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An Investigation into the Differentiation of Lactyllysine and Carboxyethyllysine Peptide Modifications by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
No full textPost-translational modifications (PTMs) are key drivers in the regulation of protein activity. Therefore, the ability to measure and identify them accurately is critical to understanding the function and regulation of these modifications. Nε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL) and lactyllysine (LactylLys) are two modifications that share the same chemical composition and thus mass shift, making traditional LC-MS/MS approaches unsuitable for distinguishing them. Standard LC-MS/MS approaches utilizing HCD show that both modifications display extremely similar fragmentation, with no distinguishing features observed for either modification. Furthermore, cyclic and linear immonium ions, which have recently been reported as unique to LactylLys, were also observed in MS/MS from carboxyethylated peptides. We show that carboxyethylated and lactylated peptides can be chromatographically resolved on in-house packed and commercial C18 columns, and retention time alignment with isotopically labeled peptides can be used for discrimination. Furthermore, we observed differences in the MS/MS spectra obtained from EAD fragmentation of the two PTM-containing peptides. Our results highlight the analytical challenges associated with distinguishing CEL- and LactylLys-modified peptides and provide a proof of concept in which retention time alignment of endogenous peptides with isotopically labeled standards and electron activated dissociation (EAD) fragmentation is applied to accurately assign lactylation at K147 of aldolase A across various cell lines/tissues.Leigh Donnellan, Clifford Young, Janik D. Seidel, Brock Peake, Darren Lau, Permal Deo, Peter Hoffman
Nothing Is Ever Neutral or Apolitical
No full textThis chapter critically explores the concept of neutrality in education, particularly within higher education, by examining the power dynamics that often underlie its use. While neutrality is often regarded as impartial, it frequently reinforces the existing power structures, especially in the gradual and irrevocable shift to neoliberalism in higher education. By considering the work of critical theorists such as Giroux, Chomsky, and Connell, I explore how universities have been transformed from institutions focused on working in the interest of society into market-driven entities that have, by definition, a very different set of goals. This shift, I argue, has redefined education as a commodity, prioritising profitability and competition over the core values of intellectual growth, equity, and social purpose. Reflecting on my academic journey, I examine how this transformation has reshaped institutional priorities, focusing on metrics and marketability at the expense of intellectual curiosity and critical inquiry. This commodification of education is not just a theoretical critique but a lived experience. I also address the challenges faced as a leader in navigating these tensions, advocating for equity-driven policies and a focus on transformative education. Ultimately, I suggest that, at least in higher education, it is impossible to be apolitical or neutral as the ever-powerful neoliberal framework restricts the ability of universities to provide education for the public good.Christopher Boyl
Fintech engagement by non-financial firms and the speed of capital structure adjustment
No full textAvailable online 28 November 2025Using a sample of Chinese A-share non-financial firms from 2013 to 2022, this paper empirically examines the impact of Fintech engagement on the speed of capital structure adjustment. The results show that firms engaging in Fintech activities significantly accelerate their capital structure adjustments, particularly when leverage is below the target level. Further heterogeneity analyses reveal that this positive effect is more pronounced in regions with stricter financial regulation, in firms with stronger financial affiliations, and among high-tech firms. In terms of adjustment mode, Fintech primarily facilitates capital structure adjustment by enhancing firms’ debt financing capacity. Mechanism tests indicate that Fintech alleviates financing frictions and reduces agency costs, thereby expediting dynamic capital structure adjustment. This study confirms the effectiveness of Fintech activities in non-financial firms and contributes to the literature by revealing their economic consequences.Bin Li, Jiawei Sun, Lei Xu, Fei Gu
Designing for Co-created, memorable experiences in sustainable wine tourism: The moderating roles of eco-certification confusion and offering type
No full textThis article examines how and when design characteristics (relational authenticity and visitor participation) influence word-of-mouth recommendations by co-creating memorable experiences in sustainable wine tourism. It also investigates the moderating effects of (1) visitor confusion about ecological certifications and (2) the type of wine tourism offering. Drawing on the S-O-R framework, we developed and tested six hypotheses using field survey data collected at three sustainability-oriented wine tourism sites offering distinct experiences. We found that experience memorability mediates the relationship between design characteristics and visitor recommendations. Moreover, eco-certification confusion and offering type partially moderate the effects of design characteristics on memorability. This study contributes to wine tourism research by: (1) identifying key design characteristics that enable the co-creation of a memorable experience and drive positive word-of-mouth; (2) demonstrating that eco-certification confusion amplifies the impact of relational authenticity on memorability; and (3) suggesting that different offerings require different design choices.Francois Durrieu, Frederic Ponsignon, David A. Jaud, Prof. Thierry Lore
