bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Silicate Enrichment on the Discharge Duration of Silicon‐Air Batteries
Authors: Schalinski Richard , Schweizer Stefan L. , Wehrspohn Ralf B.
Published: April 2023

Silicon‐air batteries are candidates for next generation batteries from non‐critical raw materials. However, current silicon‐air batteries with alkaline electrolytes suffer from premature termination of the discharge process. To understand this process, we investigated the correlation of dissolved silicon in the electrolyte and the discharge duration until passivation. The air‐ and Si‐electrode could be excluded as the source of the voltage drop, while the concentration of silicates in the electrolyte was identified as the decisive factor. A low silicate concentration in the electrolyte was found to be crucial for a sustained discharge of silicon‐air batteries with alkaline electrolytes and full consumption of the silicon electrode used in these conditions was shown.
Carbon Dioxide Capture from Biomass Pyrolysis Gas as an Enabling Step of Biogenic Carbon Nanotube Synthesis and Hydrogen Recovery
Authors: Veksha Andrei , Lu Jintao , Tsakadze Zviad , Lisak Grzegorz
Published: April 2023

Utilization of renewable raw materials as feedstock defossilizes industrial manufacturing while subsequent carbon capture reduces carbon footprint. We applied this concept to design a new pyrolysis‐based process for synthesis of biogenic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and H2 from biomass. It was demonstrated that the conversion of hydrocarbon compounds in pyrolysis gas into MWCNTs and H2 is detrimentally influenced by accompanied CO2 released from biomass decomposition. Capturing CO2 with a calcium sorbent upgraded the pyrolysis gas into a suitable gaseous precursor for downstream production of MWCNTs and H2‐rich gas. Furthermore, the results suggest that CO2 capture with the sorbent has a potential to outperform a liquid alkaline scrubber owing to avoided liquid organic waste generation, sorbent regenerability and higher H2 recovery from biomass pyrolysis gas.
Analysis and design of dual‐input Doherty power amplifier with enhanced efficiency for broadband application
Authors: Liu Jinting , Shi Weimin , Feng Linping , Li Mingyu
Published: April 2023

There is a large efficiency degradation between the two efficiency peaks in a broadband Doherty power amplifier (DPA) when the working frequency deviates from the center point. In this paper, dual‐input technique is adopted to improve the conversion efficiency over the dynamic power range in broadband DPAs. The efficiency between the two efficiency peaks in the DPA is enhanced through dynamically control the input power levels of the carrier and peaking power amplifiers (PAs) as well as the phase difference between the two sub‐amplifiers. As a proof of concept, a broadband dual‐input DPA (DI‐DPA) operating over 1.1–2.2 GHz is fabricated and measured in this paper. Experimental results show the fabricated DI‐DPA delivers a saturation output power of 43.5–44.7 dBm with a gain of 9.6–11.5 dB and a drain efficiency of 50.5%–58.6% in the interested frequency band. Meanwhile, a 6 dB back‐off drain efficiency of 40.4%–65.8% is also obtained by the DI‐DPA over 1.1–2.2 GHz.
Digital tool maps campus sexual assaults
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: April 2023

End Rape on Campus, a nonprofit out of Washington, D.C., that seeks to end sexual violence on college campuses through direct resources, prevention programming, and policy measures has released the Campus Accountability Map & Tool.
Terminal anorexia nervosa cannot currently be identified
Authors: Crow Scott J.
Published: April 2023

Objective

To review the recent literature on the proposed entity of “terminal anorexia nervosa.”

Method

Review of recent literature on the concept of “terminal AN” as well as past and supporting work.

Results

The cases and proposed definitions are reviewed, as is the growing literature on this topic. Problems exist with predicting outcomes and thus, determining futility, as well as about capacity for decision‐making.

Discussion

To make decisions about treatment futility, the existing database for predicting AN course and treatment response must expand greatly. In addition, while decisional capacity is central to the debate, its determination may be unusually complex in this situation. The gaps identified point to extensive needs for future research, but they also indicate that the concept of “terminal AN” cannot be defined at present and should not be used.

Public Significance

Anorexia nervosa is challenging to treat, and it often lasts for years. There is debate about whether palliative care or medical aid in dying should be considered. Identifying who has a terminal case of AN is important for this question, but we have limited ability to predict a given individual's outcome at present, and there are concerns about the ability of those with AN to make treatment decisions. This means the concept of “terminal AN” should not currently be used.
Association between coronary flow and aortic stenosis during transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Suzuki Wataru , Nakano Yusuke , Ando Hirohiko , Fujimoto Masanobu , Sakurai Hikaru , Suzuki Mayu , Takahashi Hiroshi , Mukai Kentaro , Amano Tetsuya
Published: April 2023

Aims

In patients with aortic stenosis (AS), the coronary flow reserve decreases even in the absence of epicardial coronary artery stenosis. Systolic coronary flow reversal (SFR) reflecting reduced coronary microcirculation, often seen in patients with severe AS, has a potential negative impact on the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction. However, there are limited data on the relationship between the severity of AS and SFR, as well as on the benefits of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the severity of AS and efficacy of TAVI in improving SFR.

