bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Otto Kirchheimers „Gesammelte Schriften“
Authors: von Alemann Ulrich
Published: December 2022

Zwischen 2015 und 2021 hat Hubertus Buchstein die „Gesammelten Schriften“ von Otto Kirchheimer in sechs Bänden im Nomos-Verlag herausgegeben. Kirchheimer, geboren 1905 in Heilbronn, gestorben 1965 in Washington D.C., war ein einflussreicher Forscher des Staatsrechts, des Strafrechts und der Politikwissenschaft. Als linker jüdischer Intellektueller musste er 1933 aus Deutschland fliehen und kam über Paris nach New York. Er stand der Frankfurter Schule nahe und arbeitete zwischen 1943 und 1955 für amerikanische Behörden, bis er eine Professur erlangte. Sein wichtigster Beitrag zur Politikwissenschaft ist die Theorie der catch-all party, also der Volkspartei, die noch heute kontrovers diskutiert wird. Aber auch seine Beiträge zum Strafrecht (Political Justice) bleiben wichtig. Seine Auseinandersetzungen mit der Kritischen Theorie der Frankfurter Schule um Max Horkheimer und Theodor W. Adorno sind weiterhin von hohem theoriegeschichtlichen Interesse. Auch die Texte, die er für Geheimdienste und das US-Außenministerium verfasst hat, werden in dieser verdienstvollen Edition teilweise erstveröffentlicht.
Impact of Ukrainian- Russian War on Health Care and Humanitarian Crisis
Authors: Dzhus Marta , Golovach Iryna
Published: December 2022

Authors explore the influence of Russian aggression on Ukrainian health care and humanitarian crises. On February 24, 2022, Ukraine faced an unprovoked brutal Russian invasion resulting in multiple negative consequences. During the 3 mo of full-scale war, Russians damaged more than 600 hospitals and killed at least 12 medics. Access to health care is severely impacted due to security concerns, restricted mobility, broken supply chains, and mass population displacement. Health care continues to come under attack (including attacks against health facilities, transport, personnel, patients, supplies, and warehouses), with a total of 295 attacks on health care, resulting in 59 injuries and 76 deaths, reported between February 24 and June 15. Ministry of Health reported that 1658 medical workers had been forced to change their residence and became employed in other regions of the country. Russian aggression negatively influenced not only the medical system and economics, but it led to a humanitarian crisis in the whole of Ukraine.
Flat plate boundary layer accelerated by shock wave propagation
Authors: Hermet Florian , Binder Nicolas , Gressier Jérémie
Published: December 2022

The flat plate transitional boundary layer response to the acceleration induced by the shock wave propagation is studied using large-eddy simulations. The steady boundary layer global behaviour is first investigated before focusing on the transient response of a turbulent region following the shock wave propagation. It is shown that the transient response of the turbulent region exhibits strong similarities with the spatial transition process to turbulence induced by free-stream turbulence, the so-called bypass transition. The boundary layer does not evolve gradually from the initial turbulence intensity to the final turbulence intensity but undergoes a temporal transition process composed of three distinct phases. These three different phases are comparable with the three stages of a bypass transition (i.e. buffeted laminar flow, transition and fully turbulent) because they are governed by the same physical processes. On the other hand, it is highlighted that this temporal response is identical to that described by He & Seddighi (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 715, 2013, pp. 60–102) during the study of an incompressible boundary layer undergoing an increase of mass flow rate. The boundary layer compression by the shock propagation does not contribute to any significant change in the turbulence dynamic after an unsteady acceleration.
Flow of a concentrated emulsion with surfactant through a periodic porous medium
Authors: Zinchenko Alexander Z. , Gissinger Jacob R. , Davis Robert H.
Published: December 2022

High-resolution, long-time three-dimensional simulations are presented for slow, pressure-driven flow of a periodic emulsion of deformable drops through a dense, simple cubic array of solid spheres (one drop and one particle per periodic cell). The drops, covered with insoluble, non-diffusive surfactant, are large compared with pores, and they squeeze with high resistance, very closely coating the solids to overcome surface tension and lubrication effects. The solid volume fraction is 50 %, the emulsion concentration

$c_{em}$

in the pore space is 36 % or 50 %, the drop-to-medium viscosity ratio

$\lambda$

is 0.25 to 4. The contamination measure

$\beta \leq 0.1$

keeps the linear surfactant model (assumed in most of the work) physically relevant. The boundary-integral solution requires extreme resolutions (tens of thousands of boundary elements per surface) achieved by multipole acceleration with special desingularizations, combined with flow-biased surfactant transport algorithms for numerical stability. The time-periodic regime is typically attained after a few squeezing cycles; the motion period is used in the extrapolation scheme to evaluate critical capillary numbers

$Ca_{crit}$

demarcating squeezing from trapping. Due to Marangoni stresses, even light (

$\beta =0.05$

) to moderate (

$\beta =0.1$

) contaminations significantly reduce the average drop-phase migration velocity (up to 2.8 times, compared with clean drops), especially at small

