bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensional resonance of intrinsic stimulated picosecond emission while it induces a photonic crystal and electron population oscillations in heterostructure AlxGa1–xAs–GaAs–AlxGa1–xAs
Authors: Ageeva N. N. , Bronevoi I. L. , Krivonosov A. N.
Published: October 2024

Powerful picosecond optical pumping of the GaAs heterostructure layer causes the generation of stimulated picosecond emission in it. Due to its high intensity, the emission induces a Bragg grating of the electron population in the active region of the layer, making the latter an active photonic crystal. In the emission field, the inverse population of electrons oscillates with time, which should lead to spatiotemporal modulation of the emission and this population. It has been discovered that if the distance Y between the end of the heterostructure and the center of the active medium and the geometric parameters of the indicated modulation and movement of emission in the photonic crystal satisfy certain conditions, then dimensional resonance occurs - a maximum of modulation of the dependence of the energy of emission emerging from the end on Y and on pump energy appears locally.
Application of tracing tools for analysis of microcontroller failures arising under the 14 MeV neutrons exposure
Authors: Pilipenko A. S. , Tikhonov M. I.
Published: October 2024

The trace support tools capabilities for a microcontroller (МС) with a Cortex-M3 core are analyzed to investigation of failures arising under the 14 MeV neutrons exposure. It has been shown that in most cases, MC hang is caused by the microcontroller going into a handling an inactive exception infinite loop. The cross-section values for the single event functional interrupt and the single event latch-up are estimated.
Development of 10 m2 hodoscope made of drift tubes for cosmic ray muon registration
Authors: Barinov M. E. , Biryukov V. V. , Borisov A. A. , Erin S. V. , Fakhrutdinov R. M. , Filin A. P. , Gushchin V. N. , Isaev A. N. , Kozhin A. S. , Larionov A. V. , Shalanda N. A. , Soldatov M. M. , Yakimchuk V. I.
Published: October 2024

The 10 m2 muon hodoscope made of drift tubes with length 3.7 m and diameter 52 mm is under development and construction in NRC “Kurchatov institute” — IHEP. Totally 768 drift tubes are grouped into 6 identical multilayers, each consisting of two tube layers with parallelly placed tubes. Tube orientation in adjacent multilayers is orthogonal, thus the hodoscope has six X and six Y tube layers. Detailed mechanical structure, on-chamber electronic and data acquisition systems are described. Expected technical characteristics and some test results are presented.
“Party Wing” Organizations as Potential Political Party Lawbreakers
Authors: Muhammad Afgan Ababil Hartanto
Published: October 2024

Political parties and political party wings are organizations that play a role in democracy in Indonesia. Apart from that, there are still community organizations that appear to have no political affiliation but actually play a role in democratic contestation, then sporadically, almost every year before the election, similar community organizations emerge, which generally called volunteers. Political parties and their wing organizations have the same responsibility in building democracy, but we often find that party wing organizations can become an extension of political parties, committing various violations of campaigning rules or breaking the law in general; Here there is an intersection of whether political party wing organizations are subject to Law No. 2 of 2011 concerning political parties, or the law on social organizations. Researchers examine the problems of the existence of OSP in the Indonesian legal system, especially the phenomenon of legal violations. This research uses a normative juridical approach using legal norms that apply in Indonesia. At the end of the research, it was concluded that party wing organizations are more appropriately regulated in the political party law than in the law on social organizations, and violations are the responsibility of the parent political party.

Keywords: law, politics, party, wing, underbouw
SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Blood Group Associations in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Guella Adnane , Mahmood Hatem Abdelsalam , Muhammad Rabab Zaka , Sharif Askari Narjes Saheb , Hassanein Mohammed M. , Qureshi Muhammad Mohsin , Osman Gihad , Al-Momani Marwan , Nasr Ahmed
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND: The association between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 has been investigated globally, but there is heterogeneity in the results, with a possible trend towards susceptibility of blood group A. However, such studies are limited in our region. This retrospective study aimed to explore the potential association between COVID-19 and ABO blood groups in our population. Specifically, we investigated the role of blood groups and rhesus types in susceptibility to COVID-19 and their impact on disease severity.

METHODS: We conducted a correlation study by analyzing the blood group data of 308 COVID-19-positive patients. The distribution of blood groups in our population was compared to that reported in 500 blood donors from the Al Ain area in the United Arab Emirates.

RESULTS: Our findings revealed a higher susceptibility to COVID-19 among individuals with blood group B. However, there was no significant association between blood group B and disease severity or mortality. Additionally, rhesus type was not found to be involved in susceptibility to the disease or its severity.

