bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges in Exploiting Human H Ferritin Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery: Navigating Physiological Constraints
Authors: Macone Alberto , Cappelletti Chiara , Incocciati Alessio , Piacentini Roberta , Botta Sofia , Boffi Alberto , Bonamore Alessandra
Published: November 2024

Over the past two decades, ferritin has emerged as a promising nanoparticle for drug delivery, catalyzing the development of numerous prototypes capable of encapsulating a wide array of therapeutic agents. These ferritin‐based nanoparticles exhibit selectivity for various molecular targets and are distinguished by their potential biocompatibility, unique symmetrical structure, and highly controlled size. The hollow interior of ferritin nanoparticles allows for efficient encapsulation of diverse therapeutic agents, enhancing their delivery and effectiveness. Despite these promising features, the anticipated clinical advancements have yet to be fully realized. As a physiological protein with a central role in both health and disease, ferritin can exert unexpected effects on physiology when employed as a drug delivery system. Many studies have not thoroughly evaluated the pharmacokinetic properties of the ferritin protein shell when administered in vivo, overlooking crucial aspects such as biodistribution, clearance, cellular trafficking, and immune response. Addressing these challenges is crucial for achieving the desired transition from bench to bedside. Biodistribution studies need to account for ferritin's natural accumulation in specific organs (liver, spleen, and kidneys), which may lead to off‐target effects. Moreover, the mechanisms of clearance and cellular trafficking must be elucidated to optimize the delivery and reduce potential toxicity of ferritin nanoparticles. Additionally, understanding the immune response elicited by exogenous ferritin is essential to mitigate adverse reactions and enhance therapeutic efficacy. A comprehensive understanding of these physiological constraints, along with innovative solutions, is essential to fully realize the therapeutic potential of ferritin nanoparticles paving the way for their successful clinical translation.
Compression of a semi‐bounded body with a coating layer along the interface sliding zone
Authors: Bogdanov Vyacheslav L. , Nazarenko Volodymyr M. , Kipnis Alexander L.
Published: November 2024

Within the framework of the three‐dimensional linearized theory of stability of deformable bodies, the plane problem on compression of a piecewise‐homogeneous half‐plane along a defect, which is a frictionless sliding zone located at the rectilinear interface between two rigidly connected media, a semi‐bounded homogeneous body (base) and a homogeneous thin coating layer, have been studied. The initial stage of body fracture is associated with the loss of material stability in a local area near the specified defect. The base and coating materials are considered as highly elastic materials described by an elastic potential with different mechanical characteristics. The boundary value problem, formulated in terms of potential harmonic functions, using Fourier integral transforms, is reduced to an eigenvalue problem for the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind, which is studied numerically by employing Bubnov—Galerkin method. For a compressible material with a harmonic potential, critical values of the load parameters that correspond to local instability have been found. The critical load parameters obtained have also been compared with similar values of the critical parameters corresponding to the near‐surface instability of a piecewise‐homogeneous half‐plane (without a defect) compressed along the interface between the media that are rigidly connected or slide without friction against each other.
The Parameter $$B/A$$
Authors: Beyer Robert T.
Published: November 2024

The ratio

$$B/A$$

B
∕
A

, which has become a traditional measure of acoustic nonlinearity associated with the equation of state for a fluid, has its origin in the Taylor series expansion of variations of the pressure in terms of variations of the density. Relations defining

$$B/A$$

B
∕
A

for liquids and immiscible mixtures are derived, and explicit expressions are presented for perfect gases and longitudinal waves in isotropic solids. Methods for measuring

$$B/A$$

B
∕
A

in liquids are described. Tables are provided with numerical values of

$$B/A$$

B
∕
A

for various fluids, liquefied gases, and biological tissues, and for proteins and amino acids in aqueous solutions.
Dispersion
Authors: Hamilton Mark F. , Ilinskii Yurii A. , Zabolotskaya Evgenia A.
Published: November 2024

Dispersion introduces asynchronism in the nonlinear interaction of frequency components in a wave, which reduces the efficiency of energy transfer between harmonics. Two examples of weak dispersion are considered, one due to relaxation, for which an analytical solution for a step shock is available, and another due to thermoviscous boundary layers in ducts. Strong dispersion is considered for propagation of sound in nonplanar waveguide modes, with a nonlinear Schrödinger equation presented for narrowband pulses. Also considered is propagation in bubbly liquids, with a nonlinear evolution equation and coefficient of nonlinearity developed for sound at frequencies below the bubble resonances.
Sound Beams
Authors: Hamilton Mark F.
Published: November 2024

Diffraction in sound beams is analyzed using the KZK nonlinear parabolic wave equation. General integral solutions are presented for generation of the second harmonic, sum, and difference frequencies in weakly nonlinear axisymmetric sound beams. Analytical solutions are obtained for sources with Gaussian amplitude distributions, both unfocused and focused. Asymptotic solutions are presented for far-field radiation from circular pistons, and the appearance of additional sidelobes is explained. Solutions for difference-frequency radiation in the far field of a parametric array, and the associated self-demodulation of narrowband waveforms, are derived. Numerical simulations are presented for strongly nonlinear sound beams with shocks.
Conceptualising Non-Motherhood
Authors: Björklund Jenny , Rodgers Julie
Published: November 2024

