bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dormant cancer cells: programmed quiescence, senescence, or both?
Authors: Truskowski Kevin , Amend Sarah R. , Pienta Kenneth J.
Published: January 2023

Metastasis is the overwhelming driver of cancer mortality, accounting for the majority of cancer deaths. Many patients present with metastatic relapse years after eradication of the primary lesion. Disseminated cancer cells can undergo a durable proliferative arrest and lie dormant in secondary tissues before reentering the cell cycle to seed these lethal relapses. This process of cancer cell dormancy remains poorly understood, largely due to difficulties in studying these dormant cells. In the face of these challenges, the application of knowledge from the cellular senescence and quiescence fields may help to guide future thinking on the study of dormant cancer cells. Both senescence and quiescence are common programs of proliferative arrest that are integral to tissue development and homeostasis. Despite phenotypic differences, these two states also share common characteristics, and both likely play a role in cancer dormancy and delayed metastatic relapse. Understanding the cell biology behind these states, their overlaps and unique characteristics is critical to our future understanding of dormant cancer cells, as these cells likely employ some of the same molecular programs to promote survival and dissemination. In this review, we highlight the biology underlying these non-proliferative states, relate this knowledge to what we currently know about dormant cancer cells, and discuss implications for future work toward targeting these elusive metastatic seeds.
Be constantly different! How to manage influencer authenticity
Authors: Zniva Robert , Weitzl Wolfgang J. , Lindmoser Christina
Published: January 2023

Social media influencers are increasingly approached by marketers to advocate brands and products. This practice is commonly called ‘influencer marketing’. Influencers can take advantage of their reach and importance for consumers’ decision making by obtaining rewards from marketers. At the same time, consumers are increasingly aware of this practice. In this context, the perception of an influencers´ authenticity is key when it comes to his/her ability to persuade others. In this research, we shed light on the nature of the influencer authenticity construct, its boundaries as well as its relationships with brand-related variables responsible for consumers’ buying decisions. Using an experimental approach (n = 163), we demonstrate that especially influencers’ uniqueness and consistency increase their authenticity. Furthermore, our results show a strong impact of influencer authenticity on purchase intention, which is partially mediated via brand authenticity and brand attitude.
The complete ITS2 barcoding region for Strongylus vulgaris and Strongylus edentatus
Authors: Halvarsson Peter , Tydén Eva
Published: January 2023

Gastrointestinal nematode parasites are of major concern for horses, where Strongylus vulgaris is considered the most pathogenic among the Strongylus species. Diagnosis of S. vulgaris infections can be determined with next generation sequencing techniques, which are inherently dependent on reference sequences. The best marker for parasitic nematodes is internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and we provide the first complete ITS2 sequences from five morphologically identified S. vulgaris and additional sequences from two S. edentatus. These sequences have high similarity to already published partial sequences and amplicon sequence variants (ASV) based on next generation sequencing (NGS). The ITS2 sequences from S. vulgaris matched available partial ITS2 sequences and the full ASVs, whereas the S. edentatus sequence matched another complete sequence. We also compare Sanger sequencing and NGS methods and conclude that the ITS2 variation is better represented with NGS methods. Based on this, we recommend that further sequencing of morphologically identified specimens of various species should be performed with NGS cover the intraspecific variation in the ITS2.
Mammographic calcifications undergoing percutaneous biopsy: outcome in women with and without a personal history of breast cancer
Authors: Bertani Valeria , Berger Nicole , Eberhard Matthias , Lång Kristina , Urbani Martina , La Grassa Manuela , Balestreri Luca , Boss Andreas , Frauenfelder Thomas , Marcon Magda
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To compare the positive predictive values (PPVs) of BI-RADS categories used to assess pure mammographic calcifications in women with and without a previous history of breast cancer (PHBC).

Materials and methods

In this retrospective study, all consecutive pure mammographic calcifications (n = 320) undergoing a stereotactic biopsy between 2016 and 2018 were identified. Mammograms were evaluated in consensus by two radiologists according to BI-RADS and blinded to patient history and pathology results. Final pathologic results were used as the standard of reference. PPV of BI-RADS categories were compared between the two groups. Data were evaluated using standard statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests.

Results

Two hundred sixty-eight patients (274 lesions, median age 54 years, inter-quartile range, 50–65 years) with a PHBC (n = 46) and without a PHBC (n = 222) were included. Overall PPVs were the following: BI-RADS 2, 0% (0 of 56); BI-RADS 3, 9.1% (1 of 11); BI-RADS 4a, 16.2% (6 of 37); BI-RADS 4b, 37.5% (48 of 128); BI-RADS 4c, 47.3% (18 of 38) and BI-RADS 5, 100% (4 of 4). The PPV of BI-RADS categories was similar in patients with and without a PHBC (P = .715). Calcifications were more often malignant in patients with a PHBC older than 10 years (47.3%, 9 of 19) compared to 1–2 years (25%, 1 of 4), 2–5 years (20%, 2 of 10) and 5–10 years (0%, of 13) from the first breast cancer (P = .005).

