bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shear properties and failure mechanisms of adhesive bonded composite joint: Effect of glass particle reinforcement
Authors: Balaji Sekar , Rajesh Murugan
Published: April 2024

High‐performance composite structures and effective joining processes are important for shipbuilding, and aerospace sectors to perform better in challenging situations. The importance of this study is to analyze the effect of glass powder‐modified adhesive and joining techniques such as co‐curing (CC), co‐bonding (CB), and secondary bonding (SB) on flexural, shear, and free vibrational characteristics such as natural frequency and damping factor for glass fiber‐reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. Results revealed that, compared to SB and CB composite joints, 1 wt.% glass powder‐modified CC composite single lap joints (SLJ) enhanced the shear properties by 103.04% and 111.74%, respectively, due to rougher surface formation in the adhesive layer. As a result, it enhanced the fiber's adhesion to the matrix. On the other hand, CC bonded joints with 1 wt.% of glass powder exhibited the highest flexural strength (85.99 Mpa). The experimental free vibrational analysis showed that 1 wt.% glass powder CC composite had a high natural frequency, whereas higher wt.% glass powder increased the damping properties due to the matrix and fiber interaction. The current research reveals that CC technique with 1 wt.% of glass powder provided a significant improvement to the adhesively bonded composite's mechanical and free vibrational characteristics.

Highlights

Four distinct wt.% of glass powder were used to prepare the glass powder‐modified adhesive by sonication.

SLJ glass fiber‐reinforced polymer composite joints were fabricated through CC, CB, and SB techniques

Maximum shear and flexural strength were found at CC SLJ 1 wt.% glass powder.

CC SLJ 1 wt.% glass powder enhanced better vibrational behavior.

Failure surface analysis was conducted using FE‐SEM images.
Phaseolus vulgaris STP13.1 is an H+‐coupled monosaccharide transporter, present in source leaves and seed coats, with higher substrate affinity at depolarized potentials
Authors: Pegler Joseph L. , Patrick John W. , McDermott Benjamin , Brown Anthony , Oultram Jackson M. J. , Grof Christopher P. L. , Ward John M.
Published: April 2024

Sugar transport proteins (STPs) are high‐affinity H+‐coupled hexose symporters. Recently, the contribution of STP13 to bacterial and fungal pathogen resistance across multiple plant species has garnered significant interest. Quantitative PCR analysis of source leaves, developing embryos, and seed coats of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) revealed that PvSTP13.1 was expressed in source leaves and seed coats throughout seed development. In contrast, PvSTP13.1 transcripts were detected at exceedingly low levels in developing embryos. To characterize the transport mechanism, PvSTP13.1 was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and inward‐directed currents were analyzed using two‐electrode voltage clamping. PvSTP13.1 was shown to function as an H+‐coupled monosaccharide symporter exhibiting a unique high affinity for hexoses and aldopentoses at depolarized membrane potentials. Specifically, of the 31 assessed substrates, which included aldohexoses, deoxyhexoses, fructose, 3‐O‐methyl‐D‐glucose, aldopentoses, polyols, glycosides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and glucuronic acid, PvSTP13.1 displayed the highest affinity (K0.5) for glucose (43 μM), mannose (92 μM), galactose (145 μM), fructose (224 μM), xylose (1.0 mM), and fucose (3.7 mM) at pH 5.6 at a depolarized membrane potential of −40 mV. The results presented here suggest PvSTP13.1 contributes to retrieval of hexoses from the apoplasmic space in source leaves and coats of developing seeds.
Proteomic profiling of antibiotic‐resistant Escherichia coli GW‐AmxH19 isolated from hospital wastewater treated with physical plasma
Authors: Hahn Veronika , Zühlke Daniela , Winter Hauke , Landskron Annchristin , Bernhardt Jörg , Sievers Susanne , Schmidt Michael , von Woedtke Thomas , Riedel Katharina , Kolb Juergen F.
Published: April 2024

Microorganisms which are resistant to antibiotics are a global threat to the health of humans and animals. Wastewater treatment plants are known hotspots for the dissemination of antibiotic resistances. Therefore, novel methods for the inactivation of pathogens, and in particular antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms (ARM), are of increasing interest. An especially promising method could be a water treatment by physical plasma which provides charged particles, electric fields, UV‐radiation, and reactive species. The latter are foremost responsible for the antimicrobial properties of plasma. Thus, with plasma it might be possible to reduce the amount of ARM and to establish this technology as additional treatment stage for wastewater remediation. However, the impact of plasma on microorganisms beyond a mere inactivation was analyzed in more detail by a proteomic approach. Therefore, Escherichia coli GW‐AmxH19, isolated from hospital wastewater in Germany, was used. The bacterial solution was treated by a plasma discharge ignited between each of four pins and the liquid surface. The growth of E. coli and the pH‐value decreased during plasma treatment in comparison with the untreated control. Proteome and antibiotic resistance profile were analyzed. Concentrations of nitrite and nitrate were determined as long‐lived indicative products of a transient chemistry associated with reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Conversely, hydrogen peroxide served as indicator for reactive oxygen species (ROS). Proteome analyses revealed an oxidative stress response as a result of plasma‐generated RNS and ROS as well as a pH‐balancing reaction as key responses to plasma treatment. Both, the generation of reactive species and a decreased pH‐value is characteristic for plasma‐treated solutions. The plasma‐mediated changes of the proteome are discussed also in comparison with the Gram‐positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Furthermore, no effect of the plasma treatment, on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli, was determined under the chosen conditions. The knowledge about the physiological changes of ARM in response to plasma is of fundamental interest to understand the molecular basis for the inactivation. This will be important for the further development and implementation of plasma in wastewater remediation.
Effect of AP distribution on energy release characteristics and functional force of HMX/AP/Al explosives
Authors: Gao Han , Pan Wen , Feng Xiaojun
Published: April 2024

