bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A case of familial progressive hyperpigmentation with or without hypopigmentation presenting with hypopigmented striae along the lines of Blaschko
Authors: Hida Tokimasa , Idogawa Masashi , Ishikawa Aki , Okura Masae , Sasaki Satoru , Tokino Takashi , Uhara Hisashi
Published: September 2024

Familial progressive hyperpigmentation with or without hypopigmentation (FPHH) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by widespread skin hyperpigmentation, café‐au‐lait spots, and hypopigmented circular macules, resulting from KITLG variants. KITLG, expressed by keratinocytes, binds to KIT on melanocytes, stimulating melanogenesis. Disturbances in the KITLG‐KIT interaction result in diffuse hyperpigmentation in FPHH. However, the mechanisms behind hypopigmented macule formation remain unclear. This report presents a unique FPHH case in a patient with a novel KITLG mutation (Ser78Leu). Notably, the patient showed multiple hypopigmented macules and striae along the lines of Blaschko. Digital polymerase chain reaction analysis of the DNA from skin and blood tissues indicated a copy‐neutral loss of heterozygosity at the KITLG locus, only in the hypopigmented macule. These findings suggest that the hypopigmented macules might result from revertant mosaicism. Conversely, café‐au‐lait spots do not follow the lines of Blaschko and can superimpose on the hypopigmented striae, indicating a distinct pathogenesis. This case contributes to the understanding of the genetic mechanisms in FPHH.
Selling the future state: making property for Sahrawi sovereignty in Western Sahara
Authors: Irwin Randi
Published: September 2024

Sahrawi refugees and the Sahrawi state‐in‐exile have sought to assert their claims to Western Sahara, Africa's last colony, while exiled in refugee camps in Algeria. Through an examination of the Sahrawi state's use of deferred natural resource contracts, this article explores Sahrawi political action prior to – and in anticipation of – the referendum on self‐determination. I suggest that Sahrawi‐led natural resource contracts operate as a technical financial device that constructs property and enables political action in the anticipation of sovereignty. Through these contracts, the state works to simultaneously produce both itself and its sovereignty. This article explores the new political and economic forms generated by these contracts, which subsequently create a political terrain by which otherwise inaccessible, seemingly off‐limits, resources become productive spaces of opportunity for the development and exercise of sovereignty in the present.
Electrospinning‐based sensing technologies: Opportunities for food applications
Authors: Matinfar Golshan , Ye Haoxin , Bashiry Moein , Hashami Zahra , Yang Tianxi
Published: September 2024

The article explores the science and practice of electrospinning, tracing its history and examining the factors that influence fiber morphology, including the solution composition, processing conditions, and environmental conditions. It offers a thorough examination of electrospinning fundamentals geared toward generating an appropriate platform for creating tailored nanofibers for sensing applications in the food industry. These nanofibers play a critical role in food analysis, sensing, and traceability, and we highlight their effectiveness in identifying pesticide residues, food components, antibiotics, heavy metals, and foodborne pathogens as well as in monitoring the freshness and spoilage of food. The use of electrospinning technology is poised to make sensing platforms more accessible, affordable, and widespread, thereby significantly contributing to the improvement of food quality and safety monitoring practices.
Cannabis‐infused foods: Phytonutrients, health, and safe product innovations
Authors: Fordjour Eric , Manful Charles F. , Khalsamehta Tarsaim S. K. , Armah Abraham , Cheema Mumtaz , Thomas Raymond
Published: September 2024

Cannabis‐infused foods are currently on the rise in markets all around the world. Meanwhile, there are concerns over the health implications for consumers. Studies have explored the therapeutic potential and nutritional and economic benefits of cannabis usage. Yet, the phytonutrients, processing methods, and health implications of cannabis‐infused foods have not been well explored. This review evaluates existing evidence on the nutritional, processing, safety, and phytonutrient composition of cannabis‐infused food products and their medicinal and functional prospects. Cannabis seeds contain the highest amount of dietary nutrients, while flowers contain the highest amount of bioactive constituents. Oils, butter, seeds, flowers, and leaf extracts are the plant forms currently incorporated into food products such as beverages, baked products, cooking ingredients, functional foods, nutraceuticals, and nootropics. Cannabis‐infused foods have been found to offer therapeutic benefits for pain management, brain function, gut health, and certain cancers. Findings also show significant constraints associated with cannabis‐infused foods regarding dosage guidelines, limited research, efficacy, and long‐term health effects on consumers. This is further worsened by the lack of policies that regulate the industry. To realize the full potential of cannabis use in the food and health industries and in research, regulatory guidelines are needed to control dosages and improve its efficient use in these industries. This will go a long way to ensure the safety of cannabis users and enhance responsible production, marketing, and distribution.
Sulfated Chinese yam polysaccharide exert anti‐inflammatory potential via MAPK/NF‐κB signaling pathways in a co‐culture system and LPS‐induced acute inflammatory mice model
Authors: Chen Xianxiang , Wu Shihua , Tao Xin , He Fengxia , Shen Mingyue
Published: September 2024

