bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
US AND UK MILITARY STRIKES IN YEMEN AND THE JUS AD BELLUM
Authors: Henderson Christian
Published: September 2024

The United States and United Kingdom have carried out a series of strikes upon Yemeni territory since January 2024. The acting States have justified these on the basis of the right of self-defence in response to the series of attacks that have been perpetrated by the Houthi group in Yemen against various commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. On the face of it this was a relatively straightforward justification. Yet, when subjected to analysis it becomes evident that not only is the justification itself not clear, but that the law governing the actions—the jus ad bellum—is not sufficiently settled to provide clear parameters by which to assess the legality of the strikes. Furthermore, the strikes themselves, and the purposes for which they were undertaken, may have set a precedent with unforeseeable consequences.
Light and Shadow of the Digital Factory: Response to the Comments
Authors: Altenried Moritz
Published: September 2024

This response to the comments on The Digital Factory discusses why and how the concepts of the digital factory and digital Taylorism have been applied in the book, as well as the question of the relationship between digital control and workers' resistance to algorithmic management technologies. While agreeing with the comments that point to the limitations of the concepts used, this response argues that these can be productive precisely by drawing our attention to aspects that are otherwise difficult to bring to light. In terms of the potential for workers' resistance, many collective and individual forms of such resistance remain possible in labour regimes under algorithmic management, as well as in other coexisting labour regimes.
Advancing a healthy housing policy agenda: how do policy makers problematise housing-related health issues?
Authors: Dinmore Helen , Beer Andrew , Baker Emma , Bentley Rebecca
Published: September 2024

A substantial international body of evidence links housing to health outcomes. In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) evaluated a small selection of policies from its six geographic regions and found that, in Australia as in the rest of the world, existing healthy housing measures fall short of the systemic response required to address health impacts and inequities. This paper takes the novel step of applying Bacchi’s (2009) ‘What is the Problem Represented to Be?’ approach to a wide-ranging thematic analysis of over 300 Australian policies across the domains of health and housing and related policy areas. In so doing, it offers an overview of existing healthy housing policy as well as illuminating the conceptual understandings and priorities of policy makers, shedding light on the policy paradigms that see housing under-utilised as a preventive health and health equity measure.
Adapting to an older workforce: health and the (non) response of employers in an era of insecurity
Authors: Lain David , van der Horst Mariska , Vickerstaff Sarah
Published: September 2024

The UK government has called for employers to make work adaptations in response to changes in health individuals may experience as they age. However, government assumptions place too much emphasis on the voluntary actions of employers and managers, without placing the management of health in a wider context. Drawing on insights from Thompson’s disconnected capitalism thesis, we explore whether financial/competitive pressures facing many private and public sector organisations today, alongside other factors, contribute to organisations not considering or implementing work adaptations. In this context, it is suggested that older workers may also hide health issues because of anxiety, or ‘ontological precarity’, regarding working longer. Qualitative case studies compare the delivery of work adaptations in three organisations: ‘Local Government’, ‘Hospitality’, and ‘Trains’. Work adaptations were only widely available in Trains; this was for a range of reasons, including the fact that Trains was relatively insulated from financial pressures and able to deliver job and financial security for older workers. As many older workers will continue to be employed by organisations similar to Local Government and Hospitality, we argue that policy makers cannot rely solely on employers to make adaptations.
Universal Credit: administrative burdens of automated welfare
Authors: Bennett Hayley , Currie Morgan , Podoletz Lena
Published: September 2024

Since 2010, the UK government has transformed social security administration using digital technology and automated instruments to create and deliver a single working-age benefit known as Universal Credit (UC). Social policy scholars have given much attention to the key policy tenets of UC but engaged less with leading aspects of automated and digital delivery and their relationship to different forms of administrative burdens for UC recipients. This article addresses this empirical and conceptual gap by drawing on administrative burdens literature to analyse empirical data from forty-four interviews with UC recipients. We conclude by highlighting three costs: temporal, financial, and emotional. These costs illustrate the political dimensions of technical features of UC, as they affect accountability procedures and paths to legal entitlements that have bearings on certain claimants’ rights.
Artificial neural network-based model predictive visual servoing for mobile robots
Authors: Hong Seong Hyeon , Albia Benjamin , Kyzer Tristan , Cornelius Jackson , Mark Eric R. , Hall Asha J. , Wang Yi
Published: September 2024

This paper presents an artificial neural network (ANN)-based nonlinear model predictive visual servoing method for mobile robots. The ANN model is developed for state predictions to mitigate the unknown dynamics and parameter uncertainty issues of the physics-based (PB) model. To enhance both the model generalization and accuracy for control, a two-stage ANN training process is proposed. In a pretraining stage, highly diversified data accommodating broad operating ranges is generated by a PB kinematics model and used to train an ANN model first. In the second stage, the test data collected from the actual system, which is limited in both the diversity and the volume, are employed to further finetune the ANN weights. Path-following experiments are conducted to compare the effects of various ANN models on nonlinear model predictive control and visual servoing performance. The results confirm that the pretraining stage is necessary for improving model generalization. Without pretraining (i.e., model trained only with the test data), the robot fails to follow the entire track. Weight finetuning with the captured data further improves the tracking accuracy by 0.07–0.15 cm on average.
Characterizing the heterogeneity of disruptions in the resolution of trauma among women exposed to childhood maltreatment
Authors: Berthelot Nicolas , Garon-Bissonnette Julia
Published: September 2024

