Small Pocket Research Articles

Computational scrutiny of psychoactive cannabinoids through molecular electrostatic potential and CB1 receptor interaction

Delta-9-THC and psychoactive derivatives were scrutinized with molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and ligand-CB1 interaction. At the B3LYP/6-31G** level, MEP maps of the most active cannabinoids (mac), pKi ≥ 6.72 (1-13), revealed that the directional orientation of the lone pair of electrons in the phenolic OH, in general, produces a greater interaction with the substituent at position C9, orienting the carbocyclic ring system, reflecting the psychoactivity of the compounds. In addition, the existence of the side alkyl chain contributes to improving this property. In less active cannabinoids (lac), pKi < 6.72 (14-22), the negative MEP shows a more spread out, “diluted” electron density, probably due to the orientation of the carbocyclic ring system unfavorable to the pharmacophoric conformation. Furthermore, the MEP maps show cannabinoids 14-22 presenting small differences in the distribution of this density, when compared to 1-13, which seems crucial to the decrease in psychoactivity. When examining the ligand-CB1 interaction, the orientations of the compounds were shown to be governed basically by the hydrophobic pockets between helices III, IV, VI, and VII; with the most active alkyl fragment (1-13) directed to the hydrophobic site, the nonpolar fragment (methylcyclohexene) to the hydrophobic pocket, the phenolic OH to the hydrophilic pocket and the oxane fragment oriented to a small hydrophilic pocket of CB1. In the lac (14-22), the poses of the substituents COOH (14), COOCH3 (16), and COCH3 (22) were oriented towards a hydrophobic pocket and 15, 17, 18, and 21 presented the oxygenated groups directed to the hydrophilic sites of the CB1 receptor. The OH substituent in 19 directs it to the hydrophobic pocket and 20, with the OH group but distant from phenolic OH, presents said group also directed to this hydrophobic pocket of CB1. The scrutiny of cannabinoids with MEP and the ligand-CB1 interaction could guide the design of new molecules with better psychoactivity.

Plocamiomonas psychrophila gen. et sp. nov. (Pelagophyceae, Heterokontophyta), an Arctic marine nanoflagellate characterized by microscopy, pigments and molecular phylogeny

ABSTRACT During a field campaign in Baffin Bay (June, 1998), a sample dominated by small yellow brown biflagellates was collected from a small pocket of liquid water on the sea ice and established into a unialgal culture. Later it was given strain number CCMP2097 and deposited at the NCMA collection. Growth experiments over a range of temperatures and salinities indicated adaptation to variable Arctic conditions. This strain was studied here using light and transmission electron microscopy, HPLC for characterization of photosynthetic pigments and the relationship to related taxa was elucidated from molecular phylogeny. This integrative approach resulted in suggesting Plocamiomonas psychrophila gen. et sp. nov. the first systematically named Arctic species of the Pelagophyceae. Plocamiomonas had two unequally long flagella and the spherical cells measured 7.5 µm in diameter. Novel morphological characters included (1) a swelling on the mature flagellum, (2) a bi-layered theca, thin elongated arm-like structures emanating from the cell surface and (3) a thin filament above the flagellar transition region. This set of morphological characters represented a novel combination for the Pelagophyceae and together with evidence from the phylogenetic position of Plocamiomonas and eight uncultured cold-water pelagophytes supported the proposal of a new order Plocamiomonadales and a new family Plocamiomonadaceae.

Targeting KRASG12C in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Current Standards and Developments.

Among the most common molecular alterations detected in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are mutations in Kristen Rat Sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS). KRAS mutant NSCLC is a heterogenous group of diseases, different from other oncogene-driven tumors in terms of biology and response to therapies. Despite efforts to develop drugs aimed at inhibiting KRAS or its signaling pathways, KRAS had remained undruggable for decades. The discovery of a small pocket in the binding switch II region of KRASG12C has revolutionized the treatment of KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC patients. Sotorasib and adagrasib, direct KRASG12C inhibitors, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies for patients with previously treated KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC, and these advances have become practice changing. However, first-line treatment in KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC does not differ from NSCLC without actionable driver genomic alterations. Treatment with KRASG12C inhibitors is not curative and patients develop progressive disease, so understanding associated mechanisms of drug resistance is key. New KRASG12C inhibitors and several combination therapy strategies, including with immune checkpoint inhibitors, are being studied in clinical trials. The aim of this review is to explore the clinical impact of KRAS, and outline different treatment approaches, focusing on the novel treatment of KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC.