Conclusion

PPV of mammographic calcifications is similar in women with or without PHBC when BI-RADS classification is strictly applied. A higher risk of malignancy was observed in patients with a PHBC longer than 10 years.
Microstructural, Mechanical and Wear Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed and High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel AlCoCrFeNi Equiatomic High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) Coatings
Authors: Silvello A. , Torres Diaz E. , Rúa Ramirez E. , Garcia Cano I.
Published: January 2023

In this investigation, atmospheric plasma spray (APS) and high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) techniques were used to produce AlCoCrFeNi coatings. High-entropy alloys (HEAs), due to their mechanical, chemical, and physical properties are capturing the attention of the international scientific community. Starting feedstock powders were characterized in terms of size, phase, and size, and corrosion test in NaCl, ball on disk, rubber wheel, and jet erosion tests was carried out on the obtained coatings. The results of the tribological investigation show that in the case of APS coatings, corrosion and wear behavior depend on the microstructure phases of the coating, as well as the amount of oxides. In particular, the wear morphology of APS surfaces is characterized by brittle fracture, with the presence of pores, cracks, and grooves. For HVOF coatings, further investigations on process parameters are needed because of the poor adhesion strength between the coating and the substrate. Anyway, the obtained corrosion resistance of HVOF coating is greater than that of the C steel substrate used to benchmark the results, and in addition, it ensures better performances in rubber wheel and jet erosion tests, but its wear resistance in the ball-on-disk test is worse because of the debris remaining in the wear track.
Sharp systolic inequalities for rotationally symmetric 2-orbifolds
Authors: Lange Christian , Soethe Tobias
Published: January 2023

We show that suitably defined systolic ratios are globally bounded from above on the space of rotationally symmetric spindle orbifolds and that the upper bound is attained precisely at so-called Besse metrics, i.e. Riemannian orbifold metrics all of whose geodesics are closed. The first type of systolic ratios that we consider are defined in terms of closed geodesics that lift to contractible loops on certain covers of the unit sphere bundle. The second type of systolic ratios are defined in terms of the kth shortest closed geodesic, where the number k depends on the underlying orbifold. Our results generalize a corresponding result of Abbondandolo, Bramham, Hryniewicz and Salomão for spheres of revolution, even in the manifold case. Moreover, they complement recent results by Abbondandolo, Mazzucchelli and the first named author on local systolic inequalities for Besse Reeb flows on closed 3-manifolds.
Creating interior support structures with Lightweight Voronoi Scaffold
Authors: Piros Attila , Trautmann Laura
Published: January 2023

Nowadays product designers have possibilities to design complex geometries, since for instance with additive manufacturing, there is less technological limits then before. However, besides that they have geometric freedom, it is essential to pay attention to engineering aspects, such as efficient material usage, stiffness and so on. This article is dealing with internal support structures and introduces a new lattice, called Lightweight Voronoi Scaffold. The scaffolds as 3-dimensional structures are well known in numerous fields of science. These structures provide mechanical stiffness for bones and place for biomolecules as well. The aim of this research was testing this new structure in case of complex geometry with multiaxial load case. Therefore, the arrangement of Voronoi scaffold is not regular, random sampling-based Monte Carlo method was applied in order to provide proper distribution of generation of geometric instances. Although the random point seed generates a high number of improper geometries, the remaining ones always include notable solutions. Lightweight Voronoi Scaffold was compared to some common regular beam lattices, and results shown that Lightweight Voronoi Scaffold was lighter in each case, that may open new opportunities in the field of additive manufacturing.
Protective Effect of Sulforaphane on Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associated with Status Epilepticus in Immature Rats
Authors: Folbergrová Jaroslava , Ješina Pavel , Otáhal Jakub
Published: January 2023

The present study aimed to elucidate the effect of sulforaphane (a natural isothiocyanate) on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction during and at selected periods following status epilepticus (SE) induced in immature 12-day-old rats by Li-pilocarpine. Dihydroethidium was employed for the detection of superoxide anions, immunoblot analyses for 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) levels and respiratory chain complex I activity for evaluation of mitochondrial function. Sulforaphane was given i.p. in two doses (5 mg/kg each), at PD 10 and PD 11, respectively. The findings of the present study indicate that both the acute phase of SE and the early period of epileptogenesis (1 week and 3 weeks following SE induction) are associated with oxidative stress (documented by the enhanced superoxide anion production and the increased levels of 3-NT and 4-HNE) and the persisting deficiency of complex I activity. Pretreatment with sulforaphane either completely prevented or significantly reduced markers of both oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Since sulforaphane had no direct anti-seizure effect, the findings suggest that the ability of sulforaphane to activate Nrf2 is most likely responsible for the observed protective effect. Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway can be considered a promising target for novel therapies of epilepsy, particularly when new compounds, possessing inhibitory activity against protein–protein interaction between Nrf2 and its repressor protein Keap1, with less “off-target” effects and, importantly, with an optimal permeability and bioavailability properties, become available commercially.
Replies to the Critics of Knowing and Checking: an Epistemological Investigation
Authors: Melchior Guido
Published: January 2023

