bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Which management practices influence soil health in Midwest organic corn systems?
Authors: Sprunger Christine D. , Culman Steve W. , Deiss Leonardo , Brock Caroline , Jackson‐Smith Douglas
Published: July 2021

Fostering and maintaining soil health via holistic management is a central goal for most organic farmers. However, many questions remain regarding how different management practices influence soil health in farm fields. In this study, we used a mail‐in soil survey to assess how organic management practices such as crop diversity, perennials in rotation, tillage, manure use, and subscription to soil cation balancing influence soil biochemical health indicators in certified organic corn (Zea maysL.) fields. Organic farmers (n = 195) from the eastern Corn Belt mailed in soil along with a completed management survey to a research lab for analysis. Soils were analyzed for mineralizable carbon (C), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), soil protein, texture, and routine soil nutrient analyses. Soil texture had the largest influence on soil biochemical health indicators, underscoring the need to consider soil type with soil health assessments. Crop diversity was negatively correlated with mineralizable C, soil C, and soil nitrogen (N) (r = –.19 to –.24) atp < .05 when perennials were in the rotation. This was attributed to tillage frequency increasing with crop diversity across all soil types. The presence of a perennial in rotation influenced soil biochemical health indicators, except for total C. Additionally, mineralizable C significantly increased when perennials were left in rotation for longer periods of time. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of incorporating management survey data with soil biochemical health analyses. We conclude that a main management driver for improved soil biochemical health in organic corn production systems is to reduce tillage intensity and incorporate perennials.
Ultrasound activatable antiangiogenic sonosensitizer for VEGFR associated glioblastoma tumor models
Authors: Son Subin , Zhang Chuangli , Won Miae , Jangili Paramesh , Choi Minhyeok , Wu Jiasheng , Kim Jong Seung
Published: July 2021

Angiogenic signaling pathway is a major contributing factor in cancer recurrence and progression, which can cause significantly reduced treatment outcomes, especially in the oxygen‐dependent photo‐ and sonodynamic therapies. VEGF and its receptor (VEGFR) play a crucial role in angiogenesis progression; precisely, upregulated VEGF signaling is mainly associated with angiogenesis progression in many types of cancers. Herein, we report a sunitinib‐conjugated sonosensitizer (TK‐RB: tyrosine kinase‐rose bengal) to enhance the anticancer efficacy through VEGF inhibition‐mediated antiangiogenesis in conjunction with cellular/tumor damage by ROS generated under ultrasound irradiation. TK‐RB reveals good selectivity and cytotoxicity toward VEGFR‐positive cells (U87MG) over VEGFR‐negative cells (MCF‐7). The fluorescent imaging analysis in vivo/ex vivo and the tumor growth investigation in nude mice with U87MG glioblastoma tumor xenografts demonstrate that rose bengal having tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TK‐RB) provides an enhanced antitumor effect. The current strategy will make a great contribution to optimizing anticancer performance by utilizing sonodynamic therapy together with antiangiogenics in several different malignancies.
Singleton‐Merten syndrome: A rare cause of femoral head necrosis
Authors: Assaf Elio , Bdeir Mohamad , Mohs Elisabeth , Dally Franz‐Joseph , Gravius Sascha , Weis Cleo‐Aron , Darwich Ali
Published: July 2021

Singleton‐Merten syndrome (SMS) is a type I interferonopathy. In this report, we disclose the first—to the best of our knowledge—direct association of SMS with femoral head necrosis (FHN). The following case report presents the condition of a 38‐year‐old male suffering from SMS with FHN, characterized by acute symptoms and rapid disease progression. As per the recommendations of the Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) and the S3‐guidelines, we successfully treated the FHN with core decompression. Our histological results correlate with the changes described in medical literature in patients with SMS and MDA5‐knockout in vivo experiments such as osteopenia, widened medullary cavity, and thin cortical bone. Moreover, the conducted immunohistochemistry shows strong CD56 positivity of the osteoblasts and osteocytes, as well as significant CD68 and CD163 positivity of the middle‐sized osteoclasts. Collectively, these findings suggest an underlying syndrome in the FHN. A six‐month post‐operative follow‐up revealed complete recovery with the absence of the initial symptoms and ability to resume normal daily activities. Taken together, our findings suggest that SMS is an additional cause of FHN in young adults. Early detection and adequate treatment using well‐established joint‐preserving techniques demonstrate a favorable improvement of the patient's clinical condition.
Li2S6‐Integrated PEO‐Based Polymer Electrolytes for All‐Solid‐State Lithium‐Metal Batteries
Authors: Fang Ruyi , Xu Biyi , Grundish Nicholas S. , Xia Yang , Li Yutao , Lu Chengwei , Liu Yijie , Wu Nan , Goodenough John B.
Published: July 2021

The integration of Li2S6 within a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐based polymer electrolyte is demonstrated to improve the polymer electrolyte's ionic conductivity because the strong interplay between O2−(PEO) and Li+ from Li2S6 reduces the crystalline volume within the PEO. The Li/electrolyte interface is stabilized by the in situ formation of an ultra‐thin Li2S/Li2S2 layer via the reaction between Li2S6 and lithium metal, which increases the ionic transport at the interface and suppresses lithium dendrite growth. A symmetric Li/Li cell with the Li2S6‐integrated composite electrolyte has excellent cyclability and a high critical current density of 0.9 mA cm−2 at 40 °C. Impressive electrochemical performance is demonstrated with all‐solid‐state Li/LiFePO4 and high‐voltage Li/LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cells at 40 °C.
Applying Machine Learning to Rechargeable Batteries: From the Microscale to the Macroscale
Authors: Chen Xiang , Liu Xinyan , Shen Xin , Zhang Qiang
Published: July 2021

