bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, electrospinning, and molecular docking of poly(methyl methacrylate) Schiff bases and their applications as polymeric antimicrobial agents and for dye removal
Authors: Kenawy El-Refaie , Ghazy Ahmed R. , Al-Hossainy Ahmed F. , Bishr Mohamed , Azzam Mohamed M.
Published: September 2023

The antibacterial activity of a variety of modified poly(methyl methacrylate) Schiff bases against common microbial infections and removal of methylene blue (MB) dye were screened. The Schiff bases were synthesized from the reaction of the modified (PMMA) with vanillin (PMMA)Van and cinnamaldehyde (PMMA)Cin. By using Fourier transformer infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the structures of the nanofibers of the synthesized Schiff bases were confirmed. The modified Kirky–Bauer method was used to screen the antibacterial activities of all the obtained materials against various bacterial species, including gram-positive bacterial (Bacillus subtilis (4k1p), Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli (7ab3), Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Inhibition zones against gram-positive bacteria ranged in diameter from 7 to 14 mm, whereas for the Gram-negative bacteria, the inhibition zones found to be ranged between 6 and 13 mm. With a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 8 mg/mL and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/mL, (PMMA)Van shown the greatest antibacterial activity. Lastly, molecular docking research was done to better understand the interactions between this series' targets and inhibitors for (PMMA)Van and (PMMA)Cin (4k1p and 7ab3). Molecular modeling of these surface-adsorbed polymers indicated that (PMMA)Van binds more strongly with Nitrogen than does (PMMA)Cin through extra hydrogen-bonding interactions. All the developed materials were evaluated for the removal of 0.1 g/L methylene blue dye (MB) from an aqueous solution. The elimination percentage of MB dye ranged from 26.67% by using 0.05 g powder of (PMMA)Cin to 85.63% by employing 0.05 g nanofibers of (PMMA)Van.

Graphical Abstract
Understanding as Transformative Activity: Radicalizing Neo-Cognitivism for Literary Narratives
Authors: Vendrell Ferran Ingrid
Published: September 2023

Mikkonen’s new book and his emphasis on understanding should be regarded as an important contribution to the contemporary debate on the cognitive value of literary narratives. As I shall argue, his notion of understanding can also help explain how literature is existentially valuable. In so doing, his account can support a radicalized contemporary neo-cognitivism according to which literature can affect us existentially and lead to a personal transformation.
Liver Glycogen as a Sensitive Indicator of Food Limitation in Delta Smelt
Authors: Dhayalan Tena S. , Tran Franklin D. , Hung Tien-Chieh , Senegal Taylor J. , Mora Vanessa , Lewis Levi S. , Teh Swee J. , Hammock Bruce G.
Published: September 2023

Assessing habitat quality is a major goal of conservationists and restoration practitioners, but to associate habitat quality with biomarkers of vagile animals, the biomarkers must respond rapidly. Here, we identified a biomarker capable of rapidly detecting food limitation in the imperiled Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a pelagic fish endemic to the San Francisco Estuary (SFE). We conducted an experiment with fed and unfed treatments of hatchery-raised, sub-adult Delta Smelt that were sampled at 12 time points: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, and 21 days. We then compared four biomarkers using Day 21 fish: RNA/DNA in liver, triglycerides in liver, glycogen in liver, and glycogen in muscle. Of the liver endpoints, glycogen had the largest difference between treatments at Day 21, so we compared it to muscle glycogen across all time points. Liver glycogen declined by 60% after 1 day of fasting and remained depressed in the fasting treatment across all subsequent time points. Muscle glycogen also responded rapidly, taking only 2 days to decline by 39% in the fasting treatment, but the difference was inconsistent across subsequent time points. When applied to hatchery-released Delta Smelt collected from the SFE, liver glycogen concentrations were less than half that of the fed hatchery fish, consistent with the hypothesis of food limitation in the wild, but also several other potential causes. This study highlights the utility of liver glycogen as an indicator of recent foraging success in Delta Smelt.
Processing of electrical resistivity tomography data using convolutional neural network in ERT-NET architectures
Authors: Hiskiawan Puguh , Chen Chien-Chih , Ye Zheng-Kai
Published: September 2023

