bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Selected Herbivores’ Dung on the Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Authors: Pallangyo Joel Yesaya , Emmanuel Mbije Nsajigwa
Published: October 2021

This study was done to determine the contribution of selected herbivores’ dung in the grazed ecosystem of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. To achieve this Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen were determined in four distinct textural soils in three sites, namely Serena with clay and clay loam, Barafu with sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and Seronera with sand clay loam. Thereafter the decomposition of dung pats in terms of weight change and percentage of nutrients in dung pats of four herbivore species (buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and elephant) incorporated into the soil beneath the dung pats were determined. Fresh dung, soil cores beneath the dung pats and control soils 1 m adjacent to the pats were taken for laboratory analysis. Dung pats and soil samples were analysed for initial percentage OC, N, pH and soil particle size distribution. Weight changes of the dung pats after each three weeks period were monitored. Similarly, monthly rainfalls during the study period were recorded from the rain gauges near the sites. The results indicate that the surface soil (0-15 cm depth) pH ranged from 6.0 - 7.5, 7.4 -7.9 and 6.1 - 7.4 for Serena, Barafu and Seronera respectively. While the soil texture was highly significantly different in percentage OC added after 18 weeks, the treatments and texture were both not significant for percentage N increased in the soil after 18 weeks. There was a difference of 1% between the ruminants and non-ruminants in percentage N increase although they were fluctuating over time due to weather changes. The C/N ratios of the controls and the treatments were on average 11 and 15 respectively, being highly significantly different and indicating that, treatments had a potential contribution to the soil OC and N in the ecosystem.
Characterization of Traditional Foods and Diets in Rural Areas of Bauchi State, Nigeria: Analysis of Nutrient Components
Authors: Sosanya Mercy E. , Freeland-Graves Jeanne H. , Gbemileke Ayodele O. , Adeosun Funke F. , Samuel Folake O. , Shokunbi Olutayo S.
Published: October 2021

Objectives:  Bauchi is one of the 36 states in Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world. This area has the second highest prevalence of thinness among women; with unacceptably high proportions of children 0 – 5 years being stunted. Household dietary intake is believed to be an underlying factor for this nutrition situation. Determination of the nutritional composition of traditional foods is essential in order to evaluate the dietary drivers of undernutrition, and to design interventions to promote sustainable, healthy diets. Yet data on the nutritional composition of traditional foods are lacking.  Thus, this study measured the proximate and mineral composition of 31 traditional, composite foods consumed in Bauchi State, Nigeria. 

Methods: Proximate analyses and assays for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and calcium (Ca) were conducted according to methods stipulated by AOAC International.

Results: The protein content (9.12%) of dambun tsakin masara da alaiho (maize grits and spinach) and the Ca, Fe and Cu concentrations (89.64 mg, 6.01 mg and 0.31 mg per 100 g, respectively) of dambun gero da zogale (millet and Moringa) were the greatest among granulated dumplings. Danwake wake da dawa (cowpea and sorghum) had the greatest protein composition (4.78%) while danwaken gujiya da masara (Bambara nut and maize) had the highest Fe, Zn and Cu concentrations (3.97 mg, 1.20 mg and 0.28 mg, respectively) per 100 g of cooked dough balls. Miyan karago (powdered peanut cake soup) had the greatest protein concentration (11.40 %) per 100 g of soup. Among cereal paps, puddings and porridges, Chanchangan dawa (sorghum, peanut and beans porridge) had the highest protein content (6.43%). Of all foods analyzed, dambun naman rago (shredded, fried mutton) and awara (spicy, fried tofu) were richest in protein (49.31% and 16.86%) and iron (9.20 and 8.32 mg/100g), respectively.

Conclusion: Traditional foods with good nutrition profiles are available to support adequate nutrition of women and children in rural households in Bauchi State, despite widespread undernutrition.
Relationship between Profile and Marketing Behaviour of Turmeric Farmers in Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Sravani Settipalli , Prasad S. V. , Praveena P. L. R. J. , Sagar G. Karuna
Published: October 2021

The present study was conducted at Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh with the objectives to find out the relationship between the turmeric farmers’ profile and their marketing behaviour.  Ex post facto research design was used for the study. Two mandals of Kadapa district namely Mydukur and Duvvur were purposively selected based on the highest area under turmeric cultivation and data was collected from a randomly drawn sample of 90 respondents by a structured questionnaire administered personally as per schedules.  The correlation results of the study revealed that the independent variables viz., age, farming experience, education, material possession, extension contact, training received, achievement motivation and social interaction had positive and statistically significant relationship with the marketing behaviour of the turmeric farmers. Whereas, area under turmeric cultivation and economic status had non-significant relationship with the marketing behaviour of the turmeric farmers. Multiple Linear Regression analysis revealed that all the selected 10 independent variables put together explained about 79.10 per cent variation in the marketing behaviour of turmeric farmers. The analysis of turmeric farmers’ profile indicated that majority of them were middle aged, with less than 2.5 acres of area under turmeric cultivation with medium farming experience, high school level of education, medium economic status, extension contact, training received, achievement motivation and social interaction and they also had medium level of marketing behaviour due to medium levels of planning orientation, production orientation, marketing orientation, market information sources utilization, decision making ability, risk taking ability and innovativeness.
Association of L-form Bacteria with Plants and their Application in Biological Control of Phytopathogenic Fungi and Bacteria: A Review
Authors: Daulagala P. W. H. K. P.
Published: October 2021

