bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining characteristics and long‐term prognosis of drug‐induced autoimmune‐like hepatitis: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Chung Yooyun , Morrison Maura , Zen Yoh , Heneghan Michael A.
Published: December 2023

Background

Drug‐induced autoimmune‐like hepatitis (DI‐AILH) is poorly defined and more data are required to better characterise and manage this disease entity.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics, histology and long‐term outcomes of DI‐AILH compared with idiopathic autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study reviewed 28 DI‐AILH and 39 AIH patients in a single centre. The new (2022) and simplified (2008) AIH histology criteria were used to assess DI‐AILH.

Results

DI‐AILH were more likely to present with jaundice (p = 0.004) and higher bilirubin levels (p = 0.04) than AIH. AIH patients had higher rate of immunosuppression (IS) use including second‐ and third‐line agents, though the time to reach biochemical remission were comparable. AIH patients had more advanced fibrosis than DI‐AILH (Ishak fibrosis score 3.5 vs. 1.9, p < 0.0001). DI‐AILH more commonly had eosinophilic aggregates (18% vs. 3%, p = 0.031) and less commonly showed plasma cell aggregates (61% vs. 97%, p < 0.001) than AIH. The simplified AIH histology criteria identified 1 atypical histology within the DI‐AILH cohort, although this patient required long‐term IS. The new AIH histology criteria classified 23 (82%) as likely AIH and 5 (18%) as possible AIH. Two of the possible DI‐AILH did not require IS and one patient had successful IS withdrawal. Four DI‐AILH patients with fibrosis stage ≤3 had successful IS withdrawal compared with none in the AIH group. Four patients underwent liver transplantation (LT) in both cohorts with significantly shorter time to LT in DI‐AILH as the indication was for (sub)acute liver failure. Two DI‐AILH patients died within 60 days of LT.

Conclusion

The new AIH histology criteria may be better at identifying DI‐AILH. Immunosuppression withdrawal in those without significant fibrosis may be considered. DI‐AILH is at risk of (sub)acute liver failure and early discussions with a transplant centre would be desirable.
Recent insights into the world of dual‐function bacterial sRNAs
Authors: Schnoor Sebastian Benjamin , Neubauer Peter , Gimpel Matthias
Published: December 2023

Dual‐function sRNAs refer to a small subgroup of small regulatory RNAs that merges base‐pairing properties of antisense RNAs with peptide‐encoding properties of mRNA. Both functions can be part of either same or in another metabolic pathway. Here, we want to update the knowledge of to the already known dual‐function sRNAs and review the six new sRNAs found since 2017 regarding their structure, functional mechanisms, evolutionary conservation, and role in the regulation of distinct biological/physiological processes. The increasing identification of dual‐function sRNAs through bioinformatics approaches, RNomics and RNA‐sequencing and the associated increase in regulatory understanding will likely continue to increase at the same rate in the future. This may improve our understanding of the physiology, virulence and resistance of bacteria, as well as enable their use in technical applications.

This article is categorized under:

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs
How is polyadenylation restricted to 3′‐untranslated regions?
Authors: Struhl Kevin
Published: December 2023

Polyadenylation occurs at numerous sites within 3′‐untranslated regions (3′‐UTRs) but rarely within coding regions. How does Pol II travel through long coding regions without generating poly(A) sites, yet then permits promiscuous polyadenylation once it reaches the 3′‐UTR? The cleavage/polyadenylation (CpA) machinery preferentially associates with 3′‐UTRs, but it is unknown how its recruitment is restricted to 3′‐UTRs during Pol II elongation. Unlike coding regions, 3′‐UTRs have long AT‐rich stretches of DNA that may be important for restricting polyadenylation to 3′‐UTRs. Recognition of the 3′‐UTR could occur at the DNA (AT‐rich), RNA (AU‐rich), or RNA:DNA hybrid (rU:dA‐ and/or rA:dT‐rich) level. Based on the nucleic acid critical for 3′‐UTR recognition, there are three classes of models, not mutually exclusive, for how the CpA machinery is selectively recruited to 3′‐UTRs, thereby restricting where polyadenylation occurs: (1) RNA‐based models suggest that the CpA complex directly (or indirectly through one or more intermediary proteins) binds long AU‐rich stretches that are exposed after Pol II passes through these regions. (2) DNA‐based models suggest that the AT‐rich sequence affects nucleosome depletion or the elongating Pol II machinery, resulting in dissociation of some elongation factors and subsequent recruitment of the CpA machinery. (3) RNA:DNA hybrid models suggest that preferential destabilization of the Pol II elongation complex at rU:dA‐ and/or rA:dT‐rich duplexes bridging the nucleotide addition and RNA exit sites permits preferential association of the CpA machinery with 3′‐UTRs. Experiments to provide evidence for one or more of these models are suggested.
Liberal Economics’ Track Record on Inclusion, Sustainability and Resilience
Authors: Samans Richard
Published: December 2023

