bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep medullary vein damage correlates with small vessel disease in small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Wang Xueyang , Lyu Jinhao , Duan Qi , Li Chenxi , Huang Jiayu , Meng Zhihua , Wu Xiaoyan , Chen Wen , Wang Guohua , Niu Qingliang , Li Xin , Bian Yitong , Han Dan , Guo Weiting , Yang Shuai , Bian Xiangbing , Lan Yina , Wang Liuxian , Zhang Tingyang , Duan Caohui , Lou Xin ,   on behalf of the MR-STARS Investigators
Published: February 2024

Objectives

We aim to investigate whether cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) imaging markers correlate with deep medullary vein (DMV) damage in small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke (SVO-AIS) patients.

Methods

The DMV was divided into six segments according to the regional anatomy. The total DMV score (0–18) was calculated based on segmental continuity and visibility. The damage of DMV was grouped according to the quartiles of the total DMV score. Neuroimaging biomarkers of cSVD including white matter hyperintensity (WMH), cerebral microbleed (CMB), perivascular space (PVS), and lacune were identified. The cSVD score were further analyzed.

Results

We included 229 SVO-AIS patients, the mean age was 63.7 ± 23.1 years, the median NIHSS score was 3 (IQR, 2–6). In the severe DMV burden group (the 4th quartile), the NIHSS score grade (6 (3–9)) was significantly higher than other groups (p < 0.01). The grade scores for basal ganglia PVS (BG-PVS) were positively correlated with the degree of DMV (R = 0.67, p < 0.01), rather than centrum semivole PVS (CS-PVS) (R = 0.17, p = 0.1). In multivariate analysis, high CMB burden (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 25.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87–345.23) was associated with severe DMV scores. In addition, BG-PVS was related to severe DMV burden in a dose-dependent manner: when BG-PVS score was 3 and 4, the aORs of severe DMV burden were 18.5 and 12.19, respectively.

Conclusion

The DMV impairment was associated with the severity of cSVD, which suggests that DMV burden may be used for risk stratification in SVO-AIS patients.

Clinical relevance statement

The DMV damage score, based on the association between small vessel disease and the deep medullary veins impairment, is a potential new imaging biomarker for the prognosis of small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke, with clinical management implications.

Key Points

• The damage to the deep medullary vein may be one mechanism of cerebral small vessel disease.

• Severe burden of the basal ganglia perivascular space and cerebral microbleed is closely associated with significant impairment to the deep medullary vein.

• The deep medullary vein damage score may reflect a risk of added vascular damage in small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke patients.
Amelioration of NaCl stress on germination, growth, and nitrogen fixation of Vicia faba at isosmotic Na–Ca combinations and Rhizobium
Authors: Danial Amal W. , Basset Refat Abdel
Published: February 2024

Main conclusion

The Na+/Ca2+ratio of 1/5 ameliorated the inhibitory action of NaCl and improved the germination and growth ofVicia faba.Addition of Rhizobium also enhanced nodulation and nitrogen fixation.

Casting light upon the impact of salinity stress on growth and nitrogen fixation ofVicia fabasupplemented withRhizobiumhas been traced in this work. How Ca2+antagonizes Na+toxicity and osmotic stress of NaCl was also targeted in isosmotic combinations of NaCl and CaCl2having various Na+:Ca2+ratios. Growth ofViciafaba(cultivar Giza 3) was studied at two stages: germination and seedling. At both experiments, seeds or seedlings were exposed to successively increasing salinity levels (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl) as well as isosmotic combinations of NaCl and CaCl2(Na+:Ca2+of 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, 1:18, and 1: 20), equivalent to 150 mM NaCl. Inocula of the local nitrogen-fixing bacteria,Rhizobium leguminosarum(OP715892) were supplemented at both stages. NaCl salinity exerted a negative impact on growth and metabolism ofVicia faba; inhibition was proportional with increasing salinity level up to the highest level of 200 mM. Seed germination, shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll content, and nodules (number, weight, leghemoglobin, respiration, and nitrogenase activity) were inhibited by salinity. Ca2+substitution for Na+, particularly at a Na/Ca ratio of 1:5, was stimulatory to almost all parameters at both stages. Statistical correlations between salinity levels and Na/Ca combinations proved one of the four levels (strong- or weak positive, strong- or weak negative) with most of the investigated parameters, depending on the parameter.
Nerves and availability of mesodermal cells are essential for the function of the segment addition zone (SAZ) during segment regeneration in polychaete annelids
Authors: Boilly Benoni , Hondermarck Hubert , Aguado M. Teresa
Published: February 2024

