bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grassland restoration on linear landscape elements – comparing the effects of topsoil removal and topsoil transfer
Authors: Valkó Orsolya , Kelemen András , Kiss Orsolya , Bátori Zoltán , Kiss Réka , Deák Balázs
Published: August 2024

Artificial linear landscape elements, including roads, pipelines, and drainage channels, are main sources of global habitat fragmentation. Restoration of natural habitats on unused linear landscape elements can increase habitat quality and connectivity without interfering with agricultural or industrial development. Despite that topsoil removal and transfer are widely applied methods in restoration projects, up to our knowledge these were previously not compared in the same study system. To address this knowledge gap, we compared spontaneous vegetation recovery after the elimination of positive (embankments) and negative landscape scars (drainage channels) in lowland alkaline landscapes in South Hungary. The novelty of our study is that we compared the fine-scale and landscape-scale results of both methods. At the fine scale, we monitored the spontaneous vegetation development on the created open surfaces in the first, second and fourth year after restoration in 160 permanent plots per year. For characterizing the habitat changes on the landscape scale, we prepared habitat maps and assigned naturalness scores to each patch before and after the restoration activities. Both restoration methods resulted in a rapid vegetation recovery at the fine scale, progressing toward the reference state. In the topsoil removal treatment, a large part of the soil seed bank was removed; therefore, the colonization of the bare surface was a slower process. Seeds of halophytes, including the endemic and protected Suaeda pannonica, were probably present in the deeper soil layers, and these species became established in the restored surfaces, despite being absent in the surrounding vegetation. For restoring vegetation cover, topsoil transfer was a more rapid option; however, vegetation closure and competition by generalist species and weeds hampered the establishment of target species. The removal of the landscape scars by both methods made the sites accessible for grazing. At the landscape scale, the two methods had different effects: there was a slight increase in the habitat naturalness in the topsoil removal site, and a slight decrease in the topsoil transfer site because of weed encroachment. Spreading an upper layer of nutrient-poor soil with low amounts of weed seeds, direct propagule transfer, and targeted grazing regimes could enhance restoration success.
Using the behaviour change wheel to develop a tailored intervention to overcome general practitioners’ perceived barriers to referring insomnia patients to digital therapeutic sleepio
Authors: Alkhaldi Ohoud , McMillan Brian , Ainsworth John
Published: August 2024

Background

Digital therapeutic Sleepio has proven effective in improving sleep quality and decreasing symptoms of anxiety. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends Sleepio as an alternative treatment to usual sleep hygiene education and hypnotic medications. General practitioners (GPs) play a critical role in the adoption of digital therapeutics in patient care. Previous interventions did not adopt theoretical frameworks to systematically understand GPs behaviour toward referring patients to digital therapeutics.

Objectives

This study aimed to report the systematic and comprehensive development of an intervention to encourage GPs to refer insomnia patients to Sleepio, using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW).

Methods

The eight steps outlined in the BCW were followed to develop an intervention. The Capability Opportunity Motivation-Behaviour Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (COM-B-Qv1) was adopted to understand GPs perceived facilitators and barriers to refer insomnia patients to Sleepio. The Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy Version 1 (BCTv1) was thereafter used to identify possible strategies that could be used to facilitate changes in GPs’ behaviour in relation to Sleepio.

Results

The BCW design process resulted in the identification of five intervention functions, three policy categories and five behaviour change techniques (BCTs) as potential active components for an intervention. The intervention includes providing GPs with an orientation about using Sleepio to improve their knowledge and confidence, sending visual reminders to GPs to recommend Sleepio to their patients, providing ongoing technical support.

Conclusion

The BCW can be successfully applied through a systematic process to understand the drivers of GPs’ behaviour and to develop an intervention that can encourage them to refer insomnia patients to Sleepio.
PneumoniaCheck, a novel aerosol collection device, permits capture of airborne Mycobacterium tuberculosis and characterisation of the cough aeromicrobiome in people with tuberculosis
Authors: Chiyaka Tinaye L. , Nyawo Georgina R. , Naidoo Charissa C. , Moodley Suventha , Clemente Jose C. , Malherbe Stephanus T. , Warren Robin M. , Ku David N. , Segal Leopoldo N. , Theron Grant
Published: August 2024

Background

Tuberculosis (TB), a major cause of disease and antimicrobial resistance, is spread via aerosols. Aerosols have diagnostic potential and airborne-microbes other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) may influence transmission. We evaluated whether PneumoniaCheck (PMC), a commercial aerosol collection device, captures MTBC and the aeromicrobiome of people with TB.

Methods

PMC was done in sputum culture-positive people (≥ 30 forced coughs each, n = 16) pre-treatment and PMC air reservoir (bag, corresponding to upper airways) and filter (lower airways) washes underwent Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing (sequencing also done on sputum). In a subset (n = 6), PMC microbiota (bag, filter) was compared to oral washes and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).