Hematoma Prevention Using Tachosil (Fibrin Sealant) Patch during Insertion of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices without Suspending Antithrombotics: Three Case Reports

Patients undergoing insertion of cardiac implantable electronic devices often exhibit perioperative hemorrhagic complications. Perioperative antithrombotic management, which balances the risk of acute thrombosis and postoperative bleeding, is therefore important for these patients. In this case report, we present three cases of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) insertion. While the three patients each had different reasons for not discontinuing antithrombotic medications, they all needed CIEDs. During the CIED implantation procedures, a small incision was made on the pectoralis muscle region to obtain a small subcutaneous pocket, and Tachosil, a fibrin sealant patch, was inserted below and above the inserted device. The patients showed no pocket hematoma formation or any hemorrhagic complications. We thus concluded the application of a fibrin sealant patch could be an option for perioperative anticoagulation management without interruption of anticoagulants and antiplatelets.

Dinickel enzyme evolved to metabolize the pharmaceutical metformin and its implications for wastewater and human microbiomes

Metformin is the first-line treatment for type II diabetes patients and a pervasive pollutant with more than 180 million kg ingested globally and entering wastewater. The drug's direct mode of action is currently unknown but is linked to effects on gut microbiomes and may involve specific gut microbial reactions to the drug. In wastewater treatment plants, metformin is known to be transformed by microbes to guanylurea, although genes encoding this metabolism had not been elucidated. In the present study, we revealed the function of two genes responsible for metformin decomposition (mfmA and mfmB) found in isolated bacteria from activated sludge. MfmA and MfmB form an active heterocomplex (MfmAB) and are members of the ureohydrolase protein superfamily with binuclear metal-dependent activity. MfmAB is nickel-dependent and catalyzes the hydrolysis of metformin to dimethylamine and guanylurea with a catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) of 9.6 × 103 M-1s-1 and KM for metformin of 0.82 mM. MfmAB shows preferential activity for metformin, being able to discriminate other close substrates by several orders of magnitude. Crystal structures of MfmAB show coordination of binuclear nickel bound in the active site of the MfmA subunit but not MfmB subunits, indicating that MfmA is the active site for the MfmAB complex. Mutagenesis of residues conserved in the MfmA active site revealed those critical to metformin hydrolase activity and its small substrate binding pocket allowed for modeling of bound metformin. This study characterizes the products of the mfmAB genes identified in wastewater treatment plants on three continents, suggesting that metformin hydrolase is widespread globally in wastewater.

Impact of frontline demonstration on groundnut productivity in South Tripura district

In South Tripura district groundnut is grown in very small pocket using local varieties. In general, farmers do not follow scientific package of practices and not using the improved variety due to which the productivity of groundnut is only 1200 kg/ha. With a view to increase the productivity level of groundnut in the district total 80 numbers of demonstration has been taken covering 17 ha area in six selected villages during Kharif and Rabi season of 2011and 2012 by KVK, South Tripura. The objective of the FLD on groundnut was to demonstrate the potential of improved varieties and technologies to the farmers. Awareness programme and training on scientific cultivation practices of groundnut was conducted before starting the demonstration programme. Besides imparting training, printed leaflets on groundnut were distributed among the farmers for their ready reference. Field day programme was also conducted in the farmer’s field in standing crop. Improved variety of groundnut viz. GG-7 and GG- 20 were demonstrated for obtaining higher yield as compared to local varieties and traditional method of cultivation. Increase in yield percentage varies from 26.83 to 50.43% for both the varieties over the local check. Farmers earned upto Rs. 38550/- for both the varieties by selling the groundnut in the local market.

