bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Governing Risk Through Forced Confinement: Clawback of Pre-Pandemic Reforms
Authors: Evans Jessica , Mussell Linda
Published: September 2023

We examine the use of forced confinement and isolation to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario prisons and jails. Drawing on interview data, we illustrate how a reliance on forced confinement and isolation has exacerbated harms experienced by prisoners in relation to physical, mental, and social health. Through discourse analysis of grey literature, we then discuss the politics and governance of carceral institutions during the pandemic, focusing on how practices of isolation were legitimized during the pandemic, despite recent rulings establishing isolation and segregation as torture. We close by arguing that the case of isolation during the pandemic is one example which highlights the systemic and ongoing nature of rights violations in Canadian prisons and jails. To address these harms, we must shift focus away from reform and towards decarceration.
Misleading Higher-Order Evidence and Rationality: We Can't Always Rationally Believe What We Have Evidence to Believe
Authors: Munroe Wade
Published: September 2023

Evidentialism as an account of theoretical rationality is a popular and well-defended position. However, recently, it's been argued that misleading higher-order evidence (HOE) – that is, evidence about one's evidence or about one's cognitive functioning – poses a problem for evidentialism. Roughly, the problem is that, in certain cases of misleading HOE, it appears evidentialism entails that it is rational to adopt a belief in an akratic conjunction – a proposition of the form “p, but my evidence doesn't support p” – despite it being the case that believing an akratic conjunction appears to be clearly irrational. In this paper, I diffuse the problem for evidentialism using the distinction between propositional and doxastic rationality. I argue that, although it can be propositionally rational to believe an akratic conjunction (according to evidentialism), one cannot inferentially base an akratic belief in one's evidence, and, thus, one cannot doxastically rationally possess an akratic belief. In addition, I address the worry that my solution to the puzzle commits evidentialists to the possibility of epistemic circumstances in which a proposition, p, is propositionally rational to believe (namely, an akratic conjunction), yet one cannot, in principle, (doxastically) rationally believe p. As I demonstrate, cases of misleading HOE are not the only types of cases that force evidentialists to accept that propositional rationality does not entail the possibility of doxastic rationality. There are no new problems raised by misleading HOE that weren't already present in cases involving purely first-order evidence.
Digital interventions for common mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Karyotaki Eirini , Miguel Clara , Panagiotopoulou Olga M. , Harrer Mathias , Seward Nadine , Sijbrandij Marit , Araya Ricardo , Patel Vikram , Cuijpers Pim
Published: September 2023

Background

In low-resource settings, e-mental health may substantially increase access to evidence-based interventions for common mental disorders. We conducted a systematic literature search to identify randomised trials examining the effects of digital interventions with or without therapeutic guidance compared to control conditions in individuals with anxiety and/or depression symptoms in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods

The main outcome was the reduction in symptoms at the post-test. Secondary outcomes included improvements in quality of life and longer-term effects (≥20 weeks post-randomisation). The effect size Hedges’ g was calculated using the random effects model.

Results

A total of 21 studies (23 comparisons) with 5.296 participants were included. Digital interventions were more effective than controls in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders at the post-test (g = −0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.26 to −0.52, p < 0.001; NNT = 2.91). These significant effects were confirmed when examining depressive (g = −0.77, 95% CI −1.11; −0.44) and anxiety symptoms separately (g = −1.02, 95% CI −1.53 to −0.52) and across all other sensitivity analyses. Digital interventions also resulted in a small but significant effect in improving quality of life (g = 0.32, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.45) at the post-test. Over the longer term, the effects were smaller but remained significant for all examined outcomes. Heterogeneity was moderate to high in all analyses. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses did not result in significant outcomes in any of the examined variables (e.g., guided vs. unguided interventions).

Conclusions

Digital interventions, with or without guidance, may effectively bridge the gap between treatment supply and demand in LMICs. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to draw firm conclusions regarding the magnitude of the effects of digital interventions.
Res. 77/276 on Request for an Advisory Opinion of the I.C.J. on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change (U.N.G.A.)
Authors: Khng Nathaniel , Chand Kevin , Solano Lucía
Published: September 2023

Over the course of the period from the end of 2022 to early 2023, requests for advisory opinions on climate change were, for the first time, made to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR).
Secessionism as the Mainstream: Regionalist Parties’ Strategies in the Catalan and Scottish 2021 Regional Elections
Authors: Tarasov Andrei , Belous Yulia
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic was a critical event that has challenged regionalist-secessionist parties to maintain their dominance at the regional level, because it has questioned the attractiveness of the idea of independence for the electorate. Nevertheless, the results of the regional elections 2021 in Catalonia and Scotland brought about the success of regionalist parties with secessionist demands. This study analyzes regionalist parties’ strategies in the 2021 regional elections in Catalonia and Scotland, advancing our understanding of their strategic choices to get/remain in office. This study employed the Regional Manifesto project methodological approach to perform a manual content analysis of party positioning and selective emphasis. Additionally, it advances the distinction between blurring and subsuming strategies through a frame analysis of electoral campaigns. The results suggest that regionalist parties mainly use subsuming and two-dimensional strategies to gain electoral success and that the exact strategic choices depend on the structure of the competition. The research confirms the framing of territorial demands primarily in socioeconomic rather than political terms, as proposed by the FraTerr Project. However, regionalist parties have avoided radicalizing their social demands owing to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE UK INTERNAL MARKET: A GLOBAL OUTLIER?
Authors: Zglinski Jan
Published: September 2023

