bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme‐2 Therapy Improves Liver Fibrosis and Glycemic Control in Diabetic Mice With Fatty Liver
Authors: Rajapaksha Indu G. , Gunarathne Lakmie S. , Asadi Khashayar , Laybutt Ross , Andrikopoulous Sof , Alexander Ian E. , Watt Mathew J. , Angus Peter W. , Herath Chandana B.
Published: December 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes. However, there is no specific medical therapy to treat this condition. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) of the protective renin angiotensin system generates the antifibrotic peptide angiotensin‐(1‐7) from profibrotic angiotensin II peptide. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of ACE2 in diabetic NAFLD mice fed a high‐fat (20%), high‐cholesterol (2%) diet for 40 weeks. Mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of ACE2 using an adeno‐associated viral vector at 30 weeks of high‐fat, high‐cholesterol diet (15 weeks after induction of diabetes) and sacrificed 10 weeks later. ACE2 significantly reduced liver injury and fibrosis in diabetic NAFLD mice compared with the control vector injected mice. This was accompanied by reductions in proinflammatory cytokine expressions, hepatic stellate cell activation, and collagen 1 expression. Moreover, ACE2 therapy significantly increased islet numbers, leading to an increased insulin protein content in β‐cells and plasma insulin levels with subsequent reduction in plasma glucose levels compared with controls. Conclusion: We conclude that ACE2 gene therapy reduces liver fibrosis and hyperglycemia in diabetic NAFLD mice and has potential as a therapy for patients with NAFLD with diabetes.
Analytical and numerical solution of the longitudinal porous fin with multiple power‐law‐dependent thermal properties and magnetic effects
Authors: Roy Pranab Kanti , Mondal Hiranmoy , Raj Bipattaran
Published: December 2021

The present study is concentrated on the application of electric and magnetic fields on the longitudinal porous fin with power‐law‐dependent heat transfer coefficient, surface emissivity, and heat generation. The porosity parameter controls the amount of empty spaces or voids in the porous fin and its practical value lies in the range . In industrial application, the heat transfer coefficient is governed by a power law and its specific value defines a certain heat transfer process. The heat generation and surface emissivity of the longitudinal porous fin are assumed to be varied according to the power law and the whole fin is under the influence of an external electric field. The resulting nonlinear equation is solved by the classical Adimian decomposition method (ADM) and the obtained solutions are verified further by the finite difference method (FDM). It has been found that both ADM and FDM are in good agreement for lower values of thermophysical parameters. The effects of power index of heat generation, surface emissivity, and heat transfer coefficient parameter on the temperature distribution, heat flux, and efficiency are analyzed at different values of the porosity parameter comprehensively.
Flow of mixed convection for radiative and magnetic hybrid nanofluid in a porous material with Joule heating
Authors: Abdelhafez Mostafa A. , Awad Amal A. , Nafe Mohamed A. , Eisa Dalia A.
Published: December 2021

This paper analyzes the mixed convection flow and transport of heat in a hybrid nanofluid via an exponentially extending/contracting surface. Joule heating, magnetic field, permeability of a porous medium, thermal radiation, and slip condition are taken into consideration. Magnetite (Fe3O4) and copper (Cu) are used as a mixture of nanoparticles while ethylene glycol as a regular liquid. The paradigm is dissolved by utilizing the method of Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg with the shooting technique in MATLAB software. The effect of controlling parameters on the coefficient of drag force, heat transfer coefficient, and the distributions of temperature and velocity for physical parameters are discussed numerically, physically, and graphically. The outcomes ended up illustrating that the transport of heat is diminished by upsurging the Joule heating and magnetic field parameters for both contracting and extending states. For larger values of permeability parameter and parameter of mixed convection, the coefficient of local skin friction upsurges in extending situations.
The assessment of environmental sustainability: The role of research and development in ASEAN countries
Authors: Mehmood Usman , Askari Muhammad U. , Saleem Mubeen
Published: December 2021

Considering the set targets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to increase research and development (R&D) expenditures, this study probes the long-term and causal association between renewable energy (RE), nonrenewable energy (NRE), economic growth (GDP), and ecological footprints (EFs) in the context of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). Empirical evidence is based on the panel data throughout the period 1990–2016 for the selected six ASEAN economies. The Westerlund co-integration test confirms the long-run association between R&D, RE, NRE, GDP, and EF. The results of Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) confirm the presence of EKC and show that R&D expenditures lower EF significantly. A 1% increase in R&D and RE decreases EF by 0.01% and 0.27%, respectively. Moreover, a 1% increase in GDP and NRE increases EF by 5.52% and 0.17%, respectively. This means that investment in R&D will enhance air quality by lowering EF in estimated panel countries. Moreover, NRE consumption and GDP increase EF. The panel causality results confirm the bidirectional association between GDP, RE use, R&D expenditures, and EF. To achieve a desirable goal of a clean environment, R&D expenditures hold a strong position for ASEAN countries. This finding should encourage governments to involve public and private investments in R&D programs for energy efficiency. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1313–1320. © 2021 SETAC

KEY POINTS

Investment in research and development will enhance air quality by lowering ecological footprints in estimated panel countries. The panel causality results confirm bidirectional association between GDP, renewable energy use, R&D expenditures, and EF.
Dilemma after termination of pregnancy due to urogenital fetal anomalies: Discrepancy between prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis and autopsy
Authors: Ozdemir Ozge , Aksoy Figen , Sen Cihat
Published: December 2021

Objective

To evaluate the agreement and disagreement between prenatal ultrasound and fetal autopsy findings in pregnancy terminations due to urogenital anomalies.

