bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Role of Thymoquinone in Increasing the Rate of
Cisplatin-Induced Apoptosis through Oxidative DNA Damage in Saso-2 Cancer
Cells
Authors: Ahmadzadeh Homa , Ahmadi Mehran , Golchin Asal , Malakoti Faezeh , Maleki Masomeh , Alemi Forough , Bazavar Mohammadreza , Yousefi Bahman
Published: March 2022

Introduction Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone sarcoma with a high
recurrence rate and poorer prognosis. The application of natural agents in
combinational therapies can increase the efficacy of treatment and decrease the
side effects. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the effects of Thymoquinone (TQ)
combined with Cisplatin on apoptosis and its underlying mechanisms in the Saos-2
cells.

Methods The effects of TQ and Cisplatin on Saos-2 cell viability were
measured using an MTT assay. Western blotting was applied for the measurement of
γH2AX protein expression. The expression levels of
8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) were evaluated by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DCFH-DA fluorescence dye was used to detect
reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. For evaluation of apoptosis, flow
cytometry was employed.

Results TQ dramatically promotes the cytotoxic effects of Cisplatin. TQ
considerably enhanced the expression levels of 8-oxo-dG and γ-H2AX in
Saos-2 cells. After TQ treatment, ROS levels were increased; furthermore, TQ
treatment resulted in the potentiation of Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in Saos-2
cells compared to either TQ or Cisplatin treated cells.

Conclusion In general, TQ plus Cisplatin resulted in potentiated cellular
cytotoxicity by increasing ROS level and inducing oxidative DNA damage, leading
to the potent induction of apoptosis in tumor cells.
Symptomorientierte Pflege im Zusammenhang mit terminalen Beatmungskonzepten
Authors: Maurer Madeleine
Published: March 2022

End-of-Life-Care rückt auf Intensivstationen zunehmend in den Mittelpunkt. Dabei geht es vor allem um die Förderung maximal möglicher Lebensqualität unter einem palliativen Therapieansatz. Bei beatmeten Patienten mit vorangegangener Therapiezieländerung ist es notwendig, auch die Beatmungskonzepte diesen neuen Anforderungen anzupassen. Dabei lässt sich die lebenserhaltende Beatmung so deeskalieren, dass sie den Betroffenen eine hohe Sterbequalität sichert, ohne den eintretenden Tod hinauszuzögern oder Leid hervorzurufen. Dazu gehören auch die Erfassung und Therapie der mit dem Sterben einhergehenden belastenden Symptome wie Dyspnoe, Angst und Schmerz. Die Expertise der Intensivpflegenden ist für die Umsetzung dieses speziellen Aufgabengebiets unerlässlich. – Die Autorin hat mit ihrer Facharbeit beim „intensiv Pflegepreis 2020“ den 2. Platz belegt.
Therapiezieländerungen und wie man Pflegende vor Moral Distress schützt
Authors: Krötzsch Fabian
Published: March 2022

Therapiezielentscheidungen gehören zum beruflichen Alltag auf Intensivstationen. Anspruchsvoll wird die Situation für das Behandlungsteam, wenn der Patientenwille nicht eindeutig ist. Mögliche Folge: Moral Distress, mit Auswirkungen auf das Pflegepersonal ebenso wie auf die Patienten. Der Autor hat sich im Rahmen seiner Preisarbeit mit den Therapieoptionen am Lebensende beschäftigt und zeigt Möglichkeiten auf, wie sich Moral Distress vermeiden lässt. Die Arbeit hat bei „intensiv Pflegepreis 2020“ den 5. Platz belegt.
Delir oder nicht? Kriterien zur klinischen Einschätzung
Authors: Pelz Sabrina
Published: March 2022

Pflegende spielen bei der Einschätzung von Delirsituationen eine wichtige Rolle. Welche Kriterien sie dabei zugrunde legen, hat Autorin Sabrina Pelz im Rahmen ihrer Masterarbeit anhand von problemzentrierten Interviews untersucht, in denen die befragten Intensivpflegenden ihre Entscheidungen und Begründungszusammenhänge erläutern – mit interessanten Ergebnissen für die Praxis.
Das Lipödem in Abgrenzung zur Adipositas. Parallelen und
Herausforderungen in der Praxis
Authors: Rapprich Stefan , ter Balk Hendrikje , Hirsch Tobias
Published: March 2022

Das Krankheitsbild Lipödem erfährt in den letzten Jahren
vermehrte Aufmerksamkeit. Überschneidungen mit der Adipositas machen
eine Abgrenzung mitunter schwierig. Diese ist aber für eine
differenzierte zielgerichtete Therapie wichtig.

Definition und Klinik Beim Lipödem handelt es sich um eine
schmerzhafte, anlagebedingte, übermäßige
Fettgewebsvermehrung an den Extremitäten bei Frauen. Das führt
zu einer Disproportion der Körpersilhuette. Erste Symptome manifestieren
sich häufig in der Pubertät, der Verlauf ist meist progredient.
Charakteristische Symptome sind Ruhe- und Druckschmerzen,
Hämatomneigung, Spannungs- und Schwellungsgefühle, rasche
Ermüdung der Muskulatur und Ödeme, die aber
stadienabhängig inkonsistent sind. 25–88% der
Lipödem-Patientinnen leiden gleichzeitig an einer Adipositas.