L-form bacteria with modified or no cell walls are a special group of bacteria derived or induced from cell walled forms following suppression of their rigid cell wall. They have been used to establish non-pathogenic symbioses with a wide range of plants. These L-form-plant symbioses have been shown to confer resistance against the subsequent challenge of the associated plants by both fungal and bacterial pathogens. As the world population increases, the demand for food also increases and hence control of plant diseases is of paramount importance in producing enough agricultural crops to fulfil the food demand. Plant disease management using chemical fungicides and pesticides etc. is not an ecofriendly approach and hence researchers look for alternative options such as the use of biocontrol agents which are ecofriendly and sustainable. This review paper highlights the published information on the potential of applying L-form bacteria as a biological control agent in management of plant diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms.
Design of Novel Selective Estrogen Receptor Inhibitors using Molecular Docking and Protein-Ligand Interaction Fingerprint Studies
Authors: Rajitha Galla , Vidya Rani Murthi , Naik Vankadoth Umakanth , Umamaheswari Amineni
Published: October 2021

Aims: The genomic and non-genomic actions of human estrogen receptor α (hERα) play a crucial role in breast epithelial cell proliferation and survival, as well as mammary tumorigenesis. hERα has been proved as a potential target for breast cancer therapy over the last 3 decades. Hence designing novel inhibitors targeting hERα can be a valuable approach in breast cancer therapy.

Study Design:  In the present study, the goal is to identify novel hERα inhibitors through molecular docking, AI based virtual screening and interaction fingerprint analysis.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Bioinformatics, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India in between July 2021-sep 2021.

Methodology: Molecular docking studies were performed using the human estrogen receptor alpha ligand-binding domain in complex with 4-hydroxytamoxifen (PDB: 3ERT) against existing compounds from literature. The best docked existing compound and co-crystal ligand were subjected to shape screening against 28 million compounds and resulted compounds constituted the hERα inhibitor dataset which was subjected to rigid receptor docking. Further, interaction fingerprint analysis was applied as complimentary method to docking for comparing the similarity of predicted binding poses of proposed leads with that of reference binding pose.

Results: Co-crystal ligand (4-OHT) and E99 exhibited better binding affinity among existing ligand set. Rigid receptor docking studies resulted in four lead compounds possessing better docking scores than 4-OHT and E99. Moreover, leads showed favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity properties within the range of 95% FDA approved drugs. Proposed leads showed interactions with binding site residues of hERα similar to that of 4-OHT with better binding affinity. The ability of obtained leads to retrieve actives was validated using receiver operative characteristic (ROC) curve.

Conclusion: From above results, it has been observed that the proposed leads have potential to act as novel hERα inhibitors.
Hydrogel‐Based Slow Release of a Receptor‐Binding Domain Subunit Vaccine Elicits Neutralizing Antibody Responses Against SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Gale Emily C. , Powell Abigail E. , Roth Gillie A. , Meany Emily L. , Yan Jerry , Ou Ben S. , Grosskopf Abigail K. , Adamska Julia , Picece Vittoria C. T. M. , d'Aquino Andrea I. , Pulendran Bali , Kim Peter S. , Appel Eric A.
Published: October 2021

The development of effective vaccines that can be rapidly manufactured and distributed worldwide is necessary to mitigate the devastating health and economic impacts of pandemics like COVID‐19. The receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein, which mediates host cell entry of the virus, is an appealing antigen for subunit vaccines because it is efficient to manufacture, highly stable, and a target for neutralizing antibodies. Unfortunately, RBD is poorly immunogenic. While most subunit vaccines are commonly formulated with adjuvants to enhance their immunogenicity, clinically‐relevant adjuvants Alum, AddaVax, and CpG/Alum are found unable to elicit neutralizing responses following a prime‐boost immunization. Here, it has been shown that sustained delivery of an RBD subunit vaccine comprising CpG/Alum adjuvant in an injectable polymer‐nanoparticle (PNP) hydrogel elicited potent anti‐RBD and anti‐spike antibody titers, providing broader protection against SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern compared to bolus administration of the same vaccine and vaccines comprising other clinically‐relevant adjuvant systems. Notably, a SARS‐CoV‐2 spike‐pseudotyped lentivirus neutralization assay revealed that hydrogel‐based vaccines elicited potent neutralizing responses when bolus vaccines did not. Together, these results suggest that slow delivery of RBD subunit vaccines with PNP hydrogels can significantly enhance the immunogenicity of RBD and induce neutralizing humoral immunity.
The quality of health and wellness self‐tracking data: A consumer perspective
Authors: Zhang Yan , Trace Ciaran B.
Published: October 2021

