bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Donor‐Acceptor Based 1,8‐Naphthalimide Substituted Phenothiazines: Tuning of HOMO‐LUMO Gap
Authors: Poddar Madhurima , Rout Yogajivan , Misra Rajneesh
Published: December 2021

A set of donor‐acceptor (D‐A) substituted phenothiazine based chromophores (D‐π‐D‐π‐A, D′‐π‐D‐π‐A, D‐A′‐D‐π‐A and D′‐A′‐D‐π‐A) were designed and synthesized. The phenothiazine was substituted with the 4‐ethynyl‐1,8‐naphthalimide (NPI) on one side and a variety of donors (phenothiazine, carbazole, ferrocene and triphenylamine) were introduced on the other side of phenothiazine via Pd‐catalyzed Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction resulting PTZ8–11. In order to tune the optoelectronic properties of the phenothiazine chromophores, cyano‐based acceptor 1,1,4,4‐tetracyanobuta‐1,3‐diene (TCBD) was incorporated by [2+2] cycloaddition‐electrocyclic ring‐opening reaction of phenothiazine derivatives PTZs 8–11 and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). The photophysical and electrochemical studies showed that the incorporation of TCBD acceptor in the phenothiazine chromophores PTZs 12–15 facilitated the donor‐acceptor strength to greater extent. The electronic absorption spectra exhibited red shifted absorption bands for the TCBD substituted phenothiazines as compared to the alkynylated phenothiazines which led to much lower optical band gaps in the formers. The experimental values were also supported by the DFT and TD‐DFT calculations.
Environment‐tolerant conductive and superhydrophobic poly(m‐phenylene isophthalamide) fabric prepared via γ‐ray activation and reduced graphene oxide/nanoSiO2modification
Authors: Li Taolin , Zou Lin , Cheng Kaichang , Liu Xiang , Shi Honghui , Yang Qingqing , Chang Baobao , Shi Xianzhang , Ma Jialu , Liu Chuntai , Shen Changyu
Published: December 2021

As one of the high‐performance polymer fibers, poly(m‐phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) is widely used in the area of military and aerospace applications. Whereas, its insulation and hydrophilic nature may lead to electric charge accumulation and dust adherence. This work aims to fabricate a PMIA fabric with integrated conductive and superhydrophobic abilities via a simple method including γ‐ray irradiation and dip‐coating. Results show that after γ‐ray irradiation, the surface roughness of PMIA was enhanced and the content of the oxygen element was increased. In the dip‐coating step, the micro‐pits and grooves on the surface of PMIA were covered totally by a layer of graphene oxide (GO). After reduction to reduced GO (rGO), a conductive network was built. The conductivity of the fabric was decreased to a minimum value of 0.5 Ω m. Meanwhile, the quite low volume resistivity was retained as 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H‐perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFTS)/hydrophobic fumed silica nanoparticles (SiO2) was decorated on rGO. Due to the microscale aggregation constituted by nano‐SiO2, the fabric presented a superhydrophobic property and self‐cleaning ability against simulated Lunar dust. Furthermore, the durability performance proves that an excellent environment‐tolerant ability has been endowed to the PMIA fabric by the modification.
Deletion analysis of Pichia pastoris alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) promoter and development of synthetic promoters
Authors: Erden‐Karaoğlan Fidan , Karaoğlan Mert , Yılmaz Gürkan , Yılmaz Semiramis , İnan Mehmet
Published: December 2021

Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) is a non‐conventional Crabtree‐negative yeast with the capability of reaching very high cell densities in a fed‐batch fermentation process. The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) genes of P. pastoris involved in ethanol metabolism were identified and were previously characterized. This work aimed to extend current knowledge of the regulation of the ADH2 promoter. To this end, we first determined the upstream activator (UAS) and repressor (URS) sequences of the promoter by deletion assays. Two upstream activator sites have been identified, positioned between ‐900 and ‐801 bp, and ‐284 and ‐108 bp upstream of the ADH2 transcription start site. The sequences positioned between ‐361 and ‐262 bp had a negative effect on the promoter activity and designated a repressor sequence (URS). We then demonstrated that Mxr1 (methanol expression regulator 1) transcription factor activates the ADH2 promoter through the direct interaction with UAS regions in response to ethanol. Furthermore, five different synthetic promoters were constructed by adding or deleting the regulatory sites. These synthetic promoters were tested for extracellular xylanase production at shake flask level by inducing with ethanol. These promoter variants improved the xylanase production ranging between 165% and 200% of the native promoter. The synthetic promoter 5 (SNT5) that displayed the highest activity was further evaluated at the fermenter scale. The modification in the promoter features might have several implications for industrial processes where decoupling the cell growth and product formation is advantageous.
The underlying structure of the English Cancer Patient Experience Survey: Factor analysis to support survey reporting and design
Authors: Gomez‐Cano Mayam , Lyratzopoulos Georgios , Campbell John L. , N. Elliott Marc , A. Abel Gary
Published: December 2021

Background

The English Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES) is a regularly conducted survey measuring the experience of cancer patients. We studied the survey's underlying structure using factor analysis to identify potential for improvements in reporting or questionnaire design.

