bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polypharmacy and anticholinergic burden as risk factors for postoperative delirium in surgical medicine
Authors: Moellmann Henriette Louise , Boulghoudan Soufian , Kuhlmann Julian , Rahm Louisa , Frohnhofen Helmut
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Polypharmacy is a widespread phenomenon in older patients. In particular, the anticholinergic burden of medication is an important risk factor for delirium due to age-related changes in the cholinergic system.

Methods

Preoperative medication, including the calculation of the anticholinergic burden (ACB), was recorded in a prospective study (421 patients) to identify potential risks associated with medication intake. Postoperative delirium screening was carried out daily.

Results

The study included 199 women (47.3%) and 222 men (52.7%) aged 80.8 ± 6.7 years and 78.8 ± 6.2 years, respectively. Antidepressants odds ratio (OR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval. CI, 1.51–6.64), antidiabetic drugs OR 2.53 (95% CI 1.27–5.03), neuroleptics OR 3.52 (95% CI 1.70–7.28) and Parkinson medication OR 5.88 (95% CI 1.95–17.7) showed a significantly higher risk for delirium. The ACB score revealed an anticholinergic burden in 43 patients (10.4%). The delirium rate was 25.6% (n = 11) and 11.0% (n = 40) had no anticholinergic burden. A significant correlation can be demonstrated with χ2(1) = 7.52, p = 0.006, Cramer’s V = 0.136. There was a 2.79-fold higher risk of delirium (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.31–5.97).

Conclusion

The standardized recording of medication is essential, especially when identifying patients at risk of suffering from delirium. The use of the ACB score to assess the anticholinergic burden is a simple and reliable screening tool and should be part of a preoperative geriatric assessment.
The role of inhibition in the processing of peripheral cues
Authors: Büsel Christian , Dahm Stephan F. , Sachse Pierre , Ansorge Ulrich
Published: January 2025

The present study investigated the role of inhibition in peripheral cueing by nonpredictive cues. Based on past findings, we investigated the possibility that inhibition of learned irrelevant cue colors is typical of short cue-target intervals, with more competition for attention capture between cue versus target. In line with the expectation, in a modified contingent-capture protocol, with short cue-target intervals, we found same-location costs (SLCs) – that is, disadvantages for validly cued targets (cue = target position) compared to invalidly cued targets (cue ≠ target position) with consistently colored non-matching cues. In contrast, no such effects for inconsistently colored non-matching cues were observed with short intervals. In a control condition, with longer intervals, the differences between consistently and inconsistently colored cues were no longer observed. We argue that this effect is due to participants proactively inhibiting consistently colored non-matching cues with short intervals but not with long intervals, but that inhibition failed with inconsistently colored non-matching cues that could take on different possible colors. Alternative explanations in terms of object-updating costs or masking were ruled out. We conclude that the currently found type of inhibition of peripheral cues most likely reflected the limitation of proactively established control structures that could be used at the same time.
Globally stable blowup profile for supercritical wave maps in all dimensions
Authors: Glogić Irfan
Published: January 2025

We consider wave maps from the

$$(1+d)$$

(
1
+
d
)

-dimensional Minkowski space into the d-sphere. It is known from the work of Bizoń and Biernat (Commun Math Phys 338(3): 1443–1450, 2015) that in the energy-supercritical case, i.e., for

$$d \ge 3$$

d
≥
3

, this model admits a closed-form corotational self-similar blowup solution. We show that this blowup profile is globally nonlinearly stable for all

$$d \ge 3$$

d
≥
3

, thereby verifying a perturbative version of the conjecture posed in Bizoń and Biernat (Commun Math Phys 338(3): 1443–1450, 2015) about the generic large data blowup behavior for this model. To accomplish this, we develop a novel stability analysis approach based on similarity variables posed on the whole space

$$\mathbb {R}^d$$

R

d

. As a result, we draw a general road map for studying spatially global stability of self-similar blowup profiles for nonlinear wave equations in the radial case for arbitrary dimension

$$d \ge 3$$

d
≥
3

.
Dynamics of the prognostic index during the course of treatment for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Sen Masaomi , Ito Ryo , Abe Takeshi , Kazusaka Hiroko , Matsui Mami , Saitou Marie , Nagaoka Ryuta , Jikuzono Tomoo , Sugitani Iwao
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Tumor/node/metastasis staging and prognostic index (PI) are used to predict prognosis and guide treatment for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). With the advent of treatments, such as BRAF/MEK inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, dynamic markers to assess disease status and treatment efficacy are needed. This study examined the utility of PI as a dynamic marker for ATC treatment.

Methods

This retrospective study investigated 20 patients with ATC who were treated aggressively from January 2011 to December 2022. Patients were categorized into low-, high-, low-, and high-high groups according to the PI before and after treatment. Survival was then compared between the groups.

