bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In‐situ study of degradation in PTB7:PCBM films prepared with the binary solvent additive DPE:DIO
Authors: Schwaiger Dominik M. , Lohstroh Wiebke , Wolf Marcell , Garvey Christopher J. , Müller‐Buschbaum Peter
Published: April 2023

Blend films of poly[[4,8‐bis[(2‐ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b']dithiophene‐2,6‐diyl][3‐fluoro‐2‐[(2‐ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4‐b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7) in combination with 6,6‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric‐acid‐methyl‐ester (PCBM) are a model system for low bandgap organic photovoltaics. Typically, solvent additives are used to improve the power conversion efficiencies of the resulting devices but possibly also decrease the device stability. In this study, we use the binary solvent additive 1,8‐diiodooctane:diphenylether (DIO:DPE) for PTB7:PCBM blend films and study how different film drying procedures influence the physical and chemical stability of the polymer blend. The strong influence of the drying procedure on the stability against photoinduced degradation of the PTB7:PCBM films, produced with solvent additives, is shown with data from UV–visible (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The addition of solvent additive molecules DIO:DPE to the PTB7:PCBM blend accelerates the degradation compared with the pristine blend. At higher annealing temperature a removal of the additives is bringing degradation back to the level of the pristine blend films, which is promising for photovoltaic applications.
The relationship between Rating of Everyday Arm‐use in the Community and Home (REACH) scale affected arm‐use assessment, activity and participation after stroke
Authors: Obembe Adebimpe O. , Simpson Lisa A. , Eng Janice J.
Published: April 2023

Background and Objectives

While arm function has been traditionally used as a primary goal for upper extremity rehabilitation post‐stroke, we propose a simple measure of arm use, which may translate into better activities and participation. The aim was to determine the relationship between arm use and measures of activity and participation.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study with evaluative components involving community‐dwelling individuals with chronic stroke. The Rating of Everyday Arm‐Use in the Community and Home (REACH) Scale was used to assess affected arm use, Barthel Index and activity domain of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) for activities, and participation domain of the SIS for participation. The participants were also asked if they resumed driving after the stroke.

Results

Forty‐nine individuals (mean age = 70.3 ± 11.5 years, male sex = 51%) living with the effects of a stroke for at least 3 months participated in this study. There was a positive relationship between affected arm use and activities (Barthel Index score – rs = 0.464; SIS activities – rs = 0.686), participation (rs = 0.479), and driving (rs = 0.581). The Barthel Index scores were higher for individuals with dominant arm hemiparesis (p = 0.003) or left hemisphere lesions (p = 0.005). There was also greater arm use in left hemisphere lesions (p = 0.018).

Conclusions

Affected arm use in individuals with chronic stroke is related to activities and participation. Given the importance of arm use in activities and participation after stroke, rehabilitation therapists may consider utilizing the REACH Scale, a simple and quick outcome measure, as a means to assess arm use and implement effective interventions for improving arm use.
An interaction network in Bacillus subtilis coproporphyrinogen oxidase is essential for the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen IX
Authors: Wang Baifan , Sun Lu , Wen Xin , Xi Zhen
Published: April 2023

Coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPO) plays important role in the biosynthesis of heme by catalyzing the coproporphyrinogen III to coproporphyrin III. However, in earlier research, it was regarded as the protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) because it can also catalyze the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen IX to protoporphyrin IX. Identification of the commonalities in CPO and PPO would help us to get a further understanding of the enzyme function. In this work, we explored the role of a non‐conserved residue, Asp65 in Bacillus subtilis CPO (bsCPO), whose corresponding residues in PPO from various species are neutral or positive residue (arginine in human PPO or asparagine in tobacco PPO, etc.). We found that Asp65 performs its function by forming a polar interaction network with its surrounding residues in bsCPO, which is important for enzymatic activity. This polar network maintains the substrate binding chamber and stabilizes the micro‐environment of the isoalloxazine ring of FAD for the substrate–FAD interaction. Both the comparison of the crystal structures of bsCPO with PPO and our previous work showed that a similar polar interaction network is also present in PPOs. The results confirmed our conjecture that non‐conserved residues can form a conserved element to maintain the function of CPO or PPO.
Action of the fungal compound citrinin, a bioherbicide candidate, on photosystem II
Authors: Yang Qian , Guo Yanjing , Wang He , Luo Zhi , Chen Ying , Jiang Mengyun , Lu Huan , Valverde Bernal E. , Qiang Sheng , Strasser Reto Jörg , Chen Shiguo
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Bioherbicides are becoming more attractive as safe weed control tools towards sustainable agriculture. Natural products constitute an important source chemicals and chemical leads for discovery and development of novel pesticide target sites. Citrinin is a bioactive compound produced by fungi of the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus. However, its physiological‐biochemical mechanism as a phytotoxin remains unclear.

