bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stimulus‐Responsive Nano‐Prodrug Strategies for Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Camptothecin Delivery
Authors: Chu Bingyang , Deng Hanzhi , Niu Ting , Qu Ying , Qian Zhiyong 
Published: December 2023

AbstractCamptothecin (CPT) is a highly cytotoxic molecule with excellent antitumor activity against various cancers. However, its clinical application is severely limited by poor water solubility, easy inactivation, and severe toxicity. Structural modifications and nanoformulations represent two crucial avenues for camptothecin's development. However, the potential for further structural modifications is limited, and camptothecin nanoparticles fabricated via physical loading have the drawbacks of low drug loading and leakage. Prodrug‐based CPT nanoformulations have shown unique advantages, including increased drug loading, reduced burst release, improved bioavailability, and minimal toxic side effects. Stimulus‐responsive CPT nano‐prodrugs that respond to various endogenous or exogenous stimuli by introducing various activatable linkers to achieve spatiotemporally responsive drug release at the tumor site. This review comprehensively summarizes the latest research advances in stimulus‐responsive CPT nano‐prodrugs, including preparation strategies, responsive release mechanisms, and their applications in cancer therapy. Special focus is placed on the release mechanisms and characteristics of various stimulus‐responsive CPT nano‐prodrugs and their application in cancer treatment. Furthermore, clinical applications of CPT prodrugs are discussed. Finally, challenges and future research directions for CPT nano‐prodrugs are discussed. This review to be valuable to readers engaged in prodrug research is expected.
Verteporfin‐Loaded Bioadhesive Nanoparticles for the Prevention of Hypertrophic Scar
Authors: Wang Peng , Peng Zhangwen , Yu Liu , Liu Yiling , Wang Hanwen , Zhou Ziheng , Liu Hengdeng , Hong Sheng , Nie Yichu , Deng Yang , Liu Yang , Xie Julin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHypertrophic scarring (HS) is a common skin injury complication with unmet needs. Verteporfin (VP) should be an ideal HS‐targeted therapeutic drug due to its efficient fibrosis and angiogenesis inhibitory abilities. However, its application is restricted by its side effects such as dose‐dependent cytotoxicity on normal cells. Herein, the bioadhesive nanoparticles encapsulated VP (VP/BNPs) are successfully developed to attenuate the side effects of VP and enhance its HS inhibition effects by limiting VP releasing slowly and stably in the lesion site but not diffusing easily to normal tissues. VP/BNPs displayed significant inhibition on the proliferation, migration, collagen deposition, and vessel formation of human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (HSFBs) and dermal vascular endothelial cells (HDVECs). In a rat tail HS model, VP/BNPs treated HS exhibits dramatic scar repression with almost no side effects compared with free VP or VP‐loaded non‐bioadhesive nanoparticles (VP/NNPs) administration. Further immunofluorescence analysis on scar tissue serial sections validated VP/BNPs effectively inhibited the collagen deposition and angiogenesis by firmly confined in the scar tissue and persistently releasing VP targeted to nucleus Yes‐associated protein (nYAP) of HSFBs and HDVECs. These findings collectively suggest that VP/BNPs can be a promising and technically advantageous agent for HS therapies.
Robust nonparametric estimation of average treatment effects: A propensity score‐based varying coefficient approach
Authors: Tian Zhaoqing , Wu Peng , Yang Zixin , Cai Dingjiao , Hu Qirui 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWe present a novel nonparametric approach for estimating average treatment effects (ATEs), addressing a fundamental challenge in causal inference research, both in theory and empirical studies. Our method offers an effective solution to mitigate the instability problem caused by propensity scores close to zero or one, which are commonly encountered in (augmented) inverse probability weighting approaches. Notably, our method is straightforward to implement and does not depend on outcome model specification. We introduce an estimator for ATE and establish its consistency and asymptotic normality through rigorous analysis. To demonstrate the robustness of our method against extreme propensity scores, we conduct an extensive simulation study. Additionally, we apply our proposed methods to estimate the impact of social activity disengagement on cognitive ability using a nationally representative cohort study. Furthermore, we extend our proposed method to estimate the ATE on the treated population.
