bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Matrix‐Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Method for the Quantification of Camalexin and Scopoletin in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Parasecolo Leonardo , Monsalvo Ivan M. , Kovinich Nikola , Ifa Demian R.
Published: December 2024

Rationale

Understanding plant defense mechanisms against pathogens is essential for enhancing agricultural productivity and crop protection. This study focuses on the quantification of camalexin and scopoletin, two critical phytoalexins in Arabidopsis thaliana, using mass spectrometry techniques. Precise measurement of these compounds provides insights into plant resistance and supports agricultural research.

Methods

Camalexin and scopoletin were quantified using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization high‐resolution mass spectrometry (MALDI‐HRMS). The matrix and solvent conditions were optimized to maximize sensitivity and accuracy. MS/MS experiments confirmed compound identification with high mass accuracy (mass error < 5 ppm). The method was validated through comparative analysis of wild‐type (WT) and mutant Arabidopsis lines, using internal standards and multiple replicates to ensure precision and reliability.

Results

The method exhibited high linearity for scopoletin (R2 = 0.9992) and camalexin (R2 = 0.9987) across concentration ranges of 0.16–5 and 0.31–5 μM, respectively. Limits of detection (LOD) were 0.16 μM for camalexin and 0.04 μM for scopoletin, with limits of quantification (LOQ) at 0.2 μM and 0.08 μM, respectively. Samples analysis demonstrated reliable quantification in WT and mutant lines, with significant reductions in camalexin and scopoletin levels observed in the atwrky33‐2 and atmyb15‐1 mutants, respectively. Additionally, the method detected sub‐physiological concentrations, confirming its sensitivity and robustness for low‐level detection.

Conclusions

This study presents a validated, precise, and accurate MALDI‐HRMS method for the quantification of camalexin and scopoletin in Arabidopsis thaliana. The approach not only enhances understanding of plant defense mechanisms but also offers potential applications for biotechnological and agricultural research, especially for investigating genetic variations and stress‐induced phytoalexin production.
Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy to Separately Quantify the Effect of Strain on Nanosheet and Junction Resistance in Printed Nanosheet Networks
Authors: Caffrey Eoin , Carey Tian , Doolan Luke , Dawson Anthony , Coleman Emmet , Sofer Zdeněk , Cassidy Oran , Gabbett Cian , Coleman Jonathan N.
Published: December 2024

Many printed electronic applications require strain‐independent electrical properties to ensure deformation‐independent performance. Thus, developing printed, flexible devices using 2D and other nanomaterials will require an understanding of the effect of strain on the electrical properties of nano‐networks. Here, novel AC electrical techniques are introduced to fully characterize the effect of strain on the resistance of high‐mobility printed networks, fabricated from of electrochemically exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets. These devices are initially characterized using DC piezoresistance measurements and show good cyclability and a linear strain response, consistent with a low gauge factor of G ≈ 3. However, AC impedance spectroscopy measurements, performed as a function of strain, allow the measurement of the effects of strain on both the nanosheets and the inter‐nanosheet junctions separately. The junction resistance is found to increase linearly with strain, while the nanosheet resistance remains constant. This response is consistent with strain‐induced sliding of the highly‐aligned nanosheets past one another, without any strain being transferred to the sheets themselves. The approach allows for the individual estimation of the contributions of dimensional factors (G ≈ 1.4) and material factors (G ≈ 1.9) to the total gauge factor. This novel technique may provide insights into other piezoresistive systems.
Single‐Molecule Electrical Conductance in Z‐form DNA:RNA
Authors: Aguilar Mauricio R. , Jover Jesus , Ruiz Eliseo , Aragonès Albert C. , Artés Vivancos Juan M
Published: December 2024

Nucleic acids have emerged as new materials with promising applications in nanotechnology, molecular electronics, and biosensing, but their electronic properties, especially at the single‐molecule level, are largely underexplored. The Z‐form is an exotic left‐handed helical oligonucleotide conformation that may be involved in critical biological processes such as the regulation of gene expression and epigenetic processes. In this work, the electrical conductance of individual Guanine Cytosine (GC)‐rich DNA:RNA molecules is measured in physiological buffer and 2,2,2‐Trifluoroethanol (TFE) solvent, corresponding to the natural (right‐handed helix) A‐form typical in DNA:RNA hybrids and the (left‐handed) Z‐form conformations, respectively. Single‐molecule conductance measurements are performed using the Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM)‐assisted break‐junction method in the so‐called “blinking” approach, recording the spontaneous formation of single‐biomolecule junctions and performing statistical analysis of the signals. Circular Dichroism (CD) experiments and ab initio calculations are also done to rationalize the measured molecular conductivity with a simple structural and electronic model. These results show that the electrical conductivity of the Z‐form is one order of magnitude lower than that of the more compact A‐form. The longer molecular length and higher energy for the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) of the Z‐form account for the differences in single‐molecule conductance observed experimentally.
Constructing Lewis Acid–Base Pairs to Boost Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of p‐Nitrobenzoic Acid to Valuable p‐Aminobenzoic Acid Using Water as the Hydrogen Source
Authors: Xu Gang , Dong Shi‐Jiao , Liu Han‐Jian , Wang Wen‐Biao , Zhang Xi‐Min , Cai Mei‐Qing , Sun Jiansong , Song Jun‐Ling
Published: December 2024

