bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Designing bacterial consortia for the complete biodegradation of insensitive munitions compounds in waste streams
Authors: Menezes Osmar , Owens Cameron , Rios‐Valenciana Erika E. , Sierra‐Alvarez Reyes , Field Jim A. , Spain Jim C.
Published: June 2022

Insensitive munitions compounds (IMCs), such as 2,4‐dinitroanisole (DNAN) and 3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazol‐5‐one (NTO), are replacing conventional explosives in munitions formulations. Manufacture and use of IMCs generate waste streams in manufacturing plants and load/assemble/pack facilities. There is a lack of practical experience in executing biodegradation strategies to treat IMCs waste streams. This study establishes a proof‐of‐concept that bacterial consortia can be designed to mineralize IMCs and co‐occurring nitroaromatics in waste streams. First, DNAN, 4‐nitroanisole (4‐NA), and 4‐chloronitrobenzene (4‐CNB) in a synthetic DNAN‐manufacturing waste stream were biodegraded using an aerobic fluidized‐bed reactor (FBR) inoculated with Nocardioides sp. JS 1661 (DNAN degrader), Rhodococcus sp. JS 3073 (4‐NA degrader), and Comamonadaceae sp. LW1 (4‐CNB degrader). No biodegradation was detected when the FBR was operated under anoxic conditions. Second, DNAN and NTO were biodegraded in a synthetic load/assemble/pack waste stream during a sequential treatment comprising: (i) aerobic DNAN biodegradation in the FBR; (ii) anaerobic NTO biotransformation to 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazol‐5‐one (ATO) by an NTO‐respiring enrichment; and (iii) aerobic ATO mineralization by an ATO‐oxidizing enrichment. Complete biodegradation relied on switching redox conditions. The results provide the basis for designing consortia to treat mixtures of IMCs and related waste products by incorporating microbes with the required catabolic capabilities.
Cover picture: Investigation into the morphological implications on electron transfer dynamics of lithium peroxides by scanning electrochemical microscopy (BKCS 06/2022)
Authors: Hyun Ryu C. , Ahn Hyun S.
Published: June 2022

Elucidation of the morphology‐dependent electron transfer rate was empirically demonstrated by scanning electrochemical microscopy investigation of lithium peroxide species, an important intermediate in the lithium‐air battery cycles. This communication revealed distinct electron transfer coefficients for the toroidal and thin‐film lithium peroxidespecies. This discovery deepens the understanding of battery cycling mechanism and holds the key to unlocking the reversibility of lithium‐air batteries.

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The establishment of polypeptide PSMA‐targeted chimeric antigen receptor‐engineered natural killer cells for castration‐resistant prostate cancer and the induction of ferroptosis‐related cell death
Authors: Wu Liyuan , Liu Fei , Yin Le , Wang Fangming , Shi Hui , Zhao Qinxin , Yang Feiya , Chen Dong , Dong Xiying , Gu Yuchun , Xing Nianzeng
Published: June 2022

Background

The mortality of castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is high due to lack of an effective treatment. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)‐based therapy is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy. Here, we aimed to design a novel CAR‐natural killer (NK) cells with a clinically significant tumoricidal effect on CRPC.

Methods

We constructed novel CAR‐NK92MI cells with a CD244‐based recombinant lentiviral vector. Different intracellular segments (CD244, NKG2D, or CD3ζ) were screened to identify the best candidate according to cell lysis assay and CD107a expression levels. To enhance the affinity of the CAR to the tumor antigen, we compared an antibody specific for prostate‐specific membrane antigen (anti‐PSMA) with PSMA‐targeted polypeptide (p‐PSMA), which was screened by phage display combinatorial library. Then, CAR‐NK92MI cells with both a high affinity for PSMA and a strong tumoricidal capacity were generated. In addition, we verified their tumor‐killing effect in vitro and in vivo. The release of cytokine by NK92MI cells was compared with that by CAR‐NK92MI cells through flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, ferroptosis‐related cell death was explored as a possible underlying mechanism.

Results

Three different CAR intracellular regions CAR1 (CD244), CAR2 (CD244, NKG2D) and CAR3 (CD244, NKG2D, and CD3ζ) were constructed. CAR2 was chosen to confer a stronger tumoricidal ability on CAR‐NK92MI cells. Compared with anti‐PSMA, p‐PSMA exhibited enhanced affinity for the tumor antigen. Thus, p‐PSMA‐CAR‐NK92MI cells, which expressed CAR with a polypeptide‐based antigen‐binding region, an intracellular CD244 and a NKG2D costimulatory domain, were generated. They could selectively and successfully kill PSMA+ target cells and exhibited specific lysis rate of 73.19% for PSMA‐positive C4‐2 cells and 33.04% for PSMA‐negative PC3 cells. Additionally, p‐PSMA‐CAR‐NK92MI cells had significantly higher concentrations of IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and granzyme B than NK92MI cells. In a CRPC cancer xenograft model, p‐PSMA‐CAR‐NK92MI cells significantly inhibited tumor growth and exerted a more consistent killing effect than NK92MI cells. Moreover, ferroptosis is a potential mechanism through which CAR‐NK92MI cells attack cancer cells, and is triggered by IFN‐γ.