Results

The median overall survival was not reached for the Low–Low, 363 days for the High–Low, 158.5 days for the Low–High, and 90.5 days for the High–High groups (p < 0.01). Among the 13 patients with an initially high PI, 6 patients achieved a low PI during treatment, but three showed subsequent increases. Categorizing PI further into decreased, temporarily decreased, and non-decreased groups, median overall survival was 363 days, 158.5 days, and 87 days, respectively (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

PI is a critical prognostic indicator that facilitates treatment decision-making for ATC. PI may also have potential as a dynamic marker for assessing the disease status and treatment efficacy.
Gene-environment interaction in ADHD traits: the role of school environment, personality, callousness-unemotional traits and satisfaction with life
Authors: Schwabe Inga , Pelt Dirk H. M. , Greven Corina U.
Published: January 2025

We investigated gene-environment interaction in ADHD traits, focusing on environmental variables related to personality traits, school environment, satisfaction with life, and callousness. Using data from 2170 16-year-old twins and state-of-the-art methodology to prevent spurious findings due to measurement scale artifacts, gene-environment interaction models were estimated separately for the two core ADHD dimensions, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and inattentiveness. Based on scores on the SWAN questionnaire, where high scores are reflective of low ADHD traits, results showed that additive genetic influences were more important in explaining individual differences in the degree of hyperactivity-impulsivity in twins with a high score on the trait conscientiousness than in twins with a moderate or low score (e.g., a positive gene-environment interaction). Similarly, additive genetic influences were relatively more important in explaining individual differences in the degree of inattentiveness in twins with a high score on conscientiousness or satisfaction with oneself. Lastly, a negative gene-environment interaction was found: For twins with a high score on the trait callousness, additive genetic influences were less important in explaining differences in the degree of inattentiveness than in twins with an average or low score on the trait. The finding of these specific gene-environment interactions is important for a deeper understanding of the etiology of ADHD traits and may assist in developing targeted interventions for genetically vulnerable individuals.
Cubic-quartic regularization models for solving polynomial subproblems in third-order tensor methods
Authors: Cartis Coralia , Zhu Wenqi
Published: January 2025

High-order tensor methods for solving both convex and nonconvex optimization problems have recently generated significant research interest, due in part to the natural way in which higher derivatives can be incorporated into adaptive regularization frameworks, leading to algorithms with optimal global rates of convergence and local rates that are faster than Newton’s method. On each iteration, to find the next solution approximation, these methods require the unconstrained local minimization of a (potentially nonconvex) multivariate polynomial of degree higher than two, constructed using third-order (or higher) derivative information, and regularized by an appropriate power of the change in the iterates. Developing efficient techniques for the solution of such subproblems is a current topic of research, and this paper addresses this question for the case of the third-order tensor subproblem. In particular, we propose the CQR algorithmic framework, for minimizing a nonconvex Cubic multivariate polynomial with Quartic Regularisation, by sequentially minimizing a sequence of local quadratic models that also incorporate both simple cubic and quartic terms. The role of the cubic term is to crudely approximate local tensor information, while the quartic one provides model regularization and controls progress. We provide necessary and sufficient optimality conditions that fully characterise the global minimizers of these cubic-quartic models. We then turn these conditions into secular equations that can be solved efficiently using root-finding procedures. We show, using our optimality characterisations, that a CQR algorithmic variant has the optimal-order evaluation complexity of $$\mathcal {O}(\epsilon ^{-3/2})$$

O
(

ϵ

-
3
/
2

)

when applied to minimizing our quartically-regularised cubic subproblem, which can be further improved in special cases. We propose practical CQR variants that judiciously use local tensor information to construct the local cubic-quartic models. We test these variants numerically and observe them to be competitive with cubic regularization and other subproblem solvers on typical instances and even show superior performance on ill-conditioned subproblems with special structure.
Accelerated affine-invariant convergence rates of the Frank–Wolfe algorithm with open-loop step-sizes
Authors: Wirth Elias , Peña Javier , Pokutta Sebastian
Published: January 2025

Recent papers have shown that the Frank–Wolfe algorithm () with open-loop step-sizes exhibits rates of convergence faster than the iconic $$\mathcal {O}(t^{-1})$$

O
(

t

-
1

)

rate. In particular, when the minimizer of a strongly convex function over a polytope lies on the boundary of the polytope, the algorithm with open-loop step-sizes $$\eta _t = \frac{\ell }{t+\ell }$$

η
t

=

ℓ

t
+
ℓ

for $$\ell \in \mathbb {N}_{\ge 2}$$

ℓ
∈

N

≥
2

has accelerated convergence $$\mathcal {O}(t^{-2})$$

O
(

t

-
2

)

in contrast to the rate $$\Omega (t^{-1-\epsilon })$$

Ω
(

t

-
1
-
ϵ

)

attainable with more complex line-search or short-step step-sizes. Given the relevance of this scenario in data science problems, research has grown to explore the settings enabling acceleration in open-loop . However, despite ’s well-known affine invariance, existing acceleration results for open-loop are affine-dependent. This paper remedies this gap in the literature, by merging two recent research trajectories: affine invariance (Peña in SIAM J. Optim. 33(4):2654–2674, 2023) and open-loop step-sizes (Wirth et al. in Proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, 2023). In particular, we extend all known non-affine-invariant convergence rates for with open-loop step-sizes to affine-invariant results.
Who’s Responsible?: Public Ascriptions of Responsibility for Endangered Species Conservation in Arkansas, USA
Authors: Toth Madaline G. , Rubino Elena C.
Published: January 2025

