bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Nigella sativa L. seed oil on urinary incontinence and quality of life in menopausal women: A triple‐blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Alizadeh Afsaneh , Mohammah‐Alizadeh‐Charandabi Sakineh , Khodaie Laleh , Mirghafourvand Mojgan
Published: January 2023

Increased urinary incontinence is one of the most common changes during menopause. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Nigella sativa L. seed oil on urinary incontinence and quality of life (QoL) (primary outcomes) and sexual function (secondary outcome) in menopausal women. In this triple‐blind randomized controlled trial, 60 women in Tabriz‐Iran were equally allocated into two treatment and control groups using block randomization. The women applied 2–3 drops of Nigella sativa L. seed oil or placebo on their stomachs below the novel twice a day for 8 weeks. The data collection instruments were completed at baseline and just after the intervention. After intervention, the mean rank score of mixed urinary incontinence was significantly lower (p = .04) and the mean score of the incontinence‐QoL was significantly higher (mean difference 12.63, 95% CI 2.33 to 22.93; p = .017) in the treatment group than the control group. However, there were no significant differences in stress incontinence, urge incontinence, sexual function, and menopause‐specific QoL of women between the groups (p > .05). The results indicated the positive effect of the Nigella sativa L. seed oil on mixed incontinence and incontinence‐QoL; nevertheless, to make a certain conclusion, further studies are required.
Design, Synthesis of Dioxopiperidinamide Derivatives by Amide Coupling Reaction and Study of Their Biological Activity
Authors: Kaliraj S. , Radhakrishnan Jeyalakshmi
Published: January 2023

A series of fifteen dioxopiperidinamide derivatives synthesized and their spectra chemical data were reported. An alternative amide coupling reaction has been followed by using 3‐aminopiperidine‐2,6‐dione through amide bond functionalization between N‐Ethyl‐N′‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC.HCl) and Hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt). All the designed compounds were docked in to the active sites of 2 A73: Human Complement Component C3. All the docked compounds is favorable to make both hydrogen and hydrophobic interaction with amino acids located at the binding site. The most of potential compounds (E)‐N‐(2,6‐dioxopiperidin‐3‐yl)‐3‐(m‐tolyl)acrylamide (4 g), (E)‐3‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐N‐(2,6‐dioxopiperidin‐3‐yl)acrylamide (4 h) and N‐(2,6‐dioxopiperidin‐3‐yl)‐3‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐4,6,7,8,9,10‐hexahydrothieno [2′,3′:4,5]pyrimido[1,2‐a]azepine‐2‐carboxamide (7) studied for their anticancer activity on the THP‐1 cancer cells line. It was also further established their Anti‐inflammatory activity and Antioxidant activity with the comparable efficiency against those of clinically used drugs.
Highly Selective Aminopyrazine‐Based Colorimetric Probe for “Naked‐Eye” Detection of Al3+: Experimental, Computational Studies and Applications in Molecular Logic Circuits
Authors: Sharma Shivani , Chayawan  , Jayaraman Adithyan , Debnath Joy , Ghosh Kalyan Sundar
Published: January 2023

A simple colorimetric probe NPA was synthesized using 2‐aminopyrazine and 2‐hydroxynaphthaldehyde. The probe had demonstrated quick response and high selectivity toward Al3+ in the presence of other interfering metal ions. A notable color change from bright yellow to colorless was noticed on addition of aqueou solutions of Al3+ to NPA in CH3CN‐H2O (1 : 1, v/v) in physiological pH range. 1 : 1 stoichiometry in NPA‐Al3+ complex was confirmed from Job's plot and mass spectrometry. Complexation of Al3+ with the probe molecule was also confirmed using 1H NMR spectroscopy. A theoretical model structure of the complex was proposed based on density functional theory (DFT). Disruption of conjugation in the naphthalene moiety and enhancement in intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in the complex had decreased the absorbance of NPA. Paper strip of NPA was used for fast “on‐site” detection of Al3+ without using any spectroscopic instrument. The probe was found reusable for several times. The probe can also be used for the development of molecular logic gate for the detection of Al3+.
A BaCO3 Nanomaterial for Pyrolysis of Sustainable Waste and Virgin Polystyrene into Green Aromatic Derivatives
Authors: Singh Man Vir
Published: January 2023

Green aromatic derivatives (GADs) were obtained from waste polystyrene thermocol (WPST) and virgin polystyrene (VPS) through pyrolysis using BaCO3 (Barium carbonate nanomaterial). BaCO3 nanomaterial was synthesized in the laboratory, and their properties were characterized through XRD, EDX, and SEM. WPST and VPS were analyzed through TGA for thermal stability, and FT‐IR determined the functional groups. GADs obtained from WPST and VPS were analyzed through GC‐MS‐MS and FT‐IR. GADs were analyzed through GC‐MS‐MS and found their results were aromatic derivatives (99.29 % from VPS, while 88.77 % from WPST) and aliphatic (0.29 % from VPS, while 11.23 % from WPST). In the first experiment, 95 g VPS plastics and 5 g BaCO3 were used; the recovered quantities of liquid GADs, py‐gases, and residues amount to 90 %, 9.9 %, and 0.12 %. In the second experiment, 93 % liquid GADs, 6.85 % py‐gases (pyrolysis gases), and 0.15 % residue from 70 g VPS+20 g WTPS and 10 g BaCO3 were obtained. In the third experiment, 85 % GADs, 14.82 % py‐gases, and 0.18 % residue from 100 g WTPS without catalyst were collected. GADs were successfully obtained without any problem. GADs can be used as raw materials in chemical industries and refineries.
Bandgap Tunable Oxynitride LaNb2O7–xNx Nanosheets
Authors: Hsu Chu‐Wei , Miyano Takuro , Awaya Keisuke , Tsushida Masayuki , Hatakeyama Kazuto , Koinuma Michio , Ida Shintaro
Published: January 2023

