bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic and treatment intervals are not associated with survival in rhabdomyosarcoma: A Cancer in Young People in Canada study
Authors: Oberoi Sapna , Lambert Pascal , Gupta Abha A. , Deyell Rebecca J. , Sung Lillian , Cuvelier Geoffrey D. E.
Published: August 2021

Background

Delay in diagnosis and treatment initiation can be associated with adverse outcomes in children with cancer. Diagnostic interval (DI) is defined as the time between the date of first health care contact for symptoms related to cancer to the date of cancer diagnosis, and treatment interval (TI) is defined as interval between the definitive cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment initiation. We aimed to determine the predictors of DI and TI in children with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and their association with event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS).

Methods

Using the Cancer in Young People in Canada (CYP‐C) national population‐based database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of children (0–14.99 years) newly diagnosed with RMS between 2001 and 2015 in Canada. Quantile regression was used to assess the predictors of DI and TI, and Cox regression was used to determine if these intervals were associated with EFS and OS.

Results

Median DI and TI were 16.5 days (interquartile range [IQR] 6.0–38.0) and 5 days (IQR 0–12), respectively. DI and TI were not significantly associated with age at diagnosis, sex, race, tumor site, stage or histology, treatment region, distance from treatment center, income quintile or diagnosis year (all p > .05). DI and TI were not associated with EFS (DI: hazard ratio [HR] 1.00, 95% CI 0.96–1.05, p = .871; TI: HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.05, p = .053) or OS (DI: HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94–1.05, p = .797; TI: HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.99–1.05, p = .155).

Conclusions

In the publicly funded Canadian health care system, DI and TI did not affect the survival of children with RMS.
Pediatric cancer care in Africa: SIOP Global Mapping process
Authors: Geel Jennifer Ann , Ranasinghe Neil , Myezo Khumo Hope , Davidson Alan , Howard Scott C. , Hessissen Laila , Bouffet Eric , Challinor Julia
Published: August 2021

In November 2018, theInternational Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) launched a project to map African facilities providing pediatric oncology treatment. A 55‐item digital survey was created in English, piloted in India, translated to French and Portuguese, and distributed by email, social media, or personal contacts. December 2019, 48/54 African countries responded (72% surveys completed and analyzed). Issues included incomplete responses, multiple entries for one facility with conflicting data for key services, and repeated entries with varied answers by the same respondent. The facility mapping project, now on‐going program will serve as a global registry of global pediatric cancer centers.
Thermo‐responsive polymers for thermal regulation in electrochemical energy devices
Authors: Li Mingqian , Chen Zheng
Published: August 2021

Thermo‐responsive polymers have been widely explored because of their diverse structures and functions in response to temperature stimuli. Great attention has been attracted to exploring and designing such polymers composites, which offer tremendous opportunities to build up a systematic understanding of their structure–function relationships and pave the ways for their extensive applications in electronics, soft robotics, and electrochemical energy storage devices. Here, we review the most recent research of thermal regulation in electrochemical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors) via thermo‐responsive polymers. We summarize how battery components (i.e., electrolytes, separators, electrodes, or current collectors) can be coupled with thermo‐responsive polymers based on different operation mechanisms, such as volume expansion, polymerization, phase reversion, and de‐doping effects, to effectively prevent catastrophic thermal runaway. Different types of thermo‐responsive polymers are evaluated to compare their key features and/or limitations. This review is concluded with perspectives of future design strategies towards more effective thermo‐responsive polymers for battery thermal regulation.
Impact of open‐shell loading on mass transport and doping in conjugated radical polymers
Authors: Liu Kangying , Perera Kuluni , Wang Zhiyang , Mei Jianguo , Boudouris Bryan W.
Published: August 2021

Radical‐containing polymers are an evolving class of redox‐active macromolecules that have received great interest; however, most reports regarding radical polymers have focused on materials with nonconjugated backbones because their application drivers did not require this conjugation. Conversely, there has been a recent rise in the development of radical polymers for next‐generation applications where imparting conjugation to the backbone of the radical polymer could be of significant benefit. To this end, we designed and synthesized a series of 3,4‐propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT)‐based polymers bearing nitroxide radical pendent groups via direct arylation polymerization. Specifically, we present four radical polymers with open‐shell loadings ranging from 24% to 82% of the total number of repeat units per polymer chain. The impact of open‐shell loading on the electrochemical behaviors of these polymers in different electrolytes was then established using cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemical analyses, and electrochemical quartz‐crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. We demonstrate that incorporating the open‐shell moieties in the ProDOT‐based polymers lowers the oxidation onset potential of the conjugated backbone and increases the solvent and ion uptake significantly. Thus, this effort provides a clear picture of the mass transfer and doping mechanism of the ProDOT‐based radical polymers to aid in guiding their future design.
Twisting D(2,1; α) Superspace
Authors: Andrianopoli L. , Cerchiai B.L. , Matrecano R. , Noris R. , Ravera L. , Trigiante M.
Published: August 2021

