bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do barley plants with impaired photosynthetic light acclimation survive under high-light stress?
Authors: Saeid Nia Monireh , Scholz Louis , Garibay-Hernández Adriana , Mock Hans-Peter , Repnik Urska , Selinski Jennifer , Krupinska Karin , Bilger Wolfgang
Published: August 2023

Main Conclusion

WHIRLY1 deficient barley plants surviving growth at high irradiance displayed increased non-radiative energy dissipation, enhanced contents of zeaxanthin and the flavonoid lutonarin, but no changes in α-tocopherol nor glutathione.

Plants are able to acclimate to environmental conditions to optimize their functions. With the exception of obligate shade plants, they can adjust their photosynthetic apparatus and the morphology and anatomy of their leaves to irradiance. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Golden Promise) plants with reduced abundance of the protein WHIRLY1 were recently shown to be unable to acclimatise important components of the photosynthetic apparatus to high light. Nevertheless, these plants did not show symptoms of photoinhibition. High-light (HL) grown WHIRLY1 knockdown plants showed clear signs of exposure to excessive irradiance such as a low epoxidation state of the violaxanthin cycle pigments and an early light saturation of electron transport. These responses were underlined by a very large xanthophyll cycle pool size and by an increased number of plastoglobules. Whereas zeaxanthin increased with HL stress, α-tocopherol, which is another lipophilic antioxidant, showed no response to excessive light. Also the content of the hydrophilic antioxidant glutathione showed no increase in W1 plants as compared to the wild type, whereas the flavone lutonarin was induced in W1 plants. HPLC analysis of removed epidermal tissue indicated that the largest part of lutonarin was presumably located in the mesophyll. Since lutonarin is a better antioxidant than saponarin, the major flavone present in barley leaves, it is concluded that lutonarin accumulated as a response to oxidative stress. It is also concluded that zeaxanthin and lutonarin may have served as antioxidants in the WHIRLY1 knockdown plants, contributing to their survival in HL despite their restricted HL acclimation.
Fate of Cryptosporidium and Giardia through conventional and compact drinking water treatment plants
Authors: Moussa Ahmed S. , Ashour Ameen A. , Soliman Mohammad I. , Taha Hoda A. , Al-Herrawy Ahmad Z. , Gad Mahmoud
Published: August 2023

Over the past three decades, a notable rise in the occurrence of enteric protozoan pathogens, especially Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp., in drinking water sources has been observed. This rise could be attributed not only to an actual increase in water contamination but also to improvements in detection methods. These waterborne pathogens have played a pivotal role in disease outbreaks and the overall escalation of disease rates in both developed and developing nations worldwide. Consequently, the control of waterborne diseases has become a vital component of public health policies and a primary objective of drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). Limited studies applied real-time PCR (qPCR) and/or immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for monitoring Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp., particularly in developing countries like Egypt. Water samples from two conventional drinking water treatment plants and two compact units (CUs) were analyzed using both IFA and qPCR methods to detect Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Using qPCR and IFA, the conventional DWTPs showed complete removal of Giardia and Cryptosporidium, whereas Mansheyat Alqanater and Niklah CUs achieved only partial removal. Specifically, Cryptosporidium gene copies removal rates were 33.33% and 60% for Mansheyat Alqanater and Niklah CUs, respectively. Niklah CU also removed 50% of Giardia gene copies, but no Giardia gene copies were removed by Mansheyat Alqanater CU. Using IFA, both Mansheyat Alqanater and Niklah CUs showed a similar removal rate of 50% for Giardia cysts. Additionally, Niklah CU achieved a 50% removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts, whereas Mansheyat Alqanater CU did not show any removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Conventional DWTPs were more effective than CUs in removing enteric protozoa. The contamination of drinking water by enteric pathogenic protozoa remains a significant issue globally, leading to increased disease rates. Infectious disease surveillance in drinking water is an important epidemiological tool to monitor the health of a population.
Bewertung einer möglichen Linderung von OSD-spezifischen Symptomen von PURALID® Lipogel in Kombination mit Augenlidhygiene bei Patienten mit anteriorer Blepharitis und konsekutiver Meibom-Drüsen-Dysfunktion
Authors: Laufenböck Christoph
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund

PURALID® Lipogel (Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan) ist ein neues Produkt zur Behandlung akuter Augenliderkrankungen wie Blepharitis. Trotz seiner mittlerweile häufigen Verwendung in der klinischen Praxis wurde nach Wissen des Autors bisher keine kontrollierte klinische Studie über die Wirksamkeit der oben genannten Therapie publiziert. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es darzustellen, ob es eine bessere symptomlindernde Wirkung mit PURALID® Lipogel bei der Augenlidhygiene im Vergleich zur alleinigen Augenlidhygiene gibt.