This chapter summarizes the important historical contribution of liberal economics in accelerating economic growth and reducing poverty, while examining its profound and persistent difficulty in responding effectively to societal demands for greater social inclusion, environmental sustainability and resilience to major shifts and shocks. It traces a growing body of evidence and criticism that modern economics may be constitutionally incapable of addressing these considerations adequately, particularly since its theoretical models generally treat them as afterthoughts, matters assumed to resolve naturally over time on the strength of a rising tide of national income generated by economic growth. It then assesses the state of reform in each of these three respects, concluding that efforts to date have been essentially aspirational, procedural or incremental and thus are destined to fall well short of what would be required to fulfil the corresponding goals humanity's political leaders have set in multilateral agreements, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris climate and Kunming-Montreal biodiversity agreement targets, and objectives of the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work. Despite the widespread call for replacement of “neoliberalism” and the Washington Consensus, a viable theory of more fundamental and sufficient change has yet to emerge from within the economics community. This will require a deeper critique and reformulation of liberal economic doctrine, starting with a re-examination of its first principles.
Human-Centred National Economic Policy: Institutionalizing Inclusion, Sustainability and Resilience in Domestic Economic Governance
Authors: Samans Richard
Published: December 2023

This chapter elaborates on many of the domestic policies and institutional features that are most relevant to the task of strengthening an economy’s aggregate distribution function—its underlying ecosystem of legal and other norms, policy incentives and public administrative capacities that strongly influence the extent to which it grows in an inclusive, sustainable and resilient manner. Countries should devote at least as much policy attention and effort to strengthening the distribution function as production function of their economies by investing on an ongoing basis in policy incentives and institutional capacity relating to the five “factors of distribution” of household employment and entrepreneurial opportunity; disposable income; availability and affordability of material necessities; economic security; and environmental security. This is a structural way of improving the social quality as well as quantity of economic growth—that is to say, median household living standards as well as productive output or GDP. Extensive comparative data are presented in each of these policy domains demonstrating that nearly every country has a substantial social “welfare gap”—underperformance on one or more aspects of median household living standards relative to the frontier of outcomes and enabling policy practices in peer countries. Like output gaps, these can be narrowed by examining what works well in peer countries and how it can be adapted to national circumstances through policy innovation and investment.
Einführung in das Verbundvorhaben Easyquart
Authors: Bucher Anke , Görke Uwe-Jens , Grimm Rüdiger , Hastreiter Nele , Kolditz Olaf , Lubashevsky Katrin , Randow Jakob , Richter Simon , Rink Karsten , Schönfelder Stephan , Shao Haibing , Vienken Thomas , Zschoke H. Konstanze
Published: December 2023

Im Jahre 2015 wohnten etwa 75 % der deutschen Bevölkerung in Städten (Statista 2018). Entsprechend dem Ziel des Energiekonzepts der Bundesregierung (Bundesregierung 2018), den Gebäudebestandteil bis 2050 nahezu klimaneutral zu gestalten, spielen städtische Quartiere eine herausragende Rolle bei der Steigerung von Energieeffizienz und somit der Senkung von Schadstoffemissionen. Laut Angaben des Umweltbundesamtes betrug der Anteil von Wärme/Kälte im Jahr 2012 knapp 51 % am Endenergieverbrauch in Deutschland. In privaten Haushalten ist der thermische Anteil mit bis zu 80 % gemessen am Verbrauch von Endenergie noch deutlich größer. Davon stammten 2016 lediglich 13,4 % aus erneuerbaren Quellen (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz 2022), mit einem seit 2012 nahezu stagnierenden Anteil. Diese Zahlen verdeutlichen das große Effizienzpotenzial von Stadtquartieren im Wärmesektor und deren Schlüsselrolle im Prozess der Energiewende.
Analyse von Haustechnikkomponenten
Authors: Satke Paul , Randow Jakob , Jäschke Max , Schönfelder Stephan
Published: December 2023

Bis zu diesem Kapitel wurde hauptsächlich das unterirdische Teilsystem von geothermischen Anlagen untersucht. Im Folgenden wechselt der Fokus zu den oberirdischen Verbrauchern, deren thermischer Modellierung und deren Verknüpfung mit dem Untergrundmodell.
Naturally small neutrino mass with asymptotic safety and gravitational-wave signatures
Authors: Chikkaballi Abhishek , Kowalska Kamila , Sessolo Enrico Maria
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We revisit the dynamical generation of an arbitrarily small neutrino Yukawa coupling in the Standard Model with trans-Planckian asymptotic safety and apply the same mechanism to the gauged B − L model. We show that thanks to the presence of additional irrelevant couplings, the described neutrino-mass generation in the B − L model is potentially more in line with existing theoretical calculations in quantum gravity. Interestingly, the model can accommodate, in full naturalness and without extensions, the possibility of purely Dirac, pseudo-Dirac, and Majorana neutrinos with any see-saw scale. We investigate eventual distinctive signatures of these cases in the detection of gravitational waves from first-order phase transitions. We find that, while it is easy to produce a signal observable in new-generation space interferometers, its discriminating features are washed out by the strong dependence of the gravitational-wave spectrum on the relevant parameters of the scalar potential.
Notes on a surface defect in the O(N) model
Authors: Giombi Simone , Liu Bowei
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We study a surface defect in the free and critical O(N) vector models, defined by adding a quadratic perturbation localized on a two-dimensional subspace of the d-dimensional CFT. We compute the beta function for the corresponding defect renormalization group (RG) flow, and provide evidence that at long distances the system flows to a nontrivial defect conformal field theory (DCFT). We use epsilon and large N expansions to compute several physical quantities in the DCFT, finding agreement across different expansion methods. We also compute the defect free energy, and check consistency with the so-called b-theorem for RG flows on surface defects.
Kinematic power corrections in TMD factorization theorem
Authors: Vladimirov Alexey
Published: December 2023

