bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utility of left atrial and ventricular strain for diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in aortic stenosis
Authors: Oike Fumi , Usuku Hiroki , Yamamoto Eiichiro , Marume Kyohei , Takashio Seiji , Ishii Masanobu , Tabata Noriaki , Fujisue Koichiro , Yamanaga Kenshi , Sueta Daisuke , Hanatani Shinsuke , Arima Yuichiro , Araki Satoshi , Oda Seitaro , Kawano Hiroaki , Soejima Hirofumi , Matsushita Kenichi , Ueda Mitsuharu , Fukui Toshihiro , Tsujita Kenichi
Published: March 2022

Aims

To clarify the usefulness of left atrial (LA) function and left ventricular (LV) function obtained by two‐dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography to diagnose concomitant transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR‐CM) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods and results

We analysed 72 consecutive patients with moderate to severe AS who underwent 99mTc‐pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy at Kumamoto University Hospital from January 2012 to September 2020. We divided these 72 patients into 2 groups based on their 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy positivity or negativity. Among 72 patients, 16 patients (22%) were positive, and 56 patients (78%) were negative for 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy. In clinical baseline characteristics, natural logarithm troponin T was significantly higher in the 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy‐positive than scintigraphy‐negative group (−2.9 ± 0.5 vs. −3.5 ± 0.8 ng/mL, P < 0.05). In conventional echocardiography, the severity of AS was not significantly different between these two groups. In 2D speckle tracking echocardiography, the relative apical longitudinal strain (LS) index (RapLSI) [apical LS/ (basal LS + mid LS)] was significantly higher (1.09 ± 0.49 vs. 0.78 ± 0.23, P < 0.05) and the peak longitudinal strain rate (LSR) in LA was significantly lower in the 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy‐positive than scintigraphy‐negative group (0.36 ± 0.14 vs. 0.55 ± 0.20 s−1, P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic analysis revealed the peak LSR in LA and RapLSI were significantly associated with 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy positivity. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the peak LSR in LA for 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy positivity was 0.79 and that the best cut‐off value of the peak LSR in LA was 0.47 s−1 (sensitivity: 78.6% and specificity: 72.3%). The AUC of RapLSI for 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy positivity was 0.69, and the cut‐off value of RapLSI was decided as 1.00 (sensitivity: 43.8% and specificity: 87.5%) according to the previous report. The 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy positivity in patients with RapLSI ≥ 1.0 and the peak LSR in LA ≤ 0.47 s−1 was 83.3% (5/6), and the 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy negativity in patients with RapLSI < 1.0 and the peak LSR in LA > 0.47 s−1 was 96.6% (28/29).

Conclusions

Left atrial and LV strain analysis were significantly associated with 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy positivity in ATTR‐CM patients with moderate to severe AS. The combination of the peak LSR in LA and RapLSI might be a useful predictor of the presence of ATTR‐CM in patients with moderate to severe AS.
Comparative of MIL101(Cr) and nano‐MIL101(Cr) Electrode as an Electrochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor
Authors: Salman Fırat , Kazıcı Hilal Çelik , Gülcan Mehmet
Published: March 2022

Herein, an electrochemical sensor for the detection of H2O2 based on nafion glassy carbon electrode modified with MIL101(Cr) and nano‐MIL101(Cr) are developed and its electrochemical characterizations analyzed by CV and CA. In comparison with the NGCE, MIL101/NGCE and nano‐MIL101/NGCE, the nano‐MIL101/NGCE showed a sharp redox peak specific to H2O2 was obtained in the phosphate‐calibrated solution. nano‐MIL101/NGCE exhibited good linear response in terms of the relationship between peak currents and concentrations as from 0 to 650 μM (R2=0.99), with a low limit of detection 3.8 μM, high sensitivity 986 μA mM−1 cm−2 and nano‐MIL101/NGCE exhibited ideal repeatability, reproducibility, stability and the interference‐free perception of H2O2.
A notable Gamma‐Lindley first‐order autoregressive process: An application to hydrological data
Authors: Mello Alice B. V. , Lima Maria C. S. , Nascimento Abraão D. C.
Published: March 2022

A new Gamma‐Lindley (GaL) first‐order autoregressive process (AR) is introduced, called GaL‐AR(1). The distribution for the GaL‐AR(1) innovation process and some of its structural properties are derived, such as the Laplace transform for its bivariate distribution, the conditional variance and expected value, and the spectral and autocorrelation functions. We propose two different estimation procedures whose asymptotic properties are studied by Monte Carlo experiments. An application to actual data from hydrology is performed. Results point out that our process outperforms other six non‐Gaussian AR(1) models that are well defined in the time series literature.
TMU‐24 (Zn‐based MOF) as an advance and recyclable adsorbent for the efficient removal of eosin B: Characterization, equilibrium, and thermodynamic studies
Authors: Samimi Mohsen , Safari Meysam
Published: March 2022

