bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary embolism post-Covid-19 infection: physiopathological mechanisms and vascular damage biomarkers
Authors: Petramala Luigi , Sarlo Francesca , Servello Adriana , Baroni Silvia , Suppa Marianna , Circosta Francesco , Galardo Gioacchino , Gandini Orietta , Marino Luca , Cavallaro Giuseppe , Iannucci Gino , Concistrè Antonio , Letizia Claudio
Published: August 2023

Covid-19 infection is characterized by several acute complications, as well long-term sequelae, mostly sustained by endothelial dysfunction; several studies show that complications as pulmonary embolism (PE) are described both in the acute phase and after negativization. Aim of research was to evaluate anthropometric, bio-humoral, instrumental parameters in a group of patients affected by PE after recent Covid-19 infection compared to PE patients without previous Covid-19 infection. We enrolled 72 consecutive patients (35M, 37F) with acute PE, distinguished in relation to previous acute Covid-19 infection: 54 pts without previous acute Covid-19 infection and 18 pts with previous Covid-19 infection within negativity at least 2 months before PE diagnosis; 44 healthy subjects (21M, 23F) were recruited as control group. Patients who had previously developed Covid-19 needed hospitalization in high percentage (84%); this group showed significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus than Covid-19-free PE patients, reduced serum levels of C-reactive protein, sST2 and PESI score. In post-Covid-19 PE group, we observed higher mean IMPROVE risk score, whereas in Covid-19-free group lower P/F ratio, higher radiological severity, and worse PESI score and severity index. Covid-19 infection affects not just the lung parenchyma but also other organs; endothelial damage plays pivotal role in long-term alterations; in high thrombotic risk group (recent hospitalization due to acute Covid-19 infection), we have described thrombotic complications characterized by persistent prothrombotic state after recovery, highlighted by well-known markers as PCR and D-Dimer as well as novel vascular marker (sST2).
MiR-425-5p suppression of Crebzf regulates oocyte aging via chromatin modification
Authors: Jueraitetibaike Kadiliya , Tang Ting , Ma Rujun , Zhao Shanmeizi , Wu Ronghua , Yang Yang , Huang Xuan , Cheng Xi , Zhou Cheng , Zhang Hong , Zheng Lu , Ge Xie , Chen Li , Yao Bing
Published: August 2023

Female infertility due to declining oocyte quality with age remains a significant challenge for patients and physicians, despite extensive research efforts. Recent studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs), which respond to various stressors in the aging process, may provide a promising solution. With the approval of small RNA drugs for clinical use, miRNA-based treatment of oocyte aging appears to be a viable option. Through high-throughput sequencing, miR-425-5p was identified as the only miRNA elevated under natural aging and oxidative stress. Microinjection of inhibitors to inhibit miR-425-5p effectively improved compromised phenotypes of old oocytes in vitro. Further investigation revealed that Crebzf acts as a mediator of miR-425-5p's age-related functions in old oocytes. In vivo treatment with miR-425-5p antagomirs significantly improved impaired oocyte development in reproductively old females by targeting Crebzf. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that Crebzf plays a vital role in regulating mRNAs targeting histone H3, trimethylated lysine 4 (H3K4me3), a crucial marker for transcriptional silencing. Overexpression of miR-425-5p could hinder oocyte maturation by downregulating Crebzf expression and disrupting transcriptional regulation. Our findings provide new insights into the potential of miR-425-5p antagomirs as a treatment for female infertility and highlight an elegant mechanism by which miR-425-5p inhibition of Crebzf inhibits a developmental switch in GV oocytes by regulating a group of histone methyltransferase mRNAs.
Laser Beam Polishing of PA12 Parts Manufactured by Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Eckhardt Lukas , Layher Michel , Hopf Andreas , Bliedtner Jens , May Markus , Lachmund Steven , Buttler Benjamin
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Multi Jet Fusion™ (MJF) is a powder bed fusion technology that fuses material locally with infrared radiation. Fabricated parts show high mechanical strength, low porosity and good dimensional accuracy, even for challenging geometries. They do, however, have a distinctive grainy surface with a roughness of Ra > 5 μm limiting possible applications. A fairly recent technology for the smoothing and polishing of polymer surfaces is the surface re-melting by laser beam polishing (LBP). The objective of this study is to characterize the LBP-process of MJF-manufactured Nylon PA12 parts and evaluate it in relation to state-of-the-art finishing methods.

Methods

PA12 samples produced using the Multi Jet Fusion™ process are laser beam polished with a 30 W CO2-laser system. A numerical model is applied in order to estimate the effects of different processing parameters and laser scanning strategies. Calculated temperature progressions are validated experimentally with thermographic measurements. The laser beam polished surfaces are subsequently characterised by surface topography, tensile strength, surface energy and hardness.

Results

A re-melting and concurrent smoothing of PA12 surfaces was demonstrated for a number of different processing strategies. The use of a line-focus resulted in the best combination of processing speed, flexibility and surface quality with a reduction in roughness of up to 91%.

