bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of flares on the habitable zones of M dwarfs accessible to TESS planet detections
Authors: Bogner M. , Stelzer B. , Raetz Stefanie
Published: November 2021

Photometric space missions such as Kepler and TESS continuously discover new exoplanets and advance the search for a second habitable world. The light curves (LCs) recorded by these telescopes also reveal signs of magnetic activity, such as star spot modulation and flares, which can influence habitability. Searching for these characteristics, we analyzed TESS LCs of 112 M dwarfs selected according to the criterion that TESS can spot planet transits over their entire habitable zone (HZ). We detected 2,532 flare events occurring on 35 stars; thus the flaring fraction is . For only of our stars, we found rotation periods. We calculated bolometric flare energies and luminosities, flare energy frequency distributions (FFDs), and the bolometric flux reaching the HZ at the peak of the flare. We estimated the effects of flaring on the atmosphere of an Earth‐like planet in the HZ from the viewpoint of both ozone depletion and the enabling of chemical reactions necessary to build ribonucleic acid (RNA). None of our targets exhibits highly energetic flares at a frequency large enough to trigger ozone depletion or RNA formation.
Comparison of prognosis between patients undergoing radical nephrectomy versus partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma ≤7 cm T3aN0/xM0: Survival benefit is biased toward partial nephrectomy
Authors: Liu Shiliang , Feng Chunxiang , Liu Chang , Wang Zhixian
Published: November 2021

Background

There is limited and controversial evidence on the prognosis of partial nephrectomy (PN) versus radical nephrectomy (RN) in patients with T3aN0/xM0 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) upstaged from clinical T1 RCC. In this study, we aimed to assess the prognosis difference following PN versus RN in patients with ≤7 cm T3aN0/xM0 RCC.

Methods

From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, a total of 3196 patients receiving treatment of PN/RN for ≤7 cm T3aN0/xM0 RCC with only extrarenal fat extension in 2010–2017 were identified. An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)‐adjusted cause‐specific Cox model with hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was used for overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) analyses. Sensitivity analysis was based on the propensity score matching of PN and RN groups and from the dataset of 2010–2013.

Results

A total of 872 patients underwent PN, compared with 2324 undergoing RN. After IPTW adjustment, there was no significant difference in preoperative baseline characteristics between the PN and RN cohorts. Patients who underwent RN had worse OS (HRIPTW‐adjusted, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.16–1.84; p = 0.001) and comparable CSS (HRIPTW‐adjusted, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.64–1.66; p = 0.890) than those receiving PN in all cohorts and subgroups with T3a RCC of ≤4 cm and perinephric fat extension. Further, in patients with 4–7 cm T3a RCC with perinephric‐fat invasion and all sizes of T3a RCC with sinus/perisinus fat extension, PN led to comparable OS and CSS. Sensitivity analyses validated these results.

Conclusion

PN provides comparable CSS and OS or even better OS than RN for patients with RCC ≤7 cm T3aN0/xM0. Although our study has some limitations, our results indicated that PN might oncologically safe for clinical T1 RCC, even confirmed a pathologically T3a upstaging post‐PN.
Recurrent patterns after postoperative radiotherapy for early stage endometrial cancer: A competing risk analysis model
Authors: Ren Kang , Wang Wenhui , Sun Shuai , Hou Xiaorong , Hu Ke , Zhang Fuquan
Published: November 2021

Objective

The study aimed to evaluate site‐specific recurrent patterns via competing risks analysis and hazard function to provide evidence for adjuvant treatment and follow‐up for early staged endometrial cancer (EC).

Methods

A total of 858 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I–II EC who received adjuvant radiotherapy at our institution (2000–2017) were included. The radiotherapy modality comprised external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with or without vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) or VBT alone. Competing risks analysis and hazard rate function were employed to evaluate the recurrence rate according to the ESMO–ESGO–ESTRO risk classification.

Results

The 5‐year overall survival rates of the low‐risk (LR), intermediate‐risk (IR), high–intermediate risk (HIR), and high‐risk (HR) groups were 96.1%, 95%, 93%, and 89.7%, respectively (p = 0.018). Sixty‐eight patients developed recurrence. The 5‐year incidence of distant recurrence was the highest in the HR group (14.87%), followed by the HIR (7.71%), IR (5.27%), and LR (1.26%) groups (Gray's test, p < 0.001). The LR and IR groups showed late metastasis behaviors for distant metastasis. The HR group presented a large magnitude of distant metastasis with an early peak that increased beyond 3 years. Subgroup analysis revealed that EBRT±VBT tended to reduce the locoregional relapse rate compared with VBT in the HIR–HR group (2.36% vs. 7.73%, Gray's test, p = 0.08).