Emerging machine learning (ML) methods are widely applied in chemistry and materials science studies and have led to a focus on data‐driven research. This Minireview summarizes the application of ML to rechargeable batteries, from the microscale to the macroscale. Specifically, ML offers a strategy to explore new functionals for density functional theory calculations and new potentials for molecular dynamics simulations, which are expected to significantly enhance the challenging descriptions of interfaces and amorphous structures. ML also possesses a great potential to mine and unveil valuable information from both experimental and theoretical datasets. A quantitative “structure–function” correlation can thus be established, which can be used to predict the ionic conductivity of solids as well as the battery lifespan. ML also exhibits great advantages in strategy optimization, such as fast‐charge procedures. The future combination of multiscale simulations, experiments, and ML is also discussed and the role of humans in data‐driven research is highlighted.
Dual‐functioning core@shell nanofiber strip for enhancing drinking water quality: Polysulfone/graphene oxide adsorbent core layer and polyvinylpyrrolidone/mint sacrificial shell layer
Authors: Hajiali Sepideh , Khajavi Ramin , Kalaee Mohammad Reza , Montazer Majid
Published: July 2021

Drinking water quality is considered a continuing concern of human health. Herein, for the improvement of water quality, dual functioning core‐shell (CS) nanofibers were developed by use of polysulfone (PSU)/graphene oxide (GO) as the adsorbent core layer for removing heavy metal ions and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/mint extract as the shell layer for inducing antioxidant activity to the water. Various analyses on the strip samples before and after the water treatment experiment were performed. ATR‐FTIR by appearing or disappearing chemical bonds, TEM micrographs based on the formation of shell layer around the nanofibers, FESEM according to the uniformity and diameter of nanofibers, and EDX analysis based on the elemental and mapping results, verified the core‐shell structure of nanofibers. The results of the antioxidant activity demonstrated that after the dissolution shell layer, radical scavenging capability of water was improved effectively. Thereafter, the remained core layer had a high capacity and efficiency for the adsorption of metal ions especially for CS3 with 70.9% and 58.7% efficiency for Fe(III) and Ni(II). By achieving 0.975 and 0.568 L/g partition coefficient (PC), the desired performance of CS3 (core layer: 15 wt% PSU, 0.5% GO and shell layer: 5 wt% PVP, and 2.5 wt% mint) was confirmed.
Structure and properties of gel‐spun ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene fibers obtained from industrial production line
Authors: Yu Lingxiao , Bao Jianna , Wang Gangqiang , Lu Wangyang , Chen Wenxing
Published: July 2021

The structure evolution of commercial fibers with excellent performance is always a hot research topic. In this work, we used samples obtained from different forming stages of industrial production lines with a total draw ratio of 54.5 to explore the structure–property evolution of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers through a combination of differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and small angle X‐ray scattering methods. The results showed that the preferential orientation of amorphous molecular chain and the crystallinity increased rapidly in predrawing process, but the mechanical properties were basically unchanged, demonstrating that this stage had little effect on mechanical properties of fibers. At first‐step drawing, the crystallinity and orientation degree increased from 68% to 81% and 0.88 to 0.97, respectively, accompanied by rapid increase in modulus and tensile strength (29.5 to 878.1 cN/dtex and 4.3 to 21.1 cN/dtex, respectively) and the formation of monoclinic phase and fibrillar crystals also happened at this stage. The content of monoclinic phase with tighter structure was increased during the second‐step and third‐step drawing, which were crucial for the continuous improving mechanical properties. In addition, the molecular schematic diagram was proposed to describe structural development of UHMWPE fibers during manufacture process.
Preparation and performance of waterborne polyurethane coatings based on the synergistic flame retardant of ferrocene, phosphorus and nitrogen
Authors: Luo Yaofa , Wang Haoliang , Wang Hui , Jin Linzhao , Du Zongliang , Wang Haibo , Cheng Xu
Published: July 2021

A synergistic reactive flame‐retardant polyol (AFeDH) containing ferrocene, phosphorus, and nitrogen elements was synthesized from ferro‐formaldehyde, 5‐amino‐1,3, 4‐thiadiazole‐2‐mercaptan, 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phos‐phaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide and hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene acrylonitrile, and then applied for flame retarding waterborne polyurethane (WPU). The chemical structures of intermediates and final products were well characterized to confirm the successful preparation of ternary P‐N‐Fe flame retardant. The effects of incorporated AFeDH on thermal stability, flame retardancy and mechanical properties of AFeDH/WPU films were systematically studied. The results indicated that LOI value increased with the increase amount of AFeDH, while the value then decreased as the loading content above 6 wt%. This increase in flame retardancy results from the competition between the catalytic degradation of iron and the catalytic carbonization. Benefiting from the good synergistic effects among each element of AFeDH, the WPU/AFeDH films perform the decreased heat release and smoke production. Moreover, the flame retardant films also show the enhanced tensile strength of 33.8 MPa and elongation at break of 763.3%. Therefore, this novel halogen‐free flame retardant shows an excellent synergistic effect among P, N, and Fe elements, which has a great potential in the application of flame retardant WPU.
Innovative Verfahren zur 3‐D‐Bestandsaufnahme an Verkehrswasserbauwerken
Authors: Holste Karsten , Hesse Christian , Neumann Ingo
Published: July 2021