The previously observed heterogeneity in developmental and intergenerational trajectories of childhood trauma may root from interindividual differences in the way trauma-exposed individuals have resolved these experiences. The current study explored whether distinctive patterns of impaired mentalization in relation to trauma could be identified in a sample of 825 pregnant women who experienced childhood maltreatment and whether these heterogeneous patterns were marked by significant differences in internalized and externalized problems during pregnancy, intimate partner violence, personality dysfunctions, and antenatal attachment. A latent profile analysis applied to the seven subscales of the Failure to Mentalize Trauma Questionnaire unraveled interindividual variability in mentalizing impairments among pregnant women exposed to childhood maltreatment by identifying five distinctive types of psychological responses to trauma, each being associated in cross-sectional analyses with a specific set of symptoms and dysfunctions. Overall, the study highlights the need for tailored interventions based on the individuals’ specific impairments in mentalizing trauma and calls for future developmental research exploring the longitudinal correlates of the five documented profiles of trauma processing.
Exact recovery of community detection in k-community Gaussian mixture models
Authors: Li Zhongyang
Published: September 2024

We study the community detection problem on a Gaussian mixture model, in which vertices are divided into

$k\geq 2$

distinct communities. The major difference in our model is that the intensities for Gaussian perturbations are different for different entries in the observation matrix, and we do not assume that every community has the same number of vertices. We explicitly find the necessary and sufficient conditions for the exact recovery of the maximum likelihood estimation, which can give a sharp phase transition for the exact recovery even though the Gaussian perturbations are not identically distributed; see Section 7. Applications include the community detection on hypergraphs.
Travelling waves with continuous profile for hyperbolic Keller-Segel equation
Authors: Griette Quentin , Magal Pierre , Zhao Min
Published: September 2024

This work describes a hyperbolic model for cell-cell repulsion with population dynamics. We consider the pressure produced by a population of cells to describe their motion. We assume that cells try to avoid crowded areas and prefer locally empty spaces far away from the carrying capacity. Here, our main goal is to prove the existence of travelling waves with continuous profiles. This article complements our previous results about sharp travelling waves. We conclude the paper with numerical simulations of the PDE problem, illustrating such a result. An application to wound healing also illustrates the importance of travelling waves with a continuous and discontinuous profile.
Revision of the conservation status and assessment of the Green Status of the Parana Antwren Formicivora acutirostris with management proposals
Authors: Bornschein Marcos R. , Sandretti-Silva Giovanna , Sobotka Daiane D. , Corrêa Leandro , Reinert Bianca L. , Vannucchi Fabio Stucchi , Pie Marcio R.
Published: September 2024

Assessing the conservation status of a species is important for designing effective conservation measures. Consequently, it is often vital to review it to update biodiversity management initiatives. The Parana Antwren Formicivora acutirostris is a bird found in pioneering formations (coastal marshes) of Brazil’s southern flood plains. It is considered threatened in Brazil but near threatened globally. In 2007, its distribution, habitat, and population size were estimated based on aerial photographs from 1978 and 1980. Since the species is threatened and occupies a small area across a region under pressure, we aimed to reassess its conservation status and assess its Green Status. We compiled new records, conducted new density estimates, and compared them with the previous mapping with satellite imagery to estimate the current distribution in terms of extent of occurrence (EOO), area of occupancy (AOO), area of habitat (AOH), habitat loss, and population size, and review its conservation status. The species is distributed across 10 populations, including two new populations further south. We estimated the EOO at 26,655 km², AOO at 320 km², AOH at 41 km², and the population as 6,285 mature territorial individuals. The previously mapped AOH decreased by 15.35 km² due to ecological succession. The loss of habitat due to invasion by exotic grasses is the main anthropogenic impact. We recommend that the species be considered “Vulnerable”. The Green Status indicates that the Conservation Legacy of actions taken thus far and the Conservation Dependence of ongoing actions are inefficient due to their small scales, but it highlights the importance of future actions for species conservation. We propose the establishment of exotic-free zones as small areas with a significant amount of minimally invaded environments, which we suggest as priority areas for the conservation of the species due to their cost-effective management potential. We also propose assisted colonisation to enhance its long-term conservation.
On the Ramsey numbers of daisies I
Authors: Pudlák Pavel , Rödl Vojtech , Sales Marcelo
Published: September 2024

Daisies are a special type of hypergraph introduced by Bollobás, Leader and Malvenuto. An
$r$
-daisy determined by a pair of disjoint sets
$K$
and
$M$
is the
$(r+|K|)$
-uniform hypergraph
$\{K\cup P\,{:}\, P\in M^{(r)}\}$
. Bollobás, Leader and Malvenuto initiated the study of Turán type density problems for daisies. This paper deals with Ramsey numbers of daisies, which are natural generalisations of classical Ramsey numbers. We discuss upper and lower bounds for the Ramsey number of
$r$
-daisies and also for special cases where the size of the kernel is bounded.
Development of a PCR-based method to identify fetal sex during IVF cycles
Authors: Mousavi Atieh Sadat , Amiri Sadegh , Mehdizadeh Mehdi , Bakhtiari Mehrdad , Mirsanei Jamileh Sadat , Nikmard Fatemeh , Barati Mahmood , Amjadi Fatemehsadat
Published: September 2024

