bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
3D printed PGCL@PLA/10CSPL composite scaffolds loaded with fibronectin 1 for intervertebral disc degeneration treatment
Authors: Zhang Weilin , Chen Siyuan , Huang Shengbang , Li Zhencong , Wang Zhongwei , Dai Zhiwen , Liang Jinguo , Rong Hongrui , Ouyang Qianqian , Guo Weixiong , Wei Yen , Wei Jinsong 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Restoration of disc height and biomechanical function is essential for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) treatment. Removing abnormal nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue is an important step to facilitate bony fusion during the healing process. We analyzed publicly available single-cell transcriptome data for human normal and degenerative NP to identify genes associated with NP degeneration. A novel poly(glycolide-co-caprolactone)@polylactide (PLA)-b-aniline pentamer (AP)-b-PLA/chitosan-ϵ-polylysine (PGCL@1PAP/10CSPL) scaffold with good biocompatibility and electroactivity was designed and fabricated as an implant for IDD treatment using 3D printing technology. The PGCL@1PAP/10CSPL scaffold exhibited superior hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, cytocompatibility, and antibacterial activity compared to PGCL. Fibronectin 1 (FN1), identified from single-cell transcriptome analysis, was loaded into the PGCL@1PAP/10CSPL scaffold to accelerate the abnormal NP degeneration. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the PGCL@1PAP/10CSPL-FN1 scaffold enhanced osteogenic differentiation, promoted angiogenesis, and facilitated the removal of damaged disc tissue. This study introduces a novel implant system with desirable mechanical strength and unique bone-promoting and vascularizing properties for lumbar interbody fusion in IDD treatment.
The Nexus of Firearms and Organized Crime in Latin America
Authors: Pérez Ricart Carlos A 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter examines the paradox of Latin America’s disproportionate share of global homicides, despite being home to only 8 per cent of the world’s population. It examines the causes of this pervasive violence, attributing it primarily to the region’s widespread proliferation of illegal firearms, a significant portion of which originate in the United States. Through an analysis of both secondary literature and original research, the chapter highlights the critical role that firearms play in exacerbating criminal violence. It contends that the significant growth of organized crime in Latin America over the past two decades is inextricably linked to the surge of firearms from the US market. The chapter argues that firearms are central to the diversification and expansion of criminal enterprises such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and protection rackets. It examines how the influx of weapons has strengthened the infrastructure of organized crime, making it more resilient and pervasive. It also discusses the various innovative strategies and interventions implemented to mitigate the impact of illicit firearms on organized crime. These include disarmament initiatives in Brazil and community-led interventions in Mexico that show promise in reducing violence and destabilizing criminal networks. Ultimately, the chapter aims to provide a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the symbiotic relationship between gun violence and organized crime in Latin America. It underscores the urgent need for targeted policies and collaborative efforts to address the complex dynamics that fuel this violence, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on regional security and crime prevention.
Illicit Firearms Markets and Organized Crime in Africa
Authors: Falode Adewunmi J , Balogun Wasiu A 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
In a micro- and broader macro-level analysis, this chapter interrogates the context, nature, and impact of illicit firearms markets in Africa and their links with organized criminal networks. The study asserts that though Africa’s conflicts are somewhat interconnected, the continent’s firearms market is geographically segmented, with distinct patterns, dynamics, or preferences. Africa’s illegal arms market not only mirrors the legal arms economy; it feeds into it. The study also posits that the firearms markets in Africa exist in an intricate, mutually reinforcing relationship with organized crime. In light of this, this chapter emphasizes the urgent need for holistic, multi-dimensional, tailored strategies that account for the specific dynamics and nuances in Africa’s illicit arms markets, while also allowing for the involvement of regional and international cooperation to disrupt transnational criminal networks involved in Africa’s illicit firearms markets.
Firearms, Conflict, and Terrorism
Authors: Pauwels Annelies , Duquet Nils 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter aims to contribute to a better understanding of how terrorist organizations acquire and use firearms. It presents three case studies of terrorist acquisition and use of firearms in different regions of the world: the Taliban in Afghanistan, Jama’a Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin’ and the Islamic State Sahel Province in the Central Sahel, and terrorist networks and lone actors in the European Union. A meta-analysis of these case studies highlights how conflict plays an important role in facilitating terrorist access to firearms. The conflict–firearms–terrorism nexus operates in different ways, and the methods used to acquire firearms depend on the dynamics of the conflict in which terrorist groups are engaged, the broader socio-political and cultural environment of the region, and the resources and capabilities of the group. The case studies also illustrate how the possession and use of firearms plays a crucial role not only in furthering a group’s immediate and direct objectives but also in its long-term and strategic goals, particularly state-building and governance efforts.
