bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived psychosexual dimensions of cervical cancer survivors in India—An exploratory study
Authors: Rajkumar Divya , Veeraiah Surendran , Sudhakar Revathy , Ganeshrajah Selvaluxmy
Published: August 2022

Objective

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India. Medical advancements have led to increased survival. However, sexuality and sexual concerns remain as major worries of patients after treatment. This study aims to understand the psychosexual experiences of cervical cancer survivors.

Methods

Cervical cancer survivors (n = 30) aged 35–55 years were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview schedule, after obtaining consent. The audio‐recorded in‐depth interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three major themes in each group namely sexually active and sexually inactive evolved on analysis. Three themes were derived under sexually active group namely (i) Enablers of active sexual functioning (ii) Impediments of active sexual functioning (iii) Sexual health communication. The three themes under sexually inactive include (i) Attributes of sexual abstinence (ii) Impact of sexual abstinence (iii) Barriers of sexual health communication.

Conclusions

Both sexually active and inactive survivors in India experience various psychosexual concerns post cancer treatment indicating a strong need for psychosocial care and focused clinical interventions.
Antifungal mechanism of isothiocyanates against Cochliobolus heterostrophus
Authors: Yu Huilin , Jia Wantong , Zhao Meixi , Li Le , Liu Jinliang , Chen Jingyuan , Pan Hongyu , Zhang Xianghui
Published: August 2022

Background

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) generated from the ‘glucosinolates‐myrosinase’ defense system in the Brassicaceae exhibit broad antagonistic activity to various fungal pathogens. Nevertheless, the antifungal activity of ITCs to non‐adapted fungi of Brassicaceae plants were seldom determined. The inhibitory effects of ITCs on Cochliobolus heterostrophus were evaluated and the antagonistic mechanism was explored.

Results

The mycelium growth of C. heterostrophus was hindered significantly by allyl, 4‐(methylthio)‐butyl, and phenyethyl ITCs, 4MTB‐ITC exhibited the highest inhibitory effect on mycelium growth with an IC50 value of 53.4 μmol L−1. In addition, ITCs exhibited obvious inhibitory effect on conidia germination and pathogenicity of C. heterostrophus. Proteomic analysis indicated that the inhibition of C. heterostrophus by A‐ITC downregulated the expression of genes related to energy metabolism, oxidoreductase activity, melanin biosynthesis, and cell wall‐degrading enzymes. Furthermore, mutants ΔChtrx2 and ΔChnox1 showed increased sensitivity to ITCs, and melanin biosynthesis was inhibited significantly in C. heterostrophus in response to A‐ITC. Interestingly, unlike other pathogens that infected Brassicaceae plants, the SaxA in C. heterostrophus displayed no function in ITC degradation. In addition, the ITCs also exhibited obvious inhibitory effect on mycelium growth of Setosphaeria turcica, Fusarium graminearum, and Magnaporthe oryzae.

Conclusion

This study indicated that non‐Brassicaceae‐adapted pathogens are more sensitive to ITCs, and ITCs could have applications in protecting non‐Brassicaceae crops in future. In addition, loss of ChNOX1 and ChTRX2 increased the sensitivity of C. heterostrophus to ITCs. Our results provided potential utilization of ITCs to control diseases caused by non‐Brassicaceae pathogenic fungi. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Electron Spin Resonance Study of Hydrogen‐Free Germanium‐Doped Diamond‐Like Carbon Films
Authors: Holiatkina Maryna , Savchenko Dariya , Kocourek Tomáš , Prokhorov Andrey , Lančok Jan , Kalabukhova Ekaterina
Published: August 2022

Hydrogen‐free germanium (Ge)‐doped diamond‐like carbon (DLC) films deposited on SiO2 substrates are studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) technique at T = 5–295 K. The Ge‐free and DLC films with 1 and 2.5 at% Ge content having low cytotoxicity are investigated. A single Lorentzian ESR line resulting from exchange interaction between localized (LE) and nonlocalized electrons (NE) is observed. The spin susceptibility temperature dependence deviates from the Curie–Weiss law at T > 75 K due to Pauli contribution caused by NE. The antiferromagnetic low‐temperature spin ordering in DLC films, decreasing with Ge content, is observed. The LE contribution is significant for Ge‐free and DLC:1%Ge, whereas NE makes the main contribution to DLC:2.5%Ge. The LEs are related to sp
2/sp carbon‐related centers, while the NEs are assigned with electrons in the sp
3 orbital. The correlation between the sp
3/sp
2 ratio and the shift of g‐factor for NE to lower values with Ge doping is established. The Korringa relaxation model is provided for the ESR linewidth temperature dependence. The higher density of LE states on Fermi energy level caused by Ge doping of DLC films is proposed.
Research on Field‐Assisted Gallium Nitride Nanorod Array Photocathode
Authors: Liu Lei , Zhangyang Xingyue , Lu Feifei , Tian Jian
Published: August 2022

