BID, anticipated stigma and demographic and medical characteristics.

Results

Mean scores indicated high levels of BID, emotional loneliness and diminished perceived social support. Bootstrapped multivariable regression analyses indicated that BID was significantly associated with greater emotional loneliness and lower perceived social support. BID was also associated bivariately with greater social loneliness. Anticipated stigma from healthcare workers moderated the association of BID with perceived social support, such that poorer perceived support was reported when anticipated stigma was high, despite the presence of minimal BID.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the psychological challenges of living with endometriosis in terms of highly prevalent BID, in the context of feeling lonely and poorly supported. The further negative impact of anticipated stigma suggests that psychosocial interventions may benefit from additionally targeting these perceptions of stigma.
Street traders’ contribution to food security: lessons from fresh produce traders’ experiences in South Africa during Covid-19
Authors: Wegerif Marc C. A.
Published: October 2023

Street traders play a key role in the food system in South Africa and many other countries. Despite their importance, the operations of street traders are not well understood and often undermined by policy makers and planners. This article provides insights into the role of street traders who sell food, in particular fresh produce, and the nature of their operations. It shares experiences of street traders in South Africa since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and derives lessons from this for their contribution to food and nutrition security. The article is based on in-depth research carried out with street traders and other food system actors that they are linked to in three provinces (Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo) of South Africa. It was found that the street traders were severely affected during the first hard lockdown and continued to suffer due to the drop in aggregate demand that has resulted from the reduced incomes of many of their clients. They have also not been able to access the government Covid-19 recovery funds. Despite these challenges, street traders have continued to perform an even more essential role in making fresh produce accessible. This is in contrast to supermarkets that have maintained higher prices and profit margins despite the state of disaster affecting people’s ability to buy. Street traders are deserving of greater recognition and support as they play a key role in achieving food security and addressing other socio-economic challenges. Improving the conditions for street traders requires securing more public space for food trading and recognising and building on the ways that street traders use space and organise their economic lives.
Gender Inequality and Poverty: The Role of Financial Development in Mitigating Poverty in Pakistan
Authors: Kanat Orazaliyev , Yan Zhijun , Asghar Muhammad Mansoor , Zaidi Syed Anees Haider , Sami Abdul
Published: October 2023

Poverty and gender inequality are among the major issues in developing countries that can hinder their economic progress and human development. Hence, this research is designed to investigate the impact of financial development on gender imbalance and poverty in the context of Pakistan controlling a number of other variables using the Bayer and Hanck cointegration method and the ARDL bound test on the data from 1985 to 2022. The results of the study indicated cointegration among the variables. The long-run estimates unfolded that financial development decreases the gender imbalance (gender inequality) in the context of Pakistan; however, it boosts poverty levels in the country. In the context of control variables, we found that education is helpful in decreasing gender inequality in Pakistan while economic growth boosts gender inequality. Moreover, economic growth is a reliable tool to decrease the poverty level in Pakistan, and reducing gender inequality can help to alleviate poverty levels in the country. Surprisingly, education is mounting poverty level in Pakistan indicating that the education system in Pakistan is not providing quality education to poor people. Based on these results, the study suggests that government can focus on developing a strategic plan to decrease gender inequality and poverty by introducing suitable policies in the context of the financial sector, education, and economic growth.
Experiences and Psychological Impact Derived from Unwanted Exposure to Online Pornography in Spanish Adolescents
Authors: Ballester-Arnal Rafael , Gil-Julia Beatriz , Elipe-Miravet Marcel , Giménez-García Cristina , Gil-Llario Maria Dolores
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Unwanted exposure (UE) to sexual content may have important consequences on children/adolescents’ psychosexual development. Our objective was to analyze UE to online pornography, parental filter use, type of sexual contents seen, emotional/behavioral reactions, and UE as positive/traumatic experience in Spanish adolescents and to examine these experiences and reactions depending on the type of sexual content.

Methods

In 2020, 500 Spanish teenagers (13–18 years) completed an ad hoc questionnaire for the evaluation of different dimensions involved in UE to sexual contents, such as those mentioned in the study objectives.

Results

A high frequency of UE (88.2%) is observed. Regarding the kind of scenes, naked people, straight porn, and people showing genitals are the most unexpectedly seen. Adolescents used to react to the UE closing the window and deleting sexual materials. A greater predominance of negative emotions was revealed, and another noteworthy result is related to the role played by type of sexual content and gender. Gay scenes and being woman increased the probability of living the experience as non-positive, and being woman and viewing naked people/BDSM scenes/under-age sex were associated with reactions of rejection.