Our previous study has demonstrated that sulfated Chinese yam polysaccharide (SCYP) can improve immunomodulatory activity in Raw 264.7 cells. However, its anti‐inflammatory is little known. In this study, the anti‐inflammatory effects of SCYP were systematically investigated via the Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)‐induced Raw264.7 cell model, Caco‐2/Raw264.7 co‐culture system, and acute inflammation mice model. The results suggested SCYP promoted the cell proliferation and have no toxicity in Raw264.7 and Caco‐2 cells at the concentration of 200 µg/mL. Moreover, when treated with SCYP, the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐1β, IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α) reduced significantly in Raw264.7 via the MAPK/NF‐κB pathway. In the Caco‐2/Raw264.7 co‐cultured system, SCYP could regulate inflammation reaction by improving intestinal barrier, which might prevent systemic inflammation. Further, systemic inflammation was alleviated by SCYP in LPS‐induced acute inflammation mice through MAPK/NF‐κB pathway.

Practical Application

These results supported that SCYP may be used as an anti‐inflammation agent in the functional food field.
Perceptions and expectations of an artificially intelligent physical activity digital assistant — A focus group study
Authors: Vandelanotte Corneel , Hodgetts Danya , Peris D.L.I.H.K. , Karki Ashmita , Maher Carol , Imam Tasadduq , Rashid Mamunur , To Quyen , Trost Stewart
Published: September 2024

Artificially intelligent physical activity digital assistants that use the full spectrum of machine learning capabilities have not yet been developed and examined. This study aimed to explore potential users' perceptions and expectations of using such a digital assistant. Six 90‐min online focus group meetings (n = 45 adults) were conducted. Meetings were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Participants embraced the idea of a ‘digital assistant’ providing physical activity support. Participants indicated they would like to receive notifications from the digital assistant, but did not agree on the number, timing, tone and content of notifications. Likewise, they indicated that the digital assistant's personality and appearance should be customisable. Participants understood the need to provide information to the digital assistant to allow for personalisation, but varied greatly in the extent of information that they were willing to provide. Privacy issues aside, participants embraced the idea of using artificial intelligence or machine learning in return for a more functional and personal digital assistant. In sum, participants were ready for an artificially intelligent physical activity digital assistant but emphasised a need to personalise or customise nearly every feature of the application. This poses challenges in terms of cost and complexity of developing the application.
Transcranial direct current stimulation enhances the protective effect of isoflurane preconditioning on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury: A new mechanism associated with the nuclear protein Akirin2
Authors: Kong Xiangyi , Lyu Wenyuan , Lin Xiaojie , Feng Hao , Xu Lin , Li Chengwei , Sun Xinyi , Lin Chunlong , Li Jianjun , Wei Penghui
Published: September 2024

Aims

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and isoflurane (ISO) preconditioning exhibit neuroprotective properties. However, it remains unclear whether tDCS enhances the protective effect of ISO preconditioning on ischemic stroke, and the underlying mechanisms are yet to be clarified.

Method

A model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), a rat ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury model, and an in vitro oxygen–glucose deprivation/re‐oxygenation (O/R) model of ischemic injury were developed. ISO preconditioning and tDCS were administered daily for 7 days before MCAO modeling. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, modified neurological severity score, and hanging‐wire test were conducted to assess infarct volume and neurological outcomes. Untargeted metabolomic experiments, adeno‐associated virus, lentiviral vectors, and small interfering RNA techniques were used to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Results

tDCS/DCS enhanced the protective effects of ISO pretreatment on I/R injury‐induced brain damage. This was evidenced by reduced infarct volume and improved neurological outcomes in rats with MCAO, as well as decreased cortical neuronal death after O/R injury. Untargeted metabolomic experiments identified oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) as a critical pathological process for ISO‐mediated neuroprotection from I/R injury. The combination of tDCS/DCS with ISO preconditioning significantly inhibited I/R injury‐induced OXPHOS. Mechanistically, Akirin2, a small nuclear protein that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation, was found to decrease in the cortex of rats with MCAO and in cortical primary neurons subjected to O/R injury. Akirin2 functions upstream of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). tDCS/DCS was able to further upregulate Akirin2 levels and activate the Akirin2/PTEN signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro, compared with ISO pretreatment alone, thereby contributing to the improvement of cerebral I/R injury.

