bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combination of 3D Printing and Electrospinning Techniques for Biofabrication
Authors: Yang Dan‐Lei , Faraz Fazal , Wang Jie‐Xin , Radacsi Norbert
Published: January 2022

This review presents the different combination methods of 3D printing and electrospinning processes and discusses the advantages of each method. Also, the applications of products of the hybrid process in the biomedical field, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, are thoroughly discussed. 3D printing and electrospinning are separate approaches for generating structured materials in a variety of biomedical applications. However, some shortfalls, such as the low resolution of 3D printing and uncontrollable shape of electrospun products, limits their application performances. Therefore, new ideas that combine 3D printing and electrospinning methods are proposed to give full play to their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses, which provide an effective and powerful platform for fabricating novel structural materials. Finally, a future vision regarding challenges and perspectives in the combination of 3D printing and electrospinning techniques is proposed.
Alkaline Phosphatase: A Reliable Endogenous Partner for Drug Delivery and Diagnostics
Authors: Le‐Vinh Bao , Akkuş‐Dağdeviren Zeynep Burcu , Le Nguyet‐Minh Nguyen , Nazir Imran , Bernkop‐Schnürch Andreas
Published: January 2022

Since the 1960s the membrane‐bound enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) has been utilized in drug delivery. As it cleaves phosphate substructures from drugs, auxiliary agents, and even from the surface of nanocarriers, this enzyme enables the design of drug delivery systems that can alter their properties in the body on demand. Anionic nanocarriers exhibiting bioinert properties can alter their surface to interactive once having reached the target site as due to an ALP‐triggered cleavage of anionic phosphate groups from their surface charge converts to cationic improving for instance cellular uptake. Moreover, features such as the accumulation of nanocarriers at the target site or a targeted drug release triggered by ALP can be introduced. In addition, ALP is utilized to improve the potential of numerous diagnostic systems. Within this review, one provides an overview about the activity, selectivity, and distribution of this enzyme, as well as the great variety of applications in drug delivery and diagnostics making use of it.
Zeolite amended bioretention media improves nitrogen removal from stormwater
Authors: Sweeney Lillie C. , Knappenberger Thorsten , Brantley Eve F. , Shaw Joey N.
Published: January 2022

Bioretention cells alleviate stormwater toxicity by permeation through soil media. Amending bioretention materials may result in increased chemical pollutant removal while maintaining hydraulic properties. Zeolite was tested in bioretention media for zinc, copper, phosphorus, ammonium, and nitrate removal from synthetic stormwater in a column study. Ecolite did not improve metal or phosphorus removal; however, significantly lower effluent concentrations of ammonium (p < .001) and nitrate (p = .014) were measured compared with the standard media. The standard media averaged a 70% reduction in ammonium concentration, while mixtures containing 10 and 20% Ecolite per volume averaged 86 and 87% reduction, respectively. All media leached higher nitrate concentrations than the influent stormwater. Ecolite significantly increased the saturated hydraulic conductivity by up to 55% (p < .001). The inclusion of Ecolite in bioretention cells may be practical in areas with nitrogen‐impaired watersheds.
Ficus benghalensisleaf extract in biosynthesis of Fe3O4for Fe3O4@Ag‐S‐CH2‐COOH: A novel catalyst for synthesis of new 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones and their anticancer evaluation
Authors: Gurav Rutikesh , Gurav Akshay , Salunkhe‐Gawali Sunita , Jadhav Sushilkumar , Choudhari Prafulla , Sankpal Sandeep , Hangirgekar Shankar
Published: January 2022

The current manuscript elucidatesFicus benghalensis(F.B.) leaf extract‐mediated green synthesis of Fe3O4nanoparticles as magnetic support for the synthesis of novel Fe3O4@Ag‐S‐CH2‐COOH magnetic nanocomposite. The structure of Fe3O4@Ag‐S‐CH2‐COOH is confirmed by various characterization techniques such as FT‐IR, XRD, SEM, HR‐TEM, BET, and VSM analyses. Catalytic potential of Fe3O4@Ag‐S‐CH2‐COOH was tested for the syntheses of novel 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones through one‐pot Biginelli reaction of aryl aldehydes, urea, and avobenzone. The Fe3O4@Ag‐S‐CH2‐COOH exhibited outstanding catalytic activity towards Biginelli reaction and could be easily separated from the reaction mixture by an external magnet. Interestingly, catalyst could be recycled for four successive turns without considerable loss in the catalytic activity. The structure of novel 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones were confirmed by FT‐IR,1H,13C‐NMR, mass spectrometry, and single crystal X‐ray diffraction technique. Synthesized novel 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones were tested for anti‐cancer activity against human liver cancer cell line Hep‐G2 along with anti‐angiogenesis study and confirmed by molecular docking investigations.
Synthesizing heat transfer factors on thermal bonding structure of mineral added polypropylene spun‐bond
Authors: Wei Wei , Shim Eunkyoung , Song Yu , Pourdeyhimi Behnam
Published: January 2022

