bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Industry Community Resilience Based on Sea Products Community on Bungin Island during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: . Zulkieflimansyah , Nurjihadi Muhammad , Mandasari Jayanti , Aprirachman Rozzy , Tryana Ayu Levia
Published: March 2022

Aims: This study aim to conduct a community-based resilience analysis on Bungin Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Study Design:  This study using a descriptive method with a qualitative approach.

Place and Duration of Study: The data collection method used observation and interviews with informants, namely the chairman and members of the Bungin Island marine product processing industry community in 2021

Methodology: The analytical tool used is the OODA Loop analysis by analyzing the condition of the community in an effort to survive in the Covid-19 pandemic situation

Results: The results showed that the resilience of the marine product processing industry community on Bungin Island during the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of planning, action, evaluation and consistency of the Bungin Island seafood processing industry community, it can be concluded that community resilience related to the level of product sales did not have a negative effect on the level of product sales. In sales, around 25% of the industrial community actually experienced an increase in sales, but when viewed from the evaluation indicators and consistency of members of the Bungin Island seafood processing industry, they still lacked knowledge regarding sales administration reporting, promotional strategies and lack of working capital.

Conclusion: In the future members of the industrial community can receive trainings that are able to support the sustainability of their business.
Comparative Study of Two Different Disinfectant Solutions Used for Pin Site Care in Patients with Ilizarov Ring Fixation
Authors: Sawhney Shraddha , Mishra Naman
Published: March 2022

The Ilizarov ring fixation system is used to treat fracture, osteomyelitis, and bone lengthening. Wires and pins are used in order to fix the Ilizarov frame to the affected bone. In patients with Ilizarov ring fixators, pin site infections (PSI) are the most prevalent problem seen by orthopaedic surgeons. Pin sites are prone to infection because the skin barrier is lost or broken, disrupting the body's natural defense against bacterial infection.

This was a cross sectional study and 30 patients divided in 2 equal groups, each contained 15 patients were taken under study. The present study included patients treated with Ilizarov external fixators post-injury and followed-up at Orthopedic OPD by history, clinical examination and radiological evidence. 235 pin sites were examined -in all the 30 patients. Demographic information, socioeconomic status, and health status were asked and recorded in the patient identification forms. It was found that, Only 19 of the 125 pins cleaned with chlorhexidine showed evidence of infection, but 32 of the 110 pins cleaned with povidone iodine solution showed infection (p value 0.05This was found to be statistically significant. In the participating groups, the location of infection was not important. The povidone iodine group had the first-degree infections, followed by second- and third-degree infections. According to the Checketts otterburn classification scale, the chlorhexidine group did not report any third-degree infections.
Changes in Eyes in a Diabetic Patient
Authors: Dubey Akshat , Lohiya Sohan
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) (i.e., diabetes), a set of metabolic illnesses defined by chronically increased blood sucrose levels, is becoming more common worldwide. As a result of a pancreatic beta-cell failure, inadequate insulin is formed. Type 1 insulin is generated to efficiently apparent blood sucrose; type 2 insulin is formed to effectively clear blood glucose; type 3 insulin is produced (T2DM), characterized by insulin resistance. When the hormone fails to affect the target cells, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) arises while pregnant. Insulin resistance develops in pregnant women. Diabetes is the leading cause of visual defects in adults in the world. Diabetes causes problems in maximum parts of the eye, like in retina it causes retinopathy, in the lens it causes cataract, in lids- lashes the xanthelasma is more common, in conjunctiva the bacterial infections are more common as in diabetes they receive more nutrition and easy to increase, in cornea it causes keratopathy, and it is more severe it is also linked to tear function abnormality. Diabetes is a well-known significant factor for visual impairment as there are 12000 to 24000 new cases of visual loss every year. By 2030, it is expected that more than 342 million individuals worldwide will have diabetes, with the degree of diabetic consequences in various organs determining the total health burden.
Maximizing Drug Effect & Reducing Pain by Placebo Drug Therapy by Diminishing and Ending Use of Painkillers/ Anaesthesia in Chronic Painful Disorders
Authors: Hedau Vedant , Patond Swapnil
Published: March 2022

The placebo effect has shown prominent results with scientific evidence. It is the methodology of giving placebos that raises questions. There is limited investigation/research on the placebo pain-relieving effects. As the ethical concerns have contended. Many medical service providers use placebo habitually and patients are accepting these interventions. The positive patient-clinician outlook is very essential to develop a clinically meaningful placebo effect in chronic pain patients. For clinical use of placebo, it is important to understand that placebo-based clinical trials yield ethical possibilities and boundaries. Since the placebo effect contributes to active responses, it is possible to enhance the positive placebo effect. Placebo is psycho-neurobiological responses capable of modulating pain and producing variable changes of the different neurobiological bodies at emotive and analytic levels. This development can be achieved by different contextual factors (CFs) presented in the therapeutic encounter between patient and healthcare provider, such as healing rituals and signs. The CFs directly impact the quality of the therapeutic outcome. When we say chronic pain, we know the patient is suffering from some condition for a long period of time. In this scenario, there are high chances of a patient taking some pain management medication. Most chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, IBS, fibromyalgia, etc. cannot be cured. Pain with time increases as the patient gains tolerance to the medication therefore the doses of the medication are increased due to no effectivity of the drug is changed. This continues lifelong, due to these heavy pain medications given with the pain causative condition medication causes various negative effects on the body. In Clinical psychology placebo, drug therapy can be very helpful in depression, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, etc.  Every year, we learn new data about the clinical application of the placebo effect.
Malnutrition in Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Musale Aditya , Gomase Shantanu
Published: March 2022