Bandgap tunable lanthanum niobium oxynitride [LaNb2O7‐xNx](1+x)− nanosheet is prepared by the delamination of a Ruddlesden−Popper phase perovskite oxynitride via ion−exchange and two−step intercalation processes. The lanthanum niobium oxynitride nanosheets have a homogeneous thickness of 1.6 nm and exhibit a variety of chromatic colors depending on the nitridation temperature of the parent‐layered oxynitride. The bandgap energy of the nanosheets is determined by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, Mott–Schottky, and photoelectrochemical measurements and is found to be tunable in the range of 2.03–2.63 eV. Furthermore, the oxide/oxynitride superlattice structures are fabricated by face−to−face stacking of 2D crystals using oxynitride [LaNb2O7‐xNx](1+x)− and oxide [Ca2Nb3O10]− nanosheets as building blocks. Moreover, the superlattices‐like restacked oxynitride/oxide nanosheets hybrid exhibits unique proton conductivity and dielectric properties strongly influenced by the oxynitride nanosheets and enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation.
Role of MoOx Surficial Modification in Enhancing the OER Performance of Ru–Pyrochlore
Authors: Liu Tongtong , Guo Hengyu , Chen Yanan , Zhang Zhengping , Wang Feng
Published: January 2023

Pyrochlore ruthenate (Y2Ru2O7–δ) is highlighted as a promising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst for water splitting in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers. However, an efficient electronic modulation strategy for Y2Ru2O7–δ is required to overcome its electrochemical inertness. Herein, a surface manipulation strategy involving implanting MoOx moieties on nano Y2Ru2O7–δ (Mo–YRO) using wet chemical peroxone method is demonstrated. In contrast to electronic structure regulation by intramolecular charge transfer (i.e., substitutional strategies), the heterogeneous Mo−O−Ru micro‐interfaces facilitate efficient intermolecular electron transfer from [RuO6] to MoOx. This eliminates the bandgap by inducing Ru 4d delocalization and band alignment rearrangement. The MoOx modifiers also alleviate distortion of [RuO6] by shortening Ru−O bond and enlarging Ru−O−Ru bond angle. This electronic and geometric structure tailoring enhances the OER performance, showing a small overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the electron‐accepting MoOx moieties provide more electronegative surfaces, which serve as a protective “fence” to inhibit the dissolution of metal ions, thereby stabilizing the electrochemical activity. This study offers fresh insights into the design of new‐based pyrochlore electrocatalysts, and also highlights the versatility of surface engineering as a way of optimizing electronic structure and catalytic performance of other related materials.
Multi‐Scale Design of Ultra‐Broadband Microwave Metamaterial Absorber Based on Hollow Carbon/MXene/Mo2C Microtube
Authors: Wang Jianqiao , Wu Ze , Xing Youqiang , Li Bingjue , Huang Peng , Liu Lei
Published: January 2023

Developing various nanocomposite microwave absorbers is a crucial means to address the issue of electromagnetic pollution, but remains a challenge in satisfying broadband absorption at low thickness with dielectric loss materials. Herein, an ultra‐broadband microwave metamaterial absorber (MMA) based on hollow carbon/MXene/Mo2C (HCMM) is fabricated by a multi‐scale design strategy. The microscopic 1D hierarchical microtube structure of HCMM contributes to break through the limit of thickness, exhibiting a strong reflection loss of ‐66.30 dB (99.99997 wave absorption) at the thinnest matching thickness of 1.0 mm. Meanwhile, the strongest reflection loss of ‐87.28 dB is reached at 1.4 mm, superior to most MXene‐based and Mo2C‐based microwave absorbers. Then, the macroscopic 3D structural metasurface based on the HCMM is simulated, optimized, and finally manufactured. The as‐prepared flexible HCMM‐based MMA realizes an ultra‐broadband effective absorption in the range of 3.7‐40.0 GHz at a thickness of 5.0 mm, revealing its potential for practical application in the electromagnetic compatibility field.
FLUIDOT: A Modular Microfluidic Platform for Single‐Cell Study and Retrieval, with Applications in Drug Tolerance Screening and Antibody Mining
Authors: Breukers Jolien , Ven Karen , Struyfs Caroline , Ampofo Louanne , Rutten Iene , Imbrechts Maya , Pollet Francesca , Van Lent Julie , Kerstens Winnie , Noppen Sam , Schols Dominique , De Munter Paul , Thibaut Hendrik Jan , Vanhoorelbeke Karen , Spasic Dragana , Declerck Paul , Cammue Bruno P. A. , Geukens Nick , Thevissen Karin , Lammertyn Jeroen
Published: January 2023