Functional additives, such as mineral and inorganic particles, added significant industrial value for processing lines such as extrusion and spinning. Within the scope of polymer processing loading mineral additives by compounded masterbatch in traditional polyolefin polymers potentially modify those structure bonding by thermal bonding. The large volume of inorganic phase adding raises questions about calcium carbonate as filler in the loading and embossing capacity, quality, and efficient bonding potentiality for relevant products. The process parameters have been recorded around this article on emboss temperature, calcium carbonate concentration, web thickness to carry out the hypothesis achievable in the spunbond system. Filler adding polypropylene has lower heat capacity, which transfers heat efficiently to achieve optimum bonding effect. Modulated differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC) characterizes heat capacity. Morphology of fabric has validated the circumjacent structure changes around the oval pattern. Finally, the conclusion has built a relationship between structure and heat capacity of the inorganic/organic phase, using an equation involving and the heat capacity correlation with the dosage of CCF.
Involvement of Multiple Variants of Soluble CD146 in Systemic Sclerosis: Identification of a Novel Profibrotic Factor
Authors: Nollet Marie , Bachelier Richard , Joshkon Ahmad , Traboulsi Waël , Mahieux Amandine , Moyon Anais , Muller Alexandre , Somasundaram Indumathi , Simoncini Stéphanie , Peiretti Franck , Leroyer Aurélie S. , Guillet Benjamin , Granel Brigitte , Dignat‐George Françoise , Bardin Nathalie , Foucault‐Bertaud Alexandrine , Blot‐Chabaud Marcel
Published: January 2022

Objective

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by excessive fibrosis, immune dysfunction, and vascular damage, in which the expression of many growth factors is deregulated. CD146 was recently described as a major actor in SSc. Since CD146 also exists as a circulating soluble form (sCD146) that acts as a growth factor in numerous angiogenic‐ and inflammation‐related pathologies, we sought to identify the mechanisms underlying the generation of sCD146 and to characterize the regulation and functions of the different variants identified in SSc.

Methods

We performed in vitro experiments, including RNA‐Seq and antibody arrays, and in vivo experiments using animal models of bleomycin‐induced SSc and hind limb ischemia.

Results

Multiple forms of sCD146, generated by both shedding and alternative splicing of the primary transcript, were discovered. The shed form of sCD146 was generated from the cleavage of both long and short membrane isoforms of CD146 through ADAM‐10 and TACE metalloproteinases, respectively. In addition, 2 novel sCD146 splice variants, I5‐13‐sCD146 and I10‐sCD146, were identified. Of interest, I5‐13‐sCD146 was significantly increased in the sera of SSc patients (P < 0.001; n = 117), in particular in patients with pulmonary fibrosis (P < 0.01; n = 112), whereas I10‐sCD146 was decreased (P < 0.05; n = 117). Further experiments revealed that shed sCD146 and I10‐sCD146 displayed proangiogenic activity through the focal adhesion kinase and protein kinase Cε signaling pathways, respectively, whereas I5‐13‐sCD146 displayed profibrotic effects through the Wnt‐1/β‐catenin/WISP‐1 pathway.

Conclusion

Variants of sCD146, and in particular the novel I5‐13‐sCD146 splice variant, could constitute novel biomarkers and/or molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of SSc and other angiogenesis‐ or fibrosis‐related disorders.
Bright spectroscopic binaries: II. A study of five systems with orbital periods of days
Authors: Jack Dennis , Hernández Huerta Missael Alejandro , Rosas‐Portilla Faiber Danilo , Schröder Klaus‐Peter
Published: January 2022

We present a detailed analysis of five bright spectroscopic binary systems (HD 18665, HD 27131, HD 171852, HD 215550, and HD 217427) that have orbital periods of days. We determined the complete set of orbital parameters using the toolkit RadVel by analyzing the observed radial velocity curves. To study the properties of the five systems, we also analyzed the intermediate resolution spectra () observed with the Telescopio Internacional de Guanajuato Robótico Espectroscópico (TIGRE) telescope and determined the stellar parameters of the primary stars using the toolkit iSpec. With Gaia Early Data Release 3 parallaxes, a correction for interstellar extinction using the 3D dust map, and bolometric corrections, we placed the stars in the Hertzsprung‐Russell diagram and compared the positions with stellar evolution tracks calculated with the Eggleton code to determine the masses and ages of the primary stars. They have all evolved to the giant phase. Finally, we were able to determine the masses of the secondary stars and to estimate the orbital inclinations of the binary systems.
Computational Screening of Anode Coatings for Garnet‐Type Solid‐State Batteries
Authors: Liu Chencheng , Früchtl Herbert , Irvine John T. S. , Bühl Michael
Published: January 2022

Making use of a large materials database of DFT‐derived structures and energies, we applied a high‐throughput computational screening framework to identify lithium‐containing oxides as potential anode coatings for lithium (Li) garnet. A preselection of candidate materials was made based on their phase stability, electrochemical stability, and chemical stability, as emerging from this database. Then first‐principles calculations (periodic DFT calculations at the PBE level) were performed to further evaluate the Li‐ion conductivity and Li wettability of these coatings. A total of 10 Li−M−O compounds (Li3BO3, LiAlO2, Li5AlO4, Li4SiO4, Li8SiO6, Li4TiO4, Li8TiO6, Li6Zr2O7, Li2HfO3 and Li6Hf2O7) were identified as the most promising anode coatings. According to our findings, lithium concentration can affect the desired electrochemical stability and Li wettability in an opposing way. Compounds with high Li content tend to have low reduction potential with poor lithium wettability. Target materials may have a “sweet spot” in terms of Li content, where all key properties are balanced in an optimal way.
Profiling of widely targeted metabolomics for the identification of chemical composition in epidermis, xylem and pith of Gleditsiae Spina
Authors: Ya Huiyuan , Li Huiru , Liu Xianghui , Chen Ye , Zhang Jingxiao , Xie Yanfu , Wang Mengshu , Xie Wanyue , Li Shipeng
Published: January 2022

