bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crystal structure, morphology, and mechanical properties of biaxially oriented polyamide‐6 films toughened with poly(ether block amide)
Authors: Lin Xintu , Wu Yincai , Cui Lingna , Chen Xi , Fan Shuhong , Liu Yuejun , Liu Xiaochao , Zheng Wei
Published: September 2021

Biaxially oriented polyamide‐6 (BOPA) film has been widely used in many packaging applications. However, the BOPA film with excellent toughness is still required when utilizing in the field of soft‐packaged lithium‐ion batteries, pharmaceutical blister packaging, or frozen food packaging especially for vacuum packaging of irregular‐shaped food products. The purpose of this study was to improve the toughness of BOPA films by toughening with poly(ether block amide) (PEBA) (BOPA/PEBA films) based on the simultaneous biaxial stretching technology. The crystal structure, morphology, optical properties, barrier, and mechanical properties of BOPA/PEBA films were investigated. The results showed that the incorporation of PEBA into BOPA films slightly decreased the melting temperature and crystallinity of PA6, and the BOPA/PEBA films exhibited only α‐form crystals and no preferential orientation in the machine direction (MD) and transition direction (TD). The morphological observation showed that higher addition of PEBA led to the formation of microvoids due to the poor compatibility between PA6 and PEBA. As a result, the transmittance and oxygen barrier properties of the BOPA/PEBA films decreased. In addition, mechanical analysis suggested that the addition of PEBA could effectively improve the toughness of BOPA film.
ArbNet: 10 years of fostering collaborations, furthering professionalism, and advancing the planting and conservation of trees through the global network of arboreta
Authors: Turner‐Skoff Jessica B. , Paist Sue , Byrne Amy , Westwood Murphy
Published: September 2021

Societal Impact Statement

Trees are the backbone of many terrestrial ecosystems and provide essential benefits for people and the planet. This unique life form requires specific horticultural, management, and conservation expertise to grow and thrive. ArbNet—the global, interactive community of arboreta—was established in 2011 to identify arboreta, define industry standards for arboreta, raise professionalism, support tree planting and proper care, facilitate collaborations, and advance tree research and conservation. Over the past 10 years, ArbNet has been instrumental in helping establish, grow, and network arboreta around the world and bring awareness to the importance of trees. This report presents ArbNet's flagship programs and resources and outlines opportunities for engagement at the individual or institutional level, to further strengthen the global network of arboreta and tree‐focused professionals and to ensure healthy trees for the future of people and the planet.
High Color‐Rendering Index and Stable White Light‐Emitting Diodes Based on Highly Luminescent Quantum Dots
Authors: Bai Jinke , Zhang Meilun , Jiang Ruiyao , Wu Ziming , Wang Linfeng , Jin Xiao , Li Qinghua , Wang Yuxiao , Zhang Xueru , Song Yinglin
Published: September 2021

Solid‐phase color converter‐based quantum dots (QDs) white light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs) have become promising next‐generation solid‐state light sources. However, the development of these WLEDs’ production still suffers from constraints involving insufficient color‐rendering index (CRI), low color stability, and short operation lifetimes. Here, thick‐shell Cd0.05Zn0.95S/CdSe/CdxZn1–xS spherical quantum wells are developed with good color tunability from green to red regions and high photoluminescence quantum yield (up to 88% for green wavelengths). QDs with five emission colors are used to fabricate a series of WLEDs, which possess a good correlated color temperature tunability from warm (3210 K) to cool (22 000K) white light, and a high CRI Ra (>90). Specifically, the neutral white light device with Commission Internationale de l´Eclairage (CIE, International Commission on illumination) of (0.36, 0.36) and the standard white light device with CIE of (0.33, 0.33) achieve a CRI Ra up to 95.8 and 95.11, respectively, they also exhibit long operating life and great color stability. These results indicate that the improvement of the performance and stability of the WLED based on thick‐shell spherical quantum wells is remarkable progress in the commercialization of QD‐based solid‐state lighting.
Doping and Surface Modification of Carbon Quantum Dots for Enhanced Functionalities and Related Applications
Authors: John Varsha Lisa , Nair Yamuna , Vinod T. P.
Published: September 2021

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are a unique class of 0D nanomaterials, featured by a graphitic core and shell layers saturated with hydrogen atoms and functional groups. CQDs are prepared through top‐down and bottom‐up strategies from natural and synthetic precursors. CQDs can be modified through chemical (e.g., surface functionalization/passivation, doping, etc.) and physical (e.g., core–shell architecture, composite material blending, etc.) strategies to control their properties. This review highlights the effect of such modifications on the photophysical properties of CQDs, such as photoluminescence (PL), absorbance, and relaxivity. The dependence of PL upon the size, orientation at the edges, surface and edge functionalization, doping, excitation wavelength, concentration, pH, aggregate formation, etc., are summarized along with the supporting theoretical evidence available in the literature. Also, this review outlines the recent advancements, and future prospective of optical (e.g., sensing, bioimaging, and fluorescent ink) and catalytic applications (e.g., photocatalysis and electrocatalysis) of CQDs enhanced through physical and chemical modifications of their structure and composition.
Mutations in conserved residues of the myosin chaperone UNC‐45 result in both reduced stability and chaperoning activity
Authors: Moncrief Taylor , Matheny Courtney J. , Gaziova Ivana , Miller John M. , Qadota Hiroshi , Benian Guy M. , Oberhauser Andres F.
Published: September 2021

