bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Simulation Investigation on the Dynamic Behavior of Wheelset Bearings Caused by Wheel Diameter Difference
Authors: Yi Cai , Wang Jingyuan , Liao Xiaokang , Zhang Yi , Lin Jianhui
Published: March 2023

A bearing‐vehicle‐track coupling dynamic model is built in this paper and the validity of the model is proved by comparing the simulation data with the theoretical data. Based on this model, the influence of wheel diameter difference (WDD) on the dynamic behavior of wheelset bearing is studied. The results demonstrate that when the bogie has a rear WDD, lateral displacement (LaD) of the front wheelset is the smallest. When the bogie has an anti‐phase WDD, LaD of the rear wheelset is the smallest, while when the bogie has an in‐phase WDD, LaD of the front and rear wheelsets is the largest, and LaD of the front and rear WDD is between the two, which is in line with the theoretical analysis results. Compared with LaD results of the wheelset bearing outer raceway under normal conditions, when the wheel has a diameter difference, LaD distance of the outer race increases with the WDD increasing, and the frequency of lateral movement also increases with the increase against the WDD gradation. The high‐frequency and large‐distance lateral movement of the wheelset bearing outer race under the WDD will increase the roller‐outer raceway force, and accelerate the failure of the bearing.
Electrochemical Nano‐Roughening of Gold Microstructured Electrodes for Enhanced Sensing in Biofluids**
Authors: González‐Martínez Eduardo , Saem Sokunthearath (Kevin) , Beganovic Nadine E. , Moran‐Mirabal Jose M.
Published: March 2023

A key challenge for sensor miniaturization is to create electrodes with smaller footprints, while maintaining or increasing sensitivity. In this work, the electroactive surface of gold electrodes was enhanced 30‐fold by wrinkling followed by chronoamperometric (CA) pulsing. Electron microscopy showed increased surface roughness in response to an increased number of CA pulses. The nanoroughened electrodes also showed excellent fouling resistance when submerged in solutions containing bovine serum albumin. The nanoroughened electrodes were used for electrochemical detection of Cu2+ in tap water and of glucose in human blood plasma. In the latter case, the nanoroughened electrodes allowed highly sensitive enzyme‐free sensing of glucose, with responses comparable to those of two commercial enzyme‐based sensors. We anticipate that this methodology to fabricate nanostructured electrodes can accelerate the development of simple, cost‐effective, and high sensitivity electrochemical platforms.
Thermo‐ and Photocatalytic Activation of CO2 in Ionic Liquids Nanodomains
Authors: Qadir Muhammad I. , Dupont Jairton
Published: March 2023

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered to be potential material devices for CO2 capturing and conversion to energy‐adducts. They form a cage (confined‐space) around the catalyst providing an ionic nano‐container environment which serves as physical‐chemical barrier that selectively controls the diffusion of reactants, intermediates, and products to the catalytic active sites via their hydrophobicity and contact ion pairs. Hence, the electronic properties of the catalysts in ILs can be tuned by the proper choice of the IL‐cations and anions that strongly influence the residence time/diffusion of the reactants, intermediates, and products in the nano‐environment. On the other hand, ILs provide driving force towards photocatalytic redox process to increase the CO2 photoreduction. By combining ILs with the semiconductor, unique solid semiconductor‐liquid commodities are generated that can lower the CO2 activation energy barrier by modulating the electronic properties of the semiconductor surface. This mini‐review provides a brief overview of the recent advances in IL assisted thermal conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons, formic acid, methanol, dimethyl carbonate, and cyclic carbonates as well as its photo‐conversion to solar fuels.
The Telluraboranes closo‐TeB5Cl5 and closo‐TeB11Cl11 with Exceptionally Long Body Diagonals: Synthetic and Bonding Motifs for Innovative Octahedral and Icosahedral Geometries
Authors: Keller Willi , Ballmann Joachim , Sárosi Menyhárt B. , Fanfrlík Jindřich , Hnyk Drahomír
Published: March 2023

Six‐vertex closo‐TeB5Cl5 (1) and twelve‐vertex closo‐TeB11Cl11 (2) telluraboranes have been prepared via co‐pyrolysis of B2Cl4 with TeCl4 in vacuo at temperatures between 360 °C and 400 °C. Both compounds are sublimable, off‐white solids, and they have been characterized by one‐ and two‐dimensional 11B NMR and high‐resolution mass spectroscopy. Both ab initio/GIAO/NMR and DFT/ZORA/NMR computations support octahedral and icosahedral geometries for 1 and 2, respectively, as expected due to their closo‐electron counts. The octahedral structure of 1 has been confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction on an incommensurately modulated crystal. The corresponding bonding properties have been analyzed in terms of the intrinsic bond orbital (IBO) approach. 1 is the first example of a polyhedral telluraborane with a cluster size smaller than 10 vertices.
Familial Co‐Aggregation of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies and Cancer: A Swedish Population‐Based Study
Authors: Che Weng Ian , Baecklund Fredrik , Hellgren Karin , Kuja‐Halkola Ralf , Lundberg Ingrid E. , Westerlind Helga , Holmqvist Marie
Published: March 2023

Objective

To examine if idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) share familial susceptibility with cancer, we estimated the familial co‐aggregation of these diseases.

