bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting young people's cognition and communication in the courtroom: A scoping review of current practices
Authors: Turner Kim , Hughes Nathan
Published: May 2022

Background

A recent meta‐analysis suggested that the majority of young people in contact with the criminal justice system have cognitive and/or communication impairments. Over the past 20 years, recognition of these complex needs has resulted in support measures being put in place in courtrooms across the globe. It is therefore timely to review evidence for the efficacy of these measures.

Aims

This scoping review evaluates evidence on support measures employed to facilitate access to court proceedings for individuals with cognition and communication impairments, and considers how this evidence might inform future research and practice.

Methods

Research databases were searched for studies that: directly or indirectly involved a population with a form of functional impairment and/or diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder; and refer to support delivered to remove barriers or support access to courtroom processes.

Results

Searches identified 3,318 distinct articles. Following review, 37 papers were identified for inclusion. The papers were published between 1993 and 2019, with the majority being published since 2010 (n = 23). The majority of papers were from the United Kingdom (n = 26); other countries represented were Australia (n = 1), Canada (n = 3), New Zealand (n = 2), UK papers don't necessarily state which countries involved (n = 2) Scotland specifically state Scotland only and the United States (n = 3). No papers met the criteria for an experimental research design.

Conclusions

Whilst the high level of need in this population is well established, which support measures are most effective in enabling engagement in court processes is not currently clear. More robust evaluative research is therefore required to establish the most effective methods of support. Despite this lack of evidence regarding outcomes, both young people and professionals generally view support measures favourably. There is an increasing onus on professionals to adapt their practice rather than to support/enhance the cognition and communication skills of young people.
Detection and Treatment of Persistent Pollutants in Water: General Review of Pharmaceutical Products
Authors: Bustos Bustos Erika , Sandoval‐González Antonia , Martínez‐Sánchez Carolina
Published: May 2022

Environmental problems of great complexity arise from the enormous number of toxic substances that are generated by anthropogenic activities. Seemingly, society encounters new issues every day thus these problems seem to be endless. Now in the face of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the SARS‐CoV‐2 crisis, a large number of emerging treatment compounds generated by pharmaceutical companies worldwide makes future issues even more treacherous. For this reason, there is an increasing need to detect and treat emerging compounds to prevent them from becoming persistent pollutants. This review describes the advances in the use of electrochemical sensors with modified carbon‐based electrodes among other issues, to determine antibiotics, anti‐inflammatories and antidepressants levels in the environment. It further explores technologies suggested for cleaning wastewater polluted by pharmaceutical products using biological or advanced oxidation processes including photolysis, photocatalysis, microwave heating, ultrasound, Fenton, electro‐Fenton, photoelectro‐Fenton and various combined treatments.
Fluid structure interaction versus rigid‐wall approach in the study of the symptomatic stenosed carotid artery: Importance of wall compliance and resilience of loose connective tissue
Authors: Jodko Daniel , Jeckowski Mateusz , Tyfa Zbigniew
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of a compliant wall approach in modeling of non‐Newtonian and non‐physiological blood flows. A case study of a stenosed and symptomatic carotid bifurcation was considered to show the influence of the wall‐resilience assumption on the flow parameters obtained with numerical simulations. Patient‐specific data concerning the geometry and flow conditions were collected and used to carry out two‐way coupled fluid structure interaction simulations of the pulsatile blood flow through carotid artery. The wall compliance was considered separately as related to the wall‐elasticity and as associated with the reaction of the loose connective tissue surrounding the carotid bifurcation. The obtained hemodynamic parameters were compared to those which were found in rigid‐wall simulations. The difference between the results obtained for rigid‐wall and compliant‐wall approaches for the peak‐systolic area‐averaged wall shear stress achieved 35%, whereas the difference between the time‐averaged local vorticity and shear strain reached, respectively, 42% and 43%. The influence of the highly resilient wall on the monitored hemodynamic parameters was significant even if time‐averaged values are compared, which suggests that these metrics are considerably overestimated if the wall compliance is not considered. Moreover, the findings show that the mechanical response of the loose connective tissue cannot be neglected in blood flow simulations. Additionally, this study indicates that stiffening of the arterial wall due to atherosclerosis significantly rises hemodynamic parameters. This explains the therapeutic benefits of surgical removal of plaque lesions formed in the carotid bifurcation (endarterectomy).
Benchmarking Adaptive Steered Molecular Dynamics (ASMD) on CHARMM Force Fields
Authors: Allen Caley , Bureau Hailey R. , McGee T. Dwight , Quirk Stephen , Hernandez Rigoberto
Published: May 2022

The potentials of mean force (PMFs) along the end‐to‐end distance of two different helical peptides have been obtained and benchmarked using the adaptive steered molecular dynamics (ASMD) method. The results depend strongly on the choice of force field driving the underlying all‐atom molecular dynamics, and are reported with respect to the three most popular CHARMM force field versions: c22, c27 and c36. Two small peptides,
and 1PEF, serve as the particular case studies. The comparisons between the versions of the CHARMM force fields provides both a qualitative and quantitative look at their performance in forced unfolding simulations in which peptides undergo large changes in structural conformations. We find that ASMD with the underlying c36 force field provides the most robust results for the selected benchmark peptides.
Hierarchical Metal Sulfides Heterostructure as Superior Bifunctional Electrode for Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Li Kaixun , Feng Dongmei , Tong Yun
Published: May 2022

