bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The middle cerebral artery (MCA) dot sign
Authors: Md Noh Mohamad Syafeeq Faeez
Published: August 2021

The middle cerebral artery (MCA) dot sign is an important radiological sign in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). If identified and intervened early, a good clinical outcome may be achieved
Heterometallic Mg−Ba Hydride Clusters in Hydrogenation Catalysis
Authors: Wiesinger Michael , Knüpfer Christian , Elsen Holger , Mai Jonathan , Langer Jens , Harder Sjoerd
Published: August 2021

Reaction of a MgN“2/BaN”2 mixture (N“=N(SiMe3)2) with PhSiH3 gave three unique heterometallic Mg/Ba hydride clusters: Mg5Ba4H11N”7 ⋅ (benzene)2 (1), Mg4Ba7H13N“9 ⋅ (toluene)2 (2) and Mg7Ba12H26N”12 (3). Product formation is controlled by the Mg/Ba ratio and temperature. Crystal structures are described. While 3 is fully insoluble, clusters 1 and 2 retain their structures in aromatic solvents. DFT calculations and AIM analyses indicate highly ionic bonding with Mg−H and Ba−H bond paths. Also unusual H−⋅⋅⋅H− bond paths are observed. Catalytic hydrogenation with MgN“2, BaN”2 and the mixture MgN“2/BaN”2 has been studied. Whereas MgN“2 is only active in imine hydrogenation, alkene and alkyne hydrogenation needs the presence of Ba. The catalytic activity of the MgN”2/BaN“2 mixture lies in general between that of its individual components and strong cooperative effects are not evident.
A 2‐year prospective analysis of insomnia as a mediator of the relationship between androgen deprivation therapy and perceived cognitive function in men with prostate cancer
Authors: Garland Sheila N. , Savard Josée , Eisel Sarah L. , Wassersug Richard J. , Rockwood Nicholas J. , Thoms John , Jim Heather S. L. , Gonzalez Brian D.
Published: August 2021

Background

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may affect cognitive function in men with prostate cancer (PCa). This study examined whether insomnia symptoms mediate the relationship between ADT and perceived cognitive function and whether depressive symptoms, fatigue severity, and physical activity moderate the strength of this relationship.

Methods

This was a prospective study of ADT recipients (n = 83) who were matched with control patients with PCa who were not on ADT (n = 92) and with controls with no history of cancer (n = 112) over a 2‐year follow‐up period. Perceived cognitive function and satisfaction were assessed with the Everyday Cognition Scale. Insomnia was assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index. Multilevel mediation analyses were conducted to estimate the indirect effect of ADT on perceived cognitive function through insomnia symptoms. Exploratory moderated mediation analyses assessed whether the indirect effect of ADT on perceived cognitive function through insomnia symptoms was dependent on levels of fatigue, depression, or physical activity.

Results

Insomnia symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between receipt of ADT and perceived cognitive function (P < .001) and satisfaction with cognition (P < .001) after controlling for comorbidities. Men with greater fatigue had a more pronounced association of ADT with insomnia severity. Men with greater depressive symptoms had a stronger association between insomnia severity and worse perceived cognitive function. Physical activity was not a significant moderator of the relationship between ADT and perceived cognitive function.

Conclusions

Insomnia influenced the relationship between ADT and perceived cognitive abilities. Interventions to address insomnia, fatigue, and depression may improve perceived cognitive function.
The Drude‐Smith Equation and Related Equations for the Frequency‐Dependent Electrical Conductivity of Materials: Insight from a Memory Function Formalism
Authors: Chen Wei‐Chen , Marcus Rudolph A.
Published: August 2021

The front cover artwork is provided by Wei‐Chen Chen and Rudolph A. Marcus. The image shows an electron undergoing backscattering in a disordered solid, a phenomenon commonly described using the Drude‐Smith equation represented by the damping curve. Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/cphc.202100299.
Evaluation of Manganese Cubanoid Clusters for Water Oxidation Catalysis: From Well‐Defined Molecular Coordination Complexes to Catalytically Active Amorphous Films
Authors: Hosseinmardi Soosan , Scheurer Andreas , Heinemann Frank W. , Kuepper Karsten , Senft Laura , Waldschmidt Pablo , Ivanović‐Burmazović Ivana , Meyer Karsten
Published: August 2021

With a view to developing multimetallic molecular catalysts that mimic the oxygen‐evolving catalyst (OEC) in Nature's photosystem II, the synthesis of various dicubanoid manganese clusters is described and their catalytic activity investigated for water oxidation in basic, aqueous solution. Pyridinemethanol‐based ligands are known to support polynuclear and cubanoid structures in manganese coordination chemistry. The chelators 2,6‐pyridinedimethanol (H2L1) and 6‐methyl‐2‐pyridinemethanol (HL2) were chosen to yield polynuclear manganese complexes; namely, the tetranuclear defective dicubanes [MnII2MnIII2(HL1)4(OAc)4(OMe)2] and [MnII2MnIII2(HL1)6(OAc)2] (OAc)2⋅2 H2O, as well as the octanuclear‐dicubanoid [MnII6MnIII2(L2)4(O)2(OAc)10(HOMe/OH2)2]⋅3MeOH⋅MeCN. In freshly prepared solutions, polynuclear species were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, whereas X‐band electron paramagnetic resonance studies in dilute, liquid solution suggested the presence of divalent mononuclear Mn species with g values of 2. However, the magnetochemical investigation of the complexes’ solutions by the Evans technique confirmed a haphazard combination of manganese coordination complexes, from mononuclear to polynuclear species. Subsequently, the newly synthesized and characterized manganese molecular complexes were employed as precursors to prepare electrode‐deposited films in a buffer‐free solution to evaluate and compare their stability and catalytic activity for water oxidation electrocatalysis.
Erdbebennachweis von Mauerwerksbauten mit realistischen Modellen und erhöhten Verhaltensbeiwerten
Authors: El‐Deib Khaled , Butenweg Christoph , Klinkel Sven
Published: August 2021