Conclusion

The established competing risk modeling demonstrated different recurrence patterns across the risk groups and radiotherapy modes. A better understanding of the change in site‐specific recurrence behavior allows more targeted adjuvant treatment and surveillance regimens.
Improving Translational Paradigms in Drug Discovery and Development
Authors: Williams Michael
Published: November 2021

Despite improved knowledge regarding disease causality, new drug targets, and enabling technologies, the attrition rate for compounds entering clinical trials has remained consistently high for several decades, with an average 90% failure rate. These failures are manifested in an inability to reproduce efficacy findings from animal models in humans and/or the occurrence of unexpected safety issues, and reflect failures in T1 translation. Similarly, an inability to sequentially demonstrate compound efficacy and safety in Phase IIa, IIb, and III clinical trials represents failures in T2 translation. Accordingly, T1 and T2 translation are colloquially termed ‘valleys of death’. Since T2 translation dealt almost exclusively with clinical trials, T3 and T4 translational steps were added, with the former focused on facilitating interactions between laboratory‐ and population‐based research and the latter on ‘real world’ health outcomes. Factors that potentially lead to T1/T2 compound attrition include: the absence of biomarkers to allow compound effects to be consistently tracked through development; a lack of integration/‘de‐siloing’ of the diverse discipline‐based and technical skill sets involved in drug discovery; the industrialization of drug discovery, which via volume‐based goals often results in quantity being prioritized over quality; inadequate project governance and strategic oversight; and flawed decision making based on unreliable/irreproducible or incomplete data. A variety of initiatives have addressed this problem, including the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), which has focused on bringing an unbiased academic perspective to translation, to potentially revitalize the process. This commentary provides an overview of the basic concepts involved in translation, along with suggested changes in the conduct of biomedical research to avoid valleys of death, including the use of Translational Scoring as a tool to avoid translational attrition and the impact of the FDA Accelerated Approval Pathway in lowering the hurdle for drug approval. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Chevalier barley: The influence of a world‐leading malting variety
Authors: Hagenblad Jenny , Leino Matti W.
Published: November 2021

During the 19th century, ‘Chevalier’, said to have been developed from a single plant found in 1820, was the world‐leading malting barley (Hordeum vulgare). The superior malting quality of Chevalier lead to its world‐wide spread at the time of the development of the malting industry. In this study, we investigate how this cultivar was spread and adopted to Nordic seed systems of the time. Single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping of up to 155‐yr‐old museum specimens of historical grains labelled “Chevalier” and of Chevalier accessions preserved in genebanks, in total 282 individuals representing 47 accessions, allowed us to divide the accessions into four categories: True Chevalier, seed mixtures, crosses, and non‐Chevaliers. Comparisons with previously genotyped Nordic landraces showed how, in the 19th century, Chevalier seed was mixed with locally produced landrace seed and cultivated together. We suggest that spontaneous outbreeding events gave rise to hybrids which were subsequently selected and propagated when resulting in superior genetic combinations. Such farmer‐driven breeding activities would have preceded modern plant breeding but resembled the breeding principles that were later used, even though the scientific understanding of inheritance was not yet known.
Pollinators and herbivores interactively shape selection on strawberry defence and attraction
Authors: Egan Paul A. , Muola Anne , Parachnowitsch Amy L. , Stenberg Johan A.
Published: November 2021

Tripartite interactions between plants, herbivores, and pollinators hold fitness consequences for most angiosperms. However, little is known on how plants evolve in response—and in particular what the net selective outcomes are for traits of shared relevance to pollinators and herbivores. In this study, we manipulated herbivory (“presence” and “absence” treatments) and pollination (“open” and “hand pollination” treatments) in a full factorial common-garden experiment with woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.). This design allowed us to quantify the relative importance and interactive effects of herbivore- and pollinator-mediated selection on nine traits related to plant defence and attraction. Our results showed that pollinators imposed stronger selection than herbivores on traits related to both direct and indirect (i.e., tritrophic) defence. However, conflicting selection was imposed on inflorescence density: a trait that appears to be shared by herbivores and pollinators as a host plant signal. However, in all cases, selection imposed by one agent depended largely on the presence or ecological effect of the other, suggesting that dynamic patterns of selection could be a common outcome of these interactions in natural populations. As a whole, our findings highlight the significance of plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions as potential drivers of evolutionary change, and reveal that pollinators likely play an underappreciated role as selective agents on direct and in direct plant defence.
Contributions of Indigenous Knowledge to ecological and evolutionary understanding
Authors: Jessen Tyler D , Ban Natalie C , Claxton Nicholas XEMŦOLTW , Darimont Chris T
Published: November 2021

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is the collective term to represent the many place‐based knowledges accumulated across generations within myriad specific cultural contexts. Despite its millennia‐long and continued application by Indigenous peoples to environmental management, non‐Indigenous “Western” scientific research and management have only recently considered IK. We use detailed and diverse examples to highlight how IK is increasingly incorporated in research programs, enhancing understanding of – and contributing novel insight into – ecology and evolution, as well as physiology and applied ecology (that is, management). The varied contributions of IK stem from long periods of observation, interaction, and experimentation with species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes. Despite commonalities between IK and science, we outline the ethical duty required by scientists when working with IK holders. Given past and present injustice, respecting self‐determination of Indigenous peoples is a necessary condition to support mutually beneficial research processes and outcomes.
Association of serum surfactant protein D and SFTPD gene variants with asthma in Danish children, adolescents, and young adults
Authors: Hoffmann‐Petersen Benjamin , Suffolk Raymond , Petersen Jens J. H. , Petersen Thomas H. , Brasch‐Andersen Charlotte , Høst Arne , Halken Susanne , Sorensen Grith L. , Agertoft Lone
Published: November 2021

Background

Surfactant Protein D (SP‐D) is a pattern recognition molecule belonging to the family of collectins expressed in multiple human organ systems, including the lungs. Previous studies have shown that SP‐D levels in bronchoalveolar lavage samples decrease and serum levels increase in patients suffering from asthma, possibly due to a combination of induced SP‐D synthesis and decreased air–blood barrier integrity. The aims of this study were to investigate whether serum levels of SP‐D and common variants in the SP‐D gene were associated with asthma in adolescents and young adults.

