bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nursing interventions to improve care of people with dementia in hospital: a mixed methods systematic review protocol
Authors: Moody Elaine , Weeks Lori E. , Belliveau Anne , Bilski Trish , Rothfus Melissa , McDougall Heather , Jamieson Hannah
Published: November 2021

Objective:

This review will focus on the effectiveness of, and experience with, nursing interventions to improve the care of people with dementia in hospital.

Introduction:

Acute care for people with dementia has been identified as an area for improvement. Admission to hospital can be upsetting and difficult for people with dementia and can be associated with negative outcomes. Nurses play a significant role in shaping the experience of hospitalization and are the focus of many related interventions.

Inclusion criteria:

This mixed methods review will examine literature on improving acute care for people with dementia. The quantitative component will consider studies that evaluate nursing interventions to improve care of people with dementia, comparing the intervention with usual care, other therapies, or no comparator. Outcomes will include behavioral, health, and health system indicators. The qualitative component will consider studies that explore the experience of nursing interventions from the perspective of people with dementia, their family- or friend-caregivers, and nurses.

Methods:

This review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews. Twelve databases and gray literature sources will be searched for published and unpublished studies. Titles, abstracts, and full-text selections will be screened by two or more independent reviewers and assessed for methodological validity using the standard JBI critical assessment tools. This review will follow a convergent segregated approach to data synthesis and integration.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42021230951
100 keV vacuum sealed field emission gun for high resolution electron microscopy
Authors: El-Gomati Mohamed M. , Wells Torquil , Zha Xiaoping , Sykes Richard , Russo Christopher J. , Henderson Richard , McMullan Greg
Published: November 2021

A standalone 100 kV field emission gun (FEG) has been developed that can be installed and operated on a standard transmission electron microscopy electron optical column or custom designed high voltage electron optical columns. The FEG comprises a thermally assisted field emission cathode and an asymmetric electrostatic lens that can operate from 20 to 100 kV in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber. In its current configuration, the FEG has spherical and chromatic aberration coefficients (Cs and Cc, respectively) in the range of Cs = 607–670 mm and Cc = 60–87 mm at 100 keV over a range of working distances of 50–206 mm from the exit plane of the FEG unit. A dedicated high voltage supply unit with voltage ripples of less than 1 ppm at 100 kV has also been developed. The FEG is transported under UHV and does not require the use of SF6 gas during operation, as is customary in high voltage FEG TEMs. Preliminary results of operating the FEG on a Philips Tecnai 12 and a JEOL JEM-1400HR TEM show the resolution of gold (111) crystal planes at 0.235 nm and (200) planes at 0.202 nm.
Stress reduction and wafer bow accommodation for the fabrication of thin film lithium niobate on oxidized silicon
Authors: Prabhakar Karan , Patton Ryan J. , Reano Ronald M.
Published: November 2021

Sub-micrometer-thick lithium niobate on an insulator is a promising integrated photonic platform that provides optical field confinement and optical nonlinearity useful for state-of-the-art electro-optic modulators and wavelength converters. The fabrication of lithium niobate on insulator on a silicon substrate through ion slicing is advantageous for electronic-photonic integration but is challenging because of debonding and cracking due to the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between silicon and lithium niobate. In this work, the fabrication of thin film lithium niobate on insulator on a silicon handle wafer is achieved, informed by structural modeling, and facilitated by accommodating for dissimilar wafer bows using a bonding apparatus. Structural finite element analysis of strain energy and stress, due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatch at elevated temperatures, is conducted. High strain energies and stresses that result in debonding and cracking, respectively, are studied through modeling and reduced by selecting optimized substrate thicknesses followed by an experimental technique to bond substrates with dissimilar bows. A lithium niobate thin film with a thickness of 800 nm is successfully transferred to an oxidized silicon wafer with a root mean square surface roughness of 5.6 nm.
Surprising stability of polar (001) surfaces of the Mott insulator GdTiO3
Authors: Krishnaswamy Karthik , Janotti Anderson , Bjaalie Lars , Van de Walle Chris G.
Published: November 2021

Using first-principles techniques based on hybrid density functional calculations, we study the stability, energetics, and electronic structure of the (001) surface of the Mott insulator GdTiO3 (GTO), which has an orthorhombic perovskite structure. Interestingly, we find the bare unreconstructed (but relaxed) polar surface terminated by a TiO2 plane to be very stable with a low surface energy (71 meV/Å2). As a test for stability of the TiO2 termination against reconstructions, we studied the influence of an H adatom. Hydrogen is known to form strong bonds with surface O atoms and passivate surface states, but contrary to expectations, hydrogen does not lead to a lowering of the GTO surface energy. We explain the energetics based on the surface electronic structure. We also address the interaction between the TiO2-terminated GTO surface and the high-density two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) that can be formed at an SrTiO3 (STO)/GTO heterointerface. Unlike the situation in STO/LaAlO3 (LAO) heterostructures, where the LAO surface acts as a sink for electrons, the GTO surface does not drain electrons away from the 2DEG.
Liquid sunshine
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: November 2021