Prävalenz Je nach Studie 5–9,7%, entsprechend
2–4 Millionen Frauen in Deutschland.

Ätiologie Es besteht eine familiäre Disposition.
Hormonelle Veränderungen sind Triggerfaktoren und lassen auf hormonelle
Einflüsse schließen. Im Gewebe findet sich eine leichte
chronische Entzündung (Silent Inflammation), welche die Symptomatik
erklärt.

Diagnostik Die Diagnosestellung erfolgt klinisch und muss von anderen
Fettverteilungsstörungen unterschieden werden. Der BMI ist nicht
geeignet. Es sollte der Bauchumfang-Größen-Quotient
(BCG=WHtR Waist to Height-Ratio) herangezogen werden.

Therapie interdisziplinärer Therapieansatz, der neben der
konservativen Entstauungstherapie, der operativen Therapie mittels Liposuktion
auch die Ernährungs-, Bewegungs- und Psychotherapie umfasst.
Carvacrol Enhance Apoptotic Effect of 5-FU on MCF-7 Cell Line via
inhibiting P-glycoprotein: An In-silco and In-vitro Study
Authors: Ghorbanzadeh Vajihe , Aljaf Karwan Anwar Hassan , Wasman Hunar Mustafa , Pirzeh Lale , Azimi Saleh , Dariushnejad Hassan
Published: March 2022

Background P-glycoprotein (P-gp), is an ATP-dependent efflux transporter
and overexpressed in cancer cells which is responsible for drug resistance and
transportation of anticancer agents out of cells. Hence, P-gp inhibition is a
promising way to reverse multi-drug resistance, finding a suitable inhibitor is
essential. Carvacrol, an active compound of thyme, has been shown anticancer
properties in several types of cancers but the mechanisms underlying this effect
remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of carvacrol on P-gp
by In-silco and in-vitro studies.

Method carvacrol was docked against P-gp via autodock vina software to
identify the potential binding of this agent. Verapamil, a well-known P-gp
inhibitor, was selected as the control ligands. Cell proliferation and apoptosis
were assessed using MTT assay and ELISA cell death assay, respectively.

Results It was observed that carvacrol exhibited appropriate affinity
(−7 kcal/mol) to drug binding pocket of P-gp when
compared with verapamil that showed binding affinities of
−8 kcal/mol. The result of MTT assay showed a
dose-dependent inhibitory effect of carvacrol and 5-FU. Data of apoptosis assay
showed that combining carvacrol with 5-FU increased apoptotic effect of 5-FU
6.7-Fold rather than the control group. This ability to enhance apoptosis is
more than the combination of verapamil and 5-FU (4.26-Fold).

Conclusion These results provide important evidence that carvacrol may be
a promising agent able to overcome P-gp-mediated MDR.
Social Profiloplasty: A Practical Assessment and Injection Guide
Authors: Lazzarotto Andrea , Cambiaso-Daniel Janos , Robiony Massimo , Nocini Riccardo , Gualdi Alessandro
Published: March 2022

The trend of aesthetic medical procedures continues growing every year since decades all over the globe, especially considering minimal invasive treatments since the results are immediate and the downtime minimal. Hence, treatments with hyaluronic acid fillers have become extremely popular and routinely used in common practice. However, numerous areas of treatment were identified and described in the last years clinical training and consciousness of possibly complication remain still under represented. In the following article, we present four key treatment areas for optimal overall facial rejuvenation of what the authors define the social profile. Of each area an assessment, anatomical considerations, danger zones, and the preferred personal technique of the authors are described.
Understanding the impact of demand shocks on the container port industry
Authors: Crotti Daniele , Ferrari Claudio , Tei Alessio
Published: March 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted the world economy, generating an unprecedented shock that pushed carriers to adapt to the collapse of demand. Most of the related adaptation actions (e.g., blank sailings) appear as temporary initiatives being insufficient to reach a long run equilibrium. Moreover, while carriers managed to adjust their own supplied capacity to the ongoing crisis, the port sector has been greatly impacted by the fall in transport demand, not being able to counteract the demand shortages as effectively as the carriers. Against this backdrop, the paper introduces a model for assessing the effects of demand shocks (e.g., due to the pandemic) on the integration strategies of carriers. We focus on the possible initiatives that demand shocks may trigger on the horizontal and vertical integration among the actors of the shipping industry. In doing so, the present study provides useful insights for better understanding potential future market modifications and their impact on social welfare. Using non-cooperative games, profit-maximising strategies, in case of such integrations, are compared in order to study how carriers and terminal operators might react to demand shocks in the medium and long run.
Acceleration of a charged particle in the Redmond field
Authors: Akintsov Nikolai S. , Nevecheria Artem P.
Published: March 2022

