bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A numerical study on the nonlinear fractional Klein–Gordon equation
Authors: Mulimani Mallanagoud , Kumbinarasaiah S.
Published: December 2023

This article helps to develop a numerical approach based on Fibonacci wavelets for solving fractional Klein-Gordan equations (FKGEs). The FKGEs are solved with Caputo-type fractional derivative. Using the definition of Fibonacci wavelets, we constructed the operational matrices of integration. These operational matrices of integration led to the development of the collocation method called the Fibonacci wavelet collocation method (FWCM). This method transforms the given nonlinear partial differential equation into a system of nonlinear algebraic equations using collocation points to determine the unknown coefficients. By substituting the unknown coefficients in the method, we obtained the numerical solution of the present approach. We furnish the different error norms for the present technique. The obtained results are compared with the Clique polynomial method. These findings demonstrate the computational attractiveness, efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, and robustness of the proposed method for addressing a variety of physical models in science and engineering.
Enhancing mechanical and corrosion performance of TiN PVD-coated tool steels through PAN pre-treatment
Authors: Dadfar M. , Pour H. R. Khandan , Sanvito T.
Published: December 2023

Mechanical properties of plasma-assisted nitrided (PAN), TiN cathodic arc coated, and PAN with TiN coated samples were thoroughly evaluated on tool steel samples of 1.2379. The evaluation involved SEM, nano-indentation, profilometer, micro scratch, and corrosion tests. The results revealed that PAN treatment alters the roughness of the surface, while it has minimal impact on the coefficient of friction. However, it increases the substrate's hardness, making it twice as hard and three times more resilient against scratch tests, along with improved corrosion resistance. TiN-coated samples are four times harder than untreated ones, but they exhibit a higher elastic modulus (E), leading to a lower H/E index. The most promising results were obtained with PAN + TiN treatment, combining high hardness (H) with lower E, resulting in a high H/E index, a crucial criterion for wear resistance. These samples also demonstrated superior scratch hardness and corrosion resistance, despite being thinner and rougher.
The observed trend in unusual daily mean temperatures over Germany from 1949 to 2018 and their relationships to major climatic drivers
Authors: Yulizar Yulizar
Published: December 2023

Unusual events are detected by the statistical changes in ‘extremes’, when extreme anomalies persist through the temporal and spatial interactions of the variable of interest. To identify the occurrences of unusual daily mean temperature events in 3- and 5-day sequences, a statistical method based on an “outlyingness” function is proposed in this study. This function is based on the geometrical position of a point on the multivariate set. To illustrate the methodology, this study uses daily mean temperature records from 18 observation stations across Germany (1949–2018). The findings indicate discernible changes in the frequency of unusual events at the stations, mostly during the boreal winter months between the first and last 35 years of the study period. A wide range of temperature anomaly averages (− 12 °C to + 12 °C) are produced by the interaction of series between warm and cold conditions, which affects the occurrence of disappearing days. While this is happening, the unusual warming is more pronounced on days that emerge from both the 3- and 5-day sequences, with temperature anomaly averages ranging from + 4 to + 12 °C. The Atlantic Multi-Decadal Variability and the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation, respectively, are both implicated in the unusual surface warming over Germany. The disappearance days of unusual events do not exhibit statistically significant correlations with climatic indices, suggesting a possible anthropogenic effect. The emphasis of this study is on the necessity of determining whether unusual events in daily temperature anomalies across Germany can be attributed to anthropogenic factors.
LC‒MS/MS and transcriptome analyses reveal saliva components of the seed-feeding truebug Pyrrhocoris apterus
Authors: Lin Qian , Wu Hui-Jie , Liu Zhuo-Qi , Wan Yi , Xu Hai-Jun , Zhang Jin-Li
Published: December 2023

Saliva secretion is essential for successful feeding by piercing–sucking insects. Despite extensive studies of the saliva composition of phloem- and blood-feeding insects, less is known about the oral secretions of seed-feeding insects. The firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus is a polyphagous insect that feeds primarily on dry seeds of various plant species. Here, liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) was used to identify 165 P. apterus salivary proteins, including 110 gelling-specific proteins, 24 watery-specific proteins, and 31 proteins common to both groups. Transcriptomic analysis of saliva glands identified 567 potential salivary proteins, of which 87 overlapped with those detected by LC‒MS/MS. Comparative analysis showed that 98 out of 165 (59.4%) P. apterus saliva proteins were associated with extra-oral digestion and detoxification and had homologs in ten other species of arthropods examined. In addition, 67 proteins were specific to P. apterus, of which 22 proteins were defined with unknown functions. RNA interference-mediated gene silencing assays indicated that P. apterus-specific proteins were vital for P. apterus survival. Our findings shed light on the function of salivary proteins in feeding by seed-feeding insects and the evolution of feeding habits in piercing–sucking insects.
Assessing Peer Influence on Farmers’ Climate Adaptations: An Experimental Adoption of Index Insurance and Savings in Uzbekistan
Authors: Moritz Laura , Kuhn Lena , Bobojonov Ihtiyor , Glauben Thomas
Published: December 2023