The new UK internal market, as embodied in the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and the common frameworks, is the latest example of market integration, but it is far from being the only one. A myriad of composite market structures exists across the world, including in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the US and the EU. This article investigates how the UK internal market compares to other internal markets: to what extent does it follow pre-existing paths, to what extent does it depart from them? It is argued that the UK has diverged from international blueprints in several important aspects. Despite drawing on methods that are frequently employed for achieving economic integration, it reinterprets and combines these in a unique way. The result is an internal market which is defined by an unusual degree of centralisation, strong trade rights and a high potential for deregulation.
Self and selfishness in Late Antiquity: Plotinus on oikeiōsis
Authors: Regnier Daniel
Published: September 2023

Plotinus’ understanding of self is formulated largely in dialogue with the Stoics. In early works he categorically rejects the Stoic notion of the hēgemonikon (‘leading part’ or ‘commanding faculty’) of the soul. In this paper, I show how, in light of a general dissatisfaction with the Stoic account of self articulated in his early work, Plotinus deals with the Stoic notion of oikeiōsis (‘appropriation’). I argue that Plotinus’ understanding of oikeiōsis develops across the period during which he uses it. In his middle writings, Plotinus engages with Stoic oikeiōsis by exploring how it functions in contexts related to selfhood. In his later writings, he shows, on the one hand, how the concept of oikeiōsis can be Platonized, such as to account for the relation of the self to the Good, and, on the other, how the Stoic understanding of oikeiōsis is untenable for many of the same reasons that he rejects the Stoic notion of the hēgemonikon. Ultimately, Plotinus thinks that Stoic understandings of the hēgemonikon and oikeiōsis are untenable because they lead to something that could be characterized as ‘selfishness’.
The power of interpersonal relationships: A socio-legal approach to international institutions and human rights advocacy
Authors: Reiners Nina
Published: September 2023

This article further develops and illustrates the argument that relationships between individuals help to explain the success of human rights advocacy in international institutions. Drawing from advocacy theory and socio-legal studies, I shift the attention from collective forms of advocacy to the importance of interpersonal relationships of advocates with individuals in international institutions to influence the development of human rights. I introduce a framework consisting of three analytical steps – mapping the key actors in a network, process-tracing, and biographical research – and apply the framework to three cases of norm development by a United Nations human rights treaty body. My findings highlight the power of interpersonal relationships for the making of human rights, and they inform scholarship on transnational elites, human rights advocacy, and the politics of international law.
ON THE GEOMETRY OF SPACELIKE MEAN CURVATURE FLOW SOLITONS IMMERSED IN A GRW SPACETIME
Authors: DE LIMA HENRIQUE F. , GOMES WALLACE F. , SANTOS MÁRCIO S. , VELÁSQUEZ MARCO ANTONIO L.
Published: September 2023

We investigate geometric aspects of complete spacelike mean curvature flow solitons of codimension one in a generalized Robertson–Walker (GRW) spacetime
$-I\times _{f}M^n$
, with base
$I\subset \mathbb R$
, Riemannian fiber
$M^n$
and warping function
$f\in C^\infty (I)$
. For this, we apply suitable maximum principles to guarantee that such a mean curvature flow soliton is a slice of the ambient space and to obtain nonexistence results concerning these solitons. In particular, we deal with entire graphs constructed over the Riemannian fiber
$M^n$
, which are spacelike mean curvature flow solitons, and we also explore the geometry of a conformal vector field to establish topological and further rigidity results for compact (without boundary) mean curvature flow solitons in a GRW spacetime. Moreover, we study the stability of spacelike mean curvature flow solitons with respect to an appropriate stability operator. Standard examples of spacelike mean curvature flow solitons in GRW spacetimes are exhibited, and applications related to these examples are given.
Promoting the systematic use of real-world data and real-world evidence for digital health technologies across Europe: a consensus framework
Authors: Srivastava Divya , Henschke Cornelia , Virtanen Lotta , Lotman Eno-Martin , Friebel Rocco , Ardito Vittoria , Petracca Francesco
Published: September 2023

Despite the acceleration in the use of digital health technologies across different aspects of the healthcare system, the full potential of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) arising from the technologies is not being utilised in decision-making. We examine current national efforts and future opportunities to systematically use RWD and RWE in decision-making in five countries (Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom), and then develop a framework for promotion of the systematic use of RWD and RWE. A review assesses current national efforts, complemented with a three-round consensus-building exercise among an international group of experts (n1 = 44,n2 = 24,n3 = 24) to derive key principles. We find that Estonia and Finland have invested and developed digital health-related policies for several years; Germany and Italy are the more recent arrivals, while the United Kingdom falls somewhere in the middle. Opportunities to promote the systematic use of RWD and RWE were identified for each country. Eight building blocks principles were agreed through consensus, relating to policy scope, institutional role and data collection. Promoting post-market surveillance and digital health technology vigilance ought to rely on clarity in scope and data collection with consensus reached on eight principles to leverage RWD and RWE.
Aridification of Northwest Australia and Nutrient Decline in the Timor Sea During the 40 Kyr World
Authors: Zhang Y. , Andrade T. , Ravelo A. C. , Gong L. , Holbourn A. , Connock G. , Liu X. L. , Aiello I. W.
Published: September 2023

