bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disparities in use of disciplinary solitary confinement by mental health diagnosis, race, sexual orientation and sex: Results from a national survey in the United States of America
Authors: Henry Brandy F.
Published: April 2022

Background

Solitary confinement is still used in prisons in the USA, despite its links to poor health. Past research suggests that there may be disparities by race, ethnicity, sex and mental disorders regarding who is placed in solitary confinement, although nationwide studies have been sparse.

Aims

To explore possible disparities by race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, adverse childhood experiences and mental disorders in solitary confinement as a disciplinary action for adults incarcerated in USA prisons.

Methods

Data come from a recently released national survey of 24,848 adults incarcerated in the USA—the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates. Logistic regression models were used to identify disparities in the use of disciplinary action and solitary confinement as a disciplinary action, while controlling for type of rule violation.

Results

After controlling for rule violation type, solitary confinement was used as a disciplinary action at higher rates for people who: were multiracial, as compared to white (aOR = 1.30), male, as compared to female (aOR = 1.46), bisexual, as compared to heterosexual (aOR = 1.64), had multiple mental disorders, as compared to none (aOR = 1.22) or had more adverse childhood experiences (aOR = 1.13).

Conclusions

Findings highlight demographic and health disparities in the use of solitary confinement, which may further widen health disparities. More effective implementation of policies to reduce the use of solitary confinement are still needed. Mental health professionals should have an active role in advising on measures when mental disorder is a factor and must ensure adequate treatment of disorders in prison or transfer to health facilities.
When coronary imaging and physiology are discordant, how best to manage coronary lesions? An appraisal of the clinical evidence
Authors: Fernández‐Peregrina Estefania , Ahmad Huzaifa , Mintz Gary S. , Garcia‐Garcia Hector M.
Published: April 2022

Background

Discordant physiology and anatomy may occur when nonsevere angiographic stenosis has positive physiology as well as the opposite situation.

Aim

To underline the reasons behind the discrepancy in physiology and anatomy and to summarize the information that coronary imaging may add to physiology.

Methods

A review of the published literature on physiology and intravascular imaging assessment of intermediate lesions was carried out.

Results

The limitations of angiography, the possibility of an underlying diffuse disease, the presence of a “grey zone” in both techniques, the amount of myocardial mass that subtends the stenosis, and plaque vulnerability may play a role in such discrepancy. Intracoronary imaging has a poor diagnostic accuracy compared to physiology. However, it may add information about plaque vulnerability that might be useful in deciding whether to treat or not a certain lesion.

Conclusions

Coronary revascularization is recommended for patients with ischemia based on physiology. Intracoronary imaging adds information on plaque vulnerability and can help on the decision whether to revascularize or not a lesion.
Management of pain due to cervical multilevel disk bulges and spinal stenosis with a focused vibro‐percussion wave treatment: A case report
Authors: Abu Omar Arwa Jameel , Al Baradie Mohammad Sami , Al Dera Hussain , Vannabouathong Christopher , Bartel Lee
Published: April 2022

A patient presenting with low back pain received 18 treatments of FDA‐approved low‐frequency vibro‐percussion wave stimulation known as Khan Kinetic Treatment (KKT). Following KKT, he demonstrated improvement in pain, function, quality of life, sleep, and trunk range of motion with no adverse events.
A case of bone lesion in a patient with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia and review of the literature
Authors: Bacchiarri Francesca , Gozzetti Alessandro , Mondanelli Nicola , Lazzi Stefano , Bocchia Monica
Published: April 2022

Skeletal involvement in CLL is very rare. We present a case of ileum bone lesion during in a patient receiving 5th line of therapy. Despite radiotherapy and salvage therapies, subsequent bone lesions led to a fatal outcome. Further studies on the mechanism by which bone disease develops are currently needed.
Unusual presentation of intramuscular hemangioma in abdominal oblique muscles
Authors: Miro Jameel
Published: April 2022

Intramuscular hemangiomas are rare benign tumors that are difficult to diagnose. We report a successful case of intramuscular hemangioma excision involving the external oblique muscles. The mass was excised successfully, and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of intramuscular hemangioma with a negative margin and no malignancy.
Novel compound heterozygous mutations in a GNE myopathy with congenital thrombocytopenia: A case report and literature review
Authors: Xu Zhouwei , Xiang Jingyan , Luan Xinghua , Geng Zhi , Cao Li
Published: April 2022

We reported a GNE myopathy with congenital thrombocytopenia on a young male patient. He presented with a 3‐year history of lower distal extremity weakness initially affecting his legs. The weakness slowly progressed to lower proximal legs and upper arms last 6 months. Whole‐exome sequencing revealed that the patient harbored two heterozygous gene mutations, including a novel insertion mutation c.*1037_*1038CACACACACACACACACACACA and c.C478T in exome 12 and 3 of the GNE gene (NM_001128227), respectively. The levels of serum sialic acid in this patient were considerably decreased. Muscle MRI imaging showed the anterior and medial parts of his quadriceps were heavily affected by this disease. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed prominent rimmed vacuoles with a lack of inflammatory response in the atrophied muscle. We also undertook a review of the current literature, searching for reports in which the GNE gene mutation caused the thrombocytopenia with or without muscle weakness. This new gene mutation finding broadens the GNE disease genotype spectrum, and further investigation of the relationship between GNE gene mutations and the heterogeneity of its clinical manifestations is needed.
Uncommon presentation of Kikuchi disease
Authors: Furusaka Takayuki , Miyagami Taiju , Suzuki Mayu , Naito Toshio
Published: April 2022