Strengthening climate resilience requires farmers to select climate adaptation strategies like weather index insurance. Acknowledging that decision-making is not isolated, this study explores simultaneous peer imitation in climate adaptation choices consisting of index insurance, savings, and their interaction. We present results from a lab-in-the-field experiment that introduces innovative index insurance. Findings indicate significant and strong imitation attitudes. While the bigger peer surrounding seems relevant in the static perspective, the closer surrounding gains importance in the dynamic perspective. Additionally, credit, trust, and practical understanding stimulate adoption. Community-based extension interventions and credit-bundled products may increase index insurance diffusion and improve climate resilience.
Machine learning and feature selection: Applications in economics and climate change
Authors: Akyapı Berkay
Published: December 2023

Feature selection is an important component of machine learning for researchers that are confronted with high dimensional data. In the field of economics, researchers are often faced with high dimensional data, particularly in the studies that aim to understand the channels through which climate change affects the welfare of countries. This work reviews the current literature that introduces various feature selection algorithms that may be useful for applications in this area of study. The article first outlines the specific problems that researchers face in understanding the effects of climate change on countries’ macroeconomic outcomes, and then provides a discussion regarding different categories of feature selection. Emphasis is placed on two main feature selection algorithms: Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator and causality-based feature selection. I demonstrate an application of feature selection to discover the optimal heatwave definition for economic outcomes, enhancing our understanding of extreme temperatures’ impact on the economy. I argue that the literature in computer science can provide useful insights in studies concerned with climate change as well as its economic outcomes.
Bronchoscopy-related outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks: A systematic review
Authors: Kakoullis Loukas , Economidou Sofia , Mehrotra Preeti , Panos George , Karampitsakos Theodoros , Stratakos Grigorios , Tzouvelekis Argyrios , Sampsonas Fotios
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To identify and report the pathogens and sources of contamination associated with bronchoscopy-related outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks.

Design:

Systematic review.

Setting:

Inpatient and outpatient outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks after bronchoscopy.

Methods:

PubMed/Medline databases were searched according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, using the search terms “bronchoscopy,” “outbreak,” and “pseudo-outbreak” from inception until December 31, 2022. From eligible publications, data were extracted regarding the type of event, pathogen involved, and source of contamination. Pearson correlation was used to identify correlations between variables.

Results:

In total, 74 studies describing 23 outbreaks and 52 pseudo-outbreaks were included in this review. The major pathogens identified in these studies were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Legionella pneumophila, and fungi. The primary sources of contamination were the use of contaminated water or contaminated topical anesthetics, dysfunction and contamination of bronchoscopes or automatic endoscope reprocessors, and inadequate disinfection of the bronchoscopes following procedures. Correlations were identified between primary bronchoscope defects and the identification of P. aeruginosa (r = 0.351; P = .002) and K. pneumoniae (r = 0.346; P = .002), and between the presence of a contaminated water source and NTM (r = 0.331; P = .004) or L. pneumophila (r = 0.280; P = .015).

Conclusions:

Continued vigilance in bronchoscopy disinfection practices remains essential because outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks continue to pose a significant risk to patient care, emphasizing the importance of stringent disinfection and quality control measures.
International charitable connections: Variation in the countries of operation of overseas charities
Authors: McDonnell Diarmuid , Clifford David
Published: December 2023

Charities are long-established and increasingly prominent non-state actors in social policy. However, these organisations remain understudied within social policy research, particularly their presence in the delivery of global social policy. This paper provides new cross-national evidence about charities operating internationally. It makes use of a comprehensive administrative dataset covering the country of operation of every overseas charity registered in England and Wales, Australia, and Canada. The international connections of charities are extensive, and these organisations are much more likely to work in countries with shared colonial and linguistic ties, and less likely to work in those with poor governance or high levels of corruption. This paper goes beyond a binary focus on either “developing” or “developed” country contexts, and provides insight into the international connections of “non-elite” as well as “elite” social policy actors.
Partisan Stereotyping and Polarization in Brazil
Authors: Samuels David , Mello Fernando , Zucco Cesar
Published: December 2023

In recent decades, Brazilian voters have grown polarized between supporters of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers’ Party, PT), known as petistas, and its opponents, known as antipetistas. What explains this animosity? One potential source of polarization is partisan stereotyping, a tendency for partisans to misperceive the social composition of both their own side’s bases of support as well as their opponents’. We show that most Brazilians overestimate the extent to which petistas and antipetistas belong to party-stereotypical groups such as Afro-Brazilians, evangelical Christians, or poor or rich people. We then show that stereotyping is associated with polarization: the greater the bias in perceived partisan group composition, the greater the perceptions of partisan political extremism and feelings of social distance toward the partisan out-group.
Turkish Nationalism, Egalitarianism, and Social Policy: The Compulsory Public Service of Physicians
Authors: Cörüt İlker
Published: December 2023

