bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incorporating biological knowledge in analyses of environmental mixtures and health
Authors: McGee Glen , Wilson Ander , Coull Brent A. , Webster Thomas F.
Published: May 2023

A key goal of environmental health research is to assess the risk posed by mixtures of pollutants. As epidemiologic studies of mixtures can be expensive to conduct, it behooves researchers to incorporate prior knowledge about mixtures into their analyses. This work extends the Bayesian multiple index model (BMIM), which assumes the exposure‐response function is a nonparametric function of a set of linear combinations of pollutants formed with a set of exposure‐specific weights. The framework is attractive because it combines the flexibility of response‐surface methods with the interpretability of linear index models. We propose three strategies to incorporate prior toxicological knowledge into construction of indices in a BMIM: (a) imposing directional homogeneity constraints on the weights, (b) structuring index weights by exposure transformations, and (c) placing informative priors on the index weights. We propose a novel prior specification that combines spike‐and‐slab variable selection with an informative Dirichlet distribution based on relative potency factors often derived from previous toxicological studies. In simulations we show that the proposed priors improve inferences when prior information is correct and can protect against misspecification suffered by naïve toxicological models when prior information is incorrect. Moreover, different strategies may be mixed‐and‐matched for different indices to suit available information (or lack thereof). We demonstrate the proposed methods on an analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and incorporate prior information on relative chemical potencies obtained from toxic equivalency factors available in the literature.
Prevalence and Treatment Patterns of Adult Atopic Dermatitis in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Kleyn C. Elise , McKenzie Robert , Meeks Alexandra , Gittens Beatrice , von Arx Lill-Brith
Published: May 2023

The prevalence of active atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults in the UK according to disease severity shows variability. This study evaluated disease prevalence and treatment patterns among the adult UK population with AD. Data were obtained from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) database. Adults with active AD were identified by an AD-related prescription or general practitioner visit within the same calendar year. Prevalence was defined as the number of patients with active AD on 1 January of each year as a percentage of the number of adults in the CPRD population on that date. Moderate-to-severe disease was classified as either referral to a specialist or prescription(s) for topical calcineurin inhibitors, phototherapy, or systemic treatment. Patient characteristics and treatment and referral patterns were analysed for patients with active AD in 2019. The overall prevalence of AD was stable at 2.4% per year during the period 2015–2019. In 2019, mean patient age (± standard deviation) was 52.6 ± 21.0 years, 58.2% of patients were female and mean disease duration was 9.4 ± 5.9 years. The most prescribed treatment was topical corticosteroids, in 78.5% of patients. 36.7% of patients with moderate-to-severe AD were prescribed systemic agents and 59.8% (vs. 32.3% of patients with mild AD) were referred to any secondary care or specialist treatment. The prevalence of active AD in the adult UK population was stable over the 5-year period (2015–2019) and was comparable to estimates from similar studies based on UK primary healthcare records.
Development of an Electrophoretic Deposition Method for the In Situ Fabrication of Ultra‐Thin Composite‐Polymer Electrolytes for Solid‐State Lithium‐Metal Batteries
Authors: Yao Shanshan , Kalami Somayyeh , Nam Sunghyun , Goodenough John B. , Khani Hadi
Published: May 2023

All‐solid‐state lithium‐metal batteries offer higher energy density and safety than lithium‐ion batteries, but their practical applications have been pushed back by the sluggish Li+ transport, unstable electrolyte/electrode interface, and/or difficult processing of their solid‐state electrolytes. Li+‐conducting composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) consisting of sub‐micron particles of an oxide solid‐state electrolyte (OSSE) dispersed in a solid, flexible polymer electrolyte (SPE) have shown promises to alleviate the low Li+ conductivity of SPE, and the high rigidity and large interfacial impedance of OSSEs. Solution casting has been by far the most widely used procedure for the preparation of CPEs in research laboratories; however, this method imposes several drawbacks including particle aggregation and settlement during a long‐term solvent evaporation step, excessive use of organic solvents, slow production time, and mechanical issues associated with handling of ultra‐thin films of CPEs (<50 µm). To address these challenges, an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method is developed to in situ deposit ultra‐thin CPEs on lithium‐iron‐phosphate (LFP) cathodes within just a few minutes. EPD‐prepared CPEs have shown better electrochemical performance in the lithium‐metal battery than those CPEs prepared by solution casting due to a better dispersion of OSSE within the SPE matrix and improved CPE contact with LFP cathodes.
Ultrafast Photocatalytic Detoxification of Mustard Gas Simulants by a Mesoporous Metal–Organic Framework with Dangling Porphyrin Molecules
Authors: Wu Ming‐Min , Su Juan , Luo Dong , Cai Bing‐Chen , Zheng Ze‐Lin , Bin De‐Shan , Li Yan Yan , Zhou Xiao‐Ping
Published: May 2023