Methoden

Es liegt eine nicht verblindete, Single-center-Interventionsstudie vor, die die Augenlidhygiene mit und ohne PURALID® Lipogel zur Behandlung einer Blepharitis von MDD vergleicht. Es wurden 30 Patienten im Zuge der täglichen Sprechstunde rekrutiert. Primäre Endpunkte waren die NIK-BUT („non-invasive break-up-time“) und der OSD(„ocular surface disease“)-Index, sekundäre waren die Meibom-Drüsen-Dysfunktion und die LIPKO(„Lid-Parallel Conjunctival Folds“)-Falten. Es unterzogen sich 15 Patienten (12 Frauen) der Augenlidhygiene in Kombination mit PURALID® Lipogel, während 15 Patienten (13 Frauen) die Augenlidhygiene allein durchführten. Alle Patienten wendeten zusätzlich 3‑mal täglich die Applikation von Cationorm® Augentropfen (Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) an. Die Behandlungsdauer erstreckte sich über 2 Monate, die Patienten wurden vor Beginn der Therapie und 2 Monate danach untersucht.

Ergebnisse

Vor den beiden Behandlungsmethoden bestanden keine Unterschiede in oben genannten Parametern, ebenfalls waren Geschlecht und Alter normverteilt. Nach der Behandlung verbesserten sich in beiden Gruppen die subjektiven als auch die objektiven Kriterien, die zusätzliche Anwendung von PURALID® Lipogel erbrachte allerdings keinen Vorteil. Sicherheitsparameter wie Visus und IOD blieben bei allen Patienten unauffällig.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die neben der Anwendung von Tränenersatzmittel und Durchführung einer Lidrandhygiene zusätzliche Verwendung von PURALID® Lipogel erbringt keine Verbesserung der symptomatischen Blepharitis.
Outcome of incisional hernia repair in patients 80 years and older: results from the Herniamed-Registry
Authors: Mehdizadeh-Shrifi A. , Soll C. , Vuille-dit-Bille R. N. , Köckerling F. , Adolf D. , Staerkle R. F.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

More and more often complex abdominal surgeries are performed in the elderly. Together with the ageing population these patients are at risk for incisional hernias. We aimed on assessing outcomes following incisional hernia surgery in patients 80 years and older.

Material and methods

Using the Herniamed-Registry, a prospective multi-institutional database, data on patients undergoing surgery for incisional hernias were retrospectively assessed. 46,040 patients were included and divided by age. Intraoperative-, general-, and postoperative complications as well as 1-year follow-up outcomes were assessed and compared between patients 80 years and older vs younger than 80 years.

Results

Intra- (2.3% vs 1.5%; p < 0.001) and postoperative (8.6% vs 7.2%; p = 0.001) complications, general complications (5.5% vs 3.0%; p < 0.001), as well as reoperations (3.8% vs 3.0%; p = 0.007) were more likely to occur in elderly patients. By contrast, recurrences (3.6% vs 4.5%; p = 0.007), pain at rest (7.3% vs 10.1%; p < 0.001) and on exertion (11.3% vs 18.3%; p < 0.001), as well as pain requiring treatment (5.4% vs 7.7%; p < 0.001) was less likely in the group of patients aged ≥ 80 years.

Conclusion

Incisional hernia repair in patients 80 years and older is associated with a slightly higher complication risk but is quite acceptable and also have improved pain scores. The recurrence difference is also clinically unimportant.
Beach erosion aggravates the drastic decline in marine turtle populations in French Guiana
Authors: Chevallier Damien , Girondot Marc , Péron Christina , Martin Jordan , Bonola Marc , Chevalier Johan , de Thoisy Benoît , Kelle Laurent , Le Maho Yvon , Gardel Antoine , Anthony Edward J.
Published: August 2023

Yalimapo beach, near the Maroni River estuary in French Guiana, is an important turtle nesting site. The interaction of massive mud banks migrating alongshore from the distant Amazon River with discharge from the Maroni River generates strong beach morpho-sedimentary changes. The eventual degradation of the marine turtle nesting habitats resulting from these changes represents a threat to the offspring, and consequently, to the turtle population. Field operator counts of green and leatherback turtle nests were combined with high-resolution topographic measurements of the beach over four field surveys in 2012 and 2014 to map the topographic modifications susceptible to affect nesting on Yalimapo beach. We assumed that the survival of nests was at stake when the depth of sand between the egg chamber and the topographic surface (i.e. the top) of the beach was < 50 cm, and that beach surface lowering > 10 cm represented unfavourable conditions for nest safety with unequal nest survival across the beach. Erosion of the beach surface exceeding a depth of 50 cm therefore results in nest destruction. Digital elevation models were produced to quantify the topographic modification of nesting on Yalimapo beach and highlight the endangered nesting areas. As the modification of the beach is not linear, some sectors are more eroded than others, resulting in unequal nest survival across the beach. Overall, up to 40% of the nests were presumed destroyed over the 2 years of survey, but true losses would depend on the species and the preferential locations of their nesting habitats. The relatively unfavourable conditions that prevailed during the 2 years of the survey are consistent with persistent erosion of Yalimpao beach since 2011. This ongoing erosion could explain in part the drastic decline of the leatherback turtle population in western French Guiana over the period 2001–2018. The substrate quality and dynamics of the nesting beach in relation to the preferred nesting habitat of each species are therefore critical issues that should be considered in the conservation strategies of marine turtles. The beach nesting conditions of marine turtles in French Guiana, as elsewhere, could be further aggravated in the future by climate change effects, including sea-level rise.
Complete mesocolic excision for right hemicolectomy: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: De Lange G. , Davies J. , Toso C. , Meurette G. , Ris F. , Meyer J.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Complete mesocolic excision improves lymphadenectomy for right hemicolectomy and respects the embryological planes. However, its effect on cancer-free and overall survival is questioned. Therefore, we aimed to determine the potential benefits of the technique by performing a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of the available evidence.

