bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Congregations of a Feather? Exploring Homophily in a Network of Religious Congregations
Authors: McClure Jennifer M.
Published: July 2021

Background

Homophily, the tendency for relationships to be more common among actors who share similarities, has been observed in social network studies of individuals and organizations. Homophily can encourage close, supportive relationships but limit exposure to diversity. Homophily may have important implications for religious congregations, but research has been limited due to few social network data collections on congregations.

Purpose

This research note uses a new data collection from an inter-congregational network of religious congregations in eight counties encompassing and surrounding a major metropolitan area in the southeastern United States. Its goal is to identify sources of homophily between congregations as well as types of congregations whose immediate networks, which include the congregations to which a congregation has direct relational ties, differ in levels of homophily.

Methods

Quadratic assignment procedure correlations are used to identify sources of homophily, and both fractional logistic and negative binomial regression models are used to examine the extent to which congregational characteristics predict levels of homophily.

Results

Three key sources of homophily include sharing the same religious tradition and family, sharing the same racial composition, and having a smaller geographical distance between congregations. Congregations’ religious family, racial composition, community setting, and the extent to which attenders are younger and newer matter for predicting levels of homophily. The results have implications for: LDS and Church of Christ congregations; multiracial congregations; declining denominationalism; rural congregations.

Conclusions and Implications

Congregations of a feather do, in fact, flock together. The results inform a variety of practical implications for congregations. Because of the time constraints experienced by many ministers, denominational events might provide some of the most accessible opportunities to build relationships with other congregations. Multiracial congregations often serve as bridges connecting congregations of different racial compositions. Distinctive and centralized religious groups, like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, may also effectively encourage relationships across congregations of different racial compositions. Homophily may also impact the extent to which congregations learn about innovations from other congregations and the extent to which collaborations with other congregations are effective.
Learning about Proof with the Theorem Prover LEAN: the Abundant Numbers Task
Authors: Thoma Athina , Iannone Paola
Published: July 2021

This exploratory study reports on characteristics of proof production and proof writing observed in the work of first-year university students who took part in workshops on the theorem prover LEAN (https://leanprover.github.io). These workshops were voluntary and offered alongside a transition to proof module in a UK university. Through qualitative analysis of 36 student produced proofs of an unfamiliar statement we highlight characteristics of proofs produced by students who did engaged and who did not engage with LEAN. The analysis shows two characteristics of proofs written by students who engaged with the programming language. The first concerns proof writing and includes the accurate and correct use of mathematics language and symbols, together with the use of complete sentences and punctuations in proofs. The second concerns proof structure and includes the overt break down of proofs in goals and sub-goals. We conclude by hypothesising a link between the characteristics observed and the experience of engaging with the theorem prover and we reflect on the potential that engagement with this theorem prover may have in mathematics instruction at university level.
Review of organic and inorganic pollutants removal by biochar and biochar-based composites
Authors: Liang Liping , Xi Fenfen , Tan Weishou , Meng Xu , Hu Baowei , Wang Xiangke
Published: July 2021

Biochar (BC) has exhibited a great potential to remove water contaminants due to its wide availability of raw materials, high surface area, developed pore structure, and low cost. However, the application of BC for water remediation has many limitations. Driven by the intense desire of overcoming unfavorable factors, a growing number of researchers have carried out to produce BC-based composite materials, which not only improved the physicochemical properties of BC, but also obtained a new composite material which combined the advantages of BC and other materials. This article reviewed previous researches on BC and BC-based composite materials, and discussed in terms of the preparation methods, the physicochemical properties, the performance of contaminant removal, and underlying adsorption mechanisms. Then the recent research progress in the removal of inorganic and organic contaminants by BC and BC-based materials was also systematically reviewed. Although BC-based composite materials have shown high performance in inorganic or organic pollutants removal, the potential risks (such as stability and biological toxicity) still need to be noticed and further study. At the end of this review, future prospects for the synthesis and application of BC and BC-based materials were proposed. This review will help the new researchers systematically understand the research progress of BC and BC-based composite materials in environmental remediation.
Longitudinal predictors for incidence of internet gaming disorder among adolescents: The roles of time spent on gaming and depressive symptoms
Authors: Liu Yujie , Gong Ruijie , Yu Yuelin , Xu Chen , Yu Xiaoyue , Chang Ruijie , Wang Huwen , Wang Suping , Wang Qian , Cai Yong
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was popular among adolescents worldwide, but whether some associated factors could contribute to the development of IGD was unclear. This longitudinal study explored the temporal stability of IGD over one year and determined the predictors for IGD incidence.

