bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biochemical characterization of an acid‐thermostable glucoamylase from Aspergillus japonicus with potential application in the paper bio‐deinking
Authors: Pasin Thiago Machado , Betini Jorge Henrique Almeida , de Lucas Rosymar Coutinho , Polizeli Maria de Lourdes Teixeira de Moraes
Published: September 2023

Aspergillus species have been highlighted in enzyme production looking for industrial applications, notably, amylases are one of the most interesting enzymes. They are capable of hydrolyzing α‐glycosidic linkages of starch and widely used in industrial processes to produce ethanol, glucose, and fructose syrup as well as in the textiles, detergents, and paper industries applications. In this context, this work aimed at the biochemical characterization of the glucoamylase from Aspergillus japonicus and its application in the bio‐bleaching process of recycled paper. The optimum temperature and pH for the glucoamylase assay were standardized as 50°C and 5.5. After 1 h of incubation, glucoamylase retained 90% of its activity at 30–50°C. It also kept 70% of its activity in the pH range of 4.0–6.5 after an hour of incubation. The enzyme led to an increase of 30% in the relative whiteness of 10 dry grams of sulfite paper and magazine paper when applied along with commercial cellulase and 10 mM MnCl2. In addition, after the treatments, the glucoamylase recovered activity was 30%–32%, which indicates a prolonged availability of the enzyme and can considerably curtail the redundant downstream process of the recycled paper bio‐bleaching. Thus, the glucoamylase from A. japonicus has a significant role in bio‐bleaching recycled paper, reducing the necessity of hard chemicals, and improving the industrial process in an interesting economic and ecological mode.
Research on the big data analysis of MOOCs in a flipped classroom based on attention mechanism in deep learning model
Authors: Li Chengxin , Zhao Kaiyue , Yan Mingduo , Zou Xiuguo , Xiao Maohua , Qian Yan
Published: September 2023

Engineering education can be improved through the implementation of a flipped classroom, an instructional approach that allows students to learn theory online and practice it offline. However, the flipped classroom approach does not directly solve the challenge of the high dropout rate in online distance education, such as massive open online courses (MOOCs). Actually, distance education lacks the convenience of face‐to‐face communication and supervision. This study considers a deep learning model based on an attention mechanism in addition to some other common traditional machine learning models in an engineering MOOC with a flipped classroom design. The aim is to predict students' future performance and assist teachers in discovering the important learning stages that affect the prediction, thus improving teaching and learning performance. Our model performs better than other commonly used models. It is found that the middle and final learning stages, where specific knowledge is taught, are important, offering a new approach to analyzing and promoting distance engineering education.
Juggling risks: A social representations investigation of women, pregnancy and COVID‐19 vaccination
Authors: Walker‐Jones Shayleigh , Moloney Gail , Hutchinson Marie
Published: September 2023

Pregnant women are at disproportionate risk of harm from contracting COVID‐19, but pregnant women in regional Australia have been less likely to be vaccinated than their non‐pregnant counterparts. This longitudinal research drew from social representations theory to investigate emerging social knowledge associated with the COVID‐19 virus and COVID‐19 vaccination concerning women and pregnancy in regional Australia: One wave of data collected at the start of the COVID‐19 vaccination rollout in June–August 2021 and another wave in January–February 2022. An online survey comprised risk and benefit scales and one of two‐word association tasks completed by 304 participants in Wave One (Mage = 38.75, SD = 12.63) and 20 women in Wave Two (Mage = 40.00, SD = 11.32). Mean scale scores suggest women considering pregnancy and pregnant women perceived themselves as at disproportionate risk of COVID‐19 and the AstraZeneca vaccine. Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) suggested a negative, emerging representational field associated with COVID‐19 vaccination. MDS, HCA and thematic analysis suggested emerging contradiction in women's social knowledge of women, pregnancy and COVID‐19 vaccination in Waves One and Two. These findings reflect how pregnant women navigated a rapidly evolving context of COVID‐19 and vaccination when vaccines became available.
Recent Advances in Chemical Synthesis of Structural Domains of Lipopolysaccharides from the Commensal Gut‐Associated Microbiota
Authors: Wang Xiufang , Xiao Guozhi
Published: September 2023

Lipopolysaccharides from the commensal gut‐associated microbiota are interesting biomolecules for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. Different from pathogenic lipopolysaccharides, commensal lipopolysaccharides have distinct chemical structures and mediate beneficial homeostasis with the immune system of the host. However, the accessibility issues of homogenous and pure commensal lipopolysaccharides hampered the in‐depth studies of their functions. In this concept article, we highlight the recent synthesis of lipopolysaccharides from gut‐associated lymphoid‐tissue‐resident Alcaligenes faecalis and Bacteroides vulgatus, which hopes to inspire the more efforts devoting to these fantastic biomolecules.
Assisted reproductive technology use and outcomes in childhood cancer survivors
Authors: Keefe Kimberly W. , Lanes Andrea , Stratton Kayla , Green Daniel M. , Chow Eric J. , Oeffinger Kevin C. , Barton Sara , Diller Lisa , Yasui Yutaka , Leisenring Wendy M. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Ginsburg Elizabeth S.
Published: September 2023

Background

Treatment exposures for childhood cancer reduce ovarian reserve. However, the success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) among female survivors is not well established.

