bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge, Attitude and Beliefs of Parents Regarding Fever in Children
Authors: Dedeepya S. Dhanya , Krishnamoorthy Vidhyasagar , Ambikapathy P.
Published: November 2021

Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and belief of Parents about fever in their children and how they respond to it while at home and when they seek medical attention.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to know the preexisting knowledge of parents about fever in their children and to impart additional knowledge to them.

Materials and Methods: A Cross- Sectional study in the form of a questionnaire was conducted at a tertiary care hospital among parents of children visiting the outpatient department and those admitted as inpatient with fever. Children who presented to the emergency room and those with chronic illnesses were not included. Majority of the primary caregivers was the child's mother, and family becomes the 1st point of contact for the intervention, hence we chose family. As per our department that at least 80% of children were primarily brought to OP for fever, and 90% of those admitted in wards were for febrile illnesses, with or without other associated problems, we asked the statistician to come up with an adequate number and we were given.

 Results: A total of 100 parents were selected and interviewed. The informants were mostly mothers (83%). Most of the children were brought to outpatient department within the first five days of onset of fever (68%). The parents said that they confirmed the fever by touch(86%)and most of them prefer to consult the pediatrician before giving any medication (56%).The most common symptoms which were seen associated with fever are cough, cold  and  running nose (54%).The most common cause for worry amongst parents are complications like febrile seizures (43%).

Conclusion: Fever is one of the most common complaints with which patients come to the hospital. Majority of parents in this study do not have the practice of documenting fever at home with a thermometer. Inadequate parental knowledge about the nature of fever can lead to poor management. Appropriate education helps them to take appropriate measures when their child develops fever.
Relationship between Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity Testing in Low Vision Patients of Different Age Groups
Authors: Kanwal Shazia , Manzoor Rabia , Iqbal Ghazala , Mazhar Zehwa
Published: November 2021

Objective: To find a relationship between visual acuity and contrast sensitivity testing in low vision patients of different age groups. Effect of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity on increasing age of low vision patients.

Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Materials and Methods: The study included low vision patients of different age groups. Data was collected by Performa. Visual acuity was assessed by ETDRS chart and contrast sensitivity was checked by the peli-Robson chart at different distances. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 22.00.

Results: The study included a total of 64 patients with low vision of different age groups. Out of 64 patients, 31(48.44%) were males and 33(51.56%) were females. Patients with age group 1-15(15.63%). Patients with age group16-30(50%) and patients with age group above 30(34.36%). Relation between CS and VA of RE with age groups. In the age group 1-15, 2 patients have VA 0.9 and CS 0.10, in age group 16-30, 4 patients have VA 0.9 and CS 0.30 and in the age group of above 30 years 2 patients have VA 1 and CS 0.30. The relation between CS and VA of LE in different age groups of low vision patients in age group 1-15, 2 patients have VA 0.7 and CS 1.35 similarly in age group 16-30, 4 patients have VA 0.9 and CS 0.30 and in the age group above 30 years 2 patients have VA 1.3 and CS 0.75.

Conclusion: It is concluded that the statistical value is significant P_ 0.00 which shows a significant result. And it shows that there is a strong relationship between visual acuity and contrast sensitivity as age increases visual acuity and contrast decreases so age has to affect visual functions.
Patient backgrounds and short‐term outcomes of complicated appendicitis differ from those of uncomplicated appendicitis
Authors: Oba Takuya , Yamada Takeshi , Matsuda Akihisa , Otani Makoto , Matsuda Shinya , Ohta Ryo , Yoshida Hiroshi , Sato Norihiro , Hirata Keiji
Published: November 2021

Background

Appendicitis is classified as either complicated (CA) or uncomplicated (UA). Some authors have shown that the epidemiologic trends of CA and UA may differ. The aim of this study was to clarify differences in backgrounds and surgical outcomes between CA and UA patients.

Methods

This study was a cohort study. We extracted case data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database from January 2014 to December 2017. Patients were classified into three groups, depending on whether they underwent emergency appendectomy for CA (CA group), emergency appendectomy for UA (UA group), or elective appendectomy (EA group). We evaluated patient characteristics and surgical outcomes for each group.

Results

We included 89,355 adult patients in the study, comprising 29,331 CA, 48,691 UA, and 11,333 EA patients. Old age, larger body mass index, smoking, and medication with antidiabetic drugs, oral corticosteroids, oral antiplatelet drugs, and oral anticoagulant drugs were independent risk factors for CA. The percentage of CA increased with age. In‐hospital mortality (0.15%, 0.02%, and 0.00%) and 30‐d mortality (0.09%, 0.01%, and 0.00%), respectively, of CA patients were significantly higher than those of the UA and EA groups. The duration of postoperative antibiotic administration, duration of fasting, and time before removal of a prophylactic drain were significantly longer in the CA group than in the UA and EA groups.