Ammonia made from sun, air, and water could turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower.
Cyclohexyl-griselimycin Is Active against Mycobacterium abscessus in Mice
Authors: Aragaw Wassihun Wedajo , Roubert Christine , Fontaine Evelyne , Lagrange Sophie , Zimmerman Matthew D. , Dartois Véronique , Gengenbacher Martin , Dick Thomas
Published: November 2021

Cyclohexyl-griselimycin is a preclinical candidate for use against tuberculosis (TB). Here, we show that this oral cyclodepsipeptide is also active against the intrinsically drug-resistant nontuberculous
mycobacterium Mycobacterium abscessus
in vitro
and in a mouse model of infection.
Putrescine and Its Metabolic Precursor Arginine Promote Biofilm and c-di-GMP Synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Liu Zhexian , Hossain Sarzana S. , Morales Moreira Zayda , Haney Cara H.
Published: November 2021

Biofilm formation allows bacteria to physically attach to a surface, confer tolerance to antimicrobial agents, and promote resistance to host immune responses. As a result, the regulation of biofilm formation is often crucial for bacterial pathogens to establish chronic infections.
A trans-national examination of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on abortion requests through a telemedicine service
Authors: van Ooijen Liën Trudi , Gemzell-Danielsson Kristina , Waltz Mitzi , Gomperts Rebecca
Published: November 2021

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is limiting access to reproductive healthcare worldwide. Substantial research gaps remain regarding the impact of the pandemic on access to abortion care.

Methods

We performed a cohort analysis of abortion requests made through the telemedicine abortion service Women on Web (WoW) between 18 March 2020 and 4 May 2020. We used binary logistic regression analyses to test the association between COVID-19 as a reason for the help request and reporting having had an ultrasound to determine gestation and/or use of contraception. A subanalysis of Italy, Argentina, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was executed to explore differences between countries.

Results

Of requests made during the study period, 43.5% (n=1972) were COVID-19-related. A negative association was found with having had an ultrasound to determine gestation length and COVID-19-related requests. Italy had the highest percentage (66.5%, n=117) of COVID-19-related requests in the subanalysis, followed by Argentina (55.3%, n=68), Malaysia (51.9%, n=41) and the UAE (44.4%, n=75).

Conclusions

Almost half the women and pregnant people having an abortion through WoW reported experiencing obstacles to abortion care because of COVID-19. Abortion guidelines should be updated to permit abortion services via telemedicine. This is especially urgent during the ongoing pandemic.
Home monitoring with technology-supported management in chronic heart failure: a randomised trial
Authors: Rahimi Kazem , Nazarzadeh Milad , Pinho-Gomes Ana-Catarina , Woodward Mark , Salimi-Khorshidi Gholamreza , Ohkuma Toshiaki , Fitzpatrick Raymond , Tarassenko Lionel , Denis Mike , Cleland John
Published: November 2021

Objectives

We aimed to investigate whether digital home monitoring with centralised specialist support for remote management of heart failure (HF) is more effective in improving medical therapy and patients’ quality of life than digital home monitoring alone.

Methods

In a two-armed partially blinded parallel randomised controlled trial, seven sites in the UK recruited a total of 202 high-risk patients with HF (71.3 years SD 11.1; left ventricular ejection fraction 32.9% SD 15.4). Participants in both study arms were given a tablet computer, Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure monitor and weighing scales for health monitoring. Participants randomised to intervention received additional regular feedback to support self-management and their primary care doctors received instructions on blood investigations and pharmacological treatment. The primary outcome was the use of guideline-recommended medical therapy for chronic HF and major comorbidities, measured as a composite opportunity score (total number of recommended treatment given divided by the total number of opportunities the treatment should have been given, with a score 1 indicating 100% adherence to recommendations). Co-primary outcome was change in physical score of Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire.

Results

101 patients were randomised to ‘enhanced self-management’ and 101 to ‘supported medical management’. At the end of follow-up, the opportunity score was 0.54 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.62) in the control arm and 0.61 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.70) in the intervention arm (p=0.25). Physical well-being of participants also did not differ significantly between the groups (17.4 (12.4) mean (SD) for control arm vs 16.5 (12.1) in treatment arm; p for change=0.84).

Conclusions

Central provision of tailored specialist management in a multi-morbid HF population was feasible. However, there was no strong evidence for improvement in use of evidence-based treatment nor health-related quality of life.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN86212709
Magnesium intake is associated with the metabolically healthy obese phenotype
Authors: Guerrero-Romero Fernando , Morales-Gurrola Gerardo , Preza-Rodríguez Lucía , Gómez-Barrientos Alejandra , Olivas-Martínez Ana I , Simental-Mendía Luis E
Published: November 2021