Methods and results

Consecutive patients with AS who had undergone TAVI using transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) from November 2020 to February 2022 were prospectively enrolled. Coronary flow in the left anterior descending artery as well as the aortic valve peak velocities, and the mean aortic valve pressure gradients (AVPGs), indicating the severity of AS, were measured using intraprocedural TEE before and after TAVI. The following parameters were measured as coronary flow: systolic and diastolic peak velocity (cm/s) and systolic and diastolic velocity‐time integral (VTI) (cm). SFR was defined as the presence of a reversal coronary flow component in systole. The enrolled patients were classified into two groups according to the presence or absence of SFR before TAVI. A total of 25 patients were included: 13 had SFR and 12 who had no SFR, before TAVI. Patients with SFR had significantly higher aortic valve peak velocities (451.1 ± 45.9 vs. 372.1 ± 52.1 cm/s; P < 0.001) and mean AVPGs (49.2 ± 14.5 vs. 30.3 ± 11.6 mmHg; P = 0.002) than those without. The optimal binary cut‐off aortic valve peak velocity values and the mean AVPG associated with the presence of SFR before TAVI were >410.0 cm/s (specificity, 75.0%; sensitivity, 92.3%) and >37.4 mmHg (specificity, 83.3%; sensitivity, 92.3%), respectively. After TAVI, SFR immediately disappeared in 11 of 13 patients with SFR (84.6%). Overall, the systolic coronary VTI significantly increased after TAVI (2.0 ± 4.7 vs. 6.4 ± 3.2 cm, P < 0.001), and this increase was greater in patients with SFR than in those without SFR before TAVI (interaction P = 0.035).

Conclusions

SFR was found to be associated with the severity of AS and with a greater increase in systolic coronary flow immediately after TAVI.
Implementation of particle swarm optimization strategy in Venlo‐type greenhouse climate to make energy‐efficient process
Authors: Kaur Arshdeep , Sonawane Vijay , Gandhewar Nisarg , Rosha Pali
Published: April 2023

This study appears to be the first to use a MATLAB simulator to illustrate Particle Swarm Optimization with multiple input–output restrictions. This proposed study's overarching objective was to make the entire process energy efficient, which provides improved performance with high accuracy and minimizes the operating cost by incorporating energy, ventilation, and CO2. Further, to reduce the complexity of the system, the optimization technique was divided into control and controlled variables. Meanwhile, to define state constraints for variables used in the objective function was to make the overall process cost‐effective, composing energy, CO2 supply, and ventilation cost. The chosen technique effectively decreased operating costs while maintaining the appropriate ranges for temperature (14–26°C), relative humidity (0–90%), and CO2 concentration (400–2000 ppm), according to simulation results. Off‐peak, standard, and peak energy cost levels were R1080.26, R748.56, and R7078.4, respectively. On the other hand, it was found through comparative analysis that the standard and off‐peak energy consumption figures decreased by 65.4 and 8.1%, respectively, as compared to the peak tariff (2279.9 kWh). The suggested PSO technique is implied to be a viable means of increasing greenhouse energy efficiency and achieving sustainable, cleaner manufacturing.
Studies of Endocrine Disruptors: Nonylphenol and Isomers in Biological Models
Authors: De la Parra-Guerra Ana C. , Acevedo-Barrios Rosa
Published: April 2023

Certain emerging pollutants are among the most widely used chemicals globally, causing widespread concern in relation to their use in products devoted to cleaniness and asepsis. Nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEOn) is one such contaminant, along with its degradation product, nonylphenol, an active ingredient presents in nonionic surfactants used as herbicides, cosmetics, paints, plastics, disinfectants, and detergents. These chemicals and their metabolites are commonly found in environmental matrices. Nonylphenol and NPEOn, used, are particularly concerning, given their role as endocrine disruptors chemical and possible neurotoxic effects recorded in several biological models, primarily aquatic organisms. Limiting and detecting these compounds remain of paramount importance. The objective of the present review was to evaluate the toxic effects of nonylphenol and NPEOn in different biological models. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1439–1450. © 2023 SETAC
Using exogenous organizational and regional hospital attributes to explain differences in case‐mix adjusted hospital costs
Authors: Havranek Michael M. , Ondrej Josef , Widmer Philippe K. , Bollmann Stella , Spika Simon , Boes Stefan
Published: April 2023

