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High production rates and the constant expansion of production capacities for lithium-ion batteries will lead to large quantities of production waste in the future. The desired achievement of a circular economy presupposes that such rejects could be recovered. This paper presents a two-staged process route that allows one to recover graphite and conductive carbon black from already coated negative electrode foils in a water-based and function-preserving manner, and it makes it directly usable as a particle suspension for coating new negative electrodes. In a first step, coating residues, which accumulate in production (as offcuts or rejects for example), are decoated in an aqueous ultrasonic bath. The ultrasonic bath also serves as a pre-thickener. As a result, high mass concentrations of active material can already be achieved in the water after the first process step. Water is then removed from the negative electrode suspension in a subsequent step by applying dynamic cross-flow filtration. With this unit operation, it is possible to concentrate the slurry residue to a solid content similar to that of the new electrode slurries used for coatings. An important criterion for the direct utilization of production waste is that the particle properties are affected as little as possible so that the suspension can be used directly for coating new films. This work presents the individual recycling process steps and their influence on the particle and slurry properties. The aim is to assess whether the recyclate is suitable for a coating of new negative electrodes and thus also for manufacturing batteries from 100% recycled material.

Digital content marketing (DCM) complements traditional marketing communication approaches and is a major focus of research. Uses and gratifications research posits that DCM only unfolds positive effects if it provides valuable content to consumers. However, there is limited evidence on what constitutes gratifying digital corporate content on company websites. This study aimed to elicit consumers’ preferences for key characteristics of digital corporate content on company websites and whether preferences differ among consumer subgroups. Best–worst scaling (BWS) was used to reveal preferences. To obtain BWS data, a cross-sectional survey was employed. The study sample comprised 1527 consumers from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Data were analyzed using counting analysis and conditional logit modeling. Subgroup comparisons were performed with t-tests and one-way ANOVA. The results consistently show that consumers prioritize information value as the most important content characteristic, followed by value in use, entertainment value, process value, and social value. Subgroup comparisons revealed generally similar priorities among consumers, with the greatest heterogeneity being found in assessments of the importance of social value. The study also suggests that consumers prioritize digital corporate content characteristics on company websites differently than they do on social media. These findings contribute to the evolving literature on DCM and provide insights that could help set evidence-based priorities in DCM practice.

Abstract Background Managing Abstinence in Newborns (MAiN) is an evidence-based, cost-saving approach to caring for infants at risk of developing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). MAiN provides medication management in combination with education and is being implemented in hospitals across South Carolina (SC). This expansion of MAiN throughout the state includes educational training for providers on managing NOWS symptomology and evaluation support for data collection and analysis. This evaluation assessed the readiness of hospitals to implement MAiN by identifying potential barriers and facilitators to early program adoption. Methods We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Framework (CFIR) to guide the evaluation. As part of the ongoing evaluation of MAiN implementation, brief, structured interviews were conducted with healthcare providers (n = 82) at seven hospitals between 2019 and 2022 to learn more about perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation readiness. Two coders independently reviewed all transcripts and used deductive thematic analysis to code qualitative data using Atlas.ti Web using the established CFIR codebook. Results We identified barriers and facilitators to implementing MAiN in all five CFIR domains. Providers identified MAiN as an evidence-based, patient-centered model with the flexibility to adapt to patients’ complex needs. Specific champions, external support, alignment with providers’ personal motivation, and an adaptable implementation climate were identified as facilitators for implementation readiness. Barriers included a lack of consistent communication among hospital providers, minimal community resources to support patients and families after discharge, and a lack of provider buy-in early in implementation. Conclusions Key barriers and facilitators of MAiN implementation readiness were identified at seven participating hospitals throughout SC. Communication, staff and hospital culture and climate, and internal and external resource were all reported as essential to implementation. These findings could inform the MAiN program expansion in hospitals across SC.

Faithful and timely repair of DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) is fundamental for the maintenance of genomic integrity. Here, we demonstrate that the meiotic recombination co‐factor MND1 facilitates the repair of DSBs in somatic cells. We show that MND1 localizes to DSBs, where it stimulates DNA repair through homologous recombination (HR). Importantly, MND1 is not involved in the response to replication‐associated DSBs, implying that it is dispensable for HR‐mediated repair of one‐ended DSBs. Instead, we find that MND1 specifically plays a role in the response to two‐ended DSBs that are induced by irradiation (IR) or various chemotherapeutic drugs. Surprisingly, we find that MND1 is specifically active in G2 phase, whereas it only marginally affects repair during S phase. MND1 localization to DSBs is dependent on resection of the DNA ends and seemingly occurs through direct binding of MND1 to RAD51‐coated ssDNA. Importantly, the lack of MND1‐driven HR repair directly potentiates the toxicity of IR‐induced damage, which could open new possibilities for therapeutic intervention, specifically in HR‐proficient tumors.