Conclusion
Authors: Bright David 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This concluding chapter provides an integrated overview of the themes and issues covered across the chapters of the book, including themes related to the regions and countries discussed across Part 1 and the those emerging from the substantive content covered in Part 2. The first section of the chapter provides a review of the themes and issues that characterize the interrelationships between organized crime and firearms trafficking across the globe. Emerging from this section of the book are a clear set of potential risks and future trends. There is a need to monitor such trends, foresee potential areas of challenge and risk, and respond effectively to address these emerging and potential risks and threats. The second section of this concluding chapter draws together the policy recommendations across all chapters to construct an integrated policy roadmap for the future for the prevention and intervention of harms that occur at the intersections between firearms trafficking, organized criminal activities and organized criminal groups.
America's Military Biomedical Complex
Authors: Parasidis Efthimios 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This book is the first to trace the fascinating story of how laws and ethical codes have co-evolved with the nation’s military science pursuits, dating back to the founding of the United States. It details scores of examples where untoward conduct has been rationalized as necessary to promote national security and achieve military goals. This includes hazardous research on unsuspecting individuals, military field tests across the country with atomic, biological, and chemical weapons, and the creation of biomedical enhancements that are poised to become essential elements of military missions. Due to secrecy mandates, governmental immunities, and lackluster healthcare, many individuals injured by these actions have been left without legal remedies or adequate means to address their injuries. The book shows how the drive for scientific and military superiority has shifted the moral compass of government and society. Without passing retrospective judgment, it details the moral calculus of decision makers at key moments in military science. This analysis reveals that officials were keenly aware of ethical dilemmas but nonetheless chose to engage in risky—and sometimes unlawful—activities to advance pressing national security goals. Coupled with this historical reflection, the book recommends policies that harmonize contemporary national security concerns with fundamental principles of justice, fairness, and human dignity. It introduces the concept of jus in praeparatione bellum—justice in war preparations—a doctrine of restraint and responsibility that aims to elucidate just and unjust means of preparing for war. The book applies jus in praeparatione bellum to contemporary military science pursuits, and proposes new laws and policies to guide military science projects.
Military Medicine During the American Revolutionary War
Authors: Parasidis Efthimios 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter details the development of military medicine during the American Revolutionary War. It describes the austere beginnings of the Army Hospital Department and the organizational framework of military medical facilities, including regimental physicians and medical care in general military hospitals. The chapter outlines key medical advancements from the war, including the development of a new battlefield triage system, preventive health measures for military installations, and a force-wide system for smallpox variolation. With respect to smallpox variolation, the chapter describes the process of inoculation and provides firsthand accounts of the ethical, clinical, and operational challenges of instituting a force-wide smallpox variolation program. This includes ethical debate surrounding forced inoculation and whether the practice violates the medical autonomy of soldiers or constitutes an affront to God’s will.
A Postbellum Renaissance in Military Medicine and Research
Authors: Parasidis Efthimios 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter details the expansion of medical research during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The development of the germ theory of disease and a plethora of new or improved medical instruments facilitated the progress of medicine, preventive health, and medical research. As the chapter explains, however, these medical advancements came at a significant cost, as scientific progress necessitated using humans in experimentation. Scores of studies were conducted on vulnerable populations, including disabled children, terminally ill patients, and adults with mental illness. Permissive laws facilitated the research, and medical organizations refused calls to implement ethical guidelines. During this era, the military played a leading role in the research and was at the vanguard of establishing ethical protocols for some studies. The military medical establishment also underwent substantial organizational improvements that facilitated the provision of high-quality healthcare.
Military Medicine and the Persian Gulf War
Authors: Parasidis Efthimios 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter explores military medicine during the Persian Gulf War of 1990–1991, with an emphasis on the military’s efforts to use medical countermeasures (pyridostigmine bromide (PB) tablets, the botulinum toxoid (BT) vaccine, and the anthrax vaccine) as prophylaxis for anticipated chemical and biological warfare, despite the fact the countermeasures were not FDA-approved for these uses. It details the FDA’s review of the countermeasures before the war and the informed consent waivers negotiated between the FDA and the Department of Defense. The chapter also describes the legal challenges brought by service members to the informed consent waivers, and the FDA’s eventual revocation of the regulation that permitted informed consent waivers. Finally, it analyzes the potential causes of Gulf War Illness, including countermeasures.
