bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterostrain and temperature-tuned twist between graphene/h-BN bilayers
Authors: Yang Xing , Zhang Bin
Published: March 2023

Two-dimensional materials stacked atomically at small twist angles enable the modification of electronic states, motivating twistronics. Here, we demonstrate that heterostrain can rotate the graphene flake on monolayer h-BN within a few degrees (− 4° to 4°), and the twist angle stabilizes at specific values with applied constant strains, while the temperature effect is negligible in 100–900 K. The band gaps of bilayers can be modulated from ~ 0 to 37 meV at proper heterostrain and twist angles. Further analysis shows that the heterostrain modulates the interlayer energy landscape by regulating Moiré pattern evolution. The energy variation is correlated with the dynamic instability of different stacking modes of bilayers, and arises from the fluctuation of interlayer repulsive interaction associated with p-orbit electrons. Our results provide a mechanical strategy to manipulate twist angles of graphene/h-BN bilayers, and may facilitate the design of rotatable electronic nanodevices.
A matched case-control study in Taiwan to evaluate potential risk factors for prostate cancer
Authors: Chang Heng-Jui , Pong Yuan-Hung , Chiang Chen-Yen , Huang Po-Chien , Wang Ming-Hua , Chan Yu-Jiun , Lan Tzuo-Yun
Published: March 2023

The rising incidence rate of prostate cancer (PCa) worldwide has become a public health concern. PCa has a multifactorial etiology, and the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and PCa has been widely investigated by numerous case–control studies. This age-matched, case–control study included 143 PCa patients and 135 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients, with prostatic specimens testing negative for malignancy, as control. Study participants were recruited from four major hospitals in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, period 2018–2020, looking into HPV infection and other PCa risk factors, including dietary habits, family history, personal lifestyle, and sexual behavior. Multiple logistic regression analysis and forward stepwise selection analysis were conducted to identify potential risk factors for PCa. HPV DNA was found in 10 of the 143 PCa cases (7%) and 2 of the 135 BPH controls (1.5%) (OR = 6.02, 95% CI = 1.03–30.3, p = 0.046). This association was slightly significant, and furthermore, high risk HPV was not found to be associated with PCa. Higher body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.05–1.27, p = 0.003), more total meat consumption (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.26–5.94, p = 0.011), exhibited association to PCa. However, PCa family history only presented a statistically significant difference by forward stepwise analysis (OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.17–13.12, p = 0.027). While much focus has been on the association between HPV and PCa, the results of this study indicate that more efforts should be directed towards investigating dietary habits, personal lifestyle and family history as factors for PCa. These results could serve as a basis for designing PCa prevention strategies.
Probiotic disruption of quorum sensing reduces virulence and increases cefoxitin sensitivity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Cella Monica Angela , Coulson Thomas , MacEachern Samantha , Badr Sara , Ahmadi Ali , Tabatabaei Mahdis Sadat , Labbe Alain , Griffiths Mansel William
Published: March 2023

Therapies which target quorum sensing (QS) systems that regulate virulence in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a promising alternative to antibiotics. QS systems play a crucial in the regulation of MRSA antibiotic resistance, exotoxin production, antioxidant protection and immune cell evasion, and are therefore attractive therapeutic targets to reduce the virulence of a pathogen. In the present work the the effects of bioactive peptides isolated from two strains of lactic acid bacteria were tested against antibiotic resistance, carotenoid production, resistance to oxidative killing and biofilm structure in two clinical MRSA isolates. The results obtained from fractional-inhibitory concentration assays with bulk and semi-purified bioactive molecules showed a significant synergistic effect increasing cefoxitin mediated killing of MRSA. This was coupled to a six-fold decrease of the major membrane pigment staphyloxanthin, and a 99% increase in susceptibility to oxidative stress mediated killing. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of the QS-genes agrA and luxS, showed differential expression between MRSA strains, and a significant downregulation of the hemolysin gene hla. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed alteration in biofilm formation and clustering behavior. These results demonstrate that bioactive metabolites may be effectively applied in tandem with beta-lactam antibiotics to sensitize MRSA to cefoxitin. Moreover, these results shown that several key QS-controlled virulence mechanisms are diminished by probiotic metabolites.
Dexmedetomidine improves acute lung injury by activating autophagy in a rat hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation model
Authors: Lu Yifu , Shimizu Hiroko , Nakamura Ryu , Li Yaqiang , Sakamoto Risa , Omori Emiko , Takahashi Toru , Morimatsu Hiroshi
Published: March 2023

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) can reduce lung injury in a hemorrhagic shock (HS) resuscitation (HSR) model in rats by inhibiting inflammation. Here, we aimed to investigate if these effects of DEX are due to autophagy activation. Therefore, we established HSR rat models and divided them into four groups. HS was induced using a blood draw. The rats were then resuscitated by reinjecting the drawn blood and saline. The rats were sacrificed 24 h after resuscitation. Lung tissues were harvested for histopathological examination, determination of wet/dry lung weight ratio, and detection of the levels of autophagy-related marker proteins LC3, P62, Beclin-1, and the ATG12-ATG5 conjugate. The morphological findings of hematoxylin and eosin staining in lung tissues and the pulmonary wet/dry weight ratio showed that lung injury improved in HSR + DEX rats. However, chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, abolished this effect. Detecting the concentration of autophagy-related proteins showed that DEX administration increased LC3, ATG12-ATG5, and Beclin-1 expression and decreased P62 expression. The expression levels of these proteins were similar to those in the HSR group after CQ + DEX administration. In summary, DEX induced autophagic activation in an HSR model. These findings suggest that DEX administration partially ameliorates HSR-induced lung injury via autophagic activation.
Platelet to lymphocyte ratio is a risk factor for failure of non-operative treatment of colonic diverticulitis
Authors: Kim Jong Ho , Han Sang Hyup , Lee Jin-Won , Kim Haesung , Han Jeonghee
Published: March 2023