$\lambda =0.25$

. In contrast,

$Ca_{crit}$

is weakly sensitive to contamination and levels off completely at

$\beta =0.05$

. At

$\lambda =0.25$

and

$c_{em}=0.36$

, the average drop-phase velocities are much different for lightly and moderately contaminated emulsions, except for near-critical squeezing when they become the same. Nonlinear surfactant models (Langmuir, Frumkin) are used to validate the linear model.
Back to Cheap Labour? Increasing Employment and Wage Disparities in Contemporary China
Authors: Xia Yiran , Friesen Dimitris , Cohen Nourya , Lu Caijie , Rozelle Scott
Published: December 2022

After nearly two decades of rising wages for those in the unskilled sectors of China's economy, in the mid-2010s employment and wages in China began to experience new polarizing trends. Using data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, this paper examines trends in multiple sectors and subeconomies of China, revealing the substantial rise of employment in informal, low-skilled services as well as the steady decline of wage growth in the informal subeconomy. At the same time, we find that although employment growth in the formal subeconomy is relatively moderate, wage growth in high-skilled services is steadily rising. These two trends pose a challenge for China, presenting a new and uncertain period of economic change.
A Comprehensive 3D Thermophysical Model of the Lunar Surface
Authors: Durga Prasad K. , Rai Vinai K. , Murty S. V. S.
Published: December 2022

A three‐dimensional (3D) finite element model was built to understand the lunar surface and subsurface thermophysical behavior. This is a multi‐layer model, with a top porous layer followed by denser layer(s) beneath, with several advantages. The model can incorporate complex geometry, different sizes and parametric‐based variation in physical properties for individual layers and can be implemented at various scales. At present, the model can account for local to regional scale variations and can be improved further to predict global scale variations. The diurnal evolution of surface and subsurface temperatures from the model showed a clear effect of the outermost porous layer on the heat propagation into the subsurface as predicted from earlier studies. Being a 3D model, it is capable of simulating significant variations in lateral heat transport due to presence of topography to derive realistic surface and near‐surface temperatures on the Moon. The model results were validated through laboratory experiments, Apollo in situ data and compared with those from earlier models. The unique feature of the model is that it allows to use any Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for any site of interest which is demonstrated in this work by considering a case study of the Apollo‐17 landing site to derive its thermophysical behavior. In addition to being an important tool for addressing several geophysical problems, the model can largely aid in planning and execution of future in situ exploration of the Moon. This model is a first step toward building a comprehensive large‐scale model for understanding the thermophysical behavior of the Moon.
Archaeomagnetism in the Levant and Mesopotamia Reveals the Largest Changes in the Geomagnetic Field
Authors: Shaar Ron , Gallet Yves , Vaknin Yoav , Gonen Lilach , Martin Mario A. S. , Adams Matthew J. , Finkelstein Israel
Published: December 2022

Our understanding of geomagnetic field intensity prior to the era of direct instrumental measurements relies on paleointensity analysis of rocks and archaeological materials that serve as magnetic recorders. Only in rare cases are absolute paleointensity data sets continuous over millennial timescales, in sub‐centennial resolution, and directly dated using radiocarbon. As a result, fundamental properties of the geomagnetic field, such as its maximum intensity and rate of change have remained a subject of lively discussion. Here, we place firm constraints on these two quantities using Bayesian modeling of well‐dated archaeomagnetic intensity data from the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia. We report new data from 23 groups of pottery collected from 18 consecutive radiocarbon‐dated archaeological strata from Tel Megiddo, Israel. In the Near East, the period of 1700–550 BCE is represented by 84 groups of archaeological artifacts, 55 of which were dated using radiocarbon or a direct link to clear historically dated events, providing unprecedented sub‐century resolution. Moreover, stratigraphic relationships between samples collected from multi‐layered sites enable further refinement of the data ages. The Bayesian curve shows four geomagnetic spikes between 1050 and 600 BCE, with virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) reaching values of 155–162 ZAm2, much higher than any prediction from geomagnetic field models. Rates of change associated with the four spikes are ∼0.35–0.55 μT/year (∼0.7–1.1 ZAm2/year), at least twice the maximum rate inferred from direct observations spanning the past 180 years. The increase from 1750 to 1030 BCE (73–161 ZAm2) depicts the Holocene's largest change in field intensity.
Physical Controls on the Hydrology of Perennially Ice‐Covered Lakes, Taylor Valley, Antarctica (1996–2013)
Authors: Cross J. M. , Fountain A. G. , Hoffman M. J. , Obryk M. K.
Published: December 2022

