bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abrasion‐Resistant and Enhanced Super‐Slippery Flush Toilets Fabricated by a Selective Laser Sintering 3D Printing Technology
Authors: Li Yike , Wu Zhenhua , Shi Congcan , Xu Yizhuo , Chen Aotian , Su Bin
Published: August 2023

Flush toilets waste a significant amount of water every day due to the unavoidable adhesions between human waste and the toilet surfaces. Super‐slippery surfaces can repel complex fluids and various viscoelastic solids, however, are easily broken by mechanical abrasions. Herein, the fabrication of an abrasion‐resistant super‐slippery flush toilet (ARSFT) is reported using a selective laser sintering 3D printing technology. Unlike traditional super‐slippery surfaces with limited thicknesses which can be easily worn away, the powder‐sintered strategy endows the ARSFT not only with a self‐supporting 3D complex shape but also with a porous structure that can accommodate considerable lubricants for an abrasion‐resistant super‐slippery property. As a result, the as‐prepared ARSFT remains clean after contacting with various liquids such as milk, yogurt, highly sticky honey, and starch gel mixed congee, demonstrating excellent repellence to complex fluids. Besides liquids, the ARSFT exhibits a high resistance to sticky synthetic feces. Notably, even after being abraded to 1,000 cycles of abrasion using sandpaper, the ARSFT maintains its record‐breaking super‐slippery capability. The concept of the 3D‐printed object with a superior abrasion‐resistant slippery ability will improve the development of super‐slippery materials and further save water consumption in the human society.
Facile Fabrication of High‐White and Robust Superhydrophobic Ni/Al2O3 Composite Coating on Al Alloy
Authors: Li Yi , Zhou Yuqin , Pan Jia , Liu Enhong , Hao Jiashuo , Han Jianhua
Published: August 2023

This work presents a facile method to fabricate high‐white and robust superhydrophobic film on Al alloy surface. Ni/Al2O3 film with appropriate roughness and high‐white surface is constructed on the Al alloy by a simple chemical bath method via placing the Al alloy into the Ni2+ aqueous solution. Then the surface energy is reduced by spin‐coating the stearic acid (STA) to achieve excellent superhydrophobicity. As expected, the reflectivity, self‐cleaning, corrosion resistivity, and mechanical durability of Al alloy after modification have all displayed dramatic enhancements. The reflectance of the modified Al alloy is far above the pristine Al alloy at all wavelengths (200–2,000 nm). This high‐white film with remarkable reflectivity can effectively reduce its surface temperature and improve visibility in practical applications. Finally, a champion water contact angle of 161° and corrosion resistivity of 97.6% are attained by coating Ni/Al2O3‐STA composite film on Al alloy. The Leeb hardness of superhydrophobic film‐coated Al alloy is enhanced from 325 to 461 after coating superhydrophobic film on Al alloy. This work provides a framework for the development of superhydrophobic Al alloy with high‐whiteness and robustness.
Liquid‐Phase Integrated 3D Printed Biological Lenses for Lamellar Corneal Substitute
Authors: Xue Qian , Hu Hanyi , Wang Weiwei , Li Qi , Ma Liang , Ma Jien , Ye Cathy , Yang Huayong , Zhang Bin
Published: August 2023

Compared to traditional biological lenses that are used to correct optical systems, such as contact lenses, vision correction surgery, and corneal and lens replacement, 3D printed biological lenses offer a customizable solutions. However, the layer‐by‐layer principle of 3D printing leads to a staircase effect, which cannot meet the critical requirements of surface quality during the manufacturing process of biological lens, particularly with soft materials. Here, a liquid‐phase printing strategy and a surface tension‐dependent (STD) post‐processing method are proposed that use the surface tension of the liquid to reconstruct the air‐liquid interface. This eliminates the staircase effect caused by the stacking of units during 3D printing. The coordinates of integrated printing enable high‐accuracy shape control of soft materials. Using a typical biological lens as an example, this method improves the surface quality of printed lamellar corneal substitutes (LCS) from ±20.0 to ±0.2 µm and reduces thickness feature size from ±500 to ±150 µm. This approach can match human cornea curvature and thickness, achieving ≈85% visible light transmittance and biocompatibility. Liquid‐phase 3D printed biological lenses outperform molded ones in animal experiments. This method can advance artificial biological lens printing research and holds promise for future clinical applications.
Magnetic‐Based Strategies for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering
Authors: Santos Lúcia F. , Silva Ana S. , Mano João F.
Published: August 2023

