bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracing the Trajectory: A Literature Review on Racism in Canadian Journalism
Authors: Toor Asmaa
Published: June 2024

Racial inequities and the lack of racial representation within Canada's journalism industry are persistent. Existing literature on the underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous or a person of colour (BIPOC) journalists in workplaces and journalism students in academia points to the need for research on the lived experiences BIPOC individuals endure in both journalism education and Canadian newsrooms. In journalism education and practice alike, BIPOC individuals brave issues of microaggressions, institutional racism and pigeonholing (Zoledziowski, 2018). The research completed for this project recounts multiple experiences of racism that journalists face in the journalism industry and shows similarities and differences in the experiences of BIPOC individuals in practice and education. Many established reporters start their careers by enrolling in journalism schools. BIPOC students face challenges of systemic racism in post-secondary education and, in addition, largely do not see their experiences and perspectives reflected in the overall curriculum. Diversity training is not widely prevalent in Canadian journalism schools and curricula is largely taught through colonial and Eurocentric lenses (Todorova, 2016). BIPOC students who have multifaceted identities, including gender, ethnicity, religion, or ability, may face additional discrimination in journalism education, in addition to microaggressions due to their race. There is also little research on the lack of BIPOC students in journalism education and a lack of official statistics on the number of BIPOC students in Canadian journalism programs. Using a scoping review of existing literature, this Major Research Paper discusses racism in the Canadian journalism landscape and identifies future explorations in BIPOC Canadian journalism research, especially focusing on BIPOC students in journalism education. This MRP may also serve as a stepping-stone for areas of future research regarding student journalists in post-secondary journalism education.
Take Off, Eh?: White Normativity and the Canadian Hoser
Authors: Willis Hannah
Published: June 2024

The "hoser" in Canadian television comedies conflates whiteness and Canadian identity, rejecting multiculturalism. Through a discourse analysis of the first seasons of The Red Green Show, Trailer Park Boys, Letterkenny as well as the "Bob and Doug Mackenzie" sketches in season three of SCTV, this paper codifies the practices, language and narratives of the type. The hoser's popularity reinforces an imaginary binary between white, rural, settler Canada and the progressive Canada of urban multiculturalism. The hoser is strategically positioned as a normative form of Canadian identity, and by extension, multiculturalism is left entirely invisible in these outlets of popular culture, without its own codes, practices, language and narratives, silently acting as an empty signifier representing what the hoser is not. The popularity of the hoser contributes to erasing the existence of marginalized communities from rural Canadian memory, and can be used to justify racist and discriminatory politics, policies and practices.
Latent City: a Framework for Urban Adaptability
Authors: Hollings Adam
Published: June 2024

Cities are facing uncertainty and change to which they must learn to adapt. Traditionally these pressures have been addressed through technical and efficiency-oriented solutions which function within limits created by the urban systems of the city. These limits do not imagine another stable state for the city to shift to and so reduce the ability for a city to change and adapt. Resilience theory can help to understand how cites address or adapt to change and uncertainty. It can help to recognize the limitations set by current frameworks and concepts, and help to reconsider how to create adaptability based versions that work beyond those limits. Through an urban system framework informed by resilience theory we can imagine a city, and by extension architecture, that can effectively adapt to the pressures placed on it.
Weird Speculative Things on Architectural Objects and Their Representation
Authors: Meshaka Nina
Published: June 2024

Architecture is uncertain. Without the certainty of absolute knowledge, the pursuit of an objective understanding of architecture is challenging. In its place lies a turbulent realm of subjective experience and scientific explanations that transform architecture into a description of itself. This thesis undertakes an exploration of the objectivity of architecture through Graham Harman's Object-oriented Ontology, Speculative Realism, and Weird Realism, resulting in the investigation of Weird Speculative Things that embrace the object-oriented world we live in and challenge it through speculation. This thesis explores the nature of architectural objects and their representation, aiming to influence architectural thinking through an intellectual, self-reflexive, recursive, and abstract investigation of modern philosophy.
Automatic Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer With Deep Learning
Authors: Sherman Daniel
Published: June 2024

Diagnosing endometrial cancer early is critical to maximizing the survival rate. Currently, the best diagnostic method is manual inspection under microscope by histologists. This method can be slow, which can negatively affect survival rates. Automating diagnosis has great potential to drastically speed up the diagnostic pipeline, but has its unique challenges. Automating endometrial cancer diagnosis from biopsy slides is challenging due to the sparse availability of images as well as the gigapixel resolution of the pathology images. This thesis presents a method to automatically compress and classify endometrial biopsy slides into benign, neoplastic, and hyperplastic classes.
A 4D Decentralized Spatiotemporal Mirror World: Building a Conceptual Model of Cultural Heritage Resilience Through the Integration of Co-creation, Gamification, Tokenization, and the Metaverse
Authors: Chien Alice Yu-Chen
Published: June 2024

