bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attenuation of sleep deprivation dependent deterioration in male fertility parameters by vitamin C
Authors: Rizk Nermin I. , Rizk Mohamed S. , Mohamed Asmaa S. , Naguib Yahya M.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Male fertility is multifaceted and its integrity is as well multifactorial. Normal spermatogenesis is dependent on competent testicular function; namely normal anatomy, histology, physiology and hormonal regulation. Lifestyle stressors, including sleep interruption and even deprivation, have been shown to seriously impact male fertility. We studied here both the effects and the possible underlying mechanisms of vitamin C on male fertility in sleep deprived rats.

Methods

Thirty male Wistar albino rats were used in the present study. Rats were divided (10/group) into: control (remained in their cages with free access to food and water), sleep deprivation (SD) group (subjected to paradoxical sleep deprivation for 5 consequent days, rats received intra-peritoneal injections of vehicle daily throughout the sleep deprivation), and sleep deprivation vitamin C-treated (SDC) group (subjected to sleep deprivation for 5 consequent days with concomitant intra-peritoneal injections of 100 mg/kg/day vitamin C). Sperm analysis, hormonal assay, and measurement of serum oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were performed. Testicular gene expression of Nrf2 and NF-κβ was assessed. Structural changes were evaluated by testicular histopathology, while PCNA immunostaining was conducted to assess spermatogenesis.

Results

Sleep deprivation had significantly altered sperm motility, viability, morphology and count. Serum levels of cortisol, corticosterone, IL-6, IL-17, MDA were increased, while testosterone and TAC levels were decreased. Testicular gene expression of Nrf2 was decreased, while NF-κβ was increased. Sleep deprivation caused structural changes in the testes, and PCNA immunostaining showed defective spermatogenesis. Administration of vitamin C significantly countered sleep deprivation induced deterioration in male fertility parameters.

Conclusion

Treatment with vitamin C enhanced booth testicular structure and function in sleep deprived rats. Vitamin C could be a potential fertility enhancer against lifestyle stressors.
Lipopolysaccharide induces neuroinflammation in microglia by activating the MTOR pathway and downregulating Vps34 to inhibit autophagosome formation
Authors: Ye Xiaoxia , Zhu Mingming , Che Xiaohang , Wang Huiyang , Liang Xing-Jie , Wu Chunfu , Xue Xue , Yang Jingyu
Published: January 2020

Background

Microglial activation is a prominent feature of neuroinflammation, which is present in almost all neurodegenerative diseases. While an initial inflammatory response mediated by microglia is considered to be protective, excessive pro-inflammatory response of microglia contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. Although autophagy is involved in the suppression of inflammation, its role and mechanism in microglia are unclear.

Methods

In the present study, we studied the mechanism by which lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affects microglial autophagy and the effects of autophagy on the production of pro-inflammatory factors in microglial cells by western blotting, immunocytochemistry, transfection, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and real-time PCR. In a mouse model of neuroinflammation, generated by intraventricular injection of LPS (5 μg/animal), we induced autophagy by rapamycin injection and investigated the effects of enhanced autophagy on microglial activation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry.

Results

We found that autophagic flux was suppressed in LPS-stimulated N9 microglial cells, as evidenced by decreased expression of the autophagy marker LC3-II (lipidated form of MAP1LC3), as well as increased levels of the autophagy adaptor protein SQSTM1. LPS significantly decreased Vps34 expression in N9 microglial cells by activating the PI3KI/AKT/MTOR pathway without affecting the levels of lysosome-associated proteins and enzymes. More importantly, overexpression of Vps34 significantly enhanced the autophagic flux and decreased the accumulation of SQSTM1 in LPS-stimulated N9 microglial cells. Moreover, our results revealed that an LPS-induced reduction in the level of Vps34 prevented the maturation of omegasomes to phagophores. Furthermore, LPS-induced neuroinflammation was significantly ameliorated by treatment with the autophagy inducer rapamycin both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

These data reveal that LPS-induced neuroinflammation in N9 microglial cells is associated with the inhibition of autophagic flux through the activation of the PI3KI/AKT/MTOR pathway, while enhanced microglial autophagy downregulates LPS-induced neuroinflammation. Thus, this study suggests that promoting the early stages of autophagy might be a potential therapeutic approach for neuroinflammation-associated diseases.
Dectin-1/Syk signaling triggers neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke in mice
Authors: Ye Xin-Chun , Hao Qi , Ma Wei-Jing , Zhao Qiu-Chen , Wang Wei-Wei , Yin Han-Han , Zhang Tao , Wang Miao , Zan Kun , Yang Xin-Xin , Zhang Zuo-Hui , Shi Hong-Juan , Zu Jie , Raza Hafiz Khuram , Zhang Xue-Ling , Geng De-Qin , Hu Jin-Xia , Cui Gui-Yun
Published: January 2020

Background

Dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin-1 (Dectin-1) receptor has been reported to be involved in neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury. The present study was designed to investigate the role of Dectin-1 and its downstream target spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) in early brain injury after ischemic stroke using a focal cortex ischemic stroke model.

