bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement of the antioxidant activity, phytochemicals, and cannabinoid compounds of Cannabis sativa by salicylic acid elicitor
Authors: Mirzamohammad Elham , Alirezalu Abolfazl , Alirezalu Kazem , Norozi Asadaolah , Ansari Afsaneh
Published: October 2021

Recently, due to the valuable and high level of phytochemical compounds such as cannabinoids and other secondary metabolites, the cultivation of Cannabis sativa has increased in the world. The current study was conducted to evaluate the potential role of exogenous salicylic acid (control, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 M) on enhanced production of pharmaceutically important phytochemicals. The sprayed aerial parts were evaluated based on phenolic (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) contents, antioxidant capacity (by FRAP and DPPH assay), photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, b (Chl a and Chl b), total carotenoids (TCC), and cannabinoid compounds. Quantification of aerial parts metabolites was performed using gas chromatography. The results indicated that phytochemical compounds and antioxidant capacity in C. sativa were influenced by various concentrations of salicylic acid (SA). The highest TPC, TFC, TCC, Chl a, Chl b, and antioxidant capacity were obtained in 1 M treatment, whereas the lowest of them were found in control plants. The major cannabinoids in the analyzed extracts were CBD (19.91%–37.81%), followed by Δ9‐THC (10.04%–22.84%), and CBL (nd‐14.78%). The highest CBD (37.81%) and Δ9‐THC (22.84%) were obtained in 1 M of SA. These results suggest that the elicitor SA (especially 1 M) was able to improve antioxidant capacity, phytochemicals, and cannabinoid compounds.
Prevalence of High Liver Stiffness and a Screening Strategy Using the SODA‐2B Score Among US Adults
Authors: Niezen Sebastian , Tapper Elliot B. , Trivedi Hirsh , Lai Michelle , Curry Michael P. , Mukamal Kenneth J. , Jiang Z. Gordon
Published: October 2021

Cirrhosis, a rising cause of death in the United States, has an extended preclinical phase characterized by progressive liver fibrosis. Despite the developments in noninvasive fibrosis measurement, there is no recommended screening, in part due to an incomplete understanding of the disease epidemiology on a national scale. Herein, we aim to define the prevalence of liver fibrosis and compare strategies to identify the at‐risk population. We analyzed 4,510 US adults with complete liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration‐controlled transient elastography (VCTE) in the 2017‐2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate the disease burden of increased liver stiffness. An estimated 11.6 million (95% confidence interval [C.I.], 8.1‐15.0 million) US adults had LSM ≥9.5 kPa, indicating advanced fibrosis and representing 1 in every 18 adults. Among them, 7.1 million (95% CI, 5.0‐9.1 million) had LSM ≥12.5 kPa, which is concerning for cirrhosis. LSM ≥9.5 kPa is associated with male sex (S), history of other liver diseases (O), diabetes (D), advanced age (A), and an elevated BMI (B). A simple SODA‐2B score had a sensitivity of 96.4% in identifying individuals at risk for advanced cirrhosis (LSM ≥9.5 kPa) and a negative predictive value of 99.3% in stratifying more than half of the adult population. When the liver function test (LFT) is available, the inclusion of abnormal LFT and elevated fibrosis‐4 index can further increase screening efficiency. Conclusion: Elevated liver stiffness is prevalent among US adults. A SODA‐2B score can risk stratify adults for VCTE‐based fibrosis screening.
Simultaneous point‐of‐care testing of blood lipid profile and glucose: Performance evaluation of the GCare Lipid Analyzer
Authors: Kim Ha Nui , Yoon Soo‐Young
Published: October 2021

Background

Point‐of‐care (POC) testing provides quick results and includes tests for blood glucose and lipid profiles. We evaluated the newly developed POC device, the GCare Lipid Analyzer, which is used to measure glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) levels.

Methods

Venous and capillary blood samples were collected from patients who visited Korea University Guro Hospital. The results obtained using the GCare Lipid Analyzer were compared with those obtained using the TBA 2000FR chemistry analyzer and YSI 2300 STAT Plus analyzer. The glucose system evaluation process was based on the International Organization for Standardization 15197:2013 guidelines.

Results

The correlation coefficients (R) for TC, TG, and HDL‐C were 0.965, 0.969, and 0.943 in capillary blood and 0.969, 0.990, and 0.956 in venous blood, respectively. The total errors for TC, TG, and HDL‐C of the lipid profile using venous blood were all acceptable at 6.6%, 9.3%, and 11.6%, respectively. For glucose concentrations <100 mg/dl, 96.1% of the measured glucose levels were within ±15 mg/dl in venous samples and 100% were within ±15 mg/dl in capillary samples. For glucose concentrations ≥100 mg/dl, 100% and 99.5% of the measured glucose levels were within 15% for venous and capillary blood, respectively.

Conclusion

The performance of the GCare Lipid Analyzer is acceptable for both blood glucose and lipid profile testing, indicating that it is reliable for use in patients with diabetic dyslipidemia.
Professional identity formation: The key contributors and dental students’ concerns
Authors: Kwon Jennifer H. , Shuler Charles F. , von Bergmann HsingChi
Published: October 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the components of professional identity formation (PIF) and understand dental students’ concerns toward their professional identity development so that research‐informed recommendations can be made to improve dental professional programs.