Conclusions

This study contributes significantly to the knowledge of UE to online pornography in adolescents. It provides valuable information about the role played by the type of sexual content seen and the gender in the diverse reactions/experiences derived from the UE to pornography.

Policy Implications

This topic, that is, involuntary exposure to online sexual material in adolescents, should be included in affective-sexual education and prevention programs at early ages, so that children/adolescents are already trained in healthy sexuality when facing this type of content for the first time. These programs, adjusted to the reality of our adolescents, will minimize the negative impact that UE may have on their psychosexual development.
Variation for maize B chromosome preferential fertilization: a component of the B chromosome drive mechanism
Authors: Brennan Vincent A. , Yang Hua , Gao Zhi , Birchler James A.
Published: October 2023

The B chromosome in maize is a supernumerary chromosome that due to its dispensability is present in only some lines of maize. Over its evolution, the B chromosome has developed a two-part drive mechanism that ensures its continued presence in maize populations. Its drive mechanism involves nondisjunction at the second pollen mitosis in which two sperm cells are produced and preferential fertilization by the sperm with the two B chromosomes more often joining with the egg as opposed to the central cell in the process of double fertilization. Previous work had suggested some lines of maize exhibit a different response and that this was controlled by the female parent. We sought to examine the variation for this trait by testing a wide spectrum of characterized maize lines. Most inbred lines exhibit the canonical preference for the egg cell, some appear to have random fertilization, and one inbred line (B73) shows a preference for the B containing sperm to fertilize the central cell.
Comparison of clinical outcomes of anal fistula plug and endoanal advancement flap repair treating the complex anal fistula: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: An Yongkang , Chen Xueqing , Tian Maosheng , Qi Wenyue , Gao Jihua
Published: October 2023

Anal fistula (AF) is a common disease with high prevalence and surgical operations are effective treatments in clinical work. There exist many well‐known surgical techniques treating complex anal fistula (CAF), however, none is ideal. To compare the superiority of Anal fistula plug (AFP) and Endoanal advancement flap repair (EAFR) for complex anal fistula. We searched worldwide databases including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and SinoMed from their inception to March 2023. Studies comparing the outcomes of AFP and EAFR were included according to the PICO principles. The indicators of the healing rate, recurrence rate, wound infection rate, and complication rate, et al. were extracted and compared between different surgical methods. 5 RCTS and 7 non-RCTs were included in the meta-analysis with a total of 847 patients (341 patients conducted with AFP and 506 patients with EAFR). By combining the total effect of the 12 articles, we found that there was a statistical difference reporting the healing rate of AFP 48.3% and EAFR 64.4% treating the CAF (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.30,1.55,P = 0.03), and EAFR has a better healing rate. However, there was no significant difference in terms of the recurrence rate (OR 1.68, 95% CI 0.80,3.54,P = 0.17), the wound infection rate (OR 1.82, 95% CI 0.95,3.52,P = 0.07), and the complication rate (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.70,1.61,P = 0.77) either in the 12 articles or in the subgroup. The meta-analysis indicated that the EAFR was superior to AFP in terms of the healing rate treating the CAF, however, there were no significant differences between the two groups when it came to the recurrence rate, the wound infection rate, and the complication rate. EAFR might be one initial treatment for the complex cryptoglandular anal fistulas compared with AFP.
Integrating bioprinting, cell therapies and drug delivery towards in vivo regeneration of cartilage, bone and osteochondral tissue
Authors: Abbadessa Anna , Ronca Alfredo , Salerno Aurelio
Published: October 2023

The biological and biomechanical functions of cartilage, bone and osteochondral tissue are naturally orchestrated by a complex crosstalk between zonally dependent cells and extracellular matrix components. In fact, this crosstalk involves biomechanical signals and the release of biochemical cues that direct cell fate and regulate tissue morphogenesis and remodelling in vivo. Three-dimensional bioprinting introduced a paradigm shift in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, since it allows to mimic native tissue anisotropy introducing compositional and architectural gradients. Moreover, the growing synergy between bioprinting and drug delivery may enable to replicate cell/extracellular matrix reciprocity and dynamics by the careful control of the spatial and temporal patterning of bioactive cues. Although significant advances have been made in this direction, unmet challenges and open research questions persist. These include, among others, the optimization of scaffold zonality and architectural features; the preservation of the bioactivity of loaded active molecules, as well as their spatio-temporal release; the in vitro scaffold maturation prior to implantation; the pros and cons of each animal model and the graft-defect mismatch; and the in vivo non-invasive monitoring of new tissue formation. This work critically reviews these aspects and reveals the state of the art of using three-dimensional bioprinting, and its synergy with drug delivery technologies, to pattern the distribution of cells and/or active molecules in cartilage, bone and osteochondral engineered tissues. Most notably, this work focuses on approaches, technologies and biomaterials that are currently under in vivo investigations, as these give important insights on scaffold performance at the implantation site and its interaction/integration with surrounding tissues.