The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are a polar desert populated with numerous closed‐watershed, perennially ice‐covered lakes primarily fed by glacial melt. Lake levels have varied by as much as 8 m since 1972 and are currently rising after a decade of decreasing. Precipitation falls as snow, so lake hydrology is dominated by energy available to melt glacier ice and to sublimate lake ice. To understand the energy and hydrologic controls on lake level changes and to explain the variability between neighboring lakes, only a few kilometers apart, we model the hydrology for the three largest lakes in Taylor Valley. We apply a physically based hydrological model that includes a surface energy balance model to estimate glacial melt and lake sublimation to constrain mass fluxes to and from the lakes. Results show that lake levels are very sensitive to small changes in glacier albedo, air temperature, and wind speed. We were able to balance the hydrologic budget in two watersheds using meltwater inflow and sublimation loss from the ice‐covered lake alone. A third watershed, closest to the coast, required additional inflow beyond model uncertainties. We hypothesize a shallow groundwater system within the active layer, fed by dispersed snow patches, contributes 23% of the inflow to this watershed. The lakes are out of equilibrium with the current climate. If the climate of our study period (1996–2013) persists into the future, the lakes will reach equilibrium starting in 2300, with levels 2–17 m higher, depending on the lake, relative to the 2020 level.
Saturated, Suffocated, and Salty: Human Legacies Produce Hot Spots of Nitrogen in Riparian Zones
Authors: Inamdar Shreeram P. , Peck Erin K. , Peipoch Marc , Gold Arthur J. , Sherman Melissa , Hripto Johanna , Groffman Peter M. , Trammell Tara L. E. , Merritts Dorothy J. , Addy Kelly , Lewis Evan , Walter Robert C. , Kan Jinjun
Published: December 2022

The compounding effects of anthropogenic legacies for environmental pollution are significant, but not well understood. Here, we show that centennial‐scale legacies of milldams and decadal‐scale legacies of road salt salinization interact in unexpected ways to produce hot spots of nitrogen (N) in riparian zones. Riparian groundwater and stream water concentrations upstream of two mid‐Atlantic (Pennsylvania and Delaware) milldams, 2.4 and 4 m tall, were sampled over a 2 year period. Clay and silt‐rich legacy sediments with low hydraulic conductivity, stagnant and poorly mixed hydrologic conditions, and persistent hypoxia in riparian sediments upstream of milldams produced a unique biogeochemical gradient with nitrate removal via denitrification at the upland riparian edge and ammonium‐N accumulation in near‐stream sediments and groundwaters. Riparian groundwater ammonium‐N concentrations upstream of the milldams ranged from 0.006 to 30.6 mgN L−1 while soil‐bound values were 0.11–456 mg kg−1. We attribute the elevated ammonium concentrations to ammonification with suppression of nitrification and/or dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Sodium inputs to riparian groundwater (25–1,504 mg L−1) from road salts may further enhance DNRA and ammonium production and displace sorbed soil ammonium‐N into groundwaters. This study suggests that legacies of milldams and road salts may undercut the N buffering capacity of riparian zones and need to be considered in riparian buffer assessments, watershed management plans, and dam removal decisions. Given the widespread existence of dams and other barriers and the ubiquitous use of road salt, the potential for this synergistic N pollution is significant.
Method of Distributions for Two‐Phase Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media
Authors: Yang Hyung Jun , Tchelepi Hamdi A. , Tartakovsky Daniel M.
Published: December 2022

Multiscale heterogeneity and insufficient characterization data for a specific subsurface formation of interest render predictions of multi‐phase fluid flow in geologic formations highly uncertain. Quantification of the uncertainty propagation from the geomodel to the fluid‐flow response is typically done within a probabilistic framework. This task is computationally demanding due to, for example, the slow convergence of Monte Carlo simulations (MCS), especially when computing the tails of a distribution that are necessary for risk assessment and decision‐making under uncertainty. The frozen streamlines method (FROST) accelerates probabilistic predictions of immiscible two‐phase fluid flow problems; however, FROST relies on MCS to compute the travel‐time distribution, which is then used to perform the transport (phase saturation) computations. To alleviate this computational bottleneck, we replace MCS with a deterministic equation for the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of travel time. The resulting CDF‐FROST approach yields the CDF of the saturation field without resorting to sampling‐based strategies. Our numerical experiments demonstrate the high accuracy of CDF‐FROST in computing the CDFs of both saturation and travel time. For the same accuracy, it is about 5 and 10 times faster than FROST and MCS, respectively.
Neuron devices: emerging prospects in neural interfaces and recognition
Authors: Wang Yang , Liu Shuangjie , Wang Hao , Zhao Yue , Zhang Xiao-Dong
Published: December 2022

Neuron interface devices can be used to explore the relationships between neuron firing and synaptic transmission, as well as to diagnose and treat neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. It is crucial to exploit neuron devices with high sensitivity, high biocompatibility, multifunctional integration and high-speed data processing. During the past decades, researchers have made significant progress in neural electrodes, artificial sensory neuron devices, and neuromorphic optic neuron devices. The main part of the review is divided into two sections, providing an overview of recently developed neuron interface devices for recording electrophysiological signals, as well as applications in neuromodulation, simulating the human sensory system, and achieving memory and recognition. We mainly discussed the development, characteristics, functional mechanisms, and applications of neuron devices and elucidated several key points for clinical translation. The present review highlights the advances in neuron devices on brain-computer interfaces and neuroscience research.
Different probiotic strains alter human cord blood monocyte responses
Authors: Rückle Xenia , Rühle Jessica , Judd Leonie , Hebel Janine , Dietz Stefanie , Poets Christian F. , Gille Christian , Köstlin-Gille Natascha
Published: December 2022

Background

Probiotics have a protective effect on various diseases. In neonatology, they are predominantly used to prevent necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a severe inflammatory disease of the neonatal intestine. The mechanisms by which probiotics act are diverse; little is known about their direct effect on neonatal immune cells.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the effect of probiotics on the functions of neonatal monocytes in an in vitro model using three different strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR), Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) and Bifidobacterium bifidum (BB)) and mononuclear cells isolated from cord blood.

