bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of the low velocity impact behavior and residual compressive strength of a novel Double–Double layup composite laminates
Authors: Chang Zhengping , Gao Yazhi , Chen Jingyu , Zhao Jialong , He Liang , Zhao Yang , Wang Zhongqi
Published: February 2025

Double–Double (DD) laminates, a novel composite layup design, have attracted much attention due to its flexible stacking sequence of [±Φ/±Ψ]rT and greater design flexibility. DD laminates exhibited advantages in industrial applications by simplifying stacking design, reducing weight, and enhancing manufacturing efficiency. However, the research on the impact resistance of DD laminates is still limited. Thus, this paper focused on the impact resistance and compressive properties after impact of DD laminates. In this study, four controlled trials composed of the DD laminates and its converted legacy quad laminates (LQL) were designed. Then, low velocity impact (LVI) tests and compression after impact (CAI) tests were carried out to obtain impact response curves, while ultrasonic C‐scan was applied to conduct damage evaluation. DD laminates showed remarkable advantages over LQL laminates in impact resistance. The residual compressive strength (RCS) of DD converted from QI and Hard increased by 4.36%–28.99%. The maximum reduction of delamination damage projection area (DDPA) for the impacted DD was up to 63.02% compared to that of LQL. It was particularly noteworthy that flipped DD exhibited significant differences in impact resistance, which differed from the LQL ones.

Highlights

The research on impact resistance of LQL and DD laminates was expanded.

DD laminates reduced the DDPA after LVI.

The dent depth of DD converted from Soft and Hard1 types decreased.

The front and reverse impacts of DD laminates were compared.

DD converted from QI and Hard could improve the RCS.
Single screw extrusion of long discontinuous fiber‐reinforced polymers: Pellet motion and heat transfer
Authors: Kapre Vasudha , Barocio Eduardo , Pipes R. Byron
Published: February 2025

Single screw extrusion is widely used in material pre‐compounding, extrusion additive manufacturing, and injection molding. A single screw extruder has three stages—the solid conveying zone, the transition zone, and the melt‐conveying zone. In starve‐fed extrusion, the screw channels are partially filled, and melting cannot be analyzed by traditional plug‐flow melting models. However, understanding individual pellet motion and melting is an essential precursor to modeling pellet deformation and fiber length attrition in the transition and melt‐conveying zones. Therefore, a sequentially coupled framework has been developed to capture individual pellet trajectories and their melting in a single screw extruder. The discrete element method has been used to study motion of long‐discontinuous fiber‐reinforced pellets which are represented as multi‐spheres. Individual pellet melting is captured in a static heat‐transfer analysis with dynamic boundary conditions based on the contact information obtained from pellet interactions with its surroundings. Results indicate a translational‐conveying motion followed by a rotational‐conveying motion of individual pellets as they move along the screw. The rotational‐conveying motion coincides with an increase in screw pitch and corresponds to the highest rate of pellet melting. Increasing screw rotation speed reduced the residence time causing insufficient pellet melting. Decreasing the feeding rate did not significantly affect the residence time but resulted in improved melting through increased thermal contacts. Melting is initiated locally on the pellet surface due to thermal contacts and proceeds radially inward. In this process, pellets first experience a molten surface shell before the core reaches melt temperature.

Highlights

Multi‐sphere representation of LDF reinforced pellets.

A discrete element model to capture pellet flow in a single screw extruder.

Individual pellet trajectories extracted from single screw extrusion.

A sequentially coupled finite‐element model to study LDF pellet heat transfer.

Study of screw speed and feeding rate on average pellet melting behavior.
The physiological role of macrophages in reproductive organs
Authors: Yoshino Osamu , Ono Yosuke
Published: February 2025

Background

Macrophages are essential immune cells critical to reproductive physiology. They regulate key processes such as follicular development, ovulation, and luteinization in the ovaries. Macrophages are also involved in endometrial remodeling, immune tolerance, and placentation in the uterus.

Methods

This review examined the biological characteristics of macrophages and their role in ovarian, uterine, and fallopian tube physiology. It focused on findings from both animal and human studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of macrophage functions.

Main Findings

In the ovaries, M1 macrophages play a role in folliculogenesis and ovulation through the inflammatory and angiogenic pathways. Macrophages also maintain the corpus luteum and vascular integrity. In the uterus, macrophages regulate tissue repair and remodeling during the menstrual cycle and play a critical role in implantation by maintaining immune tolerance and supporting decidualization. Dysregulation of the M1/M2 balance can cause implantation failure. In the fallopian tubes, macrophages mediate tissue repair and immune responses. Macrophage polarization dynamically adapts to physiological and pathological conditions in all reproductive organs highlighting the functional plasticity of these cells.