Developing effective catalysts to degrade chemical warfare agents is of great significance. Herein, a mesoporous MIL‐101(Cr) composite material dangled with porphyrin molecules (denote as TCPP@MIL‐101(Cr), TCPP = tetra(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrin) is reported, which can be used as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for detoxification of mustard gas simulants 2‐chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) to 2‐chloroethyl ethyl sulfoxide (CEESO) with a half‐life of 1 min. The catalytic performance of TCPP@MIL‐101(Cr) is comparable to that of homogeneous molecular porphyrin. Mechanistic studies reveal that both 1O2 and O2•− are efficiently generated and play vital roles in the oxidation reaction. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are attached to the TCPP@MIL‐101(Cr) to further enhance the catalytic activity with a benchmark half‐life of 45 s, which is the fastest record so far. A medical mask loaded TCPP@MIL‐101(Cr) is fabricated for practical applications, which can selectively photoxidize CEES to CEESO under sunlight and air atmosphere, exhibiting the best degradation performance among the reported fabric‐like composite materials.
Boosting the Electrocatalytic Performance of CoPt Alloy with Enhanced Electron Transfer via Atomically Dispersed Cobalt Sites
Authors: Li Yanqiang , Liu Xuan , Xue Sensen , Liu Anmin , Wen Shizheng , Chen Siru
Published: May 2023

Designing electrocatalysts with strong electronic metal‐support interaction can effectively regulate the electronic properties of metal active centers, therefore maximizing the catalytic performance. As a proof of concept, heteroatoms doped carbon with CoPt alloy and isolated Co single atoms (CoPtCoSA@NSC) are synthesized using CoPt bimetallic metal‐organic framework as the precursor in this work. The existence of CoSA on the carbon substrate leads to more electron transfer between CoPt and the support, and appropriate upward shift of the d band center of the catalysts, which can effectively reduce the reaction barrier of rate determine step and boost the catalytic performance of CoPt alloy. The enhanced catalytic activity and stability of CoPtCoSA@NSC are demonstrated experimentally. Remarkably, the overpotential for hydrogen evolution reaction is only 23 mV at 10 mA cm−2and the half‐wave potential for oxygen reduction reaction is 0.90 V, both exceeding the commercial Pt/C benchmark. In addition, CoPtCoSA@NSC also exhibits great potential as a cathode electrocatalyst for Zn–air battery, in terms of large open circuit potential of 1.53 V, high power density of 184 mW cm−2, as well as superior cycling stability. This work provides a novel strategy for regulating the electronic structure and catalytic performance of alloy based electrocatalysts.
Redox Electrolytes‐Assisting Aqueous Zn‐Based Batteries by Pseudocapacitive Multiple Perovskite Fluorides Cathode and Charge Storage Mechanisms
Authors: Wang Ailin , Ding Rui , Li Yi , Liu Miao , Yang Feng , Zhang Yuzhen , Fang Qi , Yan Miao , Xie Jinmei , Chen Zhiqiang , Yan Ziyang , He Yuming , Guo Jian , Sun Xiujuan , Liu Enhui
Published: May 2023

Aqueous Zn‐based batteries (AZBs) have attracted intensive attention. However, to explore advanced cathode materials with in‐depth elucidation of their charge storage mechanisms, improve energy storage capacity, and construct novel cell systems remain a great challenge. Herein, a new pseudocapacitive multiple perovskite fluorides (ABF3) cathode is designed, represented by KMF‐(IV, V, and VI; M = NiCoMnZn/‐Mg/‐MgFe), and constructed Zn//KMF‐(IV, V, and VI) AZBs and their flexible devices. Ex situ tests have revealed a typical bulk phase conversion mechanism of KMF‐VI electrode for charge storage in alkaline media dominated by redox‐active Ni/Co/Mn species, with transformation of ABF3 nanocrystals into amorphous metal oxide/(oxy)hydroxide nanosheets. By employing single or bipolar redox electrolyte strategies of 20 mm [Fe(CN)6]3− or/and 10 mm SO32−/Cu[(NH3)4]2+ acting on KMF‐(IV, V, and VI) cathode and Zn anode, the AZBs show an improved energy storage owing to additional capacity contribution of redox electrolytes. The as‐designed Zn//polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐KOH‐K3[Fe(CN)6]//KMF‐(IV, V, and VI) redox gel electrolytes‐assisting flexible AZBs (RGE‐FAZBs) exhibit remarkable performance under different bending angles because of slight dissolution corrosion of zinc anode compared with liquid electrolytes. Overall, the work demonstrates the novel idea of conversion‐type multiple ABF3 cathode for redox electrolytes‐assisting AZBs (RE‐AZBs) and their flexible systems, showing great significance on electrochemical energy storage.
Conservation and intervention in MC2020
Authors: Ueda Tamon , Shimomura Takumi , Matthews Stuart L.
Published: May 2023

