bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PAX2 is regulated by estrogen/progesterone through promoter methylation in endometrioid adenocarcinoma and has an important role in carcinogenesis via the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Chen Hui , Li Lingjun , Liu Huimin , Qin Ping , Chen Ruichao , Liu Shaoyan , Xiong Hanzhen , Li Yang , Yang Zhongfeng , Xie Mingyu , Yang Haili , Jiang Qingping
Published: January 2024

Endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEC) is one of the most common cancers of the female reproductive system. In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on early diagnosis and treatment. PAX2 (Paired box 2) inactivation is reportedly an important biomarker for endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) and EEC. However, the role of PAX2 in EEC carcinogenesis remains unclear. PAX2 expression and associated clinical characteristics were analyzed via The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia databases and clinical paired EIN/EEC tissue samples. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted to identify the putative molecular function and mechanism of PAX2. Cell proliferation, colony formation, cell migration, and invasion assays in vitro, and mouse xenograft models were utilized to study the biological functions of PAX2 in vivo. Pyrosequencing and the demethylating drug 5‐Aza‐dc were used to verify promoter methylation in clinical tissues and cell lines, respectively. The mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) on PAX2 expression was investigated by receptor block assay and double luciferase reporter assay. PAX2 expression was found to be significantly downregulated in EIN and EEC tissues, its overexpression inhibited EEC cell malignant behaviors in vivo and in vitro and inhibited the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. PAX2 inactivation in EEC was related to promoter methylation, and its expression was regulated by E2 and P4 through their receptors via promoter methylation. Our findings elucidated the expression and function of PAX2 in EEC and have provided hitherto undocumented evidence of the underlying molecular mechanisms. PAX2 expression is suppressed by estrogen prompting its methylation through estrogen receptor. Furthermore, PAX2 regulates the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to influence EEC progression. © 2024 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Omission of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with completely necrotic Wilms tumor stage I and radiotherapy in stage III: The 30‐year SIOP‐RTSG experience
Authors: Vujanić Gordan M. , Graf Norbert , D'Hooghe Ellen , Pritchard‐Jones Kathy , Bergeron Christophe , Tinteren Harm van , Furtwängler Rhoikos ,   for the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Renal Tumour Study Group (SIOP‐RTSG)
Published: January 2024

Background

Completely necrotic Wilms tumor (CN‐WT) following preoperative chemotherapy has been regarded as low‐risk WT since the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) 93‐01 study, and patients have been treated with reduced postoperative therapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the omission of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with localized CN‐WT stage I and radiotherapy in stage III was safe.

Patients and methods

The retrospective observational study of outcomes of patients diagnosed with localized CN‐WT on central pathology review and treated according to the SIOP 93‐01 and SIOP‐WT‐2001 protocols (1993–2022).

Results

There were 125 patients with localized CN‐WT: 90 with stage I, 10 with stage II, and 25 with stage III. Sixty‐two of 125 (49.6%) patients had a discrepant diagnosis and/or staging between the institutional pathologist and central pathology review. In the group of 90 patients with stage I, postoperative chemotherapy was not given to 41 (46%) patients, whereas 49 patients received postoperative chemotherapy—in the latter group, two patients relapsed, and one of them died. One stage I and one stage II patient developed chemotherapy‐induced toxicity and died. Nineteen of 25 patients with stage III received no flank radiotherapy. No stage III patient relapsed or died. The overall 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) estimate for the entire cohort (stages I–III) was 96.8% [95% confidence interval, CI: 93.6%–99.6%] and the overall survival (OS) was 97.6% [95% CI: 95.0–100%]. The EFS and OS were 97% and 98%, respectively, for stage I, and 100% for stage III.

Conclusion

Omission of postoperative chemotherapy for patients with CN‐WT stage I, and radiotherapy for stage III is safe. Rapid central pathology review is required to assign appropriate treatment and avoid treatment‐related side effects.
Flammability and thermal resistance of Ceiba petandra fiber‐reinforced composite with snail powder filler
Authors: Diharjo Kuncoro , Gapsari Femiana , Andoko Andoko , Wijaya Ming Narto , Mavinkere Rangappa Sanjay , Siengchin Suchart
Published: January 2024

Natural fiber composites are not suitable for use in industries due to their flammability and low thermal resistance. Inorganic metal‐based fillers are known to enhance the flammability and thermal resistance of composites, while the thermal and fire‐retardant properties of organic fillers are not commonly known. This study evaluated the mechanical, thermal, and flammability properties of Ceiba petandra fiber (CPF)‐reinforced composites, which were added with snail powder (SP). To study the thermal resistance of the composite, a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied. SP Filler concentration increased the composite's tensile strength and thermal resistance. DMA test results showed the same trend as the composite's density value. The flame rate parameters of the composite, including the percentage of char yield and the limitation index oxygen (LOI), rose as the SP filler increased. However, the flame rate of the composite dropped because SP filler inhibited the movement of oxygen, combustible gas, and polyester degradation products. The addition of organic fillers in natural fiber composites promises better flammability and thermal resistance.
Quality evaluation of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from different origins based on high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting and multicomponent quantitative analysis combined with chemical pattern recognition
Authors: Zhang Jie , Yu Xiao , Yang Ran , Zheng Bingqing , Zhang Yongqing , Zhang Fang
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) is widely used in food and traditional Chinese medicine. To meet demand, Lonicera japonica Thunb. is widely cultivated in many provinces of China. However, reported studies on the quality evaluation of LJF only used a single or a few active components as indicators, which could not fully reflect the quality of LJF.

