bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Goldstandard TUR-P: the bigger the volume, the higher the speed, but resected volumes of more than 60g are critical
Authors: Schulte-Baukloh Heinrich , Weber Markus , Höppner Dirk , Heidenreich Holger , Schlomm Thorsten , Weinberger Sarah , Enzmann Thomas , Ralla Bernhard 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Background
According to the European Association of Urology guidelines, the limit for monopolar, transurethral resection (M-TURP) in BPH- therapy is a volume of 80 g. However, whether larger prostates can also be resected transurethrally might also depend on the experience of the surgeon and especially the resected volume and speed of the resection. Little is known about the latter, and this paper aims to these factors.

Methods
This study included 540 patients who received a single-stage M-TURP. Based on the postoperative resection weight, these were divided into four groups: group 1 with 10 to 59.9 g, group 2 with 60 to 79.9 g, group 3 with 80 to 99.9 g, and group 4 with ≥ 100 g. We examined patient age, the ASA-score, the IPSS, quality of life, resection weight, time and speed, pre- and postoperative hemoglobin and serum sodium values, complications, and surgeon experience.

Results
The mean resection weight was 41.6 g, and the mean values for resection time and speed were 61.3 min and 0.7 g/min, respectively. The resection speed increased significantly with resection weight (from 0.7 to 1.3 g/min) as well as with the surgeon’s level of experience (from 0.4 to 0.9 g/min). The number of serious complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ IIIb) increased significantly from a resection volume of 59.5 g (cut-off value).

Summary
The resection speed of M-TURP increased significantly with the resection weight and the surgeon's level of experience. Regardless of speed, resection weight of more than 60 g might increase the risk of severe complications.
Synergistic effects of a sequential recirculation electrochemical system combined with low-cost UV-LEDs on the gram-negative bacteria inactivation
Authors: Espinosa-Barrera Paula Andrea , Serna-Galvis Efraím A. , Torres-Palma Ricardo Antonio , Izquierdo-Sandoval David , Hernández Félix , Martínez-Pachón Diana , Moncayo-Lasso Alejandro 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
In this work, an electrochemical system combined with low-cost UV-LEDs was implemented for the inactivation of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The individual elimination of these bacteria was followed by plate counting and flow cytometry, as complementary techniques to establish the cell inactivation and non-viability, respectively. The contribution of the different parts of the disinfection system (anode, cathode, and light) was determined. In addition, the efficiency of the UV-LEDs/GDE/DSA system in the disinfection of an irrigation water sample was studied. It was found that the combination of the electrochemical system with UV-LEDs was highly synergistic (φ > 7), having low electric energy consumptions per order of magnitude (EEO: 1.13 × 10–2 and 1.55 × 10–2 kWh/m3 order). Moreover, some differences in the inactivation kinetics and synergy between E. coli and P. aeruginosa were observed and linked to the structural/morphological characteristics of the two bacteria. Remarkably, the electrochemical system combined with low-cost UV-LEDs inactivated both target microorganisms after only 2 min of treatment. The flow cytometry analyses evidenced the damage to the cell membrane of the bacteria by the simultaneous and synergistic action of the electrogenerated H2O2 and active chlorine species (ACS), plus the attacks of photo-generated reactive oxygen species. This synergistic combination in the UV-LEDs/GDE/DSA system demonstrated remarkable efficiency in the disinfection of an irrigation water sample, achieving the elimination of culturable bacteria in 45 min of treatment. The results of this research demonstrated the capacity and great potential of an easy combination of electrochemistry with UV-LEDs as an alternative system for the elimination of gram-negative bacteria in water.
