bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oleic and linoleic acids induce oxidative stress in chondrocytes by inhibiting autophagy‐regulated ciliogenesis
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Mao Chuanyuan , Sun Guantong , Zhao Chen , Dai Jingjing , Yang Fei , Wang Lei , Wang Xiaoqing
Published: June 2024

The lack of a cure for osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent joint disease among older individuals, remains an ongoing challenge. Obesity is a common risk factor for OA. Chondrocyte autophagy plays a crucial role in delaying the onset of OA. Our previous studies have demonstrated a significant elevation in the levels of oleic acid (OLA) and linoleic acid (LA) in the synovial fluid (SF) of patients with OA and obesity compared to those with OA alone, and an inhibitory effect of these molecules on the activation of autophagy. Accumulating evidence indicates a reciprocal regulatory relationship between autophagy and ciliogenesis; however, whether autophagy‐mediated ciliogenesis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of OA remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether OLA and LA affect OA development via the regulation of chondrocyte autophagy‐mediated ciliogenesis. We found that both molecules inhibited this process in chondrocytes. Moreover, intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased simultaneously. Further, we explored the relationship between autophagy and ciliogenesis in chondrocytes. Activation of autophagy by rapamycin significantly attenuated the ciliogenesis inhibition caused by OLA and LA. Importantly, the downregulation of AKT and mTOR expression in chondrocytes reversed the autophagy‐mediated inhibition of ciliogenesis and the ROS‐accumulation‐mediated inflammation induced by OLA and LA. Taken together, our results suggest that OLA and LA induce calcium‐overload‐driven ROS accumulation via autophagy‐mediated ciliogenic disorders during OA pathogenesis. These findings demonstrate that targeting autophagy and ciliogenesis in chondrocytes is a protective strategy in the OA pathogenesis induced by OLA and LA.
The News Media Organizations RT and Sputnik and Their Audiences
Authors: Hellman Maria
Published: June 2024

This chapter introduces the two Russian state-affiliated news media organizations, Sputnik and RT, and provides background on their development. It also discusses what is known about their journalistic culture with regard to organization and journalistic style. Scholars have highlighted that although they are international news organizations producing and disseminating information and current affairs for a global audience, in a similar way to other news media outlets, there are significant differences between RT/Sputnik and news organizations such as BBC World or CNN International. These differences in journalistic ethos have a bearing on the storytelling techniques used, and these are therefore also analyzed in this chapter. Finally the chapter presents previous research findings on the audiences for RT and Sputnik, why people turn to these channels and how they perceive and engage with the news content. Having thus positioned RT and Sputnik as international news organizations and given an account of what is known about audience reception of their messaging, Chap. 3 focuses on how RT and Sputnik have used disinformation and targeted various states.
Everyday Disinformation: RT and Sputnik News Coverage
Authors: Hellman Maria
Published: June 2024

This chapter seeks to explain why disinformation should be seen as an everyday practice and how this is connected to digital news media. It takes its point of departure in the notion that the digital media ecology enables the construction and dissemination of strategic narratives (Oates, 2014) and that media technological developments have expanded the digital news media market and its audiences globally. At the same time, these organizational, technological, and political media developments are being used increasingly successfully by authoritarian regimes to suppress, control, and surveille. Sweden is one of the Western countries that has been heavily targeted by Russian disinformation by way of international news. RT and Sputnik news coverage tends to reflect Russian perceptions of the West as a threat to the values that the Kremlin has declared it will defend. They can be summarized as the promotion of typical national conservative values such as the promotion of Orthodox Christianity, “morality”, and “traditional family values”. More importantly, these Russian state media center their coverage on explaining the decline of Western states as a consequence of the increase of Islam in politics and society, LGBTI+communities, and migration. The chapter reviews studies about how RT and Sputnik construct denigrating depictions of a number of different countries attempting to use such imagery to sow distrust between citizens and politicians, and between citizens and public institutions both on a day-to-day basis and centered on events such as election campaigns or foreign policy crisis.
Diffusion in Disordered Media
Authors: Malthe-Sørenssen Anders
Published: June 2024

In this chapter we will study diffusional transport in disordered media. We can model diffusional transport either by solving the diffusion equation or by studying the time developments of random walks—both approaches produce the same results. We will use the statistical approach and study how random walkers spread with time in free space as well as on percolation clusters. We will introduce a scaling theory for the behavior of this process in both space and time—extending our previous scaling approaches and proving us with new tools and insights.
Dynamic Processes in Disordered Media
Authors: Malthe-Sørenssen Anders
Published: June 2024

In this chapter we start to address dynamical processes that generate percolation-like disordered structures. We will address the scaling behavior of diffusion fronts for diffusion in disordered media, and develop a theory for the front width. We will address the slow displacement of fluids in porous media with the invasion-percolation model. For this model, we will map the model onto a percolation system and demonstrate how the model changes with the introduction of an additional aspects, gravity.
Renormalization
Authors: Malthe-Sørenssen Anders
Published: June 2024

