bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the Local Environment of Amines on the Activity for CO2 Hydrogenation over Bifunctional Basic – Metallic Catalysts
Authors: Pazdera Jakub , Issayeva Dilara , Titus Juliane , Gläser. Roger , Deutschmann Olaf , Jentys Andreas
Published: July 2022

Bifunctional basic‐metallic catalysts proved to be efficient for the selective hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. The activity of these catalysts depends on the cooperative interaction between the amine groups and metallic sites, which is a function of amine group density, Pd particle perimeter length and the geometric properties of support pores. The pore width has the highest effect on the activity, increasing the methanol yield by about half an order of magnitude. Confining the space leads to a three‐dimensional utilization of the available metal surface sites compared to a two‐dimensional distribution of the bifunctional sites in larger pores, where the metal particle diameter is the decisive factor for the catalytic properties.
Linear viskoelastisches Materialverhalten teilkristalliner Zwischenschichten
Authors: Schuster Miriam , Schneider Jens
Published: July 2022

Ethylenvinylacetat (EVA)‐ und Ionoplastfolien finden immer mehr Anwendung in Verbundgläsern. Im Gegensatz zur Polyvinylbutyral‐Folie, besitzen EVA und Ionoplaste jedoch teilkristalline Bereiche, welche beim Erreichen der Schmelztemperatur schmelzen. Wird die Schmelze abgekühlt, so werden die Kristallite wieder gebildet. Der Schmelz‐ und der Kristallisationsprozess unterscheiden sich erheblich voneinander. Der vorliegende Artikel untersucht die teilkristalline Struktur am Beispiel einer Ionoplastfolie mithilfe von Differenzkalorimetrie‐Messungen bei verschiedenen Heiz‐ und Kühlraten. Mithilfe von Dynamisch‐Mechanisch‐Thermischen Analysen wird gezeigt, dass das viskoelastische Materialverhalten durch den Kristallisationsgrad beeinflusst wird.

Linear viscoelastic material behaviour of semicrystalline interlayers.Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and ionoplastic interlayers are increasingly used in laminated glass. Unlike polyvinyl butyral based interlayers, however, EVA and ionoplastic interlayers have partially crystalline regions that melt when the melt temperature is reached. When the melt is cooled, the crystallites are formed again. The melting and crystallization processes differ considerably from each other. This article investigates the semi‐crystalline structure of an ionoplastic interlayer using differential calorimetry measurements at different heating and cooling rates. Using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, it is shown that the viscoelastic material behavior is influenced by the degree of crystallization.
Geländer Molecules with Orthogonal Joints: Synthesis of Macrocyclic Dimers
Authors: D'Addio Adriano , Malinčik Juraj , Fuhr Olaf , Fenske Dieter , Häussinger Daniel , Mayor Marcel
Published: July 2022

Orthogonal joints, understood as connections with an angle of 90°, were introduced in the design of the “Geländer” model compounds 1 and 2. The banister, consisting of a conjugated carbazole dimer linked by either 1,3‐butadiyne (2) or a single thiophene (1), wraps around an axis composed of a phthalimide dimer due to the dimensional mismatch of both subunits, which are interconnected by phenylene rungs. The “Geländer” structure was assembled from a monomer comprising the 1,4‐diaminobenzene rung with one amino substituent as part of a 4‐bromo phthalimide subunit forming the orthogonal junction to the axis, and the other as part of a masked 2‐ethynyl carbazole as orthogonal joint to the banister. The macrocycle was obtained by two sequential homocoupling steps. A first dimerization by a reductive homocoupling assembled the axis, while an oxidative acetylene coupling served as ring‐closing reaction. The formed butadiyne was further derivatized to a thiophene, rendering all carbons of the model compound sp2 hybridized. Both helical structures were fully characterized and chirally resolved. Assignment of the enantiomers was achieved by simulation of chiroptical properties and enantiopure synthesis.
Enhancing Dual‐State Emission in Maleimide Fluorophores through Fluorocarbon Functionalisation
Authors: Pervez Maria , Pearce Amanda K. , Husband Jonathan T. , Male Louise , Torrent‐Sucarrat Miquel , O'Reilly Rachel K.
Published: July 2022

Herein, a library of trifluoroethyl substituted aminomaleimide derivatives are reported with small size and enhanced emissions in both solution and solid‐state. A diCH2CF3 substituted aminochloromaleimide exhibits the most efficient dual‐state emission (Φf >50 % in solution and solid‐state), with reduced quenching from protic solvents. This is attributed to the reduction of electron density on the maleimide ring and suppressed π‐π stacking in the solid‐state. This mechanism was explored in‐depth by crystallographic analysis, and modelling of the electronic distribution of HOMO‐LUMO isosurfaces and NCI plots. Hence, these dual‐state dyes overcome the limitations of single‐state luminescence and will serve as an important step forward for this rapidly developing nascent field.
Forschungsstand zum Klima und dessen Veränderungen
Authors: Wöhrle Dieter
Published: July 2022

