bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Saving light, losing lives: How daylight saving time impacts deaths from suicide and substance abuse
Authors: Osborne‐Christenson Eric Jonathon
Published: August 2022

This paper estimates the impact of Daylight Saving Time (DST) on deaths from suicide and substance abuse in the United States. Using Multiple Cause‐of‐Death Mortality Data from the National Vital Statistics System of the National Center for Health Statistics from 1979 to 1988, the effect is identified in two ways: a regression discontinuity design that exploits discrete time changes in the Spring and Fall; and a fixed effects model that uses a policy change and a switching mechanism that introduces random variation to DST's start and end dates. This is one of the first attempts to estimate the impact of DST on deaths due to suicide and substance abuse and the first to use either identification strategy. The results from both methods suggest that the sleep disruptions during the Spring transition cause the suicide rate to rise by 6.25 percent and the death rate from suicide and substance abuse combined to increase by 6.59 percent directly after the time change. There is no evidence for any change in these outcomes during the Fall transition. The contrasting results from Spring to Fall suggest the entire effect can be attributed to disruptions in sleep patterns rather than changes in ambient light exposure.
Anaphylaxis and allergic reactions to COVID‐19 vaccines: A narrative review of characteristics and potential obstacles on achieving herd immunity
Authors: Mahdiabadi Sara , Rezaei Nima
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a highly contagious infection, and new variants of its causative virus continue to emerge all around the world. Meanwhile, mass vaccination represents a highly effective measure to reduce the disease burden. Not only do vaccines immunize individuals, but they also protect the entire population through achieving herd immunity. They are composed of various ingredients, some of which may induce hypersensitivity reactions, namely anaphylaxis and cutaneous allergic reactions. This review aims to provide an explicit overview of the pathophysiology, suspected responsible components, and management of COVID‐19 vaccine‐induced allergic reactions, and their effect on acquiring herd immunity.

Methods

To perform this narrative review, a comprehensive literature search based on our selected terms was conducted in online databases of PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar for finding the relevant studies published from 2019 to 2022.

Results

COVID‐19 vaccines introduce several advantages that outweigh their potential risks, such as allergic reactions. Allergic reactions are mainly attributed to polyethylene glycol and polysorbate excipients that can provoke IgE‐mediated reactions and hypersensitivity reactions. These reactions should be managed properly to avoid having serious sequelae.

Conclusion

It is of great importance to immediately recognize and manage vaccine hypersensitivity reactions, especially anaphylaxis, to avoid allergic patients being excluded from the vaccination program, and more importantly, to stop the spreading of unfounded vaccine hesitancy leading to delayed herd immunity.
Epidemiologic profile of skin tumors in the Philippine General Hospital: A descriptive cross‐sectional study
Authors: Villanueva Emilio Quilatan
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

Skin tumors are one of the most common complaints among patients due to their external location and esthetic reasons. Skin tumors have a wide spectrum from being benign, with only esthetic problems, to malignant, which can be fatal. This study aimed to describe the epidemiologic profile of skin tumors in the Philippine General Hospital Out‐patient Services.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional study that describes the epidemiologic profile of the different skin tumors among Filipinos who consulted at the Philippine General Hospital Out‐patient Services.

Results

Benign skin tumors are more common than malignant ones. Benign skin tumors are commonly seen in middle‐aged adults, with a median age of 33 years. There was a higher proportion of benign tumors among females (n = 1256/1529, 82.15%) compared to males (n = 690/923, 74.76%). The site of predilection was the head and neck region. The most common benign skin tumor was the intradermal nevus. The older adult age group had a higher predilection for malignant tumors, with a median age of 57 years. Relatively, there was higher proportion of malignant tumors among males (n = 223/923, 25.24%) compared to females (n = 273/1529, 17.85%). The site of predilection is also the head and neck region. Among malignant skin tumors, basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer.

Conclusion

The epidemiologic profile of skin tumors from patients seen in the Philippine General Hospital in terms of median age at diagnosis, sex preponderance, site of predilection, and tumor classification was similar to various Asian countries located in relatively the same latitude as the Philippines.
Environmental dimensions during and after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 2020
Authors: Darbyshire Eoghan , Weir Doug
Published: August 2022

The 44-day war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 resulted in significant environmental damage. This brief communication presents two aspects of harm to the region's biodiverse-rich primary forests—(1) hundreds of conflict-linked landscape fires during and (2) widespread development postconflict, without a due environmental assessment. The use of novel mixed methods research, including satellite remote sensing, has allowed an independent and open response to some of the environmental narratives, which were weaponized by both conflict parties. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:360–365. © 2022 SETAC
Dissecting integrated indices of multiple biomarker responses: Think before use
Authors: Pham Duy Nghia , Sokolova Inna M.
Published: August 2022

