bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical and analytical methods for the design of beam-column sub-assemblies with composite deck slab
Authors: Chaudhari Tushar , MacRae Gregory , Bull Des , Clifton G. Charles , Hicks Stephen J.
Published: September 2022

A finite element numerical model is used to estimate the force displacement backbone curve of steel moment frame beam-column-joint subassemblies tested at large scale under repeated cyclic loading with different composite deck slab configurations. The slab configurations included: no-slab; fully isolated slab; two configurations for detailing the slab near the region between the column flanges; and a full depth reinforced slab. Then, a simple analytical model was developed so that designers can estimate the likely peak strength due to slab effect. This analytical model considers the common deformation modes and the strength hierarchy. It was found that the finite element numerical model captured the backbone envelope of experimental tests done on different slab configurations for the bare frame, isolated slab and full depth slab configurations, but overestimated the strength at larger displacements for the other configurations due to difficulty in considering the slab modes of failure. The simple analytical model considered the nonlinear deformation modes of steel beam plastic hinging, concrete crushing both outside the column flange and within the beam flanges, slab shear fracture between the column flange tips, slab longitudinal and lateral reinforcement yielding as it carried the subassembly moments and transferred forces between the steel frame and the slab, and shear stud deformation. The proposed analytical model matched the experimental strengths and failure modes. The proposed finite element model is suitable for research, and the analytical model matched the experimental results, and is suitable for consideration in design.
Reproductive behaviors promote ecological and phenotypic sexual differentiation in the critically endangered Lehmann’s poison frog
Authors: Betancourth-Cundar Mileidy , Palacios-Rodriguez Pablo
Published: September 2022

Territoriality and parental care are complex reproductive behaviors found in many taxa from insects to mammals. Parental care can be carried out by the female, the male, or both, depending on the species. Territoriality, in contrast, is predominantly displayed by males. Different selective pressures imposed on individuals from the sex performing territorial or parental care behaviors may also lead to sexual differentiation in other life-history traits. Due to their territorial behavior and their diversity of parental care behaviors, Neotropical poison frogs are an excellent study system to investigate whether behavioral traits can influence sexual differentiation in intrinsic or extrinsic traits of individuals. Here, we evaluate whether territorial and parental care behaviors mediate sexual differentiation in ecological (habitat use) and phenotypic (coloration, morphology) traits in the critically endangered Lehmann’s poison frog (Oophaga lehmanni), a species in which males defend territories while females provide parental care. We found sex differences in habitat use and morphological traits, but not in coloration. Males use trunks and green leaves as perches more frequently and are found on higher substrates, than females. We found no sex differences in body size, but females have longer arms than males, which is probably associated with their parental duties (climbing trees to feed the tadpoles). Altogether, our results provide evidence that selection pressures act differently on male and female traits, and that territoriality and parental care may promote the evolution of sexual differentiation in dendrobatids. Long-term wildlife observations are essential to identify important life-history traits and to evaluate hypotheses about the behavioral ecology and conservation of this and other vertebrate species.
Scaling Interventions to Manage Chronic Disease: Innovative Methods at the Intersection of Health Policy Research and Implementation Science
Authors: McGinty Emma E. , Seewald Nicholas J. , Bandara Sachini , Cerdá Magdalena , Daumit Gail L. , Eisenberg Matthew D. , Griffin Beth Ann , Igusa Tak , Jackson John W. , Kennedy-Hendricks Alene , Marsteller Jill , Miech Edward J. , Purtle Jonathan , Schmid Ian , Schuler Megan S. , Yuan Christina T. , Stuart Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2022

Policy implementation is a key component of scaling effective chronic disease prevention and management interventions. Policy can support scale-up by mandating or incentivizing intervention adoption, but enacting a policy is only the first step. Fully implementing a policy designed to facilitate implementation of health interventions often requires a range of accompanying implementation structures, like health IT systems, and implementation strategies, like training. Decision makers need to know what policies can support intervention adoption and how to implement those policies, but to date research on policy implementation is limited and innovative methodological approaches are needed. In December 2021, the Johns Hopkins ALACRITY Center for Health and Longevity in Mental Illness and the Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy convened a forum of research experts to discuss approaches for studying policy implementation. In this report, we summarize the ideas that came out of the forum. First, we describe a motivating example focused on an Affordable Care Act Medicaid health home waiver policy used by some US states to support scale-up of an evidence-based integrated care model shown in clinical trials to improve cardiovascular care for people with serious mental illness. Second, we define key policy implementation components including structures, strategies, and outcomes. Third, we provide an overview of descriptive, predictive and associational, and causal approaches that can be used to study policy implementation. We conclude with discussion of priorities for methodological innovations in policy implementation research, with three key areas identified by forum experts: effect modification methods for making causal inferences about how policies’ effects on outcomes vary based on implementation structures/strategies; causal mediation approaches for studying policy implementation mechanisms; and characterizing uncertainty in systems science models. We conclude with discussion of overarching methods considerations for studying policy implementation, including measurement of policy implementation, strategies for studying the role of context in policy implementation, and the importance of considering when establishing causality is the goal of policy implementation research.
Crossing borders, building new ones, or shifting boundaries? Shared narratives and individual paths towards inter/transdisciplinarity in research centres for urban sustainability
Authors: Norton Laura Soledad , Sonetti Giulia , Sarrica Mauro
Published: September 2022

