bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of partial closure of an emergency department on utilization of emergency departments
Authors: Harbak Jonathan
Published: September 2022

Background: As a result of multiple recommendations from the Danish Health Authority during 2005-2006, the structure of emergency care was reconfigured, including a reduction in the number of entry points in the form of EDs. The reconfiguration process was set to start in 2007, with a goal of completion within 5-10 years. The aim of this study is to shed light on the effect of partial closure of an ED on the utilization of EDs.

Methods: Our population-based historic cohort study was based on data from Statistics Denmark and from Danish health registries, including the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish National Patient Registry. We included all non-psychiatric ED contacts in citizens of Vejle municipal in the period 2014 to 2015 as Vejle ED on 5 January 2015 ceased its intake of acute orthopedic injuries between 10 pm and 7 am. As of 2015, Vejle municipality had 111,138 citizens. Contacts were excluded if patients where below 18 years old. For each contact emergency department utilized, residential municipal, and date of contact was extracted. Difference-in-difference (DID) estimation based on linear regression was employed, the dependent variable being aggregated daily ED contacts. The control group was defined as contacts between 7 am and 11 pm, and the cases being contacts between 11 pm and 7 am.Results: The study included a total of 39,659 contacts. Out of these 34,901 where between 7 am and 11 pm, and 4,758 where between 11 pm and 7 am. In days before 5 January 2015 there was on average 7.33 contacts between 11pm and 7am, in days after the average was 5.75 contacts, resulting in a 21.6% drop. The DID analysis’ comparison of contacts before and after 5 January 2015 resulted in a coefficient of -2.07, p<0.01, 95%CI [-3.44, -0.70].

Conclusion: In conclusion, the negative DID coefficient found shows a drop of 2 contacts per day between 11pm and 7am. This drop in utilization of EDs could indicate an inequality in accessibility to healthcare. This begs the question; which citizens does not utilize the EDs after reconfiguration, and what conquests this brings?
Work environment in emergency medicine needs to be improved
Authors: Schmidt Thomas A.
Published: September 2022

Background: Emergency medicine (EM) is a novel specialty in Denmark. So far there are only 111 board certified specialists in EM in Denmark ~5 per Emergency department (ED). We hypothesize that stressful ED work environment may impact EM recruitment. The aim of our analysis was to evaluate the rate of applicants for EM junior and senior residency and relate it to ED patient complaint rate and work environment.

Methods: We evaluated EM junior residency applications; and we calculated the rate of unfilled versus posted EM senior residency appointments In Denmark in 2020. As received by The Danish Agency for Patient Complaints we compared complaints from patients received over a 3-year period for EM, Respiratory medicine (RM), Cardiology (Card) and Endocrinology (Endo). One-way analysis of variance was performed to assess overall significance which was followed by a Tukey studentized range test procedure to locate the possible differences. We anonymously asked affiliated EM junior residents to qualify the reason for their application and whether they intend to apply for senior residency.Results We found a surplus of EM junior residency applications. Thus, positions were easily filled. Conversely unfilled senior EM residency appointments in Denmark amounted to 31 out of 52 posted appointments, meaning that 59% of EM senior residency appointments were unfilled. Patient complaints amounted to (means±SEM) EM 333±55; RM 88±9; Card 113±17; Endo 58±8, meaning a 3 to 5fold higher patient complaint rate in EM (p < 0.0006). There were no statistical differences in patient complaints among RM, Card and Endo. Among 8 EM junior residents 63% expressed interest in an EM career as the reason for their application but following EM experience none intended to apply for senior residency.

Conclusion: More than half of posted senior residency positions in EM remain vacant. Patient complaints are significantly frequent in EM compared to other medical specialties. Junior residents are reluctant to pursue senior residency. Stressful ED working environment needs to be improved to facilitate EM recruitment.
Organisation of emergency departments: An evaluation of the policy design
Authors: Tipsmark Line Stjernholm
Published: September 2022

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Comparison of Physical and Chemical Composition of Leachate from Three Municipal Waste Landfills: Sarajevo, Zenica and Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Case Study
Authors: Simeunčević Danijela , Basta Sara , Mihajlović Branislav
Published: September 2022

In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), waste management is still based on the preventive disposal of waste in landfills, of which most landfills are unregulated. According to World Bank reports, BiH must deal with the improvement of waste disposal to protect the environment. The aim of this study was to review the physical and chemical composition of leachate from municipal waste landfills. The following standard physicochemical methods were used: pH, total suspended solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chlorides, and sulphates. The leachate quality test was conducted over three years at landfills in Sarajevo, Zenica and Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Based on the processed data (from the processed tables), and in comparison with the expected values of pollutants in landfills over the period of 10 years, we can conclude the following: (1) Landfill “Smiljevići” Sarajevo, in the observed period of 3 years, has a higher average value than expected; (2) Landfill “Desetina” Tuzla, in the observed period of 3 years, has a higher average value than expected; (3) Landfill “Mošćanica” Zenica, in the observed period of 3 years, has a higher average value than expected.
The Incidence of Contrast Induced Nephropathy in Major Trauma Patients in the University Clinical Center of the Republic of Srpska
Authors: Gašić Branislav , Zeljković Slavica , Anić Ana , Paštar Milan , Dodik Jelena , Vulić Dragana
Published: September 2022