In this chapter we will introduce the powerful theoretical methods of renormalization. The fundamental idea is that at $$p=p:c$$
p
=

p

c

, a rescaling of the system does not change the most important features. By a rescaling we typically mean a coarse-graining of the system, such as merging $$2 \times 2$$
2
×
2
cells into a single cell. The rule we use to choose the occupation probability of the new, coarse-grained cell, $$p'$$
p′
, is a function of the probability p of the original lattice, $$p' = R(p)$$
p′
=
R
(
p
)
. In renormalization theory, we use properties of this mapping, $$R(p)$$
R
(
p
)
, to deduce properties of the system such as critical exponents. In this chapter, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of renormalization theory in the context of percolation systems, in which the geometric nature of the remapping allow us to build intuition about renormalization as a concept. We will also apply the theory to different lattice structures and for one, two and three-dimensional systems.
A Visitation from India
Authors: Ahrweiler Petra
Published: June 2024

“Anyway, Mr David, I will need some time off next March,” Tilda said. “Why is that?” Gabriel asked. “My boyfriend found me a surgeon who is willing to operate on my foot. The operation is scheduled for March next year,” she told him. “But you said that you can lose your foot in such an operation, Mrs Toelz,” Gabriel said, surprised. She had told him that an operation would be very risky and that no doctor had agreed to try this in her long medical history since her sports accident occurred. “Yes, but the pain is unbearable. I want to give it a try, and this doctor thinks it is possible. He is a well-known specialist in his field, according to Ken.” She looked at him with resignation, and he could see that this had been a very difficult decision for her. Then they talked about the upcoming visit of Ayaan Banerjee, their Indian case study partner from Chennai who had been recommended by their B1 colleague Veronica. Ayaan would visit B1 next week just for one day at the end of the European tour he just organised for another project. Ayaan wanted not only to see Veronica but also to be personally introduced to them so that they could discuss their upcoming cooperation on new project. “He’ll probably find it freezing. It is the beginning of November. Not the best time to come to Berlin, at least for an Indian,” Tilda mused.
Notes on the Independence of the Judiciary
Authors: Caupers João
Published: July 2024

The conditions under which these notes were prepared reflect the little time that could be devoted to their preparation. Circumstances inherent to my position drastically limited my availability to do better. This explains the erratic tone of my considerations, which I have not had time to organise and systematise properly. Added to this, of course, is the fact that I am not a professional judge, which makes it difficult to have a correct perception of the scale of the problem of the independence of judges, not because I am not aware of its decisive importance, but because I do not have the essential field experience.
The Importance of the Consultative Council of European Judges for the Rule of Law
Authors: Eilers Anke
Published: July 2024

This statement will first describe the interpretation of Art. 6 European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), subsequently it will focus on the work of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) and will address the influence of CCJE on the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
Introduction: Anxiety
Authors: Minozzo Ana C.
Published: June 2024

In this chapter, I set the psychosocial scope of this book and situate the reader into the urgency of reframing the clinic of anxiety. The key concepts worked in the book such as vibration, co-poiesis and the Real are first introduced.
Skolemisation for Intuitionistic Linear Logic
Authors: Bruni Alessandro , Ritter Eike , Schürmann Carsten
Published: July 2024

Focusing is a known technique for reducing the number of proofs while preserving derivability. Skolemisation is another technique designed to improve proof search, which reduces the number of back-tracking steps by representing dependencies on the term level and instantiate witness terms during unification at the axioms or fail with an occurs-check otherwise. Skolemisation for classical logic is well understood, but a practical skolemisation procedure for focused intuitionistic linear logic has been elusive so far. In this paper we present a focused variant of first-order intuitionistic linear logic together with a sound and complete skolemisation procedure.
Particle Acceleration in Jupiter's Ion Radiation Belts by Nonlinear Wave Trapping
Authors: Sekine Tomohiro , Omura Yoshiharu , Summers Danny , Hsieh Yi‐Kai , Nakamura Satoko
Published: June 2024

We present a physical mechanism for generating ∼GeV ions in the Jovian radiation belts. The mechanism is called relativistic turning acceleration (RTA) and involves a special form of nonlinear wave trapping by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves. Necessary conditions for RTA include a near‐equatorial source of EMIC waves, strong wave amplitudes (of the order of a few percent of the background magnetic field strength), and a source of ions of sufficiently high energy. RTA occurs when a fraction of equator‐ward moving ions encounters pole‐ward moving waves, and, in so doing, becomes entrapped and undergoes a turning motion. The trapped ions then move poleward in the same direction as the waves and eventually become detrapped, but during the turning motion the ions undergo significant acceleration. We rigorously verify this process by providing the theory of nonlinear interactions between relativistic protons and coherent EMIC waves. The RTA process has been previously established for the analogous whistler mode wave‐electron interaction. We carry out particle simulations for protons at R = 2RJ (where RJ = Jovian radius) interacting with EMIC waves of amplitude Bw = 0.02B0eq (where B0eq = background magnetic field strength at the equator). We confirm that a large portion of test protons experience RTA and that some protons of critical energy 240 MeV can be accelerated to 10 GeV in a period of 5 s. The nonlinear acceleration process is crucially controlled by the trapping condition 0 < S < 1 where S is the inhomogeneity factor.
Modeling the Concentration Enhancement and Selectivity of Plastic Particle Transport in Sea Spray Aerosols
Authors: Dubitsky Lena , Deane Grant B. , Stokes Dale M. , Bird James C.
Published: June 2024