In order to understand the reaction kinetics of HMX/AP/Al ternary system, the different distribution of AP in HMX/AP/Al explosives was realized by two different preparation techniques. Detonation test results show that the detonation velocity, explosion heat and detonation pressure of HAP samples are higher than those of HAl samples, but the extent of improvement is not high, not more than 5 %. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that AP in HAP samples was distributed on the surface of HMX crystal. AP were dispersed around HMX crystals in HAl samples. The experimental results of explosive fireball performance show that the fireball expansion speed of HAP samples is better than that of HAl samples, demonstrating a good fireball effect. Underwater test results show that the shock wave peak pressure and bubble pulsation period of HAP samples increase by 3.06 % and 7.95 % respectively, and shock wave energy and bubble energy increase by 9.8 % and 25.42 % compared with bubble energy. The experimental results show that HAP samples are superior to HAl samples in accelerating ability of Al flies. The dispersion of AP on the HMX crystal surface promotes the energy release of HMX/AP/Al explosives more.
Induction of hepatic CYP3A4 expression by cholesterol and cholic acid: Alterations of gene expression, microsomal activity, and pharmacokinetics
Authors: Minegishi Genki , Kobayashi Yuka , Fujikura Mayu , Sano Ayane , Kazuki Yasuhiro , Kobayashi Kaoru
Published: April 2024

Human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is a drug‐metabolizing enzyme that is abundantly expressed in the liver and intestine. It is an important issue whether compounds of interest affect the expression of CYP3A4 because more than 30% of commercially available drugs are metabolized by CYP3A4. In this study, we examined the effects of cholesterol and cholic acid on the expression level and activity of CYP3A4 in hCYP3A mice that have a human CYP3A gene cluster and show human‐like regulation of the coding genes. A normal diet (ND, CE‐2), CE‐2 with 1% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid (HCD) or CE‐2 with 0.5% cholic acid was given to the mice. The plasma concentrations of cholesterol, cholic acid and its metabolites in HCD mice were higher than those in ND mice. In this condition, the expression levels of hepatic CYP3A4 and the hydroxylation activities of triazolam, a typical CYP3A4 substrate, in liver microsomes of HCD mice were higher than those in liver microsomes of ND mice. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of triazolam in HCD mice were lower than those in ND mice. In conclusion, our study suggested that hepatic CYP3A4 expression and activity are influenced by the combination of cholesterol and cholic acid in vivo.
Probing Bond Length and Compositional Disorder in β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 Alloys Using Extended X‐Ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy
Authors: Bhattacharjee Jayanta , Urkude Rajashri , Singh Shreyashkar Dev
Published: April 2024

Local structure of β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 alloys with Al contents is determined from extended X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). A model to fit the EXAFS data for monoclinic β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 is suggested to independently determine local structure parameters. An increase in compositional disorder corresponding to the near neighbors (NNs) for lower Al contents establishes that the Al atom does occupy tetrahedron sites in addition octahedron sites even for smaller Al contents. NNs and next‐nearest neighbor (NNN) bond lengths corresponding to tetrahedron and octahedron coordinated gallium (Ga) atoms with surrounding oxygen (O) atoms as well as tetrahedron–tetrahedron/octahedron–octahedron coordinated GaGa atoms on average decrease with Al content up to x = 33.3% and then they saturates with further increase in Al content. However, tetrahedron–octahedron coordinated GaGa atoms move far apart with Al content up to x = 33.3% and then it saturates. The physical picture indicates the creation of tetrahedra and octahedra sublattices locally for β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3, and their sizes decrease, but they move far apart up to a certain Al content. Thereafter, both saturate. Thus, EXAFS provide a clear insight into the evolution of local structure of β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 with Al content, which is useful for better understanding of their physical properties.
Phonon Blockade in a Hybrid Quadratically Coupled Optomechanical System
Authors: Li Haoxian , Liu Weici , Wei Zhongchao , Meng Hongyun , Liu Hongzhan , Guo Jianping , Zhi Yan , Yang Xiao , Chen Jianyuan , Wang Faqiang
Published: April 2024

Phonon statistics in a hybrid optomechanical system, where a mechanical resonator is quadratically coupled to a cavity and couples with another resonator via Coulomb interaction is studied. It is found that the conventional and unconventional phonon blockade can be both achieved at the same parameter regime, which is confirmed by analytical and numerical results. By analyzing the energy level structure, it is found that the anharmonicity of the system is the joint action of both the Coulomb interaction and the optomechanical coupling, where the nonlinearity introduced by the latter has a more significant effect on one branch of the conventional phonon blockade. In addition, the phonon blockade can be enhanced by introducing the mechanical parametric amplifier with optimal parameters, where the physical mechanism underlying comes from the multi‐pathway destructive interference. It is found that the phonon blockade is fragile toward thermal noise due to the weak quantum interference, which can be overcome by increasing the driving strength and applying the mechanical parametric amplifier with suitable parameters. This work may provide a way to manipulate the phonon blockade and can be helpful to the application of quantum information processing.
Reintroducing Atlantic salmon in the river Rhine for decades: Why did it not result in the return of a viable population?
Authors: van Rijssel J. C. , Breukelaar A. W. , de Leeuw J. J. , van Puijenbroek M. E. B. , Schilder K. , Schrimpf A. , Vriese F. T. , Winter H. V.
Published: April 2024