Methods

Prospective observational study including 449 adolescents and young adults (age 11–27 years) previously diagnosed with asthma during a 2‐year period from 2003 to 2005 (0–16 years). At follow‐up from 2016 to 2017, 314 healthy controls with no history of asthma were recruited. Serum SP‐D was analyzed on samples obtained at baseline as well as samples obtained at follow‐up. SP‐D genotyping was performed for rs721917, rs2243639, and rs3088308.

Results

No differences were found in mean levels of sSP‐D and SFTPD genotype among subjects with current asthma, no current asthma, and controls. Serum SP‐D and SFTPD genotype were not associated with any clinical parameters of asthma. Furthermore, baseline sSP‐D was not associated with asthma at follow‐up.

Conclusion

Serum surfactant protein D and common SP‐D gene variants were not associated with asthma in Danish adolescents and young adults with mild to moderate asthma. Serum surfactant protein D did not demonstrate any value as a clinical biomarker of asthma.
Traffic prediction forInternet of Thingsthrough support vector regression model
Authors: Chen Xi , Liu Yani , Zhang Junkun
Published: November 2021

With the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), the traffic composition in the network has changed greatly. The traffic analysis is the basis for the further tasks in IoT network, such as intrusion detection, abnormal behavior analysis and attack detection. This paper adopts support vector regression (SVR) to predict traffic data in the wireless sensor networks and IoT network. First, the traffic data is represented as the time series form. Then, the sequence of traffic data is processed by logarithmic function to eliminate the fluctuation of the traffic data. Lastly, the processed traffic sequence data is used to learn a SVR model. The learnt SVR model is used to predict the traffic in the future. The experiments on telemedicine, smart agriculture, vending and automatic driving show that the mean square error of proposed traffic prediction method can achieve less than 0.150.
CCR7+ dendritic cells sorted by binding of CCL19 show enhanced Ag-presenting capacity and antitumor potency
Authors: Burgoyne Paul , Hayes Alan J , Cooper Rachel S , Le Brocq Michelle L , Hansell Christopher A H , Campbell John D M , Graham Gerard J
Published: November 2021

Dendritic cell therapy has been a promising addition to the current armory of therapeutic options in cancer for more than 20 years but has not yet achieved breakthrough success. To successfully initiate immunity, dendritic cells have to enter the lymph nodes. However, experience to date of therapeutic dendritic cell administration indicates that this is frequently an extremely inefficient process. The major regulator of dendritic cell migration to the lymph nodes is the chemokine receptor CCR7 and in vitro generated dendritic cells typically display heterogeneous expression of this receptor. Here we demonstrate that positive selection for the dendritic cell subpopulation expressing CCR7, using a chemically-synthesized ligand:CCL19, enriches for cells with enhanced lymph node migration and Ag presentation competence as well as a chemokine expression profile indicative of improved interactions with T cells. This enhanced lymph node homing capacity of enriched CCR7+ cells is seen in comparison to a population of unsorted dendritic cells containing an equivalent number of CCR7+ dendritic cells. Importantly, this indicates that separating the CCR7+ dendritic cells from the CCR7− cells, rather than simple CCL19 exposure, is required to affect the enhanced lymph node migration of the CCR7+ cells. In models of both subcutaneous and metastatic melanoma, we demonstrate that the dendritic cells sorted for CCR7 expression trigger enhanced CD8 T-cell driven antitumor immune responses which correlate with reduced tumor burden and increased survival. Finally, we demonstrate that this approach is directly translatable to human dendritic cell therapy using the same reagents coupled with clinical-grade flow-cytometric sorting.
Enhanced growth of ginger plants by an eco‐ friendly nitrogen‐fixing Pseudomonas protegens inoculant in glasshouse fields
Authors: Bian Zhilong , Wang Mei , Yang Yan , Wu Yuxia , Ni Haiping , Yu Xu , Shi Jing , Chen Hanna , Bian Xiaoying , Pan Deng , Li Tao , Zhang Youming , Yu Lei , Jiang Lihua , Tu Qiang
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization in glasshouse fields greatly increases N loss and fossil‐fuel energy consumption resulting in serious environmental risks. Microbial inoculants are strongly emerging as potential alternatives to agrochemicals and offer an eco‐friendly fertilization strategy to reduce our dependence on synthetic chemical fertilizers. Effects of a N‐fixing strain Pseudomonas protegens CHA0‐ΔretS‐nif on ginger plant growth, yield, and nutrient uptake, and on earthworm biomass and the microbial community were investigated in glasshouse fields in Shandong Province, northern China.

