bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti-prostate cancer mechanism of black ginseng during the "nine steaming and nine sun-drying" process based on HPLC analysis combined with vector space network pharmacology
Authors: Zhang Youran , Huang Ye , Dou Deqiang
Published: January 2024

HPLC analysis determined six small-molecule organic acids, maltol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), 17 ginsenosides, four oligosaccharides, and 20 amino acids in black ginseng samples with different processing times. Based on the content determination results, the differential ingredients in the processing of black ginseng were screened by multivariate statistical analysis. Network pharmacological methods obtained the core targets and pathways of the above ingredients against prostate cancer. Finally, the entropy weight method was used to assign values to the above ingredients, targets, and pathways, and the vector space network pharmacology method was established to study the anti-prostate cancer mechanism of black ginseng in the process of "nine steaming and nine sun-drying". Based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), fructose, glucose, dencichin, glutamate, ginsenoside 20 (S)-Rg3, 20 (R)-Rg3, 20 (S)-Rh2, Rg1, Re, and Rc were the main differential ingredients in various steaming and sun-drying cycle periods of black ginseng. The results of vector space network pharmacology showed that the main reason for the change in the anti-prostate cancer pathway of black ginseng with the number of steaming and sun-drying was the different regulatory ability of black ginseng on the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation pathway. It gave researchers a fresh perspective for exploring the anti-prostate cancer active components of black ginseng and the change in the mechanism of the effect of traditional Chinese medicine in processing.
Breast cancer cells and adipocytes in hypoxia: metabolism regulation
Authors: Yu Xin , Zhang Tianqi , Cheng Xiaozhi , Ma Li
Published: January 2024

Adipocytes play a significant role in breast cancer due to the unique histological structure of the breast. These have not only been detected adjacent to breast cancer cells but they have also been implicated in cancer development. Adipocytes in obese individuals and tumor microenvironment (TME) have a common feature, that is, hypoxia. The increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is known to alter the metabolism and functions of adipocytes. In this study, we described the mechanism linking the hypoxia-sensing pathway manifested by HIF to adipocytes and breast cancer and discussed the mechanism underlying the role of hypoxic adipocytes in breast cancer development from the perspective of metabolic remodeling. The processes and pathways in hypoxic adipocytes could be a promising target in breast cancer therapy.
Antiosteoporosis therapy after discontinuation of menopausal hormone therapy: a systematic review
Authors: Anagnostis Panagiotis , Divaris Efstathios , Bosdou Julia Κ. , Tournis Symeon , Stathopoulos Konstantinos , Goulis Dimitrios G.
Published: January 2024

Objective

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has consistently shown a bone protective effect by reducing the risk of vertebral, non-vertebral, and hip fractures in postmenopausal women regardless of baseline fracture risk. However, the optimal sequential treatment after MHT discontinuation has not been determined. This systematic review aimed to obtain the best evidence regarding the effect of antiresorptive or osteoanabolic treatment on bone mineral density (BMD) and/or fracture risk following MHT.

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases up to October 31, 2023. Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies conducted in postmenopausal women were included.

Results

After the exclusion of duplicates, 717 studies were identified. Two were eligible for qualitative analysis, one RCT and one retrospective cohort study. The RCT showed that alendronate 10 mg/day for 12 months further increased lumbar spine (LS) BMD by 2.3% following MHT and maintained femoral neck (FN) BMD in postmenopausal women (n = 144). It also decreased bone anabolic and resorption markers by 47 and 36%, respectively. In the retrospective study (n = 34), raloxifene 60 mg/day increased both LS and FN BMD at 12 months by 3 and 2.9%, respectively. No fractures were reported.

Conclusions

Antiresorptive therapy with either a bisphosphonate (i.e., alendronate) or raloxifene could be considered a sequential antiosteoporosis therapy after MHT withdrawal since they have been shown in studies to further increase BMD. However, no safe conclusions can be drawn from the existing literature.
Heterotopias of Citizenship as Spaces of Otherness: The Fluid Boundaries Between We and They
Authors: Lashchuk Iuliia
Published: January 2024

Heterotopia is a neologism proposed by Michel Foucault to describe specific cultural and discursive spaces that mirror real life, yet stand in opposition to it. I propose to look at heterotopia through the lens of youth citizenship that is presented in different forms of self-identification in the discursive practices of the selected youth organisations. The article analyses the discursive language of six Ukrainian youth organisations that appear as spaces of their own, drawing on Foucault’s notion of heterotopia. The task of the article is to examine how these contemporary heterotopias are identified through the language and specific keywords used by their members and how this language defines the space in which their members function, as well as gain insight into the categories of We and They, including their role in self-identification and the delineation of boundaries between the different heterotopias. In this article, I argue that the contexts of the use of the categories We and They with which young people name themselves and separate themselves from non-members of the organisation, have a strong influence on their citizen participation strategies. The empirical results show that organizations position and locate themselves as political and community acting-spaces—heterotopias of citizenship—that have responsibilities and act in accordance with their mission. Although the forms of citizen participation they use vary, their ultimate mission seems to be the same, and may be related to a sense of insecurity caused by a political threat from the Other.
Experimental study of concrete mixes using crushed and uncrushed coarse aggregates by adopting ACI and DoE methods
Authors: Hassaballa A. E.
Published: January 2024