Methods

This is a qualitative study. A total of 18 students of the whole graduating class (class size: 46) were interviewed about their progress through a newly designed curriculum specific for the dental students at a large public research university in Canada. The audio files were recorded, transcribed, and corrected by a research assistant. Using QSR International's NVivo (Version 12), the researchers of this study conducted a thematic analysis to generate overarching themes and extract the relevant components of PIF.

Results

Five themes emerged from the study as follows: (i) domain‐specific self‐efficacy, (ii) role modeling and mentoring, (iii) professional socialization with peers, (iv) learning environment (LE), and (v) reflection. We considered these to be the five key contributors to dental students' PIF.

Conclusions

Understanding the main concerns for students and improving the LE are critical in helping students form their professional identity. The findings of this qualitative study identified some important aspects of the dental curricula for educators to consider. These results can be used by future research studies to explore models for professional identity assessment tools that can aid in guiding students' professional identity development.
Intercomparison of gridded precipitation datasets for prospective hydrological applications in Sri Lanka
Authors: Bandara Upeakshika , Agarwal Anshul , Srinivasan Govindarajalu , Shanmugasundaram Jothiganesh , Jayawardena I. M. Shiromani
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study was to assess the application of gridded precipitation datasets for applications in Sri Lanka and to identify suitable products that can be used for hydrological applications in data sparse regions. Here, nine global datasets were considered for this study, and after initial screening, four datasets, such as Integrated Multi‐Satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) early run calibrated, Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)—ReAnalysis (ERA5) and Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Reanalysis (IMDAA), were selected for detailed comparison. These data products were analysed at monthly, seasonal and annual time scale for whole Sri Lanka and also for three distinguished climate zones (wet, intermediate and dry) for the period 2001–2015. The datasets were further evaluated based on their ability to capture the extreme events, based on recent designated dry year and wet year. All four datasets represent the annual and monthly climatology of Sri Lanka well; however, discrepancies are seen at seasonal scale. CHIRPS had the best performance in the wet zone and ERA5 in dry and intermediate zones. Although all datasets distinctly identified the wet year and dry year with respect to the normal average, the interannual variability was explicitly identified by CHIRPS and ERA5. Therefore, for replicating the national and zonal climatology, both ERA5 (dry and intermediate zones) and CHIRPS (wet zone) are suitable. With the perspective of hydrological applications, both datasets can be used in development of hydrological models for applications such as flood forecasting, reservoir management and climate change impact assessment as an alternative to observed rainfall data in data scarce regions.
Climatological seasonal variation of the upper ocean salinity
Authors: Liu Yuanxin , Cheng Lijing , Pan Yuying , Abraham John , Zhang Bin , Zhu Jiang , Song Junqiang
Published: October 2021

Salinity plays a vital role in regulating ocean density, stratification and circulation, and is an indicator of the coupling between the ocean, atmosphere and land through the water cycle. This study provides a spatially complete look of the seasonal variation of the upper 2,000 m ocean salinity from regional to global scales, and assesses the robustness of the signals. The potential drivers of this variation are also investigated by comparing salinity changes with surface precipitation and evaporation. New observations show a robust seasonal variation in global ocean salinity from the surface down to 350 m depth that exceeds the observational uncertainty, and in some regions, the variation can be detected at 2,000 m. Regions with a seasonal variation of sea surface salinity (SSS) larger than 0.6 g⋅kg−1 include the Northwest Pacific, Northwest Atlantic, tropical oceans and the northeast Indian Ocean. From 5°N to 30°N (20°N to 5°N), the sea surface is fresher (saltier) in the first half of the year and gets saltier (fresher) in the second half of the year, because of surface precipitation and evaporation changes associated with monsoons and the seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation. In the middle and high latitudes, the evaporation‐minus‐precipitation is mismatched with local salinity changes, suggesting that river runoff, sea ice change and ocean dynamics have a controlling role. On zonal average, the subsurface (50–160 m) generally shows salinity anomalies with an opposite sign to those of the near surface regions (0–50 m), indicating the importance of ocean dynamics. There are notable differences in global SSS variation between Argo‐only products and datasets that merge all observations, revealing the insufficiency of Argo network in shallow oceans and polar regions. To overcome this, an integrated ocean observational network is strongly recommended.
Rapid 8‐Zone Lung Ultrasound Protocol is Comparable to a Full 12‐Zone Protocol for Outcome Prediction in Hospitalized COVID‐19 Patients
Authors: Levy Adatto Nimrod , Preisler Yoav , Shetrit Aviel , Shepshelovich Daniel , Hershkoviz Rami , Isakov Ofer
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Safety precautions limit the clinical assessment of hospitalized Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients. The minimal exposure required to perform lung ultrasound (LUS) paired with its high accuracy, reproducibility, and availability make it an attractive solution for initial assessment of COVID‐19 patients. We aim to evaluate whether the association between sonographic findings and clinical outcomes among COVID 19 patients is comparable between the validated 12‐zone protocol and a shorter, 8‐zone protocol, in which the posterior lung regions are omitted.