Human attitudes towards species and attributes of wildlife contribute to support for conservation. However, there is limited information on how perceptions of conservation as a concept and process influence attitudes towards endangered species conservation. Furthermore, the question of who society attributes as being responsible for the conservation of endangered species still looms. We address how perceptions towards wildlife and endangered species conservation predict ascriptions of responsibility for conservation through a survey of 1,049 residents of Arkansas, USA, about their attitudes towards and understandings of wildlife and endangered species conservation, their perceptions of and experiences with wildlife agencies, and their beliefs about the responsibilities various interested parties bear with regards to conserving endangered species. Respondents held generally positive attitudes towards wildlife conservation and endangered species conservation, as well as government wildlife agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission). Respondents perceived all interested parties (i.e., all Americans, all residents of Arkansas, licensed hunters/anglers in Arkansas, Arkansas landowners with endangered species on their land, and nongovernmental conservation organizations) as at least somewhat responsible for endangered species conservation in Arkansas. Ascriptions of responsibility to interested parties were often positively predicted by variables related to the importance of wildlife to ecosystem health and conservation costs. Our findings illustrate the perceived value of endangered species as a public resource, suggesting support for conservation efforts and their funding that has implications across the United States.
Spread Complexity of High Energy Neutrino Propagation over Astrophysical Distances
Authors: Dixit Khushboo , Haque S. Shajidul , Razzaque Soebur
Published: January 2025

Spread complexity measures the minimized spread of quantum states over all choices of basis. It generalizes Krylov operator complexity to quantum states under continuous Hamiltonian evolution. In this paper, we study spread complexity in the context of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos and propose a new flavor ratio based on complexity. Our findings indicate that our proposal might favor an initial ratio of fluxes as

$$\phi _{\nu _e}^0: \phi _{\nu _\mu }^0: \phi _{\nu _\tau }^0 = 1:0:0$$

ϕ

ν
e

0

:

ϕ

ν
μ

0

:

ϕ

ν
τ

0

=
1
:
0
:
0

over a more generally expected ratio of 1 : 2 : 0, when the IceCube neutrino observatory achieves its projected sensitivity to discriminate between flavors. Additionally, complexity-based definitions of flavor ratios exhibit a slight but nonzero sensitivity to the neutrino mass ordering, which traditional flavor ratios cannot capture.
Metabolomics analyses and comparative insight to neuroprotective potential of unripe fruits and leaves of Citrus aurantium ethanolic extracts against cadmium-induced rat brain dysfunction: involvement of oxidative stress and akt-mediated CREB/BDNF and GSK3β/NF-κB signaling pathways
Authors: Deabes Doaa A. H. , El-Abd Eman A. W. , Baraka Sara M. , El-Gendy Zeinab A. , Korany Reda M. S. , Elbatanony Marwa M.
Published: January 2025

Serious neurological disorders were associated with cadmium toxicity. Hence, this research aimed to investigate the potential neuroprotective impacts of the ethanolic extracts of Citrus aurantium unripe fruits and leaves (CAF and CAL, respectively) at doses 100 and 200 mg/kg against cadmium chloride-provoked brain dysfunction in rats for 30 consecutive days. HPLC for natural pigment content revealed that CAF implied higher contents of Chlorophyll B, while the CAL has a high yield of chlorophyll A and total carotenoid. Fifty-seven chromatographic peaks were identified by UPLC/MS/MS; 49 and 29 were recognized from CAF or CAL, respectively. Four compounds were isolated from CAF: 3’,4’,7 –trihydroxyflavone, isorhainetin, vitexin, and apigenin. In vitro studies outlined the antioxidant capacity of studied extracts where CAF showed better scavenging radical DPPH activity. Results clarified that both extracts with a superior function of CAF at the high adopted dose significantly ameliorated CdCl2-induced neuro-oxidative stress and neuro-inflammatory response via restoring antioxidant status and hindering nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) stimulation. Moreover, it up-regulated the levels of phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt), phospho- cAMP-response element binding protein (p-CREB), and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels, and elicited a marked decrease in the content of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), besides amending Caspase-3 and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein in brain tissues. Moreover, a significant improvement in the rats’ behavioral tasks of the CAL and CAF-treated groups has been recorded, as indicated by marked preservation in locomotion, exploratory, and memory functions of the experimental rats. In conclusion, the reported neuroprotective impacts of C. aurantium extracts may be through modulating p-AKT/p-CREB/BDNF and / or p-Akt/ GSK3β/NF-κB signaling pathways.
Preference for Sons and Daughters in Developing Countries: When Does (Dis)agreement Between Spouses Come into Play?
Authors: Kazenin Konstantin
Published: January 2025