This chapter introduces the volume by theorising non-motherhood, outlining existing scholarship on the topic, and presenting the chapters in the volume. While feminist theory has paid close attention to motherhood and mothering, there has been less rigorous focus on non-motherhood, and research has typically focused on either involuntary or voluntary non-motherhood. This volume seeks to deconstruct the barriers between these two positions, instead allowing them to enter into dialogue with each other. It unites scholars from different disciplines and national contexts in the study of non-motherhood across a variety of materials and from diverse perspectives. The chapters draw attention to the fact that non-motherhood cannot be defined as a singular experience, and they carefully engage in the probing and widening of the term ‘non-motherhood’ itself. By including representations and experiences that are not usually discussed as part of the research field on non-motherhood, such as secondary infertility, miscarriage, and perinatal loss, the volume expands the definition of non-motherhood. Moreover, it interrogates social and cultural norms that continue to conflate motherhood with womanhood and creates a space where the silenced stories of non-mothers can be articulated and where non-mothers can claim an identity that is legitimate.
Choosing Childlessness: Familial and National Acts of Resistance in Preti Taneja’s We That Are Young (2017)
Authors: Woods Orlagh
Published: November 2024

Jasodhara Bagchi underscores the pervasiveness of motherhood in contemporary Indian culture: “Feminist understanding of motherhood has been central to the unfolding of Indian society from the moment of insertion into the global capitalist system through the colonizing process to the present day when it is directly under the thumb of a market-driven neo-liberal regime of globalization” (xxvi). Preti Taneja’s 2017 adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, entitled We That Are Young, confronts this hegemonic mode of motherhood and the way(s) it is culturally and religiously reified in contemporary India. Taneja’s novel serves to shed light on the pernicious grasp tradition still holds on women in contemporary Indian society and points out that in cultures where mothering is coopted by nationalist or corporatist rhetoric, women are relegated to vessels for future industrious citizens and prevented from mothering, or indeed in many cases, living, on their own terms. This chapter focuses on the choice of non-motherhood by one of the novel’s protagonists, Gargi, and the ways this choice fundamentally undermines her father’s legacy-building project on a micro level and, more broadly, serves as a refusal to perpetuate the hetero-patriarchal structures of the nation.
New purely damped pairs of quasinormal modes in a hot and dense strongly-coupled plasma
Authors: de Oliveira Gustavo , Rougemont Romulo
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Perturbed black holes exhibit damped oscillations whose eigenfrequencies define their quasinormal modes (QNMs). In the case of asymptotically Anti-de Sitter (AdS) black holes, the spectra of QNMs are related to the near-equilibrium behavior of specific strongly interacting quantum field theories via the holographic gauge-gravity duality. In the present work, we numerically obtain the spectra of homogeneous non-hydrodynamic QNMs of a top-down holographic construction called the 2 R-Charge Black Hole (2RCBH) model, which describes a hot and dense strongly-coupled plasma. The main result is the discovery of a new structure of pairs of purely imaginary QNMs. Those new purely damped QNMs dominate the late time equilibration of the strongly-coupled plasma at large values of the chemical potential, while at lower values the fundamental QNMs are instead ordinary poles with imaginary and real parts describing oscillatory decaying perturbations. We also observe a new phenomenon of asymptotic pole fusion for different pairs of purely imaginary QNMs at asymptotically large values of the chemical potential. This phenomenon corresponds to the asymptotic merging of the two poles within each pair of purely imaginary QNMs, with the different pairs of merged poles being evenly spaced by a constant value of 4π in all the different perturbation channels associated to different irreducible representations of the spatial SO(3) rotation symmetry of the medium. In particular, this indicates that characteristic equilibration times for the plasma develop upper bounds that cannot be surpassed by further doping the medium with increasing values of the chemical potential.
Canonical quantization of lattice Chern-Simons theory
Authors: Jacobson Theodore , Sulejmanpasic Tin
Published: November 2024

Abstract

We discuss the canonical quantization of U(1)k Chern-Simons theory on a spatial lattice. In addition to the usual local Gauss law constraints, the physical Hilbert space is defined by 1-form gauge constraints implementing the compactness of the U(1) gauge group, and (depending on the details of the spatial lattice) non-local constraints which project out unframed Wilson loops. Though the ingredients of the lattice model are bosonic, the physical Hilbert space is finite-dimensional, with exactly k ground states on a spatial torus. We quantize both the bosonic (even level) and fermionic (odd level) theories, describing in detail how the latter depends on a choice of spin structure.
„Zum Verrücktwerden“. Die Generierung feministischer Psychiatriekritik am Beispiel der Zeitschrift Courage, 1978–1980
Authors: Doetz Susanne
Published: November 2024

