A closer look reveals hidden diversity in the intertidal Caribbean Fortuyniidae (Acari, Oribatida).

A molecular genetic and morphometric investigation revealed the supposedly widespread Caribbean and Western Atlantic intertidal oribatid mite species Fortuynia atlantica to comprise at least two different species. Although there are no distinct morphological differences separating these taxa, COI and 18S sequence divergence data, as well as different species delimitation analyses, clearly identify the two species. Fortuynia atlantica is distributed in the northern Caribbean and the Western Atlantic and the new Fortuynia antillea sp.

Activation of the Nucleus Taeniae of the Amygdala by Umami Taste in Domestic Chicks ().

In chickens, the sense of taste plays an important role in detecting nutrients and choosing feed. The molecular mechanisms underlying the taste-sensing system of chickens are well studied, but the neural mechanisms underlying taste reactivity have received less attention. Here we report the short-term taste behaviour of chickens towards umami and bitter (quinine) taste solutions and the associated neural activity in the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and lateral septum.

Competing magnetic states and-loop splitting in core-shell NiO nanoparticles.

Magnetic relaxation in a nanoparticles system depends on the intra-particle interactions, reversal mechanism, the anisotropy field, easy axis distribution, particle volume, lattice defects, surface defects, materials composite, etc. Here we report the competing magnetic states between superparamagnetic blocking and Néel transition states in 14 nm core-shell NiO nanoparticles. A crossover temperature of 50 K was observed for both these states from the zero field cooled/field cooled magnetization curves taken at different fields.

An accurate, robust, and efficient finite element framework with applications to anisotropic, nearly and fully incompressible elasticity.

Fiber-reinforced soft biological tissues are typically modeled as hyperelastic, anisotropic, and nearly incompressible materials. To enforce incompressibility a multiplicative split of the deformation gradient into a volumetric and an isochoric part is a very common approach. However, the finite element analysis of such problems often suffers from severe volumetric locking effects and numerical instabilities.

Why Resilience in Health Care Systems is More than Coping with Disasters: Implications for Health Care Policy.

Health care systems need to be resilient to deal with disasters like the global spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) on top of serving the changing needs of a multi-morbid, ageing and often dispersed population. This paper identifies, discusses and augments critical dimensions of resilience retrieved from the academic literature. It pulls together an integrated concept of resilience characterised by organisational capabilities.

Hand-Operated, Paper-Based Rotational Vertical-Flow Immunosensor for the Impedimetric Detection of α-Fetoprotein.

This study demonstrates a hand-operated, paper-based rotational vertical-flow immunosensor (rotational VFI) platform requiring fewer pipetting steps, designed for the electrochemical detection of α-fetoprotein with multiple and time-sequenced steps. The platform allows users to perform electrochemical measurements without interference from the convective component of fluid motion, which is unfavorable in most techniques. Users can freely transfer-switch-stop fluid flows by manually rotating the paper disk, evidencing the superior flexibility of this sensor compared to other biosensors.

Virus-related Knowledge in Covid-19 Times - Results from two Cross-sectional Studies in Austria and Implications for School.

Viruses have become a prominent issue in public health, politics and economics due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet they have still met little attention in educational research, although misconceptions concerning viruses may contribute to antibiotics misuse, disbelief in existence of viruses and distrust in vaccination. We investigated knowledge and attitudes in Austria concerning Covid-19, viruses in general and vaccination.

Post-mortem Findings of Inflammatory Cells and the Association of 4-Hydroxynonenal with Systemic Vascular and Oxidative Stress in Lethal COVID-19.

A recent comparison of clinical and inflammatory parameters, together with biomarkers of oxidative stress, in patients who died from aggressive COVID-19 and survivors suggested that the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) might be detrimental in lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The current study further explores the involvement of inflammatory cells, systemic vascular stress, and 4-HNE in lethal COVID-19 using specific immunohistochemical analyses of the inflammatory cells within the vital organs obtained by autopsy of nine patients who died from aggressive SAR-CoV-2 infection. Besides 4-HNE, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) were analyzed alongside standard leukocyte biomarkers (CDs).