RESULTS

Citrinin causes visible leaf lesions on Ageratina adenophora similar to those produced by the commercial herbicide bromoxynil. Phytotoxicity bioassay tests using 24 plant species confirmed that citrinin has a broad activity spectrum and therefore has potential as a bioherbicide. Based on chlorophyll fluorescence studies, citrinin mainly blocks PSII electron flow beyond plastoquinone QA at the acceptor side, resulting in the inactivation of PSII reaction centers. Furthermore, molecular modeling of citrinin docking to the A. adenophora D1 protein suggests that it binds to the plastoquinone QB site by a hydrogen bond between the O1 hydroxy oxygen atom of citrinin and the histidine 215 of the D1 protein, the same way as classical phenolic PSII herbicides do. Finally, 32 new citrinin derivatives were designed and sorted according to free energies on the basis of the molecular model of an interaction between the citrinin molecule and the D1 protein. Five of the modeled compounds had much higher ligand binding affinity within the D1 protein compared with lead compound citrinin.

CONCLUSION

Citrinin is a novel natural PSII inhibitor that has the potential to be developed into a bioherbicide or utilized as a lead compound for discovery of new derivatives with high herbicidal potency. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Plant and insect virus‐like particles: emerging nanoparticles for agricultural pest management
Authors: Xue Qi , Swevers Luc , Taning Clauvis Nji Tizi
Published: April 2023

Virus‐like particles (VLPs) represent a biodegradable, biocompatible nanomaterial made from viral coat proteins that can improve the delivery of antigens, drugs, nucleic acids, and other substances, with most applications in human and veterinary medicine. Regarding agricultural viruses, many insect and plant virus coat proteins have been shown to assemble into VLPs accurately. In addition, some plant virus‐based VLPs have been used in medical studies. However, to our knowledge, the potential application of plant/insect virus‐based VLPs in agriculture remains largely underexplored. This review focuses on why and how to engineer coat proteins of plant/insect viruses as functionalized VLPs, and how to exploit VLPs in agricultural pest control. The first part of the review describes four different engineering strategies for loading cargo at the inner or the outer surface of VLPs depending on the type of cargo and purpose. Second, the literature on plant and insect viruses the coat proteins of which have been confirmed to self‐assemble into VLPs is reviewed. These VLPs are good candidates for developing VLP‐based agricultural pest control strategies. Lastly, the concepts of plant/insect virus‐based VLPs for delivering insecticidal and antiviral components (e.g., double‐stranded RNA, peptides, and chemicals) are discussed, which provides future prospects of VLP application in agricultural pest control. In addition, some concerns are raised about VLP production on a large scale and the short‐term resistance of hosts to VLP uptake. Overall, this review is expected to stimulate interest and research exploring plant/insect virus‐based VLP applications in agricultural pest management. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Identification of leaf chloroplast‐specific promoter to efficiently control of Colorado potato beetle with reduced dsRNA accumulation in potato tubers
Authors: Liao Jianghua , Rong Haoling , You Lili , Xia Kai , Wang Minghui , Han Peng , Li Chao , Zhang Jiang
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

By expressing double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) in potato plastids targeting the β‐Actin (ACT) gene of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), transplastomic plants can trigger the beetle's RNA interference response to kill the CPB larvae. High expression of dsACT driven by rrn16 promoter (Prrn) in the leaf chloroplasts of transplastomic plants confers strong resistance to CPB. However, there are still residual amounts of dsRNA in the tubers, which are unnecessary for CPB control and may raise a potential food exposure issue.

RESULTS

In order to reduce dsRNA accumulation in the tubers while maintaining stable resistance to CPB, we selected two promoters (PrbcL and PpsbD) from potato plastid‐encoded rbcL and psbD genes and compared their activities with Prrn promoter for dsRNA synthesis in the leaf chloroplasts and tuber amyloplasts. We found that the dsACT accumulation levels in leaves of transplastomic plants St‐PrbcL‐ACT and St‐PpsbD‐ACT were significantly reduced when compared to St‐Prrn‐ACT, but they still maintained high resistance to CPB. By contrast, a few amounts of dsACT were still accumulated in the tubers of St‐PrbcL‐ACT, whereas no dsACT accumulation in tubers was detectable in St‐PpsbD‐ACT.

CONCLUSION

We identified PpsbD as a useful promoter to reduce dsRNA accumulation in potato tubers while maintaining the high resistance of the potato leaves to CPB. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
SDHI resistance in Pyrenophora teres f teres and molecular detection of novel double mutations in sdh genes conferring high resistance
Authors: Sautua Francisco José , Carmona Marcelo Aníbal
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Net blotch (NB), caused by Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt), is an important disease of barley worldwide. NB control is commonly achieved through the use of fungicide mixtures including strobilurins, triazoles and carboxamides. Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI) are important components of fungicide management programs of barley diseases. However, during the last growing seasons in Argentina, barley fields sprayed with mixtures containing SDHI fungicides have shown failures in NB control. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of Argentine Ptt strains resistant to SDHI fungicides.

RESULTS

Compared against a sensitive (wild‐type) reference strain collected in 2008, all 21 Ptt isolates collected in 2021 exhibited resistance to pydiflumetofen and fluxapyroxad both in vitro and in vivo. Concordantly, all of them presented target‐site mutations in any of the sdhB, sdhC and sdhD genes. Although the mutations detected have been previously reported in other parts of the world, this study documents for the first time the occurrence of double mutations in the same Ptt isolate. Specifically, the double mutation sdhC‐N75S + sdhD‐D145G confers high resistance to SDHI fungicides, while the double mutations sdhB‐H277Y + sdhC‐N75S and sdhB‐H277Y + sdhC‐H134R confer moderate levels of resistance in Ptt.