Methods

Five‐year survivors of childhood cancer in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were linked to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System, which captures national ART outcomes. The authors assessed the live birth rate, the relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and associations with treatment exposure using generalized estimating equations to account for multiple ovarian stimulations per individual. Siblings from a random sample of survivors were recruited to serve as a comparison group.

Results

Among 9885 female survivors, 137 (1.4%; median age at diagnosis, 10 years [range, 0–20 years]; median years of follow‐up after age 18 years, 11 years [range, 2–11 years]) underwent 224 ovarian stimulations using autologous or donor eggs and/or gestational carriers (157 autologous ovarian stimulation cycles, 67 donor ovarian stimulation cycles). In siblings, 33 (1.4%) underwent 51 autologous or donor ovarian stimulations. Of those who used embryos from autologous eggs without using gestational carriers, 97 survivors underwent 155 stimulations, resulting in 49 live births, for a 31.6% chance of live birth per ovarian stimulation (vs. 38.3% for siblings; p = .39) and a 43.9% chance of live birth per transfer (vs. 50.0%; p = .33). Prior treatment with cranial radiation therapy (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.20–0.97) and pelvic radiation therapy (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15–0.73) resulted in a reduced chance of live birth compared with siblings. The likelihood of live birth after ART treatment in survivors was not affected by alkylator exposure (cyclophosphamide‐equivalent dose, ≥8000 mg/m2 vs. none; RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.52–2.05).

Conclusions

Childhood cancer survivors are as likely to undergo treatment using ART as sibling controls. The success of ART treatment was not reduced after alkylator exposure. The results from the current study provide needed guidance on the use of ART in this population.
Biofilm Models: Different Ways of Biofilm Characterization and Drug Discovery
Authors: Kher Lopamudra , Santoro Domenico
Published: September 2023

The ability of bacteria to develop biofilms and its added effect on antimicrobial resistance have been a concern for both animal and human medicine. The need to understand biofilm biology has been addressed with the help of three biofilm models, i.e., in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Due to the implications of animal welfare involved in in vivo models, this article is mainly focused on in vitro and ex vivo study models to analyze biofilm biology. In in vitro biofilm models, the microtiter plate and Calgary biofilm device are the most commonly used techniques for biofilm analysis. Quantification of the biofilm biomass generated by these two techniques can be assessed with the help of a crystal violet assay. Although in vitro biofilm models help advance understanding of the biology of biofilm and are easy to perform, they fail to address certain important questions, such as the importance of the substrate on which biofilm grows and the interaction between the organisms and the substrate. To address this concern, an ex vivo model can be utilized to characterize the behavior and characteristics of biofilms on different substrates. Ex vivo biofilm models are considered a bridge between the in vitro and in vivo biofilm models. Although neither of the currently available biofilm assessment models is considered the gold standard, they have significantly increased understanding of biofilm behavior. Further studies are warranted to develop more refined biofilm models. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: In vitro biofilm models for microtiter plate/crystal violet assay for biofilm growth assessment

Basic Protocol 2: Crystal violet assay/tissue culture plate method for testing of antibiofilm agents

Alternate Protocol: Calgary biofilm device to determine biofilm susceptibility to antimicrobial agents

Basic Protocol 3: Ex vivo biofilm skin models: canine/porcine skin explants
Prey availability and foraging activity by tundra‐nesting sea ducks: Strong preference for specific wetland types
Authors: Miller Micah W. C. , Lovvorn James R. , Graff Nathan R. , Stellrecht Neesha C. , Plesh Steven P.
Published: September 2023

Wetlands in Arctic tundra support abundant breeding waterbirds. Wetland types differing in area, depth, vegetation, and invertebrate biomass density may vary in importance to birds, and in vulnerability to climate change. We studied availability and use of different wetland types by prelaying females of four species of sea ducks (Mergini) breeding on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, USA: long‐tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) and Steller's (Polysticta stelleri), spectacled (Somateria fischeri), and king eiders (Somateria spectabilis). All four species preferred shallow vegetated wetlands versus deeper lakes. The ducks spent almost all their active time feeding, but their occurrence in different wetland types was not affected by the relative biomass density of known prey or of all invertebrates that we sampled combined. Sea ducks strongly preferred wetlands dominated by emergent and submersed Arctophila fulva over those dominated by the sedge Carex aquatilis, despite the much greater number, total area, and invertebrate biomass density of Carex wetlands. The hens depend heavily on local invertebrate prey for protein to produce eggs; thus, their preference for Arctophila wetlands likely reflects greater accessibility of prey in the near‐surface canopy and detritus of Arctophila. Such shallow wetlands decreased substantially in number (−17%) and area (−30%) over 62 years before 2013 and appear highly susceptible to further declines with climate warming. Impacts on sea ducks of climate‐driven changes in availability of important wetland types will depend on their adaptability in exploiting alternative wetlands.
Honeybee visitation to shared flowers increases Vairimorpha ceranae prevalence in bumblebees
Authors: Zbrozek Maryellen , Fearon Michelle L. , Weise Chloe , Tibbetts Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2023