Kinematic and Kinetic Gait Parameters Can Distinguish between Idiopathic and Neurologic Toe-Walking.

The differentiation between mild forms of toe-walking (equinus) in cerebral palsy (CP) and idiopathic toe-walking (ITW) is often clinically challenging. This study aims to define kinematic and kinetic parameters using 3D gait analysis to facilitate and secure the diagnosis of "idiopathic toe-walking". We conducted a retrospective controlled stratified cohort study.

Enoxaparin and Pentosan Polysulfate Bind to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Human ACE2 Receptor, Inhibiting Vero Cell Infection.

As with many other pathogens, SARS-CoV-2 cell infection is strongly dependent on the interaction of the virus-surface Spike protein with the glycosaminoglycans of target cells. The SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein was previously shown to interact with cell-surface-exposed heparan sulfate and heparin in vitro. With the aim of using Enoxaparin as a treatment for COVID-19 patients and as prophylaxis to prevent interpersonal viral transmission, we investigated GAG binding to the Spike full-length protein, as well as to its receptor binding domain (RBD) in solution by isothermal fluorescence titration.

Tungsten and molybdenum oxide nanostructures: two-dimensional layers and nanoclusters.

W- and Mo-oxides form an interesting class of materials, featuring structural complexities, stoichiometric flexibility, and versatile physical and chemical properties that render them attractive for many applications in diverse fields of nanotechnologies. In nanostructured form, novel properties and functionalities emerge as a result of quantum size and confinement effects. In this topical review, W- and Mo-oxide nanosystems are examined with particular emphasis on two-dimensional (2D) layers and small molecular-type clusters.

Monitoring climate change, drought conditions and wheat production in Eurasia: the case study of Kazakhstan.

Wheat is an important global food security commodity. Kazakhstan is currently a producer and exporter of high-quality wheat to global markets. The most important wheat-growing regions, which lie in the northern part of Kazakhstan, are based on spring-sown rain-fed cultivation and are susceptible to climate change and drought.

Investigation of biases in convolutional neural networks for semantic segmentation using performance sensitivity analysis.

The application of deep neural networks for segmentation in medical imaging has gained substantial interest in recent years. In many cases, this variant of machine learning has been shown to outperform other conventional segmentation approaches. However, little is known about its general applicability.

Phase Transition toward a Thermodynamically Less Stable Phase: Cross-Nucleation due to Thin Film Growth of a Benzothieno-benzothiophene Derivative.

The molecule 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-][1]benzothiophene is an organic semiconductor, with outstanding properties in terms of molecular packing and its use in organic electronics. The asymmetric shape of the molecule causes a double layer crystal structure at room temperature. In this work we report its thin film growth by physical vapor deposition starting from the monolayer regime up to thick films.

Central European journal of operations research (CJOR) "operations research applied to health services (ORAHS) in Europe: general trends and ORAHS 2020 conference in Vienna, Austria".

This articles provides a short summary of the research topics and latest research results of the European Working Group "Operations Research Applied to Health Services" (ORAHS) organized as an e-conference in Juli 2020 at the University of Vienna, Austria (https://orahs2020.univie.ac.

Statistical mediation of the relationships between chronological age and lipoproteins by nonessential amino acids in healthy men.

Aging is a major risk factor for metabolic impairment that may lead to age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Different mechanisms that may explain the interplay between aging and lipoproteins, and between aging and low-molecular-weight metabolites (LMWMs), in the metabolic dysregulation associated with age-related diseases have been described separately. Here, we statistically evaluated the possible mediation effects of LMWMs on the relationships between chronological age and lipoprotein concentrations in healthy men ranging from 19 to 75 years of age.

The association of arsenic exposure and arsenic metabolism with all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality in the Strong Heart Study.

