bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of micellar‐enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) using rhamnolipid for heavy metal removal from desalter effluent
Authors: Munoz‐Cupa Carlos , Bassi Amarjeet , Liu Lei
Published: April 2022

The removal of heavy metals from desalter effluent is an important issue due to the toxicity of these pollutants. In this study, micellar‐enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) is applied for the removal of heavy metals from synthetic desalter effluent. MEUF is a process in which surfactants above their critical micellar concentration (CMC) form micelles. Micelles bind compounds with low molecular weight; then, these are rejected by a semi‐permeable membrane. Rhamnolipid is an anionic biosurfactant that has advantages such as biodegradability and low CMC. Rhamnolipid complexation with synthetic desalter effluent demonstrates high efficiency for heavy metal removal. The highest overall removal efficiency was reached at a rhamnolipid concentration of 300 mg/L with 94.07%, 81.93%, 99.81%, 76.00%, and 41.91% for Zn+2, Mg+2, Cu+2, Mn+2, and Na+, respectively. Additionally, loading capacity on rhamnolipid micelles was evaluated to have better selectivity for Mn+2 > Cu+2 > Zn+2 > Mg+2 > Na+. Also, the results showed that phenol has a significant effect on heavy metal removal, decreasing CMC, which increases micelles. Finally, the permeate flux decreases after increasing the rhamnolipid concentration due to the formation of the gel layer, creating an additional resistance to the permeate flux that goes through the membrane. This work shows that MEUF with rhamnolipid is a reliable method for heavy metal removal from desalter effluent.
“Sustainability Make‐It‐Yourself” – the Environmental‐Make@thon as an innovative science communication format
Authors: Amel Henning , Schmidt Johann , Kreienhop Nils , Beeken Marco
Published: April 2022

Hinsichtlich der Corona‐Pandemie in den frühen 2020er‐Jahren erforderte Bildung (nicht nur) im naturwissenschaftlichen Bereich ein methodisches und didaktisches Neudenken. Aus diesem Grund wurde der Umwelt‐Make@thon konzipiert, erstmalig durchgeführt und evaluiert. Die Teilnehmenden setzten sich eine Woche intensiv mit der Plastikmüll‐ und Mikroplastikthematik auseinander und entwarfen innovative Kampagnen zur Lösung des Plastikmüllproblems. Als digitales und innovatives Wissenschaftskommunikationsformat stellt der Umwelt‐Make@thon nicht nur ein kreativitätsförderndes, lernenden‐ und handlungsorientiertes Umfeld dar, sondern wird zudem der gesellschaftlichen Relevanz von Nachhaltigkeitsbildung gerecht.
Effect of air filtration on house dust mite, cat and dog allergens and particulate matter in homes
Authors: Maya‐Manzano José María , Pusch Gudrun , Ebner von Eschenbach Cordula , Bartusel Elke , Belzner Thomas , Karg Erwin , Bardolatzy Ulrich , Scheja Michael , Schmidt‐Weber Carsten , Buters Jeroen
Published: April 2022

Background

Indoor allergens (i.e. from mite, cat and dog) are carried by airborne particulate matter. Thus, removal of particles would reduce allergen exposure. This work aims to assess the performance of air filtration on particulate matter and thus allergen removal in 22 bedrooms.

Methods

Indoor air was sampled (with and without air filtration) with a cascade impactor and allergens were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Particulate matter (including ultrafine particles) was also monitored.

Results

The median of allergen reduction was 75.2% for Der f 1 (p < 0.001, n = 20), 65.5% for Der p 1 (p = 0.066, n = 4), 76.6% for Fel d 1 (p < 0.01, n = 21) and 89.3% for Can f 1 (p < 0.01, n = 10). For size fractions, reductions were statistically significant for Der f 1 (all p < 0.001), Can f 1 (PM>10 and PM2.5–10, p < 0.01) and Fel d 1 (PM2.5–10, p < 0.01), but not for Der p 1 (all p > 0.05). PM was reduced in all fractions (p < 0.001). The allergens were found in all particle size fractions, higher mite allergens in the PM>10 and for pet allergens in the PM2.5–10.

Conclusions

Air filtration was effective in removing mites, cat and dog allergens and also particulate matter from ambient indoor air, offering a fast and simple solution to mitigate allergen exposome.
Cytology should create structured data sets without using synoptic reporting
Authors: Renshaw Andrew A. , Gould Edwin W.
Published: April 2022

Structured data sets can be created from cytology reports without the addition of synoptic reports using either natural language processing or minor changes to laboratory information systems structure.;
Dynamic threshold strategy optimization for security protection in Internet of Things: An adversarial deep learning‐based game‐theoretical approach
Authors: Chen Lili , Wang Zhen , Wu Jintao , Guo Yunchuan , Li Fenghua , Li Zifu
Published: April 2022