Methods

Adult male C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to a cerebral focal ischemia model of ischemic stroke. The neurological score, adhesive removal test, and foot-fault test were evaluated on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after ischemic stroke. Dectin-1, Syk, phosphorylated (p)-Syk, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression was analyzed via western blotting in ischemic brain tissue after ischemic stroke and in BV2 microglial cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury in vitro. The brain infarct volume and Iba1-positive cells were evaluated using Nissl’s and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. The Dectin-1 antagonist laminarin (LAM) and a selective inhibitor of Syk phosphorylation (piceatannol; PIC) were used for the intervention.

Results

Dectin-1, Syk, and p-Syk expression was significantly enhanced on days 3, 5, and 7 and peaked on day 3 after ischemic stroke. The Dectin-1 antagonist LAM or Syk inhibitor PIC decreased the number of Iba1-positive cells and TNF-α and iNOS expression, decreased the brain infarct volume, and improved neurological functions on day 3 after ischemic stroke. In addition, the in vitro data revealed that Dectin-1, Syk, and p-Syk expression was increased following the 3-h OGD and 0, 3, and 6 h of reperfusion in BV2 microglial cells. LAM and PIC also decreased TNF-α and iNOS expression 3 h after OGD/R induction.

Conclusion

Dectin-1/Syk signaling plays a crucial role in inflammatory activation after ischemic stroke, and further investigation of Dectin-1/Syk signaling in stroke is warranted.
Proteomic analysis reflects an environmental alkalinization-coupled pH-dependent mechanism of regulating lignocellulases in Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742
Authors: Miao Youzhi , Chen Xing , Li Tuo , Zhu Han , Tang Siyu , Liu Dongyang , Shen Qirong
Published: January 2020

Background

Filamentous fungi have the ability to efficiently decompose plant biomass, and thus are widely used in the biofuel and bioprocess industries. In process, ambient pH has been reported to strongly affect the performance of the applied functional filamentous fungi. In this study,Trichoderma guizhouenseNJAU4742 was investigated under the fermentation of rice straw at different initial pH values for a detailed study.

Results

The results showed that NJAU4742 strain could tolerate ambient pH values ranging from 3.0 to 9.0, but had significantly higher growth speed and extracellular enzyme activities under acidic conditions. At low ambient pH (< 4), NJAU4742 strain achieved rapid degradation of rice straw by elevating the ambient pH to an optimal range through environmental alkalinization. Further proteomic analysis identified a total of 1139 intracellular and extracellular proteins during the solid-state fermentation processes, including the quantified 190 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) responsible for rice straw degradation, such as 19 cellulases, 47 hemicellulases and 11 chitinases. Meanwhile, the analysis results clearly showed that the secreted lignocellulases had a synergistic trend in distribution according to the ambient pH, and thus led to a pH-dependent classification of lignocellulases inT. guizhouenseNJAU4742.

Conclusions

Most functional lignocellulases were found to be differently regulated by the ambient pH inT. guizhouenseNJAU4742, which had the ability of speeding up biomass degradation by elevating the ambient pH through environmental alkalinization. These findings contribute to the theoretical basis for the biodegradation of plant biomass by filamentous fungi in the biofuel and bioprocess industries.
Essential items for reporting of scaling studies of health interventions (SUCCEED): protocol for a systematic review and Delphi process
Authors: Gogovor Amédé , Zomahoun Hervé Tchala Vignon , Ben Charif Ali , McLean Robert K. D. , Moher David , Milat Andrew , Wolfenden Luke , Prévost Karina , Aubin Emmanuelle , Rochon Paula , Ekanmian Giraud , Sawadogo Jasmine , Rheault Nathalie , Légaré France
Published: January 2020

Background

The lack of a reporting guideline for scaling of evidence-based practices (EBPs) studies has prompted the registration of the Standards for reporting studies assessing the impact of scaling strategies of EBPs (SUCCEED) with EQUATOR Network. The development of SUCCEED will be guided by the following main steps recommended for developing health research reporting guidelines.

Methods

Executive Committee. We established a committee composed of members of the core research team and of an advisory group.

Systematic review. The protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework on 29 November 2019 (https://osf.io/vcwfx/). We will include reporting guidelines or other reports that may include items relevant to studies assessing the impact of scaling strategies. We will search the following electronic databases: EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, from inception. In addition, we will systematically search websites of EQUATOR and other relevant organizations. Experts in the field of reporting guidelines will also be contacted. Study selection and data extraction will be conducted independently by two reviewers. A narrative analysis will be conducted to compile a list of items for the Delphi exercise. Consensus process. We will invite panelists with expertise in: development of relevant reporting guidelines, methodologists, content experts, patient/member of the public, implementers, journal editors, and funders. We anticipated that three rounds of web-based Delphi consensus will be needed for an acceptable degree of agreement. We will use a 9-point scale (1 = extremely irrelevant to 9 = extremely relevant). Participants’ response will be categorized as irrelevant (1–3), equivocal (4–6) and relevant (7–9). For each item, the consensus is reached if at least 80% of the participants’ votes fall within the same category. The list of items from the final round will be discussed at face-to-face consensus meeting. Guideline validation. Participants will be authors of scaling studies. We will collect quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) data. Descriptive analyses will be conducted on quantitative data and constant comparative techniques on qualitative data.