Methods

Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2015 respondents (n = 71,186, response rate 66%) were split into two random subgroups. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on the first subgroup, we identified the survey's latent structure. EFA was then applied to 12 sets of items. A first (“core”) set was formed by questions that applied to all participants. The subsequent sets contained the “core set” plus questions corresponding to specific care pathways/patient groups. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the second data subgroup for cross‐validation.

Results

The EFA suggested that five latent factors underlie the survey's core questions. Analysis on the remaining 11 care pathway/patient group items also indicated the same five latent factors, although additional factors were present for questions applicable to patients with an overnight stay or those accessing specialist nursing. The five factors models had an excellent fit (comparative fit index = 0.95, root mean square error of approximation = 0.045 for core set of questions). Items loading on each factor generally corresponded to a specific section or subsection of the questionnaire. CFA findings were concordant with the EFA patterns.

Conclusion

The findings suggest five coherent underlying sub‐constructs relating to different aspects of cancer health care. The findings support the construction of evidence‐based composite indicators for different domains of experience and provide options for survey re‐design.
Effect of Emodin on Hyperlipidemia and Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Zebrafish Larvae Fed a High‐Cholesterol Diet**
Authors: He Lin‐Feng , Wang Cheng , Zhang Ya‐Fang , Guo Chao‐Cheng , Wan Yan , Li Yun‐Xia
Published: December 2021

Hyperlipidemia (HLP) is a complex pathological condition results from lipid metabolism disorder, which is closely related to obesity, atherosclerosis and steatohepatitis. Emodin (EM), a natural anthraquinone, exhibits prominent hypolipidemic effects. However, its exact mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we successfully established hyperlipidemic zebrafish model induced by 4 % high‐cholesterol diet (HCD) for 10 days and explored the anti‐hyperlipidemic roles and underlying mechanisms of EM. The results indicated that EM attenuated the mortality and body mass index (BMI) of zebrafish with HLP, and ameliorated abnormal lipid levels involved in TC, TG, LDL−C and HDL−C levels. Besides, EM effectively reduced lipid accumulation in blood vessels and liver, alleviated hepatic histological damage, and inhibited vascular neutrophil inflammation. Finally, the mRNA expression of molecules related to lipid metabolism were studied by using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) to investigated the underlying mechanism. Further results found that treatment with EM up‐regulated AMPKα, LDLR, ABCA1 and ABCG1, and down‐regulated SREBP‐2, PCSK9 and HMGCR expression. In conclusion, EM showed a prominent mitigative effect on lipid metabolism disorder in zebrafish larvae with HCD‐stimulated HLP, which was associated with the enhancement of LDL−C uptake and reverse cholesterol transport, and inhibition of cholesterol synthesis.
Dry bean proteins: Extraction methods, functionality, and application in products for human consumption
Authors: Ferreira Karen Carvalho , Bento Juliana Aparecida Correia , Caliari Márcio , Bassinello Priscila Zaczuk , Berrios Jose De J.
Published: December 2021

Background and objectives

Legume proteins, such as those from dried beans, are extracted by methods that can be divided into aqueous or dry fractionation processes. Several techniques have been studied to improve protein extraction in legumes and their functional properties. This article provides relevant information on available extraction methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and the functionality and application of dried bean protein in the manufacture of food products.

Findings

It is possible to obtain yields of up to 93% in dry bean protein extraction by the aqueous fractionation method, resulting in concentrates with a protein content above 70%. The combination of other treatments (thermal or not), applied before or after extraction, can improve the extraction yield and the functional properties of proteins, respectively. Dry fractionation allows yields of up to 30%, which can be improved with electrostatic separation. Bean proteins have equal or superior performance to soybeans in terms of emulsifying properties, high hydrophobicity, and foaming.

Conclusions

Dry fractionation is a more sustainable method of protein extraction, as it uses few resources and preserves the native properties of proteins. Aqueous fractionation guarantees a higher protein yield. Dried beans are a raw material with enormous potential for protein extraction and application of its protein in the manufacture of vegetable‐based food products with added value and high nutritional and health benefits, such as vegetable meats, for example, which are part of the trend of this decade.

Significance and novelty

This review provides insights into the different bean protein extraction methods and their combinations and how the functional properties can be influenced by them, providing the reader with an available resource to select the most appropriate extraction technique(s) for its application in food.
Women's Experiences Navigating Paid Work and Caregiving During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Woodbridge Lindsay M. , Um Byeolbee , Duys David K.
Published: December 2021

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, many women lost their jobs or chose to leave the workforce because of increased caregiving demands. Of women who remained employed, many faced increased complexity in negotiating their roles as employees and caregivers. On the basis of existing theory and research on the impact of women's caregiving responsibilities on their careers, we developed a model of the relationships among women's caregiving hours for children and adults, work‐family and family‐work conflict, perceived social support, and career satisfaction during the pandemic. We collected data from 475 university staff members and tested our model using a path analysis. Results suggested that caregiving hours for children directly influenced work‐family and family‐work conflict and that social support partially mediated the relationship between family‐work conflict and career satisfaction. We discuss how counselors might best work with women who are navigating multiple life roles during a period of family, community, and global challenges.
Challenges in Implementing Antiracist Pedagogy Into Counselor Education Programs: A Collective Self‐Study
Authors: Williams Joseph M. , Byrd Janice A. , Washington Ahmad R.
Published: December 2021