As mobile communications, the Internet, databases, distributed computing, and other technologies continue to develop, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as prevalent technique. However, attacks on security and sensitive data in IoT occur frequently, and these attacks often evade intrusion detection systems strategically by mutating their traffic. To prevent security threats and sensitive data leakage, we propose a game approach based on adversarial deep learning to optimize a dynamic security threshold strategy. We introduce a mobile edge computing framework and utilize a game model to describe the adversarial interaction between the two participants. To solve the complexity of the game problem to gain dynamically randomized adversarial attacks, we present a column generation (CG) framework, which uses a feedforward neural network to quantify data flowing through IoT devices. Considering the limited resources of IoT devices, we calculate an optimal response to cyberattacks via a particle swarm optimization algorithm, aiming to reduce the false alarm rate. The adversarial dynamic threshold (ADT)‐based column generation (CG‐ADT) algorithm generates the set of detection threshold and the probability. Finally, we present the results of experiments conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed dynamic threshold scheme for sensitive data security protection in IoT and its suitability for implementation in production systems.
Light‐Induced Synthesis of Oxygen‐Vacancy‐Functionalized Ni(OH)2 Nanosheets for Highly Selective CO2 Reduction
Authors: Yang Zhidong , Zhang Hongxia , Zhao Jianghong , Shi Hu , Liu Yiming , Yang Hengquan , Yang Pengju
Published: April 2022

Solar‐driven CO2 reduction into fuels and chemicals has gained increasing attention in recent years. In this study, oxygen‐vacancies‐functionalized Ni(OH)2 (OVs−Ni(OH)2) nanosheets are synthesized by a photochemical method to serve as a catalyst for CO2 reduction. Characterization reveals that COOH* is the key intermediate for CO2‐to‐CO photoreduction. Experimental results and theoretical calculations confirm that OVs modification can greatly modulate the interaction strength between the OVs−Ni(OH)2 and CO2, while lowering the energy barrier for COOH* formation, thereby preferentially facilitating CO2 reduction. As a result, the OVs−Ni(OH)2 catalyst exhibits outstanding activity and selectivity for CO2‐to‐CO photoreduction with visible light. A CO evolution rate of 31.58 μmol h−1 (0.35 mg catalyst, 90228 μmol h−1 g−1) with a selectivity of 98 % over OVs−Ni(OH)2 was achieved, outperforming most analogous reported catalysts. Moreover, even under a low CO2 concentration of 0.04 % (representative of the CO2 concentration in air) and low reaction temperature (273 K, 0 °C), this catalyst can still trigger CO2 reduction. This work provides a new method to synthesize OVs−Ni(OH)2 catalysts for efficient CO2 reduction and establishes a relationship between the OVs and the catalytic activity, which may guide the design of highly selective CO2 reduction catalysts.
Rare Earth‐Based Nanomaterials for Supercapacitors: Preparation, Structure Engineering and Application
Authors: He Yao , Zhou Weiqiang , Xu Jingkun
Published: April 2022

Supercapacitors (SCs) can effectively alleviate problems such as energy shortage and serious greenhouse effect. The properties of electrode materials directly affect the performance of SCs. Rare earth (RE) is known as “modern industrial vitamins”, and their functional materials have been listed as key strategic materials. In the past few years, the number of scientific reports on RE‐based nanomaterials for SCs has increased rapidly, confirming that adding RE elements or compounds to the host electrode materials with various nanostructured morphologies can greatly enhance their electrochemical performance. Although RE‐based nanomaterials have made rapid progress in SCs, there are very few works providing a comprehensive survey of this field. In view of this, a comprehensive overview of RE‐based nanomaterials for SCs is provided here, including the preparation methods, nanostructure engineering, compounds, and composites, along with their capacitance performances. The structure–activity relationships are discussed and highlighted. Meanwhile, the future challenges and perspectives are also pointed out. This Review can not only provide guidance for the further development of SCs but also arouse great interest in RE‐based nanomaterials in other research fields such as electrocatalysis, photovoltaic cells, and lithium batteries.
Design and analysis of a speed controller for fractional‐order‐modeled voltage‐source‐inverter‐fed induction motor drive
Authors: Adigintla Sudheer , Aware Mohan V.
Published: April 2022

This paper presents the fractional‐order voltage‐source‐inverter‐controlled induction machine (FO‐VSI‐IM) model extraction and integration to improve the closed‐loop speed control performance of variable speed drives. In the operating range of variable speed drive, it is susceptible to load disturbance and speed tracking error. This paper provides the practical approach to obtain the fractional‐order model of VSI‐fed induction motor (IM) drive by using PWM signal injection technique. The injected PWM signals and speed encoder response signals are recorded using the dSPACE 1104 platform. This model is used in constructing the closed‐loop speed control of VSI‐IM with designed integer‐order PI speed controller. The comparative performance is evaluated for FO‐VSI‐IM and integer‐order voltage‐source‐inverter‐controlled induction machine (IO‐VSI‐IM) with feed‐forward gain variations and load disturbances. It is observed that the robust speed tracking capability with the controller designed using the FO‐VSI‐IM model over the controller with IO‐VSI‐IM model under load disturbances. The improvement in speed tracking with less control effort in the FO‐VSI‐IM model is advantageous in field‐oriented control (FOC) drives.
Deficient DNASE1L3 facilitates neutrophil extracellular traps‐induced invasion via cyclic GMP‐AMP synthase and the non‐canonical NF‐κB pathway in diabetic hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Na , Zheng Xue , Chen Mianrong , Huang Li , Chen Li , Huo Rui , Li Xiaotong , Huang Yucan , Sun Mingwen , Mai Suiqing , Wu Zhuoyi , Zhang Hui , Liu Jinbao , Yang Chun‐tao
Published: April 2022

Objective

Diabetic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have high mortality and metastasis rates. Diabetic conditions promote neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) generation, which mediates HCC metastasis and invasion. However, whether and how diabetes‐induced NETs trigger HCC invasion is largely unknown. Here, we aimed to observe the effects of diabetes‐induced NETs on HCC invasion and investigate mechanisms relevant to a DNA sensor cyclic GMP‐AMP synthase (cGAS).