Kikuchi disease is common among Asians and women aged about 30 years. General symptoms include cervical lymphadenopathy and fever; 64% of the cases are self‐limiting. However, this case is axillary lymphadenopathy, which is the main symptom in males. Thus, Kikuchi disease may be considered in the differential diagnosis of axillary lymphadenopathy.
A Facile and Environmental‐Friendly Approach to Synthesize S‐Doped Fe/Ni Layered Double Hydroxide Catalyst with High Oxygen Evolution Reaction Efficiency in Water Splitting
Authors: Xie Shijie , Liu Changsheng , Song Runwei , Ji Yingxi , Xiao Zhaohui , Huo Chunqing , Lin Shiwei
Published: April 2022

Here we report a time‐saving and environmental‐friendly approach to grow sulfur doping Fe/Ni layered double hydroxide (S−FeNi LDH) catalysts on FeNi alloy sheet in five minutes at ambient temperature. It efficiently synthesizes a catalyst with multi‐layer and superlative oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in water splitting. The S−FeNi LDH shows overpotentials of 202 and 266 mV to deliver current densities of 10 and 100 mA/cm2 in alkaline water respectively. The introduction of sulfur makes the catalyst more hydrophilic and changes the adsorption energy of the OER intermediates that is performed by density functional theory (DFT). This work provides an efficient strategy to improve the catalytic activity by increasing active sites and supplies a cost‐saving method to construct an effective OER catalyst for water splitting, which is extremely important for the hydrogen economy as well as environmental conservation.
Forage nutritive value of stock‐piled cicer milkvetch for late‐season grazing
Authors: Peel Michael D. , Waldron Blair L.
Published: April 2022

Achieving high forage production combined with adequate forage nutritive value on Intermountain western U.S. grazing lands during the fall and early winter can be difficult. Crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) were characterized relative to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.]. Forage was harvested monthly September–December from season long stockpiled growth (full‐season), stockpiled regrowth following a June defoliation (mid‐season), and stockpiled regrowth following an August defoliation (late‐season). Crude protein of cicer milkvetch ranged from 11.9 to 9.2%, 20.5 to 14.3%, and 24.6 to 15.9%, in the full‐, mid‐, and late‐season stockpiled strategies, respectively. Overall, cicer milkvetch CP was equal to alfalfa CP and 5.7 percentage points greater than crested wheatgrass CP across all harvest dates of the three stockpiling scenarios. Furthermore, cicer milkvetch NDF was less (more favorable) than both alfalfa and crested wheatgrass, ranging from 46.4 to 59.6%, 23.0 to 37.4%, and 26.2 to 33.7%, in the full‐, mid‐, and late‐season stockpiled strategies, respectively. The high CP and superior NDF of cicer milkvetch indicate it has unrealized potential for improving forage nutritive value of grazing lands in the western United States, particularly in the late fall to early winter.
A survey of turfgrass irrigation water quality in Pennsylvania
Authors: Landschoot Peter James , Spargo John , McGraw Benjamin A.
Published: April 2022

Surveys of irrigation water reveal important information about water quality in different geographic regions and can serve as a reference to compare with individual samples submitted to labs. This survey aimed to establish a baseline profile of turfgrass irrigation water quality from nonamended and noneffluent sources in Pennsylvania that can be compared with water quality data from other geographic regions and future surveys in the Mid‐Atlantic region, and to improve test report guidelines for samples submitted to labs. The survey was conducted between fall 2007 and spring 2019 and included 190 irrigation water samples. Samples were analyzed at Penn State's Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory (PSAASL) for pH, alkalinity, hardness, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, sodium absorption ratio, bicarbonate, carbonate, residual sodium carbonate, nitrate‐N, ammonium‐N, and 13 elements. The results showed acceptable irrigation water quality according to published guidelines, with some exceptions, which included high (and potentially problematic) values for sodium, total dissolved solids, and sulfur, but these represented ≤10% of the samples. According to the results, most normal ranges and upper limits for the quality parameters of turfgrass irrigation water should be similar to those currently listed in PSAASL reports. However, the normal ranges for pH, alkalinity, and bicarbonate should be expanded to account for the numerous water samples (> 45%) that exceeded the maximum range listed in test reports. The normal range and upper limit of nitrate‐N should be lowered in PSAASL reports to reflect the results and concerns about environmental and health‐related effects.
Zwitterionic Block Copolymers for the Synthesis and Stabilization of Perovskite Nanocrystals
Authors: Cueto Christopher , Donoghue Colleen , Bolduc Kimberly , Emrick Todd
Published: April 2022

