Experimental Research Articles

Being tolerated as a minority group member: an experimental study with virtual teams

ABSTRACT Research on the experience of being tolerated has focused on single events, ignoring the important question of whether the experience of being tolerated depends on previous experiences. We examined whether the experience of being tolerated has a negative impact on minority team members depending on whether they had previously been rejected or fully accepted. In a pre-registered study with 440 participants, we used a recently developed experimental paradigm to simulate workstyle minority status in virtual teams. These participants were randomly assigned to experience rejection or acceptance followed by being tolerated. Experiencing tolerance after rejection was strongly positive, reducing negative well-being, increasing positive future expectations about interactions with majority team members, and reducing people’s intention to withdraw from their teams. By contrast, experiencing tolerance after acceptance was weakly but consistently negative, with increased negative well-being, increased negative future expectations, and increased withdrawal intentions. Lastly, despite tolerance being more harmful than acceptance, that harmfulness did not translate into greater willingness to raise one’s voice and express discontent about not being valued.

Modern trends in the formulation of microparticles for lung delivery using porogens: methods, principles and examples.

Inhalation drug administration is increasingly used for local pharmacotherapy of lung disorders and as an alternative route for systemic drug delivery. Modern inhalation powder systems aim to target drug deposition in the required site of action. Large porous particles (LPP), characterized by an aerodynamic diameter over 5 μm, density below 0.4 g/cm3, and the ability to avoid protective lung mechanisms, come to the forefront of the research. They are mostly prepared by spray techniques such as spray drying or lyophilization using pore-forming substances (porogens). These substances could be gaseous, solid, or liquid, and their selection depends on their polarity, solubility, and mutual compatibility with the carrier material and the drug. According to the pores-forming mechanism, porogens can be divided into groups, such as osmogens, extractable porogens, and porogens developing gases during decomposition. This review characterizes modern trends in the formulation of solid microparticles for lung delivery; describes the mechanisms of action of the most often used porogens, discusses their applicability in various formulation methods, emphasizes spray techniques; and documents discussed topics by examples from experimental studies.

Computational and Spectroscopic Studies on the Formation of Halogen-Bonded Complexes Between Tertiary Amines and CBr4 and Application in the Light-mediated Amino Acid Coupling.

In recent years, halogen-bonded complexes (XBCs), in solution, have played a pivotal role in inducing photochemical organic reactions. In this work, we explore the ability of various tertiary amines to act as XB acceptors in the presence of the XB donor CBr4 by computational and spectroscopic studies. DFT studies clearly showcase the formation of XBCs between the studied tertiary amines and CBr4. Simultaneously, computational and experimental UV-Vis studies display intense red shifts that are consistent with charge transfer observed from tertiary amines to CBr4. A detailed NMR study revealed a clear chemical shift of the carbon carrying the bromine atoms upon mixing the XB acceptor with the donor, suggesting that this spectroscopic technique is indeed an experimental tool to identify the generation of XBCs. An application of the ability of such XBCs to activate a carboxylic acid under UVA irradiation or sunlight is presented for amino acid coupling. Among the various tertiary amines studied, the pair DABCO-CBr4 was found to work well for the photochemical amide bond formation. Direct infusion-HRMS studies allowed us to propose a general mechanism for the photochemical amino acid coupling in the presence of a tertiary amine and CBr4, initiated by the photoactivation of an XBC.

A molecular and computational study of galbanic acid as a regulator of Sirtuin1 pathway in inhibiting lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells.

Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We investigated the mechanistic role of galbanic acid (Gal) as a regulator of SIRT1 in silico and in vitro. HepG2 cells were treated with Gal in the presence or absence of EX-527, a SIRT1-specific inhibitor, for 24 h. Sirtuin1 gene and protein expression were measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. It has been docked to the allosteric reign of SIRT1 (PDB ID: 4ZZJ) to study the effect of Gal on SIRT1, and then the protein and complex molecular dynamic (MD) simulations had been studied in 100 ns. The semi-quantitative results of Oil red (p<.03) and TG level (p<.009) showed a significant reduction in lipid accumulation by treatment with Gal. Also, a significant increase was observed in the gene and protein expression of SIRT1 (p<.05). MD studies have shown that the average root mean square deviation (RMSD) was about 0.51Å for protein structure and 0.66Å for the complex. The average of radius of gyration (Rg) is 2.33 and 2.32Å for protein and complex, respectively, and the pattern of root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) was almost similar. Computational studies show that Gal can be a great candidate to use as a SIRT1 ligand because it does not interfere with the structure of the protein, and other experimental studies showed that Gal treatment with SIRT1 inhibitor increases fat accumulation in HepG2 cells.