Diagnosis‐related group (DRG) hospital reimbursement systems differentiate cases into cost‐homogenous groups based on patient characteristics. However, exogenous organizational and regional factors can influence hospital costs beyond case‐mix differences. Therefore, most countries using DRG systems incorporate adjustments for such factors into their reimbursement structure. This study investigates structural hospital attributes that explain differences in average case‐mix adjusted hospital costs in Switzerland. Using rich patient and hospital‐level data containing 4 million cases from 120 hospitals across 3 years, we show that a regression model using only five variables (number of discharges, ratio of emergency/ambulance admissions, rate of DRGs to patients, expected loss potential based on DRG mix, and location in large agglomeration) can explain more than half of the variance in average case‐mix adjusted hospital costs, capture all cost variations across commonly differentiated hospital types (e.g., academic teaching hospitals, children's hospitals, birth centers, etc.), and is robust in cross‐validations across several years (despite differing hospital samples). Based on our findings, we propose a simple practical approach to differentiate legitimate from inefficiency‐related or unexplainable cost differences across hospitals and discuss the potential of such an approach as a transparent way to incorporate structural hospital differences into cost benchmarking and payment schemes.
Effect of correlated color temperature and illuminance on sustained attention collected via electroencephalography signals
Authors: Fu Xiaoyun , Feng Di , Xu Jiang
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to explore the differences in the subjects' sustained attention under the impact of nine lighting conditions consisting of the combination of three commonly used correlated color temperature (CCT) (3300 K, 4300 K, and 5300 K) and illuminance levels (300 lx, 500 lx, and 750 lx) to provide guidance on the adjustment of CCT and illuminance level parameters for indoor lighting. We selected 24 physically and mentally healthy university students (12 male and 12 female) as the experimental subjects. The subjects were required to perform sustained attention to response task (SART) activities under the nine different lighting conditions and collected the alpha (α) waves (8–12 Hz) from the electroencephalography signals. Subsequently, the mean power spectral density of the α waves and various SART parameters were analyzed and tested. Finally, the effects of different CCT and illuminance levels on the subjects' attention were compared. With the increase in CCT, the attention level tended to increase linearly, whereas the attention level was the lowest at 300 lx and the highest at 500 lx and appeared as an inverted “U” shape. The subjects' attention level was the highest at the combination of CCT of 5300 K and illuminance level of 500 lx and the lowest at the combination of CCT of 3300 K and illuminance level of 500 lx. These results provide important data to elucidate the impact of lighting condition on attention.
Significant reduction in the incidence of non‐coronavirus infections in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia on ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment during the COVID‐19 pandemic: An additional benefit of lockdown
Authors: Kislova Maria , Petrenko Andrei , Dmitrieva Elena A. , Milenkin Alexander , Nikitin Konstantin E. , Ptushkin Vadim V. , Shabunin Alexey V. , Nikitin Eugene A.
Published: April 2023

Effective treatment and prevention of infections challenge management of patients with chronic lymphicytic leukemia (CLL). The COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in the reduction of outpatient hospital visits as a part of non‐pharmaceutical interventions that could affect the incidence of infectious complications. Study enrolled patients with CLL receiving ibrutinib or/and venetoclax who were observed at the Moscow City Centre of Hematology from 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2021. We found a reduction in the incidence of infectious episodes after the implementation of the lockdown in Moscow in 01 April 2020, when compared to data on the year prior to the lockdown (p < 0.0001), as well as when compared to the predictive model (p = 0.02), and based on individual infection profiles using cumulative sums (p < 0.0001). Bacterial infections had 4.44‐fold decrease, bacterial in combination with undefined infections had 4.89‐fold decrease, viral infections had unsignificant changes. The decrease in the number of outpatient visits coincides with the time of the lockdown could be a likely factor, explaining a decline in the incidence of infection. Patients were clustered according incidence and severity of infectious episodes for subgroup mortality assessment. No differences in overall survival due to COVID‐19 were observed. Typical respiratory infections, bacterial and undefined, the transmission of which may be affected by patient‐to‐patient contact in the settings of out‐patient health care visits were decreased, possibly due to SARS‐CoV‐2 restrictive measures. A positive correlation between outpatient visits and the incidence of bronchial and upper respiratory tract infection points at the role of hospital‐acquired infection and attests to the necessity of reorganizing care for all patients with CLL.
The potential role of scavenger receptor B type I (SR‐BI) in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection
Authors: Alkazmi Luay , Al‐kuraishy Hayder M. , Al‐Gareeb Ali I. , Alexiou Athanasios , Papadakis Marios , Saad Hebatallah M. , Batiha Gaber El‐Saber
Published: April 2023

Scavenger receptor type B I (SR‐BI), the major receptor for high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) mediates the delivery of cholesterol ester and cholesterol from HDL to the cell membrane. SR‐BI is implicated as a receptor for entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). SR‐BI is colocalized with the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) increasing the binding and affinity of SARS‐CoV‐2 to ACE2 with subsequent viral internalization. SR‐BI regulates lymphocyte proliferation and the release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines from activated macrophages and lymphocytes. SR‐BI is reduced during COVID‐19 due to consumption by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. COVID‐19‐associated inflammatory changes and high angiotensin II (AngII) might be possible causes of repression of SR‐BI in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. In conclusion, the downregulation of SR‐BI in COVID‐19 could be due to direct invasion by SARS‐CoV‐2 or through upregulation of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory signaling pathways, and high circulating AngII. Reduction of SR‐BI in COVID‐19 look like ACE2 may provoke COVID‐19 severity through exaggeration of the immune response. Further studies are invoked to clarify the potential role of SR‐BI in the pathogenesis of COVID‐19 that could be protective rather than detrimental.
Global trends in the treatment of local public entities in distress: A principled approach
Authors: Coordes Laura N. , Marique Yseult , Vaccari Eugenio
Published: April 2023

This article presents the findings of a global study on the treatment of local public entities in distress conducted in 20 jurisdictions across the world. It sets out to detail and analyses how different national insolvency law systems treat local public entities in distress. The main purpose of this study is to provide recommendations for a harmonised and principled treatment of these entities. The key priority of the recommendations proposed in the study is to ensure the continuity of essential public services without necessarily deviating from the established insolvency principles of collectivity and equality of treatment among creditors.
Strategies for Competitive Activity‐Based Protein Profiling in Small Molecule Inhibitor Discovery and Characterization
Authors: Zhu He , Sharafi Mona , Teh Wei Pin , Bratt Ariana S. , Buhrlage Sara J. , Marto Jarrod A.
Published: April 2023