Um die Grundlagen für die in diesem Jahrzehnt erforderlichen Bauwerksprüfungs‐, Planungs‐ und Baumaßnahmen für die Infrastruktur im Bereich der Wasserstraßen zu verbessern, wird seit Dezember 2018 das mit Forschungsmitteln des BMVI geförderte Projekt 3D HydroMapper für die Erfassung und Nutzung der 3‐D‐Scandaten von Bestandsbauwerken durchgeführt. Durch 3D HydroMapper sollen neuartige Positionierungs‐ und Routingverfahren in Verbindung mit einer aktiven Objektausrichtung der Sensorik genutzt werden, um BIM‐fähige 3‐D‐Bauwerksdaten zu erzeugen. Erste Ergebnisse zeigen, dass durch die 3‐D‐Aufnahme von Bestandsbauwerken und Baustellen erhebliche Verbesserungen für alle Beteiligten erzielt werden können. Durch die mit einer innovativen Messplattform und einem speziellen Multi‐Sensorsystem aufgenommenen Informationen können den Betreibern, den Planern und den ausführenden Bauunternehmen vollständige, zuverlässige und dreidimensionale Bestandsdaten und die daraus prozessierten Bestandsmodelle zur Verfügung gestellt werden.
Metal‐Free Photoredox‐Catalyzed Hydrodefluorination of Fluoroarenes Utilizing Amide Solvent as Reductant
Authors: Toriumi Naoyuki , Yamashita Kazuya , Iwasawa Nobuharu
Published: July 2021

A metal‐free photoredox‐catalyzed hydrodefluorination of fluoroarenes was achieved by using N,N,N’,N’‐tetramethyl‐para‐phenylenediamine (1) as a strong photoreduction catalyst. This reaction was applicable not only to electron‐rich monofluoroarenes but also to polyfluoroarenes to afford non‐fluorinated arenes. The experimental mechanistic studies indicated that the amide solvent NMP plays an important role for regeneration of the photocatalyst, enabling additive‐free photoreduction catalysis.
On the applicability of regular solution and Flory‐Huggins theories to asphaltene liquid mixtures
Authors: Choi Phillip
Published: July 2021

We critically review two classic, molecular‐based solution theories, the regular solution theory and the Flory‐Huggins theory, in the context of revealing their limited applicability to liquid mixtures containing asphaltenes, a significant fraction of crude oil. Asphaltene molecular structures, either as depicted by the Archipelago model or the island model, are non‐linear (not chain‐like) and rigid, making the application of the aforementioned theories to describe their phase behaviour problematic. In addition, since asphaltenes contain chemical moieties that are able to interact through directional dependent specific intermolecular interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonds), this renders the incorporation of Hildebrand solubility parameters into the theories inappropriate. As a result, the two theories do not always predict the onset and amount of asphaltene precipitation correctly for crude oil under different conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, chemical composition of crude oil, solvent concentration). It is the hope of this author that researchers in the field channel their efforts into developing a brand‐new solution theory for asphaltene liquid mixtures by taking the key molecular attributes of asphaltenes into account.
Evaluation of the effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on dentistry
Authors: Çelik Osman Evren , Cansever İbrahim Hüseyin
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate dentists' working conditions and the policies implemented for dentistry during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In addition, effects of working in private practice or governmental practice in terms of pandemic are also evaluated in the manuscript.

Methods

A questionnaire was prepared to elicit dentists' working conditions during the pandemic and analyze and evaluate the policies implemented for dentistry. The questionnaires were sent to the dentists registered in the Turkish Dental Association (TDA) via e‐mail, and collected between September 30, 2020, and October 20, 2020. Descriptive statistical methods, validity and reliability analysis, and regression analysis were applied for data analysis.

Results

Seven hundred thirty‐four dentists registered in the Turkish Dental Association took part in the study. 47% of respondents examined five or fewer patients per day during the pandemic. Dentists working in private practice examine more patients per day during the pandemic. 80.8% of the respondents experienced anxiety while examining patients during the pandemic. While the dentist's anxiety level increased with increasing the number of patients examined per day (β: 0.399), it decreased with increasing the dentist's age (β: −0.065). Respondents were not satisfied with the pandemic's management, with the decisions taken regarding dentistry, and with the supports provided to the dentists. 85.8% of the respondents were concerned about their professional future, which is higher among dentists who work in governmental practice (p < 0.05, ANOVA).

