bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development, Characterization, in vitro Antidiabetic Activity of Chitosan−tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles Encapsulating Gmelina arborea Roxb. and Spondias pinnata (L.f) Kurz Aqueous Extracts
Authors: Wadasinghe Ransika R. , Kalansuriya Pabasara , Attanayake Anoja P. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractNanoencapsulation is a promising strategy for the development of novel therapeutic agents from crude aqueous extracts derived from Gmelina arborea Roxb. and Spondias pinnata (L.f) Kurz stem bark against type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, G. arborea and S. pinnata aqueous extracts encapsulated chitosan−tripolyphosphate nanoparticles (GAE−CS−TPP, SAE−CS−TPP) were prepared following the ionic gelation method and were characterized via various methods. The prepared nanoparticles were evaluated for their in vitro antidiabetic activity following the reported procedures. The antidiabetic potential of the GAE−CS−TPP and SAE−CS−TPP nanoparticles were evaluated against α‐amylase, α‐glucosidase, DPP‐IV enzymes, glucose uptake, and glucose adsorption assays. SEM analysis revealed that the GAE−CS−TPP and SAE−CS−TPP were spherical‐shaped with an average diameter of 138±30 nm and 129±19 nm respectively. The encapsulation efficiencies and the loading capacities of GAE−CS−TPP and SAE−CS−TPP were (57.64±2.38 % and 0.25±0.07 %) and (68.21±0.66 % and 0.79±0.17 %) respectively. The α‐glucosidase, DPP‐IV enzyme inhibitory activities (8.09±0.99 and 7.95±0.68 mg/mL,) of GAE−CS−TPP nanoparticles were more potent than that of G. arborea aqueous extract by 3.89 and 3.12 folds respectively. In conclusion, GAE−CS−TPP and SAE−CS−TPP nanoparticles exert antidiabetic activity to be used in pharmaceutical formulations to combat hyperglycemia in diabetes.
Myoglobin improves doxycycline sensitivity in pancreatic cancer through promoting heme oxygenase‐1‐mediated ferroptosis
Authors: Zhang Lun , Yang Liuxu , Du Keyuan , Yang Yixuan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractFerroptosis is expected to be a therapeutic target for cancers including pancreatic cancer. We aimed to screen genes that regulate ferroptosis and doxycycline resistance in pancreatic cancer and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify genes that respond to ferroptosis in two human pancreatic cancer cells with GOT1 knocked down or not. 325 and 842 genes were upregulated in MiaPaCa and Tu8902 cells in response to GOT1 knockdown, with 43 genes shared. Among the 43 genes, 14 genes were identified to interact with ferroptosis key genes. MB and HMOX1 were the genes most sensitive to Erastin and doxycycline. Moreover, MB and HMOX1 expression was higher in human normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells than in pancreatic cancer cells. MB and HMOX1 proteins physically bound and promoted each other's expression. By interacting with HMOX1, MB suppressed pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion, and promoted cell ferroptosis and sensitivity to erastin and doxycycline. Silencing HMOX1 reversed the promoting effect of MB on cell ferroptosis and sensitivity to doxycycline. A pancreatic cancer xenograft model was established by subcutaneous injection of Panc‐1 cells transfected with or without Ad‐MB, and doxycycline was administered intraperitoneally. Overexpression of MB enhanced the inhibitory effect of doxycycline on xenograft growth. In conclusion, MB facilitated doxycycline sensitivity in pancreatic cancer cells through promoting HMOX1‐mediated ferroptosis.
“We are adapting to it because it is within us”: The co‐becoming of COVID‐19 in Malawi
Authors: Odenigbo Chúk , Wesche Sonia , Mkandawire Paul , Crighton Eric 
Published: December 2023

AbstractUsing a case study design, this research explores the Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID‐19) pandemic from the perspectives and worldviews of Malawians (Black/African knowledge) through the Bawaka Yolŋu ontology of co‐becoming (Black/Indigenous knowledge). This study seeks to examine the ways in which COVID‐19 has influenced perceptions of place and the places themselves, thereby contributing to the development of policies and strategies for effectively navigating and living with the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic. The study involved forty‐one in‐depth semi‐structured interviews and two unstructured interviews, enabling a nuanced exploration of COVID‐19's impact through the diverse perspectives of Malawian knowledge holders including religious leaders, health‐care workers, farmers, and community leaders. The findings reveal a multifaceted transformation in the relationship of Malawians with nature, place, and one another. Nature, once a source of sustenance, has become a realm of danger due to its association with airborne transmission. Place, typically a communal space, has shifted towards individualized safety, necessitating changes in how homes are adapted and perceived. The communal fabric of Malawian society, deeply ingrained in communal practices, has been strained, altering traditional gatherings and societal interactions. This research adds depth to our understanding of COVID‐19's complex impacts, emphasizing the importance of cultural and environmental contexts in shaping responses to the pandemic. The insights gained hold significance for tailored policy interventions and community‐focused strategies to navigate and adapt to the evolving challenges presented by COVID‐19.