Methods

Of 453 pregnancy terminations performed due to fetal anomalies, 82 cases with urogenital anomalies on either prenatal ultrasound or fetal autopsy were included in this retrospective study. The discrepancy between prenatal ultrasound and fetal autopsy findings on urogenital anomaly findings was evaluated.

Results

Complete agreement between prenatal ultrasound and fetal autopsy findings was noted in 33 (40.2%) cases (particularly for megacystis, bilateral renal agenesis, and infantile polycystic kidney), whereas partial agreement (anal atresia and horseshoe kidney as additional minor findings) and altered diagnosis were noted in 12 (14.6%) and 8 (9.8%) cases, respectively. Disagreement was noted in 29 (35.4%) cases including anomaly only on autopsy in 20 (24.3%) cases (renal agenesis, horseshoe kidney and multicystic dysplastic kidney in particular) and anomaly only on ultrasound in 9 (10.9%) cases.

Conclusions

Accordingly, our findings indicate fetal autopsy to be a method of vital importance in complementing prenatal diagnosis; it may add valuable information that may improve future pregnancy management and counseling of parents, and hence prenatal ultrasound and fetal autopsy should be regarded as complementary techniques.
Identification of seven‐gene marker to predict the survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma using integrated multi‐omics data analysis
Authors: Zhang Surong , Zeng Xueni , Lin Shaona , Liang Minchao , Huang Huaxing
Published: December 2021

Background

The mechanism of cancer occurrence and development could be understood with multi‐omics data analysis. Discovering genetic markers is highly necessary for predicting clinical outcome of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods

Clinical follow‐up information, copy number variation (CNV) data, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and RNA‐Seq were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). To obtain robust biomarkers, prognostic‐related genes, genes with SNP variation, and copy number differential genes in the training set were selected and further subjected to feature selection using random forests. Finally, a gene‐based prediction model for LUAD was validated in validation datasets.

Results

The study filtered 2071 prognostic‐related genes and 230 genomic variants, 1878 copy deletions, and 438 significant mutations. 218 candidate genes were screened through integrating genomic variation genes and prognosis‐related genes. 7 characteristic genes (RHOV, CSMD3, FBN2, MAGEL2, SMIM4, BCKDHB, and GANC) were identified by random forest feature selection, and many genes were found to be tumor progression‐related. A 7‐gene signature constructed by Cox regression analysis was an independent prognostic factor for LUAD patients, and at the same time a risk factor in the test set, external validation set, and training set. Noticeably, the 5‐year AUC of survival in the validation set and training set was all ˃ 0.67. Similar results were obtained from multi‐omics validation datasets.

Conclusions

The study builds a novel 7‐gene signature as a prognostic marker for the survival prediction of patients with LUAD. The current findings provided a set of new prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Understanding attachment styles, adverse childhood events, alcohol use, and trauma in Black and Latino Men with criminal justice histories
Authors: Donadio Melissa , Valera Pamela , Sinangil Noah
Published: December 2021

Black and Latino men experience high rates of trauma before and during incarceration and upon release to the community. This study examines the association between trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and alcohol use on the adult attachment styles in a sample of 248 Black and Latino men with incarceration experiences. Most of the respondents indicated that they were single and never married (61.3%), earned less than $10,000 annually (84.3%), and were in a state prison facility during their last incarceration (60.9%). Findings indicate that most of the men scored above average in attachment anxiety (M = 5.14,SD = 1.34) and attachment avoidant subscales (M = 5.35,SD = 1.08). Close to 23% self‐reported within the hazardous drinking range. In terms of trauma, the mean trauma score was 2.85 (SD = 2.97), suggesting that participants self‐reported experiencing minimal trauma. Overall, Black and Latino men who experience incarceration demonstrate high rates of insecure attachments which were predicted by traumatic childhood experiences. To best serve this population, mental health treatment during incarceration and the community should enhance attachment security.
The contributory role of vascular health in age‐related anabolic resistance
Authors: Banks Nile F. , Rogers Emily M. , Church David D. , Ferrando Arny A. , Jenkins Nathaniel D.M.
Published: December 2021