CONCLUSION: In our population, blood group B showed a higher susceptibility to COVID-19, although it did not correlate with disease severity or mortality. These findings contribute to understanding the association between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 in our region and emphasize the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and implications for disease prevention and management.
Can artificial intelligence help improve the rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in basketball players?
Authors:   Department of Corrective Exercise and Sport Injury, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran, Miri Sahar , Daneshmandi Hassan ,   Department of Corrective Exercise and Sport Injury, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Published: October 2024

For basketball players, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be devastating [1]. This injury often necessitates reconstructive surgery, followed by a grueling rehabilitation process that can sideline an athlete for months, jeopardizing their career trajectory [2]. However, a new beacon of hope is emerging on the horizon: artificial intelligence (AI). This powerful technology is not just a tool but a potential game-changer, rapidly transforming the way ACL recovery is approached. It offers the potential for faster, more personalized, and ultimately more successful outcomes for athletes eager to return to the court, inspiring a new era in sports medicine [3].
The difference in gene expression network based on gender in the recovery of knee cruciate ligament injuries during exercise
Authors:   Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Zabihi Mohammad Reza , Akhoondian Mohammad ,   Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Published: October 2024

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common and often debilitating, requiring extensive rehabilitation. The recovery process involves complex physiological, biomechanical, and biochemical factors. Gender differences in the incidence and recovery from ACL injuries are well-documented, with recent advances in molecular biology suggesting that gene expression networks play a crucial role in tissue repair and regeneration. This study aims to compare gene expression networks between genders to provide strategies for better-managing sports injuries. Gene expression data were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, with samples divided into four groups based on gender and age. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using GEO2R, and biological interaction networks were constructed using the STRING (Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins). Network analysis was performed using Gephi, focusing on betweenness centrality and overall centrality. Two common genes, TRNA Aspartic Acid Methyltransferase 1 (TRDMT1) and NCF1, were identified in both sexes but exhibited different centrality measures. NCF1, associated with the production of superoxide anion and linked to chronic granulomatous disease, was expressed ten times higher in men than women. TRDMT1, responsible for RNA methylation, was twice as highly expressed in men. The study underscores the importance of gender-specific molecular mechanisms in ACL injury recovery and highlights the need for personalized treatment strategies.
Effect of Autoregulation resistance training on repetition maximum resistance training periodization: A mini review
Authors:   Movement and Training Department, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey, Kahraman Yeliz
Published: October 2024

Repetition maximum regimes, including the Delorme method, repetition maximum, strength zone, hypertrophy zone, local muscular endurance zone, and autoregulation progression resistance model training for the trained resistance population manipulate autoregulation. These are repetition maximum performance components; however, performance level determination of resistance training working has been cleared on autoregulation progression exercise condition. Auto-regulated repetition maximum strategies comprehensively strength-hypertrophy-endurance-power lower-upper compartment muscular synchronization method, for future research reported that repetition maximum ranges adjusted for resistance zone principal stages. This report's knowledge is that autoregulation resistance training is limited to repetition reserve periodization, multiple set and difference interval rests planning, velocity-based transition force detection, and one repetition maximum strength performance. In this methodology, experimental research included performing different autoregulation resistance training strategies, methodologic risk no, priority results obtained from the experimental trial, no limitation journal, and participation. Accordingly, this report concluded that one experimental strength performance, velocity-based randomization condition, and manipulated repetition working session increased the maximum strength periodization for time-dependent micro and maximal strength-force macro periodization. In conclusion, autoregulation resistance training periodization has not been clear on periodic resistance training setups that properly enhance strength and condition for sports performance and exercise selection non-linear and linear weekly periodization in different sport modalities and resistance training individuals.
Ethical Implications of AI in Financial Services: Bias, Transparency, and Accountability
Authors: Puneet Chopra
Published: October 2024

This article examines the ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services, focusing on issues of bias, transparency, and accountability. As AI adoption in finance grows rapidly, with 85% of institutions now using AI, it brings both tremendous benefits and significant ethical challenges. The article explores how AI can perpetuate biases in lending and credit scoring, the "black box" problem of opaque AI decision-making, and the complexities of establishing accountability for autonomous AI systems. It analyzes strategies for mitigating these issues, including developing interpretable AI models, implementing robust governance structures, and creating industry-specific ethical guidelines. The discussion highlights the critical need for evolving regulatory frameworks and ethical standards to ensure responsible AI use while harnessing its potential to transform financial services.
Ethical Considerations in Educational Technology : Balancing Innovation and Responsibility
Authors: SantoshKumar Pulijala
Published: October 2024