Heritage assets, such as historic buildings and archaeological sites, are prone to the cycle of changes, threatened by man-made and natural hazards.As such, resilient policies, which minimize the period of recovery/restoration, after the loss of heritage assets, are often based on the digitization of cultural goods. However, due to inadequate funding, lack of specialized personnel, and time constraints, the likelihood of such recovery measures has been limited. Supported by the case study research model, this research aims to minimize the effects of such limitations by constructing a conceptual model of a 4D decentralized spatiotemporal Mirror World. The platform allows for global collaboration in digitizing the past, present, and future of our urban environment through personally own mass media devices. By incorporating NFT-based mechanisms, such as ownership and play-to-earn, contributors will remain as the sole creator of the submitted photo/data while potentially generating forms of profit through gamified contributions. 
The Development of a Videogame With Accessibility Features Using Unreal Engine
Authors: Craven Cole
Published: June 2024

This paper documents the challenges and learning moments experienced in the development of an open world, action-adventure role-playing video game built with accessibility features using Unreal Engine. Given that at the outset, both Unreal Engine and the overall process of building a game were unfamiliar to me, this paper shares a unique perspective on the game development process through my experiences as a novice designer. Most significantly however, the paper's qualitative data derived from focus group research, which involved users living with various disabilities, offers insight into the usefulness of accessibility features built into video games. Specifically, this paper addresses the research question: "What key considerations should be taken into account when designing a video game for users with various disabilities?" The game, which features 12 different accessibility features that were constructed by accessing a number of learning resources and modifying assets to meet development needs, was demonstrated to a fivemember focus group of users with various disabilities. All respondents expressed the significance of accessibility features to their gaming experience by stating that they would prefer to play a lesser-known game with accessibility features than a popular release without such options. Their comments on the game and suggestions for accessibility enhancements to it are documented herein and are reflected in plans for its future development. Keywords: 
Pictorial Satisfaction: Consuming Food Porn in the Digital Age
Authors: Farhangdoust Manely
Published: June 2024

This paper explores the themes of history, phenomenology, entertainment, participatory culture and social media to determine our fascination with food porn in the digital sphere. Comparing Roland Barthes' theory on toys, connections are drawn to conclude that our food porn consumption habits are induced by our innate desire for play. The role of play is often understudied when it comes to contemporary habits. Barthes paints a picture to depict the world of toys as a microcosm of the adult world that is activated once it has faced interaction. Barthes highlights the fact that the objects emerge from their solely functional state and gain desirability when they are socialized by the hands of the child. This concept is applied to society's obsession with digital food porn. This project seeks to align society's innate urge to activate functional tools in the adult world (food) and socialize them into tools of entertainment.
Educational AR Board Game: Teach History and Spread Awareness About an Immoral Social Practice Through the Medium of an Augmented Reality Board Game
Authors: Jabla Zainab
Published: June 2024

Purpose. This thesis investigates the potential of a custom-built hybrid educational board game as a tool to teach history and spread awareness on a social tradition called Sati, where a widow burns on the funeral pyre with her dead husband. Furthermore, it investigates if a board game is an effective tool to teach an academic subject such as History in a school setting. 

Method. Participant behaviour and emotional connection regarding the social tradition as well as the amount of historical knowledge gained were observed during a pilot study of SUTTEE. A total of 12 students participated in the pilot study: 6 Indian students who were aware of Sati, and 6 non-Indian students who were unaware of the tradition. 

Results. Student participation and understanding of historical context improved after playing the game twice. Those unaware of the tradition accepted that they had learned a lot about it after playing the game, and the group that was aware of such a tradition acknowledged that the game provided a deep understanding of the social tradition and the history of India. 

Conclusion. Participant feedback and observational analysis indicate that a group of people playing an educational game can result in gaining extra knowledge than an individual playing and learning by himself. Furthermore, time constrained decision-making in a game environment helps to maintain student engagement, motivation to play and learn facts for the purpose of winning game. However, an educational game cannot replace books, but it can be used as a pedagogical approach to enhance learning and teaching methods.
Mystery Through Visual Detail: How Video Game Art Impacts Emotion
Authors: Kehm Oliver
Published: June 2024

