bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motivations for attempted suicide by women using drugs
Authors: Soccol Keity Laís Siepmann , Terra Marlene Gomes , Aquino Jael Maria de , Canabarro Janaina Lunardi , Souto Valquiria Toledo , Tisott Zaira Letícia , Siqueira Daiana Foggiato de
Published: July 2021

Introduction: The scientific literature has pointed out an association between drug use and a higher risk of suicide in men and women. A gender focus is necessary to understand the intentions that women who have already attempted suicide attribute to this attitude because the way people act revelation has an intentional sense. Objective: To understand the reasons that lead women who use drugs to attempt suicide. Methods: Phenomenological study, developed in a Psychosocial Care Center for alcohol and drugs, with 12 female drug users. Data collection took place through phenomenological interviews, which were analyzed from the perspective of Alfred Schütz's Social Phenomenology. Results: The suicide attempt by women was motivated by depression due to situations of violence and conflicting relationships and the losses experienced in their lives. The reasons for the suicide attempt are linked to the women's life history and not only to the phenomenon of drug use. Conclusion: Thus, understanding the reasons and the women's life history made it possible to identify suicidal risk behavior and plan the actions of health professionals according to the health needs of these women.
A simple mechanistic model of the invasive species Heracleum sosnowskyi propagule dispersal by wind
Authors: Chadin Ivan , Dalke Igor , Tishin Denis , Zakhozhiy Ilya , Malyshev Ruslan
Published: July 2021

Background

Invasive species are one of the key elements of human-mediated ecosystem degradation and ecosystem services impairment worldwide. Dispersal of propagules is the first stage of plant species spread and strongly influences the dynamics of biological invasion. Therefore, distance prediction for invasive species spread is critical for invasion management. Heracleum sosnowskyi is one of the most dangerous invasive species with wind-dispersed propagules (seeds) across Eastern Europe. This study developed a simple mechanistic model for H. sosnowskyi propagule dispersal and their distances with an accuracy comparable to that of empirical measurements.

Methods

We measured and compared the propagule traits (terminal velocity, mass, area, and wing loading) and release height for H. sosnowskyi populations from two geographically distant regions of European Russia. We tested two simple mechanistic models: a ballistic model and a wind gradient model using identical artificial propagules. The artificial propagules were made of colored paper with a mass, area, wing loading, and terminal velocity close to those of natural H. sosnowskyi mericarps.

Results

The wind gradient model produced the best results. The first calculations of maximum possible propagule transfer distance by wind using the model and data from weather stations showed that the role of wind as a vector of long-distance dispersal for invasive Heracleum species was strongly underestimated. The published dataset with H. sosnowskyi propagule traits and release heights allows for modeling of the propagules’ dispersal distances by wind at any geographical point within their entire invasion range using data from the closest weather stations. The proposed simple model for the prediction of H. sosnowskyi propagule dispersal by wind may be included in planning processes for managing invasion of this species.
A star is torn—molecular analysis divides the Mediterranean population of Poli’s stellate barnacle, Chthamalus stellatus (Cirripedia, Chtamalidae)
Authors: Tikochinski Yaron , Tamir Sharon , Simon-Blecher Noa , Motro Uzi , Achituv Yair
Published: July 2021

Poli’s stellate barnacle, Chthamalus stellatus Poli, populates the Mediterranean Sea, the North-Eastern Atlantic coasts, and the offshore Eastern Atlantic islands. Previous studies have found apparent genetic differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean populations of C. stellatus, suggesting possible geological and oceanographic explanations for these differences. We have studied the genetic diversity of 14 populations spanning from the Eastern Atlantic to the Eastern Mediterranean, using two nuclear genes sequences revealing a total of 63 polymorphic sites. Both genotype-based, haplotype-based and the novel SNP distribution population-based methods have found that these populations represent a geographic cline along the west to east localities. The differences in SNP distribution among populations further separates a major western cluster into two smaller clusters, the Eastern Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean. It also separates the major eastern cluster into two smaller clusters, the Mid-Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean. We suggested here environmental conditions like surface currents, water salinity and temperature as probable factors that have formed the population structure. We demonstrate that C. stellatus is a suitable model organism for studying how geological events and hydrographic conditions shape the fauna in the Mediterranean Sea.
East Asian Philosophy of Religion
Authors: Romano Carlin
Published: July 2021

East Asian philosophy of religion differs from its Western analogue in not focusing on the Judeo‐Christian tradition and core topics that arise out of monotheism, such as the attributes of God and putative proofs of God's existence. It resembles Western philosophy of religion in engaging with such issues as the possibility of an afterlife, heaven and hell, the problem of evil, faith, free will, the status of gods and spirits, the existence of the supernatural, and whether there is a greater‐than‐human authority that humankind should obey or emulate. Like Western philosophy of religion, East Asian philosophy of religion critically assesses religious beliefs – it does not merely articulate them. Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism are the traditions of thought most widely embraced across a variety of East Asian countries. Philosophers interpret all three teachings in both secular and supernatural ways, both criticizing and supporting their evolving beliefs and practices.
Mysticism
Authors: Wainwright † William J.
Published: July 2021