Most of annelids grow all over their asexual life through the continuous addition of segments from a special zone called “segment addition zone” (SAZ) adjacent to the posterior extremity called pygidium. Amputation of posterior segments leads to regeneration (posterior regeneration-PR) of the pygidium and a new SAZ, as well as new segments issued from this new SAZ. Amputation of anterior segments leads some species to regeneration (anterior regeneration-AR) of the prostomium and a SAZ which produces new segments postero-anteriorly as during PR. During the 1960s and 1970s decades, experimental methods on different species (Syllidae, Nereidae, Aricidae) showed that the function of SAZ depends on the presence and number of mesodermal regeneration cells. Selective destruction of mesodermal regeneration cells in AR had no effect on the regeneration of the prostomium, but as for PR, it inhibited segment regeneration. Thus, worms deprived of mesodermal regeneration cells are always able to regenerate the pygidium or the prostomium, but they are unable to regenerate segments, a result which indicates that the SAZ functions only if these regeneration cells are present during PR or AR. Additionally, during AR, nerve fibres regenerate from the cut nerve cord toward the newformed brain, a situation which deprives the SAZ of local regenerating nerve fibres and their secreted growth factors. In contrast, during PR, nerve fibres regenerate both during the entire regeneration phase and then in normal growth. This review summarizes the experimental evidence for mesoderm cell involvement in segment regeneration, and the differential impact of the digestive tube and the regenerated nerve cord during PR vs AR.
Metabolomics and lipidomics signature in celiac disease: a narrative review
Authors: Rostami-Nejad Mohammad , Asri Nastaran , Bakhtiari Sajjad , Khalkhal Ensieh , Maleki Sepehr , Rezaei-Tavirani Mostafa , Jahani-Sherafat Somayeh , Rostami Kamran
Published: February 2024

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the small intestine caused by aberrant immune responses to consumed gluten proteins. CD is diagnosed by a combination of the patients reported symptoms, serologic and endoscopic biopsy evaluation of the small intestine; and adherence to a strict gluten-free diet (GFD) is considered the only available therapeutic approach for this disorder. Novel approaches need to be considered for finding new biomarkers to help this disorder diagnosis and finding a new alternative therapeutic method for this group of patients. Metabolomics and lipidomics are powerful tools to provide highly accurate and sensitive biomarkers. Previous studies indicated a metabolic fingerprint for CD deriving from alterations in gut microflora or intestinal permeability, malabsorption, and energy metabolism. Moreover, since CD is characterized by increased intestinal permeability and due to the importance of membrane lipid components in controlling barrier integrity, conducting lipidomics studies in this disorder is of great importance. In the current study, we tried to provide a critical overview of metabolomic and lipidomic changes in CD.
Assessment of activity and heart rate as indicators for acute stress in Atlantic salmon
Authors: Bloecher Nina , Hedger Richard , Finstad Bengt , Olsen Rolf Erik , Økland Finn , Svendsen Eirik , Rosten Carolyn , Føre Martin
Published: February 2024

The aim of this study was to assess whether activity and heart rate sensor implants can be used to measure stress and thus estimate one important welfare indicator for fish in aquaculture pens, and if such measurements correlate to physiological factors measured through blood sampling. The experiment consisted of two parts: i) a bio-logger study where implanted sensors were used to monitor activity and heart rates for fish undergoing stress (crowding); and ii) an analysis of blood constituents (cortisol, glucose, lactate, and chloride) of a second group of fish undergoing the same treatment. We found that activity measurements can be used to track high-impact stress events but may not be suitable to discern possibly nuanced reactions to stress impacts of lower magnitude. While heart rate was measured reliably, e.g., in showing clear circadian rhythms, it was no credible proxy for predicting stress in this study. Our results thus underline challenges observed in previous work around the use of heart rate as stress indicator, and imply that the translation of its meaning into a proxy for stress needs further work. Although tag-based monitoring of stress is not without its difficulties, studies such as this provide a wealth of information on salmon behaviour and physiology, and the links between these.
Feeding habits of two shark species: velvet belly, Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) and blackmouth catshark, Galeus melastomus (Rafinesque, 1810), present in fishing discards in the Gulf of Cádiz
Authors: Rodríguez-García Carlos , Gonçalves Neto José Belquior , García-Romero Cinthya , Domínguez-Bustos Ángel Rafael , Cabrera-Castro Remedios
Published: February 2024

In many fisheries, such as trawl fisheries, sharks appear among the catches as bycatch or discards, and these species include velvet belly (Etmopterus spinax) and blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus). The objective of this study was to research the feeding habits of both species in the Gulf of Cádiz and to identify possible differences in diet depending on size and time of day. The most frequent sizes were 12–16 cm for E. spinax and 14–20 cm for G. melastomus. Both species preyed mainly on euphausiaceans and teleosts; their Index of Relative Importance (IRI) per species were as follows: E. spinax 42.30% IRI, 21.66% IRI; G. melastomus 52.33% IRI, 27.26% IRI, respectively. Only Etmopterus spinax showed significant variation in diet as a function of the time of day (p < 0.05), although both species showed similar patterns of feeding throughout the day. With respect to size, E. spinax consumes more cephalopods and teleosts as its size increases, while G. melastomus increases its consumption of decapods.
Dynamic sloshing in a rectangular vessel with porous baffles
Authors: Turner M. R.
Published: February 2024