Conclusions

p‐PSMA‐CAR‐NK92MI cells can effectively kill CRPCPSMA+ cells in vitro and in vivo. This strategy may provide additional treatment options for patients with CRPC.
Pyrone Derivatives from a Mangrove Endophytic Fungus Phomopsis asparagi LSLYZ‐87
Authors: Liu Yayue , Yang Wencong , Liao Qingnan , She Zhigang
Published: June 2022

Chemical investigation of the endophytic fungus Phomopsis asparagi LSLYZ‐87 cultured on PDB medium led to the isolation of two new pyrone derivatives, phomasparapyrone A (1), and phomasparapyrone B (2), together with the known kojic acid (3). Their planar structures were connected through 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. And the stereo structures of 1 and 2 were defined by comparison of the experimental ECD spectra to calculated one. All isolates were evaluated for their anti‐neuroinflammatory activities. Among them, compound 2 showed moderate inhibition on NO accumulation induced by LPS on BV‐2 cells in a dose dependent manner at 30, 40 and 50 μM, and without cytotoxicity in a concentration of 50.0 μM.
The teaching concept chem⁝LEVEL – promoting technical language on the basis of the Johnstone triangle
Authors: Haas Jan‐Bernd , Marohn Annette
Published: June 2022

Chemisches Wissen kann nach Johnstone in drei Ebenen eingeordnet werden: die makroskopische, submikroskopische und repräsentative Ebene. Chemiker:innen können ohne Probleme innerhalb dieser Ebenen kommunizieren, Lernenden fällt dieses jedoch schwer. Eine sprachliche Vermischung der Ebenen kann Verständnisschwierigkeiten und fachlich nicht anschlussfähige Vorstellungen fördern. Das Unterrichtskonzept „chem⁝LEVEL – Fachsprache fördern auf Basis des Johnstone‐Dreiecks“ verfolgt das Ziel, die Ebenen transparent im Unterricht darzustellen und eine ebenenspezifische Fachsprache zu fördern. Dazu wurde eine schülergerechte Visualisierung des Johnstone‐Dreiecks entwickelt und eine digitale Lernumgebung zum Thema galvanische Zellen gestaltet.
Understanding principles of empirical science – a further development of the teaching concept choice2reflect
Authors: Kralisch Christopher , Marohn Annette
Published: June 2022

Das fünfphasige Unterrichtskonzept choice2reflect ermöglicht es Schülerinnen und Schülern, auf der Basis von Wissenschaftskriterien rationale, sachlich begründete Entscheidungen in gesellschaftlich kontrovers diskutierten Themen (z. B. Nahrungsergänzungsmittel oder Homöopathie) zu treffen. Der Beitrag beschreibt den iterativen, in drei Mesozyklen verlaufenden Prozess der Weiterentwicklung von choice2reflect im Rahmen des Design‐based‐Research‐Ansatzes. Innerhalb des ersten Mesozyklus werden Unterrichtsmaterialien zu Wissenschaftskriterien entwickelt und erprobt. Das Ziel des zweiten Mesozyklus besteht in der Erweiterung der Unterrichtskonzeption auf die Kontroverse Nahrungsergänzungsmittel. Im dritten Mesozyklus wird ein Prüfschema zur Bewertung von Kontroversen entwickelt und erprobt.
Supporting self‐directed learning in chemistry education with digital learning environments
Authors: Buchholz Jana , Jesgarz Melina , Schneeweiß Niklas , Sieve Bernhard
Published: June 2022

Im Distanzunterricht mussten die Lernenden in hohem Maß selbstgesteuert und eigenständig lernen [1]. Diese Form des Lernens lässt sich durch digitale Lernumgebungen unterstützen und bietet nicht nur Potenziale im Homeschooling, sondern generell für den digital gestützten Chemieunterricht [2–5]. Doch was muss bei der Erstellung digitaler Lernumgebungen beachtet werden, damit die Lernenden optimal in ihrem Lernprozess unterstützt werden? Anhand von empirischen Ergebnissen leiten wir Gestaltungsempfehlungen für digitale Lernumgebungen ab und zeigen beispielhaft Realisationsmöglichkeiten für den Chemieunterricht auf.
Hydrogen storage in metal hydride – a perspective on energy storage implemented experimentally and digitally for schools
Authors: Rubner Isabel
Published: June 2022

Die Energieversorgung ist eine der zentralen Herausforderungen der aktuellen und auch zukünftigen Generationen und ist als ein Ziel der Agenda 2030 in den Sustainable Development Goals formuliert. Nutzt man regenerative Energien zur Elektrolyse von Wasser, so kann der dabei gewonnene (grüne) Wasserstoff einen enormen und sauberen Beitrag zur Energieversorgung leisten. Die Speicherung des Wasserstoffs ist problematisch und die Speicherung in Form von Metallhydriden stellt hierbei eine zukunftsträchtige Perspektive dar. Diese Speichertechnologie gibt es bereits auch für den didaktischen Bereich und wird im sogenannten Hydrostik genutzt. Der Hydrostik ist ideal für den schulpraktischen Bereich geeignet, da er im Format einer klassischen Batterie, flexibel transportierbar und lagerfähig ist. Bei Raumwechsel an Schule bzw. Hochschule oder auch bei Vortragsreisen kann somit die Wasserstoffquelle problemlos mitgeführt werden. Dies stellt eine Brücke von einer innovativen Technologie mit Anwendungsfeldern im schulischen Einsatz dar. In diesem Artikel wird die Funktionsweise der Wasserstoffspeicherung im Hydrostik verdeutlicht und einige klassische Schulexperimente mit dem Hydrostik vorgestellt. Ferner werden thermodynamische Aspekte beleuchtet. Die Visualisierung der Prozesse wird durch verschiedene digitale Komponenten (Animationen, AR etc.) unterstützt.
Testing new concepts in university teacher training for the acquisition of digital competencies according to DiKoLAN – development and investigation of the effectiveness of a teaching‐learning module in the field of simulation and modelling
Authors: Müller Lukas , Thoms Lars‐Jochen , Möhrke Philipp , Henne Anna , Huwer Johannes
Published: June 2022

