bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The natural history of low‐grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus and risk factors for progression
Authors: Hussein Mohamed , Sehgal Vinay , Sami Sarmed , Bassett Paul , Sweis Rami , Graham David , Telese Andrea , Morris Danielle , Rodriguez‐Justo Manuel , Jansen Marnix , Novelli Marco , Banks Matthew , Lovat Laurence B , Haidry Rehan
Published: August 2021

Background and Aim

Barrett's esophagus is associated with increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. The optimal management of low‐grade dysplasia arising in Barrett's esophagus remains controversial. We performed a retrospective study from a tertiary referral center for Barrett's esophagus neoplasia, to estimate time to progression to high‐grade dysplasia/esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with confirmed low‐grade dysplasia compared with those with downstaged low‐grade dysplasia from index presentation and referral. We analyzed risk factors for progression.

Methods

We analyzed consecutive patients with low‐grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus referred to a single tertiary center (July 2006–October 2018). Biopsies were reviewed by at least two expert pathologists.

Results

One hundred and forty‐seven patients referred with suspected low‐grade dysplasia were included. Forty‐two of 133 (32%) of all external referrals had confirmed low‐grade dysplasia after expert histopathology review. Multivariable analysis showed nodularity at index endoscopy (P < 0.05), location of dysplasia (P = 0.05), and endoscopic therapy after referral (P = 0.09) were associated with progression risk. At 5 years, 59% of patients with confirmed low‐grade dysplasia had not progressed versus 74% of patients in the cohort downstaged to non‐dysplastic Barrett's esophagus.

Conclusion

Our data show variability in the diagnosis of low‐grade dysplasia. The cumulative incidence of progression and time to progression varied across subgroups. Confirmed low‐grade dysplasia had a shorter progression time compared with the downstaged group. Nodularity at index endoscopy and multifocal low‐grade dysplasia were significant risk factors for progression. It is important to differentiate these high‐risk subgroups so that decisions on surveillance/endotherapy can be personalized.
Cup quality profiles of Robusta coffee wilt disease resistant varieties grown in three agro‐ecologies in Uganda
Authors: Mulindwa Joseph , Kaaya Archileo N , Muganga Lawrence , Paga Moses , Musoli Pascal , Sseremba Godfrey , Wagoire William W , Bitalo Daphne N
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

The recently developed Robusta coffee wilt disease resistant (CWD‐r) varieties in Uganda outperform the local landraces, both in yield and resilience. However, their uptake has been slow due to limited information on their cup worth. This study profiled the cup worth of the five most commonly grown CWD‐r across the Lake Victoria Crescent, Western Mid‐altitude farmland and Central Wooded Savannah agro‐ecologies.

RESULTS

Significant correlations (P ≤ 0.05) were observed between soil nutrients and coffee bean size but this was not the case for biochemical and cup quality. The proportion of coffee beans retained on screen 15; minimum acceptable size through coffee commercial markets, ranged from 58.09% in Mukono to 92.49% in Mityana. Interestingly, the bean size of variety KR4 was hardly influenced by environmental variations, with portions of beans retained on screen 15 being relatively the same (80.30% Ibanda, 89.50% Mukono, 98.20% Mityana). Coffee cup quality for most of the varieties was scored as premium (70–79%) across three agro‐ecologies, with the exception of KR4, which was scored specialty grade (≥80%). Coffee blends generated were used to make coffee products with specialty score (82.25%) and a distinctive aroma complex.

CONCLUSION

In this study, blends of CWD‐r resulted in superior cup scores (76–82%). These findings show that CWD‐r varieties have a high cup worth with potential for wide adaptation in Uganda's Robusta coffee growing agro‐ecologies. Most importantly, variety KR4 has resilience across three agro‐ecologies with a consistent high bean size and superior cup quality, making it a candidate variety for the market and breeding. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Utilization of protein isolates from rohu (Labeo rohita) processing waste through incorporation into fish sausages; quality evaluation of the resultant paste and end product
Authors: Surasani Vijay Kumar Reddy , Raju CV , Sofi Faisal R , Shafiq Uzair
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Fish processing waste could be valorized by recuperating the nutrients for human consumption. Employing a suitable process would address the pollution problems associated with its dumping and would contribute to food security. In this study, protein isolates obtained from rohu (Labeo rohita) processing waste through the pH shift process (pH 13.0) were valorized through incorporation into pangasius (Pangasius pangasius) mince sausages (0.0, 50, 100, 250, and 500 g kg−1). These sausages were analyzed for their proximate composition, and their physical and eating quality.

RESULTS

Increasing the isolate content (11.57% to 16.14%) in sausages increased their protein content and whiteness values (P < 0.05). At 250 g kg−1 level, the cooking yield was maximum, and the expressible fluid content of paste was minimum. Moreover, adding rohu protein isolates in pangasius mince increased the expressible moisture and decreased its folding and gel strength values (P < 0.05). The gel strength values were highest for the sausages without isolates (2648.67 g cm). In contrast, in the sausages containing 250, 100, and 500 g kg−1 isolate, the values were determined to be 847.88, 731.21, and 611.06 g cm, respectively. Replacing pangasius mince with rohu protein isolates had a non‐significant effect on the sensory attributes of the sausages.

