bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A matter of identity? Youth participation in cooperatives' governance for a sustainable future
Authors: Pesci Caterina , Candio Paolo , Fornaciari Luca , Marchini Pier Luigi
Published: October 2024

The study explores the issue of youth participation in cooperative organisations, which are organisational arrangements characterised by a participatory governance model with sustainability values and principles in their DNA. We argue that an influential driver of participation in this setting is the conceptual–philosophical basis of cooperation that shapes a value‐based identity. We surveyed the attitudes and values of young people working in cooperative settings. We tested the hypotheses that youth participation is driven by self‐identification with cooperatives' values and a mentality oriented towards economic benefits. Using the lenses of identity theories, we contribute to the currently scant literature on this topic by identifying possible roots of a drift from cooperative missions in the attitudes that youth show in a decision‐making context. Our findings support the need to leverage combinations of multiple identities to retrieve benefits in governing cooperatives and educate young generations toward sustainable governance.
Don’t let the robots win: Know how to protect higher ed IP in an AI world
Authors: Homen Delfina
Published: October 2024

Intellectual property is big business for higher education, with those two little letters, "IP," encompassing patents, trademarks, and copyrights, and representing potentially billions of dollars. For example, the relatively new name, image, and likeness market is worth an estimated $1 billion annually, according to Opendorse, with 20%, or $200 million, of that market coming from brand deals. By the nature of NIL, of course, the student‐athletes themselves get a cut of that money — but so do their schools. Indeed, in 2022, a startup company called OneTeam Partners teamed up with sports merch purveyor Fanatics to launch a college jersey program that saw the institutions of higher education taking a percentage of the action, which makes sense — those jerseys don’t just use the student‐athletes’ NIL; they use the schools’ valuable branding, too.
Biomimetic Folding Strategies for Chemical Synthesis of Disulfide‐Bonded Peptides and Proteins
Authors: Yu Guoxia , Zou Shijun , Zheng Ji‐Shen
Published: October 2024

Disulfide‐bonded peptides and proteins, including hormones, toxins, growth factors, and others, are abundant in living organisms. These molecules play crucial physiological roles such as regulating cell and organism growth, development, and metabolism. They have also found widespread applications as drugs or tool molecules in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. However, the chemical synthesis of disulfide‐bonded proteins is complicated by the challenges associated with their folding. This review focuses on the latest advancements in disulfide‐bonded peptide and protein folding technologies. Particularly, it highlights biomimetic folding strategies that emulate the naturally occurring oxidative folding processes in nature. These strategies include chaperone‐assisted folding, glycosylation‐assisted folding, and organic‐based oxidative folding methods. The review also anticipates future directions in folding technology. Such research offers innovative approaches for the chemical synthesis of complex proteins that are otherwise difficult to fold.
Impact of Fe3+/Polyphenol Ratio in Iron‐gall Ink on Superoxide Formation: Rationalizing Historic Recipes from a Kinetic Study
Authors: Teixeira Natércia , Avó João , Cruz Hugo , Moniz Tânia , Rangel Maria , de Freitas Victor , Lima João C. , Melo Maria J. , Pina Fernando
Published: October 2024

Iron‐gall inks, a vital part of our written cultural heritage, are at risk of complete loss due to degradation, a potential loss that we must urgently address. These inks are based on Fe3+‐complexes with phenolic compounds, which grow to form a complex network of iron oxyhydroxides. Over time, these black inks turn into brownish tones, with extensive degradation in paper support leading to extensive breaking. The kinetics of iron‐gall ink preparation explains the use of iron sulfate, FeSO4, in all ancient recipes to obtain a stable amorphous ink. The novelty of this work shows that a low ratio of Fe3+/polyphenol is a crucial factor in allowing the ink's growth without its degradation. This ratio also prevents the formation of superoxide. This was achieved through a comprehensive research methodology involving spectroscopic techniques in the visible and the near‐infrared regions, stopped‐flow spectrometry and electrochemical studies.
Identification of hypoxic macrophages in glioblastoma: Unveiling therapeutic insights from tumour microenvironment analysis
Authors: Qin Zhen , Bian Xiu‐Wu , Shi Yu
Published: October 2024

Tumor‐associatedmacrophages (TAMs) exhibit remarkable heterogeneity in glioblastoma. Spatially resolved single‐cell transcriptomic studies identified a monocyte‐derived TAM subset localized in the peri‐necrotic niche, driven by hypoxic cues to acquire ahypoxia response signature. These hypoxia‐TAMs destabilize endothelial adherens junctions through adrenomedullin paracrine signaling, promoting the formation of hyperpermeable neovasculature that impedes drug delivery. Blocking adrenomedullin produced by hypoxia‐TAMs restores vascular integrity, increases drug deliveryinto tumors, and provides combinatorial therapeutic benefits. Here we discuss the heterogeneity of TAMs regarding functional states and locations in glioblastomas, and propose future directions for studying the temporospatial dynamics of multifaceted TAM.

Highlights

Single‐cell omics reveal a functionally and spatially distinct hypoxia‐TAM subset in glioblastoma.

