bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smart Tags as Enablers for Digital Product Passports in Circular Electronics Value Chains
Authors: Hakola Liisa , Abedi Fatemeh , Nordman Sirpa , Smolander Maria , Paltakari Jouni
Published: February 2025

The electronics industry is expected to adopt more sustainable and circular product concepts and operations. Since the electronics value chains are complex, digital product passports (DPPs) that provide value chain transparency and traceability can be seen as one key enabler for shifting towards circular economy. Data carriers that are physical identifiers attached to products provide access to product data stored in the cloud and databases. Smart tags that combine item-level identification with condition monitoring are proposed to enable access also to dynamic lifecycle data of products to improve decision-making at end-of-life based on conditions that the product has been exposed to during its lifecycle. This dynamic information could be effectively used together with product data to decide on which circular economy strategy to adopt: reuse, remanufacture, repair, recycle etc. This paper analyses the data requirements of electronics value chain for DPPs, specifically focusing on which conditions to monitor with the help of smart tags. The data for this analysis was collected from ten developmental value chains aiming for sustainability and circularity with a questionnaire related to data needs, data access, data gaps, and data availability. The responses highlighted the need for data exchange and tools to monitor performance of components during storage and use. A printed visual humidity sensor is developed and analyzed as an experimental case study to help the value chains to dynamically monitor lifecycle conditions of products. This smart tag principal was functional with a visible colour change over time at different humidities between 33–72%RH, while not reacting at 0%RH. The relevance of different smart tag concepts is discussed and other important aspects, such as sustainability and durability of the smart tags, are included in the discussion.
Managing Organisational Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: Perspectives for Sustainable Development
Authors: Silva D. Nayanee , Wehrmeyer Walter , Murphy Richard
Published: February 2025

Managing corporate sustainability involves consideration of the economic, environmental and social impacts of business activities on communities and society. Successful corporate sustainability strategy and sustainable operations must include an engaged and committed workforce. It has been seen that employees are increasingly seeking more purpose at work, with an awareness of environmental and social issues. Research has shown that employees engaged in corporate sustainability practices perceive their work as meaningful contributions to business performance. This empirical study explored sustainability performance in the tea industry, measured with a holistic sustainability framework and investigated the linkages between corporate social responsibility (CSR), employee engagement, and corporate contributions towards sustainability. The operations of participating organisations measured via a ‘7E’ model to benchmark sustainability performance, were compared with how employee engagement is influenced by CSR and wellbeing aspects. Data was collected from company sustainability surveys and surveys of 1146 employees in the tea industry. The results were analysed using a cluster model to assess employee attitudes to CSR and corporate sustainability practices towards sustainable development. The findings show that companies with strong company sustainability performance and developed social sustainability with CSR activities, have employees with higher participation at work and outreach engagement. Dimension reduction and the two-step cluster method was used to classify employee responses, showing the most engaged employees exhibited ‘shared values’ characteristics aligned with corporate engagement and social outreach. These results contribute to research on sustainability management from corporate and employee perspectives, with insights for sustainable development through CSR and sustainable business operations.
Surgical Treatment of Hemorrhagic Complications of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Predictive Factors and Outcomes
Authors: Valaskova Jela , Vesely Pavol , Krasnik Vladimir , Popov Ivajlo , Juhas Jan , Waczulikova Iveta , Furdova Alena
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The objective of this study was to evaluate the functional and clinical outcome of submacular hemorrhage in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) using pneumatic displacement with intravitreal expansile gas by 23Gauge pars plana vitrectomy with subretinal injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) 50 mg in 0.1 ml.

Patients and Methods

Retrospective interventional case series of 58 pseudophakic patients, who underwent surgical treatment with inclusion criteria: subretinal, subretinal pigment epithelium (subRPE), or combined central hemorrhage associated with ARMD, 23 Gauge pars plana vitrectomy using rtPA sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 20%). Medical records were reviewed for logMAR best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), clinical findings, complications, and medical history up to 6 months after surgery.

Results

Patients were classified with small hemorrhage up to 2 × 2 papillary diameter (PD) in 32 eyes, moderate hemorrhage (up to 4 × 4PD, to the arcades) in 19 eyes and massive hemorrhage (from 5 × 5PD hemorrhage through the arcades to the periphery) in 7 eyes. Improvement of average postoperative BCVA was the best in the group with moderate extension of hemorrhage, 1.58 logMAR preoperative to 1.14 logMAR postoperative. Regarding the association between the hemorrhage category and clinical outcome, there was a significant positive association between the hemorrhage size before the operation and the scored clinical outcome.

Conclusion

Anticoagulants are associated with massive hemorrhage and, at the same time, with better postoperative BCVA than massive hemorrhage without total anticoagulant treatment.
Decoding Chronic Jaw Pain: Key Nature of Temporomandibular Disorders in Slovak Patients
Authors: Kizek Peter , Pacutova Veronika , Schwartzova Vladimíra , Timkova Silvia
Published: February 2025

Background

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) affects the jaw joint and muscles, causing pain, jaw movement issues and symptoms like clicking sounds. More common in women, TMD is linked to factors like stress, bruxism and posture. It often coexists with headaches and neck pain, with causes being a mix of physical and psychological factors. Therefore, we decided to examine Slovak patients with TMD to better understand their specific experiences.