Gleditsiae Spina, the thorn of Gleditsia sinensis Lam., has a long history of being used as a traditional medicine in East Asian countries. However, only a few biologically active substances have been identified from it. In this study, the epidermis, xylem and pith of Gleditsiae Spina, respectively Gs‐E, Gs‐X and Gs‐P, were studied. We used a widely targeted metabolomics method to investigate the chemical composition of Gs‐E, Gs‐X and Gs‐P. A total of 728 putative metabolites were identified from Gleditsiae Spina, including 211 primary metabolites and 517 secondary metabolites. These primary and secondary metabolites could be categorized into more than 10 different classes. Flavonoids, phenolic acids, lipids, amino acids and derivatives, and organic acids constituted the main metabolite groups. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that the Gs‐E, Gs‐X and Gs‐P samples could be clearly separated. Differential accumulated metabolite (DAM) analysis revealed that more than half of the DAMs exhibited the highest relative concentrations in Gs‐E, and most of the DAMs showed the lowest relative concentrations in Gs‐X. Moreover, 11 common differential primary metabolites and 79 common differential secondary metabolites were detected in all comparison groups. These results further our understanding of chemical composition and metabolite accumulation of Gleditsiae Spina.
Redox‐mediated proton transport of two‐dimensional polyaniline‐based nanochannels for fast capacitive performance
Authors: Yu Mengying , Liu Huabo , Xiao Kefeng , Xie Bingqiao , Han Zhaojun , Wang Da‐Wei
Published: January 2022

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials are being increasingly exploited for ion transport and storage under nanoconfinement. Here we demonstrate distinct ion transport behavior upon potential‐induced redox reaction in 2D tungstate anion cross‐linked polyaniline (TALP) electrode. It is found that, in the neutral electrolyte, SO42− ion serves as the main charge carrier in 2D polyaniline backbone when the electrical double layer charging dominates. While in an acidic electrolyte, proton transport in TALP turns to be the dominant ion behavior that is associated with the proton‐promoting surface redox processes. Moreover, higher capacitance along with better capacitive retention at a high rate is also demonstrated for TALP electrode in acidic electrolyte compared with that in the neutral environment. The results show that 2D nanoionics can be manipulated by applying redox‐active materials to build the nanochannels that allow the regulation of surface charge and chemistry with potential‐specific redox reactions.
High‐performance Li‐ion capacitor via anion‐intercalation process
Authors: Rajalekshmi Ambika Rajendran , Divya Madhusoodhanan Lathika , Lee Yun‐Sung , Aravindan Vanchiappan
Published: January 2022

Supercapacitors are characterized by their fast charge/discharge capability, high‐power capability, and long cycle life, but low‐energy‐density impedes their practical application. The requirement of achieving a highly efficient energy storage system demands the hybridization of supercapacitors and batteries. The anion‐intercalation chemistry of graphite with high insertion potential creates a possibility of using graphite as a cathode, which works as an acceptor‐type graphite intercalation compound. Herein, we report the reversible PF6– anion storage on the graphite cathode, which occurs by the combination of pseudocapacitive and diffusion‐limited redox reaction at a higher working potential. Furthermore, a dual carbon lithium‐ion capacitor (LIC) using commercial graphite as anion‐intercalation type, battery type cathode, and commercial‐activated carbon (AC) as supercapacitor type anode is designed. The assembled preanion intercalated Graphite/AC‐based LIC assembly displayed a high‐energy density of 90.73 Wh kg–1. Moreover, the device with low‐temperature stability is advantageous over traditional electrical double‐layer capacitors, mainly in terms of its energy and low cost with much more safety features than commercial lithium‐ion batteries.
Virtual body anthropomorphism increases drift in self‐location: Further support for the humanoid shape rule
Authors: Tekgün Ege , Uludağlı Muhtar Ç. , Akcan Hüseyin , Erdeniz Burak
Published: January 2022

Previous studies on bodily self‐consciousness (BCS) have shown that self‐location and body ownership are prone to changes based on the perceptual appearances of the fake virtual body. In the current study with 36 participants, we assessed the influence of virtual avatar anthropomorphism and the synchronicity of the visuo‐tactile stimulation on self‐location using a virtual reality full‐body illusion experiment. During the experiment, half of the participants observed a gender‐matched full‐body humanoid avatar from a first‐person perspective (1PP) and the other half observed a less anthropomorphic full‐body cubical avatar from 1PP while they were receiving synchronous and asynchronous visuo‐tactile stimulation. Results showed a significant main effect of the synchronicity of the visuo‐tactile stimulation and avatar body type on self‐location but no significant interaction was found between them. Moreover, the results of the self‐report questionnaire provide additional evidence showing that participants who received synchronous visuo‐tactile stimulation, experienced not only greater changes in the feeling of self‐location, but also, increased ownership, and referral of touch. Our results provided further support for the previous findings that showed evidence for the effect of virtual avatar appearance on BCS.
Comparative studies on physicochemical properties of gluten‐ and glutenin‐based films functionalized by polyphenols
Authors: Liu Xinye , Xie Yuran , Li Chen , Xue Feng
Published: January 2022

Background and objectives

This study aimed to develop gluten‐ and glutenin‐based active films functionalized individually by three different types of polyphenols (naringin, cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside, and proanthocyanidin). The interaction of these phenolic compounds with gluten and glutenin, and the effect of presence of these polyphenols on the physicochemical, antioxidative, and antimicrobial properties of resulting films were evaluated.