Die Anwendung des linearen Nachweiskonzepts auf Mauerwerksbauten führt dazu, dass bereits heute Standsicherheitsnachweise für Gebäude mit üblichen Grundrissen in Gebieten mit moderaten Erdbebeneinwirkungen nicht mehr geführt werden können. Diese Problematik wird sich in Deutschland mit der Einführung kontinuierlicher probabilistischer Erdbebenkarten weiter verschärfen. Aufgrund der Erhöhung der seismischen Einwirkungen, die sich vielerorts ergibt, ist es erforderlich, die vorhandenen, bislang nicht berücksichtigten Tragfähigkeitsreserven in nachvollziehbaren Nachweiskonzepten in der Baupraxis verfügbar zu machen. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt ein Konzept für die gebäudespezifische Ermittlung von erhöhten Verhaltensbeiwerten vor. Die Verhaltensbeiwerte setzen sich aus drei Anteilen zusammen, mit denen die Lastumverteilung im Grundriss, die Verformungsfähigkeit und Energiedissipation sowie die Überfestigkeiten berücksichtigt werden. Für die rechnerische Ermittlung dieser drei Anteile wird ein nichtlineares Nachweiskonzept auf Grundlage von Pushover‐Analysen vorgeschlagen, in denen die Interaktionen von Wänden und Geschossdecken durch einen Einspanngrad beschrieben werden. Für die Bestimmung der Einspanngrade wird ein nichtlinearer Modellierungsansatz eingeführt, mit dem die Interaktion von Wänden und Decken abgebildet werden kann. Die Anwendung des Konzepts mit erhöhten gebäudespezifischen Verhaltensbeiwerten wird am Beispiel eines Mehrfamilienhauses aus Kalksandsteinen demonstriert. Die Ergebnisse der linearen Nachweise mit erhöhten Verhaltensbeiwerten für dieses Gebäude liegen deutlich näher an den Ergebnissen nichtlinearer Nachweise und somit bleiben übliche Grundrisse in Erdbebengebieten mit den traditionellen linearen Rechenansätzen nachweisbar.
Marking through molts: An evaluation of visible implant elastomer to permanently mark individuals in a lower termite species
Authors: Padget Rebecca F. B. , Thompson Faye J.
Published: August 2021

Advances in individual marking methods have facilitated detailed studies of animal populations and behavior as they allow tracking of individuals through time and space. Hemimetabolous insects, representing a wide range of commonly used model organisms, present a unique challenge to individual marking as they are not only generally small‐bodied, but also molt throughout development, meaning that traditional surface marks are not persistent.

Visible implant elastomer (VIE) offers a potential solution as small amounts of the inert polymer can be implanted under the skin or cuticle of an animal. VIE has proved useful for individually marking fish, crustaceans, and amphibians in both field and laboratory studies and has recently been successfully trialed in laboratory populations of worms and fly larvae. We trialed VIE in the single‐piece nesting termite Zootermopsis angusticollis, a small hemimetabolous insect.

We found that there was no effect of VIE on survival and that marks persisted following molting. However, we found some evidence that marked termites performed less allogrooming and trophallaxis than controls, although effect sizes were very small.

Our study suggests that VIE is an effective technique for marking small hemimetabolous insects like termites but we advocate that caution is applied, particularly when behavioral observation is important.
Designing Efficient MoS2/g‐C3N4 Hybrid Photocatalysts by Regulating the Interlayer Spacing of MoS2
Authors: Ding Jinghan , Wang Yijin , Guo Shaohui , Zhang Youzi , Xin Xu , Tang Songwei , Liu Sibi , Li Xuanhua
Published: August 2021

g‐C3N4 as an appealing photocatalyst has received much attention due to its abundance, nontoxicity, and unique photoelectric properties. However, bare g‐C3N4 usually suffers from restricted light absorbance and serious carriers recombination. The key issue of boosting the photocatalytic performance of the g‐C3N4 lies in constructing hybrids for better optical and electrical effects. Here, the MoS2 with different interlayer spacing is integrated with g‐C3N4 via calcination and hydrothermal methods to form the high‐performance MoS2/g‐C3N4 hybrid photocatalyst. Optimized energy‐band alignment with g‐C3N4 is realized through regulating the interlayer spacing of MoS2, achieving improved carriers separation efficiency. In addition, the broadband absorption and rich active sites are also achieved here. As a result, the rationally designed MoS2/g‐C3N4 composite (the MoS2 interlayer spacing: 1.02 nm) exhibits the dominant photocatalytic performance (hydrogen production rate: 1281 μmol/h/g). This work opens a new road to realize a proper energy‐band alignment with g‐C3N4 for high performance photocatalytic activity.
Regioselective Synthesis of 4,7,12,15‐Tetrasubstituted [2.2]Paracyclophanes: A Modular Route Involving Optical Resolution
Authors: Biliz Fatmanur , Cakici Murat
Published: August 2021