The multiple biomarker approach is an effective tool to study the responses of aquatic organisms to contaminants. Summarizing multiple biomarker responses for facilitated communication of research findings has been aided by some integrated indices. Here we explain how existing integrated indices were built and why they turn out to be the wheel reinvented. We discuss the role of integrated indices in ecological risk assessment and recommend some changes in summarizing multiple biomarker results. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:302–311. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
The Somatomorphic Matrix‐Female: More evidence for the validity of bidimensional figural rating scales for women
Authors: Talbot Daniel , Mahlberg Justin , Cunningham Mitchell L. , Pinkus Rebecca T. , Szabo Marianna
Published: August 2022

Our study aimed to develop and provide a preliminary psychometric validation of the Somatomorphic Matrix‐Female (SM‐F), a new bidimensional female figural rating scale which can be used to gauge actual and desired levels of both body fat and muscularity in a consolidated measure, as well as providing an index of actual‐desired body discrepancy based on these measures. Across two studies undergraduate women (n Study 1 = 481; n Study 2 = 391) completed the Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire, the Body Shape Questionnaire‐34, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales‐21 (Study 1) and the Drive for Thinness Scale and the Drive for Muscularity Scale (Study 2), as well as the SM‐F. Overall, the SM‐F demonstrated sound content, concurrent, and convergent validity for actual and desired body fat, actual and desired muscularity, and their respective discrepancy scores.
Cytoskeletal networks in primary cilia: Current knowledge and perspectives
Authors: Ge Ruixin , Cao Minghui , Chen Miao , Liu Min , Xie Songbo
Published: August 2022

Primary cilia, microtubule‐based protrusions present on the surface of most mammalian cells, function as sensory organelles that monitor extracellular signals and transduce them into intracellular biochemical responses. There is renewed research interest in primary cilia due to their essential roles in development, tissue homeostasis, and human diseases. Primary cilia dysfunction causes a large spectrum of human diseases, collectively known as ciliopathies. Despite significant advances in our understanding of primary cilia, there are still no effective agents for treating ciliopathies. Primary ciliogenesis is a highly ordered process involving membrane trafficking, basal body maturation, vesicle docking and fusion, transition zone assembly, and axoneme extension, in which actin and microtubule networks play critical and multiple roles. Actin and microtubule network architecture, isotropy, and dynamics are tightly controlled by cytoskeleton‐associated proteins, a growing number of which are now recognized as responsible for cilium formation and maintenance. Here we summarize the roles of actin and microtubules and their associated proteins in primary ciliogenesis and maintenance. In doing so, we highlight that targeting cytoskeleton‐associated proteins may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ciliopathies.
Correlation between catecholamines and echocardiographic parameters in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma
Authors: Wang Chunyan , Yu Yang , Yang Ying
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To analyze the correlation between catecholamines and echocardiographic parameters in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL).

Methods

Sixty‐six patients who underwent surgical resection of pathologically proven PPGL from January 2016 to June 2019 were examined. Echocardiographic parameters were compared between patients with elevated catecholamine concentrations and those with normal concentrations.

Results

The percentage of patients with elevation of any catecholamine (NE, DA, or E, and their metabolites) did not significantly differ between patients with normal and abnormal left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) or diastolic function (LVDF). E wave deceleration time (EDT) was significantly lower in patients with elevation of any catecholamine than in those with normal concentrations (p = 0.024). EDT was significantly lower in patients with elevated NE and its metabolites than in patients with normal NE concentration (p = 0.004). After adjusting for gender and age, EDT was significantly negatively correlated with elevated NE and its metabolites in regression analysis (B‐value, −39.853; p = 0.023) and correlation analysis (r = −0.349; p = 0.004).

Conclusion

NE and its metabolites may have an impact on left ventricular diastolic function, which can be reflected by EDT. EDT was negatively correlated with elevated NE and its metabolites.
Changes in microbial communities in soil treated with organic or conventional N sources
Authors: Habteselassie Mussie , Woodruff Lisa , Norton Jeanette , Ouyang Yang , Sintim Henry
Published: August 2022

Despite the extensive use of N fertilizers in agricultural soils, we are yet to fully understand their impact on soil microbial communities that mediate important soil processes. A 3‐yr field study was undertaken in Georgia, where sweet corn (Zea mays L.) was grown under conventional or organic systems. Nitrogen (N) was supplied with ammonium sulfate at 112 kg N ha–1 (AS100) or 224 kg N ha–1 (AS200) or a combination of poultry litter, cover crop, and blood meal at 112 kg N ha–1 (PL100) or no N (control). Soil samples were collected from field plots to assess the impact of treatments on bacteria, fungi, and ammonia oxidizers using molecular methods that targeted 16S RNA, ITS2, and amoA genes, respectively. Treatment had significant impact on bacterial but not fungal composition. The AS200 significantly changed the relative abundances of Verrucomicrobia and Acidobacteria and decreased bacterial alpha diversity as compared with control. Beta‐diversity analysis showed clear separation of microbial communities in AS200 vs. control and PL100. The abundance of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was more responsive to N input than ammonia oxidizing‐archaea. It was also significantly and positively correlated with nitrification potential and soil nitrate with increasing N rates, indicating AOB's dominance in driving nitrification under high N input. Overall, the results indicated that AS200 changed bacterial composition and diversity, suggesting corresponding changes in soil processes related to N mineralization and nitrification. Understanding such changes in microbial communities can help us predict changes in soil processes to adopt sustainable management systems.
Development of psychology in Bulgaria after the political changes in 1989
Authors: Nyagolova Mariyana
Published: August 2022

