bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Antigen‐Specific T and B Cells for Monitoring Immune Protection Against SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: De Biasi Sara , Paolini Annamaria , Lo Tartaro Domenico , Gibellini Lara , Cossarizza Andrea
Published: January 2023

Immunological memory is the basis of protection against most pathogens. Long‐living memory T and B cells able to respond to specific stimuli, as well as persistent antibodies in plasma and in other body fluids, are crucial for determining the efficacy of vaccination and for protecting from a second infection by a previously encountered pathogen. Antigen‐specific cells are represented at a very low frequency in the blood, and indeed, they can be considered “rare events” present in the memory T‐cell pool. Therefore, such events should be analyzed with careful attention. In the last 20 years, different methods, mostly based upon flow cytometry, have been developed to identify such rare antigen‐specific cells, and the COVID‐19 pandemic has given a dramatic impetus to characterize the immune response against the virus. In this regard, we know that the identification, enumeration, and characterization of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific T and B cells following infection and/or vaccination require i) the use of specific peptides and adequate co‐stimuli, ii) the use of appropriate inhibitors to avoid nonspecific activation, iii) the setting of appropriate timing for stimulation, and iv) the choice of adequate markers and reagents to identify antigen‐specific cells. Optimization of these procedures allows not only determination of the magnitude of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific responses but also a comparison of the effects of different combinations of vaccines or determination of the response provided by so‐called “hybrid immunity,” resulting from a combination of natural immunity and vaccine‐generated immunity. Here, we present two methods that are largely used to monitor the response magnitude and phenotype of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific T and B cells by polychromatic flow cytometry, along with some tips that can be useful for the quantification of these rare events. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Identification of antigen‐specific T cells

Basic Protocol 2: Identification of antigen‐specific B cells
Manufacturing Water‐Based Low‐Tortuosity Electrodes for Fast‐Charge through Pattern Integrated Stamping
Authors: Ren Haoze , Wang Ying , Cao Daxian , Gedney William , Ji Tongtai , Sun Xiao , Zhu Hongli
Published: January 2023

Achieving high energy density and fast charging of lithium‐ion batteries can accelerate the promotion of electric vehicles. However, the increased mass loading causes poor charge transfer, impedes the electrochemical reaction kinetics, and limits the battery charging rate. Herein, this work demonstrated a novel pattern integrated stamping process for creating channels in the electrode, which benefits ion transport and increases the rate performance of the electrode. Meanwhile, the pressure applied during the stamping process improved the contact between electrode and current collector and also enhanced the mechanical stability of the electrode. Compared to the conventional bar‐coated electrode with the same thickness of 155 μm (delivered a discharge capacity of 16 mAh g−1 at the rate of 3 C), the stamped low‐tortuosity LiFePO4 electrode delivered 101 mAh g−1 capacity. Additionally, water was employed as a solvent in this study. Owing to its eco‐friendliness, high scalability, and minimal waste generation, this novel stamping technique inspire a new method for the industrial‐level efficient roll to roll fabrication of fast‐charge electrodes.
Ambient‐Condition Strategy for Production of Hollow Ga2O3@rGO Crystalline Nanostructures Toward Efficient Lithium Storage
Authors: Zhang Dongdong , Wei Qiliang , Huang Haili , Jiang Lan , Teng Jie , Yu Ruizhi , Zhang Qing , Liu Shengxing , Wang Lin , Yang Weiyou
Published: January 2023

Crystalline γ‐Ga2O3@rGO core–shell nanostructures are synthesized in gram scale, which are accomplished by a facile sonochemical strategy under ambient condition. They are composed of uniform γ‐Ga2O3 nanospheres encapsulated by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanolayers, and their formation is mainly attributed to the existed opposite zeta potential between the Ga2O3 and rGO. The as‐constructed lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) based on as‐fabricated γ‐Ga2O3@rGO nanostructures deliver an initial discharge capacity of 1000 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and reversible capacity of 600 mAh g−1 under 500 mA g−1 after 1000 cycles, respectively, which are remarkably higher than those of pristine γ‐Ga2O3 with a much reduced lifetime of 100 cycles and much lower capacity. Ex situ XRD and XPS analyses demonstrate that the reversible LIBs storage is dominant by a conversion reaction and alloying mechanism, where the discharged product of liquid metal Ga exhibits self‐healing ability, thus preventing the destroy of electrodes. Additionally, the rGO shell could act robustly as conductive network of the electrode for significantly improved conductivity, endowing the efficient Li storage behaviors. This work might provide some insight on mass production of advanced electrode materials under mild condition for energy storage and conversion applications.
Efficacy of omecamtiv mecarbil in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction according to N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide level: insights from the GALACTIC‐HF trial
Authors: Docherty Kieran F. , McMurray John J.V. , Claggett Brian L. , Miao Zi Michael , Adams Kirkwood F. , Arias‐Mendoza Alexandra , Cleland John G.F. , Diaz Rafael , Echeverria Correa Luis E , Felker G. Michael , Fonseca Candida , Li Jing , Metra Marco , Sliwa‐Hahnle Karen , Solomon Scott D. , Vandekerckhove Hans J. , Vinereanu Dragos , Voors Adriaan A. , Heitner Stephen B. , Kupfer Stuart , Malik Fady I. , Meng Lisa , Teerlink John R.
Published: January 2023

Aim

N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is predictive of both outcomes and response to treatment in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil according to baseline NT‐proBNP level in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure trial (GALACTIC‐HF).