Traditional hot injection methods for the preparation of cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (CsPbX3 PNCs, where X=Cl, Br, or I) rely on small molecule surfactants to produce PNCs with cube, plate, or rod‐like morphologies. Here, we describe a new method whereby zwitterionic block copolymers are employed as macromolecular ligands in PNC synthesis, affording PNCs with excellent colloidal stability, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and in some cases distinctly non‐cubic shapes. The block copolymers used in this study – composed of a poly(n‐butyl methacrylate) hydrophobic block and zwitterionic methacrylate hydrophilic blocks – dissolve in useful solvents for PNC growth despite containing large mole percentages of zwitterionic groups. PNCs prepared with block copolymer ligands were found to disperse and retain their fluorescence in a range of polar organic solvents and were amenable to direct integration into optically transparent nanocomposite thin films with high PNC content.
Tieftemperaturkühlung in der Pharma‐ und Biotechnologie
Authors: Schäble Pia
Published: April 2022

Da es kaum wirtschaftliche Alternativen zum Erreichen sehr niedrigen Temperaturen gibt, darf R23 trotz des hohen GWP‐Werts noch in Ausnahmen eingesetzt werden. Für mehr Planungssicherheit bietet der Anlagenbauer KIT‐Plersch nun eine umweltfreundliche und effiziente Lösung auf Basis einer Kaskadentechnologie mit natürlichen Kältemitteln an.
Vom Labor bis in den Produktionsprozess
Authors: Cuellar Maryann
Published: April 2022

Die Raman‐Spektroskopie ist in der biopharmazeutischen Industrie inzwischen ein Verfahren mit einer langen Anwendungsgeschichte. Die Technologie hat sich mit der Branche weiterentwickelt, und die im Markt verfügbaren Analysegeräte sind die Antwort auf viele verfahrenstechnische Herausforderungen in biopharmazeutischen Upstream‐ wie Downstream‐Prozessen.
Hygienische Doppelschraubenspindelpumpe fördert Desinfektionsgel
Authors: Kochenburger Nicole
Published: April 2022

Aufgrund des weiterhin hohen Bedarfs an Desinfektionsmitteln hat die Steinfels Swiss in ihre Produktionsanlagen investiert. Im Werk in Winterthur wurde im Rahmen des Umbaus eine neue Pumpe von Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland installier. Die Pumpe fördert unter ATEX‐Bedingungen den gelartigen Fertig‐Bulk vom Rührwerk in das Tanklager automatisiert und prozesssicher und ist für die verschiedenen Viskositäten der Medien gut geeignet..
NAMUR‐Technologie‐Roadmap Prozess‐Sensoren 2027+
Authors: Oestreich Volker
Published: April 2022

Die Technologie‐Roadmap “Prozess‐Sensoren 2027+” der NAMUR fasst die gemeinsame Technologie‐ und Marktsicht von Anwendern, Herstellern und Forschungseinrichtungen im Bereich Prozesssensorik in der verfahrenstechnischen Industrie zusammen. Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit sind übergreifende Kernthemen der künftigen Entwicklung.
Passend für Ethernet‐APL
Authors: Aust Alexander , Hennecke Andreas
Published: April 2022

Ethernet‐APL stellt neue Anforderungen an die Gehäusetechnologie für explosionsgefährdeteProzessanlagen. Die Lösung sind zertifizierte Gehäuse, die unterschiedliche Technologien zusammenführen und zu den lokalen, nationalen und internationalen Richtlinien passen.
Bereit für die grüne Energiezukunft
Authors: Manegold Christoph
Published: April 2022

Um die anspruchsvolle Prozesstechnik im Elektrolyseur sicher und zuverlässig messen und steuern zu können, braucht es hochpräzise Hochspannungs‐Trennverstärker und Prozessanalytik. Der Beitrag beschreibt die Anforderungen, die an MSR‐Technik in der Wasserstoffgewinnung gestellt werden anhand des Beispiels eines PEM‐Elektrolyseurs eines amerikanischen Herstellers. Hohe Messgenauigkeiten, kurze Einstellzeiten und hohe Spannungsfestigkeit bis in den Kilovoltbereich sind für diese Einsatzzwecke maßgeblich. Desweiteren beschreibt der Beitrag den Einsatz von Sensorik zur Prozessanalyse, um Reinstwasserqualität für die Wasserstoffgewinnung sicherzustellen.
Sorgfältiger Umgang mit wertvollen Hochkonzentraten
Authors: Hilleke Ludger
Published: April 2022

Für mehr Sicherheit finden die mehrstufigen Synthesen und Formulierungsschritte von Hochkonzentraten in geschlossenen Systemen statt. Amixon‐Apparate tragen aufgrund ihrer besonderen Konstruktionsmerkmale viel zur Effizienz der Prozesse in der Pflanzenschutzmittelproduktion bei.
Pumpen zu vermieten
Authors: Preuß Thomas
Published: April 2022

Als drei Tage vor der geplanten Einbindung eines neuen Teilstücks in die Mainzer Trinkwasser‐Transportleitung eine Pumpe ausfällt, organisiert Atlas Copco für das Bauunternehmen kurzfristig ein Mietaggregat sowie passende Schnellkupplungsrohre. Die trocken ansaugende Entwässerungspumpe entleert die alte Leitung binnen weniger Stunden sicher. Das Wasser wird 400 m weiter in ein Sammelbecken gefördert.
Impact of autologous transplantation on survival in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who have high‐risk cytogenetics: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Chakraborty Rajshekhar , Siddiqi Rabbia , Willson Gloria , Gupta Samiksha , Asghar Noureen , Husnain Muhammad , Aljama Mohammed A. , Behera Tapas Ranjan , Anwer Faiz , Perrot Aurore , Riaz Irbaz B
Published: April 2022

Background

Despite routine evaluation of cytogenetics in myeloma, little is known regarding the impact of high‐dose therapy (HDT) consolidation on overall survival (OS) or progression‐free survival (PFS) in patients who have high‐risk cytogenetics. The authors performed a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the heterogeneity of HDT efficacy according to cytogenetic risk.