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is characterized as an acute renal injury after the administration of intravascular iodinated radio-contrast medium in the absence of any other etiology. There is a small number of studies that analyze the occurrence and impact of CIN in traumatized patients who require whole-body CT according to the polytrauma protocol. In the period from January 2021 to May 2022, patients in the University Clinical Center of the Republic of Srpska who underwent CT according to the protocol for polytrauma were retrospectively analyzed. The study included 51 patients. CIN was defined as a 25% rise from baseline creatinine, or an absolute increase in creatinine of  ≥ 44 µmol/l 24–48 h after administration of contrast. Of the total number of patients, 12% (n = 6) met the criteria for CIN. Age, sex, comorbidity, severity of injury based on ISS (injury severity score) were analyzed. Hemoglobin and fibrinogen levels, length of hospitalization, stay in the intensive care unit, mortality were monitored. A value of p 0.01 was considered statistically significant. CIN is common in traumatized patients, but it is not an independent risk factor for length of hospitalization or mortality.
The Relationship of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Birth Weight and Parental BMI on Children’ Obesity Status
Authors: Stankovska Zorica , Gontarev Serjoža , Kostovski Žarko , Janković Aleksandar
Published: September 2022

The aim of the study was to determine the differences in cardiorespiratory fitness, parents’ body mass index, birth weight between a group of children with normal and overweight / obesity and to determine how much the studied variables affect the risk of their biological offspring being overweight. The research was conducted on a sample of 1096 respondents, aged 6 to 10 years, randomly drawn from several primary schools in the Skopje region. The sample is divided into two sub-samples according to gender, 496 male respondents and 600 female respondents. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with the 20m shuttle run test according to the procedures described in FITNESSGRAM. The children were classified into two groups, based on the percentages of the body mass index, according to the IOTF standard. The birth weight of the children was assessed from the pediatric records of each child at birth. The condition of overweight / obese parents was defined according to the classification of the World Health Organization. Data on the education of parents (especially mothers and fathers) were collected through a questionnaire.. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in this study was 22.6% and 14.9%, for the entire sample of respondents without statistically significant gender differences. The results of the research indicate the connection between obesity of parents and their children. Furthermore, the results suggest that low cardiorespiratory fitness and high birth weight are predictors of OV / OB in childhood.
The Influence of European Diplomats in Montenegro on the Development of Sport at the end of the XIX Century Until the Beginning of the First World War
Authors: Krivokapić Dragan , Ljubojević Milovan , Bojanić Danilo
Published: September 2022

Decisions made at the Berlin Congress in 1878. finally resolved the issue of Montenegro’s international status. This created the conditions for European countries to open their diplomatic embassies in Cetinje - the Principality of Montenegro. During this period, diplomatic activities with European countries intensified, which led to the emergence and development of new, hitherto unknown sports in Montenegro. Foreign diplomats contribute to getting to know, accepting and developing modern sports in Montenegro, which they themselves have been involved in. Arriving at the diplomatic embassies of their countries, they brought to Cetinje appropriate sports equipment and their own sports equipment which, after the construction of appropriate sports fields, they used for the first sports and recreational activities, until then mostly unknown in Montenegro. Thus, the first tennis rackets, golf equipment, skis, skates, rollerblades …, arrived in the capital with foreign diplomats, for which the members of the prince’s family and the court entourage showed great interest and soon got involved and mastered new sports and recreational activities. Shortly afterwards, these sports became interesting and accepted by a number of Cetinje residents, which resulted in the opening of several new sports clubs.
Construction and Validation of Arm Wingate Test for Determination of Anaerobic Abilities in Water Polo Juniors
Authors: Vrdoljak Dario , Kaić Tea , Uljević Ognjen
Published: September 2022

The Wingate test is a widely spread test of anaerobic endurance and power in most sports. However, the standard model of the test is based upon a bicycle ergometer for evaluation of lower extremities, therefore, is poorly used in sports that demand a high level of upper body power. This research aims to determine the metric characteristics of the newly constructed arm crank Wingate test. The sample of participants is junior water polo players of VK Mornar Brodospas from Split, Croatia. Mean chronological age is 17-19 years and all participants participated in the test voluntarily. Results are showing a satisfactory level of reliability, homogeneity, and sensibility of measuring instrument and good application in sports such as water polo. Further research should include a bigger sample of participants and athletes from different sports.
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Adults In Kosovo
Authors: Morina Besnik , Bajçinca Brestovci Shqipe
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Monitoring overweight and obesity is important for evaluating targeted interventions, preventing or reducing overweight and obesity. The purpose of this research was to confirm the hypothesis H: A if there are or not statistically significant differences between the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and the weight status of the respondents in Kosovo. Methods: Participants were 200 male-female persons, of which 100 male-female persons were from urban areas, 100 male-female persons were from rural areas, the material was collected during March 2021. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Results: The results show that the percentage of underweight was 1.2%, normal weight 30.8%, overweight 46.5%, and obesity included 21.5% of respondents. More males than females were overweight (54.6% vs 37%) of the women surveyed. Category >60 years - older people were significantly more overweight (53.4%) and obese (34.1%) of respondents than middle-aged and younger adults. Retired people make up a larger share of overweight and obesity (82.0%) of respondents, compared to employees, unemployed and students. People from urban areas were significantly more overweight than people in rural areas (49.3 vs 33.3%) and obese (23.3 vs 13.3%). Conclusion: In accordance with the research objective and hypotheses, we also obtained the research results show that the hypothesis H: A is proved which shows that there are statistically significant differences between the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and the weight status of the respondents in Kosovo.
Diffusion-weighted imaging-positive lesions following endovascular treatment for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms: Its incidence according to antithrombotic drugs
Authors: Lee Sang Hyuk , Kim Seung Hwan , Jang Ji Hwan , Kim Young Zoon , Kim Kyu Hong , Nam Taek Min
Published: September 2022