This paper replies to the comments made in Acta Analytica by Peter Baumann, Kelly Becker, Marian David, Nenad Miščević, Wes Siscoe, and Danilo Šuster on my Knowing and Checking: An Epistemological Investigation (Routledge 2019), hereinafter abbreviated as KC. These papers resulted from a workshop organized by the department of philosophy of the University of Maribor. I am very thankful to the organizers of the workshop and to the authors for their comments.
Freshwater Flow Affects Subsidies of a Copepod (Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) to Low-Salinity Food Webs in the Upper San Francisco Estuary
Authors: Hassrick Jason L. , Korman Josh , Kimmerer Wim J. , Gross Edward S. , Grimaldo Lenny F. , Lee Calvin , Schultz Andrew A.
Published: January 2023

Productivity of the food web supporting small pelagic fishes in the upper San Francisco Estuary is chronically low, and some of the native fish species are in a long-term decline. The low-salinity (oligohaline) zone (LSZ) is particularly depauperate in phytoplankton and zooplankton. Based on prior empirical studies, it is hypothesized that freshwater flow increases the subsidy of a key copepod prey species (Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) from its freshwater population center into the LSZ. We combined hydrodynamic and particle-tracking modeling with Bayesian analysis in a box-model approach to estimate the magnitude of this subsidy and its dependence on freshwater flow rates. Net gains of P. forbesi into the LSZ came mostly from freshwater, landward regions of higher copepod abundance. The subsidy increased with freshwater flow, a finding that supports previous empirical analyses. However, in the context of persistent drought and ongoing climate change, the levels required to achieve a detectable net gain may be difficult and costly to achieve.
Tracing rail transformation: the case of passenger services in Slovenia from 1975 to 2015
Authors: Hudak Stefan Christian Alexander , Brezina Tadej , Kehrer Johannes , Schopf Josef Michael
Published: January 2023

In the 1990s, Slovenia was part and neighbor of a series of disruptive events, undergoing a change from member state of a diverse socialist federation to a small, independent market economy country. These comprehensive changes were followed (or accompanied by) partially dramatic changes in the transport regime. In order to trace the change of the passenger railway service a method for the analysis and characterization of the timetable offer in public transport is developed and applied to ten timetable years between 1975 and 2015 on the main lines between Ljubljana, Maribor and Zagreb. This method is based on a cluster analysis of origin–destination relations with the three variables of daily direct connections, the number of trains with synchronized intervals as well as the overall regularity of travel times. In general, an overall increase of the quality of the rail service supply is shown, focusing on the decades from 1975 to the end of the 1990s. From 2000 to 2015 relatively little changes were identified. While a very dense offer was developed in regional traffic within the wider urban areas of Ljubljana, Celje and Maribor, the direct cross-border inter-city connections to/from Zagreb have been increasingly neglected. The example of the connection between Ljubljana and Maribor demonstrates the development towards a supply-oriented integral timetable until the 1990s. Thereafter, the timetable was thinned out and gradually developed with a demand-driven principle, where a higher train density was offered to Ljubljana in the morning and to Maribor in the afternoon.
Municipal sewage sludge, aquatic weed compost on soil enzymatic activity and heavy metal accumulation in Kale (Brassica oleracea L.)
Authors: Dar Zubair Ahmad , Bhat Javeed Iqbal Ahmad , Qazi Gazala , Ganie Sartaj Ahmad , Amin Azra , Farooq Shabeena , Nazir Arifa , Rasool Akhtar
Published: January 2023

Enormous quantities of organic wastes such as sewage sludge (SS) and aquatic weed compost (AWC) are produced in large quantities on the banks of Dal Lake Kashmir. It is a challenging task for authorities to manage them properly. Therefore, the study’s purpose was to evaluate these organic wastes agricultural use potential. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications comprised of nine treatment combinations of SS, AWC and inorganic fertilizers. In the present study, the conjoint use of SS with chemical fertilizer recorded maximum build-up of soil microbial biomass carbon (MCB), urease and dehydrogenase activity with treatment T1. There were significant correlations between soil MCB and from urease and dehydrogenase activity (r2 = 0.95 and 0.97; P < 0.05), respectively. The micronutrient and heavy metal concentrations in kale exposed to SS and AWC were significantly higher than those in the untreated plants, with the highest concentration found in sole application of SS (T7). However, heavy metal concentrations were within the acceptable limits and did not overcome the maximum phytotoxic levels. The study’s finding leads to conclusion that SS along with chemical fertilizers (T1) can improve the enzymatic activity in soil, quality parameters and nutrient content in plants thereby enhancing the yield.
The Breast Cancer Single-Cell Atlas: Defining cellular heterogeneity within model cell lines and primary tumors to inform disease subtype, stemness, and treatment options
Authors: Dave Arpit , Charytonowicz Daniel , Francoeur Nancy J. , Beaumont Michael , Beaumont Kristin , Schmidt Hank , Zeleke Tizita , Silva Jose , Sebra Robert
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Breast Cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women; however, through significant research, relative survival rates have significantly improved. Despite progress, there remains a gap in our understanding of BC subtypes and personalized treatments. This manuscript characterized cellular heterogeneity in BC cell lines through scRNAseq to resolve variability in subtyping, disease modeling potential, and therapeutic targeting predictions.