Although magnesium intake is inversely associated with the risk of metabolic abnormalities, whether magnesium intake plays a role on metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype has not been explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the magnesium intake is associated with the MHO phenotype. Apparently, healthy women and men aged 20–65 years with obesity were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Subjects were allocated into MHO (n=124) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) (n=123) groups. MHO phenotype was defined by abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥90 cm in men and ≥80 cm in women) and none, or not more than one of the following risk factors: triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels <40 mg/dL in men and <50 mg/dL in women; fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL; and systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥85 mm Hg. The MUO individuals were characterized by abdominal obesity and the presence of two or more of the aforementioned criteria. The proportion of individuals with high blood pressure (40.7% vs 5.6%, p<0.001), hyperglycemia (69.1% vs 16.9%, p<0.001), hypertriglyceridemia (84.6% vs 36.3%, p<0.001), and low HDL-C (51.2% vs 12.9%, p<0.001) was significantly higher in the MUO individuals as compared with individuals in the MHO group. The logistic regression analysis adjusted by sex and age showed that dietary magnesium intake is significantly associated with the MHO phenotype (OR=1.17; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.25, p=0.005). Our results show that magnesium intake is significantly associated with the MHO phenotype.
Synergistic antitumor activity of pan-PI3K inhibition and immune checkpoint blockade in bladder cancer
Authors: Zhu Shaoming , Ma A-Hong , Zhu Zheng , Adib Elio , Rao Ting , Li Na , Ni Kaiyuan , Chittepu Veera Chandra Sekhar Reddy , Prabhala Rao , Garisto Risco Juan , Kwiatkowski David , Mouw Kent , Sonpavde Guru , Cheng Fan , Pan Chong-xian
Published: November 2021

Background

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) induces durable response in approximately 20% of patients with advanced bladder urothelial cancer (aUC). Over 50% of aUCs harbor genomic alterations along the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. The goal of this project was to determine the synergistic effects and mechanisms of action of PI3K inhibition and ICB combination in aUC.

Methods

Alterations affecting the PI3K pathway were examined in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Cancer Dependency Map databases. Human and mouse cells withPtendeletion were used for in vitro studies. C57BL/6 mice carrying syngeneic tumors were used to determine in vivo activity, mechanisms of action and secondary resistance of pan-PI3K inhibition, ICB and combination.

Results

Alterations along the PI3K pathway occurred in 57% of aUCs in TCGA. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) knockout ofPIK3CAinduced pronounced inhibition of cell proliferation (p=0.0046). PI3K inhibition suppressed cancer cell growth, migration and colony formation in vitro. Pan-PI3K inhibition, antiprogrammed death 1 (aPD1) therapy and combination improved the overall survival (OS) of syngeneic mice with PTEN-deleted tumors from 27 days of the control to 48, 37, and 65 days, respectively. In mice with tumors not containing a PI3K pathway alteration, OS was prolonged by the combination but not single treatments. Pan-PI3K inhibition significantly upregulated CD80, CD86, MHC-I, and MHC-II in dendritic cells, and downregulated the transforming growth factor beta pathway with a false discovery rate-adjusted q value of 0.001. Interferon alpha response was significantly upregulated with aPD1 therapy (q value: <0.001) and combination (q value: 0.027). Compared with the control, combination treatment increased CD8+T-cell infiltration (p=0.005), decreased Treg-cell infiltration (p=0.036), and upregulated the expression of multiple immunostimulatory cytokines and granzyme B (p<0.01). Secondary resistance was associated with upregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and multipleSprrfamily genes.

Conclusions

The combination Pan-PI3K inhibition and ICB has significant antitumor effects in aUC with or without activated PI3K pathway and warrants further clinical investigation. This combination creates an immunostimulatory tumor milieu. Secondary resistance is associated with upregulation of the mTOR pathway andSprrfamily genes.
Study of radial motion phase advance during motion excitations in a Penning trap and accuracy of JYFLTRAP mass spectrometer
Authors: Nesterenko D. A. , Eronen T. , Ge Z. , Kankainen A. , Vilen M.
Published: November 2021

Phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance technique has been implemented at the Penning-trap mass spectrometer JYFLTRAP and is routinely employed for mass measurements of stable and short-lived nuclides produced at IGISOL facility. Systematic uncertainties that impose limitations on the accuracy of measurements are discussed. It was found out that the phase evolution of the radial motion of ions in a Penning trap during the application of radio-frequency fields leads to a systematic cyclotron frequency shift when more than one ion species is present in the trap during the cyclotron frequency measurement. An analytic expression was derived to correctly account for the shift. Cross-reference mass measurements with carbon-cluster ions have been performed providing the mass-dependent and residual uncertainties.
A numerical analysis for FRW universe in f(R,T) gravity
Authors: Sofuoğlu Değer , Akıllı Mahmut
Published: November 2021

In this work, Friedmann–Robertson–Walker model is investigated in [Formula: see text] gravity for a perfect fluid by a numerical analysis. In order to solve the modified field equations, we use a new solution method based on to propose the functional forms of the energy density and the pressure. In this context, in keeping with the recent indications of the observed universe, we consider two different propositions. We show for both propositions that the behaviors of the Hubble and the deceleration parameters are consistent with astrophysical observations and the model depicts de Sitter universe. It is also shown that the model incorporates the initial radiation-dominated era, and it is dominated by a quintessence like fluid at late era for both the propositions.
Predicting Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction Based on Machine Learning Classifiers: A Comparative Multi-Dataset Study
Authors: Guo Hongwei , Zhuang Xiaoying , Chen Jianfeng , Zhu Hehua
Published: November 2021

