bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of right-ventricular function by two-dimensional echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with successful RCA CTO recanalization
Authors: Blessing Recha , Drosos Ioannis , Molitor Michael , Münzel Thomas , Wenzel Philip , Gori Tommaso , Dimitriadis Zisis
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right coronary artery (RCA) is common in patients with coronary artery disease. Although revascularization techniques and success rates have improved significantly in recent years, there are still no studies investigating possible effects of successful recanalization of RCA CTO on the right-ventricular (RV) function. With this study, we aimed to evaluate RV function after recanalization of the RCA by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DE) and additional two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE).

Methods and results

Our analysis included 102 patients undergoing successful RCA CTO recanalization at the University Medical Center of Mainz. All patients underwent 2DE and 2DSTE to assess RV function before PCI procedure and 6 months after successful revascularization. We found an altered RV function in our collective at baseline assessed by 2DSTE with a significant improvement at 6 month follow-up (baseline RV free wall strain: − 20.7 [− 6.3 to − 32.0] % vs. − 23.4 [− 8.3 to − 39.3] % at follow-up, p < 0.001 and baseline RV global strain − 15.9 [− 6.0 to − 25.7] % vs. − 17.9 [− 7.0 to − 29.5] % at follow-up, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

RV function was altered in patients with RCA CTO and showed significant improvement after successful recanalization. We also noticed an improvement in patient-reported clinical symptoms. Our study suggests that CTO procedure is a beneficial treatment option in symptomatic patients with RCA CTO.
Chancen virtueller Realitäten in der Therapie von Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Felnhofer Anna
Published: August 2023

Virtuelle Realitäten (VR) werden seit Jahrzehnten erfolgreich in der Therapie von Angststörungen eingesetzt. Mit dem Aufkommen leistbarer Hardware (VR-Brillen) und der Zunahme kommerzieller Anbieter für entsprechende Softwareprogramme gewinnt die VR-Therapie auch abseits der klassischen Anwendungsbereiche an Bedeutung. Neben Erwachsenen rücken auch zusehends Kinder und Jugendliche in den Fokus. Dieser Artikel setzt sich daher zum Ziel, einen kursorischen Einblick in die Chancen von VR in der Pädiatrie wie auch Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie zu bieten. Die vorgestellten Anwendungsgebiete reichen von der Konfrontationstherapie mit VR, dem Einsatz bei Essstörungen und VR-basierten Trainings für Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit‑/Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) oder Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen (ASS) bis hin zu VR-basierten Biofeedbacksystemen und VR-Interventionen bei akuten Schmerzzuständen.
The paradoxical anchoring of Kojève’s philosophizing in the tradition of Russian religious philosophy
Authors: Jubara Annett
Published: August 2023

The subject of this paper is Alexandre Kojève’s relationship to Russian Religious Philosophy, which is characterized by a paradoxical contrast between Kojève’s openly critical judgment of it, on the one hand, and the hidden, implicit influence of this philosophical tradition on his own atheistic philosophizing on the other. The hidden influence of Russian Religious Philosophy, Kojève’s engagement with the philosophical ideas of Vladimir Solovyov and Fyodor Dostoevsky, will be shown by two case studies. The first case is about Kojève’s “reshaping” and reevaluation of Solovyov’s principle of evil. The second case is about Kojève’s defense of Dostoevsky’s Man-God ideologues against their creator by critically rethinking Man-Godhood. The connection between these two cases is the question, if Kojève, while opposing Solovyov’s difference of Man-God and God-Man with something third, has actually moved beyond the Man-God ideology, or did he develop his own Man-God ideology. The essay concludes, with the assertion that Kojève remains with a revised Man-Godhood. This defense-revision is an important philosophical contribution to the polemics with Russian Religious Philosophy, but it is, at the same time, intimately connected with Kojève’s ideological agenda.
Physics of Starch System: Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Hydrothermally Modified Elephant Foot Yam Starch
Authors: Barua Sreejani , Luciano Giorgio , Ahmed Jasim , Srivastav Prem Prakash , Vilgis Thomas A.
Published: August 2023

Heat moisture treatment (HMT) was used to improve the functionalities of elephant foot yam starch (EFYS) by using selected heating techniques such as hot air oven (HAO), autoclave (AL), and microwave (MW). The swelling power and solubility were reduced significantly after HMT modification, whereas an increase in amylose content was detectable after HMT modification, and the maximum changes were identified in HAO-modified EFYS (28.48%) as compared to its native counterpart (18.01%). The study demonstrates that the maximum drop in peak viscosity (1045 cP) was perceived in HAO-modified EFYS, which confirms its thermostability as compared to native (1114 cP) and other treated starches (1059 to 1098 cP). All the starch pastes exhibited shear-thinning behavior, however, isothermal heating of starch paste at 95 °C revealed a rise in apparent viscosity with increasing shear rate in all HMT-modified EFYS. Large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) measurements of modified starch samples showed the predominating solid-like behavior in modified EFYS. The HAO-treated EFYS had the highest elasticity of the others, which represents the enhanced structural rigidity due to the formation of transient network structures. Furthermore, Lissajous-Bowditch plots confirmed the early deviation of the structural integrity from elastic to viscous behavior in HAO-treated EFYS. Overall, the HAO-modified EFYS showed significant improvement in functionalities and structural integrities under high shear and high oscillation strain, which infers its potential industrial applications. Based on our results, we propose specific physical models suggesting the effect of molecular structural arrangements of amylose and amylopectin expressing the essential rheological differences between native and HMT EFYS.
Islamists, civil rights, and civility: the contribution of the brotherhood siras
Authors: Skovgaard-Petersen Jakob
Published: August 2023