Abstract

This work is dedicated to the study of power expansion in the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) factorization theorem. Each genuine term in this expansion gives rise to a series of kinematic power corrections (KPCs). All terms of this series exhibit the same properties as the leading term and share the same nonperturbative content. Among various power corrections, KPCs are especially important since they restore charge conservation and frame invariance, which are violated at a fixed power order. I derive and sum a series of KPCs associated with the leading-power term of the TMD factorization theorem. The resulting expression resembles a hadronic tensor computed with free massless quarks while still satisfying a proven factorization statement. Additionally, I provide an explicit check of this novel form of factorization theorem at the next-to-leading order (NLO) and demonstrate the restoration of the frame-invariant argument of the leading-power coefficient function. Numerical estimations show that incorporating the summed KPCs into the cross-section leads to an almost constant shift, which may help to explain the observed challenges in the TMD phenomenology.
On infinite symmetry algebras in Yang-Mills theory
Authors: Freidel Laurent , Pranzetti Daniele , Raclariu Ana-Maria
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Similar to gravity, an infinite tower of symmetries generated by higher-spin charges has been identified in Yang-Mills theory by studying collinear limits or celestial operator products of gluons. This work aims to recover this loop symmetry in terms of charge aspects constructed on the gluonic Fock space. We propose an explicit construction for these higher spin charge aspects as operators which are polynomial in the gluonic annihilation and creation operators. The core of the paper consists of a proof that the charges we propose form a closed loop algebra to quadratic order. This closure involves using the commutator of the cubic order expansion of the charges with the linear (soft) charge. Quite remarkably, this shows that this infinite-dimensional symmetry constrains the non-linear structure of Yang-Mills theory. We provide a similar all spin proof in gravity for the so-called global quadratic (hard) charges which form the loop wedge subalgebra of w1+∞.
$$ B\to {D}_0^{\ast } $$ and $$ {B}_s\to {D}_{s0}^{\ast } $$ form factors from QCD light-cone sum rules
Authors: Gubernari Nico , Khodjamirian Alexander , Mandal Rusa , Mannel Thomas
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We present the first application of QCD light-cone sum rules (LCSRs) with B(s)-meson distribution amplitudes to the $$ {B}_{(s)}\to {D}_{(s)0}^{\ast } $$

B

s

→

D

s

0

∗

form factors, where $$ {D}_{(s)0}^{\ast } $$

D

s

0

∗

is a charmed scalar meson. We consider two scenarios for the $$ {D}_0^{\ast } $$

D
0
∗

spectrum. In the first one, we follow the Particle Data Group and consider a single broad resonance $$ {D}_0^{\ast }(2300) $$

D
0
∗

2300

. In the second one, we assume the existence of two scalar resonances, $$ {D}_0^{\ast }(2105) $$

D
0
∗

2105

and $$ {D}_0^{\ast }(2451) $$

D
0
∗

2451

, as follows from a recent theoretically motivated analysis of B → Dππ decays. The $$ B\to {D}_0^{\ast } $$
B
→

D
0
∗

form factors are calculated in both scenarios, also taking into account the large total width of $$ {D}_0^{\ast }(2300) $$

D
0
∗

2300

. Furthermore, we calculate the $$ {B}_s\to {D}_{s0}^{\ast } $$

B
s

→

D

s
0

∗

form factors, considering in this case only the one-resonance scenario with Ds0(2317). In this LCSRs calculation, the c-quark mass is kept finite and the s-quark mass is taken into account. We also include contributions of the two- and three-particle distribution amplitudes up to twist-four. Our predictions for semileptonic $$ B\to {D}_0^{\ast}\ell {\nu}_{\ell } $$
B
→

D
0
∗

ℓ

ν
ℓ

and $$ {B}_s\to {D}_{s0}^{\ast}\ell {\nu}_{\ell } $$

B
s

→

D

s
0

∗

ℓ

ν
ℓ

branching ratios are compared with the available data and HQET-based predictions. As a byproduct, we also obtain the $$ {D}_0^{\ast } $$

D
0
∗

- and $$ {D}_{s0}^{\ast } $$

D

s
0

∗

-meson decay constants and predict the lepton flavour universality ratios $$ R\left({D}_0^{\ast}\right) $$
R

D
0
∗

and $$ R\left({D}_{s0}^{\ast}\right) $$
R

D

s
0

∗

.
The Limit Set for Representations of Discrete Subgroups of $$\text {PU}(1,n)$$ by the Plücker Embedding
Authors: Zuñiga Haremy
Published: December 2023

Let $$\Gamma $$
Γ
be a discrete subgroup of $$\text {PU}(1,n)$$

PU
(
1
,
n
)