The motion of a relativistic charged particle in an external specified field of a planer single- and multifrequency circularly polarized electromagnetic wave of large amplitude in the presence of a constant uniform magnetic field (the Redmond field and the multifrequency Redmond field) when the relativistic consideration is required has been analyzed in detail. It is shown that the kinetic energy of a particle in the multi-frequency Redmond field depends not only on the intensity of the wave, and the frequencies of the carrier wave, but also on the direction of polarization of the wave (i.e., right- or left-handed), and the cyclotron frequency. The conditions required for autoresonant motion of a particle in an external field of a large-amplitude wave and the containment of a charged particle are considered.
Development of novel Fe based nanocrystalline FeBNbPSi alloy powder with high B
s of 1.41T by forming stable single amorphous precursor
Authors: Matsumoto H. , Kajiura Y. , Hosono M. , Hasegawa A. , Kumaoka H. , Yoshidome K. , Mori S.
Published: March 2022

The possibility of the powderization of precursor with a single amorphous phase was investigated in FeBNbP nanocrystalline alloy particles and FeBNbPSi nanocrystalline alloy powders. Fe90−xBxNb7P3 (x=9, 10), Fe79.5B9.5Nb7P3Si1 and Fe82−x B9Nb6P3Six (x=2, 3) powders were prepared by the gas atomization method using high pressure water for rapid quenching. The as-atomized particle as a precursor exhibiting low Hc of 141 A/m with a single amorphous phase was observed from a cross sectional image and SAED pattern in the Fe80B10Nb7P3 nanocrystalline alloy powder. In addition, the stability of amorphous phase in the FeBNbP nanocrystalline alloy was also significantly improved by the addition of Si. Therefore, the as-atomized Fe79B9Nb6P3Si3 nanocrystalline alloy powder with Si as a precursor powder of nanocrystalline alloy was achieved to exhibit excellent magnetic softness of low Hc of 53 A/m compared to the ordinary Fe73Si11B11Cr3C2 amorphous and Fe73.5Si13.5B9Nb3Cu1 nanocrystalline alloy powders. In addition, the Fe79B9Nb6P3Si3 powder after nanocrystallization at 873K achieved both high Bs of 1.41T and low Hc of 37 A/m compared to ordinary amorphous, and nanocrystalline alloys.
Application of square-wave inverter in excitation system for magnetic nanoparticle tomography
Authors: Higashino Kohta , Okamura Naoki , Sasayama Teruyoshi , Yoshida Takashi
Published: March 2022

To collect the signals of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) at a distance from a magnetic nanoparticle tomography, a strong ac magnetic field should be generated by applying a high current to the excitation coil. To this end, sinusoidal excitation using a linear amplifier-type ac power source has been applied to the tomography. Although this source can provide a high-quality sinusoidal voltage, its low power efficiency is not suitable for generating the required high current. To overcome this limitation, we use an H-bridge voltage source inverter to achieve high efficiency by generating a square-wave voltage. However, the third harmonic component in the square wave, undermines the acquisition of MNP signals. Thus, we suppress the third harmonic by shifting the switching phase of the inverter transistors. As a result, the third harmonic in the excitation current is reduced to less than one-tenth of that obtained after conventional suppression. We verify the distribution of MNP signals at depths up to 50 mm using the proposed excitation approach. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach based on square-wave inverter excitation for magnetic nanoparticle tomography.
Biochar, slag and ferrous manganese ore affect lead, cadmium and antioxidant enzymes in water spinach (
Authors: Mehmood Sajid , Ahmed Waqas , Rizwan Muhammad , Ditta Allah , Irshad Sana , Chen Di-Yun , Bashir Saqib , Mahmood Mohsin , Li Weidong , Imtiaz Muhammad
Published: March 2022

Many cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategies are applied to improve soil fertility, reduce soil pollution, and reduce the human health risks of consuming metal-contaminated vegetables. We evaluated the effects of three soil amendments, biochar, slag and ferrous manganese ore (FMO), at application rates of 3% and 6%, on the bioavailability of heavy metals in a contaminated soil, their bioaccumulation, and antioxidant enzyme activities in water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) plants. We also measured a range of soil physicochemical and biological properties, as well as plant biomass. Application of biochar at 6% was the most effective treatment for improving the fresh biomass of plants, with an increase of 32.31% in the roots and 47.98% in the shoots relative to the unamended soil. Compared with slag and FMO, biochar was most effective in improving soil physicochemical and biological properties. All amendments significantly reduced the bioavailability of lead and cadmium. We observed significantly positive correlations among bio-concentration factor, translocation factor and bioaccumulation coefficient. Correlation analysis also demonstrated that bulk density was positively correlated with soil available water content, but negatively correlated with soil organic matter, total porosity and hydraulic conductivity. Soil macro- and micronutrients were found to have a positive correlation with soil physical, chemical and biological properties. In conclusion, biochar, slag and FMO significantly affected the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, and metal bioavailability and fertility status, safeguarding soil health and ensuring the healthy growth of the plants.
Widespread misperceptions of long-term attitude change
Authors: Mastroianni Adam M. , Dana Jason
Published: March 2022

Significance

People change when they think others are changing, but people misperceive others’ changes. These misperceptions may bedevil people’s efforts to understand and change their social worlds, distort the democratic process, and turn imaginary trends into real ones. For example, participants believed that Americans increasingly want to limit immigration, which they said justifies tighter borders. However, participants also said that limiting immigration would not be right if attitudes had shifted against it––which is what actually occurred. Our findings suggest that the national discourse around contentious social issues, policies resulting from that discourse, and perhaps the opinions that drive discourse in the first place would be very different if people better understood how attitudes have and have not changed.
Early warning of the Indian Ocean Dipole using climate network analysis
Authors: Lu Zhenghui , Dong Wenjie , Lu Bo , Yuan Naiming , Ma Zhuguo , Bogachev Mikhail I. , Kurths Juergen
Published: March 2022