RESULTS

Application of CHA0‐ΔretS‐nif could promote ginger plant development, and significantly increased rhizome yields, by 12.93% and 7.09%, respectively, when compared to uninoculated plants and plants treated with the wild‐type bacterial strain. Inoculation of CHA0‐ΔretS‐nif had little impact on plant phosphorus (P) acquisition, whereas it was associated with enhanced N and potassium (K) acquisition by ginger plants. Moreover, inoculation of CHA0‐ΔretS‐nif had positive effects on the bacteria population size and the number of earthworms in the rhizosphere. Similar enhanced performances were also found in CHA0‐ΔretS‐nif‐inoculated ginger plants even when the N‐fertilizer application rate was reduced by 15%. A chemical N input of 573.8 kg ha−1 with a ginger rhizome yield of 1.31 × 105 kg ha−1 was feasible.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined application of CHA0‐ΔretS‐nif and a reduced level of N‐fertilizers can be employed in glasshouse ginger production for the purpose of achieving high yields while at the same time reducing the inorganic‐N pollution from traditional farming practices. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Bioink Platform Utilizing Dual‐Stage Crosslinking of Hyaluronic Acid Tailored for Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
Authors: Hauptstein Julia , Forster Leonard , Nadernezhad Ali , Horder Hannes , Stahlhut Philipp , Groll Jürgen , Blunk Torsten , Teßmar Jörg
Published: November 2021

3D bioprinting often involves application of highly concentrated polymeric bioinks to enable fabrication of stable cell‐hydrogel constructs, although poor cell survival, compromised stem cell differentiation, and an inhomogeneous distribution of newly produced extracellular matrix (ECM) are frequently observed. Therefore, this study presents a bioink platform using a new versatile dual‐stage crosslinking approach based on thiolated hyaluronic acid (HA‐SH), which not only provides stand‐alone 3D printability but also facilitates effective chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells. A range of HA‐SH with different molecular weights is synthesized and crosslinked with acrylated (PEG‐diacryl) and allylated (PEG‐diallyl) polyethylene glycol in a two‐step reaction scheme. The initial Michael addition is used to achieve ink printability, followed by UV‐mediated thiol–ene reaction to stabilize the printed bioink for long‐term cell culture. Bioinks with high molecular weight HA‐SH (>200 kDa) require comparably low polymer content to facilitate bioprinting. This leads to superior quality of cartilaginous constructs which possess a coherent ECM and a strongly increased stiffness of long‐term cultured constructs. The dual‐stage system may serve as an example to design platforms using two independent crosslinking reactions at one functional group, which allows adjusting printability as well as material and biological properties of bioinks.
ℵ0‐categorical Banach spaces contain ℓp or c0
Authors: Khanaki Karim
Published: November 2021

This paper has three parts. First, we establish some of the basic model theoretic facts about , the Tsirelson space of Figiel and Johnson [20]. Second, using the results of the first part, we give some facts about general Banach spaces. Third, we study model‐theoretic dividing lines in some Banach spaces and their theories. In particular, we show: (1)  has the non independence property
(NIP); (2) every Banach space that is ℵ0‐categorical up to small perturbations embeds c0 or () almost isometrically; consequently the (continuous) first‐order theory of does not characterize , up to almost isometric isomorphism.
Lycopene Regulates Dietary Dityrosine‐Induced Mitochondrial‐Lipid Homeostasis by Increasing Mitochondrial Complex Activity
Authors: Wang Jun , Tang Xue , Lu Yipin , Zheng Yingying , Zeng Fanhang , Shi Wentao , Zhou Peng
Published: November 2021

Scope

Dityrosine (DT), a marker of protein oxidation, is widely found in many high‐protein foods. Dietary intake of DT induces myocardial oxidative stress injury and impairs energy metabolism. Lycopene is a common dietary supplement with antioxidant and mitochondrial‐lipid homeostasis modulating abilities. This study aimed to examine the effects of lycopene on DT‐induced disturbances in myocardial function and energy metabolism.

Methods and Results

Four‐week‐old C57BL/6J mice received intragastric administration of either tyrosine (420 µg kg−1 BW), DT (420 µg kg−1 BW), or lycopene at high (10 mg kg−1 BW) and low (5 mg kg−1 BW) doses for 35 days. Lycopene administration effectively reduced oxidative stress, cardiac fatty acid accumulation, and cardiac hypertrophy and improved mitochondrial performance in DT‐induced mice. In vitro experiments in H9c2 cells showed that DT directly inhibited the activity of the respiratory chain complex, whereas oxidative phosphorylation and β‐oxidation gene expression is upregulated. Lycopene enhanced the activity of the complexes and inhibited ROS production caused by compensatory regulation.

Conclusion

Lycopene improves DT‐mediated myocardial energy homeostasis disorder by promoting the activity of respiratory chain complexes I and IV and alleviates the accumulation of cardiac fatty acids and myocardial hypertrophy.
Breast radiotherapy with kilovoltage photons and gold nanoparticles as radiosensitizer: An in vitro study
Authors: Tudda Alessia , Donzelli Elisabetta , Nicolini Gabriella , Semperboni Sara , Bossi Mario , Cavaletti Guido , Castriconi Roberta , Mangili Paola , Vecchio Antonella del , Sarno Antonio , Mettivier Giovanni , Russo Paolo
Published: November 2021

Purpose

We investigated the dose enhancement and internalization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) used as a radiosensitizer agent for rotational radiotherapy of breast cancer using a kilovoltage (kV) X‐ray beam.