A practical synthetic method for preparing bis‐(para)‐pseudo‐ortho and bis‐(para)‐pseudo‐meta type 4,7,12,15‐tetrasubstituted [2.2]paracyclophanes is reported. Regioselective double Rieche formylation was successfully applied to the corresponding dibromo[2.2]paracyclophanes under slightly modified conditions. Aldehydes reacted in an unknown direction with Rieche formylation agents, dichloromethyl methyl ether and titanium(IV) tetrachloride, leading to the formation of benzal chlorides. Formylated products were obtained after hydrolysis of these benzal chloride derivatives. Optical resolution was performed with the diastereomer method and (RP)‐4,12‐dibromo‐7,15‐diformyl[2.2]paracyclophane was successfully obtained in an enantiomerically pure form (99 % ee). Their synthetic utility is demonstrated with some exploratory transformations to access corresponding differently functionalized tetrasubstituted [2.2]paracyclophane derivatives.
Synthesis of Indoles by Reductive Cyclization of Nitro Compounds Using Formate Esters as CO Surrogates
Authors: Ahmed Fouad Manar , Ferretti Francesco , Formenti Dario , Milani Fabio , Ragaini Fabio
Published: August 2021

Alkyl and aryl formate esters were evaluated as CO sources in the Pd‐ and Pd/Ru‐catalyzed reductive cyclization of 2‐nitrostyrenes to give indoles. Whereas the use of alkyl formates requires the presence of a ruthenium catalyst such as Ru3(CO)12, the reaction with phenyl formate can be performed by using a Pd/phenanthroline complex alone. Phenyl formate was found to be the most effective CO source and the desired products were obtained in excellent yields, often higher than those previously reported using pressurized CO. The reaction tolerates many functional groups, including sensitive ones like a free aldehydic group or a pendant pyrrole. Detailed experiments and kinetic studies allow to conclude that the activation of phenyl formate is base‐catalyzed and that the metal doesn't play a role in the decarbonylation step. The reactions can be performed in a single thick‐walled glass tube with as little as 0.2 mol‐% palladium catalyst and even on a 2 g scale. The same protocol can be extended to other nitro compounds, affording different heterocycles.
Enhanced Power Density of Alcohol Biofuel Cell by Polymer‐assisted Crosslinks of 3D Graphene on Carbon Paper as the Bioanode
Authors: Shi Yuhe , Li Lin , Zhang Ling
Published: August 2021

Herein, we successfully construct the 3D biocompatible graphene through crosslinking 2D graphene nanosheet onto carbon fiber paper with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as anode of the alcohol biofuel cell. Compared with the bioanode without 3D graphene, the current density and output power of PDDA‐graphene‐ADH bioanode is increased by 23 % and 41 % at a high concentration of ethanol at pH 8.9, suggesting the stabilization role of graphene in enzyme loading. The study provides us a deep analysis on structures and performances of the bioanode incl. electrochemistry, X‐ray photoelectron spectra, and atomic force microscopy images, which is significant to develop the new methods to construct 3D porous electrodes in energy conversion device.
Growth of two‐layer copolymer as the stationary phase with very high separation efficiency for separating peptides in capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Sun Genlin , Tang Weiyang , Lu Yao , Row Kyung Ho
Published: August 2021

Open tubular CEC (OT‐CEC) column with a very high separation efficiency was prepared for peptides separation. A pretreated silica‐fused capillary was reacted with 3‐(methacryloxy) propyltrimethoxysilane followed by vinylbenzyl chloride and divinylbenzene to produce first thin monolithic monolayer. The second copolymer layer was formed on thin monolithic monolayer of the capillary by reversible addition‐fragmentation transfer polymerization of N‐phenylacrylamide and styrene. The key parameters including buffer pH value and organic modifier were systematically evaluated to provide the optimal chromatographic condition. The resultant OT‐CEC columns were validated by separating a synthetic mixture of peptides and cytochrome C tryptic digest in capillary electrochromatography. The number of theoretical plates as high as 2.4 million per column was achieved for synthetic mixture peptides. In addition, the fabricated OT‐CEC column also resolved more than 18 high‐efficiency digestion peptides from a mixture containing tryptic digest of cytochrome C. The column to column and inter‐ to intraday repeatabilities of OT‐CEC column through RSD% were found better than 3.0%, exhibiting satisfactory stability and repeatability of the two‐layer deposited OT‐CEC column. The results reveal that the open tubular capillary column modified with two‐layer copolymer shows the great prospect for the separation of proteins in capillary electrochromatography.
Effects of turmeric on reducing heterocyclic aromatic amines in Chinese tradition braised meat products and the underlying mechanism
Authors: Wang Qiang , Li Jin , Li Kaikai , Li Chunmei
Published: August 2021