CONCLUSIONS

SDHI‐resistance in Argentine Ptt populations is expected to increase. These findings emphasize the urgent need to perform a wider survey and a more frequent monitoring of SDHI sensitivity of Ptt populations and to develop and implement effective antiresistance tactics. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Effect of Thickness Variation on the Measured Seebeck Coefficient and Power Factor in ITO–NiCr Thin‐Film Thermocouples
Authors: Jiang Felix , Xie Guangzhen , Heiss Jochen , Zhang Zhongkai , Ingebrandt Sven , Vu Xuan Thang
Published: April 2023

Herein, the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and power factor of an indium tin oxide (ITO) and nickel‐chromium (NiCr) thermocouple are investigated. The thicknesses of the ITO and NiCr are varied between 10 and 430 nm. Seebeck coefficients between 12.8 and (21.4 ± 1.5) μV K−1are measured, respectively. The results indicate that a reduction in thickness generally leads to an increase in the Seebeck coefficient until a maximum value is reached. Among the measured samples, the optimal Seebeck coefficients are found with an ITO thickness of (111 ± 4) nm and NiCr thickness of (18 ± 2) nm. Finally, the power factor of the thermocouples is determined, with a maximum power factor of (84 ± 7) μW m−1 K−2for the ITO thickness of (111 ± 4) nm and nickel‐chromium thickness of (42 ± 5) nm.
UV Light‐Assisted Photodegradation of Industrial Dyes by Reduced Graphene Oxide/Nickel Codoped Fe3O4 Nanocomposites Synthesized Using the Coprecipitation Method
Authors: Sherin J. F. Joe , Vijayakumar C. , Bindhu M. R. , Gatasheh Mansour K. , Hatamleh Ashraf Atef , Arokiyaraj Selvaraj
Published: April 2023

Industrial dye waste is highly toxic, nonbiodegradable, and has a significant negative impact on the environment. Photodegradation of phenothiazine derivative dyes by undoped Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4), reduced graphene oxide (rGO)‐doped Fe3O4 nanocomposites (G@Fe3O4), nickel‐doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Ni@Fe3O4), and graphene–nickel codoped Fe3O4 nanocomposites (Ni/G@Fe3O4) is achieved using a facile coprecipitation technique. The X‐ray powder diffraction patterns of all the prepared samples confirm the face‐centered cubic structure of metallic Fe3O4. The crystallite size of the Ni‐doped samples increases, indicating that the addition of Ni2+ significantly increases the crystalline grain growth of Fe3O4, whereas the addition of graphene dopants results in a decrease in the particle size and an increase in the bandgap. The higher specific surface area of Ni/G@Fe3O4 (70.082 m2 g−1) is attributed to the introduction of rGO nanoflakes and the formation of secondary pores. The X‐ray photoelectron spectra of O 1s, C 1s, Ni 2p, and Fe 2p confirm the presence of oxygen anions, graphene, Ni2+ ions, and Fe3+ and Fe2+ oxidation states in the Fe3O4 lattice.
Theoretical study on the electronic properties and quantum capacitance ofZr2CO2MXenewith atomic swap
Authors: Yin She‐Hui , Cui Xing‐Hao , Li Xiao‐Hong , Wang Shi‐Jie , Zhang Rui‐Zhou , Cui Hong‐Ling , Yan Hai‐Tao
Published: April 2023

MXenes have the excellent electrochemical properties as electrode of supercapacitors. Using density functional theory, we investigated the electronic properties and quantum capacitance of Zr2CO2with atomic swap. The atomic swap results in the appearance of Frenkel‐type defect and Schottky defect. The negative binding energy confirms the stability of the studied systems. The atomic swap makes ZrC1, ZrC2, ZrO1, ZrO2, CO2 systems maintain the indirect semiconductor character, and CO2 system has the direct semiconductor character. The thermionic emission performance of Zr2CO2MXene is greatly improved by atomic swap. ZrO1 and ZrO2 systems in aqueous system are appropriate anode materials. The wide voltage has little effect on the electrode type for perfect Zr2CO2, ZrO1, ZrO2, CO1, and CO2 systems, but changes ZrC1 and ZrC2 systems from cathode material in aqueous system to anode material in ionic/organic system. The work function and effective mass are also explored.
Genetic variants of G‐protein coupled receptors associated with pubertal disorders
Authors: Suzuki Erina , Miyado Mami , Kuroki Yoko , Fukami Maki
Published: April 2023

Background

The human hypothalamic–pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis is the regulatory center for pubertal development. This axis involves six G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) encoded by KISS1R, TACR3, PROKR2, GNRHR, LHCGR, and FSHR.

Methods

Previous studies have identified several rare variants of the six GPCR genes in patients with pubertal disorders. In vitro assays and animal studies have provided information on the function of wild‐type and variant GPCRs.

Main Findings

Of the six GPCRs, those encoded by KISS1R and TACR3 are likely to reside at the top of the HPG axis. Several loss‐of‐function variants in the six genes were shown to cause late/absent puberty. In particular, variants in KISS1R, TACR3, PROKR2, and GNRHR lead to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in autosomal dominant, recessive, and oligogenic manners. Furthermore, a few gain‐of‐function variants of KISS1R, PROKR2, and LHCGR have been implicated in precocious puberty. The human HPG axis may contain additional GPCRs.