The damping efficiency of vertical porous baffles is investigated for a dynamically coupled fluid-vessel system. The system comprises of a two-dimensional vessel, with a rectangular cross-section, partially filled with fluid, undergoing rectilinear motions with porous baffles obstructing the fluid motion. The baffles pierce the surface of the fluid, thus the problem can be considered as separate fluid filled regions of the vessel, connected by infinitely thin porous baffles, at which transmission conditions based on Darcy’s law are applied. The fluid is assumed to be inviscid, incompressible and irrotational such that the flow in each region is governed by a velocity potential. The application of Darcy’s law at the baffles is significant as it makes the system non-conservative, and thus the resulting characteristic equation for the normal modes leads to damped modes coupled to the moving vessel. Numerical evaluations of the characteristic equation show that the lowest frequency mode typically has the smallest decay rate, and hence will persist longest in an experimental setup. The maximum decay rate of the lowest frequency mode occurs when the baffles split the vessel into identically sized regions.
Coregularity of Fano varieties
Authors: Moraga Joaquín
Published: February 2024

The absolute regularity of a Fano variety, denoted by $$\hat{\textrm{reg}}(X)$$

reg
^

(
X
)

, is the largest dimension of the dual complex of a log Calabi–Yau structure on X. The absolute coregularity is defined to be $$\begin{aligned} \hat{\textrm{coreg}}(X):= \dim X - \hat{\textrm{reg}}(X)-1. \end{aligned}$$

coreg
^

(
X
)

:
=
dim
X
-

reg
^

(
X
)

-
1
.

The coregularity is the complementary dimension of the regularity. We expect that the coregularity of a Fano variety governs, to a large extent, the geometry of X. In this note, we review the history of Fano varieties, give some examples, survey some theorems, introduce the coregularity, and propose several problems regarding this invariant of Fano varieties.
Density of the Level Sets of the Metric Mean Dimension for Homeomorphisms
Authors: Acevedo Jeovanny M. , Romaña Sergio , Arias Raibel
Published: February 2024

LetNbe ann-dimensional compact riemannian manifold, with$$n\ge 2$$n≥2. In this paper, we prove that for any$$\alpha \in [0,n]$$α∈[0,n], the set consisting of homeomorphisms onNwith lower and upper metric mean dimensions equal to$$\alpha $$αis dense in$$\text {Hom}(N)$$Hom(N). More generally, given$$\alpha ,\beta \in [0,n]$$α,β∈[0,n], with$$\alpha \le \beta $$α≤β, we show the set consisting of homeomorphisms onNwith lower metric mean dimension equal to$$\alpha $$αand upper metric mean dimension equal to$$\beta $$βis dense in$$\text {Hom}(N)$$Hom(N). Furthermore, we also give a proof that the set of homeomorphisms with upper metric mean dimension equal tonis residual in$$\text {Hom}(N)$$Hom(N).
Protocols for Co-Culture Phenotypic Assays with Breast Cancer Cells and THP-1-Derived Macrophages
Authors: Mazan Alicja , Marusiak Anna A.
Published: February 2024

Tumor mass comprises not only cancer cells but also heterogeneous populations of immune and stromal cells, along with the components of the extracellular matrix, collectively called the tumor microenvironment (TME). This diverse population of cells can communicate with each other, which can positively or negatively affect tumor growth and progression to malignancy. The most common type of immune cells in the TME are macrophages. Macrophages continuously differentiate into a broad landscape of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in response to numerous signals from the TME, which makes studies on TAMs quite challenging. Therefore, implementing reliable protocols is a milestone for drawing consistent conclusions about the interactions between cancer cells and TAMs. Here, we provide the details for the polarization of a human leukemia monocytic cell line, THP-1, into M0, M1 and M2 macrophages. We also present a step-by-step protocol for a transwell co-culture using a human breast cancer cell line, HCC1806, and THP-1-derived macrophages. Finally, we describe the colony formation and migration assays performed on the breast cancer cells after the co-culture with macrophages to measure the influence of macrophages on the oncogenic features of cancer cells. In summary, our co-culture-based protocols can be a valuable resource for investigating the interactions between macrophages and cancer cells.
Integrating the functions and structures to assess ecological network sustainability under climate change scenarios
Authors: Sun Hui , Yin Haiwei , Kong Fanhua , Shen Zhou , Su Jie
Published: February 2024

Context

Developing ecological networks (ENs) is a widely acknowledged conservation strategy for mitigating habitat fragmentation and ecosystem degradation. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the sustainability of the ENs before or after their development in order to maintain their functions and ecosystem service. While most previous studies have explored ENs based on ecosystem service evaluation and structure construction, the functions and structures of EN have rarely been integrally assessed under climate change scenarios.

Objective

Taking the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration as the study area, we aim to assess the future sustainability of the current EN under multiple climate change scenarios by integrating its functions and structures.

Methods

Ten scenarios were constructed, including a current scenario and nine future climate scenarios. Ecological sources were derived from the importance of the ecosystem service, and were used to develop EN by using the Linkage mapper toolbox. We then used the range difference between current and future ecological sources to indicate the functional sustainability of the current EN. The NetworkX was used to assess the EN structural stability by integrating the EN functional sustainability.

