bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Management of Neuropathic, Nociceptive, and Chronic Pain: A Narrative Review with Focus on Nanomedicine, Gene Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, and Newer Therapeutic Options
Authors: Kataria Saurabh , Patel Utsav , Yabut Kevin , Patel Jayshil , Patel Rajkumar , Patel Savan , Wijaya Jeremiah Hilkiah , Maniyar Pankti , Karki Yukti , Makrani Moinulhaq P. , Viswanath Omar , Kaye Alan D.
Published: February 2024

Purpose of Review

This manuscript summarizes novel clinical and interventional approaches in the management of chronic, nociceptive, and neuropathic pain.

Recent Findings

Pain can be defined as a feeling of physical or emotional distress caused by an external stimulus. Pain can be grouped into distinct types according to characteristics including neuropathic pain, which is a pain caused by disease or lesion in the sensory nervous system; nociceptive pain, which is pain that can be sharp, aching, or throbbing and is caused by injury to bodily tissues; and chronic pain, which is long lasting or persisting beyond 6 months. With improved understanding of different signaling systems for pain in recent years, there has been an upscale of methods of analgesia to counteract these pathological processes. Novel treatment methods such as use of cannabinoids, stem cells, gene therapy, nanoparticles, monoclonal antibodies, and platelet-rich plasma have played a significant role in improved strategies for therapeutic interventions.

Although many management options appear to be promising, extensive additional clinical research is warranted to determine best practice strategies in the future for clinicians.
Pivotal Role of GSTO2 in Ferroptotic Neuronal Injury After Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Lin Li , Li Xiao-Na , Xie Zhen-Yan , Hu Yong-Zhen , Long Qing-Shan , Wen Yi-Qi , Wei Xiao-Bing , Zhang Li-Yang , Li Xue-Song
Published: February 2024

Previous research has found that an adaptive response to ferroptosis involving glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is triggered after intracerebral hemorrhage. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying adaptive responses to ferroptosis. To explore the mechanisms underlying adaptive responses to ferroptosis after intracerebral hemorrhage, we used hemin-treated HT22 cells to mimic brain injury after hemorrhagic stroke in vitro to evaluate the antioxidant enzymes and performed bioinformatics analysis based on the mRNA sequencing data. Further, we determined the expression of GSTO2 in hemin-treated hippocampal neurons and in a mouse model of hippocampus-intracerebral hemorrhage (h-ICH) by using Western blot. After hemin treatment, the antioxidant enzymes GPX4, Nrf2, and glutathione (GSH) were upregulated, suggesting that an adaptive response to ferroptosis was triggered. Furthermore, we performed mRNA sequencing to explore the underlying mechanism, and the results showed that 2234 genes were differentially expressed. Among these, ten genes related to ferroptosis (Acsl1, Ftl1, Gclc, Gclm, Hmox1, Map1lc3b, Slc7a11, Slc40a1, Tfrc, and Slc39a14) were altered after hemin treatment. In addition, analysis of the data retrieved from the GO database for the ten targeted genes showed that 20 items on biological processes, 17 items on cellular components, and 19 items on molecular functions were significantly enriched. Based on the GO data, we performed GSEA and found that the glutathione metabolic process was significantly enriched in the hemin phenotype. Notably, the expression of glutathione S-transferase omega (GSTO2), which is involved in glutathione metabolism, was decreased after hemin treatment, and overexpression of Gsto2 decreased lipid reactive oxygen species level in hemin-exposed HT22 cells. In addition, the expression of GSTO2 was also decreased in a mouse model of hippocampus-intracerebral hemorrhage (h-ICH). The decreased expression of GSTO2 in the glutathione metabolic process may be involved in ferroptotic neuronal injury following hemorrhagic stroke.
Lactobacillus acidophilus KBL409 Ameliorates Atopic Dermatitis in a Mouse Model
Authors: Kim Woon-ki , Jang You Jin , Park SungJun , Min Sung-gyu , Kwon Heeun , Jo Min Jung , Ko GwangPyo
Published: February 2024

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with repeated exacerbations of eczema and pruritus. Probiotics can prevent or treat AD appropriately via modulation of immune responses and gut microbiota. In this study, we evaluated effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) KBL409 using a house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae)-induced in vivo AD model. Oral administration of L. acidophilus KBL409 significantly reduced dermatitis scores and decreased infiltration of immune cells in skin tissues. L. acidophilus KBL409 reduced in serum immunoglobulin E and mRNA levels of T helper (Th)1 (Interferon-γ), Th2 (Interleukin [IL]-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-31), and Th17 (IL-17A) cytokines in skin tissues. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was increased and Foxp3 expression was up-regulated in AD-induced mice with L. acidophilus KBL409. Furthermore, L. acidophilus KBL409 significantly modulated gut microbiota and concentrations of short-chain fatty acids and amino acids, which could explain its effects on AD. Our results suggest that L. acidophilus KBL409 is the potential probiotic for AD treatment by modulating of immune responses and gut microbiota of host.
Potential application of solar still desalination in NEOM region
Authors: AbdelMeguid Hossam , GHERISSI Abderraouf , Elsawy Mohamad , Aljohani Zaid , Asiri Abdulkarim , Saber Mohammed , Fouda Ali
Published: February 2024