Information quality (IQ) is key to users' satisfaction with information systems. Understanding what IQ means to users can effectively inform system improvement. Existing inquiries into self‐tracking data quality primarily focus on accuracy. Interviewing 20 consumers who had self‐tracked health indicators for at least 6 months, we identified eight dimensions that consumers apply to evaluate self‐tracking data quality: value‐added, accuracy, completeness, accessibility, ease of understanding, trustworthiness, aesthetics, and invasiveness. These dimensions fell into four categories—intrinsic, contextual, representational, and accessibility—suggesting that consumers judge self‐tracking data quality not only based on the data's inherent quality but also considering tasks at hand, the clarity of data representation, and data accessibility. We also found that consumers' self‐tracking data quality judgments are shaped primarily by their goals or motivations, subjective experience with tracked activities, mental models of how systems work, self‐tracking tools' reputation, cost, and design, and domain knowledge and intuition, but less by more objective criteria such as scientific research results, validated devices, or consultation with experts. Future studies should develop and validate a scale for measuring consumers' perceptions of self‐tracking data quality and commit efforts to develop technologies and training materials to enhance consumers' ability to evaluate data quality.
Kinematics and ellipsoidal motion of the mid to late M‐type stars
Authors: Elsanhoury Waleed H. , Nouh Mohamed I. , Branham Richard L. , Al‐Johani Amnah S.
Published: October 2021

Truly, kinematics in the Solar neighborhood has provided important information both for the structure and for the evolution of the Galaxy since the early 20th century. The relationship between Oort constants and the ratio of the velocity dispersion are important quantities in stellar kinematics. In the present paper, we calculated the kinematical parameters and the Oort constants of various samples of late to intermediate M‐type stars. We calculated the velocity dispersion in units of km s−1 for the samples under study. The longitude of the vertex having negative values with our analysis; that is, the program I (538 stars), ; program II (100 stars), and program III (60 stars), . We calculate the Oort constants as km s−1 kpc−1 and km s−‐1 kpc−1, and the rotational velocity . A possible explanation for the overestimated values of the second Oort constants has been presented.
Quantitative proteomics identifies biomarkers to distinguish pulmonary from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas by immunohistochemistry
Authors: Richter Annika , Fichtner Alexander , Joost Jasmin , Brockmeyer Philipp , Kauffmann Philipp , Schliephake Henning , Hammerstein‐Equord Alexander , Kueffer Stefan , Urlaub Henning , Oellerich Thomas , Ströbel Philipp , Bohnenberger Hanibal , Bremmer Felix
Published: October 2021

The differentiation between a pulmonary metastasis and a newly developed squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in patients with prior head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is difficult due to a lack of biomarkers but is crucially important for the prognosis and therapy of the affected patient. By using high‐resolution mass spectrometry in combination with stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture, we identified 379 proteins that are differentially expressed in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung and the head and neck. Of those, CAV1, CAV2, LGALS1, LGALS7, CK19, and UGDH were tested by immunohistochemistry on 194 tissue samples (98 lung and 96 HNSCCs). The combination of CAV1 and LGALS7 was able to distinguish the origin of the squamous cell carcinoma with high accuracy (area under the curve 0.876). This biomarker panel was tested on a cohort of 12 clinically classified lung tumours of unknown origin after HNSCC. Nine of those tumours were immunohistochemically classifiable.
Short‐term load forecasting based on CNN‐BiLSTM with Bayesian optimization and attention mechanism
Authors: Shi Huifeng , Miao Kai , Ren Xiaochen
Published: October 2021

Accurate short‐term load forecasting can ensure the reliable power supply of the power system and the regular operation of the grid economy. This article proposes a hybrid model based on convolutional neural networks and bidirectional long short‐term memory (CNN‐BiLSTM) with Bayesian optimization (BO) and attention mechanism (AM) for short‐term load forecasting. CNN is used to capture the significant features of input data. BiLSTM is adept in time series forecasting and AM can reduce the computational complexity of model. BO can help to tune the hyperparameters automatically. The input features of models are recent load, time slot, date type, and meteorological factors. In order to eliminate the seasonality, the data set is divided into four subsets according to four seasons. The performance of the proposed model is compared with other models by MAE, RMSE, MAPE, andscore. The forecasting results represent that the proposed model is most suitable for short‐term load forecasting among the contrast models and the meteorological factors have an impact on forecasting accuracy.
Real‐world Overall Survival Using Oncology Electronic Health Record Data: Friends of Cancer Research Pilot
Authors: Lasiter Laura , Tymejczyk Olga , Garrett‐Mayer Elizabeth , Baxi Shrujal , Belli Andrew J. , Boyd Marley , Christian Jennifer B. , Cohen Aaron B. , Espirito Janet L. , Hansen Eric , Sweetnam Connor , Robert Nicholas J. , Small Mackenzie , Stewart Mark D. , Izano Monika A. , Wagner Joseph , Natanzon Yanina , Rivera Donna R. , Allen Jeff
Published: October 2021