Methods

Serum from diabetic patients and healthy individuals was collected. Human neutrophil‐derived NETs were isolated for stimulating HCC cell invasion. Data from the SEER and TCGA databases were used for bioinformatics analysis. In HCC cells and allograft models, NETs‐triggered invasion was observed.

Results

Diabetic HCC patients had poorer survival than non‐diabetic ones. Either diabetic serum or extracted NETs caused HCC invasion. Induction of diabetes or NETosis elicited HCC allograft invasion in nude mice. HCC cell invasion was attenuated by the treatment with DNase1. In TCGA_LIHC, an extracellular DNase DNASE1L3 was downregulated in tumor tissues, while function terms (the endocytic vesicle membrane, the NF‐κB pathway and extracellular matrix disassembly) were enriched. DNASE1L3 knockdown in LO2 hepatocytes or H22 cell‐derived allografts facilitated HCC invasion in NETotic or diabetic nude mice. Moreover, exposure of HCC cells to NETs upregulated cGAS and the non‐canonical NF‐κB pathway and induced expression of metastasis genes (MMP9 and SPP1). Both cGAS inhibitor and NF‐κB RELB knockdown diminished HCC invasion caused by NETs DNA. Also, cGAS inhibitor was able to retard translocation of NF‐κB RELB.

Conclusion

Defective DNASE1L3 aggravates NETs DNA‐triggered HCC invasion on diabetic conditions via cGAS and the non‐canonical NF‐κB pathway.
Multi‐hoped cooperative communication‐based wireless underground sensor network design
Authors: Kanthavel R. , Indra Priyadharshini S. , Sudha D. , Sundara Velrani K. , Dhaya R.
Published: April 2022

Deepwater utilization and underwater sound communication with inadequate bandwidth, elongated propagation interruption, signal failure issues, and sensor node malfunction due to ecological circumstances are the limitations of the underwater wireless sensor network. Further, the challenges in underground wireless sensor network (WSN) include superior bandwidth, high power expenses, information handling, and cross‐layer design. On the other hand, cooperative communications facilitate competent employment of communication resources, by permitting nodes in a network to work together in information communication. As wireless sensor networks adapt to multi‐hop transmission in high data traffic, there is a high demand for achieving energy efficiency. Moreover, in the course of proximity nodes to the sink, an energy hole is started for the extended network lifetime. This paper proposes the design of multi‐hoped cooperative communication‐based wireless underground sensor networks that guarantees energy efficiency in a hostile environment. In addition, network coverage and connectivity improvement are also improved by this proposed design.
Species pool size and rainfall account for the relationship between biodiversity and biomass production in natural forests of China
Authors: Liu Jia‐Jia , Burgess Kevin S. , Ge Xue‐Jun
Published: April 2022

The strength of biodiversity–biomass production relationships increases with increasing environmental stress and time. However, we know little about the effects of abiotic (e.g., climate) and biotic (e.g., species pool and community composition) factors on this trend. Whether variation in biomass production is best explained by phylogenetic diversity metrics or traditional measures of species richness also remains elusive. We compiled estimates of community composition and biomass production for tree species in 111 permanent quadrats spanning three natural forests (tropical, subtropical, and temperate) in China. Based on ~10 years of data, we compared temperature, rainfall, species pool size, and community composition in each forest each year. We estimated species richness and phylogenetic diversity in each quadrat each year; the latter metric was based on the sum of branch lengths of a phylogeny that connects species in each quadrat each year. Using generalized linear mixed‐effect models, we found that top‐ranked models included the interaction between forest and biodiversity and the interaction between forest and year for both biodiversity metrics. Variation in biomass production was best explained by phylogenetic diversity; biomass production generally increased with phylogenetic diversity, and the relationship was stronger in subtropical and temperate forests. Increasing species pool size, temperature, and rainfall and decreasing inter‐quadrat dissimilarity range shifted the relationship between biomass production and phylogenetic diversity from positive to neutral. When considered alone, species pool size had the strongest influence on biomass production, while species pool size, rainfall, and their interaction with phylogenetic diversity constituted the top‐ranked model. Our study highlights the importance of species pool size and rainfall on the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and biomass production in natural forest ecosystems.
Geographical location and cultivar‐linked changes on chemical properties of olive oils from Algeria
Authors: Touati Said , Acila Smail , Boujnah Dalenda , Chehab Hechmi , Ayadi Mohamed , Debouba Mohamed
Published: April 2022

