bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Follistatin‐like 1 is a myokine regulating lipid mobilization during endurance exercise and recovery
Authors: Nam Ji Sun , Park Su‐Jeong , Ahn Chul Woo , Cho Eun‐Suk , Kim Hee‐Joo , Kim YuSik
Published: November 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the follistatin‐like 1 (Fstl1) and disco‐interacting protein 2 homolog A (DIP2a) axis in relation to lipid metabolism during and after endurance exercise and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the metabolic effects of Fstl1 on adipocytes, considering its regulation by exercise and muscle mass and its link to obesity.

Methods

Twenty‐nine sedentary males participated in endurance exercise, and blood samples were collected during and after the exercise. Body composition, Fstl1, glycerol, epinephrine, growth hormone, and atrial natriuretic peptide were measured. 3T3‐L1 adipocytes, with or without DIP2a knockdown, were treated with Fstl1 to assess glycerol release, cyclic AMP/cyclic GMP production, and hormone sensitive lipase phosphorylation. The association between DIP2a gene expression levels in human adipose tissues and exercise‐induced lipolysis was examined.

Results

Fstl1 levels significantly increased during endurance exercise and following recovery, correlating with lean body mass and lipolysis. In 3T3‐L1 adipocytes, Fstl1 increased glycerol release, cyclic GMP production, and hormone sensitive lipase activation, but these effects were attenuated by DIP2a knockdown. DIP2a gene expression in human adipose tissues correlated with serum glycerol concentrations during endurance exercise.

Conclusions

Fstl1 is a myokine facilitating lipid mobilization during and after endurance exercise through DIP2a‐mediated lipolytic effects in adipocytes.
CD8+ T cells in fetal membranes display a unique phenotype, and their activation is involved in the pathophysiology of spontaneous preterm birth
Authors: Jiang Yinan , Lai Xintong , Liu Yuxu , Yang Cheng , Liu Zhicui , Liu Xiaorui , Yu Tiantian , Chen Cailian , Khanniche Asma , Fan Jianxia , Lin Yi , Zeng Weihong
Published: November 2023

Preterm labor/birth is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Previous studies demonstrated that T cells were crucial for maintaining maternal–fetal immune tolerance during the first trimester of pregnancy; however, their phenotypes and functions in labor and delivery remain largely unknown. We recruited three cohorts of women at delivery for T‐cell immunophenotyping in the placentas, fetal membranes, umbilical cord blood, and maternal peripheral blood. Our data showed a differential enrichment of T cells during the third trimester of human pregnancy, with CD4+ T cells being more observable within the umbilical cord blood, whereas CD8+ T cells became relatively more abundant in fetal membranes. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells derived from fetal membranes were dominated by effector memory T cells and exhibited extensive expression of activation markers but decreased expression of homing receptor. In comparison with term births, fetal membrane CD8+ T cells, especially the central memory subset, were significantly increased in frequency and showed more profound activation in spontaneous preterm birth patients. Finally, using an allogeneic mouse model, we found that T‐cell‐activation‐induced preterm birth could be alleviated by the depletion of CD8+ T but not CD4+ T cells in vivo. Collectively, we showed that CD8+ T cells in fetal membranes displayed a unique phenotype, and their activation was involved in the pathophysiology of spontaneous preterm birth, which provides novel insights into the immune mechanisms of preterm birth and potential targets for the prevention of this syndrome. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Development of (polyvinylpyrrolidone/chitsoan/citric acid)/(zinc oxide‐nanoparticles) bionanocomposite films and their applications in biodegradation and antimicrobial activity
Authors: Awadallah‐F Ahmed , Aboulfotouh Maysara E. , Ali Hussein E. , Salem E. A.
Published: November 2023

Biofilm and bionanocomposite films were synthesized from polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chitosan (CS), citric acid (CA), and zinc oxide‐nanoparticles (ZnO‐NPs). Effects of gamma‐irradiation dose and ZnO‐NPs concentrations; 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, and 1.5 (wt./wt.)% were studied. Biofilms and bionanocomposite films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, X‐rays diffraction, energy dispersive X‐ray, and mechanical properties to identify structure of biofilm and bionanocomposite films. Swelling (g/g)% and gelation (g/g)% of biofilms were carried out at diverse compositions of PVP to CS of (1/1), (1/2), and (2/1) (v/v). Swelling (g/g)% results of (1/1), (1/2), and (2/1) (v/v) were 116, 110, and 126, respectively. Values of highest and lowest gelation (g/g)% of (1/2) and (2/1) (v/v) are 98.0 ± 1.8 and 85.0 ± 2.6, respectively at 30 kGy. Water vapor transmission rate was studied for films and exposed 3450 ± 4.1 and 185.8 ± 1.2 (kg/m2.day) for open bottle and (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐1.5), respectively. Values of water solubility (g/g)% were investigated and found 30.21 ± 1.3 and 15.4 ± 2.5 for (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐0) and (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐1.5), accordingly. Bionanocomposite films displayed a broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity against Gram‐negative bacteria and Gram‐positive bacteria. (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐0.1) showed lowest inhibition zone; 4 ± 0.2, 9 ± 0.5, 19 ± 0.1, and 8 ± 0.3 (mm) compared with (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐1.5) of highest inhibition zone; 16 ± 0.5, 28 ± 0.2, 33 ± 0.6, and 18 ± 0.3 (mm) for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Antimicrobial activity increased with increasing ZnO‐NPs concentrations. Biodegradation of biofilms and bionanocomposite films were examined under soil from 0 to120 days. Results of weight loss (g/g)% at 120 days of (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐0) and (PVP/CS/PCA)/(ZnO‐NPs‐1.5) are 72 ± 4.5 and 47.5 ± 3.8, respectively. Bionanocomposite films were used in food preservation of fresh cherry tomatoes for 30 days and showed goodness. Therefore, these results suggest that the possibility of using bionanocomposite films in food‐packaging applications.