Am Beispiel der feministischen Zeitschrift Courage zeigt der Beitrag, wie ihr partizipativer Herstellungsprozess eine psy-feministische Wissensgenerierung ermöglichte, die auch Frauen mit Psychiatrieerfahrung einschloss. Deren Beobachtungen, Wahrnehmungen und Deutungen verbanden die Zeitschriftenmacherinnen mit visuellen Darstellungen und einem Literaturkanon, der weit über das Feld der Psychiatrie(-kritik) hinausreichte. Anstelle medizinischer Psychopathologien implementierten die Courage-Frauen Schreibstile und Bildsprachen, die das subjektive Erleben von psychischen Leiden und psychischen Alteritäten in den Vordergrund stellten und es zur gesellschaftlichen Stellung von Frauen in Beziehung setzten. Gleichzeitig kamen in der Zeitschrift auch die Anbieterinnen feministischer Behandlungsmöglichkeiten zu Wort. Die Psychiatriekritik der Courage – so die These – zeichnete sich durch einen multiperspektivischen Ansatz aus, der das Thema „Frauen in der Psychiatrie“ aus dem engen Feld der Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie herauslöste und um künstlerische, patientinnen- und erfahrungsorientierte sowie gesellschaftskritische Perspektiven erweiterte.
Pre-symptomatic scintigraphic and genetic cascade screening in cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis
Authors: Holcman Katarzyna , Rubiś Paweł , Ćmiel Bogdan , Stępień Agnieszka , Graczyk Katarzyna , Mróz Krystian , Szot Wojciech , Dziewięcka Ewa , Winiarczyk Mateusz , Kurek Maria , Kęska Mateusz , Podolec Piotr , Kostkiewicz Magdalena
Published: November 2024

Purpose

While early diagnosis is crucial, as new treatments can significantly slow the progression of the disease, there is growing evidence on the application of novel imaging techniques for detecting transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) in pre-symptomatic stages. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of pre-symptomatic scintigraphic imaging cascade screening for early detection of ATTR.

Methods

During the period from 2020 to 2024, we conducted a prospective study that enrolled 100 consecutive adults. The study utilized a multimodal cascade screening approach to assess asymptomatic relatives of individuals with ATTR (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05814380). The analysis incorporated clinical data, genetic testing, echocardiography, scintigraphy and single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) with [99mTc]Tc-DPD, regardless of the predicted age of disease onset.

Results

Overall, scintigraphy identified cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in 8.2% of relatives, while 20.5% carried a pathogenic transthyretin variant without radiotracer uptake, with Phe53Leu being predominant. Notably, no relatives of wild-type ATTR patients exhibited CA on scintigraphy or carried a transthyretin variant. Additionally, newly-diagnosed relatives with ATTR CA presented elevated high-sensitivity troponin levels and exhibited a higher incidence of pathological electrocardiographic Q waves, greater thickness of the intraventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall, a notable decline in lateral wall and intraventricular septal E' tissue velocities measured by TDI, and the "5–5-5" sign (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The presented findings demonstrate that implementing a systematic screening protocol, which integrates genetic and scintigraphic testing, facilitates the early detection of ATTR. Crucially, a significant proportion of asymptomatic relatives of patients with hereditary ATTR may suffer from underlying CA.

Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05814380.
Patterns of oviposition site selection of four sympatric species of amphibians in ephemeral streams
Authors: Oh Dogeun , Kang Jaehun , Song Uhram , Ahn JeongYoon , Kang Changku
Published: November 2024

Many oviparous animals are selective about where to lay eggs, as this greatly affects their offspring’s survival. Theoretically, species sharing the same habitat are expected to experience similar selective pressures, leading to the prediction that they might share similar oviposition preferences. However, this hypothesis has not yet been tested. In this study, through an extensive field survey, we examined the oviposition site selection of four sympatric amphibian species (Rana uenoi, Hynobius quelpaertensis, Bombina orientalis, and Dryophytes japonicus) that reproduce in the same natural ephemeral stream. Our focus was on understanding how abiotic and biotic factors influence their reproductive choices. We primarily found that desiccation avoidance is a universal selective pressure affecting all species, with a tendency to avoid laying eggs in smaller pools prone to desiccation. Species-specific responses to leaf litter and canopy coverage were observed, but none of the species’ oviposition choices correlated with the quantity of stones in pools. We also explored biotic influences, revealing species-specific trends in the selection of pools with conspecific and heterospecific juveniles, predators, and mosquito larvae, indicating a complex ecological interplay. These findings highlight the complexity of ovipositional patterns in animals, where decisions are not driven solely by a single factor such as the avoidance of predators or competitors but also by intricate assessments of multiple factors. The study highlights that amphibian oviposition in ephemeral streams is influenced by a diverse interplay of biotic and abiotic factors, essential for understanding their reproductive strategies in dynamic environments.
Management of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria with low-level hemolysis in pregnancy– a report of two cases
Authors: Riedl Julia , Pfeilstöcker Michael , Farr Alex , Häusler Günther , Ay Cihan , Füreder Wolfgang
Published: November 2024

Pregnant women with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) are at high risk for life-threatening thromboembolism. Therapy with the complement inhibitor eculizumab is able to mitigate thrombotic risks in PNH and to improve pregnancy outcomes. However, whether PNH with low-level hemolysis in pregnancy can be safely managed without complement inhibition is unclear.