Non-operative treatment is the mainstay of colonic diverticulitis, but some patients require surgery due to non-operative treatment failure. This study aims to identify risk factors for the failure of non-operative treatment of colonic diverticulitis. From January 2011 to December 2020, we retrospectively reviewed 2362 patients with non-operative treatment for first-attack acute diverticulitis. Patients were categorized into non-operative treatment success or failure groups. Clinical characteristics and serum inflammatory markers were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression to determine risk factors for non-operative treatment failure of colonic diverticulitis. Overall, 2.2% (n = 50) of patients underwent delayed surgery within 30 days (median 4.0 [3.0; 8.0]) due to non-operative treatment failure. Multivariable logistic regression identified that platelet to lymphocyte ratio (odds ratio [OR], 4.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.13; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 0.01–0.09; p = 0.025), left-sided colonic diverticulitis (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 0.04–0.13; p < 0.001), and modified Hinchey classification (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 0.09–0.17; p < 0.001) were risk factors for non-operative treatment failure. Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is a potential risk factor for the non-operative treatment failure of acute first-attack colonic diverticulitis. Therefore, patients with higher PLR during non-operative treatment should be monitored with special caution.
Evaluation of the main regulators of systemic iron homeostasis in pyruvate kinase deficiency
Authors: Zaninoni Anna , Marra Roberta , Fermo Elisa , Consonni Dario , Andolfo Immacolata , Marcello Anna Paola , Rosato Barbara Eleni , Vercellati Cristina , Barcellini Wilma , Iolascon Achille , Bianchi Paola , Russo Roberta
Published: March 2023

Iron homeostasis and dyserythropoiesis are poorly investigated in pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD), the most common glycolytic defect of erythrocytes. Herein, we studied the main regulators of iron balance and erythropoiesis, as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin, erythroferrone (ERFE), and erythropoietin (EPO), in a cohort of 41 PKD patients, compared with 42 affected by congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II (CDAII) and 50 with hereditary spherocytosis (HS). PKD patients showed intermediate values of hepcidin and ERFE between CDAII and HS, and clear negative correlations between log-transformed hepcidin and log-EPO (Person’s r correlation coefficient =  − 0.34), log-hepcidin and log-ERFE (r =  − 0.47), and log-hepcidin and sTfR (r =  − 0.44). sTfR was significantly higher in PKD; EPO levels were similar in PKD and CDAII, both higher than in HS. Finally, genotype–phenotype correlation in PKD showed that more severe patients, carrying non-missense/non-missense genotypes, had lower hepcidin and increased ERFE, EPO, and sTFR compared with the others (missense/missense and missense/non-missense), suggesting a higher rate of ineffective erythropoiesis. We herein investigated the main regulators of systemic iron homeostasis in the largest cohort of PKD patients described so far, opening new perspectives on the molecular basis and therapeutic approaches of this disease.
Groundwater quality assessment for drinking purposes: a case study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Authors: Giao Nguyen Thanh , Nhien Huynh Thi Hong , Anh Phan Kim , Thuptimdang Pumis
Published: March 2023

Groundwater serves as an important resource for people in the Mekong Delta, but its quality has been continuously declined from human activities. Current status of the groundwater quality needs to be evaluated for sustainable groundwater resource management. This study aimed to evaluate the groundwater quality for drinking purposes in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, using multivariate statistical methods and integrated-weight water quality index. Data comprised 8 water quality parameters (pH, total hardness, nitrate (NO3−), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and coliforms) obtained from 64 observation wells in An Giang province, Dong Thap province, and Can Tho city, were analyzed by cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and integrated-weight water quality index (IWQI). The results indicated that most parameters were within standards while excessive hardness and Fe contamination were found in some regions. More than 80% of samples were detected with serious coliform contamination. The CA results revealed that groundwater quality heavily depend on geological locations with 4 clusters of the sampling locations. Three principal components obtained from PCA could explain 77.2% of the groundwater quality variation. The IWQI values ranging from 4 to 2761 classified groundwater quality as excellent (53.1%), good (25%), poor (9.4%), very poor (4.7%), and undrinkable (7.8%), which were associated with coliform contamination. These findings have provided insights into the groundwater quality status in the region, which can benefit in developing a water protection strategy.
Sustainable high-energy aqueous zinc–manganese dioxide batteries enabled by stress-governed metal electrodeposition and fast zinc diffusivity
Authors: Yang Huijun , Zhu Ruijie , Yang Yang , Lu Ziyang , Chang Zhi , He Ping , Zhu Chunyu , Kitano Sho , Aoki Yoshitaka , Habazaki Hiroki , Zhou Haoshen
Published: March 2023

Beyond the fragile glass fiber separator, we demonstrated a polymer separator with good mechanical strength and fast Zn2+ diffusivity, which synergistically mitigates Zn dendrite formation and improves Zn reversibility at high capacity.
Rapid and efficient removal of multiple aqueous pesticides by one-step construction boric acid modified biochar
Authors: Cao Niannian , Ji Jiawen , Li Changsheng , Yuan Meng , Guo Xuanjun , Zong Xingxing , Li Liqin , Ma Yongqiang , Wang Chen , Pang Sen
Published: March 2023