Bursting bubbles transport bacteria, viruses, and other marine particles across the air‐sea interface. This effect is enhanced when particles are hydrophobic and cling to the bubbles as they rise. Recent studies suggest that plastic particles, a major ocean pollutant, can also be transported by sea spray. However, estimates of plastic transport via this pathway have large uncertainties due to limited size detection techniques in field studies and few lab studies. An understanding of the number and size of particles carried in the smallest drops, which have the longest residence time in the atmosphere, is missing from current literature. Here, we develop a modeling framework to provide bounds on the number, area, and volume transport of non‐scavenged hydrophilic and fully‐scavenged hydrophobic particles of radii between 0.1 and 100 μm for a range of jet and film drops. For droplets containing plastic particulates, we predict particle enrichment is significantly higher in jet drops than film drops. For particles in these jet drops, our results suggest that in the absence of bubble scavenging, the number distribution is dominated by smaller plastics, the mass/volume distribution by larger plastics, and surface area distribution is balanced across plastic size. Whereas for hydrophobic particles, scavenging dramatically modifies these distributions, enhancing certain particle–droplet size combinations by over four orders of magnitude. Our predictions suggest critical effects of enrichment in air‐sea particle transport and highlight the variable dependencies on bubble and particle size, improving our theoretical understanding of plastic and marine particle transport and identifying modeling assumptions to refine with experimental measurements.
Arctic Freshwater Sources and Ocean Mixing Relationships Revealed With Seawater Isotopic Tracing
Authors: Kopec Ben G. , Klein Eric S. , Feldman Gene C. , Pedron Shawn A. , Bailey Hannah , Causey Douglas , Hubbard Alun , Marttila Hannu , Welker Jeffrey M.
Published: June 2024

The Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas are undergoing increased freshwater influx due to enhanced glacial and sea ice melt, precipitation, and runoff. Accurate delineation of these freshwater sources is vital as they critically modulate ocean composition and circulation with widespread and varied impacts. Despite this, the delineation of freshwater sources using physical oceanographic measurements (e.g., temperature, salinity) alone is challenging and there is a requirement to improve the partitioning of ocean water masses and their mixing relationships. Here, we complement traditional oceanographic measurements with continuous surface seawater isotopic analysis (δ18O and deuterium excess) across a transect extending from coastal Alaska to Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea conducted from the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy in Autumn 2021. We find that the diverse isotopic signatures of Arctic freshwater sources, coupled with the high freshwater proportion in these marine systems, facilitates detailed fingerprinting and partitioning. We observe the highest freshwater composition in the Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf regions, with heightened freshwater content in eastern Baffin Bay adjacent to West Greenland. We apply isotopic analysis to delineate freshwater sources, revealing that in the Western Arctic freshwater inputs are dominated by meteoric water inputs—specifically the Mackenzie River—with a smaller sea ice meltwater component and in Baffin Bay the primary sources are local precipitation and glacial meltwater discharge. We demonstrate that such freshwater partitioning cannot be achieved using temperature‐salinity relationships alone, and highlight the potential of seawater isotopic tracers to assess the roles and importance of these evolving freshwater sources.
Shifting Sources and Fates of Carbon With Increasing Hydrologic Presses and Pulses in Coastal Wetlands
Authors: Anderson Kenneth J. , Kominoski John S. , Osburn Christopher L. , Smith Matthew A.
Published: June 2024

Coastal ecosystems are rapidly shifting due to changes in hydrologic presses (e.g., sea‐level rise) and pulses (e.g., seasonal hydrology, disturbances, and restoration of degraded wetlands). Changing water levels and sources are master variables in coastal wetlands that can alter carbon concentrations, sources, processing, and export. Yet, how long‐term increases in water levels from marine and freshwater sources influence dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition is uncertain. We quantified how long‐term changes in water levels are affecting DOC concentration (2001–2021) and DOM composition (2011–2021) differently across the Florida Everglades. DOC concentrations decreased with high water depths in peat marshes and increased with high water levels in marl marshes and across mangroves, and these relationships were reproduced in freshwater peat marshes and shrub mangroves. In the highly productive riverine mangroves, cross‐wavelet analysis highlighted variable relationships between DOC and water level were largely modulated by hurricane disturbances. By comparing relationships between water level and DOC concentrations with carbon sources from DOM fluorescence indices, we found that changing water sources between the dry and wet season shift DOM from algal to detrital sources in freshwater marshes, from detrital marsh to detrital mangrove sources in the brackish water ecotone, and from detrital mangrove to algal marine sources in downstream mangroves. As climate change and anthropogenic drivers continue to alter water levels in coastal wetlands, integrating spatial and temporal measurements of DOC concentrations and DOM compositions is essential to better constrain the transformation and export of carbon across these coastal ecosystems.
Bulk Microphysics Schemes May Perform Better With a Unified Cloud‐Rain Category
Authors: Hu Arthur Z. , Igel Adele L.
Published: June 2024

