bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insight into the electronic, optical, thermodynamic, and thermoelectric properties of novel chalcogenides: An ab initio study
Authors: Mohamed Abdelhay Salah , Ahmad Hijaz
Published: December 2023

Ternary chalcogenides with direct band gaps are remarkable for being used in many optoelectronic applications. We investigated for structural, electronic, optical, and transport characteristics of new Ba2CdCh3 (Ch = S, Se, Te) semiconductors using the full‐potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP‐LAPW) approach. The band structures of these compounds confirm a direct type of band gap. The phonon dispersion plots along with the predicted negative formation energies suggest these compounds to be thermodynamically stable. Additionally, important optical characteristics were computed and thoroughly explained. The different ELF spectra were calculated in which strong peak correlate precisely with plasma resonance. Moreover, we also explored the thermodynamic characteristics of the ternary systems by employing the quasi‐harmonic Debye model. These compounds were also suitable for thermoelectric applications based on the detailed discussion of the computed significant thermoelectric properties. In general, the advancement of various and promising semiconducting devices and their applications will be supported by the present study.
FeOOH with Low Spin State Iron as Electron Acceptors for High Yield Rate Electrosynthesis of Urea from Nitrate and Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Wang Cheng , Yu Chang , Qian Bingzhi , Ren Yongwen , Wang Linshan , Xie Yuanyang , Tan Xinyi , He Xiaojun , Qiu Jieshan
Published: December 2023

Co electroreduction of carbon dioxide and nitrate to synthesize urea provides an alternative strategy to high energy‐consumption traditional methods. However, the complexity of the reaction mechanism and the high energy barrier of nitrate reduction result in a diminished production of urea. Herein, a convenient electrodeposition technique to prepare the FeOOH with low spin state iron that increases the yield rate of urea efficiently is employed. According to soft X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, the unique configuration of low spin state iron as electron acceptors can effectively induce electron pair transfer from the occupied σ orbitals of intermediate *NO to empty d orbitals of iron. This σ→d donation mechanism leads to a reduction in the energy barrier associated with the rate‐determining step (*NOOH→*NO + *OH), hence augmenting the urea generation. The low spin state iron presents a high urea yield rate of 512 µg h−1 cm−2, representing approximately two times compared to the medium spin state iron. The key intermediates (*NH2 and *CO) in the formation of C─N bond are detected with in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The coupling of *NH2 and *CO contributes to the formation of *CONH2, which subsequently endures multi‐step proton‐coupled electron transfer to generate urea.
Comparative Effects of Hydrazine and Thermal Reduction Methods on Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Characteristics in Foamed Titanium Carbonitride MXene Films
Authors: Rahmati Reza , Salari Meysam , Ashouri‐Sanjani Mehran , Salehi Amirmehdi , Hamidinejad Mahdi , Park Chul B.
Published: December 2023

The urgent need for the development of micro‐thin shields against electromagnetic interference (EMI) has sparked interest in MXene materials owing to their metallic electrical conductivity and ease of film processing. Meanwhile, postprocessing treatments can potentially exert profound impacts on their shielding effectiveness (SE). This work comprehensively compares two reduction methods, hydrazine versus thermal, to fabricate foamed titanium carbonitride (Ti3CNTx) MXene films for efficient EMI shielding. Upon treatment of ≈ 100 µm‐thick MXene films, gaseous transformations of oxygen‐containing surface groups induce highly porous structures (up to ≈ 74.0% porosity). The controlled application of hydrazine and heat allows precise regulation of the reduction processes, enabling tailored control over the morphology, thickness, chemistry, and electrical properties of the MXene films. Accordingly, the EMI SE values are theoretically and experimentally determined. The treated MXene films exhibit significantly enhanced SE values compared to the pristine MXene film (≈ 52.2 dB), with ≈ 38% and ≈ 83% maximum improvements for the hydrazine and heat‐treated samples, respectively. Particularly, heat treatment is more effective in terms of this enhancement such that an SE of 118.4 dB is achieved at 14.3 GHz, unprecedented for synthetic materials. Overall, the findings of this work hold significant practical implications for advancing high‐performance, non‐metallic EMI shielding materials.
Design and Fabrication of Biomass Derived Black Carbon Modified g‐C3N4/FeIn2S4 Heterojunction as Highly Efficient Photocatalyst for Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Arif Nayab , Ma Yunfei , Zafar Muhammad Nadeem , Humayun Muhammad , Bououdina Mohamed , Zhang Su‐Yun , Zhang Qitao , Yang Xiaopeng , Liang Huawei , Zeng Yu‐Jia
Published: December 2023

