bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consciência jurídica relacional e anticorrupção: Lava Jato, interações em redes sociais e a coprodução da detração do direito no Brasil (2017-2019)
Authors: de Sa e Silva Fabio , Stewart Michael López
Published: February 2025

A partir de 2014, a política brasileira foi sacudida pela operação Lava Jato (LJ), uma iniciativa anticorrupção centrada no direito. A LJ expôs um grande esquema de corrupção na empresa nacional de petróleo, a Petrobras, envolvendo seus diretores, dirigentes de partidos políticos e grandes empreiteiras. Para alguns, a LJ representou um marco, um novo capítulo na história do Brasil, promovendo o “estado de direito” e um desejo coletivo de “acabar com a impunidade” na política e nos negócios. Para outros, a operação enfraqueceu a democracia e o estado de direito, abrindo caminho para uma liderança autocrática sob o ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro. Este artigo contribui para esses debates ao analisar a LJ como um espaço de produção de “consciência jurídica.” Empiricamente, examina conversas lideradas por procuradores da LJ no Facebook entre 2017 e 2019. A questão central abordada é: “Quando os procuradores e o público falavam sobre a LJ, sobre o que falavam?” Os resultados se alinham às visões céticas sobre a operação, sugerindo que as interações entre os procuradores da LJ e seus seguidores no Facebook ajudaram a co-criar um quadro cultural que conflita com o “estado de direito.” Essas percepções oferecem implicações para estudos sobre consciência jurídica e esforços anticorrupção.
The gaps and opportunities for non-state actors in plastics circular economy approaches
Authors: Vince Joanna , Willis Kathryn A.
Published: February 2025

On all levels of governance, there have been varied policy responses to the marine plastic pollution issue. These responses include the development of innovative waste management, circular economy, extended producer responsibility and product stewardship approaches. Non-state actors play important roles in these approaches across global and national levels. Regulatory bodies often experience challenges with implementing sustainable, conservation measures, demonstrating that regulatory measures alone cannot generate the required change to effectively stop marine and terrestrial plastic pollution. Effective plastic pollution governance requires participation from non-state actors in its design, development and implementation. This article examines the gaps that exist in the governance of a plastics circular economy, including the focus on recycling and end-of-pipe/down-cycling solutions and the lack of attention on the other ‘Rs’ that are required for true circularity, for example, refuse, reduce, resell, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose and recover energy. We argue that non-state actors can help fill these gaps through multi-stakeholder partnerships, community-led plastic programmes and policies and environmentally and socially responsible industry-based solutions that utilise market-based initiatives. This article explores the roles of non-state actors in plastic policymaking and the gaps and opportunities for non-state actors in the development and implementation of holistic, integrated, ‘whole of life cycle’ and circular economy policies.
Sublethal effects of flonicamid on the population growth of the grain aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Kong Fan-Bin , Cui Ling-Ling , Jiang Yu-Tai , Lv Yong-Po , Li Ren-Jie , Wang Yang , Li Xin-An , Zhang Bai-Zhong , Liu Run-Qiang
Published: February 2025

Rhopalosiphum padi is an important grain pest, causing severe losses during crop production. As a systemic insecticide, flonicamid can control piercing-sucking pests efficiently. In our study, the lethal effects of flonicamid on the biological traits of R. padi were investigated via a life table approach. Flonicamid is highly efficiently toxic to R. padi, with an LC50 of 9.068 mg L−1. The adult longevity and fecundity of the R. padi F0 generation were markedly reduced under the LC25 and LC50 concentrations of flonicamid exposure. In addition, negative transgenerational effects on R. padi were observed under exposure to lethal concentrations of flonicamid, with noticeable decreases in the reproductive period, adult longevity, total longevity, and total fecundity of the F1 generation under the LC25 concentration of flonicamid. Furthermore, the third nymph stage (N3), preadult stage, duration of the adult pre-reproductive period, duration of the total pre-reproductive period, reproductive period, adult longevity, total longevity, and total fecundity of the F1 generation were significantly lower under treatment with the LC50 concentration of flonicamid. The life table parameters were subsequently analysed, revealing that the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and the net reproductive rate (R0) were significantly lower but that the finite rate of increase (λ) and the mean generation time (T) were not significantly different under the LC25 and LC50 concentrations of flonicamid. These data are beneficial for grain aphid control and are critical for exploring the role of flonicamid in the integrated management of this key pest.
The problem with the problem of mourning
Authors: Vicens Leigh
Published: February 2025

In her recent book The Image of God: The Problem of Evil and the Problem of Mourning (2022), Eleonore Stump takes up a question she thinks has been unduly neglected by contemporary philosophers of religion: Is the world as good as it would have been had original sin, and all subsequent sin and suffering, not occurred? Stump contends that if we do not answer this question in the affirmative, we are left with a problem – a picture of a world which is a disappointment to God; and this picture could in turn undermine belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, perfectly good Creator. In response to this problem, Stump sets out to defend the felix culpa view, according to which the world is even better with the Fall than it would have been without. However, I argue in this article that the felix culpa view has unacceptable consequences regarding God’s desires and will, that we can live with the problem of mourning unresolved, and that we need not affirm the felix culpa view to resolve the problem of mourning anyway.
Turner, Bird, Eratosthenes: An eternal burning thread
Authors: GIBBONS JEREMY
Published: February 2025

Functional programmers have many things for which to thank the late David Turner: design decisions he made in his languages SASL, KRC, and Miranda over the last 50 years are still influential and inspirational now. In particular, Turner was a strong advocate of lazy evaluation and of list comprehensions. As an illustration of these techniques, he popularized a one-line recursive “sieve” to generate the infinite list of prime numbers.

