bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti‐diabetic drugs and sarcopenia: emerging links, mechanistic insights, and clinical implications
Authors: Zhang Xueli , Zhao Yi , Chen Shuobing , Shao Hua
Published: October 2021

Sarcopenia, characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, and strength, has become a common hallmark of ageing and many chronic diseases. Diabetes mellitus patients have a higher prevalence of sarcopenia, which greatly aggravates the metabolic disturbance and compromises treatment response. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown differential impacts of anti‐diabetic drugs on skeletal muscle mass, strength, and performance, highlighting the importance of rational therapeutic regimen from the perspective of sarcopenia risk. In this review, we provide an update on the regulation of muscle mass and quality by major anti‐diabetic drugs, focusing primarily on emerging data from clinical studies. We also discuss the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications for optimal selection of anti‐diabetic drugs to reduce the risk of sarcopenia. In view of the lifelong use of anti‐diabetic drugs, we propose that a better understanding of the sarcopenia risk and interventional strategies is worthy of attention in future studies.
Antennal sensilla in an anophthalmic wood‐dwelling species, Clinidium canaliculatum, Costa 1839 (Coleoptera, Rhysodidae)
Authors: Giglio Anita , Mazzei Antonio , Vommaro Maria Luigia , Brandmayr Pietro
Published: October 2021

The habit of feeding on slime moulds (Myxomycetes) commonly present in litter or dead wood requires specific morphological adaptations of the mouthparts and sensory structures involved in the search for habitat and food. In this study, the external morphology of antenna and its sensilla were studied using scanning electron microscopy in the saproxylic beetle, Clinidium canaliculatum, Costa 1839 (Coleoptera, Rhysodidae). Their moniliform antennae consist of a scape, pedicel, and nine flagellomeres. We identified seven different types of sensilla, according to their morphological characteristics: two types of sensilla chaetica (sc1 and 2), two types of sensilla basiconica (sb1 and 2), one type of sensilla campaniformia, one type of sensilla coeloconica, and Böhm sensilla. No sexual dimorphism was found regarding antennal morphology and sensilla type and distribution, except for the sensilla coeloconica. The functional role of these sensilla was discussed in relation to their external structure and distribution, and compared with the current knowledge on coleopteran sense organs. Results are basic information for further physiological and behavioral studies to identify their role in the selection of habitat, food, mates and oviposition sites.
A case of Raynaud's phenomenon of toes induced by whole‐body warm stimulation
Authors: Akimoto Takashi , Kobayashi Tadashi , Maita Hiroki , Osawa Hiroshi , Kato Hiroyuki
Published: October 2021

Raynaud's phenomenon, induced by cold stimulation and emotional stress, is also induced by whole‐body warm stimulation. A 74‐year‐old man was referred to our department because of nocturnal toe pain from 2 years prior and immediate color change of the toes from 1 year prior when submerging himself into a warm bath. Physical examination and blood tests revealed no abnormal findings suggestive of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. Two years later, the signs and symptoms persisted. When physicians confirm Reynaud's phenomenon, they should check for the possibility of secondary Reynaud's phenomenon. Additional research on Reynaud's phenomenon induced by warm stimulation is needed.
Short‐term functional changes after hospital discharge by COVID‐19 through teleconsultation at a reference service in Northeast Brazil: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Barros‐Leite Bárbara R.A.F , Lima Marcela Raquel de Oliveira , Caminha Marina , Santos Kaliandra , Cunha Cristiano Berardo Carneiro da , de Andrade Lívia Barboza
Published: October 2021

Coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID‐19) was associated with a physical‐functional and emotional decline in patients with COVID‐19 hospital internment. Objective: Evaluate the main functional changes after hospital discharge after COVID‐19 by teleconsultation. A cross‐sectional study was carried out between April and July 2020, the peak period of new cases, hospital admission, and deaths by COVID‐19, in Recife‐Brazil. We included patients (n = 89) over 18 years with positive COVID‐19 RT‐PCR tests and hospitalized for more than 7 days. Functional aspects such as muscle pain, shortness of breath, cough, weight loss >5 kg, weakness/fatigue, daily living activities, balance, walking, lying down, sensitivity, anxiety/sadness, altered memory, or understanding were assessed. Besides this, the impact of hospital admission on daily activities and the quality of information obtained by teleconsultation were quantified. The mean age was 63.5 years (±14), and in the hospital, the mean internment was 18 days (±16). The main findings of this study showed four predominant functional alterations: weight loss greater than 5 kg (60.7%), muscle fatigue/weakness (53.9%), muscle/joint pain (43.8%), and anxiety/sadness (46.1%). Of the functions analyzed, 59.6% of patients reported dysfunctions in at least three of the alterations evaluated. There were several short‐term physical‐functional and emotional changes in adults after hospital discharge.
Is the course of COVID‐19 associated with tuberculin skin test diameter? A retrospective study
Authors: Arslan Gulen Tugba , Bayraktar Muhammet , Yaksi Nese , Kayabas Uner
Published: October 2021