Congenital heart disease accounts for nearly twenty-eight percent of all the major congenital malformations, posing a significant global health problem. Prevalence of both cyanotic and acyanotic varies from 0.7 to 5.3/1000 patients in community-based study while hospital-based study statistics range between 3.9 and 26.4/1000 live births. The increase in birth rate and the requirement of surgical and non-surgical intervention makes it a high and challenging need task for emerging nations like India, where the framework isn't created at the  root level. In this population a high prevalence of malnutrition is seen especially in infants. In the era of high survival rates, nutrition provides opportunity for development, growth optimization and a better standard of living. The morbidity & mortality associated  malnutrition in infant with congenital heart disease can be reduced by early diagnosis / optimum treatment. Approximately half of the pediatric age population suffering from Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) are found to be malnourished where the most  of the affected factor is found to be weight worse than height. The various contributory factors for malnutrition in CHD patients are cyanosis, heart defects, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, anemia, and delayed corrective surgery. Early and Timely diagnosis is crucial as most congenital heart disorders can be corrected if apt intervention is provided, leading to better prognosis. Decreased caloric requirement , reduction in prevalence of respiratory tract infection, and better absorption will lead to early normalization of their malnourishment. The major studies done in the recent past have focused on the mechanism of failure of growth in patients suffering from congenital heart malformation or on the modalities for improvement of growth of children with congenital heart disease. The severity and frequency of malnutrition associated with congenital heart diseases has not been focused on in the past decades.
Stress Induced Menstrual Cycle Irregularities AMIDST the Pandemic
Authors: Rani Shazia , Dars Saira , Soho Marvee , Akhtar Naheed , Kazi Khalil , Rajput Aatir H.
Published: March 2022

Background: The global pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has yielded a variety of stressors (psychosocial) for the population, particularly women. The elevated stress may not only affect the wellbeing and health (physical and mental) of women, but also the reproductive status and menstrual cyclicity.

Objective: To determine the plausibility and mechanism via which stress (emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic) has impacted women's menstrual cyclicity.

Methodology: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from Sept 2020 to August 2021 upon a randomly selected sample of 1450 Pakistani women (aged 18 to 40 years). The data was collected using an online questionnaire containing enquiries pertaining to basic biodata, sociodemographic details, lifestyle patterns, medical & reproductive history, and stress score measured via the COVID-19 Stress Scales (CSS). The data obtained, was analyzed using SPSS v. 21.0.

Results: Among the females, 741 reported regular menstrual cycles, while the remaining 709 reported a disturbed menstrual cyclicity. The commonest changes included early or late start of the cycle (227), more aggravated menstrual symptoms (e.g., cramping, discharge and low back pain) (205), and menorrhagia (277). Individuals with aggravated symptoms of ill-timed cycles scored higher (cumulatively as average scores) on the CSS compared to their counterparts (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: After careful consideration of the results, it can be concluded that a significant association exists between the stress (emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic) and menstrual irregularity (p < 0.05). Stress relief may help alleviate menstrual irregularities in the current scenario.
Revascularization Using Lesion Sterilization and Tissue Repair: A Case Report
Authors: Justin M. Robert , Ughade Snehal , Sarda Aditi , Chavhan Pankaj , Gutte Nutan , Kolekar Pratima
Published: March 2022

Clinicians encounter a variety of scenarios in which a permanent tooth has been damaged by trauma, followed by peri-radicular alteration, and is beyond the scope of typical endodontic operations to save. Because of the limited root length, it is difficult to keep a permanent tooth with an open apex. In today's world of modern dentistry, a new treatment option that is less intrusive and time-consuming could be advantageous to both the patient and the physician. The use of lesion sterilization and tissue repair for pulp revascularization is presented in this case report.
Management of Students' Self-organization in the Context of the Development of Information and Analytical Skills in the Digital Environment
Authors: Fortygina Svetlana Nikolaevna , Korchemkina Yuliya Valerevna , Sterligova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna , Belousova Natalya Anatolevna , Permyakova Nadezhda Evgenevna , Andreeva Evgeniya Vladimirovna , Shulgina Tatyana Aleksandrovna
Published: March 2022

