Copper-Driven Formation of Prothioconazole Nanocomplex: An Innovative Strategy to Prepare Nanopesticide with Improved Bioactivity and Reduced Environmental Impacts.

Developing cost-effective, energy-saving, and eco-friendly methods to construct nanopesticides fulfill the requirement of modern agriculture. Benefiting from the versatility of metal-based complexes, a facile copper-driven method is discovered for the formation of a fungicide prothioconazole nanocomplex (Cu-Pro) with the particle size of ≈300 ± 85 nm. Interestingly, adding 0.

Relational responsibilities: Researchers perspective on current and progressive assessment criteria: A focus group study.

Introduction: The focus on quantitative indicators-number of publications and grants, journal impact factors, Hirsch-index-has become pervasive in research management, funding systems, and research and publication practices (SES). Accountability through performance measurement has become the gold standard to increase productivity and (cost-) efficiency in academia. Scientific careers are strongly shaped by the push to produce more in a veritable 'publish or perish' culture.

'Feeling Hot': Exploring the feasibility of nocturnal erection detection through penile temperature measurements.

Objectives: The observational 'Feeling Hot' study aims to evaluate the feasibility of employing overnight penile temperature measurements for the detection of nocturnal erections, thereby contributing to the advancement and modernization of a non-invasive diagnostic system for erectile dysfunction.

Subjects/patients And Methods: In this proof-of-concept study, 10 healthy men aged 20-25 were recruited, following the methodology outlined in the 'Staying Hot' study by Torenvlied et al. Participants underwent ambulatory overnight penile temperature measurements concurrent with RigiScan recordings.

'Staying Hot': Investigating the influence of overnight conditions on the penile skin temperature during male sexual arousal-A novel methodology for nocturnal erection detection.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the impact of overnight environmental conditions on erectile penile temperature within a controlled setting, with the aim of investigating the feasibility of using temperature measurements for nocturnal erection detection in erectile dysfunction diagnostics.

Subjects/patients And Methods: We conducted a proof-of-concept study involving 10 healthy male participants aged 20 to 25. The study was carried out at the Department of Urology, St.

Multi-Stimuli-Responsive, Topology-Regulated, and Lignin-Based Nano/Microcapsules from Pickering Emulsion Templates for Bidirectional Delivery of Pesticides.

The increasing demand for improving pesticide utilization efficiency has prompted the development of sustainable, targeted, and stimuli-responsive delivery systems. Herein, a multi-stimuli-responsive nano/microcapsule bidirectional delivery system loaded with pyraclostrobin (Pyr) is prepared through interfacial cross-linking from a lignin-based Pickering emulsion template. During this process, methacrylated alkali lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are utilized as stabilizers for the tunable oil-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion.

Toward quantitative super-resolution microscopy: molecular maps with statistical guarantees.

Quantifying the number of molecules from fluorescence microscopy measurements is an important topic in cell biology and medical research. In this work, we present a consecutive algorithm for super-resolution (stimulated emission depletion (STED)) scanning microscopy that provides molecule counts in automatically generated image segments and offers statistical guarantees in form of asymptotic confidence intervals. To this end, we first apply a multiscale scanning procedure on STED microscopy measurements of the sample to obtain a system of significant regions, each of which contains at least one molecule with prescribed uniform probability.

Water-soluble polyphosphonate-based bottlebrush copolymers aqueous ring-opening metathesis polymerization.

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is a versatile method for synthesizing complex macromolecules from various functional monomers. In this work, we report the synthesis of water-soluble and degradable bottlebrush polymers, based on polyphosphoesters (PPEs) ROMP. First, PPE-macromonomers were synthesized organocatalytic anionic ring-opening polymerization of 2-ethyl-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane using -(hydroxyethyl)--5-norbornene--2,3-dicarboximide as the initiator and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.

Effect of Physical Exercise on MRI-Assessed Brain Perfusion in Chemotherapy-Treated Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Exercise is a promising intervention to alleviate cognitive problems in breast cancer patients, but studies on mechanisms underlying these effects are lacking.

Purpose: Investigating whether an exercise intervention can affect cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cognitively impaired breast cancer patients and to determine if CBF changes relate to memory function.

Study Type: Prospective.

Perceived Caregiving Trajectories and their Relationship with Caregivers' Burdens and Gains.

The study explores the meanings that family caregivers of people with dementia ascribe to the past, present, and future of their role as a caregiver, and how their integration into caregiving trajectories is related to caregivers' burdens and gains. The sample was made up of 197 family caregivers ( = 62.1, = 12.

Transparency in hip fracture recovery over institutional boundaries: The transmural monitoring pathway.

Objectives: To develop a transmural pathway for healthcare professionals across institutions to monitor the recovery of hip fracture patients. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the pathway's feasibility and initial outcomes.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Effect of physical exercise on the hippocampus and global grey matter volume in breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial (PAM study).

Background: Physical exercise in cancer patients is a promising intervention to improve cognition and increase brain volume, including hippocampal volume. We investigated whether a 6-month exercise intervention primarily impacts total hippocampal volume and additionally hippocampal subfield volumes, cortical thickness and grey matter volume in previously physically inactive breast cancer patients. Furthermore, we evaluated associations with verbal memory.

[The ears on the vessel of medicine: Jan van Beverwijck's collection of opinions on medicine in antiquity].

Johan van Beverwijck (1595-1647) is known as the author of two Dutch books in which he made medical knowledge accessible to laymen who did not have command of the Latin language. The Dordrecht doctor was open to the many new insights that arose in his time and shook the foundations of the ancient humoural stronghold of Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen. A nearly forgotten book, Idea veterum medicinae (Opinions on medicine in antiquity), was recently translated into Dutch by the author of this article.