CONCLUSION

Replacing pangasius mince with rohu protein isolates at 250 g kg−1 resulted in superior quality sausages compared with other levels tested. Incorporating rohu protein isolates in fish sausages improved the nutritional value without significantly reducing their eating quality. The findings of this study indicate promising potential for developing nutrient‐rich foods using fish protein isolates. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Supercritical fluid extraction–supercritical fluid chromatography of saliva: Single‐quadrupole mass spectrometry monitoring of caffeine for gastric emptying studies†
Authors: Hofstetter Robert K. , Schulig Lukas , Bethmann Jonas , Grimm Michael , Sager Maximilian , Aude Philipp , Keßler Rebecca , Kim Simon , Weitschies Werner , Link Andreas
Published: August 2021

Saliva is an attractive sampling matrix for measuring various endogenous and exogeneous substances but requires sample treatment prior to chromatographic analysis. Exploiting supercritical CO2 for both extraction and chromatography simplifies sample preparation, reduces organic solvent consumption, and minimizes exposure to potentially infectious samples, but has not yet been applied to oral fluid. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of online supercritical fluid extraction coupled to supercritical fluid chromatography and single‐quadrupole mass spectrometry for monitoring the model salivary tracer caffeine. A comparison of 13C‐ and 32S‐labeled internal standards with external standard calibration confirmed the superiority of stable isotope‐labeled caffeine over nonanalogous internal standards. As proof of concept, the validated method was applied to saliva from a magnetic resonance imaging study of gastric emptying. After administration of 35 mg caffeine via ice capsule, salivary levels correlated with magnetic resonance imaging data, corroborating caffeine's usefulness as tracer of gastric emptying (R2 = 0.945). In contrast to off‐line methods, online quantification required only minute amounts of organic solvents and a single manual operation prior to online bioanalysis of saliva, thus demonstrating the usefulness of CO2‐based extraction and separation techniques for potentially infective biomatrices.
Injectable Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Du Wenzhen , Zong Qida , Guo Ranran , Ling Guixia , Zhang Peng
Published: August 2021

Hydrogel is a kind of 3D polymer network with strong swelling ability in water and appropriate mechanical and biological properties, which make it feasible to maintain bioactive substances and has promising applications in the fields of biomaterials, soft machines, and artificial tissues. Unfortunately, traditional hydrogels prepared by chemical crosslinking have poor mechanical properties and limited functions, which limit their further application. In recent years, with the continuous development of nanoparticle research, more and more studies have combined nanoparticles with hydrogels to make up for the shortcomings of traditional hydrogels. In this article, the types and functions of hydrogels and nanomaterials are introduced first, as well as the functions and applications of injectable nanocomposite hydrogels (INHs), then the latest progress of INHs for cancer treatment is reviewed, some existing problems are summarized, and the application prospect of NHs is prospected.
Effects of surface nanocrystallization on the oxide film formed on 316LN stainless steel in a high‐temperature aqueous environment
Authors: Chen Xudong , Dai Xin , Qian Hongchang , Yang Bin , Zhao Jiqing
Published: August 2021

A newly developed technology, rotationally accelerated shot peening (RASP), was used to produce the nanocrystals on the surface of 316LN stainless steel. The effect of surface nanocrystallization on the oxide film properties of the steel in a high temperature and high‐pressure aqueous environment was studied. It was found that the outer layer of the oxide film consisted of NiFe2O4 with a loose spinel structure. The inner layer distributed tiny Cr2O3 particles compactly. The oxide films that grew on the RASP‐treated 316LN showed thicker and denser with higher corrosion resistance than on the as‐received steel. The nanostructures produced by RASP enhanced the formation of the superior oxide film. However, the deformation defects caused by RASP were harmful to the corrosion resistance. The results in this paper provide an easy way to enhance the corrosion resistance of the steel served in a high‐temperature aqueous environment.
Bio‐Sourced Poly l‐Lactide‐Flax Composites with Close to Maximum Stiffness at Low Fiber Content through Two‐Stage Annealing
Authors: Nutenki Rajendar , Van Velthem Pascal , Kuete Martial , Lezaak Matthieu , Destoop Vincent , Ballout Wael , Pardoen Thomas , Bailly Christian
Published: August 2021

Poly l‐Lactide (PLLA) composites with short flax fibers (from 0 to 10 wt/wt%) with close to maximum theoretical stiffness are prepared by melt‐compounding and injection‐molding followed by a two‐step isothermal crystallization protocol that fully separates the nucleation and growth stages (Tammann). The use of fast chip scanning calorimetry for thermal characterization avoids the complicating issues of crystal reorganization during the cooling and heating steps between the isothermal stages. Flax fibers are very efficient and selective nucleating agents of PLLA favoring the ordered α form. The resulting morphology exhibits trans‐crystallization on the fibers surface, predominantly at fiber defects, with a clear reduction of crystal size and a very strong fiber matrix cohesion. Efficient nucleation further leads to a large reduction of the overall crystallization time. Avrami analysis evidences a reduction of crystal growth dimensionality, consistent with both optical and scanning electron microscopy. The high modulus of the composites is unambiguously related to the strong orientation of the fibers in the tensile direction, to their high aspect ratio and to the excellent matrix‐fibers cohesion. On the other hand, the tensile strength and hardness appear isotropic within experimental uncertainty and are unfavorably influenced by the presence of the fibers and by the two‐stage annealing.
Psychologists weigh in on athletes revealing MH struggles
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: August 2021