Inter/transdisciplinarity (ITD) is a pillar of sustainability studies, often presented as the way to conduct research and practice especially in conflictual and politicised real-world stakeholder constellations. Several studies emphasise the need to consider the communicative processes through which it is put into practice. However, there is still a dearth of research that explores the meanings key actors associate with ITD and how they account for the material, practical and communicative facets of their everyday experience. This work seeks to collect the voice of leaders of inter/transdisciplinary research centres, identify shared repertoires used to interpret their experience in the field, and reflect on how shared narratives could inspire or impede researchers engaged in ITD. A discursive analysis was applied to 23 semi-structured interviews conducted with leaders of research centres on urban sustainability. Results identified diverse interpretative repertoires used to define ITD and to interpret the barriers that, in the eyes of these key actors, have to be crossed to become ITD researchers. These elements are combined into three main narratives used by participants to position themselves and the researchers involved in ITD. Despite being functional to self-representation, these shared narratives contribute towards depicting ITD as an individual escape, and interdisciplinary research centres as sanctuaries of a sort, thus paradoxically preserving the status quo. A third narrative advocates structural shifts and is coherent with the need for deeper changes and persistent recognition of ITD in sustainability studies.
Computational modeling method to estimate secondhand exposure potential from exhalations during e-vapor product use under various real-world scenarios
Authors: Edmiston Jeffery S. , Rostami Ali A. , Liang Qiwei , Miller Sandra , Sarkar Mohamadi A.
Published: September 2022

Potential secondhand exposure of exhaled constituents from e-vapor product (EVP) use is a public health concern. We present a computational modeling method to predict air levels of exhaled constituents from EVP use. We measured select constituent levels in exhaled breath from adult e-vapor product users, then used a validated computational model to predict constituent levels under three scenarios (car, office, and restaurant) to estimate likely secondhand exposure to non-users. The model was based on physical/thermodynamic interactions between air, vapor, and particulate phase of the aerosol. Input variables included space setting, ventilation rate, total aerosol amount exhaled, and aerosol composition. Exhaled breath samples were analyzed after the use of four different e-liquids in a cartridge-based EVP. Nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, menthol, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein levels were measured and reported based on a linear mixed model for analysis of covariance. The ranges of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, and formaldehyde in exhaled breath were 89.44–195.70 µg, 1199.7–3354.5 µg, 5366.8–6484.7 µg, and 0.25–0.34 µg, respectively. Acetaldehyde and acrolein were below detectable limits; thus, no estimated exposure to non-EVP users is reported. The model predicted that nicotine and formaldehyde exposure to non-users was substantially lower during EVPs use compared to cigarettes. The model also predicted that exposure to propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine and formaldehyde among non-users was below permissible exposure limits.
NMR resonance assignment of the N-terminal GTPase domain of human Miro2 Bound to GTP
Authors: Smith Cassandra E. , Jones David N. M.
Published: September 2022

Miro2 and Miro1 are mitochondrial-associated proteins critical for regulating mitochondrial movement within the cell. Both Miro1 and Miro2 have roles in promoting neuron function, but recently Miro2 has been shown to have additional roles in response to nutrient starvation in tumor cells. Miro1 and 2 consist of two small GTPase domains flanking a pair of EF-hands. The N-terminal GTPase (nGTPase) domain is responsible for initiating mitochondrial trafficking and interactions with GCN1 in prostate cancer. The crystal structure of Miro1 nGTPase bound to GTP has been solved. However, no structural data is available for the nGTPase domain of Miro2. To better understand the similarities and differences in the functions of Miro1 and Miro2, we have initiated structural studies of Miro2. Here we report the backbone NMR chemical shift assignments of a 22 KDa construct of the nGTPase domain of Miro2 bound to GTP that includes residues 1–180 of the full-length protein. We affirm that the overall secondary structure of this complex closely resembles that of Miro1 nGTPase bound to GTP. Minor variations in the overall structures can be attributed to crystal packing interactions in the structure of Miro1. These NMR studies will form the foundation for future work identifying the specific interaction sites between Miro2 and its cellular binding partners.
Direct-acting antivirals used in HCV-related liver disease do not affect thyroid function and autoimmunity
Authors: Rodia R. , Meloni P. E. , Mascia C. , Balestrieri C. , Ruggiero V. , Serra G. , Conti M. , Loi M. , Pes F. , Onali S. , Perra A. , Littera R. , Velluzzi F. , Mariotti S. , Chessa L. , Boi F.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

It is well known that interferon-α (IFN-α), used for long time as the main therapy for HCV-related disease, induces thyroid alterations, but the impact of the new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on thyroid is not established. Aim of this prospective study was to evaluate if DAAs therapy may induce thyroid alterations.