Methods

We generated a Breast Cancer Single-Cell Cell Line Atlas (BSCLA) to help inform future BC research. We sequenced over 36,195 cells composed of 13 cell lines spanning the spectrum of clinical BC subtypes and leveraged publicly available data comprising 39,214 cells from 26 primary tumors.

Results

Unsupervised clustering identified 49 subpopulations within the cell line dataset. We resolve ambiguity in subtype annotation comparing expression of Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 genes. Gene correlations with disease subtype highlighted S100A7 and MUCL1 overexpression in HER2 + cells as possible cell motility and localization drivers. We also present genes driving populational drifts to generate novel gene vectors characterizing each subpopulation. A global Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) scoring vector was used to identify stemness potential for subpopulations and model multi-potency. Finally, we overlay the BSCLA dataset with FDA-approved targets to identify to predict the efficacy of subpopulation-specific therapies.

Conclusion

The BSCLA defines the heterogeneity within BC cell lines, enhancing our overall understanding of BC cellular diversity to guide future BC research, including model cell line selection, unintended sample source effects, stemness factors between cell lines, and cell type-specific treatment response.
Alkaloids as potential antivirals. A comprehensive review
Authors: Faisal Shah , Badshah Syed Lal , Kubra Bibi , Emwas Abdul-Hamid , Jaremko Mariusz
Published: January 2023

Alkaloids are a diverse group of natural phytochemicals. These phytochemicals in plants provide them protection against pests, and herbivorous organisms and also control their development. Numerous of these alkaloids have a variety of biological effects, and some have even been developed into medications with different medicinal properties. This review aims to provide a broad overview of the numerous naturally occurring alkaloids (isolated from both terrestrial and aquatic species) along with synthetically produced alkaloid compounds having prominent antiviral properties. Previous reviews on this subject have focused on the biological actions of both natural and synthetic alkaloids, but they have not gone into comprehensive detail about their antiviral properties. We reviewed here several antiviral alkaloids that have been described in the literature in different investigational environments i.e. (in-vivo, in-ovo, in-vitro, and in-silico), and found that these alkaloid compounds have significant antiviral properties against several infectious viruses. These alkaloids repressed and targeted various important stages of viral infection at non-toxic doses while some of the alkaloids reported here also exhibited comparable inhibitory activities to commercially used drugs. Overall, these anti-viral effects of alkaloids point to a high degree of specificity, implying that they could serve as effective and safe antiviral medicines if further pursued in medicinal and pharmacological investigations.
The Efficacy and Safety of a Human Perirenal Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction in an Interstitial Cystitis Rat Model
Authors: Ha Ji Yong , Lee Eun Hye , Chun So Young , Lee Jun Nyung , Ha Yun-Sok , Chung Jae-Wook , Yoon Bo Hyun , Jeon Minji , Kim Hyun Tae , Kwon Tae Gyun , Yoo Eun Sang , Kim Bum Soo
Published: January 2023

Background:

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic and intractable disease that can severely deteriorate patients’ quality of life. Recently, stem cell therapy has been introduced as a promising alternative treatment for IC in animal models. We aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of the human perirenal adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) in an IC rat model.

Methods:

From eight-week-old female rats, an IC rat model was established by subcutaneous injection of 200 μg of uroplakin3A. The SVF was injected into the bladder submucosal layer of IC rats, and pain scale analysis, awakening cytometry, and histological and gene analyses of the bladder were performed. For the in vivo safety analysis, genomic DNA purification and histological analysis were also performed to check tumorigenicity and thrombus formation.

Results:

The mean pain scores in the SVF 20 μl group were significantly lower on days 7 and 14 than those in the control group, and bladder intercontraction intervals were significantly improved in the SVF groups in a dose-dependent manner. Regeneration of the bladder epithelium, basement membrane, and lamina propria was observed in the SVF group. In the SVF groups, however, bladder fibrosis and the expression of inflammatory markers were not significantly improved compared to those in the control group.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrated that a perirenal adipose tissue-derived SVF is a promising alternative for the management of IC in terms of improving bladder pain and overactivity.
A Proof of the Lieb–Thirring Inequality via the Besicovitch Covering Lemma
Authors: Nam Phan Thành
Published: January 2023

We give a proof of the Lieb–Thirring inequality on the kinetic energy of orthonormal functions by using a microlocal technique, in which the uncertainty and exclusion principles are combined through the use of the Besicovitch covering lemma.
‘A different color on an artistic palette’: teaching styles and beliefs
Authors: Çakmak İşitmez Özge , Özgür Küfi Elmaziye , Musayeva Vefalı Gülşen
Published: January 2023