Electromechanical analysis of a bending‐torsion coupling piezoelectric energy harvester
Authors: Zhang Taotao , Wang Linda , Liu Wende 
Published: December 2023

SummaryPiezoelectric energy harvester devices have been widely used for collection of the vibration energy. Especially, the cantilever structure has been extensively studied to optimizing its energy harvesting performance. In this paper, a new type of bending torsion coupled piezoelectric energy harvester is proposed with the combination of the elastic connection and the optimized design of the eccentric mass. The energy harvesting performance under indirect impact load is analyzed by the theory of mechanical vibration and Hamiltonian principle. The geometry effect of the tip mass is investigated. The theoretical calculation method is verified by comparison with the finite element method. The results show that reasonable resistance selection and the frequency matching of the main structure and the energy capture structure will significantly change the energy harvesting effect. The frequency matching of the structures can be optimized by improving the eccentric arrangement. It is demonstrated that the proposed structure of the piezoelectric energy harvester has better energy harvesting efficiency as compared with the traditional structures.
Use of mirtazapine in the treatment of canine behaviour problems: A review of 32 cases
Authors: Argüelles Juan , Duque Blanca , Miralles Marina , Bowen Jonathan , Fatjo Jaume 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundCanine behaviour problems seen by speciality behavioural medicine services often involve chronic anxiety disorders that have resulted in maladaptation of the individual to its environment. Common stressors include the presence of other individuals (other dogs or people), noise and being alone. The treatment of these behavioural problems usually includes a combination of behaviour modification, environmental modification and biological therapies. Within the latter, anxiolytic drugs such as clomipramine or fluoxetine have proven useful.MethodsHere, we present a retrospectively analysed series of 32 cases that were treated with the anxiolytic drug mirtazapine, which is widely used in human medicine but has not previously been reported for the treatment of behavioural problems in dogs (although it is marketed as an appetite stimulant in cats). Cases included dogs with a range of anxiety‐related behavioural problems.ResultsEighty‐one percent of dogs that presented with a behavioural problem showed improvement and suspected adverse effects were mild and tolerable.LimitationsFurther studies are required to isolate this result from the other therapeutic measures and to compare its efficacy with other drugs.ConclusionMirtazapine appears to be a suitable and safe option for the treatment of anxiety‐related behavioural problems in dogs.
Synthetic turbulence modelling for offshore wind farm engineering models using coherence aggregation
Authors: Chabaud Valentin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractTurbulent wind fields are known to be a major driver for structural loads and power fluctuations on offshore wind turbines. At the single‐turbine scale, there exist well‐established design standards based on wind spectra and coherence functions calibrated from years of measurements, which are used to generate multiple 10‐min wind field realisations known as synthetic turbulence boxes, themselves used as input to turbine‐scale aero‐hydro‐servo elastic codes. These methods are however not directly applicable at farm scale. When analysing the dynamics of large offshore wind farms, measurements reveal the importance of large, low‐frequency turbulent vortices for power fluctuations and hence for wind farm control and grid integration. Also, farm‐scale wind fields are needed as input to farm‐scale aero‐servo‐elastic codes for the modelling of wake dynamics, affecting structural loads. These new concerns motivate an upgrade in the original turbine‐scale wind field representation: (1) spectral models need to be based on farm‐scale measurements, (2) the frozen‐turbulence assumption merging temporal and along‐wind coherence must be lifted, (3) simplifications are needed to reduce the number of degrees of freedom as the domain becomes excessively large. This paper suggests models and algorithms for aggregated farm‐wide corrrelated synthetic turbulence generation—lumping the wind field into space‐averaged quantities—adapted to the aero‐hydro‐servo elastic modelling of large offshore wind farms. Starting from the work of Sørensen et al. in the early 2000s for grid integration purposes, methods for structural load modelling (through wake meandering and high‐resolution wind field reconstruction) are introduced. Implementation and efficiency matters involving mathematical subtleties are then presented. Finally, numerical experiments are carried out to (1) verify the approach and implementation against a state‐of‐the‐art point‐based—as opposite to aggregated—synthetic turbulence generation code and (2) illustrate the benefit of turbulence aggregation for the modelling of large offshore wind farms.
Estimating the effort required to detect Kirtland's snakes (Clonophis kirtlandii)
Authors: Stewart Tyler M. , Kuhns Andrew R. , Phillips Christopher A. , Crawford John A. , Dreslik Michael J. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSnakes are difficult to study due to their cryptic coloration, minimal movements, and use of inaccessible habitats. Although well‐timed surveys during a species' active season can result in higher detection rates and conserve survey resources (i.e., time and money), survey effort may not ensure the detection of rare and cryptic species. Thus, in such instances, a strategic species‐specific sampling design is needed. The Kirtland's snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) is a rare, cryptic species assumed to be experiencing range‐wide declines. Naturalists have noted the disappearance of Kirtland's snakes from various habitats since the early 1970s. The primary objective of our study was to determine detection of Kirtland's snakes and the environmental and temporal factors influencing detection. We calculated the effort needed to detect individuals at sites by estimating detection probabilities of 3 known Kirtland's snake populations in Illinois from 2019 to 2021. Based on 77 Kirtland's snake detections over 226 site visits (34.1%) across 3 study sites, we found that high cloud cover, moderate air temperature, and low relative humidity enhanced the detection probability of this species. The middle of May to the beginning of July was the best time to conduct surveys when detection rates were highest. As our results suggested, it is imperative to establish strategic monitoring programs maximizing conservation resources to document populations for conservation action and range shifts for species of conservation concern, such as Kirtland's snakes.
