bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Psychosocial Hierarchy of Controls: Effectively Reducing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
Authors: Kjærgaard Asta , Rudolf Emilie Marie , Palmqvist Julie , Jakobsen Mikala Ernebjerg , Ajslev Jeppe Zielinski Nguyen
Published: December 2024

Background

Psychosocial hazards in the workplace contribute to mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and musculoskeletal ill‐health. The Hierarchy of Controls applied to NIOSH Total Worker Health (TWH HOC) aims to mitigate these hazards through effective interventions. This study proposes a revision of the model resulting in a HOC for psychosocial hazards (P‐HOC) and explores its application in improving the working environment.

Methods

We reviewed recent literature on organizational and individual interventions to revise the TWH HOC to a psychosocial HOC framework. Subsequently, the modified P‐HOC was applied to a qualitative case study of nine Danish companies participating in the Danish “Agreement to problem‐solve” labor inspection strategy. We analyzed the types of initiatives implemented and gathered qualitative data on employee and management perspectives on their effectiveness.

Results

The study led to a revision of the TWH HOC resulting in a P‐HOC prioritizing organizational measures with documented effect, and indicating the importance of comprehensive measures. Findings from the qualitative study indicate a predominant contemporary focus on lower‐level P‐HOC initiatives, such as individual‐based approaches and administrative controls. While these interventions show some improvements in mental well‐being and work culture, they seem insufficient to enhance the comprehensive psychosocial environment. Companies implementing higher‐level interventions experienced greater efficacy, particularly when employing multifaceted approaches.

Conclusions

The study emphasizes the need for a more robust application of higher‐level measures and multifaceted interventions to better improve the psychosocial working environment. Future research should investigate the P‐HOC's varying impact and explore alternative frameworks for better intervention outcomes.
“Not Yours to Reclaim”: White possessive logics and the Reclaim Australia movement of 2015–6
Authors: Al‐Natour Ryan
Published: December 2024

Within settler colonial societies around the world, the racialisation of settlers of colour as “invaders” exemplifies how invasion paradoxes operate on Indigenous lands that remain both stolen and unceded. The Reclaim Australia movement was active in 2015–2016 and frequently denied its racism as it protested the presence of Muslims within Australian society. Whilst Islamophobia is a key defining feature of this movement, this article focusses on Reclaim Australia's persistent expressions of anti‐Indigenous racisms. In analysing this racist movement, I point out that it is not enough to observe that racist invasion narratives among settlers on stolen, unceded Indigenous lands are paradoxical. Rather, that a series of white possessive logics shape these racisms, as the movement produced two dichotomous narrations of Indigenous peoples that involved a commodified “Aboriginal friend” trope, or framed First Nations peoples as ungrateful “beneficiaries” of the colonial project that is Australia.
Propranolol Reduces Parkinson's Tremor and Inhibits Tremor‐Related Activity in the Motor Cortex: A Placebo‐Controlled Crossover Trial
Authors: van der Heide Anouk , Wessel Maaike , Papadopetraki Danae , Geurts Dirk E.M. , van Prooije Teije H. , Gommans Frank , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Dirkx Michiel F. , Helmich Rick C.
Published: December 2024

Objective

Parkinson's disease (PD) resting tremor is thought to be initiated in the basal ganglia and amplified in the cerebello‐thalamo‐cortical circuit. Because stress worsens tremor, the noradrenergic system may play a role in amplifying tremor. We tested if and how propranolol, a non‐selective beta‐adrenergic receptor antagonist, reduces PD tremor and whether or not this effect is specific to stressful conditions.

Methods

In a cross‐over, double‐blind intervention study, participants with PD resting tremor received propranolol (40 mg, single dose) or placebo (counter‐balanced) on 2 different days. During both days, we assessed tremor severity (with accelerometry) and tremor‐related brain activity (with functional magnetic resonance imaging), as well as heart rate and pupil diameter, while subjects performed a stressful cognitive load task that has been linked to the noradrenergic system. We tested for effects of drug (propranolol vs placebo) and stress (cognitive load vs rest) on tremor power and tremor‐related brain activity.

Results

We included 27 PD patients with prominent resting tremor. Tremor power significantly increased during cognitive load versus rest (F[1,19] = 13.8; p = 0.001;  = 0.42) and decreased by propranolol versus placebo (F[1,19] = 6.4; p = 0.02;  = 0.25), but there was no interaction. We observed task‐related brain activity in a stress‐sensitive cognitive control network and tremor power‐related activity in the cerebello‐thalamo‐cortical circuit. Propranolol significantly reduced tremor‐related activity in the motor cortex compared to placebo (F[1,21] = 5.3; p = 0.03;  = 0.20), irrespective of cognitive load.