Adrenomedullin secreted by hypoxia‐TAM destabilizes tumor vasculature and its blockade enhances vessel integrity and drug delivery.
Scale‐dependence in elk habitat selection for a reintroduced population in Wisconsin, USA
Authors: Merems Jennifer L. , Brose Anna L. , Price Tack Jennifer , Crimmins Shawn , Van Deelen Timothy R.
Published: October 2024

Habitat selection is a critical aspect of a species' ecology, requiring complex decision‐making that is both hierarchical and scale‐dependent, since factors that influence selection may be nested or unequal across scales. Elk (Cervus canadensis) ranged widely across diverse ecoregions in North America prior to European settlement and subsequent eastern extirpation. Most habitat selection studies have occurred within their contemporary western range, even after eastern reintroductions began. As habitat selection can vary by geographic location, available cover, season, and diel period, it is important to understand how a non‐migratory, reintroduced population in northern Wisconsin, USA, is limited by the lack of variation in topography, elevation, and vegetation. We tested scale‐dependent habitat selection on 79 adult elk from 2017 to 2020 using resource selection functions across temporal (i.e., seasonal) and spatial scales (i.e., landscape and home range). We found that selection varied both spatially and temporally, and elk selected areas with the greatest potential to influence fitness at larger scales, meaning elk selected areas closer to escape cover and further from “risky” features (e.g., annual wolf territory centers, county roads, and highways). We found stronger avoidance of annual wolf territory centers during spring, suggesting elk were selecting safer habitats during calving season. Elk selected habitats with less canopy cover across both spatial scales and all seasons, suggesting that elk selected areas with better access to forage as early seral stage stands have greater forage biomass than closed‐canopy forests and direct solar radiation to provide warmth in the cooler seasons. This study provides insight into the complexity of hierarchical decision‐making, such as how risky habitat features and land cover type influence habitat selection differently across seasons and spatial scales, influencing the decision‐making of elk. Scale‐dependent behavior is crucial to understand within specific geographic regions, as these decisions scale up to influence population dynamics.
Functional effects of subsidies and stressors on benthic microbial communities along freshwater to marine gradients
Authors: Anderson Kenneth J. , Kominoski John S. , Choi Chang Jae , Stingl Ulrich
Published: October 2024

Leaf litter in coastal wetlands lays the foundation for carbon storage, and the creation of coastal wetland soils. As climate change alters the biogeochemical conditions and macrophyte composition of coastal wetlands, a better understanding of the interactions between microbial communities, changing chemistry, and leaf litter is required to understand the dynamics of coastal litter breakdown in changing wetlands. Coastal wetlands are dynamic systems with shifting biogeochemical conditions, with both tidal and seasonal redox fluctuations, and marine subsidies to inland habitats. Here, we investigated gene expression associated with various microbial redox pathways to understand how changing conditions are affecting the benthic microbial communities responsible for litter breakdown in coastal wetlands. We performed a reciprocal transplant of leaf litter from four distinct plant species along freshwater‐to‐marine gradients in the Florida Coastal Everglades, tracking changes in environmental and litter biogeochemistry, as well as benthic microbial gene expression associated with varying redox conditions, carbon degradation, and phosphorus acquisition. Early litter breakdown varied primarily by species, with highest breakdown in coastal species, regardless of the site they were at during breakdown, while microbial gene expression showed a strong seasonal relationship between sulfate cycling and salinity, and was not correlated with breakdown rates. The effect of salinity is likely a combination of direct effects, and indirect effects from associated marine subsidies. We found a positive correlation between sulfate uptake and salinity during January with higher freshwater inputs to coastal areas. However, we found a peak of dissimilatory sulfate reduction at intermediate salinity during April when freshwater inputs to coastal sites are lower. The combination of these two results suggests that sulfate acquisition is limiting to microbes when freshwater inputs are high, but that when marine influence increases and sulfate becomes more available, dissimilatory sulfate reduction becomes a key microbial process. As marine influence in coastal wetlands increases with climate change, our study suggests that sulfate dynamics will become increasingly important to microbial communities colonizing decomposing leaf litter.
Diuretic dosing and outcomes with torsemide and furosemide following hospitalization for heart failure: The TRANSFORM‐HF trial
Authors: Nouhravesh Nina , Greene Stephen J. , Clare Robert , Wojdyla Daniel , Anstrom Kevin J. , Velazquez Eric , Pitt Bertram , Mentz Robert J. , Psotka Mitchell A.
Published: October 2024

Aims

The TRANSFORM‐HF trial found no difference in clinical outcomes between torsemide versus furosemide after hospitalization for heart failure. This analysis aimed to assess the impact of diuretic dosing on the primary and secondary clinical outcomes.

Methods and results

This post‐hoc analysis of TRANSFORM‐HF categorized patients into three groups by discharge diuretic dose: (1) ≤40 mg, (2) >40–80 mg, and (3) >80 mg of furosemide equivalents. The associations between discharge dose and 12‐month clinical events, and change in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire clinical summary score (KCCQ‐CSS), were assessed. Overall, 2379 patients were included, aged 65 years (interquartile range 56–75), 883 (37.1%) women, and 812 (34.2%) Black. Furosemide had adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for all‐cause mortality of 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91–1.59) for discharge dose group 2 and 1.40 (95% CI 1.04–1.88) for group 3, compared with group 1. For torsemide, aHRs were 1.74 (95% CI 1.32–2.30) for group 2 and 1.58 (95% CI 1.14–2.19) for group 3. No evidence of heterogeneity for the association between increased mortality and higher dose was found by loop diuretic type (pinteraction = 0.17). Higher doses of furosemide and torsemide were associated with increased risk of all‐cause hospitalization and the composite of all‐cause mortality and hospitalization, without evidence of heterogeneity by loop diuretic type (pinteraction > 0.2). Changes in KCCQ‐CSS from baseline at 12 months was similar across dose groups for both drugs.

