Effect of low-temperature oxidation and heat treatment under vacuum on the Al-Be interdiffusion process.

The oxidation of the Be/Al and Al/Be bilayer thin film systems deposited by magnetron sputtering have been studied by photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Both systems are oxidized according to the Cabrera-Mott model in the air. A Be/BeO/Al/Al2O3 structure is formed, with aluminium represented as localized nanocrystals. The thickness of the beryllium in the Al/Be system and the formed beryllium oxide is not enough to prevent the diffusion of aluminium ions under the influence of the Mott potential, and as a result, the surface layer is a mixture of beryllium and aluminium oxides. The effect of oxidation processes on the intermixing of non-interacting metals in a bilayer nanostructure has been shown for the first time. Annealing of the Be/Al bilayer leads to beryllium diffusion to the surface and the reduction of aluminium oxide, which leads to the destruction of the bilayer structure. In the Al/Be system in the range up to 200 °C, additional beryllium oxide is formed with increasing temperature, and the rest of the metallic beryllium diffuses into the aluminium layer. Based on studies, we conclude that multilayer Al/Be nanostructures have potentially low thermal stability, which requires the use of barrier layer techniques to limit interdiffusion.

Route to Stabilization of Nanotechnetium in an Amorphous Carbon Matrix: Preparative Methods, XAFS Evidence, and Electrochemical Studies.

Technetium-carbon nanophases are obtained by thermal decomposition of pertechnetates with large organic cations under an argon atmosphere. Parallel carbonization of organic cations (hexamethyleneiminium and triphenylguanidinium), which occurs during the thermal decomposition of their pertechnetates, leads to the formation of X-ray amorphous solid products. An X-ray absorption fine structure study revealed that they have a crystal structure containing technetium-carbon bonds with a length of 1.76 Å. After subsequent annealing treatment at 1073-1673 K, the synthesized technetium-carbon phase has a cubic lattice with an a of 4.01 ± 0.03 Å. The products of thermal decomposition of the same perrhenates are also X-ray amorphous; however, unlike that of pertechnetates, the distance between rhenium and carbon atoms in them is significantly greater (2.14 Å). After subsequent annealing, they have a hexagonal lattice. The electrochemical properties of technetium-carbon nanophases prepared by thermal decomposition of pertechnetates with large organic cations are different from the properties of those prepared with metallic technetium. The oxidation of technetium carbide to its oxides at the electrode surface observed in the first anodic scan of cyclic voltammograms can be used for the deposition of noble metal nanoclusters under open-circuit conditions to prepare composite catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Nanotechnetium in the amorphous carbon matrix can also be a prospective material for reactor transmutation of technetium to stable isotopically pure ruthenium-100.

Migraine and light: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: In this narrative review, we summarize clinical and experimental data on the effect of light in migraine and discuss future prospects. BACKGROUND: Effective nonpharmacological treatment of hypersensitivity to light in migraine is an unmet clinical need. Current management strategies primarily consist of seeking a dark room and avoiding light exposure. Advances in the past 2 decades have improved our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of how migraine is influenced by light. This may provide promising avenues for novel approaches in clinical management. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE for articles published from database inception up to September 1, 2021. We used the search term "migraine" with the search terms "light," "photophobia," "treatment," "trigger," "circadian rhythm," "environment," and/or "pathophysiology." RESULTS: Light is commonly reported as a trigger factor of migraine attacks, however, early manifestation of photophobia and false attribution is likely the actual cause based on data deriving from retrospective, prospective, and experimental studies. The most common photophobia symptoms in migraine are exacerbation of headache by light and abnormal sensitivity to light with the underlying neural pathways likely being dependent on ongoing activity in the trigeminovascular system. Clinical studies and experimental models have identified mediators of photophobia and uncovered narrow wavebands of the light spectrum that may reduce pain intensity during a migraine attack. Consequently, novel devices have undergone exploratory clinical trials with promising results. CONCLUSION: False attribution is likely the reason why light is commonly reported as a trigger factor of migraine attacks, and a prospective confirmation is required to prevent unnecessary avoidance. The observation that individuals with migraine are not equally photophobic to all wavebands of the light spectrum opens the potential for innovative pain management strategies. In this context, using human-centric lighting (also called integrative lighting) to mimic the natural daylight cycle and avoid harmful wavebands through modern technology may prove beneficial. Future research should identify direct and indirect consequences of light and other environmental factors in migraine to fill out knowledge gaps and enable evidence-based care strategies within institutions, work environments, and other settings.