This article outlines the significant organizational and scientific changes that occurred in Bulgarian psychology after the fall of the totalitarian regime in 1989. These included the establishment of new university and research centers in psychology, the abolition of ideological censorship in psychology publications, free choice of research methodology and methods, free communication, and exchange of ideas with foreign psychologists, and the development of psychoanalytic practice and psychological services. The liberalization of the social conditions for the development of science, in general, made psychology a much sought‐after science and practice. In this time of social transition, its authority grew significantly due to the fact that its calling was to study and solve, above all, the problems of the people, especially as they were faced with new social conditions. In the last 30 years, psychological science in Bulgaria has been significantly humanized. These changes allowed scientists to propose new methodological approaches not only to the study of the psyche, but also to the study of both Bulgarian and foreign history of psychology. Although in the last 30 years not all measures taken in the institutional management of the psychological science were positive, Bulgarian psychology was given a new opportunity to join the international scientific community.
Single‐cell RNA‐sequencing dissects cellular heterogeneity and identifies two tumor‐suppressing immune cell subclusters in HPV‐related cervical adenosquamous carcinoma
Authors: Li Xiaohui , Zhang Min , Lei Tianyu , Zou Wenxue , Huang Rui , Wang Fuhao , Huang Qingyu , Wang Cong , Liu Chao
Published: August 2022

The intratumor heterogeneity of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related cervical cancer remains poorly defined. We performed single‐cell RNA sequencing on 18 046 individual cells derived from two HPV‐related cervical adenosquamous carcinoma samples to analyze the transcriptional heterogeneity of both epithelial and immune constituents, identifying seven epithelial (Epi1‐7) and 11 immune subclusters. Based on expression of known cervical cancer markers, Epi1‐2 primarily displayed features of adenocarcinoma, whereas Epi3‐6 were instead characterized by features of squamous carcinoma. Our analyses also revealed that hypoxia and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene signaling were highly represented within Epi1; metabolic pathways mediating glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation were enriched in Epi2‐4; while Epi5 was enriched in p53 pathway components and features of epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Moreover, CD8+FGFBP2+ T cells and FGFBP2+ natural killer cells were found to display high levels of cytotoxic effectors (GZMA, GZMB, GNLY, and PRF1) and low levels of inhibitory markers (PDCD1, TIGIT, and CTLA4), such that tumor infiltration by these populations was positively associated with survival in a cohort of n = 165 patients with HPV‐related cervical cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (p = 0.017 and 0.014, respectively). These results shed new light on the intratumor heterogeneity of HPV‐related cervical adenosquamous carcinoma, which will help to refine diagnostic and treatment approaches.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID‐19 and psoriasis
Authors: Meng Yu , Zeng Furong , Sun Huiyan , Li Yayun , Chen Xiang , Deng Guangtong
Published: August 2022

To summarize the clinical characteristics and explore the role of treatment types in outcomes among psoriasis patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The principal summary measures were pooled prevalence and risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidential interval (CI). R statistic software was used for all the analysis. A total of 19 studies including 4073 psoriasis patients with COVID‐19 were eligible for the meta‐analysis. The overall hospitalization rate is about 20.2% (95% CI: 12.7%–28.7%), and changed to be 18.0% (95% CI: 9.9%–27.6%) or 14.1% (95% CI: 5.9%–24.6%) after systemic or biologic treatment. Moreover, the overall fatality rate is 1.5% (95% CI: 0.4%–3.0%), and turned to be 0.7% (95% CI: 0%–2.0%) or 0.5% (95% CI: 0%–2.2%) after systemic or biologic therapy. Notably, a lower hospitalization RR was found in patients receiving biologic therapy than those receiving other treatments (RR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.42–0.94). The results were consistent after sensitivity analysis and trim‐and‐fill analysis. Systemic, especially biologic therapy could lessen the clinical severity in psoriasis patients with COVID‐19. Our finding will help to guide current recommendations and provide a reference for clinical decision‐making.
Antiviral activities of Polygonum perfoliatum L. extract and related phenolic acid constituents against hepatitis B virus
Authors: Chen Zhuohang , Yuan Yan , Yang Di , Luo Minhui , Liang Qian , Li Zan , Lu Siya , Sun Jianan , Deng Maohua , Liu Miaoya , Liang Zongsuo , Liu Kuancheng
Published: August 2022