Vairimorpha (=Nosema) ceranae is a widespread pollinator parasite that commonly infects honeybees and wild pollinators, including bumblebees. Honeybees are highly competent V. ceranae hosts and previous work in experimental flight cages suggests V. ceranae can be transmitted during visitation to shared flowers. However, the relationship between floral visitation in the natural environment and the prevalence of V. ceranae among multiple bee species has not been explored. Here, we analyzed the number and duration of pollinator visits to particular components of squash flowers—including the petals, stamen, and nectary—at six farms in southeastern Michigan, USA. We also determined the prevalence of V. ceranae in honeybees and bumblebees at each site. Our results showed that more honeybee flower contacts and longer duration of contacts with pollen and nectar were linked with greater V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Honeybee visitation patterns appear to have a disproportionately large impact on V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees even though honeybees are not the most frequent flower visitors. Floral visitation by squash bees or other pollinators was not linked with V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Further, V. ceranae prevalence in honeybees was unaffected by floral visitation behaviors by any pollinator species. These results suggest that honeybee visitation behaviors on shared floral resources may be an important contributor to increased V. ceranae spillover to bumblebees in the field. Understanding how V. ceranae prevalence is influenced by pollinator behavior in the shared floral landscape is critical for reducing parasite spillover into declining wild bee populations.
Synthesis and Biological Profiling of Benzofuro‐Fused 7‐Deazapurine Nucleosides
Authors: Yang Chao , Tichý Michal , Poštová Slavětínská Lenka , Vaiedelich Enzo , Gurská Soňa , Džubák Petr , Hajdúch Marián , Hocek Michal
Published: September 2023

A series of benzofuro‐fused 7‐deazapurine (6H‐furo[2,3‐e]pyrimido[4,5‐b]indole) 2’‐deoxyribo‐ and ribonucleosides was designed and synthesized. The synthesis of key compound 10‐chloro‐6H‐furo[2,3‐e]pyrimido[4,5‐b]indole was based on the Negishi cross‐coupling of iodobenzofurane with zincated 4,6‐dichloropyrimidine followed by azidation and photochemical cyclization. Glycosylation of the heterocycle with either Hoffer's chlorodeoxyribose or protected ribose followed by cross‐coupling or substitution reactions at position 10 gave the desired two sets of final nucleosides that showed moderate to weak cytostatic activity and interesting fluorescence properties.
Exploitation of bis(tert‐butylaminomethyl)pyridine as a chemical modifier in a carbon paste electrode for sensitive and selective potentiometric determination of Al3+ ion in pharmaceutical and water samples
Authors: Ali Aya E. , Mohamed Asmaa M. , Zayed M. A. , Omar M. M. , Mohamed Gehad G.
Published: September 2023

The fabrication of a novel bis(tert‐butylaminomethyl)pyridine pincer ligand‐based ionophore in a carbon paste electrode (CPE) matrix for Al3+ ions was investigated. With a Nernstian slope of 20.05±0.27 mV decade−1 and a low detection limit of 1.0×10−7 mol L−1, the electrode demonstrated an excellent response for the Al3+ ion over a broad concentration range from 1.0×10−7 to 1.0×10−1 mol L−1. The formula for the graphite paste that produced the greatest results was 69.44 % graphite, 27.78 % tricresyl phosphate (TCP) binder, and 2.78 % ionophore. This pincer ligand‐based electrode worked well with aqueous Al3+ solutions that had pH values between 2.5 and 5.5. It may be used for at least 4 months without any detectable potentials digression and has a reasonably quick response time (5 s). The suggested graphitic paste electrode demonstrated strong Al3+ ion selectivity over a broad range of other cations. The isothermal coefficient of the electrode, which was determined to be 0.2884×10−3 V °C−1, was calculated by looking at the impact of test solution temperature on electrode potentials. The suggested electrode was also applied to non‐aqueous media with an aqueous‐non‐aqueous volume ratio of up to 75 : 25. The data acquired using this CPE as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric measurement of Al3+ ions in several actual samples was equivalent to that attained using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS).
Temperature‐mediated diffusion of nanoparticles in semidilute polymer solutions
Authors: Qu Heng‐Chao , Yang Yi , Cui Zhi‐Chao , Wang Dong , Xue Chun‐Dong , Qin Kai‐Rong
Published: September 2023