From the 1980s, revisionist Sunni Islamist thinkers have engaged in a hermeneutical effort to argue for the full acceptance of non-Muslims as equal political participants and citizens in an Islamic polity. A key text in their argument is the so-called Constitution of Medina, regulating the interaction between the newly arrived followers of Muhammad and the existing tribes in Medina who were either polytheists or Jews. This paper investigates the sira literature of Muslim Brotherhood in order to gauge the degree to which the life of the Prophet has been reinterpreted to enable such novel readings. It analyzes three popular Muslim Brotherhood siras, by the Syrian Mustafa al-Sibai (1960s), the Egyptian Muhammad al-Ghazzali (1980s), and the Libyan Ali al-Sallabi (2000s). The paper detects important developments in these siras’ treatments of Muhammad’s engagement with non-Muslims—including their interpretations of the Constitution of Medina. These developments, however, do not reflect the radical rethinking of civil society and civility found in the abovementioned revisionist Islamist literature; rather, they evince a more classical Islamist interest in the Prophet as a propagator of Islam as a law and system. That said, this sira literature should be viewed as a genre aiming at the ideological education of brotherhood members, rather than the theoretical exploration of political theory.
Supervised learning to support the process planning of contract logistics projects
Authors: Veigt Marius , Freitag Michael
Published: August 2023

Due to the outsourcing trend, contract logistics is a constantly growing industry. Especially for the essential and time-consuming planning of logistics processes in a contract logistics project, experienced planners are required. However, the growing shortage of skilled workers makes recruiting these planners increasingly difficult. Hence, a supervised learning approach will be investigated to support especially inexperienced planners in process planning. This article explores how supervised learning can extract the process knowledge contained in legacy contract logistics project documentation to suggest process steps during a new project process planning. The investigation results in boosted decision trees predicting the next process step correctly in 81% of the cases. In addition, the article guides what data should be collected today for even better results in future applications.
Populism: A Berlinian Critique
Authors: Crowder George
Published: August 2023

How would Isaiah Berlin assess the current wave of authoritarian populism? The question is worth asking both for the light it casts on populism and for what it tells us about Berlin. In several respects, his view of populism is ambivalent: he is surprisingly sympathetic to the Russian populists of the nineteenth century, sharing their concern for genuine democracy and their reservations about elite leadership; he is especially troubled by the possibility of rule by scientific experts, although he does not reject elite judgement entirely; and his assessment of successful political judgement is not as clearly opposed to the kind of charismatic leadership favoured by many populists (for example, the leadership of Donald Trump) as one might expect. It is only in his treatment of individual liberty and value pluralism that Berlin provides anti-populists with more emphatic arguments, especially when his value pluralism is developed as “liberal pluralism.” Overall, the application of Berlin’s ideas to populism highlights some of his familiar themes but also shows how his work can be extended in interesting ways. In particular, his sympathy with the Russian populists suggests that he is more of a democrat than is often assumed, and the application to populism of his famous thesis about the dangers of positive liberty can be extended to negative liberty too.
The Influence of Prototypical #MeToo Features on the Perception of Workplace Sexual Harassment Across Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation (LGBTQ +)
Authors: Kessler Andrea Melanie , Kennair Leif Edward Ottesen , Grøntvedt Trond Viggo , Bendixen Mons
Published: August 2023

Introduction

How we perceive social-sexual behavior, and to what extent we consider such behavior to be sexual harassment, is dependent on several situational factors. Prototypical #MeToo features (male actor and female target, higher status, repeated, private behavior, sexualized physical contact) have previously been shown to increase the degree to which social-sexual behavior is perceived as sexual harassment. The effect of those features needs to be investigated for types of harassment that involve same-gender sexual harassment and harassment of LGBTQ + people. To gain a wider perspective on the perception of social-sexual behavior as sexual harassment, this preregistered study aims to examine same-gender interactions and lesbian and gay actors and targets, in addition to replicating earlier findings about #MeToo features in opposite-sex constellations.

Methods

We applied five hypothetical scenarios to a Norwegian online sample of 888 participants between 18 and 60 (58.3% cis women, 40.8% cis men, 0.9% transgender/genderfluid/non-binary). The sampling process took place during the spring term 2020 and aimed at recruiting LGBTQ + people (63.3% of the sample self-identifying as heterosexual, 20% gay/lesbian, 10.7% bisexual, 3.2% pansexual, and 1.9% “other”).

Results

#MeToo features in each scenario clearly increased the degree to which social-sexual behavior was perceived as sexual harassment across gender identity and sexual orientation. The effect of private vs. public behavior was contingent on the type of behavior. Men rated behavior less as sexual harassment than women and people of other gender identities.