Discussion

Essential items for reporting scaling studies will contribute to better reporting of scaling studies and facilitate the transparency and scaling of evidence-based health interventions.
Co-registered combined OCT and THz imaging to extract depth and refractive index of a tissue-equivalent test object
Authors: Fitzgerald A. J. , Tie X. , Hackmann M. J. , Cense B. , Gibson A. P. , Wallace V. P.
Published: January 2020

Terahertz (THz) imaging and optical coherence tomography (OCT) provide complementary information with similar length scales. In addition to OCT’s extensive use in ophthalmology, both methods have shown some promise for other medical applications and non-destructive testing. In this paper, we present an iterative algorithm that combines the information from OCT and THz imaging at two different measurement locations within an object to determine both the depth of the reflecting layers at the two locations and the unknown refractive index of the medium for both the OCT wavelengths and THz frequencies. We validate this algorithm using a silicone test object with embedded layers and show that the depths and refractive index values obtained from the algorithm agreed with the measured values to within 3.3%. We further demonstrate for the first time that OCT and THz images can be co-registered and aligned using unsupervised image registration. Hence we show that a combined OCT/THz system can provide unique information beyond the capability of the separate modalities alone, with possible applications in the medical, industrial and pharmaceutical sectors.
Qualitative and quantitative detection of liver injury with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy
Authors: Cao Yuqi , Huang Pingjie , Chen Jiani , Ge Weiting , Hou Dibo , Zhang Guangxin
Published: January 2020

Terahertz technology has been widely used as a nondestructive and effective detection method. Herein, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy was used to detect drug-induced liver injury in mice. Firstly, the boxplots were used to detect abnormal data. Then the maximal information coefficient method was used to search for the features strongly correlated with the degree of injury. After that, the liver injury model was built using the random forests method in machine learning. The results show that this method can effectively identify the degree of liver injury and thus provide an auxiliary diagnostic method for detecting minor liver injury.
High extinction ratio, low insertion loss, optical switch based on an electrowetting prism
Authors: Zohrabi Mo , Yang Lim Wei , Bright Victor M. , Gopinath Juliet T.
Published: January 2020

An optical switch based on an electrowetting prism coupled to a multimode fiber has demonstrated a large extinction ratio with speeds up to 300 Hz. Electrowetting prisms provide a transmissive, low power, and compact alternative to conventional free-space optical switches, with no moving parts. The electrowetting prism performs beam steering of ±3° with an extinction ratio of 47 dB between the ON and OFF states and has been experimentally demonstrated at scanning frequencies of 100–300 Hz. The optical design is modeled in Zemax to account for secondary rays created at each surface interface (without scattering). Simulations predict 50 dB of extinction, in good agreement with experiment.
Optical-aberrations-corrected light field re-projection for high-quality plenoptic imaging
Authors: Chen Yanqin , Jin Xin , Xiong Bo
Published: January 2020

The singlet plenoptic camera, which consists of a single lens, microlens array (MLA) and image sensor, possesses the superiority that the imaging system is compact and lightweight, which is beneficial to miniaturization. However, such plenoptic cameras suffer from severe optical aberrations and their imaging quality is inferior for post-capture processing. Therefore, this paper proposes an optical-aberrations-corrected light field re-projection method to obtain high-quality singlet plenoptic imaging. First, optical aberrations are modeled by Seidel polynomials and included into point spread function (PSF) modeling. The modeled PSF is subsequently used to reconstruct imaging object information. Finally, the reconstructed imaging object information is re-projected back to the plenoptic imaging plane to obtain high-quality plenoptic images without optical aberrations. PSF modeling is validated by a self-built singlet plenoptic camera and the utility of the proposed optical-aberrations-corrected light field re-projection method is verified by numerical simulations and real imaging experiments.
Efficient layout-aware statistical analysis for photonic integrated circuits
Authors: Jhoja Jaspreet , Lu Zeqin , Pond James , Chrostowski Lukas
Published: January 2020