The paper explores the relative roles of men’s and women’s sex composition preferences for women’s desire to stop childbearing in developing countries. The analysis covers 45 countries, using Demographic and Health Survey couples datasets from the years 2010 to 2021. Probabilities of women’s desire to stop childbearing are considered when the sex composition of children matches the ideals of both the woman and her partner, of the woman or her partner only, and of neither of them. Models with country fixed effects are estimated for two pooled samples, one including couples from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where sex composition of children is rarely linked to fertility, and the other one including couples from all other regions. The analysis has shown that in case men and women disagreed on whether current sex composition of children matched their ideals, women’s unmatched preferences were more strongly related to their desires to have one more child, both in and outside SSA. In the non-SSA countries, agreement of both spouses in their dissatisfaction with sex composition of children additionally raised the probability of women’s desire for the next child. However, men’s unmatched fertility preferences played no role in women’s fertility desires in SSA. Both the priority of women’s sex composition ideal for children and the importance of agreement between spouses are not expected in the context of family patriarchy. The results suggest that developing countries are not in a sharp contrast on roles of men and women in taking fertility decisions, at least in what concerns sex composition of children.
Quotative be like
Authors: Stokke Andreas , Ball Derek
Published: January 2025

This paper examines a form of talking about speech acts, mental states, and other features so far unexplored in philosophy: quotative be like. Quotative be like is the use of like and to be that occurs in constructions such as “Ellen was like“I’m leaving!”” We argue that neglect of quotative be like represents a gap in our understanding of our ways of characterizing the minds and speech of ourselves and others. Further, we show that quotative be like is not reducible to more familiar forms of direct discourse or indirect discourse. Mapping out a number of different options for theorizing about quotative be like, we argue for an account on which the quoted material in quotative be like picks out properties.
Is it Possible to do Without the Fundamental?
Authors: Kortabarria Markel
Published: January 2025

This article argues that one of the main arguments against metaphysical infinitism—the argument from vicious infinite regress—is unsuccessful. I suggest that a proper interpretation of the argument takes the charge against infinitism to be one of metaphysical insufficiency: without the fundamental facts fully grounding the rest of reality, derivative facts lack the necessary grounding base for their obtaining. I disambiguate the insufficiency claim by examining it from two different perspectives on the regress: the local perspective, which focuses on the obtaining of the individual derivative facts, and the global perspective, which focuses on the obtaining of the entire collection of derivative facts. For each perspective, I argue that the reasons for believing that infinitism cannot provide sufficient grounds are problematic.
The use of laser-assisted cart positioning significantly reduces the docking time of multimodular robotic systems
Authors: Baunacke Martin , Hirtsiefer Christopher , Herout Roman , Mehralivand Sherif , Oelkers Susanne , Kaske Oliver , Franz Claudia , Thomas Christian
Published: January 2025

The Hugo RAS system is characterized by its multimodular design, which leads to an increased docking effort. Exact data for docking time and the learning curve is missing. We describe for the first time the use of a laser-guided cart positioning to reduce the docking time. In this prospective monocentric study, the docking time was evalutated for a consecutive series of pelvic surgeries with the Hugo RAS system. In a subgroup, a cross-line laser was adapted at the cart for positioning using fix points at the ceiling. The medical personnel were classified as “inexperienced” with ≤ 5 consecutive dockings and as “experienced” with > 5 consecutive dockings. From 10/2023 to 08/2024, 82 procedures were performed with the Hugo RAS. For the evaluation 75 procedures could be considered. The mean docking time was 7.6 ± 3.5 min. There was a reduction in docking time from 13.5 ± 3.7 min in the first 5 procedures to 4.4 ± 0.9 min in the last 5 procedures (p < 0.001). Docking with laser (n = 45) was faster than without laser (n = 30) (6.2 ± 2.5 vs. 9.8 ± 3.7 min, p < 0.001). Faster docking time was observed with inexperienced surgical nursing staff with laser than without laser (10.4 ± 3.7 vs. 5.4 ± 1.4 min; p < 0.001). With experienced nursing staff, the laser had no influence (6.6 ± 1.3 vs. 6.7 ± 2.9 min; p = 0.9). As a reference docking time for daVinci Xi procedures was 2.4 ± 1.7 min (n = 5). Laser-guided cart positioning has a significant impact on docking time, especially for unexperienced medical personnel. Especially in the times of experienced staff shortage, laser-guided cart positioning can save operating time.
Pediatric Cardiovascular Multiscale Modeling using a Functional Mock-up Interface
Authors: Garven Ellen E. , Kung Ethan , Stevens Randy M. , Throckmorton Amy L.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Computational models of the cardiovascular system continue to increase in complexity. As more elements of the physiology are captured in multiscale models, there is a need to efficiently integrate subsystems. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a coupling methodology, called functional mock-up interface (FMI), as applied to multiscale cardiovascular modeling.