Interpretation

Our findings indicate that propranolol has a general, context‐independent, tremor‐reducing effect that may be implemented at the level of the primary motor cortex. ANN NEUROL 2024
Unlocking the Potential of Polylactic Acid: Exploring Its Thermal and Mechanical Properties for Vitrimerization via Double Reactive Extrusion and Transesterification
Authors: Cherif Linda Yahia , Naar Nacira , Mekki Ahmed , Ouadah Amina , Hamada Rania Ahmed , Trache Djalal
Published: December 2024

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biosourced thermoplastic polymer widely used in various fields such as biomedical, packaging, and prototyping. Enhancing PLA thermal and mechanical properties has been a research focus, by transforming it into a vitrimer, a new polymer class. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a dual reactive extrusion process followed by vacuum compression molding to improve a thermoplastic's properties with vitrimer tendency, using PLA as the main component, diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) as an additive, and zinc acetate as a catalyst. Several characterizations were carried out to assess the thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties of the developed PLA mixtures. Moreover, a kinetic study using three iterative isoconversional integral models (iterative Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (it‐KAS), iterative Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (it‐FWO), and Trache–Abdelaziz–Siwani) was employed to analyze the effects of the catalyst and DGEBA on the cross‐linking reaction kinetics after the process employed in this work. Results demonstrated the presence of a cross‐linked structure in addition to a promising polymer behavior characterized by enhancements in toughness, ductility, and cross‐linking density by 290%, 127.5%, and 80.5%, respectively. Finally, the optimal composition exhibited almost 96% self‐healing of its surface, demonstrating significant potential for advanced material applications.
The Effect of Various Functional Groups on the Morphology and Performances of Crosslinked Addition‐Type Poly(Norbornene)s‐Based Anion Exchange Membranes
Authors: Li Quan , He Xiaohui , Feng Ling , Zhang Wenjun , Tang Changxin , Ye Jia , Chen Defu
Published: December 2024

To investigate the effect of different functional groups on the morphology and properties of crosslinked anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a series of novel partially crosslinked addition‐type poly(norbornene)s‐based AEMs were prepared by flexibly grafting N‐methylpyrrolidinium, N‐methylpiperidinium, N‐methylmorpholinium, and 1, 2‐dimethylimidazolium onto an addition‐type poly(norbornene)s backbone. The well‐developed microphase separation morphology was observed for all the prepared crosslinked AEMs using AFM and SAXS. The AEM with N‐methylpyrrolidine groups (CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐MPY) constructed more uniform and wider ion transport channel, exhibiting the highest hydroxide conductivity of 122.0 mS cm−1 at 80°C. The AEM‐tethering N‐methylpiperidine cations (CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐MPRD) exhibited the best alkaline stability and achieved 90.61% conductivity retention even after being soaked in 1 M NaOH at 80°C for 1008 h. Meanwhile, the order of alkaline stability was CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐MPRD>CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐MPY>CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐DMMI>CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐NMM. The peak power density of a H2/O2 fuel cell equipped with CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐MPY, CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐MPRD, CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐NMM, and CL‐aPNB‐TMHDA‐DMMI were 247.3, 218.1, 185.9, and 178.0 mW cm−2 at 80°C, respectively. These results of the comparison of AEMs with different cation groups give some insights for designing high‐performance AEMs in future.
Safety and feasibility of En‐bloc holmium laser enucleation for very large prostates (> 200 cc) with trainee involvement
Authors: Maluf Feres C. , Bhatia Ansh , Khandekar Archan , Lopategui Diana M. , Porto Joao G. , Chen Ryan R. , Daher Jean C. , Zarli Mohamadhusni , Marcovich Robert , Shah Hemendra N.
Published: December 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the safety and feasibility of “en‐bloc” Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) with trainee involvement in patients with prostates larger than 200 cc.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients undergoing HoLEP using the “en‐bloc” technique for prostate sizes > 200 cc between July‐2017 and December‐2023 at an academic teaching hospital. Perioperative data was collected, including patient demographics, clinical parameters, operative details and functional outcomes. Patients who continued to experience incontinence at 1 year were further followed up at 2 years to update their continence status. Sub‐group analysis was performed to compare outcomes between patients with preoperative prostate size of 200–300 cc and > 300 cc.

Results

The analysis included 89 patients with a mean age of 73.12 ± 8.10 years. Preoperative prostate weight ranged from 200 to 401 cc with a median of 245 cc, and median PSA was 7.71 ng/ml. Median operative time was 218.5 minutes, and median enucleated prostate volume was 164.2 cc. Median postoperative PSA was 0.4 [0.21–0.78] ng/ml. At 1‐year follow‐up, mean IPSS was 1 ± 2.4, Qmax was 27.03 ± 11.57 ml/s and PVR was 21.6 ± 28.6 ml. Postoperative complications included blood transfusion (5.6%), acute renal injury (4.5%), urinary tract infection (2.2%), postoperative urinary retention (2.2%) and urethral stricture (5%). Although transient urinary incontinence was noted in 41.6% at 1–3‐months, complete continence was achieved in 83.3% and 96.3% at 1 and 2 years postoperatively, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed significant differences in operative time and enucleated weight between prostates 200–300 cc and > 300 cc, but no significant differences in postoperative IPSS, PVR or Qmax at 3‐months.