One of the most recognizable cases of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is X-linked diseases. Diagnosis of fetal sex is essential for couples who are known to be at risk of some X-linked disorders. The objective of this study was to discriminate between female (XX) and male (XY) embryos by detecting sex chromosomes-speciﬁc sequences in spent culture medium and comparing these results to PGD/CGH array results. It may open new window for the development of a non-invasive PGD method. 120 Embryo’s spent media from Day 3 and Day 5 embryos were collected. Modified phenol-chloroform solution was used for DNA extraction from spent media. Sex determination was performed using SRY, TSPY and AMELOGENIN evaluation through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) method. IBM SPSS and MedCalc were used for statistical analyses to compare sex determination of embryos by spent medium with PGD/CGH array results. Culture time was demonstrated to increase the DNA amount among day 5 embryos culture medium samples. Non-invasive PGD by means of spent culture medium gave a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 100% for sex determination. Results of sex determination using spent medium by q-PCR were consistent with the results of PGD/CGH array. Improvements in cell-free DNA extraction and PCR ampliﬁcation procedures provide us an effective method to perform a PGD test without biopsy in the future, especially about X-linked diseases.
Metric Temporal Equilibrium Logic over Timed Traces
Authors: BECKER ARVID , CABALAR PEDRO , DIÉGUEZ MARTÍN , SCHAUB TORSTEN , SCHUHMANN ANNA
Published: September 2024

In temporal extensions of answer set programming (ASP) based on linear time, the behavior of dynamic systems is captured by sequences of states. While this representation reflects their relative order, it abstracts away the specific times associated with each state. However, timing constraints are important in many applications like, for instance, when planning and scheduling go hand in hand. We address this by developing a metric extension of linear-time temporal equilibrium logic, in which temporal operators are constrained by intervals over natural numbers. The resulting Metric Equilibrium Logic (MEL) provides the foundation of an ASP-based approach for specifying qualitative and quantitative dynamic constraints. To this end, we define a translation of metric formulas into monadic first-order formulas and give a correspondence between their models in MEL and Monadic Quantified Equilibrium Logic, respectively. Interestingly, our translation provides a blue print for implementation in terms of ASP modulo difference constraints.
Four More Years! or So What?
Authors: Brown Tony N. , Gorman Quintin , Culver Julian , Bento Asia
Published: September 2024

This study investigated the mental health significance of Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential re-election among Blacks. Upon his re-election, we hypothesized Blacks would either feel symbolic empowerment or relative deprivation. They would feel symbolic empowerment because a man who identifies as Black won re-election to the nation’s highest office. His second victory should generate optimism, given his status as a historic first. Alternatively, they would feel relative deprivation because The Great Recession from 2007 to 2009 curtailed what Obama could achieve. More important, he withered when afforded opportunities to challenge White supremacy and championed individual responsibility. Using a quasi-experimental design with nationally representative survey data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), we predicted Blacks’ preelection and postelection poor mental health days. We found no time period main effects. However, Black men with less than a college degree experienced 1.11 more poor mental health days postelection whereas Black men with a college degree or more experienced 2.93 fewer poor mental health days postelection. These findings support relative deprivation theory.
Early life stress exacerbates the obesogenic and anxiogenic effects of a Western diet without worsening cardiac ischaemic tolerance in male mice
Authors: Robertson Kai , Griffith Tia A. , Helman Tessa J. , Hatton-Jones Kyle , Naghipour Saba , Robertson Dylan A. , Peart Jason N. , Headrick John P. , Du Toit Eugene F.
Published: September 2024

Early life stress (ELS) and a Western diet (WD) promote mood and cardiovascular disorders, however, how these risks interact in disease pathogenesis is unclear. We assessed effects of ELS with or without a subsequent WD on behaviour, cardiometabolic risk factors, and cardiac function/ischaemic tolerance in male mice. Fifty-six new-born male C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated to a control group (CON) undisturbed before weaning, or to maternal separation (3h/day) and early (postnatal day 17) weaning (MSEW). Mice consumed standard rodent chow (CON, n = 14; MSEW, n = 15) or WD chow (WD, n = 19; MSEW + WD, n = 19) from week 8 to 24. Fasted blood was sampled and open field test and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests undertaken at 7, 15, and 23 weeks of age, with hearts excised at 24 weeks for Langendorff perfusion (evaluating pre- and post-ischaemic function). MSEW alone transiently increased open field activity at 7 weeks; body weight and serum triglycerides at 4 and 7 weeks, respectively; and final blood glucose levels and insulin resistance at 23 weeks. WD increased insulin resistance and body weight gain, the latter potentiated by MSEW. MSEW + WD was anxiogenic, reducing EPM open arm activity vs. WD alone. Although MSEW had modest metabolic effects and did not influence cardiac function or ischaemic tolerance in lean mice, it exacerbated weight gain and anxiogenesis, and improved ischaemic tolerance in WD fed animals. MSEW-induced increases in body weight (obesity) in WD fed animals in the absence of changes in insulin resistance may have protected the hearts of these mice.
The interactive effects of gestational obesity and maternal high- and normal-protein diets on food intake, body weight, composition, and glucose metabolism in male offspring of obese Wistar rats
Authors: Jahan-mihan Alireza
Published: September 2024