In this entry influential typologies of mysticism are described and criticized. Stace ignores the importance of love mysticism. Zaehner does not but draws an overly sharp distinction between monistic and theistic mysticism for, as Pike points out, the latter sometimes includes the former. Grace Jantzen correctly points out that an undue emphasis on ecstatic experience distorts the “life of prayer.” Trances, visions, raptures, etc., are more important than she allows, however. They are central features of the lives of the founders of many of the religious traditions, and the authority of these founders' authority partly rests on their experiences' cognitive validity. Mystical experiences' cognitive validity has been defended in two ways. Advaita Vedānta, Richard Swinburne, and William Wainwright argue that all apparent cognitions – including mystical ones – are presumptively valid and should therefore be accepted in the absence of conclusive reasons for rejecting them. Alston, on the other hand, focuses on belief‐forming practices which provide primary access to their subject matter. Just as sense perception provides our primary access to physical objects, and memory provides our primary access to the past, so mystical belief‐forming practices provide our primary access to the divine. Both approaches are critically discussed.
Religion, Definition of
Authors: Casey Patrick J.
Published: July 2021

Scholars have produced a staggering variety of definitions of religion over the past 150 years. This entry aims to orient readers in the ongoing multidisciplinary debate by providing a brief historical account of the origin of the term “religion” and a general taxonomy of the various kinds of definitions (including monothetic, polythetic, substantive, functional, mixed, and family resemblance), along with some brief commentary and criticism.
Co‐Evaporated MAPbI3 with Graded Fermi Levels Enables Highly Performing, Scalable, and Flexible p‐i‐n Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Li Jia , Dewi Herlina Arianita , Wang Hao , Zhao Jiashang , Tiwari Nidhi , Yantara Natalia , Malinauskas Tadas , Getautis Vytautas , Savenije Tom J. , Mathews Nripan , Mhaisalkar Subodh , Bruno Annalisa
Published: July 2021

Recent progress of vapor‐deposited perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has proved the feasibility of this deposition method in achieving promising photovoltaic devices. For the first time, it is probed the versatility of the co‐evaporation process in creating perovskite layers customizable for different device architectures. A gradient of composition is created within the perovskite films by tuning the background chamber pressure during the growth process. This method leads to co‐evaporated MAPbI3 film with graded Fermi levels across the thickness. Here it is proved that this growth process is beneficial for p‐i‐n PSCs as it can guarantee a favorable energy alignment at the charge selective interfaces. Co‐evaporated p‐i‐n PSCs, with different hole transporting layers, consistently achieve power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 20% with a champion value of 20.6%, one of the highest reported to date. The scaled‐up p‐i‐n PSCs, with active areas of 1 and 1.96 cm2, achieved the record PCEs of 19.1% and 17.2%, respectively, while the flexible PSCs reached a PCE of 19.3%. Unencapsulated PSCs demonstrate remarkable long‐term stability, retaining ≈90% of their initial PCE when stored in ambient for 1000 h. These PSCs also preserve over 80% of their initial PCE after 500 h of thermal aging at 85 °C.
Water‐Soluble Cross‐Linking Functional Binder for Low‐Cost and High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Sun Ruimin , Hu Jun , Shi Xuxu , Wang Jing , Zheng Xiangyi , Zhang Yuxiang , Han Bo , Xia Kaisheng , Gao Qiang , Zhou Chenggang , Mai Liqiang
Published: July 2021

Binders play an important role in battery systems. The lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have poor cycling performance owing to large volume alteration of sulfur and shuttle effect. Herein, a novel water‐soluble functional binder (named GN‐BA) is prepared by the cross‐linking effect between gelatin and boric acid. The excellent binder can effectively maintain the integrated electrode stable, buffer the volume changes, prevent active materials exfoliation from current collectors, and anchor polysulfides by chemical bonding. Sulfur electrodes in this binder also exhibit a loosely stacked porous structure, which is advantageous to the electrolyte permeation and fast ion diffusion. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations further verified that the binder can anchor polysulfides by forming BOLi, COLi, and CNLi chemical bonds. At 0.5 C, a high initial capacity of 980 mA h g−1 can be obtained, which is higher than those sulfur cathodes with traditional poly(vinylidene fluoride) binder. When the sulfur loading is up to 5.0 mg cm−2, a high areal specific capacity of 5.7 mA h cm−2 and excellent cycling stability are achieved. This study proposes an economical and environmentally friendly strategy for the construction of advanced binders and promotes the practical application of high‐energy Li–S batteries.
Intrinsic Defect Limit to the Growth of Orthorhombic HfO2 and (Hf,Zr)O2 with Strong Ferroelectricity: First‐Principles Insights
Authors: Wei Jinchen , Jiang Lilai , Huang Menglin , Wu Yuning , Chen Shiyou
Published: July 2021