Freshwater species biodiversity is under threat. The average global decline for migratory fish species is estimated to be more than 75% since 1970. Atlantic salmon is one of these species with a steep decline in north‐western Europe and it even went extinct in the river Rhine in the 1950s. The causes for this decline have been posted to habitat loss, pollution, climate change and overfishing. Annual stocking in the Rhine since the late 1980s resulted in an initial increase in the Atlantic salmon numbers after which numbers collapsed again. In this paper, we lay out the recent decline, estimate losses of smolts and adults at different sections in the freshwater habitat and elaborate on potential causes of the recent decline and these losses. We found that the salmon population of the river Rhine has declined rapidly over the past two decades, with a current estimated spawning population of only ~350–800 individuals. The percentage of salmon smolts returning as adults to spawning grounds is estimated at 0.5%–0.6%, well below the 3% supposedly needed to maintain a self‐sustaining population. Many individuals disappear during their migrations, with the highest percentage of smolts disappearing in the German tributaries (44%) and the Dutch lower Rhine (71%), while the percentage of disappearing adults is highest in both the Dutch (74%) and the German (78%) Rhine. Causes for the losses per river section remain unclear and possible threats, some specific to the river Rhine, are being discussed. The large losses of smolts and adults in inland waters, compared with open sea losses, indicate that restocking the river Rhine might only result in a self‐sustaining population with more ecological restoration than carried out so far along the intensively shipped and highly regulated river course and associated high levels of predation, and might be increasingly limited by future climate change.
Vertical root profiles of grey alder (Alnus incana) trees growing in highly disturbed river environments
Authors: Stamer Matteo , Gurnell Angela M. , Bertoldi Walter
Published: April 2024

The ability of plants to colonize the fluvial environment and withstand uprooting by floods is largely controlled by the anchoring effect of roots. We characterized the root architecture and tensile strength of Alnus incana, a riparian tree species of the Betulaceae family for which there are no systematic observations of its vertical root structure. Four A. incana individuals and two nearby Populus nigra 3–10 years old growing on bars in gravel‐bed rivers were excavated. Their root structure was characterized in terms of root diameter, age, and depth and was related to sediment grain size and scour or deposition by floods. Root tensile strength was also measured as a function of root diameter using a load cell and displacement transducer attached to individual roots. The architecture of A. incana roots differed from that of nearby P. nigra, as all roots were in fine, sandy sediments, growing in one or more dense radial layers of which the most prominent was 0.2–0.3 m below the surface. The layers reflect deposition of fine sediments during floods. New fine sediment deposits promote the growth of a new root layer close to the aggraded ground surface. Root tensile strength was similar to Salicaceae species. These observations indicate that A. incana colonizes habitats that have already received fine sediment deposition, most likely induced by other young plants, especially Salicaceae species. A. incana then provides a high near‐surface root biomass, potentially further stabilizing surfaces and playing a complementary role as an ecosystem engineer.
Precise Synthesis and Broadband Photoresponse of Two‐Dimensional Intrinsic Vacancy Semiconductor
Authors: Zhou Nan , Li Haoran , Li Xiaobo , Dang Ziwei , Sun Zongdong , Deng Shijie , Li Junhao , Xie Yong , Xu Hua , Xia Fangfang , Zhai Tianyou
Published: April 2024

Two‐dimensional (2D) intrinsic vacancy semiconductors possess great application prospects in optoelectronics fields, originating from abundant intrinsic vacancy structures and exceptional physical properties. Understanding the structure‐activity relationship between vacancies and physical/photoelectric properties is significant for building advanced photoelectric devices. However, limited by the increasing instability of 2D structure induced by intrinsic vacancies, the precise synthesis of 2D intrinsic vacancy semiconductors faces great challenges. Here, high‐quality 2D intrinsic vacancy semiconductor α‐Ga2Se3 is synthesized via low‐pressure and space‐confined physical vapor deposition. The vacancy structures induce an intermediate energy level and a super‐bandgap photoluminescence (PL) peak, which are verified by temperature‐dependent PL spectra. Furthermore, the vacancy energy level favorably endows 2D α‐Ga2Se3‐based photodetector with a UV‐vis‐NIR super‐bandgap photoresponse, excellent ultraviolet detection ability (photoresponsivity (41.86 A W−1), epitaxial quantum efficiency (1.42 × 104%), and detectivity (6.69 × 1011 Jones) @365 nm), fast photoresponse (20 ms), and superior photocurrent‐light power‐fitting factors. In addition, 2D α‐Ga2Se3‐based phototransistor displays p‐type transport behavior with a responsivity of 105 A W−1@365 nm at a gate voltage of −40 V. This work suggests a bright future of 2D intrinsic vacancy semiconductors in tailoring physical properties and enabling sophisticated device functionality.
Mucoadhesion, Rheology, Swelling Behavior, and Immunomodulatory Properties of Polysaccharides of Gum Exudates Obtained from Astracantha echidnaeformis (Sirj.) Podlech as a Formulary Excipient Candidate
Authors: Yousefi Gholamhossein , Farjadian Shirin , Bour Mitra Saadat Bour , Hamedi Azadeh
Published: April 2024