Bulk microphysics schemes continue to face challenges due in part to the necessary simplification of hydrometeor properties and processes that is inherent to any parameterization. In all operational bulk schemes, one such simplification is the division of liquid water into two subcategories (cloud and rain) when predicting the evolution of warm clouds. It was previously found that biases in collisional growth in a bulk scheme with these separate liquid water categories can be mitigated with a unified liquid water category in which cloud and rain are contained within the same category. In this study, we examine the effect of artificially separating the liquid water category on other microphysical processes and in more realistic settings. Both our idealized 1D and 3D results show that a unified category bulk scheme is fundamentally better at predicting the timing and intensity of rain from warm‐phase cumulus clouds compared to a traditional (separate) category bulk scheme. This is because a unified category bulk scheme allows a bimodal distribution to exist within one traditional “rain” category, whereas separate category bulk scheme only have one mode per category. This advantage allows the unified bulk scheme to retain the information of the largest droplets even as they fall through a layer of small raindrops. A separate category bulk scheme fails to represent this bimodal feature in comparison.
The Global Context Camera (CTX) Mosaic of Mars: A Product of Information‐Preserving Image Data Processing
Authors: Dickson J. L. , Ehlmann B. L. , Kerber L. , Fassett C. I.
Published: June 2024

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and its Context Camera (CTX) have acquired more than 100,000 separate panchromatic images that capture nearly the entire surface of Mars at ∼5–6 m/pixel. This paper describes a data processing workflow used to generate the first contiguous global mosaic of CTX data, which represents a large improvement in spatial resolution over existing 100 m/pixel contiguous global mosaics. We describe the overarching strategy for the mosaic's construction, which was to maximize the scientific utility of a continuous mosaic that is 5.7 trillion pixels in size. The pipeline used for data processing prioritized traceability and reproducibility of the final mosaic, such that the provenance of all pixels is reported, equipping scientists with information to differentiate mosaic artifacts from surface landforms and to incorporate critical image metadata into their analyses. The CTX data set synthesized into a global CTX mosaic facilitates ready analysis and provides a new capability in transitioning global studies of Mars from high‐resolution investigations of individual images to systematic studies of the entire Martian surface at outcrop‐resolving quality without regard to image boundaries.
Impacts of Storm Electric Fields and Traveling Atmospheric Disturbances Over the Americas During 23–24 April 2023 Geomagnetic Storm: Experimental Analysis
Authors: Souza J. R. , Dandenault P. , Santos A. M. , Riccobono J. , Migliozzi M. A. , Kapali S. , Kerr R. B. , Mesquita R. , Batista I. S. , Wu Q. , Pimenta A. A. , Noto J. , Huba J. , Peres L. , Silva R. , Wrasse C.
Published: June 2024

The paper presents the effects of the storm‐time prompt penetration electric fields (PPEF) and traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) on the total electron content (TEC), foF2 and hmF2 in the American sector (north and south) during the geomagnetic storm on 23–24 April 2023. The data show a poleward shift of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) crests to 18°N and 20°S in the evening of 23 April (attributed to eastward PPEF) and the EIA crests remaining almost in the same latitudes after the PPEF reversed westward. The thermospheric neutral wind velocity, foF2, hmF2, and TEC variations show that TADs from the northern and southern high latitudes propagating equatorward and crossing the equator after midnight on 23 April. The meridional keograms of ΔTEC show the TAD structures in the north/south propagated with phase velocity 470/485 m/s, wave length 4,095/4,016 km and period 2.42/2.30 hr, respectively. The interactions of the TADs also appear to modify the wind velocities in low latitudes. The eastward PPEF and equatorward TADs also favored the development of a clear/not so clear F3 layer in northern/southern regions of the equator.
PowerNovo: de novo peptide sequencing via tandem mass spectrometry using an ensemble of transformer and BERT models
Authors: Petrovskiy Denis V. , Nikolsky Kirill S. , Kulikova Liudmila I. , Rudnev Vladimir R. , Butkova Tatiana V. , Malsagova Kristina A. , Kopylov Arthur T. , Kaysheva Anna L.
Published: July 2024