Significance

The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), an air–sea coupled phenomenon over the tropical Indian Ocean, has substantial impacts on the climate, ecosystems, and society. Due to the winter predictability barrier, however, a reliable prediction of the IOD has been limited to 3 or 4 mo in advance. Our work approaches this problem from a new data-driven perspective: the climate network analysis. Using this network-based method, an efficient early warning signal for the IOD event was revealed in boreal winter. Our approach can correctly predict the IOD events one calendar year in advance (from December of the previous year) with a hit rate of higher than 70%, which strongly outperforms current dynamic models.
A variable refractory period increases collective performance in noisy environments
Authors: Chiara Violette , Arrufat Patrick , Jeanson Raphaël
Published: March 2022

Significance

In biological and artificial systems, synchronization is an important means of achieving coordination. During hunting, social spiders alternate their moving and stopping phases in unison as they move toward their prey. We combined fieldwork and modeling to investigate the behavioral rules that lead to the emergence of synchronized oscillations in hunting groups. We showed that an individual's decision to move depends on the relative intensity of vibrations emitted by the prey and the moving spiders. This rule allows the group to adapt quickly to any change in prey size or the number of spiders involved in the hunt. Such synchronization ensures that the spiders can locate their prey without being disturbed by signals from conspecifics and thus improves hunting performance.
Kirigami-based metastructures with programmable multistability
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Ma Jiayao , Li Mengyue , You Zhong , Wang Xiaoyan , Luo Yu , Ma Kaixue , Chen Yan
Published: March 2022

Significance

Different from most existing multistable structures whose multiple stable states are achieved through the combinational effect of bistable units, we invent a generic tristable kirigami cuboid. The three stable states have fundamentally distinct geometric configurations and chirality, and the transformation among them can be realized by tension/compression or clockwise/counterclockwise twist. Tessellating the units in series, a family of multistable metamaterials can be constructed, the mechanical behaviors of which are programmable by the unit geometry, the material of the elastic joints, the number of units, and the loading conditions. As a demonstration of the potential applications, a frequency reconfigurable antenna for 5G triple-band communication is developed based on a tristable unit, and the frequency tunability is verified by experiments.
Electronic coherences in nonadiabatic molecular photophysics revealed by time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Cavaletto Stefano M. , Keefer Daniel , Mukamel Shaul
Published: March 2022

Significance

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (TRPES) is a promising technique for the study of ultrafast molecular processes, such as the nonadiabatic dynamics taking place at conical intersections. Directly accessing the evolution of the coherences generated at the conical intersection should provide most valuable dynamical information. However, the signals are dominated by background contributions due to state populations, and most theoretical treatments completely neglect the role of the coherences. Here we show that distinguishable signatures of molecular coherences appear in TRPES. These can be recorded using currently available ultrashort pulses and unambiguously extracted at the postprocessing stage. The technique thus provides direct access to nonadiabatic coherence dynamics.
О двойной обусловленности перевода
Authors: Lewicki Roman
Published: March 2022

The point of departure is the hypothesis of the fundamental difference in viewing translation by the translator and by the target language reader: the former focuses on the original and a search for equivalents, whereas the latter has no contact either with the original or the process of translation. It is interesting that without contact with the original, the recipient of translation nevertheless has an illusion of accessing that original. Looking at translation as a linguistically secondary text largely determines the translator’s activity – but not the reception of the final product by the reader. In conclusion, one can hypothesize that translation is doubly conditioned: by the original text and by its future communicative context. In each, a textual point of reference can be determined: the original text and parallel texts, respectively. The translation’s secondariness is thus two-dimensional. It follows that translation, viewed above all as a linguistically secondary text (being based on an original), nevertheless functions independently of this feature. The tension between these two properties of translation determines its status as a message of a peculiar type. It is mainly this assumption that reveals the inadequacy of grounding the efficiency of translations in the notion of equivalence.
Lunfardo and political (dis)agreements in the public space
Authors: Gubitosi Patricia , Lifszyc Irina
Published: March 2022

Linguistic landscapes are useful tools to decipher language ideologies that regulate public spaces in society,
helping us to decode the semiotic messages that those landscapes transmit. Urban spaces also reveal social practices that organize
people’s lives and unveil social discourses that legitimize, approve, erode, or eliminate different linguistic varieties that
struggle to survive. This article examines the use of (mock) Lunfardo, a Spanish urban variety spoken in the Rio de la Plata area,
Argentina, in a sign posted by the Buenos Aires’ city authorities and the impact this sign had on social media. The results of the
analysis show that appealing to Lunfardo as a symbol of identity failed to establish a conversation between parties within a
separated, fractured society.
“Decorum will be strictly observed”
Authors: Gill Patrick
Published: March 2022