Methods and results

The primary outcome was the composite of a worsening heart failure event (urgent clinic visit, emergency department visit, or hospitalization) or cardiovascular death. We prespecified analysis of the effect of treatment according to baseline NT‐proBNP (≤ median, > median), excluding individuals with atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/AFL). Of the 8232 patients analysed, 8206 had an available baseline NT‐proBNP measurement. Among the 5971 patients not in AF/AFL, the median (Q1–Q3) NT‐proBNP level was 1675 (812–3579) pg/ml. Hazard ratios (HR) for the effect of omecamtiv mecarbil, compared with placebo, for the primary endpoint in patients without AF/AFL were: ≤ median 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80–1.09), > median 0.81 (0.73–0.90) (p‐interaction = 0.095); for the overall population (including patients with AF/AFL) the HRs were ≤ median 1.01 (0.90–1.15) and > median 0.88 (0.80–0.96) (p‐interaction = 0.035). There was an interaction between treatment and NT‐proBNP, examined as a continuous variable, with greater effect of omecamtiv mecarbil on the primary outcome in patients with a higher baseline NT‐proBNP (p‐interaction = 0.086).

Conclusions

In GALACTIC‐HF, the benefit of omecamtiv mecarbil appeared to be larger in patients with higher baseline NT‐proBNP levels, especially in patients without AF/AFL.

Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02929329; EudraCT number, 2016‐002299‐28.
Mobile SARS‑CoV‑2 screening facilities for rapid deployment and university‐based diagnostic laboratory
Authors: Stanislawski Nils , Lange Ferdinand , Fahnemann Christian , Riggers Christoph , Wahalla Marc‐Nils , Porr Marc , Cholewa Fabian , Jonczyk Rebecca , Thoms Stefanie , Witt Martin , Stahl Frank , Beutel Sascha , Winkel Andreas , Pott Philipp‐Cornelius , Stiesch Meike , Paulsen Mira , Melk Anette , Lucas Henning , Heiden Stefanie , Blume Holger , Blume Cornelia
Published: January 2023

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic has created a public crisis. Many medical and public institutions and businesses went into isolation in response to the pandemic. Because SARS‐CoV‐2 can spread irrespective of a patient's course of disease, these institutions’ continued operation or reopening based on the assessment and control of virus spread can be supported by targeted population screening. For this purpose, virus testing in the form of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and antibody detection in blood can be central. Mobile SARS‐CoV‐2 screening facilities with a built‐in biosafety level (BSL)‐2 laboratory were set up to allow the testing offer to be brought close to the subject group's workplace. University staff members, their expertise, and already available equipment were used to implement and operate the screening facilities and a certified diagnostic laboratory. This operation also included specimen collection, transport, PCR and antibody analysis, and informing subjects as well as public health departments. Screening facilities were established at different locations such as educational institutions, nursing homes, and companies providing critical supply chains for health care. Less than 4 weeks after the first imposed lockdown in Germany, a first mobile testing station was established featuring a build‐in laboratory with two similar stations commencing operation until June 2020. During the 15‐month project period, approximately 33,000 PCR tests and close to 7000 antibody detection tests were collected and analyzed. The presented approach describes the required procedures that enabled the screening facilities and laboratories to collect and process several hundred specimens each day under difficult conditions. This report can assist others in establishing similar setups for pandemic scenarios.
Hosting capacity in distribution grids: A review of definitions, performance indices, determination methodologies, and enhancement techniques
Authors: Qamar Naveed , Arshad Ammar , Mahmoud Karar , Lehtonen Matti
Published: January 2023

For the past few years, the world has seen a great shift toward renewable energy resources from conventional ones. But the ever‐increasing integration of distributed generation (DG) to the electrical network leads to integration limiting constraints like overvoltage, under voltage, harmonics, equipment ampacity violations, and failure of protection schemes. Therefore, an extensive investigation of the methodologies in which DGs can be incorporated into the electrical network is presented in this manuscript. This article provides an extensive review of all the hosting capacity (HC) terms, references, limiting constraints of the studied networks, geographical segregation, and their determination methodologies. Moreover, the factors defining the HCs of various networks and the architectures employed to increase them, are also explained briefly in the conducted review study.
Feeling More Black in Portland: Diversity and the Enregisterment of Livability
Authors: Cameron‐Domínguez Kim
Published: January 2023

This article examines the relationship between diversity and urban livability in Portland, Oregon, as ideological and pragmatic projects. I argue that diversity enregisters the city as livable, because the progressive ideals that diversity puts forth index one of many innovative approaches that Portland has taken to resolve the challenges of urban life. Black professional women are both rhetors and subjects of this enregisterment process. They are routinely called on to make public arguments about diversity. However, I show that diversity work just as routinely creates situations where the communicable power of whiteness in the city is both evident and maintained. Women describe navigating this dynamic as “feeling more Black in Portland” than anywhere else they have lived. I contend that this feeling of racialized affect is engendered by diversity's subordination to livability—a structural relation that indexes both the neoliberal underpinnings of local belonging and how narrowly the space is constructed to include Blackness and womanhood.
The effect of a low versus high sodium diet on blood pressure in diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Gholizadeh‐Moghaddam Mahsa , Shahdadian Farnaz , Shirani Fatemeh , Hadi Amir , Clark Cain C. T. , Rouhani Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2023