Action beyond the sky high: Capital structure adjustment speed of Chinese space firms
No full textAvailable online 7 December 2025Space competition has been escalating in recent decades. The 2015 commercialization of Chinese space sector provides a quasi-natural experiment. We establish a positive link between commercialization and capital structure adjustment speed of space firms, especially when their capital structures are below target levels. Such a link is more pronounced among non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), firms in regions of stronger intellectual property protection or better financial inclusion. Improved access to financial resources at lower cost, public scrutiny, and internal motivation underlie the impact. Furthermore, space commercialization enhances firms’ innovation performance and total factor productivity (TFP) by accelerating their capital structure adjustment, thereby promoting the development of the real economy. This study may enrich discussion over commercialization of the space sector and effectiveness of China’s market economy.Fei Guo, Lei Xu, Bin Li, Jiawei Sun, Zixuan Da
Effect of mechanical activation on nickel and cobalt extraction in refractory nickel laterite ore
No full textThe kinetics of atmospheric stirred tank leaching of nickel and cobalt from complex, low grade laterite ores at low to moderate temperatures are inherently slow, warranting efficacious strategies for improvement. In this work, the effect of mechanical activation as a pre-treatment method on pulp acid leaching behaviour of cobalt and nickel from low-grade goethitic nickel laterite ore was studied. At pH 1, 70 °C, and 4 h H2SO4 leaching, Ni and Co recoveries for the 60 min mechanically activated sample both increased by a factor of ∼2, achieving ∼15 % recovery. Extended leaching times further improved recoveries, with Ni and Co extractions reaching ∼63 % and ∼ 72 %, respectively, for the MA sample, compared to ∼39 % and ∼ 54 % for the as-received sample. At higher acid concentrations and temperatures, Ni and Co recoveries exceeded 90 % for the MA sample due to enhanced leaching kinetics. The study demonstrates that phase alterations, induced by mechanical activation, and concomitant increase in surface area significantly improved leaching efficiency. However, increased acid consumption was observed due to gangue leaching. These findings highlight the potential of stirred milling-based mechanical activation as a scalable pre-treatment method to enhance nickel and cobalt recovery from refractory laterite ores while addressing kinetic limitations in atmospheric leaching processes
Priority Populations in Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions: A Scoping Review
No full textFirst published: 15 October 2025Background Childhood obesity disproportionately affects priority populations, including racial and ethnic minority groups and those with lower socio-economic backgrounds. These groups often encounter barriers to accessing public health services and may benefit from targeted interventions. Objective This scoping review aimed to identify the characteristics of populations involved in interventions to prevent early childhood obesity and to understand whether and how existing interventions targeted and reached priority populations. Methods Databases and trial registries were systematically searched until 4 October 2024, for planned, ongoing, and completed randomised controlled trials evaluating parent-focussed, behavioural interventions for childhood obesity prevention, starting within the first year of life. Two reviewers independently extracted data using a customised tool. Results Of the 11 960 articles identified, 82 trials were eligible. Most trials (87%) were conducted (or planned) in high-income countries, 11% in upper middle-income countries, and 2% in lower middle-income countries. Priority populations included parent–child dyads from specific ethnic or racial groups facing psychological, social, and/or economic disadvantages. Among the completed trials, 54% targeted priority populations, yet only 33% exclusively enrolled participants from these groups. Additionally, less than a quarter of the trials involved priority populations in the design of interventions (17%) and developed tailored interventions for these groups (21%). Conclusions Current interventions do not sufficiently target, reach and engage priority populations. To achieve health equity in early childhood obesity prevention, it is essential to include underserved and at-risk populations in research and intervention design.Talia Palacios, Kylie E. Hunter, Brittany J. Johnson, Sol Libesman, Nipun Shrestha, H. Shonna Yin, Jonathan G. Williams, Anna Lene Seidle
An unobtrusive approach to modelling team cohesion and collaboration in ecological classroom settings
No full textLink to a related website: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1946-840X, ORCID profile - Azad, ArslanBackground: Cohesion and collaboration, particularly in K-12 settings, emerge as emergent phenomena, yet due to challenges in conducting classroom analytics studies in ecological settings, existing research mainly focuses on surveys. This calls for investigating cohesion in ecological settings to obtain insights directly applicable to students.