This descriptive study attempted to explore teaching styles by eliciting beliefs of a group of English language teachers through Peacock’s (Int J Appl Linguist 11:1–20, 2001) Perceptual Teaching Style Preference Questionnaire and interviews based on Reid’s hypotheses (TESOL Q 21:87–111, 1987; Learning styles in the ESL/EFL classroom. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1995) on learning styles and Doyle and Rutherford’s (Theory Pract 23:20–25, 1984) suggestions on matched instructional designs. The mixed methods research design was adopted in the current study, and concurrent triangulation was used to corroborate the findings. Study findings indicated that the participants reportedly applied the group teaching style more frequently than the other styles and favored a repertoire of the visual and auditory perceptual teaching styles. Although participants were mostly positive about the importance of learning styles, effects of perceptual teaching styles on learning, and the matched instructional design, they did not believe that their students were aware of their own learning styles and noted various curricular and administrative constraints in relation to implementation of the matched instruction. Consequently, the current study suggested that the language teachers and their line managers should consider effective planning and implementation of the entire teaching operation in relation to the matched instructional design in their classrooms. Also, it is recommended that as part of their professional development, the classroom practitioners are encouraged to explore their students’ “voices” and raise their learners’ awareness regarding their learning styles for more effective teaching–learning processes.
Recognition Politics
Authors: Fontana Lorenza B.
Published: January 2023

This pioneering work explores a new wave of widely overlooked conflicts that have emerged across the Andean region, coinciding with the implementation of internationally acclaimed indigenous rights. Why are groups that have peacefully cohabited for decades suddenly engaging in hostile and, at times, violent behaviours? What is the link between these conflicts and changes in collective self-identification, claim-making, and rent-seeking dynamics? And how, in turn, are these changes driven by broader institutional, legal and policy reforms? By shifting the focus to the 'post-recognition,' this unique study sets the agenda for a new generation of research on the practical consequences of the employment of ethnic-based rights. To develop the core argument on the links between recognition reforms and 'recognition conflicts', Lorenza Fontana draws on extensive empirical material and case studies from three Andean countries – Bolivia, Colombia and Peru – which have been global forerunners in the implementation of recognition politics.
School Strike 4 Climate in Aotearoa New Zealand: youth, relationships and climate justice
Authors: Birdsall Sally
Published: January 2023

The School Strike 4 Climate New Zealand (SS4CNZ) movement have organised and led four strikes between 2019 and 2021. With each successive strike, adult support for students’ demands increased. Their most notable achievement was garnering sufficient support to pass Aotearoa New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Bill into legislation. However, tensions with SS4CNZ led to the Auckland Chapter announcing its disbandment in 2021. There were mixed responses to their decision. In this reflective essay I argue that this disbandment was a positive move forward because these youth were showing their willingness to re-build relationships with their Māori and Pacific Island activist peers. By disbanding, not only were these young leaders enabling their Māori and Pacific Island peers to lead future actions, they were acknowledging the connections between racism, colonialism and climate justice; responding to our relational crisis by demonstrating the importance of re-building robust and reciprocal relationships between humans and more-than-humans when advocating for ways to navigate towards a climate-just society.
Psychoeconomic Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the General Population in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Abu Alhommos Amal Khaleel , Naser Abdallah Y. , Abu Alhommous Loay Khalil
Published: January 2023

Objective:

To explore the psychological and economic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic and identify those at higher risk of suffering financial consequences.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia between June 27 and September 27, 2020. Logistic regression was conducted to determine who was more likely to suffer financially from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Results:

A total of 440 individual participated in this study, of whom, 86.8% were aged 19 – 49 years, and 60.0% were females. Around 57.0% reported that they have been affected economically by the pandemic. Around 11.0% of the participants reported that they feel anxious; around 18.0% reported feeling depressed or fearful because of COVID-19. Males were around twice (OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.24 – 2.72) as likely to be affected economically during the COVID-19 pandemic (P < 0.01). Saudis were 59.0% less likely to be affected (OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.27 – 0.60; P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological and economic status of individuals in Saudi Arabia deeply. To prevent long-term psychological and economic deterioration and to hasten social recovery, mental, financial, supportive strategies, and programs to aid the entire community in coping with the pandemic are recommended.
Satisfaction with Democracy: The Impact of Institutions, Contexts and Attitudes
Authors: Cutler Fred , Nuesser Andrea , Nyblade Benjamin
Published: January 2023

We propose a new, unified approach for comparative research on citizens’ satisfaction with democracy (SWD). It starts with a well-specified individual-level model of the considerations citizens draw upon when answering the SWD survey question. Then we specify the relationship from contextual factors (especially institutions) through these individual-level mediating considerations and on to the SWD attitude. Multilevel structural equation estimation is applied to a merged dataset of European Social Survey (ESS) and country-level contextual data. The results add solidity to theoretical and empirical findings that citizens’ judgments of democracy are driven mostly by policy outputs and lived experience and not much by institutional variation or its political consequences.
Short Squeezes and Their Consequences
Authors: Schultz Paul
Published: January 2023

A short squeeze occurs if borrowed shares are recalled and the short seller is unable to find another source of shares. This forces the short seller to terminate a position early. For most stocks, the probability of a short squeeze is very low. Short squeezes, however, are not unusual for the hardest to borrow stocks. For these stocks, trading costs from squeezes are high and have a significant impact on the returns to short selling. For hard-to-borrow stocks, short sellers also miss out on significant abnormal returns because squeezes force them to close positions.
Monetary Policy and Bond Prices with Drifting Equilibrium Rates
Authors: Favero Carlo A. , Melone Alessandro , Tamoni Andrea
Published: January 2023