Conclusions

The current study shows that there was considerable consensus as to what sexual harassment entails in the five scenarios across gender identity and sexual orientation.

Policy Implications

Organizations should include prototypical #MeToo features in interventions, to illustrate how a situation might be more or less undesired and therefore experienced as harassment under different circumstances.
Phase Gradient Divergence for the Quantitative Detection of Focal Activation Events During Cardiac Fibrillation
Authors: Hori Keisuke , Seno Hiroshi , Sakuma Ichiro , Yamazaki Masatoshi , Tomii Naoki
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia. Spiral wave and focal activation (FA) are known to play an important mechanistic role in the generation, sustenance, and termination of tachyarrhythmia. However, to date no quantitative method of detecting FA under complex excitations has yet been established.

Methods

In this study, we propose such a detection method of FA by calculating the divergence of the spatial gradient of a phase map, which identifies the phase of the excitation cycle at each point of the heart as derived from measurement signals. Next, to verify the accuracy of the proposed method, we conducted a membrane potential measurement experiment using an excised porcine heart (n = 1).

Results

By comparing the conventional and proposed methods for 126 instances of FA, we found that the proposed method showed improved detection accuracy, with precision, sensitivity, and F-measure values of 0.45, 0.84, and 0.58, while conventional method showed 0.04, 0.26, and 0.08, respectively.

Conclusion

The proposed method, which uses the divergence of the phase gradient to predict FA, shows potential to suppress false positives that are observed in the conventional method, and it can more accurately detect FA than conventional methods.
Glycosylation of Collagen Provokes Diabetic Wound Ulcers
Authors: Gunasekaran Subramanian
Published: August 2023

The objective of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the general etiology of diabetic ulcers. While it is commonly perceived that “peripheral neuropathy” is the sole cause of diabetic ulcers due to reduced arterial blood supply and impaired venous circulation to the wound, there is a significant oversight at the nano-molecular level regarding the impact of high blood glucose/glycans in diabetic patients. A significant number of research literature talk about the influence of high blood glucose, the impact of glycosylation, the role of lysyl oxidase in collagen maturation along with the impact on peripheral nerve cells causing neuropathy. Such peripheral neuropathy could also be playing a major role in the reduction of arterial blood supply. Through this review article, the author aims to shed light on the unexplored mechanisms involving the glycosylation of lysine residues caused by excessive blood glucose/glycans/polysialic acids, and other related processes. These alterations disrupt the normal pathway of oxidative deamination of lysine residues, which are supposed to serve as substrates for lysyl oxidase. Consequently, the conversion of amino groups to aldehyde groups is impeded, leading to a disruption in the aldol-condensation reaction necessary for the regular maturation of wound bed collagen and proper healing of the wound.
Embracing videoconferencing interview applications beyond COVID-19: scoping review-guided implications for family centered services in South Africa
Authors: Maluleke Ntsako P. , Khoza-Shangase Katijah
Published: August 2023

Background

Preventative measures at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered in-person interviews unfeasible and unsafe for both research and healthcare service provision. Thus, viable alternatives became imperative, and videoconferencing bridged the gap between service delivery, community need and community safety, and increased utilization and integration of telehealth into the healthcare environment.

Aim

The aim of this scoping review was to review practices of videoconferencing in healthcare and how these can be applied to family-centered EHDI within the South African context.

Methods

Electronic bibliographic databases including Sage, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify peer-reviewed publications, published in English between April 2017 and April 2021; focusing on patients and healthcare professionals’ perceptions, attitudes, and experience of videoconferencing use in healthcare.

Results

Findings from this review are discussed under five themes: videoconferencing use; need for videoconferencing training; videoconferencing benefits; videoconferencing challenges; and recommendations for successful videoconferencing. Generally, there is sufficient evidence of videoconferencing use across various disciplines in healthcare and satisfaction with this service delivery mode and its benefits from both healthcare professionals and patients. However, patients and healthcare professionals require training on videoconferencing use to participate fully during videoconferencing consultations and mitigate some of the challenges associated with this service delivery mode.

Conclusions

These findings provided solid evidence-based guidance for the main study’s methodology; and raised significant implications for effective and contextually relevant Family-centered-EHDI programs within the South African context.
John Stuart Mill on the Political Significance of Higher Education
Authors: Ward Lee
Published: August 2023

While a number of recent studies highlight John Stuart Mill’s role as a “teacher of the people,” his reflections upon the political significance of higher education have received relatively little attention. I argue that Mill’s 1867 St. Andrews Address was both a defense of liberal education against influential arguments for religion- and science-based models of higher education, and a call for elites educated in reformed universities to shape a public vision for the construction of a polity committed to liberal principles. I conclude that Mill’s St. Andrews Address can contribute to debates about the role of the university in contemporary liberal societies.
On the joint survival probability of two collaborating firms
Authors: Ankirchner Stefan , Hesse Robert , Klein Maike
Published: August 2023

