bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metal- and binder-free dual-ion battery based on green synthetic nano-embroidered spherical organic anode and pure ionic liquid electrolyte
Authors: Wu Hongzheng , Luo Shenghao , Zheng Wen , Li Li , Fang Yaobing , Yuan Wenhui
Published: February 2024

Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) have attracted extensive attention and investigations due to their inherent wide operating voltage and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the vast majority of DIBs employ metal-based anode active materials or electrolytes, which are relatively costly and unsustainable. Moreover, the utilization of binders and current collectors in the preparation of cathodes and anodes reduces the energy density to a certain extent, which weakens the advantages of DIBs. Here, we synthesized three types of binder-free nano-embroidered spherical polyimide anode materials composed entirely of renewable elements, paired with pure ionic liquid electrolyte without metal elements and flexible self-supporting independent graphite paper cathode without current collector, to construct a class of totally metal and binder-free DIBs. It significantly improves specific discharge capacity, energy density, cyclic stability, and fast charging performance while remarkably reducing costs and self-discharge rate. Additionally, we overcame the drawbacks of conventional synthesis methods and innovatively prepared nanoscale polyimide materials by a green and facile hydrothermal method, which effectively minimizes synthesis costs and avoids risks. This novel battery system design strategy will promote the advancement of low-cost, high-performance DIBs and could be a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage applications.
Muslim fashion dynamics: The mediating role of positive emotion in elucidating impulsive buying behavior
Authors: Adriyanto Andhy Tri , Octavia Ayu Nurafni , Romadon Ahmad Sahri
Published: February 2024

Growing Muslim fashion trends drive diverse demands. Business must cater to varied preferences, offering a range of styles to suit consumer wishes in the expanding Muslim fashion industry. This study conducted in Semarang City, Central Java, Indonesia involved 150 respondents and employed SmartPLS to test the interplay of fashion involvement, positive emotion, and impulsive buying. Contrary to expectations, a direct link between fashion involvement and impulsive buying was not significant. However, positive emotions emerged as a crucial mediator, indicating that emotional experiences play a pivotal role in shaping impulsive buying behaviors, especially within Muslim fashion. This research contributes novel insights by uncovering the nuanced relationship between fashion involvement and impulsive buying, highlighting the significant mediating role of positive emotions. It enriches the broader understanding of consumer behavior in the context of the Muslim fashion industry, offering valuable psychological perspectives for consumer management. The absence of a significant direct effect prompts exploration into moderating variables, such as cultural and religious factors within the Muslim community. Concerns about self-reported data and response bias suggest avenues for further refinement in future studies. The study enriches existing theories by emphasizing the intricate interplay between fashion involvement, positive emotions, and impulsive buying.
Chlorophyll-a Estimation in 149 Tropical Semi-Arid Reservoirs Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning
Authors: Oliveira Santos Victor , Guimarães Bruna Monallize Duarte Moura , Lima Neto Iran Eduardo , De Souza Filho Francisco de Assis , Costa Rocha Paulo Alexandre , Van Griensven Thé Jesse , Gharabaghi Bahram
Published: February 2024

Eutrophication, a global concern, impacts water quality, ecosystems, and human health. It’s crucial to monitor algal blooms in freshwater reservoirs, as they indicate the trophic condition of a waterbody through Chlorophyll-a (Chla) concentration. Traditional monitoring methods, however, are expen-sive and time-consuming. Addressing this hindrance, we developed models using remotely sensed data from the Sentinel-2 satellite for large-scale coverage, including its bands and spectral indexes, to estimate the Chla concentration on 149 freshwater reservoirs in Ceará, Brazil. Several machine learning models were trained and tested, including k-nearest neighbours, random forests, extreme gradient boosting, the least absolute shrinkage, group method of data handling (GMDH), and sup-port vector machine models. A stepwise approach determined the best subset of input parameters. Using a 70/30 split for the training and testing datasets, the best-performing model was the GMDH, achieving an R2 of 0.91, MAPE of 102.34%, and RMSE of 20.38 g/L, which are values consistent with the ones found in the literature. Nevertheless, the predicted Chla concentration values were most sensitive to the red, green, and near infra-red bands.
Safety and Efficacy of Wharton's Jelly Connective Tissue Allograft for Rotator Cuff Tears: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Lai Albert , Tamea Conrad , Shou John , Okaf Anthony , Sparks Jay , Dodd Renee , Woods Crislyn , Lambert Naomi , Schulte Orion Leiloni , Barrett Tyler Chadd
Published: February 2024

