bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The evolution of Belgrade's position on the Kosovo issue after 2008
Authors: Bogdanova Alena Vital'evna
Published: November 2023

This article examines the evolution of Belgrade's official position on the Kosovo issue. The author explores such aspects as the importance of Kosovo in the historical consciousness of the Serbian political elite, the stages of the current attitude towards Kosovo on the part of the Serbian leadership, as well as the significance of historical events on the Kosovo for modern Serbia. The object of the study is the Kosovo crisis, the subject is the vision of the presidents and senior officials of Serbia of the fate of Kosovo. Special attention is paid to the historical stage of the formation of national ideas among Serbs and Albanians, in which the battle on the Kosovo field played a key role. Studying the positions of the presidents and senior officials of Serbia on Kosovo allows to track the process of folding the current position, and also allows to see the trajectory of the formation of attitudes towards Kosovo. The main conclusion of the study is the idea that the struggle for Kosovo in Serbia is a central national idea that serves as a unifying principle and builds patriotism around itself. A special contribution of the author is the systematic tracking of the evolution of Belgrade's position on the Kosovo issue. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the article consistently and constructively describes the approach of various Serbian presidents to the problem based on their speeches, statements and actions in the international arena.
Beyond “for ever England”: Contemporary British Women’s War Poetry and the First World War Canon
Authors: Permiakova Sofia
Published: November 2023

Turning to the First World War patriotic narrative of “for ever England,” epito- mised by Rupert Brooke and his writing as the point of departure, this paper investigates 21st century commemorative women’s poetry written during the First World War centenary years and its subversive interaction with this traditional war narrative. This article argues that while the public discourse on war memory often turned to the idea of a “shared past” between the UK and former colonies, thus “sanitising” the history of colonial violence (as argued by Santanu Das), poems by Yrsa Daley-Ward, Malika Booker, Imtiaz Dharker, and Jenny Lewis written for commemorative anthologies effectively de-colonise the nar- rative(s) of the First World War by opening up the space for new voices and construing the image of England beyond “for ever England” in its relation to other spaces and other wars.
“love : necessity : anti-fa”: Hostile Environments and Necropolitics in Nat Raha’s Of Sirens, Body & Faultlines and Jay Bernard’s Surge
Authors: Virtanen Juha
Published: November 2023

The UK’s legislation on immigration in the 2010s has been defined by a hostile environment. This essay traces the ways in which two poets in the UK have responded to, and intervened in, this violent political climate. Through a close examination of Nat Raha’s Of Sirens, Body & Faultlines and Jay Bernard’s Surge, the essay demonstrates how both poets understand the present hostile environment in a wider historical context, and how they consequently make possible a new understanding of our contemporary moment, as well as possible pathways towards resisting the UK’s necropolitical immigration policies.
Forms of Sequentiality in Contemporary English Poetry: Simon Armitage and Glyn Maxwell
Authors: Hühn Peter
Published: November 2023

This article discusses the sequential devices which structure lyric poems. The sequentiality of poems is usually given little systematic attention to in poetry analysis. The main focus tends to be on speaker, imagery, theme and prosody. But a central aspect of the meaning of any poem is the manner in which the progression of the poetic utterance is organised. One such device, widely used in traditional and contemporary poetry, is the schema of the narrative. This article briefly sketches a theoretical approach to the description of the sequential extension of poetic texts and applies it to examples from the work of two prominent contemporary English poets, Simon Armitage, the present poet laureate, and Glyn Maxwell.
Brand New Oldies: Recent English Narrative Verse
Authors: Malcolm David
Published: November 2023

A substantial amount of narrative verse has been written and published in England in the first two decades of the 21st century. Several writers, including Bernardine Evaristo, Ros Barber, Patience Agbabi, and Moniza Alvi, have written successful and well-received longer narrative poems. These poems fall into various categories: novel in poems, verse novel, and narrative collection. Five features of these texts are distinguished: the reworking of traditional and popular story materials; the predominant deployment of traditional narrative and narrational technique; accessible verse technique; an interest in past subjects and an attempt to render them available to a contemporary readership; and an adoption of non-narrative and lyric modes.
Research progress of ion trap quantum computing
Authors: Wu Yu-Kai , Duan Lu-Ming ,   Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China,   Heifei National Laboratory, Heifei 230088, China,   New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing 100084, China
Published: November 2023

Ion trap is one of the leading physical platforms to implement quantum computation. Currently, high-fidelity elementary quantum operations above the fault-tolerant threshold, including state preparation, measurement and universal gates, have been demonstrated for tens of ionic qubits. One important future research direction is to further enlarge the qubit number to the scale required for solving practical problems while maintaining the high performance of individual qubits. This paper introduces the current mainstream schemes for scalable ion trap quantum computation like quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) and ion-photon quantum network, and describes the main limiting factors in current research. Then we further explore new schemes to scale up the qubit number like two-dimensional ion crystals and dual-type qubit, and discuss the future research directions.
Treatment with tumor-treating fields (TTFields) suppresses intercellular tunneling nanotube formation in vitro and upregulates immuno-oncologic biomarkers in vivo in malignant mesothelioma
Authors: Sarkari Akshat , Korenfeld Sophie , Deniz Karina , Ladner Katherine , Wong Phillip , Padmanabhan Sanyukta , Vogel Rachel I , Sherer Laura A , Courtemanche Naomi , Steer Clifford , Wainer-Katsir Kerem , Lou Emil
Published: November 2023

