Hostile Environment Research Articles

Bioinspired Injectable Polyurethane Underwater Adhesive with Fast Bonding and Hemostatic Properties.

Underwater adhesives with injectable, organic solvent-free, strong, fast adhesion, and hemostatic properties have become an urgent need in biomedical field. Herein, a novel polyurethane underwater adhesive (PUWA) inspired by mussels is developed utilizing the rapid post-cure reaction of isocyanate esterification without organic solvents. The PUWA is created through the injectable two component curing process of component A (biocompatible polyurethane prepolymer) and component B (dopamine modified lysine derivatives: chain extender-LDA and crosslinker-L3DA). The two-component adhesive cures quickly and firmly underwater, with an impressive bonding strength of 40kPa on pork skin and excellent burst pressure of 394mmHg. Moreover, the PUWA exhibits robust adhesion strength in hostile environments with acid, alkali and saline solutions. Combined with excellent biocompatibility and hemostatic performance, the PUWA demonstrates effectively sealing wounds and promoting healing. With the ability to bond diverse substrates rapidly and strongly, the PUWA holds significant potential for application in both biomedical and industrial fields.

Образы городов в творчестве индийского поэта Кунвара Нараяна (1927-2017)

The aim of the study is to outline the place of the poet Kunwar Narain in the Hindi poetry of the 20th century, as well as to identify the main features of the images of cities in his creative work and the author’s worldview behind his approach to depicting urban images. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that “new poetry” in Hindi and the Kunwar Narain’s creative work remain little studied. The paper is the first in Russian Indology to consider in a comprehensive manner the urban images in Kunwar Narain’s creative work and to raise the question about the further development of his creative method following the poet’s exposure to Western modernist trends, which was common among most major Hindi poets in the 1950s and 1970s. As a result, it has been found that the problem of alienation, the spiritual loneliness of a person among a hostile environment, especially urban, which is central in modernism, is not the main one for the poet. The main focus for the author is the image of the city in connection with the themes of travel, homeland and culture. The result of the study amounts to a clarification of ideas regarding how Hindi poetry developed during and following the “new poetry” era: the protest sentiments of modernists have been replaced by a perspective associated with the transition from youthful rebellion against reality to acceptance and attempts to comprehend it.

Polygenic risk and hostile environments: Links to stable and dynamic antisocial behaviors across adolescence.

Adverse environments are linked to elevated youth antisocial behavior. However, this relation is thought to depend, in part, on genetic susceptibility. The present study investigated whether polygenic risk for antisociality moderates relations between hostile environments and stable as well as dynamic antisocial behaviors across adolescence. We derived two antisocial-linked polygenic risk scores (PRS) (N = 721) based on previous genome-wide association studies. Forms of antisocial behavior (nonaggressive conduct problems, physical aggression, social aggression) and environmental hostility (harsh parenting and school violence) were assessed at age 13, 15, and 17 years. Relations to individual differences stable across adolescence (latent stability) vs. time-specific states (timepoint residual variance) of antisocial behavior were assessed via structural equation models. Higher antisocial PRS, harsh parenting, and school violence were linked to stable elevations in antisocial behaviors across adolescence. We identified a consistent polygenic-environment interaction suggestive of differential susceptibility in late adolescence. At age 17, harsher parenting was linked to higher social aggression in those with higher antisocial PRS, and lower social aggression in those with lower antisocial PRS. This suggests that genetics and environmental hostility relate to stable youth antisocial behaviors, and that genetic susceptibility moderates home environment-antisocial associations specifically in late adolescence.

Lipid droplets provide metabolic flexibility for cancer progression.