Methods

One hundred and one COVID‐19 patients hospitalized in a dedicated COVID‐19 ward in a tertiary referral hospital were examined upon admission and scored by 2 LUS protocols. The association between the scores and a composite outcome consisting of death, transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) or initiation of invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation was estimated and compared.

Results

LUS scores in both the 8‐ and the 12‐zone protocols were associated with the composite outcome during hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21 [1.03–1.42, P = .022] and HR 1.13 [1.01–1.27, P = .037], respectively). The observed difference in the discriminatory ROC‐AUC values for the 8‐ and 12‐zone scores was not significant (0.767 and 0.754 [P = .647], respectively).

Conclusion

A short 8‐zone LUS protocol is as accurate as the previously validated, 12‐zone protocol for prognostication of clinical deterioration in nonventilated COVID‐19 patients.
Determination of Endovaginal Ultrasound Proficiency and Learning Curve Among Emergency Medicine Trainees
Authors: Derr Charlotte , Shteyman Alan , Jackson Saundra A. , Lu Yuanyuan , Campbell Tabitha , De Lucia Anthony , Merritt Raymond , Lupez Kathryn , Elkes Johnathon , Hansen Allyson , Jelic Tomislav , DeRespino Allison , Grant Ashley
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Performing and interpreting endovaginal ultrasound is an important skill used during the evaluation of obstetric and gynecologic emergencies. This study aims to describe the level of proficiency and confidence achieved after performing 25 endovaginal examinations.

Methods

This is a prospective study at a single urban academic emergency department. Participants performed a minimum of 25 endovaginal ultrasounds under the supervision of a point‐of‐care ultrasound expert. Anatomical structures were identified by the expert under ultrasound prior to each session. Each examination was scored for agreement of findings between the participant and expert. The data were used to develop a performance curve identifying when proficiency was achieved, where experiential benefit diminished, and when participants felt confident.

Results

A total of 1117 endovaginal ultrasound examinations were performed by 50 participants. Agreement after 25 examinations was highest (>95%) for probe insertion and preparation, bladder and uterus identification, and directionality. Agreement was lowest for identification of the ovaries (76%). Experiential benefit plateaus occurred earliest (10 exams) for preparation and insertion followed by bladder identification and directionality. Surprisingly, ovarian experiential benefit plateaued at 16 exams. Participant confidence improved overall and was lowest for the identification of ovaries and abnormal pelvic anatomy.

Conclusions

There is a significant learning curve when performing endovaginal ultrasound. Our data do not support the use of 25 examinations as a minimum standard for identification of the ovaries or abnormal ovarian pathology.
Thermal, Mechanical, and Ion‐Conductive Properties of Crosslinked Poly[(ethylene carbonate)‐co‐(ethylene oxide)]‐Lithium Bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide Electrolytes
Authors: Nishimura Naomi , Hashinokuchi Junpei , Tominaga Yoichi
Published: October 2021

A random copolymer consisting of ethylene carbonate (EC) and ethylene oxide (EO) units with allyl side groups is synthesized as a matrix for solid polymer electrolytes (SPE). By introducing crosslinking structure to the copolymer, creating a polymer matrix with superior mechanical strength while maintaining good ionic conductivity is being attempted. A tensile test indicates that introduction of the crosslinking structure improves the elastic modulus and maximum stress. When a lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide is added to these polymers at 80 mol%, the conductivity of the crosslinked polymer‐based electrolyte increases slightly. Vogel–Tammann–Fulcher (VTF) analysis reveals that values of the activation energy for crosslinked polymer‐based electrolytes are clearly lower than those of the starting copolymer. The changes in the constant A with increasing salt concentration are very different, but the A values at 80 mol% are almost the same. This VTF behavior suggests that the crosslinking structure has a larger effect on the increase in the carrier ions and also on the decrease in the energy for ionic conduction with increasing salt concentration.
Dendrimer‐Based Polyion Complex Vesicles: Loops Make Loose
Authors: Huang Jianan , Li Chendan , Gao Yifan , Cai Ying , Guo Xuhong , Cohen Stuart Martien A. , Wang Junyou
Published: October 2021

Associations of amphiphiles assume their various morphologies according to the so‐called packing parameter under thermodynamic control. However, one may raise the question of whether polymers can always relax fast enough to obey thermodynamic control, and how this may be checked. Here, a case of polyion complex (PIC) assemblies where the morphology appears to be subject to kinetic control is discussed. Poly (ethylene oxide)‐b‐(styrene sulfonate) block copolymers are combined with cationic PAMAM dendrimers of various generations (2–7). The PEO‐PSS diblocks, and the corresponding PSS‐PEO‐PSS triblocks should have nearly identical packing parameters, but surprisingly creat different assemblies, namely core‐shell micelles and vesicles, respectively. Moreover, the micelles are very stable against added salt, whereas the vesicles are not only much more sensitive to added salt, but also appear to exchange matter on relevant time scales. The small and largely quenched early‐stage precursor complexes are responsible for the morphological and dynamic differences, implying that kinetic control may also be a way to obtain particles with well‐defined and useful properties. The exciting new finding that triblocks produce more “active” vesicles will hopefully trigger the exploration of more pathways, and so learn how to tune PICsomes toward specific applications.
Nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) antagonists target paraspeckle component 1 (PSPC1) in cancer cells
Authors: Mohankumar Kumaravel , Shrestha Rupesh , Safe Stephen
Published: October 2021