With the increasing occurrence of rotator cuff injuries every year, there is a great need for a reliable treatment option. Wharton’s Jelly contains several components that can positively impact the replacement and repair of musculoskeletal defects. The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the improvement of patient-reported pain scales after applying Wharton’s Jelly (WJ) in rotator cuff defects. Eighty-seven patients with rotator cuff defects who failed at least eight weeks of conservative treatment were selected from the retrospective repository. 2cc of WJ flowable allograft was applied to the specific affected anatomy, the most common being supraspinatus tendon, biceps tendon insertion, labral tear, and subscapularis tear. No adverse reactions were reported. Statistically significant improvements were found from the initial to Day 90 in all scales. Patient satisfaction was calculated using minimal clinically important differences. No statistically significant differences were found in mean changes between gender, BMI, and age. Scanning Electron Microscopy images reveal the similarities between the collagen matrix in WJ and the rotator cuff. The significant improvement in patient outcomes coincides with current literature analyzing WJ applications with other structural defects around the body. WJ is a promising alternative for musculoskeletal defects when the standard of care fails.
Fast Coincidence Filter for Silicon Photomultiplier Dark Count Rate Rejection
Authors: Real Diego , Calvo David , Zornoza Juan de Dios , Manzaneda Mario , Gozzini Rebecca , Ricolfe-Viala Carlos , Lajara Rafael , Albiol Francisco
Published: February 2024

Silicon Photomultipliers find applications across various fields. One potential Silicon Photomultiplier application domain is neutrino telescopes, where they may enhance the angular resolution. However, the elevated dark count rate associated with Silicon Photomultipliers represents a significant challenge to their widespread utilization. To address this issue, it is proposed to use Silicon Photomultipliers and Photomultiplier Tubes together. The Photomultiplier Tubes signals would serve as a trigger to mitigate the dark count rate, thereby preventing undue saturation of the available bandwidth. This paper presents an investigation into a fast and resource-efficient method for filtering Silicon Photomultiplier dark count rate. A low-resource and fast coincident filter has been developed, which removes the Silicon Photomultiplier dark count rate by using as trigger the Photomultiplier Tube input signals. The architecture of the coincidence filter, together with the first results obtained, which validate the effectiveness of this method are presented.
Integrated Multi-Cohort Analysis of Whole-Genome and Transcriptome Data Reveals Interplay between Metabolism and Methylation in Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
Authors: Alzamzami Waseem , Alatawi Sael
Published: February 2024

Objectives: Metabolic interactions amongst mutated genes in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) offer promising avenues for novel anticancer treatments. Our comprehensive study delves into these mutational and transcriptomic landscapes, pinpointing hallmark gene mutations and deregulated gene expression that could influence MDS patients’ metabolomes.
Methods: The study utilized a retrospective, cross-sectional approach, employing mutational data on the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal conducted and reported by the University of Tokyo in 2011 and multi-center MDS cohorts regulated by Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, United Kingdom, all in 2020. For transcriptomic data, we selected three publicly accessible independent cohorts on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE114922 in Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, United Kingdome, GSE63569 in University of Oxford, United Kingdome, and GSE183328 in CIMA, Spain) held in 2015, 2018, and 2022, respectively. To compile clinical, mutational, and transcriptomic data on MDS patients from multiple datasets and studies. This meta-analysis included genomic data derived from cellular genomics sources to assess mutations in specific genes, alongside an examination of transcriptomic data from three separate datasets that have been previously published.
Results: DNMT3A presented a 20% mutation frequency, playing a pivotal role in MDS metabolomics. The DNMT3A gene mutations displayed significant mutual exclusivity with the SRSF2, ASXL1, JAK2, and TP53 genes. The mutational analysis also showed that the gene expression landscape in MDS is associated with alterations to DNA methylation pathways.
Conclusion: This analysis suggests a potential therapeutic niche. Identifying signature genes in MDS that have metabolic and methylation affiliations could illuminate the disease's intricate biology and inspire novel treatments.
Cellular Immunity of SARS-CoV-2 in the Borriana COVID-19 Cohort: A Nested Case-Control Study
Authors: Domenèch-Montoliu Salvador , Puig-Barberà Joan , Pac-Sa Maria Rosario , Orrico-Sanchez Alejandro , Gómez-Lanas Lorna , Sala-Trull Diego , Domènech-León Carmen , Del Rio-González Alba , Sanchez-Urbano Manuel , Satorres-Martinez Paloma , Aparisi-Esteve Laura , Badenes-Marques Gema , Blasco-Gari Roser , Casanova-Suarez Juan , Gil-Fortuño Maria , Hernández-Pérez Noelia , Jovani-Sales David , López-Diago Laura , Notari-Rodríguez Cristina , Pérez-Olaso Oscar , Romeu-Garcia María Angeles , Ruíz-Puig Raquel , Arnedo-Pena Alberto
Published: February 2024

Our goal was to determine the cellular immune response (CIR) among a random sample of the Borriana COVID-19 cohort (Spain) to identify its associated factors and their relationship with infection, reinfection and sequelae. We conducted a nested case-control study using a randomly selected sample of 225 individuals age 18 and older, including 36 individual naïve to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 189 infected patients. We employed flow cytometry-based immunoassays for intracellular cytokine staining, utilizing Wuhan and BA.2 antigens and chemoluminescence microparticle immunoassay for detection SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Logistic regression models were used. A total of 215 (95.6%) participants exhibited T-cell response (TCR) to at least one antigen. Positive responses of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were 89.8% and 85.3% respectively. No difference in CIR was found for naïve and infected patients. Patients who experienced sequelae exhibited higher CIR than those without. A positive correlation was observed between TCR and Anti-Spike IgG levels. Factors positive associated with TCR included A-blood group, number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses received, and Anti-N IgM; factors inversely related were the time elapsed since the last vaccine dose or infection, and B-blood group. These findings contribute valuable insights into the nuance immune landscape shaped by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
Bibliography Analysis on Bioremediation on Heavy Metal Pollution
Authors: Ding Yuanzhao
Published: February 2024