Graphical Abstract
Boole-Dunkl polynomials and generalizations
Authors: Gil Asensi Alejandro , Labarga Edgar , Mínguez Ceniceros Judit , Varona Juan Luis
Published: October 2023

Appell sequences of polynomials can be extended to the Dunkl context replacing the ordinary derivative by the Dunkl operator on the real line, and the exponential function by the Dunkl kernel. In a similar way, discrete Appell sequences can be extended to the Dunkl context; here, the role of the ordinary translation is played by the Dunkl translation, which is a much more intricate operator. Some sequences as the falling factorials or the Bernoulli polynomials of the second kind have already been extended and investigated in the mathematical literature. In this paper, we study the discrete Appell version of the Euler polynomials, usually known as Euler polynomials of the second kind or Boole polynomials. We show how to define the Dunkl extension of these polynomials (and some of their generalizations), and prove some relevant properties and relations with other polynomials and with Stirling-Dunkl numbers.
Characterising Productivity Factors Affecting Maize (Zea mays) Production in a Smallholder Crop-Livestock System
Authors: Mncube Temnotfo L. , Phiri Ethel E. , Mothapo Palesa N. , Rugare Joyful T. , Pieterse Petrus J. , Mloza-Banda Henry R.
Published: October 2023

Socio-economic factors can influence decisions and the intensity of management practices, which when appropriately considered could bridge yield gaps. The study aimed to investigate factors affecting maize (Zea mays L.) production in a smallholder crop-livestock system. Social and management analyses were performed to ascertain the factors influencing maize productivity using interviews and questionnaires. The study was conducted in two main maize-producing regions of Eswatini, the Highveld at Mankayane and Middleveld at Luve. Additionally, on-farm trials were established for two cropping seasons to evaluate maize response to three fertiliser regimes: cattle manure only, cattle manure plus inorganic fertiliser, and inorganic fertiliser only and lastly to determine the most economic fertiliser regime. Each fertiliser regime was replicated six times. Weed biomass and maize yield were collected from a 5 m × 1 m quadrat. Moreover, economic analysis for each fertiliser regime was performed using partial budgets comprising fertiliser and weed management costs. The social and management analyses showed that maize yield was strongly associated with household size (p < 0.05), land area cultivated (p < 0.05) and herbicide application timing (p < 0.05) indicating the effect of these factors on yield. On-farm trials revealed that the inorganic fertiliser only regime resulted in a significantly (p < 0.05) higher maize yield compared to manure only and manure plus inorganic fertiliser regimes in both study areas. Weed biomass was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the inorganic fertiliser only regime at Mankayane compared to the manure only and manure plus inorganic fertiliser at both localities. The economic analysis showed that the manure only fertiliser regime had low costs that vary and high net benefits indicating that manure has the potential to improve soil conditions, reduce environmental impacts, and increase profits.
Corrosion Performance of Sn-Doped AlCrFeNiMn High-Entropy Alloy Synthesized via Arc-Melting Technique
Authors: Mpofu Praise , Malatji Nicholas , Shongwe Mxolisi B. , Kanyane Lehlogonolo R.
Published: October 2023

Failure of materials such as steels during engineering applications can result in economic harm; hence, developing new corrosion-resistant materials is critical. In this work, high-grade powders of Al, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Ni were used to synthesize an equimolar AlCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy (HEA) for potential chemical industry application. The cast alloy's properties were further altered by the addition of 1at%, 3at%, and 5at% tin (Sn) as alloying additives. To assess the impact of Sn on the alloy's resistance to corrosion, potentiodynamic polarization tests were conducted in various acidic and basic environments. Several surface inspection techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OPM), X-ray diffractrometry (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), were employed to examine the morphological changes and elemental composition of the alloy after it was subjected to corrosive conditions. The nano-indentation machine was used to analyze the materials' nanohardness. TGA analysis was also performed to determine how Sn additions affected the AlCrFeNiMn HEA’s thermal stability. In 0.5 M HCl solution, the Sn-doped alloys demonstrated good corrosion resistance. Their exposure to 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution, on the other hand, found to be deleterious to their electrochemical stability. The weight loss of 5 at% Sn-doped samples in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution was found to be substantially reduced. The mass of all the samples stayed constant in 3.5 wt% NaOH solution.
Primary sequence based protein–protein interaction binder generation with transformers
Authors: Wu Junzheng , Paquet Eric , Viktor Herna L. , Michalowski Wojtek
Published: October 2023