Findings

54% (7/13) bags and 46% (6/14) filters were Ultra-positive. Sequencing read counts and microbial diversity did not differ across bags, filters, and sputum. However, microbial composition in bags (Sphingobium-, Corynebacterium-, Novosphingobium-enriched) and filters (Mycobacterium-, Sphingobium-, Corynebacterium-enriched) each differed vs. sputum. Furthermore, sequencing only detected Mycobacterium in bags and filters but not sputum. In the subset, bag and filter microbial diversity did not differ vs. oral washes or BALF but microbial composition differed. Bags vs. BALF were Sphingobium-enriched and Mycobacterium-, Streptococcus-, and Anaerosinus-depleted (Anaerosinus also depleted in filters vs. BALF). Compared to BALF, none of the aerosol-enriched taxa were enriched in oral washes or sputum.

Interpretation

PMC captures aerosols with Ultra-detectable MTBC and MTBC is more detectable in aerosols than sputum by sequencing. The aeromicrobiome is distinct from sputum, oral washes and BALF and contains differentially-enriched lower respiratory tract microbes.
Increases in housing rules and surveillance during COVID-19: impacts on overdose and overdose response in a community-based cohort of sex workers who use drugs in Vancouver, BC
Authors: McDermid Jenn , Pearson Jennie , Braschel Melissa , Moreheart Sarah , Marck Rory , Shannon Kate , Krüsi Andrea , Goldenberg Shira M.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 risk mitigation measures have expanded to include increased rules and surveillance in supportive housing. Yet, in the context of the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the unregulated drug toxicity crisis, we have not evaluated the unintended health and social consequences of such measures, especially on criminalized women. In order to address this dearth of evidence, our aim was to assess the association between increased housing rules and surveillance during COVID-19 and (a) nonfatal overdose, and (b) administration of naloxone for overdose reversal among women sex workers who use drugs in Vancouver, BC.

Methods

This study is nested within An Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access (AESHA), a community-based prospective cohort of women sex workers in Metro Vancouver (2010–present). Using cross-sectional data collected during the first year of COVID-19 (April 2020–2021), we developed separate multivariable logistic regression confounder models to examine the independent associations between experiencing increased housing rules and surveillance during COVID-19 on (a) nonfatal overdose, and (b) administration of naloxone for overdose reversal in the last 6 months.

Results

Amongst 166 participants, 10.8% reported experiencing a recent non-fatal overdose and 31.3% recently administered naloxone for overdose reversal. 56.6% reported experiencing increased rules and surveillance within their housing during COVID-19. The prevalence of non-fatal overdose and administering naloxone was significantly elevated among those exposed to increased housing rules and surveillance during COVID-19 versus those who were unexposed (83.3% vs. 52.1%; 75.0% vs. 48.2%, respectively). In separate multivariate confounder models, exposure to increased housing rules and surveillance during COVID-19 was independently associated with increased odds of administering naloxone [AOR: 3.66, CI: 1.63–8.21], and marginally associated with non-fatal overdose [AOR: 3.49, CI: 0.92–13.27].

Conclusion

Efforts to prioritize the right to safe, adequate and affordable housing must avoid reinforcing an overly coercive reliance on surveillance measures which, while often well-intended, can negatively shape residents’ well-being. Furthermore, public health responses to pandemics must include criminalized populations so that measures do not exacerbate overdose risk. Implementation of a regulated drug supply is recommended, alongside housing policies that promote residents' rights, safety, and health.
Material composition and mechanical properties of the venom-injecting forcipules in centipedes
Authors: Züger Simon , Krings Wencke , Gorb Stanislav N. , Büscher Thies H. , Sombke Andy
Published: August 2024

Background

Centipedes are terrestrial and predatory arthropods that possess an evolutionary transformed pair of appendages used for venom injection—the forcipules. Many arthropods incorporate reinforcing elements into the cuticle of their piercing or biting structures to enhance hardness, elasticity or resistance to wear and structural failure. Given their frequent exposure to high mechanical stress, we hypothesise that the cuticle of the centipede forcipule might be mechanically reinforced. With a combination of imaging, analytical techniques and mechanical testing, we explore the centipede forcipule in detail to shed light on its morphology and performance. Additionally, we compare these data to characteristics of the locomotory leg to infer evolutionary processes.

Results

We examined sclerotization patterns using confocal laser-scanning microscopy based on autofluorescence properties of the cuticle (forcipule and leg) and elemental composition by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in representative species from all five centipede lineages. These experiments revealed gradually increasing sclerotization towards the forcipular tarsungulum and a stronger sclerotization of joints in taxa with condensed podomeres. Depending on the species, calcium, zinc or chlorine are present with a higher concentration towards the distal tarsungulum. Interestingly, these characteristics are more or less mirrored in the locomotory leg’s pretarsal claw in Epimorpha. To understand how incorporated elements affect mechanical properties, we tested resistance to structural failure, hardness (H) and Young’s modulus (E) in two representative species, one with high zinc and one with high calcium content. Both species, however, exhibit similar properties and no differences in mechanical stress the forcipule can withstand.