The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is still not fully understood. As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐COV‐2) has a similar pathogenetic pathway to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it has been reported that there may be a relationship between Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination rate and COVID‐19 severity. This study investigated the relationship between tuberculin skin test (TST) induration diameter and the clinical course of COVID‐19. Of 1963 adult patients who underwent TST, 76 patients with SARS‐COV‐2 infection confirmed by RT‐PCR analysis of respiratory tract samples were included in the study. Relationships between COVID‐19 clinical severity and TST positivity, induration size, and other clinical parameters were analyzed. Of the 76 patients, TST results were negative for 53 patients (69.7%) and positive for 23 patients (30.3%). COVID‐19 severity was mild in 47 patients (61.8%), moderate in 22 patients (28.9%), and severe in seven patients (9.3%). All TST‐positive patients had mild disease. Patients with mild disease had a significantly higher TST positivity rate (p < 0.001) and larger induration diameter (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of TST induration size for the differentiation of mild with moderate and severe disease was 0.768 (p < 0.001). The maximum Youden J index value was 0.522 at an induration diameter of 6.5 mm, which had a sensitivity of 66.0% and specificity of 86.2%. COVID‐19 patients with positive TST showed a significantly higher rate of mild disease than those with negative TST. TST positivity is favorably associated with the course of COVID‐19.
The COVID‐19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19‐YRS): Application and psychometric analysis in a post‐COVID‐19 syndrome cohort
Authors: O'Connor Rory J. , Preston Nick , Parkin Amy , Makower Sophie , Ross Denise , Gee Jeremy , Halpin Stephen J. , Horton Mike , Sivan Manoj
Published: October 2021

As our understanding of the nature and prevalence of post‐coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) syndrome (PCS) is increasing, a measure of the impact of COVID‐19 could provide valuable insights into patients' perceptions in clinical trials and epidemiological studies as well as routine clinical practice. To evaluate the clinical usefulness and psychometric properties of the COVID‐19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19‐YRS) in patients with PCS, a prospective, observational study of 187 consecutive patients attending a post‐COVID‐19 rehabilitation clinic was conducted. The C19‐YRS was used to record patients' symptoms, functioning, and disability. A global health question was used to measure the overall impact of PCS on health. Classical psychometric methods (data quality, scaling assumptions, targeting, reliability, and validity) were used to assess the C19‐YRS. For the total group, missing data were low, scaling and targeting assumptions were satisfied, and internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α = 0.891). Relationships between the overall perception of health and patients' reports of symptoms, functioning, and disability demonstrated good concordance. This is the first study to examine the psychometric properties of an outcome measure in patients with PCS. In this sample of patients, the C19‐YRS was clinically useful and satisfied standard psychometric criteria, providing preliminary evidence of its suitability as a measure of PCS.
Breadstick fortification with red grape pomace: effect on nutritional, technological and sensory properties
Authors: Rainero Giada , Bianchi Federico , Rizzi Corrado , Cervini Mariasole , Giuberti Gianluca , Simonato Barbara
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND

Grape pomace (GP), a wine‐making by‐product rich in dietary fiber (DF) and total phenolic compounds (TPC), is a potential functional ingredient in the fortification of baked goods.

RESULTS

In the present study, fortified breadsticks samples were obtained by replacing wheat flour with 0, 5 and 10 g 100 g−1 of powdered GP (GPP). The GPP inclusion affected the rheological properties of the doughs by increasing the water absorption and tenacity (P) at the same time as reducing the extensibility (L), with a significant increase in the P/L value and a decrease in the swelling index (G) value and deformation energy (W). Textural characteristics of breadsticks were influenced by the GPP addition, showing a reduction in hardness and fracturability as the amount of GPP increased in the recipe. The GPP fortified breadsticks exhibited decreased pH, volume and specific volume values compared to the control. The TPC and the antioxidant capacity increased in GPP fortified breadsticks, whereas the increased amount of DF allowed the products to benefit from the claim ‘high fiber content’ at the highest level of GPP inclusion. The sensory evaluation revealed that GPP addition increased wine odor, acidity, bitterness, astringency and hardness, and decreased the regularity of alveolation and friability. Finally, the GPP fortified products achieved good sensorial acceptability.

CONCLUSION

GPP improved the nutritional values of fortified breadsticks and changed the rheology of dough and breadsticks' technological properties without affecting sensory acceptability. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Exploration of the Wound Healing Potential of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Electrospun Membrane Incorporated with Phenolic Acids in Spenceria ramalana Trimen
Authors: Chen Chaoxi , Zhai Shuo , Li Congcong , Tan Min , Zhao Juebo , Wei Yucai , Dai Tao , Wang Lu
Published: October 2021