It is believed that promoting the fraction of ferroelectric orthorhombic phase (o‐phase) through O‐poor growth conditions can increase the spontaneous polarization of HfO2 and (Hf,Zr)O2 thin films. However, the first‐principles calculations show that the growth may be limited by the easy formation of point defects in the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases of HfO2, ZrO2, and (Hf,Zr)O2. Their dominant defects, O interstitial (Oi) under O‐rich conditions and O vacancy (VO) under O‐poor condition, have low formation energies and quite high density (1016–1019 cm−3 for 800–1400 K growth temperature). Especially, Oi has negative formation energy in tetragonal HfO2 under O‐rich condition, causing non‐stoichiometry and limiting the crystalline‐seed formation during o‐phase growth. High‐density defects can cause disordering of dipole moments and increase leakage current, both diminishing the polarization. These results explain the experimental puzzle that the measured polarization is much lower than the ideal value even in O‐poor thin films and highlight that controlling defects is as important as promoting the o‐phase fraction for enhancing ferroelectricity. The O‐intermediate condition (average of O‐rich and O‐poor conditions) and low growth temperature are proposed for fabricating HfO2 and (Hf,Zr)O2 with fewer defects, lower leakage current, and stronger ferroelectricity, which challenges the belief that O‐poor condition is optimal.
Interfacial Instability as Shaping Mechanism for Polystyrene Particles with Tunable Surface Texture
Authors: vom Stein Helena , Volkmer Dirk
Published: July 2021

Surfactant‐driven interfacial instability of emulsion droplets has recently emerged as a means for shaping polymeric particles with controllable surface texture. This paper presents a suspension polymerization‐based method to produce surface‐textured polystyrene particles by inducing an instability at the interface of prepolymerized emulsion droplets followed by rapid cooling. The interaction of two surface‐active components, i.e., arachidic acid and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at the phase boundary triggers the interfacial deformation at a specific point in time. Rapid cooling freezes the deformed emulsion droplets in a nonequilibrium state. Viscosity is proposed as the key parameter influencing the particle morphology, which can be controlled by easily adjustable factors such as initiator concentration, temperature, time, and cooling rate. Contact angle hysteresis measurements of particle thin layers spread on a flat substrate reveal a strong influence of the particle surface texture on the wetting behavior. The presented particle synthesis method requires no specialized equipment and has a high potential for upscaling, making it promising for various applications including hydrophobic coatings, catalyst supports, separation technology, tissue engineering, or drug delivery.
Speech‐in‐noise hearing impairment is associated with an increased risk of incident dementia in 82,039 UK Biobank participants
Authors: Stevenson Jonathan S. , Clifton Lei , Kuźma Elżbieta , Littlejohns Thomas J.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Little is known about the association between speech‐in‐noise (SiN) hearing impairment and dementia.

Methods

In 82,039 dementia‐free participants aged ≥60 years were selected from the UK Biobank. Cox proportional‐hazards models were used to investigate whether SiN hearing impairment is associated with an increased risk of incident dementia.

Results

Over 11 years of follow‐up (median = 10.1), 1285 participants developed dementia. Insufficient and poor SiN hearing were associated with a 61% (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.61, 95% confidence [CI] 1.41–1.84) and 91% (HR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.55–2.36) increased risk of developing dementia, respectively, compared to normal SiN hearing. The association remained similar when restricting to follow‐up intervals of ≤3, >3 to  <6, >6 to <9, and >9 years. There was limited evidence for mediation through depressive symptoms and social isolation.

Discussion

SiN hearing impairment is independently associated with incident dementia, providing further evidence for hearing impairment as a potential modifiable dementia risk factor.
Subicular Caspase‐1 Contributes to Pharmacoresistance in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Xu Cenglin , Zhang Shuo , Gong Yiwei , Nao Jiazhen , Shen Yujia , Tan Bei , Xu Shuheng , Cui Sunliang , Ruan Yeping , Wang Shuang , Wang Yi , Chen Zhong
Published: July 2021

Objective

Unidentified mechanisms largely restrict the viability of effective therapies in pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Our previous study revealed that hyperactivity of the subiculum is crucial for the genesis of pharmacoresistance in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but the underlying molecular mechanism is not clear.

Methods

Here, we examined the role of subicular caspase‐1, a key neural pro‐inflammatory enzyme, in pharmacoresistant TLE.

Results

We found that the expression of activated caspase‐1 in the subiculum, but not the CA1, was upregulated in pharmacoresistant amygdaloid‐kindled rats. Early overexpression of caspase‐1 in the subiculum was sufficient to induce pharmacoresistant TLE in rats, whereas genetic ablation of caspase‐1 interfered with the genesis of pharmacoresistant TLE in both kindled rats and kainic acid‐treated mice. The pro‐pharmacoresistance effect of subicular caspase‐1 was mediated by its downstream inflammasome‐dependent interleukin‐1β. Further electrophysiological results showed that inhibiting caspase‐1 decreased the excitability of subicular pyramidal neurons through influencing the excitation/inhibition balance of presynaptic input. Importantly, a small molecular caspase‐1 inhibitor CZL80 attenuated seizures in pharmacoresistant TLE models, and decreased the neuronal excitability in the brain slices obtained from patients with pharmacoresistant TLE.

Interpretation

These results support the subicular caspase‐1‐interleukin‐1β inflammatory pathway as a novel alternative mechanism hypothesis for pharmacoresistant TLE, and present caspase‐1 as a potential target. ANN NEUROL 2021;90:377–390
Postictal Psychosis in Epilepsy: A Clinicogenetic Study
Authors: Braatz Vera , Martins Custodio Helena , Leu Costin , Agrò Luigi , Wang Baihan , Calafato Stella , Rayner Genevieve , Doyle Michael G. , Hengsbach Christian , Bisulli Francesca , Weber Yvonne G. , Gambardella Antonio , Delanty Norman , Cavalleri Gianpiero , Foong Jacqueline , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Berkovic Samuel F. , Bramon Elvira , Balestrini Simona , Sisodiya Sanjay M.
Published: July 2021

Objective

Psychoses affecting people with epilepsy increase disease burden and diminish quality of life. We characterized postictal psychosis, which comprises about one quarter of epilepsy‐related psychoses, and has unknown causation.