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of toxic nitrobenzene to value‐added aniline is of great significance in addressing the issues of energy crisis and environmental pollution. However, it is a considerable challenging and crucial to develop highly efficient and earth‐abundant transition metal‐based electrocatalysts with superior durability for the electro‐hydrogenation of nitrobenzene due to the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this work, a facile approach is designed and introduced to constructing an integrated self‐supported heterostructured Co1‐xNix(OH)(CO3)/Al(OH)3 nanoarrays (CoNiCH/Al(OH)3) for the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) to p‐aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and its electrocatalytic mechanism for PNBA reduction is investigated. This unique Lewis acid–base pairs with abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs) can effectively regulate the adsorption energy of PNBA and active hydrogen intermediates, facilitate the proton‐coupled electrocatalytic reduction process, leading to the high activity and selectivity for PNBA to PABA. The optimal CoNiCH/Al(OH)3‐0.5 exhibits outstanding performance for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of PNBA to PABA with a yield of 92%, selectivity of 95% and Faraday efficiency (FE) of 92% at ‐0.545 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) under 0.1 m phosphate buffered solution (PBS) neutral electrolyte. Besides, it can maintain a high electrocatalytic activity for at least eight electrocatalytic cycle‐test.
Nanosecond Laser Pulses Facilitating Efficient and Specific Cell Killing with Doxorubicin‐Loaded Gold Nanoparticles Targeted to the Folate Receptor
Authors: Goemaere Ilia , Cielo Anna , Daniele Raffaella , Mastrotto Francesca , De Smedt Stefaan C. , De Vos Winnok H. , Salmaso Stefano , Braeckmans Kevin
Published: December 2024

Nanoparticle‐based drug carrier systems with active targeting and a controlled release capacity are of considerable interest to bypass side effects of conventional chemotherapy. One appealing approach involves chemotherapeutic‐loaded photothermal nanoparticles, where laser irradiation can release the loaded anticancer drug while also inducing local cytotoxicity through photothermal effects. This study investigates the potential of using nanosecond‐pulsed laser light for efficient and specific killing of folate receptor (FR)‐overexpressing cancer cells in combination with FR‐targeted doxorubicin‐loaded gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation allows the induction of mechanical forces alongside thermal effects. The effect of nanoparticle concentrations and laser fluences on cytotoxicity is systematically tested, achieving near‐complete tumor cell killing under the most stringent conditions. FR targeting is confirmed using FR‐positive and ‐negative cell lines, showing that folic acid functionalization of AuNPs results in more favorable nanoparticle–cell interactions and more efficient photothermal effects. Additionally, doxorubicin could be efficiently released from the AuNPs and endosomal compartments upon laser irradiation, adding to the observed cytotoxicity. Cell killing was precisely confined to irradiated cells, leaving surrounding cells unharmed. Overall, the significant reduction of tumor cell viability following the proposed combination demonstrates this approach to be a promising step toward safer, more effective anticancer therapies.
Translanguaging Formative Assessment Tools for Bilingual Teachers of Multilingual Students
Authors: Rodriguez‐Mojica Claudia , Briceño Allison , Rutherford‐Quach Sara , Stoehr Kathleen Jablon
Published: December 2024

In this article, the authors describe how their NPD project aims to support bilingual classroom teachers' understanding and implementation of translanguaging as theory and practice. They share two practical tools they developed to help teachers approach formative assessment through a translanguaging lens. The first tool is a classroom conversation observation tool that equips teachers to capture what focal students can do in conversations about grade level content in Spanish, English, and via translanguaging. Tool 1 is aligned with the Common Core Speaking and Listening standards and includes a blank template teachers can use to align the tool with relevant standards across content areas and grade levels. The second tool is designed to help teachers (1) get to know a student as a holistic individual, (2) use that information to identify high‐interest books for the student, and (3) employ culturally and linguistically responsive adaptations, such as translanguaging, to formatively assess the student's reading. Both tools are intended to guide instruction via informal formative assessment: Identifying students' strengths and needs helps distinguish aspects of language and literacy necessary for future instruction.
Growth hormone secretagogue receptor and cannabinoid receptor type 1 intersection in the mouse brain
Authors: Saenz Camila , Fernandez Gimena , Llovera Ramiro , Tolosa María J. , Cantel Sonia , Fehrentz Jean-Alain , Mackie Kenneth , Leggio Lorenzo , Zigman Jeffrey , De Francesco Pablo N. , Perello Mario
Published: December 2024

The growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) and the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) are G-protein coupled receptors highly expressed in the brain and involved in critical regulatory processes, such as energy homeostasis, appetite control, reward, and stress responses. GHSR mediates the effects of both ghrelin and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2, while CB1R is targeted by cannabinoids. Strikingly, both receptors mediate their effects by acting on common brain areas and their individual roles have been well characterized. However, the potential for their co-expression in the same neuronal subsets remains largely unexplored. Here, we aim to map the cell populations where GHSR and CB1R might converge, hypothesizing that their co-expression in specific brain circuits could mediate integrated physiological responses. By utilizing two complementary labeling techniques—GHSR-eGFP mice and Fr-ghrelin labeling of GHSR+ cells—along with specific CB1R immunostaining, we sought to visualize and quantify potential areas of overlap. Also, we analyzed several cell RNA sequencing datasets to estimate the fraction of brain cells expressing both GPCRs and their phenotype. Our neuroanatomical studies revealed evident overlap of GHSR+ and CB1R+ signals in specific neuronal subsets mainly located in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and the amygdala. Transcriptomic analysis revealed specific subsets of Ghsr+/Cnr1+ glutamatergic neurons in the hippocampus and amygdala, as well as different subtypes of Ghsr+/Cnr1+ neurons in the midbrain, hypothalamus, pons, and medulla. Thus, we revealed that GHSR and CB1R interact differentially across specific regions of the mouse brain, providing new insights into how these receptors' actions are integrated. Current findings may open new avenues for dual therapeutic interventions in metabolic disorders, obesity, and psychiatric conditions.
Long term inguinal pain comparing TEP to Lichtenstein repair: the TEPLICH RCT 8 years follow-up
Authors: Gutlic A. , Petersson U. , Rogmark P. , Montgomery A.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To investigate long-term chronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP), QoL and recurrence in patients with a primary inguinal hernia comparing TEP to Lichtenstein.

Material and methods

A questionnaire-based follow-up containing the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire (IPQ), the Cunningham Pain Scale and SF-36 was done 8 years after the TEPLICH RCT. The main objective was non-ignorable pain last week according to IPQ. A phone interview was performed with patients reporting new non-ignorable pain and those having a suspected recurrence. Records were scanned for long-term CPIP and recurrences. A lost to follow-up analysis was performed.

Results

A total of 322 of 366 patients (88%) completed the follow-up of mean 7.94 years (5–10.75 years). Non-ignorable pain last week was reported by 7.6% in TEP and 6.7% in Lichtenstein (p < 0.73). New non-ignorable pain was reported by 5 patients. No difference in non-ignorable pain over time (1–8 years) was observed within groups. Moderate to severe pain, according to Cunningham, was reported by 3.8% in TEP and 5.5% in Lichtenstein (p < 0.48). QoL remained above the Swedish norm. No recurrences occurred after 3 years follow-up. The lost to follow-up analysis showed no difference in non-ignorable pain.

Conclusions

RCTs, comparing TEP to Lichtenstein repair with follow-up ≥ 5 years regarding CPIP are sparse with conflicting data. In this study, low frequencies of CPIP present at 3 years seem to persist at 8 years. Recurrences occured within the first 3 years. Patients need to be informed of the risk of long-term CPIP.
The selectivity behaviour of a TADDOL-derived host compound in selected heterocyclic guest solvents
Authors: Recchia Daniella Loridana , Barton Benita , Hosten Eric C.
Published: December 2024

TADDOL5 possesses the ability to form complexes with the heterocyclic guest species DIO, PYR, PIP and MOR, and 1:1 (PYR, PIP, MOR) and 2:1 (DIO) H:G inclusion compounds were isolated after host crystallization experiments from these solvents. Guest competition experiments revealed that PIP and MOR were preferred by TADDOL5, while PYR and DIO were less favoured; the selectivity of this host compound for these guests was thus demonstrated to be in the order PIP > MOR > PYR > DIO. SCXRD analyses explained this host preferential order: PIP experienced the shorter and more linear (host)O‒H···N(guest) hydrogen bond with TADDOL5, followed by MOR and PYR. DIO was also retained in the crystal of the complex by means of a hydrogen bond with TADDOL5 of the (host)O‒H···O(guest) type. Hirshfeld surface investigations did not provide further understanding for the host selectivity behaviour when crystallized from mixed guests, but the relative thermal stability of the complex with preferred PIP formed the most stable complex while the inclusion compound with DIO, least favoured, was characterised by the lowest stability.

Graphical abstract
Reconsidering mechanisms in social science research: the varied uses of an explanatory metaphor
Authors: Norman Ludvig
Published: December 2024

This article reconsiders the role of mechanisms in social science research. The study of mechanisms has been recognized as a fundamental task for a methodologically diverse range of social scientific approaches. This raises questions of what roles mechanisms play for causal explanations and if there are uses that are more reasonable than others. To address these questions the article, first, discusses competing arguments for the causal theory underpinning mechanisms. On the basis of these discussions the paper emphasizes the heuristic role of mechanisms as an explanatory devise, serving a crucial role for causal explanations. Secondly, it endeavors to explore the diverse ways mechanisms are employed, especially in contemporary political science research, to highlight limits and benefits with different approaches. The discussion helps reconsider existing fault lines in debates over mechanisms, including the relationship between qualitative and quantitative techniques in empirical research centered on mechanistic explanations.
Seasonal and Short Timescale Changes on the Martian Surface: Multi-Spacecraft Perspectives
Authors: Thomas N. , Pommerol A. , Hauber E. , Portyankina G. , Tirsch D. , Schmidt F. , Cesar C. , Valantinas A. , Bickel V. T. , Munaretto G.
Published: December 2024