Conclusion

Laser beam polishing is applicable to parts manufactured by Multi Jet Fusion™. Depending on the case of application, it can be preferable to conventional post-processing strategies for fusing residual powder and improving tribological properties.
Magnetic Iron Oxide Kaolinite Nanocomposite for Effective Removal of Congo Red Dye: Adsorption, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics Studies
Authors: Mahmud Nafis , Benamor Abdelbaki
Published: August 2023

Magnetic iron oxide/kaolinite (MK) composite was synthesized using co-precipitation method and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDX, TGA, XPS, VSM, and zeta potential analyses. The synthesized composite consisting of kaolinite halloysites with small clusters of iron oxide on its outer surface was used in batch experiments to adsorb Congo red dye at different temperatures. The adsorption data were fitted to three different isotherms with Langmuir adsorption isotherm best fitting the adsorption data. The maximum adsorption capacity of MK adsorbent was found to be around 45.59 mg/g. Adsorption kinetics data obtained at three different temperatures were fitted to pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models, where the latter model was able to better interpret the obtained kinetics data with a pseudo-second-order rate constant of 8.60 × 10−2 g.mg−1.min−1. Further analysis of the kinetic data revealed that the adsorption mechanism could be explained via intraparticle diffusion model. Thermodynamic parameters ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° for the adsorption process were determined with the results revealing the adsorption process to be favorable, endothermic, and physical in nature. Finally, comparison with other adsorbents showed that the synthesized MK composite exhibits significant potential to be used as an adsorbent for the removal of organic pollutants from aqueous solutions.
Gas permeability and emission in unsaturated vegetated landfill cover with biochar addition
Authors: Ni Junjun , Zhou Jingsong , Wang Yuchen , Guo Haowen
Published: August 2023

Plant–biochar interaction has been recognized to affect the hydraulic properties of landfill cover soils, while its influence on landfill gas emission is rarely studied. This study investigated the coupled effects of biochar and vegetation on gas permeability and emission in unsaturated landfill cover through an integrated theoretical modelling and laboratory investigation. First, a gas permeability model  was developed for vegetated coarse-grained soils with biochar addition. Then, a well-instrumented laboratory column test and two tests from the literature, considering bare, grass, biochar and grass + biochar conditions,  were used for model validation. Finally, a numerical parametric study  was conducted to investigate the influence of root growth and drought conditions on the gas emission rate. Results  showed that the developed model can satisfactorily capture the gas permeability of unsaturated soils at various degrees of saturation. The lowest water retention capacity, the highest gas permeability and gas emission rate after 24 months of growth  were observed in the grassed column. However, adding biochar in vegetated soils can maximize the water retention capacity and decrease the gas permeability, resulting in the lowest gas emission rate. The measured gas emission rates for the four cases meet the recommended value by the design guideline. The parametric study showed that the increased root depth from 0.2 m to 0.4 m  improved the gas emission rate by 170% in the grass case but  decreased by 97% in the grass + biochar case. Under the severe drought condition with soil suction around 500 kPa, the gas emission rate in the grassed case exceeded the design value by 18%, while those in the biochar cases  were far below the allowable value. Therefore, peanut shell biochar should be considered to amend the grassed landfill cover using coarse-grained soils as it can significantly improve engineering performance in reducing gas emissions under extreme drought conditions.

Graphical abstract
The role of civil society organizations in alcohol control during the COVID-19 pandemic across six countries in Africa
Authors: Aneja Kashish , Diedericks Aadielah Maker , Halabi Sam , Gottschalk Katie , Waddell Kerry , Tello Juan E.
Published: August 2023

Background

The differing global trends in alcohol consumption and policy measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic warrant a closer look at the actions taken by civil society organisations (CSOs) and community-led efforts to describe how they may influence and accelerate action for change in alcohol control measures. This paper analyses actions undertaken by CSOs at the national and local levels to safeguard communities and improve alcohol control policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in six African countries.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was distributed via email to CSOs involved in alcohol prevention, outreach and policy development in Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Individuals (n = 19) working at CSOs responded to the questionnaire from February to March 2022. Questions related to the role of CSOs during the pandemic are analysed and synthesised in this paper. 19 CSOs respondents representing the six countries were included in the study.

Results

Action areas led by CSOs during the COVID-19 pandemic included: (i) direct lobbying advocacy, (ii) conducting public awareness media campaigns and (iii) legal and regulatory interventions linked to the pandemic.

Conclusions

Given the size of the challenges governments faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of CSOs, during the ongoing pandemic and beyond, has become even more relevant to strengthen advocacy and public health interventions for alcohol control in Southern Africa. For this, CSOs should have a “seat at the table” when public health policies are designed, discussed and enforced.
Furosemide and acute kidney injury: is Batman the cause of evil?
Authors: Ricci Zaccaria , Deep Akash
Published: August 2023