Conclusion

tDCS treatment enhances the neuroprotective effects of ISO preconditioning on ischemic stroke by inhibiting oxidative stress and activating Akirin2‐PTEN signaling pathway, highlighting potential of combination therapy in ischemic stroke.
The potential of roadside verges as insect habitat: Road salt has few effects on monarch butterfly performance and migration
Authors: Hund Amanda K. , Mitchell Timothy S. , Ramίrez M. Isabel , Zambre Amod , Hagg Lili , Stene Anne , Porter Karilyn , Carper Adrian , Agnew Lauren , Shephard Alexander M. , Kobiela Megan E. , Oberhauser Karen S. , Taylor Orley R. , Snell‐Rood Emilie C.
Published: September 2024

Roadside habitat has been touted as a conservation opportunity for insect pollinators, including the declining monarch butterfly. The spectacular monarch migration is under threat from the loss of habitat and the decline of their milkweed host plants. In the northern part of their range, roadsides could potentially produce millions of monarchs annually due to high densities of milkweed; however, roadside milkweed can accumulate chemicals from roads, such as sodium from road salt. Controlled lab studies have shown mixed effects of sodium on monarch development: small increases can be beneficial as sodium is an important micronutrient in brain and muscle development, but large increases can sometimes decrease survival. It is unclear how dietary sodium affects performance in ecologically relevant conditions and the migration itself. In this experiment, we raised monarchs outdoors, in migration‐inducing conditions, on milkweed sprayed with three levels of sodium chloride. We released 2464 tagged monarchs and held an additional 246 for further lab assays. While our recovery rates to the wintering grounds were low (N = 7 individuals), individuals from all three sodium chloride treatments made it to Mexico. Butterflies reared on control milkweed and low salt concentrated sodium in their tissues, while those on high salt diets excreted sodium, suggesting high salt levels were above a physiological optimum. There were no effects of treatment on wing coloration, survival, body size, immunity, or parasite prevalence. Taken together, our results suggest that monarchs are robust to levels of sodium in milkweeds found along roadsides, which is promising with respect to the toxicity of roadside plants.
Cytopathological findings of granular cell glioblastoma in intraoperative squash smear preparations: A case report
Authors: López‐Muñoz Samuel , Sánchez‐Cordon Borja , Taravilla‐Loma Mario , Esteban‐Rodríguez Isabel
Published: September 2024

Granular cell glioblastoma is a rare subtype of IDH‐wildtype glioblastoma, which may mimic benign macrophage‐rich brain lesions during intraoperative consultation. Few studies have previously discussed its cytopathological features with special attention to the differential diagnosis during intraoperative consultation. After a comparative analysis of previously reported cases, we found that some cytopathological findings can be useful to differentiate granular tumour cells from macrophages and other central nervous system tumours, although their presentation is not constant and clinical and radiological correlation is always critical.
High plasticity in diapause responses benefits bark beetles in a changing climate
Authors: Hofmann Sven , Kautz Markus , Schebeck Martin
Published: September 2024

Numerous insects evolved diapause to cope with seasonally re‐occurring adverse conditions, affecting multiple life‐history traits, including reproduction, survival and voltinism. The spruce bark beetle Ips typographus—a major disturbance agent in spruce‐dominated forests of Eurasia—enters reproductive diapause to survive harsh winters. Induction of facultative diapause is mainly regulated by short daylengths, but modified by warm temperatures, potentially postponing entry into diapause. Knowledge on the interplay of these cues under natural conditions is still lacking despite its importance for phenology and management in a changing climate.

We conducted a comprehensive field study over 3 years along an elevational gradient in South‐West Germany to quantify diapause expression in I. typographus under a broad range of natural photoperiod and temperature conditions.

Most individuals entered diapause in mid‐August (daylengths <14 h), regardless of temperature. However, some individuals still reproduced at warm temperatures (>22–26°C) in late October (daylengths ~10 h), even following cold nights below 5°C. However, fecundity of these late‐breeding individuals was reduced.

In comparison to previous findings, we revealed a later diapause induction in I. typographus due to warm temperatures. Within‐population variability in the timing of diapause induction is an effective strategy to increase the amount of late‐breeding individuals and thus voltinism in a warming climate. Bark beetle phenology models should hence (i) include temperature as diapause‐modifying cue in addition to photoperiod and (ii) consider potential differences between populations from diverse geographic origins.
The impact of social media influencers on the financial market performance of firms
Authors: Keasey Kevin , Lambrinoudakis Costas , Mascia Danilo V. , Zhang Zhengfa
Published: September 2024

Despite the huge growth in the number of influencers and their use by firms, there is a lack of analysis of how social media influencers affect the financial market performance of firms. Anecdotal evidence suggests mega influencers can impact the stock prices of firms via social media. We ask whether such an effect is generalizable to all mega influencers and other financial market characteristics of firms. Using a hand‐collected data set of 16,156,419 mega influencer posts on Instagram, we find that mega influencers affect investors' attention, volatility and trading volume but not stock returns. It takes top influencers with extreme sentiment posts to affect returns and, even here, the effect is short‐lived.
Precipitation and temperature timings underlying bioclimatic variables rearrange under climate change globally
Authors: Bede‐Fazekas Ákos , Somodi Imelda
Published: September 2024

