bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroprotective and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Rubiscolin-6 Analogs with Proline Surrogates in Position 2
Authors: Perlikowska Renata , Silva Joana , Alves Celso , Susano Patricia , Zakłos-Szyda Małgorzata , Skibska Agnieszka , Adamska-Bartłomiejczyk Anna , Wtorek Karol , do Rego Jean-Claude , do Rego Jean-Luc , Kluczyk Alicja , Pedrosa Rui
Published: December 2023

Naturally occurring peptides, such as rubiscolins derived from spinach leaves, have been shown to possess some interesting activities. They exerted central effects, such as antinociception, memory consolidation and anxiolytic-like activity. The fact that rubiscolins are potent even when given orally makes them very promising drug candidates. The present work tested whether rubiscolin-6 (R-6, Tyr-Pro-Leu-Asp-Leu-Phe) analogs have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. These hypotheses were tested in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injury model of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The determination of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), Caspase-3 activity, lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (NO) production allowed us to determine the effects of peptides on hallmarks related to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and inflammation. Additionally, we investigated the impact of R-6 analogs on serine-threonine kinase (also known as protein kinase B, AKT) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation. The treatment with analogs 3 (Tyr-Inp-Leu-Asp-Leu-Phe-OH), 5 (Dmt-Inp-Leu-Asp-Leu-Phe-OH) and 7 (Tyr-Inp-Leu-Asp-Leu-Phe-NH2) most effectively prevented neuronal death via attenuation of ROS, mitochondrial dysfunction and Caspase-3 activity. Peptides 5 and 7 significantly increased the protein expression of the phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT) and phosphorylated-mTOR (p-mTOR). Additionally, selected analogs could also ameliorate LPS-mediated inflammation in macrophages via inhibition of intracellular generation of ROS and NO production. Our findings suggest that R-6 analogs exert protective effects, possibly related to an anti-oxidation mechanism in in vitro model of PD. The data shows that the most potent peptides can inhibit 6-OHDA injury by activating the PI3-K/AKT/mTOR pathway, thus playing a neuroprotective role and may provide a rational and robust approach in the design of new therapeutics or even functional foods.
Climate (im)mobilities in the Eastern Hindu Kush: The case of Lotkuh Valley, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Saeed A. , Doevenspeck Martin , Sass Oliver
Published: December 2023

The relationship between climate, environment, and human mobility is complex as (im)mobility outcomes are influenced by multiple socioeconomic, political, and environmental factors. The current debate is focused on migration as an adaptation strategy in the face of climate change but largely ignores the immobility aspect, particularly in the Eastern Hindu Kush where mountain livelihoods are strongly dependent on local environmental conditions. In this study, we examine the interrelations between climate change and the environment as drivers of human mobility and immobility in the mountain communities of Lotkuh valley, Chitral, in north Pakistan. We employed a mixed methods approach grounded in migration theory to describe the relationship between climate change, environment, and (im)mobility outcomes. The study reveals that climate (im)mobilities are the outcome of a complex interplay between climate change, extreme events, and local livelihoods. The primary drivers of (im)mobility are socioeconomic factors. Forced displacement is driven by a multitude of extreme events in the area. Three critical aspects of livelihoods—land resources, crop productivity, and livestock farming—are identified as significant factors influencing mobility and immobility outcomes. Recurring extreme events such as floods and landslides exacerbate soil erosion and the loss of fertile farmlands, leading to food insecurity and compelling households to resort to labor migration as an adaptation strategy. Conversely, for households facing severe income stress and depleted economic assets, immobility becomes the only viable option due to insufficient resources for migration. Moreover, the study reveals that some households adopt a mixed strategy by sending select members to other areas while others remain in their places of origin to sustain their livelihoods. The study has implications for policymakers, government, and development organizations in the region suggesting sustainable livelihoods and adaptation measures to address the specific challenges faced by mountain communities in the Lotkuh valley and the wider region.
Re-viewing entrepreneurial universities through alumni engagement
Authors: Politis Diamanto , Aaboen Lise , Eide Ann Elida , Haneberg Dag Håkon
Published: December 2023

The paper contributes to re-viewing entrepreneurial universities by expanding the understanding of the role and impact of alumni engagement in this context. Embedded in a stakeholder theory perspective, we develop and test a framework that identifies social, behavioural, cognitive and affective drivers of alumni engagement. We conducted statistical analyses to test hypotheses on a sample of 493 entrepreneurship graduates from Venture Creation Programs (VCP) at three major universities in Scandinavia. Our theorising and findings suggest that alumni engagement is multifaceted—encompassing providing and connecting functions. Furthermore, the analysis suggests social, behavioural and affective drivers to accelerate alumni engagement. Future studies of entrepreneurial universities should focus more specifically on how entrepreneurship education and university managers may prepare students for becoming engaged alumni.
Personal agency among students from low socio-economic backgrounds: An examination of student profiles, perceived teaching support, and achievement
Authors: Collie Rebecca J. , Martin Andrew J. , Flesken Anaïd , McCourt Brianna
Published: December 2023