Studying tropical hydroclimate and productivity change in the past is critical for understanding global climate dynamics. Northwest Australia is an ideal location for investigating Australian monsoon dynamics, the variability of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF), and their impact on past productivity and Pacific warm pool evolution, which remain poorly understood during the 40 kyr world in the mid‐early Pleistocene. In this study, we present multi‐proxy records from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1483 in the Timor Sea spanning the last 2,000 ka, including orbitally‐resolved records from the 40 kyr world between 2,000 and 1,300 ka. Our results suggest that northwest Australia underwent a step of increased aridification and that productivity in the Timor Sea declined during the transition from ∼1,700 to ∼1,400 ka. We attribute this aridification to the reduced moisture supply to this region caused by the ITF restriction and warm pool contraction. We ascribe the declined productivity to a decrease in the nutrient supply of the Pacific source water associated with global nutrient redistribution. At orbital timescale, multiple mechanisms, including sea level changes, monsoon, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) dynamics, and variations in the ITF and Walker circulation could have controlled variations of productivity and terrigenous input in the Timor Sea during the 40 kyr world. Our bulk nitrogen and benthic carbon isotope records suggest a strong coupling to biogeochemical changes in the Pacific during this period. This research contributes to a better understanding of tropical hydroclimate and productivity changes during the 40 kyr world.
Impact of Oil Viscosity on Dispersion in the Aqueous Phase of an Immiscible Two‐Phase Flow in Porous Media: An X‐Ray Tomography Study
Authors: Li Zijing , Nasir Muhammad , Wang Weicen , Kaito Kazuki , Zhang Chunwei , Suekane Tetsuya , Matsushita Shintaro
Published: September 2023

In this study, dispersion and mixing were studied in a steady two‐phase flow generated using a co‐injection method. The impact of oil viscosity was investigated over a large range of fluid viscosity ratios. The results indicate that highly heterogeneous flow fields are generated by a wide distribution of oil clusters with varied volumes. Variation in the velocity distribution enhanced the deformation and spreading of a tracer plume, resulting in large dispersion scales and accelerated spreading rates. The dispersion coefficients vary with time and exhibit a non‐Fickian dispersion during co‐injection. Consequently, anomalous mixing behaviors can be observed when the viscosity ratio exceeds 10. The mixing strength, characterized by the scalar dissipation rate, is first enhanced by distortion on the surface of the solute. Therefore, diffusion contributes to mixing, resulting in a faster decrease in the mixing strength in the late time regime. These results can be attributed to the fact that the non‐wetting fluid becomes disconnected, and the size of each cluster decreases as the oil viscosity increases. The formation of an oil film narrows pore spaces, and a lubrication effect of the oil film may contribute to the enhanced dispersion and mixing state, even with the low relative permeability of the wetting phase. This study provides insights into dispersion in partially saturated porous media with varied oil viscosities at both the macro and pore scales, which can further improve CO2 storage capacity and safety.
Microbial metabolomic responses to changes in temperature and salinity along the western Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Dawson H M , Connors E , Erazo N G , Sacks J S , Mierzejewski V , Rundell S M , Carlson L T , Deming J W , Ingalls A E , Bowman J S , Young J N
Published: September 2023

Seasonal cycles within the marginal ice zones in polar regions include large shifts in temperature and salinity that strongly influence microbial abundance and physiology. However, the combined effects of concurrent temperature and salinity change on microbial community structure and biochemical composition during transitions between seawater and sea ice are not well understood. Coastal marine communities along the western Antarctic Peninsula were sampled and surface seawater was incubated at combinations of temperature and salinity mimicking the formation (cold, salty) and melting (warm, fresh) of sea ice to evaluate how these factors may shape community composition and particulate metabolite pools during seasonal transitions. Bacterial and algal community structures were tightly coupled to each other and distinct across sea-ice, seawater, and sea-ice-meltwater field samples, with unique metabolite profiles in each habitat. During short-term (approximately 10-day) incubations of seawater microbial communities under different temperature and salinity conditions, community compositions changed minimally while metabolite pools shifted greatly, strongly accumulating compatible solutes like proline and glycine betaine under cold and salty conditions. Lower salinities reduced total metabolite concentrations in particulate matter, which may indicate a release of metabolites into the labile dissolved organic matter pool. Low salinity also increased acylcarnitine concentrations in particulate matter, suggesting a potential for fatty acid degradation and reduced nutritional value at the base of the food web during freshening. Our findings have consequences for food web dynamics, microbial interactions, and carbon cycling as polar regions undergo rapid climate change.
Nitrogen fixation and diazotroph diversity in groundwater systems
Authors: Liu Xiaohan , Li Ping , Wang Helin , Han Li-Li , Yang Kai , Wang Yanhong , Jiang Zhou , Cui Li , Kao Shuh-Ji
Published: September 2023