Paraspeckles compound 1 (PSPC1) is a multifunctional protein that plays an important role in cancer cells, where PSPC1 is a master regulator of pro‐oncogenic responses that includes activation of TGFβ (TGFβ1), TGFβ‐dependent EMT, and metastasis. The pro‐oncogenic activities of PSPC1 closely resembled those observed for the orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1, Nur77) and knockdown of NR4A1 decreased expression of PSPC1 in MDA‐MB‐231 breast, H1299 lung, and SNU449 liver cancer cells. Similar results were observed in these same cell lines after treatment with bisindole–derived (CDIMs) NR4A1 antagonists. Moreover, PSPC1‐dependent regulation of TGFβ, genes associated with cancer stem cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) were also downregulated after NR4A1 silencing or treatment of breast, lung, and liver cancer cells with CDIM/NR4A1 antagonists. Results of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays suggest that NR4A1 regulates PSPC1 through interaction with an NBRE sequence in the PSPC1 gene promoter. These results coupled with in vivo studies showing that NR4A1 antagonists inhibit breast tumor growth and downregulate PSPC1 in tumors indicate that the pro‐oncogenic nuclear PSPC1 factor can be targeted by CDIM/NR4A1 antagonists.
Contact‐mediated nucleation in melt emulsions investigated by rheo‐nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Kaysan Gina , Schork Nicolas , Herberger Sabrina , Guthausen Gisela , Kind Matthias
Published: October 2021

Increasing the efficiency of disperse phase crystallization is of great interest for melt emulsion production as the fraction of solidified droplets determines product quality and stability. Nucleation events must appear within every single one of the μm‐sized droplets for solidification. Therefore, primary crystallization requires high subcooling and is, thus, time and energy consuming. Contact‐mediated nucleation is a mechanism for intensifying the crystallization process. It is defined as the successful nucleation of a subcooled liquid droplet induced by contact with an already crystallized droplet. We investigated contact‐mediated nucleation under shear flow conditions up to shear rates of 457 s−1 for a quantitative assessment of this mechanism. Rheo‐nuclear magnetic resonance was successfully used for the time‐resolved determination of the solids fraction of the dispersed phase of melt emulsions upon contact‐mediated nucleation events. The measurements were carried out in a dedicated Taylor–Couette cell. The efficiency of contact‐mediated nucleation
decreased with increasing shear rate, whereas the effective second order kinetic constant
increased approximately linearly at small shear rates and showed a linear decrease for shear rates higher than about 200 s−1. These findings are in accordance with coalescence theory. Thus, the nucleation rate is optimal at specific flow conditions. There are limitations for successful inoculation at a low shear rate because of rare contact events and at a high shear rate due to too short contact time.
Community foundations provide collaborative responses and local leadership in midst of COVID‐19
Authors: Azevedo Lauren , Bell Andrew , Medina Pamela
Published: October 2021

Community foundations are uniquely positioned within their localities to provide immediate needs and realize their communities' strengths, resources, and challenges, affording them opportunities to be highly effective in responding to crises. Many community foundations act not only as grant‐makers and social investors, but also as community mobilizers, experts, facilitators, and leaders, who work on identifying areas of greatest need to catalyze meaningful social change. As the COVID‐19 pandemic has quickly spread across the United States, many community foundations are spearheading immediate relief efforts locally and mobilizing millions of dollars throughout the U.S. This article highlights the initial response efforts of specific community foundations to the COVID‐19 outbreak, including operations, shifts in funding priorities, and fund allocation oversight. Moving forward, it will be increasingly critical for community foundations and all philanthropists to strategically prioritize funding initiatives, voice local concerns to policymakers, and advocate for both state and federal policies related to nonprofit support.
The role of mandatory lockup ratios in initial public offerings
Authors: Mohd‐Rashid Rasidah , Abdul‐Rahim Ruzita , Khaw Karren Lee‐Hwei , Mehmood Waqas
Published: October 2021

This paper examines the potential explanations for Initial Public Offering (IPO) lockup provisions. This study uses cross‐sectional regression, robust least squares, and quantile regression on data for the period from 2000 to 2014. We explore the explanation of lockup as (i) a signal of firms' commitment to alleviate the moral hazard problem, or (ii) a signal of firms' qualities. The results document that firms retain higher proportions of their shares as a signal of commitment rather than quality. Besides that, firms with higher lockup ratios are more likely to engage high‐quality underwriters for their listing exercise. The findings suggest that although the regulation requires major shareholders to lockup their entire shareholdings until 6 months after the IPO listing, they tend to keep higher proportions than the minimum requirement of 45% of the enlarged issued and paid up capital as a signal of commitment towards reducing the moral hazard problem. Thus, investors should recognise the signalling role of the lockup provision when they make investment decisions. Policymakers need to pay attention to the formulation of lockup provisions. While lockup is mandatory, the different percentages of shares locked up are of interest to this study. Further, the findings highlight the importance of lockup provisions in boosting the confidence of investors to participate in IPOs. This study provides new empirical evidence regarding the role of the lockup provision.
Knowledge of Nature and the Nature of Knowledge: Student natural history knowledge and the significance of birds
Authors: Gosler Andrew G. , Tilling Stephen M.
Published: October 2021

We studied the natural history knowledge (NHK) of students (18–19 years), considering the salience of nature expressed through the knowledge of names of organisms, routes for knowledge transmission and acquisition and the potential of specific taxa to represent a student's overall knowledge.