Sarcopenia, or the age‐related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is an increasingly prevalent condition that contributes to reduced quality of life, morbidity, and mortality in older adults. Older adults display blunted anabolic responses to otherwise anabolic stimuli—a phenomenon that has been termed anabolic resistance (AR)—which is likely a casual factor in sarcopenia development. AR is multifaceted, but historically much of the mechanistic focus has been on signalling impairments, and less focus has been placed on the role of the vasculature in postprandial protein kinetics. The vascular endothelium plays an indispensable role in regulating vascular tone and blood flow, and age‐related impairments in vascular health may impede nutrient‐stimulated vasodilation and subsequently the ability to deliver nutrients (e.g. amino acids) to skeletal muscle. Although the majority of data has been obtained studying younger adults, the relatively limited data on the effect of blood flow on protein kinetics in older adults suggest that vasodilatory function, especially of the microvasculature, strongly influences the muscle protein synthetic response to amino acid feedings. In this narrative review, we examine evidence of AR in older adults following amino acid and mixed meal consumption, examine the evidence linking vascular dysfunction and insulin resistance to age‐related AR, review the influence of nitric oxide and endothelin‐1 on age‐related vascular dysfunction as it relates to AR, briefly review the potential causal role of arterial stiffness in promoting skeletal muscle microvascular dysfunction and AR, and provide a brief overview and future considerations for research examining age‐related AR.
“It's just inappropriate”: Harassment of dental students by patients
Authors: Liaw Royston D.Y. , Ling Dobson C.T. , Vuli Lia J. , Loch Carolina , Adam Lee A.
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Harassment is an issue that occurs in all workplaces and institutions. Due to increased exposure to patients, higher rates of harassment are experienced in health care systems. Health care workers need to form a professional relationship with patients to attend to their health care needs; however, harassment by patients can disrupt this relationship and have detrimental physical, mental, and emotional impacts on the health practitioner.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and impact of harassment by patients toward clinical students at a prominent Australasian dental school.

Methods

A 14‐item survey was distributed to clinical students. The survey collected basic demographic information and contained Likert‐scale closed questions on harassment prevalence and experience and a free text question asking for details of a significant harassment experience. Descriptive statistics and analysis of free text data were performed.

Results

The response rate was 67%. About 20% of respondents reported experiencing at least one incident of harassment. Verbal harassment was most commonly reported, followed by sexual and racial harassment. All incidences of sexual harassment were reported by female students, while racial harassment was most frequently reported by students of Asian ethnicity. Most students indicated they were unsure of how to respond to harassment by patients.

Conclusion

Dental students were exposed to harassment by patients. Implications: Appropriate policies and education on responding to harassment, alongside support for the same, could help ensure the safety and wellbeing of students.
Conserved ecophysiology despite disparate microclimatic conditions in a gecko
Authors: Schwarz Rachel , Dror Liat , Stark Gavin , Gefen Eran , Kronfeld‐Schor Noga , Chapple David G. , Meiri Shai
Published: December 2021

Microscale differences in the habitats organisms occupy can influence selection regimes and promote intraspecific variation of traits. Temperature‐dependent traits can be locally adapted to climatic conditions or be highly conserved and insensitive to directional selection under all but the most extreme regimes, and thus be similar across populations. The opposing slopes of Nahal Oren canyon in the Carmel Mountains, Israel, are strikingly different: the south‐facing slope receives intensive solar radiation, is hot and supports mostly annual vegetation, whereas the north‐facing slope is ~10°C cooler, more humid, and supports Mediterranean woodland. We examined whether these differences manifest in the thermal physiology of a common gecko species Ptyodactylus guttatus in controlled laboratory conditions. We predicted that geckos from the hotter south‐facing slope would prefer higher temperatures, have faster gut passage times, lower metabolic and evaporative water loss rates, and start diel activity earlier compared with north‐facing slope conspecifics. Contrary to these predictions, there were no differences between any of the ecophysiological traits in geckos from the opposing slopes. Nevertheless, our data showed that individuals from the north‐facing slope were generally more active in earlier hours of the afternoon compared with south‐facing individuals. We suggest that P. guttatus individuals disperse between the slopes and either gene‐flow or behavioral plasticity deter local adaptation, resulting in similar physiological traits. Perhaps a stronger contrast in climatic conditions and a stronger barrier are needed to result in interpopulation divergence in temperature‐dependent traits.
Phosphorylation status of pyruvate dehydrogenase in the mousebird Colius striatus undergoing torpor
Authors: Green Stuart R. , Al‐Attar Rasha , McKechnie Andrew E. , Naidoo Samantha , Storey Kenneth B.
Published: December 2021