Results

The capacity of 6.23% of the current ecological sources is projected to decline in efficiently providing ecosystem services by 2050 under the selected nine future climate scenarios, and these functional degradations will also lead to a 33.55% decrease in the EN structural stability. Poor, low, and medium functional sustainable sources will be mostly located in forests and water bodies of the central YRDUA with a small average patch area, while high functional sustainable sources will be mainly distributed in the southwestern mountainous regions and water areas in the north-central region with a larger average patch area.

Conclusion

Our study provides a prospective assessment of EN, which is particularly crucial for enhancing ecological strategies and ensuring landscape sustainability. Constructing future climate scenarios and integrally assessing EN functional sustainability and structural stability can provide effective information for long-term EN management.
Understanding residents’ perspectives on cultural ecosystem service supply, demand and subjective well-being in rapidly urbanizing landscapes: a case study of peri-urban Shanghai
Authors: Xia Zheyi , Wang Yi , Lu Qingling , Shen Zhen , Liu Kui , Wei Xue , Yuan Chengcheng , Gao Yang , Liu Liming
Published: February 2024

Context

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) play a critical role in maintaining and improving human well-being in rapidly urbanizing landscapes. Few empirical studies, however, have comprehensively identified and revealed the interactions between urbanization, CES supply, CES demand, and subjective well-being (SWB).

Objectives

The study aimed to understand human–ecosystem interactions from a bottom-up perspective through an analysis of residents’ perceived supply and demand of CESs and SWB at different urbanization levels.

Methods

Questionnaire surveys including public participation GIS were adopted to obtain residents’ perceived provision of CESs, importance of CESs and SWB in a peri-urban area of Shanghai. Multiple statistical and spatial analyses were performed to uncover their relationships.

Results

Residents identified cultural heritage and education as the highest supply of CES, whereas aesthetic and recreation were of the highest demand. Urbanization had a significant negative correlation with the supply of recreation, aesthetic, education and social interaction but had a significant positive correlation with the supply of cultural heritage. The demands of recreation and social interaction were significantly lower in areas with moderate urbanization level. In these areas, CESs were dominated by high supply–low demand and low-degree matches, whereas residents’ SWB was lower.

Conclusions

The variations of the CES–SWB relationship in our study indicate the development trajectory of social–ecological systems in the context of urbanization. Thus, policies adapted to local conditions are needed to foster landscape sustainability in rapidly urbanizing areas.
A Review of Cerebrospinal Fluid Circulation and the Pathogenesis of Congenital Hydrocephalus
Authors: Zhang Mingzhao , Hu Xiangjun , Wang Lifeng
Published: February 2024

The brain’s ventricles are filled with a colorless fluid known as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). When there is an excessive accumulation of CSF in the ventricles, it can result in high intracranial pressure, ventricular enlargement, and compression of the surrounding brain tissue, leading to potential damage. This condition is referred to as hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is classified into two categories: congenital and acquired. Congenital hydrocephalus (CH) poses significant challenges for affected children and their families, particularly in resource-poor countries. Recognizing the psychological and economic impacts is crucial for developing interventions and support systems that can help alleviate the distress and burden faced by these families. As our understanding of CSF production and circulation improves, we are gaining clearer insights into the causes of CH. In this article, we will summarize the current knowledge regarding CSF circulation pathways and the underlying causes of CH. The main causes of CH include abnormalities in the FoxJ1 pathway of ventricular cilia, dysfunctions in the choroid plexus transporter Na+-K+-2Cl- contransporter isoform 1, developmental abnormalities in the cerebral cortex, and structural abnormalities within the brain. Understanding the causes of CH is indeed crucial for advancing research and developing effective treatment strategies. In this review, we will summarize the findings from existing studies on the causes of CH and propose potential research directions to further our understanding of this condition.
Intervention for a correct medication list and medication use in older adults: a non-randomised feasibility study among inpatients and residents during care transitions
Authors: Al Musawi Ahmed , Hellström Lina , Axelsson Malin , Midlöv Patrik , Rämgård Margareta , Cheng Yuanji , Eriksson Tommy
Published: February 2024

Background

Medication discrepancies in care transitions and medication non-adherence are problematic. Few interventions consider the entire process, from the hospital to the patient’s medication use at home.

Aim

In preparation for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), this study aimed (1) to investigate the feasibility of recruitment and retention of patients, and data collection to reduce medication discrepancies at discharge and improve medication adherence, and (2) to explore the outcomes of the interventions.

Method

Participants were recruited from a hospital and a residential area. Hospital patients participated in a pharmacist-led intervention to establish a correct medication list upon discharge and a follow-up interview two weeks post-discharge. All participants received a person-centred adherence intervention for three to six months. Discrepancies in the medication lists, the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-S), and the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) were assessed.

Results

Of 87 asked to participate, 35 were included, and 12 completed the study. Identifying discrepancies, discussing discrepancies with physicians, and performing follow-up interviews were possible. Conducting the adherence intervention was also possible using individual health plans for medication use. Among the seven hospital patients, 24 discrepancies were found. Discharging physicians agreed that all discrepancies were errors, but only ten were corrected in the discharge information. Ten participants decreased their total BMQ-S concern scores, and seven increased their total MARS-5 scores.