Conclusion

“En‐bloc” HoLEP is a feasible and safe procedure for prostates larger than 200 cc, demonstrating favourable perioperative and functional outcomes despite the extended operative times and involvement of trainees.
Displacement Washing of Filter Cakes With a Fine Particle Top Layer
Authors: Sauer Florian , Löwer Erik , Henn Hendrik , Peuker Urs , Hoffner Bernhard
Published: December 2024

Displacement washing of filter cakes is a critical process in various filtration applications and the presence of a top layer of fine particles from preceding cake filtration may influence washing efficiency. To investigate the effect of such a top layer on the displacement washing process, filter cakes with solid volume fractions ranging from 15 % to 33 % are formed from crushed, irregularly shaped limestone particles of about 10 to 250 µm to minimize or induce segregation effects due to sedimentation superimposed on cake filtration. The structural properties of the filter cakes are measured using X‐ray microscopy and dynamic image analysis. To predict the influence of cake structure on displacement washing, an advection–dispersion model is employed. Comparison between prediction and experimental data shows good agreement, highlighting the impact of cake structure on washing efficiency and providing valuable insights for optimizing displacement washing processes in industrial applications.
Room vs. Body Temperature to Evaluate Electrical Interface Parameters of State‐Of‐The‐Art PEDOT : PSS‐Based Electrodes
Authors: Cysewska Karolina
Published: December 2024

In this work, the effect of the simulated body fluid temperature on the electrical interface parameters of the state‐of‐the‐art PEDOT‐PSS electrode was studied. PEDOT‐PSS was synthesized by electrodeposition on graphite and gold‐coated‐graphite electrodes. All electrochemical measurements were performed in phosphate‐buffered saline aqueous solution (pH 7.4) at room temperature (25 °C) and body temperature (37 °C). The results of the work confirmed that the modification of the carbon or metallic electrode with conducting polymer PEDOT : PSS significantly reduced the interfacial impedance and improved charge storage capacity and current injection limit due to its high electroactive surface area, roughness and porosity compared to the bare substrates. The work showed that solution temperature is a critical factor that can influence the electrical interface parameters of electrodes for neural stimulation. Understanding and controlling these temperature‐dependent effects are essential for ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficacy of neural stimulation applications in both research and clinical settings.
Sustainable Battery Biomaterials
Authors: Crespilho Frank N. , Costa Carlos M. , Lanceros‐Méndez Senentxu
Published: December 2024

The future of energy storage demands not just efficiency but sustainability. Current battery technologies, relying on finite resources materials, face critical challenges related to environmental impact and safety. This Perspective explores the transformative potential of biomaterials – specifically biopolymers, bioinspired redox molecules, and bio‐derived gels – in contributing to sustainable energy storage. Highlighting recent advancements, we focus on the integration of natural and bioinspired materials as binders, electrodes, and electrolytes. These innovations present viable alternatives to traditional, non‐biodegradable battery components while opening new frontiers in 3D printing, bio‐based thick electrodes, and solid‐state electrolytes. Despite challenges such as scalability and long‐term stability, biomaterials hold the key to reshaping the landscape of energy storage technologies, offering a path toward a greener, safer, and more efficient future.
SIW Technology for 5G Antenna Applications and Beyond—A Critical Review
Authors: Darling Jeba Saral , Guruviah Velmathi , Dwivedi Ravi Prakash
Published: December 2024

With the current advancements in millimeter wave communication, low‐profile structure and power handling capability at high frequencies have become the prime focus for the researchers. substrate integrated waveguide (SIWs), providing better efficiency by exhibiting high‐quality factors and confining EM waves, have become a favorable technology in the antenna regime. Recently, SIWs along with liquid metals have facilitated reconfigurability with extremely thin substrate materials. Antenna on‐chip (AOC) using Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies along with Multiple Input and Multiple output (MIMO) applications are showing great potential for researchers in this domain. This review article intends to provide a comprehensive overview of the different types of SIW antennas operating in the 5G band, various SIW topologies, detailed analysis of gain, bandwidth, and isolation. Slotted SIW antennas give exceptional isolation between the bands and low cross‐polarization levels while horn antenna arrays offer wide coverage. Slow wave SIW has achieved an 80% reduction in size with the usage of multi‐antipodal metalized blinds via holes and distributed metal strips. Details on advancement in the artificial intelligence (AI) based SIW antennas are also presented in brief.
Retinal Microperimetry as a Novel Tool for Early Detection of Subclinical Cognitive Dysfunction and Brain Damage in Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mateu‐Salat Manel , Stanton‐Yonge Nicole , Santaló Frederic Sampedro , Vela José Ignacio , Cascajosa Jesús Díaz , Pérez Eva Safont , Rego‐Lorca Daniela , Chico Ana
Published: December 2024

Context

Retinal microperimetry (MPR) is a non‐invasive method that measures retinal light sensitivity (RS) and gaze fixation stability (GFS). MPR has been described as a marker of cognitive impairment in people with Type 2 diabetes, but it has never been assessed in people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Our group described subclinical cognitive alterations, structural brain differences, and increased levels of light chain neurofilament (NfL) in people with T1D and impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia.