Personal academic agency—the thoughts, actions, and emotions that impact individual functioning at school—is central for academic success. On average, students from low socio-economic status (low-SES) backgrounds report lower levels of personal academic agency than their more advantaged peers, but there are also many who achieve academic success. Identifying different personal academic agency profiles among students from low-SES backgrounds may assist in targeting efforts to boost these factors within that population—and to identify students who are faring well, as well as those who might require additional support. This study examined five factors of personal academic agency (perceived competence, school belonging, perseverance, academic buoyancy, and conduct problems) among 20,125 secondary school students from low-SES backgrounds at 421 Australian schools. We identified profiles of students that vary in patterns of personal academic agency, and examined teaching support predictors and achievement differences associated with profile membership. Latent profile analysis revealed five student profiles: Vulnerable (9% of sample), Resigned (27%), Precarious (28%), Average (32%), and Flourishing (14%) profiles. Students’ perceptions of teaching support predicted membership in more adaptive profiles (i.e., Average and Flourishing profiles)—with the most consistent teaching support predictors being emotional support, classroom management, and instructional relevance. In addition, the Flourishing profile displayed the highest achievement.
Development, Characterization, and Radiation Dosimetry Studies of 18F-BMS-986229, a 18F-Labeled PD-L1 Macrocyclic Peptide PET Tracer
Authors: Kim Joonyoung , Donnelly David J. , Tran Tritin , Pena Adrienne , Shorts Andrea Olga , Petrone Thomas V. , Zhang Yunhui , Boy Kenneth M. , Scola Paul M. , Tenney Daniel J. , Poss Michael A. , Soars Matthew G. , Bonacorsi Samuel J. , Cole Erin L. , Grootendorst Diederik J. , Chow Patrick L. , Meanwell Nicholas A. , Du Shuyan
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In cancer immunotherapy, the blockade of the interaction between programmed death-1 and its ligand (PD-1:PD-L1) has proven to be one of the most promising strategies. However, as mechanisms of resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition include variability in tumor cell PD-L1 expression in addition to standard tumor biopsy PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC), a comprehensive and quantitative approach for measuring PD-L1 expression is required. Herein, we report the development and characterization of an 18F-PD-L1-binding macrocyclic peptide as a PET tracer for the comprehensive evaluation of tumor PD-L1 expression in cancer patients.

Procedures

18F-BMS-986229 was characterized for PD-L1 expression assessment by autoradiography or PET imaging. 18F-BMS-986229 was utilized to evaluate tumor PD-L1 target engagement in competition with a macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of PD-L1 (BMS-986189) over a range of doses using PET imaging. A whole-body radiation dosimetry study of 18F-BMS-986229 in healthy non-human primates (NHPs) was performed.

Results

In vitro autoradiography showed an 8:1 binding ratio in L2987(PD-L1 +) vs. HT-29 (PD-L1-) tumors, more than 90% of which could be blocked with 1 nM of BMS-986189. Ex vivo autoradiography showed that 18F-BMS-986229 detection was penetrant over a series of sections spanning the entire L2987 tumor. In vivo PET imaging in mice demonstrated a 5:1 tracer uptake ratio (at 90–100 min after tracer administration) in L2987 vs. HT-29 tumors and demonstrated 83%-93% specific binding of BMS-986189 within those dose ranges. In a healthy NHP dosimetry study, the resultant whole-body effective dose was 0.025 mSv/MBq.

Conclusion

18F-BMS-986229 has been preclinically characterized and exhibits high target specificity, low background uptake, and a short blood half-life supportive of same day imaging in the clinic. As the PET tracer, 18F-BMS-986229 shows promise in the quantification of PD-L1 expression, and its use in monitoring longitudinal changes in patients may provide insights into PD-1:PD-L1 immuno-therapy treatment outcomes.
Epigenetic alterations of miR-155 and global DNA methylation as potential mediators of ochratoxin A cytotoxicity and carcinogenicity in human lung fibroblasts
Authors: Kharboush Taghrid G. , Ahmed Inas A. , Farag Amina A. , Kharboush Tayseir , Sayed Alaa El-Din H. , Abdel-Kareim Amal M. , Al mohaini Mohammed , Attia Hend , Eid Refaat A. , Zaki Mohamed Samir A. , Al-Tabbakh Al-Shaimaa M.
Published: December 2023