There have been numerous clinical trials that have investigated the effect of sodium intake on blood pressure in diabetic patients. The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to evaluate the clinical trial studies performed on the effect of low sodium diet (LSD) versus high sodium diet (HSD) on blood pressure in diabetic patients. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched from database inception to July 10, 2021. Both type 1 and 2 diabetes was considered. Overall, there were 15 studies included in this meta‐analysis. The weighted (WMD) mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using a random‐effects model. Risk of bias in the studies was assessed based on the Cochrane collaboration tool and the quality of all the studies was considered as good. Overall, LSD significantly reduced SBP (systolic blood pressure) (WMD: −3.79 mmHg, 95% CI: −6.02, −1.56) and DBP (diastolic blood pressure) (WMD: −1.62 mmHg, 95% CI: −2.84, −0.40), in comparison with HSD, in diabetics. However, LSD had no significant effect on MAP (mean arterial pressure) in comparison with HSD (WMD: −1.81, 95%CI: −5.49, 1.87). Although subgroup analysis could not attenuate heterogeneity in SBP, subgroup analysis in DBP based on duration (≤1 week: WMD: −2.35, 95%CI: −3.69, −1.00, I2 = 48.9%, p = 0.081, >1 week: WMD: −1.04, 95% CI: −2.83, 0.76, I2 = 74.7%, p = 0.003) and study design (cross‐over: WMD: −1.94, 95% CI: −2.71, −1.17, I2 = 32.1%, p = 0.183, parallel: WMD: −2.17, 95% CI: −6.48, 2.13, I2 = 82.4%, p = 0.001) successfully detected sources of heterogeneity. LSD significantly reduced SBP and DBP, however, had no effect on MAP, in comparison with HSD.
Genesis of a functional astrocyte syncytium in the developing mouse hippocampus
Authors: Zhong Shiying , Kiyoshi Conrad M. , Du Yixing , Wang Wei , Luo Yumeng , Wu Xiao , Taylor Anne T. , Ma Baofeng , Aten Sydney , Liu Xueyuan , Zhou Min
Published: January 2023

Astrocytes are increasingly shown to operate as an isopotential syncytium in brain function. Protoplasmic astrocytes acquire this ability to functionally go beyond the single‐cell level by evolving into a spongiform morphology, cytoplasmically connecting into a syncytium, and expressing a high density of K+ conductance. However, none of these cellular/functional features exist in neonatal newborn astrocytes, which imposes a basic question of when a functional syncytium evolves in the developing brain. Our results show that the spongiform morphology of individual astrocytes and their spatial organization all reach stationary levels by postnatal day (P) 15 in the hippocampal CA1 region. Functionally, astrocytes begin to uniformly express a mature level of passive K+ conductance by P11. We next used syncytial isopotentiality measurement to monitor the maturation of the astrocyte syncytium. In uncoupled P1 astrocytes, the substitution of endogenous K+ by a Na+‐electrode solution ([Na+]p) resulted in the total elimination of the physiological membrane potential (VM), and outward K+ conductance as predicted by the Goldman‐Hodgkin‐Katz (GHK) equation. As more astrocytes are coupled to each other through gap junctions during development, the [Na+]p‐induced loss of physiological VM and the outward K+ conductance is progressively compensated by the neighboring astrocytes. By P15, a stably established syncytial isopotentiality (−73 mV), and a fully compensated outward K+ conductance appeared in all [Na+]p‐recorded astrocytes. Thus, in view of the developmental timeframe wherein a singular syncytium is anatomically and functionally established for intra‐syncytium K+ equilibration, an astrocyte syncytium becomes fully operational at P15 in the mouse hippocampus.
The potential role of telemedicine in the infectious disease pandemic with an emphasis on COVID‐19: A narrative review
Authors: Shokri Fazlollah , Bahrainian Sara , Tajik Fatemeh , Rezvani Elaheh , Shariati Aref , nourigheimasi Shima , Shahrebabaki Elahe Saberi , Ebrahimi Maryam , Shamoon Farhan , Heidary Mohsen
Published: January 2023

Background and Aims

Due of its low cost, rapid speed, data record, and vast communication coverage, information and communication technology might be useful for health‐related fields in times of crisis. By providing medical or hygienic services to a patient who lives elsewhere using communication methods like email, fax, cellphones, applications, and wireless gadgets, telemedicine can aid in the better management of diseases. Reviewing the potential role of telemedicine in the pandemic of infectious diseases with a focus on the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) epidemic was the main goal of this study.

Methods

“Google Scholar,” “PubMed,” “Science Direct,” and “Scopus” databases were searched to collect the papers that identify the advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine in the disease pandemic. Searched keywords include: telepharmacy, telemedicine, remote communication, pandemic(s), epidemic, distant care, distant communication, phone consulation, video conference communication and patient education.

Results

Information and communication technology are crucial, especially when dealing with pandemics of infectious diseases like COVID‐19. Less “in‐person” patient visits to hospitals as a result of telemedicine eventually means less labor for the medical staff, less viral exposure for patients, and ultimately less disease spread. By establishing a bidirectional reciprocal relationship between patients and healthcare providers although they are in separate geographical areas, it can improve patient health status.