Conclusions

Our study reveals similarities in the material composition and properties of the forcipules in centipedes. The forcipules transformed from an elongated leg-like appearance into rigid piercing structures. Our data supports their serial homology to the locomotory leg and that the forcipule’s tarsungulum is a fusion of tarsus and pretarsal claw. Calcium or zinc incorporation leads to comparable mechanical properties like in piercing structures of chelicerates and insects, but the elemental incorporation does not increase H and E in centipedes, suggesting that centipedes followed their own pathways in the evolutionary transformation of piercing tools.
Expression and clinical significance of CLDN7 and its immune-related cells in breast cancer
Authors: Fan Xiaojie , Qi Aifeng , Zhang Meng , Jia Ying , Li Shi , Han Dandan , Liu Yueping
Published: August 2024

Background

CLDN is a core component of tight junctions (TJs). Abnormal expressions of CLDNs are commonly detected in various types of tumors. CLDNs are of interest as a potential therapeutic target. CLDNs are closely associated with most cancers of epithelial origin, especially when CLDN7 promotes cancer cell metastasis, such as in gastric, cervical, and ovarian cancers.Its expression and prognosis in breast cancer (BC) remain unknown.The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression pattern of CLDN7 and related immune factors in BC and shed light on a better therapeutic avenue for BC patients.

Method

The cBioPortal, GEPIA, and TCGA databases were used to comprehensively assess the expression of CLDN7 in BC. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter (KMP) database was applied to examine the relationship among the CLDN7 overexpression (OE), prognosis, and overall survival (OS) of BC patients. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 92 BC tissue samples and 20 benign breast tumors to verify the expression level of CLDN-7 protein and its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis. TIMER2.0 was used to analyze the correlation between the CLDN7 OE and immune gene activation using BC-related transcriptomic data. Enrichment analyses of CLDN7-related immune pathways were conducted using online databases. The risk of expression of CLDN7-related immune genes was assessed and differentially expressed (DE) genes were included in the construction of the risk prognosis nomogram.

Results

Both database analysis and clinical sample validation results showed that CLDN7 was significantly overexpressed (OE) in BC, and the OE was correlated with poor DFS in BC patients (p < 0.05). TIMER2.0 analysis indicated that CLDN7 OE was negatively associated with the activation of B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, and CD8+ T-cells but positively with the M0 macrophages. Pathway enrichment analysis suggested that CLDN7-related immune factors were mostly involved in the NF-κB and T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathways. Univariate Cox regression was used to analyze the correlation between 52 CLDN7 related genes and OS, and 22 genes that are related to prognosis were identified. Prognostic genes were included in the prognostic nomogram of BC with a C-index of 0.76 to predict the 3-year and 5-year OS probabilities of BC individuals.

Conclusions

These findings provide evidence for the role of CLDN7-linked tumor immunity, suggesting that CLDN7 might be a potential immunotherapeutic target for BC, and its association with immune markers could shed light on the better prognosis of BC.
Angelman syndrome in Poland: current diagnosis and therapy status—the caregiver perspective: a questionnaire study
Authors: Suleja Agata , Milska-Musa Katarzyna , Przysło Łukasz , Bednarczyk Marzena , Kostecki Marcin , Cysewski Dominik , Matryba Paweł , Rozensztrauch Anna , Dwornik Michał , Opacki Marcin , Śmigiel Robert , Łukasiewicz Kacper
Published: August 2024

Background

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disease caused by imprinting disorders that impede the production of the ubiquitin E3A ligase protein (UBE3A). AS affects multiple systems, with the main symptoms including epilepsy, psychomotor disorders and speech development disorders. To date, no study has been conducted in the Polish population to verify the condition's diagnosis and treatment process.

Results

Seventy patients with the median age of 60 months were included into the analysis. 80% of patients were diagnosed with deletion, 19.9% with a mutation of UBE3A gene, 4.3% with paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) and 2.8% with an imprinting defect. The mean age of first symptoms was 5 months, while the mean age of diagnosis was 29 months (earliest in deletion group at 23 months), and the median duration of diagnosis process was 7 months. The average time to a clinical geneticist appointment was 3 months. 37.9% of the patients initially received a different diagnosis. Epileptic seizures were present in 88.6% of the individuals. 98.6% of the studied group were under care of a pediatric neurologist, 47.1% of a gastroenterologist. A ketogenic diet was used in 7.1% of patients. Caregivers identified finding a specialist suitable for AS patients and access to genetic testing as the biggest problems.

Conclusions

The care of patients with AS in Poland is carried out according to the European and world standards, however there is an impeded access to clinical geneticist, and the knowledge about rare diseases among primary healthcare physicians could be improved. Moreover, access to AS care specialists and coordination of care is limited. There is a need for creation a specialized centers and databases for AS patients.
Environmental contamination with feces of free-roaming dogs and the risk of transmission of Echinococcus and Taenia species in urban regions of southeastern Iran
Authors: Shamsaddini Saeedeh , Schneider Carina , Dumendiak Sonja , Aghassi Hossein , Kamyabi Hossein , Akhlaghi Elham , Wassermann Marion , Fasihi Harandi Majid , Deplazes Peter , Romig Thomas
Published: August 2024

Background

Dogs are the most important definitive hosts of zoonotic taeniid helminths worldwide. Different Echinococcus and Taenia species of domestic and wild carnivores pose a potential risk to human population. High populations of free-roaming dogs (FRDs) in urban areas of Iran and widespread contamination of the environment with dog feces is a potential source of infecting people living in the urban regions with cystic echinococcosis (CE). Our knowledge on the risk of CE transmission in the urban settings in the endemic regions is limited. The present study surveyed the species and genotypes of E. granulosus sensu lato and other taeniids by examining feces of free-roaming dogs in the urban areas in the city of Kerman, southeastern Iran.