Die Berichte des Weltklimarats (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; IPCC, [1]) werden von der Wissenschaft als glaubwürdigste und fundierteste Darstellung des Forschungsstandes über das Klima und seine Veränderungen betrachtet. Die Schlussfolgerungen werden von allen wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaften und nationalen Akademien der Wissenschaften der Länder bestätigt. Sie sind auch ein wichtiger Leitfaden für notwendige Handlungen der politischen Seite, konkret der Regierungen.
The effectiveness of microneedling technique using coconut and sesame oils on the severity of gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Mostafa Diana , Alarawi Razan , AlHowitiy Salma , AlKathiri Norah , Alhussain Razan , Almohammadi Rola , Alhussain Rawan
Published: July 2022

Objectives

In our research, we evaluated the effect of coconut and sesame oils using the microneedling technique on gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation among patients with gingivitis by creating microholes in the gingiva to facilitate the concentration and entrance of the oils through gingival tissues.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐four patients with clinically diagnosed plaque‐induced gingivitis were selected from Vision dental hospital, Riyadh, KSA, and assigned to one of three groups randomly; group A consisted of eight participants who were treated with dermapen and topical coconut oil, group B had eight participants who were treated with dermapen and topical sesame oil, and group C involved eight patients who received periodontal mechanical treatment only. Postintervention gingival status and plaque status for all participants were assessed using a modified average gingival index and a plaque index at Weeks 1, 2, and 4.

Results

Groups A and B experienced highly significant reductions in gingival indices, while group C showed reduced scores but was not significantly notable. On the contrary, the three studied groups exhibited no significant difference in the reduction of plaque indices when compared altogether.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated an effective novel technique that revealed a noticeable improvement in gingival status and a reduction in the average gingival index and plaque index.
Genetic mapping of sugarcane aphid resistance in sorghum line SC112‐14
Authors: Cuevas Hugo E. , Knoll Joseph E. , Harris‐Shultz Karen R. , Punnuri Somashekhar M.
Published: July 2022

Sugarcane aphid [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)] is a destructive pest that has had an economic effect on sorghum in North America since 2013. The identification, development, and use of resistant sorghum germplasm is the most feasible strategy to control the pest. Nevertheless, the genetic control of sugarcane aphid (SCA) resistance is unknown for most sorghum resistant lines. To identify the genetic regions that confer SCA resistance in sorghum line SC112‐14, 103 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived by its cross with the susceptible line PI 609251 were evaluated for their SCA resistance response in Georgia during two consecutive years. The resistance response was determined based on two ratings (2 wk apart) for aphid population size (APS) and aphid‐induced plant damage (APD) each year. Segregation for SCA resistance was observed for the first APS and both APD ratings, and the broad‐sense heritability estimate ranged from .71 to .76, respectively. A quantitative trait locus analysis using a high‐density linkage map of 3,852 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected an 81‐kb genomic region on chromosome 6 that explained 50–55% of the phenotypic variation. Comparative mapping analysis found that the resistance locus in SC112‐14 is located 8‐ and 10‐cM upstream of the Henong 16 (RMES1) and Tx2783 resistance loci, respectively, and encloses the SNP Sbv3.1_06_2316351 associated in Haitian resistant lines. Therefore, the line SC112‐14 is an additional SCA resistance source that can be combined or strategically used with other resistance sources to assure a more robust host plant resistance to the SCA.
FBXW24 controls female meiotic prophase progression by regulating SYCP3 ubiquitination
Authors: Wang Yang , Gao Wen‐Yi , Wang Li‐Li , Wang Ruo‐Lei , Yang Zhi‐Xia , Luo Fu‐Qiang , He Yu‐Hao , Wang Zi‐Bin , Wang Fu‐Qiang , Sun Qing‐Yuan , Li Jing , Zhang Dong
Published: July 2022

Background

An impeccable female meiotic prophase is critical for producing a high‐quality oocyte and, ultimately, a healthy newborn. SYCP3 is a key component of the synaptonemal complex regulating meiotic homologous recombination. However, what regulates SYCP3 stability is unknown.

Methods

Fertility assays, follicle counting, meiotic prophase stage (leptotene, zygotene, pachytene and diplotene) analysis and live imaging were employed to examine how FBXW24 knockout (KO) affect female fertility, follicle reserve, oocyte quality, meiotic prophase progression of female germ cells, and meiosis of oocytes. Western blot and immunostaining were used to examined the levels & signals (intensity, foci) of SYCP3 and multiple key DSB indicators & repair proteins (γH2AX, RPA2, p‐CHK2, RAD51, MLH1, HORMAD1, TRIP13) after FBXW24 KO. Co‐IP and immuno‐EM were used to examined the interaction between FBXW24 and SYCP3; Mass spec was used to characterize the ubiquitination sites in SYCP3; In vivo & in vitro ubiquitination assays were utilized to determine the key sites in SYCP3 & FBXW24 for ubiquitination.

Results

Fbxw24‐knockout (KO) female mice were infertile due to massive oocyte death upon meiosis entry. Fbxw24‐KO oocytes were defective due to elevated DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) and inseparable homologous chromosomes. Fbxw24‐KO germ cells showed increased SYCP3 levels, delayed prophase progression, increased DSBs, and decreased crossover foci. Next, we found that FBXW24 directly binds and ubiquitinates SYCP3 to regulate its stability. In addition, several key residues important for SYCP3 ubiquitination and FBXW24 ubiquitinating activity were characterized.