Conclusion

Governments are currently facing a significant budgetary burden because to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Since patients are not sent to medical facilities in person, which could be a source of infection, telemedicine reduces disease spread while saving money.
Assessment of climate change impact on maximum precipitation in Spain
Authors: Requena Ana I. , Jiménez‐Álvarez Antonio , García Celia
Published: January 2023

The potential effect of climate change on maximum precipitation is studied by considering several temporal intervals for its incorporation into flood risk management in Spain. The methodology used allows for a complete assessment of the effect of climate change on maximum precipitation by accounting for uncertainty, and may be applied to other case studies. Behaviour regarding observations, trends and changes in climate model maximum precipitation series are evaluated. In turn, multi‐model mean (and percentile) relative changes accounting for statistical significance, torrential rate changes, and relative changes in daily annual maximum precipitation accumulated along river network are estimated. Results show a large variability in climate model outcomes. In general, a suitable behaviour is found for the climate model ensemble regarding observations: it properly represents seasonality of daily annual maximum precipitation for all regions, and observation‐based statistics are found to be within range of simulation‐based statistics for most regions. As an exception, daily annual maximum precipitation is underestimated in Mediterranean regions, which may be attributed to known limitations of current climate models in adequately reproducing convective precipitation typical of those areas. Results also show an intensifying increase in trends and changes as precipitation duration decreases, a torrentiality rise, and relative changes related to accumulated maximum precipitation of up to 35%. These findings support the notion that the effect of climate change may be stronger for extreme precipitation associated with short precipitation durations. This may be attributed to a stronger scaling between change in extreme precipitation and mean surface temperature increase for shorter durations. The findings also highlight the importance of analysing statistical significance of relative changes in quantile for allowing its attribution to climate change. Statistical model choice is found to be essential for identifying significant changes.
Warmer and drier ecosystems select for smaller bacterial genomes in global soils
Authors: Liu Hongwei , Zhang Haiyang , Powell Jeff , Delgado‐Baquerizo Manuel , Wang Juntao , Singh Brajesh
Published: January 2023

Bacterial genome size reflects bacterial evolutionary processes and metabolic lifestyles, with implications for microbial community assembly and ecosystem functions. However, to understand the extent of genome‐mediated microbial responses to environmental selections, we require studies that observe genome size distributions along environmental gradients representing different conditions that soil bacteria normally encounter. In this study, we used surface soils collected from 237 sites across the globe and analyzed how environmental conditions (e.g., soil carbon and nutrients, aridity, pH, and temperature) affect soil bacterial occurrences and genome size at the community level using bacterial community profiling. We used a joint species distribution model to quantify the effects of environments on species occurrences and found that aridity was a major regulator of genome size with warmer and drier environments selecting bacteria with smaller genomes. Drought‐induced physiological constraints on bacterial growth (e.g., water scarcity for cell metabolisms) may have led to these correlations. This finding suggests that increasing cover by warmer and drier ecosystems may result in bacterial genome simplifications by a reduction of genome size.
Capturing 2D van der Waals magnets with high probability for experimental demonstration from materials science literature
Authors: Song Haiyang , Zhao Yinghe , Turner Eleanor , Wu Yu , Li Yuan , Wu Menghao , Feng Guang , Li Huiqiao , Zhai Tianyou
Published: January 2023

2D van der Waals (vdW) magnets have opened intriguing prospects for next‐generation spintronic nanodevices. Machine learning techniques and density functional theory calculations enable the discovery of 2D vdW magnets to be accelerated; however, current computational frameworks based on these state‐of‐the‐art approaches cannot offer probability analysis on whether a 2D vdW magnet can be experimentally demonstrated. Herein, a new framework can be established to overcome this challenge. Via the framework, 2D vdW magnets with high probability for experimental demonstration are captured from materials science literature. The key to the successful establishment is the introduction of the theory of mutual information. Historical validation of predictions substantiates the high reliability of the framework. For example, half of the 30 2D vdW magnets discovered in the literature published prior to 2017 have been experimentally demonstrated in the subsequent years. This framework has the potential to become a revolutionary force for progressing experimental discovery of 2D vdW magnets.

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Co‐initiators of polymerization can modulate the inflammatory cytokine release without major cytotoxic effects in human dental pulp cells
Authors: Agostinelli Bárbara Gabriela , Andia Denise Carleto , Lima Adriano F.
Published: January 2023