Heavy metal pollution poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health worldwide. In response to this pressing issue, bioremediation has emerged as a promising approach for mitigating contamination. This paper adopts a bibliographic method to explore the key techniques and applications of bioremediation. Furthermore, we delve into the most prominent threats to human environmental health and the corresponding remediation methods. Additionally, we discuss the future trajectory of bioremediation research, with a particular focus on the integration of big data and machine learning technologies. These advanced methodologies hold great potential for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of environmental remediation efforts in the face of escalating pollution challenges.
The Impact of Candida albicans in the Development, Kinetics, Structure, and Cell Viability of Biofilms on Implant Surfaces. An In Vitro Study with a Validated Multispecies Biofilm Model
Authors: Bravo Enrique , Arce Marion , Ribeiro-Vidal Honorato , Herrera David , Sanz Mariano
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Candida albicans on subgingival biofilm formation on dental implant surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to compare biofilm structure and microbial biomass in the presence and absence of the fungus after periods of 24, 48, and 72 h. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to quantify the number of viable and total micro-organisms for each of the biofilm-forming strains. A general linear model was applied to compare CLSM and qPCR results between control and test conditions. The biofilm developed with C. albicans at 72 h had a higher bacterial biomass, with a significantly higher cell viability (p < 0.05). After both 48 and 72 h of incubation, in the presence of C. albicans, there was a significant increase in counts of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis and in the cell viability of Streptococcus oralis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, F. nucleatum, and P. gingivalis. Using a dynamic in vitro multispecies biofilm model, C. albicans exacerbated the development of the biofilm grown on dental implant surfaces, significantly increasing the number and cell viability of periodontal bacteria.
Structural Analysis and Load Test of Railway Bridge
Authors: Sumargo Sumargo , Oesman Mardiana , Fadli Fachmi
Published: February 2024

The BH 25 railway bridge, located in Indonesia, consists of three spans: 9.5 m (span-1 girder type), 21.9 m (span-2 truss type), and 9.6 m (span-3 girder type). Despite the initial plan for camber, it was not achieved, leading to the installation of temporary support on span-2. To assess the level of damage and determine the necessary steps, static and dynamic tests were conducted using a CC206 locomotive. The maximum deflection was recorded at -4.60 mm for span-1, -11.30 mm for span-2, and -3.42 mm for span-3. The dominant frequency in the vertical direction of span-2 was found to be 14.65 Hz. Due to the inability to achieve the planned camber and the subsequent removal of temporary support, external prestressing will be implemented, resulting in a camber of 11.82 mm. This change in prestressing also affects the dominant frequency of span-2, which becomes 17.07 Hz.
Green Practices in Action: Examining HRM’s Role in Fostering Environmental Performance in Egypt's
Hospitality Sector
Authors: Abedelrahim Selma , Qassim Amal Abdulmajeed , Alatawi Fatmah Mohmmed H
Published: February 2024

This study examines the dynamic relationship between Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM), Environmental Performance (EP), Green Employee Behavior (GEB), and Environmental Knowledge and Awareness (EKAW) within the Egyptian hospitality sector context. Using Pearson correlation coefficients and regression analyses on a sample of 400 staff members from hotels and tourist villages in Egypt, the study examines Green HRM practices’ influence on EP, mediated by GEB and moderated by EKAW. The findings reveal significant positive correlations between Green HRM practices and these mediators, indicating that comprehensive environmental strategies and incentive management are pivotal in promoting eco-friendly practices among employees. The study further confirms GEB and EKAW’s substantial mediating role in enhancing EP. The results also suggest that while EKAW and GEB independently contribute to EP, their interaction and the role of environmental awareness as a potential moderator warrant further examination. This research contributes to the literature on sustainable business practices by underscoring human resource strategies’ integral role in achieving environmental sustainability goals, highlighting the importance of incentivizing green practices, and cultivating an organizational culture that prioritizes EKAW. These insights are particularly valuable for organizations seeking to enhance their ecological footprint through effective Green HRM practices.
Unveiling Influence in Networks: A Novel Centrality Metric and Comparative Analysis through Graph-Based Models
Authors: BENDAHMAN Nada , LOTFI Dounia
Published: February 2024

