bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current situation and capacity of cancer diagnosis and treatment in county hospitals in China: a multicenter cross-sectional survey
Authors: Wang Yumeng , Sun Tao , He Zhiyong , Liu Zhimin , Zheng Shifeng , Yan Zhao , Wang Ying
Published: November 2024

Purpose

County-level hospitals in China constitute a vital component of the healthcare system, delivering essential medical services, emergency care, and specialized treatments, particularly in oncology. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the current status of cancer diagnosis and treatment in county hospitals and assess their overall capacity.

Methods

A nationwide cross-sectional survey by the China Anti-cancer Association (CACA) from February to May 2023 assessed cancer diagnosis and treatment in mainland China's county hospitals. Using a multi-center approach, a fifty-five-question questionnaire was administered to oncology professionals and management staffs, focusing on hospital facilities, oncology specialists, cancer cases, treatment capabilities, and healthcare collaboration. Questionnaire reliability and validity were established in a 2022 national survey. Participants, aged 18 or older, were recruited through purposive sampling, receiving self-administered questionnaires for confidentiality. SAS 9.4 software facilitated statistical analysis.

Results

The study encompassed 76 county-level medical institutions, with 82.9% of them featuring established oncology departments providing comprehensive cancer care, including early screening, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up. Notably, a total of 56.6% of the institutions surveyed implemented programs for cancer screening and early diagnosis. A significant proportion of advanced cancer patients received treatment and follow-up at the county level. Persistent disparities in medical insurance policies at the county level were identified as a continuing challenge. Furthermore, 82.9% of hospitals had cultivated collaborative relationships with higher-level institutions to enhance patient care quality and treatment capacity. The study revealed a 56.6% shortage of remote collaboration platforms in these hospitals. The need for a patient-centered approach in county hospitals was underscored.

Conclusion

While county-level hospitals face challenges, such as a shortage of specialized oncologists and advanced resources, they exhibit progress in standardizing cancer care to enhance diagnosis and treatment in rural areas.
Intelligent multi-robot collaborative transport system
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Lin Yangfei , Du Zhaoyang , Lin Min , Wu Celimuge
Published: November 2024

The research on multi-robot systems has been divided into various fields, such as communication, navigation, task allocation, and collaborative transport. While significant progress has been made in each area, there has been limited research integrating these fields to build a fully autonomous multi-robot collaborative transport system. Therefore, we identify the key issues and propose a multi-robot collaborative transport system founded on ROS1 and conduct validation in a simulated environment, laying a solid foundation for the system to run on real robots. The primary contributions of this study include three key areas: (1) modeling and validating robot collaborative transport, (2) developing a visual task allocation system leveraging FastDDS service, and (3) resolving path collision issues in multi-robot navigation through both traditional methods and reinforcement learning techniques. Extensive experimental evaluations demonstrate that the proposed intelligent multi-robot collaborative transport system can autonomously navigate to target points for collaborative transport task. Performance assessments, based on the error between the target point and the object’s arrival point as well as the transport trajectory error, reveal that the system effectively completes the assigned tasks.
Secularity, Sociology, and the Contemporary History of Islam
Authors: McDougall James
Published: November 2024

This essay proposes to reframe the twentieth-century history of Islam by rethinking the relationship of that history to some dominant categories of twentieth-century sociology, especially the secularization thesis. The global history of Islam since the late nineteenth century has been shaped by an apparent paradox between its two most significant features. The first of these has consisted of persistent calls for Muslim revival, reform, and unity across the world, tending toward a unification or transcendence of the older forms of variation within the tradition. The second, countervailing tendency has been an increasing fragmentation of structures of authority within the tradition, a proliferation of the meanings attributed to it and of the forms of practice taken to embody it, and a renewed acuity of internal sectarian conflict. This is a paradox that only an understanding of Islam as social practice embedded in the forms of secularity characteristic of modern societies—and emphatically not one of Islam as “medievally” religious and uniquely “secularization-resistant”—can apprehend.
A cross-sectional survey of Department of Veterans Affairs laboratory practices for identification of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Sawyer Aubrey M. , Ray Cara , Klutts J. Stacey , Fitzpatrick Margaret , Suda Katie J. , Hicks Natalie , Evans Martin , Jones Makoto , Pfeiffer Christopher D. , Evans Charlesnika T. ,   QUERI CARRIAGE Program
Published: November 2024

Control of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa spread in healthcare settings begins with timely and accurate laboratory testing practices. Survey results show most Veterans Affairs facilities are performing recommended tests to identify these organisms. Most facilities report sufficient resources to perform testing, though medium-complexity facilities report some perceived barriers.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of infectious diseases consultation on outcomes of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in children
Authors: Santhanam Haripriya , Muthukumarasamy Nirmal , Hsieh Mariana Kim , Brust Karen , Wellington Melanie , Naito Toshio , Samuelson Riley J. , Marra Alexandre R. , Kobayashi Takaaki
Published: November 2024

For adult patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), Infectious Diseases consultation (IDC) significantly lowers mortality and recurrence rate. Our systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that IDC is also associated with significantly lower mortality in children with SAB. Analysis of the impact of IDC on pediatric recurrence rates revealed moderate heterogeneity.
How well can you tell? Success of human categorisation of horse behavioural responses depicted in media
Authors: Merkies Katrina , Trudel Katelyn
Published: November 2024

