cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Hydrogel-Integrated Millifluidic Systems: Advancing the Fabrication of Mucus-Producing Human Intestinal Models
Creators: name: Almalla, Ahed
name: Alzain, Nadra
name: Elomaa, Laura
name: Richter, Fiona
name: Scholz, Johanna
name: Lindner, Marcus
name: Siegmund, Britta
name: Weinhart, Marie
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: intestinal organoid
subject: human terminal ileum
subject: cell-based mucus model
subject: physiological shear stress
subject: CFD
subject: dynamic cell culture
subject: extracellular matrix
subject: 3D printing
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::540 Chemie::540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften

description: The luminal surface of the intestinal epithelium is protected by a vital mucus layer, which is essential for lubrication, hydration, and fostering symbiotic bacterial relationships. Replicating and studying this complex mucus structure in vitro presents considerable challenges. To address this, we developed a hydrogel-integrated millifluidic tissue chamber capable of applying precise apical shear stress to intestinal models cultured on flat or 3D structured hydrogel scaffolds with adjustable stiffness. The chamber is designed to accommodate nine hydrogel scaffolds, 3D-printed as flat disks with a storage modulus matching the physiological range of intestinal tissue stiffness (~3.7 kPa) from bioactive decellularized and methacrylated small intestinal submucosa (dSIS-MA). Computational fluid dynamics simulations were conducted to confirm a laminar flow profile for both flat and 3D villi-comprising scaffolds in the physiologically relevant regime. The system was initially validated with HT29-MTX seeded hydrogel scaffolds, demonstrating accelerated differentiation, increased mucus production, and enhanced 3D organization under shear stress. These characteristic intestinal tissue features are essential for advanced in vitro models as they critically contribute to a functional barrier. Subsequently, the chamber was challenged with human intestinal stem cells (ISCs) from the terminal ileum. Our findings indicate that biomimicking hydrogel scaffolds, in combination with physiological shear stress, promote multi-lineage differentiation, as evidenced by a gene and protein expression analysis of basic markers and the 3D structural organization of ISCs in the absence of chemical differentiation triggers. The quantitative analysis of the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and secreted mucus demonstrates the functional differentiation of the cells into enterocyte and goblet cell lineages. The millifluidic system, which has been developed and optimized for performance and cost efficiency, enables the creation and modulation of advanced intestinal models under biomimicking conditions, including tunable matrix stiffness and varying fluid shear stresses. Moreover, the readily accessible and scalable mucus-producing cellular tissue models permit comprehensive mucus analysis and the investigation of pathogen interactions and penetration, thereby offering the potential to advance our understanding of intestinal mucus in health and disease.
Two steps forward, one step back? Party competition, cooperative federalism, and transport policy reforms in Germany
Creators: name: Souris, Antonios
name: Stecker, Christian
name: Jungjohann, Arne
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Mobility policy
subject: Transport policy
subject: Verkehrswende
subject: Bundesrat
subject: Political parties
subject: Cooperative federalism
subject: Process-tracing
subject: 300 Sozialwissenschaften::320 Politikwissenschaft::320 Politikwissenschaft