The article reveals the features of the implementation of the developed software product in order to develop the level of future teachers’ self-organization in the digital environment. The purpose of this article is to justify the need to implement the developed software product aimed at developing the level of future teachers’ self-organization and the formation of information and analytical skills in the digital environment. In order to assess the formation of information and analytical skills, we developed a methodology based on performing operations with text, where each skill was assessed on a scale from 0 to 2. As a result of diagnostics, we found that the majority of students are dominated by a low and medium level of formation of information and analytical skills. As a means of self-organization management, a description of the designed software module was presented, which contributes to an increase in the level of development of information and analytical skills. The authors suggested that the introduction of the developed software product into the digital environment will be aimed at increasing the level of development of information and analytical skills of future teachers. According to the results of the work, the conclusion was made about the effectiveness of the process of forming information and analytical skills of students by using an integrated approach to the selection and compilation of tasks and building a unified digital environment.
Infection by intestinal parasites in disabled patients and their guardians
Authors: Martins Eluane de Luca S , Pereira Adriano , Castilho Vera Lucia Pagliusi , Gonçalves Elenice Messias do Nascimento , Lallo Maria Anete
Published: March 2022

Introduction: intestinal parasitic infections are common major problem closely related to poverty, inadequate sanitation, insufficient health care and overcrowding. They cause significant morbidity among institutionalized patients, however, there are few studies that analyze the frequency of intestinal parasites in disabled patients that are not institutionalized. Objective: the aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in disabled patients and their guardians. Methodology: a total of 336 fecal samples were collected from 53 disabled patients and history of diarrhea during the study period and 31 guardians, parents and professional staff of Institution. Parasite research was carried out using zinc sulphate centrifugal-flotation technique, Lutz/Hoffman Pons and Janer method, Rugai method and Gram-Chromotrope, Leishman, Kinyoun, Kato-Katz and Trichrome stains were used. Results: we found 15.5% of positive sample for enteroparasites in all analyzed individuals (13/84), with 11.3% (6/53) of prevalence in disabled patients and 22.5% (7/31) for guardians, with significant difference. There was no difference between gender,but there was a higher number of positives in patients between 6 and 11 years of age. Monoparasitism and the presence of protozoa, especially Blastocystis hominis, were the most prevalent conditions. Conclusions: despite the aforementioned intrinsic susceptibility of patients with special needs, the prevalence of intestinal parasites was low. In guardians, the prevalence was higher, suggesting extreme attention to the care process, which may have prevented the transmission to their disabled patients contact.
Hypothesis Learning in Automated Experiment: Application to Combinatorial Materials Libraries
Authors: Ziatdinov Maxim A. , Liu Yongtao , Morozovska Anna N. , Eliseev Eugene A. , Zhang Xiaohang , Takeuchi Ichiro , Kalinin Sergei V.
Published: March 2022

Machine learning is rapidly becoming an integral part of experimental physical discovery via automated and high‐throughput synthesis, and active experiments in scattering and electron/probe microscopy. This, in turn, necessitates the development of active learning methods capable of exploring relevant parameter spaces with the smallest number of steps. Here, an active learning approach based on conavigation of the hypothesis and experimental spaces is introduced. This is realized by combining the structured Gaussian processes containing probabilistic models of the possible system's behaviors (hypotheses) with reinforcement learning policy refinement (discovery). This approach closely resembles classical human‐driven physical discovery, when several alternative hypotheses realized via models with adjustable parameters are tested during an experiment. This approach is demonstrated for exploring concentration‐induced phase transitions in combinatorial libraries of Sm‐doped BiFeO3 using piezoresponse force microscopy, but it is straightforward to extend it to higher‐dimensional parameter spaces and more complex physical problems once the experimental workflow and hypothesis generation are available.
Confinement–Unconfinement Transformation of ILs in IL@MOF Composite with Multiple Adsorption Sites for Efficient Water Capture and Release
Authors: Gu Xingping , Han Guopeng , Yang Qingyuan , Liu Dahuan
Published: March 2022

Water adsorption based on porous materials is of fundamental importance in atmospheric water harvesting and dehumidification. Herein, a [BOHmim][Zn2Cl5]@MIL‐101(Cr) composite with multiple adsorption sites is designed to enhance the water adsorption capacity. It is interesting to observe that there is a water‐responsive confinement–unconfinement transformation of ionic liquids (ILs) during the water adsorption and release process. Thus, it can simultaneously overcome the limitation of pore volume in traditional porous materials, and the problem of mass transfer in pure ILs. As a result, the obtained IL@MOF composite achieves a high water adsorption capacity (477 wt%) at 298 K and RH = 95%, which can be released under relatively mild operating conditions (313 K, RH = 40%). This work provides a general way to develop adsorbents for the capture of molecules with high polarity and low dew‐point in combination with the advantages of ILs and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).
Mental health among patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma: A Danish nationwide study of psychotropic drug use in 8750 patients and 43 750 matched comparators
Authors: Øvlisen Andreas Kiesbye , Jakobsen Lasse Hjort , Kragholm Kristian Hay , Nielsen René Ernst , de Nully Brown Peter , Dahl‐Sørensen Rasmus Bo , Frederiksen Henrik , Mannering Nikolaj , Josefsson Pär Lars , Ludvigsen Al‐Mashhadi Ahmed , Jørgensen Judit Mészáros , Dessau‐Arp Andriette , Clausen Michael Roost , Pedersen Robert Schou , Torp‐Pedersen Christian , Severinsen Marianne Tang , El‐Galaly Tarec Christoffer
Published: March 2022