Methods

The multiscale model is composed of two subsystems: a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model coupled to a lumped parameter model (LPM). The LPM is packaged using the FMI standard and imported into the CFD subsystem using an FMI co-simulation architecture. The functionality of an FMI coupling was demonstrated in a univentricular parallel circulation by means of compatible tools, including ANSYS CFX and Python. Predicted pressures and flows were evaluated in comparison with clinical data and a previously developed computational model.

Results

The two models exchanged pressure and flow data between their boundaries at each timestep, demonstrating sufficient inter-subsystem communication. The models recreated pressures and flows from clinical measurements and a patient-specific model previously published.

Conclusion

FMI integrated with ANSYS CFX is an effective approach for interfacing cardiovascular multiscale models as demonstrated by the presented univentricular circulatory model. FMI offers a modular approach towards tool integration and is an advantageous strategy for modeling complex systems.
Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis
Authors: Elbanna Ahmed H. , Kou Xinhui , Prajapati Dilip V. , Rakshit Surasree , Butcher Rebecca A.
Published: January 2025

The euglenatides are a family of hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptides produced by the unicellular algae Euglena gracilis. These compounds have antiproliferative activity against fungal pathogens and mammalian cancer cell lines. Analysis of E. gracilis extracts revealed that the algae produce not only the euglenatides, but also a corresponding family of analogs that have the same molecular weights as the euglenatides, but are lacking the characteristic triene chromophore. In comparison to the euglenatides, the activity of these analogs is greatly reduced in a mammalian cytotoxicity assay, indicating that the triene is critical to the biological activity of the euglenatides.

Graphical abstract
Teacher characteristics influencing plant biology education: age, perception, and practical engagement
Authors: Vydra Marek , Kováčik Jozef
Published: January 2025

Plants are less attractive for students compared to other areas of biology, and teachers may improve this negative scenario. We aimed to investigate the influence of several characteristics of the teacher (e.g. gender, age or technical equipment) on (i) the activity of teaching plant biology, (ii) a number of physiological experiments used in teaching and, (iii) deficiencies in the knowledge of students in plant biology. For this purpose, data were extracted from previous more complex survey and analyzed by General Linear Model. The age, the teachers’ perception of the students’ knowledge and the teachers’ awareness of the importance of the aids significantly correlated with the teachers’ activity in education. Similarly, three teachers’ characteristics (age, school’s equipment and awareness of the importance of the aids) correlated with the number of implemented physiological experiments. In addition, two teachers’ characteristics (age and perception of the students’ knowledge) significantly correlated with the number of identified gaps in students’ knowledge. In particular, we found that 51-yr-old (or above) teachers use more practical activities and physiological experiments, which may be the reason why they identified fewer gaps in students’ knowledge. Therefore, these more active teachers should be replaced by young teachers of the same quality after their retirement to keep the quality of education.

Graphical abstract
Characterization of the pH-Dependent Disintegration of Chemically Modified Alginate Hydrogels
Authors: Morningstar John , Alwan Abdelrahman , Dixon Timothy , Opara Emmanuel C. , Welker Mark E.
Published: January 2025

Introduction

We previously showed that chemical modification of alginate with 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzoic acid (ABA) results in the generation of alginate hydrogel microbeads that are resistant to disintegration in acidic pH but sensitive in near-neutral and basic pH conditions.

Aim

In the present study, we sought to better understand the chemical origin of the pH dependence of the ABA-modified alginate. We had hypothesized that ABA-modified alginate would be stable at acidic pH where the carboxylic acid functional group would be protonated and more unstable/water soluble at near-neutral to basic pH where the carboxylate would be ionic.

Materials and Method

To test this hypothesis, we added three separate small molecule attachments to the same alginate backbone in addition to the ABA-modified alginate so that their pH-dependent disintegration rates could be compared.

Results

We found that the disintegration profiles of phenethylamine- and ABA-modified alginates were similar, but different from those of methyl 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzoate- and 1-[4-(2-aminoethyl)-phenyl] ethanone-alginates.

Conclusion

In summary, we have developed an effective platform suitable for oral delivery of therapeutic agents, which normally would not be considered for oral administration. Through simple chemical alginate modifications, we have prepared a small family of new alginates that can disintegrate over 30–120 min at near-neutral pHs, thus providing useful information on how the polyanionic alginate polymer can be functionalized for enhanced oral delivery of therapeutic substances.

Lay Summary

We recently developed a macromolecule in which 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzoic acid (ABA) was attached to the alginate backbone. In the present study, we have compared the disintegration profiles of ABA-modified alginate with those of three separate small molecule attachments to alginate. The disintegration of phenethylamine- and ABA-modified alginate hydrogels were similar but different from those of methyl 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzoate- and 1-[4-(2-aminoethyl)-phenyl] ethanone-alginates. In conclusion, we have prepared a small family of new alginates that can disintegrate over 30–120 min at near-neutral pH, thus providing useful information on how alginate can be chemically altered for enhanced oral delivery of therapeutic substances.