description: Background Transport policy has regained political relevance in Germany. The successful realization of the Verkehrswende,—the extensive transition toward sustainable transport and mobility—is central to reaching climate neutrality. In 2020, the Federal Government proposed the reform of two key ordinances that have regulated road traffic so far. The amendment was aimed at implementing several provisions at the expense of car drivers and, at the same time, in favor of cyclists and pedestrians. Due to cooperative federalism, the governments of the 16 constituent units (Länder) had to adopt the amendment in the Bundesrat, Germany’s second chamber. In the legislative process, however, the reform ultimately failed in its original scope. Using it as a particularly instructive case study, we show how and why party competition and cooperative federalism hamper comprehensive transport policy reforms in Germany. Results In the German political system, political interests interact within a complex web of cooperative federalism. To understand partisan encroachment on the federal decision-making processes, this paper uses a process-tracing approach. To investigate decision-making in the Bundesrat and its outcomes, the empirical analysis combines qualitative analyses of several publicly available sources. We can empirically demonstrate that political parties influenced legislative procedures. The reform failed in its original scope because the three political parties with veto power in the Bundesrat insisted on their positions and were not willing to agree on a compromise. Conclusions For the implementation of the Verkehrswende, the German federal system proves to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the institutional design of the Bundesrat constrains extreme positions and helps promote decisions most citizens may agree with. The Länder governments and administrations can also contribute their expertise and local experience to federal legislation via the Bundesrat. On the other hand, veto powers are ubiquitous in the German system of cooperative federalism. Therefore, it is prone to blockades. The actions of the political parties in the Bundesrat have hampered the comprehensive reform of road traffic regulations that was originally envisaged. Policymaking took two steps forward toward implementing the Verkehrswende, only to immediately take one step back again.
Effects of 3D Scans on Veterinary Students’ Learning Outcomes Compared to Traditional 2D Images in Anatomy Classes
Creators: name: Schirone, Rebecca
name: Corte, Giuliano Mario
name: Ehlers, Jan P.
name: Herre, Christina
name: Schmedding, Maximiliane
name: Merle, Roswitha
name: Pachtmann, Joëlle
name: Bahramsoltani, Mahtab
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: veterinary didactics
subject: veterinary education
subject: digital 3D models
subject: 3D scans
subject: 2D vs. 3D
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::610 Medizin und Gesundheit
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: Students often struggle with interpreting traditional textbook images and translating them to anatomical structures. This study aimed to compare the impact of 3D scans versus 2D images on students’ learning outcomes when learning anatomical structures on skulls from horses and pigs. Furthermore, the correlation between spatial ability and learning outcomes using 3D scans or 2D images was examined. Second-year veterinary medicine students either used 3D scans or 2D images, annotated with arrows or numbers as learning material. Students’ anatomical knowledge was tested before and after the learning session, and spatial ability was assessed using the mental rotation test. All groups improved significantly in the post-test. However, the differences between groups were not significant, suggesting that 3D scans do not necessarily lead to higher learning outcomes. The analysis of the correlation between spatial ability and learning outcomes did not prove that students with weaker spatial ability benefit from 3D scans. Students preferred 3D scans over 2D images despite similar outcomes, suggesting they are valuable for learning. However, results show that the introduction of novel learning materials likely amplified the impact of reduced learning time on the 3D group, as these materials necessitated additional time for effective comprehension and integration.
The Higher-Dimensional Skeletonization Problem
Creators: name: Verovsek, Sara Kalisnik
name: Kurlin, Vitaliy
name: Lesnik, Davorin
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Algebraic Topology (math.AT)
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: Real data is often given as a point cloud, i.e. a finite set of points with pairwise distances between them. An important problem is to detect the topological shape of data --- for example, to approximate a point cloud by a low-dimensional non-linear subspace such as an embedded graph or a simplicial complex. Classical clustering methods and principal component analysis work well when given data points split into well-separated clusters or lie near linear subspaces of a Euclidean space. Methods from topological data analysis in general metric spaces detect more complicated patterns such as holes and voids that persist for a long time in a 1-parameter family of shapes associated to a cloud. These features can be visualized in the form of a 1-dimensional homologically persistent skeleton, which optimally extends a minimal spanning tree of a point cloud to a graph with cycles. We generalize this skeleton to higher dimensions and prove its optimality among all complexes that preserve topological features of data at any scale.
Vortex Mass in a Superfluid
Creators: name: Simula, Tapio
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We consider the inertial mass of a vortex in a superfluid. We obtain a vortex mass that is well defined and is determined microscopically and self-consistently by the elementary excitation energy of the kelvon quasiparticle localised within the vortex core. The obtained result for the vortex mass is found to be consistent with experimental observations on superfluid quantum gases and vortex rings in water. We propose a method to measure the inertial rest mass and Berry phase of a vortex in superfluid Bose and Fermi gases.
description: 12 pages, 1 figure
What Does Dynamic Panel Analysis Tell Us About Life Satisfaction?
Creators: name: Piper, Alan
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: life satisfaction
subject: dynamic panel analysis
subject: general method of moments
subject: happiness
subject: subjective well-being
subject: 300 Sozialwissenschaften::330 Wirtschaft::330 Wirtschaft

description: Static fixed effects estimation of life satisfaction often gives rise to serial correlation in the residuals, indicating omitted dynamics. Rather than correcting the standard errors, “to make them robust,” this study explores dynamic panel analysis to incorporate the otherwise omitted dynamics into the estimation of life satisfaction models. The analysis utilizes the System General Method of Moments approach to dynamic analysis. The results indicate that overall life satisfaction is largely (though not wholly) contemporaneous; correspondingly, the persistence of satisfaction from previous periods is limited. This finding is robust to a variety of different specification choices. Accordingly, the issue of omitted dynamics in a life satisfaction context is a minor one. This use of dynamic panel analysis, therefore, offers support for the ongoing use of static models (like fixed effects), even though they omit dynamics. Given the highlighted challenges of dynamic panel analysis, static fixed effects analyses will often be preferred.
Griffiths Singularities in the Random Quantum Ising Antiferromagnet: A Tree Tensor Network Renormalization Group Study
Creators: name: Lin, Yu-Ping
name: Kao, Ying-Jer
name: Chen, Pochung
name: Lin, Yu-Cheng
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn)
subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The antiferromagnetic Ising chain in both transverse and longitudinal magnetic fields is one of the paradigmatic models of a quantum phase transition. The antiferromagnetic system exhibits a zero-temperature critical line separating an antiferromagnetic phase and a paramagnetic phase; the critical line connects an integrable quantum critical point at zero longitudinal field and a classical first-order transition point at zero transverse field. Using a strong-disorder renormalization group method formulated as a tree tensor network, we study the zero-temperature phase of the quantum Ising chain with bond randomness. We introduce a new matrix product operator representation of high-order moments, which provides an efficient and accurate tool for determining quantum phase transitions via the Binder cumulant of the order parameter. Our results demonstrate an infinite-randomness quantum critical point in zero longitudinal field accompanied by pronounced quantum Griffiths singularities, arising from rare ordered regions with anomalously slow fluctuations inside the paramagnetic phase. The strong Griffiths effects are signaled by a large dynamical exponent $z>1$, which characterizes a power-law density of low-energy states of the localized rare regions and becomes infinite at the quantum critical point. Upon application of a longitudinal field, the quantum phase transition between the paramagnetic phase and the antiferromagnetic phase is completely destroyed. Furthermore, quantum Griffiths effects are suppressed, showing $z<1$, when the dynamics of the rare regions is hampered by the longitudinal field.
description: 13 pages, 10 figures
Risk Communication on Zoonoses and Antimicrobial Resistance - How Do Exotic Pet Owners Perceive the Communication of Their Veterinarians?
Creators: name: Arnecke, Amelie Lisa
name: Schwarz, Stefan
name: Lübke-Becker, Antina
name: Jensen, Katharina Charlotte
name: Herre, Christina
name: Bahramsoltani, Mahtab
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: risk communication
subject: risk perception
subject: risk awareness
subject: zoonoses
subject: antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
subject: pathogen transmission
subject: one health
subject: exotic pets
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::616 Krankheiten

