bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tree diversity drives understory carbon storage rather than overstory carbon storage across forest types
Authors: Ullah Saif , Wu Jianping , Shah Jawad Ali , Wang Xuemei , Lyu Yueming , Guo Zhiwen , Ali Kashif , Chen Deyun , Sun Han
Published: September 2024

Although numerous studies have proposed explanations for the specific and relative effects of stand structure, plant diversity, and environmental conditions on carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystems, understanding how these factors collectively affect C storage in different community layers (trees, shrubs, and herbs) and forest types (mixed, broad-leaved (E), broad-leaved (M), and coniferous forest) continues to pose challenges. To address this, we used structural equation models to quantify the influence of biotic factors (mean DBH, mean height, maximum height, stem density, and basal area) and abiotic factors (elevation and canopy openness), as well as metrics of species diversity (Shannon–Wiener index, Simpson index, and Pielou’s evenness) in various forest types. Our analysis revealed the critical roles of forest types and elevation in explaining a substantial portion of variability in C storage in the overstory layer, with a moderate influence of stand factors (mean DBH and basal area) and a slightly negative impact of tree species diversity (Shannon–Wiener index). Notably, forest height emerged as the primary predictor of C storage in the herb layer. Regression relationships further highlighted the significant contribution of tree species diversity to mean height, understory C storage, and branch biomass within the forest ecosystem. Our insights into tree species diversity, derived from structural equation modeling of C storage in the overstory, suggest that the effects of tree species diversity may be influenced by stem biomass in statistical reasoning within temperate forests. Further research should also integrate tree species diversity with tree components biomass, forest mean height, understory C, and canopy openness to understand complex relationships and maintain healthy and sustainable ecosystems in the face of global climate challenges.
A bisection method for solving distance-based clustering problems globally
Authors: Kirst Peter , Bajbar Tomáš , Merkel Mario
Published: September 2024

In this article, we consider distance-based clustering problems. In contrast to many approaches, we use the maximum norm instead of the more commonly used Euclidean norm to measure distances. This problem is nonsmooth and non-convex and, thus, difficult to solve to global optimality using standard approaches, which is common in cluster analysis. Therefore, we reformulate this continuous problem in light of graph-theoretical instances which enables us to construct a bisection algorithm converging to the globally minimal value of the original clustering problem by establishing valid upper and lower bounding procedures. Our numerical results indicate that our method performs well on data sets exhibiting clear cluster-pattern structure even for bigger data instances while still guaranteeing the global optimality of the computed solution. We compare our approach with the classical k-means algorithm and also discuss the limits and challenges of the proposed procedure.
Supporting Trustworthy AI Through Machine Unlearning
Authors: Hine Emmie , Novelli Claudio , Taddeo Mariarosaria , Floridi Luciano
Published: September 2024

Machine unlearning (MU) is often analyzed in terms of how it can facilitate the “right to be forgotten.” In this commentary, we show that MU can support the OECD’s five principles for trustworthy AI, which are influencing AI development and regulation worldwide. This makes it a promising tool to translate AI principles into practice. We also argue that the implementation of MU is not without ethical risks. To address these concerns and amplify the positive impact of MU, we offer policy recommendations across six categories to encourage the research and uptake of this potentially highly influential new technology.
Beyond Anthropocentrism: The Moral and Strategic Philosophy behind Russell and Burch’s 3Rs in Animal Experimentation
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: September 2024

The 3Rs framework in animal experimentation– “replace, reduce, refine” – has been alleged to be expressive of anthropocentrism, the view that only humans are directly morally relevant. After all, the 3Rs safeguard animal welfare only as far as given human research objectives permit, effectively prioritizing human use interests over animal interests. This article acknowledges this prioritization, but argues that the characterization as anthropocentric is inaccurate. In fact, the 3Rs prioritize research purposes even more strongly than an ethical anthropocentrist would. Drawing on the writings of Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) founder Charles W. Hume, who employed Russell and Burch, it is argued that the 3Rs originally arose from an animal-centered ethic which was however restricted by an organizational strategy aiming at the voluntary cooperation of animal researchers. Research purposes thus had to be accepted as given. While this explains why the 3Rs focus narrowly on humane method selection, not on encouraging animal-free question selection in the first place, it suggests that governments should (also) focus on the latter if they recognize animals as deserving protection for their own sake.
Cross-National Variations in Scientific Ethics: Exploring Ethical Perspectives Among Scientists in China, the US, and the UK
Authors: Di Di , Ecklund Elaine Howard
Published: September 2024