Objective: Microembolic infarcts are frequently observed on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) following endovascular treatment. We investigated DWI-positive lesions and symptomatic ischemic complications (SICs) in patients with ruptured and unruptured aneurysms following coiling and the relationship between DWI-positive lesions and antithrombotic drugs.Methods: Between January 2016 and December 2020, 83 patients underwent DWI within 48 h following endovascular treatment for ruptured (n=30) and unruptured (n=53) aneurysms.Results: The overall rate of DWI-positive lesions was 55.4%. There were no significant differences in the occurrence rate (45.3% vs. 43.3%, p=1.000) and the number of lesions (2.7±4.6 vs. 4.0±5.3, p=0.237) between unruptured and ruptured aneurysms. SIC occurred more frequently in patients with ruptured aneurysms than unruptured ones (20.0% vs. 1.9%, p=0.015). The cutoff value of DWI-positive lesions for predicting SIC was 5 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 78.9%). The procedure time was significantly longer in patients with DWI-positive lesions ≥5 than those with DWI-positive lesions <5 (104.1±43.8 vs. 85.1±30.8 min, p=0.030). Patients with DWI-positive lesions <5 were more frequently observed in the postprocedural heparinization group than in the no heparinization group (85.7% vs. 58.5%, p=0.012).Conclusions: The incidence of DWI-positive lesions did not differ significantly between the ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. However, SIC occurred more frequently in patients with ruptured aneurysms. Longer procedure time is a risk factor for DWI-positive lesions, and postprocedural heparinization seems to reduce the incidence of DWI-positive lesions.
Structural model of microtubule dynamics inhibition by kinesin-4 from the crystal structure of KLP-12 –tubulin complex
Authors: Taguchi Shinya , Nakano Juri , Imasaki Tsuyoshi , Kita Tomoki , Saijo-Hamano Yumiko , Sakai Naoki , Shigematsu Hideki , Okuma Hiromichi , Shimizu Takahiro , Nitta Eriko , Kikkawa Satoshi , Mizobuchi Satoshi , Niwa Shinsuke , Nitta Ryo
Published: September 2022

Kinesin superfamily proteins are microtubule-based molecular motors driven by the energy of ATP hydrolysis. Among them, the kinesin-4 family is a unique motor that inhibits microtubule dynamics. Although mutations of kinesin-4 cause several diseases, its molecular mechanism is unclear because of the difficulty of visualizing the high-resolution structure of kinesin-4 working at the microtubule plus-end. Here, we report that KLP-12, a C. elegans kinesin-4 ortholog of KIF21A and KIF21B, is essential for proper length control of C. elegans axons, and its motor domain represses microtubule polymerization in vitro. The crystal structure of the KLP-12 motor domain complexed with tubulin, which represents the high-resolution structural snapshot of the inhibition state of microtubule-end dynamics, revealed the bending effect of KLP-12 for tubulin. Comparison with the KIF5B-tubulin and KIF2C-tubulin complexes, which represent the elongation and shrinking forms of microtubule ends, respectively, showed the curvature of tubulin introduced by KLP-12 is in between them. Taken together, KLP-12 controls the proper length of axons by modulating the curvature of the microtubule ends to inhibit the microtubule dynamics.
Improvement of the Nutritional Value of Rice Biscuits with Some Vitamins and Minerals Using Soy Flour and Strawberry Powder
Authors: Afify Hayat M. N. , Hussien Hanan A. , Omima S. R. Shams
Published: September 2022

Aims:  The purpose of this paper is to develop a biscuit incorporated with defatted soy ﬂour and strawberry powder to enhance its nutritional value of it.

Methodology: The proportion of rice ﬂour and defatted soy four were 25% and the level of strawberry powder used for making biscuit samples was 0, 5, 10 and 15% respectively. The biscuits were evaluated for their quality based on proximate analysis, physical properties and sensory evaluation.

Results:  Based on chemical analysis protein, ﬁber content and β-carotene level increased with increasing the amount of strawberry powder. The most preferred products were that with 25% defatted soy ﬂour and 10 per cent strawberry powder. It is noticed that 100gm of biscuits with 20% defatted soy ﬂour and 10% strawberry powder provide 4-8 years-old children with 44% of their needs of protein, 20.23% of their needs of iron, 19.06% of zinc and 48.01% of folate.

