bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photodynamic inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with free-base and indium(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-pyridyl) porphyrin adsorbed onto single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Magaela N. Bridged , Ledwaba Mahlatse M. , Malomane Nonkululeko , Mack John , Nyokong Tebello , Managa Muthumuni
Published: May 2024

The emergence of resistance against antimicrobial agents by bacteria is a challenge that calls for the development of new antimicrobial technologies. In this study, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (1) and In (III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (2) conjugated with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), 1-SWCNTs and 2-SWCNTs, respectively, were used to study the photodynamic inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) was used to establish the relationship between structural modifications to the porphyrin core and the resultant bathochromic shift and increase of the Q bands. Introducing a central metal resulted in a blue-shifted spectrum of 2 and more stable MO energies. Additionally, the photosensitizer’s photophysical characteristics were determined. 1-SWCNTs and 2-SWCNTs appear to be more photostable than 1 and 2 due to the single-walled carbon nanotubes. The singlet oxygen quantum yields of 2-SWCNTs and 2 were 0.74 and 0.68, respectively which was higher than that of 1-SWCNTs (0.61). 2-SWCNTs showed the highest log reduction against both E. coli (8.38) and S. aureus (9.76). Both 1-SWCNTs and 2-SWCNTs showed significant photodynamic activity. Hence, they can be recommended as efficient photosensitizers in aPDI.
How can we avoid the extinction of any species naturally? A mathematical model
Authors: Misra A. K. , Pal Soumitra , Kang Yun
Published: May 2024

A large number of herbivorous mammals and reptiles in many terrestrial ecosystems across the globe are presently in the receiving end of extinction. Over-exploitation by its immediate predator and anthropogenic actions is one of the main reasons. Reintroduction of apex predator or top predator at some instances has proven to be a successful strategy in restoring ecological balance. In this paper, we conceptualize the role of top predator in enriching the density of vulnerable species of lower trophic level, with the help of mathematical modeling. First, the dynamical behavior of two species system (prey and mesopredator) is studied, where growth of prey is subject to strong Allee effect. Also, the cost of predation induced fear is incorporated in the growth term. Parametric regions, for which the species perceive extinction risk are analyzed and depicted numerically. We consider that whenever density of the vulnerable species reach a certain threshold, minimum viable population, top predator is introduced in the habitat. Our obtained results show that a species population can be restored from the verge of extinction to a stable state with much higher population density with the introduction of top predator and even it stabilizes an oscillatory system.
Voices of the Himalayas: Benchmarking Speech Recognition Systems for the Tibetan Language
Authors: Li Sheng , Li Jiyi , Chu Chenhui
Published: May 2024

The Lhasa dialect, the most widely spoken Tibetan dialect in Tibet, is also renowned for its rich historical archive of written scripts. Exploring speech recognition methodologies specific to the Lhasa dialect is paramount in safeguarding Tibet’s distinct linguistic heritage. Previous studies in Tibetan speech recognition have been largely confined to academic research using nonpublic datasets, focusing on elements such as the selection of phone-level acoustic modeling units and the integration of tonal information. However, these studies have not significantly benefited the community due to the scarcity of available data. To mitigate the challenge posed by limited data resources, we present the NICT-Tib1 (phase 1) dataset, a new open-source dataset collected from native speakers dedicated to investigating speech recognition for the Lhasa dialect. Speech recognition with deep neural networks (DNNs) evolved three generations from systems hybrid with hidden Markov model (HMM) (e.g., DNN-HMM) to End-to-End systems (e.g., Transformer), and finally to self-supervised learning (SSL) systems (e.g., Wav2Vec2.0), each generation improving accuracy and simplifying the training process, with the latest generation achieving state-of-the-art performance, especially for low-resource languages. Besides the early DNN-HMM-based system using Kaldi, we further update benchmark systems with the Conformer and Wav2Vec2.0 trained by ESPnet and Huggingface on this dataset, respectively. Experimental results show that these state-of-the-art models outperformed the models in previous work.
Leveraging BERT to Improve Spoken Language Identification of Code-Switching Speech
Authors: Nie Yuting , Zhao Junhong , Qiu Ziyue , Bai Jinfeng , Zhang Wei-Qiang
Published: May 2024

Language identification (LID) involves automatically determining the language being spoken in a given segment. In code-switching speech, there are rapid switches between two or more languages within a single conversation. Despite LID attaining high accuracy on medium or long utterances, the performance on short utterances of code-switching speech is currently unsatisfactory. We propose a bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT)-based LID system (BERT-LID) to enhance LID performance, especially for short-duration code-switching speech segments. The original BERT model is expanded by incorporating phonetic posterior grams (PPGs) extracted from a front-end phone recognizer as input. Then it is followed by the deployment of an optimal deep classifier for LID. Our BERT-LID model demonstrates a significant improvement of approximately 6.5% in accuracy for long-segment identification and 19.9% for short-segment identification, thereby demonstrating its effectiveness in code-switching speech LID tasks.
Fuel-Optimal Trajectory Planning for Lunar Vertical Landing
Authors: Wang Kun , Chen Zheng , Li Jun
Published: May 2024