NEOM is a proposed $500 billion smart city project planned to be built in Saudi Arabia. It aims to be a hub for innovation, sustainability, and quality of life, and will incorporate cutting-edge technology and renewable energy solutions. NEOM aims to transform the region into a hub for the future, attracting businesses and individuals from all over the world.. This article explores the potential application of solar still desalination in the NEOM region. Solar stills are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for producing fresh water from saltwater sources. In the NEOM region, where access to fresh water is a major challenge, solar still desalination can play a significant role in meeting the growing demand for potable water. This research discusses the principles and components of solar stills, and the various types of solar stills that are currently available. This work also evaluates the performance and efficiency of solar stills, and their potential to provide large-scale water production in the NEOM region. Finally, the article highlights the potential benefits and challenges associated with implementing solar still desalination in the NEOM region, and provides recommendations for future research and development. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on sustainable water management, and has important implications for policymakers and water resource managers in the NEOM region and beyond.
State-Run Dating Apps: Are They Morally Desirable?
Authors: de Vries Bouke
Published: February 2024

In a bid to boost fertility levels, Iran and Japan have recently launched their own dating apps, with more countries likely to follow. The aim of this article is to consider whether state-run dating apps are morally desirable, which is a question that has not received any scholarly attention. It finds that such apps have at least two benefits that collectively, if not individually, render their introduction to be welcomed provided certain conditions are met. These benefits are that they are better placed than commercial dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Badoo to (i) help people find lasting love and to (ii) protect individuals from spending too much money and/or time on online dating. Several objections are discussed and shown to be unconvincing as arguments against state-run dating apps tout court, including the objection that for states to offer their own dating apps is unduly expensive; the objection that it gives them too much power; and the objection that they should invest in creating offline opportunities for meeting potential partners instead.
Weak error analysis for the stochastic Allen–Cahn equation
Authors: Breit Dominic , Prohl Andreas
Published: February 2024

We prove strong rate resp. weak rate $${{\mathcal {O}}}(\tau )$$

O
(
τ
)

for a structure preserving temporal discretization (with $$\tau $$
τ
the step size) of the stochastic Allen–Cahn equation with additive resp. multiplicative colored noise in $$d=1,2,3$$

d
=
1
,
2
,
3

dimensions. Direct variational arguments exploit the one-sided Lipschitz property of the cubic nonlinearity in the first setting to settle first order strong rate. It is the same property which allows for uniform bounds for the derivatives of the solution of the related Kolmogorov equation, and then leads to weak rate $${{\mathcal {O}}}(\tau )$$

O
(
τ
)

in the presence of multiplicative noise. Hence, we obtain twice the rate of convergence known for the strong error in the presence of multiplicative noise.
Optimizing Water Sustainability: Revealing Cost Recovery Strategies in the Canary Islands (Spain). Stochastic Frontier Model
Authors: Santamarta Juan C. , Hernández-Alemán Anastasia , Cruz-Pérez Noelia , Gamallo-Paz Isabel , Rodríguez-Martín Jesica , de Martín-Pinillos Castellanos Ignacio , García-Gil Alejandro
Published: February 2024

Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) introduces cost recovery as an instrument aligned with the 'polluter pays' principle, aiming to contribute to the overall well-being of water bodies. In this regard, this research focuses on application of the cost recovery method in the context of the Canary Islands (Spain). The study provides a comprehensive description and analysis of the methodology established for the second cycle of planning (2015–2021) in the Canary Islands, offering a comparative assessment of results for each island. We employ a Stochastic Frontier Model, which allows us to assess the efficiency of different water production techniques. The results should be of great interest to public decision makers in the field of water management to minimize cost, allocate resources efficiently or review water tariffs. The findings underscore substantial variations in cost recovery across islands, emphasizing the need for enhanced water infrastructure methods and data acquisition. Future research needs to extend the years on cost recovery to incorporate economies of scale and type of ownership.
TAN: a temporal-aware attention network with context-rich representation for boosting proposal generation
Authors: Jiao Yanyan , Yang Wenzhu , Xing Wenjie , Zeng Shuang , Geng Lei
Published: February 2024

Temporal action proposal generation in an untrimmed video is very challenging, and comprehensive context exploration is critically important to generate accurate candidates of action instances. This paper proposes a Temporal-aware Attention Network (TAN) that localizes context-rich proposals by enhancing the temporal representations of boundaries and proposals. Firstly, we pinpoint that obtaining precise location information of action instances needs to consider long-distance temporal contexts. To this end, we propose a Global-Aware Attention (GAA) module for boundary-level interaction. Specifically, we introduce two novel gating mechanisms into the top-down interaction structure to incorporate multi-level semantics into video features effectively. Secondly, we design an efficient task-specific Adaptive Temporal Interaction (ATI) module to learn proposal associations. TAN enhances proposal-level contextual representations in a wide range by utilizing multi-scale interaction modules. Extensive experiments on the ActivityNet-1.3 and THUMOS-14 demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method, e.g., TAN achieves 73.43% in AR@1000 on THUMOS-14 and 69.01% in AUC on ActivityNet-1.3. Moreover, TAN significantly improves temporal action detection performance when equipped with existing action classification frameworks.
The content intelligence: an argument against the lethality of artificial intelligence
Authors: Holl Cody
Published: February 2024