The study and prediction of soil liquefaction is an important and complex issue in geotechnical earthquake engineering. This paper attempts to compare the predictability of soil liquefaction potential between several machine learning classification models, which includes some tree-based classifiers, multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks, Support Vector Machine (SVM), some state-of-the-art ensemble methods, K nearest neighbors method, classical Naive Bayesian classifier and logistic regression. Three data sets covering shear-wave velocity measurements, cone penetration testing (CPT), and real historic earthquakes cases are employed to train and evaluate the machine learning classifiers. In order to make the best use of large varieties of statistical and machine learning classification algorithms, it is necessary to give a comparative evaluation of the model performance before model selection and offer advice on a unified stable model for all sorts of collected datasets. In the comparative study, data preprocessing is first performed to ensure the dataset into all machine models is of good quality. Then all three datasets with different input features are passed into the machine learning algorithms to obtain its confusion matrix and some evaluation indices. Reliable assessment of model performance is done through a repeated sub-sampling process. Experimental results are also supported by ROC curves. The results of this study indicated that although most machine learning methods are able to represent the complex relationship between seismic proper seismic properties of soils and corresponding liquefaction potential, ensemble learning has achieved more successful results in all three datasets test and can be a fairly promising approach on prediction of earthquake-induced soil liquefaction.
Are Households Willing to Finance the Cost of Individual Water Supply? Case Study in Central Tunisia
Authors: Favre Marine
Published: November 2021

In developing countries, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations and the expectations expressed by modern local populations call for universal water access through individual connections (IC), to be achieved by 2030. An ambitious target such as this presents the challenge of how best to achieve the goal of funding high-quality but expensive water supply systems, to serve populations with low incomes. This raises the question of the assessment of the relevant households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improved water service in rural areas, in particular in the context of developing countries. This paper examines this issue using a case study in Tunisia. As with other developing countries, Tunisia faces difficult challenges: the increasing demand for water and the inherent cost that is involved must be met whilst climate change is likely to increase the pressure on already stressed resources.

The approach applied in this paper is to assess the households’ WTP using a contingent valuation (CV) method in a dedicated field household survey in Central Tunisia. The particular governorate in which the survey was conducted was facing at the time of this study high social expectations, in particular, coming under increasing demand from inhabitants of rural communities to be individually connected to water supplies in the same way as their urban counterparts who were served by SONEDE, the national utility company.

The results of the survey reveal that non-SONEDE-piped households were not willing to pay the amount required in order to have an individual connection (the average bid was USD 443 whereas the expected contribution is above USD 800). It was found that a household’s WTP for an individual connection had a direct relationship with its trust in the current water management model, alternative modes of supply, and its socio-economic characteristics. However, if already connected, households would be willing to pay more than their current water expenses, although the amount they were willing to pay was still lower than the sustainable water cost enabling long-term maintenance of the system.

SONEDE-piped households stated a clear WTP the amount required to keep water services for the future (average bid of USD 14 to add to their current quarterly water bill of USD 14). Based on these results, this paper concludes by highlighting several policy implications.
Low-Resource Language Discrimination toward Chinese Dialects with Transfer Learning and Data Augmentation
Authors: Xu Fan , Dan Yangjie , Yan Keyu , Ma Yong , Wang Mingwen
Published: November 2021

Chinese dialects discrimination is a challenging natural language processing task due to scarce annotation resource. In this article, we develop a novel Chinese dialects discrimination framework with transfer learning and data augmentation (CDDTLDA) in order to overcome the shortage of resources. To be more specific, we first use a relatively larger Chinese dialects corpus to train a source-side automatic speech recognition (ASR) model. Then, we adopt a simple but effective data augmentation method (i.e., speed, pitch, and noise disturbance) to augment the target-side low-resource Chinese dialects, and fine-tune another target ASR model based on the previous source-side ASR model. Meanwhile, the potential common semantic features between source-side and target-side ASR models can be captured by using self-attention mechanism. Finally, we extract the hidden semantic representation in the target ASR model to conduct Chinese dialects discrimination. Our extensive experimental results demonstrate that our model significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods on two benchmark Chinese dialects corpora.
Polycystic Liver Disease: Advances in Understanding and Treatment
Authors: Masyuk Tatyana V. , Masyuk Anatoliy I. , LaRusso Nicholas F.
Published: November 2021

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a group of genetic disorders characterized by progressive development of cholangiocyte-derived fluid-filled hepatic cysts. PLD is the most common manifestation of autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney diseases and rarely occurs as autosomal dominant PLD. The mechanisms of PLD are a sequence of the primary (mutations in PLD-causative genes), secondary (initiation of cyst formation), and tertiary (progression of hepatic cystogenesis) interconnected molecular and cellular events in cholangiocytes. Nonsurgical, surgical, and limited pharmacological treatment options are currently available for clinical management of PLD. Substantial evidence suggests that pharmacological targeting of the signaling pathways and intracellular processes involved in the progression of hepatic cystogenesis is beneficial for PLD. Many of these targets have been evaluated in preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of PLD and clinical and preclinical treatment strategies.
Scaling Up Public Health Interventions: Engaging Partners Across Multiple Levels
Authors: Leeman Jennifer , Boisson Alix , Go Vivian
Published: November 2021