Methods

A total of 113 HCV patients, subdivided at the time of the enrollment in naïve group (n = 64) and in IFN-α group (n = 49) previously treated with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin, were evaluated for thyroid function and autoimmunity before and after 20–32 weeks of DAAs.

Results

Before starting DAAs, a total of 8/113 (7.1%) patients showed Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) all belonging to IFN-α group (8/49, 16.3%), while no HT cases were found in the naïve group. Overall, 7/113 (6.2%) patients were hypothyroid: 3/64 (4.7%) belonging to naïve group and 4/49 (8.2%) to IFN-α group. Furthermore, a total of 8/113 patients (7.1%) showed subclinical hyperthyroidism: 2/64 (3.1%) were from naïve group and 6/49 (12.2%) from IFN-α group. Interestingly, after DAAs therapy, no new cases of HT, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism was found in all series, while 6/11 (54.5%) patients with non-autoimmune subclinical thyroid dysfunction became euthyroid. Finally, the only association between viral genotypes and thyroid alterations was genotype 1 and hypothyroidism.

Conclusions

This study supports evidence that DAAs have a limited or missing influence on thyroid in patients with HCV-related diseases. Moreover, it provides preliminary evidence that subclinical non-autoimmune thyroid dysfunction may improve after HCV infection resolution obtained by DAAs.
Estimation of bedload sedimentation rate in a paleo-drowned river-valley
Authors: Lound S. P. , Birch G. F. , Dragovich D.
Published: September 2022

Extensive, high-resolution seismic data were correlated with borehole, land use, and geological data to calculate the mass of genetically different sediment deposits in the Middle Harbour estuary in Sydney, Australia. Middle Harbour is a drowned-river valley located adjacent to the larger Sydney estuary. The estuary follows a well-defined sedimentation model featuring small fluvial bedload delta deposits in the upper reaches of the embayments, a deep, central extensive mud basin overlying transgressive basal accumulations and a large flood-tide delta at the entrance. Deposits of an estimated 5094 t of bedload, 21,143 t of suspended sediment and 5947 t of transgressive basal material located in the estuary provided average sediment accumulation rates of 0.68 t year−1, 1.29 t year−1, and 2.86 t year−1, respectively. These rates, determined from measured accumulations, were surprisingly low and substantially smaller than modelled rates. However, low sediment accumulation rates for suspended material may be due to fine sediment escaping over the top of the marine tidal delta, which effectively traps all bedload material from exiting the Harbour. Results of this study indicate that Holocene bedload sedimentation in Middle Harbour was slow and regular until a rapid increase after urbanisation commenced in the catchment. Most pre-Holocene material was eroded from Middle Harbour during the Last Glacial period with sediment currently present in the estuary having been deposited since sea-level recovery.
Second sound with ultracold atoms: a brief review
Authors: Hu Hui , Yao Xing-Can , Liu Xia-Ji
Published: September 2022

We briefly review the research on second sound in ultracold atomic physics, with emphasis on strongly interacting unitary Fermi gases with infinitely large s-wave scattering length. Second sound is a smoking-gun feature of superfluidity in any quantum superfluids. The observation and characterization of second sound in ultracold quantum gases have been a long-standing challenge, and in recent years, there are rapid developments due to the experimental realization of a uniform box-trap potential. The purpose of this review is to present a brief historical account of the key research activities on second sound over the past two decades. We summarize the initial theoretical works that reveal the characteristics of second sound in a unitary Fermi gas, and introduce its first observation in a highly elongated harmonic trap. We then discuss the most recent measurement on second sound attenuation in a uniform setup, which may open a new era to understand quantum transport near quantum criticality in the strongly interacting regime. The observation of second sound in homogeneous weakly interacting Bose condensates in both two and three dimensions are also briefly introduced.
A radio-frequency generator for ion thrusters based on a Class-E power circuit
Authors: Beller Edwin , Roessler Christian , Probst Uwe , Thueringer Rainer , Volkmar Chris
Published: September 2022

Operating a radio-frequency ion thruster (RIT) requires a high frequency current flowing through an induction coil in order to ignite and maintain an inductively coupled plasma discharge (ICP). Several methods to create that current have been demonstrated and evaluated regarding complexity, flexibility and efficiency. Especially in space applications reliability and minimal power loss is crucial to comply to strict mission requirements. As one of the leanest concepts in terms of required components and nevertheless highest possible efficiency, the Class-E power circuit has proven itself as a well suited radio-frequency generator (RFG) of a RIT system. However, electrical performance and especially electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) during operation have not been evaluated, but are essential if the system is intended for use in space. In order to fill this gap and bring the Class-E circuit into the fold of established RFG concepts, a prototype was designed, built, and used to operate a RIT-10. For reference, a conventional Half-Bridge RFG was tested under the same operating conditions. Further investigations are concerned with EMC behaviour of both devices and show that Class-E circuit exhibits significantly lower electromagnetic emission during operation compared to the Half-Bridge reference.
Undue Process
Authors: Shen-Bayh Fiona Feiang
Published: September 2022