Background: Emotion processing deficits are known to accompany depressive symptoms and are often seen in stroke patients. Little is known about the influence of post-stroke depressive (PSD) symptoms and specific brain lesions on altered emotion processing abilities and how these phenomena develop over time. This potential relationship may impact post-stroke rehabilitation of neurological and psychosocial function. To address this scientific gap, we investigated the relationship between PSD symptoms and emotion processing abilities in a longitudinal study design from the first days post-stroke into the early chronic phase. Methods: Twenty-six ischemic stroke patients performed an emotion processing task on videos with emotional faces ('happy,' 'sad,' 'anger,' 'fear,' and 'neutral') at different intensity levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%). Recognition accuracies and response times were measured, as well as scores of depressive symptoms (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale). Twenty-eight healthy participants matched in age and sex were included as a control group. Whole-brain support-vector regression lesion-symptom mapping (SVR-LSM) analyses were performed to investigate whether specific lesion locations were associated with the recognition accuracy of specific emotion categories. Results: Stroke patients performed worse in overall recognition accuracy compared to controls, specifically in the recognition of happy, sad, and fearful faces. Notably, more depressed stroke patients showed an increased processing towards specific negative emotions, as they responded significantly faster to angry faces and recognized sad faces of low intensities significantly more accurately. These effects obtained for the first days after stroke partly persisted to follow-up assessment several months later. SVR-LSM analyses revealed that inferior and middle frontal regions (IFG/MFG) and insula and putamen were associated with emotion-recognition deficits in stroke. Specifically, recognizing happy facial expressions was influenced by lesions affecting the anterior insula, putamen, IFG, MFG, orbitofrontal cortex, and rolandic operculum. Lesions in the posterior insula, rolandic operculum, and MFG were also related to reduced recognition accuracy of fearful facial expressions, whereas recognition deficits of sad faces were associated with frontal pole, IFG, and MFG damage. Conclusion: PSD symptoms facilitate processing negative emotional stimuli, specifically angry and sad facial expressions. The recognition accuracy of different emotional categories was linked to brain lesions in emotion-related processing circuits, including insula, basal ganglia, IFG, and MFG. In summary, our study provides support for psychosocial and neural factors underlying emotional processing after stroke, contributing to the pathophysiology of PSD.

AbstractA workshop was sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to focus on research gaps and opportunities in pancreatic pain. The event was held on July 21, 2021, and structured into 4 sessions: (1) pathophysiology; (2) biomarkers, mediators, and pharmacology of pain; (3) pain assessment; and (4) pain treatment challenges and opportunities. The current state of knowledge was reviewed; many knowledge gaps and research needs were identified that require further investigation. Common themes included the need to better understand the underlying mechanisms of pain in pancreatic diseases, the relationship of visceral neural pathways and central pain centers, the role of behavioral factors and disorders on the perception of pain, and differences in pain perception and processes in children when compared with adults. In addition, the role of genetic risk factors for pain and the mechanisms and role of placebos in pain treatment were discussed. Methods of pain assessment including quantitative sensory testing were examined, as well as the process of central sensitization of pain. Finally, newer approaches to pain management including cognitive behavioral therapy, nerve stimulation, experimental (nonopioid) drugs, and cannabinoid compounds were covered.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with the dysregulation of brain stress and reward systems, including glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). The mixed glucocorticoid/progesterone receptor antagonist mifepristone and selective GR antagonist CORT113176 have been shown to selectively reduce alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent rats. Mifepristone has also been shown to decrease alcohol consumption and craving for alcohol in humans with AUD. The present study tested the effects of the GR modulators CORT118335, CORT122928, CORT108297, and CORT125134 on alcohol self-administration in nondependent (air-exposed) and alcohol-dependent (alcohol vapor-exposed) adult male rats. Different GR modulators recruit different GR-associated transcriptional cofactors. Thus, we hypothesized that these GR modulators would vary in their effects on alcohol drinking. CORT118335, CORT122928, and CORT125134 significantly reduced alcohol self-administration in both alcohol-dependent and nondependent rats. CORT108297 had no effect on alcohol self-administration in either group. The present results support the potential of GR modulators for the development of treatments for AUD. Future studies that characterize genomic and nongenomic effects of these GR modulators will elucidate potential molecular mechanisms that underlie alcohol drinking in alcohol-dependent and nondependent states.