We consider the problem of controlling the drift and diffusion rate of the endowment processes of two firms such that the joint survival probability is maximized. We assume that the endowment processes are continuous diffusions, driven by independent Brownian motions, and that the aggregate endowment is a Brownian motion with constant drift and diffusion rate. Our results reveal that the maximal joint survival probability depends only on the aggregate risk-adjusted return and on the maximal risk-adjusted return that can be implemented in each firm. Here the risk-adjusted return is understood as the drift rate divided by the squared diffusion rate.
ORTHOGONAL DECOMPOSITION OF DEFINABLE GROUPS
Authors: BERARDUCCI ALESSANDRO , ELEFTHERIOU PANTELIS E. , MAMINO MARCELLO
Published: August 2023

Orthogonality in model theory captures the idea of absence of non-trivial interactions between definable sets. We introduce a somewhat opposite notion of cohesiveness, capturing the idea of interaction among all parts of a given definable set. A cohesive set is indecomposable, in the sense that if it is internal to the product of two orthogonal sets, then it is internal to one of the two. We prove that a definable group in an o-minimal structure is a product of cohesive orthogonal subsets. If the group has dimension one, or it is definably simple, then it is itself cohesive. As an application, we show that an abelian group definable in the disjoint union of finitely many o-minimal structures is a quotient, by a discrete normal subgroup, of a direct product of locally definable groups in the single structures.
Have we lost sleep? A reconsideration of segmented sleep in early modern England
Authors: Boyce Niall
Published: August 2023

The theory that the people of the early modern period slept in well-defined segments of ‘first’ and ‘second’ sleeps has been highly influential in both scholarly literature and mainstream media over the past twenty years. Based on a combination of scientific, anthropological and textual evidence, the segmented sleep theory has been used to illuminate discussions regarding important aspects of early modern nocturnal culture; mainstream media reports, meanwhile, have proposed segmented sleep as a potentially ‘natural’ and healthier alternative to consolidated blocks of sleep. In this article, I re-examine the scientific, anthropological and early modern literary sources behind the segmented sleep theory and ask if the evidence might support other models of early modern sleep that are not characterised by segmentation, while acknowledging that construction of such models is by nature limited and uncertain. I propose a more diverse range of interpretations of early modern texts related to sleep, with important implications for medical and social history and literary scholarship.
The Institutional Foundations of the Uneven Global Spread of Constitutional Courts
Authors: Kim Dongwook , Nolette Paul
Published: August 2023

Since the third wave of democratization, specialized constitutional courts have spread widely across developed and developing countries and become key to government accountability, rights protection, and cross-institutional conflict resolution. Simultaneously, nearly half of all constitutional court adoptions have occurred in Europe. What explains the global, yet Eurocentric, spread of constitutional courts? Countries’ institutional endowments, particularly domestic and international legal institutions, are key to this crucial choice of constitutional design. Common law countries are less likely to establish specialized constitutional courts than their civil law counterparts due to their domestic legal system’s relatively weaker affinity with the constitutional court model. Furthermore, the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission—the main international organization specifically promoting constitutional courts—has catalyzed their wide and rapid spread especially, but not exclusively, in Europe. Our theory gains robust support from event history analyses of 172 developed and developing countries from 1947 to 2019.
Cycles‐L: A Coupled, 3‐D, Land Surface, Hydrologic, and Agroecosystem Landscape Model
Authors: Shi Yuning , Montes Felipe , Kemanian Armen R.
Published: August 2023

Managing landscapes to increase agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship can be informed by spatially‐distributed models that operate at spatial and temporal scales that are intervention‐relevant. This paper presents Cycles‐L, a landscape‐scale agroecosystem and hydrologic modeling system, using as a test case a watershed in Pennsylvania. Cycles‐L emerges from melding the landscape and hydrology structure of Flux‐PIHM, a 3‐D land surface hydrologic model, with the agroecosystem processes in the Cycles model. Consequently, Cycles‐L can simulate processes affected by topography, soil heterogeneity, and management practices, owing to its physically‐based hydrology that can simulate horizontal and vertical transport of solutes with water. The model was tested at a 730‐ha experimental watershed within the Mahantango Creek watershed. Cycles‐L simulated well stream water and mineral nitrogen discharge (Nash‐Sutcliffe coefficient 0.55 and 0.60, respectively) and grain yield (root mean square error 1.2 Mg ha−1). Cycles‐L outputs are as good or better than those obtained with the uncoupled Flux‐PIHM (water discharge) and Cycles (grain yield) models. Modeled spatial patterns of nitrogen fluxes like denitrification illustrate the combined control of crop management and topography. For example, denitrification is almost twice as high when simulated with Cycles‐L than when simulated with Cycles 1‐D. Due to its spatial and temporal resolution, Cycles‐L fills a gap in the availability of models that operate at a scale relevant to evaluate interventions in the landscape. Cycles‐L can become a central component in tools for climate change scenario analysis, precision agriculture, precision conservation, and artificial intelligence‐based decision support systems.
Ambient Anthropogenic Carbons and Pediatric Respiratory Infections: A Case‐Crossover Analysis in the Megacity Beijing
Authors: Xu Hongbing , Song Jing , He Xinghou , Guan Xinpeng , Wang Tong , Zhu Yutong , Xu Xin , Li Mengyao , Liu Lingyan , Zhang Bin , Fang Jiakun , Zhao Qian , Song Xiaoming , Xu Baoping , Huang Wei
Published: August 2023