Results

We show that stimulation with LR induces proinflammatory effects in neonatal monocytes, such as increased expression of surface molecules involved in monocyte activation, increased production of pro-inflammatory and regulatory cytokines and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Similar effects were observed when monocytes were stimulated simultaneously with LPS. Stimulation with LA and BB alone or in combination also induced cytokine production in monocytes, with BB showing the least effects.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that probiotics increase the defence functions of neonatal monocytes and thus possibly favourably influence the newborn’s ability to fight infections.

Impact

Probiotics induce a proinflammatory response in neonatal monocytes in vitro.

This is a previously unknown mechanism of how probiotics modulate the immune response of newborns.

Probiotic application to neonates may increase their ability to fight off infections.
Reliability and validity of Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) for evaluating foot posture in participants with low back pain
Authors: Yang Jiaman , Ou Zhiwen , Mao Zhitao , Wang Yi , Zhong Yiheng , Dong Wei , Shen Zhen , Chen Zehua
Published: December 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated that Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) is a valid and moderately reliable tool to evaluate foot posture. However, data about reliability and validity of FPI-6 in the assessment of foot posture in people with low back pain (LBP) is lacking. To investigate reliability and validity of FPI-6 in the assessment of foot posture in people with LBP. Thirty volunteers with LBP, aged 20–64 years, were recruited for the research and assessed by two raters. The data measured by different raters on the same day were used to calculate the inter-rater reliability. The data measured by the same rater on different dates were used to calculate the test–retest reliability. The reliability of FPI-6 was tested with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and absolute reliability with standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC) and Bland–Altman analysis. The validity of FPI-6 was tested with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Spearman's correlation coefficients. The FPI-6 indicated excellent inter-rater and test–retest reliability in the evaluation of foot posture in people with LBP (ICC = 0.97 and 0.95). The agreement for inter-rater and test–retest was excellent based on the SEM (SEM = 0.12) and MDC value (MDC = 0.33). Bland–Altman plots showed that there was no significant systematic bias for the agreement on the ground of low mean difference (< 1). The EFA suggested that the fit indices were considered acceptable according to the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) value (KMO = 0.620) and Bartlett's sphericity test (P < 0.01). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between each item and total score of FPI-6 because the Spearman’s correlation coefficient of six items were all > 0.3 (P < 0.01). The inter-rater and test–retest reliability and validity of FPI-6 on people with LBP were proved reliable. It might be considered a reliable and valid adjunctive tool to detect possible changes of foot posture after interventions in patients with LBP.
A novel time-lapse imaging method for studying developing bacterial biofilms
Authors: Futo Momir , Široki Tin , Koska Sara , Čorak Nina , Tušar Anja , Domazet-Lošo Mirjana , Domazet-Lošo Tomislav
Published: December 2022

In nature, bacteria prevailingly reside in the form of biofilms. These elaborately organized surface-bound assemblages of bacterial cells show numerous features of multicellular organization. We recently showed that biofilm growth is a true developmental process, which resembles developmental processes in multicellular eukaryotes. To study the biofilm growth in a fashion of eukaryotic ontogeny, it is essential to define dynamics and critical transitional phases of this process. The first step in this endeavor is to record the gross morphological changes of biofilm ontogeny under standardized conditions. This visual information is instrumental in guiding the sampling strategy for the later omics analyses of biofilm ontogeny. However, none of the currently available visualizations methods is specifically tailored for recording gross morphology across the whole biofilm development. To address this void, here we present an affordable Arduino-based approach for time-lapse visualization of complete biofilm ontogeny using bright field stereomicroscopy with episcopic illumination. The major challenge in recording biofilm development on the air–solid interphase is water condensation, which compromises filming directly through the lid of a Petri dish. To overcome these trade-offs, we developed an Arduino microcontroller setup which synchronizes a robotic arm, responsible for opening and closing the Petri dish lid, with the activity of a stereomicroscope-mounted camera and lighting conditions. We placed this setup into a microbiological incubator that maintains temperature and humidity during the biofilm growth. As a proof-of-principle, we recorded biofilm development of five Bacillus subtilis strains that show different morphological and developmental dynamics.
Location of mechanically-evoked referred sensations within the trigeminal region are not altered following a heterotopic painful stimulus
Authors: Exposto Fernando G. , Huang Miranda , Haasnoot Talita , Koutris Michail , Lobbezoo Frank , Bendixen Karina H. , Svensson Peter
Published: December 2022