Methods

Participants were 1121 adolescents from six junior high schools in Shanghai, China (50.6% males; median age = 13.0 years). The baseline and follow‐up questionnaire survey measured IGD, time spent on gaming, depressive symptoms, insomnia condition, substance use and background variables from 7th to 8th grade. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to test the associations between other factors and IGD incidence.

Results

IGD incidence was 7.7% at one‐year follow‐up. Gender, family financial condition, parental educational level, time spent on gaming, insomnia condition and depressive symptoms were associated with IGD incidence in univariate analysis, whereas only gender, family financial condition, time spent on gaming and depressive symptoms were associated with IGD incidence in multivariate logistic regression.

Conclusions

IGD might persist for years during adolescence. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, time spent on gaming and depressive symptoms were independent predictors for IGD incidence.
African Studies Keyword: Oil
Authors: Heilbrunn John R.
Published: July 2021

Oil is a metonym for terms in books and articles in diverse disciplines in African studies. Some portray oil as a causal agent that thrusts formerly low-income countries into the highly competitive neoliberal global economy. Others present it according to the oil curse/blessing binary. As a curse, petroleum causes dysfunctional and costly behavior. But increased revenues from oil just as certainly result in concrete improvements demonstrating a resource blessing. Heilbrunn uses case materials to explore environmental degradation, oil theft, community-company relations, post-conflict reconstruction, local content in contracts, and corruption. These key concepts form a basis for the keyword/concept essay on oil in Africa.
Perspectives of hospital leaders and staff on patient education for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections
Authors: MacEwan Sarah R. , Beal Eliza W. , Gaughan Alice A. , Sieck Cynthia , McAlearney Ann Scheck
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Device-related healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), are largely preventable. However, there is little evidence of standardized approaches to educate patients about how they can help prevent these infections. We examined the perspectives of hospital leaders and staff about patient education for CAUTI and CLABSI prevention to understand the challenges to patient education and the opportunities for improvement.

Methods:

In total, 471 interviews were conducted with key informants across 18 hospitals. Interviews were analyzed deductively and inductively to identify themes around the topic of patient education for infection prevention.

Results:

Participants identified patient education topics specific to CAUTI and CLABSI prevention, including the risks of indwelling urinary catheters and central lines, the necessity of hand hygiene, the importance of maintenance care, and the support to speak up. Challenges, such as lack of standardized education, and opportunities, such as involvement of patient and family advisory groups, were also identified regarding patient education for CAUTI and CLABSI prevention.

Conclusions:

Hospital leaders and staff identified patient education topics, and ways to deliver this information, that were important in the prevention of CAUTIs and CLABSIs. By identifying both challenges and opportunities related to patient education, our results provide guidance on how patient education for infection prevention can be further improved. Future work should evaluate the implementation of standardized approaches to patient education to better understand the potential impact of these strategies on the reduction of HAIs.
Learning from Past Mistakes and Living a Better Life: Report on the Workshop in Istanbul on “Ottoman Ego-Documents”
Authors: Karahasanoğlu Selim
Published: July 2021