This paper introduces the conservation and intervention provisions included in the latest edition of the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures (MC2020). This is the first international code which addresses life‐cycle management issues for both new and existing concrete structures. Accordingly, the contents relating to conservation (maintenance and interventions) have been extensively enhanced compared with the provisions included in the previous MC2010, with these now including monitoring. Much of the contents on interventions are newly‐added provisions in MC2020. A new chapter (19) is introduced to show the available materials/systems and the properties necessary for these materials. The necessary properties required to make successful interventions also include consideration of the long‐term performance of materials/systems and compatibility with the substrate concrete. All the processes for interventions, including intervention strategies, selection of intervention methods, survey for interventions, design of interventions and execution of interventions are explained in chapter (38) on conservation and a new chapter (37) on execution of interventions. Selection of intervention methods should be made according to the intervention strategies and the causes and extent of deterioration/damage. In the future the issues of repairability and the standardization of intervention methods are expected to have greater importance. Repairability is the ability to physically repair a structure or structural element which has deteriorated or been damaged by the effects of the considered actions, thus restoring its functionality, but while incurring acceptably low economic cost, environmental burdens and societal disruption.
Djaji Mahsheye,Moghrabeye, andLabaneh: Making science relevant
Authors: Adler Idit , Karam Christopher
Published: May 2023

Students often perceive school science as purely theoretical, overloaded with facts, and mostly disconnected from their school, home, and community life. One way to bridge the disconnection between school science and lived experiences, and support students in realizing the relevance of science to their everyday life, is by enabling them to integrate theirfunds of knowledge(FoK), the knowledge and expertise people have because of their roles in their families, communities, and culture, within science. To support students in this task, we developedTogether with Science, a series of Vlogs (video blogs) designed to guide families and students through home‐based experiments and support the emergence of athird space, where science and everyday life intersect. The Vlogs provided the necessary scientific background for the experiments and encouraged participants to share aspects of their lived experiences and reflect upon the realization of scientific phenomena in their lives. Using videotaped discussions of students and family members, we examined the interactions between them, as well as the FoK addressed in the conversation. The results indicate that multiple types of interactions emerged between students and family members, as they jointly conducted the science experiments and discussed their findings. Shifts in these interactions were associated with the development of ashared third space, in which both students and family members were able to concurrently relate everyday life to the scientific phenomenon. Most FoK were associated with participants' homes and culture. Our results suggest that family members can serve asbrokersto support their children in realizing the relationship between science and their everyday life, by bringing in their unique FoK into the scientific discussion, and highlighting the importance of thoughtfully designed learning environments to support them in the process.
Development and clinical validation of real‐time artificial intelligence diagnostic companion for fetal ultrasound examination
Authors: Stirnemann J. J. , Besson R. , Spaggiari E. , Rojo S. , Loge F. , Peyro‐Saint‐Paul H. , Allassonniere S. , Le Pennec E. , Hutchinson C. , Sebire N. , Ville Y.
Published: May 2023

Objective

Prenatal diagnosis of a rare disease on ultrasound relies on a physician's ability to remember an intractable amount of knowledge. We developed a real‐time decision support system (DSS) that suggests, at each step of the examination, the next phenotypic feature to assess, optimizing the diagnostic pathway to the smallest number of possible diagnoses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of this real‐time DSS using clinical data.

Methods

This validation study was conducted on a database of 549 perinatal phenotypes collected from two referral centers (one in France and one in the UK). Inclusion criteria were: at least one anomaly was visible on fetal ultrasound after 11 weeks' gestation; the anomaly was confirmed postnatally; an associated rare disease was confirmed or ruled out based on postnatal/postmortem investigation, including physical examination, genetic testing and imaging; and, when confirmed, the syndrome was known by the DSS software. The cases were assessed retrospectively by the software, using either the full phenotype as a single input, or a stepwise input of phenotypic features, as prompted by the software, mimicking its use in a real‐life clinical setting. Adjudication of discordant cases, in which there was disagreement between the DSS output and the postnatally confirmed (‘ascertained’) diagnosis, was performed by a panel of external experts. The proportion of ascertained diagnoses within the software's top‐10 differential diagnoses output was evaluated, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the software to select correctly as its best guess a syndromic or isolated condition.

Results

The dataset covered 110/408 (27%) diagnoses within the software's database, yielding a cumulative prevalence of 83%. For syndromic cases, the ascertained diagnosis was within the top‐10 list in 93% and 83% of cases using the full‐phenotype and stepwise input, respectively, after adjudication. The full‐phenotype and stepwise approaches were associated, respectively, with a specificity of 94% and 96% and a sensitivity of 99% and 84%. The stepwise approach required an average of 13 queries to reach the final set of diagnoses.