We report a 2‐year study of the NHK of 149 UK‐resident first‐year biology students surveyed by means of a free‐listing exercise, facilitating the assessment of salience, prior to participation in a residential field course run by the University of Oxford.

Each year, students anonymously completed a questionnaire asking them to name any five species in each of five taxonomic groups (birds, trees, mammals, butterflies and wildflowers) found wild in the British Isles, also stating if those named were native or introduced. Metadata were collected on the students' background and sources of knowledge (e.g. family, teachers, etc.).

Of the five taxonomic groups, birds were the best known by the students, while butterflies were the most poorly known group. However, although asked for names at species level, while 94% of students could name five British bird taxa, only 55.7% named them at species level, many giving folk generics such as ‘duck’ or ‘seagull’ instead. For butterflies, only 12.8% of students correctly named five British species, and 47% named none.

Family influences, self‐motivation and knowledge of birds, rather than formal education, best predicted students’ overall NHK. While urban/rural residency had a small effect on NHK, it strongly influenced the relative importance of other factors.

Factor analysis showed that NHK was best represented by knowledge of birds. Furthermore, the bird species named predicted students’ total NHK as well as the students’ knowledge of birds. Asked to name their favourite bird, students with family influence were significantly more likely to name native species.

We describe the complex interplay between context, family and formal education in developing nature salience; roles which we define as nature ‘advocacy’. In the urban context, the advocacy of family and teachers was essential to engage young people with nature, while this was not so in a rural context. We briefly consider the implications of our study for natural history education going forward.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Health‐related quality of life in infants, toddlers and young children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Houwing Maite E. , Muntendam Madieke J. , van Muilekom Maud M. , Teela Lorynn , Fijnvandraat Karin , de Pagter Anne P. J. , Heijboer Henriëtte , van Oers Hedy A. , Cnossen Marjon H. , Haverman Lotte
Published: October 2021

Background

Little is known about health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in young children with sickle cell disease living in a European country.

Methods

A retrospective cross‐sectional evaluation of TNO‐AZL Preschool Children Quality of Life questionnaire (TAPQOL, 0–1 year) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL, 2–7 years) data was conducted. Study participants included caregivers of children with sickle cell disease aged 0–7 years attending the sickle cell centre at the Erasmus Medical Center or the Amsterdam University Medical Centers between April 2012 and October 2020. Comparisons were made with normative data on HRQoL in the general paediatric population.

Results

The study enrolled 136 caregivers of 136 children. In children aged 0–5 years, no significant differences emerged between children with sickle cell disease and the general population. However, in children aged 5–7 years, children with sickle cell disease scored significantly lower on all subscales except for emotional functioning. Multiple regression models showed a negative association between age and HRQoL. No association was found between HRQoL and disease severity or sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that HRQoL is negatively correlated with age in young children with sickle cell disease with a significantly lower HRQoL in 5‐ to 7‐year‐olds when compared to the general population. Our study underlines the importance of measuring HRQoL in young children to identify patients with impaired HRQoL early in life in order to be able to intervene accordingly. Future research should focus on deepening the knowledge of factors influencing HRQoL in children with sickle cell disease.
Synthesis, properties and applications of well‐designed hybrid polymers based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
Authors: Wang Cheng , Zhou Likang , Du Qinqing , Shan Tianyu , Zheng Kai , He Jing , He Huiwen , Chen Si , Wang Xu
Published: October 2021

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) as a frontier organic/inorganic hybrid material with multiple structures has exhibited great potential in robust property extension in the past decade because of its stable cage structure and flexible modification. Recent research on the design strategies of modifying T8‐POSS and various T8‐POSS deviations has inspired the emergence of multidisciplinary applications. In this review, we describe the most common synthetic methods of T8‐POSS, including monofunctional and octafunctional POSS deviations, and then discuss some frequently combined groups' properties, such as POSS‐cyclodextrin, POSS‐azobenzene, base‐pair ending POSS and POSS‐copolymer, and classify them based on their self‐assembly driving force. Moreover, these designations serve as advanced interactive machines with humans, including drug delivery systems, fluorescent probes, sensors and stretchable devices. Finally, we describe the prospects and challenges of the application of the expansion of smart POSS interactive materials. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Electrode metallization for scaled perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Rehman Atteq ur , Van Kerschaver Emmanuel P. , Aydin Erkan , Raja Waseem , Allen Thomas G. , De Wolf Stefaan
Published: October 2021

Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells have the potential to reach very high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in a cost‐effective manner. In the last decade, significant technological advancements have been made for lab‐scale devices (~1 cm2), with PCEs now higher than the theoretical PCE limit of single‐junction silicon solar cells. For market entry of such tandems, the involved processing steps need to be scaled to industrial wafer dimensions, typically >244 cm2, which also mandates the development of adequate electrode‐metallization strategies. Here we discuss challenges and opportunities related to this, including the required properties of the front metal grid for perovskite/silicon tandems, as well as key motivations and challenges in adopting screen‐printed metallization, which is the current standard for mainstream silicon solar cells. We give a cost estimation for the front metal grid by considering the cost of low‐temperature metal pastes that are compatible with the thermal budget limitations imposed by the perovskite top cell. We also consider opportunities to employ alternative metallization schemes that arise from the reduction in current density in tandem solar cells compared to single‐junction devices. Lastly, we discuss possible routes to replace or minimize the silver content in costly silver‐based metallization for industrial applications.
‘VT Sweet’: A vegetable soybean cultivar for commercial edamame production in the mid‐Atlantic USA
Authors: Zhang Bo , Lord Nilanka , Kuhar Thomas , Duncan Susan , Huang Haibo , Ross Jeremy , Rideout Steven , Arancibia Ramon , Reiter Mark , Li Song , Chen Pengyin , Mozzoni Leandro , Gillen Anne , Yin Yun , Neill Clinton , Carneiro Renata , Yu Dajun , Sutton Kemper , Li Xiaoying , Wang Zhibo , Buss Glenn
Published: October 2021

Commercially viable cultivars adapted to U.S. production regions that meet consumer acceptance criteria are desperately needed by the growing domestic edamame industry. Here, we report the development and release of ‘VT Sweet’ (Reg. no. CV‐542, PI 699062), the first vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar released by Virginia Tech. VT Sweet is a late maturity group (MG) V cultivar (relative maturity 5.6, 129 d to harvest) with determinate growth habit, purple flowers, gray pubescence, tan pod wall, and yellow hila. VT Sweet has superior characteristics for edamame such as large pod size (13.9 g/10 pods; 40.4 mm long, 11.4 mm wide, and 7.6 mm thick) and low one‐bean pod proportion (15%), as well as low pod pubescence density (359 hairs/2.4 cm2). VT Sweet also showed high overall consumer acceptability (6.0 ± 1.7; 9 = like extremely) and favorable tolerance to native pests. When compared with the commercial edamame check ‘UA Kirksey’, VT Sweet showed 102% of the check yield, a higher average field emergence rate (74.9 vs. 68.1%), and comparable consumer acceptability (6.05 vs. 6.10). Therefore, VT Sweet is an ideal cultivar for growers who are interested in commercial edamame production in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States.
Impact of prostate biopsy secondary pathology review on radiotherapy management
Authors: Siedow Michael , Eisner Mariah , Yaney Alexander , Washington Iman , Zynger Debra , Martin Douglas , Mo Xiaokui , Diconstanzo Dominic , Diaz Dayssy Alexandra
Published: October 2021

Background

The Gleason scoring system is the most widely used method to assess prostate adenocarcinoma pathology however interobserver variability is significant. Gleason score, PSA level, and clinical stage comprise the NCCN risk stratification that guides treatment decision making. Given the importance of an accurate Gleason score and wide interobserver variability, referral centers routinely review outside pathology at the time of consultation. We sought to address the impact a secondary pathology review had on radiation therapy treatment recommendations in men with prostate cancer at our institution.

Methods

We retrospectively collected patient data on 342 patients seen at our institution from January 2012 to December 2018. Clinicopathologic data were used to subdivide patients into risk groups and available treatment options per NCCN criteria. Cases reviewed by our genitourinary pathologist (GUP) were compared with reports from outside pathologists. Inter‐rater reliability between pathologists was assessed with weighted Cohen's kappa statistic and agreement of treatment options was determined by McNemar's exact tests.

Results

GUP scored more cores positive in 16.47% of cases on secondary review. Primary Gleason score was changed in 12.28% of patients and secondary score in 26.02% of cases. Total Gleason score was different in 29.24% of cases, 19.01% were downgraded and 10.23% upgraded. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.759 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.711, 0.807). 18.77% of patients were assigned to a different NCCN risk group following secondary review. The weighted kappa statistic comparing NCCN risk stratification was 0.802 (95% CI: 0.754, 0.850). Secondary review influenced radiation therapy recommendations pertaining to brachytherapy boost and androgen deprivation therapy in men with high risk disease (χ2 = 5.33, p = 0.0386; χ2 = 8.05, p = 0.0072, respectively). Kappa statistic was found to be highest when GUP assessed high‐risk disease versus all other categories (κ = 0.823, 95% CI: 0.750, 0.895).