The development of highly active bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is of significant importance, but huge challenges remain. The key element depends on engineering the electronic structure and surface properties of material to achieve improved catalytic activity. Herein, a hierarchical nanowire array of metal sulfides heterostructure on nickel foam (FeCoNiSx/NF) was designed as a novel type of hybrid electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. The hybrid structure endowed plenty of catalytic active sites, strong electronic interactions, and high interfacial charge transferability, leading to superior bifunctional performance. As a result, the FeCoNiSx/NF catalyst delivered low overpotentials of 97 and 260 mV at the current density of 50 mA cm−2 for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, respectively. Moreover, the FeCoNiSx/NF‐based water electrolyzer exhibited a small potential of 1.57 V for a high current density of 50 mA cm−2. These results indicate the promising application potential of FeCoNiSx/NF electrode for hydrogen generation. This work provides a new approach to develop robust hybrid materials as the highly active electrode for electrocatalytic water splitting.
The role of cell‐penetrating peptides in potential anti‐cancer therapy
Authors: Zhou Meiling , Zou Xi , Cheng Kexin , Zhong Suye , Su Yangzhou , Wu Tao , Tao Yongguang , Cong Li , Yan Bin , Jiang Yiqun
Published: May 2022

Due to the complex physiological structure, microenvironment and multiple physiological barriers, traditional anti‐cancer drugs are severely restricted from reaching the tumour site. Cell‐penetrating peptides (CPPs) are typically made up of 5–30 amino acids, and can be utilised as molecular transporters to facilitate the passage of therapeutic drugs across physiological barriers. Up to now, CPPs have widely been used in many anti‐cancer treatment strategies, serving as an excellent potential choice for oncology treatment. However, their drawbacks, such as the lack of cell specificity, short duration of action, poor stability in vivo, compatibility problems (i.e. immunogenicity), poor therapeutic efficacy and formation of unwanted metabolites, have limited their further application in cancer treatment. The cellular uptake mechanisms of CPPs involve mainly endocytosis and direct penetration, but still remain highly controversial in academia. The CPPs‐based drug delivery strategy could be improved by clever design or chemical modifications to develop the next‐generation CPPs with enhanced cell penetration capability, stability and selectivity. In addition, some recent advances in targeted cell penetration that involve CPPs provide some new ideas to optimise CPPs.
Quantifying anthropogenic wolf mortality in relation to hunting regulations and landscape attributes across North America
Authors: Hill Jacob E. , Boone Hailey M. , Gantchoff Mariela G. , Kautz Todd M. , Kellner Kenneth F. , Orning Elizabeth K. , Parchizadeh Jamshid , Petroelje Tyler R. , Wehr Nathaniel H. , Finnegan Shannon P. , Fowler Nicholas L. , Lutto Ashley L. , Schooler Sarah L. , van den Bosch Merijn , Zubiria Perez Alejandra , Belant Jerrold L.
Published: May 2022

Understanding the types and magnitude of human‐caused mortality is essential for maintaining viable large carnivore populations. We used a database of cause‐specific mortality to examine how hunting regulations and landscape configurations influenced human‐caused mortality of North American gray wolves (Canis lupus). Our dataset included 21 studies that monitored the fates of 3564 wolves and reported 1442 mortalities. Human‐caused mortality accounted for 61% of mortality overall, with 23% due to illegal harvest, 16% due to legal harvest, and 12% the result of management removal. The overall proportion of anthropogenic wolf mortality was lowest in areas with an open hunting season compared to areas with a closed hunting season or mixed hunting regulations, suggesting that harvest mortality was neither fully additive nor compensatory. Proportion of mortality from management removal was reduced in areas with an open hunting season, suggesting that legal harvest may reduce human‐wolf conflicts or alternatively that areas with legal harvest have less potential for management removals (e.g., less livestock depredation). Proportion of natural habitat was negatively correlated with the proportion of anthropogenic and illegal harvest mortality. Additionally, the proportion of mortality due to illegal harvest increased with greater natural habitat fragmentation. The observed association between large patches of natural habitat and reductions in several sources of anthropogenic wolf mortality reiterate the importance of habitat preservation to maintain wolf populations. Furthermore, effective management of wolf populations via implementation of harvest may reduce conflict with humans. Effective wolf conservation will depend on holistic strategies that integrate ecological and socioeconomic factors to facilitate their long‐term coexistence with humans.
The foraging behavior of nonbreeding Adélie penguins in the western Antarctic Peninsula during the breeding season
Authors: Oosthuizen W. Chris , Pistorius Pierre A. , Korczak‐Abshire Malgorzata , Hinke Jefferson T. , Santos Mercedes , Lowther Andrew D.
Published: May 2022