Since its introduction by Cravatt and colleagues in 1999, activity‐based protein profiling (ABPP) has become widely utilized throughout academia, government, and industry laboratories to study enzymes spanning numerous gene families in a multitude of biological systems. As a variation of ABPP, competitive ABPP provides a powerful approach to characterize the binding behavior of small molecule probes and clinical drugs throughout the functional proteome. The power and flexibility of competitive ABPP are exemplified by a wide range of creative adaptions which increase assay throughput, enable diverse detection schemes, and support the implementation of this approach within a hybrid target‐based screening platform. We review major developments in competitive ABPP through a compare‐contrast format to provide a useful introduction to this enabling technology for scientists in chemical biology and drug discovery.
TOXIC EFFECTS OF AZATHIOPRINE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A National Post‐Marketing Perspective
Authors: Singh Gurkirpal , Fries James F. , Spitz Patricia , Williams Catherine A.
Published: April 2023

Concerns about the short‐term and long‐term toxic effects of azathioprine (AZA) have limited its use. Accordingly, we surveyed 393 AZA‐treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, who were recruited and enrolled through a nationwide call to rheumatologists. Findings in these patients were compared with the findings, retrieved from the databank of the American Rheumatism Association Medical Information System, on 153 similarly treated RA patients. All 546 patients were surveyed prospectively, using the Health Assessment Questionnaire and information abstracted from hospital records. The 2 groups were closely similar in clinical characteristics. The most frequently reported side effects of AZA treatment were nausea, vomiting, and leukopenia. Gastrointestinal intolerance accounted for nearly 60% of therapy interruptions in 95 patients. Of 81 hospitalizations for all causes, only 8 may have been related in part to AZA, and no deaths were attributed to AZA therapy. No lymphomas or leukemias were encountered, and the overall frequency of neoplasms was not significantly different from that seen in RA patients receiving conventional therapy. As used in the treatment of RA, AZA has a surprisingly benign profile with relatively few serious therapeutic mishaps.
PREDICTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Authors: Hagglund Kristofer J. , Haley William E. , Reveille John D. , Alarcón Graciela S.
Published: April 2023

Objective measures of disease activity (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and joint swelling), disease severity (radiographic ratings), and psychological variables (coping strategies and affective states) were used to predict the degree of pain and functional impairment that would be experienced by a group of 53 patients who had rheumatoid arthritis. The severity of disease demonstrated no significant relationship to measures of outcome. Multiple regression analyses revealed that psychological variables explained a substantial proportion of the variance in outcome scores, even after disease activity was taken into account. Our study highlights the discrepancies between biomedical measures of disease severity and activity and patient outcome in a rheumatoid arthritis population, and our observations suggest that some of these discrepancies may be explained by psychological variables.
IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF LYMPHOID AND MACROPHAGE CELL SUBSETS AND THEIR IMMUNOLOGIC ACTIVATION MARKERS IN TEMPORAL ARTERITIS: Influence of Corticosteroid Treatment
Authors: Cid Maria Cinta , Campo Elias , Ercilla Guadalupe , Palacin Antonio , Vilaseca Jaume , Villalta Jaume , Ingelmo Miguel
Published: April 2023

To determine the phenotype of infiltrating mononuclear cells in patients with temporal arteritis (TA), we performed immunohistochemical studies on temporal artery biopsy specimens from 24 patients with biopsyproven TA. Interdigitating reticulum cells (IRC) were observed in 41% of the patients; disease duration was significantly shorter in these patients than in patients lacking IRC (mean 1.5 months versus 3.8 months). Infiltrating cells consisted predominantly of HLA–DR–expressing macrophages and T lymphocytes, especially of the CD4 subset. There were few B cells and no K cells. No relationship between cellular distribution and disease duration or treatment was found. Interleukin‐2 receptor expression was observed in 87.5% of biopsy specimens obtained prior to or within the first 4 days of treatment with prednisone, but in only 14% of specimens obtained later. The presence of IRC in patients with TA suggests an autoimmune reaction directed against an antigenic substance that resides in the arterial wall and is presented and processed in situ. DR‐expressing macrophages activated by CD4+ T lymphocytes may contribute to arterial damage in TA. Corticosteroids do not modify cellular distribution but induce important functional changes, as demonstrated by the disappearance of interleukin‐2 receptor expression in patients treated for more than 4 days.
CHONDROCYTE NONRESPONSIVENESS TO INSULIN‐LIKE GROWTH FACTOR 1 IN EXPERIMENTAL ARTHRITIS
Authors: Schalkwijk Joost , Joosten Leo A. B. , van den Berg Wim B. , van de Putte Levinus B. A.
Published: April 2023