In this paper we consider a trajectory planning problem arising from a lunar vertical landing with minimum fuel consumption. The vertical landing requirement is written as a final steering angle constraint, and a nonnegative regularization term is proposed to modify the cost functional. In this way, the final steering angle constraint will be inherently satisfied according to Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle. As a result, the modified optimal steering angle has to be determined by solving a transcendental equation. To this end, a transforming procedure is employed, which allows for finding the desired optimal steering angle by a simple bisection method. Consequently, the vertical landing trajectory can be found offline by the indirect shooting method. Finally, some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate and verify the developments of the paper.
Optimal control analysis of pneumonia and HIV/AIDS co-infection model
Authors: Byamukama Michael , Kajunguri Damian , Karuhanga Martin
Published: May 2024

A Pneumonia and HIV/AIDS deterministic co-infection model is constructed and utilized to assess how the dynamics of Pneumonia and HIV/AIDS impact on each other. In order to summarize the analysis of Pneumonia and HIV/AIDS co-infection model, the analysis of Pneumonia and HIV/AIDS sub-models is undertaken. The basic reproduction numbers [Formula: see text] for Pneumonia sub-model, [Formula: see text] for HIV/AIDS sub-model and [Formula: see text] for Pneumonia and HIV/AIDS co-infection model are computed, the results are then fielded to establish the local and global asymptotic stabilities of the corresponding models’ equilibrium points. Sensitivity analysis is done and results reveal that Pneumonia spreading rate, HIV spreading rate and treatment rates of the infected sub-populations are the most sensitive parameters. The model is further modified to incorporate intervention schemes, namely Pneumonia prevention, screening and treatment efforts, HIV/AIDS prevention, screening and treatment efforts in the form of time-dependent controls. Numerical simulations portray that prevention and treatment of both diseases averts the biggest numbers of co-infected individuals. However, in a situation when there are scarce resources to deploy all intervention schemes, a combination of treatment for both diseases become a scheme of choice in reducing the co-infection burden.
TWOSOME: An Efficient Online Framework to Align LLMs with Embodied Environments via Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Tan Weihao , Zhang Wentao , Liu Shanqi , Zheng Longtao , Wang Xinrun , An Bo
Published: May 2024

Despite the impressive performance across numerous tasks, Large Language Models (LLMs) often fail in solving simple decision-making tasks due to the misalignment of the knowledge in LLMs with environments. On the contrary, Reinforcement Learning (RL) agents learn policies from scratch, which makes them always align with environments but difficult to incorporate prior knowledge for efficient explorations. To narrow the gap, we propose TWOSOME, a novel general online framework that deploys LLMs as decision-making agents to efficiently interact and align with embodied environments via RL without requiring any prepared datasets or prior knowledge of the environments. First, we query the joint probabilities of each valid action with LLMs to form behavior policies. Then, to enhance the stability and robustness of the policies, we propose two normalization methods and summarize four prompt design principles. Finally, we design a novel parameter-efficient training architecture where the actor and critic share one frozen LLM equipped with LOw-Rank Adapters (LoRA) updated by PPO. We conduct extensive experiments to evaluate TWOSOME. (i) TWOSOME exhibits significantly better sample efficiency and performance compared to the conventional RL method, PPO, and prompt tuning method, SayCan, in both classical decision-making environment, Overcooked, and simulated household environment, VirtualHome. (ii) Benefiting from LLMs’ open-vocabulary feature, TWOSOME shows superior generalization ability to unseen tasks. (iii) Under our framework, there is no significant loss of the LLMs’ original ability during online PPO finetuning.a
Channel evolution in the lower reach of palaeo Fen River: evidence from detrital apatite petrochronology and zircon geochronology
Authors: Wang Zhongmei , He Honglin , Shi Feng , Zhuang Qitian
Published: May 2024

This study provides a comprehensive analysis combining multi-element (Sr, Y, Th, U and REE) geochemistry and U–Pb geochronology of single-grain apatite with zircon U–Pb ages from channel sand deposits of the palaeo Fen River, collected at the Chaizhuang and Weijiazhuang sites, corresponding to sediments from the Late Pleistocene and late Middle Pleistocene, respectively. The results unveil that the analysed apatites originated from a varied assemblage of source rocks, encompassing mafic–ultramafic rocks, intermediate to felsic I-type plutons, highly fractionated S-type granites and pegmatites, as well as assorted metamorphic rocks. U–Pb age dating of detrital zircons and apatites identifies three predominant age peaks at 2.4, 2.2 and 1.8 Ga, consistent with known tectonothermal episodes within the North China Craton (NCC). The similarity in U–Pb age spectra for both zircon and apatite, along with comparable apatite geochemical characteristics across both the Chaizhuang and Weijiazhuang sections, indicates stable provenance with little to no change from the late Middle Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene. This continuity in provenance signatures suggests an absence of shift in drainage patterns or sediment sources, indicating that the current location and pattern of Fen River lower reach drainage was not formed at least by then. Consequently, it is inferred that the detrital material composing the palaeo Fen River sediments during this period predominantly originated from the NCC.
Sharing Workarounds in Health IT-Enabled Patient-Care Work: Impact on Clinicians
Authors: Raman Roopa , Sullivan Nicholas
Published: May 2024