Proper muscle development and function depend on myosin being properly folded and integrated into the thick filament structure. For this to occur the myosin chaperone UNC‐45, or UNC‐45B, must be present and able to chaperone myosin. Here we use a combination of in vivo C. elegans experiments and in vitro biophysical experiments to analyze the effects of six missense mutations in conserved regions of UNC‐45/UNC‐45B. We found that the phenotype of paralysis and disorganized thick filaments in 5/6 of the mutant nematode strains can likely be attributed to both reduced steady state UNC‐45 protein levels and reduced chaperone activity. Interestingly, the biophysical assays performed on purified proteins show that all of the mutations result in reduced myosin chaperone activity but not overall protein stability. This suggests that these mutations only cause protein instability in the in vivo setting and that these conserved regions may be involved in UNC‐45 protein stability/regulation via posttranslational modifications, protein–protein interactions, or some other unknown mechanism.
Comparison between 18F‐DCFPyL PET and MRI for the detection of transition zone prostate cancer
Authors: Liu Yachao , Dong Yanliang , Liu Jiajin , Zhang Xiaojun , Lin Mu , Xu Baixuan
Published: September 2021

Background

We aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of 18F‐DCFPyL positron emission tomography (PET) and multiparameter magnetic resonance imaging (mp‐MRI) in detecting transition zone (TZ) prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods

This retrospective study included 20 patients who underwent 18F‐DCFPyL PET/MRI and 32 patients who underwent 18F‐DCFPyL PET/CT and MRI from January 2019 to June 2020. All patients had TZ lesions and underwent prostate biopsies. One senior (reader 1) and one junior (reader 2) nuclear medicine physician evaluated each TZ lesion independently, according to the molecular imaging prostate‐specific membrane antigen scoring system and the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI‐RADS v2.1). The histologic diagnosis of prostate biopsy was used as the reference standard. The diagnostic performance of the two methods was compared in terms of inter‐reader agreement and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC‐ROC) curve.

Results

Of the 52 patients, 43 had TZ PCa. For inter‐reader agreement, the kappa value was 0.883 for 18F‐DCFPyL PET and 0.393 for mp‐MRI. For PET, both readers had the same diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 93.0%, 77.8%, and 90.4%, respectively. For mp‐MRI, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy was 67.4%, 33.3%, and 61.5% for reader 1, and 51.2%, 44.4%, and 51.9% for reader 2, respectively. PET outperformed mp‐MRI for both readers with an AUC of 0.872 for PET versus 0.584 for mp‐MRI, p = .0209 for reader 1, and an AUC of 0.860 for PET versus 0.505 for mp‐MRI, p = .0213 for reader 2. Among the 43 patients with TZ PCa, 18F‐DCFPyL PET detected a distant bone metastasis missed by the CT in one case and two small lymph node metastases missed by the CT and MRI in another case.

Conclusions

These results suggest that 18F‐DCFPyL PET, which was almost independent of the experience of the readers, was more objective in the evaluation of TZ lesions, and had higher diagnostic value than mp‐MRI.
Efficacy of systemic therapies in men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer harboring germline ATM versus BRCA2 mutations
Authors: Sokolova Alexandra O. , Marshall Catherine H. , Lozano Rebeca , Gulati Roman , Ledet Elisa M. , De Sarkar Navonil , Grivas Petros , Higano Celestia S. , Montgomery Bruce , Nelson Peter S. , Olmos David , Sokolov Vadim , Schweizer Michael T. , Yezefski Todd A. , Yu Evan Y. , Paller Channing J. , Sartor Oliver , Castro Elena , Antonarakis Emmanuel S. , Cheng Heather H.
Published: September 2021

Background

Among men with metastatic prostate cancer, about 10% have germline alterations in DNA damage response genes. Most studies have examined BRCA2 alone or an aggregate of BRCA1/2 and ATM. Emerging data suggest that ATM mutations may have distinct biology and warrant individual evaluation. The objective of this study is to determine whether response to prostate cancer systemic therapies differs between men with germline mutations in ATM (gATM) and BRCA2 (gBRCA2).

Methods

This is an international multicenter retrospective matched cohort study of men with prostate cancer harboring gATM or gBRCA2. PSA50 response (≥50% decline in prostate‐specific antigen) was compared using Fisher's exact test.

Results and Limitations

The study included 45 gATM and 45 gBRCA2 patients, matched on stage and year of germline testing. Patients with gATM and gBRCA2 had similar age, Gleason grade, and PSA at diagnosis. We did not observe differences in PSA50 responses to abiraterone, enzalutamide, or docetaxel in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer between the two groups; however, 0/7 with gATM and 12/14 with gBRCA2 achieved PSA50 response to PARPi (p < .001). Median (95% confidence interval) overall survival from diagnosis to death was 10.9 years (9.5‐not reached) versus 9.9 years (7.1‐not reached, p = .07) for the gATM and gBRCA2 cohorts, respectively. Limitations include the retrospective design and lack of mutation zygosity data.