The environmental deterioration caused by dye wastewater discharge has received considerable attention in recent decades. One of the most promising approaches to addressing the aforementioned environmental issue is the development of photocatalysts with high solar energy consumption efficiency for the treatment of dye‐contaminated water. In this study, a novel low‐cost π–π biomass‐derived black carbon modified g‐C3N4 coupled FeIn2S4 composite (i.e., FeInS/BC‐CN) photocatalyst is successfully designed and fabricated that reveals significantly improved photocatalytic performance for the degradation of Eosin Yellow (EY) dye in aqueous solution. Under dark and subsequent visible light irradiation, the amount optimized composite reveals 99% removal performance for EY dye, almost three‐fold compared to that of the pristine FeInS and BC‐CN counterparts. Further, it is confirmed by means of the electron spin resonance spectrometry, quenching experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, that the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide radicals (•O2−) are the dominant oxidation species involved in the degradation process of EY dye. In addition, a systematic photocatalytic degradation route is proposed based on the resultant degradation intermediates detectedduring liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) analysis. This work provides an innovative idea for the development of advanced photocatalysts to mitigate water pollution.
Na Substitution Steering RuO6 Unit in Ruthenium Pyrochlores for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution in Acid
Authors: Shang Fanfan , Wang Bin , An Bei , He Huijie , Shui Yuan , Cai Hairui , Liang Chao , Yang Shengchun
Published: December 2023

Although Ruthenium‐based pyrochlore oxides can function as promising catalysts for acidic water oxidation, their limitations in terms of stability and activity still need to be addressed for further application in practical conditions. In this work, the possibility to enhance both oxygen evolution reaction activity and durability of Gd2Ru2O7‐δ through partial replacement with Na+ in Gd3+ sites is first offered, leading to the electronic and geometric regulation of active center RuO6. Na+ triggers the emergence of Ru<4+ and the electron rearrangement of active‐centered RuO6. Specifically, Ru ions with a negative d‐band center after Na+ doping exhibit weaker adsorption energies of *O and result in the conversion of the rate‐limiting step from *O/*OOH to *OH/O*, reducing energy barriers for boosting activities. Therefore, the NaxGd2‐xRu2O7‐δ requires a low overpotential of 260 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 0.1 m HClO4 electrolyte. Moreover, the higher formation energy of Ru vacancy and less distorted RuO6 enable the as‐prepared NaxGd2‐xRu2O7‐δ to operate steadily at 10 mA cm−2 for 300 h and multi‐current chronopotentiometry with current densities from 20 to 100 mA cm−2 for 60 h in acidic proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, respectively.
Setting Optimization of Distribution Network Current Protection Based on Constrained Multi‐Objectives Backbone Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Wang Xue , Luan Kun
Published: December 2023

With the increase in residential electricity consumption, the number of branch lines connected to the 10 kV main line and the load all increase. When the main line is segmented into several shorter lines, the current protections of these lines are difficult to coordinate with each other. This condition may cause the number of protection mal‐operation increases, the power outage scope expands, and the reliability of the power supply decreases. Therefore, this paper studies the setting optimization method of distribution network current protections. First, a mathematical model of protection setting optimization is established with three objective functions keeping the fault clearing time minimal, the protection sensitivity highest, and the outage load minimal. Some constraints are considered, such as the cooperation between the protections of the adjacent lines. Second, the multi‐objective backbone particle swarm optimization algorithm is used. The problems of the traditional particle swarm optimization algorithm that lacks population diversity and easily falls into local optimization are solved by adopting the time‐varying variation and linear decreasing dynamic allocation strategy. Finally, the K‐means clustering algorithm is used to get the most representative optimal solution providing a variety of feasible solutions for the practical application. This paper takes a 10 kV line as an example to test the setting optimization method and compares the optimized settings with the traditional ones. The results show that the setting optimization method based on the constrained multi‐objective backbone particle swarm can effectively reduce the protection mal‐operations and improve the overall performance of distribution network protections. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Induction of apoptosis and autophagy by dichloromethane extract from Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch on acute myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Li Kejing , Mi Leyuan , Bai Xinyi , Lu Yuan , Zhang Ying , Li Juan , Pu Yudong
Published: December 2023

Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch (PS), a perennial herb belonging to the genus Pinus in the family Pinnacle Sauce, has been previously known for its analgesic, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitumor properties. However, the specific mechanism behind its antileukemic effect remains unknown. This study focused on the cytotoxicity and potential modes of action of the dichloromethane extract from PS (DEPS) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Our results demonstrated that DEPS reduced cell viability, arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and upregulated the expression of Bax/Bcl‐2 and Cleaved caspase‐3. However, the impact of DEPS on cell viability and the expression of apoptosis‐associated proteins was reversed upon pretreatment with the caspase‐3 inhibitor (Z‐DEVD‐FMK) in HL‐60 cells, which demonstrated that DEPS could induce apoptosis through the mitochondria‐associated apoptotic pathway. Interestingly, DEPS also influenced autophagy by upregulating the expression of LC3II/I, P62, and Beclin‐1 proteins, and the autophagy inhibition chloroquine(CQ) could attenuate the apoptotic effects of DEPS in HL‐60 cells. Furthermore, SMART 2.0 analysis predicted that the main components present in DEPS were likely terpenoids. In conclusion, DEPS possibly exerts antileukemic effects by downregulating the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways, thereby promoting intracellular ROS production, activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and affecting autophagy, providing valuable insights for the potential future application of PS in the treatment of AML.
Ex vivo investigation of betaine and boric acid function as preprotective agents on rat synaptosomes to be treated with Aβ (1–42)
Authors: Hacioglu Ceyhan , Kar Fatih , Ozbayer Cansu , Gundogdu Ayse Cakir
Published: December 2023