Why do autocrats hold political trials when outcomes are presumed known from the start? Undue Process examines how autocrats weaponize the judiciary to stay in control. Contrary to conventional wisdom that courts constrain arbitrary power, Shen-Bayh argues that judicial processes can instead be used to legitimize dictatorship and dissuade dissent when power is contested. Focusing on sub-Saharan Africa since independence, Shen-Bayh draws on fine-grained archival data on regime threats and state repression to explain why political trials are often political purges in disguise, providing legal cover for the persecution of regime rivals. This compelling analysis reveals how courts can be used to repress political challengers, institutionalize punishment, and undermine the rule of law. Engaging and illuminating, Undue Process provides new theoretical insights into autocratic judiciaries and will interest political scientists and scholars studying authoritarian regimes, African politics, and political control.
Hybrid Sovereignty in World Politics
Authors: Srivastava Swati
Published: September 2022

The idea of 'hybrid sovereignty' describes overlapping relations between public and private actors in important areas of global power, such as contractors fighting international wars, corporations regulating global markets, or governments collaborating with nongovernmental entities to influence foreign elections. This innovative study shows that these connections – sometimes hidden and often poorly understood – underpin the global order, in which power flows without regard to public and private boundaries. Drawing on extensive original archival research, Swati Srivastava reveals the little-known stories of how this hybrid power operated at some of the most important turning points in world history: spreading the British empire, founding the United States, establishing free trade, realizing transnational human rights, and conducting twenty-first century wars. In order to sustain meaningful dialogues about the future of global power and political authority, it is crucial that we begin to understand how hybrid sovereignty emerged and continues to shape international relations.
The Masculinities of John Milton
Authors: Hodgson Elizabeth
Published: September 2022

The Masculinites of John Milton is the first published monograph on Milton's men. Examining how Milton's fantasies of manly authority are framed in his major works, this study exposes the gaps between Milton's pleas for liberty and his assumptions that White men like himself should rule his culture. From schoolboys teaching each other how to traffic in young women in the Ludlow Masque, to his treatises on divorce that make the wife-less husband the best possible citizen, and to the later epics, in which Milton wrestles with male small talk and the ladders of masculine social power, his verse and prose draw from and amplify his culture's claims about manliness in education, warfare, friendship, citizenship, and conversation. This revolutionary poet's most famous writings reveal how ambivalently manhood is constructed to serve itself in early modern England.
Temporal contrast enhancement by nonlinear elliptical polarization rotation in a multi-pass cell
Authors: Song Jiajun , Shen Liya , Sun Jianyu , Peng Yujie , Leng Yuxin
Published: September 2022

We demonstrate the simultaneous temporal contrast improvement and pulse compression of a Yb-doped femtosecond laser via nonlinear elliptical polarization rotation in a solid state multi-pass cell. The temporal contrast is improved to 109, while the pulse is shortened from 181 to 36 fs, corresponding to a compression factor of 5. The output beam features excellent beam quality with M2 values of 1.18 × 1.16. The total efficiency of the contrast enhancement system exceeds 50%. This technique will have wide applications in high temporal contrast ultra-intense femtosecond lasers.
Body composition and anthropometric indicators as predictors of blood pressure: a cross-sectional study conducted in young Algerian adults
Authors: Dahel-Mekhancha Corinne Colette , Rolland-Cachera Marie-Françoise , Botton Jérémie , Karoune Rabiaa , Sersar Ibrahim , Yagoubi-Benatallah Lynda , Bouldjedj Ikram , Benini Abderraouf , Fezeu Léopold K. , Nezzal Lahcène , Mekhancha Djamel-Eddine
Published: September 2022