Highlights

Synthesis of development of (polyvinylpyrrolidone/chitsoan/citric acid)/(zinc oxide‐nanoparticles) bionanocomposite films.

Characterization of bionanocomposite films by different techniques.

Study of biodegradation of bionanocomposite films.

Study of antimicrobial of bionanocomposite films.

Usage of bionanocomposite films in cherry tomatoes preservation for 30 days.
Mandate to overblock? Understanding the impact of the European Union's Article 17 on copyright content moderation on YouTube
Authors: Dergacheva Daria , Katzenbach Christian
Published: November 2023

This article presents the results of a study measuring possible overblocking due to copyright moderation and changes in the diversity of cultural products supply on YouTube in two European Union (EU) member states comparable in size and population, Germany and France. Both have adopted Article 17 of the EU Copyright in the Digital Single Market (CDSM) Directive (CDSMD) but Germany was 5 months ahead of France in changing its legislative regime for large social media platforms and copyright content moderation. The article assesses how content takedowns that were likely connected to copyright differed in these two countries and how this might have been influenced by the greater copyright moderation linked to the implementation of Article 17 of the CDSMD. Furthermore, the cultural supply diversity according to genre on YouTube was examined by applying Stirling's model of diversity and using a dual‐concept diversity index. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to measure predicted changes to overblocking and possible changes in cultural diversity on YouTube's infrastructure since the new copyright rules came into force in the EU. The findings show that during the period examined, 2019–2022, significant differences were identified between Germany and France in terms of the takedowns of videos from categories prone to copyright moderation. In addition, the content‐level supply of cultural products diversity, measured by genre (channel categories), number of videos, and subscribers, decreased in YouTube's available content in both countries but more so in Germany than in France. The study also makes a methodological contribution to the field of content moderation by reusing previously collected data to explore YouTube's infrastructure and cultural diversity within the framework of media economics. Platforms' content moderation practices and the potential impacts they have on cultural diversity are notoriously difficult to study, and this research establishes new methodological frameworks for further exploration.
MicroRNA PC‐5p‐3991_515 mediates triflumezopyrim susceptibility in the small brown planthopper through regulating the post‐transcriptional expression of P450 CYP417A2
Authors: Yang Yuanxue , Wang Aiyu , Xue Chao , Tian Honglin , Zhang Yun , Zhou Maolin , Zhao Ming , Liu Zewen , Zhang Jianhua
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are recognized as a major contributor to metabolic resistance in insects to most insecticides, through gene overexpressions and protein mutations. MicroRNA (miRNA), an important post‐transcriptional regulator, has been reported to promote insecticide resistance by mediating the expression of detoxification enzyme genes.

RESULTS

In the present study, we reported that a novel microRNA PC‐5p‐3991_515 was involved in the post‐transcriptional regulation of CYP417A2 and mediated the triflumezopyrim susceptibility in the small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén). The tissue expression profiles showed that CYP417A2 was highly expressed in fat body. CYP417A2 was significantly up‐regulated at 12, 36, 60, 84 and 108 h after the triflumezopyrim treatment. RNA interference (RNAi) against CYP417A2 significantly increased triflumezopyrim susceptibility in SBPH. According to the prediction by miRanda and TargetScan software, three miRNAs were indicated to bind to CYP417A2. However, when oversupply of agomir, only two miRNAs, PC‐3p‐625_4405 and PC‐5p‐3991_515, significantly increased the susceptibility to triflumezopyrim and decreased CYP417A2 levels. Furthermore, PC‐5p‐3991_515 was confirmed to be involved in the post‐transcriptional regulation of CYP417A2 by dual luciferase reporter assay. Meanwhile, PC‐5p‐3991_515 was co‐localized with CYP417A2 in the midgut in situ hybridization.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed that the novel microRNA, PC‐5p‐3991_515, post‐transcriptionally regulated CYP417A2 expression, which then mediated the triflumezopyrim susceptibility in SBPH. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Systemic resistance induced in tomato plants by Beauveria bassiana‐derived proteins against tomato yellow leaf curl virus and aphid Myzus persicae
Authors: Basit Abdul , Humza Muhammad , Majeed Muhammad Zeeshan , Shakeel Muhammad , Idrees Atif , Hu Chao‐Xing , Gui Shun‐Hua , Liu Tong‐Xian
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an economically important vegetable crop around the globe. Tomato yellow leaf curling (TYLC) is the most devastating viral disease posing a serious threat to tomato production throughout the tropical and subtropical world. Induction of microbe‐mediated systemic resistance in plants has been of great interest in recent years as a novel microbiological tool in disease and insect pest management. This in‐vitro study aimed to determine the effectiveness of different strains (BB252, BB72 and ARSEF‐2860) of a hypocreal fungus Beauveria bassiana against TYLCV disease and aphid Myzus persicae. Potted tomato plants exogenously treated with conidial and filtrate suspensions of B. bassiana strains and of their partially purified or purified proteins were exposed to TYLCV inoculum and aphid M. persicae.