The temperature is often a critical factor affecting the diffusion of nanoparticles in complex physiological media, but its specific effects are still to be fully understood. Here, we constructed a temperature‐regulated model of semidilute polymer solution and experimentally investigated the temperature‐mediated diffusion of nanoparticles using the particle tracking method. By examining the ensemble‐averaged mean square displacements (MSDs), we found that the MSD grows gradually as the temperature increases while the transition time from sublinear to linear stage in MSD decreases. Meanwhile, the temperature‐dependent measured diffusivity of the nanoparticles shows an exponential growth. We revealed that these temperature‐mediated changes are determined by the composite effect of the macroscale property of polymer solution and the microscale dynamics of polymer chain as well as nanoparticles. Furthermore, the measured non‐Gaussian displacement probability distributions were found to exhibit non‐Gaussian fat tails, and the tailed distribution is enhanced as the temperature increases. The non‐Gaussianity was calculated and found to vary in the same trend with the tailed distribution, suggesting the occurrence of hopping events. This temperature‐mediated non‐Gaussian feature validates the recent theory of thermally induced activated hopping. Our results highlight the temperature‐mediated changes in diffusive transport of nanoparticles in polymer solutions and may provide the possible strategy to improve drug delivery in physiological media.
Elements of a successful progression and retention program
Authors: Dennis Marguerite J.
Published: September 2023

In last month's column I wrote about the importance of retention management to enrollment management. This month I will share specific recommendations for implementing a successful progression and retention management program as well as some pitfalls to avoid.
Credit scoring prediction leveraging interpretable ensemble learning
Authors: Liu Yang , Huang Fei , Ma Lili , Zeng Qingguo , Shi Jiale
Published: September 2023

Credit scoring models based on machine learning often need to work on accuracy and interpretability in practical applications. Original KCDWU has a more prominent adaptive property but ignores intra‐class and inter‐class distances in the clustering process, resulting in the possibility of inaccurate identification of class features and cluster structure of data, which compromises the clustering effect. Therefore, we improve the automatic K‐means clustering based on the Calinski–Harabasz index, thus achieving a clustering output for improved results. We also scrutinize representative five single classification models and six ensemble learning models for credit scoring prediction. We empirically test the superior performance of ensemble learning models and identify the best model CatBoost by comparing them based on multiple evaluation indicators. Empirical results reveal that the SHAP method conforms well to CatBoost and delivers a global and local interpretation of the predictions. This work provides financial institutions with a promising candidate for interpretable credit scoring models.
Identification of Favorable Silica Surface Sites for Single‐Molecule Magnets
Authors: Bernhardt Moritz , Lätsch Lukas , Le Guennic Boris , Copéret Christophe
Published: September 2023

Industrial data storage application based on single‐molecule magnets (SMMs) necessitates not only strong magnetic remanence at high temperatures but also requires the implementation of SMMs into a solid material to increase their durability and addressability. While the understanding of the relationship between the local structure of the metal and the resulting magnetic behavior is well understood in molecular systems, it remains challenging to establish a similar understanding for magnetic materials, especially for isolated lanthanide sites on surfaces. For instance, dispersed Dy(III) ions on silica prepared via surface organometallic chemistry exhibit slow magnetic relaxation at low temperatures, but the origin of these properties remains unclear. In this work, we modelled ten neutral complexes with coordination numbers (CN) between three and six ([Dy(OSiF3)3(O(SiF3)2)CN‐3]) representing possible surface sites for dispersed Dy(III) ions and investigated their SMM potential via ab initio CASSCF/RASSI‐SO calculations. Detailed analysis of the data shows the strong influence of the spatial position of the anionic ligands while the neutral ligands only play a minor role for the magnetic properties. In particular, a T‐shape like orientation of the anionic ligands is predicted to exhibit good SMM properties making it a promising targeted coordination environment for molecular and surface‐based SMMs.
Spatiotemporal ecosystem services: Response to structural changes (A case study in Lahijan, Iran)
Authors: Sadat Mahdis , Salehi Esmail , Amiri Mohammad Javad , Ehsani Amir Houshang
Published: September 2023

Structure and function are the inherent characteristics of each ecosystem providing various services such as clean air, extreme weather mitigation, and mental and physical well-being. The objective of this study is to develop a unified model combining Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services, ecological network (EN), and correlation analysis to investigate changes in ecosystem structure, function, and process. In this context, carbon sequestration, soil reduction, and flood risk mitigation were quantified from 2000 to 2020 and predicted for 2040 using the cellular automata and Markov chain (CA-Markov) model. Finally, correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship over time between the land use (LU) classes and the components of the forest EN that provide and exchange desired ecosystem services (ESs). Thus, the changes in LU in the region in recent years led to significant reduction of ESs in the region as well as changes in the interaction between services. These changes, on the one hand, reduced the area of cores and increased isolated forest patches and, on the other hand, led to the horizontal expansion of cities and agricultural lands. If this trend continues, the decline in services provided by the ecosystem will persist into the future. Consequently, it can be said that structural changes in the ecosystem can lead to changes in the ESs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1099–1111. © 2023 SETAC

