bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inducing enantioselective crystallization with and self‐assembly of star‐shaped hybrid polymers prepared via “grafting to” strategy
Authors: Zou Hui , Liang Wen‐Quan , Wu Qi‐Liang , Zhou Li , Hou Xiao‐Hua , Liu Na , Wu Zong‐Quan
Published: November 2021

Helical polymers present some interesting and distinctive properties, and one of the most distinguished applications of them is the chiral recognition and resolution of enantiomers. In this work, star‐shaped hybrid helical poly (phenyl isocyanide) (PPI) with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) as the core was designed and synthesized by “grafting to” strategy. The homoarm star‐shaped hybrid POSS‐(PPI)8 was first obtained by the click reaction between azide‐modified POSS (POSS‐(N3)8) and alkynyl‐modified PPI (PPI‐Alkynyl). The hybrid POSS‐(PPI)8 was with predominated left‐handed helical conformation and exhibited excellent ability in the enantioselective crystallization of racemic compounds. In the meantime, heteroarm star‐shaped hybrid (PEG)4‐POSS‐(PPI)4 was prepared by the click reaction of POSS‐(N3)8 with PPI‐Alkynyl and alkynyl‐modified poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG‐Alkynyl). The hybrid (PEG)4‐POSS‐(PPI)4 was amphiphilic, and it could self‐assemble to form spherical micelles in aqueous solutions.
Experimental study on the absorption enhancement of CO2 by MDEA‐MEA based nanofluids
Authors: Liang Jiaxin , Han Huiyu , Li Wenbo , Ma Xiaoxun , Xu Long
Published: November 2021

Nanofluids promote the application of nanotechnology in the mass transfer process, which can effectively reduce mass transfer resistance and increase the gas–liquid mass transfer rate. A bubbling absorption system was used to explore the CO2 absorption performance of methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and monoethanolamine (MEA) blended nanofluids. TiO2 nanoparticles and sodium polyacrylate (ASAP) surfactant were added to MDEA‐MEA aqueous solutions to prepare nanofluids. The effects of MDEA concentration, MEA concentration, blended amine ratio, and nanoparticle solid content on CO2 capture performance were investigated, respectively. The study found that, compared with single‐component MEA/MDEA solutions, nanofluids have a more significant enhancement in CO2 absorption of blended amines. The increase of MEA concentration in blended amine has a negative effect on the enhanced CO2 absorption of TiO2 nanoparticles. The enhancement factor of MDEA‐MEA nanofluids at each solid content is higher than that of two single‐component nanofluids. The best solid content of TiO2 nanoparticles in the MDEA‐MEA system is 0.6 g/L, while the enhancement factor E in 25% MDEA + 5% MEA nanofluids can reach up to 1.36. Finally, a new empirical formula was proposed to predict the enhancement factor and optimum solid content of TiO2‐MEA/MDEA nanofluids.
Investigation of alkali and salt resistant copolymer of acrylic acid and N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone for medium viscosity oil recovery
Authors: Doda Ankit , Azad Madhar Sahib , Kotsuchibashi Yohei , Trivedi Japan J. , Narain Ravin
Published: November 2021

Heavy oil reservoirs, unsuited for thermal applications, are being exploited using chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) techniques. The most widely used polymer in CEOR applications is hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM). However, it hydrolyzes very rapidly under alkaline conditions, making it susceptible for alkaline polymer flooding, the main variant of chemical EOR techniques. To overcome this shortfall of conventional HPAM, a copolymer P(AA‐co‐VP) of acrylic acid (AA) and N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NVP) was synthesized, that can offer stability and positive synergism against alkali. In the research presented herein, rheological properties of HPAM and P(AA‐co‐VP) were compared in terms of viscosity and elasticity for typical alkali‐polymer (AP) flood operations. The core flooding experiments were conducted using the heavy oil samples collected from a reservoir in Alberta. The shear rheological and dynamic viscoelastic properties of P(AA‐co‐VP) copolymer improved in presence of strong alkali while the conventional HPAM showed much higher viscosity loss, becoming less effective for AP heavy oil recovery operations. In the presence of alkali, 45.9% and 47.3% incremental recovery factor are shown by HPAM and the newly synthesized P(AA‐co‐VP) copolymer. Although the incremental recovery factor shown by newly synthesized polymer is slightly higher, it resulted in a three times lower residual resistance factor than HPAM. Lower residual resistance factor is important for ensuring good transport properties during polymer flooding. AP flooding conducted using P(AA‐co‐VP) copolymer could effectively overcome the drawbacks of conventional HPAM polymer, thereby improving the heavy oil recovery and transport in porous media.
Fully Nonlinear Equations with Applications to Grad Equations in Plasma Physics
Authors: Caffarelli Luis A. , Tomasetti Ignacio
Published: November 2021

In this paper we generalize an equation studied by Mossino and Temam in [7], to the fully nonlinear case. This equation arises in plasma physics as an approximation to Grad equations, which were introduced by Harold Grad in [4], to model the behavior of plasma confined in a toroidal vessel called TOKAMAK. We prove existence of a ‐viscosity solution and regularity up to for any (we improve this regularity near the boundary). The difficulty of this problem lies in the right‐hand side which involves the measure of the superlevel sets, making the problem nonlocal. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Sulfonate‐Functionalized AIEgens: Strategic Approaches Beyond Water Solubility for Sensing and Imaging Applications
Authors: Thakuri Ankit , Banerjee Mainak , Chatterjee Amrita
Published: November 2021