A hallmark of cancer cells is their remarkable ability to efficiently adapt to favorable and hostile environments. Due to a unique metabolic flexibility, tumor cells can grow even in the absence of extracellular nutrients or in stressful scenarios. To achieve this, cancer cells need large amounts of lipids to build membranes, synthesize lipid-derived molecules, and generate metabolic energy in the absence of other nutrients. Tumor cells potentiate strategies to obtain lipids from other cells, metabolic pathways to synthesize new lipids, and mechanisms for efficient storage, mobilization, and utilization of these lipids. Lipid droplets (LDs) are the organelles that collect and supply lipids in eukaryotes and it is increasingly recognized that the accumulation ofLDs is a new hallmark of cancer cells. Furthermore, an active role of LD proteins in processes underlying tumorigenesis has been proposed. Here, by focusing on three major classes of LD-resident proteins (perilipins, lipases, and acyl-CoA synthetases), we provide an overview of the contribution of LDs to cancer progression and discuss the role of LD proteins during the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, and stemness of cancer cells.

Excessive working hours and moral harassment: its impacts on workers’ mental health

The present study sought to carry out a brief analysis of excessive working hours and moral harassment, with the general objective of understanding the impacts caused by excessive working hours and moral harassment on workers' mental health based on an experience report. From this, the following question arose: How do excessive work and moral harassment influence workers' mental health within the work environment? To carry out this study, we followed the methodological path in which theoretical-bibliographical research was used, in order to critically and socio-historically understand the phenomenon of work and working hours, as well as their construction in society over time. . The research was carried out by searching for works by authors who contributed to the topic on the academic platforms Google and Sciello using the descriptors: working hours; mental illness; excessive working hours; and moral harassment at work. We carry out brief analyzes of work, mental illness in the workplace, its impacts on the worker, laws that guarantee worker assistance, mental illness, moral harassment and its relationship with excessive working hours, debating how the hostile environment interferes in good professional development and lists how to act in order to face these issues. Finally, we understand that most workers do not realize that they are in the middle of a game of interests, influenced to always be in competition with others and ensuring the best performance of the company.

The (unlocated) in-game gender performativity in contemporary China: exploring gender swapping practices in the online game sphere

ABSTRACT Gender swapping—selecting a different gender for an avatar in a game than the one assigned to the player in real life—is common, especially in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Such swapping enables a livable transsexual experience. This experience is challenging and dangerous in the real world, which is dominated by gender dimorphism and heteronormative values. Building upon Terry Lovell’s (2003) critique of Judith Butler’s (1990, 2004) concepts of gender performance and performativity, this article identifies different gender swapping practices and their cultural and political implications in contemporary China. Through digital ethnography and in-depth interviews with 31 interviewees, we identified two distinct types of in-game gender swapping: in-game performance and in-game performance of performativity. Regarding in-game performance, heterosexual gamers choose an opposite gender to achieve better outcomes, to avoid sexual harassment, and to fulfill heterosexual- and homosexual-gazing desires. Lesbians’ and gay men’s in-game performance of performativity highlights the newly emerging practice of queer dating and socializing in MMORPGs, displaying a productive process of nonconforming identity creation. However, due to the extensive online censorship and an increasingly hostile environment towards queer culture, the performativity of in-game gender-swapping—which has the potential to disrupt the social order both within and outside the gaming sphere—cannot be identified.

Emotionally Based School Avoidance in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Neurodiversity, Agency and Belonging in School

Lockdowns at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to extended school closures globally, and in many countries school attendance has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In England, education leaders have expressed concern both about increased anxiety among pupils and chronic absenteeism post-pandemic, against a backdrop of over a decade of increasing mental health need among children and young people. This article presents a narrative review with the aims of (a) conceptualising emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), and (b) identifying strategies for supporting children and young people experiencing psychological barriers to attending school. The underlying reasons for school being experienced as a hostile environment by a minority of pupils are explored, with research findings specifically relating to the school experiences of neurodivergent pupils in mainstream settings included as an illustrative example. The psychological constructs of belongingness and agency are discussed as potential mechanisms of change. Finally, psychologically informed strategies to address EBSA are reviewed, drawing on the framework of multiple systems of support. To reduce absenteeism in pupils experiencing EBSA, and thus avoid exacerbating educational inequalities in disadvantaged groups, it is essential to understand psychological barriers to school attendance and to work collaboratively and compassionately with pupils and families towards solutions.