Conclusion: The addition of both defatted soy ﬂour and strawberry powder as a ﬂour replacer in gluten-free biscuits improves its nutritional value without aﬀecting its physical properties and consumer acceptance.
NÍVEIS, TENDÊNCIAS E DIFERENCIAIS SÓCIO-ECONÔMICOS DA FECUNDIDADE
Authors: Pagliaro Heloísa
Published: September 2022

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BICENTENÁRIO (1822/2022) DA INDEPENDÊNCIA ... OU MORTE?! CIVILIZAÇÃO OU BARBÁRIE?
Authors: Cardoso Jr José Celso
Published: September 2022

O Brasil encontra-se, mais uma vez em sua história, diante de desafios e escolhas irreconciliáveis. Ou se submete aos processos de moralização arcaica dos costumes, valores antidemocráticos e criminalização da política, sindicatos e movimentos sociais, ou se levanta e luta. Ou adota o caminho da mediocridade e da subalternidade econômica, política e social, mas também intelectual, moral e cultural, ou se reinventa como nação para reescrever o seu próprio destino histórico. Na quadra histórica em que a humanidade se encontra desde princípios do século XXI, já parece claro o colapso (ou ao menos algumas tendências nítidas de grande enfraquecimento institucional e disfuncionalidades práticas) das regras gerais de organização, regulação e funcionamento dos sistemas (econômicos, políticos, sociais, culturais, tecnológicos e ambientais) dominantes em escala planetária.As lições históricas são inúmeras e inequívocas: quando as forças progressistas passam pelo poder sem mudar a estrutura do Estado, elas ficam permanentemente expostas aos riscos de serem capturadas por ondas autoritárias, conservadoras e neoliberais. O enfrentamento contra tais destituições sistemáticas deve se dar pela reconstrução de ideias e forças que formem o corpo de um novo poder constituinte. O desaguadouro dessas ações deve convergir para a transformação da estrutura do Estado, um objetivo que deve ser parte central do programa democrático-popular, mas também deve ser entendido como premissa determinante para a sua implementação.
Is It Really Alternating Bundle-Branch Block?
Authors: Wang Li , Duan Caiyun , Ma Lan
Published: September 2022

This case report describes the electrocardiogram findings of a patient in their 60s who was hospitalized with upper right quadrant discomfort for more than 10 days.
Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on patients with Parkinson's disease: A meta‐analysis of 13,878 patients
Authors: Mai Aaron Shengting , Yong Jung Hahn , Tan Brendan Jen‐Wei , Xiao Bin , Tan Eng‐King
Published: September 2022

Background

The clinical, neuropsychological, and socioeconomic factors affecting Parkinson's disease (PD) during COVID‐19 pandemic across different populations have not been systematically studied. To address this, we conducted a meta‐analysis of factors that impact the well‐being of PD patients during the pandemic.

Methods

Medline and Embase were searched for articles published between 2020 and 2022. We conducted random‐effects pooling of estimates and meta‐regression.

Results

Twenty‐seven studies involving 13,878 patients from America, Europe, Asia, and Africa were included. There is a high prevalence of decreased physical activity and exercise, and worsening motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms (17–56%). Patients in lower‐income countries more frequently reported worsening anxiety (adjusted OR [aOR] 8.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62–49.28, p = 0.012), sleep (aOR 5.16, 95% CI 1.15–23.17, p = 0.032), and PD symptoms (aOR 3.57, 95% CI 0.96–13.34, p = 0.058). Lockdown was associated with decreased exercise levels (aOR 0.13, 95% CI 0.02–0.78, p = 0.025) and worsening mood (aOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.24–0.95, p = 0.035). Younger age correlated with decreased physical activity (β −0.30, 95% CI −0.53 to −0.07, p = 0.012), exercise (β −0.11, 95% CI −0.15 to −0.07, p < 0.001), worsening PD symptoms (β −0.08, 95% CI −0.15 to −0.01, p = 0.018), and sleep (β −0.14, 95% CI −0.27 to 0, p = 0.044). Female PD patients reported a greater decrease in physical activity (β 11.94, 95% CI 2.17–21.71, p = 0.017) and worse sleep (β 10.76, 95% CI 2.81–18.70, p = 0.008).