Comparing the relative and absolute effect of erenumab: is a 50% response enough? Results from the ESTEEMen study.

BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies acting on the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or its receptor have changed migraine preventive treatment. Those treatments have led to reconsidering the outcomes of migraine prevention. Available data mostly considered benefits in terms of relative efficacy (percent or absolute decrease in monthly migraine days [MMDs] or headache days compared with baseline). However, not enough attention has been paid to residual MMDs and/or migraine-related disability in treated patients. In the present study, we aimed at comparing the relative and absolute efficacy of erenumab. METHODS: ESTEEMen was a collaborative project among 16 European headache centers which already performed real-life data collections on patients treated with erenumab for at least 12 weeks. For the present study, we performed a subgroup analysis on patients with complete data on MMDs at baseline and at weeks 9-12 of treatment. Starting from efficacy thresholds proposed by previous literature, we classified patients into 0-29%, 30-49%, 50-74%, and ≥75% responders according to MMD decrease from baseline to weeks 9-12 of treatment. For each response category, we reported the median MMDs and Headache Impact test-6 (HIT-6) scores at baseline and at weeks 9-12. We categorized the number of residual MMDs at weeks 9-12 as follows: 0-3, 4-7, 8-14, ≥15. We classified HIT-6 score into four categories: ≤49, 50-55, 56-59, and ≥60. To keep in line with the original scope of the ESTEEMen study, calculations were performed in men and women. RESULTS: Out of 1215 patients, at weeks 9-12, 381 (31.4%) had a 0-29% response, 186 (15.3%) a 30-49% response, 396 (32.6%) a 50-74% response, and 252 (20.7%) a ≥75% response; 246 patients (20.2%) had 0-3 residual MMDs, 443 (36.5%) had 4-7 MMDs, 299 (24.6%) had 8-14 MMDs, and 227 (18.7%) had ≥15 MMDs. Among patients with 50-74% response, 246 (62.1%) had 4-7 and 94 (23.7%) 8-14 residual MMDs, while among patients with ≥75% response 187 (74.2%) had 0-3 and 65 (25.8%) had 4-7 residual MMDs. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that even patients with good relative response to erenumab may have a clinically non-negligible residual migraine burden. Relative measures of efficacy cannot be enough to thoroughly consider the efficacy of migraine prevention.

Inhibition of chemical interaction of molybdenum and silicon in a Mo/Si multilayer structure by the formation of intermediate compounds.

In the present study, the formation of intermediate compounds in the Mo/Si multilayer was realized by the introduction of barrier layers at the interfaces. Their impact on the interdiffusion of Mo and Si was analyzed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was established that the insertion of a thin Be barrier layer led to the formation of beryllide MoBe12 at the interface Si-on-Mo, which prevented the formation of molybdenum disilicide and improved the interface. The insertion of the B4C barrier layer led to its complete decomposition with the formation of borides and carbides of molybdenum and silicon (MoBx, SiBx, MoxC and SiCx) at the Si-on-Mo interface. The formation of only MoBx and SiCx was detected at the Mo-on-Si interface. It was important that the insertion of a thin B4C barrier layer did not fully prevent the formation of MoSi2 at both (Si-on-Mo and Mo-on-Si) the interfaces. These facts allowed us to assume that the diffusion barrier function of the B4C interlayer could be caused by the stability of the formed compounds, rather than the stability of the B4C layer itself.

Effect of annealing on the interface formation in Mo/Be multilayer structures without/with a barrier layer.

In the present paper, the formation of an interface region in the multilayer periodic Mo/Be structure with/without a B4C or Si barrier layer depending on the annealing conditions was studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formation of different beryllides at the interfaces Be-on-Mo and Mo-on-Be was explained by the impact of the deposition-induced exchange caused by ballistic collisions and surface free energy. The influence of the high temperatures on the thermal stability of Mo/Be multilayer systems without/with a barrier layer was studied. Since the appropriately selected barrier layers prevent the formation of the interlayer region of mirrors at room temperature, it was concluded that it would also lead to a weakening of interlayer diffusion in multilayer mirrors at higher temperatures. The effect of barrier layer insertion on the thermal stability of Mo/Be structures was analyzed in detail. It was established that regardless of the material, the introduction of a barrier layer: (i) limits the formation of beryllides with an increase in the annealing temperature at the Be-on-Mo interface; (ii) prevents the formation of MoBe2, while forming MoBe12 beryllide at the Mo-on-Be interface; and (iii) does not limit the beryllium oxidation process at the Mo-on-Be interface.