Methods

This Swedish population‐based family study with data from national registers included 8,460 first‐degree relatives of patients with IIM and 41,127 relatives of matched individuals without IIM. We modeled the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of familial co‐aggregation of IIM and cancer using conditional logistic regressions and adjusted for sex and birth year of index individuals and their first‐degree relatives. We examined the associations for cancer overall and stratified by several factors of interest. We also performed exploratory analyses for specific cancer types.

Results

We observed no statistically significant familial associations between IIM and cancer overall. However, there was a familial association in male relative pairs of patients with dermatomyositis (adjusted OR for familial association 1.39 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15–1.68]). The association remained statistically significant after controlling for multiple testing. Moreover, this finding was consistent between kinships. Familial co‐aggregation of IIM and cancer diagnosed before 50 years of age was only observed in offspring. In exploratory analyses, only the familial associations for myeloid malignancies (adjusted OR 2.27 [95% CI 1.43–3.60]) and liver cancer (adjusted OR 2.01 [95% CI 1.21–3.33]) in male relative pairs remained significant after controlling for multiple testing.

Conclusion

We found little evidence of shared familial susceptibility as a major pathologic mechanism contributing to the co‐occurrence of IIM and cancer overall. There could be subsets of patients and cancer types for which familial factors including genetics and shared environments are of more importance, but these findings need replication.
Dynamic output feedback control for wireless power transfer systems
Authors: Dai Xin , Hua Xingxing , Sun Shaoxin , Sun Yue
Published: March 2023

This article investigates the control problem for the wireless power transfer (WPT) system, which has the characteristics of nonlinearity, high order, and associativity. Initially, a dynamic output feedback controller based on the WPT system is designed and analyzed. This controller can effectively enhance the stability of the system with stochastic disturbance. Besides, it does not need the knowledge of the system state in detail and has more adjustable parameters. Further, based on the Lyapunov theorem and stochastic stability theorem, a new stability result of the WPT with DOFC is obtained. In the stability results, all the variables in the system are still preserved after inequality expansion and contraction. Finally, the simulation results expound the effectiveness of the designed control scheme.
The common origin of both oversimplified and overly complex decision rules
Authors: Bonder Taly , Erev Ido , Ludvig Elliot A. , Roth Yefim
Published: March 2023

Many deviations from rational choice imply the neglect of important evidence and suggest the use of simple heuristics. In contrast, other deviations imply sensitivity to irrelevant evidence and suggest the use of overly complex rules. The current analysis takes two steps toward identifying the conditions that trigger these contradictory deviations from efficient reasoning. The first step involves a theoretical analysis. It shows that the contradictory deviations can be captured without assuming the use of rules of different complexity in different settings. Both deviations can be the product of a reliance on small samples of similar past experiences. This reliance on small samples triggers apparent overcomplexity when the optimal rule is simple, but more complex rules yield better outcomes in most cases; the opposite tendency, oversimplification, emerges when the optimal rule is complex, and simple rules yield better outcomes in most cases. The second step involves a preregistered experiment with 325 participants (Mechanical Turk workers). The experiment shows that human decision makers exhibit the pattern predicted by the reliance‐on‐small‐samples assumption. In the experiment, participants chose between the status quo and a risky alternative in a multi‐attribute decision with three binary cues. They used uninformative cues when this strategy was best in most cases yet ignored two informative cues when this strategy was best in most cases. In addition, describing the cues as recommendations given by three experts increased the tendency to follow the modal recommendation (even when reliance on only one of the experts was optimal), but people still behaved as though they relied on a small sample of past experiences.
Characterization of immune cell populations in syngeneic murine tumor models
Authors: Snipstad Sofie , Bremnes Frida , Dehli Haugum Mats , Sulheim Einar
Published: March 2023

Immunocompetent murine models are important tools for preclinical evaluation of immunotherapies. Here, six different immunocompetent tumor models based on four different cell lines were characterized, including metastatic lung cancer (CMT 167), triple‐negative breast cancer (4T1), pancreatic cancer (KPCY), and colon cancer (MC38). The tumors were implanted subcutaneously or orthotopically before the animals were treated with anti‐PD1 checkpoint inhibitor. A range of innate and adaptive immune cells were then quantified by flow cytometry of single‐cell suspensions from the tumors. Furthermore, confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to quantify the density and distribution of T‐cells in frozen sections. A model‐dependent cellular immune landscape was observed, with variable responsiveness toward anti‐PD1, ranging from the most responsive MC38 colon cancer model to the least responsive 4T1 breast cancer model. The study provides an overview of the immune landscape of these tumor models, and a foundation for further elucidation of pro‐tumor and anti‐tumor mechanisms behind heterogeneous responses towards immunotherapies.
Natural conversations with a virtual being: How user experience with a current conversational AI model compares to expectations
Authors: So Chaehan , Khvan Anel , Choi Wonjun
Published: March 2023