Conclusion

This large meta‐analysis of PD patients in diverse populations identified a high prevalence of physical and mental worsening during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with patients in lower‐income countries being exceptionally vulnerable.
Will Power
Authors: Finch Paul
Published: September 2022

One of Alsop & Lyall's first built works was a swimming pool at Sheringham in Norfolk, close to Alsop's family home, and was a long, extruded form. Paul Finch followed Alsop's entire career through the eyes of a journalist, making the connection between the use of the formal extrusion as design tactic and many of the buildings and schemes that came later. Coupled with Alsop's non‐belief in the old ‘form follows function’ idiom, this allowed him to create vivacious architectural designs, urban districts and whole cities.
Forty B&H and a Pork Pie: My Dad the Architect
Authors: Alsop Ollie
Published: September 2022

Letting us into a side of Alsop seldom seen, Will's son Ollie Alsop relates small vignettes of domestic and close working life, including at the family's apparently ad hoc Norfolk house. The improvised homely home seems at odds perhaps with the chimera of a successful architects’ residence where material and space are held in taught alignment. Paradoxically, Will's personal habits were concerned with the exactitude of repetitively laying out his drawing, drinking and smoking accoutrements on the kitchen table each morning.
Art of the Impossible: A Posthumous Supercrit
Authors: Rattenbury Kester
Published: September 2022

Kester Rattenbury convenes the long‐running Supercrit series at the University of Westminster, London. Here she describes proceedings at Supercrit #8, which presented Alsop's ‘Le Grand Bleu’ in Marseille, France, the competition‐winning building for the headquarters of the regional government of the Hôtel du Département des Bouches‐du‐Rhône. The event was conducted without its star performer, who had, alas, died six months prior. The invited panellists represented a range of design inputs from engineers to artists, each demonstrating their respect for Alsop and his creative verve while offering critical reflections on this ground‐breaking project.
Automated Analysis of Continuum Fields from Atomistic Simulations Using Statistical Machine Learning
Authors: Prakash Aruna , Sandfeld Stefan
Published: September 2022

Atomistic simulations of the molecular dynamics/statics kind are regularly used to study small‐scale plasticity. Contemporary simulations are performed with tens to hundreds of millions of atoms, with snapshots of these configurations written out at regular intervals for further analysis. Continuum scale constitutive models for material behavior can benefit from information on the atomic scale, in particular in terms of the deformation mechanisms, the accommodation of the total strain, and partitioning of stress and strain fields in individual grains. Herein, a methodology is developed using statistical data mining and machine learning algorithms to automate the analysis of continuum field variables in atomistic simulations. Three important field variables are focused on: total strain, elastic strain, and microrotation. The results show that the elastic strain in individual grains exhibits a unimodal lognormal distribution, while the total strain and microrotation fields evidence a multimodal distribution. The peaks in the distribution of total strain are identified with a Gaussian mixture model and methods to circumvent overfitting problems are presented. Subsequently, the identified peaks are evaluated in terms of deformation mechanisms in a grain, which, e.g., helps to quantify the strain for which individual deformation mechanisms are responsible. The overall statistics of the distributions over all grains are an important input for higher scale models, which ultimately also helps to be able to quantitatively discuss the implications for information transfer to phenomenological models.
Thrombin‐Loaded Magnetic Microbubbles for the Treatment of Pseudoaneurysms
Authors: Thomas Alec , Shieh Bernard , Bau Luca , Lee Regent , Handa Ashok , Stride Eleanor
Published: September 2022

The drive toward minimally invasive surgery has yielded multiple benefits for patients but has also increased the incidence of pseudoaneurysms (PSA). The current standard of care is ultrasound‐guided thrombin injection to coagulate blood in the PSA sac and seal the ruptured vessel. There is, however, a risk of downstream thrombosis if thrombin escapes into the communicating vessel and this limits patient eligibility for thrombin injection. In this study, the feasibility of using magnetic targeting to reduce the risk of distal thrombosis is investigated. Thrombin‐loaded magnetic microbubbles are formulated and injected into tissue‐mimicking phantoms of PSAs with different geometries using either saline or whole (equine) blood. Ultrasound imaging is used to quantify the concentration of bubbles remaining in the sac with and without application of a custom‐built magnetic array. An absorbance‐based assay is also used to quantify the concentration of thrombin escaping from the sac. Magnetic targeting enables a significant increase in thrombin retention in all femoral artery PSA models except one, with up to 97% ± 2.5% of the injected thrombin being retained. It is also confirmed that the enzymatic activity of thrombin is maintained, and that clot formation can be successfully achieved in whole blood.
Charge‐Compensated N‐Doped π‐Conjugated Polymers: Toward both Thermodynamic Stability of N‐Doped States in Water and High Electron Conductivity
Authors: Borrmann Fabian , Tsuda Takuya , Guskova Olga , Kiriy Nataliya , Hoffmann Cedric , Neusser David , Ludwigs Sabine , Lappan Uwe , Simon Frank , Geisler Martin , Debnath Bipasha , Krupskaya Yulia , Al‐Hussein Mahmoud , Kiriy Anton
Published: September 2022