We study the drift and cyclical components in U.S. Treasury bonds. We find that bond yields are drifting because they reflect the drift in monetary policy rates. Empirically, modeling the monetary policy drift using demographics and productivity trends, plus long-term inflation expectations, leads to cyclical deviations of bond prices from their drift that predict bond returns in- and out-of-sample. These bond cycles can be interpreted as term premia or/and temporary deviations from rational expectations in a behavioral framework. Through the lens of our model, we detect a significant role of the latter in determining the cyclical properties of yields with short maturities.
Use of tobramycin-impregnated antibiotic beads in frontal sinus osteomyelitis
Authors: Richards E , Qamar N , Naik P , Ahmed S
Published: January 2023

Objective

Osteomyelitis of the frontal bone is a rare but devastating complication of frontal sinusitis. Treatment involves aggressive surgery to remove all sequestra in combination with long-term antibiotic therapy. However, systemic antibiotics may struggle to penetrate any remaining infection in devascularised areas, and the morbidity associated with surgical resection of some areas of the skull base is too high. In contrast, locally implanted antibiotics provide a reliable, high concentration of treatment to these areas while also minimising potential systemic side effects. The clinical application of tobramycin beads has primarily been used in orthopaedics as an adjunct to the treatment of tibial osteomyelitis or prosthetic joint infection.

Case report

To the best of the authors' knowledge, the two cases discussed here represent the first use of tobramycin antibiotic beads in frontal sinus osteomyelitis secondary to chronic rhinosinusitis.

Conclusion

These cases show promising use of tobramycin beads in recalcitrant frontal osteomyelitis.
INTEGRAL POINTS ON SINGULAR DEL PEZZO SURFACES
Authors: Derenthal Ulrich , Wilsch Florian
Published: January 2023

In order to study integral points of bounded log-anticanonical height on weak del Pezzo surfaces, we classify weak del Pezzo pairs. As a representative example, we consider a quartic del Pezzo surface of singularity type
$\mathbf {A}_1+\mathbf {A}_3$
and prove an analogue of Manin’s conjecture for integral points with respect to its singularities and its lines.
Choosing Wisely bei Patientinnen und Patienten mit Polypharmazie
Authors: Neuner-Jehle Stefan
Published: January 2023

Zusammenfassung. Polypharmazie und potenziell unangebrachte Medikamente haben gravierende negative Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit. Beim Reduzieren/Absetzen von Medikamenten (Deprescribing) stehen die Patientenwerte im Zentrum. In der Praxis hat sich folgendes schrittweises Vorgehen bewährt: 1. Alle eingenommenen Medikamente mitbringen lassen und mit der aktuellen Medikationsliste abgleichen. 2. Einen gemeinsamen Entscheidungsprozess anbieten. 3. Jedes Medikament nach Indikation, Nutzen/Schadenbilanz, Nebenwirkungen und Dosierung kritisch evaluieren. 4. Nutzen und Schaden entlang der Werte, Präferenzen und Ziele der Patientin/des Patienten priorisieren. 5. Gemeinsam über Reduzieren oder Absetzen entscheiden. 6. Die Veränderungen auf dem Medikationsplan festhalten und eine Verlaufskontrolle vereinbaren. Dieses Vorgehen wird am Beispiel einer älteren, gebrechlichen Patientin mit Polypharmazie illustriert. Deprescribing ist für das Patientenwohl ebenso wichtig wie das Verschreiben von Medikamenten!
Pulmonale Endarteriektomie und Behandlung der chronisch thromboembolischen pulmonalen Hypertonie
Authors: Dubs Linus , Ulrich Silvia , Lichtblau Mona , Opitz Isabelle
Published: January 2023

Zusammenfassung. Es handelt sich bei der chronisch thromboembolischen pulmonalen Hypertonie um ein relativ seltenes Krankheitsbild, welches meist als Folge von akuten Lungenembolien auftritt. Typisch ist die persistierende Atemnot nach Lungenembolien trotz adäquater Antikoagulation. In der Rechtsherzkatheter-Untersuchung findet sich eine präkapilläre pulmonale Hypertonie mit einem erhöhten pulmonalvaskulären Widerstand und konsekutiv zunehmender Rechtsherzinsuffizienz, einhergehend mit entsprechenden klinischen Befunden und reduzierter Prognose. Pathologisch findet sich organisiertes thrombotisches Restmaterial, welches von ungeschulten Augen leicht übersehen wird. Therapie der Wahl stellt die pulmonale Endarteriektomie dar, welche eine deutliche Besserung der Symptomatik, Hämodynamik und Prognose bewirkt. Fehldiagnosen oder verzögerte Zentrumsüberweisung führen häufig zu verspäteter Operation, was mit schlechteren Resultaten assoziiert ist. Sollte eine Operation nicht möglich sein, gibt es die Option einer Ballonangioplastie oder medikamentöser Therapien.
Temperature Fusion of TIMED/SABER Data and COSMIC Data in Stratosphere
Authors: Fan Z. Q. , Zhou Y. F. , Gu C. L. , Jiang J. , Zhang X. H.
Published: January 2023