Conclusion

Following hospitalization for heart failure, higher loop diuretic dosing was independently associated with worse clinical and patient‐reported outcomes. The correlation between higher loop diuretic dose and outcomes was consistent, regardless of loop diuretic used.
Tetrasubstituted Chromanone Synthesis by a Tandem Oxa‐Michael/Michael Addition Reaction of 2‐Hydroxyacetophenones and Alkynyl Nitriles
Authors: Kumari Chandresh , Prasad Sahoo Narendra , Kumar Madan , Goswami Avijit
Published: October 2024

An efficient transition metal‐free approach for the synthesis of chroman‐4‐ones via double conjugate addition of 2‐hydroxyacetophenones on alkynyl nitriles utilizing NaH as a base has been realized. This operationally simple protocol offers library of 4‐chromanones in moderate to good yields.
Improving access and quality of primary healthcare through women and adolescents' user committees: A mixed‐methods case study in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Primeau Marie‐Douce , Jobin‐Gelinas Marie , Maleko Mayabanza Cécile , Mayaza Maguy , Blouin Geneviève
Published: October 2024

Background

Patient engagement is seen as a fundamental strategy for achieving quality patient‐centred care, especially in community‐based primary healthcare. Despite growing interest in patient engagement in Sub‐Saharan Africa, few patient engagement initiatives have been identified, and those often are limited to lower levels of engagement, in participation in health research or in health system improvement. With the aim of giving a voice to under‐represented community groups in healthcare governance, the Access to Health services in Kinshasa (ASSK) project supported the implementation of primary health services user committees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, designed to enable the representation of two user groups with specific unmet sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs: women and adolescents.

Aims and Methods

Using a mixed‐method case study design combining quantitative secondary data (from the national health management information system—DHIS2) and qualitative data from two research World Café (WC1: Women user committees (WUC) n = 55; WC2: Adolescents user committee (AUC) n = 63), this paper looks at the implementation facilitators and barriers, and at the results of this initiative.

Results

Women and adolescent members of the user committees highlighted that their participation resulted in increased knowledge of SRH and their related rights, as well as in their ‘soft skills’ such as communication and leadership. In addition, participants reported greater transparency and accountability on the part of the community primary health centres (e.g. by displaying fees for procedures to counter over‐billing). Ultimately, WUC and AUC were associated with improved health practices in the community such as increased use of SRH services (increase of 613% for Makala and 160% for Maluku II), including adolescent family planning (increase of 320% for Makala and 12% for Maluku II) and assisted childbirth for women15–49 years old (increase of 283% for Makala and 23% for Maluku II)).

Conclusions

Patient user committees for specific marginalised or under‐represented groups appear to be an effective way of improving the quality of primary health care services. Further research is needed to better understand how to maximise its potential.
Oral and dental presentations in dogs and cats requiring urgent care
Authors: Gramser Andrea Garcia , Freeman Alix
Published: October 2024

Background: Although many oral and dental injuries are not life threatening per se, some conditions require urgent treatment to avoid unnecessary pain, impaired function and tooth loss. Adequate diagnosis and treatment will have a significant impact on the comfort and long‐term prognosis for the patient avoiding the sequela of untreated orofacial injuries. In almost all cases, the diagnosis of dental pathologies requires general anaesthesia, dental probing and charting, and diagnostic imaging (dental radiography and cone beam CT or conventional CT).

Aim of the article: Despite being less common than in other disciplines, oral and dental emergencies do occur and cause severe distress to the patient. This article describes several dental and oral pathologies and the approach to diagnosis so that a treatment plan can be provided to colleagues and owners.
Belief systems and human behaviour: the impact on animal welfare and opportunities for change
Authors: Smith Rebecca
Published: October 2024

People's beliefs, attitudes and behaviours impact on the ways in which animals are cared for. Welfare issues relating to companion animals in the UK include the provision of inappropriate living environments, unsuitable diets, obesity, behavioural issues, diseases of old age and delayed euthanasia (Rioja‐Lang and others 2020). It is common for different views of animal health and welfare to arise within the veterinary setting. Ideas about the effect of current management practices on animal health, and whether or how these might be changed, can cause conflict between animal owners and vets. Veterinary teams can play an important role in supporting owners to improve their pet's health; however, at times this may feel challenging. This article outlines how beliefs relate to animal welfare and the veterinary setting. It also discusses the example of equine obesity and the role of vets and practice teams in supporting human behaviour change for the good of animal welfare.
Gas–liquid mixing performance of a non‐Newtonian fluid in a multiple‐impeller agitated tank
Authors: Shiue Angus , Hu Qiang , Ye Yu‐Jie , Jeng Jyh‐Cheng , Leggett Graham
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND

This target is to decide power input and gas hold‐up for gas–liquid mixing aqueous CMC solutions. The analysis considers the impact by varying the impeller speed and gas flow rates in a stirred tank bioreactor of three kinds of multiple impellers. The effects of the impeller type, rheology, and operating conditions were investigated on power drawn, relative power demand (RPD), gas holdup, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient.

