bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The (missing) social aspect of the circular economy: a review of social scientific articles
Authors: Zavos Stylianos , Lehtokunnas Taru , Pyyhtinen Olli 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAcademic research on the Circular Economy has been proliferating at an unprecedented pace during the last decade. However, scholarly work on the topic is dominated by a focus on hard scientific, technical and corporate/business management approaches, leaving the social sciences underrepresented in the relevant literature. This review article covers the current Anglophone social scientific research on the circular economy with special attention to waste. A total of 161 works aligning with the scope of this article were examined. These works were analysed in light of two questions: the reviewed studies’ knowledge interest and the dimension(s) of the CE they gave emphasis to. In result, the articles were charted along two axes: Instrumental/Technical (Quadrant I), Analytical/Technical (Quadrant II), Instrumental/Social (Quadrant III), and Analytical/Social (Quadrant IV). The findings of this review article demonstrate a strong thematic interest related to the circular economy in global, major issues of governance; transition and implementation; consumption and consumer behaviour; as well as the associated logic, concepts and definitions. A weaker thematic interest appeared in relation to the cultural, political and ethical dimensions of the circular economy, while critical engagements with and contestations of the model remain fairly rare. Moreover, the analysis revealed the relative absence of detailed empirical scholarship on the more-than-human relations and the micro-level, local everyday practices through which the circular economy becomes actualised. This review calls for the proliferation of such works currently situated in the margins of the circular economy literature. However, as is finally proposed, a balanced mapping of a circular economy transition would require an approach that would problematise levels, scales and dichotomies like ‘global’ and ‘local’ as categorical givens.
Four sugarcane ScDIR genes contribute to lignin biosynthesis and disease resistance to Sporisorium scitamineum
Authors: Li Xiufang , Liu Zongling , Wu Haoming , Yu Zhuoxin , Meng Jiaorong , Zhao Haiyun , Deng Xingli , Su Yizu , Chen Baoshan , Li Ru 
Published: April 2024

AbstractSugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a major sucrose and bioenergy crop in the world. The fungal pathogen Sporisorium scitamineum causes sugarcane smut, a devastating disease that destroys stalks and reduces sugar content in sugarcane. This disease can be controlled most effectively by applying smut-resistant sugarcane varieties. Previous studies have shown that Dirigent (DIR) genes are involved in the synthesis of the lignin precursor pinoresinol, which plays a crucial role in plant resistance to biotic stresses. However, the immune response of the DIR homologs in sugarcane (ScDIR) has not been reported yet. In this study, we found that the lignin content of smut-resistant sugarcane varieties (ZZ1, ZZ6, and ZZ9) was significantly higher than that of smut-susceptible varieties (GT42, ROC22, and FN41), and the lignin content of sugarcane increased after smut infection. The smut-resistant and smut-susceptible clones derived from the same genetic population (ROC25 × YZ89-7) showed similar patterns. Quantitative real-time PCR assays revealed that among the 64 DIR genes in sugarcane, ScDIR5, ScDIR7, ScDIR11, and ScDIR40 showed elevated expression after S. scitamineum infection. In vitro coupling reactions showed that the four corresponding ScDIR proteins could mediate the coupling of coniferyl alcohol and its conversion into the lignin precursor pinoresinol. Overexpression of the four ScDIR genes in Nicotiana benthamiana enhanced disease resistance to the fungal pathogens Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani, and Botrytis cinerea. Moreover, transgenic sugarcane overexpressing these ScDIR genes showed enhanced resistance to smut disease. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that sugarcane ScDIR genes can improve the resistance of plants to fungal pathogens and highlight their potentials in sugarcane breeding for disease resistance.
Cyberchondria and smartphone addiction: A correlation survey among undergraduate medical students in Egypt
Authors: El-Zoghby Safaa M. , Zaghloul Nancy M. , Tawfik Ayat M. , Elsherbiny Noura M. , Shehata Shaimaa A. , Soltan Enayat M. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background
There is an increase in smartphone usage globally. Cyberchondria (CYB) is characterized by excessive Internet searches for health information. Smartphone addiction is constantly rising among medical students together with CYB as a collateral emerging risk, yet there is limited research available on the topic.