Methods

Patients with TMD were recruited from the Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery at University Hospital in Slovakia from 2017 to 2024, resulting in a sample of 380 patients. Inclusion criteria required adults aged 18–90 with TMD symptoms, such as jaw pain and movement difficulties, diagnosed by a maxillofacial surgeon. Patients completed paper-based questionnaires on background information; TMD characteristics and symptoms; and medical history, psychological factors and prior treatment.

Results

We confirm that TMD predominantly affects female patients (81.1%) and tends to be a chronic condition, with 58.6% of patients having experienced it for over 6 months. A significant proportion reported moderate to severe pain (42–26.4%) and nearly half (43.7%) experienced constant pain. Movement-triggered pain was common (67.8%), and most patients reported sound phenomena (96.9%) and difficulty opening the mouth (65.6%). Stress played a significant role, with 43.7% of patients experiencing a higher emotional burden and 32.4% reporting stress-related worsening of symptoms. Additionally, 46.3% of patients worked in sedentary environments, potentially contributing to their condition.

Conclusion

Most Slovak TMD patients experience multidimensional interplay of physical, psychological and social factors.
Getting lost in a field: a personal history of the development of behavioural public policy
Authors: Oliver Adam
Published: February 2025

This essay is a write-up of my Professorial Inaugural Lecture, delivered at the London School of Economics on 9 December 2024. Herein, I describe how I became involved and have helped develop the field of behavioural public policy (BPP). I detail how the intellectual architecture of BPP – its journal, Annual International Conference and Association – came into existence, and allude to my hopes for how the field might develop as we go forward.
100 years of actual occupation as an overriding interest in English & Welsh land law: challenging the rationale and making the radical case for abolition
Authors: Bevan Chris
Published: February 2025

It is 100 years since the rights of those in ‘actual occupation’ joined the statute book as interests capable of binding transferees of land despite not appearing on the register. This paper seizes the opportunity to investigate and excavate the overlooked and under-examined historical origins of the actual occupation concept and to revisit the oft-touted rationales for the principle’s recognition. In so doing, the paper rejects the commonly-rehearsed justifications for the concept and makes the radical case for abolition of actual occupation.
Catch One and Lose Another? Executive Compensation Restriction and Corporate Social Responsibility in State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Ning Peng , Lu Fangmei , Wan Guoguang , Jia Liangding
Published: February 2025

This study examines how the managerial interpretation of incentive arrangement affects corporate engagement in social areas, as reflected in corporate social performance, from two interrelated perspectives: the political influence view and the normative agency view. Building the theoretical framework on state-owned enterprise (SOE) executives' dual-career tracks perspective, we contend that economic factors (performance decline and relative pay gap) and political factors (socialist imprints and political career horizon) could divergently reshape the interpretation of incentive arrangement on corporate social performance. Using ‘Pay Ceiling Order’ as a quasi-natural experiment context, a secondary analysis, and a controlled experiment reveal that compensation restriction on top executives causes a decrease in corporate social performance. This relationship is weakened when there are stronger socialist imprints inherited by a focal firm and when the executives have a longer political prospect. In contrast, the relationship is strengthened when firms face severe performance declines and when the executives' compensation is relatively lower than peers. The findings show that compensation is an indispensable incentive joining with political and economic factors, enabling SOEs to engage in social areas. We discuss the implications of understanding top executive incentives with incentive arrangements and how the government purpose influences top executive responses to compensation incentive in ways that matter for long-term social value.
On the structure of non-negative integer sets which have identical representation functions
Authors: Sun Cui-Fang , Pan Hao
Published: February 2025

Let

$\mathbb{N}$

be the set of all non-negative integers. For any integer r and m, let

$r+m\mathbb{N}=\{r+mk: k\in\mathbb{N}\}$

. For

$S\subseteq \mathbb{N}$

and

$n\in \mathbb{N}$

, let

$R_{S}(n)$

denote the number of solutions of the equation

$n=s+s'$

with

$s, s'\in S$

and

$s \lt s'$

. Let

$r_{1}, r_{2}, m$

be integers with

$0 \lt r_{1} \lt r_{2} \lt m$

and

$2\mid r_{1}$

. In this paper, we prove that there exist two sets C and D with

$C\cup D=\mathbb{N}$

and

$C\cap D=(r_{1}+m\mathbb{N})\cup (r_{2}+m\mathbb{N})$

such that

$R_{C}(n)=R_{D}(n)$

for all

$n\in\mathbb{N}$

if and only if there exists a positive integer l such that

$r_{1}=2^{2l+1}-2, r_{2}=2^{2l+1}-1, m=2^{2l+2}-2$

.
Subtle Bodies: Networks and Corporeality in Philipp Hainhofer’s Pomeranian Cabinet
Authors: Hutchinson Amelia
Published: February 2025