We develop a three‐dimensionaltheory of rigid supersymmetry describing the dynamics of a set of hypermultipletson a curved AdS3worldvolume background, whose supersymmetry is captured by the supergroup. To unveil some remarkable features of this model, we perform two twists, involving the SLfactors of the theory. After the first twist, our spacetime Lagrangian exhibits a Chern‐Simons term associated with an odd one‐form field, together with a fermionic “gauge‐fixing”, in the spirit of the Rozansky‐Witten model. The second twist allows to interpret thesetup as a framework capable of describing massive Dirac particles. In particular, this yields a generalisation of the Alvarez‐Valenzuela‐Zanelli model of “unconventional supersymmetry”. We comment on specific values of the combination, which in our model is related to a sort of gauging in the absence of dynamical gauge fields.
MEX3D is an oncogenic driver in prostate cancer
Authors: Shao Longjiang , Wang Jianghua , Karatas Omer , Ittmann Michael
Published: August 2021

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common visceral malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in US men. The two most common genetic alterations in PCa are expression of the TMPRSS2/ERG (TE) fusion gene and loss of the PTEN tumor suppressor. These genetic alterations act cooperatively to transform prostatic epithelium but the exact mechanisms involved are unclear.

Methods

Microarray expression analysis of immortalized prostate epithelial cells transformed by loss of PTEN and expression of the TE fusion revealed MEX3D as one of the most highly upregulated genes. MEX3D expression in prostate cancer was examined in patient samples and in silico. In vitro and in vivo studies to characterize the biological impact of MEX3D were carried out. Analysis of the TCGA PanCancer database revealed TCF3 as a major target of MEX3D. The induction of TCF3 by MEX3D was confirmed and the biological impact of TCF3 examined by in vitro studies.

Results

MEX3D is expressed at increased levels in prostate cancer and is increased by decreased PTEN and/or expression of the TE fusion gene and drives soft agar colony formation, invasion and tumor formation in vivo. The known oncogenic transcription factor TCF3 is highly correlated with MEX3D in prostate cancer. MEX3D expression strongly induces TCF3, which promotes soft agar colony formation and invasion in vitro.

Conclusions

Loss of PTEN and expression of the TE fusion gene in prostate cancer strongly upregulates expression of MEX3D and its target TCF3 and promotes transformation associated phenotypes via this pathway.
Mapping co‐regulatory interactions among ligand‐binding sites in ryanodine receptor 1
Authors: Chirasani Venkat R. , Popov Konstantin I. , Meissner Gerhard , Dokholyan Nikolay V.
Published: August 2021

Ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1) is an intracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) release channel required for skeletal muscle contraction. Although cryo‐electron microscopy identified binding sites of three coactivators Ca2+, ATP, and caffeine (CFF), the mechanism of co‐regulation and synergy of these activators is unknown. Here, we report allosteric connections among the three ligand‐binding sites and pore region in (i) Ca2+ bound‐closed, (ii) ATP/CFF bound‐closed, (iii) Ca2+/ATP/CFF bound‐closed, and (iv) Ca2+/ATP/CFF bound‐open RyR1 states. We identified two dominant networks of interactions that mediate communication between the Ca2+‐binding site and pore region in Ca2+ bound‐closed state, which partially overlapped with the pore communications in ATP/CFF bound‐closed RyR1 state. In Ca2+/ATP/CFF bound‐closed and ‐open RyR1 states, co‐regulatory interactions were analogous to communications in the Ca2+ bound‐closed and ATP/CFF bound‐closed states. Both ATP‐ and CFF‐binding sites mediate communication between the Ca2+‐binding site and the pore region in Ca2+/ATP/CFF bound—open RyR1 structure. We conclude that Ca2+, ATP, and CFF propagate their effects to the pore region through a network of overlapping interactions that mediate allosteric control and molecular synergy in channel regulation.
RF‐SVM: Identification ofDNA‐binding proteins based on comprehensive feature representation methods and support vector machine
Authors: Zhang Yanping , Ni Jianwei , Gao Ya
Published: August 2021

Protein‐DNA interactions play an important role in biological progress, such as DNA replication, repair, and modification processes. In order to have a better understanding of its functions, the one of the most important steps is the identification of DNA‐binding proteins. We propose a DNA‐binding protein predictor, namely, RF‐SVM, which contains four types features, that is, pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), amino acid distribution (AAD), adjacent amino acid composition frequency (ACF) and Local‐DPP. Random Forest algorithm is utilized for selecting top 174 features, which are established the predictor model with the support vector machine (SVM) on training dataset UniSwiss‐Tr. Finally, RF‐SVM method is compared with other existing methods on test dataset UniSwiss‐Tst. The experimental results demonstrated that RF‐SVM has accuracy of 84.25%. Meanwhile, we discover that the physicochemical properties of amino acids for OOBM770101(H), CIDH920104(H), MIYS990104(H), NISK860101(H), VINM940103(H), and SNEP660101(A) have contribution to predict DNA‐binding proteins. The main code and datasets can gain inhttps://github.com/NiJianWei996/RF-SVM.
Effects of itol A on the larval growth and development of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Xu Lin , Meng Xiao‐Long , Bangash Saqib Hussain , Zhang Fan , Zeng Dong‐Qiang , Tang Wen‐Wei
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Itol A, extracted from Itoa orientalis Hemsl. (Flacourtiaceae), possesses bioactivity on Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Our previous study showed that the effects on Spodoptera frugiperda, a destructive pest found worldwide, were similar to those of fenoxycarb (FC), a juvenile hormone analog. Thus, we speculate that itol A could have growth‐regulating effects. The current work explored juvenile hormone (JH) levels and mRNA levels of crucial JH signaling pathway enzyme genes in S. frugiperda larvae treated with itol A and FC.