Healthcare providers engaged in health information technology (HIT)-enabled patient-care work tend to resort to workarounds when problems arise in prescribed practices. Hospital administration discourages using such informal workarounds. Yet, due to the interdependent collaborative nature of hospital work, there is a tendency for clinicians to share informally with their colleagues the workarounds that they find useful. In this study, we investigate how the sharing of workarounds impacts the clinicians involved. Our qualitative field study within an inpatient hospital system allowed us to perform rich case studies on a set of four instantiations of the sharing of workarounds in electronic medication administration record (eMAR)-enabled medication administration work. Our findings offer the counterintuitive insight that positive outcomes can be realized from sharing workarounds, even when they are problematic. Our exploratory inductive research model presents a set of five propositions that explain two different ways in which the sharing of workarounds creates positive value for the clinicians involved. We encourage future research to investigate other consequences, and routes leading to those consequences, from the sharing of workarounds in various other IT-enabled contexts. Cumulatively, such research would inform, enrich, and even challenge traditional notions that largely prefer avoiding informal workarounds in the IT-enabled workplace.
Suppressing The Blistering of Silicon Nitride in PERC Solar Cells for High Industrial Yield
Authors: Zhu Hai-Rong , Lei Yan , Gao Zhi-Qiang , Li Xu-Jie , Peng Ping , Lin Yuan
Published: May 2024

Passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells possess the highest photovoltaic market share at present. In industrial production, blistering of the rear silicon nitride (SiNx) passivation layer significantly affects the yield. In order to solve this problem, the relevant processes for manufacturing the PERC solar cells have been carefully studied. It was found that polishing of the silicon wafer rear surface, aluminum (AlOx) thickness, and the deposition process of the SiNx layer will affect the blistering ratio. By optimizing the manufacturing process mentioned above, the blistering ratio of the PERC solar cells has been effectively suppressed. This work not only provides reliable technical support for the yield improvement of the PERC solar cells but also provides some useful reference for the tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPcon) and back contact (BC) solar cell industrial manufacture.
Fine Characterization of Nonmain Oil Layer Distributions in Complex Fault Block Oilfield and Its Development Model
Authors: Xu Lei , Yao Xiutian , Yan Sen , Wen Zhang , Xue Jimei
Published: May 2024

Improving the oil production from nonmain oil layers is crucial for the complex fault block oilfields during the late stage of high water cut development to ensure stable production and capacity expansion. However, the developing characterization of the nonmain layers and their remaining oil distribution is still inadequate. Developing an efficient mode of development remains a challenge. This paper presents a detailed characterization of the sedimentary microfacies and architecture of a nonmain reservoir based on core and logging data analysis. A flexible injection-production development strategy model was designed and applied in the Hetan oilfield, located in the southeast of Zhanhua Depression of Bohai Bay Basin as an example. The results show that the nonmain oil layer of the Hetan oilfield is composed of estuary bar microfacies sand bodies. Deposits of various shapes are formed on the side or in front of the main body of the estuary dam, which constitutes the nonmain oil reservoir. The lithology is fine, the sand body thickness is small, and the plane heterogeneity is strong. The distribution is banded, potato-shaped, and fragmented. The nonmain oil layer has a small oil-bearing area of 0.1-1.0 km2 and a high oil saturation of over 58%. The Hetan oilfield has a significant amount of remaining oil enrichment and considerable potential for production digging. To optimize production, a flexible injection and production adjustment scheme is proposed, which includes designing multitarget horizontal wells and utilizing various methods such as optimizing well spacing, coupled injection, and cycle injection. Field tests conducted in the area have shown an increase in the recovery factor of nonmain oil layers from 16.7% to 28.5%. This indicates that identifying and characterizing nonmain oil layers through detailed analysis of sedimentary microfacies and reservoir architecture is useful in the late-stage development of complex fault block reservoirs to maintain sustainable and efficient oilfield development.
Energy-Efficient and Resilient Secure Routing in Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks with Transceiver Noises: EcoSecNet Design and Analysis
Authors: Muhammad Umer Mushtaq , Hong Jiang , Muhammad Owais , Awwad Fuad A. , Ismail Emad A. A.
Published: May 2024