Der Orientierungsrahmen DiKoLAN beschreibt digitale Basiskompetenzen für das Lehramt in den Naturwissenschaften. Eine Lehrveranstaltung des Lehrstuhls für Fachdidaktik der Naturwissenschaften an der Universität Konstanz widmet sich gezielt dem Aufbau der in DiKoLAN genannten Kompetenzen. In diesem Artikel werden die Konzeption, die Umsetzung und die Evaluation eines Lehr‐Lernmoduls im Bereich Simulation und Modellierung beschrieben. Die Evaluation des Moduls hat Wissensfelder mit Entwicklungspotenzial bei den Studierenden offengelegt, die Stärken einer strukturellen Orientierung an DiKoLAN aufgezeigt und Ansätze zur Optimierung zukünftiger Lehrveranstaltungen zur Förderung digitaler Kompetenzen im Bereich Simulation und Modellierung gegeben.
LPLB: An approach for the design of a lightweight convolutional neural network
Authors: Saleem Tausifa Jan , Chishti Mohammad Ahsan
Published: June 2022

Convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the widely used deep neural network architecture for data analytics in the Internet of Things (IoT). However, due to its severe resource requirements, deploying CNN on resource‐constrained edge devices is quite challenging. Moreover, IoT services demand fast data analytics in order to be useful in their context. Hence, ensuring the deployment of CNN models on IoT edge devices is crucial. To this purpose, this article proposes a framework LPLB (less parameters and less bits) for the design of a lightweight CNN with reduced number of parameters and lesser storage requirements while preserving the model accuracy. LPLB consists of three steps: CNN training, iterative parameter drop and post‐training quantization. The performance of LPLB is evaluated on three datasets: German traffic sign recognition dataset, Kaggle hand gesture recognition dataset, and CIFAR‐10 dataset. Experiments conducted in the study reveal that the proposed framework is able to reduce the number of parameters by 11× in case of German traffic sign recognition dataset, 12.5× in case of Kaggle hand gesture recognition dataset, and 14× in case of CIFAR‐10 dataset. Moreover, the storage requirements are reduced by 44.42× in case of German traffic sign recognition dataset, 50× in case of Kaggle hand gesture recognition dataset, and 56.7× in case of CIFAR‐10 dataset. This is achieved without a significant drop in the accuracy. The accuracy drop in case of German traffic sign recognition dataset is 0.215%, 0.18% in case of Kaggle hand gesture recognition dataset, and 0.148% in case of CIFAR‐10 dataset. The proposed framework is generic and can be used for the design of lightweight CNN models corresponding to other use‐cases as well. This will make real‐time classification/recognition possible in delay‐sensitive applications like self‐driving cars, advanced driver assistance systems, health monitoring, elderly posture recognition and so forth.
Inflammatory bowel disease and periodontitis: A retrospective chart analysis
Authors: Abrol Nazia , Compton Sharon M. , Graf Daniel , Parashar Pallavi , Heo Giseon , Gibson Monica P.
Published: June 2022

Objectives

This study examined the variation in prevalence of periodontitis among different sexes, age groups, smoking status, and oral hygiene adherence in patients affected by either Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).

Materials & Methods

This study was a retrospective chart analysis that collected data from the School of Dentistry's Oral Health Clinic at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Patients' electronic health records between the years of 2013 and 2019 were analyzed. Multiple keywords such as IBD, CD, UC, and periodontal disease with various spelling combinations were used for searching and gathering pertinent data, which was then further assessed. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 80 patient charts were included. These patient charts were thoroughly screened to gather information such as age, sex, smoking status, and a variety of periodontal parameters. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS software by using Pearson's χ2, Pearson's correlation, and Mann–Whitney U‐test.

Results

IBD had an impact on the severity of periodontitis in patients between the ages of 50 and 64 years with higher odds ratio (OR). Biological sex or history of smoking in IBD patients did not have higher odds of developing periodontitis. Plaque score derived from this retrospective study was used to estimate the patient's oral hygiene status and showed no impact. Also, prevalence of periodontitis did not differ between UC and CD. We anticipated some of these findings because of the retrospective nature of the study.

Conclusions

Within the limitation of the retrospective study, IBD patients in the 50–64 age group years showed a higher odds ratio for a greater prevalence of periodontitis. Thus, a closer periodontal recall and evaluation in these patients is recommended for early diagnosis and preventive care. It is advised that periodontists work closely with gastroenterologists to maintain periodontal health in IBD‐affected individuals.
A general deep learning model for bird detection in high‐resolution airborne imagery
Authors: Weinstein Ben G. , Garner Lindsey , Saccomanno Vienna R. , Steinkraus Ashley , Ortega Andrew , Brush Kristen , Yenni Glenda , McKellar Ann E. , Converse Rowan , Lippitt Christopher D. , Wegmann Alex , Holmes Nick D. , Edney Alice J. , Hart Tom , Jessopp Mark J. , Clarke Rohan H. , Marchowski Dominik , Senyondo Henry , Dotson Ryan , White Ethan P. , Frederick Peter , Ernest S. K. Morgan
Published: June 2022