Turner called this algorithm The Sieve of Eratosthenes. In a lovely paper called “The Genuine Sieve of Eratosthenes”, Melissa O’Neill argued that Turner’s program is not in fact a faithful implementation of the algorithm, and gave a detailed presentation using priority queues of the real thing. She included a variation by Richard Bird, which uses only lists but makes clever use of circular programming. Bird describes his circular program again in his textbook “Thinking Functionally with Haskell”, and sets its proof of correctness as an exercise. In particular, why is this circular program productive? Unfortunately, Bird’s hint for a solution is incorrect. So what should a proof look like?

One of the last projects Turner worked on was the notion of “Total Functional Programming”. He observed that most programs are already structurally recursive or corecursive, therefore guaranteed respectively terminating or productive; he conjectured that “with more practice we will find this is always true”. We explore Bird’s circular Sieve of Eratosthenes as a challenge problem for Turner’s Total Functional Programming.
Schweigen in Organisationen
Authors: Knoll Michael
Published: February 2025

Zusammenfassung: Ob Menschen kritische Themen – z. B. eigene Fehler, die Verletzung moralischer und rechtlicher Standards durch andere, Möglichkeiten zur Verbesserung ineffizienter Prozesse und Strukturen – ansprechen oder verschweigen beeinflusst deren eigenes Lernen und Wohlbefinden und die nachhaltige Entwicklung der Organisationen und Gesellschaften, in denen sie arbeiten und leben. Das Schweigen zu Fehlverhalten und Fehlentwicklungen (z. B. zu sexueller Belästigung, Mobbing, Korruption und Machtmissbrauch, Misswirtschaft und Ineffizienz) wird aktuell in zahlreichen Bereichen thematisiert – etwa im Sport, religiösen und pädagogischen Institutionen, in der Polizei und im Militär, im medizinischen, Wirtschafts-‍, Kultur- und Wissenschaftskontext. Mit dem Text möchte ich einen Einblick in den bestehenden Wissensstand zum Thema Schweigen in Organisationen geben und Anknüpfungspunkte bieten, Wissen aus diversen Teil- und Nachbardisziplinen der Psychologie dazu in Bezug zu setzen. Neben einer Ein- und Abgrenzung dessen, was unter Schweigen in Organisationen zu verstehen ist, thematisiere ich Motive für und Einflussfaktoren auf das Schweigen, benenne konzeptionelle und methodische Herausforderungen des Forschungsfeldes und identifiziere Möglichkeiten, dieses weiterzuentwickeln. Ansätze zur Intervention leite ich aus Mehrebenen-‍, Prozess- und systemischen Perspektiven ab.
Understanding the Relationship Between South Pacific Oscillation and ENSO
Authors: Hu Suqiong , Zhang Wenjun , Jiang Feng
Published: February 2025

The boreal summer South Pacific Oscillation (SPO), the dominant mode of atmospheric variability over the South Pacific, has been proposed as a potential precursor to the development of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, this study demonstrates that the SPO signal during the developing summer of ENSO events is primarily driven by the concurrent ENSO‐related tropical Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies, challenging its role as an independent predictor of ENSO. We further show that those winter ENSO events preceded by a summer SPO signal begin to develop before the SPO signal in the extratropics appear, and incorporating the summer SPO signal into ENSO persitence model does not add additional information for ENSO hindcast. The observational findings are further corroborated by evidence that the lead relationship of SPO over ENSO in climate models is mainly determined by their simulated ENSO teleconnection to SPO during summer.
Seasonal Variations in the Strength of Sporadic Meteor Sources Observed by Meteor Radar
Authors: Luo Jiahui , Gong Yun , Zhang Shaodong , Zhou Qihou , Ma Zheng
Published: February 2025

Sporadic meteors are a significant source of metals in the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere, and the understanding of the seasonal variations of their strengths can provide valuable insights into the origins and orbits of cosmic dust particles near Earth. This study analyzes meteor echo data collected by an all‐sky interferometric meteor radar in Ledong (LD, 18.4°N, 109.0°E) to quantify the strengths of sporadic meteor sources and their seasonal variations. The results indicate that the helion, antihelion, and apex sources are stronger than the north toroidal source, highlighting a concentration of sporadic meteors near the ecliptic plane and fewer near the ecliptic poles. Distinct seasonal variations are observed, with meteor activity peaking in April and September, likely corresponding to periods of increased meteor and dust particle density in Earth's orbit. Moreover, eight meteor showers are identified as significantly influencing the apparent radiant distributions and have comparable strengths with sporadic meteor sources. To enhance the analysis, a monthly radiant weighting system in ecliptic coordinates is developed, enabling precise calculation of source strengths and improved characterization of seasonal variations in radiant distributions. This research advances our understanding of sporadic meteors and their role in Earth's atmospheric processes, providing a foundation for future investigations into cosmic dust dynamics.
Arctic Ice Is Getting Smoother and Moving Faster
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: February 2025

A decrease in pressure ridges over the past 3 decades is making the ice more uniform, with unclear consequences.
Ancient Climate Reconstruction Links Past and Future
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: February 2025