Objective

To measure RS and GFS using MPR in individuals with T1D and evaluate its correlation with neuropsychological assessment, plasma NfL levels and CGM‐derived glucometric parameters. Secondary objectives: to evaluate the possible differences of RS and GFS in people with T1D depending on hypoglycaemia awareness.

Design, Setting and Participants

Pilot observational study, people with T1D without clinical cognitive impairment, moderate–severe retinopathy or glaucoma. MPR was performed with MAIA3.

Results

A total of 30 subjects were studied: 40% women, age 58 ± 11 years; T1D duration 31 ± 9 years, mild retinopathy 33%. RS was 27.5 dB (26.1–28.3) and GFS(%) 97.6% (93.5%–99.5%). We found a correlation between RS and memory alteration tests (p = 0.016) and between GFS(%) and a composite of attention and executive neuropsychological tests (p = 0.025). An inverse correlation between GFS and time below range was found. No correlation was found with NfL.

Conclusion

This first exploratory study in people with T1D supports the potential utility of MPR as a screening tool for subclinical neurocognitive alterations in this population.
Knowledge cumulation and interdisciplinarity: Integrating epistemologies, disciplines, and sectors to produce actionable environmental governance research
Authors: Khmara Liza
Published: December 2024

For environmental governance research (EGR) to be actionable to catalyze solutions for environmental challenges in policy and praxis, it must allow for knowledge cumulation that demonstrates the applicability of EGR to existing and future issues, improves the robustness and validity of EGR, and identifies conditions, causal mechanisms and other underlying features of environmental governance. It is recognized that EGR cannot produce such knowledge without integrating various disciplines to connect environmental issues with their political dimensions and implications. Yet, EGR resembles a “fragmented adhocracy” that lacks standardized theoretical frameworks, concepts, and research approaches. To overcome this disciplinary fragmentation and develop mechanisms to effectively aggregate environmental governance evidence, it is critical to understand knowledge cumulation processes and identify research practices that can impede the integration of knowledge. This narrative review examines the dimensions of EGR to argue that (1) knowledge cumulation in EGR lies in interdisciplinary knowledge integration; and (2) EGR will only fulfill its goals of informing policy and praxis if knowledge cumulation between researchers is considered as a precondition of actionable knowledge.
Data‐driven 3D modelling of long‐term Holocene delta evolution and sediment compaction: The Mekong Delta
Authors: Baldan Selena , Minderhoud Philip S. J. , Xotta Riccardo , Zoccarato Claudia , Teatini Pietro
Published: December 2024

The Vietnamese Mekong River Delta (VMD) is one of the largest and lowest elevated deltas on Earth, shaped over the past thousands of years following delta progradation and sediment deposition. The geologically young delta sediments have high porosity and compressibility, resulting in high natural sediment consolidation (also known as autocompaction). Autocompaction is a natural intrinsic process that governs the spatio‐temporal morphological evolution and shallow compaction (i.e., land subsidence) in a delta. As a delta aggrades and progrades, the weight of accumulated sediments increases the effective stress experienced by underlying sediments, driving internal shallow compaction processes. Compaction of shallow sediments considerably contributes to land subsidence in the VMD, influencing the morphology and elevation of the delta plain and increasing the deltas exposure to natural hazards like flooding and relative sea‐level rise. In this study, we introduce a novel methodology to quantify sediment accumulation and autocompaction while taking into account the depositional history and heterogeneous nature of subsurface sediments in deltas like the VMD. We derived the depositional history, spatial heterogeneity and palaeo‐sedimentation rates by combining extensive datasets with lithological borelogs, sediment datings and geomechanical characterization of the delta's most representative lithologies. To simulate the spatio‐temporal formation and evolution of the delta over the last 4000 years, we employ the NATSUB3D finite element model to simulate sediment deposition and consolidation over time using an adaptive three‐dimensional mesh. The resulting 3D hydro‐stratigraphical and geomechanical characterization provides unique insights on past Holocene spatio‐temporal evolution of the VMD and current autocompaction dynamics. The model enables the prediction of shallow compaction rates under future sediment deposition and can facilitate process‐based quantification of delta elevation evolution under natural and human‐engineered sedimentation. This unlocks new opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions and sediment enhancing strategies aimed to prevent elevation loss and combat relative sea‐level rise in the Mekong delta and similar lowly elevated coastal‐deltaic landforms elsewhere.
Evaluation of functional, physical and nutritional characteristics of the nutrient‐rich composite bread with wheat, soybean, and moringa flours
Authors: Subramani Thirukkumar , Sivakumar Abijitkumar , Murugan Jeyapriyaa
Published: December 2024