The fabrication of biological substitutes to repair, replace, or enhance tissue‐ and organ‐level functions is a long‐sought goal of tissue engineering (TE). However, the clinical translation of TE is hindered by several challenges, including the lack of suitable mechanical, chemical, and biological properties in one biomaterial, and the inability to generate large, vascularized tissues with a complex structure of native tissues. Over the past decade, a new generation of “smart” materials has revolutionized the conventional medical field, transforming TE into a more accurate and sophisticated concept. At the vanguard of scientific development, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have garnered extensive attention owing to their significant potential in various biomedical applications owing to their inherent properties such as biocompatibility and rapid remote response to magnetic fields. Therefore, to develop functional tissue replacements, magnetic force‐based TE (Mag‐TE) has emerged as an alternative to conventional TE strategies, allowing for the fabrication and real‐time monitoring of tissues engineered in vitro. This review addresses the recent studies on the use of MNPs for TE, emphasizing the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical applications. Future perspectives of Mag‐TE in the fields of TE and regenerative medicine are also discussed.
Photothermal‐Starvation Therapy Nanomodulator Capable of Inhibiting Colorectal Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis by Energy Metabolism Reduction
Authors: Duan Xirui , Tian Hailong , Zheng Shuwen , Zhu Jianmei , Li Chan , He Bo , Li Lei , Jiang Hao , Lu Shuaijun , Feng Yumei , Bentley Gary T. , Zhang Wei , Huang Canhua , Gao Wei , Xie Na , Xie Ke
Published: August 2023

The recurrence and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) have been considered as a severe challenge in clinical treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and lactate can promote local tumor angiogenesis, recurrence, and metastasis. The expression of MMPs is highly dependent on energy metabolism, and lactate is considered an alternative energy source for tumor proliferation and metastasis. Therefore, using a rational approach, a photothermal‐starvation therapy nanomodulator that can reduce energy metabolism to suppress CRC recurrence and metastasis is designed. To design a suitable nanomodulator, glucose oxidase (GOX), indocyanine green (IR820), and α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid (CHC) into nanoparticles by a coassembly method are combined. The photothermal properties of IR820 provide the appropriate temperature and oxygen supply for the enzymatic reaction of GOX to promote intracellular glucose consumption. CHC inhibits the expression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), the transporter of lactic acid into cells, and also reduces oxygen consumption and promotes the GOX reaction. Additionally, altering adenosine triphosphate synthesis to block heat shock proteins expression can be an effective means to prevent IR820‐mediated photothermal therapy resistance. Thus, this dual photothermal‐starvation therapy nanomodulator efficiently suppresses the recurrence and metastasis of CRC by depleting intracellular nutrients.
Ultracompact Single‐Photon Sources of Linearly Polarized Vortex Beams
Authors: Liu Xujing , Kan Yinhui , Kumar Shailesh , Kulikova Liudmilla F. , Davydov Valery A. , Agafonov Viatcheslav N. , Zhao Changying , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I.
Published: August 2023

Ultracompact chip‐integrated single‐photon sources of collimated beams with polarization‐encoded states are crucial for integrated quantum technologies. However, most of currently available single‐photon sources rely on external bulky optical components to shape the polarization and phase front of emitted photon beams. Efficient integration of quantum emitters with beam shaping and polarization encoding functionalities remains so far elusive. Here, ultracompact single‐photon sources of linearly polarized vortex beams based on chip‐integrated quantum emitter‐coupled metasurfaces are presented, which are meticulously designed by fully exploiting the potential of nanobrick‐arrayed metasurfaces. The authors first demonstrate on‐chip single‐photon generation of high‐purity linearly polarized vortex beams with prescribed topological charges of 0, − 1, and +1. The multiplexing of single‐photon emission channels with orthogonal linear polarizations carrying different topological charges are further realized and their entanglement is demonstarated. The work illustrates the potential and feasibility of ultracompact quantum emitter‐coupled metasurfaces as a new quantum optics platform for realizing chip‐integrated high‐dimensional single‐photon sources.
Indoor Photovoltaic Fiber with an Efficiency of 25.53% under 1500 Lux Illumination
Authors: Zhu Zhengfeng , Lin Zhengmeng , Zhai Weijie , Kang Xinyue , Song Jiatian , Lu Chenhao , Jiang Hongyu , Chen Peining , Sun Xuemei , Wang Bingjie , Wang Zhong‐Sheng , Peng Huisheng
Published: August 2023

Photovoltaic devices represent an efficient electricity generation mode. Integrating them into textiles offers exciting opportunities for smart electronic textiles—with the ultimate goal of supplying power for wearable technology—which is poised to change how electronic devices are designed. Many human activities occur indoors, so realizing indoor photovoltaic fibers (IPVFs) that can be woven into textiles to power wearables is critical, although currently unavailable. Here, a dye‐sensitized IPVF is constructed by incorporating titanium dioxide nanoparticles into aligned nanotubes to produce close contact and stable interfaces among active layers on a curved fiber substrate, thus presenting efficient charge transport and low charge recombination in the photoanode. With the combination of highly conductive core–sheath Ti/carbon nanotube fiber as a counter electrode, the IPVF shows a certified power conversion efficiency of 25.53% under 1500 lux illuminance. Its performance variation is below 5% after bending, twisting, or pressing for 1000 cycles. These IPVFs are further integrated with fiber batteries as self‐charging power textiles, which are demonstrated to effectively supply electricity for wearables, solving the power supply problem in this important direction.
Flexible Energy Storage Devices to Power the Future
Authors: He Junyuan , Cao Leiqing , Cui Jiaojiao , Fu Gangwen , Jiang Ruiyi , Xu Xi , Guan Cao
Published: August 2023