Recent evidence suggests that ferroptosis, an iron‐dependent cell death process, may be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. The study evaluated the therapeutic potential of betaine and boric acid (BA) pretreatment administered to rats for 21 days in AD. Then, the rats were sacrificed, and morphological and biochemical analyses were performed in brain tissues. Next, an ex vivo AD model was created by applying amyloid‐β (Aβ1‐42) to synaptosomes isolated from the brain tissues. Synaptosomes were analyzed with micrograph images, and protein and mRNA levels of ferroptotic markers were determined. Betaine and BA pretreatments did not cause any morphological and biochemical differences in the brain tissue. However, Aβ (1–42) administration in synaptosomes increased the levels of acyl‐CoA synthetase long chain family member‐4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor‐1 protein (TfR1), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) and decreased the levels glutathione peroxidase‐4 (GPx4) and glutathione (GSH). Moreover, ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels were similar to the ELISA results. In contrast, betaine and BA pretreatments decreased the levels of ACSL4, TfR1, MDA, and 8‐OHdG in synaptosomes incubated with Aβ1‐42, while promoting increased levels of GPx4 and GSH. In addition, betaine and BA pretreatments completely reversed ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels. Therefore, betaine and BA pretreatments may contribute to the prevention of neurodegenerative damage by supporting antiferroptotic activities.
Linear snowfall trails during freezing fog in South East England, 23 January 2023: evidence for anthropogenic snowfall
Authors: Mayes Julian
Published: December 2023

Anthropogenic (industrial) snowfalls in the UK have hitherto been regarded as rare and extremely localised. This article analyses the distribution and possible causes of three ‘stripes’ of anthropogenic snow extending up to 10 km from the vicinity of London’s Heathrow airport on 23 January 2023. The early morning had been exceptionally cold at the airport, partly due to the relatively late arrival of freezing fog compared to other parts of the lower Thames valley. This is likely to have facilitated the formation of the snowfall by means of ice nuclei.
Rapid Cycling and Generation Advancement for Accelerated Mutation Breeding in Sorghum
Authors: Ghanim Abdelbagi M. A. , Ali Adel B. , Sen Ayşe , Ingelbrecht Ivan , Sivasankar Shoba
Published: December 2023

Rapid cycling techniques have become preferred methods in recent years to speed up the plant breeding process, especially for plant varieties recalcitrant to in vitro tissue culture. Manipulation of plant growth management of components such as pot size, irrigation, nutrition and light/day length can substantially accelerate the plant growth cycle from seed to harvest. In this chapter, we describe how to shorten the generation time of sorghum to have 4–6 generations per year to speed the plant breeding process including mutation breeding for resistance to Striga.
Physical Mutagenesis in Cereal Crops
Authors: Ghanim Abdelbagi M. A.
Published: December 2023

The use of physical mutagens to induce heritable genetic variation in crop plants dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. While X-rays were the first to be used for mutation induction in plants, gamma-rays have been the most widely used physical mutagen. Currently gamma induced mutations represents 60% of the registered mutant varieties in the Mutant Variety Database of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. Beside gamma and X-rays, other physical mutagens include neutrons, beta particles, alpha particles, protons and ion beam. This chapter introduces the technique of physical mutagenesis with emphasis on gamma-ray and X-ray irradiation of seeds in cereals in the context of inducing genetic variation for resistance to the parasitic weed, Striga. Easy to follow step-by-step protocols are explained including sample preparation, treatment application and post-treatment handling of irradiated seeds. Data collection and graphic illustration are presented to estimate the optimum dose for bulk treatment to determine the radio-sensitivity of cereal crops. The last section briefly explains the development and handling of mutant populations by way of introduction to the rest of this book on mutation breeding in cereals for resistance to Striga.
Screening for Resistance to Striga Hermonthica in Mutagenized Sorghum and Upland Rice in Burkina Faso
Authors: Yonli Djibril , Nikiéma Philippe M. , Traoré Hamidou , Ghanim Abdelbagi M. A.
Published: December 2023

Striga hermonthica is a major production constraint to sorghum and upland rice in Burkina Faso due to poorly structured and nutrient deficient soils, unreliable rainfall and high temperatures that limit the cropping season. A mutation breeding project using gamma rays as the mutagen was undertaken to improve Striga resistance in these two cereal crops in farmer preferred varieties adapted to the unique challenges of Burkinabe agriculture. This chapter describes the screening protocols used to select sorghum and upland rice mutants with improved productivity over unmutagenized lines.
Striga Germination Stimulant Analysis
Authors: Thiombiano Benjamin , Floková Kristýna , Walmsley Aimee , Bouwmeester Harro J.
Published: December 2023

Striga is a flowering parasitic plant that can infect a broad range of crops including sorghum, maize and rice. The life cycle of Striga is intricately linked to its host, using host derived signals to initiate germination and attach to its host. Host susceptibility to Striga is thus directly correlated to the production and exudation of these signals. In this chapter we discuss the strigolactones, the most important class of Striga germination stimulants. We review the structural diversity of the strigolactones, their transport and biological relevance in plant and rhizosphere, and their importance for host specificity. In addition, we describe methods to analyse germination stimulant production by a Striga host: how to, reproducibly, collect the root exudate of a host, how to process these exudates, partially purify them and analyse them using analytical chemistry or a high-throughput image analysis-based germination bioassay.
The outcomes of the most severe polytrauma patients: a systematic review of the use of high ISS cutoffs for performance measurement
Authors: Hardy Benjamin M. , Varghese Adrian , Adams Megan J. , Enninghorst Natalie , Balogh Zsolt J.
Published: December 2023

Background

This systematic review aimed to describe the outcomes of the most severely injured polytrauma patients and identify the consistent Injury Severity Score based definition of utilised for their definition. This could provide a global standard for trauma system benchmarking.