The main objective of this research is to investigate experimentally the effect of crushed and uncrushed coarse aggregate on the properties of hardened concrete (compressive strength) by adopting the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the British Department of Environment (DoE) methods. Concrete mixes were designed, concrete cubes and cylinders were prepared and casted by using DoE and ACI respectively. DoE concrete design method considers both types of aggregates; crushed and uncrushed, while the ACI method does not take into account the effect of uncrushed coarse aggregate in design provisions. Then compressive strength tests of concrete samples were determined at ages of 7 and 28 days full curing period. The results obtained show that ACI gave higher values of compressive strength than that obtained by DoE for M30 and M40 except M25, which resulted in lower values than that obtained by DoE for crushed coarse aggregates. The 7-day compressive strength represents 75% of the 28-day compressive strength for ACI method, whereas in DoE reaching up to 73% and 77% for crushed and uncrushed coarse aggregate, respectively.
Prediction of In-Class Performance Based on MFO-ATTENTION-LSTM
Authors: Qin Xue , Wang Cang , Yuan YouShu , Qi Rui
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we present a novel approach to predicting in-class performance using log data from course learning, which is important in the field of personalized education and classroom management. Specifically, a set of fine-grained features is extracted from unit learning log data to train a prediction model based on long short-term memory (LSTM). However, to enhance the accuracy of the model, we introduce moth flame optimization-attention-LSTM (MFO-Attention-LSTM) as an improvement to the conventional LSTM-attention model. The MFO algorithm is utilized instead of the traditional backward propagation method to calculate attention layer parameters, thereby allowing the model to jump out of local optima. The proposed model outperforms the SVM, CNN, RNN, LSTM, and LSTM-Attention models in terms of the F1 score. Empirical results demonstrate that the optimization of the MFO algorithm contributes significantly to the improved performance of the prediction model. In conclusion, the proposed MFO-Attention-LSTM model offers a promising solution for predicting in-class performance using log data from course learning and could provide valuable insights for personalized education and classroom management.
Analysis on the political construction of scale of state-level new areas
Authors: Gui Yanli , Wang Xuan
Published: January 2024

The State-level New Area is an emerging type of regional space produced by the national strategy of Regional Coordinated Development in China. It is not a fixed material entity nested in the practice of spatial production, but contains multiple scales of dynamic changes. Therefore, from the multi-dimensional connotations of scale, this paper discusses the internal logic and institutional shaping of political construction of scale. It is suggested that the State-level New Area has the geographic scale characteristics of vast and cross-regional area, the administrative scale characteristics of testability and recursion, and the power scale characteristics of flexibility and flattening. Finally, this paper highlighted that the ‘rigid’ political scale represented by the State-level New Area can directly promote the rise of city-regions, and can establish a new type of ‘central-local’ governance relationship. Thus, it is of great significance for China’s social and economic transformation and regional governance innovation to make good use of the ‘rigid’ scale tool of the State-level New Area.
From Pseudo to Genuine Sustainability Education: Ecopedagogy and Degrowth in Business Studies Courses
Authors: Kopnina Helen , Bedford Timothy
Published: January 2024

This article surveys critical scholarship that links the literature on sustainable business education and education for sustainable development goals (ESDG). It is assumed that ESDG is desirable in the business curriculum. However, it is argued here that ESDG erroneously fosters the illusion of successfully combining economic growth, social justice, and environmental protection, foregrounding “sustained and inclusive economic growth”, which is often dependent on the increased consumption of natural resources. ESDG rarely addresses industrial expansion that jeopardizes the opportunity for the resolution of environmental crises, ignoring the intrinsic value of nonhuman species and ecosystems and masking the root causes of unsustainability. ESDG places heavy emphasis on economic and social aspects of sustainability, at the cost of the environment. By contrast, some earlier forms of environmental education recognize the limits to growth and emphasize environmental integrity as a foundation for both social and economic activity. This article emphasizes the need to re-orientate ESDG towards genuine sustainability of ecopedagogy in the context of business education, emphasizing transformative business models based on degrowth, circular economy, and steady-state economy. It is argued that a more explicit pedagogical re-orientation towards the recognition of planetary boundaries, as well as toward a less anthropocentric focus is needed.
Racial and ethnic differences in the degree of participation and retention in a decentralized cohort study of COVID-19 immunization in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases
Authors: Boccieri Margie , Craig Riley , Zhang Xian , Firestine Ann M. , Long Millie D. , Kappelman Michael D.
Published: January 2024

Introduction:

Disparities in the recruitment of minority populations in research are well-documented. However, the degree of participation and retention of minorities following enrollment is less known, particularly in decentralized studies. Although decentralized clinical research methods may allow researchers to engage broader study populations with less participation burden, they may present different retention challenges. To evaluate racial and ethnic differences in the degree of participation after enrollment in a decentralized study, we analyzed data from a cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases following COVID-19 immunization.