Conclusions

The DSS showed high performance when applied to real‐world data. This validation study suggests that such software can improve perinatal care, efficiently providing complex and otherwise overlooked knowledge to care‐providers involved in ultrasound‐based prenatal diagnosis. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Electric vehicles adoption: A systematic review (2016–2020)
Authors: Gerber Machado Pedro , Rodrigues Teixeira Ana Carolina , Moutinho dos Santos Edmilson , Mouette Dominique
Published: May 2023

Aiming to diversify the energy matrix, mainly regarding the transport sector, electric vehicles have been used as an option to reduce emissions. Despite many advantages of this technology, such as zero operational GHG emission, better energy efficiency compared to conventional vehicles, and low maintenance costs, the purchase cost is still high in several countries, compromising their adoption by many customers. In this context, this paper aims to evaluate the factors that impact electric vehicles (EV) adoption. A systematic review was conducted considering peer‐reviewed papers published in English from 2016 to 2020, and results were separated into clusters to enable the assessment. The main factors found in the literature that most impacted EV market diffusion negatively were the purchase price and the risks related to the market infancy, while subjective norm, perceived behavior, prior knowledge and experience with EV and government incentives influenced EV adoption positively.

This article is categorized under:

Human and Social Dimensions > Behavioral Science

Cities and Transportation > Electric Mobility

Energy and Power Systems > Electrification
Genetic mark–recapture analysis reveals large annual variation in pre‐breeding sex ratio of greater sage‐grouse
Authors: Shyvers Jessica E. , Walker Brett L. , Oyler‐McCance Sara J. , Fike Jennifer A. , Noon Barry R.
Published: May 2023

Sex ratio, and the extent to which it varies over time, is an important factor in the demography, management, and conservation of wildlife populations. Greater sage‐grouse Centrocercus urophasianus populations in western North America are monitored using counts of males at leks in spring. Population estimates derived from lek‐count data typically assume a constant, female‐biased sex ratio, yet few rigorous, empirically derived estimates of sex ratio are available to test that assumption. We estimated pre‐breeding sex ratio of greater sage‐grouse in a peripheral, geographically isolated population in northwestern Colorado during two consecutive winters using closed‐population, robust‐design, multi‐state, genetic mark–recapture models in program MARK. Sex ratio varied markedly between years, with estimates of 3.29 (95% CI: 2.36–4.59) females per male in winter 2012–2013 and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.22–1.95) females per male in winter 2013–2014. Rather than assuming a constant sex ratio, biologists should consider the potential for large annual variation in sex ratio of greater sage‐grouse populations when estimating population size or trend from male lek‐count data.
Material Solutions to Increase the Information Density in Mold-Based Production Systems
Authors: Rudack Maximilian , Raffeis Iris , Adjei-Kyeremeh Frank , Chatterjee Sayan , Vroomen Uwe , Bührig-Polaczek Andreas , Bold Marie-Noemi , Schleifenbaum Johannes Henrich , Janowitz Julia , Vogels Carsten , Kalscheuer Christian , Heinemann Hendrik , Carlet Marco , Bobzin Kirsten , Vogel Sönke , Gillner Arnold , Melzer Felix , Dahlmann Rainer , Hopmann Christian
Published: May 2023

Production processes for the manufacturing of technical components are enabled by the availability and use of adequate engineering materials. Within the Internet of Production this work stream is dedicated to developing material and process-based solutions to increase the data availability during the manufacturing and operation of discontinuous mold-based production systems such as high-pressure die casting (HPDC) and injection molding (IM). This includes the development of data-driven alloy design strategies for additively manufactured mold components using tool steels as an initial use case as well as new surface-based smart sensor and actuator solutions. Material data and properties are tracked from the steel powder production via gas atomization until the final use in a mold to produce castings. Intermediate steps include the 3D printing of mold components via laser powder bed fusion and subsequent application of physical vapor deposition and thermal spraying-based smart multilayer coatings with sensor and actuator capabilities. The coating system is refined by selective laser patterning to facilitate the integration onto complex shape molding tool surfaces. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation-based methods are developed to derive material properties required for the modeling of polymer-based materials. By using this integrated methodology with the application of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) methods from the metal powder for the mold printing up until the casting or molding process, the foundation for a holistic life cycle assessment within the integrated structural health engineering (ISHE) framework is laid for the produced tooling systems as well as the molded parts.
Collecting, Measuring, and Understanding Contaminant Concentrations in the Marine Environment
Authors: Reichelt-Brushett Amanda
Published: May 2023

A large part of marine pollution studies is about collecting, analysing, and interpreting the concentrations of contaminants in the environment. This involves field and laboratory work to collect and analyse the samples. Some analyses are completed directly in the field (i.e., in situ). From the process of collection through to the final analyses, there are many quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) steps that are required, which, when used properly, ensure sample integrity and the reliability of results, therefore, resulting in meaningful interpretations and conclusions.
A Sustainable Approach to Improve the Interior Design of Existing Space: The Case of the BUiD Main Lobby
Authors: Aloudeh Rahaf , Elmardi Manar , Sheta Wael
Published: May 2023

