Earlier Studies Research Articles

Theoretical studies on intrinsic electron traps in amorphous tantalum pentoxide

Charge traps in amorphous tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) can degrade electrical performance of electronic devices. An earlier study shows that a local region consisting of several interconnected [TaOn] polyhedrons can act as an electron trapping site in Ta2O5 cell, indicating polymer-like intrinsic electron traps (IETs). With first-principle calculations, in conjunction with molecular dynamic calculations, this work investigates the one-electron trapping behaviours of Ta2O5 in detail, including atomic configurations and electronic properties. Stable states of Ta2O5 cells with an extra electron demonstrate the existence of point-like IETs, such as a single [TaO6] polyhedron. An electron trapping at an IET can produce an electron state typically hundreds of meV below the conductive band minimum. The concentration of IETs is found to decrease exponentially with decreasing energy, and the total concentration is suggested to be of the order of 1020cm-3.

Revisiting the Excitation of Free Core Nutation

AbstractEarth possesses a Poincaré mode called Free Core Nutation (FCN) due to the misalignment of the rotation axes of the mantle and fluid outer core. FCN is the primary signal in the observations of Celestial Pole Offsets (CPO) and maintained by geophysical mechanisms that are yet to be understood. Earlier studies suggested an origin in Atmospheric Angular Momentum (AAM)—and to a lesser degree Oceanic Angular Momentum (OAM)—but discrepancies between these geophysical excitations and the geodetic (CPO‐based) excitation were too large to reach definite conclusions. Here we use newly calculated, 3‐hourly AAM and OAM series for the 1994–2022 period, in conjunction with the latest CPO series from the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS 20 C04 series), to demonstrate a markedly lower power ratio (4.6) of geophysical over geodetic excitation at the FCN frequency compared to previous works (ratio 10). Among all excitation sources, the AAM pressure term exhibits the highest coherence (0.56) and correlation (0.48) with the geodetic excitation, whereas the coherence with OAM is smaller by a factor of 3. Similar analyses using existing angular momentum series give comparable, albeit smaller coherence and correlation results. We attribute the relevant AAM pressure term signal to Northern Hemispheric landmasses and further show consistent temporal variations in the amplitude of geophysical and geodetic excitations around the FCN band. Our results thus corroborate evidence for large‐scale atmospheric mass redistribution to be the main cause of continuous FCN excitation.

Unlocking growth: Investigating asymmetry in the financial inclusion-growth nexus in financially inclusive middle east economies

Financial inclusion is a crucial element of financial development that transmits cheap financial services to provide advantages to entire segments of society and stimulates economic growth. Our investigation evaluates the asymmetric financial inclusion-economic growth nexus in the top 10 financially inclusive Middle East nations (Israel, Oman, Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait). Earlier studies adopted panel data tools, which yielded typical outcomes on the association between financial inclusion and economic growth despite few economies did not indicate such a link individually. Conversely, the present work adopts Quantile-on-Quantile approach which can scrutinize time-series dependency among nations exclusively to give international, though country-specific, comprehension of the variables’ correlation. The outcomes show that financial inclusion boosts economic growth in our selected economies at numerous quantiles of data distribution. In addition, the results depict that the degree of asymmetry in the financial inclusion-economic growth nexus diverges by the nation. The outcomes highlight the critical need for governments and policymakers to prioritize financial inclusion and economic growth across various levels by emphasizing a strategic and comprehensive approach to ensure effective and sustainable growth.

True digestibility of tryptophan in plant and animal protein.