Advancing the science of intervention scale-up is essential to increasing the impact of effective interventions at the regional and national levels. In contrast with work in high-income countries (HICs), where scale-up research has been limited, researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have conducted numerous studies on the regional and national scale-up of interventions. In this article, we review the state of the science on intervention scale-up in both HICs and LMICs. We provide an introduction to the elements of scale-up followed by a description of the scale-up process, with an illustrative case study from our own research. We then present findings from a scoping review comparing scale-up studies in LMIC and HIC settings. We conclude with lessons learned and recommendations for improving scale-up research.
Voltammetric Determination of Tramadol Using a Hierarchical Graphene Oxide Nanoplatelets Modified Electrode
Authors: Saichanapan Jenjira , Promsuwan Kiattisak , Saisahas Kasrin , Soleh Asamee , Chang Kah Haw , Abdullah Ahmad Fahmi Lim , Limbut Warakorn
Published: November 2021

Tramadol (TRA) is a drug commonly used to alleviate severe pain. It is sometimes abused by teenagers, who mix it with beverages. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with hierarchical graphene oxide nanoplatelets (H-GONPs) and proposed as an electrochemical sensor platform to detect TRA. The surface morphology of H-GONPs was compared with that of graphene oxide nanosheets (GONSs). Both materials were morphologically, chemically, and structurally characterized. The adsorption and determination of TRA at both electrodes were tested using electrical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and adsorptive stripping voltammetry. The H-GONPs/GCE showed a faster charge transfer rate and larger active surface area. The anodic current response of TRA was three times higher at the H-GONPs/GCE than at the GONSs/GCE. In the optimal condition, the calibration curve of TRA demonstrated good linearity in two TRA concentration ranges. Electrode sensitivity was high (20.7 μA·μM−1·cm2), limit of detection low (0.015 μM), and precision and anti-interference good. The developed sensor was applied to detect TRA in pharmaceutical samples and spiked beverage, saliva, and urine samples. Recoveries were between 92 ± 4% and 102 ± 2% with RSDs < 4.3%. The results showed the good potential of the developed sensor for TRA detection.
Chemical Heterogeneity in PAN/LLZTO Composite Electrolytes by Synchrotron Imaging
Authors: Xu Tianze , Chen Chunrun , Jin Tianwei , Lou Shuaifeng , Zhang Ruiwen , Xiao Xianghui , Huang Xiaojing , Yang Yuan
Published: November 2021

Solid polymer/ceramic composite electrolytes are promising for batteries due to their attractive thermal stability and mechanical properties. Chemical heterogeneity in solid composite electrolytes, such as the inhomogeneity in the ceramic phase and salt distribution at the polymer/ceramic interface, is critical to the performance of solid composite electrolytes. However, such heterogeneity has not been well understood yet. In this work, we use Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRF) and Transmission X-ray Microscope (TXM) to image nanoscale chemical heterogeneity in polyacrylamide/Li7+xLa3Zr2−xTaxO12 (LLZTO) composite electrolytes and investigate the effects of lithium salt, salt concentration, and plasticizer. We find that LLZTO particles show strong inter- and intra-particles chemical heterogeneities, and the off-stoichiometry of Zr in an LLZTO particle is unlikely to be only balanced by Ta substitution. Moreover, statistical analysis suggests that LiI tends to accumulate at the ceramic/polymer interface at a low concentration of 5 wt%, but no such tendency was observed in samples with 10 wt% LiI. However, composite electrolytes with LiTFSI show interfacial accumulation at both 5 wt% and 10 wt%. This report provides insight into element distributions in solid composite electrolytes, and we hope further researches can shed light on the connections between chemical heterogeneity and ionic transport pathway inside.
Graphene-Based Bipolar Junction Transistor
Authors: Rajabi Mehran , Amirmazlaghani Mina , Raissi Farshid
Published: November 2021

Graphene was considered likely to revolutionize the electronics industry. This expectation has not yet been fulfilled, mainly due to the non-ideal characteristics of graphene-based transistors. Here, we propose a novel graphene-based structure as a graphene-based bipolar junction transistor (G-BJT), a nanoscale transistor which has the ideal characteristics of the common BJT transistor. In this device, N-P-N regions are formed in the graphene channel by applying voltages to the three gates. The carrier concentrations, energy band diagrams, and current-voltage curves are measured and presented. The base-emitter junction shows a rectifying behavior with the ideality factor in the range of (2.8–3.2), the built-in potential of 0.38V, and the saturation current of 10−12 A. The G-BJT provides a minimum current gain of 20 at the base-width of 10 nm, a feature that cannot be easily obtained in Si-based BJTs. Interestingly, the current gain(β) can be controlled by the gate voltages in G-BJT and changes by 26.5% compared to the maximum value, which leads to the controllability of this proposed transistor. Identical BJT behavior, scalability down to nanometer range, large carrier mobility, along the controllable current gain of G-BJT make this transistor a good candidate for the next generation of the nanoelectronics industry.
Application of the Ultimate Hanging Arch Length of the Layered Roof with Anchors and the Gob‐Side Entry Retaining
Authors: Li Peng , Zheng Xigui , Guo Xiaowei , Li Boyang , Wang Cong
Published: November 2021