Torpor is a heterothermic response that occurs in some animals to reduce metabolic expenditure. The speckled mousebird (Colius striatus) belongs to one of the few avian taxa possessing the capacity for pronounced torpor, entering a hypometabolic state with concomitant decreases in body temperature in response to reduced food access or elevated thermoregulatory energy requirements. The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is a crucial site regulating metabolism by bridging glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. Three highly conserved phosphorylation sites are found within the E1 enzyme of the complex that inhibit PDC activity and reduce the flow of carbohydrate substrates into the mitochondria. The current study demonstrates a marked increase in S232 phosphorylation during torpor in liver, heart, and skeletal muscle of C. striatus. The increase in S232 phosphorylation during torpor was particularly notable in skeletal muscle where levels were ~49‐fold higher in torpid birds compared to controls. This was in contrast to the other two phosphorylation sites (S293 and S300) which remained consistently phosphorylated regardless of tissue. The relevant PDH kinase (PDHK1) known to phosphorylate S232 was found to be substantially upregulated (~5‐fold change) in the muscle during torpor as well as increasing moderately in the liver (~2.2‐fold increase). Additionally, in the heart, a slight (~23%) decrease in total PDH levels was noted. Taken together the phosphorylation changes in PDH suggest that inhibition of the complex is a common feature across several tissues in the mousebird during torpor and that this regulation is mediated at a specific residue.
Survey-Derived Angler Characteristics and Perspectives in the Shore-Based Shark Fishery in Florida
Authors: Guay J. D. , Brooks J. L. , Chapman J. M. , Medd H. , Cooke S. J. , Nguyen V. M.
Published: December 2021

Shore-based shark fishing in Florida is rarely monitored as it largely occurs at night on remote beaches and has received a questionable reputation after recent exposure of illegal activity. While these events have led to calls for better management and enforcement, the characteristics of the fishery itself remain largely unknown. Our study, therefore, provides the first comprehensive profile of the Florida shore-based shark fishery to inform fisheries management and conservation. We distributed an online survey to all Florida Fish and Wildlife shore-based shark fishing permit holders to gather data on angler sociodemographics, fishing preferences, habits, motivations, and perceptions of shark conservation. We identified three angler typologies that differed primarily by shark fishing experience and frequency: (1) experienced infrequent anglers, (2) skilled frequent anglers, and (3) novice infrequent anglers. Our results revealed that the Florida recreational shore-based shark fishery itself has increased in participation fivefold since 2010 and generates approximately US$7.8 million (95% CI = $7.2– 8.5 million) annually in equipment expenditures and $34.3 million ($30.4–38.1 million) annually in fishing trips. Surveyed anglers caught a total of 9,617 sharks within a 12-month period, averaging 11 sharks/angler, and the most preferred target species was the Blacktip Shark Carcharhinus limbatus. Angler motivations for participating in this fishery were grouped into the following categories: leisure and well-being, experience of the catch, and consumption. Perceptions of shark conservation and management were generally positive; however, many anglers did not believe that recreational fishing negatively impacts shark populations. Most anglers expressed a desire to learn more about handling practices that benefited sharks, which may help managers implement more educational opportunities and communication efforts. Understanding the characteristics and perspectives of anglers from the shore-based shark fishery in Florida is crucial for highlighting potential management pathways and estimating angler acceptance of management.
Investing in talent development: Theory and applications
Authors: Miceli Thomas J.
Published: December 2021

This paper examines contractual arrangements in employment settings in which employers have to invest in development of employees, and the benefits of that training are at least partially transferrable to rival employers. The problem is how to incentivize firms to make the necessary investments when employees cannot self‐finance due to liquidity constraints and/or a low probability of success. Applications of the model include rules that once governed employment relations in major league baseball and Hollywood filmmaking, and noncompete clauses that limit the outside options of departing employees. The conclusions are also applied to the problem of financing of college costs.
Iterative approximation of a common solution of split equilibrium, split variational inequality, and fixed point problem for a nonexpansive semigroup
Authors: Rizvi Shuja H. , Sikander Fahad
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this work is to investigate an iterative method to find a common solution of a split equilibrium problem, split variational inequality problem involving inverse strongly monotone mappings, and fixed point problem for a nonexpansive semigroup in the framework of real Hilbert spaces. Under some mild conditions, strong convergence theorem is obtained. Further, some special cases of main result are also included. Furthermore, we provide some numerical experiments to justify our main result. The results presented in this work may be treated as an improvement, extension, and refinement of some corresponding ones in the literature.
Relationship of Trout Growth to Frequent Electrofishing and Diet Collection in a Headwater Stream
Authors: Clancy Niall G. , Dunnigan James L. , Budy Phaedra
Published: December 2021

