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Copyright of Herz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is an established approach in treating normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). This study aims to examine the long-term effects of VPS regarding clinical and radiological outcomes, to explore interdependencies with comorbidities and medication, and to determine a suitable opening pressure of the programmable valve. Methods: 127 patients with VPS were retrospectively evaluated. The Hakim triad along with Evans index (EI) and callosal angle (CA) were examined preoperatively and postoperatively at various time points up to over thirty-six months. Preexisting comorbidities and medication were considered. Adjustments to valve settings were documented along with symptom development and complications. Wilcoxon and paired-sample t-tests were used to analyze postoperative change. Chi-square, Eta-squared, and Pearson coefficients were used in correlation analyses. Results: Relief from individual symptoms was most prominent within the first 6 months (p < 0.01). EI and CA significantly decreased and increased, respectively (p < 0.05). Postoperative clinical and radiological improvement was largely maintained over the follow-up period. Diabetes mellitus and apoplexy correlated with surgical outcomes (p < 0.05). The median opening pressure as a function of overall symptom management was determined to be 120 mmH2O for women and 140 mmH2O for men. Conclusion: VPS is effective in treating NPH with respect to both clinical and radiological outcomes, although these two components are independent of each other. Improvement is most pronounced in short-term and maintained in the long-term. Comorbidities have significant influence on the course of NPH. The valve setting does not forecast change in radiological findings; consequently, priority should be placed on the patient's clinical condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The primary aim of specialised palliative care (SPC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) for patients with a high symptom burden from a life-threatening disease. This randomised study aimed to assess the QoL impact of early integration of SPC alongside tumour-specific palliative treatment in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Methods: We randomly assigned ambulatory patients with advanced GI cancer to early integration of SPC and palliative tumour-specific treatment or tumour-specific treatment alone. The primary endpoint was QoL assessed at baseline and every sixth week using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—General (FACT-G) questionnaire. Results: A total of 118 patients were randomised. The difference in total FACT-G score between patients assigned to early integration with SPC and controls was 5.2 points (95% CI: −0.1 to 10.5, p = 0.216), 6.7 points (95% CI: 0.2 to 13.3, p = 0.172), and 13 points (95% CI: 5.7 to 20.2, p = 0.004) at weeks 6, 12, and 24, respectively. Conclusions: This prospective randomised trial strengthens the argument for early integration of SPC with tumour-specific treatment in patients with advanced GI cancers. We found an improved QoL for patients with advanced GI cancer 24 weeks after randomisation to early integration of home-based SPC. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (ref: NCT02246725). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a standard for antimicrobial therapy internationally. With this prospective cohort study, we aimed to assess the impact of an OPAT service as part of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and evaluate the safety and efficiency of the program while illuminating the financial benefit for the hospital. Methods: Socio-demographic data, treatment regimen and outcomes were prospectively recorded for all patients assigned to the program of the OPAT unit of the University Hospital of Zurich between November 2018 and September 2022. Results: In total, we recorded 303 OPAT assignments of which 260 resulted in effective OPAT episodes. The 260 OPAT episodes were further optimized toward the choice of antimicrobial agent (n = 18) and length of therapy (n = 6). Moreover, OPAT resulted in alteration of patient assessment and care led by AMS strategies in 247 of 260 episodes (95%). While the bed days saved per year increased consistently with time, a total of 3934 in-hospital treatment days were saved amounting to a cost saving of 9,835,000 CHF over 47 months. Adverse events were recorded in 46 cases whilst only two of these have been the reason for readmission during OPAT treatment. Clinical cure was noted in 77% (199/260) and was negatively associated with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI; OR per 1 unit higher 0.85 (95% CI 0.78–0.93)). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the impact of an OPAT service in the framework of AMS as well as its benefits for the hospital whilst preserving safety and efficacy for the patient's parenteral antimicrobial treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Monoclonal antibodies, as tixagevimab/cilgavimab, have been introduced as prophylaxis against COVID-19 infections in high-risk populations. However, data on efficacy are limited. This study investigates efficacy and tolerability of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in hematological patients under real-life conditions. Tixagevimab/cilgavimab was administered to 155 hematological patients (March-August 2022) at two Austrian centres. S/RBD-antibody assessments were performed before (T0), four weeks (T1), and six months (T2) after application. Side effects, the occurrence of COVID-19 infections, and the course of S/RBD-antibody titres were analysed retrospectively in relation to clinical variables. 155 hematological patients, who refused tixagevimab/cilgavimab, were included as a control group to compare the frequency of COVID-19 infections. Of all immunised patients (52.3% males; 91% triple vaccinated), 25.8% had a COVID-19 breakthrough infection (76% mild) compared to 43.9% in the control group. Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)/lymphoma were at highest risk of a COVID-19 infection (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.05–4.65; p = 0.037). After immunisation, a steep increase in median antibody levels (1193.4BAU/ml, IQR 0–2318.94) was observed in 67.8%, followed by a rapid decrease between T1 and T2 (465.95BAU/ml, IQR 0–1900.65.3) with the greatest declines in CLL/lymphoma (848.7BAU/ml, IQR 0–1949.6, p = 0.026). Side-effects occurred in 21.2% (CTCAE I/II). These real-world data indicate that S/RBD antibodies respond rapidly after passive immunisation in all hematological patients without safety concerns. Given the rapid decline in S/RBD antibodies, early booster immunisations should be considered for future scenarios in this vulnerable group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When approving plant protection products, exposure data are required for risk analysis. Exposure data can be collected for various exposure pathways, such as dermal, inhalation or ground sediment. For measuring exposures, pyranine, a fluorescent dye, and a collector can be used. However, the choice of collector material depends on the specific exposure pathway. This study aims to determine the most suitable collector, in combination with the tracer pyranine, for recording exposure through different pathways in practical trials. Seven different collectors (Tyvek®, labels, plastic patches, paper patches, nylon filters, fibreglass filters, petri dishes) were subjected to laboratory and field tests to assess various quality parameters. Blank values, recovery rates, storability, and fluorescence degradation under UV-radiation were measured. Based on the results, a matrix was created summarizing which collector might be best suited to capture each exposure pathway. Almost all collectors demonstrated high recovery rates (Tyvek® 100%; labels 100%; plastic patches 100%; paper patches 100%; nylon filters 95%; fiberglass filters 60.9%) as well as good storability. Furthermore, all plastic-based collectors (labels, Tyvek®, plastic patches, petri dishes) showed a very good recovery rate above 95% when exposed to UV-radiation. However, nylon filters were not suitable