This research explores the perspectives of academic physicists from three national contexts concerning their roles and responsibilities within the realm of science. Using a dataset comprised of 211 interviews with scientists working in China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the study seeks to explain whether and in what manner physicists conceptualize scientific ethics within a global or national framework. The empirical findings bring to light disparities across nations in the physicists’ perceptions of what constitutes responsible mentorship and engagement in public service. These cross-national variations underscore the moral agency of physicists as they navigate the ethical standards embraced by the global scientific community vis-à-vis those that are specific to their respective national contexts. The study’s empirical insights may carry significant implications for both policymakers and ethicists, underscoring the imperative of soliciting and acknowledging the perspectives of academic scientists working and living in disparate national contexts when formulating comprehensive science ethics frameworks. Such inclusive and context-aware approaches to shaping ethics in science can contribute to the cultivation of a more robust and universally relevant ethical foundation for the scientific community.
Small Molecule-Mediated Stage-Specific Reprogramming of MSCs to Hepatocyte-Like Cells and Hepatic Tissue for Liver Injury Treatment
Authors: Gupta Santosh , Sharma Akriti , Rajakannu Muthukumarassamy , Bisevac Jovana , Rela Mohamed , Verma Rama Shanker
Published: September 2024

Background

Derivation of hepatocytes from stem cells has been established through various protocols involving growth factor (GF) and small molecule (SM) agents, among others. However, mesenchymal stem cell-based derivation of hepatocytes still remains expensive due to the use of a cocktail of growth factors, and a long duration of differentiation is needed, thus limiting its potential clinical application.

Methods

In this study, we developed a chemically defined differentiation strategy that is exclusively based on SM and takes 14 days, while the GF-based protocol requires 23–28 days.

Results

We optimized a stage-specific differentiation protocol for the differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into functional hepatocyte-like cells (dHeps) that involved four stages, i.e., definitive endoderm (DE), hepatic competence (HC), hepatic specification (HS) and hepatic differentiation and growth. We further generated hepatic tissue using human decellularized liver extracellular matrix and compared it with hepatic tissue derived from the growth factor-based protocol at the transcriptional level. dHep, upon transplantation in a rat model of acute liver injury (ALI), was capable of ameliorating liver injury in rats and improving liver function and tissue damage compared to those in the ALI model.

Conclusions

In summary, this is the first study in which hepatocytes and hepatic tissue were derived from MSCs utilizing a stage-specific strategy by exclusively using SM as a differentiation factor.

Graphical Abstract
A Peptide Motif Covering Splice Site B in Neuroligin-1 Binds to Aβ and Acts as a Neprilysin Inhibitor
Authors: Dietz Lene T. , Põld Katrin , Györffy Balázs A. , Zharkovsky Alexander , Sørensen Jakob B. , Pankratova Stanislava , Dmytriyeva Oksana
Published: September 2024

The most common cause of dementia among elderly people is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The typical symptom of AD is the decline of cognitive abilities, which is caused by loss of synaptic function. Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers play a significant role in the development of this synaptic dysfunction. Neuroligin-(NL)1 is a postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecule located in excitatory synapses and involved in the maintenance and modulation of synaptic contacts. A recent study has found that Aβ interacts with the soluble N-terminal fragment of NL1. The present study aimed to elucidate the role of NL1 in Aβ-induced neuropathology. Employing surface plasmon resonance and competitive ELISA, we confirmed the high-affinity binding of NL1 to the Aβ peptide. We also identified a sequence motif representing the NL1-binding site for the Aβ peptide and showed that a synthetic peptide modeled after this motif, termed neurolide, binds to the Aβ peptide with high affinity, comparable to the NL1-Aβ interaction. To assess the effect of neurolide in vivo, wild-type and 5XFAD mice were subcutaneously treated with this peptide for 10 weeks. We observed an increase in Aβ plaque formation in the cortex of neurolide-treated 5XFAD mice. Furthermore, we showed that neurolide reduces the activity of neprilysin, the predominant Aβ-degrading enzyme in the brain. Accordingly, we suggest that neurolide is the NL1-binding site for Aβ peptide, and acts as an inhibitor of neprilysin activity. Based on these data, we confirm the involvement of NL1 in the development of AD and suggest a mechanism for NL1-induced Aβ plaque formation.
A Systematic Review of Children’s Psychological Well-Being from a Eudaimonic Perspective: a Narrative Synthesis
Authors: Hoosen Phadiel , Savahl Shazly , Adams Sabirah , Casas Ferran
Published: September 2024

Understanding children’s psychological well-being (PWB) from a eudaimonic perspective is crucial given its impact on children’s overall well-being and quality of life. This perspective denotes PWB as the realisation of one’s true potential and attaining meaningful goals that lead to personal growth and fulfilment. Despite the recent increasing interest in children’s PWB, there is limited literature in this area. This may be due to the abstract nature of eudaimonic concepts, which are challenging to operationalise and measure, leading to less empirical attention. Using a systematic review, we synthesised existing empirical studies on children’s PWB from a eudaimonic perspective. We identified 32 quantitative articles, which presented in four different categories, namely validation studies, predictors and correlates of PWB, descriptive studies, and intervention studies. Most studies used Ryff’s (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081, 1989) theoretical model of PWB and her PWB Scale, and were conducted in high-income countries. Future research should prioritise conducting studies in diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts to ensure a comprehensive understanding of children’s PWB. By expanding geographic and socio-economic representation, and including longitudinal studies, we can develop more effective and inclusive interventions and policies that cater to the needs of children globally.
Bedeutung von Mikroorganismen für die Endlagerung radioaktiver Abfälle
Authors: Mitzscherling Julia , Wagner Dirk
Published: September 2024