Modeling how climate change may affect the potential distribution of species and communities typically utilizes bioclimatic variables. Distribution predictions rely on the values of the bioclimatic variable (e.g., precipitation of the wettest quarter). However, the ecological meaning of most of these variables depends strongly on the within‐year position of a specific climate period (SCP), for example, the wettest quarter of the year, which is often overlooked. Our aim was to determine how the within‐year position of the SCPs would shift (SCP shift) in reaction to climate change in a global context. We calculated the deviations of the future within‐year position of the SCPs relative to the reference period. We used four future time periods, four scenarios, and four CMIP6 global climate models (GCMs) to provide an ensemble of expectations regarding SCP shifts and locate the spatial hotspots of the shifts. Also, the size and frequency of the SCP shifts were subjected to linear models to evaluate the importance of the impact modeler's decision on time period, scenario, and GCM. We found ample examples of SCP shifts exceeding 2 months, with 6‐month shifts being predicted as well. Many areas in the tropics are expected to experience both temperature and precipitation‐related shifts, but precipitation‐related shifts are abundantly predicted for the temperate and arctic zones as well. The combined shifts at the Equator reinforce the likelihood of the emergence of no‐analogue climates there. The shifts become more pronounced as time and scenario progress, while GCMs could not be ranked in a clear order in this respect. For most SCPs, the modeler's decision on the GCM was the least important, while the choice of time period was typically more important than the choice of scenario. Future predictive distribution models should account for SCP shifts and incorporate the phenomenon in the modeling efforts.
I'm brown and I'm bright: Using collective storying to disrupt the white‐centering of successful girlhood
Authors: Gaerlan Eunice , Cameron Yael
Published: September 2024

What might it mean to reimagine brown‐girl‐as‐failure to brown‐girl‐as‐success? This article draws on findings from an empirical research study of academically successful teenage girls from Aotearoa New Zealand. In this paper we focus on what it means to be an intelligent and successful young brown woman in the context of the contemporary white‐centering of meritocratic success, and the oppressive narrative that brown girls are not bright. Using a creative methodology, Laurel Richardson's collective storying and Patricia Leavy's fiction‐based research, the paper engages in forms of creative analytic practice and new knowledge representation, which prioritize authentic voice and understanding of the young women participants' lived experiences. Collective stories were used in the study to challenge existing public discourses of girls and success, including the white‐centering of such depictions, and to create narratives that participants could identify with, particularly those that were often unspoken but widely experienced. Using collective stories in the study offered a space of resonance with participants who could engage with the stories during the research process and contribute to their (re)storying. The interplay between the theoretics of methodological creativity and the symbolic violence of a colonial positioning of successful girlhood offers a novel contribution to girlhood studies. Through collective storying and a further interweaving of poetic voice, the disruption of the narrative of deficit offers remembering and revalidation of brown success.
Predictors of migraine interictal burden: The hidden role of subjective memory complaints
Authors: Sotero Filipa Dourado , Nobre João , Vicente Beatriz Nunes , Martins Isabel Pavão
Published: September 2024

Background

The “interictal burden of migraine” (MIB) is a new concept that encompasses the overall impact of the disease between migraine episodes. However, the factors that contribute to this interictal burden are still unclear.

Objective

This study aimed to identify explanatory factors of interictal burden in patients with migraine.

Methods

This prospective cross‐sectional observational including 200 patients with migraine (92% [n = 184] female, with a mean [standard deviation] age of 44.8 [12] years, 53% [n = 106] with chronic migraine) completed a clinical and questionnaire assessment targeting MIB, migraine impact, and depressive and cognitive complaints.

Results

More than three‐fourths (76% [n = 152]) of patients had moderate‐to‐severe interictal burden. Higher interictal burden (MIB Scale ≥2) was associated with higher headache frequency (eight vs. 14, p = 0.001) and intensity (headache index score 17.0 vs. 30.0, p = 0.002), higher headache impact (six‐item Headache Impact Test score 59.2 vs. 63.9, p = 0.001), and more subjective memory complaints (Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire [SMC] score 9.0 vs. 4.5, p = 0.001), as well as anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)‐Anxiety score 5 vs. 10, p < 0.001) and depression symptoms (HADS‐Depression score 5 vs. 8, p < 0.001). Once accounted for these potential explanatory variables, subjective memory complaints and impact of headache during ictal phase remained as individual determinants of the interictal burden, with SMC explaining 15% (odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.28; p = 0.010) of the interictal burden.

Conclusion

This finding highlights the need to consider cognitive complaints as part of the construct of interictal burden of these patients to refine the focus of their management.
BRCA1‐associated‐protein‐1 inactivated melanocytic tumours: characterisation of the clinicopathological spectrum and immunohistochemical expression pattern of preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma
Authors: Xu Yitong , Gru Alejandro A , Brenn Thomas , Wiedemeyer Katharina
Published: September 2024

Aims

BRCA1‐associaed protein‐1 (BAP1) inactivated tumours (BIMT) are rare melanocytic tumours that may be mistaken for Spitz tumours or melanoma. They occur sporadically or in association with the BAP1 tumour predisposition syndrome (BAP1–TPDS), which may be complicated by uveal or cutaneous melanoma, mesothelioma, basal cell carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. The aim of this study was to characterise the clinicopathological features and the immunohistochemical expression pattern of preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) of BIMT in a large patient cohort.