Zn‐based TMU‐24 as a metal–organic framework (MOF), containing amide‐functionalized pores was prepared by a facile and efficient strategy. The obtained TMU‐24 was illustrated to be efficient adsorbents for the eosin B removal from an aqueous solution. Due to their large surface area, stability, tunability, and porosity of the TMU‐24, as well as π–π and hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding formation between the dye and the MOF ligands, the fabricated sorbents showed fast adsorption kinetics (9 min) and high adsorption capacity. The effect of important factors such as pH, amount of adsorbent, contact time, and desorption conditions to achieve the optimal removal conditions was investigated. The optimum condition was pH = 6, absorbent dosage 4 mg and contact time 9 min. The adsorption results match with those of the Langmuir model and the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics, suggesting that eosin B was adsorbed to the adsorbent in monolayers due to its chemical affinity. The maximum adsorption capacity of TMU‐24 for the removal of eosin B was 370.37 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption procedure is spontaneous and exothermic. TMU‐24 exhibited excellent reusability (6 cycles) and had potential in the treatment of dyes polluted wastewater.
The offloading algorithm of mobile edge computing considering mobility in the intelligent inspection scenario
Authors: Xie Yue , Sun Yongyong , Xu Fei , Zhang Zhuoya , Qin Zengshi
Published: March 2022

In industrial scenarios, it is very common to replace manual detection with new intelligent applications such as image recognition based on deep learning. However, these applications often have the characteristics of high computational energy consumption and high computational density. It is impossible to deal with these tasks only by relying on intelligent detection equipment. Mobile edge computing (MEC) is an effective method to solve the problems of high energy consumption and insufficient computing power of detection equipment. A reasonable offloading strategy can reduce equipment energy consumption and reduce system maintenance costs. This article studies the intelligent inspection scenarios of multi‐user and multi‐MEC servers, and considers the resource competition and mobility among users. We divided the entire inspection process into several computing cycles, and designed a mobile migration model based on the traditional computing offloading model. Finally, a distributed algorithm based on game theory is proposed to solve the problem of minimizing energy consumption. The proposed intelligent inspection and offloading migration algorithm is evaluated through simulation experiments. Theoretical and experimental results show that our method can better adapt to the scenario proposed in this article, with low algorithm complexity and can effectively reduce the energy consumption of the whole inspection system. Compared with random and greedy algorithms, the energy consumption is reduced by 60% and 50% respectively.
The effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on cognition and well‐being in mild cognitive impairment: A 12‐month randomised controlled trial
Authors: Mengelberg Alexia , Leathem Janet , Podd John , Hill Stephen , Conlon Cathryn
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Several recent clinical trials have shown that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements have a significant effect on cognition in cognitively impaired older adults. This randomised controlled trial aimed to investigate the cognitive effects of a DHA fish oil supplement in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, and to examine the moderating effect of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele on cognition and well‐being.

Methods/Design

Seventy‐two older adults between the ages of 60 and 90 from New Zealand were given a DHA supplement equivalent to 1491 mg DHA + 351 mg eicosapentaenoic acid per day or a placebo for a period of 12 months. Outcome measures included cognition, wellbeing and self‐rated quality of life as well as height, weight, blood pressure and APOE genotyping.

Results

The final analysis (n = 60) found no evidence of a treatment effect on cognitive measures, although did find a treatment effect on systolic blood pressure (p = 0.03, ƞ2 = 0.08), and a treatment interaction for APOE ɛ4 carriers on depression (p = 0.04, ƞ2 = 0.07) and anxiety (p = 0.02, ƞ2 = 0.09) scores in favour of the DHA supplement.

Conclusions

Despite no effect on cognition, the positive result in APOE ɛ4 carriers on depression and anxiety scores and on systolic blood pressure justifies further DHA trials. It may be a prudent step going forward for more studies to replicate the design elements (dose, duration and cognitive measures) of previous DHA trials to help understand why not all older adults appear to benefit from taking a fish oil supplement.
The effect of acquisition duration on cerebral blood flow‐based resting‐state functional connectivity
Authors: Nakamura Yuko , Uematsu Akiko , Okanoya Kazuo , Koike Shinsuke
Published: March 2022

Resting‐state functional connectivity (rs‐FC) is widely used to examine the functional architecture of the brain, and the blood‐oxygenation‐level‐dependent (BOLD) signal is often utilized for determining rs‐FC. However, the BOLD signal is susceptible to various factors that have less influence on the cerebral blood flow (CBF). Therefore, CBF could comprise an alternative for determining rs‐FC. Since acquisition duration is one of the essential parameters for obtaining reliable rs‐FC, we investigated the effect of acquisition duration on CBF‐based rs‐FC to examine the reliability of CBF‐based rs‐FC. Nineteen participants underwent CBF scanning for a total duration of 50 min. Variance of CBF‐based rs‐FC within the whole brain and 13 large‐scale brain networks at various acquisition durations was compared to that with a 50‐min duration using the Levene's test. Variance of CBF‐based rs‐FC at any durations did not differ from that at a 50‐min duration (p > .05). Regarding variance of rs‐FC within each large‐scale brain network, the acquisition duration required to obtain reliable estimates of CBF‐based rs‐FC was shorter than 10 min and varied across large‐scale brain networks. Altogether, an acquisition duration of at least 10 min is required to obtain reliable CBF‐based rs‐FC. These results indicate that CBF‐based resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) with more than 10 min of total acquisition duration could be an alternative method to BOLD‐based rs‐fMRI to obtain reliable rs‐FC.
Efficient silencing of hepatitis B virus S gene through CRISPR‐mediated base editing
Authors: Zhou Hao , Wang Xiaomei , Steer Clifford J. , Song Guisheng , Niu Junqi
Published: March 2022