Conclusions

Conventional therapies can be effective in gATM carriers and should be considered before PARPi, which shows limited efficacy in this group. Men with gATM mutations warrant prioritization for novel treatment strategies.
Current status of safety engineering education in China
Authors: Ma Congming , Jing Mingjv , Hou Shuya , Jiang Juncheng , Zhang Bin
Published: September 2021

An overview of Safety Engineering education in China is conducted. First, definition, research specialty, and development history of Safety Science and Engineering are introduced. Second, a geographical distribution study indicates that universities offering Safety Engineering in mainland China are mainly located in East China, Central North China, and some provinces in West and South China, which is consistent with the latest gross domestic product (GDP) and year‐end resident population data. The analysis of evaluation in higher education focuses on engineering education accreditation, first‐class discipline construction, and China University Subject Rankings. Third, Safety Engineering curricula in China mainly include general education courses and professional courses. The former is divided into basic education courses and subject education courses, and the latter is divided into professional core courses and professional characteristic courses. The professional characteristic courses offered by various universities are different from each other, mainly due to their research specialties, such as fire safety, chemical safety, mining safety, construction safety, and nuclear safety. Finally, existing challenges, including a lack of engineering practice, lack of systematic course content, and lack of professional competitiveness, are discussed.
Azobenzene‐isoxazoline as photopharmacological ligand for optical control of insect GABA receptor and behavior
Authors: Qiao Zhi , Ji Yunfan , Zhang Yongchao , Li Zhong , Xu Zhiping , Shao Xusheng
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Photopharmacology is a fast‐growing photonics‐based technology, which realizes the high‐resolution regulation of drugs in time and space through light. The purpose of this research was to introduce photochromic groups into the isoxazoline structure to realize the regulation of γ‐Aminobutyric acid receptors (GABARs) targeting insect behavior.

RESULTS

Azobenzene‐Fluralaner analogs ABF02, ABF03 and ABF04 have been proven to have larvicidal activity against mosquito larvae. Cis‐ABF03 had excellent larvicidal activity against mosquito larvae with a median lethal concentration (LC50) value of 1.63, which was better than that of trans‐ABF03 (LC50 = 3.90). In particular, ABF03 also showed insecticidal activity against Mythimna separata. Further experiments showed that ABF03 (1 μm) induced depolarization of dorsal unpaired median neurons after ultraviolet light irradiation, enhanced affinity to the receptor, and blocked ligand‐gated chloride channels of GABARs. ABF03 (1 μm) realized the real‐time photoregulation of the behavior of mosquito larvae, which indicated that the synthesized ligand can complete the binding and off‐target action of drugs and targets in vivo under the regulation of light.

CONCLUSION

Azobenzene‐Isoxazoline as photopharmacological ligand was synthesized and evaluated for optical control of insect GABARs and behavior for the first time. ABF03 completed the differential regulation of cockroach neurons and the real‐time reversible regulation of insect behavior. The establishment of photochromic ligands provides a new strategy for basic and convenience‐oriented research on GABARs in invertebrates. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Chemical approaches for the preparation of ubiquitinated proteins via natural linkages
Authors: Zhou Yuhui , Xie Qingsong , Wang Huagui , Sun Hao
Published: September 2021

Ubiquitination is an important posttranslation modification (PTM) that regulates a variety of cellular processes, including protein degradation, DNA repair, and viral infections. In this process, the C‐terminal carboxyl group of ubiquitin (Ub) or poly‐Ub is attached to the ε‐amine of lysine (Lys) side chain of an acceptor protein through an isopeptide bond. Studying a molecular mechanism of ubiquitination and deubiquitination is fundamental for unraveling its precise role in health and disease and hence crucial for drug development. Enzymatic approaches for protein ubiquitination possess limited ability to selectivity install Ub or Ub chain on the desired position of an acceptor protein and often lead to heterogeneous mixtures. In the past decades, chemical protein (semi)synthesis has been proved to be an efficient tool to facilitate site‐specific protein ubiquitination, which significantly contributes to decode the Ub signal at molecular and structural levels. In this review, we summarize the synthetic strategies developed for protein ubiquitination, and the achievements to generate monoubiquitinated, di‐ubiquitinated, and tetraubiquitinated proteins with native isopeptide and ester bonds.
The effects of curcumin as dietary supplement for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Abdelazeem Basel , Abbas Kirellos Said , Shehata Joseph , Baral Nischit , Banour Sandi , Hassan Mustafa
Published: September 2021

This review aims to evaluate if there are clinical benefits of curcumin (CUR) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar) were systematically searched to identify only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed CUR in patients with PCOS from inception to May 5, 2021. Five RCTs were included with a total of 296 patients, with 148 among the CUR groups and 148 patients among the control group. Revised Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess the risk of bias, three RCTs provided a low risk of bias and two provided a high risk of bias. Compared with the control group, CUR was associated with a statistically significant improvement in the glycemic control including fasting blood glucose (MD = −3.67; 95% CI = [−5.25, −2.08], p < .00001), insulin level (MD = −1.91; 95% CI = [−2.97, −0.84], p = .0005), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (MD = −0.55; 95% CI = [−0.83, −0.27], p = .0001), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (MD = 0.01; 95% CI = [0.00, 0.02], p = .0005). The mean difference in total cholesterol was also statistically significant (MD = −15.55; 95% CI = [−30.33, −0.76], p < .04). The rest of the secondary outcomes, including LDL, HDL, sex hormone, body weight, and CRP, were not statistically significant. This review concluded that among patients with PCOS, the use of CUR demonstrated a significant difference from the control group for glycemic control. Those findings suggest that CUR confers clinical benefits in patients with PCOS. However, due to the limited number of the included studies, further high‐quality studies are needed to establish the clinical efficacy of the CUR.
A Deep convolutional neural network with residual blocks for wafer map defect pattern recognition
Authors: Wang Fu‐Kwun , Chou Jia‐Hong , Amogne Zemenu Endalamaw
Published: September 2021