This paper navigates artificial intelligence’s recent advancements and increasing media attention. A notable focus is placed on Eliezer Yudkowsky, a leading figure within the domain of artificial intelligence alignment, who aims to bridge the understanding gap between public perceptions and rationalist viewpoints on artificial intelligence technology. This focus analyzes his predicted course of action for artificial intelligence outlined within his unpublished paper AGI Ruin: A List of Lethalities. This is achieved by attempting to understand the concept of intelligence itself and identifying a reasonable working definition of that concept. The concept of intelligence is then applied to contemporary artificial intelligence capabilities and developments to understand its applicability to the technologies. This paper finds contemporary artificial intelligence systems are, to some extent, intelligent. However, it argues that both weak and strong artificial intelligence systems, devoid of human-defined goals, would not inherently pose existential threats to humanity, challenging the notions of artificial intelligence alignment, bringing into question the validity of Nick Bostrom’s Orthogonality Thesis. Furthermore, the possibility of artificial life created through the method of assembling various modules each emulating a separate mind function is discussed.
How can we improve mental health crisis services for young people? A survey of mental health crisis professionals across Greater Manchester
Authors: Dutton Bobbie , Humphrey Neil , Qualter Pamela
Published: February 2024

Background

Healthcare providers have been under pressure to improve the provision of crisis mental health services in England. Through the process of devolution, Greater Manchester has created the Crisis Care Pathway to meet the growing demands on mental health crisis service provision for young people in the city region. At the end of the first funding cycle, this research evaluated the pathway with a focus on potential future improvements.

Methods

An online survey, including a mixture of quantitative, Likert scale items and qualitative, open-ended questions, was completed by 60 professionals working within crisis mental health services for young people in Greater Manchester.

Results

Analysis of the quantitative data identified 6 clear areas for improvement from the evaluative indicators: delivering support at a time that works for young people; delivering the right amount of help for the right length of time; providing services which are quickly available; services and agencies working together effectively; movement between services; fully integrated services. A further 3 super-ordinate themes were developed through thematic analysis of the qualitative data that indicate areas in need of improvement: The challenge of navigation, issues of accessibility into and between services, and how to improve integration.

Conclusions

This research found 7 clear actions to enhance the provision of crisis mental health services for young people in Greater Manchester, which may be transferable to other mental health crisis service contexts.
The Non-Coherence Theory of Digital Human Rights
Authors: Susi Mart
Published: February 2024

Susi offers a novel non-coherence theory of digital human rights to explain the change in meaning and scope of human rights rules, principles, ideas and concepts, and the interrelationships and related actors, when moving from the physical domain into the online domain. The transposition into the digital reality can alter the meaning of well-established offline human rights to a wider or narrower extent, impacting core concepts such as transparency, legal certainty and foreseeability. Susi analyses the 'loss in transposition' of some core features of the rights to privacy and freedom of expression. The non-coherence theory is used to explore key human rights theoretical concepts, such as the network society approach, the capabilities approach, transversality, and self-normativity, and it is also applied to e-state and artificial intelligence, challenging the idea of the sameness of rights. This title is part of the Flip it Open programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.
Shadows or Forgeries? Explaining Legal Normativity
Authors: Diamond Alma
Published: February 2024

Legal norms serve as practical standards for individuals and officials. While this ‘normative aspect’ of law is widely acknowledged, its significance for theories of law remains contested. In this paper, I examine three views on the matter. First, that we should explain legal norms as reason-giving. Second, that we should explain legal discourse as being about reasons for action. Third, that we should explain law as capable of being reason-giving. I survey some challenges associated with each of these views. What they have in common is an implicit assumption about the form that normative explanation must take: that it must be a linear, non-reductive explanation. There is an alternative model for normative explanation available, however. That model explains normative notions in terms of the practices and attitudes involved in recognizing, offering, and demanding them. I highlight the potentials, and limitations, of this practice-centered alternative.
Self-reported political ideology
Authors: Yeung Eddy S.F. , Quek Kai
Published: February 2024

American politics scholarship has relied extensively on self-reported measures of ideology. We evaluate these widely used measures through an original national survey. Descriptively, we show that Americans’ understandings of “liberal” and “conservative” are weakly aligned with conventional definitions of these terms and that such understandings are heterogeneous across social groups, casting doubt on the construct validity and measurement equivalence of ideological self-placements. Experimentally, we randomly assign one of three measures of ideology to each respondent: (1) the standard ANES question, (2) a version that adds definitions of “liberal” and “conservative,” and (3) a version that keeps these definitions but removes ideological labels from the question. We find that the third measure, which helps to isolate symbolic ideology from operational ideology, shifts self-reported ideology in important ways: Democrats become more conservative, and Republicans more liberal. These findings offer first-cut experimental evidence on the limitations of self-reported ideology as a measure of operational ideology, and contribute to ongoing debates about the use of ideological self-placements in American politics.
Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: the challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa
Authors: Thierfelder Christian , Mhlanga Blessing , Ngoma Hambulo , Marenya Paswel , Matin Abdul , Tufa Adane , Alene Arega , Chikoye David
Published: February 2024