Disruption of intercellular communication within tumors is emerging as a novel potential strategy for cancer-directed therapy. Tumor-Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy is a treatment modality that has itself emerged over the past decade in active clinical use for patients with glioblastoma and malignant mesothelioma, based on the principle of using low-intensity alternating electric fields to disrupt microtubules in cancer cells undergoing mitosis. There is a need to identify other cellular and molecular effects of this treatment approach that could explain reported increased overall survival when TTFields are added to standard systemic agents. Tunneling nanotube (TNTs) are cell-contact-dependent filamentous-actin-based cellular protrusions that can connect two or more cells at long-range. They are upregulated in cancer, facilitating cell growth, differentiation, and in the case of invasive cancer phenotypes, a more chemoresistant phenotype. To determine whether TNTs present a potential therapeutic target for TTFields, we applied TTFields to malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cells forming TNTs in vitro. TTFields at 1.0 V/cm significantly suppressed TNT formation in biphasic subtype MPM, but not sarcomatoid MPM, independent of effects on cell number. TTFields did not significantly affect function of TNTs assessed by measuring intercellular transport of mitochondrial cargo via intact TNTs. We further leveraged a spatial transcriptomic approach to characterize TTFields-induced changes to molecular profiles in vivo using an animal model of MPM. We discovered TTFields induced upregulation of immuno-oncologic biomarkers with simultaneous downregulation of pathways associated with cell hyperproliferation, invasion, and other critical regulators of oncogenic growth. Several molecular classes and pathways coincide with markers that we and others have found to be differentially expressed in cancer cell TNTs, including MPM specifically. We visualized short TNTs in the dense stromatous tumor material selected as regions of interest for spatial genomic assessment. Superimposing these regions of interest from spatial genomics over the plane of TNT clusters imaged in intact tissue is a new method that we designate Spatial Profiling of Tunneling nanoTubes (SPOTT). In sum, these results position TNTs as potential therapeutic targets for TTFields-directed cancer treatment strategies. We also identified the ability of TTFields to remodel the tumor microenvironment landscape at the molecular level, thereby presenting a potential novel strategy for converting tumors at the cellular level from ‘cold’ to ‘hot’ for potential response to immunotherapeutic drugs.
Delayed postglacial colonization of Betula in Iceland and the circum North Atlantic
Authors: Harning David J , Sacco Samuel , Anamthawat-Jónsson Kesara , Ardenghi Nicolò , Thordarson Thor , Raberg Jonathan H , Sepúlveda Julio , Geirsdóttir Áslaug , Shapiro Beth , Miller Gifford H
Published: November 2023

As the Arctic continues to warm, woody shrubs are expected to expand northward. This process, known as ‘shrubification,’ has important implications for regional biodiversity, food web structure, and high-latitude temperature amplification. While the future rate of shrubification remains poorly constrained, past records of plant immigration to newly deglaciated landscapes in the Arctic may serve as useful analogs. We provide one new postglacial Holocene sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) record of vascular plants from Iceland and place a second Iceland postglacial sedaDNA record on an improved geochronology; both show Salicaceae present shortly after deglaciation, whereas Betulaceae first appears more than 1000 y later. We find a similar pattern of delayed Betulaceae colonization in eight previously published postglacial sedaDNA records from across the glaciated circum North Atlantic. In nearly all cases, we find that Salicaceae colonizes earlier than Betulaceae and that Betulaceae colonization is increasingly delayed for locations farther from glacial-age woody plant refugia. These trends in Salicaceae and Betulaceae colonization are consistent with the plant families’ environmental tolerances, species diversity, reproductive strategies, seed sizes, and soil preferences. As these reconstructions capture the efficiency of postglacial vascular plant migration during a past period of high-latitude warming, a similarly slow response of some woody shrubs to current warming in glaciated regions, and possibly non-glaciated tundra, may delay Arctic shrubification and future changes in the structure of tundra ecosystems and temperature amplification.
High-throughput Automated Muropeptide Analysis (HAMA) Reveals Peptidoglycan Composition of Gut Microbial Cell Walls
Authors: Hsu Ya-Chen , Su Pin-Rui , Huang Lin-Jie , Cheng Kum-Yi , Chen Chun-hsien , Hsu Cheng-Chih
Published: November 2023