In prior work, Friends of Cancer Research convened multiple data partners to establish standardized definitions for oncology real‐world end points derived from electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data. Here, we assessed the performance of real‐world overall survival (rwOS) from data sets sourced from EHRs by evaluating the ability of the end point to reflect expected differences from a previous randomized controlled trial across five data sources, after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria. The KEYNOTE‐189 clinical trial protocol of platinum doublet chemotherapy (chemotherapy) vs. programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) in combination with platinum doublet chemotherapy (PD‐1 combination) in first‐line nonsquamous metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer guided retrospective cohort selection. The Kaplan‐Meier product limit estimator was used to calculate 12‐month rwOS with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in each data source. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and associated 95% CIs, controlled for prognostic factors. Once the inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, the five resulting data sets included 155 to 1,501 patients in the chemotherapy cohort and 36 to 405 patients in the PD‐1 combination cohort. Twelve‐month rwOS ranged from 45% to 58% in the chemotherapy cohort and 44% to 68% in the PD‐1 combination cohort. The adjusted HR for death ranged from 0.80 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.93) to 1.15 (95% CI: 0.71, 1.85), controlling for age, gender, performance status, and smoking status. This study yielded insights regarding data capture, including ability of real‐world data to precisely identify patient populations and the impact of criteria on end points. Sensitivity analyses could elucidate data set–specific factors that drive results.
Power aware floorplanning in multiple supply voltage domain
Authors: Banerjee Suchandra , Roy Suchismita
Published: October 2021

Floorplanning in this nano‐scale era involves consideration of various other objectives apart from minimizing wirelength in a fixed outlined region. In recent era of electronic devices, reducing power consumption is an important objective which can be achieved by multiple supply voltage island aware floorplanning. Optimizing power routing resource to simplify power planning while reducing voltage drop or IR drop (represented by maximum power length) is the major goal of the proposed work. Moreover, it has been observed that locations of blocks and power pads are important considerations for IR drop optimization. The proposed work hence concentrates on generating efficient floorplan with respect to wirelength, power routing resource, and IR drop. The proposed technique uses effective heuristics along with a SAT (Boolean satisfiability)‐based framework to generate efficient floorplan considering all factors. The experimental validation depicts good results with respect to power resource, wirelength, and voltage drop in a fixed outline framework.
Don't let imposter syndrome hold you back
Authors: Hodges Dawn Z.
Published: October 2021

I received a text recently from a former colleague. She said, “I need a pep talk. My imposter syndrome is flaring up.” Dictionary.com defines imposter syndrome as “anxiety or self‐doubt that results from persistently undervaluing one's competence and active role in achieving success.” People with imposter syndrome are afraid of being “found out” as a fraud. It's common in a variety of professions — and a 2020 study by KPMG found that approximately 75% of female executives have experienced it during their career.
Consider the benefits of on‐campus child care
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: October 2021

Making sure that families and children are accommodated on campus can make a big difference in the life of the university, including for recruitment efforts of students, faculty, and staff, Michael Lindstrom, Founder and Principal at studioMLA Architects, said. And during the COVID‐19 pandemic, ensuring that adequate resources are provided to your students, faculty, and staff to minimize disruption and maximize focus on education is more crucial than ever.
Be committed, intentional, and patient: Creating a diverse academic affairs leadership team
Authors: Bonds‐Raacke Jennifer M. , Bailey David J. , Miller John W.
Published: October 2021

Diversification of academic affairs leadership teams is essential to increasing a sense of belonging among students, faculty, and staff, as well as promoting an environment in which new ways are used to think about old problems. These opportunities lead to more productive, engaged, and innovative teams, allowing institutions to attract and retain more talented and diverse faculty, staff, and students. It also increases the ability of students, upon graduation, to compete in an ever‐changing global environment.
Expand your reach with online certificate offerings
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: October 2021

The first job Tiffany Watson, Ph.D., had in higher education was the head cheerleading coach for Norfolk State University. The experience fired a passion in Watson for student success and development, and higher education leadership.
Experience of perampanel monotherapy beyond initial titration to achieve seizure freedom in patients with focal‐onset seizures with newly diagnosed or currently untreated recurrent epilepsy: A post hoc analysis of the open‐label Study 342 (FREEDOM)
Authors: Husni Ryan Edbert , Ngo Leock Y. , Senokuchi Hirofumi , Patten Anna , Hiramatsu Hidetaka , Watanabe Kazuaki , Yamamoto Takamichi
Published: October 2021

Objective

This post hoc analysis evaluated whether continued treatment with perampanel monotherapy beyond initial titration may be appropriate for patients with focal‐onset seizures (FOS) with currently untreated epilepsy to achieve seizure freedom with an effective dose.

Methods

Study 342 (NCT03201900; FREEDOM) is a single‐arm, open‐label, Phase III study of perampanel monotherapy. Patients aged ≥12 years with untreated FOS received perampanel 4 mg/d in a 32‐week Treatment Phase (6‐week Titration and 26‐week Maintenance Periods); in case of seizure(s) during Maintenance Period, patients could enter a 30‐week Treatment Phase (4‐week Titration and 26‐week Maintenance Periods) to be up‐titrated to perampanel 8 mg/d. The primary endpoint was seizure‐freedom rate during Maintenance Period in the modified Intent‐to‐Treat (mITT) Analysis Set (patients who had ≥1 post‐dose efficacy measurement during Maintenance Period); safety was monitored. This analysis of 4‐mg/d efficacy data assessed the proportion of patients achieving seizure freedom during the Maintenance Period (responders) relative to patients with an early/later response (depending on seizure status during the Titration Period).