Key Points

We present an integrated model to investigate structural, functional, and process changes caused by land use and land cover changes in the regions where natural and pristine ecosystems have close and complex interactions with built-up ecosystems. We evaluated the structural changes related to land use change and its role in ecosystem functioning through changes in ecosystem services by selecting ecosystem services that reflect land use, land cover, vegetation, and ecological network change and soil conditions. We propose that the role of land use in changing ecosystem services represents another difference between this study and similar studies. We forecast the quantity of ecosystem services for future years as a basis for planning.
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of the Drug–Drug Interaction Between CYP3A4 Substrate Glasdegib and Moderate CYP3A4 Inducers in Lieu of a Clinical Study
Authors: Callegari Ernesto , Tse Susanna , Doran Angela C. , Goosen Theunis C. , Shaik Naveed
Published: September 2023

Glasdegib (DAURISMO) is a hedgehog pathway inhibitor approved for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) has been identified as a major metabolism and clearance pathway for glasdegib. The role of CYP3A4 in the clearance of glasdegib has been confirmed with clinical drug–drug interaction (DDI) studies following the coadministration of glasdegib with the strong CYP3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole and the strong inducer rifampin. To evaluate potential drug interactions with CYP3A4 modulators, the coadministration of glasdegib with a moderate CYP3A4 inducer, efavirenz, was evaluated using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling using the Simcyp simulator. The glasdegib compound file was developed using measured physicochemical properties, data from human intravenous and oral pharmacokinetics, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion studies, and in vitro reaction phenotyping results. The modeling assumptions, model parameters, and assignments of fractional CYP3A4 metabolism were verified using results from clinical pharmacokinetics (PK) and DDI studies with ketoconazole and rifampin. The verified glasdegib and efavirenz compound files, the latter of which was available in the Simcyp simulator, were used to estimate the potential impact of efavirenz on the PK of glasdegib. PBPK modeling predicted a glasdegib area under the concentration–time curve ratio of 0.45 and maximum plasma concentration ratio of 0.75 following coadministration with efavirenz. The PBPK results, in lieu of a formal clinical study, informed the drug label, with the recommendation to double the clinical dose of glasdegib when administered in conjunction with a moderate CYP3A4 inducer, followed by a resumption of the original dose 7 days post‐discontinuation.
Green synthesis of new quinolinoquinazoline derivatives via one‐pot multicomponent reactions using ZnO/TiO2@MWCNTs as a new nanocatalyst
Authors: Hasani Leila , Ezzatzadeh Elham , Hossaini Zinatossadat
Published: September 2023

A ZnO/TiO2@MWCNTs nanocomposite as an effective catalyst was employed for generating quinolinoquinazoline derivatives in high yields. These new compounds were synthesized by using multicomponent reaction of quinoline, isothiocyanate, 6‐amino‐2‐(prop‐1‐en‐2‐yl)‐1H‐indole‐5‐carbaldehyde, primary amines, and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in aqueous media. It should be mentioned that the high performance of nanocatalyst was synthesized by using water extract of Aloe vera, which was utilized in these reactions for many times to confirm the reusability of nanocatalyst. The antioxidant property of new synthesized quinolinoquinazoline was evaluated by two procedures. Also, the antimicrobial activity of newly generated quinolinoquinazoline was evaluated by disk distribution process utilizing two kinds of Gram‐negative bacteria and Gram‐positive bacteria, proving bacterial growth was stopped by using of these compounds. Applied to the preparation of quinolinoquinazoline derivatives, this method has short reaction times, high product yields, and the ability to separate catalyst and product using simple procedures.
Outcomes and predictors of survival for tracheal cancer
Authors: Desai Nidhi , Zambetti Benjamin R. , Wong Denise L. , Schachter Aubrey E. , Judge Nathan P. , Valaulikar Ganpat S. , Ng Thomas
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Primary tracheal cancer is uncommon, with poor survival. While surgical resection is the mainstay of therapy, the role of chemotherapy and radiation is poorly defined. We aimed to study the impact of treatment modalities on survival.

Methods

Patients with primary tracheal cancer were identified from the National Cancer Database over 12 years, 2004–2015. Patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival were recorded. Factors associated with survival were assessed using Cox Regression.

Results

Of the 1726 patients identified, 59% were male, 83% White race, 62% had a comorbidity index of zero, median age 64 years, median tumor size 2.7 cm, and median survival was 28.5 months (89 months for patients undergoing surgical resection). Cox Regression for all patients found adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) (p < 0.001), radiation (p < 0.001), and surgical resection (p < 0.001) to be associated with improved survival, while increasing age (p < 0.001) decreased survival. For patients receiving resection, ACC (p < 0.001) was associated with improved survival, while increasing age (p < 0.001) and positive margins (p = 0.002) were associated with worse survival. For R0 resections, ACC (p < 0.001) was associated with improved survival, while increasing age (p < 0.001) decreased survival, with chemotherapy and radiation having no impact. For R1/2 resections, ACC (p < 0.001) and radiation (p < 0.001) were associated with improved survival, while increasing age (p < 0.001) decreased survival, with chemotherapy having no impact on survival.