The design of binder proteins for specific target proteins using deep learning is a challenging task that has a wide range of applications in both designing therapeutic antibodies and creating new drugs. Machine learning-based solutions, as opposed to laboratory design, streamline the design process and enable the design of new proteins that may be required to address new and orphan diseases. Most techniques proposed in the literature necessitate either domain knowledge or some appraisal of the target protein’s 3-D structure. This paper proposes an approach for designing binder proteins based solely on the amino acid sequence of the target protein and without recourse to domain knowledge or structural information. The sequences of the binders are generated with two new transformers, namely the AppendFormer and MergeFormer architectures. Because, in general, there is more than one binder for a given target protein, these transformers employ a binding score and a prior on the sequence of the binder to obtain a unique targeted solution. Our experimental evaluation confirms the strengths of this novel approach. The performance of the models was determined with 5-fold cross-validation and clearly indicates that our architectures lead to highly accurate results. In addition, scores of up to 0.98 were achieved in terms of Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman similarity metrics, which indicates that our solutions significantly outperform a seq2seq baseline model.
A two-stage hybrid ant colony algorithm for multi-depot half-open time-dependent electric vehicle routing problem
Authors: Fan Lijun
Published: October 2023

This article presents a detailed investigation into the Multi-Depot Half-Open Time-Dependent Electric Vehicle Routing Problem (MDHOTDEVRP) within the domain of urban distribution, prompted by the growing urgency to mitigate the environmental repercussions of logistics transportation. The study first surmounts the uncertainty in Electric Vehicle (EV) range arising from the dynamic nature of urban traffic networks by establishing a flexible energy consumption estimation strategy. Subsequently, a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model is formulated, aiming to minimize the total distribution costs associated with EV dispatch, vehicle travel, customer service, and charging operations. Given the unique attributes intrinsic to the model, a Two-Stage Hybrid Ant Colony Algorithm (TSHACA) is developed as an effective solution approach. The algorithm leverages enhanced K-means clustering to assign customers to EVs in the first stage and employs an Improved Ant Colony Algorithm (IACA) for optimizing the distribution within each cluster in the second stage. Extensive simulations conducted on various test scenarios corroborate the economic and environmental benefits derived from the MDHOTDEVRP solution and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm. The outcomes highlight TSHACA’s capability to efficiently allocate EVs from different depots, optimize vehicle routes, reduce carbon emissions, and minimize urban logistic expenditures. Consequently, this study contributes significantly to the advancement of sustainable urban logistics transportation, offering valuable insights for practitioners and policy-makers.
Not Equivalent (Yet?): The Current EU Third Country Regime for Credit Institutions and Incoming Changes
Authors: Binder Jens-Hinrich
Published: October 2023

As part of the European Commission’s ‘Banking Package’, introducing a series of amendments to the key legal sources of EU banking regulation, a comprehensive proposal for the treatment of third country branches of credit institutions (i.e., branches of institutions licensed by non-EU jurisdictions seeking authorisation in an EU Member State) has been presented. If and when ultimately adopted, this new framework will, for the first time, harmonise the applicable authorisation procedures and substantive conditions for authorisation hitherto left exclusively to the discretion of EU Member States. Under the new regime, the equivalence of third country regulatory and supervisory approaches with EU banking regulation will play a role, albeit a limited one. While taking up, and refining, approaches that have been present in a range of Member States for some time already, the new framework will require others to fundamentally change their existing regimes. The new amendments will be of particular relevance for the future regulatory relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, since a bespoke arrangement for continuing access of UK financial intermediaries to the EU markets has not been achieved, and UK credit institutions wishing to continue to operate within the EU other than through legally separate and independently capitalised subsidiaries have to rely on authorisations as third country branches. Against this backdrop, the present paper presents a functional analysis of the incoming regime in light of experiences made with regard to the existing landscape of diverging national laws.
Hetero Nucleus Growth Stabilizing Zinc Anode for High-Biosecurity Zinc-Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Jingjing , Liu Zhexuan , Han Shaohua , Zhou Peng , Lu Bingan , Zhou Jianda , Zeng Zhiyuan , Chen Zhizhao , Zhou Jiang
Published: October 2023