Methods:

We compared by race and ethnicity the following post-enrollment participation metrics: response to > 50% of follow-up surveys, donation of a blood sample for antibody testing, consent to use of bio samples for future research, and withdrawal prior to study completion.

Results:

Overall, we observed higher levels of post-enrollment study participation among non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants as compared to Black or Hispanic participants: 95% of NHW participants completed follow-up versus 87% of Black participants and 91% of Hispanic participants, 73% of NHW participants provided bio samples versus 64% Black participants and 67% Hispanic participants, and 65% of NHW participants provided consent for future research versus 62% of Black participants and 52% of Hispanic participants.

Conclusions:

Our findings demonstrate that the degree of study participation after enrollment in this decentralized study differed by race and ethnicity, indicating that attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion is needed not only in clinical research recruitment but also throughout study administration.
The association between the use of video games, social media and online dating sites, and the symptoms of anxiety and/or depression in adults aged 25 and over
Authors: El Haddad Maria , Hecker Irwin , Wallez Solène , Mary-Krause Murielle , Melchior Maria
Published: January 2024

People tend to spend more time in front of their screens, which can have repercussions on their social life, physical and mental health. This topic has mainly been studied in adolescents. Therefore, our study tested associations between the use of video games, social media and online dating leading to sexual relations (ODLSR), and symptoms of anxiety and/or depression among adults aged 25 and over. Data from the 2018 TEMPO cohort study were analyzed (n = 853, 65.0% women, aged 25–44, with an average of 37.4 ± 3.7 years). The exposure variables were as follows: (a) the frequency of video game use, (b) time spent on social media and (c) ODLSR. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for participants’ sociodemographic characteristics as well as history of mental health problems. Among the participants, 8.6% presented symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. An association between ODLSR and symptoms of anxiety and/or depression was found, especially among women. The results of this study will facilitate the improvement of support and care for adults, especially those with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression using dating applications. Future studies should investigate the determinants of using online meeting websites and their relationship with the occurrence of psychological difficulties in longitudinal studies to establish causality.
The semantic content of concrete, abstract, specific, and generic concepts
Authors: Villani Caterina , Loia Adele , Bolognesi Marianna M.
Published: January 2024

Abstraction processes involve two variables that are often confused with one another: concreteness (banana versus belief) and specificity (chair versus furniture or Buddhism versus religion). Researchers are investigating the relationship between them, but many questions remain open, such as: What type of semantics characterizes words with varying degrees of concreteness and specificity? We tackle this topic through an in-depth semantic analysis of 1049 Italian words for which human-generated concreteness and specificity ratings are available. Our findings show that (as expected) the semantics of concrete and abstract concepts differs, but most interestingly when specificity is considered, the variance in concreteness ratings explained by semantic types increases substantially, suggesting the need to carefully control word specificity in future research. For instance, mathematical concepts (phase) are on average abstract and generic, while behavioral qualities (arrogant) are on average abstract but specific. Moreover, through cluster analyses based on concreteness and specificity ratings, we observe the bottom-up emergence of four subgroups of semantically coherent words. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence and theoretical insight into the interplay of concreteness and specificity in shaping semantic categorization.
Ukraine’s Strategic Interactions with the EU and Russia during the Turbulent Month of the Crimean Annexation
Authors: Nychyk Alina
Published: January 2024

What shapes a country’s foreign policy formation in times of crisis? This article explores the factors that were behind the response of Ukrainian decision makers in their relations with Russia and the European Union during the annexation of Crimea between February 21 and March 26, 2014. I view Ukraine’s foreign policy through the lenses of an analytical framework inspired by game theory, where the decision-making process is divided into four parts—information about others’ preferences, trust in interlocutors, everyone’s payoffs, and resources. This article employs a rigorous qualitative thematic analysis of 38 elite interviews, numerous primary documents, and media reports. The core finding suggests that the uncertain times and unpreparedness of Ukrainian decision makers obstructed them from a comprehensive analysis of the environment and formation of the country’s foreign policy strategy, which, consequently, facilitated Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Erosion of International Organizations’ Legitimacy under Superpower Rivalry: Evidence on the International Court of Justice
Authors: Han Enze , Li Xiaojun
Published: January 2024

This article investigates how superpower rivalry affects public perceptions of international organization (IO) legitimacy in the hegemon. We argue that the representation of a superpower rival state at an IO in the form of its key decision maker's nationality can dampen the IO's perceived legitimacy within the rival power. We test this argument using a survey experiment in the United States under President Trump, where we manipulate the nationality of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge who casts a tie-breaking vote against the United States. Our results show that when the judge is Chinese, there is a strong and robust dampening of Americans’ perceptions of the ICJ's legitimacy, with no comparable effect arising when the judge is from other countries, including Russia. Replication of the experiment in the United States under President Biden offers external validity for our findings, which may have important implications for the future of the liberal international order.
A REVISED DATASET OF REAL WAGES IN LATIN AMERICA, 1920-2011
Authors: Astorga Pablo
Published: January 2024