Conclusions

Increasing dentists' representation in the management of the pandemic and the future policy‐making process, taking steps for the future by creating planning processes will eliminate the uncertainties and dissatisfaction and ensure to be ready for new pandemics.
Lightweight and fine‐grained access control for cloud–fog‐based electronic medical record sharing systems
Authors: Zhang Aiqing , Wang Xiao , Ye Xinrong , Xie Xiaojuan
Published: July 2021

The electronic medical record (EMR) sharing systems promote medical services' efficiency, save human resources, and reduce energy consumption. A number of patients are ready to store their medical records in cloud. Nevertheless, owing to the medical record's privacy sensitivity, security problems are of critical importance in EMR sharing systems. This work presents a lightweight and fine‐grained access control with data security for EMR sharing by combining fog and cloud using symmetric encryption algorithm and attribute‐based encryption algorithm. Data owners encrypt the medical records with symmetric encryption and store them in cloud. The symmetric key is protected by ciphertext‐policy attribute‐based encryption and stored in fog. The keyword extracted from medical record is encrypted by data owner with key‐policy attribute‐based keyword search encryption and sent to fog. The requesters who satisfy with the keyword ciphertext's access policy can search for the keyword. They are capable of accessing the symmetric key if their attributes satisfy with the symmetric key ciphertext's access policy. The key management method and access control scheme guarantee the medical record's security and privacy. Security analysis demonstrates that our work is able to achieve privacy protection, secure search, fine‐grained access control, and collusion resistance.
Intraspecific differences in metabolic rates shape carbon stable isotope trophic discrimination factors of muscle tissue in the common teleost Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis)
Authors: Scharnweber Kristin , Andersson Matilda L. , Chaguaceda Fernando , Eklöv Peter
Published: July 2021

Stable isotopes represent a unique approach to provide insights into the ecology of organisms. δ13C and δ15N have specifically been used to obtain information on the trophic ecology and food‐web interactions. Trophic discrimination factors (TDF, Δ13C and Δ15N) describe the isotopic fractionation occurring from diet to consumer tissue, and these factors are critical for obtaining precise estimates within any application of δ13C and δ15N values. It is widely acknowledged that metabolism influences TDF, being responsible for different TDF between tissues of variable metabolic activity (e.g., liver vs. muscle tissue) or species body size (small vs. large). However, the connection between the variation of metabolism occurring within a single species during its ontogeny and TDF has rarely been considered.

Here, we conducted a 9‐month feeding experiment to report Δ13C and Δ15N of muscle and liver tissues for several weight classes of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), a widespread teleost often studied using stable isotopes, but without established TDF for feeding on a natural diet. In addition, we assessed the relationship between the standard metabolic rate (SMR) and TDF by measuring the oxygen consumption of the individuals.

Our results showed a significant negative relationship of SMR with Δ13C, and a significant positive relationship of SMR with Δ15N of muscle tissue, but not with TDF of liver tissue. SMR varies inversely with size, which translated into a significantly different TDF of muscle tissue between size classes.

In summary, our results emphasize the role of metabolism in shaping‐specific TDF (i.e., Δ13C and Δ15N of muscle tissue) and especially highlight the substantial differences between individuals of different ontogenetic stages within a species. Our findings thus have direct implications for the use of stable isotope data and the applications of stable isotopes in food‐web studies.
Effects of natural and seminatural elements on the composition and dispersion of carabid beetles inhabiting an agroecosystem in Northern Italy
Authors: Della Rocca Francesca , Venturo Alfredo , Milanesi Pietro , Bracco Francesco
Published: July 2021

The natural and seminatural components of agricultural landscapes play a key role in maintaining a high level of biodiversity. Being the Po Valley one of the most human‐dominated and intensively cultivated landscapes in Europe, we investigated the effect of no‐crop habitats on carabid richness and composition and evaluated the role of tree row as corridor for forest carabid dispersion. Carabids were sampled with 70 pitfall traps arranged in 35 sampling plots along three parallel transects (80, 100, and 140 m long) and encompassing five different habitats: tree row, tree row edge, grassland, forest edge, and forest. We found 5,615 individuals belonging to 55 species. Despite the similarity in species richness, all the habitats investigated showed a peculiar and distinct species assemblage. The main distinction was between the "open habitat" cluster composed of grassland and tree row edge and the “forest" cluster composed of forest, tree row, and forest edge. We found that forest species are able to penetrate the grassland matrix up to 30 m from the forest edge and that a distance of no more than 60 m between tree row and forest can allow the passage of up to 50% of the forest species. Beyond this distance, the grassland matrix becomes a barrier, preventing them from reaching other suitable habitats. Our findings confirm the importance of maintaining different types of natural habitats to significantly increase biodiversity in an intensively cultivated agroecosystem and demonstrated the role of linear elements as a corridor and “stepping stones” for many forest species.
Abnormal P‐wave terminal force in lead V1 is a marker for atrial electrical dysfunction but not structural remodelling
Authors: Lebek Simon , Wester Michael , Pec Jan , Poschenrieder Florian , Tafelmeier Maria , Fisser Christoph , Provaznik Zdenek , Schopka Simon , Debl Kurt , Schmid Christof , Buchner Stefan , Maier Lars S. , Arzt Michael , Wagner Stefan
Published: July 2021

Aims

There is a lack of diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with atrial cardiomyopathy and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Interestingly, an abnormal P‐wave terminal force in electrocardiogram lead V1 (PTFV1) has been associated with atrial cardiomyopathy, but this association is poorly understood. We investigated PTFV1 as a marker for functional, electrical, and structural atrial remodelling.