Objectives

In the present study, we aimed to develop a methodology for comprehensively evaluating the quality of LJF from different origins based on high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting and multicomponent quantitative analysis combined with chemical pattern recognition.

Materials and methods

The HPLC method was developed for fingerprint analysis and was used to determine the contents of 19 components of LJF. To distinguish between samples and identify differential components, similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed.

Results

The HPLC fingerprint was established. Using the developed method, the contents of 19 components recognized in the fingerprint analysis were determined. Samples from different origins could be effectively distinguished.

Conclusions

HPLC fingerprinting and multicomponent quantitative analysis combined with chemical pattern recognition is an efficient method for evaluating LJF.
Crystal structures reveal that the sterically hindered pivaloyl‐cisProlyl amide bond is energetically frustrated
Authors: Banerjee Shreya , Gupta Sunil K. , Pal Sunit , Prabhakaran Erode N.
Published: January 2024

Background

CisPro/transPro isomerism at the prolyl amide bond is a fundamental dynamism governing protein folding, structure, and functions. Since cisPro crystal structures are rare, the interactions influencing their structures are less understood, unlike transPro. Crystal data for the sterically hindered pivaloyl‐cisProlyl amide bond (2,2‐dimethyl‐1‐(1‐pyrrolidinyl)‐1‐propanone, Piv‐cisPro) were particularly lacking for decades. Here we introduce Piv‐Pro‐Xaa‐OMe dipeptides which crystallize with the elusive Piv‐cisPro (Xaa is Leu/Ile) and the abundant Piv‐transPro (Xaa is Gly/Phe) conformers.

Results

Natural bond orbital, quantum theory of atoms in molecules, and density functional theory calculations performed on these crystal structures and on the rotamers of the pivaloyl group reveal the presence of two constant n➔σ* interactions and a network of varying van der Waals interactions with unfavorable energies influencing this cisPro/transPro dynamism. Both conformers are hence energetically frustrated. The Piv‐cisPro amide bond distorts significantly to lower its energy by avoiding hard sphere clashes. Still, only in a narrow range of 12° of rotation along the CαPiv‐CβPiv bond, the Piv‐cisPro energies are relatively more favorable than Piv‐transPro. Piv‐cisPro crystallizes within this range.

Conclusions

Interactions that constrain the CαPiv‐CβPiv bond within this 12° range can further stabilize Piv‐cisPro in crystals. Current results provide the first insights into interactions governing Piv‐Pro amide bond isomerism.
Digital twin technology and ergonomics for comprehensive improvement of safety in the petrochemical industry
Authors: Jia Jinyang , Wang Xuetao , Xu Yang , Song Zehua , Zhang Zimeng , Wu Jiaqi , Liu Ziyu
Published: January 2024

In order to improve the safety performance of the complete industrial chain, the petrochemical industry is in urgent need of digitalization and modernization. Considering two types of safety issues, namely safety hazards originating from non‐human and human sources, this paper proposes two solutions. Digital twin technology provides an effective way for the integration of the physical and information worlds through bidirectional real mapping and real‐time interaction between physical and virtual production lines, which can meet the high requirements of safety, stability, and continuity in the production process. On the other hand, micro‐ergonomics improves human–machine interaction, enhances comfort and work efficiency, and reduces negative emotions and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders; macro‐ergonomics and health, safety, environment, and ergonomics (HSEE) concepts take into account the human factor to maximize work efficiency and reduce the rate of injuries, morbidity, and accidents at work.
Knowledge diffusion in nascent industries: Asymmetries between startups and established firms in spurring inventions by other firms
Authors: Polidoro Francisco , Jacobs Charlotte
Published: January 2024

Research Summary

Research on industry evolution highlights the role of knowledge‐building activities of startups and established firms in shaping knowledge evolution in a nascent industry. Yet, research thus far has overlooked the possibility that differences between startups and established firms might also shape the diffusion of the knowledge that they build. This study abductively explores this conjecture in the context of solar energy by examining the extent to which the photovoltaic cell inventions that firms create spur subsequent inventions by other firms. In contrast with existing literature highlighting differences across firms in the types of inventions they create, this study reveals asymmetries between startups and established firms in the diffusion of the knowledge underlying their inventions, even when they create inventions with similar attributes.

Managerial Summary

This study examines differences between startups and established firms in shaping knowledge diffusion in a nascent industry. Using data from photovoltaic cell patents, it shows that startups' inventions spur more subsequent inventions by other firms, even when compared to established firms' inventions with similar attributes. Findings indicate that such asymmetry is not driven by knowledge transfer mechanisms but rather by factors associated with knowledge spillovers. Specifically, findings reveal that university citations of a startup's patents draw other firms' attention to those patents, and that startups are less able to preempt rivals through cumulative inventions and less able to rely on litigiousness to deter rivals from building on their patents. These findings underscore the asymmetric influence startups have in shaping the knowledge underlying a nascent industry.
Interfacial Triboelectricity Lights Up Phosphor‐Polymer Elastic Composites: Unraveling the Mechanism of Mechanoluminescence in Zinc Sulfide Microparticle‐Embedded Polydimethylsiloxane Films
Authors: Lee Gyudong , Song Seongkyu , Jeong Woo Hyeon , Lee Cheoljae , Kim June‐Seo , Lee Ju‐Hyuck , Choi Jongmin , Choi Hyosung , Kim Younghoon , Lim Sung Jun , Jeong Soon Moon
Published: January 2024