Conclusion

Based on this study, conducting the two RCTs separately may increase the inclusion rate. Data collection was feasible. Both interventions were feasible in many aspects but need to be optimised in upcoming RCTs.
Does Political Trust Matter? A Meta-analysis on the Consequences of Trust
Authors: Devine Daniel
Published: February 2024

Political trust has long been seen as fundamental for societal cooperation and democratic legitimacy. However, evidence about its consequences are partial and fragmented, and we do not currently have a systematic understanding of whether political trust warrants such vast attention. This paper conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis of 61 studies reporting 329 coefficients derived from over three and a half million observations globally. After synthesising the conceptual and theoretical frameworks in the extant literature, the meta-analysis results show that trust is weakly to moderately related to outcomes as diverse as voter turnout, vote choice, policy preferences and compliance, but is unrelated to informal participation. These results are robust to a range of considerations such as the measurement of trust, modelling strategy, region of study, publication bias, and design of the study. The review also highlights substantial geographical and methodological gaps, particularly the reliance on cross-sectional designs. Substantively, the results show that trust is importantly and robustly related to what people want from their political systems and how they interact with it. By systematically analysing the extant research, the paper provides a robust, systematic, and empirical foundation to advance research on political trust.
After a Storm Come Votes: Identifying the Effects of Disaster Relief on Electoral Outcomes
Authors: Fukumoto Kentaro , Kikuta Kyosuke
Published: February 2024

The retrospective voting theory suggests that citizens vote for governing parties in response to distributive benefits. Knowing this, governments may reward voters by providing particularistic benefits—i.e., pork—prior to elections. Previous studies, however, do not account for the endogeneity. We address this problem by focusing on disaster relief and exploiting exogeneity of disaster. In particular, by using maximum hourly rainfall as an instrumental variable for disaster relief, we analyze the causal effect of disaster relief on incumbent’s electoral outcomes. Our analyses of Japanese data in the past few decades indicate that disaster relief increased governing parties’ vote share. Specifically, when the disaster relief per capita increases from zero to its mean, the predicted value of the governing parties’ vote share increases by 2.8 and 5.4% points in the lower and upper chambers, respectively. The finding is consistent with retrospective voting behavior. Moreover, our results imply that the incumbent’s electoral gain is brought about by persuading voters from oppositions to governing parties rather than by mobilizing supporters of governing parties.
The implementation of writing pedagogies in the Write to Read intervention in low-SES primary schools in Ireland
Authors: Kennedy Eithne , Shiel Gerry
Published: February 2024

This study describes the initial implementation of the writing component of the Write to Read (W2R) literacy intervention in eight low-SES (socio-economically disadvantaged) elementary-level urban schools. Through customised onsite professional development provided by coaches, the writing component sought to build teachers’ capacity to design and implement a writing workshop framework infused with research-informed practices for writing suitable for their school and classroom contexts, including attention to cognitive, social and affective dimensions. The paper draws on quantitative and qualitative questionnaire data gathered from classroom teachers in the eight schools in Year 1 (n = 66) and Year 3 (n = 62) of implementation, and semi-structured interviews with randomly selected teachers in each school in Year 4 (n = 18). In general, teachers succeeded in implementing a writing workshop approach to teaching writing, within the broader W2R literacy framework, including the allocation of more time to writing instruction. Professional development, including observation, feedback and demonstration by W2R literacy coaches, contributed to high levels of teacher confidence in such areas as planning and teaching fiction and non-fiction writing genres, and analysing writing samples to inform mini-lessons. By Year 3, teachers noted marked or good improvements in students’ attitudes towards writing, volume of writing produced, knowledge of writing genres, and language of response to writing. Areas in need of further support included aspects of the craft of writing, including writing vocabulary, supporting pupils to set goals for writing, selecting mentor texts to teach writing genres, and using a rubric to assess writing development.
Facts and Rules: Incidence of the Social Environment in the Understanding and Elaboration of Law, from the Communicational Theory of Law
Authors: Sánchez Hidalgo Adolfo J.
Published: February 2024

The Communicational Theory of Law (CTL) usually differentiates between Legal Sociology and Legal Theory, in the sense that Legal Sociology is concerned with the social validity of the rules and Legal Theory with the formal or legal validity of the rules. It can be argued that both disciplines are two different perspectives of the same empirical reality (legal rules). Also, legal System and social milieu are two closely linked realities; they cannot be separated because they need each other. The Law is the form or order that the social milieu takes, and, at the same time, the social environment provides the ideas, collective representations and other matters that need a legal regulation. For this reason, the epistemological separation between Sociology and Legal Theory must be overcome when the theoretical perspective comes to legal decisions. Thus, the decisional moment becomes the meeting point between the legal System and the social milieu. This is where the concept of the legal System fulfils its main function, as it allows for the dynamism and adaptability of the legal order. The hermeneutic re-elaboration of the normative texts will be the channel through which the social facts and other material elements can inform the meaning or possible interpretations of the rules and institutions of the legal order. This happens primarily by influencing theoretical and doctrinal works of an expository and didactic nature; and secondarily by influencing the decisions of legal operators and courts. This study seeks to explain how the social context influences legal decisions and the formation of the legal System, from a communicational perspective of Law. In order to do so, it will be necessary to set out two epistemological premises of CTL: the semiotic tripartition of the Theory of Law and the legal Order-legal System distinction.
Effect of carbohydrates on the adhesion of Bordetella bronchiseptica to the respiratory epithelium in rabbits
Authors: Patiño Pilar , Gallego Carolina , Martínez Nhora , Iregui Carlos , Rey Alba
Published: February 2024