Advancements in lab‐on‐a‐chip technologies have revolutionized the single‐cell analysis field. However, an accessible platform for in‐depth screening and specific retrieval of single cells, which moreover enables studying diverse cell types and performing various downstream analyses, is still lacking. As a solution, FLUIDOT is introduced, a versatile microfluidic platform incorporating customizable microwells, optical tweezers and an interchangeable cell‐retrieval system. Thanks to its smart microfluidic design, FLUIDOT is straightforward to fabricate and operate, rendering the technology widely accessible. The performance of FLUIDOT is validated and its versatility is subsequently demonstrated in two applications. First, drug tolerance in yeast cells is studied, resulting in the discovery of two treatment‐tolerant populations. Second, B cells from convalescent COVID‐19 patients are screened, leading to the discovery of highly affine, in vitro neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2. Owing to its performance, flexibility, and accessibility, it is foreseen that FLUIDOT will enable phenotypic and genotypic analysis of diverse cell samples and thus elucidate unexplored biological questions.
A Facile Solvent Strategy Enables Morphology Controllable Perovskite Films for CsPbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Shiyu , Liu Jiale , Chen Mingyue , Lu Yu , Zhao Yue , Qi Pengcheng , Ran Hongbing , Mei Anyi , Tang Yiwen , Han Hongwei , Hu Yue
Published: January 2023

The CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) display extensive potential due to their good thermal and humidity stability, but the presence of heterogeneous phases severely limits the further improvement of device performance. Phase‐pure monoclinic CsPbBr3 can be stabilized by using the printable mesoscopic device structure. However, it is challenging to obtain high‐quality perovskite crystals in such confined space. Herein, a solvent strategy is used for improving the perovskite crystallization in the printable mesoscopic structure. By using N‐methylformamide as the precursor solvent, the PbBr2 exhibits a more uniform and controllable distribution, which benefits the CsPbBr3 crystallization. As a result, the CsPbBr3 inside the pores showed obvious orientation at (100) lattice plane and (110) crystal plane. The efficiency of modified PSCs increases from 7.53% to 8.32%. Based on the device with effective area of 1 cm2, the PSCs obtain a power conversion efficiency of 5.62%. In addition, PSCs show no obvious attenuation after 1000 h of maximum power point tracking, displaying the excellent illumination stability.
Hydrogen Reactions in c‐Si:B During Illumination at Room Temperature
Authors: Kwapil Wolfram , Hammann Benjamin
Published: January 2023

Herein, effects related to reactions involving hydrogen during carrier injection at room temperature in boron‐doped Czochralski‐grown silicon wafers are investigated. It is shown that these conditions lead to boron–oxygen defect regeneration. Under these conditions, bulk material quality degradation induced by a dark annealing can be temporarily recovered in the same way as light and elevated temperature‐induced degradation. Dissociation of boron–hydrogen pairs by carrier injection at room temperature is observed in parallel. These observations are discussed within the framework of known hydrogen reactions. With this study, significant aspects of hydrogen‐related meta‐stabilities at temperatures that are most relevant for solar modules in moderate climates are covered.
A New Insight of Anti‐Solvent Electrolytes for Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries by Molecular Modeling
Authors: Zhu Yilong , Hao Junnan , Huang Yan , Jiao Yan
Published: January 2023

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) have attracted wide attention for large‐scale energy storage. However, the practical application of AZIBs is limited by the poor reversibility of Zn anodes. Recently, a strategy of adding low‐cost anti‐solvent to electrolytes is proposed experimentally, which can improve Zn reversibility therefore the AZIBs performance. Nevertheless, the mechanism of the strategy remains elusive, especially how the Zn reversibility is improved and why various anti‐solvents perform differently. Herein, atomic‐level insight into the mechanism, is provided, by modeling ZnSO4 electrolytes with different anti‐solvents, that is, methanol and ethanol. Through molecular dynamics simulations and density‐functional theory calculations, how anti‐solvents impact Zn2+ solvation sheath and water activity is explored. It is suggested in the results that methanol promotes Zn reversibility for two reasons. First, methanol can modify the Zn2+ solvation sheath to reduce the energy barrier for Zn2+ de‐solvation. Second, methanol can form H‐bond with water molecules to suppress H2 evolution. Based on the new atomic level insight, herein, the practical universality of the anti‐solvent strategy is confirmed in other aqueous batteries for developing more effective anti‐solvents.
The Current Status and Trends of Chinese Medicine Polysaccharides: A Bibliometric Review [1998–2021]
Authors: Feng Tao , Ma Zicheng , Li Jingya , Sun Lili , Wang Meng , Chen Meiling , Ren Xiaoliang
Published: January 2023

Chinese medicine polysaccharides refer to a class of active polysaccharides extracted from traditional Chinese medicines. They are widely used natural macromolecules with various pharmacological activities such as antiviral, antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐cancer, anti‐hypertensive, and antioxidant effects, as well as affecting the immunomodulation and regulation of intestinal flora. In recent years, the research on Chinese medicine polysaccharides in pharmacological disciplines has grown rapidly. To understand the research trends of Chinese medicine polysaccharides, this study adopts a bibliometric approach based on the Web of Science core database (WoSCC) by analyzing the publication year, authors, countries/regions, organizations, journals, and critical characteristics of relevant literature to explore the current and future research trends related to Chinese medicine polysaccharides. In addition, the traditional and modern extraction methods of Chinese medicine polysaccharides are reviewed. This paper lays a framework for the development of Chinese medicine polysaccharides. The information helps researchers explore new directions and perspectives for future research.
The creation and diffusion of international business research
Authors: Buckley Peter J.
Published: January 2023