Psychological distress following cancer diagnosis may lead to mental health complications including depression and anxiety. Non‐Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) include indolent and aggressive subtypes for which treatment and prognosis differ widely. Incident use of psychotropic drugs (PDs—antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics) and its correlation to lymphoma types can give insights into the psychological distress these patients endure. In this prospective matched cohort study, we used nationwide population‐based registries to investigate the cumulative risk of PD use in NHL patients compared to a sex‐ and age‐matched cohort from the Danish background population. In addition, contact patterns to psychiatric departments and incident intentional self‐harm or completed suicide were explored. In total, 8750 NHL patients and 43 750 matched comparators were included (median age 68; male:female ratio 1.6). Median follow‐up was 7.1 years. Two‐year cumulative risk of PD use was higher in NHL patients (16.4%) as compared to the matched comparators (5.1%, p < .01); patients with aggressive NHL subtypes had the highest incidence. Prescription rates were higher in the first years after diagnosis but approached the rate of the matched population 5 years into survivorship in aggressive NHLs, whereas patients with indolent subtypes continued to be at higher risk. NHL patients had a slightly higher two‐year risk of suicide/intentional self‐harm (0.3%) as compared to the matched comparators (0.2%, p = .01). These results demonstrate that mental health complications among NHL patients are frequent. Routine assessment for symptoms of depression and anxiety should be consider as part of standard follow‐up of NHL patients.
Artificial Intelligence Deep Exploration of Influential Parameters on Physicochemical Properties of Curcumin‐Loaded Electrospun Nanofibers
Authors: Khedri Mohammad , Beheshtizadeh Nima , Rostami Mohammadreza , Sufali Ali , Rezvantalab Sima , Dahri Mohammad , Maleki Reza , Santos Hélder A. , Shahbazi Mohammad-Ali
Published: March 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) methods are explosively considered in the design and optimization of drug discovery and delivery systems. Herein, machine learning methods are used for optimizing the production of curcumin (CUR)‐loaded nanofibers. The required data are mined through the literature survey and two categories, including material‐ and machine‐based parameters, are detected and studied as effective parameters on the final outcomes. AI results show that high‐density polymers have a lower CUR release rate; however, with the increase in polymer density, CUR encapsulation efficiency (EE) increases in many types of polymers. The smallest diameter, highest EE, and highest drug release percentage are obtained at a molecular weight between 100 and 150 kDa and a CUR concentration of 10–15 wt%, with the polymer density in the range of 1.2–1.5 g mL−1. Also, the optimal distance of ≈23 cm, the flow rate of 3.5–4.5 mL h−1, and the voltage at the range of 12.5–15 kV result in the highest release rate, highest EE, and the lowest average diameter for fibers. These findings open up new roads for future design and production of drug‐loaded polymeric nanofibers with desirable properties and performances by AI methods.
Online monitoring and fault diagnosis for uneven length batch process based on multi‐way orthogonal enhanced neighborhood preserving embedding
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zhao Xiaoqiang , Hui Yongyong , Liu Kai
Published: March 2022

In the practical batch process, the duration of each batch is probably different, and the key event happened may also vary from batch to batch. This paper proposes an effective fault diagnosis algorithm to synchronize the batch runs with uneven duration and keep the key features that reflect the running state of batch process. To address the batch out of sync, the relaxed greedy time warping is used to accurate on‐line synchronization of ongoing batch and avoid evaluating the optimal path every time a new sample is available. For online monitoring and fault diagnosis, an important step is how to extract key features that reflect the running state of batch process, on which basis a weight matrix considers the distance between the neighbor data is embedded to construct the enhanced objective function, and then the mutually orthogonal basis functions which represent the local geometrical structure are computed to extract key features of batch process. After a fault is detected, the contribution plot method is used to diagnose the variables that cause this fault. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by the penicillin fermentation process.
High‐resolution simulation of a severe case of low‐level windshear at the Hong Kong International Airport: Turbulence intensity and sensitivity to turbulence parameterization scheme
Authors: Chan Pak Wai , Lai Kai Kwong , Li Qiu Sheng
Published: March 2022

Large eddy simulations are performed for a severe windshear case of terrain‐induced airflow disturbances at the Hong Kong International Airport. The objectives of the study include: (i) to investigate the performance of large eddy simulation in capturing the turbulence intensity to be encountered by the aircraft; and (ii) to find out the impact of the choice of turbulence parameterization scheme on the simulation results. The structure functions of the headwind profiles are calculated, and the simulated velocity and the LIDAR data are found to have similar behavior. The cube root of eddy dissipation rate is also calculated, which is taken to be the metric of turbulence intensity in aviation application. All EDR calculated has similar behavior. They have good correlation, but the best‐fit‐straight‐line of the scatter plot is found to have a slope far away from unity. The reason for this needs to be studied further. Finally, a simulation with the use of Smagorinsky scheme is performed. It is found to have better performance in capturing pilot windshear reports in terms of the relative operating characteristic curve. The use of Smagorinsky scheme alone may be an alternative in the choice of turbulence parameterization scheme in the alerting of windshear using large eddy dissipation, but the computational cost is too expensive. It is important to note that the present results are based on one case only and more cases would need to be studied in order to establish the robustness of the conclusions. More experiments would also need to be conducted, for example, in which nest(s) to use the Smagorinsky scheme.
A risk model of 10 aging‐related genes for predicting survival and immune response in triple‐negative breast cancer
Authors: Yang Xia , Sun Yanhua , Liu Xia , Jiang Zhinong
Published: March 2022