Advances in artificial intelligence for computer vision hold great promise for increasing the scales at which ecological systems can be studied. The distribution and behavior of individuals is central to ecology, and computer vision using deep neural networks can learn to detect individual objects in imagery. However, developing supervised models for ecological monitoring is challenging because it requires large amounts of human‐labeled training data, requires advanced technical expertise and computational infrastructure, and is prone to overfitting. This limits application across space and time. One solution is developing generalized models that can be applied across species and ecosystems. Using over 250,000 annotations from 13 projects from around the world, we develop a general bird detection model that achieves over 65% recall and 50% precision on novel aerial data without any local training despite differences in species, habitat, and imaging methodology. Fine‐tuning this model with only 1000 local annotations increases these values to an average of 84% recall and 69% precision by building on the general features learned from other data sources. Retraining from the general model improves local predictions even when moderately large annotation sets are available and makes model training faster and more stable. Our results demonstrate that general models for detecting broad classes of organisms using airborne imagery are achievable. These models can reduce the effort, expertise, and computational resources necessary for automating the detection of individual organisms across large scales, helping to transform the scale of data collection in ecology and the questions that can be addressed.
Evolutionary and ecological insights from vital staining of bivalve oocytes: A Red Queen at the sweepstakes?
Authors: Beninger Peter G. , Chérel Daphné , Le Pennec Gaël , Shumway Sandra E.
Published: June 2022

To determine the proportion of inviable oocytes that are spawned along with normal oocytes in marine bivalves, we turned to a time‐honored technique not previously used on invertebrate oocytes: the neutral red vital stain. Despite the difficulty in obtaining induced spawns from field‐collected Cerastoderma edule (L), the results and insights from this simple procedure to answer a simple question were unexpected and far‐reaching. Mean proportions of inviable oocytes in the spawns of cockle C. edule ranged from 35% to 85%, with the vast majority represented by atresic (autolyzing) oocytes. These levels are in agreement with previous quantitative histological observations of prespawning atresia in both C. edule and the Manila clam Tapes philippinarum. Such elevated prefertilization inviability mirrors the known high level of postfertilization inviability in bivalves. Together, these high levels of inviability may account for much of the early mortality in the type III survivorship curves typical of marine bivalves. The combination of high fecundity and high oocyte inviability suggests a Red Queen‐type reproductive dilemma in these species. In addition, the great degree of interindividual variation observed in oocyte inviability suggests that cockles, and perhaps other intertidal bivalves, present a Sweepstakes Reproductive Strategy, in which highly variable individual fecundity confronts a highly variable environment. The neutral red technique promises to be a useful tool for investigating prespawning inviability in other marine taxa, as well as for aquaculture, conservation, restocking, ecophysiology, and environmental monitoring.
Nutrient resorption responses of plant life forms to nitrogen addition in temperate shrublands
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Tang Zhiyao , Wang Wenting , Zhang Hufang , Liu Yong , Xin Yanhua , Zhao Lijuan , Li He
Published: June 2022

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has significantly altered nutrient availability in most terrestrial ecosystems, which may affect plant nutrient resorption and hence change nutrient cycling and community composition. Although studies on the effects of changed soil nutrients on leaf nutrient resorption have been extensively reported in forests and grasslands, much less known about how plants in temperate shrublands respond to nitrogen deposition across the world. A 4‐year N addition experiment in Vitex negundo and Spiraea trilobata shrublands was conducted to investigate the potential impacts of N deposition on nutrient resorption in two life forms. The green and senesced leaf N ([N]g and [N]s) and phosphorus ([P]g and [P]s) concentrations were measured in four shrubs and two graminoids to calculate N (NRE) and P (PRE) resorption efficiency. We found markedly lower NRE and PRE in shrubs than in graminoids, implying that shrubs probably have a higher capability of acquiring nutrients from soil, whereas graminoids rely on acquiring more nutrients via resorption. N addition increased the [N]g, [N]s, and N:P ratios ([N:P]) and decreased the [P]g of shrubs and all species, whereas it only increased [N]s but had negligible effects on the [N]g, [P]g, and [N:P] of graminoids. The [P]s, NRE, and PRE did not change in either life form or all species combined after N fertilization. Our results suggest that shrubs increase N uptake but do not alter internal N cycling (i.e., nutrient resorption), whereas graminoids do not change N acquisition strategies, in response to increased N supply from the soil. Continuous N addition exacerbated the P limitation of the shrub plants. Both shrubs and graminoids were more likely to adopt nearly complete utilization of P from the soil and senesced leaves under P deficiency, leading to a noneffect of N addition on leaf PRE. Our findings also suggest that the [N]g and [P]g responses to N addition are life‐form specific, implying that N addition may affect ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient cycles by altering the dominance values of the two life forms and community composition.
Health status and the Great Recession. Evidence from electronic health records
Authors: Belotti Federico , Kopinska Joanna , Palma Alessandro , Piano Mortari Andrea
Published: June 2022

We investigate the impact of the Great Recession in Italy on the incidence of chronic diseases using new individual longitudinal data from Electronic Health Records. We exploit the exogenous shock in the economic conditions occurred in 2008 to estimate heterogeneous effects of an unprecedented rise in local unemployment rates in an individual fixed‐effects model. Our results document that harsh economic downturns have a negative long‐lasting effect on cardiovascular disease and a temporary effect on depression. This effect is heterogeneous across gender, increases with age and is stronger right before the retirement age. An important policy recommendation emerging from this study is that prolonged economic downturns constitute an additional external risk for individual health and not a temporary benefit.
G‐Quartets, 4‐Way Junctions and Triple Helices but Not DNA Duplexes: Planarization of Twisted Push–Pull Flipper Probes by Surface Recognition Rather Than Physical Compression
Authors: Sakai Naomi , Assies Lea , Matile Stefan
Published: June 2022