To investigate whether the location, area and frequency of referred sensations occurring during palpation of the masseter muscle can be influenced by application of a conditioning painful stimulus to the temporalis muscle. Thirty healthy participants were included in this cross-over study, performed in two sessions with > 48 h in between. At each session, palpation of the masseter muscle was performed before and after 0.2 ml of glutamate (1 mol/L) or isotonic saline (control) were injected into the anterior portion of the temporalis muscle. Palpation of the masseter muscle was done using four different forces (0.5 kg, 1 kg, 2 kg and 4 kg). Participants rated the perceived intensity of the palpation and any referred sensations on a 0–50–100 numeric rating scale, the perceived pain intensity following the injections on an electronic visual analogue scale and drew any referred sensations they experienced. No difference in referred sensations location, area and frequency was shown r during palpation either before or after injections (P > 0.05). A moderate correlation was found between perceived sensation scores and referred sensations intensity for the temporalis muscle following glutamate injection (r = 0.407, P < 0.05). Moreover, significantly more participants reported referred sensations for glutamate injections into the temporalis muscle when compared to isotonic saline (P < 0.05). Finally, a significant decrease in the perceived intensity of palpation of the masseter muscle was seen after glutamate injection in the temporalis muscle (P < 0.05). In the current study, location, area and frequency of referred sensations following mechanical stimulation of the masseter muscle were not altered by the application of a painful stimulus to the temporalis muscle. In addition, there seems to be a positive relationship between painful stimuli and referred sensations frequency and intensity elicited from the temporalis muscle.
Potential in vitro anti-periodontopathogenic, anti-Chikungunya activities and in vivo toxicity of Brazilian red propolis
Authors: Silva Nagela Bernadelli Sousa , de Souza Jonathan Henrique , Santiago Mariana Brentini , da Silva Aguiar Jhennyfer Rodrigues , Martins Daniel Oliveira Silva , da Silva Rafael Alves , de Andrade Santos Igor , Aldana-Mejía Jennyfer A. , Jardim Ana Carolina Gomes , dos Santos Pedroso Reginaldo , Ambrósio Sergio Ricardo , Veneziani Rodrigo Cássio Sola , Bastos Jairo Kenupp , Pires Regina Helena , Martins Carlos Henrique Gomes
Published: December 2022

Bacterial and viral infections are serious public health issue. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial, antibiofilm and antiviral potential of the Brazilian Red Propolis (BRP) crude hydroalcoholic extract, fractions, and isolated compounds, as well as their in vivo toxicity. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and the antibiofilm activity by determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Biofilm (MICB50). The viable bacteria count (Log10 UFC/mL) was also obtained. The antiviral assays were performed by infecting BHK-21 cells with Chikungunya (CHIKV) nanoluc. The toxicity of the BRP was evaluated in the Caenorhabditis elegans animal model. The MIC values for the crude hydroalcoholic extract sample ranged from 3.12 to 100 μg/mL, while fractions and isolated compounds the MIC values ranged from 1.56 to 400 μg/mL.The BRP crude hydroalcoholic extract, oblongifolin B, and gutiferone E presented MICB50 values ranging from 1.56 to 100 μg/mL against monospecies and multispecies biofilms. Neovestitol and vestitol inhibited CHIKV infection by 93.5 and 96.7%, respectively. The tests to evaluate toxicity in C. elegans demonstrated that the BRP was not toxic below the concentrations 750 μg/mL. The results constitute an alternative approach for treating various infectious diseases.
Replicative bypass studies of l-deoxyribonucleosides in Vitro and in E. coli cell
Authors: Kan Yuhe , Jin Zhaoyang , Ke Yongqi , Lin Dao , Yan Liang , Wu Li , He Yujian
Published: December 2022

l-nucleosides were the most important antiviral lead compounds because they can inhibit viral DNA polymerase and DNA synthesis of many viruses, whereas they may lead to mutations in DNA replication and cause genomic instability. In this study, we reported the replicative bypass of l-deoxynucleosides in recombinant DNA by restriction enzyme–mediated assays to examine their impact on DNA replication in vitro and in E. coli cells. The results showed that a template l-dC inhibited Taq DNA polymerase reaction, whereas it can be bypassed by Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase as well as in cell replication, inserting correct nucleotides opposite l-dC. l-dG can be bypassed by Taq DNA polymerase and in E. coli cells, maintaining insertion of correct incoming nucleotides, and l-dG induced mutagenic replication by Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase. In contrast, l-dA can induced mutagenic replication in vitro and in E. coli cells. MD simulations were performed to investigate how DNA polymerase affected replicative bypass and mutations when d-nucleosides replaced with l-nucleosides. This study will provide a basis for the ability to assess the cytotoxic and mutagenic properties of the l-nucleoside drugs.
SnO2@ZnO nanocomposites doped polyaniline polymer for high performance of HTM-free perovskite solar cells and carbon-based
Authors: Arjmand Faezeh , Golshani Zahra , Maghsoudi Shahab , Naeimi Atena , Fatemi S. Jamiladin
Published: December 2022

Herein, at first, green SnO2@ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized using Calotropis plant extract as an electron transfer material (ETM) to fabricate low-temperature-processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Then, the polyaniline (PANI) polymer was applied as an efficient additive to improve perovskite film quality. Under the effects of the small content of PANI additive, the quality of perovskite films is enhanced, which showed higher crystallinity in (110) crystal plane; also, the perovskite grains were found to be enlarged from 342 to 588 nm. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the prepared PSCs with SnO2@ZnO.PANI nanocomposites electron transfer layer (ETL) increased by 3.12%, compared with the PCE of SnO2@ZnO nanocomposites. The perovskite devices using SnO2@ZnO.PANI nanocomposites ETL have shown good stability during 480 h of tests. Furthermore, the optimal PSCs were fabricated by the mp-TiO2/SnO2@ZnO.PANI nanocomposites as ETL, which has a power conversion efficiency of 15.45%. We expect that these results will boost the development of low-temperature ETL, which is essential for the commercializing of high-performance, stable, and flexible perovskite solar cells.
The impacts of corrected left ventricular ejection time combined with dobutamine on hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Authors: Jian Yu , Xiaochen Ji , Zongjian Sun , Yu Nie , Shiqiang Shan
Published: December 2022