The replacement of wheat flour with other raw materials is increasing, and there is a high demand for bakery products that benefit human health. Those incorporated materials may affect the quality of the end products. Four bread samples were prepared using individual flours according to the following formulations for assessment of quality attributes: sample A—100:0:0, sample B—90:5:5, sample C—80:15:5, and sample D—70:25:5 for wheat flour (WF), soybean flour (SF), and moringa leaf powder (MP), respectively. The flours exhibited the following functional properties viz., bulk density, swelling capacity, water absorption capacity (WAC), and oil absorption capacity (OAC) ranging from 0.81 to 0.86 g/mL, 3.46%–6.40%, 3.55–4.70 mL/g, and 3.85–4.10 mL/g, correspondingly. Adding SF and MP instead of WF significantly increased the carbohydrate content of all other nutrient compounds in the bread samples. The A—bread sample had a higher loaf volume, height, and specific volume than the different samples. The sensory evaluation results showed that the panelists accepted all the bread samples. The composite flour used in the preparation of bread had great potential in bakery products due to its high nutrients and improved functional characteristics.
Nothing about Us without Us in Precision Medicine: A Call to Reframe Disability Difference in Genetics and Genomics
Authors: Mintz Kevin T. , Stramondo Joseph A. , Tabor Holly K.
Published: December 2024

Sixty‐one million Americans and approximately a billion people worldwide live with some form of disability that limits one or more major life activities. The field of precision medicine continues to grapple with how to best serve disability communities. In this paper, we suggest that precision medicine faces an ethical tension between its goal to treat or cure disabling conditions and views that consider disability as a marginalized identity. We appeal to the concepts of recognition justice and distributive justice to argue that the ELSI community should take a more proactive role in promoting disability inclusion in precision medicine's practice and research. We also highlight two priorities for the ELSI community moving forward: facilitating greater collaboration between genetics and genomic professionals and disability communities and advocating for inclusive research design and disability accommodations in the research process.
Toward Justice and Community Empowerment in Genomics Studies on Sensitive Traits
Authors: Natri Heini M. , Chapman Carolyn Riley
Published: December 2024

Community engagement and participatory research have been appropriately employed to increase the relevance, rigor, and acceptability of all types of research, but these approaches may be particularly important in genomics and biomedical research on sensitive traits such as neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and behavioral ones. Here, we provide an overview of past and ongoing efforts in community engagement in genomics studies and consider successes and opportunities for further improvement. Informed by this knowledge as well as one of the author's experiences, we set out a vision for a more equitable and collaborative genomics where wider communities, including social, ethnic, and other communities that share a particular trait, are included in the research as peers and collaborators, not solely as objects of study.
Accountability for Reasonableness as a Framework for the Promotion of Fair and Equitable Research
Authors: Dupras Charles , Dubé Marie‐Pierre , Gravel Simon , Haidar Hazar
Published: December 2024

Despite increased efforts to ensure diversity in genomic research, the exclusion of minority groups from data analyses and publications remains a critical issue. This paper addresses the ethical implications of these exclusions and proposes accountability for reasonableness (A4R) as a framework to promote fairness and equity in research. Originally conceived by Norman Daniels and James Sabin to guide resource allocation in the context of health policy, A4R emphasizes publicity, relevance of reasons, enforcement, and revision as essential for legitimacy and trust in the decision‐making process. The authors argue that A4R is also relevant to resource allocation in research and that, if adequately informed and incentivized by funding agencies, institutional review boards, and scientific journals, researchers are well‐positioned to assess data‐selection justifications. The A4R framework provides a promising foundation for fostering accountability in genomics and other fields, including artificial intelligence, where lack of diversity and pervasive biases threaten equitable benefit sharing.
Can Open Science Advance Health Justice? Genomic Research Dissemination in the Evolving Data‐Sharing Landscape
Authors: Kraft Stephanie A. , Mittendorf Kathleen F.
Published: December 2024

Scientific data‐sharing and open science initiatives are increasingly important mechanisms for advancing the impact of genomic research. These mechanisms are being implemented as growing attention is paid to the need to improve the inclusion of research participants from marginalized and underrepresented groups. Together, these efforts aim to promote equitable advancements in genomic medicine. However, if not guided by community‐informed protections, these efforts may harm the very participants and communities they aim to benefit. This essay examines potential benefits and harms of open science and explores how to advance a more just vision of open science in genomics. Drawing on relational ethics frameworks, we argue that researchers should consider their obligations to participants as well as the broader communities that are impacted by their research. We propose eight strategies to provide a foundation of practical steps for researchers to reduce the possibility of harms stemming from open science and to work toward genomic justice.
Moving toward Equity through Embedded ELSI Ethnography
Authors: James Jennifer Elyse , Riddle Leslie , Koenig Barbara , Joseph Galen
Published: December 2024