The continued operation of missions such as Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has greatly enhanced our knowledge of seasonal processes on Mars. The most apparent evidence of the importance of seasons on Mars on the large scale is annual variation in the sizes of the Martian polar caps. However, high resolution imaging has also shown that seasonal forcing can lead to small-scale phenomena that are continuously changing the topography and the surface photometry. These phenomena often have no terrestrial analogue and involve complex interactions between seasonal ices, atmosphere, and substrate (surface and sub-surface). Although we now have better understanding of many of these processes (occasionally as a result of laboratory simulation), direct proof of some hypotheses remains elusive. We provide a brief review of the phenomena and list a series of open questions.
Size-fractionated carbonaceous and iron-rich particulate matter in urban environments of France and Senegal
Authors: Delville Laurence , Léon Jean-François , Macouin Mélina , Tastevin Yann-Philippe , Demory François , Proietti Arnaud , da Silva Chibane Pedro Henrique , Dias Alves Maria , Gueye Mayoro , Laffont Laure , Gardrat Eric , Rousse Sonia , Drigo Loic , Ustra Andréa Teixeira
Published: December 2024

Road traffic is one of the main sources of particulate matter in the urban environment, emitting particulate organic and elemental carbon compounds and metal-rich particles through combustion and brakes and tires wear. In Western Africa, the carbon and metal composition of airborne particles is also influenced by additional sources linked to biomass combustion and recent industrialization. Here, we investigated the impact of combustion-related and non-combustion-related emissions on the distribution of carbonaceous fractions and iron-rich particles in two urban environments in France and Senegal. The supermicron fraction (

$$D_a>{1}$$

D
a

>
1

µm) showed a significantly higher isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) than finer fractions, accounting for 79% in France and 81% in Senegal of the total SIRM. In the submicron fraction (

$$D_a<{1}$$

D
a

<
1

µm), we noted significantly higher concentrations of total carbon (TC) and elemental carbon (EC) than for other fractions, both accounting for 71% in France and 68% and 75% in Senegal of the total and elemental particulate carbon concentration, respectively. Electron microscope observations revealed the presence of iron-rich particles for

$$D_a<{0.2}$$

D
a

<

0.2

µm, however, associated with a weak SIRM. Such iron particles may be produced by combustion or abrasion while we suspect that emissions by the abrasion process produce larger particles.
Examining the Influence of Nondimensionalization on Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient Results when Modeling the Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Gasior Kelsey I.
Published: December 2024

Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient (PRCC) is a powerful type of global sensitivity analysis. Usually performed following Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS), this analysis can highlight the parameters in a mathematical model producing the observed results, a crucial step when using models to understand real-world phenomena and guide future experiments. Recently, Gasior et al. performed LHS and PRCC when modeling the influence of cell–cell contact and TGF-$$\beta $$
β
signaling on the epithelial mesenchymal transition (Gasior et al. in J Theor Biol 546:111160, 2022). Though their analysis provided insight into how these tumor-level factors can impact intracellular signaling during the transition, their results were potentially impacted by nondimensionalizing the model prior to performing sensitivity analysis. This work seeks to understand the true impact of nondimensionalization on sensitivity analysis by performing LHS and PRCC on both the original model that Gasior et al. proposed and seven different nondimensionalizations. Parameter ranges were kept small to capture shifts in the values that originally produced bistable behavior. By comparing these eight different iterations, this work shows that the issues from performing sensitivity analysis following nondimensionalization are two-fold: (1) nondimensionalization can obscure or exclude important parameters from in-depth analysis and (2) how a model is nondimensionalized can, potentially, change analysis results. Ultimately, this work cautions against using nondimensionalization prior to sensitivity analysis if the subsequent results are meant to guide future experiments.
A core–shell microneedle system for stable fibroblast delivery in cell-based therapies
Authors: Medico Federica , Kim Seungcheol , Surwase Sachin S. , Liu Haoyan , Kim Yeu-Chun
Published: December 2024

Human cells, such as fibroblasts and particularly human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), represent a promising and effective therapeutic tool for a range of cell-based therapies used to treat various diseases. The effective delivery of therapeutic cells remains a challenge due to limitations in targeting, invasiveness, and cell viability. To address these challenges, we developed a microneedle (MN) system for minimally invasive cell delivery with high cellular stability. The MN system comprises a core of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel embedded with fibroblasts, encased in a polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) shell that enhances structural integrity for efficient skin penetration. The fabrication process involves UV-crosslinking of the GelMA hydrogel with cells, optimizing both cell encapsulation and structural strength. This MN system achieves over 80% cell viability after seven days in vitro, with the conventional GelMA formulation providing superior stability and cellular outcomes. This platform’s ability to ensure sustained cell viability presents promising implications for future applications in regenerative medicine, wound healing, and localized treatments for skin conditions. This MN system opens new avenues for cell-based therapies, offering a versatile and scalable solution for therapeutic cell delivery.