Accumulated studies showed that the clinical significance of aging on the development and malignancy of tumors, while the relationship between aging and the prognosis, immune response in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) has not been well clarified. Here, we constructed a risk model of 10 prognostic aging‐related genes (ARGs) from METABRIC database. Then, TNBC patients were classified into high‐ and low‐risk groups, the survival diversity, immune response, genomic function, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) between different risk groups were explored in METABRIC, TCGA, and GSE58812 cohorts. Results showed that patients in the high‐risk group had poorer survival outcomes compared to their counterparts (all p < 0.05), and the nomogram we established showed reliable prediction ability for survival in TNBC patients. Besides, TNBC patients with high‐risk scores had a lower expression of immune checkpoint markers and a lower fraction of activated immune cells. Furthermore, GSEA showed that Notch signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the high‐risk group. Thus, a risk model based on the aging‐related genes was developed and validated in this study, which may serve as a potential biomarker for prognosis and personalized treatment in TNBCs.
Use of Nd:YAG laser in bruise resolution caused by an injectable dermal filler procedure
Authors: Dekeyser Barry , Wellens Marijke , Talaber Iva
Published: March 2022

Injectable dermal fillers are in high demand. Patients undergoing this treatment are frequently burdened by bruising in the days following the procedure. Bruises associated with dermal fillers usually resolve spontaneously within 10 to 14 days, but patients want shorter downtime. We present a case of a bruise treatment with Nd:YAG laser consisting of three sessions in two day intervals, where the bruise resolved after seven days from the start of laser treatment. To date, the reports on laser therapy for bruise resolution are mostly limited to intense pulsed light and pulsed dye laser, and this case report contributes to the demonstration of Nd:YAG laser efficacy for this indication.
Principles of empiric antimicrobial usage and dosing: Lessons learned
Authors: Lalonde Kathryn M. , Black Cameron , Lam John C.
Published: March 2022

A lack of clinical response to empiric antimicrobials behooves the clinician to reflect further on diagnostic considerations. When prescribing antibiotics, determining the correct dose, most optimal route of administration, and considering the pharmacokinetic properties of the drug with respect to clinical and patient factors are crucial.
Frank's sign with acute aortic dissection
Authors: Nishiori Hironobu , Watanabe Hiroyuki , Hirano Yuichi , Otsu Masayoshi
Published: March 2022

A 59‐year‐old man with a long smoking history presented with sudden back pain. Frank's sign was noticed in his bilateral ears, and computed tomography revealed Stanford type A acute aortic dissection. If young patients have Frank's sign, attention should be paid to aortic disease in addition to coronary artery disease.
Highly sensitive LC‐MS method for stereochemical quality control of a pharmaceutical drug substance intermediate
Authors: Wang Lin , Tong Weidong , Antonucci Vincent , Helmy Roy , Truong Van
Published: March 2022

Stereochemical quality control for pharmaceutical drug substance intermediates is a daunting task, especially considering the need to separate multiple stereoisomers simultaneously with low ppm level sensitivity. To address these challenges, we have successfully implemented chiral column screening, and developed an ultrasensitive liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) method to separate four stereoisomers including the API intermediate, its enantiomer, and two other diastereomers. Parameters such as mobile phase additives, MS fragmentor, and column temperature were optimized to achieve the desired selectivity and sensitivity. The method enabled stereoisomer detection with high sensitivity (2 ppm LOD and 5 ppm LOQ), good linearity, and desired spike recovery, and it has been successfully applied for stereoisomer quantitation in multiple large‐scale batches and demonstrated chiral quality control of the drug substance intermediate.
Chiral separation of β‐blockers by supercritical fluid chromatography using Chiralpak‐IG and Chiralpak IBN‐5 columns
Authors: Ali Imran , Alam Syed Dilshad , Raja Rupak , Shirsath Vikas , Jain Arvind K. , Yusuf Kareem , Aljuwayid Ahmed muteb , Sillanpää Mika
Published: March 2022

Chiral separation of β‐blockers is performed by utilizing the supercritical fluid chromatographic method. The chiral columns utilized were Chiralpak IG and Chiralpak IBN‐5. The finest mobile phase was CO2 −0.2% TEA in methanol (60:40). The values atenolol enantiomers retention factors were 6.39 and 8.98. These values for propranolol enantiomers were 3.39 and 4.06. These values for betaxolol enantiomers were 4.08 and 4.68. The separation and resolution factor values for atenolol, propranolol, and betaxolol were 1.41 and 3.33, 1.19 and 2.23, and 1.15 and 1.87, separately and respectively. By comparison, it was observed that Chiralpak IG column is better than Chiralpak IBN‐5 column. Supercritical fluid chromatography has been found as the best analytical technique due to its high speed, being eco‐friendly, and being economic. The various most probable interactions responsible for the chiral resolution are hydrogen bonding, dipole–dipole interactions, steric effect, and π–π interactions. The reported methods are effective, efficient, and reproducible and may be used to separate and identify atenolol, propranolol, and betaxolol in any unknown samples.
PRAME protein expression in DICER1‐related tumours
Authors: Thorner Paul S , Chong Anne‐Sophie , Nadaf Javad , Benlimame Naciba , Marrano Paula , Chami Rose , Fu Lili , Foulkes William D
Published: March 2022