As more athletes begin to talk about what's going on with their mental health, observers think their vulnerability and “coming out” might go a long way to eradicating mental health stigma. MHW last week talked to two psychologists with expertise in the sports arena for their take on this issue and the pressure for athletes to perform and meet others' expectations.
Nutritional markers for predicting lower extremity free tissue transfer outcomes in the chronic wound population
Authors: Kim Kevin G. , Mishu Mark , Zolper Elizabeth G. , Bhardwaj Priya , Rogers Ashley , Dekker Paige K. , Fan Kenneth L. , Evans Karen K.
Published: August 2021

Background

Optimizing nutritional status is critical to maximize flap success and healing. Prealbumin and albumin have been utilized as easily obtained proxies for overall nutritional status. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these markers are correlated with healing time and overall flap healing after lower extremity (LE) free tissue transfer (FTT) in the chronic wound population.

Methods

A retrospective review of LE chronic wound FTT patients treated by a single surgeon at our institution from 2011 to 2020 was performed. Data collected included demographics, comorbidities, flap characteristics, and perioperative labs. The outcomes of interest were flap healing (FH) and time to flap healing (TFH).

Results

We identified 69 patients undergoing LE FTT for limb salvage meeting our inclusion criteria. When using a threshold of <3.5 g/dl for low albumin and < 20 mg/dl for low prealbumin, no significance was found between FH or TFH and preoperative albumin or preoperative prealbumin. With low albumin defined as <2.7 g/dl with the prealbumin threshold unchanged, TFH was significantly increased, and FH was significantly decreased compared with the defined normal preoperative albumin group.

Conclusions

Low preoperative albumin, when defined as <3.5 g/dl, and prealbumin did not correlate with TFH or FH. Contrarily, when defined as <2.7 g/dl, low preoperative albumin correlated significantly with increased TFH and decreased FH rates. Further investigation into validated biomarkers and their thresholds is needed to assess the effect of nutritional status on wound healing and guide perioperative optimization.
Stability analysis of deterministic and Markovian switching functional difference systems described by Stieltjes integrals
Authors: Zhang Qianqian , Li Zhao‐Yan
Published: August 2021

This paper studies the stability analysis of general classes of deterministic and Markovian switching functional difference systems (DFDSs and MSFDSs) described by Stieltjes integrals. A new general Lyapunov–Krasovskii (L‐K) functional stability theorem based on the Stieltjes integrals form of DFDSs is presented. In order to obtain a uniform form of stability conditions, the multiple Jensen inequalities are generalized to the case of Stieltjes integrals. With the help of these inequalities, two novel L‐K functionals with Stieltjes integrals are established to obtain sufficient stability and robust stability conditions based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The results are then generalized to mean square exponential stability of MSFDSs. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Local absorbing boundary conditions for two‐dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with wave operator on unbounded domain
Authors: Li Hongwei
Published: August 2021

The paper is devoted to designing the local absorbing boundary conditions for nonlinear Schrödinger equation with wave operator on unbounded domain in two dimensions. Introduce the artificial boundaries and find the appropriate absorbing boundary conditions for the original problem, which lead to a bounded computational domain. Constructing the local absorbing boundary conditions on the artificial boundaries, the original problem defined on unbounded domain is reduced to an initial boundary value problem on the bounded computational domain, which can be efficiently solved by the finite difference method. The stability of the reduced problem with the local absorbing boundary conditions is rigorously analyzed by introducing a series of auxiliary variables. The numerical results illustrate that the proposed approach is effective and feasible.
Magnetic susceptibility and R2* of myocardial reperfusion injury at 3T and 7T
Authors: Moon Brianna F. , Iyer Srikant Kamesh , Josselyn Nicholas J. , Hwuang Eileen , Swago Sophia , Keeney Samuel J. , Castillero Estibaliz , Ferrari Giovanni , Pilla James J. , Gorman Joseph H. , Gorman Robert C. , Tschabrunn Cory M. , Shou Haochang , Matthai William , Wehrli Felix W. , Ferrari Victor A. , Han Yuchi , Litt Harold , Witschey Walter R.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Magnetic susceptibility (Δχ) alterations have shown association with myocardial infarction (MI) iron deposition, yet there remains limited understanding of the relationship between relaxation rates and susceptibility or the effect of magnetic field strength. Hence, Δχ and in MI were compared at 3T and 7T.

Methods

Subacute MI was induced by coronary artery ligation in male Yorkshire swine. 3D multiecho gradient echo imaging was performed at 1‐week postinfarction at 3T and 7T. Quantitative susceptibility mapping images were reconstructed using a morphology‐enabled dipole inversion. maps and quantitative susceptibility mapping were generated to assess the relationship between , Δχ, and field strength. Infarct histopathology was investigated.