Information on marine predator at‐sea distributions is key to understanding ecosystem and community dynamics and an important component of spatial management frameworks that aim to identify regions important for conservation. Tracking data from seabirds are widely used to define priority areas for conservation, but such data are often restricted to the breeding population. This also applies to penguins in Antarctica, where identification of important habitat for nonbreeders has received limited attention. Nonbreeding penguins are expected to have larger foraging distributions than breeding conspecifics, which may alter their interactions with physical environmental factors, conspecifics, other marine predators, and threats. We studied the movement behavior of nonbreeding Adélie penguins tracked during the 2016/2017 breeding season at King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. We quantify how nonbreeding penguins' horizontal moment behavior varies in relation to environmental conditions and assess the extent of spatial overlap in the foraging ranges of nonbreeders and breeders, which were tracked over several years. Nonbreeders increased their prey search and area‐restricted foraging behavior as sea surface temperature and bottom depths decreased, and in response to increasing sea ice concentration. Nonbreeders tended to transit (high directional movement) over the relatively deep Central Basin of the Bransfield Strait. The majority of foraging behavior occurred within the colder, Weddell Sea–sourced water of the Antarctic Coastal Current (incubation) and in the Weddell Sea (crèche). The utilization distributions of breeders and nonbreeders overlapped in the central Bransfield Strait. Spatial segregation was greater during the crèche stage of breeding compared to incubation and brood, because chick provisioning still constrained the foraging range of breeders to a scale of a few tens of kilometers, while nonbreeders commenced with premolt foraging trips into the Weddell Sea. Our results show that breeding and nonbreeding penguins may not be impacted similarly by local environmental variability, given that their spatial and temporal scales of foraging differ during some part of the austral summer. Our study highlights the need to account for different life history stages when characterizing foraging behavior of marine predator populations. This is particularly important for “sentinel” species monitored as part of marine conservation and ecosystem‐based management programs.
Return of forest structure and diversity in tropical restoration plantings
Authors: Beltrán Luis Carlos , Martínez‐Garza Cristina , Howe Henry F.
Published: May 2022

Stepping‐stone restoration plantings can reconcile conservation goals and local land‐use needs in highly fragmented ecosystems. We explored how initial planting composition influences recruiting plant species density, diversity, abundance, and forest structure in a 13‐year‐old restoration experiment in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Treatments included eight fenced plantings with animal‐dispersed species, eight plantings with wind‐dispersed species, eight unplanted plots to favor natural succession, and eight plots in the primary forest as reference sites. We predicted that by attracting more seed dispersers, animal‐dispersed plantings would most closely resemble the primary forest. A census of trees taller than 2 m showed that while wind‐dispersed plantings had more recruits, the animal‐dispersed plantings most closely resembled the primary forest in pioneer abundance, species density and abundance of biotically dispersed and abiotically dispersed plants, individual tree basal area (in square meters per hectare), and vertical structure. The wind‐dispersed plantings more closely approximated the forest in non‐pioneer abundance and community composition. However, restoration treatments were more similar to each other than to the primary forest and did not differ in plant diversity. Animal‐dispersed and wind‐dispersed plantings did not differ in non‐pioneer species density and matched the primary forest in total plot basal area. Higher abundance of trees in wind‐plantings is explained by lower establishment limitations, seed legacy effects, and rapid reproduction of a few planted species. As the experiment continues, we expect treatment effects on seed dispersers will more strongly influence the recruiting plant community, leading the animal‐dispersed plantings to more closely resemble the primary forest in diversity and forest structure.
Chromanone Lactones: A Neglected Group of Natural Products – Isolation, Structure Elucidation, Bioactivity, and Synthesis
Authors: Valdomir Guillermo , Tietze Lutz F.
Published: May 2022

Chromanone lactones are a diverse family of fungal metabolites, which is biologically linked to tetrahydroxanthones. These compounds exhibit different structures that could be monomeric or dimeric, with different linkages and in combination with other monomers, but also fused to give more complex structures. They have been neglected so far, as they have not been recognized as an original group of natural products and as most of the publications related to these compounds have arisen only since the beginning of the century. In this Review, we discuss the isolation, the structural elucidation, the bioactivity and also the synthesis of chromanone lactones. Moreover, we present a classification of the different compounds of this family.
Numerical analysis of thermophoresis of charged colloidal particles in non‐Newtonian concentrated electrolyte solutions
Authors: Zhou Yi , Deng Xin , Liang Sheng , Zhao Cunlu , Yang Chun
Published: May 2022

Thermophoresis of colloidal particles in aqueous media is more frequently applied in biomedical analysis with processed fluids as biofluids. In this work, a numerical analysis of the thermophoresis of charged colloidal particles in non‐Newtonian concentrated electrolyte solutions is presented. In a particle‐fixed reference frame, the flow field of non‐Newtonian fluids has been governed by the Cauchy momentum equation and the continuity equation, with the dynamic viscosity following the power‐law fluid model. The numerical simulations reveal that the shear‐thinning effect of pseudoplastic fluids is advantageous to the thermophoresis, and the shear‐thickening effect of dilatant fluids slows down the thermophoresis. Both the shear‐thinning and shear‐thickening effects of non‐Newtonian fluids on a thermodiffusion coefficient are pronounced for the case when the thickness of electric double layer (EDL) surrounding a particle is moderate or thin. Finally, the reciprocal of the dynamic velocity at the particle surface is calculated to approximately estimate the thermophoretic behavior of a charged particle with moderate or thin EDL thickness.
First onset of treatment of patients with eating disorders and treatment course: Results of data from a German health insurance company
Authors: Herrmann Kristin , Kaluscha Rainer , Liebert Alex , Spohrs Jennifer , Gündel Harald , von Wietersheim Jörn
Published: May 2022

Objective

This study examines, inpatient treatment costs, and typical treatment courses of patients with an eating disorder using secondary data.