RNA m6A modifications regulate crosstalk between tumor metabolism and immunity
Authors: Gu Jinghua , Cao Huake , Chen Xiaoli , Zhang Xu Dong , Thorne Rick F. , Liu Xiaoying 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn recent years, m6A modifications in RNA transcripts have arisen as a hot topic in cancer research. Indeed, a number of independent studies have elaborated that the m6A modification impacts the behavior of tumor cells and tumor‐infiltrating immune cells, altering tumor cell metabolism along with the differentiation and functional activity of immune cells. This review elaborates on the links between RNA m6A modifications, tumor cell metabolism, and immune cell behavior, discussing this topic from the viewpoint of reciprocal regulation through “RNA m6A–tumor cell metabolism–immune cell behavior” and “RNA m6A–immune cell behavior–tumor cell metabolism” axes. In addition, we discuss the various factors affecting RNA m6A modifications in the tumor microenvironment, particularly the effects of hypoxia associated with cancer cell metabolism along with immune cell‐secreted cytokines. Our analysis proposes the conclusion that RNA m6A modifications support widespread interactions between tumor metabolism and tumor immunity. With the current viewpoint that long‐term cancer control must tackle cancer cell malignant behavior while strengthening anti‐tumor immunity, the recognition of RNA m6A modifications as a key factor provides a new direction for the targeted therapy of tumors.This article is categorized under:
RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification
RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein‐RNA Interactions: Functional Implications
Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence: Comprehensible, Transparent and Correctable
Authors: Schmid Ute 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWith the digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) applications are also finding their way into more and more areas of work and life. In particular, models learned from data are being used, which are mostly opaque black boxes. The fact that people can understand why an AI system behaves the way it does is necessary for various reasons: The model developers themselves must be able to assess properties of the learned models—in particular, possible biases due to overfitting to the data used for learning. For safety-critical applications, aspects of certification and testing are also becoming increasingly relevant. Domain experts—for example, in medical diagnostics or quality control in industrial production—must be able to comprehend, verify and, if necessary, correct system decisions. Consumers should understand why a system—a smart home control, a driving assistance—behaves in a certain way and why they are recommended certain products, offered certain tariffs or denied certain offers. After a brief introduction to the topic of AI, the chapter gives an overview of methods of the so-called third wave of AI. Central to this are approaches of explainable AI (XAI), which are intended to make the decisions of AI systems comprehensible. The main approaches are characterized and shown for which objectives and applications they are suitable in each case. It is shown that in addition to the highly regarded methods for visualization, methods that allow system decisions to be described in a differentiated manner are also particularly important. It is also argued that, in addition to comprehensibility, interactivity and correctability of AI systems are necessary so that AI systems do not restrict human competences but support them in partnership.
Aesthetic Aspects of Digital Humanism: An Aesthetic-Philosophical Analysis of Whether AI Can Create Art
Authors: Winter Dorothea 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIncreased global digitalization and particularly the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) are relegating human artists to the background. Art has long been regarded as distinctively human. Art creation and art reception fulfill humans in an incomparable way.However, AI-created artwork is now nearly indistinguishable from human artwork and appears to fully satisfy human aesthetic needs. If this is really true, we need a new concept of art. And we need to ask ourselves the question: Why then do we still need human artists? Or is there perhaps a unique selling point of human artists after all? This chapter explores the aesthetic-philosophical aspects of digital humanism in the context of AI-created art, building on the Kantian notion of art, one of the most prominent frameworks of art in the field of philosophical aesthetics. This chapter addresses questions such as “Do we need human artists in the age of AI?” and “Are creations of AI truly art?”
Approaches to Ethical AI
Authors: Prem Erich 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis chapter provides an overview of existing proposals to address ethical issues of AI systems with a focus on ethical frameworks. A large number of such frameworks have been proposed with the aim to ensure the development of AI systems aligned with human values and morals. The frameworks list key ethical values that an AI system should follow. For the most part, they can be regarded as instances of philosophical principlism. This paper provides an overview of such frameworks and their general form and intended way of working. It lists some of the main principles that are proposed in the frameworks and critically assesses the practicality of the various approaches. It also describes current trends, tools, and approaches to ensure the ethicality of AI systems.