Translational Research of the Acute Effects of Negative Emotions on Vascular Endothelial Health: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Study.

Provoked anger is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease events. The underlying mechanism linking provoked anger as well as other core negative emotions including anxiety and sadness to cardiovascular disease remain unknown. The study objective was to examine the acute effects of provoked anger, and secondarily, anxiety and sadness on endothelial cell health. Apparently healthy adult participants (n=280) were randomized to an 8-minute anger recall task, a depressed mood recall task, an anxiety recall task, or an emotionally neutral condition. Pre-/post-assessments of endothelial health including endothelium-dependent vasodilation (reactive hyperemia index), circulating endothelial cell-derived microparticles (CD62E+, CD31+/CD42-, and CD31+/Annexin V+) and circulating bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (CD34+/CD133+/kinase insert domain receptor+ endothelial progenitor cells and CD34+/kinase insert domain receptor+ endothelial progenitor cells) were measured. There was a group×time interaction for the anger versus neutral condition on the change in reactive hyperemia index score from baseline to 40 minutes (P=0.007) with a mean±SD change in reactive hyperemia index score of 0.20±0.67 and 0.50±0.60 in the anger and neutral conditions, respectively. For the change in reactive hyperemia index score, the anxiety versus neutral condition group by time interaction approached but did not reach statistical significance (P=0.054), and the sadness versus neutral condition group by time interaction was not statistically significant (P=0.160). There were no consistent statistically significant group×time interactions for the anger, anxiety, and sadness versus neutral condition on endothelial cell-derived microparticles and endothelial progenitor cells from baseline to 40 minutes. In this randomized controlled experimental study, a brief provocation of anger adversely affected endothelial cell health by impairing endothelium-dependent vasodilation.

Immunohistochemical Findings of Lens Capsules Obtained from Dead Bag Syndrome Patients.

To investigate the extracellular matrix and cellular components in lens capsules extracted from patients with dead bag syndrome (DBS) through immunohistochemistry. Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah. Immunohistochemical experimental study. Nine capsular bag specimens from DBS cases, as well as 2 control specimens from late-postoperative in-the-bag intraocular lens dislocation cases related to previous vitrectomy, pseudoexfoliation, and blunt trauma were included. They were processed for histopathology; unstained sections were obtained from each one, and analyzed by immunohistochemistry targeting collagen type IV, laminin, vimentin, collagen type I and fibronectin. Immunohistochemistry in DBS showed lens capsule stained for basement membrane components. The outer part of the anterior capsule that was split from the inner part was more markedly stained for type IV collagen as compared with the posterior part. Faint staining for fibrous posterior capsular opacification (PCO) components, e. g., collagen type I and fibronectin, was detected in limited areas, but the major portion of the capsule was free from these components. Small spotty vimentin-positive materials, suggesting the presence of cell debris, was also detected in limited samples. Small amounts of fibrotic PCO components were detected in capsules extracted from patients with DBS, but their major parts were free from PCO components. Current findings suggest small amounts of lens epithelial cells were present after surgery and secreted fibrous components before undergoing cell death process.

A multi-point decentralized control for mitigating vibration of flexible space structures using reaction wheel actuators

The vibration with large amplitude and low frequency of the flexible space structures is prone to affect the attitude stability and pointing precision of the spacecraft. To mitigate the vibration of the flexible space structures, a multi-point decentralized control strategy using reaction wheel (RW) actuators is proposed and investigated in this paper. The motion equations of the solar array with multiple RW actuators are derived in modal coordinate representation. To suppress the overall response of the structure, the decentralized control strategy using RW actuators is designed based on the natural frequencies and mode shapes. The stability and the effect of closed-loop dynamic system is theoretically proved. The comparative studies under sun-pointing of the solar array and the rest-to-rest orbital maneuver conditions are presented to show the control performance of the RW actuators. The results indicate that, with 2% increase in total mass from the addition of the actuators, the vibration attenuation time can be decreased by 85.25% and 94.16% for the vibration excited by the sun-pointing and the rest-to-rest orbital maneuver, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed decentralized control method. Theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and experimental study are conducted to demonstrate the validity of the proposed vibration mitigation approach and its potential application in the spacecraft design.