Methods and results

Ethical approval was obtained, haematoxylin and eosin‐stained slides were reviewed, PRAME immunohistochemistry was performed and clinical follow‐up was obtained from patient records. Sixty‐five BIMT from 38 patients (F:M = 4.4:1) were identified. BIMT were typically located on the trunk and head and neck (median size = 0.5 cm). Seven patients with BAP1–TPDS (range = 16–66 years, median = 25) had multiple BIMT (median = 5), while sporadic BIMT were solitary (median patient age = 39 years). One of seven patients with BAP1–TPDS developed additional malignancies (mesothelioma and cutaneous spindle cell melanoma) and died of complications of mesothelioma. All other patients are alive without recurrence of BIMT (median follow‐up = 42 months). BIMT presented as intradermal, nodular aggregates of epithelioid melanocytes with low mitotic activity and moderate to severe cytological atypia in 63% of cases. A background conventional naevus was present in 64%. PRAME immunohistochemistry showed negative or weakly patchy positive staining in all BIMT.

Conclusions

BIMT are more common in a sporadic setting and behave indolently, despite worrying cytological atypia. PRAME immunohistochemistry is a reassuring tool in distinguishing BIMT from melanoma.
Chemometric classification of Vietnamese green tea (Camellia sinensis) varieties and origins using elemental profiling and FTIR spectroscopy
Authors: Minh Truong Ngoc , Van Thinh Pham , Anh Hoang Le Tuan , Anh Le Viet , Khanh Nguyen Hoang , Van Nhan Le , Trung Nguyen Quang , Dat Nguyen Tien
Published: September 2024

The objective of this study was to employ multi‐elemental analysis and chemometric multivariate data analysis for identifying the geographical origin of Camellia sinensis cultivated in Vietnam's northeastern region. Ninety‐two tea leaf samples encompassing four distinct varieties were sourced from Bac Can and Thai Nguyen provinces. These samples underwent analysis through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics, while elemental quantification was achieved via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), utilising mixed standards for 26 elements. The FTIR spectra exhibited characteristic peaks, denoting the functional groups of the potential compounds present. ICP/MS analysis identified the presence of 14 elements in the tea samples, revealing significant variations in content across the four varieties. principal component analysis (PCA) of the FTIR data illustrated that the initial two principal components accounted for 91.26% of the total variance, effectively segregating the four green tea varieties into distinct clusters. Conversely, PCA of the ICP‐MS spectra also distinguished the four varieties, albeit Trung Du and Hybrid F1 exhibited a proximate distribution. This closeness may be incidental and not indicative of correlation, considering the limited variable set. Our findings ascertain that ICP/MS and FTIR, augmented by chemometric software, serve as efficacious tools for ascertaining the geographical origins of tea.
Frozen/Thawed Samples Can Replace Fresh Samples for Assignment of ISI to Secondary Thromboplastin Standards for Multiple Reagent/Instrument Combinations: Data to Support Possible Revision of WHO Guidelines
Authors: Kitchen Matthew , Bryant Michelle , Brown Paula , Woolley Anita , Kitchen Steve
Published: September 2024

Background

Calibration of thromboplastins is required for accurate calculation of the international normalised ratio (INR). Accurate INR results are required for optimal dosing of vitamin K antagonists. Decreases in vitamin K antagonist usage have made the recruitment of sample sets for international sensitivity index (ISI) calibrations more difficult. A possible solution to this would be to allow the use of frozen–thawed samples in place of fresh plasmas in the calibration of secondary standards.

Objectives

We investigated the effect of freezing and thawing samples before usage in ISI calibrations of secondary standards.

Methods

Multiple reagent/instruments were tested to identify the degree of difference between a fresh sample ISI calibration and one performed on frozen–thawed samples. Where possible, the two ISI calibrations were performed on the same sample set. Alternatively, a separate set of samples from different patients was used.

Results

The difference in ISI values was <3% for those datasets where the same samples were used, and <6% for those datasets where two sample sets were used. Additionally, other parameters required for a valid ISI calibration showed only minor differences—some calibrations showed fewer outliers in the frozen–thawed datasets. Mean normal prothrombin time for the international reference thromboplastins was <3.5% different across four different calibrations (two for rabbit thromboplastin and two for recombinant human thromboplastin).

Conclusions

This modification to the WHO guidelines would facilitate the recruitment of test plasmas in advance of calibration solving the problem of requiring availability of fresh patient samples with a range of INRs in a 5‐h window.