Peptidoglycan (PGN), a net-like polymer constituted by muropeptides, provides protection for microorganisms and has been one of the major targets for antibiotics for decades. Researchers have explored host-microbiome interactions through PGN recognition systems and discovered key muropeptides modulating host responses. However, most common characterization techniques for muropeptides are labor-intensive and require manual analysis of mass spectra due to the complex cross-linked PGN structures. Each species has unique moiety modifications and inter-/intra-bridges, which further complicates the structural analysis of PGN. Here, we developed a high-throughput automated muropeptide analysis (HAMA) platform leveraging tandem mass spectrometry and
in silico
muropeptide MS/MS fragmentation matching to comprehensively identify muropeptide structures, quantify their abundance, and infer PGN cross-linking types. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the HAMA platform using well-characterized PGNs from
E. coli
and
S. aureus
and further applied it to common gut bacteria including species of
Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus,
and
Akkermansia.
We thoroughly explored their PGN structures accurately identified muropeptide mono-/multi-mers, and even unambiguously discriminated the structural isomers via the HAMA platform. Furthermore, we found that the cell stiffness may be correlated to the compactness of the PGN structures through the length of interpeptide bridges or the site of transpeptidation within
Bifidobacterium
species. In summary, the HAMA framework exhibits an automated, intuitive, and accurate analysis of PGN compositions, which may serve as a potential tool to investigate the post-synthetic modifications of saccharides, the variation in interpeptide bridges, and the types of cross-linking within bacterial PGNs.
Mitochondrial temperature homeostasis resists external metabolic stresses
Authors: Terzioglu Mügen , Veeroja Kristo , Montonen Toni , Ihalainen Teemu O. , Salminen Tiina S. , Bénit Paule , Rustin Pierre , Chang Young-Tae , Nagai Takeharu , Jacobs Howard T.
Published: November 2023

Based on studies with a fluorescent reporter dye, Mito Thermo Yellow, and the genetically encoded gTEMP ratiometric fluorescent temperature indicator targeted to mitochondria, the temperature of active mitochondria in four mammalian and one insect cell-line was estimated to be up to 15 °C above that of the external environment to which the cells were exposed. High mitochondrial temperature was maintained in the face of a variety of metabolic stresses, including substrate starvation or modification, decreased ATP demand due to inhibition of cytosolic protein synthesis, inhibition of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide transporter and, if an auxiliary pathway for electron transfer was available via the alternative oxidase, even respiratory poisons acting downstream of OXPHOS complex I. We propose that the high temperature of active mitochondria is an inescapable consequence of the biochemistry of oxidative phosphorylation and is homeostatically maintained as a primary feature of mitochondrial metabolism.Mitochondria are up to 15 °C hotter than their external environment in living cells. In response to diverse metabolic stresses, mitochondrial temperature re-adjusts to this value whenever possible.
No Ramp Needed: Spandrels, Statistics, and a Slippery Slope
Authors: Sejour Richard , Leatherwood Janet , Yurovsky Alisa , Futcher Bruce
Published: November 2023

Previously, Tuller et al. found that the first 30 to 50 codons of the genes of yeast and other eukaryotes are slightly enriched for rare codons, so are presumably translated somewhat slowly. They argued, based on informatics, that this initial slow translation “ramp” was adaptive; and increased efficiency of translation by queuing ribosomes to prevent collisions. Today, the translational speeds of different codons are known, and indeed rare codons are translated slowly. We re-examined the slow translation ramp. We confirm the finding that 5’ regions are enriched for rare codons. However, we also find that the 5’ ends of yeast genes are poorly conserved in evolution, suggesting that they are unstable and turn over relatively rapidly. When a new 5’ end forms
de novo
, it is likely to include codons that would otherwise be rare. Because evolution has had a relatively short time to select against these codons, 5’ ends are typically slightly enriched for rare, slow codons. Opposite to the expectation of Tuller et al., we show by direct experiment that genes with slowly translated codons at the 5’ end are expressed relatively poorly, and substituting faster codons improves expression. Further informatic studies suggest that for natural genes, slow 5’ ends are correlated with poor gene expression, opposite to the expectation of Tuller et al. Thus we conclude that slow 5’ translation is a “spandrel”; it is a non-adaptive consequence of something else, in this case the turnover of 5’ ends in evolution, and it does not improve translation.The 5’ ends of yeast genes are unstable over evolutionary time, enriching for rare codons, slowing translation; slow initial translation does not enhance expression.
Foxp3 depends on Ikaros for control of regulatory T cell gene expression and function
Authors: Thomas Rajan M. , Pahl Matthew C. , Wang Liqing , Grant Struan F. A. , Hancock Wayne W. , Wells Andrew D.
Published: November 2023

Ikaros is a transcriptional factor required for conventional T cell development, differentiation, and anergy. While the related factors Helios and Eos have defined roles in regulatory T cells (Treg), a role for Ikaros has not been established. To determine the function of Ikaros in the Treg lineage, we generated mice with Treg-specific deletion of the Ikaros gene (
Ikzf1
). We find that Ikaros cooperates with Foxp3 to establish a major portion of the Treg epigenome and transcriptome. Ikaros-deficient Treg exhibit Th1-like gene expression with abnormal expression of IL-2, IFNg, TNFa, and factors involved in Wnt and Notch signaling. While
Ikzf1
-Treg-cko mice do not develop spontaneous autoimmunity, Ikaros-deficient Treg are unable to control conventional T cell-mediated immune pathology in response to TCR and inflammatory stimuli in models of IBD and organ transplantation. These studies establish Ikaros as a core factor required in Treg for tolerance and the control of inflammatory immune responses.Ikaros cooperates with Foxp3 to control regulatory T cell chromatin accessibility, gene expression, and immunosuppressive function.
Diversity in Notch ligand-receptor signaling interactions
Authors: Kuintzle Rachael , Santat Leah A. , Elowitz Michael B.
Published: November 2023