Methods
This cross-sectional study explores the rising phenomenon of smartphone addiction and its potential role in CYB among medical students in seven Egyptian universities. A total of 1435 medical students participated in completing online questionnaires that assessed smartphone addiction and CYB using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12). Multivariable regression analysis was applied to assess predictors of smartphone addiction and CYB.

Results
Based on the used scales, 57.6% of students were suffering from smartphone addiction, and 85.8% exhibited a moderate degree of CYB. There was a significant positive correlation between smartphone addiction scores and CYB (p < 0.05). The multivariable regression models revealed that four factors including using Facebook, using WhatsApp, increasing time spent on the Internet per day, and a higher CYB score increase the probability of smartphone addiction. The factors that increase the probability of CYB are using Facebook, an increase in the frequency of Internet searches, a higher degree of worry about one’s health or a family member’s health, and being a smartphone addict.

Conclusion
Smartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students is prevalent. Social media use, time spent online, and smartphone addiction were linked with the risk of CYB. Regular physical activity decreases the probability of smartphone addiction. Awareness programs and increased mental and physical activities are required to help reduce smartphone addiction among youth.
Aerodynamic tunnel for tests of turbine annular cascades
Authors: Lapuzin Alexandr , Subotovich Valery , Yudin Yuriy , Malymon Ivan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAerodynamic test rigs are necessary for experimental testing of turbomachines and investigation of possible ways to improve machine performance. Existing installations give higher losses and do not work efficiently at off-design operating modes. An operating part with an adjustable radial diffuser was designed in order to determine the characteristics of turbine annular cascades. Experimental studies and computational verifications showed satisfactory results at various operating modes. The regulated backwall of the radial diffuser ensured supersonic velocity values behind the cascade and overall stable operation in a wide range of Mach numbers up to 1.3 when using compressors of comparatively small capacity. The optimum positions of the regulated backwall were determined, which provided a deep vacuum behind the cascade, as well as 1.5 times Mach number increase compared to the turbine cascade without a diffuser. Changing the inlet channel geometry at supersonic modes leads to an increase in the diffuser efficiency. Additionally, it was determined that the use of the turbine vane cascade in the test rig flow path is not necessary during calculation studies, but instead an axisymmetric vaneless converging area can be applied and give satisfactory results as well as reduce the time spent on calculations. The computational model can be used to optimize the design of an aerodynamic tunnel outlet area.
Manufacturing of isocyanate-based oligomeric dyes with high coloring capabilities: synthesis and application in the dyeing of organic chrome-free leather
Authors: Ding Wei , Guo Song , Liu Haiteng , Pang Xiaoyan , Ding Zhiwen , Remón Javier 
Published: April 2024

AbstractLeather dyeing is a critical step in leather manufacturing, as it is responsible for providing leather products with an eye-catching visual aspect and adequate quality properties to meet customers' expectations. This step is becoming more and more challenging as the leather industry advances hand in hand with new environmentally friendly policies and regulations to achieve a safer and healthier planet by replacing the highly polluting Cr-based leather tanning technology with greener alternatives. As a result, achieving high-performance dyeing of organic chrome-free leather is one of the bottlenecks for the sustainable development of the leather industry. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to fabricate an isocyanate-based oligomeric dye (IBD) with high coloring capabilities (component content higher than 62.8%) based on toluene 2,4-diisocyanate and reactive red dye 180. This material has been tested for the dyeing of biomass-derived aldehyde (BDA)-tanned leather with excellent outcomes. The experimental results showed that the crust leather dyed with our novel IBD dyeing agent had higher color fastness and better fullness than the leather dyed with conventional anionic (CAD) or reactive red 180 (RRD-180) dyes. These excellent and promising results open new avenues in manufacturing high-performance organic Cr-free leather products and help to ensure the sustainable transition of the leather industry from Cr-based leather tanning to more sustainable alternatives, maintaining the final quality of the leather products.
Graphical abstract
Thresholds in PROMIS Scores Anchored to Subsequent Unscheduled Health Service Use Among People Diagnosed With Cancer
Authors: Sikorskii Alla , Tam Samantha , Given Barbara , Given Charles W. , Adjei Boakye Eric , Zatirka Theresa , Nair Mrudula , Su Wan-Ting K. , Jogunoori Smitha , Watson Peter , Movsas Benjamin , Chang Steven 
Published: April 2024