As a drug directly acting on the tubules, furosemide has long been debated as a beneficial or detrimental drug for renal function, and the doubts have found no clear answer so far. Recent retrospective literature has highlighted the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) worsening after diuretic administration. However, the significance of fluid balance in terms of organ dysfunction and, in particular, a fluid overload (the percentage of excess weight gained with respect to admission weight) cutoff of 10% or greater has been associated with worsened outcomes in both critically ill children and adults. Diuretics in critically ill children are not administered “to manage” AKI but to convert oliguric to non-oliguric (subclinical and established) AKI and are very effective because they improve the urine output component of AKI. However, they may tend to transiently increase the creatinine component of AKI due to pharmacodynamics of loop diuretics. In conclusion, congestive AKI can be effectively treated by loop diuretics and decongestion of organs dysfunctional for fluid accumulation may contribute to improving children’s survival, making it similar to that of non-congested ones.
The Trial of Faith in the Spanish Inquisition
Authors: Dedieu Jean-Pierre , Knutsen Gunnar W.
Published: August 2023

By starting from a series of practical manuscript manuals
produced by Spanish inquisitors for daily use in their work, then following
their references to Latin legal treatises, it is possible to gain a better
understanding of the theoretical, theological, philosophical, and pastoral
underpinnings of inquisitorial practice. Further information can be gleaned by
comparing the procedural structure of trials with the relaciones de causas, the reports that summarized
those trials and justified inquisitors’ decisions to their superiors. This
double approach reveals that the inquisitorial trial of faith can be
conceptualized on two different levels: the formal judicial proceedings that
shaped the organizational sequence of the trial, and another process that
followed a less explicit internal logic and sought to produce a penitential
rather than a judicial truth. Though less evident for modern readers of the
Inquisition’s archives, this second level formed a key part of the theoretical
apparatus described in the Latin treatises. The first level was repressive and,
once the offense was proved in conformity with all judicial forms, imposed
punishment. The second was integrative and ecclesiastic, and aimed to
reintegrate defendants into the fold of the Catholic Church even when found
guilty. The inquisitors mobilized these two levels with a certain flexibility
that has not always been evident to historians: seen from this angle, their
expressions of interest in defendants’ spiritual well-being were more than
simple hypocrisy. The two conflictual logics nevertheless meant that the
inquisitorial trial of faith was an unbalanced edifice that could easily sway in
one direction or the other, depending on the inquisitors’ choices. Over time, it
appears that the penitential aspect of the trial took precedence over the purely
judicial dimension. There are several indications that a similar double logic
governed the criminal trials of other jurisdictions, meaning that such an
approach may shed a broader light on early modern institutions and their
resolution of conflicts.
Akaike and the No Miracle Argument for Scientific Realism
Authors: Fatollahi Alireza
Published: August 2023

The “No Miracle Argument” for scientific realism contends that the only plausible explanation for the predictive success of scientific theories is their truthlikeness, but doesn’t specify what ‘truthlikeness’ means. I argue that if we understand ‘truthlikeness’ in terms of Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, the resulting realist thesis (RKL) is a plausible explanation for science’s success. Still, RKL probably falls short of the realist’s ideal. I argue, however, that the strongest version of realism that the argument can plausibly establish is RKL. The realist needs another argument for establishing a stronger realist thesis.
Environmental sensor placement with convolutional Gaussian neural processes
Authors: Andersson Tom R. , Bruinsma Wessel P. , Markou Stratis , Requeima James , Coca-Castro Alejandro , Vaughan Anna , Ellis Anna-Louise , Lazzara Matthew A. , Jones Dani , Hosking Scott , Turner Richard E.
Published: August 2023

Environmental sensors are crucial for monitoring weather conditions and the impacts of climate change. However, it is challenging to place sensors in a way that maximises the informativeness of their measurements, particularly in remote regions like Antarctica. Probabilistic machine learning models can suggest informative sensor placements by finding sites that maximally reduce prediction uncertainty. Gaussian process (GP) models are widely used for this purpose, but they struggle with capturing complex non-stationary behaviour and scaling to large datasets. This paper proposes using a convolutional Gaussian neural process (ConvGNP) to address these issues. A ConvGNP uses neural networks to parameterise a joint Gaussian distribution at arbitrary target locations, enabling flexibility and scalability. Using simulated surface air temperature anomaly over Antarctica as training data, the ConvGNP learns spatial and seasonal non-stationarities, outperforming a non-stationary GP baseline. In a simulated sensor placement experiment, the ConvGNP better predicts the performance boost obtained from new observations than GP baselines, leading to more informative sensor placements. We contrast our approach with physics-based sensor placement methods and propose future steps towards an operational sensor placement recommendation system. Our work could help to realise environmental digital twins that actively direct measurement sampling to improve the digital representation of reality.
Implications of extinction in law: Preventing, declaring and learning from species extinctions
Authors: McCormack Phillipa C.
Published: August 2023

Biodiversity laws around the world differ, but, at their core, these laws promote the fundamental objective of preventing environmental decline and species extinctions. A variety of legal mechanisms have been implemented in domestic laws around the world to achieve this objective, including protection for habitat, environmental impact assessments and threatened species recovery plans. In many jurisdictions, if these mechanisms fail to protect a species, it may be legally declared extinct, or added to a formal list of those that have been lost. This article examines the conservation purpose and legal implications for laws about extinction. A legal power to recognise a species as extinct has the potential to foster ambition, transparency and rigorous measurement of progress against conservation goals. However, in practice, efforts to prevent extinction are applied selectively. Without an obligation to learn from extinctions, recognition of species extinctions in law may have perverse effects, or no effect at all. This article proposes a conceptual model for the role of law in relation to extinctions, highlighting opportunities to improve legal frameworks to achieve more productive and positive conservation outcomes, even as climate change and other pressures drive many more species towards extinction.
Exotic Monoidal Structures and Abstractly Automorphic Representations for
Authors: Dor Gal
Published: August 2023