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a well-known mycotoxin that adversely affects different human cells. Inhalational exposure to OTA and subsequent pulmonary diseases have been previously reported, yet its potential carcinogenicity and underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the OTA-induced cytotoxicity and the epigenetic changes underlying its potential carcinogenicity in fetal lung fibroblast (WI-38) cells. OTA cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay; RT-qPCR was used to determine the expression of BAX, BCL-2, TP53, and miR-155, while ELISA was used for measuring 5-methyl cytosine percentage to assess global DNA methylation in OTA-treated versus control cells. WI-38 cells demonstrated sensitivity to OTA with IC50 at 22.38 μM. Though BAX and Bcl-2 were downregulated, with low BAX/BCL-2 ratio, and TP53 was upregulated, their fold changes showed decline trend with increasing OTA concentration. A significant dose-dependent miR-155 upregulation was observed, with dynamic time-related decline. Using subtoxic OTA concentrations, a significant global DNA hypermethylation with significant dose-dependent and dynamic alterations was identified. Global DNA hypermethylation and miR-155 upregulation are epigenetic mechanisms that mediate OTA toxicity on WI-38 cells. BAX downregulation, reduced BAX/BCL-2 ratio together with miR-155 upregulation indicated either the inhibition of TP53-dependent apoptosis or a tissue specific response to OTA exposure. The aforementioned OTA-induced variations present a new molecular evidence of OTA cytotoxicity and possible carcinogenicity in lung fibroblast cells.

Graphical Abstract
Long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and increased risk of end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease: a retrospective cohort study in Beijing, China
Authors: Shang Zhi , Gao Yue-Ming , Deng Zhen-Ling , Wang Yue
Published: December 2023

Limited data have examined the association between air pollution and the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to investigate whether long-term exposure to air pollutants is related to the development of ESRD among patients with T2DM and CKD. A total of 1,738 patients with T2DM and CKD hospitalized in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2021 were enrolled in this study. The outcome was defined as the occurrence of ESRD. Data on six air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3) from 35 monitoring stations were obtained from the Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center. Long-term exposure to air pollutants during the follow-up period was measured using the ordinary Kriging method. During a mean follow-up of 41 months, 98 patients developed ESRD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that an increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM2.5 (odds ratio [OR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.36) and PM10 (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.30) concentration were positively associated with ESRD. An increase of 1 mg/m3 in CO (2.80, 1.05–7.48) and an increase of 1 μg/m3 in SO2 (1.06, 1.00–1.13) concentration were also positively associated with ESRD. Apart from O3 and NO2, all the above air pollutants have additional predictive value for ESRD in patients with T2DM and CKD. The results of Bayesian kernel machine regression and the weighted quantile sum regression all showed that PM2.5 was the most important air pollutant. Backward stepwise logistic regression showed that PM2.5 was the only pollutant remaining in the prediction model. In patients with T2DM and CKD, long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5, PM10, CO, and SO2 was positively associated with the development of ESRD.
Mercury and selenium in three fish species from a dam 20 months after a mine-tailing spill in the SE Gulf of California ecoregion, Mexico
Authors: Páez-Osuna Federico , Bergés-Tiznado Magdalena E. , Valencia-Castañeda Gladys , Fregoso-López Marcela G. , León-Cañedo Jesús A. , Fierro-Sañudo Juan F. , Ramírez-Rochín Javier
Published: December 2023

During January 2013, a mining spill occurred in the Santa Maria mining region, releasing around 300,000 m3 of tailings on Los Remedios river, which was transported through the San Lorenzo river and finally to El Comedero (EC) dam. Twenty months later, we examined the concentrations of Hg and Se in the muscle, liver, gills, and guts of three fish species (Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis aureus, Micropterus salmoides) captured in the EC dam to assess the performance of the cleaning operations. A high Se concentration in the liver of all species (carp, 1.2 ± 0.4; tilapia, 3.9 ± 2.1; bass, 3.5 ± 1.1 µg g−1 ww) was consistently observed, while this behavior was only found in the blue tilapia for Hg (0.15 ± 0.11 µg g−1 ww). Tilapia (benthic-detritivorous) exhibited the highest Se concentrations compared to the carp (omnivore) and the largemouth bass (piscivore). In contrast, the largemouth bass had the highest Hg levels in the muscle compared with the other fishes. Such differences could be related to the different metabolism and feeding habits among species. Compared to a tilapia study carried out three months after the mine spill during a mortality event, a decrease was evident in the liver for Se and Hg by 7.2 and 4.7 times, respectively. This reveals that cleaning operations were more efficient for Se and less for Hg, and that a prolonged period was required for the partial recovery of the element levels in fish from sites impacted by mining. Considering the Mexican consumption scenarios for each fish species, it could be concluded that there will be no non-cancer risk by exposure to Hg or Se.
Automatic non-destructive UAV-based structural health monitoring of steel container cranes
Authors: De Arriba López Vanessa , Maboudi Mehdi , Achanccaray Pedro , Gerke Markus
Published: December 2023

Container cranes are of key importance for maritime cargo transportation. The uninterrupted and all-day operation of these container cranes, which directly affects the efficiency of the port, necessitates the continuous inspection of these massive hoisting steel structures. Due to the large size of cranes, the current manual inspections performed by expert climbers are costly, risky, and time-consuming. This motivates further investigations on automated non-destructive approaches for the remote inspection of fatigue-prone parts of cranes. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of color space-based and deep learning-based approaches for separating the foreground crane parts from the whole image. Subsequently, three different ML-based algorithms (k-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, and Naive Bayes) are employed to detect the rust and repainting areas from detected foreground parts of the crane body. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the results of these approaches were conducted. While quantitative evaluation of pixel-based analysis reveals the superiority of the k-Nearest Neighbors algorithm in our experiments, the potential of Random Forest and Naive Bayes for region-based analysis of the defect is highlighted.
Food and Environmental Virology: Use of Passive Sampling to Characterize the Presence of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Viruses in Wastewater
Authors: Geissler Michael , Mayer Robin , Helm Björn , Dumke Roger
Published: December 2023

Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 leads to a renaissance of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as additional tool to follow epidemiological trends in the catchment of treatment plants. As alternative to the most commonly used composite samples in surveillance programs, passive sampling is increasingly studied. However, the many sorbent materials in different reports hamper the comparison of results and a standardization of the approach is necessary. Here, we compared different cost-effective sorption materials (cheesecloths, gauze swabs, electronegative filters, glass wool, and tampons) in torpedo-style housings with composite samples. Despite a remarkable variability of the concentration of SARS-CoV-2-specific gene copies, analysis of parallel-deposited passive samplers in the sewer demonstrated highest rate of positive samples and highest number of copies by using cheesecloths. Using this sorption material, monitoring of wastewater of three small catchments in the City of Dresden resulted in a rate of positive samples of 50% in comparison with composite samples (98%). During the investigation period, incidence of reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the catchments ranged between 16 and 170 per 100,000 persons and showed no correlation with the measured concentrations of E gene in wastewater. In contrast, constantly higher numbers of gene copies in passive vs. composite samples were found for human adenovirus and crAssphage indicating strong differences of efficacy of methods concerning the species investigated. Influenza virus A and B were sporadically detected allowing no comparison of results. The study contributes to the further understanding of possibilities and limits of passive sampling approaches in WBE.
Bioremediation of iron from polluted water using marine algae
Authors: Masoud M. S. , Amin S. M. , Abdel-Kareem M. S.
Published: December 2023

El-Mex Bay receives huge of toxicants and pollutants that resulted from various anthropogenic activities and different heavy metals. These pollutants adversely affect human's health and the aquatic ecosystem. In this study, iron is selected rather than other heavy metals for bioremediation as it constitutes a large part of the Bay. This work aims to the assessment of the efficiency of six marine algal species as bio-sorbents for iron, which constitutes a large part of El-Umum drain wastewater at El-Mex Bay locality. These species are Ulva linza, Ulva fasciata (Chlorophyceae), Padina pavonia, Saragassum hornschuchii (Phaeophyceae), and Pterocladia capillacea, Corallina officinalis (Rhodophyceae). Algal nanoparticles and finely powdered algae were evaluated for adsorbing iron in aqueous solutions as a function of contact time, biomass weight, different wastewater concentrations, and pH. Analyzing function groups of the biomass was also assessed. Compared to ordinary ground algal biomass, nanoparticles of dry algal biomass (ground by ball mill) is considered an efficient economic adsorbent for iron removal that occurs at high concentration levels, either dissolved or particulate. Comparing the maximum removal efficiency, it was recorded values of 95.6, 98.8, and 97.6% for Ulva linza, Sargassum hornschuchii, and Corallina officinalis, respectively, using 0.1 g nano-biomass at pH 9.4, these values were 79.60, 96.33, and 83.41%, for the same algal species using 0.5 g ground powder biomass at the same pH.
Variation of Stiffness at the Tip of Piles Subjected to Load-Unload Cycles: Numerical Modeling
Authors: Gil-Hernandez Jackson Andres , Gonzalez-Peña Goretty A. , Olarte-Peña María L. , Zapata-Medina David Guillermo
Published: December 2023

This study evaluated how the stiffness at the tip of the piles varies when the elements are subjected to load-unload cycles. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) was calibrated with the measurements of stress and deformation recorded in a load test on a 16-inch diameter and 28-inch high pile; the calibrated model was subjected to different confinement values and load-unload cycles to evaluate the incidence of these parameters in the variation of the stiffness at the pile tip. The results showed that the soil’s stiffness at the pile tip decreases as the displacement of the pile increases. It was found that when confinement values are greater than 30 PSI, the increase in the displacements in the pile has a greater incidence in the loss of rigidity; on the other hand, as the magnitudes of the load-unload cycles increase, the stiffness of the soil under the pile tip is decreased until reaching a residual stiffness.
An approach of the internal friction-dependent temperature changes for conventional and pure biogenic lubricating greases
Authors: Ahme Leif , Kuhn Erik , Delgado Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2023