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) inversion has emerged as an effective method for predicting resistivity in complex geological structures. In most cases, traditional ERT inversion problems are posed as nonlinear optimization problems. Solving distribution resistivity inversion can be computationally challenging for two reasons: one is the significant cost of software and the other is the issue of local minima. The ERT-NET architecture was developed in this study to learn the parameter regression relationship between geophysical ERT datasets and subsurface models. We developed a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) technique that comprised of a fully connected network (ERT-INET) and a fully convolutional network (ERT-UNET); both train ambiguity information of the inverted resistivity based on processing ERT datasets. We also output our network segmentation of pixel-wise prediction for ERT-INET and structured prediction segmentation. The noise assessments of our network inversion were managed by employing depth of investigation (DOI) and statistical analysis for evaluation performance. The DOI appeared to be effective in conveying the breadth of possibility within our networks. Moreover, the performances are either the synthetic resistivity model or the field resistivity data, both of which have an average of greater than 95%. The inversion results of both architectures are precisely and accurately expressed, containing approximately the ground truth models and thereby also the field observation models. We conclude that these ERT-NET architectures could be one approach to ERT interpretation handling, and we strongly suggest alternatives that promote the geoelectrical method of interpretation.
Some recent developments on the Steklov eigenvalue problem
Authors: Colbois Bruno , Girouard Alexandre , Gordon Carolyn , Sher David
Published: September 2023

The Steklov eigenvalue problem, first introduced over 125 years ago, has seen a surge of interest in the past few decades. This article is a tour of some of the recent developments linking the Steklov eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of compact Riemannian manifolds to the geometry of the manifolds. Topics include isoperimetric-type upper and lower bounds on Steklov eigenvalues (first in the case of surfaces and then in higher dimensions), stability and instability of eigenvalues under deformations of the Riemannian metric, optimisation of eigenvalues and connections to free boundary minimal surfaces in balls, inverse problems and isospectrality, discretisation, and the geometry of eigenfunctions. We begin with background material and motivating examples for readers that are new to the subject. Throughout the tour, we frequently compare and contrast the behavior of the Steklov spectrum with that of the Laplace spectrum. We include many open problems in this rapidly expanding area.
Best approximation with geometric constraints
Authors: Mohebi Hossein , Bakhtiari Hassan
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we consider a finite family of sets (geometric constraints) $$F_{1}, F_{2},\ldots , F_{r}$$

F
1

,

F
2

,
…
,

F
r

in the Euclidean space $${\mathbb {R}}^n.$$

R

n

.

We show under mild conditions on the geometric constraints that the “perturbation property” of the constrained best approximation from a nonempty closed set $$K \cap F$$

K
∩
F

is characterized by the “convex conical hull intersection property” (CCHIP in short) at a reference feasible point in F. In this case, F is the intersection of the geometric constraints $$F_{1}, F_{2},\ldots , F_{r},$$

F
1

,

F
2

,
…
,

F
r

,

and K is a nonempty closed convex set in $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

such that $$K \cap F \ne \emptyset .$$

K
∩
F
≠
∅
.

We do this by first proving a dual cone characterization of the contingent cone of the set F. Finally, we obtain the “Lagrange multiplier characterizations” of the constrained best approximation. Several examples are given to illustrate and clarify our results.
The relationship of peritubular capillary density with glomerular volume and kidney function in living kidney donors
Authors: van der Weijden J. , De Hoogt P. A. , Leufkens M. M. E. , Keijbeck A. A. , van Goor H. , van den Heuvel M. C. , Cleutjens J. P. M. , Moers C. , Snoeijs M. G. , Navis G. J. , van Londen M. , Nolte I. M. , Berger S. P. , De Borst M. H. , Peutz-Kootstra C. J.
Published: September 2023

Background

Peritubular capillary rarefaction plays an important role in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Little is known about the relation between peritubular capillary density, glomerular volume and filtration rate in the healthy kidney.

Methods

In this single-center study, we included 69 living kidney donors who donated between 2005 and 2008 and had representative renal biopsies available. In all donors, glomerular filtration rate was measured using 125I-Iothalamate before donation and at five years after donation. Before donation, the increase in glomerular filtration rate after dopamine stimulation was measured. Glomerular volume and peritubular capillary density were determined in biopsies taken at the time of transplantation. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to assess relations between parameters.

Results

Mean donor age was 52 ± 11 years and mean measured glomerular filtration rate was 119 ± 22 mL/min before donation and 82 ± 15 mL/min at five years after donation. While peritubular capillary density (measured by either number of peritubular capillaries/50,000 μm2 or number of peritubular capillaries/tubule) was not associated with measured glomerular filtration rate before or after donation, number of peritubular capillaries/tubule was associated with the increase in measured glomerular filtration rate after dopamine stimulation (St.β = 0.33, p = 0.004), and correlated positively with glomerular volume (R = 0.24, p = 0.047). Glomerular volume was associated with unstimulated measured glomerular filtration rate before donation (St.β = 0.31, p = 0.01) and at five years (St.β = 0.30, p = 0.01) after donation, independent of age.

Conclusions

In summary, peritubular capillary density was not related to unstimulated kidney function before or after kidney donation, in contrast to glomerular volume. However, number of peritubular capillaries/tubule correlated with the increase in glomerular filtration rate after dopamine stimulation in healthy kidneys, and with glomerular volume. These findings suggest that peritubular capillary density and glomerular volume differentially affect kidney function in healthy living kidney donors.