PURPOSE
To establish thresholds in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference, physical function, fatigue, and depression scores on the basis of their association with subsequent use of the emergency department (ED) or urgent care by people diagnosed with cancer.

METHODS
Retrospective data from 952 people seen at Henry Ford Cancer and insured through the Health Alliance Plan were analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models. The log odds of ED or urgent care use during 14 or 30 days after each patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment were related to PRO scores, while adjusting for comorbidity, sociodemographic, and tumor characteristics.

RESULTS
Pain interference and physical function were associated with subsequent ED or urgent care visits, but fatigue and depression were not, and the results for 14- and 30-day visits were similar. Thresholds anchored in the likelihood of these visits differed according to cancer stage. For people with advanced cancer, a pain interference score of 60 or higher (odds ratio [OR] 3.75, [95% CI, 1.53 to 7.87]) and a physical function score lower than 40 (OR 2.94, [95% CI, 1.22 to 7.06]) produced the largest ORs with narrowest CIs for 30-day visits. For people with nonadvanced cancer, the thresholds of 65 for pain interference (OR 2.64, [95% CI, 1.40 to 5.01]) and 35 for physical function (OR 1.87, [95% CI, 1.01 to 3.45]) produced largest ORs with narrowest CIs for 30-day visits.

CONCLUSION
These anchor-based thresholds in PROMIS scores can inform clinicians' actions with the goal of preventing ED or urgent care visits.
Solving Missing Heritability in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis With DNA-RNA Paired Testing
Authors: Young Colin C. , Horton Carolyn , Grzybowski Jessica , Abualkheir Nelly , Ramirez Castano Jesus , Molparia Bhuvan , Karam Rachid , Chao Elizabeth , Richardson Marcy E. 
Published: April 2024

PURPOSE

Patients with germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in
APC
develop tens (attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis [AFAP]) to innumerable (classic FAP) adenomatous polyps in their colon and are at significantly increased lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. Up to 10% of FAP and up to 50% of patients with AFAP who have undergone DNA-only multigene panel testing (MGPT) do not have an identified PV in
APC
. We seek to demonstrate how the addition of RNA sequencing run concurrently with DNA can improve detection of germline PVs in individuals with a clinical presentation of AFAP/FAP.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective query of individuals tested with paired DNA-RNA MGPT from 2021 to 2022 at a single laboratory and included those with a novel
APC
PV located in intronic regions infrequently covered by MGPT, a personal history of polyposis, and family medical history provided. All clinical data were deidentified in this institutional review board-exempt study.

RESULTS

Three novel
APC
variants were identified in six families and were shown to cause aberrant splicing because of the creation of a deep intronic cryptic splice site that leads to an RNA transcript subject nonsense-mediated decay. Several carriers had previously undergone DNA-only genetic testing and had received a negative result.