Methods and results

Fifty‐six patients with acute myocardial infarction and 13 kidney donors as control cohort prospectively underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the association between PTFV1 and functional remodelling (atrial strain). To further investigate underlying pathomechanisms, right atrial appendage biopsies were collected from 32 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting. PTFV1 was assessed as the product of negative P‐wave amplitude and duration in lead V1 and defined as abnormal if ≥4000 ms*μV. Activity of cardiac Ca/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) was determined by a specific HDAC4 pull‐down assay as a surrogate for electrical remodelling. Atrial fibrosis was quantified using Masson's trichrome staining as a measure for structural remodelling. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to account for potential confounders. A total of 16/56 (29%) of patients with acute myocardial infarction, 3/13 (23%) of kidney donors, and 15/32 (47%) of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting showed an abnormal PTFV1. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, left atrial (LA) strain was significantly reduced in the subgroup with an abnormal PTFV1 (LA reservoir strain: 32.28 ± 12.86% vs. 22.75 ± 13.94%, P = 0.018; LA conduit strain: 18.87 ± 10.34% vs. 10.17 ± 8.26%, P = 0.004). Abnormal PTFV1 showed a negative correlation with LA conduit strain independent from clinical covariates (coefficient B: −7.336, 95% confidence interval −13.577 to −1.095, P = 0.022). CaMKII activity was significantly increased from (normalized to CaMKII expression) 0.87 ± 0.17 to 1.46 ± 0.15 in patients with an abnormal PTFV1 (P = 0.047). This increase in patients with an abnormal PTFV1 was independent from clinical covariates (coefficient B: 0.542, 95% confidence interval 0.057 to 1.027, P = 0.031). Atrial fibrosis was significantly lower with 12.32 ± 1.63% in patients with an abnormal PTFV1 (vs. 20.50 ± 2.09%, P = 0.006), suggesting PTFV1 to be a marker for electrical but not structural remodelling.

Conclusions

Abnormal PTFV1 is an independent predictor for impaired atrial function and for electrical but not for structural remodelling. PTFV1 may be a promising tool to evaluate patients for atrial cardiomyopathy and for risk of atrial fibrillation.
Cardiotoxicity associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Rubio‐Infante Nestor , Ramírez‐Flores Yoel A. , Castillo Elena C. , Lozano Omar , García‐Rivas Gerardo , Torre‐Amione Guillermo
Published: July 2021

Aims

This study aimed to estimate the incidence of cardiac immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Methods and results

First, we performed an ICI pharmacovigilance analysis, finding 4.2% of cardiac disorders, including myocarditis, for anti‐CTLA‐4, anti‐PD‐1, and anti‐PD‐L1 therapies. Patients treated with anti‐PD‐1 antibodies presented a greater number of cardiac adverse events (AEs) than those treated with anti‐CTLA‐4 (69.4% vs. 20%). Then, we analysed the incidence and characteristics of cardiac irAEs in 1265 papers published prior to 31 August 2020. Of the 4751 patients studied, 1.3% presented cardiac irAEs, with myocarditis being the most frequent (50.8%); 15 patients died (24.6%) due to cardiac irAEs. Finally, we conducted a meta‐analysis to determine cardiac irAEs in randomized clinical trials, identified through a systematic search from the ClinicalTrials.gov database, finding an incidence of 3.1% for ICI monotherapies, 5.8% for dual ICI therapies, 3.7% (irAEs/AEs) for ICIs plus chemotherapy, and cardiac AEs were reported in 2.5% of patients treated solely with chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Our study provides precise data for the incidence of cardiac irAEs among patients using ICIs, where despite its low incidence, the high rate of mortality is an important issue to consider. ICIs induce mainly myocarditis at the first doses, and dual therapies seem to provoke higher rates of cardiac irAEs than monotherapies or ICIs plus chemotherapy.
Fluorescence Photoswitching in a Series of Metal‐Organic Frameworks Loaded with Different Anthracenes
Authors: Tu Min , Díaz Ramírez Mariana Lizeth , Ibarra Ilich A. , Hofkens Johan , Ameloot Rob
Published: July 2021

The confinement of luminescent guest molecules in porous host materials can induce photophysical properties different from either component in isolation. In this work, we studied several host‐guest systems consisting of anthracene and its substituted analogs adsorbed in a series of metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) and inorganic molecular sieves. Fluorescence photoswitching of the guest molecules through photoinduced dimerization is observed only in MOFs with a favorable pore volume and geometry.
Parameter and State of Charge Estimation Simultaneously for Lithium‐Ion Battery Based on Improved Open Circuit Voltage Estimation Method
Authors: Gong Dongliang , Gao Ying , Kou Yalin
Published: July 2021

Herein, the improved open‐circuit voltage (OCV) estimation method is developed and applied to estimate the model parameters and state of charge (SOC) for lithium‐ion batteries simultaneously. First, the OCV and SOC mapping relationship with temperature dependence is explored with the help of the low‐current OCV test and the improved OCV estimation method is proposed for all test temperatures. Afterward, the dual adaptive extended Kalman filter (DAEKF) based on the residual sequence is utilized to identify the model parameters and estimate the SOC simultaneously. Finally, the proposed approach is verified with 50% initial SOC error and compared with the residual sequence‐based DEKF method at different temperatures under the Federal Urban Driving Schedule (FUDS) test. The results of this study indicate that the proposed DAEKF based on the proposed improving OCV estimation method and residual sequence could achieve higher SOC estimation accuracy with good robustness at all test temperatures.
Gravure‐Printed Conversion/Alloying Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Montanino Maria , Sico Giuliano , De Girolamo Del Mauro Anna , Asenbauer Jakob , Binder Joachim R. , Bresser Dominic , Passerini Stefano
Published: July 2021