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (Cas9) has been used to precisely edit the HBV genome and eliminate HBV through non‐homologous end‐joining repair of double‐stranded break (DSB). However, the CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated DSB triggers instability of host genome and exhibits low efficiency to edit genome, limiting its application. CRISPR cytidine base editors (CBEs) could silence genes by generating a premature stop codon. Here we developed a CRISPR base editor approach to precisely edit single nucleotide within the HBV genome to impair HBV gene expression. Specifically, a single‐guide RNA (sgRNA) was designed to edit the 30th codon of HBV S gene, which encodes HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), from CAG (glutamine) to stop codon TAG. We next used human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 cells carrying the HBV genome to establish a cell line that expresses a CBE (PLC/PRF/5‐CBE). Lentivirus was used to introduce sgRNA into PLC/PRF/5‐CBE cells. Phenotypically, 71% of PLC/PRF/5‐CBE cells developed a premature stop codon within the S gene. Levels of HBs messenger RNA were significantly decreased. A 92% reduction of HBsAg secretion was observed in PLC/PRF/5‐CBE cells. The intracellular HBsAg was also reduced by 84% after treatment of gRNA_S. Furthermore, no off‐target effect was detected in predicted off‐target loci within the HBV genome. Sequencing confirmed that 95%, 93%, 93%, 9%, and 72% S gene sequences of HBV genotypes B, C, F, G, and H had the binding site of sgRNA. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that CRISPR‐mediated base editing is an efficient approach to silence the HBV S gene, suggesting its therapeutic potential to eliminate HBV.
Traumatic spinal cord injury caused by a dagger in the spine: A case report
Authors: Zhou Hong‐Su , Pi Yu , Wang Chong , Ao Jun , Sun Lv , Yuan Hao
Published: March 2022

Acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) combined with foreign matter retention is rare in the clinic, which causes less literature reported, browsed, and analyzed. A 36‐year‐old male was rushed to our institution due to an attack on the back. His superficial sensation below the nipple had disappeared (mainly in the left breast), the proprioception of both lower limbs was obviously decreased, and the muscle strength of the left lower limb was level 0 and that of the right lower limb was level 3. Computed tomography of the thoracic vertebrae showed that the dagger had completely pierced into the T9 vertebral body and the spinal canal. Prehospital transport: the spinal cord may be injured again due to the movement of the remaining foreign matter and the posture of the patients while they are being transported. Pathophysiology: the incidence of incomplete SCI is higher than that of other types of SCI. Imaging examination: magnetic resonance imaging might cause unexpected secondary injuries. Treatments: surgical intervention including removal of foreign matter and decompression is an essential and important measure for recovery of neurological function. Patients could benefit from administration of methylprednisolone.
Influencing factors on ecological efficiency: Based on 11 cities in Zhejiang Province, China
Authors: Huang Lizhen , Zhang Yixiang , Hong Zhenjie , Xu Xu
Published: March 2022

Ecological efficiency (eco-efficiency) is the effectiveness of ecological resources in meeting human needs and is a good representation of the quality of a region's development. The traditional concept of improving eco-efficiency refers to maximizing economic benefits by minimizing resource costs and environmental loads. This article argues that the goal of eco-efficiency evaluation is not only to maximize economic benefits but also to achieve high-quality and coordinated development in many aspects so that more people can enjoy the fruits of development. Therefore, in the evaluation system of eco-efficiency, the input indexes take into account the consumption of human, energy resources, and the environmental load caused by them in a region. The output indexes take into account the four dimensions of “economy, innovation, social harmony, and openness.” This study first establishes the nonexpected output superefficiency slacks-based measure model under the assumption of variable returns to scale to measure eco-efficiency in 11 cities of Zhejiang Province, China. Second, the spatial and temporal trends of eco-efficiency are studied with the help of the Malmquist index model. Moreover, regression analysis was conducted using the panel Tobit method to discuss the influencing factors of eco-efficiency. Several key results were obtained in this study: (1) The overall eco-efficiency in Zhejiang Province is rising steadily, but there are serious regional imbalances. (2) The improvement of eco-efficiency mainly relied on the scale efficiency from 2008 to 2013, but on pure technical efficiency from 2013 to 2018. (3) The share of tertiary industry, the number of scientific researchers, and the foreign trade dependence positively affect the improvement of eco-efficiency, but highway transportation mileage has a negative impact on the improvement of eco-efficiency. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:139–151. © 2022 SETAC
Endogenous sex hormones, aromatase activity and lung cancer risk in postmenopausal never‐smoking women
Authors: Zhao Yingya , Gao Yu‐Tang , Zhang Xianglan , Rockwood Alan L. , Kushnir Mark M. , Cai Qiuyin , Wu Jie , Shi Jiajun , Lan Qing , Rothman Nathaniel , Shyr Yu , Shu Xiao‐Ou , Zheng Wei , Yang Gong
Published: March 2022