Future Work

In further studies, we will examine the efficacy of using these compounds for oral delivery of therapeutic proteins and peptides in an appropriate preclinical animal model to set the stage for application in human trials.
Power-energy decoupling with source-typed flexible load: an optimal scheduling strategy for integrated energy systems with multi-flexibility resources
Authors: Shi Pingyuan , Wang Xingce , Hao Junhong , Hong Feng , Liu Hongtao , Du Xiaoze
Published: January 2025

Deep exploration of user-side flexibility resources is crucial for large-scale renewable energy consumption. This paper proposed a typical integrated energy system (IES) that comprehensively includes wind power, photovoltaic, thermal power, combined heat and power, hybrid energy storage, and flexible load and constructed the system’s unified power flow model based on the heat current method. On this basis, the regulation capabilities of different typical industrial and residential flexible loads were considered the symmetrical source-type load, which can transfer load and align user demand with the peaks and valleys of renewable energy generation, thus achieving power-energy decoupling. This contributes effectively to renewable energy accommodation capacity when the total electrical energy consumption remains constant. In both typical industrial and residential load scenarios, flexible load reduces integrated costs, increases renewable energy consumption, lowers peak thermal power generation, and decreases the requirement for a battery energy storage system (BESS). Besides, on typical industrial and residential load days, smoothing thermal power generation necessitates 12% and 18% flexible load, respectively, while replacing BESS requires 18% and 23% flexible load, respectively. Therefore, we can obtain the feasible operation ranges of symmetrical source-type load and provide suggestions for configuration capacity design of demand response in integrated energy systems.
Rational design of nitrogen and fluorine co-doped metal-free porous carbons electrocatalysts for highly efficient oxygen reduction and zinc-air batteries
Authors: Li Linqiang , Qin Na , Ma Huayun , Liu Jing , Zhu Zhiqiang , Huo Yaxiong , Zhai Lipeng , Mi Liwei
Published: January 2025

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important reaction in fuel cells and metal air batteries. The reaction is affected by slow kinetics and the use of high-priced and resource-scarce platinum-based catalysts. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective nonprecious metal catalysts for use in the ORR to replace Pt-based catalysts. In this study, we used two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (recorded as TF-COFs) as precursors to produce a metal-free nitrogen and fluorine-co-doped porous carbon catalyst (recorded as TF-800, TF-900, TF-1000, and TF-1100). TF-1000 had a high initial potential (0.90 V) and half-wave potential (0.83 V) in an alkaline medium, indicating good catalytic activity. In addition, the ORR stability of TF-1000 was better than that of commercial Pt/C (20%). This is mainly because the porous carbon catalyst has a high specific surface area, and the nitrogen and fluorine atoms in it have good dispersion and synergistic effects on the polarization of adjacent carbon atoms. TF-1000 also shows excellent performance in zinc-air batteries. In the TF-1000 based zinc-air batteries, excellent battery performance was observed: the peak power density reached 216.66 mW·cm–2, the specific capacity reached 752.86 mAh·g–1 at 10 mA·cm–2, and the long-term charge–discharge stability was demonstrated. This work provides inspiration for new strategies to prepare future ORR catalysts.
Nietzsche as metaphysician?
Authors: Meyer Matthew
Published: January 2025

This article provides a critical analysis of Justin Remhof’s attempt to defend the view that Nietzsche is best understood as a metaphysician.
Convergent synergy of carbon capture within the circular economy paradigm: a nexus for realizing multifaceted sustainable development goals
Authors: Gautam Pratibha , Salunke Darshan , Lad Divya , Gautam Arun
Published: January 2025

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an advanced technological solution that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from sources such as power plants and industrial facilities, storing them underground to prevent atmospheric release and mitigate climate change. Despite its potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, CCS faces challenges like high costs and environmental concerns. Simultaneously, the circular economy model offers a transformative approach by minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency through strategies like recycling, reusing, and redesigning products for extended lifecycles. Integrating CCS within the circular economy framework presents a unique opportunity to enhance sustainability by repurposing captured CO2 for applications in chemical production, fertilizers, and other industrial processes, thereby aligning with circular principles of resource optimization. This synergy not only reduces carbon footprints but also supports Sustainable Development Goals by addressing economic, environmental, and social challenges. Furthermore, the combined approach can create socio-economic benefits, such as generating new green jobs and fostering a more resilient and sustainable future. This paper explores the integration of CCS with the circular economy, demonstrating how these combined initiatives contribute to a balanced relationship with the environment and promote a holistic pathway toward achieving sustainable development goals.