The present work investigates the effect of natural conversations with virtual beings on user perceptions with a current conversational AI model (Meta's BlenderBot). To this aim, we designed a virtual being from a deep learning‐generated face and a conversational AI model acting as a virtual conversation partner in an online conferencing software and evaluated it in 11 perceptions of social attributes. Compared to prior expectations, participants perceived the virtual being as distinctly higher in warmth (engaging, empathic, and approachable) but lower in realism and credibility after 5 days of 10 min daily conversations (Study 1). Further, we explored the idea of simplifying the technical setup to reduce the technical entry barrier for such AI applications (Study 2). To this aim, we conducted several trials of fine‐tuning a small conversational model of 90 million parameters until its performance metrics improved. Testing this fine‐tuned model with users revealed that this model was not perceived differently from a large conversational model (1.4 billion parameters). In summary, our findings show that recent progress in conversational AI has added warmth‐related aspects to the user experience with virtual beings, and that fine‐tuning a conversational AI model can be effective to reduce technical complexity.
Effect of infrared heating on the functional properties of yellow pea and green lentil flours
Authors: Laing Emma , Stone Andrea K. , Shi Dai , Pickard Mark , Wang Ning , Nickerson Michael T.
Published: March 2023

Background and Objectives

Value‐added utilization of pulse flours faces challenges related to their functionality in many food applications. The present research assessed the use of infrared heating (120°C vs. 140°C) tempered (20% vs. 30% moisture) green lentil and yellow pea seeds as a means of tailoring their functional properties.

Findings

Some flour functionalities were mildly affected by processing and, in most cases, were correlated with protein surface hydrophobicity and damaged starch content. Solubility at pH 5 was relatively unchanged in response to processing, while the values were slightly lowered at pH 7. The water (WHC) and oil holding capacities (OHC) improved, although OHC tended to decline as heating temperatures increased. Both pulses had poor foaming capacities but high foaming stabilities that remained constant after processing. The highest emulsion activity (EA) for pea was with the 120°C and 30% moisture treatment whereas for lentil it was with 120°C and 20% moisture; the emulsion capacity declined after all treatments.

Conclusions

Select conditions of infrared heating coupled with tempering of pulse seeds before milling can modestly improve the flour's EA, WHC, or OHC.

Significance and Novelty

Yellow pea and green lentil flours from infrared pretreated seeds can now be more easily formulated into applications based on their functional properties.
Establishing a Microfluidic Tumor Slice Culture Platform to Study Drug Response
Authors: Komar Zofia M. , van Gent Dik C. , Chakrabarty Sanjiban
Published: March 2023

Accurate models for tumor biology and prediction of drug responses of individual tumors require novel technology to grow tumor tissue ex vivo to maintain tumor growth characteristics in situ. Models containing only tumor cells, without the stromal components of the tumor, are suboptimal for many purposes and are generally problematic because the cells are passed through extensive culture and selection. Therefore, direct culture of (human) tumors is of considerable interest for basic tumor biology and diagnostic purposes. Microfluidic technologies have been proposed to accurately mimic physiological conditions for tissue growth. Most published systems build tissues from individual cell types in so‐called Organ‐on‐Chip (OoC) cultures. We here describe a novel OoC device for growing tumor specimens. Thin tumor slices are grown in a microfluidic ‘chip’ that allows precisely controlled in vitro culture conditions. The performance of the OoC device was extensively validated for predicting therapeutic responses in human breast cancer patient‐derived xenograft (PDX) tumor material. The system is amenable to primary tumor material from surgery or biopsies. In addition to using the model to predict and evaluate therapeutic responses, the model can also be used for mechanistic studies of human cancers, such as clonal evolution or immune responses, or to validate new or repurposed (cancer) drugs. The Bi/ond Cancer‐on‐Chip (CoC) device is designed to culture tumor slices and investigate aspects of tumor growth and drug responses. Here, we describe the step‐by‐step process of setting up tumor slice cultures using a Bi/ond CoC device and performing in vitro drug response evaluation. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Establishment of breast cancer tumor slice culture using a microfluidic cancer‐on‐chip platform for chemotherapy testing ex vivo

Basic Protocol 2: Histology and immunohistochemistry‐based analysis of tumor tissue architecture, cell proliferation, and cell death
The Role of Nonhuman Primates in Neurotoxicology Research: Preclinical Models and Experimental Methods
Authors: Petroff Rebekah L. , Grant Kimberly S. , Burbacher Thomas M.
Published: March 2023

Although noteworthy progress has been made in developing alternatives to animal testing, nonhuman primates still play a critical role in advancing biomedical research and will likely do so for many years. Core similarities between monkeys and humans in genetics, physiology, reproduction, development, and behavior make them excellent models for translational studies relevant to human health. This unit is designed to specifically address the role of nonhuman primates in neurotoxicology research and outlines the specialized assessments that can be used to measure exposure‐related changes at the structural, chemical, cellular, molecular, and functional levels. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Microwave Regeneration and Thermal and Oxidative Stability of Imidazolium Cyanopyrrolide Ionic Liquid for Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Lee Yun‐Yang , Cagli Eda , Klemm Aidan , Park Yensil , Dikki Ruth , Kidder Michelle K. , Gurkan Burcu
Published: March 2023

