Building up PtII−Thiosemicarbazone−Lysine−sC18 Conjugates

Three chiral tridentate N^N^S coordinating pyridine-carbaldehyde (S)-N4-(α-methylbenzyl)thiosemicarbazones (HTSCmB) were synthesised along with lysine-modified derivatives. One of them was selected and covalently conjugated to the cell-penetrating peptide sC18 by solid-phase peptide synthesis. The HTSCmB model ligands, the HTSCLp derivatives and the peptide conjugate rapidly and quantitatively form very stable Pt^II chlorido complexes [Pt(TSC)Cl] when treated with K₂PtCl₄ in solution. The Pt(CN) derivatives were obtained from one TSCmB model complex and the peptide conjugate complex through Cl⁻→CN⁻ exchange. Ligands and complexes were characterised by NMR, IR spectroscopy, HR-ESI-MS and single-crystal XRD. Intriguingly, no decrease in cell viability was observed when testing the biological activity of the lysine-tagged HdpyTSCLp, its sC18 conjugate HdpyTSCL-sC18 or the PtCl and Pt(CN) conjugate complexes in three different cell lines. Thus, given the facile and effective preparation of such Pt-TSC-peptide conjugates, these systems might pave the way for future use in late-stage labelling with Pt radionuclides and application in nuclear medicine.     

Ocupado: Visualizing Location-Based Counts Over Time Across Buildings

Understanding how spaces in buildings are being used is vital for optimizing space utilization, for improving resource allocation, and for the design of new facilities. We present a multi-year design study that resulted in Ocupado, a set of visual decision-support tools centered around occupancy data for stakeholders in facilities management and planning. Ocupado uses WiFi devices as a proxy for human presence, capturing location-based counts that preserve privacy without trajectories. We contribute data and task abstractions for studying space utilization for combinations of data granularities in both space and time. In addition, we contribute generalizable design choices for visualizing location-based counts relating to indoor environments. We provide evidence of Ocupado's utility through multiple analysis scenarios with real-world data refined through extensive stakeholder feedback, and discussion of its take-up by our industry partner.     

Reference databases,primer choice,and assay sensitivity for environmental metabarcoding: Lessons learnt from a re‐evaluation of an eDNA fish assessment in the Volga headwaters

Biodiversity monitoring via environmental DNA, particularly metabarcoding, is evolving into a powerful assessment tool for riverine systems. However, for metabarcoding to be fully integrated into standardized monitoring programmes, some current challenges concerning sampling design, laboratory workflow, and data analysis need to be overcome. Here, we review some of these major challenges and potential solutions. We further illustrate three potential pitfalls, namely the choice of suitable metabarcoding primers, the necessity of complete reference databases, and varying assay sensitivities, by a reappraisal of our‐own recently carried out metabarcoding study in the Volga headwaters. TaqMan qPCRs had detected catfish (Silurus glanis) and European eel (Anguilla anguilla), whereas metabarcoding had not, in the same samples. Furthermore, after extending the genetic reference database by 12 additional species and re‐analysing the metabarcoding data, we additionally detected the Siberian spiny loach (Cobitis sibirica) and Ukrainian brook lamprey (Eudontomyzon mariae) and reassigned the operational taxonomic units previously assigned to Misgurnus fossilis to Cobitis sibirica. In silico analysis of metabarcoding primer efficiencies revealed considerable variability among primer pairs and among target species, which could lead to strong primer bias and potential false‐negatives in metabarcoding studies if not properly compensated for. These results highlight some of the pitfalls of eDNA‐metabarcoding as a means of monitoring fish biodiversity in large rivers, which need to be considered in order to fully unleash the full potential of these approaches for freshwater biodiversity monitoring.     

Integrating social and cognitive aspects of belief dynamics: towards a unifying framework

Belief change and spread have been studied in many disciplines—from psychology, sociology, economics and philosophy, to biology, computer science and statistical physics—but we still do not have a firm grasp on why some beliefs change more easily and spread faster than others. To fully capture the complex social-cognitive system that gives rise to belief dynamics, we first review insights about structural components and processes of belief dynamics studied within different disciplines. We then outline a unifying quantitative framework that enables theoretical and empirical comparisons of different belief dynamic models. This framework uses a statistical physics formalism, grounded in cognitive and social theory, as well as empirical observations. We show how this framework can be used to integrate extant knowledge and develop a more comprehensive understanding of belief dynamics.     

Contact allergy to cosmetics

This article gives the results of contact allergic reactions to cosmetics seen between 1985 and 1990 (462 patients investigated) and between 1991 and 1996 (486 patients investigated). Perfume components remain the most frequently occurring allergens in cosmetics. They are followed by preservative agents, a class within which important shifts have occurred over time (e.g. as with the isothiazolinone mixture). Excipients and certainly emulsifiers (e.g. cocamidopropylbetaine) are potentially not only irritants but also allergens. Among the "active" or category-specific ingredients, oxidative hair dyes, based on paraphenylenediamine and derivatives, and nail care products, based on (meth)acrylates are particularly apt to cause professional dermatoses. Finally, the share of sunscreens as cosmetic allergens remains limited, which may well be because a contact or photocontactallergy is often not recognized since the differential diagnosis with a primary sun intolerance is not always obvious.