This study proposes an ecological approach for preventing respiratory tract infections caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica in mammals using a mixture of carbohydrates. In an in vivo study, 51-day-old New Zealand rabbits were treated with a solution containing 1 × 107 CFUs of B. bronchiseptica and 250 μg of one of the following carbohydrates: N acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), N acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), alpha methyl mannose (AmeMan), alpha methyl glucose (AmeGlc) and sialic acid (Neu5AC). Positive (B. bronchiseptica) and negative (Physiological Saline Solution (PSS)) controls were included. Animals treated with GlcNAc or AmeGlc showed no clinical signs of infection and exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the severity of microscopic lesions evaluated in the nasal cavity and lung compared with the positive controls. Additionally, the presence of bacteria was not detected through microbiological isolation or PCR in the lungs of animals treated with these sugars. Use of a mixture of GlcNAc and AmeGlc resulted in greater inhibition of microscopic lesions, with a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the severity of these lesions compared to the results obtained using individual sugars. Furthermore, the bacterium was not detected through microbiological isolation, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or indirect immunoperoxidase (IIP) in this group.
Description of a new quantitative method to assess mitochondrial distribution pattern in mature equine oocytes
Authors: Luis-Calero Marcos , Fernández-Hernández Pablo , Ortiz-Rodríguez José Manuel , Muñoz-García Carmen Cristina , Jardin Isaac , Macías-García Beatriz , González-Fernández Lauro
Published: February 2024

The Mitochondrial distribution pattern or MDP in mammalian oocytes serves as an indicator of their cytoplasmic maturity, with a heterogeneous pattern associated with mature cytoplasm. Currently, MDP assessment involves fluorescent labelling of mitochondria followed by visual evaluation, as no quantitative method exists. Our objective was to develop a quantitative approach to assess MDP in mature equine oocytes. Equine oocytes, obtained by ovum pick up (OPU) were matured in vitro, and only metaphase II oocytes were used in the study (n = 56). Following denudation, oocytes were fixed, stained with MitoTracker™ Red CMXRos (50 nM in TCM-199 with Hank´s salts and 10% FBS) for 15 min at 38 °C, and then incubated with 2.5 µg/ml Hoechst 33342 for 10 min at 38 °C. Confocal microscope images were acquired, and the oocyte’s MDP was visually classified as either homogeneous (HoD; n = 17) or heterogeneous (HeD; n = 39). For quantitative analysis, Fiji-ImageJ software was employed. Background subtraction was performed, and a 1-pixel line along the diameter was drawn to calculate the intensity profile. Fluorescence intensities were normalized, and ratios of peripheral to central fluorescence intensity were determined. Student´s t-test was used for comparations; MDP ratio was (mean ± standard error of the mean): 0.8 ± 0.02 for HoD and 0.3 ± 0.02 for HeD (p < 0.001). These results demonstrate concordance between quantitative and qualitative MDP assessment in mature equine oocytes. Our study describes a new approach to quantify mitochondrial distribution pattern and cytoplasmic maturation in mature equine oocytes.
Differential accumulation of metals in the lacustrine and fluvial Alpine bullheads (Cottus poecilopus) and recovery of fish from metal contamination after a flash flood
Authors: Janiga Marián , Janiga Martin , Pitoňáková Tatiana
Published: February 2024

The spatiotemporal distribution and transport of mercury, zinc, molybdenum, rubidium, and strontium from alpine terrestrial ecosystems to alpine lake and mountain stream populations of Cottus poecilopus were investigated. Metals were measured for 66 wild fish collected from different lakes and Javorinka stream across. Mercury was measured in the pectoral fins, other elements in the skull. Bullheads contained more metals in the alpine lakes than in the mountain stream. In particular, mercury and zinc concentrations in lake bullheads were 6 and 2.5 times higher, respectively, than those of stream-dwelling fish. New data were generated on metal bioaccumulation in fish of understudied West Carpathian alpine lake environments. In July 2018, a major flood occurred in the area of the Javorinka. Already then, the mercury content in bullheads increased significantly. Bioaccumulation of mercury in fish occurred very quickly after the flood and was also significant in the following 2019. Then, the concentrations of mercury quickly decreased up to 70% in 2021–2022. Average concentrations of molybdenum and rubidium in bullheads in the stream rapidly declined in the year following the flood disturbance, but within less than 2 years, the metal levels stabilized at about the same level as in 2017 prior the flood. Strontium concentrations in fish dropped rapidly immediately after the flood, increased in the following years, and dropped again after 4 years, suggesting that many more factors are influencing strontium bioaccumulation in fish that are comparable in magnitude to the flood. The most serious warning seems to be the absence of biogenic zinc. The average concentration in the Alpine bullheads population in the stream has declined by 70% in less than 5 years and is steadily declining. An important result of this study is the demonstration that disturbance by a single factor (heavy rainfall and flooding) has a clear and timely effect on average metal concentrations in the fish population.