Understanding the oxidative and thermal degradation of CO2sorbents is essential for assessing long‐term sorbent stability in direct air capture (DAC). The potential degradation pathway of imidazolium cyanopyrrolide, an ionic liquid (IL) functionalized for superior CO2capacity and selectivity, is evaluated under accelerated degradation conditions to elucidate the secondary reactions that can occur during repetitive absorption‐desorption thermal‐swing cycles. The combined analysis from various spectroscopic, chromatographic, and thermal gravimetric measurements indicated that radical and SN2 mechanisms in degradation are encouraged by the nucleophilicity of the anion. Thickening of the liquid and gas evolution are accompanied by 50 % reduction in CO2capacity after a 7‐day exposure to O2under 80 °C. To prevent long exposure to conventional thermal heating, microwave (MW) regeneration of the CO2‐reactive IL is used, where dielectric heating at 80 and 100 °C rapidly desorbs CO2and regenerates the IL without any measurable degradation.
Landscape of fear or landscape of food? Moose hunting triggers an antipredator response in brown bears
Authors: Brown Ludovick , Zedrosser Andreas , Arnemo Jon M. , Fuchs Boris , Kindberg Jonas , Pelletier Fanie
Published: March 2023

Hunters can affect the behavior of wildlife by inducing a landscape of fear, selecting individuals with specific traits, or altering resource availability across the landscape. Most research investigating the influence of hunting on wildlife resource selection has focused on target species and less attention has been devoted to nontarget species, such as scavengers that can be both attracted or repelled by hunting activities. We used resource selection functions to identify areas where hunters were most likely to kill moose (Alces alces) in south‐central Sweden during the fall. Then, we used step‐selection functions to determine whether female brown bears (Ursus arctos) selected or avoided these areas and specific resources during the moose hunting season. We found that, during both day and nighttime, female brown bears avoided areas where hunters were more likely to kill moose. We found evidence that resource selection by brown bears varied substantially during the fall and that some behavioral changes were consistent with disturbance associated with moose hunters. Brown bears were more likely to select concealed locations in young (i.e., regenerating) and coniferous forests and areas further away from roads during the moose hunting season. Our results suggest that brown bears react to both spatial and temporal variations in apparent risk during the fall: moose hunters create a landscape of fear and trigger an antipredator response in a large carnivore even if bears are not specifically targeted during the moose hunting season. Such antipredator responses might lead to indirect habitat loss and lower foraging efficiency and the resulting consequences should be considered when planning hunting seasons.
Resource roundup: Storytelling resources for marketers
Authors: Talarico Donna
Published: March 2023

How and where we tell stories about our institution might have changed, but the fundamentals of an effective, memorable story remain.
Depression and anxiety in caregivers of patients with functional seizures
Authors: Tsamakis Konstantinos , Teagarden Diane L. , Villarreal Hannah K. , Evans Latasha , Morton Matthew L. , Janocko Nicholas J. , Groover Olivia , Hewitt Kelsey C. , Price Michele E. , Loring David W. , Drane Daniel L. , Karakis Ioannis
Published: March 2023

Objective

Contrary to patients, the psychological impact of functional seizures to caregivers has not been adequately investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the rates and determinants of depression and anxiety in caregivers of patients with functional seizures.

Methods

Patients with functional seizures and their caregivers completed surveys about demographic, disease‐related, and psychosocial characteristics. Rates and determinants of depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory scores as dependent variables and patient and caregiver characteristics as independent variables.

Results

Twenty‐nine patients (76% female, mean age of 37 years) and their caregivers (59% female, mean age of 43 years) were recruited. Symptoms of anxiety and/or depression were present in 96% of patients (96% depression, 92% anxiety) and 59% of caregivers (52% depression, 50% anxiety). Specifically, 31% of caregivers manifested mild depression, 14% moderate depression, and 7% severe depression, whereas 48% were not depressed. Similarly, 14% of caregivers manifested mild anxiety, 29% moderate anxiety, and 7% severe anxiety, whereas 50% were not anxious. Patient and caregiver depression levels strongly correlated (r = .73, p < .0001). The presence of anxiety and depression in the caregiver was associated with male patient gender (p = .02), patient depression level (p = .002), the caregiver being a parent or sibling (p = .02), and caregiver burden (p = .0009).

Significance

Caregivers of patients with functional seizures experience high rates of anxiety and depression, explained by specific demographic and psychosocial factors that could act as intervention targets.
Attitudes, knowledge, and skills towards artificial intelligence among healthcare students: A systematic review
Authors: Mousavi Baigi Seyyedeh Fatemeh , Sarbaz Masoumeh , Ghaddaripouri Kosar , Ghaddaripouri Maryam , Mousavi Atefeh Sadat , Kimiafar Khalil
Published: March 2023

Background and Aims

This systematic review examined healthcare students' attitudes, knowledge, and skill in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Methods

On August 3, 2022, studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses recommendations were followed. We included cross‐sectional studies that examined healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, skills, and perceptions of AI in this review. Using the eligibility requirements as a guide, titles and abstracts were screened. Complete texts were then retrieved and independently reviewed per the eligibility requirements. To collect data, a standardized form was used.

Results

Of the 38 included studies, 29 (76%) of healthcare students had a positive and promising attitude towards AI in the clinical profession and its use in he future; however, in nine of the studies (24%), students considered AI a threat to healthcare fields and had a negative attitude towards it. Furthermore, 26 studies evaluated the knowledge of healthcare students about AI. Among these, 18 studies evaluated the level of student knowledge as low (50%). On the other hand, in six of the studies, students' high knowledge of AI was reported, and two of the studies reported average student general knowledge (almost 50%). Of the six studies, four (67%) of the students had very low skills, so they stated that they had never worked with AI.