Artificial Intelligence and Large-Scale Threats to Humanity
Authors: Tamburrini Guglielmo 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis chapter provides a concise introduction to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on major man-made, large-scale threats to humanity: the risk of nuclear war and the climate crisis. AI has a sizable carbon footprint. But the AI research and commercial communities may adopt good practices to reduce this footprint and to develop AI applications supporting climate warming mitigation. It has been suggested that AI systems may improve nuclear weapons command and control. But AI scientists must raise awareness about the downsides of this proposal and the potentially negative impact of AI on nuclear deterrence. Coherent with the inspiring principles of Digital Humanism, ethical and political responsibilities are identified to reduce AI’s role in the buildup of these man-made, large-scale threats to humanity.
Promises and Perils in Moralizing Technologies
Authors: Schiaffonati Viola 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis chapter discusses the need to incorporate in the currently prevalent approach, according to which technologies should be designed to possibly avoid negative consequences, a proactive approach that promotes positive outcomes. The chapter thus focuses on the “moralization” of technologies, that is, the deliberate development of technologies to shape moral action and moral decision-making. By means of two thought experiments, this chapter presents the promises but also the perils of moralizing technologies with particular attention to computer technologies. Challenges to the moralization of technologies deal with human autonomy and the opacity of design choices and their regulation.
Humans in the Loop: People at the Heart of Systems Development
Authors: Sharp Helen 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDespite increased automation in the process, people are (still) at the heart of software systems development. This chapter adopts a sociotechnical perspective and explores three areas that characterize the role of humans in software systems development: people as creators, people as users, and people in partnership with systems. Software is created by specialist developers such as software engineers and non-specialists such as “makers.” Software developers build communities and operate within several cultures (e.g., professional, company, and national), all of which affect both the development process and the resulting product. Software is used by people. Users also operate within communities and cultures which influence product use, and how systems are used feeds back into future systems development. People and systems are interdependent: they work in partnership to achieve a wide range of goals. However, software both supports what people want to do and shapes what can be done.
Resilience: The Key to Planetary and Societal Sustainability
Authors: Vardi Moshe Y. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn both computing and economics, efficiency is a cherished property. The field of algorithms, for example, focuses almost solely on their efficiency. A major goal of AI research is to increase efficiency by reducing human labor. In economics, the main advantage of the free market is that it promises “economic efficiency.” A major lesson from many recent disasters is that both fields have over-emphasized efficiency and under-emphasized resilience. Natural evolution, in contrast, navigates the trade-off between efficiency, which is crucial for short-term survival, and resilience, which is crucial for long-term survival.Two of the major risks facing humanity right now are the climate crisis and the crisis of democracy. We argue here that both crises stem from our narrow focus on efficiency at the expense of resilience. The key to planetary and societal sustainability is making resilience a primary consideration. Just like nature, we need to learn to navigate the tradeoff between efficiency and resilience.
How Blockchain Technology Can Help to Arrive at Fair Ecosystems and Platforms
Authors: Gordijn Jaap 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDigital ecosystems and platforms are an important part of the economy. However, specifically the tech-oriented platforms are often considered as “unfair.” In this chapter, we aim to more precisely articulate this feeling of unfairness. We consider fairness in digital ecosystems and platforms as fair if a decision as a result of applying a rule should accommodate all applicable moral distinctions and reasons for all actors involved. However, fairness is not only related to the operations of a digital ecosystem or platform. Fairness of digital ecosystems and platforms requires fair governance also. We consider fair governance as a prerequisite for fair governance, because the concerns of all stakeholders can then be included in the decision process. As a second assumption, we argue that decentralized decision-making contributes to fair governance. If this assumption holds, it is worthwhile to investigate how decentralized governance can be implemented and supported by information technology. We explain how blockchain technology, with consensus reaching at its core, can support such decentralized decision-making.
Democracy in the Digital Era
Authors: Metakides George 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDifferent studies on the state of democracy worldwide, each using different indices and related weights, all reach similar conclusions. Democracy is “backsliding” for the 16th year in a row. In this chapter, we take a very brief look at the history of democracy from fifth-century BC Athens to today as background to identifying the role and position of digital technologies and big tech platforms in particular among the main causes of its current decline. Possible actions to reverse this trend by empowering uses of digital technologies that entrance democratic practices while guarding against uses with negative impact via appropriate regulation are examined as well as the prevention of concentration of economic and political power.
Are Cryptocurrencies and Decentralized Finance Democratic?