Conclusion

The six GPCRs in the HPG axis govern pubertal development through fine‐tuning of hormone secretion. Rare sequence variants in these genes jointly account for a certain percentage of genetic causes of pubertal disorders. Still, much remains to be clarified about the molecular network involving the six GPCRs.
Finite‐time sub‐optimal control design for control affine nonlinear systems
Authors: Yao Jie , Xin Ming
Published: April 2023

A finite‐time suboptimal control strategy named technique is proposed for the control of a class of control‐affine nonlinear dynamic systems in this study. The nonlinear dynamic is expressed as a pseudo‐linear form without linearization. By adding vanishing perturbation terms into the quadratic cost functional and using a power series to represent the co‐state, an approximate solution to the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation can be obtained through solving a differential Riccati equation offline and a series of linear Lyapunov equations with analytical solutions. The obtained suboptimal controller is in a state feedback closed‐form. By tuning the parameters in the perturbation terms, semi‐global stability can be guaranteed. In contrast to the finite‐time state‐dependent Riccati equation technique, the proposed method does not need intensive and iterative numerical computations, which facilitates real‐time implementation. Two examples are utilized to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of this proposed technique.
Photonic‐Plasmonic Coupling Enhanced Fluorescence Enabling Digital‐Resolution Ultrasensitive Protein Detection
Authors: Barya Priyash , Xiong Yanyu , Shepherd Skye , Gupta Rohit , Akin Lucas D. , Tibbs Joseph , Lee Hankeun , Singamaneni Srikanth , Cunningham Brian T.
Published: April 2023

Assays utilizing fluorophores are common throughout life science research and diagnostics, although detection limits are generally limited by weak emission intensity, thus requiring many labeled target molecules to combine their output to achieve higher signal‐to‐noise. We describe how the synergistic coupling of plasmonic and photonic modes can significantly boost the emission from fluorophores. By optimally matching the resonant modes of a plasmonic fluor (PF) nanoparticle and a photonic crystal (PC) with the absorption and emission spectrum of the fluorescent dye, a 52‐fold improvement in signal intensity is observed, enabling individual PFs to be observed and digitally counted, where one PF tag represents one detected target molecule. The amplification can be attributed to the strong near‐field enhancement due to the cavity‐induced activation of the PF, PC band structure‐mediated improvement in collection efficiency, and increased rate of spontaneous emission. The applicability of the method by dose‐response characterization of a sandwich immunoassay for human interleukin‐6, a biomarker used to assist diagnosis of cancer, inflammation, sepsis, and autoimmune disease is demonstrated. A limit of detection of 10 fg mL−1 and 100 fg mL−1 in buffer and human plasma respectively, is achieved, representing a capability nearly three orders of magnitude lower than standard immunoassays.
Methylammonium Chloride as a Double‐Edged Sword for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Li Bo , Wang Huayan , Liu Aqiang , Liu Yang , Pu Wei , Shen Ting , Li Mengjie , Que Meidan , Tian Jianjun , Dai Qilin , Yun Sining
Published: April 2023

The additive engineering strategy promotes the efficiency of solution‐processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) over 25%. However, compositional heterogeneity and structural disorders occur in perovskite films with the addition of specific additives, making it imperative to understand the detrimental impact of additives on film quality and device performance. In this work, the double‐edged sword effects of the methylammonium chloride (MACl) additive on the properties of methylammonium lead mixed‐halide perovskite (MAPbI3‐xClx ) films and PSCs are demonstrated. MAPbI3‐xClx films suffer from undesirable morphology transition during annealing, and its impacts on the film quality including morphology, optical properties, structure, and defect evolution are systematically investigated, as well as the power conversion efficiency (PCE) evolution for related PSCs. The FAX (FA = formamidinium, X = I, Br, and Ac) post‐treatment strategy is developed to inhibit the morphology transition and suppress defects by compensating for the loss of the organic components, a champion PCE of 21.49% with an impressive open‐circuit voltage of 1.17 V is obtained, and remains over 95% of the initial efficiency after storing over 1200 hours. This study elucidates that understanding the additive‐induced detrimental effects in halide perovskites is critical to achieve the efficient and stable PSCs.
Structure and Interface Engineering of Ultrahigh‐Rate 3D Bismuth Anodes for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhang Xiaoshan , Qiu Xueqing , Lin Jinxin , Lin Zehua , Sun Shirong , Yin Jian , Alshareef Husam N. , Zhang Wenli
Published: April 2023

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted tremendous attention as promising low‐cost energy storage devices in future grid‐scale energy management applications. Bismuth is a promising anode for SIBs due to its high theoretical capacity (386 mAh g−1). Nevertheless, the huge volume variation of Bi anode during (de)sodiation processes can cause the pulverization of Bi particulates and rupture of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), resulting in quick capacity decay. It is demonstrated that rigid carbon framework and robust SEI are two essentials for stable Bi anodes. A lignin‐derived carbonlayer wrapped tightly around the bismuth nanospheres provides a stable conductive pathway, while the delicate selection of linear and cyclic ether‐based electrolytes enable robust and stable SEI films. These two merits enable the long‐term cycling process of the LC‐Bi anode. The LC‐Bi composite delivers outstanding sodium‐ion storage performance with an ultra‐long cycle life of 10 000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g−1 and an excellent rate capability of 94% capacity retention at an ultrahigh current density of 100 A g−1. Herein, the underlying origins of performance improvement of Bi anode are elucidated, which provides a rational design strategy for Bi anodes in practical SIBs.
The viability and sustainability approach to support organisational resilience: Learning in a recent case study in the health sector
Authors: Espinosa Angela M. , Walker Jon , Grover Kartikae , Vachkova Maya V.
Published: April 2023