RESULT

Compared to the Rushton turbine (6RT) and 4‐pitch blade (4PBT) impeller, the propeller (3PP) impeller presented a minimal event of the gassing on the RPD. 4PBT impeller has shown a higher gas hold‐up compared to the Rushton turbine and propeller impellers. The aerated agitated tank was established a dimensionless correlation for the RPD as a function of flow number and web number. Besides, the gas–liquid agitated system was also introduced a dimensionless correlation to compute the overall gas hold‐up as a function of specific power consumption. For the maximum dispersion mixing intensity, the impeller structure with low RPD looks to be more adequate. Further, maximizing gas holdup in the structures with high RPD is advantageous. The effects of impeller speed, gas superficial velocity, and rheology on the volumetric mass transfer coefficient were examined.

CONCLUSION

The volumetric mass transfer coefficient increased with an increase in impeller speed, gas superficial velocity, and power consumption per unit volume and decreased as rheology increased. The averaged kLa for each multiple‐impeller was correlated well with the specific gassed power consumption and gas superficial velocity. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Soil Phosphorus Transport in Response to Climate Change at Mid‐High Latitudes Under Intensive Agriculture
Authors: Lou Hezhen , Zhou Baichi , Ren Xiaoyu , Wu Xijin , Yang Shengtian , Liu Sihan , Hao Fanghua , Feng Aiping , Wang Qi
Published: October 2024

Phosphorus (P) is an important soil element for sustaining plant growth and the integrity of terrestrial ecosystems, and the soil P cycle is strongly influenced by climate change and agricultural activities. However, little is known about how soil P has evolved with climate change and intensive agriculture at mid‐high latitudes, where the soil P cycle is sensitive to climate change. To answer this question, an ecohydrological model (EcoHAT‐P) driven by remote sensing data was used in this study to calculate soil P concentration and loss and was calibrated and validated using 272 soil samples collected in the Sanjiang Plain, a typical mid‐high latitude region with a long history of strong agricultural activity. Soil P concentration and loss, and plant uptake of soil P, were analyzed for the years 2000–2019 and 2020–2040. The results showed that soil total P, soil P loss, and plant P uptake all increased under intensive agriculture. The soil P cycle at mid‐high latitudes was more sensitive to temperature than to precipitation. Increased temperature would increase soil P loss and plant P uptake by 93.94% and 8.16%, respectively, and soil legacy P from intensive agriculture would become the main source even if external P inputs were eliminated. The results highlight the evolution of soil P transport at mid‐high latitudes and clarify the response of soil P cycle to climate change under intensive agriculture.
Effects of high α‐linolenic acid transgenic rapeseed oil diet on growth performance, fat deposition, flesh quality, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Authors: Li Rongyun , Liu Yunhao , Zhang Yunbang , Yan Ze , Cao Yun , Li Qingshan , Mei Yihui , Sun Shouxiang , Cao Xiaojuan , Guo Liang , Gao Jian
Published: October 2024

Omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n‐3 LC‐PUFA) increases in aquatic products contributes to improving meat quality, thereby positively impacting human health. Different from marine fish which primarily obtain n‐3 LC‐PUFAs directly from zooplankton and algae, freshwater fish mainly utilize dietary linolenic acid (ALA) as a substrate to synthesize n‐3 LC‐PUFAs. Our team has successfully created a transgenic rapeseed oil (TRO) with high ALA content. Therefore, we here assessed the impacts of four different diets (LR, low‐fat rapeseed oil (RO) diet; HR, high‐fat RO diet; LTR, low‐fat TRO diet; HTR, high‐fat TRO diet) on growth performance, lipid accumulation, fatty acid composition, antioxidant capacity, immunity and serum biochemical indexes of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), an economically valuable freshwater fish. The results showed no significant difference in survival rate among the four dietary groups. No significant differences in body weight gain and final weight were found between the LR and LTR groups, as well as between HR and HTR groups. No matter if it was a high‐fat or low‐fat diet, compared with the RO diet, TRO diets significantly increased the content of n‐3 LC‐PUFA, improved meat quality, effectively alleviated lipid accumulation in livers and muscles of juvenile largemouth bass. In addition, using high‐fat diets, TRO diet improved the antioxidant capacity and immune ability of juvenile largemouth bass, thereby promoting the overall health of fish. This study provides novel insights for fish feed formulation optimization from the perspective of genetically modified feed ingredients, and high‐quality aquatic products for human consumption.
Engagement as a mechanism of action in collaborative learning health systems
Authors: Seid Michael , Gamel Breck , Woolf Becky , Hartley David M. , Dunn Maureen , Vinson Alexandra H.
Published: October 2024