Conclusions

Primary tracheal cancer is highly lethal, with surgical resection leading to the best chance of survival. For patients undergoing resection, radiation provided survival benefits for R1/2 but not R0, while chemotherapy did not impact survival regardless of margin status.
Evaluation of Non‐Compressive Transvaginal Cervical Elastography as a Quantitative Imaging Biomarker in Pregnancy
Authors: Janssen Matthew K. , Koelper Nathan , Weatherby Michele , Werth Christina , Schwartz Nadav
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Non‐compressive strain elastography has been proposed as a novel quantitative imaging biomarker for assessing the structure and function of the cervix. The current study aims to assess the repeatability, and intra‐ and inter‐observer reliability of transvaginal non‐compressive cervical strain elastography in a clinical setting.

Methods

We conducted a dual‐phase single‐center prospective feasibility study of singleton gestations >16‐weeks gestation that required a clinically‐indicated transvaginal ultrasound. Each study participant, n = 43 in phase 1 and n = 13 in phase 2, had elastography performed by two trained observers that each performed multiple image acquisitions. We performed a multivariable regression to adjust for changes in clinical characteristics between study phases and calculated the repeatability coefficients, limits of agreement, and intraclass correlations for each quantitative elastography parameter. We compared quantitative elastography parameters to cervical length measurements, acquired from the same images.

Results

The repeatability coefficients and percent limits of agreement were wide for all of the quantitative elastography parameters, demonstrating poor repeatability. Intraclass correlation coefficients were poor–moderate for both intra‐observer (0.31–0.77) and inter‐observer reliability (0.35–0.77) in both study phases, while cervical length showed excellent reliability with intraclass correlations consistently >0.90.

Conclusions

Non‐compressive transvaginal strain cervical elastography did not demonstrate adequate repeatability or reliability. Our results highlight the importance of rigorously assessing novel quantitative imaging biomarkers before clinical application.
The leguminous Hedysarum shrubs effectively drive the diversity and structural composition of soil bacterial community through rhizocompartments in the process of desertification reversal
Authors: Zhou Ziyuan , Wang Genzhu , Yu Minghan , Gao Guanglei , Ding Guodong
Published: September 2023

In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of vegetation restoration measures on the soil microbial community in degraded land via assessing the structural changes and diversity of soil bacterial communities and their response to environmental variables in the rhizocompartments (i.e., intershrub bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and roots) of two legumes (Hedysarum scoparium and Hedysarum mongolicum) in Mu Us Desert, China. The bacterial diversity and soil physicochemical characteristics were studied using high‐throughput 16S rRNA genome sequencing and traditional soil physicochemical indices, respectively. The rhizocompartment types and plant species jointly affected the alpha and beta diversities of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere and non‐rhizosphere soil; however, rhizocompartments played a dominant role (P < 0.05). Compared with the network of root endophytes, the bacterial network in the rhizosphere soil exhibited increased total nodes, total links, harmonic geodesic distance, and modularity indices, and the structure was more complex. The root endophytic community was primarily impacted by soil nutrients (particularly nitrogen and soil organic carbon), whereas bacterial communities of bacteria in the nonrhizosphere and rhizosphere soil were significantly impacted by ammonium nitrogen and soil pH because of the response of the core bacterial taxa to soil physicochemical properties. These findings revealed that plant restoration techniques drive desertification reversal via altering the composition and diversity of soil bacterial communities. This study provided new insights regarding the ecological restoration of degraded lands in deserts.
Performance contests and merit pay with empathic employees
Authors: Fabel Oliver , Mauser Sandra , Zhang Yingchao
Published: September 2023

This paper studies the behavioral responses of employees who are endowed with empathic abilities to different institutional designs of incentive pay. Empathic abilities motivate altruistic behavior by sensing the other's feelings toward oneself. In performance contests, empathic individuals withhold effort, most (less) strongly when facing a non‐empathic (empathic) contestant. Effort levels of both non‐empathic and empathic individuals increase with a higher probability that the contestant is of their own type. By developing a theoretical model, our analysis contributes to understanding observed individual behavior in experiments and corresponding econometric evidence. With direct merit pay, effort choices only depend on the signaling quality of the performance measure. Individuals with stronger empathic abilities may shy away from performance contests to, instead, receive merit pay. If gender governs empathic abilities, setting incentives by performance contests cannot simultaneously ensure equal pay and equal opportunities.
On a weighted Adams type inequality and an application to a biharmonic equation
Authors: de Souza Manassés , Severo Uberlandio , Maria Silva Lorena
Published: September 2023

This paper deals with an improvement of a class of Adams type inequalities involving potentials
and weights
, which can decay to zero at infinity as
,
, and
,
, respectively. As an application of this result and by using minimax methods, we establish the existence of solutions for the following class of problems:

where the nonlinear term
can have critical exponential growth. Furthermore, when
we prove that the solutions belong to the Sobolev space
(bound state solutions).
A single layered high‐gain digital metasurface reflectarray antenna for millimeter wave applications
Authors: Bashir Gazali , Singh Amit K. , Dubey Ankit
Published: September 2023