Narratives and stories, regardless of the form of media with which they are conveyed, are found at the core of the most influential cultural works. Narrative and emotion go handin-hand, and a powerful experience is created when the two are in harmony. Video games are potent storytelling tools in that they utilize many forms of media, like visual, sound, text, and interaction-based art to transmit messages through narrative. While many factors contribute to the conveying of emotions to the audience of a work, the properties of the visual sense, and the art that makes it up, must cohere to the other properties of a work of art like a video game. As a game developer creating a work with a narrative reliant on the successful conveying of the emotion of mystery to its audience, visual coherence to these emotional expectations is critical. Art style itself is important for properly expressing emotions, and in regard to the emotion of mystery, factors like repetition, dark corners, and eerie shapes may hold the key to creating a game world which strongly expresses the emotion of mystery. This MRP attempts to analyse various methods in which the visual art of a video game can augment the game's overall sense of mystery.
Assessing Economic Feasibility of Creator Coins
Authors: Mehta Aditya
Published: June 2024

With the recent growth of the web3 space, digital media has seen developments across multiple subs-verticals. While we have seen Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) rise to prominence, the next trend seems to be that of social tokens--which are tokens issued by individual influencers, creators or communities that enable community members to share ownership in the value created together. This research assesses the technical and economic feasibility of creator coins to incentivize and monetize digital content creation as an additional income stream for creators. Based on the feasibility and cost-benefit analyses, this study demonstrates that experimenting with creator coins is feasible and a net positive outcome for creators. The ICO analysis reveals reasons skewed distribution and this paper outlines lessons that can be learnt to maximize the possibility of a successful long-term trajectory of creator coins. It further outlines possible areas of research to bring about development in the social token space.
Adaptive Gamification: Application in Online Learning and Collaboration
Authors: Peng Ruiting
Published: June 2024

This paper examines the application of adaptive gamification in digital learning environments to enable desired learning outcomes. Online learning has become more prevalent since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, remote learning lacks the external stimuli and face-to-face interaction essential to promote motivation, engagement, and collaboration (Walter & Woolery, 2021). There is a pressing need for a new model of education where students can learn and collaborate remotely. Even though an increasing number of literatures has shown the potential effect of gamification in promoting motivation and engagement among students, there is a lack of systematic frameworks that guide educators to apply gamified experience in their classrooms (Alhammad & Moreno, 2018). Using studies on gamification, motivation, and collaborative learning, this Major Research paper analyzes how adaptive gamification can be best applied in online learning and collaboration. Along with this MRP, a minimum viable product, Sandbox, was created. Sandbox is an online training platform that can be used to enhance collaborative learning in a wide variety of contexts and subject areas. This prototype illustrates the interplay of two core features used to enable engagement towards desired learning outcomes: (1) personalized gamified experience drawn from individual motivational affordance and (2) productive online collaboration frameworks that overcome the limitation of remote learning.
Gamified Elements in NFT Products: A Design and Prototype for Providing a Gameful Experience to Consumers
Authors: Xing Yanbo
Published: June 2024

The NFT market received a significant amount of attention beginning in early 2021 (Bamakan et al., 2022). However, this market is still in development, and many innovations are waiting to be explored. This paper studies how gamification strategies can be applied to NFT products, and affect consumer decision-making. Previous research shows that gamification has been effective in other business fields on increased user engagement.Aproduct design and prototype was made to demonstrate my research, which highlights increasing user engagement through gamification strategy. In the product design, users are highly encouraged to engage with other users and create their vision of unique NFT. This paper fills the gap of gamified NFT product design and planning, and potentially could be the framework for other Web 3.0 products.
ROI Matters in the Digital Asset Management (DAM) World: How Real Estate Professionals Measure and Utilize ROI in Contribution to Company Success
Authors: Zhou Min Yu
Published: June 2024

Digital Asset Management (DAM) encompasses business and other diversified services such as real estate, book production and publishing, museum, and e-commerce. In general, companies are always eager to find the most optimum management tools to contribute to both short and long term objectives. DAM helps increase productivity, efficiency, and lead to sufficient time and cost saving on asset searching, sharing, and distribution. However, DAM is a costly corporate investment, and the return on investment (ROI) of DAM must be justified. In order to get an indepth insight into ROI measurement, interviews with real estate companies and DAM vendors were conducted. Data was observed and analyzed from recordings and note taking during the interview and all participants remained anonymous. From the analyzed data, real estate brokerages have primary and substitute ROI measure approaches‚Äìcost savings and behaviour changes. For example, asset search time, asset recreation, and asset utilization in cost savings measurement; qualitative survey, in-person follow up conversations, and user usage in behaviour changes. In addition, the ROI of DAM can be used throughout the entire process, such as having ROI as a supporting document to prove the need for DAM to decision-makers; sharing ROI with all employees to ensure ultimate departmental goals are aligned; and reviewing and comparing ROI constantly to determine whether the desired outcome is achieved.
Triangle Evacuation of 2 Agents in the Wireless Model
Authors: Jang Woojin
Published: June 2024