This self‐study examined the challenges experienced by three Black counselor educators when implementing antiracist pedagogy into their classrooms. Two themes emerged: White gaze in counselor education and marked as an outsider within. Counselor educators should engage in continuous self‐reflexivity and positionality while integrating and valuing Black perspectives in counselor education.
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on diagnosis of new cancers: A national multicenter study of the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
Authors: Englum Brian R. , Prasad Nikhil K. , Lake Rachel E. , Mayorga‐Carlin Minerva , Turner Douglas J. , Siddiqui Tariq , Sorkin John D. , Lal Brajesh K.
Published: December 2021

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic caused disruptions in treatment for cancer. Less is known about its impact on new cancer diagnoses, where delays could cause worsening long‐term outcomes. This study quantifies decreases in encounters related to prostate, lung, bladder and colorectal cancers, procedures that facilitate their diagnosis, and new diagnoses of those cancers in the COVID era compared to pre‐COVID era.

Methods

All encounters at Veterans' Affairs facilities nationwide from 2016 through 2020 were reviewed. The authors quantified trends in new diagnoses of cancer and in procedures facilitating their diagnosis, from January 1, 2018 onward. Using 2018 to 2019 as baseline, reductions in procedures and new cancer diagnoses in 2020 were estimated. Calculated absolute and percentage differences in annual volume and observed‐to‐expected volume ratios were calculated. Heat maps and funnel plots of volume changes were generated.

Results

From 2018 through 2020, there were 4.1 million cancer‐related encounters, 3.9 million relevant procedures, and 251,647 new cancers diagnosed. Compared to the annual averages in 2018 through 2019, colonoscopies in 2020 decreased by 45% whereas prostate biopsies, chest computed tomography scans, and cystoscopies decreased by 29%, 10%, and 21%, respectively. New cancer diagnoses decreased by 13% to 23%. These drops varied by state and continued to accumulate despite reductions in pandemic‐related restrictions.

Conclusion

The authors identified substantial reductions in procedures used to diagnose cancer and subsequent reductions in new diagnoses of cancer across the United States because of the COVID‐19 pandemic. A nomogram is provided to identify and resolve these unmet health care needs and avoid worse long‐term cancer outcomes.

Lay Summary

The disruptions due to the COVID‐19 pandemic have led to substantial reductions in new cancers being diagnosed.

This study quantifies those reductions in a national health care system and offers a method for understanding the backlog of cases and the resources needed to resolve them.
Developing fine‐grained nationwide predictions of valuable forests using biodiversity indicator bird species
Authors: Virkkala Raimo , Leikola Niko , Kujala Heini , Kivinen Sonja , Hurskainen Pekka , Kuusela Saija , Valkama Jari , Heikkinen Risto K.
Published: December 2021

The use of indicator species in forest conservation and management planning can facilitate enhanced preservation of biodiversity from the negative effects of forestry and other uses of land. However, this requires detailed and spatially comprehensive knowledge of the habitat preferences and distributions of selected focal indicator species. Unfortunately, due to limited resources for field surveys, only a small proportion of the occurrences of focal species is usually known. This shortcoming can be circumvented by using modeling techniques to predict the spatial distribution of suitable sites for the target species. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) and other remote sensing (RS) techniques have the potential to provide useful environmental data covering systematically large areas for these purposes. Here, we focused on six bird of prey and woodpecker species known to be good indicators of boreal forest biodiversity values. We used known nest sites of the six indicator species based on nestling ringing records. Thus, the most suitable nesting sites of these species provide important information for biodiversity‐friendly forest management and conservation planning. We developed fine‐grained, that is, 96 × 96 m grid cell resolution, predictive maps across the whole of Finland of the suitable nesting habitats based on ALS and other RS data and spatial information on the distribution of important forest stands for the six studied biodiversity indicator bird species based on nesting‐habitat suitability modeling, that is, the MaxEnt model. Habitat preferences of the study species, as determined by MaxEnt, were in line with the previous knowledge of species‐habitat relations. The proportion of suitable habitats of these species in protected areas (PAs) was considerable, but our analysis also revealed many potentially high‐quality forest stands outside PAs. However, many of these sites are increasingly threatened by logging because of increased pressures for using forests for bioeconomy and forest industry based on National Forest Strategy. Predicting habitat suitability based on information on the nest sites of indicator species provides a new tool for systematic conservation planning over large areas in boreal forests in Europe, and a corresponding approach would also be feasible and recommendable elsewhere where similar data are available.
Emerald ash borer intensifies harvest regimes on private land
Authors: Holt Jonathan R. , Smetzer Jennifer R. , Borsuk Mark E. , Laflower Danelle , Orwig David A. , Thompson Jonathan R.
Published: December 2021