Method

The data were provided by a German health insurance company (data from 4.2 million members from 2004 to 2010; corresponds to a market share of 6% of all statutorily insured persons in Germany). An age and gender matched control group without an eating disorder diagnosis was assessed for comparisons from the same dataset.

Results

Two thousand seven hundred and thirty four cases with an eating disorder diagnosis (anorexia nervosa [AN], bulimia nervosa [BN] or combination [ANBN]) were identified. The inpatient costs of treatment were €5471.15 for BN, €9080.26 for AN, €10,809.16 for ANBN and €339.37 for the control group. Interestingly, there are numerous mild episodes of eating disorders that could be successfully treated solely on an outpatient basis with a short treatment duration.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that course and severity of eating disorders can vary from mild to very severe. Data from health insurance companies depict rather different disease and treatment courses than studies on primary data derived from treatment institutions.
Forecasting international equity market volatility: A new approach
Authors: Liang Chao , Li Yan , Ma Feng , Zhang Yaojie
Published: May 2022

We propose a new heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) model to investigate whether the novel HAR‐RV model we design exhibits superior predictive ability compared with the classical HAR‐RV model in forecasting the realized volatility (RV) of international equity markets. We reconstruct the weekly and monthly HAR components by using the exponentially weighted moving averages (EWMA) method, and the new model is therefore termed EWMA‐HAR‐RV. The in‐sample results and the out‐of‐sample analyses suggest that the EWMA‐HAR‐RV model exhibits stronger predictive power in predicting most international equity market RVs. We further analyze the source of additional predictive power for the EWMA‐HAR‐RV model and find that giving more weight to recent information and using more historical information are helpful for the predictions.
Eogene to Neogene north‐eastward expansion of the arcuate tectonic belt in north‐east Tibetan Plateau: Constraints from detrital zircon geochronology and heavy minerals
Authors: Dong Xiaopeng , Li Zhenhong , Liu Xinshe , Jing Xianghui , Cui Jiawei , Huang Ting , Ma Zhaoying , Kou Linlin
Published: May 2022

The north‐eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau has always been under debate. The arcuate tectonic belt is located at the north‐east margin of the Tibetan Plateau and bears crucial information about the tectonic and geomorphic evolution of north‐east Tibetan Plateau. Combined with sedimentary sequence, detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology, and heavy mineral combinations, significant provenance transformation can be determined both in the south‐west and north‐east of the arcuate tectonic belt during the Eocene to Miocene. The far‐field effect of north‐eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau first arrived at the south‐west of the arcuate tectonic belt during the Miocene and resulted in the angular unconformity between the Eocene Qingshuiying period and Miocene Zhangenbao Formation. Then the regional exhumation spread from south‐west to north‐east across the arcuate tectonic belt, and sedimentary hiatus developed between the Miocene Zhangenbao period and Pliocene Ganhegou period. Therefore, tectonic uplift and mountain building of the arcuate tectonic belt expanded north‐eastward during the Eogene to Neogene. This research shed new insights on the north‐eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau from the coupling relationship between basin and range.
Effect of hybrid nanoparticles MgO and Al2O3 added water‐in‐diesel emulsion fueled diesel engine using hybrid deep neural network‐based spotted hyena optimization
Authors: Patel Kintu R. , Dhiman Vijay D.
Published: May 2022