The merchant and art agent Philipp Hainhofer (1578–1647) is best known for his extraordinary art cabinets. Collaborating closely with neighbouring Augsburg artisans, Hainhofer worked to compile, collate, and market these visually and materially astounding collections to a range of elite patrons. His first commission, the Pomeranian Cabinet, was for Duke Philipp of Pomerania-Stettin in 1610, and took around seven years to complete. This article adopts a body-centred approach, arguing that in doing so, new light is shed on the ways period actors enacted their relationships with materials, objects, and other bodies. It uncovers the process through which the body of the art-lover was constructed, convening with those engaged in a shared material community through the lens of health and bodily entanglements. Hainhofer, as a merchant, diplomat, and secret agent, occupied a dubious position. Through the staging of the shared, art-loving body, he was able to create and sustain friendships, while simultaneously raising the status of the merchant through his material identification with these practices.
Incomplete Infrastructure: State-Building and the Early History of China’s Long-Distance Telephone Network, 1900–1937
Authors: Moazzin Ghassan
Published: February 2025

This article explores the hitherto understudied development of long-distance telephony in early 20th century China. It first explores the development of long-distance telephony before 1927 when it first appeared in China and was developed by foreign actors, the Qing government and various warlord regimes. The article then turns to the Nanjing Decade (1927-1937) and compares the efforts of the Nationalist government in building long-distance telephone infrastructure with those of the Guangdong provincial government and other regional regimes. The article uses the case of long-distance telephony to make two larger arguments about state-building in Republican China (1912-1949). First, it brings in telecommunications development as a major element of state-building of both central and regional regimes. Second, building on recent work by scholars of Chinese Republican-era state-building, it emphasizes the importance of studying state-building from the vantage point of both central and regional regimes in Republican China. Additionally, the article demonstrates the value of an infrastructural approach to the study of political competition and formation in China during the Republican era.
Export boom and re-primarisation: determining factors of a new export era in Latin American economic history
Authors: Ayuda María-Isabel , Belloc Ignacio , Pinilla Vicente
Published: February 2025

The objective of this article is to explain the characteristics of the agri-food exporting boom experienced by the Latin American countries between 1994 and 2019 and its determining factors. In so doing, we analyse the evolution of exports, their composition by product, the principal origins and destinations, the importance of regional trade agreements and the behaviour of export prices. Furthermore, a series of gravity models are estimated, using the agri-food exports of nineteen Latin American countries to their 186 main trading partners between 1994 and 2019. These models are estimated for total agri-food exports and for their breakdown into three product groups. Among the main determinants identified, our results suggest that external demand and the proliferation of regional trade agreements were the primary reasons for this export boom. Finally, we evaluate these results within the context of the region's economic history.
Auto-Tune as instrument: trap music's embrace of a repurposed technology
Authors: Duinker Ben
Published: February 2025

This article explores Auto-Tune's importance to the production, perception and reception of trap music, a sub-genre of hip hop. Central to this exploration is the observation that Auto-Tuned trap vocals are readily audible as such because the software's pitch correction function is applied unnaturally quickly to the vocal audio signal, a feature herein termed ‘zero-onset Auto-Tune’. First, I posit that although Auto-Tune is ostensibly a pitch-correction device, its impact on vocal timbre is not well documented or understood. Second, I argue that Auto-Tune's recent importance as a creative tool in trap recasts it as an instrument. Third, I suggest that understanding Auto-Tune's repurposing as an instrument begets its situation in a lineage of technologies repurposed, adapted and embraced by the hip-hop community, including the turntable, digital sampler, and analogue mixer. And fourth, I propose that this repurposing surfaces in Auto-Tune's ability to facilitate emotiveness in trap vocals.
Sociology of popular music in Czechoslovakia (1948–1989)
Authors: Blüml Jan
Published: February 2025

This article focuses on the history of the Czechoslovak sociology of popular music, which formed at the beginning of the 1960s. The article first examines the origins of thinking about ‘mass music genres’ in the Czech lands in the interwar period. It further discusses considerations of mass music genres and their audiences after World War II in light of the communist takeover in 1948, Stalinism of the 1950s and liberalisation of the 1960s. Finally, the article presents the situation after the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. Based on analysis of archival sources and original theoretical texts, hitherto unknown in the context of Anglophone scholarship, this article seeks to show how the specific political background of the Central European state behind the Iron Curtain determined the foundation, scholarly focus and social role of the sociology of popular music and how it differed from the situation in Western capitalist countries.
The roles of miR-101, miR-1183 and miR-1299 in acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease
Authors: Korkmaz Ece , Gürses Dolunay , Çetin Gökhan , Senol Hande
Published: February 2025

Introduction:

Acute rheumatic fever commonly causes carditis in children. It is critical to have biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. We aimed to investigate the expressions of miR-101, miR-1183, and miR-1299 in children with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease and determine their potential as diagnostic biomarkers.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 69 paediatric acute rheumatic fever patients and 27 gender and age-matched controls. The clinical findings were noted from medical records, echocardiography was repeated, and plasma miR-101, miR-1183, and miR-1299 expressions were studied using RT-PCR.