Conclusion

Macrophage polarization and functions are pivotal in maintaining reproductive health. Hence, understanding the role of macrophages in various reproductive organs provides a foundation for developing new therapies.
Phytochemical‐Mediated Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Cheilocostus speciosus and Gardenia gummifera: Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Evaluation Through In Silico and In Vitro Approaches
Authors: Maind Rohit , Halder Shubhajit , Bhat Ajmal R , Bhattacharya Doyel , Alam Manawwer , Wahab Rizwan , Ahmed Sumeer , Sadaf Azmiya
Published: February 2025

In this study, we synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles using leaf extracts of two Indian medicinal plants, Cheilocostus speciosus (CS) and Gardenia gummifera (GG), for the first time. The environmentally sustainable synthesis of CuO NPs from Cu(NO3)2 uses phytochemical capping and stabilizing properties. UV‐DRS, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR), XPS, SEM‐EDS, and TEM‐SAED confirmed CS‐CuO and GG‐CuO NP structure and morphology. UV‐DRS diffuse reflectance spectra show two absorption bands at 218–350 and 406–554 nm. Functional group studies of CS‐CuO and GG‐CuO NPs were done using FT‐IR. XRD patterns of CS‐CuO and GG‐CuO NPs show monoclinic phases and average sizes of 4.62 and 11.85 nm. Morphological studies used SEM‐EDX and TEM‐SAED. Biosynthesized CuO‐NPs were tested against Gram‐negative, Gram‐positive, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans. CS‐ and GG‐CuO NPs inhibited Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with 18‐ and 16‐mm zones, respectively. Bioinspired CuO NPs kill many bacterial strains, making them useful in nanobiotechnology. Molecular modelling determined the S. aureus nucleoside diphosphate kinase receptor's bonding affinity and inhibition probability with phytochemicals present in the leaf extract. In silico pharmacokinetics studies and prediction of physiochemical parameters predicted the drug‐likeness and non‐toxic behavior of the phytochemicals. Overall, current research demonstrates an environmentally sustainable synthesis of CuO nanoparticles utilizing leaf extracts from CS and GG, providing a sustainable and non‐toxic alternative to traditional methods. The antimicrobial efficacy of these nanoparticles against bacterial and fungal strains addresses the growing demand for novel strategies to counter microbial resistance. In addition, in silico molecular modelling and pharmacokinetics studies further emphasis the drug‐likeness and safety of phytochemicals, underscoring their significance in nanobiotechnology and drug development. This multidisciplinary approach illustrates the extensive relevance and significance of our efforts in promoting green chemistry and antimicrobial strategies.
Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Technology Toward Practical Application: Status Quo and Challenges
Authors: Cheng Zi‐Ye , Lu De‐Yong , Chen Jia‐Yi , Zhang Wei , Li Jia‐Xin , Yang Yan , Yu Feng‐Ping , He Fan , Qi Zhi‐Fu
Published: February 2025

Electrochemical CO2 reduction (denoted as ECO2R) technology is expected to transform greenhouse gas CO2 into a range of fuels and chemicals combined with renewable electricity. A wide range of fundamental research has been dedicated to the clarification of reaction mechanisms and developing the catalyst materials, which have significantly facilitated the level of ECO2R technology. Nevertheless, ECO2R technology still encounters limitations such as low CO2 utilization efficiency and insufficient selectivity to high‐value products. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the technology to be implemented in practical applications. In an electrolysis system, the electrolyzer represents the core component of the system and the primary reaction site. Therefore, the composition and structure of the electrolyzer will directly affect the reaction performance. This review begins by outlining the recent progress of the ECO2R technology at a large‐scale level, followed by a comprehensive analysis of the industrial ECO2R electrolyzer configuration, including detailed considerations of the electrode, gas diffusion layer, and membrane in the electrolyzer. Finally, we elucidate the remaining challenges associated with the industrialization of this technology and offer suggestions for advancing it.
Efficient Single‐Pot Synthesis of Thiazole Derivatives: A Synoptic View
Authors: N Ramyashree , Kumar S Lokesh , Tabassum Sumaiya , Chundattu Sony J , Govindaraju Santhosh
Published: February 2025

In recent years, heterocyclic compounds have gained significant interest due to their tremendous application in the medicinal, optical, and biological fields. Among them, thiazole is an important heterocycle containing nitrogen‐ and sulfur‐ in the ring, which stands out as the best for its pharmacological activity. One of the best routes to synthesize these molecules is through multicomponent reactions. Being a sustainable methodology, it gives insights into generating an extensive range of biologically active molecules. This review focuses on the significance of three‐component and four‐component syntheses of thiazole under various conditions from the year 2000 to late 2024, which are particularly important due to their ability to produce thiazole derivatives with good yields.
Biomass Derived Hybrid Activated Carbon/Iron Oxide Composite for Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Upon Visible Light
Authors: Ullah Sami , Kumar Ome Parkash , Ali Rashid , Riaz Nagina Naveed , Ahmad Ashfaq , Tufail Muhammad Khurram , Muhammad Niaz , Rehman Aziz ur , Shah Syed Shoaib Ahmad , Nazir Muhammad Altaf
Published: February 2025