Aims: To derive ecologically valid insights into the emergent processes of cohesion and collaboration, this study analyses engagement, turn-taking, member influence and participation imbalance (using weighted eigenvector centrality) exhibited in audio of student conversations at both individual and group levels, which allows for inter-group and intra-group comparisons.
Sample: Participants were 16 school (K-12) students.
Methods: Participants were randomly divided into four groups. High-frequency communication exchanges were recorded for each group using an analog audio recorder. The audio was transcribed and analysed using an adaptation of Social Network Analysis with segmented nodes.
Results: Consistent with findings in educational and organisational psychology literature on teamwork, the results indicate that task cohesion relates to group performance in terms of task completion. We find that social cohesion patterns are dynamic and reflect evolving group dynamics through variations in turn-taking, influence, engagement and disengagement.
Conclusion: The study offers a conceptualisation of cohesion in ecological settings and demonstrates an approach to analysing cohesion and collaboration using audio data in authentic classrooms
Biomimetic silk fibroin meshes for regenerative soft tissue repair: multiscale evaluation of a spatiotemporally active scaffold
No full textData source: supplementary data, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214435Background: To address traditional/commercial surgical meshes linked complications like fibrosis, seroma, and bacterial infections, this study highlights the benefits of using lightweight, large-pore, all natural material meshes for abdominal wall healing, soft tissue repair and regeneration.
Method: This study presents a first-of-its-kind approach combining hand-knitted silk fibroin (SF) meshes with spin-assisted dip-coated biopolymer–phytochemical composites for soft tissue repair. The multifunctional mesh fabricated via a sustainable crochet method- weft hand-knitted silk fibroin (SF) meshes was surface-functionalized with spin-assisted dip biopolymer–phytochemical coatings. 5 % natural extracts (LE and BE) replace antibiotics, providing antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects without toxicity. Tailored 12 % PHBV, PLA, and PCL coatings enable controlled drug release and extended degradation aligned with tissue repair. These modified meshes were analyzed in four phases i.e. material characterization, in silico assessments, in vitro testing, and in vivo analysis.
Results: Among the variants, PHBV modified meshes as an efficient drug delivery system with reduced pore size and increased fiber diameter (623.9 ± 66.7 μm and 12.1 ± 2.9 μm respectively). Specifically PHBV-LE emerged as the most effective composite with release kinetics of 70.4 % showing intermediate release of LE mediating the potent antimicrobial character. The PHBV-LE variant was a superior candidate with pore size promoting fibroblast proliferation (121.5 %), effective cell attachment, wound closure (88.27 %), and highly significant gene upregulation of key wound-healing markers (MMP3, FGF-1, TGFβ-1). In vivo analysis in rat models (Dawley) showed accelerated tissue integration and collagen deposition, indicating effective tissue repair and regeneration by PHBV-LE.