End-of-life biodegradation? how to assess the composting of polyesters in the lab and the field.

The aerobic composting of biodegradable plastics can be a promising solution to the growing issue of waste accumulation. Therefore, this article offers a review of papers investigating the biodegradability of polyesters (PLA, PHB, PBS and PCL) in home- and industrial composting. Not only the thermal and biodegradation properties are discussed, but also a comparison is made between the different polyesters under the same composting conditions.

Environment-friendly transesterification to seawater-degradable polymers expanded: Computational construction guide to breaking points.

Marine plastic pollution caused by non-biodegradable polymers is a major worldwide concern. So-called "biodegradable" polymers should reduce plastic pollution in the environment by the safeguard of biodegradation. However, many polyesters degrade very slowly in seawater.

Lignin-based non-crosslinked nanocarriers: A promising delivery system of pesticide for development of sustainable agriculture.

Lignin sulfonate (LS), a waste material from the paper pulping, was modified with benzoic anhydride to obtain benzoylated lignin sulfonates of adjustable hydrophilicity (BLS). When BLS was combined with difenoconazole (Di), a broad-spectrum fungicide, lignin-based, non-crosslinked nanoparticles were obtained either by solvent exchange or solvent evaporation. When a mass ratio of 1:5 LS: benzoic anhydride was used, the Di release from Di@BLS after 1248 h was ca.

Influence of the Template Layer on the Structure and Ferroelectric Properties of PbZrTiO Films.

The microstructure of the PbZrTiO (PZT) films is known to influence the ferroelectric properties, but so far mainly the effect of the deposition conditions of the PZT has been investigated. To our knowledge, the influence of the underlying electrode layer and the mechanisms leading to changes in the PZT microstructure have not been explored. Using LaNiO (LNO) as the bottom electrode material, we investigated the evolution of the PZT microstructure and ferroelectric properties for changing LNO pulsed-laser deposition conditions.

Effect of physical exercise on cognitive function after chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial (PAM study).

Background: Up to 60% of breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy is confronted with cognitive problems, which can have a significant impact on daily activities and quality of life (QoL). We investigated whether exercise training improves cognition in chemotherapy-exposed breast cancer patients 2-4 years after diagnosis.

Methods: Chemotherapy-exposed breast cancer patients, with both self-reported cognitive problems and lower than expected performance on neuropsychological tests, were randomized to an exercise or control group.

Polyphosphonate-Based Macromolecular RAFT-CTA Enables the Synthesis of Well-Defined Block Copolymers Using Vinyl Monomers.

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has become a straightforward approach to block copolymers using a wide variety of functional vinyl monomers. Polyphosphoester (PPE) macroinitiators from ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of their corresponding cyclic phosphoesters have been previously prepared for atom transfer radical polymerization; however, to date, these biodegradable macroinitiators for RAFT polymerization have not been reported. Herein, a macromolecular RAFT-chain transfer agent (CTA) based on poly(ethyl ethylene phosphonate) was prepared by the organocatalytic ROP of 2-ethyl-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane using 2-cyano-5-hydroxypentan-2-yl dodecyl trithiocarbonate as the initiator and 1,8-diazabycyclo[5.

Associations of hospital volume and hospital competition with short-term, middle-term and long-term patient outcomes after breast cancer surgery: a retrospective population-based study.

Objectives: For oncological care, there is a clear tendency towards centralisation and collaboration aimed at improving patient outcomes. However, in market-based healthcare systems, this trend is related to the potential trade-off between hospital volume and hospital competition. We analyse the association between hospital volume, competition from neighbouring hospitals and outcomes for patients who underwent surgery for invasive breast cancer (IBC).

Biopolymer-based nanocarriers for sustained release of agrochemicals: A review on materials and social science perspectives for a sustainable future of agri- and horticulture.

Devastating plant diseases and soil depletion rationalize an extensive use of agrochemicals to secure the food production worldwide. The sustained release of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture is a promising solution to the eco-toxicological impacts and it might reduce the amount and increase the effectiveness of agrochemicals administration in the field. This review article focusses on carriers with diameters below 1 μm, such as capsules, spheres, tubes and micelles that promote the sustained release of actives.

RNA-inspired intramolecular transesterification accelerates the hydrolysis of polyethylene-like polyphosphoesters.

To synthesize new (bio)degradable alternatives to commodity polymers, adapting natural motives can be a promising approach. We present the synthesis and characterization of degradable polyethylene (PE)-like polyphosphoesters, which exhibit increased degradation rates due to an intra-molecular transesterification similar to RNA. An α,ω-diene monomer was synthesized in three steps starting from readily available compounds.

Multimodal Enzyme-Carrying Suprastructures for Rapid and Sensitive Biocatalytic Cascade Reactions.

Colloidal assemblies of mesoporous suprastructures provide effective catalysis in an advantageous volume-confined environment. However, typical fabrication methods of colloidal suprastructures are carried out under toxic or harmful conditions for unstable biomolecules, such as, biocatalytic enzymes. For this reason, biocatalytic enzymes have rarely been used with suprastructures, even though biocatalytic cascade reactions in confined environments are more efficient than in open conditions.

The effect of audio-support on strategy, time, and performance on reading comprehension in secondary school students with dyslexia.

The use of adequate reading comprehension strategies is important to read efficiently. Students with dyslexia not only read slower and less accurately, they also use fewer reading comprehension strategies. To compensate for their decoding problems, they often receive audio-support (narration written text).