Deep geological repositories are the international consensus solution for safely isolating high-level nuclear waste from the biosphere. In Germany, among others Opalinus Clay is under consideration to serve as stable host rock environment. Although physical and chemical characteristics of clays suppress microbial growth, Opalinus Clay harbors diverse microbial communities that can be relevant for the safety of a repository.
Gestresste Mitochondrien: zwischen Zellschutz und Zelltod
Authors: Fieler Hanna , Jae Lucas T.
Published: September 2024

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging and important human diseases. Mitochondrial defects disturb protein import and lead to cytosolic accumulation of mitochondrial precursor proteins, disrupting cellular homeostasis. In human cells, this activates an integrated stress response to halt translation, and a heat shock response to counteract protein misfolding and aggregation. The interplay between these responses is critical for cellular fate in the face of mitochondrial perturbation.
Unter Kontrolle – wie ORMDL-Proteine den Sphingolipidhaushalt steuern
Authors: Schomisch Niklas , Schmidt Oliver
Published: September 2024

Sphingolipids are essential components of eukaryotic cell membranes. They typically increase the rigidity of membranes and stabilize membrane-embedded proteins. Yet, they also function as signaling molecules, and some biosynthetic intermediates are toxic at high concentrations, necessitating a tight control of cellular sphingolipid synthesis. We will discuss evolutionarily common regulatory principles, which – upon failure – can lead to devastating neurodegenerative disease in humans.
Mikrobielle Zersetzungsgemeinschaften von Bauholz
Authors: Schrader Lauritz , Trautner Jochen , Tebbe Christoph C.
Published: September 2024

The susceptibility of timber to microbial degradation is a major challenge for its long-term outdoor usage. It is important to know which microorganisms are responsible for wood degradation and which environmental factors influence the species composition in order to make adjustments for extending their service life in the future.
Hin zu effizienter biokatalytischer Oxyfunktionalisierung von Steroiden
Authors: Bertelmann Carolin , Bühler Bruno
Published: September 2024

Biocatalytic steroid hydroxylation processes are highly relevant for the pharmaceutical industry but are still limited by low specific activities and stabilities. For testosterone hydroxylation, high activities were achieved with recombinant Escherichia coli containing a highly active CYP450-BM3 variant and outer membrane porins. Enzyme instability and substrate mass transfer were identified as further limitations, for which biocatalyst and reaction engineering strategies are discussed.
Mikrobiologisches Gedächtnis: NGS-Untersuchungen in der Archäologie
Authors: Köhler J. Michael , Ehrhardt Linda , Cao Jialan
Published: September 2024

Whereas the DNA of humans has been in focus of archaeological research since some decades, the composition of soil bacterial communities attracts interest as an additional information source, recently. It can be exploited by NGS and can report about the change of soil by human impacts in the past and hints to formerly activities as prehistoric settlements, livestock breeding, craft, and ancient mining. Here, the potential of NGS of soil bacteria for archaeological research is illustrated by typical examples.
Vulnerable Youth or Vulnerabilising Contexts? A Critical Review of Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Policies in Eastern and Southern Africa
Authors: Lynch Ingrid , Macleod Catriona Ida , Chiweshe Malvern Tatenda , Moore Sarah-Ann
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Policy decisions about young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) have far-reaching implications for their well-being. Few SRHR policies, however, focus specifically on youth. Rather, youth SRHR tends to be subsumed within national policies of Health, Youth, Education and Development Ministries, particularly in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region, complicating an assessment of the overall state of youth SRHR policies. Given the fact that youth SRHR policies focus on a particular segment of the population—youth, teenagers or adolescents—how policies depict these subjects has implications for how policy objectives, programmes and interventions are conceptualised and the kind of sexual and reproductive health concerns that are prioritised.

Methods

Using a subject positioning lens, our critical review of youth SRHR policy in force between 2010 and 2020 spans policy domains to examine depictions of young people across 88 ESA policy documents. Our analysis aimed to identify the qualities and responsibilities associated with different youth subject positions and the broader implications thereof for young people’s SRHR.

Results

We identify two dominant youth subject positions—risky youth and youth-at-risk—both of which construct risk as inherent to young people, overwhelmingly emphasise negative repercussions of youth sexual practices, foreground individualised interventions and hold young people responsible for preventing negative sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes in the absence of policy objectives that meaningfully address structural constraints on their agency.

Conclusions

Considering the dominance of public health research underpinning youth SRHR, our findings contribute a much-needed critical social theory complement that supports holistic, justice-oriented and contextually embedded policy responses to young people’s SRHR.