Cooperative energy harvesting wireless sensor networks (EH-WSNs) using energy-harvesting-based physical layer security (PLS) appears to be a promising way to meet information security and energy efficiency goals at the same time. PLS uses energy harvesting (EH) features to protect data while transmitting. This eliminates the need for traditional upper-layer data encryption. However, this method introduces new challenges, particularly in scenarios where potential adversaries can intercept sensitive information through network relays. When it comes to multihop, multipath cooperative EH-WSNs, it becomes even more complicated to optimize transmit power for EH while reducing eavesdropping risk. In this study, three routing protocols, direct route designation (DRD), casual route designation (CRD), and superlative route designation (SRD) are presented. The protocols will improve multihop, multipath cooperative EH-WSNs’ security in the presence of eavesdroppers as well as noises at the transceiver. In this framework, both source nodes and relay nodes use power-beaming techniques to make their data transmission operations easier. This study goes beyond the protocol recommendations by presenting comprehensive closed-form formulas and asymptotic outage probability analysis for each protocol under various eavesdropping attack scenarios, i.e., coordination and noncoordination of eavesdroppers. According to simulation data, the suggested SRD protocol outperforms the CRD and DRD protocols by 19% and 25%, respectively, when eavesdroppers are not coordinating. The suggested SRD protocol outperforms the CRD and DRD protocols by 28% and 32%, respectively, in terms of eavesdropper coordination.
Human 3D Ovarian Cancer Models Reveal Malignant Cell–Intrinsic and –Extrinsic Factors That Influence CAR T-cell Activity
Authors: Joy Joash D. , Malacrida Beatrice , Laforêts Florian , Kotantaki Panoraia , Maniati Eleni , Manchanda Ranjit , Annibaldi Alessandro , Hopkins Sarah , Garrobo-Calleja Ianire , Gautrot Julien , Balkwill Frances R.
Published: May 2024

In vitro preclinical testing of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is mostly carried out in monolayer cell cultures. However, alternative strategies are needed to take into account the complexity and the effects of the tumor microenvironment. Here, we describe the modulation of CAR T-cell activity by malignant cells and fibroblasts in human three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cell models of increasing complexity. In models combining mucin-1 (MUC1) and TnMUC1 CAR T cells with human high-grade serous ovarian cancer cell spheroids, malignant cell–intrinsic resistance to CAR T-cell killing was due to defective death receptor signaling involving TNFα. Adding primary human fibroblasts to spheroids unexpectedly increased the ability of CAR T cells to kill resistant malignant cells as CCL2 produced by fibroblasts activated CCR2/4+ CAR T cells. However, culturing malignant cells and fibroblasts in collagen gels engendered production of a dense extracellular matrix that impeded CAR T-cell activity in a TGFβ-dependent manner. A vascularized microfluidic device was developed that allowed CAR T cells to flow through the vessels and penetrate the gels in a more physiological way, killing malignant cells in a TNFα-dependent manner. Complex 3D human cell models may provide an efficient way of screening multiple cytotoxic human immune cell constructs while also enabling evaluation of mechanisms of resistance involving cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, thus accelerating preclinical research on cytotoxic immune cell therapies in solid tumors.

Significance: Three-dimensional in vitro models of increasing complexity uncover mechanisms of resistance to CAR T cells in solid tumors, which could help accelerate development of improved CAR T-cell constructs.
Disparities and Determinants of Testing for Early Detection of Cervical Cancer among Nepalese Women: Evidence from a Population-Based Survey
Authors: Rahman Md. Shafiur , Rahman Md. Mahfuzur , Acharya Kiran , Haruyama Rei , Shah Richa , Matsuda Tomohiro , Inoue Manami , Abe Sarah K.
Published: May 2024

Background:

Cervical cancer presents a considerable challenge in South Asia, notably in Nepal, where screening remains limited. Past research in Nepal lacked national representation and a thorough exploration of factors influencing cervical cancer screening, such as educational and socioeconomic disparities. This study aims to measure these gaps and identify associated factors in testing for early detection of cervical cancer among Nepalese women.

Methods:

Data from the 2019 Nepal Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors survey (World Health Organization STEPwise approach to noncommunicable risk factor surveillance), involving 2,332 women aged 30 to 69 years, were used. Respondents were asked if they had undergone cervical cancer testing through visual inspection with acetic acid, Pap smear, or human papillomavirus test ever or in the past 5 years. The slope index of inequality (SII) and relative concentration index were used to measure socioeconomic and education-based disparities in cervical cancer test uptake.

Results:

Only 7.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.1–9.9] Nepalese women had ever undergone cervical cancer testing, whereas 5.1% (95% CI: 3.4–7.5) tested within the last 5 years. The ever uptake of cervical cancer testing was 5.1 percentage points higher (SII: 5.1, 95% CI: −0.1 to 10.2) among women from the richest compared with the poorest households. Education-based disparities were particularly pronounced, with a 13.9 percentage point difference between highly educated urban residents and their uneducated counterparts (SII: 13.9, 95% CI: 5.8–21.9).

Conclusions:

Less than one in ten women in Nepal had a cervical cancer testing, primarily favoring higher educated and wealthier individuals.

Impact:

Targeted early detection and cervical cancer screening interventions are necessary to address these disparities and improve access and uptake.
Oral Estrogen Receptor PROTAC Vepdegestrant (ARV-471) Is Highly Efficacious as Monotherapy and in Combination with CDK4/6 or PI3K/mTOR Pathway Inhibitors in Preclinical ER+ Breast Cancer Models
Authors: Gough Sheryl M. , Flanagan John J. , Teh Jessica , Andreoli Monica , Rousseau Emma , Pannone Melissa , Bookbinder Mark , Willard Ryan , Davenport Kim , Bortolon Elizabeth , Cadelina Gregory , Gordon Debbie , Pizzano Jennifer , Macaluso Jennifer , Soto Leofal , Corradi John , Digianantonio Katherine , Drulyte Ieva , Morgan Alicia , Quinn Connor , Békés Miklós , Ferraro Caterina , Chen Xin , Wang Gan , Dong Hanqing , Wang Jing , Langley David R. , Houston John , Gedrich Richard , Taylor Ian C.
Published: May 2024

Purpose:

Estrogen receptor (ER) alpha signaling is a known driver of ER-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2−) breast cancer. Combining endocrine therapy (ET) such as fulvestrant with CDK4/6, mTOR, or PI3K inhibitors has become a central strategy in the treatment of ER+ advanced breast cancer. However, suboptimal ER inhibition and resistance resulting from the ESR1 mutation dictates that new therapies are needed.