Graphical abstract
Time for a full digital approach in nephropathology: a systematic review of current artificial intelligence applications and future directions
Authors: Cazzaniga Giorgio , Rossi Mattia , Eccher Albino , Girolami Ilaria , L’Imperio Vincenzo , Van Nguyen Hien , Becker Jan Ulrich , Bueno García María Gloria , Sbaraglia Marta , Dei Tos Angelo Paolo , Gambaro Giovanni , Pagni Fabio
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration in nephropathology has been growing rapidly in recent years, facing several challenges including the wide range of histological techniques used, the low occurrence of certain diseases, and the need for data sharing. This narrative review retraces the history of AI in nephropathology and provides insights into potential future developments.

Methods

Electronic searches in PubMed-MEDLINE and Embase were made to extract pertinent articles from the literature. Works about automated image analysis or the application of an AI algorithm on non-neoplastic kidney histological samples were included and analyzed to extract information such as publication year, AI task, and learning type. Prepublication servers and reviews were not included.

Results

Seventy-six (76) original research articles were selected. Most of the studies were conducted in the United States in the last 7 years. To date, research has been mainly conducted on relatively easy tasks, like single-stain glomerular segmentation. However, there is a trend towards developing more complex tasks such as glomerular multi-stain classification.

Conclusion

Deep learning has been used to identify patterns in complex histopathology data and looks promising for the comprehensive assessment of renal biopsy, through the use of multiple stains and virtual staining techniques. Hybrid and collaborative learning approaches have also been explored to utilize large amounts of unlabeled data. A diverse team of experts, including nephropathologists, computer scientists, and clinicians, is crucial for the development of AI systems for nephropathology. Collaborative efforts among multidisciplinary experts result in clinically relevant and effective AI tools.

Graphical abstract
Effect of periodic wide atmospheric pressure change on CO emission in closed goaf
Authors: Shao Zhuangzhuang , Tan Bo , Hu Ruili , Song Xiaozhen , Guo Yan , Li Tianze , Fu Shuhui , Chen Chaohuan , Wang Haiyan
Published: September 2023

Atmospheric pressure fluctuation is one of the most important factors affecting the climate environment and gas emission in the fire area. To obtain the influence rule of the surface atmospheric pressure change on the gas sampling and abnormal emission in the mine closed goaf, the No. 1 coal mine in Dananhu was taken as the research object. Using Fourier transform and Fisher harmonic analysis and other statistical methods, the influence of the periodic variation of atmospheric pressure on the gas leakage and outflow in the closed goaf was studied. The results showed that there were three atmospheric pressure periods of 15.2 d, 1 d and 182.2 d, and the probability was greater than 95%. The time period with the highest number of atmospheric pressure peaks was 7:00–8:00, which accounted for 20.2% of total occurrence number in a day. And the time periods with the highest number of atmospheric pressure trough were 2:00, 15:00 and 16:00, accounting for 27.4%. The peak-to-trough transition time was mainly concentrated around 6 h, and the diurnal variation curve of atmospheric pressure was mainly bimodal. The atmospheric pressure change rate was mostly concentrated in 10–50 Pa/h. It was determined that the distance that the gas sampling pipe was pre-laid into the inner side of the closed wall should be greater than 44.4 m, and the CO concentration and atmospheric pressure in the closed goaf were both periodic and negative with atmospheric pressure. The research results have important guiding significance for the monitoring, early warning and environmental protection of the goaf.
Graphene Quantum Dot-Mediated Atom-Layer Semiconductor Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Hu Bingjie , Huang Kai , Tang Bijun , Lei Zhendong , Wang Zeming , Guo Huazhang , Lian Cheng , Liu Zheng , Wang Liang
Published: September 2023

The hydrogen evolution reaction performance of semiconducting 2H-phase molybdenum disulfide (2H-MoS2) presents a significant hurdle in realizing its full potential applications. Here, we utilize theoretical calculations to predict possible functionalized graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which can enhance HER activity of bulk MoS2. Subsequently, we design a functionalized GQD-induced in-situ bottom-up strategy to fabricate near atom-layer 2H-MoS2 nanosheets mediated with GQDs (ALQD) by modulating the concentration of electron withdrawing/donating functional groups. Experimental results reveal that the introduction of a series of functionalized GQDs during the synthesis of ALQD plays a crucial role. Notably, the higher the concentration and strength of electron-withdrawing functional groups on GQDs, the thinner and more active the resulting ALQD are. Remarkably, the synthesized near atom-layer ALQD-SO3 demonstrate significantly improved HER performance. Our GQD-induced strategy provides a simple and efficient approach for expanding the catalytic application of MoS2. Furthermore, it holds substantial potential for developing nanosheets in other transition-metal dichalcogenide materials.
Comparative efficacy of glucose-lowering drugs on liver steatosis as assessed by means of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Malandris Konstantinos , Papandreou Stylianos , Avgerinos Ioannis , Karagiannis Thomas , Paschos Paschalis , Michailidis Theodoros , Liakos Aris , Bekiari Eleni , Sinakos Emmanouil , Tsapas Apostolos
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To assess the comparative efficacy of glucose-lowering drugs on liver steatosis as assessed by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with T2D.