RESULTS

Results showed a significant suppression of TYLCV disease severity index by the exogenous application of conidial, filtrate and protein treatments of all B. bassiana strains and this response was directly proportional to the treatment concentration. Similarly, mean fecundity rate of M. persicae was also significantly reduced by the highest concentration of ARSEF‐2860‐derived elicitor protein PeBb1, followed by the highest concentrations of BB252‐ and BB72‐derived partially purified proteins. Moreover, these B. bassiana‐derived proteins also caused a significant upregulation of most of the plant immune marker genes associated with plant defense.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the study findings suggest that these B. bassiana strains and their partially purified or purified elicitor proteins could be effective biological tools for the management of TYLCV and aphid infestation on tomato plants. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Family structure of migrant workers and long‐term local settlement intention in China
Authors: Wu Yufeng , Du Haitao , Li Peilin , Ouyang Hui
Published: November 2023

Since the Reform and Opening up, China's rapid but regionally uneven economic growth has continuously attracted a large number of migrant workers from rural areas to cities, from the central and western regions to the eastern regions. At the same time, the migration structure of migrant workers has gradually changed from individual migration to family migration. Under the linked lives principle in life course framework, this paper makes an in‐depth analysis of the relationship between family structure and the long‐term settlement intention of migrant workers based on a nationwide survey in 2020 by using the binomial logistic models. This paper found that, migrant workers who migrate in couple or with their whole family (spouse and children) have higher intention to live in local areas for longer time than migrant workers who migrate individually. More importantly, this paper argues that that spouses and children have more positive influence on migrant workers' local residence intention in medium and long‐distance cross city or inter‐provincial migration than in short distance within city migration.
Comparison of Large Language Models in Management Advice for Melanoma: Google's AI BARD, BingAI and ChatGPT
Authors: Mu Xin , Lim Bryan , Seth Ishith , Xie Yi , Cevik Jevan , Sofiadellis Foti , Hunter-Smith David J. , Rozen Warren M.
Published: November 2023

Background

Large language models (LLMs) are emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology refining research and healthcare. Their use in medicine has seen numerous recent applications. One area where LLMs have shown particular promise is in the provision of medical information and guidance to practitioners.

Objective

This study aims to assess three prominent LLMs—Google's AI BARD, BingAI and ChatGPT-4 in providing management advice for melanoma by comparing their responses to current clinical guidelines and existing literature.

Methods

Five questions on melanoma pathology were prompted to three LLMs. A panel of three experienced Board-certified plastic surgeons evaluated the responses for reliability using reliability matrix (Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and the Coleman-Liau Index), suitability (modified DISCERN score) and comparing them to existing guidelines. t-Test was performed to calculate differences in mean readability and reliability scores between LLMs and p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The mean readability scores across three LLMs were same. ChatGPT exhibited superiority with a Flesch Reading Ease Score of 35.42 (±21.02), Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level of 11.98 (±4.49) and Coleman–Liau Index of 12.00 (±5.10), however all of these were insignificant (p > 0.05). Suitability-wise using DISCERN score, ChatGPT 58 (±6.44) significantly (p = 0.04) outperformed BARD 36.2 (±34.06) and was insignificant to BingAI's 49.8 (±22.28).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that ChatGPT marginally outperforms BARD and BingAI in providing reliable, evidence-based clinical advice, but they still face limitations in depth and specificity. Future research should improve LLM performance by integrating specialized databases and expert knowledge to support patient-centred care.
New Emerging Fast Charging Microscale Electrode Materials
Authors: Wang Litong , Zhong Yunlei , Wang Huibo , Malyi Oleksandr I , Wang Feng , Zhang Yanyan , Hong Guo , Tang Yuxin
Published: November 2023