Experimental Design:

A medicinal chemistry campaign identified vepdegestrant (ARV-471), a selective, orally bioavailable, and potent small molecule PROteolysis-TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) degrader of ER. We used biochemical and intracellular target engagement assays to demonstrate the mechanism of action of vepdegestrant, and ESR1 wild-type (WT) and mutant ER+ preclinical breast cancer models to demonstrate ER degradation-mediated tumor growth inhibition (TGI).

Results:

Vepdegestrant induced ≥90% degradation of wild-type and mutant ER, inhibited ER-dependent breast cancer cell line proliferation in vitro, and achieved substantial TGI (87%–123%) in MCF7 orthotopic xenograft models, better than those of the ET agent fulvestrant (31%–80% TGI). In the hormone independent (HI) mutant ER Y537S patient-derived xenograft (PDX) breast cancer model ST941/HI, vepdegestrant achieved tumor regression and was similarly efficacious in the ST941/HI/PBR palbociclib-resistant model (102% TGI). Vepdegestrant-induced robust tumor regressions in combination with each of the CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib, abemaciclib, and ribociclib; the mTOR inhibitor everolimus; and the PI3K inhibitors alpelisib and inavolisib.

Conclusions:

Vepdegestrant achieved greater ER degradation in vivo compared with fulvestrant, which correlated with improved TGI, suggesting vepdegestrant could be a more effective backbone ET for patients with ER+/HER2− breast cancer.
Supplementary Figure 7 from LYVE-1–expressing Macrophages Modulate the Hyaluronan-containing Extracellular Matrix in the Mammary Stroma and Contribute to Mammary Tumor Growth
Authors: Elfstrum Alexis K. , Rumahorbo Annisa H. , Reese Lyndsay E. , Nelson Emma V. , McCluskey Braedan M. , Schwertfeger Kathryn L.
Published: May 2024

Figure S7 depicts an scRNA-seq heatmap of the top 10 genes per cluster
FIGURE 1 from LYVE-1–expressing Macrophages Modulate the Hyaluronan-containing Extracellular Matrix in the Mammary Stroma and Contribute to Mammary Tumor Growth
Authors: Elfstrum Alexis K. , Rumahorbo Annisa H. , Reese Lyndsay E. , Nelson Emma V. , McCluskey Braedan M. , Schwertfeger Kathryn L.
Published: May 2024

LYVE-1+ macrophages localize near stromal HA in the nulliparous mouse mammary gland and are associated with ECM regulation. A, Representative images from mammary gland capsular regions of 5-week Csf1rfl/fl (top) and Lyve1CreCsf1rfl/fl (bottom) mice immunostained for LYVE-1 (green), CD206 (red), HABP (magenta), and DAPI (blue; n = 4 per genotype). B, Representative images from mammary gland stroma regions of 5-week Csf1rfl/fl (top) and Lyve1CreCsf1rfl/fl (bottom) mice immunostained for LYVE-1 (green), F4/80 (red), HABP (magenta), and DAPI (blue; n = 4 per genotype). C, Mammary glands from 5-week Csf1rfl/fl (gray) and Lyve1CreCsf1rfl/fl (blue) female mice were assessed for CD45−LYVE-1+ frequency by flow cytometry. D, Mammary glands from 5-week Csf1rfl/fl (gray) and Lyve1CreCsf1rfl/fl (blue) female mice were assessed for CD45+F4/80+CD11b+ LYVE-1+ macrophage count by flow cytometry. Fold change of Lyve1 (E), Hyal1, and Hyal2 (F) RNA expression from 15-week Csf1rfl/fl (gray) and Lyve1CreCsf1rfl/fl (blue) female mice. G, MFI of HABP in mammary glands assessing CD45+F4/80+CD11b+LYVE-1− and CD45+F4/80+CD11b+LYVE-1+ macrophages. H, Mammary gland from 5-week and 15-week Csf1rfl/fl (gray) and Lyve1CreCsf1rfl/fl (blue) female mice assessed for HA by ELISA and normalized by weight. I, Female mammary glands assessed by ECM qRT-PCR array with differentially downregulated genes associated with biological process Gene Ontology (GO) terms (black) and molecular function GO terms (white; n = 3 per genotype). *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ****, P < 0.0001, using Student t test. Scale bars, 100 µm. Each dot represents one mouse.
European Organisation for Caries Research and the European Federation of Conservative Dentistry Consensus Report on Clinical Recommendations for Caries Diagnosis: Paper III – Caries Diagnosis at the Individual Level
Authors: Huysmans Marie-Charlotte , Fontana Margherita , Lussi Adrian , Jablonski-Momeni Anahita , Banerjee Avijit , Ricketts David , Schwendicke Falk , Mendes Fausto Medeiros , Douglas Gail , Schmalz Gottfried , Campus Guglielmo , Aps Johan , Horner Keith , Neuhaus Klaus W. , van der Veen Monique Harriët , Opdam Niek , Doméjean Sophie , Martignon Stefania , Kühnisch Jan , Splieth Christian H.
Published: May 2024