Production and utilization of crop residues as mulch and effective weed management are two central elements in the successful implementation of Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems in southern Africa. Yet, the challenges of crop residue availability for mulch or the difficulties in managing weed proliferation in CA systems are bigger than a micro-level focus on weeds and crop residues themselves. The bottlenecks are symptoms of broader systemic complications that cannot be resolved without appreciating the interactions between the current scientific understanding of CA and its application in smallholder systems, private incentives, social norms, institutions, and government policy. In this paper, we elucidate a series of areas that represent some unquestioned answers about chemical weed control and unanswered questions about how to maintain groundcover demanding more research along the natural and social sciences continuum. In some communities, traditional rules that allow free-range grazing of livestock after harvesting present a barrier in surface crop residue management. On the other hand, many of the communities either burn, remove, or incorporate the residues into the soil thus hindering the near-permanent soil cover required in CA systems. The lack of soil cover also means that weed management through soil mulch is unachievable. Herbicides are often a successful stopgap solution to weed control, but they are costly, and most farmers do not use them as recommended, which reduces efficacy. Besides, the use of herbicides can cause environmental hazards and may affect human health. Here, we suggest further assessment of the manipulation of crop competition, the use of vigorously growing cover crops, exploration of allelopathy, and use of microorganisms in managing weeds and reducing seed production to deplete the soil weed seed bank. We also suggest in situ production of plant biomass, use of unpalatable species for mulch generation and change of grazing by-laws towards a holistic management of pastures to reduce the competition for crop residues. However, these depend on the socio-economic status dynamics at farmer and community level.
Higher-order CBT skills: are there differences in meta-competence between trainee and experienced therapists?
Authors: Campbell-Lee Denika , Barton Stephen , Armstrong Peter
Published: February 2024

Meta-competencies govern the application of more basic therapeutic competencies and allow CBT therapists to know when and why particular skills are needed. Meta-competencies are particularly important when responding to the needs of complex or atypical clinical cases. We explore CBT meta-competencies through therapist reflections on complex clinical scenarios and judgements about CBT skills. Three groups of therapists were compared in their responses to four complex clinical scenarios: trainees, recently qualified and experienced therapists. Participants reflected on how they would respond in each scenario and made ratings of the importance of different skills. There was a highly significant difference between trainees and experienced therapists in the number of reflective statements made, but no differences in the number of anticipated actions. There were no group differences in judgements about CBT skills. Reflective capacity is a meta-competency and higher-order skill that CBT therapists continue to develop several years post-qualification. Further studies are needed to replicate this finding and understand its impact on clinical practice.

Key learning aims

(1)

To learn about CBT meta-competencies when considering clinical complexity.

(2)

To learn how to test meta-competencies in groups of therapists with differing levels of experience.

(3)

To identify which meta-competencies are prioritised in clinically complex scenarios.

(4)

To support the development of the scale which measures meta-competencies in therapists.
Psychological Assessment in Poland
Authors: Brzezińska Urszula , Rafalak-Matysiak Maria
Published: February 2024

Abstract: Introduction: The EFPA Questionnaire on Test Attitudes of Psychologists (EQTAP) is periodically employed to gather the opinions of European psychologists. A decade after the prior study, Poland and other EFPA member states participated in a follow-up investigation. This paper presents the results of the 2020 Polish edition of the survey involving 650 psychologists. It also provides a comparison with the findings from the 2009 EQTAP survey. Methods: Using exploratory factor analysis, we delved into the EQTAP questionnaire’s psychometric properties to evaluate the suitability of its thematic scales. Additionally, we undertook a detailed analysis, both at the single-item and scale level. Results: The results suggest a five-scale solution, which is consistent with other international studies ( Evers et al., 2012 , 2017 ). Reliability coefficients for the questionnaire scales range between 0.40 and 0.87, strongly correlating with scale length. Conclusion: The article concludes with a discussion of the Polish psychological testing culture, which has remained relatively unchanged from 2009 to 2020, signaling a stabilization (despite changes in the behavioral patterns in the testing context related to technology). In the last section, we include a list of Polish psychologists’ most favored psychometric tests over the last decade.
Monitoring Polar Ice Change in the Twilight Zone
Authors: Scambos Ted , Shuman Christopher , Fahnestock Mark , Snow Tasha , Crawford Christopher
Published: February 2024

Landsat’s new extended data collection program is mapping Arctic and Antarctic regions year-round, even in polar twilight.
Plate Boundaries May Experience Higher Temperature and Stress Than We Thought
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: February 2024