Invasive forest insects have significant direct impacts on forest ecosystems and they are also generating new risks, uncertainties, and opportunities for forest landowners. The growing prevalence and inexorable spread of invasive insects across the United States, combined with the fact that the majority of the nation's forests are controlled by thousands of autonomous private landowners, raises an important question: To what extent will private landowners alter their harvest practices in response to insect invasions? Using a quasi‐experimental design, we conducted a causal analysis to investigate the influence of the highly impactful emerald ash borer (EAB) on (1) annual probability of harvest; (2) intensity of harvest; and (3) diameter of harvested trees, for both ash and non‐ash species on private land throughout the Midwest and mid‐Atlantic regions of the United States. We found that EAB detection had a negative impact on annual harvest probability and a positive impact on harvest intensity, resulting in a net increase in harvested biomass. Furthermore, our estimates suggest that EAB detection will influence private landowners to harvest greater quantities of ash, relative to non‐ash species. We also found that harvested trees in EAB‐infested areas had smaller diameters, on average, compared with those unaffected by EAB. These results can help policymakers, forest managers, and extension programs to anticipate and better advise landowners and managers about their options and the associated outcomes for forests.
Effect of flower identity and diversity on reducing aphid populations via natural enemy communities
Authors: Zytynska Sharon E. , Eicher Moritz , Fahle Robin , Weisser Wolfgang W.
Published: December 2021

Floral plantings are often used in agriculture to attract pollinator communities, but they also play an important role in recruiting and establishing natural communities for natural pest control. Inconsistent effects of floral plantings for pest control may be a result of an absence of mechanistic insights and a reliance on the idea that simply increasing flower diversity will benefit these services. A more tailored set of flower species may be needed to benefit the natural enemies through provision of nectar and alternative prey. We used an outside pot experiment to investigate the effect of three flower plants (Fagopyrum esculentum, Vicia faba, and Trifolium pratense) on reducing aphid pests on four different plant cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare), over two years. We grew the four cultivars of barley alone, next to a single flower or next to a mixture of flowers, and observed aphid and natural enemy colonization across the growing season. Aphid population sizes were reduced on all barley cultivars grown next to a flower with stronger pest suppression when all flowers were present. Each flower species recruited a different community of non‐barley aphids that, in turn, varied in their ability to establish the natural enemy populations and subsequently the ability to reduce barley aphid populations. Overall, increased pest suppression in the mixed treatments was a result of numerous weaker interactions between different flower, aphid, and natural enemy species, rather than a few dominant interactions. Natural enemy communities could be enhanced by incorporating flower species that vary in their ability to attract and host alternative prey (i.e., non‐pest aphids) as well as suitable nectar provisioning. We can use our knowledge of ecological interactions to tailor floral plantings to increase the effectiveness of pest control services.
Long‐term prognostic value of vasodilator stress cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Weiss Karl J. , Nasser Sarah B. , Bigvava Tamar , Doltra Adelina , Schnackenburg Bernhard , Berger Alexander , Anker Markus S. , Stehning Christian , Doeblin Patrick , Abdelmeguid Mohamed , Talat Mohamed , Gebker Rolf , E‐Naggar Wael , Pieske Burkert , Kelle Sebastian
Published: December 2021

Aims

Although the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is high among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), studies on stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging frequently exclude patients with AF, and its prognostic and diagnostic value in high‐risk patients with suspected or known CAD remains unclear.

Methods and results

In this longitudinal cohort study, we included 164 consecutive patients with AF during vasodilator perfusion CMR. Diagnostic value was evaluated regarding invasive coronary angiography in a subset of patients. We targeted a follow‐up of >5 years and used CMR results as stratification, and the primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events [MACE, cardiovascular (CV) death and myocardial infarction (MI)]. Secondary outcomes included late coronary revascularization or stroke and the components of the primary outcome. Of the whole cohort (73.8% male, mean age 72.2 years ± 7.8 SD), 99.4% were successfully scanned (163/164 patients). Median CHA2DS2‐VASc score was 4 [interquartile range (IQR) 3–5], and median 10‐year risk for CV events based on SMART risk score was high (24%, IQR 16–32%). Thirty‐two patients (19.6%) presented with ischaemia and 52 patients (31.9%) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). A combination of LGE and inducible ischaemia was present in 20 patients (12.3%). Diagnostic accuracy was 86.2% [confidence interval (CI) 68.3–96.1%]. The median follow‐up was 6.6 years (IQR 3.6–7.8). Ischaemia in vasodilator perfusion CMR was significantly associated with the occurrence of MACE [P < 0.01; hazard ratio (HR) 2.65, CI 1.39–5.08], as well as LGE (P = 0.03; 1.74, CI 1.07–3.64) and the combination of both (P < 0.01; HR 2.67, CI 1.59–5.62). After adjustment by age, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the presence of diabetes, ischaemia in vasodilator perfusion CMR remained significantly associated with the occurrence of MACE (2.10, CI 1.08–4.10; P = 0.03). In secondary endpoint analysis, there was a significant association of ischaemia in CMR with CV death (P < 0.05; HR 1.93, CI 0.95–3.9) and MI (P < 0.01; HR 13, CI 1.35–125.4), while no significant association was found regarding the occurrence of revascularization (P = 0.45; HR 1.43, CI 0.57–3.58) or stroke (P = 0.99; HR 0.99, CI 0.21–2.59).