Methods

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was applied to this review. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, CINAHL, CENTRAL from inception until July 2022. Case reports were excluded. Studies in all languages that reported the outcomes of adult and paediatric patients with an ISS 40 and above were included. Abstracts were screened by two authors and ties adjudicated by the senior author.

Results

7500 abstracts were screened after excluding 13 duplicates. 56 Full texts were reviewed and 37 were excluded. Reported ISS groups varied widely between the years 1986 and 2022. ISS groups reported ranged from 40–75 up to 51–75. Mortality varied between 27 and 100%. The numbers of patients in the highest ISS group ranged between 15 and 1451.

Conclusions

There are very few critically injured patients reported during the last 48 years. The most critically injured polytrauma patients still have at least a 50% risk of death. There is no consistent inclusion and exclusion criteria for this high-risk cohort. The current approach to reporting is not suitable for monitoring the epidemiology and outcomes of the critically injured polytrauma patients.

Level of evidence

Level 4—systematic review of level 4 studies.
Molecular Characterisation of Faecal Bacterial Assemblages Among Four Species of Syntopic Odonates
Authors: Morrill A. , Forbes M. R. , Vesterinen E. J. , Tamminen M. , Sääksjärvi I. E. , Kaunisto K. M.
Published: December 2023

Factors such as host species, phylogeny, diet, and both timing and location of sampling are thought to influence the composition of gut-associated bacteria in insects. In this study, we compared the faecal-associated bacterial taxa for three Coenagrion and one Enallagma damselfly species. We expected high overlap in representation of bacterial taxa due to the shared ecology and diet of these species. Using metabarcoding based on the 16S rRNA gene, we identified 1513 sequence variants, representing distinct bacterial ‘taxa’. Intriguingly, the damselfly species showed somewhat different magnitudes of richness of ZOTUs, ranging from 480 to 914 ZOTUs. In total, 921 (or 60.8% of the 1513) distinct ZOTUs were non-shared, each found only in one species, and then most often in only a single individual. There was a surfeit of these non-shared incidental ZOTUs in the Enallagma species accounting for it showing the highest bacterial richness and accounting for a sample-wide pattern of more single-species ZOTUs than expected, based on comparisons to the null model. Future studies should address the extent to which faecal bacteria represent non-incidental gut bacteria and whether abundant and shared taxa are true gut symbionts.

Graphical Abstract

Pictures of odonates adopted from Norske Art databank under Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0).
Improving Agri-environmental Schemes: Suggestions from Farmers and Nature Managers in a Central European Region
Authors: Zindler Manuela , Haensel Maria , Fricke Ute , Schmitt Thomas M. , Tobisch Cynthia , Koellner Thomas
Published: December 2023

Agri-environmental schemes (AES) are important policy instruments within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union for environmental protection. Due to the voluntary nature of AES, their attractiveness to farmers and stakeholders involved in nature management and protection (nature managers) is essential for high participation levels. This study aims to assess farmers’ and nature managers’ ideas to improve agri-environmental schemes. We analyzed suggestions of 825 farmers and 118 nature managers for improvements of AES collected in a large-scale survey in Bavaria, Germany. A content analysis was applied to categorize and compare suggestions by farmers (differentiated into two groups through a cluster analysis) and nature managers. The results reveal that stakeholders were highly willing to share ideas and made detailed suggestions for improvements and individual measures. They were aware of the importance of protecting nature and promoting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and acknowledged the necessity of (financial) support programs. Farmers placed more emphasis on the practicability and profitability of measures on arable land, while nature managers tended to propose policy-related ideas focusing on nature protection, biodiversity, and specific species. Among farmers, suggestions differed with farm characteristics such as the operation mode (full-time, part-time). These findings can support the design of future AES, accounting for different background situations and thereby increasing acceptability. This includes considering perspectives from different stakeholder groups and creating regionally adapted programs with varying levels of flexibility and practicability.
Fusaric acid-evoked oxidative stress affects plant defence system by inducing biochemical changes at subcellular level
Authors: Iqbal Nadeem , Czékus Zalán , Ördög Attila , Poór Péter
Published: December 2023

Fusaric acid (FA) is one of the most harmful phytotoxins produced in various plant–pathogen interactions. Fusarium species produce FA as a secondary metabolite, which can infect many agronomic crops at all stages of development from seed to fruit, and FA production can further compromise plant survival because of its phytotoxic effects. FA exposure in plant species adversely affects plant growth, development and crop yield. FA exposure in plants leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause cellular damage and ultimately cell death. Therefore, FA-induced ROS accumulation in plants has been a topic of interest for many researchers to understand the plant–pathogen interactions and plant defence responses. In this study, we reviewed the FA-mediated oxidative stress and ROS-induced defence responses of antioxidants, as well as hormonal signalling in plants. The effects of FA phytotoxicity on lipid peroxidation, physiological changes and ultrastructural changes at cellular and subcellular levels were reported. Additionally, DNA damage, cell death and adverse effects on photosynthesis have been explained. Some possible approaches to overcome the harmful effects of FA in plants were also discussed. It is concluded that FA-induced ROS affect the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant system regulated by phytohormones. The effects of FA are also associated with other photosynthetic, ultrastructural and genotoxic modifications in plants.