The understanding and applications of electron‐conducting π‐conjugated polymers with naphtalene diimide (NDI) blocks show remarkable progress in recent years. Such polymers demonstrate a facilitated n‐doping due to the strong electron deficiency of the main polymer chain and the presence of the positively charged side groups stabilizing a negative charge of the n‐doped backbone. Here, the n‐type conducting NDI polymer with enhanced stability of its n‐doped states for prospective “in‐water” applications is developed. A combined experimental–theoretical approach is used to identify critical features and parameters that control the doping and electron transport process. The facilitated polymer reduction ability and the thermodynamic stability in water are confirmed by electrochemical measurements and doping studies. This material also demonstrates a high conductivity of 10−2 S cm−1 under ambient conditions and 10−1 S cm−1 in vacuum. The modeling explains the stabilizing effects  for various dopants. The simulations show a significant doping‐induced “collapse” of the positively charged side chains on the core bearing a partial negative charge. This explains a decrease in the lamellar spacing observed in experiments. This study fundamentally enables a novel pathway for achieving both thermodynamic stability of the n‐doped states in water and the high electron conductivity of polymers.
Epoxidation of crambe seed oil with peracetic acid formed in situ
Authors: Iwassa Isabela Julio , Saldaña Marleny D. A. , Cardozo‐Filho Lucio , da Silva Camila
Published: September 2022

This study investigated the epoxidation of crambe seed oil (CSO) using peracetic acid formed in situ during the reaction process. First, a preliminary study of the main operational variables was carried out. Then, the kinetic behavior of the reaction was verified, evaluating the effect of the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to ethylenic unsaturation, catalyst percentage and temperature. The results indicate that the smallest amount of hydrogen peroxide (1.1 mol mol−1) favors the relative conversion to oxygen oxirane (RCO) and that an increase in the catalyst percentage up to 2.4 wt% intensifies the reaction, maintaining the stability of the process. In addition, the reaction carried out at high temperatures results in greater conversions in short time, however, it is necessary that the reaction is stopped at the exact time, avoiding exceeding the formation of epoxy resulting in the obtaining of by‐products. Some unsaturated fatty acids are partially consumed while others (linolenic and gondoic acid) are completely consumed during the entire reaction. The epoxidized oils showed higher viscosities in relation to the CSO. The FTIR spectra indicated the appearance of the epoxide group and the analysis by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer indicated the formation of two epoxidized compounds, 3‐octyl oxirane octanoic acid and 10‐oxo‐octadecanoic acid methyl ester. The highest efficiency for the formation of CSO epoxides, within the ranges of the variables evaluated, was observed at 80°C, 8 h reaction, using a H2O2to CC molar ratio of 1.1 mol mol−1and 2.4 wt% H2SO4.
Maternal risk factors vary between subpopulations of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Grivas Genevieve , Frye Richard E. , Hahn Juergen
Published: September 2022

Previous work identified three subgroups of children with ASD based upon co‐occurring conditions (COCs) diagnosed during the first 5 years of life. This work examines prenatal risk factors, given by maternal medical claims, for each of the three subgroups: children with a High‐Prevalence of COCs, children with mainly developmental delay and seizures (DD/Seizure COCs), and children with a Low‐Prevalence of COCs. While some risk factors are shared by all three subgroups, the majority of the factors identified for each subgroup were unique; infections, anti‐inflammatory and other complex medications were associated with the High‐Prevalence COCs group; immune deregulatory conditions such as asthma and joint disorders were associated with the DD/Seizure COCs group; and overall pregnancy complications were associated with the Low‐Prevalence COCs group. Thus, we have found that the previously identified subgroups of children with ASD have distinct associated prenatal risk factors. As such, this work supports subgrouping children with ASD based upon COCs, which may provide a framework for elucidating some of the heterogeneity associated with ASD.
There is more to attraction than meets the eye: Studying decoy‐induced attention allocation without eye tracking
Authors: Marini Marco , Sapienza Alessandro , Paglieri Fabio
Published: September 2022

Context effects in decision making refer to any influence on options evaluation resulting from its relational properties with other available alternatives. Over the last 40 years, a large corpus of research showed that decision makers are sensitive to irrelevant options and tend to modify their preferences depending on choice architecture. The attraction effect is a well‐known example of context effect, which describes an increase in preferences for an option when a dominated alternative is inserted in the choice set. Sequential sampling models (SSM) interpret decision biases as the result of a dynamic comparative process between the available options that alters subjective values attribution. Recently, SSM received empirical support from eye‐tracking studies that documented a decoy‐dependent allocation of attention. In this study, we integrate previous process‐tracing results using a new hidden‐attribute protocol, in which decision makers have to explore products' attributes, keep in mind their values, and deliberately compare the options. This new methodology allows this study to offer additional evidence on the role of decoys in the dynamic process of choice. In a consumer‐choice task, the addition of an asymmetrically dominated decoy first focused the attention on the target during attributes exploration, which in turn led to an increase in the dominant option preferences at the choice stage. This suggests that adding irrelevant options affects the information sampling procedures, insofar as the comparative process is influenced by the dominance relationship of the alternatives. These results are consistent with past eye‐tracking studies and verify previous connectionist theories of the attraction effect.
High‐salt diet contributes to excess oxidative stress and abnormal metabolism in mouse ovaries
Authors: Hou Entai , Yan Jie , Zhu Xiaohui , Qiao Jie
Published: September 2022