Horses employ a range of subtle to overt behaviours to communicate their current affective state. Humans who are more cognisant of their own bodily sensations may be more attuned to recognising affective states in horses (Equus caballus) thereby promoting positive human-horse interactions. This study investigated human ability to categorise human-horse interactions depicted in media relative to equine behaviour experts and compared participant scores to their level of interoception. Using an online survey, participants (n = 534) categorised 31 photographs and videos as (overt) positive, likely (subtle) positive, neutral, likely (subtle) negative or (overt) negative human-horse interactions from the horse’s point of view and completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness questionnaire (MAIA-2) to assess their level of interoception. Demographic information was also collected (age, gender, education, level of experience with horses, location). Participants differed from expert categorisations of horse affective states across all categories, exactly matching experts only 52.5% of the time and approximately matching experts for positive and negative valence 78.5% of the time. The MAIA-2 did not predict participant ability to accurately categorise human-horse interactions. Women outperformed men in categorising overt positive, overt negative and subtle negative human-horse interactions. Increased levels of education and greater experience with horses were associated with improved categorisation of certain human-horse interactions. More training or awareness is needed to recognise behavioural indicators of horse affect to guide appropriate human-horse activities that impact horse welfare.
A gene–culture co-evolutionary perspective on the puzzle of human twinship
Authors: Dalla Ragione Augusto , Ross Cody T. , Redhead Daniel
Published: November 2024

Natural selection should favour litter sizes that optimise trade-offs between brood-size and offspring viability. Across the primate order, the modal litter size is one, suggesting a deep history of selection favouring minimal litters in primates. Humans, however – despite having the longest juvenile period and slowest life-history of all primates – still produce twin births at appreciable rates, even though such births are costly. This presents an evolutionary puzzle. Why is twinning still expressed in humans despite its cost? More puzzling still is the discordance between the principal explanations for human twinning and extant empirical data. Such explanations propose that twinning is regulated by phenotypic plasticity in polyovulation, permitting the production of larger sib sets if and when resources are abundant. However, comparative data suggest that twinning rates are actually highest in poorer economies and lowest in richer, more developed economies. We propose that a historical dynamic of gene–culture co-evolution might better explain this geographic patterning. Our explanation distinguishes geminophilous and geminophobic cultural contexts, as those celebrating twins (e.g. through material support) and those hostile to twins (e.g. through sanction of twin-infanticide). Geminophilous institutions, in particular, may buffer the fitness cost associated with twinning, potentially reducing selection pressures against polyovulation. We conclude by synthesising a mathematical and empirical research programme that might test our ideas.
Fuel, Fear, and Fault: Mass Media and Cartel Criticism During the German Coal Crisis of 1900
Authors: Yajima Shaun
Published: November 2024

This article examines the role of the mass media in driving anticartel debates during a coal crisis in Germany in 1900. Threatening the fuel supplies of millions of people, the nationwide energy shortage marked the beginning of the anticartel movement, adding a decisive thrust to antimonopoly sentiment toward the cartelized Ruhr coal industry. While hitherto overlooked, this symbolic chapter of German antimonopoly history was profoundly shaped by daily newspapers, a medium that revolutionized public communication during this period. By cross-referencing newspaper articles with records of the coal industry, this paper investigates how newspapers raised public concern for the fuel shortage and thereby forged narratives blaming the coal industrialists as well as how the coal producers responded to the ever-intensifying public scrutiny. As such, this study would serve to identify the mass media as a key determinant in the broader history of cartels and cartel politics in the twentieth century.
Equality cases of the Alexandrov–Fenchel inequality are not in the polynomial hierarchy
Authors: Chan Swee Hong , Pak Igor
Published: November 2024

Describing the equality conditions of the Alexandrov–Fenchel inequality [Ale37] has been a major open problem for decades. We prove that in the case of convex polytopes, this description is not in the polynomial hierarchy unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses to a finite level. This is the first hardness result for the problem and is a complexity counterpart of the recent result by Shenfeld and van Handel [SvH23], which gave a geometric characterization of the equality conditions. The proof involves Stanley’s [Sta81] order polytopes and employs poset theoretic technology.
Tertiary education as social policy: Comparative theoretical perspectives
Authors: Andres Lesley , Jongbloed Janine , Pullman Ashley , Phan Sopheap
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we conduct an in-depth review of and commentary on two frameworks for international comparative work focused on education systems and skill formation – specifically, welfare regime and production regime approaches. We focus on how tertiary education is understood to function relationally within a national policy repertoire and explore the interplay between education and economic systems. Whereas the welfare regime literature illuminates why some regimes are conducive to human capital production and create more equitable educational and labour market opportunities, the production regime literature focuses on the ways that actors such as government, educational institutions, and unions optimise skill formation. These two theoretical perspectives offer both rival and complementary explanations of varying patterns in public investment, differentiation in education systems, and participation rates in tertiary education across countries. Our analytical account provides useful insights for understanding different national education policies and framing future research, including informing these perspectives with the more recent theoretical contributions of the social investment approach. In relation to changing conceptions of the knowledge economy, education, skill development, and the nature of employment, these two theoretical perspectives continue to provide useful conceptual lenses to examine the education/skill /employment nexus.
Bounding the difference between the values of robust and non-robust Markov decision problems
Authors: Neufeld Ariel , Sester Julian
Published: November 2024