Composites comprising copper‐doped zinc sulfide phosphor microparticles embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (ZnS:Cu–PDMS) have received significant attention over the past decade because of their bright and durable mechanoluminescence (ML); however, the underlying mechanism of this unique ML remains unclear. This study reports empirical and theoretical findings that confirm this ML is an electroluminescence (EL) of the ZnS:Cu phosphor induced by the triboelectricity generated at the ZnS:Cu microparticle–PDMS matrix interface. ZnS:Cu microparticles that exhibit bright ML are coated with alumina, an oxide with strong positive triboelectric properties; the contact separation between this oxide coating and PDMS, a polymer with strong negative triboelectric properties, produces sufficient interfacial triboelectricity to induce EL in ZnS:Cu microparticles. The ML of ZnS:Cu–PDMS composites varies on changing the coating material, exhibiting an intensity that is proportional to the amount of interfacial triboelectricity generated in the system. Finally, based on these findings, a mechanism that explains the ML of phosphor–polymer elastic composites (interfacial triboelectric field‐driven alternating‐current EL model) is proposed in this study. It is believed that understanding this mechanism will enable the development of new materials (beyond ZnS:Cu–PDMS systems) with bright and durable ML.
Piezoelectric Nanomaterial‐Mediated Physical Signals Regulate Cell Differentiation for Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Li He , Pan Xueting , Wang Tianyun , Fan Zhenlin , Wang Hai , Ren Wenjie
Published: January 2024

Tissue damage often causes considerable suffering to patients due to slow recovery and poor prognosis. The use of electroactive materials to deliver biophysical signals plays a key role in regulating tissue regeneration processes. Among these materials, piezoelectric materials have unique electromechanical conversion capabilities, making them suitable for use as cell scaffolds. They can deform and emit electrical signals in response to external stimuli, thereby regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. In this review, recent advances are presented in piezoelectric materials as physical signaling mediators that regulate cell differentiation. The basic mechanisms, classification of these materials, and their different applications in tissue regeneration are described. Finally, a comprehensive discussion of current challenges and prospects in the field is provided. Together, existing experimental results basically show that piezoelectric materials can improve the process and effect of tissue repair, providing new technical options for the development of tissue engineering in the future.
Solid‐Phase Molecular Self‐Assembly Enabled Glue‐Free Antifatigue Laminate Programmable Materials
Authors: Qi Jinwan , Zhao Hongxin , Wang Wenkai , Gao Shuitao , Huang Jianbin , Yan Yun
Published: January 2024

Repeated programmability has emerged as a desired property in smart device engineering, but the programmability will fatigue upon repeated applications due to the unmatched mechanical property between the layer materials and the polymeric glue that is required to integrate the two individual oriented layers. It is reported here that glue‐free antifatigue programmable laminate materials can be made with films resulted from solid‐phase molecular self‐assembly (SPMSA). The SPMSA films are created by squeezing the precipitates of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and DTAB with a noodle machine, where the hydrophobic DTAB molecules self‐assembled into wormlike micelles and oriented along the squeezing direction. The surface molecules in this film are endowed with sufficient mobility in the presence of hydration water, so that two such films are able to be pressed into a laminate material owing to the hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between the molecules on the two adjacent surfaces. As the water evaporated gradually, the left laminate materials are glue‐free with the same composition. When many of such films are integrated with specific designs, complicated shape programming is able to be achieved, and the programmability is reversible without fatigue. The current strategy is envisioned as a potent intriguing pathway leading to advanced programable materials.
Understanding the Anomalous J–V Curves in Carbon‐Based Perovskite Solar Cells as a Structural Transition Induced by Ion Diffusion
Authors: De Moor Gilles , Charvin Nicolas , Farha Cynthia , Meyer Toby , Perrin Lara , Planes Emilie , Flandin Lionel
Published: January 2024

The investigation of hole transport layer‐free mesoporous carbon perovskite solar cells by analyzing current–voltage (J–V) curves under different scan rates, light intensities, and temperatures is presented. A distinctive bump in the curves is identified, previously reported in the literature. The voltage at the inflection point of this transition shows a linear correlation with the scan rate, directly yielding a characteristic relaxation time. Increasing temperature demonstrates a reduction in the magnitude and characteristic time of the bump. It also indicates an activation energy of 0.8 eV, suggesting a diffusion mechanism. Importantly, the intensity of the illumination has no influence on the overall behavior, indicating that the phenomenon is not a photovoltaic processes. It is proposed that the bump originates from transition between a metastable state at high scan rates and a stable one reached after relaxation. To accurately replicate the measured J–V curves, a novel lumped circuit model is introduced and validated. A schematic microstructural model depicts the reversible reduction in photocurrent as a decline in charge transfer capacity caused by the diffusion of large ions at the mesoporous titanuim dioxyde interface. Ultimately, this study also suggests a plausible reason for the well‐known hysteresis commonly observed with perovskite solar cells.
α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors induce long‐term synaptic enhancement in the dorsal but not ventral hippocampus
Authors: Tsotsokou Giota , Kouri Vasiliki , Papatheodoropoulos Costas
Published: January 2024