BackgroundProtein quality, evaluated using Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) requires ileal digestibility values of individual indispensable amino acids (IAA) in each protein. However, true tryptophan (Trp) digestibility has rarely been quantified in humans. ObjectiveTo measure the true Trp digestibility and DIAAS of 2H-intrinsically labelled plant and animal protein sources in humans, using the dual isotope tracer technique. MethodsThe true Trp digestibility of 2H intrinsically labelled plant proteins such as whole mung bean (n=6) and dehulled mung bean (n=6), chickpea (n=5), and yellow pea (n=5), and protein from animal source foods such as egg white (n=6), whole egg (n=6), chicken meat (n=6) and goat milk (n=7) was determined against the known digestibility of U-13C spirulina whole cell protein as reference, except for goat milk protein which was measured against free crystalline 13C-Trp as reference. Banked samples from earlier studies conducted to determine true IAA digestibility of different protein sources were used for the analysis. DIAAS was calculated for each test protein using digestibility corrected IAA scores (mg IAA/g of protein) in comparison to the IAA requirement score for adults. ResultsThe true Trp digestibility of whole mung bean, dehulled mung bean, chickpea, yellow pea, egg white, whole egg, chicken meat, and goat milk were 67.6±3.7%, 74.5±4.4%, 72.6±2.3%, 72.5±2.2%, 89.7±2.5%, 91.4±2.6%, 95.9±2.2%, and 92.8±2.9% respectively. The true Trp digestibility of plant protein sources was significantly lower than that of animal protein sources (p<0.05). Trp was not a limiting IAA in all the tested proteins. ConclusionThe true Trp digestibility determined in the present study ranged from 67.6±3.7% to 95.9 ± 2.2% for whole mung bean and chicken meat respectively, and adds to the database of individual true IAA digestibility of different protein sources.This study was registered in Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) with registration number: CTRI/2017/11/010468, CTRI/2020/04/024512, CTRI/2018/03/012265.

Study on compressive strength of bamboo (Guadua amplexifolia J. Presl) in San Jorge River basin, Colombia

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant commonly used to produce handicrafts, baskets, furniture, and other goods. Guadua amplexifolia J. Presl, a native woody bamboo species of Colombia, has been the subject of limited scientific research. This study conducted in the San Jorge River basin in Montelíbano (Córdoba) evaluated Guadua amplexifolia J. Presl's compressive strength to find its potential applications. Samples from four- and five-year-old bamboo culms were collected for analysis. The findings showed a positive correlation between the modulus of rupture and density. In contrast, the modulus of elasticity showed a weak positive correlation. It was seen that the predominant mode of compressive strength failure was type A (accounted for 66.7 %) in the samples tested. The mean value for the modulus of rupture was 43.1 x10−3 MPa, and the mean modulus of elasticity value was 1075.5 x10−3 MPa. Earlier studies reported lower calculated values for modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity for G. amplexifolia J. Presl bamboo than other bamboo species.

Tracking dustbathing behavior of cage-free laying hens with machine vision technologies

Dustbathing (DB) is a functionally important maintenance behavior in birds that clean plumage, realigns feather structures, removes feather lipids, which helps to remove parasites and prevents feathers from becoming too oily. Among different natural behaviors birds perform in cage-free (CF) housing, DB is one of the important behavior related to bird welfare. Earlier studies have identified DB behavior using manual method such as counting number of DB bouts, and duration of DB bouts from video recordings. The manual detection of DB behavior is time-consuming, sometimes prone to errors, and have limitations. Therefore, an automated precision monitoring method is needed to detect DB behavior in laying hens from an early age in CF housing environment. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop and test a deep learning model for detecting DB behavior and find out the optimal model; and (2) assess the performance of the optimal model in detecting DB behavior at different growing phases. In this study, deep learning models, i.e., YOLOv7-DB, YOLOv7x-DB, YOLOv8s-DB and YOLOv8x-DB, networks, were developed, trained, and compared in tracking DB behavior in 4 CF rooms each with 200 hens (W-36 Hy-Line). Results indicate that the YOLOv8x-DB model outperform all other models on detecting DB behavior with a precision of 93.4%, recall of 91.20%, and mean average precision (mAP@0.50) of 93.70%. All models performed with over 90% detection precision; however, model performance was affected by equipment like drinking lines, perches, and feeders. Based on the optimal model (YOLOv8x-DB), DB detection precision was highest during grower phase (precision of 96.80%, recall of 97.10%, mAP@0.50 of 98.60%, and mAP@0.50-0.95 of 79.10% followed by prelay, layers, developer, and peaking phases. This study provides a reference for poultry and egg producers that DB behavior can be detected automatically with precision of at least 89% or more using optimal model at any growing phase of laying hens.