Recently, printing techniques are increasingly investigated in the field of energy storage, especially for the fabrication of custom‐designed batteries. Thanks to its many advantages, the most industrially used gravure printing would offer an innovative boost to printed battery production, even if, to date, such a technique is still not well investigated. In this study, for the first time, gravure printing is successfully used to prepare high‐performance conversion/alloying anodes for lithium‐ion batteries. A multilayer approach allows obtainment of the desired mass loading (about 1.7 mg cm−2), reaching similar mass loadings to those obtained by commonly used lab‐scale tape‐casting methods, allowing for their comparison. High‐quality gravure‐printed layers are obtained showing a very high homogeneity, resulting in a high reproducibility of their electrochemical performance, very close to the theoretical value, and a long cycle life (up to 400 cycles). The good results are also due to the ink preparation method, using a ball‐milling mix of the powders for disaggregation and homogenization of the starting materials. This work demonstrates the possibility of using the highly scalable gravure printing not only in the industrial manufacturing of printed batteries, but also as a useful tool for the study of new materials.
Guidelines for purine extraction and determination in foods
Authors: Hou Chuanli , Xiao Ganhong , Amakye William Kwame , Sun Jing , Xu Zhenzhen , Ren Jiaoyan
Published: July 2021

With the improvement of living standards over the years, the demand for “delicious food” has been increasing rapidly. Accordingly, the hidden risks associated with these kinds of food have gradually been attracting attention and purines have especially become of great interest. Food‐derived purines are one of the important sources of purine in the body. Eventually, it is metabolized by the body to produce uric acid, which may lead to hyperuricemia and gout. Thus, detecting the purine content in foods could be a significant guidance for dietary intake. Here, this article reviews purine pretreatment and detection methods as well as the purine content of common foods. Perchloric acid hydrolysis and high‐performance liquid chromatography were found to be the most commonly used pretreatment and quantification methods in purine detection. In addition, total purine content was in the order of plant foods < fungus and algae foods < animal foods < aquatic products. This reenforces the suggestion that, for individuals with hyperuricemia and gout, fewer or none intake of aquatic products and animal foods and increase intake of plant and fungal and algae foods may be a healthier option.
Exploring the use of Moringa oleifera as a vegetable in Agua Caliente Nueva, Jalisco, Mexico: A qualitative study
Authors: Chiu Belinda C. , Olson Mark E. , Fahey Jed W.
Published: July 2021

People in Mexico speak of the medicinal properties of Moringa oleifera (“moringa”), but they know less about its nutritive properties. A qualitative, participatory approach was utilized to explore the use of moringa as a vegetable in Agua Caliente Nueva, Jalisco, by enrolling 14 female participants (mothers over 18) who were nutritional gatekeepers of the family and were responsible for preparing family meals using moringa leaves. Participants prepared meals with moringa and participated in semi‐structured interviews to record their perceptions of foods, shopping habits, and knowledge and experience using moringa. The study objectives were to assess the regional acceptability and feasibility of introducing a readily available and nutritious plant into diets, and to examine whether moringa could potentially serve as part of a solution to the double burden of malnutrition in Mexico. Findings suggest that given its ability to thrive in this dry tropical region, moringa has the potential to be recognized as a viable component in the traditional diet in this small “ejido” communal farming community.
Oil price analysts' forecasts
Authors: Figuerola‐Ferretti Isabel , Rodríguez Alejandro , Schwartz Eduardo
Published: July 2021

Crude oil analysts provide forecasts on future spot prices, which are collected by Bloomberg. We exploit this survey to compare analysts' forecasting ability to futures contracts and also among analysts themselves. We address the problems arising from unstructured forecast data and use the Mean‐Squared Prediction Error (MSPE) relative to the no‐change forecast and the Diebold and Mariano test. The applied approach represents a substantial improvement compared with the standard MSPE methodology as it corrects for volatility and maturity effects on forecasting performance measures. Finally, we establish that futures prices supersede analyst forecasts and elaborate a performance‐based ranking of analyst firms.
Pitfalls in brain age analyses
Authors: Butler Ellyn R. , Chen Andrew , Ramadan Rabie , Le Trang T. , Ruparel Kosha , Moore Tyler M. , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Zhang Fengqing , Shou Haochang , Gur Ruben C. , Nichols Thomas E. , Shinohara Russell T.
Published: July 2021

Over the past decade, there has been an abundance of research on the difference between age and age predicted using brain features, which is commonly referred to as the “brain age gap.” Researchers have identified that the brain age gap, as a linear transformation of an out‐of‐sample residual, is dependent on age. As such, any group differences on the brain age gap could simply be due to group differences on age. To mitigate the brain age gap's dependence on age, it has been proposed that age be regressed out of the brain age gap. If this modified brain age gap is treated as a corrected deviation from age, model accuracy statistics such as R2 will be artificially inflated to the extent that it is highly improbable that an R2 value below .85 will be obtained no matter the true model accuracy. Given the limitations of proposed brain age analyses, further theoretical work is warranted to determine the best way to quantify deviation from normality.
Hepatic NF‐κB‐Inducing Kinase and Inhibitor of NF‐κB Kinase Subunit α Promote Liver Oxidative Stress, Ferroptosis, and Liver Injury
Authors: Zhong Xiao , Zhang Zhiguo , Shen Hong , Xiong Yi , Shah Yatrik M. , Liu Yong , Fan Xue‐Gong , Rui Liangyou
Published: July 2021