Here, we describe two pregnant patients with PNH in the setting of bone marrow failure and low-level hemolysis with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) < 1.5 x upper limit of normal [ULN]. In both patients, management consisted solely of prophylactic anticoagulation, without the use of complement inhibition. Both pregnancies ended successfully without thromboembolic complications.

We conclude that in pregnant patients with PNH and low-level hemolysis (i.e. LDH < 1.5 x ULN), management with close monitoring and prophylactic anticoagulation only, without use of complement inhibition, might be a reasonable strategy. More data to guide optimal management of pregnant women with PNH are needed.
The role of gut microbial β-glucuronidases in carcinogenesis and cancer treatment: a scoping review
Authors: Hillege Lars E. , Stevens Milou A. M. , Kristen Paulien A. J. , de Vos-Geelen Judith , Penders John , Redinbo Matthew R. , Smidt Marjolein L.
Published: November 2024

Introduction

The human gut microbiota influence critical functions including the metabolism of nutrients, xenobiotics, and drugs. Gut microbial β-glucuronidases (GUS) enzymes facilitate the removal of glucuronic acid from various compounds, potentially affecting anti-cancer drug efficacy and reactivating carcinogens. This review aims to comprehensively analyze and summarize studies on the role of gut microbial GUS in cancer and its interaction with anti-cancer treatments. Its goal is to collate and present insights that are directly relevant to patient care and treatment strategies in oncology.

Methods

This scoping review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines and focused on primary research exploring the role of GUS within the gut microbiota related to cancer etiology and anti-cancer treatment. Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science.

Results

GUS activity was only investigated in colorectal cancer (CRC), revealing increased fecal GUS activity, variations in the gut microbial composition, and GUS-contributing bacterial taxa in CRC patients versus controls. Irinotecan affects gastrointestinal (GI) health by increasing GUS expression and shifting gut microbial composition, particularly by enhancing the presence of GUS-producing bacteria, correlating with irinotecan-induced GI toxicities. GUS inhibitors (GUSi) can mitigate irinotecan's adverse effects, protecting the intestinal barrier and reducing diarrhea.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first review to comprehensively analyze and summarize studies on the critical role of gut microbial GUS in cancer and anti-cancer treatment, particularly irinotecan. It underscores the potential of GUSi to reduce side effects and enhance treatment efficacy, highlighting the urgent need for further research to integrate GUS targeting into future anti-cancer treatment strategies.
Local geometry of NAE-SAT solutions in the condensation regime
Authors: Sly Allan , Sohn Youngtak
Published: November 2024

The local behavior of typical solutions of random constraint satisfaction problems (csp) describes many important phenomena including clustering thresholds, decay of correlations, and the behavior of message passing algorithms. When the constraint density is low, studying the planted model is a powerful technique for determining this local behavior which in many examples has a simple Markovian structure. The work of Coja-Oghlan, Kapetanopoulos, Müller (Comb Prob Comput 29:346-422, 2020) showed that for a wide class of models, this description applies up to the so-called condensation threshold. Understanding the local behavior after the condensation threshold is more complex due to long-range correlations. In this work, we revisit the random regular nae-sat model in the condensation regime and determine the local weak limit which describes a random solution around a typical variable. This limit exhibits a complicated non-Markovian structure arising from the space of solutions being dominated by a small number of large clusters. This is the first description of the local weak limit in the condensation regime for any sparse random csps in the one-step replica symmetry breaking (1rsb) class. Our result is non-asymptotic and characterizes the tight fluctuation $$O(n^{-1/2})$$

O
(

n

-
1
/
2

)

around the limit. Our proof is based on coupling the local neighborhoods of an infinite spin system, which encodes the structure of the clusters, to a broadcast model on trees whose channel is given by the 1rsb belief-propagation fixed point. We believe that our proof technique has broad applicability to random csps in the 1rsb class.
J-shaped association of serum uric acid with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Zhang Xinxin , Zhang Ziyue , Gao Liyuan , Huang Bo , Liu Yue , Cui Jingqiu , Jia Junya , Liu Ming
Published: November 2024

Aims

The association of serum uric acid (SUA) with mortality remains unclear in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Thus, this prospective cohort study aimed to explore the association of SUA with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among patients with DKD in a large, nationally representative sample.

Methods

This cohort study included data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2018 and the National Death Index mortality data until 31 December 2019. The restricted cubic spline and the Cox proportional hazards regression were conducted to describe the association of SUA with all-cause and CVD mortality and evaluate potential nonlinear associations.

Results

The analysis included 3470 patients with DKD from NHANES 1999–2018. During the follow-up time of 24,633 person-years, we recorded 1489 all-cause deaths, including 542 CVD deaths. We identified a J-shaped association of SUA with all-cause and CVD mortality. The corresponding inflection points were observed at 5.1 and 5.7 mg/dL. When SUA were higher than inflection points, each 1 mg/dL increase in SUA was linked to a 13% and 22% higher risk of all-cause (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07–1.20;P < 0.001) and CVD (HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.06–1.41;P = 0.006) mortality, respectively.