More than two-thirds of women during childbearing years (20–39 years old) are overweight or obese in the United States, with protein intake among 20–49-year-old women being 1.6 times higher than recommended (75.4 g/day versus 46 g/day) that can be considered as a relatively high-protein diet (HPD). Both gestational obesity and HPDs during gestation adversely affect offspring health. This study investigates the impact of HPDs fed during gestation and lactation on obese mothers and their offspring in Wistar rats. Dams randomized to either a normal-protein diet (NPD) or HPD (n = 12/group). Pups from each maternal group were weaned to either NPD or HPD for 17 weeks (n = 12/group). No effect of maternal or weaning diet on food intake, body weight, or body fat/weight ratio was observed. However, NPD dams exhibited higher glucose area under the curve compared with HPD dams (p < 0.03). At weaning, offspring born to NPD dams showed higher fasting plasma glucose (P < 0.03) and insulin/glucose ratio (P = 0.05) than those born to HPD dams. The Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) index was higher in offspring born to NPD dams (P < 0.04) and weaned to NPD (P < 0.05) at week 17. These findings underscore the role of high-protein maternal and weaning diets in pregnancy outcomes for obese mothers, particularly in glucose homeostasis, although gestational obesity may overshadow other parameters. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact on both maternal and offspring health and their underlying mechanisms in this context.
Rain on the Parade of Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy
Authors: Eitze Sarah , Betsch Cornelia ,   The Vaccination60+ Study Group
Published: September 2024

Abstract: Background: Following the protection motivation theory (PMT), a lack of risk perception is one of the reasons for differences in vaccine uptake ( Rogers, 1975 ). When the risk for diseases like seasonal influenza is underestimated, protective measures such as vaccination are used less. Aims: In this paper, we propose that the sequelae approach, which involves providing information about the severe complications of diseases, can influence people’s risk perceptions and their intention to vaccinate. This is in comparison to providing merely information about the disease itself. Method: Three preregistered online experiments (2017–2019) were conducted to examine whether risk perceptions and vaccination intentions increase when (1) information about sequelae is presented as statistical texts or narratives (vs. not presented at all), (2) known or unknown sequelae (myocardial infarction vs. sepsis), and (3) different target populations (e.g., health literacy) are considered. Results: An internal meta-analysis showed that the sequelae approach increases intentions ( SMD = .39 [.20;.59]) but not risk perception ( SMD = .09 [−.10;.27]). Unknown and known sequelae had an equal impact on vaccination intentions. None of the strategies (narratives vs. statistical texts, sequelae type) produced adverse reactions in people with low health literacy. In addition, no evidence was found for boomerang effects. Limitations: Even though our research was based on PMT, we cannot add evidence on self-efficacy or response efficacy as influential factors. Conclusion: Although increased risk perception is not the primary mechanism behind the sequelae approach, the results support the use of this strategy in educational interventions that target vaccine hesitancy.
Relating Quartz Crystallographic Preferred Orientation Intensity to Finite Strain Magnitude in the Northern Snake Range Metamorphic Core Complex, Nevada: A New Tool for Characterizing Strain Patterns in Ductilely Sheared Rocks
Authors: Blackford Nolan R. , Long Sean P. , Lee Jeffrey , Larson Kyle P. , Seward Gareth , Stevens Julia L. , Al Harthi Hadeel
Published: September 2024

Documenting the magnitude of finite strain within ductile shear zones is critical for understanding lithospheric deformation. However, pervasive recrystallization within shear zones often destroys the deformed markers from which strain can be measured. Intensity parameters calculated from quartz crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) distributions have been interpreted as proxies for the relative strain magnitude within shear zones, but thus far have not been calibrated to absolute strain magnitude. Here, we present equations that quantify the relationship between CPO intensity parameters (cylindricity and density norm) and finite strain magnitude, which we calculate by integrating quartz CPO analyses (n = 87) with strain ellipsoids from stretched detrital quartz clasts (n = 49) and macro‐scale ductile thinning measurements (n = 7) from the footwall of the Northern Snake Range décollement (NSRD) in Nevada. The NSRD footwall exhibits a strain gradient, with Rs(XZ) values increasing from 5.4 ± 1.4 to 282 ± 122 eastward across the range. Cylindricity increases from 0.52 to 0.83 as Rs increases from 5.4 to 23.5, and increases gradually to 0.92 at Rs values between 160 and 404. Density norm increases from 1.68 to 2.97 as Rs increases from 5.4 to 23.5, but stays approximately constant until Rs values between 160 and 404. We present equations that express average finite strain as a function of average cylindricity and density norm, which provide a broadly applicable tool for estimating the first‐order finite strain magnitude within any shear zone from which quartz CPO intensity can be measured. To demonstrate their utility, we apply our equations to published data from Himalayan shear zones and a Cordilleran core complex.
Core‐Top Calibrations for Element‐To‐Calcium Proxies of Seawater Properties in Bamboo Corals (Keratoisididae) From the South China Sea
Authors: Zhou Xiaoli , Wang Haozhuang , Zhu Yuhan , Wang Yue , Watling Les , Jian Zhimin , Qiao Peijun
Published: September 2024