The Interior designers’ role in the built environment is creating spaces that meet the needs of their clients through a process of critical thinking, research, and creative solutions. In addition to considering other aspects such as the client’s health, safety, and wellbeing as well as the environmental impact which is considered a sustainable thinking by the designer. This paper will focus on analysing the interior characteristics for a space in an educational building. The study will thoroughly explore the existing condition of the chosen space, identify and analyse the raw materials, manufacturing methods, transportation, use, maintenance, and disposal of all the furnishings, fixtures, and equipment specified for an interior environment. Subsequently, the proposed strategies and methods will be presented to replace the existing conditions with sustainable alternatives. In addition to propose options for an alternative design that follows more sustainably responsible practices using the life cycle approach, explaining the solutions that could be used to improve sustainability of the chosen building interior space.
Ensuring the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s Connectivity Requirements in the UAE
Authors: Alawadhi Khalid , Almarri Khalid
Published: May 2023

The international community has recognized the critical role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the advancement of humanity. ICT is a critical component of each of the United Nations’ (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (ITU 2021). Nonetheless, 48% of the world’s population remains unconnected to the internet (Henri 2020, p. 2), resulting in what is referred to as the digital divide. The information and communications technology industry is making strenuous efforts to provide diverse connectivity options in metropolitan areas. However, little effort is being taken to guarantee that underserved markets are connected (Sheikh and Halima 2020). In the UAE, we identify underserved markets and classify them as rural villages, remote agricultural/industrial areas, and vehicles in motion.

By examining the present ICT market, we can discover a possible solution to this problem through the use of cutting-edge satellite communications technology. Numerous initiatives involving the use of Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) satellites to deliver broadband access began to emerge. The primary benefit of NGSO satellites over Geostationary Orbit (GSO) satellites is their proximity to the Earth’s surface (NGSO is approximately 2000 km above sea level, while GSO is at an elevation of around 36,000 km above sea level). The objective is to perform market research and analyze the connectivity solutions available today. Finally, we will be able to choose the option that is expected to resolve the issue.
The Role of Lexical Cohesion in Improving Twelfth Graders’ Essay Writing Quality
Authors: Khalil Abdelhamid A. , Abu-Ayyash Emad A. S. , Salhieh Sa’Ed M. I.
Published: May 2023

The current study was conducted to examine the role of lexical cohesion in improving the quality of twelfth graders’ essay writing. The study specifically aimed at examining the correlation between lexical cohesive devices (LCD) and the quality of written texts as well as investigating the barriers of employing these devices for twelfth graders. The context was a private American curriculum school in the UAE. The present paper adopted the quantitative correlational and the quantitative survey research approaches. Data were collected using document analysis of 30 twelfth graders’ essays and an online survey attempted by 113 English teachers. Data were analysed using correlational statistics, multiple linear regression, and exploratory factor analysis. The results indicated that there was a significantly positive, moderate association between cohesive ties and students’ essay scores. The results also demonstrated that there was a significantly linear relation between hyponyms and synonyms and students’ writing scores although hyponyms had more effect on the writing score than synonyms. The findings of exploratory factor analysis identified three factors as major barriers encountered by learners while using lexical cohesion in their written texts including (1) lack of resources and instructions, (2) impact of L1 interference and (3) limited lexical awareness.
Homological Wideness, “Class Field Theory” for Covers, and a Number Theoretical Analogue
Authors: Cornelissen Gunther , Peyerimhoff Norbert
Published: May 2023

In a previous chapter, we have constructed a particular Riemannian covering realising a wreath product. In this chapter, we first return to that example and use class field theory for Riemannian coverings (à la Sunada) to study the behaviour of geodesic in such covers. We then relate, in the general case, homological wideness of a group G acting on a manifold M (i.e., the question whether the first homology of M contains the regular representation of G) to the existence of geodesics with certain splitting behaviour. In exact analogy to an classical argument in analytic number theory, we use the Ruelle zeta function to show the existence of infinitely many totally split geodesics for a given covering in the negative curvature case. Finally, the analogy with class field theory allows us to study an analogue of homological wideness in the theory of extensions of number fields.
Manifold and Orbifold Constructions
Authors: Cornelissen Gunther , Peyerimhoff Norbert
Published: May 2023

In this chapter, we collect some information on various constructions of manifolds, orbifolds, and their covers. Notably, we discuss the notions of fiber product (in the sense of Thurston) and compositum of manifolds over a common developable orbifold, the difference with the set-theoretic fiber product, the connected components of the fiber product, compositum of Galois covers, normal closure of a cover, and the relation between commensurability, arithmeticity, and the existence of certain covers in relation to Mostow rigidity.
Institutional Governance of Responsible Research and Innovation
Authors: Moan Marit Hovdal , Ursin Lars , de Grandis Giovanni
Published: May 2023

In this chapter, we analyse the debate around the implementation of responsible research and innovation (RRI) in Higher Education, Funding and Research Centres (HEFRCs). We will illustrate some proposals about how to implement RRI in HERFCs in a good way. Open and inclusive governance is key to fruitful implementation of RRI in these organizations. Governance in this context refers to ways of steering processes in a desirable direction, in this case in the direction of responsible research and innovation that is ethically acceptable and socially desirable. We will present and assess different models of governance and aim to provide ethical governance of research and innovation (R&I) inspired by the most convincing ideas emerged in the current debate.
Activities to Foster Public Engagement in Research and Innovation. Examples from the NewHoRRIzon Project
Authors: Griessler Erich , Stack Shauna
Published: May 2023