Trial Registration: Not a part of any clinical trial.
Evaluation of crack initiation load of silica glass surfaces formed during subcritical crack growth
Authors: Endo Jun , Sekine Tomomi , Shimizu Souta , Yoshida Satoshi
Published: September 2024

The crack initiation load of freshly fractured surfaces for silica glass was evaluated with ball indentation. The fracture surfaces were formed during subcritical crack growth in the regions I, II, and III of the stress intensity factor (KI)—crack velocity (V) curve. From the KI–V curve, we linked the obtained fracture surfaces with the ones in the regions I, II, and III. It was found that the crack‐forming probability was the lowest for the fracture surface formed in the region III of the KI–V curve. In order to understand the controlling factors of the crack formation, some properties which are topography, relative nonbridging oxygens (NBO), hydrogen concentrations, and Si–O three‐ or four‐membered ring structures, of the fracture surfaces were measured by atomic force microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. No distinct difference in NBO and hydrogen concentrations nor the ring structures were found among the fracture surfaces formed in different regions in the KI–V curve. The peak‐to‐valley height of the fracture surface, however, decreased with increasing crack velocity. It is concluded that the roughness or topography of the freshly fractured surface is one of the controlling factors which reduce the intrinsic strength of silica glass.
Thermal shock behavior of andalusite‐based refractories: Microstructural investigation of crack bridging and grain‐matrix interactions
Authors: Hahn Dominik , Shin Jong‐Won , Tissen David , Sax Almuth , Quirmbach Peter
Published: September 2024

Andalusite‐based refractories are characterized by superior thermal shock resistance. Although the demand for alternative raw materials is increasing, it is proving difficult to replicate the thermal shock behavior of andalusite with alternative materials. The physico‐mechanical properties of andalusite refractories are well‐studied. However, comprehensive chemical and microstructural analysis is still needed to fully understand factors influencing the thermal shock resistance. This investigation highlights the use of complementary microstructural techniques (3D digital microscopy, scanning electron microscopy–energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence) to analyze crack propagation as well as glass bridge formation and composition in aluminosilicate‐based refractory castables. Andalusite‐based refractories are compared with chamotte 45 and chamotte 60, before and after a thermal shock, as well as after an additional firing. Factors influencing the thermal shock resistance of aluminosilicate refractory castables include (1) crack shape, size, occurrence, and propagation (2) glass bridge formation, size, occurrence, and composition, and (3) aggregate‐matrix interactions.
Magnetic and dielectric properties of low‐loss MnZn ferrites with wide temperature stability
Authors: Ying Yao , Chen Guo , Li Zhaocheng , Zheng Jingwu , Yu Jing , Qiao Liang , Li Wangchang , Li Juan , Wakiya Naoki , Yamaguchi Masahiro , Che Shenglei
Published: September 2024

To meet the needs for higher energy efficiency and a wide operating temperature range of electric vehicles, the low‐loss MnZn ferrites in a wide temperature range have been developed by optimizing the Fe content and the oxygen partial pressure (PO2) during the sintering process in this work. For the optimal sample, power loss at 300 kHz/100mT is 204 kW/m3 at 25°C and remains below 290 kW/m3 in the wide temperature range from ‐10 to 120°C. The loss separation method was employed to clarify the effects of the Fe content and PO2 on power loss. The equivalent circuit model has been employed to fit the complex impedance and it is found that the increase of PO2 enhances both the grain resistance Rg and the grain boundary resistance Rgb. The enhancement of Rgb is mainly responsible for the reduction of eddy current loss and consequently power loss. Dielectric permittivity is as large as about 15000 in this series of samples due to the electric polarization at the rich grain boundaries. Dielectric loss is very low between ‐50 and 150°C and has little contribution to the energy loss.
AI and Responsibility: No Gap, but Abundance
Authors: Kiener Maximilian
Published: September 2024

The best‐performing AI systems, such as deep neural networks, tend to be the ones that are most difficult to control and understand. For this reason, scholars worry that the use of AI would lead to so‐called responsibility gaps, that is, situations in which no one is morally responsible for the harm caused by AI, because no one satisfies the so‐called control condition and epistemic condition of moral responsibility. In this article, I acknowledge that there is a significant challenge around responsibility and AI. Yet I don't think that this challenge is best captured in terms of a responsibility gap. Instead, I argue for the opposite view, namely that there is responsibility abundance, that is, a situation in which numerous agents are responsible for the harm caused by AI, and that the challenge comes from the difficulties of dealing with such abundance in practice. I conclude by arguing that reframing the challenge in this way offers distinct dialectic and theoretical advantages, promising to help overcome some obstacles in the current debate surrounding ‘responsibility gaps’.
Inhibition of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 improves anaemia in mice and humans with sickle cell disease, and reduces infarct size in a murine stroke model
Authors: Wang Jintao , Silaghi Paul , Guo Chiao , Harro David , Eitzman Daniel T.
Published: September 2024

Sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT‐2) is expressed in the kidney and may contribute to anaemia and cardiovascular diseases. The effect of SGLT‐2 inhibition on anaemia and vascular endpoints in sickle cell disease (SCD) is unknown. A murine model of SCD was studied to determine the effects of the SGLT‐2 inhibitor, empagliflozin, on anaemia and stroke size. The University of Michigan's Precision Health Database was used to evaluate the effect of SGLT‐2 inhibitors on anaemia in humans with SCD. SCD mice treated with daily empagliflozin for 8 weeks demonstrated increases in haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocyte counts, reticulocyte percentage and erythropoietin compared to vehicle‐treated mice. Following photochemical‐induced thrombosis of the middle cerebral artery, mice treated with empagliflozin demonstrated reduced stroke size compared to vehicle treated mice. In the electronic health records analysis, haemoglobin, haematocrit and erythrocyte counts increased in human SCD subjects treated with an SGLT‐2 inhibitor. SGLT‐2 inhibitor treatment of humans and mice with SCD is associated with improvement in anaemic parameters. Empagliflozin treatment is also associated with reduced stroke size in SCD mice suggesting SGLT‐2 inhibitor treatment may be beneficial with regard to both anaemia and vascular complications in SCD patients.
Lessons in cognition: A review of maze designs and procedures used to measure spatial learning in fish
Authors: Munson Amelia , DePasquale Cairsty
Published: September 2024

The use of different mazes to assess spatial learning has become more common in fish behavior studies in recent decades. This increase in fish cognition research has opened the door to numerous possibilities for exciting and diverse questions, such as identifying ecological drivers of spatial cognition and understanding the role individual variation plays in navigational abilities. There are many different types of mazes, each with its own specific considerations, making it challenging to determine exactly which spatial test is the most relevant and appropriate for a particular experiment. Many spatial mazes, such as the T‐maze and Y‐maze, have been successfully adapted from rodent studies, particularly with respect to zebrafish, a widely accepted non‐mammalian model in biomedical studies. Standardization across studies is increasing with these easily accessible maze designs, validating them for use in fish; however, variations in design (e.g., length of arms and scale) and procedure still exist, and the impact of these variations on results is largely unknown. The efforts to standardize mazes outside zebrafish work are also more limited. Other mazes have been developed specifically for use on fish, with design modifications varying widely, making it difficult to draw comparisons. In this review, we have highlighted the many design and procedural elements that should be considered for the acquisition of reliable behavioral data, with the goal of drawing readers' attention to aspects of experimentation that are often not given the careful consideration that they deserve. We then argue that additional focused research and reporting is needed to produce more reliable methods in spatial learning research across a broader range of subjects.
Evaluation of the potential probiotic Bacillus subtilis isolated from darkbarbel catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) on growth performance, serum immunity, and disease resistance of Aeromonas hydrophila
Authors: Hou Tinglong , Tang Zhengxian , Wang Zuobo , Li Chuntao
Published: September 2024

This study aimed to identify potential probiotic strains of Bacillus subtilis from healthy fish gut microbiota for application in aquaculture. The effects of dietary B. subtilis administration on growth performance, serum enzyme activity, immune gene expression, and disease resistance in darkbarbel catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) were investigated. The isolate, identified through gene sequencing and biochemical tests, demonstrated resilience to pH 3.0% and 6.0% bile, and exhibited extracellular protease, cellulose, lipase, and amylase production. Darkbarbel catfish were fed diets with varying B. subtilis concentrations (0 CFU/kg [T0], 107 CFU/kg [T1], 108 CFU/kg [T2], and 109 CFU/kg [T3]). After 8 weeks, significant increases (p < 0.05) were observed in final body weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, serum lysozyme, serum superoxide dismutase, alkaline phosphatase, and total antioxidant capacity, whereas malondialdehyde levels significantly decreased. Feeding darkbarbel catfish with B. subtilis diets increased immunoglobulin M (IgM) and C3 gene expression (p < 0.05), indicating a positive impact on the fish's immune system. The strain upregulated interleukin 10 (IL‐10) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) expression and downregulated TNF‐α and IL‐1β, suggesting potential anti‐inflammatory effects. Following a 7‐day challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila, fish fed with B. subtilis exhibited lower mortality, with higher survival rates in the T2 and T3 groups. In conclusion, supplementing darkbarbel catfish diets with B. subtilis effectively enhances growth performance, immune response, and disease resistance.
Antimicrobial Efficacy of Peroxyacetic Acid Spray for Beef Carcasses and Cuts at Beef Processing Plants
Authors: Yang Xianqin , Wang Hui
Published: September 2024

The objective of this study was to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of peroxyacetic acid (PAA) for beef in processing facilities. Inactivation of a wildtype Escherichia coli strain by up to 400 ppm PAA in solutions with different organic loads was determined. The microbial efficacy of PAA was assessed at two commercial beef plants for carcasses and cuts during routine production. The wild type E. coli strain was reduced by >7 log CFU upon exposing to PAA for 15 s at >100 and 200 ppm in low and high organic load solutions, respectively. PAA spray significantly reduced coliforms and E. coli by 1.7–2.0 log units on carcasses artificially inoculated with fecal slurry at one plant, and reduced aerobes and coliforms by 1.7 and 1.0 log units on naturally contaminated carcasses at the other plant. The reduction by PAA spray of aerobes (p < 0.05) on artificially inoculated carcasses was <0.5 log. Significant and consistent reduction of aerobes and coliforms on cuts by PAA was observed for fat surface at both beef plants, but not for lean cut surface. However, fewer cuts sprayed with PAA were positive for E. coli, regardless of cut type, compared with those that were not sprayed. Taken together, PAA can be effective for reducing microbial contamination of beef carcasses and cuts in commercial practice.
vNOTES scarless and painless endometrial cancer staging surgery
Authors: Şimşek Erkan , Yıldız Özge Akdeniz , Gündüz Sadık , Karakaş Sema , Yaşar Levent
Published: September 2024