Preparation of boric acid modified biochar and study on the adsorption performance of four pesticides.
A ternary deep eutectic solvent-modified magnetic mixed iron hydroxide@MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 composite as a sorbent in magnetic solid phase extraction of organochlorine pesticides prior to GC-MS
Authors: Phosiri Preeyaporn , Pongpinyo Prachathipat , Santaladchaiyakit Yanawath , Burakham Rodjana
Published: March 2023

A novel ternary deep eutectic solvent-modified magnetic mixed iron hydroxide@MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 composite for enrichment of organochlorine pesticides.
Water-resistant free-standing DNA-complexed films with antioxidant and H2O2-responsive activity
Authors: Lee Jayeon , Tandon Anshula , Mariyappan Karthikeyan , Kokkiligadda Samanth , Jeon Sohee , Jeong Jun-Ho , Park Sung Ha
Published: March 2023

Water-insoluble DNA complexes are suitable for producing free-standing DNA films due to their low water sensitivity, which prevents their rapid degradation in aqueous environments.
Covalent organic framework and hydrogen-bonded organic framework for solar-driven photocatalysis
Authors: Qin Wei-Kang , Tung Chen-Ho , Wu Li-Zhu
Published: March 2023

The features of COF and HOF in porosity, light harvesting, and structural multifunctionality enable their application for photocatalysis. Focusing on the existing merits, rational developing way is helpful for constructing more excellent porous photocatalyst.
Surface polarization enhances ionic transport and correlations in electrolyte solutions nanoconfined by conductors
Authors: Jiménez-Ángeles Felipe , Ehlen Ali , Olvera de la Cruz Monica
Published: March 2023

Nanochannels made of conductors enhance ion transport due to the screening of electrostatic interactions by the induced polarization.
Photoinduced NO-release from polymer dots doped with an Ir(iii) complex and N-methyl-N-nitroso-4-aminophenol
Authors: Saitoh Daisuke , Suzuki Ayumi , Ieda Naoya , Liu Zuoyue , Osakada Yasuko , Fujitsuka Mamoru , Kawaguchi Mitsuyasu , Nakagawa Hidehiko
Published: March 2023

New NO-generating nanoparticles employing an intermolecular photoredox reaction successfully released NO upon blue light irradiation in vitro.
Transition metal-catalyzed alkynylation reactions via alkynyl carbon–carbon bond cleavage
Authors: Yuan Hairui , Zhou Qi , Wang Jianbo
Published: March 2023

This review focuses on the representative examples and most recent progresses in transition-metal-catalyzed cleavage of carbon–alkyne bonds in alkynoic acids, propargylic alcohols, alkynyl esters, and alkynyl ketones.
Engineering electrode/electrolyte interface charge transfer of a TiO2−x photoanode with enriched surface oxygen vacancies for efficient water splitting
Authors: Zhong Cheng , Zhang Sicheng , Yan Dejian , Hu Jiayan , Yang Hongyun , Jian Jian , Pei Yong , Duan Tengfei , Yan Jiaqi , You Kuiyi , Luo He'an
Published: March 2023

An efficient TiO2−x photoanode based on thermal reduction was prepared and inhibited charge recombination by confining OV on the TiO2 surface. Surface OV can facilitate the electrode/electrolyte interface charge transfer and water splitting.
ReDD-COFFEE: a ready-to-use database of covalent organic framework structures and accurate force fields to enable high-throughput screenings
Authors: De Vos Juul S. , Borgmans Sander , Van Der Voort Pascal , Rogge Sven M. J. , Van Speybroeck Veronique
Published: March 2023

A diverse database of 268 687 covalent organic framework geometries and accompanyingab initioderived system-specific force fields is developed. This database is ready-to-use, as shown by our high-throughput study for vehicular methane storage.
Injectable hydrogels of recombinant human collagen type III and chitosan with antibacterial and antioxidative activities for wound healing
Authors: Xiong Li , Zhou Chen , Tong Lei , Han Xiaowen , Zou Yaping , Dong Zuqin , Liang Jie , Chen Yafang , Fan Yujiang
Published: March 2023

Designing a smart hydrogel to accelerate skin tissue regeneration at wound sites and restoring the tissue function is highly desirable in clinical applications.
Nanopore sensors for single molecular protein detection: Research progress based on computer simulations
Authors: Hu Gang , Yan Han , Xi Guohao , Gao Zhuwei , Wu Ziqing , Lu Zuhong , Tu Jing
Published: March 2023

As biological macromolecules, proteins are involved in important cellular functions ranging from DNA replication and biosynthesis to metabolic signalling and environmental sensing. Protein sequencing can help understand the relationship between protein function and structure, and provide key information for disease diagnosis and new drug design. Nanopore sensors are a novel technology to achieve the goal of label‐free and high‐throughput protein sequencing. In recent years, nanopore‐based biosensors have been widely used in the detection and analysis of biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. At the same time, computer simulations can describe the transport of proteins through nanopores at the atomic level. This paper reviews the applications of nanopore sensors in protein sequencing over the past decade and the solutions to key problems from a computer simulation perspective, with the aim of pointing the way to the future of nanopore protein sequencing.
JWST MIRI/MRS in-flight absolute flux calibration and tailored fringe correction for unresolved sources
Authors: Gasman Danny , Argyriou Ioannis , Sloan G. C. , Aringer Bernhard , Álvarez-Márquez Javier , Fox Ori , Glasse Alistair , Glauser Adrian , Jones Olivia C. , Justtanont Kay , Kavanagh Patrick J. , Klaassen Pamela , Labiano Alvaro , Larson Kirsten , Law David R. , Mueller Michael , Nayak Omnarayani , Noriega-Crespo Alberto , Patapis Polychronis , Royer Pierre , Vandenbussche Bart
Published: March 2023

Context. The Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) is one of the four observing modes of JWST/MIRI. Using JWST in-flight data of unresolved (point) sources, we can derive the MRS absolute spectral response function (ASRF) starting from raw data. Spectral fringing, caused by coherent reflections inside the detector arrays, plays a critical role in the derivation and interpretation of the MRS ASRF. The fringe corrections implemented in the current pipeline are not optimal for non-extended sources, and a high density of molecular features particularly inhibits an accurate correction.