Planarizable push–pull flipper probes have been introduced to image order and tension of membranes in living cells. In this report, we show that fluorescent flippers can also be planarized by chemical interactions on DNA architectures rather than by physical forces in biomembranes. Compared to fluorescence in water, the planarization on parallel cMyc G‐quartets is characterized by a 100 nm red shift of the excitation maximum and a strong increase in fluorescence intensity. A coinciding 100 nm red shift of the emission maximum compared to planarized flippers in ordered membranes reveals that planarization occurs on the water‐accessible surface rather than within the G‐quartets. Less relevant for physical compression in the ground state in hydrophobic membranes, this functional relevance of flipper solvatochromism in the excited state, reflected by red shifts in emission rather than excitation, is unprecedented and introduces attractive dual sensing perspectives. With decreasing efficiency, flippers are also planarized by antiparallel hTel22 G‐quartets, 4‐way junctions and triple helices, while the aromatic surface of B‐DNA duplexes is too small for strong enough π stacking. These remarkably consistent results expand the understanding of planarizable push–pull flipper probes and enable applications in new directions.
Dense and shuffle attention U‐Net for automatic skin lesion segmentation
Authors: Zhang Guanzhong , Wang Shengsheng
Published: June 2022

The segmentation of skin lesions is a critical step in the detection of skin cancer. However, it is also difficult because of unclear boundaries, various size and shape of skin lesions, the appearance of interference objects and different backgrounds in dermoscopic images. This study presents proposed multiple attention‐based methods based on U‐net architecture. At first, dense attention gates (DAG) are proposed to obtain the focus area of the feature map by capturing information through extern feature maps. Then, to extend the capability of capturing feature relationships of the DAG module. We introduced The shuffle attention module which can fuse two self‐attention modules in a lightweight yet effective way. According to the experiments conducted on International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) 2017 and PH2 datasets, the proposed model can generate satisfactory segmentation results and great capability in practical computer‐aided diagnosis systems.
Medication adherence and health beliefs among South Asian immigrants with diabetes in the United States: A qualitative study
Authors: Jamil Amna , Jonkman Lauren J. , Miller Michelle , Jennings Luke , Connor Sharon E.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

People of South Asian descent carry a high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) both globally and in the United States. Although retrospective cohort studies indicate decreased medication adherence among South Asian immigrants, data exploring contributing factors are limited.

Objectives

To explore how cultural perspectives of South Asian immigrants in the U.S. impact adherence to medications for DM2 and CVD.

Methods

This qualitative research study recruited South Asian immigrants in the U.S. with CVD and/or DM2. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted utilizing the conceptual frameworks of the Patient Explanatory Model and HOPE questions. A modified version of the Voils DOSE‐Nonadherence measure was administered to all participants. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed through an iterative process to develop overarching themes.

Results

Twelve individuals participated: half were female, with an average age of 63 (range 49‐75), and the majority emigrated from Pakistan. The average extent of nonadherence score on the modified version of the Voils DOSE‐Nonadherence measure was 1.36 (range 1‐2.33). Five overarching themes were identified: (1) Numerical results motivated health change; (2) Open communication improved medication adherence; (3) Self‐management and autonomy valued; (4) Religious/spiritual beliefs may strengthen medication adherence; and (5) Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) augment Western medicines.

Conclusion

Providers may engage in various culturally‐based strategies to optimize medication adherence in South Asian immigrants. Resources should be allocated toward facilitating disease state education, encouraging self‐monitoring, and providing training for providers on CAM. Providers should engage the patient‐family dyad and cultivate collaborative relationships with patients. Providers should be aware that patients desire autonomy in making health care decisions, and those with higher health literacy and health care providers in their social network may be more likely to self‐titrate medications.
Performance evaluation of a laboratory‐developed light‐initiated chemiluminescence assay for quantification of egg white‐specific IgE
Authors: Tan Xin , Zhang Bei , Zheng Lisheng , Shi Hongbin , Liu Dandan , Sun Yuanmin , Li Xue , Li Huiqiang
Published: June 2022

Background

Specific IgE (sIgE) testing has become one of the most important tools for diagnosing IgE‐mediated food allergy. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dot‐enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (Dot‐ELISA) have been used to measure sIgE in clinical widely. Light‐initiated chemiluminescence assay (LICA) is a new method for measuring allergen‐sIgE. We aimed to establish a LICA method for quantitative detection of egg white‐sIgE and evaluate its performances.

Methods

The best chemibeads coupling method in detecting egg white‐sIgE was selected, and a LICA method for quantitative detection of egg white‐sIgE was established. The precision study was performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) EP5‐A2. Detection capability which contains limit of blank (LoB), limit of detection (LoD), and limit of quantitation (LoQ) was evaluated according to National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) WS/T 514–2017. Linear range was evaluated according to CLSI EP6‐A. All data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Results

Precision contains repeatability and intermediate precision. The CV of repeatability ranged from 2.72% to 7.29%, and the CV of intermediate precision ranged from 4.93% to 8.64%. The LoB, LoD, and LoQ of the assay were 0.000 kUA/L, 0.053 kUA/L, and 0.076 kUA/L. The assay linear range was 0.076–34.125 kUA/L (r = 0.9979 ≥ 0.9900).