We consider an evacuation problem from a non-obtuse triangle with 2 agents under a wireless communication model. Given a non-obtuse triangle ABC, we deploy two agents on a point S on the perimeter of the triangle. Two search agents move at the same unit speed, and look for an exit placed on the perimeter of the triangle. Our goal is to design an algorithm that outputs trajectories for searchers that minimize the evacuation time. Evacuation time is the time that is required for the last agent to reach the exit. In contrast to an equilateral triangle, we are dealt with a lack of symmetry when exploring the perimeter of a non-obtuse triangle. Thus, by having either an algorithm or an adversary choosing the starting edge or/and the starting point S on the chosen edge, we analyze an upper and lower bounds on 4 different algorithmic problems.
An Examination of Children's Selective Social Learning Based on Expertise Cues
Authors: Singer Alanna
Published: June 2024

At a young age, children develop the ability to make selective social learning decisions, wherein they decide from whom they trust to learn new information. Substantial literature has examined children's selective social learning decisions based on epistemic cues (e.g., knowledgeability) and non-epistemic cues (e.g., perceived benevolence). When these cues are pitted against each other, a shift emerges wherein children aged 6-8 tend to rely on epistemic cues whereas children aged 4-6 prioritize non-epistemic cues. As children encounter experts such as doctors from an early age, it is important to determine how they understand and recognize expertise, an epistemic cue, and the extent to which expertise guides their selective social learning decisions. This research aimed to address these questions. Study 1 (Experiments 1-3) showed that children aged 4-5 were able to recognize expertise when it was indicated by an explicit label and professional attire, and that they could determine relative expertise when a clear contrast was presented (e.g., one informant works in a given field whereas the other has no exposure to that field). These cues subsequently informed their selective social learning decisions. In contrast, they struggled to discern expertise when it was indicated using technical language, and when the degrees of expertise were increasingly nuanced (i.e., contrasting informants that have exposure to a field as a hobby and for work). Children aged 7-8 were able to infer expertise in medicine from technical language and make selective learning decisions accordingly. Study 2 (Experiments 4-5) examined the robustness of children’s preferences to learn from experts, and pitted expertise cues against group membership as indicated by nationality and the minimal group paradigm. Results revealed that 7- to 8-year-olds, but not 4- to 5-year-olds, prioritized expertise cues over shared group membership (i.e., ingroup information) in their selective learning decisions. These results provide novel insights into the developmental changes in children’s conceptions of expertise and how they prioritize different expertise cues to guide their social learning. The implications of this can be seen in children’s susceptibility to misinformation from others if their selective trust decisions are based on cues that are not reliable or valid.
Análise dos casos de violência sexual em um município da região Norte – Central Paranaense
Authors: Piovezan Maria Gabriela Cravo , Becker Grasiela
Published: June 2024

Objetivo: O respectivo artigo tem como objetivo, analisar as notificações de violências sexuais ocorridos na cidade de Marialva, Paraná, Brasil, nos anos de 2019, 2020 e 2021. Método: Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo e retrospectivo de análise de dados secundários, para avaliar as notificações de violência sexual, especificamente da cidade de Marialva, Paraná, Brasil, ocorridos nos anos de 2019, 2020 e 2021, coletando dados secundários do Sistema de Informação de Agravos e Notificação (SINAN) / DATASUS. Resultados: Ressalta-se a partir das notificações analisadas o sexo feminino com faixa etária de 1 a 9 anos com a maior prevalência de casos em suas próprias residências, e em meio a uma pandemia do COVID-19 e em quarentena, foi possível notar o quão vulnerável essas vítimas ficaram. Conclusão: Diante dos achados do artigo foi possível notar a grande vulnerabilidade do público infantojuvenil quanto as violências sexuais na cidade de Marialva, Paraná.
Comparative evaluation of microleakage in glass hybrid resin, alkasite resin, and shock-absorbing rubber resin in primary molars– An in-vitro study
Authors: Janani Janani , Duraisamy Vinola , Goswami Srijata , Varghese Arya Acca
Published: June 2024

Background
To evaluate and compare the microleakage of Glass hybrid resin (Equia Forte), Alkasite resin (Cention N), and Fluoride-releasing shock-absorbing rubber resin (Activa Bioactive) in Class V cavities of primary molars.

Material and Methods
Thirty freshly extracted human primary molar teeth with pre-shedding mobility were selected and a standard class V cavity was prepared on the buccal surfaces of all teeth. The teeth were divided into 3 groups of 10 samples each. The prepared cavities of all samples were restored with their corresponding restorative material. The teeth underwent thermocycling for 500 cycles and were then immersed in the toluidine dye solution. The depth of dye penetration scores between and within 3 groups was analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis One-way ANOVA test, followed by multiple comparisons with the Dunn-Bonferonni post hoc test.