“W(h)ither U.S. Hegemony in International Business Research?” by Grigorios Livanis and Michael Geringer, is an excellent effort to encompass the growth of international business (IB) scholarly research worldwide. This commentary examines the implicit assumptions and models of their analysis, showing that IB models are useful in explaining the scholarly growth of IB.
Mobile Eye-Tracking as a Research Method to Explore the D/Deaf Experience at Arts and Cultural Venues
Authors: Cumper Vanessa , Scarles Caroline , Liu Hongbo , Kimbu Albert
Published: January 2023

D/deaf activists have consistently lamented their exclusion from the decision-making process by service providers. Accessibility is only effective when designed with contributions from those affected by the perceived or known barrier. This paper redresses the historic absence of the D/deaf paradigm, and recenters the focus to the individual’s perspective of accessibility requirements by developing a conceptual framework, constructed through the review of empirical and theoretical literature. The conceptual dimensions presented are from the D/deaf person’s perspective as valued through shared power and ownership. The aim of this conceptual paper is to explore how D/deaf-centric research can be applied and qualitatively measured through the combination of self-report, observation and Mobile eye tracking (MET).
Metaverse and Tourism: From a New Niche to a Transformation
Authors: Volchek Katerina , Brysch Armin
Published: January 2023

Metaverse is named among the technologies that are predicted to transform everyday life. The proliferation of such technologies as the Internet and smartphones has triggered major transformations in the tourism industry. This paper conceptualises the phenomenon of Metaverse towards the phenomenon of tourism. It applies a semi-systematic literature review methodology to identify existing alignment between the phenomena. The paper concludes that there is a conceptual alignment between the critical dimensions of the Metaverse and tourism. Tourism should be ready for the reciprocal effects of metaverse development on tourism and vice versa, from new opportunities to enhance tourist experience to a possible dissolution of the contemporary understanding of tourism.
The investigations of the P-wave Bs states combining quark model and lattice QCD in the coupled channel framework
Authors: Yang Zhi , Wang Guang-Juan , Wu Jia-Jun , Oka Makoto , Zhu Shi-Lin
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Combining the quark model, the quark-pair-creation mechanism and B(*)$$ \overline{K} $$

K
¯

interaction, we have investigated the near-threshold P-wave Bs states in the framework of the Hamiltonian effective field theory. With the heavy quark flavor symmetry, all the parameters are determined in the Ds sector by fitting the lattice data. The masses of the bottom-strange partners of the $$ {D}_{s0}^{\ast }(2317) $$

D

s
0

∗

2317

and $$ {D}_{s1}^{\ast }(2460) $$

D

s
1

∗

2460

are predicted to be $$ {M}_{B_{s0}^{\ast }}={5730.2}_{-1.5}^{+2.4} $$

M

B

s
0

∗

=

5730.2

−
1.5

+
2.4

MeV and $$ {M}_{B_{s1}^{\ast }}={5769.6}_{-1.6}^{+2.4} $$

M

B

s
1

∗

=

5769.6

−
1.6

+
2.4

MeV, respectively, which are well consistent with the lattice QCD component. The two P-wave Bs states are the mixtures of the bare $$ \overline{b}s $$

b
¯

s
core and B(*)$$ \overline{K} $$

K
¯

component. Moreover, we find a crossing point between the energy levels with and without the interaction Hamiltonian in the finite volume spectrum in the 0+ case, which corresponds to a CDD (Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson) zero in the T-matrix of the $$ B\overline{K} $$
B

K
¯

scattering. This CDD zero will help deepen the insights of the near-threshold states and can be examined by future lattice calculation.
Effective field theory for leptoquarks
Authors: Meçaj Bianka , Neubert Matthias
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Leptoquarks enter in several extensions of the Standard Model as possible solutions to a number of observed anomalies. We work within the soft-collinear effective theory framework to present a detailed analysis of the decay rates of the three leptoquarks that appear the most in literature, the scalars S1 and S3 and the vector $$ {U}_1^{\mu } $$

U
1
μ

. Using renormalization-group methods we resum the large logarithms arising from the evolution of the Wilson coefficients between the New Physics scale and the electroweak scale. We also derive the tree-level matching relations for the Wilson coefficients in the effective theory for some specific leptoquark models.
Simulation-based anomaly detection for multileptons at the LHC
Authors: Krzyzanska Katarzyna , Nachman Benjamin
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Decays of Higgs boson-like particles into multileptons is a well-motivated process for investigating physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). A unique feature of this final state is the precision with which the SM is known. As a result, simulations are used directly to estimate the background. Current searches consider specific models and typically focus on those with a single free parameter to simplify the analysis and interpretation. In this paper, we explore recent proposals for signal model agnostic searches using machine learning in the multilepton final state. These tools can be used to simultaneously search for many models, some of which have no dedicated search at the Large Hadron Collider. We find that the machine learning methods offer broad coverage across parameter space beyond where current searches are sensitive, with a necessary loss of performance compared to dedicated searches by only about one order of magnitude.
Chaotic string motion in a near pp-wave limit
Authors: Kushiro Shodai , Yoshida Kentaroh
Published: January 2023