Martin Amis’s London Trilogy constitutes a body of work that has variously been categorised as comic, satirical,
or simply postmodern. Given these assessments, the present essay concentrates on forms and functions of dialogue in these novels
to identify its use as a generic marker. What emerges is that – while individual passages of dialogue are demonstratively
structured along conventional generic lines – their function is to temporarily mislead the reader into trusting those ostensibly
univocal signals, and thus contributing to their undermining by the remainder of the text. Fusing divergent generic aspects
together into a form that is here termed anti-comedy, and consistently establishing and undermining readers’ expectations is one
of the central functions of dialogue in Amis’s London Trilogy, the essay claims.
Unspoken assumptions, deep holes and boundless expectations
Authors: Whitfield Agnes
Published: March 2022

This study examines the different institutional, disciplinary, and pedagogical factors that come into play when teaching literary works with the goal of fostering dialogue, understood in the sense of civic communication and tolerance. Drawing on anAction Researchapproach, the analysis probes a specific experience teaching the diverse English-language short story tradition in the Canadian and German university context. The results show that to maximize the potential of teaching literary works for nurturing dialogue, instructors must navigate among multiple and at times contradictory forces reflecting institutional and disciplinary teaching priorities, divergent conceptualisations of dialogue, theoretical incongruities, varied literary and critical traditions, and complex mediation techniques.
Dialogue and speech centricity in the public sphere
Authors: Lipari Lisbeth
Published: March 2022

This article examines how speech centric legal and public policy interpretations of the U.S. First Amendment –
which guarantees constitutional protection for the freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly, from government constraint –
tend to significantly impede democratic political discourse in the public sphere. Among other problems, speech centricity
diminishes the importance of listening, adding to the crises of polarization and demonization now fracturing public political
discourse. By drawing upon dialogical theory, speech act theory, and theories of listening, the essay explores how a
listening-based perspective on legal and policy conceptions of free expression could perhaps reinvigorate political discourse.
Parity lost
Authors: Perkins Marla
Published: March 2022

Following Bakhtin (e.g., [1999] 1984, 184), dialogue studies have
assumed at least some form of parity between dialogic participants. But what happens when parity is significantly disrupted or
lost entirely? In this report of cultural practice among the Hobongan living on the island of Borneo, I examine the results of
lost parity on traditional Hobongan and Christian-influenced cultural practices. The Hobongan typically acknowledge the lack of
parity and ignore it, or they accept the lack of parity and try to rejoin polyphony through conversion. Syncretism presents a more
complex case because dialogue remains possible: both Hobongan and Christian-influenced practices are combined to avoid unpleasant
dialogues.
Mechanosensitive calcium flashes promote sustained RhoA activation during tight junction remodeling
Authors: Varadarajan Saranyaraajan , Chumki Shahana A. , Stephenson Rachel E. , Misterovich Eileen R. , Wu Jessica L. , Dudley Claire E. , Erofeev Ivan S. , Goryachev Andrew B. , Miller Ann L.
Published: March 2022

Epithelial cell–cell junctions remodel in response to mechanical stimuli to maintain barrier function. Previously, we found that local leaks in tight junctions (TJs) are rapidly repaired by local, transient RhoA activation, termed “Rho flares,” but how Rho flares are regulated is unknown. Here, we discovered that intracellular calcium flashes and junction elongation are early events in the Rho flare pathway. Both laser-induced and naturally occurring TJ breaks lead to local calcium flashes at the site of leaks. Additionally, junction elongation induced by optogenetics increases Rho flare frequency, suggesting that Rho flares are mechanically triggered. Depletion of intracellular calcium or inhibition of mechanosensitive calcium channels (MSCs) reduces the amplitude of calcium flashes and diminishes the sustained activation of Rho flares. MSC-dependent calcium influx is necessary to maintain global barrier function by regulating reinforcement of local TJ proteins via junction contraction. In all, we uncovered a novel role for MSC-dependent calcium flashes in TJ remodeling, allowing epithelial cells to repair local leaks induced by mechanical stimuli.
Low-temperature processed beta-phase In2Se3 ferroelectric semiconductor thin film transistors
Authors: Lee Sora , Zhang Xiaotian , McKnight Thomas , Ramkorun Bhavesh , Wang Huaiyu , Gopalan Venkatraman , Redwing Joan M , Jackson Thomas N
Published: March 2022

As scaling becomes increasingly difficult, there is growing interest in vertical or three-dimensional stacking of transistors and especially memory. Ferroelectric semiconductor field effect transistors can be key enablers to improve energy efficiency and overall chip and memory performance. In this work, low-temperature processed, back-end-of-the-line compatible transistors were demonstrated by depositing a layered chalcogenide ferroelectric semiconductor, beta-phase In2Se3, at temperature as low as 400 °C. Top gate n-channel In2Se3 thin film transistors were fabricated with field-effect mobility ∼1 cm2 V−1 s−1, and simple polarization switching based memory results are presented.
A non-unified viscoplastic constitutive model based on irreversible thermodynamics and creep-fatigue life prediction for Type 316 stainless
Authors: Cui Yehui , Zeng Xiangguo , Xiao Junfeng , Chen Huayan
Published: March 2022