Graphical abstract
Change in patellar height in medial and lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a clinical trial
Authors: D’Ambrosi Riccardo , Rubino Francesco , Ursino Chiara , Mariani Ilaria , Ursino Nicola , Formica Matteo , Prinz Julia , Migliorini Filippo
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Evidence on patellar height changes following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is lacking. Therefore, this study compared the patella height in patients who underwent medial versus lateral UKA. Moreover, a subgroup analysis was conducted to investigate whether sex, age, and BMI of the patients exert an influence on the postoperative patellar height.

Methods

Radiographs and hospital records of patients undergoing UKA were prospectively collected. Surgeries were performed by one author with long experience in UKA in a highly standardised fashion. The implants were fixed-bearing medial PPK (Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, Indiana, USA) and fixed-bearing lateral ZUK (Lima Corporate, Udine, Italy). The patellar height was measured using the Insall–Salvati and Caton–Deschamps indices.

Results

A total of 203 patients were included: 119 patients were included in the medial and 84 in the lateral UKA. The mean age of the patients was 68.9 ± 6.7 years, and the mean BMI was 28.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2. 54% (110 of 203 patients) were women. On admission, between-group comparability was found in age, BMI, sex, and length of the follow-up. No between-group and within-group difference was detected pre- and post-operatively in the Insall–Salvati and Caton–Deschamps indices in patients who have undergone medial versus lateral UKA. Concerning the subgroup analyses, no between-group and within-group difference was detected pre- and post-operatively in all comparisons according to sex, age, and BMI.

Conclusion

No difference was found in patella height in patients who have undergone medial compared to lateral UKA. Furthermore, there was no evidence of an association between patient characteristics (sex, age, BMI) and patella height between medial and lateral UKA.
Molecular pathology of endocrine gland tumors: genetic alterations and clinicopathologic relevance
Authors: De Leo Antonio , Ruscelli Martina , Maloberti Thais , Coluccelli Sara , Repaci Andrea , de Biase Dario , Tallini Giovanni
Published: December 2023

Tumors of the endocrine glands are common. Knowledge of their molecular pathology has greatly advanced in the recent past. This review covers the main molecular alterations of tumors of the anterior pituitary, thyroid and parathyroid glands, adrenal cortex, and adrenal medulla and paraganglia. All endocrine gland tumors enjoy a robust correlation between genotype and phenotype. High-throughput molecular analysis demonstrates that endocrine gland tumors can be grouped into molecular groups that are relevant from both pathologic and clinical point of views. In this review, genetic alterations have been discussed and tabulated with respect to their molecular pathogenetic role and clinicopathologic implications, addressing the use of molecular biomarkers for the purpose of diagnosis and prognosis and predicting response to molecular therapy. Hereditary conditions that play a key role in determining predisposition to many types of endocrine tumors are also discussed.
The influence of gender inequality on women’s cancer mortality in European countries: a quantitative study
Authors: Koengkan Matheus , Fuinhas José Alberto
Published: December 2023

Aim

This study investigates the impact of gender inequality on cancer mortality among European women across 27 countries from 2013 to 2020.

Subject and methods

The study explores the link between gender inequality and cancer mortality, employing pooled ordinary least squares regression. It evaluates socioeconomic gaps, healthcare access disparities, risky behaviours, and elements like screening, education, and life expectancy. The study also investigates how healthcare spending, employment, self-perceived health, and leisure activities influence mortality.

Results

The study shows that breast and cervical cancer screenings (BCS) significantly reduce cancer-related deaths among European women (CDW), with a negative impact of −0.0875. Similarly, tertiary education and participation in education and training (WEP) show a negative impact of −0.0021. Absolute life expectancy for women at birth (LEW) demonstrates a negative impact of −5.2603, all contributing to decreased cancer-related deaths.

Conversely, certain variables have a contradictory positive impact on CDW. Total healthcare expenditure (HCE) has a positive impact of +0.0311, and full-time equivalent employment (FER) of +0.3212. Women engaging in activities (WLW) has a positive impact of +0.6572. Self-perception of good health (WHG), refraining from smoking or harmful drinking (NSN) (+0.2649), and an active lifestyle with consumption of fruits and vegetables (PAF) (+0.2649) also impact positively, collectively contributing to increased cancer mortality among women.