Conclusion

This laboratory‐developed LICA method can detect egg white‐sIgE, and performance meets clinical requirements. This method shows rapid turnaround cycles and high sensitivity. It can be used as an alternative method for clinical detection of egg white‐sIgE.
Blood T‐helper 17 cells and interleukin‐17A correlate with the elevated risk of postpartum depression and anxiety
Authors: Min Zhihong , Li Yan , Ying Hao
Published: June 2022

Background

T‐helper (Th) cells regulate inflammation and immunity, which is implicated in psychological disorders. The current study aimed to explore the clinical role of blood Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells and their main secreted cytokines in postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA).

Methods

A total of 226 postpartum women were included. At 6 weeks postpartum, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory 6 item version (STAI6) scores were assessed; meanwhile, blood Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells were detected by flow cytometry, serum interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), and IL‐17A were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The incidence of PPD and PPA were 24.3% and 27.9%, respectively. Th17 cells and IL‐17A were positively correlated with EPDS score and STAI6 score (all p < 0.001). Besides, Th17 cells (p < 0.001) and IL‐17A (p = 0.002) were increased in PPD cases vs. non‐PPD cases, and they were also elevated in PPA cases vs. non‐PPA cases (both p < 0.05). However, Th1 cells, Th2 cells, IFN‐γ, and IL‐4 were not linked with EPDS score or STAI6 score (all p > 0.05); besides, they did not vary in PPD cases vs. non‐PPD cases or in PPA cases vs. non‐PPA cases (all p > 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that Th17 cells were independently associated with an elevated risk of PPD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.600, p = 0.001) and PPA (OR = 1.371, p = 0.022).

Conclusion

Blood Th17 cells and IL‐17A are positively linked with the risk of PPD and PPA, indicating which may be involved in the development of PPD and PPA.
Study on the transfructosylation activity of Aspergillus oryzaeIPT‐301 cells in a packed bed reactor aiming at fructooligosaccharide production
Authors: Dias Giancarlo S , Santos Erica D , Xavier Michelle CA , Almeida Alex F , Silva Elda S , Maiorano Alfredo E , Perna Rafael F , Morales Sergio AV
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are prebiotic sugars used in the production of functional foods. These sugars can be produced by the transfructosylation reaction of sucrose catalyzed by fructosyltransferase enzymes (FTase, E.C.2.4.1.9). The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of cells of Aspergillus oryzae IPT‐301 as biocatalysts for the sucrose transfructosylation reaction in a packed bed reactor (PBR).

RESULTS

The morphology of the cells was observed by scanning electron microscopy, and BET specific surface areas were examined by nitrogen physisorption The highest transfructosylation activity (660 U g−1) of the cells was obtained at 25 min of reaction by adopting a reaction temperature of 50 °C, sucrose concentration of 470 g L−1, and volumetric flow of 15 mL min−1. The rise in volumetric flow provided an increase in the transfructosylation activity, but also a faster deactivation of the biocatalyst. Enzyme kinetics was described using the Michaelis–Menten model, with a Vmax of 632.8 U g−1 and a km of 160.7 g L−1. The cells showed constant enzymatic activity for 12 h of reaction in the PBR operated with discontinuous flow at flow rates of 5 mL min−1 and 11.5 mL min−1, and in the PBR operated with continuous flow at a flow rate of 5 mL min−1. The transition from diffusional to kinetic regimes was observed starting from 11.5 mL min−1.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained suggest a high potential of application of the whole A. oryzae IPT‐301 cells for continuous FOS production in PBR. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Gender disparities in multiple myeloma publications
Authors: Dweik Aala , Dweik Hadeel , Mian Hira , Mohan Meera , Schinke Carolina , Al Hadidi Samer
Published: June 2022

Gender disparities exist in academia and are disproportionately affecting females. We conducted a cross‐sectional study to analyze gender disparities in multiple myeloma (MM) publications. A total of 679 publications with 8898 authorships were analyzed. The mean number of authors for females vs. males, per publication, was 4.4 and 8.7, respectively. Females constituted a third of the total authors. Female first authors, corresponding authors, and last/senior authors were 34%, 21%, and 18%, respectively. Note that, 17% of authors of clinical trial publications were females. Gender disparities in MM publications exist and are more obvious in the last/corresponding authorship. Efforts should be made to identify factors that contribute to these disparities and work to resolve them.
Future warming accelerates lake variations in the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Yong , Chen Huopo
Published: June 2022

Mounting evidence suggests that lakes in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have been exposed to the dangers of climate warming. However, rare studies have been devoted to quantitatively estimating the contribution of climate warming to changes in lake ice phenology and lake expansion. Our results reveal a warmer future will further shorten lake ice duration in the TP and aggravate lake expansion in the Inner TP (ITP). Based on the statistical model and CMIP6 multimodel ensemble mean, the projected lake ice duration loss in the TP was presented. Specifically, the rising temperature in the cold season at the middle of the 21st century will lead to the generation of 22 ice‐free days and 29 ice‐free days in the scenarios of SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5, respectively. While at the end of the 21st century, the average lake ice duration will decrease by 35 and 71 days, respectively, and some individual models indicate that a few lakes will no longer freeze in the scenario of SSP5‐8.5. Moreover, the results retrieved from the lake mass balance model simulation indicate that the increased precipitation in the warm season will yield the total lake expansion of approximately 8,000 and 9,000 km2 from 2015 to 2050 in the scenarios of SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5, respectively. But the simulations suggest that lake expansion in the future is insensitive to the glacier mass loss. This study presents evidence to illustrate that the future warming will greatly impact the lake evolution in the TP and benefits for understanding of the TP cryosphere response to climate warming.
Impact of scaling and root planing on salivary and serum plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 expression in patients with periodontitis with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Guru Sanjeela R. , Aghanashini Suchetha
Published: June 2022