Conclusions

Vasodilator stress perfusion CMR demonstrated an excellent diagnostic and significant prognostic value at long‐term follow‐up in high‐risk patients with persistent AF and suspected or known CAD.
Metabolic reprograming shapes neutrophil functions in severe COVID‐19
Authors: Borella Rebecca , De Biasi Sara , Paolini Annamaria , Boraldi Federica , Lo Tartaro Domenico , Mattioli Marco , Fidanza Lucia , Neroni Anita , Caro‐Maldonado Alfredo , Meschiari Marianna , Franceschini Erica , Quaglino Daniela , Guaraldi Giovanni , Bertoldi Carlo , Sita Marco , Busani Stefano , Girardis Massimo , Mussini Cristina , Cossarizza Andrea , Gibellini Lara
Published: December 2021

To better understand the mechanisms at the basis of neutrophil functions during SARS‐CoV‐2, we studied patients with severe COVID‐19 pneumonia. They had high blood proportion of degranulated neutrophils and elevated plasma levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO), elastase, and MPO‐DNA complexes, which are typical markers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET). Their neutrophils display dysfunctional mitochondria, defective oxidative burst, increased glycolysis, glycogen accumulation in the cytoplasm, and increase glycogenolysis. Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (ΗΙF‐1α) is stabilized in such cells, and it controls the level of glycogen phosphorylase L (PYGL), a key enzyme in glycogenolysis. Inhibiting PYGL abolishes the ability of neutrophils to produce NET. Patients displayed significant increases of plasma levels of molecules involved in the regulation of neutrophils’ function including CCL2, CXCL10, CCL20, IL‐18, IL‐3, IL‐6, G‐CSF, GM‐CSF, IFN‐γ. Our data suggest that metabolic remodelling is vital for the formation of NET and for boosting neutrophil inflammatory response, thus, suggesting that modulating ΗΙF‐1α or PYGL could represent a novel approach for innovative therapies.
Mesogenic Coordination Polymers Based on Ru2(II,II)‐Paddle‐Wheel Units Exhibit High Electrical Conductivity
Authors: Rossi Leonardo , Huck‐Iriart Cristian , Giovanetti Lisandro , Antonel P. Soledad , Marceca Ernesto , Cukiernik Fabio D.
Published: December 2021

We report the synthesis, characterization and properties of a series of coordination polymers (CP) in which paddle‐wheel diruthenium (II,II) tetracarboxylate units are linked by tetrazine as axial ligand, a combination aimed to promote electron delocalization along the CP axis. The use of bulky equatorial 3,4,5‐tri(alkoxy)benzoates (B3OCn, n=10, 14, 18) warranted the columnar liquid crystalline nature of the targeted Ru2(B3OCn)4tz CP, which allowed their processing as extruded fibers. The liquid crystalline phases of both the polymers and their Ru2(B3OCn)4 precursors have been studied by means of polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction and small and wide angle X‐ray scattering. We suggest herein some models for the supramolecular organization in the hexagonal and rectangular columnar mesophases these CP exhibited. Extrusion form the CLC phase lead to fibers in which the columnar axes were colinear with the fiber axis at a macroscopic scale. Electrical conductivity measurements on these fibers revealed high values (0.4 S/m) for the targeted CP.
Biotic and abiotic factors governing dune response to storm events
Authors: Garzon Juan L. , Costas Susana , Ferreira Oscar
Published: December 2021

The alongshore response of dunes to storm events can be extremely variable and, consequently, their capacity to maintain their services, including the protection of hinterland communities. In this study, the role of biotic and abiotic factors determining the magnitude of dune retreat driven by a severe storm along a 60 km barrier island system was investigated. Data from high‐resolution satellite imagery, digital terrain models, and wave propagation models were used in this assessment. The assessed abiotic factors included the backshore volume, dune height, downdrift inlet distance, and incident wave power. The evaluated biotic factor was the vegetation cover, characterized by a vegetation index retrieved from the multispectral imagery. The results revealed large alongshore variability on dune retreat, ranging from negligible impact to ca. 40 m of retreat. All combined factors allowed us to explain up to 70% of the dune retreat variability through a multi‐regression analysis. Among all investigated factors, the major contributor controlling the magnitude of dune retreat was the backshore volume (more robust berms reduced the retreat) followed by the wave power (normal and longitudinal components). Moreover, the removal of local salient features in the dune line caused the straightening of the coastline, highly contributing to the development of dune retreat hotspots. The other evaluated factors had a smaller influence on reducing coastal retreat, including the vegetation, whose contribution to dune protection was around one order of magnitude lower than that provided by the backshore volume. The results highlight the importance of regional assessments to understand the causes behind the large alongshore variability of storm impacts at dunes. They also state the relatively low influence of the vegetation from this climatic region to enhance dune resistance to storms.
Impact of a two‐stage subgingival instrumentation scheme involving air polishing on attachment gain after active periodontal therapy
Authors: Schlagenhauf Ulrich , Hess Jeanine V. , Stölzel Peggy , Haubitz Imme , Jockel‐Schneider Yvonne
Published: December 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether clinical attachment level gain (ΔCAL) in deep untreated periodontal lesions may be improved by a two‐stage, subgingival instrumentation scheme involving air polishing.