Impact of Social Conformity on Ethanol Preference in Wistar Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Social conformity is considered a possible promoter of alcohol use disorder in humans. The goal of this study was to explore the impact of conformity as one of the social factors that might contribute to the alcohol preference in a rat model of ethanol intake. METHODS: To model social conformity, 105 Wistar rats were group housed (3 animals per cage) with a different number of rats drinking either 10% ethanol or water during daily drinking sessions. Ethanol preference tests were performed. RESULTS: Ethanol preference significantly increased if the majority of cage mates received ethanol during drinking sessions. The analysis also showed an increase in the number of approaches to the ethanol bottle versus the water bottle and an increased duration of a single ethanol approach during the 2 bottle preference test in such groups. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that social conditions promote the ethanol consumption in the novel conformity model used in this study.

Angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy as applied to X-ray mirrors: an in depth study of Mo/Si multilayer systems.

We present an approach adapted to study the interface (composition and extension) of X-ray multilayer mirrors using angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). In the approach we rely on the concept of the average effective attenuation length (EAL) of the photoelectron and not on the inelastic mean free path (IMPF), which allows us to take into account the contribution of elastically scattered electrons and to increase the accuracy of the determined thickness of the layers. We apply the developed approach to study the formation of interfaces in a multilayer periodic Mo/Si mirror. The chemical composition and significance of the interfaces depending on the number of periods were investigated by means of the ARXPS spectra decomposition technique. Formation of a molybdenum silicide MoSi2 at the interfaces was revealed. It was shown that molybdenum silicide with different thicknesses is formed at the interfaces depending on the film order. In addition, it was established that increasing the period number of the [Mo/Si] system leads to a decrease of the interface extension.

Changes in mRNA expression of members of TGFB1-associated pathways in human leukocytes during EBV infection.

Transforming growth factor ß 1 (TGFB1) likely contributes to the pathogenesis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-mediated cancer. A microarray containing 59 probes for detecting mRNA of members of TGFB1-associated pathways was developed. mRNA expression of TGFB1 receptors and members of connected pathways were examined in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients during acute EBV infection and after recovery. TGFB1 and TGFBR2 mRNA expression was increased in patients with EBV infection. Similarly, mRNA expression of protein kinase C (PRKCB), MAP3K7, PDLIM7, and other members of TGFB1 and NF-κB signaling pathways increased. A shift of mRNA transcript variant expression of some key members (TGFBR2, PRKCB, and NFKBIB) of involved signaling pathways was detected. After the patients' recovery, most of the altered mRNA expression has been normalized. We speculate that in patients with EBV infection, members of TGFB1-associated pathways contribute to the suppression of proapoptotic and induction of pro-survival factors in leukocytes. The modulation of TGFB1-associated pathways may be considered as a potential risk factor in the development of EBV-associated tumors in patients with acute EBV infection.

Effect of reflection and refraction on NEXAFS spectra measured in TEY mode.

The evolution of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure in the vicinity of the K-absorption edge of oxygen for HfO2 over a wide range of incidence angles is analyzed by simultaneous implementation of the total-electron-yield (TEY) method and X-ray reflection spectroscopy. It is established that the effect of refraction on the TEY spectrum is greater than that of reflection and extends into the angular region up to angles 2θc. Within angles that are less than the critical angle, both the reflection and refraction strongly distort the shape of the TEY spectrum. Limitations of the technique for the calculation of optical constants from the reflection spectra using the Kramers-Kronig relation in the limited energy region in the vicinity of thresholds are discussed in detail.

NEXAFS study of electronic and atomic structure of active layer in Al/indium tin oxide/TiO2 stack during resistive switching.

We have studied the stability of the resistive switching process in the Al/(In2O3)0.9(SnO2)0.1/TiO2 assembly grown by atomic layer deposition. Besides electrical characterization the effect of electric field on the atomic electronic structure of the TiO2 layer was studied using near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The region of the current instability in the I-V characteristics was revealed. Presumably this current instability is supported by the amorphous structure of the TiO2 film but is initiated by the surface morphology of the Al substrate. A formation of the O2 molecules was established which occurs specifically in the region of the current instability that is a result of electrical Joule heating manifestation.

Headache service quality: evaluation of quality indicators in 14 specialist-care centres.