Results

In the mITT population (n = 73), 46 patients were 4‐mg/d responders; of whom, 37 (80.4%) were early responders and nine (19.6%) were later responders. The mean (standard deviation) percent reductions in FOS frequency from baseline at the end of the 4‐mg/d Titration Period were 100.0% (0.0%; early responders) and 46.3% (97.3%; later responders). Among the 27 4‐mg/d nonresponders, nine (33.3%) patients who had an early response experienced seizure(s) during the subsequent 4‐mg/d Maintenance Period. Safety outcomes were similar, regardless of responder status, without new safety concerns.

Significance

Some patients with untreated FOS may benefit from continued treatment beyond initial titration of perampanel monotherapy to achieve seizure freedom, suggesting that it may not be appropriate to make treatment decisions to discontinue or switch from perampanel monotherapy solely based on seizure response before an effective dose has been reached.
Cancer and the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis, hospitalisation and death: A population‐based multistate cohort study including 4 618 377 adults in Catalonia, Spain
Authors: Roel Elena , Pistillo Andrea , Recalde Martina , Fernández‐Bertolín Sergio , Aragón María , Soerjomataram Isabelle , Jenab Mazda , Puente Diana , Prieto‐Alhambra Daniel , Burn Edward , Duarte‐Salles Talita
Published: October 2021

The relationship between cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection and severity remains poorly understood. We conducted a population‐based cohort study between 1 March and 6 May 2020 describing the associations between cancer and risk of COVID‐19 diagnosis, hospitalisation and COVID‐19‐related death. Data were obtained from the Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP) database, including primary care electronic health records from ~80% of the population in Catalonia, Spain. Cancer was defined as any primary invasive malignancy excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for the risk of COVID‐19 (outpatient) clinical diagnosis, hospitalisation (with or without a prior COVID‐19 diagnosis) and COVID‐19‐related death using Cox proportional hazard regressions. Models were estimated for the overall cancer population and by years since cancer diagnosis (<1 year, 1‐5 years and ≥5 years), sex, age and cancer type; and adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, deprivation and comorbidities. We included 4 618 377 adults, of which 260 667 (5.6%) had a history of cancer. A total of 98 951 individuals (5.5% with cancer) were diagnosed, and 6355 (16.4% with cancer) were directly hospitalised with COVID‐19. Of those diagnosed, 6851 were subsequently hospitalised (10.7% with cancer), and 3227 died without being hospitalised (18.5% with cancer). Among those hospitalised, 1963 (22.5% with cancer) died. Cancer was associated with an increased risk of COVID‐19 diagnosis (aHR: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [1.05‐1.11]), direct COVID‐19 hospitalisation (1.33 [1.24‐1.43]) and death following hospitalisation (1.12 [1.01‐1.25]). These associations were stronger for patients recently diagnosed with cancer, aged <70 years, and with haematological cancers. These patients should be prioritised in COVID‐19 vaccination campaigns and continued non‐pharmaceutical interventions.
Molecular characterization of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor 2 gene in black rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii, and its expression patterns upon exposure to benzo[a]pyrene, 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin, and β‐naphthoflavone
Authors: Woo Soo Ji
Published: October 2021

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand‐activated transcription factor that mediates the toxicity of halogenated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vertebrates. Thus, increased knowledge of AhR‐mediated responses to xenobiotics is imperative. Sebastes schlegelii is increasingly being used as a model for studying environmental toxicology; hence, in this study, the presence of AhR2 was evaluated in S. schlegelii. The results showed that the predicted AhR2 amino acid sequence contained regions characteristic of other vertebrate AhRs, including the basic helix–loop–helix and PER–ARNT–SIM domains in the N‐terminal half, but it had minor similarity with other vertebrate AhRs across the C‐terminal half; it did not contain the distinct glutamine‐rich domains found in mammalian AhR2. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that S. schlegelii AhR2 was clustered within the teleost AhR2 branch. Additionally, AhR2 mRNA was detectable in all 11 tissues tested, with the highest mRNA levels in the heart, pyloric ceca, and liver. Furthermore, exposure to the AhR agonists showed that 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD, 1 μg/g body weight) induced a significantly higher increases in AhR2 expression in the gills, liver, kidneys, and spleen in 48 h than benzo[a]pyrene (2 μg/g body weight), and β‐naphthoflavone (50‐μg/g body weight); AhR2 mRNA levels upon TCDD exposure were up‐regulated by 16‐ and 10‐fold in the gills and liver, respectively. These findings indicated that AhR was a highly sensitive receptor against TCDD. Thus, investigating AhR2 expression in the presence of other xenobiotics might offer further information for the elucidation of its crucial role in mediating toxicant metabolism in S. schlegelii.
Nicotine causes alternative polarization of macrophages via Src‐mediated STAT3 activation: Potential pathobiological implications
Authors: Saranyutanon Sirin , Acharya Srijan , Deshmukh Sachin Kumar , Khan Mohammad Aslam , Singh Seema , Singh Ajay Pratap
Published: October 2021