Methods

We searched several databases and grey literature sources. Eligible trials had at least 12 weeks of intervention, included patients with T2D, and assessed the efficacy of glucose-lowering drugs as monotherapies. The primary outcome of interest was absolute reduction in liver fat content (LFC), assessed by means of MRI. Secondary efficacy outcomes were reduction in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. We performed random effects frequentist network meta-analyses to estimate mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We ranked treatments based on P-scores.

Results

We included 29 trials with 1906 patients. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors (P-score 0.84) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) (0.71) were the most efficacious in terms of liver fat content reduction. Among individual agents, empagliflozin was the most efficacious (0.86) and superior to pioglitazone (MD -5.7, 95% CI -11.2 to -0.3) (very low confidence). GLP-1 RAs had also the most favorable effects on visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Conclusions

GLP-1 RAs and SGLT-2 inhibitors seem to be the most efficacious glucose-lowering drugs for liver steatosis in patients with T2D. Assessment of their efficacy on NAFLD in patients irrespective of presence of T2D is encouraged.
Unequal location, unequal access: the spatial analysis of solid waste disposal services in Northern Ghana
Authors: Volsuuri Emmanuel , Owusu-Sekyere Ebenezer , Imoro Abubakari Zarouk
Published: September 2023

Urban centres in Ghana continue to expand to areas with difficult accessibility, severely impacting location decisions on solid waste disposal sites (SWDS). This study uses the location theory to examine the spatial distribution of SWDS in urban Ghana. Methodologically, it uses the nearness neighbour tool, which is a key component in GIS for spatial analysis. The results show that the distribution of SWDS was clustered, randomized, and skewed. The distribution was influenced by accessibility and the ability to pay for waste management services. For these reasons, high-density populated communities were serviced through the central container collection system, while high-class residential areas benefited through the door-to-door collection system. Access to regular waste collection was challenging for the majority in low-class residential neighbourhoods and peri-urban communities. It is argued that unequal access to waste management services raises important policy issues. The unserved communities are more likely to be exposed to the potential negative impact of poor solid waste management. It is further argued that if vulnerability and location are linked to deprivation, it is necessary to understand how and why this has happened.
Toward digital twin of the ocean: from digitalization to cloning
Authors: Chen Ge , Yang Jie , Huang Baoxiang , Ma Chunyong , Tian Fenglin , Ge Linyao , Xia Linghui , Li Jianhui
Published: September 2023

The forthcoming wave of progress in oceanographic technology is the digital twin of the ocean, a concept that integrates marine big data and artificial intelligence (AI). This development is a logical consequence of combining data science and marine science and is considered superior to previous models, such as the digital ocean, transparent ocean, and smart ocean. Amid the swift advancement of next-generation information technology, the conditions are favorable for developing a prototype digital twin of the ocean, which will integrate various functionalities—data fusion, situation presentation, phenomenon mining, autonomous learning, and intelligent prediction. The salient distinction between a digital twin of the ocean and traditional forms of virtual or augmented reality is because of the intelligence beyond digitalization exhibited by the former, primarily facilitated by AI-based cloning. Hence, herein, we initially propose a structured architecture for the generative digital twin ocean, encompassing elements from real-time data pools to key technologies and proof-of-concept applications. The core components of this prototype system include a data pool, an AI-based oceanographic model, and three-dimensional visualization interactions. Future research and objectives for the digital twin ocean will principally focus on the following: four-dimensional (comprising three-dimensional space along with time) digital cloning and real-time mapping of global ocean parameters, cooperative observation coupled with human–computer interactions, and intelligent prediction along with cutting-edge applications. Prospectively, this transformative technology holds the potential to considerably enhance our understanding of the ocean, yielding groundbreaking discoveries that will profoundly influence the marine economy and sustainable development.
The Intelligence of Intuition
Authors: Gigerenzer Gerd
Published: September 2023