for utilization under field conditions due to the rapid degradation of fluorescence under UV-radiation (recovery rate: 20–56%). Nevertheless, nylon filters showed stable recoveries under protected conditions and can be used to assess inhalation exposures under these conditions. Fibreglass filters, with recovery rates of 84–86%, were well-suited for testing inhalative exposures outdoors when a correction factor was applied. Tyvek® was the most suitable material for detecting total dermal exposure under field conditions. This is due to its quality characteristics and availability in a variety of sizes. Finally, petri dishes were ideal for collecting ground sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Clinical trials testing new devices require prior training on dummies to minimize the "learning curve" for patients. Dentists were trained using a novel water jet device for mechanical cleaning of dental implants and with a novel cold plasma device for surface functionalisation during a simulated open flap peri-implantitis therapy. The hypothesis was that there would be a learning curve for both devices. Materials and methods: 11 dentists instrumented 44 implants in a dummy-fixed jaw model. The effect of the water jet treatment was assessed as stain removal and the effect of cold plasma treatment as surface wettability. Both results were analysed using photographs. To improve treatment skills, each dentist treated four implants and checked the results immediately after the treatment as feedback. Results: Water jet treatment significantly improved from the first to the second implant from 62.7% to 75.3% stain removal, with no further improvement up to the fourth implant. The wettability with cold plasma application reached immediately a high level at the first implant and was unchanged to the 4th implant (mean scores 2.7 out of 3). Conclusion: A moderate learning curve was found for handling of the water jet but none for handling of the cold plasma. Clinical relevance: Scientific rational for study: Two new devices were developed for peri-implantitis treatment (Dental water jet, cold plasma). Dentists were trained in the use of these devices prior to the trial to minimize learning effects. Principal findings: Experienced dentists learn the handling of the water jet very rapidly and for cold plasma they do not need much training. Practical implications: A clinical study is in process. When the planned clinical study will be finished, we will find out, if this dummy head exercise really minimised the learning curve for these devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a widely used intervention for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Identifying high-risk patients is crucial due to potential postprocedural complications. Currently, this involves manual clinical assessment and time-consuming radiological assessment of preprocedural computed tomography (CT) images by an expert radiologist. In this study, we introduce a probabilistic model that predicts post-TAVR mortality automatically using unprocessed, preprocedural CT and 25 baseline patient characteristics. The model utilizes CT volumes by automatically localizing and extracting a region of interest around the aortic root and ascending aorta. It then extracts task-specific features with a 3D deep neural network and integrates them with patient characteristics to perform outcome prediction. As missing measurements or even missing CT images are common in TAVR planning, the proposed model is designed with a probabilistic structure to allow for marginalization over such missing information. Our model demonstrates an AUROC of 0.725 for predicting all-cause mortality during postprocedure follow-up on a cohort of 1449 TAVR patients. This performance is on par with what can be achieved with lengthy radiological assessments performed by experts. Thus, these findings underscore the potential of the proposed model in automatically analyzing CT volumes and integrating them with patient characteristics for predicting mortality after TAVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) are the correlate of humoral immunity, consistently releasing antibodies into the bloodstream. It remains unclear if BMPC reflect different activation environments or maturation of their precursors. Here we define human BMPC heterogeneity and track the recruitment of antibody-secreting cells (ASC) from SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immune reactions to the bone marrow (BM). Trajectories based on single-cell transcriptomes and repertoires of peripheral and BM ASC reveal sequential colonisation of BMPC compartments. In activated B cells, IL-21 suppresses CD19 expression, indicating that CD19low-BMPC are derived from follicular, while CD19high-BMPC originate from extrafollicular immune reactions. In primary immune reactions, both CD19low- and CD19high-BMPC compartments are populated. In secondary immune reactions, most BMPC are recruited to CD19high-BMPC compartments, reflecting their origin from extrafollicular reactivations of memory B cells. A pattern also observable in vaccinated-convalescent individuals and upon diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis recall-vaccination. Thus, BMPC diversity reflects the evolution of a given humoral immune response. The mechanisms driving B cell differentiation into resident bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) remain unclear. Here the authors use single cell sequencing and BMPC phenotyping to infer developmental pathways and regulation by IL-21 in germinal centres to promote maintenance of BMPC after vaccination in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InsectSound1000 is a dataset comprising more than 169000 labelled sound samples of 12 insects. The insect sound level spans from very loud (Bombus terrestris) to inaudible to human ears (Aphidoletes aphidimyza). The samples were extracted from more than 1000 h of recordings made in an anechoic box with a four-channel low-noise measurement microphone array. Each sample is a four-channel wave-file of 2500 kHz length, at 16 kHz sample rate and 32 bit resolution. Acoustic insect recognition holds great potential to form the basis of a digital insect sensor. Such sensors are desperately needed to automate pest monitoring and ecological monitoring. With its significant size and high-quality recordings, InsectSound1000 can be used to train data-hungry deep learning models. Used to pretrain models, it can also be leveraged to enable the development of acoustic insect recognition systems on different hardware or for different insects. Further, the methodology employed to create the dataset is presented in detail to allow for the extension of the published dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A study published in European Radiology proposes a scoring model based on cardiac CT imaging and clinical parameters to stratify patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis for surgical repair or mitral valve replacement. The study included 443 patients and identified several factors, including calcification quality score and papillary muscle symmetry, that predicted favorable early outcomes after surgery. The proposed scoring model may assist surgeons in preoperative evaluation and improve the complexity assessment of mitral valve repair. Cardiac CT was found to be more accurate than echocardiography in quantifying mitral valve calcifications. The study suggests that the availability of thin-slice spectral photon-counting CT reconstructions may further improve patient stratification in the future. [Extracted from the article]