In this note we provide an upper bound for the difference between the value function of a distributionally robust Markov decision problem and the value function of a non-robust Markov decision problem, where the ambiguity set of probability kernels of the distributionally robust Markov decision process is described by a Wasserstein ball around some reference kernel whereas the non-robust Markov decision process behaves according to a fixed probability kernel contained in the ambiguity set. Our derived upper bound for the difference between the value functions is dimension-free and depends linearly on the radius of the Wasserstein ball.
THE GROUP CONFIGURATION THEOREM FOR GENERICALLY STABLE TYPES
Authors: WANG PAUL
Published: November 2024

We generalize Hrushovski’s group configuration theorem to the case where the type of the configuration is generically stable, without assuming tameness of the ambient theory. The properties of generically stable types, which we recall in the second section, enable us to adapt the proof known in the stable context.
When Resisting Is Not Enough: The killing of Latin American Feminist Activists (2015–23)
Authors: Gomes Simone da Silva Ribeiro
Published: November 2024

The article analyses an original database of 177 Latin American women activists killed that had some connection with feminist social movements from 2015 to 2023. A growing body of literature has focused on the killings of socio-environmental activists in Latin America and where they occurred. However, their activisms are under-researched, precisely because feminist social movements and activists have frequently been killed while advocating for women’s rights in the subcontinent. This article focuses on the circumstances, a few reasons portrayed in newspaper events, and the perpetrators of such violence. Based on a literature review, I argue that taking into account the recent narcodynamics of the region, it is possible to understand such violence within the context of drug-related violence, but also—and more likely—to consider those killings as political feminicides. Political feminicides are then examined largely through transfeminicides and peasant/communitarian activists.
Textual form features for text readability assessment
Authors: Pan Wenjing , Li Xia , Chen Xiaoyin , Xu Rui
Published: November 2024

Text readability assessment aims to automatically evaluate the degree of reading difficulty of a given text for a specific group of readers. Most of the previous studies considered it as a classification task and explored a wide range of linguistic features to express the readability of a text from different aspects, such as semantic-based and syntactic-based features. Intuitively, when the external form of a text becomes more complex, individuals will experience more reading difficulties. Based on this motivation, our research attempts to separate the textual external form from the text and investigate its efficiency in determining readability. Specifically, in this paper, we introduce a new concept, namely textual form complexity, to provide a novel insight into text readability. The main idea is that the readability of a text can be measured by the degree to which it is challenging for readers to overcome the distractions of external textual form and obtain the text’s core semantics. To this end, we propose a set of textual form features to express the complexity of the outer form of a text and characterize its readability. Findings show that the proposed external textual form features can be used as effective evaluation indexes to indicate the readability of text. It brings a new perspective to the existing research and provides a new complement to the existing rich features.
Florentín Giménez’s Folk-Style Songs: A Practical Reading of Paraguayan Cultural Identity
Authors: COLMAN ALFREDO
Published: November 2024

Florentín Giménez (1925–2021) stands as one of the most prolific Paraguayan composers. Published in six Cancioneros (‘Songbooks’), his more than 800 canciones populares (‘folkloric or folk-style songs’) testify to his productivity and distinctive approach to this particular genre. Based on the examination of his six published Cancioneros, along with an analysis of Giménez’s musical recordings and personal interviews with the composer, this article first provides biographical context and introduces these songs through a series of representative cultural themes that emphasize some of Giménez’s ideas about musical and extra-musical expressions of cultural identity and Paraguayan nationalism. Following a discussion of Giménez’s vocal compositions, the article focuses on the composer’s self-proclaimed musical advocacy, and highlights three of his most iconic and widely known songs: ‘Así canta mi patria’ (‘Thus My Country Sings’), ‘Ka’aguype’ (‘In the Forest’) in the Guaraní language, and ‘Muy cerca de ti’ (‘Very Near You’). By considering these three Paraguayan folk-style songs, I aim to demonstrate that throughout his career, Giménez’s music has become illustrative of a cultural identity informed by Paraguayan music and socially imagined ideas, including the sentiment of nationalism, which he expresses through a profound admiration for his country.
“Inventions Invented against Me”: The Five Catherines of Aragon at the Blackfriars Trial
Authors: Prendergast Maria Teresa Micaela
Published: November 2024

Most scholars who comment on Catherine of Aragon's speech and movements at the annulment trial on 21 June 1529 have overlooked significant discrepancies between the five eyewitness accounts of this day—by an English gentleman, the English king, and the French, Venetian, and Vatican envoys. This essay, in contrast, gives particular focus to discrepancies in these accounts. These contradictions speak to a rhetorical war over Catherine's reputation, one that reflects tensions across Europe that were exacerbated by the trial. Catherine herself may be termed an agent in this rhetorical war, given that her own voice makes itself heard within each account.
Ultra-processed food consumption is related to screen time among Brazilian adolescents, adults and older adults
Authors: Costa Caroline dos Santos , Wendt Andrea , Machado Adriana Kramer Fiala , Ricardo Luiza Isnardi Cardoso , Werneck André de Oliveira , Louzada Maria Laura da Costa
Published: November 2024

