bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Performing excellence and gender balance in higher education
Authors: Lagesen Vivian Anette , Suboticki Ivana 
Published: December 2023

AbstractUniversities are expected to strive for excellence but also for gender balance. Narrow interpretations of excellence in universities hinder women’s advancement in academia. In this paper, we ask if there are ways that these policies may be reconciled. Excellence is an “empty signifier” that must be filled with meaning. We have investigated how Heads of Departments enact “excellence” and gender balance in hiring processes in four Norwegian universities. Many HoD argued for broadening excellence criteria and framed excellence as a collective rather than an individual concern. This allows for reconciling top-down institutional demands for excellence and diversity while catering to local needs. Thus, our paper suggests that in a context where increased diversity among faculty is called for, this may open up a space for critical reflection about the criteria for assessing academic quality.
193Ir nuclear forward scattering of an iridium(I) complex
Authors: Hoock Maren H. , Leupold Olaf , Haag Alexander , Omlor Andreas , Steinbrügge Rene , Sergueev Ilya , Röhlsberger Ralf , Krüger Hans-Jörg , Wolny Juliusz A. , Schünemann Volker 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSynchrotron based nuclear forward scattering (NFS) experiments using the 193Ir nucleus have been performed for the first time on a dinuclear iridium(I) complex, [IrCl(COD)]2 with COD being cycloocta-1,5-diene. This complex serves as a catalyst for hydrogenation and other chemical reactions. Both, the obtained absolute values of the isomer shift $$\delta =0.87 \ {\text{mm s}}^{-1}$$

δ
=
0.87

mm s

-
1

and the quadrupole splitting $$\varDelta {E}_{Q}=3.82 \ {\text{mm s}}^{-1}$$

Δ

E
Q

=
3.82

mm s

-
1

agree within the experimental error with values obtained via conventional 193Ir Mössbauer spectroscopy reported earlier (Gál M. et al. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 260 (1) 2004, 133). In addition, we present density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the complex yielding its electronic structure and related Mössbauer parameters.
An update on the secretory functions of brown, white, and beige adipose tissue: Towards therapeutic applications
Authors: Ghesmati Zeinab , Rashid Mohsen , Fayezi Shabnam , Gieseler Frank , Alizadeh Effat , Darabi Masoud 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAdipose tissue, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), and beige adipose tissue, is vital in modulating whole-body energy metabolism. While WAT primarily stores energy, BAT dissipates energy as heat for thermoregulation. Beige adipose tissue is a hybrid form of adipose tissue that shares characteristics with WAT and BAT. Dysregulation of adipose tissue metabolism is linked to various disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and infertility. Both brown and beige adipocytes secrete multiple molecules, such as batokines, packaged in extracellular vesicles or as soluble signaling molecules that play autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine roles. A greater understanding of the adipocyte secretome is essential for identifying novel molecular targets in treating metabolic disorders. Additionally, microRNAs show crucial roles in regulating adipose tissue differentiation and function, highlighting their potential as biomarkers for metabolic disorders. The browning of WAT has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach in treating obesity and associated metabolic disorders. Many browning agents have been identified, and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have been developed to enhance their efficacy. This review scrutinizes the characteristics of and differences between white, brown, and beige adipose tissues, the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the adipocytes, the significant roles of batokines, and regulatory microRNAs active in different adipose tissues. Finally, the potential of WAT browning in treating obesity and atherosclerosis, the relationship of BAT with cancer and fertility disorders, and the crosstalk between adipose tissue with circadian system and circadian disorders are also investigated.
The impact of green finance and local regulations on industrial green innovation efficiency in China
Authors: Xia YiHan , Luo LuYi , Ji KaiWen , Huang Chao , Wan Fei , Wang ZhiGang 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWhen the incentive mechanism of green finance fails to fully promote green technology innovation in industrial enterprises, local government environmental regulations become an important tool in correcting this market failure. However, due to the “follow the cost” hypothesis, the moderating effect of the local government environmental regulation is heterogeneous. In order to explore the impact mechanism of green finance development on the efficiency of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises, spatial effects as well as the heterogeneous moderating effect of local government environmental regulation, this paper systematically evaluates the development level of green finance in 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2019. It estimates the efficiency of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises using the super-efficiency SBM model, and empirically analyzes the impact mechanism and moderating effect using the spatial Durbin model. The results show that: (1) green finance not only positively impacts the efficiency improvement of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises but also has significant spatial spillover effects; (2) local government environmental regulation has a nonlinear “inverted U-shaped” moderating effect between the green finance development and the efficiency of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises. Based on the research conclusions, this paper proposes policy recommendations from the perspectives of deepening the regional connectivity of green finance and promoting joint regulation by local governments.
A comparative study of accuracy in major adaptive filters for motion artifact removal in sleep apnea tests
Authors: Chen Yongrui , Zheng Yurui , Johnson Sam , Wiffen Richard , Yang Bin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSleep apnea is probably the most common respiratory disorder; respiration and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) are major concerns in sleep apnea and are also the two main parameters checked by polysomnography (PSG, the gold standard for diagnosing sleep apnea). In this study, we used a simple, non-invasive monitoring system based on photoplethysmography (PPG) to continuously monitor SpO2 and heart rate (HR) for individuals at home. Various breathing experiments were conducted to investigate the relationship between SpO2, HR, and apnea under different conditions, where two techniques (empirical formula and customized formula) for calculating SpO2 and two methods (resting HR and instantaneous HR) for assessing HR were compared. Various adaptive filters were implemented to compare the effectiveness in removing motion artifacts (MAs) during the tests. This study fills the gap in the literature by comparing the performance of different adaptive filters on estimating SpO2 and HR during apnea. The results showed that up-down finger motion introduced more MA than left-right motion, and the errors in SpO2 estimation were increased as the frequency of movement was increased; due to the low sampling frequency features of these tests, the insertion of adaptive filter increased the noise in the data instead of eliminating the MA for SpO2 estimation; the normal least mean squares (NLMS) filter is more effective in removing MA in HR estimation than other filters.
Graphical abstract
ASCO 2023: highlights in breast cancer
Authors: Bartsch Rupert 
Published: December 2023