Conclusion

Backgrounds and treatment outcomes of CA and UA patients after emergency surgery are entirely different. Thus, the treatment strategy of CA and UA patients should differ accordingly.
Visible‐Light‐Induced Photocatalyst‐Free Oxidative Cyclization of Primary Alcohols by Selectfluor via HAT Process: Synthesis of Quinazolinones and Benzothiadiazines
Authors: Prasanth Kesavan , Bhargava Reddy Mandapati , Anandhan Ramasamy
Published: November 2021

A mild and convenient method for oxidative cyclization of primary alcohols with o‐aminobenzamides and o‐aminobenzenesulfonamides to achieve quinazolinones and benzothiadiazines by selectfluor under visible‐light irradiation was reported. Selectfluor is used as hydrogen atom transfer reagent for oxidative cyclization under visible light irradiation. This photochemical approach offers broad substrate scope of quinazolinones and benzothiadiazines under mild reaction conditions.
Hydatid disease (Echinococcosis granulosis) diagnosis from skeletal osteolytic lesions in an early seventh‐millennium BP forager community from preagricultural northern Vietnam
Authors: Vlok Melandri , Buckley Hallie R. , Domett Kate , Willis Anna , Tromp Monica , Trinh Hiep H. , Minh Tran T. , Mai Huong Nguyen T. , Nguyen Lan Cuong , Matsumura Hirofumi , Huu Nghia T. , Oxenham Marc F.
Published: November 2021

Objectives

Con Co Ngua is a complex, sedentary forager site from northern Vietnam dating to the early seventh millennium BP. Prior research identified a calcified Echinococcus granulosis cyst, which causes hydatid disease. Osteolytic lesions consistent with hydatid disease were also present in this individual and others. Hydatid disease is observed in high frequencies in pastoralists, and its presence in a hunter‐gatherer community raises questions regarding human‐animal interaction prior to farming. The objective of this article is to identify and describe the epidemiology of hydatid disease in the human skeletal assemblage at Con Co Ngua.

Materials and methods

One hundred and fifty‐five individuals were macroscopically assessed for lesions. Of these, eight individuals were radiographed. Hydatid disease was diagnosed using a new threshold criteria protocol derived from clinical literature, which prioritizes lesions specific to the parasite.

Results

Twenty‐two individuals (14.2%) presented with osteolytic lesions consistent with hydatid disease, affecting the distal humerus, proximal femur and forearm, and pelvis. Seven individuals radiographed (4.5%) had multilocular cystic lesions strongly diagnostic for hydatid disease. All probable cases had lesions of the distal humerus. The remaining lesions were macroscopically identical to those radiographed and were considered possible cases.

Discussion

While hydatid disease has previously been found in pre‐agricultural communities, the high prevalence at Con Co Ngua is non‐incidental. We propose that the presence of wild canids and management of wild buffalo and deer increased the risk of disease transmission. These findings further reveal subsistence complexity among hunter‐gatherers living millennia prior to the adoption of farming in Southeast Asia.
Reversal of Solvatochromism: A New Strategy to Construct Activatable Two‐photon Fluorescent Probes for Sensing
Authors: Zheng Yingxin , Zhang Xing‐Xing , Shi Ling , Ren Tian‐Bing , Yuan Lin , Zhang Xiao‐Bing
Published: November 2021

Two‐photon (TP) imaging with a donor‐acceptor (D−A) type fluorophore is an emerging tool for bioimaging and sensing. However, current TP probes suffer from serious solvatochromic quenching in aqueous solution due to their strong intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in excited states. In this work, based on solvatochromism reversal, we report a novel strategy to develop TP probes for bioimaging. Specifically, compared with the normal two‐photon probes that showed a fluorescence off with ICT suppressed, the novel probes exhibited strong fluorescence in the aqueous solution when their ICT was inhibited. This strategy not only provides a new way for the design of high‐performance TP probes, but also expands the biological analysis toolbox for use in living systems.
A natural resource and institutional theory‐based view of green‐lean‐six sigma drivers for environmental management
Authors: Farrukh Amna , Mathrani Sanjay , Sajjad Aymen
Published: November 2021

Green‐lean‐six sigma (GLSS) is an evolving strategy that can be applied in the manufacturing context to address pressing environmental issues. However, due to a lack of research in this area, investigating the motivations behind GLSS implementation is crucial to develop a deeper understanding of factors that shape the overall environmental management strategy of a firm. Drawing on the natural‐resource‐based view and institutional theory, we explore the GLSS drivers and compare developed and developing country contexts by conducting in‐depth interviews with senior consultants specializing in GLSS implementation from New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PK). Findings reveal that the key drivers of GLSS adoption in NZ are general environmental awareness, creating a company image, and government pressure, whereas the main drivers for PK include cost reduction, international customers' influence, and competitiveness. These findings throw light on the reasons for GLSS adoption in different regions and have significant theoretical and practical implications towards improving environmental performance.
A Three‐Component Synthesis of 3‐Functionally Substituted 5,6‐Dihydropyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines
Authors: Miftyakhova Almira R. , Borisova Tatiana N. , Titov Alexander A. , Sidakov Matvey B. , Novikov Roman A. , Efimov Ilya V. , Varlamov Alexey V. , Voskressensky Leonid G.
Published: November 2021