This paper describes the unique values of, challenges within, and opportunities presented by embedded ELSI ethnography. Drawing from our six‐year embedded ELSI study of the WISDOM (Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of Risk) trial, we present three examples of the variable ways we engaged with the WISDOM trial's scientific team. WISDOM is a preference‐sensitive, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial of risk‐based breast cancer screening informed by genomics. Our embedded ELSI approach included multiple modes of engagement: (a) Trial investigators sought bioethics expertise; for example, we were asked to consult on traditional bioethics topics such as consent as well as more complex questions about whether to implement a specific risk‐assessment approach on only one race‐defined group of trial participants. (b) As the ELSI investigators, we identified ethical concerns in issues that surfaced via ethnography and considered them in the Bioethics Working Group; for example, there were concerns about the implementation processes that the WISDOM team viewed as logistical challenges. (c) Our presence in WISDOM working group conversations and our expertise on classic social science topics, including race and gender, offered opportunities to engage on the spot with topics such as how to include transgender participants in a trial initially focused on “women's health”; through such engagement, the value of social science became clear to the trial investigators. The paper elaborates on the dynamic relationship between our ethnographic observations, the Bioethics Working Group discussions, and the contributions of each to our real‐time ELSI interventions in these examples. The methods and experiences we describe here suggest modes of engagement that, in combination, have the potential to expand the role of ELSI to offer real‐time intervention on issues related to equity, inclusion, and justice in genetic and genomic research.
From Eugenics to Human Genome Editing: Bionationalism and Instrumentalizing Life in China within a Global Context
Authors: Nie Jing‐Bao
Published: December 2024

As shocking as He Jiankui's genetic experiment resulting in the world's first gene‐edited babies may have been, a socioethical inquiry into this paradigmatic case of scientific misconduct reveals its deep roots in genetic and scientific nationalism, as manifested in the widely accepted practice of yousheng (superior birth or eugenics) in China and the country's authoritarian pursuit of science superpower status. Along with eugenics, bionationalism has long been an international phenomenon. A global sociobioethics or ethical transculturalism is thus necessary to adequately investigate the macrolevel sociopolitical, historical, and transnational forces, such as bionationalism, that structurally shape bioethical issues and people's responses to them, causing the systematic undermining of essential bioethical norms and the instrumentalization of human life.
A Just Genomics Needs an ELSI of Translation
Authors: Halley Meghan C. , Olson Nate W. , Ashley Euan A. , Goldenberg Aaron J. , Tabor Holly K.
Published: December 2024

The rapid advances in genomics over the last decade have come to fruition amid intense public discussions of justice in medicine and health care. While much emphasis has been placed on increasing diversity in genomics research participation, an overly narrow focus on recruitment eschews recognition of the disparities in health care that will ultimately shape access to the benefits of genomic medicine. In this essay, we suggest that achieving a just genomics, both now and in the future, requires an explicit ELSI of translation—normative and pragmatic scholarship that embraces the interconnectedness of research and clinical care and centers the obligations of researchers, institutions, and funders to mitigate inequities throughout the translational pipeline. We propose core principles to guide an ELSI of translation and to ensure that this work balances the value of the generalizable knowledge that genomics research generates and the value of the individuals and communities who make this research possible.
Linking Anxiolytic Action to Hippocampal “Theta”—A Personal History
Authors: McNaughton N.
Published: December 2024

This paper provides a personal history of work starting with the discovery that anxiolytic drugs reduce hippocampal theta frequency. It includes parallel work on septal elicitation of theta carried out in Jeffrey Gray's laboratory in Oxford; a statement of my original scientific perspective on the work; and a description of later work in my laboratory in New Zealand confirming the function of theta rhythmicity per se and its mediation of the effects of anxiolytic drugs on behavior. I finish with comments on risk management with such experiments and their use in larger scale theory development.
The Discovery of Head Direction Cells: A Personal Account
Authors: Taube Jeffrey S.
Published: December 2024

This article is my recollection of events surrounding the discovery of head direction (HD) cells by Jim Ranck in 1984 and the first journal publications 6 years later. Ranck first described the fundamental properties of HD cells qualitatively in a Society for Neuroscience abstract (1984) and in the proceedings to a conference. Ranck, however, was convinced by Bob Muller, a faculty colleague in the lab, to delay writing up Jim's discovery until they developed a two‐spot video tracking system, which would enable proper quantitative analyses. The development of this system was complex and was still undergoing development when I arrived in the Brooklyn lab in 1986. By this time, Jim had begun to refocus his efforts on thinking about the relationship between space and manifolds and was no longer engaged in active research. It thus befell me (unintentionally) to complete the recordings of these fascinating cells. This endeavor involved recording additional HD cells with the new video tracking system, monitoring the cells' responses following a series of environmental manipulations, and performing quantitative analyses on the data. Throughout 1987, I recorded most of the cells that would form the basis for our 1990 papers published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Along the way, there were many events and emotions: luck, excitement, humor, frustration, tutorials, unintended outcomes, and long‐lasting friendships. I was guided and supported during this time by both Bob Muller and John Kubie, but remain forever grateful to Jim for this wonderful opportunity.
Exploration of histone protein γ‐H2AX as a prognostic factor in soft tissue sarcomas and its association with biological behavior, immune cell environment and survival in leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Simon Adrian Georg , Lyu Su Ir , Schultheis Anne Maria , Stahl David , Wuerdemann Nora , Walter Sebastian , Hieggelke Lena , Buettner Reinhard , Bruns Christiane Josephine , Eysel Peer , Schiffmann Lars Mortimer , Knipper Karl , Mallmann Peter , Quaas Alexander , Ullrich Roland
Published: December 2024