Braised meat products are kinds of popular traditional meat food in China. However, current data on the formation of Amino‐carboline congeners Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and the inhibitory methods in braised meat products are limited. In the present study, the inhibition effect of turmeric and curcumin on the formation of β‐carboline heterocyclic aromatic amines in braised meat were investigated. And the preliminary mechanism of curcumin inhibiting the formation of β‐carboline heterocyclic amines was also explored in the chemical model. The results indicated that 5% of turmeric could significantly inhibit the formation of harman (94.8%) and norharman (49.56%) in braised meat, and curcumin was one of the key active compound accounting for this effect. In the tryptophan model, 0.05 mmol of curcumin significantly inhibited the formation of norharman and harman by over 70% (p < .05). Further investigation indicated that curcumin inhibited the formation of β‐carboline heterocyclic amines mainly by inhibiting the formation of carbonyl compounds and 1,2,3,4‐Tetrahydro‐β‐carboline‐3‐carboxylic acid and scavenging β‐carboline HAAs. These results could provide a natural spice‐based method for reducing heterocyclic aromatic amines in Chinese tradition braised meat products.
One session options: Playing the announcement lottery?
Authors: Smales Lee A. , Liu Zhangxin (Frank) , Robertson Cameron D.
Published: August 2021

One session options (OSOs) fulfill the criteria for a lottery‐type asset; a low price coupled with a relatively small probability of a large payoff. We examine trading behavior for intraday OSO contracts on the Australian 3‐Year Treasury bond future. We find that volume is higher on days with a major macroeconomic announcement, and concentrated in the time before data release. Volume tends to be higher when there is a greater difference of opinion concerning the announcement outcome or when the level of economic policy uncertainty is higher. We propose that ‘differences of opinions’ best explain OSO trading behavior.
Risk factors for surgical site infection in free‐flap reconstructive surgery for head and neck cancer: Retrospective Australian cohort study
Authors: Gearing Peter Francis , Daly John Frederick , Tang Nicholas Shi Jie , Singh Kasha , Ramakrishnan Anand
Published: August 2021

Background

Surgical site infections (SSI) are common complications of free‐flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer defects. This study aimed to identify risk factors for SSI following a significant change in local antibiotic prophylaxis practice.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 325 patients receiving free‐flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer defects at a tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia between 2013 and 2019. Charts were queried for recipient SSI (primary outcome), donor SSI, other infections, antibiotic use, hospital length of stay, and mortality.

Results

Risk factors for SSI included female sex, T‐classification, hardware insertion, clindamycin prophylaxis, and operative duration. There was a trend toward increased SSI with shorter ≤24 h prophylaxis (OR: 0.43).

Conclusion

Antibiotic duration and type were associated with SSI. Complexity of surgery, T‐classification, hardware use, and operative duration were also independently associated with SSI. A prospective trial is indicated to elicit optimal prophylactic antibiotic duration.
Chiral Resolution via Cocrystallization with Inorganic Salts
Authors: Shemchuk Oleksii , Grepioni Fabrizia , Leyssens Tom , Braga Dario
Published: August 2021

The coordination mode to lithium, magnesium, calcium and zinc cations of racemic vs. enantiopure amino acids and racetam APIs is analysed and its effect on chiral selection critically reviewed. It is shown that chiral resolution in the solid state can be obtained via cocrystallization of racemic compounds with an achiral inorganic salt coformer, such as LiX (X=Cl, Br, I) or ZnCl2, which favour tetrahedral coordination in the solid state. The chiral selection may take the form of conglomerate crystal formation or of selective homochiral aggregation in racemic crystals. When cocrystallization involves alkaline earth metal cations, such as Ca2+ and Mg2+, which favour octahedral coordination, heterochiral complexation is observed in most cases, with formation of racemic crystals.
“There is No Such Thing as Copying in Cosplay”: Cosplay as a Remixed Literacy Practice
Authors: Aljanahi Mona Humaid , Alsheikh Negmeldin
Published: August 2021

Due to the advent of technologies and mediascapes, young adults in the Arab region are engaging in new multiliteracies and making meaning through remixing multimodal modes of representations. One such practice is cosplaying. This study explores three Arab cosplayers’ designing experiences as an embodied text. The participants’ experiences are juxtaposed against the dimensions of meaning schema. The results reveal that the participants deployed repositories of meaning making that mediated different representational, organizational, social, contextual, and transformational schemes. Furthermore, cosplaying enabled the participants to negotiate and express multiple facets of their identities while simultaneously maintaining aspects of their cultural and familial principles.
Umbelliferone attenuates glycerol‐induced myoglobinuric acute kidney injury through peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ agonism in rats
Authors: Kaur Tajpreet , Singh Damanpreet , Pathak Devendra , Singh Amrit P. , Singh Balbir
Published: August 2021

Rhabdomyolysis is a clinical syndrome caused by damage to skeletal muscle, which consequently releases breakdown products into circulation and causes acute kidney injury (AKI) in humans. Intramuscular injection of glycerol mimics rhabdomyolysis and associated AKI. In this study, we explored the role of umbelliferone against glycerol‐induced AKI in rats. Kidney function was assessed by measuring serum creatinine, urea, electrolytes, and microproteinuria. Renal oxidative stress was quantified using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, superoxide anion generation, and reduced glutathione assay. Renal histological changes were determined using periodic acid Schiff and hematoxylin‐eosin staining, and immunohistology of apoptotic markers (Bax, Bcl‐2) was done. Serum creatine kinase was quantified to assess glycerol‐induced muscle damage. Umbelliferone attenuated glycerol‐induced change in biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, histological alterations, and renal apoptosis. Pretreatment with bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, a peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPAR‐γ) antagonist, attenuated umbelliferone‐mediated protection. It is concluded that umbelliferone attenuates glycerol‐induced AKI possibly through PPAR‐γ agonism in rats.
Predictors of mothers' participation in a mother‐only coparenting intervention conducted in fatherhood programs
Authors: Fagan Jay , Pearson Jessica
Published: August 2021