Fabrication variability significantly impacts the performance of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), which makes it crucial to quantify the impact of fabrication variations before the final fabrication. Such analysis enables circuit and system designers to optimize their designs to be more robust and obtain maximum yield when designing for manufacturing. This work presents a simulation methodology, Reduced Spatial Correlation Matrix-based Monte-Carlo (RSCM-MC), to efficiently study the impact of spatially correlated fabrication variations on the performance of PICs. First, a simple and reliable method to extract physical correlation lengths, variability parameters that define the inverse of the spatial frequencies of width and height variations over a wafer, is presented. Then, the process of generating correlated variations for MC simulations using RSCM-MC methodology is presented. The methodology generates correlated variations by first creating a reduced correlation matrix containing spatial correlations between all the circuit components, and then processing it using Cholesky decomposition to obtain correlated variations for all circuit components. These variations are then used to conduct MC simulations. The accuracy and the computation performance of the proposed methodology are compared with other layout-dependent Monte-Carlo simulation methodologies, such as Virtual wafer-based Monte-Carlo (VW-MC). A Mach-Zehnder lattice filter is used to study the accuracy, and a second-order Mach-Zehnder filter and a 16x16 optical switch matrix system are used to compare the computational performance.
Multi-wavelength voltage-coded metasurface based on indium tin oxide: independently and dynamically controllable near-infrared multi-channels
Authors: Sabri Raana , Forouzmand Ali , Mosallaei Hossein
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we present a design principle for achieving an electrically tunable, multi-wavelength device with multiple functionalities over a single metasurface platform with minimized footprint. This concept is realized based on the integration of four metal-insulator-metal (MIM) inclusions inside a unit cell, which is configured to support four independently controllable operating channels lying in near-infrared (NIR) regime. Incorporation of newly emerged, electrically tunable indium tin oxide (ITO) into such metasurface leads to a dynamical phase modulation over the reflected light. As a result, the phase tunability of almost 285°, 230°, 300°, and 280° are captured at T, O, C, and U optical communications bands, under applying external bias voltages. A digital coding strategy, consisting of "0" and "1" binary bits, is employed to represent the applied biasing configuration to the sub-units. Independently controlled, decoupled gap plasmon resonators, with the ability of eliminating the interference between channels, are enabled thanks to the geometry optimization and careful selection of materials. A meta-array configuration is implemented, in which electrically addressing the groups of MIM sub-units opens a pathway to the tunable applications, namely Airy beam generation, beam splitting, steering, and focusing.
Rotated fourfold U-shape metasurface for polarization-insensitive strong enhancement of mid-infrared photodetection
Authors: Tong Jinchao , Suo Fei , Tobing Landobasa Y. M. , Xu Zhengji , Xiong Yao , Zhang Dao Hua
Published: January 2020

Metasurface with thin planar resonant elements offers great capability in manipulating electromagnetic waves and their interaction with semiconductors. Split-ring resonator (SRR), as the basic building block, has been extensively investigated for myriad applications owing to its multiple electric and magnetic resonant modes. In this work, we report a rotated fourfold U-shape SRR metasurface for polarization-insensitive strong enhancement of mid-infrared photodetection. The integrated photodetector consists of a rotated fourfold SRR array and an InAsSb based heterojunction photodiode. A photosensitivity enhancement factor as high as 11 has been achieved by adoption of superimposed high order magnetic and electric resonant modes in the SRR metasurface. This work provides a promising pathway for exploring high performance polarization-insensitive photodetection in different electromagnetic wave ranges.
Improved performance of AlGaInP red micro-light-emitting diodes with sidewall treatments
Authors: Wong Matthew S. , Kearns Jared A. , Lee Changmin , Smith Jordan M. , Lynsky Cheyenne , Lheureux Guillaume , Choi Hyoshik , Kim Jinwan , Kim Chaehon , Nakamura Shuji , Speck James S. , DenBaars Steven P.
Published: January 2020

The electrical and optical improvements of AlGaInP micro-light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) using atomic-layer deposition (ALD) sidewall passivation were demonstrated. Due to the high surface recombination velocity and minority carrier diffusion length of the AlGaInP material system, devices without sidewall passivation suffered from high leakage and severe drop in external quantum efficiency (EQE). By employing ALD sidewall treatments, the 20×20 µm2 µLEDs resulted in greater light output power, size-independent leakage current density, and lower ideality factor. The forward current-voltage characteristic was enhanced by using surface pretreatment. Furthermore, ALD sidewall treatments recovered the EQE of the 20×20 µm2 devices more than 150%. This indicated that AlGaInP µLEDs with ALD sidewall treatments can be used as the red emitter for full-color µLED display applications.
Complete and faithful hyperentangled-Bell-state analysis of photon systems using a failure-heralded and fidelity-robust quantum gate
Authors: Cao Cong , Zhang Li , Han Yu-Hong , Yin Pan-Pan , Fan Ling , Duan Yu-Wen , Zhang Ru
Published: January 2020

Hyperentangled-Bell-state analysis (HBSA) represents a key step in many quantum information processing schemes that utilize hyperentangled states. In this paper, we present a complete and faithful HBSA scheme for two-photon quantum systems hyperentangled in both the polarization and spatial-mode degrees of freedom, using a failure-heralded and fidelity-robust quantum swap gate for the polarization states of two photons (P-SWAP gate), constructed with a singly charged semiconductor quantum dot (QD) in a double-sided optical microcavity (double-sided QD-cavity system) and some linear-optical elements. Compared with the previously proposed complete HBSA schemes using different auxiliary tools such as parity-check quantum nondemonlition detectors or additional entangled states, our scheme significantly simplifies the analysis process and saves the quantum resource. Unlike the previous schemes based on the ideal optical giant circular birefringence induced by a single-electron spin in a double-sided QD-cavity system, our scheme guarantees the robust fidelity and relaxes the requirement on the QD-cavity parameters. These features indicate that our scheme may be more feasible and useful in practical applications based on the photonic hyperentanglement.
Detecting a single nanoparticle by imaging the localized enhancement and interference of surface plasmon polaritons: erratum
Authors: Sun Xuqing , Liu Hongyao , Jiang Liwen , Wei Ruxue , Wang Xue , Wang Chang , Lu Xinchao , Huang Chengjun
Published: January 2020