The field of flexible electronics is a crucial driver of technological advancement, with a strong connection to human life and a unique role in various areas such as wearable devices and healthcare. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for flexible energy storage devices (FESDs) to cater to the energy storage needs of various forms of flexible products. FESDs can be classified into three categories based on spatial dimension, all of which share the features of excellent electrochemical performance, reliable safety, and superb flexibility. In this review, the application scenarios of FESDs are introduced and the main representative devices applied in disparate fields are summarized first. More specifically, it focuses on three types of FESDs in matched application scenarios from both structural and material aspects. Finally, the challenges that hinder the practical application of FESDs and the views on current barriers are presented.
Minimum production scale for economic feasibility of a titanium dioxide plant
Authors: Oladipupo Peter , Raman Arvind , Pekny Joseph F.
Published: August 2023

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important industrial chemical that is completely import dependent in Nigeria. Local entrepreneurs seeking to establish a production scale TiO2 plant in Nigeria face both financing challenges and challenges to right‐sizing plants to best fit the local markets. In this study, we ask: What is the minimum scale for the economic feasibility of establishing a TiO2 plant in Nigeria, considering the country's currently small market size for the chemical and the limitations imposed by the economy of scale? We determine that the required minimum production scale varies from 21 867.44 to 11 202.16 tonnes per annum (tpa) for an investment lifetime of 10–20 years – compared to a typical developed world plant size of 150 000 tpa. A sensitivity study shows that minimum production scale decreases rapidly as product price increases, enhancing the economic prospect of a small‐scale plant in Nigeria where the retail price of TiO2 is as high as 328% of the average global price. Further studies emphasize the importance of future growth in demand and government incentives in enhancing the plant's economic prospect. The modeling framework developed and used for this analysis is adaptable to other applications in determining minimum scales for economic feasibility of constructing and operating flexible chemical plants in young and uncertain markets with potential to scale in the future. This study offers unique contributions to address investment challenges around chemical manufacturing, a critical component of industrialization and economic development for developing countries.
Multi‐trait genomic predictions using GBLUP and Bayesian mixture prior model in beef cattle
Authors: Wang Zezhao , Ma Haoran , Li Hongwei , Xu Lei , Li Hongyan , Zhu Bo , Hay El Hamidi , Xu Lingyang , Li Junya
Published: August 2023

Multiple trait genomic selection incorporating correlated traits can improve the predictive ability of low‐heritability traits. In this study, we evaluated genomic prediction accuracy using multi‐trait BayesCπ method (MT‐BayesCπ), which allows for a broader range of mixture priors for important traits in beef cattle. We compared the prediction performance of MT‐BayesCπ with single‐trait genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ST‐GBLUP), multi‐trait GBLUP (MT‐GBLUP), and single‐trait BayeCπ (ST‐BayesCπ) methods. We found that ribeye area (REA) and ribeye weight (REWT) showed high heritability, while slaughter weight (SWT) and carcass weight (CWT) displayed medium heritability, and slaughter rate (SR) and feedlot average daily gain (FDG) showed low heritability. Highly positive genetic correlations were observed between CWT and SWT (0.981) and SR and REWT (0.921). Notably, the MT‐BayesCπ method showed superior predictive abilities compared to other models. Using MT‐BayesCπ method, the accuracy increased from 0.272 to 0.694 for CWT compared to ST‐GBLUP and ST‐BayesCπ. MT‐GBLUP and ST‐BayesCπ showed similar prediction accuracies, while MT‐BayesCπ showed the least biased evaluations. Additionally, our results suggested that prediction accuracy of low‐heritability traits significantly increased when they were combined with traits with high genetic correlation in a multi‐trait prediction. Our study suggests that multi‐trait genomic predictions using GBLUP and Bayesian mixture prior models is feasible for genomic selection in beef cattle. Our findings indicate that MT‐BayesCπ outperforms other models (ST‐GBLUP, MT‐GBLUP and ST‐BayesCπ), especially for low‐heritability traits.
Understanding consumers' purchase intention in virtual reality commerce environment
Authors: Hsiao Kuo‐Lun , Lin Kuan‐Yu
Published: August 2023

Virtual reality (VR) has developed rapidly and drawn the attention of businesses. E‐commerce practitioners have used VR to improve business performance and satisfy consumers' needs by enhancing the shopping experience and increasing purchase intention. To explore the effects of VR shopping platforms on purchase intention, this study developed a theoretical framework on the basis of task–technology fit. The framework comprises technological characteristics and user needs (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation) and can be used to investigate perceived needs–technology fit and identify factors affecting intention to purchase on VR platforms. This study distributed an online questionnaire and received 336 responses. Analysis was performed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results suggested that purchase intention is stronger when perceived needs–technology fit is closer. Hedonic needs play a vital role in perceived needs–technology fit. In terms of technological characteristics, relative advantage, and service compatibility strongly affect perceived needs–technology fit. In addition, feelings of spatial presence, a key component of VR, positively affect relative advantage, service compatibility, and trialability and negatively affect complexity. The implications of the findings are also discussed.
Foxi3GFP and Foxi3CreER mice allow identification and lineage labeling of pharyngeal arch ectoderm and endoderm, and tooth and hair placodes
Authors: Ankamreddy Harinarayana , Thawani Ankita , Birol Onur , Zhang Hongyuan , Groves Andrew K.
Published: August 2023

Background

FOXI3 is a forkhead family transcription factor that is expressed in the progenitors of craniofacial placodes, epidermal placodes, and the ectoderm and endoderm of the pharyngeal arch region. Loss of Foxi3 in mice and pathogenic Foxi3 variants in dogs and humans cause a variety of craniofacial defects including absence of the inner ear, severe truncations of the jaw, loss or reduction in external and middle ear structures, and defects in teeth and hair.