RESULTS

Itol A caused severe growth obstacles in S. frugiperda, extended the larval duration and reduced the mean worm weight and body length rates. Three and 7 days after exposure to a sublethal concentration of itol A (500 mg L−1), the JH level of the larvae significantly decreased by 36.59% and 22.70%, respectively. qPCR inferred that the mRNA expression levels of crucial JH metabolism enzymes (SfJHE and SfJHEH) significantly increased by 6.58‐fold and 2.12‐fold, respectively, relative to the control group 3 days after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Itol A adversely affects the development of S. frugiperda. We propose that this effect was caused by decreasing JH levels and disrupting the JH signaling pathway via mediating its synthetic and metabolic crucial enzymes. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Density thresholds and the incorporation of biocontrol into decision‐making to enhance the control of Cacopsylla pyri in pear (cv. Ercolini) orchards
Authors: Sanchez Juan A , Carrasco‐Ortiz Aline , López‐Gallego Elena , Ramírez‐Soria Maria J , La Spina Michelangelo , Ortín‐Angulo María C , Ibáñez‐Martínez Helena
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Economic injury level (EIL) and economic threshold (ET) are customary tools for integrated pest management. Cacopsylla pyri L. is a major pest in pear orchards. The aim of this work was to establish EIL and ET for the optimization of the use of insecticides to control this psyllid, considering biocontrol and two spraying strategies (low‐toxicity versus broad spectrum chemicals). This research was conducted over 4 years in five commercial pear, cv. Ercolini, orchards in south‐eastern Spain.

RESULTS

Psyllids and ant populations were followed using periodic sampling, and the russet on fruits was quantified. The effect of spray intensity and ant exclusion on psyllid abundance and yield were also tested: both had a significant effect on the cumulative number of C. pyri (CNP), yield and fruit weight. Yield was found to be negatively correlated with CNP. The russet index (RI) increased in a sigmoidal fashion as a function of CNP, being significantly higher with than without ant exclusion. The commercial categorization of fruits was explained satisfactorily as a function of CNP and the cumulative number of ants (CNA). The quantitative EIL was established at a CNP of 427.2 for spraying with paraffinic oil and 425.7 for abamectin. As for the cosmetic EIL, when CNA was zero, this EIL was 24.2, at a CNP of 16.6 for spraying with paraffinic oil or abamectin.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of products of low toxicity, for the conservation of ants, is expected to increase ET and, thus, reduce the intensity of spraying. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Precision dosing of intravenous busulfan in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Results from a multicenter population pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Ben Hassine Khalil , Nava Tiago , Théoret Yves , Nath Christa E. , Daali Youssef , Kassir Nastya , Lewis Victor , Bredius Robbert G. M. , Shaw Peter J. , Bittencourt Henrique , Krajinovic Maja , Uppugunduri Chakradhara Rao Satyanarayana , Ansari Marc
Published: August 2021

Busulfan (Bu) is a common component of conditioning regimens before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and is known for high interpatient pharmacokinetic (PK) variability. This study aimed to develop and externally validate a multicentric, population PK (PopPK) model for intravenous Bu in pediatric patients before HSCT to first study the influence of glutathione‐s‐transferase A1 (GSTA1) polymorphisms on Bu's PK in a large multicentric pediatric population while accounting for fludarabine (Flu) coadministration and, second, to establish an individualized, model‐based, first‐dose recommendation for intravenous Bu that can be widely used in pediatric patients. The model was built using data from 302 patients from five transplantation centers who received a Bu‐based conditioning regimen. External model validation used data from 100 patients. The relationship between body weight and Bu clearance (CL) was best described by an age‐dependent allometric scaling of a body weight model. A stepwise covariate analysis identified Day 1 of Bu conditioning, GSTA1 metabolic groups based on GSTA1 polymorphisms, and Flu coadministration as significant covariates influencing Bu CL. The final model adequately predicted Bu first‐dose CL in the external cohort, with 81% of predicted area under the curves within the therapeutic window. The final model showed minimal bias (mean prediction error, −0.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], −3.1% to 2.0%) and acceptable precision (mean absolute prediction error percentage, 18.7%; 95% CI, 17.0%–20.5%) in Bu CL prediction for dosing. This multicentric PopPK study confirmed the influence of GSTA1 polymorphisms and Flu coadministration on Bu CL. The developed model accurately predicted Bu CL and first doses in an external cohort of pediatric patients.
Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Investigation of Au‐Assisted Exfoliated Large‐Area Single‐Crystalline Monolayer MoS2
Authors: Zou Bo , Wu Zuoxu , Zhou Yu , Zhou Yan , Wang Jian , Zhang Lianghui , Cao Feng , Sun Huarui
Published: August 2021