. In this work, we look at the induced action of $$\Gamma $$
Γ
on the projective space $$\mathbb {P}(\wedge ^{k+1}\mathbb {C}^{n+1})$$

P
(

∧

k
+
1

C

n
+
1

)

by the Plücker embedding, where $$\wedge ^{k+1}$$

∧

k
+
1

denotes the exterior power. We define a limit set for this action called the k-Chen-Greenberg limit set, which extends the classical definition of the Chen-Greenberg limit set $$L(\Gamma )$$

L
(
Γ
)

, and we show several of its properties. We prove that its Kulkarni limit set is the union taken over all $$p\in L(\Gamma )$$

p
∈
L
(
Γ
)

of the projective subspace generated by all k-planes that contain p or are contained in $$p^{\perp }$$

p
⊥

via the Plücker embedding. We also prove a duality between both limit sets.
Visual analysis of fatigue in Industry 4.0
Authors: Alfavo-Viquez David , Zamora-Hernandez Mauricio-Andres , Azorín-López Jorge , Garcia-Rodriguez Jose
Published: December 2023

The performance of manufacturing operations relies heavily on the operators’ performance. When operators begin to exhibit signs of fatigue, both their individual performance and the overall performance of the manufacturing plant tend to decline. This research presents a methodology for analyzing fatigue in assembly operations, considering indicators such as the EAR (Eye Aspect Ratio) indicator, operator pose, and elapsed operating time. To facilitate the analysis, a dataset of assembly operations was generated and recorded from three different perspectives: frontal, lateral, and top views. The top view enables the analysis of the operator’s face and posture to identify hand positions. By labeling the actions in our dataset, we train a deep learning system to recognize the sequence of operator actions required to complete the operation. Additionally, we propose a model for determining the level of fatigue by processing multimodal information acquired from various sources, including eye blink rate, operator pose, and task duration during assembly operations.
Multi-scale color constancy based on salient varying local spatial statistics
Authors: Ulucan Oguzhan , Ulucan Diclehan , Ebner Marc
Published: December 2023

The human visual system unconsciously determines the color of the objects by “discounting” the effects of the illumination, whereas machine vision systems have difficulty performing this task. Color constancy algorithms assist computer vision pipelines by removing the effects of the illuminant, which in the end enables these pipelines to perform better on high-level vision tasks based on the color features of the scene. Due to its benefits, numerous color constancy algorithms have been developed, and existing techniques have been improved. Combining different strategies and investigating new methods might help us design simple yet effective algorithms. Thereupon, we present a color constancy algorithm based on the outcomes of our previous works. Our algorithm is built upon the biological findings that the human visual system might be discounting the illuminant based on the highest luminance patches and space-average color. We find the illuminant estimate based on the idea that if the world is gray on average, the deviation of the brightest pixels from the achromatic value should be caused by the illuminant. Our approach utilizes multi-scale operations by only considering the salient pixels. It relies on varying surface orientations by adopting a block-based approach. We show that our strategy outperforms learning-free algorithms and provides competitive results compared to the learning-based methods. Moreover, we demonstrate that using parts of our strategy can significantly improve the performance of several learning-free methods. We also briefly present an approach to transform our global color constancy method into a multi-illuminant color constancy approach.
Endoscopic assisted microscopic posterior cordotomy for bilateral abductor vocal fold paralysis using radiofrequency versus coblation
Authors: Ibrahim Anwar Abdelatty , Hamdan Ahmad Mahmoud , Elnaggar Ahmed Ali
Published: December 2023

Purpose

To assess the outcomes of endoscopic assisted microscopic posterior cordotomy for bilateral abductor vocal fold paralysis (BAVFP) using radiofrequency versus coblation.

Methods

This was a randomized prospective cohort study that carried out on 40 patients with BAVFP who were subjected to endoscopic/assisted microscopic posterior cordotomy. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups: group (A) patients were operated with radiofrequency, and group (B) patients were operated with coblation. Glottic chink, grade of dyspnea, voice handicap index 10 (VHI10), and aspiration were evaluated pre-operatively and 2 weeks and 3 months post-operatively.

Results

There was a significant improvement in the glottic chink and VHI10 scores postoperatively with a non-significant difference between both groups regarding the degree of improvement. In addition, there was a significant improvement of the grade of dyspnea with a non-significant impact on the degree of aspiration in both groups post operatively. There was a lower incidence of oedema and granulation formation in the coblation group but without a statistical significance.

Conclusion

Both techniques are effective alternatives for performing posterior transverse cordotomy in cases of BAVFP.
Influence of acute dietary nitrate supplementation timing on nitrate metabolism, central and peripheral blood pressure and exercise tolerance in young men
Authors: Rowland Samantha N. , James Lewis J. , O’Donnell Emma , Bailey Stephen J.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation can lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) and improve exercise performance. Salivary flow rate (SFR) and pH are key determinants of oral NO3− reduction and purported to peak in the afternoon. We tested the hypotheses that NO3−-rich beetroot juice (BR) would increase plasma [nitrite] ([NO2−]), lower SBP and improve exercise performance to a greater extent in the afternoon (AFT) compared to the morning (MORN) and evening (EVE).