The Notch signaling pathway uses families of ligands and receptors to transmit signals to nearby cells. These components are expressed in diverse combinations in different cell types, interact in a many-to-many fashion, both within the same cell (in cis) and between cells (in trans), and their interactions are modulated by Fringe glycosyltransferases. A fundamental question is how the strength of Notch signaling depends on which pathway components are expressed, at what levels, and in which cells. Here, we used a quantitative, bottom-up, cell-based approach to systematically characterize trans-activation, cis-inhibition, and cis-activation signaling efficiencies across a range of ligand and Fringe expression levels in two mammalian cell types. Each ligand (Dll1, Dll4, Jag1, and Jag2) and receptor variant (Notch1 and Notch2) analyzed here exhibited a unique profile of interactions, Fringe-dependence, and signaling outcomes. All four ligands were able to bind receptors in cis and in trans, and all ligands trans-activated both receptors except for Jag1, which failed to activate Notch1. Cis-interactions were predominantly inhibitory, with the exception of the Dll1- and Dll4-Notch2 pairs, which exhibited cis-activation stronger than trans-activation. Lfng strengthened Delta-mediated trans-activation and weakened Jagged-mediated trans-activation for both receptors. Finally, cis-ligands showed diverse cis-inhibition strengths, which depended on the identity of the trans-ligand as well as the receptor. The map of receptor-ligand-Fringe interaction outcomes revealed here should help guide rational perturbation and control of the Notch pathway.
A robust method for measuring aminoacylation through tRNA-Seq
Authors: Davidsen Kristian , Sullivan Lucas B
Published: November 2023

Current methods to quantify the fraction of aminoacylated tRNAs, also known as the tRNA charge, are limited by issues with either low throughput, precision, and/or accuracy. Here, we present an optimized charge transfer RNA sequencing (tRNA-Seq) method that combines previous developments with newly described approaches to establish a protocol for precise and accurate tRNA charge measurements. We verify that this protocol provides robust quantification of tRNA aminoacylation and we provide an end-to-end method that scales to hundreds of samples including software for data processing. Additionally, we show that this method supports measurements of relative tRNA expression levels and can be used to infer tRNA modifications through reverse transcription misincorporations, thereby supporting multipurpose applications in tRNA biology.
A robust method for measuring aminoacylation through tRNA-Seq
Authors: Davidsen Kristian , Sullivan Lucas B
Published: November 2023

Current methods to quantify the fraction of aminoacylated tRNAs, also known as the tRNA charge, are limited by issues with either low throughput, precision, and/or accuracy. Here, we present an optimized charge tRNA-Seq method that combines previous developments with newly described approaches to establish a protocol for precise and accurate tRNA charge measurements. We verify that this protocol provides robust quantification of tRNA aminoacylation and we provide an end-to-end method that scales to hundreds of samples including software for data processing. Additionally, we show that this method supports measurements of relative tRNA expression levels and can be used to infer tRNA modifications through reverse transcription misincorporations, thereby supporting multipurpose applications in tRNA biology.
The impact of vestibular dysfunction on falls and postural instability in individuals with type 2 diabetes with and without diabetic polyneuropathy
Authors: Jørgensen Ina Ejsing Hunnerup , Devantier Louise , Tankisi Hatice , Andersen Henning , Khan Karolina Snopek
Published: November 2023

Aim

This study aimed to determine the association between vestibular dysfunction, falls, and postural instability in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to healthy control individuals and to examine the impact of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN).

Methods

This cross-sectional study included individuals with T2D with DPN (n = 43), without DPN (n = 32), and healthy controls (n = 32). Cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) were recorded, and latencies and amplitudes were determined. DPN was diagnosed based on nerve conduction studies and clinical scores. Postural instability was examined using a static posturographic balance system and calculated as an instability index (ST). Falls were recorded retrospectively during the past year. Group comparisons were conducted by using univariate and bivariate statistics.

Results

Individuals with T2D experienced more falls than healthy controls (T2D with DPN n = 12[38%], T2D without DPN n = 15[35%], controls n = 5[16%], p = 0.04). Individuals with T2D had decreased postural stability, T2D with DPN, ST (median of 52[iqi = 33; 77]), T2D without DPN, ST (median of 31[iqi = 24; 39]), controls ST (median of 26[iqi = 19; 33], p = 0.01), when comparing all three groups. Individuals with T2D had a greater number of no-responses in oVEMP compared to controls (T2D with DPN, n = 15[46.9%] T2D without DPN n = 25[58.1%], controls n = 9[28.1%], p = 0.04). No difference was found in cVEMP and oVEMP amplitudes in any of the groups. Irrespectively of DPN, fallers with T2D had decreased oVEMP and cVEMP latencies on the right ears, when comparing to non-fallers, respectively, n10 (fallers [median of 16, iqi=15;19 ms.] vs. non-fallers [median of 25 iqi=16;35 ms]); p13 (fallers [median of 16, iqi=15;17 ms.] vs. non-fallers [median of 15, iqi=8;16 ms.], p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Falls and postural instability were more frequent in individuals with T2D compared to healthy controls. Fallers with T2D had vestibular end-organ impairments based on the oVEMP and cVEMP latencies on the right but not the left ears, irrespective of DPN. Individuals with T2D had more frequent no-response of the oVEMP, indicating impaired vestibular nerve function.
Association Between Hearing Level and Mental Health and Quality of Life in Adults Aged >40 Years
Authors: Choi Yeonjoo , Go Junyong , Chung Jong Woo
Published: November 2023