This research note documents the revision of a dataset of real wages in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela during 1920-2011. This resource was originally published by this journal in Astorga (2017). The revision affected all eighteen basic wage series plus six weighted-average series, with varying degrees of modification. The revised dataset is made available as supplementary material. Regardless of changes to the data, the key findings and conclusions of the 2017 paper still hold.
The effect of space travel on human reproductive health: a systematic review
Authors: Gimunová Marta , Paludo Ana Carolina , Bernaciková Martina , Bienertova-Vasku Julie
Published: January 2024

With increasing possibilities of multi-year missions in deep space, colonizing other planets, and space tourism, it is important to investigate the effects of space travel on human reproduction. This study aimed to systematically review and summarize the results of available literature on space travel, microgravity, and space radiation, or Earth-based spaceflight analogues impact on female and male reproductive functions in humans. This systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and Space Biomedicine Systematic Review methods. The search was performed using three databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline Complete. During the database search, 364 studies were identified. After the study selection process, 16 studies were included in the review. Five studies included female participants, and the findings show an increased risk of thromboembolism in combined oral contraceptive users, decreased decidualization, functional insufficiency of corpus luteum, and decreased progesterone and LH levels related to space travel or its simulation. Male participants were included in 13 studies. In males, reproductive health considerations focused on the decrease in testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels, the ratio of male offspring, sperm motility, sperm vitality, and the increase in sperm DNA fragmentation related to space travel or its simulation. Results of this systematic review highlight the need to focus more on the astronaut’s reproductive health in future research, as only 16 studies were found during the literature search, and many more research questions related to reproductive health in astronauts still need to be answered.
Neoantigen vaccine nanoformulations based on Chemically synthesized minimal mRNA (CmRNA): small molecules, big impact
Authors: Imani Saber , Tagit Oya , Pichon Chantal
Published: January 2024

Recently, chemically synthesized minimal mRNA (CmRNA) has emerged as a promising alternative to in vitro transcribed mRNA (IVT-mRNA) for cancer therapy and immunotherapy. CmRNA lacking the untranslated regions and polyadenylation exhibits enhanced stability and efficiency. Encapsulation of CmRNA within lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPPs) offers an effective approach for personalized neoantigen mRNA vaccines with improved control over tumor growth. LPP-based delivery systems provide superior pharmacokinetics, stability, and lower toxicity compared to viral vectors, naked mRNA, or lipid nanoparticles that are commonly used for mRNA delivery. Precise customization of LPPs in terms of size, surface charge, and composition allows for optimized cellular uptake, target specificity, and immune stimulation. CmRNA-encoded neo-antigens demonstrate high translational efficiency, enabling immune recognition by CD8+ T cells upon processing and presentation. This perspective highlights the potential benefits, challenges, and future directions of CmRNA neoantigen vaccines in cancer therapy compared to Circular RNAs and IVT-mRNA. Further research is needed to optimize vaccine design, delivery, and safety assessment in clinical trials. Nevertheless, personalized LPP-CmRNA vaccines hold great potential for advancing cancer immunotherapy, paving the way for personalized medicine.
Late Miocene onset of the modern Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Authors: Evangelinos Dimitris , Etourneau Johan , van de Flierdt Tina , Crosta Xavier , Jeandel Catherine , Flores José-Abel , Harwood David M. , Valero Luis , Ducassou Emmanuelle , Sauermilch Isabel , Klocker Andreas , Cacho Isabel , Pena Leopoldo D. , Kreissig Katharina , Benoit Mathieu , Belhadj Moustafa , Paredes Eduardo , Garcia-Solsona Ester , López-Quirós Adrián , Salabarnada Ariadna , Escutia Carlota
Published: January 2024

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays a pivotal role in global climate through its strong influence on the global overturning circulation, ocean heat and CO2 uptake. However, when and how the Antarctic Circumpolar Current reached its modern-like characteristics remains disputed. Here we present neodymium isotope and sortable silt records from sediment cores in the Southwest Pacific and South Indian oceans spanning the past 31 million years. Our data indicate that a circumpolar current like that of today did not exist before the late Miocene cooling. These findings suggest that the emergence of a homogeneous and deep-reaching strong Antarctic Circumpolar Current was not linked solely to the opening and deepening of Southern Ocean Gateways triggering continental-scale Antarctic Ice Sheet expansion during the Eocene–Oligocene Transition (∼34 Ma). Instead, we find that besides tectonic pre-conditioning, the expansion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and sea ice since the middle Miocene Climate Transition (∼14 Ma) played a crucial role. This led to stronger density contrast and intensified Southern Westerly Winds across the Southern Ocean, establishing a vigorous deep-reaching circumpolar flow and an enhanced global overturning circulation, which amplified the late Cenozoic global cooling.
Spontaneous self-constraint in active nematic flows
Authors: Head Louise C. , Doré Claire , Keogh Ryan R. , Bonn Lasse , Negro Giuseppe , Marenduzzo Davide , Doostmohammadi Amin , Thijssen Kristian , López-León Teresa , Shendruk Tyler N.
Published: January 2024

