bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrogenation of CO2 into Value‐added Chemicals Using Solid‐Supported Catalysts
Authors: Aktary Mahbuba , Alghamdi Huda S. , Ajeebi Afnan M. , AlZahrani Atif S. , Sanhoob Mohammed A. , Aziz Md. Abdul , Nasiruzzaman Shaikh M.
Published: February 2024

Reducing CO2 emissions is an urgent global priority. In this context, several mitigation strategies, including CO2 tax and stringent legislation, have been adopted to halt the deterioration of the natural environment. Also, carbon recycling procedures undoubtedly help reduce net emissions into the atmosphere, enhancing sustainability. Utilizing Earth's abundant CO2 to produce high‐potential green chemicals and light fuels opens new avenues for the chemical industry. In this context, many attempts have been devoted to converting CO2 as a feedstock into various value‐added chemicals, such as CH4, lower methanol, light olefins, gasoline, and higher hydrocarbons, for numerous applications involving various catalytic reactions. Although several CO2‐conversion methods have been used, including electrochemical, photochemical, and biological approaches, the hydrogenation method allows the reaction to be tuned to produce the targeted compound without significantly altering infrastructure. This review discusses the numerous hydrogenation routes and their challenges, such as catalyst design, operation, and the combined art of structure‐activity relationships for the various product formations.
Photoluminescence and thermoluminescence dosimetry properties of Ag/Y co‐doped ZnO nanophosphor for radiation measurements
Authors: Abdurabu Thabit Hammam , Ismail Abd Khamim , Kabir Norlaili A. , Abu Mhareb Mohammad Hasan , Al Mutairi Abdulmajeed Muidh , Bafaqeer Abdullah , Alajerami Yasser , Abualsayyed Mohammad Ibrahim
Published: February 2024

This work explores the thermoluminescence (TL) and photoluminescence (PL) properties of Ag/Y co‐doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanophosphor. The proposed dosimeter was prepared by the coprecipitation method and sintered at temperatures from 400°C to 1000°C in an air atmosphere. Raman spectroscopy was studied to investigate the structural features of this composition. The new proposed dosimeter revealed two peaks at 150°C and 175°C with a small shoulder at high temperature (225°C). The PL spectrum showed strong green emissions between 500 to 550 nm. The Raman spectrum showed many bands related to the interaction between ZnO, silver (Ag), and yttrium oxide (Y2O3). The rising sintering temperature enhanced the TL glow curve intensity. The Ag/Y co‐doped ZnO nanophosphor showed an excellent linearity index within a dose from 1 to 4 Gy. The minimum detectable dose (MDD) of the Ag/Y co‐doped ZnO nanopowder (pellets) equaled 0.518 mGy. The main TL properties were achieved in this work as follows: thermal fading (37% after 45 days at 1 and 4 Gy), optical fading (53% after 1 h and 68% after 6 h by exposure to sunlight), effective atomic number (27.6), and energy response (flat behavior from 0.1 to 1.3 MeV). Finally, the proposed material shows promising results nominated to be used for radiation measurements.
A novel synthetic oleanane triterpenoid, 2‐cyano‐3,12‐dioxoolean‐1,9‐dien‐28‐oic acid, regulates mechanical allodynia by rescuing neuronal cell death and glial cell activation in the spinal cord of resiniferatoxin‐treated rats
Authors: Lu Ying‐Yi , Lin Chia‐Yang , Tsai Hung‐Pei , Lin Chih‐Lung , Wu Chieh‐Hsin
Published: February 2024

Background

Treating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is characterized with a long‐lasting lancinating mechanical allodynia or hyperalgesia, is a big challenge as it is hard to achieve complete resolution. A synthetic triterpenoid, CDDO (2‐cyano‐3,12‐dioxoolean‐1,9‐dien‐28‐oic acid) can exert pleiotropic effects including anti‐inflammation and neuroprotective activities. Nevertheless, the antinociceptive effect of CDDO and its derivatives remains unknown. Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is easily feasible, and an RTX‐treated rodent model can mimic the PHN‐like symptoms. Therefore, RTX‐treated rats were used to serve as a PHN rats’ model in the study to elucidate whether a synthetic triterpenoid, CDDO, can improve mechanical allodynia in RTX‐treated rats.

Methods

The antinociceptive effects of CDDO were assessed by behavioral tests, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Paw withdrawal mechanical threshold was determined using calibrated forceps.

Results

Administration of RTX led to mechanical allodynia, neuronal cell death, and glial cell activation in the spinal cord of RTX‐treated rats. A synthetic triterpenoid, CDDO, blocked RTX‐induced mechanical allodynia, rescued neuronal cell death, and inhibited glial cell activation in the spinal cord of RTX‐treated rats.

Conclusions

Our study provides a novel result that a synthetic triterpenoid, CDDO, can interfere neuronal cell death and glial cell activation in the spinal cord of RTX‐treated rats. Hence, CDDO is an alternative therapeutic choice for PHN.
Correlation between serum ANGPTL4 levels and white matter hyperintensity and cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: Zhao Jianhua , Zhang Shiyun , Wang Xiaoting , Wang Minghua , Wang Zehua , Li Ruotai , Liu Yuxi , Lu Chengbiao , Li Shaomin
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To investigate the correlation between serum angiopoietin‐like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) levels, white matter hyperintensity (WMH), and cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).