Research on fishes sometimes requires that individual fish be captured and subjected to invasive procedures multiple times over a relatively short time span. Electrofishing is one of the most common techniques used to capture fish, and it is known to cause injury to fish under certain circumstances. We evaluated the relationship of growth rates in Columbia River Redband Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri to the number of times that they were captured via electrofishing and gastrically lavaged during the summer of 2018 in a mountainous, headwater stream. We captured fish between two and seven times over the course of 86 d using continuous (smooth) DC backpack electrofishing. We observed no relationship between the growth rate of Columbia River Redband Trout and the number of times that they were captured or gastrically lavaged. Although these findings contrast with hatchery electrofishing experiments, they may represent the greater resiliency of wild fish. It appears that researchers can use electrofishing and gastric lavage in cold waters at least once per month, and potentially up to twice per month, without greatly affecting the growth of wild Columbia River Redband Trout.
A randomized controlled trial comparing prevention and promotion cognitive strategies in a behavioral weight‐loss intervention
Authors: Demos McDermott Kathryn E. , Leblond Tiffany L. , Dunsiger Shira I. , Rothman Alexander J. , Wing Rena R.
Published: December 2021

Objective

Two approaches may shift attention from short‐term rewards to longer‐term weight‐loss goals: focusing on long‐term consequences of unhealthy choices (prevention) or benefits of healthy choices (promotion). This randomized controlled trial tested the impact of prevention‐ versus promotion‐focused strategies in an internet‐delivered behavioral weight‐loss intervention (iBWL).

Methods

A total of 95 participants with overweight/obesity were randomized to one of three 12‐week iBWLs: (1) STANDARD (n = 31), (2) PREVENT (standard iBWL+prevention‐focused training; n = 32), or (3) PROMOTE (standard iBWL+promotion‐focused training; n = 32). Participants in the two enhanced arms were trained in their assigned strategy, and lessons and weekly feedback featured arm‐specific content and reminders.

Results

Intent‐to‐treat analysis revealed significant differences in weight loss and self‐control use at 12 weeks (weight loss p = 0.002, self‐control p = 0.0006). PREVENT was associated with 6.6% (±4.5%) weight loss and a 20.3% (±26.5%) increase in self‐control, STANDARD and PROMOTE were associated with 4.4% (±4.2%) and 3.1% (±3.1%) weight losses, respectively, and neither STANDARD nor PROMOTE participants exhibited significant changes in self‐control. Across arms, increased self‐control was associated with greater weight loss (p = 0.0005).

Conclusions

Cognitive strategies to focus on preventing negative consequences of unhealthy choices led to greater weight loss and self‐control compared with both standard iBWL and promotion‐focused iBWL. Prevention strategies should be given further attention for overweight/obesity treatment.
Identifying relationships between multi‐scale social–ecological factors to explore ungulate health in a Western Kazakhstan rangeland
Authors: Khanyari Munib , Robinson Sarah , Morgan Eric R. , Salemgareyev Albert , Milner‐Gulland E. J.
Published: December 2021

Rangelands are multi‐use landscapes which are socially and ecologically important in different ways. Among other interactions, shared use of rangelands by wildlife and livestock can lead to disease transmission. Understanding wildlife and livestock health and managing disease transmission in rangelands requires an integration of social and ecological knowledge.

Using the example of Western Kazakhstan, home to two types of ungulate hosts, the critically endangered saiga antelopes, Saiga tatarica, and livestock, we conducted a cross‐scale analysis of social‐economic, ecological and climatic factors that contribute to transmission of diseases We focused on gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) because they are transmitted between hosts that share pasture and they affect ungulate fitness. We used an interdisciplinary social–ecological methods approach which included conducting faecal egg counts of GINs in saigas and livestock, semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions with livestock owners and herders in the region, and triangulation of information through secondary sources.

Livestock rearing was done in two ways: (a) village‐based livestock and (b) outlying farms. The latter overlapped more with saigas. Village‐based livestock had significantly higher worm burdens than those on outlying farms, which had comparable burdens to saigas. Various factors exacerbate GIN prevalence and transmission: Veterinary services are minimal; both saiga and livestock numbers are increasing; and changing climate is increasing farmers' dependence on shared pastures for hay production. It will be crucial for saiga conservationists to engage in multi‐pronged conservation interventions, which are evaluated and adapted through the lens of rural livelihoods and the livestock health on which they depend.

Our work provides researchers and practitioners with an avenue to better understand complex inter‐relationships and plan interventions within rangelands, while viewing host health from an interdisciplinary perspective—ultimately working towards wildlife conservation while safeguarding livelihoods across the world's rangelands.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica‐based nanocomposites of chemically recyclable thermoset
Authors: de Souza Eduarda C , Bello Roger H , Coelho Luiz AF
Published: December 2021