This article examines how the Turkish political elites have responded to the uneven geographical distribution of physicians. This has been a chronic problem in health care provision, with physicians concentrated in the urban areas of western Anatolia at the cost of rural areas and the east, especially the Kurdish southeast. Successive Turkish governments have employed compulsory service laws as major policy tools to tackle this distribution problem. Legislative discussions about these laws have revolved around the idea of a unitary Turkey, the Turkish nation, and how to close the gap between the idealized imaginary of these and the defective reality. Drawing on Kojin Karatani’s mode-of-exchange framework, this study examines the legislative process on the distribution problem through the history of the post-Ottoman republic to the present. It identifies Turkish nationalism centered on state and on commodity exchange as two variants giving shape to the response to the problem. This analysis also contributes to our understanding of the weakness of social citizenship in Turkey. It is argued that Turkish nationalism—specifically, its state-centered version—operates by interpellating Turkish citizens as indebted to the nation-state, thereby hindering the development of the notion of the rights-bearing citizen.
Radio continuum from the most massive early-type galaxies detected with ASKAP RACS
Authors: Brown Michael J.I. , Clarke Teagan A. , Hopkins Andrew M. , Norris Ray P. , Jarrett T.H.
Published: December 2023

All very massive early-type galaxies contain supermassive blackholes, but are these blackholes all sufficiently active to produce detectable radio continuum sources? We have used the 887.5 MHz Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey DR1 to measure the radio emission from morphological early-type galaxies brighter than

$K_S=9.5$

selected from the 2MASS Redshift Survey, HyperLEDA, and RC3. In line with previous studies, we find median radio power increases with infrared luminosity, with

$P_{1.4} \propto L_K^{2.2}$

, although the scatter about this relation spans several orders of magnitude. All 40 of the

$M_K<-25.7$

early-type galaxies in our sample have measured radio flux densities that are more than

$2\sigma$

above the background noise, with

$1.4\,{\rm GHz}$

radio powers spanning

${\sim} 3 \times 10^{20}$

to

${\sim} 3\times 10^{25}\,{\rm W/Hz^{-1}}$

. Cross-matching our sample with integral field spectroscopy of early-type galaxies reveals that the most powerful radio sources preferentially reside in galaxies with relatively low angular momentum (i.e. slow rotators). While the infrared colours of most galaxies in our early-type sample are consistent with passive galaxies with negligible star formation and the radio emission produced by active galactic nuclei or AGN remnants, very low levels of star formation could power the weakest radio sources with little effect on many other star formation rate tracers.
Citizenship and mobility of the poor: Sweden during the 19th century
Authors: Kalm Sara
Published: December 2023

The distinctive features of the modern form of citizenship include, among other things, that it is both internally inclusive and externally exclusive; that it establishes legal equality so that membership of the state supersedes all other memberships and allegiances; and that it defines membership as independent of residence. These characteristics largely evolved during the “long nineteenth century”, the period between the French Revolution and the First World War. Similar to that of today, the historical situation in which citizenship evolved was one of intensified mobility. With the example of Sweden, this article finds that citizenship, in both its internal and external dimensions, was elaborated partly as a way to manage the mobility of the migrant poor. The contours of citizenship emerged as authorities aimed to control and direct the movement of the poor, which preceded control efforts. This has implications for our understanding of citizenship as well as of the state, and highlights the agency of migrants.
Community Size and Electoral Preferences: Evidence From Post-Second World War Baden-Württemberg
Authors: Fiorini Luciana , Jetter Michael , Parmeter Christopher F. , Parsons Christopher
Published: December 2023

We examine whether electoral preferences depend on a community's population size by studying post-Second World War Baden-Württemberg in Southwest Germany. Our identification strategy exploits the fact that the French administration zone prohibited German expellees from entering, contrary to the contiguous American zone. Population size positively predicts voting for the Social Democrats (the party advocating substantial government involvement in practically all domains) and negatively for the Christian Democrats (the small-government party advocating free-market policies). Results are neither driven by pre-existing voting patterns, religious compositions, and location- and time-specific unobservables, nor other measurable cultural, demographic, economic, or political characteristics. Alternative explanations pertaining to expellee voting behaviour or a backlash of natives against expellees appear unlikely – population size prevails as a predominant voting predictor.
Unitary groups,
$\boldsymbol{K}$
-theory, and traces
Authors: Sarkowicz Pawel
Published: December 2023

We show that continuous group homomorphisms between unitary groups of unital C*-algebras induce maps between spaces of continuous real-valued affine functions on the trace simplices. Under certain
$K$
-theoretic regularity conditions, these maps can be seen to commute with the pairing between
$K_0$
and traces. If the homomorphism is contractive and sends the unit circle to the unit circle, the map between spaces of continuous real-valued affine functions can further be shown to be unital and positive (up to a minus sign).
Impact of resveratrol and zinc on biomarkers of oxidative stress induced by Trichinella spiralis infection
Authors: Salama M.A. , Alabiad M.A. , Saleh A.A.
Published: December 2023