In the context of ongoing global pandemics and political and economic instability, supporting public health organisations to improve their performance and develop their resilience is becoming a central issue in the organisational resilience research agenda. This paper offers a briefing on the viability and sustainability (v&s) approach and provides an example of application of the self‐transformation methodology (STM) at the breast care unit in an English Health Trust. The way of conducting the systemic application, the chosen methodology and tools and the way of interacting with the clients all exhibit the aspects of holistic flexibility. The paper demonstrates how the v&s approach and the STM enabled the collective identification of more effective policies and strategies for improving individual and organisational effectiveness for this health service unit, when interacting with a complex and changing environment. It also discusses the potential for adapting and replicating the approach across the healthcare sector.
Crown Prediction of Hot‐Rolled Silicon Steel Using Transfer Learning Network Fused with Whale Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Meng Ling Ming , Ding Jing Guo , Dong Zi Shuo , Li Xu , Zhang Dian Hua
Published: April 2023

Massive amounts of data are generated during hot strip production in the hot‐rolling metal forming process; the resultant dataset is sufficient for model learning in strip steel crown prediction. However, the data of high‐grade nonoriented silicon steel are limited, and the rolling process parameters differ, resulting in poor crown prediction. Herein, a model based on the whale optimization algorithm and transfer learning to predict the crowns of hot‐rolled high‐grade nonoriented silicon strip steel is presented. The model is composed of convolutional and linear layers. The whale optimization algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters and obtain an optimal model during pretraining. The model is then fine tuned based on insufficient silicon steel data to achieve model migration. The application results show that the correlation coefficient reaches 0.993, which is the highest prediction accuracy among the comparison models. Furthermore, the root mean square error is 1.14 μm, and the hit rate within 4.0 μm of the crown deviation reaches 99.502%. In addition, the influences of four parameters on the crown of the silicon steel strip are studied based on the response surfaces. The results indicate that the proposed model can efficiently predict silicon steel strip crowns.
Measuring CTL Lytic Granule Secretion and Target Cell Membrane Repair by Fluorescent Lipophilic Dye Uptake at the Lytic Synapse
Authors: Müller Sabina , Filali Liza , Puissegur Marie-Pierre , Valitutti Salvatore
Published: April 2023

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play a key role in anti-tumor immune response. They are therefore at the heart of current immunotherapy protocols against cancer. Despite current strategies to potentiate CTL responses, cancer cells can resist CTL attack, thus limiting the efficacy of immunotherapies. To optimize immunotherapy, it is urgent to develop rapid assays allowing to assess CTL-cancer cell confrontation at the lytic synapse.

In this chapter, we describe a flow cytometry-based method to simultaneously assess the extent of CTL activation and of tumor cell reparative membrane turnover in CTL/target cell conjugates. Such a method can be performed using a limited number of cells. It can therefore be employed in clinical settings when only a few patient-derived cells might be available.
Hate Speech online: Hartknäckiges Phänomen und interdisziplinärer Forschungsgegenstand
Authors: Jaki Sylvia , Steiger Stefan
Published: April 2023

Während in der Frühphase des Internets die erwarteten positiven Wirkungen digitaler Kommunikation auf demokratische Diskurse betont wurden, hat sich die Perspektive in den vergangenen Jahren deutlich getrübt. Die gezielte Verbreitung von Desinformationen zur Beeinflussung von demokratischen Wahlen oder während der Coronapandemie stehen ebenso exemplarisch hierfür wie die Verbreitung von Hate Speech. Diese Phänomene bedrohen den demokratischen Diskurs und erschweren bspw. die Konsensfindung bei entscheidenden politischen Fragen.
Die Regulierung von Internetinhalten am Beispiel Hassrede: Ein Forschungsüberblick
Authors: Schünemann Wolf J. , Steiger Stefan
Published: April 2023

Die Regulation von Hassrede ist eine zunehmend wichtige gesellschaftspolitische Herausforderung für demokratische Staaten. Insbesondere aufgrund wachsender Befürchtungen, dass digitale Hassrede politische Gewalt begünstige, haben unterschiedliche Akteure Maßnahmen zu deren Eindämmung ergriffen. Hassrede stellt damit einen der prominentesten Fälle von digitaler Inhalteregulierung dar. Sie fordert damit auch die Wahrnehmung einer relativ regulationsfreien digitalen Sphäre heraus. Dieser Beitrag skizziert unterschiedliche Studien zur Inhalteregulierung und bietet einen Überblick über die entsprechende Forschungslandschaft.
„Ihr gehört nicht dazu!“ Soziale Ausgrenzung durch Hate Speech als Problem für liberale Demokratien
Authors: Unger Doris , Unger-Sirsch Jürgen
Published: April 2023