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), the conversion of N2 into bioavailable nitrogen (N), is the main process for replenishing N loss in the biosphere. However, BNF in groundwater systems remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined the activity, abundance, and community composition of diazotrophs in groundwater in the Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia using 15N tracing methods, reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR), and metagenomic/metatranscriptomic analyses. 15N2 tracing incubation of near in situ groundwater (9.5–585.4 nmol N L−1 h−1) and N2-fixer enrichment and isolates (13.2–1728.4 nmol N g−1 h−1, as directly verified by single-cell resonance Raman spectroscopy), suggested that BNF is a non-negligible source of N in groundwater in this region. The expression of nifH genes ranged from 3.4 × 103 to 1.2 × 106 copies L−1 and was tightly correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO), Fe(II), and NH4+. Diazotrophs in groundwater were chiefly aerobes or facultative anaerobes, dominated by Stutzerimonas, Pseudomonas, Paraburkholderia, Klebsiella, Rhodopseudomonas, Azoarcus, and additional uncultured populations. Active diazotrophs, which prefer reducing conditions, were more metabolically diverse and potentially associated with nitrification, sulfur/arsenic mobilization, Fe(II) transport, and CH4 oxidation. Our results highlight the importance of diazotrophs in subsurface geochemical cycles.
The NONRATT023402.2/rno-miR-3065-5p/NGFR axis affects levodopa-induced dyskinesia in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Wang Qiao , Wang Huizhi , Meng Wenjia , Liu Chong , Li Renpeng , Zhang Moxuan , Liang Kun , Gao Yuan , Du Tingting , Zhang Jianguo , Han Chunlei , Shi Lin , Meng Fangang
Published: September 2023

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is a common motor complication in Parkinson’s disease. However, few studies have focused on the pathogenesis of LID at the transcriptional level. NONRATT023402.2, a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that may be related to LID was discovered in our previous study and characterized in rat models of LID. In the present study, NONRATT023402.2 was overexpressed by injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) in striatum of LID rats, and 48 potential target genes, including nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) were screened using next-generation sequencing and target gene predictions. The NONRATT023402.2/rno-miR-3065-5p/NGFR axis was verified using a dual luciferase reporter gene. Overexpression of NONRATT023402.2 significantly increased the abnormal involuntary movements (AIM) score of LID rats, activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and up-regulated c-Fos in the striatum. NGFR knockdown by injection of ShNGFR-AAV into the striatum of LID rats resulted in a significant decrease in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and c-Fos expression. The AIM score of LID rats was positively correlated with the expressions of NONRATT023402.2 and NGFR. A dual luciferase reporter assay showed that c-Fos, as a transcription factor, bound to the NONRATT023402.2 promoter and activated its expression. Together, the results showed that NONRATT023402.2 regulated NGFR expression via a competing endogenous RNA mechanism, which then activated the PI3K/Akt pathway and promoted c-Fos expression. This suggested that c-Fos acted as a transcription factor to activate NONRATT023402.2 expression, and form a positive feedback regulation loop in LID rats, thus, aggravating LID symptoms. NONRATT023402.2 is therefore a possible novel therapeutic target for LID.
Regulation of m6A modification on ferroptosis and its potential significance in radiosensitization
Authors: Chen Xun , Zhang Lejia , He Yi , Huang Siyuan , Chen Shangwu , Zhao Wei , Yu Dongsheng
Published: September 2023

Radiotherapy is often used to treat various types of cancers, but radioresistance greatly limits the clinical efficiency. Recent studies have shown that radiotherapy can lead to ferroptotic cancer cell deaths. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death caused by excessive lipid peroxidation. The induction of ferroptosis provides a potential therapeutic strategy for radioresistance. As the most common post-transcriptional modification of mRNA, m6A methylation is widely involved in the regulation of various physiopathological processes by regulating RNA function. Dynamic m6A modification controlled by m6A regulatory factors also affects the susceptibility of cells to ferroptosis, thereby determining the radiosensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy. In this review, we summarize the mechanism and significance of radiotherapy induced ferroptosis, analyze the regulatory characteristics of m6A modification on ferroptosis, and discuss the possibility of radiosensitization by enhancing m6A-mediated ferroptosis. Clarifying the regulation of m6A modification on ferroptosis and its significance in the response of tumor cells to radiotherapy will help us identify novel targets to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy and reduce or overcome radioresistance.
Activation of melanocortin-1 receptor signaling in melanoma cells impairs T cell infiltration to dampen antitumor immunity
Authors: Cui Yazhong , Miao Yang , Cao Longzhi , Guo Lifang , Cui Yue , Yan Chuanzhe , Zeng Zhi , Xu Mo , Han Ting
Published: September 2023