Methods

This cross‐sectional study enrolled 171 patients with CSVD who attended the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from December 2021 to July 2022. All subjects underwent a 3.0T head magnetic resonance imaging, neuropsychology assessment, and blood sampling. Serum ANGPTL4 levels were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and the severity of WMH was assessed by the Fazekas scale. According to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale, subjects were divided into normal cognition group (NC, n = 80) and CI group (n = 91). According to the total Fazekas scores, subjects were divided into a mild WMH group (n = 84), a moderate WMH group (n = 70), and a severe WMH group (n = 17).

Results

Serum ANGPTL4 levels were significantly higher in the CI group than in the NC group (p < .05) and were negatively correlated with mini–mental state examination scores and MoCA scores (r = −0.26, −0.341, p < .05). Serum ANGPTL4 levels increased significantly in the mild to moderate WMH group but tended to decrease in the severe WMH group. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ANGPTL4 was an independent influencing factor for CSVD‐CI (OR = 2.062, 95% CI (1.591–2.674), p < .001). The area under curve of ANGPTL4 for CSVD‐CI was 0.847 (0.791–0.903).

Conclusion

ANGPTL4 may be involved in the process of white matter damage and CI in CSVD patients and shows a diagnostic value for CSVD‐CI.
Perceived cognitive performance in off‐prescription users of modafinil and methylphenidate: an online survey
Authors: Teodorini Rachel D. , Rycroft Nicola , Smith‐Spark James H.
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Modafinil and methylphenidate are used off‐prescription for cognitive enhancement in healthy individuals. Such use is often reported in online surveys but it is unclear whether drug use for cognitive enhancement is motivated by perceived poor cognitive performance or a desire to improve good cognitive performance. The current study investigated whether off‐prescription users of modafinil and methylphenidate differed in their self‐perceived cognitive performance from people who do not take these drugs.

Method

An online survey targeting forum sites assessed self‐perceived cognitive function via the Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self‐Report Scale, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and the General Procrastination Scale.

Results

There were 249 respondents, of whom 43% reported no use of modafinil and methylphenidate (the control group) and 58% reported use of one or both drugs without a prescription for cognitive enhancement. This created an independent samples design with three groups. On both the Adult Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder Self‐Report Scale and General Procrastination Scale, modafinil and methylphenidate users reported higher scores than the control group, indicating higher levels of perceived inattention and procrastination. Scores on the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire indicated that modafinil and methylphenidate users rated themselves as having fewer cognitive failures than controls.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that at least some reported off‐prescription users of modafinil and methylphenidate may be seeking to reduce the impact of self‐perceived poorer performance, particularly in forms of cognition that are likely to impact on self‐directed or self‐motivated work.
Cell fate regulation governed by p53: Friends or reversible foes in cancer therapy
Authors: Song Bin , Yang Ping , Zhang Shuyu
Published: February 2024

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Targeted therapies aimed at key oncogenic driver mutations in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as immunotherapy have benefited cancer patients considerably. Tumor protein p53 (TP53), a crucial tumor suppressor gene encoding p53, regulates numerous downstream genes and cellular phenotypes in response to various stressors. The affected genes are involved in diverse processes, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, cellular senescence, metabolic homeostasis, apoptosis, and autophagy. However, accumulating recent studies have continued to reveal novel and unexpected functions of p53 in governing the fate of tumors, for example, functions in ferroptosis, immunity, the tumor microenvironment and microbiome metabolism. Among the possibilities, the evolutionary plasticity of p53 is the most controversial, partially due to the dizzying array of biological functions that have been attributed to different regulatory mechanisms of p53 signaling. Nearly 40 years after its discovery, this key tumor suppressor remains somewhat enigmatic. The intricate and diverse functions of p53 in regulating cell fate during cancer treatment are only the tip of the iceberg with respect to its equally complicated structural biology, which has been painstakingly revealed. Additionally, TP53 mutation is one of the most significant genetic alterations in cancer, contributing to rapid cancer cell growth and tumor progression. Here, we summarized recent advances that implicate altered p53 in modulating the response to various cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Furthermore, we also discussed potential strategies for targeting p53 as a therapeutic option for cancer.
Associations of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor rs6265 polymorphism and cognitive function in breast cancer survivors from a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Goto Taichi , Saligan Leorey N. , Li Xiaobai , Xiang Lichen , Kwiat Catherine , Nguyen Christopher , Crouch Adele , Von Ah Diane
Published: February 2024

Background

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) often complain of cancer‐related cognitive impairment (CRCI) during and even months after completing primary cancer treatments, particularly chemotherapy. The etiology of CRCI is unknown, but associations of CRCI with germline genetic polymorphisms have been reported, including Brain‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) rs6265 polymorphism. The current study investigated the associations of specific BDNF rs6265 with CRCI.