While fatherhood programs are increasingly implementing coparenting classes for mothers, very little is known about the circumstances that could increase or inhibit a mother's participation in joining such a class. The current study uses ecological systems theory to explore the microsystems, mesosystems, and macrosystems that relate to mothers' participation in a coparenting class. Pretest data from 277 fathers attending fatherhood programs are used to predict mothers' participation in a mother‐only coparenting class. Fathers' perceived relationship quality, perceptions of the coparenting alliance, recent legal challenges, and residing in a rural/small‐town community were significantly associated with whether the mother participated in the coparenting program. Fatherhood programs should address the issues that appear to deter mothers from participating in coparenting interventions, including high levels of couple conflict, recent father incarceration, and recent father trouble with the law.
Adapting the Utrecht‐Management of Identity Commitments Scale to assess engineering identity formation
Authors: Li Nan , Fan Weihua , Wiesner Margit , Arbona Consuelo , Hein Sascha
Published: August 2021

Background

Engineering identity is associated with students' academic success and retention in engineering programs. However, there is a lack of psychometrically evaluated measures for assessing engineering identity formation.

Purpose

This cross‐sectional study aimed to adapt the Utrecht‐Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U‐MICS) to assess engineering identity formation and evaluate its factor structure, reliability, and associations with demographic characteristics of engineering students.

Design/Method

Survey data were collected from 237 engineering students. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the factor structure of the U‐MICS. Multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) analysis was performed to investigate how demographic characteristics of engineering students related to the latent variables underlying the U‐MICS.

Results

CFA supported the hypothesized three‐dimensional model of identity formation (i.e., commitment, in‐depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment) after excluding one item originally designed for assessing in‐depth exploration. Good internal consistencies were found for each subscale (Cronbach's α = .72–.88). MIMIC analysis showed mean differences in the commitment factor and the in‐depth exploration factor by undergraduate classification and mean differences in the reconsideration of commitment factor by race/ethnicity, but no differences in the three latent factors by gender and transfer status.

Conclusions

The U‐MICS may be a viable measure to assess engineering identity formation. This measure can help researchers gauge how engineering students develop, validate, and revise their commitment to pursue an engineering degree.
Digestion of bamboo compared to grass and lucerne in a small hindgut fermenting herbivore, the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)
Authors: De Cuyper Annelies , Winkler Daniela E. , Tütken Thomas , Bosch Guido , Hummel Jürgen , Kreuzer Michael , Muñoz Saravia Arturo , Janssens Geert P. J. , Clauss Marcus
Published: August 2021

Bamboo is an enigmatic forage, representing a niche food for pandas and bamboo lemurs. Bamboo might not represent a suitable forage for herbivores relying on fermentative digestion, potentially due to its low fermentability. To test this hypothesis, guinea pigs (n = 36) were used as model species and fed ad libitum with one of three forages (bamboo, lucerne, or timothy grass) in a fresh or dried state, with six individuals per group, for 3 weeks. The nutrient composition and in vitro fermentation profile of bamboo displayed low fermentation potential, i.e. high lignin and silica levels together with a gas production (Hohenheim gas test) at 12 h of only 36% of that of lucerne and grass. Although silica levels were more abundant in the leftovers of (almost) all groups, guinea pigs did not select against lignin on bamboo. Dry matter (DM) intake was highest and DM digestibility lowest on the bamboo forage. Total short‐chain fatty acid levels in caecal content were highest for lucerne and lowest for grass and bamboo. Bamboo‐fed guinea pigs had a lower body weight gain than the grass and lucerne group. The forage hydration state did not substantially affect digestion, but dry forage led to a numerically higher total wet gut fill. Although guinea pigs increased DM intake on the bamboo diet, the negative effects on fermentation of lignin and silica in bamboo seemed overriding. For herbivores that did not evolutionary adapt, bamboo as an exclusive food resource can be considered as inadequate.
An (F1,F4)‐partition of graphs with low genus and girth at least 6
Authors: Chen Min , Raspaud André , Yu Weiqiang
Published: August 2021

Let be a graph. If the vertex set can be partitioned into two nonempty subsets and such that and are graphs with maximum degree at most and , respectively, then we say that has a ‐partition. A similar definition can be given for the notation ‐partition if is a forest with maximum degree at most , where . The maximum average degree of is defined to be mad. In this paper, we prove that every graph with mad admits an ‐partition. As a corollary, every graph with low genus and girth at least 6 admits an ‐partition. This improves a result of Borodin and Kostochka saying that every graph with mad admits a ‐partition.
Multi-omics analysis of the expression and prognostic value of the butyrophilins in breast cancer
Authors: Ren He , Li Shuliang , Liu Xin , Li Wanjing , Hao Jianlei , Zhao Na
Published: August 2021