Bamboo corals are promising archives of paleoceanographic conditions. Existing calibrations for element‐to‐calcium ratio (El/Ca) proxies of bamboo corals, however, are not necessarily calibrated to contemporaneous environmental parameters, thus weakening the reliability of the proxies. Here, we aim at calibrating the proxies by comparing El/Ca in the outermost surface of the calcareous skeletons of live‐collected bamboo corals from the South China Sea (SCS) with modern environmental records. Statistical analysis suggests that Mg/Ca and Ba/Ca can be expressed as a function of in situ seawater temperature and silicate concentration, respectively, that is, Mg/Ca (mmol/mol) = 2.17 ± 0.51 * T (°C) + 74.90 ± 2.66 and Ba/Ca (μmol/mol) = 0.070 ± 0.020 * Silicate (μmol/kg) + 7.27 ± 2.42. The slope of the Mg/Ca‐T equation from this study is slightly different from that in a previous study on bamboo corals, likely due to taxonomic and/or geographic differences of the corals and/or differences in sampling strategy and pre‐treatment method. Intra‐ and inter‐coral variations have small effects on Mg/Ca, yielding an uncertainty of 2.04 mmol/mol in Mg/Ca (95% confidence interval), equivalent to 0.94°C in estimated temperature. The slope of the Ba/Ca‐silicate equation is the same as that in a previous study, suggesting little effect of geographic difference on Ba/Ca. Intra‐ and inter‐coral variations in Ba/Ca are larger than those in Mg/Ca, possibly reflecting incorporation of multiple Ba‐rich particulate phases and/or highly variable nutrient concentrations in the micro‐environment near corals. These new calibrations allow reconstructions of paleo‐temperature and nutrient concentration in the SCS on decadal and longer timescales.
Investigating Hydrated Silica in Syrtis Major, Mars: Implications for the Longevity of Water–Rock Interaction
Authors: Voigt J. R. C. , Sun V. Z. , Viviano C. E. , Stack K. M.
Published: September 2024

We use the crystallinity of hydrated silica, represented by the 1.4 μm absorption position in orbiter spectroscopic data, as a proxy for the longevity of water–rock interaction in the Syrtis Major region. Geological maps and crater size–frequency distribution analyses are employed to contextualize mineral detections and estimate surface ages. Hydrated silica is detected within two distinct geological units: a younger “volcanic terrain” (vt) unit (∼2.4 Ga) and an older “highland terrain” (ht) unit (3.5–3.7 Ga). Hydrated silica in the vt unit typically has a band position <1.41 μm, consistent with amorphous opal‐A, suggesting these younger terrains have experienced limited interaction with water. In contrast, hydrated silica in the older highlands typically has a band position >1.41 μm, indicating opal‐CT, suggesting that these deposits have had more time to interact with water, while also producing accessory minerals such as kaolinite and Fe/Mg phyllosilicates.
Internal Variability Dominated the Extreme Cold Wave Over North America in December 2022
Authors: Gong Hainan , Ma Kangjie , Wang Lin
Published: September 2024

In December 2022, North America experienced an unprecedented extreme cold event. However, the underlying physical mechanisms of this cold wave, and the extent to which it is driven by internal variability or external forcing, are not fully understood. Using ERA5 reanalysis data and the HadGEM3‐A‐N216 attribution simulations, we identified internal variability as the main cause, contributing −5.14 K to surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies in North America. External forcing slightly mitigated the cold by 0.42 K. An internally generated wave train from the North Pacific, influenced in combination by Pacific‐North American (PNA) and North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) teleconnection patterns, initiated this intense cyclonic event, contributing −2.18 K and −2.12 K to SAT anomalies, respectively. La Niña‐like sea surface temperature anomalies amplified this wave train and resultant cold wave. Additionally, excessive snow cover in the previous November also intensified the December cold anomalies by enhancing surface albedo and reducing solar radiation.
Explaining the Evolution of Ion Velocity Distributions at a Low Activity Comet
Authors: Moeslinger A. , Gunell H. , Nilsson H. , Fatemi S. , Stenberg Wieser G.
Published: September 2024

At a low activity comet the plasma is distributed in an asymmetric way. The hybrid simulation code Amitis is used to look at the spatial evolution of ion velocity distribution functions (VDFs), from the upstream solar wind (SW) to within the comet magnetosphere where the SW is heavily mass‐loaded by the cometary plasma. We find that the spatial structures of the ions and fields form a highly asymmetric induced magnetosphere. The VDFs of SW and cometary ions vary drastically for different locations in the comet magnetosphere. The shape of the VDFs differ for different species. The SW protons show high anisotropies that occasionally resemble partial rings, in particular at small cometocentric distances. A second, decoupled, proton population is also found. Solar wind alpha particles show similar anisotropies, although less pronounced and at different spatial scales. The VDFs of cometary ions are mostly determined by the structure of the electric field. We perform supplementary dynamic particle backtracing to understand the flow patterns of SW ions that lead to these anisotropic distributions. This tracing is needed to understand the origin of cometary ions in a given part of the comet magnetosphere. The particle tracing also aids in interpreting observed VDFs and relating them to spatial features in the electric and magnetic fields of the comet environment.
Efficient combinatorial adaptor-mediated targeting of acute myeloid leukemia with CAR T-cells
Authors: Volta Laura , Myburgh Renier , Pellegrino Christian , Koch Christian , Maurer Monique , Manfredi Francesco , Hofstetter Mara , Kaiser Anne , Schneiter Florin , Müller Jan , Buehler Marco M. , De Luca Roberto , Favalli Nicholas , Magnani Chiara F. , Schroeder Timm , Neri Dario , Manz Markus G.
Published: September 2024