CONCLUSION
Here, we describe how paired DNA-RNA MGPT can be used to solve missing heritability in FAP families, which can have important implications in family planning and treatment decisions for patients and their families.
Concordance in Molecular Tumor Board Case Reviews in the ASCO TAPUR Study
Authors: Perez Jacqueline K. , Kleber Jeanene , Rothe Michael , Mangat Pam , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Schilsky Richard L. 
Published: April 2024

PURPOSE With the advent of precision medicine, molecular tumor boards (MTBs) were established to interpret genomic results and guide decision making for targeted therapy in oncology patients. There are currently no universal guidelines for how MTBs should operate and thus variance can be seen depending on which MTB is reviewing the case. This study assesses the concordance of MTB recommendations when a participant case is reviewed by two different MTBs, establishes potential reasons for discordance, and advocates for the establishment of standard MTB operating guidelines. PATIENTS AND METHODS Participants with advanced cancer, who had exhausted all standard treatment options were screened for the Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study. Cases were submitted for MTB review if the treatment proposal was outside the protocol genomic matching rules, or if multiple treatment options were identified. Of the 306 cases submitted for review by the TAPUR MTB from 2016 to 2018, 107 were randomly selected for secondary review by a different MTB group. Recommendations from the original review were not disclosed. Concordance between MTB group recommendations was assessed. Concordance was defined as agreement between MTB reviews on the genomic alteration and study drug match proposed by the clinical site. Thematic qualitative analysis was conducted for the discordant cases to assess reasons for discordance. RESULTS Complete or partial concordance was observed in 79% of cases (95% CI, 70 to 86; one-sided P = .25). Most discordant analyses were due to disagreements on the strength of evidence regarding efficacy of the proposed treatment (32%). CONCLUSION When presented with identical participant cases, different MTB review groups make the same or similar treatment recommendations approximately 80% of the time.
Hormonal Basis of Biological Sex Differences in Human Athletic Performance
Authors: Senefeld Jonathon W , Hunter Sandra K 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Biological sex is a primary determinant of athletic human performance involving strength, power, speed, and aerobic endurance and is more predictive of athletic performance than gender. This perspective article highlights 3 key medical and physiological insights related to recent evolving research into the sex differences in human physical performance: (1) sex and gender are not the same; (2) males and females exhibit profound differences in physical performance with males outperforming females in events and sports involving strength, power, speed, and aerobic endurance; (3) endogenous testosterone underpins sex differences in human physical performance with questions remaining on the roles of minipuberty in the sex differences in performance in prepubescent youth and the presence of the Y chromosome (SRY gene expression) in males, on athletic performance across all ages. Last, females are underrepresented as participants in biomedical research, which has led to a historical dearth of information on the mechanisms for sex differences in human physical performance and the capabilities of the female body. Collectively, greater effort and resources are needed to address the hormonal mechanisms for biological sex differences in human athletic performance before and after puberty.
The Shot CH1 domain recognises a distinct form of F-actin during Drosophila oocyte determination
Authors: Nashchekin Dmitry , Squires Iolo , Prokop Andreas , St Johnston Daniel 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT
In Drosophila, only one cell in a multicellular female germline cyst is specified as an oocyte and a similar process occurs in mammals. The symmetry-breaking cue for oocyte selection is provided by the fusome, a tubular structure connecting all cells in the cyst. The Drosophila spectraplakin Shot localises to the fusome and translates its asymmetry into a polarised microtubule network that is essential for oocyte specification, but how Shot recognises the fusome is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the actin-binding domain (ABD) of Shot is necessary and sufficient to localise Shot to the fusome and mediates Shot function in oocyte specification together with the microtubule-binding domains. The calponin homology domain 1 of the Shot ABD recognises fusomal F-actin and requires calponin homology domain 2 to distinguish it from other forms of F-actin in the cyst. By contrast, the ABDs of utrophin, Fimbrin, Filamin, Lifeact and F-tractin do not recognise fusomal F-actin. We therefore propose that Shot propagates fusome asymmetry by recognising a specific conformational state of F-actin on the fusome.
A geometrical model of cell fate specification in the mouse blastocyst
Authors: Raju Archishman , Siggia Eric D. 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT
The lineage decision that generates the epiblast and primitive endoderm from the inner cell mass (ICM) is a paradigm for cell fate specification. Recent mathematics has formalized Waddington's landscape metaphor and proven that lineage decisions in detailed gene network models must conform to a small list of low-dimensional stereotypic changes called bifurcations. The most plausible bifurcation for the ICM is the so-called heteroclinic flip that we define and elaborate here. Our re-analysis of recent data suggests that there is sufficient cell movement in the ICM so the FGF signal, which drives the lineage decision, can be treated as spatially uniform. We thus extend the bifurcation model for a single cell to the entire ICM by means of a self-consistently defined time-dependent FGF signal. This model is consistent with available data and we propose additional dynamic experiments to test it further. This demonstrates that simplified, quantitative and intuitively transparent descriptions are possible when attention is shifted from specific genes to lineages. The flip bifurcation is a very plausible model for any situation where the embryo needs control over the relative proportions of two fates by a morphogen feedback.
DLC1 promotes mechanotransductive feedback for YAP via RhoGAP-mediated focal adhesion turnover
Authors: Hooglugt Aukie , van der Stoel Miesje M. , Shapeti Apeksha , Neep Beau F. , de Haan Annett , van Oosterwyck Hans , Boon Reinier A. , Huveneers Stephan 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT
Angiogenesis is a tightly controlled dynamic process demanding a delicate equilibrium between pro-angiogenic signals and factors that promote vascular stability. The spatiotemporal activation of the transcriptional co-factors YAP (herein referring to YAP1) and TAZ (also known WWTR1), collectively denoted YAP/TAZ, is crucial to allow for efficient collective endothelial migration in angiogenesis. The focal adhesion protein deleted-in-liver-cancer-1 (DLC1) was recently described as a transcriptional downstream target of YAP/TAZ in endothelial cells. In this study, we uncover a negative feedback loop between DLC1 expression and YAP activity during collective migration and sprouting angiogenesis. In particular, our study demonstrates that signaling via the RhoGAP domain of DLC1 reduces nuclear localization of YAP and its transcriptional activity. Moreover, the RhoGAP activity of DLC1 is essential for YAP-mediated cellular processes, including the regulation of focal adhesion turnover, traction forces, and sprouting angiogenesis. We show that DLC1 restricts intracellular cytoskeletal tension by inhibiting Rho signaling at the basal adhesion plane, consequently reducing nuclear YAP localization. Collectively, these findings underscore the significance of DLC1 expression levels and its function in mitigating intracellular tension as a pivotal mechanotransductive feedback mechanism that finely tunes YAP activity throughout the process of sprouting angiogenesis.
Transboundary movements of plastic waste from EU countries as a constraint for sustainability
Authors: Baran Bernadeta 
Published: April 2024