The acquisition of accurate stratospheric temperature data is of great significance for the research on global climate system and numerical weather forecasting. To obtain high‐precision stratospheric temperature, the three‐dimensional variational assimilation method, combined with kriging interpolation, was applied for data fusion of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics, and Dynamics/Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (TIMED/SABER) temperature data and the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) radio occultation temperature data. As a sample, the two data sets of TIMED/SABER and COSMIC, during the time range from 5 December 2009, 09:00 to 5 December 2009, 15:00, were used to construct global stratospheric temperature field of 5 December 2009, 12:00. The cross‐validation results showed that temperature distribution from the variational fusion method was consistent with COSMIC observations at the height range of 15–35 km, which the mean deviations and standard deviations were within a range of −1 to 1 and 3 to 4 K, respectively. At the height range from 35 to 40 km, the temperature distribution from the variational fusion method was more consistent with TIMED/SABER observations. The mean deviations were within 0 and 0.5 K, and the standard deviations were between 1.8 and 2 K. Overall, the temperature field after variational fusion combines the high‐precision advantage of SABER observations around 40 km and the high‐precision advantage of COSMIC observations at the height range of 15–30 km, the effect of the variational fusion method is significant.
Promising applications of human-derived saliva biomarker testing in clinical diagnostics
Authors: Song Mengyuan , Bai Hao , Zhang Ping , Zhou Xuedong , Ying Binwu
Published: January 2023

Saliva testing is a vital method for clinical applications, for its noninvasive features, richness in substances, and the huge amount. Due to its direct anatomical connection with oral, digestive, and endocrine systems, clinical usage of saliva testing for these diseases is promising. Furthermore, for other diseases that seeming to have no correlations with saliva, such as neurodegenerative diseases and psychological diseases, researchers also reckon saliva informative. Tremendous papers are being produced in this field. Updated summaries of recent literature give newcomers a shortcut to have a grasp of this topic. Here, we focused on recent research about saliva biomarkers that are derived from humans, not from other organisms. The review mostly addresses the proceedings from 2016 to 2022, to shed light on the promising usage of saliva testing in clinical diagnostics. We recap the recent advances following the category of different types of biomarkers, such as intracellular DNA, RNA, proteins and intercellular exosomes, cell-free DNA, to give a comprehensive impression of saliva biomarker testing.
Poor prognostic implications of myelodysplasia-related mutations in both older and younger patients with de novo AML
Authors: Tsai Xavier Cheng-Hong , Sun Kuo-Jui , Lo Min-Yen , Tien Feng-Ming , Kuo Yuan-Yeh , Tseng Mei-Hsuan , Peng Yen-Ling , Chuang Yi-Kuang , Ko Bor-Sheng , Tang Jih-Luh , Sun Hsun-I , Liu Ming-Chih , Liu Chia-Wen , Lin Chien-Chin , Yao Ming , Chou Wen-Chien , Hou Hsin-An , Tien Hwei-Fang
Published: January 2023

A set of myelodysplasia-related (MDS-R) gene mutations are incorporated into the 2022 European LeukemiaNet risk classification as adverse genetic factors for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on their poor prognostic impact on older patients. The impact of these mutations on younger patients (age < 60 years) remains elusive. In the study of 1213 patients with de novo non-M3 AML, we identified MDS-R mutations in 32.7% of the total cohort, 44.9% of older patients and 23.4% of younger patients. The patients with MDS-R mutations had a significantly lower complete remission rate in both younger and older age groups. With a median follow-up of 9.2 years, the MDS-R group experienced shorter overall survival (P = 0.034 for older and 0.035 for younger patients) and event-free survival (P = 0.004 for older and 0.042 for younger patients). Furthermore, patients with MDS-R mutations more frequently harbored measurable residual disease that was detectable using next generation sequencing at morphological CR than those without MDS-R mutations. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) might ameliorate the negative impact of MDS-R mutations. In summary, AML patients with MDS-R mutations have significantly poorer outcomes regardless of age. More intensive treatment, such as allo-HSCT and/or novel therapies, is warranted for AML patients with MDS-R mutations.
Thermal fluctuations of the lipid membrane determine particle uptake into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
Authors: Ayala Yareni A. , Omidvar Ramin , Römer Winfried , Rohrbach Alexander
Published: January 2023

Phagocytic particle uptake is crucial for the fate of both living cells and pathogens. Invading particles have to overcome fluctuating lipid membranes as the first physical barrier. However, the energy and the role of the fluctuation-based particle-membrane interactions during particle uptake are not understood. We tackle this problem by indenting the membrane of differently composed Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) with optically trapped particles until particle uptake. By continuous 1 MHz tracking and autocorrelating the particle’s positions within 30µs delays for different indentations, the fluctuations’ amplitude, the damping, the mean forces, and the energy profiles were obtained. Remarkably, the uptake energy into a GUV becomes predictable since it increases for smaller fluctuation amplitudes and longer relaxation time. Our observations could be explained by a mathematical model based on continuous suppression of fluctuation modes. Hence, the reduced particle uptake energy for protein-ligand interactions LecA-Gb3 or Biotin-Streptavidin results also from pronounced, low-friction membrane fluctuations.
Genome-wide signatures of adaptation to extreme environments in red algae
Authors: Cho Chung Hyun , Park Seung In , Huang Tzu-Yen , Lee Yongsung , Ciniglia Claudia , Yadavalli Hari Chandana , Yang Seong Wook , Bhattacharya Debashish , Yoon Hwan Su
Published: January 2023