Methods

Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, and Embase were searched on February 22, 2023. Original studies on short- and long-term oncological outcomes of adult patients undergoing right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision as a treatment for primary colon cancer were considered for inclusion. Outcomes were extracted and pooled using a model with random effects.

Results

A total of 586 publications were identified through database searching, and 18 from citation searching. Exclusion of 552 articles left 24 articles for inclusion. Meta-analysis showed that complete mesocolic excision increased the lymph node harvest (5 studies, 1479 patients, MD 9.62, 95% CI 5.83–13.41, p > 0.0001, I2 84%), 5-year overall survival (5 studies, 2381 patients, OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.14–3.09, p = 0.01, I2 66%), 5-year disease-free survival (4 studies, 1376 patients, OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.51–3.23, p < 0.0001, I2 0%) and decreased the incidence of local recurrence (4 studies, 818 patients, OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09–0.79, p = 0.02, I2 0%) when compared to standard right hemicolectomy. Perioperative morbidity was similar between the techniques (8 studies, 3899 patients, OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.89–1.22, p = 0.97, I2 0%).

Conclusion

Meta-analysis of observational and randomised studies showed that right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision for primary right colon cancer improves oncologic results without increasing morbidity/mortality. These results need to be confirmed by high-quality evidence and randomised trials in selected patients to assess who may benefit from the procedure.
A Day on the Nile: Living in a Town in Nubia
Authors: Budka Julia , Ward Chloë , Elkins Carl G.
Published: August 2023

As archaeologists, we are often asked what it was like to live in the past. By blending a fictional narrative with factual archaeological evidence, we offer an interpretation of what a typical day may have been like living at Sai, a town on an island in the River Nile during the second millennium before the common era (BCE), in what is now Sudan. We focus on the question at different levels, thinking about the day-to-day life of the residents of an ancient town, activities that took place, and its broader historical, geographical, and cultural contexts. We also explain how archaeologists work and interpret some of the evidence we discuss, focusing on a range of methods. These include recent advances in virtual 3-D reconstruction, which offer a unique perspective on our interpretation of the past. Many themes covered in this article are highly relevant today and can be linked to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (in particular, 9, 11, and 12). We encourage readers to think about some of the things we discuss in relation to their own lives and experiences and have provided a number of call-out questions in speech bubbles throughout the article to get some of these discussions started.
Large Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Flame Synthesis of Silica Nanoparticles with an Extended Population Balance Model
Authors: Tsagkaridis Malamas , Papadakis George , Jones William P. , Rigopoulos Stelios
Published: August 2023

In the present study, a recently proposed extended population balance equation (PBE) model for aggregation and sintering is incorporated into a large eddy simulation-probability density function (LES-PDF) modelling framework to investigate synthesis of silica nanoparticles in a turbulent diffusion flame. The stochastic field method is employed to solve the LES-PBE-PDF equations, characterising the influence of the unresolved sub-grid scale motions and accounting for the interactions between turbulence, chemistry and particle dynamics. The models for gas-phase chemistry and aerosol dynamics are the same as those recently used by the authors to simulate silica synthesis in a laminar flame (Tsagkaridis et al. in Aerosol Sci Technol 57(4):296–317, 2023). Thus, by retaining the same kinetics without any adjustments in parameters, we focus on the modelling issues arising in silica flame synthesis. The LES results are compared with experimental in-situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data from the literature. Good agreement is found between numerical predictions and experimental data for temperature. However, the LES model underestimates the SAXS data for the primary particle diameter by a factor of two. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed in view of the previous laminar flame simulations.
Temperature fluctuation alters immuno-antioxidant response and enhances the susceptibility of Oreochromis niloticus to Aeromonas hydrophila challenge
Authors: Sherif Ahmed H. , Farag Enas A. H. , Mahmoud Abeer E.
Published: August 2023

