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Thomsen Cormier posted an update 4 days, 11 hours ago
Additionally, the established stiffness coefficient and burst energy index can better describe the burst tendency of the RCB specimen under different stress states. The results show that the burst tendency of the RCB specimen under the triaxial test is much higher than that of the uniaxial test. In other words, it also explains that the essence of the burst failure of the surrounding rock in the roadway is the initial instability induced by the inside surrounding rock in the roadway. Moreover, the burst tendency is the largest when the rock and coal combination angle is 15°, and the burst damage range may also be increased by the failure of internal coal and rock mass.In general, osteomyelitis is treated with antibiotics, and in severe cases, the inflammatory bone tissue is removed and substituted with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) beads containing antibiotics. However, this treatment necessitates re-surgery to remove the inserted PMMA beads. Moreover, rifampicin, a primary heat-sensitive antibiotic used for osteomyelitis, is deemed unsuitable in this strategy. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has gained popularity, as it facilitates the production of a patient-customized implantable structure using various biodegradable biomaterials as well as controlling printing temperature. Therefore, in this study, we developed a rifampicin-loaded 3D scaffold for the treatment of osteomyelitis using 3D printing and polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polymer that can be printed at low temperatures. We successfully fabricated rifampicin-loaded PCL 3D scaffolds connected with all pores using computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and printed them at a temperature of 60 °C to prevent the loss of the antibacterial activity of rifampicin. The growth inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the representative causative organisms of osteomyelitis, was confirmed. In addition, we optimized the rifampicin-loading capacity that causes no damage to the normal bone tissues in 3D scaffold with toxicity evaluation using human osteoblasts. The rifampicin-releasing 3D scaffold developed herein opens new possibilities of the patient-customized treatment of osteomyelitis.Aviation is a key sector of the economy, contributing at least 3% to gross domestic product (GDP) in the UK and the US. Currently, airline performance statistics are published with a three month delay. However, aircraft now broadcast their location in real-time using the Automated Dependent Surveillance Broadcast system (ADS-B). In this paper, we analyse a global dataset of flights since July 2016. We first show that it is possible to accurately estimate airline flight volumes using ADS-B data, which is available immediately. Next, we demonstrate that real-time knowledge of flight volumes can be a leading indicator for aviation’s direct contribution to GDP in both the UK and the US. Using ADS-B data could therefore help move us towards real-time estimates of GDP, which would equip policymakers with the information to respond to shocks more quickly.Neonicotinoids selectively modulate insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (insect nAChRs). Studies have shown that serine with ability to form a hydrogen bond in loop C of some insect nAChR α subunits and glutamate with a negative charge at the corresponding position in vertebrate nAChRs may contribute to enhancing and reducing the neonicotinoid actions, respectively. However, there is no clear evidence what loop C properties underpin the target site actions of neonicotinoids. Thus, we have investigated the effects of S221A and S221Q mutations in loop C of the Drosophila melanogaster Dα1 subunit on the agonist activity of imidacloprid and thiacloprid for Dα1/chicken β2 nAChRs expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The S221A mutation hardly affected either the affinity or efficacy for ACh and imidacloprid, whereas it only slightly reduced the efficacy for thiacloprid on the nAChRs with a higher composition ratio of β2 to Dα1 subunits. The S221Q mutation markedly reduced the efficacy of the neonicotinoids for the nAChRs with a higher composition of the β2 subunit lacking basic residues critical for binding neonicotinoids. Hence, we predict the possibility of enhanced neonicotinoid resistance in pest insect species by a mutation of the serine when it occurs in the R81T resistant populations lacking the basic residue in loop D of the β1 subunit.Parasite-mediated diseases like malaria and schistosomiasis are growing health problems worldwide and novel drug candidates are urgently needed. In this study, the in-vitro safety profile of steroid compound 1o (sc1o), effective against the parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma mansoni with an IC50 value of 5 nM, was characterized. Gamma-secretase inhibitor We assessed viability/proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle tests to determine the cytotoxic profile of sc1o in cancer cells. The mutagenic potential was determined with the AMES test. To identify off-target effects we investigated whether sc1o interacts with safety-relevant molecules such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, phosphodiesterases (PDE), histone deacteylases (HDAC) and human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG). Furthermore, to predict the potential bioavailability of sc1o, its effect on Caco-2 cell barrier integrity, by measurement of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), was determined. Sc1o at 25 µM reduced cell viability, probably through cell-cycle arrest, but did not induce apoptosis in cancer cells. No adverse off-target effects nor mutagenic potential of sc1o were observed. Furthermore, sc1o did not disturb the integrity of the cell barrier, but exhibited low membrane permeability, apparently due to cell adherence. In conclusion, sc1o up to 10 µM showed a good in-vitro safety profile.In the search for highly transparent and non-toxic alternative front layers replacing state-of-the-art CdS in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells, alternatives rarely exceed reference devices in terms of efficiency. Full-area ultra-thin aluminium oxide tunnelling layers do not require any contact patterning and thus overcome the main drawback of insulating passivation layers. Even a few monolayers of aluminium oxide can be deposited in a controlled manner by atomic layer deposition, they show excellent interface passivation properties, low absorption, and suitable current transport characteristics on test devices. Depositing a ZnO-based transparent front contact, however, results in extremely poor solar cell performance. The issue is not necessarily a low quality of the alternative front layer, but rather the intricate relation between front layer processing and electronic bulk properties in the absorber layer. We identify three challenges critical for the development of novel front passivation approaches (i) both Cd and Zn impurities beneficially reduce the high native net dopant concentration in the space charge region, (ii) sputter deposition of ZnO damages the passivation layer resulting in increased interface recombination, (iii) thermal treatments of devices with ZnO layer result in substantial Zn diffusion, which can penetrate the full absorber thickness already at moderate temperatures.