Methods

Human breast cancer cells MDA‐MB‐231 were incubated with or without 100 μg/mL (4.87 nM) or 200 μg/mL (9.74 nM) 15 nm AuNPs and irradiated with 100 kV, 190 kV, or 6 MV X‐rays. To assess the toxicity of the AuNPs, we performed a Sulforhodamine B assay. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and time‐lapse optical microscopy (rate of 2 frames per minute), we carried out a quantitative assessment of the amount of gold internalized by MDA‐MB‐231 cells and a characterization of the static and dynamical aspects of this internalization process.

Results

No effect of AuNPs alone was shown on cell viability. Time‐lapse optical microscopy showed for the first time AuNPs cellular uptake and the dynamics of AuNPs internalization. Electron microscopy demonstrated AuNPs localization in endosomal vesicles, preferentially in the perinuclear region. After irradiation at doses up to 2 Gy, cell survival fraction curves showed increased mortality with AuNPs, with respect to irradiation without AuNPs. The highest effect of radioenhancement by AuNPs (at 9.74 nM AuNPs concentration) was observed at 190 kV showing a dose enhancement factor of 1.33 ± 0.06 (1.34 ± 0.02 at 100 kV), while at 6 MV it was 1.14 ± 0.06.

Conclusions

The observed radio‐sensitization effect is promising for future radio‐enhanced kV radiotherapy of breast cancer and quantitatively in the order of previous observations for 15 nm AuNPs. These results of a significant dose enhancement were obtained at 15 nm AuNPs concentration as low as several nanomolar units, at dose levels typical of a single dose fraction in a radiotherapy session. Dynamical behavior of the 3D spatial distribution of 15 nm AuNPs outside the nucleus of single breast cancer cell was observed, with possible implications for future models of AuNPs sensitization.
Big cohort metabolomic profiling of serum for oral squamous cell carcinoma screening and diagnosis
Authors: Yang Xihu , Song Xiaowei , Yang Xudong , Han Wei , Fu Yong , Wang Shuai , Zhang Xiaoxin , Sun Guowen , Lu Yong , Wang Zhiyong , Ni Yanhong , Zare Richard N. , Hu Qingang
Published: November 2021

The survival rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) can be greatly improved if intervention could be initiated as early as possible. This poses a technical demand for developing a sensitive screening and specific in vitro diagnosis method for OSCC. Herewith, a large cohort consisting of 241 healthy contrast (HC) and 578 OSCC patients were recruited for conducting the rapid metabolic profiling of trace volume serum using conductive polymer spray ionization mass spectrometry (CPSI‐MS). Statistical analysis picked out 65 metabolite ions as potential characteristic markers for differentiating OSCC from HC. With the aid of a supporting vector machine (SVM), OSCC can be distinguished from HC with an accuracy of 98.0% by cross‐validation in the discovery cohort and 89.6% accuracy in the validation cohort. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least square‐discriminant analysis (OPLS‐DA) also initially showed the potential for OSCC staging, especially between T1/T2 and T3/T4 stages with an accuracy of 90.1%. CPSI‐MS combined with SVM or OPLS‐DA can not only quickly distinguish OSCC from HC but also predict the OSCC progression from T1/2 to T3/4 stages in a few minutes, making it a promising tool for both screening and diagnosing high‐risk population.

Key points

Sixty‐five characteristic metabolite ions significantly changed in OSCC serum metabolic profile compared to that in the HC group.

CPSI‐MS combined with SVM achieved 89.6% accuracy on the validation cohort for OSCC prediction.

CPSI‐MS/OPLS‐DA can distinguish T1/T2 from T3/T4 stages with an accuracy of 90.1% by cross‐validation.
Increasing teachers' use of behavior specific praise via Apple Watch prompting
Authors: White Kristi R. , Radley Keith C. , Olmi D. Joe , McKinley Lauren E.
Published: November 2021

This study evaluated the effects of a teacher prompting procedure to increase teacher behavior specific praise (BSP) using an Apple Watch. Participants included three Head Start general education teachers. An ABAB design across participants was used to examine the effects of Smart Watch‐based prompts on teachers' praise rate. The study consisted of four phases: (a) baseline, (b) teacher praise training and intervention, (c) withdrawal from intervention, and (d) reimplementation of intervention. Implementation of the intervention was associated with increases in both BSP and general praise for all participating teachers. Although averages did not meet the criterion set by the researcher of one statement per minute, these findings suggest a functional relation between implementation of the procedure and increases in teacher praise.
Face coverings during the pandemic?
Authors: Moyer Rachael M. , Song Geoboo , Jackson Natalie
Published: November 2021