A workshop entitled “Ottoman Ego-Documents” was held at Istanbul Medeniyet University on March 11–13, 2020. The workshop was organized by Istanbul Medeniyet University's Faculty of Letters in collaboration with the Center for Ego-Document Studies and supported by the Turkish Historical Society and the Foundation for Science, Art, History and Literature (İSTEV). It was attended by specialists in history, literature, law, and theology. This event marked the first time in Turkey that this topic was discussed with a large scope. The only previous organized discussion in Turkey on “ego-documents” seems to have been “Autobiographical Themes in Turkish Literature: Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives,” held jointly by Boğaziçi University and the Orient-Institut der DMG in 2003. This discussion was mostly theoretical and the material covered belonged mainly to the post-Tanzimat era. A volume edited by Olcay Akyıldız, Halim Kara, and Börte Sagaster, the organizers of that event, was subsequently published by Ergon.
Modern Art in the Arab World, Primary Documents: A Review Essay
Authors: Keshmirshekan Hamid
Published: July 2021

The study of modern and contemporary art from Islamic lands, and particularly the Arab world, is a developing field. Over the past few decades, a variety of publications on modern and contemporary art from the Arab world and its diasporas has appeared in art magazines, journals, and exhibition and auction catalogues. There is, however, still a lack of scholarly literature and reliable resources on the subject. Many such existing sources have focused on productions that are largely in line with certain interests or agendas pursued by the particular magazine/journal, exhibition, or art market in question. Therefore, although recent scholarly output has played a crucial role in introducing modern art in the Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, these publications have not sufficiently filled the gap of discussion regarding certain aspects of the subject. Modern Art in the Arab World, a collection of critical writings by Arab intellectuals and artists, offers an unparalleled source for the study of modernism in the Arab world. Mapping the primary documents with additional entries written by the editors and other scholars, this book addresses the major historical, conceptual, theoretical, and aesthetic issues that inform the modern art paradigm in the Arab world. Arranged largely in a chronological order, it explores the art of the Arab world by tracing the main discourses that have shaped artistic practices and transformations in the region from the mid-nineteenth century until the late 1980s.
Effect of host plant on the life history of the carnation tortrix moth Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Zielonka Marcin W. , Pope Tom W. , Leather Simon R.
Published: July 2021

The carnation tortrix moth, Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Hübner, [1799]) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is one of the most economically important insect species affecting the horticultural industry in the UK. The larvae consume foliage, flowers or fruits, and/or rolls leaves together with silken threads, negatively affecting the growth and/or aesthetics of the crop. In order to understand the polyphagous behaviour of this species within an ornamental crop habitat, we hypothesized that different host plant species affect its life history traits differently. This study investigated the effects of the host plant species on larval and pupal durations and sizes, and fecundity (the number of eggs and the number and size of egg clutches). At 20°C, 60% RH and a 16L:8D photoperiod larvae developed 10, 14, 20 and 36 days faster when reared on Christmas berry, Photinia (Rosaceae), than on cherry laurel, Prunus laurocerasus (Rosaceae), New Zealand broadleaf, Griselinia littoralis (Griseliniaceae), Mexican orange, Choisya ternata (Rutaceae), and firethorn, Pyracantha angustifolia (Rosaceae), respectively. Female pupae were 23.8 mg heavier than male pupae, and pupal weight was significantly correlated with the duration of larval development. The lowest and the highest mean numbers of eggs were produced by females reared on Pyracantha (41) and Photinia (202), respectively. Clutch size differed significantly among moths reared on different host plants, although the total number of eggs did not differ. This study showed that different ornamental host plants affect the development of C. pronubana differently. Improved understanding of the influence of host plant on the moth's life history parameters measured here will help in determining the economic impact that this species may have within the ornamental plant production environment, and may be used in developing more accurate crop protection methodologies within integrated pest management of this insect.
Characterization of the pyrethroid resistance mechanisms in a Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) strain from Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Authors: Boné Emiliano , Roca Acevedo Gonzalo , Sterkel Marcos , Ons Sheila , González-Audino Paola , Sfara Valeria
Published: July 2021