A new map of climate conditions during the Pliocene epoch—the last time Earth’s carbon dioxide concentrations hit 400 parts per million—could offer clues about possible climatic changes in store for the 21st century.
N-acetylcysteine for youth cannabis use disorder: randomized controlled trial main findings
Authors: Gray Kevin M. , Tomko Rachel L. , Baker Nathaniel L. , McClure Erin A. , McRae-Clark Aimee L. , Squeglia Lindsay M.
Published: February 2025

Cannabis use disorder is particularly prevalent and impairing among young people, and evidence-based treatments are limited. Prior trials of N-acetylcysteine, added to contingency management as a platform behavioral intervention, yielded positive findings in youth but not in adults. This trial sought to rigorously evaluate whether N-acetylcysteine is efficacious in youth when not paired with a robust behavioral treatment platform. Treatment-seeking youth with cannabis use disorder (N = 192, ages 14–21) were randomized to receive a double-blind 12-week course of oral N-acetylcysteine 1200 mg or placebo twice daily; all received weekly medical management and brief behavioral counseling. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of negative urine cannabinoid tests during treatment, compared between groups. An array of self-report and urine testing measures were examined secondarily to assess cannabis use reduction and cessation outcomes. The N-acetylcysteine and placebo groups did not differ in proportion of negative urine cannabinoid tests (RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.53, 1.64; p = 0.80) or self-reported cannabis abstinence (RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.63, 1.65; p = 0.93) during treatment. The mean percentage of cannabis use days and grams of cannabis used per using day decreased over time during treatment but did not differ between groups. More N-acetylcysteine than placebo treated participants reported gastrointestinal adverse events (63/98 versus 37/94, χ2
1 = 11.9 p < 0.001); adverse events were otherwise similar between groups. Findings indicate that N-acetylcysteine is not efficacious for youth cannabis use disorder when not paired with contingency management, highlighting the potentially crucial role of a robust behavioral treatment platform in facilitating prior positive efficacy findings with N-acetylcysteine.

Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03055377
Confirmation of successful supraglottic airway device placement in neonates using a respiratory function monitor
Authors: Dvorsky Robyn , Werther Tobias , Bibl Katharina , Schneider Michael , Binder Christoph , Habrina Lisa , Klebermaß-Schrehof Katrin , Kranebitter Veronika , Schmölzer Georg M. , Berger Angelika , Wagner Michael
Published: February 2025

Background

This study investigated the use of a respiratory function monitor (RFM) to guide the placement of a supraglottic airway device (SAD) in neonates during intensive care interventions. We hypothesized that using a RFM would decrease the number of attempts needed for a successful placement.

Methods

This single-center pilot study was carried out at a tertiary NICU at the Medical University of Vienna. Patients were ventilated using a SAD during neurosurgical or endoscopic interventions. A RFM was either hidden (but recording) or visible to providers during SAD placement. Feedback from the RFM was used to assess correct/incorrect placement and optimize ventilation quality. The parameter leakage was used for assessment: if leak was <30%, correct placement was assumed. The primary outcome was the number of attempts until correct placement. Secondary outcomes included ventilation parameters recorded by the RFM and the duration of SAD placement.

Results

Six patients were included in this pilot trial. Using a RFM to guide SAD placement led to fewer attempts (median attempts: 3 [hidden] vs. 1 [visible]). Furthermore, using the RFM, necessary adaptations were made to the SAD position to decrease leakage (mean leakage: 74.8% [hidden] vs. 17.8% [visible]), subsequently endoscopy after insertion of SAD using the RFM then confirmed anatomically correct position.

Conclusion

This pilot study indicated that a RFM might be useful to provide guidance during SAD placement.

Impact statement

Feedback from a RFM reliably indicated correct anatomical placement of a SAD by correlating low leakage values with proper SAD positioning.

RFM guidance could improve neonatal airway management, reducing procedural time and number of attempts.

We present promising preliminary results. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Urbanisation and mental health in left-behind children: systematic review and meta-analysis using resilience framework
Authors: Lin Kelly , Mak Leona , Cai Jinxuan , Jiang Stephen , Fayyaz Nawaal , Broadley Simon , Sun Jing
Published: February 2025

Background

Prolonged parental separation at young ages has significant adverse effects on development in left-behind-children (LBC). We aimed to compare mental health status, emotional and behavioural problems, and their association with socioemotional development between LBC and their counterparts.

Methods

Cross-sectional studies comparing LBC and non-LBC published from 2000 onwards were searched. Primary outcomes included depression, anxiety emotional and behavioural problems. Secondary outcomes included loneliness, self-harm, suicide, and risk-related behaviours. Quality of all included articles was assessed by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal. Data was analyzed by random model-based effect method.

Results

78 observational studies comprising of 394,308 children aged 2–18 were included. Compared to NLBC, LBC had significantly more depression, anxiety, emotional and behavioural problems, conduct problems, self-harm, loneliness, peer bullying, attempts of smoking and alcohol consumption. Subgroup analyses found that younger LBC between the ages of 6 to 12 were at greater risks of poor mental health, emotional and behavioural problems.

Conclusion

Absent parental care prevents healthy socio-emotional development and hinder the formation of secure attachment. Poor social-emotional development leads to worse emotional resilience against psychological stressors, while LBC residing in rural areas also experience additional risk factors of low household income and poor access to mental health services.