In Egypt, the temperature of the water fluctuates drastically, reaching a daytime high of 25 °C and a nighttime low of 15 °C, respectively, in the spring and the fall. To understand the mechanism behind fish kill in fish farms, an indoor experiment was conducted wherein 240 Nile tilapia weighing 24 ± 2.5 g were stocked in 12 glass aquaria (20 fish/aquarium). Water temperature was regulated throughout the day at 27 ± 1.5 °C for 12 h from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and at 18 ± 1.5 °C for the remaining 12 h. Fish samples (mucus and tissues) were collected four times with a week interval. Proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were decreased during the 4 weeks, while anti-inflammatory IL-10 was highly upregulated during the first week and then decreased compared to the control. Heat shock protein-70 was significantly raised, but IL-8 was unaffected. The gene expressions of antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase were markedly elevated in the first week and then decreased linearly until they no longer differed from the control group. Mucus lysozyme significantly decreased in weeks 1 and 2 and then began to increase in weeks 3 and 4. Every week, Aeromonas hydrophila infection resulted in clinical signs that were delayed by over 2 days compared to the control group. The mortality rate increased from 35 to 40%, and bacteria were isolated at a rate of 61.54 to 75% from the surviving fish, compared to a rate of 41.67% in the control group. Fluctuations in water temperature suppress the immunity of Nile tilapia, making them vulnerable to bacterial infection.
Socioeconomic Status, Protective Factors, and Mental Health Problems in Transition from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Results of the Longitudinal BELLA Study
Authors: Maurer Jenny , Meyrose Ann-Katrin , Kaman Anne , Mauz Elvira , Ravens-Sieberer Ulrike , Reiss Franziska
Published: August 2023

Lower familial socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with more mental health problems in adolescence. The aim of this study was to identify factors that may protect adolescents from families with lower SES from developing mental health problems in emerging adulthood. Data of the population-based longitudinal BELLA study included n = 426 participants aged 13 to 17 years at t0 (2009–2012) and 18 to 24 years at t1 (2014–2017). Hierarchical multiple linear regressions with interaction terms were conducted, examining three selected protective factors (self-efficacy, family climate, and social support). Self-efficacy had a small protective effect for adolescents from families with lower SES for mental health problems in emerging adulthood. However, social support had a small protective effect for adolescents from families with higher SES. No moderating effect was found for family climate. Instead, better family climate in adolescents predicted fewer mental health problems in emerging adulthood with a small effect regardless the SES in adolescence. Results indicate the need for prevention measures for adolescents from families with lower SES for becoming mentally healthy emerging adults.
Climate change amplified the 2009 extreme landslide event in Austria
Authors: Mishra Aditya N. , Maraun Douglas , Knevels Raphael , Truhetz Heimo , Brenning Alexander , Proske Herwig
Published: August 2023

Landslides are an important natural hazard in mountainous regions. Given the triggering and preconditioning by meteorological conditions, it is known that landslide risk may change in a warming climate, but whether climate change has already affected individual landslide events is still an open question, partly owing to landslide data limitations and methodological challenges in climate impact attribution. Here, we demonstrate the substantial influence of anthropogenic climate change on a severe event in the southeastern Alpine forelands with some estimated 952 individual landslides in June 2009. Our study is based on conditional event attribution complemented by an assessment of changes in atmospheric circulation. Using this approach, we simulate the meteorological event under observed and a range of counterfactual conditions of no climate change and explicitly predict the landslide occurrence probability for these conditions. We find that up to 10%, i.e., 95 landslides, can be attributed to climate change.
Marginalized iterative ensemble smoothers for data assimilation
Authors: Stordal Andreas S. , Lorentzen Rolf J. , Fossum Kristian
Published: August 2023

Data assimilation is an important tool in many geophysical applications. One of many key elements of data assimilation algorithms is the measurement error that determines the weighting of the data in the cost function to be minimized. Although the algorithms used for data assimilation treat the measurement uncertainty as known, it is in many cases estimated or set based on some expert opinion. Here we treat the measurement uncertainty as a hyperparameter in a fully Bayesian hierarchical model and derive a new class of iterative ensemble methods for data assimilation where the measurement uncertainty is integrated out. The proposed algorithms are compared with the standard iterative ensemble smoother on a 2D synthetic reservoir model.
Transversal Harm and Zemiology: Reconsidering Green Criminology and Mineral Extractivism in Cerro de Pasco, Peru
Authors: Boukli Avi , Kotsakis Andreas
Published: August 2023