In this chapter we take results from the Horizon 2020 project, NewHoRRIzon to show that a variety of activities and approaches, addressing different levels and actors, are needed to spur public engagement in research and innovation. NewHoRRIzon spanned over all areas of the 8th European Framework Programme (Horizon 2020) and created 19 ‘Social Labs’ to look into different research and innovation themes and their relation to the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). This chapter highlights specific pilots stemming from this project which were designed by research and innovation stakeholders over the course of sequential labs, workshops, and meetings. The pilots featured here represent replicable activities and innovative ideas for researchers and research organizations to take up and use in their public engagement practices and policies.
Gender Mainstreaming and RRI: The Double Challenge
Authors: Garcia-Campa Santiago , Sanahuja Rosana
Published: May 2023

Gender equality in research and innovation (R&I) has improved over the past two decades, although not without its ups and downs. The literature has pointed out the obstacles and difficulties in making gender equality effective in R&I while providing a wide range of strategies, methods and tools to achieve it. Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a new approach that has made gender equality one of its six keys, raising a new challenge for gender mainstreaming. The Horizon Europe Framework Program 2021–2027 represents a step forward, with the Gender Equality Plan as a reference tool for mainstreaming gender in R&I organizations. However, there are more comprehensive proposals, such as the European Institute for Gender Equality’s Gender Mainstreaming Platform. This chapter presents the platform’s content and shows its usefulness in helping prepare Gender Equality Plans and promoting the institutional transformation of R&I organizations.
Importance and Necessity of Stakeholder Engagement
Authors: Häberlein Lisa , Hövel Philipp
Published: May 2023

This chapter addresses the importance and necessity of stakeholder engagement for ethics governance. It starts with a more general look at stakeholder engagement and describes how a comprehensive definition of the otherwise commonly used catch-all term of stakeholders is important for successful stakeholder engagement. This is followed by a description of the ETHNA System’s stakeholder engagement strategy. A step-by-step approach serves as a guide for stakeholder engagement in responsible research and innovation (RRI) activities. This chapter offers guidance on how to find answers to the questions of who relevant stakeholders are, why they should be involved, what their contribution can be and how they can be involved in the most effective way. It also explains how to identify stakeholders’ values, needs and expectations using different tools. Finally, lessons learned from implementing the stakeholder engagement strategy are discussed to make the ETHNA System more useful to others. Specific guidelines on stakeholder engagement are used as a reference in this text.
Implementing RRI in a Non-governmental Research Institute
Authors: Hajdinjak Marko
Published: May 2023

This chapter critically examines the outcomes from the ETHNA System implementation process in a small non-governmental research organization. The chapter briefly presents the process, identifies the main barriers and drivers pertaining to the implementation, and highlights the good practices that could serve as inspiration or model for other similar organizations. The chapter concludes with recommendations for organizations similar to ARC Fund and interested in implementing the RRI-based governance structure for management and conduct of research processes.
Implementing RRI in a Research and Innovation Ecosystem
Authors: Camarinha-Matos Luis M. , Ferrada Filipa , Oliveira Ana Inês
Published: May 2023

New organizational forms are emerging today at all levels of society, and more and more research is conducted in dynamic collaborative networks or ecosystems. Unlike traditional research centers, these new types of organization are very dynamic, with fluid boundaries, and volatile in terms of membership. This characteristic requires that more attention be paid to research ethics and RRI. This work reports on an implementation process carried out in a research and innovation ecosystem according to the principles and guidelines proposed by the ETHNA project. The process, its barriers and drivers are described, and finally, learned lessons and recommendations are presented.
Responsible Research and Innovation Learning Facilitation
Authors: Garcia-Garcia Elisa , Eekhout Xavier
Published: May 2023