Inhibition of chondrocyte proteoglycan (PG) synthesis is one of the mechanisms leading to cartilage destruction in joint inflammation. Using murine cartilage from normal and arthritic knee joints, we examined this process. We found that for normal, anatomically intact murine articular cartilage, insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) is a potent anabolic factor. Recombinant IGF‐1 at physiologic concentrations in a completely synthetic medium sustained PG synthesis, at the in vivo rate, of patellar cartilage in organ culture. Using an experimental arthritis model, we found that cartilage from an arthritic joint could not be stimulated in vitro with IGF‐1. This nonresponsiveness was not caused by a generalized metabolic inhibition of the chondrocytes, because PG synthesis in arthritic cartilage could still be stimulated by forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase. Our data suggest that during joint inflammation, inhibition of chondrocyte PG synthesis is, at least partially, caused by a defect in the IGF‐1 responsiveness of the chondrocyte. We propose this finding as a possible pathogenetic mechanism for cartilage destruction in joint diseases.
AN ANTIBODY THAT INHIBITS IN VITRO BONE MARROW PROLIFERATION IN A PATIENT WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS AND APLASTIC ANEMIA
Authors: Bailey F. Amos , Lilly Michael , Bertoli Luigi F. , Ball Gene V.
Published: April 2023

A non–complement‐dependent antibody that inhibits bone marrow proliferation in vitro was detected in the serum of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and aplastic anemia. The patient recovered from the aplastic anemia following treatment with corticosteroids and plasmapheresis. The antibody could no longer be detected after this recovery. This case demonstrates that a rare, but potentially lethal, complication of systemic lupus erythematosus is aplastic anemia due to an autoantibody. Results of the experiments suggest a mechanism for, and treatment of, similar cases.
Inhibitory interaction of flavonoids with organic cation transporter 2 and their structure–activity relationships for predicting nephroprotective effects
Authors: Tan Huixin , Wang Fenghe , Hu Jiahuan , Duan Xiaoyan , Bai Wanting , Wang Xinbo , Wang Baolian , Su Yan , Hu Jinping
Published: April 2023

Organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) is mainly responsible for the renal secretion of various cationic drugs, closely associated with drug‐induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Screening and identifying potent OCT2 inhibitors with little toxicity in natural products in reducing OCT2‐mediated AKI is of great value. Flavonoids are enriched in various vegetables, fruits, and herbal products, and some were reported to produce transporter‐mediated drug–drug interactions. This study aimed to screen potential inhibitors of OCT2 from 96 flavonoids, assess the nephroprotective effects on cisplatin‐induced kidney injury, and clarify the structure–activity relationships of flavonoids with OCT2. Ten flavonoids exhibited significant inhibition (>50%) on OCT2 in OCT2‐HEK293 cells. Among them, the six most potent flavonoid inhibitors, including pectolinarigenin, biochanin A, luteolin, chrysin, 6‐hydroxyflavone, and 6‐methylflavone markedly decreased cisplatin‐induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, in cisplatin‐induced renal injury models, they also reduced serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels to different degrees, the best of which was 6‐methylflavone. The pharmacophore model clarified that the aromatic ring, hydrogen bond acceptors, and hydrogen bond donors might play a vital role in the inhibitory effect of flavonoids on OCT2. Thus, our findings would pave the way to predicting the potential risks of flavonoid‐containing food/herb–drug interactions in humans and optimizing flavonoid structure to alleviate OCT2‐related AKI.
Performance of point‐of‐care severity scores to predict prognosis in patients admitted through the emergency department with COVID‐19
Authors: Prasad Priya A. , Correia Jessica , Fang Margaret C. , Fisher Arielle , Correll Mick , Oreper Sandra , Auerbach Andrew
Published: April 2023

Background

Identifying COVID‐19 patients at the highest risk of poor outcomes is critical in emergency department (ED) presentation. Sepsis risk stratification scores can be calculated quickly for COVID‐19 patients but have not been evaluated in a large cohort.

Objective

To determine whether well‐known risk scores can predict poor outcomes among hospitalized COVID‐19 patients.

Designs, Settings, and Participants

A retrospective cohort study of adults presenting with COVID‐19 to 156 Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Healthcare EDs, March 2, 2020, to February 11, 2021.

Intervention

Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), Shock Index, National Early Warning System‐2 (NEWS2), and quick COVID‐19 Severity Index (qCSI) at presentation.

Main Outcome and Measures

The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressors receipt. Patients scored positive with qSOFA ≥ 2, Shock Index > 0.7, NEWS2 ≥ 5, and qCSI ≥ 4. Test characteristics and area under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUROCs) were calculated.

Results

We identified 90,376 patients with community‐acquired COVID‐19 (mean age 64.3 years, 46.8% female). 17.2% of patients died in‐hospital, 28.6% went to the ICU, 13.7% received mechanical ventilation, and 13.6% received vasopressors. There were 3.8% qSOFA‐positive, 45.1% Shock Index‐positive, 49.8% NEWS2‐positive, and 37.6% qCSI‐positive at ED‐triage. NEWS2 exhibited the highest AUROC for in‐hospital mortality (0.593, confidence interval [CI]: 0.588–0.597), ICU admission (0.602, CI: 0.599–0.606), mechanical ventilation (0.614, CI: 0.610–0.619), and vasopressor receipt (0.600, CI: 0.595–0.604).