Synthesis of novel C3‐substituted 5,6‐dihydropyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines via a three‐component domino reaction of 1‐aroyl‐3,4‐dihydroisoquinolines, terminal alkynes and CH‐acids under microwave irradiation in dry acetonitrile is described. The method developed enables the obtainment of highly functionalized compounds with pharmacophore groups, which are potentially biologically active.
Highly Potent Inhibition of Tyrosinase by Mulberrosides and the Inhibitory Mechanism in Vitro
Authors: Liu Xiang , Rao Jinqiu , Wang Kai , Wang Meijun , Yao Tie , Qiu Feng
Published: November 2021

Many stilbene glycosides can alleviate skin hyperpigmentation due to their inhibitory effect on tyrosinase. Mulberrosides in Morus alba L. are stilbene glycosides. In the present study, the inhibition of tyrosinase by five mulberrosides (S1–5), isolated from Morus alba L. was investigated and compared, and the inhibitory mechanism was explored. These five mulberrosides exhibited obvious inhibitory effects on tyrosinase only in a concentration‐dependent manner, without time‐dependence, indicating that they are reversible inhibitors of tyrosinase. S2, S1 and S5 inhibited tyrosinase activity with IC50 values of 28.93, 75.94 and 151.72 μM, respectively, and were more active than kojic acid (IC50=169.13 μM). Kinetic studies revealed that S1, S2 and S4 were competitive inhibitors, while S3 and S5 were mixed inhibitors. Analysis of the fluorescent spectra showed that mulberrosides S1, S2 and S4 quenched the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of tyrosinase. A molecular docking study indicated that the interaction of tyrosinase with mulberrosides was reflected by compound scores as follows: S2>S5>S1>S3/S4>kojic acid, and hydroxy groups in the side chain of mulberrosides may play a crucial role in the binding of the enzyme. Our results suggest that mulberrosides in Morus alba L. could be further developed as whitening agents for enhanced performance against hyperpigmentation.
Synchronous Synthesis of Polymeric Vesicles with Controllable Size and Low‐Polydispersity by Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly
Authors: Zhu Ren‐Man , Yang Cheng‐Lin , Chang Zi‐Xuan , Pan Cai‐Yuan , Zhang Wen‐Jian , Hong Chun‐Yan
Published: November 2021

Comprehensive Summary

The size and size distribution of polymeric nanoparticles have great impact on their physicochemical and biological properties. Polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA) has been demonstrated to be an efficient method to fabricate various polymeric nanoparticles, among which polymeric vesicles have attracted great interest due to their unique hollow structure. However, polymeric vesicles with relatively broad size distributions and random size are normally formed, which is problematic for many potential applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of polymeric vesicles with low‐polydispersity and controllable size by polymerization‐induced self‐assembly. A mixed macro RAFT agent of three different poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGm‐CPADB) was used to mediate the RAFT dispersion copolymerization of 7‐(2‐methacryloyloxyethoxy)‐4‐methylcoumarin (CMA) and benzyl methacrylate (BzMA), which generated vesicles with low‐polydispersity (< 0.1) and controllable size in the scope of sub‐100 nm. In comparison, RAFT dispersion copolymerization of CMA and BzMA using a single PEG‐CPADB as the macro RAFT agent generated vesicles with adjustable but obviously larger size and broader size distributions (> 0.1). The results demonstrate that the ternary stabilizers play a crucial role in the formation of small and low‐polydispersity vesicles.
Anticancer Activity and Mechanism of Action Evaluation of an Acylhydrazone Cu(II) Complex toward Breast Cancer Cells, Spheroids, and Mammospheres
Authors: Balsa Lucia M. , Rodriguez Maria R. , Parajón‐Costa Beatriz S. , González‐Baró Ana C. , Lavecchia Martin J. , León Ignacio E.
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this work was to screen the anticancer activity and mechanisms of action of Cu(II)‐acylhydrazone complex [Cu(HL)(H2O)](NO3)⋅H2O, (CuHL), to find a potential novel agent for breast chemotherapies. Cytotoxicity studies on MCF7 cells demonstrated that CuHL has stronger anticancer properties than cisplatin over breast cancer cell models. Computational simulations showed that CuHL could interact in the minor groove of the DNA dodecamer, inducing a significant genotoxic eﬀect on both cancer cells from 0.5 to 1 μM. In this sense, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the compound could interact with 20S proteasome subunits. Also, cell proteasome experiments using breast cancer cells revealed that the complex can inhibit proteasomal activity. Moreover, CuHL induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells at very low micromolar concentrations (0.5–2.5 μM) and displayed relevant anticancer activity over spheroids derived from MCF7 cells. Ultimately, CuHL diminished the number of mammospheres formed, disturbing their morphology and size.
Autotuning PolyBench benchmarks with LLVM Clang/Polly loop optimization pragmas using Bayesian optimization
Authors: Wu Xingfu , Kruse Michael , Balaprakash Prasanna , Finkel Hal , Hovland Paul , Taylor Valerie , Hall Mary
Published: November 2021