Different deep convolution neural network (DCNN) models have been proposed for wafer map pattern identification and classification tasks in previous studies. However, factors such as input image resolution effect on the classification performance of the proposed models and class imbalance in the training set after splitting the data into training and test sets have not been considered in the previous studies. We propose a DCNN model with residual blocks, called the Opt‐ResDCNN model, for wafer map defect pattern classification by considering 26 × 26, 64 × 64, 96 × 96, and 256 × 256 input images and class imbalance issues. The model with a balance function can improve the performance. We compare the proposed model with the published defect pattern classification models in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 value. Using a publicly available wafer map data set (WM‐811K), the proposed method on the four different resolutions can obtain an excellent average accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Regarding accuracy, the proposed model results are 99.90%, 99.86%, 90.28%, 98.88%, respectively. These results are better than the published papers.
A Stem Cell Journey in Ophthalmology: From the Bench to the Clinic
Authors: Caras Ingrid W. , Collins Lila R. , Creasey Abla A.
Published: September 2021

Debilitating diseases of the eye represent a large unmet medical need potentially addressable with stem cell-based approaches. Over the past decade, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has funded and supported the translation, from early research concepts to human trials, of therapeutic stem cell approaches for dry age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and limbal stem cell deficiency. This article chronicles CIRM's journey in the ophthalmology field and discusses some key challenges and questions that were addressed along the way as well as questions that remain.
Palladium Catalysts with Triglyme‐Functionalized NHC Ligands for Suzuki Coupling Reactions in Aqueous Solvent
Authors: Liu Qingqing , Zhong Jing , Tian Funing , Wang Qiwei , Wang Yuanhua , Zhong Liu , Huang Qingfei
Published: September 2021

To perform green chemistry, hydrophilic catalysts with high activity and stability are required. We designed and synthesized a catalyst [Pd(IPr*TEG)(cin)Cl)] from commercially available materials; this catalyst could be used in a wide range of Suzuki coupling reactions in aqueous solvents. The reaction works smoothly under low catalyst loading with a good to excellent yield. It was noted that the catalyst can be recycled, and it performed well in cyclical reactions.
Ionic Liquids based Acid‐base Indicators for Aqueous to the Non‐Aqueous Medium: An Overview
Authors: Rahman Ziaur , Das Sudhir Kumar
Published: September 2021

Visualizing acid‐base equilibria and determining acid‐base equilibrium constants (pKa) in aqueous to the non‐aqueous medium is essential for understanding the various chemical and biochemical processes. This mini review highlights the possibility of fine‐tuning the traditional acid‐base indicator dye‘s physicochemical properties into ionic liquids (ILs)‐integrated ones to enhance their solubility and practical applications in a wide range of solvents. These include the high sensitivity towards acid and bases by virtue of its colour and spectral properties changes. ILs‐based indicators could be used to determine the pKa values in aqueous to the non‐aqueous medium from polar to non‐polar ones by overlapping indicator method. This review provides an essential idea of the emerging challenges and openings that may motivate the scientific communities to move towards IL‐integrated acid‐base indicators and find their dissociation constants (pKInd) in any solvents depending on their solubility. The calculated pKInd values could be used to determine the pKa values of different acids and bases in any solvents. It would also be beneficial to find a general trend of acidity and basicity from solvents to solvents using such types of indicators without alternating the main moiety. It will benefit the scientific communities to understand the pKa scales in different solvents.
From Food to Mobility: Investigating a Screening Assay for New Automotive Antioxidants Using the Stable Radical DPPH
Authors: Higgins Clare L. , Filip Sorin V. , Afsar Ashfaq , Colquhoun Howard M. , Hayes Wayne
Published: September 2021

By taking inspiration from the food industry, an assay was investigated as a potential screening tool to test the efficiency of new phenolic antioxidants. The method was based on the spectrophotometric measurement of the stable free radical 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) which, in its radical form, has an absorbance maxima at 515 nm. The disappearance of this absorbance band, upon reaction with an antioxidant, was monitored to reveal the kinetic pathway of the reaction, which was defined simply as either fast, medium or slow. Adaptation of the assay was attempted for application to biofuels and oil‐based automotive fluids whereby the effect of polar and non‐polar solvents on the kinetics of the reaction was investigated. In addition, the stoichiometry of the radical scavenging reaction was also analysed to give an insight into the structure‐activity relationships of phenolic antioxidants.
A Hydrophilic Supported Fe3O4 Catalyst with Enhanced Light Olefins Selectivity in the Fischer‐Tropsch Synthesis
Authors: Ma Long , Zhang Yuxi , Gao Xinhua , Atchimarungsri Thachapan , Ma Qingxiang , Zhang Jianli , Zhang Xingjun , Li Caihu , Zhao Tian‐Sheng
Published: September 2021