Impact statement

Prolonged parental separation negatively influences mental health, especially in younger children between the ages 6 to 12.

Poor social-emotional development in left-behind children is associated with worse emotional resilience against psychological stressors.

Additional risk factors including residing in rural areas, low household income, and poor access to mental health services predisposes left-behind children to high risks of mental illness.

Timely support services targeted towards strengthening resilience factor such as learning better emotional and behavioural coping strategies and improving school and peer support to address increased risk of mental health problems are required for current left-behind children.
Impaired RelA signaling and lipid metabolism dysregulation in hepatocytes: driving forces in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
Authors: He Yihuai , Jiang Jinlian , Ou Lili , Chen Yunfen , Abudukeremu Aikedaimu , Chen Guimei , Zhong Weiwei , Jiang Zhigang , Nuermaimaiti Nuerbiye , Guan Yaqun
Published: February 2025

RelA, also known as nuclear factor kappa B p65, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. However, the specific role of RelA in hepatocytes during the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is not well understood. This study explored the relationship between impaired RelA signaling and lipid metabolism disorders in hepatocytes, and how they synergistically contribute to the advancement of MASLD. We assessed the changes, regulatory relationships, and impacts of RelA signaling and lipid metabolism remodeling on disease progression both in vitro and in vivo. During MASLD, there was a decrease in the expression of RelA and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha (HNF1α), with both factors showing mutual enhancement of each other’s expression under normal conditions. This synergistic effect was absent during hepatocyte steatosis. RelA or HNF1α depletion in hepatocytes intensified MASLD symptoms, whereas overexpression of RELA or treatment with necrostatin-1 (a necroptosis inhibitor) or Z-VAD (a caspase inhibitor) significantly mitigated these effects. Mechanistically, during hepatic steatosis, altered lipid profiles exhibited lipotoxicity, inducing hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis, whereas endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggered lipid remodeling processes similar to those observed in MASLD. RelA signaling upregulated the expression of activating transcription factor 4 and glucose-regulated protein 78, thereby alleviating ER stress. Impaired RelA signaling remodeled the ER stress response and lipid metabolism, and enhanced lipid accumulation and lipid toxicity. In conclusion, impaired RelA signaling and disrupted lipid metabolism form a detrimental feedback loop in hepatocytes that promotes MASLD progression. Lipid accumulation suppresses RelA signaling, remodeling the ER stress response and exacerbating lipid metabolism disorder, ultimately leading to hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha is an essential factor in enhanced macrophage immune function induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme
Authors: Saito Suguru , Cao Duo-Yao , Bernstein Ellen A. , Shibata Tomohiro , Jones Anthony E. , Rios Amy , Hoshi Aoi O. , Stotland Aleksandr B. , Nishi Erika E. , Van Eyk Jennifer E. , Divakaruni Ajit , Khan Zakir , Bernstein Kenneth E.
Published: February 2025

Increased expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) by myeloid lineage cells strongly increases the immune activity of these cells, as observed in ACE10/10 mice, which exhibit a marked increase in antitumor and antibactericidal immunity. We report that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), a transcription factor that regulates genes critical for lipid metabolism, is a key molecule in the enhanced macrophage function induced by ACE. Here, we used a Cre–LoxP approach with LysM-Cre to create a modified ACE10/10 mouse line in which macrophages continue to generate abundant ACE but in which monocyte and macrophage PPARα expression is selectively suppressed. These mice, termed A10-PPARα-Cre, have significantly increased growth of B16-F10 tumors compared with ACE10/10 mice with Cre expression. PPARα depletion impaired cytokine production and antigen-presenting activity in ACE-expressing macrophages, resulting in reduced tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell generation. Additionally, the elevated bactericidal resistance typical of ACE10/10 mice was significantly reduced in A10-PPARα-Cre mice, such that these mice resembled WT mice in their resistance to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. THP-1 cells expressing increased ACE (termed THP-1-ACE) constitute a human macrophage model with increased PPARα that shows enhanced cytotoxicity against tumor cells and better phagocytosis and killing of MRSA. RNA silencing of PPARα in THP-1-ACE cells reduced both tumor cell death and bacterial phagocytosis and clearance. In contrast, the in vivo administration of pemafibrate, a specific agonist of PPARα, to WT and A10-PPARα-Cre mice reduced B16-F10 tumor growth by 24.5% and 25.8%, respectively, but pemafibrate reduced tumors by 57.8% in ACE10/10 mice. With pemafibrate, the number of antitumor CD8+ T cells was significantly lower in A10-PPARα-Cre mice than in ACE10/10 mice. We conclude that PPARα is important in the immune system of myeloid cells, including wild-type cells, and that its increased expression by ACE-expressing macrophages in ACE10/10 mice is indispensable for ACE-dependent functional upregulation of macrophages in both mice and human cells.
Validating candidate endpoints for intermediate age-related macular degeneration trials in a multi-centre setting—lessons from the MACUSTAR study
Authors: Terheyden Jan Henrik , Dunbar Hannah M. P. , Schmitz-Valckenberg Steffen , Behning Charlotte , Martinho Cecília , Luhmann Ulrich F. O. , Saßmannshausen Marlene , Lüning Anna , Miliu Alexandra , Aires Inês Dinis , Basile Pier Giorgio , Batuca Joana , Schmid Matthias , Moll Klaus-Peter , Zakaria Nadia , Tufail Adnan , Binns Alison , Crabb David P. , Leal Sergio , Finger Robert P. , Holz Frank G. ,   on behalf of the MACUSTAR consortium, Agostini H. , Aires I. D. , Altay L. , Atia R. , Bandello F. , Basile P. G. , Batuca J. , Behning C. , Belmouhand M. , Berger M. , Binns A. , Boon C. J. F. , Böttger M. , Brazier J. E. , Carapezzi C. , Carlton J. , Carneiro A. , Charil A. , Coimbra R. , Cosette D. , Cozzi M. , Crabb D. P. , Cunha-Vaz J. , Dahlke C. , Dunbar H. , Finger R. P. , Fletcher E. , Gutfleisch M. , Hartgers F. , Higgins B. , Hildebrandt J. , Höck E. , Hogg R. , Holz F. G. , Hoyng C. B. , Kilani A. , Krätzschmar J. , Kühlewein L. , Larsen M. , Leal S. , Lechanteur Y. T. E. , Lu D. , Luhmann U. F. O. , Lüning A. , Manivannan N. , Marques I. , Martinho C. , Miliu A. , Moll K. P. , Mulyukov Z. , Paques M. , Parodi B. , Parravano M. , Penas S. , Peters T. , Peto T. , Priglinger S. , Ramamirtham R. , Ribeiro R. , Rowen D. , Rubin G. S. , Sahel J. , Sánchez C. , Sander O. , Saßmannshausen M. , Schmid M. , Schmitz-Valckenberg S. , Siedlecki J. , Silva R. , Souied E. , Staurenghi G. , Tavares J. , Taylor D. J. , Terheyden J. H. , Tufail A. , Valmaggia P. , Varano M. , Wolf A. , Zakaria N.
Published: February 2025