Carbon loading in airway cells has shown to worsen function of antimicrobial peptides, permitting increased survival of pathogens in the respiratory tract; however, data on the impacts of carbon particles on childhood acute respiratory infection (ARI) is limited. We assembled daily health data on outpatient visits for ARI (bronchitis, pneumonia, and total upper respiratory infection [TURI]) in children aged 0–14 years between 2015 and 2019 in Beijing, China. Anthropogenic carbons, including black carbon (BC) and its emission sources, and wood smoke particles (delta carbon, ultra‐violet absorbing particulate matter, and brown carbon) were continuously monitored. Using a time‐stratified case‐crossover approach, conditional logistic regression was performed to derive risk estimates for each outcome. A total of 856,899 children were included, and a wide range of daily carbon particle concentrations was observed, with large variations for BC (0.36–20.44) and delta carbon (0.48–57.66 μg/m3). Exposure to these particles were independently associated with ARI, with nearly linear exposure‐response relationships. Interquartile range increases in concentrations of BC and delta carbon over prior 0–8 days, we observed elevation of the odd ratio of bronchitis by 1.201 (95% confidence interval, 1.180, 1.221) and 1.048 (95% CI, 1.039, 1.057), respectively. Stronger association was observed for BC from traffic sources, which increased the odd ratio of bronchitis by 1.298 (95% CI, 1.273, 1.324). Carbon particles were also associated with elevated risks of pneumonia and TURI, and subgroup analyses indicated greater risks among children older than 6 years. Our findings suggested that anthropogenic carbons in metropolitan areas may pose a significant threat to clinical manifestations of respiratory infections in vulnerable populations.
Role of North Atlantic Tripole SST in Mid‐Winter Reversal of NAO
Authors: Tao Lingfeng , Fang Jiabei , Yang Xiu‐Qun , Sun Xuguang , Cai Danping , Wang Yu
Published: August 2023

North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has a significant impact on surrounding winter weather and climate. However, the causes of its occasional reversal between early and late winter remain unclear. This study proposes a mechanism for the mid‐winter reversal of NAO from the perspective of local midlatitude air‐sea interaction. Strong sea surface temperature (SST) tripole events, which are defined by empirical orthogonal function of winter‐mean interannual North Atlantic SST anomalies, are primarily induced by NAO in early winter and peak in January. In late winter, the persistent SST tripole exerts active feedback on atmosphere through diabatic heat and transient eddy forcing. The resulting atmospheric circulation anomalies exhibit an almost reversed NAO pattern in February, which forms a wavetrain originating above the Gulf Stream and propagating to the Middle East and weakens the former SST tripole. Consequently, significant reversals of air temperature anomalies occur in Europe and the Caspian Sea area between February and December.
Modeling the Development of an Equatorial Plasma Bubble During a Midnight Temperature Maximum With SAMI3/WACCM‐X
Authors: Huba J. D. , Liu H.‐L. , McInerney J.
Published: August 2023

We report results from a self‐consistent global simulation model in which a large‐scale equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) forms during a midnight temperature maximum (MTM). The global model comprises the ionospheric code SAMI3 and the atmosphere/thermosphere code WACCM‐X. We consider solar minimum conditions for the month of August. We show that an EPB forms during an MTM in the Pacific sector and is caused by equatorward neutral wind flows. Although this is consistent with the theoretical result that a meridional neutral wind (V) with a negative gradient (∂V/∂θ < 0) is a destabilizing influence [Huba & Krall, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50292] (where a northward meridional neutral wind V is positive and θ is the latitude and increases in the northward direction), we find that the primary cause of the EPB is the large decrease in the Pedersen conductance caused by the equatorward winds.
Striatonigral direct pathway 2-arachidonoylglycerol contributes to ethanol effects on synaptic transmission and behavior
Authors: Augustin Shana M. , Gracias Alexa L. , Luo Guoxiang , Anumola Rishitha C. , Lovinger David M.
Published: August 2023

Endocannabinoids (eCB) and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) play important roles in mediating short- and long-term synaptic plasticity in many brain regions involved in learning and memory, as well as the reinforcing effects of misused substances. Ethanol-induced plasticity and neuroadaptations predominantly occur in striatal direct pathway projecting medium spiny neurons (dMSNs). It is hypothesized that alterations in eCB neuromodulation may be involved. Recent work has implicated a role of eCB 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in the rewarding effects of ethanol. However, there is insufficient research to answer which cellular subtype is responsible for mediating the 2-AG eCB signal that might be involved in the rewarding properties of ethanol and the mechanisms by which that occurs. To examine the role of dMSN mediated 2-AG signaling in ethanol related synaptic transmission and behaviors, we used conditional knockout mice in which the 2-AG-synthesizing enzyme diacylglycerol lipase α (DGLα) was deleted in dMSNs, DGLαD1-Cre+. Using acute brain slice photometry and a genetically encoded fluorescent eCB sensor, GRABeCB2.0, to assess real-time eCB mediated activity of sensorimotor inputs from primary motor cortices (M1/M2) to the dorsolateral striatum, we showed that DGLαD1-Cre+ mice had blunted evoked eCB-mediated presynaptic eCB signaling compared to littermate controls. Furthermore, ethanol induced eCB inhibition was significantly reduced in DGLαD1-Cre+ deficient mice. Additionally, there was a reduction in the duration of loss of righting reflex (LORR) to a high dose of ethanol in the DGLαD1-Cre+ mice compared to controls. These mice also showed a male-specific decrease in ethanol preference accompanied by an increase in ethanol-induced water consumption in a voluntary drinking paradigm. There were no significant differences observed in sucrose and quinine consumption between the genotypes. These findings reveal a novel role for dMSN mediated 2-AG signaling in modulating ethanol effects on presynaptic function and behavior.
Hexokinase 2 confers radio-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma by promoting autophagy-dependent degradation of AIMP2
Authors: Zheng Yilin , Zhan Yizhi , Zhang Yuqin , Zhang Yaowei , Liu Yang , Xie Yuwen , Sun Yining , Qian Junying , Ding Yanqing , Ding Yi , Fang Yuan
Published: August 2023