A high‐gain digital metasurface reflectarray antenna for 5G FR‐2 band is presented in this letter. The digital metasurface reflector is composed of single‐layered phase quantized meta‐bit unit cell elements. The metabit consists of a split square integrated with a circular ring. Two discretized phase states are obtained by varying the dimensions of the split square and the circular ring, which mimic the metabit‐0 and metabit‐1, respectively. A digital metasurface reflectarray having dimensions of 5.3  5.3 operating in the frequency range of 37–39 GHz is designed, fabricated, and characterized. A linearly polarized antipodal vivaldi antenna spatially feeds the digital metasurface reflectarray. A maximum measured gain of 19.1 dBi is obtained at 38 GHz, with an aperture efficiency of 23%.
Mevalonate pathway and male reproductive aging
Authors: Zhang Jia‐Le , Lv Meng , Yang Chao‐Fan , Zhu Ying‐Xi , Li Chao‐Jun
Published: September 2023

Male fertility declines with age. The mevalonate pathway, through which cholesterol and nonsteroidal isoprenoids are synthesized, plays key role in metabolic processes and is an essential pathway for cholesterol production and protein prenylation. Male reproductive aging is accompanied by dramatic changes in the metabolic microenvironment of the testis. Since the mevalonate pathway has an important role in spermatogenesis, we attempted to explore the association between male reproductive aging and the mevalonate pathway to explain the mechanism of male reproductive aging. Alterations in the mevalonate pathway may affect male reproductive aging by decreasing cholesterol synthesis and altering testis protein prenylation. Decreased cholesterol levels affect cholesterol modification, testosterone production, and remodeling of germ cell membranes. Aging‐related metabolic disorders also affect the metabolic coupling between somatic cells and spermatogenic cells, leading to male fertility decline. Therefore, we hypothesized that alterations in the mevalonate pathway represent one of the metabolic causes of reproductive aging.
Stable parameters identification for rational approximation of Single degree of freedom frequency response function of semi‐infinite medium
Authors: Tang Zhenyun , Li Xin , Wang Zhiyu
Published: September 2023

The rational approximation is an important tool for establishing a dynamic analysis model in time domain for semi‐infinite water and soil. It accurately represents the interaction between the semi‐infinite medium and an engineering structure. Current research on rational approximation method focuses mainly on the establishment of time‐domain analysis models. However, the stability, accuracy, and calculation efficiency of the rational approximation model cannot be guaranteed simultaneously. Based on linear system control theory, this work decomposes the continuous‐time rational approximation (CRA) and the discrete‐time rational approximation (DRA) into a combination of first‐ and second‐order subsystems, and the stability boundaries for the identified parameters are established according to the stability conditions of each subsystem. A genetic algorithm and a sequential quadratic programming algorithm are used to construct a parameter identification method that can ensure stability in the time domain. Through parameter identification of complex frequency response functions, it is demonstrated that the method proposed in this work can guarantee the stability and accuracy simultaneously, and the calculation efficiency is also substantially improved over that of the existing methods.
COVID‐19 pandemic and the prevalence of domestic violence against Iranian married women
Authors: Mahdavifar Neda , Kalan Farmanfarma Khadijeh , Hiteh Masoud , Mohammadian Maryam , Abbasian Ali , Vafi Sani Fatemeh , Khosrorad Razieh , Salehiniya Hamid
Published: September 2023

Aim

Domestic violence is an important public health and human rights problem. In most countries of the world, including Iran, the COVID‐19 pandemic made quarantine necessary to reduce the disease transmission rate. Therefore, due to the spread of the COVID‐19 disease and the emergence of mandatory quarantine conditions, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of domestic violence against women during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Iran.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, which was done in 2020, 240 married women were investigated. Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, data collection was performed through virtual networks using standard questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics (relative frequencies, mean, and standard deviation) were used to determine the extent of violence. Independent t‐test and Chi‐square were used to analyze the data of the relation between the types of violence with independent variables. Also, the data were analyzed using the logistic regression model.

Results

In this study, 240 married women with a mean age of 36.27 were studied. The highest frequency was related to social violence (56.3%), and the lowest was related to financial and verbal violence (11.7%). In addition, a significant relationship was observed between sexual violence and age (p‐value < 0.05). A significant relationship was also observed between social violence and education [(OR = 1.99)] Jobs [(OR = 2.4, CI = 95%, 1.30–4.4), quarantine duration [(OR = 1.94, CI = 95%, 0.98–3.7)] and underlying diseases [OR = 1.90].