The effect of low-moderate levels of arsenic exposure and of arsenic metabolism on mortality remains uncertain. We used data from a prospective cohort study in 3600 men and women aged 45 to 75 years living in Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota. The biomarker of inorganic arsenic exposure was the sum of urine inorganic (iAs), monomethylated (MMA) and dimethylated (DMA) arsenic compounds (ƩAs) at baseline.

Disease-specific glycosaminoglycan patterns in the extracellular matrix of human lung and brain.

A wide variety of diseases throughout the mammalian organism is characterized by abnormal deposition of various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), including the heterogeneous family of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which contribute considerably to the ECM architecture as part of the so-called proteoglycans. The GAG's unique sulfation pattern, derived from highly dynamic and specific modification processes, has a massive impact on critical mediators such as cytokines and growth factors. Due to the strong connection between the specific sulfation pattern and GAG function, slight alterations of this pattern are often associated with enormous changes at the cell as well as at the organ level.

Free Volatile Compounds of ssp. (Baumg.) Eb. Fisch. and Their Biological Activity.

The composition of free volatile compounds of essential oils (EO) and hydrosols (Hy) from four different localities of the species ssp. (Baumg.) Eb.

A morphospace of functional configuration to assess configural breadth based on brain functional networks.

The quantification of human brain functional (re)configurations across varying cognitive demands remains an unresolved topic. We propose that such functional configurations may be categorized into three different types: (a) network configural breadth, (b) task-to task transitional reconfiguration, and (c) within-task reconfiguration. Such functional reconfigurations are rather subtle at the whole-brain level.

The conscientiousness-health link in depression: Results from a path analysis.

Background: This was the first study aiming to develop a theory-based model to analyze the relation between conscientiousness and impaired physical health as well as between conscientiousness and subjective health-related well-being within a large clinical sample with depressive symptomatology. In addition, a mediating effect of health risk behaviors regarding the association between conscientiousness and objectively impaired physical health as well as subjective health-related well-being were exploratory examined.

Methods: Individuals with depressive symptoms (n = 943) with a mean age of 52 years (ranging between 20 and 78 years) undergoing intensive psychiatric rehabilitation treatment were investigated with the Big Five Inventory-10 as well as several self-report health questionnaires (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, Food-Craving Inventory and lifestyle questions assessing physical inactivity and alcohol consumption).

Single domain shark VNAR antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro.

Single domain shark variable domain of new antigen receptor (VNAR) antibodies can offer a viable alternative to conventional Ig-based monoclonal antibodies in treating COVID-19 disease during the current pandemic. Here we report the identification of neutralizing single domain VNAR antibodies selected against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein derived from the Wuhan variant using phage display. We identified 56 unique binding clones that exhibited high affinity and specificity to the spike protein.

Clinical and Dermoscopic Features of Melanocytic Lesions on the Face Versus the External Ear.

Introduction: Melanoma of the external ear is a rare condition accounting for 7-20% of all melanomas of the head and neck region. They present classical features of extra-facial melanomas clinically and dermoscopically. In contrast, facial melanomas show peculiar patterns in dermoscopy.

The Impact of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation on Psychophysiological Stress, Personality and Tryptophan Metabolism: A Randomized Pilot Feasibility Study.

Multicomponent cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a secondary prevention strategy for cardiac patients to tackle stress and psychosocial wellbeing. However, there is a lack of data on its psychoneuroimmunological effects and of biomarkers to determine individual risk and to develop treatment strategies. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the feasibility of deriving psychophysiological stress markers in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Preliminary Findings on the Association of the Lipid Peroxidation Product 4-Hydroxynonenal with the Lethal Outcome of Aggressive COVID-19.

Major findings of the pilot study involving 21 critically ill patients during the week after admission to the critical care unit specialized for COVID-19 are presented. Fourteen patients have recovered, while seven passed away. There were no differences between them in respect to clinical or laboratory parameters monitored.