BACKGROUND: The study was a collaboration between Lifting The Burden (LTB) and the European Headache Federation (EHF). Its aim was to evaluate the implementation of quality indicators for headache care Europe-wide in specialist headache centres (level-3 according to the EHF/LTB standard). METHODS: Employing previously-developed instruments in 14 such centres, we made enquiries, in each, of health-care providers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and 50 patients, and analysed the medical records of 50 other patients. Enquiries were in 9 domains: diagnostic accuracy, individualized management, referral pathways, patient's education and reassurance, convenience and comfort, patient's satisfaction, equity and efficiency of the headache care, outcome assessment and safety. RESULTS: Our study showed that highly experienced headache centres treated their patients in general very well. The centres were content with their work and their patients were content with their treatment. Including disability and quality-of-life evaluations in clinical assessments, and protocols regarding safety, proved problematic: better standards for these are needed. Some centres had problems with follow-up: many specialised centres operated in one-touch systems, without possibility of controlling long-term management or the success of treatments dependent on this. CONCLUSIONS: This first Europe-wide quality study showed that the quality indicators were workable in specialist care. They demonstrated common trends, producing evidence of what is majority practice. They also uncovered deficits that might be remedied in order to improve quality. They offer the means of setting benchmarks against which service quality may be judged. The next step is to take the evaluation process into non-specialist care (EHF/LTB levels 1 and 2).

A numerical model of birch pollen emission and dispersion in the atmosphere. Model evaluation and sensitivity analysis.

An evaluation of performance of the System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric coMposition (SILAM) in application to birch pollen dispersion is presented. The system is described in a companion paper whereas the current study evaluates the model sensitivity to details of the pollen emission module parameterisation and to the meteorological input data. The most important parameters are highlighted. The reference year considered for the analysis is 2006. It is shown that the model is capable of predicting about two-thirds of allergenic alerts, with the odds ratio exceeding 12 for the best setup. Several other statistics corroborate with these estimations. Low-pollen concentration days are also predicted correctly in more than two-thirds of cases. The model experiences certain difficulties only with intermediate pollen concentrations. It is demonstrated that the most important input parameter is the near-surface temperature, the bias of which can easily jeopardise the results. The model sensitivity to random fluctuations of temperature is much lower. Other parameters important at various stages of pollen development, release, and dispersion are precipitation and ambient humidity, as well as wind direction.

Differential expression of Dusp1 and immediate early response genes in the hippocampus of rats, subjected to forced swim test.

The forced swim test (FST) is widely used to screen for potential antidepressant drugs and treatments. Despite this, the nature of stillness during FST and whether it resembles "depressive-like behavior" are widely debated issues. Furthermore, despite being widely used as a behavioral assay, the effects of the FST on the brain transcriptome are rarely investigated. Therefore, in this study we have investigated changes in the transcriptome of the rat hippocampus 20 min and 24 h after FST exposure. RNA-Seq is performed on the hippocampus tissues of rats 20 min and 24 h after an FST. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using limma and used to construct gene interaction networks. Fourteen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified only in the 20-m group. No DEGs were identified 24 h after the FST. These genes were used for Gene Ontology term enrichment and gene-network construction. Based on the constructed gene-interaction networks, we identified a group of DEGs (Dusp1, Fos, Klf2, Ccn1, and Zfp36) that appeared significant based on multiple methods of downstream analysis. Dusp1 appears especially important, as its role in the pathogenesis of depression has been demonstrated both in various animal models of depression and in patients with depressive disorders.

Soft x-ray reflectometry, hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy investigations of the internal structure of TiO2(Ti)/SiO2/Si stacks.

We developed a mathematical analysis method of reflectometry data and used it to characterize the internal structure of TiO2/SiO2/Si and Ti/SiO2/Si stacks. Atomic concentration profiles of all the chemical elements composing the samples were reconstructed from the analysis of the reflectivity curves measured versus the incidence angle at different soft x-ray reflection (SXR) photon energies. The results were confirmed by the conventional techniques of hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HXPES) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The depth variation of the chemical composition, thicknesses and densities of individual layers extracted from SXR and HXPES measurements are in close agreement and correlate well with the HRTEM images.

Transformer maze for the evaluation of the learning and memory in rodents.