Green criminology has been advancing a focus on environmental crimes and harms. Extending this inquiry into avoidable and avertable environmental harms is a key function of both green criminology and zemiology. However, while the former seeks to expand regulatory frameworks, the latter contains within it the potential for a more holistic reimagining of the social world. Based on a methodology that combines qualitative methods (key informant interviews), a zemiological analysis, and the political ecology of Felix Guattari, we present a reconceptualization of harm inflicted by mineral extractivism in Peru’s Cerro de Pasco. The analysis utilizes the concept of transversal harm, which allows us to move beyond the criminal and civil damage of corporate crime and negligence, and to capture the collective and continuous impact of mineral extractivism. A discussion of transversal harm as a potential new avenue for expanding the conceptual boundaries of studying environmental harm concludes the article.
Safety-by-design and engineered nanomaterials: the need to move from theory to practice
Authors: Trump Benjamin D. , Antunes Dalila , Palma-Oliveira José , Nelson Andrew , Hudecova Alexandra Misci , Rundén-Pran Elise , Dusinska Maria , Gispert Ignasi , Resch Susanne , Alfaro-Serrano Beatriz , Afantitis Antreas , Melagraki Georgia , Tse Edmund C. M. , Trump Josh , Kohl Yvonne , Linkov Igor
Published: August 2023

As the governance of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) evolves, innovations in the prevention, mitigation, management, and transfer of risk shape discussion of how nanotechnology may mature and reach various marketplaces. Safety-by-Design (SbD) is one leading concept that, while equally philosophy as well as risk-based practice, can uniquely help address lingering uncertainties and concerns stemming from regulatory evaluation of ENM risk across worker, consumer, and environmental safety. This paper provides a discussion on the SbD concept across different disciplines aiming to identify different approaches and needs to meet regulatory requirements—ultimately, we argue that SbD is evolving both to meet the needs and discourse of various disciplines, and to apply within differing marketplaces and national regulatory structures. Understanding how SbD has evolved within ENM can yield a more practical application and development of SbD, and help guide or unify national and international ENM governance around a core set of safety-driven principles.
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to predict drug–drug interactions with the antibody–drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin
Authors: Choules Mary P. , Zuo Peiying , Otsuka Yukio , Garg Amit , Tang Mei , Bonate Peter
Published: August 2023

Enfortumab vedotin is an antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) comprised of a Nectin-4–directed antibody and monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), which is primarily eliminated through P-glycoprotein (P-gp)–mediated excretion and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4)–mediated metabolism. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed to predict effects of combined P-gp with CYP3A4 inhibitor/inducer (ketoconazole/rifampin) on MMAE exposure when coadministered with enfortumab vedotin and study enfortumab vedotin with CYP3A4 (midazolam) and P-gp (digoxin) substrate exposure. A PBPK model was built for enfortumab vedotin and unconjugated MMAE using the PBPK simulator ADC module. A similar model was developed with brentuximab vedotin, an ADC with the same valine-citrulline–MMAE linker as enfortumab vedotin, for MMAE drug–drug interaction (DDI) verification using clinical data. The DDI simulation predicted a less-than-2-fold increase in MMAE exposure with enfortumab vedotin plus ketoconazole (MMAE geometric mean ratio [GMR] for maximum concentration [Cmax], 1.15; GMR for area under the time-concentration curve from time 0 to last quantifiable concentration [AUClast], 1.38). Decreased MMAE exposure above 50% but below 80% was observed with enfortumab vedotin plus rifampin (MMAE GMR Cmax, 0.72; GMR AUClast, 0.47). No effect of enfortumab vedotin on midazolam or digoxin systemic exposure was predicted. Results suggest that combination enfortumab vedotin, P-gp, and a CYP3A4 inhibitor may result in increased MMAE exposure and patients should be monitored for potential adverse effects. Combination P-gp and a CYP3A4 inducer may result in decreased MMAE exposure. No exposure change is expected for CYP3A4 or P-gp substrates when combined with enfortumab vedotin.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier Not applicable.
Repurposing of approved antivirals against dengue virus serotypes: an in silico and in vitro mechanistic study
Authors: Rashmi S. H. , Disha K. Sai , Sudheesh N. , Karunakaran Joseph , Joseph Alex , Jagadesh Anitha , Mudgal P. P.
Published: August 2023

Dengue is an emerging, mosquito-borne viral disease of international public health concern. Dengue is endemic in more than 100 countries across the world. However, there are no clinically approved antivirals for its cure. Drug repurposing proves to be an efficient alternative to conventional drug discovery approaches in this regard, as approved drugs with an established safety profile are tested for new indications, which circumvents several time-consuming experiments. In the present study, eight approved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors of Hepatitis C virus were virtually screened against the Dengue virus polymerase protein, and their antiviral activity was assessed in vitro. Schrödinger software was used for in silico screening, where the compounds were passed through several hierarchical filters. Among the eight compounds, dasabuvir was finally selected for in vitro cytotoxicity and antiviral screening. Cytotoxicity profiling of dasabuvir in Vero cells revealed changes in cellular morphology, cell aggregation, and detachment at 50 μM. Based on these results, four noncytotoxic concentrations of dasabuvir (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 µM) were selected for antiviral screening against DENV-2 under three experimental conditions: pre-infection, co-infection, and post-infection treatment, by plaque reduction assay. Viral plaques were reduced significantly (p < 0.05) in the co-infection and post-infection treatment regimens; however, no reduction was observed in the pretreatment group. This indicated a possible interference of dasabuvir with NS5 RdRp, as seen from in silico interaction studies, translating into a reduction in virus plaques. Such studies reiterate the usefulness of drug repurposing as a viable strategy in antiviral drug discovery.