Conclusion

Evidence from this review shows that healthcare students had a positive and promising attitude towards AI in medicine; however, most students had low knowledge and limited skills in working with AI. Face‐to‐face instruction, training manuals, and detailed instructions are therefore crucial for implementing and comprehending how AI technology works and raising students' knowledge of the advantages of AI.
Variable thermal conductivity influence on micropolar nanofluid flow triggered by a stretchable disk with Arrhenius activation energy
Authors: Nawaz Muhammad , Imran Muhammad , Raza Mohsan
Published: March 2023

The analysis of magnetized micro–nanoliquid flows generated by the movable disk is executed in this study. The disk is contained under the porous zone influence. The heat generation, heat sink, and temperature‐dependent conductance analysis are reported through the energy equation. The activation energy in terms of a chemical reaction is incorporated through the mass equation. The flow model is normalized through the implementation of similarity transformations. The numerical algorithm Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg is used to solve the reduced system. Results are plotted graphically and in tabular format to investigate the velocity, thermal, and concentration fields. Numeric benchmarks of couple and shear stresses, thermal and concentration rates are also computed. The temperature is augmented against the incremented thermophoretic, variable conductivity, and Brownian movement parameters. The presence of variable conductivity parameter resulted in a weaker rate of heat transportation. The heat transportation rate is boosted with an incremented Prandtl number.
Influencing factors and characterization methods of the anti‐clogging ability of labyrinth channel emitters
Authors: Dong Aihong , Niu Wenquan , Zhang Wenqian , Lv Chang , Wu Menglong
Published: March 2023

To quantitatively evaluate the anti‐clogging performance of labyrinth channel emitters, literary data were used to study the clogging of different emitters under different conditions. The results showed that the emitter clogging comprehensive evaluation index (Ia) can be used as an inherent property of labyrinth flow channel emitters, denoted as the anti‐clogging ability characterization index, which is affected by flow channel structure parameters and dimensions. The larger Ia is, the more likely it is for the emitter to be clogged and for clogging to be more serious. The emitter anti‐clogging ability is affected by the emitter discharge (Q), flow path length (L), width (W), depth (D), cross‐sectional area (A, which equals W × D), minimum sectional size (min(D, W)), etc. The Ia value with Q, W, D, A and min(D, W) increases first decreases and then increases, and with L increases first increases and then decreasing, and a critical threshold range exists. Ia can be estimated by Q, W, D, A and min(D, W) and can be used as an effective indicator to quickly estimate emitter anti‐clogging ability and emitter configuration in drip irrigation systems. In practical applications, an emitter with x < 0.47 (flow index) should be selected, and an emitter with Ia < 0.45 has a better hydraulic performance and anti‐clogging ability. To obtain a better anti‐clogging ability, Q, W, D, A and min(D, W) should be 1.33–2.13 L/h, 0.71–0.90 mm, 0.55–0.71 mm, 0.33–0.68 mm2 and 0.60–0.75 mm, respectively. When L is 26.47–58.31 mm, the emitter anti‐clogging ability is relatively low.
Student preference for and performance in fixed‐ versus mixed‐duration schedules
Authors: Mellott Joshua A. , Ardoin Scott P.
Published: March 2023

Duration schedules of reinforcement for continuous behavior abide by several preexisting operant behavioral economic equations for reinforcer cost, otherwise known as price, and consumption. Duration schedules require behaviors to occur for a set duration of time prior to accessing reinforcement, unlike interval schedules that produce reinforcement after the first instance of a behavior after a given period. Despite extensive examples of naturally occurring duration schedules, translational research regarding duration schedules is quite limited. Further, a lack of research investigating the implementation of such reinforcement schedules, combined with concepts such as preference, represents a gap in the applied behavior analysis literature. The current study measured three elementary students' preferences for fixed‐ and mixed‐duration schedules of reinforcement during academic work completion. Results suggest students prefer mixed‐duration schedules of reinforcement that provide the opportunity to access reinforcement at a reduced price and that such arrangements could be employed to increase work completion and academic‐engaged time.
Oral exposure to citrinin significantly exacerbates the pathophysiology of a mouse model of imiquimod‐induced psoriasis via direct activation of dendritic cell
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroki , Ando Mana , Iwashita Naoki , Takagi Yoshiichi , Kushiro Masayo , Fukuyama Tomoki
Published: March 2023