Various body indicators are used to predict health risks. However, controversies still exist regarding the best indicators to predict CVD. Using a large number of measurements, our aim was to assess their associations with blood pressure (BP) and to identify the most relevant parameters to be used in health surveillance studies. The population included 589 students (67·2 % women) aged 20–25 years from Constantine (Algeria). Sixteen parameters were considered, including crude body measurements, ratios and body fat indicators based on bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). We used multi-adjusted linear regression models to assess the associations between body measurements and BP. According to WHO definitions, underweight, overweight-without obesity, obesity and hypertension (HT) were identified in 6·1, 18·0, 2·4 and 5·1 % of the subjects, respectively. Prevalence of HT was higher in men than in women (11·9 % v. 1·8 %; P < 0·001). In the whole sample, almost all indicators were positively associated with systolic and diastolic BP. The suprailiac skinfold had the strongest associations with systolic (β = 3·498; P < 0·001) and diastolic (β = 2·436; P < 0·001) BP, and as a whole, arm circumferences and weight were also good candidates. The currently used BMI, waist-to-hip, waist-to-height ratio and BIA indictors also predicted BP, but they did not seem to be better determinants of BP than crude anthropometric measurements. This study showed that overweight and HT were already found in the present population of young Algerian adults. Most body indicators were highly associated with BP, but simple anthropometric measurements appeared to be particularly useful to predict BP.
Ethical issues when interviewing older people about loneliness: reflections and recommendations for an effective methodological approach
Authors: Naughton-Doe Ruth , Barke Jenny , Manchester Helen , Willis Paul , Wigfield Andrea
Published: September 2022

Loneliness among older people is perceived as a global public health concern, although assumptions that old age is a particularly lonely time for everyone are not accurate. While there is accumulating quantitative and qualitative evidence on the experience and impact of loneliness amongst older adults, there is little exploration of methodological issues that arise in engaging with older adults particularly through research-oriented conversations. The sensitivity and stigma often attached to loneliness means that interviewing research participants presents ethical challenges for researchers navigating complex emotional responses. This paper presents reflections from three research projects that used research interviews to explore accounts of loneliness experienced by older people. The everyday methodological decisions of research teams are often hidden from view, but through a critical examination of reflexive accounts of fieldwork, this paper makes visible the internal and external negotiations of researchers responding to ethical complexity. The paper explores the key decisions that researchers make during interviews about loneliness: how to introduce the topic; how to phrase questions about loneliness; when to ask the questions; how to deal with the stigma of loneliness and respond to ageism; and how to manage the participant–researcher relationship post-interview. The paper concludes with recommendations for appropriately navigating ethical complexity in loneliness research, thus contributing to an effective qualitative methodological approach to researching loneliness in later life.
The effect of apoprotein E gene polymorphism on neurocognitive functions of children with CHD
Authors: Bedir Demirdag Tugba , Gucuyener Kivilcim , Soysal A. Sebnem , Guntekin Ergun Sezen , Ozturk Zeynep , Ergun Mehmet Ali , Tunaoğlu Sedef
Published: September 2022

Studies have demonstrated an association between CHD and neurodevelopmental delay. This delay is associated with many factors like reduced blood flow and oxygen, cardiac catheterisations, and genetic factors. Apo E gene polymorphism is one of these genetic factors. This study aims to show the effect of Apo E gene polymorphism on neurodevelopmental process in children having CHD. A total of 188 children having CHD were admitted to the study. Apo E gene polymorphism of these patients was determined, and psychometric evaluation was performed. The relationship between psychometric test results and gene polymorphism was evaluated. This study shows that, similar to the literature, patients having cyanotic CHD have worse scores than acyanotic patients, and the children with CHD are under risk in terms of neuropsychiatric disorders. Other novel and important findings of this study were the lower verbal scores of ε2 allele carriers than ε4 carriers in Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised group and the worse test score of patients having VSD than other acyanotic patients. Besides, some special disorders may be seen in this patient group.
Transcatheter management of life-threatening pulmonary arteriovenous fistula with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in an infant
Authors: Guvenc Osman , Odemis Ender , Saygi Murat , Onalan M. Akif
Published: September 2022

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation is a rare disease leading to cyanosis, where there is a direct relation between the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein without a capillary structure. Arteriovenous fistulae may be single or multiple. Clinical signs emerge depending on the size of the fistulae and amount of shunt. Due to the advancements in transcatheter devices and increased experience render enable the fistula embolisation procedure as an alternative to surgical treatment. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is used to support the patient haemodynamically and respirationally in cases of treatment-resistant, severe and revocable cardiac or pulmonary sufficiency. This paper presents an infant patient with pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, who had haemodynamic instability due to severe hypoxia and received successful transcatheter fistula embolisation via extracorporeal membrane oxygenation under emergency conditions.
Gelatin sponge to close a tract after large-bore transhepatic access: tips for success
Authors: Mohammad Nijres Bassel , Justino Henri , Law Ian , Aldoss Osamah
Published: September 2022

Percutaneous transhepatic venous access has been utilised for numerous transcatheter cardiac procedures. Traditionally, a large transhepatic tract requires the placement of permanent occlusion devices or coils. We describe a successful closure using a simple technique (Surgifoam) without the need for metal hardware placement. Immediate hemostasis was achieved. No complications were encountered.
Reclaiming the Past
Authors: Arfara Katia
Published: September 2022