Butyrophilins (BTNs) belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily of transmembrane proteins and play a role in the regulation of lymphocyte activation, several autoimmune diseases, and the progression of human cancers. However, the associated clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic value of BTNs in breast cancer remain unknown. This study aimed to discover potential key related BTN genes and signaling pathways in breast cancer, which could provide new insights for immune-based strategies. In the present study, the mRNA expression level and prognostic value of BTN2A1, BTN3A1, BTN3A2, BTN3A3, BTNL2, BTNL9, ERMAP, and MOG were measured. Up-regulation of these genes was significantly correlated with improved overall and relapse-free survival. We then analyzed the prognostic outcomes of breast cancer subtypes, genetic alterations, interaction networks, and the functional enrichment of eight BTN family genes. Our results showed that these eight genes played essential roles in tumor progression. Furthermore, an immune infiltration analysis indicated that most candidate BTN family members were associated with intratumoral immune cell infiltration, especially that of γδ T cells. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis for a single hub gene revealed that each BTN gene played a vital role in tumor progression through immune signaling pathways. These findings provided new insights into breast cancer pathogenesis and identified eight potential biomarkers for breast cancer.
Epidemiologic characteristics of cases with reinfection, recurrence, and hospital readmission due to COVID‐19: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sotoodeh Ghorbani Sahar , Taherpour Niloufar , Bayat Sahar , Ghajari Hadis , Mohseni Parisa , Hashemi Nazari Seyed Saeed
Published: August 2021

Recent studies reported that some recovered COVID‐19 patients have tested positive for virus nucleic acid again. A systematic search was performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to March 6, 2021. The pooled estimation of reinfection, recurrence, and hospital readmission among recovered COVID‐19 patients was 3, 133, and 75 per 1000 patients, respectively. The overall estimation of reinfection among males compared to females was greater. The prevalence of recurrence in females compared to males was more common. Also, hospital readmission between sex groups was the same. There is uncertainty about long‐term immunity after SARS‐Cov‐2 infection. Thus, the possibility of reinfection and recurrence after recovery is not unexpected. In addition, there is a probability of hospital readmission due to adverse events of COVID‐19 after discharge. However, with mass vaccination of people and using the principles of prevention and appropriate management of the disease, frequent occurrence of the disease can be controlled.
Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy: A convenient and rapid tool to distinguish cheese made with milks from different animal species
Authors: Ostovar pour Saeideh , Afshari Roya , Landry Jeremy , Pillidge Christopher , Gill Harsharn , Blanch Ewan
Published: August 2021

Authenticity is of great importance in the food industry. There is a need for rapid, reliable methods that can ‘fingerprint’ foods and show their composition. In this study, we trialled spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) as a convenient method to distinguish between cheeses of different animal origins. SORS is a rapid non‐destructive method that can be applied to food products in various packaging materials such as plastic. The technique also has the capability to monitor larger volume of sample in contrast with conventional Raman spectroscopy. Eight cheese products were examined in relation to, and discrimination between them was based upon, protein and fat content, phospholipids and carotenoids. Chemometrics analysis further enabled differentiation of even closely related cheese types. SORS has great potential as a rapid, real‐time tool for screening of foods for authenticity, and in the future, this could be extended to monitoring for food quality targeting specific molecules.
Surgical treatment of gastrointestinal tumors in a COVID‐19 pandemic hospital: Can open versus minimally invasive surgery be safely performed?
Authors: Özdemir Yılmaz , Temiz Ayetullah
Published: August 2021

Purpose

In order for patients with gastrointestinal cancer not to suffer the consequences of delayed treatment, they should be operated on in pandemic hospitals under adequate conditions. We aimed to discuss the outcomes of our gastrointestinal cancer surgery patients and to present our patient management recommendations to resume operative treatment during the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic while taking into account hospital facilities.

Materials and Methods

This study included 129 gastrointestinal cancer patients who underwent surgery between March 2020 and May 2021 in the gastrointestinal surgery clinic of our hospital, which was assigned as a pandemic hospital in March 2020. Patients' demographic characteristics and preoperative and postoperative findings were recorded.

Results

Among the patients, 42.6% (n = 55) were female and 57.3% (n = 74) were male. The mean age was 61.89 ± 3.4 years. The primary tumor organs were the stomach 37.2% (n = 48), pancreas 36.4% (n = 47), rectum 11.6% (n = 15), colon 8.5% (n = 11), and esophagus 6.2% (n = 8). The patients were treated with open (75.2%, n = 97) or minimally invasive surgery (24.8%, n = 32; laparoscopic 11.6%, n = 15; robotic 13.2%, n = 17). Eight patients tested positive for COVID‐19 before surgery. No patients developed COVID‐19 during postoperative intensive care or after being moved to the floor unit. There was no COVID‐19‐related morbidity or mortality.

Conclusion

Failure to treat gastrointestinal cancer patients during the pandemic may result in undesirable consequences, such as stage shift and mortality. Cancer patients can be treated safely with conventional and minimally invasive surgery guided by current recommendations and experience.
Hydraulic dissection technique during endoscopic sinus surgery using a novel balloon sinus dilation device
Authors: Schmale Isaac L. , Yao William C. , Citardi Martin J.
Published: August 2021

Background

More than a decade after its introduction, some rhinologic surgeons have incorporated the technique of balloon sinus dilation (BSD) technology into “hybrid” endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) procedures. A novel BSD device which can be placed over standard surgical instruments, including surgical navigation instruments, has recently been introduced. We present a case series in which this device was used as a hydraulic dissection tool to aid safe efficient surgery in difficult‐to‐access locations of the paranasal sinuses during hybrid ESS procedures.

Objective

Highlight the potential role of hydraulic dissection techniques during ESS utilizing BSD.

Methods

Retrospective case series of patients who underwent ESS performed in part with a novel BSD device.