Ongoing experience and emerging evidence suggest that Collaborative Learning Health Systems (CLHSs) are a promising approach to transforming population outcomes and organizational care processes. As implied in their name, this type of Learning Health System both promotes and relies upon collaboration to achieve its aims. However, to realize the promise of the Collaborative Learning Health System, a better understanding of engagement as a catalyst for collaboration is necessary. In this commentary, we elaborate the phenomenon of engagement. We define engagement in the context of CLHSs, consider dimensions of engagement, and further explore the role of engagement as a catalyst of network functioning. We conclude by offering an agenda for research and practice intended to develop an understanding of engagement so as to further advance the theory and practice of CLHS efforts and ultimately promote the uptake of the CLHS model.
Validation of an ultrahigh contrast divided subtracted inversion recovery technique using a standard T1 phantom
Authors: Bydder Mark , Ali Fadil , Condron Paul , Cornfeld Daniel M. , Newburn Gil , Kwon Eryn E. , Tayebi Maryam , Scadeng Miriam , Melzer Tracy R. , Holdsworth Samantha J. , Bydder Graeme M.
Published: October 2024

The divided subtracted inversion recovery (dSIR) is a high T1 contrast technique that shows changes in white matter in patients with traumatic brain injury and hypoxic injury. The changes can be explained by small differences in T1; however, to date, there has been no independent validation of the technique using a standard reference. The present study develops the theory of the dSIR signal and performs validation using the NIST/ISMRM T1 phantom. Non‐idealities are explored, including the influence of noise bias and finite repetition time (TR), which leads to the introduction of an optimally efficient TR for inversion recovery acquisitions. Results show excellent agreement with theoretical calculations.
Reinforcement topology optimization considering the dynamic instability
Authors: Han Sol Ji , Yoon Gil Ho
Published: October 2024

The present study develops a new topology optimization scheme considering the dynamic instability caused by the unsymmetrical properties of system. From a mathematical point of view, the left and right eigenvectors of asymmetric system are observed with the complex eigenvalues. With the dynamic instability, the magnitudes of structural responses are increasing with respect to time and this phenomenon causes many engineering issues. As the dynamic instability is one of the serious problems, the suppression is desired from an engineering point of view. To systematically reduce this dynamic instability, the present study develops a new topology optimization scheme for the reinforcement design. To overcome the numerical difficulties of the mode conversion and the highly nonlinear behavior, this research proposes the summation of the first several complex eigenvalues. To show the issues of the dynamic instability and the validity of the present approach, several topological reinforcement problems are solved.
Food Aversion, Systemic Inflammation and Intramuscular Adipose Tissue are Mortality Predictors in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: das Neves Willian , Borges Ana Paula de Souza , Carvalho Vinicius Jardim , Fujita André , de Castro Gilberto
Published: October 2024

Background

Cancer cachexia, systemic inflammation and muscle wasting are associated with poor survival in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts). We hypothesized whether neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and intramuscular adipose tissue/skeletal muscle index (IMAT/SMI) would predict prognosis in metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC). In addition, we verified the role of a cancer cachexia questionnaire (EORTC‐QLQ‐CAX24) in the survival prediction.

Methods

We analysed a prospective cohort of 128 treatment‐naive mNSCLC pts (April 2017 to May 2020). We evaluated QoL using the EORTC‐QLQ‐C30 and EORTC‐QLQ‐CAX24 scales. We used the baseline NLR as a surrogate of systemic inflammation. We did evaluate IMAT/SMI using baseline plain computed tomography imaging. Cox multivariate regression, including age, sex, ECOG‐PS and histology as covariates, was performed.

Results

Elevated NLR (hazard ratio [HR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.59, p = 0.038), IMAT/SMI ratio (HR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.03–1.84, p = 0.032) and high CAX24 scores for food aversion (HR 1.52, 95% CI: 1.13–2.03, p = 0.006) were associated with worse prognosis in mNSCLC. Indeed, higher ECOG‐PS (Spearman rho = 0.208, p = 0.027), CAX24 scores for food aversion (Spearman rho = 0.197, p = 0.036), loss of control (Spearman rho = 0.212, p = 0.024) and eating and weight loss worry domains (Spearman rho = 0.219, p = 0.020) were associated with elevated NLR levels.

Conclusions

Elevated NLR, IMAT/SMI ratio and CAX24 score for food aversion are independently associated with worse survival in mNSCLC. These data underscored the importance of cachexia features as negative prognostic factors in mNSCLC and revealed the EORTC‐QLQ‐CAX24 questionnaire as a new tool for helping clinical decision‐making.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03960034 and NCT04306094
Implementation of Controlled Floods for Sediment Management on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon Under Aridification
Authors: Grams Paul E. , Topping David J. , Salter Gerard , Chapman Katherine A. , Tusso Robert B. , Mueller Erich R.
Published: October 2024