In this study we evaluated the effect of the addition of hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica nanoparticles on the electrical properties of polyhexahydro‐s‐triazine (PHT), a new chemically recyclable thermoset produced from 2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]propane and paraformaldehyde. Chemical recycling as well as thermal and mechanical properties were also investigated. Regarding the electrical properties, electrical conductivity near 10−8 S m−1 at 100 Hz and dielectric constant close to 4.00 at 1 kHz were observed for neat PHT polymer. Better results for electrical properties were observed with the addition of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles. After the addition of the highest concentration (4.5 wt%) the dielectric constant increased about 8% at 1 kHz. Concerning the thermal properties, PHT polymer exhibited a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 185 °C. The addition of hydrophilic or hydrophobic nanoparticles into the neat matrix did not lead to significant variations of thermal properties, but Tg values were decreased compared to the neat resin. Additionally, for mechanical properties, values of reduced modulus (4.58 GPa) and nanohardness (0.38 GPa) were observed. Besides, for all nanocomposites, there was an increase in the reduced modulus for all samples studied. Finally, the chemical recycling of both neat polymer and all nanocomposites after acid treatment was successfully characterized via NMR analysis. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Nucleation and crystallization kinetics of polyamide 12 investigated by fast scanning calorimetry
Authors: Zhang Rui , Jariyavidyanont Katalee , Du Mengxue , Zhuravlev Evgeny , Schick Christoph , Androsch René
Published: December 2021

Nucleation and crystallization of polyamide 12 (PA 12) have been systematically investigated by fast scanning calorimetry at non‐isothermal and isothermal conditions. The critical cooling rates of crystallization and crystal nucleation were determined as 300 and 10,000 K/s, respectively. Moreover, the half‐times of nucleation (t1/2,nucl) and overall crystallization (t1/2,cry) show monomodal and bimodal dependencies on the crystallization temperature. t1/2,nucl has an approximate minimum value of about 0.0005 s at 333 K, which is about 10–20 K above the glass transition temperature, and t1/2,cry has two minima of about 0.05 and 0.8 s at about 333 and 383 K, respectively. Comparing the crystallization behavior of PA 12 with other polyamides, the activation energy for crystallization increases and the energy barrier of short‐range diffusion decreases with the increase of the amide‐group density in the chains.
Tribenuron‐methyl‐resistant Descurainia sophia L. exhibits negative cross‐resistance to imazethapyr conferred by a Pro197Ser mutation in acetolactate synthase and reduced metabolism
Authors: Xu Yufang , Li Shuang , Hao Lubo , Li Xuefeng , Zheng Mingqi
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND

Descurainia sophia L. is one of the most notorious weeds infesting winter wheat in China. Mutations at Pro197 in acetolactate synthase (ALS) results in resistance of D. sophia to tribenuron‐methyl and cross‐resistance to many ALS inhibitors. Negative cross‐resistance to imazethapyr was observed in tribenuron‐methyl‐resistant (TR) D. sophia with the Pro197Ser mutation in a previous study. In the present research, another TR D. sophia with the Pro197Ser mutation was obtained. To explore the mechanisms of negative cross‐resistance, the ALS sensitivity, the absorption and metabolism of imazethapyr in tribenuron‐methyl‐susceptible (TS) and TR D. sophia were studied.

RESULTS

The TR D. sophia population with the Pro197Ser mutation (pHB23) displayed negative cross‐resistance to imazethapyr and no cross‐resistance to imazamox and imazapic. In contrast, TR D. sophia populations with other Pro197 mutations had no or low resistance to imazethapyr. The ALS in the pHB23 population was more susceptible to imazethapyr than that in the TS population. There was no difference in the absorption of imazethapyr, imazamox, and imazapic between TS and pHB23 plants. However, the metabolism of imazethapyr in TS D. sophia was faster than that in pHB23 plants up to 1 week after treatment. There was no significant difference in the metabolism of imazamox and imazapic between TS and pHB23 plants.

CONCLUSION

The TR D. sophia population with the Pro197Ser mutation exhibited negative cross‐resistance to imazethapyr, which was likely due to reduced metabolism and increased sensitivity of ALS to imazethapyr. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Housing and identity expression among in‐situ urbanised rural residents in China
Authors: Xie Shenghua , Chen Juan
Published: December 2021

Housing is an important source of identity expression, but the influence of different housing attributes remains underexplored. Drawing on the ‘4Cs theory of housing’ (housing cost, housing conditions, housing consistency and housing context), this study established an analytical framework linking housing to in‐situ urbanised rural residents′ identity expression in China. Using data from the 2018 Urbanization and Quality of Life Survey, the results show that different housing dimensions are significantly related to identity expression but in different ways. Specifically, housing conditions are primarily associated with urban identity, whereas housing consistency and housing context are significantly related to local identity. Moreover, the relationship between housing and identity expression varies between newly urbanised areas and potential sites for urbanization. The research contributes to understanding the relationship between housing and identity by further clarifying how various housing attributes affect identity expression in the context of urbanising China.
A longitudinal investigation of changing conceptions about teaching science and pedagogical implications of student diversity
Authors: Larkin Douglas B. , Carletta Liz , Evans Sam
Published: December 2021