A Potantial Nesting Site for Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta): Yakacık Beach, Türkiye

Monitoring of sea turtle nesting beaches in Türkiye have been conducted since 1988 and the number of beaches reached to 22. Mediterranean coast of Türkiye has many small pocket beaches and other inaccessible remote sandy beaches. In this study, I introduce a new nesting site, Yakacık Beach, for the loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the border of Antalya and Mersin provinces. Following the preliminary field studies on the 1.7 km long beach, 201 and 197 nests were found in 2020 and
 2021, respectively, and the average nest density of the two years was calculated as 117.6 nests/km-1. Satellite images were also used to ensure and estimate the number of nests. The number of nest and the nest density were compared with the literature and Yakacık has the second highest nest density in Türkiye with a high predation rate up to 68%. The potential importance of Yakacık Beach and threats to the nesting beach and mitigation measures were discussed. Türkiye has one of the most important
 nesting sites for the loggerhead turtles and the green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Mediterranean, with 17 nesting beaches identified in 1989. With the discovery of additional nesting sites such as Çıralı, Alata, Sugözü, Davultepe, and METUKocahasanlı beaches in the following years, the importance of Türkiye for sea turtle populations in the Mediterranean has gradually increased. With this study, a new nesting beach was identified and the importance of Türkiye for the Mediterranean Sea turtles was emphasized.

Enhanced Fat Graft Viability and Remodeling Using a Helium-based Radiofrequency Device to Prepare the Recipient Site

BackgroundImprovements to autologous fat grafting for soft tissue augmentation are needed to overcome the unpredictable volume retention. Approaches such as fat harvesting and processing, injection technique, preparation of the recipient site, and supplemental biologics are topics of ongoing research. Here, an energy-based device was investigated as a stimulatory tool for recipient site preparation for improving fat graft retention.ObjectiveThe objective was to measure the stimulatory responses in fat grafts after 4 weeks when using a helium-based radiofrequency device to pretreat the recipient tissue.MethodsUsing an autologous fat grafting mouse model, the inguinal fat pad was grafted in a small cranial pocket after either a saline injection alone (control) or a saline injection followed by pretreatment (treated). The fat pad was resected after 4 weeks, sectioned and stained with immunofluorescence markers to investigate tissue remodeling.ResultsPretreatment resulted in higher viability of adipocytes, a higher concentration of viable ASCs in areas of adipose tissue regeneration, and localized macrophages in the areas of regeneration when compared to the control. There was no observable difference in vascularity or angiogenesis. The staining for ASCs was higher in the pretreated group in comparison with the control group (5.0% vs. 3.3%, p=0.36) when using a pixel classifier in QuPath in the viable adipose tissue regions.ConclusionsThe use of a helium-based radiofrequency device as a pretreatment tool appears to increase the viability of the adipose tissue likely due to higher concentration of ASCs. The apparent increase in viable ASCs may be due to enhanced proliferation or paracrine recruitment of these cells in response to the helium-based radiofrequency treatment.No Level AssignedThis journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.Bullet List of Important Points:Pretreatment of the fat graft recipient site increases the viability of the adipose tissue after 4 weeks in comparison with the control grafts.The increased viability is likely due to the observed increase in adipose-derived stem cells in the pretreated group.Pretreatment enhanced the adipose tissue remodeling as colocalization of adipose-derived stem cells and macrophages showed an active remodeling, whereas the control group exhibited more necrotic and fibrotic tissue.

Surveying Rubens’ late landscapes: New cartographic and archival sources on Het Steen

Since the late nineteenth century, no new archival research on Peter Paul Rubens’ estate Het Steen has been published. Throughout the twentieth century, it has been assumed that art historians, such as Max Rooses, had depleted the archives for clues on Rubens’ country seat. No further targeted searches were undertaken. When the castle was acquired by the Flemish government in summer of 2019, the last private owner handed over a laundry basket filled with archival documents to a local circle of historians. While the trove contained but a handful of documents relating to the period in which Rubens inhabited Het Steen, it prompted a wider search for relevant archives. This included those left by various local and central administrative bodies and those formerly kept by neighbouring estates. Surprisingly, the search resulted in a wealth of new finds, including the 1635 deed of sale to Rubens, a surveyor’s map showing the first iconographic rendition of Het Steen after Rubens’ landscape at the National Gallery, and a second set of much larger surveyor’s maps which, through their relation with property ledgers, allow us to very precisely locate a substantial part of Rubens’ land holdings. Other documents testify to agricultural activity on the estate, such as timber trade or water management. Read in conjuction, these new archival and cartographic sources allow us to identify Rubens’ holdings in the Senne Valley and to glimpse some of the activities on the estate. Combined with a good knowledge of the terrain in this relatively small pocket of land, they also hold important keys to our reading of his two large landscapes, A view of Het Steen in the early morning (c. 1636) and The rainbow landscape (c. 1636), and several of his smaller late landscapes.