Memantine/Rosuvastatin Therapy Abrogates Cognitive and Hippocampal Injury in an Experimental Model of Alzheimer's Disease in Rats: Role of TGF-β1/Smad Signaling Pathway and Amyloid-β Clearance
Authors: Zidan Esraa F. , El-Mezayen Nesrine S. , Elrewini Safaa H. , Afify Elham A. , Ali Mennatallah A. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder of complex pathogenesis and multiple interacting signaling pathways where amyloidal-β protein (Aβ) clearance plays a crucial role in cognitive decline. Herein, the current study investigated the possible modulatory effects of memantine/ rosuvastatin therapy on TGF-β1/p-Smad/p21 signaling pathway and their correlation to the blood brain barrier transporters involved in Aβ-clearance and microRNAs as a novel molecular mechanism in AD treatment. AD was induced by a single intracerebroventricular streptozotocin injection (ICV-STZ, 3 mg/kg) in rats and drug therapy was continued for 28 days after AD induction. Efficacy was monitored by applying a battery of behavioral assessments, as well as biochemical, histopathological, molecular and gene expression techniques. The upregulated TGF-β1-signaling in the untreated rats was found to be highly correlated to transporters and microRNAs governing Aβ-efflux; ABCA1/miRNA-26 and LRP1/miRNA-205 expressions, rather than RAGE/miRNA-185 controlling Aβ-influx; an effect that was opposed by the tested drugs and was found to be correlated with the abolished TGF-β1-signaling as well. Combined memantine/rosuvastatin therapy ameliorated the STZ evoked decreases in escape latency and number of crossovers in the Morris water maze test, % spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test, and discrimination and recognition indices in the object recognition test. The evoked behavioral responses were directly related to the β-amyloid accumulation and the alteration in its clearance. Additionally, drug treatment increased brain glutathione and decreased malondialdehyde levels. These findings were histopathologically confirmed by a marked reduction of gliosis and restoration of neuronal integrity in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of the AD rats. These findings implicated that the memantine/rosuvastatin combination could offer a new therapeutic potential for AD management by abrogating the TGF-β1/p-Smad2/p21 pathway and regulating Aβ-clearance.
Graphical Abstract
Corrosion of metals in calcium nitrate based phase change material
Authors: Červenková Andrea , Košťúr Roman , Danielik Vladimír 
Published: December 2024

AbstractPhase change materials are assumed to be a promising way of a storage of the low-potential heat. In the paper, the corrosion behaviour of carbon steel, CuZn37 brass and aluminium was studied in the assumed phase change medium at 50 °C and 60 °C. The medium was a eutectic mixture of 26.09 wt% water, 63.34 wt% calcium nitrate, 10.57 wt% potassium nitrate with fusion temperature of 37.85 °C. Corrosion rate was studied via mass loss and the steel specimens were analysed after the study. It was found that even though the corrosion rate of carbon steel and aluminium is small (4.26 mg cm−2 year−1 and 1.19 mg cm−2 year−1, respectively, at 50 °C), the metals are susceptible to pitting corrosion. Brass has the lowest corrosion rate from the studied metals (0.88 mg cm−2 year−1 at 50 °C); however, it is a subject of selective corrosion with zinc preferentially dissolved. None of the metals studied is suitable for the use in the phase change materials.
Local climate action from the middle-out: the social potential of craft guilds to facilitate low-carbon installations in Germany
Authors: Wehden Simon , Janda Kathryn B. , Jansen Jana , Creutzig Felix 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Shortages of skilled workers and special expertise in the crafts and trades hamper the implementation of low-carbon transitions in many countries. However, research on effective governance arrangements targeting this ‘installation bottleneck’ is limited. To fill this gap, we adopt a Middle-Out Perspective (MOP) and use rich qualitative data including in-depth interviews to study the role of craft guilds within Germany's low-carbon transition, particularly in rooftop photovoltaic and heat pump installation. Our analysis demonstrates that guilds occupy pivotal ‘upper middle actor’ positions to resolve the ‘installation bottleneck’ from the middle-out. Situated between policymaking and on-the-ground installation, guilds have unique agency and capacity qualities deriving from preferential access to the local implementers of low-carbon transitions and legal commissions with critical tasks including training, informing, and associating installers. However, we find that guilds suffer from resource constraints, membership declines, and a lack of deliberate activation. Informal power structures and deficits of change makers exacerbate guilds’ propensity for inertia while unstable framework conditions and the dearth of strategic engagements leave guilds inactivated. Our extended MOP framework of agency, capacity, and propensity allows researchers and policymakers to attend to potentials and trade-offs between these qualities. By recognising the contextual social sphere of installation as potential, policymakers can design more effective implementation strategies that gain people’s support by ‘meeting them where they are’.