Background and Objectives: In this study, we investigated the effects of hearing loss on mental health and quality of life (QoL) using survey data in adults aged >40 years.Subjects and Methods: We obtained data from 10,921 individuals who responded to the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Primary outcomes were measured using questionnaires that recorded stress perception, depressive mood, and suicidal ideation to evaluate mental health and motor ability, self-management, activities of daily living, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression to evaluate QoL.Results: On multivariate analysis, suicidal ideation was more prevalent among older adults with hearing loss than in older adults without hearing loss. Motor ability was lower in individuals with hearing loss of >20 dB than in older adults with normal hearing. Categorization of the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) health state into upper and lower groups showed that the EQ-5D values were lower in the moderate-tosevere hearing loss group than in the mild hearing loss group.Conclusions: Among adults aged >40 years, those with hearing loss experienced more suicidal ideation, had lower motor ability, and lower overall QoL compared with these variables in older adults with normal hearing. Additionally, QoL scores were low in individuals with poor hearing.
Near‐Infrared Multiple‐Resonance Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon as Type I Photosensitizer Toward High‐Performance Synergistic Phototherapy
Authors: Shi Yulong , Yang Wei , Zhang He , Zhong Cheng , Gong Shaolong , Yang Changying
Published: February 2025

Type I photosensitization is of particular significance in the anaerobic tumor treatment. Nonetheless, the development of high‐performance type I photosensitizers (PSs) remains challenging, due to weak absorption and inefficient intersystem crossing (ISC) progress. Herein, an effective approach toward a near‐infrared (NIR) type I PS (NIR‐BN) is demonstrated using a boron/nitrogen‐embedded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with multiple‐resonance (MR) character, for the first time. A small singlet‐triplet splitting (ΔEST = 0.09 eV) and high molar extinction coefficient (3.3 × 104 M−1 cm−1) of the NIR MR‐configured PS supports an efficient ISC for the triplet sensitization. The distorted molecular configurations induce multi‐model structural relaxations after the optical excitation, resulting in a remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency exceeding 50% for NIR‐BN nanoparticles. Of note, the nanoparticles are capable of generating the highly toxic superoxide anion radical (O2•−) under 660 nm laser irradiation, benefiting from the vigorous intramolecular dihedral angle vibrations in the excited states. Consequently, the biocompatible PS demonstrates superior performance for in vivo synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapies.
Chemical Bond Management of FA‐Based Mixed Halide Perovskites for Stable and High‐Efficiency Solar Cells
Authors: Liu Na , Chen Shuyan , Liu Xingyu , Zhu Cheng , Xu Fan , Song Tinglu , Cai Wanqing , Jiang Yuqun , Zhang Xuan , Vasiliev Roman B. , Chang Shuai , Li Shukui , Chen Qi , Wei Guodan
Published: February 2025

The unavoidable migration of organic cation within formamidinium (FA)‐based mixed halide perovskite leads to severe phase segregation and device degradation. The intrinsic weak chemical bond between organic cation and [PbI6]4− octahedra can easily break during device operation, resulting in the formation of cation vacancies and undesirable structural transformation. In this work, a pyrrolidine compound is incorporated, with a strong electron‐withdrawing fluorine substitution, which strengthened the lattice bond between organic cation and [PbI6]4− octahedra. Meanwhile, the 1D/3D heterojunction films are also achieved due to the chemical reaction between PbI2 and pyrrolidine, successfully constructing a new 1D perovskite such as PYFPbI3. The resultant hetero‐perovskite films retained their photoactive‐α phase even after eight days of ambient exposure, demonstrating superior phase stability without any post‐encapsulation. More importantly, the ion‐migration channels inside the perovskite lattice are effectively blocked by 1D/3D heterojunctions. The resultant rigid and flexible solar cells exhibited an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) from the initial 24.48% to 25.39%, as well as 23.86% to 24.26%, respectively, which are among the highest records in 1D/3D‐based works. Furthermore, the unencapsulated devices retained 90% of their initial PCE during maximum power point tracking for over 350 hours under continuous illuminations.
Eco‐Friendly Adsorbent: Insights Into the Performance and Adsorption Mechanisms of Banana Fruit Shaft Biochar for the Removal of Mn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II)
Authors: Zhao Dong , Zhang Shuyun , Deng Hua , Hu Lening , Li Anyu
Published: February 2025