In the present work, we are assessing the geographical origin and cultivar‐related changes on olive oil quality and composition in East Algeria. Fruits from the main local olive varieties (Sigoise and Chemlal) were harvested in autumn 2019 growing season from three different geographic areas: semiarid (Setif), arid (Batna), and Saharan (Eloued). Obtained results showed that Chemlal and Sigoise olive oils from Eloued area were the most enriched in tocopherols and phenolic contents, respectively. Sigoise olive oil from Batna area showed the highest values of pigments (carotenoids, chlorophylls). Identified fatty acids using gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) indicated that Chemlal cultivar olive oil from Batna was the most enriched in saturated fatty acid. However, higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acid were recorded for olive from Eloued and Setif areas. Sigoise cultivar oil displayed higher contents of unsaturated fatty acid in Batna, but higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid from Eloued location. These outcomes highlighted an actual impact of geographical location on each cultivar olive oil chemical proprieties. According to these data and relative to the International Olive Council (IOC) standards, all the analyzed olive oils could be categorized as extra virgin olive oils. Overall, statistical analysis showed that physicochemical parameters were influenced by the cultivar, the region of collection, as well as the interactions between them.
Neutralization and receptor use of infectious culture–derived rat hepacivirus as a model for HCV
Authors: Wolfisberg Raphael , Thorselius Caroline E. , Salinas Eduardo , Elrod Elizabeth , Trivedi Sheetal , Nielsen Louise , Fahnøe Ulrik , Kapoor Amit , Grakoui Arash , Rice Charles M. , Bukh Jens , Holmbeck Kenn , Scheel Troels K. H.
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims

Lack of tractable immunocompetent animal models amenable to robust experimental challenge impedes vaccine efforts for HCV. Infection with rodent hepacivirus from Rattus norvegicus (RHV‐rn1) in rats shares HCV‐defining characteristics, including liver tropism, chronicity, and pathology. RHV in vitro cultivation would facilitate genetic studies on particle production, host factor interactions, and evaluation of antibody neutralization guiding HCV vaccine approaches.

Approach and Results

We report an infectious reverse genetic cell culture system for RHV‐rn1 using highly permissive rat hepatoma cells and adaptive mutations in the E2, NS4B, and NS5A viral proteins. Cell culture–derived RHV‐rn1 particles (RHVcc) share hallmark biophysical characteristics of HCV and are infectious in mice and rats. Culture adaptive mutations attenuated RHVcc in immunocompetent rats, and the mutations reverted following prolonged infection, but not in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, suggesting that adaptive immune pressure is a primary driver of reversion. Accordingly, sera from RHVcc‐infected SCID mice or the early acute phase of immunocompetent mice and rats were infectious in culture. We further established an in vitro RHVcc neutralization assay, and observed neutralizing activity of rat sera specifically from the chronic phase of infection. Finally, we found that scavenger receptor class B type I promoted RHV‐rn1 entry in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

The RHV‐rn1 infectious cell culture system enables studies of humoral immune responses against hepacivirus infection. Moreover, recapitulation of the entire RHV‐rn1 infectious cycle in cell culture will facilitate reverse genetic studies and the exploration of tropism and virus–host interactions.
Identification of the chloride channel, leucine‐rich repeat‐containing protein 8, subfamily a (LRRC8A), in mouse cholangiocytes
Authors: Shcheynikov Nikolay , Boggs Kristy , Green Anthony , Feranchak Andrew P.
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims

Chloride (Cl−) channels in the apical membrane of biliary epithelial cells (BECs), also known as cholangiocytes, provide the driving force for biliary secretion. Although two Cl− channels have been identified on a molecular basis, the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator and Transmembrane Member 16A, a third Cl− channel with unique biophysical properties has been described. Leucine‐Rich Repeat‐Containing Protein 8, subfamily A (LRRC8A) is a newly identified protein capable of transporting Cl− in other epithelium in response to cell swelling. The aim of the present study was to determine if LRRC8A represents the volume‐regulated anion channel in mouse BECs.

Approach and Results

Studies were performed in mouse small (MSC) and large (MLC) cholangiocytes. Membrane Cl− currents were measured by whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques and cell volume measurements were performed by calcein‐AM fluorescence. Exposure of either MSC or MLC to hypotonicity (190 mOsm) rapidly increased cell volume and activated Cl− currents. Currents exhibited outward rectification, time‐dependent inactivation at positive membrane potentials, and reversal potential at 0 mV (ECl). Removal of extracellular Cl− or specific pharmacological inhibition of LRRC8A abolished currents. LRRC8A was detected in both MSC and MLC by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by western blot. Transfection with LRRC8A small interfering RNA decreased protein levels by >70% and abolished volume‐stimulated Cl− currents.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that LRRC8A is functionally present in mouse BECs, contributes to volume‐activated Cl− secretion, and, therefore, may be a target to modulate bile formation in the treatment of cholestatic liver disorders.
First‐line therapies for hepatitis B in the United States: A 3‐year prospective and multicenter real‐world study after approval of tenofovir alefenamide
Authors: Pan Calvin Q. , Afdhal Nezam H. , Ankoma‐Sey Victor , Bae Ho , Curry Michael P. , Dieterich Douglas , Frazier Lynn , Frick Andrew , Hann Hie‐Won , Kim W. Ray , Kwo Paul , Milligan Scott , Tong Myron J. , Reddy K. Rajender
Published: April 2022