Conclusions

This study indicated the J-shaped association of SUA with all-cause and CVD mortality in patients with DKD. The corresponding inflection points were 5.1 mg/dL for all causes and 5.7 mg/dL for CVD, respectively. More clinical randomized trials are needed to confirm the optimal uric acid-lowering target.
AI-Powered Geotechnics: Enhancing Rock Mass Classification for Safer Engineering Practices
Authors: Saadati Ghader , Javankhoshdel Sina , Mohebbi Najm Abad Javad , Mett Michael , Kontrus Heiner , Schneider-Muntau Barbara
Published: November 2024

Rock mass classification is fundamental for evaluating rock mass quality, essential for stability analysis and geotechnical design. Traditional classification methods are limited by joint observation technology, which typically gathers joint information from one-dimensional or two-dimensional perspectives, failing to comprehensively capture three-dimensional joint occurrences. This often necessitates empirical formulas for joint distribution, resulting in less precise joint parameter calculations. This paper reviews 44 seminal articles on rock engineering classification in construction and subterranean projects, tracing the evolution from foundational methods like Rock Quality Designation, Rock Mass Rating, Q-system, Basic Quality, and Hydropower Classification to contemporary techniques. It highlights the transformative impact of data science, particularly artificial intelligence, on rock engineering. The analysis reveals 73 distinct algorithms used 162 times in literature, with Support Vector Machines Support, Vector Regression, K-means clustering, K-Nearest Neighbors, Artificial Neural Networks and Random Forest being the most successful. This paper examines each method's advantage and limitations, discussing the challenges of algorithm deployment in the scientific community. The findings underscore the integration of machine learning and meta-heuristic optimization methods in rock engineering classification, offering valuable insights for future research and applications.
Die Phänomenologie als mögliche gemeinsame Grundlage des Humanistischen Clusters
Authors: Fuchs Thomas , Schmidsberger Florian
Published: November 2024

Die psychotherapeutischen Verfahren des humanistischen Clusters stehen in der Gegenwart vor mehreren Herausforderungen: Einerseits durch das neue Psychotherapiegesetzes (2024) in Österreich und das damit einhergehende Desiderat einer methodenübergreifenden, clusterweiten Forschung; andererseits durch die Situation der humanistischen Psychotherapie in Deutschland, die aus einer akademischen Institutionalisierung und der Teilhabe an öffentlicher Versorgung durch Krankenkassen verdrängt wurde (Kriz 2023). Mit unserem Beitrag möchten wir Ideen einer metatheoretischen Rahmung für ein gemeinsames Forschungsprogramm des humanistischen Clusters vorstellen, die die Grundlage für eine gemeinsame Identität, übergreifende Theoriebildung und gemeinsames empirisches Forschen liefert – und zwar unter den Vorzeichen einer philosophischen Phänomenologie und einer phänomenologischen Psychopathologie.
A systematic approach to determine the outcome of the competition between two microbial species in bioreactor cocultures
Authors: Bizukojć Marcin , Boruta Tomasz , Ścigaczewska Anna
Published: November 2024

The two-species microbial cocultures are effective in terms of awakening the cryptic biosynthetic pathways. They may also lead to the improved production of previously discovered molecules. Importantly, only a few outcomes of the cocultures may prove desirable, namely those leading to the formation of useful secondary metabolites. To address this issue, a method allowing for the evaluation of the final outcome of the co-culture process and fine-tune the cocultivation strategy was proposed. The systematic approach was supported by the experimental data from the bioreactor runs with the participation of Aspergillus terreus and Penicillium rubens confronted with Streptomyces rimosus and Streptomyces noursei. Kinetic, morphological and metabolic aspects of dominance were analysed via the newly proposed formula describing the dominance pattern. The suggested method involved the determination of the numerical value representing the dominance level. When it was high (value 1) no useful metabolites were formed apart from those originating from the winning counterpart. But either for the partial dominances or when the winning organism changed within the run or when the competition ended in draw, the number of the secondary metabolites of interest in the broth was the highest. Next, the systematic approach illustrated how the delayed inoculation strategy influenced the level of dominance leading to the change of winning counterpart and the set of metabolites produced. The proposed systematic approach allows for the reliable determination of the level of dominance in the two-species cocultures to seek for the potentially useful substances for future applications.
Controlling Virtual Reality With Brain Signals: State of the Art of Using VR-Based Feedback in Neurofeedback Applications
Authors: Kober Silvia Erika , Wood Guilherme , Berger Lisa Maria
Published: November 2024