Mit dem Aufschwung sozialer Medien in den letzten Jahren hat auch die Sichtbarkeit von Hate Speech stark zugenommen. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat auch die Debatte um die Bekämpfung und Regulierung von Hassrede erneut Auftrieb erfahren. Unser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, welche Ziele eine Regulierung von Hate Speech verfolgen sollte, die zum Schutz liberaler Grundwerte beiträgt, anstatt sie selbst zu verletzen. Hierbei stützen wir uns auf relativ unkontroverse liberale Grundwerte, wie sie etwa von John Rawls ( 2005) vertreten werden. Auf der Grundlage von Jeremy Waldrons The Harm in Hate Speech (2012) argumentieren wir für drei zentrale Ziele, die eine solche Regulierung verfolgen sollte: Erstens sollte eine Regulierung zur Erhaltung eines frei zugänglichen demokratischen Diskurses beitragen. Gleichzeitig sollte langfristig das Bestehen eines liberal-demokratischen Grundwertekonsenses geschützt und drittens das öffentliche Gut der gegenseitigen Zusicherung gleicher Würde erhalten werden. Aus diesen Zielen entwickeln wir generelle Richtlinien für eine Regulierung von Hassrede. Schließlich diskutieren wir anhand dieser Richtlinien konkrete Maßnahmen zum Umgang mit gruppenspezifischen Schimpfwörtern, wie etwa die automatisierte Löschung von Beiträgen in sozialen Netzwerken, und kommen zum Ergebnis, dass solche Maßnahmen in bestimmten Umständen gerechtfertigt sein können.
Dispersion relations for hadronic light-by-light scattering in triangle kinematics
Authors: Lüdtke Jan , Procura Massimiliano , Stoffer Peter
Published: April 2023

Abstract

We present a new strategy for the dispersive evaluation of the hadronic light-by-light contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon aμ. The new approach directly applies in the kinematic limit relevant for aμ: one of the photons is treated as an external electromagnetic field with vanishing momentum, so that the kinematics corresponds to a triangle. We derive expressions for the relevant single-particle intermediate states, as well as the tensor decompositions of the two-pion sub-processes that appear in addition to those needed in the established dispersive approach. The existing approach is based on a set of dispersion relations for the hadronic light-by-light tensor in four-point kinematics. At present it is not known how to consistently include in this framework resonant intermediate states of spin 2 or larger, due to the appearance of kinematic singularities that can be traced back to the redundancy of the tensor decomposition. We show that our new approach circumvents this problem and enables dispersion relations in the limit of triangle kinematics that are manifestly free from kinematic singularities, paving the way towards a data-driven evaluation of all relevant exclusive hadronic intermediate states.
Comparing effects of microplastic exposure, FPOM resource quality, and consumer density on the response of a freshwater particle feeder and associated ecosystem processes
Authors: Kong Ze Hui , Burdon Francis J. , Truchy Amélie , Bundschuh Mirco , Futter Martyn N. , Hurley Rachel , McKie Brendan G.
Published: April 2023

Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) is an important basal resource in stream ecosystems for deposit- and filter-feeding macroinvertebrates (collectively ‘particle feeders’). Microplastics (MP) share many characteristics with FPOM (e.g. size range, surface area to volume ratios) and are potentially consumed by particle feeders. Accordingly, MP contamination of natural FPOM pools might affect particle feeder growth and survival, particularly when background FPOM resource quality is low, or intraspecific competition is high. We conducted a microcosm experiment to evaluate how a realistic (1400 particles/kg sediment) polyethylene MP (ø = 45–53 µm) concentration interacts with FPOM (ø = 63–250 µm) resource quality (low versus high nutrient content) and consumer density (10 versus 20 individuals per microcosm) to affect growth and survival of larval Chironomus riparius (Diptera: Chironomidae), a model particle feeder. We additionally quantified community respiration, based on three hour measurements of oxygen consumption in the microcosms at the end of the experiment. MP exposure reduced larval body lengths by 26.7%, but only under the low consumer density treatment. MPs reduced community respiration by 26.2%, but only in the absence of chironomids, indicating an impact on microbial respiration. In comparison, low resource quality and high consumer density were associated with 53.5–70.2% reductions in community respiration, chironomid body length and/or body mass. These results suggest that effects of contamination of FPOM with MPs at environmentally realistic concentrations on the life histories of particle feeders such as C. riparius might be limited, especially relative to the effects of resource quality and consumer density. However, the reduction in microbial respiration when MPs were present highlights the need for further research addressing MP impacts on microbes, given their key roles in ecosystem functioning.
Radiologisch-nuklearmedizinische Hybriddiagnostik mit SPECT/CT bei chronischen Fuß- und Sprunggelenkserkrankungen
Authors: Rischke Hans Christian , Hase Charlotte , Schneider Thomas , Walther Markus
Published: April 2023

Hintergrund und Ziel der Arbeit

Zahlreiche Erkrankungen des Fußes bzw. der Sprunggelenke können mithilfe der SPECT/CT (Single-Photon-Emmissions-Computertomographie/Computertomographie) im Hinblick auf ihre klinische Relevanz mit hoher Genauigkeit (bis > 90 %) diagnostiziert werden. Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit ist es, einen aktuellen Überblick über den Stellenwert der SPECT/CT bei ausgewählten Erkrankungen an Fuß- und Sprunggelenken zu geben, insbesondere in Abgrenzung zu MRT (Magnet-Resonanz-Tomographie), CT und Röntgen.