This study evaluates the H2AX/γ‐H2AX expression in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), its implications for biological behavior and immune environment, and its potential as a prognostic biomarker. RNA‐Seq data from 237 STS were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas project. Patients were stratified by H2AX mRNA expression using a survival‐associated cutoff. Differentially expressed genes and pathways as well as immune signatures between H2AXhigh‐ and H2AXlow tumors were identified with DESeq2 analysis, gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA), Enrichr pathway analysis and CIBERSORTx. Tissue microarrays of a different cohort of 291 STS were generated for immunohistochemical staining to assess γ‐H2AX protein expression, followed by statistical evaluation. High H2AX mRNA expression was associated with shorter overall survival (OS) in STS (p = 0.02), particularly in leiomyosarcomas (LMS) (p < 0.001), and was a negative prognostic factor in LMS (HR 11.15, p < 0.001). H2AXhigh LMS tumors showed upregulation of cell cycle‐related pathways, while H2AXlow LMS exhibited increased inflammatory activity, including elevated M1 macrophage signatures and resting mast cell signatures (both p < 0.001). High γ‐H2AX protein levels were an independent negative prognostic factor in the total LMS cohort (HR 12.12, p = 0.025) and in the subgroup of non‐uterine LMS (HR 153.80, p = 0.013). Consistent with CIBERSORTx analysis, γ‐H2AXlow LMS showed higher mast cell infiltration than γ‐H2AXhigh LMS (p = 0.038). In conclusion, H2AX mRNA and γ‐H2AX protein expression are associated with distinct biological behavior, differences in the immune cell environment, and might serve as useful prognostic biomarkers in LMS.
A Novel Edge‐Enhanced Networks for Optic Disc and Optic Cup Segmentation
Authors: Liu Mingtao , Wang Yunyu , Li Yuxuan , Hu Shunbo , Wang Guodong , Wang Jing
Published: December 2024

Optic disc and optic cup segmentation plays a key role in early diagnosis of glaucoma which is a serious eye disease that can cause damage to the optic nerve, retina, and may cause permanent blindness. Deep learning‐based models are used to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fundus image segmentation. However, most approaches currently still have limitations in accurately segmenting optic disc and optic cup, which suffer from the lack of feature abstraction representation and blurring of segmentation in edge regions. This paper proposes a novel edge enhancement network called EE‐TransUNet to tackle this challenge. It incorporates the Cascaded Convolutional Fusion block before each decoder layer. This enhances the abstract representation of features and preserves the information of the original features, thereby improving the model's nonlinear fitting ability. Additionally, the Channel Shuffling Multiple Expansion Fusion block is incorporated into the skip connections of the model. This block enhances the network's ability to perceive and characterize image features, thereby improving segmentation accuracy at the edges of the optic cup and optic disc. We validate the effectiveness of the method by conducting experiments on three publicly available datasets, RIM‐ONE‐v3, REFUGUE and DRISHTI‐GS. The Dice coefficients on the test set are 0.871, 0.9056, 0.9068 for the optic cup region and 0.9721, 0.967, 0.9774 for the optic disc region, respectively. The proposed method achieves competitive results compared to other state‐of‐the‐art methods. Our code is available at: https://github.com/wangyunyuwyy/EE‐TransUNet.
Applying Bayesian Networks to TRL Assessments – Innovation in Systems Engineering
Authors: Austin Marc F. , Ahalt Virginia , Doolittle Erin , Homberger Cheyne , Polacek George A. , York Donal M.
Published: December 2024

Currently, technology readiness assessments (TRAs) are used in determining the maturity of the critical technology elements (CTEs) of a system as it moves forward in the system development life cycle. The TRA method uses technology readiness levels (TRLs) as the decision metric. TRL values are assessed and determined by subject matter experts (SMEs). Since expert evaluators often differ in their judgment when scoring a system element against the TRL scale criteria, this paper argues for the use of a Bayesian network model to provide a mathematical method to consistently combine and validate the judgment of these SMEs and increase the confidence in the determination of the readiness of system components and their technologies.
A Bayesian Approach for Estimating Complex System Reliability
Authors: Doguc Ozge , Ramirez‐Marquez Jose Emmanuel
Published: December 2024

Although a number of recent studies on using Bayesian Networks (BN) for system reliability estimation have been proposed, these studies are based on the assumption that a pre‐built BN was designed to represent the system. In these studies, the task of building the BN is typically left to a group of specialists who are BN and domain experts. However, the process of building a system‐specific BN is generally very time consuming and may lead to incorrect deductions. As there are no existing studies to eliminate the need for a human expert in the process of system reliability estimation, this paper introduces a holistic method that uses historical data about the system to be modeled as a BN and provides efficient techniques for automated construction of the BN model and estimation of the system reliability. Moreover, very limited human intervention is sufficient for the process of BN construction and reliability estimation.
Chaperone Proteins: The Rising Players in Muscle Atrophy
Authors: Acquarone Davide , Bertero Alessandro , Brancaccio Mara , Sorge Matteo
Published: December 2024