We develop a ytopt autotuning framework that leverages Bayesian optimization to explore the parameter space search and compare four different supervised learning methods within Bayesian optimization and evaluate their effectiveness. We select six of the most complex PolyBench benchmarks and apply the newly developed LLVM Clang/Polly loop optimization pragmas to the benchmarks to optimize them. We then use the autotuning framework to optimize the pragma parameters to improve their performance. The experimental results show that our autotuning approach outperforms the other compiling methods to provide the smallest execution time for the benchmarks syr2k, 3mm, heat‐3d, lu, and covariance with two large datasets in 200 code evaluations for effectively searching the parameter spaces with up to 170,368 different configurations. We find that the Floyd–Warshall benchmark did not benefit from autotuning. To cope with this issue, we provide some compiler option solutions to improve the performance. Then we present loop autotuning without a user's knowledge using a simple mctree autotuning framework to further improve the performance of the Floyd–Warshall benchmark. We also extend the ytopt autotuning framework to tune a deep learning application.
Syria's uneasy peace: Where does it come from?
Authors: Matveeva Anna
Published: November 2021

The paper explores the challenges faced by societies affected by active conflict, as they regain peace and social cohesion, by discussing perspectives from Syria. It argues that an “uneasy peace” that stays strained, but nevertheless holds, is emerging and likely to prevent the war from recurring. This peace emerges out of the conflict milieu, which creates losses and bitterness, but also opens possibilities for shifting and changing. These effects are characteristic for the half‐war/half peace period and could be assets to build peace upon, but they are unlikely to stay. Now is a pivotal time, when changes in society are taking place that will determine the shape of its future.
A wide circularly polarized dual‐band isosceles trapezoidal monopole antenna with modified ground plane
Authors: Bag Biplab , Biswas Sushanta , Sarkar Partha Pratim
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a simple wideband circularly polarized monopole antenna for different wireless and satellite communication applications is proposed. The top plate of the antenna is composed of an isosceles trapezoidal patch with an inverted L‐shaped strip connected along with this. The bottom side (ground plane) has been modified by embedding two right‐angle triangular stubs for enhancing the impedance and CP performances. The proposed antenna is designed and fabricated on commercially available FR4 substrate occupying the volume of 0.525λ₀ × 0.42λ₀ × 0.0168λ₀. The −10‐dB reflection coefficient bandwidth exhibits two wide bands of 1530 MHz (2.6 GHz to 4.13 GHz) and 2040 MHz (6.93 GHz to 8.97 GHz). The measured 3‐dB AR bandwidth is 1800 MHz (6.6 GHz to 8.4 GHz), covering International Tele‐communication Union for satellite communication bands (uplink and downlink). In addition, the proposed monopole antenna has also provided good gain ≥5dBi for both the bands.
Study of cobalt doping control via various routes in thoroughbred horses
Authors: Kwak Young Beom , Yu Jundong , Im Eo Jin , Jeong Bok Son , Yoo Hye Hyun
Published: November 2021

Cobalt is a substance that has been abused for athletic performance enhancement and has thus been prohibited by human and animal sports doping control authorities. However, because cobalt is present in humans and animals as a trace element, a certain level of cobalt is naturally present in their excretions. In the racing industry, cobalt is a controlled substance with a threshold concentration specified by the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (IABRW) for international harmonization. Due to environmental and feed consumption differences among countries, regional cobalt concentration trends should be evaluated before cobalt testing is introduced. In this study, we conducted a preliminary evaluation of the urinary concentration of cobalt among a population of racehorses in Korea using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) analysis, followed by analysis of the urinary release of cobalt after the administration of cobalt chloride in various situations. The normal distribution for the Korea‐based racehorses was used to determine a urine concentration limit (96.5 ng/ml, risk factor of 1 in 10,000). After the intravenous (IV) administration of CoCl2, the initial elimination of cobalt was rapid. A high concentration (over 2,000 ng/ml) and a slow excretion pattern were observed during the final 2 weeks of the 3‐week observation period. When CoCl2 was administered orally, maximum concentration (Cmax, 92–992 ng/ml) was observed at 6–8 h.
Archolaemus janeae (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei): First insights into karyotype and repetitive DNA distribution in two populations of the Amazon
Authors: Rodrigues Paula Pinto , Machado Milla de Andrade , Pety Ananda Marques , Silva Danillo dos Santos , de Souza Augusto Cesar Paes , Pieczarka Julio Cesar , Nagamachi Cleusa Yoshiko
Published: November 2021

Archolaemus, one of the five genera of Neotropical freshwater fish of the family Sternopygidae (Gymnotiformes), was long considered a monotypic genus represented by Archolaemus blax. Currently, it consists of six species, most of them occurring in the Amazon region. There are no cytogenetic data for species of this genus. In the present study, we used classical cytogenetics (conventional staining and C‐banding) and molecular cytogenetics (probes of telomeric sequences and multigenic families 18S rDNA, 5S rDNA, and U2 snDNA) to study the karyotype of Archolaemus janeae from Xingu and Tapajós rivers in the state of Pará (Brazil). The results showed that the two populations have identical karyotypes with 46 chromosomes: four submetacentric and 42 acrocentric (2n = 46; 4m/sm + 42a). Constitutive heterochromatin occurs in the centromeric region of all chromosomes, in addition to small bands in the interstitial and distal regions of some pairs. The 18S rDNA occurs in the distal region of the short arm of pair 2; the 5S rDNA occurs in five chromosome pairs; and the U2 snDNA sequence occurs in chromosome pairs 3, 6, and 13. No interstitial telomeric sequence was observed. These results show karyotypic similarity between the studied populations suggesting the existence of a single species and are of great importance as a reference for future cytotaxonomic studies of the genus.
Variation in behavior drives multi‐scale responses to habitat conditions in timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus)
Authors: Hoffman Andrew S. , Tutterow Annalee M. , Gade Meaghan R. , Adams Bryce T. , Peterman William E.
Published: November 2021