The gob‐side entry retaining plays an important role in improving working face ventilation, alleviating working face connection, and increasing mining revenue. According to the characteristics of the crossheading roof at the 2103 working face of a mine in Shanxi, a structural mechanics model of the roof was established to derive the theoretical formulae for the ultimate hanging arch length of the layered roof with anchors and the initial support resistance of the entry‐side support. The influence factors of the ultimate hanging arch length were evaluated using local sensitivity analysis. Based on the theoretical study, the work proposed the collaborative support technology of the crossheading, collaborative support at the 2103 working face. The results showed that the ultimate hanging arch length was most influenced by the width of the plastic zone, followed by the width of the roadway, supporting strength, anchoring strength, layered thickness, and mining depth, while the ultimate tensile strength had little influence. The initial support resistance of the entry‐side supports was closely related to the ultimate hanging arch length and the process of gob‐side entry retaining. The improved entry‐retaining supporting process could control the sharp surface convergence of the surrounding rocks of the entry retaining, the sinkage of the roof of the entry‐retaining section was controlled below 100 mm, and that of the advanced section was controlled below 50 mm. The stability of the supports next to the entry is improved, and the needs of the site project are met.
Use of Intraoperative Frozen Section in the Surgical Management of Patients with Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
Authors: Loh LiAnn , Tiwari Priya , Lee Jingtzer , Low O-Wern , Nallathamby Vigneswaran , Lee Hanjing , Lim Jane , Lim Thiam Chye , Yap Yan Lin
Published: November 2021

Background. Intraoperative frozen section (IFS) is often utilised in the surgical treatment of nonmelanocytic skin cancer (NMSC) in sensitive facial regions when Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is not available. Objective. To compare the outcome of NMSC patients with excision performed with and without IFS. Materials and Methods. A retrospective, single-centre study was performed on all patients who had undergone resection of NMSC with and without IFS control at the National University Hospital (NUH) from 2010 to 2015. Results. 116 patients were recruited, of which 86 had IFS and 30 did not. The complete excision rate of patients with IFS was higher at 87.2% (

p
=
0.0194

), need for secondary operation was lower at 1.2% (

p
=
0.005

), and need for postsurgery radiotherapy or chemotherapy was lower at 1.2% (

p
=
0.001

). The average duration of surgery in patients who underwent IFS was 95.4 minutes compared to 70.1 minutes in cases which did not undergo IFS. Conclusion. Our study showed an increased complete excision rate and reduced need for secondary surgeries and adjuvant therapy in patients with IFS. However, a longer operative duration was required. Use of IFS may be useful in patients with NMSC lesions in sensitive regions requiring complex reconstruction after tumour excision.
Astragaloside IV Inhibits Bleomycin‐Induced Ferroptosis in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Mediating LPC
Authors: Sheng Shuai , Xu Jialin , Liang Qingyang , Hong Lei , Zhang Li
Published: November 2021

Ferroptosis, as an iron‐dependent programmed cell death pathway, can induce a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Astragaloside IV (AS‐IV), which is purified from Astragalus membranaceus, can protect endothelial function and promote vascular regeneration. However, the role played by AS‐IV in ferroptosis remains unknown. In this study, the lipid metabolomics in HUVECs treated with/without bleomycin and/or AS‐IV were explored using LC/MS. The most differential metabolite between groups was further identified via GO and pathway enrichment analyses. The effects of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), AS‐IV, and FIN56 on cell viability were explored using the CCK‐8 assay, their effects on cell senescence were examined by β‐galactosidase staining, and their effects on ferroptosis were detected by a flow cytometric analysis of lipid ROS levels, transmission electron microscopy, and an assay for cellular iron levels. The related mechanisms were investigated by real‐time PCR and Western blot assays. Our results showed that LPC, as the most differential metabolite, inhibited cell viability but promoted cell apoptosis and senescence as its concentration increased. Also, the decreased cell activity, increased iron ion and lipid ROS levels, and the enhanced cell senescence induced by LPC treatment were all significantly reversed by AS‐IV but further enhanced by FIN56 treatment. The changes in mitochondrial morphology caused by the LPC treatment were significantly alleviated by the AS‐IV treatment, while treatment with FIN56 reversed those phenomena. Moreover, AS‐IV partially upregulated the levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression which were reduced by LPC. However, those changes were prevented by FIN56 treatment. In conclusion, our data suggested that AS‐IV could serve as a novel drug for treating ferroptosis‐related diseases.
Evaluation of Real-Life Investigational Use of Enoximone in Asthma, the Third Step in Drug Repurposing: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Beute Jan , Boermans Pieter , KleinJan Alex
Published: November 2021