During milling operations, regenerative and periodic forces are generated from the interactions of cutting tools and workpieces. While the regenerative forces can be preempted by proper choice of process parameters, the periodic forces cannot. The latter induce forced responses which leave behind imprints on machined parts causing, for example, tolerance concerns. Fortunately, the responses and thus the imprints can be mitigated by proper choice of parameters. In the published literature, the imprints seem to be predominantly named according to the type of analytical treatment of the problem. They are mostly called (surface) form error (SFE) when deemed to result from static deflections at instants of periodic forces while they are mostly called surface location error (SLE) when deemed to result from dynamic responses to the periodic forces. Both SFE and SLE are referred to as periodic force induced surface error (PFISE) here. This work presents a comprehensive literature review of the available PFISE modeling methods, including concise generic explanations of the analytical formulations and the solution algorithms. The review contains more than 340 literature references which also cover data-driven methods for which measurements/images of machined surface are used to generate point cloud of surface topography from which patterns of PFISE can be identified or empirical/black box models of surface errors (which include PFISE) can be calibrated. The results of PFISE modeling is usually applied in error compensation algorithms and, hence, works on such applications are also reviewed. This literature review unveils the trends of over 6 decades and still continuing research and recommends avenues to further the research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periodic cutting forces are inevitably generated during milling processes and the associated forced vibrations leave behind an imprint called surface location error (SLE) on machined parts causing tolerance concerns. Numerical prediction of SLE is extensively demonstrated in literature. Purpose: However, closed-form models are unarguably preferred over numerical and surrogate models when available due to higher effectiveness and accuracy for design analysis. The few existing closed-form models of forced vibrations and SLE are limited to 1 and 2-DOF systems excited by 1 or 2-dimensional cutting forces (feed and feed-normal directions) for the conventional fixed-helix angle shape even though variable helix angle is a common technical possibility. Results: This work proposes a closed-form solution that is based on the more realistic 3-dimensional cutting force for the forced vibrations and SLE of arbitrary-DOF milling excited by arbitrary variable helix angle tools. The validity of the proposed model is checked with comparisons to numerical cases of flexible cutting tools (lumped-mass model) and thin-walled workpieces (continuum/finite element model) drawn from literature. Conclusion: To demonstrate the potential application of the model in SLE suppression without compromising productivity, an optimization problem is formulated and solved for selecting helix angles, and almost complete suppression of SLE is recorded for the illustrative case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a new epi-convergence based on the use of bounded convergent nets on the product topology of the strong topology on the primal space and weak star topology on the dual space of a general real Banach space. We study the propagation of the associated variational convergences through conjugation of convex functions defined on this product space. These results are then applied to the problem of construction of a bigger-conjugate representative function for the recession operator associated with a maximal monotone operator on this real Banach space. This is then used to study the relationship between the recession operator of a maximal monotone operator and the normal–cone operator associated with the closed, convex hull of the domain of that monotone operator. This allows us to show that the strong closure of the domain of any maximal monotone operator is convex in a general real Banach space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For G a finite group, let d 2 (G) denote the proportion of triples (x , y , z) ∈ G 3 such that [ x , y , z ] = 1 . We determine the structure of finite groups G such that d 2 (G) is bounded away from zero: if d 2 (G) ≥ ϵ > 0 , G has a class-4 nilpotent normal subgroup H such that [G : H] and | γ 4 (H) | are both bounded in terms of ϵ . We also show that if G is an infinite group whose commutators have boundedly many conjugates, or indeed if G satisfies a certain more general commutator covering condition, then G is finite-by-class-3-nilpotent-by-finite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Microbial carbonates are common components of Quaternary tropical coral reefs. Previous studies revealed that sulfate-reducing bacteria trigger microbial carbonate precipitation in supposedly cryptic reef environments. Here, using petrography, lipid biomarker analysis, and stable isotope data, we aim to understand the formation mechanism of microbial carbonate enclosed in deep fore reef limestones from Mayotte and Mohéli, Comoro Islands, which differ from other reefal microbial carbonates in that they contain less microbial carbonate and are dominated by numerous sponges. To discern sponge-derived lipids from lipids enclosed in microbial carbonate, lipid biomarker inventories of diverse sponges from the Mayotte and Mohéli reef systems were examined. Abundant peloidal, laminated, and clotted textures point to a microbial origin of the authigenic carbonates, which is supported by ample amounts of mono-O-alkyl glycerol monoethers (MAGEs) and terminally branched fatty acids; both groups of compounds are attributed to sulfate-reducing bacteria. Sponges revealed a greater variety of alkyl chains in MAGEs, including new, previously unknown, mid-chain monomethyl- and dimethyl-branched MAGEs, suggesting a diverse community of sulfate reducers different from the sulfate-reducers favoring microbialite formation. Aside from biomarkers specific for sulfate-reducing bacteria, lipids attributed to demosponges (i.e., demospongic acids) are also present in some of the sponges and the reefal carbonates. Fatty acids attributed to demosponges show a higher diversity and a higher proportion in microbial carbonate compared to sponge tissue. Such pattern reflects significant taphonomic bias associated with the preservation of demospongic acids, with preservation apparently favored by carbonate authigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Maurice B. Sterman, also known as Barry Sterman, was a pioneering researcher in neurofeedback and sleep medicine. His work revolutionized our understanding and treatment of brain disorders such as epilepsy, insomnia, and ADHD. Dr. Sterman passed away in December 2023 at the age of 87, leaving behind a profound legacy in the fields of neurofeedback, sleep medicine, and clinical neuroscience. He conducted groundbreaking research on the "Sensorimotor Rhythm" (SMR) and its connection to sleep spindles, leading to the discovery of the anticonvulsant effects of SMR neurofeedback. His work also demonstrated the clinical benefits of SMR neurofeedback in epilepsy, insomnia, and ADHD. Dr. Sterman's contributions have had a lasting impact on the field of applied neuroscience. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play key roles in the pathogenesis of different human diseases, but the cross‐talk between FGFs and other cytokines remains largely unexplored. We identified an unexpected antagonistic effect of FGFs on the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of FGF receptor signaling in keratinocytes promoted the expression of interferon‐stimulated genes (ISG) and proteins in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, FGF7 or FGF10 treatment of keratinocytes suppressed ISG expression under homeostatic conditions and in response to IFN or poly(I:C) treatment. FGF‐mediated ISG suppression was independent of IFN receptors, occurred at the transcriptional level, and required FGF receptor kinase and proteasomal activity. It is not restricted to keratinocytes and functionally relevant, since FGFs promoted the replication of herpes simplex virus I (HSV‐1), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and Zika virus. Most importantly, inhibition of FGFR signaling blocked HSV‐1 replication in cultured human keratinocytes and in mice. These results suggest the use of FGFR kinase inhibitors for the treatment of viral infections.