Biocompatible devices are widely employed in modernized lives and medical fields in the forms of wearable and implantable devices, raising higher requirements on the battery biocompatibility, high safety, low cost, and excellent electrochemical performance, which become the evaluation criteria toward developing feasible biocompatible batteries. Herein, through conducting the battery implantation tests and leakage scene simulations on New Zealand rabbits, zinc sulfate electrolyte is proved to exhibit higher biosecurity and turns out to be one of the ideal zinc salts for biocompatible zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). Furthermore, in order to mitigate the notorious dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution in mildly acidic electrolyte as well as improve their operating stability, Sn hetero nucleus is introduced to stabilize the zinc anode, which not only facilitates the planar zinc deposition, but also contributes to higher hydrogen evolution overpotential. Finally, a long lifetime of 1500 h for the symmetrical cell, the specific capacity of 150 mAh g−1 under 0.5 A g−1 for the Zn–MnO2 battery and 212 mAh g−1 under 5 A g−1 for the Zn—NH4V4O10 battery are obtained. This work may provide unique perspectives on biocompatible ZIBs toward the biosecurity of their cell components.
Beyond Public Health and Private Choice: Breastfeeding, Embodiment and Public Health Ethics
Authors: Subramani Supriya
Published: October 2023

The key objective of this paper is to emphasize the importance of acknowledging breastfeeding as an embodied social practice within interventions related to breastfeeding and lactation and illustrate how this recognition holds implications for public health ethics debates. Recent scholarship has shown that breastfeeding and lactation support interventions undermine women’s autonomy. However, substantial discourse is required to determine how to align with public health goals while also recognizing the embodied experiences of breastfeeding and lactating individuals. Presently, interventions in this realm predominantly revolve around health-related messaging and the promotion of individual behaviors, often neglecting the systemic and structural factors that influence choices and practices. I closely examine breastfeeding interventions in India, in particular Mothers’ Absolute Affection health promotion program, along with breastfeeding narratives. I argue that for such interventions to evolve, they must acknowledge the intrinsic embodied social nature of breastfeeding during their design and implementation. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that achieving equity and justice objectives necessitates moving beyond the confines of both conventional public health frameworks and frameworks solely centered on private choices. Instead, a more encompassing approach that embraces the concept of embodiment should be adopted.
Spatial Dynamics and Solitary Hydroelastic Surface Waves
Authors: Ahmad R. , Groves M. D.
Published: October 2023

This paper presents an existence theory for solitary waves at the interface between a thin ice sheet (modelled using the Cosserat theory of hyperelastic shells) and an ideal fluid (of finite depth and in irrotational motion). The theory takes the form of a review of the Kirchgässner reduction to a finite-dimensional Hamiltonian system, highlighting the refinements in the theory over the years and presenting some novel aspects including the use of a higher-order Legendre transformation to formulate the problem as a spatial Hamiltonian system, and a Riesz basis for the phase space to complete the analogy with a dynamical system. The reduced system is to leading order given by the focussing cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation, agreeing with the result of formal weakly nonlinear theory (which is included for completeness). We give a precise proof of the persistence of two of its homoclinic solutions as solutions to the unapproximated reduced system which correspond to symmetric hydroeleastic solitary waves.
Education Prototyping: a Methodological Device for Technical Democracy
Authors: Swist Teresa , Gulson Kalervo N. , Thompson Greg
Published: October 2023

The potential of applying a ‘technical democracy’ (Callon et al. 2009) to the context of sociotechnical controversies in education is the focus of this paper. This process reflects an emergent 'thought collective' (Fleck 1979) whose common interests, yet diverse expertise, are articulated through provisional objects and infrastructure for collective and experimental knowledge production. The technique of ‘prototyping’ was then deployed for a design experiment to: first, slow down, or suspend, existing power relations of co-evolving technologies and methodologies and, second, to accelerate, or expand, new possibilities and configurations for democratisation.Education prototypingis then introduced, with the intent to co-produce pluralistic spaces that expose challenges and test possibilities. Key aspects include the following: (i) prototyping dynamics: problematization and prefiguration; and, (ii) prototyping practices: spanning the temporal, methodological, relational, material, and spatial. These aspects were tested in the context of a research project exploring automated essay scoring in Australian schools. While always situated and partial, we argue that prototyping offers a unique device to interrupt and experiment with the politics of collaboratively researching increasingly networked and commercialised technologies across education and society.
Hybrid Sine Cosine Algorithm with Integrated Roulette Wheel Selection and Opposition-Based Learning for Engineering Optimization Problems
Authors: Pham Vu Hong Son , Nguyen Dang Nghiep Trinh , Nguyen Van Nam
Published: October 2023