The use of chemical insecticides is the main control method for Blattella germanica worldwide. The prolonged and frequent use of insecticides produced the selection of insecticide-resistant individuals. The German cockroach is one of the most widespread urban pests in Argentina. In the last decades, resistance monitoring studies in this country demonstrated that there is a high prevalence of pyrethroid-resistant populations of B. germanica in the field. In this work, we studied the resistance mechanisms of a field-collected strain of B. germanica at toxicological, enzymatic, and molecular levels. A resistance ratio of 100 was obtained for the resistant strain when it was exposed to β-cypermethrin. The pretreatment with specific synergists (piperonyl butoxide and triphenyl phosphate) led to a significant increase in the toxicity of the pyrethroid, suggesting an involvement of oxidases and esterases in the detoxification of this insecticide. Moreover, esterase and oxidase activities in the resistant strain were 1.5-fold and 2-fold higher respectively, compared to the susceptible individuals. On the other hand, the voltage-gated sodium channel gene of the resistant cockroaches did not show nucleotidic substitutions in the domain II which are associated to knockdown resistance in this species. These results suggest that the main mechanism of resistance of the studied cockroaches' strain is metabolic, mainly due to an increase in the activity of oxidase and esterase enzymes. The results of this work in addition to other reports found in literature show that the extended use of a single active principle for cockroach control promotes the development of resistance leading to control failure in the field. In contrast, integrated pest management strategies include the use of different control tools in addition to chemical insecticides, which delay the appearance of resistance increasing the efficacy of pest control.
Poetry for the Storms to Come
Authors: STEVEN MARK
Published: July 2021

November 2017. New Brunswick, Canada. Having spent five hours banding lobster claws, Karissa Lindstrand detects an anomaly on one of the crustaceans. Inscribed on its left pincer is a familiar yet resolutely inorganic swirl of red, blue, and white. A corporate sigil branded onto the exoskeletal form of aquatic life: the Pepsi globe. While marine biologists disagree about the conditions under which the lobster acquired its tattoo – one suggestion is that the creature grew into a discarded can, another is that a cardboard box adhered to its propodite limb – the specific cause is less significant than what the marking represents on a world-historical scale. From this position, the lobster's deformation can be seen as an embodiment of the metabolic rift between global capitalism and nonhuman nature, presenting itself here as a grotesque reminder that human society exists within an earthly metabolism and that our hegemonic social arrangement – engineering profit through the mass production of commodities – is disrupting an equilibrium required for the sustenance of life on this planet. We encounter that rift in more ways than one: in the lobster's biological fusion with the refuse of one commodity, a melding together of two radically dissimilar sets of armor, but also in the fact that the moment the lobster is dredged from the ocean it is transformed, by the human labor of fishing, from a natural resource into a sellable form. “It is probably in Boston,” Lindstrand speculated on the lobster's passage through the market to its ultimate destiny as luxury comestible. The idea that capitalism is averse to the ecological matrix within which all life adheres, opening up a rift between a humanly engineered economy and its nonhuman biosphere, is not new. It originated in the nineteenth century, when Karl Marx theorized that capitalist production inaugurates “an irreparable rift in the interdependent process of social metabolism, a metabolism prescribed by the natural laws of life itself.” And yet that rift has widened and deepened through the ecohistorical period beginning around 1945, during what is often described as the Great Acceleration, an economically conditioned phase of planetary time when anthropogenic activity presaged environmental transformation on an unprecedented scale. Toxic sludge, oil spills, nuclear winter, extinction events wrought in flood and fire: such are the forms of our metabolic rift, in the context of whose proliferation “climate change” reads as the most inadequate of all euphemisms. That is what we are given to behold, as a kind of biomorphic prosopopoeia, in the lobster's claw.
COVID-19 in der Praxis – wann ambulant, wann stationär behandeln?
Authors: Lehmann Beat , Baumgartner Christine , Brill Anne-Kathrin , Günther Gunar , Nüesch Susanne , Ott Daniel , Ruder Thomas D. , Thurnheer Zürcher Maria Christine , Furrer Hansjakob
Published: July 2021