To evaluate the cytotoxicity of co‐initiators of polymerization and its influence on cytokine release from human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). Cells were isolated from the dental pulp of sound human third molars. The co‐initiators dimethylaminoethyl amine benzoate—(EDAB), 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA); 2‐Ethylhexyl 4‐(dimethylamino)benzoate (EHA) and bis(4‐methyl phenyl)iodonium hexafluorophosphate (BPI) were diluted in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at different concentrations. In this way, experimental groups and one control (without treatment) were obtained. hDPCs (10 × 104 cell per well) were seeded on 96 well plates and incubated at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 48 h. After this, the cells were exposed to different concentrations of co‐initiators cited for 24 h. After this time, the culture medium was removed, and the mitochondrial metabolism was evaluated by MTT assay, cell death by flow cytometry, and cytokine released (IL‐1β, IL6, IL‐8, IL‐10, and TNF‐α) was analyzed by MAGPIX assay. The data were analyzed by ANOVA one‐way and Tukey's test. EHA, DMAEMA, and EDAB did not reduce the mitochondrial metabolism. BPI presented high toxicity with remarkable reduction (80%) after exposure to 1 mM. The cell death of all test groups was similar to control. After 24 h treatment, the IL‐8 was up‐regulated by all compounds, while IL‐6 was upregulated after exposure to EHA and downregulated after DMAEMA stimulation. BPI, EHA, EDAB, and DMAEMA can trigger an initial inflammatory response, upregulating the IL‐8 secretion in hDPCs in a compound‐concentration‐dependent manner; however, this was not accompanied by major cytotoxic effects at cell death or mitochondrial‐metabolism levels.
Facile synthesis of zirconia supported nanomaterials for efficient photocatalytic applications
Authors: Khan Khushbakhat , Saeed Muhammad , Awad Sameer A. , Khan Muhammad Younas , Khalaf Eman M. , Zaman Muhammad Saleh , Aiman Vaneeza , Irshad Tasmia , Ahsan Hadia
Published: January 2023

The recent study enlightens the synthesis and characterization of zirconia (ZrO2), Fe‐doped ZrO2 (Fe@ZrO2), and Ni‐doped ZrO2 (Ni@ZrO2) catalysts having new‐fangled morphology with tuned band gap as photocatalysts for degradation of textile wastewater dyes methylene blue (MB), malachite green (MG), and their mixtures. SEM imaging of Fe@ZrO2 and Ni@ZrO2 is interestingly varied from ZrO2 as well as doping of transition metals greatly affects the morphology of composites. The optimization study depicts that the pH, time (min) and catalyst amount (g) have a direct relation with degradation efficiency, while the dye concentration (mg/L) has an indirect relation as well. The photocatalytic studies depict that the degradation of MB and MG follows oxidation pathway via hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and holes. Reusability of catalysts corresponds to a little decrease in degradation efficiency in the first two cycles and decreases to about ∼10% (Ni@ZrO2) and ∼12% (Fe@ZrO2) in next three cycles.
Downregulation of ACAN is Associated with the Growth hormone pathway and Induces short stature
Authors: Wu Huiping , Wang Chaoban , Yu Shiwen , Ye Xiaojun , Jiang Yalan , He Pingping , Shan Xiaoou
Published: January 2023

Background

ACAN heterozygous mutations can cause short stature in patients with or without advanced bone age and have recently attracted researchers' attention. Growth hormone can be used to treat short stature induced by ACAN mutations; however, few studies have focused on the underlying mechanism of this treatment.

Methods

Four patients with new mutations were reported based on clinical data and genetic tests. We investigated the expression and Gene Ontology biological process enrichment of ACAN and GH pathways based on GTEx databases through bioinformatics analyses. The effect of ACAN on the growth hormone response evaluated in ATDC5 cells with a growth hormone stimulation test.

Results

Four mutations were reported in this study: c.619C > A, c.1967A > G, c.1888G > A, and c.1308_1309del. All patients' heights were under −2.5 SD, with one had advanced bone age, and two had GH deficiency.

Two individuals received growth hormone therapy acquired variable levels of height SD score improvement. ACAN and the GH pathway were strongly associated; ACAN does not affect GHR but regulates the response to GH. Downregulating ACAN inhibited ATDC5 cell proliferation induced by GH.

Conclusion

ACAN is associated with the GH pathway, revealing the potential mechanism underlying GH‐targeted treatment for ACAN mutation‐induced short stature. GH‐promoting therapies may increase patients' heights.
Volunteering in the community: Understanding personal experiences of South Asians in the United Kingdom
Authors: Iqbal Syka , Di Martino Salvatore , Kagan Carolyn
Published: January 2023

Upstanding civic action is central to individual and community well‐being, particularly when communities comprise rich and diverse membership. However, not all groups in society have the same opportunities and resources to volunteer. This is particularly true for South Asian people, who are often reported to be less likely to volunteer. Research into the experience and meanings that this ethnic group attributes to volunteering has been exceptionally scarce. Informed by a community psychology perspective, this qualitative study conducted nine semistructured interviews with British South Asians involved in formal volunteering activities. The aim was to explore their personal experiences and motivations regarding volunteering for their community of belonging. Results from reflexive thematic analysis were grouped under three themes. These were (1) volunteering cultivated individual well‐being, (2) South Asians who volunteer often experience social injustice and marginalisation and (3) volunteering for South Asians is intrinsically tied to religious and cultural motivations. British South Asians faced personal and social obstacles in accessing fundamental health and social care in their communities of belonging. Religion, and community social capital were positive volunteering strategies for British South Asians. Positive impacts of well‐being included becoming closer to faith and increased sense of meaning/purpose and recognising of individual strengths. These findings offer valuable insights and recommendations for community organisations and governmental bodies to better promote volunteering for ethnic minorities. We suggest the adoption of cultural and religious sensitivity, along with strategies to remove barriers in access to opportunities and support for volunteering.
Tight asymptotics of clique‐chromatic numbers of dense random graphs
Authors: Demidovich Yu. , Zhukovskii M.
Published: January 2023