description: Exotic animals traded and kept as pets can transmit a variety of diseases to humans and other animals, and vice versa. Therefore, it is essential for pet owners, particularly vulnerable groups, to be informed about associated risks. Veterinarians play a crucial role in informing pet owners about health risks associated with zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and should, therefore, have good communication skills to effectively transfer information to pet owners. Thus, exotic pet owners in Germany were surveyed on animal husbandry, veterinary consultation and risk communication. To evaluate the perception of communication, a self-developed questionnaire was used to derive a communication score. The perception of veterinarian communication received a high average score showing a high level of satisfaction. The duration of the veterinarian–client relationship was associated with better communication perception, and the frequency of communication on zoonoses and AMR was associated with the presence of a permanent veterinarian. However, the results indicated that the frequency of disseminated information on zoonoses and/or AMR from veterinarians was lower than desired by the pet owners. Therefore, more educational material on zoonoses and AMR should be made available, and the awareness concerning risk communication should be increased by further education and training at universities.
Application of Methods Detecting Xenotransplantation-Relevant Viruses for Screening German Slaughterhouse Pigs
Creators: name: Jhelum, Hina
name: Kaufer, Benedikt
name: Denner, Joachim
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: porcine viruses
subject: xenotransplantation
subject: virus safety
subject: herpes viruses
subject: porcine endogenous retroviruses
subject: latency
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::636 Viehwirtschaft
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::616 Krankheiten

description: Detection methods have been developed to prevent transmission of zoonotic or xenozoonotic porcine viruses after transplantation of pig organs or cells to the recipient (xenotransplantation). Eleven xenotransplantation-relevant viruses, including porcine cytomegalovirus, porcine roseolovirus (PCMV/PRV), porcine lymphotropic herpesviruses -1, -2, -3 (PLHV-1, 2, 3), porcine parvovirus (PPV), porcine circovirus 2, 3, 4 (PCV2, 3, 4), hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV3), porcine endogenous retrovirus-C (PERV-C), and recombinant PERV-A/C have been selected. In the past, several pig breeds, minipigs, and genetically modified pigs generated for xenotransplantation had been analyzed using these methods. Here, spleen, liver, and blood samples from 10 German slaughterhouse pigs were screened using both PCR-based and immunological assays. Five viruses: PCMV/PRV, PLHV-1, PLHV-3, and PERV-C, were found in all animals, and PCV3 in one animal. Some animals were latently infected with PCMV/PRV, as only virus-specific antibodies were detected. Others were also PCR positive in the spleen and/or liver, indicative of an ongoing infection. These results provide important information on the viruses that infect German slaughterhouse pigs, and together with the results of previous studies, they reveal that the methods and test strategies efficiently work under field conditions.
Effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid in patients with neuropathic pain associated with type I and type II diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Creators: name: Chaparro, Michelle López
name: Fuenzalida, Juan José Valenzuela
name: Vásquez, Marisol Barahona
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Medicine and Health Sciences
subject: Health and Medical Administration
subject: Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
subject: Medical Sciences
subject: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Life Sciences
subject: Alpha-lipoic acid
subject: Polyneuropathy
subject: Neuropathic pain
subject: Diabetes Mellitus
subject: Diabetic polyneuropathy