The recent Au‐assisted mechanical exfoliation technique has enabled scalable fabrication of millimeter‐sized, high‐quality monolayer 2D crystals. Herein, spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of as‐exfoliated single‐crystalline monolayer MoS2 is reported. By developing layer‐by‐layer ellipsometry measurements and analysis, the complex dielectric function of monolayer MoS2 is extracted. Compared with bulk MoS2, the A and B exciton peaks in the dielectric function spectrum nearly disappear in the 1L MoS2–Au hybrid system. The charge transfer at the 1L MoS2–Au interface is responsible for this observation and the conclusion is also supported by Raman, photoluminescence, and differential reflectance measurements. These results reveal the impact of the Au substrate on the dielectric response of 2D monolayers with strong excitonic effect and will deepen our understanding of the 1L MoS2–Au interaction.
Pyrene‐Based Small‐Molecular Hole Transport Layers for Efficient and Stable Narrow‐Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Gómez Paula , Wang Junke , Más-Montoya Miriam , Bautista Delia , Weijtens Christ H. L. , Curiel David , Janssen René A. J.
Published: August 2021

Lead–tin (Pb–Sn) hybrid perovskite materials possess ideal narrow bandgaps (1.2–1.4 eV) for efficient single‐junction and tandem solar cells. Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is commonly used as hole transport layer (HTL) for Pb–Sn perovskite solar cells (PSCs), despite its poor stability with these perovskites. Here, two new octacyclic heteroaromatic molecules, pyrenodiindole (PDI) and pyrenodi‐(7‐azaindole) (PDAI), are presented as the HTL for narrow‐bandgap (1.23 eV) p–i–n Pb‐Sn PSCs. The self‐assembled reciprocal hydrogen‐bonded solid‐state structure of PDAI bestows robustness compared to PDI, making it less vulnerable in processing the perovskite film on top, and improves the reproducibility of device fabrication. Transient photocurrent measurements and light‐intensity‐dependent device characteristics indicate that PDI and PDAI possess similar hole extraction properties to PEDOT:PSS. As a result, similar open‐circuit voltages and fill factors are obtained in the PSCs. Interestingly, the use of thin PDI and PDAI as HTL in PSCs changes the optical interference and reduces parasitic absorption in the near‐infrared region, resulting in an improved short‐circuit current density. Consequently, a higher power conversion efficiency of 16.1% is obtained for PDI and PDAI, compared to 15.1% for PEDOT:PSS. In addition, the self‐assembled structure of PDAI led to a notable enhancement of device stability.
Extraordinarily High Minority Charge Carrier Lifetime Observed in Crystalline Silicon
Authors: Steinhauser Bernd , Niewelt Tim , Richter Armin , Eberle Rebekka , Schubert Martin C.
Published: August 2021

Recent progress in surface passivation technology and wafer pretreatment already resulted in significant improvements in the achievable minority charge carrier lifetime of crystalline silicon. Herein, this is further exemplified by studying the lifetime on lowly doped crystalline silicon wafers passivated by poly‐Si. To ensure credible lifetime measurements multiple measurement techniques are compared and good agreement between the investigated approaches is found. The resulting lifetime curves are analyzed in detail and the main limitation is very likely caused by silicon bulk recombination—most likely due to impurities. This analysis indicates that even very low impurity concentrations can be a limiting factor at the extraordinary high level of charge carrier lifetime observed in this study. Despite these limitations, lifetimes of 0.18 s on p‐type and 0.5 s on n‐type crystalline silicon wafers are measured, which to our knowledge exceed previously reported lifetimes. In both cases, these measured lifetimes correspond to an effective minority charge carrier diffusion length of ≈2.5 cm.
RNA‐binding protein RBM38 inhibits colorectal cancer progression by partly and competitively binding to PTEN 3′UTR with miR‐92a‐3p
Authors: Guan Bugao , Li Guangrun , Wan Benhai , Guo Xiang , Huang Desong , Ma Jun , Gong Ping , Guo Jinbao , Bu Yanzhi
Published: August 2021

RNA‐binding motif protein 38 (RBM38) belongs to the RNA recognition motif family of RNA‐binding proteins (RBPs). RBM38 was previously identified to suppress tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). RBM38 was also reported to bind to the 3′UTR of phosphatase and tensin homolog gene on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a tumor suppressor involved in many cellular processes, to stabilize PTEN transcripts. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the regulation of RBM38 in CRC. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting detected the expression of RBM38, PTEN, and miR‐92a‐3p. Colony formation, EdU, sphere formation, Transwell invasion, and in vivo assays examined the influence of RBM38 on CRC progression. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay determined the binding site of RBM38 on PTEN 3′UTR. The binding of miR‐92a‐3p or RBM38 on PTEN 3′UTR was assessed by luciferase reporter and RIP assays. We discovered that RBM38 was downregulated in CRC cells and tissues. RBM38 repressed CRC progression in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, RBM38 upregulated and stabilized PTEN expression. Interestingly, the overexpression of PTEN reversely attenuated the promotion of RBM38 depletion on CRC progression. Additionally, RBM38 competed with miR‐92a‐3p in binding to PTEN 3′UTR. In conclusion, RBM38 inhibits CRC progression by competitively binding to PTEN 3′UTR with miR‐92a‐3p.
Correlation of oxidative stress‐related indicators with milk composition and metabolites in early lactating dairy cows
Authors: Zheng Sen , Qin Guixin , Zhen Yuguo , Zhang Xuefeng , Chen Xue , Dong Jianan , Li Chunlai , Aschalew Natnael Demelash , Wang Tao , Sun Zhe
Published: August 2021

Background

In highly intensive dairy farms, cows often suffer from metabolic disorders that cause severe oxidative stress.