Methods

We conducted a case–control cohort study including patients diagnosed with postictal psychosis, confirmed by psychiatric assessment, with available data regarding epilepsy, treatment, psychiatric history, psychosis profile, and outcomes. After screening 3,288 epilepsy patients, we identified 83 with psychosis; 49 had postictal psychosis. Controls were 98 adults, matched by age and epilepsy type, with no history of psychosis. Logistic regression was used to investigate clinical factors associated with postictal psychosis; univariate associations with a p value < 0.20 were used to build a multivariate model. Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia were calculated.

Results

Cases were more likely to have seizure clustering (odds ratio [OR] = 7.59, p < 0.001), seizures with a recollected aura (OR = 2.49, p = 0.013), and a family history of psychiatric disease (OR = 5.17, p = 0.022). Cases showed predominance of right temporal epileptiform discharges (OR = 4.87, p = 0.007). There was no difference in epilepsy duration, neuroimaging findings, or antiseizure treatment between cases and controls. Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia in an extended cohort of postictal psychosis cases (n = 58) were significantly higher than in 1,366 epilepsy controls (R2 = 3%, p = 6 × 10−3), but not significantly different from 945 independent patients with schizophrenia (R2 = 0.1%, p = 0.775).

Interpretation

Postictal psychosis occurs under particular circumstances in people with epilepsy with a heightened genetic predisposition to schizophrenia, illustrating how disease biology (seizures) and trait susceptibility (schizophrenia) may interact to produce particular outcomes (postictal psychosis) in a common disease. ANN NEUROL 2021;90:464–476
A Borondifluoride‐Complex‐Based Photothermal Agent with an 80 % Photothermal Conversion Efficiency for Photothermal Therapy in the NIR‐II Window
Authors: Jiang Zhiyong , Zhang Changli , Wang Xiaoqing , Yan Ming , Ling Zongxin , Chen Yuncong , Liu Zhipeng
Published: July 2021

Small organic photothermal agents (SOPTAs) that absorb in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II, 1000–1700 nm) window are highly desirable in photothermal therapy for their good biocompatibility and deeper tissue penetration. However, the design of NIR‐II absorbing SOPTAs remains a great challenge. Herein, we report that molecular engineering of BF2 complex via strengthening the donor‐acceptor conjugation and increasing the intramolecular motions is an efficient strategy to achieve NIR‐II absorbing SOPTAs with high photothermal performance. Based on this strategy, a BF2 complex, BAF4, was designed and synthesized. BAF4 exhibits an intense absorption maximum at 1000 nm and negligible fluorescence. Notably, the nanoparticles of BAF4 achieve a high photothermal conversion efficiency value of 80 % under 1064 nm laser irradiation (0.75 W cm−2). In vitro and in vivo studies reveal the great potential of BAF4 nanoparticles in photoacoustic imaging‐guided photothermal therapy in the NIR‐II window.
Cell‐Permeable Nanobodies Allow Dual‐Color Super‐Resolution Microscopy in Untransfected Living Cells
Authors: Schneider Anselm F. L. , Benz Laila S. , Lehmann Martin , Hackenberger Christian P. R.
Published: July 2021

Super‐resolution microscopy in living cells can be restricted by the availability of small molecule probes, which only exist against few targets and genetically encoded tags. Here, we expand the applicability of live‐cell STED by engineering cell‐permeable and highly fluorescent nanobodies as intracellular targeting agents. To ensure bright fluorescent signals at low concentrations we used the concept of intramolecular photostabilization by ligating a fluorophore along with the photostabilizer trolox to the nanobody using expressed protein ligation (EPL). Furthermore, these semi‐synthetic nanobodies are equipped with a cleavable cell‐penetrating peptide for efficient cellular entry, which enables super‐resolution imaging of GFP and mCherry, as well as two endogenous targets, nuclear lamins and the DNA replication and repair protein PCNA. We monitored cell division and DNA replication via confocal and STED microscopy thus demonstrating the utility of these new intracellular tools for functional analysis.
Engineered acetoacetate‐inducible whole‐cell biosensors based on the AtoSC two‐component system
Authors: Rutter Jack W. , Dekker Linda , Fedorec Alex J. H. , Gonzales David T. , Wen Ke Yan , Tanner Lewis E. S. , Donovan Emma , Ozdemir Tanel , Thomas Geraint M. , Barnes Chris P.
Published: July 2021