Methods

Cancer‐related cognitive impairment was assessed using subjective reports of cognitive symptoms (the version 1.0, 8‐item short‐forms of the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®) and computerized objective cognitive function scores (CANTAB®). BDNF rs6265 genotypes were determined from buccal swabs. The associations of specific BDNF rs6265 with CRCI were examined by either one‐way analysis of variance or the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by post hoc tests and rank‐based regression analysis.

Results

We examined 356 female BCS. The mean (SD) age was 55.6 (9.8) years old, the median (IQR) years since cancer diagnosis were 4.0 (6.0), and 331 (92.7%) were self‐described as White. BCS carrying the Met/Met genotype showed poorer results on ‘visual episodic memory and new learning’ and ‘spatial working memory and executive function.’ This relationship was observed regardless of prior chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that carrying the BDNF rs6265 Met/Met genotype increases the risk for CRCI in BCS. These results are foundational in nature and provide important information to identify mechanisms underpinning CRCI.
Nanoscale Pumping Effect of Perovskite via Supported Bilayer Electron Transport Layer for Efficient Printable Mesoscopic Solar Cells
Authors: Ding Tian , Wu Wenjun
Published: February 2024

Recently, enhancing the photovoltaic performance of printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (p‐MPSCs) poses a significant challenge, particularly in improving the diffusion of perovskite precursor solutions during device assembly. In this research, effective gap‐driven diffusion of the precursor solution perovskite is successfully achieved, leading to the formation of well‐filled and crystallized perovskite through TiO2 nanorod arrays. By incorporating upper‐layer TiO2 nanoparticles, a bilayer electron transport layer with dual crystal phase is developed, establishing a cascaded energy level structure that exhibits superior capabilities in electron collection and directional transport. The effective suppression of nonradiative recombination and efficient charge transfer result in notable enhancements in both open‐circuit voltage and short‐circuit current density. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency of p‐MPSCs devices based on MAPbI3 γ‐butyrolactone solution increases from 14.32% to 16.07% (highest reported value in the literature is 16.21%). These findings highlight a novel interface engineering approach for the fabrication of high‐performance p‐MPSCs devices.
Disentangling late quaternary fluvial and climatic drivers of palaeohydrological change in the Najaf Sea basin, Western Iraq
Authors: Briant R. M. , Jotheri J. , Al‐Ameri I. , Ahmed A. , Bateman M. D. , Engels S. , Garzanti E. , Nymark A. , Reynolds T. E.
Published: February 2024

The water resource provided by lake basins in the western desert of Iraq is important for human occupation of areas outside the Tigris‐Euphrates floodplain, both in the past and into the future. This paper presents the first geomorphological and geochronological study of the date of formation of the Najaf Sea and the only such study of any lake basin to the west of Mesopotamia. Geomorphological shoreline features and a palaeochannel linking to the Euphrates were studied and dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating. Provenance was determined using heavy mineral analysis. Past environments in the Najaf Sea were reconstructed by molluscan analysis. The earliest OSL ages date from c. 30 000 and 22 000 years ago and seem to predate lake formation. Younger OSL ages date the highest lake level at c. 19 m asl to between 1620–1760 AD (base) to 1906–1974 AD (near surface). The radiocarbon ages are affected by a freshwater reservoir effect, but the maximum ages recorded for either of the c. 15 m and c. 17 m asl shorelines are c. 800 cal. BC. This predates the first archaeological sites in the Najaf basin and is similar to maximum ages of c. 850 and c. 1100 cal. BC from the associated palaeochannel. This timing does not seem to be linked to a humid climate event. We therefore conclude that the establishment of the Najaf Sea in the Najaf basin occurred as a result of an avulsion event within the Euphrates system that diverted flow to the basin. The trigger for this avulsion event likely related to rapid sediment accumulation and may have been either autogenic or driven by human activity. This study therefore suggests that Najaf Sea formation facilitated human expansion beyond the Tigris‐ Euphrates floodplain and occurred due to avulsion of the Euphrates.
Development of a Fourier‐expansion based differential quadrature method with lattice Boltzmann flux solvers: Application to incompressible isothermal and thermal flows
Authors: Liu Yaguang , Shu Chang , Yu Peng , Liu Yangyang , Zhang Hua , Lu Chun
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a high‐order Fourier‐expansion based differential quadrature method with isothermal and thermal lattice Boltzmann flux solvers (LBFS‐FDQ and TLBFS‐FDQ) for simulating incompressible flows. The numerical solution in the present method is approximated via trigonometric basis. Therefore, both periodic and non‐periodic boundary conditions can be handled straightforwardly without the special treatments as required by polynomial‐based differential quadrature methods. The incorporation of LBFS/TLBFS enables the present methods to efficiently simulated various types of flow problems on considerably coarse grids with spectral accuracy. The high‐order accuracy, efficiency and competitiveness of the proposed method are comprehensively demonstrated through a wide selection of isothermal and thermal flow benchmarks.
Evaluation of the camel milk amelioration, the oxidative stress, fertility and mutagenicity of male albino rats exposed to lead acetate, fipronil, and their mixture
Authors: Abdel‐Mobdy Yasmin E. , Abdel‐Mobdy Ahmed E. , AL‐Farga Ammar , Aqlan Faisal
Published: February 2024