Surface heat flux data shed light on conditions deep below Earth’s surface, at a tectonic plate interface where major earthquakes initiate.
Computational design of ultra-robust strain sensors for soft robot perception and autonomy
Authors: Yang Haitao , Ding Shuo , Wang Jiahao , Sun Shuo , Swaminathan Ruphan , Ng Serene Wen Ling , Pan Xinglong , Ho Ghim Wei
Published: February 2024

Compliant strain sensors are crucial for soft robots’ perception and autonomy. However, their deformable bodies and dynamic actuation pose challenges in predictive sensor manufacturing and long-term robustness. This necessitates accurate sensor modelling and well-controlled sensor structural changes under strain. Here, we present a computational sensor design featuring a programmed crack array within micro-crumples strategy. By controlling the user-defined structure, the sensing performance becomes highly tunable and can be accurately modelled by physical models. Moreover, they maintain robust responsiveness under various demanding conditions including noise interruptions (50% strain), intermittent cyclic loadings (100,000 cycles), and dynamic frequencies (0–23 Hz), satisfying soft robots of diverse scaling from macro to micro. Finally, machine intelligence is applied to a sensor-integrated origami robot, enabling robotic trajectory prediction (<4% error) and topographical altitude awareness (<10% error). This strategy holds promise for advancing soft robotic capabilities in exploration, rescue operations, and swarming behaviors in complex environments.
The gut ileal mucosal virome is disturbed in patients with Crohn’s disease and exacerbates intestinal inflammation in mice
Authors: Cao Zhirui , Fan Dejun , Sun Yang , Huang Ziyu , Li Yue , Su Runping , Zhang Feng , Li Qing , Yang Hongju , Zhang Fen , Miao Yinglei , Lan Ping , Wu Xiaojian , Zuo Tao
Published: February 2024

Gut bacteriome dysbiosis is known to be implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s disease (CD) is an IBD subtype with extensive mucosal inflammation, yet the mucosal virome, an empirical modulator of the bacteriome and mucosal immunity, remains largely unclear regarding its composition and role. Here, we exploited trans-cohort CD patients and healthy individuals to compositionally and functionally investigate the small bowel (terminal ileum) virome and bacteriome. The CD ileal virome was characterised by an under-representation of both lytic and temperate bacteriophages (especially those targeting bacterial pathogens), particularly in patients with flare-up. Meanwhile, the virome-bacteriome ecology in CD ileal mucosa was featured by a lack ofBifidobacterium- and Lachnospiraceae-led mutualistic interactions between bacteria and bacteriophages; surprisingly it was more pronounced in CD remission than flare-up, underlining the refractory and recurrent nature of mucosal inflammation in CD. Lastly, we substantiated that ileal virions from CD patients causally exacerbated intestinal inflammation in IBD mouse models, by reshaping a gut virome-bacteriome ecology preceding intestinal inflammation (microbial trigger) and augmenting microbial sensing/defence pathways in the intestine cells (host response). Altogether, our results highlight the significance of mucosal virome in CD pathogenesis and importance of mucosal virome restoration in CD therapeutics.
M2 macrophages independently promote beige adipogenesis via blocking adipocyte Ets1
Authors: Wu Suyang , Qiu Chen , Ni Jiahao , Guo Wenli , Song Jiyuan , Yang Xingyin , Sun Yulin , Chen Yanjun , Zhu Yunxia , Chang Xiaoai , Sun Peng , Wang Chunxia , Li Kai , Han Xiao
Published: February 2024

Adipose tissue macrophages can promote beige adipose thermogenesis by altering local sympathetic activity. Here, we perform sympathectomy in mice and further eradicate subcutaneous adipose macrophages and discover that these macrophages have a direct beige-promoting function that is independent of sympathetic system. We further identify adipocyte Ets1 as a vital mediator in this process. The anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages suppress Ets1 expression in adipocytes, transcriptionally activate mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as suppress mitochondrial clearance, thereby increasing the mitochondrial numbers and promoting the beiging process. Male adipocyte Ets1 knock-in mice are completely cold intolerant, whereas male mice lacking Ets1 in adipocytes show enhanced energy expenditure and are resistant to metabolic disorders caused by high-fat-diet. Our findings elucidate a direct communication between M2 macrophages and adipocytes, and uncover a function for Ets1 in responding to macrophages and negatively governing mitochondrial content and beige adipocyte formation.
JAK-STAT-dependent contact between follicle cells and the oocyte controls Drosophila anterior-posterior polarity and germline development
Authors: Mallart Charlotte , Netter Sophie , Chalvet Fabienne , Claret Sandra , Guichet Antoine , Montagne Jacques , Pret Anne-Marie , Malartre Marianne
Published: February 2024