Identifying influential actors within social networks is pivotal for optimizing information flow and mitigating the spread of both rumors and diseases. Several methods have emerged to pinpoint these influential entities in networks that are represented as graphs. In these graphs, nodes corre-spond to individuals and edges indicate their connections. This study focuses on centrality measures, prized for their straightforwardness and effectiveness. We categorize structural central-ity into two: local, considering a node's immediate vicinity, and global, accounting for overarching path structures. Some techniques blend both centralities to highlight nodes influential at both mi-cro and macro levels. Our paper presents a novel centrality measure, accentuating node degree and incorporating the network's broader features, especially paths of different lengths. Through Spearman and Pearson's correlations tested on seven standard datasets, our method proves its merit against traditional centrality measures. Additionally, we employ the SIR model, portraying disease spread, to further validate our approach. The ultimate influential node is gauged by its capacity to infect the most nodes during the SIR model's progression. Our results indicate a nota-ble correlative efficacy across various real-world networks relative to other centrality metrics.
The Impact of C-3 Side Chain Modifications on Kynurenic Acid: A Behavioral Analysis of Its Analogs on Motor Domain
Authors: Martos Diána , Lőrinczi Bálint , Szatmári István , Vécsei László , Tanaka Masaru
Published: February 2024

The central nervous system (CNS) is the final frontier in drug delivery because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which poses significant barriers to the access of most drugs to their targets. Kynurenic acid (KYNA), a tryptophan (Trp) metabolite, plays an important role in behavioral functions and abnormal KYNA levels have been observed in neuropsychiatric conditions. The current challenge lies in delivering KYNA to the CNS owing to its polar side chain. Recently, C-3 side chain modified KYNA analogs have been shown to cross the BBB; however, it is unclear whether they retain the biological functions of the parent molecule. This study examined the impact of KYNA analogs, specifically SZR-72, SZR-104, and the newly developed SZRG-21, on behavior. The analogs were administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.), and their effects on the motor domain were compared with those of KYNA. Specifically, open field (OF) and rotarod (RR) tests were employed to assess motor activity and skills. SZR-104 increased horizontal exploratory activity in the OF test at a dose of 0.04 μmol/4 μL, while SZR-72 decreased vertical activity at doses of 0.04 and 0.1 μmol/4 μL. In the RR test, however, neither KYNA nor its analogs showed any significant differences in motor skills at either dose. Side chain modification affects affective motor performance and exploratory behavior, as the results show for the first time. In this study, we showed that KYNA analogs alter emotional components such as motor-associated curiosity and emotions. Consequently, drug design necessitates the development of precise strategies to traverse the BBB while paying close attention to modifications in their effects on behavior.
Janus Particles in Acoustofluidic setup: The Interplay between Self‐Propulsion and Acoustic Trapping
Authors: Benko Lisa Marie , Misko Vyacheslav R. , Baraban Larysa , Makarov Denys , Maisto Antonio , Malsche Wim De
Published: February 2024

Acoustic focusing of particle flow in microfluidics has been shown to be an efficient tool for particle separation for various chemical and biomedical applications. The mechanism behind the method is the selective effect of the acoustic radiation force on distinct particles. In this way, they can be selectively focused and separated. The technique can also be applied under stationary conditions, i.e., in the absence of fluid flows. In this study, the manipulation of self-propelled particles, such as Janus particles, in an acoustofluidic setup is investigated. In experiments with self-propelled Janus particles and passive beads, we explore the interplay between self-propulsion and the acoustic radiation force. Our results demonstrate unusual and potentially useful effects such as selective trapping, escape and assisted escape in binary mixtures of active and passive particles. We also analyze various aspects related to the behavior of Janus particles in acoustic traps in the presence and absence of flows.
Histopathological Diagnosis of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma After Preoperative Corticosteroid Therapy
Authors: Feldheim Julia , Darkwah Oppong Marvin , Feldheim Jonas Alexander , Jabbarli Ramazan , Dammann Philipp , Uerschels Anne-Kathrin , Gembruch Oliver , Ahmadipour Yahya , Deuschl Cornelius , Junker Andreas , Sure Ulrich , Wrede Karsten Henning
Published: February 2024

In patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), the choice of surgical strategy for histopathologic assessment is still controversial, particularly in terms of preoperative corticosteroid (CS) therapy. To provide further evidence for clinical decision-making, we retrospectively analyzed data from 148 consecutive patients who underwent surgery at our institution. Although patients treated with corticosteroids preoperatively were significantly more likely to require a second or third biopsy (p=0.049), it was only necessary in less than 10% of the cases with preoperative corticosteroid treatment. The choice of surgical procedure did not affect diagnostic accuracy (p>0.05). Preoperative CSF sampling did not provide additional information but was associated with delayed surgery (p=0.02). Surprisingly, diagnostic accuracy was significantly lower when patients were treated with anticoagulation or dual antiplatelet therapy (p=0.015). In conclusion, preoperative CS therapy can challenge the histological diagnosis of PCNSL. At the same time, our data suggest that preoperative CS treatment only presents a relative contraindication for an early surgical intervention. The standard surgical approach is stereotactic biopsy, but other approaches can be individually considered. If a definitive diagnosis cannot be made after the first surgical intervention, the timing of a repeat biopsy after discontinuation of CS remains a case-by-case decision.
Defence and Protection of the Marine Coastal Areas and Human Health: A Case Study of Asbestos Cement Contamination (Italy)
Authors: Somma Roberta , Giacobbe Salvatore , La Monica Francesco Paolo , Molino Maria Letizia , Morabito Marina , Spoto Sebastiano Ettore , Zaccaro Salvatore , Zaffino Giuseppe
Published: February 2024