The rapid progress of commercial virtual reality (VR) technology, open access to VR development software as well as open-source instructions for creating brain-VR interfaces have increased the number of VR-based neurofeedback (NF) training studies. Controlling a VR environment with brain signals has potential advantages for NF applications. More entertaining, multimodal and adaptive virtual feedback modalities might positively affect subjective user experience and could consequently enhance NF training performance and outcome. Nevertheless, there are certain pitfalls and contraindications that make VR-based NF not suitable for everyone. In the present review, we summarize applications of VR-based NF and discuss positive effects of VR-based NF training as well as contraindications such as cybersickness in VR or age- and sex-related differences. The existing literature implies that VR-based feedback is a promising tool for the improvement of NF training performance. Users generally rate VR-based feedback more positively than traditional 2D feedback, albeit to draw meaningful conclusions and to rule out adverse effects of VR, more research on this topic is necessary. The pace in the development of brain-VR synchronization furthermore necessitates ethical considerations on these technologies.
Inventory analysis and environmental life cycle impact assessment of hotel food waste management for bio-circular economy development in Zimbabwe
Authors: Nhubu Trust , Mbohwa Charles
Published: November 2024

This study is an inventory analysis and environmental life cycle assessment of hotel food waste management that seeks to inform efforts towards the development of bio circular economy in Zimbabwe. An audit of food waste generation and an inventory analysis of the prevailing food waste management practices at three selected hotels was undertaken. The greenhouse gas emissions from the prevailing disposal of food waste at dumpsites and the proposed biological treatment of food waste were evaluated using the Tier 1 FOD method and Tier 1 method of biological treatment using the 2019 refined 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines. Environmental life cycle assessment was also conducted for the open dumping, composting, and anaerobic digestion. The average food waste generation within the Zimbabwean hospitality industry was estimated at 1.63 kg/guest/day, with a minimum and maximum of 1.01 and 2.25 kg/guest/day, respectively. Source-separated food waste is currently being collected indiscriminately by municipal waste collection trucks for final disposal at the official landfills or dumpsites. This calls for the need for an offtake system of the source-separated food waste in the form of composting or anaerobic digestion. Study results showed that the disposal of food waste at solid waste disposal sites contributes to the highest greenhouse gas emissions, followed by composting with a 75% reduction in greenhouse emissions. Anaerobic digestion brings about a maximum reduction in greenhouse emissions of 97%. Environmental life cycle assessment results also show that anaerobic digestion is the best method leading to net negative environmental impacts.
How to Be an Atomist Without Being an Externalist
Authors: Collins John
Published: November 2024

Atomism and externalism tend to be allied in accounts of both word meaning and
concepts. The paper argues that they should be separated as regards word meanings.
There is a clear and significant way of being an atomist that is non-committal about
externalism. In the realm of word meaning, this brand of atomism simply separates the
relation of a word to a root concept, which can be atomic, from what, if anything,
putting that concept to use allows a speaker to talk about. More centrally, arguments
from polysemy and copredication pose a severe challenge to externalism but are
consistent with the brand of atomism advertised.
Repeatable patterns in the distribution of freshwater biodiversity indicators across contrasting landscapes
Authors: Law Alan , Baker Ambroise , Sayer Carl D. , Foster Garth , Gunn Iain D. M. , Macadam Craig R. , Willby Nigel J.
Published: November 2024

Context

Freshwater biodiversity is declining at unparalleled rates, but fundamental questions remain over how it is distributed at the spatial scales most relevant for conservation management.

Objectives

Here, we test the hypothesis that freshwater biodiversity is distributed across standing waterbody types in a pattern that is reproducible across disparate biota and contrasting landscapes, such that conservation efforts can be aligned across landscapes and taxa.

Methods

We analysed the richness, composition and distribution of macrophytes, molluscs, beetles and odonates from 199 standing waterbodies (lakes, ponds, ditches and canals) nested within UK landscapes with contrasting dominant land use (agricultural, upland and suburban).

Results

We found a common pattern in the distribution of our biodiversity indicators across waterbody types in all landscapes that was largely repeated across biota; lakes consistently had the highest or equal alpha diversity and supported a greater proportion of the sampled species pool in each landscape (mean = 86%) in comparison to ponds (74%). Landscape-specific waterbody types (ditches and canals) also contributed significantly to the regional species pool (69 and 33% respectively). Each waterbody type contributed uniquely to landscape biodiversity and usually species of conservation concern, rather than simply supporting a subset of ubiquitous species found in lakes.

Conclusions

Landscape-wide management strategies that encompass multiple habitats and biota should prove advantageous and generalisable. However, our study landscapes suggest that long-term biodiversity conservation should also recognise lakes as a priority for nature recovery, both to minimise further losses and to maintain the largest reservoir of biodiversity.
The Shadow of the Financial Crisis: Socio-Economic and Welfare Policy Development and Fear of Crime in Europe. A Random Effects Within-Between Model Analysis of the European Social Survey, 2002–2018
Authors: Natter Lisa Marie
Published: November 2024