Conclusion

The study highlights the importance of combating gender inequality to decrease cancer deaths in European women. Strategies include closing healthcare gaps and enhancing health education. Complex links between smoking, alcohol, and cancer mortality require further research. Interventions targeting disparities, healthcare access, and risky behaviours can notably lower cancer mortality.
Conflict-free electric vehicle routing problem: an improved compositional algorithm
Authors: Roselli Sabino Francesco , Fabian Martin , Åkesson Knut
Published: December 2023

The Conflict-Free Electric Vehicle Routing Problem (CF-EVRP) is a combinatorial optimization problem of designing routes for vehicles to execute tasks such that a cost function, typically the number of vehicles or the total travelled distance, is minimized. The CF-EVRP involves constraints such as time windows on the tasks’ execution, limited operating range of the vehicles, and limited capacity on the number of vehicles that a road segment can simultaneously accommodate. In previous work, the compositional algorithm ComSat was introduced to solve the CF-EVRP by breaking it down into sub-problems and iteratively solve them to build an overall solution. Though ComSat showed good performance in general, some problem instances took significant time to solve due to the high number of iterations required to find solutions for two sub-problems, namely the Routing Problem, and the Paths Changing Problem. This paper addresses the bottlenecks of ComSat and presents new formulations for both sub-problems in order to reduce the number of iterations required to find feasible solutions to the CF-EVRP. Experiments on sets of benchmark instances show the effectiveness of the presented improvements.
Corruption as a push and pull factor of migration flows: evidence from European countries
Authors: Bernini Andrea , Bossavie Laurent , Garrote-Sánchez Daniel , Makovec Mattia
Published: December 2023

Conclusive evidence on the relationship between corruption and migration has remained scant in the literature to date. Using 2008–2018 data on bilateral migration flows across EU28 and EFTA countries and four measures of corruption, we show that corruption acts as both push and pull factors on migration patterns. Based on a gravity model, a 1-unit increase in the corruption level in the origin country is associated with an 11% increase in out-migration. The same 1-unit increase in corruption in the destination country is associated with a 10% decline in in-migration.
Parental Monitoring of Early Adolescent Social Technology Use in the US: A Mixed-Method Study
Authors: Hernandez J. Maya , Ben-Joseph Elana Pearl , Reich Stephanie , Charmaraman Linda
Published: December 2023

Parental monitoring of digital media use evolves throughout childhood and adolescence and become increasingly important when autonomy seeking on social technologies emerges during early adolescence. We investigate a survey cohort of 248 US parents of early adolescents and their parental media monitoring behaviors (i.e., restrictive, active, deference), the family context (i.e., closeness and parent technoference), and perceptions of child’s problematic internet use. Using an explanatory mixed methods approach, the results of this study reveal that restrictive parental monitoring of adolescents’ digital media use is positively associated with child’s problematic internet use. However, active and deference monitoring are not associated with early adolescent problematic internet use and positively associated with family contexts. Familial closeness and technoference are consistent negative and positive correlates, respectively, of perceived problematic use among early adolescents. Qualitative interviews with a subset of 31 parents reveal while most parents report restrictive behaviors, multiple techniques (e.g., active, surveillant, and deference) are also leveraged when navigating their child’s online behaviors. Parents tended to converge on the same types and reasons for restrictive monitoring of media, whereas for other approaches the reasons behind their decision-making were quite divergent. The implication of this study is that parental media monitoring behaviors during early adolescence are rapidly evolving and not confined to a singular strategy, often related to prevention of or intervention on their child’s online behavior patterns. Understanding the family dynamics and parent involvement of adolescent’s digital media use remains critical in prevention of child’s problematic behaviors and promotion of positive online behaviors.
Progesterone improved the behavior of PC12 cells under OGD/R by reducing FABP5 expression and inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Li Chunlin , Li Bowen , Qu Linglong , Song Ruichang , Liu Hui , Su Shanshan
Published: December 2023

Herein, PC12 cells were applied to detect the impact of progesterone under oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) stimulation. The cell proliferation of PC12 cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 assay, and the concentrations of MDA, ROS and SOD were examined by their corresponding Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits. The invasion and migration properties of PC12 cells were evaluated by transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The expression patterns of related genes were evaluated by western blot and qPCR. Under OGD/R stimulation, progesterone treatment could elevate the viability of PC12 cells, reduce the levels of MDA and ROS, and elevate the concentration of SOD. Moreover, progesterone treatment could strengthen the invasion and migration abilities of PC12 cells under OGD/R condition, as well as decrease the apoptosis and inflammation. FABP5 expression was significantly increased in PC12 cells under OGD/R stimulation, which was reversed after progesterone stimulation. Under OGD/R stimulation, the protective effects of progesterone on PC12 cells were strengthened after si-FABP5 treatment. The protein levels of TLR4, p-P65 NF-κB, and P65 NF-κB in OGD/R-induced PC12 cells were increased, which were inhibited after progesterone treatment. Progesterone exerted protective effects on PC12 cells by targeting FABP5 under OGD/R stimulation.
DNA Aptamer-Based Staining and Fluorescence Microscopy for Rapid Detection of Cyclospora Cayetanensis Oocysts
Authors: Bruno John G. , Sivils Jeffrey , Natarajan Mohan , Mohan Sumathy
Published: December 2023