The development of water‐soluble aggregation‐induced emission (AIE)‐active “light‐up” probes for sensing and imaging purposes has drawn immense research attention in the recent past. One strategy has been to introduce −SO3− groups in AIEgens (AIE‐sulfonates) to increase their hydrophilic properties, and the ionic nature of the corresponding compounds also paves the way for electrostatic interaction with various analytes, in particular, with several biospecies having positively charged surfaces. A significant number of AIE‐sulfonates, many among them having a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) moiety, have been designed and synthesized for the selective detection of a variety of analytes, such as metal ions, small molecules, enzymes, proteins, and bacteria. The strategies for selective detection include, for example, spontaneous complex formation with cations, electrostatic interaction with target‐specific units in the biospecies, and strong hydrophobic interactions. In addition, these AIEgens are used in cell imaging and OLED applications. This Review attempts to provide a summary and discuss recent developments in sulfonate‐functionalized AIE‐active “light‐up” probes in sensing and imaging applications with a focus on the role of the sulfonate functionality in the design and sensing processes.
Assessing Lupus‐Like Disease in Murine Model Systems
Authors: Lee Hui Yin , Celhar Teja , Fairhurst Anna‐Marie
Published: November 2021

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex and heterogenous autoimmune disease, where genetics, immunology, and environmental factors all play a role. Murine models have contributed critical information on mechanisms of disease and prospective therapeutics. The key features that have been used to study the disease include the development of anti‐nuclear autoantibodies (ANAs), splenomegaly, and kidney disease. The loss of tolerance and subsequent autoimmune features, and the progression to severe disease, are all dependent on immune dysregulation. In this article, we will describe the methods used to evaluate the underlying immunological features of the disease, as a more sensitive strategy to understand the disease itself and the mechanisms of potential novel therapeutics. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: End study protocols for tissue harvesting

Basic Protocol 2: End study protocols for tissue processing

Basic Protocol 3: Immunophenotyping using flow cytometry protocols

Support Protocol: Tissue processing for cold storage

Basic Protocol 4: Additional tissue processing for later analyses

Basic Protocol 5: Analysis of serum auto‐antibodies by ELISAs (ANAs, snRNP, and dsDNA)
Growth and Characterization of Mixed Halide Scintillators K2LaClxBr5−x:Ce
Authors: Xiong Jianhui , Zhang Zheng , Zhou Haichao , Zhu Shujun , Pan Shangke , Ren Guohao , Chen Hongbing , Pan Jianguo
Published: November 2021

In this paper, it is recently discovered that mixed‐anion Cl‐Br halide scintillator K2LaClxBr5−x:Ce (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) has promising performance. The mixed crystal polycrystalline materials are synthesized by high‐temperature solid‐phase method, and transparent cylindrical crystals of K2LaClxBr5−x:Ce are grown successfully by the vertical Bridgman technique. The crystals are measured by powder X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray‐induced luminescence spectra, optical transmittance, photoluminescence spectrum, photoluminescence decay time, and pulse height spectrum. Under the UV and X‐ray excitation, all of the crystal samples have the typical Ce3+ 5d1→2F5/2 and 5d1→2F7/2 double peaks, emission centered between 350 and 400 nm. The photoluminescence decay time of the K2LaClxBr5−x:Ce crystal is about 30 ns under the UV excitation. The energy resolution of the crystal is generally less than 10%. As the proportion of Br‐ ions increases, the luminescence intensity is enhanced, the photoluminescence decay speed increases, and energy resolution of these crystals is optimized. The simplicity of the growth of small‐sized crystals is promising for expanding the growth process to larger sizes.
Controlled generation of droplets using an electric field in a flow‐focusing paper‐based device
Authors: Jiang Tianyi , Wu Yupan
Published: November 2021

Droplet‐based microfluidics is a modular platform in high‐throughput single‐cell and small sample analyses. However, this droplet microfluidic system was widely fabricated using soft lithography or glass capillaries, which is expensive and technically demanding for various applications, limiting use in resource‐poor settings. Besides, the variation in droplet size is also restricted due to the limitations on the operating forces that the paper‐based platform is able to withstand. Herein, we develop a fully integrated paper‐based droplet microfluidic platform for conducting droplet generation and cell encapsulation in independent aqueous droplets dispersed in a carrier oil by incorporating electric fields. Through imposing an electric field, the droplet size would decrease with increasing the electric field and smaller droplets can be produced at high applied voltage. The droplet diameter can be adjusted by the ratio of inner and outer flow velocities as well as the applied electric field. We also demonstrated the proof of concept encapsulation application of our paper device by encapsulating yeast cells under an electric field. Using a simple wax printing method, carbon electrodes can be integrated on the paper. The integrated paper‐based microfluidic platform can be fabricated easily and conducted outside of centralized laboratories. This microfluidic system shows great potential in drug and cell investigations by encapsulating cells in resource‐limited environments.
Impact of the magnetic field‐assisted freezing on the moisture content, water migration degree, microstructure, fractal dimension, and the quality of the frozen tilapia
Authors: Wei Heyun , Luo Kaixuan , Fu Renhao , Lin Xiangdong , Feng Aiguo
Published: November 2021