Previous cross-sectional research has found large cross-country differences in crime-related feelings of insecurity associated not with crime rates but with welfare state policies reflecting that fear of crime serves as an expression of generalized social insecurities. The financial crisis plunged European societies into a period of severe socio-economic insecurities. Against this backdrop, I use hybrid multilevel models to test hypotheses if changes in socio-economic conditions and social policies – in particular following the 2008 financial crisis – have affected feelings of insecurity in 27 European countries, using nine rounds of the European Social Survey. Most indicators except the homicide rate did not show significant effects on fear of crime in the longitudinal dimension. The consequences of the financial crisis for people’s well-being did not extend to fear of crime. Social expenditures in-kind for families and children showed the strongest association with fear of crime cross-sectionally but may lack the necessary country-level variation over time to produce significant effects. Mirroring research on generalized trust, fear of crime seems relatively stable over time and deeply associated with welfare state institutions.
Revisiting an argument against identity
Authors: Molto Daniel
Published: November 2024

In this paper, I consider Peter Geach (Rew Metaphys 21:2–12, 1967) infamous argument against the existence of an “absolute” identity relation. One objection to Geach’s argument which has been raised is that Geach claims that no characterization of “absolute” identity is possible, while ignoring the model-theoretic characterization (: x D). I reconstruct Geach’s likely attitude towards the model-theoretic characterization of identity from Geach’s views on reference and the nature of domains of discourse. I argue that, while Geach does not have the resources to sustain his case for the conclusion that the relation of “absolute” identity does not exist, nevertheless, if his views about reference are correct, specifically, the view that terms can be simultaneously both singular and shared, this would still show something very interesting. It would show that, for some replacements for D, the relation (: x D) is not a relation of identity. I then consider whether there is any support available for his account of reference. I finish by arguing that well-known examples of sentences involving copredication do provide prima facie support for Geach’s view.
From Neighborhood to Household: Connections Between Neighborhood Vacant and Abandoned Property and Family Violence
Authors: Fleckman Julia M. , Ford Julie , Eisenberg Sophia , Taylor Catherine A. , Kondo Michelle , Morrison Christopher N. , Branas Charles C. , Drury Stacy S. , Theall Katherine P.
Published: November 2024

Rates of family violence, including intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment, remain high in the USA and contribute to substantial health and economic costs. How neighborhood environment may influence family violence remains poorly understood. We examine the association between neighborhood vacant and abandoned properties and family violence, and the role collective efficacy may play in that relationship. Data were used from a longitudinal cohort of 218 maternal-child dyads in a southern US city known for elevated rates of violence. Women were matched on their propensity score, for living in a neighborhood with elevated vacant and cited properties. Analyses accounting for clustering in neighborhood and matched groups were conducted to examine the association between neighborhood vacant and abandoned property and family violence and the potential mediating relationship of collective efficacy. The likelihood of experiencing child maltreatment at 12 months of age was more than twice as high for children living in neighborhoods with high vacant and cited property rates compared with women living in neighborhoods with fewer vacant and cited properties (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.03, 4.31). Women living in neighborhoods characterized by high levels of vacant and cited properties were also more than twice as likely to report IPV (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.21, 5.25). Associations remained mostly stable after controlling for key covariates. Collective efficacy did not act as a mediator in the relationship between vacant and cited properties and family violence. Reducing neighborhood vacant and cited properties may be an important target for interventions focused on reducing family violence.
Pathophysiological Mechanisms of the Onset, Development, and Disappearance Phases of Skin Eruptions in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
Authors: Seirin-Lee Sungrim , Takahagi Shunsuke , Hide Michihiro
Published: November 2024

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a typical example of an intractable skin disease with no clear cause and significantly affects daily life of patients. Because CSU is a human-specific disease and lacks proper animal model, there are many questions regarding its pathophysiological dynamics. On the other hand, most clinical symptoms of urticaria are notable as dynamic appearance of skin eruptions called wheals. In this study, we explored dynamics of wheal by dividing it into three phases using a mathematical model: onset, development, and disappearance. Our results suggest that CSU onset is critically associated with endovascular dynamics triggered by basophils positive feedback. In contrast, the development phase is regulated by mast cell dynamics via vascular gap formation. We also suggest a disappearance mechanism of skin eruptions in CSU through an extension of the mathematical model using qualitative and quantitative comparisons of wheal expansion data of real patients with urticaria. Our results suggest that the wheal dynamics of the three phases and CSU development are hierarchically related to endovascular and extravascular pathophysiological networks.
Contrast-enhanced thin-slice abdominal CT with super-resolution deep learning reconstruction technique: evaluation of image quality and visibility of anatomical structures
Authors: Nakamoto Atsushi , Onishi Hiromitsu , Ota Takashi , Honda Toru , Tsuboyama Takahiro , Fukui Hideyuki , Kiso Kengo , Matsumoto Shohei , Kaketaka Koki , Tanigaki Takumi , Terashima Kei , Enchi Yukihiro , Kawabata Shuichi , Nakasone Shinya , Tatsumi Mitsuaki , Tomiyama Noriyuki
Published: November 2024

Purpose

To compare image quality and visibility of anatomical structures on contrast-enhanced thin-slice abdominal CT images reconstructed using super-resolution deep learning reconstruction (SR-DLR), deep learning-based reconstruction (DLR), and hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) algorithms.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 54 consecutive patients who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal CT. Thin-slice images (0.5 mm thickness) were reconstructed using SR-DLR, DLR, and HIR. Objective image noise and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for liver parenchyma relative to muscle were assessed. Two radiologists independently graded image quality using a 5-point rating scale for image noise, sharpness, artifact/blur, and overall image quality. They also graded the visibility of small vessels, main pancreatic duct, ureters, adrenal glands, and right adrenal vein on a 5-point scale.