Results
Cention N (alkasite resin) showed the least depth of dye penetration, which was highly statistically significant (p=0.000), followed by Activa Bioactive (Fluoride-releasing shock-absorbing rubber resin) and Equia Forte (Glass Hybrid resin). No samples showed depth involving the pulpal floor.

Conclusion
Cention N (alkasite resin) restorative material had the least microleakage and may be an excellent alternative material that provides a long-term clinical solution for the restoration of carious teeth with its improved marginal seal and reduced chances of microleakage.

Clinical Significance
Cention N may be an excellent alternative material that provides a long-term clinical solution for the restoration of carious teeth with its improved marginal seal and reduced chances of microleakage.

Key Words: Activa Bioactive, Cention N, Equia forte, Microleakage, Resin cements
An unusual intraoral lipoma - A rare case report
Authors: A. R. Mamtha Roshni , Dinakar J. , M. S. Jaish Lal , K. U. Gomakumar , C. S. Ani Simila
Published: June 2024

Lipoma is a painless tumor derived from mesenchymal connective tissue characterized by slow and circumscribed growth. Fibro-lipomas are a rare subtype of lipomas that typically present as slow-growing, painless masses composed of mature adipose tissue and fibrous tissue. Here, we report the case of a 47-year-old woman who presented with a slowly enlarging mass in the left vestibular sulcus area that had been present for several years. On examination, the mass was soft, mobile, and non-tender, measuring approximately 1 cm in diameter. The patient underwent surgical excision of the mass, and the histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of fibro lipoma. This case highlights the importance of considering fibro lipoma in the differential diagnosis of subcutaneous masses, especially when there is a slow-growing, non-tender mass. Although rare, fibro-lipomas should be included in the differential diagnosis of lipomas, as the treatment and prognosis may differ from those of a typical lipoma. Early recognition and surgical excision of these tumors can lead to a favorable outcome with a low risk of recurrence.

Key Words
Adipocytic tumor, Fibrolipoma, Lipoma, Soft tissue tumor
Perceptions of Dental Professionalism - An update
Authors: Mahajan Neerja , Oza Dipti
Published: June 2024

Introduction
Professionalism is a crucial skill that every dentist must possess in the dental profession. However, the question arises of how dental educators can teach and evaluate professionalism to their postgraduate dental students. Therefore, a study was conducted to define the concept of dental professionalism, which can serve as a foundation for teaching and evaluating professionalism in the dental profession.

Material & Methods
Through a comprehensive literature review, the researcher identified approximately 35 different components. To refine the identified components further, the researcher conducted focused group discussions with diverse people, including academicians, private practitioners, postgraduate students, and patients. These discussions and validation by experts resulted in the identification of four significant domains with 20 constructs.

Results
The analysis has yielded four distinct domains encompassing a wide range of considerations. The first group, Societal, pertains to issues that affect society. The second group, Professional, relates to matters that impact one's professional life, such as career goals and workplace conduct. The third category, Ethical, involves questions of morality and ethical behavior. Finally, the fourth type, Personal, encompasses concerns that are unique to an individual, such as personal growth and well-being.

Conclusions
Professionalism may be defined as "the unification of several core competencies of an individual to be ethical in both personal and professional life and believes in promoting and providing benefits to society.” The model seeks to provide a framework that may be employed to establish an effective educational and assessment regimen. By offering a lucid understanding of the essential elements that define professionalism in dentistry, the model can assist dental professionals in enhancing their skills and competencies, enabling them to provide high-quality patient care.

Key Words
Dental, Education, Postgraduates, Professionalism
The Peer Review Process: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Drozdz John A. , Ladomery Michael R.
Published: June 2024

The peer review process is a fundamental aspect of modern scientific paper publishing, underpinning essential quality control. First conceptualised in the 1700s, it is an iterative process that aims to elevate scientific literature to the highest standards whilst preventing publication of scientifically unsound, potentially misleading, and even plagiarised information. It is widely accepted that the peer review of scientific papers is an irreplaceable and fundamental aspect of the research process. However, the rapid growth of research and technology has led to a huge increase in the number of publications. This has led to increased pressure on the peer review system. There are several established peer review methodologies, ranging from single and double blind to open and transparent review, but their implementation across journals and research fields varies greatly. Some journals are testing entirely novel approaches (such as collaborative reviews), whilst others are piloting changes to established methods. Given the unprecedented growth in publication numbers, and the ensuing burden on journals, editors, and reviewers, it is imperative to improve the quality and efficiency of the peer review process. Herein we evaluate the peer review process, from its historical origins to current practice and future directions.
Phenotypic characteristics of the mycelium of Pleurotus geesteranus using image recognition technology
Authors: Wang Xingyi , Xu Ya , Wei Xuan
Published: June 2024