Standardizing and Expanding Military Science Ethics Reviews
Authors: Parasidis Efthimios 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter advocates for standardizing and expanding military science ethics reviews. It recommends that the Department of Defense create a department for military science ethics review that conducts ethics reviews for military science projects, even if such reviews are not legally required. As the chapter details, ethics reviews should occur at three stages throughout the life cycle of military science projects: research, field testing, and operational use. Within this framework, specialized consideration should be afforded to operationalizing military human enhancements, including a holistic framework for evaluating biomedical interventions that assesses ethical, legal, and societal concerns. As the chapter further contends, ethics reviews should be legally mandated to comport with international treaties and normative principles embedded in customary international law, and compliance with the legal requirement to conduct ethics reviews should be a factor that courts consider when presented with a case that alleges harm caused by a military science pursuit.
Conclusion
Authors: Parasidis Efthimios 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This chapter describes how competition between nations includes a drive to develop and acquire the newest and most technologically advanced weapons of war. It discusses how military science pursuits often have resulted in extraordinary achievements, but also how there have been scores of examples where untoward conduct has been rationalized as necessary to promote national security and achieve military goals. The chapter summarizes the toll on American society, how laws and ethical codes have been rewritten to facilitate military science endeavors, and how military science pursuits have caused a shift in the moral compass of government and society. The chapter contends that a nation has a moral obligation to adopt and implement appropriate safeguards in war preparations that adequately protect citizens and military personnel.
Exploring the potential of large language model–based chatbots in challenges of ribosome profiling data analysis: a review
Authors: Ding Zheyu , Wei Rong , Xia Jianing , Mu Yonghao , Wang Jiahuan , Lin Yingying 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) provides transcriptome-wide insights into protein synthesis dynamics, yet its analysis poses challenges, particularly for nonbioinformatics researchers. Large language model–based chatbots offer promising solutions by leveraging natural language processing. This review explores their convergence, highlighting opportunities for synergy. We discuss challenges in Ribo-seq analysis and how chatbots mitigate them, facilitating scientific discovery. Through case studies, we illustrate chatbots’ potential contributions, including data analysis and result interpretation. Despite the absence of applied examples, existing software underscores the value of chatbots and the large language model. We anticipate their pivotal role in future Ribo-seq analysis, overcoming limitations. Challenges such as model bias and data privacy require attention, but emerging trends offer promise. The integration of large language models and Ribo-seq analysis holds immense potential for advancing translational regulation and gene expression understanding.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate alters bovine preimplantation embryo development through transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms
Authors: Sangalli Juliano Rodrigues , Nociti Ricardo Perecin , Chiaratti Marcos Roberto , Bridi Alessandra , Botigelli Ramon Cesar , Ambrizi Dewison Ricardo , de Almeida Saraiva Helena Fabiana Reis , Perecin Felipe , da Silveira Juliano Coelho , Ross Pablo Juan , Meirelles Flávio Vieira 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Developing embryos are susceptible to fluctuations in the nutrients and metabolites concentrations within the reproductive tract, which can lead to alterations in their developmental trajectory. Ketotic dairy cows have diminished fertility, and elevated levels of the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) have been associated with poor embryonic development. We used an in vitro model based on either in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenesis to investigate the effects of BHB on the preimplantation bovine embryo development, epigenome, and transcriptome. Embryo culture medium was supplemented with BHB at a similar concentration to that present in the blood of cows suffering with severe ketosis, followed by analysis of blastocysts formation rate, diameter, total number of cells, levels of H3K9 beta-hydroxybutyrylation (H3K9bhb), apoptosis, and transcriptional alterations. As a result, we observed that BHB reduced the blastocysts rates, the diameter and the total number of cells in both parthenotes and IVF embryos. Exposure to BHB for either 3 or 7 days greatly increased the H3K9bhb levels in parthenotes at the 8-cells and blastocyst stages, and affected the expression of HDAC1, TET1, DNMT1, KDM6B, NANOG, and MTHFD2 genes. Additionally, culture of IVF embryos with BHB for 7 days dramatically increased H3K9bhb and reduced NANOG in blastocysts. RNA-seq analysis of IVF blastocysts revealed that BHB modulated the expression of 118 genes, which were involved with biological processes such as embryonic development, implantation, reproduction, proliferation, and metabolism. These findings provided valuable insights into the mechanisms through which BHB disrupts preimplantation embryonic development and affects the fertility in dairy cows.