CAR T-cell products targeting lineage-specific cell-of-origin antigens, thereby eliminating both tumor and healthy counterpart cells, are currently clinically approved therapeutics in B- and plasma-cell malignancies. While they represent a major clinical improvement, they are still limited in terms of efficacy by e.g. single, sometimes low-expressed antigen targeting, and in terms of safety by e.g., lack of on-off activity. Successful cell-of-origin non-discriminative targeting of heterogeneous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), will require antigen-versatile targeting and off-switching of effectors in order to then allow rescue by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), preventing permanent myeloablation. To address this, we developed adaptor-CAR (AdFITC-CAR) T-cells targeting fluoresceinated AML antigen-binding diabody adaptors. This platform enables the use of adaptors matching the AML-antigen-expression profile and conditional activity modulation. Combining adaptors significantly improved lysis of AML cells in vitro. In therapeutic xenogeneic mouse models, AdFITC-CAR T-cells co-administered with single diabody adaptors were as efficient as direct CAR T-cells, and combinatorial use of adaptors further enhanced therapeutic efficacy against both, cell lines and primary AML. Collectively, this study provides proof-of-concept that AdFITC-CAR T-cells and combinations of adaptors can efficiently enhance immune-targeting of AML.
Interleukin 6 and interleukin 17A serum levels and gene- polymorphisms in the development of early allograft rejection in living donor liver transplant recipients
Authors: Awad Samah Mohammed , El Batanony Eman Helmy , Elmahdy Shaimaa K. , Allam Esraa Tawfik , Rizk Sara Kamal , Zaid Ahmed B. , Taha Mohammad , Salem Radwa H.
Published: September 2024

The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of serum level of Interleukin 6(IL-6) and Interleukin 17 (IL-17) in liver transplantation outcome for living recipients, Analyze the relation between the gene polymorphism and the occurrence of rejection after liver transplantation and Study the relation between the gene polymorphism and the occurrence of different infectious complications. The study was conducted in March 2023 and included 60 healthy volunteers from the National Liver Institute (NLI) blood bank at Menoufia University and 120 live donation liver recipient patients at NLI. During one month of liver transplantation, the cytokine levels (IL-17, IL-6 proteins, IL-6 G-174C, and IL-17 A rs2275913 gene polymorphism) and CD4 levels for 60 patients of 120 live donation liver recipient patients whom early reject transplanted tissue and the same parameters were measured after 6 months follow up for non-reject group. The main finding of this study was that the post-transplant rejection group and the post-transplant non-rejection and control groups differed significantly in the genotype frequency (CC, CG, and GG) or alleles of IL-6 G-174C (p = 0.011). On the other hand IL-17A rs2275913 gene polymorphism and its alleles (p = 0.71) showed no statistically significant difference. We also observed that serum IL-17 levels, with 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity threshold, will be more sensitive and specific than serum IL-6 and CD4 count in differentiating post-transplant rejection from non-rejection patients. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between the genotypes and serum levels of interleukins and the type and degree of rejection. Proinflammatory cytokines might be useful indicators for distinguishing and early identifying unfavorable outcomes after transplantation, allowing for prompt and effective treatment intervention. To evaluate these findings, prospective clinical trials are required.
Long-term application of FYM and fertilizer N improve soil fertility and enzyme activity in 51st wheat cycle under pearl millet-wheat
Authors: Sheoran Sunita , Prakash Dhram , Yadav Parmod Kumar , Gupta Rajeev Kumar , Al-Ansari Nadhir , El-Hendawy Salah , Mattar Mohamed A.
Published: September 2024

Our study from an ongoing research experiment initiated in Rabi 1967 at the Research Farm of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Haryana, India, reports that during the 51st wheat cycle in pearl millet-wheat sequence, adding FYM in both seasons significantly impacted various soil parameters at different wheat growth stages compared to the rabi season. The application of 15 t of FYM ha−1 resulted in a considerable increase in dissolved organic carbon content (9.1–11.2%), available P (9.7–12.1%), and available S (12.6–17.1%), DHA levels by 7.3–22.0%, urease activity (10.1 and 17.0%), β-Glucosidase activity (6.2–8.4%), and APA activity (5.2–10.6%), compared to 10 t FYM ha−1. Application of N120 exhibited a considerable improvement in DHA (11.0–23.2%), β-Glucosidase (9.4–19.2%), urease (13.3–28.3%), and APA (3.3–6.2%) activity compared to control (N0). At stage 3, the box plot revealed that 50% of the available N, P, and S values varied from 223.1 to 287.9 kg ha−1, 53.0 to 98.2 kg ha−1, and 50.0 to 97.6 kg ha−1, respectively. Principal component analysis, with PC1 explaining 94.7% and PC2 explaining 3.15% of the overall variability, and SOC had a polynomial relationship with soil characteristics (R2 = 0.89 to 0.99). Applying FYM15 × N120 treatment during both seasons proved beneficial in sustaining the health of sandy loam soil in North-West India.
Expression of concern: Water-soluble pyridine-based colorimetric chemosensor for naked eye detection of silver ions: design, synthesis, spectral and theoretical investigation
Authors: Annaraj B. , Neelakantan M. A.
Published: September 2024