Results

To allow for the identification, isolation, and lineage tracing of Foxi3‐expressing cells in developing mice, we targeted the Foxi3 locus to create Foxi3GFP and Foxi3CreER mice. We show that Foxi3GFP mice faithfully recapitulate the expression pattern of Foxi3 mRNA at all ages examined, and Foxi3CreER mice can trace the derivatives of pharyngeal arch ectoderm and endoderm, the pharyngeal pouches and clefts that separate each arch, and the derivatives of hair and tooth placodes.

Conclusions

Foxi3GFP and Foxi3CreER mice are new tools that will be of use in identifying and manipulating pharyngeal arch ectoderm and endoderm and hair and tooth placodes.
Microstructure of Conductive Binder Domain for Electrical Conduction in Next‐Generation Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Lu Xuesong , Lian Guo J. , Ge Ruihuan , Parker James , Sadan Milan K. , Smith Rachel , Cumming Denis
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this work is to investigate the structure and mechanism of long‐range electronic contacts which are formed by wet mixing and their interaction and relationship with the structure responsible for ion transfer within the conductive binder domain of next‐generation LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 lithium‐ion batteries. This article introduces a novel concept involving an efficient adapted structure model, which includes a bridge structure with two “nested” small and large pore systems, and an effective electrode conduction mechanism involving two “nested” percolation systems. The article also highlights a limitation in the improvement of the battery performance by percolation systems for electron transfer, which is restricted by pore systems for ion transfer through the ratio of electrical conductivity (σ) and ionic conductivity (κ) as σ/κ = 10. The findings of this article may provide valuable insight for formulation design and manufacturing of an optimal structure of the conductive binder domain for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries.
Risk‐targeted seismic evaluation of functional recovery performance in buildings
Authors: Blowes Kristen , Kourehpaz Pouria , Molina Hutt Carlos
Published: August 2023

Past earthquakes have highlighted the impact of prolonged downtime on community recovery. The introduction of performance objectives expressed in terms of recovery time has been identified as a key goal for the next generation of building codes. Recent development of downtime estimation frameworks now allows for the discussion of how to use recovery time estimates to (1) establish recovery‐targeted performance and (2) assess the functional recovery performance of buildings designed with modern code provisions. In this paper, we employ methods adapted from life‐safety provisions to evaluate building functional recovery performance using downtime simulation outputs. A scenario‐based, an intensity‐based and a risk‐targeted analysis of functional recovery performance objectives are presented. The functional recovery performance of a series of modern residential reinforced concrete shear wall archetype buildings, ranging from eight to 24 stories in height, at a site in downtown Seattle, Washington, are then assessed. Results of the scenario‐based assessment of an M9 Cascadia Subduction zone earthquake, comparable to an intensity‐based assessment at the 975‐year intensity level, show that the probability of achieving functional recovery within four months is close to zero, while the likelihood of achieving functional recovery by one year is approximately 60%. The results of the risk‐targeted assessment of the archetype buildings show a 50% probability in 50 years of the building downtime to functional recovery exceeding one month, a 43% in 50‐year probability of the downtime exceeding four months and an 8% in 50‐year probability of downtime exceeding one year. Finally, the expected annual downtime is approximately three days for all building heights considered. Disaggregation was used to identify intensity levels that contribute most of the downtime risk. The risk of downtime exceeding one month to one year is dominated by frequent, low‐intensity earthquakes (e.g., 100‐year return period). The risk of exceeding longer recovery times is dominated by less frequent, higher intensity earthquakes (i.e., return periods greater than 975 years). While the results of the analysis are sensitive to assumed damage thresholds and impeding factor delays triggered at low intensity levels, the findings suggest that reinforced concrete shear wall buildings designed following current building codes have a high risk of lengthy downtimes. Ultimately, the proposed methods and results illustrate the importance of introducing recovery‐based provisions into the next generation of building codes.
Honey badger optimized energy management in grid connected solar PV battery for enhancing the stability and power quality
Authors: Bishla Sandeep , Khosla Anita
Published: August 2023

Nowadays, grid‐tied solar photovoltaic (SPV) and electric vehicles (EV) are escalating owing to the large penetration of EVs into the transportation sector. In addition, the battery energy storage system benefits the EV application by ensuring power under varying supplies. In this proposed work, the honey badger optimization algorithm (HBOA) is used for energy management in battery‐connected solar PV. The battery scheduling is done by controlling the DC link voltage using HBOA. The HBOA has better exploration and exploitation behavior; thus, it could not be trapped in the local optima, and the deviation in voltage can be reduced. In the grid‐integrated PV system, DC into AC conversion should concern power quality (PQ) and switching frequencies. The static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) is connected at the grid side to address this issue. The STATCOM provides rapid regulation of dynamic powers to minimize the harmonics and voltage unbalances. This work proposes the fuzzy fractional order proportional integral derivative (F2OPID) to enhance voltage regulation and reactive power (RP) compensation. The proposed work is implemented on the MATLAB/Simulink tool, and the results are evaluated using existing methods. The results indicate that the proposed method improves the PQ with a lower total harmonic distortion (THD) of 0.76% for voltage and 0.79% for current, respectively.
Flow batteries for net zero in New Zealand
Authors: Boretti Alberto
Published: August 2023