The physicochemical, rheological, and mucoadhesive characteristics of gum derived from Astracantha echidnaeformis are investigated. It's polysaccharides are isolated using chromatography techniques, and their immunomodulatory characteristics are evaluated by subjecting Jurkat cells to the WST‐1 assay. The composition of these polysaccharides is analyzed using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The viscosity and shear‐thinning behavior of gum are directly influenced by its concentration and the presence of NaCl, whereas they are inversely affected by temperature. The gum has strong potential as a thickening agent for dispersed systems. The mucoadhesion strength of the gum insoluble fraction is 109 ± 4.58 g cm−2, indicating excellent adhesiveness for application to mucoadhesive formulations. Cells’ proliferation enhancement is found for the isolated manno‐arabinoglucan (MW: ≤1.27 kDa) and galacto‐arabinan (MW: ≥667.8 kDa) at concentrations lower than 400 µ mL−1, but at higher concentrations they inhibited the proliferation. The isolated pectic galacto‐arabinan (MW: 669.58 kDa) exhibited a proliferative effect at 250 µg mL−1, but the isolated manno‐galactoglucan (MW: 80.90 kDa) showed cytotoxicity at higher doses. The isolated proteoglycans has mostly galacto‐arabinan backbones with immunomodulatory properties. The gum can be used as a thickening agent for the physical stabilization of suspensions and gels, specifically those needing to be stored at cold temperatures.
Optimization of Ultrasound‐Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction and Bioactivities of Polysaccharide from Porphyra haitanensis
Authors: Hu Wendie , Liu Bing , Wen Yao
Published: April 2024

In this paper, ultrasound‐assisted method and deep eutectic solvent (DES) are used to extract polysaccharides from Porphyra haitanensis. The single‐factor experiment is carried out first, and then the response surface experiment is designed to obtain the optimal process conditions. The optimal extraction conditions are the molar ratio of choline chloride to oxalate of 1:1, the water content of DES of 60%, the solid–liquid ratio of 1:60 g mL−1, the time of 120 min, the power of 200 W, and the temperature of 80 °C, with the extraction yield of 4.42%. And the yield of P. haitanensis polysaccharides (PHPs) is 3.14% and 3.31% by water immersion and ultrasonic water extraction, respectively, indicating that the DES extraction method is superior to these two methods, and the optimization effect is good. The extracted polysaccharides are tested for biological activity after separation and purification on DEAE and Sephadex G‐75 columns. The results of α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity and α‐amylase inhibitory activity show that PHPs have certain antioxidant activity. 1,1‐Diphenyl‐3‐nitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) and 2,2‐diazo‐di‐3‐ethylbenzothiazolin‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging assays show that PHPs have certain antiglycemic activity.
The plant checklist: Building the foundation of botanical knowledge in South Africa
Authors: Victor Janine E. , Klopper Ronell R. , Winter Pieter J.D. , le Roux M. Marianne
Published: April 2024

Taxonomic research and resultant checklists play a crucial role in underpinning all biodiversity research. Compiling an inventory of plants that occur in a region or country is a complicated task that can be subject to errors and incompleteness, which in turn can hinder other fields of botanical research. South Africa has put in place a rigorous and defensible method of compiling and updating a national checklist, which can serve as a guide to any country in the process of doing so. The process of creating the checklist and significance of this is presented, and the governance, including the choice of classification followed and use of common names, is discussed. Methods for compilation and dissemination of the checklist are described.
Model Analysis
Authors: Chaudhry Aqeel Afzal , Nagel Thomas , Zhao Juan , Düsterloh Uwe , Zhao Jingbo , Chen Liang , Wang Ju , Liu Yuemiao , Cao Shengfei , Zhang Qi , Shao Haibing , Chen Chaofan , Yuan Tao , Lu Renchao , Fischer Cornelius , Kolditz Olaf
Published: April 2024

We employ the ThermoRichardsMechanics (TRM) process, Wang et al. (2010) implemented in OpenGeoSys (OGS), Bilke et al. (2019). The process captures a non-isothermal porous medium with a solid phase, a liquid phase and a gas phase which is considered isobaric Richards (1931).
Vereinbarkeit mit deutschen Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen
Authors: Steinmeister Nicolas
Published: April 2024

Die im Rahmen von GloBE zu erhebenden Steuern fallen unter den Steuerbegriff der deutschen DBA, sodass die GloBE-Regeln auf ihre Vereinbarkeit mit den weiteren Abkommensvorschriften untersucht werden können. Diese Untersuchung zeigt durchaus Konfliktpotenzial auf. So kann in Bezug auf die IIR eine Regelungskollision mit Art. 7 Abs. 1 Satz 1 DE-VG nicht mit Sicherheit ausgeschlossen werden. Die Anwendung der SOR könnte deutschen DBA und den darin enthaltenen Freistellungsmethodenartikeln widersprechen, sollte die SOR nicht selbst in das jeweilige DBA aufgenommen werden. Die UTPR in der Erhebungsform der Quellensteuer dürfte regelmäßig mit den Art. 7 Abs. 1 Satz 1, Art. 11 Abs. 1 und Art. 12 Abs. 1 DE-VG kollidieren. Auch können je nach Auslegung des Abkommensrechts und Ausgestaltung der UTPR Konflikte zwischen der UTPR als Abzugsbeschränkung mit Art. 9 Abs. 1 und Art. 23 Abs. 4 DE-VG entstehen. Während die im Blueprint angeführte Saving Clause nicht zur deutschen Abkommenspraxis gehört und folglich keine der angeführten Konflikte zu lösen vermag, sollten Abkommensregelungen i. S. d. Art. 28 Abs. 1 DE-VG eine Regelungskollision der GloBE-Regeln mit bestehenden deutschen DBA verhindern. Für Fälle, in denen eine solche Klausel nicht Teil des deutschen DBA ist, wird eine Änderung der entsprechenden Abkommen zur rechtssicheren Umsetzung empfohlen.
Qualitätskriterien im Kontext einer Ambulantisierung
Authors: Geraedts Max
Published: April 2024