In this work, to describe the cycle behavior considering fatigue-creep interaction, a non-unified viscoplastic constitutive model for 316 stainless steel is derived within the irreversible thermodynamic framework. The internal variables considering kinematic and isotropic hardening properties are selected to construct the evolution equation of visco-plastic and creep terms. The proposed constitutive model was validated by the comparison with the existing literature. It was manifested that this constitutive model could successfully predict the hardening behavior and stress relaxation process under the cyclic loading. During the dwell period, the increment of the inelastic strain is decomposed into the viscoplastic and creep term. The viscoplastic deformation dominates first stage of the stress relaxation, while the stable stage is controlled by the creep term. Finally, the predicted values of mean stress are taken into the Manson-Coffin law, the low cycle fatigue life prediction are carried out based on the numerical model, which showed robust correlation with experimental results.
Influence of external stack pressure on the performance of Li-S pouch cell
Authors: Schmidt Florian , Korzhenko Alexander , Härtel Paul , Reuter Florian S , Ehrling Sebastian , Dörfler Susanne , Abendroth Thomas , Althues Holger , Kaskel Stefan
Published: March 2022

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) cell system is promising to satisfy the increasing need for cost-efficient energy storage with high theoretical energies due to the enormous theoretical gravimetrical capacity and the abundance of sulfur. Furthermore, the technology readiness level of Li-S batteries increased steadily in recent years due to extensive research, as well as the number of reported prototype cells. However, an often ignored test parameter is the application of external pressure to the cell stack. In this study, the influence of external pressure on the performance of Li-S cells is investigated. Therefore, five-layered pouch cells with solvent-free processed cathodes are assembled. These cells are tested under lean electrolyte conditions (electrolyte to sulfur ratio of 4.5 µl mg(S)−1). To evaluate the influence of the used electrolyte system either the state-of-the-art 1,2-dimethoxyethane/1,3-dioxolane electrolyte or the sparing polysulfide solvating hexyl methyl ether/1,3-dioxolane electrolyte is deployed. The impact of pressure application is evaluated electrochemically as well as by post-mortem focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy of the cycled electrodes. Moreover, a technique for infiltration of sulfur into the carbon host matrix is presented, discussed, and successfully implemented.
Known operator learning and hybrid machine learning in medical imaging—a review of the past, the present, and the future
Authors: Maier Andreas , Köstler Harald , Heisig Marco , Krauss Patrick , Yang Seung Hee
Published: March 2022

In this article, we perform a review of the state-of-the-art of hybrid machine learning in medical imaging. We start with a short summary of the general developments of the past in machine learning and how general and specialized approaches have been in competition in the past decades. A particular focus will be the theoretical and experimental evidence pro and contra hybrid modelling. Next, we inspect several new developments regarding hybrid machine learning with a particular focus on so-called known operator learning and how hybrid approaches gain more and more momentum across essentially all applications in medical imaging and medical image analysis. As we will point out by numerous examples, hybrid models are taking over in image reconstruction and analysis. Even domains such as physical simulation and scanner and acquisition design are being addressed using machine learning grey box modelling approaches. Towards the end of the article, we will investigate a few future directions and point out relevant areas in which hybrid modelling, meta learning, and other domains will likely be able to drive the state-of-the-art ahead.
Fungal and ciliate protozoa are the main rumen microbes associated with methane emissions in dairy cattle
Authors: López-García Adrián , Saborío-Montero Alejandro , Gutiérrez-Rivas Mónica , Atxaerandio Raquel , Goiri Idoia , García-Rodríguez Aser , Jiménez-Montero Jose A , González Carmen , Tamames Javier , Puente-Sánchez Fernando , Serrano Magdalena , Carrasco Rafael , Óvilo Cristina , González-Recio Oscar
Published: March 2022

Background

Mitigating the effects of global warming has become the main challenge for humanity in recent decades. Livestock farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, with an important output of methane from enteric fermentation processes, mostly in ruminants. Because ruminal microbiota is directly involved in digestive fermentation processes and methane biosynthesis, understanding the ecological relationships between rumen microorganisms and their active metabolic pathways is essential for reducing emissions. This study analysed whole rumen metagenome using long reads and considering its compositional nature in order to disentangle the role of rumen microbes in methane emissions.

Results

The β-diversity analyses suggested a subtle association between methane production and overall microbiota composition (0.01 < R2 < 0.02). Differential abundance analysis identified 36 genera and 279 KEGGs as significantly associated with methane production (Padj < 0.05). Those genera associated with high methane production were Eukaryota from Alveolata and Fungi clades, while Bacteria were associated with low methane emissions. The genus-level association network showed 2 clusters grouping Eukaryota and Bacteria, respectively. Regarding microbial gene functions, 41 KEGGs were found to be differentially abundant between low- and high-emission animals and were mainly involved in metabolic pathways. No KEGGs included in the methane metabolism pathway (ko00680) were detected as associated with high methane emissions. The KEGG network showed 3 clusters grouping KEGGs associated with high emissions, low emissions, and not differentially abundant in either. A deeper analysis of the differentially abundant KEGGs revealed that genes related with anaerobic respiration through nitrate degradation were more abundant in low-emission animals.