Phenotypic analysis has significant potential for aiding breeding efforts. However, there is a notable lack of studies utilizing phenotypic analysis in the field of edible fungi.Pleurotus geesteranusis a lucrative edible fungus with significant market demand and substantial industrial output, and early-stage phenotypic analysis ofPleurotus geesteranusis imperative during its breeding process. This study utilizes image recognition technology to investigate the phenotypic features of the mycelium ofP. geesteranus. We aim to establish the relations between these phenotypic characteristics and mycelial quality. Four groups of mycelia, namely, the non-degraded and degraded mycelium and the 5th and 14th subcultures, are used as image sources. Two categories of phenotypic metrics, outline and texture, are quantitatively calculated and analyzed. In the outline features of the mycelium, five indexes, namely, mycelial perimeter, radius, area, growth rate, and change speed, are proposed to demonstrate mycelial growth. In the texture features of the mycelium, five indexes, namely, mycelial coverage, roundness, groove depth, density, and density change, are studied to analyze the phenotypic characteristics of the mycelium. Moreover, we also compared the cellulase and laccase activities of the mycelium and found that cellulase level was consistent with the phenotypic indices of the mycelium, which further verified the accuracy of digital image processing technology in analyzing the phenotypic characteristics of the mycelium. The results indicate that there are significant differences in these 10 phenotypic characteristic indices (P<0.001), elucidating a close relationship between phenotypic characteristics and mycelial quality. This conclusion facilitates rapid and accurate strain selection in the early breeding stage ofP. geesteranus.
Plant-derived extracellular nanovesicles: a promising biomedical approach for effective targeting of triple negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Cui Lishan , Perini Giordano , Augello Alberto , Palmieri Valentina , De Spirito Marco , Papi Massimiliano
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive subtype accounting for 15–20% of all breast cancer cases, faces limited treatment options often accompanied by severe side effects. In recent years, natural extracellular nanovesicles derived from plants have emerged as promising candidates for cancer therapy, given their safety profile marked by non-immunogenicity and absence of inflammatory responses. Nevertheless, the potential anti-cancer effects of Citrus limonL.-derived extracellular nanovesicles (CLENs) for breast cancer treatment is still unexplored.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of CLENs on two TNBC cell lines (4T1 and HCC-1806 cells) under growth conditions in 2D and 3D culture environments. The cellular uptake efficiency of CLENs and their internalization mechanism were evaluated in both cells using confocal microscopy. Thereafter, we assessed the effect of different concentrations of CLENs on cell viability over time using a dual approach of Calcein-AM PI live-dead assay and CellTiter-Glo bioluminescence assay. We also examined the influence of CLENs on the migratory and evasion abilities of TNBC cells through wound healing and 3D Matrigel drop evasion assays. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was employed to investigate the effects of CLENs on the phosphorylation levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and extracellular signal- regulated kinase (ERK) expression.

Results: We found that CLENs were internalized by the cells via endocytosis, leading to decreased cell viability, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, the migration and evasion abilities of TNBC cells were significantly inhibited under exposed to 40 and 80 μg/mL CLENs. Furthermore, down-regulated expression levels of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), suggesting that the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, migration, and evasion is driven by the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways.

Discussion: Overall, our results demonstrate the anti-tumor efficiency of CLENs against TNBC cells, highlighting their potential as promising natural anti-cancer agents for clinical applications in cancer treatment.
External factors driving surface temperature changes above geothermal systems: answers from deep learning
Authors: Giannoulis Michail , Pailot-Bonnétat Sophie , Barra Vincent , Harris Andrew
Published: June 2024

Introduction: The surface expression of enhanced geothermal heat fluxes above an active hydrothermal system causes a surface thermal anomaly (ΔT). The thermal anomaly is expressed by the difference between the temperature within the heated zone (Th) and the temperature of non-heated surfaces (T0). Given that the resulting thermal anomaly at the surface is of extremely low magnitude (1°C–5°C at Vulcano, Italy), it is extremely sensitive to overprinting by external factors, namely, meteorological influences on surface temperature variation, such as solar heating, wind and rain.

Methods: To test the sensitivity of the surface to external drivers, we installed two surface temperature measurement stations within the Vulcano’s Fossa crater, one inside the thermal anomaly and one outside (separation = 50 m), with a weather station co-located with the T0 station. Time series of Th and T0 were collected for 2020, when the Vulcano Fossa hydrothermal system was at a low and stable level of activity so that external drivers would have been the main influences on Th and T0, and hence also ΔT. To test for divergence from normality in terms of diurnal and seasonal variations in Th and T0, and the role of external factors in causing abnormality, we used the deep learning engine DITAN: a domain-agnostic framework to detect and interpret anomalies in time-series data.