The Health Belief Model (HBM), a value‐expectancy model, is a leading framework in health behavior and communication research. The model is intended to inform targeted communication strategies that promote positive health behaviors. Individual beliefs associated with health risks such as perceived susceptibility and perceived severity are often incorporated into HBM as predictors of health behavior. However, recent studies point to limitations of the current model. At the same time, researchers have successfully used Cultural Theory (CT) to conceptualize, measure, and predict the cultural influences on health risk management. This study applies OLS regression and graphical analysis to examine the relationship between more intrinsic cultural value‐based beliefs and HBM beliefs so as to understand behavioral intentions associated with COVID‐19 among the general public in the United States while statistically controlling for the effects of partisanship and demographic factors.
NNLO virtual and real leptonic corrections to muon-electron scattering
Authors: Budassi Ettore , Carloni Calame Carlo M. , Chiesa Mauro , Del Pio Clara Lavinia , Hasan Syed Mehedi , Montagna Guido , Nicrosini Oreste , Piccinini Fulvio
Published: November 2021

Abstract

The recently proposed MUonE experiment at CERN aims at providing a novel determination of the leading order hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment through the study of elastic muon-electron scattering at relatively small momentum transfer. The anticipated accuracy of the order of 10ppm demands for high-precision predictions, including all the relevant radiative corrections. The fixed-order NNLO radiative corrections due to the emission of virtual and real leptonic pairs are described and their numerical impact is discussed for typical event selections of the MUonE experiment, by means of the upgraded Monte Carlo code Mesmer.
Risk factors for unsuccessful removal of central venous access ports implanted in the forearm of adult oncologic patients
Authors: Kinoshita Mitsuhiro , Takao Shoichiro , Hiraoka Junichiro , Takechi Katsuya , Akagawa Yoko , Osaki Kyosuke , Ohnishi Norio , Tani Hayato
Published: November 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the risk factors for unsuccessful removal of a central venous access port (CV port) implanted in the forearm of adult oncologic patients.

Materials and methods

This study included 97 adult oncologic patients (51 males, 46 females; age range, 30–88 years; mean age, 63.7 years) in whom removal of a CV port implanted in the forearm was attempted at our hospital between January 2015 and May 2021. Gender, age at removal, body mass index, and diagnosis were examined as patient characteristics; and indwelling period, indwelling side, and indication for removal were examined as factors associated with removal of a CV port. These variables were compared between successful and unsuccessful cases using univariate analysis. Then, multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for unsuccessful removal of a CV port using variables with a significant difference in the univariate analysis. A receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve was drawn for significant risk factors in the multivariate analysis and the Youden index was used to determine the optimum cut-off value for predicting unsuccessful removal of a CV port.

Results

Removal of CV ports was successful in 79 cases (81.4%), but unsuccessful in 18 cases (18.6%) due to fixation of the catheter to the vessel wall. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the indwelling period (odds ratio 1.048; 95% confidence interval 1.026–1.070; P < 0.0001) was a significant independent risk factor for unsuccessful removal of a CV port. ROC analysis showed that the cut-off value for successful removal was 41 months, and 54% of cases with an indwelling period > 60 months had unsuccessful removal.

Conclusion

The indwelling period is an independent risk factor for unsuccessful removal of a CV port implanted in the forearm of adult oncologic patients, with a cut-off of 41 months.
An Image Quality Comparison Study Between Homemade and Commercial Dental Cone-Beam CT Systems
Authors: Tran Trang Thi Ngoc , Jin David Shih-Chun , Shih Kun-Long , Hsu Ming-Lun , Chen Jyh-Cheng
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been widely applied in dental and maxillofacial imaging. Several dental CBCT systems have been recently developed in order to improve the performance. This study aimed to evaluate the image quality of our prototype (YMU-DENT-P001) and compare with a commercial POYE Expert 3DS dental CBCT system (system A).

Methods

The Micro-CT Contrast Scale, Micro-CT Water and Micro-CT HA phantoms were used to evaluate the two CBCT systems in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity (U), distortion, and linearity in the relationship between image intensity and calcium hydroxyapatite concentration. We also fabricated a proprietary thin-wire phantom to evaluate full width at half maximum (FWHM) spatial resolution. Both CBCT systems used the same exposure protocol, and data analysis was performed in accordance with ISO standards using a proprietary image analysis platform.

Results

The SNR of our prototype system was nearly five times higher than that of system A (prototype: 159.85 ± 3.88; A: 35.42 ± 0.61; p < 0.05) and the CNR was three times higher (prototype: 329.39 ± 5.55; A: 100.29 ± 2.31; p < 0.05). The spatial resolution of the prototype (0.2446 mm) greatly exceeded that of system A (0.5179 mm) and image distortion was lower (prototype: 0.03 mm; system A: 0.285 mm). Little difference was observed between the two systems in terms of the linear relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and image intensity.