DICER1 syndrome is an autosomal dominant tumour predisposition syndrome usually affecting persons under 30 years of age. Many of the associated benign and malignant lesions occur almost exclusively in DICER1 syndrome. One such tumour, pituitary blastoma (pitB), overexpresses PRAME 500x above control levels. PRAME (PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma) is expressed in malignancies that are not DICER1‐related (e.g. melanoma). To address whether PRAME expression is part of the DICER1 phenotype, or simply a feature of pitB, a series of 75 DICER1‐mutated specimens and 33 non‐mutated specimens was surveyed using immunohistochemistry for PRAME, together with EZH2, which complexes with PRAME. In DICER1‐mutated specimens, positive staining for PRAME was only seen in malignant tumours; 7 of 11 histological types and 34/62 individual tumours were positive, while non‐tumourous lesions were always negative. Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) showed a continuum in staining, with type I lesions being PRAME negative (n = 7) but all type II and type III lesions PRAME positive (n = 7). Similarly, cystic nephroma (CN) was negative (n = 8), with anaplastic sarcoma of the kidney being positive (n = 2). However, one atypical CN with mesenchymal cell proliferation was PRAME‐positive. Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with DICER1 pathogenic variants (PVs) was positive for PRAME (5/6), but the same tumour type without DICER1 PVs was also positive (9/15). Staining for EZH2 corresponded to that seen with PRAME, validating the latter. This study leads us to conclude that (1) PRAME expression occurs in two‐thirds of DICER1‐related malignancies; (2) PRAME may be a marker for the progression that certain DICER1‐related lesions are thought to undergo, such as PPB and CN; and (3) PRAME expression in some tumours, such as RMS, appears to be an intrinsic feature of the tumour, rather than specifically related to DICER1 PVs. Therapy directed against PRAME may offer novel treatment options in patients with the DICER1 syndrome.
Health status improvement with ferric carboxymaltose in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and iron deficiency
Authors: Butler Javed , Khan Muhammad Shahzeb , Friede Tim , Jankowska Ewa A. , Fabien Vincent , Goehring Udo‐Michael , Dorigotti Fabio , Metra Marco , Piña Ileana L. , Coats Andrew J.S. , Rosano Giuseppe , Comin‐Colet Josep , Van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Filippatos Gerasimos S. , Anker Stefan D. , Ponikowski Piotr
Published: March 2022

Aim

Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has been shown to improve overall quality of life in iron‐deficient heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients at a trial population level. This FAIR‐HF and CONFIRM‐HF pooled analysis explored the likelihood of individual improvement or deterioration in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) domains with FCM versus placebo and evaluated the stability of this response over time.

Methods and results

Changes versus baseline in KCCQ overall summary score (OSS), clinical summary score (CSS) and total symptom score (TSS) were assessed at weeks 12 and 24 in FCM and placebo groups. Mean between‐group differences were estimated and individual responder analyses and analyses of response stability were performed. Overall, 760 (FCM, n = 454) patients were studied. At week 12, the mean improvement in KCCQ OSS was 10.6 points with FCM versus 4.8 points with placebo (least‐square mean difference [95% confidence interval, CI] 4.36 [2.14; 6.59] points). A higher proportion of patients on FCM versus placebo experienced a KCCQ OSS improvement of ≥5 (58.3% vs. 43.5%; odds ratio [95% CI] 1.81 [1.30; 2.51]), ≥10 (42.4% vs. 29.3%; 1.73 [1.23; 2.43]) or ≥15 (32.1% vs. 22.6%; 1.46 [1.02; 2.11]) points. Differences were similar at week 24 and for CSS and TSS domains. Of FCM patients with a ≥5‐, ≥10‐ or ≥15‐point improvement in KCCQ OSS at week 12, >75% sustained this improvement at week 24.

Conclusion

Treatment of iron‐deficient HFrEF patients with intravenous FCM conveyed clinically relevant improvements in health status at an individual‐patient level; benefits were sustained over time in most patients.
Comparative analysis of renewable diesel and biodiesel produced from Jatropha oil
Authors: Koul Rashi , Kumar Naveen , Singh Ramesh Chandra
Published: March 2022