Conclusions

We proposed that FBXW24 regulates the timely degradation of SYCP3 to ensure normal crossover and DSB repair during pachytene. FBXW24‐KO delayed SYCP3 degradation and DSB repair from pachytene until metaphase II (MII), ultimately causing failure in oocyte maturation, oocyte death, and infertility.
Polyadenylation ligation‐mediated sequencing (PALM‐Seq) characterizes cell‐free coding and non‐coding RNAs in human biofluids
Authors: Liu Zhongzhen , Wang Taifu , Yang Xi , Zhou Qing , Zhu Sujun , Zeng Juan , Chen Haixiao , Sun Jinghua , Li Liqiang , Xu Jinjin , Geng Chunyu , Xu Xun , Wang Jian , Yang Huanming , Zhu Shida , Chen Fang , Wang Wen‐Jing
Published: July 2022

Background

Cell‐free messenger RNA (cf‐mRNA) and long non‐coding RNA (cf‐lncRNA) are becoming increasingly important in liquid biopsy by providing biomarkers for disease prediction, diagnosis and prognosis, but the simultaneous characterization of coding and non‐coding RNAs in human biofluids remains challenging.

Methods

Here, we developed polyadenylation ligation‐mediated sequencing (PALM‐Seq), an RNA sequencing strategy employing treatment of RNA with T4 polynucleotide kinase to generate cell‐free RNA (cfRNA) fragments with 5′ phosphate and 3′ hydroxyl and RNase H to deplete abundant RNAs, achieving simultaneous quantification and characterization of cfRNAs.

Results

Using PALM‐Seq, we successfully identified well‐known differentially abundant mRNA, lncRNA and microRNA in the blood plasma of pregnant women. We further characterized cfRNAs in blood plasma, saliva, urine, seminal plasma and amniotic fluid and found that the detected numbers of different RNA biotypes varied with body fluids. The profiles of cf‐mRNA reflected the function of originated tissues, and immune cells significantly contributed RNA to blood plasma and saliva. Short fragments (<50 nt) of mRNA and lncRNA were major in biofluids, whereas seminal plasma and amniotic fluid tended to retain long RNA. Body fluids showed distinct preferences of pyrimidine at the 3′ end and adenine at the 5′ end of cf‐mRNA and cf‐lncRNA, which were correlated with the proportions of short fragments.

Conclusion

Together, PALM‐Seq enables a simultaneous characterization of cf‐mRNA and cf‐lncRNA, contributing to elucidating the biology and promoting the application of cfRNAs.
Quota‐based routing and buffer management with heuristic strategies in opportunistic ad hoc networks
Authors: Mir Mohd Yaseen , Hu Chih‐Lin
Published: July 2022

Opportunistic ad hoc networks (OppNets) are characterized by intermittent and infrastructure‐less connectivity among mobile nodes with limited internode communication and buffer space. Without persistent end‐to‐end routing information, replication‐based routing techniques are often used to distribute duplicate messages in OppNets, which unfortunately leads to enormous costs of transmission, storage, and energy resources. Prior replication‐based routing schemes were mainly based on several premises, for example, the availability of global network knowledge, unlimited bandwidth capacity, and homogeneous contact patterns. In this paper, we propose a quota‐based routing scheme with finite buffer management, named QRBP, regardless of these weak premises. The QRBP scheme comprises two essential functions. First, only a portion of nodes with higher mobility are delegated to carry a certain quota of message replicas and disseminate those messages to nodes with lower mobility. The message traffic can be evenly diverted to relay nodes, which reduces the transmission overhead in the network. Second, nodes can manipulate message scheduling and dropping to improve the successful delivery rate according to heuristic strategies based on several measures of the quota value, remaining time‐to‐live, and contact rate with the destination. Furthermore, our study conducts extensive simulations under both synthetic and real mobility scenarios. In terms of transmission overhead ratio and successful delivery rate, the QRBP scheme performs better than Epidemic, Spray and Wait, and Temporal Closeness and Centrality‐Based (TCCB) routing schemes, as well as common buffer management policies like Drop Oldest, Drop Newest, Drop Random, and Space‐Time Drop.
Detangling ecosystem services: Open‐field manipulation of soil‐dwelling microarthropods provides new opportunities to investigate their effects on nitrogen cycling
Authors: Gergócs Veronika , Flórián Norbert , Tóth Zsolt , Sipőcz László , Dombos Miklós
Published: July 2022

Soil microarthropods have a pivotal role in soil nitrogen cycling in that they affect microbial decomposers. A high abundance of microarthropods may increase the mobility of inorganic nitrogen ions in the soil, mainly in nitrogen‐limited habitats. However, it is difficult to study ecological processes with small‐sized, soil‐dwelling arthropods. The effects of soil microarthropods on nitrogen cycling have mainly been studied in laboratory microcosm experiments. Therefore, we face many practical issues in investigating these effects under field conditions that remain to be resolved.

We developed an open‐field mesocosm setup with growing plants. In a two‐part experiment, spring wheat and grass species were grown in chernozem and sandy soils. Leached ammonium and nitrate ions were measured with percolation lysimeters. Half of the mesocosms included natural assemblages, and the other half included less abundant Acari and Collembola assemblages. The application of nitrogen fertilization assured differences in nitrogen sources.