Method

Twelve males completed six experimental visits in a repeated-measures, crossover design. NO3−-depleted beetroot juice (PL) or BR (~ 13 mmol NO3−) were ingested in the MORN, AFT and EVE. SFR and pH, salivary and plasma [NO3−] and [NO2−], brachial SBP and central SBP were measured pre and post supplementation. A severe-intensity exercise tolerance test was completed to determine cycling time to exhaustion (TTE).

Results

There were no between-condition differences in mean SFR or salivary pH. The elevation in plasma [NO2−] after BR ingestion was not different between BR-MORN, BR-AFT and BR-EVE. Brachial SBP was unchanged following BR supplementation in all conditions. Central SBP was reduced in BR-MORN (− 3 ± 4 mmHg), BR-AFT (− 4 ± 3 mmHg), and BR-EVE (− 2 ± 3 mmHg), with no differences between timepoints. TTE was not different between BR and PL at any timepoint.

Conclusion

Acute BR supplementation was ineffective at improving TTE and brachial SBP and similarly effective at increasing plasma [NO2−] and lowering central SBP across the day, which may have implications for informing NO3− supplementation strategies.
Induction of excitatory brain state governs plastic functional changes in visual cortical topology
Authors: Eysel Ulf T. , Jancke Dirk
Published: December 2023

Adult visual plasticity underlying local remodeling of the cortical circuitry in vivo appears to be associated with a spatiotemporal pattern of strongly increased spontaneous and evoked activity of populations of cells. Here we review and discuss pioneering work by us and others about principles of plasticity in the adult visual cortex, starting with our study which showed that a confined lesion in the cat retina causes increased excitability in the affected region in the primary visual cortex accompanied by fine-tuned restructuring of neuronal function. The underlying remodeling processes was further visualized with voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging that allowed a direct tracking of retinal lesion-induced reorganization across horizontal cortical circuitries. Nowadays, application of noninvasive stimulation methods pursues the idea further of increased cortical excitability along with decreased inhibition as key factors for the induction of adult cortical plasticity. We used high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), for the first time in combination with VSD optical imaging, and provided evidence that TMS-amplified excitability across large pools of neurons forms the basis for noninvasively targeting reorganization of orientation maps in the visual cortex. Our review has been compiled on the basis of these four own studies, which we discuss in the context of historical developments in the field of visual cortical plasticity and the current state of the literature. Overall, we suggest markers of LTP-like cortical changes at mesoscopic population level as a main driving force for the induction of visual plasticity in the adult. Elevations in excitability that predispose towards cortical plasticity are most likely a common property of all cortical modalities. Thus, interventions that increase cortical excitability are a promising starting point to drive perceptual and potentially motor learning in therapeutic applications.
Huogu injection protects against SONFH by promoting osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and preventing osteoblast apoptosis
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Ziyu , Xu Xilin , Liu Zhao , Hao Yuanyuan , Yang Fubiao , Li Xiaodong , Zhang Ning , Hou Yunlong , Zhang Xiaofeng
Published: December 2023

To investigate the effect and mechanism of Huogu injection (HG) on steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH), we established a SONFH model in rabbits using horse serum and dexamethasone (DEX) and applied HG locally at the hip joint. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy at 4 weeks using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-CT, and qualitative histology including H&E, Masson’s trichrome, ALP, and TUNEL staining. In vitro, we induced osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and performed analysis on days 14 and 21 of cell differentiation. The findings, in vivo, including SEM, micro-CT, and H&E staining, showed that HG significantly maintained bone quality and trabecular number. ALP staining indicated that HG promoted the proliferation of bone cells. Moreover, the results of Masson’s trichrome staining demonstrated the essential role of HG in collagen synthesis. Additionally, TUNEL staining revealed that HG reduced apoptosis. ALP and ARS staining in vitro confirmed that HG enhanced osteogenic differentiation and mineralization, consistent with the WB and qRT-PCR analysis. Furthermore, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining verified that HG inhibited osteoblast apoptosis, in agreement with the WB and qRT-PCR analyses. Furthermore, combined with the UPLC analysis, we found that naringin enhanced the osteogenic differentiation and accelerated the deposition of calcium phosphate. Salvianolic acid B protected osteoblasts derived from BMSCs against GCs-mediated apoptosis. Thus, this study not only reveals the mechanism of HG in promoting osteogenesis and anti-apoptosis of osteoblasts but also identifies the active-related components in HG, by which we provide the evidence for the application of HG in SONFH.
Global warming could shorten the seed lifespan of pioneer tree species and thus natural regeneration window of damaged areas
Authors: Tiebel Katharina , Dahlmann Johannes , Karge Antje
Published: December 2023

Prolonged periods without precipitation in spring prevent timely and rapid germination of pioneer tree seeds and could lead to an accelerated loss of germination capacity (reduced lifespan). To get knowledge about the shortening of seed lifespan and, thus, the shortening of natural regeneration windows under climate change, an experiment was conducted. Seeds of Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Salix caprea, Larix decidua, Pinus sylvestris, and Picea abies were exposed to temperatures of 15 °C, 25 °C (past or present climate), and 40 °C (future climate) with low or high humidity for a period of 3 months. Regardless of air humidity, the initial germination percentage of Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Larix decidua, and Pinus sylvestris seeds decreased only slightly by 5–15% over the 91-day period when stored at 15 °C and 25 °C. For Populus tremula and Salix caprea, time windows of maximum 14–49 days and 42–91 days were identified, respectively.