This article explores the rapid advancement of educational technology and its ethical implications. It examines key technological innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Learning Management Systems, highlighting their potential to transform learning experiences. The article addresses critical ethical considerations including privacy and data protection, equity and access, transparency and accountability, and digital well-being. By analyzing these concerns, the article proposes strategies for responsible implementation of educational technology and provides specific recommendations for policymakers, educators, and technology developers. The article emphasizes the importance of balancing technological innovation with ethical practices to create an equitable, transparent, and effective educational ecosystem in an increasingly digital world.
Promoção da Saúde em Cursos Universitários de Arquitetura e Urbanismo no Brasil
Authors: Mertz Rodrigues Roberta , Uveda Jennifer Beatriz , Da Silva Macuch Regiane
Published: October 2024

Ao se falar em promoção da saúde e qualidade de vida envolve-se vários segmentos sociais e profissões, a Arquitetura e Urbanismo é uma delas, pois sem a adequada utilização dos espaços, promover saúde se torna mais difícil. O objetivo principal deste estudo é analisar a relação entre Arquitetura, promoção da saúde e qualidade de vida em cursos universitários, no Brasil, com base em suas matrizes curriculares e ementas. A metodologia utilizada foi a bibliográfica, utilizando-se bases de dados online. Também foi feita a análise documental em ementas e matrizes curriculares de Cursos de Graduação de Arquitetura e Urbanismo em algumas universidades pelo Brasil, por meio da análise dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos de Arquitetura e Urbanismo das instituições elencadas neste estudo. Os documentos foram adquiridos online e/ou por meio dos canais de comunicação das instituições. Os resultados sinalizam que, embora se mencione muito sobre qualidade de vida e promoção da saúde dentro dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos cursos, grande parte não traz os termos “Promoção da Saúde” e “Qualidade de vida” em suas matrizes curriculares e ementas, sugerindo que esses temas pouco são abordados nas práticas das instituições.
JAMINAN INDUSTRI HALAL DI NEGARA SINGAPURA DAN TAIWAN
Authors: Anatasha Syaira , Malahayatie Malahayatie
Published: October 2024

Purpose: This study examines and compares the halal assurance processes in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Singapore. In addition, this study aims to assess the consequences of each system on the growth of the halal sector on a global and regional scale.
Design/Methodology/Approach: This research utilises a comparative case study methodology with a qualitative approach. Through the investigation of official documents, data was collected. Regulations, certification requirements, and industry reports from each country were analyzed in the documents. Manufacturers, customers, and representatives from halal certification authorities were interviewed. To gain a first-hand understanding of the certification process and the application of regulations, field observations were also conducted.
Findings: The findings show that Singapore, Taiwan, and Indonesia have different strategies for implementing halal assurance. Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) in Singapore operates a rigorous and globally renowned certification program. Taiwan concentrates on food and cosmetic products through the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association (THIDA). With the support of the world's largest Muslim community, Indonesia, the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), has established a comprehensive and integrated system. These different strategies affect the efficacy of halal products and consumer confidence in each country.
Research Implications: The results of this study show how harmonization of international halal certification and standards can improve consumer confidence and increase international trade in halal goods. In addition, by incorporating best practices from other countries, policymakers and industry players can improve their halal assurance systems with the help of this study. This harmonization can guarantee more reliable halal products to Muslim consumers around the world and improve the global halal market position.
Measles and Pertussis outbreaks in England and Wales: a time-series analysis
Authors: Shepherd Thomas , Mallen Christian
Published: October 2024

Background Vaccine coverage for common infectious diseases such as Measles and Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) have been declining in England and Wales since 2014. Consequently, significant increases in Measles and Pertussis cases are observed in the community. Aim To explore whether Google Trends offers a predictive utility as a health surveillance tool for Meases and Pertussis in England and Wales. Design and Setting Google search data related to Measles and Pertussis, including common associated symptoms, were downloaded for 52 weeks from 07/01/2023 – 07/01/2024. Measles and Pertussis case data were retrieved from the weekly Notification of Infectious Disease (NOID) reports. Methods The associations between searching and case data were explored using a time-series analyses, including cross-correlations, Prais-Winsten regression and joinpoint analysis. Results Significant cross-correlations were found for Measles cases and “measles” searching (r=.41) at a lag of -1 week. For Pertussis cases, searching for “whooping cough” (r=.31), “cough” (r=.39), “100 day cough” (r.41) and “vomiting” (r=.42) were significantly correlated at a lag of -3 to -2 weeks. In multivariable regression, “measles” remained significantly associated with Measles cases (β=.24, SE=.33, p=.02) as did “whooping cough” (β=.71, SE=.27, p=.01) and “cough” (β=1.99, SE=.54, p=.001) for pertussis. Conclusion Increases in Measles and Pertussis cases follow increases in online searches for both diseases and selected respective symptoms. Further work is required to explore how GT can be used in conjunction with other health surveillance systems to monitor or even predict disease outbreaks, to better target public health interventions.
Strategic partnerships for ensuring environmental compliance in business
Authors: Gonchar Viktoriya , Kalinin Oleksandr
Published: October 2024