The calcination and coprecipitation processes were combined to make semiconductor‐based AC@Fe3O4, which was then used to investigate the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The crystallite size of composite AC@Fe3O4 was computed as 16.73 nm. The pristine Fe3O4, activated carbon, and composite AC@Fe3O4 witness sufficient photodegradation efficiency of MB dye. The UV–visible spectrum of AC@Fe3O4 manifested the presence of band edges in the UV–visible region of the spectrum, revealing marvelous capability towards catalytic degradation in the long range of radiation. The structural defects and disparity in the charge transfer produced by integrating Fe3O4 and AC encouraged the absorption of visible light. The effective material AC@Fe3O4 showed ascendant photodegradation of 10 mgL−1 MB dye up to 94.6% in 140 min at a kinetic rate of 0.025 min−1. The results of the reusability test demonstrated that AC@Fe3O4 may be used repeatedly to photodegrade MB dye with only a slight drop in photodegradation effectiveness. The quenching experiment demonstrated the specific impact of radicals on the photodegradation of MB dye. The MB dye degradation mechanism underscores reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily responsible for the degradation process. Based on the findings of current study, it can be concluded that AC@Fe3O4 is a potential solid photocatalyst for the photodegradation of dyes in wastewater.
Metal‐organic Frameworks Containing Homophthalic Acid and Imidazole Ligands as Fluorescent Probes for the Detection of Fe3+, CrO42−, and Cr2O72− Species in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Cao Yun , Yuan Ke‐Xin , Zhou Shuo , Wang Yan
Published: February 2025

In this paper, a new metal‐organic framework, namely, [Zn(LBIX)(HPA)2]n (1) (LBIX = 4,4′‐bis((1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl)‐1,1′‐biphenyl, H2HPA = Homophthalic acid) was synthesized and characterized, which can be used as a fluorescent probe for the detection of harmful heavy metals in water. The single‐crystal structure results indicated that complex 1 is composed of two‐dimensional planar structures, which are connected by intermolecular hydrogen bonding and stacked to form a 3D supramolecular structure. The fluorescence properties and potential for detecting heavy metal ions in water were also studied by anion and cationic sensing experiments. Complex 1 exhibited low detection limit (LOD) in Fe3+, CrO42−, and Cr2O72− fluorescence sensing experiments. Complex 1 also has good recyclability and stability in the detection of analytes. The possible mechanism of fluorescence burst was analyzed and the selectivity and sensitivity of complex 1 were further evaluated in competition experiments.
A Label‐Free Fluorescence Aptasensor for the Detection of Ciprofloxacin in Actual Samples
Authors: Kong Wei‐Chuang , Wu Xing‐Hu , Li Chen‐Chen , Hua Wen‐Xue , Dong Xiao‐Yi , Meng Ya‐Li , Jia Xiao‐Juan , Wei Dong , Kang Yan‐Fei
Published: February 2025

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a third‐generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic widely used in veterinary and clinical settings. However, overuse can result in the development of quinolone‐resistant pathogens, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. In this work, we developed the fluorescence method for detecting CIP based on FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) between the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) fluorescent dye and graphene oxide (GO). The aptamer was immobilized on the GO surface through π–π stacking interaction preventing effectively FITC from coming into contact GO to result in strong fluorescence. Upon the addition of CIP, the aptamer combined preferentially to the CIP and leaded to the release of GO, which made the FITC to be close to GO, leading to significant quenching of FITC due to FRET. The fluorescence intensity exhibited a consistent reduction in proportion to the CIP concentrations with 2.99–800 nM. Under the same conditions, the limit of detection was calculated to be 2.99 nM. The sensor can be used for the detection of CIP in serum, urine, and milk with spiked recoveries ranged from 99.65%–100.97% and relative standard deviations ranging from 0.17%–1.49%, which provided a detection tool for food safety and control standards.
Recent Advances in the Application of Selectfluor as a Versatile Reactant in Organic Photo‐ and Electrochemical Synthesis
Authors: Yuan Dan , He Yongli , Sun Xiaoqiang , Li Zhengyi , Li Bijin , Yang Ke
Published: February 2025

Selectfluor [1‐chloromethyl‐4‐fluoro‐1,4‐diazoniabicyclo‐[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate)] is a versatile reagent in organic synthetic chemistry. As a renowned electrophilic fluorinating agent, Selectfluor is widely acknowledged as a crucial source of fluorine for various fluorination reactions. Moreover, it is employed as a “fluorine‐free” reagent comprising a transition metal oxidant, a fluorine anion, and a radical initiator; achieving various other organic transformations. Notably, Selectfluor can also serve as an amine or a methylene source in organic synthesis. Recently, there has been growing interest in the application of Selectfluor as a versatile reactant in photo‐ and electrochemistry. In this review, a comprehensive overview of Selectfluor's application as a fluorine or amine source in organic photo‐ and electrochemical strategies over the past decade, is provided.
Dual Metal Nanoflower Oxygen Pump Microneedles Based on Cuproptosis and STING Pathway Activation for Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Tao Jiaojiao , Dong Yu , Wang Bingjie , Wang Teng , Zhang Aijia , Li Shuang , Chen Rui , Su Yanguo , Jiang Tianze , Zhao Xia
Published: February 2025