Conclusions

Sepsis severity scores at presentation have low discriminative power to predict outcomes in COVID‐19 patients and are not reliable for clinical use. Severity scores should be developed using features that accurately predict poor outcomes among COVID‐19 patients to develop more effective risk‐based triage.
Varietal identification in pasta through an SSR‐based approach: a case study
Authors: Fanelli Valentina , Dellino Maria , Taranto Francesca , De Giovanni Claudio , Sabetta Wilma , De Vita Pasquale , Montemurro Cinzia
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Pasta is a worldwide popular Italian food made exclusively of durum wheat. The choice of variety to be used to produce pasta is at the discretion of the producer based on the peculiar characteristics of each cultivar. The availability of analytical approaches for the tracking of specific varieties along the productive chain is becoming increasingly important to authenticate the pasta products and distinguish between fraudulent activities and cross‐contaminations during the production process. Among the different methods, molecular approaches based on DNA markers are the most used for these purposes because of their ease of use and high reproducibility.

RESULTS

In the present study, we used an easy simple sequence repeats‐based method to identify the durum wheat varieties used to produce 25 samples of semolina and commercial pasta comparing their molecular profile with those of the four varieties declared by the producer and other 10 durum wheat cultivars commonly used in pasta production. All of the samples showed the expected molecular profile; however, most of them present also a foreign allele indicating a possible cross‐contamination. Moreover, we evaluated the accuracy of the proposed approach through the analysis of 27 hand‐made mixtures with increasing amounts of a specific contaminant variety, allowing the estimation of the limit of detection of 5% (w/w).

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed method and its effectiveness in the detection of not declared varieties when these are present in a percentage equal to or higher than 5%. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Effect of different botanically‐diverse diets on the fatty acid profile, tocopherol content and oxidative stability of beef
Authors: Kearns Michelle , Jacquier Jean‐Christophe , Harrison Sabine M , Cama‐Moncunill Raquel , Boland Tommy M , Sheridan Helen , Kelly Alan K , Grasso Simona , Monahan Frank J
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Beef from pasture‐fed animals is viewed as a healthier and more welfare‐friendly alternative to concentrate‐fed beef. Botanically‐diverse pastures consisting of numerous plant species may alter the fatty acid (FA) profile and the tocopherol content of beef, as well as the oxidative stability of the meat. In the present study, steers were assigned to one of three botanically‐diverse diets: perennial ryegrass (PRG), perennial ryegrass + white clover (PRG + WC) or multi‐species (MS), all with a finishing diet of the respective botanically‐diverse silages plus a cereal‐based concentrate, consistent with production systems in Ireland. The FA profile, tocopherol content, oxidative stability and colour of meat during storage were measured.

RESULTS

Compared to the other diets, the MS diet resulted in higher proportions of linolenic acid (C18:3n‐3c), linoleic acid (C18:2n‐6c) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), with higher PUFA:saturated fatty acid and n‐6:n‐3 ratios in the meat. α‐Tocopherol concentrations were lowest in the meat of animals from the MS diet. In uncooked meat, lipid oxidation and colour values were affected by storage time across all diets, whereas the MS diet led to higher hue values only on day 14 of storage. When cooked, meat from animals on PRG + WC and MS diets had higher lipid oxidation on days 1 and 2 of storage than meat from animals on the PRG diet.

CONCLUSION

Feeding steers on a botanically‐diverse diet consisting of six plant species can improve the n‐3 FA and PUFA concentration of beef, affecting the susceptibility of cooked, but not uncooked, beef to oxidation. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Widely Tunable (2.47–2.64 µm) Hybrid Laser Based on GaSb/GaInAsSb Quantum‐Wells and a Low‐Loss Si3N4 Photonic Integrated Circuit
Authors: Ojanen Samu‐Pekka , Viheriälä Jukka , Zia Nouman , Koivusalo Eero , Hilska Joonas , Tuorila Heidi , Guina Mircea
Published: April 2023

Photonic integrated circuits fabricated using a Si3N4 waveguide platform exhibit low losses in a wide wavelength region extending from visible to beyond 2 µm. This feature is exploited to demonstrate a high‐performance integrated laser exhibiting broad wavelength tuneability near a 2.6 µm wavelength region. The laser is based on a Si3N4 photonic integrated circuit incorporating a tunable reflector and a AlGaInAsSb/GaSb quantum‐well gain element. A tuning range of 170 nm (2474–2644 nm) and single‐mode CW operation with a maximum power of 6.4 mW at room temperature are demonstrated. The performance is enabled by exploitation of several essential building blocks realized in Si3N4, namely low‐loss Y‐branches, inverse tapers, and a double‐ring resonator with a free spectral range of ≈160 nm. Moreover, the limits of wavelength coverage are explored using Si3N4 waveguides and show that the platform supports low propagation loss up to 3.5 µm. Finally, the possibility to achieve improved mode matching between Si3N4 and GaSb waveguides is analyzed, further enabling enhancing the performance of such a hybrid laser platform and supporting wavelength extension beyond a 3 µm range.
Isolating the Effect of Crosslink Densities on Mechanical Properties of Isotactic Polypropylene Using Dissipative Particle Dynamics
Authors: Suganuma Yoshitake , Elliott James A.
Published: April 2023