Authors: Stanger Allison 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis chapter defines the building blocks of Web3 to explore its implications for sustainable democracy. It explains the crash of the Terra ecosystem and compares it with the implosion of FTX, both to underscore the dark side of networks built on blockchain technology and to illuminate how all cryptocurrencies (crypto), as well as all investors, are not created equal. The chapter weighs the costs and benefits of crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi) at the present moment and explores emergent regulation. It argues that cryptocurrencies and DeFi will only serve democracy if governments and international organizations establish the right incentive structure for innovators and safeguards for investors in this space.
The Threat of Surveillance and the Need for Privacy Protections
Authors: Lindorfer Martina 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn recent years, and since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in particular, we have seen an increased interest (and concern) about the amount of private information that is collected by the applications and services we use in our daily lives. The widespread collection and commodification of personal data has been mainly driven by companies collecting, mining, and selling user profiles for targeted advertisement, a practice also referred to as “surveillance capitalism.” However, as we detail in this chapter, this is not the only form of surveillance and can be necessary and even beneficial by increasing the safety of citizens—if it is aligned with the principles of digital humanisms in providing transparency, oversight, and accountability. We also detail mechanisms users can deploy to protect their own privacy, as well as mechanisms that help to develop more privacy-friendly technologies.
European Approaches to the Regulation of Digital Technologies
Authors: Müller Martin , Kettemann Matthias C. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractFollowing years of a liberal approach to digital technologies, platforms, services, and markets, the EU has stepped up its action in recent years. The adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), OJ L 119, 1) in 2016 can be seen as a starting point for new regulations that are now enacted and proposed under the European Commission’s strategy “A Europe fit for the digital age.” This article will briefly summarize the contents of the GDPR as well as the Digital Services Act (DSA) (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market for Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 277, 1), Digital Markets Act (DMA) (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector and amending Directives (EU) 2019/1937 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Digital Markets Act), OJ L 265, 1), Data Governance Act (DGA) (Regulation (EU) 2022/868 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2022 on European data governance and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 (Data Governance Act), OJ L 152, 1), and the proposals for the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) (Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down harmonized rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union legislative acts, 21 April 2021, COM(2021) 206 final.) as well as the Data Act (Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonized rules on fair access to and use of data (Data Act), 23 February 2022, COM(2022) 68 final.). We identify the underpinnings of the normative approach and its potential and shortcomings, thus providing an assessment of the role of Europe as a technology regulator more broadly and its relationship to digital humanism.
Constructing a screening model to obtain the functional herbs for the treatment of active ulcerative colitis based on herb-compound-target network and immuno-infiltration analysis
Authors: Ou Haiya , Ye Xiaopeng , Huang Hongshu , Cheng Honghui 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe therapeutic effect of most traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) on ulcerative colitis is unclear, The objective of this study was to develop a core herbal screening model aimed at facilitating the transition from active ulcerative colitis (UC) to inactive. We obtained the gene expression dataset GSE75214 for UC from the GEO database and analysed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between active and inactive groups. Gene modules associated with the active group were screened using WGCNA, and immune-related genes (IRGs) were obtained from the ImmPort database. The TCMSP database was utilized to acquire the herb-molecule-target network and identify the herb-related targets (HRT). We performed intersection operations on HRTs, DEGs, IRGs, and module genes to identify candidate genes and conducted enrichment analyses. Subsequently, three machine learning algorithms (SVM-REF analysis, Random Forest analysis, and LASSO regression analysis) were employed to refine the hubgene from the candidate genes. Based on the hub genes identified in this study, we conducted compound and herb matching and further screened herbs related to abdominal pain and blood in stool using the Symmap database.Besides, the stability between molecules and targets were assessed using molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation methods. An intersection operation was performed on HRT, DEGs, IRGs, and module genes, leading to the identification of 23 candidate genes. Utilizing three algorithms (RandomForest, SVM-REF, and LASSO) for analyzing the candidate genes and identifying the intersection, we identified five core targets (CXCL2, DUOX2, LYZ, MMP9, and AGT) and 243 associated herbs. Hedysarum Multijugum Maxim. (Huangqi), Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (Kushen), Cotyledon Fimbriata Turcz. (Wasong), and Granati Pericarpium (Shiliupi) were found to be capable of relieving abdominal pain and hematochezia during active UC. Molecular docking demonstrated that the compounds of the four aforementioned herbs showed positive docking activity with their core targets. The results of molecular dynamic simulations indicated that well-docked active molecules had a more stable structure when bound to their target complexes. The study has shed light on the potential of TCMs in treating active UC from an immunomodulatory perspective, consequently, 5 core targets and 4 key herbs has been identified. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for subsequent management and treatment of active UC with TCM, as well as offer original ideas for further research and development of innovative drugs for alleviating UC.