Keywords: Marine Coasts; Protected Areas; Defense and Conservation; Asbestos Cement Materials; Wastes; Contamination; Human Health Risk; Medical Geology.
Pre-Service English Teachers’ Motivations Toward the Teaching Profession
Authors: Hartini Ayuningtyas Hartini Ayuningtyas , Imam Santosa, S.Pd M.Pd
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the motivations of pre-service English teachers at Esa Unggul University, Indonesia, after completing the teaching practicum. A mixed methods approach was employed, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires with 36 pre-service teachers. Additionally, in-depth insights were gained from interviews with ten participants. McClelland's motivation theories - the need for power, affiliation, and achievement - guided the analysis. The findings indicate a strong inclination toward the need for achievement, emphasizing personal growth, academic excellence, and continuous learning. Pre-service teachers are dedicated to improving their teaching skills and positively impacting students. The need for power showed moderate motivation, reflecting interest in making an impact and seeking leadership roles. The need for affiliation demonstrated moderate motivation, highlighting the importance of positive relationships and collaboration. The teaching practicum significantly influenced pre-service teachers' motivations and commitment to a teaching career. Implications for teacher education programs underscore the necessity of supporting and recognizing pre-service teachers' motivations for a successful teaching profession.
The Existence of CEFR Interaction Competence of Communicative Language Activities in TikTok
Authors: Ika Rika Maisyah , Santosa Imam
Published: February 2024

The increasing popularity of social media apps has the potential to provide teachers and students with a platform for innovative and engaging language learning, one of which is TikTok. However, there is a lack of investigation and explanation on to what extent and how videos available on TikTok can enhance interaction and activities in language learning classrooms. Therefore, this study aims to examine the existence of CEFR interaction competence in communicative activities and its level on selected TikTok videos. This study applied a content analysis method with a qualitative approach using the CEFR reference of the illustrative descriptor scale. The top 250 learning videos from the search results for the hashtag #learnenglish were collected. The findings show that most activities were found in overall oral interaction with a score of 291 and the level was A2 with 46% of occurrences. The findings demonstrate that TikTok learning videos are well-suited as teaching materials for classes at the A2 proficiency level with general oral interaction activities.
Unveiling Creativity Elements in YouTube Narrative Videos for Ninth-Grade Junior High School Students
Authors: Nugraha Nalika Ligar Katiasa , Permana Sudarya , Agustina Imas Wahyu
Published: February 2024

Creative narrative videos posted on YouTube have been proven to help students learn the narrative text and enhance students’ creativity toward making an excellent creative product. Along with the advantages, there are challenges and risks that teachers must consider since YouTube is an open-access video-sharing platform. This study aims to see whether narrative videos posted on YouTube meet creativity elements that can help ninth-grade junior high school students learn narrative text. This study used a qualitative method with content analysis to analyze fifteen narrative videos from three YouTube channels; Dongeng Kita, English Fairy Tales, and Gigglebox. The selected fifteen videos have been uploaded within the last seven years and are addressed to teenage viewers. Using the framework from D'Souza (2021), the findings show that the selected narrative videos fulfilled around 30% to 80% of the creativity elements. The audience immersive experience aspect, with a percentage of 45%, is the most dominant aspect of the narrative video's creativity elements. In contrast, the development and control aspect is the least in the creativity elements of narrative video, with a percentage of 25,5%.  The narrative videos demonstrate diversity, a distinction or feature that distinguishes a narrative video from the previous version (narrative text). This study is expected to be a recommendation for teachers in choosing narrative videos on YouTube to support their teaching materials and simultaneously enhance students' creative thinking skills.
Suicide Methods and Trends Across Race/Ethnicity, Age, and Sex Groups in Chicago, Illinois, 2015–2021
Authors: Goodwill Janelle R. , Baccile Rachel
Published: February 2024

Objectives. To measure differences in suicide rates across race/ethnicity, age, and sex groups in Chicago, Illinois, from 2015 to 2021.

Methods. We calculated the incidence rate and annual percentage change in suicides among Asian, Black, Latino/a, and White persons in Chicago. We also analyzed patterns in suicide method across race/ethnicity, age, and sex groups.

Results. Suicides increased significantly among Black males (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 1.20), Black females (IRR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.33), and Latino males (IRR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.38) between 2015 and 2021. Suicides decreased overall among White Chicagoans during this period. A significantly greater proportion of Black males than Black females died by suicide using a firearm (55.79% vs 24.05%; P < .001). Similar results were detected for Latino males and females (32.99% vs 9.09%; P = .001) and White males and females (30.10% vs 11.73%; P < .001).