Graphical Abstract
Early detection of marine bioinvasion by sun corals using YOLOv8
Authors: Luz Ana Carolina N. , Barroso Viviane R. , Batista Daniela , Lessa Aléxia A. , Coutinho Ricardo , Xavier Fábio C.
Published: January 2025

Sun coral (Tubastraea spp.) is an invasive species that poses a considerable threat to coastal ecosystems. Therefore, early detection is essential for effective monitoring and mitigation of its negative impacts on marine biodiversity. This study presents a novel computer vision approach for automated early detection of invasive Tubastraea species in underwater images. We used the YOLOv8 object detection model, which was trained and validated on a manually annotated dataset augmented with synthetic images. The data augmentation addressed the challenge of limited training data that is prevalent in underwater environments. The model achieved performance metrics (in terms of precision accuracy, recall, mAP50, and F1 score) of over 90% and detected both open and closed coral stage classes. Test phase results were compared with expert validation, demonstrating the model’s effectiveness in rapid detection (16 ms) and its limitations in areas highly covered by Tubastraea. This study demonstrates the potential of deep learning with data augmentation to facilitate the rapid assessment of large image datasets in monitoring sun coral bioinvasion. This approach has the potential to assist managers, taxonomists, and other professionals in the control of invasive alien species.
Toward ecosystem-based deep-sea governance: a review of global approaches and China’s participation
Authors: Yu Ting , Liu Rui , Jin Ying
Published: January 2025

The deep sea is an expansive and largely unexplored domain, and its effective governance requires concerted international efforts. Despite the existence of international frameworks, the current deep-sea governance structures are somewhat fragmented, led by selected entities, and address only a limited range of issues. This study examines the current landscape of international deep-sea governance, exploring the organizational frameworks, institutional structures, key actors, pressing issues, and management instruments. It also analyzes the multiple challenges that confront deep-sea governance in light of the imperative for developing an ecosystem-based approach. Furthermore, the study evaluates China’s engagement in international deep-sea governance in terms of following international conventions and contributing to scientific and technological advancements. Moreover, guided by the principles of a maritime community in a shared future, pathways for enhanced participation in ecosystem-based deep-sea governance are proposed.
Reducing antibiotic duration for acute otitis media: clinician, administrator, and parental insights to inform implementation of system-level interventions
Authors: Rinehart Deborah J. , Gilbert Aiden , O’Leary Sonja , Katz Sophie E. , Frost Holly M.
Published: January 2025

Objective:

This qualitative study aimed to understand facilitators and barriers to implementation of interventions to improve guideline-concordant antibiotic duration prescribing for pediatric acute otitis media (AOM).

Design:

Clinicians and clinic administrators participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews, and parents of children 2 years of age or older with a recent diagnosis of AOM participated in focus groups. The Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) guided the study. Interviews were analyzed using the Rapid Assessment Process.

Setting:

Denver Health and Hospital Authority (Denver, CO) led the study. Recruitment occurred at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN) and Washington University in St. Louis Medical Center (St. Louis, MO).

Participants:

Purposeful sampling was used to recruit clinicians and administrators for qualitative interviews. Convenience sampling was used to recruit parents for focus groups.

Results:

Thirty-one participants (15 clinicians, 4 administrators, and 12 parents) engaged in interviews and focus groups. Factors influencing antibiotic prescribing included patient history, years of practice, familiarity with the patient, concerns with patient medication adherence, and practice type. Clinicians endorsed electronic health record modifications and clinician prescribing feedback as methods to improve patient care and reduce the durations of prescribed antibiotics. Suggestions for intervention optimization and education needs were also obtained.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that clinicians and administrators support reducing prescribed antibiotic durations for AOM and are receptive to the proposed interventions. More education is needed to increase parent awareness about antibiotic stewardship and AOM treatment options.

Clinical trials identifier:

RELAX: Reducing Length of Antibiotics for Children with Ear Infections (RELAX), NCT05608993, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05608993.
Efficacy of priming and commitment posters on urgent care patients’ antibiotic expectations and knowledge: a cluster randomized trial
Authors: Cziner Michael J. , Park Daniel E. , Hamdy Rana F. , Rogers Laura , Turner Monique M. , Liu Cindy M.
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Successfully educating urgent care patients on appropriate use and risks of antibiotics can be challenging. We assessed the conscious and subconscious impact various educational materials (informational handout, priming poster, and commitment poster) had on urgent care patients’ knowledge and expectations regarding antibiotics.

Design:

Stratified Block Randomized Control Trial.

Setting:

Urgent care centers (UCCs) in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey.

Participants:

Urgent care patients.

Methods:

We randomized 29 UCCs across six study arms to display specific educational materials (informational handout, priming poster, and commitment poster). The primary intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis evaluated whether the materials impacted patient knowledge or expectations of antibiotic prescribing by assigned study arm. The secondary as-treated analysis evaluated the same outcome comparing patients who recalled seeing the assigned educational material and patients who either did not recall seeing an assigned material or were in the control arm.