Results

SR-DLR yielded significantly lower objective image noise and higher CNR than DLR and HIR (P < .001). The visual scores of SR-DLR for image noise, sharpness, and overall image quality were significantly higher than those of DLR and HIR for both readers (P < .001). Both readers scored significantly higher on SR-DLR than on HIR for visibility for all structures (P < .01), and at least one reader scored significantly higher on SR-DLR than on DLR for visibility for all structures (P < .05).

Conclusion

SR-DLR reduced image noise and improved image quality of thin-slice abdominal CT images compared to HIR and DLR. This technique is expected to enable further detailed evaluation of small structures.
Associations Between State Policies Facilitating Telehealth and Buprenorphine Episode Initiation and Duration Early in the COVID Pandemic
Authors: Stein Bradley D. , Saloner Brendan K. , Sheng Flora , Sorbero Mark , Dick Andrew W. , Gordon Adam J.
Published: November 2024

Importance

State policies facilitating telehealth implemented early in COVID may support buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder. However, little empirical information is available about those policies’ effects.

Objective

Examine association between state policies that may facilitate telehealth use and buprenorphine treatment.

Design, Setting, Participants

Retrospective cohort study using 2019–2020 national pharmacy data on dispensed buprenorphine prescriptions.

Exposures

State policies implemented after March 3, 2020, public health emergency declaration requiring private insurers’ telehealth reimbursement to be commensurate with in-person service reimbursement, authorizing Medicaid reimbursement for audio-only telehealth, allowing physicians to provide cross-state telehealth services, and allowing psychologists to provide cross-state telehealth services.

Main Outcomes and Measures

(a) Duration of treatment episodes started between March 1 and March 13 in both 2019 and 2020, and (b) daily numbers of new buprenorphine treatment episodes from March 13 through December 31 in each year.

Key Results

We found little change in the number of new buprenorphine treatment episodes started in 2020 compared to 2019 and an increase in treatment duration of 10.3 days (95%CI 8.3 to 12.2 days) for episodes started in March 2020 before the public health emergency declaration compared to the comparable 2019 period. States implementing a telehealth parity policy in 2020 had 7.3% (95%CI − 13.3% to − 0.4%) fewer new buprenorphine treatment episodes. States joining the psychologist interstate compact in 2020 after the public health emergency declaration had treatment episodes 7.97 days longer (95%CI 0.78 to 15.16) than other states. None of the other policies examined was associated with changes in new treatment episodes or treatment duration.

Conclusions and Relevance

Policies undertaken during the pandemic we examined were associated with few significant changes in buprenorphine treatment initiation and duration. Findings suggest realizing the benefits of telehealth and other policy changes for buprenorphine may require more extensive implementation and infrastructure support.
Comprehensive genomic profiling for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in clinical practice
Authors: Terashima Takeshi , Yamashita Tatsuya , Arai Kuniaki , Takata Noboru , Hayashi Tomoyuki , Seki Akihiro , Nakagawa Hidetoshi , Nio Kouki , Iida Noriho , Yamada Shinya , Shimakami Tetsuro , Takatori Hajime , Tsuji Kunihiro , Sunagozaka Hajime , Mizukoshi Eishiro , Honda Masao , Takeuchi Shinji , Yamashita Taro
Published: November 2024

Aim

Although several therapeutic agents show efficacy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), biomarkers such as comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for the selection of second-line treatments after immunotherapy have not been established. We evaluated the value of CGP for the treatment decision in patients with HCC.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 52 patients with advanced HCC who received CGP tests at three tertiary hospitals between February 2022 and November 2023. Genomic profiles were obtained using one of three CGP tests; 49 and 3 patients were evaluated using tissue-based and blood-based assay, respectively. The impact of CGP results on subsequent treatment selection in clinical practice and correlations between representative gene alterations and patient characteristics or responses to immunotherapy were evaluated.

Results

The most frequently observed variants were TERT mutations, followed by CTNNB1, TP53, ARID1A, and MYC mutations. Potentially druggable gene alterations were observed in 45 patients (87%), and 34 patients (65%) were recommended to receive treatments based on specific gene alterations by a molecular tumor board. Treatments were covered by health insurance in 13 patients (25%). Five patients (10%) received the recommended treatment by the date of data cut-off. There were no differences in the efficacy of immunotherapy with respect to mutation status in hTERT, CTNNB1, TP53, ARID1A, and MYC.

Conclusions

The results of the present study suggested that druggable gene alterations may provide useful information not only in proposing alternative treatment after standard of care but also in selecting second-line targeted treatments after immunotherapy for patients with advanced HCC.