Nicotine is an addictive ingredient of tobacco products and other noncigarette substitutes, including those being used for smoking cessation to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Earlier research, however, has associated nicotine with the risk and poorer outcome of several diseases, including cancer. Macrophages are an important component of the innate immune system and can have both pro‐and anti‐inflammatory functions depending upon their polarization state. Here, we investigated the effect of nicotine on macrophage polarization, growth, and invasion to understand its role in human physiology. We observed that nicotine induced M2 polarization of RAW264.7 and THP‐1‐derived macrophages in a dose‐dependent manner. Cytokine profiling suggested a mixed M2a/d phenotype of nicotine‐polarized macrophages associated with tissue repair and pro‐angiogenic functions. Moreover, nicotine treatment also enhanced the growth, motility, and invasion of macrophages. Mechanistic studies revealed increased phosphorylation of STAT3 in nicotine‐treated macrophages that was mediated through Src activation. Importantly, pretreatment of macrophages with either Src or STAT3 inhibitor abrogated nicotine‐induced macrophage polarization, growth, and motility, suggesting a functional role of the Src‐STAT3 signaling axis. Together, our findings reveal a novel role of nicotine in immunosuppression via causing M2 polarization of macrophages that could be implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases.
Extracellular vesicles derived from the periodontal pathogen Filifactor alocis induce systemic bone loss through Toll‐like receptor 2
Authors: Kim Hyun Young , Song Min‐Kyoung , Gho Yong Song , Kim Hong‐Hee , Choi Bong‐Kyu
Published: October 2021

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease induced by local infection in tooth‐supporting tissue. Periodontitis is associated with systemic bone diseases, but little is known about the mechanism of the causal effect of periodontitis on systemic bone resorption. Bacteria‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) act as natural carriers of virulence factors that are responsible for systemic inflammation. In this study, we investigated the role of EVs derived from Filifactor alocis, a Gram‐positive, anaerobic periodontal pathogen, in systemic bone loss and osteoclast differentiation. F. alocis EVs accumulated in the long bones of mice after intraperitoneal administration. These EVs induced proinflammatory cytokines, osteoclastogenesis, and bone resorption via Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2). The phase separation of F. alocis EVs showed that amphiphilic molecules were responsible for the induced bone resorption and osteoclastogenesis. The osteoclastogenic effects of F. alocis EVs were reduced by lipoprotein lipase. Proteomic analysis of the amphiphilic molecules identified seven lipoproteins. Our results indicate that lipoprotein‐like molecules in F. alocis EVs may contribute to systemic bone loss via TLR2.
Synthesis, crystal structure, and DFT study of 4‐(2‐Chlorobenzyl)‐1‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐a]quinazolin‐5(4H)‐one
Authors: Liao Tianhui , Ye Wenjun , Chen Dongmei , Qin Yumei , Chen Yumei , Liao Weike , Zhou Zhixu
Published: October 2021

4‐(2‐Chlorobenzyl)‐1‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐a]quinazolin‐5(4H)‐one is a triazoloquinazolinone compound with broad‐spectrum biological activity. In this study, the four‐step method was used to synthesize the title compound, and its structure was confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), 13‐carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectroscopy (MS). Further, its single crystal was characterized by X‐ray diffraction. The density functional theory was used to calculate the optimal structure of the molecule. The results demonstrated that the analyzed structure was consistent with the crystal structure determined by single‐crystal diffraction. In addition, discrete Fourier transform was used to study the molecular electrostatic potential and Frontier molecular orbital of the title compound, revealing a few of the compound's physicochemical properties.
Preferences for transitional HIV care among people living with HIV recently released from prison in Zambia: a discrete choice experiment
Authors: Ostermann Jan , Yelverton Valerie , Smith Helene J. , Nanyangwe Mirriam , Kashela Lillian , Chisenga Peter , Mai Vivien , Mwila Chilambwe , Herce Michael E.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

No studies from sub‐Saharan Africa have attempted to assess HIV service delivery preferences among incarcerated people living with HIV as they transition from prisons to the community (“releasees”). We conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to characterize releasee preferences for transitional HIV care services in Zambia to inform the development of a differentiated service delivery model to promote HIV care continuity for releasees.

Methods

Between January and October 2019, we enrolled a consecutive sample of 101 releasees from a larger cohort prospectively following 296 releasees from five prisons in Zambia. We administered a DCE eliciting preferences for 12 systematically designed choice scenarios, each presenting three hypothetical transitional care options. Options combined six attributes: (1) clinic type for post‐release HIV care; (2) client focus of healthcare workers; (3) transitional care model type; (4) characteristics of transitional care provider; (5) type of transitional care support; and (6) HIV status disclosure support. We analysed DCE choice data using a mixed logit model, with coefficients describing participants’ average (“mean”) preferences for each option compared to the standard of care and their distributions describing preference variation across participants.