Bei einer Ambulantisierung vormals stationär erbrachter Leistungen rechnet man vor allem mit einer Kostenreduktion. Diese Reduktion sollte jedoch nicht mit einer Qualitätsminderung bis hin zur Gefährdung der Patientensicherheit einhergehen. Deshalb muss die Qualität der ambulantisierten Versorgung kontinuierlich überwacht werden. Dazu dient ein Qualitätsmonitoring, das auf Qualitätsindikatoren beruht, die wiederum wesentliche Qualitätskriterien operationalisieren. Diese Kriterien berücksichtigen typischerweise die Effektivität, Patientenzentrierung, Sicherheit und Gerechtigkeit der Versorgung. Qualitätsindikatoren, die den Erfüllungsgrad der Kriterien bewerten, können aus der Literatur abgeleitet oder de novo formuliert werden. Letztlich muss damit bewertet werden, ob die zur Durchführung der ambulantisierten Behandlung essenziellen personellen und sachlichen Strukturen vorgehalten werden, die Behandlung selbst fachgerecht indiziert und durchgeführt wird und die klinischen sowie von Patientinnen und Patienten berichteten Ergebnisse und Behandlungserfahrungen positiv und ohne Sicherheitsgefährdung ausfallen.
Klimaschutz in Kliniken: Praxisbeispiele für Nachhaltigkeit im Gesundheitswesen
Authors: Dickhoff Annegret , Dreißigacker Christian
Published: April 2024

Wie gelingt es deutschen Kliniken, sich zu Green Hospitals umzugestalten? Welche Strategien sind hierbei nötig und wie werden Klimaschutzmaßnahmen geplant und umgesetzt, um die hohen Treibhausgas (THG)-Emissionen der Gesundheitseinrichtungen zu senken? Antworten zu diesen Fragen finden sich in verschiedenen Projekten und Initiativen. Die bereits existierenden Praxisbeispiele zeigen, wo Gesundheitseinrichtungen gering-investiv bzw. investiv agieren können oder müssen und wo low-hanging fruit zu finden sind. Zudem wird beschrieben, wie hilfreich der Austausch und die Kommunikation für den Erfolg von nachhaltigen Maßnahmen sein können.

Einrichtungen erhalten einen Überblick zur Vorgehensweise auf dem Weg zu einem Green Hospital. Sie können mithilfe verschiedener Handlungsfelder erste Ideen entwickeln sowie die eigene Planung und Umsetzung weiter ausbauen. Die Beschreibung der Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie der BG Kliniken gGmbH ergänzt die Darstellung von Maßnahmen. Schließlich wird erläutert, welcher Bedarf zur Realisierung von Green Hospitals in Deutschland weiterhin besteht.
Der Krankenhausplan NRW 2022 – Einsichten und Missverständnisse
Authors: Langenberg Ulrich , Loeser Simon , Wenning Markus , Köhne Christian , May Peter-Johann , Reinecke Sahra-Michelle , Watzlawik Helmut
Published: April 2024

Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) hat im Jahr 2022 einen Krankenhausplan vorgelegt, der auf eine Steuerung über Leistungsgruppen mit Strukturqualitätsanforderungen setzt. Der vorliegende Beitrag erläutert den Entstehungsprozess und wesentliche Merkmale dieses Krankenhausplans und setzt sie in Beziehung zur aktuellen Reformdebatte auf Bundesebene. Die teils als inkonsistent missverstandene Leistungsgruppensystematik des NRW-Plans beruht auf Einsichten aus den krankenhausplanerischen Erfahrungen der letzten zwei Jahrzehnte und auf einer Fokussierung auf die gewünschten Steuerungseffekte. Sie ist sowohl im Hinblick auf künftige Weiterentwicklungen als auch auf die Einführung einer Vorhaltevergütung anschlussfähig. Der neue NRW-Krankenhausplan bewährt sich bisher auch im „Praxistest“ der konkreten Umsetzung.
Statistische Krankenhausdaten: Grunddaten der Krankenhäuser 2022
Authors: Bölt Ute
Published: April 2024

Dieser Beitrag fasst die Ergebnisse der Krankenhausstatistik zu den Grunddaten der Krankenhäuser für das Berichtsjahr 2022 zusammen. Er gibt einen Überblick über die sachlichen und personellen Ressourcen (z. B. Betten, Fachabteilungen, Personal) sowie die Inanspruchnahme von Krankenhausleistungen (Patientenbewegungen). Die Krankenhausstatistik ist eine seit 1991 bundeseinheitlich durchgeführte jährliche Vollerhebung. Auskunftspflichtig sind die Träger der Krankenhäuser.
Qualitätskriterien für Leistungsgruppen
Authors: Malzahn Jürgen , Mai Marjana , Schmitt Jochen , Wesselmann Simone
Published: April 2024

Der Beitrag skizziert die Bedeutung von Qualität für das Gesundheitswesen mit besonderem Fokus auf die Krankenhausstrukturplanung. Dabei wird von den Makroebenen – unter der Beachtung der Perspektive der Beitragszahlenden – bis zur konkreten Implementierung von Qualitätskriterien eine Einordung im Hinblick auf die derzeit geplante Krankenhausreform vorgenommen. Seit vielen Jahren ist empirisch unstrittig, dass Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich hohe Kosten bei eher durchschnittlichem Outcome im Gesundheitswesen verzeichnet. Aufgrund des demographischen Wandels und der ökonomischen Herausforderungen durch Krisen muss das Gesundheitswesen effizienter und resilienter werden. Das bedeutet, dessen Leistungsfähigkeit durch gezielteren Personaleinsatz und mit geringeren zur Verfügung stehenden Ressourcen zu erhalten bzw. auszubauen. Die Fachliteratur zeigt, dass eine Ausrichtung an patientenrelevanten Qualitätsaspekten zu einer Verbesserung der Behandlungsergebnisse führt.