For the conduct of future interventional age-related macular degeneration (AMD) trials, the availability of clinical study endpoints is key. However, no endpoints have been accepted by regulators for evaluation of treatment for intermediate (i) AMD, i.e. the AMD stage at highest risk of developing irreversible geographic atrophy or macular neovascularization. The European MACUSTAR consortium has recruited more than 700 individuals to develop and validate structural, functional and patient-reported endpoints, enabling future iAMD trials based on a prospective observational, multi-centre cohort study. Reliably assessing candidate endpoints in a setting that involves multiple clinical sites across countries comes with a plurality of challenges in the study set-up, quality of data, recruitment of participants and study conduct. Therefore, the MACUSTAR consortium has established a framework that successfully addresses these topics, provides relevant insights into the natural history of iAMD and its sub-phenotypes, and will open new regulatory pathways. The MACUSTAR study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under NCT03349801.
The role of the urologist in managing high flow priapism
Authors: Dursun Murat , Kalkanlı Arif , Tantekin Seyfettin Anıl , Sevinç Ahmet Halil , Kaçan Turgay , Ercan Celal Caner , Kadıoğlu Ateş
Published: February 2025

High-flow priapism (arterial) is a prolonged erection caused by irregular cavernous arterial flow, often resulting from blunt perineal or penile trauma, or iatrogenic needle injury. This condition leads to the formation of an arteriolacunar fistula, causing unregulated arterial blood flow into the sinusoidal spaces of the penis. Unlike low-flow priapism, high-flow priapism typically presents with a partially erect, non-painful penis. The diagnosis is confirmed through characteristic findings on color Doppler ultrasound, which reveals turbulent high-velocity flow pinpointing the fistula’s location. Blood gas analysis typically reflects arterial values, helping to differentiate high-flow priapism from its low-flow counterpart. Although high-flow priapism was historically considered non-urgent, recent evidence suggests that delayed treatment may increase the risk of erectile dysfunction. Therefore, prompt intervention by urologists is crucial. The primary goal is to close the fistula, and the treatment plan should be individualized based on the severity and duration of the condition. Urologists play a critical role in managing this condition, offering a range of therapeutic options. These include conservative approaches, such as observation and compression, medical therapy, arterial embolization, and, in some cases, surgical intervention. The choice of treatment depends on the patient’s condition, the fistula’s location, and the resources available. By ensuring timely and appropriate management, urologists can minimize complications and preserve erectile function.
Testosterone exacerbates neutrophilia and cardiac injury in myocardial infarction via actions in bone marrow
Authors: Svedlund Eriksson Elin , Lantero Rodriguez Marta , Halvorsen Bente , Johansson Inger , Mårtensson Anna K. F. , Wilhelmson Anna S. , Huse Camilla , Ueland Thor , Aukrust Pål , Broch Kaspar , Gullestad Lars , Amundsen Brage Høyem , Andersen Geir Øystein , Karlsson Mikael C. I. , Hagberg Thulin Malin , Camponeschi Alessandro , Trompet Dana , Hammarsten Ola , Redfors Björn , Borén Jan , Omerovic Elmir , Levin Malin C. , Chagin Andrei S. , Dahl Tuva B. , Tivesten Åsa
Published: February 2025