The number of embryonic primordial germ cells in Drosophila is determined by the quantity of germ plasm, whose assembly starts in the posterior region of the oocyte during oogenesis. Here, we report that extending JAK-STAT activity in the posterior somatic follicular epithelium leads to an excess of primordial germ cells in the future embryo. We show that JAK-STAT signaling is necessary for the differentiation of approximately 20 specialized follicle cells maintaining tight contact with the oocyte. These cells define, in the underlying posterior oocyte cortex, the anchoring of the germ cell determinant oskar mRNA. We reveal that the apical surface of these posterior anchoring cells extends long filopodia penetrating the oocyte. We identify two JAK-STAT targets in these cells that are each sufficient to extend the zone of contact with the oocyte, thereby leading to production of extra primordial germ cells. JAK-STAT signaling thus determines a fixed number of posterior anchoring cells required for anterior-posterior oocyte polarity and for the development of the future germline.
Black phosphorus boosts wet-tissue adhesion of composite patches by enhancing water absorption and mechanical properties
Authors: Zhang Yuanchi , Li Cairong , Guo Along , Yang Yipei , Nie Yangyi , Liao Jiaxin , Liu Ben , Zhou Yanmei , Li Long , Chen Zhitong , Zhang Wei , Qin Ling , Lai Yuxiao
Published: February 2024

Wet-tissue adhesives have long been attractive materials for realizing complicated biomedical functions. However, the hydration film on wet tissues can generate a boundary, forming hydrogen bonds with the adhesives that weaken adhesive strength. Introducing black phosphorus (BP) is believed to enhance the water absorption capacity of tape-type adhesives and effectively eliminate hydration layers between the tissue and adhesive. This study reports a composite patch integrated with BP nanosheets (CPB) for wet-tissue adhesion. The patch’s improved water absorption and mechanical properties ensure its immediate and robust adhesion to wet tissues. Various bioapplications of CPB are demonstrated, such as rapid hemostasis (within ~1-2 seconds), monitoring of physical-activity and prevention of tumour-recurrence, all validated via in vivo studies. Given the good practicability, histocompatibility and biodegradability of CPB, the proposed patches hold significant promise for a wide range of biomedical applications.
Direct in-situ insights into the asymmetric surface reconstruction of rutile TiO2 (110)
Authors: Yuan Wentao , Chen Bingwei , Han Zhong-Kang , You Ruiyang , Jiang Ying , Qi Rui , Li Guanxing , Wu Hanglong , Ganduglia-Pirovano Maria Veronica , Wang Yong
Published: February 2024

The reconstruction of rutile TiO2 (110) holds significant importance as it profoundly influences the surface chemistry and catalytic properties of this widely used material in various applications, from photocatalysis to solar energy conversion. Here, we directly observe the asymmetric surface reconstruction of rutile TiO2 (110)-(1×2) with atomic-resolution using in situ spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Density functional theory calculations were employed to complement the experimental observations. Our findings highlight the pivotal role played by repulsive electrostatic interaction among the small polarons −formed by excess electrons following the removal of neutral oxygen atoms− and the subsequent surface relaxations induced by these polarons. The emergence and disappearance of these asymmetric structures can be controlled by adjusting the oxygen partial pressure. This research provides a deeper understanding, prediction, and manipulation of the surface reconstructions of rutile TiO2 (110), holding implications for a diverse range of applications and technological advancements involving rutile-based materials.
Distinct switching of chiral transport in the kagome metals KV3Sb5 and CsV3Sb5
Authors: Guo Chunyu , van Delft Maarten R. , Gutierrez-Amigo Martin , Chen Dong , Putzke Carsten , Wagner Glenn , Fischer Mark H. , Neupert Titus , Errea Ion , Vergniory Maia G. , Wiedmann Steffen , Felser Claudia , Moll Philip J. W.
Published: February 2024

The kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) present an ideal sandbox to study the interrelation between multiple coexisting correlated phases such as charge order and superconductivity. So far, no consensus on the microscopic nature of these states has been reached as the proposals struggle to explain all their exotic physical properties. Among these, field-switchable electric magneto-chiral anisotropy (eMChA) in CsV3Sb5 provides intriguing evidence for a rewindable electronic chirality, yet the other family members have not been likewise investigated. Here, we present a comparative study of magneto-chiral transport between CsV3Sb5 and KV3Sb5. Despite their similar electronic structure, KV3Sb5 displays negligible eMChA, if any, and with no field switchability. This is in stark contrast to the non-saturating eMChA in CsV3Sb5 even in high fields up to 35 T. In light of their similar band structures, the stark difference in eMChA suggests its origin in the correlated states. Clearly, the V kagome nets alone are not sufficient to describe the physics and the interactions with their environment are crucial in determining the nature of their low-temperature state.
A phase III randomized-controlled study of safety and immunogenicity of DTwP-HepB-IPV-Hib vaccine (HEXASIIL®) in infants
Authors: Sharma Hitt , Parekh Sameer , Pujari Pramod , Shewale Sunil , Desai Shivani , Kawade Anand , Lalwani Sanjay , Ravi M. D. , Kamath Veena , Mahopatra Jagannath , Kulkarni Ganesh , Tayade Deepak , Ramanan Padmasani Venkat , Uttam Kheya Ghosh , Rawal Lalit , Gawande Avinash , Kumar N. Ravi , Tiple Nishikant , Vagha Jayant , Thakkar Pareshkumar , Khandgave Prashant , Deshmukh Bhaskar Jedhe , Agarwal Anurag , Dogar Vikas , Gautam Manish , Jaganathan K. S. , Kumar Rakesh , Sharma Inderjit , Gairola Sunil
Published: February 2024