This longitudinal case study investigates how one science teachers' conceptions change in one domain (assessment of science learning) but not in another (understanding the pedagogical implications of student diversity) over a period of 10 years that includes a university teacher education program and nine subsequent years of experience of classroom teaching. This article describes the case of Victor, a White and male high school physics teacher, and documents changes in his conceptions of teaching science over 10 years. This study suggests that teachers who undertake the effort to change an aspect of their practice, knowing that they will need to rethink some of their existing ideas, can be successful. Conversely, if an area of teacher knowledge is underdeveloped at the conclusion of a teacher preparation program, there is no guarantee that the situation will be ameliorated simply through years of classroom experience, even if teachers grow to feel a level of increased confidence and comfort in that domain. It also demonstrates that the opportunity to undergo conceptual change with regard to issues of student diversity is highly dependent on a science teacher's identity, personal history, and teaching contexts and experiences.
Synchrotron‐Based Nano‐X‐Ray Absorption Near‐Edge Structure Revealing Intracellular Heterogeneity of Iron Species in Magnetotactic Bacteria
Authors: Chevrier Daniel M. , Cerdá-Doñate Elisa , Park Yeseul , Cacho-Nerin Fernando , Gomez‐Gonzalez Miguel , Uebe René , Faivre Damien
Published: December 2021

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) sequester iron from the environment to biomineralize magnetite or greigite nanoparticles in magnetosome organelles, though the necessity of intracellular iron storage for the formation process is still in question. Understanding the role of iron storage would make clear the contribution of MTB in geochemical iron cycling and its potential importance during the biosynthesis of application‐relevant magnetic nanoparticles. Herein, how scanning X‐ray fluorescence microscopy (SXFM) and nanoscale X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (nano‐XANES) mapping can spatially and chemically identify intracellular iron species is reported, creating an opportunity to examine the role of iron storage in magnetite biomineralization at the single‐cell level. Fe K‐edge nano‐XANES measurements of Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense in varied iron media conditions and iron storage capacity reveal a significant quantity of intracellular iron heterogeneities through a distinction between formed magnetosomes and intracellular iron material. This intracellular iron component is found in both early and late stages of biomineralization. The capabilities of nano‐XANES in providing an experimental advantage in the multidisciplinary field of biomineralization are highlighted.
Exploring Evolving Notions of Supervision in Student Affairs
Authors: Williams Brittany M. , Anderson Wachen Bedell
Published: December 2021

This article provides an overview of shifting perspectives, models, research trends, and contemporary ideas around supervision in student affairs workplaces.
Identity‐conscious supervision: A model for equity
Authors: Elliott Craig , Desai Shruti , Brown Robert
Published: December 2021

This article presents a model for identity‐conscious supervision that maximizes opportunities for personal and professional growth. It offers a strategic and relational approach to engage in self‐work, identity exploration, consciousness‐raising, trust development, and organizational change.
Prevalence of coagulase‐positive methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in dogs in Bangladesh
Authors: Rana Eaftekhar Ahmed , Islam Md Zohorul , Das Tridip , Dutta Avijit , Ahad Abdul , Biswas Paritosh Kumar , Barua Himel
Published: December 2021

Background

The emergence of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) have a significant health impact on people with direct or supportive occupations in veterinary medicine including veterinarians, animal handlers, laboratory personnel and pet owners.

Objectives

This cross‐sectional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for S. aureus, S. pseudintermedius, MRSA and MRSP in dogs in Bangladesh.

Methods

A total of 358 swab samples were collected from different body sites of 150 dogs attending a university teaching veterinary hospital between January and June 2018. Standard bacteriological procedures were followed to isolate Staphylococcus, and identification was confirmed to the species level by PCR to detect the nuc gene. MRSA and MRSP were confirmed by the presence of the mecA gene.

Results

The prevalence of coagulase‐positive S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius in dogs were 16% and 45.3%, respectively. S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius isolates displayed the highest resistance against nalidixic acid (95.2% and 91%, respectively) and erythromycin (89.3% and 84.7%, respectively). Notably, all the staphylococcal isolates showed resistance to ≥3 antimicrobial classes. The prevalence of MRSA and MRSP in dogs was 8.7% and 6%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the following variables as risk factors for MRSA colonisation in dogs: dogs with dermatitis (odds ratio [OR], 12.24, 95% CI: 3.12–57.33; p < 0.001) and history of antibiotic use (OR 8.73, 95% CI: 2.23–43.10; p < 0.001). Presence of otitis (OR 14.22; 95% CI: 1.64–103.58; p = 0.008) and oral lesions (OR 9.48, 95% CI: 1.14–64.82; p = 0.002) were identified as the significant risk factors for the carriage of MRSP.