To improve the electron collection efficiency of gallium nitride (GaN) nanorod array photocathode, external electric field is used to assist collect photoelectrons and a theoretical model of field‐assisted photoelectric emission for GaN nanorod array is established herein. The results indicate that inclined incident light can improve the photoelectron collection efficiency on the side surface of the nanorod and that external electric field can promote the drifting of the photoelectron to the top surface of the nanorod. The square array with a filling fraction of 0.7 reaches its maximum photoelectron collection efficiency at the incident angle of 5° and field intensity of 0.1 V μm−1. This paper might play a theoretical guiding role in the fabrication of photodetectors with high photoelectric conversion efficiency.
Determination of Suitable Transport Layers in Light of Interface Defect States in MASnX3‐Based Perovskite Solar Cell
Authors: Mottakin Muhammad , Sobayel Khan , Ismail Rizalafande Che , Shahiduzzaman Md. , Muhammad Ghulam , Ibrahim Mohd Adib , Akhtaruzzaman Md. , Hossain Erajder Sabbir
Published: August 2022

Interface defects are crucial to improve the perovskite solar cell stability. This study investigates and determines the suitable electron transport layer (ETL) for Sn‐based perovskite solar cells. The investigation finds that carriers capture cross‐sectional area greatly impacts photovoltaic performance, and the optimum value is 1 × 10−25 cm2. A low trap density of 1012  does not play a significant role, but an interface defect density of 1017  located near the valence band edge at the ETL/absorber interface has the most detrimental effect. In structure, defect states (Et) near the valence band edge of PCBM/CH3NH3SnI3/NiO and WO3/CH3NH3SnI3/NiO devices have a higher destructive impact compared to TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/NiO. The study also finds that absorber bulk defects and the interface defects in the ETL/absorber layer are the most sensitive to device performance. This detrimental impact on cell performance can be avoided by reducing the capture cross‐sectional area and maintaining a low trap density.
Deconvolution of overlapping peaks in ion mobility spectrometry based on a multiobjective dynamic teaching‐learning‐based optimization
Authors: Tang Xu , Yu Jiangcheng , Xie Zhijun , Tang Keqi , Hu Shifu , Li Jun , Wu Yong
Published: August 2022

Rationale

Because of its powerful analytical ability, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) plays an important role in the field of mass spectrometry. However, one of the main defects of IMS is its low structural resolution, which leads to the phenomenon of peak overlap in the analysis of compounds with similar mass charge ratio.

Methods

A multiobjective dynamic teaching‐learning‐based optimization (MDTLBO) method was proposed to separate IMS overlapping peaks. This method prevents local optimization and identifies peak model coefficients efficiently. In addition, the position information of particles largely reflects the half‐peak width of IMS, which makes single peaks difficult to appear and coefficient identification easier.

Results

The performance comparison of MDTLBO with other deconvolution methods (genetic algorithm, improved particle swarm optimization algorithm, and dynamic inertia weight particle swarm optimization algorithm) shows that the maximum deconvolution error of MDTLBO is only 0.7%, which is much lower than that for the other three methods. In addition, robustness is a performance index that reflects the advantages and disadvantages of the algorithm.

Conclusion

MBTLBO is more robust than other algorithms for separating overlapping peaks. The algorithm can separate the heavily overlapped mobility peaks, produce better analysis results, and improve the resolution of IMS.
Micro‐punches versus micro‐slices for serial sampling of human dentine: Striking a balance between improved temporal resolution and measuring additional isotope systems
Authors: Cheung Christina , Fernández‐Crespo Teresa , Mion Leïa , Di Giusto Marina , Goude Gwenaëlle , Macdonald Rebecca A. , Richards Michael P. , Herrscher Estelle
Published: August 2022

Rationale

The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the application of serial sampling of human dentine in archaeology. Rapid development in the field has provided many improvements in the methodology, in terms of both time resolution as well as the ability to integrate more isotope systems in the analysis. This study provides a comparison of two common sampling approaches, allowing researchers to select the most suitable approach for addressing specific research questions.

Methods

Two common approaches for sequential sampling of human dentine (micro‐punches and micro‐slices) are compared in terms of viability and efficacy. Using archaeological deciduous second molars and permanent first molars, this study demonstrates how the two approaches capture aspects of the weaning process in different ways. In addition, different aspects related to the extraction protocols, such as the thickness of the central slide and the solubilisation step, are also evaluated.

Results

While both approaches show similar intra‐tooth isotopic patterns, the micro‐punches approach is preferable for research that requires a very fine temporal resolution, while the micro‐slices approach is best for research where δ34S values are needed, or when the samples are poorly preserved. In addition, the solubilisation step has a large effect on collagen yield, and, to a lesser extent, on isotopic compositions. Therefore, it is important to ensure that only samples that have undergone the same pre‐treatment protocol are directly compared.