Results

Magnetic susceptibility was not significantly different across field strengths (7T: 126.8 ± 41.7 ppb; 3T: 110.2 ± 21.0 ppb, P = NS), unlike (7T: 247.0 ± 14.8 Hz; 3T: 106.1 ± 6.5 Hz, P < .001). Additionally, infarct Δχ and were significantly higher than remote myocardium. Magnetic susceptibility at 7T versus 3T had a significant association (β = 1.02, R2 = 0.82, P < .001), as did (β = 2.35, R2 = 0.98, P < .001). Infarct pathophysiology and iron deposition were detected through histology and compared with imaging findings.

Conclusion

showed dependence and Δχ showed independence of field strength. Histology validated the presence of iron and supported imaging findings.
Switching from blonanserin tablets to blonanserin transdermal patches improves tardive dyskinesia: A case report
Authors: Sakai Shintaro , Morimoto Yoshiro , Matsuzaka Yusuke , Nakano Takeshi , Kanegae Shinji , Imamura Akira , Ozawa Hiroki
Published: August 2021

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a common side effect of antipsychotics, and it remains a persistent and challenging problem. The blonanserin transdermal patch, developed in Japan and launched in September 2019, is the first antipsychotic transdermal treatment. Here, we describe a patient with schizophrenia who exhibited markedly improved orofacial dyskinesia after switching from blonanserin tablets to blonanserin transdermal patches. We speculate that the patch formulation might have led to more stable plasma blonanserin levels, thus reducing the side effects. Specifically, the patch formulation might have contributed to stable plasma levels via the continuous and direct absorption of blonanserin through the skin.
Recall of Genomic Testing Results Among Patients with Cancer
Authors: Wing Sam E. , Hu Hengrui , Lopez Lisa , Solomon Ilana , Shen Jenny , Raquel Catherine , Sur Melissa , Chao Joseph , Cristea Mihaela , Fakih Marwan , Mortimer Joanne , Pal Sumanta , Reckamp Karen , Yuan Yuan , Gray Stacy W.
Published: August 2021

Background

Genomic testing of somatic and germline DNA has transformed cancer care. However, low genetic knowledge among patients may compromise care and health outcomes. Given the rise in genomic testing, we sought to understand patients’ knowledge of their genetic test results.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a survey-based study with 85 patients at a comprehensive cancer center. We compared self-reported recall of (a) having had somatic/germline testing and (b) their specific somatic/germline results to the genomic test results documented in the medical record.

Results

Approximately 30% of patients did not recall having had testing. Of those who recalled having testing, 44% of patients with pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline mutations and 57% of patients with reported somatic alterations did not accurately recall their specific gene or variant-level results.

Conclusion

Given significant knowledge gaps in patients’ recall of genomic testing, there is a critical need to improve patient-directed education and return-of-results strategies.
Neural network feature and architecture optimization for injection molding surface defect prediction of model polypropylene
Authors: Román Allen Jonathan , Qin Shiyi , Zavala Victor M. , Osswald Tim A.
Published: August 2021

The industry is heading towards digitalization with production and quality assurance of processes and products. Novel practices such as machine learning or artificial intelligence make it possible for highly complex and nonlinear occurrences to be modeled and predicted with immense accuracy when real experiences are used to train the algorithm. For example, supervised learning in a closed‐loop system allows the user to analyze and predict outcomes and gives it the ability to adapt and add intelligence to the current system. This study focuses on the development of a neural network (NN) for surface defect prediction in injection molding of model polypropylene. Feature optimization allows us to conclude that rheological parameters such as the melt flow index and relaxation time () can improve predictive accuracy. Furthermore, Bayesian optimization is implemented to optimize the NN structure. The optimization approach allowed for a cross‐validation (CV) accuracy of 90.2% ± 4.4% with only five input parameters, while the seven‐input parameter optimized structure arrived at a CV accuracy of 92.4% ± 11.4%. Although the full‐feature structure optimized with Bayesian optimization concluded with slightly higher accuracy, the error range dramatically increased, meaning that this structure tends to overfit.
Pediatric invasive long‐term ventilation—A 10‐year review
Authors: Walsh Aoibhinn , Furlong Mairead , Mc Nally Paul , O'Reilly Ruth , Javadpour Sheila , Cox Desmond W.
Published: August 2021

Introduction

The number of children with complex physical and developmental pathologies, including chronic respiratory insufficiency, surviving and growing beyond early childhood continues to rise. No study has examined the clinical pathway of children on invasive long‐term mechanical ventilation (LTMV) in an Irish setting. Our data over a 10‐year period were reviewed to see if our demographics and outcomes are in line with global trends.

Methods

Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin, Dublin is Ireland's largest tertiary pediatric hospital. A retrospective review analyzed data from children in our center commenced on LTMV via a tracheostomy over 10 years (2009–2018). This data was subdivided into two epochs for statistical analysis of longitudinal trends.