This study investigated the association between screen time and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption across the lifespan, using data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey, a cross-sectional and population-based study. A score was used to evaluate UPF consumption, calculated by summing the positive answers to questions about the consumption of ten UPF subgroups on the previous day. Scores ≥5 represented high UPF consumption. Daily time spent engaging with television or other screens was self-reported. Crude and adjusted models were obtained through Poisson regression and results were expressed in prevalence ratios by age group. The sample included 2315 adolescents, 65 803 adults and 22 728 older adults. The prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 was higher according to increased screen time, with dose–response across all age groups and types of screen time. Adolescents, adults and older adults watching television for ≥6 h/d presented prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 1·8 (95 % CI 1·2, 2·9), 1·9 (95 % CI 1·6, 2·3) and 2·2 (95 % CI 1·4, 3·6) times higher, respectively, compared with those who did not watch television. For other screens, the prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 was 2·4 (95 % CI 1·3, 4·1) and 1·6 (95 % CI 1·4, 1·9) times higher for adolescents and adults using screens for ≥ 6 h/d, respectively, while for older adults, only screen times of 2 to < 3 and 3 to < 6 h were significantly associated with UPF scores ≥5. Screen time was associated with high consumption of UPF in all age groups. Considering these associations when planning and implementing interventions would be beneficial for public health across the lifespan.
First report of a morulated Ascaridoidea (Nematoda) egg in an avian coprolite from the Paleogene of the Paraíba Valley, State of São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: do Carmo G. Macêdo , Luiz A. Hadassa da Silva Guilherme , Passos J.F. , Lima S. de Souza , de Araújo-Júnior Hermínio I. , Pereira F.B.
Published: November 2024

Ascaridoidea (Nematoda) is a widespread superfamily of nematodes that comprises gastrointestinal parasites from all major groups of vertebrates. Although this taxon probably emerged in the Carboniferous, its Brazilian fossil record includes mostly eggs, found in ancient remains, collected in paleontological and archeological sites from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras. The Tremembé Formation (Oligocene of the Taubaté Basin) has become an important source for paleoparasitological studies in avian coprolites during the third decade of the 21st century, with reports of eggs only at only a single cell stage, of embryonic development. Here we present the first egg of Ascaridoidea preserved containing morula, from a bird coprolite recovered from the shales of the Tremembé Formation. Three coprolites, from the outcrop of Aligra Comércio de Argila S/A, Taubaté municipality (State of São Paulo), were rehydrated and subjected to spontaneous sedimentation. Based on morphological and morphometric features and diet and zoopaleontological context, the trace fossils were assigned to piscivorous birds. The egg found showed morphological characteristics typical of Ascaridoidea: namely spherical form, ornamented, and somewhat thick shell. Moreover, this superfamily includes several taxa that infect piscivorous birds and fish in heteroxenous life cycles and produce eggs with similar features as the egg found in the present study. The paleoparasitological information associated with the paleofaunistic diversity of birds and fish from the Tremembé Formation, reveal that the ancient Brazilian paleoenvironments provided subsidies for the rise and success of nematodes infecting these animals during the Paleogene.
The variety of abomasal nematode communities of captive and free-roaming populations of European bison, Bison bonasus (L.): a morphometric and molecular approach
Authors: Gałązka Marta , Filip-Hutsch Katarzyna , Klich Daniel , Olech Wanda , Anusz Krzysztof , Pyziel Anna M.
Published: November 2024

Most studies concerning parasitic infections in European bison have been performed on free-ranging animals: comparatively little is known about the abomasal nematodes of captive wisents, which are widely used in reintroduction programmes. The aim of the study was to determine the infection level and species composition of abomasal nematodes in captive European bison in enclosures (including zoos) and breeding centres compared to free-ranging individuals. It also includes a morphological analysis of the parasites based on figures and measurement data. Altogether, 11 species of nematodes were detected, with both captive and free-ranging animals demonstrating similar species compositions. Among those, 2 species of blood-sucking nematodes were detected, including Ashworthius sidemi and Haemonchus contortus. Interestingly, A. sidemi was found in almost all free-roaming animals, but only in 1 captive European bison. In addition, H. contortus was predominant in captive animals. The morphological identification was confirmed molecularly for 5 nematode species: A. sidemi, H. contortus, Ostertagia kolchida, O. ostertagi and Spiculopteragia boehmi. The identification was performed using small subunit ribosomal rDNA. The study provides the first available set of specular lengths of the gastric nematodes of European bison, and the first molecular data of O. kolchida and S. boehmi derived from the same host species. Our findings may simplify the morphometrical and molecular identification of Trichostrongylidae species infecting European bison, and can be useful in developing new management strategies for populations of this near-threatened species in Europe.
New design and construction of a mechanical gripping device with a telescopic link of a fruit harvesting robot
Authors: Rybak Larisa , Carbone Giuseppe , Mohan Santhakumar , Gaponenko Elena , Malyshev Dmitry , Voloshkin Artem
Published: November 2024