Objectives: The aim of the present consensus paper was to provide recommendations for clinical practice on the individual etiological and modifying factors to be assessed in the individual diagnosis of caries, and the methods for their assessment, supporting personalized treatment decisions. Material and Methods: The executive councils of the European Organisation for Caries Research (ORCA) and the European Federation of Conservative Dentistry (EFCD) nominated ten experts each to join the expert panel. The steering committee formed three work groups which were asked to provide recommendations on (1) caries detection and diagnostic methods, (2) caries activity assessment, and (3) forming individualized caries diagnoses. The experts responsible for “individualised caries diagnosis” searched and evaluated the relevant literature, drafted this manuscript and made provisional consensus recommendations. These recommendations were discussed and refined during the structured process in the whole work group. Finally, the agreement for each recommendation was determined using an anonymous eDelphi survey. The threshold for approval of recommendations was determined at 70% agreement. Results: Ten recommendations were approved and agreed by the whole expert panel, covering medical history, caries experience, plaque, diet, fluoride, and saliva. While the level of evidence was low, the level of agreement was typically very high, except for one recommendation on salivary flow measurement, where 70% agreed. Conclusion: It is recommended that all aspects of caries lesion progression and activity, recent caries experience, medical conditions and medications, plaque, diet, fluoride and saliva should be synthesized to arrive at an individual diagnosis. Clinical Relevance: The expert panel merged evidence from existing guidelines and scientific literature with practical considerations and provided recommendations for their use in daily dental practice.
The Paradox of Aging-Related Fears: Fear of Loneliness in Old Age as a Motivator for Loneliness Preventive Activities
Authors: Kim-Knauss Yaeji , Degen Nora M. , Lang Frieder R.
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Aging is often seen as a challenging process, prompting individuals to form emotional reactions in response to the perceived challenges associated with growing older, manifested as aging-related fears. The present study focuses on the fear of loneliness in old age, a significant concern considering the socioemotional importance of close relationships in later life. Drawing from proactive coping theory, the study explores the association between fear of loneliness and aging preparation. This research aimed to investigate whether the fear of loneliness motivates individuals to engage in activities aimed at preventing loneliness in old age. For exploratory purposes, we consider both linear and nonlinear effects at the interindividual level, as well as the intraindividual-level differences between fear levels and behavioral outcomes. In addition, we also investigate the moderating role of trait neuroticism in these associations. Methods: Data from the “Ageing as Future (AAF)” project in Germany (N = 1,183) spanning from 2012 to 2023 were utilized. A multilevel model considered both intra- and interindividual variations, incorporating time-varying variables and covariates. Results: Linear mixed model analysis revealed that increased fear of loneliness corresponded to heightened engagement in preventive activities linearly, while a quadratic term indicated an inverted U-shaped relationship. The inclusion of occasion-specific deviation scores showed that individuals were more inclined to engage in preventive activities when experiencing heightened fear of loneliness than usual. This impact of deviation in fear perception was particularly evident among those with high levels of trait neuroticism. Conclusion: The study reveals that fear of loneliness in old age is associated with proactive engagement in preventive activities, with those prone to higher levels of fear or worry being particularly affected. These results emphasize the importance of a moderate level of fear in driving action without succumbing to excessive pessimism or unrealistic optimism. The findings contribute to understanding the motivational role of aging-related fears and hold implications for gerontological practices, emphasizing the need for a balanced fear perception in addressing potential negative impacts of aging. Future research could explore moderators and long-term consequences of motivational aging-related fears.
Terapia Ocupacional: práticas, discursos e a questão da legitimidade científica
Authors: Mângia Elisabete Ferreira
Published: May 2024

A reflexão sobre os processos de formalização e legitimação do campo da terapia Ocupacional, ocorrida nos EUA e Canadá nos demonstra que as respostas encontradas, em cada país, apresentam diferenças significativas e estão em estreita relação com o contexto onde se desenvolvem. Essas experiências podem contribuir para pensarmos nosso próprio percurso, como distinto e singular.
Cooperação Internacional apesar da Guerra Fria? Aproximações entre a Federação Democrática Internacional de Mulheres e a Liga Internacional de Mulheres Pró-Paz e Liberdade (1945-1963)
Authors: Nunes Guilherme Machado
Published: May 2024