In addition to supplying water for agriculture, cities, and industry, the Colorado River traverses the Colorado Plateau, including several of the most unique and valued National Parks and Recreation Areas in the United States. Although the water needs of these landscapes were not considered at the time water allocations were first negotiated, these needs were recognized in subsequent legislation and policy. Management goals address a range of aquatic and riparian resources, including fine sediment (sand, silt, and clay) which, in Grand Canyon, is important for ecological, cultural, and recreational resources. Over ~30 years, stakeholders, resource managers, and scientists collectively developed operational strategies for sediment management to meet goals outlined by an adaptive management program. However, prolonged drought, or “aridification,” resulting in declining runoff and the lowest reservoir storage elevations in decades has challenged those strategies. The paradigm for sustainable sediment management relies on (1) sand accumulation on the bed of the Colorado River during periods of sediment‐rich tributary floods from summer/fall thunderstorms, and (2) dam‐released controlled (artificial) floods, referred to as High‐Flow Experiments (HFEs), to redistribute the accumulated sand to rebuild eroded bar and floodplain deposits. The management protocol, which specifies narrowly defined sand accumulation periods and HFE implementation windows, is based on implementing HFEs in late fall during the period of greatest sediment enrichment, before higher winter releases for hydropower erode the accumulated sand from the riverbed. Low dam releases associated with drought, however, have changed the pattern of sand accumulation and low reservoir elevations have prevented HFE implementation in the defined window. An alternative strategy for HFE planning and implementation was tested opportunistically in April 2023 following lower‐than‐normal winter dam releases. We present findings from this HFE indicating that sand enrichment and sandbar building equaled or exceeded that of HFEs conducted under the established management protocol. These findings show that management goals for sediment under conditions of prolonged drought may be achievable but will likely require substantial changes in dam management strategies.
Facilitating Dam Removal Decisions With Multiple Objectives
Authors: Naslund Laura , Buhr Daniel , Chambers Matt , McKay S. Kyle , Jumani Suman , Bledsoe Brian , Rosemond Amy , Wenger Seth
Published: October 2024

Proactive and transparent decision‐making about the long‐term management of dams, including rehabilitation, retrofit, and removal, is critical for successfully managing this aging infrastructure and presents an opportunity to weigh the many services and disservices dams provide. Existing tools to support dam removal decisions often constrain decision processes by considering only a limited set of user objectives. We identified 18 dam removal objectives in the literature and found that most of the 41 dam removal decision‐support tools we evaluated included only two or three objectives. Common objectives of previous dam removals like reducing safety hazard and expanding recreational opportunities were included in few decision‐support tools. To facilitate dam removal decisions with diverse objectives, we created a new web application, which supports decisions with the 18 objectives that we identified in the literature. The application guides users to select appropriate objectives, choose metrics and methods to evaluate management alternatives, and identify additional decision‐support tools to weigh alternatives relative to selected objectives. We demonstrate this web application as a resource for the dam management community of practice with a case study of a dam removal decision in Athens, Georgia, USA. More broadly, we propose the process outlined here as a model for aligning diverse objectives in other types of river infrastructure decisions. Given the contribution of this infrastructure to declining biodiversity, intensifying climate, and development needs, failing to align multiple objectives in river infrastructure decisions can represent consequential, missed opportunities.
“Students Really Benefited From That Hybridization”: Facilitated Sensemaking in a No‐Excuses Charter Network
Authors: Lindsay William E. , Otero Valerie K.
Published: October 2024

This ethnographic cross‐case study examines five teachers' year‐long efforts to implement practice‐based physics instruction within the unique organizational context of a no‐excuses charter network. The teachers were attempting to adapt their didactic, rigid, and compliance‐based instructional approach to include more opportunities for students to figure out disciplinary concepts through evidence and consensus. To assist in these efforts, teachers partnered with a university‐based physics education program to redesign the network's coherent instructional infrastructure. The program provided curricular materials aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, facilitated professional learning sessions, and assisted with instructional coaching before and during the 2018–2019 school year. Researchers collected ethnographic field notes and artifacts during professional learning sessions, partnership meetings, and bi‐weekly lesson observations of case teachers. They also conducted interviews with teachers and students. An organizational sensemaking lens was used to analyze data and informed the production of ethnographic case profiles, vignettes, and cross‐case comparisons. Findings included the constraints and affordances of a coherent instructional infrastructure for facilitating teacher sensemaking. Hybridized instructional practices also emerged across case teachers' classrooms as products of facilitated sensemaking. Implications for supporting teachers in fitting novel instructional approaches to their organizational contexts are discussed. This paper is part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Organizational Contexts.
Bioengineered Nickel Oxide Nanofabrication for Energy Storage Systems, Degradation of Refractory Water Toxicity, and Antibacterial Study
Authors: Meena Jayaprakash , Dinakaran Anusha , Kumaraguru N. , veerappa N. Sami , Shin Paik‐kyun , Tatsugi Jiro , Kumar Annamalai Senthil , Santhakumar Kannappan
Published: October 2024

Nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles were synthesized using a green method involving Pterolobium hexapetalum flower extract as the reducing agent. Synthesized nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) were thoroughly characterized using X‐ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The XRD analysis confirmed the pure formation of NiO NPs. TEM and SEM images revealed the size, shape, and surface morphology of the nanoparticles. BET analysis indicated a high surface area, making these nanoparticles suitable for various applications. The NiO NPs were further investigated for their potential in supercapacitor applications, demonstrating excellent electrochemical performance. NiO@rGO electrode with graphene proportion showed a maximum specific capacity of 1266 Fg−1 at 1 Ag−1. Moreover, following the 3000‐cycle assessment, the specific retention of 98.2% confirmed that the electrode had high cyclic stability. Additionally, their effectiveness in dye degradation was evaluated, showing promising results in removing organic dyes from wastewater. The antibacterial activity of the NiO nanoparticles was also assessed, indicating significant inhibition against various bacterial strains. These multifaceted studies suggest that NiO NPs synthesized from plant extract hold great promise for applications in energy storage, environmental remediation, and antimicrobial treatments.
Cutting‐Edge Progress in Aqueous Zn‐S Batteries: Innovations in Cathodes, Electrolytes, and Mediators
Authors: Liang Tianyue , Zhang Xinren , Huang Yixuan , Lu Yile , Jia Haowei , Yuan Yu , Meng Linghui , Zhou Yingze , Zhou Lu , Guan Peiyuan , Wan Tao , Ferry Michael , Chu Dewei
Published: October 2024

Rechargeable aqueous zinc‐sulfur batteries (AZSBs) are emerging as prominent candidates for next‐generation energy storage devices owing to their affordability, non‐toxicity, environmental friendliness, non‐flammability, and use of earth‐abundant electrodes and aqueous electrolytes. However, AZSBs currently face challenges in achieving satisfied electrochemical performance due to slow kinetic reactions and limited stability. Therefore, further research and improvement efforts are crucial for advancing AZSBs technology. In this comprehensive review, it is delved into the primary mechanisms governing AZSBs, assess recent advancements in the field, and analyse pivotal modifications made to electrodes and electrolytes to enhance AZSBs performance. This includes the development of novel host materials for sulfur (S) cathodes, which are capable of supporting higher S loading capacities and the refinement of electrolyte compositions to improve ionic conductivity and stability. Moreover, the potential applications of AZSBs across various energy platforms and evaluate their market viability based on recent scholarly contributions is explored. By doing so, this review provides a visionary outlook on future research directions for AZSBs, driving continuous advancements in stable AZSBs technology and deepening the understanding of their charge–discharge dynamics. The insights presented in this review signify a significant step toward a sustainable energy future powered by renewable sources.
A semantically enabled architecture for interoperable edge‐cloud continuum applied to the e‐health scenario
Authors: Martella Angelo , Longo Antonella , Zappatore Marco , Martino Beniamino Di , Esposito Antonio
Published: October 2024

The progress made in the field of medicine and the consequent increase in the prospect of life have contributed to rise people's interest towards a healthier lifestyle. Fitness activity is becoming a must for those who aspire to live more and better. However, this should be accompanied by additional good practices to safeguard individuals' life from risks that could undermine their health. Most of these risks are linked to personal, surrounding, and contextual conditions that technology can detect and monitor. Recommender systems can adequately support fitness activity by performing data analyzes aimed at identifying possible risk factors for users, starting from their physiological data and those related to the closest context where they are. This article introduces the architecture of a recommender system called App4Health in the context related to both mobile crowd sensing and wellness. The App4Health architecture consists of a smart application platform, capable of interfacing and managing data from heterogeneous edge sources, such as mobile phones, IoT, and sensors. The analysis result consists of the semantic generation of healthy behavioral conducts to the user as Telegram BOT messages. For evaluating the proposed solution, the article also provides a case study and a testbed. The testbed consists of a comparative stress test of two edge software components of the App4Health's architecture in order to identify the performance degradation threshold of these components, assuming that they can be deployed on edge‐level hardware devices with different technical specifications and configurations.
Willing unwillingness. A Luhmannian perspective on followership and leadership in organizations
Authors: Sales Augusto , Mansur Juliana , Valentinov Vladislav , Roth Steffen
Published: October 2024

This paper examines how organization theorists within social systems theory in the tradition of Niklas Luhmann view hierarchical steering and seek to adapt Luhmann's ideas to the complexities of contemporary organizations. We contribute to this debate by linking it to leadership and followership literature, introducing the paradox of ‘willing unwillingness’ to describe personal engagement in organizations. From this concept, we develop a typology of organizational roles: leaders, role shifters, followers and outsiders. Through in‐depth interviews with Brazilian public servants and thematic analysis, our findings reveal that these roles are shaped by emotional experiences and variable psychic engagement, rather than hierarchical structures, offering new insights for systems‐theoretical exploration of organizational roles.
Wall effects of an eccentric fluid sphere: Happel's and Kuwabara's models
Authors: Madasu Krishna Prasad
Published: October 2024

In the limit of very low Reynolds numbers, the steady translation of a fluid sphere situated at a non‐concentric position in a second immiscible fluid bounded by spherical cavity is investigated using boundary collocation technique. The flow inside and outside the fluid sphere is governed by Stokes equations. Boundary conditions at the fluid sphere are continuity of velocity and shear stress. Zero shear stress and zero vorticity are used on spherical cavity. By using superposition principle, a general solution is constructed from the basic solutions in the two spherical coordinate systems based on both the fluid sphere and spherical cavity. The normalized drag force exerted on the fluid sphere contained in a cavity is depended on the ratio of fluid sphere and cavity radii, viscosity ratio of fluid sphere and cavity, relative distance between the centers of fluid sphere and cavity. The results are in good agreement with previously published work in the limiting cases. The numerical results of the drag force are good agreement with the solutions of the translation of the fluid sphere in a concentric cavity and the translation of a solid sphere in a non‐concentric cavity. The drag force is increasing function of the viscosity ratio, volume fraction, and the relative distance. This work is extension of the previous work of Keh and Lee for the fluid sphere using Happel's and Kuwabara's models.
Assessment of Biventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function Using Conventional and Strain Echocardiography in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Surviving 1-year After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
Authors: Harrington Jamie K. , DiLorenzo Michael P. , Bhatia Monica , Boscamp Nicholas , Krishnan Usha S.
Published: October 2024