In this erratum, the function

λ

S
P
P

in the third page of Opt. Lett.
44, 5707 (2019)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.44.005707 has
been corrected.
An Improved Methodology to Evaluate Cell and Molecular Signals in the Reparative Callus During Fracture Healing
Authors: Valiya Kambrath Anuradha , Williams Justin N. , Sankar Uma
Published: January 2020

Approximately 5% to 10% of all bone fractures do not heal completely, contributing to significant patient suffering and medical costs. Even in healthy individuals, fracture healing is associated with significant downtime and loss of productivity. However, no pharmacological treatments are currently available to promote efficient bone healing. A better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is crucial for developing novel therapies to hasten healing. The early reparative callus that forms around the site of bone injury is a fragile tissue consisting of shifting cell populations held together by loose connective tissue. The delicate callus is challenging to section and is vulnerable to disintegration during the harsh steps of immunostaining, namely, decalcification, deparaffinization, and antigen retrieval. Here, we describe an improved methodology for processing early-stage fracture calluses and immunofluorescence labeling of the sections to visualize the temporal (timing) and spatial (location) patterns of cellular and molecular events that regulate bone healing. This method has a short turnaround time from sample collection to microscopy as it does not require lengthy decalcification. It preserves the structural integrity of the fragile callus as the method does not entail deparaffinization or harsh methods of antigen retrieval. Our method can be adapted for high-throughput screening of drugs that promote efficacious bone healing:
Schreibraum Büro
Authors: Arburg Hans-Georg von
Published: January 2020

Hans-Georg von Arburg zeigt in seinem Beitrag, wie der deutsch-jüdische Architekt, Soziologe und Feuilletonist Siegfried Kracauer als einer der ersten die Büroexistenz der Angestelltenmassen in der Weimarer Republik als eine neue, typisch moderne Lebenswelt beschreibt. Kracauer interessiert sich dabei nicht nur für die soziologischen Bedingungen des (ab-)schreibenden Lebens, sondern für das Schreiben als moderne Lebensform selbst. Indem er seine eigene Schreibarbeit in die Nachforschungen über das Büro als Interieur miteinbezieht, kommt er zu überaus hellsichtigen Innenansichten der Moderne.
Die Erfassung und Messung von Bedeutungsstrukturen in großen Textsammlungen
Authors: Goldenstein Jan , Poschmann Philipp , Walgenbach Peter
Published: January 2020

Seit über 40 Jahren werden die Konzepte der neo-institutionalistischen Organisationstheorie mit großem Erfolg weiterentwickelt. In den letzten Jahren halten mit der Verfügbarkeit von Big Data auch neue Methoden Einzug in die Theorie, mit denen sich sowohl alte als auch neuere Konzepte der Theorie auch »großzahlig« untersuchen lassen. Damit eröffnen sich neue Möglichkeiten für die empirische Forschung. Im vorliegenden Kapitel wird ein Teil dieser Methoden vorgestellt und dargelegt, wie das Analyserepertoire des Neo-Institutionalismus insbesondere durch Werkzeuge des Natural Language Processing (NLP) sinnvoll erweitert werden kann. Im Folgenden wird illustriert, wie Wissenschaftler diese NLP-Werkzeuge beispielsweise zur Untersuchung von Prozessen in institutionellen Feldern nutzen können.
Eigenbilder, Fremdbilder, Identitäten im östlichen Europa
Authors: Roth Klaus
Published: January 2020

Der Text wendet sich aus ethnologischer und historischer Sicht der heute wachsenden Entfremdung von Ost und West in Europa zu und vertritt die These, dass das spezifische historische Schicksal des östlichen und südöstlichen Europa vom Westen viel zu wenig berücksichtigt wird. Während der letzten sechs Jahrhunderte hatte die östliche Hälfte Europas eine Geschichte, die sich stark von der Westeuropas unterschied. Bis Ende 19. /Anfang 20. Jh. waren alle seine Territorien Teil mächtiger Reiche, des russischen, des habsburgischen und des osmanischen Reiches, und nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg waren sie fast ein halbes Jh. sowjetischer Herrschaft unterworfen. Diese historischen Tatsachen haben die Identität der verschiedenen Völker in Osteuropa und auch die gegenseitige Wahrnehmung von Ost und West in Europa tiefgreifend beeinflusst - und sie tun es bis heute im Rahmen der EU. Der Zusammenbruch der kommunistischen Herrschaft 1989/90 löste bei den Völkern große Hoffnungen aus und brachte viele Verbesserungen mit sich, er verursachte aber auch erhebliche Probleme, die (nach Paul Lendvai) großenteils auf »westliche Ignoranz und Arroganz« zurückzuführen waren. Die tiefen Veränderungen führten u. a. zu einer Verschlechterung der Lage ethnischer Minderheiten (wie der Roma) und zu einem allgemeinen Anwachsen des Patriotismus mit Schwerpunkt auf Nationalgeschichte und Volkskultur, verbunden mit einer wachsenden Abneigung gegen Elemente des westlichen Liberalismus. Die Beiträge des Bandes fokussieren auf wichtige Aspekte dieser Entwicklungen in Ost- und Südosteuropa, die für das Verständnis der gesamten Region relevant sind.
Der Weltanschauungsroman 2. Ordnung
Authors: Schwarzwälder Florens
Published: January 2020