Active processes drive biological dynamics across various scales and include subcellular cytoskeletal remodelling, tissue development in embryogenesis and the population-level expansion of bacterial colonies. In each of these, biological functionality requires collective flows to occur while self-organised structures are protected. However, the mechanisms by which active flows can spontaneously constrain their dynamics to preserve structure are not known. Here, by studying collective flows and defect dynamics in active nematic films, we demonstrate the existence of a self-constraint, namely a two-way, spontaneously arising relationship between activity-driven isosurfaces of flow boundaries and mesoscale nematic structures. We show that self-motile defects are tightly constrained to viscometric surfaces, which are contours along which the vorticity and the strain rate are balanced. This in turn reveals that self-motile defects break mirror symmetry when they move along a single viscometric surface. This is explained by an interdependence between viscometric surfaces and bend walls, which are elongated narrow kinks in the orientation field. These findings indicate that defects cannot be treated as solitary points. Instead, their associated mesoscale deformations are key to the steady-state coupling to hydrodynamic flows. This mesoscale cross-field self-constraint offers a framework for tackling complex three-dimensional active turbulence, designing dynamic control into biomimetic materials and understanding how biological systems can employ active stress for dynamic self-organisation.
Refractiveindex.info database of optical constants
Authors: Polyanskiy Mikhail N.
Published: January 2024

We introduce the refractiveindex.info database, a comprehensive open-source repository containing optical constants for a wide array of materials, and describe in detail the underlying dataset. This collection, derived from a meticulous compilation of data sourced from peer-reviewed publications, manufacturers’ datasheets, and authoritative texts, aims to advance research in optics and photonics. The data is stored using a YAML-based format, ensuring integrity, consistency, and ease of access. Each record is accompanied by detailed metadata, facilitating a comprehensive understanding and efficient utilization of the data. In this descriptor, we outline the data curation protocols and the file format used for data records, and briefly demonstrate how the data can be organized in a user-friendly fashion akin to the books in a traditional library.
A chromosome-level genome assembly of a free-living white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)
Authors: Wu Zhou , Miedzinska Katarzyna , Krause Jesse S. , Pérez Jonathan H. , Wingfield John C. , Meddle Simone L. , Smith Jacqueline
Published: January 2024

The white-crowned sparrow,Zonotrichia leucophrys, is a passerine bird with a wide distribution and it is extensively adapted to environmental changes. It has historically acted as a model species in studies on avian ecology, physiology and behaviour. Here, we present a high-quality chromosome-level genome ofZonotrichia leucophrysusing PacBio and OmniC sequencing data. Gene models were constructed by combining RNA-seq and Iso-seq data from liver, hypothalamus, and ovary. In total a 1,123,996,003 bp genome was generated, including 31 chromosomes assembled in complete scaffolds along with other, unplaced scaffolds. This high-quality genome assembly offers an important genomic resource for the research community using the white-crowned sparrow as a model for understanding avian genome biology and development, and provides a genomic basis for future studies, both fundamental and applied.
Role of diabetes health literacy, psychological status, self-care behaviors, and life satisfaction in predicting quality of life in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Jafari Alireza , Moshki Mahdi , Ghelichi-Ghojogh Mousa , Nejatian Mahbobeh
Published: January 2024

One of the factors that can affect the quality of life is the psychological status of people. Also, the psychological status of individuals can be affected by other variables. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the role of diabetes health literacy, psychological status, self-care behaviors, and life satisfaction in predicting the quality of life in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran in 2021 among 300 patients with type 2 diabetes. The method of selecting the participants in this study was the proportional stratified sampling method. Data collection instruments included six questionnaires of demographic questionnaire and diabetes status, DASS-21 questionnaire (depression, anxiety, and stress), diabetes health literacy scale, self-care behavior questionnaire, satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), and quality of life questionnaire. Statistical methods such as independent sample t test, one-way analysis of variance, linear regression test, and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data. Based on the results of Pearson correlation test, there was a positive and significant correlation between diabetes health literacy (r = 0.438, p < 0.001), depression (r = − 0.380, p < 0.001), anxiety (r = − 0.355, p < 0.001), stress (r = − 0.423, p < 0.001), and SWLS (r = 0.265, p < 0.001) with quality of life. Based on the results of linear regression, variables of diabetes health literacy, life satisfaction, self -care behaviors, depression, stress, anxiety, age of onset of diabetes and diabetes duration were able to predict 31% of the quality of life (p < 0.001). The results of this study indicated that diabetes health literacy, life satisfaction, stress and the duration of diabetes are able to predict the quality of life of patients with diabetes. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to these effective variables training programs, especially health literacy, the effect of which is very obvious in this study.
Validation of rapid fecal calprotectin assay using particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay for inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Oka Akihiko , Kawashima Kousaku , Kishimoto Kenichi , Kotani Satoshi , Fukunaga Mai , Fukuba Nobuhiko , Mishima Yoshiyuki , Oshima Naoki , Ishimura Norihisa , Awoniyi Muyiwa , Ishihara Shunji
Published: January 2024

Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a promising biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is widely used for FC detection, though the considerable lag time, up to several days, causes clinical management delay. This study was performed to examine the new rapid kit fCAL-turbo, which is based on a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (15 min), by comparing FC values with other EIAs (EliA, PhiCal, Bühlmann) and endoscopic scores. Using 94 samples, fCAL-turbo showed strong significant positive correlations with the other kits (Spearman’s r = 0.9178–0.9886). Of 74 UC patients, 69 underwent an endoscopy and fCAL-turbo reflected endoscopic activity with a moderate correlation with Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) (r = 0.6945, others r = 0.6682–0.7013). Receiver operating characteristic analyses based on MES 0 versus 1–3 showed a similar efficacy as compared to the other kits (cut-off and area under the curve: 89.70 µg/g and 0.8592, respectively, others 62.35–138.4 µg/g and 0.8280–0.8611, respectively). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis confirmed that fCAL-turbo results significantly contributed to prediction of MES 0 with a higher t-value as compared to the other biomarkers. fCAL-turbo showed strong correlations with the other kits and also demonstrated excellent performance for predicting endoscopic remission of UC.
Development and validation of web-based nomograms for predicting survival status in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma depending on the surgical status: a SEER database analysis
Authors: Liu Yao-Ge , Jiang Shi-Tao , Zhang Jun-Wei , Zhang Lei , Zhao Hai-Tao , Sang Xin-Ting , Lu Xin , Xu Yi-Yao
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to develop and validate prognostic nomograms that can estimate the probability of 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) as well as cancer-specific survival (CSS) for Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) patients. Clinical data of 1446 patients diagnosed with ICCA between 2010 and 2017 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were analyzed. In both the OS and the CSS group, the training cohort and validation cohort were divided into a 7:3 ratio. Age, sex, AJCC T stage, AJCC N stage, AJCC M stage, surgical status, and tumor grade were selected as independent prognostic risk factors to build the nomograms. To compare the efficacy of predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and CSS rates of the nomogram with the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, we evaluated the Harrell’s index of concordance (C-index), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) in both cohorts. The results showed the nomogram for 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and CSS prediction performed better than the AJCC staging system. In the subgroup analysis for patients could not receive surgery as the primary treatment. We developed two nomograms for predicting the 1-, and 2-year OS and CSS rates following the same analysis procedure. Results indicate that the performance of both nomograms, which contained sex, AJCC T stage, AJCC M stage, chemotherapy, and tumor grade and prognostic factors, was also superior to the AJCC staging system. Meanwhile, four dynamic network-based nomograms were published. The survival analysis showed the survival rate of patients classified as high-risk based on the nomogram score was significantly lower compared to those categorized as low-risk (P < 0.0001). Finally, accurate and convenient nomograms were established to assist clinicians in making more personalized prognosis predictions for ICCA patients.
Environmental and health values, beliefs, norms and compatibility on intention to adopt hydroponic farming among unemployed youth
Authors: Gao Jingzu , Al Mamun Abdullah , Yang Qing , Rahman Muhammad Khalilur , Masud Muhammad Mehedi
Published: January 2024

The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among environmental and health values, ecological worldview, perception of consequences, the ascription of responsibility, and personal norms in the context of the value-belief-norm (VBN) model and how compatibility influences the intentions and behaviors of Chinese youth regarding the use of hydroponic farming technology. The study employed a survey questionnaire to collect data from the target population. The sample size was determined through a power analysis to ensure sufficient statistical power for the analysis. A total of 727 potential respondents' responses were analyzed using SmartPLS (4.0) to perform structural equation modeling. The results confirmed that environmental, emotional, and health values significantly associated with individuals' ecological worldviews. There was an interconnection between ecological worldview, awareness of consequences, and ascription of responsibility, and all three significantly influenced personal norms. The key determinants of the intentions and behaviors to adopt hydroponic farming technology are personal norms and technology compatibility. Therefore, to promote and motivate the interest and intention to use hydroponics among unemployed youth, government agencies, and related companies should focus on providing technology-related and pro-environmental information and training. This is expected to increase the acceptance and awareness of hydroponics among this group, thus increasing the adoption rate of hydroponics.
How much we know about precipitation climatology over Tianshan Mountains––the Central Asian water tower
Authors: Jin Chunhan , Wang Bin , Cheng Tat Fan , Dai Lun , Wang Tianyi
Published: January 2024