Results

Forty‐six children were commenced on LTMV from 2009 to 2018. Many had complex medical diagnoses with associated comorbidities. Far less children, 30.4% (n = 14) commenced LTMV in the latter half of the 10‐year period, they also fared better in all aspects of their treatment course. Focusing solely on children who have needed LTMV over this timeframe we have been able to isolate trends specific to this cohort. Less patients commenced LTMV on a year‐on‐year basis, and for those that require tracheostomy and LTMV, their journey to decannulation tends to be shorter.

Conclusion

Over the period reviewed, less patients over time necessitated LTMV, and those patients are being weaned and decannulated with ever more success. This has implications in terms of predicting numbers transitioning to adult services and allocation of hospital and community care resources.
Process Research of Solution‐Enhanced Dispersion by Supercritical Fluids to Prepare Energetic Material Nano‐Capsules
Authors: Yang Jihua , Cai Xingwang
Published: August 2021

Nano‐capsule energetic materials can improve the mechanical properties, combustion/explosion properties, and component compatibility of solid propellants and reduce their toxicity, water absorption capacity, and sensitivity. The following approaches have been performed to obtain nano‐capsule energetic materials. First, the structure of solution‐enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) core device (nozzle and hanging basket) were modified to improve the atomization performance, eliminate the vortex, and avoid the repeated growth of crystals. The ultrafine RDX particles with average particle size of 705 nm and distribution range of 400–1200 nm were prepared by using the improved devices. Second, the optimal process parameters for the preparation of ultrafine RDX by SEDS were obtained. Reducing the solution concentration or the supercritical CO2 temperature will be beneficial to obtain dry RDX particles with smaller particle sizes. When the solution concentration ratio was 10 g (RDX)/100 mL (DMF), the temperature of supercritical CO2 was 35 °C, and the flow rate ratio of supercritical CO2 to solution was greater than 10 (kg/h): 2 (ml/min), the experiment results were good. Third, to facilitate the detection of shell elements, fluororubber (F26) and RDX were used as raw materials to prepare nano‐capsules. Transmission electron microscopy image showed that the RDX‐F26 particles featured a core‐shell structure with diameters that ranged between 200 nm and 300 nm, spherical shape, and uniform wall thickness. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the core was RDX, the shell was F26, and the thickness of the shell was 14.6 nm. As the capsule wall material, the F26 also inhibited the overgrowth of RDX crystal in the course of crystallization successfully. Sensitivity analysis showed that the RDX‐F26 nano‐capsules had lower impact and friction sensitivities than the refined RDX. These results show that the use of improved SEDS process is suitable for the preparation of energetic material microcapsules.
The selectivity of α‐adrenoceptor agonists for the human α1A, α1B, and α1D‐adrenoceptors
Authors: Proudman Richard G. W. , Baker Jillian G.
Published: August 2021

Highly selective drugs offer a way to minimize side‐effects. For agonist ligands, this could be through highly selective affinity or highly selective efficacy, but this requires careful measurements of intrinsic efficacy. The α1‐adrenoceptors are important clinical targets, and α1‐agonists are used to manage hypotension, sedation, attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder (ADHD), and nasal decongestion. With 100 years of drug development, there are many structurally different compounds with which to study agonist selectivity. This study examined 62 α‐agonists at the three human α1‐adrenoceptor (α1A, α1B, and α1D) stably expressed in CHO cells. Affinity was measured using whole‐cell3H‐prazosin binding, while functional responses were measured for calcium mobilization, ERK1/2‐phosphorylation, and cAMP accumulation. Efficacy ratios were used to rank compounds in order of intrinsic efficacy. Adrenaline, noradrenaline, and phenylephrine were highly efficacious α1‐agonists at all three receptor subtypes. A61603 was the most selective agonist and its very high α1A‐selectivity was due to selective α1A‐affinity (>660‐fold). There was no evidence of Gq‐calcium versus ERK‐phosphorylation biased signaling at the α1A, α1B, or α1D‐adrenoceptors. There was little evidence for α1A calcium versus cAMP biased signaling, although there were suggestions of calcium versus cAMP bias the α1B‐adrenoceptor. Comparisons of the rank order of ligand intrinsic efficacy suggest little evidence for selective intrinsic efficacy between the compounds, with perhaps the exception of dobutamine which may have some α1D‐selective efficacy. There seems plenty of scope to develop affinity selective and intrinsic efficacy selective drugs for the α1‐adrenoceptors in future.
Infrared Spectral Analysis of Plasmonic Polarons in Doped P3HT Films
Authors: Rohnacher Valentina , Tzschoppe Michael , Sivanesan Vipilan , Pucci Annemarie
Published: August 2021

The strong midinfrared polaronic signal in p‐doped polymers such as P3HT is analyzed in terms of a plasmonic absorption cross section. Quantitative conclusion on the hole mobility along chains of coherently connected thiophene units is derived in that way. This intrachain mobility is more than two orders of magnitude higher than average mobilities of doped polymers which is limited by the much less efficient interchain transport processes.
Iterative learning control with discrete‐time nonlinear nonminimum phase models via stable inversion
Authors: Spiegel Isaac A. , Strijbosch Nard , Oomen Tom , Barton Kira
Published: August 2021