Inhibition of T cell infiltration dampens antitumor immunity and causes resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. By in vivo CRISPR screening in B16F10 melanoma in female mice, here we report that loss of melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) in melanoma cells activates antitumor T cell response and overcomes resistance to ICB. Depletion of MC1R from another melanocytic melanoma model HCmel1274 also enhances ICB efficacy. By activating the GNAS-PKA axis, MC1R inhibits interferon-gamma induced CXCL9/10/11 transcription, thus impairing T cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. In human melanomas, high MC1R expression correlates with reduced CXCL9/10/11 expression, impaired T cell infiltration, and poor patient prognosis. Whereas MC1R activation is restricted to melanoma, GNAS activation by hotspot mutations is observed across diverse cancer types and is associated with reduced CXCL9/10/11 expression. Our study implicates MC1R as a melanoma immunotherapy target and suggests GNAS-PKA signaling as a pan-cancer oncogenic pathway inhibiting antitumor T cell response.
Stressed target cancer cells drive nongenetic reprogramming of CAR T cells and solid tumor microenvironment
Authors: Wang Yufeng , Drum David L. , Sun Ruochuan , Zhang Yida , Chen Feng , Sun Fengfei , Dal Emre , Yu Ling , Jia Jingyu , Arya Shahrzad , Jia Lin , Fan Song , Isakoff Steven J. , Kehlmann Allison M. , Dotti Gianpietro , Liu Fubao , Zheng Hui , Ferrone Cristina R. , Taghian Alphonse G. , DeLeo Albert B. , Ventin Marco , Cattaneo Giulia , Li Yongxiang , Jounaidi Youssef , Huang Peigen , Maccalli Cristina , Zhang Hanyu , Wang Cheng , Yang Jibing , Boland Genevieve M. , Sadreyev Ruslan I. , Wong LaiPing , Ferrone Soldano , Wang Xinhui
Published: September 2023

The poor efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T) for solid tumors is due to insufficient CAR T cell tumor infiltration, in vivo expansion, persistence, and effector function, as well as exhaustion, intrinsic target antigen heterogeneity or antigen loss of target cancer cells, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we describe a broadly applicable nongenetic approach that simultaneously addresses the multiple challenges of CAR T as a therapy for solid tumors. The approach reprograms CAR T cells by exposing them to stressed target cancer cells which have been exposed to the cell stress inducer disulfiram (DSF) and copper (Cu)(DSF/Cu) plus ionizing irradiation (IR). The reprogrammed CAR T cells acquire early memory-like characteristics, potent cytotoxicity, enhanced in vivo expansion, persistence, and decreased exhaustion. Tumors stressed by DSF/Cu and IR also reprogram and reverse the immunosuppressive TME in humanized mice. The reprogrammed CAR T cells, derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors or metastatic female breast cancer patients, induce robust, sustained memory and curative anti-solid tumor responses in multiple xenograft mouse models, establishing proof of concept for empowering CAR T by stressing tumor as a promising therapy for solid tumors.
Unraveling bilayer interfacial features and their effects in polar polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Li Xinhui , He Shan , Jiang Yanda , Wang Jian , Yu Yi , Liu Xiaofei , Zhu Feng , Xie Yimei , Li Youyong , Ma Cheng , Shen Zhonghui , Li Baowen , Shen Yang , Zhang Xin , Zhang Shujun , Nan Ce-Wen
Published: September 2023

Polymer nanocomposites with nanoparticles dispersed in polymer matrices have attracted extensive attention due to their significantly improved overall performance, in which the nanoparticle-polymer interface plays a key role. Understanding the structures and properties of the interfacial region, however, remains a major challenge for polymer nanocomposites. Here, we directly observe the presence of two interfacial polymer layers around a nanoparticle in polar polymers, i.e., an inner bound polar layer (~10 nm thick) with aligned dipoles and an outer polar layer (over 100 nm thick) with randomly orientated dipoles. Our results reveal that the impacts of the local nanoparticle surface potential and interparticle distance on molecular dipoles induce interfacial polymer layers with different polar molecular conformations from the bulk polymer. The bilayer interfacial features lead to an exceptional enhancement in polarity-related properties of polymer nanocomposites at ultralow nanoparticle loadings. By maximizing the contribution of inner bound polar layer via a nanolamination design, we achieve an ultrahigh dielectric energy storage density of 86 J/cm3, far superior to state-of-the-art polymers and nanocomposites.
Charge density wave surface reconstruction in a van der Waals layered material
Authors: Lee Sung-Hoon , Cho Doohee
Published: September 2023

Surface reconstruction plays a vital role in determining the surface electronic structure and chemistry of semiconductors and metal oxides. However, it has been commonly believed that surface reconstruction does not occur in van der Waals layered materials, as they do not undergo significant bond breaking during surface formation. In this study, we present evidence that charge density wave (CDW) order in these materials can, in fact, cause CDW surface reconstruction through interlayer coupling. Using density functional theory calculations on the 1T-TaS2 surface, we reveal that CDW reconstruction, involving concerted small atomic displacements in the subsurface layer, results in a significant modification of the surface electronic structure, transforming it from a Mott insulator to a band insulator. This new form of surface reconstruction explains several previously unexplained observations on the 1T-TaS2 surface and has important implications for interpreting surface phenomena in CDW-ordered layered materials.
Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo
Authors: Tang Songyuan , Weiner Bradley , Taraballi Francesca , Haase Candice , Stetco Eliana , Mehta Shail Maharshi , Shajudeen Peer , Hogan Matthew , De Rosa Enrica , Horner Philip J. , Grande-Allen K. Jane , Shi Zhaoyue , Karmonik Christof , Tasciotti Ennio , Righetti Raffaella
Published: September 2023