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important public health problem. Polygonum perfoliatum L. is a traditional medicinal herb and has been reported to have pharmacological activities such as anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral. In this study, the antiviral activities and mechanisms of Polygonum perfoliatum L. extract against HBV and the effective components were investigated. The results showed that the total extract of Polygonum perfoliatum L. reduced the levels of HBV e antigen (HBeAg) secretion and the viral covalently closed circular DNA (CCC DNA) formation, but had little or no negative effects on viral capsid assembly and pregenomic RNA packaging. Further fractionation showed that the water extract (WE) fraction exerted comparable anti‐HBV activities with the total extract, especially in inhibiting the CCC DNA formation and HBeAg production, indicating that the effective antiviral components are mainly distributed in this fraction. Further study showed that the phenolic acids constituents, protocatechuic acid, and gallic acid, but not ethyl caffeate, which is reported enriched in the WE fraction, showed strong anti‐HBV activities in inhibiting viral core DNA synthesis, CCC DNA formation, and HBeAg production. These results suggested that the Polygonum perfoliatum L. total extract and the related phenolic acids like protocatechuic acid and gallic acid could inhibit HBV replication and also indicated the potential utility of Polygonum perfoliatum L. and related constituents as sources of novel antivirals against HBV.
Murine diabetic models for dengue virus infection
Authors: Liu Xuling , Liu Yingfang , Wu Hao , He Zihan , Li Zhuoyun , Qin Zhiran , Yu Jianhai , Zhu Li , Wu Qinghua , Xiao Weiwei , Shen Chenguang , Wan Chengsong , Zhang Bao , Zhao Wei
Published: August 2022

Dengue virus (DENV) is a critical public health concern in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Thus, immunocompetent murine models of DENV infection with robust viremia are required for vaccine studies. Diabetes is highly prevalent worldwide, making it frequent comorbidity in patients with dengue fever. Therefore, murine models are needed to understand viral pathogenesis and disease progression. Acquired‐induced and inherently diabetic C57BL/6 and db/db mice were inoculated with DENV‐3 via the tail vein. After infection, both the diabetic C57BL/6 and db/db mice showed obvious weight loss with clinical manifestations. Quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed robust and replicable viremia in the two types of diabetic mice. Immunohistochemical detection showed persistent DENV‐3 infection in the liver. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for cytokine detection revealed that diabetic mice showed more severe inflammatory responses than did nondiabetic mice, and significant histological alterations were observed in diabetic mice. Thus, the diabetic mice were more susceptible to DENV infection than the nondiabetic mice. Taken together, we established two types of immunocompetent diabetic mice for DENV infection, which can be used to further study the mechanisms of dengue pathogenesis in diabetes and to develop antiviral pharmaceuticals and treatments.
The proposed Anthropocene Epoch/Series is underpinned by an extensive array of mid‐20th century stratigraphic event signals
Authors: Head Martin J. , Zalasiewicz Jan A. , Waters Colin N. , Turner Simon D. , Williams Mark , Barnosky Anthony D. , Steffen Will , Wagreich Michael , Haff Peter K. , Syvitski Jaia , Leinfelder Reinhold , Mccarthy Francine M. G. , Rose Neil L. , Wing Scott L. , An Zhisheng , Cearreta Alejandro , Cundy Andrew B. , Fairchild Ian J. , Han Yongming , Ivar Do Sul Juliana A. , Jeandel Catherine , Mcneill J. R. , Summerhayes Colin P.
Published: August 2022

The extensive array of mid‐20th century stratigraphic event signals associated with the ‘Great Acceleration’ enables precise and unambiguous recognition of the Anthropocene as an epoch/series within the Geological Time Scale. A mid‐20th century inception is consistent with Earth System science analysis in which the Anthropocene term and concept arose, and would reflect the reality that our planet has sharply exited the range of natural variability characterizing the Holocene Epoch/Series, which the Anthropocene would therefore terminate. An alternative, recently proposed ‘geological event’ approach to the Anthropocene is primarily an interdisciplinary concept, encompassing historical and socio‐cultural processes and their global environmental impacts over a diachronous timeframe that extends back at least many millennia. Resembling more closely a geological episode than an event, it would decouple the Anthropocene from its chronostratigraphic delineation and association with an abrupt planetary perturbation; but separately defined and differently named it might be usefully complementary. We recommend a clear separation of epochs, events and episodes. An epoch is a formal subdivision of the Geological Time Scale, and its correlation may be assisted by one or more events; an event is usually, and particularly in the Quaternary, a brief incident or perturbation with a sedimentary expression; and an episode is a longer, internally complex time interval that may include several events and even extend across several epochs.
Influence of high pH state of dodecylbenzenesulfonate and dissolved organic matter complex solution on the ultraviolet spectrometry of dodecylbenzenesulfonate
Authors: Hossain Md. Imam , Ishiguro Munehide
Published: August 2022

Dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS) is an anionic surfactant that is the most commonly used ingredient in modern cleaning agents. Globally, billions of liters of untreated DBS are released daily into natural water bodies, which may lead to fatal consequences in micro and macro living entities, and destroy the natural ecosystem. Therefore, a simple, precise, rapid, and inexpensive method for measuring DBS is crucial for developing countries. The conventional ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometric method cannot accurately estimate the DBS concentration in a solution containing a considerable quantity of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Recently, a new spectrometric method was developed using the 222.5 nm UV and 400 nm UV–visible (UV–vis) spectra to precisely estimate DBS concentration in the DBS–DOM complex solution. However, this newly developed method is yet to be validated under higher pH conditions. The accuracy of DBS measurements from the DBS–DOM complex solution under lower pH (5.5 and 6.5) and higher pH (12.5) conditions was compared in this study using the previously developed method. With the higher pH, the influence of the electrolyte increased the absorbance under the 222.5 nm UV spectrum. However, such influence decreased with the increase in DBS and DOM concentration. The UV–vis absorbance at 400 nm decreased under higher pH values when the DOM concentration increased, owing to the conformational change in DOM. Despite the contrasting trends of the absorbances in the two spectra, the studied method was proven to be equally applicable and efficient, even under higher pH conditions.
Structural characterization and hepatoprotective activity of exopolysaccharide from Bacillus velezensisSN‐1
Authors: Cao Chengxu , Bian Yuanyuan , Cang Weihe , Wu Junrui , Wu Rina
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND

Exopolysaccharide biopolymers produced by microorganisms are crucial to the environment. They contribute to areas such as the health and bionanotechnology sectors, food and cosmetic industries as gelling agents, and environmental sector as flocculants owing to their biodegradability and non‐toxic nature. The current study aimed to isolate the fraction of released exopolysaccharide (rEPS) by Bacillus velezensis SN‐1 from Chinese Da‐Jiang.

RESULTS

The weighted average molecular weight of the major isolated component, rEPS‐2, was 202 kDa, and its monosaccharide composition included mannose, glucose, and galactose at a molar ratio of 0.38:0.30:0.32. Further, the rEPS‐2 was characterized using methylation analysis and one‐dimensional/two‐dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D/2D NMR) spectroscopy. In vivo hepatoprotective effects indicated that rEPS‐2 could alleviate carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced liver injury in mice by lowering the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, rEPS‐2 can increase the expression of antioxidant genes HO‐1, GCLC and NQO1 in the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, thereby increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) and reduced catalase (CAT) in liver cells. Furthermore, the rEPS‐2 can be used and modulate the gut microbiota of mice with liver injury caused by CCl4.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that rEPS‐2 has promising potential to serve as hepatoprotective agents. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Tumor Microenvironment, Radiology, and Artificial Intelligence: Should We Consider Tumor Periphery?
Authors: Mohammadi Afshin , Mirza‐Aghazadeh‐Attari Mohammad , Faeghi Fariborz , Homayoun Hasan , Abolghasemi Jamileh , Vogl Thomas J. , Bureau Nathalie J. , Bakhshandeh Mohsen , Acharya Rajendra U. , Abbasian Ardakani Ali
Published: August 2022

Objectives

The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of cellular and noncellular components which enable the tumor to interact with its surroundings and plays an important role in the tumor progression and how the immune system reacts to the malignancy. In the present study, we investigate the diagnostic potential of the TME in differentiating benign and malignant lesions using image quantification and machine learning.

Methods

A total of 229 breast lesions and 220 cervical lymph nodes were included in the study. A group of expert radiologists first performed medical imaging and segmented the lesions, after which a rectangular mask was drawn, encompassing all of the contouring. The mask was extended in each axis up to 50%, and 29 radiomics features were extracted from each mask. Radiomics features that showed a significant difference in each contour were used to develop a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for benign and malignant lesions in breast and lymph node images separately.

Results

Single radiomics features extracted from extended contours outperformed radiologists' contours in both breast and lymph node lesions. Furthermore, when fed into the SVM model, the extended models also outperformed the radiologist's contour, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.887 and 0.970 in differentiating breast and lymph node lesions, respectively.

Conclusions

Our results provide convincing evidence regarding the importance of the tumor periphery and TME in medical imaging diagnosis. We propose that the immediate tumor periphery should be considered for differentiating benign and malignant lesions in image quantification studies.
Paeonol alleviates placental inflammation and apoptosis in preeclampsia by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Huan , Liu Mei‐Lin , Chu Chu , Yu Shi‐Jiao , Li Jing , Shen Hai‐Chuan , Meng Qian , Zhang Teng
Published: August 2022

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystemic and placental inflammatory disease that causes maternal and infant health issues. As one of the active components in peony root extract, paeonol (Pae) exerts anti‐apoptosis and anti‐inflammatory effects. Nonetheless, the protective role of Pae in PE has not yet been characterized. A mouse model of PE was constructed through tail vein injection of 1 mg/d phosphatidylserine/dioleoyl‐phosphatidycholine suspension. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in the placenta were examined via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐6, IFN‐γ, and IL‐4) and apoptosis markers (Bax, Bcl‐2, and caspase‐3) were tested using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR). Western blot analysis was performed to detect the protein levels of apoptosis markers and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway‐related molecules. Here, Pae repressed the inflammatory response in the placenta of PE‐like mouse models, as demonstrated by the decreased concentrations and mRNA levels of TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IFN‐γ and the increased concentrations and mRNA levels of IL‐4. Apoptosis in the placentas of PE‐like mouse models was attenuated by Pae, as manifested by the downregulated mRNA and protein levels of Bax and cleaved‐caspase‐3 and the upregulated Bcl‐2. Administration of Pae inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in the placental tissues of PE mice. The JAK2/STAT3 pathway agonist (SC‐39100) reversed Pae treatment‐mediated suppression of placental inflammation and apoptosis in PE mice. Overall, Pae inhibits the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to attenuate placental inflammation and apoptosis in PE mice.
Ultrasound accurately assesses depth of invasion in T1‐T2 oral tongue cancer
Authors: Nilsson Olof , Knutsson Johan , Landström Fredrik J. , Magnuson Anders , von Beckerath Mathias
Published: August 2022

Background

Depth of invasion (DOI) is important for the T‐classification of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (SCCOT) and incorporated in the TNM 8 classification of oral cavity cancer. To determine DOI clinical palpation is performed, but the preferred radiological modality remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the assessment of DOI using ultrasound (US‐DOI).