description: Overview: This systematic review explores the most current evidence regarding the mechanisms of neuropathic pain (NP) in patients with different types of diabetes and how this pain affects different functional and structural components of the neuroanatomical pain pathways. The review also seeks to provide guidelines for the best approach and treatment for patients experiencing this type of pain. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in improving functional and symptomatic outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus type I and type II. Methods: We systematically search MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, SCOPUS, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science databases. Results: The findings of this review show that different forms of ALA do not present statistically significant changes for any of the scales included, including total symptom score [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -3.59, confidence interval (CI) = -4.16 to -3.02, and p < 0.00001], neuropathy impairment score (SMD = - 1.42, CI = -3.68 to 0.84, and p = 0.22), and neuropathy symptom checklist (SMD = -0.09, CI = -0.15 to -0.02, and p = 0.01). Conclusion: In comparison to the use of a placebo, the findings suggest that ALA does not exhibit significant differences in terms of pain reduction and different functional scales. Moreover, no specific dosages are identified to support the use of ALA for the reduction of NP.
Spatiotemporal patterns and determinants of renewable energy innovation: Evidence from a province-level analysis in China
Creators: name: Ma, Limei
name: Wang, Qianying
name: Shi, Dan
name: Shao, Qinglong
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Economics
subject: Environmental studies
subject: renewable energy innovation
subject: 300 Sozialwissenschaften::320 Politikwissenschaft::320 Politikwissenschaft

description: China’s renewable energy innovation is essential for realizing its carbon neutrality targets and the low-carbon transition, but few studies have spatially examined its characteristics and spillover effects. To fill the research gap, this study investigates its distribution and trends from a spatiotemporal dimension and focuses on the spatial effects of the influencing factors to identify those that have a significant impact on renewable energy innovation by using China’s provincial panel data from 2006 to 2019. The results show the following findings. (1) Renewable energy innovation shows distinct spatial differences across China’s provinces such that it is high in the east and south and low in the west and north, which exhibits spatial locking and path-dependence. (2) There is a positive spatial correlation with renewable energy innovation. (3) R&D investment and GDP per capita significantly promote renewable energy innovation, but the former effect is mainly observed in the local area, whereas the latter shows spatial effects. More market-oriented policies should be taken for the improvement of renewable energy innovation and the establishment of regional coordination mechanisms are proposed.
Efficient Analysis of Confined Guided Modes in Phoxonic Crystal Slabs
Creators: name: Aram, Mohammad Hasan
name: Khorasani, Sina
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: Classical Physics (physics.class-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Today's standard fabrication processes are just capable of manufacturing slab of photonic and phononic crystals, so an efficient method for analysis of these crystals is indispensable. Plane wave expansion (PWE) as a widely used method in studying photonic and phononic (phoxonic) crystals in full three dimensions is not suitable for slab analysis in its standard form, because of convergence and stability issues. Here, we propose a modification to this method which overcomes these limitations. This improved method can be utilized for calculation of both photonic and phononic modes in phoxonic slabs. While in the standard three-dimensional PWE, Fourier series are used to estimate the field dependence across the normal component of the slab, we expand the fields across the third dimension using eigenmodes of a plain unstructured slab. Despite its approximate nature, this approach is observed to be both much faster and more accurate than the conventional PWE method and can give a very accurate estimation of confined propagating modes. As an application example of the proposed method we investigate a non-reciprocal photonic device. This device is a phoxonic slab waveguide which changes modes of optical waves by elastic waves and can be used as an optical insulator or mode converter.
description: accepted to Journal of Lightwave Technology
Staphylococcus spp. in Salad Vegetables: Biodiversity, Antimicrobial Resistance, and First Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Strains in the United Arab Emirates Food Supply
Creators: name: Habib, Ihab
name: Lakshmi, Glindya Bhagya
name: Mohamed, Mohamed-Yousif Ibrahim
name: Ghazawi, Akela
name: Khan, Mushtaq
name: Al-Rifai, Rami H.
name: Abdalla, Afra
name: Anes, Febin
name: Elbediwi, Mohammed
name: Khalifa, Hazim O.
name: Senok, Abiola
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: fresh produce
subject: United Arab Emirates
subject: food safety
subject: antimicrobial resistance
subject: Staphylococci
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::579 Mikroorganismen, Pilze, Algen

description: Contamination of leafy greens with Staphylococcus spp. can occur at various supply chain stages, from farm to table. This study comprehensively analyzes the species diversity, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence factors of Staphylococci in salad vegetables from markets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 343 salad items were sampled from three major cities in the UAE from May 2022 to February 2023 and tested for the presence of Staphylococcus spp. using standard culture-based methods. Species-level identification was achieved using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the VITEK-2 system with AST-P592 cards. Additionally, whole genome sequencing (WGS) of ten selected isolates was performed to characterize antimicrobial resistance determinants and toxin-related virulence factors. Nine Staphylococcus species were identified in 37.6% (129/343) of the tested salad items, with coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) dominating (87.6% [113/129]) and S. xylosus being the most prevalent (89.4% [101/113]). S. aureus was found in 4.6% (14/343) of the salad samples, averaging 1.7 log10 CFU/g. One isolate was confirmed as methicillin-resistant S. aureus, harboring the mecA gene. It belonged to multi-locus sequence type ST-672 and spa type t384 and was isolated from imported fresh dill. Among the characterized S. xylosus (n = 45), 13.3% tested positive in the cefoxitin screen test, and 6.6% were non-susceptible to oxacillin. WGS analysis revealed that the cytolysin gene (cylR2) was the only toxin-associated factor found in S. xylosus, while a methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolate harbored the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (LukSF/PVL) gene. This research is the first to document the presence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus in the UAE food chain. Furthermore, S. xylosus (a coagulase-negative staphylococcus not commonly screened in food) has demonstrated phenotypic resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials. This underscores the need for vigilant monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial contaminants, whether pathogenic or commensal, at the human-food interface.
Biochar Extracts Can Modulate the Toxicity of Persistent Free Radicals in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
Creators: name: Zhang, Xuchao
name: Saul, Nadine
name: Lieke, Thora
name: Chen, Yi
name: Wu, Min
name: Pan, Bo
name: Steinberg, Christian E.W.
Publisher: name: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: environmental persistent free radicals
subject: Caenorhabditis elegans
subject: neurotoxicity
subject: biochar
subject: 540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften

description: As an effective soil amendment, biochars require a comprehensive ecological evaluation before they can be widely used in agriculture because endogenous contaminants, such as environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), certainly pose an ecological risk to soil invertebrates. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used as a model organism to investigate the neurotoxicity of two rice straw biochars pyrolyzed at 500 and 700 °C. After 24 h exposure to unwashed biochar, washed biochar, and leaching fluids (supernatants), the neurobehavioral parameters of C. elegans were determined in a liquid toxicity test. The results showed that the washed 700 °C biochar particles significantly impaired locomotion and prolonged the defecation interval at a biochar concentration of 4 g·well−1, while the unwashed biochar and supernatants caused no apparent impairment. Supporting this, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results showed that the intensity of EPFRs in unwashed 700 °C biochar was stronger than that of the corresponding washed particles. This indicates that, in the liquid test, the EPR signal alone is not indicative of particle toxicity. The accessibility and activity of the EPFRs should be considered. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) was observed in the leaching fluids. The neurotoxic activity of the washed biochar was alleviated after the re-addition of leaching fluids to the washed biochar, suggesting that the dissolved organic materials modulate the reactivity of the EPFRs in the liquid phase. This study suggests that the leaching process may increase the risk of biochar when used in the field environment.
Limitations and Modifications of Skin Sensitization NAMs for Testing Inorganic Nanomaterials
Creators: name: Wareing, Britta
name: Aktalay Hippchen, Ayse
name: Kolle, Susanne N.
name: Birk, Barbara
name: Funk-Weyer, Dorothee
name: Landsiedel, Robert
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: inorganic nanomaterials
subject: skin sensitization
subject: OECD test guidelines
subject: new approach methodologies
subject: applicability
subject: h-CLAT
subject: LuSens
subject: DPRA
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::540 Chemie::540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften

description: Since 2020, the REACh regulation requires toxicological data on nanoforms of materials, including the assessment of their skin-sensitizing properties. Small molecules’ skin sensitization potential can be assessed by new approach methodologies (NAMs) addressing three key events (KE: protein interaction, activation of dendritic cells, and activation of keratinocytes) combined in a defined approach (DA) described in the OECD guideline 497. In the present study, the applicability of three NAMs (DPRA, LuSens, and h-CLAT) to nine materials (eight inorganic nanomaterials (NM) consisting of CeO2, BaSO4, TiO2 or SiO2, and quartz) was evaluated. The NAMs were technically applicable to NM using a specific sample preparation (NANOGENOTOX dispersion protocol) and method modifications to reduce interaction of NM with the photometric and flowcytometric read-outs. The results of the three assays were combined according to the defined approach described in the OECD guideline No. 497; two of the inorganic NM were identified as skin sensitizers. However, data from animal studies (for ZnO, also human data) indicate no skin sensitization potential. The remaining seven test substances were assessed as “inconclusive” because all inorganic NM were outside the domain of the DPRA, and the achievable test concentrations were not sufficiently high according to the current test guidelines of all three NAMs. The use of these NAMs for (inorganic) NM and the relevance of the results in general are challenged in three ways: (i) NAMs need modification to be applicable to insoluble, inorganic matter; (ii) current test guidelines lack adequate concentration metrics and top concentrations achievable for NM; and (iii) NM may not cause skin sensitization by the same molecular and cellular key events as small organic molecules do; in fact, T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity may not be the most relevant reaction of the immune system to NM. We conclude that the NAMs adopted by OECD test guidelines are currently not a good fit for testing inorganic NM.
Validation, comparison, and combination of algorithms for automatic detection of pulmonary nodules in computed tomography images: the LUNA16 challenge
Creators: name: Setio, Arnaud Arindra Adiyoso
name: Traverso, Alberto
name: de Bel, Thomas
name: Berens, Moira S. N.
name: Bogaard, Cas van den
name: Cerello, Piergiorgio
name: Chen, Hao
name: Dou, Qi
name: Fantacci, Maria Evelina
name: Geurts, Bram
name: van der Gugten, Robbert
name: Heng, Pheng Ann
name: Jansen, Bart
name: de Kaste, Michael M. J.
name: Kotov, Valentin
name: Lin, Jack Yu-Hung
name: Manders, Jeroen T. M. C.
name: Sónora-Mengana, Alexander
name: García-Naranjo, Juan Carlos
name: Papavasileiou, Evgenia
name: Prokop, Mathias
name: Saletta, Marco
name: Schaefer-Prokop, Cornelia M
name: Scholten, Ernst T.
name: Scholten, Luuk
name: Snoeren, Miranda M.
name: Torres, Ernesto Lopez
name: Vandemeulebroucke, Jef
name: Walasek, Nicole
name: Zuidhof, Guido C. A.
name: van Ginneken, Bram
name: Jacobs, Colin
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Automatic detection of pulmonary nodules in thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans has been an active area of research for the last two decades. However, there have only been few studies that provide a comparative performance evaluation of different systems on a common database. We have therefore set up the LUNA16 challenge, an objective evaluation framework for automatic nodule detection algorithms using the largest publicly available reference database of chest CT scans, the LIDC-IDRI data set. In LUNA16, participants develop their algorithm and upload their predictions on 888 CT scans in one of the two tracks: 1) the complete nodule detection track where a complete CAD system should be developed, or 2) the false positive reduction track where a provided set of nodule candidates should be classified. This paper describes the setup of LUNA16 and presents the results of the challenge so far. Moreover, the impact of combining individual systems on the detection performance was also investigated. It was observed that the leading solutions employed convolutional networks and used the provided set of nodule candidates. The combination of these solutions achieved an excellent sensitivity of over 95% at fewer than 1.0 false positives per scan. This highlights the potential of combining algorithms to improve the detection performance. Our observer study with four expert readers has shown that the best system detects nodules that were missed by expert readers who originally annotated the LIDC-IDRI data. We released this set of additional nodules for further development of CAD systems.
Open Source Manual Crank Lab Rocker
Creators: name: Perri, Jake
name: Pfau, Morgan
name: Kangas, Dylan
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Engineering
subject: Medicine and Health Sciences
subject: Life Sciences
subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
subject: Scientific hardware
subject: Open hardware
subject: Laboratory mixer
subject: Frugal biomedical
subject: Chemical mixing

description: An open source manual crank lab rocker for laboratory mixing.
Thionitrosyl Complexes of Rhenium and Technetium with PPh3 and Chelating Ligands - Synthesis and Reactivity
Creators: name: Nowak, Domenik
name: Hagenbach, Adelheid
name: Sawallisch, Till Erik
name: Abram, Ulrich
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: rhenium
subject: technetium
subject: thionitrosyl complexes
subject: synthesis
subject: X-ray diffraction
subject: EPR
subject: NMR
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::540 Chemie::540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften

description: In contrast to corresponding nitrosyl compounds, thionitrosyl complexes of rhenium and technetium are rare. Synthetic access to the thionitrosyl core is possible by two main approaches: (i) the treatment of corresponding nitrido complexes with S2Cl2 and (ii) by reaction of halide complexes with trithiazyl chloride. The first synthetic route was applied for the synthesis of novel rhenium and technetium thionitrosyls with the metals in their oxidation states “+1” and “+2”. [MVNCl2(PPh3)2], [MVNCl(PPh3)(LOMe)] and [MVINCl2(LOMe)] (M = Re, Tc; {LOMe}− = (η5-cyclopentadienyl)tris(dimethyl phosphito-P)cobaltate(III)) complexes have been used as starting materials for the synthesis of [ReII(NS)Cl3(PPh3)2] (1), [ReII(NS)Cl3(PPh3)(OPPh3)] (2), [ReII(NS)Cl(PPh3)(LOMe)]+ (4a), [ReII(NS)Cl2(LOMe)] (5a), [TcII(NS)Cl(PPh3)(LOMe)]+ (4b) and [TcII(NS)Cl2(LOMe)] (5b). The triphenylphosphine complex 1 is partially suitable as a precursor for ongoing ligand exchange reactions and has been used for the synthesis of [ReI(NS)(PPh3)(Et2btu)2] (3a) (HEt2btu = N,N-diethyl-N′-benzoyl thiourea) containing two chelating benzoyl thioureato ligands. The novel compounds have been isolated in crystalline form and studied by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods including IR, NMR and EPR spectroscopy and (where possible) mass spectrometry. A comparison of structurally related rhenium and technetium complexes allows for conclusions about similarities and differences in stability, reaction kinetics and redox behavior between these 4d and 5d transition metals.
The black hole quantum atmosphere
Creators: name: Dey, Ramit
name: Liberati, Stefano
name: Pranzetti, Daniele
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Ever since the discovery of black hole evaporation, the region of origin of the radiated quanta has been a topic of debate. Recently it was argued by Giddings that the Hawking quanta originate from a region well outside the black hole horizon by calculating the effective radius of a radiating body via the Stefan--Boltzmann law. In this paper we try to further explore this issue and end up corroborating this claim, using both a heuristic argument and a detailed study of the stress energy tensor. We show that the Hawking quanta originate from what might be called a quantum atmosphere around the black hole with energy density and fluxes of particles peaked at about $4M$, running contrary to the popular belief that these originate from the ultra high energy excitations very close to the horizon. This long distance origin of Hawking radiation could have a profound impact on our understanding of the information and transplanckian problems.
description: 11 pages, 5 figures, minor revision and inclusion of a qualitative analysis of how to extend our argument to higher dimensions to match the published version
Personality Unleashed: Surveying Correlation of Neuter Status and Social Behaviour in Mixed-Breed Male Dogs across Weight Classes
Creators: name: Kolkmeyer, Carina A.
name: Zambrano Cardona, Ana M.
name: Gansloßer, Udo
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: neutering
subject: castration
subject: mixed-breed dogs
subject: weight classes
subject: questionnaire
subject: behaviour
subject: personality
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