First report of tar spot on corn caused by Phyllachora maydis in Kentucky.

In September 2021, signs of black circular to oval shaped fungal structures (stromata) were observed on corn (Zea mays L.) leaves on a non-commercial inbred line in Todd County, Kentucky. Signs were only observed in a small pocket within the larger field, with disease levels ranging from 1- 5% incidence and 1-25% severity on individual leaves affected in the field. Corn leaves had senesced and only fungal structures were available to aid in diagnosis. Microscopic examination of stromata uncovered ascomata within the clypei/stromata. Further examination of ascomata revealed multiple asci containing eight hyaline, uniseriate, aseptate, oval to ovoid ascospores ranging in size from 8 to 12 µm x 5 to 7 µm. Observed signs were consistent with published reports of tar spot caused by Phyllachora maydis (Parbery 1967; Valle-Torres et al. 2020). For molecular confirmation of the causal agent, corn leaves were surface sterilized in diluted bleach (10%) for 30 seconds and stromata were excised from the leaves using a sterile scalpel. Five to seven stromata were placed into each microcentrifuge tube. Liquid nitrogen was added to the microcentrifuge tubes and the frozen stromata were ground using a sterilized pestle. The ground stromata tissue was used for DNA extraction using a Synergy 2.0 plant DNA extraction kit (OPS Diagnostics, Lebanon, NJ). A portion of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified by PCR utilizing ITS-4 and ITS-5 primers. Amplicons were subjected to Sanger sequencing to obtain a consensus sequence. Using the BLASTn algorithm the consensus sequence shared 100% similarity to three P. maydis Genbank accessions: MG881848.1, MG8814847.1, MG881846.1. A representative sequence was deposited in GenBank (accession no. OQ034699.1). Due to P. maydis being an obligate parasite, Koch's postulates were not attempted.

Revealing a 3D Fermi Surface Pocket and Electron-Hole Tunneling in UTe_{2} with Quantum Oscillations.

Spin triplet superconductor UTe_{2} is widely believed to host a quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surface, revealed by first-principles calculations, photoemission, and quantum oscillation measurements. An outstanding question still remains as to the existence of a three-dimensional Fermi surface pocket, which is crucial for our understanding of the exotic superconducting and topological properties of UTe_{2}. This 3D Fermi surface pocket appears in various theoretical models with different physics origins, but has not been unambiguously detected in experiment. Here for the first time we provide concrete evidence for a relatively isotropic, small Fermi surface pocket of UTe_{2} via quantum oscillation measurements. In addition, we observed high frequency quantum oscillations corresponding to electron-hole tunneling between adjacent electron and hole pockets. The coexistence of 2D and 3D Fermi surface pockets, as well as the breakdown orbits, provide a test bed for theoretical models and aid the realization of a unified understanding of the superconducting state of UTe_{2} from the first-principles approach.

Highly efficient synthesis of chiral lactams by using a ω-transaminase from Bacillus megaterium and its mutant enzymes

In this study, a series of chiral lactams were successfully prepared by one-pot two-step reactions. It included a transamination reaction catalyzed by a ω-transaminase from Bacillus megaterium (ω-TABm), and subsequent spontaneous cyclisation. The different amine donors were firstly screened with ethyl levulinate as an amine acceptor, and both the excellent conversion and enantiomeric excess (e.e.p) of >99% could be achieved with 4-bromophenylethylamine as an amine donor, however, the long reaction time of 24 h was unfavorable for its application. After the amino acid residue Thr120 situated in the small pocket was mutated to Ser, the T120S variant could exhibit 10.6-fold higher activity comparing to that of wild type, and achieve the reaction with both conversion and e.e.p of >99% within 3 h. The T120S variant could also be applied to prepare the other chiral γ- and δ-lactams with excellent conversion and e.e.p. Furthermore, the inclusion bodies of ω-TABm and its variants could be aggregated as “native-like structures” to continuously prepare the chiral lactam for 18 h. The aim of the study is to provide a simply and efficiently biocatalytic route for preparing chiral lactams.