Aims. In this paper, we present an alternative way to calibrate the MIRI/MRS data. Firstly, we derive a fringe correction that accounts for the dependence of the fringe properties on the MIRI/MRS pupil illumination and detector pixel sampling of the point spread function. Secondly, we derive the MRS ASRF using an absolute flux calibrator observed across the full 5–28 µm wavelength range of the MRS. Thirdly, we apply the new ASRF to the spectrum of a G dwarf and compare it with the output of the JWST/MIRI default data reduction pipeline. Finally, we examine the impact of the different fringe corrections on the detectability of molecular features in the G dwarf and K giant.

Methods. The absolute flux calibrator HD 163466 (A-star) was used to derive tailored point source fringe flats at each of the default dither locations of the MRS. The fringe-corrected point source integrated spectrum of HD 163466 was used to derive the MRS ASRF using a theoretical model for the stellar continuum. A cross-correlation was run to quantify the uncertainty on the detection of CO, SiO, and OH in the K giant and CO in the G dwarf for different fringe corrections.

Results. The point-source-tailored fringe correction and ASRF are found to perform at the same level as the current corrections, beating down the fringe contrast to the sub-percent level in the G dwarf in the longer wavelengths, whilst mitigating the alteration of real molecular features. The same tailored solutions can be applied to other MRS unresolved targets. Target acquisition is required to ensure the pointing is accurate enough to apply this method. A pointing repeatability issue in the MRS limits the effectiveness of the tailored fringe flats is at short wavelengths. Finally, resulting spectra require no scaling to make the sub-bands match, and a dichroic spectral leak at 12.2 µm is removed.
Molecular gas in super spiral galaxies
Authors: Lisenfeld Ute , Ogle Patrick M. , Appleton Philip N. , Jarrett Thomas H. , Moncada-Cuadri Blanca M.
Published: March 2023

At the highest stellar masses (log(M*) ≳ 11.5 M⊙), only a small fraction of galaxies are disk-like and actively star-forming objects. These so-called ‘super spirals’ are ideal objects to better understand how galaxy evolution proceeds and to extend our knowledge about the relation between stars and gas to a higher stellar mass regime. We present new CO(1–0) data for a sample of 46 super spirals and for 18 slightly lower-mass (log(M*) > 11.0 M⊙) galaxies with broad HI lines – HI fast-rotators (HI-FRs). We analyze their molecular gas mass, derived from CO(1–0), in relation to their star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass, and compare the results to values and scaling relations derived from lower-mass galaxies. We confirm that super spirals follow the same star-forming main sequence (SFMS) as lower-mass galaxies. We find that they possess abundant molecular gas (mean redshift-corrected molecular gas mass fraction (log(fmol, zcorr) = −1.36 ± 0.02), which lies above the extrapolation of the scaling relation with stellar mass derived from lower-mass galaxies, but within the relation between fmol and the distance to the SFMS. The molecular gas depletion time, τdep = Mmol/SFR, is higher than for lower-mass galaxies on the SFMS (τdep = 9.30 ± 0.03, compared to τdep = 9.00 ± 0.02 for the comparison sample) and seems to continue an increasing trend with stellar mass. HI-FR galaxies have an atomic-to-molecular gas mass ratio that is in agreement with that of lower-mass galaxies, indicating that the conversion from the atomic to molecular gas proceeds in a similar way. We conclude that the availability of molecular gas is a crucial factor to enable star formation to continue and that, if gas is present, quenching is not a necessary destiny for high-mass galaxies. The difference in gas depletion time suggests that the properties of the molecular gas at high stellar masses are less favorable for star formation.
HelioCast: heliospheric forecasting based on white-light observations of the solar corona
Authors: Réville Victor , Poirier Nicolas , Kouloumvakos Athanasios , Rouillard Alexis Paul , Ferreira Pinto Rui , Fargette Naïs , Indurain Mikel , Fournon Raphaël , James Théo , Pobeda Raphaël , Scoul Cyril
Published: March 2023

We present a new 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) heliospheric model for space-weather forecasting driven by boundary conditions defined from white-light observations of the solar corona. The model is based on the MHD code PLUTO, constrained by an empirical derivation of the solar wind background properties at 0.1 au. This empirical method uses white-light observations to estimate the position of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). The boundary conditions necessary to run HelioCast are then defined from pre-defined relations between the necessary MHD properties (speed, density, and temperature) and the distance to the current sheet. We assess the accuracy of the model over six Carrington rotations during the first semester of 2018. Using point-by-point metrics and event-based analyses, we evaluate the performances of our model varying the angular width of the slow solar wind layer surrounding the HCS. We also compare our empirical technique with two well-tested models of the corona: Multi-VP and WindPredict-AW. We find that our method is well-suited to reproduce high-speed streams, and does – for well-chosen parameters – better than full MHD models. The model shows, nonetheless, limitations that could worsen for rising and maximum solar activity.
Wie sinnvoll ist eine Zuckersteuer?
Authors: Dippel Franz-Werner
Published: March 2023