Wound healing process is usually accompanied by infection and the wound dressing loaded with antibiotics is usually used to treat skin wound. However, the intensive use of antibiotics may lead to development of resistance and the antibiotic resistance has become a major global problem. Finding new wound dressing with sustained antibacterial property to overcome the problem of resistance is one of clinical challenge. In this work, phenolic acids in Spenceria ramalana Trimen and sliver nanoparticle incorporated thermoplastic polyurethane nanofibrous membrane (TPU/AgNPs/TPA) are fabricated via electrospinning. The TPU/AgNPs/TPA membrane exhibits excellent physicochemical properties with uniform morphology, good mechanical capacity, and appropriate hydrophilia providing suitable environment for wound healing. Moreover, the TPU/AgNPs/TPA membrane shows mild antioxidant property and exhibits continuous antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli especially against drug‐resistant E. coli. The antibacterial efficiency is as high as 99% lasting for 36 h. Furthermore, the TPU/AgNPs/TPA membrane used as wound dressing can accelerate wound healing through downregulating TNF‐α and IL‐1β and upregulating vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor. Therefore, the TPU/AgNPs/TPA membrane presented in this work with good antibacterial activity is an excellent wound dressing and has great potential in wound healing applications to overcome the problem of resistance.
Application of Temporary, Cell‐Containing Alginate Microcarriers to Facilitate the Fabrication of Spatially Defined Cell Pockets in 3D Collagen Hydrogels
Authors: Lehnert Sarah , Sikorski Pawel
Published: October 2021

Mimicking the complexity of natural tissue is a major challenge in the field of tissue engineering. Here, a facile 2‐step fabrication method to prepare 3D constructs with distinct regions of high cell concentrations and without the need for elaborate equipment is proposed. The initial incorporation of cells in a sacrificial alginate matrix allows the addition of other, cell relevant biopolymers, such as, collagen to form a spatially confined, interpenetrating network at the microscale. A layered structure at the macroscale can be achieved by incorporating these cell‐containing microspheres in thin collagen layers. Cells are locally released by de‐gelling the alginate matrix and their attachment to the collagen hydrogel layers has been studied. The use of the murine pre‐osteoblast cell line MC3T3‐E1 as an example cell line shows that the cells behave differently in their cell migration pattern based on the initial composition of the alginate microspheres.
Endowing Conductive Polyetheretherketone/Graphene Nanocomposite with Bioactive and Antibacterial Coating through Electrophoresis
Authors: Du Meixuan , He Miaomiao , Zhu Ce , Liu Zheng , Jiang Yulin , Zhuang Yi , Li Yubao , Feng Ganjun , Liu Limin , Zhang Li
Published: October 2021

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and its composites have been widely used in orthopedics and trauma. In this work, a bioactive calcium carbonate (CaCO3) coating incorporated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is coated on the conductive PEEK/graphene nanocomposite (P/G) through electrophoretic deposition (EPD) by pumping CO2 to provide tiny amount of CO32− groups for reacting with Ca2+, the obtained sample is named as Ca/Ag@P/G. The morphology, structure, and surface chemistry of the fabricated Ca/Ag@P/G are characterized by means of SEM‐EDS, XRD, XPS, as well as water contact angle testing, and the results confirm that the mixture coating composed of CaCO3 and AgNPs is less crystalline and more hydrophilic than the single CaCO3 coating on P/G (namely Ca@P/G). The Ca/Ag@P/G exhibits desirable antibacterial ability against both S. aureus and E. coli with the bactericidal rate of 99.9% and 96.7%, respectively, meanwhile it displays excellent biocompatibility with improved cell spread and proliferation. Moreover, the incorporation of graphene nanosheets endows Ca/Ag@P/G with great photothermal conversion effect, which is favorable to enhancing osteogenesis capability and synergistically killing/prohibiting bacteria/tumor cells. The multifunctional Ca/Ag@P/G composite has a promising prospect in the potential applications for infectious/tumorous bone repair applications.
Do shareholders reward or punish risky firms due to CSR reporting and assurance?
Authors: Uyar Ali , Pizzi Simone , Caputo Fabio , Kuzey Cemil , Karaman Abdullah S.
Published: October 2021

Whether shareholders reward/punish risky firms for undertaking corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices represents a gap. The analysis yielded diverging results for different financial distress proxies. In the model in which volatility in return on assets was the proxy of firm risk, the findings indicated that shareholders punish risky firms due to CSR reporting. Interestingly, they reward CSR reporters with higher firm value due to the attainment of assurance for CSR reports and following the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework in CSR reporting. Hence, they advocate CSR reporting if it is accompanied by an assurance and prepared following the GRI.
Hill Day pushes legislative agenda forward, examines 988 opportunities
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: October 2021

The mental health and substance use crisis is only growing. The field still needs to fight for access. These were the opening comments heard Oct. 19 during the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's second virtual Hill Day at Home event. The upcoming 988 crisis hotline system and mental health and substance use investments were just some of the topics discussed last week.
CDC's updated COVID‐19 guidance includes population with MI
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: October 2021

The need for a national vaccination strategy for people with a mental illness is starting to come to fruition following the release Oct. 14 of new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to add mental health conditions to its list of underlying medical conditions connected with increased risk of severe illness or mortality from COVID‐19.
Physicians declare national emergency in children's MH
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: October 2021