Trichinellosis is a re-emerging worldwide foodborne zoonosis. Oxidative stress is one of the most common detrimental effects caused by trichinellosis. In addition, Trichinella infection poses an infinite and major challenge to the host’s immune system. Resistance and side effects limit the efficiency of the existing anti-trichinella medication. Given that concern, this work aimed to investigate the anti-helminthic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of resveratrol and zinc during both phases of Trichinella spiralis infection. Sixty-four Swiss albino mice were divided into four equal groups: non-infected control, infected control, infected and treated with resveratrol, and infected and treated with zinc. Animals were sacrificed on the 7th and 35th days post-infection for intestinal and muscular phase assessments. Drug efficacy was assessed by biochemical, parasitological, histopathological, immunological, and immunohistochemical assays. Resveratrol and zinc can be promising antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory agents, as evidenced by the significant decrease in parasite burden, the significant improvement of liver and kidney function parameters, the increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), the reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) level, the increase in nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like-2 factor expression, and the improvement in histopathological findings. Moreover, both drugs enhanced the immune system and restored the disturbed immune balance by increasing the interleukin 12 (IL-12) level. In conclusion, resveratrol and zinc provide protection for the host against oxidative harm and the detrimental effects produced by the host’s defense response during Trichinella spiralis infection, making them promising natural alternatives for the treatment of trichinellosis.
Fractional order inspired iterative adaptive control
Authors: Varga Bence , Tar József K. , Horváth Richárd
Published: December 2023

Although several studies have revealed that fractional order controllers usually outperform conventional integer-order control solutions, fractional order controllers are not yet widely applied in industrial applications due to their complex mathematical background. In this paper, further improvements of a simple weighted sum feedback design are introduced that imitates the behavior of a fractional order controller but is free from its various formal restrictions. The proposed control solution has the main characteristics of a fractional order controller, such as finite memory length, excellent transient response with no overshoot and robust behavior, but it is placed into a much simpler mathematical framework. In the current paper, a simple derivative term was incorporated in the design which made the controller’s output more stable by completely eliminating output chattering. The proposed control method was developed for a general second-order system. It was tested in a fixed point iteration-based adaptive control scenario, through simulations using a robotic example and on experimental basis as well, utilizing a simple one-degree-of-freedom electromechanical system. The presented experiments are the first systematic investigations of the fixed point iteration-based adaptive control method.
Shock models governed by an inverse gamma mixed Poisson process
Authors: Iuliano Antonella , Martinucci Barbara , Mustaro Verdiana
Published: December 2023

We study three classes of shock models governed by an inverse gamma mixed Poisson process (IGMP), namely a mixed Poisson process with an inverse gamma mixing distribution. In particular, we analyze (1) the extreme shock model, (2) the δ-shock model, and the (3) cumulative shock model. For the latter, we assume a constant and an exponentially distributed random threshold and consider different choices for the distribution of the amount of damage caused by a single shock. For all the treated cases, we obtain the survival function, together with the expected value and the variance of the failure time. Some properties of the inverse gamma mixed Poisson process are also disclosed.
Evaluation of indigenous and exotic soybean accessions for yield, resistance to frog-eye leaf spot and yellow mosaic virus diseases
Authors: Bhartiya Anuradha , Rajesh Vangala , Aditya J. P. , B. Jeevan , Gupta Sanjay , Kant Lakshmi , Joshi Hemlata , Mehtre S. P. , Devi H. N. , Jaybhay S. , Karnwal M. K. , Nataraj Vennampally , Khandekar Nita
Published: December 2023

Soybean is a major source of vegetable oil and protein worldwide. Globally, India is among the top five producers where soybean is a major oilseed grown under diverse agro-climatic conditions by small and marginal farmers. The present study aims to identify soybean varieties with higher yield levels, resistance to pestdiseases and adaptability to climatic fluctuations. One hundred and twenty-five (125) indigenous and exotic soybean germplasm accessions and five checks were evaluated and characterized for eight agro-morphological traits at five testing locations and also screened for frog-eye leaf spot (FLS) and yellow mosaic virus (YMV) diseases under hot-spot locations during the rainy season. A wide range of variability was observed among accessions for days to 50% flowering (39–59), plant height (41–111 cm), number of nodes/plant (10–30), pod clusters/plant (14–39), number of pods/plant (40–102), days to maturity (96–115), grain yield/plant (4.89–16.54 g) and 100-seed weight (6.02–13.72 g). Among various traits, 100-seed weight (0.45), number of pods/plant (0.60) and number of pod clusters/plant (0.38) were found to be major yield-contributing traits as they exhibited highly significant correlation with grain yield/plant. Principal components PCI and PCII with eigen value >1 accounted for 42.66 and 27.08% of the total variation, respectively. Accessions G24 (EC 393222) from Taiwan and G40 (IMP-1) from the USA belonging to cluster IV were found promising for multiple yield traits and JS 20–38 from cluster III for earliness as per cluster analysis. GGE biplot average environment coordination (AEC) view revealed that the accessions viz., G11 (EC 333872), G2 (EC 251506) and G47 (TNAU-S-55) were the best performing stable genotypes in terms of grain yield/plant across locations. Twelve accessions had a high level of resistance against both FLS and YMV diseases under natural hot-spot conditions which can be utilized as promising donors in the soybean breeding programme.
Bedeutung sprachlicher Interaktionen im Kita-Alltag mit Kindern mit und ohne Sprachförderbedarf
Authors: Körner Fabienne , Sachse Steffi , Egert Franziska
Published: December 2023