However, as climate change progresses with rising temperatures and increasing absolute air humidity values, the window of opportunity for successful germination will shorten for all studied tree species. In the moist air humidity variant of 40 °C, the germination percentage dropped to 0% after 42 days for Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, and Larix decidua. The natural regeneration window will be reduced by half from more than three months to about three weeks under climate change. The lifespan of Populus tremula and Salix caprea seeds will be shortened to 1 week. For Picea abies, the time window will shorten to a maximum of 28 days.
Distinct spatial patterns of genetic structure and diversity in the butterfly Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) inhabiting fragmented grasslands
Authors: Terzer Evelyn , Schmid Max , Bauert Barbara , Weidmann-Csencsics Daniela , Birrer Stefan , Bolliger Janine , Brodbeck Sabine , Gugerli Felix
Published: December 2023

We adopted a landscape-scale approach to analyze the genetic patterns (diversity, structure, and differentiation) of the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea). This butterfly species is characteristic of semi-dry grasslands, which have substantially declined in Switzerland during past decades. We sampled individuals on a regular grid of the established Biodiversity Monitoring program of Switzerland over five consecutive years, obtaining 1639 genotyped individuals from 185 locations. Results showed that M. galathea populations cluster into five spatially aggregated clusters that largely coincide with the biogeographic regions of Switzerland. Genetic diversity (allelic richness) was higher in the South of the Alps, likely related to immigration dynamics that suggest recolonisation from the South after the last glaciation. Demographic history resulted in distinct isolation by distance (IBD) and by cumulative elevational difference (isolation by altitude, IBA) at large scale, while regional IBD and IBA were less pronounced. This pattern was likely induced by the barrier effect of the high mountains of the Alps impeding continuous northward migration after the last glacial maximum. A temporal analysis revealed that regional genetic diversity did not change strongly during the five sampling years. This result indicates that the genetic diversity pattern in M. galathea has not been noticeably affected by historical land-use change or that the sampling period of five years is too short to detect any changes. Our findings highlight the regionally, topography-induced distinct genetic clusters, relevant for consideration as conservation units and likely reflecting genetic structures similar to those found in other butterfly species of conservation concern.
CT imaging of Lindner tested, burnt timber
Authors: Biró András , Lublóy Éva
Published: December 2023

The durability of fire-retardant materials used for wooden structures and wood-based products can be evaluated on small cut-out samples with the so-called Lindner test, which is a standard procedure in Hungary where 1 g of hexamethylene-tetramine is burnt under the wooden specimen and the mass loss is measured. For further spatial information about the burnt part of the samples, the specimens were CT scanned after the Lindner test. The goal was to evaluate if the charred part can be properly segmented in a CT image set and if the two measurements combined are precise enough to provide charring rate data. With the segmentation of the CT image sets, the burnt volumes could be separated properly in each case even when knots were present. Spruce sample provided the most consistent results regarding the mass loss/burnt volume. This is probably due to the uneven ring spacing and other inhomogeneities in the density of oak and ash.
Bereavement and Critical Incidents Involving Healthcare Professionals in Italy During COVID-19: The Importance of the Spiritual Dimension
Authors: Iacona Erika , Zulianello Lia , Piol Silvia , Bettoncelli Germano , Zamperini Adriano , Testoni Ines
Published: December 2023

This exploratory research investigated the work of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the major critical aspects, including healthcare providers’ needs as well as personal, professional, and social changes brought about by the pandemic upon both living and dying. In general, for many healthcare providers, the changes imposed by COVID-19 together with their inadequate training led to an excessive emotional load that caused high levels of stress and, consequently, the risk of burnout. In the present study, we wanted to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals and to explore if and how spirituality influenced their experience. We adopted a qualitative methodological design based on interpretative phenomenological analysis. The respondents were 15 healthcare professionals (12 general practitioners, 1 physician, and 2 nurses). This research was carried out in Italy during the first lockdown, that is, between March and September 2020. Following the analysis of participants’ experiences, four main themes were created: (1) critical issues in healthcare, critical incidents, and changes in the attitudes and habits of general practitioners during the pandemic; (2) emotional experiences and primary needs during the emergency; (3) dying during the pandemic and new psychological symptoms in noninfected patients; and (4) resilience and the role of spirituality. Since healthcare professionals, and general practitioners more specifically, were extensively exposed to the dying process and to changes in the end-of-life scenario, the support offered by palliative care is desirable, in terms of both the special skills that palliative physicians can provide and the presence of psychologists as well as through death education.
Best practices, performance advantage and trade-offs: new insights from frontier analysis
Authors: Sousa Rui , Camanho Ana S. , Silva Maria Conceição , da Silveira Giovani J. C. , Arabi Behrouz
Published: December 2023