To evaluate the clinical effect of corrected left ventricular ejection time (LVETc) combined with dobutamine on the intraoperative management of patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Sixty-eight patients with elective proposed pancreaticoduodenectomy, aged 61–78 years, body mass index 19–26 kg/m2, and ASA classification II or III, were divided into two groups (n = 34) using the random number table method: the esophageal ultrasound group (S group) and the esophageal ultrasound combined with dobutamine group (D group). In both groups, an esophageal ultrasound probe was placed after induction of anesthesia, and the left ventricular ejection time (LVET) and stroke volume (SV) were measured via a long-axis section of gastric fundus to guide fluid infusion. Nitroglycerin or a combination of dobutamine and nitroglycerine were pumped intravenously from the beginning of surgery to the completion of hemostasis after partial hepatectomy, in groups S or D, respectively. Central Venous Pressure (CVP), heart rate HR, and mean arterial pressure MAP were recorded at entry (T0), immediately after induction (T1), at the beginning of the operation (T2), during hilar occlusion (T3), after partial hepatectomy (T4), and after the operation (T5). SV and LVETc were recorded between T1 and T5. At T0 and T5, blood samples from radial artery and central vein were taken to determine the concentration of blood lactic acid, and the oxygen supply index (DO2I) and oxygen uptake rate (O2ERe) were calculated by blood gas analysis. The operation time, hilar occlusion time, intraoperative urine volume, intraoperative crystalloid and colloid infusion, intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion, and the occurrence of cardiac gas emboli during the operation were also recorded. Adverse events of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal function during and after operation were registered. Sixty-four patients were included in the final analysis. Compared with group S, group D had lower CVP values at T2–T3 and higher SV values at T2–T5, reduced intraoperative blood loss, significantly increased intraoperative urine output, a smaller total dose of nitroglycerin use, and lower incidences of intraoperative hypotension and cardiac gas emboli (P < 0.05). Esophageal ultrasound detection of LVETc combined with dobutamine ensures hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing partial hepatectomy while reducing the incidence of intraoperative hypotension and air embolism.
Improvement of fibroid-associated symptoms and quality of life after US-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) of uterine fibroids
Authors: Tonguc Tolga , Recker Florian , Ganslmeier Judith , Strunk Holger M. , Pieper Claus C. , Ramig Olga , Welz Simone , Egger Eva K. , Mutschler Nikola , Warwas Leonie , Essler Markus , Mustea Alexander , Conrad Rupert , Marinova Milka
Published: December 2022

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign uterine tumors and can cause various severe symptoms as abnormal menstrual bleeding or pelvic pain. Therefore, the primary objective in the treatment of uterine fibroids is a sufficient symptom relief. Ultrasound (US)-guided High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an effective non-invasive treatment strategy for ablation of uterine fibroids that can achieve a significant tumor volume reduction. The aim of the study is to evaluate if US-guided HIFU treatment can reduce fibroid-associated symptoms leading to an improvement of health-related quality of life. Fifty-five women with symptomatic uterine fibroids underwent US-guided HIFU ablation. Clinical evaluation was performed on the basis of the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (UFS-QOL) at baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after HIFU. Imaging follow-up included contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced MRI. A significant reduction of the Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) was observed between 6 weeks and 12 months after HIFU (49.9 ± 19.4 at baseline vs. 42.2 ± 20.1 at 6 weeks and 23.6 ± 12.7 at 12 months after treatment, p < 0.001) correlating with a significant improvement (p < 0.001) of Health-related Quality of Life (HRQL) (52.5 ± 22.7 at baseline vs. 59.8 ± 22 at 6 weeks and 77.9 ± 17.3 at 12 months after treatment). Significant postinterventional improvement was observed in every subscale of HRQL. In the majority of patients, only minor, short-lasting and self-limiting side effects were observed, e.g. soft tissue edema of the anterior lower abdominal wall in the acoustic pathway or transient moderate lower abdominal pain as during menstruation. One patient with a very large fibroid experienced strong short-lasting pain after the procedure; two patients experienced post-procedurally a transient sciatic nerve irritation. US-guided HIFU of uterine fibroids reduces disease-related symptoms and improves health-related quality of life.
Experimentally induced myopia and myopic astigmatism alter retinal electrophysiology in chickens
Authors: Vyas Sonal Aswin , Lakshmanan Yamunadevi , Chan Henry Ho-lung , Leung Tsz-wing , Kee Chea-su
Published: December 2022