Immunotherapy is a promising new approach for tumor treatment. However, its clinical application is hindered by insufficient immunogenicity, hypoxia, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, oxygen pump microneedles (OPMNs) loaded with zinc‐doped copper sulfide nanoflowers (ZCS NFs) and PD‐L1 small interfering RNA (siPD‐L1) (OPMNs‐ZCS@siPD‐L1) are developed for boosting tumor immunotherapy. OPMN‐ZCS@siPD‐L1 enhances tumor immunogenicity through ZCS NFs by inducing cuproptosis, reverses TME through siPD‐L1, and promotes drug penetration, and ameliorates hypoxia through oxygen bubbles. More importantly, cuproptosis‐induced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) together with Zn2+ co‐activate the STING pathway, triggering a robust immune response. OPMN‐ZCS@siPD‐L1 increases the sensitivity to cuproptosis and induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) in vivo and in vitro, which significantly inhibits tumor progression and metastasis. The novel strategy of “increasing the throttle” (cuproptopsis‐mediated STING activation & ICD effect) combined with “releasing the brake” (PD‐L1 inhibition & hypoxia improvement) provides a new approach for enhancing percutaneous tumor immunotherapy.
Introduction: Closures—Ocean Governance Borders
Authors: Peters Kimberley , Turner Jennifer
Published: February 2025

This chapter provides an introduction to the book ‘Ocean Governance (Beyond) Borders’, a text that that shifts across varying oceanic terrains to offer, in one collection, a sustained reflection on bordering and oceans, written by those central to researching and reflecting on such debates. The chapter reviews some of the longstanding literature on borders, boundaries and enclosures from across different disciplines, including human geography and international relations, before examining such ideas in the particular context of the seas and oceans. It provides a backdrop to the ways borders are planned, enacted, monitored and enforced but also the ways in which they are porous, leaky, subject to change, transgressed and contested, all in a largely mobile medium—the seas and oceans—that are ever resistant to bordering. The chapter offers a discussion of (en)closures as a means of opening up debates central to the book, to introduce the key themes that weave through the chapters, as well as briefly summarizing the chapters that comprise the collection. The chapter ends with ideas to frame readers’ engagement with the book, and some thoughts on how the contributions herein might be navigated.
Infrastructural Containment and the Politics of Migration in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Şarlak Lara
Published: February 2025

This chapter questions how European nation-states develop maritime border securitisation strategies that are contingent on the ontology and materiality of terrain on which those borders are established. To do so, it uses ‘infrastructures’ as an analytical tool and explores how oceanic materialities are part of the complexity of migration in/at the Mediterranean Sea, raising questions on how seascapes are transformed into sites of control and conflict. It introduces the concept infrastructural containment to address the spatio-material strategies deployed by nation-states to further strengthen borders and contain ‘clandestine’ maritime crossings. The chapter questions how containment of migrant mobilities is configured through the fluid, vast and turbulent nature of the ocean and how its often hostile terrain plays an active role in the production of border infrastructures by becoming an environmental boundary. It argues that an infrastructural approach to water allows for additional ways of understanding technologies of containment at the Mediterranean Sea and the challenges posed by the ocean’s wetness and fluidity resists also the EU’s attempts to establish rigid territorial boundaries. This chapter underscores the complex and evolving nature of maritime borders, prompting a critical reflection on oceanic governance, which often relies on land-centric approaches to territorialisation.
Overdetermined by Territory? Governing the Ocean in Time, Matter, and Rhythm
Authors: McAteer Christopher
Published: February 2025

This chapter asks whether thinking about space goes far enough in comprehending the ocean, arguing that scholars must engage more with materiality and temporality to discover new forms of ocean governance. Noting the important scholarly work that has moved beyond a planar, or areal, conceptualisation of the ocean, the chapter draws on recent scholarship to critically assess volumetric theorisations that do not sufficiently account for the fluidity of matter within the ocean. It contends that scholars must think through the complex materiality of the ocean by conceptualising the highly mobile stuff within it as being an inherent part of ocean space itself. It then argues that to think about the materiality of the ocean and how it moves and flows, one must engage with temporality, helping one to move beyond both two-dimensional thinking and three-dimensional volumetrics towards an understanding of the ocean as processual and something that happens in time. Surveying recent literature on relational approaches to space, the chapter argues that the future of ocean governance must be multiple, complex, and messy, rather than overdetermined by a political logic of territory that reifies state borders as a byproduct of its legal mechanisms.
Bordered-In, Bordered-Out, and Overlapping Territorialities in Ocean Space: The Case of Fisheries
Authors: Hung Po-Yi
Published: February 2025

This chapter draws from the example of fisheries to unpack the politics of ocean borders in relation to both resource extraction and environmental protection and in view of state territoriality. The first section bordered-in territoriality focuses on fisheries and conservation within the territorial seas and EEZs, where ocean borders are associated with state’s sovereign rights. Second, it takes the space of high seas as the bordered-out territoriality, emphasising the high seas as the commons and the ways the state performs its territoriality without claiming sovereign rights via distant-water fisheries. Third, overlapped territoriality is used to address the disputed maritime grey zones between different states and how fisheries have played a key role in bordering-up a cooperative space of sovereign rights for fishing. Although this chapter focuses on discussions about fisheries, the critical points addressed actually extend beyond this activity and connect to debates regarding other marine resources in general.
Contested Borders and Resolution in Planning Shared Marine Waters
Authors: Ansong Joseph Onwona
Published: February 2025