There are still important theoretical and empirical gaps in understanding the role of best practices (BPs), such as quality management, lean and new product development, in generating firm’s performance advantage and overcoming trade-offs across distinct performance dimensions. We examine these issues through the perspective of performance frontiers, integrating in novel ways the resource-based theory with the emergent practice-based view. Hypotheses on relationships between BPs, performance advantage, and trade-offs are developed and tested with stationary and longitudinal (recall) data from a global survey of manufacturing firms. We use data envelopment analysis, which overcomes limitations of mainstream methods based on central tendency. Our findings support the view that BPs may serve as a source of enduring competitive advantage, based on their ability to lead to a heterogeneous range of dominant and difficult-to-imitate competitive positions. The study provides new insights on contemporary debates about the role of BPs in generating performance advantage and how practitioners can sustain internal support and extract benefits from them.
The operator argument and the case of timestamp semantics
Authors: Węgrecki Jakub
Published: December 2023

The Operator Argument against eternalism holds that having non-vacuous tense operators in the language is incompatible with the claim that every proposition has its truth-value eternally. Assuming that (1) there are non-vacuous tense operators, (2) tense operators operate on propositions and (3) tense operators which operate on eternal entities are vacuous, it may be argued that eternalism is false. In this paper, I examine the Operator Argument. The goal is threefold. First, I want to present some aspects of the debate in a more elaborate way, especially those concerning formal matters. Secondly, I will argue that eternalism can escape the Operator Argument. There are two main strategies for handling the Operator Argument. The first one is based on replacing temporal operators with object-language quantifiers. The second rejects the identification of compositional semantic value with assertoric content. My third goal is to show that none of them is as good as the strategy that adopts Timestamp Semantics (Fritz in Philosl Stud 176:2933–2959, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-018-1158-8). I am going to argue that the quantificational treatment of tenses is compatible with temporalism and that the arguments for rejecting the identification of compositional semantic value with assertoric content provide, in fact, a motivation for the temporalist position. At the end, I will develop Timestamp Semantics by providing a novel formalization of it, and defend it against three potential counter-arguments.
Mixed lattice structures and cone projections
Authors: Jokela Jani
Published: December 2023

Problems related to projections on closed convex cones are frequently encountered in optimization theory and related fields. To study these problems, various unifying ideas have been introduced, including asymmetric vector-valued norms and certain generalized lattice-like operations. We propose a new perspective on these studies by describing how the problem of cone projection can be formulated using an order-theoretic formalism developed in this paper. The underlying mathematical structure is a partially ordered vector space that generalizes the notion of a vector lattice by using two partial orderings and having certain lattice-type properties with respect to these orderings. In this note we introduce a generalization of these so-called mixed lattice spaces, and we show how such structures arise quite naturally in some of the applications mentioned above.
Green, green, it’s green they say: a conceptual framework for measuring greenwashing on firm level
Authors: Dorfleitner Gregor , Utz Sebastian
Published: December 2023

This paper proposes a conceptual framework to determine a greenwashing indicator on firm level, based on five pillars of information that capture the key drivers of greenwashing: soft ESG data, textual self-representation, green marketing expenses, green virtue for the apparent green performance, and hard ESG data as a measure of the real green performance. The proposed framework is built on a literature review of greenwashing typology and drivers and can be applied to a broad set of firms at the same time, while most existing approaches are built on a detailed investigation of individual cases. The greenwashing indicator in our framework is based on the difference between real and apparent green performance. This approach allows the implicit calculation of the real green performance using the concept of a firm misconduct factor that helps to identify the greenwashing indicator without knowledge of the real (and often hard to measure) green performance of a firm.
A Deep Learning-Based Ensemble Method for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease using MRI Images
Authors: Fathi Sina , Ahmadi Ali , Dehnad Afsaneh , Almasi-Dooghaee Mostafa , Sadegh Melika ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: December 2023

Recently, the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease has gained major attention due to the growing prevalence of the disease and the resulting costs imposed on individuals and society. The main objective of this study was to propose an ensemble method based on deep learning for the early diagnosis of AD using MRI images. The methodology of this study consisted of collecting the dataset, preprocessing, creating the individual and ensemble models, evaluating the models based on ADNI data, and validating the trained model based on the local dataset. The proposed method was an ensemble approach selected through a comparative analysis of various ensemble scenarios. Finally, the six best individual CNN-based classifiers were selected to combine and constitute the ensemble model. The evaluation showed an accuracy rate of 98.57, 96.37, 94.22, 99.83, 93.88, and 93.92 for NC/AD, NC/EMCI, EMCI/LMCI, LMCI/AD, four-way and three-way classification groups, respectively. The validation results on the local dataset revealed an accuracy of 88.46 for three-way classification. Our performance results were higher than most reviewed studies and comparable with others. Although comparative analysis showed superior results of ensemble methods against individual architectures, there were no significant differences among various ensemble approaches. The validation results revealed the low performance of individual models in practice. In contrast, the ensemble method showed promising results. However, further studies on various and larger datasets are required to validate the generalizability of the model.
“Intersubjectivity is Intercorporeity”: A Philosophical Comment on Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key
Authors: Wehinger Daniel
Published: December 2023

The body is one of the main themes in Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key: Staubmann wants to establish a sociology that is grounded in the body and that does justice to the bodily dimension of sociality. In what follows, I will examine Staubmann’s theory of the body from a philosophical viewpoint. I will discuss his main claims and relate them to recent developments in philosophy.