Policy Implications

Based on our findings, we provide policy recommendations that support a conceptual shift away from vulnerable youth to vulnerabilising contexts, such that young people’s vulnerability to adverse SRH outcomes is situated in the enabling and constraining conditions in which they live their lives.
Recovery of saccharides from lipid-extracted microalgae residue via hot compressed water and its kinetic analysis
Authors: Li Fei , Kawajiri Satoshi , Al-Duri Bushra , Oshima Yoshito , Akizuki Makoto
Published: September 2024

Lipid-extracted microalgae residue (LEMR), a by-product of the biodiesel production process, is a potential source of value-added compounds in the microalgae biorefinery field. In this research, we examined the effects of hot compressed water (HCW) conditions and microalgae to water ratios on saccharide recovery from a low-lipid strain of Chlorella vulgaris. The highest recovery yield of saccharides was 57.5% at 200℃ for 15 min. Above 200℃, the reduction in saccharide yield was observed due to the generation of gas and solid by-products. At 200℃, adjusting the microalgae to water ratio significantly influenced the saccharide yield. Reducing the microalgae to water ratio from 1:5 to 0.1:5 nearly doubled the yield. Kinetic analysis was conducted to investigate the solubilization and degradation behaviors of saccharides. The reaction orders for saccharides solubilization and degradation were identified as 1.31 and 1.79, respectively. The rate constants at varying temperatures exhibited a good fit with the identified reaction orders. The activation energies for the solubilization and degradation processes were 79.0 kJ/mol and 104.7 kJ/mol, respectively. This investigation provides insights into saccharide dynamics in LEMR under HCW conditions, offering critical information for enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of microalgae biorefineries.
On the Origin of Cognition
Authors: Annila Arto
Published: September 2024

To explain why cognition evolved requires, first and foremost, an analysis of what qualifies as an explanation. In terms of physics, causes are forces and consequences are changes in states of substance. Accordingly, any sequence of events, from photon absorption to focused awareness, chemical reactions to collective behavior, or from neuronal avalanches to niche adaptation, is understood as an evolution from one state to another toward thermodynamic balance where all forces finally tally each other. From this scale-free physics perspective, energy flows through those means and mechanisms, as if naturally selecting them, that bring about balance in the least time. Then, cognitive machinery is also understood to have emerged from the universal drive toward a free energy minimum, equivalent to an entropy maximum. The least-time nature of thermodynamic processes results in the ubiquitous patterns in data, also characteristic of cognitive processes, i.e., skewed distributions that accumulate sigmoidally and, therefore, follow mostly power laws. In this vein, thermodynamics derived from the statistical physics of open systems explains how evolution led to cognition and provides insight, for instance, into cognitive ease, biases, dissonance, development, plasticity, and subjectivity.
GIS-based Modelling of Hydrogen Integration in Urban Energy Systems – a Systematic Review
Authors: Steidl Stella , Peer Rebecca A. M. , Alhamwi Alaa , Medjroubi Wided , Figueroa Alejandro Zabala , Haas Jannik
Published: September 2024

Purpose of Review 

Cities are crucial for an effective energy transition, yet national transition exercises often overlook local urban conditions. This paper reviews the assessment of hydrogen integration in urban energy system models and the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to facilitate high spatial resolution modelling.

Recent Findings

Embedded GIS frameworks can unmask local conditions crucial for energy transition planning, providing valuable insights to support informed decision-making. We found a gap in holistic modelling of the hydrogen supply chain and sector coupling. Furthermore, most studies lack future cost projections, and GIS is often underutilised. We also detected a general lack of transparency and low temporal resolution.

This review assesses urban hydrogen integration, highlighting how geospatial approaches are used to addresses the lack of local information in recent energy system modelling, Future research should enhance GIS use, integrate sector coupling, and improve transparency and temporal resolution to better understand the optimal integration of hydrogen.
From Industry 5.0 to Forestry 5.0: Bridging the gap with Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Holzinger Andreas , Schweier Janine , Gollob Christoph , Nothdurft Arne , Hasenauer Hubert , Kirisits Thomas , Häggström Carola , Visser Rien , Cavalli Raffaele , Spinelli Raffaele , Stampfer Karl
Published: September 2024

Purpose of the Review

Recent technological innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have successfully revolutionized many industrial processes, enhancing productivity and sustainability, under the paradigm of Industry 5.0. It offers opportunities for the forestry sector such as predictive analytics, automation, and precision management, which could transform traditional forest operations into smart, effective, and sustainable practices. The paper sets forth to outline the evolution from Industry 5.0 and its promising transition into Forestry 5.0. The purpose is to elucidate the status of these developments, identify enabling technologies, particularly AI, and uncover the challenges hindering the efficient adoption of these techniques in forestry by presenting a framework.

Recent Findings

However, the gap between potential and practical implementation is primarily due to logistical, infrastructural, and environmental challenges unique to the forestry sector. The solution lies in Human-Centered AI, which, unlike the Industry 4.0 paradigm, aims to integrate humans into the loop rather than replace them, thereby fostering safe, secure, and trustworthy Human-AI interactions.