Expression of concern for ‘Water-soluble pyridine-based colorimetric chemosensor for naked eye detection of silver ions: design, synthesis, spectral and theoretical investigation’ by B. Annaraj and M. A. Neelakantan, Anal. Methods, 2014, 6, 9610–9615, https://doi.org/10.1039/C4AY01592D.
Correction: Functionalized boron nitride nanosheets conjugated with plant micronutrients as seed dressing agents towards control of bacterial wilt disease
Authors: Hao Li , Guan Mei , Zheng Qiangcheng , Zhou Minyan , Yin Ziting , Zhou Hongjun , Zhou Xinhua
Published: September 2024

Correction for ‘Functionalized boron nitride nanosheets conjugated with plant micronutrients as seed dressing agents towards control of bacterial wilt disease’ by Li Hao et al., Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2023, 10, 2343–2358, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EN00173C.
The bubbly life and death of animal and plant milk foams
Authors: Hassan Lena , Reynoso Monse , Xu Chenxian , Al Zahabi Karim , Maldonado Ramiro , Nicholson Reed A. , Boehm Michael W. , Baier Stefan K. , Sharma Vivek
Published: September 2024

Maximum volume and half-life time measure foamability and foam stability. Soy outperforms cow among cold milk foams.
Additive-free graphene-based inks for 3D printing functional conductive aerogels
Authors: Erfanian Elnaz , Goodarzi Milad , Banvillet Gabriel , Sharif Farbod , Arjmand Mohammad , Rojas Orlando J. , Kamkar Milad , Sundararaj Uttandaraman
Published: September 2024

This study demonstrates an all-graphene, additive-free aqueous-based ink for direct ink writing (DIW) to 3D-print functional aerogels for electronics and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields.
Mechanical behavior of high-entropy intermetallic compounds and high-entropy ceramics
Authors: Li Bin , Sun Jialin , Li Xiao , Zhao Jun
Published: September 2024

This review summarized the latest research progress on HEICs and HECs, with a focus on phase structure prediction criteria and strengthening/toughening strategies, in order to accelerate their engineering applications.
Ultra-high piezo-photocatalytic performance of (Na, Sm) co-doped CaBi2Nb2O9 nanoplates by the surface effect
Authors: Yi Qiuyan , Luo Xiaogang , Zhou Xuefan , Zhao Yan , Liu Qiong , Sun Qiwei , Luo Hang , Zhang Dou
Published: September 2024

Ultra-high piezo-photocatalytic performance of (Na, Sm) co-doped CaBi2Nb2O9 nanoplates and the potential catalytic mechanism.
Novel two-dimensional conductive metal–organic framework-based heterostructures for high-performance electro-ionic soft actuators
Authors: Wang Yingyi , Li Shengzhao , Liu Lin , Feng Simin , Guan Kejie , Shi Yixiang , Sun Fuqin , Wang Xiaowei , Shen Yaochun , Zhang Cheng , Liu Qianzuo , Li Tie , Zhang Ting , Qin Sujie
Published: September 2024

Current artificial muscle technology necessitates a significant technological advancement to increase bending strain, enhance response rates, and prolong stability while ensuring consistent and reliable performance across various stimuli.
Ligand-mediated manganese phosphonates with a variable morphological framework: efficient for energy storage application
Authors: Mohanty Rupali Ipsita , Mukherjee Ayan , Bhanja Piyali , Jena Bikash Kumar
Published: September 2024

Distinct morphological forms of manganese phosphonates were synthesized using multiple organophosphorus ligands which were explored for energy storage applications with the fabrication of interdigital in-plane micro-supercapacitors.
Overall water splitting under visible light irradiation over Ir and La-codoped NaTaO3 photocatalysts
Authors: Iwase Akihide , Sato Taichi
Published: September 2024

Ir and La-codoped NaTaO3 has emerged as a photocatalyst for overall water splitting in visible light. The band structures of the material depend on the doping amounts, resuting in different electron transition involved in photocatalytic reactions.
In search of widening the electrochemical window of solid electrolytes for Li-batteries: the La0.29Li0.12+xM1−xZrxO3 (M = Nb, Ta) perovskite-type systems
Authors: García-González Ester , Marín-Gamero Rafael , Kuhn-Gómez Miguel , Kuhn Alois , García-Alvarado Flaviano , García-Martín Susana
Published: September 2024

La0.29Li0.12+xM1−xZrxO3 (M = Nb, Ta) perovskites present remarkable properties as potential solid electrolytes. Nb oxides present a higher conductivity while Ta induces the widest electrochemical window.
A chitosan–α-naphthaldehyde hydrogel film containing pineapple leaf fibers for wound dressing applications
Authors: Mondal Amarjyoti , Nongbri Dasuklang Lyngdoh , Achariya Kusumita , Haque Mahabul , Aguan Kripamoy , Bhattacharya Arijit , Singha Roy Atanu
Published: September 2024

A biodegradable chitosan–α-naphthaldehyde hydrogel film was synthesized, for in vitro controlled drug release studies. Infusion with pineapple leaf fibers increases its mechanical strength and may be used further for wound dressing applications.
Recognition of specific monosaccharides by fluorescence change through the suppression effect on excited-state intermolecular proton transfer reactions
Authors: Huang Leyun , Nishimura Yoshinobu
Published: September 2024