SummaryThe 2023 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) was again held in June 2023 in Chicago. While not immediately practice changing, results from several interesting studies in the field of breast cancer (BC) were reported. In the phase III NATALEE trial, the addition of 3 years of ribociclib to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy resulted in a significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival (iDFS), making this the second positive study of CDK4/6 inhibitors in the adjuvant setting. A subgroup analysis from the MONARCHe trial indicated sustained benefit of adjuvant abemaciclib in the subset of patients with low dose intensity. Long-term outcome of the neoadjuvant phase II PHERgain trial indicated excellent iDFS results in patients receiving neoadjuvant trastuzumab and pertuzumab without chemotherapy based upon PET metabolic response as a dynamic biomarker. In a biomarker analysis from the SOFT trial, more high-risk tumors were observed in the very young patient subset, while the PAM50 risk-of-recurrence score was not predictive for benefit of ovarian function suppression. A large retrospective analysis evaluated the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in small, node-negative triple-negative breast cancer. A clear benefit for chemotherapy was only seen in tumors > 10 mm of size. In metastatic HR-positive breast cancer, the PALMIRA trial with palbociclib beyond progression yielded negative results. An update from the PADA-1 trial again indicates the promising role of repeated liquid biopsies for treatment guidance in metastatic disease. Patritumab deruxtecan, a HER3-directed antibody–drug conjugate yielded promising response rates in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients. In addition, several retrospective analyses focused on the important question of treatment sequencing.
State of the art of passenger redirection during incidents in public transport systems, considering capacity constraints
Authors: Bachmann Frederik R. , Tsakarestos Antonios , Busch Fritz , Bogenberger Klaus 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis paper gives a comprehensive insight into the investigations done in passenger redirection during incidents in public transport systems. In public transport operations, incidents such as traffic accidents, deployment of emergency forces, or technical failures happen every day and disrupt the service. Most of the investigations done in the field of incident management focus on the readjustment of the supply towards the incident situation and are therefore referred to as supply-centric part of incident management. However, especially in recent years, more and more investigations have also been done on the passenger-centric part of incident management. These rather focus on the effects of incidents on passengers or even include them in the solution of the incident situation, either by informing them adequately about the given situation (passive redirection) or by providing them with concrete path advice (active redirection). The results show that adequate passenger information during incidents can reduce the average delay of affected passengers and support the recovery of the public transport system. This improves the reliability of a public transport system and boosts its attractiveness.
Clopidogrel-loaded vascular grafts prepared using digital light processing 3D printing
Authors: Adhami Masoud , Picco Camila J. , Detamornrat Usanee , Anjani Qonita K. , Cornelius Victoria A. , Robles-Martinez Pamela , Margariti Andriana , Donnelly Ryan F. , Domínguez-Robles Juan , Larrañeta Eneko 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe leading cause of death worldwide and a significant factor in decreased quality of life are the cardiovascular diseases. Endovascular operations like angioplasty, stent placement, or atherectomy are often used in vascular surgery to either dilate a narrowed blood artery or remove a blockage. As an alternative, a vascular transplant may be utilised to replace or bypass a dysfunctional or blocked blood vessel. Despite the advancements in endovascular surgery and its popularisation over the past few decades, vascular bypass grafting remains prevalent and is considered the best option for patients in need of long-term revascularisation treatments. Consequently, the demand for synthetic vascular grafts composed of biocompatible materials persists. To address this need, biodegradable clopidogrel (CLOP)-loaded vascular grafts have been fabricated using the digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technique. A mixture of polylactic acid-polyurethane acrylate (PLA-PUA), low molecular weight polycaprolactone (L-PCL), and CLOP was used to achieve the required mechanical and biological properties for vascular grafts. The 3D printing technology provides precise detail in terms of shape and size, which lead to the fabrication of customised vascular grafts. The fabricated vascular grafts were fully characterised using different techniques, and finally, the drug release was evaluated. Results suggested that the performed 3D-printed small-diameter vascular grafts containing the highest CLOP cargo (20% w/w) were able to provide a sustained drug release for up to 27 days. Furthermore, all the CLOP-loaded 3D-printed materials resulted in a substantial reduction of the platelet deposition across their surface compared to the blank materials containing no drug. Haemolysis percentage for all the 3D-printed samples was lower than 5%. Moreover, 3D-printed materials were able to provide a supportive environment for cellular attachment, viability, and growth. A substantial increase in cell growth was detected between the blank and drug-loaded grafts.
Graphical Abstract
Use of Additives in Composting Promotes Passivation and Reduction in Bioavailability of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Compost
Authors: Ejileugha Chisom , Onyegbule Uzoma Oluchi , Osuoha Justice Obinna 
Published: December 2023