Methods

The city was divided into 100 consecutive blocks of which 25 blocks were randomly selected. Fecal samples of FRDs were counted, mapped and fresh samples were collected. Then Zinc chloride flotation, and sequential sieving was performed, and the samples were examined under an inverted microscope. Single individual taeniid eggs were isolated, partial nad1 gene was amplified and sequenced to identify species and genotypes.

Results

In total 5607 fecal samples of dogs were mapped and 83 fresh samples were collected. Taeniid eggs were detected in nine fecal samples (10.8%) from seven out of the 25 city blocks (28.0%). Echinococcus eggs were found in four samples (4.8%) from three city blocks, two samples containing E. granulosus sensu stricto (2.4%), two samples containing E. canadensis G6/7 (2.4%). In addition, three samples contained eggs of Taenia hydatigena (3.6%), and one sample of Taenia serialis (1.2%).

Conclusions

This study documented the potential risk of CE transmission to humans resulting from the feces of dogs roaming freely in urban areas.

Graphical Abstract
SexAnnoDB, a knowledgebase of sex-specific regulations from multi-omics data of human cancers
Authors: Yang Mengyuan , Feng Yuzhou , Liu Jiajia , Wang Hong , Wu Sijia , Zhao Weiling , Kim Pora , Zhou Xiaobo
Published: August 2024

Background

Sexual differences across molecular levels profoundly impact cancer biology and outcomes. Patient gender significantly influences drug responses, with divergent reactions between men and women to the same drugs. Despite databases on sex differences in human tissues, understanding regulations of sex disparities in cancer is limited. These resources lack detailed mechanistic studies on sex-biased molecules.

Methods

In this study, we conducted a comprehensive examination of molecular distinctions and regulatory networks across 27 cancer types, delving into sex-biased effects. Our analyses encompassed sex-biased competitive endogenous RNA networks, regulatory networks involving sex-biased RNA binding protein-exon skipping events, sex-biased transcription factor-gene regulatory networks, as well as sex-biased expression quantitative trait loci, sex-biased expression quantitative trait methylation, sex-biased splicing quantitative trait loci, and the identification of sex-biased cancer therapeutic drug target genes. All findings from these analyses are accessible on SexAnnoDB (https://ccsm.uth.edu/SexAnnoDB/).

Results

From these analyses, we defined 126 cancer therapeutic target sex-associated genes. Among them, 9 genes showed sex-biased at both the mRNA and protein levels. Specifically, S100A9 was the target of five drugs, of which calcium has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of colon and rectal cancers. Transcription factor (TF)-gene regulatory network analysis suggested that four TFs in the SARC male group targeted S100A9 and upregulated the expression of S100A9 in these patients. Promoter region methylation status was only associated with S100A9 expression in KIRP female patients. Hypermethylation inhibited S100A9 expression and was responsible for the downregulation of S100A9 in these female patients.

Conclusions

Comprehensive network and association analyses indicated that the sex differences at the transcriptome level were partially the result of corresponding sex-biased epigenetic and genetic molecules. Overall, SexAnnoDB offers a discipline-specific search platform that could potentially assist basic experimental researchers or physicians in developing personalized treatment plans.
Potential processes leading to winter reddening of young Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco. in Europe
Authors: Van Rooij Mahaut , Améglio Thierry , Baubet Olivier , Bréda Nathalie , Charrier Guillaume
Published: August 2024

Key message

Winter reddening of young Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco), triggered by large thermal fluctuations in late winter, is a critical problem for European forestry. A literature review identified certain climatic conditions that are characteristic of ‘reddening’ years, including warm daily temperatures, high daily temperature amplitude, low relative humidity, moderate wind speeds, as well as the occurrence of freeze-thaw cycles with cold night temperatures.

By describing the triggering environmental and stand factors, we propose three hypotheses for the physiological processes leading to winter reddening, namely (i) hydraulic failure due to winter drought stress, (ii) photo-oxidative stress in shade-acclimated trees, and (iii) early cold deacclimation during warm periods.

i) Low soil temperature, by reducing root water uptake, combined with anticyclonic conditions, by increasing water losses, can induce hydraulic failure in the xylem. Hydraulic failure may be further accelerated by night frosts.

ii) Winter reddening can occur when low temperature and high irradiance coincide, disrupting photostasis. Overwhelming of winter photo-protection may lead to photodamage and subsequent reddening.

iii) Warm periods, by inducing cold deacclimation, make trees susceptible to frost damage.