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with smoking and work-related health hazards. Most studies have reported prevalences, and the number of studies examining incidences and social inequalities is small. We analyzed the development of social inequalities of COPD-incidences in terms of income and exacerbations in terms of hospital admissions. Findings were based on claims data from a German statutory health insurance covering 2008 to 2019. Outpatient diagnoses were used for defining COPD-cases, hospital admissions were used for detecting exacerbations. Analyses were performed using Cox-regression. Individual incomes were depicted at three levels defined according to national averages for each year. Data of 3,040,137 insured men and women were available. From 2008 to 2019 COPD-incidences in men decreased by 42% and 47% in women. After stratification by income the reduction at the lowest income level was 41% and 50% in women. Respectively, at the highest income level reductions were 28% and 41%. Disease exacerbations decreased over time, and also social inequalities between income groups emerged. COPD-rates decreased over time at all income levels, but at a faster pace in the lowest income group, thus leading to a positive development of diminishing social gradients in men as well as in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great Lakes coastlines are mosaics of wetland, stream, and lake habitats, characterized by a high degree of spatial heterogeneity that may facilitate the co-occurrence of seemingly incompatible biogeochemical processes due to variation in environmental factors that favor each process. We measured nutrient limitation and rates of N2 fixation and denitrification along transects in 5 wetland–stream–lake ecotones with different nutrient loading in Lakes Superior and Huron. We hypothesized that rates of both processes would be related to nutrient limitation status, habitat type, and environmental characteristics including temperature, nutrient concentrations, and organic matter quality. We found that median denitrification rates (914 μg N m−2 h−1) were 166 × higher than N2 fixation rates (5.5 μg N m−2 h−1), but the processes co-occurred in 48% of 83 points measured across all 5 transects and habitat types. N2 fixation occurred on sediment and macrophyte substrate, while denitrification occurred mostly in sediment. Nutrient-diffusing substrate experiments indicated that biofilm chlorophyll-a was limited by N and/or P at 55% and biofilm AFDM was limited at 26% of sample points. N2 fixation and denitrification rates did not differ significantly with differing nutrient limitation. Predictive models for N2 fixation and denitrification rates both included variables related to the composition of dissolved organic matter, while the model for N2 fixation also included P concentrations. These results demonstrate the potential for heterogeneity in habitat characteristics, nutrient availability, and organic matter composition to lead to biogeochemical complexity at the local scale, despite overall N removal at broader scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons, whose interactions can be described by a local SU(3) gauge symmetry with charges called "color quantum numbers", is reviewed; the goal of this review is to provide advanced Ph.D. students a comprehensive handbook, helpful for their research. When QCD was "discovered" 50 years ago, the idea that quarks could exist, but not be observed, left most physicists unconvinced. Then, with the discovery of charmonium in 1974 and the explanation of its excited states using the Cornell potential, consisting of the sum of a Coulomb-like attraction and a long range linear confining potential, the theory was suddenly widely accepted. This paradigm shift is now referred to as the November revolution. It had been anticipated by the observation of scaling in deep inelastic scattering, and was followed by the discovery of gluons in three-jet events. The parameters of QCD include the running coupling constant, α s (Q 2) , that varies with the energy scale Q 2 characterising the interaction, and six quark masses. QCD cannot be solved analytically, at least not yet, and the large value of α s at low momentum transfers limits perturbative calculations to the high-energy region where Q 2 ≫ Λ QCD 2 ≃ (250 MeV) 2 . Lattice QCD (LQCD), numerical calculations on a discretized space-time lattice, is discussed in detail, the dynamics of the QCD vacuum is visualized, and the expected spectra of mesons and baryons are displayed. Progress in lattice calculations of the structure of nucleons and of quantities related to the phase diagram of dense and hot (or cold) hadronic matter are reviewed. Methods and examples of how to calculate hadronic corrections to weak matrix elements on a lattice are outlined. The wide variety of analytical approximations currently in use, and the accuracy of these approximations, are reviewed. These methods range from the Bethe–Salpeter, Dyson–Schwinger coupled relativistic equations, which are formulated in both Minkowski or Euclidean spaces, to expansions of multi-quark states in a set of basis functions using light-front coordinates, to the AdS/QCD method that imbeds 4-dimensional QCD in a 5-dimensional deSitter space, allowing confinement and spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking to be described in a novel way. Models that assume the number of colors is very large, i.e. make use of the large N c -limit, give unique insights. Many other techniques that are tailored to specific problems, such as perturbative expansions for high energy scattering or approximate calculations using the operator product expansion are discussed. The very powerful effective field theory techniques that are successful for low energy nuclear systems (chiral effective theory), or for non-relativistic systems involving heavy quarks, or the treatment of gluon exchanges between energetic, collinear partons encountered in jets, are discussed. The spectroscopy of mesons and baryons has played an important historical role in the development of QCD. The famous X,Y,Z states – and the discovery of pentaquarks – have revolutionized hadron spectroscopy; their status and interpretation are reviewed as well as recent progress in the identification of glueballs and hybrids in light-meson spectroscopy. These exotic states add to the spectrum of expected q q ¯ mesons and qqq baryons. The progress in understanding excitations of light and heavy baryons is discussed. The nucleon as the lightest baryon is discussed extensively, its form factors, its partonic structure and the status of the attempt to determine a three-dimensional picture of the parton distribution. An experimental program to study the phase diagram of QCD at high temperature and density started with fixed target experiments in various laboratories in the second half of the 1980s, and then, in this century, with colliders. QCD thermodynamics at high temperature became accessible to LQCD, and numerical results on chiral and deconfinement transitions and properties of the deconfined and chirally restored form of strongly interacting matter, called the Quark–Gluon Plasma (QGP), have become very precise by now. These results can now be confronted with experimental data that are sensitive to the nature of the phase transition. There is clear evidence that the QGP phase is created. This phase of QCD matter can already be characterized by some properties that indicate, within a temperature range of a few times the pseudocritical temperature, the medium behaves like a near ideal liquid. Experimental observables are presented that demonstrate deconfinement. High and ultrahigh density QCD matter at moderate and low temperatures shows interesting features and new phases that are of astrophysical relevance. They are reviewed here and some of the astrophysical implications are discussed. Perturbative QCD and methods to describe the different aspects of scattering processes are discussed. The primary parton–parton scattering in a collision is calculated in perturbative QCD with increasing complexity. The radiation of soft gluons can spoil the perturbative convergence, this can be cured by resummation techniques, which are also described here. Realistic descriptions of QCD scattering events need to model the cascade of quark and gluon splittings until hadron formation sets in, which is done by parton showers. The full event simulation can be performed with Monte Carlo event generators, which simulate the full chain from the hard interaction to the hadronic final states, including the modelling of non-perturbative