De Haas–van Alphen Oscillations for the Field Along c-axis in UTe2

We performed de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) experiments in the spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 for magnetic field along the c-axis above 15T. Three fundamental dHvA frequencies, named alpha1, alpha2 and beta corresponding to the cross sections of cylindrical Fermi surfaces (FSs) with large cyclotron effective masses (33-43 m0) were detected. No other fundamental dHvA frequencies were detected at high frequency range, suggesting a cylindrical-shaped electron FS without connecting at the Z point of the Brillouin zone. However, the existence of small pocket FSs associated with extremely heavy masses cannot be fully excluded.

Hydrocarbon Stapling-Improved Coupled Folding-Upon-Binding of Peptide-Mediated Interaction between the Nucleocapsid and Phosphoprotein of Human Orthopneumovirus

Human orthopneumovirus (OPV) is a common respiratory virus that mostly causes respiratory illness in children. Development of therapeutic strategies to treat OPV infection has attracted considerable interest in the medicinal and biological communities. Over the past decades, significant effects have been addressed on disrupting membrane fusion events by targeting viral fusogenic glycoprotein (F-protein) with chemical small-molecule fusion inhibitors. Here, we focus on the rational design of biologic peptide inhibitors to disrupt the peptide-mediated interaction (PMI) between phosphoprotein (P-protein) and nucleoprotein (N-protein) involved in OPV genomic ribonucleoprotein complex. It is revealed that the core 9-mer peptide segment (C-peptide) derived from the C-terminal tail of P-protein is intrinsically disordered in an unbound state but would be structured into an ordered helical conformation when bound to N-protein, representing a biophysical process known as coupled folding-upon-binding. We demonstrated that the process is a compromise between the favorable enthalpy contribution and unfavorable entropy penalty, thus rendering the weak and transient nature of PMI, which could therefore be readily disrupted by competitive agents. Hydrocarbon stapling strategy was used to constrain the helical conformation of C-peptide in an unbound state by chemically introducing an all-hydrocarbon bridge spanning two [Formula: see text] residues of C-peptide. The stapling is observed to considerably enhance the helical propensity of peptide in an unbound state and to effectively improve the binding affinity of peptide to N-protein. Structural modeling analysis suggests that the stapled counterparts can bind to the active site of N-protein in a similar mode with unstapled C-peptide, where the stapled peptide is folded into a helical-like conformation, its anchor residue Phe241 deeply roots in a small druggable pocket of the active site, and the all-hydrocarbon bridge, as designed, is out of N–C complex interface to avoid disrupting the complex interaction.

Abstract IA07: Molecular characterization of acquired resistance to KRASG12C-EGFR inhibition in colorectal cancer

Abstract Until recently, efforts to pharmacologically target KRAS have been unsuccessful due to its small binding pocket, high affinity for GTP, and redundant mechanisms of posttranslational processing. The development of allele specific KRAS G12C inhibitors that trap KRAS in the inactive, GDP-bound, state led to a paradigm change and clinical responses in 30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring KRAS G12C mutations. KRAS G12C inhibitors, such as sotorasib and adagrasib, have rapidly moved through clinical development and are poised to transform care of patients with KRAS G12C mutant cancers, in particular NSCLC. However, these agents are not as effective in colorectal cancers (CRC) with KRAS G12C mutation. We have previously shown that the activity of these drugs in KRAS G12C CRC is limited because activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) reactivates ERK signaling therefore combinatorial KRAS G12C and EGFR inhibition more effectively targets KRAS G12C CRC. Early trial data provide clinical support for this observation as anti EGFR monoclonal antibodies combined with sotorasib or adagrasib double the overall response to single agents in KRAS G12C mutant CRC patients. Based on these data, these KRAS G12C and EGFR antibody combination treatments are being evaluated in registrational, phase 3 trials. Nonetheless, patients treated with these agents, alone or in combination, eventually acquire secondary resistance. Several studies have characterized resistance to KRAS G12C monotherapy, in this work, we sought to determine the mechanisms of acquired resistance to concomitant KRAS and EGFR inhibition in CRC. In cell lines, patient-derived xenograft, and patient samples, a heterogeneous pattern of putative resistance alterations expected primarily to prevent inhibition of ERK signaling by drug can be detected at progression. Serial analysis of patient blood samples during treatment demonstrates that most of these alterations are detected at a low frequency that does not increase substantially and sometimes disappears over time, with the exception of KRAS G12C amplification which rises in step with tumor marker levels and clinical progression. Here we show that a CRC cell line that acquired resistance to sotorasib-cetuximab combination through KRAS G12C amplification undergoes oncogene-induced senescence upon drug withdrawal. Senescence markers were detected in a tissue biopsy from a patient at relapse after treatment stop, and amplified KRAS G12C signal in circulating DNA from relapsed patients rapidly recedes after treatment interruption. These data indicate that while most resistance-associated alterations to KRAS-EGFR coinhibition remain subclonal, affecting a small population of cells, KRAS G12C amplification is a recurrent resistance mechanism that drives a higher portion of resistance over time and provides a potential therapeutic vulnerability, whereby therapies that target the senescence response at drug withdrawal may overcome resistance to KRAS G12C-EGFR inhibition. Citation Format: Sandra Misale. Molecular characterization of acquired resistance to KRASG12C-EGFR inhibition in colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Targeting RAS; 2023 Mar 5-8; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2023;21(5_Suppl):Abstract nr IA07.