‘More or Less Conscious’: Consciousness To-Day and To-Morrow
Authors: Saunders Max 
Published: December 2024

AbstractMuch leading thought about consciousness in the inter-war period was associated with the British intellectual C. K. Ogden. His International Library of Psychology, Philosophy and Scientific Method included landmark textbooks by major psychologists including Adler, Jung, Koffka, and Piaget. His journal Psyche, included work about Behaviorism, brain chemistry, and essays such as ‘Are we becoming more conscious?’ by literary critic I. A. Richards. The chapter surveys the work from Ogden’s projects which demonstrates the greatest acuity and foresight about questions concerning consciousness which preoccupy us now. It concentrates on Ogden’s other book series – especially To-Day and To-Morrow. Some of the more provocative new thinking about consciousness is to be found among its speculations on the future. In one of the pioneering transhumanist texts in this series, J. D. Bernal’s The World, the Flesh and the Devil invents the electronic cyborg. He imagines increasing longevity by transferring brains to machine hosts; hot-wiring them to instruments providing extra senses – X-ray, chemistry, but above all radio. This would enable them to be in direct wireless contact with everyone else – effectively the internet before the invention of the computer. Such interconnectivity makes imaginable a form of collective consciousness. Such ideas mesh with new thinking about language and criticism; fields in which Ogden and Richards were also pioneers. These writers poised before the threshold of computing thus raise questions which anticipate work in subsequent neuroscience, and also our moment at the dawn of Artificial Intelligence, and the questions that raises about whether consciousness can be extended, synthesized, or indeed detected.
Exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and higher education: opportunities and challenges in the context of geomatics education
Authors: Retscher Guenther 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIn an era of rapid technological advances, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important in higher education. The use of AI tools presents both great potential and significant challenges, especially with regard to examinations and performance assessments. This paper provides a compact insight into the current state of development on AI in university education. Experiences are shared including questions and concerns about AI in higher education teaching. The role of AI in higher education is explored, focusing on its potential benefits and challenges, particularly in examinations and performance assessments. It provides insights into the current state of AI development in universities, highlighting its diverse applications and the associated ethical and practical considerations. Experiences and perspectives from educators are shared, reflecting both optimism about AI’s ability to enhance learning outcomes and concerns regarding fairness, transparency, and privacy. The paper emphasizes the need for responsible integration of AI in higher education in engineering disciplines, such as geomatics, balancing innovation with ethical considerations to promote equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
Ranking of Health Problems and Prioritization of Cancer Education Topics by African American Communities in South Carolina
Authors: Melikam E. Sylvia , Magwood Gayenell S. , Ford Marvella , Salley Judith , Abraham-Hilaire Latecia , Nelson Joni , McCrary-Quarles Audrey , Berry Cammie , Sirizi Delaram , Cartmell Kathleen B. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractDespite landmark breakthroughs in cancer research, African American adults (AA) bear the highest cancer burden compared to other racial groups in the United States (US). AA adults have twice the likelihood of dying from prostate and uterine cancers compared to White adults, suggesting that there are fundamental issues yet to be addressed when developing and implementing cancer-preventative programs for AA communities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) empowers community members to identify and prioritize their health problems and preferred strategies to tackle these issues. In alignment with the CBPR approach, the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE) undertook a study to inform cancer research priorities and interventions. A survey designed by the SC CADRE team to assess perceptions about health problems (cancer risk factors), prioritization of cancer education topics, and attitudes related to cancer prevention was completed by predominantly AA community members in South Carolina (N = 179). Participants had a mean age of 51.59 ± 16.53 years; the majority were AA (72.49%), females (76.44%), had bachelor’s/graduate degrees (66.29%), and were from the Lowcountry coastal region of the state (85.26%). Obesity emerged as the greatest health concern, followed by poor diet and low physical activity. The top three priorities for cancer education were to learn about causes of cancer, strategies for healthy eating, and how to access healthcare. These findings could inform cancer education and intervention programs to address the top priority health needs identified by AA communities in South Carolina. They may also be relevant in other states, especially in rural southern parts of the USA.
