2,2':6',2''-Terpyridine-functionalized redox-responsive hydrogels as a platform for multi responsive amphiphilic polymer membranes

Nanophase-separated amphiphilic polymer co-networks are ideally suited as responsive membranes due to their stable co-continuous structure. Their functionalization with redox-responsive 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine–metal complexes and light-responsive spiropyran derivatives leads to a novel material with tunable optical, redox and permeability properties. The versatility of the system in complexing various metal ions, such as cobalt or iron at different concentrations, results in a perfect monitoring over the degree of crosslinking of the hydrophilic poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) channels. The reversibility of the complexation, the redox state of the metal and the isomerization to the merocyanine form upon UV illumination was evidenced by cyclic voltammetry, UV-Vis and permeability measurements under sequential conditions. Thus, the membrane provides light and redox addressable functionalities due to its adjustable and mechanically stable hydrogel network

Anisotropic Local Stress and Particle Hopping in a Deeply Supercooled Liquid

The origin of the microscopic motions that lead to stress relaxation in deeply supercooled liquid remains unclear. We show that in such a liquid the stress relaxation is locally anisotropic which can serve as the driving force for the hopping of the system on its free energy surface. However, not all hopping are equally effective in relaxing the local stress, suggesting that diffusion can decouple from viscosity even at local level. On the other hand, orientational relaxation is found to be always coupled to stress relaxation.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Active Faulting in Lake Constance (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) Unraveled by Multi-Vintage Reflection Seismic Data

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessments are primarily based on instrumentally recorded and historically documented earthquakes. For the northern part of the European Alpine Arc, slow crustal deformation results in low earthquake recurrence rates and brings up the necessity to extend our perspective beyond the existing earthquake catalog. The overdeepened basin of Lake Constance (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland), located within the North-Alpine Molasse Basin, is investigated as an ideal (neo-) tectonic archive. The lake is surrounded by major tectonic structures and constrained via the North Alpine Front in the South, the Jura fold-and-thrust belt in the West, and the Hegau-Lake Constance Graben System in the North. Several fault zones reach Lake Constance such as the St. Gallen Fault Zone, a reactivated basement-rooted normal fault, active during several phases from the Permo-Carboniferous to the Mesozoic. To extend the catalog of potentially active fault zones, we compiled an extensive 445 km of multi-channel reflection seismic data in 2017, complementing a moderate-size GI-airgun survey from 2016. The two datasets reveal the complete overdeepened Quaternary trough and its sedimentary infill and the upper part of the Miocene Molasse bedrock. They additionally complement existing seismic vintages that investigated the mass-transport deposit chronology and Mesozoic fault structures. The compilation of 2D seismic data allowed investigating the seismic stratigraphy of the Quaternary infill and its underlying bedrock of Lake Constance, shaped by multiple glaciations. The 2D seismic sections revealed 154 fault indications in the Obersee Basin and 39 fault indications in the Untersee Basin. Their interpretative linkage results in 23 and five major fault planes, respectively. One of the major fault planes, traceable to Cenozoic bedrock, is associated with a prominent offset of the lake bottom on the multibeam bathymetric map. Across this area, high-resolution single channel data was acquired and a transect of five short cores was retrieved displaying significant sediment thickness changes across the seismically mapped fault trace with a surface-rupture related turbidite, all indicating repeated activity of a likely seismogenic strike-slip fault with a normal faulting component. We interpret this fault as northward continuation of the St. Gallen Fault Zone, previously described onshore on 3D seismic data

Boundary lubrication properties of materials with expansive freezing

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of solid-solid contacts lubricated by a model fluid displaying many of the properties of water, particularly its expansive freezing. Near the region where expansive freezing occurs, the lubricating film remains fluid, and the friction force decreases linearly as the shear velocity is reduced. No sign of stick-slip motion is observed even at the lowest velocities. We give a simple interpretation of these results, and suggest that in general good boundary lubrication properties will be found in the family of materials with expansive freezing.Comment: Version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