Conclusions

We found nearly one in five men (18.7%) was assigned a different NCCN risk group and thus offered potentially different treatment options after a secondary pathology review at our institution. Given the inherent nature of prostate cancer and lung disease‐specific survival associated with modern therapies, our study demonstrates the importance of a secondary pathology review and its potential impact on radiation therapy recommendations.
Dynamics of the QTc interval over a 24‐h dose interval after start of intravenous ciprofloxacin or low‐dose erythromycin administration in ICU patients
Authors: Berger Florine A. , van Weteringen Willem , van der Sijs Heleen , Hunfeld Nicole G. M. , Bunge Jeroen J. H. , de Groot Natasja M. S. , van den Bemt Patricia M. L. A. , van Gelder Teun
Published: October 2021

QTc interval prolongation is an adverse effect associated with the use of fluoroquinolones and macrolides. Ciprofloxacin and erythromycin are both frequently prescribed QTc‐prolonging drugs in critically ill patients. Critically ill patients may be more vulnerable to developing QTc prolongation, as several risk factors can be present at the same time. Therefore, it is important to know the QTc‐prolonging potential of these drugs in the intensive care unit (ICU) population. The aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of the QTc interval over a 24‐hour dose interval during intravenous ciprofloxacin and low‐dose erythromycin treatment. Therefore, an observational study was performed in ICU patients (≥18 years) receiving ciprofloxacin 400 mg t.i.d. or erythromycin 100 mg b.i.d. intravenously. Continuous ECG data were collected from 2 h before to 24 h after the first administration. QT‐analyses were performed using high‐end holter software. The effect was determined with a two‐sample t‐test for clustered data on all QTc values. A linear mixed model by maximum likelihood was applied, for which QTc values were assessed for the available time intervals and therapy. No evident effect over time on therapy with ciprofloxacin and erythromycin was observed on QTc time. There was no significant difference (p = 0.22) in QTc values between the ciprofloxacin group (mean 393 ms) and ciprofloxacin control group (mean 386 ms). The erythromycin group (mean 405 ms) and erythromycin control group (mean 404 ms) neither showed a significant difference (p = 0.80). In 0.6% of the registrations (1.138 out of 198.270 samples) the duration of the QTc interval was longer than 500 ms. The index groups showed slightly more recorded QTc intervals over 500 ms. To conclude, this study could not identify differences in the QTc interval between the treatments analyzed.
Study on the Influence of Temperature–Magnetic Field Coupling on the Mechanical Properties of Magnetorheological Fluids
Authors: Li Yuqing , Luo Yiping , Luo Jiao , Wang Ying , Ren Hongjuan , Jiang Lei , Qiu Jun , Su Zhibin , Fang Qibo
Published: October 2021

The composition of a magnetorheological fluid (MRF) usually includes magnetic particles, a carrier fluid, and additives. Among them, the magnetic particles and carrier fluid are the main sources of the mechanical properties of the MRF. The changes of the related properties of the two will affect the mechanical properties of the MRF directly or indirectly. Herein, first, the temperature–magnetic field characteristics are analyzed during the MRF working process. Then, the influence mechanism of temperature and magnetic field changes on the properties of the magnetic particles and carrier liquid are analyzed. On this basis, the traditional Bingham model is improved and optimized, in which the temperature variable is introduced to represent the effect of temperature–magnetic field coupling on the shear stress of the MRF. Finally, parameter fitting and simulation are carried out for the optimized model, and the self‐made shear stress of the MRF measuring device with temperature‐control function is used to experimentally verify the accuracy of the optimized model. The comparison and verification of the results show that the optimized model can better represent the variation of shear stress of an MRF with temperature and magnetic field than the traditional Bingham model.
Curcumin and its derivatives in cancer therapy: Potentiating antitumor activity of cisplatin and reducing side effects
Authors: Abadi Asal Jalal , Mirzaei Sepideh , Mahabady Mahmood Khaksary , Hashemi Farid , Zabolian Amirhossein , Hashemi Fardin , Raee Pourya , Aghamiri Shahin , Ashrafizadeh Milad , Aref Amir Reza , Hamblin Michael R. , Hushmandi Kiavash , Zarrabi Ali , Sethi Gautam
Published: October 2021

Curcumin is a phytochemical isolated from Curcuma longa with potent tumor‐suppressor activity, which has shown significant efficacy in pre‐clinical and clinical studies. Curcumin stimulates cell death, triggers cycle arrest, and suppresses oncogenic pathways, thereby suppressing cancer progression. Cisplatin (CP) stimulates DNA damage and apoptosis in cancer chemotherapy. However, CP has adverse effects on several organs of the body, and drug resistance is frequently observed. The purpose of the present review is to show the function of curcumin in decreasing CP's adverse impacts and improving its antitumor activity. Curcumin administration reduces ROS levels to prevent apoptosis in normal cells. Furthermore, curcumin can inhibit inflammation via down‐regulation of NF‐κB to maintain the normal function of organs. Curcumin and its nanoformulations can reduce the hepatoxicity, neurotoxicity, renal toxicity, ototoxicity, and cardiotoxicity caused by CP. Notably, curcumin potentiates CP cytotoxicity via mediating cell death and cycle arrest. Besides, curcumin suppresses the STAT3 and NF‐ĸB as tumor‐promoting pathways, to enhance CP sensitivity and prevent drug resistance. The targeted delivery of curcumin and CP to tumor cells can be mediated nanostructures. In addition, curcumin derivatives are also able to reduce CP‐mediated side effects, and increase CP cytotoxicity against various cancer types.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) of PET and PLA bottles for the packaging of fresh pasteurised milk: The role of the manufacturing process and the disposal scenario
Authors: Desole Maria Pia , Aversa Clizia , Barletta Massimiliano , Gisario Annamaria , Vosooghnia Alireza
Published: October 2021