Gripping devices for harvesting fruits have such types of work as cutting, tearing and unscrewing. For apples, it is preferable to use slicing or unscrewing, while the fruit leg should not remain, damaging the apple during storage. In this article, we are developing a grab for harvesting apples. The gripper is used both for holding the fruit and for jamming, followed by unscrewing. One of the advantages is that the proposed method of collecting apples allows you not to waste time moving the manipulator from the tree to the basket, but only to grab and tear them off. The fruit enters the gripper device; after which it enters the fruit collection container through a rigid or flexible pipe. The gripper device is built on the basis of a ball-screw transmission, which is supplemented by a gear drive along the helical surface. This allows for rotation and rectilinear movement of the held fruit. The gripping device has a ratchet mechanism that allows you to fix the fruit. A mathematical model of the gripper device has been developed, which allows determining the torque of the engine depending on the position of the fingers. The parameters of the mechanism were optimized using a genetic algorithm, and the results are presented in the form of a Pareto set. A 3D model of the gripper device has been built and a layout has been developed using 3D printing. Experimental laboratory and field tests of the gripping device were carried out.
Hopf bifurcations for a delayed discrete single population patch model in advective environments
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Shen Zuolin , Chen Shanshan
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we consider a delayed discrete single population patch model in advective environments. The individuals are subject to both random and directed movements, and there is a net loss of individuals at the downstream end due to the flow into a lake. Choosing time delay as a bifurcation parameter, we show the existence of Hopf bifurcations for the model. In homogeneous non-advective environments, it is well known that the first Hopf bifurcation value is independent of the dispersal rate. In contrast, for homogeneous advective environments, the first Hopf bifurcation value depends on the dispersal rate. Moreover, we show that the first Hopf bifurcation value in advective environments is larger than that in non-advective environments if the dispersal rate is large or small, which suggests that directed movements of the individuals inhibit the occurrence of Hopf bifurcations.
Recent kernel methods for interacting particle systems: first numerical results
Authors: Fiedler Christian , Herty Michael , Segala Chiara , Trimpe Sebastian
Published: November 2024

Interacting particle systems (IPSs) are a very important class of dynamical systems, arising in different domains like biology, physics, sociology and engineering. In many applications, these systems can be very large, making their simulation and control, as well as related numerical tasks, very challenging. Kernel methods, a powerful tool in machine learning, offer promising approaches for analyzing and managing IPS. This paper provides a comprehensive study of applying kernel methods to IPS, including the development of numerical schemes and the exploration of mean-field limits. We present novel applications and numerical experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of kernel methods for surrogate modelling and state-dependent feature learning in IPS. Our findings highlight the potential of these methods for advancing the study and control of large-scale IPS.
Associations between iron status and psychosocial wellbeing among pregnant women in Cape Coast, Ghana: a longitudinal study
Authors: Pobee Ruth A , Setorglo Jacob , Klevor Moses , Murray-Kolb Laura E.
Published: November 2024

Objective:

To determine the associations among iron status, depressive/anxiety symptoms, and quality of life (QoL) throughout pregnancy.

Design:

This longitudinal study recruited participants in their 1st trimester (< 13 weeks; n=116) and followed in their 2nd (n=71) and 3rd (n=71) trimesters. Sociodemographic, food security, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and QoL questions were collected. Hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin (Ft), and transferrin saturation (TSAT) were determined. Women were categorized as iron improvers or non-improvers based on changes in iron status. Associations were assessed using difference-in-difference analyses.

Setting:

Cape Coast, Ghana between October 2017 to September 2018.

Participants:

Pregnant women, 18-38 years.

Results:

Improvement in Ft levels from the 1st to 2nd trimester were associated with reduced depressive symptoms (-2.96 vs -0.58, p=0.028), and higher overall QoL (13.99 vs 1.92, p=0.006) particularly role physical (23.32 vs -2.55, p=0.025) and role emotional (27.50 vs 10.06, p=0.025) subscales. Improvement in Hb levels during the same period were linked to less anxiety, particularly fear factor (-2.62 vs -0.51, p=0.020); and worsened physical health aspect of QoL (-21.80 vs -3.75, p=0.005). Improvement in TSAT levels from 2nd to 3rd trimester were associated with increased total anxiety (1.56 vs -0.64, p=0.030) and panic factor (0.45 vs -0.26, p=0.004) and decreased total QoL (-1.08 vs 7.94, p=0.017), specifically role physical (-10.98 vs 11.93, p=0.018).