Flow batteries (FBs) are characterized by relatively high round trip efficiencies and benefit from high scalability. The storable energy and the power of charging and discharging the battery can be increased by increasing the size of the electrolyte storage tanks and the electrodes. Charge and discharge cycles covering many hours may be designed with flow batteries. This makes flow batteries a better choice than lithium‐ion batteries for large‐scale energy storage systems, particularly for non‐dispatchable renewable energy systems such as wind and solar, where the energy generated is highly variable and requires effective energy storage solutions. However, flow batteries also have some disadvantages, including a higher cost per unit of energy stored compared with other batteries, as well as the use of materials that in some cases are toxic, expensive, or scarce. Additionally, flow batteries cannot solve the energy storage issues over long times of a grid only supplied by non‐dispatchable electricity such as wind or solar, namely intermittency and summer to winter variability of solar, or low wind days of wind. Despite these limitations, the potential benefits of flow batteries in terms of their scalability and long cycle life, and cost‐effectiveness in case their design could be improved, making them one of the key contributors progressing towards net zero. Specifically in New Zealand, in the progress toward net‐zero the total energy supply (TES) cannot be covered by only expanding wind energy production and pumped hydro energy storage (PHES). Solar photovoltaic and likely nuclear energy supply will have to be introduced. Not all of the TES will be electrified, part of the TES will need coverage by green hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen energy storage (HES) will have to grow much more than PHES, energy storage by FBs as well as lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) will also have to be included, given their complementarity to the other energy storage systems.
Advances in metallogeny and tectonics of the Eastern Tethyan Realm: Introduction
Authors: Cao Hua‐Wen , Tang Li , Yang Cheng‐Xue , Santosh M.
Published: August 2023

The Tethys domain preserves one of the largest continent‐continent collisional orogenic belts on Earth. This belt can be divided into the Proterozoic to Palaeozoic Proto‐Tethyan orogenic belt, Late Palaeozoic to Triassic Palaeo‐Tethyan orogenic belt and Triassic to Cenozoic Meso‐ and Neo‐Tethyan orogenic belts. The Tethyan metallogenic domain, representing one of the three major metallogenic domains in the world, extends more than 10,000 km from east to west and has developed world‐class ore belts, such as the South‐east Asia tin ore belt, Sanjiang metallogenic belt in South‐west China, Gangdese–Pakistan–Iran porphyry copper belt and South‐east Europe epithermal gold belt. The geology of the Tethys domain has been studied for more than 100 years and many important advances have been made recently, although scientific issues remain controversial. This thematic section of Geological Journal contains 10 articles focusing on the formation of rocks and ore deposits, including petrology and geochemistry of magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, and the formation mechanism of mineral deposits in the Eastern Tethyan Realm. These articles reflect new progress in related studies and provide important reference for future studies.
Accuracy of self‐reported private health insurance coverage
Authors: Nguyen Ha Trong , Le Huong Thu , Connelly Luke , Mitrou Francis
Published: August 2023

Studies on health insurance coverage often rely on measures self‐reported by respondents, but the accuracy of such measures has not been thoroughly validated. This paper is the first to use linked Australian National Health Survey and administrative population tax data to explore the accuracy of self‐reported private health insurance (PHI) coverage in survey data. We find that 11.86% of individuals misreport their PHI coverage status, with 11.57% of true PHI holders reporting that they are uninsured and 12.37% of true non‐insured persons self‐identifying as insured. Our results show reporting errors are systematically correlated with individual and household characteristics. Our evidence on the determinants of errors is supportive of common reasons for misreporting. We directly investigate biases in the determinants of PHI enrollment using survey data. We find that, as compared to administrative data, survey data depict a quantitatively different picture of PHI enrollment determinants, especially those capturing age, gender, language proficiency, labor force status, disability status, number of children in the household, or household income. We also show that PHI coverage misreporting is subsequently associated with misreporting of reasons for purchasing PHI, type of cover and length of cover.
Reasons for merging and collaborating in healthcare: Marriage or living apart together?
Authors: van der Schors Wouter , Roos Anne‐Fleur , Kemp Ron , Varkevisser Marco
Published: August 2023

Background

Across OECD countries, integration between healthcare organisations has become an indispensable part of contemporary healthcare provision. In recent years, inter‐organisational collaboration has increasingly been encouraged in health and competition policy at the expense of mergers. Yet, understanding of whether healthcare organisations make an active choice between merging and collaborating is lacking. Hence, this study systematically examines (i) healthcare executives' motives for integration, (ii) their potential trade‐offs between collaborating or merging, and (iii) the barriers to collaborating perceived by them.