Although reproductive factors have been repeatedly associated with lung cancer risk, no study to date has directly evaluated the relationship with endogenous sex hormones nor with aromatase activity in postmenopausal never‐smoking women. A case‐control study of 397 incident lung cancer cases and their individually matched controls, nested within the Shanghai Women's Health Study, was conducted among postmenopausal women who were lifetime never smokers. Prediagnostic concentrations of sex hormones was quantitated using LC‐MS/MS assays in plasma. The product‐substrate molar ratio of estrone to androstenedione was used as an index of aromatase activity (IAA). Multivariable conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for lung cancer. Baseline concentrations of estradiol, free testosterone and IAA were inversely associated with subsequent risk of lung cancer in multivariable‐adjusted models. When further adjusted for body mass index, the inverse association with estradiol was attenuated and no longer statistically significant, but the association with free testosterone and IAA remained. In analyses confined to participants having never used menopausal hormone therapy in 376 case‐control pairs, the inverse association with free testosterone and IAA was slightly strengthened. OR for the highest vs the lowest quartile of free testosterone was 0.55 (95% CI = 0.34‐0.90; Ptrend = .03), and the corresponding OR for IAA was 0.57 (95% CI = 0.34‐0.96; Ptrend = .04). Our study, for the first time, suggests that higher levels of circulating free testosterone and estimated aromatase activity may be associated with lower lung cancer risk in postmenopausal never‐smoking women.
Trajectories of loneliness across adolescence: An empirical comparison of longitudinal clustering methods using R
Authors: Verboon Peter , Hutten Elody , Smeekens Sanny , Jongen Ellen M. M.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

In this study, we compare three different longitudinal clustering methods. As a case study, the comparison of the methods is conducted for the development of loneliness from middle childhood to young adulthood. The aim is to explore how two nonparametric longitudinal cluster methods compare with a model‐based latent class mixture model approach.

Methods

The trajectories of loneliness of 130 young people between 9 and 21 years of age, were analyzed to find a set clusters within these trajectories. The data for this study were obtained from the Nijmegen Longitudinal Study on Infant and Child Development (The Netherlands). Loneliness was measured at four waves at the age of 9, 13, 16, and 21 years. The nonparametric methods are in the R‐packages kml and traj, and the model‐based in the lcmm package.

Results

All methods indicated that the optimal number of clusters to describe the heterogeneity across the trajectories was three. The kml and lcmm methods showed the most similarity in shape of all clusters and fitted the data relatively well, while the traj method yielded somewhat different shapes and didn't fit the data well.

Conclusions

All three methods corroborate the literature in this field by finding that the largest portion of subjects experience stable and low levels of loneliness. However, the clustering methods also reveal that there is a portion of subjects that experience changes in loneliness during adolescence. By comparing the results of nonparametric clustering methods to the latent class mixture model, this study equips researchers with an example of how to implement these models and thereby contributes to the literature on longitudinal clustering in the social sciences. Altogether the analyses show that it might be useful to investigate different algorithms to identify the most robust solution.
Spectroscopic optical coherence tomography for classification of colorectal cancer in a mouse model
Authors: Kendall Wesley Y. , Bordas Julianna , Mirminachi Seyedbabak , Joseph Abel , Roper Jatin , Wax Adam
Published: March 2022

Noninvasive diagnosis of the malignant potential of colon polyps can improve prevention of colorectal cancer without the need for time‐consuming and expensive biopsies. This study examines the use of spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) to classify tissue from genetically engineered mouse models of early‐stage adenoma (APC) and advanced adenocarcinoma (AKP) in which tumors are induced in the distal colon. The optical tissue properties of scattering power and scattering attenuation coefficient are evaluated by analyzing the imaging data collected from tissues. Classifications are generated using 2D linear discriminant analysis with high levels of discrimination obtained. The overall classification accuracy obtained was 91.5%, with 100% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity in separating tumors from benign tissue, and 77.8% sensitivity and 99.4% specificity in separating adenocarcinoma from nonmalignant tissue. Thus, this study demonstrates the clinical potential of using spectroscopic OCT for rapid detection of colon adenoma and colorectal cancer.
Muscle architecture and clinical parameters in stroke patients: An ultrasonographic study
Authors: Onat Şule Şahin , Polat Cemile Sevgi , Gürçay Eda , Özcan Didem Sezgin , Orhan Ali
Published: March 2022

Purpose

To compare the lower extremity muscle architecture on both the affected side and healthy sides using ultrasound (US) imaging and examine the relationship between these measurements and clinical parameters in stroke patients.

Methods

A cross‐sectional analysis of 125 stroke patients (64 M, 61 F) was performed in this study. Timed up and go (TUG) test was used to evaluate balance, Fugl‐Meyer assessment of lower extremity (FMA‐LE) was used to evaluate motor function, functional independence measurement (FIM) was used to evaluate functional status. Muscle thicknesses (MT) of rectus femoris (RF), vastus intermedius (VI), vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), soleus, medial gastrocnemius (GC) muscles, the PA and the FL of GC were obtained using ultrasound (US) imaging.

Results

The muscle thickness, PA and FL of the affected side decreased significantly compared to the healthy side (p = .0001) in stroke patients. Another clear result was that soleus and GC muscle thicknesses and PA of GC muscle were found to be associated with balance, motor function, and functional status.