Conclusions

We present the pros and cons of the two micro‐sampling approaches and offer possible mitigation strategies to address some of the most important issues related to each approach.
Safety and immunogenicity of Zika virus vaccine: A systematic review of clinical trials
Authors: Yeasmin Mahmuda , Molla Md. Maruf Ahmed , Masud H. M. Abdullah Al , Saif‐Ur‐Rahman K. M.
Published: August 2022

Several phase‐1 clinical trials have been performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of candidate anti‐Zika vaccines. In this systematic review, we systematically evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of candidate vaccines, which would aid researchers in formulating an effective vaccination strategy for phase‐2 trials based on current evidence. A literature search was conducted using the electronic databases MEDLINE through Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database for relevant studies on candidate anti‐zika vaccines. Studies on animal models were excluded from our study. Healthy individuals who were administered candidate Zika vaccines to evaluate the immune response and adverse events (AEs) compared to placebo were considered. Data were extracted, tabulated, and analysed using Microsoft Excel, while the risk of bias plots were generated using tidyverse and Robvis packages in R‐studio. A total of five phase‐1 clinical trials were included in our analysis comprising of studies on inactivated, viral vector, and DNA vaccines. Immunogenicity ranged from 10% to 100% after vaccination with the lowest seroconversion rate (10%) and geometric mean titre (GMT) (6.3; 95% confidence interval (CI):3.7–10.8) observed among recipients of single‐dose inactivated anti‐zika vaccine (ZPIV). For DNA vaccines, the seroconversion rate ranged from 60% to 100% with the highest seroconversion rate (100%) and GMT (2871; 95% CI:705.3–11688) observed among recipients of three shots of high dose GLS‐5700 vaccine. For viral vector vaccine (Ad26.ZIKV.001) seroconversion rate (100%) and GMT peaked after two shots with both low and high‐dose vaccines. In all those studies AEs were mostly local including injection site pain, erythema, and itching. The most common systemic AEs included fever, myalgia, nausea, and fatigue. In phase‐1 clinical trials, all candidate vaccines were found to be highly immunogenic and relatively safe, especially when administered in higher doses and with the help of needle‐free devices.
Command filter and dynamic surface control technology based adaptive optimal control of uncertain nonlinear systems in strict‐feedback form
Authors: Zhang Tianping , Wang Shixiong , Hua Yu , Xia Meizhen
Published: August 2022

In this article, the problem of command filter and event‐triggered mechanism based adaptive neural optimal control is discussed for a class of nonlinear systems in the presence of unmodeled dynamics in strict‐feedback form. The overall controller design is composed of feedforward controller and feedback controller as well as event‐triggered controller design. In the first part, the feedforward controller is constructed by exploiting command filter and introducing the compensation error, and the first‐order filter in the classical dynamic surface control technology is replaced by utilizing the second‐order filter. In the second part, adaptive dynamic programming algorithm is used to estimate the unknown optimal index function and optimal control signal by the aid of the capability of neural networks. In the third part, based on the feedforward and feedback controllers, an adaptive event‐triggered control is developed to avoid the occurrence of Zeno behavior. All the signals in the controlled system are proved to be semi‐globally uniformly ultimately bounded through theoretical analysis. Two numerical examples are employed to verify the availability of the proposed method.
Low‐carbon tourism for island destinations: A crucial alternative for sustainable development
Authors: Fakfare Pipatpong , Wattanacharoensil Walanchalee
Published: August 2022

The impact of climate change has been evidenced in several tourist destinations, and triggered concerns on the destination development. Low‐carbon tourism has become a national, if not, global agenda that can be used to mitigate the climate change impact caused by the tourist destinations. To respond to this timely agenda and the United Nation World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO) callout, this study establishes and verifies important components and attributes of low‐Carbon destinations, particularly on island destination, which are still unexamined in the literature. Taking on the perspective of tourists, this study is driven by Stimulus–Organism–Response (S‐O‐R) theory which is a consolidative theoretical framework that integrates environmental input (external), emotional status (internal) and behavioural responses to explain actual behaviours of low‐carbon tourists. Integrated generalised structured component analysis (IGSCA) and multigroup analysis were performed on 1808 travellers who posed different degrees of psychological fear of the COVID‐19 pandemic. During COVID‐19, health and safety risks have become a critical concern; therefore, this study further explores the moderating effect of risk from the perspective of the low‐ and high‐perceived risk travellers, before identifying the attitude‐behaviour gaps of these two groups. The study provides theoretical insights into low‐carbon tourism experience at the island destinations and offers useful managerial implications on low‐carbon destination development.
Synthesis, Antibacterial Evaluation and Molecular Docking Studies of 1,3,4‐Oxadiazole‐2(3H)‐Thione‐Norfloxacin Hybrids as Potent Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Luo Jia‐Bao , Yang Ping , Wang Zi‐Zhou , Zhang Li‐Lei , Zhang Xin‐Guo , Xie Xiao‐Bao
Published: August 2022