The quest of moving from conventional diesel fuels to alternate fuels is never‐ending. Renewable diesel stands out as it has a similar molecular structure to that of diesel. Renewable diesel from hydroprocessing of Jatropha oil in presence of ruthenium catalyst is not much researched and the same has been worked upon in this paper. The objective of this paper is to analyze physiochemical properties of renewable diesel (R100), biodiesel (B100), and blends of diesel (D100) and renewable diesel and to check the operational feasibility. Renewable diesel was mixed in 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%, by volume in diesel. It was observed that renewable diesel had better cold flow properties than diesel. Calorific value (CV) of renewable diesel and biodiesel was 1.84% and 3.92% less than diesel respectively. Present study shows up to 30% renewable diesel in diesel is a substitute fuel, as their viscosities (2.55, 2.60, 2.64cSt), densities (834.4 kg/m3, 831.87 kg/m3, 830.6 kg/m3) and CVs (42.42 MJ/kg, 42.30 MJ/kg, 42.09 MJ/kg) are close to diesel (2.42cSt, 837 kg/m3 and 42.57 MJ/kg). This is also confirmed by a storage stability test conducted for 24 weeks. Cetane number of blends of R100 greater than 30% are found to be high; this can interfere with engine power output hence requiring amendments in current engines, which is not possible, therefore it is feasible to use blends only up to 30% of R100. GC–MS and Fourier transform infrared radiation showed a higher number of hydrocarbon atoms with diminutive oxygen percentage in R100, vis‐a‐vis, higher levels of unsaturation with more oxygen in B100.
Kinetic models to describe Nannochloropsis salina cultivation under different illumination conditions
Authors: Shirazian Pejman , Azin Mehrdad , Bozorg Ali
Published: March 2022

Nannochloropsis salina (N. salina) has recently received growing interests as a sustainable source of high‐value bioproducts. As the illumination condition could be manipulated to affect the microalgae activities in indoor cultivation, in this study, kinetic models were developed to describe the growth and bioproduct formation in N. salina under different illumination conditions. Being continuously exposed to white (380–760 nm), blue (430 nm), red (680 nm), and mixed blue/red light, the growth of N. salina was assessed over the course of 12 days incubation and the evolving cell densities, lipid, and carbohydrate concentrations were recorded. Kinetic models were then used to fit the experimental results and describe microalgae behaviors with respect to illumination conditions. The highest growth rates were recorded when the microalgae were exposed to the blue/red light, leading to 0.8 g/L standing dry biomass. Also, although lipid and carbohydrate productions were stimulated under other illumination conditions, the advanced biomass production achieved by blue/red light resulted in the highest lipid and carbohydrate productions. As confirmed by the kinetic models, the results obtained in this study revealed that the light absorbed by the photosynthetic pigments of N. salina could be manipulated to not only control the microalgae growth, but also its biological activities, including carbohydrate and lipid productions. Therefore, a two‐stage process would be recommended for lipid and carbohydrate production by N. salina.
On the seismic loss estimation of integrated performance‐based designed buildings
Authors: Shahnazaryan Davit , O'Reilly Gerard J. , Monteiro Ricardo
Published: March 2022

Performance‐based earthquake engineering (PBEE) is a probabilistic framework developed to improve seismic risk decision‐making, characterising building performance in terms of metrics such as casualties, economic losses and anticipated downtime. Building upon PBEE, expected annual loss (EAL) and collapse safety expressed in terms of mean annual frequency of collapse (MAFC) have been recently proposed as fundamental objectives within an integrated performance‐based seismic design (IPBSD) framework. This article, following the parametric investigations conducted, proposes a refined design loss curve and demonstrates the capabilities of IPBSD to target a certain MAFC and limit EAL through its application to several reinforced concrete case‐study buildings. The performance was evaluated using both incremental dynamic analysis and a storey‐based loss assessment procedure to estimate MAFC and EAL of risk‐targeted designs, respectively. The agreement and consistency of design solutions and intended performance objectives were then checked to demonstrate the validity of the IPBSD framework, with MAFC being effectively targeted and the EAL limited as initially foreseen by the method. Further scrutiny of the results highlighted the validity of the assumptions made in the IPBSD framework and shed further light on the pertinent sources of economic losses, namely the ones deriving from structural and non‐structural elements, when designing buildings, in addition to influential parameters like initial period range and the influence of design engineering demand parameter profiles. This is seen as part of the next‐generation risk‐targeted and loss‐driven design approaches in line with modern PBEE requirements.
A coal seam‐roof‐floor coupling destressing control method of fault coal bursts induced by deep coal seam mining
Authors: Xiao Zhimin , Gu Shitan , Zhang Yunzhao , Wang He
Published: March 2022

Fault coal bursts is a common type of coal bursts in coal mining. With increases in mining depths and mining intensities, the occurrence frequency and disaster degree of coal bursts in fault‐controlled areas are increasing in severity. Therefore, in this article, the mechanism and control method of deep mining‐induced fault coal bursts are analysed on the No. 3402 longwall panel controlled by two faults in the Shandong Mine, China. Based on the microseismic monitoring data of the longwall panel, the fault activation process induced by mining can be divided into four stages. The second energy release and fault activation stages are risk stages of fault coal bursts. Using numerical simulation, the evolution laws of vertical stress, elastic strain energy in front of the longwall panel, and the ratio of shear stress to normal stress on fault plane are investigated. The phenomenon of a ‘high elastic energy section‐low elastic energy section’ coal pillar between faults is revealed, and the mechanism of coal pillar coal bursts induced by high elastic energy is discussed. Third, based on the above research results, coal burts risk areas of the longwall panel in the fault‐controlled area are determined. The method of ‘coal seam‐roof‐floor coupling destressing with the reduction in mining speed’ to control fault coal bursts is introduced. Field test results show that the method effectively destroys the integrity and bearing capacity of the coal seam, significantly reduces the energy storage capacity of the superposition area of mining stress and fault tectonic stress, so that the coal bursts risk of the coal seam in the fault control area is relieved, ensuring safe and efficient mining of the longwall panel. The method can provide a reference for other coal mines with similar geological conditions.
An investigation on simultaneous freshwater production and CO2 capture using flue gas of a power plant
Authors: Soomro Mujeeb Iqbal , Ullah Asad , Khan Muhammad Adil
Published: March 2022