Agents that positively modulate the activity of α7nAChRs are used as cognitive enhancers and for the treatment of hippocampus‐dependent functional decline. However, it is not known whether the expression and the effects of α7nAChRs apply to the entire longitudinal axis of the hippocampus equally. Given that cholinergic system‐involving hippocampal functions are not equally distributed along the hippocampus, we comparatively examined the expression and the effects of α7nAChRs on excitatory synaptic transmission between the dorsal and the ventral hippocampal slices from adult rats. We found that α7nAChRs are equally expressed in the CA1 field of the two segments of the hippocampus. However, activation of α7nAChRs by their highly selective agonist PNU 282987 induced a gradually developing increase in field excitatory postsynaptic potential only in the dorsal hippocampus. This long‐term potentiation was not reversed upon application of nonselective nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine, but the induction of potentiation was prevented by prior blockade of α7nAChRs by their antagonist MG 624. In contrast to the long‐term synaptic plasticity, we found that α7nAChRs did not modulate short‐term synaptic plasticity in either the dorsal or the ventral hippocampus. These results may have implications for the role that α7nAChRs play in specifically modulating functions that depend on the normal function of the dorsal hippocampus. We propose that hippocampal functions that rely on a direct α7 nAChR‐mediated persistent enhancement of glutamatergic synaptic transmission are preferably supported by dorsal but not ventral hippocampal synapses.
A potential mechanism clue to the periodic storm from microglia activation and progressive neuron damage induced by paraquat exposure
Authors: Shi Ge , Zhang Chunhui , Bai Xinghua , Sun Jian , Wang KaiDong , Meng Qi , Li Yang , Hu Guiling , Hu Rong , Cai Qian , Huang Min
Published: January 2024

Paraquat (PQ), is characterized by neurotoxicity, which increases the potential risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) exposure in the long‐term and low doses. Triggering microglia activation and neuroinflammation is deemed an early event resulting in PD. However, the underlying pathogenesis of PD by PQ is not clear yet. In this article, C57BL/6J mice treated with PQ could successfully act out Parkinson‐like. In addition, we observed the fluorescence intensity enhancement of Iba‐1 activated microglia with released pro‐inflammatory, all ahead of both the damage of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum of the brain. Surprisingly, the injection of minocycline before PQ for many hours not only can effectively improve the neurobehavioral symptoms of mice but inhibit the activation of microglia and the release of pro‐inflammatory substances, even controlling the gradual damage and loss of neurons. A further mechanism of minocycline hampered the expression levels of key signaling proteins PI3K, PDK1, p‐AKT, and CD11b (the receptor of microglia membrane recognition), while a large number of inflammatory factors. Our results suggested that the CD11b/PI3K/NOX2 pathway may be a clue that microglia‐mediated inflammatory responses and neuronal damage in a PQ‐induced abnormal behavior Parkinson‐like mouse.
Unraveling neoantigen‐associated genes in bladder cancer: An in‐depth analysis employing 101 machine learning algorithms
Authors: Lv Fang , Xiong Qi , Qi Meiying , Dai Caixia , Zhang Xiuhong , Cheng Shunhua
Published: January 2024

The therapeutic outcomes for bladder cancer (BLCA) remain suboptimal. Concurrently, there is a growing appreciation for the role of neoantigens in tumors. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying the involvement of neoantigen‐associated genes in BLCA and their impact on prognosis. Our analysis incorporated both single‐cell sequencing and bulk sequencing data sourced from publicly available databases. By employing a comprehensive set of 10 machine learning algorithms, we generated 101 algorithm combinations. The optimal combination, determined based on consistency indices, was utilized to construct a prognostic model comprising nine genes (CAPG, ACTA2, PDIA6, AKNA, PTMS, SNAP23, ID2, CD3G, SP140). Subsequently, we validated this model in an independent cohort, demonstrating its robust testing efficacy. Moreover, we explored the correlations between various clinical traits, model scores, and genes. Leveraging extensive public data resources, we conducted a drug sensitivity analysis to provide insights for targeted drug screening. Additionally, consensus clustering analysis and immune infiltration analysis were performed on bulk sequencing datasets and immunotherapy cohorts. These analyses yield valuable insights into the role of neoantigens in BLCA, guiding future research endeavors.
Let's talk about sex: Mechanisms of neural sexual differentiation in Bilateria
Authors: Roggenbuck Emma C. , Hall Elijah A. , Hanson Isabel B. , Roby Alyssa A. , Zhang Katherine K. , Alkatib Kyle A. , Carter Joseph A. , Clewner Jarred E. , Gelfius Anna L. , Gong Shiyuan , Gordon Finley R. , Iseler Jolene N. , Kotapati Samhita , Li Marilyn , Maysun Areeba , McCormick Elise O. , Rastogi Geetanjali , Sengupta Srijani , Uzoma Chantal U. , Wolkov Madison A. , Clowney E. Josephine
Published: January 2024

In multicellular organisms, sexed gonads have evolved that facilitate release of sperm versus eggs, and bilaterian animals purposefully combine their gametes via mating behaviors. Distinct neural circuits have evolved that control these physically different mating events for animals producing eggs from ovaries versus sperm from testis. In this review, we will describe the developmental mechanisms that sexually differentiate neural circuits across three major clades of bilaterian animals–Ecdysozoa, Deuterosomia, and Lophotrochozoa. While many of the mechanisms inducing somatic and neuronal sex differentiation across these diverse organisms are clade‐specific rather than evolutionarily conserved, we develop a common framework for considering the developmental logic of these events and the types of neuronal differences that produce sex‐differentiated behaviors.