Real‐world data are limited on tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). We aimed to study TAF real‐world outcomes with other first‐line regimens for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We enrolled patients with CHB from 10 centers retrospectively and followed them for 36 months prospectively. We analyzed switching patterns of antiviral therapy and treatment outcomes of TAF, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), and entecavir therapy. For efficacy and safety, we analyzed a subset of patients with complete data at 24 months after switching to TAF or remaining on TDF or entecavir. Among 1037 enrollees, 889 patients were analyzed. The mean age was 52%, and 72% were hepatitis B e antigen–negative. After enrollment, shifts in therapies were mostly in reduced use of TDF from 63% to 30% due to switching to TAF. Clinical parameters were compared at enrollment or initiation to measures at 24 months for patients remaining on TAF (187), TDF (229), or entecavir (181). At 24 months, a significantly higher portion of patients on TAF achieved hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA ≤ 20 IU/ml (93% vs. 86%; p = 0.012) and normalized alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (66% vs. 56%; p = 0.031) with stable estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs). However, a higher percentage of the patient with eGFR < 60 ml/mi/1.7 m2 was observed in the TDF‐treated group (9% vs. 4%; p = 0.010). In patients who remained on entecavir or TDF for 24 months, ALT and HBV‐DNA results did not differ significantly from baseline. Treatment of CHB in the United States has significantly shifted from TDF to TAF. Our data suggest that switching from TDF or entecavir to TAF may result in increased frequency of ALT normalization and potential clearance of viremia at the 24‐month time point.
What can we learn from 28 years of monitoring of fish tissue polychlorinated biphenyls in Michigan's rivers?
Authors: Shaw Emily L. , Urban Noel R.
Published: April 2022

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are an important part of chemical legacies in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin. Used in industrial products worldwide, PCBs are now extensively monitored because of their potential toxicity to humans. Fish consumption is a major pathway for exposure. Edible portion (i.e., fish fillet) data from Michigan's fish tissue PCB monitoring program were evaluated using regression statistics, principal component analysis, and t-tests to answer three questions: (1) How do fish tissue total PCB concentrations vary across Michigan's rivers? (2) Are the PCB congener patterns uniformly distributed among tested sites and species? (3) Do monitoring methods limit our ability to discern trends in fish tissue PCB concentrations? Our results indicate that although contaminated sites have been successfully identified, based on higher PCB concentrations in samples from Areas of Concern (AOCs) compared to non-AOC sites, 77% of fish samples from 2010 to 2015 exceeded the safe fish tissue PCB concentration for unrestricted consumption (97 g/day) by sensitive populations. The PCB congener profiles vary among species and locations. Results demonstrate that these data are not useful for supplementing ongoing spatial and temporal trend analysis. Only 15 of the 83 species + waterbody pairs had adequate data for evaluating temporal trends with more than three data points. In general, the trends at each location varied based on the analytical method. Conclusions from this work can inform revisions to existing monitoring programs and improve our ability to protect human health. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:152–162. © 2022 SETAC
TAZ/WWTR1 mediates liver mesothelial–mesenchymal transition induced by stiff extracellular environment, TGF‐β1, and lysophosphatidic acid
Authors: Lua Ingrid , Balog Steven , Asahina Kinji
Published: April 2022

Mesothelial cells cover the surface of the internal organs and the walls of body cavities, facilitating the movement between organs by secretion of a lubricating fluid. Upon injury, mesothelial cells undergo a mesothelial–mesenchymal transition (MMT) and give rise to myofibroblasts during organ fibrosis, including in the liver. Although transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) was shown to induce MMT, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying MMT remain to be clarified. In the present study, we examined how the extracellular environment, soluble factors, and cell density control the phenotype of liver mesothelial cells by culturing them at different cell densities or on hydrogels of different stiffness. We found that TGF‐β1 does not fully induce MMT in mesothelial cells cultured at high cell density or in the absence of fetal bovine serum. Extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) synergistically induced MMT in the presence of TGF‐β1 in mesothelial cells. LPA induced nuclear localization of WW domain‐containing transcription regulator1 (WWTR1/TAZ) and knockdown of Taz, which suppressed LPA‐induced MMT. Mesothelial cells cultured on stiff hydrogels upregulated nuclear localization of TAZ and myofibroblastic differentiation. Knockdown of Taz suppressed MMT of mesothelial cells cultured on stiff hydrogels, but inhibition of TGF‐β1 signaling failed to suppress MMT. Our data indicate that TAZ mediates MMT induced by TGF‐β1, LPA, and a stiff matrix. The microenvironment of a stiff extracellular matrix is a strong inducer of MMT.
Surgical outcomes of laparoscopic versus open repeat liver resection for liver cancers: A report from a nationwide surgical database in Japan
Authors: Kaibori Masaki , Ichihara Nao , Miyata Hiroaki , Kakeji Yoshihiro , Nanashima Atsushi , Kitagawa Yuko , Yamaue Hiroki , Yamamoto Masakazu , Endo Itaru
Published: April 2022

Background/Purpose

Laparoscopic (repeat) liver resection (LRLR) is a well‐established liver tumor treatment. However, since its outcomes and comparison with open repeat liver resection (ORLR) in recurrent liver cancer remain inadequately studied, this study then aimed to compare their short‐term outcomes for liver cancers (hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma, and metastatic liver cancer).

Methods

Repeat liver resection cases between 2013 and 2017 from Japan’s National Clinical Database were extracted. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to compare the proportion of patients with postoperative complications of Clavien‐Dindo classification grade II or higher (CD2+) (primary endpoint), as well as the operative time, intraoperative bleeding volume, and intraoperative transfusion implementation rate (secondary endpoints).