Results

Most DCE participants were male (n = 84, 83.2%) and had completed primary school (n = 54, 53.5%), with 29 (28.7%) unemployed at follow‐up. Participants had spent an average of 8.2 months in the community prior to the DCE, with 18 (17.8%) reporting an intervening episode of re‐incarceration. While we observed significant preference variation across participants (p < 0.001 for most characteristics), releasees were generally averse to clinics run by community‐based organizations versus government antiretroviral therapy clinics providing post‐release HIV care (mean preference = –0.78, p < 0.001). On average, releasees most preferred livelihood support (mean preference = 1.19, p < 0.001) and HIV care support (mean preference = 1.00, p < 0.001) delivered by support groups involving people living with HIV (mean preference = 1.24, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

We identified preferred characteristics of transitional HIV care that can form the basis for differentiated service delivery models for prison releasees. Such models should offer client‐centred care in trusted clinics, provide individualized HIV care support delivered by support groups and/or peer navigators, and strengthen linkages to programs providing livelihood support.
Diverse arsenic‐containing lipids in the surface ocean
Authors: Heal Katherine R. , Maloney Ashley E. , Ingalls Anitra E. , Bundy Randelle M.
Published: October 2021

Arsenic is present at nanomolar levels throughout the ocean, and microbes assimilate this potentially toxic element due to its similarity to inorganic phosphorus. Although dissolved arsenic has been a focus of several oceanographic studies, the size and chemical character of the particulate arsenic pool is poorly understood. We measured particulate arsenic in five samples from the open ocean and determined the contribution of arsenic‐containing lipids to this pool. Here we show that the accumulation of arsenic into lipids is a widespread phenomenon in the surface ocean. Particulate arsenic concentrations were 15–42 pmol L−1 with 7–20% of the particulate arsenic pool within arsenolipids. We found that arsenosugar phospholipids dominated the arsenolipid pools in our samples with a minor component of arsenohydrocarbons and other unidentified lipids. A significant portion of the arsenosugar phospholipids (up to 35%) was present as previously undescribed mixed acyl ether lipids, suggesting a bacterial source.
Developing real‐world evidence from real‐world data: Transforming raw data into analytical datasets
Authors: Bastarache Lisa , Brown Jeffrey S. , Cimino James J. , Dorr David A. , Embi Peter J. , Payne Philip R.O. , Wilcox Adam B. , Weiner Mark G.
Published: October 2021

Development of evidence‐based practice requires practice‐based evidence, which can be acquired through analysis of real‐world data from electronic health records (EHRs). The EHR contains volumes of information about patients—physical measurements, diagnoses, exposures, and markers of health behavior—that can be used to create algorithms for risk stratification or to gain insight into associations between exposures, interventions, and outcomes. But to transform real‐world data into reliable real‐world evidence, one must not only choose the correct analytical methods but also have an understanding of the quality, detail, provenance, and organization of the underlying source data and address the differences in these characteristics across sites when conducting analyses that span institutions. This manuscript explores the idiosyncrasies inherent in the capture, formatting, and standardization of EHR data and discusses the clinical domain and informatics competencies required to transform the raw clinical, real‐world data into high‐quality, fit‐for‐purpose analytical data sets used to generate real‐world evidence.
Attachment on mortar surfaces by cyanobacterium Gloeocapsa PCC 73106 and sequestration of CO2 by microbially induced calcium carbonate
Authors: Zhu Tingting , Merroun Mohamed L. , Arhonditsis George , Dittrich Maria
Published: October 2021

Cyanobacterial carbonate precipitation induced by cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) enhances mortar durability. The percentage of cell/EPS attachment regulates the effectiveness of the mortar restoration. This study investigates the cell coverage on mortar and microbially induced carbonate precipitation. Statistical analysis of results from scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy shows that the cell coverage was higher in the presence of UV‐killed cells than living cells. Cells are preferably attached to cement paste than sand grains, with a difference of one order of magnitude. The energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analyses and Raman mapping suggest cyanobacteria used atmospheric CO2 to precipitate carbonates.
A higher order numerical scheme for solving fractional Bagley‐Torvik equation
Authors: Ding Qinxu , Wong Patricia J. Y.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we develop a higher order numerical method for the fractional Bagley‐Torvik equation. The main tools used include a new fourth‐order approximation for the fractional derivative based on the weighted shifted Grünwald‐Letnikov difference operator and a discrete cubic spline approach. We show that the theoretical convergence order improves those of previous work. Five examples are further presented to illustrate the efficiency of our method and to compare with other methods in the literature.
The measurement of strain of a prototype pulley system using a Brillouin optical time domain analysis
Authors: Yucel Murat , Yucel Murat
Published: October 2021

In the chain and rope hoist systems of large cranes, instant and monitoring of the strain caused by different loads is of great importance. Strain is a size that cannot be measured directly and whose effect can be measured. Strain can be measured point by point with the help of electronic sensors. However, increasing the number of measuring points causes complexity in electronic systems. Thanks to distributed fiber sensors, this problem has been overcome and standard SMF has been used as tens of thousands of measuring points. In this study, a model of the pulley system used in large cranes is created and the strain occurring at a certain point of a SMF was experimentally measured using the BOTDA technique. SNR was improved by using the wavelet noise reduction technique in the processing of the received signals. In order to monitor the measured strain, a user‐friendly interface was designed.
Workplace violence in primary hospitals and associated risk factors: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Zhu Hongfang , Liu Xiaona , Yao Linyan , Zhou Liping , Qin Jianfen , Zhu Chenping , Ye Zhihong , Pan Hongying
Published: October 2021

Aim

To investigate the characteristics of workplace violence at primary hospitals in Southeast China and identify associated risk factors.