Novel 1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2(3H)‐thione‐norfloxacin hybrids were rationally designed based on the pharmacophore hybridization concept and yielded ten potent hybrids. All attained compounds were characterized applying electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectrophotometry. Compounds 3 c and 3 g were also characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction techniques. In vitro antibacterial activity of the attained hybrids was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All hybrids exhibited potent antibacterial activity against the test strains with MIC values between ≤0.125 and 1 μg/mL, which were more potent than the parent drug norfloxacin against P. aeruginosa. In particular, compounds 3 a, 3 e, and 3 f were more potent against S. aureus. The hybrid 3 e, with the smallest MIC and MBC against the test strains, showed rapid bactericidal activity in the time‐kill assays and eliminated S. aureus and E. coli <2 h of treatment. Meanwhile, cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays revealed low toxicity of the synthesized hybrids. Molecular docking studies indicated an improved receptor‐hybrid affinity towards DNA topoisomerase IV, showing a least binding energy of −9.4 to −10.0 kcal/mol. Among all the synthesized hybrids, 3 e can be a potential candidate for further antibiotic development.
Copper Hexacyanoferrate Solid‐State Electrolyte Protection Layer on Zn Metal Anode for High‐Performance Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Yu , Li Yuanxia , Huang Xiaomin , Cao Heng , Zheng Qiaoji , Huo Yu , Zhao Jingxin , Lin Dunmin , Xu Bingang
Published: August 2022

Zinc (Zn) metal possesses broad prospects as an anode for aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) due to its considerable theoretical capacity of 820 mAh g‐1. However, the Zn anode suffers from dendrite growth and side reactions during Zn stripping/plating. Herein, a Prussian blue analog of copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) with a 3D open structure and rich polar groups (CN) is coated on Zn foil as a solid‐state electrolyte (SSE) protection layer to protect the Zn anode. The CuHCF protection layer possesses low activation energy of 26.49 kJ mol‐1, the high ionic conductivity of 7.6 mS cm‐1, and a large Zn2+transference number of 0.74. Hence, the Zn@CuHCF||Zn@CuHCF symmetric cell delivers high cycling stability over 1800 h at 5 mA cm‐2, an excellent depth of discharge of 51.3%, and the accumulative discharge capacity over 3000 mAh cm‐2. In addition, the Zn//Ti@CuHCF asymmetric cell achieves the coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.87% after 2000 cycles. More importantly, the Zn@CuHCF//V2O5full cell presents outstanding capacity retention of 87.6% at 10 A g‐1after 3000 cycles. This work develops a type of material to form an artificial protection layer for high‐performance AZIBs.
Using simulation modelling and systems science to help contain COVID‐19: A systematic review
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Liu Shiyong , Osgood Nathaniel , Zhu Hongli , Qian Ying , Jia Peng
Published: August 2022

This study systematically reviews applications of three simulation approaches, that is, system dynamics model (SDM), agent‐based model (ABM) and discrete event simulation (DES), and their hybrids in COVID‐19 research and identifies theoretical and application innovations in public health. Among the 372 eligible papers, 72 focused on COVID‐19 transmission dynamics, 204 evaluated both pharmaceutical and non‐pharmaceutical interventions, 29 focused on the prediction of the pandemic and 67 investigated the impacts of COVID‐19. ABM was used in 275 papers, followed by 54 SDM papers, 32 DES papers and 11 hybrid model papers. Evaluation and design of intervention scenarios are the most widely addressed area accounting for 55% of the four main categories, that is, the transmission of COVID‐19, prediction of the pandemic, evaluation and design of intervention scenarios and societal impact assessment. The complexities in impact evaluation and intervention design demand hybrid simulation models that can simultaneously capture micro and macro aspects of the socio‐economic systems involved.
Extraction, Separation, Purification, Chemical Characterizations, and Biological Activities of Polysaccharides from Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Review
Authors: Zhang Pengqi , Tan Jiaqi , Wang Wenli , Zhang Jinling , Gong Hansheng , Xue Hongkun
Published: August 2022

Chinese herbal medicine, as a huge and diverse population, is rich in flavonoids, volatile oils, organic acids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are the most important active ingredient in Chinese herbal medicine. Many studies have confirmed that Chinese herbal medicine polysaccharides (CHMPs) have antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐aging, anti‐tumor, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, regulating intestinal flora, improving immunity, and other biological activities. Obviously, CHMPs have good development potential and application prospects in the fields of biomedicine, food, and health products. However, different extraction and purification methods have a certain impact on the structure of CHMPs, and structure is closely related to its functional characteristics. Hence, a systematic review of the research progress and future prospects of CHMPs is necessary to promote their better understanding. In this paper, current knowledge on extraction, separation, and purification methods, chemical characterizations, and biological activities of CHMPs are summarized. This review provides an important theoretical reference for the further development and utilization of natural polysaccharides.
Extreme precipitation events
Authors: Gimeno Luis , Sorí Rogert , Vázquez Marta , Stojanovic Milica , Algarra Iago , Eiras‐Barca Jorge , Gimeno‐Sotelo Luis , Nieto Raquel
Published: August 2022

The effect of increased populations concentrated in urban areas, coupled with the ongoing threat of climate change, means that society is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of extreme precipitation. The study of these events is therefore a key topic in climate research, in their physical basis, in the study of their impacts, and in our adaptation to them. From a meteorological perspective, the main questions are related to the definition of extreme events, changes in their distribution and intensity both globally and regionally, the dependence on large‐scale phenomena including the role of moisture transport, and changes in their behavior due to anthropogenic pressures. In this review article, we address all these points and propose a set of challenges for future research.