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a potentially curative therapy for children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The effects of HSCT on ventricular function are not well characterized in children with SCD. Echocardiograms from children with SCD who underwent HSCT between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed before and 1-year after HSCT. Left ventricular (LV) volumes, mass, and ejection fraction were calculated by the 5/6 area*length method. LV end-diastolic and systolic dimensions, septal, and posterior wall thickness, and fractional shortening were measured by M-mode. Mitral and tricuspid inflow Dopplers (E and A waves) as well as mitral, tricuspid, and septal tissue Dopplers (E’, A’) were assessed. E/A, E’/A’ and E/E’ ratios were calculated. Biventricular strain imaging was performed using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Peak global systolic longitudinal and circumferential LV strain, and global longitudinal right ventricular strain, as well as early and late diastolic strain rate, were measured on LV apical 4-chamber, LV short-axis mid-papillary, and RV apical views, respectively. Forty-seven children (9.7 ± 5.5 years, 60% male) met inclusion criteria. Pre-HSCT, subjects had mild LV dilation with normal LV systolic function by conventional measure of ejection fraction and fractional shortening. There was a significant reduction in LV volume, mass, and ejection fraction after HSCT, but measurements remained within normal range. LV longitudinal and circumferential strain were normal pre-HSCT and showed no significant change post-HSCT. RV strain decreased after HSCT, but the absolute change was small, and mean values were normal both pre- and post-HSCT. Conventional measures of diastolic function were all normal pre-HSCT. Post-HSCT there was a reduction in select parameters, but all parameters remained within normal range. Early and late diastolic strain rate parameters showed no significant change from pre- to post-HSCT. At one-year after HSCT in children with SCD conventional measures of systolic and diastolic function are within normal limits. Except for a small decrease in RV systolic strain with values remaining within normal limits, systolic strain and diastolic strain rate values did not significantly change 1-year after HSCT.
EndoArt®: Ergebnisse bei Patienten mit Glaukom-Drainage-Implantaten
Authors: Wiedemann Johanna , Mestanoglu Mert , Rekate Anne , Gietzelt Caroline , Cursiefen Claus , Bachmann Björn
Published: October 2024

Hintergrund

EndoArt® (Eye Yon Medical, Ness Ziona, Israel) ist eine künstliche innere Hornhautschicht und eine innovative Behandlungsalternative für Patienten mit hohem Risiko für Transplantatversagen nach hinterer lamellärer Hornhauttransplantation (EK).

Ziel der Arbeit

Wir stellen erste Ergebnisse der EndoArt®-Implantation bei Patienten mit Glaukom-Drainage-Implantaten (GDD) vor.

Patienten und Operationstechnik

Es wurden 12 Augen mit GDD retrospektiv ausgewertet. Alle wiesen ein hohes Risiko für eine Transplantatabstoßung im Falle einer EK auf (vorherige andere Glaukomoperationen zusätzlich zu GDD [n = 8], Zustand nach Descemet Membran-Endothel-Keratoplastik [DMEK;n = 9], Uveitis [n = 2], anteriore Synechien [n = 2]). Die EndoArt® wurde mit einer Gasblase und ein bis drei Haltenähten gesichert. Die prä- und postoperativ beste brillenkorrigierte Sehschärfe (BSCVA) und die zentrale Hornhautdicke (CCT) wurden bestimmt. Die Notwendigkeit zusätzlicher Gasinjektionen (Rebubbling) wurde analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Octafluorpropan (C3F8) 12 % wurde bei neun, Schwefelhexafluorid (SF6) 20 % bei drei Patienten als Vorderkammertamponnade zur Verbesserung der Anlage von EndoArt® verwendet. Bei vier Augen war mindestens ein Rebubbling nötig. Der präoperative BSCVA betrug 1,6 (± 0,5) logMAR und verbesserte sich nach 12 Wochen signifikant auf 1,1 (± 0,6) logMAR (p = 0,028). Die präoperative CCT betrug 719 µm ± 145,7, sank nach sechs Wochen signifikant auf 622,4 µm ± 174,9 (p = 0,004) und nach 12 Wochen auf 591,7 µm ± 190,8 (p = 0,096). Bei einem Auge wurde das Implantat explantiert, wir gehen von einem fibrotischen Umbau der Hornhaut nach vielfachen vorherigen DMEKs aus.

Diskussion

EndoArt® führte bei Patienten mit GDD zu einer signifikanten Verbesserung des BSCVA und Reduktion der CCT. Allerdings zeigte sich eine hohe Rebubbling-Rate. Bei Patienten mit hohem Risiko für Transplantatversagen kann die Verwendung von EndoArt® vorteilhaft sein.