Objectives

This study aimed to observe correlations and associations of oxidative stress‐related indicators with milk compositions and metabolites.

Methods

Twenty‐two multiparous Holstein dairy cows in early lactation were randomly selected from a commercial dairy farm. The morning milk was collected for composition and metabolites analysis. Blood was sampled via the tail vein to analyze oxidative stress‐related indicators (reactive oxygen species, ROS; catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutase, SOD; glutathione peroxidase, GPX; malondialdehyde, MDA) and metabolites.

Results

Results showed that ROS were positively correlated with CAT, GPX, SOD, and MDA. However, the levels of CAT, GPX, and SOD were negatively related to milk fat (P  <  0.05). Nineteen serum and 7 milk metabolites were selected from detectable metabolites according to their correlations with ROS, CAT, GPX, and SOD (P  <  0.05). Metabolic pathway analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database revealed that these metabolites are primarily involved in the metabolic pathways of carbohydrates and amino acids.

Conclusions

This study gave us a better understanding on oxidative stress that ROS not only increased oxidative damage (MDA) in dairy cows, but also altered some metabolites involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism.
The cat as a small dog?—Comparison of trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture of radius and ulna in cats and small dogs using microcomputed tomography
Authors: Planner Franziska , Feichtner Franziska , Meyer‐Lindenberg Andrea
Published: August 2021

The forearms of dogs and cats do not only differ anatomically from each other, but there are also differences in prevalence of radius and ulna fractures between the two species. The prevalence of antebrachial fractures is 18.0% in dogs and 2.0–8.0% in cats. Many studies focus solely on the trabecular and cortical bone structure of dogs and the characteristics of the cat are often disregarded.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the trabecular structure parameters [bone volume fraction per total volume (BV/TV), bone surface per total volume (BS/BV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), connectivity density (Conn. D), degree of anisotropy (DA)] and the diaphyseal cortical bone density (Mean Density) of the antebrachium in cats and small dogs to visualise their differences.

For this purpose, a total of 32 forearms of cats (n = 8) and small dogs (n = 8) were evaluated using microcomputed tomography and the findings were compared.

The results of the study showed that cats had higher values for BV/TV, Tb.Th, Tb.Sp, DA and Mean Density and lower values for BS/BV, Tb.N and Conn.D at radius and ulna compared to dogs.

According to the results of this study, the higher bone volume fraction (BV/TV), thicker trabeculae (Tb.Th), increased anisotropy (DA) and significantly higher diaphyseal cortical density (Mean Density) could contribute to the lower fracture risk of the antebrachium in cats compared to small dogs.
Current available treatment technologies for saline wastewater and land‐based treatment as an emerging environment‐friendly technology: A review
Authors: Marathe Deepak , Singh Anshika , Raghunathan Karthik , Thawale Prashant , Kumari Kanchan
Published: August 2021

Different industrial activities such as agro‐food processing and manufacturing, leather manufacturing, and paper and pulp production generate highly saline wastewater. Direct discharge of saline wastewater has resulted in pollution of waterbodies by very high magnitudes. Consequently, an enormous number of pollutants such as heavy metals, salts, and organic matter are also released into the environment threatening the survival of human and biota. Saline wastewater also has significant effects on survival of plants, agricultural activities, and groundwater systems. Several treatments and disposal technologies are available for saline wastewater, but the selection of the most appropriate treatment and disposal technology still remains a major challenge with respect to the economic or technical constraints. Considering the sustainable management of saline wastewater, the present review is an attempt to compile the existing and emerging technologies for the treatment of saline wastewater. Among all the individual and hybrid technologies, land‐based treatment systems are proven to be the most efficient technologies considering the energy demands, economic, and treatment efficiencies. Likewise, new and sustainable technologies are the need of hour integrating both the treatment and management and the resource recovery factors along with the ultimate goal of the protection in terms of human health and environmental aspect.

Practitioner points

Physico‐chemical treatment technologies for saline wastewater.

Combined/Hybrid technologies for the treatment of saline wastewater.

Land‐based treatments as the environment friendly and sustainable method for saline wastewater treatment and disposal.