Variations in both the behavior of wildlife and the scale at which the environment most influences the space use of wild animals (i.e., scale of effect) are critical, but often overlooked in habitat selection modeling. Ecologists have proposed that biological responses happening over longer time frames are influenced by environmental variables at larger spatial scales, but this has rarely been empirically tested. Here, we hypothesized that long‐term patterns of behavior (i.e., lasting multiple weeks to months) would be associated with larger scales of effect than more sporadic behaviors. We predicted site use by 43 radio‐telemetered timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) exhibiting four distinct, time‐varying behaviors (foraging, digestion, ecdysis, and gestation) using remotely sensed environmental variables related to forest structure and landscape topography. Among sites used by snakes, warmer temperatures and higher levels of forest disturbance were predictive of behaviors dependent on thermoregulation including gestation and ecdysis while more moderate temperatures and drier, more oak‐dominated sites were predictive of foraging. Long‐term behaviors were associated with larger spatial scales across most variables, supporting our hypothesis that the scale at which habitat selection occurs is linked to the temporal scale of relevant behaviors. Management recommendations based on single‐scale models of habitat use that do not account for fine‐scale variations in behavior may obscure the importance of potentially limiting habitat features needed for infrequent behaviors that are important for growth and reproduction of this and related species.
eDNA metabarcoding as a means to assess distribution of subterranean fish communities: Iranian blind cave fishes as a case study
Authors: Hashemzadeh Segherloo Iraj , Tabatabaei Seyedeh Narjes , Abdolahi‐Mousavi Eisa , Hernandez Cecilia , Normandeau Eric , Laporte Martin , Boyle Brian , Amiri Mohsen , GhaedRahmati Nabiallah , Hallerman Eric , Bernatchez Louis
Published: November 2021

One of the most important steps in conservation of the subterranean life forms is to decipher their distribution and ecology, which is challenging using traditional approaches. Development of an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay provides an efficient means for discovering and monitoring subterranean life forms. In this study, the distribution of three Iranian blind cave fish species (blind Iran cave barbGarra typhlops, blind Lorestan cave barbGarra lorestanensis, and blind cave loachEidinemacheilus smithi) was assessed using12S rRNAeDNA metabarcoding performed using MiFish‐U PCR primers and preliminary species distribution modeling (SDM) using bioclimatic data. The majority of sampling localities with positive detection of cave barb eDNA fall within suitable habitats in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. Our results revealed that Lorestan and Iran cave barbs have differential distribution patterns, with some extent of habitat overlap in the vicinity of the originally discovered cave barb locality. According to the observed distribution patterns, the blind Lorestan cave barb and cave loach are mostly distributed in habitats close to the Sezar River (Dez River drainage, Iran), and the blind Iran cave barb is distributed towards the west and probably in a few springs in the Karkheh River drainage. Our data support the previously proposed distribution pattern for the cave barbs, in which the species show partial niche separation and reproductive isolation, with the Lorestan cave barb being a water flow‐dependent species and the Iran cave barb being a generalist species preferring variable flow rates. We showed eDNA metabarcoding to be a useful approach for ecological surveys of subterranean fish biodiversity with implications for conservation.
Optical Determination of Solid Fat Content in Fats and Oils: Effects of Wavelength on Estimated Accuracy
Authors: Grossi Marco , Valli Enrico , Glicerina Virginia Teresa , Rocculi Pietro , Gallina Toschi Tullia , Riccò Bruno
Published: November 2021

The melting profile of solid fat content (SFC) is a parameter of primary importance for the food industry since it affects many important product characteristics such as stability, physical appearance, spreadability, and sensation in the mouth. Reference techniques to measure SFC in fats and oils include pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (pNMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which are reliable and accurate, but require expensive instrumentation and trained personnel. Herein, the accuracy of a recently proposed optical technique to measure SFC is investigated in terms of peak wavelength of incident radiation. A sensor system featuring an array of seven LEDs with peak wavelength in the visible and NIR range is built, and the results compared with data from DSC. All the wavelengths investigated have high accuracy in SFC estimation, especially at 590 (yellow) and 880 nm (NIR).