Die Zuckersteuer ist ein heftig umstrittenes Thema. Fachgesellschaften,
Ärzteverbände, Krankenkassen und Verbraucherorganisationen
fordern sie seit Jahren. Die Lobby- und Interessenverbände der
Lebensmittelwirtschaft halten dagegen. Die nachfolgenden Ausführungen
sollen mehr Klarheit in den Zuckernebel bringen und einen Beitrag zur
Versachlichung der Diskussion leisten.
Chemotherapie nach Progress unter Immuncheckpoint-Inhibition beim
metastasierten malignen Melanom: Fallbericht und
Literaturübersicht
Authors: Weilandt Juliane , Lebahn Herbert , Ludwig-Peitsch Wiebke
Published: March 2023

Hintergrund Immuncheckpoint-Inhibitoren (ICI), BRAF- und MEK-Inhibitoren
haben die Prognose von Patienten mit metastasiertem malignem Melanom
entscheidend verbessert. Nichtsdestotrotz spricht ein erheblicher Prozentsatz
nicht oder nur vorübergehend auf diese modernen Therapien an.
Insbesondere bei Patienten mit BRAF-Wildtyp-Melanom sind die Therapieoptionen
nach Versagen von ICI limitiert.

Kasuistik Eine 24-jährige Patientin stellte sich im Dezember 2015
mit einem akrolentiginösen malignen Melanom am linken Fußballen
im Tumorstadium IIB (pT4a, pN0, cM0, Infiltrationstiefe 7,95 mm,
BRAF-V600-Wildtyp) vor, das leitliniengerecht operativ versorgt und für
18 Monate adjuvant mit Interferon-alpha behandelt wurde. Nach Diagnose von zwei
Lymphknotenmetastasen links inguinal und radikaler Lymphknotendissektion erhielt
die Patientin für 12 Monate eine adjuvante Therapie mit Nivolumab. Nach
einem 10-monatigen tumorfreien Intervall ohne Therapie erbrachte das Staging
eine paraaortale Lymphknotenmetastase. Gemäß
Tumorkonferenz-Beschluss wurde bei nunmehr vorliegendem Stadium IV eine
Immunkombinationstherapie mit Nivolumab und Ipilimumab begonnen, die nach 2
Gaben aufgrund einer Autoimmunkolitis und -hepatitis Grad 3 beendet und auf eine
Nivolumab-Monotherapie umgestellt wurde. Bei erneutem Tumorprogress auch nach
Metastasenresektion und fehlender Möglichkeit einer Studienteilnahme
wurde eine palliative Chemotherapie mit Dacarbazin
850 mg/m2 alle 3 Wochen eingeleitet. Hiermit
ließ sich nach 4 Zyklen eine partielle Remission und nach 10 Zyklen eine
Komplettremission erzielen, die nunmehr seit 10 Monaten ohne Therapie
anhält.

Diskussion Es gibt Hinweise darauf, dass die Effektivität einer
Chemotherapie nach vorangegangener Immuncheckpoint-Inhibition höher ist
als ohne diese Vortherapie, möglicherweise durch einen
immunmodulatorischen Effekt der Chemotherapie, der synergistisch mit einer
Immunaktivierung durch ICI wirkt. Bisher liegen nur wenige Studien zu dieser
Therapiesequenz beim Melanom vor, bei denen es sich ausschließlich um
retrospektive Analysen handelt. Diese weisen auf einen klinischen Nutzen der
Therapiesequenz hin, wenngleich die Evidenz hierfür sehr gering ist. Die
meisten Patienten, die nach einer Vortherapie mit ICI auf Dacarbazin oder andere
Chemotherapien ansprechen, erreichen eine partielle Remission. Anhaltende
Komplettremissionen wie bei unserer Patientin sind eine Rarität.
Abwertung als Ziel
Authors: Franke Helge
Published: March 2023

Im Januar erschien in der Online-Ausgabe der Tageszeitung „Die Welt“
ein Beitrag von Edzard Ernst mit dem Titel „Die Scheinwirkung der
Osteopathie“ 1. Seine
Ausführungen zur Osteopathie führen zu einer Fundamentalkritik. Er
rät von der osteopathischen Behandlung ab, ihre Nutzen-Risiko-Bilanz sei
nicht positiv, so schreibt er, eine Empfehlung demnach unangebracht. Für
Therapeuten, für Patienten, für osteopathisch Interessierte
können sich seine Argumente durchaus schlüssig anhören.
Zumal er von der „Welt“ „als einer der einflussreichsten
Wissenschaftler auf dem Gebiet der Alternativmedizin“ vorgestellt wird. Das
wiegt zusätzlich und macht Eindruck. Doch was bleibt von seinen Argumenten,
wenn seine Ausführungen genauer untersucht und im Kontext der
verfügbaren wissenschaftlichen Literatur zur Osteopathie betrachtet werden?
Widmen wir uns für einen Moment dieser Frage.
Schmerz – ein mögliches Erklärungsmodell im
Patientengespräch
Authors: Serafin Alina
Published: March 2023