With technological advancements, radiotherapy (RT) has become an effective non-surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), comprehensively improving the local control rate of patients with HCC. However, some patients with HCC still experience radio-resistance, cancer recurrence, and distant metastasis following RT. Our previous study has revealed that hexokinase 2 (HK2), a potent oncogene, was overexpressed in radio-resistant HCC cell lines; however, its role in HCC radio-resistance remains elusive. Here, we confirmed the upregulation of HK2 in HCC tissue, which is related to unfavorable prognosis in patients with HCC, and demonstrated that HK2 exerts a radio-resistant role by attenuating apoptosis and promoting proliferation in HCC cell lines. HK2 downregulation combined with ionizing radiation showed an excellent synergistic lethal effect. Mechanistically, HK2 alleviated ionizing radiation-mediated apoptosis by complexing with pro-apoptotic protein aminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2) while enhancing its autophagic lysosomal-dependent degradation, thereby increasing radio-resistance of HCC. Pharmacologically, ketoconazole, an FDA-approved antifungal drug, served as an inhibitor of HK2 and synergistically enhanced the efficacy of RT. Our results indicated that HK2 played a vital role in radio-resistance and could be a potential therapeutic target for improving RT efficacy in HCC.
Non-flammable solvent-free liquid polymer electrolyte for lithium metal batteries
Authors: Zhu Guo-Rui , Zhang Qin , Liu Qing-Song , Bai Qi-Yao , Quan Yi-Zhou , Gao You , Wu Gang , Wang Yu-Zhong
Published: August 2023

As a replacement for highly flammable and volatile organic liquid electrolyte, solid polymer electrolyte shows attractive practical prospect in high-energy lithium metal batteries. However, unsatisfied interface performance and ionic conductivities are two critical challenges. A common strategy involves introducing organic solvents or plasticizers, but this violates the original intention of security design. Here, an electrolyte concept called liquid polymer electrolyte without any small molecular solvents is proposed for safe and high-performance batteries, based on the design of a room-temperature liquid-state brush-like polymer as the sole solvent of lithium salts. This liquid polymer electrolyte is non-flammable and exhibits high ionic conductivity (1.09 $$\times$$
×
10−4 S cm−1 at 25 °C), significant lithium dendrite suppression, and stable long-term cycling over a wide operating temperature range ( ≥ 1000 cycles at 60 °C and 90 °C). Moreover, the pouch cell can resist thermal abuse, vacuum environment, and mechanical abuse. This electrolyte and design strategy are expected to provide enlightening ideas for the development of safe and high-performance polymer electrolytes.
Neurobiology of osteoarthritis: a systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis
Authors: Hall Michelle , Dobson Fiona , Klyne David Murray , Zheng Carmen Jiamin , Lima Yuri Lopes , Egorova-Brumley Natalia
Published: August 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects 240 million people worldwide. Neuroimaging has been increasingly used to investigate brain changes in OA, however, there is considerable heterogeneity in reported results. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesise existing literature and identify consistent brain alterations in OA. Six databases were searched from inception up to June, 2022. Full-texts of original human studies were included if they had: (i) neuroimaging data by site of OA (e.g. hand, knee, hip); (ii) data in healthy controls (HC); (iii) > 10 participants. Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) was conducted using GingerALE software on studies that reported peak activation coordinates and sample size. Our search strategy identified 6250 articles. Twenty-eight studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria, of which 18 were included in the meta-analysis. There were no significant differences in brain structure or function between OA and healthy control contrasts. In exploratory analysis, the right insula was associated with OA vs healthy controls, with less activity, connectivity and brain volume in OA. This region was implicated in both knee and hip OA, with an additional cluster in the medial prefrontal cortex observed only in the contrast between healthy controls and the hip OA subgroup, suggesting a possible distinction between the neural correlates of OA subtypes. Despite the limitations associated with heterogeneity and poor study quality, this synthesis identified neurobiological outcomes associated with OA, providing insight for future research. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021238735.
Improved methylene blue adsorption from an aqueous medium by ozone-triethylenetetramine modification of sawdust-based biochar
Authors: Hassaan Mohamed A. , Yılmaz Murat , Helal Mohamed , El-Nemr Mohamed. A. , Ragab Safaa , El Nemr Ahmed
Published: August 2023