This article is categorized under:

Science of Water > Water Extremes

Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
Cluster analysis: A modern statistical review
Authors: Jaeger Adam , Banks David
Published: August 2022

Cluster analysis is a big, sprawling field. This review paper cannot hope to fully survey the territory. Instead, it focuses on hierarchical agglomerative clustering,k‐means clustering, mixture models, and then several related topics of which any cluster analysis practitioner should be aware. Even then, this review cannot do justice to the chosen topics. There is a lot of literature, and often it is somewhat ad hoc. That is generally the nature of cluster analysis—each application requires a bespoke analysis. Nonetheless, clustering has proven itself to be incredibly useful as an exploratory data analysis tool in biology, advertising, recommender systems, and genomics.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Clustering and Classification
Flow Dynamics in Stented Ureter
Authors: Zheng Shaokai , Carugo Dario , Clavica Francesco , Mosayyebi Ali , Waters Sarah
Published: August 2022

Urinary flow is governed by the principles of fluid mechanics. Urodynamic studies have revealed the fundamental kinematics and dynamics of urinary flow in various physiological and pathological conditions, which are cornerstones for future development of diagnostic knowledge and innovative devices. There are three primary approaches to study the fluid mechanical characteristics of urinary flow: reduced order, computational, and experimental methods. Reduced-order methods exploit the disparate length scales inherent in the system to reveal the key dominant physics. Computational models can simulate fully three-dimensional, time-dependent flows in physiologically-inspired anatomical domains. Finally, experimental models provide an excellent counterpart to reduced and computational models by providing physical tests under various physiological and pathological conditions. While the interdisciplinary approaches to date have provided a wealth of insight into the fluid mechanical properties of the stented ureter, the next challenge is to develop new theoretical, computational and experimental models to capture the complex interplay between the fluid dynamics in stented ureters and biofilm/encrustation growth. Such studies will (1) enable identification of clinically relevant scenarios to improve patients’ treatment, and (2) provide physical guidelines for next-generation stent design.
Novel Antimicrobial Strategies to Combat Biomaterial Infections
Authors: Marković Zoran M. , Marković Biljana M. Todorović
Published: August 2022

Bacteria are present in nature everywhere and the combat with them has the major priority especially in various industrial settings (i.e. food industry) or medical devices. It was established earlier that most of bacteria found in nature exist in the form of biofilms (attached to surface of different objects and not as free floating organisms).

There are several possible strategies to reduce or prevent bacterial infections among different populations: patients and medical staff. One of the alternative strategies independent of human labor, is to produce antibacterial coatings to reduce or eliminate bacteria colonization on surfaces by leaching of biocides, antibacterial surfaces with deposited metals such as copper, silver or gold, formation of superhydrophobic surfaces and surfaces encapsulated by photoactive nanoparticles.

A new light triggered strategies to combat bacterial infections and possible usage of photoactive polymers for these purposes. Photoactive antibacterial polymers are highly promising solution for novel medical devices. To enable their wise usage for the treatment of urinary infections some changes must be made. For example, the effectiveness of photoactive polymers inside human body can be increased by incorporation of micron sized electronic devices (light emitting diode, light detector, pH sensor, radio frequent device) into polymer matrices.
New Double-J Stent Design for Preventing/Reducing Irritative Bladder Symptoms and Flank Pain
Authors: Yachia Daniel
Published: August 2022

Ureteral stents entered the urologists armamentarium after Finney described the first Double-J in the late 1970s. Despite the problems they create, yearly 1.5–2 million ureteral stents are inserted world-wide into obstructed ureters, either in their original JJ shape or in their various modifications for short and long indwelling period. About 15% of these stents are used in chronically obstructed ureters. This chapter describes a ureteral stent with a modified bladder end for preventing/reducing the irritative symptoms induced by the trigonal area friction by the stent. This is obtained by changing the direction of its bladder end and by adding a novel antireflux element for preventing reflux of urine to the kidney causing flank pain.
Drug Eluting Devices in the Urinary Tract
Authors: Kallidonis Panagiotis , Vagionis Athanasios , Liourdi Despoina , Liatsikos Evangelos
Published: August 2022

The obstruction of the upper urinary tract represents a common medical condition which could be related to significant and life-threating complications such acute renal failure and urosepsis. Ureteral stents are commonly used to prevent and manage such complications. However, the use of standard stents involves significant comorbidities, including stent-associated infection, encrustation, migration, urothelial hyperplasia reaction. Also, urethral strictures represent a common cause of lower urinary tract obstruction with the characteristic of frequent recurrence. Patients suffering from urethral strictures can be treated by minimally invasive techniques such as mechanical dilatation with balloon or placing of urethral stents. In attempt to address the any stent-related complications, the urological research considered ideas and concepts used in interventional cardiology and radiology. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is the gold standard for coronary revascularization, even if restenosis complications exist in concerning rates. To address this complication, stents bearing drugs agents (most commonly immunosuppressive agents) have been used. These drug-eluting stents (DESs) release single or multiple bioactive agents, which are deposited on adjacent tissues. The immunosuppressive substances reduce benign tissue proliferation and their use has significantly reduced restenosis rates after PTCA. In a similar fashion, the drug-coated balloons (DCBs) are used as a new alternative instead of DESs in selected cases and offer important advantages. Their drug is released directly at the site of the stricture while avoiding any foreign material at the site of the stricture. Unfortunately, possibility of using DCBs in endourology is also under research.
Use of Drugs to Reduce the Morbidity of Ureteral Stents
Authors: Shah Milap , Hameed B. M. Zeeshan , Pietropaolo Amelia , Somani Bhaskar K.
Published: August 2022