The sine cosine algorithm (SCA) is widely recognized for its efficacy in solving optimization problems, although it encounters challenges in striking a balance between exploration and exploitation. To improve these limitations, a novel model, termed the novel sine cosine algorithm (nSCA), is introduced. In this advanced model, the roulette wheel selection (RWS) mechanism and opposition-based learning (OBL) techniques are integrated to augment its global optimization capabilities. A meticulous evaluation of nSCA performance has been carried out in comparison with state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, including multi-verse optimizer (MVO), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), moth-flame optimization (MFO), grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA), and whale optimization algorithm (WOA), in addition to the original SCA. This comparative analysis was conducted across a wide array of 23 classical test functions and 29 CEC2017 benchmark functions, thereby facilitating a comprehensive assessment. Further validation of nSCA utility has been achieved through its deployment in five distinct engineering optimization case studies. Its effectiveness and relevance in addressing real-world optimization issues have thus been emphasized. Across all conducted tests and practical applications, nSCA was found to outperform its competitors consistently, furnishing more effective solutions to both theoretical and applied optimization problems.
Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Salmonella Isolated from Human, Animal and Environment Samples in South Asia: A 10-Year Meta-analysis
Authors: Talukder Himel , Roky Shamsul Alam , Debnath Konad , Sharma Binayok , Ahmed Juned , Roy Sawrab
Published: October 2023

Salmonella is a foodborne zoonotic bacterium, and the antimicrobial-resistant strains of Salmonella are a worldwide health concern. Herein, we employed a meta-analysis to determine the pooled prevalence of Salmonella and its antimicrobial resistance status in human, animal, and environmental isolates in South Asia. To this end, we followed the standard guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements for searching literature in three databases namely PubMed, Google Scholar, and CAB abstracts, and a total of 100 eligible datasets were finally included which were published from January 2010 to June 2021. In the pooled prevalence of Salmonella in South Asia, the random model effect was 14.47% (95% CI: 10.17–20.19) with a high degree of heterogeneity (I2, 99.8%) and overall antimicrobial resistance was 70% (95% CI: 63.0–76.0) with a heterogeneity of 23.6%. The temporal distribution of the overall antimicrobial resistance (%) against Salmonella was increased from 53 to 77% within 10 years. Out of 18 distinct Salmonella serotypes, S. enterica was highly prevalent (14.22%, 95% CI: 4.02–39.64) followed by S.pullorum (13.50%, 95% CI: 5.64–29.93) with antimicrobial resistance (%) were 86.26 and 90.06, respectively. Noteworthy, nalidixic acid (74.25%) and tetracycline (37.64%) were found mostly resistant to Salmonella whereas ceftriaxone (1.07%) and cefixime (1.24%) were sensitive. This systematic review demonstrated that overall antibiotic resistance profiles of Salmonella are increasing over time in South Asia. Thus, adequate hygienic practices, proper use of antimicrobials, and implementation of antibiotic stewardship are imperative for halting the Salmonella spread and its antimicrobial resistance.
Henry James and the Promise of Fiction
Authors: Burrows Stuart
Published: October 2023

What is the relation between the novel and ethical thought? Henry James and the Promise of Fiction argues that the answer to this question lies not in the content of a work of fiction but in its form. Stuart Burrows explores the relationship between James's ethical vision and his densely metaphorical style, his experiments with narrative time, and his radical reimagining of perspective. Each chapter takes as its starting point a different aspect of an issue at the heart of moral philosophy: the act of promising. Engaging with a range of moral philosophers and literary theorists, most notably David Hume, Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Ricoeur, and Jacques Derrida, Henry James and the Promise of Fiction argues that James's formal experimentation represents a significant contribution to ethical thought in its own right.
EU–US Data Privacy Framework: A First Legal Assessment
Authors: Batlle Sergi , van Waeyenberge Arnaud
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this contribution is to briefly present the content of the EU–US Data Privacy Framework recently adopted by the European Commission and then to assess whether it meets the expectations expressed by the Court of Justice of the European Union in its Schrems II judgment and related case law.