A series of Fe3O4 catalysts supported on chitosan (CTS) were prepared through successive hydrothermal synthesis, cross‐linking, and mechanical mixing of CTS. The prepared catalysts were characterized by SEM, XRD, N2 adsorption‐desorption, XPS, FT−IR, TG, H2−TPR, CO−TPD, C3H6−TPD, and contact angle (CA) analysis, then evaluated for their performance in the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis (FTS). CTS supported Fe3O4 catalyst increased the hydrophilicity of the pristine un‐supported Fe3O4. Results revealed that the catalysts exhibit high activity with tuned product distribution in FTS. The water gas shift reaction is facilitated over the Fe3O4/CTS catalysts, and their selectivity for light olefins is significantly improved by inhibiting the secondary reaction of the initial olefins, which was confirmed by C3H6−TPD experiments. The Fe3O4 particle size has a significant influence on product distribution, with larger Fe3O4 particles being beneficial to the formation of light olefins. The 30 % Fe3O4/CTS catalyst has light olefin selectivity of 35 % with an O/P value of 2.19, which are higher than those of 21 % and 0.62 over the pristine Fe3O4.
Characterization of performable geopolymer mortars for use as repair material
Authors: Maras Muslum Murat
Published: September 2021

Heritage masonry constructions constitute an important percentage of the structures in many countries. These structures are highly vulnerable to environmental changes (such as earthquakes), and significant losses in masonry historical constructions occur even in a moderate earthquake. For this reason, damage assessment studies of these structures before earthquakes are of great importance. After an earthquake, historical buildings in Turkey were examined and it was found that many buildings underwent damage. In these structures, damage occurs during the earthquake due to the use of low‐quality materials and a lack of sufficient connections between the layers. In these buildings, damage especially occurs in the parts that undergo restoration. Since low‐strength repair mortars are generally used in the restored sections, wide cracks have occurred in the building elements under the effect of earthquakes. This study aimed to produce alternative materials that could be used as geopolymer binders in restorated buildings. The mechanical, physical, and microstructural characteristics of the geopolymer samples were investigated in detail using laboratory tests. As a result, the strength of geopolymer repair materials with 8 M and 5% calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH]2) was very high when compared with other values. High‐strength compatible alternative geopolymer repair mortars that could be used for restoration were produced. For this reason, mortar is considered a significant application for repairing and strengthening buildings.
Pressure Injury Prevention and Management
Authors: Hickling Donna , Nowicki Tracy , Santy-Tomlinson Julie
Published: September 2021

Previous chapters have described how to implement and improve nutrition care with an emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches. The focus of this chapter is on the link between malnutrition and pressure injuries (PIs), focussing on nutritional screening, assessment and interdisciplinary interventions in preventing and managing PIs.
Obesity and Health in Older Adults
Authors: Ramel Alfons , Stenholm Sari
Published: September 2021

The focus of this chapter is on body mass index and obesity in older adults. Further, it will be discussed whether weight loss should be generally recommended for obese older adults.
The Nutritional System
Authors: Cinti Saverio
Published: September 2021

The white and brown adipose tissues are organized to form a true organ. They have a different anatomy and perform different functions, but they collaborate thanks to their ability to convert mutually and reversibly following physiological stimuli. This implies a new fundamental property for mature cells, which would be able to reversibly reprogram their genome under physiological conditions. The subcutaneous mammary gland provides another example of their plasticity. Here fat cells are reversibly transformed into glands during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The obese adipose organ is inflamed because hypertrophic fat cells, typical of this condition, die and their cellular residues must be reabsorbed by macrophages. The molecules produced by these cells during their reabsorption work interfere with the insulin receptor, and this induces insulin resistance, which ultimately causes type 2 diabetes. The adipose organ collaborates with those of digestion. Both produce hormones that can influence the nutritional behavior of individuals. They produce molecules that mutually influence functional activities including thermogenesis, which contributes to the interruption of the meal. The nutrients are absorbed by the intestine, stored in the adipose organ, and distributed by them to the whole body between meals. Distribution includes offspring during breastfeeding. The system as a whole is therefore called the nutritional system.
Preventing and Managing Hydration and Dehydration in Older People
Authors: Vilmundardóttir Vilborg Kolbrún , Skúladóttir Sigrún Sunna
Published: September 2021

Previous chapters have described nutritional care in geriatrics and orthogeriatrics in detail, including special focus on malnutrition and best practice in nursing care. This chapter will focus on recommendations and guidelines for hydration, fluid intake and intravenous fluid therapy in geriatrics and orthogeriatrics.
The Model of UDL Implementation Enabling the Development of Inclusive Education in Different Educational Contexts: Conclusions
Authors: Galkienė Alvyra , Monkevičienė Ona
Published: September 2021