In this study, we determined the effect of a magnetic field applied during refrigeration in improving the quality of frozen tilapia. Alternating magnetic fields of 10 G, 20 G, 30 G, 40 G, and 50 G were applied during a low‐temperature freezing treatment on the back, abdomen, and tail of tilapia. The control group was set at 0 G. A correlation analysis for the fish films after treating with different magnetic field strengths was carried out. The results showed that when the magnetic field was applied to assist freezing, the frozen quality of the tilapia was significantly improved, and the water separation and residual damage were reduced. The felled muscle tissue decreased, the fractal dimension value increased, the hardness decreased, and the elasticity increased. However, the impact of the magnetic field on the quality of the frozen tilapia did not change with an increase in the magnetic field strength. The effect on the back samples was more prominent when the fish were exposed to the magnetic field strength of 40 or 50 G. A magnetic field strength of 50 G was the most effective for the abdominal and tail samples. However, no significant difference was observed in the groups exposed to 10 and 20 G of magnetic fields.
Covid Vaccine Mandates and Religious Accommodation in Employment
Authors: Rothstein Mark A.
Published: November 2021

Many employers are requiring their employees to be vaccinated for Covid‐19 to comply with federal, state, or local laws, or to conform to employers’ policies. Some employees object to vaccination on religious grounds. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment based on religion and requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would be an undue hardship to the employer’s business. Although a religion need not be an established faith with many followers, philosophical or political objections do not count as religious beliefs. If an employee demonstrates a bona fide religious objection, the issue is whether it can be reasonably accommodated. This will depend on the employer’s business, including whether close contact with coworkers or customers is required.
Structural connectome differences in pediatric mild traumatic brain and orthopedic injury
Authors: Ware Ashley L. , Yeates Keith Owen , Geeraert Bryce , Long Xiangyu , Beauchamp Miriam H. , Craig William , Doan Quynh , Freedman Stephen B. , Goodyear Bradley G. , Zemek Roger , Lebel Catherine ,   Pediatric Emergency Research Canada A‐CAP Study Team
Published: November 2021

Sophisticated network‐based approaches such as structural connectomics may help to detect a biomarker of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children. This study compared the structural connectome of children with mTBI or mild orthopedic injury (OI) to that of typically developing (TD) children. Children aged 8–16.99 years with mTBI (n = 83) or OI (n = 37) were recruited from the emergency department and completed 3T diffusion MRI 2–20 days postinjury. TD children (n = 39) were recruited from the community and completed diffusion MRI. Graph theory metrics were calculated for the binarized average fractional anisotropy among 90 regions. Multivariable linear regression and linear mixed effects models were used to compare groups, with covariates age, hemisphere, and sex, correcting for multiple comparisons. The two injury groups did not differ on graph theory metrics, but both differed from TD children in global metrics (local network efficiency: TD > OI, mTBI, d = 0.49; clustering coefficient: TD < OI, mTBI, d = 0.49) and regional metrics for the fusiform gyrus (lower degree centrality and nodal efficiency: TD > OI, mTBI, d = 0.80 to 0.96; characteristic path length: TD < OI, mTBI, d = −0.75 to −0.90) and in the superior and middle orbital frontal gyrus, paracentral lobule, insula, and thalamus (clustering coefficient: TD > OI, mTBI, d = 0.66 to 0.68). Both mTBI and OI demonstrated reduced global and regional network efficiency and segregation as compared to TD children. Findings suggest a general effect of childhood injury that could reflect pre‐ and postinjury factors that can alter brain structure. An OI group provides a more conservative comparison group than TD children for structural neuroimaging research in pediatric mTBI.
Resistance to the demethylation‐inhibiting fungicide propiconazole in Canadian populations of Microdochium nivale
Authors: Gourlie Ryan , Hsiang Tom
Published: November 2021

Turfgrass managers have anecdotally reported decreased efficacy of DMI fungicides for the control of Microdochium patch and pink snow mold at golf courses in British Columbia, Canada. Isolates of Microdochium nivale from these locations, along with isolates collected in Ontario, Canada, were tested for their sensitivity to the fungicide propiconazole [1‐([2‐(2,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐4‐propyl‐1,3‐dioxolan‐2‐yl]methyl)‐1,2,4‐triazole]. Ontario isolates (47) had values for effective concentration causing 50% growth inhibition (EC50) ranging from <0.001 to 0.89 µg ml–1. In comparison, British Columbia isolates (50) had an EC50 range of 0.02 to 8.7 µg ml–1. Sensitivity testing with a discriminatory concentration (0.1 µg ml–1) of a larger set of isolates revealed that 24% of Ontario isolates (43 of 181) and 77% of British Columbia isolates (55 of 71) exhibited resistance to propiconazole (>50% growth on 0.1 µg ml–1 compared to non‐amended media). Because of the cool, wet climate of coastal British Columbia, turfgrass managers use more applications of fungicides annually, including propiconazole, to control diseases caused by M. nivale, and this has resulted in a greater proportion of isolates being resistant to propiconazole. In contrast, Ontario has a less favorable climate for these diseases, with accordingly fewer fungicide applications directed toward this pathogen and hence less risk of fungicide resistance developing.
The Glucocorticoid Receptor in Osterix-Expressing Cells Regulates Bone Mass, Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue, and Systemic Metabolism in Female Mice During Aging
Authors: Pierce Jessica L , Sharma Anuj K , Roberts Rachel L , Yu Kanglun , Irsik Debra L , Choudhary Vivek , Dorn Jennifer S , Bensreti Husam , Benson Reginald D , Kaiser Helen , Khayrullin Andrew , Davis Colleen , Wehrle Chase J , Johnson Maribeth H , Bollag Wendy B , Hamrick Mark W , Shi Xingming , Isales Carlos M , McGee-Lawrence Meghan E
Published: November 2021