People often confuse intuition with a sixth sense or the arbitrary judgments of inept decision makers. In this book, Gerd Gigerenzer analyzes the war on intuition in the social sciences beginning with gendered perceptions of intuition as female, followed by opposition between biased intuition and logical rationality, popularized in two-system theories. Technological paternalism amplifies these views, arguing that human intuition should be replaced by perfect algorithms. In opposition to these beliefs, this book proposes that intuition is a form of unconscious intelligence based on years of experience that evolved to deal with uncertain and dynamic situations where logic and big data algorithms are of little benefit. Gigerenzer introduces the scientific study of intuition and shows that intuition is not irrational caprice but is instead based on smart heuristics. Researchers, students, and general readers with an interest in decision making, heuristics and biases, cognitive psychology, and behavioral public policy will benefit.
Digital worker feedback infrastructures: The digitalisation of worker rights monitoring in global value chains
Authors: Sorg Christoph , Vestena Carolina Alves , Scheper Christian , Zajak Sabrina
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we present empirical research on what we call ‘digital worker feedback infrastructures’ (DWFI); these are communication systems based on digital technologies that allow for creating so-called ‘feedback data’ via different forms of information input of workers in global value chains (GVC). The paper provides an overview of over 50 current DWFIs in GVCs and asks about the main differences between management-oriented and worker-centred digital feedback infrastructures in their usage of worker data. In the first part, we trace the emergence of DWFIs at the intersection of different trends: the continuous non-improvement of working conditions through auditing, the permanent politicisation, and contestation of this fact through labour and activist networks as well as the development of new digital technologies. In the second section, we elaborate the main features of DWFIs and analyse potential shortcomings in the context of the ‘ethical’ audit and monitoring regime for GVCs. Third, we use our dataset to present an overview of the heterogeneity of DWFIs. We pay particular attention to examples of civil society developed tools as we suggest that they provide a glimpse of the potential of worker feedback technologies from below, which could contribute to better monitoring of worker rights and facilitate a more democratic coordination of workplaces and GVCs.
Class, labour conflict, and workers’ organisation
Authors: Chan Jenny
Published: September 2023

This article is part of an internationally coordinated themed collection on ‘labour conflict, forms of organisation, and class’ exploring important questions. How can we explain the interplay of capital, the state, and the international order, in defining the persistence of labour conflict in changing historical and political-economic contexts? How have the economic, social, and technological transformations precipitated by the recent pandemic shaped the expression of work-related conflict? As part of a response to these main questions, the author and contributors of this collection conceptualise labour conflict and collective action in broader class analysis and examine the combined effect of state policies, migration, and digital innovation on contemporary labour politics. This article, drawing on insights from Marxist-oriented interdisciplinary approaches and feminist theories, seeks to suggest approaches to future studies on class, labour conflict, and workers’ organisation.
L'interculturalisme majoritariste et les femmes : une relation ambiguë
Authors: Iavarone-Turcotte Anne
Published: September 2023

Dans cet article, je propose une analyse critique de la réponse des trois principaux théoriciens de l'interculturalisme majoritariste – Gérard Bouchard, Jérôme Gosselin-Tapp et Michel Seymour – à la question des minorités internes. Cette question est de savoir comment protéger le droit des minorités religieuses de pratiquer leur religion (tel que créé ou facilité par le multiculturalisme ou l'interculturalisme) sans violer le droit des femmes en leur sein de mener une vie exempte d'oppression (tel que défendu par le féminisme). Je soutiens que la réponse de ces auteurs est ambiguë, en ce sens qu'elle embrasse simultanément deux postures – la fermeté et la flexibilité – qui, lorsque considérées ensemble, sont contradictoires et, lorsque considérées séparément, présentent des problèmes spécifiques. Si dans le cas particulier du foulard islamique, ces auteurs élargissent momentanément leur perspective, leurs arguments à ce chapitre commandent des nuances importantes pour le moment absentes de leur raisonnement.
Paine’sRights of manin Germany
Authors: Buchetmann Elias
Published: September 2023

This article traces the immediate reception of Paine’sRights of man(Part One) in Germany. It especially focuses on the publication history of the complete translation published in Berlin in 1792, featuring the translator Meta Forkel, her collaborator Georg Forster, and the publisher Christian Friedrich Voß. This reconstruction affords insight into the process of translation as a collaborative enterprise and clearly demonstrates the translator’s agency. When the publisher proved reluctant, publication was dependent on Forkel’s initiative, which highlights the factor of contingency and the willingness to take risks. By detailing the modifications a book might undergo even in the case of a very faithful translation, this article also exemplifies strategies employed in the dissemination of radical works and the adaptation to new cultural and political contexts. Finally, the evidence presented here shows that Paine’s work was considered central by German contemporaries and should be placed alongside the reception of Burke’s in future scholarship on the Revolution debate in Germany.
Correction to Redfern et al. (2017) ‘Written in Bone’: New Discoveries about the Lives of Roman Londoners, Britannia 48, 253–77
Authors: Redfern Rebecca , Anastasiadou Kyriaki , Silva Marina Soares Da , Gilardet Alexandre , Kelly Monica , Williams Mia , Booth Thomas , Skoglund Pontus
Published: September 2023

In 2017, ancient DNA analysis of the Harper Road burial from Southwark (London) found that the individual had male chromosomes. Now analysis has discovered that the individual had female chromosomes, data which match the osteological estimation of sex and the interpretation of the grave-goods.
Categories of graphs for operadic structures
Authors: HACKNEY PHILIP
Published: September 2023