Lead is considered a common old chronic toxicant around the world due to expanded environmental pollution, it is likely an inevitable contaminant in food, dairy products, air etc. Also, fipronil is a wide‐ranging effective N‐phenyl pyrazole insecticide which used commonly in agriculture and public health insect control, but until now no adequate data are available on the oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and mutagenic influence of fipronil and lead or their mixture subchronic exposure. Both xenobiotics (lead and fipronil) exert a harmful impact on reproduction, prompting the exploration of various foods for functional protection. The present study investigated the effects of camel milk treatments on reproductive problems caused by lead acetate with or without mixing with fipronil in male albino rats. Liver oxidative stress, testicular relative weight, sperm analysis, investigation of chromosomal aberration, and histopathological examination of testis were performed. The results showed that the oxidative stress was elevated in rats treated with fipronil, lead acetate, and their mixture, which were reduced through camel milk treatments. Sperm counts were decreased significantly in lead and/or fipronil exposure but significantly elevated with camel milk intoxicated treated. Sperm morphological abnormalities and chromosomal aberrations in intoxicated groups were reduced significantly in camel milk‐treated animals relative to untreated intoxicated groups. Testicular histopathological results showed moderate common degeneration of seminiferous tubules in lead and/or fipronil‐intoxicated rats which were ameliorated by camel milk treatments. Generally, it can be concluded that lead and fipronil together in a mixture resulted in or induced severe reproductive problems and oxidative stress over lead or fipronil alone. Camel milk treatment significantly decreased the harmful oxidative stress in reproductive as well as the mutagenicity disorder associated with lead and fipronil exposure in male albino rats.
Multiscale effects and drivers of landscape heterogeneity for water‐related ecosystem services in urban agglomerations
Authors: Huang Lie , Chen Xiaohong , Ye Changxin , Yuan Ze , He Kunlong
Published: February 2024

Understanding the multiscale impacts and drivers of urban agglomeration landscape patterns for ecosystem services (ESs), especially water‐related ecosystem services (WESs), is essential for the development of regional ecological management. However, the multiscale impacts and driving mechanisms of urban agglomeration landscape patterns for ESs have not been adequately explained. In this study, multivariate data were employed, and the InVEST model, trend test method, coupled GeoDetector and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) method were utilized to comprehensively explore the spatial and temporal changes in landscape patterns and WESs in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration (PRDUA) at various grid and administrative scales from 1990 to 2020 and to determine the driving mechanisms affecting WESs. The results indicated that the variation characteristics of landscape patterns and WESs in the PRDUA were consistent, forming a binary spatial structure of core and peripheral areas in an inverted “U” shape around the estuary of the Pearl River. The relationship between landscape patterns and WESs weakened with the increase of scale, and the correlation coefficient decreased by approximately 0.10 from 5 km to 10 km grid scale. Additionally, precipitation (PRE) was the main factor controlling WESs changes in the PRDUA, explaining more than 50% of the changes in WESs, and the regression coefficients ranged from 0.0825 to 0.1584. Changes in WESs were the result of the combined effects of natural factors, including PRE, landscape pattern, elevation, slope, and socioeconomic factors, such as population and gross domestic product (GDP). Overall, these findings could contribute to optimizing regional landscape patterns and fostering sustainable development of the ecological environment in urban agglomerations.
Understanding hydrological processes of glacierized catchments in the western Himalayas by a multi‐year tracer‐based hydrograph separation analysis
Authors: Dar Tanveer , Rai Nachiketa , Kumar Sudhir , Bhat Mohd Aadil
Published: February 2024

Snow and glacier melt are significant contributors to streamflow in Himalayan catchments, and their increasing contributions serve as key indicators of climate change. Consequently, the quantification of these streamflow components holds significant importance for effective water resource management. In this study, we utilized the spatio‐temporal variability of isotopic signatures in stream water, rainfall, winter fresh snow, snowpack, glaciers, springs, and wells, in conjunction with hydrometeorological observations and Snow Cover Area (SCA) data, to identify water sources and develop a conceptual understanding of streamflow dynamics in three catchments (Lidder, Sindh, and Vishow) within the western Himalayas. The following results were obtained: (a) endmember contributions to the streamflow exhibit significant spatial and seasonal variability across the three catchments during 2018–2020; (b) snowmelt dominates streamflow, with average contributions across the entire catchment varying: 59% ± 9%, 55% ± 4%, 56% ± 6%, and 55% ± 9% in Lidder, 43% ± 6%, 38% ± 6%, 32% ± 4%, and 33% ± 5% in Sindh and 45% ± 8%, 40% ± 6%, 39% ± 6%, and 32% ± 5% in Vishow during spring, summer, autumn, and winter seasons, respectively; (c) glacier melt contributions can reach ~30% to streamflow near the source regions during peak summer; (d) The primary uncertainties in streamflow components are attributed to the spatiotemporal variability of tracer signatures of winter fresh snow/snowpack (±1.9% to ±20%); (e)regarding future streamflow components, if the glacier contribution were to disappear completely, the annual average streamflow in Lidder and Sindh could decrease up to ~20%. The depletion of the cryosphere in the region has led to a rapid increase in runoff (1980–1900), but it has also resulted in a significant streamflow reduction due to glacier mass loss and changes in peak streamflow over the past three decades (1990–2020). The findings highlight the significance of environmental isotope analysis, which provides insights into water resources and offers a critical indication of the streamflow response to glacier loss under a changing climate.
Revegetation impacts on runoff generation processes in a typical loess catchment
Authors: Pan Hailong , Ran Qihua , Ye Sheng
Published: February 2024