Results:

Out of 54 patients with carditis, 36 developed rheumatic heart disease with significant left-sided heart involvement. No significant demographic difference was present between rheumatic heart disease patients and controls (p > 0.05). miR-101 and miR-1183 expressions significantly reduced by 4.5-fold in acute rheumatic fever patients compared to controls (p : 0.029 and p : 0.024, respectively). Family history was found to be significantly associated with 9-fold reduced miR-1183 expression in acute rheumatic fever patients (p : 0.005). The expression of miR-1183 in acute rheumatic fever children with carditis in general and severe carditis was significantly reduced 4.5- and 9-fold, respectively (p : 0.024 and p : 0.007, respectively). In acute rheumatic fever cases with moderate-severe carditis and patients who did not develop rheumatic heart disease, miR-1183 expression significantly reduced 8.3-fold and 9-fold, respectively (p : 0.015 and p : 0.019, respectively). The ROC analysis revealed that miR-101 and miR-1183 were statistically significant for acute rheumatic fever diagnosis (AUC: 0.64 for both miRNAs).

Conclusions:

Significantly lower plasma expressions of miR-101 and miR-1183 in acute rheumatic fever patients, especially in cases with moderate-severe carditis, might indicate the potential use of these miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers.
Reinforcement learning in women remitted from anorexia nervosa: Preliminary examination with a hybrid reinforcement learning/drift diffusion model
Authors: Wierenga Christina E. , Bischoff-Grethe Amanda , Brown Carina S. , Brown Gregory G.
Published: February 2025

Objective:

Altered reinforcement learning (RL) and decision-making have been implicated in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa. To determine whether deficits observed in symptomatic anorexia nervosa are also present in remission, we investigated RL in women remitted from anorexia nervosa (rAN).

Methods:

Participants performed a probabilistic associative learning task that involved learning from rewarding or punishing outcomes across consecutive sets of stimuli to examine generalization of learning to new stimuli over extended task exposure. We fit a hybrid RL and drift diffusion model of associative learning to model learning and decision-making processes in 24 rAN and 20 female community controls (cCN).

Results:

rAN showed better learning from negative outcomes than cCN and this was greater over extended task exposure (p < .001, ηp2 = .30). rAN demonstrated a reduction in accuracy of optimal choices (p = .007, ηp2 = .16) and rate of information extraction on reward trials from set 1 to set 2 (p = .012, ηp2 = .14), and a larger reduction of response threshold separation from set 1 to set 2 than cCN (p = .036, ηp2 = .10).

Conclusions:

rAN extracted less information from rewarding stimuli and their learning became increasingly sensitive to negative outcomes over learning trials. This suggests rAN shifted attention to learning from negative feedback while slowing down extraction of information from rewarding stimuli. Better learning from negative over positive feedback in rAN might reflect a marker of recovery.
Heterogeneous bequests and social inequalities
Authors: Borissov Kirill , Bosi Stefano , Ha-Huy Thai , Pakhnin Mikhail
Published: February 2025

We study a growth model with two types of agents who are heterogeneous in their degree of family altruism. We prove that every equilibrium path of consumption, bequests, and capital converges to a unique steady state and study the effect of altruism on the properties of steady-state equilibrium. We show that aggregate income is positively related to both level of altruism and altruism heterogeneity. When altruism heterogeneity is low or moderate, income inequality follows an inverse U-shaped pattern relative to the level of altruism. These observations are consistent with the cross-country Kuznets curve linking different steady-state levels of income to steady-state levels of inequality. When altruism heterogeneity is high, income inequality decreases with the level of altruism. Our results suggest that heterogeneous altruism is a possible mechanism linking economic growth and income inequality.
Tunable attenuating diplexer using miniaturized multilayer graphene pads
Authors: Akkapanthula Sai Haranadh , Kagita Srujana
Published: February 2025

In this article, a coupled line diplexer (operating at 2.4 GHz and 3.5 GHz) which can be used as single-band filter with tunable attenuation characteristics in the pass band has been designed. Multilayer graphene (MLG) pads are used to achieve tunable features in this circuit. The graphene pads are placed at each branch of the diplexer. Single-band tunable attenuation characteristics are achieved by applying bias to graphene pads placed at optimum locations on the filter. The proposed tunable coupled line attenuating diplexer is realized on FR-4 glass epoxy substrate of thickness 1.58 mm with a total size of 45 × 75 mm2. By varying the bias voltage (0 V –6 V) of MLG pads the resistance of graphene pad placed in the circuit gets decreases thereby attenuating/controlling the transmission power to the other port in the required band. In lower pass band (2.28–2.55 GHz) the signal is attenuated from 3 to 10.8 dB and in higher pass band (3.2–3.58 GHz) signal is attenuated from 5 to 13 dB. Simulations of the structure with and without graphene pads have been carried out and are in good agreement with measured results.
Male Twin Live Births Following Unconditional Cash Transfers in Alaska: A Time-Series Analysis
Authors: Singh Parvati , Mark Nicholas , Cowan Sarah
Published: February 2025