Results

A total of 10 patients who underwent hybrid ESS with BSD were reviewed. In all 10 cases, the novel BSD device was used without complication. The device was used over straight and curved suctions while being tracked with surgical navigation in all cases. Thirteen posterior ethmoid dissections, 12 sphenoidotomies, and 8 frontal sinusotomies were assisted with the device. For the selected dissections in which the balloon was utilized, the operating surgeon found it to be helpful in creating more space in difficult to access areas which allowed for continued safe surgical dissection.

Conclusions

Sinus balloon devices can be used as a hydraulic dissection tool and may be a useful adjunct during ESS. The novel dilation system used in this study, which deploys a sinus balloon device over standard surgical instruments with surgical navigation, provides even more opportunity to accurately dissect difficult areas of the paranasal sinuses safely and efficiently. Further studies evaluating the exact role of sinus balloon devices used as a hydraulic dissection tool during ESS are warranted.

Level of Evidence

4.
Dietary lysophospholipids reduce lymphatic cholesterol transport compared with dietary phospholipids in thoracic lymph‐duct cannulated rats
Authors: Takeyama Ai , Teramoto Asami , Wang Tianyu , Hayashi Takuya , Tanaka Yasutake , Sato Masao , Shirouchi Bungo
Published: August 2021

Dietary phospholipids have been traditionally known to affect micelle formation. Egg yolk‐derived lysophospholipids (LysoPL) are commercially available. We investigated the effects of dietary LysoPL on lymphatic lipid transport. We also compared sn‐1 LysoPL and sn‐2 LysoPL, which have different fatty acyl esterification positions. Thoracic lymph duct‐cannulated rats were fed a diet supplemented with egg yolk‐derived sn‐1 LysoPL, sn‐2 LysoPL, or phospholipids (PL). The amount of lymphatic lipid transport was also evaluated. Time courses of transport were applied to the one‐compartment model as one of the pharmacokinetic analyses. The solubility of cholesterol in bile acid micelles was measured. Compared to the PL diet, the sn‐1 and sn‐2 LysoPL diets significantly reduced the lymphatic transport of cholesterol. There were no differences in the lymphatic PL and TAG transport. There was no difference in cholesterol transport between the sn‐1 LysoPL group and the sn‐2 LysoPL group; however, the transport rate constant at a decrease in lymphatic cholesterol was lower in the sn‐1 LysoPL group than in the sn‐2 LysoPL group. Cholesterol solubility in bile acid micelles was significantly decreased in the sn‐1 LysoPL and sn‐2 LysoPL groups compared to that in the PL group. Dietary LysoPL affects the behavior of intestinal cholesterol and suppresses lymphatic cholesterol transport.
Safety and efficacy of fractional radiofrequency for the treatment and reduction of acne scarring: A prospective study
Authors: Eubanks Stephen W. , Solomon James A.
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Skin rejuvenation with radiofrequency has been a widely used treatment modality for the safe and efficient remodeling of the dermis and revision of textural irregularities, achieved with minimal downtime. The efficacy of fractional radiofrequency (FRF) specifically for acne scarring has not been widely established. The objective of this clinical trial was to establish the efficacy and safety of FRF for moderate to severe acne scarring in a wide range of Fitzpatrick skin types using two different applicator tips to deliver energy to the skin (80‐pin of up to 124 mJ/pin and 160‐pin of up to 62 mJ/pin).

Methods

Enrolled subjects received a series of three FRF treatments to the full face, each 4 weeks apart. A visual analog scale was utilized to assess pain of the treatment. Subject satisfaction questionnaires were completed at follow‐up visits at 6 and 12 weeks post final treatment. Photographs were graded for change by three blinded evaluators using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS).

Results

Image sets of 23 enrolled subjects were assessed by blinded evaluation, showing a statistically significant improvement (p = 0.009) from the baseline visit to the 12‐week follow‐up on the GAIS for acne scarring. Subject satisfaction was high with subjects giving an average satisfaction score of 3.27 (“satisfied”) out of 4. Pain was “mild” as treatments were rated an average of 2.15 on a 10‐point visual analog scale. The GAIS score of the 80‐pin tip improved patients' acne scars treated with that applicator by 1.06 points and 0.85 for the 160‐pin tip. Ninety‐five percent (95.5%) of subjects reported either a mild, moderate, or significant improvement to their treatment area. Ninety‐one percent of subjects reported that they would recommend the treatment to a friend.

Conclusion

FRF produced a statistically significant improvement in acne scarring when assessed by independent blinded evaluators. No serious adverse events resulted from treatment by either applicator tip. Treatment pain was low and tolerable among subjects of all Fitzpatrick skin types. Subjects had high levels of satisfaction with the results.
Co‐Delivery of Doxorubicin and Chloroquine by Polyglycerol Functionalized MoS2 Nanosheets for Efficient Multidrug‐Resistant Cancer Therapy
Authors: Xu Shaohui , Zhong Yinan , Nie Chuanxiong , Pan Yuanwei , Adeli Mohsen , Haag Rainer
Published: August 2021