Men develop larger infarct sizes than women after a myocardial infarction (MI), but the mechanism underlying this sex difference is unknown. Here, we demonstrated that blood neutrophil counts post-MI were higher in male than female mice. Castration-induced testosterone deficiency reduced blood neutrophil counts to the level in females and increased survival post-MI. These effects were mimicked by Osterix-directed ablation of the androgen receptor in bone marrow (BM). Mechanistically, androgens downregulated the leukocyte retention factor CXCL12 in BM stromal cells. Post-hoc analysis of clinical trial data showed that neutrophilia was greater in men than women after reperfusion of first-time ST-elevation MI, and tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor, reduced blood neutrophil counts and infarct size to a greater extent in men than women. Our work reveals a previously unknown mechanism connecting testosterone with neutrophilia and MI injury via BM and identifies the importance of considering sex when developing anti-inflammatory strategies to treat MI.
Comprehensive exploration of visual working memory mechanisms using large-scale behavioral experiment
Authors: Huang Liqiang
Published: February 2025

Two decades of research on visual working memory have produced substantial yet fragmented knowledge. This study aims to integrate these findings into a cohesive framework. Drawing on a large-scale behavioral experiment involving 40 million responses to 10,000 color patterns, a quasi-comprehensive exploration model of visual working memory, termed QCE-VWM, is developed. Despite its significantly reduced complexity (57 parameters versus 30,796), QCE-VWM outperforms neural networks in data fitting. The model provides an integrative framework for understanding human visual working memory, incorporating a dozen mechanisms—some directly adopted from previous studies, some modified, and others newly identified. This work underscores the value of large-scale behavioral experiments in advancing comprehensive models of cognitive mechanisms.
Distributed quantum computing across an optical network link
Authors: Main D. , Drmota P. , Nadlinger D. P. , Ainley E. M. , Agrawal A. , Nichol B. C. , Srinivas R. , Araneda G. , Lucas D. M.
Published: February 2025

Distributed quantum computing (DQC) combines the computing power of multiple networked quantum processing modules, ideally enabling the execution of large quantum circuits without compromising performance or qubit connectivity1,2. Photonic networks are well suited as a versatile and reconfigurable interconnect layer for DQC; remote entanglement shared between matter qubits across the network enables all-to-all logical connectivity through quantum gate teleportation (QGT)3,4. For a scalable DQC architecture, the QGT implementation must be deterministic and repeatable; until now, no demonstration has satisfied these requirements. Here we experimentally demonstrate the distribution of quantum computations between two photonically interconnected trapped-ion modules. The modules, separated by about two metres, each contain dedicated network and circuit qubits. By using heralded remote entanglement between the network qubits, we deterministically teleport a controlled-Z (CZ) gate between two circuit qubits in separate modules, achieving 86% fidelity. We then execute Grover’s search algorithm5—to our knowledge, the first implementation of a distributed quantum algorithm comprising several non-local two-qubit gates—and measure a 71% success rate. Furthermore, we implement distributed iSWAP and SWAP circuits, compiled with two and three instances of QGT, respectively, demonstrating the ability to distribute arbitrary two-qubit operations6. As photons can be interfaced with a variety of systems, the versatile DQC architecture demonstrated here provides a viable pathway towards large-scale quantum computing for a range of physical platforms.
SEED-Selection enables high-efficiency enrichment of primary T cells edited at multiple loci
Authors: Chang Christopher R. , Vykunta Vivasvan S. , Lee Jae Hyun J. , Li Ke , Kochendoerfer Clara , Muldoon Joseph J. , Wang Charlotte H. , Mazumder Thomas , Sun Yang , Goodman Daniel B. , Nyberg William A. , Liu Chang , Allain Vincent , Rothrock Allison , Ye Chun J. , Marson Alexander , Shy Brian R. , Eyquem Justin
Published: February 2025

Engineering T cell specificity and function at multiple loci can generate more effective cellular therapies, but current manufacturing methods produce heterogenous mixtures of partially engineered cells. Here we develop a one-step process to enrich unlabeled cells containing knock-ins at multiple target loci using a family of repair templates named synthetic exon expression disruptors (SEEDs). SEEDs associate transgene integration with the disruption of a paired target endogenous surface protein while preserving target expression in nonmodified and partially edited cells to enable their removal (SEED-Selection). We design SEEDs to modify three critical loci encoding T cell specificity, coreceptor expression and major histocompatibility complex expression. The results demonstrate up to 98% purity after selection for individual modifications and up to 90% purity for six simultaneous edits (three knock-ins and three knockouts). This method is compatible with existing clinical manufacturing workflows and can be readily adapted to other loci to facilitate production of complex gene-edited cell therapies.
High-speed video recordings of metal powder pneumatic conveying in thin capillary pipes
Authors: Pedrolli Lorenzo , Fraccarollo Luigi , Achiaga Beatriz , Lopez Alejandro
Published: February 2025