Prior studies report a decline in male twin live births during economically stressful periods, presumably owing to higher selection in utero against frail male gestations, yet no study has examined the natural corollary: whether provision of economic support increases rates of male twin births. We examined whether male twin live births increase following income gains from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD)—the longest running unconditional cash transfer program in the US. We obtained the monthly volume of male (and female) twin and singleton live births, from January 1980 to December 2019, from Alaska’s Department of Health. Data on PFD timing and payment amounts came from Alaska’s Department of Revenue. We used time-series analyses to gauge whether the odds of male twin live births increase within 2−6 months following PFD receipt, controlling for autocorrelation. Results suggest that for every $1000 increase in PFD payments, the odds of male twin live births increase by 0.002 (p < .05) three months following PFD disbursement. This corresponds with 50 additional (individual) male twin live births statistically attributable to the cumulative PFD amount disbursed over our study period. Income gains through the PFD may correspond with reduced male-specific selection in utero in Alaska.
An interactive soft robotic hand-task training system with wireless task boards and daily objects on post-stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Shi Xiangqian , Yang Chengyu , Lee Pak Chung , Xie Disheng , Ye Zhongping , Li Zheng , Tong Raymond Kai-yu
Published: February 2025

We have developed an interactive system comprising a soft wearable robot hand and a wireless task board, facilitating the interaction between the hand and regular daily objects for task-oriented training in stroke rehabilitation. A ring-reinforced soft actuator (RSA) to accommodate different hand sizes and enable flexion and extension movements was introduced in this paper. Individually controlled finger actuators assist stroke patients during various grasping tasks. A wireless task board was developed to support the training, allowing for the placement of training objects and seamless interaction with the soft robotic hand. Evaluation with seven stroke subjects shows significant improvements in upper limb functions (FMA), hand-motor abilities (ARAT, BBT), and maximum grip strengths after 20 sessions of this task-oriented training. These improvements were observed to persist for at least 3 months post-training. The results demonstrate its potential to enhance stroke rehabilitation and promote hand-motor recovery. This lightweight, user-friendly interactive system facilitates frequent hand practice and easily integrates into regular rehabilitation therapy routines.
Radially Anisotropic 3D Velocity Model of the Central Apennines Lithosphere: The CI23 $C{I}_{23}$ Model
Authors: Stallone Angela , Krischer Lion , Magnoni Federica , Casarotti Emanuele , Baccheschi Paola , Fichtner Andreas
Published: February 2025

We present the first application of Full‐Waveform Inversion (FWI) for a radially anisotropic 3D velocity model of the lithosphere beneath central Italy. The retrieved model constrains P‐wave (, ) and S‐wave velocities (, ) in the period range 8–50 s. model correlates well with regional lithological formations and highlights a negative radial anisotropy anomaly localized beneath the epicentral region of the 2016–2017 Amatrice‐Visso‐Norcia (AVN) seismic sequence. An opposite trend (positive radial anisotropy anomaly, i.e. ) is observed in the area affected by the 2009 L’Aquila (AQ) seismic sequence. We interpret the velocity anomalies in terms of local tectonic structures, particularly the Olevano‐Antrodoco‐Sibillini (OAS) thrust—Gran Sasso Thrust (GST) systems, while also considering possible evidence of overpressured fluids and fluid migration. Additionally, the observed anomalies may reflect transient velocity variations induced by the ANV and AQ seismic sequences.
Irisin regulates oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction through the UCP2-AMPK pathway in prion diseases
Authors: Wen Pei , Sun Zhixin , Yang Dongming , Li Jie , Li Zhiping , Zhao Mengyang , Wang DongDong , Gou Fengting , Wang Jingjing , Dai Yuexin , Zhao Deming , Yang Lifeng
Published: February 2025

Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the abnormal folding of cellular prion proteins into pathogenic forms. The development of these diseases is intricately linked to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Irisin, an endogenous myokine, has demonstrated considerable neuroprotective potential due to its antioxidative properties. However, the protective effects of irisin against prion diseases have yet to be clarified. Our findings indicate that treatment with exogenous irisin can mitigate the apoptosis induced by PrP106–126. Additionally, irisin significantly reduces oxidative stress and alleviates the mitochondrial dysfunction triggered by PrP106–126. Furthermore, irisin treatment targets uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) and activates the AMPK-Nrf2 pathway, substantially improving oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in N2a cells induced by PrP106–126. These results suggest that irisin represents a novel and promising therapeutic approach for treating prion diseases.
LDHA-mediated glycolysis in stria vascularis endothelial cells regulates macrophages function through CX3CL1-CX3CR1 pathway in noise-induced oxidative stress
Authors: Yi Ying , Wu Min-Yu , Chen Kai-Tian , Chen An-Hai , Li Lin-Qiu , Xiong Qin , Wang Xian-Ren , Lei Wen-Bin , Xiong Guan-Xia , Fang Shu-Bin
Published: February 2025