A fully liquid hexavalent containing Diphtheria (D), Tetanus (T) toxoids, whole cell Pertussis (wP), Hepatitis B (Hep B), type 1, 2, 3 of inactivated poliovirus (IPV) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine (DTwP-HepB-IPV-Hib vaccine, HEXASIIL®) was tested for lot-to-lot consistency and non-inferiority against licensed DTwP-HepB-Hib + IPV in an open label, randomized Phase II/III study. In Phase III part, healthy infants received DTwP-HepB-IPV-Hib or DTwP-HepB-Hib + IPV vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. Blood samples were collected prior to the first dose and 28 days, post dose 3. Non inferiority versus DTwP-HepB-Hib + IPV was demonstrated with 95% CIs for the treatment difference for seroprotection/seroconversion rates. For DTwP-HepB-IPV-Hib lots, limits of 95% CI for post-vaccination geometric mean concentration ratios were within equivalence limits (0.5 and 2). Vaccine was well-tolerated and no safety concerns observed.

Clinical Trial Registration – CTRI/2019/11/022052
Problem-solving skills are predicted by technical innovations in the wild and brain size in passerines
Authors: Audet Jean-Nicolas , Couture Mélanie , Lefebvre Louis , Jarvis Erich D.
Published: February 2024

Behavioural innovations can provide key advantages for animals in the wild, especially when ecological conditions change rapidly and unexpectedly. Innovation rates can be compared across taxa by compiling field reports of novel behaviours. Large-scale analyses have shown that innovativeness reduces extinction risk, increases colonization success and is associated with increased brain size and pallial neuron numbers. However, appropriate laboratory measurements of innovativeness, necessary to conduct targeted experimental studies, have not been clearly established, despite decades of speculation on the most suitable assay. Here we implemented a battery of cognitive tasks on 203 birds of 15 passerine species and tested for relationships at the interspecific and intraspecific levels with ecological metrics of innovation and brain size. We found that species better at solving extractive foraging problems had higher technical innovation rates in the wild and larger brains. By contrast, performance on other cognitive tasks often subsumed under the term behavioural flexibility, namely, associative and reversal learning, as well as self-control, were not related to problem-solving, innovation in the wild or brain size. Our study yields robust support for problem-solving as an accurate experimental proxy of innovation and suggests that novel motor solutions are more important than self-control or learning of modified cues in generating technical innovations in the wild.
Single-step fabrication of liquid gallium nanoparticles via capillary interaction for dynamic structural colours
Authors: Sahu Renu Raman , Ramasamy Alwar Samy , Bhonsle Santosh , Vailshery Mark , S Archana , Kumar Hemant , Das Gupta Tapajyoti
Published: February 2024

Incorporating structural coloured materials in flexible and stretchable elastomeric substrates requires numerous steps that compromise their scalability and economic viability for prospective applications in visual sensors and displays. Here we describe a one-step approach for fabricating plasmonic Ga nanostructures embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane substrate exhibiting tunable chromaticity, in response to mechanical stimuli. The process exploits the capillary interactions between uncrosslinked oligomeric chains of the substrate and Ga metal deposited by thermal evaporation, as elucidated by a theoretical model that we developed. By tuning the oligomer content in polydimethylsiloxane, we attain a range of colours covering a substantial gamut in CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage) coordinates. This mechanochromic flexible substrate shows reversible response to external mechanical stimuli for ~80,000 cycles. We showcase the capabilities of our processing technique by presenting prototypes of reflective displays and sensors for monitoring body parts, smart bandages and the capacity of the nanostructured film to map force in real time.
Topical minoxidil and dietary supplement for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in childhood: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lee Ji Won , Kang Jeewoo , Choi Jung Yoon , Hong Kyung Taek , Kang Hyoung Jin , Kwon Ohsang
Published: February 2024

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a common and debilitating condition in children, with limited research on its characteristics and treatment. Therefore, this study aims to describe the characteristics of pediatric patients with CIA and the treatment outcomes of topical minoxidil and l-cystine, medicinal yeast, and pantothenic acid complex-based dietary supplements (CYP). This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from patients who underwent high-dose conditioning chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and were treated with either topical minoxidil or CYP for CIA between January 2011 and January 2022. Among the 70 patients evaluated, 61 (87.1%) experienced clinical improvement. Patients in the groups with superior treatment outcomes received a greater cumulative amount of minoxidil and underwent treatment for a more extended duration (P < 0.05) than those in the other groups. All 70 (100%) patients received topical minoxidil, and 42 (60%) were administered CYP. Hair thickness was significantly higher in the combination therapy group than in the minoxidil monotherapy group (21.4% vs. 9.3%, P = 0.02). However, only 3 (4.3%) patients reported mild and self-limiting adverse events. In conclusion, our study shows that minoxidil and CYP administration represent viable treatment options for pediatric CIA.
Theoretical study of the synergic relationships between the design parameters in energy-saving building design
Authors: Huo Hai ’E. , Ji YanHong , Qin YuanYuan , Chen ChaoZheng , Yuan Ting
Published: February 2024