Zusammenfassung: Die Umsetzung von sprachlicher Bildung und Förderung ist ein zentraler Auftrag von Kindertageseinrichtungen (Kitas). Dabei ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie differenziert sprachliches Lernen von Kindern mit und ohne sprachlichem Förderbedarf unterstützt wird. Ziel der Befragungsstudie, an der 912 hessische Einrichtungen teilnahmen, war es, die derzeitige Praxis in Bezug auf sprachliche Bildung und Förderung zu eruieren und vor allem die Bedeutsamkeit sprachförderlicher Interaktionen in den Blick zu nehmen. Die befragten Leitungen wiesen auf die sehr hohe Bedeutung der Gestaltung von kommunikationsanregenden Situationen im „normalen“ Alltag im Gegensatz zu speziell geplanten Aktivitäten hin. Aus dem Online-Survey ging hervor, dass (a) das Prinzip der Alltagsintegrierung in Konzeption und Praxis vorherrschend ist, (b) i.d.R. kein differenziertes Vorgehen für Kinder mit und ohne Sprachförderbedarf vorgenommen wird und (c) pädagogische Fachkräfte nur selten spezifische Fachberatungsangebote erhalten und Unterstützungstools wie Feedback, Selbstreflexion und Qualitätssicherung für den Bereich alltagsintegrierte sprachliche Bildung und Förderung nutzen.
Contrasting Seasonal Isotopic Signatures of Near‐Surface Atmospheric Water Vapor in the Central Arctic During the MOSAiC Campaign
Authors: Brunello C. F. , Meyer H. , Mellat M. , Casado M. , Bucci S. , Dütsch M. , Werner M.
Published: December 2023

The Arctic is experiencing unprecedented moistening which is expected to have far‐reaching impact on global climate and weather patterns. However, it remains unclear whether this newly sourced moisture originates locally from ice‐free ocean regions or is advected from lower latitudes. In this study, we use water vapor isotope measurements in combination with trajectory‐based diagnostics and an isotope‐enabled atmosphere general circulation model, to assess seasonal shifts in moisture sources and transport pathways in the Arctic. Continuous measurements of near‐surface vapor, δ18O, and δD were performed onboard RV Polarstern during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate expedition from October 2019 to September 2020. Combining this isotope data set with meteorological observations reveals that the spatiotemporal evolution of δ18O mimics changes in local temperature and humidity at synoptic to seasonal time scales, while corresponding d‐excess changes suggest a seasonal shift in the origin of moisture. Simulation results from the particle dispersion model FLEXPART support these findings, indicating that summer moisture originates from nearby open ocean, while winter moisture comes from more remote sources with longer residence time over sea‐ice. Results from a nudged ECHAM6‐wiso simulation also indicate that evaporative processes from the ocean surface reproduce summer isotope values, but are insufficient to explain measured winter isotope values. Our study provides the first isotopic characterization of Central Arctic moisture over the course of an entire year, helping to differentiate the influence of local processes versus large‐scale vapor transport on Arctic moistening. Future process‐based investigations should focus on assessing the non‐equilibrium isotopic fractionation during airmass transformation over sea‐ice.
nmrrr: A Reproducible Workflow for Binning and Visualizing NMR Spectra From Environmental Samples
Authors: Patel Kaizad F. , Myers‐Pigg Allison N. , Bond‐Lamberty Ben , Barnes Morgan E.
Published: December 2023

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a useful tool for detection and identification of molecular structural information, with increasing applications in environmental sciences. NMR instrument outputs are however heterogeneous and require extensive post‐processing, creating barriers to their use and application by non‐specialists. Here, we report on a new open‐source R package,nmrrr, that processes and visualizes spectral data obtained from one‐dimensional solution‐state and solid‐state NMR experiments; the package also performs relevant calculations commonly applied in natural organic matter communities, such as computing the relative abundance of various functional groups. We document the package's installation, dependencies, and functions; and provide a standard workflow for processing NMR data. This package is currently available on CRAN and GitHub, and community contributions are welcome.
The East Bay Diesel Exposure Project: a biomonitoring study of parents and their children in heavily impacted communities
Authors: Sultana Daniel , Kauffman Duyen , Castorina Rosemary , Paulsen Michael H. , Bartlett Russell , Ranjbar Kelsey , Gunier Robert B. , Aguirre Victor , Rowen Marina , Garban Natalia , DeGuzman Josephine , She Jianwen , Patterson Regan , Simpson Christopher D. , Bradman Asa , Hoover Sara
Published: December 2023

Background

Diesel exhaust (DE) exposures pose concerns for serious health effects, including asthma and lung cancer, in California communities burdened by multiple stressors.