Graphical Abstract
Optimizing machine learning models for wheat yield estimation using a comprehensive UAV dataset
Authors: Khodjaev Shovkat , Bobojonov Ihtiyor , Kuhn Lena , Glauben Thomas
Published: December 2024

Timely and accurate wheat yield forecasts using Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV) are crucial for crop management decisions, food security, and ensuring the sustainability of agriculture worldwide. While traditional machine learning algorithms have already been used in crop yield modelling, previous research used machine learning algorithms with default parameters and did not take into account the complex, non-linear relationships between model variables. Especially, the combination of vegetation indices, soil properties, solar radiation, and wheat height at the field estimation has not been deeply analysed in scientific literature. We present a machine learning based wheat yield estimation model using comprehensive UAV datasets with the implementation of hyperparameter tuning to improve model performance. The performance of the models before and after optimisations was measured using the metrics RMSE, MAE and R2, and the results showed that the models improved after tuning. Furthermore, we find that the Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models outperformed other examined models. Furthermore, a non-parametric Friedman test with a Nemenyi post-hoc test indicates that the best-performing algorithms for wheat yield estimation and prediction are RF and XGBoost models. In the final step, we utilised a SHapley Additive exPlanations approach to identify the direct impact of each input variable on the yield estimation model. Among the input variables, only the Red-Edge Chlorophyll Index, the Normalised Difference Red-Edge Index and wheat height were found to be of high explanatory power in predicting wheat yield. The optimised model is 7–12% more accurate in estimating wheat yields than traditional linear models.
A biocontrol perspective on mycoviruses in fungal pathogen management
Authors: Galli Matteo , Sede Ana , Heinlein Manfred , Kogel Karl-Heinz
Published: December 2024

Mycoviruses, viruses that infect fungi, have been identified across nearly every fungal taxon. Despite their widespread presence, the ecological effects of mycoviruses remain poorly understood. They can influence the biology of their hosts in various ways, including altering growth, reproduction, and pathogenicity. Their ability to induce either fungal hyper- or hypovirulence and thus regulate general fungal fitness by increasing fungal aggressiveness or, conversely, in extreme cases, converting harmful fungi into beneficial ones, has attracted increasing attention in recent years as a potential means of protecting plants from fungal diseases and pests. Increasing difficulties in controlling fungal diseases, pests and weeds with synthetic chemical pesticides, exacerbated by the emergence of resistance or tolerance to certain active ingredients, and stricter regulatory requirements due to environmental and health concerns, have stimulated interest in alternative approaches. In parallel with the introduction of double-stranded (ds)RNA-based products for crop protection and the fundamental knowledge generated in this field in recent years, the potential use of mycoviruses to control pathogenic fungi appears to be within reach. This review highlights recent advances in the field and emphasizes the potential of mycoviruses as biological control agents (BCAs), with the emphasis on the utilization of mycovirus-induced fungal hypovirulence to control fungi that cause plant diseases and mycovirus-induced fungal hypervirulence to protect plants from fungal hosts such insect pests or weeds.
Editorial zur Special Section „Jüdische und antisemitismuskritische Bildung in Deutschland in (nicht)jüdischer Perspektive“
Authors: Körber Karen , Körs Anna
Published: December 2024

Die Special Section „Jüdische und antisemitismuskritische Bildung in Deutschland in (nicht)jüdischer Perspektive“ beleuchtet zwei zentrale Entwicklungslinien jüdischer Bildung und die damit verbundenen (nicht)jüdischen Perspektiven: die Wiederkehr jüdischer Schulen als wichtigen Teil jüdisch-pluraler Lebenswelten sowie den Religionsunterricht an staatlichen Schulen als Ort (inter-)religiösen Lernens und antisemitismuspräventiver Bildung. Die ersten drei Beiträge zu jüdischen Schulen konzentrieren sich auf die Wiederkehr jüdischer Bildung nach 1945 und beschäftigen sich mit der Gründung, Verfasstheit und dem Wandel von jüdischen Schulen und Religionsunterricht bis in die Gegenwart und richten damit den Blick auf einen Bereich der Selbstorganisation und -artikulation von Jüdinnen und Juden, dem für den Wiederaufbau und die Formierung eigener Lebenswelten als jüdische Minderheit eine wichtige Bedeutung zukommt. Die folgenden vier Beiträge zum Religionsunterricht an staatlichen Schulen rücken die nichtjüdische Mehrheitsgesellschaft in den Mittelpunkt und wenden sich dem Judentum als Gegenstand des christlichen, islamischen und kooperativen Religionsunterrichts sowie des Fachs Werte und Normen zu, mit dem sich Erwartungen an Wissensvermittlung, Toleranzförderung und Antisemitismusprävention verbinden. Damit präsentiert die Special Section neuere interdisziplinäre Forschungen zu jüdischer und antisemitismuskritischer Bildung in Deutschland als ein auch zukünftig relevantes Forschungsfeld an der Schnittstelle jüdischer Gegenwartsforschung und bildungsbezogener Antisemitismusforschung.
Analysis of a 3D tetrachiral auxetic lattice under compression: Combining experimental and numerical approaches of 4D X-ray microtomography, digital volume correlation, and finite element modeling
Authors: Koudelka Petr , Zlámal Petr , Fíla Tomáš , Souček Kamil , Rada Václav , Neuhäuserová Michaela , Šleichrt Jan , Kytýř Daniel
Published: December 2024