We found a large difference in ammonium and nitrate leaching between the two soil types. In chernozem soil, the leached ion concentrations were higher in mesocosms with more abundant mite and springtail assemblages. The expected patterns were less pronounced in sandy soil. Adding nitrogen fertilizer did not modify the effects of soil microarthropods.

Open‐field mesocosms are promising for studying the role of soil‐dwelling mesofauna in ecological processes. We solved the problem of keeping mesofauna abundance lower in treated plots than that in control plots. Plants successfully grew in our semi‐closed systems with functioning percolation lysimeters. The use of the equipment in the experiments in this study helped reveal that the role of soil‐dwelling microarthropods in nitrogen cycling depends on the soil type and not on the application of nitrogen fertilizer.
Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams
Authors: Dittbrenner Benjamin J. , Schilling Jason W. , Torgersen Christian E. , Lawler Joshua J.
Published: July 2022

Many areas are experiencing increasing stream temperatures due to climate change, and some are experiencing reduced summer stream flows and water availability. Because dam building and pond formation by beaver can increase water storage, stream cooling, and riparian ecosystem resilience, beaver have been proposed as a potential climate adaption tool. Despite the large number of studies that have evaluated how beaver activity may affect hydrology and water temperature, few experimental studies have quantified these outcomes following beaver relocation. We evaluated changes in temperature and water storage following the relocation of 69 beaver into 13 headwater stream reaches of the Skykomish River watershed within the Snohomish River basin, Washington, USA. We evaluated how beaver dams affected surface and groundwater storage and stream temperature. Successful relocations created 243 m3of surface water storage per 100 m of stream in the first year following relocation. Dams raised water table elevations by up to 0.33 m and stored approximately 2.4 times as much groundwater as surface water per relocation reach. Stream reaches downstream of dams exhibited an average decrease of 2.3°C during summer base‐flow conditions. We also assessed how dam age, condition, maintenance frequency, and pond morphology influenced stream temperature at naturally colonized wetland complexes. Our findings demonstrate that dam building can increase water storage and reduce stream temperatures in the first year following successful beaver relocation. Fluvial and floodplain morphology of candidate reaches for relocation is an important consideration because it determines the type and magnitude of response. Relocation to reaches with existing small, abandoned ponds may address thermal criteria by conversion from warming to cooling reaches, whereas relocation within large, abandoned complexes or vacant habitat may result in greater water storage. Although beaver relocation can be an effective climate adaptation strategy to retain more stable hydrologic regimes and water quality in our study area, there appear to be regionally specific environmental and geomorphic factors that influence how beaver affect water storage and temperature. More research is needed to investigate how and why these regional differences affect water storage and stream temperature response in beaver‐influenced systems.
Could foxes be surrogate seed dispersers of a megafaunal fruit vine in southern South America?
Authors: Muñoz‐Concha Diego , Mundaca Enrique , Alarcón Diego , Machuca Juan , Crisol‐Martínez Eduardo , Loayza Andrea
Published: July 2022

Plants that bear oversized fruits, but do not co‐occur with present‐day large‐bodied frugivores to disperse their seeds, are considered to represent seed dispersal anachronisms. It is hypothesized that these plants were originally dispersed by the megafauna that became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene. Accordingly, many plant species in South America bearing the so‐called megafaunal fruits occur in ecosystems lacking native modern megafauna. In Chile, Lardizabala biternata is an endemic vine that produces a large edible fruit, with a morphology suggesting a megafaunal seed dispersal syndrome. This species grows across the Chilean Winter Rainfall‐Valdivian Forests and has a rather wide distribution, along which there are currently no large native vertebrates that could ingest its fruits and disperse the seeds. We hypothesized that foxes may be its present‐day surrogate dispersers, because they are the only remnant mesofauna across L. biternata's range that include fruits in their diet. We collected fox scats periodically for 1 year and analyzed their contents, which revealed the presence of intact L. biternata seeds. These results suggest that foxes may be acting as present‐day dispersers of this vine; however, it is unknown whether they provide effective dispersal. Our findings stress the fragmentary state of the knowledge of ecological interactions among species in Chilean ecosystems, opening new perspectives in terms of the role of terrestrial fauna in maintaining ecosystem functions.
Functional traits and their plasticity shift from tolerant to avoidant under extreme drought
Authors: Kramp Rosa E. , Liancourt Pierre , Herberich Maximiliane M. , Saul Lara , Weides Sophie , Tielbörger Katja , Májeková Maria
Published: July 2022

Under climate change, extreme droughts will limit water availability for plants. However, the species‐specific responses make it difficult to draw general conclusions. We hypothesized that changes in species' abundance in response to extreme drought can be best explained by a set of water economic traits under ambient conditions in combination with the ability to adjust these traits towards higher drought resistance. We conducted a 4‐year field experiment in temperate grasslands using rainout shelters with 30% and 50% rainfall reduction. We quantified the response as the change in species abundance between ambient conditions and the rainfall reduction. Abundance response to extreme drought was best explained by a combination of traits in ambient conditions and their functional adjustment, most likely reflecting plasticity. Smaller leaved species decreased less in abundance under drought. With increasing drought intensity, we observed a shift from drought tolerance, i.e., an increase in leaf dry matter content, to avoidance, i.e., a less negative turgor loss point (TLP) in ambient conditions and a constancy in TLP under drought. We stress the importance of using a multidimensional approach of variation in multiple traits and the importance of considering a range of drought intensities to improve predictions of species' response to climate change.
Value of the HFA‐PEFF and H2FPEF scores in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction caused by cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Tomasoni Daniela , Aimo Alberto , Merlo Marco , Nardi Matilde , Adamo Marianna , Bellicini Maria Giulia , Cani Dario , Franzini Maria , Khalil Anas , Pancaldi Edoardo , Panichella Giorgia , Porcari Aldostefano , Rossi Maddalena , Vergaro Giuseppe , Lombardi Carlo Mario , Sinagra Gianfranco , Rapezzi Claudio , Emdin Michele , Metra Marco
Published: July 2022