Cyclodextrins, saccharides, and ethanol were examined to assess the effects of hydroxy groups on the ESPT reaction. Differences in the fluorescent behaviors indicate varying interactions between the hydroxy compounds and complexes.
A comparative guide to expression systems for phage lysin production
Authors: Cremelie Emma , Vázquez Roberto , Briers Yves
Published: September 2024

Phage lysins, bacteriophage-encoded enzymes tasked with degrading their host’s cell wall, are increasingly investigated and engineered as novel antibacterials across diverse applications. Their rapid action, tuneable specificity, and low likelihood of resistance development make them particularly interesting. Despite numerous application-focused lysin studies, the art of their recombinant production remains relatively undiscussed. Here, we provide an overview of the available expression systems for phage lysin production and discuss key considerations guiding the choice of a suitable recombinant host. We systematically surveyed recent literature to evaluate the hosts used in the lysin field and cover various recombinant systems, including the well-known bacterial host Escherichia coli or yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as plant, mammalian, and cell-free systems. Careful analysis of the limited studies expressing lysins in various hosts suggests a host-dependent effect on activity. Nonetheless, the multitude of available expression systems should be further leveraged to accommodate the growing interest in phage lysins and their expanding range of applications.
Sulfation pathways in the maintenance of functional beta-cell mass and implications for diabetes
Authors: Mueller Jonathan Wolf , Thomas Patricia , Dalgaard Louise Torp , da Silva Xavier Gabriela
Published: September 2024

Diabetes Type 1 and Type 2 are widely occurring diseases. In spite of a vast amount of biomedical literature about diabetic processes in general, links to certain biological processes are only becoming evident these days. One such area of biology is the sulfation of small molecules, such as steroid hormones or metabolites from the gastrointestinal tract, as well as larger biomolecules, such as proteins and proteoglycans. Thus, modulating the physicochemical propensities of the different sulfate acceptors, resulting in enhanced solubility, expedited circulatory transit, or enhanced macromolecular interaction. This review lists evidence for the involvement of sulfation pathways in the maintenance of functional pancreatic beta-cell mass and the implications for diabetes, grouped into various classes of sulfated biomolecule. Complex heparan sulfates might play a role in the development and maintenance of beta-cells. The sulfolipids sulfatide and sulfo-cholesterol might contribute to beta-cell health. In beta-cells, there are only very few proteins with confirmed sulfation on some tyrosine residues, with the IRS4 molecule being one of them. Sulfated steroid hormones, such as estradiol-sulfate and vitamin-D-sulfate, may facilitate downstream steroid signaling in beta-cells, following de-sulfation. Indoxyl sulfate is a metabolite from the intestine, that causes kidney damage, contributing to diabetic kidney disease. Finally, from a technological perspective, there is heparan sulfate, heparin, and chondroitin sulfate, that all might be involved in next-generation beta-cell transplantation. Sulfation pathways may play a role in pancreatic beta-cells through multiple mechanisms. A more coherent understanding of sulfation pathways in diabetes will facilitate discussion and guide future research.
Upfront Combined Hydroxyurea and Imatinib versus Imatinib Monotherapy in Newly Diagnosed Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Chetia Rituparna , Palepu Sarika , Dutta Vikramjeet , Bandyopadhyay Arkapal , Mathew Anisha , Vaniyath Sudeep , Bakliwal Anamika , Chattopadhyay Debranjani , Rajoreya Ashok , Dhamija Puneet , Naithani Manisha , Singh Neha , Nath Uttam Kumar
Published: September 2024

Background Tyrosine kinase inhibitors like imatinib have become the cornerstone of therapy in chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP). However, the role of hydroxyurea (HU), a deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis inhibitor, has been less explored in the disease. Hence, the present study was conducted to compare the efficacy of structured dose of HU based on baseline total leukocyte count (TLC) with imatinib in CML patients.

Method An open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted in 90 newly diagnosed CML-CP patients, aged ≥ 18 years. Patients were randomized to receive either baseline leucocyte count-based structured dose of HU with imatinib or imatinib monotherapy for 3 months. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for BCR-ABL1 to assess early molecular response (EMR) and safety evaluation according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5 was done.

Results Median age of patients was 36.5 years (36 [interquartile range [IQR]: 30–45] in I-HU, 38 [IQR: 31–47] in imatinib monotherapy) with male predominance. Fatigue was the most common symptom at diagnosis. Splenomegaly was seen in 89% (median spleen size: 10 [IQR: 6–15] cm). At 3 months, complete hematological response was seen in 74 patients (36 in I-HU, 38 in imatinib monotherapy). Overall, 68 patients achieved EMR (34 in I-HU, 34 in imatinib monotherapy, p = 0.53). The most common hematological toxicity, anemia, was seen in 80 patients (41 in I-HU, 39 in imatinib monotherapy). In 37 patients, nonhematological toxicities seen were nausea and vomiting (20 in I-HU, 17 in imatinib monotherapy). No dose limiting toxicities were reported.

Conclusion Addition of upfront TLC-based dosing of HU to imatinib was not found to significantly improve the hematological response and EMR at 3 months. However, long-term studies with a larger sample size with structured dose of HU can be undertaken as it forms a preferred adjunctive therapy for initial, rapid cytoreduction in hyperviscosity or leukostasis-related symptoms in patients of CML.