The article systematically examines and thoroughly explores strategic partnerships as a means of ensuring environmental compliance in the business sector. The work is dedicated to the consideration of key aspects of environmental compliance and its impact on enterprises in the context of interaction with various stakeholders. The concept of environmental compliance in the context of strategic partnerships is investigated, revealing its essence and determining its significance in the contemporary business environment.
Environmental compliance is defined as a system of commitments aimed at compliance with legislation and standards in the field of nature and environmental protection.
Drawing upon the global aspect of this issue, directions for strategic partnership actions are proposed, taking into account sustainable development goals. Key performance indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented actions are provided for each of the identified directions. Special attention is given to the stages of environmental compliance development. Stages are defined, ranging from the initial phase of familiarization to more complex systematic approaches, helping organizations understand the stage of their environmental strategy development, identify key obstacles and challenges faced by enterprises in implementing environmental compliance. Knowledge of the stages of development enables the implementation of systematic environmental compliance management, including planning, implementation, and monitoring at different stages. It allows adapting environmental compliance strategies to changes in legislation, social requirements, and technological innovations. Key steps and strategies for enterprises to achieve and maintain a high level of environmental responsibility are identified. This aspect allows for a comprehensive consideration of the dynamics and step-by-step development of environmental compliance in the context of strategic partnerships. A detailed analysis of the role of strategic partnerships in ensuring environmental compliance in business is conducted.
The positive impact of strategic partnerships on the formation of sustainable environmental practices is demonstrated, along with the identification of factors that contribute to successful interaction with stakeholders and the resolution of environmental challenges. The overall concept of the article highlights the importance of strategic partnerships as an effective instrument for enterprises to achieve and maintain environmental compliance. The research results can serve as a basis for formulating recommendations and strategies aimed at improving the sustainability and responsibility of businesses in the environmental dimensions.
Believing Ancient Women: An Introduction and Feminist Epistemological Field Guide­
Authors: Nally Edith G. , Gilbert Mary H. , Bowen Megan E.
Published: October 2024

This chapter introduces readers to the aims of the volume, gives background on the development of the epistemological theories at play, explores the salient connections between chapters, and offers suggestions for future directions in the application of these frameworks.
‘For you know how we cared for you’: Sappho and Queer Epistemology
Authors: Weiberg Erika L.
Published: October 2024

This chapter analyses the connection between memory, knowledge, and embodiment in Sappho’s fragments through the lens of queer epistemology. Queer epistemology offers two insights that open up new avenues for reading Sappho’s poetry: first, that binary conceptions of gender and sexuality are inadequate for knowing the complex experiences of desire expressed in Sappho’s fragments and second, that Sappho’s poems explore possibilities for “knowing otherwise” (Shotwell) rather than a stable identity, persona, or standpoint. This chapter explores the first idea through readings of fragments 16 and 31, and the second idea through readings of fragments 94, 95, and 96.
Monumental Presence and Absence: Approaching the Material Traces of Historical Women in the Classical World
Authors: Kim Patricia Eunji
Published: October 2024

This essay takes as its subject two distinct historiographies, one in classical art history and archaeology and its reception in modern and contemporary art, that both address the inclusion and exclusion of women in public art and space. First, it redresses the paucity of extant art-historical and archaeological evidence for monuments to historical women in comparison to that of men by recovering the myriad ways that Hellenistic-period royal and dynastic women took up monumental space (e.g. statues, buildings, performances, inscriptions). Then, it considers the lack of monuments honouring historical women, femmes, and transwomen (especially women of color) in public spaces across North America by analysing Sharon Hayes’ installation, If They Should Ask (2017). By bringing together these two distinct contexts, this paper builds on scholarly interrogations of the marginalisation of women in classical art, from antiquity to the present.
But She Didn’t Complain: Ovid’s Leucothoe, Rape Myths and Hermeneutical Injustice
Authors: Bowen Megan E.
Published: October 2024

This chapter employs the epistemic dichotomy between manifest and operative concepts (cf. Haslanger, Jenkins) to analyse the inset narrative of Leucothoe’s rape by Sol in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in the context of the victim’s own belief, Roman law, and cultural ideologies influenced by rape myths (i.e. false narratives about rape). My analysis provides insight into how ancient Roman rape myths contribute to hermeneutical injustice (Fricker, Medina) and how Ovid’s narrative simultaneously problematizes and reinforces epistemic injustice in ways that resonate with the modern #MeToo movement.
Religious Authority and Classical Reception in Baroque Rome: Martha Marchina’s Musa Posthuma and Feminist Epistemologies of Care
Authors: Damer Erika Zimmermann
Published: October 2024