The effect of the mechanical micro-environment on spinal cord injury (SCI) and treatment effectiveness remains unclear. Currently, there are limited imaging methods that can directly assess the localized mechanical behavior of spinal cords in vivo. In this study, we apply new ultrasound elastography (USE) techniques to assess SCI in vivo at the site of the injury and at the time of one week post injury, in a rabbit animal model. Eleven rabbits underwent laminectomy procedures. Among them, spinal cords of five rabbits were injured during the procedure. The other six rabbits were used as control. Two neurological statuses were achieved: non-paralysis and paralysis. Ultrasound data were collected one week post-surgery and processed to compute strain ratios. Histologic analysis, mechanical testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography and MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed to validate USE results. Strain ratios computed via USE were found to be significantly different in paralyzed versus non-paralyzed rabbits. The myelomalacia histologic score and spinal cord Young’s modulus evaluated in selected animals were in good qualitative agreement with USE assessment. It is feasible to use USE to assess changes in the spinal cord of the presented animal model. In the future, with more experimental data available, USE may provide new quantitative tools for improving SCI diagnosis and prognosis.
A novel necroptosis related gene signature and regulatory network for overall survival prediction in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Guoyu , Liu Xue , Liu Huaman , Zhang Xinyue , Shao Yumeng , Jia Xinhua
Published: September 2023

We downloaded the mRNA expression profiles of patients with LUAD and corresponding clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and used the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Cox regression model to construct a multigene signature in the TCGA cohort, which was validated with patient data from the GEO cohort. Results showed differences in the expression levels of 120 necroptosis-related genes between normal and tumor tissues. An eight-gene signature (CYLD, FADD, H2AX, RBCK1, PPIA, PPID, VDAC1, and VDAC2) was constructed through univariate Cox regression, and patients were divided into two risk groups. The overall survival of patients in the high-risk group was significantly lower than of the patients in the low-risk group in the TCGA and GEO cohorts, indicating that the signature has a good predictive effect. The time-ROC curves revealed that the signature had a reliable predictive role in both the TCGA and GEO cohorts. Enrichment analysis showed that differential genes in the risk subgroups were associated with tumor immunity and antitumor drug sensitivity. We then constructed an mRNA–miRNA–lncRNA regulatory network, which identified lncRNA AL590666. 2/let-7c-5p/PPIA as a regulatory axis for LUAD. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to validate the expression of the 8-gene signature. In conclusion, necroptosis-related genes are important factors for predicting the prognosis of LUAD and potential therapeutic targets.
Synthetic OCT-A blood vessel maps using fundus images and generative adversarial networks
Authors: Coronado Ivan , Pachade Samiksha , Trucco Emanuele , Abdelkhaleq Rania , Yan Juntao , Salazar-Marioni Sergio , Jagolino-Cole Amanda , Bahrainian Mozhdeh , Channa Roomasa , Sheth Sunil A. , Giancardo Luca
Published: September 2023

Vessel segmentation in fundus images permits understanding retinal diseases and computing image-based biomarkers. However, manual vessel segmentation is a time-consuming process. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) allows direct, non-invasive estimation of retinal vessels. Unfortunately, compared to fundus images, OCT-A cameras are more expensive, less portable, and have a reduced field of view. We present an automated strategy relying on generative adversarial networks to create vascular maps from fundus images without training using manual vessel segmentation maps. Further post-processing used for standard en face OCT-A allows obtaining a vessel segmentation map. We compare our approach to state-of-the-art vessel segmentation algorithms trained on manual vessel segmentation maps and vessel segmentations derived from OCT-A. We evaluate them from an automatic vascular segmentation perspective and as vessel density estimators, i.e., the most common imaging biomarker for OCT-A used in studies. Using OCT-A as a training target over manual vessel delineations yields improved vascular maps for the optic disc area and compares to the best-performing vessel segmentation algorithm in the macular region. This technique could reduce the cost and effort incurred when training vessel segmentation algorithms. To incentivize research in this field, we will make the dataset publicly available to the scientific community.
Insight into the effects of different oxygen heteroatoms on nicotine adsorption from cigarette mainstream smoke
Authors: Sakulaue Phongphot , Jitapunkul Kulpavee , Inthasuwan Parinya , Takano Hiromu , Ishii Takafumi , Kongpatpanich Kanokwan , Faungnawakij Kajornsak , Chareonpanich Metta , Nueangnoraj Khanin
Published: September 2023

Cigarette smoke contains many chemicals, including nicotine, which is harmful and can cause health problems such as carcinogenesis disease, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and reproductive systems. Removal of nicotine from mainstream smoke can be done through adsorption with filters or solid adsorbents. In this study, we explored the use of activated carbons for the removal of nicotine from cigarette mainstream smoke. Activated carbons were prepared from dried hemp (Cannabis sativa) stem at an activation temperature of 350–550 °C using phosphoric acid as an activating agent. The results showed that the activated carbons with variable surface functional groups and porosity exhibited high efficiency for nicotine adsorption, removing 68–88% of nicotine from cigarette mainstream smoke. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption analyses, we identified that oxygen-containing functional groups, particularly carboxylic groups, exhibited a superior ability to adsorb nicotine. The computational analysis with DFT simulations further supported the importance of oxygen-containing surface functional groups in facilitating nicotine adsorption, with the carboxylic group providing the lowest adsorption energy among other functional groups.
A novel subspace outlier detection method by entropy-based clustering algorithm
Authors: Zuo Zheng , Li Ziqiang , Cheng Pengsen , Zhao Jian
Published: September 2023