Finally, the three processes may interact under atypical anticyclonic conditions in late winter (e.g. cold or dry soils, warm days, high irradiance and/or freezing nights). Indeed, trees under water stress would develop a higher sensitivity to freezing night and photooxidative stress. We therefore proposed mitigation actions to avoid exposing trees to stressful conditions based on e.g. stand characteristics, understorey vegetation and planting.
Archaeometa: leveraging blockchain for secure and scalable virtual museums in the metaverse
Authors: Aziz Omer , Farooq Muhammad Shoaib , khelifi Adel , Shoaib Mahdia
Published: August 2024

The rapid evolution of the digital landscape has catalyzed the integration of blockchain technology within the domain of cultural heritage, particularly in virtual museums within the Metaverse. This study introduces ArchaeoMeta, a novel framework designed to leverage blockchain technology to enhance security, authenticity, and visitor interaction in a virtual museum environment. Utilizing smart contracts deployed on the Ethereum Sepolia testnet, the framework manages visitor interactions and secures digital artifacts, addressing challenges associated with scalability and user experience under varying loads. The performance evaluation involved simulating user interactions, scaling up to ten thousand concurrent users, to assess the impact on transaction latency, gas usage, and blockchain size. Findings reveal significant scalability challenges, as transaction latency and blockchain size increased with the number of users, highlighting areas for optimization in managing high user traffic within the blockchain infrastructure. This study contributes to the understanding of blockchain applications in cultural heritage, suggesting that while ArchaeoMeta offers a robust platform for virtual museums, enhancements in scalability through layer-2 solutions or alternative blockchain platforms are essential for its practical implementation. The framework sets a precedent for future research in the convergence of blockchain technology and cultural heritage preservation, promising a transformative impact on how digital cultural experiences are curated and consumed.
Revealing ancient technology: a high-energy X-ray computed tomography examination of a Mesopotamian copper alloy head
Authors: de Lapérouse J.-F. , Eppihimer M. , Flisch A. , Zboray R.
Published: August 2024

Although the origins of lost wax casting extend back into the 5th millennium BCE, it was not until the development of hollow core casting that life-sized metal sculptures could be produced. Based on existing evidence, the earliest adoption of this technique, which involves the inclusion of a clay core within a wax model, occurred in Iraq (Mesopotamia) during the Early Dynastic III period (ca. 2600–2350 BCE). To date, only one hollow core casting from the succeeding Akkadian period (ca. 2350–2150 BCE)—the Sargon Head in the collection of the Iraq Museum—has been studied from a technical point of view. The recent attribution of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Head of a ruler to this formative period of hollow core lost wax casting provided the impetus for its examination by high-energy X-ray computed tomography—the most practical technique for an object that is continuously on display that could image in 3D the interior morphology of this sculpture given the considerable thickness of its metal walls. This scan revealed a markedly different style of production than the Sargon Head. Although further research on early castings is required to determine the chronological implications of the differences observed and to elucidate more generally the early development of hollow casting technology, the scan of the Head of a ruler provides evidence of some of the challenges encountered and problem-solving strategies used in the casting process.
Antioxidants as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia
Authors: Youssef Fatma Makram , Elmokadem Eman Mohamed , Samy Amir Eskander Hanna , Ateyya Hayam
Published: August 2024

Background

Community-acquired pneumonia remains a major health concern, characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. The underlying pathophysiology of community-acquired pneumonia involves substantial oxidative stress and inflammation, which contribute to lung tissue damage and impaired immune function.

Main body

Variations in oxidative metabolism contribute to the inflammatory cascade which triggers pneumonia to commence and evolve, whereas oxidative stress as well as inflammatory processes is strongly related. Understanding the underlying immunological dysregulation and unbalanced redox that heighten vulnerability to a variety of illnesses has improved over the past several decades attributable to research. One of the key strategies for addressing oxidative stress is to lower the reactive oxygen species creation in the mitochondrion which is one of the main sites of their generation by using antioxidants, where they prevent oxidants from transferring electrons to other molecules. Consequently, antioxidants either directly or indirectly reduce the risk of damage and preserve the redox equilibrium. Therefore, antioxidants, due to their ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species and modulate inflammatory processes, have been explored as potential adjuvant therapies to enhance the treatment outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia. Where recent research has explored the potential of antioxidants as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, aiming to mitigate these detrimental effects. Antioxidants such as N-acetylcystein, vitamin C, vitamin E, astaxanthin, and zinc have shown promising results in both preclinical and clinical studies.

Conclusion

Outcomes of several in vitro as well as in vivo antioxidant studies have demonstrated the antioxidants' promising potential as an adjunct pneumonia therapy. For an assessment of its effectiveness in this therapeutic context, more research involving humans will be required.
Polarization-entangled photon-pair source with van der Waals 3R-WS2 crystal
Authors: Feng Jiangang , Wu Yun-Kun , Duan Ruihuan , Wang Jun , Chen Weijin , Qin Jiazhang , Liu Zheng , Guo Guang-Can , Ren Xi-Feng , Qiu Cheng-Wei
Published: August 2024

Ultracompact entangled photon sources are pivotal to miniaturized quantum photonic devices. Van der Waals (vdW) nonlinear crystals promise efficient photon-pair generation and on-chip monolithic integration with nanophotonic circuitry. However, it remains challenging to generate maximally entangled Bell states of photon pairs with high purity, generation rate, and fidelity required for practical applications. Here, we realize a polarization-entangled photon-pair source based on spontaneous parametric down conversion in an ultrathin rhombohedral tungsten disulfide (3R-WS2) crystal. This vdW entangled photonic source exhibits a high photon-pair purity with a coincidence-to-accidental ratio of above 800, a generation rate of 31 Hz, and two maximally polarization-entangled Bell states with fidelities exceeding 0.93 and entanglement degree over 0.97. These results stem from scalable optical nonlinearity, enhanced second-order susceptibility by electronic transitions, and a well-defined symmetry-enabled selection rule inherent in 3R-WS2. Our polarization entangled photon source can be integrated with photonic structures for generating more complex entangled states, thus paving an avenue for advanced quantum photonic systems toward computation and metrology.
Deep learning reveals a damage signalling hierarchy that coordinates different cell behaviours driving wound re-epithelialisation
Authors: Turley Jake , Robertson Francesca , Chenchiah Isaac V. , Liverpool Tanniemola B. , Weavers Helen , Martin Paul
Published: August 2024