30 years of collaboration

We highlight some of the most important cornerstones of the long standing and very fruitful collaboration of the Austrian Diophantine Number Theory research group and the Number Theory and Cryptography School of Debrecen. However, we do not plan to be complete in any sense but give some interesting data and selected results that we find particularly nice. At the end we focus on two topics in more details, namely a problem that origins from a conjecture of Rényi and Erdős (on the number of terms of the square of a polynomial) and another one that origins from a question of Zelinsky (on the unit sum number problem). This paper evolved from a plenary invited talk that the authors gaveat the Joint Austrian-Hungarian Mathematical Conference 2015, August 25-27, 2015 in Győr (Hungary)

Opening the black box of energy modelling: Strategies and lessons learned

The global energy system is undergoing a major transition, and in energy planning and decision-making across governments, industry and academia, models play a crucial role. Because of their policy relevance and contested nature, the transparency and open availability of energy models and data are of particular importance. Here we provide a practical how-to guide based on the collective experience of members of the Open Energy Modelling Initiative (Openmod). We discuss key steps to consider when opening code and data, including determining intellectual property ownership, choosing a licence and appropriate modelling languages, distributing code and data, and providing support and building communities. After illustrating these decisions with examples and lessons learned from the community, we conclude that even though individual researchers' choices are important, institutional changes are still also necessary for more openness and transparency in energy research

Epithelial response to IFN-γ promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection

SARS-CoV-2, the agent that causes COVID-19, invades epithelial cells, including those of the respiratory and gastrointestinal mucosa, using angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a receptor. Subsequent inflammation can promote rapid virus clearance, but severe cases of COVID-19 are characterized by an inefficient immune response that fails to clear the infection. Using primary epithelial organoids from human colon, we explored how the central antiviral mediator IFN-γ, which is elevated in COVID-19, affects epithelial cell differentiation, ACE2 expression, and susceptibility to infection with SARS-CoV-2. In mouse and human colon, ACE2 is mainly expressed by surface enterocytes. Inducing enterocyte differentiation in organoid culture resulted in increased ACE2 production. IFN-γ treatment promoted differentiation into mature KRT20+ enterocytes expressing high levels of ACE2, increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and resulted in enhanced virus production in infected cells. Similarly, infection-induced epithelial interferon signaling promoted enterocyte maturation and enhanced ACE2 expression. We here reveal a mechanism by which IFN-γ-driven inflammatory responses induce a vulnerable epithelial state with robust replication of SARS-CoV-2, which may have an impact on disease outcome and virus transmission

Potential role of levocarnitine supplementation for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced fatigue in non-anaemic cancer patients

Ifosfamide and cisplatin cause urinary loss of carnitine, which is a fundamental molecule for energy production in mammalian cells. We investigated whether restoration of the carnitine pool might improve chemotherapy-induced fatigue in non-anaemic cancer patients. Consecutive patients with low plasma carnitine levels who experienced fatigue during chemotherapy were considered eligible for study entry. Patients were excluded if they had anaemia or other conditions thought to be causing asthenia. Fatigue was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue quality of life questionnaire. Treatment consisted of oral levocarnitine 4 g daily, for 7 days. Fifty patients were enrolled; chemotherapy was cisplatin-based in 44 patients and ifosfamide-based in six patients. In the whole group, baseline mean Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue score was 19.7 (±6.4; standard deviation) and the mean plasma carnitine value was 20.9 μM (±6.8; standard deviation). After 1 week, fatigue ameliorated in 45 patients and the mean Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue score was 34.9 (±5.4; standard deviation) (P<.001). All patients achieved normal plasma carnitine levels. Patients maintained the improved Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue score until the next cycle of chemotherapy. In selected patients, levocarnitine supplementation may be effective in alleviating chemotherapy-induced fatigue. This compound deserves further investigations in a randomised, placebo-controlled study