The clique‐chromatic number of a graph is the minimum number of colors required to assign to its vertex set so that no inclusion maximal clique is monochromatic. McDiarmid, Mitsche, and Prałat proved that the clique‐chromatic number of the binomial random graph is at most with high probability (whp). Alon and Krivelevich showed that it is greater than whp and suggested that the right constant in front of the logarithm is . We prove their conjecture and, beyond that, obtain a tight concentration result: whp .
Contribution of genotypes in Prothrombin and Factor V Leiden to COVID‐19 and disease severity in patients at high risk for hereditary thrombophilia
Authors: Kiraz Aslıhan , Sezer Ozlem , Alemdar Adem , Canbek Sezin , Duman Nilgun , Bisgin Atıl , Cora Tulin , Ruhi Hatice Ilgın , Ergoren Mahmut Cerkez , Geçkinli Bilgen Bilge , Sag Sebnem Ozemri , Gözden Hilmi Erdem , Oz Ozlem , Altıntaş Zuhal Mert , Yalcıntepe Sinem , Keskin Adem , Tak Ayşegül Yabacı , Paskal Şeyma Aktaş , Yürekli Uğur Fahri , Demirtas Mercan , Evren Emine Unal , Hanta Abdullah , Başdemirci Müşerref , Suer Kaya , Balta Burhan , Kocak Nadir , Karabulut Halil Gürhan , Cobanogulları Havva , Ateş Esra Arslan , Bozdoğan Sevcan Tuğ , Eker Damla , Ekinci Sadiye , Nergiz Süleyman , Tuncalı Timur , Yagbasan Serap , Alavanda Ceren , Kutlay Nuket Yurur , Evren Hakan , Erdoğan Murat , Altıner Sule , Sanlidag Tamer , Gonen Gizem Akıncı , Vicdan Arzu , Eras Nazan , Eker Hatice Koçak , Balasar Ozgür , Tuncel Gulten , Dundar Munis , Gurkan Hakan , Temel Sehime Gulsun
Published: January 2023

Thrombotic and microangiopathic effects have been reported in COVID‐19 patients. This study examined the contribution of the hereditary thrombophilia factors Prothrombin (FII) and Factor V Leiden (FVL) genotypes to the severity of COVID‐19 disease and the development of thrombosis. This study investigated FII and FVL alleles in a cohort of 9508 patients (2606 male and 6902 female) with thrombophilia. It was observed that 930 of these patients had been infected by SARS‐CoV‐2 causing COVID‐19. The demographic characteristics of the patients and their COVID‐19 medical history were recorded. Detailed clinical manifestations were analyzed in a group of cases (n = 4092). This subgroup was age and gender‐matched. FII and FVL frequency data of healthy populations without thrombophilia risk were obtained from Bursa Uludag University Medical Genetic Department's Exome Databank. The ratio of males (31.08%; 27.01%) and the mean age (36.85 ± 15.20; 33.89 ± 14.14) were higher among COVID‐19 patients compared to non‐COVID‐19 patients. The prevalence of FVL and computerized tomography (CT) positivity in COVID‐19 patients was statistically significant in the thrombotic subgroup (p < 0.05). FVL prevalence, CT positivity rate, history of thrombosis, and pulmonary thromboembolism complication were found to be higher in deceased COVID‐19 patients (p < 0.05). Disease severity was mainly affected by FVL and not related to genotypes at the Prothrombin mutations. Overall, disease severity and development of thrombosis in COVID‐19 are mainly affected by the variation within the FVL gene. Possible FVL mutation should be investigated in COVID‐19 patients and appropriate treatment should be started earlier in FVL‐positive patients.
Effects of amino acids and albumin administration on albumin metabolism in surgically stressed rats: A basic nutritional study
Authors: Wada Akira , Nakamura Mika , Kobayashi Kiyoka , Kuroda Akiyoshi , Harada Daisuke , Kido Satoshi , Kuwahata Masashi
Published: January 2023

Background

Nutrition therapy and administration of albumin preparations are common in postsurgical patients. However, the effects of these interventions on albumin metabolism are unclear. We elucidated the effect of postoperative albumin and/or parenteral nutrition administration on it.

Methods

Sprague‐Dawley rats underwent surgery involving intestinal rubbing followed by intestinal exposure. Subsequently, they were administered experimental solutions for 48 h, their blood samples were collected at 24 and 48 h, and livers were excised at 48 h. Based on experimental solutions, rats were divided into five groups: non‐surgical (Non‐surg); glucose and electrolyte solution (GE); amino acid, glucose, and electrolyte solution (AGE); GE + rat serum albumin (Alb) (GE + Alb); and AGE + Alb. Their plasma albumin concentrations; albumin fractional synthesis rate (ALB FSR); mercaptoalbumin/total albumin ratio (MA ratio); and messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of albumin and hepatocyte nuclear factor‐1 (HNF‐1) in the liver were measured.

Results

The GE and AGE groups showed significant decline in albumin concentrations. ALB FSR was significantly enhanced in the AGE group compared with the GE group. The mRNA expression of albumin was similar to ALB FSR in all groups and that of HNF‐1 was significantly decreased in the GE + Alb and AGE + Alb groups compared with the Non‐surg group. The MA ratio in the AGE group was similar to the Non‐surg group.