Zusammenfassung. Die Schweiz ist von der COVID-19-Pandemie stark betroffen. Das klinische Spektrum dieser Erkrankung hinsichtlich klinischer Präsentation und Verlauf ist breit. Eine korrekte initiale Beurteilung in der Praxis oder auf der Notfallstation ist wichtig und umfasst neben Anamnese und klinischer Untersuchung auch bildgebende Verfahren und Laboruntersuchungen. Die meisten Personen mit COVID-19 können ambulant behandelt werden. Eine Hospitalisation kann notwendig werden bei Kranken mit ausgeprägter COVID-19-Pneumonie oder weiteren Komplikationen, die vor allem in der 2. und 3. Phase der Erkrankung auftreten. Auch muss die Dynamik der Erkrankung in die Überlegungen mit einbezogen werden. Bei ambulanten Patientinnen und Patienten erfolgt in der Regel eine symptomatische Therapie, Antibiotika oder Kortikosteroide sind nicht indiziert.
CME: Disulfiram-Ethanol-Reaktion (DER): erkennen und verhindern
Authors: Hüsser Luzia , Eis Doris
Published: July 2021

Zusammenfassung. Disulfiram (Antabus®) wird als Aversiv-Therapeutikum zur Rückfallprophylaxe bei Alkoholabhängigkeit eingesetzt. Gleichzeitiger Alkoholkonsum kann eine Disulfiram-Ethanol-Reaktion (DER) mit mildem bis schwerem vegetativem Symptomkomplex auslösen. Die Antizipation einer solchen Reaktion soll bei den Betroffenen Alkoholkonsum vermeiden, eine fehlende Abstinenz kann jedoch lebensbedrohlich werden. Rasches Erkennen einer DER im klinischen Alltag, umgehendes Monitoring und supportive Therapie sind angesichts einer fehlenden Antidot-Therapie entscheidend. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, das klinische Bild, eine angemessene Differenzialdiagnostik und eine Entscheidungsgrundlage bezüglich therapeutischem Einsatz von Disulfiram aufzuzeigen.
Iron Mineralogy and Sediment Color in a 100 m Drill Core From Lake Towuti, Indonesia Reflect Catchment and Diagenetic Conditions
Authors: Sheppard Rachel Y. , Milliken Ralph E. , Russell James M. , Sklute Elizabeth C. , Dyar M. Darby , Vogel Hendrik , Melles Martin , Bijaksana Satria , Hasberg Ascelina K. M. , Morlock Marina A.
Published: July 2021

Iron is the most abundant redox‐sensitive element on the Earth's surface, and the oxidation state, mineral host, and crystallinity of Fe‐rich phases in sedimentary systems can record details of water‐rock interactions and environmental conditions. However, we lack a complete understanding of how these Fe‐rich materials are created, maintained, and oxidized or reduced in sedimentary environments, particularly those with mafic sources. The catchment of Lake Towuti, Indonesia, is known to contain a wide range of abundant crystalline Fe oxide, and the lake has a long sedimentary history. Here, we study a ∼100 m long drill core from the lake to understand patterns of sedimentation and how young iron‐rich sediments are affected by diagenesis through geologic time. We use visible/near infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, bulk chemistry measurements, and statistical cluster analysis to characterize the core sediment. We find that the core sediment can be divided into three statistically different zones dominated by Mg serpentine, Al clay minerals, and Fe2+ carbonate, respectively. The entire core is rich in nanophase Fe, and elemental correlations and Fe mineralogy vary between these zones. The nanophase Fe is highly complex with both ferrous and ferric components, and contributes to, but does not dictate, variations in sediment color. We propose that the distinctive zones are the result of structural basin changes (notably river capture and shifting drainage patterns), and diagenetic overprinting caused by deep burial of reactive Fe. This complex record has implications for disentangling depositional and diagenetic trends in other mafic lacustrine systems.
Modeling Reactive Solute Transport in Permafrost‐Affected Groundwater Systems
Authors: Mohammed Aaron A. , Bense Victor F. , Kurylyk Barret L. , Jamieson Rob C. , Johnston Lindsay H. , Jackson Amy J.
Published: July 2021