Double ureteral stents are amongst the commonest procedures performed in urology. However, there are complications such as infection, and encrustation associated with its use, together with uncomfortable lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The latter are known as stent related symptoms (SRS) and are commonly reported in the scientific literature. SRS mentioned in literature are urgency, frequency, dysuria, haematuria, pain in the suprapubic and flank region. These can result in decreased sexual activity, reduced work performance, as well as decreased quality of life (QoL) in more than two-third of the patients. Drugs still hold the key in reducing the morbidity related to the ureteral stents.

In terms of monotherapy, Alpha blockers as well as Antimuscarinics are effective in reducing SRS. Role of Mirabegron in the field is currently gaining importance. However, combination therapy reaches better outcomes than monotherapy alone while in cases with sexual dysfunction along with stent related symptoms, PDE5-I are better than other options. The role of complementary therapy for SRS with natural remedies is promising but needs to be assessed further. More randomized studies and laboratory trials are necessary to analyse possible alternative treatments for SRS that can heavily affects patients’ quality of life.
Investing in Suicide Prevention: Zero Suicide in a Pediatric System of Care
Authors: Thomas Glenn V. , Chapman Meredith R. , Grumet Julie Goldstein
Published: August 2022

In large systems of care, the identification and treatment of suicide risk can be inconsistent and ineffective in the absence of a systemic approach to suicide prevention. The Zero Suicide framework provides a model for system-wide transformation of suicide care by providing best practice strategies and tools. This chapter describes the process of implementing Zero Suicide in a large pediatric hospital starting within a Behavioral Health service line. Gaps and future steps as well as policy implications are discussed.
Machine Learning for Suicide Prediction and Prevention: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
Authors: Wang Shirley B. , Dempsey Walter , Nock Matthew K.
Published: August 2022

This chapter describes the role of machine learning in youth suicide prevention. Following a brief history of suicide prediction, research is reviewed demonstrating that machine learning can enhance suicide prediction beyond traditional clinical and statistical approaches. Strategies for internal and external model evaluation, methods for integrating model results into clinical decision-making processes, and ethical issues raised by building and implementing suicide prediction models are discussed. Finally, future directions for this work are highlighted, including the need for collaborative science and the importance of both data- and theory-driven computational methods.
Effective Suicide Prevention and Intervention in Schools
Authors: Ayer Lynsay , Nickerson Kerri , Grumet Julie Goldstein , Hoover Sharon
Published: August 2022

Schools are increasingly relied upon to foster students’ social-emotional development and address mental health concerns. Schools can also play an important role in their communities by identifying and responding to youth at risk for suicide. In this chapter, we summarize existing research on suicide prevention in schools, highlight promising programs and practices, and provide recommendations for how school personnel, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can advance science and practice and ultimately prevent youth suicide.
Triple Effect
Authors: Hart Matthew J , Hill Daniel J
Published: August 2022

This chapter discusses a rival strategy to ours for interpreting the Scriptures, based on philosophical work by F. M. Kamm (1948–). Before Kamm’s work, a certain principle of means–end reasoning was assumed: ‘if a rational agent intends an end and believes that their doing something is a means necessary to that end, then insofar as they are rational and do not abandon the end, they intend that means to their end’, as Kamm puts it. The chapter reproduces some of Kamm’s counterexamples to that principle, and explains her alternative ‘triple effect’ principle, that it suffices for rationality that the agent act because that means leads to their end. In other words, a rational agent need not intend the known means to their end.
Assessing Interpretative Strategies
Authors: Hart Matthew J , Hill Daniel J
Published: August 2022

This chapter assesses how well the two rival strategies from the previous chapters, Kamm’s ‘triple effect’ strategy and the substratum strategy, fare when it comes to interpreting the Scriptures. It is argued with respect to the test case of Joseph and his brothers related in Genesis 50 that the two strategies both on their own and in combination do not fare as well as the more natural interpretation that is proposed in the book. That is, it is argued that the natural interpretation of the Scriptures is that God does indeed intend that sin occur, and that the rival interpretations involve unnatural philosophical contortions of interpretation.
Passages from the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures)
Authors: Hart Matthew J , Hill Daniel J
Published: August 2022

This chapter analyses in depth a number of passages from the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures): Genesis 50:20, Exodus 4:21, Deuteronomy 2:26–30, Joshua 11:18–20, Judges 14:3–4, 1 Samuel 2:22–25, 2 Samuel 24:9–14, 1 Kings 22:19–23, Job 1:9–22, Psalm 105:25, Proverbs 16:4, Isaiah 6:9–10, and Ezekiel 20:25–26. For each passage, the chapter considers the amount of evidence (strong, moderate, or weak) that it provides for the book’s thesis, that God intends that sin occur. Also, for each passage the chapter considers alternative interpretations, interpretations on which God does not intend that sin occur. These interpretations are thesubstratuminterpretation, the Kammian interpretation, and the combinedsubstratum–Kammian interpretation.
Migration
Authors: Marchetti Sabrina
Published: August 2022