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and Children's Hospital Association have declared a national emergency in children's mental health, citing the serious toll of the COVID‐19 pandemic on top of existing challenges, according to an Oct. 19 AAP news release.
Modeling the Kinetics and Microstructure of a Thermally Initiated Thiol‐Ene Polymerization
Authors: Wenzel Fabian , Hamzehlou Shaghayegh , Gonzalez de San Roman Estibaliz , Aguirre Miren , Leiza Jose R.
Published: October 2021

A mathematical model of a thermally initiated thiol‐ene polymerization is developed and assessed with experimental data gathered in the polymerization of 2,2’‐(ethylenedioxy)diethanol (EDDT) as dithiol and diallyl adipate (DAA) as diene. The model considers the main mechanisms of addition (propagation) and chain transfer reactions by which the thiol‐ene polymerization proceeds, but also reaction mechanisms that yield to side products formed by reaction of initiator radicals with ene functional groups and by combination termination reactions. The model predicts in addition to kinetics and molar masses, the molar fractions of all the polymer species produced. Conversions of the ene functional groups are determined by in situ 1H‐NMR, absolute molar masses are determined by size exclusion chromatography with a multiangle light scattering detector (SEC/MALS) and molar fractions of copolymer species are measured by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF). The experimental data are used for estimating some of the rate coefficients of the kinetic scheme. The model predicts reasonably well the effects of the initiator concentration on the kinetics and underestimates the molar masses. On the other hand, the model predicts three of the five species experimentally detected by MALDI‐TOF.
Making exercise count: Considerations for the role of exercise in back pain treatment
Authors: Cashin Aidan G. , Booth John , McAuley James H. , Jones Matthew D. , Hübscher Markus , Traeger Adrian C. , Fried Kal , Moseley G. Lorimer
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is pain that has persisted for greater than three months. It is common and burdensome and represents a significant proportion of primary health presentations. For the majority of people with CLBP, a specific nociceptive contributor cannot be reliably identified, and the pain is categorised as ‘non‐specific’. Exercise therapy is recommended by international clinical guidelines as a first‐line treatment for non‐specific CLBP.

Aim

This comprehensive review aims to synthesise and appraise the current research to provide practical, evidence‐based guidance concerning exercise prescription for non‐specific CLBP. We discuss detailed initial assessment and being informed by patient preferences, values, expectations, competencies and goals.

Methods

We searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) using broad search terms from January 2000 to March 2021, to identify the most recent clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials on exercise for CLBP.

Results/Discussion

Systematic reviews show exercise is effective for small, short‐term reductions in pain and disability, when compared with placebo, usual care, or waiting list control, and serious adverse events are rare. A range of individualised or group‐based exercise modalities have been demonstrated as effective in reducing pain and disability. Despite this consensus, controversies and significant challenges remain.

Conclusion

To promote recovery, sustainable outcomes and self‐management, exercise can be coupled with education strategies, as well as interventions that enhance adherence, motivation and patient self‐efficacy. Clinicians might benefit from intentionally considering their own knowledge and competencies, potential harms of exercise and costs to the patient. This comprehensive review provides evidence‐based practical guidance to health professionals who prescribe exercise for people with non‐specific CLBP.
Feeding intolerance score in critically ill patients with enteral nutrition: A post hoc analysis of a prospective study
Authors: Lin Jiajia , Liu Yang , Ke Lu , Li Gang , Lv Cheng , Zhou Jing , Ye Bo , Li Baiqiang , Yang Qi , Tong Zhihui , Li Weiqin , Li Jieshou , for the Chinese Critical Care Nutrition Trials Group (CCCNTG
Published: October 2021

Background

Feeding intolerance (FI) is common in critically ill patients fed with enteral nutrition. Although there is increasing evidence showing the association between FI and mortality, no reliable quantitative assessment was available in clinical practice. In this study, we proposed a FI scoring system based on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms to assist the implementation of enteral nutrition and assessed its association with 28‐day mortality.

Methods

This is a post hoc analysis based on data collected in a previous cross‐sectional study. All adult patients who were enterally fed were included. Various definitions of FI were compared. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) was used to assess the predictive performance for 28‐day mortality. Pearson correlation coefficient and the variance inflation factor were applied to detect collinearity among variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for 28‐day mortality.

Results

Of the 1098 patients included, 200 (18.2%) were nonsurvivors. The incidence of GI symptoms was higher in nonsurvivors on the study day. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the proposed FI score was an independent risk factor for 28‐day mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.37; 95% CI, 1.25–1.51; P < .001). Moreover, the FI score showed better predictive accuracy for 28‐day mortality than the other definitions (AUROC: 0.633 [95% CI, 0.591–0.675] for the FI score vs 0.595 (95% CI, 0.557–0.633] for the best‐performing FI definition [P = 0.001]).