The primary objective of analyzing the data obtained in a mass spectrometry-based proteomic experiment is peptide and protein identification, or correct assignment of the tandem mass spectrum to one amino acid sequence. Comparison of empirical fragment spectra with the theoretical predicted one or matching with the collected spectra library are commonly accepted strategies of proteins identification and defining of their amino acid sequences. Although these approaches are widely used and are appreciably efficient for the well-characterized model organisms or measured proteins, they cannot detect novel peptide sequences that have not been previously annotated or are rare. This study presents PowerNovo tool for de novo sequencing of proteins using tandem mass spectra acquired in a variety of types of mass analyzers and different fragmentation techniques. PowerNovo involves an ensemble of models for peptide sequencing: model for detecting regularities in tandem mass spectra, precursors, and fragment ions and a natural language processing model, which has a function of peptide sequence quality assessment and helps with reconstruction of noisy sequences. The results of testing showed that the performance of PowerNovo is comparable and even better than widely utilized PointNovo, DeepNovo, Casanovo, and Novor packages. Also, PowerNovo provides complete cycle of processing (pipeline) of mass spectrometry data and, along with predicting the peptide sequence, involves the peptide assembly and protein inference blocks.
The global distribution of the macrolide esterase EstX from the alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily
Authors: Lin Jiafu , Lv Hua , Wang Tiantian , Tao Hongkun , Zhong Yi , Zhou Yang , Tang Yibo , Xie Feng , Zhuang Guoqing , Xu Changwen , Chu Yiwen , Wang Xinrong , Yang Yongqiang , Song Tao
Published: June 2024

Macrolide antibiotics, pivotal in clinical therapeutics, are confronting resistance challenges mediated by enzymes like macrolide esterases, which are classified into Ere-type and the less studied Est-type. In this study, we provide the biochemical confirmation of EstX, an Est-type macrolide esterase that initially identified as unknown protein in the 1980s. EstX is capable of hydrolyzing four 16-membered ring macrolides, encompassing both veterinary (tylosin, tidipirosin, and tilmicosin) and human-use (leucomycin A5) antibiotics. It uses typical catalytic triad (Asp233-His261-Ser102) from alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily for ester bond hydrolysis. Further genomic context analysis suggests that the dissemination of estX is likely facilitated by mobile genetic elements such as integrons and transposons. The global distribution study indicates that bacteria harboring the estX gene, predominantly pathogenic species like Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, are prevalent in 74 countries across 6 continents. Additionally, the emergence timeline of the estX gene suggests its proliferation may be linked to the overuse of macrolide antibiotics. The widespread prevalence and dissemination of Est-type macrolide esterase highlight an urgent need for enhanced monitoring and in-depth research, underlining its significance as an escalating public health issue.
Interfacial charge-transfer transitions enable photovoltaic conversion with CO2-fixation products
Authors: Fujisawa Jun-ichi , Kato Shunsuke , Hanaya Minoru
Published: June 2024

We demonstrate that organic–inorganic interfacial charge-transfer transitions enable favourable photovoltaic conversion with CO2-fixation products such as aromatic carboxylic acids.
Computational design of boron-free triangular molecules with inverted singlet–triplet energy gap
Authors: Duszka Magdalena W. , Rode Michał F. , Sobolewski Andrzej L.
Published: June 2024

Chemical modifications of triangular boron–carbon–nitride (BCN) molecules that remove the central boron atom, but conserve electronic conjugation along the molecular rim, retain the singlet–triplet inversion in these systems.
A family of Cd(ii) coordination polymers constructed from 6-aminopicolinate and bipyridyl co-linkers: study of their growth in paper and photoluminescence sensing of Fe3+ and Zn2+ ions
Authors: Pajuelo-Corral Oier , Ortiz-Gómez Inmaculada , García Jose Angel , Rodríguez-Diéguez Antonio , Vitórica-Yrezábal Iñigo J. , Salinas-Castillo Alfonso , Seco Jose M. , Cepeda Javier
Published: June 2024

Five novel coordination polymers based on 6-aminopicolinate and bipyridine-type spacers are reported, showing fluorescent and phosphorescent emissions and good sensing capacity for Fe3+ and Zn2+ in water when processed as paper analytical devices.
Guest selectivity of [Ni2] supramolecular helicates
Authors: Imperato Manuel , Nicolini Alessio , Ribas-Ariño Jordi , Antkowiak Michał , Roubeau Olivier , Cornia Andrea , Novikov Valentin , Barrios Leoní A. , Aromí Guillem
Published: June 2024

A triple stranded [Ni(ii)2] coordination helicate acts as the host of a Cl− or a Br− ion in the solid state and in solution, with a selective preference for the former, as shown by paramagnetic 1H NMR, mass spectrometry and DFT calculations.
The regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism through the interaction of dietary polyphenols and polysaccharides via the gut microbiota pathway
Authors: Jia Yuanqiang , Liu Yanan , Wu Yingying , Feng Chaohui , Zhang Huijuan , Ren Feiyue , Liu Hongzhi
Published: June 2024