components. The contribution of the LEP experiments (and of earlier collider experiments) to the study of jets is reviewed. Correlations between jets and the shape of jets had allowed the collaborations to determine the "color factors" – invariants of the SU(3) color group governing the strength of quark–gluon and gluon–gluon interactions. The calculated jet production rates (using perturbative QCD) are shown to agree precisely with data, for jet energies spanning more than five orders of magnitude. The production of jets recoiling against a vector boson, W ± or Z, is shown to be well understood. The discovery of the Higgs boson was certainly an important milestone in the development of high-energy physics. The couplings of the Higgs boson to massive vector bosons and fermions that have been measured so far support its interpretation as mass-generating boson as predicted by the Standard Model. The study of the Higgs boson recoiling against hadronic jets (without or with heavy flavors) or against vector bosons is also highlighted. Apart from the description of hard interactions taking place at high energies, the understanding of "soft QCD" is also very important. In this respect, Pomeron – and Odderon – exchange, soft and hard diffraction are discussed. Weak decays of quarks and leptons, the quark mixing matrix and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon are processes which are governed by weak interactions. However, corrections by strong interactions are important, and these are reviewed. As the measured values are incompatible with (most of) the predictions, the question arises: are these discrepancies first hints for New Physics beyond the Standard Model? This volume concludes with a description of future facilities or important upgrades of existing facilities which improve their luminosity by orders of magnitude. The best is yet to come! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by recent literature demonstrating the surprising effectiveness of the heuristic application of progressive hedging (PH) to stochastic mixed-integer programming (SMIP) problems, we provide theoretical support for the inclusion of integer variables, bridging the gap between theory and practice. We provide greater insight into the following observed phenomena of PH as applied to SMIP where optimal or at least feasible convergence is observed. We provide an analysis of a modified PH algorithm from a different viewpoint, drawing on the interleaving of (split) proximal-point methods (including PH), Gauss–Seidel methods, and the utilisation of variational analysis tools. Through this analysis, we show that under mild conditions, convergence to a feasible solution should be expected. In terms of convergence analysis, we provide two main contributions. First, we contribute insight into the convergence of proximal-point-like methods in the presence of integer variables via the introduction of the notion of persistent local minima. Secondly, we contribute an enhanced Gauss–Seidel convergence analysis that accommodates the variation of the objective function under mild assumptions. We provide a practical implementation of a modified PH and demonstrate its convergent behaviour with computational experiments in line with the provided analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful and efficient pest management is key to sustainable horticultural food production. While greenhouses already allow digital monitoring and control of their climate parameters, a lack of digital pest sensors hinders the advent of digital pest management systems. To close the control loop, digital systems need to be enabled to directly assess the state of different insect populations in a greenhouse. The presented article investigates the feasibility of acoustic sensors for insect detection in greenhouses. The study is based on an extensive dataset of acoustic insect recordings made with an array of high-quality microphones under noise-shielded conditions. By mixing these noise-free laboratory recordings with environmental sounds recorded with the same equipment in a greenhouse, different signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) are simulated. To explore the possibilities of this unique and novel dataset, two deep-learning models are trained on this simulation data. A simple spectrogram-based model represents the baseline for a comparison with a model capable of processing multi-channel raw audio data. Making use of the unique possibility of the dataset, the models are pre-trained on clean data and fine-tuned on noisy data. Under lab conditions, results show that both models can make use of not just insect flight sounds but also the much quieter sounds of insect movements. First attempts under simulated real-world conditions showed the challenging nature of this task and the potential of spatial filtering. The analysis enabled by the proposed methods for training and evaluation provided valuable insights that should be considered for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mate search is challenging for solitary species. Trails represent a particularly potent, target-oriented means for finding mates, as trail-following increases encounter rates between individuals compared to random search. Embedding directionality information into the trail allows individuals to follow trails correctly to the source. Yet, directionality remains poorly understood. Spiders deposit trails during locomotion consisting of silk lines and substrate-borne chemicals. We conducted multiple experiments to test whether female silk trails convey directionality information, whether directionality is chemically or structurally encoded and depends on female phenotype. We also examined whether males interact with silk in a way that suggests information gathering. We exposed males of the cursorial spider Pisaura mirabilis to female trails deposited unidirectionally and scored their trail-following direction (i.e., same as or opposite to the females'). Tests were repeated after washing trails with a solvent to remove putative chemicals and by sourcing silk from females of different feeding regimes. While we found little evidence for male directional trail-following, we did find that unwashed trails were more likely to be followed than washed trails. Similarly, trails of relatively larger females were more likely to be followed correctly than those of smaller females. Males extensively probed and pulled on silk lines with their appendages, suggesting the gathering of chemical and tactile information. Taken together, results suggest that directional trail-following is selected only under specific contexts in this species. Chemical attributes of trails may convey information on female quality, with directional trail-following reflecting male mate choice in a system characterized by costly male nuptial gifts. Significance statement: In the context of male mate search, following conspecific trails increases the chances of encountering a mating partner, especially if trails provide information about the direction the conspecific went. Yet, trail directionality remains poorly understood. Female spiders deposit silk trails as they walk. We overall show that males follow trails directionally only under a specific context. Males were more likely to follow correctly when trails were unmanipulated (compared to being washed with solvents to remove chemicals) and when they were deposited by relatively larger females (compared to smaller ones). Chemical attributes of trails may potentially indicate directionality, while decoding movement direction from trails of larger females may reflect male preferences for females of higher reproductive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musical instrument making is often considered a mysterious form of art, its secrets still escaping scientific quantification. There is not yet a formula to make a good instrument, so historical examples are regarded as the pinnacle of the craft. This is the case of Stradivari's violins or Torres guitars that serve as both models and examples to follow. Geometric copies of these instruments are still the preferred way of building new ones, yet reliably making acoustic copies of them remains elusive. One reason for this is that the variability of the wood used for instruments