2D MoS2 has shown a great potential in biomedical applications, due to its superior loading capacity, photothermal property, and biodegradation. In this work, polyglycerol functionalized MoS2 nanosheets with photothermal and pH dual‐stimuli responsive properties are used for the co‐delivery of doxorubicin and chloroquine and treatment of multidrug‐resistant HeLa (HeLa‐R) cells. The polyglycerol functionalized MoS2 nanosheets with 80 nm average size show a high biocompatibility and loading efficiency (≈90%) for both drugs. The release of drugs from the nanosheets at pH 5.5 is significantly promoted by laser irradiation leading to efficient destruction of incubated HeLa‐R cells. In vitro evaluation shows that the designed nanoplatform has a high ability to kill HeLa‐R cells. Confocal experiments demonstrate that the synthesized drug delivery system enhances the cellular uptake of DOX via folic acid targeting ligand. Taking advantage of the combined properties including biocompatibility and targeting ability as well as high loading capacity and photothermal release, this multifunctional nanosystem is a promising candidate for anticancer therapy.
Counteracting consumer subversion: Organizational privacy ethical care as driver of online information sharing
Authors: Mattison Thompson Frauke , Siamagka Nikoletta‐Theofania
Published: August 2021

With an ever‐increasing hunger for consumer data by firms, and despite many organizational efforts to reduce consumer privacy concerns, consumer subversion behavior towards information provision persists. Organizational privacy ethical care, an organizational behavior that goes beyond legislative action and moral codes, provides a new theory of how to overcome this issue. Across three studies, we develop and test theory which suggests an organizational ethic of care approach to privacy will have a positive impact on reducing consumer subversion behavior (i.e. increase consumers' willingness to share information and the accuracy of information they share). The correlational and causal results indicate that perceived organizational privacy ethical care is a positive driver of the amount and the accuracy of information consumers are willing to share with firms. The results also suggest partial support that this relationship is mediated through perceived information control and trust towards the organization. Thus, we provide some support for a better corporate approach to privacy, beyond previously suggested legislative and social responsibility standards, which allows for the reduction of consumer privacy concerns and subsequent subversion behaviors.
Two's company, three's a crowd: The impact of corporate venture capital unit's investment partners on the corporate investor's innovation performance
Authors: Zhang Ruling , McCarthy Killian J. , Wang Xiao
Published: August 2021

This paper examines how the number, quality, and depth of the relationships, between a corporate venture capital (CVC) unit and the traditional venture capital (VC) that it coinvests with, affect the corporate investor's innovation performance. We find that there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship between the number and the quality of the CVC unit's partners and the corporate investor's innovation performance. The depth of the relationship weakens the diminishing benefits of coinvesting with many partners. Jointly, our findings illustrate the danger of the ‘more is always better’ principle in terms of VC centrality and provide in‐depth insights for corporate investors to organize innovation.
Existence of positive solutions for a semipositone boundary value problem with sequential fractional derivatives
Authors: Tudorache Alexandru , Luca Rodica
Published: August 2021

We investigate the existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for a system of Riemann‐Liouville fractional differential equations with sequential derivatives, positive parameters and sign‐changing singular nonlinearities, subject to nonlocal uncoupled boundary conditions which contain various fractional derivatives and Riemann‐Stieltjes integrals. We apply the nonlinear alternative of Leray‐Schauder type and the Guo‐Krasnosel'skii fixed point theorem in the proof of our main existence results.
TN‐USMA Net: Triple normalization‐based gastrointestinal stromal tumors classification on multicenter EUS images with ultrasound‐specific pretraining and meta attention
Authors: Liu Chengcheng , Qiao Mengyun , Jiang Fei , Guo Yi , Jin Zhendong , Wang Yuanyuan
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Accurate quantification of gastrointestinal stromal tumors’ (GISTs) risk stratification on multicenter endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) images plays a pivotal role in aiding the surgical decision‐making process. This study focuses on automatically classifying higher‐risk and lower‐risk GISTs in the presence of a multicenter setting and limited data.

Methods

In this study, we retrospectively enrolled 914 patients with GISTs (1824 EUS images in total) from 18 hospitals in China. We propose a triple normalization‐based deep learning framework with ultrasound‐specific pretraining and meta attention, namely, TN‐USMA model. The triple normalization module consists of the intensity normalization, size normalization, and spatial resolution normalization. First, the image intensity is standardized and same‐size regions of interest (ROIs) and same‐resolution tumor masks are generated in parallel. Then, the transfer learning strategy is utilized to mitigate the data scarcity problem. The same‐size ROIs are fed into a deep architecture with ultrasound‐specific pretrained weights, which are obtained from self‐supervised learning using a large volume of unlabeled ultrasound images. Meanwhile, tumors’ size features are calculated from the same‐resolution masks individually. Afterward, the size features together with two demographic features are integrated to the model before the final classification layer using a meta attention mechanism to further enhance feature representations. The diagnostic performance of the proposed method was compared with one radiomics‐based method and two state‐of‐the‐art deep learning methods. Four evaluation metrics, namely, the accuracy, the area under the receiver operator curve, the sensitivity, and the specificity were used to evaluate the model performance.

Results

The proposed TN‐USMA model achieves an overall accuracy of 0.834 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.772, 0.885), an area under the receiver operator curve of 0.881 (95% CI: 0.825, 0.924), a sensitivity of 0.844 (95% CI: 0.672, 0.947), and a specificity of 0.832 (95% CI: 0.762, 0.888). The AUC significantly outperforms other two deep learning approaches (p < 0.05, DeLong et al). Moreover, the performance is stable under different variations of multicenter dataset partitions.

Conclusions

The proposed TN‐USMA model can successfully differentiate higher‐risk GISTs from lower‐risk ones. It is accurate, robust, generalizable, and efficient for potential clinical applications.