Conclusions. Black persons in Chicago were the only group to experience significant increases in suicide among both males and females from 2015 to 2021, although specific methods used varied by race/ethnicity and sex group. ( Am J Public Health. 2024;114(3):319–328. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307511 )
Fomentando una economía circular en la Unión Europea: experiencias anteriores y comienzo del sistema de depósito, devolución y retorno en Portugal para la gestión de residuos de envases
Authors: Sobrino García Itziar
Published: February 2024

La problemática de los residuos plásticos ha sido afrontada por la Unión Europea (UE) mediante una estrategia basada en la economía circular, buscando una gestión sostenible de los materiales y promoviendo la reutilización y el reciclaje. En este contexto los sistemas de depósito y retorno de envases (SDDR) se plantean como una solución eficaz, como se ha demostrado en diversos países europeos. Al hilo de esta situación, la presente investigación, analiza el contexto legislativo de los SDDR en la UE así como los casos específicos de Suecia, Alemania, Dinamarca y Finlandia, todo ello con el objetivo de extraer una serie de recomendaciones que pueden ser aplicables al caso de Portugal, un país que ha establecido con sus últimas reformas legislativas la obligatoriedad de implementación del SDDR a nivel estatal.
Effect of Aspirin Versus Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Thromboprophylaxis on Medication Satisfaction and Out-of-Pocket Costs
Authors: O’Hara Nathan N. , Frey Katherine P. , Stein Deborah M. , Levy Joseph F. , Slobogean Gerard P. , Castillo Renan , Firoozabadi Reza , Karunakar Madhav A. , Gary Joshua L. , Obremskey William T. , Seymour Rachel B. , Cuschieri Joseph , Mullins C. Daniel , O’Toole Robert V. ,   METRC
Published: February 2024

Background:

Current guidelines recommend low-molecular-weight heparin for thromboprophylaxis after orthopaedic trauma. However, recent evidence suggests that aspirin is similar in efficacy and safety. To understand patients’ experiences with these medications, we compared patients’ satisfaction and out-of-pocket costs after thromboprophylaxis with aspirin versus low-molecular-weight heparin.

Methods:

This study was a secondary analysis of the PREVENTion of CLots in Orthopaedic Trauma (PREVENT CLOT) trial, conducted at 21 trauma centers in the U.S. and Canada. We included adult patients with an operatively treated extremity fracture or a pelvic or acetabular fracture. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg of low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin) twice daily or 81 mg of aspirin twice daily for thromboprophylaxis. The duration of the thromboprophylaxis, including post-discharge prescription, was based on hospital protocols. The study outcomes included patient satisfaction with and out-of-pocket costs for their thromboprophylactic medication measured on ordinal scales.

Results:

The trial enrolled 12,211 patients (mean age and standard deviation [SD], 45 ± 18 years; 62% male), 9725 of whom completed the question regarding their satisfaction with the medication and 6723 of whom reported their out-of-pocket costs. The odds of greater satisfaction were 2.6 times higher for patients assigned to aspirin than those assigned to low-molecular-weight heparin (odds ratio [OR]: 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.39 to 2.80; p < 0.001). Overall, the odds of incurring any out-of-pocket costs for thromboprophylaxis medication were 51% higher for patients assigned to aspirin compared with low-molecular-weight heparin (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.37 to 1.66; p < 0.001). However, patients assigned to aspirin had substantially lower odds of out-of-pocket costs of at least $25 (OR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.18; p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Use of aspirin substantially improved patients’ satisfaction with their medication after orthopaedic trauma. While aspirin use increased the odds of incurring any out-of-pocket costs, it protected against costs of ≥$25, potentially improving health equity for thromboprophylaxis.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Accu Scrap Raw Material Inventorycontrol Using the Min- Max Method
Authors: Faizin Muhammad Nur , Jakaria Ribangun Bamban
Published: February 2024

This research investigates the efficacy of implementing the Min-Max method to enhance inventory control performance in a manufacturing setting converting ACCU scrap into tin metal. Focused on two product types, bullion, and ingots, the study aims to optimize inventory policies by determining safety stock, minimum and maximum stock levels, order quantities, and reorder points to mitigate stockouts and overstocks. Results demonstrate a significant improvement, with the Min-Max method enabling a 33% increase in raw material control effectiveness compared to previous methods. This research underscores the potential for the Min-Max approach to provide practical solutions for inventory management challenges in manufacturing, offering valuable insights for industry practitioners and researchers alike.
Highlight :

The Min-Max method improved inventory management effectiveness by 33%.
This approach facilitated the determination of safe stock levels, minimal order quantities, and reorder points.
Manufacturers experienced reduced operating expenses while maintaining competitive edge and responsiveness to market dynamics.

Keywords: Accu scrap processing, Min-Max method, inventory control, supply chain optimization, resource allocation
Adicción a las redes sociales y habilidades sociales en estudiantes de secundaria
Authors:   , Bustamante Campos Eva Omega
Published: February 2024