With the rapid development of the economy, people have increasingly higher requirements for the comfort of living spaces, and the result is the sharp increase in building energy consumption. Several design parameters influence living space comfort and building energy efficiency. Since the same design standard can include different design parameter combinations, synergic relationships may exist between these criteria for one case. Identifying these synergic relationships requires an inverse problem approach. This paper established a model by combining an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) and numerical calculation to determine the synergic design parameter relationships (e.g. the thermophysical building material properties and energy-saving factors). For $${{\text{I}}}_{{\text{sum}}}= {0} $$

I
sum

=
0

, the shading coefficient significantly influenced the linear function between the thermal conductivity and insulation thickness. In this case, the insulation thickness was exponentially related to the shading coefficient, while the thermal conductivity of the insulation material significantly impacted the synergic relationship. For $${\text{ESR}}{=65}\%$$

ESR

=
65

%

, the insulation thickness was a segmented function of the shading coefficient. The results verified that the proposed model was efficient and reliable for identifying the synergic relationships between energy-saving parameters. In engineering applications, designers can select the optimal design parameter combination based on the relationship curve between the parameters in this paper according to the local market conditions and specific design requirements.
Recycled gold-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet
Authors: Al-Ansari Sherkawi H. , Gomaa Hassanien , Abdel-Rahim Rabeea D. , Ali Gomaa A. M. , Nagiub Adham M.
Published: February 2024

In this study, gold-reduced graphene oxide (Au@rGO) nanocomposite has been synthesized by repurposing electronic waste and dry batteries. This innovative approach involved utilizing the graphite rod from dry batteries to produce reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which was subsequently modified through the incorporation of gold nanoparticles obtained from recycled electronic waste. This methodology marks a significant breakthrough in electronic waste recycling, presenting a cost-effective and sustainable means of creating novel nanocomposites for applications in photocatalysis and adsorption, particularly in the removal of crystal violet (CV) from aqueous media. The synthesized Au@rGO nanocomposite was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersed X-ray, and N2 adsorption/desorption. Parameters that affect the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of CV dye have been studied in detail. The optimal conditions for CV adsorption and photocatalytic degradation were pH of 10, equilibrium time of 30 min, CV concentration of 10 mg/L and adsorbent dosage of 40 mg. Furthermore, the isotherm and kinetics of CV removal were also studied. The removal of CV dye using adsorption and photocatalytic degradation techniques reached 95% and 99%, respectively. Consequently, the results showed that photocatalytic degradation of CV dye onto the mesoporous Au@rGO nanocomposite is more proper way than the adsorption technique for removing the CV dye from aqueous media. The designed photocatalyst has high efficiency and it can be reused and activated several times so it can be used in real water treatment applications.
Synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy using gold nanorods supported on thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica for lung cancer treatment
Authors: Deinavizadeh Maryam , Kiasat Ali Reza , Shafiei Mohammad , Sabaeian Mohammad , Mirzajani Roya , Zahraei Seyed Mohammadsaleh , Khalili Fateme , Shao Minmin , Wu Aimin , Makvandi Pooyan , Hooshmand Nasrin
Published: February 2024

Cancer therapy necessitates the development of novel and effective treatment modalities to combat the complexity of this disease. In this project, we propose a synergistic approach by combining chemo-photothermal treatment using gold nanorods (AuNRs) supported on thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica, offering a promising solution for enhanced lung cancer therapy. To begin, mesoporous MCM-41 was synthesized using a surfactant-templated sol–gel method, chosen for its desirable porous structure, excellent biocompatibility, and non-toxic properties. Further, thiol-functionalized MCM-41 was achieved through a simple grafting process, enabling the subsequent synthesis of AuNRs supported on thiol-functionalized MCM-41 (AuNR@S-MCM-41) via a gold-thiol interaction. The nanocomposite was then loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), resulting in AuNR@S-MCM-41-DOX. Remarkably, the nanocomposite exhibited pH/NIR dual-responsive drug release behaviors, facilitating targeted drug delivery. In addition, it demonstrated exceptional biocompatibility and efficient internalization into A549 lung cancer cells. Notably, the combined photothermal-chemo therapy by AuNR@S-MCM-41-DOX exhibited superior efficacy in killing cancer cells compared to single chemo- or photothermal therapies. This study showcases the potential of the AuNR@S-MCM-41-DOX nanocomposite as a promising candidate for combined chemo-photothermal therapy in lung cancer treatment. The innovative integration of gold nanorods, thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica, and pH/NIR dual-responsive drug release provides a comprehensive and effective therapeutic approach for improved outcomes in lung cancer therapy. Future advancements based on this strategy hold promise for addressing the challenges posed by cancer and transforming patient care.