The automotive sector is one of the top energy consumers globally compared with any other sector where oil plays the main role. According to statista.com (an online platform that displays the stats on oil consumption and reserves), in 2016, the demand for crude oil was about 85.3 million barrels per day worldwide. In 2019, the demand almost reached 100 barrels per day, and then it was reduced to 91 million per day during the 2020 global COVID‐19 crisis. However, it was predicted that the global crude oil requirements will exceed 100 million barrels per day by 2023 and will continue to raise. Also, geographically, not all countries worldwide have the oil reservoirs or the technology to extract oil from the reservoirs. Although the oil demand worldwide is increasing every year, researchers have estimated that there are only 47 years of oil left on the planet earth if the current oil consumption will raise this way. Researchers are looking for finding alternative fuels, such as electrochemical energy (electric vehicles), biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, propane, emerging fuels, or the use of such fuels in the existing engines to minimize the use of nonrenewable energy resources. However, researchers are also looking more at fuels based on hybrid nanoparticles added to emulsified fuels. Due to the limitations of utilizing electrochemical energy or biofuels include high charging time, limited millage, harmful exhaust emissions, complicated production process, engine efficiency, the cost of fuel, and the advantages over hybrid nanoparticles added emulsified fuels than biofuels. Hence, after going through numerous researches, in this present experimentation, “hybrid nanoparticles (MgO and Al2O3) added water‐in‐diesel emulsion” are formulated to enhance the quality of emission and improve the performance of the compression ignition engine. The best combination of diesel, MgO, and Al2O3, a water‐in‐diesel (W/D) emulsion blend, is proposed. The results were further validated using deep neural network‐based spotted hyena optimization (DNN‐SHO) prediction and compared with traditional machine learning approaches artificial neural network (ANN), convolution neural network (CNN), regression‐based network (RBN), recurrent neural network (RNN), and DNN. As a result, the best proportions of the proposed nanoparticles added into the W/D bend are identified to be 10% W/D, 50 ppm of MgO, and 50 ppm of Al2O in terms of engine performance and emission characteristics brake thermal efficiency 30.7%, brake‐specific fuel consumption 0.29 kg/kW‐h, CO 0.027 vol%, NOx 855 ppm vol, and HC 12 ppm vol. Besides this, the DNN‐SHO‐based validated outcomes are in good agreement with the experimental values and outperformed other traditional approaches ANN, CNN, RBN, RNN, and DNN used in this study.
Discontinuation of the maternal death surveillance and response system in the post‐conflict context of the Central African Republic
Authors: Ouédraogo Olivia M.A.A. , Ouédraogo Charlemagne M.R. , Kouanda Seni
Published: May 2022

In the post‐conflict context of the Central African Republic, underreporting of maternal deaths in health facilities has occurred. There are no guidelines in place for operational or intermediate levels. There are no review or audit committees within the health facilities, districts, or regions, or at the national level. Only three hospitals have an informal review committee. Implementing the MDSR system is not an easy task, especially in Africa, which has surveillance systems that remain fragile and inefficient. Conflict situations have affected the system, and the lack of optimal funding does not enable ideal implementation of these intervention strategies.
Circular RNAs in chemotherapy resistance of lung cancer and their potential therapeutic application
Authors: Yi Qian , Feng Jianguo , Liao Yi , Sun Weichao
Published: May 2022

Lung cancer is one of the high malignancy‐related incidence and mortality worldwide, accounting for about 13% of total cancer diagnoses. Currently, the use of anti‐cancer agents is still the main therapeutic method for lung cancer. However, cancer cells will gradually show resistance to these drugs with the progress of treatment. And the molecular mechanisms underlying chemotherapy agents resistance remain unclear. circRNAs are newly identified noncoding RNAs molecules with covalently closed circular structures. Previous studies have shown that circRNAs are associated with tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers, including lung cancer. Recently, growing reports have suggested that circRNAs could contribute to drug resistance of lung cancer cell through different mechanisms. Therefore, in this review, we summarized the functions and underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in regulating chemoresistance of lung cancer and discussed their potential applications for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of lung cancer.
Competence development of trainees performing short‐type single‐balloon enteroscopy‐assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with surgically altered anatomy
Authors: Tanisaka Yuki , Mizuide Masafumi , Fujita Akashi , Jinushi Ryuhei , Ogawa Tomoya , Katsuda Hiromune , Saito Yoichi , Miyaguchi Kazuya , Mashimo Yumi , Ryozawa Shomei
Published: May 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the trainees’ practice and learning curve in short‐type single‐balloon enteroscopy (short SBE)‐assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for patients with surgically altered anatomy (SAA) and determine how to train these trainees.

Methods

The data of short SBE‐assisted ERCP procedures between September 2011 and June 2021 were analyzed.

Results

Three trainees and 180 cases were included in the analysis. Each trainee performed 60 cases between April 2016 and June 2021. The trainees' completion rate was 73.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.8‐80.1%). Adverse events occurred in 5.0% of cases (95% CI, 2.3‐9.3%). The trainee who experienced colonoscopy and ERCP the most achieved better outcomes of enteroscopy success (reaching the target site) and trainee’s completion rates than those of the others (P = .03 and .02, respectively). The learning curve for trainee’s completion showed a significant improvement after 60 cases (P = .001). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction was the factor affecting trainees’ completion failure.

Conclusions

Short SBE‐assisted ERCP trainees has a substantial learning curve. If trainees do not have much experience with colonoscopy and ERCP procedures, it may be beneficial for them to start performing short SBE‐assisted ERCP procedures on non‐Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction cases.
Surveillance of influenza B severe hospitalized cases during 10 seasons in Catalonia: Does the lineage make a difference?
Authors: Soldevila Núria , Basile Luca , Martínez Ana , Torner Núria , Marcos M. Ángeles , Mosquera Maria del Mar , Antón Andrés , Andrés Cristina , Rius Cristina , Pumarola Tomàs , Domínguez Ángela ,   and the PIDIRAC Surveillance of Hospitalized Cases of Severe Influenza in Catalonia Working Group
Published: May 2022