Bei der Krankenhausplanung gilt es zu unterscheiden zwischen Leistungen für weniger komplexe Erkrankungen bzw. Notfälle, die wohnortnah vorgehalten werden sollten, und komplexeren Leistungen, für die klare wissenschaftliche Belege vorliegen, dass die Berücksichtigung von Qualität und Fallzahl für das Behandlungsergebnis wichtiger sind als die Erreichbarkeit. Diese Leistungen sollten stärker zentralisiert und der Zugang regional gesteuert werden.

Das heißt, dass umfangreiche Veränderungen notwendig sind, denn so eine systematische Planung ist im deutschen Gesundheitswesen aktuell nicht zu erkennen. Veränderungen können zufallsgesteuert erfolgen, wenn grundlegende Reformen unterbleiben, oder entlang qualitativer Vorgaben, die dann als Leitmotiv für eine Neuausrichtung der Strukturen dienen. Für die konkrete Umsetzung eines qualitätsbasierten Prozesses bedarf es weiterer gesetzlicher Anpassungen, um die Prozesse effizient und möglichst bürokratiearm zu gestalten.
Qualitätsdaten für die Krankenhausplanung
Authors: Drogan Dagmar , Günster Christian
Published: April 2024

Für die geplanten Krankenhausreform zur „Verbesserung der Versorgungsqualität im Krankenhaus und zur Reform der Vergütungsstrukturen“ und das begleitende Krankenhaus-Transparenzgesetz ist die Verfügbarkeit und Darstellung geeigneter Qualitätsinformationen essentiell. Der Gesetzgeber zielt neben der Sicherstellung einer finanzierbaren Versorgung darauf ab, die Versorgungsqualität in der Krankenhausplanung der Länder ausreichend zu verankern und Patientinnen und Patienten, wie generell die Bevölkerung insgesamt, zu relevanten Qualitätsunterschieden ausreichend zu informieren. Der vorliegende Beitrag verdeutlicht, dass evidenzbasierte Informationen, die Qualitätstransparenz schaffen, breit vorhanden sind. Für viele häufige oder komplexe stationäre Behandlungsanlässe existieren seit Jahren aussagekräftige Daten zur Behandlungsqualität der Kliniken. Der Beitrag gibt zum einen einen Überblick über diese Datenbestände, ihren Umfang und Informationsgehalt. Zum anderen wird für Herzinfarkt, Brustkrebs, Knie-Endoprothetik und Ösophagus- und Pankreaschirurgie beispielhaft aufgezeigt, welche Qualitätsaussagen sich aus den bestehenden Daten ableiten lassen und dass es in diesen Versorgungsbereichen persistierende Qualitätsprobleme gibt, die mit einer fehlenden Spezialisierung und Zentralisierung zusammenhängen.
Wie hat sich die Lebenserwartung ohne funktionelle Einschränkungen in Deutschland entwickelt? Eine Analyse mit Daten des Deutschen Alterssurveys (DEAS)
Authors: Nowossadeck Sonja , Nowossadeck Enno , Tetzlaff Fabian , Tetzlaff Juliane
Published: April 2024

Einleitung

Der langfristige Anstieg der Lebenserwartung wirft die Frage auf, ob die gewonnene Lebenszeit mit einer Verlängerung der Jahre ohne gesundheitliche Einschränkungen einhergeht. Die Studie untersucht, wie sich die Lebenserwartung ohne funktionelle und Mobilitätseinschränkungen ab dem Alter 46 und 65 Jahre sowie ihre Anteile an der Restlebenserwartung seit 2008 verändert haben.

Methoden

Wir analysieren Daten des Deutschen Alterssurveys der Wellen 2008, 2014 und 2020/2021. Die Lebenserwartung ohne funktionelle Einschränkungen (Disability Free Life Expectancy – DFLE) wurde mit der Sullivan-Methode berechnet. Untersucht wurden starke funktionelle Einschränkungen mit dem „Global Activity Limitation Indicator“ (GALI) und Einschränkungen der Mobilität (Treppensteigen, mehr als 1 km Gehen).

Ergebnisse

Kompression der Morbidität beim GALI ist bei 46- und 65-jährigen Männern seit 2014 zu beobachten, bei gleichaltrigen Frauen dagegen nicht. Bei der Mobilität zeigen 46- und 65-jährige Männer Tendenzen zur Kompression beim Treppensteigen und 46-jährige Männer beim Gehen von mehr als 1 km seit 2014. Die Werte für Frauen stagnieren für die beiden erstgenannten Indikatoren, aber nicht für 46-jährige Frauen beim Gehen von mehr als 1 km seit 2014.

Diskussion

Unsere Analysen zeigen je nach Indikator, Alter und Geschlecht unterschiedliche Trends der DFLE und lassen keine eindeutige Antwort auf die Frage nach Morbiditätskompression oder -expansion zu. Kompression der Morbidität sehen wir eher bei Männern, Tendenzen der Stagnation oder Expansion dagegen eher bei Frauen. Diese Resultate signalisieren Herausforderungen in der Erhaltung der funktionellen Gesundheit vor allem bei Frauen und weisen auf die Notwendigkeit gezielter Interventionen hin, um die Lebensqualität und die gesunde Lebenserwartung zu verbessern.
Update Nierentransplantationspathologie
Authors: Kozakowski Nicolas
Published: April 2024

Hintergrund

Die Banff Foundation erzeugt Empfehlungen für die pathologische Klassifikation variabler Läsionen der Nierentransplantatabstoßung. Alle 2 Jahre versammeln sich Experten, um die Empfehlungen anhand neuer wissenschaftlicher und klinischer Erkenntnisse zu aktualisieren.