According to the World Health Organization, more than 12% of the world’s population suffers from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Oxidative stress-mediated damage to the stria vascularis (SV) is one of the pathogenic mechanisms of NIHL. Recent studies indicate that glycolysis plays a critical role in endothelial cells (ECs)-related diseases. However, the specific role of glycolysis in dysfunction of SV-ECs remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of glycolysis on SV-ECs in vitro and on the SV in vivo. Our previous research identified the glycolysis pathway as a potential mechanism underlying the SV-ECs injuries induced by oxidative stress. We further examined the expression levels of glycolytic genes in SV-ECs under H2O2 stimulation and in noise-exposed mice. We found that the gene and protein expression levels of glycolytic-related enzyme LDHA significantly decreased at early phase after oxidative stress injury both in vitro and in vivo, and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages (Mφ). Moreover, we analyzed the differential secretomes of SV-ECs with and without inhibition of LDHA using LC-MS/MS technology, identifying CX3CL1 as a candidate mediator for cellular communication between SV-ECs and Mφ. We found that CX3CL1 secretion from SV-ECs was decreased following LDHA inhibition and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects on Mφ via the CX3CR1 pathway. Similarly, the pro-inflammatory effect of LDHA-overexpressing SV-ECs was attenuated following inhibition of CX3CL1. In conclusion, our study revealed that glycolysis-related LDHA was reduced in oxidative stress-induced SV-ECs, and that LDHA inhibition in SV-ECs elicited anti-inflammatory effects on Mφ, at least partially through the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 pathway. These findings suggest that LDHA represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of NIHL.
Targeting the hERG1/β1 integrin complex in lipid rafts potentiates statins anti-cancer activity in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Duranti Claudia , Iorio Jessica , Manganelli Valeria , Bagni Giacomo , Colasurdo Rossella , Lottini Tiziano , Martinelli Michele , Capitani Chiara , Boso Giulia , D’Alessandro Franco Nicolas , Sorice Maurizio , Becchetti Andrea , Misasi Roberta , Garofalo Tina , Arcangeli Annarosa
Published: February 2025

Plasma membrane macromolecular complexes function as signaling hubs that regulate cell behavior, which is particularly relevant in cancer. Our study provides evidence that the complex formed by the hERG1 potassium channel and the β1 subunit of integrin receptors preferentially localizes in Lipid Rafts (LRs) in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines and primary samples. The complex recruits the p85 subunit of phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K), activating phosphoinositide metabolism and triggering an intracellular signaling pathway centered on Akt. This pathway ultimately affects cancer cell proliferation through cyclins and p21, and cell migration through the small GTPase Rac-1 and f-actin organization. The hERG1/β1 integrin complex in LRs can be dissociated and the downstream signaling pathway can be inhibited by either disrupting LRs through methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD) or inhibiting cholesterol synthesis by statins. Treatment with a single chain bispecific antibody—scDb-hERG1-β1—specifically targeting the complex significantly potentiates the effects of both MβCD and statins on intracellular signaling. Consequently, these treatments decrease PDAC cell proliferation and motility in vitro. From a pharmacological perspective, different statins produce anti-neoplastic effects in synergy with scDb-hERG1-β1. Such combination also enhances tumor sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as gemcitabine and oxaliplatin. The efficacy of these combination treatments depends on the amount of the hERG1/β1 integrin complex present on the plasma membrane of cancer cells. Finally, the combined treatment with statins and scDb-hERG1-β1 significantly reduces tumor growth and improves survival in vivo, in a preclinical mouse model. These results suggest that the combination of scDb-hERG1-β1 and statins represent a potential novel strategy for treating PDAC patients.
Extensive off-fault damage around the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake surface ruptures
Authors: Liu Jihong , Jónsson Sigurjón , Li Xing , Yao Wenqian , Klinger Yann
Published: February 2025

Quantifying coseismic fault offsets for surface ruptures of major earthquakes is important for earthquake cycle and slip-rate studies, and thus for earthquake hazard assessments. However, measurements of such offsets generally underestimate fault slip due to inelastic deformation and secondary fault offsets, i.e., off-fault damage. Here, we use satellite synthetic aperture radar images to quantify off-fault damage in the two 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Türkiye) magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes. We first derive three-dimensional coseismic surface displacements and show that on average ~35% of the coseismic slip is accommodated by off-fault damage within 5–7 km of the coseismic surface ruptures. Fault sections exhibiting geometrical complexities (e.g., bends and step-overs) experienced a higher level of off-fault damage than simpler fault sections. Our results highlight the importance of extending off-fault damage assessments to several km away from fault ruptures and indicate that fault offset measurements may underestimate slip-rate estimations by as much as a third.
Left–right-alternating theta sweeps in entorhinal–hippocampal maps of space
Authors: Vollan Abraham Z. , Gardner Richard J. , Moser May-Britt , Moser Edvard I.
Published: February 2025