Material und Methoden

Es erfolgte einer Literaturrecherche in der Datenbank Pubmed mit folgenden Begriffen: SPECT/CT, SPECT, skeletal or bone scintigraphy, CT, computed tomography, foot‑, ankle disease, ankle, tarsal, foot pain. Die Arbeiten wurden im Hinblick auf häufig auftretende Fragestellungen und Diagnosen selektiert. Ausgewählt wurden Arbeiten, die aufgrund der Anwendung der SPECT/CT eine genauere Diagnose verglichen zu alternativen Verfahren mit Änderung der Therapie beschreiben.

Ergebnisse

In mehreren Studien wurde nachgewiesen, dass ein fokal erhöhter Knochenmetabolismus bei Arthrose und Osteochondrose signifikant mit der Schmerzentstehung korreliert. Die Präsenz von symptomatischen Ossikeln, wie zum Beispiel Os naviculare accessorium Typ II und Os trigonum, können mithilfe der SPECT/CT eindeutig nachgewiesen und mit keinem anderen bildgebenden Verfahren so treffsicher als Symptomquelle zugeordnet werden. Auch knöcherne Reaktionen im Bereich von Koalitionen, Arthrodesen, Osteosynthesen, okkulten Frakturen, Prothesen und beim diabetischen Fuß können mit keiner anderen bildgebenden Methode in vergleichbarer Genauigkeit nachgewiesen werden. Therapiekonzepte wurden bei unklaren Fällen, basierend auf Standardbildgebung inkl. MRT, durch die Zusatzinformation des SPECT/CT in bis zu zwei Drittel der Fälle geändert.

Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung

Der Nutzen der SPECT/CT ist gegeben, wenn klinisch Unsicherheiten trotz Standardbildgebung bestehen.
Equilibrium refinement in finite action evidence games
Authors: Jiang Shaofei
Published: April 2023

Evidence games study situations where a sender persuades a receiver by selectively disclosing hard evidence about an unknown state of the world. Evidence games often have multiple equilibria. Hart et al. (Am Econ Rev 107:690-713, 2017) propose to focus on truth-leaning equilibria, i.e., perfect Bayesian equilibria where the sender discloses truthfully when indifferent, and the receiver takes off-path disclosure at face value. They show that a truth-leaning equilibrium is an equilibrium of a perturbed game where the sender has an infinitesimal reward for truth-telling. We show that, when the receiver’s action space is finite, truth-leaning equilibrium may fail to exist, and it is not equivalent to equilibrium of the perturbed game. To restore existence, we introduce a disturbed game with a small uncertainty about the receiver’s payoff. A purifiable truthful equilibrium is the limit of a sequence of truth-leaning equilibria in the disturbed games as the disturbances converge to zero. It exists and features a simple characterization. A truth-leaning equilibrium that is also purifiable truthful is an equilibrium of the perturbed game. Moreover, purifiable truthful equilibria are receiver optimal and give the receiver the same payoff as the optimal deterministic mechanism.
Muscarinic acetylcholine activity modulates cortical silent period, but not motor evoked potentials, during muscle contractions
Authors: Dempsey Lisa M. , Kavanagh Justin J.
Published: April 2023

This study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine if muscarinic receptor blockade affects muscle responses during voluntary contractions. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from biceps brachii in 10 subjects (age: 23 ± 2) during 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs). Each contraction intensity was examined under non-fatigued and fatigued conditions. All measurements were obtained post-ingestion of 25 mg promethazine or placebo. MEP area and the duration of the TMS-evoked silent period (SP) were calculated for all contractions. No drug-related differences were detected for MEP area during non-fatigued or fatigued contractions. A main effect of drug was detected for the SP (p = 0.019) where promethazine increased SP duration by an average of 0.023$$\pm$$±0.015 s. This drug effect was only identified for the unfatigued contractions and not following the sustained fatiguing contractions (p = 0.105). The cholinergic system does not influence corticospinal excitability during voluntary muscle contractions, but instead affects neural circuits associated with the TMS-evoked SP. Given the prevalence of cholinergic properties in prescription and over-the-counter medications, the current study enhances our understanding of mechanisms that may contribute to motor side-effects.
Bacterial Communities Are Less Diverse in a Strepsipteran Endoparasitoid than in Its Fruit Fly Hosts and Dominated by Wolbachia
Authors: Towett-Kirui Sharon , Morrow Jennifer L. , Close Shannon , Royer Jane E. , Riegler Markus
Published: April 2023