Influenza B viruses circulate in two lineages (B/Victoria and B/Yamagata). Although classically affecting children, recently it has shown a high rate of infection and increased hospitalization in the elderly. To describe and analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of severe hospitalized laboratory‐confirmed influenza B virus (SHLCI‐B) cases in Catalonia associated with mismatch from Influenza B virus strain included in the trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). SHLCI‐B was registered by the influenza sentinel surveillance system of Catalonia (PIDIRAC) during ten surveillance seasons from 2010 to 2020. Variables age, comorbidities, and vaccination status were recorded. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as (1‐OR) for intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. A total of 1159 SHLCI‐B were registered, of these 68.2% (791) corresponded to the 2017–2018 season; 21.8% (253) were admitted to ICU and 13.8% (160) were exitus; 62.5% (725) cases occurred in those aged >64 years; most frequent risk factor was cardiovascular disease (35.1%, 407) followed by chronic pulmonary obstructive disease‐COPD (24.6%, 285) and diabetes (24.1%, 279). In four seasons, the predominant circulating lineage was B/Victoria, in two seasons the B/Yamagata lineage and four seasons had no IBV activity. Four seasons presented discordance with the strain included within the TIV. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) to prevent ICU admission was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4%–51%; p = 0.03); being 29% (95% CI: −3% to 51%) in discordant and 43% (95% CI:−43% to 77%) in concordant seasons. Significant differences were observed in the number of affected aged > 64 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.9–3.4; p < 0.001) and in patients with heart disease (OR = 2.40 95% CI: 1.7–3.4; p < 0.001), COPD (OR = 1.6 95% CI: 1.1–2.3; p = 0.01), and diabetes (OR = 1.5 95% CI: 1.1–2.1; p = 0.04) between discordant and concordant seasons. The increase in hospitalization rate in people> 64 years of age and those presenting comorbidities in seasons with circulating influenza B virus belonging to a lineage discordant with the strain included in the TIV and the decrease of VE to prevent ICU admissions evidence the vital need to administer the quadrivalent influenza vaccine regardless of the findings of predominant circulation in the previous season.
LC‐MS/MS methods for determination of unstable pivmecillinam and mecillinam in acidified human plasma: Application to a pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Sun Lu‐Ning , Zhao Yang , Gao Hua‐Ye , Yang Yan‐Ling , Qian Xu‐Ping , Sun Shi‐Yu , Wang Yu , Ding Li , Wang Yong‐Qing
Published: May 2022

Pivmecillinam, the ester of biologically active antibiotic mecillinam, is an effective oral preparation to treat urinary tract infections. To study pharmacokinetics in humans, LC‐MS/MS methods were developed to quantify pivmecillinam and mecillinam in human plasma, respectively. Considering cephalexin as internal standard, analytes were separated on UltimateXB‐C18 columns after protein precipitation by acetonitrile. The mobile phase was composed of water containing 0.1% formic acid and methanol. The multiple reactions monitoring transitions of m/z 440.2→167.1, 326.1→167.1, and 348.1→158.1 were selected to inspect pivmecillinam, mecillinam, and the internal standard in positive ion mode. No apparent matrix effect was perceived. Linearities were obtained over calibration ranges of 0.0500–12.0 and 10.0–15,000 ng/mL, respectively. The intraday precisions were below 5.5%, the interday precisions were below 6.1%, and accuracies were within –8.1 to 13.0%. Stability tests were conducted and an acidification step was explored to enhance the stability of pivmecillinam and mecillinam. Further stability was validated under various storage and processing conditions. Both methods were applied to a pharmacokinetic study of pivmecillinam and mecillinam after oral administration of 400 mg pivmecillinam hydrochloride tablets in healthy Chinese subjects.
M2 macrophage facilitated angiogenesis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma via circ_TNFRSF21/miR‐3619‐5p/ROCK axis
Authors: Ma Jun , Huang Lei , Gao Yan‐Bin , Li Min‐Xiong , Chen Liang‐Long , Yang Lei
Published: May 2022

In recent years, the role of circular RNA in cancer cells has been studied broadly; however, the functional significance of circular RNA in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to reveal the role of circ_TNFRSF21 in M2 macrophage‐induced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) angiogenesis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were performed to determine the levels of the indicated genes. Direct binding between circ_TNFRSF21 and miR‐3619‐5p, miR‐3619‐5p, and ROCK2 was verified by dual‐luciferase activity. The migration and invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were evaluated by wound healing and transwell assays. Tube formation was performed to detect in vitro angiogenesis. Circ_TNFRSF21 and ROCK2 were upregulated in cSCC tissue, while miR‐3619‐5p was downregulated. Circ_TNFRSF21 negatively regulated the expression of miR‐3619‐5p, while miR‐3619‐5p negatively regulated the expression of ROCK2. miR‐3619‐5p suppressed tube formation by inhibiting ROCK signaling. M2 macrophages facilitated tube formation via the circ_TNFRSF21/miR‐3619‐5p/ROCK2 axis. Our present study revealed that circ_TNFRSF21 was elevated in M2 macrophages and mediated M2 macrophage‐induced tube formation in vitro.
InVEST model analysis of the impacts of land use change on landscape pattern and habitat quality in the Xiaolangdi Reservoir area of the Yellow River basin, China
Authors: Zhao Longshan , Yu Wanyang , Meng Ping , Zhang Jinsong , Zhang Jinxin
Published: May 2022