The SET7 protein of Leishmania donovani moderates the parasite’s response to a hostile oxidative environment

SET domain proteins methylate specific lysines on proteins, triggering stimulation or repression of downstream processes. Twenty-nine SET domain proteins have been identified in Leishmania donovani through sequence annotations. This study initiates the first investigation into these proteins. We find LdSET7 is predominantly cytosolic. While set7 is not essential, its deletion slows promastigote growth and hypersensitizes the parasite to hydroxyurea-induced G1/S arrest. Intriguingly, set7-nulls survive more proficiently than set7+/+ parasites within host macrophages, suggesting that LdSET7 moderates the parasite’s response to the inhospitable intracellular environment. set7-null in vitro promastigote cultures are highly tolerant to H2O2-induced stress, reflected in their growth pattern and almost complete absence of detectable DNA damage at H2O2 concentrations tested. This is linked to ROS levels remaining virtually unperturbed in set7-nulls in response to H2O2 exposure, contrasting to increased ROS in set7+/+ cells under similar conditions. In analyzing the cell’s ability to scavenge hydroperoxides we find peroxidase activity is not upregulated in response to H2O2 exposure in set7-nulls. Rather, constitutive basal levels of peroxidase activity are significantly higher in these cells, implicating this to be a factor contributing to the parasite’s high tolerance to H2O2. Higher levels of peroxidase activity in set7-nulls are coupled to upregulation of tryparedoxin peroxidase transcripts. Rescue experiments using an LdSET7 mutant suggest that LdSET7 methylation activity is critical to the modulation of the cell’s response to oxidative environment. Thus, LdSET7 tunes the parasite’s behavior within host cells, enabling establishment and persistence of infection without eradicating the host cell population it needs for survival.

Negotiating hostile academic environment through theatre/stage performance

Negotiating hostile academic environment through theatre/stage performance

Dynamical Architectures of S-type Transiting Planets in Binaries. I. Target Selection Using Hipparcos and Gaia Proper Motion Anomalies* * Also referred to as Hipparcos and Gaia astrometric accelerations.

The effect of stellar multiplicity on planetary architecture and orbital dynamics provides an important context for exoplanet demographics. We present a volume-limited catalog of up to 300 pc of 66 stars hosting planets and planet candidates from Kepler, K2, and TESS with significant Hipparcos-Gaia proper motion anomalies, which indicates the presence of companions. We assess the reliability of each transiting planet candidate using ground-based follow-up observations, and find that the TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) with significant proper anomalies show nearly four times more false positives due to eclipsing binaries compared to TOIs with marginal proper anomalies. In addition, we find tentative evidence that orbital periods of planets orbiting TOIs with significant proper anomalies are shorter than those orbiting TOIs without significant proper anomalies, consistent with the scenario that stellar companions can truncate planet-forming disks. Furthermore, TOIs with significant proper anomalies exhibit lower Gaia differential velocities in comparison to field stars with significant proper anomalies, suggesting that planets are more likely to form in binary systems with low-mass substellar companions or stellar companions at wider separation. Finally, we characterize the three-dimensional architecture of LTT 1445 ABC using radial velocities, absolute astrometry from Gaia and Hipparcos, and relative astrometry from imaging. Our analysis reveals that LTT 1445 is a nearly flat system, with a mutual inclination of ∼2.°88 between the orbit of BC around A and that of C around B. This coplanarity may explain why multiple planets around LTT 1445 A survive in the dynamically hostile environments of this system.

Electrical properties of TiO2 films synthetized by sol-gel process

Titanium oxide (TiO2) is one of the most used metal oxides for its multiple applications due to its high sensitivity, fast response, low cost, no toxicity and used in hostile environments. In this work was deposited TiO2 film on 304 stainless steel substrates using the spin coating technique. The synthesis of the deposited solution was with the sol-gel method a temperature environment, obtained TiO2 films on different thermal treatments. The results of the experiment show film: with a thickness from 0.6 to 1μm, anatase phase at the plane (101). The Raman spectroscopy confirms the TiO2 anatase phase. The resistivity decreases, and conductivity increases with increasing temperature. The micrograph SEM observes a compact and smooth homogeneous surface with an average size of 18.40nm to 7nm.