Comparative responses of flocculating and nonflocculating yeasts to cell density and chemical stress in lactic acid fermentation
Authors: Pangestu Radityo , Kahar Prihardi , Ogino Chiaki , Kondo Akihiko 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWhile flocculation has demonstrated its efficacy in enhancing yeast robustness and ethanol production, its potential application for lactic acid fermentation remains largely unexplored. Our study examined the differences between flocculating and nonflocculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains in terms of their metabolic dynamics when incorporating an exogenous lactic acid pathway, across varying cell densities and in the presence of lignocellulose‐derived byproducts. Comparative gene expression profiles revealed that cultivating a nonflocculant strain at higher cell density yielded a substantial upregulation of genes associated with glycolysis, energy metabolism, and other key pathways, resulting in elevated levels of fermentation products. Meanwhile, the flocculating strain displayed an inherent ability to sustain high glycolytic activity regardless of the cell density. Moreover, our investigation revealed a significant reduction in glycolytic activity under chemical stress, potentially attributable to diminished ATP supply during the energy investment phase. Conversely, the formation of flocs in the flocculating strain conferred protection against toxic chemicals present in the medium, fostering more stable lactic acid production levels. Additionally, the distinct flocculation traits observed between the two examined strains may be attributed to variations in the nucleotide sequences of the flocculin genes and their regulators. This study uncovers the potential of flocculation for enhanced lactic acid production in yeast, offering insights into metabolic mechanisms and potential gene targets for strain improvement.
Influence of Marangoni convection, viscous dissipation, and variable fluid viscosity of nanofluid flow on stretching surface analytical analysis
Authors: Rehman Ali , Khun Ma Chau , Alsubaie Abdullah Saad , Inc Mustafa 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe current research paper investigates the viscous dissipation, influence of Marangoni convection (MC), and the variable fluid viscosity of nanofluid flow on stretching surfaces. The flow system takes into account variable viscosity with the impact of MC. Furthermore, velocity and temperature slips at the stretching surface are also considered in this study. To convert a collection of NLPDE to a NODE, we applied appropriate transformations. We utilize Homotopy analysis method (HAM) to solve this set of equations. The effects of temperature, tangential, and radial velocities on numerical perceptions involving Marangoni convection, nanoparticle volume friction, porosity parameter, Eckert number (EN) and heat source input factors are shown. A physical description is used to simulate and evaluate the structures of flow features such as velocity and temperature profiles in response to changes in developing factors. Based on the given result, we can observe that the temperature profile increases as EN and the heat source parameter increase, and that the velocity profile decreases as MC increases and increases with the porosity parameter.
Spiritual Crossings: Olokun and Caribbean Futures Past in La Mucama de Omicunlé by Rita Indiana
Authors: Deckman Joshua R. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis chapter explores Yoruba divination systems as complex systems of patakís meant to aid in the healing process in the dystopian island geographies of Rita Indiana’s La Mucama de Omicunlé. Specifically, the chapter explores this concept through the figure of Olokun, guardian of stories and mysteries of creation who resides at the bottom of the sea. What is more, Olokun provides the stories necessary to reflect upon how we might be transformed by our past, present, and futures at the crossroads of being in diaspora. In this way, the chapter demonstrates the transformative time-space of Olokun as a radical figure of decolonial yearning in order to move away from the replication of colonial racial-gender-sexual-economic violence that has torn apart the fictional, dystopian world time and again in order to repair ourselves and move forward toward a new future of liberation, one that will emerge from the spatio-temporal crossroads opened by the forgotten mysteries of the sea.
Fiction as a Spider’s Web? Ananse and Gender in Karen Lord’s Speculative Folktale Redemption in Indigo
Authors: Zimmerman Tegan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractKaren Lord’s speculative folktale Redemption in Indigo (2010) engages the other-wordly or un-worldly to explore Caribbean social justice issues such as race, gender, and class inequality. Demonstrating her trickster powers, Lord merges folk gods and hero(ines) from different African traditions, for example Akan, Ashanti, Xhosa, and Karamba, with those found in Caribbean cultures. This syncretic textual strategy not only emphasizes the subversive, liminal qualities of both Ananse, the African-Caribbean folk figure, and Anansesem in challenging colonial metanarratives of time and space that have erased, denigrated, or falsely represented the African-Caribbean woman but also critiques masculinist versions of Ananse and traditionally male-dominated Anansesem. By contrast, Lord’s antipatriarchal, anticolonial account foregrounds Ananse’s feminine qualities and empowered female figures: the nonbinary storyteller, the heroine Paama, and the goddess Atabey. In doing so, Lord offers a new futuristic, feminocentric Ananse story whose weblike concentric patterns interweave the African past with the Caribbean present, the ancestral homeland with the diaspora.