Abstract

We revisit classical string motion in a near pp-wave limit of AdS5 × S5. It is known that the Toda lattice models are integrable. But if the exponential potential is truncated at finite order, then the system may become non-integrable. In particular, when the exponential potential in a three-particle periodic Toda chain is truncated at the third order of the dynamical variables, the resulting system becomes a well-known non-integrable system, Henon-Heiles model. The same thing may happen in a near pp-wave limit of AdS5 × S5, on which the classical string motion becomes chaotic.
Soziale Teilhabe und Hautkrebs während der COVID-19-Pandemie
Authors: Niewolik Jacqueline , Mikuteit Marie , Schröder Dominik , Heinemann Stephanie , Heesen Gloria , Müller Frank , Dopfer-Jablonka Alexandra , Grimmelmann Imke , Steffens Sandra
Published: January 2023

Hintergrund

Die getroffenen Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der Ausbreitung der Coronavirus-2019-Erkrankung (COVID-19) schränken die sozialen Teilhabemöglichkeiten vieler Menschen ein. Insbesondere Menschen mit chronischen Erkrankungen waren hiervon betroffen. Ziel dieser Beobachtungsstudie war die Untersuchung der sozialen Teilhabe bei Patient:innen mit fortgeschrittenem malignem Melanom mit Immuntherapie unter Pandemiebedingungen. Damit wurde erstmalig soziale Teilhabe als Endpunkt in einer sehr spezifischen Gruppe untersucht. Dies kann als Basis für folgende Studien im wachsenden Kollektiv von Tumorlangzeitüberlebenden in Pandemiezeiten verstanden werden.

Methodik

Querschnittuntersuchung von Melanompatient:innen mit Erhebung des Index zur Messung von Einschränkungen der Teilhabe (IMET). Ergebnisse werden mit publizierten Normdaten verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Es wurden 47 Patient:innen mit malignem Melanom in der Auswertung berücksichtigt. Sie waren im Mittel 58,5 Jahre (SD 13,2) alt, 18 Patient:innen befanden sich im Stadium III und erhielten eine adjuvante Immuntherapie; 29 Patient:innen wurden wegen eines metastasierten Melanoms (Stadium IV) behandelt. Die Ergebnisse des IMET ergaben im Gesamtscore keine signifikanten Einschränkungen der sozialen Teilhabe im Vergleich zu den publizierten vorpandemischen Normdaten. Teilnehmerinnen hatten jedoch eine signifikant eingeschränktere Teilhabe.

Diskussion

Der Endpunkte soziale Teilhabe rückt bei Langzeitüberlebenden mit malignem Melanom in den Vordergrund. Unter Pandemiebedingungen sind insbesondere Patientinnen von Einschränkungen der sozialen Teilhabe gefährdet. Eine Differenzierung zwischen Pandemieeinflüssen und erkrankungsspezifischen Faktoren geht aus unseren Daten nicht hervor. Ausgehend von dieser Studie können und sollten weitere Erhebungen zur sozialen Teilhabe in Zeiten von pandemischen Infektionserkrankungen, insbesondere im wachsenden Kollektiv onkologischer Langzeitüberlebender erfolgen.

Graphic abstract
A walk in the PARC: developing and implementing 21st century chemical risk assessment in Europe
Authors: Marx-Stoelting P. , Rivière G. , Luijten M. , Aiello-Holden K. , Bandow N. , Baken K. , Cañas A. , Castano A. , Denys S. , Fillol C. , Herzler M. , Iavicoli I. , Karakitsios S. , Klanova J. , Kolossa-Gehring M. , Koutsodimou A. , Vicente J. Lobo , Lynch I. , Namorado S. , Norager S. , Pittman A. , Rotter S. , Sarigiannis D. , Silva M. J. , Theunis J. , Tralau T. , Uhl M. , van Klaveren J. , Wendt-Rasch L. , Westerholm E. , Rousselle C. , Sanders P.
Published: January 2023

Current approaches for the assessment of environmental and human health risks due to exposure to chemical substances have served their purpose reasonably well. Nevertheless, the systems in place for different uses of chemicals are faced with various challenges, ranging from a growing number of chemicals to changes in the types of chemicals and materials produced. This has triggered global awareness of the need for a paradigm shift, which in turn has led to the publication of new concepts for chemical risk assessment and explorations of how to translate these concepts into pragmatic approaches. As a result, next-generation risk assessment (NGRA) is generally seen as the way forward. However, incorporating new scientific insights and innovative approaches into hazard and exposure assessments in such a way that regulatory needs are adequately met has appeared to be challenging. The European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) has been designed to address various challenges associated with innovating chemical risk assessment. Its overall goal is to consolidate and strengthen the European research and innovation capacity for chemical risk assessment to protect human health and the environment. With around 200 participating organisations from all over Europe, including three European agencies, and a total budget of over 400 million euro, PARC is one of the largest projects of its kind. It has a duration of seven years and is coordinated by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety.
Multielectrode recordings of cockroach antennal lobe neurons in response to temporal dynamics of odor concentrations
Authors: Tichy Harald , Martzok Alexander , Linhart Marlene , Zopf Lydia M. , Hellwig Maria
Published: January 2023