Whole‐cell biosensors hold potential in a variety of industrial, medical, and environmental applications. These biosensors can be constructed through the repurposing of bacterial sensing mechanisms, including the common two‐component system (TCS). Here we report on the construction of a range of novel biosensors that are sensitive to acetoacetate, a molecule that plays a number of roles in human health and biology. These biosensors are based on the AtoSC TCS. An ordinary differential equation model to describe the action of the AtoSC TCS was developed and sensitivity analysis of this model used to help inform biosensor design. The final collection of biosensors constructed displayed a range of switching behaviours at physiologically relevant acetoacetate concentrations and can operate in several Escherichia coli host strains. It is envisaged that these biosensor strains will offer an alternative to currently available commercial strip tests and, in future, may be adopted for more complex in vivo or industrial monitoring applications.
Engineering analysis of multienzyme cascade reactions for 3ʹ‐sialyllactose synthesis
Authors: Schelch Sabine , Eibinger Manuel , Gross Belduma Stefanie , Petschacher Barbara , Kuballa Jürgen , Nidetzky Bernd
Published: July 2021

Sialo‐oligosaccharides are important products of emerging biotechnology for complex carbohydrates as nutritional ingredients. Cascade bio‐catalysis is central to the development of sialo‐oligosaccharide production systems, based on isolated enzymes or whole cells. Multienzyme transformations have been established for sialo‐oligosaccharide synthesis from expedient substrates, but systematic engineering analysis for the optimization of such transformations is lacking. Here, we show a mathematical modeling‐guided approach to 3ʹ‐sialyllactose (3SL) synthesis from N‐acetyl‐
d‐neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and lactose in the presence of cytidine 5ʹ‐triphosphate, via the reactions of cytidine 5ʹ‐monophosphate‐Neu5Ac synthetase and α2,3‐sialyltransferase. The Neu5Ac was synthesized in situ from N‐acetyl‐
d‐mannosamine using the reversible reaction with pyruvate by Neu5Ac lyase or the effectively irreversible reaction with phosphoenolpyruvate by Neu5Ac synthase. We show through comprehensive time‐course study by experiment and modeling that, due to kinetic rather than thermodynamic advantages of the synthase reaction, the 3SL yield was increased (up to 75%; 10.4 g/L) and the initial productivity doubled (15 g/L/h), compared with synthesis based on the lyase reaction. We further show model‐based optimization to minimize the total loading of protein (saving: up to 43%) while maintaining a suitable ratio of the individual enzyme activities to achieve 3SL target yield (61%–75%; 7–10 g/L) and overall productivity (3–5 g/L/h). Collectively, our results reveal the principal factors of enzyme cascade efficiency for 3SL synthesis and highlight the important role of engineering analysis to make multienzyme‐catalyzed transformations fit for oligosaccharide production.
Social inclusion and the circular economy: The case of a fashion textiles manufacturer in Vietnam
Authors: Clube Rebecca K. M. , Tennant Mike
Published: July 2021

There has been significant growth in interest in the circular economy (“CE”) concept as a transformative solution to the prevailing linear economy, helping to solve various economic, environmental and social challenges. Nevertheless, pertinent issues such as societal inclusion, well‐being and equity remain peripheral in the contemporary CE debate. Fulfilling human needs has been recognised as a prerequisite for sustainable development and was implicitly and explicitly prevalent in parts of the seminal material on which the CE is based. However, the contemporary use of the concept by business has left it bereft of any convincing evidence that a CE will satisfy needs in a radically different way to the existing linear economy. As a result, there are few practical cases for business learning, and even fewer in a developing world context. This study explores a unique business venture implemented by a Vietnam‐based denim manufacturer, which simultaneously tackles two key development challenges: The inclusion of vulnerable communities and sustainable resource use. The venture employs persons with disabilities and utilises textile by‐products from the core production to produce a range of upcycled items (e.g., bags, cushion covers etc). This forms part of a broader company‐wide social sustainability and CE strategy. We utilise Max‐Neef's Human‐Scale Development proposal as a lens explore how the venture can support need satisfaction of these employees while being environmentally sustainable. We seek to provide a compelling practical case to illustrate how social impact and circularity can be simultaneously enhanced at the micro‐level.
Probing morphological, genetic and metabolomic changes of in vitro embryo development in a microfluidic device
Authors: Mancini Vanessa , McKeegan Paul J. , Schrimpe‐Rutledge Alexandra C. , Codreanu Simona G. , Sherrod Stacy D. , McLean John A. , Picton Helen M. , Pensabene Virginia
Published: July 2021

Assisted reproduction technologies for clinical and research purposes rely on a brief in vitro embryo culture which, despite decades of progress, remain suboptimal in comparison to the physiological environment. One promising tool to improve this technique is the development of bespoke microfluidic chambers. Here we present and validate a new microfluidic device in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the culture of early mouse embryos. Device material and design resulted embryo compatible and elicit minimal stress. Blastocyst formation, hatching, attachment and outgrowth formation on fibronectin‐coated devices were similar to traditional microdrop methods. Total blastocyst cell number and allocation to the trophectoderm and inner cell mass lineages were unaffected. The devices were designed for culture of 10–12 embryos. Development rates, mitochondrial polarization and metabolic turnover of key energy substrates glucose, pyruvate and lactate were consistent with groups of 10 embryos in microdrop controls. Increasing group size to 40 embryos per device was associated with increased variation in development rates and altered metabolism. Device culture did not perturb blastocyst gene expression but did elicit changes in embryo metabolome, which can be ascribed to substrate leaching from PDMS and warrant further investigation.
Clinical presentation and survival outcomes of well‐differentiated thyroid cancer in Filipinos
Authors: Megwalu Uchechukwu C. , Ma Yifei , Osazuwa‐Peters Nosayaba , Orloff Lisa A.
Published: July 2021

Background

Filipinos have higher recurrence rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups, which might suggest a higher propensity for aggressive disease. The goal of this study was to perform a population‐based analysis of disease extent at diagnosis and survival outcomes in Filipino patients with well‐differentiated thyroid cancer relative to other racial/ethnic groups.