Despite significant progress in understanding the molecular aetiology of muscle atrophy, there is still a great need for new targets and drugs capable of counteracting muscle wasting. The role of an impaired proteostasis as the underlying causal mechanism of muscle atrophy is a well‐established concept. From the earliest work on muscle atrophy and the identification of the first atrogenes, the hyper‐activation of the proteolytic systems, such as autophagy and the ubiquitin proteasome system, has been recognized as the major driver of atrophy. However, the role of other key regulators of proteostasis, the chaperone proteins, has been largely overlooked. Chaperone proteins play a pivotal role in protein folding and in preventing the aggregation of misfolded proteins. Indeed, some chaperones, such as αB‐crystallin and Hsp25, are involved in compensatory responses aimed at counteracting protein aggregation during sarcopenia. Chaperones also regulate different intracellular signalling pathways crucial for atrogene expression and the control of protein catabolism, such as the AKT and NF‐kB pathways, which are regulated by Hsp70 and Hsp90. Furthermore, the downregulation of certain chaperones causes severe muscle wasting per se and experimental strategies aimed at preventing this downregulation have shown promising results in mitigating or reversing muscle atrophy. This highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting chaperones and confirms their crucial anti‐atrophic functions. In this review, we summarize the most relevant data showing the modulation and the causative role of chaperone proteins in different types of skeletal muscle atrophies.
Beyond the income‐achievement gap: The role of individual, family, and environmental factors in cognitive resilience among low‐income youth
Authors: Rakesh Divyangana , Sadikova Ekaterina , McLaughlin Katie A.
Published: December 2024

Background

Low socioeconomic status is associated with lower cognitive performance and long‐term disparities in achievement and success. However, not all children from low‐income backgrounds exhibit lower cognitive performance. Characterizing the factors that promote such resilience in youth from low‐income households is of crucial importance.

Methods

We used baseline data from participants in the lowest tertile of income‐to‐needs in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study and machine learning to identify the factors that predict fluid and crystallized cognitive resilience among youth from low‐income backgrounds. Predictors included 164 variables across child characteristics, family and developmental history, and environment.

Results

Our models were reliably able to predict resilience but were substantially more accurate for crystallized cognition (AUC = 0.75) than for fluid cognition (AUC = 0.67). Key predictors included developmental factors such as birthweight and duration of breastfeeding, neighborhood‐level factors (e.g., living in concentrated privilege, enrollment in advanced placement courses), children's own temperament and mental health, and other factors such as physical activity and involvement in extracurricular activities.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the importance of a multifaceted approach to promoting cognitive resilience among children from low‐income households in future intervention work.
Factors related to mean corpuscular volume in HFE p.C282Y homozygotes
Authors: Barton James C. , Barton J. Clayborn , Acton Ronald T.
Published: December 2024

Introduction

The aim of this study was to define the relationships between factors other than transferrin saturation (TS) to mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and macrocytosis (MCV > 100 fL) in HFE p.C282Y (rs1800562) homozygotes.

Methods

We studied white post‐screening participants with p.C282Y homozygosity who did not have anemia, report cirrhosis or pregnancy, or use medications that increase MCV. We analyzed relations of MCV and macrocytosis with age, sex, diabetes reports, daily alcohol consumption, swollen or tender 2nd/3rd metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, TS, and serum ferritin (SF).

Results

There were 257 participants (110 men and 147 women). Median alcohol consumption, median TS, median SF, and macrocytosis prevalence were significantly greater in men. Relative risk of macrocytosis in men was 2.81. In men and women, there were significant positive Pearson's correlations of MCV versus age and Spearman's correlations of MCV versus alcohol consumption and TS. Mean MCV and macrocytosis prevalence were significantly greater in participants with than without swollen or tender 2nd/3rd MCP joints. Linear regression on MCV revealed positive associations: age (p < 0.0001), alcohol consumption (p = 0.0007), and TS (p < 0.0001). Logistic regression on macrocytosis revealed an odds ratio for age of 1.04 (95% confidence interval: 1.00, 1.07).

Conclusions

MCV in HFE p.C282Y homozygotes is positively related to age, daily alcohol consumption, TS, and swollen or tender 2nd/3rd MCP joints.
The Mutuality of Adaptive Leadership and Integral Peace Leadership
Authors: Widner Tara , Smith Rod
Published: December 2024

Peace leadership is an adaptive challenge, thus the authors demonstrate the mutuality that exists between Peace Leadership and Adaptive Leadership. The authors also argue that peace leaders would be more effective in mobilizing groups by utilizing both theories, and also demonstrate how it can be done in practice.