El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar si existía relación entre la adicción a las redes sociales y las habilidades sociales en estudiantes de secundaria de un colegio particular de Lima Metropolitana. Fue un estudio cuantitativo, no experimental, correlacional y transversal. La muestra fue no probabilística siendo de 64 estudiantes de primero a quinto de secundaria de 12 a 17 años. Se les aplicó el Cuestionario de Adicción a las Redes Sociales (ARS) de Escurra y Salas (2014) y la Escala de Habilidades Sociales (EHS) de Gismero (2000) adaptada por Cesar Ruiz Alva (2008) al contexto peruano. Los resultados muestran que existe una correlación negativa baja significativa entre la Adicción a las Redes Sociales y las habilidades sociales (r= -0.336, p= 0,007), indicando que a mayor adicción a redes sociales menos habilidades sociales en los adolescentes. Sin embargo, no se encontró una relación significativa entre las dimensiones de la adicción a las redes sociales y la Expresión de Enfado o Disconformidad y las Interacciones Positivas con el Sexo Opuesto y entre la dimensión Uso excesivo de las Redes Sociales con la dimensión Hacer Peticiones (P>0.05). Estos resultados contribuirán a la implementación de programas de intervención enfocados en un uso adecuado de las nuevas tecnologías y el fomento de habilidades sociales en los estudiantes.
Adriana Szili
Authors: Szili Adriana
Published: February 2024

Teachers are entertainers. They perform to a myriad of audiences in any given day, in part to students in a classroom, to parents or collegues in the staffroom. These performances need to be carefully scuplted and managed to ensure that the audience engages with each presentation. This paper discusses the complex nature of the construction of the teaching persona through a triangulated approach that intersects media, sociology and education by utilising autoethnography and textual analysis to explore how teachers create and maintain a persona in contemporary society.
The UX University
Authors: Sampson Tony
Published: February 2024

This article focuses on the critical role emotions, feelings and affect play in situating student experience during a major transition from rebellion against fees to an apparent capitulation to the marketization of the higher education (HE) sector. The discussion begins by shining a light on the “viscerality” of student fees protests in London in 2010. Through imagery and oral histories, the protests appear to comprise of joyful collective and contagious encounters, disobedient optimism, riotous anger, and eventual violence. Yet, following defeat in Parliament, the visceral intensity of rebellion seems to have been exhausted. Indeed, following a summary of the marketization of the HE sector, the second part of the article introduces the concept of the UX University. As follows, for many universities struggling to survive in an overly competitive marketplace for student numbers, UX is supposed to provide an edge. UX principles have therefore been incorporated throughout the student experience journey, including the tracking of emotional touchpoints that inform managerial metrics and enable the convergence of learning experiences, market design, and employee performance. In short, the UX university is significantly shaped by the emotional branding of student experience.Drawing on the work of Neetu Khanna (2020), the article concludes by defining the shift away from the viscerality of rebellion toward a digitally enhanced fattening of felt affect, as an “evisceration” of the student (user) experience.
Situating Emotion In Digital Culture:
Authors: Marshall David , Umback Janey
Published: February 2024

This introduction to this issue works to map how emotion is situated in contemporary digital culture. It is derived from an international online symposium led by the authors and including leading scholars in this area of study and investigation from more than 5 countries in November 2021. The article works to identify and summarise the material generated by each of the scholars and further links it to the complex domain of persona and digital persona. It specifically explores six distinct topics of digital identity and expression in its intersection with sentiment and affect: 1. Facial Recognition and Expression; 2. Emotion and Technological Interface; 3. Emotional Intelligence in Digital Culture; 4. New Forms of Digital Sensitivity in Social Media and Online Platform Activity; 5. Emotion, Performative Presentation and Curation: Emoji, Hashtags, and Memes; and 6. Digital Mood Synchrony and Digital Contagion. The conclusion then summarises the direction of the Symposium and how it intersects with the articles that are part of this special issue.
Having fun saving the climate
Authors: Haastrup Helle Kannik
Published: February 2024

“How dare you!”. Greta Thunberg’s angry address at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in 2019 epitomised the younger generations’ emotionally charged critique of the political establishment and that establishment’s clear deficit in addressing the climate crisis. Similarly, recent studies of the communication of climate change issues, specifically on the social media platform TikTok, have revealed how Generation Z directly critiques ‘boomers’ for not preventing the climate crisis (Zeng and Abidin 2021) or explicitly express climate anxiety and helplessness (Kaye et al. 2023). Expressions of emotion are in many ways central to how climate change is addressed on social media, and research has so far focussed primarily on quantitative content analysis of affective publics with TikTok hashtags such as #forclimate (Hautea et al. 2021), #climatechange (Corey et al. 2022) and #ecotok (Huber et al. 2022). Less attention has been paid to how individual influencers address climate change through an emotional focus (Murphy 2021). This article aims to remedy this gap through an analysis of two climate influencers on TikTok and how they address climate change through the lens of fashion and science, respectively. They apply their personas (Marshall et al. 2020) to engage in emotional storytelling (Wahl-Jorgensen 2019) and emotional labour (Senft 2008), as well as using hashtags as part of an affective public (Papacharissi 2016). These two influencer types communicate upbeat and fact-based climate narratives in contrast to other ‘gloom and doom’ videos shared on TikTok (Hautea et al. 2021; Kaye et al. 2023) and further represent individual takes on counter-narratives to misinformation about climate change (van Eerten et al. 2017). Our analysis exemplifies how, in a qualitative study, we can investigate the extent to which climate influencers, through their emotional address as well as their fact-based communication, contribute to counter-narratives about climate change on TikTok.
The Presentation of the Pictogrammic “Self” and Persona
Authors: Marshall David
Published: February 2024