Environmental protection issues are at the forefront of the vast majority of the media and public opinion. The study in question revealed the life cycle of a product commonly used in the home, the bottle of fresh pasteurised milk. The materials used for the manufacturing of the bottles are PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate), plastic derived from fossil resources, and PLA (PolyLactic Acid), bioplastic derived from sugar cane, therefore from renewable resources. The life cycle of the bottles was carried out by highlighting the extraction phase of raw materials, the production of polymer, bottle, other packaging and distribution of milk and lastly, final disposal, excluding the phase of use, not significant for the purposes of this study. The studies were focused on two disposal scenarios, the current scenario and the one that is likely to take place in 10 years. In the current disposal scenario, there is no clear reduction in environmental impact from the comparison of the materials examined. With reference to the 2030 disposal scenario, the PLA turns out to be much more environmentally friendly.
Sustainable innovation among small businesses: The role of digital orientation, the external environment, and company characteristics
Authors: Nasiri Mina , Saunila Minna , Rantala Tero , Ukko Juhani
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to identify the internal and external environments of a company that affect sustainable innovation in such small enterprises by examining the circumstances under which small enterprises are likely to engage in sustainable innovation. The results of this study demonstrate that companies with high levels of digital orientation in their operations contributed more to sustainable innovation than those without such high levels. In addition, in the external environment, factors that include market and technological turbulence have a negative effect on sustainable innovation. However, the adoption of sustainable innovation was not significantly impacted by market turbulence. Furthermore, certain company characteristics, such as size and maturity, do not determine the contribution of a company's internal and external environments to sustainable innovation.
Insight into the Role of Guanidinium and Cesium in Triple Cation Lead Halide Perovskites
Authors: Ramos-Terrón Susana , Illanes José Francisco , Bohoyo-Gil Diego , Camacho Luis , de Miguel Gustavo
Published: October 2021

The overall impact of the partial replacement (5–15%) of methylammonium (MA) in the MAPbI3 perovskite by cesium or guanidinium (Gua) cations to fabricate thin films of triple cation Cs
x
Gua
y
MA1–x–y
PbI3 perovskites is studied. The structural changes are investigated by using X‐ray diffraction measurements revealing shrinkage or expansion of the unit cell upon Cs or Gua incorporation, respectively. The optoelectronic properties are characterized with photoluminescence (PL) time‐resolved spectroscopy and the space charge limited current (SCLC) method. Shorter PL time constants are obtained for the samples with only Cs, while longer PL decays are measured for the perovskites containing additional Gua cation. The SCLC measurements reveal a larger density of trap states in the Cs
x
MA1–x
PbI3 perovskites compared to the MAPbI3 material. The PSCs fabricated with the different mixed cation Cs
x
Gua
y
MA1–x–y
PbI3 perovskites reveal a good correlation with the measured optoelectronic properties. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) improves from an average value of 18.6% for the MAPbI3 to a value of 20.0% for the Cs0.05Gua0.05MA0.90PbI3 perovskite with a champion cell delivering 21.2%. On the opposite, the PCE decreases to a value of 17.3% for the double cation perovskite with Cs.
On the use of principal component analysis in the entropy based detection of denial‐of‐service attacks
Authors: Basicevic Ilija , Blazic Nikola , Ocovaj Stanislav
Published: October 2021

This paper investigates some possibilities for the use of the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm in the detection of denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. Two simple traffic features that are widely used for the detection of DoS attacks are source and destination ports of packets. In this paper, we show that by using only the principal component of these two features as the input for detection a powerful detector can be built. Shannon entropy formula and two generalized entropy formulas have been used in combination with PCA. The input dataset is generated in an emulation testbed. The type of attack that is investigated is SYN flood.
Suitability of Self‐Reducing and Slag‐Forming Briquettes for Electric Arc Furnace Use Based on Laboratory Tests
Authors: Abdelrahim Ahmed , Aula Matti , Iljana Mikko , Willms Thomas , Echterhof Thomas , Steinlechner Stefan , Mombelli Davide , Mapelli Carlo , Omran Mamdouh , Preiss Stefan , Fabritius Timo
Published: October 2021

The in‐plant recycling routes of side streams produced in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking remain underexplored. Briquetting is an attractive technique to enable their recycle. Briquettes introduced into EAF must possess certain mechanical and chemical properties. However, no standard is available to determine the suitability of briquettes used in the EAF process. Herein, eight side streams are characterized, and used to produce seven different briquettes to be used in EAF. Briquettes tested consist of four self‐reducing briquettes and three slag‐forming briquettes produced using different recipes. The briquettes are subjected to several mechanical and thermal tests which reflect their intended use in EAF. The mechanical tests include compression and drop tests, and the thermal tests include optical dilatometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)–derivative thermogravimetry (DTG)–mass spectrometry (MS), and full‐scale briquette reduction tests. Moreover, melting trials are performed to assess the melting behavior of selected briquettes and their interaction with slag. Suitability of briquettes characteristics is assessed based on values from the literature and against reference ferroalloys and lime stones used in one of the steel plants. Two briquettes are deemed suitable for EAF use, while three briquettes are deemed unsuitable, and two briquettes are considered of limited use.