This chapter explores how practices of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) factor in contested national borders. It argues that, although the resolution of contested national borders in marine space is not a planning competence, MSP must contend with its impact and related resource conflicts. This chapter asks: how are jurisdictional issues around borders considered in MSP and can MSP address spatial conflicts in contested marine areas? It examines two contested case study areas on Island of Ireland and the Pomeranian Bay (Germany and Poland) to understand how the history of contested borders has evolved and its contribution to contemporary marine management issues. The chapter then reviews existing marine legislation, policies, and marine spatial plans to understand how contested borders and areas are deliberated in MSP. This chapter argues that the effectiveness of MSP in contested areas remains ‘a planners dream’ that is not achievable due to geopolitical problems and historical legacy disputes that emanate from border issues. Progressive cross-border MSP requires capacity to align governance arrangements, a nested collaborative framework, and enhance the role of bridging organisations.
Can Borders in the Ocean Respond to Climate Change?
Authors: Kunz Yvonne
Published: February 2025

This chapter discusses whether and how climate change as a global challenge and discourse is related to the role of oftentimes-static conservation logics in marine protection. Based on an interdisciplinary, multi-sited project, the chapter explores the role climate change plays in Marine Protected Area (MPA) governance. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are, bluntly speaking, nothing but lines drawn on an ocean map. The viability of MPAs in terms of achieving long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services within and beyond these lines, is debated. While under debate, there is an immense push to increase the number and size of protected areas in the oceans. Drawing on experiences from MPAs of differing ages in the Dutch Caribbean, demarcation and delimitation dynamics are explored: how are conservation boundaries informed and designed and what do they mean to human and non-human entities. It does so to critically discuss the place of bordering in the repertoire of ocean governance approaches in the context of climatic change. Unpacking these challenges, even without climate change as additional stressor, makes the push for more protected areas seem a hasty next step.
Bordering Marine Belonging: The Meanings, Mobilities and Materialities of Bioinvasion
Authors: Savitzky Satya , Peters Kimberley , Sammler Katherine G.
Published: February 2025

This chapter focuses on the relationship between borders and belonging in marine worlds, paying special attention to debates concerning marine invasive species. Within a number of natural and social science disciplines, studies of invasive species are both long-established and continuing to grow and change. Major research into marine ‘invasions’ has come later than terrestrial studies, so critical social scholarship in invasive species (or bioinvasion) remain largely (though not exclusively) landlocked. Where studies are watery, they are of fresh, rather than salt water and ‘interior’ rather than focusing on ‘exterior’ liquid zones. This chapter has two aims. It firstly identifies invasive species as a topical issue that is marginal in critical discussions of ocean bordering/belonging. It secondly puts forwards three ways in which bioinvasion, bordering and belonging can be better understood, through (1) questions of definition and meaning; (2) an attention to the mobilities and materialities enrolled within processes of bioinvasion—the movement of marine species in global circuits; and (3) how borders are enacted in view of invasive species via biosecurity measures. The chapter aims to disrupt conventional narratives of marine belonging, showing a biological world that is ‘stitched’ together.
Human-Shark Encounters Beyond Borders: (Post-humanist) Attempts to Navigate a Maritime Contact Zone
Authors: Verne Julia
Published: February 2025

In recent years, human-shark encounters in the Indian Ocean have sparked highly controversial debates over humans’ right to the sea. While sharks pose a danger to humans that some wish to eliminate, at the same time, they are endangered themselves and demand protection as a crucial part of marine ecosystems. Hence, in an attempt to solve this conflict of interest, different technologies are currently developed and used to mediate human-shark encounters. While some technologies still aim at a clear separation between humans and sharks and thus focus on bordering the ocean, others, however, rather strive for a joint, yet less risky use of space. Taking the different technological innovations in use in the coastal waters of La Réunion as an example, this chapter examines the implications of these technologies for both humans and sharks, as well as for the relation between humans and the sea in this maritime contact zone. In asking whether these socio-technical interventions can be productively interpreted in light of post-humanist calls for more convivial relationships, this chapter contributes to current theoretical reflections on the relation between humans, technologies and the sea and their potential for less anthropocentric maritime spatial orderings.
Paleoseismology and Paleogeodesy Using Coral Microatolls
Authors: Philibosian Belle
Published: February 2025

Establishing the rupture extent and slip distribution of individual paleo-earthquakes is vital for assessing fault behavior including the persistence of rupture segmentation, recurrence patterns, and similarity of successive events, key issues in both fault mechanics and hazard assessment. Techniques with high temporal and geodetic precision as well as a wide distribution of study sites are necessary to investigate past earthquakes in such detail. Coral microatoll growth is one of the best types of geologic record for paleoseismology and paleogeodesy given these needs, as it provides long, continuous, widely distributed records of centimeter-scale vertical tectonic motion with potentially annual-level temporal precision. This chapter describes the process of interpreting microatoll growth records to obtain time series of relative sea level, tectonic vertical deformation fields, and finally slip and coupling parameters on an underlying fault interface.
Gesundheitskompetenz und Gesundheitsverhalten – Einblicke in ein sich ausdifferenzierendes Forschungs- und Handlungsfeld für Public Health
Authors: Jordan Susanne , Buchmann Maike , Loss Julika , Okan Orkan
Published: February 2025

Das Forschungs- und Handlungsfeld „Gesundheitskompetenz und Gesundheitsverhalten“ differenziert sich zunehmend aus. Allgemeine Gesundheitskompetenz (aGK) ist etabliert, mit dem Fokus auf bevölkerungsweite Studien. Spezifische Gesundheitskompetenzen (sGK) zum Gesundheitsverhalten bieten themenbezogene Ansatzpunkte für Interventionen und Public-Health-Strategien.