The high temperature, acidity, and heavy metal-rich environments associated with hot springs have a major impact on biological processes in resident cells. One group of photosynthetic eukaryotes, the Cyanidiophyceae (Rhodophyta), has successfully thrived in hot springs and associated sites worldwide for more than 1 billion years. Here, we analyze chromosome-level assemblies from three representative Cyanidiophyceae species to study environmental adaptation at the genomic level. We find that subtelomeric gene duplication of functional genes and loss of canonical eukaryotic traits played a major role in environmental adaptation, in addition to horizontal gene transfer events. Shared responses to environmental stress exist in Cyanidiales and Galdieriales, however, most of the adaptive genes (e.g., for arsenic detoxification) evolved independently in these lineages. Our results underline the power of local selection to shape eukaryotic genomes that may face vastly different stresses in adjacent, extreme microhabitats.
Toward the design of ultrahigh-entropy alloys via mining six million texts
Authors: Pei Zongrui , Yin Junqi , Liaw Peter K. , Raabe Dierk
Published: January 2023

It has long been a norm that researchers extract knowledge from literature to design materials. However, the avalanche of publications makes the norm challenging to follow. Text mining (TM) is efficient in extracting information from corpora. Still, it cannot discover materials not present in the corpora, hindering its broader applications in exploring novel materials, such as high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Here we introduce a concept of “context similarity" for selecting chemical elements for HEAs, based on TM models that analyze the abstracts of 6.4 million papers. The method captures the similarity of chemical elements in the context used by scientists. It overcomes the limitations of TM and identifies the Cantor and Senkov HEAs. We demonstrate its screening capability for six- and seven-component lightweight HEAs by finding nearly 500 promising alloys out of 2.6 million candidates. The method thus brings an approach to the development of ultrahigh-entropy alloys and multicomponent materials.
A quantitative map of nuclear pore assembly reveals two distinct mechanisms
Authors: Otsuka Shotaro , Tempkin Jeremy O. B. , Zhang Wanlu , Politi Antonio Z. , Rybina Arina , Hossain M. Julius , Kueblbeck Moritz , Callegari Andrea , Koch Birgit , Morero Natalia Rosalia , Sali Andrej , Ellenberg Jan
Published: January 2023

Understanding how the nuclear pore complex (NPC) is assembled is of fundamental importance to grasp the mechanisms behind its essential function and understand its role during the evolution of eukaryotes1–4. There are at least two NPC assembly pathways—one during the exit from mitosis and one during nuclear growth in interphase—but we currently lack a quantitative map of these events. Here we use fluorescence correlation spectroscopy calibrated live imaging of endogenously fluorescently tagged nucleoporins to map the changes in the composition and stoichiometry of seven major modules of the human NPC during its assembly in single dividing cells. This systematic quantitative map reveals that the two assembly pathways have distinct molecular mechanisms, in which the order of addition of two large structural components, the central ring complex and nuclear filaments are inverted. The dynamic stoichiometry data was integrated to create a spatiotemporal model of the NPC assembly pathway and predict the structures of postmitotic NPC assembly intermediates.
Phenotypic signatures of immune selection in HIV-1 reservoir cells
Authors: Sun Weiwei , Gao Ce , Hartana Ciputra Adijaya , Osborn Matthew R. , Einkauf Kevin B. , Lian Xiaodong , Bone Benjamin , Bonheur Nathalie , Chun Tae-Wook , Rosenberg Eric S. , Walker Bruce D. , Yu Xu G. , Lichterfeld Mathias
Published: January 2023

Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) reservoir cells persist lifelong despite antiretroviral treatment1,2but may be vulnerable to host immune responses that could be exploited in strategies to cure HIV-1. Here we used a single-cell, next-generation sequencing approach for the direct ex vivo phenotypic profiling of individual HIV-1-infected memory CD4+T cells from peripheral blood and lymph nodes of people living with HIV-1 and receiving antiretroviral treatment for approximately 10 years. We demonstrate that in peripheral blood, cells harbouring genome-intact proviruses and large clones of virally infected cells frequently express ensemble signatures of surface markers conferring increased resistance to immune-mediated killing by cytotoxic T and natural killer cells, paired with elevated levels of expression of immune checkpoint markers likely to limit proviral gene transcription; this phenotypic profile might reduce HIV-1 reservoir cell exposure to and killing by cellular host immune responses. Viral reservoir cells harbouring intact HIV-1 from lymph nodes exhibited a phenotypic signature primarily characterized by upregulation of surface markers promoting cell survival, including CD44, CD28, CD127 and the IL-21 receptor. Together, these results suggest compartmentalized phenotypic signatures of immune selection in HIV-1 reservoir cells, implying that only small subsets of infected cells with optimal adaptation to their anatomical immune microenvironment are able to survive during long-term antiretroviral treatment. The identification of phenotypic markers distinguishing viral reservoir cells may inform future approaches for strategies to cure and eradicate HIV-1.