Understanding the interactions between ground freeze‐thaw, groundwater flow, and solute transport is imperative for evaluating the fate of contaminants in permafrost regions. However, predicting solute migration in permafrost‐affected groundwater systems is challenging due to the inherent interactions and coupling between subsurface mass and energy transport processes. To this end, we developed a numerical model that considers coupled groundwater flow, subsurface heat transfer, and solute transport, including water‐ice phase change, solute‐dependent porewater freezing, and temperature‐dependent solute reaction rates. As an illustrative example, we present simulations to investigate the potential for contamination from a municipal wastewater lagoon in the Canadian sub‐arctic. Two‐dimensional groundwater models assuming varying permafrost conditions were developed to evaluate possible contaminant migration scenarios associated with groundwater flow from the lagoon to a river, including the transport of conservative, degradable, and sorbing solutes. Model results reveal important transport mechanisms controlling the behavior of aqueous contaminants in permafrost landscapes as well as the hydrogeologic factors affecting reactive transport in cold regions. Seasonal freeze‐thaw episodically restricts connectivity of transport pathways, which attenuates both transport and reaction rates. However, elevated solute concentrations can depress the freezing temperature of porewater and produce thaw‐induced solute transport. Both thermally driven and solute‐enhanced thaw can decrease ice content in permafrost, which can have significant implications for solute migration. Therefore, thermo‐hydrogeologic process controlling reactive transport in cold‐region groundwater systems must be considered when quantitatively assessing the impact of changing environmental conditions on contaminant hydrogeology.
S‐Wave Velocity Structure of the Sichuan‐Yunnan Region, China: Implications for Extrusion of Tibet Plateau and Seismic Activities
Authors: Tian Haoyu , He Chuansong , Santosh M.
Published: July 2021

The Sichuan‐Yunnan region is located at the intersection between the South China Block, the Indian plate, and the Tibet Plateau and is crisscrossed with deep and large faults and is characterized by strong seismic activities and the extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau. Here we employ 1‐year continuous waveforms of the vertical component of 89 broadband seismic stations using noise tomography in this region to evaluate the velocity structure and its implications. Through single station data preprocessing, cross‐correlation calculation, stacking, group velocity dispersion measurement, and quality evaluation, the group velocity dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves for the different periods were extracted in this area. We then use the surface wave tomography method to obtain the Rayleigh wave group velocity distribution of 9–40s. Finally, the S‐wave velocity structure in the depth range of 0–60 km is calculated by pure path dispersion inversion. The results show that a large‐scale low‐velocity anomaly in the lower crust runs through the Sichuan‐Yunnan rhombus block (SYRB) to Yangtze Block from west to east, which might correspond to the extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau or channel flow. On the other hand, the seismic activities are mainly concentrated at the western part of the region, with the earthquakes distributed at the boundary between the low‐ and high‐velocity structures, as well as the adjacent region, which we correlate with the extrusion of the Tibet Plateau.
A Warming Climate Adds Complexity to Post‐Fire Hydrologic Hazard Planning
Authors: Oakley Nina S.
Published: July 2021

Climate change will likely increase the frequency of damaging post‐wildfire floods and debris flows, amplifying the threat to life, property, and infrastructure situated in susceptible areas. Decision‐makers are in need of resources to support planning for the changing characteristics of these hazards. A novel framework for evaluating post‐fire debris flow recurrence intervals (Kean & Staley, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ef001735) supports this need and allows for the integration of emerging information. While this is a valuable step forward, simulations of past and future climate at relevant spatial and temporal scales as well as additional monitoring efforts are needed to effectively address post‐fire hydrologic hazards in a warming climate.
Ependymal cells-CSF flow regulates stress-induced depression
Authors: Seo Ji-Seon , Mantas Ioannis , Svenningsson Per , Greengard Paul
Published: July 2021