Findings.

The proanthocyanidin interacted with gluten and glutenin helped to form rougher surface structure and more homogeneous cross‐sectional structure. Therefore, the water vapor barrier property, water repellence, tensile strength, and thermal stability of the films were substantially improved in the presence of proanthocyanidin. The films containing proanthocyanidin also showed ability to inhibit growth of foodborne pathogens and scavenge free radical. Furthermore, the glutenin films exhibited higher tensile strength and better thermal stability. The gluten films possessed better water vapor barrier property and water repellence.

Conclusion

There were significant differences in physical properties between gluten films and glutenin films due to the difference of composition. However, the effects of polyphenols on the physical properties of the two films were basically the same.

Significance

and novelty.

The differences in physicochemical properties between gluten‐ and glutenin‐based films functionalized by polyphenols were illustrated in this study.
Syntheses, Polymorphic Transformations, and Functions of Ionic Crystals Based on Mononuclear Bismuth(III) Complexes and Polyoxometalates
Authors: Iwano Tsukasa , Akutsu Daiki , Weng Zhewei , Ogiwara Naoki , Uchida Sayaka
Published: January 2022

The controlled assembly of molecules, ions, and ligands as building blocks based on crystal engineering leads to various functional crystalline solids. In particular, polyoxometalates (POMs), which are anionic metal oxide clusters, have been a popular motif in crystal engineering. To revisit simple mononuclear metal complexes as counter cations of POMs, seven ionic crystals based on Keggin‐ or Dawson‐type POMs with mononuclear bismuth(III) complexes as counter cations were synthesized. The bismuth(III) center exhibited triangular dodecahedron, square antiprism, or pseudo‐cubic eight‐coordination geometries, with dimethyl sulfoxide or N,N‐dimethylformamide as ligands. The ionic crystals showed polymorphic transformation depending on the synthetic or recrystallization conditions. As a method for exploring functionality, proton conductivities of the ionic crystals were measured under humidified conditions. The ionic crystals with high porosity, tertiary amine moieties, or coordination water exhibited high proton conductivities, and large activation energies indicate that protons are transferred mainly with water molecules via the vehicle mechanism.
Propagation of errors in a color matching experiment
Authors: Carreño Fernando
Published: January 2022

We revisit the problem of propagation of errors in the color matching experiment reported by MacAdam [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 32, 247 (1942)]. The observer made color matchings by tuning the angle of a Rochon prism. The average value and the standard deviations of the angle settings were considered to derive the average tristimulus values and the uncertainty intervals. Here, we use a rigorous statistical method to derive the probability density functions of the tristimulus values assuming a Gaussian distribution for the Rochon prism angle. We analyze how much the actual probability density functions deviate from the Gaussian. We outline two methods to derive the interval of color mismatch and compare their predictions with those derived using the standard procedure.
Dyscalculia and dyslexia in Chinese children with idiopathic epilepsy: Different patterns of prevalence, comorbidity, and gender differences
Authors: Cheng Dazhi , Miao Xinyang , Wu Haiyan , Chen Chuansheng , Chen Qian , Zhou Xinlin
Published: January 2022

Objective

The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of dyscalculia, dyslexia, and their comorbidity rates in a large population‐based sample of children with idiopathic epilepsy (N = 2282) and a comparison sample of typically developing schoolchildren (N = 2371).

Methods

Both groups of children were screened using an arithmetic fluency test for dyscalculia and a reading fluency test for dyslexia. Their comorbidity rates were assessed. The prevalence rates of dyscalculia, dyslexia, comorbidity, and isolated dyscalculia/dyslexia (ie, participants with comorbid dyslexia and dyscalculia were excluded) were analyzed.

Results

In both −1.5 SD and −1 SD cutoff criterion, the prevalence rates were about two times higher in children with idiopathic epilepsy than in other schoolchildren; the prevalence rates of isolated dyslexia were higher in children with idiopathic epilepsy than in other schoolchildren (−1 SD: 10.9% vs 8.6%; −1.5 SD: 6.5% vs 4.7%). Meanwhile, comorbidity rates of dyscalculia and dyslexia were higher in children with idiopathic epilepsy than in other schoolchildren (32.7% vs 26.6%; 38.3% vs 23.5%, respectively). Overall, patterns of prevalence rates were different for children with idiopathic epilepsy and schoolchildren, in which children with idiopathic epilepsy had a higher prevalence rate of dyscalculia than dyslexia, while schoolchildren had a higher prevalence of dyslexia than dyscalculia, regardless of cutoff criteria. Interestingly, gender differences in the prevalence rates of all types of learning disabilities were found in schoolchildren, but there were only gender differences in the prevalence rates of dyslexia in children with idiopathic epilepsy.