Graphical abstract
Arthroscopic surgery for scaphoid nonunion: a 10-year systematic literature review
Authors: Rinaldi Alberto , Pilla Federico , Chiaramonte Ilaria , Pederiva Davide , Vita Fabio , Schilardi Francesco , Gennaro Andrea , Faldini Cesare
Published: February 2024

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether arthroscopic treatment of carpal scaphoid nonunions by osteosynthesis with bone grafting represents a successful surgical technique. This systematic literature review, conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, explores the past 10 years of clinical studies concerning the arthroscopic treatment of scaphoid nonunions. The most relevant keywords were used to search the databases, and the Downs and Black 27-item checklist has been used as quality assessment tool. Twelve papers that meet the premised eligibility criteria have been identified. These studies demonstrate the efficacy of this surgical solution, achieving a postoperative union rate of 96% in the average time of 13.5 weeks. Regardless of the method of synthesis and the origin of the graft used, excellent results were obtained. Patients who underwent this procedure reported a pain reduction of almost 80% compared to the preoperative level, improvement in grip strength close to 40%, and recovery in wrist function during daily activities. Arthroscopy has numerous advantages compared to the open approach. These are technically recognized by the surgeon and by the patient. Some disadvantages include a longer intraoperative time and considerable significant technical difficulty. Arthroscopic treatment of scaphoid nonunion by osteosynthesis with bone graft achieves a 96% union rate of the treated scaphoid with satisfying clinical results.
Marine resource exploitation and human settlement patterns during the Neolithic in SW Europe: stable oxygen isotope analyses (δ18O) on Phorcus lineatus (da Costa, 1778) from Campo de Hockey (San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain)
Authors: García-Escárzaga Asier , Cantillo-Duarte Juan J. , Milano Stefania , Arniz-Mateos Rosa , Gutiérrez-Zugasti Igor , González-Ortegón Enrique , Corona-Borrego Jose M. , Ramos-Muñoz José , Colonese André C. , Vijande-Vila Eduardo
Published: February 2024

In recent decades, investigations in the southern Iberian Peninsula have increased our understanding of the socio-economic impact of the spread of the Neolithic in southwestern Europe, including changes in marine resources exploitation. Nevertheless, considerable uncertainty still exists around the seasonality of such subsistence systems and the putative role of marine fish and shellfish to the evolving agro-pastoral economies. Earlier studies on the European Atlantic coast (including Iberia) have shown that the stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) values from the topshellPhorcus lineatus(da Costa, 1778) can be reliably used to derive seasonal sea surface temperatures (SST) during its lifespan. This information can be used by archaeologists to estimate the seasonality of mollusc collection in the past, and to shed light into settlement and subsistence patterns. This paper presents the results of a stable isotope study on archaeological shells ofP. lineatusrecovered from the Neolithic settlement of Campo de Hockey (Cádiz, Spain). We analysed shells from both funerary and residential contexts and found thatP. lineatuswas consumed year-round, but with a stronger preference during winter. Our results therefore contribute to advance our understanding of the role of coastal environments in early farming societies of southwestern Europe.
A Combined Manual Annotation and Deep-Learning Natural Language Processing Study on Accurate Entity Extraction in Hereditary Disease Related Biomedical Literature
Authors: Huang Dao-Ling , Zeng Quanlei , Xiong Yun , Liu Shuixia , Pang Chaoqun , Xia Menglei , Fang Ting , Ma Yanli , Qiang Cuicui , Zhang Yi , Zhang Yu , Li Hong , Yuan Yuying
Published: February 2024

We report a combined manual annotation and deep-learning natural language processing study to make accurate entity extraction in hereditary disease related biomedical literature. A total of 400 full articles were manually annotated based on published guidelines by experienced genetic interpreters at Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI). The performance of our manual annotations was assessed by comparing our re-annotated results with those publicly available. The overall Jaccard index was calculated to be 0.866 for the four entity types—gene, variant, disease and species. Both a BERT-based large name entity recognition (NER) model and a DistilBERT-based simplified NER model were trained, validated and tested, respectively. Due to the limited manually annotated corpus, Such NER models were fine-tuned with two phases. The F1-scores of BERT-based NER for gene, variant, disease and species are 97.28%, 93.52%, 92.54% and 95.76%, respectively, while those of DistilBERT-based NER are 95.14%, 86.26%, 91.37% and 89.92%, respectively. Most importantly, the entity type of variant has been extracted by a large language model for the first time and a comparable F1-score with the state-of-the-art variant extraction model tmVar has been achieved.