Results: During the year, DITAN found 16 cases of two types of meteorological events: intense low-pressure systems and high-intensity rainstorms (cloudbursts). Passage of 13 abnormal low-pressure systems were detected (10 between February and May, and three in December), with three abnormal rainstorm events (all in December); all three being coincident with the abnormal low pressure events. We find just two abnormalities in the time series for of Th and T0, both of which coincide with passage of abnormal low-pressure systems, and neither of which coincide with abnormal rain events. We conclude that diurnal and annual heating and cooling cycles, subject to normal meteorological inputs and at a surface above a geothermal-heated source, are immune to anomalous behaviour to the external (meteorological) variations.
Characterization of brittleness index of gas shale and its influence on favorable block exploitation in southwest China
Authors: Liu Guojun , Shang Delei , Zhao Yuan , Du Xidong
Published: June 2024

The microstructure, mineral composition, total organic carbon content, etc., of gas shale are crucial parameters for shale reservoirs, which can directly/indirectly affect shale brittleness, fracturing effect, adsorption ability and production efficiency. The study proposed a workflow to characterize the physical and mechanical parameters of Lower Silurian Longmaxi shale outcrop samples extracted from the favorable block in Changning, Sichuan, southwest China. This study elaborated on the influence of these physical and mechanical characteristics and proposed a corresponding brittleness index on shale extraction. In addition, it put forward corresponding suggestions for development and risk control. For a better understanding the mechanisms of shale gas storage and production, XRD, XRF, SEM, low temperature Nitrogen adsorption method, nuclear magnetic resonance and other measurements were employed to analyze and study the mineral composition, microstructure, and adsorption performance of shale. The results demonstrated that the pores of shale are mainly slit pores; there are diverse pore types in shale, mainly including intergranular pores, mineral particle dissolution pores, and internal pores of organic matter; The samples with relatively low porosity also noticeably exhibit ultra-low permeability, and the nanopore structure is remarkably significant, with distribution primarily in range of 5–237 nm. Finally, a brittleness index considering the influence of water content and the mechanical properties was proposed, and the coupling interaction of various minerals components and mechanical properties on the brittleness index can more objectively reflect the brittleness characteristics of deep shale formation.
Integrated assessment of flood susceptibility and exposure rate in the lower Niger Basin, Onitsha, Southeastern Nigeria
Authors: Chinedu Ani D. , Ezebube Nkiruka M. , Uchegbu Smart , Ozorme Vivian A.
Published: June 2024

Background

Various methods have been utilized to investigate and mitigate flood occurrences, yet there is a paucity of literature on factors, such as soil compositions, that contribute to persistent flooding in river basins like the Lower Niger catchment, specifically at Onitsha. Furthermore, the study seeks to furnish essential geospatial data concerning flood vulnerability, flood risks, and exposure rates in the Lower Niger Catchment area, situated in Onitsha, southeastern Nigeria.

Materials and methods

Soil samples were collected from 10 specific locations identified through GPS and ground-truthing techniques. Additionally, satellite imagery from the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM +) was utilized, with supervised classification employed to extract feature classes. Analysis operations were conducted using IDRISI software, resulting in the creation of digital elevation models (DEMs), susceptibility maps, and flood-risk zones.

Results

Analysis revealed that the predominant soil composition in the study area comprises sandy (84.8%), silt (8.1%), and clayey (7.1%) soils. Utilizing these soil characteristics alongside relevant aerial data, exposure rates were determined at various scales to delineate the most flood-vulnerable zones in the basin. It was found that certain areas, accommodating a population exceeding 79,426 across 2,926.2 ha, were particularly susceptible to flooding. Notably, major markets such as Bridgehead, Textile, and Biafra were identified as highly susceptible, with varying degrees of risk. The prevalence of sandy soil, which facilitates increased rainwater infiltration but is also prone to rapid saturation and runoff, likely contributes to the heightened susceptibility to flooding in these areas.