Interweaving first-person narratives, archives, autobiography, film, and live music, Lola Arias shifts her audience’s attention towards the nature of memory, revealing the inadequacy of binaries such as fact and fiction, truth and imagination. Arias’s major works explore the construction of collective and personal memory in relation to the economic, social, cultural, and psychological influences of the military dictatorships on contemporary Argentinian and Chilean societies.
Larger than Life
Authors: Wynants Nele
Published: September 2022

In Oona Libens’s poetic-scientific theatre of objects, nonhuman actors take center stage in a universe that hangs together with wires and projection apparatuses. Her playful lecture performances resonate with ideas from contemporary ecocritical and new materialist debates.
“When the Last Shriek Has Died Away”
Authors: Vatain-Corfdir Julie
Published: September 2022

In 1927, Orson Welles directed Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus for the Federal Theatre Project, in an original interpretation of Hallie Flanagan’s dream of a “people’s theatre.” While the available archives allow for an examination of Welles’s experiment in popular classicism and invite comparisons with the work of French theatre-makers, they also call for an awareness of the part played by our imagination in such retrospective research.
Elternbegleitung auf PICU
Authors: Eckerstorfer Carmen
Published: September 2022

Zusammenfassung. Die plötzliche und unabwendbare Aufnahme eines Kindes auf der pädiatrischen Intensivstation stellt Eltern und ihr soziales Umfeld vor besondere Herausforderungen. Durch ihre unabsehbare Dauer und den offenen Ausgang kann diese Situation Angst einflößen und existentiell bedrohlich sein. Dies fordert von den Eltern Anpassungsleistungen und von den betreuenden Personen unterschiedlichste Formen der Unterstützung.
Modeling the Ice Flow and Evolution of Glaciers
Authors: Zekollari Harry
Published: September 2022

Glaciers are crucial water resources and important sea level contributors. To accurately model glacier evolution, their mass balance and ice flow processes must be accounted for.
Suppression of PFKFB3-driven glycolysis restrains endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and fibrotic response
Authors: Zeng Hao , Pan Ting , Zhan Meiling , Hailiwu Renaguli , Liu Baolin , Yang Hua , Li Ping
Published: September 2022

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), the process wherein endothelial cells lose endothelial identity and adopt mesenchymal-like phenotypes, constitutes a critical contributor to cardiac fibrosis. The phenotypic plasticity of endothelial cells can be intricately shaped by alteration of metabolic pathways, but how endothelial cells adjust cellular metabolism to drive EndoMT is incompletely understood. Here, we identified 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) as a critical driver of EndoMT via triggering abnormal glycolysis and compromising mitochondrial respiration. Pharmacological suppression of PFKFB3 with salvianolic acid C (SAC), a phenolic compound derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza, attenuates EndoMT and fibrotic response. PFKFB3-haplodeficiency recapitulates the anti-EndoMT effect of SAC while PFKFB3-overexpression augments the magnitude of EndoMT and exacerbates cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, PFKFB3-driven glycolysis compromises cytoplasmic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced form, NADPH) production via hijacking glucose flux from pentose phosphate pathway. Efflux of mitochondrial NADPH through isocitrate/α-ketoglutarate shuttle replenishes cytoplasmic NADPH pool but meanwhile impairs mitochondrial respiration by hampering mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. SAC disrupts PFKFB3 stability by accelerating its degradation and thus maintains metabolic homeostasis in endothelial cells, underlying its anti-EndoMT effects. These findings for the first time identify the critical role of PFKFB3 in triggering EndoMT by driving abnormal glycolysis in endothelial cells, and also highlight the therapeutic potential for pharmacological intervention of PFKFB3 (with SAC or other PFKFB3 inhibitors) to combat EndoMT-associated fibrotic responses via metabolic regulation.
Lactate metabolism in human health and disease
Authors: Li Xiaolu , Yang Yanyan , Zhang Bei , Lin Xiaotong , Fu Xiuxiu , An Yi , Zou Yulin , Wang Jian-Xun , Wang Zhibin , Yu Tao
Published: September 2022

The current understanding of lactate extends from its origins as a byproduct of glycolysis to its role in tumor metabolism, as identified by studies on the Warburg effect. The lactate shuttle hypothesis suggests that lactate plays an important role as a bridging signaling molecule that coordinates signaling among different cells, organs and tissues. Lactylation is a posttranslational modification initially reported by Professor Yingming Zhao’s research group in 2019. Subsequent studies confirmed that lactylation is a vital component of lactate function and is involved in tumor proliferation, neural excitation, inflammation and other biological processes. An indispensable substance for various physiological cellular functions, lactate plays a regulatory role in different aspects of energy metabolism and signal transduction. Therefore, a comprehensive review and summary of lactate is presented to clarify the role of lactate in disease and to provide a reference and direction for future research. This review offers a systematic overview of lactate homeostasis and its roles in physiological and pathological processes, as well as a comprehensive overview of the effects of lactylation in various diseases, particularly inflammation and cancer.
Antibody stabilization for thermally accelerated deep immunostaining
Authors: Lai Hei Ming , Tang Yumi , Lau Zachary Y. H. , Campbell Robert A. A. , Yau Juno C. N. , Chan Caleb C. Y. , Chan Danny C. W. , Wong Tin Yan , Wong Harriet K. T. , Yan Leo Y. C. , Wu William K. K. , Wong Sunny H. , Kwok Ka-Wai , Wing Yun-Kwok , Lam Henry H. N. , Ng Ho-Keung , Mrsic-Flogel Thomas D. , Mok Vincent C. T. , Chan Jason Y. K. , Ko Ho
Published: September 2022