Interactions of polyphenols and polysaccharides regulate glycolipid metabolism through the gut microbiota, which is achieved through the regulation of metabolites, intestinal barrier function, and signaling pathways.
Alkali ion-controlled chemoselective indolation of allylic alcohols by base catalysis
Authors: Wang Ning , Chen Ruzhao , Chen Zhe , Li Weikang , Wen Xiuling , Zhao Cunyuan , Ke Zhuofeng
Published: June 2024

A highly efficient, and transition-metal-free base-mediated catalytic system for selective indolation of allylic alcohols tuned by an alkali metal ion.
Autonomous reaction self-optimization using in-line high-field NMR spectroscopy
Authors: El Sabbagh Nour , Bazzoni Margherita , Horbenko Yuliia , Bernard Aurélie , Cortés-Borda Daniel , Giraudeau Patrick , Felpin François-Xavier , Dumez Jean-Nicolas
Published: June 2024

Automated self-optimization in flow is a powerful approach to efficiently optimize chemical transformations in a high dimensional space.
Assessing high school students’ chemical thinking using an essential questions-perspective framework
Authors: Chi Ming , Zheng Changlong , He Peng
Published: June 2024

Chemical thinking is widely acknowledged as a core competency that students should develop in the context of school chemistry. This study aims to develop a measurement instrument to assess students’ chemical thinking. We employed the Essential Questions-Perspectives (EQ-P) framework and Structure of Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) classification to construct a hypothetical model of chemical thinking. This model comprises three aspects and each aspect includes five cognitive levels to assess students’ chemical thinking. Accordingly, we developed an initial instrument consisting of 27 items in multiple formats, including multiple-choice, two-tier diagnostic, and open-ended questions. We applied the partial credit Rasch model to establish the validity and reliability of measures for the final instrument. Following the process of pilot test, revision, and field test, we finalized the instrument with a refined 20-item instrument. Two hundred and twenty-one Chinese high school students (Grade 12) participated in the pilot and field tests. The results demonstrate that the final instrument effectively produces reliable and valid measures of students’ chemical thinking. Furthermore, the empirical results align well with the hypothetical model, suggesting that the SOLO classification can effectively distinguish the levels of proficiency in students’ chemical thinking.
Effect of phase structure on the photoluminescence properties of Er3+-doped CaWO4 mineral materials
Authors: Zhang Yixiao , Meng Guichen , Guan Pengfei , Wang Haotian , Zhu Xiaolong , Yang Jian , Hou Jingshan , Zheng Ming
Published: June 2024

The relationship between the phase structure and photoluminescence properties of CaWO4:Er3+ ceramics is studied. The samples show excellent fluorescence thermal stability.
Low‐complexity channel estimation for V2X systems using feed‐forward neural networks
Authors: Mehr Pooria Tabesh , Koufos Konstantinos , Haloui Karim El , Dianati Mehrdad
Published: June 2024

In vehicular communications, channel estimation is a complex problem due to the joint time–frequency selectivity of wireless propagation channels. To this end, several signal processing techniques as well as approaches based on neural networks have been proposed to address this issue. Due to the highly dynamic and random nature of vehicular communication environments, precise characterization of temporal correlation across a received data sequence can enable more accurate channel estimation. This paper proposes a new pilot constellation scheme in combination with a small feed‐forward neural network to improve the accuracy of channel estimation in V2X systems while keeping low the implementation complexity. The performance is evaluated in typical vehicular channels using simulated BER curves, and it is found superior to traditional channel estimation methods and state‐of‐the‐art neural‐network‐based implementations such as feed‐forward and super‐resolution. It is illustrated that the improvement becomes pronounced for small subcarrier spacings (or low 5G numerologies); hence, this paper contributes to the development of more reliable mobile services across rapidly varying vehicular communication channels with rich multi‐path interference.
1994 : Naissance d’un atome artificiel pour la photonique quantique
Authors: Gerard Jean-Michel
Published: July 2024

En 1994, l’équipe du CNET Bagneux animée par Jean-Yves Marzin a présenté pour la première fois le spectre d’émission d’une boîte quantique unique de bonne qualité, obtenue par croissance épitaxiale. L’observation d’une raie d’émission très fine a mis en lumière le caractère discret des états électroniques de cette nanostructure, lui conférant ainsi un statut « d’atome artificiel ». Cette expérience a stimulé un foisonnement d’études spectroscopiques sur les boîtes quantiques (BQ), a assuré la prééminence de cette méthode de fabrication particulière et ouvert la voie à l’exploitation de ces atomes artificiels en photonique quantique.
Poincaré and Picard bundles on the moduli spaces of bundles on curves
Authors: Bhosle Usha
Published: July 2024