Hallmarks of aging-associated osteoporosis include bone loss, bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) expansion, and impaired osteoblast function. Endogenous glucocorticoid levels increase with age, and elevated glucocorticoid signaling, associated with chronic stress and dysregulated metabolism, can have a deleterious effect on bone mass. Canonical glucocorticoid signaling through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was recently investigated as a mediator of osteoporosis during the stress of chronic caloric restriction. To address the role of the GR in an aging-associated osteoporotic phenotype, the current study utilized female GR conditional knockout (GR-CKO; GRfl/fl:Osx-Cre+) mice and control littermates on the C57BL/6 background aged to 21 months and studied in comparison to young (3- and 6-month-old) mice. GR deficiency in Osx-expressing cells led to low bone mass and BMAT accumulation that persisted with aging. Surprisingly, however, GR-CKO mice also exhibited alterations in muscle mass (reduced % lean mass and soleus fiber size), accompanied by reduced voluntary physical activity, and also exhibited higher whole-body metabolic rate and elevated blood pressure. Moreover, increased lipid storage was observed in GR-CKO osteoblastic cultures in a glucocorticoid-dependent fashion despite genetic deletion of the GR, and could be reversed via pharmacological inhibition of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). These findings provide evidence of a role for the GR (and possibly the MR) in facilitating healthy bone maintenance with aging in females. The effects of GR-deficient bone on whole-body physiology also demonstrate the importance of bone as an endocrine organ and suggest evidence for compensatory mechanisms that facilitate glucocorticoid signaling in the absence of osteoblastic GR function; these represent new avenues of research that may improve understanding of glucocorticoid signaling in bone toward the development of novel osteogenic agents. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
ParaCopasi: A package for parallel biochemical simulation and analysis
Authors: Yuan Lihuan , Wu Chengkun , Guo Xiaowei , Yang Canqun
Published: November 2021

Biochemical simuflation and analysis play a significant role in systems biology research. Numerous software tools have been developed to serve this area. Using these tools for completing tasks, for example, stochastic simulation, parameter fitting and optimization, usually requires sufficient computational power to make the duration of completion acceptable. COPASI is one of the most powerful tools for quantitative simulation and analysis targeted at biological systems. It supports systems biology markup language and covers multiple categories of tasks. This work develops an open source package ParaCopasi for parallel COPASI tasks and investigates its performance regarding accelerations. ParaCopasi can be installed on platforms equipped with multicore CPU to exploit the cores, scaling from desktop computers to large scale high‐performance computing clusters. More cores bring more performance. The results show that the parallel efficiency has a positive correlation with the total workload. The parallel efficiency reaches a level of at least 95% for both homogeneous and heterogenous tasks when computational workload is adequate. An example is illustrated by applicating this package in parameter estimation to calibrate a biochemical kinetics model.
Application of a novel surgical difficulty grading system during laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Asai Koji , Iwashita Yukio , Ohyama Tetsuji , Endo Itaru , Hibi Taizo , Umezawa Akiko , Suzuki Kenji , Watanabe Manabu , Kurata Masanao , Mori Yasuhisa , Higashida Masaharu , Kumamoto Yusuke , Shindoh Junichi , Yoshida Masahiro , Honda Goro , Misawa Takeyuki , Abe Yuta , Nagakawa Yuichi , Toyota Naoyuki , Yamada Shigetoshi , Norimizu Shinji , Matsumura Naoki , Sata Naohiro , Sunagawa Hiroki , Ito Masahiro , Takeda Yutaka , Nakamura Yoshiharu , Rikiyama Toshiki , Higuchi Ryota , Gocho Takeshi , Homma Yuki , Hirashita Teijiro , Kanemoto Hideyuki , Nozawa Masashi , Watanabe Yusuke , Kohga Atsushi , Yazawa Takehisa , Tajima Hiroshi , Nakahira Shin , Asaoka Tadafumi , Yoshioka Ryuji , Fukuzawa Junya , Fujioka Shuichi , Hata Taigo , Haruta Hidenori , Asano Yukio , Nomura Ryohei , Matsumoto Joe , Kameyama Noriaki , Miyoshi Atsushi , Urakami Hidejiro , Seyama Yasuji , Morikawa Takanori , Kawano Yoichi , Ikoma Hisashi , Kin Dal Ho Kim , Takada Tadahiro , Yamamoto Masakazu
Published: November 2021

Background

Prevention of bile duct injury and vasculo‐biliary injury while performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is an unsolved problem. Clarifying the surgical difficulty using intraoperative findings can greatly contribute to the pursuit of best practices for acute cholecystitis. In this study, multiple evaluators assessed surgical difficulty items in unedited videos and then constructed a proposed surgical difficulty grading.

Methods

We previously assembled a library of typical video clips of the intraoperative findings for all LC surgical difficulty items in acute cholecystitis. Fifty‐one experts on LC assessed unedited surgical videos. Inter‐rater agreement was assessed by Fleiss's κ and Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC).