Fast charging lithium (Li)‐ion batteries are intensively pursued for next‐generation energy storage devices, whose electrochemical performance is largely determined by their constituent electrode materials. While nanosizing of electrode materials enhances high‐rate capability in academic research, it presents practical limitations like volumetric packing density and high synthetic cost. As an alternative to nanosizing, microscale electrode materials cannot only effectively overcome the limitations of the nanosizing strategy but also satisfy the requirement of fast‐charging batteries. Therefore, this review summarizes the new emerging microscale electrode materials for fast charging from the commercialization perspective. First, the fundamental theory of electronic/ionic motion in both individual active particles and the whole electrode is proposed. Then, based on these theories, the corresponding optimization strategies are summarized toward fast‐charging microscale electrode materials. In addition, advanced functional design to tackle the mechanical degradation problems related to next generation high capacity alloy‐ and conversion‐type electrode materials (Li, S, Si et al.) for achieving fast charging and stable cycling batteries. Finally, general conclusions and the future perspective on the potential research directions of microscale electrode materials are proposed. It is anticipated that this review will provide the basic guidelines for both fundamental research and practical applications of fast‐charging batteries.
Tailoring the Chemical Environment of Ru–Mo Composites for Efficient Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reactions
Authors: Li Chunfeng , Chen Jiayi , Chong Kok Chan , Wang Lei , Liu Bin
Published: November 2023

The development of cost‐effective and stable electrocatalysts that can replace the prevailing Pt‐based and Ir‐based catalysts for water splitting remains a formidable challenge. The electrocatalytic performance of a catalyst depends on its chemical composition and environment during catalysis. Herein, a Ru–Mo composite is used as an example to highlight the significance of tailoring the chemical environments of the active‐sites. This customization enhances the cathodic and anodic reactions involved in water splitting, ultimately leading to an improved full reaction efficiency. Specifically, the chemically reduced state of Ru–Mo demonstrates promising hydrogen evolution activity and exhibits low overpotentials of 48 and 34 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, respectively. The chemically oxidized state of Ru–Mo, derived from the same precursor, demonstrates proficient oxygen evolution activity and exhibits low overpotentials of 260 and 270 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, respectively. Additionally, in both cases, the Ru–Mo composites exhibit significantly improved stability under typical water‐splitting conditions. Despite the close chemical compositions of these two catalysts, they show poor performance in the counter electrode reactions, demonstrating the importance of establishing a suitable chemical environment for efficient electrocatalysis.
Screening of liothyronine network pharmacology role in the treatment of ischemic stroke and molecular mechanism
Authors: Yuan Li , Xiao Dongdong , Yang Rumei , Ge Lei , Wan Yuye , Jiang Lianglei
Published: November 2023

Objective

The present study aimed to elucidate mechanisms of liothyronine on the treatment of ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods

Differential analysis based on R limma package was used to identify differentially expressed genes, which were then mapped into the connectivity map database for identification of liothyronine associated with IS. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway was verified through pathway enrichment analysis via Enrichr online. Ischemia stroke mouse model was built up for further analysis. Infarct area and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were measured by 2, 3, 5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride and laser Doppler flowmetry, respectively. Light microscope was used for the evaluation of body weight and dark neurons. Serum TXB2, 6‐Keto‐PGF1a, TNF‐α, and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) levels in mice were measured using enzyme‐linked immuno sorbent assay. In addition, relative protein expression levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, nestin, and Sox2 were detected by Western blot analysis.

Results

Liothyronine with a negative connectivity was identified as one promising treatment for IS through TNF signaling pathway. The experimental results showed that liothyronine treatment significantly meliorated infarct area and the number of dark neurons in IS mice. Liothyronine greatly ameliorated the expression levels of TXB2 and 6‐Keto‐PGF1a. Besides, rCBF and body weight change of IS mice were increased gradually with increase of drug concentration. Based on pathway enrichment analysis, anti‐inflammatory response (TNF‐α and IL‐6) relevant to TNF signaling pathway was identified, which was further validated in vitro. Furthermore, proteins as neural stem cell markers made a difference with liothyronine treatment.

Conclusion

Liothyronine may be a novel therapeutic component to exploit an effective medicine for the treatment of IS.
Exploring the impact of dust storms on pastoralists’ livelihoods in West Iran: Social, economic, and environmental consequences
Authors: Ahmadi Farzad , Zamani Omid , Mirzaei Heidar , Azadi Hossein
Published: November 2023

This study investigates the economic, social, and environmental impacts of dust storms on pastoralists’ livelihoods in the Chaqakdo rangeland of West Iran. Data was collected through face‐to‐face interviews with 100 pastoralists in 2019. The research adopts a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results demonstrate a significant and positive relationship between pastoralists’ livelihoods and the three independent variables (environmental, economic, and social), with the strongest correlation observed in environmental factors. The path coefficients indicate positive effects on pastoralists’ livelihoods. Additionally, dust storms were found to have detrimental environmental effects, such as plant leaf pollution, reduced grazing, and decreased growth of grassland plants. Therefore, it is crucial to establish adaptive measures to mitigate the impacts of dust storms on pastoralists, considering their heavy reliance on the local pastures.
Portal‐hypertension features are associated with ascites occurrence and survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated by external radiotherapy
Authors: Giudicelli Héloïse , Andraud Mickaël , Wagner Mathilde , Bourdais Rémi , Goumard Claire , Scatton Olivier , Thabut Dominique , Simon Jean‐Marc , Allaire Manon
Published: November 2023

Background and Aims

We studied the impact of Portal hypertension (PHT) on ascites occurrence and on radiotherapy outcome in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Method

All cirrhotic patients that received radiotherapy for HCC between 2012 and 2022 were included. Portal hypertension‐Score was built using univariate analysis with the presence of esophageal varices (EV), platelet count, history of acute variceal bleeding (AVB) and spleen size. Time‐to‐events data were estimated using Kaplan‐Meier method with log‐rank and Cox‐models.