This chapter presents the conclusions of research carried out by Polish, Lithuanian, Finnish, and Austrian researchers, aimed at providing an answer to the question of ‘How the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) enriches the practices of inclusive education in different educational contexts.’ The summary of the research results is followed by a model of the application of the UDL approach for the development of inclusive education. In the model, the UDL approach is presented as an approach of transforming the process of education and strengthening teacher inclusive attitudes, as a prerequisite for the pupil’s becoming an expert learner, a means for mobilizing the school community, a tool for reflecting teacher competences, and a new perspective for re-interpreting educational practices. The UDL application model is valuable in terms of developing inclusive education practices, as it allows us to see barriers to pupil education as well as relevant directions for improving education in any educational and cultural context.
Automated Housing Price Valuation and Spatial Data
Authors: Batista Paulo , Marques João Lourenço
Published: September 2021

The demand for automated, reliable and understandable housing price valuation mechanisms is increasing. Most efforts have been made to improve model accuracy and prediction power through the well-established standard econometric models based on regression techniques. However, the modelling of the spatial attributes of housing through mass appraisal tools has been given less attention. Incorporating spatial modelling approaches through econometrics frameworks opens new opportunities for improving automated valuation tools.

This work presents an exploratory analysis of different approaches to incorporating spatial data into AVM tools, taking advantage of the potential of spatial (big) data, stored on different sources – census data, open street maps and public administration data.

Improvement of the standard housing price models embedded in a Portuguese housing appraisal decision system (held by PrimeYield SA) will be presented. Different strategies to incorporate spatial data from public sources are analysed, taking the Sintra municipality and PrimeYield data on this territory as a case study. The focus is the mitigation of the well-known pitfalls of spatial models, such as spatial heterogeneity and spatial dependence.

The results show the potential added-value of collecting and (pre)processing a different set of territorial variables – socioeconomic, accessibility, and land use – to improve the explanation power, parsimony and understanding of housing price models. Geographic weight regression models can be a balanced compromise to achieve those objectives which will be investigated.
Didaktische Analysen zum Bruchzahlbegriff
Authors: Kollhoff Sebastian
Published: September 2021

In diesem Kapitel wird die Entwicklung des Bruchzahlbegriffs als mathematischer Untersuchungsgegenstand der empirischen Studie beschrieben. Diese Beschreibung erfolgt auf der Grundlage des Grundvorstellungskonzepts (vom Hofe, 1995), das zunächst eingehend erörtert und vor dem Hintergrund der zuvor dargestellten theoretischen Transferperspektiven diskutiert wird. Im Anschluss werden Grundvorstellungen und Zahlaspekte von Bruchzahlen auf normativer Ebene beschrieben und unter Berücksichtigung zentraler empirischer Befunde Transferprozesse in der Entwicklung des Bruchzahlbegriffs abgeleitet, die als inhaltliche Strukturierung für die Unterrichtseinheit als Rahmen der empirischen Studie dienen.
Zusammenfassung und Perspektiven
Authors: Kollhoff Sebastian
Published: September 2021

Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit lassen sich in zwei Bereiche gliedern. Zum einen wurde der Forschungsstand zum Transfer beim Lernen aufgearbeitet, im Rahmen mathematikdidaktischer Theorien diskutiert und ein didaktisches Modell für die Analyse von Transferprozessen in der Entwicklung des Bruchzahlbegriffs entwickelt. Zum anderen wurden in der empirischen Studie Bearbeitungsprozesse von Schülerinnen und Schülern analysiert, um Transferprozesse deskriptiv zu beschreiben und Beziehungen zwischen Transferprozessen und der Entwicklung eines tragfähigen Verständnisses von Bruchzahlen aufzudecken.
Betriebliche Beteiligung in der Umsetzung
Authors: Schachler Viviane
Published: September 2021

In Abschnitt 2.2 wurden die Merkmale des deutschen Modells der Arbeitsbeziehungen vorgestellt und die rechtlichen Grundlagen zur Einbindung und Arbeitsweise von Betriebsräten skizziert. Abschnitt 3.3 stellte die in Analogie dazu entstandene betriebliche Interessenvertretung in WfbM und die verordnungsrechtlichen Befugnisse von Werkstatträten vor. Zunächst die gesetzliche Ausrichtung der Arbeit von Betriebsräten zu behandeln und anschließend die Vorgaben zur Arbeit der Werkstatträte zu fokussieren war erforderlich, da die WMVO in Anlehnung an die Regelungen des BetrVG entstanden ist (Cramer, 2009, S. 387) und sich die Vorgaben so besser nachvollziehen lassen.
Genus zero Gopakumar-Vafa invariants from open strings
Authors: Collinucci Andrés , Sangiovanni Andrea , Valandro Roberto
Published: September 2021

Abstract

We propose a new way to compute the genus zero Gopakumar-Vafa invariants for two families of non-toric non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds that admit simple flops: Reid’s Pagodas, and Laufer’s examples. We exploit the duality between M-theory on these threefolds, and IIA string theory with D6-branes and O6-planes. From this perspective, the GV invariants are detected as five-dimensional open string zero modes. We propose a definition for genus zero GV invariants for threefolds that do not admit small crepant resolutions. We find that in most cases, non-geometric T-brane data is required in order to fully specify the invariants.
Innovative radiation oncology Together – Precise, Personalized, Human
Authors: Krug David , Hecht Markus , Ebert Nadja , Mäurer Matthias , Fleischmann Daniel F. , Fokas Emmanouil , Straube Christoph , Nicolay Nils Henrik , Hörner-Rieber Juliane , Schmitt Daniela , von Neubeck Cläre , Zamboglou Constantinos , Sperk Elena , Kaul David , Hess Julia , Corradini Stefanie , Seidel Clemens , Gani Cihan , Baues Christian , Frey Benjamin , Blanck Oliver , Gauer Tobias , Niyazi Maximilian
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Scientific and clinical achievements in radiation, medical, and surgical oncology are changing the landscape of interdisciplinary oncology. The German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) working group of young clinicians and scientists (yDEGRO) and the DEGRO representation of associate and full professors (AKRO) are aware of the essential role of radiation oncology in multidisciplinary treatment approaches. Together, yDEGRO and AKRO endorsed developing a German radiotherapy & radiation oncology vision 2030 to address future challenges in patient care, research, and education. The vision 2030 aims to identify priorities and goals for the next decade in the field of radiation oncology.