Objective

To evaluate DE exposures in disproportionately impacted communities using biomonitoring and compare results for adults and children within and between families.

Methods

We recruited 40 families in the San Francisco East Bay area. Two metabolites of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), a marker for DE exposures, were measured in urine samples from parent–child pairs. For 25 families, we collected single-day spot urine samples during two sampling rounds separated by an average of four months. For the 15 other families, we collected daily spot urine samples over four consecutive days during the two sampling rounds. We also measured 1-NP in household dust and indoor air. Associations between urinary metabolite levels and participant demographics, season, and 1-NP levels in dust and air were evaluated.

Results

At least one 1-NP metabolite was present in 96.6% of the urine samples. Detection frequencies for 1-NP in dust and indoor air were 97% and 74%, respectively. Results from random effect models indicated that levels of the 1-NP metabolite 6-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene (6-OHNP) were significantly higher in parents compared with their children (p-value = 0.005). Urinary 1-NP metabolite levels were generally higher during the fall and winter months. Within-subject variability was higher than between-subject variability (~60% of total variance versus ~40%, respectively), indicating high short-term temporal variability.

Impact

Biomonitoring, coupled with air monitoring, improves understanding of hyperlocal air pollution impacts. Results from these studies will inform the design of effective exposure mitigation strategies in disproportionately affected communities.
DELE1 haploinsufficiency causes resistance to mitochondrial stress-induced apoptosis in monosomy 5/del(5q) AML
Authors: Spinella Jean-François , Chagraoui Jalila , Moison Céline , Lavallée Vincent P. , Boivin Isabel , Gracias Deanne , Lavallée Sylvie , Carpentier Guillaume Richard , Beliveau François , Hébert Josée , Sauvageau Guy
Published: December 2023

Monosomy 5 and deletions of the chromosome 5q (−5/del(5q)) are recurrent events in de novo adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), reaching up to 40% of cases in secondary AML. These chromosome anomalies are associated with TP53 mutations and with very poor prognosis. Using the large Leucegene genomic and transcriptomic dataset composed of 48 −5/del(5q) patient specimens and 367 control AML, we identified DELE1 – located in the common deleted region – as the most consistently downregulated gene in these leukemias. DELE1 encodes a mitochondrial protein recently characterized as the relay of mitochondrial stress to the cytosol through a newly defined OMA1-DELE1-HRI pathway which ultimately leads to the activation of ATF4, the master transcription factor of the integrated stress response. Here, we showed that the partial loss of DELE1 expression observed in −5/del(5q) patients was sufficient to significantly reduce the sensitivity to mitochondrial stress in AML cells. Overall, our results suggest that DELE1 haploinsufficiency could represent a new driver mechanism in −5/del(5q) AML.
Urine-derived bladder cancer organoids (urinoids) as a tool for cancer longitudinal response monitoring and therapy adaptation
Authors: Viergever Bastiaan J. , Raats Daniëlle A. E. , Geurts Veerle , Mullenders Jasper , Jonges Trudy N. , van der Heijden Michiel S. , van Es Johan H. , Kranenburg Onno , Meijer Richard P.
Published: December 2023

Background

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancer types worldwide. Generally, research relies on invasive sampling strategies.

Methods

Here, we generate bladder cancer organoids directly from urine (urinoids). In this project, we establish 12 urinoid lines from 22 patients with non-muscle and muscle-invasive bladder tumours, with an efficiency of 55%.

Results

The histopathological features of the urinoids accurately resemble those of the original bladder tumours. Genetically, there is a high concordance of single nucleotide polymorphisms (92.56%) and insertions & deletions (91.54%) between urinoids and original tumours from patient 4. Furthermore, these urinoids show sensitivity to bladder cancer drugs, similar to their tissue-derived organoid counterparts. Genetic analysis of longitudinally generated tumoroids and urinoids from one patient receiving systemic immunotherapy, identify alterations that may guide the choice for second-line therapy. Successful treatment adaptation was subsequently demonstrated in the urinoid setting.

Conclusion

Therefore, urinoids can advance precision medicine in bladder cancer as a non-invasive platform for tumour pathogenesis, longitudinal drug-response monitoring, and therapy adaptation.
An alternative fully human anti-BCMA CAR-T shows response for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma with anti-BCMA CAR-T exposures previously
Authors: Wang Qingming , Wei Runhong , Guo Shufang , Min Chao , Zhong Xiong , Huang Hui , Cheng Zhi
Published: December 2023