makes for a significant source of uncertainty—no two pieces of wood are the same. In this article, using state-of-the-art methodologies, we show a method for matching the vibrational response of two guitar top plates made with slightly different materials. To validate our method, we build two guitar soundboards: one serving as a reference and the second acting as a copy to which we apply model-predicted geometry variations. The results are twofold. Firstly, we can experimentally validate the predictive capabilities of our numerical model regarding geometry changes. Secondly, we can significantly reduce the deviation between the two plates by these precisely predicted geometry variations. Although applied to guitars here, the methodology can be extended to other instruments, e.g. violins, in a similar fashion. The implications of such a methodology for the craft could be far-reaching by turning instrument-making more into a science than artistic craftsmanship and paving the way to accurately copy historical instruments of a high value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a general version of bundle trust region method for minimizing convex functions. The trust region is constructed by generic p -norm with p ∈ [ 1 , + ∞ ] . In each iteration the algorithm solves a subproblem with a constraint involving p -norm. We show the convergence of the generic bundle trust region algorithm. In implementation, the infinity norm is chosen so that a linear programming subproblem is solved in each iteration. Preliminary numerical experiments show that our algorithm performs comparably with the traditional bundle trust region method and has advantages in solving large-scale problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the vibration of the painting canvas during transport is of great significance to protect paintings from damage. However, limited to the narrow structure of the transport crate, the lack of an inertial reference, and the limitations to attach sensors to the canvas, this is a difficult task. For this reason, based on vibration data measured on the strainer that is easily obtained during transport, this contribution proposes to reproduce these with high accuracy in the laboratory. There, the resulting vibration of the canvas can be conveniently observed in a controlled environment with respect to an inertial reference. A real-time simulation platform based on the multi-channel Filtered-x Least Mean Square (FxLMS) algorithm controls four actuators simultaneously and reproduces the vibration of the strainer obtained from a real transport experiment. The vibration of the canvas is then measured by a laser Doppler vibrometer without contact. The experimental results show that the vibration reproduction system has sufficient reproduction accuracy for the vibration response. Even though some overshoot in the reproduced acceleration can be observed in some cases, the overall reproduction is very good. A long-term reproduction experiment verifies its stable reproducibility. Therefore, the designed vibration reproduction system provides a reference for the unknown canvas response during transport, and further helps art conservators to evaluate the transport process of the painting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke with medium vessel occlusions is still a matter of debate. We sought to identify factors associated with clinical outcome after MT for M2-occlusions based on data from the German Stroke Registry-Endovascular Treatment (GSR-ET). All patients prospectively enrolled in the GSR-ET from 05/2015 to 12/2021 were analyzed (NCT03356392). Inclusion criteria were primary M2-occlusions and availability of relevant clinical data. Factors associated with excellent/good outcome (modified Rankin scale mRS 0–1/0–2), poor outcome/death (mRS 5–6) and mRS-increase pre-stroke to day 90 were determined in multivariable logistic regression. 1348 patients were included. 1128(84%) had successful recanalization, 595(44%) achieved good outcome, 402 (30%) had poor outcome. Successful recanalization (odds ratio [OR] 4.27 [95% confidence interval 3.12–5.91], p < 0.001), higher Alberta stroke program early CT score (OR 1.25 [1.18–1.32], p < 0.001) and i.v. thrombolysis (OR 1.28 [1.07–1.54], p < 0.01) increased probability of good outcome, while age (OR 0.95 [0.94–0.95], p < 0.001), higher pre-stroke-mRS (OR 0.36 [0.31–0.40], p < 0.001), higher baseline NIHSS (OR 0.89 [0.88–0.91], p < 0.001), diabetes (OR 0.52 [0.42–0.64], p < 0.001), higher number of passes (OR 0.75 [0.70–0.80], p < 0.001) and intracranial hemorrhage (OR 0.26 [0.14–0.46], p < 0.001) decreased the probability of good outcome. Additional predictors of mRS-increase pre-stroke to 90d were dissections, perforations (OR 1.59 [1.11–2.29], p < 0.05) and clot migration, embolization (OR 1.67 [1.21–2.30], p < 0.01). Corresponding to large-vessel-occlusions, younger age, low pre-stroke-mRS, low severity of acute clinical disability, i.v. thrombolysis and successful recanalization were associated with good outcome while diabetes and higher number of passes decreased probability of good outcome after MT in M2 occlusions. Treatment related complications increased probability of mRS increase pre-stroke to 90d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-invasive quantification of the extracellular volume (ECV) is a method for the evaluation of focal and diffuse myocardial fibrosis, potentially obviating the need for invasive endomyocardial biopsy. While ECV quantification with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (ECVMRI) is already an established method, ECV quantification with CT (ECVCT) is an attractive alternative to ECVMRI, similarly using the properties of extracellular contrast media for ECV calculation. In contrast to ECVMRI, ECVCT provides a more widely available, cheaper and faster tool for ECV quantification and allows for ECV calculation also in patients with contraindications for MRI. Many studies have already shown a high correlation between ECVCT and ECVMRI and accumulating evidence suggests a prognostic value of ECVCT quantification in various cardiovascular diseases. Adding a late enhancement scan (for dual energy acquisitions) or a non-enhanced and late enhancement scan (for single-energy acquisitions) to a conventional coronary CT angiography scan improves risk stratification, requiring only minor adaptations of the contrast media and data acquisition protocols and adding only little radiation dose to the entire scan. Critical relevance statement This article summarizes the technical principles of myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) quantification with CT, reviews the literature comparing ECVCT with ECVMRI and histopathology, and reviews the prognostic value of myocardial ECV quantification for various cardiovascular disease. Key points • Non-invasive quantification of myocardial fibrosis can be performed with CT. • Myocardial ECV quantification with CT is an alternative in patients non-eligible for MRI. • Myocardial ECV quantification with CT strongly correlates with ECV quantification using MRI. • Myocardial ECV quantification provides incremental prognostic information for various pathologies affecting the heart (e.g., cardiac amyloidosis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are an important class of neuroactive chemicals that are often detected in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The correct functionality of the AChE enzyme is linked to many important physiological processes such as locomotion and respiration. Consequently, it is necessary to develop new analytical strategies to identify harmful AChE inhibitors in the environment. It has been shown that mixture effects and oxidative stress may jeopardize the application of in vivo assays for the identification of AChE inhibitors in the environment. To confirm that in vivo AChE assays can be successfully applied when dealing with complex mixtures, an extract from river water impacted by non-treated wastewater was bio-tested using the acute toxicity fish embryo test (FET) and AChE inhibition assay with zebrafish. The zebrafish FET showed high sensitivity for the extract (LC10 = relative extraction factor 2.8) and we observed a significant inhibition of the AChE (40%, p < 0.01) after 4-day exposure. Furthermore, the