In March 2019, a scientific meeting was held at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Luskin Center to discuss approaches to expedite the translation of neurobiological insights to advances in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). A guiding theme that emerged was that while translational research in AUD is clearly a challenge, it is also a field ripe with opportunities. Herein, we seek to summarize and disseminate the recommendations for the future of translational AUD research using four sections. First, we briefly review the current landscape of AUD treatment including the available evidence-based treatments and their uptake in clinical settings. Second, we discuss AUD treatment development efforts from a translational science viewpoint. We review current hurdles to treatment development as well as opportunities for mechanism-informed treatment. Third, we consider models of translational science and public health impact. Together, these critical insights serve as the bases for a series of recommendations and future directions. Towards the goal of improving clinical care and population health for AUD, scientists are tasked with bolstering the clinical applicability of their research findings so as to expedite the translation of knowledge into patient care.

In the process of validating the elevated zero maze, a common test of anxiety-like behavior, in our laboratory, we demonstrated an anxiolytic-like effect of castor oil and its primary component, ricinoleic acid. We tested the effects of vehicle and chlordiazepoxide in male mice in the elevated zero maze following a 30-min pretreatment time. Chlordiazepoxide is a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that was previously shown to exert anxiolytic-like effects in both the elevated zero maze and elevated plus maze. Chlordiazepoxide was administered at doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg. We used 5% polyoxyl 35 castor oil (Kolliphor® EL) and saline as treatment vehicles and found that the effect of chlordiazepoxide on open zone occupancy and open zone entries was blunted when 5% Kolliphor was used as the vehicle. These tests demonstrated that chlordiazepoxide increased open zone occupancy and entries in the elevated zero maze more effectively when saline was used as the treatment vehicle and that Kolliphor dampened the anxiolytic-like effect of chlordiazepoxide when it was used as the treatment vehicle. Notably, 5% Kolliphor alone slightly increased baseline open zone occupancy and entries. Given that Kolliphor is a derivative of castor oil, we next tested the effect of 5% castor oil and 5% ricinoleic acid, which is a major component of castor oil. We found that both castor oil and ricinoleic acid increased open zone occupancy but not entries compared with saline. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that Kolliphor, castor oil, and ricinoleic acid may exert anxiolytic-like effects in male mice in the elevated zero maze. This potential anxiolytic-like effect of castor oil is consistent with its well-established beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, and pain-relieving properties.

Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent psychiatric disorders, affecting approximately 18% of the United States population. Evidence indicates that central oxytocin mediates social cognition, social bonding, and social anxiety. Although it is well-established that oxytocin ameliorates social deficits, less is known about the therapeutic effects of oxytocin in non-social contexts. We hypothesized that positive effects of oxytocin in social contexts are attributable to intrinsic effects of oxytocin on neural systems that are related to emotion regulation. The present study investigated the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) oxytocin administration (i.e., central action) on anxiety- and depression-like behavior in C57Bl/6J mice using non-social tests. Male and female mice received an ICV infusion of vehicle or oxytocin (100, 200, or 500 ng), then were tested in the elevated zero maze (for anxiety-like behavior) and the tail suspension test (for depression-like behavior). Oxytocin dose-dependently increased open zone occupancy and entries in the elevated zero maze and reduced immobility duration in the tail suspension test in both sexes. Oxytocin decreased anxiety and depression-like behavior in male and female mice. The observed effect of oxytocin on anxiolytic-like behavior appeared to be driven by the males. Given the smaller anxiolytic-like effect of oxytocin in the female mice and the established interaction between oxytocin and reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone), we also explored whether oxytocin sensitivity in females varies across estrous cycle phases and in ovariectomized females that were or were not supplemented with estrogen or progesterone. Oxytocin reduced anxiety-like behavior in female mice in proestrus/estrus, ovariectomized females (supplemented or not with estrogen or progesterone), but not females in metestrus/diestrus. Additionally, oxytocin reduced depression-like behavior in all groups tested with slight differences across the various hormonal statuses. These results suggest that the effect of oxytocin in depression- and anxiety-like behavior in mice can be influenced by sex and hormonal status.