One of the key tissue movements driving closure of a wound is re-epithelialisation. Earlier wound healing studies describe the dynamic cell behaviours that contribute to wound re-epithelialisation, including cell division, cell shape changes and cell migration, as well as the signals that might regulate these cell behaviours. Here, we have used a series of deep learning tools to quantify the contributions of each of these cell behaviours from movies of repairing wounds in the Drosophila pupal wing epithelium. We test how each is altered after knockdown of the conserved wound repair signals Ca2+ and JNK, as well as after ablation of macrophages that supply growth factor signals believed to orchestrate aspects of the repair process. Our genetic perturbation experiments provide quantifiable insights regarding how these wound signals impact cell behaviours. We find that Ca2+ signalling is a master regulator required for all contributing cell behaviours; JNK signalling primarily drives cell shape changes and divisions, whereas signals from macrophages largely regulate cell migration and proliferation. Our studies show deep learning to be a valuable tool for unravelling complex signalling hierarchies underlying tissue repair.
Optimization problems in network mechanism design
Authors: Αναστασιάδης Ελευθέριος
Published: August 2024

Μελετάμε προσεγγιστικούς αλγόριθμους και σχεδιάζουμε φιλαλήθεις μηχανισμούς για προβλήματα βελτιστοποίησης σε δίκτυα που έχουν άμεσες εφαρμογές σε έξυπνες πόλεις και πολεοδομικό σχεδιασμό. Παρουσιάζουμε νέα μοντέλα και νέες τεχνικές που θα μπορούσαν να έχουν ανεξάρτητο ενδιαφέρον. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, στο Κεφάλαιο 2 εισάγουμε ένα νέο μοντέλο ελέγχου της ρύπανσης και προτείνουμε δύο εφαρμογές αυτού του μοντέλου. Είναι η πρώτη φορά που αυτό το πρόβλημα μελετάται από υπολογιστική σκοπιά. Το δίκτυο αντιπροσωπεύεται από ένα γράφημα όπου οι κόμβοι είναι οι ρύποι και οι ακμές μεταξύ των ρύπων αντιπροσωπεύουν την επίδραση της εξάπλωσης της ρύπανσης. Η κυβέρνηση θέτει όρια στα επίπεδα της εκπεμπόμενης ρύπανσης τόσο στις τοπικές περιοχές όσο και σε ολόκληρο το δίκτυο. Μελετάμε κυρίως τις κατηγορίες επίπεδων γραφημάτων και δέντρων που μοντελοποιούν τη ρύπανση του αέρα και του νερού και σχεδιάζουν φιλαλήθεις κατά προσέγγιση μηχανισμούς. Στο Κεφάλαιο 3 παρουσιάζουμε ένα νέο μοντέλο σχεδιασμού μηχανισμών για ένα νέο μοντέλο για την προϋπολογισμένη μέγιστη κάλυψη διάρκειας ζωής (BMLC) σε ασύρματα δίκτυα αισθητήρων (wsns). Το BMLC γενικεύει το γνωστό πρόβλημα κάλυψης μέγιστης διάρκειας ζωής στην περίπτωση όπου οι αισθητήρες ανήκουν σε εγωιστές πράκτορες, όπου κάθε πράκτορας έχει ιδιωτικό κόστος ανά μονάδα χρόνου για το ποσό που πρέπει να πληρωθεί για την ανάπτυξη του αισθητήρα του. Εισάγουμε ένα μοντέλο τυχαίων περιπτώσεων για το BMLC και σχεδιάζουμε έναν νέο προσεγγιστικό μηχανισμό απλοποιώντας το BMLC στο πρόβλημα του σακιδίου, το οποίο είναι φιλαλήθες σύμφωνα με ορισμένες τεχνικές παραδοχές. Για ένα στενά συνδεδεμένο πρόβλημα ελάχιστης κάλυψης στα wsns σε γραφήματα μονάδας δίσκου, γενικεύουμε ένα πρόσφατο PTAS για αυτό το πρόβλημα για να λάβουμε ένα φιλαλήθες PTAS για το πρόβλημα όπου το κόστος των αισθητήρων είναι ιδιωτικά δεδομένα των πρακτόρων. Στο Κεφάλαιο 4 μελετάμε προσεγγιστικούς αλγόριθμους που βασίζονται στην πρωταρχική διπλή μέθοδο για προβλήματα συνδεσιμότητας δικτύου. Στη συνέχεια αποδεικνύουμε ότι αυτοί οι αλγόριθμοι είναι μονότονοι και έτσι μπορούν να οδηγήσουν σε φιλαλήθεις μηχανισμούς. Τέλος στο Κεφάλαιο 5 μελετάμε το πρόβλημα της θέσης της εγκατάστασης στην πραγματική γραμμή κάτω από μη ωφελιμιστικές αντικειμενικές συναρτήσεις. Επεκτείνουμε τα προηγούμενα μοντέλα και εξάγουμε όρια προσεγγίσεως για ντετερμινιστικούς και τυχαιοποιημένους φιλαλήθεις μηχανισμούς. Ως υποπροϊόν δείχνουμε ότι οι ίδιες εγγυήσεις προσέγγισης ισχύουν για τον στόχο κοινωνικής χρησιμότητας.
Updating knowledge on the Critically Endangered white skate Rostroraja alba (Lacepède, 1803) through the first record in North-East Sardinian coastal waters
Authors: BELLODI ANDREA , DI CRESCENZO SIMONE , CARBONARA PIERLUIGI , CROBE VALENTINA , FERRARI ALICE , MULAS ANTONELLO , PORCU CRISTINA , FOLLESA MARIA CRISTINA , CANNAS RITA
Published: August 2024