extract was chromatographically fractionated into a total of 26 fractions to dilute the mixture effect and separate compounds according to their physico-chemical properties. As expected, non-specific acute effects (i.e., mortality) disappeared or evenly spread among the fractions, while AChE inhibition was still detected in five fractions. Chemical analysis did not detect any known AChE inhibitors in these active fractions. These results confirm that the AChE assay with Danio rerio can be applied for the detection of neuroactive effects induced in complex environmental samples, but also, they highlight the need to increase analytical and identification techniques for the detection of neurotoxic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate outcome after pediatric transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) with respect to survival Material and Methods: After searching for studies on TIPS in children in Ovid, Medline, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane published between 2000 and 2022, individual patient data were retrieved from five retrospective cohorts. Overall survival (OS) and transplant-free survival (TFS) were calculated using Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank test and compared to the indication (ascites vs. variceal bleeding) as well as to the level of obstruction (pre-hepatic vs. hepatic vs. post-hepatic). Additionally, TIPS patency was analyzed. Results: n = 135 pediatric patients were included in the final analysis. Indication for pediatric TIPS creation was heterogeneous among the included studies. TIPS patency decreased from 6 to 24 months, subsequent pediatric liver transplantation was performed in 22/135 (16.3%) of cases. The presence of ascites was related with poorer TFS (HR 2.3, p = 0.023), while variceal bleeding was not associated with impaired survival. Analysis of the level of obstruction (pre-hepatic, hepatic and post-hepatic) failed to prove significantly reduced OS for post-hepatic obstruction (HR 3.2, p = 0.092) and TFS (HR 1.3, p = 0.057). There was no difference in OS and TFS according to age at time of TIPS placement. Conclusions: The presence of ascites associates with impaired survival after TIPS in children, with no differences in survival according to the age of the child. Interventional shunt procedures can be considered feasible for all ages. Level of Evidence: Level 2a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OME) produced from methanol are considered as potential substitutes of Diesel fuel. Emissions of formaldehyde and other components have been observed, particularly under cold-start conditions in engine test-bench experiments with OME fuel. In this study, the reactivity of OME3 (CH3O(CH2O)3CH3) and its decomposition products was studied in the temperature range 80–450 °C in a model gas test bench over V2O5/WO3/TiO2 and Cu-CHA SCR catalysts, a platinum-coated V2O5/WO3/TiO2 ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) and two diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC), based on platinum and platinum-palladium. Already at 80 °C, OME3 was largely hydrolyzed to methanol and formaldehyde over all catalysts. At temperatures above 150 °C, V2O5/WO3/TiO2 oxidized methanol and formaldehyde to CO via formic acid as intermediate. The platinum ASC showed a similar behavior but oxidized the decomposition products to CO2. Whereas Cu-CHA hydrolyzed OME3 quantitatively to methanol and formaldehyde, it did not show oxidation activity in the studied temperature range. The data indicate that the release of significant amounts of OME from a catalytic converter can be virtually ruled out under cold start conditions, but also that low temperature hydrolysis produces formaldehyde and methanol emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical systems are often modeled with the multibody system method or the finite element method and numerically described with systems of differential equations. Increasing demands on detail and the resulting high complexity of these systems make the use of model order reduction inevitable. Frequently, moment matching based on Krylov subspaces is used for the reduction. There, the transfer functions of the full system and of the reduced system are matched at distinct frequency shifts. The selection of these shifts, however, is not trivial. In this contribution we suggest an algorithm that evaluates an increasing number of shifts iteratively until a reduced model that approximates the full model in a subspace with very low approximation error is found. Thereafter, the projection matrix that spans this subspace is decomposed with singular value decomposition and only most important directions are retained. In this way, small reduced models with good approximation properties that do not exceed a predefined error bound can be found or low-error models for a given reduced order can be generated. The evaluation of more shifts than necessary and further reduction by means of singular value decomposition is the novelty of this contribution. In this paper, this novel approach is extensively studied and, furthermore, applied to the numerical example of an industrial helicopter model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the number, characteristics, and functional short-, and midterm outcomes of patients with rectal atresia (RA) and stenosis (RS) in the ARM-Net registry. Methods: Patients with RA/RS were retrieved from the ARM-Net registry. Patient characteristics, associated anomalies, surgical approach, and functional bowel outcomes at 1 and 5-year follow-up were assessed. Results: The ARM-Net registry included 2619 patients, of whom 36 (1.3%) had RA/RS. Median age at follow-up was 7.0 years (IQR 2.3–9.0). Twenty-three patients (63.9%, RA n = 13, RS n = 10) had additional anomalies. PSARP was the most performed reconstructive surgery for both RA (n = 9) and RS (n = 6) patients. At 1-year follow-up, 11/24 patients with known data (45.8%, RA n = 5, RS n = 6) were constipated, of whom 9 required stool softeners and/or laxatives. At 5-year follow-up, 8/9 patients with known data (88.9%, RA n = 4, RS n = 4) were constipated, all requiring laxatives and/or enema. Conclusion: RA and RS are rare types of ARM, representing 1.3% of patients in the ARM-Net registry. Additional anomalies were present in majority of patients. Different surgical approaches were performed as reconstructive treatment, with constipation occurring in 46% and 89% of the patients at 1 and 5-year follow-up. However, accurate evaluation of long-term functional outcomes remains challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: FAP is a membrane-bound protease under investigation as a pan-cancer target, given its high levels in tumors but limited expression in normal tissues. FAP-2286 is a radiopharmaceutical in clinical development for solid tumors that consists of two functional elements: a FAP-targeting peptide and a chelator used to attach radioisotopes. Preclinically, we evaluated the immune modulation and anti-tumor efficacy of FAP-2287, a murine surrogate for FAP-2286, conjugated to the radionuclide lutetium-177 (177Lu) as a monotherapy and in combination with a PD-1 targeting antibody. Methods: C57BL/6 mice bearing MCA205 mouse FAP-expressing tumors (MCA205-mFAP) were treated with 177Lu-FAP-2287, anti-PD-1, or both. Tumor uptake of 177Lu- FAP-2287 was assessed by SPECT/CT scanning, while therapeutic efficacy was measured by tumor volume and survival. Immune profiling of tumor infiltrates was evaluated through flow cytometry, RNA expression, and immunohistochemistry analyses. Results: 177Lu-FAP-2287 rapidly accumulated in MCA205-mFAP tumors leading to significant tumor growth inhibition (TGI) and longer survival time. Significant TGI was also observed from anti-PD-1 and the combination. In flow cytometry analysis of tumors, 177Lu-FAP-2287 increased CD8+ T cell infiltration which was maintained in the combination with anti-PD-1. The increase in CD8+ T cells was accompanied by an induction of STING-mediated type I interferon response and higher levels of co-stimulatory molecules such as CD86. Conclusion: In a preclinical model, FAP-targeted radiotherapy enhanced anti-PD-1-mediated TGI by modulating the TME and increasing the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. These