We use the theta correspondence to study the equivalence between Godement–Jacquet and Jacquet–Langlands L-functions for

${\mathrm {GL}}(2)$

. We show that the resulting comparison is in fact an expression of an exotic symmetric monoidal structure on the category of

${\mathrm {GL}}(2)$

-modules. Moreover, this enables us to construct an abelian category of abstractly automorphic representations, whose irreducible objects are the usual automorphic representations. We speculate that this category is a natural setting for the study of automorphic phenomena for

${\mathrm {GL}}(2)$

, and demonstrate its basic properties.

This paper is a part of the author’s thesis [4].
Iran Protests and Patterns of State Repression
Authors: Alemzadeh Maryam
Published: August 2023

Over the past four months, the brutal, extralegal, and violent repression of protestors during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran has taken observers and participants by devastating and sometimes fatal surprise. Although not a drastic departure from past practices, the large scale and seemingly random acts of violence, such as the beating of protestors to death on the streets, the shooting of passersby and nonviolent demonstrators point blank, and the fatal torturing of detained protestors and activists, have marked new levels and scales of violence. In what follows I analyze this brutal repression campaign in relation to the institutional history of the Islamic Republic's armed units, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as the most controversial entity among all. I contend that the IRGC's historic endorsement of firing at will as an accepted practice among its ranks has enabled the decentralized radical instances of violence. I will discuss how, despite the continued reliance on decentralized forces, their firing at will is not unanimously endorsed this time around, due to the different nature of the current movement and the deepening uncertainties and schisms in both the forces on the ground and the ruling elite.
Fixed point sets and the fundamental group I: semi-free actions on G-CW-complexes
Authors: Cappell Sylvain , Weinberger Shmuel , Yan Min
Published: August 2023

Smith theory says that the fixed point set of a semi-free action of a group

$G$

on a contractible space is

${\mathbb {Z}}_p$

-acyclic for any prime factor

$p$

of the order of

$G$

. Jones proved the converse of Smith theory for the case

$G$

is a cyclic group acting semi-freely on contractible, finite CW-complexes. We extend the theory to semi-free group actions on finite CW-complexes of given homotopy types, in various settings. In particular, the converse of Smith theory holds if and only if a certain

$K$

-theoretical obstruction vanishes. We also give some examples that show the geometrical effects of different types of

$K$

-theoretical obstructions.
A new polymorphic form of Na2SeO3·5H2O: structure determination from X-ray laboratory powder diffraction
Authors: Nénert Gwilherm
Published: August 2023

A new polymorphic form of sodium selenite pentahydrate is reported in this contribution. We determined its crystal structure from laboratory powder diffraction data recorded at room temperature. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system P21/n with Z = 4. The lattice parameters are a = 15.01473(16) Å, b = 7.03125(7) Å, c = 8.13336(10) Å, β = 98.4458(10)°, and V = 849.345(16) Å3. The crystal structure exhibits a layered structure with isolated 1D chains running along the b-axis.
Giving Back the Gift: Predicaments of Patronage and an Offering from Włodzimierz Borowski
Authors: Rose Eliza
Published: August 2023

At a 1966 Symposium hosted by a nitrogen plant in socialist Poland, artist Włodzimierz Borowski staged a performance. He declared the plant's urea furnaces to be works of art and returned them to plant management. With this “gift,” he reversed the Symposium's patronage model, which had put the plant's resources at his disposal: he gave back the gift of patronage. This article uses the device of returning the gift of state support to explore ambivalent engagements with the official art system. This formula is applied to two later actions giving back (or away) resources granted to artists by public patrons. The discussed artists—Borowski, Zofia Kulik and Łukasz Surowiec—use this device to contend with their complicity as beneficiaries of compromised funding arrangements. However, the article assesses their counter-gifts not as dissident acts against repressive regimes but as constructive efforts to arbitrate with authorities and gain purchase as working artists.
Deterritorialized Nationality: Viktor Tsoi Saves the World
Authors: Lee Steven S.
Published: August 2023

This article uses Alexei Yurchak's account of late socialist performance and the deterritorialization of authoritative discourses to discuss the half-Korean identity of Viktor Tsoi, the most prominent rock start emerging from the perestroika period. It uses representations and perceptions of Tsoi from the 1980s to argue that in this period, it was possible to perform the nationalities listed in each Soviet citizen's passport, as well as official slogans like “the friendship of peoples,” in ways that allowed for flexible understandings of group identity—what the article conceptualizes as “deterritorialized nationality” via overviews of Soviet nationalities policy and the history of Soviet Koreans. The article illustrates deterritorialized nationality through readings of the landmark films Assa (1987), which concludes with a performance by Tsoi, and Needle (1988), which stars and features the music of Tsoi. In both films Tsoi's racial difference is evident in ways not possible in his music alone, but race takes on unanticipated meanings—hearkening to radical internationalisms that help us to think beyond our ever more polarized discussions surrounding identity in the west, as well as the renewed polarization of Russia and the west.
What Caused the Fall of Nikolai A. Voznesenskii? The Gosplan Affair, the Leningrad Affair and Political Infighting in Stalin's Inner Circle, 1949–1950
Authors: Brandenberger David , Pivovarov Nikita Iur΄evich
Published: August 2023