Many industrial processes require a consistent material flow in the form of powders, typically achieved through pneumatic conveying. This work presents a dataset of high-speed video recordings capturing the horizontal pneumatic conveying of metallic powders in thin capillary pipes. Additionally, pressure and photodiode recordings are included. The experimental setup is described in detail, with suggestions for potential improvements. In the video recordings, each particle is individually distinguishable and can be tracked across frames.
Assessing the effects of partially substituting chicken breast meat with oyster mushroom stalk powder on the quality attributes of mushroom-chicken burgers
Authors: Mounir Sabah , Mohamed Randa , Sunooj K. V. , El-Saidy Sohier , Farid Eman
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a partial substitution of chicken breast meat with oyster mushroom stalk powder on the quality attributes of mushroom-chicken burgers. Chicken breast meat was substituted with oyster mushroom stalk powder at different levels ranging from 2.5 to 10%, with an interval increase of 2.5%. The substitution level had a significant effect on the different characteristics studied. A decrease in both crude protein and crude lipid was observed as the substitution level increased from 2.5 to 10%. However, a contradictory trend was observed for crude fiber, ash, carbohydrates, antioxidant properties, water-binding capacity, and browning index. The cooking loss and shrinkage were reduced by about 81.6% and 72.6%, respectively, for the formulation prepared with 10% compared to the control sample. The formulation prepared with 2.5% showed the lowest hardness, chewiness, and shear force, which increased as the substitution level increased to 10%. The oyster mushroom stalk powder can be used at a level ranging from 2.5 to 5% to substitute chicken breast meat in the preparation of healthier and more functional chicken burgers.
Therapeutic anti-inflammatory immune potentials of some seaweeds extracts on chemically induced liver injury in mice
Authors: Bases Eman , El-Sheekh Mostafa M. , El Shafay Shimaa M. , El-shenody Rania , Nassef Mohamed
Published: February 2025

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a well-known hepatotoxin. This work aimed to assess the therapeutic anti-inflammatory immune potentials of the seaweeds Padina pavonia and Jania rubens extracts on carbon tetrachloride (CCL4)-caused liver damage in mice. Our experimentation included two testing regimens: pre-treatment and post-treatment of P. pavonia and J. rubens extracts in CCL4/mice. Pre-treatment and post-treatment of P. pavonia and J. rubens extracts in CCL4/mice increased WBCs count and lymphocytes relative numbers and reduced the neutrophils and monocytes relative numbers. Pre-treatment and post-treatment of CCL4/mice with P. pavonia and J. rubens extracts significantly reduced the release amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 and significantly inhibited the increased CRP level. Furthermore, pre-treatment and post-treatment of CCL4/mice with P. pavonia and J. rubens extracts recovered the activities of GSH, and significantly decreased MDA level. CCL4/mice pre-treated and post-treated with P. pavonia and J. rubens extracts decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. Pre- and post-treatment of CCL4/mice with the P. pavonia and J. rubens extracts ameliorated the liver damages caused by CCl4 and significantly inhibited the necrotic area, indicating hepatic cell death and decreased periportal hepatic degeneration, fibrosis, and inflammation.
Integrating electrocardiogram and fundus images for early detection of cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Muthukumar K. A. , Nandi Dhruva , Ranjan Priya , Ramachandran Krithika , PJ Shiny , Ghosh Anirban , M Ashwini , Radhakrishnan Aiswaryah , Dhandapani V. E. , Janardhanan Rajiv
Published: February 2025

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a predominant health concern globally, emphasizing the need for advanced diagnostic techniques. In our research, we present an avant-garde methodology that synergistically integrates ECG readings and retinal fundus images to facilitate the early disease tagging as well as triaging of the CVDs in the order of disease priority. Recognizing the intricate vascular network of the retina as a reflection of the cardiovascular system, alongwith the dynamic cardiac insights from ECG, we sought to provide a holistic diagnostic perspective. Initially, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was applied to both the ECG and fundus images, transforming the data into the frequency domain. Subsequently, the Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD) was computed for the frequency-domain features of both modalities. These EMD values were then concatenated, forming a comprehensive feature set that was fed into a Neural Network classifier. This approach, leveraging the FFT’s spectral insights and EMD’s capability to capture nuanced data differences, offers a robust representation for CVD classification. Preliminary tests yielded a commendable accuracy of 84%, underscoring the potential of this combined diagnostic strategy. As we continue our research, we anticipate refining and validating the model further to enhance its clinical applicability in resource limited healthcare ecosystems prevalent across the Indian sub-continent and also the world at large.
Oral lactoferrin as a treatment of pediatrics’ anemia resulted from chronic kidney diseases: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hegazy Sahar Kamal , Koura Mai Salah El-Din , Elharoun Mohamed Shokry
Published: February 2025

Anemia in pediatrics is often associated with chronic conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD). It can worsen the disease prognosis and affect quality of life. Injectable dosage forms are predominantly used in its treatment with various side effects. This randomized and parallel clinical trial aimed to compare the effectiveness of oral lactoferrin with intravenous (IV) iron dextran in managing anemia resulted from CKD in pediatrics. The study involved 60 children diagnosed with CKD-related anemia who were allocated into two separate groups. Group 1 consisted of 30 pediatric patients who received 100 mg of oral lactoferrin daily for a period of 3 months. Group 2 included 30 pediatric patients who were given IV iron dextran at a dosage of 50 mg three times weekly for 3 months. Both treatments are effective in treating CKD-induced anemia in pediatrics; however, oral lactoferrin demonstrated superior efficacy as there was a significant change within that group in levels of Hb, RBCs, MCH, iron, RDW-SD, MCHC, IL-6, and GDF-15 before and after treatment. In contrast, IV iron dextran showed significant changes within its group in iron, GFR, IL-6, GDF-15, and RDW-SD. After 3 months of treatment, no significant differences were observed between the two groups.
Induced protein expression in Leptospira spp. and its application to CRISPR/Cas9 mutant generation
Authors: Fernandes L. G. V. , Nascimento A. L. T. O. , Nally J. E.
Published: February 2025