The white skate Rostroraja alba has exhibited a declining trend similar to that of several large-bodied batoids in recent years. Consequently, it has been classified as Critically Endangered in European waters by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The presence of this species in Sardinian seas (central-western Mediterranean Sea) was recently hypothesised following the discovery of a hatched eggcase. Our findings confirmed this hypothesis through the discovery of another eggcase (this time unhatched) and, more importantly, the capture of an immature female (total length 131.2 cm) which was estimated to be 6 years old. Moreover, molecular analysis demonstrated that the new eggcase and the specimen did not share the same mother, thus suggesting the presence of a resident population, albeit likely small, of the species in the Sardinian seas.
Perspectives and guidance for developing artificial intelligence-based applications for healthcare using medical images
Authors: Desiraju Bapu Koundinya , Thiruvengadam Ramachandran , Wadhwa Nitya , Khurana Ashok , T Papageorghiou Aris , Noble J. Alison , Bhatnagar Shinjini
Published: August 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant potential to transform healthcare and improve patient care. However, successful development and integration of AI models requires careful consideration of study designs and sample size calculations for development and validation of models, publishing standards, prototype development for translation and collaboration with stakeholders. As the field is relatively new and rapidly evolving there is a lack of guidance and agreement on best practices for most of these steps. We engaged stakeholders in the form of clinicians, researchers from academia and industry, and data scientists to discuss various aspects of the translational pipeline and identified the challenges researchers in the field face and potential solutions to them. In this viewpoint, we present the summary of our discussions as a brief guide on the process of developing AI-based applications for healthcare using medical images. We organized the entire process into six major themes (i.e., The gaps AI can fill in healthcare, Development of AI models for healthcare: practical and important things to consider, Good practices for validation of AI models for healthcare: study designs and sample size calculation, Points to consider when publishing AI models, Translation towards products, Challenges and potential solutions from a technical perspective) and presented important points as a rule of thumb. We conclude that successful integration of AI in healthcare requires a collaborative approach, rigorous validation, adherence to best practices as described and cited, and consideration of technical aspects.
Thinking About Freedom in Wartime Ukraine
Authors: Snyder Timothy
Published: August 2024

In this article, Timothy Snyder recounts his meeting with President Zelensky shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Snyder explores the philosophical implications of Zelensky’s decision to stay in Kyiv as Russian troops marched on the Ukrainian capital. Specifically, Snyder explains what Zelensky’s bravery during the first few days of the full-scale invasion shows us about the relations between freedom and speech, freedom and risk, freedom and obligation, and freedom and security.
Just War Theory and the Russia-Ukraine War
Authors: McMahan Jeff
Published: August 2024

This article deploys what has come to be known as revisionist just war theory to analyze the morality of action by both sides in the current Russia-Ukraine war. Among the conclusions of this analysis are: (i) that virtually all uses of force by the Russian military in Ukraine are impermissible; (ii) that Ukrainian forces are bound by moral constraints, such as the requirement of proportionality, which requires the most careful attention to risks of escalation to the use of nuclear weapons and which may make it impermissible for Ukraine to achieve all of its just goals, and (iii) that some Russian civilians are liable to some harms, so that the imposition of economic sanctions is permissible, though only if they have a sufficiently high probability of being effective.
Against the Odds: Defending Defensive Wars
Authors: Lang Gerald
Published: August 2024

Most people think that Ukrainian violent resistance to the Russian invasion is morally justified, even if it turns out to be costly: it can’t be straightforwardly impermissible to resist aggression. But this verdict can be questioned. This essay looks at the ‘reasonable prospect of success’ condition in just war theory and the ‘problem of bloodless invasion’ to see whether they present the Ukrainian resistance with justificatory headaches. It is concluded that there is no principled barrier to Ukraine’s resistance, but that civilian and combatant casualties must be taken into consideration. The essay also engages with the more general question of how philosophizing can help us to think about war. On this score, philosophy can help precisely for the reasons that are often the subject of complaint: it keeps a cool head, and it appeals to abstract principles.
What Is This Thing Called Peace?
Authors: Lampert Fabio
Published: August 2024