Chronic alcohol abuse has a detrimental effect on the brain and liver. There is no effective treatment for these patients, and the mechanism underlying alcohol addiction and consequent alcohol-induced damage of the liver/brain axis remains unresolved. We compared experimental models of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and alcohol dependence in mice and demonstrated that genetic ablation of IL-17 receptor A (IL-17ra-/-) or pharmacological blockade of IL-17 signaling effectively suppressed the increased voluntary alcohol drinking in alcohol-dependent mice and blocked alcohol-induced hepatocellular and neurological damage. The level of circulating IL-17A positively correlated with the alcohol use in excessive drinkers and was further increased in patients with ALD as compared with healthy individuals. Our data suggest that IL-17A is a common mediator of excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-induced liver/brain injury, and targeting IL-17A may provide a novel strategy for treatment of alcohol-induced pathology.

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons process pain signaling through specialized nociceptors located in their peripheral endings. It has long been established low voltage-activated (LVA) CaV3.2 calcium channels control neuronal excitability during sensory perception in these neurons. Silencing CaV3.2 activity with antisense RNA or genetic ablation results in anti-nociceptive, anti-hyperalgesic and anti-allodynic effects. CaV3.2 channels are regulated by many proteins (Weiss and Zamponi, 2017), including KLHL1, a neuronal actin-binding protein that stabilizes channel activity by recycling it back to the plasma membrane through the recycling endosome. We explored whether manipulation of KLHL1 levels and thereby function as a CaV3.2 modifier can modulate DRG excitability and mechanical pain transmission or sensitivity to pain. We first assessed the mechanical sensitivity threshold and DRG properties in the KLHL1 KO mouse model. KO DRG neurons exhibited smaller T-type current density compared to WT without significant changes in voltage dependence, as expected in the absence of its modulator. Western blot analysis confirmed CaV3.2 but not CaV3.1, CaV3.3, CaV2.1, or CaV2.2 protein levels were significantly decreased; and reduced neuron excitability and decreased pain sensitivity were also found in the KLHL1 KO model. Analogously, transient down-regulation of KLHL1 levels in WT mice with viral delivery of anti-KLHL1 shRNA also resulted in decreased pain sensitivity. These two experimental approaches confirm KLHL1 as a physiological modulator of excitability and pain sensitivity, providing a novel target to control peripheral pain.

Growing evidence indicates that the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) system is involved in the neurobiology of addictive behaviors, and GLP-1 analogues may be used for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Here, we examined the effects of semaglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 analogue, on biobehavioral correlates of alcohol use in rodents. A drinking-in-the-dark procedure was used to test the effects of semaglutide on binge-like drinking in male and female mice. We also tested the effects of semaglutide on binge-like and dependence-induced alcohol drinking in male and female rats, as well as acute effects of semaglutide on spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) from central amygdala (CeA) and infralimbic cortex (ILC) neurons. Semaglutide dose-dependently reduced binge-like alcohol drinking in mice; a similar effect was observed on the intake of other caloric/noncaloric solutions. Semaglutide also reduced binge-like and dependence-induced alcohol drinking in rats. Semaglutide increased sIPSC frequency in CeA and ILC neurons from alcohol-naive rats, suggesting enhanced GABA release, but had no overall effect on GABA transmission in alcohol-dependent rats. In conclusion, the GLP-1 analogue semaglutide decreased alcohol intake across different drinking models and species and modulated central GABA neurotransmission, providing support for clinical testing of semaglutide as a potentially novel pharmacotherapy for AUD.

IntroductionContent marketing continues to gain importance in organizations' marketing mix. However, its effectiveness has received little academic attention. This is particularly true of customer magazines, which, despite increasing digitization, remain a key pillar of content marketing and account for considerable investments. Therefore, this paper examines how reading experiences affect the effectiveness of customer magazines, mediated by media engagement.MethodsBased on the uses-and-gratifications-theory and literature on sensory perception, journalistic quality, and media engagement, several hypotheses are proposed. To investigate the hypotheses, the study uses a cross-sectional survey. The dataset for the analyses consists of 1,396 consumers and is analyzed by structural equation modeling.ResultsThe results indicate that hedonically gratifying, as well as identity-enforcing content experiences and visually and haptically gratifying process experiences are associated with higher effectiveness. Media engagement mediates these effects. Experienced journalistic quality directly and positively influences customer magazine effectiveness.DiscussionThis study's findings are important to marketing communications research. In particular, the study contributes to the still limited literature on content marketing effectiveness and helps practitioners optimize customer magazines.