Equality, Discrimination and Inclusion: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Positive Notes along the Way

This is a reflective piece on my trajectory and contributions in the field of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Scotland and beyond. I start with a highlight in my career and then reflect back in order to identify what helped me get there. I want to share some insights into EDI work that I have gathered along with others over the past 23 years or so. EDI is a fertile career path and even an industry these days, partly as a result of the consciousness-raising of contemporary movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. Yet, the issues raised by these movements internationally, have been well-known locally for decades and a great deal of work has been done to respond to them. What does this seemingly novel interest in, for example, intersectionality, equality, diversity, inclusion, belonging, anti-racist approaches and the decolonisation of the curriculum mean? I know where my interest stems from and, whilst sharing some reflections around these terms as buzzwords, I have rather focused in this piece on some lessons and on the processes that led me to learn them in my career in EDI. Necessarily, in this piece, I will share my EDI experience as a Mexican in Glasgow, which includes migration’s mark on my well-being, opportunities and safety in hostile anti-migrant environments. However, I also want to share what has become a life mantra of mine, a means of survival, my permanent wish to find in everything, a positive note.

New generation B-Field and RAD-tolerant DC/DC power converter for on-detector operation

The increase in the number of readout channels in new detectors, like the Micro Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGD), in the order of several millions, requires a large amount of electrical power to supply the front-end electronics, up to hundreds kW. If this power is generated at long distances from the detector, the voltage drop on the connection cables puts serious constraints to the supply current, to the wire cross-section and to the power distribution. A large amount of voltage drop on the cables, apart an increased power dissipation on wire resistance, determines regulation issues on the load in case of current transients. To mitigate these problems, a new generation DC/DC converter, working in a heavily hostile environment and with a power density greater than 200 W/dm3, was developed. It is modular, with up to four independent modules, eight channels each, collected in a water-cooled crate, and can supply the load with an adjustable 10 to 12 V output up to 170 W per channel. In this contribution, the design constraints of such a converter are analysed, taking as a basis the environmental, electrical and mechanical requirements of the ATLAS New Small Wheel (NSW) project. Thermal considerations require the converter to be water-cooled, and the dimensional constraints impose the adoption of an innovative design to convey the dissipated heat towards the heat exchanger. The control and monitoring system allows for the full remote management of the converter. Main electrical parameters were measured and are reported. The converter was also characterized in a harsh working environment, with radiation tests in the CERN CHARM facility beyond the limits estimated for ten years operation in ATLAS, and with magnetic field tests in various orientations, using different magnets at CERN up to 1.3 T. A better common mode noise filtering design improvement was implemented after the first characterization. Final performance measurements after the modifications are also reported.

Zinc Starvation Induces Cell Wall Remodeling and Activates the Antioxidant Defense System in Fonsecaea pedrosoi.

The survival of pathogenic fungi in the host after invasion depends on their ability to obtain nutrients, which include the transition metal zinc. This essential micronutrient is required to maintain the structure and function of various proteins and, therefore, plays a critical role in various biological processes. The host's nutritional immunity limits the availability of zinc to pathogenic fungi mainly by the action of calprotectin, a component of neutrophil extracellular traps. Here we investigated the adaptive responses of Fonsecaea pedrosoi to zinc-limiting conditions. This black fungus is the main etiological agent of chromoblastomycosis, a chronic neglected tropical disease that affects subcutaneous tissues. Following exposure to a zinc-limited environment, F. pedrosoi induces a high-affinity zinc uptake machinery, composed of zinc transporters and the zincophore Pra1. A proteomic approach was used to define proteins regulated by zinc deprivation. Cell wall remodeling, changes in neutral lipids homeostasis, and activation of the antioxidant system were the main strategies for survival in the hostile environment. Furthermore, the downregulation of enzymes required for sulfate assimilation was evident. Together, the adaptive responses allow fungal growth and development and reveals molecules that may be related to fungal persistence in the host.