It would feel weird to not drive my car! Exploring the role of habits in public policy acceptance of carbon taxations
Authors: Linder Noah , Sörqvist Patrik , Lindvall Daniel , Jagers Sverker , Barthel Stephan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This study aims to expand the understanding of public acceptance of carbon taxes by exploring the role of habits. Habits play a pivotal role in guiding our behaviors and reasoning and can even influence our self perception and identity but remain an underexplored variable in relation to public policy acceptance. We employed a large scale (N > 5200) national survey to measure public acceptance of higher carbon taxation in Sweden, also capturing car driving habits, car usage, and other relevant variables. The findings show that habit strength is negatively correlated with policy acceptance, regardless of self reported driving distance, while also appearing to moderate the relationship between policy acceptance and environmental concern and political leaning, variables previously shown to be of relevance. The study suggests that the influence of habits needs to be recognized to better understand the formation of climate policy acceptance, and exploring this perspective paves the way for future research.
Cultivating anti-racism in the classroom and beyond through collaborative learning in the environmental sciences
Authors: Mgbara Whitney , Fanshel Rosalie Zdzienicka , Esquivel Kenzo , Shannon Natasha , Parker-Shames Phoebe , Elias Damian O. , Washington Lorenzo , Guzman Aidee 
Published: December 2024

AbstractSpurred by nationwide protests against anti-Black violence in the summer of 2020, academic departments across the USA saw an uptick in efforts to integrate belonging, diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion initiatives into their programs. In this vein, graduate students in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, developed and led a semester-long course, “Critical Engagements in Anti-Racist Environmental Scholarship.” The course cultivated anti-racist mindsets through collaborative learning and action projects. We designed and taught the class as a team of doctoral students, and course participants consisted of faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and other graduate students, thus disrupting traditional academic power structures. In this article, we draw on our experiences from two years of developing and teaching this course. We begin by outlining our theory of change, depicted as a tree rooted in our pedagogical approach, which ultimately bears the fruit of anti-racist mindsets and actions. We then provide an overview of our pedagogical approach, which includes attending to the roots of curriculum, classroom structures, and teaching practices. Next, we highlight the four key elements of the course’s success: (1) Centering Black voices and experiences, (2) Flattening academic hierarchies, (3) Fostering a community of learners, and (4) Developing action-oriented mindsets to sustain long-term anti-racist praxis. To conclude, we reflect on the successes and challenges of this approach two years later. Overall, this article shares our experiences conducting an environmental sciences-specific version of this course, with the understanding that this model can be adopted by other departments seeking to implement anti-racist praxis through coursework and long-form professional development training for academics.