Output reference tracking can be improved by iteratively learning from past data to inform the design of feedforward control inputs for subsequent tracking attempts. This process is called iterative learning control (ILC). This article develops a method to apply ILC to systems with nonlinear discrete‐time dynamical models with unstable inverses (i.e., discrete‐time nonlinear nonminimum phase models). This class of systems includes piezoactuators, electric power converters, and manipulators with flexible links, which may be found in nanopositioning stages, rolling mills, and robotic arms, respectively. As these devices may be required to execute fine transient reference tracking tasks repetitively in contexts such as manufacturing, they may benefit from ILC. Specifically, this article facilitates ILC of such systems by presenting a new ILC synthesis framework that allows combination of the principles of Newton's root finding algorithm with stable inversion, a technique for generating stable trajectories from unstable models. The new framework, called invert‐linearize ILC (ILILC), is validated in simulation on a cart‐and‐pendulum system with model error, process noise, and measurement noise. Where preexisting Newton‐based ILC diverges, ILILC with stable inversion converges, and does so in less than one third the number of trials necessary for the convergence of a gradient‐descent‐based ILC technique used as a benchmark.
Influence of Wet–Dry Cycling on the Self‐Assembly and Physicochemical Properties of Model Protocellular Membrane Systems
Authors: Sarkar Susovan , Dagar Shikha , Rajamani Sudha
Published: August 2021

The front cover artwork is provided by the Rajamani group at IISER Pune. The image depicts the self‐assembly and encapsulation of model protocell membranes under prebiotically pertinent wet–dry cycles. Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/syst.202100014.
A survey of veterinary professionals in Sweden: Adverse event reporting and access to product safety information
Authors: Mount James , Sjöström Karin , Arthurson Veronica , Kreuger Sanna
Published: August 2021

Background

Pharmacovigilance based on spontaneously reported suspected adverse events (AEs) from veterinary professionals is a powerful tool for detecting potential risks of using medicinal products. However, it is heavily dependent on the voluntary participation of veterinary professionals. Estimates suggest that over 90% of suspected AEs remain unreported. This survey was conducted to accumulate information on current practices and attitudes of Swedish veterinary professionals in relation to AE reporting and their perceptions of the accessibility of updated product safety information.

Methods

Swedish veterinary professionals were surveyed using a web‐based questionnaire prepared by the Swedish Medical Products Agency (SMPA). The survey included three sections with 13 questions and was distributed via several communication channels, including the Swedish Veterinary Association.

Results

The survey was answered by 412 veterinary professionals, including veterinarians and licensed veterinary nurses. The survey identified that most veterinarians comply with national legislation by reporting directly to the SMPA, but not all observed AEs are reported. Veterinary professionals indicated that it is important to have an easy and efficient reporting system, preferably directly from an electronic medical records system. Feedback is considered important. Veterinary nursing staff could potentially improve the reporting rate of suspected AEs in Sweden. The degree of knowledge relating to the reporting of AEs varies among professionals, thus impacting on reporting frequency. A single source of product safety information is mainly used, and improvements are required to enhance accessibility and distribution of updated product safety information.

Conclusions

The insight gained from this survey will be used to influence attitudes and facilitate adaptations needed to fulfil the requirements of the European Union regulations. To reduce underreporting of AEs and facilitate access to updated product safety information, various approaches are required including educational interventions, new digital reporting tools and adaption of communication strategies.
Identification of pesticides in water samples by solid‐phase extraction and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: von Ameln Lovison Otávio , Jank Louise , de Souza William Machado , Ramalho Guerra Rafaela , Lamas Alex Elias , da Costa Ballestrin Rogerio Antonio , da Silva Morais Hein Camila , da Silva Thaisla Cristiane Borella , Corção Gertrudes , Martins Andreza Francisco
Published: August 2021

The Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), including pesticides, have been a trending topic and Brazil is the country with the highest usage of pesticides worldwide. This study aimed to measure the presence of pesticide residues in the water from different sources in the city of Porto Alegre. We analyzed 55 samples from drinking water treatment plants, public water sites, and sewage treatment plants from winter 2018 to summer 2020 by solid‐phase extraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Among 184 pesticides evaluated, 107 matched validation criteria (linearity, trueness, accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility) and 15 of them were detected in different water samples, including seven insecticides, five antifungals, and three herbicides, with a wide range of toxicity levels and noticeable seasonal differences. For the worst‐case scenario evaluation, 20 out of 22 (90.9%) samples exceeded the Risk Quotient of 1. The sum of pesticide concentrations exceeded 100 ng L−1 in 66.7% of samples in February 19 and in 75% of samples in February 20 and the total pesticide concentration has reached the worrisome mark of 1615 and 954.96 ng L−1 respectively. Therefore, our results make evident the need to promote public policies to achieve better water quality monitoring.

Practitioner Points

Among 184 pesticides evaluated, 107 matched validation criteria (linearity, trueness, accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility).

A total of 55 different water samples were analyzed, and 15 pesticides were detected and five quantified.

For the worst‐case scenario evaluation, 20 out of 21 samples exceeded the Risk Quotient of 1 on Feb/20.