Conclusion:

Increases in iron status from first to second trimester were related to improvements in psychosocial wellbeing, implying potential benefit of iron supplementation on affect in early pregnancy. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Comparison of electronic and optoelectronic signal generation for (sub-)THz communications
Authors: Dittmer Joel , Tebart Jonas , Matalla Patrick , Wagner Sandrine , Tessmann Axel , Bhutani Akanksha , Koos Christian , Stöhr Andreas , Randel Sebastian
Published: November 2024

In recent years, the significance of terahertz (THz) and (sub-)THz communications has grown substantially due to its promising trade-off between higher capacity compared to microwave-based communication and better resilience against weather dependent influences (e.g., fog and rain). While electronic and optoelectronic techniques have been extensively explored, each offering distinct advantages and limitations, they have predominantly been demonstrated and discussed as individual experiments, making performance comparison challenging. This paper addresses this gap by systematically benchmarking electronic and optoelectronic signal generation approaches under comparable conditions. Our experiments incorporate various receiver types, revealing that best performance is achieved by combining optoelectronic signal generation techniques at the transmitter in combination with an all-electric intradyne receiver. This results in a remarkable line rate of 200 Gbit/s over a distance of 52 m. To our knowledge, this represents the highest line rate achieved for technically relevant transmission distances for indoor access or outdoor small cell networks.
Planar dual-band bandpass filter with regular harmonic suppression
Authors: Gupta Ajay , Khan Arani Ali
Published: November 2024

This paper presents a dual-band bandpass filter with regular harmonic suppression. The proposed third-order filter consists of two microstrip stepped impedance resonators and single substrate integrated waveguide resonator. The mismatches in their higher order resonant frequencies are utilized to suppress the regular harmonics. The passbands are centered at f1 = 2.4 GHz and f2 = 3.5 GHz with fractional bandwidths of 5% and 7.5%, respectively. The measured midband insertion and return losses are better than 2.55 and 14.5 dB for the first, whereas for the second band, they are better than 1.95 and 14 dB. The filter offers at least 33 dB suppression of first three higher order regular harmonics of f1 and f2.
Fistelversorgung
Authors: Peters-Gawlik Marianne
Published: November 2024

Wer Fisteln adäquat versorgen möchte, benötigt umfangreiches Fachwissen: Wissen um die verschiedenen Fistelarten und deren Besonderheiten und Wissen um die richtige Hautpflege und Wundversorgung. Aber auch die Versorgungsprodukte zu kennen und diese richtig einsetzen zu können, ist für eine effektive Fistelversorgung unabdingbar. Zahlreiche Tabellen und umfangreich bebilderte Praxisbeispiele machen dieses Buch zu einem praktischen Leitfaden für eine erfolgreiche Fistelversorgung. Was sind Fisteln, welche Arten gibt es, wir werden sie benannt und klassifiziert – damit startet das Buch. Danach wird ausführlich die therapeutische Fistel- und Wundversorgung beschrieben, die Auswahl adäquater Materialen und die entsprechende Verlaufskontrolle. Auch kompliziertere Versorgungen werden erklärt. Ein umfangreiches Kapitel befasst sich mit verschiedenen Hautveränderungen, die die Fistel- und Wundversorgung erschweren können, gefolgt von einem Kapitel zur begleitenden Ernährungstherapie. Den Abschluss bilden fünf umfangreich bebilderte und gut erklärte Praxisbeispiele. Ein Buch, das von Praktikern für die Praxis geschrieben wurde, sich jedoch auch nicht scheut, die dazugehörende Theorie mitzuliefern, denn nur die Kombination von Praxis und Theorie führt zu einer bestmöglichen Versorgung.
SMAD4 Limits PARP1 dependent DNA Repair to Render Pancreatic Cancer Cells Sensitive to Radiotherapy
Authors: Wang Yang , Yu Tianyu , Zhao Zhangting , Li Xiaobing , Song Yiran , He Yazhi , Zhou Yingqun , Li Pu , An Liwei , Wang Feng
Published: November 2024

Dysregulation of SMAD4 (i.e. somatic mutation) is strongly associated with poor pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) prognosis, yet the molecular mechanisms remain underlying this relationship obscure. Previously, we discovered that SMAD4 mutation renders pancreatic cancer resistant to radiotherapy via promotion of autophagy. In the current work, we observed a downregulation of the protein level of SMAD4 in PDAC as compared with adjacent normal tissue, and that such SMAD4low PDAC failed to benefit from chemotherapy. Furthermore, we observed that SMAD4 depletion dramatically enhanced DNA repair capacity in response to irradiation (IR) or a radiomimetic chemical. Interestingly, we found the radiomimetic chemical having induced a robust translocation of SMAD4 into the nucleus, where a direct interaction was shown to occur between the MH1 domain of SMAD4 and the DBD domain of PARP1. Functionally, the SMAD4-PARP1 interaction was found to perturb the recruitment of PARP1 to DNA damage sites. Accordingly, the combination of olaparib and radiotherapy was indicated in vivo and in vitro to specifically reduce the growth of SMAD4-deficient PDAC by attenuating PARP1 activity. Collectively, our results revealed a novel molecular mechanism for the involvement of the SMAD4-PARP1 interaction in DNA repair with a vital role in radiotherapy response in PDAC. Based on our set of findings, our findings offer a new combined therapeutic strategy for SMAD4 deficient PDAC that can significantly reduce pancreatic cancer radiotherapy resistance.
GNG5 is a novel regulator of Aβ42 production in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Li Chunyuan , Yang Yan , Luo Shiqi , Qiu Wenying , Wang Xia , Ge Wei
Published: November 2024