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells therapy has made remarkable progress in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) treatment. Unfortunately, patients still eventually experience disease progression or relapse even after receiving anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy. At present, there are limited data on available treatment options for patients who have progressed on anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of fully human anti-BCMA CAR-T (HRC0202) in seven R/R MM patients who were previously exposed to anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy. Three patients received 6.0 × 106 CAR+T cells/kg, one patient received 10.0 × 106 CAR+T cells/kg and three patients received 15.0 × 106 CAR+T cells/kg. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of grades 1–2 occurred in three patients (42.9%) and grade ≥3 in two patients (28.6%). Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxic syndrome (ICANS) was not observed in any of the patients. The best overall response rate (ORR) was 71.4% (5/7), with a stringent complete response/complete response (sCR/CR) achieved in three patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 269 days, and median overall survival (OS) for all patients was not reached. The median peak concentration (Cmax) of HRC0202 was 30117.70 (range, 6084.35–147415.10) copies/μg DNA. This study indicated that fully human anti-BCMA CAR-T (HRC0202) is a promising treatment for R/R MM patients who relapsed or refractory from prior anti-BCMA CAR-T infusion.
Emerging applications of tough ionogels
Authors: Wang Meixiang , Hu Jian , Dickey Michael D.
Published: December 2023

Ionogels are crosslinked networks—typically polymeric networks—swollen with ionic liquids. The unique properties of ionogels, such as nonvolatility, ionic conductivity, nonflammability, and high thermal and electrochemical stability, make them promising for a variety of applications. Examples include sensors, adhesives, energy storage devices, and ionotronics. While many ionogels require complex syntheses and suffer from poor mechanical properties, simpler strategies are emerging to produce tough ionogels, thereby improving the durability, enabling 3D printing, and broadening the application space of ionogels. This perspective highlights promising applications and future opportunities of ionogels.
Baseline characteristics of eyes with early residual fluid post loading phase of aflibercept therapy in neovascular AMD: PRECISE study report 3
Authors: Chandra Shruti , Gurudas Sarega , Pearce Ian , Mckibbin Martin , Kotagiri Ajay , Menon Geeta , Burton Benjamin J. L. , Talks James , Grabowska Anna , Ghanchi Faruque , Gale Richard , Giani Andrea , Chong Victor , Chen Ching Ning Taffeta , Nicholson Luke , Thottarath Sridevi , Chandak Swati , Sivaprasad Sobha
Published: December 2023

Purpose

To compare the baseline characteristics in patients with and without early residual fluid (ERF) after aflibercept loading phase (LP) in patients with treatment naïve neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods

Patients with nAMD initiated on LP of three intravitreal aflibercept doses were recruited from December 2019 to August 2021. Baseline demographic and OCT features associated with any ERF were analysed using Generalised Estimating Equations to account for inter-eye correlation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed for selection of CST threshold.

Results

Of 2128 patients enrolled, 1999 eyes of 1862 patients with complete data were included. After LP, ERF was present in 1000 (50.0%), eSRF in 746(37.3%) and eIRF in 428 (21.4%) eyes. In multivariable analysis of baseline features, eyes with increased central subfield thickness (CST) (OR 1.31 per 100 microns increase [95% CI 1.22 to 1.41]; P < 0.001), eyes with IRF and SRF at baseline (1.62 [95% CI 1.17 to 2.22]; P = 0.003), and those with SRF only (OR 2.26 [95% CI 1.59 to 3.20]; P < 0.001) relative to IRF only were determinants of ERF. CST ≥ 418 microns had 57% sensitivity and 58% specificity to distinguish ERF from no ERF at visit 4.

Conclusion

On average, 50% of eyes have ERF after aflibercept LP. Clinically relevant baseline determinants of ERF include CST ≥ 418 µ and presence of only SRF. These eyes may require further monthly treatment before extending treatment intervals.
PolLimCrop, a global dataset of pollen limitation in crops
Authors: Siopa Catarina , Castro Helena , Loureiro João , Castro Sílvia
Published: December 2023

Pollination is a crucial ecosystem service for maintaining plant communities and food production. 75% of the main crops depend on or benefit from pollination services provided by animal pollinators. However, when these services are insufficient and/or inefficient, crops experience pollen limitation with, often, lower associated yield, which may translate into economic losses. We constructed a global dataset that gathers studies with pollination experiments, aiming to provide pollen limitation values of animal-pollinated crops worldwide. Pollination experiments included hand pollen supplementation treatments, where plants were subjected to pollen supplementation of outcross pollen, and natural pollination treatments. The PolLimCrop dataset comprises 294 studies and 1169 unique pollen supplementation experiments with values of pollen limitation for 108 crops, spanning 50 years and 62 countries.
Altered cerebrovascular-CSF coupling in Alzheimer’s Disease measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Ferdinando Hany , Moradi Sadegh , Korhonen Vesa , Kiviniemi Vesa , Myllylä Teemu
Published: December 2023