Ziel der Arbeit

Dieser Beitrag stellt die wichtigsten Änderungen der letzten Banff-Konferenz vor.

Material und Methoden

Der Autor dieses Beitrags nahm persönlich an der Banff-Konferenz und der darauffolgenden Umfrage teil, berichtete über die Aktivitäten einer Banff-Arbeitsgruppe (peritubuläre Kapillaritis) vor Ort und wirkte an der Abfassung des rezent veröffentlichen Meeting-Reportes mit.

Ergebnisse

Läsionen der antikörpermediierten Abstoßung (AMR) in Nierentransplantaten und insbesondere die mikrovaskuläre Entzündung sind seit über 20 Jahren Teil des diagnostischen Algorithmus. Ein vereinfachter Algorithmus der AMR und ein vorsichtiger Einschluss molekularpathologischer Daten in die klinisch-pathologische Beurteilung und Therapieentscheidung wurden befürwortet. Eine neue diagnostische Entität – mikrovaskuläre Entzündung, C4d-negativ und donorspezifische Antikörper negativ – wurde in die Kategorie der AMR eingeführt, um diesen pathophysiologisch und immunologisch wahrscheinlich andersartigen Phänotyp anzuerkennen und Forschung hierauf zu motivieren.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Banff-Klassifikation bietet eine Struktur für die Befundung in der Nierentransplantatpathologie. Regelmäßige Aktualisierungen dienen der Anpassung an stets wachsendes Wissen. Besondere Herausforderungen sind dabei, die Komplexität verschiedener immunologischer Situationen zu erfassen und eine verständliche Abbildung davon in einem pathologischen Befund zu gewährleisten.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV Test Uptake Among People Who Inject Drugs in the Context of an HIV Outbreak
Authors: Trayner Kirsten M. A. , Yeung Alan , Palmateer Norah E. , McAuley Andrew , Wilkinson Max , Craik Julie , Metcalfe Rebecca , Peters Erica , Shepherd Samantha J. , Gunson Rory N. , Carter Daniel , Sills Laura , Hutchinson Sharon J.
Published: April 2024

Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, has been experiencing an HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs (PWID) since 2015. A key focus of the public health response has been to increase HIV testing among those at risk of infection. Our aim was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing among PWID in Glasgow. HIV test uptake in the last 12 months was quantified among: (1) PWID recruited in six Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI) surveys (n = 6110); linked laboratory data for (2) people prescribed opioid agonist therapy (OAT) (n = 14,527) and (3) people hospitalised for an injecting-related hospital admission (IRHA) (n = 12,621) across four time periods: pre-outbreak (2010–2014); early-outbreak (2015–2016); ongoing-outbreak (2017–2019); and COVID-19 (2020–June 21). From the pre to ongoing period, HIV testing increased: the highest among people recruited in NESI (from 28% to 56%) and on OAT (from 17% to 54%) while the lowest was among people with an IRHA (from 15% to 42%). From the ongoing to the COVID-19 period, HIV testing decreased markedly among people prescribed OAT, from 54% to 37% (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.48–0.53), but increased marginally among people with an IRHA from 42% to 47% (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.08–1.31). In conclusion, progress in increasing testing in response to the HIV outbreak has been eroded by COVID-19. Adoption of a linked data approach could be warranted in other settings to inform efforts to eliminate HIV transmission.
A Pilot Study of Metacognitive Training in U.S. Republican Leaners: Reducing Polarization Toward LGBTIQ+ Persons
Authors: Reininger Klaus Michael , Koulen Helena , Biel Hannah Marie , Hennig Timo , Pietras Laura , Kokot Martin Rochus , Löwe Bernd , Briken Peer , Moritz Steffen
Published: April 2024

Negative attitudes and stigmatization toward sexual minorities is a cause of minority stress of non-heterosexual persons on an individual level and has a negative impact on democratic coexistence in postmodern, plural society on a societal level. Derived from clinical research, we developed a short metacognitive training (MCT) intended to induce doubt toward inaccurate beliefs about LGBTIQ+ persons. We expected this MCT to reduce homonegativity, threat perceptions of LGBTIQ+ persons, and to foster extended outgroup tolerance compared to an education and a no-treatment control condition. We tested this hypothesis in U.S. Republican leaners who represent a social group that is likely to hold homonegative attitudes. We randomly assigned 490 U.S. Republican leaners to an MCT condition comprising 16 questions and respective answers (n = 166) vs. an education control condition (n = 164) vs. a no-treatment control condition (n = 160). We found that Republican leaners after receiving MCT (1) had a significant reduction of homonegativity (ds ≥ 0.28), (2) significantly perceived LGBTIQ+ persons as less threatening (ds ≥ 0.30), and (3) were significantly more tolerant of various outgroups such as LGBTIQ+ persons, feminists, liberals, and climate activists (ds ≥ 0.23) relative to both control conditions. The small effects of this short intervention and the possibility of systematically applying MCT in social discourse to reduce homonegativity with its potential significance for LGBTIQ+ individuals’ mental health are discussed. Furthermore, we highlight this pilot study’s significance toward intervention possibilities regarding political division and polarization in postmodern, democratic societies.
Inhibition of UHRF1 Improves Motor Function in Mice with Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Cheng Shuai , Guo Hui , Bai Mingyu , Cui Yang , Tian He , Mei Xifan
Published: April 2024

Spinal-cord injury (SCI) is a severe condition that can lead to limb paralysis and motor dysfunction, and its pathogenesis is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the differential gene expression and molecular mechanisms in the spinal cord of mice three days after spinal cord injury. By analyzing RNA sequencing data, we identified differentially expressed genes and discovered that the immune system and various metabolic processes play crucial roles in SCI. Additionally, we identified UHRF1 as a key gene that plays a significant role in SCI and found that SCI can be improved by suppressing UHRF1. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of SCI and identify potential therapeutic targets that could greatly contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for SCI.