DNA methylation effects of halogenated and organophosphate-based flame retardants: a mini-review
Authors: Sharma Sunil , Dasgupta Subham 
Published: December 2024

AbstractFlame retardants are compounds that are extensively used in household products, building materials, automobiles, and electrical goods to suppress the intensity of flames that will increase escape time during a fire. The fundamental issue with these chemicals is that a lot of them are additives, migrate from end-use items into the environment, and exert harmful effects on living organisms. A critical mechanism through which xenobiotics cause adverse effects is epigenetic modifications, which can have profound effect on development and physiology. As we know, the epigenome regulates gene expression through various modifications like DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs. Therefore, disruption of epigenetic control by environmental contaminants is an emerging area of concern to understand their impact on disease vulnerability and health status. DNA methylation is the most studied and key epigenetic regulator during embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis. It predominantly occurs at CpG sites and can cause gene silencing and affect downstream signaling by preventing transcription. Aberrant methylation patterns are related to impaired early embryonic development, neurological disorders, metabolic dysregulation, oxidative stress, and cancer. This review focuses on the ability of flame retardants to affect DNA methylation patterns in the genome and related disorders in exposed organisms.
Study on the energy evolution process and damage constitutive model of concrete–granite composite specimens under uniaxial compression load
Authors: Dong Zhuo , Lang Yingxian , Gong Bin , Yuan Ruifu , Liang Zhengzhao , Wang Shanyong , Tang Chun’an 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe interaction between concrete structures and rock foundations is a crucial research topic for assessing safety and stability in geotechnical and underground engineering. The uniaxial compression tests were conducted on different combination modes (concrete component heights (Hc), interface inclination angle (β), and coarse aggregate contents) to investigate their impact on the mechanical and energy response of concrete–granite composite specimens (CGCSs). This study categorized three failure modes: only concrete component failure (Hc = 80 mm), shear failure along the interface (β = 30°), and simultaneous failure of both components (other combination modes). The fractal dimension (Df) of surface cracks positively correlates with Hc, while the compressive strength (σCGCS) and stiffness (ECGCS) exhibit an inverse trend. The value of Df and σCGCS both exhibit a ''U-shaped'' trend when β ranges from 0° to 90°, whereas the value of ECGCS decreases linearly. Moreover, The value of Df and ECGCS positively correlate with coarse aggregate contents, while the value of σCGCS trends vary non-monotonically increases. The coarse aggregate contents have few effects on energy conversion. Typical brittle failure (β = 0°, β = 30°, and Hc = 20 mm) and ductile failure (other combination modes) are observed. Energy evolution characteristics offer quantitative insight into the damage evolution processes of CGCSs. The piecewise damage constitutive model based on dissipation energy can accurately describe the mechanical response of CGCSs. This study enhances understanding of the mechanical properties, failure characteristics, and energy evolution process of CGCSs under complex combination modes.
Harnessing the integration of chat GPT in higher education: the evaluation of stakeholders sentiments using NLP techniques
Authors: Altamimi Abdulaziz 
Published: December 2024

AbstractEducational settings are gradually adopting Chatgpt for various purposes, but the effects it generates for different users have not received enough attention. This research study aims to fill a gap in the existing literature by evaluating the perceived attitudes of participants, including teachers, students, and administrators, towards the use of Chatgpt in learning. We employed a convenience sampling approach to gather data from 500 participants, which included 200 students, 150 teachers, and 150 administrators from various research settings. We collected data through structured interviews and social media analysis and conducted sentiment analysis using text mining and natural language processing (NLP). We found that 72% of students, 63% of teachers, and 75% of administrators have a positive attitude towards Chatgpt, whereas 18, 22, and 17% have a neutral attitude, and 10, 15, and 8% have a negative attitude towards it. We employed supervised learning techniques in sentiment classification and sentiment analysis methods such as VADER and Text Blob. These results demonstrate a high overall acceptance rate and particularly high positive sentiment among administrators and students, potentially due to their high interest in the tool’s potential to enhance educational experiences and administrative processes. This research is unique because it focuses on multiple stakeholders and combines quantitative survey results with qualitative data from social media. The findings provide relevant recommendations for legislative and educational bodies that intend to incorporate AI-transforming tools, Chatgpt, into curricula and management systems. The high positive score indicates that most educational stakeholders are willing and keen to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in their institutions.