Após a Segunda Guerra Mundial, organizações internacionais de mulheres que existiam antes da Guerra, como a Liga Internacional de Mulheres Pró-Paz e Liberdade (LIMPL), passaram a coexistir com novos atores. Um deles defendia que as questões femininas não poderiam ser separadas de temas como colonialismo, imperialismo e proteção à maternidade e à infância: a Federação Democrática Internacional de Mulheres (FDIM). Embora houvesse momentos de conflitos e disputas típicos do período, o objetivo principal deste artigo é explorar as tentativas de cooperação, assim como a circulação dessas mulheres por países e organizações que tinha a Guerra Fria não apenas como um limitador, mas também um campo que possibilitou novas canais e formas de comunicação. Nesse processo, as mulheres da América Latina desempenharam um papel importante na tentativa de suplantar obstáculos da Guerra Fria, especialmente a partir de iniciativas relativas à maternidade nos anos 1950.
Valuing & Defending the Arts in Hong Kong
Authors: Hjort Mette
Published: May 2024

Focusing on a period of just over two decades (1997-2023), this essay charts how the most salient approaches to valuing and defending the arts in Hong Kong reflect the changing political circumstances of the city. I select two approaches for close analysis. Emphasizing the private and public value of the arts, the first approach reflects efforts to reinvent Hong Kong in the wake of the handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Influenced by significant social unrest in 2014 and 2019, and by the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020, the second approach seeks protection for the arts through collaboration with the sciences. The exceptional conditions that Hong Kong offers for meaningful arts-related work are identified to facilitate international comparisons.
India's Realignment of Higher Education
Authors: Bharucha Jamshed
Published: May 2024

Higher education in India has been stifled by overregulation. The opening of private universities has been severely restricted, and all but a few exempt institutions have had to comply with rigid curricular and organizational dictates. The system has been characterized by rote learning, high-stakes examination, premature specialization, and limited flexibility. In the most sweeping transformation to the system in the nation's modern history, India's new National Education Policy 2020 (NEP2020) seeks to change all that. With half of the world's university-age population residing in India, bursting with aspiration but frustrated by limited access to quality institutions, new universities are emerging. One is Sai University, the first in the nation to integrate heretofore siloed programs in arts and sciences, technology, and law into an integrated ecosystem at the undergraduate level.
The Role & Rule of Rankings
Authors: Depo Gökhan
Published: May 2024

This essay explores the impact of global university rankings on higher education, with a focus on their historical evolution, limitations, and flaws. I examine the detrimental consequences associated with manipulating the ranking systems, and their resultant financial repercussions, which lead to diminished trust in higher-education institutions. I call for a comprehensive evaluation, urging stakeholders-especially governments-to recognize the subjectivity and limitations inherent in rankings that inform policymaking decisions related to higher education. I propose strategies for improvement, such as broadening the criteria used for rankings, and specialized rankings that highlight the unique strengths of various types of institutions, like public engagement, student satisfaction, diversity, and sustainability. Collaboration could enhance ranking accuracy, while also acknowledging the significance of ranking systems in shaping higher-education decisions and policies.
Inter-State Applications under the European Convention on Human Rights – Situating the Instrument in the Current Human Rights Landscape
Authors: Risini Isabella , Eicke Tim
Published: May 2024

Recent events and developments in Europe have called for the use of the inter-State application under Article 33 the European Convention on Human Rights (echr, the Convention), a challenging situation (1) for the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR, the Court) on many levels, including the resource situation of the Court. The inter-State application was the centerpiece of international human rights supervision in the original 1950 Convention. This contribution sketches out the evolution of the inter-State application over some seven decades of history (2) of the echr. It highlights strengths and raises awareness of existing limitations (3). One aspect that merits attention is the evidential side in this type of proceedings. Establishing a judicial record of the events under the Court’s scrutiny is a value to be appraised here in its aims and complexities.
For a Pluralism of Climate Modeling Strategies
Authors: Baldissera Pacchetti Marina , Jebeile Julie , Thompson Erica
Published: May 2024

The continued development of general circulation models (GCMs) toward increasing resolution and complexity is a predominantly chosen strategy to advance climate science, resulting in channeling of research and funding to meet this aspiration. Yet many other modeling strategies have also been developed and can be used to understand past and present climates, to project future climates, and ultimately to support decision-making. We argue that a plurality of climate modeling strategies and an equitable distribution of funding among them would be an improvement on the current predominant strategy for informing policymaking. To support our claim, we use a philosophy of science approach to compare the increasing resolution and complexity of general circulation models with three alternate examples: the use of machine learning techniques, the physical climate storyline approach, and Earth system models of intermediate complexity. We show that each of these strategies prioritizes a particular set of methodological aims, among which are empirical agreement, realism, comprehensiveness, diversity of process representations, inclusion of the human dimension, reduction of computational expense, and intelligibility. Thus, each strategy may provide adequate information to support different specific kinds of research and decision questions. We conclude that, because climate decision-making consists of different kinds of questions, many modeling strategies are all potentially useful and can be used in a complementary way.
The Contribution of Mesoscale Convective Systems to the Coastal Rainfall Maximum over West Africa
Authors: Wu Shun-Nan , Sakaeda Naoko , Martin Elinor , Rios-Berrios Rosimar , Russell James
Published: May 2024