Since 1999, large‐scale ecosystem restoration has been implemented in the Loess Plateau, effectively increasing regional vegetation coverage. Vegetation restoration has significantly elevated the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of the near‐surface soil layers and increased the vertical heterogeneity of the Ks profile. Many studies have examined the change of runoff due to revegetation, yet the impacts of Ks profile on the soil moisture distribution and runoff generation processes were less explored. In this study, numerical simulations were conducted to investigate how changes in the Ks profile caused by vegetation restoration influenced the hydrological responses at event scale. The numerical simulation results show that the increase of surface Ks caused by vegetation restoration can effectively reduce runoff at event scale. Moreover, the enhancement of vertical heterogeneity of Ks profiles can significantly change the vertical profile of soil water content, prompting more water to percolate into the deep soil layer. When rainfall exceeds a threshold, the accumulation of soil water above the relatively less permeable layer can cause short‐term saturation in shallow soil layers, resulting in a transient perched water table. As a result, after the vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau, though Horton overland flow is still the main runoff generation mechanism, there is a possibility of the emergence of Dunne overland flow under the high vegetation coverage (e.g., NDVI larger than 0.5). This emergence of new runoff generation mechanism, saturation excess runoff, in the Loess Plateau due to the vegetation restoration could provide scientific guidance for water and sediment movement, soil and water conservation practices, and desertification control in the Loess Plateau.
Identification of genetic features that are associated with amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation changes in schizophrenia using omics analysis
Authors: Luo Wei , Du Ruolan , Li Ying , Zhang Hua , Li Weixin , Luo Xiaoqi , Chen Yunying , Yuan Xinying , Deng Jin
Published: February 2024

Genetic risk for schizophrenia is thought to trigger variation in clinical features of schizophrenia, but biological processes associated with neuronal activity in brain regions remain elusive. In this study, gene expression features were mapped to various sub‐regions of the brain by integrating low‐frequency amplitude features and gene expression data from the schizophrenia brain and using gene co‐expression network analysis of the Allen Transcriptome Atlas of the human brain from six donors to identify genetic features of brain regions and important associations with neuronal features. The results indicate that changes in the dynamic amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (dALFF) are mainly associated with transcriptome signature factors such as cortical layer synthesis, immune response, and expanded membrane transport. Further modular disease enrichment analysis revealed that the same set of signature genes associated with dALFF levels was enriched for multiple neurological biological processes. Finally, genetic profiling of individual modules identified multiple core genes closely related to schizophrenia, also potentially associated with neuronal activity. Thus, this paper explores genetic features of brain regions in the schizophrenia closely related to low‐frequency amplitude ratio levels based on imaging genetics, which suggests structural endophenotypes associated with schizophrenia.
Laser‐assisted topical delivery of vismodegib reduces hedgehog gene expression in human basal cell carcinomas in vivo
Authors: Olesen Uffe H. , Pedersen Kristian Kåber , Togsverd‐Bo Katrine , Biskup Edyta , Nielsen Anni Linnet , Jackerott Malene , Clergeaud Gael , Andresen Thomas L. , Haedersdal Merete
Published: February 2024

Background

Systemically delivered hedgehog inhibitors including vismodegib and sonidegib are widely used to treat basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Ablative fractional laser (AFL)‐assisted topical delivery of vismodegib has been demonstrated in preclinical studies. The aim of this explorative clinical study was to evaluate intratumoral vismodegib concentrations and effect on hedgehog pathway gene expression following AFL‐assisted topical vismodegib delivery to BCCs.

Methods

In an open‐label clinical trial, 16 nodular BCCs (in n = 9 patients) received one application of CO2‐AFL (40 mJ/microbeam, 10% density) followed by topical vismodegib emulsion. After 3–4 days, vismodegib concentrations in tumor biopsies (n = 15) and plasma were analyzed and compared with samples from patients receiving oral treatment (n = 3). GLI1, GLI2, PTCH1, and PTCH2 expression was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 7) and GLI1 additionally by in situ hybridization (n = 3).

Results

Following AFL‐assisted topical administration, vismodegib was detected in 14/15 BCCs and reached a median concentration of 6.2 µmol/L, which compared to concentrations in BCC tissue from patients receiving oral vismodegib (9.5 µmol/L, n = 3, p = 0.8588). Topical vismodegib reduced intratumoral GLI1 expression by 51%, GLI2 by 55%, PTCH1 and PTCH2 each by 73% (p ≤ 0.0304) regardless of vismodegib concentrations (p ≥ 0.3164). In situ hybridization demonstrated that GLI1 expression was restricted to tumor tissue and downregulated in response to vismodegib exposure.