Significance

The results highlight the vulnerability of children with idiopathic epilepsy for learning disabilities and a differential pattern of gender differences in dyslexia. Moreover, different patterns of prevalence rates suggest that children with idiopathic epilepsy and schoolchildren are more prone to different types of learning disabilities. The findings suggest needs for special interventions of learning disabilities for children with idiopathic epilepsy.
Decommissioned batteries and their usage in multilevel inverters as an addition to the circular economy
Authors: Hamid Muhammad , Li Boyang , Xie Jian
Published: January 2022

Research on decommissioned batteries emphasizes the value of lost energy in batteries. This article analyzes the leftover battery capacity after its decommissioning from electric vehicles. This analysis includes the discreteness of the battery capacity, sorting based on a QC/T‐standard and alteration among the battery capacities. The potential of decommissioned batteries in other applications is presented, and a roadmap for the circular economy is suggested. Based on the data collected in China, significant faults occurring inside electric vehicles' battery packs are reviewed. An alternative inverter is tested to solve the significant challenges in using decommissioned batteries. Advancements are made toward a new intuitive cell balancing technique to utilize maximum capacity in each cell.
Managing Freshwater Fish in a Changing Climate: Resist, Accept, or Direct
Authors: Rahel Frank J
Published: January 2022

Climate change is altering the distribution, phenology (e.g., timing of spawning), and community dynamics of freshwater fishes. Managers have three options for responding to these changes: “Resist” change to maintain or restore historic abiotic and biological conditions; “Accept” change and manage within the new conditions; or “Direct” change to produce new conditions considered desirable by humans. I discuss how the inland fisheries management approaches of stocking, regulations, habitat improvement, and community manipulations can be applied within the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework. I also discuss ways to choose among these options and how ecological tipping points can be used to determine when Resist is no longer a feasible option and managers must shift to Accept or Direct options.
MHD slip flow and heat transfer of UCM fluid with the effect of suction/injection due to stretching sheet: OHAM solution
Authors: Guled C. N. , Tawade J. V. , Nandeppanavar Mahantesh M. , Saraf A. R.
Published: January 2022

In this study, the optimal homotopy analysis (OHAM) technique has been examined to solve the laminar magnetohydrodynamic flow (MHD flow) on the upper‐convected Maxwell fluid on an isothermal porous stretch surface. A study on the effects of parameters like the relaxation time, suction/injection velocity, as well as the magnetic number on velocity over a sheet was conducted and these results are compared to the corresponding previously available results. It was observed that the thickness of the boundary layer is lowered by enhancing , , and values. Opposing this, it was observed that large values increase the magnituIIde. It is found that OHAM is an efficient method capable of giving a greater degree of accuracy in numerical values of flow parameters even after fewer approximations.
Positive and negative social contacts with immigrants from different groups: Investigating the role of group appraisal and opportunity for contact using network analysis
Authors: Tartakovsky Eugene , Walsh Sophie D.
Published: January 2022

What can enhance positive inter‐group contacts in a world of mass immigration is a subject high on the theoretical and practical agenda. However, there is a lack of research examining how contacts with different immigrant groups are related to characteristics of the group, as perceived by the receiving society. Using Threat‐Benefit Theory (Tartakovsky & Walsh, 2016a, 2016b, 2019, 2020), the present study examines how different domains of positive and negative appraisal of a specific immigrant group may relate to contacts with group members. Using a representative sample of 1600 adults in the majority of the Jewish population in Israel, we applied network analysis to examine relationships between threat‐benefit appraisal, opportunities for contact and levels of positive and negative contacts with four immigrant groups: diaspora immigrants from Ethiopia, Western countries and the former Soviet Union and asylum seekers. Levels of contact were related to particular domains of appraisal, which differed across immigrant groups. However, opportunities for contact had a stronger association with contact than the appraisal. Results point to a theoretical need to develop nuanced models related to inter‐group contact, which consider particular characteristics of the immigrant group as perceived by the local population.
Dyserythropoietic anaemia with an intronic GATA1 splicing mutation in patients suspected to have Diamond‐Blackfan anaemia
Authors: Kobayashi Akie , Ohtaka Ryusei , Toki Tsutomu , Hara Junichi , Muramatsu Hideki , Kanezaki Rika , Takahashi Yuka , Sato Tomohiko , Kamio Takuya , Kudo Ko , Sasaki Shinya , Yoshida Taro , Utsugisawa Taiju , Kanno Hitoshi , Yoshida Kenichi , Nannya Yasuhito , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Kojima Seiji , Miyano Satoru , Ogawa Seishi , Terui Kiminori , Ito Etsuro
Published: January 2022

Diamond‐Blackfan anaemia (DBA) shares clinical features with two recently reported sporadic cases of dyserythropoietic anaemia with a cryptic GATA1 splicing mutation (c.871‐24 C>T). We hypothesized that some patients clinically diagnosed with DBA but whose causative genes were unknown may carry the intronic GATA1 mutation. Here, we examined 79 patients in our DBA cohort, who had no detectable causative genes. The intronic GATA1 mutation was identified in two male patients sharing the same pedigree that included multiple cases with anaemia. Cosegregation of this mutation and disease in multiple family members provide evidence to support the pathogenicity of the intronic GATA1 mutation.
Very long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in a Swedish cohort: Clinical symptoms, newborn screening, enzyme activity, and genetics
Authors: Olsson David , Barbaro Michela , Haglind Charlotte , Halldin Maria , Lajic Svetlana , Tucci Sara , Zetterström Rolf H. , Nordenström Anna
Published: January 2022