Poincare bundles and Picard bundles on the Jacobian of a smooth curve have been studied extensively classically. Peter Newstead and his collaborators have made major contributions to the theory of Poincaré and Picard bundles over the moduli spaces of vector bundles of higher ranks. We present old and new results on the Poincare bundles and Picard bundles on the moduli spaces of vector bundles on smooth curves and their generalisations to nodal curves. Finally we consider parabolic vector bundles. We prove the parabolic stability of Poincaré bundles over the moduli spaces of parabolic vector bundles, with parabolic structure of any type, on a smooth curve.
Anti-inflammatory effect of covalent PPARγ ligands that have a hybrid structure of GW9662 and a food-derived cinnamic acid derivative
Authors: Miyazawa Shinano , Sakai Misa , Omae Yuma , Ogawa Yusuke , Shigemori Hideyuki , Miyamae Yusaku
Published: June 2024

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily and is involved in the inflammatory process. Previously, we synthesized the ligands of PPARγ that possess the hybrid structure of a food-derived cinnamic acid derivative (CA) and GW9662, an irreversible PPARγ antagonist. These ligands activate the transcription of PPARγ through the covalent bond formation with the Cys285 residue of PPARγ, whereas their anti-inflammatory effect has not been examined yet. Here, we show the anti-inflammatory effect of the covalent PPARγ ligands in RAW264 cells, murine macrophage-like cells. GW9662 suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide and exerted a synergistic effect in combination with CA. The compounds bearing their hybrid structure dramatically inhibited NO production and transcription of proinflammatory cytokines. A comparison study suggested that the 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzoyl group of the ligands is important for anti-inflammation. Furthermore, we synthesized an alkyne-tagged analogue that becomes an activity-based probe for future mechanistic study.
Factors Associated with Social Workers’ Likelihood to Report Suspected Child Abuse: Findings from a National Survey of Chinese Social Workers
Authors: Fu Cong , Calatrava Maria , Spratt Trevor
Published: June 2024

Whilst there have been recent national surveys about reporting child abuse in several low- and middle-income countries, data from China are lacking. This study examined the prevalence of reporting suspected child abuse and factors associated with having ever reported in a sample of social workers from mainland China. Nationally representative data from the China Social Work Longitudinal Study were used, and responses from 3,510 participants who had completed the children’s social work questionnaire module were analysed. Our results indicate that only 14.4 per cent of social workers from China had ever reported suspected child abuse. Participants who had ever reported were more likely to be female, younger, have higher education levels and social work qualifications, have a higher awareness of abusive behaviours, and have greater working autonomy than social workers who had never reported. We argue that in order to achieve higher levels of reporting suspected child abuse for Chinese social workers, it is necessary to promote the professionalisation of social work through both education and experience gained in practice.
LEOPARD syndrome with accelerated idioventricular rhythm and systolic anterior motion of the posterior mitral leaflet: a case report
Authors: Wada Naotoshi , Keisuke Shoji , Nomura Tetsuya , Keira Natsuya , Tatsumi Tetsuya
Published: June 2024

Background

PTPN11 is ubiquitously expressed and has a variety of phenotypes even in a single heart. We examined LEOPARD syndrome (LS) in a patient with PTPN11 variants through pathological, electrophysiological, and anatomical studies.

Case summary

A 49-year-old man with no previous medical history was brought to our emergency department because of syncope. An electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed alternating bundle branch block, and echocardiography revealed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-like morphology with systolic anterior motion of the posterior mitral valve. Atrioventricular block, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, and ventricular tachycardia were considered the differential diagnoses; however, the treatment plan was difficult to determine. An electrophysiological study revealed the cause of the ECG abnormality to be accelerated idioventricular rhythm, and the programmed ventricular stimulation was negative. Genetic testing revealed LS with PTPN11 variant, which was speculated to be the cause of these various unique cardiac features. The cause of syncope was considered to be exacerbation of LVOT obstruction due to dehydration, and the patient was treated with oral beta-blockers. Implantable loop recorder observation for 1 year revealed no arrhythmia causing syncope, and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and pacemaker were deemed unnecessary for primary prevention of syncope. During 2.5 years of follow-up, the LVOT peak velocity fluctuated between 2.5 and 3.5 m/s, but the patient remained stable with no recurrent syncope.

Conclusion

We confirmed that LS is distinct from other cardiomyopathies using characterization, physiological, electrophysiological, and pathological examinations. Evidence supporting a specific treatment strategy for LS is limited, and understanding the pathogenesis may help establish effective treatment strategies.
Subjective health literacy skills among Greek secondary school students: results from a national-wide survey
Authors: Bechraki Eleni , Kontogiannis Filippos , Mavrikaki Evangelia
Published: June 2024