Methods

The study cohort comprised adult patients with well‐differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2015, identified in the California Cancer Registry. Rates of extrathyroidal extension, nodal metastasis, and distant metastasis were compared between Filipinos, Non‐Filipino Asians, and Non‐Asians using multilevel logistic regression models. Survival outcomes were compared using Cox regression models, utilizing a sequential modeling approach.

Results

Filipino ethnicity was associated with extrathyroidal extension (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.11–1.63) compared with non‐Asians and non‐Filipino Asians. Filipino ethnicity was also associated with nodal metastasis (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18–1.46), and with worse OS (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.45, 95% CI 1.20–1.75) and DSS (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.12–2.04). After adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, Filipino ethnicity was no longer associated with OS (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.84–1.25) or DSS (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.68–1.28).

Conclusion

Filipino patients with thyroid cancer are more likely to present with locoregionally advanced disease compared with non‐Filipino Asians and non‐Asians. Furthermore, Filipino patients have worse survival outcomes compared with non‐Filipino Asians and non‐Asians. However, this appears to be driven by the higher rates of locoregionally advanced disease in Filipino patients.
Ultrastructural heterogeneity of the mitochondrial population in rat embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Suldina Lyubov A. , Sorokina Anastasiya E. , Morozova Ksenia N.
Published: July 2021

Even though rats are popular model animals, the ultrastructure of their pluripotent cells, that is, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), remains unexplored, although fine structure of pluripotent stem cells of mice and humans and its changes during differentiation have been investigated well. In the present study, we carried out ultrastructural and morphometric analyses of three lines of rat ESCs and two lines of rat iPSCs. The rat pluripotent stem cells were found to have the main typical morphological features of pluripotent cells: large nuclei of irregular or nearly round shape, scanty cytoplasm with few membrane organelles, and a poorly developed Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum. The cytoplasm of the rat pluripotent cells contains clusters of glycogen, previously described in human ESCs. To identify possible differences between rat ESCs and iPSCs, we performed a morphometric analysis of cell parameters. The mean area of cells and nuclei, the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, distributions of glycogen and diversity of mitochondria showed marked variations among the lines of rat pluripotent stem cells and were more pronounced than variations between rat ESCs and iPSCs as separate types of pluripotent stem cells. We noted morphological heterogeneity of the mitochondrial population in the rat pluripotent stem cells. The cells contained three types of mitochondria differing in the structure of cristae and in matrix density, and our morphometric analysis revealed differences in cristae structure.
Incidental intra‐adrenal splenule
Authors: Lin Wen‐Hsuan Wendy , Crapanzano John P. , Alobeid Bachir
Published: July 2021

Splenules can be found in the adrenals and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of adrenal incidentalomas.
A closer look at discordant placental echogenicity: two cases under the microscope
Authors: Lanna Mariano M. , Toto Valentina , Faiola Stefano , Casati Daniela , Bulfamante Gaetano P. , Cetin Irene , Rustico Maria Angela
Published: July 2021

Discordant placental echogenicity is observed in MC pregnancies complicated with twin anemia‐polycythemia sequence, but could also belong to complicated singleton gestation.
Prenatal cases with rare RIT1 variants causing severe fetal hydrops and death
Authors: Miceikaite Ieva , Bak Geske Sidsel , Larsen Martin Jakob , Kristiansen Britta Schlott , Torring Pernille Mathiesen
Published: July 2021

We describe two clinical prenatal cases with rare de novo RIT1 variants, which showed more severe clinical manifestations than other Noonan Syndrome genotypes, resulting in fetal death. Extra attention is recommended when these variants are detected.
The Promotional Effect of Sulfates on TiO2 Supported Pt‐WOx Catalyst for Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol
Authors: Zhou Zhiming , Jia Hongyan , Guo Yong , Wang Yangang , Liu Xiaohui , Xia Qineng , Li Xi , Wang Yanqin
Published: July 2021

Pt‐WOx based catalysts were widely investigated and showed high industrial application potential for glycerol hydrogenolysis. Further improving the catalytic activity and stability of the Pt‐WOx based catalysts is important. Herein, we modified the TiO2 supported Pt‐WOx catalyst with sulfate doping and employed for the glycerol hydrogenolysis. The introduction of sulfates dramatically promoted the catalytic activity and stability of the Pt/W/Ti catalyst in glycerol hydrogenolysis. Sulfates‐doped Pt/W−S/Ti achieved 100 % conversion of glycerol, with 36 % selectivity to 1,3‐PDO and 57 % selectivity to n‐PO at 120 °C and 4 MPa, while the conversion over Pt/W/Ti only reached 57 %. Moreover, Pt/W−S/Ti offered 22.5 times more glycerol conversion (90 %) than Pt/W/Ti (4 %) for the second run. The much higher activity of the Pt/W−S/Ti was ascribed to the better dispersion of Pt and WOx species and more Brønsted acid amount. The enhanced stability of Pt/W−S/Ti was attributed to its strong anti‐leaching ability after sulfate doping.
Combined Chemical Modification and Collision Induced Unfolding Using Native Ion Mobility‐Mass Spectrometry Provides Insights into Protein Gas‐Phase Structure
Authors: Al‐jabiry Asia , Palmer Martin , Langridge James , Bellamy‐Carter Jeddidiah , Robinson David , Oldham Neil J.
Published: July 2021