Very long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD) is a recessive disorder of fatty acid beta‐oxidation with variable phenotype. Patients may present during the neonatal period with lethal multi‐organ failure or during adulthood with a myopathic phenotype. VLCADD is included in the Swedish newborn screening (NBS) program since 2010. The study describes the phenotype and biochemical findings in relation to the genotype, enzyme activity, and screening data in a Swedish cohort of pediatric patients with VLCADD. A total of 22 patients (20 diagnosed via NBS between 2010 and 2019, two diagnosed pre NBS) were included. Parameters analyzed were enzyme activity (palmitoyl CoA oxidation rate); ACADVL genotype; NBS results including Collaborative Laboratory Integrated Reports (CLIR) score; biochemical findings; treatment; clinical outcome. A clinical severity score (CSS) was compiled using treatment interventions and clinical symptoms. A possible correlation between CSS and VLCAD residual enzyme activity and NBS CLIR score was analyzed. The most common ACADVL variant (c.848T>C) was identified in 24/44 alleles. Five novel variants were detected. Clinical manifestations varied from asymptomatic to severe. There was a correlation between CSS, residual enzyme activity, and CLIR scores. Most patients diagnosed via NBS had less severe disease compared to those clinically diagnosed. In conclusion, the identified correlation between the NBS CLIR score, residual enzyme activity, and clinical outcome suggests that information available neonatally may aid in treatment decisions.
Acid‐Responsive Anticorrosion Microcapsules for Self‐Protecting Coatings
Authors: Thakare Dhawal R. , Xiong Thao M. , Flueck Ian L. , Morado Ephraim G. , Zimmerman Steven C. , Sottos Nancy R.
Published: January 2022

Encapsulated anticorrosion agents provide a suitable alternative to dispersion of metal‐based compounds in protective polymeric coatings on metal substrates. Stimuli‐responsive microcapsules enhance protection abilities by autonomously responding to corrosion‐induced environmental changes, rather than relying on damage‐induced mechanical stimuli. This work reports pH‐responsive microcapsules with triggered release over a wide range of acidic pH values (pH < 6) and robust enough to be incorporated in commercial solvent‐based epoxy coatings. The pH responsiveness is achieved by integrating acid labile ketals that undergo rapid hydrolysis within the cross‐linked polyamide shell and readily release acetylenic diol or jojoba oil as the anticorrosive agent. The microcapsules are stable up to a temperature of 150 °C and provide long‐term room temperature stability up to 3 months. Degradation and release kinetics of the microcapsules are quantified at various pH levels (1 ≤ pH ≤ 9) using 1H NMR and gas chromatography, respectively. Microcapsules exhibit complete release in under 5 min at pH 1 and ≈2 hours at pH 5, respectively. Coating performance is evaluated by electrochemical corrosion tests conducted in 5 wt% salt solutions with varying pH and concentration of the microcapsules in the coating. Inhibition efficiencies up to 70% are achieved in acidic saltwater solutions.
Hybrid‐attention densely connected U‐Net with GAP for extracting livers from CT volumes
Authors: Chen Ying , Hu Fei , Wang Yerong , Zheng Cheng
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Liver segmentation is an important step in the clinical treatment of liver cancer, and accurate and automatic liver segmentation methods are extremely important. U‐Net has been used as the benchmark for many medical segmentation networks, but it cannot fully utilize low‐resolution information and global contextual information. To solve these problems, we propose a new network architecture named the hybrid‐attention densely connected U‐Net (HDU‐Net).

Methods

The proposed HDU‐Net has three main changes relative to U‐Net, as follows: (1) It uses a densely connected structure and dilated convolution to achieve feature reuse and avoid information loss. (2) A global average pooling block is proposed to further augment the receptive field and improve the segmentation accuracy of the network for small or disconnected liver regions. (3) By combining the spatial attention and channel attention mechanisms, a hybrid attention structure is proposed to replace the skip connection component to filter and integrate low‐resolution information.

Results

Experiments conducted on the LITS2017, 3Dircadb and Sliver07 datasets show that the proposed model can segment the liver accurately and effectively. Dice scores reach 96.5%, 96.18%, and 97.57% on these datasets, respectively, constituting results that are superior to many previously proposed methods.

Conclusions

The experimental liver segmentation results have demonstrated that our proposed network provides improved segmentation performance in comparison with other networks. The experimental results without postprocessing confirmed that our network solves the oversegmentation and undersegmentation problems to some extent. The proposed model is effective, robust, and efficient in terms of liver segmentation without requiring extensive training time or a very large dataset.
Computer‐extracted features of nuclear morphology in hematoxylin and eosin images distinguish stage II and IV colon tumors
Authors: Kumar Neeraj , Verma Ruchika , Chen Chuheng , Lu Cheng , Fu Pingfu , Willis Joseph , Madabhushi Anant
Published: January 2022