This work investigated the temperature changes inside the bulk of lubricating greases under controlled high-shear stress conditions (250–500 s−1). For this purpose, a newly developed temperature-measuring cell called Calidus was successfully tested. The temperature changes (ΔT) have been related to the greases’ components (thickener, base oil-type, and composition) and the structural degradation of the lubricating greases. Furthermore, a theoretical approach was proposed for calculating the internal temperature change of lubricating greases during shear stress. All greases showed an internal temperature profile characterised by a sudden rise in ΔT within the first 4 h from starting the test and subsequent ΔT decay until it reaches the steady state value. Furthermore, it was found that greases C1 and C5, formulated with lithium and calcium soap, respectively, with different soap content (16.1 wt% and 9.7 wt%, respectively), but the same base castor oil, showed the highest value of the maximum ΔT, c.a. 3.2 K, and the most drastic drop of ΔT. These greases showed both the highest specific densities and heat capacities. In addition, they showed the lowest ratio of expended energies (Rtee), which means more structural degradation in the stressed grease. On the contrary, the grease C3, with 13 wt% of Li-soap but the lowest base oil’s viscosity, showed the lowest maximum ΔT and the temperature profile was characterised by a moderate variation of ΔT along the test. The biogenic grease B3 developed a low-temperature change in the group of pure bio-genic greases close to grease C3.
Impact of COVID-19 on patient experience of kidney care: a rapid review
Authors: Mackintosh Lucy , Ormandy Paula , Busby Amanda , Hawkins Janine , Klare Ranjit , Silver Christina , Da Silva-Gane Maria , Santhakumaran Shalini , Bristow Paul , Sharma Shivani , Wellsted David , Chilcot Joseph , Sridharan Sivakumar , Steenkamp Retha , Harris Tess , Muirhead Susan , Lush Vicky , Afuwape Sarah , Farrington Ken
Published: December 2023

Introduction

In March 2020, a pandemic state was declared due to SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19). Patients with kidney disease, especially those on replacement therapies, proved more susceptible to severe infection. This rapid literature review aims to help understand how the pandemic impacted patient experience of kidney care.

Methods

It was conducted in accordance with Cochrane Rapid Review interim guidance. Search terms, ‘coronavirus’, ‘kidney care’, and ‘patient-reported experience’ and terms with similar semantic meaning, identified 1,117 articles in Medline, Scopus, and Worldwide Science. Seventeen were included in the narrative synthesis.

Results

The findings were summarised into three themes: remote consultation and telemedicine (n = 9); psychosocial impact (n = 2); and patient satisfaction and patient-reported experience (n = 6). Patients were mostly satisfied with remote consultations, describing them as convenient and allowing avoidance of hospital visits. Anxieties included missing potentially important clinical findings due to lack of physical examination, poor digital literacy, and technical difficulties. Psychosocial impact differed between treatment modalities—transplant recipients expressing feelings of instability and dread of having to return to dialysis, and generally, were less satisfied, citing reduced ability to work and difficulty accessing medications. Those on home dialysis treatments tended to feel safer. Findings focused on aspects of patient experience of kidney care during the pandemic rather than a holistic view.

Conclusions

There was little direct evaluation of modality differences and limited consideration of health inequalities in care experiences. A fuller understanding of these issues would guide policy agendas to support patient experience during future public health crises.

Graphical abstract
Proof of Aerobically Autoxidized Self-Charge Concept Based on Single Catechol-Enriched Carbon Cathode Material
Authors: Wang Junyan , Guo Wanchun , Tian Kesong , Li Xinta , Wang Xinyu , Li Panhua , Zhang Yu , Zhang Bosen , Zhang Biao , Liu Shuhu , Li Xueai , Xu Zhaopeng , Xu Junjie , Wang Haiyan , Hou Yanglong
Published: December 2023

Highlights

An air-breathing chemical self-charge concept of oxygen-enriched carbon cathode.

The oxygen-enriched carbon material with abundant catechol groups.

Rapid air-oxidation chemical self-charge of catechol groups.

The self-charging concept has drawn considerable attention due to its excellent ability to achieve environmental energy harvesting, conversion and storage without an external power supply. However, most self-charging designs assembled by multiple energy harvesting, conversion and storage materials increase the energy transfer loss; the environmental energy supply is generally limited by climate and meteorological conditions, hindering the potential application of these self-powered devices to be available at all times. Based on aerobic autoxidation of catechol, which is similar to the electrochemical oxidation of the catechol groups on the carbon materials under an electrical charge, we proposed an air-breathing chemical self-charge concept based on the aerobic autoxidation of catechol groups on oxygen-enriched carbon materials to ortho-quinone groups. Energy harvesting, conversion and storage functions could be integrated on a single carbon material to avoid the energy transfer loss among the different materials. Moreover, the assembled Cu/oxygen-enriched carbon battery confirmed the feasibility of the air-oxidation self-charging/electrical discharging mechanism for potential applications. This air-breathing chemical self-charge concept could facilitate the exploration of high-efficiency sustainable air self-charging devices.
An Embodied View on Collaboration in Early Childhood Education: Combining Microanalysis and Introspective Analysis of Experiences to Understand Meaning-Making Between Children With and Without Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Ferreira Juliene Madureira
Published: December 2023