 Practical applications: Quick and easy determination of solid fat content in fats and oils by a simple experimental setup. The technique is based on optical attenuation measurements during a thermal cycle. The technique can be implemented in a measurement instrument for in‐situ analysis of solid fat content.
Nickel‐Catalyzed Aminofluoroalkylation of Alkenes: Access to Difluoroalkylated N‐Containing Heterocyclic Compounds
Authors: Fu Xiaoyi , Zhang Tianyu , Wu Jingjing , Sun Yijie , Wu Fanhong
Published: November 2021

A nickel‐catalyzed aminofluoroalkylative cyclization of unactive alkenes with iododifluoromethyl ketones was developed to construct versatile difluoroalkylated Nitrogen‐containing heterocycles including aziridines, pyrrolidines and piperidines in moderate to high yields. This method features a broad substrate scope and has been demonstrated on gram scale.
Pediatric Off‐Label Use of Covid‐19 Vaccines: Ethical and Legal Considerations
Authors: Lanphier Elizabeth , Fyfe Shannon
Published: November 2021

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer‐BioNTech Covid‐19 vaccine for people sixteen and older, questions arose. Parents, pediatricians, and the media wondered whether Covid‐19 vaccines could be used off‐label—and whether they should be. The American Academy of Pediatrics cautioned against pediatric off‐label use of the vaccine, and the vaccine provider agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appears to prohibit it. After briefly contextualizing ethical and legal precedents regarding off‐label use, we offer an analysis of the ethical permissibility of and considerations for pediatric off‐label Covid‐19 vaccination based on individual benefits, risks, and available alternatives. Our analysis challenges the ethics of a blanket prohibition on off‐label pediatric Covid‐19 vaccination, as it limits clinician ability to provide care they may determine to be clinically and ethically appropriate. At the same time, our analysis acknowledges that Covid‐19 creates population‐level ethical considerations that are at times in tension with individual health interests.
Comparison of two modeling frameworks for unifying the toxicant-affected percentage of aquatic species, individuals, and time into a single metric
Authors: Delos Charles G.
Published: November 2021

To address time-variable exposure to toxicants, this work compares simple and complex approaches to unifying the affected percentage of aquatic species, individuals, and time into a single metric. The simple approach uses only information on the probability distribution of exposure concentrations, a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) of chronic values, and the distribution of tolerance within species. The complex approach involves time-series simulation with a kinetics-based toxicity model coupled with a population model for each species in the SSD. Unlike the simple approach, this takes into account the exposure duration needed to elicit toxicity, differing sensitivities of life stages within a species, differing effects on survival versus reproduction, and species differences in their model population's response to press disturbance and recovery time from pulse disturbance. The probability distribution approach indicated that, for SSD assemblages challenged with moderately variable toxicant concentrations exceeding the aquatic life criterion a few percent of the time, most of the predicted aggregate effect is usually experienced by the most sensitive 10% of species and individuals. The kinetics-population simulation approach indicated that, for time-variable exposure (but not for constant exposure), the severity of the population effect depended on the type of effect and life stage affected. The results from both approaches suggest that moderately time-variable exposure is best viewed as a fluctuating press disturbance, not as a sporadic pulse disturbance. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1364–1374. © 2021 SETAC

KEY POINTS

To address time-variable exposure of aquatic ecosystems to toxicants, this work sets forth two modeling approaches for generating a stress-response relationship for an entire species sensitivity distribution (SSD), accounting for the affected percentage of aquatic species, individuals, and time. Although the two approaches differ greatly in ease of use, the simpler probability distribution approach, which relies on information commonly obtained for aquatic life criteria derivation, yielded results rather similar to the more complex toxicokinetic population simulation approach. Modeling results indicated that when exposed to moderately variable concentrations exceeding an aquatic life criterion a few percent of the time, most of the time-averaged effect on the SSD is typically experienced by the most sensitive 10% of species and 10% of individuals within species. Results suggested that such exposure is behaving more as a press disturbance, not a sporadic pulse disturbance.
The clinical utility and safety of short‐course immune checkpoint inhibitors in multiple tumours—A real‐world multicentric study from India
Authors: Abraham George , Noronha Vanita , Rajappa Senthil , Agarwal Amit , Batra Ullas , Somani Naresh , Raja Thirumalairaj , Patil Shekhar , Kaushal Ashish M. , Joshi Ashish , Radhakrishnan Vivek , Singh Navneet , Babu Govind , Tewani Rohan , Baghmar Saphalta , Dodagoudar Chandragouda , Ananthakrishnan Ramya , Haragadde Poppareddy Shashidhara , Sharma Vibhor , Menon Nandini , M Patil Vijay , Joshi Amit , Gupta Sudeep , Prabhash Kumar , Bajpai Jyoti
Published: November 2021

The real‐world data on short course of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) use are sparse and merit exploration. A multicentric observational study on the safety and efficacy of ICI in oncology patients between August 2014 and October 2020 involves 1011 patients across 13 centers in India. The median age was 59 (min 16‐max 98) years with male preponderance (77.9%). The predominant cohort received short‐course ICI therapy; the median number of cycles was 5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1‐27), and the median duration of therapy was 3 (95% CI 0.5‐13) months. ICIs were used commonly in the second and third line setting in our study (66.4%, n = 671). Objective response rate (complete or partial response) was documented in 254 (25.1%) of the patients, 202 (20.0%) had stable disease, and 374 (37.0%) had progressive disease. The clinical benefit rate was present in 456 (45.1%). Among the patients whom ICI was stopped (n = 906), the most common reason for cessation of ICI was disease progression (616, 68.0%) followed by logistic reasons like financial constraints (234, 25.82%). With a median follow‐up of 14.1 (95% CI 12.9‐15.3) months, there were 616 events of progression and 443 events of death, and the median progression free survival and overall survival were 6.4 (95% CI 5.5‐7.3) and 13.6 (95% CI 11.6‐15.7) months, respectively, in the overall cohort. Among the immune‐related adverse events, autoimmune pneumonitis (29, 3.8%) and thyroiditis (24, 2.4%) were common. Real‐world multicentric Indian data predominantly with short‐course ICI therapy have comparable efficacy/safety to international literature with standard ICI therapy.
PAK1 and PAK2 in cell metabolism regulation
Authors: Kořánová Tereza , Dvořáček Lukáš , Grebeňová Dana , Röselová Pavla , Obr Adam , Kuželová Kateřina
Published: November 2021