Conclusions

Within the scope of this study, our prototype YMU-DENT-P001 outperformed system A in terms of spatial resolution, SNR, CNR, and image distortion.
Non-CG DNA methylation-deficiency mutations enhance mutagenesis rates during salt adaptation in cultured Arabidopsis cells
Authors: Zhu Xiaohong , Xie Shaojun , Tang Kai , Kalia Rajwant K. , Liu Na , Ma Jinbiao , Bressan Ray A. , Zhu Jian-Kang
Published: November 2021

Much has been learned about how plants acclimate to stressful environments, but the molecular basis of stress adaptation and the potential involvement of epigenetic regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we examined if salt stress induces mutagenesis in suspension cultured plant cells and if DNA methylation affects the mutagenesis using whole genome resequencing analysis. We generated suspension cell cultures from two Arabidopsis DNA methylation-deficient mutants and wild-type plants, and subjected the cultured cells to stepwise increases in salt stress intensity over 40 culture cycles. We show that ddc (drm1 drm2 cmt3) mutant cells can adapt to grow in 175 mM NaCl-containing growth medium and exhibit higher adaptability compared to wild type Col-0 and nrpe1 cells, which can adapt to grow in only 125 mM NaCl-containing growth medium. Salt treated nrpe1 and ddc cells but not wild type cells accumulate more mutations compared with their respective untreated cells. There is no enrichment of stress responsive genes in the list of mutated genes in salt treated cells compared to the list of mutated genes in untreated cells. Our results suggest that DNA methylation prevents the induction of mutagenesis by salt stress in plant cells during stress adaptation.
Against Intuitive Horribleness
Authors: Reynolds Joel Michael
Published: November 2021

Testimony by disabled people concerning the relationship between their experiences and overall well-being has long been an object of social scientific and humanistic study. Often discussed in terms of “the disability paradox,” these studies contrast the intuitive horribleness of certain impaired states against the testimonial evidence suggesting that people in such states do not in fact experience their lives as horrible. Explanations for why such testimonial evidence is suspect range from claims about adaptive preferences to issues of qualitative research methodology. In this paper, I argue that the problem lies not with the evidence, but the intuitions in question. Using the disability paradox as a case study, I further argue against the use of the concept of intuitive horribleness in social epistemology. I contend that testimonial and hermeneutical injustices are baked into most deployments of the concept, and even if one were to justify its use in select cases, it should be accompanied with prima facie suspicion. In conclusion, I discuss the implications of this analysis for the literature on transformative experience and also for the stakes of multi-cultural, historically informed philosophical analyses more generally.
American Demographers and Global Population Policy in the Postwar World
Authors: Merchant Emily Klancher
Published: November 2021

The twentieth century saw unprecedented efforts to measure, analyze, and control the world's population. Particularly after World War II, population control and demography—the social science of human population dynamics—developed in tandem and largely through the impetus of U.S.-based philanthropies. This article explains how U.S. actors exercised power over population in sovereign nations throughout the Global South and how demographic theory came to shape population policy worldwide. It contends that U.S.-based philanthropies gained global traction for their population control projects by developing demography as an ally and then leveraging its scientific authority to put population control on the foreign policy agenda of the U.S. government and on the nation-building and economic development agendas of countries in the Global South.
Efficacy of bio- and neurofeedback for depression: a meta-analysis
Authors: Fernández-Alvarez J. , Grassi M. , Colombo D. , Botella C. , Cipresso P. , Perna G. , Riva G.
Published: November 2021

Background

For many years, biofeedback and neurofeedback have been implemented in the treatment of depression. However, the effectiveness of these techniques on depressive symptomatology is still controversial. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies extracted from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase.

Methods

Two different strings were considered for each of the two objectives of the study: A first group comprising studies patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and a second group including studies targeting depressive symptomatology reduction in other mental or medical conditions.

Results

In the first group of studies including patients with MDD, the within-group analyses yielded an effect size of Hedges' g = 0.717, while the between-group analysis an effect size of Hedges' g = 1.050. Moderator analyses indicate that treatment efficacy is only significant when accounting for experimental design, in favor of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in comparison to non RCTs, whereas the type of neurofeedback, trial design, year of publication, number of sessions, age, sex and quality of study did not influence treatment efficacy. In the second group of studies, a small but significant effect between groups was found (Hedges' g = 0.303) in favor of bio- and neurofeedback against control groups. Moderator analyses revealed that treatment efficacy was not moderated by any of the sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Conclusions

Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and neurofeedback are associated with a reduction in self-reported depression. Despite the fact that the field has still a large room for improvement in terms of research quality, the results presented in this study suggests that both modalities may become relevant complementary strategies for the treatment of MDD and depressive symptomatology in the coming years.
Exploring the contribution of housing adaptations in supporting everyday life for people with dementia: a scoping review
Authors: Newton Rita , Adams Sue , Keady John , Tsekleves Emmanuel
Published: November 2021

The primary aim of this scoping review was to explore the contribution of housing adaptations to supporting everyday life for people with dementia living at home in the community. The study adopted a scoping review methodology which was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers Manual. Four review questions were developed which subsequently informed the inclusion criteria and search terms. Eight databases were searched resulting in 2,339 records, with 13 papers being included in the review. Evidence from the review found that the most common adaptations were recommended and/or implemented to compensate for a person's physical limitations and for safety reasons, rather than adaptations to support activities of daily living for a person with dementia. Support to implement adaptations was provided by a range of professionals coupled with ‘trial and error’ approaches adopted by the person themselves, and these were seen as key enablers. Barriers to implementing and using adaptations were fourfold: (a) access to information, (b) knowing when to make changes, (c) carer resistance, and (d) the unsuitability of the home. It would appear that housing adaptations have a positive impact on both the person with dementia and the carer (where one is present), with some adaptations having a relatively sustained impact and being particularly effective if implemented early in the lived trajectory of dementia.
Relationship between self-assessed health and life satisfaction in older adults: the moderating role of ego-resiliency
Authors: Bak Waclaw , Dutkiewicz Donat , Brudek Pawel
Published: November 2021