Robert Musil und Hermann Broch antworteten zwischen den Weltkriegen auf eine Epoche der Katastrophen, der sie mit ihren in weltanschauliche Erlösungshoffnungen verstrickten Protagonisten nah auf den Leib rückten: eine Pathogenese der bürgerlichen Welt für die 1930er Jahre. Dass sie nach 1933 die Sehnsucht ihrer Zeitgenossen nach einer »Weltanschauung« immer ernster nahmen, hat die Nachgeborenen nicht selten irritiert. Doch bezeugt noch heute ihr »Weltanschauungsroman 2. Ordnung«, der hier erstmals entfaltet wird, das gewaltige historische Projekt, sich auf die Sprache der Zeit einzulassen und ihren fatalsten Tendenzen mit literarischer Einfühlung und kritischer Distanz nachzuspüren.
Die Philosophie der Oberfläche
Authors: Rathe Clemens
Published: January 2020

Die Oberfläche hat keinen guten Ruf. Wer sich mit ihr beschäftigt, so die Warnung, lasse sich von trügerischem Schein verleiten. Doch ist es überhaupt möglich, sich ihren Erscheinungen zu entziehen, da sich die Welt uns zunächst nicht anders als über ihre Oberflächen präsentiert? Mit seiner medienkulturwissenschaftlichen Analyse der Oberfläche widmet sich Clemens Rathe einem Phänomen, das in den Geisteswissenschaften bislang kaum beachtet wurde. Anhand von Beispielen aus Literatur, Kunst, Mode und Architektur dekonstruiert er die Dichotomie von Oberfläche und Tiefe als kulturgeschichtliches Motiv und lenkt den Blick auf die komplexen wie widersprüchlichen Prozesse diesseits der Oberfläche.
Arabic language-learning strategy preferences among undergraduate students
Authors: Brosh Hezi Y.
Published: January 2020

This study elicited Arabic students’ perceptions regarding their language-learning strategy preferences (LLSPs). A sample of 120 undergraduate Arabic students participated. Data were collected through a questionnaire and interviews. The findings reveal that students tend to adopt a holistic view of the learning task and relate it to real-life, personal experience. Participants selected interaction with the teacher, speaking, and flashcards as their most preferred application-directed learning strategies. These selections demonstrate that Arabic students desire to be proactive in order to make the language more concrete for them, to enhance their performance, and to develop language skills that will last a lifetime. Whereas advanced level participants preferred interaction with the teacher, speaking, flashcards, and working individually, beginner level participants preferred learning grammar and group work. The empirical evidence from this study could have implications regarding theoretical models of effective Arabic language instruction, Arabic teacher education programs, and curriculum development.
Review of Policy and politics in global primary English; Author: Janet Enever; Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2018; ISBN: 9780194200547; Pages: 196
Authors: Rokita-Jaśkow Joanna
Published: January 2020

.
Timing of Adopting a Flexible Manufacturing System and Product Differentiation
Authors: Sun Chia-Hung
Published: January 2020

Based on a circular product-space model with continuous time, we investigate a dynamic game in which each firm decides whether and when to adopt a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) at the beginning of the game and then chooses its quantity supplied at each time. We show that the equilibrium outcomes may be either joint adoption at the beginning of the game or sequential adoption, depending on the range of an initial adoption cost. For a given basic product, we find that a larger product differentiation decelerates the adoption of FMS. We also investigate competition behavior when the decisions on product locations are made endogenously and conduct welfare analysis, showing that there is market failure in the adoption timing choices.
An update on the seaweed resources of Japan
Authors: Tanaka Kouki , Ohno Masao , Largo Danilo B.
Published: January 2020

Natural seaweed beds, which play an important role for coastal ecosystems and marine fisheries, have been changing drastically in Japan. Interventions, such as decreasing the over-grazing by sea urchins, are being undertaken to maintain natural seaweed beds. Japan has at least 15 seaweed genera of economic importance utilized either directly as human food, as ingredients in food, or as raw materials for extraction of chemical compounds for various applications. Most species are produced through various cultivation methods that usually start in a land-based facility and are completed when seaweeds are transferred for open-sea cultivation. Cultivation, as well as harvesting, from natural populations, has sustained the Japanese seaweed industry for many years, but recently a downfall in seaweed production has been experienced in some areas for certain species due to warming oceans. Efforts to improve production have led to the development of forced cultivation techniques to reduce the cultivation period for Saccharina japonica while hybridization of different morphological forms of Undaria pinnatifida has resulted in the production of so-called “southern” and “northern types” that have desirable shapes for harvesting and processing. The future of the seaweed industry in Japan is geared towards producing high-grade products from seaweeds grown in land-based tanks using deep-ocean water.
Hyphenated mass spectrometry techniques for assessing medication adherence: advantages, challenges, clinical applications and future perspectives
Authors: Tanna Sangeeta , Ogwu John , Lawson Graham
Published: January 2020