Exploring cost‐effective and high‐performance adsorbents plays a crucial role in the efficient utilization of agricultural waste and the remediation of heavy metal contamination in water bodies. This study focuses on preparing biomass carbon (BC) from banana pseudostems for the remediation of heavy metals in water. A systematic investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of initial solution concentration, pH, reaction time, reaction temperature, and coexisting cations on the adsorption of Mn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), andCu (II) by BC. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of BC for all four heavy metals reached its peak at pH 6. The adsorption process was primarily governed by monolayer chemisorption. Furthermore, the process is spontaneous, endothermic, and accompanied by an increase in entropy. In a multimetal system, BC demonstrated the strongest selectivity for Pb(II). Even in the presence of interfering ions, BC maintained a high adsorption capacity for heavy metals. Notably, after 5 cycles of use, BC retained a significant removal rate of 40%–60% for heavy metals, underscoring its recyclability and environmental friendliness. Characterization studies indicated that the adsorption of heavy metals by BC involves multiple mechanisms, including ion exchange, mineral precipitation, functional group complexation, and cation‐π interactions. The dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from biochar plays a pivotal role in the adsorption process. Furthermore, the preparation of BC is both straightforward and cost‐effective, combining economic viability with practical applicability.
Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 ameliorates disordered glucose and lipid metabolism in liver: Involvement of gasdermin D in regulating pyroptosis
Authors: Xia Xuyun , Zhang Qin , Fang Xia , Li Ling , Yang Gangyi , Xu Xiaohui , Yang Mengliu
Published: February 2025

Background

The epidemic of metabolic dysfunction‐associated fatty liver disease linked to excessive high‐fat diet (HFD) consumption has sparked widespread public concern. Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (NRF2) has been reported to improve glucose/lipid metabolism, liver lipid degeneration and alleviate HFD‐induced inflammation. However, its pathways and mechanisms of action are not fully understood.

Methods

To confirm the effect of NRF2 on glucose/lipid metabolism in the liver, Nrf2‐/‐ mice as well as liver‐specific Nrf2 knockout mice, and AAV‐TBG‐Nrf2 were employed. The hyperinsulinemic‐euglycemic clamp was utilized to determine the effect of NRF2 on glucose metabolism. To elucidate the effect of NRF2 on pyroptosis, we performed western blots, immunofluorescence, quantitative real‐time PCR, and Flow cytometry experiments. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation‐seq and dual‐luciferase reporter assay was used to underscore the transcriptional regulatory effect of NRF2 on Gsdmd.

Results

We found that overexpression of Nrf2 inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis markers, including cle‐Caspase1, NLRP3 and the N‐terminus of gasdermin D (N‐GSDMD) both in vivo and in vitro, while Nrf2 deficiency was the opposite. Specifically, with NRF2 expression up‐regulated, GSDMD expression decreased and Gsdmd overexpression partially reversed the effect of Nrf2 overexpression on pro‐inflammatory phenotype. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that NRF2 binds to the Gsdmd promoter at the −2110 ‐ 1130 bp site, inhibiting the GSDMD expression and thereby improving glucose/lipid metabolism and liver steatosis.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that NRF2 is an effective inhibitor of pyroptosis and has a multi‐target effect in the treatment of obesity‐related metabolic diseases.

Key points

MAFLD is associated with increased hepatocytes NRF2 expression.

NRF2 alleviates MAFLD by suppressing pyroptosis.

NRF2 directly inhibits GSDMD expression to regulate pyroptosis.

Targeting the NRF2–pyroptosis (GSDMD) axis offers a potential therapeutic strategy for MAFLD.
Regulating gut microbiota with nanomaterials for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Sha Tianjian , Tang Yuji , Hu Xinyao , Zhou Haibo , Rao Lang
Published: February 2025

Gut microbiota play a key role in cancer immunotherapy and regulating gut microbiota provides new strategies with great potential for cancer therapeutics. Several gut microbiota‐based strategies, such as antibiotic treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation, have gained certain achievements in enhancing cancer immunotherapy, while the potential risk of biosafety and the destruction of commensal microbiota limit their further applications. Nanomaterials with excellent capabilities in delivering drugs and modulating bacteria may provide specific solutions for these limitations, and have shown promising potential in manipulating the gut microbiota to boost cancer immunotherapy. In this perspective, we reviewed the breakthroughs of nanomaterials in modulating the gut microbiota and their metabolites to enhance cancer immunotherapy, and further discussed the challenges and opportunities in this emerging field. It is anticipated that this perspective will offer new insights on the rational design of nanomaterials to regulate the gut microbiota for enhanced cancer immunotherapy, fostering clinical translation and ultimately benefiting patients.
Exploring artificial intelligence in orthopaedics: A collaborative survey from the ISAKOS Young Professional Task Force
Authors: Familiari Filippo , Saithna Adnan , Martinez‐Cano Juan Pablo , Chahla Jorge , Castillo Juan Miguel Del , DePhillipo Nicholas N. , Moatshe Gilbert , Monaco Edoardo , Lucio Jaime Palos , D'Hooghe Pieter , LaPrade Robert F. ,   the ISAKOS Young Professionals Task Force
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Through an analysis of findings from a survey about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in orthopaedics, the aim of this study was to establish a scholarly foundation for the discourse on AI in orthopaedics and to elucidate key patterns, challenges and potential future trajectories for AI applications within the field.