Role of phytoremediation in land‐based treatment.
n-point correlators of twist-2 operators in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory to the lowest perturbative order
Authors: Bochicchio Marco , Papinutto Mauro , Scardino Francesco
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We compute, to the lowest perturbative order in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory, n-point correlators in the coordinate and momentum representation of the gauge-invariant twist-2 operators with maximal spin along the p+ direction, both in Minkowskian and — by analytic continuation — Euclidean space-time. We also construct the corresponding generating functionals. Remarkably, they have the structure of the logarithm of a functional determinant of the identity plus a term involving the effective propagators that act on the appropriate source fields.
Exclusive heavy vector meson electroproduction to NLO in collinear factorisation
Authors: Flett C. A. , Gracey J. A. , Jones S. P. , Teubner T.
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We compute the exclusive electroproduction, γ*p → Vp, of heavy quarkonia V to NLO in the collinear factorisation scheme, which has been formally proven for this process. The inclusion of an off-shell virtuality Q2 carried by the photon extends the photoproduction phase space of the exclusive heavy quarkonia observable to electroproduction kinematics. This process is relevant for diffractive scattering at HERA and the upcoming EIC, as well as at the proposed LHeC and FCC.
Current practice of German anesthesiologists in airway management
Authors: Pirlich Nina , Dutz Matthias , Wittenmeier Eva , Kriege Marc , Didion Nicole , Ott Thomas , Piepho Tim
Published: August 2021

Background

There is a worldwide consensus among experts that guidelines and algorithms on airway management contribute to improved patient safety in anesthesia. The present study aimed to determine the current practice of airway management of German anesthesiologists and assess the safety gap, defined as the difference between observed and recommended practice, amongst these practitioners.

Objective

To determine the effect of implementing the guidelines on airway management practice in Germany amongst anesthesiologists and identify potential safety gaps.

Methods

A survey was conducted in September 2019 by contacting all registered members of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI) via email. The participants were asked about their personal and institutional background, adherence to recommendations of the current German S1 guidelines and availability of airway devices.

Results

A total of 1862 DGAI members completed the questionnaire (response rate 17%). The main outcome was that anesthesiologists mostly adhered to the guidelines, yet certain recommendations, particularly pertaining to specifics of preoxygenation and training, showed a safety gap. More than 90% of participants had a video laryngoscope and half had performed more than 25 awake intubations using a flexible endoscope; however, only 81% had a video laryngoscope with a hyperangulated blade. An estimated 16% of all intubations were performed with a video laryngoscope, and 1 in 4 participants had performed awake intubation with it. Nearly all participants had cared for patients with suspected difficult airways. Half of the participants had already faced a “cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate” (CICO) situation and one in five had to perform an emergency front of neck access (eFONA) at least once. In this case, almost two thirds used puncture-based techniques and one third scalpel-based techniques.

Conclusion

Current practice of airway management showed overall adherence to the current German guidelines on airway management, yet certain areas need to be improved.
Fusion rate of 89% after knee arthrodesis using an intramedullary nail: a mono-centric retrospective review of 48 cases
Authors: Luyet Anaïs , Steinmetz Sylvain , Gallusser Nicolas , Roche David , Fischbacher Arnaud , Tissot Christophe , Borens Olivier
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Knee arthrodesis is an established procedure for limb salvage in cases of recurrent infection, total knee arthroplasty soft tissue defect, poor bone stock or a deficient extensor mechanism. Surgical options include compression plate, external fixator and arthrodesis nail. Different types of nail exist: long fusion nail, short modular nail and bridging nail. This study presents the results on knee arthrodesis using different types of intramedullary nails. The aim is to assess if a specific type of nail has a better fusion rate, clinical outcome and lower complication rate.

Methods

A mono-centric retrospective study of 48 knees arthrodesis was performed between 2000 and 2018. 15 T2™ Arthrodesis Nail, 6 OsteoBridge® Knee Arthrodesis and 27 Wichita® fusion nail were used. The mean clinic and radiological follow-up was 9.8 ± 3.8 years (2.6–18 years).

Results

Fusion rate was 89.6%. Time to fusion was 6.9 months. Mean Parker score was 6.9/9 points. Visual Analogic Scale was 1.9. The Wichita® fusion nail showed better results in terms of fusion, time to fusion and clinical outcome measured by Parker score and VAS but without statistical significance. The early revision rate was 10.4% and 20.8% presented a late complication requiring a surgery, due to nonunion or infection. 93.3% of infection was cured. Two patients live with a fistula (4.2%) and 1 was amputated (2.1%).

Conclusion

Although burdened by a big complication rate, knee arthrodesis with an intramedullary nail provides satisfactory results and is a good alternative to above-knee-amputation. The Wichita® fusion nail shows a tendency to better results compared to the two other nails.