This article is categorized under:

Congenital Diseases > Stem Cells and Development

Neurological Diseases > Stem Cells and Development
Introduction
Authors: Jonker Gerdien , Schwaderer Isabella
Published: January 2024

With the focus on the interface between religion and art, this interdisciplinary volume addresses India as a trope of primaeval religiosity and imagined origins in Imperial Germany, the Weimar Republic, and national socialist Germany, respectively. The book covers the period from 1880 to 1945, but with historical expeditions going back to 1800. Placing the focus on religion, it traces forms of identity-making and nation-building processes involved in the German–Indian entanglement. As a result, the volume offers a global historical approach to religion from a modern transformative perspective.
The Indian Challenge: Indology and New Conceptions of Christianity as ‘Religion’ at the End of the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Thurner Mathias
Published: January 2024

This chapter argues that religion as a universal concept was not a European invention but had a global history. In the late-nineteenth century, a new understanding of ‘religion’(This contribution uses terms like ‘religion’, ‘science’, ‘history’, or ‘Europe’ not as ontological self-evident entities and unchangeable concepts. They are rather understood in a strictly historical sense—as names produced and used within a global discourse) emerged as a reaction against a physiological materialism that criticized ‘religion’ in the name of ‘science’. This new understanding regarded religion as an inner experience differing from ‘science’. Simultaneously, colonial knowledge production and the new importance of ‘history’ in the humanities led to the formation of a general religious history including Christianity. Consequently, religious reformers in all parts of the world started to define their traditions as ‘religion’ to prove their accordance with ‘science’. Western intellectuals were turning to Buddhism, and later a neo-Vedantic form of Hinduism, as decidedly scientific religions, and as historical evidence for their critique of Christianity. In this context, Christian theologians were challenged to prove the truth claims of Christianity in the new arena of the general religious history. Ernst Troeltsch, who was at the centre of this debate, turned to the German Indologist Hermann Oldenberg to substantiate his new conception of Christianity. This chapter shows that Troeltsch and Oldenberg were part of a global discourse on religion in which Buddhism was a challenge for Christian scholars.
Death and Transfiguration: Religion and Belonging in Felix Gotthelf’s Indian Opera Mahadeva (1910)
Authors: Schwaderer Isabella
Published: January 2024

Doctor, composer, and Schopenhauer enthusiast Felix Gotthelf (1857–1930) created a symphonic dramaMahadeva(1910) in which he transformed a Goethe ballad into a religious–artistic manifesto. He combined Indian philosophy, as popularized by Paul Deussen, with Christianity and Schopenhauer’s philosophy. Inspired by Richard Wagner, he attempted an Indo-German national and religious revival in music based on a romantic conception of art and religion. It was in effect a conservative reorientation of a philosophical and artistic appropriation of Indian scriptures that betrayed attempts to establish the social ethos of the late German Empire as autochthonous and within the tradition of German intellectual and Reformation history. The author’s contribution is to examine the interconnections between religion, national revival, and music in the context of widespread cultural criticism shortly before the First World War.
Modernism in Disguise? Neglected Aspects of the So-Called Revival of a Classical Indian Dance Form
Authors: Schlage Sandra Jasmin
Published: January 2024

Contact with remote cultures in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries stimulated major changes in the art practices of India and Western countries such as Germany. In this chapter, Sandra Jasmin Schlage analyses the knowledge production emanating from these developments with a special emphasis on applying terms and concepts like ‘revival’, or the emergence of ‘modernism’. The most exalted discourse from India is the so-called ‘revival’ of the classical dance traditions exemplified by Bharatanāṭyam from Southeast India. This chapter provides a critical analysis of this process through a comparison with the emergence of the so-called modern dance in Western countries, on the one hand, and the contemporary rise of modern visual arts in India, on the other hand. Some striking similarities have led the author to question the labelling of these developments and to suggest that the ‘revival’ of classical Indian dance traditions contains some ‘modernism’ in disguise.
‘The Priestess of Hindu Dance’: Leila Sokhey’s Repertoire and Its Reception in the Netherlands and Germany (1927–38)
Authors: Kanhai Parveen
Published: January 2024

Leila Sokhey, who became known as Madame Menaka, is recognized as a protagonist in the so-called Indian dance revival of 1923–47. Her dance embodied a marked ambivalence, for while it was part of a nationalist cultural endeavour, it was soundly grounded in a Western form of the aesthetics of Oriental dance. A variety of sources indicate that this stemmed from her own hybrid identity, as well as from her wish to fulfil the expectations of European audiences. Her art was considered ancient and deeply spiritual in the Netherlands and Germany. Prominent Dutch reviewers considered themselves knowledgeable about Hindu religious dance and suggested that its most authentic form existed in the colonial Dutch Indies rather than in India, whereas German reviewers adhered to and propagated the national socialist ideology and construction of India. Nonetheless, critics questioned whether it was possible to comprehend dance fully from a fundamentally different cultural tradition.
Surveying the Landscape: The Oil Industry and Alternative Energy in the 1970s
Authors: Mody Cyrus C. M.
Published: January 2024