Aims

The HFA‐PEFF and H2FPEF scores have been developed to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and hold prognostic value. Their value in patients with HFpEF caused by cardiac amyloidosis (CA) has never been investigated.

Methods and results

We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic value of the HFA‐PEFF and H2FPEF scores in 304 patients from three cohorts with HFpEF caused by transthyretin CA (n = 160, 53%) or immunoglobulin light‐chain CA (n = 144, 47%). A diagnosis of HFpEF was more likely using the HFA‐PEFF score with 2 (1%), 71 (23%), and 231 (76%) patients ranked as having a low (0–1), intermediate (2–4), or high (5, 6) probability of HFpEF, respectively. Conversely, 36 (12%), 179 (59%) and 89 (29%) of patients ranked as having a low (0–1), intermediate (2–5), or high (6–9) probability of HFpEF using the H2FPEF score. During a median follow‐up of 19 months (interquartile range 8–40), 132 (43%) patients died. The HFA‐PEFF score, but not the H2FPEF score, predicted a high risk of all‐cause death which remained significant after adjustment for age, AL‐CA diagnosis, high‐sensitivity troponin T, N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide, and echocardiographic parameters, including left ventricular global longitudinal strain, left ventricular diastolic function and right ventricular function (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% confidence interval 1.16–1.95, p = 0.002 for every 1‐point increase in HFA‐PEFF).

Conclusions

The HFA‐PEFF score has a higher diagnostic utility in HFpEF caused by CA and holds independent prognostic value for all‐cause mortality, while the H2FPEF score does not.
Modification of Pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines through Iron‐Catalyzed Aminomethylenation with Amines and Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Authors: Chen Xiao‐Hui , Cui Hai‐Lei
Published: July 2022

Modification of pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines through Fe(OTf)3 catalyzed aminomethylenation with amines and dimethyl sulfoxide has been realized. A series of highly functionalized pyrroloisoquinolines have been prepared in acceptable to good yields (17–72 % yields). Dimethyl sulfoxide serves as the source of methylene group under a catalytic system. Lactam‐fused pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinoline can be obtained through simple chemical transformation.
Patient selection for spinal cord stimulation: The importance of an integrated assessment of clinical and psychosocial factors
Authors: Thomson Simon , Helsen Nicky , Prangnell Simon , Paroli Mery , Baranidharan Ganesan , Belaïd Hayat , Billet Bart , Eldabe Sam , De Carolis Giuliano , Demartini Laura , Gatzinsky Kliment , Kallewaard Jan Willem , Winkelmüller Matthias , Huygen Frank , Stoevelaar Herman
Published: July 2022

Background

A previously developed educational e‐health tool considers both clinical and psychosocial factors when selecting patients with chronic pain for spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The validity of the composite recommendations was evaluated in a retrospective study, demonstrating a strong relationship with patient outcomes after SCS.

Methods

An additional retrospective analysis was performed to determine the added value of a psychosocial evaluation as part of the decision‐making process on SCS. Data concerned 482 patients who were considered for SCS in 2018–2019. The analysis focused on the relationship between the different layers of the tool recommendations (clinical, psychosocial, composite) with trial results and patient outcomes at 6 months after SCS. Of the initial study population, 381 patients underwent SCS and had follow‐up data on at least one of three pain‐related outcome measures.

Results

Pain improvement was observed in 76% of the patients for whom SCS was strongly recommended based on merely the clinical aspects. This percentage varied by the level of psychosocial problems and ranged from 86% in patients without any compromising psychosocial factors to 60% in those with severe problems. Similarly, the severity of psychosocial problems affected trial results in patients for whom SCS was either recommended or strongly recommended.

Conclusions

The strong relationship between psychosocial factors embedded in the SCS e‐health tool and patient outcomes supports an integrated and multidisciplinary approach in the selection of patients for SCS. The educational e‐health tool, combining both clinical and psychosocial aspects, is believed to be helpful for further education and implementation of this approach.