description: This study investigates the behavioural differences between neutered and intact dogs. A total of 230 questionnaires of neutered (n = 115) and intact (n = 115) mixed-breed male dogs were collected. Small, medium, large, and giant dogs were analysed to investigate a possible influence of body size. The results showed neuters were significantly more stressed than intacts (multinomial logistic regression, p = 0.001). In terms of stress by influences (such as separation anxiety and anxiety at car rides), neutered small, medium, and large dogs were more stressed than giant dogs (multinomial logistic regression, p = 0.05). Neuters were also found to be more aggressive in general (multinomial logistic regression, p = 0.04) and more aggressive on the walk (multinomial logistic regression, p = 0.02). In addition, personality questionnaires revealed significant differences in all characteristics. Neuters were less emotionally calm (multiple ordinal regression, p = 0.03), less trainable and less sociable (each multiple ordinal regression, p < 0.001). They also scored lower on extraversion (multiple ordinal regression, p = 0.04). These findings highlight the importance of further research into the behavioural effects of neutering dogs, as well as the need for evidence-based guidelines for neutering practices.
Nitrosyl and Thionitrosyl Complexes of Technetium and Rhenium and Their Reactions with Hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borates
Creators: name: Sawallisch, Till Erik
name: Abdulkader, Abdullah
name: Nowak, Domenik
name: Hagenbach, Adelheid
name: Abram, Ulrich
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: technetium
subject: rhenium
subject: nitrosyl complexes
subject: thionitrosyl complexes
subject: pyrazolylborates
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::540 Chemie::540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften

description: The very limited number of structurally known thionitrosyl complexes of technetium was increased by the synthesis of [TcII(NS)Cl3(PPh3)2] (3) and [TcII(NS)Cl3(PPh3)(OPPh3)] (4) and their reaction products with hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borates, {HB(pzR)3}−. Similar reactions were conducted with [TcI(NO)Cl2(PPh3)2(CH3CN)] and related rhenium thionitrosyls. Remarkably, most such reactions result in a rapid cleavage of the boron–nitrogen bonds of the ligands and the formation of pyrazole complexes of the two group 7 metals. Only one compound with an intact {HB(pzR)3}− ligand could be isolated: the technetium(I) complex [TcI(NO)Cl(PPh3){HB(pz)3}] (2). Other products show the coordination of one or four neutral pyrazole ligand(s) in the coordination spheres of technetium generated by thermal decomposition of the pyrazolylborates [TcI(NO)Cl2(PPh3)2(pzH)] (1) and [TcI(NS)Cl(pzHMe2)4]+ (5). Reactions with the corresponding thionitrosylrhenium complex [ReII(NS)Cl3(PPh3)2] require higher temperatures and only compounds with one pyrazole ligand, [ReI(NS)Cl2(PPh3)(pzHR)] (6a–6c), were isolated. The products were studied spectroscopically and by X-ray diffraction.
Higher Derivative Field Theories: Degeneracy Conditions and Classes
Creators: name: Crisostomi, Marco
name: Klein, Remko
name: Roest, Diederik
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We provide a full analysis of ghost free higher derivative field theories with coupled degrees of freedom. Assuming the absence of gauge symmetries, we derive the degeneracy conditions in order to evade the Ostrogradsky ghosts, and analyze which (non)trivial classes of solutions this allows for. It is shown explicitly how Lorentz invariance avoids the propagation of "half" degrees of freedom. Moreover, for a large class of theories, we construct the field redefinitions and/or (extended) contact transformations that put the theory in a manifestly first order form. Finally, we identify which class of theories cannot be brought to first order form by such transformations.
description: 26 pages, 1 figure. v2: minor changes, references added, matches version published in JHEP
Combination of Anti-CD40 and Anti-CD40L Antibodies as Co-Stimulation Blockade in Preclinical Cardiac Xenotransplantation
Creators: name: Bender, Martin
name: Abicht, Jan-Michael
name: Reichart, Bruno
name: Neumann, Elisabeth
name: Radan, Julia
name: Mokelke, Maren
name: Buttgereit, Ines
name: Leuschen, Maria
name: Wall, Felicia
name: Michel, Sebastian
name: Ellgass, Reinhard
name: Steen, Stig
name: Paskevicius, Audrius
name: Lange, Andreas
name: Kessler, Barbara
name: Kemter, Elisabeth
name: Klymiuk, Nikolai
name: Denner, Joachim
name: Godehardt, Antonia W.
name: Tönjes, Ralf R.
name: Burgmann, Jonathan M.
name: Figueiredo, Constança
name: Milusev, Anastasia
name: Zollet, Valentina
name: Salimi-Afjani, Neda
name: Despont, Alain
name: Rieben, Robert
name: Ledderose, Stephan
name: Walz, Christoph
name: Hagl, Christian
name: Ayares, David
name: Wolf, Eckhard
name: Schmoeckel, Michael
name: Brenner, Paolo
name: Binder, Uli
name: Gebauer, Michaela
name: Skerra, Arne
name: Längin, Matthias
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: CD40/CD40L
subject: co-stimulation blockade
subject: heart
subject: orthotopic heart transplantation
subject: xenotransplantation
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::617 Chirurgie und verwandte medizinische Einrichtungen
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::616 Krankheiten