This paper has a twofold aim. The first is to report a qualitative study exploring the construction of collaborative interactions between typically developing children and children with intellectual disabilities in early childhood education, shifting from a cognitivist toward an embodied account of social cognition. The study combined microanalysis of embodied engagements and a phenomenological method of systematic introspective analysis of experience (PRISMA) to investigate the emergence and maintenance of collaborative interactions. The second aim is to showcase the complementarity of the methods and their potential use as a tool for understanding intersubjectivity in children’s social interactions. Participants were twenty-four children aged 3–4: six with intellectual disabilities and eighteen typically developing children. Data consisted of eighteen video recordings of collaborative interactions in a semi-natural context in daycare centres. The results show how typically developing children start the interaction and lead it toward task completion through a scaffolding process of non-verbal regulations facilitated by abbreviations of communication and a combination of sequential actions. This process created bodily invitations for the peer’s engagement, notably stronger amongst preferable peers, corroborating previous research on the relevance of such relationships in this age group. The introspective analysis provided insights into how the desire to work together surpasses the need to complete the task—collaboration can emerge outside the pre-determined task and relies on joint actions rather than understanding tasks’ goals. Peer relations built during the interactions guided children’s behaviours and changed their engagement in the task. This result brings a new perspective to pedagogical planning in early childhood education, indicating the need for teachers to understand children’s intersubjective processes as well as elaborate on task instructions and organisation of space and materials. Results also suggest that previous individual embodied experiences can influence such collaborative efforts, which, although may be expected intuitively, is an underexplored perspective in education sciences. This insight underscores the importance of considering students’ backgrounds and relationships when designing pedagogical approaches. Understanding how prior experiences and peer dynamics affect collaboration can inform more effective teaching strategies in inclusive early childhood education and guide professional training in the field. The findings are critically discussed concerning the implications for professional education and training in inclusive early childhood education.
Evaluation of ammonia-gasoline co-combustion in a modern spark ignition research engine
Authors: Ambalakatte A. , Geng S. , Cairns A. , Harrington A. , Hall J. , Bassett M.
Published: December 2023

Ammonia (NH3) is emerging as a potential favoured fuel for longer range decarbonised heavy transport, particularly in the marine sector, predominantly due to highly favourable characteristics as an effective hydrogen carrier. This is despite generally unfavourable combustion and toxicity attributes, restricting end use to applications where robust health and safety protocols can always be upheld. In the currently reported work, a spark ignited thermodynamic single cylinder research engine equipped with gasoline direct injection was upgraded to include gaseous ammonia port injection fuelling, with the aim of understanding maximum viable ammonia substitution ratios across the speed-load operating map. The work was conducted at varied effective compression ratios under overall stoichiometric conditions, with the spark timing re-optimised for maximum brake torque at all stable logged sites. The experiments included industry standard measurements of combustion, performance, and engine-out emissions (including NH3 “slip”). With a geometric compression ratio of 11.2:1, it was found possible to run the engine on pure ammonia at low engine speeds (1000-1800 rpm) and loads of 12 bar net IMEP. When progressively dropping down below this load limit an increasing amount of gasoline co-firing was required to avoid engine misfire. When operating at 1800 rpm and 12 bar net IMEP, all emissions of carbon (CO2, CO, unburned hydrocarbons) and NOx decreased considerably when switching to higher NH3 substitution ratios, with NOx reduced by ~ 45% at 1800 rpm/12 bar when switching from pure gasoline to pure NH3 (associated with longer and cooler combustion). By further increasing the geometric compression ratio to 12.4 and reducing the intake camshaft duration for maximum effective compression ratio, it was possible to operate the engine on pure ammonia at much lower loads in a fully warmed up state (e.g., linear low load limit line from 1000 rpm/6 bar net IMEP to 1800 rpm/9 bar net IMEP). Under all conditions, the indicated thermal efficiency of the engine was either equivalent to or slightly higher than that obtained using gasoline-only due to the favourable anti-knock rating of NH3. Ongoing work is concerned with detailed breakdown of individual NOx species together with measuring the impact of hydrogen enrichment across the operating map.
An overview of current development and barriers on liquid biopsy in patients with early-stage non-small-cell Lung cancer
Authors: Jin Yichen , Yang Fan , Chen Kezhong
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Liquid biopsy is a promising technological method in patient management of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The detection platforms exhibit high efficiency and related clinical applications also emerge with high-quality performance. An overview of the current status is in need for an integrated perception on this field.

Methods

NSCLC takes up the largest proportion of lung cancer and there is a tendency for more early-stage patients in real practice. Hence, early-stage NSCLC participants occupy an important position in clinical work. Liquid biopsy, as a promising non-invasive detection method, had great potential in various aspects of the whole diagnosis-treatment procedure. We went through the landmark articles according to liquid biopsy in the field of early-stage NSCLC management and concluded the status quo of it.

Results

In this review, we summarized the improvement of the detection technologies regarding the most widely studied biomarkers and elucidated the current clinical applications of liquid biopsy in early detection, prognostic performance assessment, and predictive value respectively, in early-stage NSCLC patients.