Methods

The International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) Young Professionals Task Force developed a survey to collect feedback on issues related to the use of AI in the orthopaedic field. The survey included 26 questions. Data obtained from the completed questionnaires were transferred to a spreadsheet and then analyzed.

Results

Two hundred and eleven orthopaedic surgeons completed the survey. The survey encompassed responses from a diverse cohort of orthopaedic professionals, predominantly comprising males (92.9%). There was wide representation across all geographic regions. A notable proportion (52.1%) reported uncertainty or lack of differentiation among AI, machine learning and deep learning (47.9%). Respondents identified imaging‐based diagnosis (60.2%) as the primary field of orthopaedics poised to benefit from AI. A considerable proportion (25.1%) reported using AI in their practice, with primary reasons including referencing scientific literature/publications (40.3%). The vast majority expressed interest in leveraging AI technologies (95.3%), demonstrating an inclination towards incorporating AI into orthopaedic practice. Respondents indicated specific areas of interest for further study, including prediction of patient outcomes after surgery (30.8%) and image‐based diagnosis of osteoarthritis (28%).

Conclusions

This survey demonstrates that there is currently limited use of AI in orthopaedic practice, mainly due to a lack of knowledge about the subject, a lack of proven evidence of its real utility and high costs. These findings are in accordance with other surveys in the literature. However, there is also a high level of interest in its use in the future, in increased study and further research on the subject, so that it can be of real benefit and make AI an integral part of the orthopaedic surgeon's daily work.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, survey study.
Enhancing Risk Management Systems with Citizens’ Observatories for Geohazards
Authors: Gomes Rui Carrilho , Antunes Ana Carolina
Published: February 2025

Risk management is the use of disaster risk reduction policies and strategies to prevent the occurrence of future disasters, reduce current disaster risk, and manage residual risk, thereby enhancing resilience and reducing catastrophic losses, despite the fact that citizens may take an active role in geohazard risk management. Citizens’ Observatories are community-based information and monitoring systems that invite citizens to submit observations, generally by mobile phone or the internet (WeObserve, 2018) and directly link volunteers and scientists for the bidirectional exchange of data. This chapter examines how Citizens’ Observatories can improve risk management systems by promoting citizen involvement, educating and making citizens aware of the possible geological hazards that may occur in their area of residence and surroundings, and thereby encouraging them to exert pressure on decision-makers and local and government authorities to implement preventative and protective measures.
Lisbon Multihazards Citizen’s Observatory
Authors: Pinto Cláudia , Ferreira Carlos Sousa , Pacheco Paula , Pousada Carla , Ferreira Mónica , Leonardo Pedro , Frias Alexandra , Inácio Miguel , Seabra Ana Luísa , Pinto Maria Manuel , Ascenso Inês , Fontes Mário , Cerqueira Maria José , Almeida Carolina , Runa Ana , Dórdio Rita , Fernandes Vanessa , Fernandes Joana , Vilela Filipa
Published: February 2025

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal is located at the confluence of the Tagus River with the Atlantic Ocean, a location that gave the city a prominent geostrategic position, but also a high exposure to natural and climatic hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, coastal and urban floods, landslides, and an increasing occurrence of extreme weather events.
Recommendations for Future Citizens’ Observatories
Authors: Gomes Rui Carrilho
Published: February 2025

The AGEO project implemented five pilots of Citizens’ Observatories to improve the monitoring and management of natural hazards in the Atlantic Arc Area.
Geohazards Revealed by Multi-temporal InSAR Datasets at AGEO Citizen Science Observatory Pilots in Lisbon, Madeira and Northern Ireland
Authors: Hrysiewicz Alexis , Wang Xiaowen , Holohan Eoghan P. , Falcão Ana Paula , Rodrigues Domingos , Parker Kieran , Mangina Eleni , Gomes Rui Carrilho
Published: February 2025

The European Union’s Atlantic region is susceptible to a wide range of geohazards. Measuring ground surface motion is critical for detecting and monitoring many of these geohazards. We present observations of potential ground motion as defined by Interferometry of Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) over areas encompassing three Citizen Observatory (CO) pilot sites of the AGEO project—the Lisbon Region, eastern Madeira Island, and Northern Ireland. These data are based on multi-temporal processing of C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images that were acquired between 2014 and 2022 by Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites. In the Lisbon region, our measurements reveal several subsidence hotspots with a peak velocity of about –5 mm/yr. An area of apparent ground uplift occurs at the northern part of Setúbal Peninsula. The observed motions are likely induced by groundwater over-pumping, urbanization on poorly consolidated sediments, or local tectonic fault motions. On Madeira Island, ground motions of up to 7 mm/yr are inferred on urbanized slopes in the Machico valley and the Canical areas; these are linked with slow landslides. In Northern Ireland, the InSAR data reveal potential subsidence of peatlands around the Causeway coast; any link between InSAR-detected motions and landslides there is ambiguous. Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, the data indicate subsidence of peatland west of Belfast city and of reclaimed land within the Belfast harbour area. These observations are attributed to peatland drainage dynamics and to urbanization-induced consolidation of estuarine sediments (‘sleech’), respectively. Good agreement is shown between our InSAR results and those of the Copernicus program’s new European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) for all three study areas. Both the EGMS and bespoke local InSAR datasets can thus provide a basis for focusing the ground-based efforts of Citizen Observatories for geohazards on areas of detected motion. InSAR-derived ground motion data can also contextualize Citizen Science-derived datasets.
AGEO Citizens’ Observatories App and Platform
Authors: Mangina Eleni , Görgü Levent , Hrysiewicz Alexis , Wang Xiaowen , Holohan Eoghan P.
Published: February 2025