Myopia (or “short-sightedness”) and astigmatism are major causes of visual impairment worldwide. Significant amounts of astigmatism are frequently observed in infants and have been associated with myopia development. Although it is well established that both myopia and astigmatism are associated with ocular structural changes from anterior to posterior segments, very little is known on how these refractive errors alter retinal functions. This study investigated the effects of experimentally induced myopia and myopic-astigmatism on retinal electrophysiology by using an image-guided, multifocal global flash stimulation in chickens, a widely used animal model for refractive error development. Myopia and myopic-astigmatism were experimentally induced, respectively, by wearing spherical (− 10 D, n = 12) and sphero-cylindrical lenses (− 6.00 DS/− 8.00 DCx90: Hyperopic With-The Rule, H-WTR, n = 15; − 6.00 DS/− 8.00 DCx180: Hyperopic Against-The-Rule, H-ATR, n = 11) monocularly for a week (post-hatching day 5 to 12). An aged-matched control group without any lens treatment provided normal data (n = 12). Multifocal electrophysiological results revealed significant regional variation in the amplitude of induced component (IC) (central greater than peripheral; both p < 0.05) in the normal and H-ATR groups, but not in the – 10 D and H-WTR groups. Most importantly, for the first time, our results showed that both H-WTR and H-ATR groups exhibited a significantly longer implicit time of the inner retinal response at the central region when compared to the normal and – 10 D groups, highlighting a significant role of astigmatism in retinal physiology.
Plastid phylogenomics uncovers multiple species in Medicago truncatula (Fabaceae) germplasm accessions
Authors: Choi In-Su , Wojciechowski Martin F. , Steele Kelly P. , Hopkins Andrew , Ruhlman Tracey A. , Jansen Robert K.
Published: December 2022

Medicago truncatula is a model legume that has been extensively investigated in diverse subdisciplines of plant science. Medicago littoralis can interbreed with M. truncatula and M. italica; these three closely related species form a clade, i.e. TLI clade. Genetic studies have indicated that M. truncatula accessions are heterogeneous but their taxonomic identities have not been verified. To elucidate the phylogenetic position of diverse M. truncatula accessions within the genus, we assembled 54 plastid genomes (plastomes) using publicly available next-generation sequencing data and conducted phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood. Five accessions showed high levels of plastid DNA polymorphism. Three of these highly polymorphic accessions contained sequences from both M. truncatula and M. littoralis. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences placed some accessions closer to distantly related species suggesting misidentification of source material. Most accessions were placed within the TLI clade and maximally supported the interrelationships of three subclades. Two Medicago accessions were placed within a M. italica subclade of the TLI clade. Plastomes with a 45-kb (rpl20-ycf1) inversion were placed within the M. littoralis subclade. Our results suggest that the M. truncatula accession genome pool represents more than one species due to possible mistaken identities and gene flow among closely related species.
Improved multi-objective differential evolution algorithm based on a decomposition strategy for multi-objective optimization problems
Authors: Fan Mingwei , Chen Jianhong , Xie Zuanjia , Ouyang Haibin , Li Steven , Gao Liqun
Published: December 2022

Many real-world engineering problems need to balance different objectives and can be formatted as multi-objective optimization problem. An effective multi-objective algorithm can achieve a set of optimal solutions that can make a tradeoff between different objectives, which is valuable to further explore and design. In this paper, an improved multi-objective differential evolution algorithm (MOEA/D/DEM) based on a decomposition strategy is proposed to improve the performance of differential evolution algorithm for practical multi-objective nutrition decision problems. Firstly, considering the neighborhood characteristic, a neighbor intimacy factor is designed in the search process for enhancing the diversity of the population, then a new Gaussian mutation strategy with variable step size is proposed to reduce the probability of escaping local optimum area and improve the local search ability. Finally, the proposed algorithm is tested by classic test problems (DTLZ1-7 and WFG1-9) and applied to the multi-objective nutrition decision problems, compared to the other reported multi-objective algorithms, the proposed algorithm has a better search capability and obtained competitive results.
Effects of ultrasonic-assisted nickel pretreatment method on electroless copper plating over graphene
Authors: Peng Qingyan , Tan Xiaodong , Venkataraman Mohanapriya , Militky Jiri , Xiong Wei , Mahendran Arunjunai Raj , Lammer Herfried , Kejzlar Pavel
Published: December 2022

In this paper, copper deposited graphene was fabricated through electroless plating. A novel and facile pretreatment method is introduced based on ultrasonic treatment with nickel nano-particles as the catalytic core. This method abandons the sensitization and activation process in the traditional pretreatment that reduces the time and economic cost dramatically. The static contact angle was determined by an Olympus BX51M optical microscope. The surface morphology and plating composition were characterized via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), the infrared radiation (IR) transmittance spectra of the copper plated graphene were measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the layer structure was measured by Raman spectrum, the phase identification was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) (Q5000 TA instruments, USA) was carried out to detect the thermal characteristics. The electrical resistivity of copper-plated graphene was performed in an especially designed apparatus. The results show that the surface of graphene is coarsened, and the size is reduced after ultrasonic treatment, which can facilitate the nucleation and fine particle distribution of metal. The electroless plated efficiency of copper of the nickel pretreatment copper-plated graphene is 64.27 wt%, higher than that of generic copper-plated graphene at 58.62 wt%. The resistivity decreases rapidly from 1.69 × 10–2 Ω cm of the original Gr to 0.79 × 10–2 Ω cm of Cu/Ni@Gr due to the large number of fine copper particles scattered around the graphene.
Aphid species specializing on milkweed harbor taxonomically similar bacterial communities that differ in richness and relative abundance of core symbionts
Authors: Enders Laramy , Hansen Thorsten , Brichler Kirsten , Couture John , French Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