Antibodies have diverse applications due to their high reaction specificities but are sensitive to denaturation when a higher working temperature is required. We have developed a simple, highly scalable and generalizable chemical approach for stabilizing off-the-shelf antibodies against thermal and chemical denaturation. We demonstrate that the stabilized antibodies (termed SPEARs) can withstand up to 4 weeks of continuous heating at 55 °C and harsh denaturants, and apply our method to 33 tested antibodies. SPEARs enable flexible applications of thermocycling and denaturants to dynamically modulate their binding kinetics, reaction equilibrium, macromolecular diffusivity and aggregation propensity. In particular, we show that SPEARs permit the use of a thermally facilitated three-dimensional immunolabeling strategy (termed ThICK staining), achieving whole mouse brain immunolabeling within 72 h, as well as nearly fourfold deeper penetration with threefold less antibodies in human brain tissue. With faster deep-tissue immunolabeling and broad compatibility with tissue processing and clearing methods without the need for any specialized equipment, we anticipate the wide applicability of ThICK staining with SPEARs for deep immunostaining.
DNA-PAINT MINFLUX nanoscopy
Authors: Ostersehlt Lynn M. , Jans Daniel C. , Wittek Anna , Keller-Findeisen Jan , Inamdar Kaushik , Sahl Steffen J. , Hell Stefan W. , Jakobs Stefan
Published: September 2022

MINimal fluorescence photon FLUXes (MINFLUX) nanoscopy, providing photon-efficient fluorophore localizations, has brought about three-dimensional resolution at nanometer scales. However, by using an intrinsic on–off switching process for single fluorophore separation, initial MINFLUX implementations have been limited to two color channels. Here we show that MINFLUX can be effectively combined with sequentially multiplexed DNA-based labeling (DNA-PAINT), expanding MINFLUX nanoscopy to multiple molecular targets. Our method is exemplified with three-color recordings of mitochondria in human cells.
Structurally-constrained optical-flow-guided adversarial generation of synthetic CT for MR-only radiotherapy treatment planning
Authors: Vajpayee Rajat , Agrawal Vismay , Krishnamurthi Ganapathy
Published: September 2022

The rapid progress in image-to-image translation methods using deep neural networks has led to advancements in the generation of synthetic CT (sCT) in MR-only radiotherapy workflow. Replacement of CT with MR reduces unnecessary radiation exposure, financial cost and enables more accurate delineation of organs at risk. Previous generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been oriented towards MR to sCT generation. In this work, we have implemented multiple augmented cycle consistent GANs. The augmentation involves structural information constraint (StructCGAN), optical flow consistency constraint (FlowCGAN) and the combination of both the conditions (SFCGAN). The networks were trained and tested on a publicly available Gold Atlas project dataset, consisting of T2-weighted MR and CT volumes of 19 subjects from 3 different sites. The network was tested on 8 volumes acquired from the third site with a different scanner to assess the generalizability of the network on multicenter data. The results indicate that all the networks are robust to scanner variations. The best model, SFCGAN achieved an average ME of 0.9   5.9 HU, an average MAE of 40.4   4.7 HU and 57.2   1.4 dB PSNR outperforming previous research works. Moreover, the optical flow constraint between consecutive frames preserves the consistency across all views compared to 2D image-to-image translation methods. SFCGAN exploits the features of both StructCGAN and FlowCGAN by delivering structurally robust and 3D consistent sCT images. The research work serves as a benchmark for further research in MR-only radiotherapy.
Observing and modeling long-term persistence of P. noctiluca in coupled complementary marine systems (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea and Messina Strait)
Authors: Bergamasco A. , Cucco A. , Guglielmo L. , Minutoli R. , Quattrocchi G. , Guglielmo R. , Palumbo F. , Pansera M. , Zagami G. , Vodopivec M. , Malej A. , A.Granata
Published: September 2022