Conclusion

The properties of muscles evaluated with US may provide recommendations for clinical assessments and also potentially contribute to clinicians designing a rehabilitation intervention program for stroke patients.
Protective effect of Celastrus paniculatus on cognitive function in glutamate‐induced brain‐injured mice by reducing the intracellular influx of Ca+
Authors: John Elezabeth , Mishra Bharat , Tripathi Alok Shiomurti , Aleesha R.
Published: March 2022

Present investigation evaluates the protective effect of Celastrus paniculatus (CP) on the cognitive function in neuronal injured mice. Neuronal injury was induced by oral administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) at a dose of 1.66 g/kg/day for 30 days. Mice in the CP‐treated group receives CP 30 mg/kg ip and CP + GGA‐treated group received CP 30 mg/kg ip and glutamic acid (GGA, 1.5 mg/kg, ip) 30 min prior to the administration of MSG for 30 days. Assessment of cognitive function was done using Morris water maze. Level of inflammatory cytokines and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was estimated in the brain tissue of brain‐injured mice. Moreover, intracellular concentration of Ca+ ion was estimated in the brain tissue and expression of Bcl‐2, Bax, and caspase‐3 protein was estimated in the brain tissue by western blot assay. Cognitive function was attenuated in CP‐treated glutamate‐injured mice. Data of the study suggest that treatment with CP reduces the level of inflammatory cytokines and production of ROS in the brain tissue compared to negative control group. There was reduction in the concentration of Ca+ ion in the neuronal cells in CP‐treated group than negative control group of mice. Treatment with CP ameliorates the expression of Bax, Bcl‐2, and caspase‐3 in the brain tissue of glutamate‐induced brain‐injured mice. In conclusion, data of the study suggest that treatment with CP attenuates the cognitive function and neuronal apoptosis in glutamate‐induced neuronal injury by reducing the concentration of intracellular Ca+ ion.
Sex and age differences in approach behavior toward a port that delivers nicotine vapor
Authors: Espinoza Veronika E. , Giner Priscilla , Liano Isabella , Mendez Ian A. , O'Dell Laura E.
Published: March 2022

The goal of our laboratory is to study the mechanisms that promote nicotine use, particularly in vulnerable populations. To more closely mimic human use patterns, the present study employed nicotine vapor methods involving passive exposure for 14 days in adolescent and adult female and male rats. Age and sex differences in approach behavior (nosepokes) were assessed in a port that delivered nicotine plumes on Day 1 and 14 of our exposure regimen. Controls received ambient air in exposure chambers. After the final session, rats received a nicotinic receptor antagonist to precipitate withdrawal. Then, physical signs, anxiety‐like behavior, and plasma levels of cotinine (a nicotine metabolite) were assessed. Over time, females displayed a larger increase in approach behavior to the nicotine port than males, an effect that was larger in adolescents. Nosepoke responses in adolescent females were correlated with anxiety‐like behavior, but not physical signs of withdrawal. Adolescents gained more weight than adults regardless of treatment, and the weight gain was larger in male adolescents. Female adolescents also displayed the highest levels of cotinine than all other groups. These findings suggest that nicotine vapor produces greater motivational effects in adolescent females as compared to their adult and male counterparts.
Reactivity of pyrimidinylphosphazenes with acetylenic esters: Competitive [4 + 2] and [2 + 2] tandem cycloaddition or retro‐cycloaddition approaches
Authors: Cobo Justo , Molina Sebastián , Sánchez Adolfo , Nogueras Manuel , Insuasty Braulio , Orozco‐López Fabián
Published: March 2022

In the search for new intermediates for heterocyclic synthesis, the reactivity of 6‐iminophosphoranepyrimidines against dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) and ethyl propiolate as dienophiles, was studied in this work. The presence of a viable 2‐azadienic moiety in pyrimidin‐4‐one rings (oxo derivatives) favored reaction of DMAD by [4 + 2]/retro‐[4 + 2] sequence, in addition to the expected [2 + 2] cycloaddition/retrocycloaddition involving phosphazene moiety. In contrast, pyrimidine derivatives lacking a viable 2‐azadienic residue reacted only through phosphazene group by the aforementioned [2 + 2]/retro‐[2 + 2] tandem process. Ethyl propiolate (non‐symmetric dienophile) proved less reactive in the study, giving rise to undesired side reactions.
Tumor-intrinsic CD21 expression impacts the response of B-cell malignancy cells to CD19-CAR-T cells
Authors: Li Dan , Xu Qiongyu , Hu Yutian , Wang Wenbing , Xie Shufeng , Zhao Chunjun , Liu Han
Published: March 2022

CD19-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based T-cell therapy has produced promising clinical responses in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. However, a significant portion of patients with mature B cell-derived malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), do not respond to CD19-CAR-T cell therapy. Whether any characteristics and biomarkers intrinsic to cancer cells themselves can predict the CD19-CAR-T cell therapeutic response remains largely unknown. Surprisingly, by using experimental models, we show here that malignant B cells bearing CD21, a mature B cell marker, could not be efficiently killed by CD19-CAR-T cells. CD19, CD21, and CD81, together with CD225, form the B cell coreceptor complex that enhances B cell-mediated signaling. Our results indicated that CD21 affected the recognition of CD19-positive tumor cells by CD19-CAR-T cells and impaired the antitumor capacities of these effector cells. We have not only uncovered a mechanism underlying the impairment of CD19-CAR-T cells in mature B cell-derived CLL and NHL, but also proposed a pretreatment biomarker that may predict CD19-CAR-T cell therapeutic response, thus preventing foreseeable therapy failure and suggesting optimal personized therapies.
Genotype–phenotype correlations in CPT1A deficiency detected by newborn screening in Pacific populations
Authors: Bernhardt Isaac , Glamuzina Emma , Dowsett Leah K. , Webster Dianne , Knoll Detlef , Carpenter Kevin , Bennett Michael J. , Maeda Michelle , Wilson Callum
Published: March 2022