We studied compression of tetrachiral auxetic lattice manufactured using laser powder bed fusion from an aluminum alloy. Using an in-house loading device integrated with an X-ray CT scanner, experiments, including in-situ loading with time-lapse XCT imaging, were performed to obtain 3D images of the lattice to study its geometry, internal structure, and deformation through an in-house digital volume correlation. Numerical analyses based on the voxel model from XCT imaging and the tetrahedral model based on the design geometry were performed. The correlation between the experiment and the simulations was sought by comparing force-displacement diagrams and Poisson’s ratio. Results show that 3D printing of the lattice may lead to significantly different mechanical characteristics. An analysis of the difference between the design geometry and the manufactured lattice, coupled with porosity assessment, was performed to discuss the reasons for the discrepancies between the anticipated deformation response of the lattice and its real behavior.
Linking multi-gene and morphological data in the subclass Scuticociliatia (Protista, Ciliophora) with establishment of the new family Homalogastridae fam. nov.
Authors: Liu Mingjian , Jiang Limin , Zhang Zhe , Wei Fan , Ma Honggang , Chen Zigui , Al-Rasheid Khaled A. S. , Hines Hunter N. , Wang Chundi
Published: December 2024

Scuticociliatia is one of the most species-rich subclasses in the phylum Ciliophora. The evolutionary relationships among Scuticociliatia groups have long been very unclear due to the homogeneity of morphology and insufficiency of molecular data. With morphological and multi-gene-based molecular data presented here, the evolutionary phylogeny of several Scuticociliatia taxa that were hitherto especially poorly defined is analyzed and discussed. The results indicate: (1) all scuticociliates cluster into two well supported and one poorly supported group, representing three order-level taxa; (2) with the support of both morphological and molecular data, a new family Homalogastridae fam. nov. is proposed in the order Philasterida; (3) Parauronema is formally transferred to Uronematidae and Potomacus is treated as incertae sedis in the order Philasterida, therefore Parauronematidae is proposed to be a junior synonym of Uronematidae; (4) the genus Madsenia and the species Parauronema longum and Pseudocyclidium longum are treated as incertae sedis, while the genus Protophyra should be maintained in the family Ancistridae. In addition, the putative secondary structure of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of representative taxa from the three orders of Scuticociliatia are analyzed, and consensus structures and nucleotide composition in each order are exhibited.
The correlation between uveal melanoma and iris nevus
Authors: Yang Yuhang , Luo Jingting , Feng Zhaoxun , Li Yang , Wei Wenbin , Liu Yueming
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To investigate the impact of iris nevus on the incidence and prognosis of uveal melanoma (UM).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 1128 UM cases and 4356 healthy controls. Participants were categorized based on iris nevus presence and grade: grade 0 (no iris nevus), grade 1 (single iris nevus), grade 2 (multiple iris nevi), and grade 3 (partial or complete darkening of the iris). Propensity matching score method was employed to control for age and sex differences, while the χ 2 test was used to compare the existence rate and grade of iris nevus between groups. Univariate ANOVA evaluated differences among various iris nevus grades, the Kaplan–Meier method analyzed the prognosis of patients with different iris nevus grades, and multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between clinical data and prognosis.

Results

A total of 5484 subjects were analyzed. UM patients exhibited a higher prevalence and grade of iris nevus (all P < 0.001) after propensity matching. Patients with iris nevus in the affected eye did not show a worse prognosis (P = 0.414). However, those with partial or complete iris darkening or multiple nevi had a poorer prognosis compared to those with a single or no iris nevus (all P < 0.05). Iris nevus presence and grade in the healthy eye had no prognostic impact (P = 0.726 and P = 0.825, respectively). The multivariate COX proportional risk model showed that tumor diameter (P < 0.001), age (P = 0.020), and grade of iris nevus in the affected eye (P = 0.009) were independent risk factors for a worse prognosis. LSD analysis revealed that patients with partial or complete darkening of the iris had larger tumor diameters than those without iris nevus (P = 0.013), single nevus (P = 0.015), and multiple nevus (P = 0.023).