Citizens’ observatories are web-based platforms designed to increase citizens’ participation and knowledge of their surrounding environment by collecting different formats of data and information. This chapter presents the design and development of a standard set of customizable software artefacts for a citizen observatory for geohazards that support the functional needs of the citizen observatories and have been made available for use by other Atlantic Interreg initiatives via an online catalogue. Both AGEO observatory and mobile apps require only local action from the citizens that can have regional, national, and global impact. These tools are complemented by an easy-to-use open-source toolkit for mapping ground motion via Interferometry of Synthetic Aperture Radar (EZ-InSAR). These software tools developed within AGEO have prioritised ease of use and immediate accessibility to enable citizens to monitor geohazards and thereby potentially contribute to local or regional risk management.
Vibrational Activation of Blood Flow
Authors: Ostasevicius Vytautas , Jurenas Vytautas , Venslauskas Mantas , Kizauskiene Laura
Published: February 2025

Capillaries connect the flow of arteries and veins, forming a closed blood circuit around the body’s cells and tissues to supply and absorb oxygen, nutrients and other substances.
Engineering Teacher Discourse in Distance Learning Environment
Authors: Tchoshanov Mourat
Published: February 2025

Teacher educators around the globe sought to understand curriculum, cognitive, and affective challenges the distance learning present to practices of teacher preparation both in traditional and alternative routes. Along with content development and content interactivity, promoting and facilitating effective content-focused communication is critically important to the success of an online teacher education course (Andresen, 2009; McCrory et al., 2008). Well-designed and seamlessly implemented content interactivity and content communication significantly contribute to the effectiveness of learning environment in an online course (Testone, 2003; Trenholm et al., 2016). In this chapter, strategies for improving the effectiveness of teacher learning in online maths courses are discussed using the framework for teacher learning engineering (Tchoshanov, 2013).
Lateral Entry Teachers in Contemporary Japan: Between Teacher Shortage and “Wind of Change”
Authors: Maehara Kenji
Published: February 2025

In Japan, the shortage of teachers has come to represent an important issue for educational administration in the 2020s. The causes of the teacher shortage are an increase in the number of retirees as a result of the age structure of teachers, and poor working conditions such as long working hours. In Japan, discussion continues about how to attract mid-career teachers into the teaching profession as a countermeasure against the teacher shortage. What is interesting about the situation in Japan is that lateral entry teachers are regarded as not only filling gaps in terms of quantity, but also as special beings who can bring a “Wind of Change” into schools. Japan’s teacher training system, which is remarkably lightweight by international standards, has been supplemented by collaborative improvement in schools after employment. Improvement presupposes that all of the teachers come to schools directly after graduating from a university. This system, which has prevailed historically, also imparts unique characteristics to the subject of lateral entry teachers. This chapter presents an examination of this topic using data from policy documents, a questionnaire survey of boards of education planned by the author, and interviews with lateral entry teachers.
Alternative Routes into Teaching: Combined Study Programme for Teaching German as a Foreign Language in Ústí nad Labem
Authors: Fuková Petra
Published: February 2025

In the Czech Republic, the lack of qualified teachers and the will to increase the accessibility of teacher education has driven the emergence of the ‘combined form of study’, which is now an established form of professional training for teachers. This paper presents the combined study programme for prospective teachers of German as a foreign language at the Department of German Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic), and draws parallels and comparisons with the face-to-face form.
Improving the global SMEFT picture with bounds on neutrino NSI
Authors: Coloma Pilar , Fernández-Martínez Enrique , López-Pavón Jacobo , Marcano Xabier , Naredo-Tuero Daniel , Urrea Salvador
Published: February 2025

Abstract

We analyze how neutrino oscillation and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering data impact the global SMEFT fit. We first review the mapping between the SMEFT parameters and the so-called NSI framework, commonly considered in the neutrino literature. We also present a detailed discussion of how the measurements for the normalization of neutrino fluxes and cross sections, that will also be affected by the new physics, indirectly impact the measured oscillation probabilities. We then analyze two well-motivated simplified scenarios. Firstly, we study a lepton flavour conserving case, usually assumed in global SMEFT analyses, showing the complementarity of neutrino oscillation and CEνNS experiments with other low-energy observables. We find that the inclusion of neutrino data allows to constrain previously unbounded SMEFT operators involving the tau flavour and confirm the improvement of the constraint on a combination of Wilson coefficients previously identified. Moreover, we find that neutrino oscillation constraints on NSI are improved when embedded in the global SMEFT framework. Secondly, we study a lepton flavour violating scenario and find that neutrino data also improves over previously derived global constraints thanks to its sensitivity to new combinations of Wilson coefficients.