This chapter aims at supporting the institutionalization of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles by focusing in the facilitation of learning to research staff. We highlight the need to identify the learning objectives that want to be achieved by taking into account how researchers shape their ethical perspectives, as many of their behaviours are learned through informal training setups (e.g., supervisors, peers, etc.). This is complemented by reviewing the different approaches that can be applied to achieve the learning goals, and by showcasing existing public resources that can be further explored and tailored to plan specific interventions depending on the nature and needs of each institution.
The massless non-adjacent double off-shell scalar box integral — branch cut structure and all-order epsilon expansion
Authors: Haug Juliane , Wunder Fabian
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We generalize the result of our recent paper on the massless single off-shell scalar box integral to the case of two non-adjacent end points off the light cone. An analytic result in d = 4 − 2ε dimensions is established in terms of four Gauss hypergeometric 2F1 functions respectively their single-valued counterparts. This allows for an explicit splitting of real and imaginary parts, as well as an all-order ε-expansion in terms of single-valued polylogarithms.
Thermal fluctuations of black holes with non-linear electrodynamics and charged Renyi entropy
Authors: Arenas-Henriquez Gabriel , Diaz Felipe , Novoa Yerko
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We extend the charged Renyi entropy to a more general holographic scenario. Coupling an arbitrary non-linear electrodynamics Lagrangian density to AdS gravity, we analyse the thermodynamic features of non-linearly charged hyperbolic black holes and the thermal fluctuations in the grand canonical ensemble. We provide a general form for the relevant holographic quantities that describes a CFT with a global U(1) symmetry in terms of horizon data and we compute the first thermal fluctuation of the charged Renyi entropy. We demonstrate the validity of the formulae through an analytic example; the Coulomb source in 2 + 1 dimensions. We propose this model to be dual to charged free bosons in 1 + 1 dimensions. The corrections generates a subleading logarithmic divergence in the entanglement entropy which appear in some Condensed Matter systems with spontaneous symmetry breaking due to IR effects in the ground state. We comment on the possibility of interpreting these results in terms of holography beyond the saddle point approximation.
Injury activated alveolar progenitors (IAAPs): the underdog of lung repair
Authors: Chong Lei , Ahmadvand Negah , Noori Afshin , Lv Yuqing , Chen Chengshui , Bellusci Saverio , Zhang Jin-San
Published: May 2023

Alveolar epithelial type II cells (AT2s) together with AT1s constitute the epithelial lining of lung alveoli. In contrast to the large flat AT1s, AT2s are cuboidal and smaller. In addition to surfactant production, AT2s also serve as prime alveolar progenitors in homeostasis and play an important role during regeneration/repair. Based on different lineage tracing strategies in mice and single-cell transcriptomic analysis, recent reports highlight the heterogeneous nature of AT2s. These studies present compelling evidence for the presence of stable or transitory AT2 subpopulations with distinct marker expression, signaling pathway activation and functional properties. Despite demonstrated progenitor potentials of AT2s in maintaining homeostasis, through self-renewal and differentiation to AT1s, the exact identity, full progenitor potential and regulation of these progenitor cells, especially in the context of human diseases remain unclear. We recently identified a novel subset of AT2 progenitors named “Injury-Activated Alveolar Progenitors” (IAAPs), which express low levels of Sftpc, Sftpb, Sftpa1, Fgfr2b and Etv5, but are highly enriched for the expression of the surface receptor programmed cell death-ligand 1 (Pd-l1). IAAPs are quiescent during lung homeostasis but activated upon injury with the potential to proliferate and differentiate into AT2s. Significantly, a similar population of PD-L1 positive cells expressing intermediate levels of SFTPC are found to be expanded in human IPF lungs. We summarize here the current understanding of this newly discovered AT2 progenitor subpopulation and also try to reconcile the relationship between different AT2 stem cell subpopulations regarding their progenitor potential, regulation, and relevance to disease pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions.
A new host for a new Rossomyrmex minuchae population
Authors: Sanllorente O. , Lenoir A. , Perdereau E. , Ruano F. , Azcárate F. M. , Silvestre M. , Lorite P. , Tinaut A.
Published: May 2023

Social parasites usually rely on chemical cues (cuticular hydrocarbons) to successfully invade and coexist with their hosts. Most ants that are obligate social parasites (slave-makers) can parasitize several related host species with different levels of chemical similarity although there are few exceptions where there is only a single host species. An example of the latter is Rossomyrmex minuchae, which was known to be only associated with Proformica longiseta. However, a recent discovery of a new R. minuchae population revealed that it can parasitize P. nasuta, a species with a separate distribution to P. longiseta. Chemical analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons show local adaptation of the parasite to its host in this new population, being more similar to P. nasuta than to other R. minuchae populations. In addition, genetic analyses evidence differences from the other known populations, from which it split 1.21 Mya during glacial and interglacial periods of the Pleistocene and remained separated to the present day. This historical genetic isolation and the chemical differences found between parasite populations may evidence a speciation process and support the local host–parasite coevolution.
Verhütung auf YouTube, Instagram und TikTok
Authors: Döring Nicola , Lehmann Stephan , Schumann-Doermer Claudia
Published: May 2023

Hintergrund

Jugendliche und Erwachsene beziehen Informationen über Verhütung zunehmend über soziale Medien.

Ziel der Arbeit

Vor diesem Hintergrund ist es Ziel der vorliegenden Studie, erstmals Inhalte und Qualität deutschsprachiger Verhütungsbeiträge auf YouTube, Instagram und TikTok zu untersuchen. Beantwortet werden sollen Forschungsfragen zu Anbieter*innen (F1), Inhalten (F2) und Qualität der Verhütungsbeiträge (F3) sowie zu Publikumsreaktionen (F4).