The initial representation of the instantaneous temporal information about food odor concentration in the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe, was examined by simultaneously recording the activity of antagonistic ON and OFF neurons with 4-channel tetrodes. During presentation of pulse-like concentration changes, ON neurons encode the rapid concentration increase at pulse onset and the pulse duration, and OFF neurons the rapid concentration decrease at pulse offset and the duration of the pulse interval. A group of ON neurons establish a concentration-invariant representation of odor pulses. The responses of ON and OFF neurons to oscillating changes in odor concentration are determined by the rate of change in dependence on the duration of the oscillation period. By adjusting sensitivity for fluctuating concentrations, these neurons improve the representation of the rate of the changing concentration. In other ON and OFF neurons, the response to changing concentrations is invariant to large variations in the rate of change due to variations in the oscillation period, facilitating odor identification in the antennal-lobe. The independent processing of odor identity and the temporal dynamics of odor concentration may speed up processing time and improve behavioral performance associated with plume tracking, especially when the air is not moving.
Wet bias of summer precipitation in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau in ERA5 is linked to overestimated lower-level southerly wind over the plateau
Authors: Ou Tinghai , Chen Deliang , Tang Jianping , Lin Changgui , Wang Xuejia , Kukulies Julia , Lai Hui-Wen
Published: January 2023

The Tibetan Plateau (TP), also called the Third Pole, is considered to be “the world water tower”. The northwestern TP (NWTP), which has an average elevation higher than 4800 m, is an arid region where the summer precipitation is largely overestimated by the ERA5 global reanalysis product. We hypothesize that this wet bias is mainly caused by unrealistic lower-level winds that trigger strong convection over the region; it can be reduced by using a high-resolution regional climate model with a large domain that allows realistically representing interactions between the Westerlies and Asian summer monsoons. Here, downscaling using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model driven by ERA5 was conducted with a large domain (8°‒50° N, 65°‒125° E) at 9 km for the period 1979‒2019 (WRF9km). Precipitation values from WRF9km and ERA5 were evaluated against satellite observations; compared with ERA5, WRF9km captured the climatological summer precipitation over the NWTP with a much-reduced wet bias. The ERA5 overestimation is mainly caused by excessive convective precipitation, likely linked to strong vertical motions over the NWTP induced by an overestimated lower-level southerly wind.
Kyanite petrogenesis in migmatites: resolving melting and metamorphic signatures
Authors: Phillips Stacy E. , Argles Tom W. , Warren Clare J. , Harris Nigel B. W. , Kunz Barbara E.
Published: January 2023

Aluminosilicates (kyanite, sillimanite and andalusite) are useful pressure–temperature (P–T) indicators that can form in a range of rock types through different mineral reactions, including those that involve partial melting. However, the presence of xenocrystic or inherited grains may lead to spurious P–T interpretations. The morphologies, microtextural positions, cathodoluminescence responses and trace element compositions of migmatite-hosted kyanite from Eastern Bhutan were investigated to determine whether sub-solidus kyanite could be distinguished from kyanite that crystallised directly from partial melt, or from kyanite that grew peritectically during muscovite dehydration reactions. Morphology and cathodoluminescence response were found to be the most reliable petrogenetic indicators. Trace element abundances generally support petrographic evidence, but protolith bulk composition exerts a strong control over absolute element abundance in kyanite. Sample-normalised concentrations show distinctive differences between petrogenetic types, particularly for Mg, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Ge. LA-ICP-MS element maps, particularly combined to show Cr/V, provide additional information about changing geochemical environments during kyanite growth. Most kyanite in the studied migmatitic leucosomes is of sub-solidus origin, with less widespread evidence for peritectic crystallisation. Where present, grain rims commonly crystallised directly from the melt; however, entire grains crystallised exclusively from melt are rare. The presence of kyanite in leucosomes does not, therefore, necessarily constrain the P–T conditions of melting, and the mechanism of growth should be determined before using kyanite as a P–T indicator. This finding has significant implications for the interpretation of kyanite-bearing migmatites as representing early stages of melting during Himalayan evolution.
Effects of a microgravity SkinSuit on lumbar geometry and kinematics
Authors: Breen Alexander , Carvil Philip , Green David Andrew , Russomano Thais , Breen Alan
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Astronauts returning from long ISS missions have demonstrated an increased incidence of lumbar disc herniation accompanied by biomechanical and morphological changes associated with spine elongation. This research describes a ground-based study of the effects of an axial compression countermeasure Mk VI SkinSuit designed to reload the spine and reduce these changes before return to terrestrial gravity.

Methods

Twenty healthy male volunteers aged 21–36 without back pain participated. Each lay overnight on a Hyper Buoyancy Flotation (HBF) bed for 12 h on two occasions 6 weeks apart. On the second occasion participants donned a Mk VI SkinSuit designed to axially load the spine at 0.2 Gz during the last 4 h of flotation. Immediately after each exposure, participants received recumbent MRI and flexion–extension quantitative fluoroscopy scans of their lumbar spines, measuring differences between spine geometry and intervertebral kinematics with and without the SkinSuit. This was followed by the same procedure whilst weight bearing. Paired comparisons were performed for all measurements.

Results

Following Mk VI SkinSuit use, participants evidenced more flexion RoM at L3–4 (p = 0.01) and L4–5 (p = 0.003), more translation at L3–4 (p = 0.02), lower dynamic disc height at L5–S1 (p = 0.002), lower lumbar spine length (p = 0.01) and greater lordosis (p = 0.0001) than without the Mk VI SkinSuit. Disc cross-sectional area and volume were not significantly affected.