In this study, sawdust biochar-O3-TETA (SDBT), a novel biochar, was prepared via treatment with 80% sulfuric acid, followed by oxidation by ozone and subsequent treatment with boiling Triethylenetetramine (TETA). Characterization studies of the prepared SDBT adsorbent were performed with SEM–EDX, BET, XRD, BJH, FT-IR, DTA and TGA analyses. The adsorption efficiency of MB dye by SDBT biochar from water was investigated. Methylene Blue (MB) dye absorption was most effective when the solution pH was 12. The maximum removal % of MB dye was 99.75% using 20 mg/L as starting MB dye concentration and 2.0 g/L SDBT dose. The Qm of the SDBT was 568.16 mg/g. Actual results were fitted to Temkin (TIM), Freundlich (FIM), and Langmuir (LIM) isotherm models. The experimental results for SDBT fitted well with all three models. Error function equations were used to test the results obtained from these isotherm models, which showed that the experimental results fit better with TIM and FIM. Kinetic data were investigated, and the pseudo-second-order (PSOM) had R2 > 0.99 and was mainly responsible for guiding the absorption rate. The removal mechanism of the MB dye ions in a base medium (pH 12) may be achieved via physical interaction due to electrostatic interaction between the SDBT surface and the positive charge of the MB dye. The results show that SDBT effectively removes the MB dye from the aqueous environment and can be used continually without losing its absorption efficiency.
Establishment of risk model for elderly CAP at different age stages: a single-center retrospective observational study
Authors: Lv Chunxin , Pan Teng , Shi Wen , Peng Weixiong , Gao Yue , Muhith Abdul , Mu Yang , Xu Jiayi , Deng Jinhai , Wei Wei
Published: August 2023

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the main reasons of mortality and morbidity in elderly population, causing substantial clinical and economic impacts. However, clinically available score systems have been shown to demonstrate poor prediction of mortality for patients aged over 65. Especially, no existing clinical model can predict morbidity and mortality for CAP patients among different age stages. Here, we aimed to understand the impact of age variable on the establishment of assessment model and explored prognostic factors and new biomarkers in predicting mortality. We retrospectively analyzed elderly patients with CAP in Minhang Hospital, Fudan University. We used univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses to study the prognostic factors of mortality in each age-based subgroup. The prediction accuracy of the prognostic factors was determined by the Receiver Operating Characteristic curves and the area under the curves. Combination models were established using several logistic regressions to save the predicted probabilities. Four factors with independently prognostic significance were shared among all the groups, namely Albumin, BUN, NLR and Pulse, using univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. Then we built a model with these 4 variables (as ABNP model) to predict the in-hospital mortality in all three groups. The AUC value of the ABNP model were 0.888 (95% CI 0.854–0.917, p < 0.000), 0.912 (95% CI 0.880–0.938, p < 0.000) and 0.872 (95% CI 0.833–0.905, p < 0.000) in group 1, 2 and 3, respectively. We established a predictive model for mortality based on an age variable -specific study of elderly patients with CAP, with higher AUC value than PSI, CURB-65 and qSOFA in predicting mortality in different age groups (66–75/ 76–85/ over 85 years).
Impact of virtual reality exercises on anxiety and depression in hemodialysis
Authors: Turoń-Skrzypińska Agnieszka , Tomska Natalia , Mosiejczuk Hanna , Rył Aleksandra , Szylińska Aleksandra , Marchelek-Myśliwiec Małgorzata , Ciechanowski Kazimierz , Nagay Radosław , Rotter Iwona
Published: August 2023

Renal replacement therapy is associated with reduced physical activity. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between regular physical activity performed with the use of virtual reality and the occurrence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in hemodialysis patients. The study involved 85 patients from the dialysis station at the Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine PUM. The examined patients were randomly divided into study group and control group. The study group consisted of patients undergoing renal replacement therapy by hemodialysis, whose task was to perform VR exercises using the prototype of the NefroVR system for 20 min during hemodialysis. The control group consisted of patients undergoing renal replacement therapy by hemodialysis who were not assigned an intervention. An intragroup analysis was performed for the Beck and GAD scales. After the end of the exercise cycle in the study group there was a decrease in the score while in the control group there was an increase in comparison to the first result. The research showed that after a 3-month exercises on a bicycle with the use of low-intensity virtual reality, a decrease in depression symptoms measured by the Beck Depression Inventory was observed. The research showed that regular physical activity using virtual reality may be associated with a reduction in the occurrence of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients included in the chronic hemodialysis program.
Depression in healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: results from Czech arm of HEROES Study
Authors: Cermakova Pavla , Fryčová Barbora , Novák David , Kuklová Marie , Wolfová Katrin , Kučera Matěj , Janoušková Miroslava , Pekara Jaroslav , Šeblová Jana , Seblova Dominika
Published: August 2023