Results

60 patients were included (female 27%, age 67 years‐old, Child‐Pugh A 82%, alcoholic/non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis/hepatitis C virus 55/40/32%). 38% and 15% presented history of ascites and AVB respectively, 25% had large EV, 53.5% presented PHT score ≥ 5. 92% were BCLC‐0/A, median tumor size was 30 mm. At 6 months, ascites incidence was 19% and precluded access to further HCC treatment for all patients with HCC recurrence. All PHT parameters included in the score and PHT score ≥ 5 (hazard ratio (HR) = 14.07, p = 0.01) were associated with ascites occurrence. Transplantation free survival and recurrence free survival at 1 year were 56% and 47% respectively. Albi grade 3 (HR = 3.01; p = 0.04) was independently associated with Transplantation free survival.

Conclusion

Radiotherapy should be cautiously performed in patients with PHT score ≥ 5 because of ascites occurrence risk precluding access to further HCC treatments.
Trends and challenges in the use of drugs as forensic evidence: A scientometric approach to map the current literature
Authors: Norman Caitlyn , Lim Dorothy Xi Yue , Henderson Taylor , Casali Fabio , Daéid Niamh Nic , Nisbet Lorna , Ménard Hervé
Published: November 2023

The rapid increase in the production and distribution of illicit drugs has led to vast amounts of data being generated through research and other publications, making it difficult to effectively distill and analyze current and emerging trends. The present study used a scientometric approach to identify trends and challenges in the use of drugs as an evidence type in forensic science by examining reference lists available in the INTERPOL IFSMS reports and the citation database Scopus. It has been identified that “new psychoactive substances” is one of the most frequently used keywords by authors, highlighting the swift response by communities to characterize these emerging compounds. However, it was also noted that despite drugs being a global threat, only limited international collaboration was observed between research groups and the majority of the studies are from authors affiliated within the same country. Finally, an argument is made to encourage a more comprehensive approach in aggregating results on drugs for greater transparency and broader distribution of findings.

This article is categorized under:

Forensic Chemistry > Mass Casualty Management

Forensic Chemistry > Controlled and Emerging Drug Compounds
Science Fiction, Speculative Pedagogy, and Critical Hope: Counternarratives for/of the Future
Authors: Tomin Brittany , Collis Ryan B.
Published: November 2023

In times characterized by pervasive future narratives—technological utopianism, dystopian annihilation, neoliberal “progress”—and simultaneous, all-consuming eco-anxiety, how the future is addressed in schools is critically important as we navigate our complex relationship with the “Anthropocene” in education. In this chapter, we problematize restrictive curricular and pedagogical visions of possibility and, as an alternative, position science fiction and speculative storytelling as genres that offer pedagogical frameworks through which educators may center collective, speculative, complex narratives of the future that open up—instead of foreclose upon—possible paths forward and ways of engaging with the present. Grounded in genre studies, futures studies, and science and technology studies, as well as in speculative world building work conducted with secondary students, this chapter accordingly outlines the contours of speculative pedagogy. Speculative pedagogy is framed in this chapter as an approach that embraces and explores collective, open futures; centers interdisciplinarity as a central means through which we can come to envision complex future possibilities with students; prioritizes dismantling singular narratives of possibility and the future; and mobilizes science fictional and speculative storytelling modes to grapple with uncertainty and resist mastery as educators examine critical social, technological, scientific, and existential issues alongside their students.
Perturbing Current Boundary Conditions in Discipline-Based and Science Education Research in the Anthropocene: Implications for Research and Teaching Communities
Authors: Wooten Michelle M. , Ryker Katherine
Published: November 2023

The field of research on science teaching and learning at the college level has recently divided into disciplinary communities. In this chapter, we meet in the middle of our disciplinary inquiries in astronomy education x geoscience education x education research to make meaning of the possibilities between and among our communities, and within the broader landscape of research on science teaching and learning. By examining knowledge at the interface of these disciplines, we believe we can use science teaching and learning to address problems facing humans and nonhumans today. Accordingly, we looked for ways to generate an affective sense of freedom to communicate and deliberate across perceived discipline-based education research community boundaries both in our research and in our teaching. Playing with geologic representations rendered during five research meetings over the course of three years, we explored possibilities of and limitations to disciplinary perturbations. We examined our previous engagements to convey real-time difficulties and humors involved with communicating across disciplines, with an aspiration to carve joy into our readers’ continued inquiries with others in our broader, shared science teaching and learning research landscape.
In Conversation with Isabelle Stengers: Ontological Politics in Catastrophic Times
Authors: Stengers Isabelle , Higgins Marc , Wallace Maria
Published: November 2023