High‐salt diets (HSDs) are associated with elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play a key role in ovarian disorders. However, it is not yet clear whether HSDs impact ovarian redox balance and metabolism. Accordingly, in this study, we analyzed the effect of HSDs on ovarian redox balance by biochemical analysis and further dissected its possible mechanism by metabolic analysis combined with the correlation network method. We found that ROS and H2O2 levels significantly increased in the ovarian tissue of mice receiving an HSD for 4 weeks. The enhanced activity of NADPH oxidase may contribute to an increase in ROS in ovarian tissue after excessive salt consumption. Meanwhile, the activities of key antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase 2, glutathione peroxidase, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, increased significantly. The apparent activation of antioxidant defense appeared insufficient as the glutathione, GSH/GSSG ratio, and NADPH/NADP+ ratio decreased significantly. In addition, HSDs significantly altered the metabolic patterns of ovarian tissue in mice, and pathways were mainly enriched in fatty acid metabolism. Arachidonic acid was an altered hub metabolite according to Pearson correlation network analysis. Mechanistically, an HSD increased the concentration of arachidonic acid in ovarian tissue, inducing high NADPH oxidase activity, which increased the levels of ROS and H2O2. Our results indicate that HSDs can lead to increased oxidative stress and dramatically alter the metabolic patterns in mouse ovarian tissues.
Antithrombotics prescription and adherence among stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yang Min , Cheng Hang , Wang Xia , Ouyang Menglu , Shajahan Sultana , Carcel Cheryl , Anderson Craig , Kristoffersen Espen Saxhaug , Lin Yapeng , Sandset Else Charlotte , Wang Xiaoyun , Yang Jie
Published: September 2022

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the prescription of antithrombotic drugs (including anticoagulants and antiplatelets) and medication adherence after stroke.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search across MEDLINE and Embase, from January 1, 2015, to February 17, 2022, to identify studies reporting antithrombotic medications (anticoagulants and antiplatelets) post stroke. Two people independently identified reports to include, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies according to the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Where possible, data were pooled using random‐effects meta‐analysis.

Results

We included 453,625 stroke patients from 46 studies. The pooled proportion of prescribed antiplatelets and anticoagulants among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) was 62% (95% CI: 57%–68%), and 68% (95% CI: 58%–79%), respectively. The pooled proportion of patients who were treated according to the recommendation of guidelines of antithrombotic medications from four studies was 67% (95% CI: 41%–93%). It was reported that 11% (95% CI: 2%–19%) of patients did not receive antithrombotic medications. Good adherence to antiplatelet, anticoagulant, and antithrombotic medications was 78% (95% CI: 67%–89%), 71% (95% CI: 57%–84%), and 73% (95% CI: 59%–86%), respectively.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we found that less than 70% of patients were prescribed and treated according to the recommended guidelines of antithrombotic medications, and good adherence to antithrombotic medications is only 73%. Prescription rate and good adherence to antithrombotic medications still need to be improved among stroke survivors.
Magnetic nanoparticles enhance the cellular immune response of dendritic cell tumor vaccines by realizing the cytoplasmic delivery of tumor antigens
Authors: Huang Linghong , Liu Zonghua , Wu Chongjie , Lin Jiansheng , Liu Ning
Published: September 2022

Dendritic cells (DCs)‐based tumor vaccines have the advantages of high safety and rapid activation of T cells, and have been approved for clinical tumor treatment. However, the conventional DC vaccines have some severe problems, such as poor activation of DCs in vitro, low level of antigen presentation, reduced cell viability, and difficulty in targeting lymph nodes in vivo, resulting in poor clinical therapeutic effects. In this research, magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4@Ca/MnCO3 were prepared and used to actively and efficiently deliver antigens to the cytoplasm of DCs, promote antigen cross‐presentation and DC activation, and finally enhance the cellular immune response of DC vaccines. The results show that the magnetic nanoparticles can actively and quickly deliver antigens to the cytoplasm of DCs by regulating the magnetic field, and achieve cross‐presentation of antigens. At the same time, the nanoparticles degradation product Mn2+ enhanced immune stimulation through the interferon gene stimulating protein (STING) pathway, and another degradation product Ca2+ ultimately promoted cellular immune response by increasing autophagy. The DC vaccine constructed with the magnetic nanoparticles can more effectively migrate to the lymph nodes, promote the proliferation of CD8+ T cells, prolong the time of immune memory, and produce higher antibody levels. Compared with traditional DC vaccines, cytoplasmic antigen delivery with the magnetic nanoparticles provides a new idea for the construction of novel DC vaccines.
Prosocial rule breaking, ingroups and social norms: Parental decision‐making about COVID‐19 rule breaking in the UK
Authors: Power Nicola , Warmelink Lara , Wallace Rebecca
Published: September 2022

The British public generally adhered to COVID‐19‐related restrictions, but as the pandemic drew on, it became challenging for some populations. Parents with young children were identified as a vulnerable group. We collected rich, mixed‐methods survey data from 99 UK‐based parents (91 mothers) of children under 12, who described their lockdown transgressions. Household mixing was the most prevalent broken rule. Template analysis found that rule breaking was driven by ‘ingroup‐level’ prosocial motivations to protect the mental and social health of family and loved ones, and that parents were ‘engaged’ decision‐makers who underwent careful deliberation when deciding to break rules, making trade‐offs, bending rules, mitigating risks, reaching consensus, and reacting to perceived rule injustices. Cumulative link models found that the perceived reasonableness of rule violations was predicted by social norms. Rules were broken by parents not for antisocial reasons, but for ‘ingroup‐level’ prosocial reasons, linked to supporting loved ones.
Vaping cannabis among teens is up, smoking cannabis among teens is down
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: September 2022