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) deficiency is a long chain fatty acid oxidation disorder, typically presenting with hypoketotic hypoglycaemia and liver dysfunction during fasting and intercurrent illness. Classical CPT1A deficiency is a rare disease, although a milder ‘Arctic variant' (p.P479L) is common in the Inuit population. Since the introduction of expanded metabolic screening (EMS), the newborn screening programmes of Hawai'i and New Zealand (NZ) have detected a significant increase in the incidence of CPT1A deficiency. We report 22 individuals of Micronesian descent (12 in NZ and 10 in Hawai'i), homozygous for a CPT1A c.100T>C (p.S34P) variant detected by EMS or ascertained following diagnosis of a family member. No individuals with the Micronesian variant presented clinically with metabolic decompensation prior to diagnosis or during follow‐up. Three asymptomatic homozygous adults were detected following the diagnosis of their children by EMS. CPT1A activity in cultured skin fibroblasts showed residual enzyme activity of 26% of normal controls. Secondly, we report three individuals from two unrelated Niuean families who presented clinically with symptoms of classic CPT1A deficiency, prior to the introduction of EMS. All were found to be homozygous for a CPT1A c.2122A>C (p.S708R) variant. CPT1A activity in fibroblasts of all three individuals was severely reduced at 4% of normal controls. Migration pressure, in part due to climate change may lead to increased frequency of presentation of Pacific peoples to regional metabolic services around the world. Knowledge of genotype–phenotype correlations in these populations will therefore inform counselling and treatment of those detected by newborn screening.
Dynamical downscaling of inland and offshore near‐surface wind speed over China inCORDEXEast Asia Phase I andIIexperiments
Authors: Li Tongxin , Liu Gang , Fang Juan , Tang Jianping
Published: March 2022

Within the frameworks of the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment‐East Asia first and second phase (CORDEX‐EA‐I and CORDEX‐EA‐II), the impact of spatial resolution, physical parameterization schemes and spectral nudging (SN) on simulating inland and offshore near‐surface wind speed over China is evaluated. By using WRF and RegCM4 models, the CORDEX‐EA simulations driven by the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data are conducted from 1989 to 2008. The regional climate models (RCMs) have the capacity to simulate the spatial patterns of surface wind, although significant overestimations exist over inland China. The WRF CORDEX‐EA‐II experiments with increasing horizontal resolution perform better in reproducing both inland and offshore wind speed than the CORDEX‐EA‐I experiments. Moreover, the experiments with SN can significantly reduce the positive biases of surface wind speed. For the temporal variation of wind speed, almost all the simulations show larger biases in winter than in summer. Particularly, the simulated wind speed in summer in the RegCM4 experiment with CLM3 land surface model (RCC‐II) is close to the observations. The extreme wind speed can be well reproduced by WRF simulations, and the SN experiments perform better than the experiments without SN (NOSN). In addition, the overestimations of surface wind speed can be partly explained by the overestimations of the wind field at 850 hPa level inherited from ERA‐Interim reanalysis and the increase of temperature gradient between the land and ocean in winter.
Evaluation of a standardized posttraumatic stress disorder treatment framework in routine mental health care: Effectiveness and predictors of treatment outcome in a consecutive sample
Authors: Scharff Frederik B. , Lau Marianne E. , Gondan Matthias , Folke Sofie , Arendt Ida‐Marie T. P. , Moeller Stine B.
Published: March 2022

The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of standardized care package (CP) treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a Danish sample of adult psychiatric outpatients (N = 948). Secondary aims were to identify baseline predictors of treatment outcomes and investigate between‐group differences in outcomes with regard to sex and treatment modality (i.e., group vs. individual therapy). The naturalistic, nonrandomized study followed a pre–post design. Patient data from five psychiatric outpatient clinics were collected between March 2011 and November 2017. Data were drawn from self‐report questionnaires (i.e., SCL‐90‐R, WHO‐5, BHS) and therapist‐reported measures (i.e., GAF‐S, GAF‐F) administered at baseline and posttreatment. Between‐group effects for sex and therapy modality (group vs. individual) were analyzed using analyses of variance, and possible predictors of outcomes were selected through LASSO regression and analyzed via hierarchical regression. Pre–post effects were small to moderate, ds = 0.39–0.69. No differences emerged regarding treatment modality, but women had significantly better outcomes than men. Aside from sex, only baseline symptom severity predicted outcomes. The effectiveness of the CP treatment was generally limited, indicating the need to implement improved therapeutic practices, such as the use of evidence‐based treatments, and to provide better training to mental health clinicians. The findings underscore the need for further comparisons of group and individual treatment modalities using evidence‐based therapies as well as the need to investigate factors that may affect treatment outcome.
Thermally Robust Orange‐Red‐Emitting Color Converters for Laser‐Driven Warm White Light with High Overall Optical Properties
Authors: Deng Taoli , Huang Linhui , Li Shuxing , Zhu Qiangqiang , Wang Le , Takeda Takashi , Hirosaki Naoto , Xie Rong‐Jun
Published: March 2022