This chapter examines the case of Martha Marchina (1600 - 1646), a working-class, unmarried Neopolitan daughter of a soap maker, who wrote Baroque Latin poetry in Rome. Her work survives in a single volume, titled Musa Postuma (1662), a fascinating collection of women-centered poetry, letters, and a biography. This chapter will examine a few of her poems, including those on affection for the baby Jesus, Mary’s pregnancy, the martyrdoms of early Christian female saints, and a longer lyric on the miracle of Mary’s snow in Rome in August, the miracle behind the foundation of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. For classicists approaching her 17th C poetry for the first time, her use of classical myths is striking, as she appropriates these images, and recasts them, embracing their power as transcendent images for Roman audiences while making the case for the greater power of Christian iconography and divinity. Musa Posthuma marks epistemic shifts from the Classical to Baroque Latin, from Roman antiquity to a Catholic early modern Rome, and from a masculinist Christian tradition to a woman-centered one.
‘Where are your dictionaries of the wind, the grasses?’: Logos of the Landscape in Norman MacCaig’s Poetry
Authors: Szuba Monika
Published: October 2024

In Norman MacCaig’s poems, stretched between Edinburgh and Lochinver, the self vacillates between perceptual distance and adhesion to the world, between deep time and the present moment, between the macro scale of stars to the micro scale of a frog. The poetic subject gathers the world in a glimpse of an eye to grasp its mystery in an expression of quotidian wonder. Ocular and aural perception combine in a mode of overcoming the divergence and continuing Being where thought, matter, and time are mediated and attuned. MacCaig’s poetry offers a direct link to the world filled with speech where bird song is ‘bright testaments: in a foreign language’ (‘By the Graveyard, Luskentyre’) and where ‘[t]ree/ And star are ways of finding out what I/ Mean in a text composed of earth and sky’ (‘Ego’). Thus the poems offer a translation of the meanings revealed by our world or, the logos of the landscape. The chapter discusses the ways in which poetic language witnesses the mysteries of the world as expressed in Norman MacCaig’s poetry. In a series of close readings, it explores the recurrent theme of the logos of the landscape, demonstrating how the poems perform enworlding.
‘A wing’s beat and it’s gone’: Between Transience and Permanence in Kathleen Jamie’s Writing
Authors: Szuba Monika
Published: October 2024

Concerned with interrelations between self, language and landscape, Kathleen Jamie’s work offers a reflection on time embedded in the land. The temporal framework represented in past, present and future considerations of change is a major preoccupation in her poems and essays. Temporariness is a recurrent theme in Jamie’s writing, reverberating in a returning line in both forms: ‘everything else is provisional’. The blend of impermanence and permanence is represented by the flora and fauna on the one hand, and the weather-world and the geological aspects of the landscape on the other. Reflecting both continuity and discontinuity, Jamie demonstrates that our perception of landscape oscillates between fleetingness and immutability. From time to time, she considers human traces in the landscape, which include cave paintings and a plastic doll’s head found on the beach, asking repeatedly: what remains?The chapter examines a recurrent theme in Jamie’s essays, namely her engagement with temporality. The main focus of the chapter is the interweaving of permanence and impermanence present in her works. It attempts to discuss Jamie’s explorations of time inscribed in the landscape and seek to provide an analysis of its ontological aspects.
‘A patch pegged out for closer examination’: Thomas A Clark’s Poetic Practice
Authors: Szuba Monika
Published: October 2024

‘I tend to think of the poem as an heuristic device, a question you can ask of the world, or a patch pegged out for closer examination’. Thus Thomas A Clark sees the role of poetry: as a practical method that enables us to find our way through the world, uncover connections and discover new things in the process of creation. Posing questions of the world in a poetic form, Clark explores elements of the landscape, one object at a time. Topographical metaphors gesture towards distance and proximity in the living world and examine human relations to it. Informed by the tradition and philosophy of Zen, Clark’s poetry focuses on the observations of the ongoing moment. The minimal poems capture brief glimpses of fleeting moments, the names of flowers, the texture of light, its tactility, colour and shape. Clark’s performative writing – the terse, polished poems, interventions in the landscape and site-specific works that ‘enact’ or ‘perform’ the world rather than merely describing it – traces phenomenologically the line of the land. The chapter discusses Thomas A Clark’s explorations of the way in which things appear to us as entities in the world. It aims to analyse his poetic practice as an expression of form, content and consciousness as mutually intertwined. Finally, it considers his poetry as revealing an ontological dimension of the world, and explores this by looking at how the poetry opens up in the process of unconcealedness, or aletheia.
Leveraging in vivo animal models of tendon loading to inform tissue engineering approaches
Authors: Muscat Samantha , Nichols Anne E. C.
Published: October 2024