Conclusion

The administration of amino acids comprising parenteral nutrition after surgery augmented ALB FSR and maintained the MA ratio only without simultaneous albumin administration.
Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for the diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Wang Kunyu , Qiu Yu , Wu Chenzhou , Wen Zhi‐Ning , Li Yi
Published: January 2023

The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is increasing worldwide year by year, and its prognosis largely depends on early detection. However, it is difficult to make an early and definitive diagnosis of oral cancer patients by conventional oral examination. This study used surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology to achieve an early and noninvasive diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Serum samples were collected from 74 patients with OSCC, 15 patients with malignant neoplasm of the salivary gland, and 94 normal subjects. And saliva samples from 25 patients with OSCC, 8 patients with malignant neoplasm of the salivary gland, and 35 normal subjects. High‐quality surface‐enhanced Raman spectra were obtained using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) as the enhancement matrix. The differences in the measured Raman spectra revealed differences in the relative concentrations of biomolecules in saliva and serum from oral squamous carcinoma, salivary gland malignancies, and normal subjects. In combination with a support vector machine (SVM) diagnostic model, the cross‐validation method is used to assess model performance in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1‐measure, balanced accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The accuracy of model identification is above 80% for all serum samples, whereas the detection of saliva samples, although poorer than serum samples, is expected to improve the diagnostic accuracy with increased sample size. The results suggest that body fluid SERS combined with SVM has great potential to diagnose OSCC noninvasively and rapidly.
Sloth bear maternal and resting den locations in eastern Karnataka
Authors: Swaminathan Shanmugavelu , Sharp Thomas R. , Arun Attur S. , Smith Tom S. , Larsen Randy , Satyanarayan Kartick , Seshamani Geeta
Published: January 2023

Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) use resting and maternal dens. Resting dens are used by both sexes, usually during the mid‐day when sloth bears are least active. Maternal dens are used by female bears to give birth and raise cubs. The purpose of our study was to better understand the denning ecology of sloth bears in eastern Karnataka so that important denning habitat can be delineated and protected. We documented resting and maternal dens from 2014 to 2018 in 5 different study areas surrounded by agriculture and orchards in eastern Karnataka, India. We used landscape and site‐specific variables to model the probability of den occurrence. The best fit model for approximating maternal den site selection included distance to forest border, protection level, aspect, slope, and elevation. The best fit model for approximating resting den site selection included distance to forest border, aspect, slope, protection level and ruggedness. Maternal dens were closer to forest borders than resting dens. We postulate that areas near the forest border are chosen for access to resources and that mothers choose dens closer to edges because of the constraints and needs of cubs. In poorly protected, resource‐deficient areas, selection of maternal dens near habitat edges presents a tradeoff between higher resource availability closer to human habitation, reduced risk of cub predation, and higher risk of human‐caused mortality compared to areas farther from forest borders. Resting and maternal dens were farther from forest borders in better‐protected areas, suggesting that if resources are prevalent in the habitat, bears would use locations farther from the forest borders.
Performance of a Flow‐Through Enzyme Reactor Prepared from a Silica Monolith and an α‐Poly(D‐Lysine)‐Enzyme Conjugate
Authors: Ghéczy Nicolas , Tao Siyuan , Pour‐Esmaeil Sajad , Szymańska Katarzyna , Jarzębski Andrzej B. , Walde Peter
Published: January 2023

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is covalently bound in aqueous solution to polycationic α‐poly(D‐lysine) chains of ≈1000 repeating units length, PDL, via a bis‐aryl hydrazone bond (BAH). Under the experimental conditions used, about 15 HRP molecules are bound along the PDL chain. The purified PDL‐BAH‐HRP conjugate is very stable when stored at micromolar HRP concentration in a pH 7.2 phosphate buffer solution at 4 °C. When a defined volume of such a conjugate solution of desired HRP concentration (i.e., HRP activity) is added to a macro‐ and mesoporous silica monolith with pore sizes of 20–30 µm as well as below 30 nm, quantitative and stable noncovalent conjugate immobilization is achieved. The HRP‐containing monolith can be used as flow‐through enzyme reactor for bioanalytical applications at neutral or slightly alkaline pH, as demonstrated for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in diluted honey. The conjugate can be detached from the monolith by simple enzyme reactor washing with an aqueous solution of pH 5.0, enabling reloading with fresh conjugate solution at pH 7.2. Compared to previously investigated polycationic dendronized polymer‐enzyme conjugates with approximately the same average polymer chain length, the PDL‐BAH‐HRP conjugate appears to be equally suitable for HRP immobilization on silica surfaces.
Cholinergic Nucleus 4 Degeneration and Cognitive Impairment in Isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
Authors: Tan Christopher , Nawaz Huma , Lageman Sarah K. , Cloud Leslie J. , Amara Amy W. , Newman Benjamin T. , Druzgal T. Jason , Berman Brian D. , Mukhopadhyay Nitai , Barrett Matthew J.
Published: January 2023

Background

Cholinergic nucleus 4 (Ch4) degeneration is associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, but it is unknown if Ch4 degeneration is also present in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD).

Objective

The aim was to determine if there is evidence of Ch4 degeneration in patients with iRBD and if it is associated with cognitive impairment.