Methods

This 6‐month, randomized, controlled, examiner‐masked clinical trial was performed in 44 patients with periodontitis with untreated periodontal lesions ≥6 mm. At baseline, day 28, 84, and 168 CAL, probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque control record (PlaCR) were recorded. After baseline examination control group patients received full‐mouth sub‐ and supragingival instrumentation using scalers and curets. In the test group initial subgingival cleaning was limited to the removal of soft bacterial deposits by air polishing. Subgingival scaling and root planing was performed only after the first re‐evaluation at day 28.

Results

In deep lesions ≥6 mm a significant reduction of mean CAL scores was observed at day 28 and at day 168 for both experimental groups. Differences between the groups however did not reach the level of significance. Mean PD was also significantly reduced at day 28 and at 168 in both experimental groups, with no significant differences between the groups. Mean BOP scores did not change significantly in both groups during the 168‐day observation period. Only in the test group mean PlaCR scores were significantly reduced at day 168 compared with baseline.

Conclusions

Subgingival instrumentation of untreated PD ≥6 mm by air polishing alone results in a significant short‐term gain of CAL comparable to conventional scaling and root planing. Its sequential two‐step combination with scaling and root planing, however, does not additionally enhance long‐term gain of CAL.
Activation of Phase Change Contrast Agents Using Ionizing Radiation
Authors: Falatah Hebah A. , Lacerda Quezia , Chaga Michael , Wessner Corinne E. , Forsberg Flemming , Leeper Dennis B. , Eisenbrey John R.
Published: December 2021

The feasibility of activating phase change contrast agents (PCCA) made from Definity (Lantheus Medical Imaging) using X‐rays was investigated. A 10 mL of Definity PCCA (0.1 mL PCCA/mL) were injected into gelatin phantoms and irradiated using doses of 0, 30, 50, and 100 Gy. Size distribution and PCCA activation were measured after irradiation. Definity PCCAs were activated at a threshold of 50 Gy. Changes were visible with microscopy, visual inspection of T‐flasks, and ultrasound imaging of gelatin phantoms. Moreover, increasing the radiation dose above 50 Gy appeared to further activate PCCA. These results indicate Definity PCCAs may be useful for ultrasound‐based radiation dosimetry.
Journals in Beall's list perform as a group less well than other open access journals indexed in Scopus but reveal large differences among publishers
Authors: Moed Henk F. , Lopez‐Illescas Carmen , Guerrero‐Bote Vicente P. , de Moya‐Anegon Felix
Published: December 2021

The list of potential, possible or probable predatory scholarly open access (OA) publishers compiled by Jeffrey Beall was examined to determine the effect of their inclusion upon authors, and a possible bias against OA journals. Manually collected data from the publication archives of a sample of 250 journals from Beall publishers reveals a strong tendency towards a decline in their article output during 2012–2020. A comparison of the subset of 506 Beall journals indexed in Scopus with a benchmark set of other OA journals in Scopus with similar characteristics shows that Beall journals reveal as a group a strong decline in citation impact over the years, and reached an impact level far below that of their benchmarks. The Beall list of publishers was found to be heterogeneous in terms of bibliometric indicators but to be clearly differentiated from OA journals not included in the list. The same bibliometric comparison against comparable non‐OA journals reveal similar, but less marked, differences in citation and publication growth.
Both full length‐cholesteryl ester transfer protein and exon 9‐deleted cholesteryl ester transfer protein promote triacylglycerol storage in cultured hepatocytes
Authors: Liu Yan , Mihna Daniel , Izem Lahoucine , Morton Richard E.
Published: December 2021

We previously reported that overexpression of full‐length cholesteryl ester transfer protein (FL‐CETP), but not its exon 9‐deleted variant (∆E9‐CETP), in an adipose cell line reduces their triacylglycerol (TAG) content. This provided mechanistic insight into several in vivo studies where FL‐CETP levels are inversely correlated with adiposity. However, increased FL‐CETP is also associated with elevated hepatic lipids, suggesting that the effect of CETP on cellular lipid metabolism may be tissue‐specific. Here, we directly investigated the role of FL‐CETP and ∆E9‐CETP in hepatic lipid metabolism. FL‐ or ∆E9‐CETP was overexpressed in HepG2‐C3A by adenovirus transduction. Overexpression of either FL or ∆E9‐CETP in hepatocytes increased cellular TAG mass by 25% but reduced TAG secretion. This cellular TAG was contained in larger and more numerous lipid droplets. Analysis of TAG synthetic and catabolic pathways showed that this elevated TAG content was due to increased incorporation of fatty acid into TAG (24%), and higher de novo synthesis of fatty acid (50%) and TAG from acetate (40%). siRNA knockdown of CETP had the opposite effect on TAG synthesis and lipogenesis, and decreased cellular TAG. This novel increase in cellular TAG by FL‐CETP overexpression was reproduced in Caco‐2 intestinal epithelial cells. We conclude that, unlike that seen in adipocyte cells, overexpression of either CETP isoform in lipoprotein‐secreting cells promotes the accumulation of TAG. These data suggest that the in vivo correlation between CETP levels and hepatic steatosis can be explained, in part, by a direct effect of CETP on hepatocyte cellular metabolism.
LONG‐TERM THINKING IN A SHORT‐TERM WORLD
Authors: Clark Dorie
Published: December 2021