The 1949–1952 Gosplan Affair is rarely mentioned in the literature on late Stalinism, insofar as this purge of Politburo member Nikolai A. Voznesenskii and his clients at the USSR Council of Ministers Economic Planning Committee (Gosplan) is usually conflated with the coterminous Leningrad Affair. According to most scholars, Voznesenskii played a role in Andrei A. Zhdanov's Leningrad patron-client network, which was purged after the death of its leader in 1948 on Stalin's orders. This article revisits the Gosplan Affair and the campaign against Voznesenskii on the basis of an array of newly declassified archival sources. It demonstrates much of Voznesenskii's spectacular fall to have been separate and distinct from the Leningrad Affair, and to have stemmed from rivalries within Stalin's inner circle rather than at the general secretary's behest. It also provides an unprecedentedly close perspective on postwar political infighting in the party leadership at the end of Stalin's reign and the beginning of the Cold War.
Changes in Temperature‐Precipitation Compound Extreme Events in China During the Past 119 Years
Authors: Peng Tingting , Zhao Liang , Zhang Ling , Shen Xinyong , Ding Yihui , Wang Jingsong , Li Qingquan , Liu Yanju , Hu Yamin , Ling Jian , Li Zhihui , Huang Cunrui
Published: August 2023

This study analyzes the change characteristics of compound extreme events (CEEs) of temperature and precipitation (including warm‐wet, warm‐dry, cold‐wet and cold‐dry) in China on interannual and interdecadal scales between 1901 and 2019. The results demonstrate a long‐term increasing trend and interdecadal oscillations in CEEs total frequency. However, the frequency of each type of CEEs changes in a different manner compared with total CEEs frequency. There are fewer CEEs but increasing warm‐dry during 1901–1950. The period 1951–1995 are characterized by frequent cold CEEs (cold‐wet and cold‐dry), cold‐wet are largely distributed in most areas except for northeast and coastal areas of China, while cold‐dry are distributed in most areas except for the northwest regions of China. There are frequent warm CEEs (warm‐wet and warm‐dry) and fewer cold CEEs during 1996–2019. Warm‐wet frequently occurs in the Tibetan Plateau and northwest China, and warm‐dry mainly concentrates in southwest and northern China during this period. The frequency of warm‐dry and cold‐wet were higher than that of warm‐wet and cold‐dry over the past 119 years, whereas warm‐wet increased fastest in the northwest region after 1996, consistent with the warming and wetting characteristics in the northwest region of China. Further study show that long‐term change and low frequency oscillations have the greatest impact on CEEs among different time scale factors. Furthermore, the temperature rise caused by climate change affects the interdecadal characteristics of CEEs in China through the changes of circulation fields such as East Asian trough and subtropical high and the configuration between them.
Transport and Acceleration of O+ Ions in Upstream Solar Wind Due To Impact of an IMF Discontinuity: 3D Global Hybrid Simulation
Authors: Wang Chih‐Ping , Wang Xueyi , Lin Yu
Published: August 2023

Based on the predictions of global 3D hybrid simulations, we present a new transport/acceleration path for escaped O+ ions in the upstream solar wind region resulting from the impact of a particular IMF tangential discontinuity (TD) with negative (positive) IMF Bz on the discontinuity's anti‐sunward (sunward) side. For O+ ions escaping to the duskside magnetosheath and with gyro‐radii larger than the TD thickness, when they encounter the TD, they can first go sunward into the upstream solar wind. They then gyrate clockwise to the pre‐noon side and get accelerated within the solar wind region and circulate back to the dawnside magnetosphere. These ions may be accelerated to well within the ring current energy range depending on the solar wind electric field strength. This new transport/acceleration path can bring some of the escaped ions into the inner magnetosphere, thus providing a new mechanism for generating an O+ ring current population.
Extreme transport of light in spheroids of tumor cells
Authors: Pierangeli Davide , Perini Giordano , Palmieri Valentina , Grecco Ivana , Friggeri Ginevra , De Spirito Marco , Papi Massimiliano , DelRe Eugenio , Conti Claudio
Published: August 2023

Extreme waves are intense and unexpected wavepackets ubiquitous in complex systems. In optics, these rogue waves are promising as robust and noise-resistant beams for probing and manipulating the underlying material. Localizing large optical power is crucial especially in biomedical systems, where, however, extremely intense beams have not yet been observed. We here discover that tumor-cell spheroids manifest optical rogue waves when illuminated by randomly modulated laser beams. The intensity of light transmitted through bio-printed three-dimensional tumor models follows a signature Weibull statistical distribution, where extreme events correspond to spatially-localized optical modes propagating within the cell network. Experiments varying the input beam power and size indicate that the rogue waves have a nonlinear origin. We show that these nonlinear optical filaments form high-transmission channels with enhanced transmission. They deliver large optical power through the tumor spheroid, and can be exploited to achieve a local temperature increase controlled by the input wave shape. Our findings shed light on optical propagation in biological aggregates and demonstrate how nonlinear extreme event formation allows light concentration in deep tissues, paving the way to using rogue waves in biomedical applications, such as light-activated therapies.
Donor-recipient specificity and age-dependency in fecal microbiota therapy and probiotic resolution of gastrointestinal symptoms
Authors: Wu Qinglong , Boonma Prapaporn , Badu Shyam , Yalcinkaya Nazli , So Sik Yu , Garey Kevin W. , Williams Kent , Arnold L. Eugene , Shulman Robert J. , Kellermayer Richard , Savidge Tor C.
Published: August 2023