When the Tout-Monde Is Not One: Maryse Condé’s Problematic ‘World-in-Motion’ in Les belles ténébreuses (2008) and Le fabuleux et triste destin d’Ivan et Ivana (2017)
Authors: Orlando Valérie K. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn the 1980s and 1990s, Edouard Glissant defined his “relational philosophy,” which was useful in describing the importance of movement and discovery in the Francophone text. At the end of the twentieth century, Glissant’s Tout-Monde contributed to a theoretical framework for thinking about a physical world and a body of literature made in motion and from positive encounters. However, in our current era, where free-circulation, mobility and exchange have become compromised, more pessimistic narratives have emerged. Guadeloupean Maryse Condé’s novels Les belles ténébreuses (2008) and Le fabuleux et triste destin d’Ivan et Ivana (2017) reflect the apprehension and pessimism of the current chaotic “world-in-motion,” which Arjun Appadurai defines as an unequal world that blocks the multitudes of unprivileged from being able to confront the sociocultural, economic and political “disjunctures” of transnationalism. This chapter analyzes how Condé’s novels reveal skepticism with respect to Glissantian ideals about Relation in the Tout-Monde of exchange. The fundamental questions she asks in her radical remapping of Glissantian philosophy in her novels demonstrate a concern that positive mobility, transnationalism, human contact and exchange are illusions in the angst of our era as we witness the increasing global tensions of our age.
Results: The Relationship Between Intercultural and Pragmatic Competence
Authors: Schauer Gila A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this chapter, I analyse and discuss questions 7a and 7b of the survey given to language teachers; these two questions focus on the relationship between intercultural competence and pragmatic competence in language learning. I begin with question 7a: Are you familiar with pragmatic competence? Teachers were provided with three possible answer options: yes, no and don’t know. I then analyse and discuss the results of question 7b: For the purposes of this questionnaire, pragmatic competence in an L2 will be defined as a person’s ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in a second or foreign language (L2) and to comprehend the L2 even if indirect or conventional expressions are used. How are intercultural competence and pragmatic competence connected in your view? Teachers could select one of two preset answers (They are different concepts that are not connected or Pragmatic competenceis part of intercultural competence); alternatively they could type their own views in a free-text field or choose don’t know.
Results: Intercultural Competence and Gender-Neutral Language
Authors: Schauer Gila A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this chapter, I address research questions 8a, 8b and 8c from the survey given to language teachers; these questions focus on gender-neutral language. I begin with question 8a, which asked the teachers: Do gender-neutral expressions or pronouns exist in the L2 you are teaching? Teachers were provided with four possible preset answers—yes, no, don’t know and no comment—plus a free-text option so that they could type their own alternative response. Teachers who selected no, don’t know or no comment were then asked to proceed to the next question block (i.e., question 9). Teachers who provided an affirmative answer to question 8a were asked to continue on to question 8b, which asked: If gender-neutral language options exist in your L2, do you teach them? Teachers who answered yes to this as well were then asked to proceed to question 8c (If you are teaching gender-neutral language options, you can share your reasons for doing so here), while teachers who answered no were asked to proceed to question 8d (If you are not teaching gender-neutral forms, you can share your reasons for not doing so here). Both 8c and 8d had free-text answers.
Emergence, Downward Causation, and Interlevel Integrative Explanations
Authors: Santos Gil 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this article, I propose a unified account of systemic emergence, downward causation, and interlevel integrative explanations. First, I argue for a relational-transformational notion of emergence and a structural-relational account of downward causation in terms of both its transformational and conditioning effects. In my view, downward causation can avoid the problems traditionally attributed to it, provided that we are able to reconceptualize the notion of ‘whole’ and that form of causality in a purely relational way. In this regard, I distinguish contextual or whole-to-part causation from downward causation, the latter defined by the existence of second-order structural relations. Finally, I argue that while emergence and downward-structural causation imply the in-principle failure of micro-determinism and therefore micro-reduction, they do not rule out the possibility of any type of explanation. On the contrary, they call for the development of interlevel integrative explanations.