Significance statement

This study confirms the relevance of the psychosocial factors embedded in the educational SCS e‐health tool (https://scstool.org/). The strong relationship between the severity of psychosocial factors with patient outcomes supports conducting a comprehensive psychological and behavioural assessment when determining the eligibility of patients for SCS.
The circular economy approach to evaluating end‐of‐life cost alternatives of solar PV panels: The case of Burnoye‐1, Kazakhstan
Authors: Omar Abylkaiyr , Seilkhan Zanggar , Bissembayeva Gulzhahan , González‐Rodríguez Oscar , Rojas‐Solórzano Luis
Published: July 2022

The circular economy concept resonates as a new approach to optimize limited resource usage and reduce waste generation. However, the most solar PV power plant analyses do not consider the sustainable disposal of used systems at the end of life (EoL) or at the time for potential refurbishment. The 50 MWp Burnoye‐1 solar power plant in the Jambyl region in Kazakhstan was modeled using the RETScreen Expert platform to determine how the circular economy concept may increase its environmental benefits and impact the levelized cost of produced electricity. Results proved that recycling Burnoye‐1's photovoltaic panels at EoL would increase the project's Net Present profit by almost 0.373 million USD, marginally raising its Benefit–cost and internal rate of return (IRR) on equity by much less than 1% each, with respect to the non‐recycling baseline. However, a significant impact on the 25‐year lifetime GHG emissions is achieved when PV recycling is considered. Recycling the PV panels in Burnoye‐1 at the EoL would add an extra 76.5 ktCO2e emissions reduction, representing an increase of 8.7% in its avoided lifetime GHG emissions. Furthermore, PV recycling may generate local jobs benefitting the neighboring communities. Thus, this study demonstrates that the circular economy approach is viable in Kazakhstan and will help the country meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2060.
Performance analysis based on energy and exergy output of double slope passive and active solar still
Authors: Krishna Tunuguntla Arun Sri Sai , Ritwin Kesari , Tiwari Sumit
Published: July 2022

This paper intends to explore double slope passive solar still (DSPSS) with the help of thermal modeling along with experimental validation. Further, a comparative study has been done for active (integrated with disc type concentrator and photovoltaic module) and passive solar still based on improved thermal modeling with suggestions about design. The average thermal efficiency for passive solar still (PSS) and active solar still (ASS) are 17.5% and 21.3%, respectively, which shows active solar still has a 21.71% better performance. The average exergy efficiency for passive solar still and active solar still found to be 2.4% and 3.5%, respectively. Further, optimization of solar concentrating disc diameter has been done for 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 m. The theoretical yield and maximum water temperature found to be 2.83, 3.64, 5.1, 7.3 kg/m2 and 70.02, 75.8, 85.2, and 98.2°C, respectively.
Clay Types Modulate the Toxicity of Low Concentrated Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Toward Springtails in Artificial Test Soils
Authors: Fischer Jonas , Talal Ghanem D. A. , Schnee Laura S. , Otomo Patricks V. , Filser Juliane
Published: July 2022

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) can be applied as an efficient alternative to conventional Cu in agriculture. Negative effects of CuO-NPs on soil organisms were found, but only in clay-rich loamy soils. It is hypothesized that clay–NP interactions are the origin of the observed toxic effects. In the present study, artificial Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development soils containing 30% of kaolin or montmorillonite as clay type were spiked with 1–32 mg Cu/kg of uncoated CuO-NPs or CuCl2. We performed 28-day reproduction tests with springtails of the species Folsomia candida and recorded the survival, reproduction, dry weight, and Cu content of adults. In a second experiment, molting frequency and the Cu content of exuviae, as well as the biochemical endpoints metallothionein and catalase (CAT) in springtails, were investigated. In the reproduction assay, negative effects on all endpoints were observed, but only in soils containing montmorillonite and mostly for CuO-NPs. For the biochemical endpoints and Cu content of exuviae, effects were clearly distinct between Cu forms in montmorillonite soil, but a significant reduction compared to the control was only found for CAT activity. Therefore, the reduced CAT activity in CuO-NP-montmorillonite soil might be responsible for the observed toxicity, potentially resulting from reactive oxygen species formation overloading the antioxidant system. This process seems to be highly concentration-dependent, because all endpoints investigated in reproduction and biochemical assays of CuO-NP-montmorillonite treatments showed a nonlinear dose–response relationship and were constantly reduced by approximately 40% at a field-realistic concentration of 3 mg/kg, but not at 32 mg/kg. The results underline that clay–CuO-NP interactions are crucial for their toxic behavior, especially at low, field-realistic concentrations, which should be considered for risk assessment of CuO-NPs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2454–2465. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Employee experience –the missing link for engaging employees: Insights from an MNE's AI‐based HR ecosystem
Authors: Malik Ashish , Budhwar Pawan , Mohan Hrishi , N. R. Srikanth
Published: July 2022

Analyzing multiple data sources from a global information technology (IT) consulting multinational enterprise (MNE), this research unpacks the configuration of a digitalized HR ecosystem of artificial intelligence(AI)‐assisted human resource management (HRM) applications and HR platforms. This study develops a novel theoretical framework mapping the nature and purpose of a digitalized AI‐assisted HR ecosystem for delivering exceptional employee experience (EX), an antecedent to employee engagement (EE). Employing the theoretical lenses of EX, EE, AI‐mediated social exchange, and engagement platforms, this study's overarching aim of this article is to establish how AI‐assisted HRM fits into an organization's ecosystem and, second, how it impacts EX and EE. Our findings show that AI‐assisted applications for HRM enhance EX and, thus, EE. We also see increases in employee productivity and HR function's effectiveness. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.
Clinical outcomes of Pfizer‐BioNTech COVID‐19 vaccine in children and adolescents: A systematic review
Authors: Al‐Qudimat Ahmad R. , Al‐Zoubi Raed M. , Elaarag Mai , Nashwan Abdulqadir J. , Hamze Afaf K. , Bawadi Hiba , Yassin Aksam , Assim Aseel , Aboumarzouk Omar M. , Zarour Ahmad , Al‐Ansari Abdulla A.
Published: July 2022

Background & Aims

The BioNTech‐Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine offered to children among all available vaccines. However, limited evidence is available about the clinical outcomes of COVID‐19 vaccines, especially among children and adolescents. This review offers a comprehensive and up‐to‐date overview of the BioNTech‐Pfizer vaccine's current information on children and adolescents.