The activation of a neuronal ensemble in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) during alcohol withdrawal has been hypothesized to induce high levels of alcohol drinking in dependent rats. In the present study we describe that the CeA neuronal ensemble that is activated by withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure contains ~80% corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons and that the optogenetic inactivation of these CeA CRF+ neurons prevents recruitment of the neuronal ensemble, decreases the escalation of alcohol drinking, and decreases the intensity of somatic signs of withdrawal. Optogenetic dissection of the downstream neuronal pathways demonstrates that the reversal of addiction-like behaviors is observed after the inhibition of CeA CRF projections to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and that inhibition of the CRFCeA-BNST pathway is mediated by inhibition of the CRF-CRF1 system and inhibition of BNST cell firing. These results suggest that the CRFCeA-BNST pathway could be targeted for the treatment of excessive drinking in alcohol use disorder.

This topic of the city has attracted sustained interest in film studies. However, when discussing the soundtrack of contemporary films, the specifics of urban soundscape representation in such genres as horror and science fiction, in which exactly the sound component plays a decisive role, facilitated by actively developing technical capabilities, is left aside. In American fantasy cinema, the urban soundscape is of interest only when it not only illustrates the plot of the film but also when it’s part of the narrative. We are talking primarily about dystopias, in which interesting musical and noise solutions reflect the unfamiliar, which is characteristic of sci-fi environments. In the soundtracks of sci-fi films, the dramatic increase in the complexity of the technological aspect is particularly noticeable. The combination of technology and processes used in the creation of soundscape, atmospheres, noises, and effects is usually grouped under the term sound design, which literally means "design and sound engineering". During this period, sound design was finally established and became a critical component of film sound design, especially in the sci-fi and horror genres. In these films, the former division of sound into speech, synchronous noise, background noise, and music are retained. Still, through sound design, an acoustic element is introduced that has a narrative function but is not purely noise or music. Hyperrealistic sound becomes a typical example of the application of sound design, in which diegetic synchronous noises are enriched with nondiegetic timbres that introduce an additional semantic load. As the unfamiliar medium of a fantasy film struggles to convey a narrative and needs support and interpretation, music and noise take on this function. If in a fantasy film the environment, particularly the city, has no narrative function, the soundscape is unremarkable, but if it has such a function, it is how the sound conveys the narrative that is important. As for dystopias, a characteristic feature of the urban soundscape in this genre is the sharp contrast with the film's overall sound.

One of the key features of addiction is the escalated drug intake. The neural mechanisms involved in the transition to addiction remain to be elucidated. Since abnormal neuronal activity within the subthalamic nucleus (STN) stands as potential general neuromarker common to impulse control spectrum deficits, as observed in obsessive-compulsive disorders, the present study recorded and manipulated STN neuronal activity during the initial transition to addiction (i.e., escalation) and post-abstinence relapse (i.e., re-escalation) in rats with extended drug access. We found that low-frequency (theta and beta bands) neuronal oscillations in the STN increase with escalation of cocaine intake and that either lesion or high-frequency stimulation prevents the escalation of cocaine intake. STN-HFS also reduces re-escalation after prolonged, but not short, protracted abstinence, suggesting that STN-HFS is an effective prevention for relapse when baseline rates of self-administration have been re-established. Thus, STN dysfunctions may represent an underlying mechanism for cocaine addiction and therefore a promising target for the treatment of addiction.

Once North America’s longest constructed transportation system, the Erie Canalway has been in continuous operation for nearly 200 years (ASCE 2022; Goodstadt et al. 2020). The Canalway transformed New York City into the nation’s chief port and helped New York State (NYS) become a commercial, industrial and financial center (Library of Congress, n.d.; Hay 2014). Beyond moving people and goods, the Canalway carried ideas, innovations and social movements; it connected Europe, the US Eastern seaboard and the US interior; it has been credited with facilitating settlementefforts, advancing democracy and strengthening national identity (Goodstadt et al. 2020; Hay 2014). The system of the Erie Canalway is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the NY State and National Registers of Historic Places; it is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and is part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The Canalway contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure) through its resilience over two centuries and its repurposing from transportation infrastructure to a historic, cultural and recreational corridor. Its innovation captures the paradigm shift of water engineering for transport to water management in terms of ecology and culture. The Canalway also illustrates some of the challenges associated with SDG 6 (Water and Sanitation), especially in regard to water-related ecosystems.