Das Thema „Schmerz“ begleitet unsere osteopathische Arbeit
täglich. Laut der im Jahr 2021 im Auftrag des VOD durchgeführten
Befragung über Osteopathie in Deutschland 1
kommen ¾ der Patienten mit konkreten Beschwerden in die Osteopathiepraxis.
Hierbei handelt es sich v. a. um Schmerzen und Einschränkungen im
Bewegungsapparat, insbesondere um Rückenleiden. Die Erklärung, warum
etwas wehtut, ist nicht immer einfach. Nicht einfach sind manchmal auch
Patientengespräche, in denen nach den Ursachen und nach Tipps im Umgang mit den
Beschwerden gesucht wird.
Leitlinien zur HWS-Untersuchung und -Behandlung
Authors: Hinkelthein Edgar , Mihajlovic Zoran
Published: March 2023

HWS-Beschwerden zählen zu den häufigsten Problemfeldern bei
Patienten, z. B. Zervikozephalgien (HWS- und Kopfschmerzen),
Zervikomyalgien (Schulter-Nacken-Schmerzen) und Zervikobrachialgien
(HWS-Armschmerzen). Gleichzeitig ist die HWS eine extrem sensible Region. Sie
ist funktionell mit fast allen Körperstrukturen vernetzt, sodass
HWS-Beschwerden ihre Ursache am gesamten Körper haben
können.
Kachexie
Authors: Purucker Edmund A.
Published: March 2023

Kommt es im Zuge einer chronischen Erkrankung oder eines Krebsleidens zu einem
krankheitsbedingten Entzündungsprozess, resultiert häufig eine
Kachexie. Sie ist geprägt von Appetitlosigkeit, Gewichtsverlust und
Abnahme der Skelettmuskelmasse, schränkt die Lebensqualität der
Betroffenen erheblich ein und erhöht die Mortalität. Die
Therapie sollte interdisziplinär erfolgen und eine professionelle
Ernährungstherapie einschließen.
Stärkende und entlastende Ernährung bei Krebs
– Erfahrungen aus der Praxis
Authors: Pork Sabine
Published: March 2023

In der supportiven Ernährungstherapie gewinnt eine vollwertige,
nachhaltigere Ernährung zunehmend an Bedeutung. Charakteristisch
für diese pflanzenbasierte Kost sind ein höherer Gehalt an
wertgebenden Inhaltsstoffen und wenig wertmindernde Substanzen
(Schadstoffe/Rückstände/umstrittene
Zusatzstoffe). Die bestmögliche Versorgung mit Mikro- und
Makronährstoffen stärkt den Gesamtorganismus und
unterstützt sowohl das Nebenwirkungs- als auch das Gewichtsmanagement.
Gleichzeitig empowert ein „Gewusst wie“ die Patient:innen
hinsichtlich ihres Gesundheitsverhaltens und ihrer Selbstfürsorge.
Vitamin D and Bone Health 2022: Is the Evidence Pendulum Switching Backward on Its Benefits?
Authors: Saadi Hussein F.
Published: March 2023

Objectives: This concise article aims to (a) review the role of vitamin D in bone health, (b) discuss the consequences of vitamin D deficiency, (c) analyze the use of vitamin D to prevent and treat osteoporosis and (d) explore if the evidence pendulum is switching back on the beneficial effects of vitamin D.

Materials and Methods: A narrative nonsystematic review of the literature was done thematically to answer the questions stated in the objectives above.

Results: A literature review suggests that vitamin D deficiency can be a real clinical condition that warrants recognition and management, particularly in high-risk groups. The optimal vitamin D level is likely more than or equal to 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL). The established consequences of vitamin D deficiency in adults include osteomalacia and osteoporosis. Moreover, whether vitamin D supplementation reduces falls and fractures in subjects with baseline vitamin D more than 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) is not confirmed. However, vitamin D supplementation is still needed for patients with osteoporosis and those at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Finally, there is no justification for measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the general population.

Conclusions: For patients at increased risk for osteoporosis, those with vitamin D deficiency, or both, it remains reasonable to consider vitamin D supplementation (800–1,000 IU/d or more), consistent with recommendations of multiple societies.
COVID-19 vaccine communication and advocacy strategy: a social marketing campaign for increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake in South Korea
Authors: Hong Shin-Ae
Published: March 2023

Research evidence suggests that communication is a powerful tool for influencing public opinion and attitudes toward various health-related issues, such as vaccine reluctance, provided it is well-designed and thoughtfully conducted. In particular, social marketing techniques that alter the target audience’s behaviors for the public good can substantially improve vaccine uptake if adopted as a communication strategy in immunization programs to counter public hesitancy. This study presents evidence from the Korean government’s current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, which successfully applied a social marketing approach. By the end of August 2022, South Korea had achieved high vaccine coverage, with 94.8% of the population (12+) receiving a second dose, 71.3% a third dose, and a fourth dose drive currently underway. There are five crucial factors to consider when preparing official communication for an immunization program: (i) a high degree of proactiveness, (ii) credibility, (iii) fighting misinformation, (iv) emphasizing social norms and prosocial behavior, and (v) coherence. Although using social marketing strategies may not be successful in all circumstances, the lessons learned and current implementation in Korea suggest their efficacy in fostering vaccine acceptance. This study offers valuable insights for government agencies and global public health practitioners to develop effective targeted campaign strategies that enhance the target population’s vaccination intention.
Crystal side facet-tuning of GaN nanowires and nanofins grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Pantle Florian , Karlinger Monika , Wörle Simon , Becker Fabian , Höldrich Theresa , Sirotti Elise , Kraut Max , Stutzmann Martin
Published: March 2023