Native mass spectrometry is now an important tool in structural biology. Thus, the nature of higher protein structure in the vacuum of the mass spectrometer is an area of significant interest. One of the major goals in the study of gas‐phase protein structure is to elucidate the stabilising role of interactions at the level of individual amino acid residues. A strategy combining protein chemical modification together with collision induced unfolding (CIU) was developed and employed to probe the structure of compact protein ions produced by native electrospray ionisation. Tractable chemical modification was used to alter the properties of amino acid residues, and ion mobility‐mass spectrometry (IM‐MS) utilised to monitor the extent of unfolding as a function of modification. From these data the importance of specific intramolecular interactions for the stability of compact gas‐phase protein structure can be inferred. Using this approach, and aided by molecular dynamics simulations, an important stabilising interaction between K6 and H68 in the protein ubiquitin was identified, as was a contact between the N‐terminus and E22 in a ubiquitin binding protein UBA2.
PROTOCOL: Social interventions to improve well‐being of people with mental disorders: Global evidence and gap map
Authors: Dsouza Sherize M. , Saran Ashrita , Krishnan Jisha B.
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Mental illnesses play a role in poor health outcomes. Mental health is just as vital as physical health for an individual's total well‐being. Alterations in mental health can have a significant impact on all aspects of life, including school or work performance, relationships with family and friends, and community participation. As a result, we would like to provide an overview of psychosocial interventions that are available to improve the well‐being of people with mental health conditions and map available studies on the effectiveness of interventions provided in framework.

Methods: This Evidence Gap Map will feature systematic reviews of the effects of interventions and effectiveness studies that used either: (a) randomised experimental design, or (b) rigorous quasi‐experimental design, (c) natural experiments, (d) regression discontinuity, (e) propensity score matching, (f) difference in difference, (g) instrumental variables, (h) and other matching design, (I) Single subject design. We will include qualitative studies, relevant working papers will also be included.

Also, language restricted to english from any country will be reviewed for inclusion. Electronic Search will be conducted with the help of a relevant databases in our area of study.

Outcomes: Will be focused mainly on the basis of community‐based Rehabilitation matrix adapted from the comprehensive mental health action plan, 2013‐2020.
Surface Chemistry at the Solid‐Solid Interface; Selectivity and Activity in Mechanochemical Reactions on Surfaces
Authors: Rana Resham , Bavisotto Robert , Hou Kaiming , Hopper Nicholas , Tysoe Wilfred T
Published: July 2021

This paper summarizes the concepts that underpin the way in which forces exerted on chemical systems can either accelerate their rates or induce reaction pathways that cannot be accessed thermally. This was first described in 1935 by Evans and Polanyi who showed how hydrostatic pressure could accelerate the rates of chemical reactions using a thermodynamic analysis of transition‐state theory to demonstrate that the reaction rate increased exponentially with pressure, and depends on a so‐called activation volume. This is typically ∼17 Å3/molecule and indicates that pressures on the order of GPa′s are required to accelerate the rates of chemical reactions, which commonly occur at solid‐solid interfaces such as found in a ball mill. We describe how surface mechanochemical reaction mechanisms are studied using the example of the shear‐induced decomposition of carboxylates on copper. They thermally decompose on heating to ∼650 K to evolve carbon dioxide and deposit a hydrocarbon on the surface but shear stresses accelerate the rate of this process so that it occurs at room temperature. However, it is also found that forces parallel to the COO plane induce a non‐thermal reaction pathway to evolve carbon monoxide and adsorbed oxygen on the surface. This reaction pathway can be quenched by using adsorbed benzoate species because the larger area of the aryl ring accentuates the tilt of the COO plane towards the surface to increase the rate of the thermal reaction.
Context‐awaretext classification system to improve the quality of text: A detailed investigation and techniques
Authors: Saleem Zeeshan , Alhudhaif Adi , Qureshi Kashif Naseer , Jeon Gwanggil
Published: July 2021

Text classification is one of the most important tasks to extract information from the Internet and identifying the best text representation settings. With the increase of data volume on the world wide web, the significance of text classification increases. This situation requires huge human efforts to understand and classify the digital data available on the Internet. Text classification is classifying the number of text files into different classes. The data or text available on the Internet is in an unstructured form which increases the difficulty to understand and classify it for useful purposes. This paper proposes a context‐aware text classification system to improve text quality. We use a content‐aware recommendation system to extract the data from well‐known news databases. Text preprocessing techniques like tokenization, stemming, and stop words removal are studied in detail. Furthermore, unigram, bigram, and trigram attributes are also being tested. Attribute selection methods are also examined and their impact on the text classification results. To carry out a detailed investigation, 11 versions are created of each dataset to save the time in experimentation process and applied the different preprocessing techniques to understand the impact of each technique on classification results. The proposed system is compared with the existing approach to check the accuracy where the proposed system achieved better performance.
Clinical significance and cytological detection of tracheal puncture following thyroid fine‐needle aspiration: A retrospective study
Authors: Tanaka Aki , Hirokawa Mitsuyoshi , Suzuki Ayana , Higuchi Miyoko , Kanematsu Risa , Yamao Naoki , Kuma Seiji , Hayashi Toshitetsu , Miyauchi Akira
Published: July 2021