Level of evidence

Case series, level IV
Infinite approximate subgroups of soluble Lie groups
Authors: Machado Simon
Published: August 2021

We study infinite approximate subgroups of soluble Lie groups. We show that approximate subgroups are close, in a sense to be defined, to genuine connected subgroups. Building upon this result we prove a structure theorem for approximate lattices in soluble Lie groups. This extends to soluble Lie groups a theorem about quasi-crystals due to Yves Meyer.
Enhancement of lysine biosynthesis confers high-temperature stress tolerance to Escherichia coli cells
Authors: Isogai Shota , Takagi Hiroshi
Published: August 2021

Lysine, a nutritionally important amino acid, is involved in adaptation and tolerance to environmental stresses in various organisms. Previous studies reported that lysine accumulation occurs in response to stress and that lysine supplementation enhances stress tolerance; however, the effect of lysine biosynthesis enhancement on stress tolerance has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we confirmed that lysine supplementation to the culture medium increased intracellular lysine content and improved cell growth of Escherichia coli at high temperature (42.5 °C). Lysine-overproducing strains were then isolated from the lysine analogue S-adenosylmethionine-resistant mutants by conventional mutagenesis and exhibited higher tolerance to high-temperature stress than the wild-type strain. We identified novel amino acid substitutions Gly474Asp and Cys554Tyr on ThrA, a bifunctional aspartate kinase/homoserine dehydrogenase (AK/HSDH), in the lysine-overproducing mutants. Interestingly, the Gly474Asp and Cys554Tyr variants of ThrA induced lysine accumulation and conferred high-temperature stress tolerance to E. coli cells. Enzymatic analysis revealed that the Gly474Asp substitution in ThrA reduced HSDH activity, suggesting that the intracellular level of aspartate semialdehyde, which is a substrate for HSDH and an intermediate for lysine biosynthesis, is elevated by the loss of HSDH activity and converted to lysine in E. coli. The present study demonstrated that both lysine supplementation and lysine biosynthesis enhancement improved the high-temperature stress tolerance of E. coli cells. Our findings suggest that lysine-overproducing strains have the potential as stress-tolerant microorganisms and can be applied to robust host cells for microbial production of useful compounds.

Key points

• Lysine supplementation improved the growth of E. coli cells at high temperature.

• The G474D and C554Y variant ThrA increased lysine productivity in E. coli cells.

• The G474D substitution in ThrA reduced homoserine dehydrogenase activity.

• E. coli cells that overproduce lysine exhibited high-temperature stress tolerance.
Cost-effectiveness of short-protocol emergency brain MRI after negative non-contrast CT for minor stroke detection
Authors: Puhr-Westerheide Daniel , Froelich Matthias F , Solyanik Olga , Gresser Eva , Reidler Paul , Fabritius Matthias P , Klein Matthias , Dimitriadis Konstantin , Ricke Jens , Cyran Clemens C , Kunz Wolfgang G , Kazmierczak Philipp M
Published: August 2021

Objectives

To investigate the cost-effectiveness of supplemental short-protocol brain MRI after negative non-contrast CT for the detection of minor strokes in emergency patients with mild and unspecific neurological symptoms.

Methods

The economic evaluation was centered around a prospective single-center diagnostic accuracy study validating the use of short-protocol brain MRI in the emergency setting. A decision-analytic Markov model distinguished the strategies “no additional imaging” and “additional short-protocol MRI” for evaluation. Minor stroke was assumed to be missed in the initial evaluation in 40% of patients without short-protocol MRI. Specialized post-stroke care with immediate secondary prophylaxis was assumed for patients with detected minor stroke. Utilities and quality-of-life measures were estimated as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Input parameters were obtained from the literature. The Markov model simulated a follow-up period of up to 30 years. Willingness to pay was set to $100,000 per QALY. Cost-effectiveness was calculated and deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed.

Results

Additional short-protocol MRI was the dominant strategy with overall costs of $26,304 (CT only: $27,109). Cumulative calculated effectiveness in the CT-only group was 14.25 QALYs (short-protocol MRI group: 14.31 QALYs). In the deterministic sensitivity analysis, additional short-protocol MRI remained the dominant strategy in all investigated ranges. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis results from the base case analysis were confirmed, and additional short-protocol MRI resulted in lower costs and higher effectiveness.

Conclusion

Additional short-protocol MRI in emergency patients with mild and unspecific neurological symptoms enables timely secondary prophylaxis through detection of minor strokes, resulting in lower costs and higher cumulative QALYs.

Key Points

• Short-protocol brain MRI after negative head CT in selected emergency patients with mild and unspecific neurological symptoms allows for timely detection of minor strokes.

• This strategy supports clinical decision-making with regard to immediate initiation of secondary prophylactic treatment, potentially preventing subsequent major strokes with associated high costs and reduced QALY.

• According to the Markov model, additional short-protocol MRI remained the dominant strategy over wide variations of input parameters, even when assuming disproportionally high costs of the supplemental MRI scan.
Relevance of processing parameters for grain growth of metal halide perovskites with nanoimprint
Authors: Mayer Andre , Haeger Tobias , Runkel Manuel , Rond Johannes , Staabs Johannes , van gen Hassend Frederic , Röttger Arne , Görrn Patrick , Riedl Thomas , Scheer Hella-Christin
Published: August 2021