Methods

The review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines; a comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases for research publications COVID‐19 published between December 2019 and October 2021. All studies reporting on the outcomes of vaccinating children in their respective institutes were included.

Results

A total of 78 vaccinated children and adolescents from six studies were included. The majority of symptomatic vaccinated pediatrics were males (71%). The mean age was 15.6 years, and the BMI was 24.1. The most common clinical symptoms were found in chest pain (35%), fever (32%), and myalgia (17%). The most common cardiac symptom in the EKG results was ST elevation, and 35% of vaccinated pediatrics had elevated serum troponin. The hospitalization, including ICU admission, was lower than in unvaccinated groups. Statistically significant associations (p ≤ 0.05) were found in two symptoms (fever and headache) between the vaccinated and nonvaccinated pediatric groups.

Conclusions

Although we found better outcomes in the vaccinated group versus the nonvaccinated pediatric group, more studies are still crucial to further understand the specific etiology underlying postvaccination, particularly myocarditis, psychological impact, and other cardiac clinical symptoms in children and adolescents after receiving the BioNTech‐Pfizer vaccine.
Effect of standardized root extract of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on well‐being and sexual performance in adult males: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chauhan Sanjaya , Srivastava Manoj K. , Pathak Anklesh K.
Published: July 2022

Background and Aim

In Ayurveda, ashwagandha is a popular plant for promoting youthful energy, longevity, and overall well‐being. It is also an excellent aphrodisiac herb that aids in the improvement and maintenance of normal sexual health. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of ashwagandha root extract on improving sexual health in adult males.

Methods

In this 8‐week randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study, we investigated the aphrodisiac property of an ashwagandha root extract in adult males. Fifty participants with lower sexual desire were randomly allocated to take 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract or placebo capsules twice daily. Outcomes were measured using the derogatis interview for sexual functioning‐male (DISF‐M) questionnaire, serum testosterone, serum prolactin, and short‐form survey—36 quality of life questionnaire before and after the intervention.

Results

Compared to placebo, ashwagandha root extract supplementation was associated with a statistically significant increase in the total DISF‐M scores (mean difference −9.8; 95% confidence interval, −10.73 to −8.87; p < 0.0001; t‐test). It was also associated with a statistically significant increase in serum testosterone levels (−66.52; −80.70 to −52.34; p < 0.0001; t‐test). However, the prolactin level did not change after intervention in both the ashwagandha and placebo groups (−1.06; −2.78 to 0.66; p > 0.05).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that ashwagandha demonstrated a significant subjective perception of sexual well‐being and assisted in increasing serum testosterone levels in the participants.
Impacts of thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, ohmic heating, and diffusion‐thermo effects on unsteady MHD free convective rotating flow of second‐grade fluid with Hall and ion‐slip currents
Authors: Kanimozhi Natesan , Vijayaragavan Rajaram , Shanmugam Karthikeyan
Published: July 2022

An investigation has been carried out to study the combined impacts of thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, ohmic heating, and diffusion thermo on unsteady MHD natural convective rotating second‐grade fluid past a semi‐infinite vertical plate with Hall and ion‐slip currents. In this study, velocity slip boundary conditions are considered. To enhance the energy equation by incorporating the effects of thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, ohmic heating, and diffusion thermo. The governing partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations by using suitable nondimensional variables to solve these equations analytically, thereby adopting the familiar perturbation technique. The impacts of relevant parameters on velocity, temperature, and concentration are illustrated diagrammatically and explained in detail. Shear stress, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are also calculated for engineering purposes and are expressed in a tabular form. Moreover, it is revealed that escalating the second‐grade fluid lessens the velocity profile while the opposite trend is seen for the diffusion‐thermo parameter. It is noted that the thermal radiation and diffusion thermo enhance the thermal boundary layer, while the opposite trend is seen for the Prandtl number. Both the velocity as well as the concentration profile decreases while escalating the chemical reaction. It is also noted that the skin friction lessens while increasing the second‐grade fluid parameter. Nusselt number attains the peak value while increasing the Prandtl number. Sherwood number enhances when escalating the Schmidt number and chemical reaction parameter. Our results were correlated with previously published results and it is found to be in good agreement.
The discovery of cathode materials for lithium‐ion batteries from the view of interdisciplinarity
Authors: Huang Yunhui
Published: July 2022

In honor of Professor John B. Goodenough for his 100th birthday, this article tries to find the relationship between the discovery of cathode materials for lithium‐ion batteries and the interdisciplinary research in his career. The original ideas of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, and LiFePO4 came from his early research in solid state physics and from his strong knowledge of chemical structure and bonding. Some examples are given to demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary interactions among materials, chemistry, and physics. With the rapid development of rechargeable batteries, such interdisciplinarity is further extended to engineering, information, and even artificial intelligence. Although there are still many challenges like energy density and safety in the batteries, we are confident that a better solution will be soon found.
How much between‐group wage gaps can be explained by talent allocation frictions in China?
Authors: Li Zhe , Peng Qingyu
Published: July 2022