Host plant range is arguably one of the most important factors shaping microbial communities associated with insect herbivores. However, it is unclear whether host plant specialization limits microbial community diversity or to what extent herbivores sharing a common host plant evolve similar microbiomes. To investigate whether variation in host plant range influences the assembly of core herbivore symbiont populations we compared bacterial diversity across three milkweed aphid species (Aphisnerii, Aphis asclepiadis, Myzocallis asclepiadis) feeding on a common host plant (Asclepias syriaca) using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. Overall, although there was significant overlap in taxa detected across all three aphid species (i.e. similar composition), some structural differences were identified within communities. Each aphid species harbored bacterial communities that varied in terms of richness and relative abundance of key symbionts. However, bacterial community diversity did not vary with degree of aphid host plant specialization. Interestingly, the narrow specialist A.asclepiadis harbored significantly higher relative abundances of the facultative symbiont Arsenophonus compared to the other two aphid species. Although many low abundance microbes were shared across all milkweed aphids, key differences in symbiotic partnerships were observed that could influence host physiology or additional ecological variation in traits that are microbially-mediated. Overall, this study suggests overlap in host plant range can select for taxonomically similar microbiomes across herbivore species, but variation in core aphid symbionts within these communities may still occur.
Tyrosine-protein kinase Yes controls endothelial junctional plasticity and barrier integrity by regulating VE-cadherin phosphorylation and endocytosis
Authors: Jin Yi , Ding Yindi , Richards Mark , Kaakinen Mika , Giese Wolfgang , Baumann Elisabeth , Szymborska Anna , Rosa André , Nordling Sofia , Schimmel Lilian , Akmeriç Emir Bora , Pena Andreia , Nwadozi Emmanuel , Jamalpour Maria , Holstein Katrin , Sáinz-Jaspeado Miguel , Bernabeu Miguel O. , Welsh Michael , Gordon Emma , Franco Claudio A. , Vestweber Dietmar , Eklund Lauri , Gerhardt Holger , Claesson-Welsh Lena
Published: December 2022

Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin in endothelial adherens junctions is an essential component of the vascular barrier, critical for tissue homeostasis and implicated in diseases such as cancer and retinopathies. Inhibitors of Src cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase have been applied to suppress VE-cadherin tyrosine phosphorylation and prevent excessive leakage, edema and high interstitial pressure. Here we show that the Src-related Yes tyrosine kinase, rather than Src, is localized at endothelial cell (EC) junctions where it becomes activated in a flow-dependent manner. EC-specific Yes1 deletion suppresses VE-cadherin phosphorylation and arrests VE-cadherin at EC junctions. This is accompanied by loss of EC collective migration and exaggerated agonist-induced macromolecular leakage. Overexpression of Yes1 causes ectopic VE-cadherin phosphorylation, while vascular leakage is unaffected. In contrast, in EC-specific Src deficiency, VE-cadherin internalization is maintained and leakage is suppressed. In conclusion, Yes-mediated phosphorylation regulates constitutive VE-cadherin turnover, thereby maintaining endothelial junction plasticity and vascular integrity.
Mimicking Multicellular Features of the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Curvello Rodrigo , Loessner Daniela
Published: December 2022

This chapter introduces and explores the key concepts for the design of three-dimensional (3D) models of the tumour microenvironment, with a focus on biomaterial-based multicellular systems. From a tissue engineering perspective, the tumour niche is deconstructed, and its biomechanical, biochemical and cellular aspects and their interrelationship are presented. We discuss advances in the development of extracellular matrix-like biomaterials and microfluidic devices multicellular 3D cultures to mimic key features of tumour tissues, for example the vascularisation, metabolic and inflammatory profiles. Lastly, we outline the perspectives for controllable and reproducible 3D models for preclinical applications.
Cell Patterning to Mimic Tumor Anatomy
Authors: Brennan Molly C. , Nelson Celeste M.
Published: December 2022

The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of extracellular matrix (ECM), nutrient and oxygen gradients, vascular networks, interstitial flows, and stromal cell types that are not typically found in normal, healthy tissues. To study tumor progression and the metastatic cascade, researchers have used culture models to mimic these aspects of tumor anatomy. Cell patterning techniques have been adapted to control matrix composition and tumor shape, as well as vascular and lymphatic networks near and within tumors, interstitial flows, and interactions between different cell types found in the tumor microenvironment. This chapter describes advances in self-assembled monolayers, self-assembled spheroids, microlithography, and microfluidics for patterning cancer cells. These techniques allow for the replication of many aspects of tumor anatomy, but require improvements to pattern multiple cell types in a way that reflects the proximity of cells in vivo. Additionally, tumor models must allow for ECM remodeling to mimic changes in matrix composition and structure observed during tumor progression. Engineered tumor models permit investigation of the effects of isolated aspects of the TME on tumor progression, which is challenging to explore in vivo.