Methods

All RCTs in patients who had newly diagnosed myeloma from 2000 to 2021 that compared upfront HDT versus standard‐dose therapy (SDT) consolidation were included. The primary objective was to assess the difference in HDT efficacy between standard‐risk and high‐risk cytogenetics in terms of the OS or PFS log(hazard ratio) (HR). The pooled OS and PFS HR was calculated according to cytogenetic‐risk subgroup using a random‐effects model, and heterogeneity (I2) (the percentage of total observed variability explained by between‐study differences) was assessed using an interaction test.

Results

After screening 3307 citations, 6 RCTs were included for PFS analysis, and 4 were included for OS analysis. The median follow‐up ranged from 3.1 to 7.8 years. The pooled OS HR for HDT versus SDT consolidation in patients with standard‐risk and high‐risk cytogenetics was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70‐1.17; I2 = 0%) and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.45‐0.97; I2 = 0%), respectively. The difference in HDT efficacy in terms of OS between standard‐risk and high‐risk patients was statistically significant in favor of the high‐risk group (P for interaction = .03). The pooled PFS HR for HDT versus SDT was 0.65 (95% CI 0.56‐0.76; I2 = 0%) versus 0.52 (95% CI, 0.33‐0.83; I2 = 55%), respectively. The difference in HDT efficacy in terms of PFS between standard‐risk and high‐risk patients was not significant (P for interaction = .25).

Conclusions

The magnitude of OS benefit with upfront HDT is cytogenetics‐dependent. Patients with high‐risk cytogenetics should preferably receive upfront rather than delayed HDT consolidation.

Lay Summary

Upfront autologous stem cell transplantation improves overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma harboring high‐risk cytogenetics.
Optimal design of a PEMFC‐based combined cooling, heating and power system based on an improved version of Aquila optimizer
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Mobayen Saleh
Published: April 2022

In this research, a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system have been utilized based on Proton‐Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) using natural gas. To develop the complete hybrid system model, the internal fuel converter equations, electrochemical relations, heating, and cooling are solved simultaneously. The suggested technique presents a new optimized configuration for a CCHP system based on PEMFC. The key concept is to utilize an improved version of the Aquila Optimizer (IAO) algorithm to provide the optimal configuration by considering different terms such as exergy and energy performance, yearly cost, and GHG decrease. The suggested approach was then carried out on a case study and a comparison simulation with two other methods including the NSGA‐II from the literature and the original Aquila Optimizer indicated the method's higher efficiency.
An extensive vulnerability assessment and countermeasures in open network operating system software defined networking controller
Authors: Singh Avtar , Kaur Navjot , Kaur Harpreet
Published: April 2022

Software defined networking (SDN) is the technology that has changed the design and deployment architecture of networks with its benefits like centralization, application awareness, programmability and so forth. But security is one aspect, which needs to be continuously revised according to the new vulnerabilities or bugs found in the network. In this article, penetration testing or vulnerability assessment has been performed on ONOS SDN controller with both single and clustered controller environments. Penetration testing has been performed using DELTA framework, which is solely built for SDN. Apart from using DELTA, python scripting and some popular DDoS tools like Hping3, Nping and Xerxes, are used to perform DDoS (TCP SYN and HTTP) vulnerability assessment. A total of 13 known and unknown vulnerabilities were found with impact of six each listed in high, and medium, while one vulnerability has low‐impact. The impact level is measured using common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) 3.1. Vulnerabilities have been found on the ONOS deployments with default parameters and results achieved can be used to strengthen the security of ONOS SDN controller. Our research puts major emphasis on finding both known and unknown vulnerabilities in ONOS SDN controller and their countermeasures to prevent or mitigate these vulnerabilities.
GraphWare: A graph‐based middleware enabling multi‐robot cooperation
Authors: Chen Jinlin , Cao Jiannong , Liang Zhixuan , Cheng Zhiqin , Wang Jia
Published: April 2022

Multi‐robot systems are widely used to handle complex and cooperative missions in various industrial applications. Although robotic middleware has become the key to reducing the complexity of multi‐robot application development, existing works still have limitations in controlling multiple robots to perform missions cooperatively. To enable multi‐robot cooperation, middleware should provide high‐level abstraction support, dynamic configuration, communication, and synchronization. In this article, we proposeGraphWare, a novel middleware that provides a graph‐based programming abstraction and its underlying runtime kernel for programming and building multi‐robot cooperation applications. The graph‐based programming abstraction can express cooperative missions without exposing the complexity of managing multiple robots. The runtime kernel configures and manages multiple heterogeneous robots to intelligently perform cooperative missions. We implementGraphWareand evaluate its performance with ball collection missions which are cooperatively accomplished by a group of mobile robots, and study the fault‐tolerance, flexibility, and scalability of the middleware in the realistic simulation. The experimental results demonstrate thatGraphWarefacilitates the multi‐robot cooperative mission with efficient mission completion time, high success rate, and marginal runtime overhead.
Economics of Soil Health: Contributions of Reduced Tillage and Cover Cropping
Authors: Flanders Archie
Published: April 2022