What explains huge wage gaps between different hukou and gender groups in China? This paper uses an overlapping generation model with human capital investment and occupational choices to quantify how much wage gaps between these groups can be imputed to two types of talent allocation frictions, labor market discrimination, and human capital accumulation barriers. The calibrated model indicates that the two types of talent allocation frictions can explain a significant proportion (four‐fifths, one‐third, and three‐fifths) of the wage gap between each non‐urban‐men group (urban women, rural men, and rural women) and urban men in 2013. Our counterfactual exercise also shows that eliminating these two frictions since 1995 would result in about half a percentage point increase in China's economic growth rate between 1995 and 2013.
Training medical students to teach safe infant sleep environments using pyramidal behavioral skills training
Authors: Mery Jacqueline N. , Vladescu Jason C. , Day‐Watkins Jessica , Sidener Tina M. , Reeve Kenneth F. , Schnell Lauren K.
Published: July 2022

Medical personnel play a critical role in caregiver safe infant sleep education. However, training outcomes in the safe infant sleep training literature have been mixed. Promising approaches that warrant further investigation are the use of behavioral skills training and pyramidal training. The current study consisted of two experiments. Experiment 1 extended Carrow et al. (2020) and Vladescu et al. (2020) by teaching medical students safe infant sleep practices using behavioral skills training. Discriminated responding was examined across trained and untrained environmental arrangements using a multiple‐baseline design. All participants arranged safe sleep environments following behavioral skills training. In Experiment 2, we used pyramidal behavioral skills training to train medical students to teach others safe sleep practices. Results indicated high procedural integrity scores following training and generalization of skills.
Multilevel Annotation of Germline MEN1 Variants of Synonymous, Nonsynonymous, and Uncertain Significance in Indian Patients With Sporadic Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Kaur Gurjeet , Bhadada Sanjay Kumar , Santra Mithun , Pal Rimesh , Sarma Phulen , Sachdeva Naresh , Dhiman Vandana , Dahiya Divya , Saikia Uma Nahar , Chakraborty Anuradha , Sood Ashwani , Prakash Mahesh , Behera Arunanshu , Rao Sudhaker D.
Published: July 2022

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is third most common endocrine disorder characterized by hypercalcemia with elevated or nonsuppressed parathyroid hormone levels by parathyroid tumors. Familial PHPT, as part of multiple endocrine type-1, occurs due to the germline mutation in the MEN1 gene. The involvement and the role of germline MEN1 variations in sporadic PHPT of Indian PHPT patients are unknown. Precise classifications of different types of MEN1 variations are fundamental for determining clinical relevance and diagnostic role. This prospective cohort study was performed on 82 patients with PHPT (with no clinical or history of MEN1) who underwent screening for MEN1 variations through Sanger sequencing. Multilevel computational analysis was performed to determine the structure–function relationship of synonymous, nonsynonymous, and variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Of the 82 PHPT patients, 42 (51%) had 26 germline MEN1 variants, including eight nonsynonymous, seven synonymous, nine VUS, one splice site, and one regulatory variation. Five most common germline variations (c.1838A>G, c.1817C>T, c.1525C>A, c.-35A>T, and c.250T>C) were observed in this study. c.-35A>T (5′ untranslated region [UTR]) was associated with recurrence of PHPT (odds ratio [OR] = 5.4; p = 0.04) and subsequent detection of other endocrine tumors (OR = 13.6, p = 0.035). c.1525C>A was associated with multi glandular parathyroid tumor (OR = 13.6, p = 0.035). Align–Grantham variation and Grantham deviation (Align-GVGD), functional analysis through hidden Markov MODEL (FATHMM), and MutationTaster analysis reported the disease-specific potential of VUS and synonymous variations. Significant linkage disequilibrium was observed in c.1785G>A and c.1817C>T (r2 = 0.3859, p = 0.0001), c.1475C>G and c.1525C>A (r2 = 0.385, p = 0.0004), and c.1569T>C and c.1838A>G (r2 = 0.488, p = 0.0001). The detection of MEN1 variations, especially those with disease-specific potential, can prompt early screening for other MEN1-related tumors and disease recurrence. © 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Does mandatory disclosure affect recognition of contingent liabilities? Evidence from FIN 48
Authors: Gross Andrew D.
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates whether mandatory disclosure affects managers’ decisions to recognize contingent tax liabilities. Because of the proprietary nature of tax disclosures, some managers have an incentive to minimize tax reserves and to limit the quality of disclosures, while others prefer to maintain large tax reserves to meet future earnings goals. If large tax reserves are maintained, additional disclosure may be beneficial to reduce information asymmetry between managers and financial statement users. I find that firms which increase tax reserves when they implement FIN 48 are more likely to issue higher quality FIN 48 disclosures. Poor disclosure quality is associated with higher future tax expense suggesting that managers who believe the tax disclosures may be used by tax examiners also want to limit the amount of unrecognized tax benefit reported.