Recent Advances and Challenges in Polymer-Based Materials for Space Radiation Shielding.

Space exploration requires the use of suitable materials to protect astronauts and structures from the hazardous effects of radiation, in particular, ionizing radiation, which is ubiquitous in the hostile space environment. In this scenario, polymer-based materials and composites play a crucial role in achieving effective radiation shielding while providing low-weight and tailored mechanical properties to spacecraft components. This work provides an overview of the latest developments and challenges in polymer-based materials designed for radiation-shielding applications in space. Recent advances in terms of both experimental and numerical studies are discussed. Different approaches to enhancing the radiation-shielding performance are reported, such as integrating various types of nanofillers within polymer matrices and optimizing the materials design. Furthermore, this review explores the challenges in developing multifunctional materials that are able to provide radiation protection. By summarizing the state-of-the-art research and identifying emerging trends, this review aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts to identify polymer materials and composites that are most useful to protect human health and spacecraft performance in the harsh radiation conditions that are typically found during missions in space.

Bridging Differences: The Role of Socialization and Inclusivity in Fostering Employee Performance in Healthcare Sector

The main goal of this study is to obtain a more profound understanding of employee performance among healthcare staff, while also focusing on promoting organizational socialization and inclusion in the workplace. Moreover, the study aims to determine the level of ease with which individuals from diverse backgrounds may integrate into the ideal work environment by examining their organizational commitment. The study employed probability sampling with a random sampling approach as the population is known, and the sample size is 329. Regardless of the fact that inclusive workplaces have three separate characteristics, this research focuses solely on the sector that actively promotes them. This research shows that with the arrival of Industry 5.0, the age of people relationships, hospital workers may concentrate on acquiring new knowledge and retaining their existing experience when they are more committed and socialized to be ready for the competitive phase of progress. In addition, the study found that when hospitals fail to prioritize inclusiveness, it leads to the creation of a hostile work environment for healthcare workers. According to the results, a hospital must have a diverse workforce to boost employee performance. Doctors and Nurses adapt to new opportunities and juggle many tasks at once. Effective socialization and the development of organizational commitment sustain and increase employees' performance. Given the lack of direct evidence linking organizational socialization negatively to perceived organizational inclusion in hospitals in Pakistan, Organizations should strive to design socialization processes that promote equity, diversity, and inclusivity to ensure all employees feel valued and included.

Bridging the Gender Gap: A Canadian Study Examining Gender Inequality in Engineering Workplaces

Despite considerable work to encourage women to enter the profession, engineering continues to be heavily male dominated. Research shows that women in engineering experience unequal treatment starting from their entry into the occupation. My research will discuss the experiences of gender inequality for women working in engineering fields by looking at the empirical literature examining the hiring process, chilly climates, hostile work environments, pay and promotion inequalities, and the challenges women engineers face due to competing identities and motherhood. I will show that the oppression and inequality of women reflects and perpetuates a culture that favors male-dominance and exclusionary practices within the engineering profession.

Contemporary outcomes for arterial reconstruction with non-saphenous vein cryo-preserved conduits