Nonadherence to prescribed pharmacotherapy is an understated public health problem globally and is costing many patients their chance to return to good health and healthcare systems billions. Clinicians need an accurate assessment of adherence to medications to aid the clinical decision-making process in the event of poor patient progress and to maximise the patient health outcomes from the drug therapies prescribed. An overview of indirect and direct methods used to measure medication adherence is presented, highlighting the potential for accurate measuring of drugs in biological samples using hyphenated mass spectrometry (MS) techniques to provide healthcare professionals with a reliable evidence base for clinical decision making. In this review we summarise published applications of hyphenated MS techniques for a diverse range of clinical areas demonstrating the rise in the use of such direct methods for assessing medication adherence. Although liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods using plasma, serum and urine samples are the most popular, in recent years increased attention has been given to liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) methods and alternative biosample matrices including hair, saliva and blood microsamples. The advantages and challenges of using hyphenated MS techniques to address this healthcare problem are also discussed alongside future perspectives.
Simultaneous quantitation of five triazole anti-fungal agents by paper spray-mass spectrometry
Authors: Skaggs Christine L. , Ren Greta J. , Elgierari El Taher M. , Sturmer Lillian R. , Shi Run Z. , Manicke Nicholas E. , Kirkpatrick Lindsey M.
Published: January 2020

Background

Invasive fungal disease is a life-threatening condition that can be challenging to treat due to pathogen resistance, drug toxicity, and therapeutic failure secondary to suboptimal drug concentrations. Frequent therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is required for some anti-fungal agents to overcome these issues. Unfortunately, TDM at the institutional level is difficult, and samples are often sent to a commercial reference laboratory for analysis. To address this gap, the first paper spray-mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous quantitation of five triazoles was developed.

Methods

Calibration curves for fluconazole, posaconazole, itraconazole, hydroxyitraconazole, and voriconazole were created utilizing plasma-based calibrants and four stable isotopic internal standards. No sample preparation was needed. Plasma samples were spotted on a paper substrate in pre-manufactured plastic cartridges, and the dried plasma spots were analyzed directly utilizing paper spray-mass spectrometry (paper spray MS/MS). All experiments were performed on a Thermo Scientific TSQ Vantage triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Results

The calibration curves for the five anti-fungal agents showed good linearity (R2 = 0.98–1.00). The measured assay ranges (lower limit of quantification [LLOQ]–upper limit of quantitation [ULOQ]) for fluconazole, posaconazole, itraconazole, hydroxyitraconazole, and voriconazole were 0.5–50 μg/mL, 0.1–10 μg/mL, 0.1–10 μg/mL, 0.1–10 μg/mL, and 0.1–10 μg/mL, respectively. The inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision were less than 25% over the respective ranges.

Conclusions

We developed the first rapid paper spray-MS/MS assay for simultaneous quantitation of five triazole anti-fungal agents in plasma. The method may be a powerful tool for near-point-of-care TDM aimed at improving patient care by reducing the turnaround time and for use in clinical research.
Assessment of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in kidney transplant recipients using Bayesian estimation of the iohexol clearance
Authors: Riff Camille , Besombes Joevin , Gatault Philippe , Barbet Christelle , Büchler Matthias , Blasco Hélène , Halimi Jean-Michel , Barin-Le Guellec Chantal , Benz-de Bretagne Isabelle
Published: January 2020

Background

Plasma iohexol clearance (CLiohexol) is a reference technique for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determination. In routine practice, CLiohexol is calculated using one of several formulas, which have never been evaluated in kidney transplant recipients. We aimed to model iohexol pharmacokinetics in this population, evaluate the predictive performance of three simplified formulas and evaluate whether a Bayesian algorithm improves CLiohexol estimation.

Methods

After administration of iohexol, six blood samples were drawn from 151 patients at various time points. The dataset was split into two groups, one to develop the population pharmacokinetic (POPPK) model (n = 103) and the other (n = 48) to estimate the predictive performances of the various GFR estimation methods. GFR reference values (GFRref) in the validation dataset were obtained by non-compartmental pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis. Predictive performances of each method were evaluated in terms of bias (ME), imprecision (root mean square error [RMSE]) and number of predictions out of the ±10% or 15% error interval around the GFRref.

Results

A two-compartment model best fitted the data. The Bayesian estimator with samples drawn at 30, 120 and 270 min allowed accurate prediction of GFRref (ME = 0.47%, RMSE = 3.42%), as did the Brøchner-Mortensen (BM) formula (ME = − 0.0425%, RMSE = 3.40%). With both methods, none of the CL estimates were outside the ±15% interval and only 2.4% were outside the ±10% for the BM formula (and none for the Bayesian estimator). In patients with GFR ≤30 mL/min/1.73 m2, the BM formula performed very well, while the Bayesian method could not be evaluated in depth due to too small a number of patients with adequate sampling times.

Conclusions

GFR can be estimated with acceptable accuracy in kidney transplant patients using the BM formula, but also using a Bayesian algorithm.
Trueness evaluation and verification of inter-assay agreement of serum folate measuring systems
Authors: Braga Federica , Frusciante Erika , Ferraro Simona , Panteghini Mauro
Published: January 2020

Background

Definitive data to establish if the use of the WHO International Standard (IS) 03/178 as a common calibrator of commercial measuring systems (MSs) has improved the harmonization of serum total folate (tFOL) measurements to a clinically suitable level are lacking. Here, we report the results of an intercomparison study aimed to verify if the current inter-assay variability is acceptable for clinical application of tFOL testing.