Conclusion

A single AFL‐assisted topical application of vismodegib resulted in clinically relevant intratumoral drug concentrations and significant reductions in hedgehog pathway gene expressions.
Manufacturer's channel strategy in live streaming E‐commerce supply chain
Authors: Ma Rong , Yang Tianjian
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the manufacturer's live streaming sales strategy. Considering the vertical differences in products, we build a live streaming sales model for an e‐commerce supply chain. We examined different live streaming channel strategies for the manufacturer, with the base strategy being no live streaming sales and the manufacturer only reselling a high‐quality product on the e‐commerce platform. The manufacturer's strategies for choosing live streaming include selling a high‐ or low‐quality product on independent and e‐commerce platform channels. We solve the solutions under different scenarios, comparing the equilibrium solutions and discussing the impact of live streaming under different channel models. We find that live streaming channel encroachment by the manufacturer can achieve a win–win situation for both the manufacturer and e‐commerce platform, and the encroachment of a low‐quality product can achieve a larger win–win situation. In the independent live streaming channel, the manufacturer chooses to sell a high‐quality product under the quality and cost advantages. In the e‐commerce platform's live streaming channel, the presence of commissions further influences the manufacturer's strategy. In the extended model, we analyze the spillover effect of live streaming sales. A multi‐agent‐based simulation model is developed to validate the conclusions of the main model.
Lithography‐free fabrication of a local contact interlayer for Si‐based tandem solar cells
Authors: Lee Youngseok , Kim Chan Ul , Woo Yeeun , Kim Won‐Mok , Jeong Jeung‐hyun , Kim Dong‐hwan , Lee Doh‐Kwon , Choi Kyoung Jin , Kim Inho
Published: February 2024

Currently, the Si solar cell market share is dominated by PERC solar cells. Although the efficiency of PERC solar cells has been steadily increasing, it is expected to reach the practical efficiency limit in the near future. The thin film/PERC Si tandem cell technique can be one of the solutions to overcome the single‐cell efficiency limit. In this study, we developed a novel interlayer fabrication technology for the diffused junction Si solar cells of the PERC and Al BSF cell architectures. We combined laser contact opening (LCO) and laser‐induced forward transfer (LIFT) processes to fabricate local contact opening with low contact resistance while maintaining the high passivation performance of the Si bottom cell. The dielectric‐passivated emitter of the Si solar cell was ablated locally by the LCO process, and subsequently, the Ti nanoparticles were transferred selectively by the LIFT process to the opened emitter region followed by transparent conducting oxide deposition. Laser process parameters were carefully optimized to fabricate low‐loss interlayers. We applied the developed interlayer fabrication technology to the Si bottom cells of Al BSF and PERC cells. Finally, we demonstrated successfully the perovskite/PERC Si tandem cell with an interlayer developed in this study. The developed interlayer fabrication technology does not include a photolithography step and vacuum deposition processes for buffer metals; thus, we expect it may be more compatible with the mass production of thin film/diffused junction Si tandem solar cells.
D‐pinitol alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy by inhibiting the optineurin‐mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and glycophagy signaling pathway
Authors: Li Xiaoli , Yu Xin , Yu Fei , Fu Chunli , Zhao Wenqian , Liu Xiaosong , Dai Chaochao , Gao Haiqing , Cheng Mei , Li Baoying
Published: February 2024

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important complication resulting in heart failure and death of diabetic patients. However, there is no effective drug for treatments. This study investigated the effect of D‐pinitol (DP) on cardiac injury using diabetic mice and glycosylation injury of cardiomyocytes and its molecular mechanisms. We established the streptozotocin‐induced SAMR1 and SAMP8 mice and DP (150 mg/kg/day) intragastrically and advanced glycation end‐products (AGEs)‐induced H9C2 cells. H9C2 cells were transfected with optineurin (OPTN) siRNA and overexpression plasmids. The metabolic disorder indices, cardiac dysfunction, histopathology, immunofluorescence, western blot, and immunoprecipitation were investigated. Our results showed that DP reduced the blood glucose and AGEs, and increased the expression of heart OPTN in diabetic mice and H9C2 cells, thereby inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum stress (GRP78, CHOP) and glycophagy (STBD1, GABARAPL1), and alleviating the myocardial apoptosis and fibrosis of DCM. The expression of filamin A as an interaction protein of OPTN downregulated by AGEs decreased OPTN abundance. Moreover, OPTN siRNA increased the expression of GRP78, CHOP, STBD1, and GABARAPL1 and inhibited the expression of GAA via GSK3β phosphorylation and FoxO1. DP may be helpful to treat the onset of DCM. Targeting OPTN with DP could be translated into clinical application in the fighting against DCM.
Techno-economics of Open Battery Systems
Authors: Minke Christine
Published: February 2024

In the design of open battery systems, especially flow batteries (FBs), power (P) and energy (E) may be scaled independently. Thus, the battery design is characterized by the E/P ratio. The resulting wide variety of battery systems requires a close linkage of technical and economic aspects in cost assessment. This subchapter provides an assessment framework for techno-economics of open battery systems designed as FBs.
Social Life Cycle Assessment of Batteries
Authors: Cellura Maurizio , De Luca Anna Irene , Iofrida Nathalie , Mistretta Marina
Published: February 2024

As the demand for batteries is continuously increasing, understanding their social implications becomes increasingly important.