The therapeutic options for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are limited, underscoring the critical need for finding an effective regulator of Aβ42 production. In this study, with 489 human postmortem brains, we revealed that homotrimer G protein subunit gamma 5 (GNG5) expression is upregulated in the hippocampal–entorhinal region of pathological AD compared with normal controls, and is positively correlated with Aβ pathology. In vivo and in vitro experiments confirm that increased GNG5 significantly promotes Aβ pathology and Aβ42 production. Mechanically, GNG5 regulates the cleavage preference of γ-secretase towards Aβ42 by directly interacting with the γ-secretase catalytic subunit presenilin 1 (PS1). Moreover, excessive GNG5 increases the protein levels and the activation of Rab5, leading to the increased number of early endosomes, the major cellular organelle for production of Aβ42. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence revealed co-interaction of Aβ42 with GPCR family CXCR2, which is known as the receptor for IL-8, thus facilitating the dissociation of G-proteins βγ from α subunits. Treatment of Aβ42 in neurons combined with structure prediction indicated Aβ42 oligomers as a new ligand of CXCR2, upregulating γ subunit GNG5 protein levels. The co-localizations of GNG5 and PS1, CXCR2 and Aβ42 were verified in eight human brain regions. Besides, GNG5 is significantly reduced in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from cerebral cortex or serum of AD patients compared with healthy cognition controls. In brief, GNG5 is a novel regulator of Aβ42 production, suggesting its clinical potential as a diagnosis biomarker and the therapeutic target for AD.
Irradiated whole cell Chlamydia vaccine confers significant protection in a murine genital tract challenge model
Authors: Broder Kieran C. , Matrosova Vera Y. , Tkavc Rok , Gaidamakova Elena K. , Ho Lam Thuy Vi Tran , Macintyre Andrew N. , Soc Anthony , Diallo Aissata , Darnell Stephen C. , Bash Sarah , Daly Michael J. , Jerse Ann E. , Liechti George W.
Published: November 2024

Chlamydia trachomatis infections are the most common bacterial STIs globally and can lead to serious morbidity if untreated. Development of a killed, whole-cell vaccine has been stymied by coincident epitope destruction during inactivation. Here, we present a prototype Chlamydia vaccine composed of elementary bodies (EBs) from the related mouse pathogen, Chlamydia muridarum (Cm). EBs inactivated by gamma rays (Ir-Cm) in the presence of the antioxidant Mn2+-Decapeptide (DEHGTAVMLK) Phosphate (MDP) are protected from epitope damage but not DNA damage. Cm EBs gamma-inactivated with MDP retain their structure and provide significant protection in a murine genital tract infection model. Mice vaccinated with Ir-Cm (+MDP) exhibited elevated levels of Cm-specific IgG and IgA antibodies, reduced bacterial burdens, accelerated clearance, and distinctive cytokine responses compared to unvaccinated controls and animals vaccinated with EBs irradiated without MDP. Preserving EB epitopes with MDP during gamma inactivation offers the potential for a polyvalent, whole-cell vaccine against C. trachomatis.
Analysis of abiotic and biotic stress-induced Ca2+ transients in the crop species Solanum tuberosum
Authors: van Dieren Annelotte , Schwarzenbacher Roland E. , Sonnewald Sophia , Bittner Andras , Vothknecht Ute C.
Published: November 2024

Secondary messengers, such as calcium ions (Ca2+), are integral parts of a system that transduces environmental stimuli into appropriate cellular responses. Different abiotic and biotic stresses as well as developmental processes trigger temporal increases in cytosolic free Ca2+ levels by an influx from external and internal stores. Stimulus-specificity is obtained by a certain amplitude, duration, oscillation and localisation of the response. Most knowledge on stress-specific Ca2+ transient, called calcium signatures, has been gained in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, while reports about stress-related Ca2+ signalling in crop plants are comparatively scarce. In this study, we introduced the Ca2+ biosensor apoaequorin into potato (Solanum tuberosum, Lcv. Désirée). We observed dose-dependent calcium signatures in response to a series of stress stimuli, including H2O2, NaCl, mannitol and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) with stimuli-specific kinetics. Direct comparison with Arabidopsis revealed differences in the kinetics and amplitude of Ca2+ transients between both species, implying species-specific sensitivity for different stress conditions. The potato line generated in this work provides a useful tool for further investigations on stress-induced signalling pathways, which could contribute to the generation of novel, stress-tolerant potato varieties.
Bronze age supply chains between ancient Egypt and Nubia revealed by lead isotope analysis of kohl samples
Authors: Lemos Rennan , Tichindelean Matei , Kochergina Yulia V. Erban , Zaggia Caterina , Werkström Ludmila , Hocker Emma , Martinón-Torres Marcos
Published: November 2024