Conclusion

Geospatial analysis employing remote sensing data indicates the high susceptibility and exposure to flooding in the lower Niger River Basin around Onitsha. Urgent mitigation efforts are imperative, necessitating the establishment of zoned areas equipped with effective drainage systems to safeguard vulnerable populations.
A short-term electricity load forecasting method integrating empirical modal decomposition with SAM-LSTM
Authors: Zhou Yafangzi , Su Zhiyin , Gao Kun , Wang Zhengwen , Ye Wei , Zeng Jinhui
Published: June 2024

Short-term power load forecasting is the basis for ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power system. However, because power load forecasting is affected by weather, economy, geography, and other factors, it has strong instability and nonlinearity, making it difficult to improve the accuracy of short-term power load forecasting. To solve the above problems, a load forecasting method combining empirical modal decomposition (EMD) and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) has been proposed. The original signal is first decomposed into a series of eigenmode functions and a residual quantity using the EMD algorithm. Subsequently, all the components are fed into the LSTM network. To further improve the load prediction accuracy, a self-attention mechanism is introduced for large component signals to further explore the internal correlation of the data, and the Sparrow Optimisation Algorithm (SSA) is used to optimize the LSTM hyperparameters. Combining EMD, LSTM, self-attention mechanism (SAM), and SSA, the EMD-SSA- SAM -LSTM method for short-term power load forecasting is further proposed. The results show that the coefficient of determination (R2) of the method is 0.98, the mean absolute error (MAE) is 0.013, the root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.018, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is 2.57%, which verifies that the proposed model can improve the accuracy of load forecasting, and has a certain application prospect.
Synergy of carboxymethyl cellulose stabilized nanoscale zero-valent iron and Penicillium oxalicum SL2 to remediate Cr(VI) contaminated site soil
Authors: Pan Siyi , Tong Jianhao , Luo Yating , Pang Jingli , Zhang Haonan , Wang Jing , Shi Jiyan
Published: June 2024

Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) acting as a high-cost disposable material in soil Cr(VI) remediation faces significant challenges due to its easily oxidizable nature and biological toxicity. In addressing this issue, the present study undertook the synthesis of a series of modified nZVI and combined the selected material with Cr(VI)-resistant filamentous fungus Penicillium oxalicum SL2 for real-site chromium pollution remediation. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that the inclusion of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of nZVI for Cr(VI) by 19.3% (from 73.25 to 87.4 mg/L), surpassing both biochar (37.42 mg/L) and bentonite modified nZVI (48.03 mg/L). Characterization results validated the successful synthesis of the nano composite material. Besides, oxidative stress analysis explained the unique detoxification effects of CMC on SL2, acting as a free radical scavenger and isolating layer. In real-sites soil remediation experiments, a low dosage (0.4% w/w) of nZVI/CMC@SL2 (CMC modified nZVI combined with SL2) exhibited an impressive reduction of over 99.5% in TCLP-Cr(VI) and completely transformed 18% of unstable Cr to stable forms. Notably, nZVI/CMC demonstrated its capability to facilitate SL2 colonization in highly contaminated soil and modulate the microbial community structure, enriching chromium-removing microorganisms. In summary, the synergistic system of nZVI/CMC@SL2 merges as a cost-effective and efficient approach for Cr(VI) reduction, providing meaningful insights for its application in the remediating contaminated site soils.
Exploring the impacts of land use and land cover change on ecosystem services in Dongting Lake, China: a spatial and temporal analysis
Authors: Chen Zhefu , Liu Yang , Chen Duanlv , Peng Baofa
Published: June 2024

Background and objectives: Land use and land cover change (LULCC) directly affects the human living environment and economic society by influencing ecosystem services. This study explores the complex relationship between LULCC and ecosystem services in the Dongting Lake region of China.

Methods: The analysis incorporates the transfer matrix analysis of LULCC, ecosystem service value (ESV) accounting, Mann–Kendall mutation test, gray correlation, and path analysis. This study explored the spatial and temporal characteristics of LULCC and ecosystem services and revealed the comprehensive impacts of LULCC on ecosystem services from the perspective of factor interactions.

Findings: The findings reveal that open water (OW) area and farmable land are the dominant land use types transferring in and out of the study area, with significant interconversion observed among open water area, wetland (WL), arable land (AL), and forest land (FL). Water conservation, waste disposal, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation emerge as the most crucial ecosystem services in the study area. The study identifies consistent patterns of abrupt changes in LULCC and ESV across six analyzed time periods. Forest land exhibits the most substantial direct influence on climate regulation, gas exchange, soil formation and protection, conservation of biodiversity, raw materials, and recreation and leisure. Additionally, forest land, wetland, arable land, and open water area contribute significantly to the total ESV, with forest land being the dominant factor influencing the spatial differentiation of ecosystem services in the Dongting Lake region.

Conclusion: The research reveals the consistency of ecosystem services and LULCC trends in the Dongting Lake area. LULCC is a complex process influenced by multiple factors, in which the conversion between ecological and non-ecological land use has a significant impact, and the complex coupling and coordination among LULCC drivers together influence ecosystem services. Furthermore, LULCC alters the structure and scale of ecosystems, resulting in alterations in the ESV.