Conclusion

The high prevalence of domestic violence against women during quarantine indicates the poor health of women in society. Therefore, the roots of violence against women and methods to reduce this problem should be sought. Therefore, identification of subjects at risk and raising women's knowledge may be useful for the prevention of domestic violence and its physical and psychological complications.
Relationships of pregnancy and postpartum diet quality with offspring birth weight and weight status through 12 months
Authors: Lipsky Leah , Cummings Jenna , Siega‐Riz Anna Maria , Nansel Tonja
Published: September 2023

Objective

This study examined relationships of maternal pregnancy and postpartum diet quality with infant birth size and weight status indicators through 12 months and tested whether breastfeeding duration modifies these associations.

Methods

In the Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study (PEAS), dietary intake was assessed six times in 458 mothers who were followed from early pregnancy through 12 months postpartum (2014–2018). Logistic and linear mixed models estimated relationships of pregnancy and postpartum diet quality (Healthy Eating Index [HEI]) with offspring who were large‐for‐gestational‐age (LGA) at birth, as well as BMI z score (BMIz) and weight‐for‐length z score (WFLz) at birth, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.

Results

Pregnancy HEI was inversely related to LGA (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.98); HEI was also inversely related to WFLz (β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.002) and BMIz (β = −0.009, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.0009) from birth through 12 months. Postpartum HEI was inversely related to WFLz (β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.0009) and BMIz (β = −0.008, 95% CI: −0.02 to 0.0007) in infants who were breastfed for at least 6 months, but not in those who were breastfed for a shorter duration.

Conclusions

Maternal diet quality during pregnancy (and during postpartum in mothers who breastfed for a longer duration) was inversely related to LGA and weight status indicators from birth through 12 months. Increasing maternal diet quality may have use for promoting healthy infant weight development.
A Novel Method to Classify the Responses of Genioglossus to Negative Pressure in OSA Patients
Authors: Zhou Yingqian , Yin Guoping , Xu Jinkun , Cao Xin , Ye Jingying
Published: September 2023

Objective

This study aims to develop a novel method to classify different genioglossus (GG) responses to upper airway (UA) negative pressure in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients.

Study Design

A single‐center, prospective, cohort study.

Setting

Sleep Medical Center.

Methods

Patients with OSA underwent drug‐induced sleep endoscopy with synchronous genioglossus electromyography (ggEMG) and UA pressure monitoring. In spontaneous obstructive apnea events, the value of epiglottis negative pressure at the end of inspiration (Pepi) and corresponding peak phasic ggEMG were recorded as pairing data for linear regression analysis to classify GG response modes: peak phasic ggEMG‐Pepi linear mode (P < .05) were classified as group 1; others (P ≥ .05) were classified as group 2. Using nasopharyngeal tube (NPT) to reopen the palatopharyngeal cavity for comparing the improvement between the OSA patients with different GG response modes.

Results

Sixty subjects were analyzed for GG response modes: 22 patients were in group 1 (r2 = 0.233‐0.867), and 38 patients were in group 2. The proportion of partial (63.16% vs 59.09%) or complete (36.84% vs 22.73%) collapse rate of the tongue base in group 2 was significantly higher (χ2 = 7.823, P = .020). The improvement of the apnea‐hypopnea index after NPT placement in group 2 was significantly lower than in group 1 (59.09% vs 31.58%, χ2 = 4.339, P = .037).

Conclusion

This novel method is advantageous for distinguishing OSA patients with different GG response abilities to UA negative pressure, whose GG responses conforming to peak phasic ggEMG‐Pepi linear mode might be more suitable for palatopharyngeal surgery.
Simplified description of hard particles in tribological systems using statistical sample particles
Authors: Bilz Raphael , de Payrebrune Kristin M.
Published: September 2023

Technical applications often include tribological systems in which friction and wear occur. Hard particles, such as sand, are often present in the contact between the surfaces of two bodies in contact and affect both the system dynamics and the resulting surface topography of the contacting bodies. Real tribological systems can contain a very high number of particles. Hence, for performance reasons of numerical studies, the explicit representation of each particle in a simulation is often not practical. The approach presented here is based on a model simplification by grouping several particles to form statistical sample particles (SSPs). SSPs can only move as a whole, and thereby simplify the motions of the individual particles, but the contact stiffness and orientation dependence of the force are still determined by the set of individual particles that are part of the statistical sample. Using sample size 1, each individual particle is represented without simplification, while using a sample size larger than one, the total number of particles in the system reduces to a minimum of one SSP representing all particles in the system. This approach provides a very efficient way to specify the model complexity and desired level of detail for the particle representation within a model of a tribological system.
Topology optimization for uniform flow distribution in electrolysis cells
Authors: Baeck Leon , Blauth Sebastian , Leithäuser Christian , Pinnau René , Sturm Kevin
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we consider the topology optimization for a bipolar plate of a hydrogen electrolysis cell. We present a model for the bipolar plate using the Stokes equation with an additional drag term, which models the influence of fluid and solid regions. Furthermore, we derive a criterion for a uniform flow distribution in the bipolar plate. To obtain shapes that are well‐manufacturable, we introduce a novel smoothing technique for the fluid velocity. Finally, we present some numerical results and investigate the influence of the smoothing on the obtained shapes.