P21‐activated kinases (PAKs) regulate processes associated with cytoskeletal rearrangements, such as cell division, adhesion, and migration. The possible regulatory role of PAKs in cell metabolism has not been well explored, but increasing evidence suggests that a cell metabolic phenotype is related to cell interactions with the microenvironment. We analyzed the impact of PAK inhibition by small molecule inhibitors, small interfering RNA, or gene knockout on the rates of mitochondrial respiration and aerobic glycolysis. Pharmacological inhibition of PAK group I by IPA‐3 induced a strong decrease in metabolic rates in human adherent cancer cell lines, leukemia/lymphoma cell lines, and primary leukemia cells. The immediate effect of FRAX597, which inhibits PAK kinase activity, was moderate, indicating that PAK nonkinase functions are essential for cell metabolism. Selective downregulation or deletion of PAK2 was associated with a shift toward oxidative phosphorylation. In contrast, PAK1 knockout resulted in increased glycolysis. However, the overall metabolic capacity was not substantially reduced by PAK1 or PAK2 deletion, possibly due to partial redundancy in PAK1/PAK2 regulatory roles or to activation of other compensatory mechanisms.
Essential workers: Past month suicidal ideation and COVID‐19 stress
Authors: Bond Allison E. , Wagler Kayla , Anestis Michael D.
Published: November 2021

Objective

This study examined if essential workers (EW) reported higher past month suicidal ideation (SI) and coronavirus‐19 (COVID‐19) stress than non‐EW, explored if the association between EW status and SI is indirect through COVID stress, and tested whether EW who identified as black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) experienced more past month SI and COVID stress than white EW.

Methods

Participants (N = 3500) were predominately white and female. COVID‐19 was assessed with the COVID‐19 subscale.

Results

EWs reported higher past month ideation and COVID‐19 stress than non‐EWs. EWs who identified as BIPOC reported higher past month ideation and higher fears about economic consequences and compulsive checking and reassurance seeking subscales compared to White EWs.

Conclusion

EWs experience higher rates of SI and stress than non‐EW; and BIPOC EWs experience higher SI and stress than White EWs. Accessibility of support should be a priority for this group at high risk for both the physical and emotional burden of COVID‐19.
Estrogenic signaling and sociosexual behavior in wild sex‐changing bluehead wrasses, Thalassoma bifasciatum
Authors: Prim Julianna H. , Phillips Marshall C. , Lamm Melissa S. , Brady Jeannie , Cabral Itze , Durden Shelby , Dustin Elizabeth , Hazellief Allison , Klapheke Brandon , Lamb April D. , Lukowsky Alison , May Dianna , Sanchez Sidney G. , Thompson Kelly C. , Tyler William A. , Godwin John
Published: November 2021

Estrogenic signaling is an important focus in studies of gonadal and brain sexual differentiation in fishes and vertebrates generally. This study examined variation in estrogenic signaling (1) across three sexual phenotypes (female, female‐mimic initial phase [IP] male, and terminal phase [TP] male), (2) during socially‐controlled female‐to‐male sex change, and (3) during tidally‐driven spawning cycles in the protogynous bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum). We analyzed relative abundances of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for the brain form of aromatase (cyp19a1b) and the three nuclear estrogen receptors (ER) (ERα, ERβa, and ERβb) by qPCR. Consistent with previous reports, forebrain/midbrain cyp19a1b was highest in females, significantly lower in TP males, and lowest in IP males. By contrast, ERα and ERβb mRNA abundances were highest in TP males and increased during sex change. ERβa mRNA did not vary significantly. Across the tidally‐driven spawning cycle, cyp19a1b abundances were higher in females than TP males. Interestingly, cyp19a1b levels were higher in TP males close (~1 h) to the daily spawning period when sexual and aggressive behaviors rise than males far from spawning (~10–12 h). Together with earlier findings, our results suggest alterations in neural estrogen signaling are key regulators of socially‐controlled sex change and sexual phenotype differences. Additionally, these patterns suggest TP male‐typical sociosexual behaviors may depend on intermediate rather than low estrogenic signaling. We discuss these results and the possibility that an inverted‐U shaped relationship between neural estrogen and male‐typical behaviors is more common than presently appreciated.
Large Scale 3D Printing: Influence of Fillers on Warp Deformation and on Mechanical Properties of Printed Polypropylene Components
Authors: Winter Kevin , Wilfert Jonas , Häupler Bernhard , Erlmann Jonas , Altstädt Volker
Published: November 2021