Methods

Early 2019, an online questionnaire was conducted among a nationwide panel of 714 healthcare executives in the Netherlands. Because of their strategic position within healthcare organisations as end‐responsible managers, healthcare executives are especially suited to provide broad and in‐depth knowledge on the internal and external processes and decisions. Three hundred thirty‐seven Dutch healthcare executives completed the questionnaire (response rate 47%). This study sample was representative of the largest healthcare sectors in the Netherlands. In total, 137 mergers and 235 inter‐organisational collaborations were reported. Both closed questions and open‐ended questions were systematically analysed.

Results

Improving or broadening healthcare provision is the foremost motive for mergers as well as inter‐organisational collaborations. When considering both types, reducing governance complexity is one of the decisive reasons to opt for a merger, whereas aversion towards a full merger and lack of support base within the own organisation convinced healthcare executives to choose for a collaboration. When comparing specific healthcare sectors, the overlap in pursued motives and sub‐motives indicates that inter‐organisational collaborations and mergers are used for comparable objectives. Only a small minority of the responding executives switched between both types of integration. Institutional barriers, such as laws, regulations and financing regimes, appear to be the most restricting for healthcare executives to engage in inter‐organisational collaborations.

Conclusions

Our integral approach and systematic comparison across sectors could serve policymakers, regulators and healthcare providers in aligning organisational objectives and societal objectives in decision‐making on collaborations and mergers. Future research is recommended to study multiple collaboration and merger cases qualitatively for a detailed examination of decision‐making by healthcare executives, and develop an integral assessment framework for balancing collaborations and mergers based on their effects in the medium to long term.
Routes and methods of neural stem cells injection in cerebral ischemia
Authors: Yang Xing‐Yu , Zhang Xiao , Cao Jun‐Feng , Wu Mei , Chen Sheng‐Yan , Chen Li
Published: August 2023

Cerebral ischemia is a serious cerebrovascular disease with the characteristics of high morbidity, disability, and mortality. Currently, stem cell therapy has been extensively applied to a wide range of diseases, including neurological disorders, autoimmune deficits, and other diseases. Transplantation therapy with neural stem cells (NSCs) is a very promising treatment method, which not only has anti‐inflammatory, antiapoptotic, promoting angiogenesis, and neurogenesis effects, but also can improve some side effects related to thrombolytic therapy. NSCs treatment could exert protective effects in alleviating cerebral ischemia‐induced brain damage and neurological dysfunctions. However, the different injection routes and doses of NSCs determine diverse therapeutic efficacy. This review mainly summarizes the various injection methods and injection effects of NSCs in cerebral ischemia, as well as proposes the existing problems and prospects of NSCs transplantation.
Real‐world treatment patterns and outcomes of pyrotinib‐based therapy in patients with HER2‐positive advanced breast cancer (PRETTY): A nationwide, prospective, observational study
Authors: Li Yiqun , Tong Zhongsheng , Wu Xinhong , Ouyang Quchang , Cai Li , Li Wei , Yu Zhiyong , Han Zhengxiang , Wang Xiaojia , Li Man , Wang Haibo , Li Li , Yang Jin , Niu Zhaofeng , Wang Qitang , Xu Binghe
Published: August 2023

Pyrotinib, an irreversible pan‐ErbB inhibitor, has been approved for treating HER2‐positive advanced breast cancer in China. We conducted a nationwide, prospective observational study to examine the real‐world data of pyrotinib‐based therapy in this population. Patients from 61 sites across China were included. Pyrotinib‐based regimens were prescribed at local physician's discretion. Demographics, treatment patterns, prognosis and safety were evaluated. The primary outcome was real‐world progression‐free survival (rwPFS). Of 1129 patients, pyrotinib‐based therapy was prescribed as first‐, second‐ and third‐ or later‐line treatment in 437 (38.7%), 476 (42.2%) and 216 (19.1%) patients, respectively. Median rwPFS (mrwPFS) was 14.3 (95% CI, 13.3‐15.2) months in the total population, with the longest mrwPFS of 17.8 (95% CI, 15.2‐24.9) months in the first‐line setting, followed by 14.4 (95% CI, 12.9‐15.3) months in the second‐line setting. Patients with third‐ or later‐line treatment also achieved a mrwPFS of 9.3 (95% CI, 8.4‐11.8) months. Patients with trastuzumab‐ or trastuzumab‐pertuzumab‐treated disease achieved a mrwPFS of 14.3 and 13.6 months, respectively. Dual HER2 blockade with pyrotinib plus trastuzumab showed a mrwPFS of 16.2 months in the total population, with data not mature in the first‐line setting. For patients with baseline brain metastases, the mrwPFS was 11.7 months. The most common adverse event was diarrhea (any grade, 73.5%; grade ≥ 3, 15.3%). In real world, pyrotinib‐based therapy shows promising effectiveness in the first‐, as well as second‐ and later‐line treatment, with acceptable tolerability. Further investigations regarding front‐line use or novel combinations of pyrotinib might facilitate to maximize its anti‐tumor potential.
Multiple approaches revealed MGc80‐3 as a somatic hybrid with HeLa cells rather than a gastric cancer cell line
Authors: Cao Fang , Sun Hao , Yang Zhenli , Bai Yanhua , Hu Xiao , Hou Yuhong , Bian Xiaocui , Liu Yuqin
Published: August 2023