Subspace outlier detection has emerged as a practical approach for outlier detection. Classical full space outlier detection methods become ineffective in high dimensional data due to the “curse of dimensionality”. Subspace outlier detection methods have great potential to overcome the problem. However, the challenge becomes how to determine which subspaces to be used for outlier detection among a huge number of all subspaces. In this paper, firstly, we propose an intuitive definition of outliers in subspaces. We study the desirable properties of subspaces for outlier detection and investigate the metrics for those properties. Then, a novel subspace outlier detection algorithm with a statistical foundation is proposed. Our method selectively leverages a limited set of the most interesting subspaces for outlier detection. Through experimental validation, we demonstrate that identifying outliers within this reduced set of highly interesting subspaces yields significantly higher accuracy compared to analyzing the entire feature space. We show by experiments that the proposed method outperforms competing subspace outlier detection approaches on real world data sets.
The association between urinary metals/metalloids and chronic kidney disease among general adults in Wuhan, China
Authors: Huang Yuchai , Wan Zhengce , Zhang Mingye , Hu Liu , Song Lulu , Wang Youjie , Lv Yongman , Wang Le
Published: September 2023

The relation between exposure to single metal/metalloid and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. We aimed to determine the single and mixed associations of 21 heavy metals/metalloids exposure and the risk of CKD. We performed a cross-sectional study that recruited 4055 participants. Multivariate logistic regression, linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were conducted to explore the possible effects of single and mixed metals/metalloids exposure on the risk of CKD, the risk of albuminuria and changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In single-metal models, Cu, Fe, and Zn were positively associated with increased risks of CKD (P-trend < 0.05). Compared to the lowest level, the highest quartiles of Cu (OR = 2.94; 95% CI: 1.70, 5.11; P-trend < 0.05), Fe (OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.42, 4.02; P-trend < 0.05), and Zn (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.31, 4.24; P-trend < 0.05) were associated with an increased risk of CKD. After multi-metal adjustment, the association with the risk of CKD remained robust for Cu (P < 0.05). Weighted quantile sum regression revealed a positive association between mixed metals/metalloids and the risk of CKD, and the association was largely driven by Cu (43.7%). Specifically, the mixture of urinary metals/metalloids was positively associated with the risk of albuminuria and negatively associated with eGFR.
Plasma untargeted metabolomics with proteinase K discloses phospholipid signature associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Wawrzyniak Renata , Biesemans Margot , Kugacka-Dąbrowska Alicja , Lewicka Ewa , Bartoszewski Rafał , Markuszewski Michał J.
Published: September 2023

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare but life-threatening and clinically heterogeneous disease. The diagnostic schedule of this disorder is complex, and no specific indicator of the arterial etiology has been explored. In this study, untargeted plasma metabolomics was applied to evaluate the metabolic fingerprints of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients. Plasma samples were prepared using a new approach, which applies proteinase K during the sample preparation procedure to increase the metabolite coverage. The metabolic fingerprints were determined via LC–MS and subsequently analyzed with the use of both uni- and multivariate statistics. A total of 21 metabolites were discovered to be significantly altered in pulmonary arterial hypertensive patients. The metabolites were mainly related to the phospholipid metabolic pathways. In this study, decreases were found in the phosphatidylcholines (PCs) [PC(32:0), PC(40:7), PC(42:7)], phosphatidylethanolamine PE(18:0/18:2), lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs) [LPE(22:6), LPE(18:2), LPE(18:0), LPE(20:4), LPE(20:1), LPE(20:0)], lysophosphatidylcholine LPC(20:4) and lysophosphatidylserine LPS(19:0), as well as increase of sphingomyelin SM(36:2), in the plasma samples of pulmonary arterial hypertensive patients in comparison to the control group. Besides their function as components of the biological membranes, these metabolites are also involved in the intracellular signaling pathways that are related to cell proliferation and apoptosis. The results obtained during this study confirm the potential of (untargeted) metabolomics to identify the molecular characteristics of the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The clinical relevance of this study constitutes the selection of a metabolic panel that can potentially detect and properly diagnose the disease.
Replicating superspreader dynamics with compartmental models
Authors: Meehan Michael T. , Hughes Angus , Ragonnet Romain R. , Adekunle Adeshina I. , Trauer James M. , Jayasundara Pavithra , McBryde Emma S. , Henderson Alec S.
Published: September 2023