Expanding the genetic toolkit for Leptospira spp. is a crucial step toward advancing our understanding of the biology and virulence of these atypical bacteria. Pathogenic Leptospira are responsible for over 1 million human leptospirosis cases annually and significantly impact domestic animals. Bovine leptospirosis causes substantial financial losses due to abortion, stillbirths, and suboptimal reproductive performance. The advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has marked a turning point in genetic manipulation, with applications across multiple Leptospira species. However, incorporating controlled protein expression into existing genetic tools could further expand their utility. We developed and demonstrated the functionality of IPTG-inducible heterologous protein expression in Leptospira spp. This system was applied for regulated expression of dead Cas9 (dCas9) to generate knockdown mutants, and Cas9 to produce knockout mutants by inducing double-strand breaks (DSB) into desired targets. IPTG-induced dCas9 expression enabled validation of essential genes and non-coding RNAs. Additionally, IPTG-controlled Cas9 expression combined with a constitutive non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) system allowed for successful recovery of knockout mutants, even in the absence of IPTG. These newly controlled protein expression systems will advance studies on the basic biology and virulence of Leptospira, as well as facilitate knockout mutant generation for improved veterinary vaccines.
Biocatalytic conversion of microalgal biomass to biodiesel: optimization of growth conditions and synthesis of CaO bionanocatalyst from Monoraphidium sp. NCIM 5585
Authors: Pandey Supriya , Varadavenkatesan Thivaharan , Selvaraj Raja , Vinayagam Ramesh
Published: February 2025

Microalgal feedstock is a potential source for biodiesel production that addresses the challenges of fuel security and sustainable agriculture. This study aims to maximize biomass yield and lipid accumulation for freshwater microalga Monoraphidium sp. NCIM 5585 and utilize it for biodiesel production, contributing to the development of biocatalysis-based biofuels. Independent optimization studies were conducted to investigate critical growth parameters, viz., light intensity, photoperiod, and NaNO3 concentration. The study showed highest biomass productivity of 51.75 ± 1.9 mg/L.d and lipid content of 47.3 ± 0.02% (w/w) at 40 µmol/m2/s light intensity, 16 h L:08 h D photoperiod, and 0.25 g/L NaNO3. Further, a novel CaO bionanocatalyst was synthesized using residual microalgal biomass and characterized using SEM, EDX, FT-IR, and XRD. The characterization results from SEM and EDX confirmed the structural and elemental composition of bionanocatalyst with Ca and O as main elements. XRD revealed the crystalline nature of CaO with particle size of 17.83 nm. 86.5 ± 0.65% (w/w) FAME was obtained using the synthesized catalyst and was characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and GC-MS. This study demonstrates the potential of Monoraphidium sp., optimized growth conditions and the significance of reusability of residual microalgal biomass as catalyst for sustainable biodiesel production, offering a promising solution for fuel security and biotechnology applications.
A multimodal characterization of low-dimensional thalamocortical structural connectivity patterns
Authors: John Alexandra , Hettwer Meike D. , Schaare H. Lina , Saberi Amin , Bayrak Şeyma , Wan Bin , Royer Jessica , Bernhardt Boris C. , Valk Sofie L.
Published: February 2025

The human thalamus is a heterogeneous subcortical structure coordinating whole-brain activity. Investigations of its internal organization reveal differentiable subnuclei, however, a consensus on subnuclei boundaries remains absent. Recent work suggests that thalamic organization additionally reflects continuous axes transcending nuclear boundaries. Here, we study how low-dimensional axes of thalamocortical structural connectivity relate to intrathalamic microstructural features, functional connectivity, and structural covariance. Using diffusion MRI, we compute a thalamocortical structural connectome and derive two main axes of thalamic organization. The principal axis, extending from medial to lateral, relates to intrathalamic myelin, and functional connectivity organization. The secondary axis corresponds to the core-matrix cell distribution. Lastly, exploring multimodal associations globally, we observe the principal axis consistently differentiating limbic, frontoparietal, and default mode network nodes from dorsal and ventral attention networks across modalities. However, the link with sensory modalities varies. In sum, we show the coherence between lower dimensional patterns of thalamocortical structural connectivity and various modalities, shedding light on multiscale thalamic organization.
Peripheral membrane protein endophilin B1 probes, perturbs and permeabilizes lipid bilayers
Authors: Thorlacius Arni , Rulev Maksim , Sundberg Oscar , Sundborger-Lunna Anna
Published: February 2025

Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs167 (BAR) domain containing proteins are peripheral membrane proteins that regulate intracellular membrane curvature. BAR protein endophilin B1 plays a key role in multiple cellular processes critical for oncogenesis, including autophagy and apoptosis. Amphipathic regions in endophilin B1 drive membrane association and tubulation through membrane scaffolding. Our understanding of exactly how BAR proteins like endophilin B1 promote highly diverse intracellular membrane remodeling events in the cell is severely limited due to lack of high-resolution structural information. Here we present the highest resolution cryo-EM structure of a BAR protein to date and the first structures of a BAR protein bound to a lipid bicelle. Using neural networks, we can effectively sort particle species of different stoichiometries, revealing the tremendous flexibility of post-membrane binding, pre-polymer BAR dimer organization and membrane deformation. We also show that endophilin B1 efficiently permeabilizes negatively charged liposomes that contain mitochondria-specific lipid cardiolipin and propose a new model for Bax-mediated cell death.