Experimental study on I/II/III mixed mode fracture characteristics of a combined rock mass under creep loading

I/II/III mixed mode fractures of intersecting joint fissures often occur in natural rock masses, and jointed rock masses are prone to rockbursts in deep underground engineering when subjected to long-term crustal stresses. However, most studies of the mechanical mechanisms of these intersected joints have been conducted by simplifying two-dimensional joint model tests. Furthermore, the fracture mechanisms of two-dimensional intersected joints under tension and compression are completely different from those of three-dimensional joints. This paper presents a novel prefabricated specimen with combinations of intersecting joints capable of detecting the failure behaviours of rock I/II/III mixed mode fractures under creep loading. Uniaxial compression and multistage creep tests are performed on prefabricated sandstone specimens with intersecting joints of 0°/0°, 0°/30°, 0°/60°, and 0°/90°. The experimental results show that with the increase in the number of prefabricated intersecting joints, the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus values of the sandstone specimens gradually decrease. In addition, the sandstone specimens experience relatively few AE events and minor axial strain variations in the first creep stage and the second creep stage of the multistage creep test. The axial strain increases sharply due to the sharp increase in the number of AE events in the third creep stage. The 0°/60° sandstone specimen undergoes accelerated creep failure, resulting in mixed X-shaped tensile‒shear rupture. The RA value is high based on the quantification of the creeping cracks using the acoustic emission parameters of the rise angle (RA) and average frequency (AF). The AF values of the 0°/0°, 0°/30°, and 0°/90° sandstone specimens are high. The experimental results show that a larger joint intersection angle leads to greater mutual restraints and greater effects of prefabricated crack propagation in the rock specimens, thus increasing the final failure strength. Finally, based on the acoustic emission count, a characteristic variable D suitable for characterizing the creep damage evolution of a joint rock mass is established. The findings of this paper can facilitate an effective understanding of the creep effect of I/II/III mixed mode fracture and its micromechanism. The research results will have a certain reference value for the detection and risk mitigation of instantaneous and time-delayed rockbursts.

EXPRESS: Competitive Dynamic Pricing under Capacity Constraints: an Experimental Study

EXPRESS: Competitive Dynamic Pricing under Capacity Constraints: an Experimental Study

Water Content Effect on Borehole Breakout in Hard Rock and Its Interpretation: An Experimental Study

Water Content Effect on Borehole Breakout in Hard Rock and Its Interpretation: An Experimental Study

Noise power spectrum (NPS) in computed tomography: Enabling local NPS measurement without stationarity and ergodicity assumptions.

Conventional methods for estimating the noise power spectrum (NPS) often necessitate multiple computed tomography (CT) data acquisitions and are required to satisfy stringent stationarity and ergodicity conditions, which prove challenging in CT imaging systems. The aim was to revisit the conventional NPS estimation method, leading to a new framework that estimates local NPS without relying on stationarity or ergodicity, thus facilitating experimental NPSestimations. The scientific foundation of the conventional CT NPS measurement method, based on the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, was reexamined, emphasizing the critical conditions of stationarity and ergodicity. This work proposes an alternative framework, characterized by its independence from stationarity and ergodicity, and its ability to facilitate local NPS estimations. A spatial average of local NPS over a Region of Interest (ROI) yields the conventional NPS for that ROI. The connections and differences between the proposed alternative method and the conventional method are discussed. Experimental studies were conducted to validate the newmethod. (1) The NPS estimated using the conventional method was demonstrated to correspond to the spatial average of pointwise NPS from the proposed NPS estimation framework. (2) The NPS estimated over an ROI with the conventional method was shown to be the sum of the NPS estimated from the proposed method and a contribution from measurement uncertainty. (3) Local NPS estimations from the proposed method in this work elucidate the impact of surrounding image content on local NPSvariations. The NPS estimation method proposed in this work allows for the estimation of local NPS without relying on stationarity and ergodicity conditions, offering local NPS estimations with significantly improvedprecision.