Place cells in the hippocampus and grid cells in the entorhinal cortex are elements of a neural map of self position1–5. For these cells to benefit navigation, their representation must be dynamically related to the surrounding locations2. A candidate mechanism for linking places along an animal’s path has been described for place cells, in which the sequence of spikes in each cycle of the hippocampal theta oscillation encodes a trajectory from the animal’s current location towards upcoming locations6–8. In mazes that bifurcate, such trajectories alternately traverse the two upcoming arms when the animal approaches the choice point9,10, raising the possibility that the trajectories express available forward paths encoded on previous trials10. However, to bridge the animal’s path with the wider environment, beyond places previously or subsequently visited, an experience-independent spatial sampling mechanism might be required. Here we show in freely moving rats that in individual theta cycles, ensembles of grid cells and place cells encode a position signal that sweeps linearly outwards from the animal’s location into the ambient environment, with sweep direction alternating stereotypically between left and right across successive theta cycles. These sweeps are accompanied by, and aligned with, a similarly alternating directional signal in a discrete population of parasubiculum cells that have putative connections to grid cells via conjunctive grid × direction cells. Sweeps extend into never-visited locations that are inaccessible to the animal. Sweeps persist during REM sleep. The sweep directions can be explained by an algorithm that maximizes the cumulative coverage of the surrounding manifold space. The sustained and unconditional expression of theta-patterned left–right-alternating sweeps in the entorhinal–hippocampal positioning system provides an efficient ‘look around’ mechanism for sampling locations beyond the travelled path.
Microtubule inhibition as a proposed mechanism for the anthelmintic effect of phytochemicals isolated from Cicerbita alpina
Authors: Horgan Mark James , Sigg Ines , Poulopoulou Ioanna , Rodriguez-Mejias Francisco J. , Albertini Eva , Fusani Pietro , Fischer Florian , Martinidou Eftychia , Schuster Daniela , Martens Stefan , Dürr Pidder Jansen , Gauly Matthias , Stuppner Hermann , Weiss Alexander , Temml Veronika , Siewert Bianka
Published: February 2025

The alpine plant Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr., when grown as a sprout, is known as a bitter-tasting culinary delicacy. Recently it has also been reported to have anthelmintic activity, prompting further investigation into its mechanism of action. Liquid–liquid fractions were prepared from a methanolic extract of the aerial parts and were submitted in parallel to embryo development (ED), worm motility (WMT), and cytotoxicity assays for anthelmintic and toxicity evaluations. The anthelminthic assays revealed the more polar fractions to be most active against Ascaridia galli embryos (BuOH | 68% ED | c = 500 µg/ml and EtOAc | 65% ED | c = 500 µg/ml) and Caenorhabditis elegans adult worms (BuOH | 49% WMT | c = 150 µg/ml and EtOAc | 74% WMT | c = 150 µg/ml) suggesting the fraction’s constituents possess dual anthelmintic activity against multiple life-cycle stages (i.e., eggs, worms) of helminths. Additionally, the BuOH fraction was non-cytotoxic to human cell-lines. Subsequent FCC and SEC derived subfractions were submitted to the anthelmintic assay workflow and the enriched subfractions B1 and E3.8, phytochemically assigned as 11-β,13-dihydrolactucin and luteolin, demonstrated bioactivity against the embryo phenotype (B1 | 58% ED | c = 1.8 µM and E3.8 | 46% ED | c = 1.7 µM) within range of the flubendazole control. Furthermore, luteolin was found to inhibit C. elegans egg hatching (luteolin | 65% EH | c = 10 µM | t = 10 h) within the range of the control albendazole. Both identified anthelmintic phytochemicals were found to affect tubulin polymerisation at a concentration of c = 50 µM. Together with in silico virtual screening studies, these results suggest microtubule stabilisation as a possible anthelmintic target and mechanism of action. This work effectively advocates the consideration of C. alpina extracts and fractions for the development of herbal therapeutics against parasitic helminths.
Quantum-inspired K-nearest neighbors classifier for enhanced printer source identification in forensic document analysis
Authors: Darwish Saad M. , Ali Raad A. , Elzoghabi Adel A.
Published: February 2025

Document source identification in printer forensics focuses on determining the source printer of a document by analyzing characteristics such as printer model, serial number, defects, or unique artifacts. This is crucial in forensic investigations involving counterfeit documents or anonymous threats. However, identifying consistent patterns across different printers remains challenging, especially when perpetrators attempt to obscure these artifacts. Machine learning models in this field must identify discriminative features that differentiate printers while minimizing noise. In particular, choosing an appropriate distance metric for K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) classifiers is critical and requires experimentation. This study proposes a quantum-inspired approach to improve KNN’s performance in printer source identification. By exploring alternative number of neighbors (K), quantum-inspired computing can optimize feature space calculations, even in noisy conditions. This allows the system to iteratively refine and select the optimal K value based on classification performance, ensuring that the best K is identified for the specific dataset and task. The system utilizes the Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) for feature extraction, which is robust to changes in rotation and scale. Experimental results demonstrate that the Quantum-inspired KNN (QKNN) classifier outperforms classical KNN, achieving higher accuracy in identifying subtle printing artifacts, even under variable conditions.
Association between parental education level and intelligence quotient of children referred to the mental healthcare system: a cross-sectional study in Poland
Authors: Sajewicz-Radtke Urszula , Łada-Maśko Ariadna , Olech Michał , Jurek Paweł , Bieleninik Łucja , Radtke Bartosz M.
Published: February 2025