Methods

The DOI was assessed in 40 patients with T1–T3 SCCOT by ultrasound, palpation, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Histopathological DOI (H‐DOI) was gold standard. Bland–Altman analysis was used to compare mean difference and 95% limits of agreement (LOA).

Results

The mean difference of US‐DOI was −0.5 mm (95% LOA −4.9–4.0) compared to H‐DOI and the mean difference for MRI was 3.9 mm (95% LOA −2.3–10.2). In the subgroup analysis of cT1‐T2 the US‐DOI mean difference was 0.1 mm and the 95% LOA limits −2.5–2.7.

Conclusions

Ultrasound seems to be the most accurate method to assess DOI in T1‐T2 SCCOT. MRI overestimates DOI and cannot assess a substantial proportion of the tumors.

Level of Evidence

2c.
Widespread variation in salt tolerance within freshwater zooplankton species reduces the predictability of community‐level salt tolerance
Authors: Arnott Shelley E. , Fugère Vincent , Symons Celia C. , Melles Stephanie J. , Beisner Beatrix E. , Cañedo‐Argüelles Miguel , Hébert Marie‐Pier , Brentrup Jennifer A. , Downing Amy L. , Gray Derek K. , Greco Danielle , Hintz William D. , McClymont Alexandra , Relyea Rick A. , Rusak James A. , Searle Catherine L. , Astorg Louis , Baker Henry K. , Ersoy Zeynep , Espinosa Carmen , Franceschini Jaclyn M. , Giorgio Angelina T. , Göbeler Norman , Hassal Emily , Huynh Mercedes , Hylander Samuel , Jonasen Kacie L. , Kirkwood Andrea , Langenheder Silke , Langvall Ola , Laudon Hjalmar , Lind Lovisa , Lundgren Maria , Moffett Emma R. , Proia Lorenzo , Schuler Matthew S. , Shurin Jonathan B. , Steiner Christopher F. , Striebel Maren , Thibodeau Simon , Cordero Pablo Urrutia , Vendrell‐Puigmitja Lidia , Weyhenmeyer Gesa A. , Derry Alison M.
Published: August 2022

The salinization of freshwaters is a global threat to aquatic biodiversity. We quantified variation in chloride (Cl−) tolerance of 19 freshwater zooplankton species in four countries to answer three questions: (1) How much variation in Cl− tolerance is present among populations? (2) What factors predict intraspecific variation in Cl− tolerance? (3) Must we account for intraspecific variation to accurately predict community Cl− tolerance? We conducted field mesocosm experiments at 16 sites and compiled acute LC50s from published laboratory studies. We found high variation in LC50s for Cl− tolerance in multiple species, which, in the experiment, was only explained by zooplankton community composition. Variation in species‐LC50 was high enough that at 45% of lakes, community response was not predictable based on species tolerances measured at other sites. This suggests that water quality guidelines should be based on multiple populations and communities to account for large intraspecific variation in Cl− tolerance.
Evaluating clinician‐led quality improvement initiatives: A system‐wide embedded research partnership at Stanford Medicine
Authors: Vilendrer Stacie , Saliba‐Gustafsson Erika A. , Asch Steven M. , Brown‐Johnson Cati G. , Kling Samantha M.R. , Shaw Jonathan G. , Winget Marcy , Larson David B.
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Many healthcare delivery systems have developed clinician‐led quality improvement (QI) initiatives but fewer have also developed in‐house evaluation units. Engagement between the two entities creates unique opportunities. Stanford Medicine funded a collaboration between their Improvement Capability Development Program (ICDP), which coordinates and incentivizes clinician‐led QI efforts, and the Evaluation Sciences Unit (ESU), a multidisciplinary group of embedded researchers with expertise in implementation and evaluation sciences.

Aim

To describe the ICDP‐ESU partnership and report key learnings from the first 2 y of operation September 2019 to August 2021.

Methods

Department‐level physician and operational QI leaders were offered an ESU consultation to workshop design, methods, and overall scope of their annual QI projects. A steering committee of high‐level stakeholders from operational, clinical, and research perspectives subsequently selected three projects for in‐depth partnered evaluation with the ESU based on evaluability, importance to the health system, and broader relevance. Selected project teams met regularly with the ESU to develop mixed methods evaluations informed by relevant implementation science frameworks, while aligning the evaluation approach with the clinical teams' QI goals.