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has proven to be an effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) in both adult and pediatric patients. However, as microbiome development is a critical factor in children, it remains unclear whether adult fecal donors can provide age-appropriate functional restoration in pediatric patients. To address this issue, we conducted an integrated systems approach and found that concordant donor strain engraftment, along with metabolite restoration, are associated with FMT outcomes in both adult and pediatric rCDI patients. Although functional restoration after FMT is not strain-specific, specialized metabolic functions are retained in pediatric patients when adult fecal donors are used. Furthermore, we demonstrated broad utility of high-resolution variant-calling by linking probiotic-strain engraftment with improved gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with irritable bowel syndrome and in children with autism spectrum disorder. Our findings emphasize the importance of strain-level identification when assessing the efficacy of probiotics and microbiota-based therapeutics.
Functional ProTracer identifies patterns of cell proliferation in tissues and underlying regulatory mechanisms
Authors: Liu Xiuxiu , Han Maoying , Weng Wendong , Li Yan , Pu Wenjuan , Liu Kuo , Li Xufeng , He Lingjuan , Sun Ruilin , Shen Ruling , He Yulong , Liang Dandan , Chen Yi-Han , Wang Qing-Dong , Tchorz Jan S. , Zhou Bin
Published: August 2023

A genetic system, ProTracer, has been recently developed to record cell proliferation in vivo. However, the ProTracer is initiated by an infrequently used recombinase Dre, which limits its broad application for functional studies employing floxed gene alleles. Here we generated Cre-activated functional ProTracer (fProTracer) mice, which enable simultaneous recording of cell proliferation and tissue-specific gene deletion, facilitating broad functional analysis of cell proliferation by any Cre driver.
Fabrication and characterization of microfluidic devices based on boron-modified epoxy resin using CO2 laser ablation for bio-analytical applications
Authors: Mansour Heba , Soliman Emad A. , El-Bab Ahmed M. Fath , Matsushita Yoshihisa , Abdel-Mawgood Ahmed L.
Published: August 2023

CO2 laser ablation is a rapid and precise technique for machining microfluidic devices. And also, low-cost epoxy resin (ER) proved the great feasibility of fabricating these devices using the CO2 laser ablation technique in our previous studies. However, such a technique has shown negative impacts on such ER-based microfluidics as rough surface microchannels, and thermal defects. Therefore, incorporating different proportions of boric acid (BA) into epoxy resin formulation was proposed to obviate the genesis of these drawbacks in ER-based microfluidics. The structural and optical properties of plain ER- and B-doped ER-based chips were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and UV/Vis spectral analyses. Furthermore, their thermal properties were studied by thermo-gravimetric (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis. A CO2 laser ablation machine was used in vector mode to draw the designed micro-channel pattern onto plain ER- and B-doped ER-based chips. The quality of microchannels engraved onto these chips was assessed using 3D laser microscopy. This microscopic examination showed a noticeable reduction in the surface roughness and negligible bulge heights in the laser-ablated micro-channels. On the other hand, overall and specific migration using gravimetric methods and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), respectively, and PCR compatibility test were performed to explore the convenience of these micro-plates for the biological reactions. These findings validated the applicability of B-doped ER-based microfluidics in bio-analytical applications as a result of the effective role of boric acid in enhancing the thermal properties of these chips leading to get micro-channels with higher quality with no effect on the biological reactions.
5,6-Dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through inhibiting of Mcl-1 expression
Authors: Kuo Yi-Hsuan , Lai Tsai-Chun , Chang Chia-Hsin , Hsieh Han-Ching , Yang Feng-Ming , Hu Meng-Chun
Published: August 2023

The effective treatment of breast cancer remains a profound clinical challenge, especially due to drug resistance and metastasis which unfortunately arise in many patients. The transcription inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole (DRB), as a selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 9, was shown to be effective in inducing apoptosis in various hematopoietic malignancies. However, the anticancer efficacy of DRB against breast cancer is still unclear. Herein, we demonstrated that administration of DRB to the breast cancer cell line led to the inhibition of cellular proliferation and induction of the typical signs of apoptotic cells, including the increases in Annexin V-positive cells, DNA fragmentation, and activation of caspase-7, caspase-9, and poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP). Treatment of DRB resulted in a rapid decline in the myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) protein, whereas levels of other antiapoptotic proteins did not change. Overexpression of Mcl-1 decreased the DRB-induced PARP cleavage, whereas knockdown of Mcl-1 enhanced the effects of DRB on PARP activation, indicating that loss of Mcl-1 accounts for the DRB-mediated apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, but not in T-47D. Furthermore, we found that co-treatment of MCF-7 cells with an inhibitor of AKT (LY294002) or an inhibitor of the proteasome (MG-132) significantly augmented the DRB-induced apoptosis. These data suggested that DRB in combination with LY294002 or MG-132 may have a greater therapeutic potency against breast cancer cells.
Microplastic pollution in typical seasonal rivers in northern China: temporal variation and risk assessment
Authors: Gan Mufan , Zhang Yan , Shi Peng , Cui Lingzhou , Sun Haotian
Published: August 2023