Changes in land use impact the landscape pattern and habitat quality (LPHQ) of ecosystems. Since 1999, the Grain‐for‐Green Program (GGP) has brought dramatic changes in land use in Western China. Although many studies have reported positive contributions of the GGP to sediment reduction, the effects of the GGP on LPHQ remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the spatiotemporal characteristics of LPHQ in the Xiaolangdi Reservoir Area in China (XRAC) before and after GGP implementation (in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020) using the InVEST habitat quality model. The results showed that: (1) From 1990 to 2020, the main land use changes in the XRAC were a 34.97% increase in forestland and a 37.56% decrease in farmland. The landscape pattern showed decreased fragmentation and tended toward aggregation, and forestland became the dominant land use type. (2) Habitat quality in the XRAC improved from 0.63 to 0.91 between 1990 and 2020. High‐quality habitat (0.80–1) was observed in 88.24% of the XRAC in 2020. The spatial distribution of habitat degradation decreased overall, with some localized increases; areas with high levels of habitat degradation shrank and aggregated with the concentration of human activities. (3) The spatiotemporal evolution of habitat quality was influenced by both natural factors and human activities; the short‐term improvement in habitat quality in the XRAC was significantly related to the increase in forestland area, decrease in farmland area, and increase in vegetation coverage. Our results provide evidence for assessing the ecological benefit of the GGP in the Yellow River basin.
Ocean sediments as the global sink for marine micro‐ and mesoplastics
Authors: Martin Cecilia , Young Charlotte A. , Valluzzi Letizia , Duarte Carlos M.
Published: May 2022

About 15 Tg of plastic are estimated to enter the ocean yearly, with this figure growing exponentially every year. Assessments of floating marine plastic amount to 0.2% of the expected plastic stock, implying that 99.8% is stored in a sink yet to be identified. Marine sediments are believed to be the ultimate sink for oceanic plastic, however, there is currently no global estimate of the plastic load stored there. Here, we synthesize available estimates of micro‐ and mesoplastic stocks in marine sediments and, by integrating stocks across different habitats, we conservatively estimate a load of 170 Tg (25–900 Tg) of nonfibrous plastic globally accumulated in marine sediments from 1950 to 2010, most of which at intermediate depths (200–2000 m). This estimate, despite the uncertainty, is two to three orders of magnitude higher than the floating plastic stock and confirms marine sediments as a major plastic sink.
Ultraspectral Imaging Based on Metasurfaces with Freeform Shaped Meta‐Atoms
Authors: Yang Jiawei , Cui Kaiyu , Cai Xusheng , Xiong Jian , Zhu Hongbo , Rao Shijie , Xu Sheng , Huang Yidong , Liu Fang , Feng Xue , Zhang Wei
Published: May 2022

Metasurfaces have an exceptional capacity to manipulate the phase, amplitude, polarization, or spectrum of light. However, unit cells, or meta‐atoms, of metasurfaces are conventionally designed using regular shapes, limiting performance improvement. The utilization of metasurfaces with freeform shaped meta‐atoms for on‐chip ultraspectral imaging is proposed, where the freeform shaped patterns are generated with controllable feature sizes and boundary curvatures for feasible fabrication. These patterns broaden design diversity and enrich metasurface‐unit spectral response with complicated Bloch modes, thus improving spectral imaging performance with enhanced spectrum recovery precision for broadband spectra and smaller center‐wavelength deviation for narrowband spectra. A snapshot on‐chip ultraspectral imaging, with 356 × 436 spectral pixels is experimentally demonstrated. Spectral resolution is state‐of‐the‐art, at 0.5 nm, and mean fidelity of spectral reconstruction for a standard color board reaches 98.78%. These results support future applications in the field of precise intelligent perception. Moreover, the generating method for freeform shaped patterns also benefits for the forward and inverse designs for high‐performance metasurfaces.
Multidecadal Trends in Body Size of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon: Analysis of Data from the Tengu Derby, a Culturally Unique Fishery
Authors: Quinn Thomas P. , Scheuerell Mark D. , Losee James P. , Hanada Doug
Published: May 2022

In Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., downward trends in size and abundance have been reported for species and stocks for over 40 years, but the patterns are inconsistent among regions and species. Interpretation of these trends is complicated by many possible contributing factors, including short time series, data comprising a mix of stocks, and varying gear types. Here, we present data on the mass of individual Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha caught in the winter from 1946 to 2019 in central Puget Sound, Washington, by participants in what may be the longest running Pacific salmon derby in North America, the Tengu Derby. In this annual recreational fishing competition, established by Japanese Americans immediately after release from internment camps at the end of World War II, participants follow strict gear, area, and methods regulations and catch almost exclusively salmonids originating from and remaining in Puget Sound. Records revealed an overall decline in fish mass over the decades, with a high degree of variability throughout the time series. Specifically, resident Chinook Salmon exhibited several shifts, including a decrease in size from a high in the 1950s to a low around 1980, followed by an increase to another high around 1990 and then a decline over the most recent 30 years. These size trends of residents differed from those of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon as a whole. We infer that the resident fish experienced ecological conditions affecting their growth that were distinct from those of fish feeding along the Pacific Ocean in the same periods. These distinct trends in size of Chinook Salmon from common origins indicate that the different migration patterns of fish within stocks must be considered in the analysis and interpretation of body size trends and also in patterns of survival.
Evaluating the potential efficiency gains from optimal industry configuration: A case of life insurance industry of India
Authors: Sahoo Biresh K. , Tone Kaoru
Published: May 2022