The multi-level perspective (MLP) is one of the most widely-used frameworks for understanding the conditions and choices underpinning energy transitions. Although this volume contains several cogent critiques of the concept of an energy transition, it is still important for historians to be able to address the transitions studies community on its terms—which means being able to convey our historical cases in the language of MLP. At the same, we can use the rich and ambiguous historical record to point out—and possibly correct—shortcomings in the MLP framework. In this chapter I show that MLP’s vocabulary offers useful heuristics for understanding the energy debates of the 1970s—the “landscape” changes that destabilized the fossil fuel “regime” and stimulated alternatives such as solar and nuclear to “break out” from their “niches.” However, I show that the oil industry’s role in the 1970s debates complicates the MLP framework, in that the era’s most important landscape shifts were not exogenous to the oil industry, while oil firms exerted substantial control over niche alternatives. By the mid-1980s, the fossil fuel regime re-stabilized and alternative energy technologies were forced into even smaller niches than before—a reversal that is in tension with the more optimistic and linear stories usually found in transitions studies.
Flat F-theory and friends
Authors: Cheng Peng , Melnikov Ilarion V. , Minasian Ruben
Published: January 2024

Abstract

We discuss F-theory backgrounds associated to flat torus bundles over Ricci-flat manifolds. In this setting the F-theory background can be understood as a IIB orientifold with a large radius limit described by a supersymmetric compactification of IIB supergravity on a smooth, Ricci flat, but in general non-spin geometry. When compactified on an additional circle these backgrounds are T-dual to IIA compactifications on smooth non-orientable manifolds with a Pin− structure.
Complete $$ {N}_f^2 $$ contributions to four-loop pure-singlet splitting functions
Authors: Gehrmann Thomas , von Manteuffel Andreas , Sotnikov Vasily , Yang Tong-Zhi
Published: January 2024

Abstract

The scale evolution of parton distributions is determined by universal splitting functions. As a milestone towards the computation of these functions to four-loop order in QCD, we compute all contributions to the pure-singlet quark-quark splitting functions that involve two closed fermion loops. The splitting functions are extracted from the pole terms of off-shell operator matrix elements, and the workflow for their calculation is outlined. We reproduce known results for the non-singlet four-loop splitting functions and validate our new pure-singlet results against fixed Mellin moments.
Versorgung von Choanalatresien in Deutschland
Authors: Yılmaz Topçuoğlu Miray-Su , Hammitsch-Mayer Antje , Plinkert Peter K. , Baumann Ingo
Published: January 2024

Hintergrund

Verschiedene chirurgische Techniken mit transpalatinalen, transseptalen und transnasalen Zugängen zur operativen Therapie der Choanalatresie wurden in den letzten 200 Jahren entwickelt. Die endoskopische endonasale Chirurgie mit dorsaler Septumresektion und ohne Stents ist der aktuelle wissenschaftliche Trend, da so hohe Erfolgsraten mit geringen Komplikationsraten erreicht werden können. Diese Studie untersuchte, ob sich diese Technik tatsächlich flächendeckend in Deutschland durchgesetzt hat und welche Rolle die Anwendung von Stents hierbei spielt.

Methoden

Insgesamt 52 Hals-Nasen-Ohren(HNO)-Kliniken in Deutschland, davon alle 39 HNO-Universitätskliniken und 13 nicht-universitäre HNO-Kliniken der Maximalversorgung, wurden befragt, welche chirurgische Technik sie für die Choanalatresieresektion verwenden und ob Stents zum Einsatz kommen.

Ergebnisse

Für die dorsale Septumresektion gaben 39 von 44 antwortenden Kliniken (89 %) an, dorsale Septumteile zu resezieren. Bei den Universitätskliniken lag der Anteil bei 85 %, bei den nicht-universitären Kliniken bei 100 %.

Für die Anwendung von Stents gaben 20 von 48 antwortenden Kliniken (42 %) an, keine Stents zu verwenden. Bei den Universitätskliniken lag der Anteil bei 39 %, bei den nicht-universitären Kliniken bei 50 %.

Schlussfolgerung

Die endoskopische endonasale Choanalatresieresektion mit dorsaler Septumresektion wird in den großen HNO-Kliniken Deutschlands größtenteils als Standardtechnik verwendet. Die routinemäßige Verwendung von Stents ist noch weit verbreitet. Die Reduktion der Stentnutzung in der Choanalatresieversorgung und die Verwendung dieser Methode nur in schwierigen Einzelfällen sollte künftiges Ziel sein.
Deep Conservation and Unexpected Evolutionary History of Neighboring lncRNAs MALAT1 and NEAT1
Authors: Weghorst Forrest , Torres Marcén Martí , Faridi Garrison , Lee Yuh Chwen G. , Cramer Karina S.
Published: January 2024