Results

Of 2902 patients (ORLR, 2476; LRLR, 426), 712 (356 per type) with comparable backgrounds remained via PSM. Before and after PSM, the postoperative CD2+ complication rate was significantly lower in the LRLR group, who had shorter operative time, smaller intraoperative bleeding volume, and lower intraoperative transfusion rate, than in the ORLR group (after matching, 7.6% vs 18.3%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

LRLR showed better short‐term outcomes than ORLR, making it a safer and more effective liver cancer treatment.
Performance and application evaluation of SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen assay
Authors: Ye Qing , Shao Wenxia , Meng Hanyan
Published: April 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) nucleic acid detection is the gold standard for the laboratory diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, this method has high requirements for practitioners' skills and testing sites, so it is not easy to popularize and promote the application in places other than large hospitals. In addition, the detection flux of SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid is small, and the whole detection process takes much time, which cannot meet the actual needs of rapid screening in large quantities. The WHO conditionally approved a batch of SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen reagents for clinical application to alleviate this contradiction. SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen detection offers a trade‐off among clinical performance, speed and accessibility. With the gradual increase in clinical application, the accumulated clinical data show that the sensitivity and specificity of the SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen assay are over 80% and 97%, respectively, which can basically meet the requirements of the WHO. However, the sensitivity of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Antigen Assay among asymptomatic people in low prevalence areas of COVID‐19 cannot meet the standard, leading to a large number of missed diagnoses. In addition, the detection ability of SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen reagent for different SARS‐CoV‐2 mutant strains differs greatly, especially for those escaping the COVID‐19 vaccines. In terms of results interpretation, it is highly reliable to exclude SARS‐CoV‐2 infection based on the high negative predictive value of the SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen assay. However, in the low prevalence environment, the probability of false positives of the SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen assay is high, so the positive results need to be confirmed by the SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid reagent. The SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen assay is only a supplement to SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid detection and can never completely replace it. To date, SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid detection continues to be the standard laboratory method for COVID‐19 diagnosis.
SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta‐variant breakthrough infections in nursing home residents at midterm after Comirnaty® COVID‐19 vaccination
Authors: Torres Ignacio , Bellido‐Blasco Juan B. , Gimeno Concepción , Burgos Javier S. , Albert Eliseo , Moya‐Malo Raúl , Gascó‐Laborda Juan Carlos , Tornero Ana , Soriano Josefa , Meseguer‐Ferrer Noemí , Martínez‐Serrano María , Ortíz‐Rambla Javier , Buj Helena , Hernández Noelia , Peiró Salvador , Salas Dolores , Limón Ramón , Vanaclocha Hermelinda , Sánchez‐Payá José , Díez‐Domingo Javier , Comas Iñaki , González‐Candelas Fernando , Navarro David ,   the Valencian vaccine research program (ProVaVac) study group
Published: April 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) Delta variant breakthrough infections in nursing home residents following vaccination with Comirnaty® COVID‐19 vaccine were characterized. In total, 201 participants (median age, 87 years; range, 64–100; 133 female) from two nursing homes in the Valencian community (Spain) were included. SARS‐CoV‐2‐Spike (S) antibody responses were determined by a lateral flow immunocromatography (LFIC) assay and by quantitative electrochemiluminescent assay in LFIC‐negative participants. SARS‐CoV‐2‐S‐IFNγ T cells were enumerated by flow cytometry in 10 participants. Nasopharyngeal SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA loads were quantified by real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays. Vaccine breakthrough COVID‐19 due to the Delta variant occurred in 39 residents (median age, 87 years; range, 69–96; 31 female) at a median of 6.5 months after vaccination (nine requiring hospitalization). Breakthrough infections occurred at a higher rate (p < 0.0001) in residents who had not been previously infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 (naïve) (33/108; 18%) than in those with prior diagnosis of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (experienced) (6/93; 6.4%), and were more likely (p < 0.0001) to develop in residents who tested negative by LFIC (20/49) at 3 months after vaccination as compared to their LFIC‐positive counterparts (19/142). Among LFIC‐negative residents, a trend towards lower plasma anti‐RBD antibody levels was noticed in those developing breakthrough infection (p = 0.16). SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA loads in nasopharyngeal specimens were lower in SARS‐CoV‐2‐experienced residents (p < 0.001) and in those testing positive by LFIC (p = 0.13). The frequency of SARS‐CoV‐2‐S‐reactive T cells at 3 months was similar in LFIC‐negative residents with (n = 7) or without (n = 3) breakthrough infection. Prior history of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and detection of S‐reactive antibodies by LFIC at 3 months is associated with a lower risk of Delta‐variant breakthrough infection in nursing home residents at midterm after Comirnaty® COVID‐19 vaccination.
ECG characteristics of COVID‐19 patient with arrhythmias: Referral hospitals data from Indonesia
Authors: Yuniadi Yoga , Yugo Dony , Fajri Muhammad , Tejo Budi Ario , Widowati Diah Retno , Hanafy Dicky Armen , Raharjo Sunu Budhi
Published: April 2022

Background

Arrhythmia is a significant clinical modifier in COVID‐19 patient outcomes. Currently, data on arrhythmia and ECG characteristics in COVID‐19 from lower middle‐income countries are limited.

Methods

COVID‐19 was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction testing of a nasopharyngeal sample. All clinical records were systematically evaluated to obtain demographic characteristics and medical comorbidities. The ECG was recorded on admission, in‐hospital, and at discharge.

Results

Total documented arrhythmia events account for 22% of patients, comprising 6% of new‐onset arrhythmia and 16% of existing arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia. The ECG changes were a decrease in heart rate (91 ± 22 vs. 83 ± 20, p < .001) and an increase in the QT interval (354.7 ± 53.70 vs. 371.4 ± 59.48 msec, p < .001) from hospital admission to hospital discharge, respectively. The in‐hospital HR of 85 bpm or higher increases the risk of death (OR = 2.69, p = .019).