Conclusion

The MkVI SkinSuit restores lumbar mobility and lordosis following 4 h of wearing during hyper buoyancy flotation in a healthy control population and may be an effective countermeasure for post space flight lumbar disc herniation.
Identification of seven hypoxia-related genes signature and risk score models for predicting prognosis for ovarian cancer
Authors: Huang Yan , Zhou Yuqi , Zhang Meiqin
Published: January 2023

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most common malignant cancer in the female reproductive system. Hypoxia is an important part of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), which is closely related to cancer progression and could significantly affect cancer metastasis and prognosis. However, the relationship between hypoxia and OC remained unclear. OCs were molecularly subtyped by consensus clustering analysis based on the expression characteristics of hypoxia-related genes. Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival was used to determine survival characteristics across subtypes. Immune infiltration analysis was performed by using Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumors using Expression data (ESTIMATE) and microenvironment cell populations-counter (MCP-Counter). Differential expression analysis was performed by using limma package. Next, univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses were used to build a hypoxia-related risk score model (HYRS). Mutational analysis was applied to determine genomic variation across the HYRS groups. The Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithm was used to compare the effectiveness of HYRS in immunotherapy prediction. We divided OC samples into two molecular subtypes (C1 and C2 subtypes) based on the expression signature of hypoxia genes. Compared with C1 subtype, there was a larger proportion of poor prognosis genotypes in the C2 subtype. And most immune cells scored higher in the C2 subtype. Next, we obtained a HYRS based on 7 genes. High HYRS group had a higher gene mutation rate, such as TP53. Moreover, HYRS performed better than TIDE in predicting immunotherapy effect. Combined with clinicopathological features, the nomogram showed that HYRS had the greatest impact on survival prediction and a strong robustness.
Third-Generation Sirolimus‐Eluting Bioresorbable Tyrocore Scaffold Implantation in Patients with ST‐Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Baseline and 6-Month OCT and Clinical Outcomes—a FANTOM STEMI Pilot Study
Authors: Koltowski Lukasz , Tomaniak Mariusz , Ochijewicz Dorota , Opolski Grzegorz , Kochman Janusz
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Fantom BRS 6 months after implantation using the optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging.

Methods

Twenty STEMI patients treated with a sirolimus‐eluting Fantom BRS were enrolled into a prospective, single-arm, serial observational study. The scaffold sizing, positioning and optimisation were guided by OCT imaging. The primary endpoint was device‐orientated composite endpoints (DOCE), comprised of cardiac death, target-vessel-related myocardial infarction and target lesion failure. To evaluate the device performance at the scaffold level, we performed a quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and OCT imaging at 6 months.

Results

The primary endpoint did not occur in any patient within the 6-month follow‐up. There were no major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) or DOCEs, no cases of scaffold thrombosis, target lesion revascularization and no deaths. In QCA, we observed a decrease in the minimum and mean lumen diameter in the in-scaffold region and in the proximal and distal peri-scaffold region. Similarly, the minimum lumen area and reference vessel diameter had decreased in both QCA and OCT. The OCT imaging showed improvement in the expansion index and malposition rate.

Conclusion

A serial 6-month OCT imaging after implantation of a third-generation Tyrocore-based bioresorbable coronary scaffold indicated good coverage of the struts with excellent healing of the scaffold, low neointima growth and no signs of neoatherosclerosis.
Autistic Adults Show Intact Learning on a Visuospatial Serial Reaction Time Task
Authors: Treves Isaac N. , Cannon Jonathan , Shin Eren , Li Cindy E. , Bungert Lindsay , O’Brien Amanda , Cardinaux Annie , Sinha Pawan , Gabrieli John D. E.
Published: January 2023

Some theories have proposed that autistic individuals have difficulty learning predictive relationships. We tested this hypothesis using a serial reaction time task in which participants learned to predict the locations of a repeating sequence of target locations. We conducted a large-sample online study with 61 autistic and 71 neurotypical adults. The autistic group had slower overall reaction times, but demonstrated sequence-specific learning equivalent to the neurotypical group, consistent with other findings of typical procedural memory in autism. The neurotypical group, however, made significantly more prediction-related errors early in the experiment when the stimuli changed from repeated sequences to random locations, suggesting certain limited behavioural differences in the learning or utilization of predictive relationships for autistic adults.
Maternal Prenatal Distress, Maternal Pre- and Postnatal Bonding and Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Toddlers. A Secondary Analysis of the IRIS Study
Authors: Henrichs Jens , de Kroon Marlou , Walker Annika , Witteveen Anke , Westerneng Myrte , van Baar Anneloes , de Jonge Ank
Published: January 2023