Background. The population of uncontrolled asthma patients represents a large therapeutic burden. The PDE3-inhibitor enoximone is a strong and quick bronchodilator and is known to successfully treat life-threatening bronchial asthma (status asthmaticus). Translational mice models showed anti-inflammatory effects when PDE3 was targeted. Methods. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of PDE3-inhibitor enoximone as oral treatment for chronic asthma in a real-life off-label setting. Investigational use of PDE3-inhibitor enoximone: 51 outpatients (age 18–77) with chronic asthma were followed using off-label personalized low doses of the PDE3-inhibitor enoximone. Duration of treatment was 2–8 years. Results. Four groups could be distinguished as follows: The first group includes patients who use enoximone as an add-on, because it helps them in maintaining a better general wellbeing; they still use their traditional medication (n = 5). The second group consists of patients who use enoximone and were able to phase down their traditional medication without deterioration of their asthma symptoms (n = 11). The third group comprises patients who were able to discontinue their traditional medication and use only enoximone without deterioration of their asthma symptoms (n = 24). The last one has patients who, after having used enoximone for some time, saw their symptoms disappear and now use no medication at all, not even enoximone (n = 11). All patients reported improvement or at least alleviation of their asthma symptoms. All patients reported a better quality of life and greater drug compliance. Conclusion. The evaluation shows that PDE3-inhibitor enoximone is a viable alternative for or addition to current asthma therapeutics, as both add-on and stand-alone, considerably reducing the use of LABAs/SABAs/ICS, with no or negligible side effects. Additional studies are advisable.
Emergency Separation Simulation and Damage Prediction of an Airliner under Wheel‐Up Landing Condition
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Nie Hong , Wu Jianfei , Yu Muqi
Published: November 2021

To predict the damage to and response of aircraft structures during wheel‐up crash landing, numerical simulations were performed using a constitutive and damage model for ductile metallic materials developed in the ABAQUS/Explicit environment. The model of an entire aircraft and detailed submodels were established. The Johnson–Cook and Gurson material constitutive models were validated by conducting Hopkinson’s bar test. A drop hammer test and a static test of the fuse pins were performed to determine and verify the response and strength of the structure. The experimental and analytical results indicate that the stain rate and damage parameters significantly influence the emergency separation load, fuse pin strength, and separation sequence. The analysis results were compared with the test results, and a close agreement was found in terms of the maximum load and deformation.
Observation on the Efficacy of Shouhui Tongbian Capsule in the Treatment of Functional Constipation and Study on Its Regulatory Effect on Intestinal Flora
Authors: Zhang Hongxi , Han Bao , Zhang Zhiyun , Tian Zhenguo , Yu Yongduo
Published: November 2021

Functional constipation is relatively common in both adults and children, exhibiting similar symptoms. However, there are significant differences in the epidemiology, symptomatology, pathophysiology, diagnostic tests, and treatment management of functional constipation by age. The treatment of functional constipation is generally based on lifestyle interventions, pelvic floor interventions, and pharmacotherapy. Pharmacological treatment is popular as the most direct and effective modality, especially the herbal preparations (e.g., Shouhui Tongbian capsule), which are popular for their lower toxic side effects and less physiological reactions. In our clinical study, patients with functional constipation who took Shouhui Tongbian capsules for a longer period of time showed significantly better improvement than those who took them for a shorter period of time (

P
<
0.001

). Relative to the duration of the disease, the improvement effect was higher in patients with short duration of the disease than in patients with long duration of the disease (

P
<
0.001

). What’s more, Shouhui Tongbian capsule had a regulating effect on intestinal flora, and the regulating effect was stronger in patients with a shorter disease duration.
DNAzymes, Novel Therapeutic Agents in Cancer Therapy: A Review of Concepts to Applications
Authors: Thomas I. B. K. , Gaminda K. A. P. , Jayasinghe C. D. , Abeysinghe D. T. , Senthilnithy R.
Published: November 2021

The past few decades have witnessed a rapid evolution in cancer drug research which is aimed at developing active biological interventions to regulate cancer-specific molecular targets. Nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including ribozymes, antisense oligonucleotides, small interference RNA (siRNA), aptamer, and DNAzymes, have emerged as promising candidates regulating cancer-specific genes at either the transcriptional or posttranscriptional level. Gene-specific catalytic DNA molecules, or DNAzymes, have shown promise as a therapeutic intervention against cancer in various in vitro and in vivo models, expediting towards clinical applications. DNAzymes are single-stranded catalytic DNA that has not been observed in nature, and they are synthesized through in vitro selection processes from a large pool of random DNA libraries. The intrinsic properties of DNAzymes like small molecular weight, higher stability, excellent programmability, diversity, and low cost have brought them to the forefront of the nucleic acid-based therapeutic arsenal available for cancers. In recent years, considerable efforts have been undertaken to assess a variety of DNAzymes against different cancers. However, their therapeutic application is constrained by the low delivery efficiency, cellular uptake, and target detection within the tumour microenvironment. Thus, there is a pursuit to identify efficient delivery methods in vivo before the full potential of DNAzymes in cancer therapy is realized. In this light, a review of the recent advances in the use of DNAzymes against cancers in preclinical and clinical settings is valuable to understand its potential as effective cancer therapy. We have thus sought to firstly provide a brief overview of construction and recent improvements in the design of DNAzymes. Secondly, this review stipulates the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of DNAzymes developed against major hallmarks of cancers tested in preclinical and clinical settings. Lastly, the recent advances in DNAzyme delivery systems along with the challenges and prospects for the clinical application of DNAzymes as cancer therapy are also discussed.
Analysis of Influencing Factors and Mechanism of Strength of Cement-Modified Silty Sand
Authors: Jin Weidong , Wang Zhe , Ai Yongming , Liu Chenyang
Published: November 2021