Given the importance of preserving the mechanical properties of recycled isotactic polypropylene (iPP) during its processing, this work provides an improved understanding of the contribution of introducing physical or chemical crosslinks using the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method, which makes it possible to model iPP structures with a realistic range of crosslink densities. First, the protocol to build a coarse‐grained model of iPP from an all‐atom expression by Bayesian optimization is described. A Bayesian optimization procedure employing two different cutoff distances successfully provides optimal DPD parameters reproducing iPP's properties compared to the all‐atom system. Then, the coarse‐grained iPP model with optimal DPD parameters is applied to study structures containing a realistic range of crosslink densities to evaluate their mechanical properties. These calculations demonstrate that the mechanical properties such as the Young's modulus and ultimate strength increase while the fracture strain decreases with an increase in the crosslink density, which is consistent with experimental observations. The results also show that there is a critical crosslink density above which these properties start to be improved due to the introduction of crosslinks. These findings can help us to obtain targeted properties of recycled iPP by introducing physical or chemical crosslinks.
Stabilization in 3‐D FEM and solution of the MHD equations
Authors: Aydın S. H. , Erdoğan M. C.
Published: April 2023

In this study, we consider the numerical solution of convection‐diffusion typed equations defined in 3‐D domain using the finite element method (FEM) with the stabilized version in order to fill the gap in literature on this area in the sense of different applications. The formulation processed is performed step by step. For this purpose, we started with FEM formulation of the 3‐D Laplace equation. Then, the obtained formulation is extended to the convection‐diffusion equation with standard Galerkin FEM. In order to solve the stability problems for the convection dominated case, the most popular stabilized formulation known as the streamline upwind Petrov‐Galerkin (SUPG) type stabilization method is considered. As a further step, obtained stabilized formulation is used in the solutions of the MHD equations by transforming the coupled system of differential equations to the decoupled convection‐diffusion type equations defined on different 3‐D domains. For the comparison purpose, MHD equations are also formulated with finite volume method (FVM). Obtained numerical results are displayed in terms of a table and figures as the 2‐D slices of the 3‐D plots in order to visualize the effect and accuracy of the proposed numerical scheme over the different test problems.
How we approach conservative treatment of retinoblastoma in South America in the era of local ocular treatments: A consensus of the Grupo America Latina de Oncologia Pediatrica (GALOP)
Authors: Garin Juan Pablo López , Sampor Claudia , Grigorovski Nathalia , Ceciliano Alejandro , Fandiño Adriana , Ossandon Diego , Perez Verónica , Caixeta Rafaela , Neto Joaquim Caetano Aguirre , Alarcón Sandra , Silva Sonia , Teixeira Luiz , Antoneli Celia Gianotti , Mattosinho Clarissa , Leal‐Leal Carlos , Castela Guilherme , Requejo Flavio , Catala Jaume , Macedo Carla , Chantada Guillermo L
Published: April 2023

Local therapies are increasingly used for ocular preservation in retinoblastoma. In middle‐income countries, these techniques pose specific challenges mostly related to more advanced disease at diagnosis. The Grupo de America Latina de Oncología Pediátrica (GALOP) developed a consensus document for the management of conservative therapy for retinoblastoma. Intra‐arterial chemotherapy (OAC) is the preferred therapy, except for those with less advanced disease or age younger than 6 months. OAC allowed for a reduction in the use of external beam radiotherapy in our setting. Intravitreal chemotherapy is the preferred treatment for vitreous seeding. Enucleation is the treatment of choice for eyes with advanced disease.
Emergency department utilization and disposition outcomes by pediatric patients with cancer in Maryland and New York from 2013 to 2017
Authors: Christodoulou Ilias , Dietrich Ann , Hair Nicole , Saha Aniket , Steletou Evangelia , Pirrallo Ronald , Burroughs Zachary , Crawford Erika , Giannouchos Theodoros V.
Published: April 2023

Background

Pediatric patients with cancer commonly seek emergency department (ED) care, yet there is limited evidence on ED utilization patterns and disposition outcomes among these patients.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department Databases and State Inpatient Databases for Maryland and New York from 2013 to 2017. We compared ED visits and disposition outcomes for 5.8 million pediatric patients (<18 years old) with and without cancer, and used multivariable regressions to estimate associations between the number of ED visits, hospital (inpatient) admissions through the ED, and ED or inpatient mortality and sociodemographic and clinical factors within the cancer cohort.

Results

Pediatric patients with cancer had more ED visits per year on average (2.4 vs. 1.5, p < .001), higher shares of admissions (56.8% vs. 6.6%, p < .001) and mortality (1.2% vs. 0.1%, p < .001) compared to those without cancer. Among patients with cancer, uninsured pediatric patients had fewer ED visits and lower risk of admission to a hospital through the ED compared to those with Medicaid coverage (total visits: incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.82, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.75–0.90; admission: IRR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65–0.86). Mortality risks were higher for pediatric patients with cancer residing in areas with the lowest median household income, and with no health insurance coverage (IRR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.21–6.51) compared to Medicaid.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize the importance of enhancing health insurance coverage policies and social services for pediatric patients with cancer and their families to address clinical and nonclinical needs.
Development of sustainable 3D printing filaments using recycled/virgin ABS blends: Processing and characterization
Authors: Mishra Vishal , Ror Ch Kapil , Negi Sushant , Kar Simanchal , Borah Lakshi Nandan
Published: April 2023