description: The blockade of the CD40/CD40L immune checkpoint is considered essential for cardiac xenotransplantation. However, it is still unclear which single antibody directed against CD40 or CD40L (CD154), or which combination of antibodies, is better at preventing organ rejection. For example, the high doses of antibody administered in previous experiments might not be feasible for the treatment of humans, while thrombotic side effects were described for first-generation anti-CD40L antibodies. To address these issues, we conducted six orthotopic pig-to-baboon cardiac xenotransplantation experiments, combining a chimeric anti-CD40 antibody with an investigational long-acting PASylated anti-CD40L Fab fragment. The combination therapy effectively resulted in animal survival with a rate comparable to a previous study that utilized anti-CD40 monotherapy. Importantly, no incidence of thromboembolic events associated with the administration of the anti-CD40L PAS-Fab was observed. Two experiments failed early because of technical reasons, two were terminated deliberately after 90 days with the baboons in excellent condition and two were extended to 120 and 170 days, respectively. Unexpectedly, and despite the absence of any clinical signs, histopathology revealed fungal infections in all four recipients. This study provides, for the first time, insights into a combination therapy with anti-CD40/anti-CD40L antibodies to block this immune checkpoint.
Sweeping costs of planar domains
Creators: name: Adams, Brooks
name: Adams, Henry
name: Roberts, Colin
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: General Topology (math.GN)
subject: Dynamical Systems (math.DS)
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: Let D be a Jordan domain in the plane. We consider a pursuit-evasion, contamination clearing, or sensor sweep problem in which the pursuer at each point in time is modeled by a continuous curve, called the sensor curve. Both time and space are continuous, and the intruders are invisible to the pursuer. Given D, what is the shortest length of a sensor curve necessary to provide a sweep of domain D, so that no continuously-moving intruder in D can avoid being hit by the curve? We define this length to be the sweeping cost of D. We provide an analytic formula for the sweeping cost of any Jordan domain in terms of the geodesic Frechet distance between two curves on the boundary of D with non-equal winding numbers. As a consequence, we show that the sweeping cost of any convex domain is equal to its width, and that a convex domain of unit area with maximal sweeping cost is the equilateral triangle.
Selected U.S. Crop Budgets: Yields, Inputs, and Variable Costs, Volume IV, Northwest Region
Creators: name: Rude, LeRoy C.
name: Rude, LeRoy C.
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 1971
Subjects: subject: Crop Production/Industries
subject: Labor and Human Capital
subject: Production Economics
subject: Productivity Analysis
subject: Research Methods/ Statistical Methods
subject: Crop costs
subject: Crop budgets
subject: Production costs
subject: Northwest region

description: This report contains estimates of variable costs of producing major crops in 8 production areas in the Northwest region of the United States. Crops include wheat, barley, flax, oats, rye, and peas. Budgets show the quantity and value of specific preharvest and harvest inputs, total preharvest costs per acre planted, and total variable costs per acre planted. Detailed breakdowns of crop yields and rates of fertilization are also included.
Surface - lattice resonances in 2d arrays of spheres: multipolar interactions and a mode analysis
Creators: name: Swiecicki, Sylvia D.
name: Sipe, J. E.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present a multipolar model of surface - lattice resonances (SLRs) in 2d arrays of spheres including the electric dipole, magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole moments of the spheres. We identify SLRs of dipolar and multipolar character, show the importance of non-resonant multipoles in their description, and discuss the sensitivity of SLRs to illumination conditions. We link SLRs to an excitation of modes supported by the array, and we propose a simplified model of the mode dispersion relations that explains the sensitivity of SLRs and the band gap in mode dispersion found at low frequencies. Finally we discuss the resonant features associated with a direct coupling to a mode which can occur in addition to the diffractive coupling signalled by SLRs.
description: 20 pages, 17 figures