Drug‐induced hepatotoxicity limits development of new effective medications. Drugs and numerous endogenous/exogenous agents are metabolized/detoxified by hepatocytes, during which reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated as a by‐product. ROS has broad adverse effects on liver function and integrity, including damaging hepatocyte proteins, lipids, and DNA and promoting liver inflammation and fibrosis. ROS in concert with iron overload drives ferroptosis. Hepatic nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB)‐inducing kinase (NIK) is aberrantly activated in a broad spectrum of liver disease. NIK phosphorylates and activates inhibitor of NF‐κB kinase subunit alpha (IKKα), and the hepatic NIK/IKKα cascade suppresses liver regeneration. However, the NIK/IKKα pathway has not been explored in drug‐induced liver injury. Here, we identify hepatic NIK as a previously unrecognized mediator for acetaminophen (APAP)‐induced acute liver failure. APAP treatment increased both NIK transcription and NIK protein stability in primary hepatocytes as well as in liver in mice. Hepatocyte‐specific overexpression of NIK augmented APAP‐induced liver oxidative stress in mice and increased hepatocyte death and mortality in a ROS‐dependent manner. Conversely, hepatocyte‐specific ablation of NIK or IKKα mitigated APAP‐elicited hepatotoxicity and mortality. NIK increased lipid peroxidation and cell death in APAP‐stimulated primary hepatocytes. Pretreatment with antioxidants or ferroptosis inhibitors blocked NIK/APAP‐induced hepatocyte death. Conclusion: We unravel a previously unrecognized NIK/IKKα/ROS/ferroptosis axis engaged in liver disease progression.
Mixed convective flow of Ag–H2O magnetic nanofluid over a curved surface with volumetric heat generation and temperature‐dependent viscosity
Authors: Pandey Alok K. , Upreti Himanshu
Published: July 2021

The magnetic nanofluid flow over a curved surface in the presence of heat and mass mixed convection, volumetric heat generation, and higher‐order chemical reaction is studied in this study. The Maxwell Garnetts model of thermal conductivity and the Brinkman model of viscosity are used for working fluid. The numerical method is applied to assess the governing nonlinear equations of the developed model. The influence of parameters, such as buoyancy, chemical reaction, magnetic field, curvature, heat generation, and chemical reaction order are considered in the existing study. The surface diagram for Nusselt number, skin friction coefficient, and Sherwood number are revealed. From the outcomes, it can be noted that with an increase in buoyancy parameters and , the heat and mass transfer (HMT) functions declined. Moreover, the behavior of HMT is reversed when there is an escalation in the values of chemical reaction parameter . A comparison of this study with a previous study is conducted.
Foliar biostimulant applications combined with low‐mineral nitrogen fertilization equal the quality of high‐input mineral fertilization programs on tall fescue turf
Authors: De Luca Verónica , de Barreda Diego Gómez
Published: July 2021

Field research was conducted to compare the effect of different nitrogen (N) fertilization strategies on an established tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus ‘Braveheart’) turf for 1 year to study the possibility of maintaining an acceptable quality at a low N rate. Treatments were: mineral fertilizer (MF), urea (U), amino acid‐based biostimulant (B‐200), all applied at 200 kg N ha–1 yr–1; osmoregulator glycinebetaine (GB) and the same biostimulant (B‐20), applied at 20 kg N ha–1 yr–1; mixtures B‐20 and GB, and both combined with MF (B20+MF and GB+MF), applied at 100 kg N ha–1 yr–1. Turf quality and color, and the NDVI, were determined weekly, while dry clipping weight was obtained monthly. All the N fertilization programs benefitted tall fescue in all the evaluated characteristics compared to B‐20. GB was beneficial when applied alone (20 kg N ha–1 yr–1) or combined with MF. The reduction from 200 to 100 kg N ha–1 yr–1 in the two combination programs (GB+MF and B20+MF) resulted in statistically similar turf quality compared to mineral fertilization.
Alginate hydrogels functionalized with β‐cyclodextrin as a local paclitaxel delivery system
Authors: Omtvedt Line Aanerud , Kristiansen Kåre Andre , Strand Wenche Iren , Aachmann Finn Lillelund , Strand Berit Løkensgard , Zaytseva‐Zotova Daria Sergeevna
Published: July 2021