GaN nanostructures are promising for a broad range of applications due to their 3D structure, thereby exposing non-polar crystal surfaces. The nature of the exposed crystal facets, i.e., whether they are a-, m-plane, or of mixed orientation, impacts the stability and performance of GaN nanostructure-based devices. In this context, it is of great interest to control the formation of well-defined side facets. Here, we show that we can control the crystal facet formation at the nanowire sidewalls by tuning the III–V ratio during selective area growth by molecular beam epitaxy. Especially, the N flux serves as a tool for controlling the growth kinetics. In addition, we demonstrate the growth of GaN nanofins with either a- or m-plane side facets. Based on our observations, we present the underlying nanostructure growth mechanisms. Low temperature photoluminescence measurements show a correlation of the formation of structural defects like stacking faults with the growth kinetics. This article demonstrates the controlled selective epitaxy of GaN nanostructures with defined crystal side facets on large-scale available AlN substrates.
CFD studies of the effect of holes and angles of upstream duct of horizontal axis wind turbines
Authors: Danish Syed Noman , Almutairi Zeyad , Alshareef Malik
Published: March 2023

This work presents an approach to the analysis of duct-augmented wind turbines using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The main objective is to find the optimum duct shape and design that gives maximum boost to the performance of wind turbines. A duct surrounding the rotor is able to increase the power coefficient above the Betz limit, so it has attracted great attention for many years. In this work, an extensive analysis of the performance of duct augmented wind turbines is presented, considering the influence of various duct angles and axial holes in the diffuser on the efficiency, in which a new formulation for the far-wake velocity is proposed. This study consists of two main parts. The first part compares the experimental performance of a conventional wind turbine with the identical turbine modeled and solved using CFD. Once the CFD results are validated, the second part presents an extensive parametric study by integrating a convergent duct with different parametric designs into the wind turbine model. The study reveals that the CFD results are in close agreement with the experimental results. It is found that the presence of holes in the duct has a detrimental effect on performance. However, the increase in the angle of the duct enhanced the performance, and there was an average increase in power output by 96% with a duct angle of 20°.
A cryogen-free superconducting magnet based scanning tunneling microscope for liquid phase measurement
Authors: Geng Tao , Wang Jihao , Meng Wengjie , Zhang Jing , Feng Qiyuan , Lu Yalin , Hou Yubin , Lu Qingyou
Published: March 2023

Scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs) that work in ultra-high vacuum and low temperatures are commonly used in condensed matter physics, but an STM that works in a high magnetic field to image chemical molecules and active biomolecules in solution has never been reported. Here, we present a liquid-phase STM for use in a 10 T cryogen-free superconducting magnet. The STM head is mainly constructed with two piezoelectric tubes. A large piezoelectric tube is fixed at the bottom of a tantalum frame to perform large-area imaging. A small piezoelectric tube mounted at the free end of the large one performs high-precision imaging. The imaging area of the large piezoelectric tube is four times that of the small one. The high compactness and rigidity of the STM head make it functional in a cryogen-free superconducting magnet with huge vibrations. The performance of our homebuilt STM was demonstrated by the high-quality, atomic-resolution images of a graphite surface, as well as the low drift rates in the X–Y plane and Z direction. Furthermore, we successfully obtained atomic-resolution images of graphite in solution conditions while sweeping the field from 0 to 10 T, illustrating the new STM’s immunity to magnetic fields. The sub-molecular images of active antibodies and plasmid DNA in solution conditions show the device’s capability of imaging biomolecules. Our STM is suitable for studying chemical molecules and active biomolecules in high magnetic fields.
Temporal electric field and electron density behavior of a He plasma jet with pulse width closing to pulse duration
Authors: Li Xu , Nie LanLan , Lu XinPei
Published: March 2023

Previously, it was observed that the plasma plume appears with three regimes (dark regime next to the nozzle, bright regime in the middle, and dim regime on the right) where the regime next to the nozzle is dark when the pulse width of the applied voltage is close to the pulse duration. In this paper, to understand such observation, the spatial and temporal resolved electron density and electric field in the three regimes are measured through the Thomson scattering and electric field-induced second harmonic method, respectively. It is found that, in the dark regime next to the nozzle, the electric field is relatively low, and it has a peak value of about 10 kV/cm, but the electron density is high, and it has a peak value of about 4.2 × 1020 m−3. So, the dark regime is like a conductive channel. On the other hand, for the bright regime, the electric field is much higher, and it has a peak value of about 17 kV/cm. However, the electron density is significantly lower than that in the dark regime, and its peak value is only about 1020 m−3. Even in the dim regime, the electric field is higher than that in the dark regime, and it has a peak value of about 13 kV/cm. Because electron temperature is related to the electric field, the results obtained in the paper indicate that the brightness of the plasma plume at different regimes is mainly decided by the electron temperature rather than the electron density. Finally, when a trace amount of O2 is mixed into working gas He, the dark regime disappears, and this is believed to be due to the fast attachment of electron to O2, which results in the decrease in the residual electron density in the regime next to the nozzle.
Multiferroic properties in Fe-site engineered PbFe1/2Nb1/2O3 with distinct antisymmetric spin interaction
Authors: Cho Jae-Hyeon , Lee Ju-Hyeon , Park Ji-Hun , Jang Haeseong , Yu Hye-Lim , Jang Jongmoon , Hwang Geon-Tae , Kim Min Gyu , Jo Wook
Published: March 2023