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have begun to receive overdue attention for their regulatory roles in gene expression and other cellular processes. Although most lncRNAs are lowly expressed and tissue-specific, notable exceptions include MALAT1 and its genomic neighbor NEAT1, two highly and ubiquitously expressed oncogenes with roles in transcriptional regulation and RNA splicing. Previous studies have suggested that NEAT1 is found only in mammals, while MALAT1 is present in all gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) except birds. Here we show that these assertions are incomplete, likely due to the challenges associated with properly identifying these two lncRNAs. Using phylogenetic analysis and structure-aware annotation of publicly available genomic and RNA-seq coverage data, we show that NEAT1 is a common feature of tetrapod genomes except birds and squamates. Conversely, we identify MALAT1 in representative species of all major gnathostome clades, including birds. Our in-depth examination of MALAT1, NEAT1, and their genomic context in a wide range of vertebrate species allows us to reconstruct the series of events that led to the formation of the locus containing these genes in taxa from cartilaginous fish to mammals. This evolutionary history includes the independent loss of NEAT1 in birds and squamates, since NEAT1 is found in the closest living relatives of both clades (crocodilians and tuataras, respectively). These data clarify the origins and relationships of MALAT1 and NEAT1 and highlight an opportunity to study the change and continuity in lncRNA structure and function over deep evolutionary time.
Application of novel burst wave lithotripsy and ultrasonic propulsion technology for the treatment of ureteral calculi in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and renal calculi in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
Authors: Holmes Arturo E. , Chew Ben H. , Laughlin Robert , Buckley Jean , Kiewice Erica , Dancel Michael J. , Blasko David , Wong Victor K. F. , Halawani Abdulghafour , Koo Kyo Chul , Corl Doug , Fasolo Paul , Levy Oren , Thiel Jeff , Bailey Michael R. , Eichman Jammy , Meegan Jennifer M. , Haulena Martin
Published: January 2024

Marine mammals may develop kidney stones, which can be challenging to treat. We describe burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) and ultrasonic propulsion to treat ureteral calculi in a 48-year-old female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and to reduce renal stone burden in a 23-year-old male harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). BWL and ultrasonic propulsion were delivered transcutaneously in sinusoidal ultrasound bursts to fragment and reposition stones. Targeting and monitoring were performed with real-time imaging integrated within the BWL system. Four dolphin stones were obtained and fragmented ex vivo. The dolphin case received a 10-min and a 20-min BWL treatment conducted approximately 24 h apart to treat two 8–10 mm partially obstructing right mid-ureteral stones, using oral sedation alone. For the harbor seal, while under general anesthesia, retrograde ureteroscopy attempts were unsuccessful because of ureteral tortuosity, and a 30-min BWL treatment was targeted on one 10-mm right kidney stone cluster. All 4 stones fragmented completely to < 2-mm fragments in < 20 min ex vivo. In the dolphin case, the ureteral stones appeared to fragment, spread apart, and move with ultrasonic propulsion. On post-treatment day 1, the ureteral calculi fragments shifted caudally reaching the ureteral orifice on day 9. On day 10, the calculi fragments passed, and the hydroureter resolved. In the harbor seal, the stone cluster was observed to fragment and was not visible on the post-operative computed tomography scan. The seal had gross hematuria and a day of behavior indicating stone passage but overall, an uneventful recovery. BWL and ultrasonic propulsion successfully relieved ureteral stone obstruction in a geriatric dolphin and reduced renal stone burden in a geriatric harbor seal.
Mixed stones: urinary stone composition, frequency and distribution by gender and age
Authors: Siener Roswitha , Rüdy Jakob , Herwig Helena , Schmitz Marie-Therese , Schaefer Reinhold M. , Lossin Philipp , Hesse Albrecht
Published: January 2024

Proper analysis of urinary stone composition is a cornerstone for diagnosis, targeted treatment and recurrence prevention of urolithiasis. The aim of this study was to determine the composition, frequency and distribution of mixed stones according to gender and age of patients. A total of 42,519 urinary stones from 30,311 men and 12,208 women submitted between January 2007 and December 2020 were studied. Most urinary calculi consisted of two components (50.9%), followed by stones of a single constituent (27.1%) and three-component stones (21.9%), while four-component stones were only rarely identified (0.1%). Among all stones, 49.8% consisted of whewellite (COM), weddellite (COD), and mixtures of COM and COD, 33.8% were pure carbonate apatite (CA) and mixtures of CA with COM and/or COD, while 7.6% were composed of uric acid anhydrous (UAA), uric acid dihydrate (UAD), and mixed UAA and UAD. The remaining 8.8% of calculi were rare single-component stones and rare mixtures of various constituents. The number of stone components was inversely associated with age (p < 0.001). The proportion of men decreased significantly with the number of stone constituents, from 3.01:1 for single-component stones to 1.0:1 for four-component urinary calculi (p < 0.001). The vast majority of urinary calculi consisted of two or more components in varying proportions. While age was inversely associated with the number of stone constituents, the proportion of women increased significantly from single-component to four-component urinary calculi. A significant proportion of mixed stones could present a challenge for diagnosis and targeted recurrence prevention.
Hydrolysis of ionic liquid–treated substrate with an Iocasia fonsfrigidae strain SP3-1 endoglucanase
Authors: Heng Sobroney , Sutheeworapong Sawannee , Wangnai Chinnapong , Champreda Verawat , Kosugi Akihiko , Ratanakhanokchai Khanok , Tachaapaikoon Chakrit , Ceballos Ruben Michael
Published: January 2024