Tendon injuries disrupt successful transmission of force between muscle and bone, resulting in reduced mobility, increased pain, and significantly reduced quality of life for affected patients. There are currently no targeted treatments to improve tendon healing beyond conservative methods such as rest and physical therapy. Tissue engineering approaches hold great promise for designing instructive biomaterials that could improve tendon healing or for generating replacement graft tissue. More recently, engineered microphysiological systems to model tendon injuries have been used to identify therapeutic targets. Despite these advances, current tissue engineering efforts that aim to regenerate, replace, or model injured tendons have largely failed due in large part to a lack of understanding of how the mechanical environment of the tendon influences tissue homeostasis and how altered mechanical loading can promote or prevent disease progression. This review article draws inspiration from what is known about tendon loading from in vivo animal models and identifies key metrics that can be used to benchmark success in tissue engineering applications. Finally, we highlight important challenges and opportunities for the field of tendon tissue engineering that should be taken into consideration in designing engineered platforms to understand or improve tendon healing.
Morphological, electrophysiological, and molecular alterations in foetal noncompacted cardiomyopathy induced by disruption of ROCK signalling
Authors: Sedmera David , Olejnickova Veronika , Sankova Barbora , Kolesova Hana , Bartos Martin , Kvasilova Alena , Phillips Lauren C. , Bamforth Simon D. , Phillips Helen M.
Published: October 2024

Left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy is associated with heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death. The developmental mechanism underpinning noncompaction in the adult heart is still not fully understood, with lack of trabeculae compaction, hypertrabeculation, and loss of proliferation cited as possible causes. To study this, we utilised a mouse model of aberrant Rho kinase (ROCK) signalling in cardiomyocytes, which led to a noncompaction phenotype during embryogenesis, and monitored how this progressed after birth and into adulthood. The cause of the early noncompaction at E15.5 was attributed to a decrease in proliferation in the developing ventricular wall. By E18.5, the phenotype became patchy, with regions of noncompaction interspersed with thick compacted areas of ventricular wall. To study how this altered myoarchitecture of the heart influenced impulse propagation in the developing and adult heart, we used histology with immunohistochemistry for gap junction protein expression, optical mapping, and electrocardiography. At the prenatal stages, a clear reduction in left ventricular wall thickness, accompanied by abnormal conduction of the ectopically paced beat in that area, was observed in mutant hearts. This correlated with increased expression of connexin-40 and connexin-43 in noncompacted trabeculae. In postnatal stages, left ventricular noncompaction was resolved, but the right ventricular wall remained structurally abnormal through to adulthood with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and retention of myocardial crypts. Thus, this is a novel model of self-correcting embryonic hypertrabeculation cardiomyopathy, but it highlights that remodelling potential differs between the left and right ventricles. We conclude that disruption of ROCK signalling induces both morphological and electrophysiological changes that evolve over time, highlighting the link between myocyte proliferation and noncompaction phenotypes and electrophysiological differentiation.
Causal relationship between antihypertensive drugs and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a drug-target Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Cui Bing , Chen Aqin , Xu Chengcheng , Mao Chaoming , Chen Yuehua
Published: October 2024

Introduction and objectives

Recent studies have indicated a potential association of hypertension with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and other autoimmune diseases, yet the impact of antihypertensive drugs on HT risk is not well understood.

Methods

We employed a drug-target Mendelian randomization approach to investigate the prolonged impact of 9 classes of antihypertensive medications on HT susceptibility in European and Asian populations. Genetic variants close to or within genes associated with the drug targets and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were utilized to mimic the effects of antihypertensive medications. We focused on drugs linked to a lower risk of coronary artery disease for our main analysis. We gathered genetic data on SBP and HT risk from comprehensive genome-wide association studies available for European and Asian groups. For a supplementary analysis, we used expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) related to drug target genes as proxies.

Results

Our analysis revealed that the use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) is linked to a reduced risk of HT in both European (OR [95% CI]: 0.96 [0.95 to 0.98] per 1 mmHg decrease in SBP; p = 3.51×10-5) and Asian populations (OR [95% CI]: 0.28 [0.12, 0.66]; p = 3.54×10-3). Moreover, genetically mimicking the use of loop diuretics (OR [95% CI]: 0.94 [0.91, 0.97]; p = 3.57×10-5) and thiazide diuretics (0.98 [0.96, 0.99]; p = 3.83×10-3) showed a significant association with a decreased risk of HT only in European population. These outcomes were confirmed when eQTLs were employed to represent the effects of antihypertensive medications.