ObjectiveCryopreserved (CP) products are utilized during challenging cases when autogenous or prosthetic conduit use is not feasible. Despite decades of experience with cadaveric greater saphenous vein (GSV), there is limited available data regarding the outcomes and patency of other CP products, specifically arterial and deep venous grafts. This study was designed to evaluate outcomes of non-GSV CP conduits in patients undergoing urgent, emergent, and elective arterial reconstruction at our institution. We hypothesized that non-GSV CP allografts have adequate patency and outcomes and are therefore a feasible alternative to GSV in settings where autologous graft is unavailable or prosthetic grafts are contraindicated. MethodsThis study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at our institution. We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients undergoing arterial reconstructions using CP conduits from 2010 to 2022. Data collected included demographics, comorbidities, smoking status, indications for surgery, indication for CP conduit use, anatomic reconstruction, urgency of procedure, and blood loss. Time-to-event outcomes included primary and secondary graft patency rates, follow-up amputations, and mortality; other complications included follow-up infection/reinfection and 30-day complications, including return to the operating room and perioperative mortality. Time-to-event analyses were evaluated using product-limit survival estimates. ResultsOf 96 identified patients receiving CP conduits, 56 patients received non-GSV conduits for 66 arterial reconstructions. The most common type of non-GSV CP product used was femoral artery (31 patients), followed by aorto-iliac artery (22 patients), and femoral vein (19 patients), with some patients receiving more than one reconstruction or CP product. Patients were mostly male (75%), with a mean age of 63.1 years and a mean body mass index of 26.7 kg/m2. Indications for CP conduit use included infection in 53 patients, hostile environment in 36 patients, contaminated field in 30 patients, tissue coverage concerns in 30 patients, inadequate conduit in nine patients, and patient preference in one patient. Notably, multiple patients had more than one indication. Most surgeries (95%) were performed in urgent or emergent settings. Supra-inguinal reconstructions were most common (53%), followed by extra-anatomic bypasses (47%). Thirty-day mortality occurred in 10 patients (19%). Fifteen patients (27%) required return to the operating room for indications related to the vascular reconstructions, with 10 (18%) cases being unplanned and five (9%) cases planned/staged. Overall survival at 6, 12, and 24 months was 80%, 68%, and 59%, respectively. Primary patency at 6, 12, and 24 months was 86%, 70%, and 62%, respectively. Amputation freedom at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months was 98%, 95%, and 86%, respectively for non-traumatic indications. ConclusionsNon-GSV CP products may be used in complex arterial reconstructions when autogenous or prosthetic options are not feasible or available.

The impact of stone position and location on the microbiome of a marble statue

Microbial proliferation and biodeterioration constitutes a serious threat towards the preservation of stone monuments and relics. Geometry and exposure have been recently pinpointed as important factors determining the microbiome organization in stone monuments. In this work, the impacts of position and location on the microbial communities and their predicted metabolical and ecological profiles on a marble statue were studied. We sampled various epilithic stone biofilms from the Brotero statue (Coimbra’s UNESCO World Heritage site) and studied them by Next-generation Sequencing of the V3/V4 and the ITS2 regions, and bioinformatic analyses. We verified that statue location/heights have a more relevant impact than position/sides on the microbiome, and that Fungal and Chlorophyta communities showed a more diverse and less stable structural organization than Bacteria. Thus, while sub-aerial biofilms were mainly colonized by selective groups of extremophilic microorganisms, our results highlight that this specificity is more pronounced in prokaryotes. Bacterial metabolic functional distribution patterns were found to be distinct and adapted according to statue heights, while fungi displayed a strong domination of various types of saprotrophs. In addition to various “degraders” present in all samples, lower statue areas displayed strong connections with nitrogen fixators, while high and middle zones displayed stronger correlations with nitrogen and sulfur cycle bacteria. Moreover, biodeterioration at these sites can be promoted by biodeteriogenic cyanobacteria, bacteria linked to biogeochemical cycles, microcolonial Fungi and Chlorophyta able to thrive under hostile environments. In addition, mutualistic and competitive relationships between taxonomic groups were detected, that will require additional focus on future studies.

Queer crip enrollments: 2SLGBTQ mad, mentally ill, neurodivergent, and/or disabled college students

Queer crip enrollment patterns describe the unique ways Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and disabled college students enter and persist in higher education. Elevating the voices of 10 queer, mad, mentally ill, neurodivergent and/or disabled (QMMIND) college students, this article highlights queer crip enrollment as a process that involves failing classes, withdrawing from institutions, (in)voluntary hospitalizations, and socioeconomic intersections. Queer crip enrollment patterns highlight institutional barriers limiting the success of QMMIND students. At the same time, QMMIND students dream of thriving and helping others thrive despite hostile campus environments. Using queer and crip theory, we engage in the process of dreaming about creating an accessible university. Specifically, we posit that structural changes in admissions, crisis response, and meeting students’ basic needs will allow environments to support queer crip success.