Citrinin, a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium citrinum and Penicillium verrucosum, mainly contaminates cereals. The aim of study was to investigate the novel immunoreactive effect of citrinin using a mouse model of psoriasis. A mouse model of psoriasis was generated by topical application of 5% imiquimod in female BALB/c mice. Standard rodent diet and rice samples with 3 ppm of citrinin were mixed to obtain a final citrinin concentration of 0.3 ppm, and a citrinin‐contaminated diet was fed to mice daily. Skin thickness, scratching behavior, and trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) were monitored continuously during the imiquimod application. Immediately after the final imiquimod application, ear skin and auricular lymph node (LN) were sampled for further analysis. Only a slight increase was observed in skin thickness in the citrinin exposure group; however, citrinin exposure significantly exacerbated hyperkeratinization and inflammatory cell infiltration in histological evaluation. TEWL, which is representative of cutaneous barrier function, was significantly increased by citrinin exposure. In terms of immune function, the number of immune cells in LN (T cells and dendritic cells) and gene expression of interleukin (IL)‐17 in skin tissue were significantly increased by citrinin exposure. Direct interaction of dendritic cells (DCs) in citrinin‐induced psoriasis development was further examined by proinflammatory cytokine determination in THP‐1 cells and murine bone marrow derived DCs. IL‐6 and/or tumor necrosis factor α were significantly increased by citrinin exposure. Taken together, our results imply that oral exposure to citrinin exacerbates the symptoms of a mouse model of psoriasis via direct activation of DCs.
Comparison of different methods for isolating CD8+ T lymphocyte‐derived extracellular vesicles and supramolecular attack particles
Authors: Jainarayanan Ashwin K. , Capera Jesusa , Céspedes Pablo F. , Conceição Mariana , Elanchezhian Mirudula , Thomas Tom , Bonner Scott , Valvo Salvatore , Kurz Elke , Mahla Ranjeet Singh , Berridge Georgina , Hester Svenja , Fischer Roman , Dustin Lynn B. , Wood Matthew J. A. , Dustin Michael L.
Published: March 2023

CD8+ T lymphocytes play vital roles in killing infected or deranged host cells, recruiting innate immune cells, and regulating other aspects of immune responses. Like any other cell, CD8+ T cells also produce extracellular particles. These include extracellular vesicles (EVs) and non‐vesicular extracellular particles (NVEPs). T cell‐derived EVs are proposed to mediate cell‐to‐cell signalling, especially in the context of inflammatory responses, autoimmunity, and infectious diseases. CD8+ T cells also produce supramolecular attack particles (SMAPs), which are in the same size range as EVs and mediate a component of T cell mediated killing. The isolation technique selected will have a profound effect on yield, purity, biochemical properties and function of T cell‐derived particles; making it important to directly compare different approaches. In this study, we compared commonly used techniques (membrane spin filtration, ultracentrifugation, or size exclusion liquid chromatography) to isolate particles from activated human CD8+ T cells and validated our results by single‐particle methods, including nanoparticle tracking analysis, flow cytometry, electron microscopy and super‐resolution microscopy of the purified sample as well as bulk proteomics and lipidomics analyses to evaluate the quality and nature of enriched T cell‐derived particles. Our results show that there is a trade‐off between the yield and the quality of T cell‐derived particles. Furthermore, the protein and lipid composition of the particles is dramatically impacted by the isolation technique applied. We conclude that from the techniques evaluated, size exclusion liquid chromatography offers the highest quality of T cell derived EVs and SMAPs with acceptable yields for compositional and functional studies.
Disrupting methyl‐CpG‐binding protein 2 expression induces the transformation of induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes into pacemaker‐like cells by insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1
Authors: Zhang Wei , Gu Jianjun , Shi Yanxi , Li Bichun , Gu Xiang
Published: March 2023

Background

The experiment will explore whether interfering with the expression of methyl‐CpG‐binding protein 2 (MecP2) can enhance the ability of insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 (ISL1) to induce iPSC‐CMs to differentiate into pacemaker‐like cells.

Methods

Differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into cardiomyocytes (CMs) can be induced via the regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Real‐time quantitative PCR (qPCR), western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and patch‐clamp technique were used to analyze the ability of ISL1 to induce the transformation of iPSC‐CMs into pacemaker‐like cells. Calcium spark, patch‐clamp technique, and real‐time qPCR were used to verify whether disrupting the expression of MeCP2 enhanced this ability of ISL1 to induce the differentiation of iPSC‐CMs into pacemaker cells. Transplant pacemaker‐like cardiomyocytes into the myocardium of mice to observe whether the pacemaker cells can survive in the tissue for a long time.

Results

RT‐qPCR and patch‐clamp analyses showed that overexpression of ISL1 induced the successful differentiation of iPSC‐CMs into pacemaker cells. ISL1‐overexpressing pacemaker‐like cells possessed typical characteristics of pacemaker morphology, including action potential and If inward current. Chromatin immunoprecipitation results showed that MeCP2 bound to the promoter region of HCN4. Following disruption of MeCP2 expression, the gene expression of sinoatrial node‐specific transcription factors, If inward current, and cardiac rhythm changes in iPSC‐CMs resembled those of sinoatrial node pacemaker cells. Therefore, ISL1 induced the differentiation of iPSC‐CMs into pacemaker‐like cells, and knockdown of MeCP2 increased this effect. Frozen section results showed that surviving pacemaker‐like cells could still be observed in myocardial tissue after 45 days.