The paper concludes by highlighting the need for Human-Centered AI development for the successful transition to Forestry 5.0 – where the goal is to support the human workers rather than substituting them. A multidisciplinary approach involving technologists, ecologists, policymakers, and forestry practitioners is essential to navigate these challenges, leading to a sustainable and technologically advanced future for the forestry sector. In this transformation, our focus remains on ensuring a balance between increased productivity, nature conservation and social licence, worker safety and satisfaction.
Vom Lernen zwischen gepackten Koffern zur Bildung mit staatlicher Anbindung. Jüdischer Religionsunterricht in Deutschland seit der Schoah.
Authors: Springborn Matthias
Published: September 2024

Wenn ein Zeitrahmen von der unmittelbaren Nachkriegszeit des Zweiten Weltkriegs bis zur Gegenwart gezogen wird, so hat Unterrichtung in jüdischer Religion in Deutschland einen mehrfach kontextuellen Wandel vollzogen. So war im mehrere Jahre umspannenden Zeitraum der alliierten Besatzung Deutschlands, während dessen sich jüdische Bevölkerung v. a. in temporären Displaced Persons-Lagern und -Gemeinden befand, jüdischer Religionsunterricht dort zumeist einer Ausbildung nach zionistischen, also nationaljüdischen Kriterien untergeordnet. In einer zweiten Phase nach Schließung der DP-Einrichtungen, die mit einer erheblichen Abwanderung jüdischer Population einherging, war die Organisation jüdischen Religionsunterrichts ausschließlich eine Angelegenheit der sich neu konstituierenden jüdischen Gemeinden, die aufgrund fehlender materieller oder personeller Ressourcen in West- wie Ostdeutschland oft nur unzureichend umgesetzt werden konnte. In einer dritten Phase ab den 1960er-Jahren äußerte sich eine längerfristig bis dauerhafte Wiederverankerung jüdischen Gemeindelebens und jüdischen Unterrichts in (West‑)Deutschland u. a. in der Gründung zweier jüdischer Ganztagsschulen oder einem verstärkten Bemühen um die Beschaffung und Auswahl geeigneter Bildungsmedien. Ergänzende (z. T. ersetzende) Funktion in der Vermittlung von Kenntnissen der jüdischen Religionspraxis nahmen inzwischen auch jüdische Ferienlager für Kinder- und Jugendliche ein. Eine vierte Phase seit der Wiedervereinigung ist durch Zuwanderung v. a. aus Ländern der ehem. Sowjetunion von einer verstärkten binnenjüdischen Ausdifferenzierung und einer verstärkt staatlich angebundenen Religionslehre geprägt.
More Than Surface Finds: Nubian Levallois Core Metric Variability and Site Distribution Across Africa and Southwest Asia
Authors: Samawi Osama , Hallinan Emily
Published: September 2024

Nubian Levallois cores are currently one of the most debated artefact types in Palaeolithic archaeology. Previous work has focused mainly on the definition and technological characteristics of these cores, with discussion of their distribution framed only in qualitative terms. Here, we present the first quantitative spatial analysis of sites with Nubian Levallois cores across the five global regions where they occur. Using modelled Pleistocene conditions for various bioclimatic and topographic variables, we compare the environmental context of 84 sites featuring Nubian cores with 81 contemporaneous sites where they are absent. Metric analysis of cores from 14 new and previously published sites offers further insights into technological and behavioural patterns at an inter-regional scale. Our results show that Nubian cores during MIS 5 are present in areas characterised by aridity, complex topography, and high biomass, whereas for MIS 3, only temperature was a significant predictor. Metric results reveal distinct patterns in both space and time, finding the largest and most standardised cores in Southern Arabia during MIS 5, with the smallest cores in MIS 3 Eastern and Southern Africa. We propose that environmental factors were a more significant driver behind the adoption of the Nubian Levallois method than previously acknowledged. Our results provide essential environmental context for future model-testing of Late Pleistocene demography and cultural connectivity during this critical phase of human evolution.
The impact of a mobile geriatric acute team on healthcare consumption
Authors: Arvidsson Sofie A. , Biegus Karol R. , Ekdahl Anne W.
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This study describes the effects of a mobile geriatric acute team (GAT) treating acutely ill geriatric patients in their homes. GAT offered more advanced diagnostic and treatment options than are normally available to primary-care led mobile teams. The aim of this study was to evaluate if interventions by GAT had effect on the number of emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital.

Methods

This is a before–after study, with outcomes recorded for each participant during the 3 months prior to the first visit by GAT and compared to the same outcomes for each participant during the 3 months after the first visit.

Results

The participant’s mean age was 84.6 years, 56% were women. There was no observed difference in ED visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital for all participants (n = 102). However, for the 27 participants living in nursing homes; ED-visits reduced on average by 0.5/participant (p = 0.002), the number of hospitalisations reduced by 0.3/participant (p = 0.018) and length of stay in hospital reduced by 4.3 days/participant (p = 0.045). For the 13 participants referred by ambulance, the number of hospitalisations reduced by 0.7/participant (p = 0.044) and length of stay in hospital reduced by 4.1 days/participant (p = 0.028). The participants who got intravenous antibiotics also had less hospital care.