Conclusions

FI score is independently associated with 28‐day mortality in critically ill patients with acceptable predictive accuracy.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation modalities for psychiatric disorders: Publication trends from 1985 to 2019
Authors: Matsuda Yuki , Yamazaki Ryuichi , Shigeta Masahiro , Kito Shinsuke
Published: October 2021

Aim

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that shows potential for treating psychiatric disorders. Although several studies have sought to investigate new TMS modalities for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, no study has yet examined publication trends in research on TMS modalities for psychiatric disorders. This study investigated publication trends in TMS research for 13 psychiatric disorders, including addiction, dementia, major depressive disorder (MDD), and obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia, as well as 9 TMS modalities, including bilateral stimulation, deep TMS, high‐frequency stimulation, low‐frequency stimulation, and theta burst stimulation.

Methods

Articles published in PubMed from 1985 to 2019 were searched to determine the number of published articles for each year in each category using the “Results by year” tool from the PubMed database.

Results

Over the past 30 years, an increasing number of articles were published regarding TMS research for the treatment of MDD, addiction, and dementia, which were among those most commonly investigated psychiatric disorders, whereas the number of articles addressing schizophrenia and OCD treated via TMS remained steady since 2015. Regarding TMS modalities, previous high‐frequency stimulation, low‐frequency stimulation, and bilateral stimulation were the most common topics, with research regarding deep TMS and theta burst stimulation having increased since 2000 and 2005, respectively.

Conclusion

TMS applications are rapidly developing and becoming increasingly ubiquitous in various psychiatric disorders. Determining publication trends in TMS research can be a useful method for monitoring TMS research interests and applications of new TMS modalities for psychiatric disorders.
Improvement of β‐cyclodextrin/cardanol inclusion complex for the thermal‐oxidative stability and environmental‐response antioxidation releasing property of polylactic acid
Authors: Yao Zhongyang , Cao Qiming , Li Chenyang , Gong Weiguang , Meng Xin
Published: October 2021

In this article, a β‐cyclodextrin(CD)/cardanol (CA) inclusion complex (IC) was fabricated by co‐precipitation method, which was used to guarantee excellent thermal oxidative stability and environmental‐response antioxidation releasing property of PLA. The results showed that CA was successfully immobilized into β‐CD with a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1, and the immobilization inhibited the migrant of CA from PLA during storage, resulting in the enhancement of antioxidant life of CA in PLA. Thus, PLA stabilized by IC (PLA/IC) maintained higher oxidation onset temperature (OOT) and molecular weight after long‐term thermal oxidative aging. Moreover, CA releasing comparison from PLA/IC and PLA stabilized by CA (PLA/CA) in food stimulant suggested that PLA/IC released CA faster than PLA/CA when PLA contacted with food stimulants due to the solubilization of β‐CD for CA, which would induce the quicker antioxidation of CA in food. In a word, IC can make PLA with longer anti‐oxidative stability during storage and quicker environmental‐response antioxidation releasing property during usage, showing strong potential as an active food‐packaging materials.
Gelation and yielding behavior of polymer–nanoparticle hydrogels
Authors: Grosskopf Abigail K. , Saouaf Olivia A. , Lopez Hernandez Hector , Appel Eric A.
Published: October 2021

Polymer–nanoparticle hydrogels are a unique class of self‐assembled, shear‐thinning, yield‐stress fluids that have demonstrated potential utility in many impactful applications. Here, we present a thorough analysis of the gelation and yielding behavior of these materials with respect to the polymer and nanoparticle component stoichiometry. Through comprehensive rheological and diffusion studies, we reveal insights into the structural dynamics of the polymer nanoparticle network that identify that stoichiometry plays a key role in gelation and yielding, ultimately enabling the development of hydrogel formulations with unique shear‐thinning and yield‐stress behaviors. Access to these materials opens new doors for interesting applications in a variety of fields including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and controlled solution viscosity.
Nuclear receptors of NR1 and NR4 subfamilies in the regulation of microglial functions and pathology
Authors: Katsuki Hiroshi
Published: October 2021

This review provides an overview of researches on the NR1 and NR4 nuclear receptors involved in the regulation of microglial functions. Nuclear receptors are attractive candidates for drug targets in the therapies of the central nervous system disorders, because the activation of these receptors is expected to regulate the functions and the phenotypes of microglia, by controlling the expression of specific gene subsets and also by regulating the cellular signaling mechanisms in a nongenomic manner. Several members of NR1 nuclear receptor subfamily have been examined for their ability to regulate microglial functions. For example, stimulation of vitamin D receptor inhibits the production of pro‐inflammatory factors and increases the production of anti‐inflammatory cytokines. Similar regulatory actions of nuclear receptor ligands on inflammation‐related genes have also been reported for other NR1 members such as retinoic acid receptors, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs), and liver X receptors (LXRs). In addition, stimulation of PPARγ and LXRs may also result in increased phagocytic activities of microglia. Consistent with these actions, the agonists at nuclear receptors of NR1 subfamily are shown to produce therapeutic effects on animal models of various neurological disorders such as experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke. On the other hand, increasing lines of evidence suggest that the stimulation of NR4 subfamily members of nuclear receptors such as Nur77 and Nurr1 also regulates microglial functions and alleviates neuropathological events in several disease models. Further advancement of these research fields may prove novel therapeutic opportunities.
Characteristics of Series‐Connected Resonant Tunneling Diode‐Pair Configuration for High Output Power Operation
Authors: Lee Kiwon
Published: October 2021