Motivation: In the face of contemporary environmental and economic challenges, a transition to more sustainable global plastics economy is crucial. Countries are implementing circular economy solutions, but one of the common problems is so called “waste tourism” — export of plastic waste to other countries, often less developed. It contributes to global environmental problems but frequently surfaces also as inefficient resource management/trade and an ethical question as well. Transboundary movements of plastic waste from EU countries should be based on the principles set out in the Basel Convention which entail minimizing and disposing all kind of waste in an environmentally sound manner, minimizing the amount of waste transported and treating and disposing it as close as possible to its place of origin. Unfortunately, European plastic waste is exported in large quantities, often to less developed countries and not processed in accordance with European standards.Aim: This paper aims to identify the volume and directions of UE countries export patterns of plastic waste, its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals and trends in global and EU rules on transboundary plastic waste movements. The considerations are based, to a great extent, on literature on the subject-matter and secondary data, i.e. export data under the trade code 3915 (Waste, pairings and scrap of plastics) derived from the UN Comtrade and Eurostat Database, SDGs data derived from Sustainable Development Report 2022 and UN database and main legal basis for the international trade in plastic waste (the Basel Convention with its recent amendments) and its trends.Results: EU countries are still the leaders in exporting plastic waste, making it difficult to achieve the 12th SDG. Changes to the Basel Convention have not significantly affected the volume and destinations of EU plastic waste exports. They organize the categories of plastic waste but still leave an ample room for undesirable activities. Although the EU’s proposals are more restrictive, the most desirable solution is a complete ban on the export of plastic waste by EU countries outside the EU.