Comprehensive analysis of microplastic pollution in seasonal rivers was performed. A higher pollution index and risk quotient were shown in the dry season.
Multi-angle evaluation of kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations as tool to evaluate the distributed monomer composition in gradient copolymer synthesis
Authors: Conka Robert , Marien Yoshi W. , Van Steenberge Paul H. M. , Hoogenboom Richard , D'hooge Dagmar R.
Published: August 2023

Comonomer variations and synthesis conditions yield diverse polymer chain sequences. Precision control mechanisms create well-defined structures like gradient, block, and block–gradient–block copolymers.
From material properties to device metrics: a data-driven guide to battery design
Authors: Knehr Kevin W. , Kubal Joseph J. , Deva Abhas , Effat Mohammed B. , Ahmed Shabbir
Published: August 2023

This perspective highlights the material properties, cell design decisions, and manufacturing costs with the biggest influence on the energy, power, cost, lifetime, and safety of a battery.
Frequency analysis of the first-overtone RR Lyrae stars based on Extended Aperture Photometry from K2 data
Authors: Netzel H. , Molnár L. , Plachy E. , Benkő J. M.
Published: August 2023

Context. Additional low-amplitude signals have been observed in many RR Lyrae stars separate from pulsations in radial modes. The most common of these are short-period signals forming a period ratio of around 0.60–0.65 with the first overtone and long-period signals forming a period ratio of around 0.68. The RR Lyrae stars may also exhibit quasi-periodic modulation in their light curves, the so-called Blazhko effect.

Aims. We used the extensive sample of the first-overtone RR Lyrae stars observed by the Kepler telescope during the K2 mission to search for and characterize additional low-amplitude signals. The K2 data provides space-based photometry for a statistically significant sample. Hence, this data is excellent for studying the pulsation properties of RR Lyrae stars in detail.

Methods. We used K2 space-based photometry for RR Lyrae candidates from Campaigns 0–19. We selected RR Lyrae stars pulsating in the first overtone and performed a frequency analysis for each star to characterize their frequency contents.

Results. We classified 452 stars as first-overtone RR Lyrae. From that sample, we selected 281 RR0.61 stars, 67 RR0.68 stars, and 68 Blazhko stars. We found particularly interesting stars that show all of the above phenomena simultaneously. We detected signals in RR0.61 stars that form period ratios lower than those observed for the majority of stars of this type. These signals likely form a new sequence in the Petersen diagram, around a period ratio of 0.60. In 32 stars, we detected additional signals that form a period ratio close to that expected in RRd stars, but the classification of these stars as RRd is uncertain. We also report a discovery of additional signals in eight stars that form a new group in the Petersen diagram around the period ratio of 0.465–0.490. The nature of this periodicity remains unknown.
Gefährliches Zusammenspiel: erhöhtes Lipoprotein(a) bei fortgeschrittener Niereninsuffizienz
Authors: Bernhardt Wanja M.
Published: August 2023

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) ist ein Lipidpartikel, dessen Proteinanteil aus einem Apolipoprotein(a) (Apo(a)) und einem Apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100) besteht. Im Wesentlichen ist die Konzentration von Lp(a) im Blut genetisch determiniert. Bei etwas mehr als 20 % der kaukasischen Bevölkerung finden sich erhöhte Lp(a)-Werte (> 50 mg/dl; > 70 nmol/l). Ein erhöhter Lp(a)-Wert ist ein unabhängiger kardiovaskulärer Risikofaktor, der u. a. durch aktuelle Medikamentenentwicklungen zunehmend in den klinischen und therapeutischen Fokus gerät. Insbesondere steigt bei einer erhöhten Lp(a)-Konzentration das Risiko für eine progrediente koronare Herzerkrankung oder eine Aortenklappenstenose. Gleichzeitig nimmt das kardiovaskuläre Risiko aufgrund einer fortgeschrittenen Niereninsuffizienz stark zu. Darüber hinaus führt eine fortgeschrittene Niereninsuffizienz zu negativen Veränderungen des Lipidprofils, einschließlich der Veränderungen der Lp(a)-Konzentration im Blut. Aktuell ist als einzige mögliche Therapieoption für Patienten mit einer klinisch signifikanten Lp(a)-Erhöhung und einer progredienten kardiovaskulären Erkrankung die Durchführung einer therapeutischen Lipoproteinapherese (LA) verfügbar. Die LA senkt bei diesen Patienten erheblich das kardiovaskuläre Risiko. Allerdings existieren zur Epidemiologie und Therapie von Patienten mit einer fortgeschrittenen Niereninsuffizienz und einer erhöhten Lp(a)-Konzentration weniger Daten. In diesem Beitrag wird die Rolle von einem erhöhten Lp(a)-Wert bei einer fortgeschrittenen Niereninsuffizienz ebenso diskutiert wie der gegenseitige Einfluss von einer chronischen Niereninsuffizienz (CKD: „chronic kidney disease“) auf die Lp(a)-Konzentration im Blut. Zudem wird die Evidenzlage und das daraus abzuleitende therapeutische Vorgehen bei einer erhöhten Lp(a)-Konzentration bei einer fortgeschrittenen Niereninsuffizienz dargestellt.
DDG optimiert Zertifizierung und vergibt erstmals Zertifikat-Awards
Authors: Richter Michaela
Published: August 2023