Methods

After confirming their commutability, the IS 03/178 and National Institute for Standards and Technology SRM 3949 L1 were used for evaluating the correctness of traceability implementation by manufacturers and the MSs trueness, respectively. The inter-assay agreement was verified using 20 patient pools. The measurement uncertainty (U) of tFOL measurements on clinical samples was also estimated. An outcome-based model for defining desirable performance specifications for bias and imprecision for serum tFOL measurements was applied.

Results

The majority of evaluated MSs overestimated the WHO IS value of +5% or more with the risk to produce an unacceptably high number of false-negative results in clinical practice. The mean inter-assay CV on all pools and on those with tFOL values >3.0 μg/L (n = 15) was 12.5% and 7.1%, respectively. In neither case the goal of 3.0% was fulfilled. The residual bias resulted in an excessive U of tFOL measurement on clinical samples.

Conclusions

The implementation of traceability of tFOL MSs to the WHO IS 03/178 is currently inadequate, resulting in an inter-assay variability that does not permit the use of a common threshold for detecting folate deficiency.
Reference-mean-centered statistical quality control
Authors: Yago Martín , Pla Carolina
Published: January 2020

Background

Statistical quality control (SQC) procedures generally use rejection limits centered on the stable mean of the results obtained for a control material by the analyzing instrument. However, for instruments with significant bias, re-centering the limits on a different value could improve the control procedures from the viewpoint of patient safety.

Methods

A statistical model was used to assess the effect of shifting the rejection limits of the control procedure relative to the instrument mean on the number of erroneous results reported as a result of an increase in the systematic error of the measurement procedure due to an out-of-control condition. The behaviors of control procedures of type 1
ks
(k = 2, 2.5, 3) were studied when applied to analytical processes with different capabilities (σ = 3, 4, 6).

Results

For measuring instruments with bias, shifting the rejection limits in the direction opposite to the bias improves the ability of the quality control procedure to limit the risk posed to patients in a systematic out-of-control condition. The maximum benefit is obtained when the displacement is equal to the bias of the instrument, that is, when the rejection limits are centered on the reference mean of the control material. The strategy is sensitive to error in estimating the bias. Shifting the limits more than the instrument’s bias disproportionately increases the risk to patients. This effect should be considered in SQC planning for systems running the same test on multiple instruments.

Conclusions

Centering the control rule on the reference mean is a potentially useful strategy for SQC planning based on risk management for measuring instruments with significant and stable uncorrected bias. Low uncertainty in estimating bias is necessary for this approach not to be counterproductive.
Complementary methods for characterization of the corrosion products on the surface of Ag60Cu26Zn14 and Ag58.5Cu31.5Pd10 brazing alloys
Authors: Dimitrijević Stevan P. , Vurdelja Borislava D. , Dimitrijević Silvana B. , Veljković Filip M. , Kamberović Željko J. , Veličković Suzana R.
Published: January 2020

Corrosion products formed on the surface of two silver brazing alloys after the potentiostatic polarization in 3.5% sodium chloride solution were characterized by the standard methods such as, the X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. This paper presents the results of a laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI MS) analysis as a new approach to the characterization of corrosion products. The potential of the anodic polarization was 0.5 V versus saturated calomel electrode, and the process duration was 300 s. The corrosion layers on both investigated alloys were similar in composition with cuprous chloride and silver chloride as the main components and had strong indications of cuprous oxide formation. The major difference between these two layers was the existence of zinc hydroxychloride as the corrosion product of Ag-Cu-Zn alloy. Palladium compounds were not found in the case of Ag-Cu-Pd alloy. The results of different methods have shown a good consistency. Complementarity between the used methods was useful in the interpretation of the results for each used method. This study has demonstrated that LDI MS can be used as an efficient additional method together with the traditional ones.
Lack of Statutory Foundation, Vagueness, and Violation of the Rule of Lenity of California Second Degree Felony Murder
Authors: Grosso Sira
Published: January 2020

Restrictions recently imposed by law on the application of felony murder in California

Senate Bill n. 1437 amending Sections 188 and 189 of, and adding Section 1170.95 to, the Penal Code.

and a judgment of a split California Court of Appeal rejecting the claim that the second-degree felony murder provision is unconstitutionally vague

Cal. 4th App. Dist. April 30, 2019, see note 74.

offer the occasion to analyze the Californian second degree murder. Second degree Felony murder in California, which is not spelled out by statute, relies on the jurisprudential construction of an “inherently dangerous felony”. According to the California Supreme Court, this criterion was conceived to accompany its overall aim of deterrence as well as function as a limitation on the application of felony murder itself. The purpose of this article is to highlight how the jurisprudential reconstruction of “inherently dangerous felonies” does not present a suitable criterion for determining whether second degree murder has taken place. While calling into play the goal of deterrence may bring forth paradoxical results, the “inherently dangerous felony,” upon which second degree felony murder relies, represents a double-edged sword. In fact, this article argues that it expands, rather than restricts, the application of felony murder, also posing several constitutional concerns. It follows that, since the “inherently dangerous” category acts as the essential base upon which second degree felony murder stands, the “crumbling” of the one should lead to the fall of the other.