A Day, and: In Naked Autumn

A Day, and: In Naked Autumn Roshelle Weprinsky (bio) and Rebecca Weingart (bio) A Day Houses—heavy, muted headslean against the low belly of the sky,people on the country roadstumble into sleep. Flocks of birds pass south somewhere,they don't stir up the heart with their call of wings,the sun—here is the sun; she is small and sad,small and sad like my pocket mirror. [End Page 73] In Naked Autumn In naked autumn there is truth,in your fingers like naked branches,in unveiled fields,in the full fruit that stays quiet. Adorned plants like girlish bloomsdo not move me;in naked autumn there is truth,and sweet is the fruit, not the flowers. [End Page 74] Roshelle Weprinsky roshelle weprinsky (1895–1981) was born in Ukraine and moved to the United States in 1907. In New York, she began working in a sweatshop at age 13 and, after attending evening school and reading Yiddish writers, started writing at age 15. She published five poetry collections and a novel. Rebecca Weingart rebecca weingart is a PhD student in comparative literature at Washington University in St. Louis. Her translation of poems by Roshelle Weprinsky was supported by the Yiddish Book Center. She holds an mfa in creative writing and has work published or forthcoming in NonBinary Review, So It Goes, and Pakn Treger. Copyright © 2023 Rebecca Weingart

The thickness dependence of quantum oscillations in ferromagnetic Weyl metal SrRuO3

In a thin Weyl semimetal, a thickness dependent Weyl-orbit quantum oscillation was proposed to exist, originating from a nonlocal cyclotron orbit via electron tunnelings between top and bottom Fermi-arc surface states. Here, magneto-transport measurements were carried out on untwinned Weyl metal SrRuO3 thin films. In particular, quantum oscillations with a frequency Fs1 ≈ 30 T were identified, corresponding to a small Fermi pocket with a light effective mass. Its oscillation amplitude appears to be at maximum for thicknesses in a range of 10 to 20 nm, and the phase of oscillation exhibits a systematic change with film thickness. The constructed Landau fan diagram shows an unusual concave downward curvature in the 1/μ0Hn-n curve, where n is the Landau level index. From thickness and field-orientation dependence, the Fs1 oscillation is attributed to be of surface origin. Those findings can be understood within the framework of the Weyl-orbit quantum oscillation effect with non-adiabatic corrections.

Cough, with a sac of marbles in the chest.