Background: Currently, different types of mazes are used to assess spatial learning and memory of rodents. The typical disadvantage is the inability to separate and exclude coincidences of the result of random choice with the correct one. The other problem is the impossibility of knowing whether the animal is guided by particular cues of the environment, or a map. New method: Our novel transformer maze can be used to test learning and memory of rodents and their navigation. It is a multiple T-maze with passages in the interior walls. Its modular design allows to quickly change routes. The task can include external signals; for example, the colors of the interior walls, or it can be used without any cues. Results: We compared Wistar and dopamine transporter heterozygous (DAT-HET) rats' behavior in this novel paradigm using the black color of the wall as a cue. Entering a cul-de-sac compartment was considered an error. While Wistar rats learned the rule abruptly with the total number of errors rapidly decreasing, DAT-HET rats' errors decreased gradually. We suppose that this reflects different strategies: insightful learning behavior is typical for Wistar rats, and trial-and-error learning is typical for DAT-HET rats. Comparison with existing methods: The diversity of the chains of choices gives us confidence that trained animals do not make a choice randomly and are guided precisely by the cues. Moreover, we propose to use the same arena for a task with route-based navigation without any cues, and for a task with a visible and invisible feeder to study the path integration navigation within one box. Conclusions: We suggest that the transformer maze could be a valuable tool for behavioral and pharmacological research to study learning, memory and navigation mechanisms.

Corrigendum to "Transformer maze for the evaluation of the learning and memory in rodents" [Heliyon 8 (10), (October 2022) e11211].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11211.].

Expression Analysis of Genes Involved in Transport Processes in Mice with MPTP-Induced Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Processes of intracellular and extracellular transport play one of the most important roles in the functioning of cells. Changes to transport mechanisms in a neuron can lead to the disruption of many cellular processes and even to cell death. It was shown that disruption of the processes of vesicular, axonal, and synaptic transport can lead to a number of diseases of the central nervous system, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we studied changes in the expression of genes whose protein products are involved in the transport processes (Snca, Drd2, Rab5a, Anxa2, and Nsf) in the brain tissues and peripheral blood of mice with MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-induced models of PD. We detected changes in the expressions of Drd2, Anxa2, and Nsf at the earliest modeling stages. Additionally, we have identified conspicuous changes in the expression level of Anxa2 in the striatum and substantia nigra of mice with MPTP-induced models of PD in its early stages. These data clearly suggest the involvement of protein products in these genes in the earliest stages of the pathogenesis of PD.

Excellent Response to OnabotulinumtoxinA: Different Definitions, Different Predictors.

The identification of patients who can benefit the most from the available preventive treatments is important in chronic migraine. We explored the rate of excellent responders to onabotulinumtoxinA in a multicenter European study and explored the predictors of such response, according to different definitions. A pooled analysis on chronic migraineurs treated with onabotulinumtoxinA and followed-up for, at least, 9 months was performed. Excellent responders were defined either as patients with a ≥75% decrease in monthly headache days (percent-based excellent responders) or as patients with <4 monthly headache days (frequency-based excellent responders). The characteristics of excellent responders at the baseline were compared with the ones of patients with a <30% decrease in monthly headache days. Percent-based excellent responders represented about 10% of the sample, whilst frequency-based excellent responders were about 5% of the sample. Compared with non-responders, percent-based excellent responders had a higher prevalence of medication overuse and a higher excellent response rate even after the 1st and the 2nd injection. Females were less like to be frequency-based excellent responders. Chronic migraine sufferers without medication overuse and of female sex may find fewer benefits with onabotulinumtoxinA. Additionally, the excellent response status is identifiable after the first cycle.

Major Depression: One Brain, One Disease, One Set of Intertwined Processes.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous disease affecting one out of five individuals and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Presently, MDD is considered a multifactorial disease with various causes such as genetic susceptibility, stress, and other pathological processes. Multiple studies allowed the formulation of several theories attempting to describe the development of MDD. However, none of these hypotheses are comprehensive because none of them can explain all cases, mechanisms, and symptoms of MDD. Nevertheless, all of these theories share some common pathways, which lead us to believe that these hypotheses depict several pieces of the same big puzzle. Therefore, in this review, we provide a brief description of these theories and their strengths and weaknesses in an attempt to highlight the common mechanisms and relationships of all major theories of depression and combine them together to present the current overall picture. The analysis of all hypotheses suggests that there is interdependence between all the brain structures and various substances involved in the pathogenesis of MDD, which could be not entirely universal, but can affect all of the brain regions, to one degree or another, depending on the triggering factor, which, in turn, could explain the different subtypes of MDD.