Results

Except for one item (“edematous change”), κ or AC exceeded 0.5, so the typical videos were judged to be applicable. The conceivable surgical difficulty gradings were analyzed. According to the assessment of difficulty factors, we created a surgical difficulty grading system (agreement probability = 0.923, κ = 0.712, 90% CI: 0.587‐0.837; AC2 = 0.870, 90% CI: 0.768‐0.972).

Conclusion

The previously published video clip library and our novel surgical difficulty grading system should serve as a universal objective tool to assess surgical difficulty in LC.
A robust method for simultaneous measurement of serum 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D, and 24,25(OH)2D by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry with efficient separation of 3‐epi analogs, 23R,25(OH)2D3, and 4β,25(OH)2D3
Authors: Wang Danchen , Yu Songlin , Zhang Qi , Cheng Qian , Xie Shaowei , Zhang Yuanyuan , Guo Xiuzhi , Zou Yutong , Yin Yicong , Yu Jialei , Li Honglei , Xia Liangyu , Qiu Ling , Xia Weibo
Published: November 2021

Background

This study aimed to establish a robust, simple method to detect 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), 25‐hydroxyvitamin D2 (25(OH)D2), 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D2 (1,25(OH)2D2), 24,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D3), and 24,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D2 (24,25(OH)2D2) simultaneously with efficient separation of 3‐epi 25(OH)D3, 3‐epi 24,25(OH)2D3, 23R,25(OH)2D3, and 4β,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (4β,25(OH)2D3) by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS).

Method

This method was validated according to procedures established by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and then applied in healthy population to determine the distribution of the vitamin D metabolites by LC‐MS/MS.

Results

The total‐run CV% of 25(OH)D3, 25(OH)D2, 24,25(OH)2D3, 24,25(OH)2D2, 1,25(OH)2D3, and 1,25(OH)2D2 were 6.30%–8.40%, 5.00%–8.40%, 5.90%–9.00%, 5.60%–9.00%, 5.60%–8.00%, and 7.00%–9.70%, respectively. The linearity correlation coefficients r of these six vitamin D metabolites were >0.99. The matrix effects of 25(OH)D3, 25(OH)D2, 24,25(OH)2D3, 24,25(OH)2D2, 1,25(OH)2D3, and 1,25(OH)2D2 were 90.6%–103.3%, 97.3%–106.3%, 90.7%–106.3%, 100.7%–114.5%, 97.9%–104.6%, and 97.0%–111.0%. The trueness values of 25(OH)D3, 25(OH)D2, and 24,25(OH)2D3 were 93.8%–103.0%, 101.0%, and 96.3%–100%, respectively.

Conclusion

This study successfully established an efficient, accurate, robust method for simultaneous measurement of serum 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D, and 24,25(OH)2D by LC‐MS/MS with efficient separation of 3‐epi analogs, 23R,25(OH)2D3, and 4β,25(OH)2D3.
Unlocking the Creativity Potential of Dialectical Thinking: Field Investigations of the Comparative Effects of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles
Authors: Chua Roy Y. J. , Lim Jia Hui , Wiruchnipawan Wannawiruch (Fon)
Published: November 2021

In a digital economy characterized by high volumes of information and ideas, many of which could be contradictory to one another, employees high in dialectical thinking should be well poised to connect disparate ideas to generate creative solutions for business problems. Yet, it is unclear whether dialectical thinking as a creativity‐relevant skill can be realized in naturalistic workplace settings, given past mixed findings and the lack of field studies. We propose that supervisors’ leadership styles are important moderators that can unlock employees’ creativity potential in dialectical thinking. Additionally, we compare the activating effect of transformational leadership and the inhibiting effect of transactional leadership to investigate which leadership style is more impactful in unlocking the power of dialectical thinking on creativity. Through two multisource field studies, we find that dialectical thinking’s effect on creativity is context‐sensitive, and transactional leadership’s inhibiting effect on the dialectical thinking‐creativity relationship isstrongerthan transformational leadership’s activating effect. These findings qualify the predominant view that leaders should focus on enacting activators to stimulate employee creativity; rather, avoiding inhibitors might be more effective instead. Practically, our findings suggest that leaders should ensure they engage in fewer transactional leadership behaviors.
Impact of urbanization on soil microbial diversity and composition in the megacity of Shanghai
Authors: Liu Lan , Barberán Albert , Gao Cheng , Zhang Zhaochen , Wang Meng , Wurzburger Nina , Wang Xin , Zhang Ran , Li Junxiang , Zhang Jian
Published: November 2021

Urbanization alters the physicochemical environment on an unprecedented scale and strongly affects biodiversity. How urbanization affects the biodiversity of soil microbial communities, especially in large cities, however, is poorly known. We investigated soil microbial communities from 258 sites covering a variety of environmental gradients in the megacity of Shanghai, China, to determine the impact of urbanization on soil microbial biodiversity. Using the distance to city centre, urbanized land cover, and road density as three proxies to characterize the levels of urbanization, we revealed that increased urbanization was associated with slightly homogenized communities of prokaryotes, total fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi but not ectomycorrhizal fungi. The richness of soil prokaryotes and total fungi was weakly but positively related to urbanization as well. For the abundance of microbial phylotypes along urban gradients, we observed synchronous increases and decreases of many phylotypes at relatively high and low urbanization levels, respectively. Further, urbanization explained an independent part of microbial variances in richness and community composition, although the contribution of soil properties in explaining the variances was generally larger than that of urbanization. Together, this work provides evidence for the influences of urbanization on the biodiversity of soil microbes and highlights the importance of considering taxa and the level of urbanization to assess the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity.
Div–curl problems and H1‐regular stream functions in 3D Lipschitz domains
Authors: Kirchhart Matthias , Schulz Erick
Published: November 2021