This article scrutinizes discourse surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war in Western nations, where, despite widespread support for Ukraine, a contingent advocates for peace by rejecting military aid. This “pacifist” stance gains traction through public demonstrations in European countries and political endorsement. However, by opposing military aid while advocating peace, these messages, while ostensibly altruistic, distort genuine efforts for establishing peace in Ukraine. The article argues that recent developments from the philosophy of language, combined with the realities of Russia’s invasion and main war objectives, provide clarity on this phenomenon, making a case for considering such calls for peace as propagandistic, perverting the meaning of the word.
The Antinomies of the Russia-Ukraine War and Its Challenges to Feminist Theory
Authors: Zherebkina Irina
Published: August 2024

The article analyzes responses to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by philosophers on the left, like Balibar and Zizek, and feminist philosophers, such as Butler and Hark. A large-scale war in Europe proved to be a challenge for a number of feminist, pacifist, and leftist certainties, and this challenge was presented in philosophy and feminist theory as a series of antinomies that do not imply a simple solution. Some leading contemporary philosophers believe that Ukraine should stop resisting aggression in the face of the threat of a world nuclear war or if the conflict turns into a war of extermination. An alternative solution was suggested by some left and feminist philosophers who argued that a true Ukrainian victory over an authoritarian aggressor would amount to preserving and empowering democracy in Ukraine, and that this was possible only on the basis of building broad transnational anti-Putin alliances, including alliances with the representatives of all forces opposing Putin in Russia and Belarus.
Putin’s Use and Abuse of History as a Political Weapon
Authors: Nielsen Cynthia
Published: August 2024

This essay discusses Vladimir Putin’s use and abuse of “History”­­ in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. It takes as its point of departure Sergey Radchenko’s essay, “Putin’s Histories,” in which he charts three important strands of Putin’s Historical Narrative, which are summarized as (1) Putin’s (imperialist) History of Russia, (2), the “Great Patriotic War” narrative, and (3) Putin’s NATO ressentiment. The essay examines and expands each of these in turn, analyzing how they are used in Russia’s war against Ukraine and how they help us to see that a central factor driving this war is Russia’s inability to see it itself as anything other than an empire.
To Cancel or Not to Cancel? – Questioning the Russian Idea
Authors: Pattison George
Published: August 2024

Taking its cue from Vladimir Putin’s use of Dostoevsky to support his critical view of Western culture, the article challenges the view that Dostoevsky can be straightforwardly corralled into the Russian President’s nationalistic and imperialistic agenda. Instead, it follows the approach taken by George Lukacs in response to National Socialism’s self-representation as the authentic inheritor of the German cultural tradition, namely, to show that any great cultural work is going to be resistant to the kind of one-dimensional interpretations typical of authoritarian regimes. Particularly, the article focusses on much-debated passages of Dostoevsky’s The Possessed (aka Demons) to show that the writer has a more nuanced view and that his work contains resources to resist today’s ultra-nationalism.
Ukrainian Civil Society: Past Lessons and Future Possibilities
Authors: Volovchuk Nataliia
Published: August 2024

In Ukrainian academia, the last decades have seen growing interest in the concept of civil society, which has been studied from different disciplinary angles. Commentators disagree on the level of development it has reached in Ukraine. They emphasize its absence in Soviet times, and the general lack of organizational initiative in contemporary Ukraine. In this essay, I show that, although these critiques of Ukrainian civil society are crucial for comprehending its historical evolution, the history of Ukrainian civil society can also help us understand how it might evolve in the future, both during and, hopefully after, the current war. In my analysis, I focus on two particular lines. The first is the interaction between civil society and the state, which shifted from an anti-state attitude to a model of partnership. The second, which operates in the background, is how civil society has struggled with different utopian ideas, over the 20th and early 21st centuries. Analyzing this relationship to different utopian ideas helps us understand how the relations between civil society and the state changed over time. I conclude with a question about European challenges.
Dental Injuries in Sports: Analysis, Prevention, and Protection
Authors: Wojda Martyna , Wielgosz Aleksandra
Published: August 2024

Introduction and purpose: Participating in sports plays a vital role in maintaining both physical and mental health. However, as the popularity of physical activity increases, so does the incidence of dental injuries. The aim of this scientific paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of various types of mouthguards in preventing sports-related dental injuries and to demonstrate their positive impact on athletes' overall health.
State of knowledge: Dental injuries are prevalent in sports, comprising 31% of all maxillofacial injuries. The most common types of injuries are crown fractures, dislocations, and soft tissue damage. Preventive measures, particularly the use of mouthguards, are the most effective means of reducing these injuries, lowering their incidence by 82-93%. Custom-made mouthguards provide the best protection and comfort, and their use can improve physical endurance.
Summary: Mouthguards are an essential component of injury prevention in sports, providing effective protection for the oral cavity and significantly reducing the risk of serious injuries. The use of mouthguards, particularly custom-made, should be a standard practice in contact sports. In addition to protecting the teeth, mouthguards offer additional benefits, such as improving physical endurance and releasing protective substances like chlorhexidine and fluoride, which contribute to oral health. Increasing awareness and enacting legal regulations mandating the use of mouthguards can significantly improve the oral health of athletes.