The pandemic due to COVID-19 brought new risks for depression of health care workers, which may have differently influenced men and women. We aimed to investigate (1) whether health care workers in Czechia experienced an increase in depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) which factors contributed the most to this change, and (3) whether the magnitude of the associations differed by gender. We studied 2564 participants of the Czech arm of the international COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) Study. Online questionnaire was administered to health care workers in summer 2020 (wave 0) and spring 2021 (wave 1). Depression was defined by reaching 10 or more points on the Patient Health Questionnaire. Logistic regression investigated the association of participant´s characteristics with depression and multivariable decomposition for non-linear models assessed, to what extent the characteristic explained the change in depression occurrence. The prevalence of depression increased twice during the pandemic (11% in wave 0 and 22% in wave 1). Stress accounted for 50% of the difference, experience of death due to COVID-19 for 15% and contact with COVID-19 patients for 14%. Greater resilience and sufficient personal protective equipment were strongly associated with lower occurrence of depression. The protective association of resilience with depression was stronger in men than in women. We conclude that interventions to promote mental health of health care workers in future health crisis should aim at decreasing stress and enhancing resilience. They should be delivered especially to individuals who have contact with the affected patients and may face their death.
Humans display interindividual differences in the latent mechanisms underlying fear generalization behaviour
Authors: Yu Kenny , Tuerlinckx Francis , Vanpaemel Wolf , Zaman Jonas
Published: August 2023

Human generalization research aims to understand the processes underlying the transfer of prior experiences to new contexts. Generalization research predominantly relies on descriptive statistics, assumes a single generalization mechanism, interprets generalization from mono-source data, and disregards individual differences. Unfortunately, such an approach fails to disentangle various mechanisms underlying generalization behaviour and can readily result in biased conclusions regarding generalization tendencies. Therefore, we combined a computational model with multi-source data to mechanistically investigate human generalization behaviour. By simultaneously modelling learning, perceptual and generalization data at the individual level, we revealed meaningful variations in how different mechanisms contribute to generalization behaviour. The current research suggests the need for revising the theoretical and analytic foundations in the field to shift the attention away from forecasting group-level generalization behaviour and toward understanding how such phenomena emerge at the individual level. This raises the question for future research whether a mechanism-specific differential diagnosis may be beneficial for generalization-related psychiatric disorders.
The alleviating effect of ellagic acid on DSS-induced colitis via regulating gut microbiomes and gene expression of colonic epithelial cells
Authors: Li Xiaoqing , Xu Lu , Peng Xinan , Zhang Huiting , Kang Meng , Jiang Yiqi , Shi Haibo , Chen Haiyan , Zhao Chao , Yu Yigang , Ma Ruiting , Li Xueli , Cao Yong
Published: August 2023

The anti-inflammatory effect of ellagic acid (EA) and its possible underlying mechanism in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse chronic colonic inflammation were studied.
A bovine milk-derived peptide ameliorates pancreatic β-cell dedifferentiation through PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Lu Yunbiao , Huang Rongrong , Sun Zhongkan , Ou Yu
Published: August 2023

LGP9 reverses the occurrence of islet β-cells dedifferentiation and EMT in vitro and in vivo through the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1/PDX1/E-Cadherin signaling pathway in T2DM.
Inorganic nanoparticle agents for enhanced chemodynamic therapy of tumours
Authors: Koo Sagang , Kim Young Geon , Lee Nohyun , Hyeon Taeghwan , Kim Dokyoon
Published: August 2023

Recent strategies and underlying mechanisms that have been used to improve the CDT performance using inorganic nanoparticles are summarized.
High-performance Si@C anode for lithium-ion batteries enabled by a novel structuring strategy
Authors: Song Jian , Ke Shengfeng , Sun Pengkai , Yang Dian , Luo Chengang , Tian Qinghua , Liang Cui , Chen Jizhang
Published: August 2023

This work contributed a simple method to prepare high-performance Si/C-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries.
Design of a robust and strong-acid MOF platform for selective ammonium recovery and proton conductivity
Authors: Hatakeyama Genki , Zhou Hongyao , Kikuchi Takashi , Nishio Masaki , Oka Kouki , Sadakiyo Masaaki , Nishiyama Yusuke , Yamada Teppei
Published: August 2023

A MOF composed of zirconium and melitic acid have acidic sites and exhibit high robustness. It can exchange cation and can selectively capture NH4+ rather than Na+.
Synthetic exploration of electrophilic xanthylation via powerful N-xanthylphthalimides
Authors: Wang Shuo , Yang Liuqing , Liang Fangcan , Zhong Yu , Liu Xueru , Wang Qingling , Zhu Dianhu
Published: August 2023

Electrophilic xanthylation of C/O/N nucleophiles via powerful N-xanthylphthalimides was investigated, with standout features of broad substrate scope, excellent tolerance and late-stage functionalization of bioactive or functional molecules.
In situ investigation of the rheological and dielectric properties of a cross-linking carbon nanotube-thermosetting epoxy
Authors: Ramos Paolo Z. , Sarmah Anubhav , Green Micah J. , Richards Jeffrey J.
Published: August 2023

Monitoring the dielectric properties of a thermosetting resin allows for better understanding of how these materials respond to radio-frequency fields as the cure evolves, with possible applications in additive manufacturing.