The short‐tandem‐repeats (STR) profiles of MGc80‐3 and HeLa partially overlap, raising suspicion of contamination in the MGc80‐3 cell line. However, there has not been any relevant study demonstrating whether MGc80‐3 was fully replaced by HeLa cells, just mixed with HeLa cells (co‐existing), or was a somatic hybrid with HeLa cells. In addition to STR profiling, various approaches, including single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping, polymerase chain reaction, screening for human papillomaviruses type 18 (HPV‐18) fragment, chromosome karyotyping, pathological examination of xenografts, tissue‐specific‐90‐gene expression signature and high‐throughput RNA sequencing were used to determine the nature of MGc80‐3. Our study found that the abnormal STR profile, partially overlapping with that of HeLa cells (64.62% to 71.64%), could not verify MGc80‐3 as a HeLa cell line. However, the STR 13.3 repeat allele in the D13S317 locus that seemed to be unique to HeLa cells was detected in MGc80‐3. Almost all the MGc80‐3 cells exhibited HPV‐18 fragments in the genome as well as certain HeLa marker chromosomes, such as M7 and M12. The molecular assay of the 90‐gene expression signature still considered MGc80‐3 as a stomach cancer using an algorithmic analysis. The expression pattern of multiple genes in MGc80‐3 was quite different from that in HeLa cells, which showed that certain characteristics belonged to gastric cancer cell lines. High throughput RNA sequencing showed the distinct patterns of gene expression in MGc80‐3. In conclusion, MGc80‐3 cell line is a somatic hybrid with HeLa cells rather than a pure gastric cancer cell line.
First validation of the model of sustainable mental health: Structural model validity and the indirect role of adaptation
Authors: Kloos Noortje , Kraiss Jannis , ten Klooster Peter , Bohlmeijer Ernst
Published: August 2023

Objectives

There is a growing interest in mental well‐being as a vital outcome in clinical practice in addition to mental illness. The model of sustainable mental health (SMH) was recently introduced to delineate how interventions can improve mental health by targeting barriers and resources of adaptation to life stressors, improving the ability to adapt and thereby reducing mental illness and improving mental well‐being. The aim of the current study is to empirically validate the conceptual model of SMH as well as the assumed indirect role of ability to adapt.

Methods

This study used an existing dataset of the general population with self‐reported reduced well‐being due to the corona crisis (n = 849, mean age 53 years, SD = 15). Measurements of mental illness (depression and anxiety), mental well‐being, ability to adapt, a specific barrier for adaptation (i.e., repetitive negative thinking), and a specific resource for adaptation (i.e., positive reframing) were included. Structural equation modeling was used to assess both the structural validity of the model and the indirect effect of ability to adapt.

Results

An acceptable to good fit was found for the model of SMH and all paths between the proposed elements of the model were significant and in the hypothesized direction. Ability to adapt served as an indirect pathway trough which repetitive negative thinking (B = 0.149, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.016–0.028) and positive reframing (B = 0.163, 95% CI = 0.065–0.123) were linked with mental illness and mental well‐being.

Conclusion

The current study provides the first empirical support of the internal validity of the model of SMH in a sample of the general population with reduced well‐being, suggesting that barriers and resources to adaptation have an effect on mental illness and mental well‐being through the ability to adapt. The model of SMH may therefore be a good model to use in research and clinical practice for developing, implementing, and evaluating a balanced treatment approach targeting both barriers and resources for adaptation.
Prevalence of novel gamma HPV types 223 and 225 in oral cavity and skin of Indian normal and neoplastic participants
Authors: Chatterjee Nilanjana , Sultana Farhin , Roy Rituparna , Dey Samyadipta , Naskar Sukanya , Dam Aniruddha , Bhowmick Anup K. , Begum Rakiba , Mandal Shyam S. , Mandal Ranajit K. , Chakrabarti Jayanta , Panda Chinmay K. , Tommasino Massimo , Gheit Tarik , Dutta Sankhadeep
Published: August 2023

Gamma‐papillomaviruses, though traditionally classified as cutaneotropic, actual tissue tropism is largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the tissue‐specific prevalence of two novel‐HPV 223 and 225 in samples of oral mucosa and keratinized epithelium of varied skin parts from 226 female and male subjects, with or without neoplastic/dysplastic lesions in oral cavity or cervix. The gamma‐human papillomavirus (gamma‐HPV) 223 and 225 DNA presences were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ursing the HPV type‐specific primers and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Viral load in the HPV 223 and HPV 225 positive samples were determined by absolute real‐time quantification method. Alpha‐HPV DNA prevalence was also checked in oral mucosa to ascertain coinfection status. Novel HPV 223 was present in 4.4% (10/226) oral mucosal samples of the study population; interestingly all were females with no prevalence in their corresponding skin swab samples. Whereas, the prevalence of HPV 225 was found both in the skin and oral mucosa of 28.2% (N = 37/131) female and 17.9% (N = 17/95) male participants. Alongside, HPV 223 viral load was found to be significantly higher (p = 0.02 < 0.05) in the oral mucosa of diseased participants, whereas, HPV 225 viral load was higher in the oral mucosa of normal participants. Our results suggest that gamma‐HPV 223 has its prevalence only in the oral mucosal epithelium, whereas, HPV 225 has its prevalence on both mucosal and keratinized skin epithelium, indicating its dual tropism nature.
Sapovirus infections in Japan before and after the emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic: An alarming update
Authors: Hoque Sheikh Ariful , Pham Ngan Thi Kim , Onda‐Shimizu Yuko , Nishimura Shuichi , Sugita Kumiko , Kobayashi Masaaki , Islam Mohammad Tajul , Okitsu Shoko , Khamrin Pattara , Maneekarn Niwat , Hayakawa Satoshi , Ushijima Hiroshi
Published: August 2023