We assessed the utility of quantitative features of colon cancer nuclei, extracted from digitized hematoxylin and eosin‐stained whole slide images (WSIs), to distinguish between stage II and stage IV colon cancers. Our discovery cohort comprised 100 stage II and stage IV colon cancer cases sourced from the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC). We performed initial (independent) model validation on 51 (143) stage II and 79 (54) stage IV colon cancer cases from UHCMC (The Cancer Genome Atlas's Colon Adenocarcinoma, TCGA‐COAD, cohort). Our approach comprised the following steps: (1) a fully convolutional deep neural network with VGG‐18 architecture was trained to locate cancer on WSIs; (2) another deep‐learning model based on Mask‐RCNN with Resnet‐50 architecture was used to segment all nuclei from within the identified cancer region; (3) a total of 26 641 quantitative morphometric features pertaining to nuclear shape, size, and texture were extracted from within and outside tumor nuclei; (4) a random forest classifier was trained to distinguish between stage II and stage IV colon cancers using the five most discriminatory features selected by the Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Our trained classifier using these top five features yielded an AUC of 0.81 and 0.78, respectively, on the held‐out cases in the UHCMC and TCGA validation sets. For 197 TCGA‐COAD cases, the Cox proportional hazards model yielded a hazard ratio of 2.20 (95% CI 1.24–3.88) with a concordance index of 0.71, using only the top five features for risk stratification of overall survival. The Kaplan–Meier estimate also showed statistically significant separation between the low‐risk and high‐risk patients, with a log‐rank P value of 0.0097. Finally, unsupervised clustering of the top five features revealed that stage IV colon cancers with peritoneal spread were morphologically more similar to stage II colon cancers with no long‐term metastases than to stage IV colon cancers with hematogenous spread. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Prediction of curing process for thermosetting prepreg compression molding process based on machine learning
Authors: Hou Jiatong , You Bo , Xu Jiazhong , Wang Tao
Published: January 2022

In the curing process of thermosetting prepreg compression molding (PCM), the distribution of the temperature field and the curing degree field have an important influence on the performance of composites. Therefore, the establishment of method to accurately predict the temperature difference and the degree of cure (DoC) difference during the curing process is significance for improving the performance of composites. In this paper, three kinds of machine learning models are studied: back propagation (BP) neural network, genetic algorithm‐back propagation (GA‐BP) neural network, radial basis function (RBF) neural network, then predictive models based on finite element method (FEM) and machine learning models are proposed. In the double‐dwell curing curve, six typical parameters are selected as inputs; the maximum value of temperature, the maximum value of temperature overshoot, the maximum DoC difference, the curing time, these four parameters during the curing process are selected as outputs, then the rapid predictive model is established. Within the value range of the process parameters, the Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method is used to select 100 sets of sample points, and after training on three predictive models, comparison, and verification are carried out. The results show that the predictive effect of the RBF model is the best. In these three models, the RBF model is more suitable for the performance prediction of composites PCM. In this article, the research provides the basis for the performance prediction of composites and the multiobjective optimization of the curing process.
Experimental and modeling investigation of ultrafine polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber membrane module for recovery of lactic acid from aqueous solutions
Authors: Madupathi Madhumala , Nandala Shivaprasad , Sundergopal Sridhar
Published: January 2022

This study investigated the aqueous lactic acid extraction process using indigenous ultrafine polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane contactor. Ultrafine PVDF hollow fibers with tighter pore structure were produced by wet spinning technique and fabricated in‐house with an epoxy resin. A kinetic study was performed by varying acid concentrations ranging from 60 to 1320 mol/m3 in an aqueous phase and 210–620 mol/m3 tri‐n‐octylamine (TOA) concentration in 1‐octanol diluent. The solutions were allowed to flow countercurrently using peristaltic pumps at constant aqueous and organic flow velocity of 0.006 and 0.005 m/s, respectively. A PRO/II simulation of the membrane contactor system was carried out to validate experimental results. The study showed a maximum acid extraction of 88 ± 0.1% for initial acid and amine concentrations of 250 and 620 mol/m3, respectively, which corresponds to a high KD value of 11.5 which is larger than the value found from PRO/II simulation for direct mixing of the aqueous and organic phases which demonstrates the merit of the membrane contactor. The exploratory study on kinetics has helped in understanding the mass transfer phenomena of the solute across the membrane. In addition, membrane characterization was done to investigate the surface and cross‐sectional morphologies and mechanical strength properties.
Optical Characterization of Large Icosahedral Colloidal Clusters
Authors: Ohnuki Ryosuke , Kunimoto Naoki , Takeoka Yukikazu , Yoshioka Shinya
Published: January 2022

Colloidal particles form a face‐centered‐cubic (FCC) lattice on crystallization; however, recent studies have indicated that the cluster with the icosahedral symmetry can be formed under spherical confinement. The icosahedral cluster appears only when the number of constituent particles is small because the FCC lattice is favored thermodynamically for a bulk colloidal crystal. This paper reports the observation of a large icosahedral colloidal cluster comprising ≈4.9 × 105 colloidal particles, which is considerably larger than the previously reported number. This large icosahedral cluster clearly exhibits the triangular reflection pattern that corresponds to one face of the icosahedron. Further, an oblique illumination with sample rotation is found to be an effective method to characterize the icosahedral cluster optically. In this study, larger colloidal particles are used than those in previous studies. It is hypothesized that slow reconfiguration during the evaporation process can result in the formation of a large icosahedral cluster due to the large particle size.
Assessing farmer perceptions on livestock intensification and associated trade‐offs using fuzzy cognitive maps; a study in mixed farming systems in the mid‐hills of Nepal
Authors: Alomia‐Hinojosa Victoria , Groot Jeroen C. J. , Andersson Jens A. , Speelman Erika N. , McDonald Andrew J. , Tittonell Pablo
Published: January 2022