Waste plastic exposed to the environment creates problems and is of significant concern for all life forms. To reuse the waste plastic in a well‐organized manner and make it more productive, extrusion‐based additive manufacturing, specially fused deposition modeling technique, can be an effective way. Hence, the primary objective of this work is to reuse ABS waste for developing sustainable three‐dimensional printing filaments. A mixed feedstock processing approach is used to develop filaments, in which recycled ABS is blended with virgin ABS in weight ratio of 10%–50%. The rheological and thermo‐mechanical properties of the extruded filaments were examined. Results indicated that increasing extrusion temperature from 190°C to 195°C produced significant physical changes in ABS blends. There is a breakdown of styrene acrylonitrile and butadiene component in ABS which causes strain hardening and material stiffening. The Young's modulus, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of 80% RABS/20% VABS filament were found to be 2329, 34.814 and 40.82 MPa, respectively, which is close to VABS filament. The novel filament produced from recycled/virgin ABS blends has the capability to replace commercially available ABS filaments for fabricating high‐quality plastic parts through an additive manufacturing routine.
Long‐term risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related surgery and acute urinary retention in men treated with 5‐alpha reductase inhibitor versus alpha‐blocker monotherapy in routine clinical care
Authors: Bengtsen Maria B. , Heide‐Jørgensen Uffe , Borre Michael , Nørgaard Mette
Published: April 2023

Objectives

To assess the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)‐related surgery and acute urinary retention (AUR) in men treated with 5‐alpha‐reductase inhibitor (5‐ARI) versus alpha‐blocker monotherapy in routine clinical care over 15 years of follow‐up.

Methods

Using population‐based Danish Health registries, we identified all new‐users of 5‐ARI or alpha‐blocker monotherapy in Denmark, 1997–2017. We defined an index date 180 days after the date of first prescription and included men who redeemed at least one additional prescription before the index date. We used multiple imputation to replace missing prostate‐specific antigen values. We performed propensity score‐weighted Cox regression to estimate weighted hazard ratios (wHRs) and cumulative incidence function to estimate weighted cumulative risks of BPH‐related surgery and AUR in intention to treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP) analyses.

Results

We included 18,421 and 95,984 men treated with 5‐ARI and alpha‐blocker monotherapy, respectively. Overall, treatment with 5‐ARI monotherapy was associated with a reduced risk of BPH‐related surgery (ITT wHR = 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68–0.78), PP wHR = 0.77 (95% CI: 0.70–0.84) and AUR (ITT wHR = 0.73 (95% CI: 0.67–0.78), PP wHR = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.66–0.84). The 15‐year risk of BPH‐related surgery in men treated with 5‐ARI versus alpha‐blocker monotherapy was 14.8% (95% CI: 14.1%–15.5%) versus 19.1% (95% CI: 18.7%–19.5%) in the ITT analysis and 13.8% (95% CI: 12.6%–14.9%) versus 17.5% (95% CI: 16.9%–18.0%) in the PP analysis. The 15‐year risk of AUR in men treated with 5‐ARI versus alpha‐blocker was 13.0% (95% CI: 12.3%–13.6%) versus 16.6% (95% CI: 16.3%–17.0%) in the ITT analysis and 12.6% (95%: 11.3%–14.0%) versus 16.9% (95% CI: 16.3%–17.6%) in the PP analysis.

Conclusion

Treatment with 5‐ARI versus alpha‐blocker monotherapy in routine clinical care was associated with a reduced risk of BPH‐related surgery and AUR for up to 15 years of follow‐up. After 15 years of follow‐up, the relative risk reduction was 21%–25% and the absolute risk reduction was 4%.
Association rules and decision rules
Authors: Mokkadem Abdelkader , Pelletier Mariane , Raimbault Louis
Published: April 2023

Determining association rules of significant interest is an essential task within data mining and statistical analysis. In this paper, we first precisely define the notion of association rule. For this, we introduce a general model, which includes the usual transaction model, and which allows many operations on the association rules. Then, we interpret association rules as statistical decision rules. This interpretation leads to four decisional measures, one of them being the usual confidence. Then, we give some strategies based on the use of these four decisional measures in order to select or to construct association rules with a given consequent. We finally present an experimental study to illustrate these strategies. This study is carried out in R language, with the R‐package we specifically built for association rules mining.
Towards sustainable businesses in Latin America: The role of worker's Dark Triad personality traits
Authors: Afshar Jahanshahi Asghar , Mendoza Milagros Isabel Rivas , Vicuña Juan Carlos Andrango
Published: April 2023

Having sustainable businesses becomes priority for many Latin American countries these years. Socially responsible behaviors (SRBs) of employees in the workplace plays important roles in making businesses more sustainability oriented. The main aims of this research to identify those employees, which involve less in two types of SRBs: societal behaviors and sustainability‐oriented behaviors at the workplace by considering their Dark Triad personality traits. By using survey‐based data from 550 workers in Peru and Ecuador, we found a negative relationship between workers Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavilism and Psychopathy) and their socially responsible behaviors in the workplace. Furthermore, our results show that workers with higher level of Machiavilism and psychopathy has lower level of environmental concerns, which in turn reduce their intentions to involve in socially responsible behaviors in the workplace. Our study advances sustainable business research in Latin America by providing workers Machiavellianism and Psychopathy as a novel predictor of socially responsible behaviors of employees at the workplace.