Conclusion

The incidence of arrhythmias in COVID‐19 patients at COVID‐19 referral hospitals in Indonesia is 22%. Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in COVID‐19 patients. Prolongation of QRS duration from admission to discharge was related to the occurrence of new‐onset arrhythmia. The in‐hospital HR of 85 bpm or higher increased the risk of death.
Flavoring of sea salt with Mediterranean aromatic plants affects salty taste perception
Authors: Rosa Antonella , Pinna Ilenia , Piras Alessandra , Porcedda Silvia , Masala Carla
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Salt (sodium chloride) is an essential component of daily food, crucial for many physiological processes. Due to health risks related to salt over consumption, considerable interest is devoted to strategies to reduce dietary salt intake. In this work we evaluated the sensory dimensions of sea salts flavored with Mediterranean aromatic plants with the aim to confirm the role of herbs/spices in the enhancement of salty perception and to validate the use of flavored salts as a strategy to reduce salt intake. To this goal we compared taste dimensions (pleasantness, intensity, and familiarity) of solutions obtained with salt and sea salts flavored with Mediterranean herbs, spices, and fruits. Sensorial differences were analyzed using a seven‐point hedonic Likert‐type scale on 58 non‐trained judges.

RESULTS

Main flavor compounds, identified by gas chromatography‐flame ionization detection‐mass spectrometry (GC‐FID‐MS) analysis, were α‐pinene and 1,8‐cineole in myrtle salt (FS 1), verbenone, α‐pinene, 1,8‐cineole, and rosifoliol in herbs/plants salt (FS 2), and limonene in orange fruits/saffron salt (FS 3). At the dose of 0.04 g mL−1, saline solutions obtained with flavored salt (containing approximately 6–30% less sodium chloride) were perceived as more intense, less familiar, but equally pleasant than pure salt solution. In particular, sea salt flavored with orange fruits/saffron emerged as the most interesting in potentiating saltiness perception.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirmed the important role of Mediterranean aromatic plants in the enhancement of saltiness perception and qualified the use of flavored sea salt during food preparation/cooking instead of normal salt as a potential strategy to reduce the daily salt intake. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Chronicity of posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid pain as predictors of treatment response for trauma‐affected refugees
Authors: Nordbrandt Maja Sticker , Vindbjerg Erik , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Carlsson Jessica
Published: April 2022

Predictors of treatment outcomes have received limited attention in the field of trauma‐affected refugees. Symptom chronicity is potentially a particularly relevant predictor, as it would instruct earlier interventions for a population less familiar with psychiatric treatment options, and its identification may also reduce or delay the onset of comorbidities, such as chronic pain. Accordingly, this study examined the impacts of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) chronicity and baseline comorbid pain on treatment response in trauma‐affected refugees. Multiple regression was used to analyze data from a randomized controlled trial of 318 trauma‐affected refugees with PTSD that was conducted at a specialized psychiatric clinic in Denmark. Treatment response was measured by changes in symptoms of PTSD (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire) and depression (Hopkins Symptom Checklist–25). Duration of functional impairment was found to be a significant predictor of PTSD outcomes, p = .003, ΔR2 = .02, f2 = .03; it was not predictive of outcomes for depression. Baseline pain severity was a significant predictor of outcomes for both PTSD, p = .009, ΔR2 = .02, f2 = .02, and depression, p = .041, ΔR2 = .01, f2 = .01. These findings suggest that trauma‐affected refugees with long‐lasting functional impairment and a high pain score are likely to show less improvement from treatments for PTSD and depression. This points to a need for early intervention to prevent chronic functional impairment and suggests comorbid pain is an important therapeutic target.
Spectral optimization for Robin Laplacian on domains admitting parallel coordinates
Authors: Exner Pavel , Lotoreichik Vladimir
Published: April 2022

In this paper we deal with spectral optimization for the Robin Laplacian on a family of planar domains admitting parallel coordinates, namely a fixed‐width strip built over a smooth closed curve and the exterior of a convex set with a smooth boundary. We show that if the curve length is kept fixed, the first eigenvalue referring to the fixed‐width strip is for any value of the Robin parameter maximized by a circular annulus. Furthermore, we prove that the second eigenvalue in the exterior of a convex domain Ω corresponding to a negative Robin parameter does not exceed the analogous quantity for the exterior of a disk whose boundary has a curvature larger than or equal to the maximum of that for .
Different subpopulations of regulatory T cells in human autoimmune disease, transplantation, and tumor immunity
Authors: Jiang Zhongyi , Zhu Haitao , Wang Pusen , Que Weitao , Zhong Lin , Li Xiao‐Kang , Du Futian
Published: April 2022

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), a subpopulation of naturally CD4+ T cells that characteristically express transcription factor Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), play a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and the prevention of autoimmunity. With the development of biological technology, the understanding of plasticity and stability of Tregs has been further developed. Recent studies have suggested that human Tregs are functionally and phenotypically diverse. The functions and mechanisms of different phenotypes of Tregs in different disease settings, such as tumor microenvironment, autoimmune diseases, and transplantation, have gradually become hot spots of immunology research that arouse extensive attention. Among the complex functions, CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs possess a potent immunosuppressive capacity and can produce various cytokines, such as IL‐2, IL‐10, and TGF‐β, to regulate immune homeostasis. They can alleviate the progression of diseases by resisting inflammatory immune responses, whereas promoting the poor prognosis of diseases by helping cells evade immune surveillance or suppressing effector T cells activity. Therefore, methods for targeting Tregs to regulate their functions in the immune microenvironment, such as depleting them to strengthen tumor immunity or expanding them to treat immunological diseases, need to be developed. Here, we discuss that different subpopulations of Tregs are essential for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies involving Tregs in human diseases.
A new class of inertial algorithms with monotonic step sizes for solving fixed point and variational inequalities
Authors: Rehman Habib ur , Kumam Poom , Kumam Wiyada , Sombut Kamonrat
Published: April 2022