AbstractComposting influences heavy metal (HM) speciation by transforming the exchangeable and reducible forms of HMs to oxidisable and residual forms, promoting the redistribution of HMs to a more stable form thereby reducing their mobility, leachability, and bioavailability. This enhances HM passivation hence reducing environmental contamination and possible HM-related toxicity. In this review, we explored the impact of additives/ameliorants on HM passivation during composting and the reduction in HM bioavailability in compost. Using additives in composting improved the passivation of HMs and reduced the bioavailability through several mechanisms. Additives may not reduce total HM concentration but reduce the bioavailable concentration, which is of importance in risk assessment. However, vermicomposting is exceptional, as it reduces total HM concentration. Improving humification and microbial activity is at the heart of HM passivation in composting. Overall, conditions and substances that promote humification, thermophilic phase, and improve microbial community structure enhance HM passivation in compost. Combining suitable composting additives depending on HMs of interest and vermicomposting the final compost is most likely to yield the best result in reducing HM bioavailability cum total concentration to achieve a safe final product.
Achieving sustainable built-environment using bamboo composite frame system with cow-dung masonry infills
Authors: Bhalla Suresh , Singh Anuj , Bhagat Diwakar , West Roger 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn today's rapidly urbanizing world, there is dire need for adopting the principles of green/ sustainable built-environment so as to mitigate the ill effects of environmental degradation and climate change. However, demand for housing is on rise in developing countries like India, where sizeable population, especially the low-income strata, still lacks decent quality structurally safe housing. Extensive use of concrete and steel in construction over more than a century has led to detrimental environmental effects such uncontrolled release of greenhouse gases/ pollutants, deforestation and erosion, leading to now visible outcomes of climate change. Bamboo, on other hand provides a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel as a building material since it absorbs the atmospheric carbon dioxide, produces more oxygen than timber producing trees and is a lightweight and renewable building material. Unlike timber, it matures in four to five years and being grass family, is replenishable in nature. However, from structural point of view, the main drawback of bamboo culm is its large slenderness ratio, which renders it weak in resisting bending and compressive loads. This paper presents an alternate structural system utilizing fibre reinforced bamboo composite (FRBC) to overcome the structural deficiency of a single shoot bamboo and build a prototype structure after detailed laboratory evaluation and structural analysis. Structural elements made from FRBC are utilized for fabricating a prototype 3D frame structure, measuring about 24 m2 in plan, representing a modular unit amenable to horizontal and vertical expansion. Eco-friendly materials like cow-dung based bricks and mortar, which offer net zero additional carbon dioxide emissions and circumvent reliance on cement and river sand, have been utilized as masonry infills after structural evaluation. The built structure provides a proof-of-concept demonstration of the feasibility of using bamboo and cow-dung, sustainable building materials, for achieving a structurally safe built-environment. The technology is especially suitable for countries like India which are endowed with tropical climatic conditions. By adopting such environmentally friendly alternatives, the construction industry can create a healthier environment while addressing housing and infrastructure needs in sustainable manner.
A Model of Ganymede's Magnetic and Plasma Environment During the Juno PJ34 Flyby
Authors: Stahl Aaron , Addison Peter , Simon Sven , Liuzzo Lucas 
Published: December 2023