Conclusion

This geriatric acute mobile team did not cause reduced hospital care among the participants overall. However, it might have reduced hospitalization in some subgroups, such as patients living in nursing homes or those who got intravenous antibiotics.
Oyster shell facilitates the green production of nitrogen-doped porous biochar from macroalgae: a case study for removing atrazine from water
Authors: Song Liying , Cheng Hu , Liu Cuiying , Ji Rongting , Yao Shi , Cao Huihui , Li Yi , Bian Yongrong , Jiang Xin , Ćwieląg-Piasecka Irmina , Song Yang
Published: September 2024

Low-cost and green preparation of efficient sorbents is critical to the removal of organic contaminants during water treatment. In this study, the co-pyrolysis of macroalgae and oyster shell was designed to synthesize nitrogen-doped porous biochars for sorption removal of atrazine from water. Oyster shell played a significant role in opening pores in macroalgae-derived biochars, resulting in the surface area of the macroalgae (Enteromorpha prolifera and Ulva lactuca) and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous as high as 1501.80 m2 g−1 and 1067.18 m2 g−1, the pore volume reached 1.04 cm3 g−1 and 0.93 cm3 g−1, and O/C decreased to 0.09 and 0.08, respectively. The sorption capacity of atrazine to nitrogen-doped porous biochars (the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous) reached 312.06 mg g−1 and 340.52 mg g−1. Pore-filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π or p-π stacking and electrostatic interaction dominated the multilayer sorption process. Moreover, the nitrogen-doped porous biochars showed great performance in cyclic reusability, and the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous sorption capacity still reached 246.13 mg g−1 and 255.97 mg g−1, respectively. Thus, this study suggested that it is feasible and efficient to remove organic contaminants with the nitrogen-doped porous biochars co-pyrolyzed from macroalgae and oyster shell, providing a potential green resource utilization of aquatic wastes for environmental remediation.

Graphical Abstract
Association analysis of ADRB3:rs4994 with urodynamic outcome, six months after a single intra-detrusor injection of botulinum toxin, in women with overactive bladder
Authors: Ciećwież Sylwester , Lewandowska Klaudyna , Szylińska Aleksandra , Boroń Agnieszka , Kotlęga Dariusz , Kociszewski Jacek , Brodowska Agnieszka , Clark Jeremy S.C. , Ciechanowicz Andrzej
Published: September 2024

Background

Intra-detrusor injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) is recommended as a possible treatment for patients with overactive bladder (OAB) in whom first-line therapies have failed. The c.190T > C (rs4994) polymorphism in the gene encoding the beta-3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) has been suggested to be associated with predisposition to OAB or with response to OAB treatment via a cholinergic muscarinic receptor antagonist. This prospective study aimed to use a urodynamic parameter-based assessment of response, six months after a single intra-detrusor injection of BoNT/A in female OAB patients, to elucidate possible association with the ADRB3 polymorphism.

Methods

The study group consisted of 138 consecutive, Polish, adult, female OAB patients. Urodynamic parameters were recorded before injection of BoNT/A and at six months after administration. ADRB3:rs4994 variants were identified by the sequencing of genomic DNA extracted from buccal swabs.

Results

Apart from baseline, and relative, increase in Maximum Cystometric Capacity (MCC) six months after BoNT/A injection, no significant differences were found in urodynamic parameters between reference TT homozygotes and women with at least one C allele.

Conclusions

Our results do not exclude that ADRB3:rs4994 variants are associated with a positive urodynamic test-based response to intra-detrusor injection of BoNT/A in females with OAB.
Seeing Something as Something Else: The Logic of Mitate 見立て
Authors: Marinucci Lorenzo
Published: September 2024

Mitate is the name used to describe a typically Japanese visual trope, in which one object is meant to be seen as something else. While mitate is a defining element of Edo period haikai and ukiyo-e, a this kind of overlapping meanings can be found in much earlier sources. Its aesthetic effects are often smile, laughter, and parody, but mitate can also bestow a hidden depth to the commonplace and the contemporary through explicit and implicit connections to more noble and remote cultural antecedents. In this paper I examine mitate and mitate-like configurations throughout the history of Japanese aesthetics, and conclude by asking whether mitate is indeed a uniquely Japanese phenomenon and by analysing whether and how it can be relevant to some philosophical discussions (Husserl's and Wittgenstein’s) concerned with the phenomenological and ontological status of images.
Interface superconductivity in the point contact between topological semimetals polymorphic PtBi2 and ferromagnetic tips
Authors: Di Xuetao , Ji Haoran , Gao Wenshuai , Tian Mingliang , Wang He , Wang Jian
Published: September 2024

Topological semimetals, possessing topologically non-trivial band structures, serve as excellent platforms for realizing topological superconductivity through hard point-contact experiments. In this study, we successfully induce superconductivity in the three-dimensional Dirac semimetal, cubic PtBi2, using ferromagnetic and paramagnetic tips in hard point contact experiments. The induced superconductivity is proven to be insensitive to ferromagnetism and exhibits unconventional features in the point-contact spectra. The highest superconducting transition temperature ($T_{\mathrm{c}}$

T
c

) reaches approximately 5.1 K, and the $T_{\mathrm{c}}$

T
c

values are proven to have a positive correlation with the coupling between the tip and the sample. Furthermore, we extend our point-contact experiments to trigonal PtBi2, a material possessing a type-I Weyl semimetal band structure and triply degenerate points proximate to the Fermi level. Utilizing both ferromagnetic Ni tips and paramagnetic Ag tips, we successfully enhance superconductivity with a $T_{\mathrm{c}}$