First, I will outline Staubmann’s position. Then, I will explore the similarities between this position and the interaction theory of social cognition, as developed by Gallagher, De Jaegher, Fuchs, and other philosophers. My main focus, however, will be on the relation between Staubmann’s theory of the body and that of Thompson and Merleau-Ponty: I will point out the differences between their approaches but also highlight their similarities. In the end, I will make a plea for a non-reductive conception of life, which, I believe, is very much in line with Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key.
The dik-diks of Guli Waabayo: Late Pleistocene net-hunting and forager sociality in eastern Africa
Authors: Jones Mica B.
Published: December 2023

Net-hunting is closely linked to organized labor and hunter-gatherer cooperation in many world regions. At the Rifle Range Site (RRS) in southern Somalia, scholars have argued that Later Stone Age (LSA) foragers developed specialized dwarf antelope hunting strategies—possibly using communal net-drives—to facilitate developing concepts of territoriality around resource-rich inselberg environments during a wet period in the early and middle Holocene. Unfortunately, a lack of radiocarbon dates and faunal data limited detailed zooarchaeological perspectives on changing hunting patterns at the site. The large and well-dated dwarf antelope bone assemblage (1263 specimens) from nearby Guli Waabayo (GW) rock shelter, on the other hand, provides an opportunity to explore proposed relationships between net-hunting and LSA social and economic reorganization in southern Somalia ~ 26–6 thousand years ago (ka). Consistently high dik-dik frequencies (55.2–71.9%) and mortality profiles comprised of individuals from all age groups throughout the sequence do not support previous arguments associating specialized dwarf antelope hunting with territoriality and Holocene climatic amelioration at RRS. Instead, they suggest that LSA foraging groups regularly hunted dik-dik (genusMadoqua) using nets over a ~ 20,000-year period beginning as far back as the arid Marine Isotope Stage 2, 29–14.5 ka. Findings from this study complement recent arguments for greater economic variability in Late Pleistocene eastern Africa and push discussions of forager social change further back in time than previously considered.
Food systems thinking unpacked: a scoping review on industrial diets among adolescents in Ghana
Authors: Sambu Winnie Chepng’etich , Picchioni Fiorella , Stevano Sara , Codjoe Emmanuel A. , Nkegbe Paul Kwame , Turner Christopher
Published: December 2023

Unhealthy diets are among the main risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In Sub Saharan Africa, NCDs were responsible for 37% of deaths in 2019, rising from 24% in 2000. There is an increasing emphasis on health-harming industrial foods, such as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), in driving the incidence of diet-related NCDs. However, there is a methodological gap in food systems research to adequately account for the processes and actors that shape UPFs consumption across the different domains of the food systems framework and macro-meso-micro levels of analysis. This paper interrogates how the Food Systems Framework for Improved Nutrition (HLPE in Nutrition and food systems. A report by the high level panel of experts on food security and nutrition of the committee on world food security, 2017), considered the dominant framework to analyse nutrition, and language of interdisciplinarity are practised in research with regards to consumption of UPFs among adolescents in Ghana, a population group that is often at the forefront of dramatic shifts in diets and lifestyles. We conducted a scoping review of studies published between 2010 and February 2022, retrieved 25 studies, and mapped the findings against the domains and analysis levels of the Food Systems Framework for Improved Nutrition (HLPE in Nutrition and food systems. A report by the high level panel of experts on food security and nutrition of the committee on world food security, 2017). Our study illustrates that there is a tendency to address unhealthy diets among adolescents in a siloed manner, and as a behavioural and nutritional issue. In most cases, the analyses fail to show how domains of the food systems framework are connected and do not account for linkages across different levels of analysis. Methodologically, there is a quantitative bias. From the policy point of view, there is a disconnect between national food policies and food governance (i.e., trade and regulations) and initiatives and measures specifically targeted at adolescent’s food environments and the drivers of UPFs consumption.
The Role of Lifestyle Modification with Second-Generation Anti-obesity Medications: Comparisons, Questions, and Clinical Opportunities
Authors: Wadden Thomas A. , Chao Ariana M. , Moore Molly , Tronieri Jena S. , Gilden Adam , Amaro Anastassia , Leonard Sharon , Jakicic John M.
Published: December 2023

Purpose of Review

This review examines lifestyle modification for obesity management with the goal of identifying treatment components that could support the use of a new generation of anti-obesity medications (AOMs).

Recent Findings

Semaglutide reliably reduces baseline body weight by approximately 15% at 68 weeks, in contrast to 5–10% for lifestyle modification. Tirzepatide induces mean losses as great as 20.9%. Both medications reduce energy intake by markedly enhancing satiation and decreasing hunger, and they appear to lessen the need for traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies (e.g., monitoring food intake) to achieve calorie restriction. Little, however, is known about whether patients who lose weight with these AOMs adopt healthy diet and activity patterns needed to optimize body composition, cardiometabolic health, and quality of life.

When used with the new AOMs, the focus of lifestyle modification is likely to change from inducing weight loss (through calorie restriction) to facilitating patients’ adoption of dietary and activity patterns that will promote optimal changes in body composition and overall health.