Conclusion: These meshes exhibited excellent material, antibacterial, and wound-healing properties, with lightweight structure, optimal pore size, and efficient drug delivery. Among all biomimetic SF composites, PHBV-LE emulates superior native extracellular matrix features, serving as multifunctional platforms for soft tissue repair and in vitro therapeutic evaluation
Preconception lifestyle interventions for women-a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention characteristics and behaviour change techniques
No full textAdvance Access Publication Date: August 22, 2025Background: The time before conception is an important opportunity to improve maternal lifestyle, and hence improve fertility and health. However, the components of effective preconception lifestyle interventions are unclear. Objective and Rationale: This review aimed to assess the association of intervention characteristics and behaviour change techniques with the effect of lifestyle interventions on fertility, obstetric, foetal, anthropometric, and metabolic outcomes in women planning a pregnancy. Understanding the optimal components of preconception lifestyle interventions is essential to improve success of future interventions. Search Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL (6 December 2024). We included randomized controlled trials on women planning a pregnancy which assessed the effect of lifestyle intervention compared to standard minimal care or no intervention on fertility, obstetric, foetal, anthropometric, and metabolic outcomes. We performed random-effects meta-analysis with subgroup analysis based on participant characteristics, intervention characteristics (using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) framework), and behaviour change techniques (using the Behaviour Change Taxonomy v1). We assessed trustworthiness (using the Trustworthiness in Randomised Controlled Trials (TRACT) checklist), risk of bias (using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool), and certainty of the evidence (using the GRADE approach). Outcomes: Following eligibility screening and trustworthiness assessments, we included 24 studies (n=7795 women), of which the majority were conducted in high-income countries (79%) and studied women with infertility (67%). Risk of bias was low for seven studies, some concerns for 15 studies and high for two studies. Overall, there was no difference in clinical pregnancy (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.06 [0.84, 1.35], I²=24.22%) or live birth (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.17 [0.82, 1.67], I²=48.73%) with lifestyle intervention. Odds of clinical pregnancy were higher for interventions delivered over ≥10 sessions (2.17 [1.21, 3.86] vs 0.88 [0.72, 1.07], P=0.004 for subgroup differences) and with the behaviour change technique Adding objects to the environment (e.g. provision of intervention-compliant food and/or exercise equipment) (3.51 [1.70, 7.23] vs 0.90 [0.75, 1.08], P<0.001 for subgroup differences). Lifestyle interventions reduced weight (mean difference [95% CI]: −3.87kg [−5.76, −1.97], I²=95.03%) and fasting blood glucose (mean difference [95% CI]: −0.15mM [−0.25, −0.04], I²=0%). Greater weight loss was observed for interventions with a weight loss aim (−4.19kg [−6.30, −1.92] vs −0.81kg [−1.48, −0.14], P=0.003 for subgroup differences). Greater weight loss was observed for interventions delivered solely via face-to-face (−6.02kg [−8.96, −3.07]) compared to those delivered via a combination of face-to-face and technology (−2.21kg [−3.62, −0.81], P=0.02 for subgroup differences). Wider Implications: Effectiveness of preconception lifestyle interventions aiming to enhance fertility may be improved by a structured, intensive approach. Preconception lifestyle interventions reduce weight, particularly face-to-face interventions with a weight loss aim. However, these findings based on subgroup analyses should be interpreted with caution and warrant further investigation due to the exploratory nature of the analysis, limited number of studies included, and potential aggregation bias of study- level subgroup effects. Selection of intervention characteristics for future preconception lifestyle interventions should consider patient preferences and practical considerations.Sophia Torkel, Evangeline Mantzioris, Anthony Villani, Nicole J. Kellow, Dhruv Bhatnagar, Elaine K. Osei-Safo, Margaret McGowan, Nur K. Abdul Jafar, Nadia Bogatzke, Simon Alesi, Tuba Astarcioglu, Ben W. Mol, Robert J. Norman, Stephanie Cowan, Rui Wang, Lisa Mora