Für die aGK und auch sGK aus den Bereichen Ernährung und Bewegung/körperliche Aktivität gibt es verschiedene Konzepte, Definitionen und Messinstrumente, die sich in Bezug auf die Handlungsebenen und Anwendungsbereiche der Gesundheitskompetenz unterscheiden.

Die meisten Studien zeigen eine positive Assoziation zwischen Gesundheitskompetenz (GK) und verschiedenen Gesundheitsverhalten. Eine höhere GK geht häufiger mit einem verbesserten gesundheitsförderlichen Verhalten einher. Dies gilt für die aGK wie auch für die sGK zur Ernährung und Bewegung. In einigen Studien wurde für bestimmte Verhaltensweisen kein Zusammenhang gefunden, in anderen nur für bestimmte Gruppen, was auch auf die unterschiedlichen Messinstrumente und Untersuchungskontexte zurückzuführen sein kann. Dies verweist auf die Bedeutung, stets auch die Wechselwirkung von Verhalten und Verhältnissen zu betrachten, um die Passung zwischen Individuum und den alltäglichen Anforderungen beim Umgang mit Gesundheitsinformationen zu verbessern.

Der Ansatz der „Behavioural and Cultural Insights“ (BCI) kann Erkenntnisse zur Förderung der GK im Hinblick auf verschiedene Gesundheitsverhalten liefern, zu individuellen Barrieren und Förderfaktoren, die sich aus Lebenslagen und Rahmenbedingungen ergeben und die soziale Praxis berücksichtigen. BCI und GK ergänzen sich und haben das Potenzial, Strategien zur Verbesserung des Gesundheitsverhaltens effektiver und zielgerichteter zu gestalten.
How do active duty army personnel view the relationships between firearms and suicide? The role of sociopsychological factors, firearm ownership status, and lifetime history of suicidal thoughts and behaviors
Authors: Daruwala Samantha E. , Allan Nicholas , Tucker Raymond , Bryan Craig J. , Dretsch Michael N. , Trachik Benjamin , Bozzay Melanie L.
Published: February 2025

Background

Firearms are the primary method by which US military personnel die by suicide, and those at highest risk tend to store firearms unsafely. Promoting secure firearm storage practices is a major component of the Department of Defense’s suicide prevention strategy, but perceptions about firearms being associated with suicide risk may impact such efforts.

Purpose

This study examined perceptions that (1) firearm ownership and (2) storage practices are associated with suicide risk and whether key sociopsychological factors (e.g., entrapment, threat perceptions, honor ideology) were associated with these beliefs in a sample of Active Duty (AD) enlisted Army personnel. We then examined if associations varied as a function of firearm ownership or a lifetime history of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors (STBs).

Methods

Survey data about sociopsychological factors and ownership-suicide risk beliefs and storage-suicide risk beliefs were collected from 399 AD Army personnel. Multiple regression and multigroup path analyses were used.

Results

Greater intolerance of uncertainty and entrapment, and weaker honor ideology, were associated with greater ownership-suicide risk beliefs, whereas being a parent of a minor child was linked with weaker ownership-suicide risk beliefs. None of the variables examined were associated with storage-suicide risk beliefs. Participants with a lifetime history of STBs who had higher threat perceptions endorsed weaker ownership-suicide risk beliefs.

Conclusions

AD Army personnel may tend to believe that firearm ownership and storage practices are largely unrelated to suicide risk. More tailored messaging and suicide-gun violence prevention efforts are likely needed. Findings have important implications for military suicide prevention efforts.
Density-based hole seeding in XFEM level-set topology optimization of fluid problems
Authors: Høghøj Lukas C. , Andreasen Casper Schousboe , Maute Kurt
Published: February 2025

The optimization results of level-set methods typically suffer from a strong dependence on the initial design. To mitigate this dependence, this work presents a density-based hole nucleation method for level-set topology optimization of flow problems. This is achieved by defining both the level-set and density values as functions of the design variables. To preserve the crispness of the geometry definition afforded by the level-set method, the fluid flow is modeled using the Heaviside enriched eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) for the laminar incompressible Navier–Stokes equation, which is augmented by a Brinkman model. The boundary conditions are enforced weakly using Nitsche’s method. A face-oriented ghost stabilization scheme is applied to stabilize the XFEM formulation. Additional terms ensuring stability are added to Nitsche’s method and the ghost stabilization to account for the Brinkman term in the Navier–Stokes equation. The necessity of adding these terms is highlighted by numerical studies. Two- and three-dimensional fluid manifolds are optimized to minimize fluid power dissipation while achieving a predefined mass flow distribution among the outlets. The optimization results show that the proposed method bypasses the need for an initial hole seeding and speeds up the convergence of the optimization process.
Microglia aggregates define distinct immune and neurodegenerative niches in Alzheimer's disease hippocampus
Authors: Fixemer Sonja , Miranda de la Maza Mónica , Hammer Gaël Paul , Jeannelle Félicia , Schreiner Sophie , Gérardy Jean-Jacques , Boluda Susana , Mirault Dominique , Mechawar Naguib , Mittelbronn Michel , Bouvier David S.
Published: February 2025