In this conversation, Isabelle Stengers elucidates upon the ontological politics of scientific practice in this contemporary moment to remind us that another science is possible. Drawing from her own rich scholarship of sociology, history, and philosophy of science, Stengers makes the case that the scientific enterprise has been caught up since the scientific revolution in a practice of fast science which is premised on a particular kind of irresponsibility which has consequences for these catastrophic times. In turn, she calls for a slow science, one which is premised on redeveloping the art of paying attention to that which has historically and too easily bracketed out as “non-scientific” concerns. Not unlike the intrusion of Gaia, which Stengers offers as a critical alternative to the concept of the Anthropocene, slow science is an insistent stranger who can no longer be ignored, whose presence increasingly provides a productive irritation. Further, another science is not only possible, it is necessary: Stengers offers that it might be what is necessary to go beyond just surviving in the ruins.
In Conversation with Steven Khan: Sensible and Sense-able Qualitative Literacies for Multi-species Flourishing
Authors: Khan Steven , Higgins Marc
Published: November 2023

In this conversation with Steven Khan, he illuminates his recent trajectory toward multi-species flourishing with mathematics education. Incisively including colonial plantation logics into contemporary conversations of the Anthropocene in STEM education, Khan sketches out a figuration of mathematics education that continues to uphold, albeit differently, a political economy rooted in consumption, overwork, uncompensated labor, scarcity, violence, and erasure. In response, and recognizing that no human flourishing occurs without the flourishing of other-than-human kin, Khan offers multi-species flourishing. To animate multi-species flourishing, Khan offers examples such as critical examinations of sonic landscapes as novel means of attuning otherwise, as well as how it might become an actionable practice in spaces such as mathematics teacher education. Khan concludes this conversation by highlighting the importance of creating collectives in which differences are assets rather than liabilities and are treated as such.
The Ghost of Laplace’s Demon: Revisiting the Anthropocene
Authors: Bang Lars
Published: November 2023

Education is haunted by a dogmatic image of thought that sees learning as outcomes, representations, and a thing to be tested. The problematic of the dogmatic image of thought reactualizes in science education, where discursive systems and propositions counteract a fresh image of thought in terms of flows. In physics education, the dogmatic image of thought obfuscates seeing functives as multiplicities and posits physics education as the learning of stable singular concepts rather than functives. The first example drawn upon, utilizing Richard Feynman’s lecture, is the theory of gravity, presented here not as a concept, but as a complex function composed of functives. The second example is Pierre-Simon Laplace’s writings on probability and determinism. Both historical cases display the issues regarding the dogmatic image of thought and the fulcrum to revisit it as bodily flows. The last point raised in this chapter is how learning about the world, when seen as a flow, is connected to a double activity of thought and body, drawing extensively on Spinoza’s epistemology and Deleuze’s interpretation of it.
Fluid Management in Septic Shock
Authors: Ghosh Supradip , Arora Garima
Published: November 2023

Both relative (due to vasodilatation and leaky capillaries) and absolute hypovolemia are common in patients with septic shock, and fluid infusion remains the first-line resuscitation measure. However, fluid overload is a potential consequence of fluid infusion, especially left unmonitored. Early vasopressor infusion may be useful in specific situation. Every effort should be made to limit cumulative fluid balance in every stage of resuscitation.
„Rasse“ als globaler Datenstrom: Die Hamburger Anthropologie des 20. Jahrhunderts als Ausgangspunkt einer Datengeschichte der Rassifizierung
Authors: Kröger Philipp
Published: November 2023

Dieser Aufsatz zeigt anhand der Hamburger Anthropologie des 20. Jahrhunderts, wie historisch spezifische Aufschreibesysteme der anthropologischen Forschung die jeweiligen Vorstellungen davon, was „Rasse“ sei, prägten und diese für den politischen Zugriff operationalisierten. Es werden drei Paradigmen der Geschichte der deutschen Anthropologie – physische Anthropologie, „Erblehre“, Populationsgenetik – untersucht und die Frage gestellt, wie sich die ihnen jeweils zugrunde liegenden Medientechniken – Loseblattsammlung, Kartei, elektronische Datenverarbeitung – auf die Konstruktion und politische Mobilisierung von „Rasse“ auswirkten. Mit einer so konturierten Datengeschichte der Rassifizierung lassen sich die ontologischen Fallstricke jüngerer Debatten um die Kategorie „Rasse“ umgehen.
EU-Korea trade relations in the context of global disruption: political and legal perspectives
Authors: Christiansen Thomas , Kim Bongchul
Published: November 2023