Results

Sixty and 62 ICDP projects were initiated during the 2 cycles, respectively, across 18 departments, of which ESU consulted with 15 (83%). Within each annual cycle, evaluators made actionable, summative findings rapidly available to partners to inform ongoing improvement. Other reported benefits of the partnership included rapid adaptation to COVID‐19 needs, expanded clinician evaluation skills, external knowledge dissemination through scholarship, and health system‐wide knowledge exchange. Ongoing considerations for improving the collaboration included the need for multi‐year support to enable nimble response to dynamic health system needs and timely data access.

Conclusion

Presence of embedded evaluation partners in the enterprise‐wide QI program supported identification of analogous endeavors (eg, telemedicine adoption) and cross‐cutting lessons across QI efforts, clinician capacity building, and knowledge dissemination through scholarship.
Design and energy research of terahertz optical systems for cell stimulation
Authors: Ma Guochao , Guan Luyang , Liu Luyin , Liu Ruzhang , Cai Enlin , Wang Shuying
Published: August 2022

Terahertz technology has its unique advantages in the field of biomedicine and is increasingly used in modern medical applications. In this study, to research the responding of biological tissues (cells or nerve nuclei) to various terahertz energy stimulation, an automatic terahertz energy control optical system is designed. The ray tracing simulation of the selfdesigned optical lens model is conducted and the results show that the system can achieve the focusing arrangement within 90 mm and control the strength of terahertz energy on image plane. In addition, an automatic control system with nanometer‐level precision is designed using a stepper motor subdivision scheme to coordinate with the image plane (target point) energy and morphology adjustment. Then biomedical experiments based on this system are carried out. Through adjusting the system, terahertz intensity on cells is changed, so that the cells show various cell viabilities. The optimized experimental results show that the terahertz energy automatic control optical system designed in this study is qualified for terahertz energy irradiation research with biological cells.
Temperature sensor based on micro‐nano fiber coated with ZnO composite graphene
Authors: Song Mingxin , Shao Bingqian , Zheng Peng , Shen Tao
Published: August 2022

A simple temperature sensor based on ZnO composite graphene is demonstrated. With the temperature changes, the electron mobility of ZnO composite graphene changes accordingly, which leads to an effective change in the refractive index of ZnO composite graphene. Experimental results show that micro‐nano fiber coated with spherical ZnO composite graphene exhibits a higher sensitivity of 0.018 dB/°C in the temperature range of 25–60°C. Overall, the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed temperature sensor in accurate temperature measurement and offer a new, unique, and convenient direction for temperature sensing.
Improved SCRLH ZOR‐based compact microstrip bandpass filter with wide upper stopband
Authors: Zeng Xiangui , Gong Jianqiang , Li Xin , Liang Feifei
Published: August 2022

A novel compact microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) based on an improved simplified composite right‐/left‐handed (SCRLH) zeroth‐order resonator (ZOR) is presented in this paper. The improved SCRLH ZOR (ISZOR) can substantially simplify the filter configuration and shrink the filter size as well as ensure a wide upper stopband. A certain orientation of two ISZORs allows a larger gap to produce the specified interstage capacitive coupling, easing the requirement for fabrication precision. Starting from the purely lumped circuit model, the microstrip ISZOR is efficiently generated by utilizing the implicit space mapping technique, with which the microstrip BPF is then constructed and optimized by the Nelder–Mead simplex algorithm. A three‐pole filter with a center frequency of 3.1 GHz and a relative bandwidth of 5% is exemplified to illustrate the design process. The measurement shows that the filter is of good bandpass selectivity, with a transversal size reduction of more than 64% compared to a former counterpart and a rejection level better than 30 dB up to 11.76 GHz (close to 4f0).
An intelligent reflecting surfaces based iterative PhC‐MIMO system for atmospheric optical channels
Authors: Wang Yuequan , Zhou Xiaolin , Wu Yaoyang , Wang Han , Li Yifan , Tian Pengfei , Xiu Sirui
Published: August 2022

Optical intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is regarded as a forward‐looking technology to deal with line‐of‐sight limitations in optical wireless communications. This paper proposes an iterative photon counting nonorthogonal multiple access‐multiple‐input–multiple‐output (NOMA‐MIMO) system based on optical IRS. By analyzing the geometric and misalignment losses under turbulence effect in the optical IRS‐based atmospheric channel, we construct the channel fading coefficient matrix of the NOMA‐MIMO system. At the receiver, a novel iterative parallel interference cancellation algorithm based on logarithmic likelihood ratio is developed for signal detection. Through the simulation of bit error rate (BER), the reliability of the proposed system is proved. Quantitatively, the BER performance can achieve at the dBJ per bit for the scenario of MIMO system. Furthermore, the numerical results of the external information transfer process indicated that the proposed system has a rapid convergence performance.
Wideband and dual‐polarized Twin Hilbert curve antennas for capsule endoscopy
Authors: Güreş Emre , Kılınç Sedat , Shayea Ibraheem , Ferhanoğlu Onur
Published: August 2022