Infectious disease outbreaks often exhibit superspreader dynamics, where most infected people generate no, or few secondary cases, and only a small fraction of individuals are responsible for a large proportion of transmission. Although capturing this heterogeneity is critical for estimating outbreak risk and the effectiveness of group-specific interventions, it is typically neglected in compartmental models of infectious disease transmission—which constitute the most common transmission dynamic modeling framework. In this study we propose different classes of compartmental epidemic models that incorporate transmission heterogeneity, fit them to a number of real outbreak datasets, and benchmark their performance against the canonical superspreader model (i.e., the negative binomial branching process model). We find that properly constructed compartmental models can capably reproduce observed superspreader dynamics and we provide the pathogen-specific parameter settings required to do so. As a consequence, we also show that compartmental models parameterized according to a binary clinical classification have limited support.
Aromatic alkyne-protected Au28 nanoclusters for electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation
Authors: Tang Shisi , Liu Haoqi , Song Tongxin , Cai Xiao , Liu Xu , Ding Weiping , Zhu Yan
Published: September 2023

Alkyne-protected Au28 clusters show a similar framework to thiolate-protected Au28 clusters, but the former exhibit a much higher catalytic activity in electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation than the latter.
The Liverpool materials discovery server: a suite of computational tools for the collaborative discovery of materials
Authors: Durdy Samantha , Hargreaves Cameron J. , Dennison Mark , Wagg Benjamin , Moran Michael , Newnham Jon A. , Gaultois Michael W. , Rosseinsky Matthew J. , Dyer Matthew S.
Published: September 2023

The Liverpool materials discovery server (https://lmds.liverpool.ac.uk) provides easy access to six state of the art computational tools. Creation of such cloud platforms enables collaboration between experimental and computational researchers.
Effect of the calcination temperature on the characteristics of Ni/Fe-oxide electrocatalysts for application in anion exchange membrane electrolysers
Authors: Caprì Angela , Gatto Irene , Lo Vecchio Carmelo , Baglio Vincenzo
Published: September 2023

Ni–Fe oxides were prepared by the oxalate pathway and heat-treated at three different temperatures. An outstanding performance was achieved in AEMWE by NiFeOx 450-anode-based MEA.
Synthesis and photophysical properties of (post-)functionalized BOAHY dyes with strong aggregation-induced emission
Authors: Vandenwijngaerden Jonathan B. F. , Huang Jianjun , Cresens Charlotte , Dehaen Wim , Van Meervelt Luc , Rocha Susana , Van der Auweraer Mark , Fron Eduard
Published: September 2023

BOAHY dyes are dim in solution but strongly fluorescent in the solid state, with quantum yields up to 33%. Our experiments provide a full characterization of these new dyes and reveal the mechanism behind their aggregation-induced emission behavior.
Box–Behnken design of thermo-responsive nano-liposomes loaded with a platinum(iv) anticancer complex: evaluation of cytotoxicity and apoptotic pathways in triple negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Sedky Nada K. , Braoudaki Maria , Mahdy Noha Khalil , Amin Kenzy , Fawzy Iten M. , Efthimiadou Eleni K. , Youness Rana A. , Fahmy Sherif Ashraf
Published: September 2023

This study reports the design of thermo-responsive nanoliposomes loaded with asplatin using Box–Behnken design for the effective treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.
Surface engineering of two-dimensional hexagonal boron-nitride for optoelectronic devices
Authors: Selopal Gurpreet Singh , Abdelkarim Omar , Kaur Jasneet , Liu Jiabin , Jin Lei , Chen Zhangsen , Navarro-Pardo Fabiola , Manzhos Sergei , Sun Shuhui , Yurtsever Aycan , Zarrin Hadis , Wang Zhiming M. , Rosei Federico
Published: September 2023

The photoelectrochemical devices based on TiO2–CNTs/F-h-BN/QDs yield a 46% improvement compared to the control device (TiO2/QDs) due to reduced trap and associated non-radiative carrier recombination.
Cross-linking strategies for hole transport/emissive layers in quantum-dot light-emitting diodes
Authors: Yi Yuan-Qiu-Qiang , Su Wenming
Published: September 2023

To avoid the interlayer erosion challenge in the IJP process and direct patterning process of the QD emissive layer (EML), cross-linking strategies have been introduced to construct solvent-resistant films (hole transport layers or QD EMLs) upon exposure to heat or light.
Probing the effect of metal to ligand charge transfer on the oxygen evolution reaction in Au incorporated Co(OH)2 thin film electrocatalysts
Authors: Kamar Rusha , Agoston Roland , van Riessen Grant A. , Hinsley Gerard , O'Mullane Anthony P. , Jones Michael W. M.
Published: September 2023

Incorporating Au in small amounts reduces the metal-to-ligand charge transfer effect in Co(OH)2 electrocatalysts during the OER that aids the nucleophilic attack of OH− ions on adsorbed oxygen, easing its desorption from the catalyst surface.
Maximizing energy efficiency with a mirror-structured hybrid generator leveraging triboelectric and photovoltaic cells for optimal coverage and wind awareness
Authors: Kim Inkyum , Kim Daewon
Published: September 2023

A hybrid generator of a mirror-based PV cell & curved wind TENG enhances the coverage area of small PV cells. The mirror-based PV cell additionally yields 69.9% (current) & 77.8% (voltage) compared to direct light with the structural optimization.
Plasma-free metal-assisted chemical etching producing three-dimensional gallium nitride structures
Authors: Liao Yikai , Kim You Jin , An Shu , Kim Munho
Published: September 2023

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a third-generation wide bandgap semiconductor well-suited for power electronics and ultraviolet optoelectronics.