Quantitative Phytochemical Investigation, Antibacterial Potency, and Drug-ability Assessment of Three Indian Medicinal Plants Leaf Extracts Using Bioinformatics Tools

Natural regimens have long-held ethnomedicinal values, serving as primary sources for mainstream medicine. Therefore, scientists are paying more attention to studying the biological activity of existing plant species in organized ways to select potent bioactive metabolites to use for specific therapeutic purposes. This study used the same approach to find potent antibacterial phytoconstituents in three well-known Indian medicinal plants: Psidium guajava L., Syzygium cumini L. and Punica granatum L. In the earlier study, methanolic leaf extracts of the above plant extracts were more effective than n-hexane extracts against biofilm and drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Accordingly, we selected methanolic crude extracts for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the phytoconstituents presented. In addition, we added a few reported candidates from the above plant extracts for molecular docking studies against four bacterial targets. For molecular docking studies, we retrieved all phytoconstituents or ligands from the PubChem database and bacterial target proteins from the protein data bank using PyRx 0.8-AutoDock 4.2 software. Furthermore, we used various bioinformatics and chemoinformatics tools to examine the investigated phytoconstituents physicochemical properties, toxicity, and drug-ability profiles. Out of the 30 GC-MS report-derived candidates from three plants, P5 from P. guajava, P18 from S. cumini, and P21 from P. granatum had the potent binding ability with bacterial targets. In the same way, out of the 30 reported candidates, P39, P43, and P56 from three plants, along with amikacin, showed strong binding against the same bacterial target. Both sets of candidates showed favorable physicochemical and toxicity profiles; however, all GC-MS-derived and few reported candidates exhibited negative drug-likeness. The study reveals that these crude extracts have antibacterial properties because they contain both GC-MS and existing phytoconstituents. The study starts with a crude extraction and then uses bioinformatics to choose two possible antibacterial candidates, ursolic acid and punicacortein A. This platform could be useful for finding an antibacterial agent that works specifically on a specific target. To sum up, the study encourages the isolation of more bioactive candidates from different Indian medicinal plants and uses bioinformatics tools to speed up the selection of strong leads that can speed up the process of making antibacterial drugs within limited resources.

Common variants of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and risk of gastric cancer: A meta-analysis.

While earlier studies have suggested that variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene could influence the susceptibility to gastric cancer (GC), the results have shown inconsistency. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the association of 5 common polymorphisms in VDR, including Taq1 rs731236 (T > C), FokI rs2228570 (C > T), Cdx2 rs11568820 (G > A), BsmI rs1544410 (G > A), and ApaI rs7975232 (G > T) with the risk of GC. A comprehensive search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify relevant studies published until January 2024. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to assess the magnitude of associations. Nine studies, with 2837 participants (1215 GC cases and 1622 healthy controls), were eligible. The FokI rs2228570 polymorphism showed a significant correlation with heightened susceptibility to GC under the recessive model (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.06-2.19) and homozygote comparison (TT vs CC; OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.09-2.31). Taq1 rs731236 was also linked to an elevated risk of GC under the same models (recessive OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.14-2.39; homozygote OR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.11-2.54). In the sensitivity analysis, when studies not adhering to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were excluded, the relationship between FokI rs2228570 polymorphism and GC disappeared, while the association for Taq1 rs731236 remained consistent. No significant association was identified for BsmI rs1544410, ApaI rs7975232, and Cdx2 rs11568820. This study revealed that FokI rs2228570 and Taq1 rs731236 polymorphisms of VDR might be linked to the odds of GC.

Paediatric maxillofacial fractures have increased in incidence and their nature and aetiology have changed during three decades

The safety of children’s living environment is affected by several factors. Safer living environments have been offered as one explanation to decreases in children’s fractures. Earlier studies provide evidence of a decreasing trend in children’s fractures in the past decades. The objective of this study was to investigate demographic and clinical features of paediatric maxillofacial fractures during three time periods. A retrospective cross-sectional single-centre study was designed. The study included 474 patients aged ≤ 15 years admitted to Helsinki University Hospital in Finland with maxillofacial fractures during 1980–1989, 1993–2002 and 2013–2018. Maxillofacial fractures increased by 25% during the study period. The increase was greater in boys (28%) than in girls (19%), and significant in age groups 0–5 years (71%) and 13–15 years (32%). Exclusively mandibular fractures decreased by 20%, while exclusively midfacial fractures increased more than four-fold and exclusively upper-third fractures five-fold. Being hit by object and falls from height increased more than two-fold. A temporary increase in assaults and decrease in bicycle accidents in the middle period of the study was observed. During the three decades, paediatric maxillofacial fractures have increased and both fracture type and underlying aetiology have changed. These findings reflect improvements in diagnostics, traffic safety, regulations and technology. The role of factors such as interpersonal violence and economic fluctuation on the incidence of childhood maxillofacial fractures is discussed.