In this study, we design a pair of third‐order conformal Hilbert curve antennas for use in capsule endoscopy at three different bands (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical [ISM]), especially at 433 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.45 GHz. The antennas are placed orthogonally with respect to each other, offering dual linear polarization characteristics, which have been highlighted in literature as the most robust communication link between a roaming transmitting capsule within the GI tract and the receiver antenna. The robustness of the link depends on (i) invariance of linear polarization with the position and orientation of the roaming transmitter, as well as (ii) tolerance of linearly polarized fields to depolarization effects when penetrated through the body. The antennas were manufactured on polyimide substrate, which was wrapped around a 3D‐printed capsule volume. Both antennas were measured inside bovine muscle tissue and the obtained results have been compared with the simulated results to validate the performance of the propose solution. The presented results showed that, the return loss characteristics and the measured bandwidth, for both antennas inside bovine muscle tissue, have matched with the simulated results. To the best of our knowledge, these demonstrated antennas are the first designed capsule antennas to address three ISM bands with dual linear polarization. The designed antennas can be adapted for clinical use with further development.
Nursing care for persons with developmental disabilities: Review of literature on barriers and facilitators faced by nurses to provide care
Authors: Khanlou Nazilla , Khan Attia , Kurtz Landy Christine , Srivastava Rani , McMillan Shirley , VanDeVelde‐Coke Susan , Vazquez Luz Maria
Published: August 2022

Aims

To identify barriers and facilitators to nursing care of individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs).

Background

Individuals with DDs experience health disparities. Nurses, although well positioned to provide optimal care to this population, face challenges.

Design

Narrative review of extant published peer‐reviewed literature.

Data Sources

Electronic databases, ProQuest and EBSCO, were searched for studies published in English between 2000 and 2019.

Review Methods

Three reviewers reviewed abstracts and completed data extraction. Knowledge synthesis was completed by evaluating the 17 selected studies.

Results

Emerging themes were: (1) barriers and challenges to nursing interventions; (2) facilitators to nursing care; and (3) recommendations for nursing education, policy and practice.

Conclusion

Nursing has the potential to be a key partner in supporting the health of people with DDs.

Impact

There is a need for specific education and training, so nurses are better equipped to provide care for people with DDs.
In situ growth of ZnO on carbon nanospheres and its properties in natural rubber
Authors: Lei Zhiqiang , Wu Yankang , Tang Liping , Chen Jian
Published: August 2022

Carbon Nanospheres (CNs) are nano‐carbon materials. In order to expand their application fields, this study applies them to rubber fillers. In this study, CNs were prepared by vapor deposition method in a high temperature tube furnace. After acidification of CNs, ZnO was grown in situ on the surface of CNs. CNs@ZnO/NR composite was prepared by traditional mechanical blending method. The experimental results showed that the ZnO nanoparticles were adsorbed on the surface of CNs, resulting in a strong interfacial interaction with the CNs. In the composite material, the hybrid is uniformly dispersed in the rubber matrix under the influence of its own many factors, thereby improving the cross‐linking effect of the composite material. Compared with the ZnO/NR composite, the modulus at 100%, 200%, and 300% elongation of NR composites are increased by 40.3%, 30.6%, 23.3%, and 9.6% respectively, maintaining the elongation at break of the composites. At the same time, the rigidity of the composite material is increased, the cross‐linking efficiency is improved, and the crosslinking density of the composite material is greatly improved. Compared with ZnOC/NR composite, CNs@ZnO/NR composite maintained better wet‐skid properties. The CNs in the CNs@ZnO can inhibit the agglomeration of ZnO nanoparticles, which can better improve the vulcanization rate and crosslinking density, and is an efficient vulcanization activator. This study provides a simple synthetic route for ZnO nanofillers for the preparation of high‐performance natural rubber composites.
Low‐velocity impact response of halloysite nanotube reinforced glass/epoxy multi‐scale composite. Part 1: Dynamic loading performance
Authors: Özer Mahmut , Kaybal Halil Burak
Published: August 2022

One of the biggest obstacles to fiber‐reinforced composite laminates is out‐of‐plane dynamic loading. Specifically, low‐velocity impact loading in an out‐of‐plane direction leads to matrix cracking, delamination, and fiber breakage damages due to weak fiber–matrix interactions. This paper aims to examine the dynamic loading behavior of nano reinforced glass/epoxy composite laminates under various impact energies. Moreover, to enhance fiber–matrix interaction, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with lower cost among the nanotube morphologies such as carbon and TiO2 were introduced to the epoxy matrix. The impact performance and the damage propagation were also investigated. As a result, the HNT‐reinforced multiscale composite sample had 28% more impact load carrying capacity and absorbed 18% less energy than its unmodified counterpart. Image processing was utilized to determine the damage evaluation by analyzing both front and back surfaces. The improvement of the fiber–matrix interface with HNTs reinforcement resulted 59% and 46% less damage to the front and back damage surfaces, respectively. The acquired results were supported by macro‐size examination and micro‐size analyzing via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These results pave the way towards designing fiber reinforced composites to be utilized for the transportation of dangerous liquids such as acids or solvents.