Data from 100 farmers indicate increased net farm income as a result of adopting soil health practices. Soil health practices are marginal changes from conventional production methods with most seasonal activities and inputs remaining unchanged. Changes in management do require considerations for local soil and climate. Transitioning to soil health systems can be a gradual process, and it may take many years to achieve full benefits of reduced inputs and increased productivity. The Assessing Soil Health Series is part of a larger Soil Science Society of America webinar series produced in partnership with The Soil Health Institute and sponsored by The Walton Family Foundation. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by reading the article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.
Is seed coat structure at fault for altered permeability and imbibition injury in artificially aged soybean seeds?
Authors: Satya Srii Vijayan , Nagarajappa Nethra , Vasudevan Saligrama Nabhirajaiah
Published: April 2022

Ageing induces many deteriorative changes to seeds during storage like genetic damage, protein degradation, enzyme inactivation and loss of membrane integrity. In this study, we subject to investigate the alterations in seed coat structure and its permeability properties due to accelerated ageing affecting the subsequent imbibition of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds. Two contrasting seed coat colour genotypes, JS 335 (white) and Bhatt (black) were selected and artificially aged for 48 and 72 h. The results of seed ageing on permeability, imbibition and germination proved that permeability and imbibition increased but germination decreased in white genotype due to imbibitional injury, whereas germination increased in black genotype due to breaking of hard seed coat imposed dormancy. The hard seeds in the black genotype with a different seed coat structure compared to the white genotype prevented imbibition injury in aged seeds by regulating permeability. Microscopic studies of seed coat structure in aged seeds revealed a thick cuticle with small hilar fissure and compact, dense hourglass cells in black genotype compared to a thin cuticle with large hilar fissure and loosely packed and distorted hourglass cells in white genotype. Thus the altered permeability and imbibition injury in artificially aged seeds is shown to occur mainly as a result of altered and damaged seed coat structure.
Carbon‐Based Sorbents for Hydrogen Storage: Challenges and Sustainability at Operating Conditions for Renewable Energy
Authors: Rimza Tripti , Saha Sumit , Dhand Chetna , Dwivedi Neeraj , Patel Shiv Singh , Singh Shiv , Kumar Pradip
Published: April 2022

It is estimated that all fossil fuels will be depleted by 2060 if we continue to use them at the present rate. Therefore, there is an unmet need for an alternative source of energy with high calorific value. In this regard, hydrogen is considered the best alternative renewable fuel that could be used in practical conditions. Accordingly, researchers are looking for an ideal hydrogen storage system under ambient conditions for feasible applications. In many respects, carbon‐based sorbents have emerged as the best possible hydrogen storage media. These carbon‐based sorbents are cost‐effective, eco‐friendly, and readily available. In this Review, the present status of carbon‐based materials in promoting solid‐state hydrogen storage technologies at the operating temperature and pressure was reported. Experimental studies have shown that some carbon‐based materials such as mesoporous graphene and doped carbon nanotubes may have hydrogen storage uptake of 3–7 wt %, while some theoretical studies have predicted up to 13.79 wt % of hydrogen uptake at ambient conditions. Also, it was found that different methods used for carbon materials synthesis played a vital role in hydrogen storage performance. Eventually, this Review will be helpful to the scientific community for finding the competent material and methodology to investigate the existing hydrogen uptake issues at operating conditions.
Linking habitat interactions and biodiversity within seascapes
Authors: Bugnot Ana B. , Dafforn Katherine A. , Coleman Ross A. , Ramsdale Megan , Gibbeson Jayden T. , Erickson Katherine , Vila‐Concejo Ana , Figueira William F. , Gribben Paul E.
Published: April 2022

Habitat interactions play key roles in regulating biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This is particularly important in aquatic ecosystems, where the flow of water facilitates exchanges of energy and matter. Oyster reefs, a highly degraded habitat globally and a key focus for restoration efforts, can reduce water movement and facilitate the deposition of particles around them, affecting nutrient cycling in surrounding sediments. The effects of these reefs on sediment infauna taxonomic and functional biodiversity, however, remain unknown. We sampled sediments at increasing distances from reefs at three estuaries to evaluate the relationships between proximity to oyster reefs and composition and functionality of infaunal communities and explored the potential mechanisms behind those relationships. Sediments close to oyster reefs had consistently greater amounts of labile organic matter, which in turn was positively related to the number of taxa and total abundance of infauna. Also, the functional traits of infauna, such as bioturbation and feeding modes, were related to proximity to reefs, but they were variable between estuaries indicating the importance of background estuarine environmental conditions. These results suggest that habitat linkages between oyster reefs and sediments are important in regulating taxonomic biodiversity, while functional biodiversity seems to be driven by processes operating at larger scales. Given burgeoning restoration initiatives worldwide, particularly those of oyster reefs, incorporating seascape interactions can help inform recovery of biodiversity and functions beyond the target habitat at the seascape level, which is often overlooked.
Effects of forest disturbance, snow depth, and intraguild dynamics on American marten and fisher occupancy in Maine, USA
Authors: Evans Bryn E. , Mortelliti Alessio
Published: April 2022