Herein, a series‐connected resonant tunneling diode (RTD)‐pair configuration is characterized using the dynamic capacitance characteristics of the RTD. To achieve enhanced output power characteristics, the RTD‐pair cell is utilized in the RTD oscillator design to increase the voltage span and current span of the negative differential conductance (NDC) region. The results indicate that not only the output power can be significantly improved compared with the single‐RTD oscillator, but also it operates at a small capacitance region, making the RTD‐pair oscillator beneficial for high frequency and high output power operation.
Improvement of Performance Characteristics for LiI:Ag Single‐Crystal Scintillators by Defect Structure Tailoring Using Sr Codopant
Authors: Sonu  , Tyagi Mohit , Kalyani  , Singh A. K. , Rawat N. S. , Sarkar P. S.
Published: October 2021

Lithium iodides are very efficient single‐crystal scintillators for thermal neutron detection. Doping with silver, as activator ions, has shown to improve its limitation of discriminating gamma background by introducing pulse shape discrimination ability. To improve the scintillation performance, single crystals of LiI:Ag, codoped with different concentration of Sr ions, are grown and characterized in details. A systematic investigation of radioluminescence, thermoluminescence, and scintillation properties along with the decay kinetics provides better understanding about the role of defect structure in scintillation mechanism. The extra charge, provided by Sr2+ ions, is found to alter the defect structure with relative reduction of the contribution from the deeper trap centers in comparison with the shallow traps. Consequently, it leads to a significant improvement of light yield quenching under higher excitation density of charged particle irradiation. The 0.1% Sr codoped crystals provide a better discrimination ability of neutron and gamma radiations for simultaneous detection.
Control charts for monitoring mean of generalized exponential distribution with type‐I censoring
Authors: Ahmed Nabeel , Ali Sajid , Shah Ismail
Published: October 2021

Monitoring censored data is a challenging task as the traditional charts reported poor performance in the case of censored data. This article presents exponentially weighted moving average control charts for monitoring type‐I censored data assuming generalized exponential (GE) distribution. In particular, we replace the censored observation with the conditional expected value (CEV), conditional median (CM), and conditional standard deviation (CSD) to assess the performance of the charts. To evaluate the performance of the memory‐type charts, this study considers different shifts, smoothing weights, and censoring rates in order to compare their effectiveness. Besides a comprehensive study of average run length (ARL) using Monte Carlo simulations, special attention is paid to the standard deviation of the run length (SDRL), because it can be substantially larger for skewed distributions. Furthermore, the application of the proposed charts is illustrated by using two real data sets. Different situations are identified where CEV, CM, and CSD are preferred over each other.
A retrospective multicentre study on the evaluation of perioperative outcomes of single‐port robotic cholecystectomy comparing the Xi and SP versions of the da Vinci robotic surgical system
Authors: Kang Yoon Hyung , Kang Jae Seung , Cho Yo Seok , Kim Hyeong Seok , Lee Mirang , Han Youngmin , Sohn Hee Ju , Kim Hongbeom , Kwon Wooil , Jang Jin‐Young , Lee Hyeon Kook
Published: October 2021

Background

Single‐incision robotic cholecystectomy (SIRC) is widely performed with both the da Vinci Xi system (Xi) and the da Vinci SP system (SP). But there are limited numbers of studies comparing these platforms.

Methods

Patients who underwent SIRC between 2019 and 2020 were enrolled. Patient demographics, intraoperative factors, postoperative complications, postoperative pain were compared using a one‐to‐one propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

Overall, 258 patients underwent SIRC with Xi and 72 with SP. After PSM, there were significant differences between the Xi and SP in operation time at console and numeric rating scale for postoperative pain, but no difference in total operation time and postoperative complications. The SP group showed more estimated blood loss.

Conclusions

Despite the statistical difference, clinical benefit was not significant. Both platforms can be safe and feasible to perform SIRC, but further investigation including the surgeon's workload and ergonomics is needed as a prospective study.
Circular economy—A way forward to Sustainable Development: Identifying Conceptual Overlaps and Contingency Factors at the Microlevel
Authors: Sinha Ekta
Published: October 2021

The concept of circular economy (CE) has gained a lot of attention in recent years to provide creative and innovative solutions to issues relating to sustainable development (SD) in the ever‐changing business environment. While the earlier studies have presented the concept of CE and its barriers, there exits limited work at the microlevel (business level). Additionally, most of the existing studies are case based, so generalization of results is tough. Drawing from the current literature, this work develops a deeper understanding of the concept of the CE and presents a framework of barriers at the microlevel. We identify and discuss eight major barriers to circular business (CB) processes and posit SD as the desirable outcome. The study holds some critical managerial implications as it illustrates major contingency factors and provides greater insights into CB processes for better execution.
Bio‐Derived Surface Layer Suitable for Long Term Cycling Ni‐Rich Cathode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Jo Chang‐Heum , Voronina Natalia , Kim Hee Jae , Yashiro Hitoshi , Yaqoob Najma , Guillon Olivier , Kaghazchi Payam , Myung Seung‐Taek
Published: October 2021