Experimental studies on improving the potential properties using Eggshell powder based geopolymer concrete with sustainable materials

Experimental studies on improving the potential properties using Eggshell powder based geopolymer concrete with sustainable materials

Experimental Study on Erosion Process of Expressway Embankment Subjected to Tsunami After Earthquake

Experimental Study on Erosion Process of Expressway Embankment Subjected to Tsunami After Earthquake

Lift-Off Effect of Koch and Circular Differential Pickup Eddy Current Probes

A flexible or planar eddy current probe with a differential structure can suppress the lift-off noise during the inspection of defects. However, the extent of the lift-off effect on differential probes, including different coil structures, varies. In this study, two planar eddy current probes with differential pickup structures and the same size, Koch and circular probes, were used to compare lift-off effects. The eddy current distributions of the probes perturbed by 0° and 90° cracks were obtained by finite element analysis. The analysis results show that the 90° crack can impede the eddy current induced by the Koch probe even further at relatively low lift-off distance. The peak-to-peak values of the signal output from the two probes were compared at different lift-off distances using finite element analysis and experimental methods. In addition, the effects of different frequencies on the lift-off were studied experimentally. The results show that the signal peak-to-peak value of the Koch probe for the inspection of cracks in 90° orientation is larger than that of the circular probe when the lift-off distance is smaller than 1.2 mm. In addition, the influence of the lift-off distance on the peak-to-peak signal value of the two probes was studied via normalization. This indicates that the influence becomes more evident with an increase in excitation frequency. This research discloses the lift-off effect of differential planar eddy current probes with different coil shapes and proves the detection merit of the Koch probe for 90° cracks at low lift-off distances.

TNF-α/TNFR1 activated astrocytes exacerbate depression-like behavior in CUMS mice

Neuroinflammation is considered to be a significant mechanism contributing to depression. Several studies have reported that A1 astrocytes were highly prevalent in human neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the precise mechanism by which A1 astrocytes contribute to depression remains unclear. Clinical studies have suggested a correlation between TNF-α, an activator of A1 astrocytes, and the severity of depression. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that TNF-α might worsen depression by activating A1 astrocytes. Our previous studies indicated that Rhodomyrtone (Rho) has the potential to improve depression-like behavior in mice. However, the exact mechanism for this effect has not been fully elucidated. Importantly, it was reported that Rho alleviated skin inflammation in a mouse model of psoriasis by inhibiting the expression of TNF-α. Based on this finding, we hypothesized that rhodomyrtone may exert antidepressant effects by modulating the TNF-α pathway. However, further research is required to investigate and validate these hypotheses, shedding light on the relationships between neuroinflammation, A1 astrocytes, TNF-α, and depression. By obtaining a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms, these findings could lead to the development of novel antidepressant strategies that target the TNF-α pathway in the context of neuroinflammation. In vivo, based on the established chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse depression model, we characterized the mechanism of TNF-α and Rho during depression by using several behavioral assays, adeno-associated virus(AAV) transfection, western blotting, immunofluorescence, and other experimental methods. In vitro, we characterized the effect of Rho on inflammation in TNF-α-treated primary astrocytes. TNFR1 expression was significantly increased in the hippocampus of depression-like mice, with increased astrocytes activation and neuronal apoptosis. These processes were further enhanced with increasing levels of TNF-α in the cerebrospinal fluid of mice. However, this process was attenuated by knockdown of TNFR1 and infliximab (Inf; a TNF-α antagonist). Injection of rhodomyrtone decreased the expressions of TNFR1 and TNF-α, resulting in significant improvements in mouse depression-like behaviors and reduction of astrocyte activation. TNF-α could be involved in the pathophysiological process of depression, through mediating astrocytes activation by binding to TNFR1. By blocking this pathway, Rho may be a novel antidepressant.

Enhanced Light Absorption and Photo-Generated Charge Separation Efficiency for Boosting Photocatalytic H2 Evolution through TiO2 Quantum Dots with N-Doping and Concomitant Oxygen Vacancy.