Recently, we reported the discovery of a novel endoglucanase of the glycoside hydrolase family 12 (GH12), designated IfCelS12A, from the haloalkaliphilic anaerobic bacterium Iocasia fonsfrigidae strain SP3-1, which was isolated from a hypersaline pond in the Samut Sakhon province of Thailand (ca. 2017). IfCelS12A exhibits high substrate specificity on carboxymethyl cellulose and amorphous cellulose but low substrate specificity on b-1,3;1,4-glucan. Unlike some endoglucanases of the GH12 family, IfCelS12A does not exhibit hydrolytic activity on crystalline cellulose (i.e., Avicel™). High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) analyses of products resulting from IfCelS12-mediated hydrolysis indicate mode of action for this enzyme. Notably, IfCelS12A preferentially hydrolyzes cellotetraoses, cellopentaoses, and cellohexaoses with negligible activity on cellobiose or cellotriose. Kinetic analysis with cellopentaose and barely b-d-glucan as cellulosic substrates were conducted. On cellopentaose, IfCelS12A demonstrates a 16-fold increase in activity (KM = 0.27 mM; kcat = 0.36 s−1; kcat/KM = 1.34 mM−1 s−1) compared to the enzymatic hydrolysis of barley b-d-glucan (KM: 0.04 mM, kcat: 0.51 s−1, kcat/KM = 0.08 mM−1 s−1). Moreover, IfCelS12A enzymatic efficacy is stable in hypersaline sodium chlorids (NaCl) solutions (up to 10% NaCl). Specifically, IfCel12A retains notable activity after 24 h at 2M NaCl (10% saline solution). IfCelS12A used as a cocktail component with other cellulolytic enzymes and in conjunction with mobile sequestration platform technology offers additional options for deconstruction of ionic liquid–pretreated cellulosic feedstock.

Key points

• IfCelS12A from an anaerobic alkaliphile Iocasia fronsfrigidae shows salt tolerance

• IfCelS12A in cocktails with other enzymes efficiently degrades cellulosic biomass

• IfCelS12A used with mobile enzyme sequestration platforms enhances hydrolysis
Endolysin EN572-5 as an alternative to treat urinary tract infection caused by Streptococcus agalactiae
Authors: Kajsikova Maria , Kajsik Michal , Bocanova Lucia , Papayova Kristina , Drahovska Hana , Bukovska Gabriela
Published: January 2024

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is an opportunistic pathogen causing urinary tract infection (UTI). Endolysin EN572-5 was identified in prophage KMB-572-E of the human isolate Streptococcus agalactiae KMB-572. The entire EN572-5 gene was cloned into an expression vector and the corresponding recombinant protein EN572-5 was expressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form, isolated by affinity chromatography, and characterized. The isolated protein was highly active after 30 min incubation in a temperature range of − 20 °C to 37 °C and in a pH range of 5.5–8.0. The endolysin EN572-5 lytic activity was tested on different Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. The enzyme lysed clinical GBS (n = 31/31) and different streptococci (n = 6/8), and also exhibited moderate lytic activity against UPEC (n = 4/4), but no lysis of beneficial vaginal lactobacilli (n = 4) was observed. The ability of EN572-5 to eliminate GBS during UTI was investigated using an in vitro model of UPSA. After the administration of 3 μM EN572-5, a nearly 3-log decrease of urine bacterial burden was detected within 3 h. To date, no studies have been published on the use of endolysins against S. agalactiae during UTI.

Key points

• A lytic protein, EN572-5, from a prophage of a human GBS isolate has been identified.

• This protein is easily produced, simple to prepare, and stable after lyophilization.

• The bacteriolytic activity of EN572-5 was demonstrated for the first time in human urine.

Graphical abstract
Characterization and stabilization of GluLm and its application to deglycosylate dietary flavonoids and lignans
Authors: Curiel José Antonio , de la Bastida Ana Ruiz , Langa Susana , Peirotén Ángela , Landete José María
Published: January 2024

This study describes the characterization of the recombinant GH3 aryl-β-glucosidase “GluLm” from Limosilactobacillus mucosae INIA P508, followed by its immobilization on an agarose support with the aim of developing an efficient application to increase the availability and concentration of flavonoid and lignan aglycones in a vegetal beverage. In previous studies, heterologous GluLm-producing strains demonstrated a great capacity to deglycosylate flavonoids. Nevertheless, the physicochemical properties and substrate spectrum of the enzyme remained unknown up to now. A high production of purified GluLm was achieved (14 mg L−1). GluLm exhibited optimal activity at broad ranges of pH (5.0–8.0) and temperature (25–60°C), as well as high affinity (Km of 0.10 mmol L−1) and specific constant (86554.0 mmol L−1 s−1) against p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside. Similar to other GH3 β-glucosidases described in lactic acid bacteria, GluLm exhibited β-xylosidase, β-galactosidase, and β-fucosidase activities. However, this study has revealed for the first time that a GH3 β-glucosidase is capable to hydrolyze different families of glycosylated phenolics such as flavonoids and secoiridoids. Although it exhibited low thermal stability, immobilization of GluLm improved its thermostability and allowed the development of a beverage based on soybeans and flaxseed extract with high concentration of bioactive isoflavone (daidzein, genistein), lignan (secoisolariciresinol, pinoresinol, and matairesinol), and other flavonoid aglycones.

Key points

• Limosilactobacillus mucosae INIA P508 GluLm was purified and biochemically characterized

• Immobilized GluLm efficiently deglycosylated flavonoids and lignans from a vegetal beverage

• A viable application to produce vegetal beverages with a high content of aglycones is described