Discussion

Our findings indicate a higher proportion and grade of iris nevus in UM patients compared to controls, and a worse prognosis for UM patients with higher-grade iris nevi in the affected eye.
The influence of asset ownership and e-marketing on households’ dietary diversity in rural South Africa
Authors: Ramafoko L. P. , Tsvakirai C. Z. , Tshehla M.
Published: December 2024

Integrating rural populations into formal food markets is widely recognized as a key strategy for enhancing dietary diversity. However, there is limited research on the impact of e-marketing on improving household dietary diversity. This study seeks to fill this gap by evaluating how food retailers’ use of text messaging to communicate food offerings affects dietary diversity. Specifically, the study compares the influence of e-marketing, enabled by mobile phone ownership, with the impact of assets such as financial, human, physical, and agricultural capital. Using a multinomial regression model, data from 166 households in the Moretele Local Municipality in South Africa were analyzed. The results indicate that receiving marketing messages from retailers, as well as asset ownership, positively influenced household dietary diversity. This finding underscores the potential of targeted e-marketing in improving diet quality and suggests that text messaging can be an effective tool for promoting healthier food choices. The study also highlights key assets that development programs should prioritize to help rural communities transition to more nutritious diets.
Learning and Sustainability in Dangerous Times
Authors: Sterling Stephen
Published: December 2024

Stephen Sterling is a pioneer in sustainability education. This collection of his essential writings is freshly curated by the author and offers a new overview and chapter by chapter introductions that link together his thinking. Sterling's work offers a compelling and stimulating perspective on the critical issue of how learning and education can make a decisive difference to securing the future in an increasingly uncertain and threatened world. Together these essays provide a critical perspective on the historical context of the role of education and learning with respect to the possibility of securing the future against current negative trajectories. They offer a commentary on current debates on rethinking education in the light of multiple global crises and lay out the key elements of educational thinking and practice based on ecological and relational principles that offer a way forward. These essays inform the growing and urgent debate on the role and nature of education appropriate for these unprecedented times and are essential reading for educationalists and sustainability advocates.
Quality assessment for large-aperture optical elements inducing phase jumps
Authors: Iancu Vicenţiu , Talpoşi Anda-Maria , Gheorghiu Cristina , Ungureanu Răzvan , Dăncuş Ioan , Matei Dan-Gheorghiţă , Ursescu Daniel
Published: December 2024

Achieving complex pulses with high-power lasers necessitates rigorous testing of specially designed optical components. The qualification of these components using complementary devices to access both the high-resolution and the large-aperture properties, followed by validation using propagation simulations, is proposed here. In particular, the topology of a large-aperture staircase-like Fresnel phase plate used to generate vortex pulses is qualified using a non-contact optical profiler and a large-aperture wavefront measurement setup based on a Shack–Hartmann sensor. The resulting topography is further used for simulating the focus of laser beams after passing through the phase plate. Step height distribution effects on the doughnut-shaped focus are identified, and avoiding the indicated pitfall in the design of the phase plate provides at least a 10-fold reduction of the irradiance modulation on the circumference of the focus in the super-Gaussian case.
Measurements and modelling of induced flow in collective vertical migration
Authors: Mohebbi Nina , Hwang Joonha , Fu Matthew K. , Dabiri John O.
Published: December 2024

Hydrodynamic interactions between swimming or flying organisms can lead to complex flows on the scale of the group. These emergent fluid dynamics are often more complex than a linear superposition of individual organism flows, especially at intermediate Reynolds numbers. This paper presents an approach to estimate the flow induced by multiple swimmer wakes in proximity using a semianalytical model that conserves mass and momentum in the aggregation. The key equations are derived analytically, while the implementation and solution of these equations are carried out numerically. This model was informed by and compared with empirical measurements of induced vertical migrations of brine shrimp, Artemia salina. The response of individual swimmers to ambient background flow and light intensity was evaluated. In addition, the time-resolved three-dimensional spatial configuration of the swimmers was measured using a recently developed laser scanning system. Numerical results using the model found that the induced flow at the front of the aggregation was insensitive to the presence of downstream swimmers, with the induced flow tending towards asymptotic beyond a threshold aggregation length. Closer swimmer spacing led to higher induced flow speeds, in some cases leading to model predictions of induced flow exceeding swimmer speeds required to maintain a stable spatial configuration. This result was reconciled by comparing two different models for the near-wake of each swimmer. The results demonstrate that aggregation-scale flows result from a complex, yet predictable interplay between individual organism wake structure and aggregation configuration and size.
The role of olive oil and its constituents in mental health: a scoping review
Authors: Eedy Vanessa , Aucoin Monique
Published: December 2024

Mounting evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet has a beneficial effect on mental health. It has been hypothesised that this effect is mediated by a variety of foods, nutrients and constituents; however, there is a need for research elucidating which of these components contribute to the therapeutic effect. This scoping review sought to systematically search for and synthesise the research on olive oil and its constituents and their impact on mental health, including the presence or absence of a mental illness or the severity or progression of symptoms. PubMed and OVID MEDLINE databases were searched. The following article types were eligible for inclusion: human experimental and observational studies, animal and preclinical studies. Abstracts were screened in duplicate, and data were extracted using a piloted template. Data were analysed qualitatively to assess trends and gaps for further study. The PubMed and OVID MEDLINE search yielded 544 and 152 results, respectively. After full-text screening, forty-nine studies were eligible for inclusion, including seventeen human experimental, eighteen observational and fourteen animal studies. Of these, thirteen human and four animal studies used olive oil as a comparator. Observational studies reported inconsistent results, specifically five reporting higher rates of mental illness, eight reporting lower and five reporting no association with higher olive oil intake. All human experimental studies and nine of ten animal studies that assess olive oil as an intervention reported an improvement of anxiety or depression symptoms. Olive oil may benefit mental health outcomes. However, more experimental research is needed.
Effects of a six-day, whole-diet sweet taste intervention on pleasantness, desire for and intakes of sweet foods: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bielat Aleksandra D. , Rogers Peter J. , Appleton Katherine M.
Published: December 2024