More and more high schoolers are using marijuana by vaping, and fewer are using it by smoking, according to a recent study of the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). And use of other substances, particularly nicotine and binge drinking of alcohol, is strongly associated with vaping cannabis.
Talking with youth about school shootings: Taking initiative in the new school year
Authors: Walters Anne S.
Published: September 2022

Last month's commentary focused on the link between gun reform and prevention of school shootings, with a promise to follow up this month on how we talk to children about tragic events. There is no question that school violence is impacting our nation's youth, with recent discussion outlining the mechanisms by which this can occur. For example, a recent APA's Monitor on Psychology article noted the increase in anxiety and stress in children because of mass shootings and referred to a “cascade of collective trauma” (Abrams, 2022). The article notes that most teens worry about a shooting at their school and that a third of adults avoid some settings due to a fear about violence occurring there. Of course, for those directly impacted, suffering is increased, with effects such as increased absenteeism and reduced high school and college graduation rates. Effects were noted into their mid‐twenties — with lower employment rates and earnings. As the number of mass shootings overall increases, this creates a societal effect. Further, this is occurring during what has already been identified as a mental health crisis for our youth (AACAP, 2021).
Helping children with back‐to‐school stress
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: September 2022

By now, most children have been in classrooms for at least a month. While the return to once‐familiar routines may seem refreshing to parents, the fears of lockdown still haunt children, and these are only compounded by regular stressors caused by school.
A new flow cytometry assay identifies recipient IgG subtype antibodies binding donor cells: increasing donor availability for highly sensitised patients
Authors: Rao Prakash N , Deo Dayanand D , Gaur Amitabh , Baran David A , Zucker Mark J , Kapoor Saurabh , Marchioni Misty A , Almendral Jesus , Kandula Praveen , Patel Anup
Published: September 2022

Objectives

There are four immunoglobulin (IgG) subtypes that have varying complement‐activating ability: strong (IgG3 and IgG1) and weak (IgG2 and IgG4). The standard flow cytometric crossmatch (FCM) assay does not distinguish between the various subtypes of the IgG molecule. This study outlines the development and use of a novel cell‐based IgG subtype‐specific FCM assay that is able to detect the presence of and quantitate the IgG subtypes bound to donor cells.

Methods

A six‐colour lyophilised reagent was designed that specifically detects the four IgG subtypes, as well as distinguishes between T cells and B cells in the lymphocyte population. To test the efficacy of this reagent, a retrospective evaluation of a group of highly sensitised patients awaiting heart and kidney transplant was carried out, who, because of positive standard FCM results, had been deemed incompatible with numerous prior potential donors.

Results

Observations in this study demonstrate that the positive standard FCM results were mainly because of the presence of noncomplement‐activating IgG2 or IgG4 antibodies. The results were supported by the absence of C3d‐binding donor‐specific antibodies (DSA) and a negative complement‐dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch (CDC).

Conclusion

Preliminary data presented in this study demonstrate the reliability of the novel IgG subtype assay to detect the presence of pretransplant, complement‐activating antibodies bound to donor cells. The knowledge gained from the IgG subtype assay and the C3d‐binding specificities of DSAs provides improved identification of donor suitability in pretransplant patients, potentially increasing the number of transplants.
The cortical hem lacks stem cell potential despite expressing SOX9 and HOPX
Authors: Caramello Alessia , Galichet Christophe , Sopena Miriam Llorian , Lovell‐Badge Robin , Rizzoti Karine
Published: September 2022

The adult dentate gyrus (DG) of rodents hosts a neural stem cell (NSC) niche capable of generating new neurons throughout life. The embryonic origin and molecular mechanisms underlying formation of DG NSCs are still being investigated. We performed a bulk transcriptomic analysis on mouse developing archicortex conditionally deleted for Sox9, a SoxE transcription factor controlling both gliogenesis and NSC formation, and identified Hopx, a recently identified marker of both prospective adult DG NSCs and astrocytic progenitors, as being downregulated. We confirm SOX9 is required for HOPX expression in the embryonic archicortex. In particular, we found that both NSC markers are highly expressed in the cortical hem (CH), while only weakly in the adjacent dentate neuroepithelium (DNE), suggesting a potential CH embryonic origin for DG NSCs. However, we demonstrate both in vitro and in vivo that the embryonic CH, as well as its adult derivatives, lacks stem cell potential. Instead, deletion of Sox9 in the DNE affects both HOPX expression and NSC formation in the adult DG. We conclude that HOPX expression in the CH is involved in astrocytic differentiation downstream of SOX9, which we previously showed regulates DG development by inducing formation of a CH‐derived astrocytic scaffold. Altogether, these results suggest that both proteins work in a dose‐dependent manner to drive either astrocytic differentiation in CH or NSC formation in DNE.