This chapter points out the relevance of the social life cycle assessment (SLCA) to evaluate the effects on social issues of battery throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal.

In the first two paragraphs, the authors describe the main SLCA methodological tools and highlight that further efforts should be made on standardisation possibilities and the alignment to other life cycle methodologies, and testing of methods is necessary to overcome present obstacles and increase the applicability and interpretability results.

In the third paragraph, a literature review is carried out to highlight the main critical hotspots in s-LCA studies. There are many studies on the environmental impacts of battery production in the literature, but the social aspects have not been adequately explored or they are limited to social acceptance. Moreover, indicators related to social aspects are not standardised, due to the obstacles to collect data from the specific production sector for all life cycle phases. Identifying the social impacts of battery supply chain must necessarily include all life cycle phases, such as the extraction and processing of raw materials, the production of intermediates, the production of battery cells, the assembly of the battery pack as final product and the disposal or recycling. Further, the literature review highlights the necessity of more research to clearly define the possible social impacts of batteries, especially objective analyses that can clearly quantify the impacts deriving from the life cycle phases and that allow comparisons among different scenarios, which can be highly variegated.
Multicriteria Decision Analysis for Sustainability Assessment for Emerging Batteries
Authors: Estrada Laura Mesa , Haase Martina , Baumann Manuel , Müller Tim
Published: February 2024

Multicriteria decision-making theory has been widely used for sustainability assessment in the context of energy management. Although it is not a simple task, requirements are available in the literature to guide analysts performing this type of assessments. When it comes to emerging technologies, specific conditions such unknown impacts, lack of data, high uncertainty, etc., can increase the complexity of the task. Here we present an overview of the concepts of MCDA sustainability assessment, examples of existing studies in the field of energy storage, and a use case for the sustainability assessment of early-stage cathode materials for sodium ion batteries using PROMETHEE II. The results in this type of assessment serve as an indicative for further research and development of specific technologies/materials. Factors such as the availability of data and dynamic social contexts (e.g., political priorities) make sustainability assessments an iterative process. Systematic approaches and specialized MCDA software are necessary to support this task.
Raw Materials and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Davies Shannon Helen , Christensen Paul , Holberg Thomas , Avelar Joao , Heidrich Oliver
Published: February 2024

The growth in the electric vehicle (EV) and the associated lithium-ion battery (LIB) market globally has been both exponential and inevitable. This is mainly due to the drive toward sustainability through the electrification of transport. This chapter briefly reviews and analyzes the value chain of LIBs, as well as the supply risks of the raw material provisions. It illustrates some of the global environmental and economic impacts of using materials such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel, in both their original and secondary usage and final disposal. To assist in the understanding of the supply and safety risks associated with the materials used in LIBs, this chapter explains in detail the various active cathode chemistries of the numerous LIBs currently available, including the specific battery contents, how the batteries are grouped into families, and the supply risks associated with the materials used. A detailed description of the three existing recycling processes and material yields from each recycling process is given. This is followed by a discussion on the challenges and opportunities that come with each of these recycling processes. There is an overview of battery recycling regulation in the three major markets, China, the EU, and the USA; and how they impact one another. Finally, we highlight the safety issues associated with the transportation, processing, and recycling of LIBs with a focus on the primary risks of LIB fires and how to prevent them. This chapter concludes by summarizing the key findings of this work.
Theoretische Perspektiven auf das Akteurshandeln in der Weiterbildungsplanung und -entwicklung
Authors: Tokarski Bianca Maria
Published: February 2024

Der Schwerpunkt der nachfolgenden Ausführungen liegt auf den institutionell vermittelten Anforderungen an die handelnden Akteur:innen im Kontext der Weiterbildungsplanung und -entwicklung an Hochschulen. Als institutionelle Anforderungen werden zum einen die internen Ansprüche der Wissenschaftsinstitution, zum anderen die unmittelbar auf die Hochschulen einwirkenden Einflüsse des Weiterbildungsmarktes einbezogen.
Von der Penis- zur Kreuzinsel: Der Fake-Bericht von der Isle of Pines und seine europäischen Adaptationen
Authors: Borgstedt Thomas
Published: February 2024

A satirically intended fake report about the alleged discovery of an unknown island in the Indian Ocean, published in London in two parts, leads to a flood of translations throughout Europe within a few weeks in 1688. In the process, the first part of the fantasy tale is translated into numerous other languages and used as an actual account of the discovery, as a scandalous polygamy experiment and finally even as the model for the island episode at the end of Grimmelshausen’s Simplicissimus novel. The latter appears to be a counterfactual of the original text for moral and confessional reasons. Overall, the history of translation demonstrates the central role of Dutch as a language of mediation for English texts into German and French and beyond. For French, a divergent reception can be reconstructed depending on the political and confessional conditions. The reception in Germany was mainly in the trading cities of Hamburg and Frankfurt. In the meantime, Georg Greflinger has been identified as the decisive translator and mediator. As an early newspaper publisher, his main focus was on the curieuse interest in entertainment. The history of translation nevertheless proves to be a comprehensive misreception, which became a condition for the enormous journalistic success. This article breaks down the multiple thematic spectrum of the original narrative and its diverse further use, compares significant text variants and is able to add a number of new findings to the known printing and translation history with regard to the originals used, unknown printings and concrete reception paths.
Ein erster Überblick über englisch-deutsche Kunstkontakte im Zeitraum 1660–1727: Künstler- und Objektmobilität, Reisenarrative, Kunstaufträge mit Bezug zum Hosenbandorden und deutsch-englische Kontakte in der Monumentalmalerei
Authors: Strunck Christina
Published: February 2024