This study examines the behaviors of coastal mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) to understand why the maximum climatological rainfall appears offshore of West Africa using satellite measurements. West Africa has a higher amount of rainfall offshore than inland during the monsoon season, but the reason for this offshore rainfall maximum remains unclear. MCSs that propagate offshore from coastal West Africa can develop into high-impact weather events in the eastern Atlantic, yet we know little about the MCS transitions across coastlines. Therefore, better understanding of how MCSs evolve during the coastal-to-maritime transition and contribute to the offshore climatological rainfall maximum over West Africa is key to advancing the knowledge of high-impact weather in this coastal region. The offshore rainfall can be contributed by either offshore-propagating MCSs generated over land or the MCSs initiated over the ocean. While continental MCSs are known to have more intense deep convection, their frequency of propagating offshore is found to be small. Instead, we find that the offshore environment supports the frequent formation of maritime MCSs, leading to their dominant contribution to offshore rainfall. However, an exception is found for the 8°–10°N offshore area, where the presence of high terrain generates MCSs with intense rainfall that more frequently propagate offshore and enhance offshore rainfall. These MCSs also often intensify their rainfall and expand in size as they move offshore. These results suggest that understanding the frequency, intensity, and transition of MCS generated over land and the ocean is key to better comprehending and simulating the rainfall activity over the coastal-to-marine transition zone.
Toward Tailored and Targeted Communication for the Promotion of Firearm Safety: A Qualitative Study With Firearm Retailers
Authors: Henson-Garcia Mike , Malthaner Lauren Q. , Jetelina Katelyn K. , Mackert Michael , Allicock Marlyn , McKay Sandra
Published: May 2024

Firearm injury is a major yet understudied public health issue in the U.S. This qualitative study explored firearm retailers’ perspectives to inform messaging and communication approaches to promote firearm safety among the gun owning population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 retailers at a single gun shop in Texas. Thematic analysis identified key themes related to (1) audience segmentation, (2) appropriate use of language, and (3) trusted messengers and modalities for the communication of firearm safety information. This formative work provides practical insights to optimize public health messaging in this arena and ultimately reduce firearm injuries. Overall, this study provides valuable insights to guide the development and implementation of evidence-based, social marketing efforts aiming to promote firearm safety across various gun-owning audiences.
Fostering Inference-Making Through Video-Based Technology in Young Children With Early Reading Difficulties
Authors: Hwang HyeJin , Kendeou Panayiota (Pani) , McMaster Kristen L.
Published: May 2024

Successful comprehension is only possible when children draw inferences about ideas implicit or missing in discourse. Supporting inference-making with explicit instruction must start early given its importance in comprehension and knowledge development. However, students who experience difficulties with early reading skills often do not receive adequate instructional support for inference-making because oftentimes inference-making is taught in the context of written texts. In this article, we describe the potential of using video-based technology in teaching inference-making in young students who experience difficulties in early reading skills. First, we discuss why inference-making is crucial for comprehension and elaborate on a theoretical framework that addresses how video-based technology can support inference-making independent of basic reading skills. Next, we share our experiences designing web-based software featuring interactive videos. Finally, we describe how teachers can design their own inference instruction using video-based technology to support young students with difficulties in comprehension and basic reading skills.
Is getting hitched on the horizon? Examining predictors of cohabitation and early marriage in emerging adulthood
Authors: Dover Carson R. , Willoughby Brian J.
Published: May 2024

This study analyzes different factors predicting both cohabitation and early marriage among emerging adults. Using a large ( n = 1,510), national, longitudinal sample of emerging adults in the United States, predictors of cohabitation and early marriage were examined. Predictors included marital paradigms (marital salience and expected age of marriage) and sociodemographic characteristics (religious attendance, parents’ marital status, parents’ education, college attendance, income, gender, and race). We utilized a Cox proportional hazards model to run the analyses. Results showed that marital paradigms were the most consistent predictors of early marriage, while few sociodemographic factors were significant. On the other hand, cohabitation was most consistently predicted by sociodemographic factors, with no associations being significant with marital paradigms. These findings suggest that decisions to marry and cohabit may not be as closely interconnected as previously conceptualized. Future directions and limitations are also discussed.
In-Depth Exploration of Factors Influencing Drivers’ Choice of Curbside Charges
Authors: Zhou Xizhen , Lv Mengqi , Yan Jie , Ji Yanjie
Published: May 2024

To unveil the influencing factors of drivers’ curbside charging choice behavior and provide valuable insights for the deployment of curbside charging infrastructure, a stated preference survey involving 402 respondents was conducted in Chongqing, China. A correlated mixed logit model was then employed to fit the survey data. The proposed model of drivers’ curbside charging choice behavior focuses on three factors: personal attributes, vehicle characteristics, and charging facility attributes. Findings suggest that individuals with higher monthly incomes, a positive attitude, and older age are more inclined to choose curbside chargers, while public institution employees and younger individuals are less likely to do so. In addition, factors such as lower remaining range, longer parking durations, proximity to residential areas, and the availability of fast chargers positively influence the likelihood of selecting a curbside charger. Moreover, unobserved heterogeneity factors, such as monthly income, parking duration, and pricing, along with their interactions, further underscore the complexity of the factors influencing curbside charger choice behavior.