825 Kliniken und ambulante Behandlungszentren sind derzeit von der Deutschen Diabetes Gesellschaft (DDG) zertifiziert. Sie bieten Menschen mit Diabetes eine hochwertige und evidenzbasierte Versorgung durch qualifizierte Diabetesbehandlungsteams. Um Patientinnen und Patienten die Suche nach einer geeigneten Einrichtung zu erleichtern sowie Kliniken und Zentren für ihre Leistungen mehr zu würdigen, hat die DDG ihre Zertifikate zum 1. Juli 2023 umbenannt. Seitdem erhalten neu zertifizierte Einrichtungen die neuen Urkunden und bereits zertifizierte Institutionen können ihre bestehenden Zertifikate durch neue Urkunden ersetzen. Zudem gibt die DDG erstmals Zertifikat-Awards aus.
Functional Vascular Anatomy and Arteriovenous Shunts of the Spine
Authors: Ota Takahiro
Published: August 2023

The history of vascular anatomy of the spinal cord and spine began in the late 19th century. With recent advances in endovascular and surgical treatment of vascular lesions of the spinal cord, understanding the vascular anatomy of the spinal cord has become more important than ever. Catheter angiography is the gold standard for diagnosing vascular lesions of the spinal cord, and the vascular architecture of the spinal cord itself is relatively simple, a repetition of basic longitudinal and axial structures. This review discusses the vascular anatomy of the spine and spinal cord from the embryological point of view, as well as an overview of typical spinal arteriovenous shunt diseases mainly depending on their locations: paraspinal, epidural, dural, perimedullary, intramedullary, filum terminale/cauda equina, craniocervical junction, and related diseases.
Measuring the recycling potential of industrial waste for long-term sustainability
Authors: Kanwal Qudsia , Zeng Xianlai , Li Jinhui
Published: August 2023

Industrial waste is the byproduct of many industrial processes. Estimating the recycling potential of industrial waste can help solve the anthropogenic circularity conundrum. Here we employed the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) to verify GDP as a route to "amplified resource efficiency". The results provide substantial evidence for an inverted U and N relationship between the hypothesized GDPPC and industrial waste generation. During 2011–2025, the recycling potential in China showed a downward trend. China is projected to experience a dramatic increase in the production of industrial hazardous waste until the successful implementation of industrial hazardous waste prevention measures reverses the current trends. The turning point of the EKC between industrial waste generation and economic development is around US$8000, while the comprehensive utilization is 102.22 million tons. The EKC inflection points established by the study are correlated with the waste category’s turning point. The revised EKC claims that technological change may accelerate the turning points; thus, the graph shifts downward and right. The study recommends investing in new technology development to help the industry produce virgin and recycled industrial waste for a circular economy. Recycling potential evaluation also assists us to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Comparability strategy and demonstration for post-approval production cell line change of a bevacizumab biosimilar IBI305
Authors: Wu Zhouyi , Xu Gangling , He Wu , Yu Chuanfei , Huang Wanqiu , Zheng Shirui , Kang Dian , Xie Michael H , Cao Xingjun , Wang Lan , Wei Kaikun
Published: August 2023

High-producing cell line could improve the affordability and availability of biotherapeutic products. A post-approval production cell line change, low-titer CHO-K1S to high-titer CHO-K1SV GS-KO, was performed for a China marketed bevacizumab biosimilar IBI305. Currently, there is no regulatory guideline specifically addressing the requirements for comparability study of post-approval cell line change, which is generally regarded as the most complex process change for biological products. Following the quality by design principle and risk assessment, an extensive analytical characterization and three-way comparison was performed by using a panel of advanced analytical methods. Orthogonal and state-of-the-art techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry were applied to mitigate the potential uncertainties of higher-order structures and to exclude any new sequence variants, scrambled disulfide bonds, glycan moiety and undesired process-related impurities such as host cell proteins. Nonclinical and clinical pharmacokinetics (PK) studies were conducted subsequently to further confirm the comparability. The results demonstrated that the post-change IBI305 was analytically comparable to the pre-change one and similar to the reference product in physicochemical and biological properties, as well as the degradation behaviors in accelerated stability and forced degradation studies. The comparability was further confirmed by comparable PK, pharmacodynamics, toxicological and immunogenicity profiles of nonclinical and clinical studies. The comparability strategy presented here might extend to cell line changes of other post-approval biological products, and particularly set a precedent in China for post-approval cell line change of commercialized biosimilars.