Since Ni‐rich cathode material is very sensitive to moisture and easily forms residual lithium compounds that degrade cell performance, it is very important to pay attention to the selection of the surface modifying media. Accordingly, hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), a tooth‐derived material showing excellent mechanical and thermodynamic stabilities, is selected. To verify the availability of hydroxyapatite as a surface protection material, lithium‐doped hydroxyapatite, Ca4.67Li0.33(PO4)3(OH), is formed with ≈10‐nm layer after reacting with residual lithium compounds on Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2, which spontaneously results in dramatic reduction of surface lithium residues to 2879 ppm from 22364 ppm. The Ca4.67Li0.33(PO4)3(OH)‐modified Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2 electrode provides ultra‐long term cycling stability, enabling 1000 cycles retaining 66.3% of its initial capacity. Also, morphological degradations such as micro‐cracking or amorphization of surface are significantly suppressed by the presence of Ca4.67Li0.33(PO4)3(OH) layer on the Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2, of which the Ca4.67Li0.33(PO4)3(OH) is transformed to CaF2 via Ca4.67Li0.33(PO4)3F during the long term cycles reacting with HF in electrolyte. In addition, the authors’ density function theory (DFT) results explain the reason of instability of NCA and why CaF2 layers can delay the micro‐cracking during electrochemical reaction. Therefore, the stable Ca4.67Li0.33(PO4)3F and CaF2 layers play a pivotal role to protect the Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2 with ultra‐long cycling stability.
Strong Penetration‐Induced Effective Photothermal Therapy by Exosome‐Mediated Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots
Authors: Liu Jing , Yi Kezhen , Zhang Qi , Xu Hang , Zhang Xingang , He Dong , Wang Fubing , Xiao Xiangheng
Published: October 2021

Nanocancer medicine, such as photothermal therapy (PTT), as a promising way to solve cancer without side effects, faces a huge biological barrier during the circulation of nanoparticles in the body, including nanobiological interactions in the blood, isolation of nanoparticles in the macrophage system, tumor spillover effect, and especially uneven intratumoral distribution of nanoparticles, which cast a shadow over the hope. To address the problem of intratumoral distribution, an effective photothermal agent is introduced by packaging the black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) into exosome vector (EXO) through electroporation method. With the improving and proper stability for better therapy, the resulting BPQDs@EXO nanospheres (BEs) exhibit good biocompatibility, long circulation time, and excellent tumor targeting ability, hence impressive PTT efficiency evidenced by highly efficient tumor ablation in vivo. Importantly, great permeability on organoids contributed by EXO appears with BEs, which strongly promotes the efficient killing ability. These BP‐based nanospheres must promise high clinical potential due to the high PTT efficiency and minimal side effects.
David James Bartram
Authors: Butterworth Jill , Crocker Paul , Kennedy Clive
Published: October 2021

Not one to shout about his own efforts as an advocate for mental wellbeing, his internationally recognised research made a difference to the whole profession.
Enhancement of aging resistance ofEPDMrubber by naturalrubber‐g‐N(4‐phenylenediamine) maleimide as a grafted antioxidant
Authors: El‐Wakil Abd El‐Aziz A. , El‐Mogy Soma , Halim Sawsan F. , Abdel‐Hakim Ahmed
Published: October 2021

A new antioxidant was prepared by graft copolymerization ofN(4‐phenylenediamine) maleimide (pPDAM) onto natural rubber (NR). Fourier transform infrared technique was used to confirm the grafting of (pPDAM) onto the NR backbone. The grafted copolymer (NR‐g‐pPDAM) was incorporated into the ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) rubber mix as an antioxidant. For comparison purposes, a widely used antioxidantN‐(1,3‐dimethylbutyl)‐N′‐phenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine (6PPD) was used in addition to a blank sample without antioxidant. The rheometric characteristics of EPDM vulcanizates were determined using an oscillating disc rheometer. Different mechanical properties of the EPDM vulcanizates were measured before and after exposure to thermal and ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3) accelerated aging. The results revealed that the grafted antioxidant NR‐g‐pPDAM is more efficient, for EPDM rubber vulcanizates than the commercial antioxidant (6PPD). EPDM containing grafted (NR‐g‐pPDAM) antioxidant exhibited promising properties, such that it is expected to fulfill major requirements of industrial, automotive, and construction applications.
Educational Perspectives on Mediality and Subjectivation: Introduction
Authors: Bettinger Patrick
Published: October 2021