We recall several categories of graphs which are useful for describing homotopy-coherent versions of generalised operads (e.g. cyclic operads, modular operads, properads, and so on), and give new, uniform definitions for their morphisms. This allows for straightforward comparisons, and we use this to show that certain free-forgetful adjunctions between categories of generalised operads can be realised at the level of presheaves. This includes adjunctions between operads and cyclic operads, between dioperads and augmented cyclic operads, and between wheeled properads and modular operads.
Baseball and Bioethics Revisited: The Pitch Clock and Age Discrimination in a Timeless Pastime
Authors: Fins Joseph J.
Published: September 2023

In this essay, the author reflects on a decade’s old essay on baseball and bioethics inspired by a conversation with the late David Thomasma. In a reprise of his earlier paper, Fins worries that modernity has come to baseball with the advent of the pitch clock and that this innovation brings age discrimination to a timeless pastime.
Shared Decision-Making and Relational Moral Agency: On Seeing the Person Behind the ‘Expert by Experience’ in Mental Health Research
Authors: Bergqvist Anna
Published: September 2023

The focus of this paper is the moral and scientific value of ‘expertise by experience’, that is, knowledge based on personal experience of ill mental health as a form of expertise in mental health research. In contrast to individualistic theories of personal autonomy and the first-person in bioethics, my account of shared decision-making is focussed on how a relational approach to the ‘person’ and ‘patient values’ can throw new light on our understanding of ‘voice’ in mental health research. The mistake, I argue, is to think that a commitment to listening to the patient voice in the process of perspective taking implies a threat to ‘objectivity’ in clinical practice and the very concept of evidence in the philosophy of science more generally. Instead, I use Helen Longino's account of epistemic validity in philosophy of science to argue that narrative experience and ‘patient perspective’ should be understood as an ongoing dynamic partnership working between the different stakeholders’ knowledge perspectives. I also address the connection between expertise by experience and the psychiatric significance of the personal self for the entrenched topics of agency, self-hood, personal identity, and self-knowledge in psychiatric diagnosis. In contrast to identity politics, my model of shared decision-making preserves a critical distance between perspective-taking and value itself in self/other appraisal as the gold standard for good clinical practice.
Values-Based Practice: A Theory-Practice Dynamic for Navigating Values and Difference in Health Care
Authors: Handa Ashok , Fulford Bill (K.W.M.)
Published: September 2023

This chapter introduces values-based practice as a resource for working with individually diverse values in health and social care, and describes its origins in an on-going development through the resources of philosophy. The chapter is in two main sections. Section I, Values-Based Practice, builds on two brief interactive exercises to introduce and explain the key features of values-based practice. As a relatively recent addition to the range of resources for working with values in health and social care, values-based practice is distinctive in focussing on the diversity of values comprising individual lived experience. Like evidence-based practice, values-based practice is a process-driven rather than an outcome-driven methodology. That is to say, rather than offering prescribed answers, both approaches offer processes that support decision-makers in coming to answers for themselves based on the particular circumstances presented by the situation in question. Although entirely complementary, the processes involved are of course different. Where evidence-based practice relies on meta-analyses of the results of high-quality clinical trials to inform a consensual model of decision-making, values-based practice builds on learnable clinical skills and other process elements to inform a dissensual model of decision-making rather than seeking to overcome value-conflicts in reaching consensus. Working within a premise of mutual respect for differences of values, and guided by three key principles linking values and evidence, values-based practice, as described in the chapter, supports dissensual decision-making, balanced according to the circumstances presented by the decision in question, within frameworks of locally-set frameworks of shared values. Section II, The Theory-Practice Dynamic, then outlines the theory-practice dynamic on which values-based practice is based. The origins of values-based practice in mid-twentieth century ordinary language philosophy of the Oxford School are outlined. As the chapter illustrates, although a limited area of analytic philosophy, many aspects of values-based practice are informed by ordinary language philosophy, ranging from its premise, through the training exercises and other process elements described in Section I, to its role in hybrid empirical studies supporting its model of service delivery. The development of values-based practice, furthermore, as section II goes on to describe, is ongoing, with key initiatives drawing not only on both analytic and Continental traditions of European philosophy, but also on non-European philosophies such as those of Africa and the Caribbean.
Roles of bilingualism and musicianship in resisting semantic or prosodic interference while recognizing emotion in sentences
Authors: Neumann Cassandra , Sares Anastasia , Chelini Erica , Deroche Mickael
Published: September 2023