Background

Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) is significantly enhanced in insulin resistance and inflammation and ascribed as a proinflammatory marker. This study aimed to compare and correlate salivary and serum PAI‐1 and alpha 2‐macroglobulin (α2MG) in patients with periodontitis with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and also appraise the consequence of periodontal treatment on these biomarkers.

Methods

Sixty subjects enlisted were split into two groups; Group 1 consisted of 30 systemically healthy subjects with Stage II and III, generalized, Grade B, C periodontitis while Group 2 consisted of 30 patients with periodontitis and well‐controlled T2DM (PDM). Salivary and serum PAI‐1 and α2MG levels were estimated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and allied with clinical parameters before and 3 months post non‐surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). Data were statistically analyzed using student t‐test and Spearman correlation.

Results

Analogous improvements in clinical periodontal markers were experienced in both groups after initial periodontal treatment. Estimates of salivary and serum PAI‐1 and α2MG were higher among the PDM group compared with periodontitis alone at baseline. Significant diminution in estimates of biomarkers was noted 3 months after NSPT. In the PDM group, there was also an improvement in glycemic control.

Conclusions

NSPT positively impacted both groups. Noteworthy expression of salivary and serum PAI‐1 in patients with periodontitis and diabetes insinuates a possible role of the adipokine in periodontal inflammation and glucose level regulation. Salivary PAI‐1 could thus be used as a diagnostic biomarker to detect disease activity and to track periodontal therapy response.
Simple and rapid separation of Haematococcus pluvialis and ciliate based on the dean‐coupled inertial microfluidics
Authors: Jiang Dong , Wang Lei , Liu Yingjia , Huo Xiaoting , Lin Jianhan , Li Li
Published: June 2022

Astaxanthin with high antioxidant activity is of great practical value and Haematococcus pluvialis is recognized as the best natural astaxanthin producer. The yield of Haematococcus pluvialis was often affected by the ciliate during its production, however, the use of biochemical pesticides might have a great impact on Haematococcus pluvialis. Therefore, a simple microfluidic chip with the spiral microchannel was developed for continuous‐flow physical separation of ∼10 µm ciliate from ∼30 µm Haematococcus pluvialis since their different sizes resulted in different equilibrium positions in the channel due to the Dean‐coupled inertial migration. First, a spiral microchannel with a width of 700 µm and a height of 130 µm in the microfluidic chip was developed using three‐dimensional printing and verified to completely separate polystyrene particles of 10 µm from those of 30 µm. Then, this microfluidic chip was used to separate the actual sample, and experimental results showed that ∼80% of ciliate was continuously separated from Haematococcus pluvialis at a flow rate of 2.8 ml/min. More importantly, no additional biochemical reagents were used and the activity of Haematococcus pluvialis was not affected. This microfluidic chip featured with simple design, automatic operation, and small size is promising for purification and breeding of Haematococcus pluvialis.
Integral kernels on complex symmetric spaces and for the Dyson Brownian Motion
Authors: Graczyk P. , Sawyer P.
Published: June 2022

In this article, we consider flat and curved Riemannian symmetric spaces in the complex case and we study their basic integral kernels, in potential and spherical analysis: heat, Newton, Poisson kernels and spherical functions, i.e., the kernel of the spherical Fourier transform. We introduce and exploit a simple new method of construction of these W‐invariant kernels by alternating sum formulas. We then use the alternating sum representation of these kernels to obtain their asymptotic behavior. We apply our results to the Dyson Brownian Motion on .
Corporate social responsibility in long‐term supply chain management
Authors: Yan Bo , Liu Yanping , Liu Si
Published: June 2022

Long‐term corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects are affected by the time span and the decay of CSR level. Different government tax policies and different status of supply chain members also have an impact on CSR performance. Considering these issues, multi‐period dynamic game processes with the supplier and the manufacturer as the Stackelberg leader, respectively, are established. By solving the Hamiltonian function and differential game model, it shows that supplier‐led supply chains have better CSR performance. Leaders and followers invest differently in CSR projects in different periods. Single tax return improves the CSR level more than system tax return.
Parasitic element loaded efficient electrically small antenna for indoor wireless applications
Authors: Padhi Jyotibhusan , Kumar Awanish , Reddy G. Shrikanth
Published: June 2022

This study presents an electrically small antenna loaded with a parasitic loop resonator for dual‐band operations. The proposed configuration covers 2.4 GHz Bluetooth/Wi‐Fi, 5G new radio (n79), and 5 GHz WLAN bands. In this study, a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feed L‐shaped driven element is capacitively coupled with a parasitic loop resonator to get a dual‐band response centered at 2.43 and 5.5 GHz, respectively. Further, an open‐ended stub is attached with the driven element to achieve wide impedance bandwidth over the 5 GHz WLAN band. The overall dimension of the proposed antenna is 0.06λ × 0.2λ, where λ is the wavelength at 2.43 GHz. The parasitic loop resonator loaded electrically small antenna offers 60 and 1580 MHz impedance bandwidth (S11 < −10 dB). The stable impedance bandwidth and radiation characteristics of the proposed antenna validate its suitability for wireless application(s).
Microwave photonics‐based channelized receiving and reconstruction for broadband RF signal
Authors: Wang Ping , Qiu Jichen , Yang Ling , Wei Bing , Li Jie , Jin Xiaofeng
Published: June 2022