The unconfined compressive strength of cement-modified silty sand in Jilin Province was investigated in this study. For this purpose, various tests were conducted, including the screening test, compaction test, CBR test, X-ray fluorescence detection, and unconfined compressive strength test. Effects of compaction degree, soil quality, water quality, cement content, and curing age were considered. The results show that CBR value is positively correlated with compactness. Two kinds of different water qualities have little effect on unconfined compressive strength of cement-improved soil; with the increase in cement content, the unconfined compressive strength increases, and the power function equation established by the two is significantly correlated. The logarithmic relationship between cement-soil strength and curing age is approximately linear. Through regression analysis, the comprehensive characterization parameters of cement-soil strength, such as water-cement ratio, cement content, and curing age, are put forward. The unconfined compressive strength of cement-modified silty sand has a good power function relationship with the comprehensive characterization parameters, and the fitting degree between the strength prediction formula and the existing research and test data exceeds 90%, which verifies the effectiveness of the comprehensive characterization parameters.
Meta-Analyses of Multiple Gene Expression Profiles to Screen Hub Genes Related to Osteoarthritis
Authors: Zhu Xianyang , Guo Wen
Published: November 2021

Background: This study aimed to screen and validate the crucial genes involved in osteoarthritis (OA) and explore its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: Four expression profile datasets related to OA were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from 4 microarray patterns were identified by the meta-analysis method. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method was used to investigate stable modules most related to OA. In addition, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built to explore hub genes in OA. Moreover, OA-related genes and pathways were retrieved from Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Results: A total of 1,136 DEGs were identified from 4 datasets. Based on these DEGs, WGCNA further explored 370 genes included in the 3 OA-related stable modules. A total of 10 hub genes were identified in the PPI network, including AKT1, CDC42, HLA-DQA2, TUBB, TWISTNB, GSK3B, FZD2, KLC1, GUSB, and RHOG. Besides, 5 pathways including “Lysosome,” “Pathways in cancer,” “Wnt signaling pathway,” “ECM-receptor interaction” and “Focal adhesion” in CTD and enrichment analysis and 5 OA-related hub genes (including GSK3B, CDC42, AKT1, FZD2, and GUSB) were identified. Conclusion: In this study, the meta-analysis was used to screen the central genes associated with OA in a variety of gene expression profiles. Three OA-related modules (green, turquoise, and yellow) containing 370 genes were identified through WGCNA. It was discovered through the gene-pathway network that GSK3B, CDC42, AKT1, FZD2, and GUSB may be key genes related to the progress of OA and may become promising therapeutic targets.
Surgical Treatment of Gallstone Ileus: Less Is More
Authors: Vera-Mansilla Cristina , Sanchez-Gollarte Ana , Matias Belen , Mendoza-Moreno Fernando , Díez-Alonso Manuel , Garcia-Moreno Nisa Francisca
Published: November 2021

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the need for cholecystectomy in patients who underwent surgery for gallstone ileus. Methods: This was a retrospective review of the clinical history of patients who underwent surgery for gallstone ileus between December 1992 and December 2018 and follow-up until October 2020. Data regarding the surgical intervention, location of the obstruction, and surgical procedure performed were collected, as well as complications in relation to biliary pathology in the postoperative period. Results: Twenty-five patients underwent surgery for gallstone ileus. In all patients, except one, the site of the obstruction was identified. The mean age of the patients was 72 (standard deviation [SD] 13.3) years, with a female predominance (18: 7). The patients presented symptoms, on average, 2.9 (1–7) days before going to the emergency room; the primary symptoms were vomiting associated with abdominal pain and constipation (56%). Fifty-six percent of patients were diagnosed preoperatively by imaging tests. In 72% of patients, an enterolithotomy was performed alone without any other intervention on the gallbladder or bile duct. Eighty-three percent of the patients did not present any cholecystobiliary complications during the entire follow-up period, and urgent or delayed cholecystectomy was not performed after the acute episode. Conclusions: Gallstone ileus is a rare entity, and there are no randomized studies that support a preferred treatment. If surgical intervention is required, enterotomy for stone extraction is a safe and effective technique, and in our experience, urgent or delayed cholecystectomy is not necessary.