Tianshan Mountains are the headwater regions for the central Asia rivers, providing water resources for ecological protection and economic development in semiarid regions. Due to scarce observations, the hydroclimatic characteristics of the Tianshan Mountains Precipitation (TMP) measured over highland (>1500 m) regions remain to be revealed. Here, we show the TMP belongs to a monsoon-like climate regime, with a distinct annual range and a high ratio of summer-to-yearly rainfall, and exhibits six abrupt changes, dividing the annual cycle into six precipitation sub-seasons. Over the past 60 years, the yearly TMP has significantly increased by 17.3%, with a dramatic increase in winter (135.7%). The TMP displays a significant 40-day climatological intra-seasonal oscillation (CISO) in summer. The TMP CISO’s wet phase results from the confrontation of the eastward propagating mid-tropospheric Balkhash Lake Low and the southward migrating Mongolian High. The sudden changes in the two climatological circulation systems trigger TMP’s changes, shaping the 40-day CISO. Emerging scientific issues are also discussed.
A modular chemoenzymatic cascade strategy for the structure-customized assembly of ganglioside analogs
Authors: Jin Xuefeng , Cheng Hanchao , Chen Xiaohui , Cao Xuefeng , Xiao Cong , Ding Fengling , Qu Huirong , Wang Peng George , Feng Yan , Yang Guang-Yu
Published: January 2024

Gangliosides play vital biological regulatory roles and are associated with neurological system diseases, malignancies, and immune deficiencies. They have received extensive attention in developing targeted drugs and diagnostic markers. However, it is difficult to obtain enough structurally defined gangliosides and analogs especially at an industrial-relevant scale, which prevent exploring structure-activity relationships and identifying drug ingredients. Here, we report a highly modular chemoenzymatic cascade assembly (MOCECA) strategy for customized and large-scale synthesis of ganglioside analogs with various glycan and ceramide epitopes. We typically accessed five gangliosides with therapeutic promising and systematically prepared ten GM1 analogs with diverse ceramides. Through further process amplification, we achieved industrial production of ganglioside GM1 in the form of modular assembly at hectogram scale. Using MOCECA-synthesized GM1 analogs, we found unique ceramide modifications on GM1 could enhance the ability to promote neurite outgrowth. By comparing the structures with synthetic analogs, we further resolved the problem of contradicting descriptions for GM1 components in different pharmaceutical documents by reinterpreting the exact two-component structures of commercialized GM1 drugs. Because of its applicability and stability, the MOCECA strategy can be extended to prepare other glycosphingolipid structures, which may pave the way for developing new glycolipid drugs.
A semi-packed gas chromatographic column with staggered elliptic cylindrical post arrays
Authors: Chen Boxin , Zhu Yuchen , Ma Shaojie , Zhao Bin , Feng Fei
Published: January 2024

The decrease in the stagnation area in semi-packed gas chromatographic columns helps to increase the height and area of chromatographic peaks.
Accelerating electrosynthesis of ammonia from nitrates using coupled NiO/Cu nanocomposites
Authors: Zhu Hongbo , Tang Yanfeng , Wang Jiacheng Jayden , Sun Tongming , Wang Minmin , Wang Jin , Tan Yongwen , Wang Jiacheng
Published: January 2024

The synergy between Ni and Cu centers helps to avoid the accumulation of nitrite intermediates, thus boosting the electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia.
Controllable fabrication of well-shaped PMBA@CsPbBr3 nanoparticles for highly sensitive detection of HCl and HBr
Authors: Zhou Ying , He Zaozhen , Zhao Chunyu , Shi Chengyu , Pan Aizhao
Published: January 2024

Well-shaped PMBA@CsPbBr3 nanoparticles were fabricated by combining in situ adsorption and controlled polymerization and demonstrated high sensitivity to acid gas.
Electron-triggered processes in halogenated carboxylates: dissociation pathways in CF3COCl and its clusters
Authors: Kocábková Barbora , Ďurana Jozef , Rakovský Jozef , Pysanenko Andrij , Fedor Juraj , Ončák Milan , Fárník Michal
Published: January 2024

Bond breaking and making by fast and slow electrons in the trifluoroacetyl chloride molecule and its clusters is revealed.
Elucidating the effects of naturally weathered aged-polypropylene microplastics and newly procured polypropylene microplastics on raw 264.7 macrophages
Authors: Koner Shramana , Mukherjee Amitava , Chandrasekaran Natarajan
Published: January 2024

In this work, we investigated weathered aged-PPMPs and naturally obtained polypropylene microplastics (NP-PPMPs) with raw 264.7 macrophages, which causes cytotoxicity and an imbalance in the intracellular system.
Oscillating high aspect ratio micro-channels can effectively atomize liquids into uniform aerosol droplets and dial their size on-demand
Authors: Le Nguyen Hoai An , Brenker Jason , Shenoda Abanoub , Sheikh Zara , Gum Jackson , Ong Hui Xin , Traini Daniela , Alan Tuncay
Published: January 2024

We present an acoustically actuated platform to extract liquids from external sources and controllably atomize them on-demand.
An efficient oxygen evolution reaction by Ru(ii) polypyridyl complex-based AIEgen
Authors: Khatua Snehadrinarayan , Rabha Monosh , Nagappan Sreenivasan , Sen Bhaskar , Baruah Khanindram , Kundu Subrata
Published: January 2024