AbstractUsing a hybrid model (kinetic ions, fluid electrons), we provide context for plasma and magnetic field observations from Juno's PJ34 flyby of Ganymede on 07 June 2021. We consider five model configurations that successively increase the complexity of Ganymede's atmosphere and ionosphere by including additional particle species and ionization mechanisms. We examine the density and flow patterns of pick‐up ions with small , intermediate (H2O+), and large masses in Ganymede's interaction region. The results are validated by comparing the modeled magnetic field and ion densities against time series from Juno's magnetometer and plasma instruments. Our major findings are: (a) Ganymede's internal dipole dominated the magnetic field signature observed inside the moon's magnetosphere, while plasma currents shaped the field perturbations within the “wake” region detected along the Jupiter‐averted magnetopause. (b) Ganymede's pick‐up tail leaves a subtle, but clearly discernible imprint in the magnetic field downstream of the moon. (c) Heavy pick‐up ions dominate ionospheric outflow and form a tail with steep outer boundaries. (d) During the flyby, the position of Ganymede's Jupiter‐facing magnetopause varied in time due to Kelvin‐Helmholtz waves traveling along the boundary layer. As such, the location of the Jupiter‐facing magnetopause observed by Juno represents only a single snapshot of this time‐dependent process. (e) Ionospheric hydrogen ions are partially generated outside of Ganymede's magnetopause, forming a dilute corona that surrounds the moon's magnetosphere. (f) Most H2O+ ions are produced at low latitudes where field lines are closed, resulting in a very dilute pick‐up tail for this species.
General deep learning framework for emissivity engineering
Authors: Yu Shilv , Zhou Peng , Xi Wang , Chen Zihe , Deng Yuheng , Luo Xiaobing , Li Wangnan , Shiomi Junichiro , Hu Run 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWavelength-selective thermal emitters (WS-TEs) have been frequently designed to achieve desired target emissivity spectra, as a typical emissivity engineering, for broad applications such as thermal camouflage, radiative cooling, and gas sensing, etc. However, previous designs require prior knowledge of materials or structures for different applications and the designed WS-TEs usually vary from applications to applications in terms of materials and structures, thus lacking of a general design framework for emissivity engineering across different applications. Moreover, previous designs fail to tackle the simultaneous design of both materials and structures, as they either fix materials to design structures or fix structures to select suitable materials. Herein, we employ the deep Q-learning network algorithm, a reinforcement learning method based on deep learning framework, to design multilayer WS-TEs. To demonstrate the general validity, three WS-TEs are designed for various applications, including thermal camouflage, radiative cooling and gas sensing, which are then fabricated and measured. The merits of the deep Q-learning algorithm include that it can (1) offer a general design framework for WS-TEs beyond one-dimensional multilayer structures; (2) autonomously select suitable materials from a self-built material library and (3) autonomously optimize structural parameters for the target emissivity spectra. The present framework is demonstrated to be feasible and efficient in designing WS-TEs across different applications, and the design parameters are highly scalable in materials, structures, dimensions, and the target functions, offering a general framework for emissivity engineering and paving the way for efficient design of nonlinear optimization problems beyond thermal metamaterials.
Sleep spindle architecture associated with distinct clinical phenotypes in older adults at risk for dementia
Authors: Orlando Isabella F. , O’Callaghan Claire , Lam Aaron , McKinnon Andrew C. , Tan Joshua B. C. , Michaelian Johannes C. , Kong Shawn D. X. , D’Rozario Angela L. , Naismith Sharon L. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSleep spindles are a hallmark of non-REM sleep and play a fundamental role in memory consolidation. Alterations in these spindles are emerging as sensitive biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases of ageing. Understanding the clinical presentations associated with spindle alterations may help to elucidate the functional role of these distinct electroencephalographic oscillations and the pathophysiology of sleep and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we use a data-driven approach to examine the sleep, memory and default mode network connectivity phenotypes associated with sleep spindle architecture in older adults (mean age = 66 years). Participants were recruited from a specialist clinic for early diagnosis and intervention for cognitive decline, with a proportion showing mild cognitive deficits on neuropsychological testing. In a sample of 88 people who underwent memory assessment, overnight polysomnography and resting-state fMRI, a k-means cluster analysis was applied to spindle measures of interest: fast spindle density, spindle duration and spindle amplitude. This resulted in three clusters, characterised by preserved spindle architecture with higher fast spindle density and longer spindle duration (Cluster 1), and alterations in spindle architecture (Clusters 2 and 3). These clusters were further characterised by reduced memory (Clusters 2 and 3) and nocturnal hypoxemia, associated with sleep apnea (Cluster 3). Resting-state fMRI analysis confirmed that default mode connectivity was related to spindle architecture, although directionality of this relationship differed across the cluster groups. Together, these results confirm a diversity in spindle architecture in older adults, associated with clinically meaningful phenotypes, including memory function and sleep apnea. They suggest that resting-state default mode connectivity during the awake state can be associated with sleep spindle architecture; however, this is highly dependent on clinical phenotype. Establishing relationships between clinical and neuroimaging features and sleep spindle alterations will advance our understanding of the bidirectional relationships between sleep changes and neurodegenerative diseases of ageing.