Methods

The vision development comprised three phases. During the first phase, areas of interest, objectives, and the process of vision development were defined jointly by the yDEGRO, AKRO, and the DEGRO board. In the second phase, a one-day strategy retreat was held to develop AKRO and yDEGRO representatives’ final vision from medicine, biology, and physics. The third phase was dedicated to vision interpretation and program development by yDEGRO representatives.

Results

The strategy retreat’s development process resulted in conception of the final vision “Innovative radiation oncology Together – Precise, Personalized, Human.” The first term “Innovative radiation oncology” comprises the promotion of preclinical research and clinical trials and highlights the development of a national committee for strategic development in radiation oncology research. The term “together” underpins collaborations within radiation oncology departments as well as with other partners in the clinical and scientific setting. “Precise” mainly covers technological precision in radiotherapy as well as targeted oncologic therapeutics. “Personalized” emphasizes biology-directed individualization of radiation treatment. Finally, “Human” underlines the patient-centered approach and points towards the need for individual longer-term career curricula for clinicians and researchers in the field.

Conclusion

The vision 2030 balances the ambition of physical, technological, and biological innovation as well as a comprehensive, patient-centered, and collaborative approach towards radiotherapy & radiation oncology in Germany.
Patterns of brain function associated with cannabis cue-reactivity in regular cannabis users: a systematic review of fMRI studies
Authors: Sehl Hannah , Terrett Gill , Greenwood Lisa-Marie , Kowalczyk Magdalena , Thomson Hannah , Poudel Govinda , Manning Victoria , Lorenzetti Valentina
Published: September 2021

Rationale

Regular cannabis use (i.e. ≥ monthly) is highly prevalent, with past year use being reported by ~ 200 million people globally.High reactivity to cannabis cues is a key feature of regular cannabis use and has been ascribed to greater cannabis exposure and craving, but the underlying neurobiology is yet to be systematically integrated.

Objectives

We aim to systematically summarise the findings from fMRI studies which examined brain function in cannabis users while exposed to cannabis vs neutral stimuli during a cue-reactivity fMRI task.

Methods

A systematic search of PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus databases was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020171750) and conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Eighteen studies met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Samples comprised 918 participants (340 female) aged 16–38 years. Of these, 603 were regular cannabis users, and 315 were controls.

Results

The literature consistently reported greater brain activity in cannabis users while exposed to cannabis vs neutral stimuli in three key brain areas: the striatum, the prefrontal (anterior cingulate, middle frontal) and the parietal cortex (posterior cingulate/precuneus) and additional brain regions (hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, occipital cortex). Preliminary correlations emerged between cannabis craving and the function of partially overlapping regions (amygdala, striatum, orbitofrontal cortex ).

Conclusions

Exposure to cannabis-cues may elicit greater brain function and thus trigger cravings in regular cannabis users and thus trigger cannabis craving. Standardised and longitudinal assessments of cannabis use and related problems are required to profile with greater precision the neurobiology of cannabis cue-reactivity, and its role in predicting  cravings and relapse.
Eltrombopag treatment of patients with secondary immune thrombocytopenia: retrospective EHR analysis
Authors: Patwardhan Pallavi , Landsteiner Adrienne , Lal Lincy S. , Geevarghese Lincy , Le Lisa , Nandal Savita , Cuker Adam
Published: September 2021

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) may occur in isolation (primary) or in association with a predisposing condition (secondary ITP [sITP]). Eltrombopag is a well-studied treatment for primary ITP, but evidence is scarce for sITP. We evaluated real-world use of eltrombopag for sITP using electronic health records. Eligible patients had diagnoses of ITP and a qualifying predisposing condition, and eltrombopag treatment. We described patient characteristics, treatment patterns, platelet counts, and thrombotic and bleeding events. We identified 242 eligible patients; the most common predisposing conditions were hepatitis C and systemic lupus erythematosus. Average duration of eltrombopag treatment was 6.1 months. Most (81.4%) patients achieved a platelet count ≥ 30,000/µL at a mean of 0.70 months, 70.2% reached ≥ 50,000/µL at a mean of 0.95 months, and 47.1% achieved a complete response of > 100,000/µL at a mean of 1.43 months after eltrombopag initiation. At eltrombopag discontinuation, 105 patients (43%) experienced a treatment-free period for a mean 3.3 months. Bleeding events occurred with similar frequency before and during eltrombopag treatment whereas thrombotic events were less frequent during eltrombopag treatment. Our results suggest similar rates of platelet response with eltrombopag in patients with sITP as compared with primary ITP. In addition, a treatment-free period is possible for a substantial minority of patients.
Functional interrogation of autoimmune disease genetics using CRISPR/Cas9 technologies and massively parallel reporter assays
Authors: Ding James , Frantzeskos Antonios , Orozco Gisela
Published: September 2021