Using data envelopment analysis, this paper presents a scheme to decompose industry efficiency into two components: learning efficiency and harmony efficiency. This decomposition scheme is empirically illustrated on 23 life insurance companies in India for 8 years (2011–2012–2018–2019). Our two broad empirical findings reveal that first, as per the year‐wise results, the Indian life insurance industry has the potential to increase its efficiency by 28% by improving its learning efficiency by 20% and harmony efficiency by 10%; and second, based on the results on the top 75 promising mergers, the potential gains stem from learning rather than harmony.
Natural products as Zika antivirals
Authors: Fong Yuhui Deborah , Chu Justin Jang Hann
Published: May 2022

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus belonging to the flavivirus genus and is transmitted in Aedes mosquito vectors. Since its discovery in humans in 1952 in Uganda, ZIKV has been responsible for many outbreaks in South America, Africa, and Asia. Patients infected with ZIKV are usually asymptomatic; mild symptoms include fever, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue. However, severe infections may have neurological implications, such as Guillain‐Barré syndrome and fetal microcephaly. To date, there are no existing approved therapeutic drugs or vaccines against ZIKV infections; treatments mainly target the symptoms of infection. Preventive measures against mosquito breeding are the main strategy for limiting the spread of the virus. Antiviral drug research for the treatment of ZIKV infection has been rapidly developing, with many drug candidates emerging from drug repurposing studies, and compound screening. In particular, several studies have demonstrated the potential of natural products as antivirals for ZIKV infection. Hence, this paper will review recent advances in natural products in ZIKV antiviral drug discovery.
The Role of Zinc in GM‐CSF‐Induced Signaling in Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
Authors: van der Laan Marijke , Büttgenbach Anna , Wolf Jana , Rink Lothar , Wessels Inga
Published: May 2022

Scope

Zinc is suggested to be necessary for functional signaling induced by certain growth factors. The granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) is a key factor for differentiation and activation of myeloid cells. This report analyses the impact of different zinc concentrations on GM‐CSF‐induced signaling in mature polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN).

Methods and results

As measured by flow cytometry, zinc increases surface GM‐CSF receptor (GM‐CSFR) in PMN, whereas monocytes respond with decreased GM‐CSFR surface expression. Since total cellular GM‐CSFR expression remains unaffected, the observed zinc‐induced GM‐CSFR surface dynamics may be explained by receptor redistribution. In PMN, zinc enhanced phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK) in a dose‐dependent manner as found in western blot. Zinc‐induced MAPK phosphorylation is additionally augmented by moderate GM‐CSF stimulation.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrates the opposing influence of zinc on GM‐CSFR surface expression in monocytes and PMN. Zinc and GM‐CSF, use in optimized concentrations, augment MAPK signaling, and increase expression of MAPK‐induced myeloid cell leukemia‐1 (Mcl‐1) in PMN. Thus, this study concludes that zinc strengthens growth factor‐induced signaling. Hence, the study provides a basis for further in vivo studies, focusing on the therapeutic value of zinc in patients with a disturbed GM‐CSF signaling.
Uncertainty of the virtual image correlation method
Authors: François Marc Louis Maurice
Published: May 2022

The virtual image correlation method applies for the measurement of silhouettes boundaries with sub‐pixel uncertainty. It consists in a correlation between an image of interest and a virtual image based on a parameterized curve. It is shown that the method is exact in 1D, insensitive to contrast variation, and that the bias induced by brightness variation can be easily corrected. Optimal value of the virtual image width, the sole parameter of the method, and optimal numerical settings are established. An estimator is proposed to assess the relevance of the user‐chosen parameterized curve family to match the contour. An analytical formula and a diagram are given for the measurement uncertainty in both cases of noiseless and noisy images. The results obtained are validated by tests carried out on synthetic images and on real images.
Psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of Adolescent Shame‐Proneness Scale
Authors: Hashemi Golpayegani Fatemeh , Hosseinian Simin , Rezaeian Hamid , Pourshahriari Mahsima , Rasouli Roya
Published: May 2022

Shame is a significant factor for psychological problems in adolescents. The present study aims to assess the Persian version of the Adolescent Shame‐Proneness Scale (ASPS) among Iranian adolescents. Participants of this correlation study were 2291 high school students aged 12–18 (1296 girls and 1036 boys), selected through a multistage random cluster sampling method. The results indicated that the ASPS has adequate validity and reliability. Assessment of model fit using confirmatory factor analysis revealed satisfactory goodness of fit indices. Similar to the original version of ASPS, a three correlated factor model was confirmed in the present sample, and girls scored higher on all three subscales of ASPS. This scale can be a reliable and flexible instrument for measuring the significant emotion of shame in Iranian adolescents in research and clinical settings and can help expand the shame literature.