Additive manufacturing processes are still on the way from a prototyping process to an established serial production process. Often the limiting factors are the variety and costs of materials compared with standard materials. Polypropylene is a commonly used material in series production. The processing of polypropylene in additive‐ and extrusion‐based manufacturing processes is still a challenge. A big issue in pellet‐based large scale additive manufacturing of polypropylene is to achieve dimensional accuracy of the printed parts. Due to the semi‐crystalline nature of polypropylene and its low adhesive force on standard printing surfaces (aluminum) the fabricated parts tend to warp and deviate from the geometric shape. In this paper the influence of a melt adhesive and different filler types (glass fibers, glass bubbles, and talcum) on the warpage behavior of 3D printed polypropylene parts is investigated. Another issue in additive manufacturing is the mechanical properties of the fabricated parts compared to injection molded parts. The mechanical properties of 3D printed parts often show a dependency on the print direction, especially in case of using fillers with an anisotropic shape (fibers). In this study the influence of different fillers on mechanical properties and process indicated orientation is analyzed.
RENATE: A Pseudo‐retrosynthetic Tool for Synthetically Accessible de novo Design
Authors: Ghiandoni Gian Marco , Bodkin Michael J. , Chen Beining , Hristozov Dimitar , Wallace James E. A. , Webster James , Gillet Valerie J.
Published: November 2021

Reaction‐based de novo design refers to the generation of synthetically accessible molecules using transformation rules extracted from known reactions in the literature. In this context, we have previously described the extraction of reaction vectors from a reactions database and their coupling with a structure generation algorithm for the generation of novel molecules from a starting material. An issue when designing molecules from a starting material is the combinatorial explosion of possible product molecules that can be generated, especially for multistep syntheses. Here, we present the development of RENATE, a reaction‐based de novo design tool, which is based on a pseudo‐retrosynthetic fragmentation of a reference ligand and an inside‐out approach to de novo design. The reference ligand is fragmented; each fragment is used to search for similar fragments as building blocks; the building blocks are combined into products using reaction vectors; and a synthetic route is suggested for each product molecule. The RENATE methodology is presented followed by a retrospective validation to recreate a set of approved drugs. Results show that RENATE can generate very similar or even identical structures to the corresponding input drugs, hence validating the fragmentation, search, and design heuristics implemented in the tool.
Dynamic transitions and bifurcations of 1D reaction–diffusion equations: The self‐adjoint case
Authors: Şengül Taylan , Tiryakioglu Burhan
Published: November 2021

This paper deals with the classification of transition phenomena in the most basic dissipative system possible, namely, the 1D reaction–diffusion equation. The emphasis is on the relation between the linear and nonlinear terms and the effect of the boundaries which influence the first transitions. We consider the cases where the linear part is self‐adjoint with second‐order and fourth‐order derivatives which is the case which most often arises in applications. We assume that the nonlinear term depends on the unknown function and its first derivative which is basically the semilinear case for the second‐order reaction–diffusion system. As for the boundary conditions, we consider the typical Dirichlet, Neumann, and periodic boundary settings. In all the cases, the equations admit a trivial steady state which loses stability at a critical parameter. We aim to classify all possible transitions and bifurcations that take place. Our analysis shows that these systems display all three types of transitions: continuous, jump and mixed. Moreover they exhibit transcritical, supercritical bifurcations with bifurcated states such as finitely many equilibria, circle of equilibria, and slowly rotating limit cycle. Many applications found in the literature are basically corollaries of our main results. We apply our results to classify the first transitions of the Chaffee–Infante equation, the Fisher‐KPP equation, the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation, and the Swift–Hohenberg equation.
High‐resolution, 3D multi‐TE 1H MRSI using fast spatiospectral encoding and subspace imaging
Authors: Wang Zepeng , Li Yahang , Lam Fan
Published: November 2021

Purpose

To develop a novel method to achieve fast, high‐resolution, 3D multi‐TE 1H‐MRSI of the brain.

Methods

A new multi‐TE MRSI acquisition strategy was developed that integrates slab selective excitation with adiabatic refocusing for better volume coverage, rapid spatiospectral encoding, sparse multi‐TE sampling, and interleaved water navigators for field mapping and calibration. Special data processing strategies were developed to interpolate the sparsely sampled data, remove nuisance signals, and reconstruct multi‐TE spatiospectral distributions with high SNR. Phantom and in vivo experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the capability of the proposed method.

Results

The proposed acquisition can produce multi‐TE 1H‐MRSI data with three TEs at a nominal spatial resolution of 3.4 × 3.4 × 5.3 mm3 in around 20 min. High‐SNR brain metabolite spatiospectral reconstructions can be obtained from both a metabolite phantom and in vivo experiments by the proposed method.

Conclusion

High‐resolution, 3D multi‐TE 1H‐MRSI of the brain can be achieved within clinically feasible time. This capability, with further optimizations, could be translated to clinical applications and neuroscience studies where simultaneously mapping metabolites and neurotransmitters and TE‐dependent molecular spectral changes are of interest.