Graphical Abstract

In this drug repurposing study, dasabuvir, a known anti-hepatitis C drug, was selected through virtual screening and assessed for its anti-dengue activity.
Luteolin Protects Against 6-Hydoroxydopamine-Induced Cell Death via an Upregulation of HRD1 and SEL1L
Authors: Nishiguchi Hiroki , Omura Tomohiro , Sato Ayaka , Kitahiro Yumi , Yamamoto Kazuhiro , Kunimasa Junichi , Yano Ikuko
Published: August 2023

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is caused by many factors and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is considered as one of the responsible factors for it. ER stress induces the activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade unfolded proteins and suppress cell death. The ubiquitin ligase 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase degradation 1 (HRD1) and its stabilizing molecule, the suppressor/enhancer lin-12-like (SEL1L), can suppress the ER stress via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and that HRD1 can also suppress cell death in familial and nonfamilial PD models. These findings indicate that HRD1 and SEL1L might be key proteins for the treatment of PD. Our study aimed to identify the compounds with the effects of upregulating the HRD1 expression and suppressing neuronal cell death in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cellular PD model. Our screening by the Drug Gene Budger, a drug repositioning tool, identified luteolin as a candidate compound for the desired modulation of the HRD1 expression. Subsequently, we confirmed that low concentrations of luteolin did not show cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells, and used these low concentrations in the subsequent experiments. Next, we demonsrated that luteolin increased HRD1 and SEL1L mRNA levels and protein expressions. Furthermore, luteolin inhibited 6-OHDA-induced cell death and suppressed ER stress response caused by exposure to 6-OHDA. Finally, luteolin did not reppress 6-OHDA-induced cell death when expression of HRD1 or SEL1L was suppressed by RNA interference. These findings suggest that luteolin might be a novel therapeutic agent for PD due to its ability to suppress ER stress through the activation of HRD1 and SEL1L.
Looks Like a Leader: Measuring Evolution in Gendered Politician Stereotypes
Authors: van der Pas Daphne , Aaldering Loes , Bos Angela L.
Published: August 2023

Previous research showed that the stereotype of women politicians is incongruent with the general politician stereotype, which can be disadvantageous for women seeking political office. Based on the strong influx of women politicians in US politics, and the increased familiarity of the electorate with women in political leadership positions, we expect that voters now have a clearer picture of women politicians and that their stereotype is more congruent with the traits desired in political leaders. In testing this, we make a methodological contribution to the study of stereotyping by adapting a large-N list experiment as an effective and innovative measurement of stereotype endorsement. The results show important changes in gendered political stereotypes over the last ten years. The evolution of the women politician stereotype is encouraging: the traits that people associate with women politicians are more positive than ten years ago and more congruent to desirable traits for politicians. However, the findings also underscore the continuing masculinity of the political domain, by the strong overlap between the stereotype of men politicians and politicians in general. Even more pronounced than the positive trend for women politicians is the unfavorable evolution of the stereotypes of men politicians and politicians generally, which shows a strong downfall compared to a decade ago.
Firm performance, imperfect competition, and corruption risks in procurement: evidence from Swedish municipalities
Authors: Wittberg Emanuel , Fazekas Mihály
Published: August 2023

Previous research has shown that corruption risks may distort market incentives in high-risk contexts. However, there is a dearth of evidence on the potential impact of corruption in settings characterized by low corruption and high-quality institutions. Against that background, this paper delves deeper into the alleged consequences of corruption by examining the link between corruption risks in public procurement and the profitability of firms in the Swedish construction industry. We introduce a novel measure of corruption risk based on the share of single bidder contracts that a firm has won. Validity analysis confirms that our measure is correlated with an alternative corruption measure and local tender winners. Our results reveal that firms that win many single bidder contracts have higher profitability than other firms in the sector: 10 percentage points higher single bidding rate firms have a 0.2–0.6-percentage-point higher sales margin. The findings underscore that public procurement corruption risks distort markets and economic incentives, and that this risk is present even in low-corruption contexts such as in Sweden.
Do firms follow the SEC’s confidential treatment protocols? Evidence from credit agreements
Authors: Saavedra Daniel
Published: August 2023

I examine whether firms follow the Securities and Exchange Commission’s confidential treatment protocols when redacting potentially material information from their credit agreements. My findings suggest that most firms may not comply with SEC directives: they withhold potentially material information without following the SEC’s confidential treatment protocols and without making interested parties aware of their information disadvantage. I also find evidence consistent with lender and borrower incentives driving the decision to withhold potentially material information from the credit agreement. My findings are consistent with lenders influencing redaction decisions not out of concern about rivals but because they do not want their other borrowers to see the terms. Finally, I find that the Refinitiv / LPC Dealscan database rarely includes redacted fee data, thus leading to potential biases when fees are included in cost of debt measures.
The home literacy environment and television exposure as mediators between migration background and preschool children’s linguistic abilities
Authors: Valcárcel Jiménez María , Wirth Astrid , Birtwistle Efsun , Niklas Frank
Published: August 2023