The present study was focused on the relationship between the subjective assessment of physical health and satisfaction with life (SWL) in older adults. The relationship itself was found in previous studies, but we postulated that it is moderated by ego-resiliency (ER). To verify this hypothesis, 124 Polish participants aged between 60 and 89 (mean = 71.72, standard deviation = 7.08) were asked to complete questionnaire measures of: self-assessed health (SAH; measured with seven items from the World Health Organization Quality of Life WHOQOL-BREF assessment), SWL (measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale) and ER (measured with the Ego-Resiliency Scale ER89). The results confirmed the moderating role of ER by showing that the relationship between SAH and SWL was statistically significant only when ER was high or moderate, while there was no relationship for participants with low ER. To interpret these results, we postulate that ego-resilient older adults are more accurate in the assessment of health, i.e. their SAH reflects the objective condition more closely, which strengthens the relationship between SAH and wellbeing. ER is thus conceived as an important psychological resource that promotes the accuracy of SAH and, consequently, makes it a more robust predictor of SWL. We hypothesise that this is based on the positive relationship between ER and wisdom in older adults.
Efficacy of resveratrol in male urogenital tract dysfunctions: an evaluation of pre-clinical data
Authors: Calmasini FB , Silva FH , Alexandre EC , Antunes E
Published: November 2021

Resveratrol is a polyphenol found naturally in fruits and plants. Recently, studies in humans and animal models have suggested beneficial properties of this polyphenol, such as improvements to metabolic and lipid profiles, along with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects. In the urogenital tract (UGT), resveratrol has also been tested clinically and experimentally as a therapeutic drug in several diseases; however, the translational efficacy of resveratrol, especially in UGT, is still a matter of debate. In the present review, we address the pre-clinical efficacy of resveratrol in UGT-related dysfunctions, focusing on lower urinary tract symptoms, non-cancerous prostatic disease (benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis) and erectile dysfunction.In vitrostudies indicate that resveratrol reduces inflammatory markers and oxidative stress, and improves endothelial function in UGT organs and cells isolated from humans and animals. Despite displaying low oral bioavailability,in vivoadministration of resveratrol largely improves erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis and voiding impairments, as evidenced in different animal models. Resveratrol also acts as a microbiota modulator, which may explain some of its beneficial effectsin vivo. In contrast to the large amount of pre-clinical data, there are insufficient clinical trials to establish resveratrol treatment efficacy in human UGT-related diseases. In summary, we provide an overview of thein vivoandin vitroefficacy of resveratrol in animal and human UGT dysfunctions, which may support future clinical trials.
Left atrial septal pouch in a six-year-old child: echocardiographic and magnetic resonance view
Authors: Caputo Salvatore , Silvestri Annalisa , Rocchi Guido
Published: November 2021

In a 6-year-old child patient, transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large saccular structure (with anechogenic content) in the left atrium, near the fossa ovalis, and diagnosis of the left atrial septal pouch was made. The left atrial septal pouch is a kangaroo pouch-like structure on the left side of the interatrial septum, opened into the left atrial cavity without a connection between the left and right atria. It occurs when the foramen ovale is absent but the septum primum and septum secundum are only partially fused. The left atrial septal pouch is believed to be present in 47% of population. In many cases, the pocket on the atrial septum is small and it could not be detected by transthoracic echocardiography. Our description is uncommon because we diagnosed a very large septal pouch. Based on our knowledge, this is the youngest reported case of the left atrial septal pouch and the longest follow-up described in this type of congenital heart malformation.
Microanalyses and Spectroscopic Techniques for the Identification of Pigments and Pictorial Materials in Monet'sPink Water LiliesPainting
Authors: Germinario Giulia , Talarico Fabio , Torre Mauro
Published: November 2021

In this work, the technique and the pictorial materials employed by Claude Monet inPink Water Lilies, presently housed at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, were investigated. The painting underwent noninvasive investigations such as energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and visible reflectance spectroscopies. The combined use of these techniques allowed us to identify most of the inorganic pigments such as cobalt blue and violet, zinc oxide, cadmium yellow, vermilion, and mixtures. Particularly, the spectrophotometric curves allow for the detection of the anhydrous and hydrated chromium greens. Two micro-fragments of the painting were also examined with micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the cross-sections obtained were analyzed with the optical microscope and with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analyses allowed us to recognize the animal glue used for priming the canvas, which was covered with a ground layer consisting of calcite and lead white mixed with an oil binder. A lipidic binder was also detected in the color layer. Optical microscopy and SEM-EDS were useful to retrieve information about the stratigraphy, the distribution of pigments, and a more complete palette identification of phosphate, arsenate, and magnesium arsenate cobalt violets, and the red lake was possible.