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), microglia form distinct cellular aggregates that play critical roles in disease progression, including Aβ plaque-associated microglia (PaM) and the newly identified coffin-like microglia (CoM). PaM are closely associated with amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, while CoM are enriched in the pyramidal layer of the CA2/CA1 hippocampal subfields, where they frequently engulf neurons and associate with tau-positive tangles and phosphorylated α-synuclein. To elucidate the role of these microglial subtypes, we employed high-content neuropathology, integrating Deep Spatial Profiling (DSP), multiplex chromogenic immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, to comprehensively map and characterise their morphological and molecular signatures, as well as their neuropathological and astrocytic microenvironments, in AD and control post-mortem samples. PaM and PaM-associated astrocytes exhibited signatures related to complement system pathways, ErbB signalling, and metabolic and neurodegenerative processes. In contrast, CoM displayed markers associated with protein degradation and immune signalling pathways, including STING, TGF-β, and NF-κB. While no direct association between CD8 + T cells and either microglial type was observed, CD163 + perivascular macrophages were frequently incorporated into PaM. These findings provide novel insights into the heterogeneity of microglial responses, in particular their distinct interactions with astrocytes and infiltrating immune cells, and shed light on specific neurodegenerative hotspots and their implications for hippocampal deterioration in AD.
Long-term outcome of cerebrospinal fluid diversion in patients with intracranial germinoma at Ramathibodi Hospital
Authors: Muninthorn Wasawat , Mahattanakul Wattana , Pokanan Siriwut , Boongird Atthaporn , Jaroenngarmsamer Tanaporn , Hansasuta Ake
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Intracranial germinoma has a favorable prognosis with modern therapies, but the long-term outcome of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion for its associated hydrocephalus has been rarely focused on.

Purpose

To evaluate the long-term success of CSF diversion methods—endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) versus ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt—in intracranial germinoma patients.

Methods

Only pure intracranial germinomas with obstructive hydrocephalus and a minimum follow-up duration of 24 months were retrospectively reviewed. Their demographics, as well as pre-and postoperative data, were recorded. Patients were stratified into the ETV and the non-ETV groups and subsequently compared to determine the longevity and morbidity related to the procedures. Factors associated with the failure of CSF diversion were examined.

Results

From 1993 to 2022, eighty-three pathologically confirmed intracranial germinomas were identified. Excluding four cases of mixed pathology, eight with incomplete data, and two with insufficient follow-up, we enrolled 69 eligible patients for analysis. Among them, forty-three cases with obstructive hydrocephalus were classified into the ETV (n = 22) and non-ETV (n = 21) groups. No intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications occurred. With a median follow-up of 101 months (IQR 77.75–139.75), the ETV group had no failures. In the non-ETV cohort (median follow-up 144 months (IQR 97–210)), two VP shunt cases (9.5%) required revision due to blockage, and two patients (9.5%) experienced transient over-drainage. These 4 patients were without long-term difficulty despite short-term cumbersome events. No significant factors predicting CSF diversion failure were identified. To date, all 43 patients are alive without metastases, maintaining a good quality of life.

Conclusion

This study highlights ETV as a preferred CSF diversion method in pure intracranial germinoma, achieving 100% success without morbidity. Apart from simultaneous biopsy, avoiding a separate operation, this approach eliminates shunt-related complications, ensuring long-term quality of life in patients with extraordinary prognoses from modern chemo- and radiotherapy.
Palaeozoic high-Ti basalt, an indicator for incipient rifting, at the Saxo-Thuringian passive margin, NE-Bavaria (Germany)
Authors: Lucassen Friedrich , Franz Gerhard , Kutzschbach Martin , Schiperski Ferry
Published: February 2025

We investigated mafic igneous rocks found in the vicinity of the allochthonous Münchberg Massif in the Saxo-Thuringian Zone of the European Variscides, NE Bavaria. The basaltic magmas were injected during the Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian into contemporaneous marine sedimentary rocks of the Saxo-Thuringian Basin. Ordovician sills east and Devonian volcanic to subvolcanic rocks west of the Münchberg Massif show high Fe and Ti contents that place them in the rarely occurring group of high Fe–Ti basalts with FeO content of up to 17.6 wt% and up to 5.7 wt% TiO2. Covariation of Nb, Y and Zr with major elements indicates compositional control by fractionation. Trace element patterns are similar to those of ocean island basalt and continental intraplate magmatic rocks. Nd isotope signatures of the mafic rocks from the Early Palaeozoic until the Devonian resemble those of the regional continental lithospheric mantle of the Saxo-Thuringian and Bohemian zones. Their Sr isotope signatures show the variable influence of post-magmatic mobilisation. The major source of these mafic rocks is likely the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. The Pb isotope compositions of the mafic rocks do not allow distinguishing between mantle and crustal sources but resemble the regional crustal signatures. Crustal contamination in the mafic rocks is minor. The geochemical signatures of the mafic igneous rocks and continuous deposition of their host sediments indicate a long-standing passive margin setting between the northern part of Gondwana and the Saxo-Thuringian. In contrast, the trace element patterns and isotope characteristics of post-Devonian mafic dykes in the allochthonous Münchberg Massif are significantly different: They are related to a late stage of subduction during the Variscan orogeny.