We consider the problem of recovering the divergence‐free velocity field U ∈ L2(Ω) of a given vorticity
on a bounded Lipschitz domain
. To that end, we solve the ‘div–curl problem’ for a given F ∈ H−1(Ω). The solution is expressed in terms of a vector potential (or stream function) A ∈ H1(Ω) such that
. After discussing existence and uniqueness of solutions and associated vector potentials, we propose a well‐posed construction for the stream function. A numerical method based on this construction is presented, and experiments confirm that the resulting approximations display higher regularity than those of another common approach.
Closed form solutions of nonlinear space‐time fractional Drinfel'd‐Sokolov‐Wilson equation via reliable methods
Authors: Gu Yongyi , Yuan Wenjun
Published: November 2021

In current study, the closed form solutions for nonlinear space‐time fractional Drinfel'd‐Sokolov‐Wilson (FDSW) equation are obtained in the presence of the beta derivatives and using reliable methods. Applying the (G′/G)‐expansion method, the hyperbolic, trigonometric, and rational function solutions of space‐time FDSW equation are derived. It is interesting to propose the generalized complex method to construct the closed form solutions of nonlinear fractional differential equations (NFDEs), and it is a good example to apply for searching exact solutions of space‐time FDSW equation. Computer simulations of solutions obtained via these two reliable methods are also presented by some figures with different values of the parameter beta. The results reveal that these two methods are efficient and direct approaches for solving various fractional differential equations in mathematical physics.
Dynamics of a pest management model with mate‐finding Allee effect induced by sterile release
Authors: Yue Zongmin , Wang Jiao
Published: November 2021

Using sterile insect release to guide the occurrence of the mate‐finding Allee effect in pest populations is considered a pest management strategy. In this paper, a pest management model is established with the mate‐finding Allee effect induced by releasing sterile pests. In addition, the natural enemies of pests and spraying insecticide are also taken into account to achieve integrated pest management. For the model without delay, although the origin is not well‐defined in our model, we pay attention to the dynamics near the origin and find it is always an attractor. This means the extinction of pests is closely related to their initial scale. Based on that, we conduct a detailed qualitative study on other equilibria. Furthermore, the model with a time delay is also observed. The stability of equilibrium points, Hopf bifurcation, and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation are all carried out. Through numerical simulation, the results indicate that adding the mate‐finding Allee effect can significantly reduce the demand for pesticides and reduce the environmental damage from pesticides, comparing with the traditional approach (i.e., combining natural enemies and pesticides). We also find that a time delay can switch the stability of the equilibrium points and promote the extinction of pests.
Exosomes: Promising nanocarrier for cancer therapy
Authors: Zhao Chen‐Chen , Lv Hui‐Zhong , Tao Su‐Wan , Zhang Tong‐Cun , Xu Na , Zhu Lian
Published: November 2021

Cancer has intensively threatened the health and life of human beings across the world. Drug delivery systems (DDSs) can protect the packaged cargoes from degradation; effectively delivery cargoes to specific tissues. Most DDSs are based on functional nanomaterials. As natural nanomaterials, exosomes are secreting by mammalian cells through the multivesicle bodies route. Usually, exosomes possess uniform size ranging from 50 to 150 nm, their membrane surface has many functional proteins and cavity contains RNA, DNA similar to maternal cells. Owing to the high biocompatibility, excellent penetration capability as well as ease to be engineered, exosomes have shown outstanding potentials in delivering therapeutic molecules for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This review summarizes the unique characteristics which makes exosomes promising nanocarrier for cancer treatment. The future developments of exosomes based biomedical applications towards cancer are also outlined. We expect the review will help readers understand the potential value of exosomes based nanocarrier, and also try to elaborate their promising applications.
Melatonin as first‐line treatment for sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease?
Authors: Cox Caitríona , Mackett Alistair
Published: November 2021

Sleep disturbance has been reported in up to 88%–98% of Parkinson's disease patients; various sleep disorders can present even before motor symptoms. Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), which can lead to violent dream enactment behaviour, has a prevalence in Parkinson's disease of 20% to 50% but best management of the condition is unclear. Here, the authors consider whether melatonin is an effective pharmacological option to manage RBD.
Zinc protoporphyrin binding to telomerase complexes and inhibition of telomerase activity*
Authors: Zhu Zhaowen , Tran Huy , Mathahs Meleah M. , Fink Brian D. , Albert John A. , Moninger Thomas O. , Meier Jeffery L. , Li Ming , Schmidt Warren N.
Published: November 2021

Zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a naturally occurring metalloprotoporphyrin (MPP), is currently under development as a chemotherapeutic agent although its mechanism is unclear. When tested against other MPPs, ZnPP was the most effective DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation inhibitor while promoting apoptosis in telomerase positive but not telomerase negative cells. Concurrently, ZnPP down‐regulated telomerase expression and was the best overall inhibitor of telomerase activity in intact cells and cellular extracts with IC50 and EC50 values of ca 2.5 and 6 µM, respectively. The natural fluorescence properties of ZnPP enabled direct imaging in cellular fractions using non‐denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis, western blots, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. ZnPP localized to large cellular complexes (>600 kD) that contained telomerase and dysskerin as confirmed with immunocomplex mobility shift, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot analyses. Confocal fluorescence studies showed that ZnPP co‐localized with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomeres in the nucleus of synchronized S‐phase cells. ZnPP also co‐localized with TERT in the perinuclear regions of log phase cells but did not co‐localize with telomeres on the ends of metaphase chromosomes, a site known to be devoid of telomerase complexes. Overall, these results suggest that ZnPP does not bind to telomeric sequences per se, but alternatively, interacts with other structural components of the telomerase complex to inhibit telomerase activity. In conclusion, ZnPP actively interferes with telomerase activity in neoplastic cells, thus promoting pro‐apoptotic and anti‐proliferative properties. These data support further development of natural or synthetic protoporphyrins for use as chemotherapeutic agents to augment current treatment protocols for neoplastic disease.
A Novel Human Recombinant Lactoferrin Inhibits Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Growth and Migration with No Cytotoxic Effect on Normal Human Epithelial Cells
Authors: Olszewska Paulina , Pazdrak Barbara , Kruzel Marian L.
Published: November 2021

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Despite the recent advances in cancer treatment, only a subset of patients responds to targeted and immune therapies, and many patients developing resistance after an initial response. Lactoferrin (Lf) is a natural glycoprotein with immunomodulatory and anticancer activities. We produced a novel recombinant human Lf (rhLf) that exhibits glycosylation profile compatible with the natural hLf for potential parenteral therapeutic applications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effects of this novel rhLf in human lung adenocarcinoma cells and its mechanisms of action. The results showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of A549 cancer cell growth in response to rhLf. Treatment with 1 mg/ml of rhLf for 24 h and 72 h resulted in a significant inhibition of cancer cell growth by 32% and 25%, respectively. Moreover, rhLf increased fourfold the percentage of early and late apoptotic cells compared to the control. This effect was accompanied by increased levels of caspase-3 activity and cell cycle arrest at the S phase in rhLf-treated cancer cells. Furthermore, rhLf significantly attenuated A549 cell migration. Importantly, treatment of normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells with rhLf showed the cell viability and morphology comparable to the control. In contrast, chemotherapeutic etoposide induced cytotoxicity in NHBE cells and reduced the cell viability by 40%. These results demonstrate the selective anticancer effects of rhLf against lung adenocarcinoma cells without cytotoxicity on normal human cells. This study highlights a potential for clinical utility of this novel rhLf in patients with lung cancer.
Classification of target tissues of Eisenia fetida using sequential multimodal chemical analysis and machine learning
Authors: Ritschar Sven , Schirmer Elisabeth , Hufnagl Benedikt , Löder Martin G. J. , Römpp Andreas , Laforsch Christian
Published: November 2021

Acquiring comprehensive knowledge about the uptake of pollutants, impact on tissue integrity and the effects at the molecular level in organisms is of increasing interest due to the environmental exposure to numerous contaminants. The analysis of tissues can be performed by histological examination, which is still time-consuming and restricted to target-specific staining methods. The histological approaches can be complemented with chemical imaging analysis. Chemical imaging of tissue sections is typically performed using a single imaging approach. However, for toxicological testing of environmental pollutants, a multimodal approach combined with improved data acquisition and evaluation is desirable, since it may allow for more rapid tissue characterization and give further information on ecotoxicological effects at the tissue level. Therefore, using the soil model organism Eisenia fetida as a model, we developed a sequential workflow combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) for chemical analysis of the same tissue sections. Data analysis of the FTIR spectra via random decision forest (RDF) classification enabled the rapid identification of target tissues (e.g., digestive tissue), which are relevant from an ecotoxicological point of view. MALDI imaging analysis provided specific lipid species which are sensitive to metabolic changes and environmental stressors. Taken together, our approach provides a fast and reproducible workflow for label-free histochemical tissue analyses in E. fetida, which can be applied to other model organisms as well.
Inertia Certificates – Möglichkeiten zur Gewährleistung von ausreichender Momentanreserve im Verbundsystem
Authors: Gawlik Wolfgang , Marchgraber Jürgen , Guo Yi
Published: November 2021

Die Momentanreserve ist von entscheidender Bedeutung für die Aufrechterhaltung der Frequenzstabilität in Drehstromsystemen. Derzeit wird sie fast ausschließlich von direkt angebundenen Synchrongeneratoren aufgebracht, deren träge rotierende Schwungmasse sich Drehzahländerungen widersetzt und dadurch Frequenzgradienten nach Ungleichgewichten zwischen Einspeisung elektrischer Leistung ins und Entnahme elektrischer Leistung aus dem Netz begrenzt. Es steht zu erwarten, dass die für das Verbundsystem verfügbare Schwungmasse im Zuge der steigenden Verbreitung von über Leistungselektronik angeschlossenen Einspeiseanlagen zukünftig abnehmen wird. Die daraus resultierenden höheren Frequenzgradienten stellen eine Gefährdung der Frequenzstabilität des Verbundsystems dar. Inertia Certificates sind eine Möglichkeit, den Beitrag von Erzeugungsanlagen zur Bereitstellung von Momentanreserve im Verbundsystem zu quantifizieren und der Momentanreserve einen Preis zuzuordnen, der ihrem Wert für den Systembetrieb entspricht. Sie ermöglichen einen fairen Ausgleich zwischen jenen Anlagen, die aufgrund ihrer physikalischen Wirkungsweise inhärent Momentanreserve bereitstellen, und solchen, die prinzipbedingt keine oder nur eine geringe Schwungmasse aufweisen. Außerdem können durch die Abtretung und Abgeltung der Bereitstellung von Momentanreserve kostenintensive Nachrüstungen von solchen schwungmassearmen und schwungmasselosen Einspeisern vermieden werden.
The General Factor of Personality (GFP) and Vocational Interests: a Test of Social Effectiveness at the Behavioral and Genetic Level
Authors: van der Linden Dimitri , Dunkel Curtis S. , De Zeeuw Eveline J. , Wu Peiqian , Pelt Dirk H. M.
Published: November 2021