State policies may strongly influence the employment of migrants for care and domestic work (Ruhs & Anderson, 2010). Both sending and receiving countries have adopted mechanisms to channel migrants (especially women) into this specific occupation. The care market-oriented scenario described in the previous pages creates a growing demand for a (female) migrant labour force employed to work for longer hours and at lower wages than local workers (Anderson & Shutes, 2014; Cangiano & Shutes, 2010). These migrant care workers are generally disadvantaged by policies privileging skilled over unskilled migration, as well as by legislation denying (long-term) residence permits to people employed in the care sector. Policies that make the regular employment of migrants very difficult contribute to the under-valuation of these jobs, which are generally assigned to the most vulnerable and stigmatized subjects in each national context (Lan, 2006). Women migrating to work in the domestic and private care sector face a complex landscape of migration and labour regulations that is extremely difficult to navigate. The situation is also problematic for households that cannot find appropriate or affordable care within declining welfare states and among fellow nationals reluctant to take these jobs, but are forbidden or discouraged from directly hiring a domestic worker who is a third-country national. As a consequence, irregular migration and informal work are expanding within the realm of private homes.
The Challenge of the Integrated Seismic Strengthening and Environmental Upgrading of Existing Buildings
Authors: Negro Paolo , Romano Elvira
Published: August 2022

The construction industry, as a main energy consumer and a foremost contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, has been undergoing a “green revolution” in the recent years. Sustainability has become a prominent issue, therefore a framework for including energy efficiency and sustainability in the design of buildings is badly needed. Sustainability is the core of the European Renovation Wave strategy and of the New European Bauhaus initiative.

A design approach, named SAFESUST (SAFEty and SUSTainability) has been proposed at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, able to address at the same time structural safety, energy and environmental performances. The output of this approach is a unique parameter, expressed in monetary terms, which helps in identifying the most appropriate design solution.

More recently, the Joint Research Centre, under mandate of the European Parliament, has activated a European Pilot Project named “Integrated techniques for the seismic strengthening and energy efficiency of existing buildings”. The project is expected to put forward a simplified holistic approach to improve simultaneously the seismic safety and energy efficiency of the existing European building stock and to stimulate the use of integrated solutions.

The Joint Research Centre is also conducting a Preparatory Action for the definition of a labelling strategy for the implementation of the New European Bauhaus initiative.
Fazit
Authors: Bruhn Svenja
Published: August 2022

Resümierend kann Jessikas Aussage „Ich sehe auf meinem Kopf so viele Aufgaben.“ durch seine Bildhaftigkeit sinnhaft als das Erleben der eigenen Kreativität gesehen werden und verdeutlichen, vor welcher großen Chance Schüler*innen bei der Bearbeitung offener Aufgaben im Mathematikunterricht stehen. Meine Dissertation darf daher als Einladung zu einem neugierigen Blick auf die individuelle mathematische Kreativität aller Schüler*innen verstanden werden.
Ergebnisse aus dem Sampling-Verfahren
Authors: Bruhn Svenja
Published: August 2022

Im Rahmen des quantitativen Sampling-Verfahrens wurden mithilfe einer Clusteranalyse aus dem Grundsample von 78 Schulkindern aufgrund ihrer intellektuellen und mathematischen Fähigkeiten sowie dem verwendeten Lehrwerk 18 Erstklässler*innen für die Teilnahme an der qualitativen Studie ausgewählt. Die Cluster selbst stellen vier verschiedene sogenannte Fähigkeitsprofile der Erstklässler*innen bezogen auf ihre mathematischen und intellektuellen Fähigkeiten dar.
Infrared properties of five-point massive amplitudes in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM on the Coulomb branch
Authors: Bork L. V. , Muzhichkov N. B. , Sozinov E. S.
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We investigate the structure of the five-point W boson scattering amplitude in $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SYM on the Coulomb branch in a small mass limit. We show that up to two loops the IR divergences exponentiate and are controlled by the Γoct anomalous dimension similar to the four-point amplitude case considered recently in the literature. We also make a conjecture regarding the all-loop structure of the five-point amplitude.
Three-point functions in a $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 superconformal gauge theory and their strong-coupling limit
Authors: Billò M. , Frau M. , Lerda A. , Pini A. , Vallarino P.
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We study the 3-point functions of single-trace scalar operators in a four-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 SYM theory with gauge group SU(N) and matter in the symmetric plus anti-symmetric representation, which has a vanishing β-function. By mapping this computation to the matrix model arising from localization on a 4-sphere we are able to resum the perturbative expansion in the large-N ’t Hooft limit and derive the behavior of the correlators at strong coupling. Finally, by combining our results on the 3-point functions with those on the 2-point functions that have been recently found, we obtain the normalized 3-point coefficients of this conformal field theory at strong coupling and find that they depend in a simple way on the conformal dimensions of the single-trace operators.
Landau discriminants
Authors: Mizera Sebastian , Telen Simon
Published: August 2022