findings provide a rationale for clinical studies of combined 177Lu-FAP-2286 radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition in FAP-positive tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical coral reefs, as prominent marine diversity hotspots, are in decline, and long-term studies help to improve understanding of the effects of global warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, deterioration of water quality, and disease. Here, we evaluated relative coral abundance and reef accretion rates over the past 9000 years in Belize barrier and atoll reefs, the largest reef system in the Atlantic Ocean. Acropora palmata and Orbicella spp. have been the most common corals. The abundance of competitive, fast-growing acroporids was constant over multi-millennial timescales. A decline in A. cervicornis abundance, however, and three centennial-scale gaps in A. palmata occurrence, suggest that the modern decline in acroporids was not unprecedented. Stress-tolerant corals predominate at the beginning of Holocene successions. Following the improvement of environmental conditions after inundation of the reef pedestal, their abundance has decreased. The abundance of weedy corals has increased during the Holocene underlining the importance of fecundity for the coral community. Reef-accretion rate, as calculated based on 76 new U-series age dates, has decreased over the Holocene and the mean value of 3.36 m kyr−1 is at the lower end of global reef growth compilations and predicted future rates of rise in sea level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escape mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 are a major reason for Omicron breakthrough infections. After basal vaccination only very low titers of Omicron neutralizing antibodies are present. However, booster vaccinations induce higher titers against the Omicron variant. The neutralization of the Delta and Omicron variants by sera obtained 6 months after 3rd vaccination and 2 weeks or 6 months after 4th vaccination with a monovalent RNA vaccine (Spikevax) was analyzed. It was observed for the Omicron variant that 6 months after the fourth vaccination, the titer returns to the same very low neutralizing capacity as 6 months after the third vaccination. The Delta variant neutralizing capacity wanes with a comparable kinetic although the titers are higher as compared to the Omicron variant. This indicates that the fourth vaccination with a monovalent vaccine based on the ancestral isolate neither affects the kinetic of the waning nor the breadth of the humoral response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With higher availability of WES, the diagnosis in our patient could have been established already at the time of onset of psychiatric symptoms or even earlier at the time of orthopaedic management of bone cysts with characteristics of internal fatty tissue indicative for NHD. In our opinion, clinical judgement in such cases cannot substitute genetic testing, as some diseases are rare and established red flags, such as positive family history, disease-specific MRI changes or "typical" symptoms are often absent or appear late in the disease course. Electroencephalography (EEG) revealed no epileptiform abnormalities but an asymmetric frontotemporal dysrhythmia during rest, with a pathological slowing of the dominant alpha frequency towards the theta band, and increased delta and beta power (Fig. Appendix EEG recording EEG recordings were analyzed using custom-written code in Python. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The contact force–deformation relation between two spheres is one fundamental property which determines the mechanical response of the colliding bodies. In general, collisions of solid spheres occur in a very short time, so a highly accurate and a non-contact measurement method is required. Objective: In this study, a concept for the experimental determination of contact force–deformation curves of two colliding spheres is presented. Thereby two identical steel spheres collide by using a pendular setup and the sphere's velocities are measured by Laser Doppler Vibrometers (LDVs). Methods: The displacements are obtained by integrating the velocity with time and the accelerations are obtained by differentiating the velocity with time. From these values, the deformation and the contact forces can be calculated. Then, the elastic results are compared with the Hertzian theory of impact and experiments are conducted with elasto-plastic spheres. Results: Although the deformations are in good agreement with these analytical values, the influence of numerical differentiation is observed in the contact force. However, it is shown that the elastic contact force–deformation curve of two colliding spheres can be obtained with reasonable accuracy by using LDVs. For elasto-plastic spheres the coefficient of restitution became smaller than for the purely elastic case, and the force–deformation curve with hysteresis are measured. Conclusions: The results of this study are considered to be reasonable as far as comparisons with those for elastic collisions. Therefore, more detailed verification by numerical analysis, such as finite element analysis, is desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investing on behalf of a firm, a trader can feign personal skill by committing fraud that with high probability remains undetected and generates small gains, but with low probability bankrupts the firm, offsetting ostensible gains. Honesty requires enough skin in the game: if two traders with isoelastic preferences operate in continuous time and one of them is honest, the other is honest as long as the respective fraction of capital is above an endogenous fraud threshold that depends on the trader's preferences and skill. If both traders can cheat, they reach a Nash equilibrium in which the fraud threshold of each of them is lower than if the other one were honest. More skill, higher risk aversion, longer horizons and higher volatility all lead to honesty on a wider range of capital allocations between the traders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular senescence is a phenotype characterized by cessation of cell division, which can be caused by exhaustive replication or environmental stress. It is involved in age-related pathophysiological conditions and affects both the cellular cytoskeleton and the prime cellular mechanosensors, focal adhesion complexes. While the size of focal adhesions increases during senescence, it is unknown if and how this is accompanied by a remodeling of the internal focal adhesion structure. Our study uses metal-induced energy transfer to study the axial dimension of focal adhesion proteins from oxidative-stress-induced senescent cells with nanometer precision, and compares these to unstressed cells. We influenced cytoskeletal tension and the functioning of mechanosensitive ion channels using drugs and studied the combined effect of senescence and drug intervention on the focal adhesion structure. We found that H2O2-induced restructuring of the focal adhesion complex indicates a loss of tension and altered talin complexation. Mass spectroscopy-based proteomics confirmed the differential regulation of several cytoskeletal proteins induced by H2O2 treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new long-legged, spatula-beaked, filter-feeding pterodactyloid pterosaur from Upper Jurassic plattenkalk limestones at Wattendorf, Bavaria, Southern Germany, is remarkable for its completeness, unusual dentition and hints of the preservation of soft tissues, including wing membranes. The fully articulated specimen displays both jaws each side with over one hundred sub-parallel-sided teeth with a small, slightly hooked expansion at the crown tip. There are at least 480 teeth in total. The tip of the rostrum widens to a spatula-like, laterally concave structure with teeth only along its lateral margins. The straight anterior margin is devoid of teeth allowing plankton-rich water to stream in, while the teeth interdigitate forming a fine mesh trap. A slightly up swept rostrum assisted filtering by probable pulsating movements of the long neck, while wading or swimming through shallow water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]