While there is a considerable body of data regarding the sources of minerals employed in Bronze Age Egypt, the supply chains to Sudanese Lower Nubia are virtually unknown. This paper presents results of lead isotope analysis of 11 samples of kohl from C-group, Pan-grave and New Kingdom funerary contexts across the Debeira and Ashkeit areas in Sudanese Lower Nubia during the Bronze Age. The samples could be divided in two groups based on their lead isotope ratios. A comparison between the kohl samples from Sudanese Lower Nubia and galena ores from various mining sites on the Red Sea coast of Egypt indicated that some of the galena used in kohl mixtures in Sudanese Lower Nubia came from the Pharaonic mining site of Gebel el-Zeit. The second group of Nubian samples seems to have originated from an alternative galena source yet to be determined. This is the first time that kohl samples from Sudanese Lower Nubia are integrated into known northeast African networks of supply by using Lead isotope analysis.
Circadian desynchrony in early life leads to enduring autistic-like behavioral changes in adulthood
Authors: Mishra Abhishek , Lin Hao , Singla Rubal , Le Nam , Oraebosi Michael , Liu Dong , Cao Ruifeng
Published: November 2024

Circadian rhythm regulates a variety of biological processes in almost all living organisms. Modern lifestyles, e.g. transmeridian travel, night shift, light at night, etc., frequently disrupt people’s regular sleep-wake cycles and create a misalignment (circadian desynchrony) between the natural environment and the endogenous body clock, and between different circadian oscillators within the body. The long-term consequences of circadian desynchrony on neurodevelopment and adult behavior remain elusive. Increasing clinical evidence supports a correlation between the disruption of the circadian system and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders. Despite clinical correlations, experimental evidence is yet to establish a link between circadian disturbance in early life and adult behavioral changes. Here, using a “short day” (SD) mouse model, in which mice were exposed to an 8 h/8 h light/dark (LD) cycle mimicking a “shift work” schedule from gestation day 1 to postnatal day 21, we performed a battery of behavioral tests to assess changes in adult behaviors, including sociability, affective behaviors, stereotypy, cognition and locomotor functions. In contrast to the control mice kept in a 12 h/12 h LD cycle, the adult SD mice entrained to the 8 h/8 h LD cycle, but their free running rhythms remained normal in constant darkness. Interestingly, however, the SD mice displayed diminished sociability, a reduced preference for social novelty, excessive repetitive behaviors, and compromised cognitive functions, all of which resemble characteristics of autism-like behavioral alterations. In addition, the SD mice exhibited significant anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and impaired motor functions. By western blotting and immunostaining analyses, hyperactivation of the mTORC1/S6K1 pathway was detected in multiple forebrain regions of SD mice. These findings underscore the enduring impact of early-life circadian disruption on neurochemical signaling and behavioral patterns into adulthood, highlighting a pivotal role for circadian regulation in neurodevelopment.
APOE from astrocytes restores Alzheimer’s Aβ-pathology and DAM-like responses in APOE deficient microglia
Authors: Preman Pranav , Moechars Daan , Fertan Emre , Wolfs Leen , Serneels Lutgarde , Shah Disha , Lamote Jochen , Poovathingal Suresh , Snellinx An , Mancuso Renzo , Balusu Sriram , Klenerman David , Arranz Amaia M , Fiers Mark , De Strooper Bart
Published: November 2024

The major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), APOE4, accelerates beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque formation, but whether this is caused by APOE expressed in microglia or astrocytes is debated. We express here the human APOE isoforms in astrocytes in an Apoe-deficient AD mouse model. This is not only sufficient to restore the amyloid plaque pathology but also induces the characteristic transcriptional pathological responses in Apoe-deficient microglia surrounding the plaques. We find that both APOE4 and the protective APOE2 from astrocytes increase fibrillar plaque deposition, but differentially affect soluble Aβ aggregates. Microglia and astrocytes show specific alterations in function of APOE genotype expressed in astrocytes. Our experiments indicate a central role of the astrocytes in APOE mediated amyloid plaque pathology and in the induction of associated microglia responses.
White light emission and superior color stability in a single-component host with exceptional eminent color rendering and theoretical calculations on Duv for color quality
Authors: Khan Wasim Ullah , Khan Waheed Ullah , Zaman Haris , Mahsud Ayaz , Khan Dilfaraz , Khan Salim Ullah , Khan Shuakat , Zhang Yueli
Published: November 2024

Eu3+ plays a key role in enhancing the Ra of single-phase white-light-emitting phosphors, which exhibit excellent thermal stability (I@400 K∼93%). A WLED with an Ra of 89.9 was fabricated, featuring a Duv of ±0.002 to ±0.014, meeting ANSI standards.
Photo-assisted epitaxial growth from nanoparticles to enhance multi-materialization for advanced surface functionalization
Authors: Fukuda Masayuki , Kitanaka Yuuki , Nakajima Tomohiko
Published: November 2024

In this study, we discovered the photo-assisted epitaxial growth from nanoparticles and proposed a strategy for multimaterialization based on rapid crystal growth through the epitaxial growth.
Exploring graphene's impact on graphite/PANI matrix composites: high-pressure fabrication and enhanced thermal-electrical properties
Authors: Ozlek Murat , Akbulut Merve Sehnaz , Burgaz Engin
Published: November 2024

This study investigates the effects of the graphene content and applied pressure on the electrical and thermal conductivities of graphite/polyaniline (GP) and graphite/graphene/polyaniline (GGP) composites produced via direct mixing method.