Human land use is a driving force of habitat loss and modification globally, with consequences for wildlife species. The American marten (Martes americana) and fisher (Pekania pennanti) are forest‐dependent carnivores native to North America. Both species suffered population declines due to loss of forested habitat and overharvest for furs, and continued habitat modification is an ongoing threat. Furthermore, the smaller marten may be susceptible to intraguild exclusion where the larger fisher are abundant, and both habitat modification and climate change may reduce spatial refugia available to marten. A detailed understanding of co‐occurrence patterns of marten and fisher in landscapes subjected to intense forest disturbance represents a key knowledge gap for wildlife ecology and management. Maine, in the northeastern United States, supports populations of both these species. It is an extensively forested state, and the vast majority is managed as commercial timberland. We designed a large‐scale field study to understand the relative importance of three sets of predictions for marten and fisher occupancy patterns where commercial silviculture is widespread: (1) The intensity of forest disturbance primarily determined both marten and fisher occupancy rates, (2) fisher occupancy was limited to areas of shallower snow and marten limited by fisher presence, or (3) both species responded to the composition of tree species within forested habitat. We collected data to test these nonmutually exclusive hypotheses via camera‐trap surveys, using an experimental design balanced across a gradient of forest disturbance intensity. We deployed 197 camera stations in both summer and winter over 3 years (2017–2020). We tagged over 800,000 images and found marten at 124 (63%) and fisher at 168 (85%) of the stations. By fitting multiseason occupancy models to the data, we found that the degree of habitat disturbance negatively influenced detection, occupancy, and temporal turnover for both species. Contrary to our expectations, however, we found no evidence of interspecific competition and instead support for positive associations with detection probabilities both spatially and temporally. Both species were positively associated with forest stands containing deciduous trees. Our findings further illustrate the impact that land use has on the occupancy dynamics for these forest‐dependent carnivores.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of negative dielectrophoresis‐induced particle trajectories
Authors: Luna Ramona , Heineck Daniel P. , Bucher Elmar , Heiser Laura , Ibsen Stuart D.
Published: April 2022

Many biomedical analysis applications require trapping and manipulating single cells and cell clusters within microfluidic devices. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a label‐free technique that can achieve flexible cell trapping, without physical barriers, using electric field gradients created in the device by an electrode microarray. Little is known about how fluid flow forces created by the electrodes, such as thermally driven convection and electroosmosis, affect DEP‐based cell capture under high conductance media conditions that simulate physiologically relevant fluids such as blood or plasma. Here, we compare theoretical trajectories of particles under the influence of negative DEP (nDEP) with observed trajectories of real particles in a high conductance buffer. We used 10‐µm diameter polystyrene beads as model cells and tracked their trajectories in the DEP microfluidic chip. The theoretical nDEP trajectories were in close agreement with the observed particle behavior. This agreement indicates that the movement of the particles was highly dominated by the DEP force and that contributions from thermal‐ and electroosmotic‐driven flows were negligible under these experimental conditions. The analysis protocol developed here offers a strategy that can be applied to future studies with different applied voltages, frequencies, conductivities, and polarization properties of the targeted particles and surrounding medium. These findings motivate further DEP device development to manipulate particle trajectories for trapping applications.
Defective N‐Doped Carbon Nanospheres Anchored Pd for Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Bio‐Models under Mild Conditions
Authors: Li Chunli , Zhang Yahui , Ju Ji , Li Hao
Published: April 2022

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is of great significance in converting biomass into high value‐added chemicals under mild conditions. However, the design of effective catalysts remains challenge. Herein, a N‐doped carbon nanospheres–supported Pd catalyst for mild vanillin HDO is designed by defect‐enhancement engineering using in situ synthesis. According to the characterization results, the degree of defects is enhanced on the in situ N‐doped carbon spheres (CAFR) with 3‐aminophenol as nitrogen source, which is related to the higher content of pyridine nitrogen. The Pd/CAFR with the most degree of defects exhibits excellent catalytic performance (99.8% of 2‐methoxy‐4‐methylphenol yield) at 50 °C. The plentiful defects act as active sites for anchoring Pd nanoparticles (NPs) to promote uniform dispersion. Meanwhile, the highly dispersed Pd NPs are coordinated with abundant defects through strong metal‐support interaction to increase the content of reduced Pd NPs, which improves the catalytic activity under mild conditions. Moreover, the optimal Pd/CAFR catalyst shows favorable recyclability after five cycles. The defect‐enhancement engineering on carbon materials by in situ N‐doping provides a new idea for support modification of high‐efficiency catalysts under mild conditions.
High‐Throughput Aging System for Parallel Maximum Power Point Tracking of Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Köbler Hans , Neubert Sebastian , Jankovec Marko , Glažar Boštjan , Haase Martin , Hilbert Clemens , Topič Marko , Rech Bernd , Abate Antonio
Published: April 2022

In this research instrument article, the capabilities and details of a high‐throughput aging system for parallel maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), capable of assessing the operational stability of a large number of devices, are presented. The intention is to provide insights into the machine and the development process to engineers who want to create a similar system and eventually make MPPT stability testing of PSCs a standard procedure.
A pedagogy of fluvial geomorphology: Incorporating scaffolding and active learning into tertiary education courses
Authors: Fryirs Kirstie
Published: April 2022