The pesticide concentrations sum exceeded 100 ng L−1 in 66.7% of samples on February 19 and in 75% of samples on February 20.

It is mandatory to improve water monitoring to guide the development of public policies concerning its quality.
Nash blocks
Authors: Wikman Peter
Published: August 2021

A product set of pure strategies is a Nash block if it contains all best replies to the Nash equilibria of the game in which the players are restricted to the strategies in the block. This defines an intermediate block property, between curb (Basu and Weibull, Econ Lett 36(2):141–146, 10.1016/0165-1765(91)90179-O, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016517659190179O, 1991) and coarse tenability (Myerson and Weibull (2015) Econometrica 83(3):943–976, 10.3982/ECTA11048). While the new concept is defined without reference to the consideration-set framework that defines tenability, the framework can be used to characterize Nash blocks in terms of potential conventions when large populations of individuals recurrently interact. Although weaker than curb, Nash blocks nevertheless maintain several robustness properties of curb sets. For example, every Nash block contains an essential component and is robust against payoff perturbations.
Intra-limb modulations of posterior root-muscle reflexes evoked from the lower-limb muscles during isometric voluntary contractions
Authors: Saito Akira , Nakagawa Kento , Masugi Yohei , Nakazawa Kimitaka
Published: August 2021

Although voluntary muscle contraction modulates spinal reflex excitability of contracted muscles and other muscles located at other segments within a limb (i.e., intra-limb modulation), to what extent corticospinal pathways are involved in intra-limb modulation of spinal reflex circuits remains unknown. The purpose of the present study was to identify differences in the involvement of corticospinal pathways in intra-limb modulation of spinal reflex circuits among lower-limb muscles during voluntary contractions. Ten young males performed isometric plantar-flexion, dorsi-flexion, knee extension, and knee flexion at 10% of each maximal torque. Electromyographic activity was recorded from soleus, tibialis anterior, vastus lateralis, and biceps femoris muscles. Motor evoked potentials and posterior root-muscle reflexes during rest and isometric contractions were elicited from the lower-limb muscles using transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation, respectively. Motor evoked potential and posterior root-muscle reflex amplitudes of soleus during knee extension were significantly increased compared to rest. The motor evoked potential amplitude of biceps femoris during dorsi-flexion was significantly increased, whereas the posterior root-muscle reflex amplitude of biceps femoris during dorsi-flexion was significantly decreased compared to rest. These results suggest that corticospinal and spinal reflex excitabilities of soleus are facilitated during knee extension, whereas intra-limb modulation of biceps femoris during dorsi-flexion appeared to be inverse between corticospinal and spinal reflex circuits.
Retrospective analysis of treatment decisions and clinical outcome of Lisfranc injuries: operative vs. conservative treatment
Authors: Graef Josefine , Tsitsilonis Serafeim , Niemann Marcel , Gehlen Tobias , Nadler Pascal , Graef Frank
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Lisfranc injuries are rare and often pose a challenge for surgeons, particularly in initially missed or neglected cases. The evidence on which subtypes of Lisfranc injuries are suitable for conservative treatment or should undergo surgery is low. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze treatment decisions of Lisfranc injuries and the clinical outcome of these patients within the last ten years.

Methods

All patients treated due to a Lisfranc injury in a German level I trauma centre from January 2011 until December 2020 were included in this study. Radiologic images and medical data from the patient files were analyzed concerning the classification of injury, specific radiologic variables, such as the Buehren criteria, patient baseline characteristics, and patient outcome reported with the Foot Function Index (FFI).

Results

Ninety-nine patients were included in this study (conservative = 20, operative = 79). The overall clinical outcome assessed by the FFI was good (FFI sum 23.93, SD 24.93); patients that were identified as suitable for conservative treatment did not show inferior functional results. Qualitative radiological factors like the grade of displacement and the trauma mechanism were more strongly associated with the decision for surgical treatment than quantitative radiologic factors such as the distance from the first to the second metatarsal bone.

Conclusion

If the indication for conservative or operative treatment of Lisfranc injuries is determined correctly, the clinical outcome can be comparable. These decisions should be based on several factors including quantitative and qualitative radiologic criteria, as well as the trauma mechanism.
Polar varieties and bipolar surfaces of minimal surfaces in the n-sphere
Authors: Moriya Katsuhiro
Published: August 2021

For a given minimal surface in the n-sphere, two ways to construct a minimal surface in the m-sphere are given. One way constructs a minimal immersion. The other way constructs a minimal immersion which may have branch points. The branch points occur exactly at each point where the original minimal surface is geodesic. If a minimal surface in the 3-sphere is given, then these ways construct Lawson’s polar variety and bipolar surface.
Experiencing climate change: revisiting the role of local weather in affecting climate change awareness and related policy preferences
Authors: Gärtner Lea , Schoen Harald
Published: August 2021