Reduced exposure to sweet taste has been proposed to reduce sweet food preferences and intakes, but the evidence to support these associations is limited. This randomised controlled trial investigated the effects of a whole-diet sweet taste intervention for 6 d, on subsequent pleasantness, desire for and sweet food intakes. Participants (n 104) were randomised to increase (n 40), decrease (n 43) or make no change to (n 21) their consumption of sweet-tasting foods and beverages for 6 consecutive days. Pleasantness, desire to eat, sweet taste intensity and sweet food and beverage intakes were assessed on days 0 and 7. One hundred and two (98 %) participants completed the study, and self-reported adherence with the dietary interventions was moderate to good (M = 66–72/100 mm), with instructions to decrease sweet food consumption reported as more difficult than the other diets (smallest (t(81) = 2·45, P = 0·02, Mdiff = 14/100 mm, se = 2 mm). In intention-to-treat analyses, participants in the decreased sweet food consumption group reported higher sweet taste intensity perceptions at day 7 compared with day 0 (F(2101) = 4·10, P = 0·02, Mdiff = 6/100 mm, se = 2 mm). No effects were found for pleasantness (F(2101) = 2·04, P = 0·14), desire to eat (F(2101) = 1·49, P = 0·23) or any of the measures of sweet food intake (largest F(2101) = 2·53, P = 0·09). These results were confirmed in regression analyses that took self-reported adherence to the diets into account. Our findings suggest that exposure to sweet taste does not affect pleasantness, desire for or intakes of sweet-tasting foods and beverages. Public health recommendations to limit the consumption of sweet-tasting foods and beverages to reduce sweet food preferences may require revision.
Stakeholder perspectives on the current status and potential barriers of patient involvement in health technology assessment (HTA) across Europe
Authors: Holtorf Anke-Peggy , Bertelsen Neil , Jarke Hannes , Dutarte Maria , Scalabrini Silvia , Strammiello Valentina
Published: December 2024

Background

There are wide variations in the practices of patient involvement in health technology assessment (HTA) in Europe. The field is lacking a consensus on good practices, leading to divergent processes, methods, and evaluation of patient involvement. To identify potential good practice approaches and current gaps, a structured online survey was conducted among HTA stakeholders, including HTA practitioners, patient stakeholders, industry representatives, and others who had experienced patient involvement in HTA.

Methods

The questionnaire was co-created by HTA experts, patient stakeholders, and industry representatives and disseminated between 29 April and 14 September 2022.

Results

Responses (n = 168) were submitted from thirty-two European countries by HTA practitioners (n = 33), patient stakeholders (n = 75), industry stakeholders (n = 42), providers (n = 5), academics (n = 7), and others (n = 6). The responses indicated that “allowing access to treatments that have demonstrated value”is the principle rationale for conducting HTA. In terms of the importance of patient involvement, there was consensus across stakeholder groups that “patients have insights and information [that] no other stakeholder has” and that patient involvement is important “to inform HTA which evidence is most patient-relevant”. Shortcomings were identified in the lack of systematic and transparent processes, an unsatisfactory level of information and guidance, and minimal communication and collaboration.

Conclusions

The diverse stakeholders who responded highlighted the need for improving specific aspects of patient involvement practices, including better guidance and information, a more consistent flow of communication between the HTA body and participating patient stakeholders, and the need to develop and implement a consensus on good practices.
The thrive for a new heritage ethos in Peru?: The Qhapaq Ñan’s policymaking and the ethics of community participation
Authors: Uribe-Chinen Claudia
Published: December 2024

This article examines the Qhapaq Ñan Project in Peru and its unprecedented mobilization of heritage policymaking to foster a participatory approach. The World Heritage listing of the Qhapaq Ñan, or Inca road system, catalyzed a new ethos in the Peruvian cultural heritage sector, reflected in a cohesive set of values and practices centered on community participation. This study analyzes the crafting of a participatory approach within Peruvian national heritage regulations despite legal, technical, and ideological constraints, following the rationales and processes that challenged traditional material-centered paradigms. It focuses on how heritage specialists reimagined their ethical commitments in conceptualizing and implementing this framework. It further demonstrates how participatory practices intersect with official regulations and informal practices within pre-existing technical and normative structures, integrating elements such as benefits, consultation, and collaboration. Therefore, the adoption of the Qhapaq Ñan’s participatory approach is argued not merely as a passive compliance with intergovernmental policy recommendations but as an active assertion of ethical perspectives and practices by heritage specialists.