An increasing trend of sapovirus (SaV) infections in Japanese children during 2009−2019, particularly after the introduction of the voluntary rotavirus (RV)‐vaccination program has been observed. Herein, we investigated the epidemiological situation of SaV infections from 2019 to 2022 when people adopted a precautionary lifestyle due to the emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and RV vaccines had been implemented as routine vaccines. Stool samples were collected from children who attended outpatient clinics with acute gastroenteritis and analyzed by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction to determine viral etiology. Among 961 stool samples, 80 (8.3%) were positive for SaV: 2019−2020 (6.5%), 2020−2021 (0%), and 2021−2022 (12.8%). The trend of SaV infection in Japanese children yet remained upward with statistical significance (p = 0.000). The major genotype was GI.1 (75%) which caused a large outbreak in Kyoto between December 2021 and February 2022. Phylogenetic, gene sequence and deduced amino acid sequence analyses suggested that these GI.1 strains detected in the outbreak and other places during 2021−2022 or 2019−2020 remained genetically identical and widely spread. This study reveals that SaV infection is increasing among Japanese children which is a grave concern and demands immediate attention to be paid before SaV attains a serious public health problem.
Preprocedural fasting policies for patients receiving tube feeding: A national survey
Authors: Sparling Jamie L. , Nagrebetsky Alexander , Mueller Ariel L. , Albanese Marissa L. , Williams George W. , Wischmeyer Paul E. , Rice Todd W. , Low Ying H.
Published: August 2023

Background

Patients who are critically ill frequently accrue substantial nutrition deficits due to multiple episodes of prolonged fasting prior to procedures. Existing literature suggests that, for most patients receiving tube feeding, the aspiration risk is low. Yet, national and international guidelines do not address fasting times for tube feeding, promoting uncertainty regarding optimal preprocedural fasting practice. We aimed to characterize current institutional fasting practices in the United States for patients with and without a secure airway, with variable types of enteral access, for representative surgical procedures.

Methods

The survey was distributed to a purposive sample of academic institutions in the United States. Reponses were reported as restrictive (6–8 h preprocedurally) or permissive (<6 h or continued intraprocedurally) feeding policies. Differences between level 1 trauma centers and others, and between burn centers and others, were evaluated.

Results

The response rate was 40.3% (56 of 139 institutions). Responses revealed a wide variability with respect to current practices, with more permissive policies reported in patients with secure airways. In patients with a secure airway, Level 1 trauma centers were significantly more likely to have permissive fasting policies for patients undergoing an extremity incision and drainage for each type of feeding tube surveyed.

Conclusions

Current hospital policies for preprocedural fasting in patients receiving tube feeds are conflicting and are frequently more permissive than guidelines for healthy patients receiving oral nutrition. Prospective research is needed to establish the safety and clinical effects of various fasting practices in tube‐fed patients.
Development and Application of Automated Vocal Fold Tracking Software in a Rat Surgical Model
Authors: Pennington‐FitzGerald William , Joshi Abhinav , Honzel Emily , Hernandez‐Morato Ignacio , Pitman Michael J. , Moayedi Yalda
Published: August 2023

Objective

The rat is a widely used model for studying vocal fold (VF) function after recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, but common techniques for evaluating rat VF motion remain subjective and imprecise. To address this, we developed a software package, called RatVocalTracker1.0 (RVT1.0), to quantify VF motion and tested it on rats with iatrogenic unilateral vocal fold paralysis (VFP).

Methods

A deep neural network was trained to identify the positions of the VFs and arytenoid cartilages (ACs) in transoral laryngoscope videos of the rat glottis. Software was developed to estimate glottic midline, VF displacement, VF velocity, and AC angle. The software was applied to laryngoscope videos of adult rats before and after right recurrent and superior laryngeal nerve transection (N = 15; 6M, 9F). All software calculated metrics were compared before and after injury and validated against manually calculated metrics.

Results

RVT1.0 accurately tracked and quantified VF displacement, VF velocity, and AC angle. Significant differences were found before and after surgery for all RVT1.0 calculated metrics. There was strong agreement between programmatically and manually calculated measures. Automated analysis was also more efficient than nearly all manual methods.

Conclusion

This approach provides fast, accurate assessment of VF motion in rats with minimal labor and allows for quantitative comparison of lateral differences in movement. Through this novel analysis method, we can differentiate healthy movement from unilateral VFP. RVT1.0 is open‐source and will be a valuable tool for researchers using the rat model for laryngology research.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 134:340–346, 2024