Health literacy is a significant element of education and is inextricably linked to children’s and adolescents’ growth and prosperity. It is critical to monitor students’ health literacy on a nationwide scale and identify the factors that influence it in order to create policies that advance it. The purpose of this study was to determine the health literacy level of Greek secondary school students and to correlate it with possible determinants such as personal and family characteristics, social support and personal and/or family illness experiences. A representative sample of 2749 seventh-, ninth-, and tenth-grade students was involved. Results showed that a higher motivation to learn about health topics and having positive social interactions and support were strongly associated with a higher level of health literacy. Gender, high academic achievement, absence of learning disabilities, gender, preference for biology and informatics and primary source of health information were also found to influence the skills’ level. In order to enhance health literacy, the Greek educational system should take measures to include health literacy skills development goals in their curricula.
Stakeholder perceptions of cervical screening accessibility and attendance in Ireland: a qualitative study
Authors: Mulcahy Symmons Sophie , Drury Amanda , De Brún Aoife
Published: June 2024

Organized cervical screening programmes are commonplace in high-income countries. To provide an equitable cervical screening service, it is important to understand who is and is not attending screening and why. Promotion of screening and service improvement is not possible without recognition and identification of the barriers and needs of communities that are less engaged with screening. This study explored stakeholder perceptions of cervical screening attendance and accessibility in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 healthcare professionals, policymakers and academics. Interviews were conducted online in 2022. Reflexive thematic analysis was used inductively to generate themes, supported by NVivo. Three themes were developed: (i) getting the right information out the right way, (ii) acceptability and accessibility of screening and (iii) trying to identify and reach the non-attenders. Participants felt public knowledge of cervical screening and human papilloma virus was low and communication strategies were not adequate. Individual, cultural, structural and service-level factors influenced the accessibility and acceptability of screening. Identifying and reaching non-attenders was considered challenging and community outreach could support those less likely to attend screening. Stakeholder perspectives were valuable in understanding the complexities of screening accessibility and attendance from individual to service-level factors. Cultural competency training, inclusive language and visual cues in waiting rooms would support engagement with some populations who may be hesitant to attend screening. Collaboration with community organizations has opportunities to promote screening and understand the needs of those less likely to attend screening.
Health literacy and adolescents’ substance use behaviors and correlates: a scoping review
Authors: Fleary Sasha A , Rastogi Somya , Fenton Tienna , Ali Zaire
Published: June 2024

From 2011 to 2023, substance use increased by 23% worldwide. Given that substance use initiation is highest during adolescence, it is crucial to identify amenable correlates of substance use prevention [e.g. health literacy (HL)], which, if embedded in interventions, may improve uptake and outcomes. Hence, this study conducted a scoping review to answer the question: What is known from the existing literature about the relationship between HL and substance use correlates and behaviors in adolescents? Five electronic databases and the bibliography of review articles were searched and a total of 1770 records were identified. After removing duplicates and engaging in three levels of screening to identify studies that included adolescents ≤ 25 years old and assessed the relationship between general HL (vs. behavior/disease-specific health knowledge) and substance use behaviors and correlates, 16 studies were retained. Studies assessed alcohol-related (n = 11), tobacco-related (n = 12), electronic vapor product use-related (n = 4), cannabis-related (n = 1), and amphetamines/methamphetamines-related (n = 1) outcomes. Studies spanned Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and Central America. Most studies included substance use as an outcome and found an inverse relationship between HL and use. Few studies examined substance use correlates (e.g. risk perception). There were no longitudinal or intervention studies. This review highlighted that the topic of adolescent HL and its relationship with substance use remains inadequately researched. Notable gaps for future studies include intervention and longitudinal designs, expansion of outcomes (e.g. more studies on marijuana, prescription drug misuse, vaping, substance use-related correlates), and examining HL as a mediator or moderator of substance use and its correlates.
Resting Metabolic Rate Does Not Predict Peak Metabolic Rate in the Glanville Fritillary Butterfly
Authors: Niitepõld Kristjan
Published: June 2024

Synopsis

Peak metabolic rate reflects maximal performance and may have direct fitness consequences, whereas resting metabolic rate (RMR) represents the maintenance cost of the whole animal. These traits may be linked, which has significant implications for the evolution of both traits. In vertebrates, a positive correlation between RMR and aerobic capacity has been proposed to explain the origin of endothermy. However, as studies on the relationship between RMR and aerobic capacity have focused on vertebrates, we know much less about these traits in ectothermic insects. I measured RMR in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) using two configurations: one optimized for measuring flight metabolic rate and the other optimized for RMR. The relationship between RMR and body mass was similar for the two configurations. Body mass explained 82% of the variation in RMR when it was measured using the “flight” configuration at 32°C, and 91% when using the “rest” configuration at 23°C. The Q10 coefficient calculated based on the two RMR measurements was 2.8. Mass-independent RMR was positively correlated between measurements obtained using the two instrument configurations. However, neither measure of RMR was correlated with peak metabolic rate, which indicates that RMR cannot be used as a surrogate measure for aerobic capacity in the Glanville fritillary. Ectothermic insects may be able to combine high metabolic capacity with no apparent increase in maintenance cost. Even though RMR is among the most frequently measured physiological variables, it may have limited predictive power when it comes to questions related to activity or aerobic capacity, or in the case of butterflies, flight performance.