This paper presents an investigation on simultaneous freshwater production and CO2 capture using the flue gases of a 500 MWe coal‐fired power plant. Generally, a fan/cooler is used to reduce the temperature of flue gas before flowing into the absorber column of a CO2 capture unit. It has been replaced with a heat exchanger in this study. Seawater and flue gas were passed through the heat exchanger to raise the temperature of seawater and reduce the temperature of flue gas. The high‐temperature seawater was subsequently fed into a membrane distillation (MD) unit for freshwater production. The cold flue gas was directed to the CO2 capture unit. The heat exchanger and CO2 capture unit were modeled with Aspen Plus software. Whereas MATLAB software was used to develop and solve the MD mathematical model software for freshwater production. The seawater flow rate was varied from 4000 L/min to 7000 L/min in the heat exchanger. As a result, the flue gas (flow rate 781.6 t/h) and the outlet seawater temperatures were reduced from 27.498 to 22.360°C and 73.384 to 52.670°C, respectively. However, higher inlet seawater temperature in the MD unit produced more freshwater. An increase in inlet seawater feed temperature in the MD unit from 52.670 to 73.384°C increased the freshwater production from 211,956.5 to 299,244 L/day. Furthermore, the CO2 capture process has been analyzed by varying the methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and piperazine (PZ) concentrations in weight% (45 and 5, 40 and 10, 35 and 15, and 30 and 20, respectively). It was observed that the energy requirement reduced from 3.55 to 3.26 MJ/kg CO2 by increasing the PZ content from 5 to 20 wt.%. At 15 and 20 wt.% of PZ content in the blended solution of MDEA/PZ, the energy required to regenerate the solvent was 3.31 and 3.26 MJ/kg CO2, respectively. PZ emissions from the absorber were also increased with the raising of PZ content in the blended solution. The energy requirement was not much higher at 15 wt.% than 20 wt.%. Therefore, MDEA/PZ solution (15/35 wt.%) was considered an optimal concentration. The reboiler duty was reduced up to 3.25 MJ/kg CO2 at 15/35 wt.% concentration with stripper pressure of 2.3 bar. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comment on: “Microtexture and U–Pb geochronology of detrital zircon grains in the Chachalacas beach, Veracruz State, Gulf of Mexico” by Armstrong‐Altrin, J. S., Ramos‐Vázquez, M. A., Hermenegildo‐Ruiz, N. Y., and Madhavaraju, J. (2020). Geological Journal
Authors: Ramírez‐Fernández Juan Alonso , Jenchen Uwe , Alemán‐Gallardo Eduardo Alejandro , Casas‐Peña Juan Moisés , Leal‐Cuellar Víctor Alejandro
Published: March 2022

Considering the U–Pb ages of detrital zircons grains contained in Holocene sands from the Chachalacas beach as reported by Armstrong‐Altrin, Ramos‐Vázquez, Hermenegildo‐Ruiz, and Madhavaraju (2020) it is possible to track a wide‐ranging record of the most important magmatic and tectonothermal events preserved along NE to SE of Mexico. These zircon‐forming events include those responsible for the development of its Proterozoic basement, the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic magmatic arcs, as well as the Cenozoic arc and intraplate magmatism. The proposed sources for the studied zircon crystals are Oaxaquia, Maya Block, the Peregrina‐Mochonian arc, the Tamatán Group of the Ciudad Victoria Block, the Nazas Arc, the Cretaceous Mexican Arc, the foreland basins of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Eastern Alkaline Province, and the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt.
A perspective on astrocyte regulation of neural circuit function and animal behavior
Authors: Hirrlinger Johannes , Nimmerjahn Axel
Published: March 2022

Studies over the past two decades have demonstrated that astrocytes are tightly associated with neurons and play pivotal roles in neural circuit development, operation, and adaptation in health and disease. Nevertheless, precisely how astrocytes integrate diverse neuronal signals, modulate neural circuit structure and function at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and influence animal behavior or disease through aberrant excitation and molecular output remains unclear. This Perspective discusses how new and state‐of‐the‐art approaches, including fluorescence indicators, opto‐ and chemogenetic actuators, genetic targeting tools, quantitative behavioral assays, and computational methods, might help resolve these longstanding questions. It also addresses complicating factors in interpreting astrocytes' role in neural circuit regulation and animal behavior, such as their heterogeneity, metabolism, and inter‐glial communication. Research on these questions should provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of astrocyte‐neuron assemblies' role in neural circuit function, complex behaviors, and disease.