Genetic studies, including genome-wide association studies, have identified many common variants that are associated with autoimmune diseases. Strikingly, in addition to being frequently observed in healthy individuals, a number of these variants are shared across diseases with diverse clinical presentations. This highlights the potential for improved autoimmune disease understanding which could be achieved by characterising the mechanism by which variants lead to increased risk of disease. Of particular interest is the potential for identifying novel drug targets or of repositioning drugs currently used in other diseases. The majority of autoimmune disease variants do not alter coding regions and it is often difficult to generate a plausible hypothetical mechanism by which variants affect disease-relevant genes and pathways. Given the interest in this area, considerable effort has been invested in developing and applying appropriate methodologies. Two of the most important technologies in this space include both low- and high-throughput genomic perturbation using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and massively parallel reporter assays. In this review, we introduce the field of autoimmune disease functional genomics and use numerous examples to demonstrate the recent and potential future impact of these technologies.
Late relapsing germ cell tumors with elevated tumor markers
Authors: Che Yue , Lusch Achim , Winter Christian , Große Siemer Robert , Buddensieck Carolin , Albers Peter , Hiester Andreas
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Late relapsing germ cell tumors (LR-GCT) are considered a rare distinct biologic entity as their clinical presentation and response to treatment is different to early recurrences. While serum tumor markers (AFP and ß-HCG) play an important role at the time of first diagnosis to correctly classify prognosis and treatment of germ cell tumors, they may not have the same significance in a late relapse situation.

Patients and methods

Thirty-seven patients with LR-GCT with elevated serum tumor markers were identified in our database. Twenty-six patients underwent primary surgical resection of the late relapsing tumor. Eleven patients received salvage chemotherapy and a post-chemotherapy residual tumor resection. Serum tumor markers, histological findings and oncological outcome were analyzed.

Results

In the histopathological specimen, viable cancer was found in 20 cases (54%) and teratoma was found in 16 cases (43%). In nine cases (24%), a somatic-type malignant transformation was present. In 19 of 37 patients (51.4%), the late relapse specimen presented a histological type of GCT, which was not present in the primary histology. Twenty-two patients (59.5%) were included in follow-up analysis. Mean and median follow-up time was 62.2 and 53 months, respectively. Seventeen patients (77.3%) suffered a relapse or had progressive disease after LR therapy. Five patients (22.7%) have been relapse-free after LR therapy (mean FU 61.6 months). Ten patients died of disease during follow-up (45.5%) and had a mean time from LR to death of 66.4 months. Eleven patients were alive at last follow-up (mean FU 62.2 months). Relapse and survival rate were similar between patients who received primary resection of LR tumor and patients who received salvage chemotherapy followed by surgery.

Conclusion

Patients with a late relapsing germ cell tumor and elevated markers have a poor prognosis and a high risk for another relapse independent on primary treatment. The histological type and aggressiveness of a late relapsing tumor cannot be predicted with serum tumor marker levels at the time of diagnosis of LR. In up to 54% of cases, primary histology did not coincide with LR histology. Therefore, we propose primary surgical resection of a late relapsing tumor if a complete resection is feasible in order to gain exact histology and tailor further treatment.
Salvage of limb salvage in oncological reconstructions of the lower limb with megaprosthesis: how much to push the boundaries?
Authors: Innocenti Matteo , Muratori Francesco , Foschi Lorenzo , Bartolini Saverio , Scorianz Maurizio , Scoccianti Guido , Campanacci Domenico Andrea
Published: September 2021

Introduction

Megaprosthesis represent the most commonly used limb salvage method after musculoskeletal tumor resections. Nevertheless, they are burdened by high complication rate, requiring several surgical revisions and eventually limb amputation. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of rescuing the limb with subsequent revisions on complication rates (a), incidence of amputations (b), and whether complications reduce functional outcome after the first surgical revision (c).

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed 444 lower limb megaprosthesis implanted for primary musculoskeletal tumors or metastatic lesions, from February 2000 to November 2017. 59 patients received at least one revision megaprosthesis surgery. MSTS score was used to assess final functional results. Complication-revision-amputation free survival rates were calculated both at 5 and 10 years of follow-up.

Results

Complication free survival, revision free survival and amputation free survival at 10 years were 47% and 53%, 61% and 67%, 90% and 86% among all 444 patients and the group of 59 revised patients, respectively. The incidence of further complications after the first complication was 26% in the group treated with no subsequent revision surgeries and 51% in the group with at least one revision surgery. We found a trend of inverse linear relationship between the number of complications needing subsequent revision surgeries and the final MSTS.

Conclusion

The number of further revision surgeries after limb salvage with megaprosthesis increases the incidence of complications. Repeated surgical revisions, in particular after infection, increase the amputation rate. The most frequent causes of failure were structural failures and infections. MSTS score was superior for patients undergoing limb salvage than amputees. However, MSTS progressively decreased with multiple revisions becoming inferior to the functional score of an amputated patient.