Conclusion

The study suggests that CCBs and diuretics could potentially reduce the risk of HT in different populations. Additional research is needed to assess the feasibility of repurposing antihypertensive medications for the prevention of HT.
Novel hybrid data-driven models for enhanced renewable energy prediction
Authors: Alharbi Talal , Iqbal Saeed
Published: October 2024

Global power grid management depends on accurate solar energy estimation, yet present prediction techniques frequently suffer from unreliability as a result of abnormalities in solar energy data. Solar radiation projections are affected by variables such as anticipated horizon length, meteorological classification, and power measuring techniques. Therefore, a Solar Wind Energy Prediction System (SWEPS) is proposed as a solution to these problems. It improves renewable energy projections by taking sun trajectories and atmospheric characteristics into account. In addition to using a variety of optimization methods and pre-processing techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), Least Absolute Shrinkage Selection Operator (LASSO), and recursive feature addition processes (RFA), complemented by a genetic algorithm for feature selection (GAFS). The SWEPS also makes use of sophisticated machine learning algorithms and Statistical Correlation Analysis (SCA) to find important connections. Neural Network Algorithms (NNA) and other metaheuristic techniques like Cuckoo Search Optimization (CSO), Social Spider Optimization (SSO), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are adopted in this work to increase the predictability and accuracy of models. Utilizing the strengths of machine learning and deep learning techniques (Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Decision Trees, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM)) for robust forecasting, as well as meta-heuristic optimization techniques to fine-tune hyper-parameters and achieve near-optimal values and significantly improve model performance, are some of this work contributions to the development of a comprehensive prediction system.
B cell mechanosensing regulates ER remodeling at the immune synapse
Authors: Riobó Isidora , Yuseff María Isabel
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Engagement of the B-cell receptor with immobilized antigens triggers the formation of an immune synapse (IS), a complex cellular platform where B-cells recruit signaling molecules and reposition lysosomes to promote antigen uptake and processing. Calcium efflux from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) released upon BCR stimulation is necessary to promote B-cell survival and differentiation. Whether the spatial organization of the ER within the B-cell synapse can tune IS function and B-cell activation remains unaddressed. Here, we characterized ER structure and interaction with the microtubule network during BCR activation and evaluated how mechanical cues arising from antigen presenting surfaces affect this process.

Methods

B-cells were cultured on surfaces of varying stiffness coated with BCR ligands, fixed, and stained for the ER and microtubule network. Imaging analysis was used to assess the distribution of the ER and microtubules at the IS.

Results

Upon BCR activation, the ER is redistributed towards the IS independently of peripheral microtubules and accumulates around the microtubule-organization center. Furthermore, this remodeling is also dependent on substrate stiffness, where greater stiffness triggers enhanced redistribution of the ER.

Discussion

Our results highlight how spatial reorganization of the ER is coupled to the context of antigen recognition and could tune B-cell responses. Additionally, we provide novel evidence that the structural maturation of the ER in plasma cells is initiated during early activation of B-cells.
Analysis of B-cell receptor repertoire to evaluate the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 RBD mRNA vaccine: MAFB-7256a (DS-5670d)
Authors: Ohji Goh , Funakoshi Yohei , Yakushijin Kimikazu , Matsutani Takaji , Sasaki Tomoki , Kusakabe Takahiro , Matsumoto Sakuya , Koyama Taiji , Nagatani Yoshiaki , Kurata Keiji , Kimbara Shiro , Kiyota Naomi , Minami Hironobu
Published: October 2024

A monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 mRNA RBD analogue vaccine, MAFB-7256a (DS-5670d), was newly developed and approved in Japan in the Spring of 2024 for the prevention of COVID-19. However, clinical efficacy data for this vaccine are currently lacking. We previously established the Quantification of Antigen-specific Antibody Sequence (QASAS) method to assess the response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at the mRNA level using B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire assays and the Coronavirus Antibody Database (CoV-AbDab). Here, we used this method to evaluate the immunogenicity of MAFB-7256a. We analyzed repeated blood samples using the QASAS method from three healthy volunteers before and after MAFB-7256a vaccination. BCR response increased rapidly one week post-vaccination and then decreased, as with conventional vaccine. Notably, the matched sequences after MAFB-7256a vaccination specifically bound to the receptor-binding domain (RBD), with no sequences binding to other epitopes. These results validate that MAFB-7256a is an effective vaccine that exclusively induces antibodies specific for the RBD, demonstrating its targeted immunogenic effect.
Antibacterial and anticancer potential of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites of endophytic fungi isolated from Anethum graveolens
Authors: El-Zehery Hoda R. A. , Ashry Noha Mohamed , Faiesal Abeer A. , Attia Mohamed S. , Abdel-Maksoud Mostafa A. , El-Tayeb Mohamed A. , Aufy Mohammed , El-Dougdoug Noha K.
Published: October 2024