The development of key linguistic abilities is essential for young children and their academic success at school, in particular for children with a migration background who are at a greater risk of developing language deficits. Here, family interactions can provide valuable opportunities to support children’s linguistic learning within the Home Literacy Environment (HLE). Although the importance of the HLE for children’s language acquisition has often been investigated, research has not focused on specific facets of the HLE and other influencing factors that may be associated with early linguistic abilities such as television exposure (TE). A sample of 190 preschool children (Mage= 63.58 months, SDage = 4.42) was used to analyse the associations of the facets of the HLE and TE with children’s early linguistic abilities, namely phonological awareness (PA), vocabulary, and letter knowledge. In particular, this study aims to understand the role of the HLE facets and TE as potential mediators between migration background and children’s early linguistic abilities, when controlling for socioeconomical status (SES), children’s sex and age. The findings indicate that the association between migration background and children’s early linguistic abilities was fully mediated by all four facets of the HLE and by TE. Consequently, these mediators may be good targets for intervention and the support of preschool children’s linguistic development.
Does a Longer Work Horizon Affect Offsprings' Labour Market Outcomes?
Authors: Chattopadhyay Debdeep
Published: August 2023

This paper studies the effect of an increase in the work horizon of middle aged workers on the school-work transition of their offsprings aged 15–29 years. I exploit the variation in the parental work horizon induced by the 2012 Fornero reform in Italy that abruptly changed the age and years of social security contribution requirements for pension eligibility. Utilising a difference-in-difference strategy in a multi-valued treatment setting, the study shows that the reform-induced increase in the work horizon of mothers caused an increase in the probability of their offsprings seeking their first job and a decrease in these offsprings’ probability of being a student. This effect is higher among offsprings who are male, those aged 15–21, those with mothers without a University degree and those in southern Italy. Fathers did not significantly affect the student status or any labour market outcomes of their offsprings. Mechanisms behind these findings include the longer reform-induced work horizon for mothers vs. fathers, and the consequent positive effect on mothers’ lifetime earnings.
Two in One: A New Tool to Combine Two Rankings Based on the Voronoi Diagram
Authors: Mariani Francesca , Ciommi Mariateresa , Recchioni Maria Cristina
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we propose a novel method for ranking items such as countries, individuals, or firms based on two indices. This approach is particularly useful when constructing a composite indicator that combines both dimensions is not feasible. The proposed ranking approach involves an iterative scheme where the Voronoi algorithm is applied in a two-dimensional space at each step. To provide empirical evidence that our approach works satisfactorily, we applied the Voronoi-based iterative scheme to rank 34 European countries based on two dimensions: the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Happiness Index (HI). The correlation coefficient between the rankings based on HDI and HI is lower than the correlation coefficients between the Voronoi-based ranking and HDI, as well as between the Voronoi-based ranking and HI. These results suggest that the new method is capable of better capturing the information from both original indices.
Flow Field Characterisation of Gaseous Flow in a Packed Bed by Particle Image Velocimetry
Authors: Velten C. , Zähringer K.
Published: August 2023

Packed beds with gaseous flow are used in many industrial processes with high energy and resource consumption. This study provides velocity data of the gas flow through a model packed bed of 40 mm spheres arranged in body centred cubic packing obtained by Particle Image Velocimetry to allow for validation of numerical calculations which are often used for process optimization. Results are presented exemplarily for a particle Reynolds number range from 200 to 500. The flow fields are discussed in terms of inlet conditions to the empty reactor, symmetry and height independent flow structure above the bed and measurements in the optically accessible interstices of the bed. The measurement of a sufficient number of snap-shots for each measurement condition and location allowed also for the determination of the turbulent kinetic energy. Above the bed, low frequency oscillations of the flow are observed, that increase with the Reynolds number. In the interior of the bed, fluctuations are much less pronounced. The appearing flow structures are not significantly influenced by different particle Reynolds numbers, but the velocity magnitude changes.
Electromyographic activity of hip extensor muscles during Nordic hamstring and razor curl exercises on leveled and inclined shanks
Authors: Soga Toshiaki , Hakariya Nadaka , Saito Hiromi , Nakaichi Naoto , Akiyama Kei , Hirose Norikazu
Published: August 2023

Background

Changes in electromyographic (EMG) activity of hip extensor muscles and knee flexion angles at peak biceps femoris long head (BFlh) EMG activity by different shank angles during razor curl (RC) exercises are unknown.