There are no commercial antibodies for detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis, only a relatively slow polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, DNA aptamers have recently been developed by our group against known proteins and whole oocysts of C. cayetanensis and shown to specifically detect the oocysts when attached on their 5’ ends to red-emitting fluorophores and used as probes for fluorescence microscopy. Aptamers developed against recombinant wall protein 2 and TA4 antigen-like protein as well as whole oocysts specifically stained C. cayetanensis oocysts while exhibiting little, if any, staining of numerous other waterborne parasite species. Interestingly, the aptamers stained both exterior cell wall moieties and internal structures, suggesting that the aptamers penetrate the oocysts even without added detergents.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Octopus vulgaris
Authors: Fee Gareth N. , Roura Alvaro , Emami-Khoyi Arsalan , Teske Peter R.
Published: December 2023

Background

The Octopus vulgaris species complex consists of numerous morphologically similar but genetically distinct species. The current publicly available mitogenome of this species has been generated from a specimen collected from Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan. Octopus from the northwestern Pacific Ocean are now considered to be a separate species, Octopus sinensis. For this reason, we hypothesised that the current record of O. vulgaris was sequenced from a specimen of O. sinensis. Here, we sequenced the first complete mitogenome of a specimen of Octopus vulgaris sensu stricto that was collected from the species’ confirmed distribution areas in northeastern Atlantic.

Methods and results

The complete mitogenome was assembled de novo and annotated using 250 bp paired-end sequences. A single circular contig 15,655 bp in length with a mean read coverage of 1089 reads was reconstructed. The annotation pipeline identified 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNA) and two ribosomal RNAs. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree recovered the assembled mitogenome as the sister taxon of a monophyletic group comprising O. sinensis and the previously published mitogenome of “O. vulgaris” from Japan. This confirms that the latter was a Japanese specimen of O. sinensis.

Conclusion

The mitogenome sequenced here is the first to be published for Octopus vulgaris sensu stricto. It represents an important first step in genetics-informed research on the evolution, conservation, and management of this commercially important species.
The prosody of Spanish acronyms
Authors: Torres-Tamarit Francesc , Martínez-Paricio Violeta
Published: December 2023

This paper presents a first attempt to formally characterize the prosodic properties of Spanish acronyms. Based on the examination of a dataset and the results of a written questionnaire and perception test administered to native speakers, the stress patterns and prosodic size of Spanish acronyms are investigated. We show that stress in acronyms follows the regular stress patterns of the language. We further claim that acronyms are restricted to an upper limit of three syllables, which we explain by resorting to layered feet. Additionally, we show that an interesting minimality requirement applies exclusively to acronyms, one that must be expressed not in terms of syllable weight, but rather in terms of the number of segments.
Finding the structure of parliamentary motions in the Swedish Riksdag 1971–2015
Authors: Bruinsma Bastiaan , Johansson Moa
Published: December 2023

The current increase in the number of large, open sets of unstructured textual data has created both opportunities and challenges for social scientists. Here, we explore if and how we can use such data by looking at a dataset of over 144,000 documents used by parliamentary committees in Sweden. Of these, we aim to understand: (a) the topical content of these motions, (b) how these topics have changed over time, and (c) how these topics differ across political parties. To do so, we use a Structural Topic Model, which allows us to not only find the topics using the textual data itself, but also to include the documents’ metadata, such as authorship and date of publication. Doing so, we find 30 topics, which we combine into 9 broader themes. We find that these themes often rise and fall in popularity in line with historical events, and relate to the various political parties as we would expect. Throughout our analysis, we provide a step-by-step overview of how to use structural topic models in practice and also how to handle the type of dataset we use here.
The genetics of Graves’ disease
Authors: Grixti Lydia , Lane Laura C. , Pearce Simon H
Published: December 2023

Graves’ disease (GD) is the commonest cause of hyperthyroidism and has a strong female preponderance. Everyday clinical practice suggests strong aggregation within families and twin studies demonstrate that genetic factors account for 60-80% of risk of developing GD. In this review, we collate numerous genetic studies and outline the discoveries over the years, starting with historic candidate gene studies and then exploring more recent genome-wide linkage and association studies, which have involved substantial cohorts of East Asian patients as well as those of European descent. Variants in genes including HLA, CTLA4, and PTPN22 have been shown to have substantial individual effects on disease susceptibility. In addition, we examine emerging evidence concerning the possibility that genetic variants may correlate with relevant clinical phenotypes including age of onset of GD, severity of thyrotoxicosis, goitre size and relapse of hyperthyroidism following antithyroid drug therapy, as well as thyroid eye disease. This review supports the inheritance of GD as a complex genetic trait, with a growing number of more than 80 susceptibility loci identified so far. Future implementation of more targeted clinical therapies requires larger studies investigating the influence of these genetic variants on the various phenotypes and different outcomes of conventional treatments.
Musical works are mind-independent artifacts
Authors: Mikalonytė Elzė Sigutė
Published: December 2023