This article gives the first overview of a hitherto almost unexplored field, British-German artistic exchange in the period between 1660 and 1727. This period was characterized by a dynastic crisis of the Stuart monarchy that finally led to the establishment of the Hanoverian dynasty in Great Britain. The text focuses on five fields of inquiry: (1) the discussion of works of art and architecture in travel narratives, (2) artistic commissions related to the Order of the Garter, (3) travelling artists and the careers of German artists who settled permanently in England, (4) the movement of objects from Britain to Germany and vice versa, (5) the depiction of German-English contacts and the cross-cultural reception of aesthetic models in monumental painting.
Es ist der Jnsell Art! Inselgeographie und politisches Experiment in Carolus Stuardus von Andreas Gryphius
Authors: Fromholzer Franz
Published: February 2024

The article aims at examining the geographical representation of Great Britain in Gryphius’ play. Great Britain as an island predestines the kingdom to a political field of experimentation in analogy to early modern utopian literature. England, called ‚enge Land‘ (narrow land) by king Carolus Stuardus, tends towards war and social dynamics. A political storm has taken hold of the island which is shaken like the sea surrounding Great Britain. Thus, the decoupling of the United Kingdom from Europe seems desirable.
Bildwechsel. Frühneuzeitliche Pocahontasillustrationen im deutsch-englischen Spannungsfeld
Authors: Kraft Stephan
Published: February 2024

A series of German illustrated editions from a series of early English travel reports about the colony of Virginia has been published contemporarily through the copper engraver family de Bry/Merian. More important than even London, Frankfurt established itself as the primary distribution center for those engravings that would become formative for the imagination of the North American indigenous peoples. This connection has also been vital for the accounts and narratives concerning the Algonkin chieftain’s daughter Pocahontas (about 1595–1617) and her early iconography. Literary texts based on the imagination of fictionally expanded engravings that were produced after original watercolor paintings were first published in Germany in the 18th century. These texts predate the Anglo-American narrative tradition around this figure. Without direct contact to North American indigenous peoples themselves, early incarnations of a double theme simultaneously incorporating both the “barbaric” and the “noble savage” were developed in Germany based on this imagery.
Mammon und Passion ‚ins Deutsche versetzet‘: Transfer der Sprache und Erhebung der Seele am Beispiel der Parallelübersetzungen Joseph Halls im deutschen Protestantismus
Authors: Keller Andreas
Published: February 2024

During the 16th century the english language is not very common in the german areas. In the course of the continued Reformation movements, however, demand is increasing for personally oriented devotional literature, which British authors appear to be better able to meet. In this way, multiple versions of individual texts are created in parallel in German, which, in addition to meditation and devotion, also introduce very specific phenomena of a social reality that are relatively unknown in German-speaking areas. As Joseph Hall shows, questions such as financial speculation, capital increase or commercial law, psychology or character development are particularly attractive for readers in German-speaking countries who are completely focused on heart and inwardness. More precise comparisons of individual translations show the different techniques of the translators, but also the different interests of their regional readership.
Frömmigkeitsbewegung und Selbstinszenierung: Die Rezeption englischer Erbauungsliteratur in der Straßburger Reformorthodoxie zwischen 1630 und 1655
Authors: Derer Sofia
Published: February 2024

In the 1630s, Strasbourg is the first Lutheran region in the German-speaking lands to officially permit English devotional books such as Lewis Bayly’s Practice of Piety to be used for private edification. The English books ‘travelled’ across Europe in a process of translation and adaptation enabled by booksellers and publishers that ultimately made them compatible with a specific form of Strasbourg Lutheranism purported by the theologist Johann Schmidt. In Strasbourg, the English books were esteemed highly enough that in the 1640s and 1650s, the writer Johann Michael Moscherosch ostentatiously referred to them as part of a rhetorical strategy aiming to portray himself as good Christian by the definition of Schmidt.
Coneability of Anti-Fubini Functions and Other Lineability Properties
Authors: Bernal-González L. , Calderón-Moreno M. C. , Muñoz-Fernández G. A. , Rodríguez-Vidanes D. L. , Seoane-Sepúlveda J. B.
Published: February 2024

It is proved that the family of measurable real functions on the product measure space satisfying (or not) the conclusion of Fubini’s Theorem (along with a number of related families) is algebraically large, in the sense that it contains large convex cones or even large vector subspaces (except for zero) under rather general assumptions. Several earlier related results are improved, mainly regarding the cardinality of the generator set of the corresponding cones or subspaces.