Low-range light absorption and rapid recombination of photo-generated charge carriers have prevented the occurrence of effective and applicable photocatalysis for decades. Quantum dots (QDs) offer a solution due to their size-controlled photon properties and charge separation capabilities. Herein, well-dispersed interstitial nitrogen-doped TiO2 QDs with stable oxygen vacancies (N-TiO2-x-VO) are fabricated by using a low-temperature, annealing-assisted hydrothermal method. Remarkably, electrostatic repulsion prevented aggregation arising from negative charges accumulated in situ on the surface of N-TiO2-x-VO, enabling complete solar spectrum utilization (200-800 nm) with a 2.5 eV bandgap. Enhanced UV-vis photocatalytic H2 evolution rate (HER) reached2757µmol g-1 h-1, 41.6 times higher than commercial TiO2 (66µmol g-1 h-1). Strikingly, under visible light, HER rate was 189µmol g-1 h-1. Experimental and simulated studies of mechanisms reveal that VO can serve as an electron reservoir of photo-generated charge carriers on N-doped active sites, and consequently, enhance the separation rate of exciton pairs. Moreover, the negative free energy (-0.35 V) indicates more favorable thermodynamics for HER as compared with bulk TiO2 (0.66 V). This research work paves a new way of developing efficient photocatalytic strategies of HER that are applicable in the sustainable carbon-zero energy supply.

A Pilot Study of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Resilience Training on Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation Among Students of a Selected University in Mexico

ABSTRACT Mental distress burdens student populations; meanwhile, intervention-based studies are insufficient. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of cognitive resilience training (CRT) in enhancing students’ mental health. This experimental design study recruited 29 participants (mean age = 21.70; SD = 2.55) from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez (UACJ) in northern Mexico. A questionnaire pack containing the General Anxiety Disorder-2, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale was utilized. At the pretest, there was no significant difference between the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). At the posttest, the CG scored higher on anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation compared to its EG counterparts. However, the EG’s participants exhibited higher resilience, leading to a reduction in mental distress compared to their control group counterparts. The study concluded that CRT is an effective intervention for enhancing students’ mental health. Therefore, it is recommended for use in university clinical settings.

Influence of Pressure and Temperature on the Flexible Behavior of Iron-Based MIL-53 with the CO2 Host: A Comprehensive Experimental and DFT Study

Influence of Pressure and Temperature on the Flexible Behavior of Iron-Based MIL-53 with the CO₂ Host: A Comprehensive Experimental and DFT Study

The beneficial health effects of puerarin in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases: from mechanisms to therapeutics.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death globally that seriously threaten human health. Although novel western medicines have continued to be discovered over the past few decades to inhibit the progression of CVDs, new drug research and development for treating CVDs with less side effects and adverse reactions are continuously being desired. Puerarin is a natural product found in a variety of medicinal plants belonging to the flavonoid family with potent biological and pharmacological activities. Abundant research findings in the literature have suggested that puerarin possesses a promising prospect in treating CVDs. In recent years, numerous new molecular mechanisms of puerarin have been explored in experimental and clinical studies, providing new evidence for this plant metabolite to protect against CVDs. This article systematically introduces the history of use, bioavailability, and various dosage forms of puerarin and further summarizes recently published data on the major research advances and their underlying therapeutic mechanisms in treating CVDs. It may provide references for researchers in the fields of pharmacology, natural products, and internal medicine.

Handover Training Using Proin Ho On Self-Efficacy and Nurse Satisfaction at Anna Hospital, Bekasi City

The quality of hospital services is focused on patient safety. The use of electronic technology in the form of health information improves patient safety through effective communication between health workers. A structured electronic handover process that can be used to support verbal handovers and reduce the risk of medication errors. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the electronic Handover (Proin Ho) training program on nurses' self-efficacy and satisfaction. The research was conducted in June 2023. The research sample used a total sampling of 124 nurses with 62 respondents in each group. Quantitative Quasi Experimental research method with pre post with control group with criteria for nurses with PK level 2 and 3, following full training, willing to be respondents. The data collection tool is a questionnaire. Data analysis used t test and mutivariate backward LR linear regression. The research results showed that most of the nurses were &lt;25-35 years old, women with D3 Nursing and PK III education. There are differences in Self-Efficacy from the 3 dimensions, most of them are good. There are differences in nurse satisfaction from the 4 dimensions, most of whom are satisfied. There was an influence on nurses' self-efficacy before and after being given the electronic handover program (Proin Ho) (p-value 0.001). There is an influence of satisfaction (p-value 0.000). Training and age are related to Self-Efficacy with p value: 0.000. Meanwhile, training ((pvalue: 0.000), age (pvalue: 0.001) and education (pvalue: 0.026) with nurse satisfaction (p&lt;0.05).