T
c

of up to 3.0 K in this material. The findings from point-contact measurements reveal that the enhanced superconductivity is compatible with ferromagnetism and the magnetism of the tip can affect the symmetry of the enhanced superconducting state. Given that the lattice structure remains stable under pressure up to 51.2 GPa for cubic PtBi2 and 12.9 GPa for trigonal PtBi2, the emergent superconducting states observed in these two PtBi2 materials could inherit their topological nontrivial nature and be promising candidates for topological superconductor.
Planetary Health Diet – geeignet für Menschen mit Typ-2-Diabetes?
Authors: Weimer Pauline , Mews Claudia , Lühmann Dagmar , Kloppe Thomas
Published: September 2024

Hintergrund

Die Produktion von Lebensmitteln ist für ca. 30 % der globalen Treibhausgasemissionen verantwortlich. Die 2019 von der EAT-Lancet-Kommission entwickelte Planetary Health Diet (PHD) ist der Versuch, mit einem global anwendbaren Ernährungskonzept den Anforderungen der individuellen und der planetaren Gesundheit gerecht zu werden. Die Diät ist reich an vollwertigen Lebensmitteln und arm an tierischen und verarbeiteten Produkten. In Deutschland sind viele Menschen an Typ-2-Diabetes erkrankt, die Prävalenz steigt. Auch Lebensstilinterventionen im Bereich der Ernährung, die in vielem der PHD ähneln, können Auftreten und Verlauf der Erkrankung auf individueller und auf Public-Health-Ebene beeinflussen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Geprüft wurde, ob die PHD als Ernährungsempfehlung bei Typ-2-Diabetes geeignet sein könnte.

Material und Methoden

Für die pragmatische Übersichtsarbeit wurde in PubMed und Google Scholar fokussiert nach Ernährungsempfehlungen bei Typ-2-Diabetes und genauer Zusammensetzung der PHD recherchiert. Auf Basis dieser Literatur wurde die PHD hinsichtlich der aktuellen Empfehlungen zur Ernährung bei Typ-2-Diabetes abgeglichen.

Ergebnisse

Die PHD erscheint unter Beachtung möglicher Fallstricke, wie etwa einem Protein- oder Kalziummangel, für an Typ-2-Diabetes erkrankte Menschen geeignet.

Schlussfolgerung

Eine pflanzenbasierte, ausgewogene Ernährung ist gut für die individuelle und die planetare Gesundheit. Bei der Umsetzung einer Ernährungsumstellung von an Typ-2-Diabetes Erkrankten kann die PHD eine Orientierung bieten. Dabei können Hausärzt:innen eine wichtige Multiplikator:innenrolle innehaben, ergänzend kann eine strukturierte Ernährungsberatung sinnvoll sein. Für die konkrete Anwendung innerhalb der Patient:innengruppe besteht weiterer Forschungsbedarf.
Mobility-aware federated self-supervised learning in vehicular network
Authors: Gu Xueying , Wu Qiong , Fan Qiang , Fan Pingyi
Published: September 2024

The development of the Internet of Things has led to a significant increase in the number of devices, consequently generating a vast amount of data and resulting in an influx of unlabeled data. Collecting these data enables the training of robust models to support a broader range of applications. However, labeling these data can be costly, and the models dependent on labeled data are often unsuitable for rapidly evolving fields like vehicular networks and mobile Internet of Things, where new data continuously emerge. To address this challenge, Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) offers a way to train models without the need for labels. Nevertheless, the data stored locally in vehicles are considered private, and vehicles are reluctant to share data with others. Federated Learning (FL) is an advanced distributed machine learning approach that protects each vehicle’s privacy by allowing models to be trained locally and the model parameters to be exchanged across multiple devices simultaneously. Additionally, vehicles capture images while driving through cameras mounted on their rooftops. If a vehicle’s velocity is too high, the captured images, donated as local data, may be blurred. Simple aggregation of such data can negatively impact the accuracy of the aggregated model and slow down the convergence speed of FL. This paper proposes a FL algorithm for aggregation based on image blur levels, which is called FLSimCo. This algorithm does not require labels and serves as a pre-training stage for SSL in vehicular networks. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves fast and stable convergence.
Rumen microbiome nutriomics: Harnessing omics technologies for enhanced understanding of rumen microbiome functions and ruminant nutrition
Authors: Yu Zhongtang , Yan Ming , Wang Jiakun
Published: September 2024