Considering the gap in understanding of the link between parental education and child intelligence quotient (IQ), our study aimed to investigate the association between parental education and the IQ of children referred to the mental healthcare system, explore which parent’s education level is more influential, and examine the impact of the child’s age and sex on these relationships. This cross-sectional study included 80,303 children aged 3–18 years who were referred to the mental healthcare system between 2018 and 2023. We predefined IQ composite score (Full IQ Scale), as measured by the Stanford Binet 5 Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition (SB-5) as the primary outcome; the remaining SB-5 composite scores were the secondary outcomes. Linear regression analysis was performed using staircase coding for ordinal predictors with several binary independent variables. A significant correlation was found between parental education levels and IQ of the sampled children, with higher levels of parents’ education predicting higher IQ scores, particularly with mother’s education explaining 18.23% of the variance in children’s overall intelligence. No significant interaction was observed between parental education and child’s sex in predicting child IQ. However, a significant interaction was observed with age, showing that IQ decreases with age in children of parents with lower education, while it increases with age in children of parents with higher education. Our study underscores the pivotal influence of parental education on the IQ levels of children referred to mental healthcare services. Maternal education level was a stronger predictor of child IQ, potentially because mothers tend to be the primary caregivers. These findings suggest the need for targeted support programs for caregivers, particularly those with lower education levels, to facilitate the early detection of developmental challenges. Integrated education and healthcare efforts are crucial for equitable mental healthcare access.
Individual and additive effects of vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise on DNA methylation clocks of biological aging in older adults from the DO-HEALTH trial
Authors: Bischoff-Ferrari Heike A. , Gängler Stephanie , Wieczorek Maud , Belsky Daniel W. , Ryan Joanne , Kressig Reto W. , Stähelin Hannes B. , Theiler Robert , Dawson-Hughes Bess , Rizzoli René , Vellas Bruno , Rouch Laure , Guyonnet Sophie , Egli Andreas , Orav E. John , Willett Walter , Horvath Steve
Published: February 2025

While observational studies and small pilot trials suggest that vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise may slow biological aging, larger clinical trials testing these treatments individually or in combination are lacking. Here, we report the results of a post hoc analysis among 777 participants of the DO-HEALTH trial on the effect of vitamin D (2,000 IU per day) and/or omega-3 (1 g per day) and/or a home exercise program on four next-generation DNA methylation (DNAm) measures of biological aging (PhenoAge, GrimAge, GrimAge2 and DunedinPACE) over 3 years. Omega-3 alone slowed the DNAm clocks PhenoAge, GrimAge2 and DunedinPACE, and all three treatments had additive benefits on PhenoAge. Overall, from baseline to year 3, standardized effects ranged from 0.16 to 0.32 units (2.9–3.8 months). In summary, our trial indicates a small protective effect of omega-3 treatment on slowing biological aging over 3 years across several clocks, with an additive protective effect of omega-3, vitamin D and exercise based on PhenoAge.
Exploiting metabolic vulnerability in glioblastoma using a brain-penetrant drug with a safe profile
Authors: Burban Audrey , Tessier Cloe , Larroquette Mathieu , Guyon Joris , Lubiato Cloe , Pinglaut Mathis , Toujas Maxime , Galvis Johanna , Dartigues Benjamin , Georget Emmanuelle , Luchman H Artee , Weiss Samuel , Cappellen David , Nicot Nathalie , Klink Barbara , Nikolski Macha , Brisson Lucie , Mathivet Thomas , Bikfalvi Andreas , Daubon Thomas , Sharanek Ahmad
Published: February 2025

Glioblastoma is one of the most treatment-resistant and lethal cancers, with a subset of self-renewing brain tumour stem cells (BTSCs), driving therapy resistance and relapse. Here, we report that mubritinib effectively impairs BTSC stemness and growth. Mechanistically, bioenergetic assays and rescue experiments showed that mubritinib targets complex I of the electron transport chain, thereby impairing BTSC self-renewal and proliferation. Gene expression profiling and Western blot analysis revealed that mubritinib disrupts the AMPK/p27Kip1 pathway, leading to cell-cycle impairment. By employing in vivo pharmacokinetic assays, we established that mubritinib crosses the blood-brain barrier. Using preclinical patient-derived and syngeneic models, we demonstrated that mubritinib delays glioblastoma progression and extends animal survival. Moreover, combining mubritinib with radiotherapy or chemotherapy offers survival advantage to animals. Notably, we showed that mubritinib alleviates hypoxia, thereby enhancing ROS generation, DNA damage, and apoptosis in tumours when combined with radiotherapy. Encouragingly, toxicological and behavioural studies revealed that mubritinib is well tolerated and spares normal cells. Our findings underscore the promising therapeutic potential of mubritinib, warranting its further exploration in clinic for glioblastoma therapy.
A comprehensive view of the molecular features within the serum and serum EV of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Zhang Jiayi , Cheng Xiaoqin , Hu Anqi , Zhang Xin , Zhang Meng , Zhang Lei , Dai Jiawei , Yan Guoquan , Shen Huali , Fei Guoqiang
Published: February 2025

By harnessing the unique properties of both serum and serum EVs, we offer a comprehensive molecular insight into AD pathology, paving the way for the development of non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis.
A thiol–ene click-based strategy to customize injectable polymer–nanoparticle hydrogel properties for therapeutic delivery
Authors: Bailey Sophia J. , Eckman Noah , Brunel Elisa S. , Jons Carolyn K. , Sen Samya , Appel Eric A.
Published: February 2025

We have developed a straightforward strategy to tune the interaction strength of supramolecular polymer–nanoparticle hydrogels that provides customized properties for a variety of biomedical applications.