This article focuses on the history of emoji. From the identifiable smiley face from the 1960s and 1970s to the computer and early Internet culture of using emoticons, it describes how this form of communication filled certain gaps in our structure of conveying sentiment and feeling and works at the construction of a constructed persona of the self in contemporary culture. Connected to this study is the historical connection to pictograms and character-based languages; in that analysis and its linguistic emphasis, the article concludes with the possibility that the development of emoji helps us understand how language and its rearticulation in “text” and “image” has worked to produce collective and common meanings. Research into the differences in written languages – from alphanumeric structures to hieroglyphs and character-based systems – is integrated into positioning emoji and their collective meaning systems. The article concludes with a comprehensive reading of how emoji – in its massive migration and integration from its Japanese imagistic origins to its now routine play in across a myriad of cultures - constructs a strategic form of communicationthat conveys a tactical expression of self and our persona in and through digital culture.
Accelerated ageing of skeletal muscle and the immune system in patients with chronic liver disease.
Authors: Lord Janet , Nicholson Thomas , Dhaliwal Amritpal , Quinlan Jonathon , Allen Sophie , Williams Felicity , Hazeldine Jon , McGee Kirsty , Sullivan Jack , Breen Leigh , Elsharkawy Ahmed , Armstrong Matthew , Jones Simon , Greig Carolyn
Published: February 2024

Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) often present with significant frailty, sarcopenia and impaired immune function. However, the mechanisms driving the development of these age-related phenotypes are not fully understood. To determine whether accelerated biological ageing may play a role, we performed an epigenetic, transcriptomic and phenotypic assessment of the biological age of skeletal muscle tissue and immune cells of CLD patients. We identified accelerated biological ageing of the skeletal muscle tissue of CLD patients, evidenced by accelerated epigenetic ageing and a transcriptome enriched for cellular senescence. This was accompanied by a prematurely aged immune phenotype, with CLD patients presenting with an accelerated ageing trajectory within the adaptive arm of the immune system. Inherent accelerated cellular ageing may contribute to the early onset of age-associated diseases in CLD patients and therefore therapeutic intervention to reduce biological ageing in CLD may improve to health outcomes.
Perfluoroalkyl substances: a risk for the aquatic environment? A one-year case-study in river waters of Central Italy
Authors: Castellani Federica , Galletti Mara , Charavgis Fedra , Cingolani Alessandra , Renzi Sonia , Nucci Mirko , Protano Carmela , Vitali Matteo
Published: February 2024

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large class of persistent emerging pollutants, ubiquitous in different environmental compartments. In this study, twenty-one PFASs were determined in seventy-eight water samples collected from six different rivers in Umbria region (central Italy) during thirteen-months monitoring campaign. The sum of the twenty-one target analytes (Σ21PFASs) ranged from 2.0 to 68.5 ng L− 1, with a mean value of 22.0 ng L− 1. The highest concentrations of Σ21PFASs were recorded in the warmest months (from June to September), due to a reduced river streamflow caused by low rainfall and high temperatures. PFASs with a number of carbon atoms between four and nine prevail over C10-C18 congeners, due to their higher water solubility and to their increased use in industry. PFBA followed by PFPeA, PFHxA and PFOA, were the most abundant congeners detected in the analyzed river water samples. Finally, the calculation of risk quotients (∑RQs) has allowed to assess the risk for three aquatic organisms (fish, algae and daphnid) deriving from the exposure to PFASs. The survey showed that the risk for the three aquatic organisms during the four seasons and throughout the year was always negligible. The only exception was a low risk for fish and daphnid in GEN river considering the annual exposure.
SQLE-mediated squalene metabolism is critical for mitochondrial biogenesis and tumor development in K-ras-driven cancer
Authors: Liu Jinyun , Pan Junchen , Liu Rui , Zhang Huiqin , Lu Wenhua , Peng Hongyu , Yang Jing , Zhang Qianrui , Yu Tiantian , Huo Bitao , Wei Xiaoying , Zhou Lin , Liang Haixi , Hu Yumin , Wen Shijun , Xia Xiaojun , Huang Peng
Published: February 2024

Despite the widely recognition of K-ras oncogenic role, the underlying biochemical pathways and metabolic regulation that promote cancer development remain to be characterized. Here we show that SQLE, a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, is upregulated by K-ras and its expression levels are closely correlated with poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. Mechanistically, SQLE is essential for the timely metabolic removal of the endogenous squalene, which at high concentration inhibits PGC-1α-mediate mitochondrial biogenesis via promoting the formation of an aberrant Sp1-TFAP2E promoter complex and thus hindering TFAP2E’s expression, leading to a major inhibition of mitochondrial biogenesis and suppression of respiratory function. This regulatory mechanism is independent of cholesterol synthesis. Genetic knockdown of SQLE caused a high accumulation of squalene in pancreatic cancer cells with K-ras mutation, and almost completely abolished tumor growth. Administration of squalene also inhibits tumor growth in vivo. Our study has revealed a previously unrecognized role of SQLE in K-ras-driven cancer, and also identifies the SQLE/TFAP2E/PGC-1α axis as a novel target for intervention of pancreatic cancer metabolism for therapeutic purpose.