Results:

Twenty-seven centers returned 2,919 questionnaires across six study arms. Only 27.2% of participants in the intervention arms recalled seeing any educational materials. In our primary ITT analysis, no difference in knowledge or expectations of antibiotic prescribing was noted between groups. However, in the as-treated analysis, the handout and commitment poster were associated with higher antibiotic knowledge scores.

Conclusions:

Educational materials in UCCs are associated with increased antibiotic-related knowledge among patients when they are seen and recalled; however, most patients do not recall passively displayed materials. More emphasis should be placed on creating and drawing attention to memorable patient educational materials.
Injury Spectrum and Radiology Department Response Assessment Following the Beirut Blast
Authors: El-Haddad Joya , Jardali Ghina , Farah Fadi , Hoyek Nadine , Haddad Antoine
Published: January 2025

Objectives

The catastrophic Beirut blast on August 4, 2020 at 6:07 pm resulted in extensive damage. Our study aims to categorize the injuries of patients who were transferred to the radiology department in the first 12 hours following the blast and to evaluate the disaster preparedness of the radiology department at Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital in order to implement corrective action process.

Methods

A total of 97 patients underwent imaging examinations, comprising 77 CT scans and 20 radiographs, which were retrospectively reviewed by 4 senior radiology residents. Patient injuries were classified according to blast injury categories. A full assessment of our disaster plan was done including staff shortage, examination time, patients triage and diagnostic performance of radiologists.

Results

Tertiary injuries were the most prevalent (47.6%). Maxillofacial fractures and intracranial hemorrhage were the most common (54.3%). The radiology department encountered numerous challenges, including communication difficulties, staffing shortages and infrastructure damage. Nevertheless, the disaster management plan enabled the department to effectively navigate these obstacles despite many flaws and many lessons were learned.

Conclusions

This study underscores the importance of an efficient response of the radiology team during mass casualty incidents and can inform future disaster preparedness efforts in health care settings.
Taxonomic, biogeographic, and biological implications of mammoth teeth from a dynamic Pleistocene landscape in Alberta, Canada
Authors: Barrón-Ortiz Christina I. , Jass Christopher N. , Cammidge Tasha S.
Published: January 2025

Continental-scale patterns of morphological and biological change represent broad time- and spatially averaged interpretations. Conversely, regionally focused studies of morphological variability offer an opportunity to consider patterns of biological change at more refined spatial scales, where nuanced histories may be identified. That approach is particularly applicable for areas known to have dynamic biogeographic and glacial landscapes (e.g., western Canada). We studied proboscideans from Alberta, Canada, an area thought to represent a zone of sympatry between extinct forms of mammoth (i.e., Mammuthus columbi, Mammuthus primigenius) in order to test existing taxonomic hypotheses and chronologically contextualize the regional record of mammoths through the Late Pleistocene. Morphometric analysis of sixth molars of mammoths from Alberta (n = 17) support identification of three distinct morphologies that we assign to M. columbi, M. primigenius, and intermediates of those taxa. The presence of intermediate forms is perhaps unsurprising, given both the recognition of hybridization in M. columbi and M. primigenius and the previously documented occurrence of both taxa in Alberta. Some records of M. columbi may document a broader northern geographic incursion for that taxon than previously recognized, but could also represent a much deeper time component to the history of Mammuthus in Alberta (i.e., Mammuthus trogontherii).
Echinostomatids from South African freshwater limpets: phylogenetic analyses and diagnostic morphological features for cercariae of Petasiger
Authors: Outa James Omondi , Avenant-Oldewage Annemariè
Published: January 2025

Species of the family Echinostomatidae use diverse gastropod taxa as first intermediate hosts. However, identification of echinostomatid larvae often proves difficult because of incomplete information on their life cycles and lack of molecular data that can link larvae to the corresponding known adults. Here, echinostomatids that were isolated from freshwater limpets in South Africa were described using light and scanning electron microscopy, and ribosomal (28S, ITS, and 18S) and mitochondrial (cox1) DNA sequences. The analyses revealed three species: Petasiger radiatus, Petasiger sp., and Echinostomatidae gen. sp. Considering the close morphological resemblance between cercariae of Petasiger spp., the current species were compared with data from literature. The results showed that cercarial size is generally unsuitable for species discrimination. The numbers of flame cells and refractile granules in the excretory system, and penetration gland cell patterns, may indicate, but do not prove species identity. Although papillary patterns were distinct between species, papillae were clearly discernible only using scanning electron microscopy and are known for only a few species. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that 28S rDNA sequences of Petasiger on GenBank are for P. exaeretus, P. phalacrocoracis, P. radiatus, and six unnamed species. Furthermore, the results revealed that multiple ITS rDNA and cox1 sequences labelled as Stephanoprora amurensis and P. phalacrocoracis on GenBank, are from isolates whose identities are questionable. Echinostomatidae gen. sp. could not be assigned to any currently known genus. Expansion of the genetic database of the family Echinostomatidae is necessary for the delineation of putative species and elucidation of intergeneric relationships.