A microwave photonics‐based channelized receiver for broadband vector signals is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A 4‐line optical frequency comb (OFC) generated by a dual‐parallel Mach‐Zehnder modulator (DPMZM) is used as local oscillator (LO) signal in the in‐phase/quadrature (I/Q) receiver for coherently down‐converting the broadband signal into different channelized bands. By properly setting the frequency difference between the OFC comb line and the broadband signal, either homodyne or heterodyne detection of I/Q receiver is realized. To compensate the amplitude difference and phase difference of adjacent channel signals, an overlap ratio of adjacent slices is introduced for channel equalization and signal reconstruction. The simulated result shows the error vector magnitude of 4‐channel channelization for a reconstructed 8 GBaud quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal is very close to the original one. In the experiment, 2‐channel channelization for a 2 GBaud QPSK is realized and the whole signal is reconstructed successfully. The experimental result also proves the quality improvement of reconstructed signal with an increase of channel overlap ratio.
Postoperative hypothalamic damage predicts postoperative weight gain in patients with adult‐onset craniopharyngioma
Authors: Wu Jie , Fu Jun , Huang Zhong Jian , Xie Shen Hao , Tang Bin , Wu Xiao , Tong Zhi Gao , Wu Bo Wen , Pan Cheng Bing , Yang You Qing , Ding Han , Li Shao Yang , Qi Jia Long , Hong Tao
Published: June 2022

Objective

This study aimed to recapitulate the change trajectory of postoperative weight and investigate the association between postoperative hypothalamic damage and weight gain and hypothalamic obesity (HO) in patients with adult‐onset craniopharyngioma.

Methods

The data of 96 patients with surgically treated primary adult‐onset craniopharyngioma were retrospectively analyzed. The association between postoperative hypothalamic damage based on magnetic resonance images or endoscopic observation and postoperative weight gain and HO was determined by multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Forty‐seven (49.0%) patients and 18 (18.8%) patients experienced clinically meaningful weight gain (≥5%) and HO at last follow‐up, respectively. Postoperative weight significantly increased during the first 6 months following surgery, followed by stabilization. Both grade 2 postoperative hypothalamus damage, as evaluated by the magnetic resonance imaging classification system of Müller et al., and higher scores based on the Roth et al. hypothalamic lesion score were significantly associated with postoperative weight gain of ≥5% (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002) and with HO (p = 0.001 and p = 0.008). Additionally, bilateral hypothalamic injury as evaluated by the Hong et al. hypothalamic injury pattern based on endoscopic observation (p = 0.008) could predict postoperative weight gain ≥5%.

Conclusions

Significant postoperative weight gain is common in patients with adult‐onset craniopharyngioma. Postoperative hypothalamic damage can predict clinically meaningful weight gain and HO.
Predicting neurocognitive function in pediatric brain tumor early survivorship: The neurological predictor scale and the incremental validity of tumor size
Authors: McCurdy Mark D. , Raghubar Kimberly P. , Christopher Krystal , Okcu M. Fatih , Wilde Elisabeth , Desai Nilesh , Chu Zili D. , Gragert Marsha , Stancel Heather , Warren Emily H. , Whitehead William E. , Grosshans David , Paulino Arnold C. , Chintagumpala Murali , Kahalley Lisa S.
Published: June 2022

Background

The Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS) quantifies cumulative exposure to conventional treatment‐related neurological risks but does not capture potential risks posed by tumors themselves. This study evaluated the predictive validity of the NPS, and the incremental value of tumor location and size, for neurocognitive outcomes in early survivorship following contemporary therapies for pediatric brain tumors.

Procedure

Survivors (N = 69) diagnosed from 2010 to 2016 were administered age‐appropriate versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales. Hierarchical multiple regressions examined the predictive and incremental validity of NPS score, tumor location, and tumor size.

Results

Participants (51% female) aged 6‐20 years (M = 13.22, SD = 4.09) completed neurocognitive evaluations 5.16 years (SD = 1.29) postdiagnosis. The NPS significantly predicted Full‐Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ; ΔR2 = .079), Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI; ΔR2 = 0.051), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI; ΔR2 = 0.065), and Processing Speed Index (PSI; ΔR2 = 0.049) performance after controlling for sex, age at diagnosis, and maternal education. Tumor size alone accounted for a significant amount of unique variance in FSIQ (ΔR2 = 0.065), PRI (ΔR2 = 0.076), and PSI (ΔR2 = 0.080), beyond that captured by the NPS and relevant covariates. Within the full model, the NPS remained a significant independent predictor of FSIQ (β = −0.249, P = 0.016), VCI (β = −0.223, P = 0.048), and PRI (β = −0.229, P = 0.037).

Conclusions

Tumor size emerged as an independent predictor of neurocognitive functioning and added incrementally to the predictive utility of the NPS. Pretreatment disease burden may provide one of the earliest markers of neurocognitive risk following contemporary treatments. With perpetual treatment advances, measures quantifying treatment‐related risk may need to be updated and revalidated to maintain their clinical utility.