Conclusion

Liquid biopsy has achieved favorable outcomes in different aspects of early-stage NSCLC. Although there are still barriers yet to conquer, liquid biopsy is a hopeful detection means to be put into clinical use.
Evolution of government and market under China’s reform era: through the perspective of state capacity
Authors: Zhang Changdong
Published: December 2023

There are two main stream theories explaining China’s rapid economic development in the reform era: new institutionalism and developmental state theory. Realizing the weaknesses of two main stream theories and based on China’s unique experience as both a transitional economy and developing economy that experienced rapid industrialization and marketization, scholars also developed other theories with some revisions of the above two mainstream theories. While these theories have very different focuses, they agree on the importance of state capacity. The author argues that the Chinese Communist Party composes the institutional foundation of state capacities to promote economic growth and build market institutions, and discusses three important aspects of how party strength and state capacity helped the market transition, government restructuring and enterprise reform. The future challenges are discussed in the conclusion.
Surface chemistry of graphitic carbon nitride: doping and plasmonic effect, and photocatalytic applications
Authors: Babu Pradeepta , Park Hyewon , Park Jeong Young
Published: December 2023

To achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) of limiting global temperature rise to less than 1.5 °C, it is crucial to reduce non-renewable energy sources and curb the production of greenhouse gases like CO2. In this context, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has emerged as a promising metal-free semiconductor photocatalyst for converting solar energy into clean fuels and valuable chemicals. However, there are challenges associated with g-C3N4, such as high electron–hole recombination, low photocurrent generation, limited specific surface area, and an absorption edge below 450 nm, which can be attributed to the arrangement of monomeric units. This review focuses on recent developments in designing single g-C3N4 as a metal-free catalyst through atomic-level doping and tuning surface chemical properties. Various doping techniques, including nonmetal and bi-nonmetal doping, as well as vacancy creation within the polymer framework and the effect of surface plasmonic nanoparticles, are explored as effective ways to fine-tune the polymer's conduction band (CB) edge potential, bandgap, and structural properties. The impact of doping and vacancy creation on the distribution of molecular orbitals, density of states (DOS), and adsorption energy on the polymer surface is investigated using computational calculations based on first principles and density functional theory (DFT). The review also examines the influence of doping on the photocatalytic reactions occurring in the polymer's CB, such as water splitting and carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, and their selectivity in producing desired products. Last, the review summarizes the current challenges. It provides future perspectives on developing metal-free photocatalysts, emphasizing the need to address unresolved structural, electronic, chemical, and optical properties to advance sustainable solutions. Overall, it is hoped that this review will inspire further research to unlock the full potential of metal-free photocatalysts and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Graphical Abstract
Copilots for Linguists
Authors: Torrent Tiago Timponi , Hoffmann Thomas , Almeida Arthur Lorenzi , Turner Mark
Published: December 2023

AI can assist the linguist in doing research on the structure of language. This Element illustrates this possibility by showing how a conversational AI based on a Large Language Model (AI LLM chatbot) can assist the Construction Grammarian, and especially the Frame Semanticist. An AI LLM chatbot is a text-generation system trained on vast amounts of text. To generate text, it must be able to find patterns in the data and mimic some linguistic capacity, at least in the eyes of a cooperative human user. The authors do not focus on whether AIs “understand” language. Rather, they investigate whether AI LLM chatbots are useful tools for linguists. They reframe the discussion from what AI LLM chatbots can do with language to what they can do for linguists. They find that a chatty LLM can labor usefully as an eliciting interlocutor, and present precise, scripted routines for prompting conversational LLMs.
A novel approach to correcting attribution of Clostridioides difficile in a healthcare setting
Authors: Doyle Hunter , Valek Abby L. , Murillo Theresa , Ayres Ashley M. , Slaughter Julie , Berg Madeline L. , Snyder Graham M.
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To describe a novel attribution metric estimating the causal source location of healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile and compare it with the current US National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance reporting standard.

Design:

Quality improvement study.

Setting:

Two acute care facilities.

Methods:

A novel attribution metric assigned days of attribution to locations where patients were located for 14 days before and the day of their C. difficile diagnosis. We correlated the NHSN-assigned unit attribution with the novel attribution measure and compared the proportion of attribution assigned to inpatient units.

Results:

During a 30-month period, there were 727 NHSN C. difficile healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and 409 non-HAIs; the novel metric attributed 17,034 days. The correlation coefficients for NHSN and novel attributions among non-ICU units were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.76–0.82) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.70–0.78) and among ICU units were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.63–0.76) and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.60–0.77) at facilities A and B, respectively. The distribution of difference in percent attribution showed higher inpatient unit attribution using NHSN measure than the novel attribution metric: 38% of ICU units and 15% of non-ICU units in facility A, and 20% of ICU units and 25% of non-ICU units in facility B had a median difference >0; no inpatient units showed a greater attribution using the novel attribution metric.