Tax Compliance among Managers: Evidence from Randomized Audits1

Abstract Earlier studies of individuals’ law-abiding behavior find significant effects of home country corruption level on compliance. In our study of manager’s tax compliance, we use data from random audits and find associations between tax compliance and the use of an external accountant, age, manager’s place of origin and employees’ conflict exposure, but no effect from a manager’s own conflict exposure, nor Corruption Perception Index scores. The use of an external accountant seems to commit managers to comply with reporting requirements. Our findings suggest that factors such as managers’ age and company characteristics are important in understanding manager compliance. To study whether other mechanisms not previously tested may provide explanatory power, we specify two machinelearning models, which confirm our findings, but also suggest other associations. Nontechnical summary Our study examines tax compliance among managers using data from random audits. We found associations between tax compliance and the use of an external accountant, age, manager’s place of origin and employees’ conflict exposure. However, the manager’s own conflict exposure and corruption levels in their home country did not affect compliance. External accountants seem to encourage managers to comply with tax rules. Machine-learning models confirmed these findings and suggested other relevant factors.

Celastrol-Ligustrazine compound proven to be a novel drug candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by intervening in the TGF-β1 mediated pathways-an experimental in vitro and vivo study.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a disease characterized by pulmonary interstitial fibrosis and collagen proliferation, currently lacking effective therapeutic options. The combined use of Celastrol and Ligustrazine has been proved to synergistically improve the pathological processes of inflammation and fibrosis. In earlier studies, we designed and synthesized a Celastrol-Ligustrazine compound CL-001, though its role in IPF remains unclear. Here, the effects and mechanisms of CL-001 in bleomycin (BLM)-induced IPF were investigated. In vivo, CL-001 significantly improved lung function, reduced pulmonary inflammation, and decreased collagen deposition, thereby preventing the progression of IPF. In vitro, CL-001 concurrently inhibited both Smad-dependent and Smad-independent pathways, thereby suppressing TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and epithelial cell migration. This inhibitory effect was superior to that of Celastrol or Ligustrazine administered alone. Additionally, CL-001 significantly increased the level of apoptosis and promoted the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Caspase-8 and PARP), ultimately leading to widespread apoptosis in activated lung epithelial cells. In summary, CL-001 exhibits excellent anti-IPF effects both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its potential as a novel candidate drug for IPF, warranting further development.

Evolutionary Relationships of Omani Macrotermes subhyalinus, Macrotermitinae.

A study was conducted to investigate the evolutionary relationships of Macrotermes subhyalinus from Oman, in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Sequences of the mitochondrial COI and the nuclear large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA, 28S) genes were used to investigate the populations of M. subhyalinus across their distribution in Oman to determine their relationships with other Macrotermes species. Our findings indicate that M. subhyalinus in Oman is a member of an East African clade, distinct from those in West Africa. Analyses of the COI showed that there is base composition bias among the taxa (non-stationarity) that has not been considered in earlier studies. We provide the first report of pseudogene copies of 28S in M. subhyalinus that are differentially amplified.