This commentary focusses on the pedagogy of a fluvial geomorphologist. It outlines some education psychology and pedagogy theories that can be used to inform the design and delivery of a third year undergraduate fluvial geomorphology and river management course and two professional development units for industry. A worked example is used to demonstrate how scaffolded learning (including Piaget's stages of cognitive development and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development theory), and active learning techniques can be integrated and applied in practice. The author then provides some personal reflections and recommendations that others (both geomorphologists and non‐geomorphologists) may find useful in developing their own pedagogy in tertiary education, irrespective of career stage.
Survival motor neuron protein deficiency alters microglia reactivity
Authors: Khayrullina Guzal , Alipio‐Gloria Zaida A. , Deguise Marc‐Olivier , Gagnon Sabrina , Chehade Lucia , Stinson Matthew , Belous Natalya , Bergman Elizabeth M. , Lischka Fritz W. , Rotty Jeremy , Dalgard Clifton L. , Kothary Rashmi , Johnson Kristen A. , Burnett Barrington G.
Published: April 2022

Survival motor neuron (SMN) protein deficiency results in loss of alpha motor neurons and subsequent muscle atrophy in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Reactive microglia have been reported in SMA mice and depleting microglia rescues the number of proprioceptive synapses, suggesting a role in SMA pathology. Here, we explore the contribution of lymphocytes on microglia reactivity in SMA mice and investigate how SMN deficiency alters the reactive profile of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived microglia. We show that microglia adopt a reactive morphology in spinal cords of SMA mice. Ablating lymphocytes did not alter the reactive morphology of SMA microglia and did not improve the survival or motor function of SMA mice, indicating limited impact of peripheral immune cells on the SMA phenotype. We found iPSC‐derived SMA microglia adopted an amoeboid morphology and displayed a reactive transcriptome profile, increased cell migration, and enhanced phagocytic activity. Importantly, cell morphology and electrophysiological properties of motor neurons were altered when they were incubated with conditioned media from SMA microglia. Together, these data reveal that SMN‐deficient microglia adopt a reactive profile and exhibit an exaggerated inflammatory response with potential impact on SMA neuropathology.
The impact of transfer learning on 3D deep learning convolutional neural network segmentation of the hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease subjects
Authors: Balboni Erica , Nocetti Luca , Carbone Chiara , Dinsdale Nicola , Genovese Maurilio , Guidi Gabriele , Malagoli Marcella , Chiari Annalisa , Namburete Ana I. L. , Jenkinson Mark , Zamboni Giovanna
Published: April 2022

Research on segmentation of the hippocampus in magnetic resonance images through deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNNs) shows promising results, suggesting that these methods can identify small structural abnormalities of the hippocampus, which are among the earliest and most frequent brain changes associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). However, CNNs typically achieve the highest accuracy on datasets acquired from the same domain as the training dataset. Transfer learning allows domain adaptation through further training on a limited dataset. In this study, we applied transfer learning on a network called spatial warping network segmentation (SWANS), developed and trained in a previous study. We used MR images of patients with clinical diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD, segmented by two different raters. By using transfer learning techniques, we developed four new models, using different training methods. Testing was performed using 26% of the original dataset, which was excluded from training as a hold‐out test set. In addition, 10% of the overall training dataset was used as a hold‐out validation set. Results showed that all the new models achieved better hippocampal segmentation quality than the baseline SWANS model (ps < .001), with high similarity to the manual segmentations (mean dice [best model] = 0.878 ± 0.003). The best model was chosen based on visual assessment and volume percentage error (VPE). The increased precision in estimating hippocampal volumes allows the detection of small hippocampal abnormalities already present in the MCI phase (SD = [3.9 ± 0.6]%), which may be crucial for early diagnosis.
The effect of absolute versus relative temperature on health and the role of social care
Authors: Masiero Giuliano , Mazzonna Fabrizio , Santarossa Michael
Published: April 2022

We investigate the effect of extreme temperatures on mortality and emergency hospital admissions, and whether local social care allows to mitigate their adverse effects. We merge monthly administrative data on mortality and hospital discharge from Italian municipalities for the period 2001–2015 with daily data on local weather conditions, and yearly data on disaggregated municipal expenditure. We compare two different measures of temperature shocks, one using the conventional approach based on absolute levels (without accounting for regional heterogeneity) and the other based on deviations from local mean temperatures. The former approach shows noisy evidence of an increase in mortality due to extremely hot days while the latter approach shows a large increase in mortality and hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to both cold and hot days. These effects are mostly driven by the oldest age group and partially by young children. Then, we report evidence of a mitigating effect of social expenditure on the impact of extremely hot and cold days on both emergency hospital admission and mortality rates. A back of the envelope calculation suggests that the additional social care expenditure is fully compensated by the benefits arising from the lower impact of temperature shocks.
The prognostic value of adding systemic inflammation response index to Epstein–Barr virus DNA in childhood nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A real‐world study
Authors: Jin Ya‐Nan , Liu Bao‐Qiu , Peng Kun‐Wei , Ou Xue‐Qing , Zeng Wu‐Shuang , Zhang Wang‐Jian , Marks Tia , Yao Ji‐Jin , Xia Liang‐Ping
Published: April 2022

Background

To assess the prognostic value of the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) combined with plasma load of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA in children and adolescents with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (CALANPC).