The author demonstrates how to apply long‐term thinking in business, professional development, and related areas; even while so many of today's pressures involve the short‐term. She includes examples from her own life and career, and also examples from other people, including pertinent quotes from branding consultant Martin Lindstrom, Silicon Valley innovation expert Jonathan Brill, consultant Ali Davies, Nobel Laureate Herbert A. Simon, and Getting Things Done productivity author David Allen. She cites relevant research from such sources as Management Research Group, the Strategic Thinking Institute, Silvia Bellezza of Columbia Business School, American Sociological Review, Economic Journal and others. This short‐term/long‐term balance is difficult, however. She writes that “almost no one likes the results of the short‐termism we see around us: the relentless frenzy, the endless hamster wheel, the aggressive pursuit of goals that quite possibly aren't the right ones. But it takes strength to go against the prevailing culture. That's both internal strength, because we have to face down uncomfortable questions about who we are and what we really want, and external strength, because we have to deal with bosses and colleagues and clients who are still used to measuring productivity through face time and volume.”
How to display products available in multiple color saturation: Fit between saturation and position
Authors: Huang Yunhui , Yang Lu , Liu Min
Published: December 2021

Previous research has investigated how visual features affect the evaluation of a singular product. Less is known about the effect of visual features when multiple products are displayed. Through three pilot studies and five experiments, the current research shows that displaying lower‐saturation color on the top/left and higher‐saturation color on the bottom/right leads to a more favorable evaluation of a product available in different colors saturations. This effect occurs because the magnitude fit between higher‐saturation color and the bottom/right position induces perceptual fluency. It diminishes when the product targets a neutral outgroup. More important, it reverses when the product targets a dissociative outgroup, showing that people tend to correct their judgment in the opposite direction of their feeling valence when evaluating products targeting dissociative outgroups. However, the fit effect holds in the context of buying gifts for members of dissociative outgroups. The findings contribute to the visual perception and fit literature. They also have significant practical implications for developing more effective product display strategies.
A poromechanical‐damage‐based‐model for water‐driven fracture modeling of concrete gravity dams
Authors: Bessaid Mohammed Ibrahim , Matallah Mohammed , Rouissat Boucherit
Published: December 2021

Water‐driven fracture propagation is a fundamental issue in the failure analysis of cracked concrete gravity dams. In the present paper, a poromechanical‐damage–based model is proposed to study the water‐fracture interaction in saturated porous media in order to highlight the importance of considering the presence of the pressurized water in propagating fractures. The solid behavior is described by a plastic damage model. The crack openings computation is performed using a post‐processing method combined with the fracture energy regularization concept. The hydraulic behavior is governed by Darcy's law for the un‐cracked material. After cracking, the flow through fracture is driven by the cubic law and the material permeability is increased as the crack propagates. The validations are performed on a wedge splitting test. The failure analysis of a concrete gravity dam under hydraulic fracturing shows that considering the water pressure in cracks leads to deeper and larger fracture propagation.
The Effect of Oleic Acid Emulsification using SPE on Fluorite and Dolomite Flotation**
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Hou Shaochun , Li Erdou , Yang Zhanfeng , Guo Chunlei , Li Qiang , Jin Hailong , Wang Qiwei , Wei Wei
Published: December 2021

Collector OA, oleic acid, is widely used industrially for fluorite flotation. Low selectivity, dispersibility and collecting capability of the OA collector are always observed. In this study, compared with flotation of dolomite, a collector mixture of OA and SPE (styrylphenol polyoxyethylene ether) demonstrated significantly better performances for the fluorite. An optimal mass ratio 4 : 1 OA : SPE was found, and the recovery of fluorite was increased from over 85 % to more than 94 % compared with pure OA. Furthermore, the dosage of the collector agent was reduced from 50  mg mL−1 to 20 mg mL−1, which did not negatively impact the recovery of dolomite. The results from the contact angle tests indicated that SPE selectively increased the surface hydrophobicity of fluorite but had little effect on dolomite. Besides, zeta potential measurements and IR analyses revealed that the addition of SPE led to strong chemical adsorption on the surface of fluorite, resulting in a significant difference in the flotation performances of the two minerals. Therefore, SPE‐emulsified OA is corroborated to prompt more selectivity and collecting capability on flotation of fluorite over dolomite.
A delicately designed functional binder enabling in situ construction of 3D cross‐linking robust network for high‐performance Si/graphite composite anode
Authors: Liu Shujian , Cheng Shaokai , Xie Ming , Zheng Yun , Xu Gaojie , Gao Shuyu , Li Jian , Liu Zhihong , Liu Xueqing , Liu Jiyan , Yan Bo , Yan Weixiong , Zhang Zhanhui , Cui Guanglei
Published: December 2021