In-vivo microscopical studies indicate that brain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) transport driven by blood vessel pulsations is reduced in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We hypothesized that the coupling pattern between cerebrovascular pulsations and CSF is altered in AD, and this can be measured using multi-wavelength functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). To study this, we quantified simultaneously cerebral hemo- and CSF hydrodynamics in early AD patients and age-matched healthy controls. Physiological pulsations were analysed in the vasomotor very low frequency (VLF 0.008–0.1 Hz), respiratory (Resp. 0.1–0.6 Hz), and cardiac (Card. 0.6–5 Hz) bands. A sliding time window cross-correlation approach was used to estimate the temporal stability of the cerebrovascular-CSF coupling. We investigated how the lag time series variation of the coupling differs between AD patients and control. The couplings involving deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) and CSF water, along with their first derivative, in the cardiac band demonstrated significant difference between AD patients and controls. Furthermore, the lag time series variation of HbR-CSF in the cardiac band provided a significant relationship, p-value = 0.04 and r2 = 0.16, with the mini-mental state exam (MMSE) score. In conclusion, the coupling pattern between hemodynamics and CSF is reduced in AD and it correlates with MMSE score.
Opportunistic CT-derived analysis of fat and muscle tissue composition predicts mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock
Authors: Salam Babak , Al Zaidi Muntadher , Sprinkart Alois M. , Nowak Sebastian , Theis Maike , Kuetting Daniel , Aksoy Adem , Nickenig Georg , Attenberger Ulrike , Zimmer Sebastian , Luetkens Julian A.
Published: December 2023

Prognosis estimation in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) is important to guide clinical decision making. Aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of opportunistic CT-derived body composition analysis in CS patients. Amount and density of fat and muscle tissue of 152 CS patients were quantified from single-slice CT images at the level of the intervertebral disc space L3/L4. Multivariable Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive value of opportunistically CT-derived body composition parameters on the primary endpoint of 30-day mortality. Within the 30-day follow-up, 90/152 (59.2%) patients died. On multivariable analyses, lactate (Hazard Ratio 1.10 [95% Confidence Interval 1.04–1.17];p = 0.002) and patient age (HR 1.04 [95% CI 1.01–1.07],p = 0.017) as clinical prognosticators, as well as visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area (HR 1.004 [95% CI 1.002–1.007];p = 0.001) and skeletal muscle (SM) area (HR 0.987 [95% CI 0.975–0.999];p = 0.043) as imaging biomarkers remained as independent predictors of 30-day mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses showed significantly increased 30-day mortality in patients with higher VAT area (p = 0.015) and lower SM area (p = 0.035). CT-derived VAT and SM area are independent predictors of dismal outcomes in CS patients and have the potential to emerge as new imaging biomarkers available from routine diagnostic CT.
Knowledge mapping of vocational education and training research (2004–2020): a visual analysis based on CiteSpace
Authors: Tian Yumi , Liu Jiayun , Xu Xin , Wu Xueshi
Published: December 2023

The study aims to analyze the leading researchers of vocational education and training from dimensions of individuals, institutions and countries. This article utilises the scientific information measurement software—CiteSpace—to conduct a scientometric analysis of 2,024 articles on vocational education and training from the Web of Science (W.o.S.). According to the research results, some useful conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) vocational education and training research has become interdisciplinary and subject involved are “psychology”, “sociology”, “economics” and “pedagogy”; (2) the United States, the Netherlands and Australia make the majority of contributions and there are numerous collaborations among countries; (3) Univ Amsterdam, Univ Utrecht and Univ Melbourne were the main research institutions; (4) J Vocat Educ Train, Rev Educ Res, Thesis Elev, Econ Educ Rev and J Educ Work were the top 5 highly cited journals; (5) “Engagement”, “Program”, “Self-efficacy”, “High school”, “Predictor” and “Labor market” have become major research hotspots currently.
Foliar spraying of exogenous uniconazole (S3307) at the flowering stage as an effective method to resist low-temperature stress on mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]
Authors: Xiang Hongtao , Wang Shiya , Liang Xiaoyan , Wang Xueyang , Xie Hongchang , Wang Deming , Gai Zhijia , Wang Nannan , Xiang Peng , Han Dongwei , Shan Dapeng , Li Yichu , Li Wan
Published: December 2023

Low temperature is one of the major constraints on agricultural productivity worldwide and is likely to further increase. Several adaptations and mitigation strategies are required to cope with low-temperature stress. Uniconazole (S3307) could play a significant role in the alleviation of abiotic stress in plants. In this study, the effects of S3307 on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant metabolism were studied in the leaves of mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]. The experimental results showed that the low-temperature induced accumulation of superoxide anion (O2-) production rate, and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents. Increased proline content and enzymatic antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), were found to alleviate oxidative damage under low temperatures. While, S3307 could reduce O2- production rate and MDA contents and increase the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT, slowed the decrease in ascorbic acid (AsA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and promoted increase in soluble sugars (SS), soluble proteins (SP), and proline (Pro) content under low-temperature. At the same time, low temperature leads to lower 100 grain weight and number of grains per plant, which eventually causes yield reduction decreased. Foliar spraying of S3307 could alleviate the yield loss caused by low temperature, and the increase of S3307 treatment was 5.1%–12.5% and 6.3%–32.9% for the two varieties, respectively, compared with CK. In summary, exogenous S3307 pretreatment enhances plant tolerance to low-temperature by improving the antioxidant enzyme activities, increased non-enzymatic antioxidants content, and decreased O2- production rate and MDA contents and inducing alterations in endogenous S3307, and reduce the decrease in mung bean yield.