Maternal prenatal distress (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms) increases the risk for childhood behavioral and emotional problems. So far, the potential role of maternal bonding in this association still needs further study. Maternal prenatal distress can affect the development of maternal bonding from pregnancy onwards. Maternal prenatal and postnatal bonding in turn have been shown to predict child behavioral functioning. We aimed to investigate whether maternal prenatal and postnatal bonding mediate the association between maternal prenatal distress and toddlers’ internalizing and externalizing problems. Data from a Dutch prospective longitudinal sample (N = 666) were used to conduct single and multiple mediation models. Mothers reported prenatal anxiety (State Anxiety Inventory) and prenatal depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) at 24 weeks’ gestation and maternal prenatal bonding (Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale) at 32 weeks’ gestation. At 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum mothers completed questionnaires to assess maternal postnatal bonding (Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale). Mothers reported child internalizing and externalizing problems (Child Behavior Checklist) at 28 months postpartum. Maternal prenatal and postnatal bonding mediated the link between maternal prenatal anxiety and child externalizing problems but not internalizing problems. Only maternal bonding 6 months postpartum mediated the link between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and child internalizing problems but not externalizing problems. Our study showed that maternal postnatal bonding more consistently mediated links between measures of maternal prenatal distress and child behavioral and emotional problems than maternal prenatal bonding. Interventions reducing maternal prenatal distress and promoting maternal bonding should be developed.
Elucidating the pressure-induced enhancement of ionic conductivity in sodium closo-hydroborate electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries
Authors: Huang Yuanye , Černý Radovan , Battaglia Corsin , Remhof Arndt
Published: January 2023

Hydroborates are an emerging class of solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries. Here, we investigate the impact of pressure on the crystal structure and ionic conductivity of a close-hydroborate salt consisting of Na2B10H10 and Na2B12H12. Two Na2B10H10:Na2B12H12 ratios were studied, 1:1 and 1:3. The anions of the as-synthesized powder with 1:1 ratio crystallize in a single face-centered cubic phase, while the anions of the powder with 1:3 ratio crystallize in a single monoclinic phase. After applying pressure to densify the powder into a pellet, a partial phase transformation into a body-centered cubic (BCC) phase is observed for both ratios. The BCC content saturates at 50 weight percent (wt%) at 500 MPa for the 1:1 ratio and at 77 wt% at 1000 MPa for the 1:3 sample. The room temperature sodium-ion conductivity follows an analogous trend. For the 1:1 ratio, it increases from 2 × 10–4 Scm−1 at 10 wt% BCC content to about 1.0 × 10–3 Scm−1 at 50 wt% BCC content. For the 1:3 ratio, it increases from 1.3 × 10–5 Scm−1 at 11.9 wt% BCC to 8.1 × 10–4 Scm−1 at 71 wt% BCC content. Our results show that pressure is a prerequisite to achieve high sodium-ion conductivity by formation of the highly conductive BCC phase.
Assessing the applicability of 19F labeled tryptophan residues to quantify protein dynamics
Authors: Krempl Christina , Sprangers Remco
Published: January 2023

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is uniquely suited to study the dynamics of biomolecules in solution. Most NMR studies exploit the spins of proton, carbon and nitrogen isotopes, as these atoms are highly abundant in proteins and nucleic acids. As an alternative and complementary approach, fluorine atoms can be introduced into biomolecules at specific sites of interest. These labels can then be used as sensitive probes for biomolecular structure, dynamics or interactions. Here, we address if the replacement of tryptophan with 5-fluorotryptophan residues has an effect on the overall dynamics of proteins and if the introduced fluorine probe is able to accurately report on global exchange processes. For the four different model proteins (KIX, Dcp1, Dcp2 and DcpS) that we examined, we established that 15N CPMG relaxation dispersion or EXSY profiles are not affected by the 5-fluorotryptophan, indicating that this replacement of a proton with a fluorine has no effect on the protein motions. However, we found that the motions that the 5-fluorotryptophan reports on can be significantly faster than the backbone motions. This implies that care needs to be taken when interpreting fluorine relaxation data in terms of global protein motions. In summary, our results underscore the great potential of fluorine NMR methods, but also highlight potential pitfalls that need to be considered.
Exploring product/service innovation process in UK: university spin-offs from practice-based lens
Authors: Baines Ning , Klangboonkrong Te , Smith Helen Lawton
Published: January 2023

In this study, we explore the product/service innovation process in university spin-offs (USOs) – a category of micro/small firms operating at the edge of technological frontiers. Our approach reconciles the traditional linear model with a practice-based lens, which characterises firm learning processes as underpinned by two logics of production and development. The findings agree with the extant literature that the process overall does not always follow stages in a standardised model. The lens further suggests that the interplay between the two logics occurs even within an individual so-called stage of the linear model, which makes for a counter-intuitive observation. This interplay also hinges upon customer collaboration and feedback. Overall, the apparent lack of adherence to formal process in USOs innovation is not mere haphazard response to being small and new. Reconciling the linear model and the lens is a step further in accounting for the latter’s view of iterative learning and knowledge creation, while preserving the former’s relevance as a communication device for multiple stakeholders involving in the process.
Enactivism Meets Mechanism: Tensions & Congruities in Cognitive Science
Authors: Lee Jonny
Published: January 2023

Enactivism advances an understanding of cognition rooted in the dynamic interaction between an embodied agent and their environment, whilst new mechanism suggests that cognition is explained by uncovering the organised components underlying cognitive capacities. On the face of it, the mechanistic model’s emphasis on localisable and decomposable mechanisms, often neural in nature, runs contrary to the enactivist ethos. Despite appearances, this paper argues that mechanistic explanations of cognition, being neither narrow nor reductive, and compatible with plausible iterations of ideas like emergence and downward causation, are congruent with enactivism. Attention to enactivist ideas, moreover, may serve as a heuristic for mechanistic investigations of cognition. Nevertheless, I show how enactivism and approaches that prioritise mechanistic modelling may diverge in starting assumptions about the nature of cognitive phenomena, such as where the constitutive boundaries of cognition lie.