Methods

We analyzed the clinical and neuropsychological data of 35 iRBD patients and 35 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Regional gray matter density (GMD) was calculated for Ch4 using probabilistic maps applied to brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results

Ch4 GMD was significantly lower in the iRBD group compared to controls (0.417 vs. 0.441, P = 0.02). Ch4 GMD was also found to be a significant predictor of letter number sequencing (β‐coefficient = 58.31, P = 0.026, 95% confidence interval [7.47, 109.15]), a measure of working memory.

Conclusions

iRBD is associated with Ch4 degeneration, and Ch4 degeneration in iRBD is associated with impairment in working memory. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
RNA modification pattern‐based subtypes reveal heterogenous clinical outcomes and tumor immunity of clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Jiang Aimin , Xu Zijun , Fang Xiao , Gu Di , Dong Kai , Wu Zhenjie , Gan Xinxin , Liu Bing , Ge Silun , Qu Le , Luo Peng , Wang Anbang , Wang Linhui
Published: January 2023

RNA methylation plays a key role across biological processes, which could be utilized as new weapons for cancer management. However, the implication of RNA methylation regulators in cancers, especially in clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC), remains largely unknown. We investigated the multiomics profile of RNA methylation regulators at the pan‐cancer level. We found most RNA methylation regulators were dysregulated in cancers, which might be explained by genomic mutation and copy number variation. A novel subtype of ccRCC, RNA modification cancer subtype 2 (RMCS2), was identified and verified among different ccRCC cohorts. RMCS2 led to a shortened overall survival and had an activated state of PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR, KRAS, and retinoic acid metabolism signals, which resulted in an immune exhausted phenotype. In summary, our findings demonstrated that the aberrance of RNA methylation regulators was a common biological phenomenon pan‐cancer. Dysregulated RNA methylation patterns could reshape tumor immunity thus impacting patients' prognosis and therapeutic response, and could function as a promising tool for ccRCC patients.
A direct analysis method to state bounding for high‐order quaternion Hopfield neural networks with mixed delays and bounded disturbances
Authors: Chen Yonghui , Xue Yu , Zhang Xian
Published: January 2023

The main research in this paper is the state bounding problem of high‐order quaternion Hopfield neural networks (HOQHNNs) with time‐varying discrete delays, unbounded distributed delays, and bounded disturbances. In the research process, firstly, the considered HOQHNNs are decomposed into four equivalent real‐valued Hopfield neural networks (RHNNs) to solve the problem that quaternion multiplication is not commutative, and then, a sufficient condition related to time delays is given to ensure that the state trajectories that are contained in or globally exponentially convergent into a cuboid. Thereby, the corresponding reachable set estimation is obtained. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate validity of theoretical results. At present, the research on HOQHNNs with mixed time delays adopts Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) method, which needs to not only choose the appropriate LKF but also take into account both conservatism and computational complexity. Besides, there is no literature to study the state bounding of HOQHNNs with mixed delays. The method suggested in the present text has three merits: (1) According to the definition of state bounding straightway, it has no use any LKF, which avoids massive calculations and solutions of high‐dimensional matrix inequalities; (2) it is available not only to HOQHNNs but also to RHNNs and complex‐valued Hopfield neural networks (CHNNs); and (3) make up for the blank of state bounding research of HOQHNNs.
A phase I change‐point method for high‐dimensional process with sparse mean shifts
Authors: Huang Wenpo , Shu Lianjie , Li Yanting , Wang Luyao
Published: January 2023

Although Phase I analysis of multivariate processes has been extensively discussed, the discussion on techniques for Phase I monitoring of high‐dimensional processes is still limited. In high‐dimensional applications, it is common to observe that a large number of components but only a limited number of them change at the same time. The shifted components are often sparse and unknown a priori in practice. Motivated by this, this article studies Phase I monitoring of high‐dimensional process mean vectors under an unknown sparsity level of shifts. The basic idea of the proposed monitoring scheme is to first employ the false discovery rate procedure to estimate the sparsity level of mean shifts, and then to monitor the mean changes based on the maximum of the directional likelihood ratio statistics over all the possible shift directions. The comparison results based on extensive simulations favor the proposed monitoring scheme. A real example is presented to illustrate the implementation of the new monitoring scheme.
Validation of the Chinese version of the kidney transplant understanding tool in Chinese patients
Authors: Ma Hangxia , Hu Maosen , Wan Jingjing
Published: January 2023

Aims

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Kidney Transplant Understanding Tool (K‐TUT) among patients in China.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

A convenience sample of 171 kidney transplant (KT) candidates and 272 KT recipients was recruited from two tertiary and Grade A hospitals in Hunan Province, China. The reliability was calculated by half‐fold reliability, test–retest reliability and Cronbach's alpha. The validity was analysed by the content validity index.

Results

For KT candidates, the Chinese version of K‐TUT deleted items 4, 6, 7 and 8, Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.778, half‐fold reliability values were 0.792, and test–retest reliability values were 0.902. For KT recipients, the tool deleted items 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.769, half‐fold coefficient values were 0.701, and retest coefficient values were 0.888. The content validity index was 0.967.

Conclusions

The K‐TUT is an acceptable and reliable measurement for evaluating the relevant knowledge of KT recipients and candidates.

Impact

It is anticipated that this new tool will help the nursing staff to identify specific areas of deficiency that could be targeted in health education to improve the KT knowledge of patients.