Conclusions

The circulation of multidrug‐resistant S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius is a serious concern to dogs and humans. To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. pseudintermedius and MRSP affecting dogs in Bangladesh.
Significance of nanoparticle radius, inter‐particle spacing, inclined magnetic field, and space‐dependent internal heating: The case of chemically reactive water conveying copper nanoparticles
Authors: Sun Xiaoxiang , Animasaun Isaac Lare , Swain Kharabela , Shah Nehad Ali , Wakif Abderrahim , Olanrewaju Philip Oladapo
Published: December 2021

Sequel to the biocompatibility, physicochemical properties, high electrical conduction of copper nanoparticles over an inclined surface, little is known on the significance of nanoparticle radius, and inclined magnetic field on the dynamics of chemical reactive water conveying copper nanoparticles through a porous medium in the presence of Joule heating and spacing heating. In this case, there exists convective heating of the inclined surface due to thermal and significant concentration at the wall. The similarity solution of the problem was obtained using a suitable similarity solution and a numerical solution of the corresponding boundary value problem of the ordinary differential equation was sought for using MATLAB‐based bvp4c package. Based on the analysis, it is worth concluding that inter‐particle spacing not only exists but is also capable to increase the viscosity thus causing a decline in the velocity. The temperature distribution is an increasing function of the inclined magnetic field parameter. The rate of decrease in the local skin friction coefficients due to enhancement in the angle of inclination of the magnetic field is optimal when the radius of nanoparticles is large.
Zoos and amphibian conservation: Evaluating the impact of “The Year of The Frog” Campaign
Authors: Dos Santos Marcileida M. , Griffiths Richard A. , Jowett Tim , Bishop Phillip J.
Published: December 2021

The global reach of zoos has enormous potential to raise awareness of conservation issues such as the amphibian extinction crisis. One mechanism of achieving this is through targeted, time‐limited campaigns. However, the longer‐term impact of such campaigns on conservation outcomes is rarely evaluated. The goal of this study is to evaluate how zoos view “The Year of The Frog,” a campaign launched by zoos in 2008, with the aim of raising awareness of the global amphibian crisis and generating funds to support amphibian conservation initiatives. A questionnaire‐based survey of 43 zoos from fourteen countries was used to evaluate how zoo practitioners believed the campaign influenced amphibian conservation some 10 years after its launch. Survey results showed that the campaign not only contributed to the improvement of research into amphibian husbandry in zoos but also increased support of in situ conservation of amphibians. Zoos focused on exotic species, but developed countries led most of the actions of the campaign. The campaign has inspired and encouraged some zoos and other ex situ conservation organizations to embrace amphibian conservation. The next step is to increase collaboration with more organizations through, for example, AArk and IUCN SSC/ASG, particularly in countries that have high amphibian biodiversity.
Dark QCD matters
Authors: Garani Raghuveer , Redi Michele , Tesi Andrea
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We investigate the nightmare scenario of dark sectors that are made of non-abelian gauge theories with fermions, gravitationally coupled to the Standard Model (SM). While testing these scenarios is experimentally challenging, they are strongly motivated by the accidental stability of dark baryons and pions, that explain the cosmological stability of dark matter (DM). We study the production of these sectors which are minimally populated through gravitational freeze-in, leading to a dark sector temperature much lower than the SM, or through inflaton decay, or renormalizable interactions producing warmer DM. Despite having only gravitational couplings with the SM these scenarios turn out to be rather predictive depending roughly on three parameters: the dark sector temperature, the confinement scale and the dark pion mass. In particular, when the initial temperature is comparable to the SM one these scenarios are very constrained by structure formation, ∆Neff and limits on DM self-interactions. Dark sectors with same temperature or warmer than SM are typically excluded.
Precision test of the muon-Higgs coupling at a high-energy muon collider
Authors: Han Tao , Kilian Wolfgang , Kreher Nils , Ma Yang , Reuter Jürgen , Striegl Tobias , Xie Keping
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We explore the sensitivity of directly testing the muon-Higgs coupling at a high-energy muon collider. This is strongly motivated if there exists new physics that is not aligned with the Standard Model Yukawa interactions which are responsible for the fermion mass generation. We illustrate a few such examples for physics beyond the Standard Model. With the accidentally small value of the muon Yukawa coupling and its subtle role in the high-energy production of multiple (vector and Higgs) bosons, we show that it is possible to measure the muon-Higgs coupling to an accuracy of ten percent for a 10 TeV muon collider and a few percent for a 30 TeV machine by utilizing the three boson production, potentially sensitive to a new physics scale about Λ ∼ 30 − 100 TeV.
A geometric recipe for twisted superpotentials
Authors: Hollands Lotte , Rüter Philipp , Szabo Richard J.
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We give a pedagogical introduction to spectral networks and abelianization, as well as their relevance to $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 supersymmetric field theories in four dimensions. Motivated by a conjecture of Nekrasov-Rosly-Shatashvili, we detail a geometric recipe for computing the effective twisted superpotential for $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 field theories of class $$ \mathcal{S} $$
S
as a generating function of the brane of opers, with respect to the spectral coordinates found from abelianization. We present two new examples, the simplest Argyres-Douglas theory and the pure SU(2) gauge theory, while we conjecture the E-expansion of the effective twisted superpotential for the E6 Minahan-Nemeschansky theory.