The concept of the subject has long been a central construct of the social sciences, cultural studies and the humanities. While the philosophical roots of the concept go back to antiquity, new discourses have developed in recent years that critically question and further develop concepts such as subject or subjectivation. In addition to theoretical strands of discussion, the focus is increasingly on the empirical possibilities of subjectification research. It is becoming apparent that the constitutive power of digital mediality—also from the perspective of educational science—is playing an increasingly significant role in these contexts. The introductory chapter presents a brief outline of these developments and provides a first insight into the contributions in this volume.
‘Network Subjectivity’ in the Digital Condition: Three Theoretical Envisionings
Authors: Schenk Sabrina
Published: October 2021

There are currently various academic accounts of contemporary sociality. While the concept of the ‘digtital condition’ seems to lend itself to a cultural interpretation, those of ‘informationalism’ and ‘postsociality’ may be appropriate for describing, from a sociological perspective, specific phenomena of changes to sociality in the digital condition. The emergence of the term ‘knowledge economy’ appears to invite an intersection of cultural and sociological perspectives and proceeding from this starting point, this chapter identifies the shared parameters of these perspectives in relation to the conditions of subjectivity, of high relevance to education, in a networked, media-driven society. The work underlying the chapter examines these issues via the metaphor of ‘network subjectivity’, employing the findings of an empirical study, theory of government, and psychoanalysis.
Agile Transformation at Scale: A Tertiary Study
Authors: Das Suddhasvatta , Gary Kevin
Published: October 2021

Due to the fast-paced nature of the software industry and the success of small agile projects, researchers and practitioners are interested in scaling agile processes to larger projects. Agile software development (ASD) has been growing in popularity for over two decades. With the success of small-scale agile transformation, organizations started to focus on scaling agile. There is a scarcity of literature in this field making it harder to find plausible evidence to identify the science behind large scale agile transformation. The objective of this paper is to present a better understanding of the current state of research in the field of scaled agile transformation and explore research gaps. This tertiary study identifies seven relevant peer reviewed studies and reports research findings and future research avenues.
Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic for Software Development in Nordic Companies – Agility Helps to Respond
Authors: Kettunen Petri , Gustavsson Tomas , Laanti Maarit , Tjernsten Andreas , Mikkonen Tommi , Männistö Tomi
Published: October 2021

In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic affected almost every company in some way also in the Nordic countries. Depending on the different industry sectors of the companies, the impacts have varied from minor risks to severe disruptions but also even booming businesses. In all, agility and resilience have been required to continue and even to survive. In 2018, we started conducting large-scale agile surveys in Finland and Sweden. For the 2020 survey round, we included questions about the current pandemic situation impacts and how agility has helped to respond. The respondents represented software professionals from different industries, not limited to information and communication technology (ICT) companies. The results indicate that although the perceived impacts have mostly been negative (53%), it is not all so. One-third (33%) reported positive impacts such as increased business and better well-being. The majority (55%) of the responses indicated that agility has helped to respond to the pandemic situation. Remarkably, 59% reported that their companies have improved agility during the past year. Improved agility appears to be positively related to the ability to respond to the pandemic. We did not discover significant differences between the Finnish and Swedish respondent cohorts.
Topological entanglement and hyperbolic volume
Authors: Dwivedi Aditya , Dwivedi Siddharth , Mandal Bhabani Prasad , Ramadevi Pichai , Singh Vivek Kumar
Published: October 2021

The entanglement entropy of many quantum systems is difficult to compute in general. They are obtained as a limiting case of the Rényi entropy of index m, which captures the higher moments of the reduced density matrix. In this work, we study pure bipartite states associated with S3 complements of a two-component link which is a connected sum of a knot $$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
and the Hopf link. For this class of links, the Chern-Simons theory provides the necessary setting to visualise the m-moment of the reduced density matrix as a three-manifold invariant Z($$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

), which is the partition function of $$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

. Here $$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

is a closed 3-manifold associated with the knot $$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
m, where $$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
m is a connected sum of m-copies of $$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
(i.e., $$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
#$$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
. . . #$$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
) which mimics the well-known replica method. We analayse the partition functions Z($$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

) for SU(2) and SO(3) gauge groups, in the limit of the large Chern-Simons coupling k. For SU(2) group, we show that Z($$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

) can grow at most polynomially in k. On the contrary, we conjecture that Z($$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

) for SO(3) group shows an exponential growth in k, where the leading term of ln Z($$ {M}_{{\mathcal{K}}_m} $$

M

K
m

) is the hyperbolic volume of the knot complement S3\$$ \mathcal{K} $$
K
m. We further propose that the Rényi entropies associated with SO(3) group converge to a finite value in the large k limit. We present some examples to validate our conjecture and proposal.
A Mathematical Analysis of Casimir Interactions I: The Scalar Field
Authors: Fang Yan-Long , Strohmaier Alexander
Published: October 2021

Starting from the construction of the free quantum scalar field of mass $$m\ge 0$$

m
≥
0

, we give mathematically precise and rigorous versions of three different approaches to computing the Casimir forces between compact obstacles. We then prove that they are equivalent.