In the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Messina (MS) is a very peculiar area, connecting highly different regions and representing a privileged observatory for an early comprehension and assessment of ecosystems shifts. It is hypothesized that the outbreaks observed near the coast of many sites in the Mediterranean Sea may be the result of transport of permanent populations ofP. noctilucain pelagic waters to the coast, caused by specific hydrodynamic conditions. By both visual observations and numerical experiments our objective is twofold: (A) to help clarify whether the basin of the Aeolian Islands Archipelago (AIA), in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (STS), may be the site from which large populations ofP. noctilucaare transported to the MS, and (B) to evaluate whether the upwelling turbulent system of the MS can be an energetic opportunity for this species. It should offer a rich habitat without jeopardizing the overall survival of the population, that is subject to stranding due to strong currents. Although very different, the two involved ecosystems (AIA and MS ) are complementary for the success ofPelagia noctilucalife cycle. Outputs obtained by coupling the 3D hydrodynamic model (SHYFEM) with a Lagrangian particle tracking model support the hypothesis of a connectivity between these two ecosystems, particularly in the first half of the year, indicating the coastal areas around the AIA as potential optimal source location forPelagialarval stages. We support the very attractive hypothesis that two connected systems exist, the former one favoursPelagia's reproduction and acts as a nursery and the latter favours its growth due to higher productivity. We speculate that the reproductive population of the AIA is not permanent, but is renewed every year by individuals who have fed and quickly grown in the MS and who are passively transported by downwelling along canyon "corridors".
Transcutaneous electrical nerve inhibition using medium frequency alternating current
Authors: Maris Seppe , Brands Michiel , Lenskens Daniele , Braeken Geert , Kemnitz Stefan , Vanhove Herbert , Mc Laughlin Myles , Meesen Raf , Brône Bert , Stessel Björn
Published: September 2022

Transcutaneous medium-frequency alternating electrical current is defined as an alternating current between 1 and 10 kHz and is capable of producing an instant, reversible block. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of sensory perception and force production of the index and middle finger after transcutaneous medium-frequency alternating electrical current stimulation of the distal median nerve. A single-center prospective interventional cohort study was conducted in adult healthy volunteers at the Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium. Two different electrodes (PALS & 3M) were placed on the distal median nerve, which was located using a Sonosite X-Porte Ultrasound transducer, with the first electrode being placed on the skin at the level of the transverse carpal ligament and the second electrode 7 cm proximally to the first electrode. The tactile sensation was evaluated with Semmes–Weinstein monofilament test and sensation of pressure/pain was evaluated with an algometer. Peak force production was assessed with an electronic dynamometer. All measurements were performed at baseline and tMFAEC stimulation frequencies of 2 and 10 kHz in a randomized manner. Statistical analysis was performed with a one-way ANOVA with repeated measures test or a Friedman rank sum test, followed by the Wilcoxon signed rank test adjusted with Bonferroni correction. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. From 9 to 13th of April 2021, 25 healthy volunteers were included in the Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium. A statistically significant reduction in tactile sensation during 2 kHz and 10 kHz stimulation compared to baseline was observed (2.89 ± 0.22 (PALS2); 3.35 ± 0.25 (3M2) and 2.14 ± 0.12 (PALS10); 2.38 ± 0.12 (3M10) versus − 1.75 ± 0.09 (baseline), p < 0.0001). 3M electrodes showed a tendency towards the elevation of pressure pain threshold compared to baseline. No significant difference in mean peak forces of the index and middle fingers after transcutaneous medium-frequency alternating electrical current stimulation with 2 and 10 kHz was found. This study demonstrates that transcutaneous medium-frequency alternating electrical current stimulation on the distal median nerve inhibits tactile sensory nerve activity in the index and middle finger when stimulation of 2 kHz and, to a lesser extent, 10 kHz was applied. A reduction of motor nerve activity was not observed but force production measurements may be prone to error.

Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov on 01/04/2021. NCT-Number: NCT04827173.
Two-color synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy based on transverse resonance island buckets
Authors: Holldack K. , Schüßler-Langeheine C. , Pontius N. , Kachel T. , Baumgärtel P. , Windsor Y. W. , Zahn D. , Goslawski P. , Koopmans M. , Ries M.
Published: September 2022

We report on a novel multi-color method of X-ray spectroscopy at a Synchrotron radiation source that uses two simultaneously filled electron orbits in an electron storage ring to generate multiple soft or tender X-ray beams of different wavelength. To establish the second orbit, we use nonlinear beam dynamics in the so called TRIBs—transverse resonance island buckets—mode of the BESSY II storage ring, where a second electron orbit winds around the regular one leading to transversely separated source points. X-ray beams of multiple colors are generated by imaging the individual source points via different pathways through a monochromator. The particular colors can be varied by changing the traversal electron beam positions through storage-ring parameters and/or via the monochromator dispersion. As a proof of principle, X-ray absorption spectroscopy is performed on thin Fe films in transmission as well as a scanning transmission measurement on a Fe3GeTe2 sample of inhomogeneous thickness normalizing resonant signals with the pre-edge intensity. Using the extraordinary pointing fidelity of successive X-ray macro-pulses arriving at MHz repetition rates, a detection of tiny contrasts in diluted systems, contrast enhancement in X-ray microscopy as well as fast dynamics studies come into reach.