Trade has long been the foundation of relations between the Republic of Korea and the European Union, and the conclusion of a comprehensive free trade agreement between the two sides in 2011 was both a recognition of the value of economic exchange and a catalyst for deeper cooperation in subsequent years. This paper discusses in some detail the governance of trade relations and other aspects of economic cooperation between Korea and the European Union, highlighting the multilayered nature and the expanding scope of legal ties between the two sides. The positive bilateral cooperation occurs however against the background of a changing and increasingly challenging global context. The failure of the Doha Round, the limitations of the World Trade Organization, and the growing concerns about de-coupling between the USA and China are all developments that complicate efforts towards trade liberalization and indeed threaten to disrupt global trade significantly. These adverse trends contain particular risks for Korea and the EU, both close allies of the USA and also both economies that are deeply integrated with the Chinese economy. Managing Korea-EU trade relations is therefore becoming both more complicated but also more important, and in conclusion, the paper provides an outlook on these future challenges.
Crashworthiness of Foam-Filled and Reinforced Honeycomb Crash Absorbers in Transverse Direction
Authors: Nicoud G. , Ghasemnejad H. , Srimanosaowapak S. , Watson J. W.
Published: November 2023

Honeycomb crash absorbers have been widely studied as energy absorption devices for use in automotive industries. However, none of these investigations have studied the side impact of empty and foam-filled honeycomb absorbers and adding stiffeners between the different layers of the corrugated sheets which are composing the honeycomb structure to analyse the structure under transverse (L-direction) impacts. In this paper, the foam-filled and reinforced honeycomb crash absorbers are investigated under axial (T) and transverse (L) loading directions. Experimental results for both empty and foam-filled specimens under quasi-static and impact loads were implemented to validate the developed finite element model. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to find out the crashworthiness behaviour of the structure under axial and transverse impacts according to road conditions. Finally, a new design of stiffened honeycomb crash absorber was developed and investigated to reduce the level of acceleration experienced by the passengers during the crash event. In this regard, it is concluded that all the requirements related to the energy absorption capabilities and generated deceleration under impact loading can be met by introducing an advanced method to reinforce honeycomb absorbers using stiffeners. It is also proven that the thickness of these stiffeners will not significantly influence the force levels. Due to increase of wall thickness from 1 to 3 mm, the mean crushing force increased from 129 kN to 148 kN. This growth is not sufficient as the goal is to obtain a mean crushing force of 300 kN. Thickening the stiffeners would lead to a loss of efficiency of the structure, as the small increase in mean force would not make up for the gain in mass. Thus, increasing the corrugated sheet’ thickness becomes necessary.
Commutativity of quantization with conic reduction for torus actions on compact CR manifolds
Authors: Galasso Andrea
Published: November 2023

We define conic reductions $$X^{\textrm{red}}_{\nu }$$

X
ν
red

for torus actions on the boundary X of a strictly pseudo-convex domain and for a given weight $$\nu $$
ν
labeling a unitary irreducible representation. There is a natural residual circle action on $$X^{\textrm{red}}_{\nu }$$

X
ν
red

. We have two natural decompositions of the corresponding Hardy spaces H(X) and $$H(X^{\textrm{red}}_{\nu })$$

H
(

X
ν
red

)

. The first one is given by the ladder of isotypes $$H(X)_{k\nu }$$

H

(
X
)

k
ν

, $$k\in {\mathbb {Z}}$$

k
∈
Z

; the second one is given by the k-th Fourier components $$H(X^{\textrm{red}}_{\nu })_k$$

H

(

X
ν
red

)

k

induced by the residual circle action. The aim of this paper is to prove that they are isomorphic for k sufficiently large. The result is given for spaces of (0, q)-forms with $$L^2$$

L
2

-coefficient when X is a CR manifold with non-degenerate Levi form.
Optimal cashback in a cooperative framework for peer-to-peer insurance coverages
Authors: Clemente Gian Paolo , Levantesi Susanna , Piscopo Gabriella
Published: November 2023

The challenges of using technology in the insurance field are opening new horizons for developing and distributing innovative products. Among these, peer-to-peer insurance schemes attract the interest of policyholders and insurance companies. Different types of peer-to-peer insurance have been introduced, from pure models to hybrid ones, as in the case of the broker model. In this paper, we focus on the broker model, where the groups of peers are formed by an insurance broker according to similar risk characteristics. The participants in the network pay an initial contribution defined by a cooperative rule that must be transparent and shared. A part or the whole of the collected contributions is set aside in a common fund. At the end of the year, if the common fund is sufficient to pay for the claims, the members obtain the excess over-retained premiums that is shared according to a capital allocation rule. We propose a cashback distribution mechanism based on the participant’s marginal contribution to the risk, framing the issue in a cooperative game and applying the concept of Shapley value to define an optimal allocation rule of the remaining capital. A numerical application based on a portfolio of motor third-party liability policies is developed to show how the model works.
RL-ECGNet: resource-aware multi-class detection of arrhythmia through reinforcement learning
Authors: Ismail Heba , Serhani M. Adel , Hussein Nada Mohamed , Elhadef Mourad
Published: November 2023