Realism about musical works is often tied to some type of Platonism. Nominalism, which posits that musical works exist and that they are concrete objects, goes with ontological realism much less often than Platonism: there is a long tradition which holds human-created objects (artifacts) to be mind-dependent. Musical Platonism leads to the well-known paradox of the impossibility of creating abstract objects, and so it has been suggested that only some form of nominalism becoming dominant in the ontology of art could cause a great change in the field and open up new possibilities. This paper aims to develop a new metaontological view starting from the widely accepted claim that musical works are created. It contends that musical works must be concrete and created objects of some sort, but, nevertheless, they are mind-independent, and we should take the revisionary methodological stance. Although musical works are artifacts, what people think about them does not determine what musical works are. Musical works are similar to natural objects in the following sense: semantic externalism applies to the term ‘musical work’ because, firstly, they possess a shared nature, and, secondly, we can be mistaken about what they are.
Verwaltungsverflechtungen im föderalen System
Authors: Bogumil Jörg , Gräfe Philipp
Published: December 2023

In den letzten Jahren sind Probleme im Verwaltungsvollzug stärker thematisiert worden, insbesondere am Beispiel von Krisen. Viele dieser Problemlagen im Kontext der Migrations- und Integrationspolitik, im Bereich der Gesundheitspolitik (Corona), in der Sozialpolitik oder der nur sehr zögerlich vorankommenden Digitalisierung öffentlicher Dienstleistungen in Deutschland lassen sich dabei auf Probleme in der Verflechtung von Verwaltungen zurückführen. Der Beitrag entwickelt dazu unter Rückgriff auf das Konzept der „Verwaltungsverflechtung“ ein empirisches Analysekonzept für Vollzugshandeln, das sowohl die Verflechtungsstruktur als auch die Schnittstellenbearbeitung als analytische Dimensionen in den Blick nimmt. Es wird argumentiert, dass die Analyse dieser Dimensionen ermöglicht, jene strukturellen Probleme systematisch offenzulegen und zu erklären, die im Vollzugshandeln in unterschiedlichen Verwaltungsbereichen regelmäßig Koordinationsdefizite bedingen.
Banded Versus Non-banded Sleeve Gastrectomy: 5-Year Results of a 3-Year Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Fink Jodok M. , Reutebuch Marina , Seifert Gabriel , Laessle Claudia , Fichtner-Feigl Stefan , Marjanovic Goran , Fink Mira
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Banded sleeve gastrectomy (BSG) has been shown to enable better weight loss than non-banded sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in retrospective analyses. These findings were supported by two randomized controlled trials (RCT). However, to date, mid-term prospective data is not available.

Materials and Methods

We invited all 94 patients of an RCT comparing banded to non-banded sleeve gastrectomy at 3 years (DRKS00007729) for a 5-year follow-up visit. Eighty-two patients (BSG n = 42; SG n = 40) came for evaluation. Outcome measures were identical with the RCT to allow longitudinal comparison. Data analysis was descriptive and focused on biometric data, development of comorbidities, mid-term complications, quality of life, and type of body contouring surgery (BCS).

Results

The per-protocol analysis revealed a treatment difference of 9% (CI − 1.5 to 19.6) excess weight loss (EWL). Total weight loss (TWL) was 27.4% (CI 23.5–31.3) after SG and 31.6% (CI 27.3–35.5) after BSG. Twenty percent of patients after SG and 11.9% following BSG had been converted to a gastric bypass. Type 2 diabetes went into remission in most patients (SG 66.7% vs. BSG 63.6%). Antihypertensive medication was stopped or reduced in 81.3% after SG and 80% after BSG. Reflux symptoms were similar in both groups (symptoms $$\ge$$
≥
1/ week: SG 28.2% vs. BSG 26.8%). Frequency of postprandial regurgitation was higher after BSG (SG 23% vs. BSG 59%). Forty percent of patients had undergone BCS at time of follow-up.

Conclusion

Five-year weight loss after BSG was 9% EWL and 4.2% TWL higher compared to SG. The main added morbidity following BSG was postprandial regurgitation.

Graphical abstract
Forensisch-psychiatrische Implikationen bei Post‑/Long-COVID
Authors: Dreßing Harald , Dreßing Andrea
Published: December 2023

Als Folge einer COVID-19-Infektion kann eine Long‑/Post-COVID-Symptomatik auftreten, deren Symptomatik äußerst vielfältig sein kann. Für die forensisch-psychiatrische Begutachtung auf zivil- und sozialrechtlichem Gebiet stellt dabei die Einschätzung einer chronischen Fatigue-Symptomatik eine häufige Fragestellung dar. Vor der COVID-19-Pandemie ergaben sich ähnliche gutachtliche Herausforderungen bei der Thematik der myalgischen Enzephalomyelitis. Gutachten zu dieser Thematik waren schon vor der COVID-19-Pandemie häufig umstritten, es handelte sich aber eher um Einzelfälle. Die pandemiebedingte Zunahme solcher Fragestellungen führt dazu, dass sich viele gutachtlich tätigen KollegInnen nun verstärkt damit auseinandersetzen müssen. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt die für die gutachtliche Praxis relevanten Leitlinien und die in Deutschland zu berücksichtigenden rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen zu dem Thema vor, sowie einige empirischen Studien zu ätiopathogenetischen Mechanismen und macht Vorschläge, wie diese in den gutachtlichen Kontext kritisch einbezogen werden können.