The silicon (Si)‐based anodes suffer from large volume expansion in the lithiation process. Aiming at improving the cycling stability of a Si/graphite composite anode processed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, a functional aqueous binder was delicately designed and synthesized via an aqueous copolymerization of lithium acrylate and vinyl triethoxy silane (VTEO). The PAA‐VTEO binder can in situ react with the silanol groups on the surface of Si nanoparticles to form a robust 3D cross‐linked network. The resulting extremely high modulus and hardness of this integrated 3D network structure effectively restrained the volume expansion effect and significantly enhanced the electrochemical cycling stability of the CVD‐Si@graphite composite anode. This work will provide new perspectives in designing functional binder for Si‐based anodes.
A comparative study of data‐dependent acquisition and data‐independent acquisition in proteomics analysis of clinical lung cancer tissues constrained by blood contamination
Authors: Su Tao , Zhong Yi , Zeng Weibiao , Zhang Yong , Wang Shisheng , Cheng Jingqiu , Yang Hao , Wei Yiping , Gong Meng
Published: December 2021

Proteomics analysis is often troubled by high‐abundance proteins in samples such as plasma. However, many surgical tissue samples inevitably have got contaminated with blood before cryopreservation. Selection of an appropriate method to minimize the effect of high‐abundance proteins is important for proteomics analysis of blood contaminated tissues. Here, we investigated and compared the abilities of data‐independent acquisition (DIA) and data‐dependent acquisition (DDA) strategies for the proteomics analysis of blood contaminated clinical tissue samples. Twelve pairs of carcinoma and para‐carcinoma tissue samples from lung cancer patients were used for proteomics assays separately by DIA and DDA, and the blood contamination level in samples was evaluated by contamination index (CI). Compared with the DDA strategy, DIA in whole exhibited much better analytical capabilities in proteomics analysis of these samples with more identified protein groups and a higher discovery of differential proteins. With CI value increasing, whether DIA or DDA showed decreasing analysis ability. However, for samples with high CI values, the DIA strategy still shows acceptable analytical capability and indicates better blood pollution resistance than the DDA strategy. Our results implied that for clinical tissue samples, particularly for those contaminated with blood, DIA strategy should be a preferred method in proteomics studies.
Adaptive neural control for nonlinear systems with actuator faults and unknown control directions via command filter
Authors: Guo Jun , Bo Yuming , Park Ju H. , Ma Jiali
Published: December 2021

This article studies the issue of command filter‐based adaptive fault‐tolerant control for a class of nonlinear systems subject to unknown control directions and disturbance. First, the neural network is employed to deal with the nonlinear functions, and the explosion of the complexity problem is handled by the command filter approach. Second, the bound estimation method and the Nussbaum function are utilized to compensate for the influence of the actuator faults and the unknown directions, respectively. Finally, the tracking error signals are guaranteed to converge into bounded compact sets around the origin, and all closed‐loop signals are bounded. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by three simulations.
Methods to assess evidence consistency in dose‐response model based network meta‐analysis
Authors: Pedder Hugo , Dias Sofia , Boucher Martin , Bennetts Meg , Mawdsley David , Welton Nicky J.
Published: December 2021

Network meta‐analysis (NMA) simultaneously estimates multiple relative treatment effects based on evidence that forms a network of treatment comparisons. Heterogeneity in treatment definitions, such as dose, can lead to a violation of the consistency assumption that underpins NMA. Model‐based NMA (MBNMA) methods have been proposed that allow functional dose‐response relationships to be estimated within an NMA, which avoids lumping different doses together and thereby reduces the likelihood of inconsistency. Dose‐response MBNMA relies on appropriate specification of the dose‐response relationship as well as consistency of relative effects. In this article we describe methods to check for inconsistency in dose‐response MBNMA models. Global and local (node‐splitting) tests for inconsistency are described that account for studies with ≥3 arms that are typical in dose‐finding trials. We show that consistency needs to be assessed with respect to the choice of dose‐response function. We illustrate the methods using a network comparing biologics for moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. By comparing results from an Emax and an exponential dose‐response function we show that failure to correctly characterise the dose‐response can introduce apparent inconsistency. The number of comparisons for which node‐splitting is possible is also shown to be dependent on the complexity of the selected dose‐response function. We highlight that the nature of dose‐finding studies, which typically compare multiple doses of the same agent, provide limited scope to assess inconsistency, but these study designs help guard against inconsistency in the first place. We demonstrate the importance of assessing consistency to obtain robust relative effects to inform drug‐development and policy decisions.
Marginal indirect standardization using latent clustering on multiple hospitals
Authors: Wang Yifei , Tancredi Daniel J. , Miglioretti Diana L.
Published: December 2021

A method was introduced in 2018 of performing indirect standardization for hospital profiling when only the marginal distributions of confounding variables are observed for the index hospital but the full joint covariate distribution is available for the reference hospitals (Wang et al, J Am Stat Assoc
2018; 114:662‐630). The method constructs a synthetic comparison hospital using a weighted combination of reference hospitals, with weights assumed to follow a Dirichlet distribution with equal concentration parameters. In this article, we propose a novel method that improves upon the approach in a previous study (Wang et al, J Am Stat Assoc 2018; 114:662‐630), by assuming the existence of latent classes among reference hospitals to allow for unequal Dirichlet concentration parameters. The latent class memberships, and thus the hospital weights, are informed by hospital‐level characteristics. Our new method results in less biased point estimates and narrower uncertainty intervals for the standardized incidence ratio compared with the existing approach. We show the superiority of our novel methods in an application to a study on prevalence of high‐radiation computed tomography exams, as well as in a simulation of the same medical context.