Material und Methoden

Es wurde eine Stichprobe von N = 1000 Verhütungsbeiträgen von YouTube (500), Instagram (250) und TikTok (250) gezogen. Pro Beitrag gingen maximal 20 verhütungsbezogene Kommentare in das Kommentar-Sample ein (N = 12.454). Die Beiträge und Kommentare wurden mittels reliabilitätsgeprüfter Codebücher analysiert. Die Datenanalyse erfolgte mit SPSS. Die Studie ist präregistriert und alle Daten, Materialien und Analyseskripte sind öffentlich verfügbar.

Ergebnisse

Es zeigte sich, dass die Verhütungsbeiträge mehrheitlich von Gesundheitslaien stammten (52 %), gefolgt von Medienprofis und Gesundheitsprofis (F1). Inhaltlich deckten die Verhütungsbeiträge alle verfügbaren Verhütungsmethoden ab, wobei Pille (69 %) und Kondom (40 %) dominierten (F2). Nach gängigen Qualitätskriterien zeigten sich deutliche Defizite, wobei im Vergleich YouTube-Videos am besten abschnitten (F3). TikTok-Videos dagegen waren Spitzenreiter bei den Publikumsreaktionen, sie verzeichneten die meisten Views, Likes und Kommentare. Die Kommentarspalten wurden vom Publikum oft genutzt, um eigene Verhütungserfahrungen zu teilen oder Nachfragen zu stellen (F4).

Diskussion

Weitere Forschung sowie Praxismaßnahmen sind notwendig, um die Qualität von Verhütungsinformationen in sozialen Medien besser einschätzen und optimieren zu können.
Upregulation of glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3 by deubiquitinase OTUD4 promotes cardiac fibrosis post myocardial infarction
Authors: Wang Feizuo , Yin Xiaojian , Fan Yuan-Ming , Zhang Xinyao , Ma Chao , Jia Keke , Zhou Wei , Tang Zongxiang , Qi Lian-Wen , Li Jia
Published: May 2023

Metabolic dysregulations have emerged as a major mediator of cardiovascular disorders and fibrotic diseases. Metabolic reprogramming contributes a lot to cardiac fibroblast activation and cardiac fibrosis post-myocardial infarction (MI), yet the mechanism remains incompletely understood. Our work aimed to determine whether or not glycolytic reprogramming, regulated by phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), is a therapeutic target for alleviating post-MI cardiac fibrosis. Here, we showed that cardiac fibroblasts displayed cell energy phenotype toward augmented glycolysis in response to transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), evidenced by significant extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) increase and lactate accumulation. The expression of glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3, a master activator of glycolysis, was up-regulated in TGF-β1-treated cardiac fibroblasts and in cardiac fibroblasts of post-MI mice. Pharmacological inhibition of PFKFB3 by 3PO diminished TGF-β1-mediated profibrotic phenotypes, attenuated cardiac fibrosis, and preserved cardiac functions in post-MI mice. Meanwhile, the genetic inhibition of PFKFB3 decreased the cardiac fibroblast activation and reversed the differentiated phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we identified deubiquitinase OTUD4 as a new binding protein of PFKFB3, and their interaction blocked PFKFB3 degradation via OTUD4-mediated deubiquitylation. Taken together, this work characterized a key role for PFKFB3 in cardiac fibroblast activation and suggested that inhibiting PFKFB3-involved glycolysis is an alternative way to alleviate post-MI cardiac fibrosis.

Key messages

PFKFB3, a master activator of glycolysis, was highly expressed in ischemic cardiac fibroblasts to enhance cardiac fibrosis

The deubiquitinase OTUD4 was identified as a new binding protein of PFKFB3

TGF-β1 blunted the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of PFKFB3 via OTUD4-mediated deubiquitylation

Blockade of PFKFB3 contributed to ameliorating ischemia-induced cardiac fibrosis
Correlation between Bacterial Cell Density and Abundance of Antibiotic Resistance on Milking Machine Surfaces Assessed by Cultivation and Direct qPCR Methods
Authors: Weber Mareike , Göpfert Bettina , von Wezyk Sina , Savin-Hoffmeyer Michael , Lipski André
Published: May 2023

The relative abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes was surveyed for different parts of a milking machine. A cultivation approach based on swab samples showed a highly diverse microbiota, harboring resistances against cloxacillin, ampicillin, penicillin, and tetracycline. This approach demonstrated a substantial cloxacillin resistance of numerous taxa within milking machine microbiota coming along with regular use of cloxacillin for dry-off therapy of dairy cows. For the less abundant tetracycline-resistant bacteria we found a positive correlation between microbial cell density and relative abundance of tetracycline-resistant microorganisms (R2 = 0.73). This indicated an accelerated dispersion of resistant cells for sampling locations with high cell density. However, the direct quantification of the tetM gene from the swap samples by qPCR showed the reverse relation to bacterial density if normalized against the abundance of 16S rRNA genes (R2 = 0.88). The abundance of 16S rRNA genes was analyzed by qPCR combined with a propidium monoazide treatment, which eliminates 16S rRNA gene signals in negative controls.