The quality and the stability of devices prepared from polycrystalline layers of organic–inorganic perovskites highly depend on the grain sizes prevailing. Tuning of the grain size is either done during layer preparation or in a post-processing step. Our investigation refers to thermal imprint as the post-processing step to induce grain growth in perovskite layers, offering the additional benefit of providing a flat surface for multi-layer devices. The material studied is MAPbBr3; we investigate grain growth at a pressure of 100 bar and temperatures of up to 150 °C, a temperature range where the pressurized stamp is beneficial to avoid thermal degradation. Grain coarsening develops in a self-similar way, featuring a log-normal grain size distribution; categories like ‘normal’ or ‘secondary’ growth are less applicable as the layers feature a preferential orientation already before imprint-induced grain growth. The experiments are simulated with a capillary-based growth law; the respective parameters are determined experimentally, with an activation energy of Q ≈ 0.3 eV. It turns out that with imprint as well the main parameter relevant to grain growth is temperature; to induce grain growth in MAPbBr3 within a reasonable processing time a temperature of 120 °C and beyond is advised. An analysis of the mechanical situation during imprint indicates a dominance of thermal stress. The minimization of elastic energy and surface energy together favours the development of grains with (100)-orientation in MaPbBr3 layers. Furthermore, the experiments indicate that the purity of the materials used for layer preparation is a major factor to achieve large grains; however, a diligent and always similar preparation of the layer is equally important as it defines the pureness of the resulting perovskite layer, intimately connected with its capability to grow. The results are not only of interest to assess the potential of a layer with respect to grain growth when specific temperatures and times are chosen; they also help to rate the long-term stability of a layer under temperature loading, e.g. during the operation of a device.
Contemporary treatment trends for upper urinary tract stones in a total population analysis in Germany from 2006 to 2019: will shock wave lithotripsy become extinct?
Authors: Herout Roman , Baunacke Martin , Groeben Christer , Aksoy Cem , Volkmer Björn , Schmidt Marcel , Eisenmenger Nicole , Koch Rainer , Oehlschläger Sven , Thomas Christian , Huber Johannes
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To describe the change in upper urinary tract stone management in Germany over a 14-year period.

Methods

Using remote data processing we analyzed the nationwide German billing data from 2006 to 2019. To analyze the clinics’ case numbers and regional trends, we used the reimbursement.INFO tool based on standardized quality reports of all German hospitals. To also cover shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) as an outpatient procedure, we analyzed the research database of the Institute for Applied Health Research with a representative anonymous sample of 4 million insured persons.

Results

The number of inpatient interventional therapies for upper tract urolithiasis in Germany increased from 70,099 cases in 2006 to 94,815 cases in 2019 (trend p < 0.0001). In-hospital SWL declined from 41,687 cases in 2006 to 10,724 cases in 2019 (decline of 74%; trend p < 0.0001). The percentage of SWL as an outpatient procedure increased between 2013 and 2018 from 36 to 46% of all performed SWL, while total SWL case numbers declined. Contrarily, the number of ureteroscopies increased from 32,203 cases in 2006 to 78,125 cases in 2019 (increase of 143%; trend p < 0.0001). The number of percutaneous nephrolithotomy also increased from 1673 cases in 2006 to 8937 in 2019 (increase of 434%; trend p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

We observed an increase in interventional therapy for upper tract urolithiasis in Germany with a dramatic shift from SWL to endoscopic/percutaneous treatment. These changes may be attributed to enormous technological advances of the endoscopic armamentarium and to reimbursement issues.
Experimental characterization of mixing and flow field in the liquid plugs of gas–liquid flow in a helically coiled reactor
Authors: Müller Conrad , Kováts Péter , Zähringer Katharina
Published: August 2021

Flow mixing of two miscible liquids with the addition of gas bubbles is a process often found in industrial chemical apparatus for the production of primary matter. The ongoing optimization of such processes also involves the transformation of batch to continuous mode operation. In that case, the use of helically coiled tubes is an interesting alternative, since those reactors have narrow residence time distributions, very good radial mixing properties and excellent mass transfer can be realized between gases and liquids. For these reasons, in this study the mixing of two miscible liquids with addition of air bubbles in gas–liquid flows has been characterized in a horizontal helically coiled reactor in the laminar flow regime at $${\text{Re}}_{{{\text{total}}}} = 300 \ldots 1088$$

Re
total

=
300
…
1088

. Eight different superficial liquid velocities and five superficial gas velocities were investigated. In order to characterize mixing in the liquid plugs between two bubbles, laser-induced fluorescence of resorufin was used and particle image velocimetry has been employed to characterize the flow field. Pseudo-3D-visualizations of the resorufin concentration and the Q-criterion, representing the mixing efficiency and vorticity, respectively, were established for individual liquid plugs from the time-resolved measurement results. A time-resolved mixing coefficient, as well as a mean mixing coefficient obtained from multiple liquid plugs, is calculated from the fluorescence images for all examined flow conditions. The experimental results clearly show an increase in the mixing coefficient compared to single-phase conditions, caused by the bubbles. However, distinct mixing pattern, depending on the flow structure, can be recognized on different locations inside the liquid plug. Compared to a stationary case without air bubbles, mixing is worse behind the bubbles and increases inside the plug, reaching a maximum mixing coefficient in front of the next bubble. Overall the mixing coefficient is always increased by the presence of the bubbles. Pseudo-3D-visualizations of the Q-criterion and the vorticity show the presence of secondary vortices right in front of the bubbles, shifted to the outer tube walls, and in addition to the steady Dean vortices. In small plugs, these secondary vortices appear in the whole plug and increase the mixing coefficient drastically.

Graphical Abstract