Conclusions

Methane emissions are largely associated with the relative abundance of ciliates and fungi. The role of nitrate electron acceptors can be particularly important because this respiration mechanism directly competes with methanogenesis. Whole metagenome sequencing is necessary to jointly consider the relative abundance of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota in the statistical analyses. Nutritional and genetic strategies to reduce CH4 emissions should focus on reducing the relative abundance of Alveolata and Fungi in the rumen. This experiment has generated the largest ONT ruminal metagenomic dataset currently available.
CAMLG-CDG: a novel congenital disorder of glycosylation linked to defective membrane trafficking
Authors: Wilson Matthew P , Durin Zoé , Unal Özlem , Ng Bobby G , Marrecau Thomas , Keldermans Liesbeth , Souche Erika , Rymen Daisy , Gündüz Mehmet , Köse Gülşen , Sturiale Luisa , Garozzo Domenico , Freeze Hudson H , Jaeken Jaak , Foulquier François , Matthijs Gert
Published: March 2022

The transmembrane domain recognition complex (TRC) pathway is required for the insertion of C-terminal tail-anchored (TA) proteins into the lipid bilayer of specific intracellular organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. In order to facilitate correct insertion, the recognition complex (consisting of BAG6, GET4 and UBL4A) must first bind to TA proteins and then to GET3 (TRC40, ASNA1), which chaperones the protein to the ER membrane. Subsequently, GET1 (WRB) and CAML form a receptor that enables integration of the TA protein within the lipid bilayer. We report an individual with the homozygous c.633 + 4A>G splice variant in CAMLG, encoding CAML. This variant leads to aberrant splicing and lack of functional protein in patient-derived fibroblasts. The patient displays a predominantly neurological phenotype with psychomotor disability, hypotonia, epilepsy and structural brain abnormalities. Biochemically, a combined O-linked and type II N-linked glycosylation defect was found. Mislocalization of syntaxin-5 in patient fibroblasts and in siCAMLG deleted Hela cells confirms this as a consistent cellular marker of TRC dysfunction. Interestingly, the level of the v-SNARE Bet1L is also drastically reduced in both of these models, indicating a fundamental role of the TRC complex in the assembly of Golgi SNARE complexes. It also points towards a possible mechanism behind the hyposialylation of N and O-glycans. This is the first reported patient with pathogenic variants in CAMLG. CAMLG-CDG is the third disorder, after GET4 and GET3 deficiencies, caused by pathogenic variants in a member of the TRC pathway, further expanding this novel group of disorders.
Dismal outcome if delayed cardiac surgery because of coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Ivert Torbjörn , Dalén Magnus
Published: March 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a great burden for health care worldwide. We encountered 21 non-infected adult patients during 2020 who deferred to seek medical treatment since they thought that their difficulties to breathe were due to COVID-19. They were diagnosed late with cardiac disease with the indication for surgery. Deferred surgery for aortic stenosis was the cause of death in 1 patient. Long-standing not-treated endocarditis had caused severe aortic root pathology in 3 patients. Late-diagnosed ST-elevation myocardial infarction in 2 patients had caused papillary muscle and ventricular wall rupture. Eighteen of the patients finally underwent heart surgery at our tertiary care centre with early mortality of 22%. We conclude that late diagnosis of subjects requiring surgical treatment for heart disease was a risk for dismal outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burn Care Specialists’ Views Toward End-of-Life Decision-Making in Patients With Severe Burn Injury: Findings From an Online Survey in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Tracy Lincoln M , Reeder Sandra , Gold Michelle , Cleland Heather J
Published: March 2022

Burn care clinicians are required to make critical decisions regarding the withholding and withdrawal of treatment in patients with severe and potentially non-survivable burn injuries. Little is known about how Australian and New Zealand burn care specialists approach decision-making for these patients. This study aimed to understand clinician beliefs, values, considerations, and difficulties regarding palliative and end-of-life (EoL) care discussions and decision-making following severe burn injury in Australian and New Zealand burn services. An online survey collected respondent and institutional demographic data as well as information about training and involvement in palliative care/EoL decision-making discussions from nurses, surgeons, and intensivists in Australian and New Zealand hospitals with specialist burn services. Twenty-nine burns nurses, 26 burns surgeons, and 15 intensivists completed the survey. Respondents were predominantly female (64%) and had a median of 15 years of experience in treating burn patients. All respondents received little training in EoL decision-making during their undergraduate education; intensivists reported receiving more on-the-job training. Specialist clinicians differed on who they felt should contribute to EoL discussions. Ninety percent of respondents reported injury severity as a key factor in their decision-making to withhold or withdraw treatment, but less than half reported considering age in their decision-making. Approximately two-thirds indicated a high probability of death or a poor predicted quality of life influenced their decision-making. The three cohorts of clinicians had similar views toward certain aspects of EoL decision-making. Qualitative research could provide detailed insights into the varying perspectives held by clinicians.
Efficiency Under Endogenous Information Choice: A Price-Setting Application
Authors: Llosa Luis Gonzalo , Venkateswaran Venky
Published: March 2022