Conclusions

Experiments have found that interfering with the expression of MeCP2 can increase the ability of ISL1 to induce iPSC‐CM cells to differentiate into pacemaker‐like cells. And the pacemaker‐like cells obtained in this experiment can survive in myocardial tissue for a long time.
Impacts of migration on time allocation of those who remain at home in rural Nepal
Authors: Yokying Phanwin , Saksena Sumeet , Fox Jefferson
Published: March 2023

This paper examines the effects of migration on time allocation in work activities of left‐behind family members in Nepal with attention to gender and age. Based on Nepal's Labor Force Survey, we find that, in response to an outmigration of a family member, working‐age women allocate more time towards agriculture and domestic and care work, while the amount of time working‐age men and women spend on collecting water and firewood also rises. Migration also increases girls' and women's time in non‐agricultural responsibilities. Thus, migration generates a loss in household labour supply and reshapes household division of labour in labour‐intensive activities and traditional gender roles.
A novel mAb broadly neutralizes SARS‐CoV‐2 VOCs in vitro and in vivo, including the Omicron variants
Authors: Kan Qiuqi , Lin Xian , Li Tuofan , Ke Xianliang , Jian Xiaoqin , Hou Lidan , Zhang Wenyuan , Wan Zhimin , Xie Quan , Shao Hongxia , Ye Lilin , Ye Jianqiang , Qin Aijian , Zou Zhong , Chen Quanjiao
Published: March 2023

Novel immune escape variants have emerged as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) continues to spread worldwide. Many of the variants cause breakthrough infections in vaccinated populations, posing great challenges to current antiviral strategies targeting the immunodominance of the receptor‐binding domain within the spike protein. Here, we found that a novel broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb), G5, provided efficient protection against SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern (VOCs) in vitro and in vivo. A single dose of mAb G5 could significantly inhibit the viral burden in mice challenged with the mouse‐adapted SARS‐CoV‐2 or SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron BA.1 variant, as well as the body weight loss and cytokine release induced by mouse‐adapted SARS‐CoV‐2. The refined epitope recognized by mAb G5 was identified as 1148FKEELDKYF1156 in the stem helix of subunit S2. In addition, a human−mouse chimeric mAb was generated based on the variable region of heavy chain and VL genes of mAb G5. Our study provides a broad antibody drug candidate against SARS‐CoV‐2 VOCs and reveals a novel target for developing pan‐SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines.
Understanding China's construction of an academic integrity system: A grounded theory study on national level policies
Authors: He Chen , Xu Jie , Zhou Lihong
Published: March 2023

Academic integrity has long been an issue of concern to the academic community, and in recent years has attracted attention worldwide. As the country with the world's largest research output, especially as shown during the recent pandemic, China is actively working to combat academic misconduct. To explore China's initiatives and actions in this regard, 75 Chinese official policies from the national level were collected, analysed and reviewed. Based on the policy text, this study examines the construction of the academic integrity system in China. Through grounded theory and text analysis methods, six parts of the policy system were identified: current status, goals and objectives, polycentric governance, cultural‐cognitive measures, normative measures and regulative measures. The results show the specific measures taken by China with regards to each part and indicate that an academic integrity system has been formed in China.
One‐Step Synthesis of Fluorescent Poly(divinylbenzene) Particles without Fluorescent Monomers
Authors: Bicak Tugrul Cem , Garnier Maylis , Sabbah Michèle , Griffete Nébéwia
Published: March 2023

A simple and cost‐efficient method for fluorescent microsphere synthesis, which does not require any fluorescent monomers or modification steps to incorporate fluorescent moieties into the polymer particles, is reported. Using rhodamine B and benzophenone as bimolecular initiation system in type II photoinitiated precipitation polymerization, the method enables the preparation of fluorescent microspheres in one step, at room temperature and without the need for a stabilizer or surfactant of any type.
Investigating the Mobility−Compressibility Properties of Conjugated Polymers by the Contact Film Transfer Method with Prestrain
Authors: Sung Chih‐Yuan , Lin Chia‐Yu , Chueh Chu‐Chen , Lin Yan‐Cheng , Chen Wen‐Chang
Published: March 2023

Up to now, researches on the mobility–stretchability of semiconducting polymers are extensively investigated, but little attention was  paid to their morphology and field‐effect transistor characteristics under compressive strains, which is equally crucial in wearable electronic applications. In this work, a contact film transfer method is applied to evaluate the mobility–compressibility properties of conjugated polymers. A series of isoindigo–bithiophene conjugated polymers with symmetric carbosilane side chains (P(SiSi)), siloxane‐terminated alkyl side chains (P(SiOSiO)), and combined asymmetric side chains (P(SiOSi)) are investigated. Accordingly, a compressed elastomer slab is used to transfer and compress the polymer films by releasing prestrain, and the morphology and mobility evolutions of these polymers are tracked. It is found that P(SiOSi) outperforms the other symmetric polymers including P(Si─Si) and P(SiO─SiO), having the ability to dissipate strain with its shortened lamellar spacing and orthogonal chain alignment. Notably, the mechanical durability of P(SiOSi) is also enhanced after consecutive compress–release cycles. In addition, the contact film transfer technique is demonstrated to be applicable to investigate the compressibility of different semiconducting polymers. These results demonstrate a comprehensive approach to understand the mobility–compressibility properties of semiconducting polymers under tensile and compressive strains.
Mathematical analysis of a vaccination epidemic model with nonlocal diffusion
Authors: Bentout Soufiane , Djilali Salih , Kuniya Toshikazu , Wang Jinliang
Published: March 2023