Multiferroic Fe-site engineered lead iron niobate [Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3, PFN] was prepared by partially substituting Fe with Ni, Co, and Cr, which comprise distinct Bohr magnetons, to investigate the effect of the variation in spin configurations on magnetic and multiferroic properties. All the studied compositions exhibited a single-phase perovskite structure, wherein the lattice constant decreased with increasing substitutions. The inherent ferroelectric order was preserved when Ni or Co ions were introduced, while the introduction of Cr made the samples too lossy, which prevented the verification of the possible ferroelectricity. Substitution of Fe with different transition metals in PFN, which is originally paramagnetic at room temperature, resulted in oriented spin configurations that led to distinct magnetic orders: soft ferromagnetic, hard ferromagnetic, and antiferromagnetic orders for Ni, Co, and Cr, respectively. This distinction mainly stems from the interspin distance and the spin moment, both of which are important factors during the spin exchange interaction. The interspin distance of pristine and Cr-substituted PFN is too long and short, respectively, to induce ferromagnetic properties. Moreover, at room temperature, magnetic-field-dependent magnetoelectric coupling was observed only for the Ni- and Co-substituted PFN owing to their asymmetric spin configuration. This research could lead to a general method for modulating the magnetic properties of multiferroic perovskite oxides.
Optimal capacity of variable-speed pumped storage for wind power consumption based on double-layer stochastic programming
Authors: Yao Weiwei , Li Wei , Liu Ruikuo , Sun Yong
Published: March 2023

Configuring a certain capacity of energy storage for the power system can effectively improve the reliability of the power supply and the level of wind power consumption. This paper takes pumped storage investment cost and wind power consumption demand as the optimization goal, realizes the coordinated operation of pumped storage units and thermal power units, and considers the uncertainty of wind power and load, the multi-timescale characteristics of different types of units and load demand response, and establishes a multi-timescale pumped storage capacity optimization model based on stochastic programming. The model consists of inner and outer layers. The outer layer is investment decision-making, which decides the allocation of pumped storage capacity. The inner layer is for optimization decision-making, and the system optimization operation is carried out in three stages: day-ahead short-term optimization, intraday ultra short-term optimization, and real-time optimization. An example of a typical scenario is established, and the planning results verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and method. The thermal-wind-hydro power system's total cost decreases first and then increases with the increase in the installed capacity of the pumped storage, and the curtailment rate gradually decreases. The total cost increases faster when the pumped-storage installed capacity is larger than optimal. For a pumped-storage power station of the same capacity, variable-speed pumped storage is better than fixed speed pumped storage in reducing the wind curtailment rate. The main reason is that its output is continuously adjustable under the condition of the variable-speed water pump, which is especially suitable for energy storage at night when wind power is high.
Low-rank approximations for accelerating plane-wave hybrid functional calculations in unrestricted and noncollinear spin density functional theory
Authors: Chen Sheng , Wu Kai , Hu Wei , Yang Jinlong
Published: March 2023

The adaptively compressed exchange (ACE) operator combined with interpolative separable density fitting (ISDF) decomposition has been utilized to accelerate plane-wave hybrid functional calculations for restricted Kohn–Sham density functional theory (DFT), but the neglect of spin degree of freedom has limited its application in the exploration of systems where the spin property of the electron is critical. Herein, we derive the ACE-ISDF formulation for hybrid functional calculations in both unrestricted and noncollinear spin DFT with plane waves and periodic boundary conditions. We proposed an improved ISDF algorithm for the sum of Kohn–Sham orbital pairs to further reduce the computational cost for the spin-noncollinear case. Numerical results demonstrate that these improved ACE-ISDF low-rank approximations can not only significantly reduce the computational time by two orders of magnitude compared with conventional plane-wave hybrid functional calculations but also lead to a good convergence behavior when a moderate rank parameter is set, even for complex periodic magnetic systems. By using these ACE-ISDF approximations, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional periodic ferromagnetic semiconductors consisting of triangular zigzag graphene quantum dots and transition metal atoms. Our computational results showcase that hybrid functional calculations in spin DFT can provide not only accurate electronic structures but also accurate magnetic order temperature of ferromagnetic semiconductors compared to local or semilocal functional calculations.
Comparison of discretization strategies for the model-free information-theoretic assessment of short-term physiological interactions
Authors: Barà Chiara , Sparacino Laura , Pernice Riccardo , Antonacci Yuri , Porta Alberto , Kugiumtzis Dimitris , Faes Luca
Published: March 2023

This work presents a comparison between different approaches for the model-free estimation of information-theoretic measures of the dynamic coupling between short realizations of random processes. The measures considered are the mutual information rate (MIR) between two random processes X and Y and the terms of its decomposition evidencing either the individual entropy rates of X and Y and their joint entropy rate, or the transfer entropies from X to Y and from Y to X and the instantaneous information shared by X and Y. All measures are estimated through discretization of the random variables forming the processes, performed either via uniform quantization (binning approach) or rank ordering (permutation approach). The binning and permutation approaches are compared on simulations of two coupled non-identical Hènon systems and on three datasets, including short realizations of cardiorespiratory (CR, heart period and respiration flow), cardiovascular (CV, heart period and systolic arterial pressure), and cerebrovascular (CB, mean arterial pressure and cerebral blood flow velocity) measured in different physiological conditions, i.e., spontaneous vs paced breathing or supine vs upright positions. Our results show that, with careful selection of the estimation parameters (i.e., the embedding dimension and the number of quantization levels for the binning approach), meaningful patterns of the MIR and of its components can be achieved in the analyzed systems. On physiological time series, we found that paced breathing at slow breathing rates induces less complex and more coupled CR dynamics, while postural stress leads to unbalancing of CV interactions with prevalent baroreflex coupling and to less complex pressure dynamics with preserved CB interactions. These results are better highlighted by the permutation approach, thanks to its more parsimonious representation of the discretized dynamic patterns, which allows one to explore interactions with longer memory while limiting the curse of dimensionality.