Graphical Abstract

Downregulation of UHRF1 promotes the recovery of motor function in mice with spinal cord injury. By analyzing the RNA sequencing results of mice with spinal cord injury for 3 days and selecting UHRF1 for experimental validation, the study found that inhibiting UHRF1 can promote motor function recovery.
Using $$P_\tau $$ property for designing bent functions provably outside the completed Maiorana–McFarland class
Authors: Pasalic Enes , Bapić Amar , Zhang Fengrong , Wei Yongzhuang
Published: April 2024

In this article, we identify certain instances of bent functions, constructed using the so-called $$P_\tau $$

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property, that are provably outside the completed Maiorana–McFarland ($${\mathcal{M}\mathcal{M}}^\#$$

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) class. This also partially answers an open problem in posed by Kan et al. (IEEE Trans Inf Theory, https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.2022.3140180, 2022). We show that this design framework (using the $$P_\tau $$

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property), can provide instances of bent functions that are outside the known classes of bent functions, including the classes $${\mathcal{M}\mathcal{M}}^\#$$

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, $${{\mathcal {C}}},{{\mathcal {D}}}$$

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and $${{\mathcal {D}}}_0$$

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is specified without a strong assumption that the components of the permutation $$\pi $$
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Performance of water indices for large-scale water resources monitoring using Sentinel-2 data in Ethiopia
Authors: Tesfaye Mathias , Breuer Lutz
Published: April 2024

Evaluating the performance of water indices and water-related ecosystems is crucial for Ethiopia. This is due to limited information on the availability and distribution of water resources at the country scale, despite its critical role in sustainable water management, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem resilience. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of seven water indices and select the best-performing indices for detecting surface water at country scale. Sentinel-2 data from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022, were used for the evaluation and processed using the Google Earth Engine. The indices were evaluated using qualitative visual inspection and quantitative accuracy indicators of overall accuracy, producer’s accuracy, and user’s accuracy. Results showed that the water index (WI) and automatic water extraction index with shadow (AWEIsh) were the most accurate ones to extract surface water. For the latter, WI and AWEIsh obtained an overall accuracy of 96% and 95%, respectively. Both indices had approximately the same spatial coverage of surface water with 82,650 km2 (WI) and 86,530 km2 (AWEIsh) for the whole of Ethiopia. The results provide a valuable insight into the extent of surface water bodies, which is essential for water resource planners and decision-makers. Such data can also play a role in monitoring the country’s reservoirs, which are important for the country’s energy and economic development. These results suggest that by applying the best-performing indices, better monitoring and management of water resources would be possible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 at the regional level.
Review on the matching conditions for the tidal problem: towards the application to more general contexts
Authors: Aranguren Eneko , Vera Raül
Published: April 2024

The tidal problem is used to obtain the tidal deformability (or Love number) of stars. The semi-analytical study is usually treated in perturbation theory as a first order perturbation problem over a spherically symmetric background configuration consisting of a stellar interior region matched across a boundary to a vacuum exterior region that models the tidal field. The field equations for the metric and matter perturbations at the interior and exterior regions are complemented with corresponding boundary conditions. The data of the two problems at the common boundary are related by the so called matching conditions. These conditions for the tidal problem are known in the contexts of perfect fluid stars and superfluid stars modelled by a two-fluid. Here we review the obtaining of the matching conditions for the tidal problem starting from a purely geometrical setting, and present them so that they can be readily applied to more general contexts, such as other types of matter fields, different multiple layers or phase transitions. As a guide on how to use the matching conditions, we recover the known results for perfect fluid and superfluid neutron stars.
Spatio-temporal patterns in the biomass, species composition and nitrogen content of drift macroalgae in an urbanised coastal embayment
Authors: Valero-Rodriguez Juan Manuel , Dempster Tim , Wong Wei Wen , Lewis John A. , Cook Perran L. M. , Swearer Stephen E.
Published: April 2024

Understanding spatio-temporal variability in the production of drift macroalgae is useful for monitoring and assessing the influence of local anthropogenic nutrient sources on coastal ecosystems. In this study we: (1) assessed how the drift macroalgal community composition and biomass have changed over a 22-year period in Port Phillip Bay (a large coastal embayment in Victoria, Australia); and (2) measured the amount of accumulated nitrogen in drift macroalgae and the contribution of anthropogenic nitrogen sources through isotopic analysis. The surveys revealed little overlap in species composition (<13%) and a significant decrease in standing stock biomass (from 631 to 49 g m-2) between surveys (1995/1996 and 2017/2018). This was associated with a high degree of turnover (β-diversity) at the genus level between surveys (mean – 0.53), resulting in distinct communities at all sites, particularly among red algal genera. In addition, the occurrence of ephemeral macroalgal blooms and a semi-perennial mat of the red macroalga Botryocladia sonderi at 10-15 m depth at locations close to nutrient sources indicate drift macroalgae are important nutrient accumulators in the bay. Isotopic analysis revealed a high contribution of anthropogenic-derived nitrogen (δ15N > 17‰ and ~ 3% N content) at depths and locations close to nutrient sources, particularly at times of the year when large wastewater discharges occur. Harvesting of drift macroalgae could be a cost-effective solution for offsetting nitrogen inputs from anthropogenic sources, but it will be important to first investigate whether harvesting results in negative impacts to associated fauna or nutrient cycling.