Abstract

Scattering amplitudes in quantum field theories have intricate analytic properties as functions of the energies and momenta of the scattered particles. In perturbation theory, their singularities are governed by a set of nonlinear polynomial equations, known as Landau equations, for each individual Feynman diagram. The singularity locus of the associated Feynman integral is made precise with the notion of the Landau discriminant, which characterizes when the Landau equations admit a solution. In order to compute this discriminant, we present approaches from classical elimination theory, as well as a numerical algorithm based on homotopy continuation. These methods allow us to compute Landau discriminants of various Feynman diagrams up to 3 loops, which were previously out of reach. For instance, the Landau discriminant of the envelope diagram is a reducible surface of degree 45 in the three-dimensional space of kinematic invariants. We investigate geometric properties of the Landau discriminant, such as irreducibility, dimension and degree. In particular, we find simple examples in which the Landau discriminant has codimension greater than one. Furthermore, we describe a numerical procedure for determining which parts of the Landau discriminant lie in the physical regions. In order to study degenerate limits of Landau equations and bounds on the degree of the Landau discriminant, we introduce Landau polytopes and study their facet structure. Finally, we provide an efficient numerical algorithm for the computation of the number of master integrals based on the connection to algebraic statistics. The algorithms used in this work are implemented in the open-source Julia package Landau.jl available at https://mathrepo.mis.mpg.de/Landau/.
Note about D-branes in Carrollian background
Authors: Klusoň J.
Published: August 2022

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the construction of stable and unstable Dp-branes in generalized Carroll space-times. We also study tachyon solutions on the world-volume of unstable Dp-brane in Carrollian background and discuss their physical interpretations.
Spectral form factor in sparse SYK models
Authors: Cáceres Elena , Misobuchi Anderson , Raz Amir
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We investigate the spectral form factor of the sparse Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model. We use numerical methods to establish that at intermediate times the connected part of the spectral form factor is the dominant one. These connected contributions arise from fluctuations around the disconnected geometry, not from a new saddle point. A similar effect was previously conjectured in SYK but required a value of N out of reach of current numerical simulations.
In silico and in vitro analysis of a rational mutation in gIII signal peptide and its effects on periplasmic expression of rhGH in E. coli
Authors: Ghasemi Fahimeh , Zare Hamed , Zomorodipour Alireza , Shirzeyli Maryam Hosseinzade , Kieliszek Marek
Published: August 2022

The secretion efficiency of a heterologous protein in E. coli is mainly dictated by the N-terminal signal peptide fused to the desired protein. In this study, we aimed to select and introduce mutations into the – 1, – 2 and – 3 positions of the gIII signal peptide (originated from filamentous phage fd Gene III) fused to the N-terminus of the human growth hormone (hGH), and study its effect on the secretion efficiency of the recombinant hGH into the periplasmic space of E. coli Top10. Bioinformatics software such as SignalP-5.0 and PrediSi were employed to predict the effects of the mutations on the secretion efficiency of the recombinant hGH. Site-directed mutagenesis was applied to introduce the desired mutations into the C-terminus of the gIII signal peptide. The periplasmic expression and the secretion efficiency of the recombinant hGH using the native and mutant gIII signal peptides were compared in E. coli Top10 under the control of araBAD promoter. Our results from bioinformatics analysis indicated that the mutant gIII signal peptide was more potent than the native one for secretion of the recombinant hGH in E. coli. While our experimental results revealed that the mutation had no effect on hGH secretion. This result points to the importance of experimental validation of bioinformatics predictions.
A framework for establishing scientific confidence in new approach methodologies
Authors: van der Zalm Anna J. , Barroso João , Browne Patience , Casey Warren , Gordon John , Henry Tala R. , Kleinstreuer Nicole C. , Lowit Anna B. , Perron Monique , Clippinger Amy J.
Published: August 2022

Robust and efficient processes are needed to establish scientific confidence in new approach methodologies (NAMs) if they are to be considered for regulatory applications. NAMs need to be fit for purpose, reliable and, for the assessment of human health effects, provide information relevant to human biology. They must also be independently reviewed and transparently communicated. Ideally, NAM developers should communicate with stakeholders such as regulators and industry to identify the question(s), and specified purpose that the NAM is intended to address, and the context in which it will be used. Assessment of the biological relevance of the NAM should focus on its alignment with human biology, mechanistic understanding, and ability to provide information that leads to health protective decisions, rather than solely comparing NAM-based chemical testing results with those from traditional animal test methods. However, when NAM results are compared to historical animal test results, the variability observed within animal test method results should be used to inform performance benchmarks. Building on previous efforts, this paper proposes a framework comprising five essential elements to establish scientific confidence in NAMs for regulatory use: fitness for purpose, human biological relevance, technical characterization, data integrity and transparency, and independent review. Universal uptake of this framework would facilitate the timely development and use of NAMs by the international community. While this paper focuses on NAMs for assessing human health effects of pesticides and industrial chemicals, many of the suggested elements are expected to apply to other types of chemicals and to ecotoxicological effect assessments.