This study presents two inertial type extragradient algorithms for finding a common solution to the monotone variational inequalities and fixed point problems for
‐demicontractive mapping in real Hilbert spaces. We provide inertial type iterative algorithms with self‐adaptive variable step size rules that do not require prior knowledge of the operator value. Our algorithms employ a basic step size rule, which is derived by certain computations at each iteration. Without previous knowledge of the operators Lipschitz constant, two strong convergence theorems were obtained. Finally, we present a number of numerical experiments to evaluate the efficacy and applicability of the proposed algorithms. The conclusions of this study on variational inequality and fixed point problems support and extend previous findings.
Mid‐infrared multiline absorption tomography for in situ analysis of thermochemical structure in natural gas‐fired cooker flame
Authors: Sheng Gang , Han Jie , Ma Liuhao , Wang Wei , Wang Yu
Published: April 2022

A mid‐infrared laser absorption tomography technique was developed to quantify the nonuniform thermochemical structures of flames stabilized on a natural gas‐fired cooker. Multispectral absorption spectroscopy coupled with Tikhonov‐regularized three‐point Abel inversion was used to resolve the spatially resolved temperature and species concentration. A tunable interband cascade laser (ICL) near 4.2 μm was used to access multiple CO2 absorption lines in the fundamental vibration band. Multiline Voigt fitting strategy was used to improve the fitting of the overlap absorption features. Comprehensive measurements at a different height above the cooker were performed and assembled to display the contour of temperature and CO2 concentrations, resolving the nonuniform thermochemical structure of the high‐temperature combustion field. The measurement uncertainty analysis for temperature and CO2 concentration was also discussed. The current technique is demonstrated to be capable of quantitatively distinguishing flame conditions under different fuel supply modes.
Millimeter‐wave metasurface lens aided phaseless characterization for quiet zone of compact antenna test range
Authors: Chen Yuqing , Yao Yuan , Zhu Lei , Wu Gengbo , Yu Junsheng , Chen Xiaodong
Published: April 2022

The quiet zone of compact antenna test range (CATR) is typically required as uniform as possible with a low phase deviation error. Here, we propose a novel phaseless CATR characterization method by combining a single millimeter‐wave metasurface lens‐based technique and an alternating projection algorithm. The metasurface lens provides two sets of weakly correlated amplitude‐only data to the algorithm by changing the propagation path of the pseudo‐plane wave, hence realizing the phase retrieval of the quiet zone with low complexity of measures. In addition, initial phase preprocessing is adopted to further improve the precision of phase retrieval. Furthermore, different alternating projection algorithms are compared to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, showing the maximum phase error in the effective quiet zone reaches 0.75° at 220 GHz. In the end, the simulation results show that the proposed method can be applied in the ultra‐broadband frequency range of 120 GHz. In a nutshell, this paper provides new insights for the applications of metasurface lens in the phaseless characterization of CATR.
MaxGIRF: Image reconstruction incorporating concomitant field and gradient impulse response function effects
Authors: Lee Nam G. , Ramasawmy Rajiv , Lim Yongwan , Campbell‐Washburn Adrienne E. , Nayak Krishna S.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To develop and evaluate an improved strategy for compensating concomitant field effects in non‐Cartesian MRI at the time of image reconstruction.

Theory

We present a higher‐order reconstruction method, denoted as MaxGIRF, for non‐Cartesian imaging that simultaneously corrects off‐resonance, concomitant fields, and trajectory errors without requiring specialized hardware. Gradient impulse response functions are used to predict actual gradient waveforms, which are in turn used to estimate the spatiotemporally varying concomitant fields based on analytic expressions. The result, in combination with a reference field map, is an encoding matrix that incorporates a correction for all three effects.

Methods

The MaxGIRF reconstruction is applied to noiseless phantom simulations, spiral gradient‐echo imaging of an International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine/National Institute of Standards and Technology phantom, and axial and sagittal multislice spiral spin‐echo imaging of a healthy volunteer at 0.55 T. The MaxGIRF reconstruction was compared against previously established concomitant field‐compensation and image‐correction methods. Reconstructed images are evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using normalized RMS error. Finally, a low‐rank approximation of MaxGIRF is used to reduce computational burden. The accuracy of the low‐rank approximation is studied as a function of minimum rank.

Results

The MaxGIRF reconstruction successfully mitigated blurring artifacts both in phantoms and in vivo and was effective in regions where concomitant fields counteract static off‐resonance, superior to the comparator method. A minimum rank of 8 and 30 for axial and sagittal scans, respectively, gave less than 2% error compared with the full‐rank reconstruction.

Conclusions

The MaxGIRF reconstruction simultaneously corrects off‐resonance, trajectory errors, and concomitant field effects. The impact of this method is greatest when imaging with longer readouts and/or at lower field strength.