Methods

A total of 205 consecutive patients with CALANPC were enrolled. We used recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) to classify patients into various risk groups, with a primary endpoint of overall survival (OS).

Results

Elevated SIRI (≥1.53) and EBV DNA (≥4000 copy/ml) were significantly associated with inferior OS in CALANPC. RPA categorized patients into low‐ and high‐risk groups based on prognostic factors. Survival curves showed excellent discrimination in OS (95.3% vs 77.6%; p < 0.001) between the low‐ and high‐risk groups. A significant improvement was confirmed using the prognostic methods for conventional TNM staging systems (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The combination of SIRI with EBV DNA provided a more detailed understanding of patient risks, and enhanced risk discrimination in CALANPC.
Identification of hepatic steatosis in living liver donors by machine learning models
Authors: Lim Jihye , Han Seungbong , Lee Danbi , Shim Ju Hyun , Kim Kang Mo , Lim Young‐Suk , Lee Han Chu , Jung Dong Hwan , Lee Sung‐Gyu , Kim Ki‐Hun , Choi Jonggi
Published: April 2022

Selecting an optimal donor for living donor liver transplantation is crucial for the safety of both the donor and recipient, and hepatic steatosis is an important consideration. We aimed to build a prediction model with noninvasive variables to evaluate macrovesicular steatosis in potential donors by using various prediction models. The study population comprised potential living donors who had undergone donation workup, including percutaneous liver biopsy, in the Republic of Korea between 2016 and 2019. Meaningful macrovesicular hepatic steatosis was defined as >5%. Whole data were divided into training (70.5%) and test (29.5%) data sets based on the date of liver biopsy. Random forest, support vector machine, regularized discriminant analysis, mixture discriminant analysis, flexible discriminant analysis, and deep neural network machine learning methods as well as traditional logistic regression were employed. The mean patient age was 31.4 years, and 66.3% of the patients were men. Of the 1652 patients, 518 (31.4%) had >5% macrovesicular steatosis on the liver biopsy specimen. The logistic model had the best prediction power and prediction performances with an accuracy of 80.0% and 80.9% in the training and test data sets, respectively. A cut‐off value of 31.1% for the predicted risk of hepatic steatosis was selected with a sensitivity of 77.7% and specificity of 81.0%. We have provided our model on the website (https://hanseungbong.shinyapps.io/shiny_app_up/) under the name DONATION Model. Our algorithm to predict macrovesicular steatosis using routine parameters is beneficial for identifying optimal potential living donors by avoiding superfluous liver biopsy results.
Analysis of Joule heating and chemical reaction effects in electroosmosis peristaltic transport of couple‐stress and micropolar fluids
Authors: Reddy Kattamreddy Venugopal , Reddy Machireddy Gnaneswara , Makinde Oluwole Daniel
Published: April 2022

This article features the reaction of electroosmosis peristaltic transport of combined couple‐stress and micropolar fluid in an inclined asymmetric channel through a porous medium. Mathematical modeling is given in the presence of Joule heating, thermal radiation, and heat flux effects. The relevant equations are computed subject to long wavelength and small Reynolds number approximation. The coupled system resulting equations have been executed computationally to plot different effects graphically. A detailed analysis of the results is given through graphs. Graphs are plotted for velocity, temperature, concentration, and pumping characteristics. The impact of each significant parameter on flow, species, and thermal characteristics is enumerated in these studies. The influence of couple stress and electroosmosis parameters are also simulated. This problem is very significant to the discussion of chemical separation/fraternization procedures and bio‐microfluidics devices for the resolution of the diagnosis.
Chasing the origin of 23 recurrent BRCA1 mutations in Pakistani breast and ovarian cancer patients
Authors: Rashid Muhammad Usman , Muhammad Noor , Naeemi Humaira , Shehzad Umara , Hamann Ute
Published: April 2022

Knowledge of population specific BRCA1/2 founder mutations provides a valuable and cost‐effective genetic testing strategy. Twenty‐three recurrent BRCA1 mutations have been identified previously in 100 Pakistani breast and/or ovarian cancer families. These accounted for 72.5% of all BRCA1 mutations identified. In our study, we investigated whether these mutations (identified in ≥2 unrelated patients) have a common ancestral origin and estimated the ages of these mutations. Haplotype analyses were performed in 188 individuals (100 index patients, 88 relatives) from Pakistani breast/ovarian cancer families, all harboring one of the 23 recurrent BRCA1 mutations, and 90 healthy controls. Six microsatellite markers (D17S800, D17S1801, D17S855, D17S1322, D17S1323, and D17S951) were analyzed. Mutation ages were estimated using DMLE+2.3 software. An identical haplotype of different length was found in families harboring the same BRCA1 mutation and suggested founder effects for all 23 mutations. Sixteen founder mutations were ethnicity‐specific: 15 occurred in families of Punjabi background and one in a family of Pathan background. The remaining seven mutations occurred in families with two ethnic backgrounds. All BRCA1 founder mutations were estimated to have arisen approximately 147 to 159 generations ago. Our findings suggest founder effects for all 23 recurrent BRCA1 mutations. This knowledge allows the design and development of a cost effective local genetic testing strategy in Pakistan.