Examining the factors that impact the severity of cyberattacks on critical infrastructures

In light of the rising threats of cyberattacks on critical infrastructures, cybersecurity has become a high priority for government agencies worldwide. In particular, the severity of cyberattacks could lead to devastating consequences for national security, economic growth, and public health and safety. While earlier studies have examined several factors related to detecting, preventing, and predicting cyberattacks on critical infrastructures, they have largely neglected to consider the severity aspect of these attacks. This study aims to bridge this research gap by examining the factors that influence the severity of cyberattacks on critical infrastructures. To achieve this, we analyze 897 reported attacks on critical infrastructures to examine the impact of incident type, ransomware, zero-day vulnerability, attacker type, conflict type, initial access vector, and the number of targeted countries on the severity of these cyberattacks. The results show that cyberattacks employing ransomware and initiated by nation-state actors have the most impact on severity. On the contrary, cyberattacks that include data theft, disruption, hijacking with or without misuse, involve multiple types of conflict, and target the energy and finance sectors have the least impact on the severity of attacks. To gain further insight into these results, we perform sub-analyses on the metrics that makeup severity. Findings show that cyberattacks on the health sector are more vulnerable to data theft of sensitive information compared to other sectors. Also, nation-state-led attacks are more likely to involve data theft of sensitive information and long-term disruptions. Finally, as years progress, the results generally indicate a decreasing likelihood of attacks involving data theft of sensitive information and hijacking with misuse.

Identification of crack width behavior of one-way reinforced concrete slab structure at different steel reinforcement area

An evaluation study of crack limit states based on design codes and prior research is presented in this publication. Its main goal is to connect research findings to common design codes. Researchers continue to face a difficult dilemma when it comes to reinforced concrete structure fractures, particularly in one-way slab constructions where there is still significant damage and corrosion in the reinforcement because of cracks. Practitioners will find it easier to construct these structures and solve the slab durability issue if the proper formula is discovered. One can overcome reinforced concrete. A method for estimating the maximum fracture width formula in one-way reinforced concrete slabs with varying steel areas is suggested based on this research. Slabs use a variety of steel areas, including 1000 mm2, 1200 mm2, and 1400 mm2.The test specimens are the same length of 2 meters and have a slab width of 0.6 meters with steel reinforcement. Findings from a literature review of research codes and prediction formulas from earlier studies, namely wmax(prop)=1.5*10-2fsAs-0.4, indicate that the maximum crack width is not significantly influenced by steel area (As). Overall, the findings from the two methods used in this analysis match the suggested formula and the observed experimental testing. This data indicates that the maximum fracture width has been greatly lowered by increasing the steel Area (As) of the reinforced concrete slab, leading to the determination of the experimental formula, As a result, a unique approximation formula has been developed to assess the impact of steel area parameters for pure slabs on the maximum crack width formula for one-way reinforced concrete slabs. This crack width formula is only applicable to one-way slabs in practice.

Stacking molecular chips in multiple dimensions

Our quest is to control how molecules come together to form large assemblies. In our earlier studies we showed that we can stack saddle-shaped molecular chips into neat columns that then stick together laterally to form 2D sheets, but can we limit this process to form different morphologies? Here we show how blocking the sides of the columns equalizes the secondary interaction, yielding 1D fibers.

Macrophage energy metabolism in cardiometabolic disease.

In a rapidly expanding body of literature, the major role of energy metabolism in determining the response and polarization status of macrophages has been examined, and it is currently a very active area of research. The metabolic flux through different metabolic pathways in the macrophage is interconnected and complex and could influence the polarization of macrophages. Earlier studies suggested glucose flux through cytosolic glycolysis is a prerequisite to trigger the pro-inflammatory phenotypes of macrophages while proposing that fatty acid oxidation is essential to support anti-inflammatory responses by macrophages. However, recent studies have shown that this understanding is oversimplified and that the metabolic control of macrophage polarization is highly complex and not fully defined yet. In this review, we systematically reviewed and summarized the literature regarding the role of energy metabolism in controlling macrophage activity and how that might be altered in cardiometabolic diseases, namely heart failure, obesity, and diabetes. We critically appraised the experimental studies and methodologies in the published studies. We also highlighted the challenging concepts in macrophage metabolism and identified several research questions yet to be addressed in future investigations.

Effects of Psychological Training on Competitive Fencing Outcomes

This study assesses how psychological training affects Fencing competition results, with a particular emphasis on improving cognitive skills and overall performance. Psychological techniques like stress reduction, mindfulness, and visualization have been shown to help with decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation in a variety of sports, including Fencing. Twenty fencers, ages 17 to 20, participated in the study and completed a six-month psychological training course. The findings show that psychological training greatly improves competitive performance as measured by improved response times, win/loss ratios, and psychological evaluations. These results support earlier studies and imply that regular athletic preparation can greatly benefit from the inclusion of psychological training. The brief training period and small sample size are limitations that call for additional research on long-term effects and a variety of participant groups.