Fungal endophytes are known to produce bioactive chemicals and secondary metabolites that are often identical to those produced by their host plants. The main objective of the current study was to isolate and identify endophytic fungi associated with the medicinal plant Anethum graveolens, and to investigate their potential antibacterial and anticancer properties. The ethyl acetate extracts from the isolated endophytic fungi, as well as the host plant A. graveolens, were subjected to bioactivity assays to evaluate their antibacterial and anticancer potential against multi-drug resistant bacterial strains and the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The endophytic fungi isolated and identified from the A. graveolens samples included Diaporthe, Auxarthron, Arthrinium, Aspergillus, Microsporum, Dothiorella, Trichophyton, Lophiostoma, Penicillium, and Trichoderma species. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay revealed that the A. graveolens extract exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity, with an MIC value of 4 μg/ml, followed by the Trichoderma sp. (5 μg/ml) and Penicillium sp. (6 μg/ml) extracts. Additionally, the crude extracts of Trichoderma sp., Penicillium sp., and Fusarium sp. demonstrated high anticancer activity against HepG2 cells, with inhibition rates ranging from 89 to 92% at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. Interestingly, the A. graveolens extract showed the most potent anticancer activity, with a 95% inhibition rate against HepG2 cells at the same concentration. These findings highlight the significant potential of endophytic fungi associated with A. graveolens, as a source of bioactive compounds with promising antibacterial and anticancer properties. The results reinforce the hypothesis that medicinal plants and their endophytic fungi can serve as an attractive alternative for the development of novel therapeutic agents, potentially offering a more sustainable and less harmful approach to disease management compared to traditional chemical-based methods.
Large vessel occlusion mediated fluid attenuated inversion recovery signal intensity ratio is associated with stroke within 4.5 h
Authors: Wang Yajing , Mao Qianqian , Jiang Liang , Peng Mingyang , Chen Yu-Chen , Zhang Hong , Wang Liwei , Yin Xindao
Published: October 2024

Introduction

The primary objective was to investigate the value of the fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal intensity ratio (SIR) in identifying stroke within 4.5 h. The secondary objective was to ascertain whether large vessel occlusion (LVO) mediated the relationship between the SIR and stroke within 4.5 h.

Methods

We analyzed 633 acute stroke patients within 24 h of clear symptom onset. The SIR and DWI-FLAIR mismatch were evaluated. First, we determined whether demographic variables, vascular risk factors and LVO were related to stroke within 4.5 h with multivariate logistic regression analyses and stratified regression analysis. Next, we used mediation analysis to determine whether LVO explained the association between SIR and stroke within 4.5 h. Finally, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to assess the value of SIR, independent variable, and multiparameter models in identifying stroke within 4.5 h and compared with DWI-FLAIR mismatch.

Results

Hyperlipemia, LVO and SIR were associated with stroke within 4.5 h. Mediation analysis revealed that LVO partially mediated the relationship between SIR and stroke within 4.5 h (p < 0.001). The multiparameter model (hyperlipemia, LVO and SIR) showed significantly improved performance (AUC 0.869) in identifying stroke within 4.5 h over DWI-FLAIR mismatch (0.684), hyperlipemia (0.632), LVO (0.667) and SIR (0.773) models.

Conclusion

SIR is associated with stroke within 4.5 h, and LVO partially mediates this relationship. A multiparameter model combining hyperlipemia, LVO and SIR can more accurately identify stroke within 4.5 h than individual parameter models.
New model to predict survival in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients by measuring GGT and LDH levels and monocyte count
Authors: del Campo-Pedrosa Rocío , Martín-Carnicero Alfonso , González-Marcos Ana , Martínez Alfredo
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal cancer with a poor survival outcome. Predicting patient survival allows physicians to tailor treatments to specific individuals. Thus, a simple and cost-effective prognosis model is sorely needed.

Methods

This retrospective study assesses the prognostic value of blood biomarkers in advanced and metastatic PDAC patients (n=96) from Spain. Cut-off points for hematological parameters were calculated and correlated with overall survival (OS) using Kaplan-Meier, log-rank test, robust Cox proportional hazards and logistic regressions.

Results

In univariate analysis, individuals with low levels of GGT, LDH, ALP, leukocyte-, neutrophil- and monocyte counts showed significantly longer survival than patients with higher levels. In multivariate analysis, lower levels of GGT (HR (95%CI), 2.734 (1.223-6.111); p=0.014), LDH (HR (95%CI), 1.876 (1.035-3.400); p=0.038) and monocyte count (HR (95%CI), 1.657 (1.095-2.506); p = 0.017) remained significantly beneficial. In consequence, we propose a prognostic model based on logistic regression (AUC=0.741) of these three biomarkers as a pioneer tool to estimate OS in PDAC.

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated that the joint use of GGT (<92.00), LDH (<220.00) and monocyte count (<800) are independent positive prognostic factors in PDAC that can predict one-year survival in a novel prognostic logistic model.