Microbiomes play vital roles in insect fitness and health and can be influenced by interactions between insects and their parasites. Many studies investigate the microbiome of free-living insects, whereas microbiomes of endoparasitoids and their interactions with parasitised insects are less explored. Due to their development in the constrained environment within a host, endoparasitoids are expected to have less diverse yet distinct microbiomes. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterise the bacterial communities of Dipterophagus daci (Strepsiptera) and seven of its tephritid fruit fly host species. Bacterial communities of D. daci were less diverse and contained fewer taxa relative to the bacterial communities of the tephritid hosts. The strepsipteran’s microbiome was dominated by Pseudomonadota (formerly Proteobacteria) (> 96%), mainly attributed to the presence of Wolbachia, with few other bacterial community members, indicative of an overall less diverse microbiome in D. daci. In contrast, a dominance of Wolbachia was not found in flies parasitised by early stages of D. daci nor unparasitised flies. Yet, early stages of D. daci parasitisation resulted in structural changes in the bacterial communities of parasitised flies. Furthermore, parasitisation with early stages of D. daci with Wolbachia was associated with a change in the relative abundance of some bacterial taxa relative to parasitisation with early stages of D. daci lacking Wolbachia. Our study is a first comprehensive characterisation of bacterial communities in a Strepsiptera species together with the more diverse bacterial communities of its hosts and reveals effects of concealed stages of parasitisation on host bacterial communities.
The evolution of surgical hip dislocation utilization and indications over the past two decades: a scoping review
Authors: Khalifa Ahmed A. , Hassan Tohamy G. , Haridy Mohamed A.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To assess the evolution of surgical hip dislocation (SHD) utilization over the past 20 years, concentrating mainly on the patients’ population (adults vs. paediatric), the hip conditions treated using this approach, and reporting on complications of this procedure.

Methods

This scoping review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A PubMed database search was performed using specific search terms for articles related to SHD published between January 2001 and November 2022.

Results

Initial search revealed 321 articles, of which 160 published in 66 journals from 28 countries were eligible for final analysis. The number of publications increased by 10.2 folds comparing the period from 2001 to 2005 with 2018 to 2022. USA and Switzerland contributed to more than 50% of the publications. Case series studies represented the majority of publications (65.6%). Articles including adult patients represented 73.1% of the publications while 10% were on paediatric patients; however, there was 14 folds increase in publications on paediatric patients comparing the first with the last five years. Managing non-traumatic conditions was reported in 77.5% of the articles, while traumatic conditions in 21.9%. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) was the most treated non-traumatic condition reported in 53 (33.1%) articles. In contrast, femoral head fractures (FHF) were the most treated traumatic condition, which was reported in 13 articles.

Conclusion

The publications on SHD and its usage for managing traumatic and non-traumatic hip conditions showed an increasing trend over the past two decades from worldwide countries. Its use in adult patients is well established, and its utilization in treating paediatric hip conditions is becoming more popular.
C‐Reactive Protein as a Negative Predictive Marker for Anastomotic Leakage After Minimally Invasive Esophageal Surgery
Authors: Hagens Eliza R. C. , Feenstra Minke L. , Lam Wing C. , Eshuis W. J. , Lameris W. , van Berge Henegouwen Mark I. , Gisbertz Suzanne S.
Published: April 2023

Background

Serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) is commonly used by surgeons to raise suspicion of anastomotic leakage and other infectious complications, but most studies on optimal cut‐off values are retrospective with a small sample of patients. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy and optimal cut‐off value of CRP for anastomotic leakage in patients following esophagectomy for cancer.

Materials and methods

Consecutive minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer patients was included in this prospective study. Anastomotic leakage was confirmed if a defect or leakage of oral contrast was seen on a CT scan, by endoscopy or if saliva was draining from the neck incision. Diagnostic accuracy of CRP was assessed by receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis. Youden's index was adopted to determine the cut‐off value.

Results

A total of 200 patients were included between 2016 and 2018. Postoperative day 5 showed the highest area under the ROC (0.825) and optimal cut‐off value of 120 mg/L. This resulted in a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 82%, negative predicting value of 97%, and positive predicting value of 32%.

Conclusions

CRP on postoperative day 5 can be used as a negative predictor for and can be used as a marker to raise suspicion of anastomotic leakage following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. When CRP exceeds 120 mg/L on postoperative day 5, additional investigations should be considered.
Combined Detection of IFN-γ and Lymphocyte Subsets with Activation Indicators in the Clinical Application of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection at Different Times
Authors: Chen Yiwen , Zhang Lahong , Zhou Changjun , Liu Yuhua , Pan Feng , Ke Qiang , Chen Zhaojun
Published: April 2023

The immune status of mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. In this work, we aim to evaluate the clinical significance of the combination of serum IFN-γ, IGRAs (Interferon-Gamma Release Assay), lymphocyte subset with activation indicators detection in active and latent tuberculosis infection patients. For this study, anticoagulant whole blood were collected from 45 active tuberculosis (AT group), 44 latent tuberculosis (LT group) and 32 healthy controls (HCs group). The serum IFN-γ and IGRAs detected by chemiluminescence, and the percentage of lymphocyte subsets and activated lymphocytes detected by flow cytometry. The results showed combined IGRAs, serum IFN-γ and NKT cells not only has good diagnostic efficiency for the AT, but also provides a laboratory diagnostic method to distinguish AT from LT. Activation indicator of CD3+HLA-DR+T and CD4+HLA-DR+T can effectively distinguish LT from HCs. While combined CD3+T, CD4+T, CD8+CD28+T, Treg and CD16+CD56+CD69+ cells can distinguish AT from HCs. This study showed combined direct detection of serum IFN-γ and IGRAs as well as lymphocyte subsets with activation indicators which may provide laboratory basis for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of active and latent MTB infection.