Development of a Multiplexed Sphingolipids Method for Diagnosis of Inborn Errors of Ceramide Metabolism.

Sphingolipids play a crucial role in cellular functions and are essential components of cell membranes, signaling molecules, and lipid metabolism. In particular, ceramide is a key intermediate in sphingolipid metabolism and defects in ceramide metabolism can lead to various inborn errors of metabolism, making ceramides important targets for clinical screening and diagnosis. Detecting altered concentration patterns of sphingolipids is desirable for distinguishing related inborn errors of metabolism for diagnosis and treatment monitoring. We developed a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with a pathway-oriented approach to focus on sphingolipids involved in ceramide metabolism. A total of 47 sphingolipids bearing different head groups and side chains were targeted. Precision/reproducibility, linearity, and spike recovery extraction efficiency tests were performed on plasma and serum samples from confirmed cases of sphingolipidosis. Linearity of the method showed the coefficient of determination (r2) for all standards to be >0.99 with a slope of 1.00 ± 0.01. Intra- and interday reproducibility of standards spiked into plasma and serum revealed a coefficient of variation <20%. Spike and recovery assessment showed recovery values of 80%-120% for all standards. Altered levels of sphingolipids from patients with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy caused by pathogenic variants in SPTLC2 and hypomyelinating leukodystrophy related to variants in DEGS1 were detected, in agreement with trends reported in earlier studies confirming the utility of this pathway-centric method. This method can serve as a useful tool to simultaneously monitor sphingolipids, enabling screening and diagnosis of inborn errors of ceramide metabolism.

Comprehensive Genetic Analysis of Associations between Obesity-Related Parameters and Physical Activity: A Scoping Review.

Genetic epidemiological studies have shown that numerous genetic variants cumulatively increase obesity risk. Although genetically predisposed individuals are more prone to developing obesity, it has been shown that physical activity can modify the genetic predisposition to obesity. Therefore, genetic data obtained from earlier studies, including 30 polymorphisms located in 18 genes, were analyzed using novel methods such as the total genetic score and Biofilter 2.4 software to combine genotypic and phenotypic information for nine obesity-related traits measured before and after the realization of the 12-week training program. The results revealed six genes whose genotypes were most important for post-training changes-LEP, LEPR, ADIPOQ, ADRA2A, ADRB3, and DRD2. Five noteworthy pairwise interactions, LEP × LEPR, ADRB2 × ADRB3, ADRA2A × ADRB3, ADRA2A × ADRB2, ADRA2A × DRD2, and three specific interactions demonstrating significant associations with key parameters crucial for health, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and fat-free mass (FFM), were also identified. The molecular basis of training adaptation described in this study would have an enormous impact on the individualization of training programs, which, designed according to a given person's genetic profile, will be effective and safe intervention strategies for preventing obesity and improving health.

Cell spheroid viscoelasticity is deformation-dependent

Tissue surface tension influences cell sorting and tissue fusion. Earlier mechanical studies suggest that multicellular spheroids actively reinforce their surface tension with applied force. Here we study this open question through high-throughput microfluidic micropipette aspiration measurements on cell spheroids to identify the role of force duration and spheroid deformability. In particular, we aspirate spheroid protrusions of mice fibroblast NIH3T3 and human embryonic HEK293T homogeneous cell spheroids into micron-sized capillaries for different pressures and monitor their viscoelastic creep behavior. We find that larger spheroid deformations lead to faster cellular retraction once the pressure is released, regardless of the applied force. Additionally, less deformable NIH3T3 cell spheroids with an increased expression level of alpha-smooth muscle actin, a cytoskeletal protein upregulating cellular contractility, also demonstrate slower cellular retraction after pressure release for smaller spheroid deformations. Moreover, HEK293T cell spheroids only display cellular retraction at larger pressures with larger spheroid deformations, despite an additional increase in viscosity at these larger pressures. These new insights demonstrate that spheroid viscoelasticity is deformation-dependent and challenge whether surface tension truly reinforces at larger aspiration pressures.