The present study reports on Ru-4, an AIE-active Ru(ii) polypyridyl compound for effective electrocatalytic OER. Ru-4 has great feasibility for OER with a wide exposed surface, as evidenced by TOF and Tafel slope values.
Dual stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoparticles combining soluplus and chitosan for enhanced breast cancer targeting
Authors: Twal Shrouq , Jaber Nisrein , Al-Remawi Mayyas , Hamad Islam , Al-Akayleh Faisal , Alshaer Walhan
Published: January 2024

A dual stimuli-responsive nanocarrier was developed from smart biocompatible chitosan and soluplus graft copolymers.
Effect of oxide impurities on the dissolution behavior of Th4+, Be2+ and U4+ in fluoride salts
Authors: Yan Yubing , Li Yingjie , Fu Haiying , Qian Yuan , Li Qingnuan , Dou Qiang , Geng Junxia
Published: January 2024

Oxides are one of the most important impurities in the fuel salt of molten salt reactors (MSRs), and excessive oxide impurities pose a risk to the safe operation of MSRs.
A solid-state p–n tandem dye-sensitized solar cell
Authors: Wrede Sina , Cai Bin , Cheng Fangwen , Johansson Malin B. , Kubart Tomas , Hägglund Carl , Tian Haining
Published: January 2024

First demonstration of a solid-state p–n tandem dye-sensitized solar cell (t-DSC) shows a substantial open-circuit voltage which holds great promise for a wide range of applications, particularly in the fields of photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical devices.
Probing electrochemical strain generation in sodium chromium oxide (NaCrO2) cathode in Na-ion batteries during charge/discharge
Authors: Wable Minal , Bal Batuhan , Capraz Ömer Özgür
Published: January 2024

Operando electrochemical strain generations in NaCrO2 cathode electrode during cycling are monitored using a digital image correlation.
Research on assessment of air traffic control operation quality based on track data
Authors: Sun Fanrong , Zhang Yue , Chen Yujun , Xu Xueji
Published: January 2024

Evaluating the quality of air traffic control operations is crucial for enhancing airspace management. Thus, this paper proposes a data mining approach for conducting a comprehensive assessment of control operation quality (COQ) in increasingly complex operation environments. First, the authors establish a COQ evaluation index system that combines both subjective and objective measures. Key index parameters are determined using wavelet filtering and interval estimation techniques on the basis of data mining results. Second, the authors apply an entropy‐weighted cloud model to label data samples and classify COQ into ‘excellent’, ‘good’, and ‘fair’ levels. Finally, the authors establish an support vector machine‐based COQ assessment model using XGBoost feature combinations to verify the practical feasibility and scientific validity of their approach.
Experimental validation of a low‐voltage regulator model—A case study of a Maltese low‐voltage feeder
Authors: Licari John , Staines Cyril Spiteri , Micallef Alexander , Hoppert Stefan
Published: January 2024

Solar photovoltaics in Malta have increased substantially over the years, both at large scale and residential scale. The present installed capacity is already having a negative impact on Malta's’ grid infrastructure, causing problems due to the reverse power flows (resulting from oversupply) and related issues such as voltage rise. This paper considers the integration of a low voltage regulator in a low voltage feeder in a semi‐rural area in Malta. A thyristor‐controlled transformer‐based low voltage regulator was modelled and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink using the PLECS blockset. Experimental results were also obtained via measurements of the voltage profiles at 70% of the actual low voltage feeder that showed several instances of over and under voltage events. The outputs obtained from the simulation model strongly agreed with those obtained from the field testing thereby validating the simulation models that were developed in this study. Results show that the voltage on the feeder was successfully regulated to around the nominal voltage of 240 V. The regulator failed to correct the voltage to within ±10% in one occurrence where the load demand and hence the voltage drop was too high.
Advanced Oxidation Processes and Their Application in the Treatment of Different Types of Wastewater Samples
Authors: Panghal Priya , Yousuf Souheen , Sen Suman
Published: January 2024

Over the years, urbanization has caused the quality of the water to decline gradually. The production of wastewater has been steadily rising alongside the growth of numerous businesses, including medicines, textiles, processed foods, and many more. Organic molecules from a variety of sources make up the majority of contaminants in wastewater. Some of these chemical molecules are not biodegradable, and it is challenging for anaerobic bacteria to break them down entirely. Because of the molecular structure of them, they can be quite persistent. Several advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been studied to remediate wastewater that contains trace organic chemicals (TrOCs). These include ozonation, Fenton oxidation, catalytic wet air oxidation, and photocatalytic oxidation. AOPs have excellent efficiencies, quick oxidation rates, and no secondary pollutants. Each AOP adheres to a particular mechanism in specific circumstances. In this article, we have comprehensively reviewed the underlying mechanism, and factors affecting oxidative pollutant degradation efficiency.