Background

There have been no detailed reports on tracheal puncture after thyroid fine‐needle aspiration (FNA). This study aimed to discuss the cytological differential diagnoses of tracheal puncture after thyroid FNA and clarify its clinical significance.

Methods

Tracheal puncture was defined as aspiration of tracheal components, including ciliated cells, chondrocytes, and goblet cells. A history of air suction or cough during aspiration was also considered tracheal puncture. Among the 18,480 nodules from 13,813 patients that underwent thyroid FNA, 70 (0.38%) nodules with tracheal puncture were retrospectively examined. Eleven thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) and seven bronchial cysts that could exhibit ciliated cells were included in the study to compare the cytological findings.

Results

Sixty‐six (94.3%) nodules had no clinical evidence of complications during and after FNA. Of the nodules with tracheal puncture, 64.3%, 48.6%, and 51.4% nodules were <1.0 cm in size, located in the isthmus, and associated with calcification. Cytological examination showed that chondrocytes and ciliated cells were present in 94.3% and 32.9% nodules, respectively. Ciliated cells seen in nodules with tracheal puncture and TGDCs were non‐degenerative, whereas those in bronchial cysts were degenerative.

Conclusion

Tracheal puncture after thyroid FNA is rarely noticed clinically, does not cause serious conditions, and spontaneously resolves. This complication more likely occurs in small‐calcified nodules in the isthmus. Chondrocytes are more reliable diagnostic clues than ciliated cells to indicate tracheal puncture cytologically.
Interaction of temperature, salinity and extracellular polymeric substances controls trace element incorporation into tufa calcite
Authors: Rogerson Mike , Pedley H. Martyn , Greenway Gillian M. , Wadhawan Jay D.
Published: July 2021

The influence of extracellular polymeric substances on carbonate mineral growth in natural settings remains one of the most poorly understood contributors to the growth of non‐marine carbonate sediments. The influences of these materials are complicated by their association with living cells creating local microenvironments via metabolism and enzyme production, and by our uncertainty about the extracellular polymeric substances materials themselves. Different mixtures of extracellular polymeric substance molecules may behave in different ways, and differences in the local physical environment may alter how the mixtures influence mineral formation, and even result in different patterns of polymerization. Here, the influence of extracellular polymeric substances on calcite precipitation rate and Mg/Cacalcite in the absence of cells is investigated using extracts of extracellular polymeric substances from temperate fluvial tufa biofilm. The influence is complex, with the concentration of extracellular polymeric substances in solution altering deposition rate and trace element incorporation. Moreover, the results show interaction of the presence/absence of extracellular polymeric substances and both temperature and salinity. However, despite extracting extracellular polymeric substances from the same parent sample, a uniform influence was not found in these experiments, implying that the mixture is sufficiently variable within a sample for microenvironments within the biofilm to either promote or inhibit mineralization. As sedimentologists, we can no longer take the view that extracellular polymeric substances are a bystander material, or that they have a single set of coherent and predictable or intuitive influences. Rather, the emphasis must be on investigating the specific mixtures present in nature, and their complex and dynamic interaction with both mineral surfaces and hydrochemical conditions.
Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Authors: Flint Paul L. , Meixell Brandt
Published: July 2021

Changes in summer temperatures in Arctic Alaska have led to longer and warmer growing seasons over the last three decades. Corresponding with these changes in climate, the abundance and distributions of geese have increased and expanded over the same period. We used an experimental approach to assess the response of goose forage plants to simulated environmental change. We subjected Carex subspathacea, a preferred goose forage growing on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska, to manipulations of temperature and timing of spring thaw to measure potential effects in terms of plant nitrogen concentration, aboveground biomass, and total nitrogen availability. Carex subspathacea responded to warming in a dynamic fashion. Increases in temperature led to decreases in leaf nitrogen concentration but increases in aboveground biomass. The increase in biomass was stronger than the decline in nitrogen concentration such that total nitrogen availability was increased with temperature for the first 35–40 d of the season. Grazing removal accounted for only minimal offtake of biomass, and we found no indication that grazing maintained elevated levels of nitrogen concentration longer in the season as reported in other studies. Based on demonstrated relationships in the literature between forage nitrogen concentrations and gosling growth rates, we conclude that there is currently abundant high‐quality forage available across the ACP. This finding fits with recent evidence of high gosling growth rates and increasing trends in goose abundance on the ACP. Our results suggest that with climate warming of a few degrees, nitrogen concentration of forage may decrease, but forage biomass and total nitrogen availability will increase. Our data suggest that nitrogen concentration will not fall below the minimum threshold required by geese in the near future. As such, we suggest that there is currently no bottom‐up limitation to goose numbers on the ACP.