Intensified livestock production is considered as a promising pathway for smallholder farmers. Nevertheless, this pathway may entail prohibitive investment requirements of labour, capital or trade‐offs at farm level that preclude sustainable intensification. We used fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) to assess farmers' perceptions of changes in the farm household system resulting from adding livestock to their mixed farms. Farmers identified trade‐offs between the increased income and farmyard manure production versus increases in labour requirements for fodder imports. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis performed on the FCMs showed that an increase in milk market demand could have strong positive effects on livestock production and income. We conclude that FCM is a good tool to rapidly identify trade‐offs and analyse perceptions of farmers which revealed that although they consider intensification a promising strategy, the perceived deepening of labour constraints and increasing dependency on fodder import makes a concurrent (sustainable) intensification of these farm systems unlikely.
The Capability Approach in Social Work with Older People
Authors: Kjellberg Inger
Published: January 2022

This chapter reports the findings from a scoping review of the use of the capability approach in social work with older people. Four peer-reviewed articles using the capability approach and addressing social work practice with older people are discussed. The purpose was to examine how the use of the capability approach is linked to policies, practices and social justice approaches in social work research. Two main applications of the capability approach were found: to explore the subjective sense of well-being, and to address social inequalities at a structural level. The capability approach was framed as congruent with the aims of social work, and as a call for action for social workers to promote social justice, human dignity and well-being. Only a few studies were found in this scoping review; however, more seemed to have been done within the fields of healthcare and developmental studies. Despite these limitations, the conclusion is that the capability approach has attracted some attention in social work with older people, and the number of studies elaborating on the capability approach in social work in general is growing.
Sustainable artificial intelligence: A corporate culture perspective
Authors: Isensee Carmen , Griese Kai-Michael , Teuteberg Frank
Published: January 2022

In recent years, various studies have highlighted the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) for our society. For example, AI solutions can help reduce pollution, waste, or carbon footprints. On the other hand, there are also risks associated with the use of AI, such as increasing inequality in society or high resource consumption for computing power. This paper explores the question how corporate culture influences the use of artificial intelligence in terms of sustainable development. This type of use includes a normative element and is referred to in the paper as sustainable artificial intelligence (SAI). Based on a bibliometric literature analysis, we identify features of a sustainability-oriented corporate culture. We offer six propositions examining the influence of specific manifestations on the handling of AI in the sense of SAI. Thus, if companies want to ensure that SAI is realized, corporate culture appears as an important indicator and influencing factor at the same time.
Partnerschaftliche Gewalt während der COVID-19-Pandemie in der Schweiz
Authors: Baier Dirk , Biberstein Lorenz , Kliem Sören
Published: January 2022

Der Beitrag berichtet Ergebnisse zu 2 schweizweit repräsentativen Befragungsstudien. Im Jahr 2018 und erneut im Jahr 2021 wurden Erwachsene, die zum Befragungszeitpunkt mit einem Partner bzw. einer Partnerin zusammenlebten, nach dem Erleben verschiedener partnerschaftlicher Übergriffe in den letzten 12 Monaten gefragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es im Zeitvergleich nicht zu einem Anstieg partnerschaftlicher Gewalt gekommen ist. Der Anteil an Befragten, die psychische Gewalt erlebt haben, beträgt 13,8 (Befragung 2018) bzw. 11,7 % (Befragung 2021), der Anteil an Befragten, die physische Gewalt erlebt haben, 2,9 bzw. 3,1 %. Die Stabilität der Prävalenzraten zeigt sich allerdings nicht für alle demografischen Gruppen: Bei jüngeren Befragten findet sich ein Anstieg physischer Gewalterfahrungen.
Graph coarsening: from scientific computing to machine learning
Authors: Chen Jie , Saad Yousef , Zhang Zechen
Published: January 2022

The general method of graph coarsening or graph reduction has been a remarkably useful and ubiquitous tool in scientific computing and it is now just starting to have a similar impact in machine learning. The goal of this paper is to take a broad look into coarsening techniques that have been successfully deployed in scientific computing and see how similar principles are finding their way in more recent applications related to machine learning. In scientific computing, coarsening plays a central role in algebraic multigrid methods as well as the related class of multilevel incomplete LU factorizations. In machine learning, graph coarsening goes under various names, e.g., graph downsampling or graph reduction. Its goal in most cases is to replace some original graph by one which has fewer nodes, but whose structure and characteristics are similar to those of the original graph. As will be seen, a common strategy in these methods is to rely on spectral properties to define the coarse graph.
Women-led Firms and Credit Access. A Gendered Story?
Authors: Basiglio Stefania , De Vincentiis Paola , Isaia Eleonora , Rossi Mariacristina
Published: January 2022

This work focuses on credit access and demand in Italian firms using the RIL dataset, a sample representative of Italian firms, for the year 2015. We investigate whether the gender of the firm’s decision-maker plays a role in requesting and obtaining a loan. Our results suggest that women are significantly less likely to ask for credit, while no significant differences in credit approval are found between the two genders. Moreover, the gender gap disappears for more educated women, as well as for firms in the north of the country.