A 48-year-old male patient presented with productive cough, dyspnea and abdominal pain of 2 months duration. He was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus 6 months ago and had not been regular with his medications. Clinical examination revealed a respiratory rate of 18 per min with room air saturation of 95%, and a paucity of movements with bronchial breath sounds identified on inspection and auscultation, respectively, over the right hemithorax. Chest skiagram and computed tomography images of his thorax are shown below [Figure 1].Figure 1: (a) shows chest skiagram and (b–d) shows high-resolution computed tomography images of the chest. A description of the images is in the accompanying textQuestion: What is the diagnosis? Answer: Pulmonary and hepatic hydatid disease. DISCUSSION The chest skiagram [Figure 1a] revealed a well-defined round radio-opacity in the right mid zone with a crescentic hyperlucent medial margin, called the crescent sign (white arrow). Figure 1b is a coronal view of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan of the chest lung window, which shows a large cyst in the right lung, with multiple small rounded opacities with fluid attenuation, some of which appear to be floating within it, appearing like a sac of marbles. This is consistent with a diagnosis of a hydatid cyst with multiple daughter cysts within it. There are pockets of air seen between the outer pericyst and inner endocyst, aptly named ‘air-crescent sign’ (blue arrow) and ‘signet ring sign’ (red arrow), which suggest a ruptured or complicated hydatid cyst. Figure 1c, the sagittal section of the HRCT scan of the chest lung window at the level of the aortic outflow tract, shows the ruptured hydatid cyst in the right lung. The daughter cysts have collected in the dependent area of the larger cyst, with some appearing to ‘rise’ over the rest, or the ‘rising-sun sign’ (blue arrow). Also seen is a small air pocket inferiorly (red arrow) between the pericyst and endocyst, called the ‘air-bubble sign’. The presence of air on either side of the endocyst (red arrowheads) gives the appearance of an ‘onion-peel sign’, or the ‘cumbo sign’. Figure 1d shows a large well-defined homogenous cyst in the right lobe of the liver.[1] Blood investigations revealed uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Armed with the characteristic radiology above, and supplemented by a positive serum latex agglutination test for Echinococcus antigen, he was diagnosed with pulmonary and hepatic hydatid disease. He was started on oral albendazole and subsequently underwent pericystectomy of lung cyst along with partial pericystectomy of cyst in the liver. Post-surgery, he is at present asymptomatic and is on regular follow-up. Hydatid disease is a zoonosis, commonly caused by the accidental ingestion of ova of the tapeworm Echinococcusgranulosus, which subsequently develop into larvae in the host intestine and migrate to other parts of the body where they develop into embryos, with the liver and lung being the most commonly involved organs.[1] Characteristic thoracic radiology should lead clinicians to suspect pulmonary hydatid disease, especially when dealing with patients with non-resolving pneumonia or lung mass. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Shift of the superconducting dome induced by a conduction band of small occupancy: Enhanced d -wave pairing in the overdoped regime

Motivated by the presence of an extremely small electron pocket in the electronic band structure of infinite-layer nickelate superconductors, we systematically explore the superconducting (SC) properties of a two-dimensional Hubbard model influenced by an additional conduction band with small occupancy (dry Fermi sea). Our dynamic cluster quantum Monte Carlo calculations demonstrated the unusual impact of this additional dry metallic layer, which shifts the SC dome of the correlated Hubbard layer towards the overdoped regime, namely the $d$-wave SC can be enhanced (suppressed) in the overdoped (underdoped) regime. Simultaneously, the pseudogap crossover line shifts to the same higher doping regime as well. Our analysis revealed the interplay of the effective pairing interaction, pair-field susceptibility, and antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation in the underlying nonmonotonic physics. We postulate on the physical picture of the SC dome shift in terms of the Kondo-type electron-hole binding in the case of a dry additional conduction band. Our investigation provided valuable insights on tuning the SC properties via external dry bands.

Assessment of the Geomorphological and Sedimentological Changes in Mamaia Sector after the Implementation of the Coastal Protection Measures

"The paper analyses the changes in the beach sector of Mamaia resort from a geomorphological and sedimentological point of view in the context of coastal protection works carried out in 2014-2015 and 2021 (measures to reduce wave energy, beach protection with structures to stabilize the sand and beach nourishment). The Mamaia sector, with a length of about 12 km, is geomorphologically constituted mainly by sandy barrier of Lake Siutghiol representing a transition unit between the northern unit (deltaic and lagoon shore) and the southern unit (small pocket rocks-beaches in front, separated by small coastal sandbars). From an economic point of view, the sector is important for coastal tourism both in terms of the number of tourists and the existing of infrastructure generating significant revenues. Since the 1950s, the sector has been severely affected by the construction of the dikes of the Midia Port in the north, which have affected the longitudinal transport of sediments and accentuated the erosion of the submerged and backshore beach. To counteract the effects of erosion, a longitudinal and transversal coastal protection system was built between 1960 and 1990, which proved to be ineffective in the long term. The data collected in the field (topographic profiles of the backshore, shoreline, sediment samples) before and after the recent coastal protection works were processed using a dedicated software (ArcGIS 10.x and Gradistat v8) and represented in the form of maps and graphics. The spatial analysis highlighted the modification of the coastal system components, the trends of the beach evolution in longitudinal and transversal profile and the changes in the structure and distribution of sediments determined by the impact of the coastal protection works."