Conclusion:

The novel attribution metric shifts attribution from inpatient units to other settings and correlates modestly with NHSN methodology of attribution. If validated, the attribution metric may more accurately target C. difficile reduction efforts.
Constitutional Courts Asking Questions: A Deliberative Potential of Preliminary Reference Mechanism
Authors: Pivoda Marek
Published: December 2023

This Article interrogates the role of national constitutional courts within the Article 267 TFEU preliminary reference mechanism from both descriptive and normative angles. First, I demonstrate that although a clear majority of the constitutional courts submit references to the ECJ on a more frequent basis, differences in individual approaches remain significant. Subsequently, I argue that the core normative attractivity of the questions submitted in the course of domestic constitutional review lies in their participative and deliberative potential. Compared to ordinary courts, constitutional courts are better suited to amplify the ‘unheard’ voices of immobile EU citizens. By counterbalancing the demands of the EU's functional constitution, which is primarily based on the ideals of market capitalism, constitutional courts’ questions may contribute to the EU's capacity to generate legitimate decisions. Finally, I put my theoretical claims in context and analyse the main ways in which such deliberative potential can translate into practice.
Pandemic Effect on Healthcare Use and Death in Adults with Epilepsy: A Population Study
Authors: Vargas Maria Espinoza , Gershon Andrea S. , Pugliese Michael , Gotfrit Ryan Jason , Manuel Douglas , Sadatsafavi Mohsen , Stukel Therese A. , To Teresa , Kendall Claire E. , Thavorn Kednapa , Robillard Rebecca , Kendzerska Tetyana
Published: December 2023

Objectives:

We conducted a population-based study using Ontario health administrative data to describe trends in healthcare utilization and mortality in adults with epilepsy during the first pandemic year (March 2020–March 2021) compared to historical data (2016–2019). We also investigated if changes in outpatient visits and diagnostic testing during the first pandemic year were associated with increased risk for hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, or death.

Methods:

Projected monthly visit rates (per 100,000 people) for outpatient visits, electroencephalography, magnetic resonance, computed tomography, all-cause ED visits, hospitalizations, and mortality were calculated based on historical data by fitting monthly time series autoregressive integrated moving-average models. Two-way interactions were calculated using Quasi-Poisson models.

Results:

In adults with epilepsy during the first quarter of the pandemic, we demonstrated a reduction in all-cause outpatient visits, diagnostic testing, ED visits and hospitalizations, and a temporary increase in mortality (observed rates of 355.8 vs projected 308.8, 95% CI: 276.3–345.1). By the end of the year, outpatient visits increased (85,535.4 vs 76,620.6, 95% CI: 71,546.9–82,059.4), and most of the diagnostic test rates returned to the projected. The increase in the rate of all-cause mortality during the pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic, was greater during months with the lower frequency of diagnostic tests than months with higher frequency (interaction p-values <.0001).

Conclusion:

We described the impact of the pandemic on healthcare utilization and mortality in adults with epilepsy during the first year. We demonstrated that access to relevant diagnostic testing is likely important for this population while planning restrictions on non-urgent health services.
LOCAL SECTIONS OF ARITHMETIC FUNDAMENTAL GROUPS OFp-ADIC CURVES
Authors: SAÏDI MOHAMED
Published: December 2023

We investigatesectionsof the arithmetic fundamental group$\pi _1(X)$whereXis either asmooth affinoid p-adic curve, or aformal germ of a p-adic curve, and prove that they can be lifted (unconditionally) to sections of cuspidally abelian Galois groups. As a consequence, ifXadmits a compactificationY, and the exact sequence of$\pi _1(X)$ splits, then$\text {index} (Y)=1$. We also exhibit a necessary and sufficient condition for a section of$\pi _1(X)$to arise from arational pointofY. One of the key ingredients in our investigation is the fact, we prove in this paper in caseXis affinoid, that the Picard group ofXisfinite.
Differential influence of legume and cereal crop residue incorporation on methane production and consumption in a tropical vertisol
Authors: Shivran Mamta , Kollah Bharati , Parmar Rakesh , Devi Mayanglambam Homeshwari , Bajpai Apekcha , Atoliya Nagvanti , Sahu Asha , Dubey Garima , Mohanty Santosh Ranjan
Published: December 2023

Crop residue incorporation to the soil is an essential strategy to improve soil quality and crop productivity in order to attain sustainable development goals. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the differential effect of crop residues on CH4production and consumption in a tropical vertisol. Soils were incubated with residues of cereals (maize and wheat) and legumes (chickpea and soybean) at 1% w/w, under non-flooded and flooded conditions to estimate CH4consumption and CH4production rates, respectively. Rates of CH4production (ng CH4produced g/soil/day) varied from 0.068 to 0.107 with lowest in chickpea residue and highest in wheat straw amended soil. CH4consumption rates (ng CH4consumed g/soil/day) was highest (0.79) in wheat straw amended soil and lowest (0.53) in chickpea residue amended soil. Organic carbon (%) and available NO3−(mM) contents increased significantly (P> 0.05) in residue amended soils over control under both flooded (methanogenic) and non-flooded (methane consuming) conditions. Abundance of methanogens and methanotrophs was estimated as mcr and pmoA gene copies g−1soil, indicated that both the microbial groups were stimulated significantly due to the amendment of crop residues. Linear models exhibited significant correlation among CH4production and consumption with organic carbon, available nitrate and microbial abundance. The study highlights that crop residues incorporation influences both CH4consumption and production potential of soil and this effect is more pronounced with biomass of cereals than legumes.