Arrhythmia is a fatal cardiac clinical condition that risks the lives of millions every year. It has multiple classes with variable prevalence rates. Some rare arrhythmia classes are equally critical as common ones, yet are very hard to detect due to limited training samples. While several methods accurately detect Arrhythmia's multi-class, minority class accuracy remains low and these methods are resource-intensive. Therefore, most of the existing detection systems ignore minority classes in their classification or focus on binary classification. In this study, we introduce RL-ECGNet, a resource-efficient reinforcement learning-based optimization for multi-class arrhythmia detection, encompassing minority classes, through ECG signal analysis. RL-ECGNet uses raw ECG signals, processes them to extract the temporal ECG features, and utilizes Reinforcement Learning (RL) to optimize the training and network hyperparameters of the Deep Learning (DL) models while reducing resource consumption. For evaluation, four DL models, namely, MLP, CNN, LSTM, and GRU, are trained and optimized. Moreover, time and memory usage are minimized to optimize resource consumption. Throughout the evaluation of the four DL models, the proposed RL model achieved accuracies ranging from 88.45% to 96.41% for all 9 arrhythmia classes, including minority classes. In addition, the proposed RL method improved performance by a factor ranging from 1.28 to 1.39 in terms of accuracy. Moreover, the optimized DL models had reduced training time, as well as minimized memory usage. The proposed method achieved resource consumption reduction ranging from 1.36 to 1.925 times for training time, and from 1.179 to 1.815 times for memory usage.
Ethics of Care Leadership, Racial Inclusion, and Economic Health in the Cities: Is There a Female Leadership Advantage?
Authors: Stajkovic Kayla , Stajkovic Alexander D.
Published: November 2023

Growing evidence suggests the presence of a female leadership advantage (FLA), such that women leaders tend to be associated with more effective outcomes in uncertain conditions. However, mechanisms linking women's leadership to effective outcomes are less well understood. We integrate FLA insights with ethics of care philosophical framework to conceptualize how women leaders achieve effective outcomes in the context of the urban revitalization crisis in the United States. We propose and empirically test the mediating role of ethics of care leadership in the relationship between women mayors and economic health of their cities. We used data from the Urban Institute that includes 272 United States cities and measures of variables in our conceptual model at five points in time spanning 36 years (n = 1185 city-year observations). We capture ethics of care leadership focused on racial inclusion with an index measure of a city’s racial spatial segregation, homeownership gap, poverty gap, and education gap, and we capture economic health with an index measure of a city’s employment growth, unemployment rate, housing vacancy rate, and median family income. We found that female-led cities were associated with better economic health, and this association was mediated by female-led cities’ association with greater racial inclusion. Ethics of care leadership appears to be one pathway through which a FLA manifests itself in the context of the urban revitalization crisis. This underscores the importance of city leadership that balances social and economic prerogatives. Implications are discussed.
Epistemic agency: a link between assessment, knowledge and society
Authors: Nieminen Juuso Henrik , Ketonen Laura
Published: November 2023

In this conceptual article, we discuss the idea of students’ epistemic agency as an overlooked link between assessment, knowledge and society. We transcend the contemporary discourses around assessment that focus on its authenticity and student-centredness and instead investigate assessment from the viewpoints of knowledge and knowing. This approach sees assessment as functioning not only as a promoter of student learning but also as a means to prepare students to be responsible graduates and citizens as epistemic agents. First, we adapt the theory of epistemic agency—that is, students’ capability to agentically evaluate, produce, use and transform knowledge—by situating it within the specific context of assessment. Second, we suggest practice-oriented ideas for assessment and feedback design to nurture epistemic agency. Overall, we do not depict epistemic agency as yet another ‘soft skill’ in higher education but as a necessary focal point for assessment that aims to nurture a transformative relationship between students and knowledge. We suggest epistemic agency as a powerful concept in understanding and nurturing the three-way engagement between assessment, knowledge and society. This concept allows us to understand whether and how assessment shapes students as epistemic agents.
A molecular toolbox to study progesterone receptor signaling
Authors: Aarts Marleen T. , Wagner Muriel , van der Wal Tanne , van Boxtel Antonius L. , van Amerongen Renée
Published: November 2023

Progesterone receptor (PR) signaling is required for mammary gland development and homeostasis. A major bottleneck in studying PR signaling is the lack of sensitive assays to measure and visualize PR pathway activity both quantitatively and spatially. Here, we develop new tools to study PR signaling in human breast epithelial cells. First, we generate optimized Progesterone Responsive Element (PRE)-luciferase constructs and demonstrate that these new reporters are a powerful tool to quantify PR signaling activity across a wide range of progesterone concentrations in two luminal breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and T47D. We also describe a fluorescent lentiviral PRE-GFP reporter as a novel tool to visualize PR signaling at the single-cell level. Our reporter constructs are sensitive to physiological levels of progesterone. Second, we show that low background signaling, and high levels of PR expression are a prerequisite for robustly measuring PR signaling. Increasing PR expression by transient transfection, stable overexpression in MCF7 or clonal selection in T47D, drastically improves both the dynamic range of luciferase reporter assays, and the induction of endogenous PR target genes as measured by qRT-PCR. We find that the PR signaling response differs per cell line, target gene and hormone concentration used. Taken together, our tools allow a more rationally designed approach for measuring PR signaling in breast epithelial cells.