The rumen microbiome has attracted tremendous interest among microbiologists and ruminant nutritionists because of its crucial role in mediating feed digestion and fermentation and supplying most of the energy, nutrients, and precursors for producing ruminant products. The application of various omics technologies, including metataxonomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics, have enabled unprecedented investigations into this ecosystem, shedding new light on its interactions with diet and animals and its relationships with key production traits. Despite the valuable insights these omics technologies provide, each has its unique utility and inherent limitations. Achieving a holistic characterization of the rumen microbiome and deciphering its causal relationship with diet and key animal production traits remain an ongoing endeavor. In this perspective review paper, we highlight the limitations of individual technologies and advocate for an integrated multi-omics approach and data analyses in studying the intricate relationships between diet, rumen microbes, and ruminant nutrition. This approach, termed “rumen microbiome nutriomics,” aims to comprehensively understand the rumen microbiome in the context of diets and animal productivity. Our emphasis lies in recognizing the necessity of integrated analysis across multiple data layers, encompassing data of diet, rumen microbiome features, animal genotypes, and production traits and identifying the causal relationship among them. We also call for collaborative efforts to develop a comprehensive rumen microbiome genome database, including prokaryotes, protozoa, fungi, and viruses. Furthermore, standardization of processes and analyses is crucial to address the variability observed in the literature, facilitating comparison of results among future studies and enabling robust data reanalysis through advanced data analytics.
Valuing a Reduction in the Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Large-Scale Multi-Country Stated Preference Approach
Authors: Dockins Chris , Dussaux Damien , Griffiths Charles , Hoffmann Sandra , Simon Nathalie
Published: September 2024

Compromised kidney function is associated with an array of environmental contaminants and pathogens that may be considered for regulation. However, there are few valuation estimates for kidney effects for use in benefit–cost analyses, particularly willingness-to-pay estimates. This paper is one of several surveys valuing morbidity developed by the OECD Surveys to elicit Willingness-to-pay to Avoid Chemicals-related negative Health Effects project, which aims to improve the basis for benefit–cost analyses. We report the results of a stated preference survey valuing reduced the risk of symptomatic chronic kidney disease, filling an important gap in the valuation literature and addressing a need for applied benefits analysis of chemical regulation. The survey was administered to representative samples in each of 10 countries: Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The mean (median) WTP for an average reduction of 3.5 in 1,000 of the risk of serious kidney disease over 5 years is $2,609 ($764), corresponding to a mean (median) value per statistical case (VSC) of chronic kidney disease of $805,000 ($224,000). The mean VSC varies between $700,000 for Canada and $1,200,000 for Türkiye.
From Compensation to Accommodation: The History of Learning Disabilities in American Higher Education
Authors: Gelber Scott M.
Published: September 2024

This article examines the history of learning disabilities (LDs) on college campuses, from the introduction of the concept in the early 1960s to its spread throughout American higher education during the 1990s. At first, colleges offered relatively little assistance and urged students to compensate for their LDs by working harder and adopting recommended study strategies. After legal and institutional pressures compelled faculty members to provide accommodations for greater numbers of students, many professors worried about the legitimacy of the diagnosis and the possible threat to academic standards. While casting a somewhat sympathetic light on these concerns, the article concludes that many elements of this early set of accommodations were eventually regarded as pillars of competent instruction. This history illuminates the complex tension between institutional support and student responsibilities and the murky distinction between individual accommodations and universally-effective teaching.
Writing in Latin: an experiment in composition among early-stage Latin learners
Authors: Hreben Jennifer
Published: September 2024

In the United Kingdom, especially since its re-introduction into GCSE exams by the coalition government of 2010, Latin composition attracts strong opinions. Indeed, Latin teaching methodologies altogether are highly debated. Traditional methods of grammar-translation are avoided by reading courses because of their supposed elitist nature, yet they are still used by many practitioners, and this is typically where prose composition is seen. This study investigates the use of composition in the teaching of Latin to a group of Year 7 students who usually follow a reading course, to see if writing Latin can be of any benefit to students who otherwise would not write any Latin. There is a great deal of literature on the topic, both in favour and against the pedagogical uses of composition. The aim of this study was to implement techniques from the literature into the students’ lessons, and to see what the outcomes were of this new skill.
The Initial Assessment of Ionospheric Radio Occultation Data of MSS‐1 Satellite and Its Applications in Scintillation Exploration
Authors: Wu M. J. , Yue H. Y. , Guo P. , Ma X. , Li H. G. , Dong J. J. , Zuo F. F.
Published: September 2024

The Macau Science Satellites (MSS‐1) mission, consisting of twin low earth orbit satellites (Satellite A and B), is the first low‐inclination and high‐precision geomagnetic surveying satellite project in China. Among the multiple scientific payloads equipped with the scientific satellites, MSS‐1 carries a GNSS radio occultation (RO) receiver on Satellite A, and aims to observe the Earth's ionosphere and monitor the space weather especially in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) area. This paper focuses on the ionospheric data of MSS‐1 obtained during the first 3 months after its launch, and assesses the RO products as well as initial scintillation measurements. Results show that MSS‐1 RO data have very good agreement with contemporary COSMIC‐2 and ionosonde observations. The scintillation amplitude indices S4 are comparable with that of COSMIC‐2 and well reflect the occurrence rates and distributions of equatorial plasma bubble and sporadic E (Es) in June solstice season. Special attentions are paid to the SAA longitude sector and inspire explorations on the seasonal variations and local‐time dependences of ionospheric irregularities.