Modification of drug delivery materials with beta‐cyclodextrins (β‐CyD) is known to increase solubility of poorly water‐soluble drugs, protect drugs from degradation and sustain release. In this study, we developed a hydrogel drug delivery system for local paclitaxel delivery using the natural polysaccharide alginate functionalized with β‐CyD‐moieties. Paclitaxel was chosen due to its ability to form inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins. The rheological and mechanical properties of the prepared hydrogels were characterized, as well as in vitro release of the paclitaxel and in vitro activity on PC‐3 prostate cancer cells. Introduction of β‐CyD‐moieties into the hydrogel reduces the mechanical properties of the gels compared to nonmodified gels. However, gelation kinetics were not markedly different. Furthermore, the β‐CyD‐modified alginate helped to reduce undesired crystallization of the paclitaxel in the gel and facilitated paclitaxel diffusion out of the gel network. Remarkably, the β‐CyD grafted alginate showed increased capacity to complex paclitaxel compared to free HPβ‐CyD. Release of both paclitaxel and degradation products were measured from the gels and were shown to have cytotoxic effects on the PC‐3 cells. The results indicate that functionalized alginate with β‐CyDs has potential as a material for drug delivery systems.
Romosozumab improves lumbar spine bone mass and bone strength parameters relative to alendronate in postmenopausal women: results from the Active-Controlled Fracture Study in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis at High Risk (ARCH) trial
Authors: Brown Jacques P. , Engelke Klaus , Keaveny Tony M. , Chines Arkadi , Chapurlat Roland , Foldes A. Joseph , Nogues Xavier , Civitelli Roberto , De Villiers Tobias , Massari Fabio , Zerbini Cristiano A.F. , Wang Zhenxun , Oates Mary K. , Recknor Christopher , Libanati Cesar
Published: July 2021

The Active-Controlled Fracture Study in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis at High Risk (ARCH) trial (NCT01631214; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01631214) showed that romosozumab for 1 year followed by alendronate led to larger areal bone mineral density (aBMD) gains and superior fracture risk reduction versus alendronate alone. aBMD correlates with bone strength but does not capture all determinants of bone strength that might be differentially affected by various osteoporosis therapeutic agents. We therefore used quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and finite element analysis (FEA) to assess changes in lumbar spine volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone volume, bone mineral content (BMC), and bone strength with romosozumab versus alendronate in a subset of ARCH patients. In ARCH, 4093 postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis received monthly romosozumab 210 mg sc or weekly oral alendronate 70 mg for 12 months, followed by open-label weekly oral alendronate 70 mg for ≥12 months. Of these, 90 (49 romosozumab, 41 alendronate) enrolled in the QCT/FEA imaging substudy. QCT scans at baseline and at months 6, 12, and 24 were assessed to determine changes in integral (total), cortical, and trabecular lumbar spine vBMD and corresponding bone strength by FEA. Additional outcomes assessed include changes in aBMD, bone volume, and BMC. Romosozumab caused greater gains in lumbar spine integral, cortical, and trabecular vBMD and BMC than alendronate at months 6 and 12, with the greater gains maintained upon transition to alendronate through month 24. These improvements were accompanied by significantly greater increases in FEA bone strength (p < 0.001 at all time points). Most newly formed bone was accrued in the cortical compartment, with romosozumab showing larger absolute BMC gains than alendronate (p < 0.001 at all time points). In conclusion, romosozumab significantly improved bone mass and bone strength parameters at the lumbar spine compared with alendronate. These results are consistent with greater vertebral fracture risk reduction observed with romosozumab versus alendronate in ARCH and provide insights into structural determinants of this differential treatment effect. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Further evidence for the benefit of therapeutic plasma exchange for acute multi‐organ failure syndrome refractory to red cell exchange in sickle cell disease
Authors: Siddiqui Raheel S. , Ferman Debra A. , Shi Patricia A.
Published: July 2021

Acute multiorgan failure syndrome (MOFS) remains a significant cause of mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients despite red cell exchange (RCE). In small case series and reports, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has shown benefit in MOFS. As further support for consideration of this modality, we present two patients with SCD and MOFS refractory to RCE who were subsequently treated with TPE. Fresh frozen plasma was used as the replacement fluid. Despite estimated hospital mortality of 40% at the time of intensive care unit admission, both patients showed marked clinical improvement with TPE treatment. Our cases add to the evidence supporting the potential inclusion of MOFS secondary to acute SCD as an indication for TPE in the next edition of the American Society of Apheresis Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice.
Sleep duration and progression to sarcopenia in Japanese community‐dwelling older adults: a 4 year longitudinal study
Authors: Nakakubo Sho , Doi Takehiko , Tsutsumimoto Kota , Kurita Satoshi , Ishii Hideaki , Shimada Hiroyuki
Published: July 2021

Background

Identifying factors that contribute to the development of sarcopenia in older adults is a public health priority. Although several studies have examined the association between sleep duration and sarcopenia, additional evidence is needed to reveal the causality of this association, especially from a longitudinal study. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether sleep duration was associated with the progression to sarcopenia and its subcomponents among community‐dwelling older adults in Japan.

Methods

A total of 3918 older community‐dwelling people (mean age: 73.2 ± 6.0 years, 51.8% female) included in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Study of Geriatric Syndromes were analysed. Sleep duration was assessed using a self‐reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of progression of sarcopenia at Wave 2 (4 years later), according to the three categories of sleep duration [short: ≤6.0 h, medium: 6.1–8.9 h (control), & long: ≥9.0 h)] at Wave 1.

Results

The numbers in each group in the second wave among the total sample were as follows: short 403 (10.3%), medium 2877 (73.4%), and long 638 (16.3%). Significant associations with the progression of sarcopenia were found in the long sleep duration group compared with the medium one, even after adjustment for other covariates (OR 1.66, 95% CI: 1.02–2.69, P = 0.040). Long sleep duration was significantly associated with slow gait (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17–2.06, P = 0.002) and low grip strength (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.00–1.78, P = 0.047) but was not associated with low muscle mass (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 0.74–2.38, P = 0.343).

Conclusions

This study revealed that long sleep duration was associated with an increased risk of progression to sarcopenia among older adults.