Listeners can use the way people speak (prosody) or what people say (semantics) to infer vocal emotions. It can be speculated that bilinguals and musicians can better use the former rather than the latter compared to monolinguals and non-musicians. However, the literature to date has offered mixed evidence for this prosodic bias. Bilinguals and musicians are also arguably known for their ability to ignore distractors and can outperform monolinguals and non-musicians when prosodic and semantic cues conflict. In two online experiments, 1041 young adults listened to sentences with either matching or mismatching semantic and prosodic cues to emotions. 526 participants were asked to identify the emotion using the prosody and 515 using the semantics. In both experiments, performance suffered when cues conflicted, and in such conflicts, musicians outperformed non-musicians among bilinguals, but not among monolinguals. This finding supports an increased ability of bilingual musicians to inhibit irrelevant information in speech.
Afro-Uruguayans
Authors: Olaza Mónica
Published: September 2023

For the past several years, affirmative action policies and their implementation have constituted a field of debate and academic research, in dialog with social movements and public policies carried out by various Latin American and Caribbean states, to mitigate persistent historical inequalities related to discrimination and racism. This article presents the results of the implementation of affirmative action policies for Afro-descendants in Uruguay in the workplace between 2014 and 2019, the first five years of implementation of Law No.19122 (which establishes a period of fifteen years in total for its validity). These results were obtained through interviews with key informants and through documentary analysis of the annual reports of the National Civil Service Office for the period under consideration.
Power spectra of the Sun’s large-scale magnetic field during solar cycles 23 and 24
Authors: Luo Yukun , Jiang Jie , Wang Ruihui
Published: September 2023

The magnetic power spectrum analysis provides an effective way to understand the observed distribution of the photospheric magnetic fields and their interaction with plasma motions. We aim to investigate the power spectra using spherical harmonic decomposition of SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI synoptic magnetograms for cycles 23 and 24. We find that the calibration factor between MDI and HMI power spectral density is spatial scale-dependent. The magnetic power spectra show two peaks at the AR scale (l≈30) and supergranular scale (l≈120). The power law indices between these show a good anti-correlation with the amplitude of magnetic activity.
Gender Differences in Policy Preferences of Legislators: Evidence from China’s National Legislature
Authors: Jiang Xinhui , Chen Chuanmin
Published: September 2023

Do female legislators have different policy preferences than male legislators? Despite a large body of literature from liberal democracies and recent studies of electoral authoritarian regimes, this topic has received little attention in the context of single-party regimes. Based on quasi-experimental methods and regression models, we analyze original data from 38,383 proposals introduced during China’s 12th National People’s Congress and test the effect of gender on policies concerning conventionally selected feminine issues and “political stance,” issues that are unique to single-party regimes. The analysis confirms the effect of gender on policy preference across several feminine issues. However, the effect of gender is null on issues concerning political stance. Our findings suggest that while single-party regimes allow gender differences to emerge among legislators on issues that are not politically important, they tend to discourage such differences on politically prominent issues. This study advances the literature on both gender politics and authoritarian politics.
Radar Tracks Unfortunate Creatures Trapped in Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: September 2023

Cyclones can sweep up birds and insects and transport them great distances.
Uncertainty Reduction and Environmental Justice in Air Pollution Epidemiology: The Importance of Minority Representation
Authors: Alifa Mariana , Castruccio Stefano , Bolster Diogo , Bravo Mercedes A. , Crippa Paola
Published: September 2023

Ambient air pollution is an increasing threat to society, with rising numbers of adverse outcomes and exposure inequalities worldwide. Reducing uncertainty in health outcomes models and exposure disparity studies is therefore essential to develop policies effective in protecting the most affected places and populations. This study uses the concept of information entropy to study tradeoffs in mortality uncertainty reduction from increasing input data of air pollution versus health outcomes. We study a case scenario for short‐term mortality from particulate matter (PM2.5) in North Carolina for 2001–2016, employing a case‐crossover design with inputs from an individual‐level mortality data set and high‐resolution gridded data sets of PM2.5 and weather covariates. We find a significant association between mortality and PM2.5, and the information tradeoffs indicate that a 10% increase in mortality information reduces model uncertainty three times more than increased resolution of the air pollution model from 12 to 1 km. We also find that Non‐Hispanic Black (NHB) residents tend to live in relatively more polluted census tracts, and that the mean PM2.5 for NHB cases in the mortality model is significantly higher than that of Non‐Hispanic White cases. The distinct distribution of PM2.5 for NHB cases results in a relatively higher information value, and therefore faster uncertainty reduction, for new NHB cases introduced into the mortality model. This newfound influence of exposure disparities in the rate of uncertainty reduction highlights the importance of minority representation in environmental research as a quantitative advantage to produce more confident estimates of the true effects of environmental pollution.
A Simple Agent‐Based Model That Reproduces All Types of Barchan Interactions
Authors: Robson Dominic T. , Baas Andreas C. W.
Published: September 2023