We study the global dynamics of a susceptible‐vaccinated‐infected‐recovered model that incorporates nonlocal diffusion. By identifying the basic reproduction number of the model, we obtain the following threshold‐type results: (i) If , then the epidemic becomes extinct in the sense that the infection‐free equilibrium is globally attractive; (ii) if and the diffusion coefficients are the same for all classes, then the epidemic persists in the sense that the system is uniformly persistent; and (iii) if , the diffusion coefficients for susceptible, and the vaccinated classes are zero, then the system admits a unique endemic equilibrium, and the omega‐limit set is included in the singleton of the endemic equilibrium. Our results show that is an essential value for determining global epidemic dynamics in our model.
Bicriterion Pareto‐scheduling of equal‐length jobs on a single machine related to the total weighted late work
Authors: Chen Rubing , Yuan Jinjiang , Zhao Qiulan , Ng Chi To , Edwin Cheng Tai Chiu
Published: March 2023

In this article, we study bicriterion Pareto‐scheduling on a single machine of equal‐length jobs, where one of the criteria is the total weighted late work. Motivated by two Pareto‐scheduling open problems where one criterion is the total (weighted) late work and the other criterion is the weighted number of tardy jobs, we show that 12 constrained scheduling problems unaddressed in the literature are binary ‐hard, implying that the Pareto‐scheduling versions of these problems are also binary ‐hard. Moreover, we introduce the concept of dummy due dates (DDD) for equal‐length jobs to be scheduled in equal‐length intervals. Intriguingly, we find that a DDD‐based technique outperforms the existing solution methods and improves the known time complexities of the related problems. In addition, we extend our research to the two‐agent scheduling model under the assumption of equal‐length or partially equal‐length jobs by including the total weighted late work as the criterion of one agent. For these problems, our results also improve the known time complexity results.
Serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐2 was not altered by rTMS in patients with treatment‐resistant depression
Authors: Tateishi Hiroshi , Matsushima Jun , Kunitake Hiroko , Imamura Yoshiomi , Kunitake Yutaka , Murakawa Toru , Mawatari Seiji , Kojima Ryohei , Fujii Yuka , Kikuchi Jun , Fukuchi Junko , Sakemura Yuta , Shiraishi Takumi , Nagahama Chika , Maekawa Toshihiko , Asami Toyoko , Mizoguchi Yoshito , Monji Akira
Published: March 2023

Aim

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one of the most effective and minimally invasive treatments for treatment‐resistant depression (TRD). However, the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of rTMS in patients with TRD remains unclear. In recent years, the pathogenesis of depression has been closely associated with chronic inflammation and microglia are believed to play an important role in chronic inflammation. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐2 (TREM2) plays an important role in microglial neuroinflammatory regulation. In this study, we investigated the changes in peripheral soluble TREM2 (sTREM2) before and after rTMS treatment in patients with TRD.

Methods

Twenty‐six patients with TRD were enrolled in this frequency (10 Hz) rTMS study. Depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and serum sTREM2 concentrations were measured at baseline and the end of the 6‐week rTMS treatment.

Results

This study showed that rTMS ameliorated depressive symptoms and partially improved cognitive dysfunction in TRD. However, rTMS treatment did not alter serum sTREM2 levels.

Conclusions

This is the first sTREM2 study in patients with TRD who underwent rTMS treatment. These results suggest that serum sTREM2 may not be relevant for the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of rTMS in patients with TRD. Future studies should confirm the present findings using a larger patient sample and a sham rTMS procedure, as well as CSF sTREM2. Furthermore, a longitudinal study should be conducted to clarify the effects of rTMS on sTREM2 levels.
Salvage stereotactic reirradiation for intraprostatic cancer recurrence: A large retrospective study
Authors: Allali Sofiane , Loap Pierre , Bibault Jean‐Emmanuel , Krepps Sarah , Deforge Aurelien , Moreau Damien , Durdux Catherine , Giraud Philippe
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Thirty to forty‐seven percent of patients treated with exclusive radiotherapy for prostate cancer will experience intraprostate recurrence. The use of radiotherapy in stereotactic conditions allows millimetric accuracy in irradiation to the target zone that minimizes the dose to organs at risk. In this study, we evaluated the clinical outcome of prostatic reirradiation with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with intraprostatic recurrence initially treated by radiotherapy.

Method

This single‐center retrospective study included 41 patients diagnosed with exclusive local recurrence of prostate cancer after radiotherapy and treatedby stereotactic Cyberknife irradiation. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and the safety of stereotactic reirradiation for patients with intraprostatic recurrence initially treated with radiotherapy.

Results

Median follow‐up was 35 months. The 2‐year biochemical relapse‐free survival was 72.89%, the 2‐year local recurrence free survival was 93.59%, the 2‐year local regional recurrence‐free survival was 85.24%, and the 2‐year metastasis‐free survival was to 91.49%. The analysis of toxicities showed a good tolerance of stereotactic irradiation. Urinary and gastro‐intestinal adverse events was mostly of grades 1–2 (CTCAEv4). Grade 3 toxicity occurred in one to two patients.

Conclusion

Stereotactic reirradiation appears effective and well‐tolerated for local recurrence of prostate cancer and might allow to delay the introduction of hormonal therapy and its side effects.