Graphical abstract
The effect of music interventions compared to standard-of-care on the prevention of delirium in neurosurgical patients: an analysis of costs and cost-effectiveness based on the MUSYC-trial
Authors: Dirven Thomas L.A. , Kappen Pablo R. , van der Beek Frederike Ten Harmsen , van der Holt Bronno , Jeekel Hans , Dirven Clemens M.F. , Vincent Arnaud J.P.E. , Klimek Markus , Poley Marten J.
Published: February 2025

Background

Postoperative delirium is a frequent complication with negative consequences for neurosurgical patients. Recorded music has been shown to reduce the incidence of delirium, however its economic benefit remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of perioperative music in preventing postoperative delirium.

Methods

This study used data from a randomized controlled trial (Clinical Trials.gov; NCT04649450) that compared the effect of perioperative music with standard of clinical care on the occurrence of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing craniotomy at the Erasmus Medical Centre. The primary outcome of this study is the cost-effectiveness of the music intervention. A trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was conducted from a societal perspective. Mean costs were calculated using bootstrapping with 95% confidence intervals. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, mortality, cognitive functioning, and quality of life. Costs and patient outcomes were assessed separately for the initial hospital admission and long-term follow-up until 6 months after discharge.

Results

This study included 91 patients in the intervention group and 93 in the control group. On average, medical costs during initial admission were lower, albeit not statistically significant, in the music group compared to the control group (€ 11,819 vs. € 13,106), mostly due to a shorter length of stay. Total costs over the 6-month period were nearly identical between the groups, at € 18,587 and € 18,571 in the music and control group, respectively.

Conclusions

Pre-recorded perioperative music may be a cost-effective intervention for reducing postoperative delirium in neurosurgical patients, possibly by decreasing healthcare utilization and costs during primary admission. Further studies are needed to confirm its potential as a cost-effective intervention.
Analysing the future trends of foehn-enabling synoptic patterns over two valleys in the Eastern Alps in CMIP5 EURO-CORDEX models
Authors: Maier Philipp , Klisho Tatiana , Formayer Herbert , Lehner Fabian
Published: February 2025

Foehn has an impact on various climatological variables like temperature and humidity in the highly populated valleys of the Eastern Alps. With increasing global warming, the question arises as to how well climate projections are able to produce conditions for foehn and how their occurrence changes with climate change. This study uses four XGBoost models to classify foehn in EURO-CORDEX climate models of the CMIP5 generation for localised and widespread foehn events in Rhine and Inn valley located in the Eastern Alps, whereas ERA5 reanalysis data in combination with training data derived from semi-automated weather stations are used in the training process. Weights for individual models are derived by analysing the performance of EURO-CORDEX models in their ability to produce foehn-enabling conditions and considering their independence from each other in the historical period. Bias analysis shows a systematic negative bias in annual foehn occurrence for the GCMs ICHEC-EC-EARTH and MOHC-HadGEM2-ES, whereas others show no systematic bias. The training data confirm other studies by showing that the two selected valleys show differences in foehn occurrence and in the portion of widespread events. A weighted trend analysis for future behaviour of foehn shows a statistically significant increase in widespread events in Rhine valley and a decrease in total events in Inn valley under increasing warming conditions. Further, a shift in foehn seasonality in both valleys can be observed with a higher frequency in the spring months and a lower frequency from July to October, also depending on the climate change signal.
High and low-frequency climate modes associated with sub-seasonal sea surface temperature variability in the Gulf of Guinea
Authors: Ibebuchi Chibuike Chiedozie , Obarein Omon A.
Published: February 2025

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) variability in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) significantly influences the regional climate of West Africa and the marine ecosystem of the Atlantic Ocean. This study examines both high-frequency (seasonal to sub-seasonal) and low-frequency (interannual to interdecadal) climatic modes contributing to SST variability in the GoG. Findings indicate that the El Niño Southern Oscillation is associated with SST variability in the GoG. Nonetheless, the Tropical South Atlantic Ocean’s SST patterns are the primary driver of the GoG’s seasonal to sub-seasonal SST variability. We identified high-frequency SST modes in the South Atlantic Ocean using an autoencoder artificial neural network applied to high-pass filtered monthly SST data. The extreme gradient boosting feature importance metric revealed that the different high-frequency SST modes including localized anomaly off the west coast of northern Namibia; SST anomaly in the Atlantic Niño region; widespread anomaly in the subtropical South Atlantic, and a dipole anomaly off the southeast coast of South America and the GoG emerged as the most effective predictors of average SST in the GoG, achieving a correlation of 0.89 and explaining 78% of the variance with a one-month lead time forecast. Concerning the low-frequency modes, our findings show that while the Tropical South Atlantic mode and the South Atlantic Ocean dipole mode predominantly correlate with sub-seasonal SST in the GoG, other tropical and high-latitude modes also significantly influence SST variability in the GoG. Finally, we presented a novel framework for accurate sub-seasonal SST prediction in the GoG using machine learning and further identified low and high-frequency modes that can provide sub-seasonal to inter-decadal predictability of SST in the GoG.