Laser‐driven solid‐state lighting with super‐brightness and compactness is recognized as a promising alternative to white light‐emitting diodes. However, it is quite difficult to achieve laser‐driven warm white light with long‐term stability due to the shortage of robust orange‐ or red‐emitting laser phosphors. In this work, an efficient and thermally robust orange‐red (La,Y)3Si6N11:Ce3+ (LYSN)‐BN phosphor‐in‐glass (PiG) film is proposed to realize warm white light, where h‐BN acts as an optical medium to enhance light scattering, a heat sink to reduce the temperature, and a protective layer to prevent LYSN from oxidation. The “LYSN+15 wt.% BN” PiG film shows an internal quantum efficiency of 70% and a luminance saturation threshold of 12.82 W mm−2, much higher than those without h‐BN (i.e., 57.5% and 7.63 W mm−2). A warm white light lamp fabricated by combining “LYSN+15 wt.% BN” PiG film with blue laser diodes, showing tunable correlated color temperatures (2800–5000 K), has a maximal luminous flux of 740 lm and a luminous efficacy of 133.5 lm W−1, which promises high collimation and penetration lighting in the rainy or foggy weather. By designing a composite orange‐red‐emitting phosphor converter, this work lays a foundation for realizing high quality laser‐driven warm white lighting source.
Recent Progress in the Application of Cellulose in Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Materials
Authors: Li Mengmeng , Zhao Yanjiao , Zhang Meiling , Jiang Shuai , Farooq Amjad , Liu Liying , Ge Aixiong , Liu Lifang
Published: March 2022

Excessive electromagnetic radiation produced by widely used electronic equipment not only harms human health but also affects the accuracy of precision instruments. To meet the growing demand for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, various novel materials are investigated. As a natural biopolymer, cellulose possesses the merits of biodegradability, thermal stability, easy processability, and low cost. Owing to tremendous advantages, cellulose can be used as a substrate, binder, and derived carbon material for EMI shielding materials. Although many research papers on EMI shielding materials containing cellulose have been published, a detailed summary on them has not been acknowledged yet. Hence, this review is composed mainly to cover the structure and properties of cellulose, as well as electromagnetic shielding theory, which are explained in detail by using various research articles, review papers, and book chapters. And the recent applications of cellulose in EMI shielding materials are highlighted. It is hoped that the information gathered from previous studies can provide a reference for the fabrication of cellulose composites with higher EMI shielding performance in future research.
Optimizing the Intercrystallite Connection of a Donor–Acceptor Conjugated Semiconductor Polymer by Controlling the Crystallization Rate via Temperature
Authors: Li Hongxiang , Liu Xinyu , Jin Tianya , Zhao Kefeng , Zhang Qiang , He Chunyong , Yang Hua , Chen Yu , Huang Jianyao , Yu Xinhong , Han Yanchun
Published: March 2022

The charge carrier transport of conjugated polymer thin film is mainly decided by the crystalline domain and intercrystallite connection. High‐density tie‐chain can provide an effective bridge between crystalline domains. Herein, the tie‐chain connection behavior is optimized by decreasing the crystal region length (lc) and increasing the crystallization rate. Poly[4‐(4,4‐bis(2‐octyldodecyl)‐4H‐cyclopenta[1,2‐b:5,4‐b′]dithiophen‐2‐yl)‐alt‐[1,2,5]‐thiadiazolo[3,4‐c]pyridine] (PCDTPT‐ODD) is dissolved in nonpolar solvent isooctane and high ordered rod‐like aggregations are formed. As the temperature increases, the changes in solution state and crystallization behavior lead to three different chain arrangement morphologies in the films: 1) at 25 °C, large and separated crystal regions are formed; 2) at 55 °C, small and well‐connected crystal regions are formed due to faster crystallization rate and smaller nucleus size; 3) at 90 °C, the amorphous film is formed. Further results show that the film prepared at 55 °C has a smaller crystal region length (lc, 7.6 nm) and higher tie‐chains content. Thus, the film exhibits the best device mobility of 2.3 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1. This result shows the great influence of crystallization kinetics on the microstructure of conjugated polymer films and provides an effective way for the optimization of the intercrystallite tie‐chain.
Immunomodulatory role of thrombin in cancer progression
Authors: Alexander Eric T. , Gilmour Susan K.
Published: March 2022

Coagulation proteases and the generation of thrombin are increased in tumors. In addition, chemotherapeutic agents commonly used to treat malignant cancers can exacerbate cancer‐associated thromboses. Thrombin can modify tumor cell behavior directly through the activation of protease‐activated receptors (PAR) or indirectly by generating fibrin matrices. In addition to its role in generating fibrin to promote hemostasis, thrombin acts directly on multiple effector cells of the immune system impacting both acute and chronic inflammatory processes. Thrombin‐mediated release of interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 leads to the accumulation of multiple tumor‐infiltrating immunosuppressive cell populations including myeloid derived suppresser cells, M2‐like macrophages, and T regulatory cells. Ablation of PAR‐1 from the tumor microenvironment, but not the tumor, has been shown to dramatically reduce tumor growth and metastasis in multiple tumor models. Thrombin‐activated platelets release immunosuppressive cytokines including transforming growth factor‐β that can inhibit natural killer cell activity, helping tumor cells to evade host immunosurveillance. Taken together, there is strong evidence that thrombin influences cancer progression via multiple mechanisms, including the tumor immune response, with thrombin emerging as a target for novel therapeutic strategies for cancer.
Approximate controllability of delay nonautonomous integro‐differential system with impulses
Authors: Kumar Ankit , Vats Ramesh K. , Dhawan Kanika , Kumar Avadhesh
Published: March 2022