Do private incentives to acquire information reflect the full social value of such information? We show that the answer to this question is typically negative in a canonical business cycle setting, where firms set prices under imperfect information about aggregate productivity. The wedge between private and social values of information is related to market power and ex-post inefficiencies in the use of information. The first reduces the private value of information (relative to its social value), while the second raises it. The overall sign of the inefficiency in information acquisition is therefore ambiguous. Implementing the informationally constrained efficient outcome requires a combination of fiscal and monetary policies—specifically, counter-cyclical revenue subsides as well as a monetary policy rule that targets a counter-cyclical aggregate price level.
The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review and the State Reporting Procedure of UN Treaty Bodies on the Prosecution of Hate Crimes: The Hungarian Experience
Authors: Kirs Eszter
Published: March 2022

This article contributes to the debate about the impact of UN human rights review mechanisms on the ground, focusing on the issue of prosecution in hate crimes cases. National legislative or institutional changes presented as implementation measures do not necessarily reflect reforms in practice or genuine commitment of the government to comply with the recommendations of international human rights bodies. Rigorous follow-up of recommendations is missing from the UN review mechanisms—a gap which is frequently filled by domestic NGOs. The article focuses on the case of Hungary and those review mechanisms which are the most significant ones concerning hate crime-related advocacy, namely, the Universal Periodic Review and the state reporting system of the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The impact assessment is based on a content analysis of recommendations and on semi-structured interviews with representatives of domestic NGOs advocating for more efficient prosecution of hate crimes. The author argues that more emphasis should be put on a thorough assessment of national reports and communications from the perspective of whether they reflect significant and long-term changes in practice. At the same time, state representatives involved in the Universal Periodic Review and expert members of UN treaty bodies should strive for a more detailed expression of recommended guidelines in order to adequately address the nuanced reality of human rights violations.
Reshaping the Ballad: William Wallace’s Musical Re-figuring of Rossetti’s ‘Sister Helen’
Authors: Allis Michael
Published: March 2022

Of the various musical re-figurings of the works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the relatively unfamiliar symphonic poem Sister Helen (1897) by the Scottish composer William Francis Stuart Wallace (1860–1940), based on Rossetti’s poem of the same name, is one of the most fascinating. Connections between Rossetti and Wallace are unsurprising, given that both men demonstrated a wide-ranging interest and expertise in the creative arts in general. However, Wallace’s views on the benefits of a ‘subjective’ approach to representing a text musically, in preference to an ‘objective’ event-driven narrative might suggest that the musical re-figuring of a ballad was an unlikely project for him. After tracing the background of both poem and orchestral work, this article offers an in-depth analysis of Wallace’s music, confirming that although a central rotational structure offered an effective representation of the driving narrative of Rossetti’s text, Wallace rebalanced his musical re-figuring by incorporating two introspective episodes that offered the more subjective vision that Wallace preferred. The specifics of Wallace’s composition are then further contextualized via Wallace’s 1899 lecture to the Musical Association, ‘The Scope of Programme Music’ (where he expanded upon the subjective/objective divide), as well as his other five symphonic poems that explored a range of paratexts. In addition to reassessing Wallace’s status as a composer, and identifying his re-figuring as a significant addition to the reception history of Rossetti’s poem, this study allows us to consider the nature of the ballad as a genre, and its suitability for musical representation more generally.
Mass Casualty Incident: Do Tactical Tag Bracelets Improve Triage Performance by First Responders? A Randomized Controlled Mass Casualty Incident Simulation and Response of A French Gendarmerie Elite Unit
Authors: Galant Julien , Corcostegui Simon-Pierre , Marrache David , Saint-Jean Luc , Desrobert Vincent , Boutillier du Retail Cédric , Lecomte François
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Tactical triage replaces primary triage in the exclusion zone in mass murder or terrorist events to prioritize victims requiring life-saving interventions (LSIs) and/or rapid extraction in an environment with a lack of resources and under active threat. French gendarmerie tactical unit medical teams use triage bracelets during mass casualty incidents (MCIs). This study assessed the value of these bracelets in the tactical triage performance of nonhealthcare combat rescue operators in an MCI simulation.

Objectives

To compare triage performance with and without the use of bracelets based on categorization accuracy, LSIs, and time to end triage.

Materials and methods

Two groups of operators were randomly assigned to participate in an MCI simulation alone (10 simulated patients) with (intervention group) or without (control) bracelets. The primary outcome was triage performance assessed by the mass casualty triage performance assessment tools. The results were measured based on the LSI required, triage category, and time of completion of the task. Secondary outcomes were operator-perceived stress and self-efficacy.

Results

Eleven operators (intervention group n = 5, control group n = 6) participated. Triage performance, based on a maximum score of 90, was better for the intervention group [72.200 (SD = 10.330) vs. 57.000 (SD = 12.961), P = .045]. Self-efficacy was increased after the simulation in the intervention group [45.00 47.2 (SD = 4.147) vs. 50.400 (SD = 5.505), P = .034)].

Conclusions

This is the first study to show the best triage performance among nonhealthcare combat rescuers using triage bracelets in an MCI simulation. The small sample size did not allow for external validity of the results. The initially calculated number of participants (N = 12) was not reached for operational reasons. The use of bracelets may have a place in the medico-organizational act of tactical triage during MCIs in exclusion zones. Further studies should be conducted to assess the value of triage bracelets by other first responders, including physician–nurse teams.