Aims

Sentinel lymph node dissection is performed in endometrial cancer surgery instead of staging surgery, particularly when the disease is advanced and confined to the uterus. The aim of this study is to share our sentinel lymph node detection rates via the vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery method with the literature and to demonstrate a safer and more comfortable surgical treatment process.

Methods

The analysis includes the patients who underwent surgery sentinel lymph node dissection for endometrial cancer utilizing indociyanin green in our center between January 2022 and June 2024.

Results

In all, of 24 endometrial cancer patients underwent surgery sentinel lymph node dissection, nonendometrioid (serous) pathology was observed in only 1 (4%) patient, our other patients (96%) had endometrioid adenocarcinoma pathology. The rates of our sentinel lymph node dissection bilateral and symmetric are 96% (23/24), 94% (22/24), and 79% (19/24), respectively. We would like to emphasize that we successfully used vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery approach on four of our patients who were unsuitable for laparoscopic and robotic surgery due to pain scores of 2 at the 12th hour after surgery and low lung capacity.

Conclusions

Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and sentinel lymph node dissection will be considered as surgical options in other gynecological cancers due to the comfort it brings to the patient in endometrial cancer.
“I Am Because We Are”: The Role of Sub‐Saharan Africa's Collectivist Culture in Achieving Traceability and Global Supply Chain Resilience
Authors: Razak Ghadafi M. , Stevenson Mark , Hendry Linda C.
Published: September 2024

Prior studies on traceability as an enabler of supply chain resilience (SCRes) have focused on large‐scale disruptions and developed country contexts. Few studies have focused on developing countries where chronic, small‐scale disruptions are common and resource scarcity means advanced digital technologies are rarely adopted. This research explores how traceability is achieved across upstream actors in two Ghanaian agri‐food supply chains and how this affects global SCRes. Social characteristics are shown to influence the risks inherent in supply chains, while traceability is both a direct and indirect SCRes enabler. Informed by the relational view, the roles of relation‐specific assets and governance mechanisms in maintaining traceability are explored. Supply chain‐wide relation‐specific assets are prioritized over dyadic relation‐specific assets. This original finding is explained by the importance of maintaining social ties over short‐term economic gains in a collectivist culture, leading to greater relational rents in the long term. A novel, informal third‐party governance mechanism that reduces formal contracting costs and provides flexibility and continuity to interfirm relationships is also identified, further facilitating the attainment of relational rents. The findings are explained in light of sub‐Saharan Africa's collectivist culture, encapsulated in the philosophy of ubuntu. Overall, the research theorizes on achieving supply chain traceability and thus enhancing global SCRes as a sociotechnical system incorporating technological and nontechnological systems that are socially embedded in the local context.
Respiratory safety of lemborexant in adult and elderly subjects with moderate‐to‐severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Cheng Jocelyn Y. , Lorch Daniel , Hall Nancy , Moline Margaret
Published: September 2024

Because some hypnotics worsen respiratory conditions, it was important to determine the respiratory safety of lemborexant, a competitive dual orexin‐receptor antagonist approved to treat adults with insomnia, in subjects with moderate‐to‐severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. E2006‐A001‐113 (Study 113; NCT04647383) was a multicentre, multiple‐dose, randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, two‐period crossover study in adult subjects with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (per spirometry‐based Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] criteria). Subjects (N = 30) were randomised to two treatment sequences comprising 8‐night treatment periods (washout ≥ 14 days) with lemborexant 10 mg or placebo. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2; primary endpoint), apnea–hypopnea index, objective sleep parameters and sleep architecture measures were assessed after single (Day 1) and multiple (Day 8) doses. There was no significant difference in least‐squares mean SpO2 after a single dose of lemborexant (91.1%) versus placebo (91.5%). Although a statistically significant difference in SpO2 was observed after multiple doses (least‐squares mean: lemborexant, 91.3%; placebo, 90.8%) favouring lemborexant, this was not considered clinically meaningful. Apnea–hypopnea index was not significantly different between treatments after single or multiple doses. Total sleep time and total rapid eye movement sleep were significantly greater on Days 1 and 8 with lemborexant versus placebo. Treatment‐emergent adverse events were reported in five (16.7%) subjects when taking lemborexant and four (13.3%) subjects when taking placebo; treatment‐emergent adverse events were mostly mild. Lemborexant was well tolerated and did not adversely impact SpO2 or apnea–hypopnea index after single and multiple doses relative to placebo in subjects with moderate‐to‐severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.