We introduce a novel agent‐based model for simulating interactions between migrating barchan dunes. A new two‐flank representation of barchans allows modeling of bedform asymmetries that are intrinsic to collision dynamics but have not been explored before. Although simple compared with real‐world barchans or those in continuum and cellular automata simulations, all known barchan behaviors emerge from the rules of our model. In particular, the two mechanisms for asymmetry growth in bimodal winds are observed and qualitatively agree with existing theories. We also reproduce the emergence of calving and all types of collisions that have been reported in reductionist models, water‐tank experiments, and field observations. The computational efficiency of the new model, compared with continuum simulations, enables the simulation of large swarms of dunes while maintaining the complex phenomenology of these bedforms, some of which has been lacking in previous agent‐based models.
Precursory Motion and Time‐Of‐Failure Prediction of the Achoma Landslide, Peru, From High Frequency PlanetScope Satellites
Authors: Lacroix P. , Huanca J. , Albinez L. , Taipe E.
Published: September 2023

Landslide time‐of‐failure prediction is crucial in natural hazards, often requiring precise measurements from in situ instruments. This instrumentation is not always possible, and remote‐sensing techniques have been questioned for detecting precursors and predicting landslides. Here, based on high frequency acquisitions of the PlanetScope satellite constellation, we study the kinematics of a large landslide located in Peru that failed in June 2020. We show that the landslide underwent a progressive acceleration in the 3 months before its failure, reaching at most 8 m of total displacement. The high frequency of satellite revisit allows us to apply the popular Fukuzono method for landslide time‐of‐failure prediction, with sufficient confidence for faster moving areas of the landslide. These results open new opportunities for landslide precursors detection from space, but also show the probable seldom applicability of the optical satellites for landslide time‐of‐failure prediction.
Evidence from clinical trials on high-risk medical devices in children: a scoping review
Authors: Guerlich Kathrin , Patro-Golab Bernadeta , Dworakowski Paulina , Fraser Alan G. , Kammermeier Michael , Melvin Tom , Koletzko Berthold
Published: September 2023

Background

Meeting increased regulatory requirements for clinical evaluation of medical devices marketed in Europe in accordance with the Medical Device Regulation (EU 2017/745) is challenging, particularly for high-risk devices used in children.

Methods

Within the CORE-MD project, we performed a scoping review on evidence from clinical trials investigating high-risk paediatric medical devices used in paediatric cardiology, diabetology, orthopaedics and surgery, in patients aged 0–21 years. We searched Medline and Embase from 1st January 2017 to 9th November 2022.

Results

From 1692 records screened, 99 trials were included. Most were multicentre studies performed in North America and Europe that mainly had evaluated medical devices from the specialty of diabetology. Most had enrolled adolescents and 39% of trials included both children and adults. Randomized controlled trials accounted for 38% of the sample. Other frequently used designs were before-after studies (21%) and crossover trials (20%). Included trials were mainly small, with a sample size <100 participants in 64% of the studies. Most frequently assessed outcomes were efficacy and effectiveness as well as safety.

Conclusion

Within the assessed sample, clinical trials on high-risk medical devices in children were of various designs, often lacked a concurrent control group, and recruited few infants and young children.

Impact

In the assessed sample, clinical trials on high-risk medical devices in children were mainly small, with variable study designs (often without concurrent control), and they mostly enrolled adolescents.

We provide a systematic summary of methodologies applied in clinical trials of medical devices in the paediatric population, reflecting obstacles in this research area that make it challenging to conduct adequately powered randomized controlled trials.

In view of changing European regulations and related concerns about shortages of high-risk medical devices for children, our findings may assist competent authorities in setting realistic requirements for the evidence level to support device conformity certification.
RNF40 epigenetically modulates glycolysis to support the aggressiveness of basal-like breast cancer
Authors: Prokakis Evangelos , Jansari Shaishavi , Boshnakovska Angela , Wiese Maria , Kusch Kathrin , Kramm Christof , Dullin Christian , Rehling Peter , Glatzel Markus , Pantel Klaus , Wikman Harriet , Johnsen Steven A. , Gallwas Julia , Wegwitz Florian
Published: September 2023

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most difficult breast cancer subtype to treat due to the lack of targeted therapies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are strongly enriched in TNBC lesions and are responsible for the rapid development of chemotherapy resistance and metastasis. Ubiquitin-based epigenetic circuits are heavily exploited by CSCs to regulate gene transcription and ultimately sustain their aggressive behavior. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of these ubiquitin-driven dependencies may reprogram the transcription of CSC and render them more sensitive to standard therapies. In this work, we identified the Ring Finger Protein 40 (RNF40) monoubiquitinating histone 2B at lysine 120 (H2Bub1) as an indispensable E3 ligase for sustaining the stem-cell-like features of the growing mammary gland. In addition, we found that the RNF40/H2Bub1-axis promotes the CSC properties and drug-tolerant state by supporting the glycolytic program and promoting pro-tumorigenic YAP1-signaling in TNBC. Collectively, this study unveils a novel tumor-supportive role of RNF40 and underpins its high therapeutic value to combat the malignant behavior of TNBC.