Graphical Abstract
Antibiotic resistance and tolerance: What can drug delivery do against this global threat?
Authors: Aparicio-Blanco Juan , Vishwakarma Nikhar , Lehr Claus-Michael , Prestidge Clive A. , Thomas Nicky , Roberts Richard J. , Thorn Chelsea R. , Melero Ana
Published: February 2024

Antimicrobial resistance and tolerance (AMR&T) are urgent global health concerns, with alarmingly increasing numbers of antimicrobial drugs failing and a corresponding rise in related deaths. Several reasons for this situation can be cited, such as the misuse of traditional antibiotics, the massive use of sanitizing measures, and the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, fisheries, and cattle. AMR&T management requires a multifaceted approach involving various strategies at different levels, such as increasing the patient’s awareness of the situation and measures to reduce new resistances, reduction of current misuse or abuse, and improvement of selectivity of treatments. Also, the identification of new antibiotics, including small molecules and more complex approaches, is a key factor. Among these, novel DNA- or RNA-based approaches, the use of phages, or CRISPR technologies are some potent strategies under development. In this perspective article, emerging and experienced leaders in drug delivery discuss the most important biological barriers for drugs to reach infectious bacteria (bacterial bioavailability). They explore how overcoming these barriers is crucial for producing the desired effects and discuss the ways in which drug delivery systems can facilitate this process.

Graphical abstract
Fabrication of a Nanomagnetic Smart Polymer Carrier as a Potential Candidate for a Drug Delivery System
Authors: Jafarzadeh Fereshteh , Peyman Hossein , Roshanfekr Hamideh , Azizi Shohreh , Idris Azeez Olayiwola , Maaza Malik
Published: February 2024

We developed an intelligent device capable of controlled release of anti-cancer drugs. The nano-carrier consists of two key components: firstly, magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized through co-precipitation and then functionalized for attaching anti-cancer drugs; secondly, a polymer (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)) sensitive to pH and temperature was synthesized and employed to encapsulate the drug-loaded magnetic nanoparticles. This responsive polymer exhibits a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 38.5 °C, indicating a phase transition behavior. Numerous techniques and analyses, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, zeta potentials, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscopy, were employed to confirm the successful execution of the aforementioned process. In vitro release assessments of the anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin, were conducted across various media (pH 5–8 and temperatures ranging from 20 to 40 °C). The outcomes revealed higher drug releases at temperatures exceeding the LCST (40 °C) and at slightly acidic pH levels (5–5.3). Notably, compared to the effectiveness of the unloaded drug, the magnetic smart polymer loaded with DOX exhibited a more potent cytotoxic effect. Considering these results, this nano-carrier emerges as a promising candidate for targeted therapeutic delivery to cancerous tissues.
Intelligent learning-based cooperative and competitive multi-objective optimization for energy-aware distributed heterogeneous welding shop scheduling
Authors: Zhang Fayong , Li Caixian , Li Rui , Gong Wenyin
Published: February 2024

This research is focused on addressing the energy-aware distributed heterogeneous welding shop scheduling (EADHWS) problem. Our primary objectives are to minimize the maximum finish time and total energy consumption. To accomplish this, we introduce a learning-based cooperative and competitive multi-objective optimization method, which we refer to as LCCMO. We begin by presenting a multi-rule cooperative initialization approach to create a population that combines strong convergence and diversity. This diverse population forms the foundation for our optimization process. Next, we develop a multi-level cooperative global search strategy that explores effective genes within solutions from different angles and sub-problems. This approach enhances our search for optimal solutions. Moreover, we design a competition and cooperation strategy for different populations to expedite convergence. This strategy encourages the exchange of information and ideas among diverse populations, thereby accelerating our progress. We also introduce a multi-operator cooperative local search technique, which investigates elite solutions from various directions, leading to improved convergence and diversity. In addition, we integrate Q-learning into our competitive swarm optimizer to explore different regions of the objective space, enhancing the diversity of the elite archive. Q-learning guides the selection of operators within the small-size population, contributing to more efficient optimization. To evaluate the effectiveness of LCCMO, we conduct numerical experiments on 20 instances. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrate that LCCMO outperforms six state-of-the-art algorithms. This underscores the potential of our learning and knowledge-driven evolutionary framework in enhancing performance and autonomy when it comes to solving EADHWS.
Team formation through an assessor: choosing MARL agents in pursuit–evasion games
Authors: Zhao Yue , Ju Lushan , Hernández-Orallo Josè
Published: February 2024

Team formation in multi-agent systems usually assumes the capabilities of each team member are known, and the best formation can be derived from that information. As AI agents become more sophisticated, this characterisation is becoming more elusive and less predictive about the performance of a team in cooperative or competitive situations. In this paper, we introduce a general and flexible way of anticipating the outcome of a game for any lineups (the agents, sociality regimes and any other hyperparameters for the team). To this purpose, we simply train an assessor using an appropriate team representation and standard machine learning techniques. We illustrate how we can interrogate the assessor to find the best formations in a pursuit–evasion game for several scenarios: offline team formation, where teams have to be decided before the game and not changed afterwards, and online team formation, where teams can see the lineups of the other teams and can be changed at any time.