Previous studies have examined how personality models (e.g., Big Five, HEXACO) relate to vocational interests. We adopt a novel approach by testing the associations between personality and vocational interests from the perspective of the general factor of personality (GFP). One interpretation of the GFP is that it reflects social effectiveness. Based on this interpretation, we predicted that the GFP is particularly related to interest in social jobs because people generally tend to be attracted to activities in which they perform well. To test this, we used four large data sets: the Professional Worker Career Experience Survey (study 1a; N = 752), OpenPsychometrics.org (study 1b, N = 108,209), Project Talent (study 2; N = 81,130), and the National Merit Twin Study (study 3: N = 1536 in 768 twin pairs). In each sample, we presented the direct associations as well as the results after using control variables (gender and cognitive ability). In study 1a and 1b, the GFP particularly related to interest in social and enterprising occupations. In study 2, the GFP related to interest in working with people and was also associated with a range of occupational scales involving social aspects. In study 3, the GFP only showed a consistent relation with social interests. This association was present at the phenotypical as well as genetic level. Notwithstanding some variation in findings across the different studies, the overall pattern seems to be in line with the notion that the GFP is positively associated with the preference for more socially laden jobs.
Law of demand and stochastic choice
Authors: Cerreia-Vioglio S. , Maccheroni F. , Marinacci M. , Rustichini A.
Published: November 2021

We consider random choice rules that, by satisfying a weak form of Luce’s choice axiom, embody a form probabilistic rationality. We show that for this important class of stochastic choices, the law of demand for normal goods—arguably the main result of traditional consumer theory—continues to hold on average when strictly dominated alternatives are dismissed.
Point detection through multi-instance deep heatmap regression for sutures in endoscopy
Authors: Sharan Lalith , Romano Gabriele , Brand Julian , Kelm Halvar , Karck Matthias , De Simone Raffaele , Engelhardt Sandy
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

Mitral valve repair is a complex minimally invasive surgery of the heart valve. In this context, suture detection from endoscopic images is a highly relevant task that provides quantitative information to analyse suturing patterns, assess prosthetic configurations and produce augmented reality visualisations. Facial or anatomical landmark detection tasks typically contain a fixed number of landmarks, and use regression or fixed heatmap-based approaches to localize the landmarks. However in endoscopy, there are a varying number of sutures in every image, and the sutures may occur at any location in the annulus, as they are not semantically unique.

Method:

In this work, we formulate the suture detection task as a multi-instance deep heatmap regression problem, to identify entry and exit points of sutures. We extend our previous work, and introduce the novel use of a 2D Gaussian layer followed by a differentiable 2D spatial Soft-Argmax layer to function as a local non-maximum suppression.

Results:

We present extensive experiments with multiple heatmap distribution functions and two variants of the proposed model. In the intra-operative domain, Variant 1 showed a mean $$F_1$$

F
1

of $$+ 0.0422$$

+
0.0422

over the baseline. Similarly, in the simulator domain, Variant 1 showed a mean $$F_1$$

F
1

of $$+ 0.0865$$

+
0.0865

over the baseline.

Conclusion:

The proposed model shows an improvement over the baseline in the intra-operative and the simulator domains. The data is made publicly available within the scope of the MICCAI AdaptOR2021 Challenge https://adaptor2021.github.io/, and the code at https://github.com/Cardio-AI/suture-detection-pytorch/.
Adhesion Behavior of Ti–PMMA–Ti Sandwiches for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Nayak Gargi Shankar , Mouillard Flavien , Masson Patrick , Pourroy Geneviève , Palkowski Heinz , Carradò Adele
Published: November 2021

The “stress-shielding” problem, common with metallic implants, may be solved by using biocompatible sandwiches with a polymeric core between two metallic skin sheets. To achieve such sandwiches, a process route has been developed, beginning with the grafting of poly-(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) on titanium (Ti) sheets via the “grafting from” technique. Grafting resulted in variable thicknesses of PMMA on the Ti sheets. Hot-pressing was used to prepare semi-finished Ti–PMMA–Ti sandwiches. The adhesion was achieved by the interpenetration between PMMA sheet and the grafted PMMA chains. Investigation was carried out to understand the influence of the grafted PMMA thickness on the adhesion strength. Similar adhesion strengths were found for the sandwiches despite variable grafted PMMA thicknesses, indicating a successful grafting of PMMA on large-scale Ti sheets. The adhesion followed the autohesion theory, where a time-dependent increase in adhesion strength was found for the sandwiches.