A generalized logrank-type test for comparison of treatment regimes in sequential multiple assignment randomized trials
Authors: Tsiatis Anastasios A , Davidian Marie 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACT
The sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) is the ideal study design for the evaluation of multistage treatment regimes, which comprise sequential decision rules that recommend treatments for a patient at each of a series of decision points based on their evolving characteristics. A common goal is to compare the set of so-called embedded regimes represented in the design on the basis of a primary outcome of interest. In the study of chronic diseases and disorders, this outcome is often a time to an event, and a goal is to compare the distributions of the time-to-event outcome associated with each regime in the set. We present a general statistical framework in which we develop a logrank-type test for comparison of the survival distributions associated with regimes within a specified set based on the data from a SMART with an arbitrary number of stages that allows incorporation of covariate information to enhance efficiency and can also be used with data from an observational study. The framework provides clarification of the assumptions required to yield a principled test procedure, and the proposed test subsumes or offers an improved alternative to existing methods. We demonstrate performance of the methods in a suite of simulation studies. The methods are applied to a SMART in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Coalition-building for labor actions in life sciences departments: lessons from the largest academic strike in history
Authors: Ellis Aspen A , Beck Jessie N , Howard Elizabeth A , Rabearisoa Ando L , Alissa Louise M , Barasi Serena , Beltran Roxanne S , Bernardi Giacomo , Bernier Kathryn , Cronin Melissa R , Cruz Nicolás , Flores Iris , Gerraty Francis D , Goetz Laura , Harenčár Julia G , Kroeker Kristy J , Kurle Carolyn M , Lai Edith Y , Lederman-Beach Razi , Malakooti Nikka J V , Mason Sarah E , McElfish Maya M , McNelis Madeline , Molinari Megan M , Munro Cara M O , Nazario Emily C , Payne Allison R , Poudel Sushmita , Rivera Milagros Guadalupe , Slimp Madeline , Sridhar Nikita M , Tershy Bernie R , Third Georgia M , Uckele Kate A , Vilches Florencia O , Walker Benjamin J , Wishingrad Van , Witte Eric C , Yeager Mallarie E , Young Jordann K , Zilliacus Kelly M , Croll Donald A 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
In life sciences graduate programs in the United States, efforts are underway to address barriers to academic success—namely, using interventions targeted at addressing inclusivity and diversity concerns. However, graduate students are typically simultaneously workers for their institutions, where they face workplace challenges such as low wages, inadequate benefits, and vulnerability to harassment and abuse. These challenges may disproportionately affect workers with excluded identities and are thereby barriers to diversity and equity. In recent years, graduate student unionization has expanded. The outcomes of these movements may improve pay, benefits, and working conditions for graduate workers; however, labor organizing presents numerous challenges in academic environments. We reflect on our experiences in a life sciences department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2022 during the largest graduate labor strike to date. We summarize the challenges and discuss successful interventions, including communication strategies for cross-stage coalition building at the departmental level.
Association between job strain and working life expectancy: a longitudinal study of older people in Sweden
Authors: Chungkham Holendro Singh , Högnäs Robin , Alexanderson Kristina , Zaninotto Paola , Farrants Kristin , Hyde Martin , Magnusson Hanson Linda L , Head Jenny , Rugulies Reiner , Larsen Ann Dyreborg , Vanajan Anushiya , Stenholm Sari , Westerlund Hugo 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Many European countries have increased retirement ages to address the challenge of population ageing. However, job strain which is the combination of high job demands and low job control may be an obstacle to extending the working lives of older workers. Job strain is associated with poor health and early work exit among older workers, but less is known about whether job strain impacts working life expectancy (WLE)—an increasingly employed summary measure capturing the length of working lives. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature. The sample included n = 13 225 individuals aged 50 years or older at baseline providing 53 004 persons-observations from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health in 2008 through 2020. We used continuous time multi-state Markov models to assess the average number of years people may be expected to work beyond age 50 years by job strain, and stratified by sex, occupational class, and level of education. Job strain was associated with a significantly shorter WLE (by about 6 months to a year) among those who experienced job strain compared to those who did not experience job strain. Our findings suggest that job strain may play a role in shortening the working lives of older people. The findings further suggest that if older workers are to remain in the labor market for longer periods, this may require improvements of psychosocial working conditions.