In this article, we consider the second‐order nonautonomous integro‐differential system with finite delay and noninstantaneous impulse. The aim of this paper is to establish the approximate controllability result for the proposed control problem. We use the evolution operator and Schauder's fixed‐point approach for proving our main result. Also, we provide an example to illustrate our main result.
Architectural distortion detection based on superior–inferior directional context and anatomic prior knowledge in digital breast tomosynthesis
Authors: Li Yue , He Zilong , Ma Xiangyuan , Zeng Weixiong , Liu Jialing , Xu Weimin , Xu Zeyuan , Wang Sina , Wen Chanjuan , Zeng Hui , Wu Jiefang , Chen Weiguo , Lu Yao
Published: March 2022

Background

In 2020, breast cancer becomes the most leading diagnosed cancer all over the world. The burden is increasing in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Accurately detecting breast lesions in screening images is important for early detection of cancer. Architectural distortion (AD) is one of the breast lesions that need to be detected.

Purpose

To develop a deep‐learning‐based computer‐aided detection (CADe) model for AD in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). This model uses the superior–inferior directional context of DBT and anatomic prior knowledge to reduce false positive (FP). It can identify some negative samples that cannot be distinguished by deep learning features.

Methods

The proposed CADe model consists of three steps. In the first step, a deep learning detection network detects two‐dimensional (2D) candidates of ADs in DBT slices with the inputs preprocessed by Gabor filters and convergence measure. In the second step, three‐dimensional (3D) candidates are obtained by stacking 2D candidates along superior–inferior direction. In the last step, FP reduction for 3D candidates is implemented based on superior–inferior directional context and anatomic prior knowledge of breast. DBT data from 99 cases with AD were used as the training set to train the CADe model, and data from 208 cases were used as an independent test set (including 108 cases with AD and 100 cases without AD as the control group). The free‐response receiver operating characteristic and mean true positive fraction (MTPF) in the range of 0.05–2.0 FPs per volume are used to evaluate the model.

Results

Compared with the baseline model based on convergence measure, our proposed method demonstrates significant improvement (MTPF: 0.2826 ± 0.0321 vs. 0.6640 ± 0.0399). Results of an ablation study show that our proposed context‐ and anatomy‐based FP reduction methods improve the detection performance. The number of FPs per DBT volume reduces from 2.47 to 1.66 at 80% sensitivity after employing these two schemes.

Conclusions

The deep learning model demonstrates practical value for AD detection. The results indicate that introducing superior–inferior directional context and anatomic prior knowledge into model can indeed reduce FPs and improve the performance of CADe model.
Litter‐of‐origin traits and their association with lifetime productivity in sows and boars
Authors: Flowers William L.
Published: March 2022

Litter‐of‐origin variables refer to unique characteristics of piglets between birth and weaning. They also are associated with reproductive organ development, so it seems plausible that they should influence lifetime productivity. Birthweight exhibited positive relationships with total sperm per ejaculate and total pigs produced over three parities for boars and sows, respectively. There were minimum birthweights below which the likelihood of future reproductive success was low so its use as an early selection criterion to exclude replacements with poor lifetime potential merits consideration. Colostrum is critical for normal adult reproductive physiology, and its intake can be estimated by measuring immunocrit levels after birth. Immunocrit had positive linear relationships with total pigs born alive over four parities in sows and total sperm produced per ejaculate in boars. Consequently, management strategies that enhance both the quality and quantity of colostrum consumed hold considerable potential for improving lifetime productivity. Results from both retrospective and prospective studies demonstrated that preweaning growth and weaning weight were associated positively with the development of reproductive organs, adult reproductive processes, and lifetime productivity. These should be, perhaps, the easiest to improve from a management perspective through the implementation of strategic cross‐fostering, split‐nursing, or supplemental feeding techniques.
Intercorrelated random fields with bounds and the Bayesian identification of their parameters: Application to linear elastic struts and fibers
Authors: Rappel Hussein , Girolami Mark , Beex Lars A.A.
Published: March 2022

Many materials and structures consist of numerous slender struts or fibers. Due to the manufacturing processes of different types of struts and the growth processes of natural fibers, their mechanical response frequently fluctuates from strut to strut, as well as locally within each strut. In associated mechanical models each strut is often represented by a string of beam elements, since the use of conventional three‐dimensional finite elements renders the simulations computationally inefficient. The parameter input fields of each string of beam elements are ideally such that the local fluctuations and fluctuations between individual strings of beam elements are accurately captured. The goal of this study is to capture these fluctuations in several intercorrelated bounded random fields. Two formulations to describe the intercorrelations between each random field, as well as the case without any intercorrelation, are investigated. As only a few sets of input fields are available (due to time constraints of the supposed experimental techniques), the identification of the random fields' parameters involves substantial uncertainties. A probabilistic identification approach based on Bayes' theorem is employed to treat the involved uncertainties.