Over the last few years, climate change has risen to the top of the agenda in many Western democracies, backed by a growing share of voters supporting climate protection policies. To understand how and why these changes came about, we revisit the question whether personal experiences with increasingly unusual local weather conditions affect people’s beliefs about climate change and their related attitudes. We first take a closer look at the theoretical underpinnings and extend the theoretical argument to account for the differential impact of different weather phenomena, as well as the role of prior beliefs and individual reference frames. Applying mixed-effects regressions to a novel dataset combining individual-level multi-wave panel survey data from up to 18,010 German voters collected from 2016 to 2019 with weather data from 514 weather stations, we show that personally experiencing unusual or extreme local weather did not shape people’s awareness of climate change as a political problem or their climate policy preferences in a sustained manner. Even among people who may be considered most likely to exhibit such effects, we did not detect them. Moreover, we demonstrate that the common modeling strategy of combining fixed-effects regression with clustered standard errors leads to severely reduced standard errors and substantively different results. We conclude that it cannot be taken for granted that personally experiencing extreme weather phenomena makes a difference in perceptions of climate change and related policy preferences.
Propositionalism and Questions that do not have Correct Answers
Authors: Felappi Giulia
Published: August 2021

As the label suggests, according to propositionalism, each intentional mental state, attitude or event is or involves a relation to a proposition. In this paper, I will discuss a case that seems prima facie not to be accountable for by propositionalism. After having presented the case, I will show why it is different from others that have been discussed in the literature as able to show that propositionalism cannot be correct. I will then consider what the propositionalist can say to fix the problem and I will show that no strategy that is genuinely propositionalist seems promising. I will not conclude that propositionalism is doomed. But I will show that if propositionalism can account for our case at all, it can only do so by losing its main appeal, i.e. its elegance and simplicity. But then propositionalism seems to have lost its advantage with respect to its obvious alternative, i.e. a pluralist account according to which mental states, attitudes and events are not all homogeneously relations to propositions, but rather our mental life should be accounted for in terms of a plurality of kinds of relata.
Correction to: Gravity Field Modeling Using Tesseroids with Variable Density in the Vertical Direction
Authors: Lin Miao , Denker Heiner , Müller Jürgen
Published: August 2021

The article: “Gravity Field Modeling Using Tesseroids with Variable Density in the Vertical Direction”, written by Miao Lin, Heiner Denker and Jürgen Müller, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 26 March 2020 without open access.
Electrospun highly corrosion-resistant polystyrene–nickel oxide superhydrophobic nanocomposite coating
Authors: Bahgat Radwan A. , Mannah Cheirva A. , Sliem Mostafa H. , Al-Qahtani Noora Hamad S. , Okonkwo Paul C. , Berdimurodov Elyor , Mohamed Adel M. , Abdullah Aboubakr M.
Published: August 2021

A key challenge in producing superhydrophobic coatings (SHC) is to tailor the surface morphology on the micro-nanometer scale. In this work, a feasible and straightforward route was employed to manufacture polystyrene/nickel oxide (PSN) nanocomposite superhydrophobic coatings on aluminum alloys to mitigate their corrosion in a saline environment. Different techniques were employed to explore the influence of the addition of NiO nanoparticles to the as-prepared coatings. PSN-2 composite with ~ 4.3 wt% of NiO exhibited the highest water contact angle (WCA) of 155° ± 2 and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of 5°.

Graphic abstract

EIS Nyquist plots of 3 g of electrospun polystyrene coatings (a) without and with (b) 0.1, (c) 0.15, and (d) 0.2 g of NiO.
Application of spatio-temporal data in site-specific maize yield prediction with machine learning methods
Authors: Nyéki A. , Kerepesi C. , Daróczy B. , Benczúr A. , Milics G. , Nagy J. , Harsányi E. , Kovács A. J. , Neményi M.
Published: August 2021

In order to meet the requirements of sustainability and to determine yield drivers and limiting factors, it is now more likely that traditional yield modelling will be carried out using artificial intelligence (AI). The aim of this study was to predict maize yields using AI that uses spatio-temporal training data. The paper has advanced a new method of maize yield prediction, which is based on spatio-temporal data mining. To find the best solution, various models were used: counter-propagation artificial neural networks (CP-ANNs), XY-fused Querynetworks (XY-Fs), supervised Kohonen networks (SKNs), neural networks with Rectangular Linear Activations (ReLU), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), support-vector machine (SVM), and different subsets of the independent variables in five vegetation periods. Input variables for modelling included: soil parameters (pH, P2O5, K2O, Zn, clay content, ECa, draught force, Cone index), micro-relief averages, and meteorological parameters for the 63 treatment units in a 15.3 ha research field. The best performing method (XGBoost) reached 92.1% and 95.3% accuracy on the training and the test sets. Additionally, a novel method was introduced to treat individual units in a lattice system. The lattice-based smoothing performed an additional increase in Area under the curve (AUC) to 97.5% over the individual predictions of the XGBoost model. The models were developed using 48 different subsets of variables to determine which variables consistently contributed to prediction accuracy. By comparing the resulting models, it was shown that the best regression model was Extreme Gradient Boosting Trees, with 92.1% accuracy (on the training set). In addition, the method calculates the influence of the spatial distribution of site-specific soil fertility on maize grain yields. This paper provides a new method of spatio-temporal data analyses, taking the most important influencing factors on maize yields into account.