Design

A cross‐sectional survey design was used for this work.

Methods

We distributed a workplace violence questionnaire among medical staff at primary hospitals in Southeast Zhejiang Province, China. The data were collected between December 2016 and December 2017. We analysed the categorical data by using the chi‐square test and expressed it as frequencies. The risk factors were analysed by using multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

Among the 2,560 questionnaires, 1,842 (71.9%) medical staff indicated that they had experienced workplace violence. Verbal assault was the most common type, followed by physical and sexual assault. Furthermore, gender, age, marital status, education, technical position and number of hospital beds' numbers were independent risk factors.
Direct and indirect effects of obesity on progression of carotid arterial injury in youth
Authors: Gao Zhiqian , Khoury Philip R. , Dolan Lawrence M. , Urbina Elaine M.
Published: October 2021

Objective

Increased carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT) is associated with cardiovascular (CV) events in adults and with elevated CV risk factors in youth. The aim of this study was to determine whether obesity has an direct or indirect association with cIMT.

Methods

Structural equation modeling was used to elucidate pathways for obesity to change cIMT. Complete data were collected twice on 294 participants (mean age 17.5 years, 16% with type 2 diabetes). Latent baseline and follow‐up cIMT, BMI, and CV risk factors were analyzed with SAS 9.4. Model fit was assessed.

Results

There were increases in BMI, mean arterial pressure (MAP), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, C‐reactive protein, and glucose and a decrease in insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin over 5 years (all p < 0.05). Only bulb (0.031 mm) and internal (0.027 mm) cIMT increased (all p < 0.001). Significant direct effects on cIMT change were baseline MAP (β 0.23), BMI z score (β 0.16), change in glucose (β 0.37), and age (β 0.37; all p < 0.05). Change in MAP showed a trend (β 0.14, p = 0.10). BMI also had a significant indirect effect (β 0.17), whereas non‐HDL demonstrated no significant effect.

Conclusions

Baseline adiposity drives increasing blood pressure and glucose in high‐risk youth leading to accelerated accumulation of carotid arterial injury. Prevention of acquisition of obesity in youth is critical in slowing development of CV disease.
Structure‐Activity Relationship Studies of Hydantoin‐Cored Ligands for Smoothened Receptor
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhou Fang , Ding Kang , Xue Dongxiang , Zhu Zhihao , Li Cuixia , Li Fei , Xu Yueming , Xu Fei , Le Zhiping , Zhao Suwen , Tao Houchao
Published: October 2021

An underside binding site was recently identified in the transmembrane domain of smoothened receptor (SMO). Herein, we report efforts in the exploration of new insights into the interactions between the ligand and SMO. The hydantoin core in the middle of the parent compound was found to be highly conservative in chirality, ring size, and substituents. On each benzene at two ends, a plethora of variations, particularly halogen substitutions, were introduced and investigated. Analysis of the structure‐activity relationship revealed miscellaneous halogen effects. The ligands with double halogen substituents exhibit remarkably enhanced potency, providing promising candidates that potentially overcome the common drug resistance and useful heavy‐atom labeled chemical tools for co‐crystallization studies of SMO.
Clearance of oxytocin and its potentially enzyme resistant analogues in the OXT‐receptor compartment of the potassium depolarized rat myometrium
Authors: Pliska Vladimir , Jutz Guido
Published: October 2021

The time–response behaviour of a group of oxytocin analogues structurally modified on potential sites of oxytocin splitting by tissue inactivation enzymes (“enzyme probes”) was investigated ex vivo on the potassium depolarized rat myometrium (at 30°C) and compared with the data obtained in the in vivo experiments. The modified oil‐immersion method by Kalsner and Nickerson was used to record time profiles after cessation of a steady state myometrium contraction triggered by analogues in a high potassium tissue medium. An exchange of the aqueous medium for mineral oil enables to suppress return diffusion of the peptide and to record its irreversible clearance near the corresponding receptor compartment. Response records were analysed by a nonlinear numeric procedure based on combination of steady state and kinetic terms that allows concomitant estimations of affinities from time–response measurements, in the given case for analogues on depolarized myometrium. Potential inactivation‐sensitive sites in the oxytocin chain are the Ν‐terminal peptide bond Cys1‐Tyr2 (aminopeptidase splitting), the intramolecular disulphide bridge (reduction and formation of the practically inactive linear peptide) and the C‐terminal Leu8‐GlyNH29 or the Pro7‐Leu8 (postprolin cleaving enzyme) bond, respectively. Clearance rate constants of single peptides in the OXT‐receptor compartment were in an interval of 0.025 to 0.28 min−1. The fragment contribution analysis reveals a significant linear additivity of individual structural changes and thus a predictivity of irreversible inactivation rate in the receptor compartment. The most potent inactivation of oxytocin is associated with aminopeptidase splitting; other enzymes may play some though nondecisive role. Less significant differences within the peptide group were found for rate constants for peptide transport between receptor compartment and its external aqueous medium. Besides rate constants, the evaluation of time–response data yields affinity values of the tested peptides and indicates a 25‐times desensitation of depolarized compared with a native state.