Aims

We investigated the changes in EMG activity of hip extensor muscles and knee flexion angle at peak BFlh EMG activity with different shank angles during RC and also compared the Nordic hamstring (NH) and RC exercises in the EMG activity of hip extensor muscles.

Methods

Twelve male university students randomly performed two repetitions of NH and RC with the lower leg slope angle set at 0° (NH0, RC0) and 40° (NH40, RC40). The EMG activity of hip extensor muscles was measured at the BFlh and related muscles. EMG activity was calculated based on the peak value of the root mean square, normalized as a percentage of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction.

Results

The BFlh EMG activity of NH0 was higher than that of RC0 (p = 0.002) and RC40 (p = 0.008). The knee flexion angle at peak BFlh EMG activity of NH0 was larger than that of NH40 (p = 0.003) and RC40 (p = 0.002), and RC0 was larger than that of NH40 (p = 0.002) and RC40 (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

NH40, the BFlh EMG activity equivalent to NH0, might be more effective for preventing recurrence of hamstring injury because the knee flexion angle at peak BFlh EMG activity remains within 30°, combined with a high BFlh EMG activity.
Systematic study of the synergistic and kinetics effects on the removal of contaminants of emerging concern from water by ultrasound in the presence of diverse oxidants
Authors: Estrada-Flórez Sandra E. , Serna-Galvis Efraím A. , Lee Judy , Torres-Palma Ricardo A.
Published: August 2023

The enhancement of the ultrasound system by adding diverse oxidants to remove a model contaminant (acetaminophen, ACE) in water was investigated. Different parameters were evaluated to study their effect on both the degradation kinetics and the synergy of the combination. The variables studied were the ultrasonic frequency (575, 858, and 1135 kHz), type of oxidant (hydrogen peroxide, sodium peroxydisulfate (or persulfate, PDS), and potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS)), ACE concentration (4, 8, and 40 µM), and oxidant concentration (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 5 mM). Particular interest was placed on synergistic effects, implying that one process (or both) is activated by the other to lead to greater efficiency. Interestingly, the parameters that led to the higher synergistic effects did not always lead to the most favorable degradation kinetics. An increase in ACE removal of 20% was obtained using the highest frequency studied (1135 kHz), PMS 0.1 mM, and the highest concentration of ACE (40 µM). The intensification of degradation was mainly due to the ability of ultrasound to activate oxidants and produce extra hydroxyl radicals (HO•) or sulfate radicals (SO4•–). Under these conditions, treatment of ACE spiked into seawater, hospital wastewater, and urine was performed. The hospital wastewater matrix inhibited ACE degradation slightly, while the urine components inhibited the pollutant degradation completely. The inhibition was mainly attributed to the competing organic matter in the effluents for the sono-generated radical species. On the contrary, the removal of ACE in seawater was significantly intensified due to “salting out” effects and the production of the strong oxidant HOCl from the reaction of chloride ions with PMS.
Green synthesized silver nanoparticles mediated by Fusarium nygamai isolate AJTYC1: characterizations, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and photocatalytic activities and cytogenetic effects
Authors: El-Ansary Abeer E. , Omran Ahmed A. A. , Mohamed Heba I. , El-Mahdy Omima M.
Published: August 2023

Green biosynthesized nanoparticles have a bright future because they can be produced using a method that is more energy-efficient, cost-effective, repeatable, and environmentally friendly than physical or chemical synthesis. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were produced using theFusarium nygamaiisolate AJTYC1. Several techniques were used to characterize the synthesized AgNPs, including UV–Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, zeta potential analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, energy dispersive X-ray, and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. AgNPs showed a distinctive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak in the UV–visible range at 310 nm. The morphology of the biosynthesized AgNPs was spherical, and the TEM image shows that they ranged in size from 27.3 to 53.1 nm. The notable peaks of the FT-IR results show the different groups for the alkane, alkynes, cyclic alkenes, carboxylic, aromatic amine, esters, and phenolics. Additionally, the results showed that AgNPs had superior antioxidant activity when compared to ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene, which is a powerful antioxidant. Additionally, AgNPs have antibacterial action utilizing agar diffusion against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and antifungal activity. AgNPs’ anticancer activity varied depending on the type of cancer it was used to treat, including hepatocellular cancer (HepG2), colorectal carcinoma (HCT116), and breast cancer of the mammary gland (MCF7). The viability of the cancer cell lines was reduced with increasing AgNP concentration. AgNPs also demonstrated promising photocatalytic activity by reducing methylene blue, safranin, crystal violet, and green malachite by 88.3%, 81.5%, 76.4%, and 78.2%, respectively. In addition, AgNPs significantly affected theAllium cepaplant’s mitotic index and resulted in chromosomal abnormalities as compared to the control. Thus, the synthesized AgNPs demonstrated an efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable method for decolorizing dyes as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities. This could be a huge victory in the fight against numerous dynamic diseases and lessen wastewater dye contamination.