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe, common mood disorder. While reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow adversely affects brain metabolism and fluid balance in the aging population and during development, only indirect evidence links aberrant CSF circulation with many diseases including neurological, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Here we show a very high concentration of p11 as a key molecular determinant for depression in ependymal cells, which is significantly decreased in patients with MDD, and in two mouse models of depression induced by chronic stress, such as restraint and social isolation. The loss of p11 in ependymal cells causes disoriented ependymal planar cell polarity (PCP), reduced CSF flow, and depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors. p11 intrinsically controls PCP core genes, which mediates CSF flow. Viral expression of p11 in ependymal cells specifically rescues the pathophysiological and behavioral deficits caused by loss of p11. Taken together, our results identify a new role and a key molecular determinant for ependymal cell-driven CSF flow in mood disorders and suggest a novel strategy for development of treatments for stress-associated neurological, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders.
The molecular tumor burden index as a response evaluation criterion in breast cancer
Authors: Yi Zongbi , Ma Fei , Rong Guohua , Liu Binliang , Guan Yanfang , Li Jin , Sun Xiaoying , Wang Wenna , Guan Xiuwen , Mo Hongnan , Wang Jiani , Qian Haili , Xu Binghe
Published: July 2021

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a potential biomarker of prognosis and therapeutic response. We conducted this study to explore the role of the molecular tumor burden index (mTBI) in ctDNA as a therapeutic response and prognostic biomarker in a larger cohort prospective phase III randomized multicenter study. We collected 291 plasma samples from 125 metastatic breast cancer patients from the CAMELLIA study (NCT01917279). Target-capture deep sequencing of 1021 genes was performed to detect somatic variants in ctDNA from the plasma samples. The pretreatment mTBI value was correlated with tumor burden (P = 0.025). Patients with high-level pretreatment mTBI had shorter overall survival than patients with low-level pretreatment mTBI, and the median overall survival was 40.9 months and 68.4 months, respectively (P = 0.011). Patients with mTBI decrease to less than 0.02% at the first tumor evaluation had longer progression-free survival and overall survival (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). The mTBI has good sensitivity to identify complete response/partial response and progressive disease based on computed tomography scans (88.5% and 87.5%, respectively). The patients classified as molecular responders had longer progression-free survival and overall survival than the nonmolecular responders in the overall cohort (P < 0.001 and P = 0.036, respectively), as well as in the cohort in which computed tomography scans were defined as representing stable disease (P = 0.027 and P = 0.015, respectively). The mTBI in ctDNA detected in liquid biopsies is a potential biomarker of therapeutic response and prognosis in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
The signal pathways and treatment of cytokine storm in COVID-19
Authors: Yang Lan , Xie Xueru , Tu Zikun , Fu Jinrong , Xu Damo , Zhou Yufeng
Published: July 2021

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global crisis and is more devastating than any other previous infectious disease. It has affected a significant proportion of the global population both physically and mentally, and destroyed businesses and societies. Current evidence suggested that immunopathology may be responsible for COVID-19 pathogenesis, including lymphopenia, neutrophilia, dysregulation of monocytes and macrophages, reduced or delayed type I interferon (IFN-I) response, antibody-dependent enhancement, and especially, cytokine storm (CS). The CS is characterized by hyperproduction of an array of pro-inflammatory cytokines and is closely associated with poor prognosis. These excessively secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines initiate different inflammatory signaling pathways via their receptors on immune and tissue cells, resulting in complicated medical symptoms including fever, capillary leak syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiorgan failure, ultimately leading to death in the most severe cases. Therefore, it is clinically important to understand the initiation and signaling pathways of CS to develop more effective treatment strategies for COVID-19. Herein, we discuss the latest developments in the immunopathological characteristics of COVID-19 and focus on CS including the current research status of the different cytokines involved. We also discuss the induction, function, downstream signaling, and existing and potential interventions for targeting these cytokines or related signal pathways. We believe that a comprehensive understanding of CS in COVID-19 will help to develop better strategies to effectively control immunopathology in this disease and other infectious and inflammatory diseases.
Automated and rapid detection of cancer in suspicious axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer
Authors: Li Juanjuan , Downs Bradley M. , Cope Leslie M. , Fackler Mary Jo , Zhang Xiuyun , Song Chuan-gui , VandenBussche Christopher , Zhang Kejing , Han Yong , Liu Yufei , Tulac Suzana , Venkatesan Neesha , de Guzman Timothy , Chen Chuang , Lai Edwin W. , Yuan Jingping , Sukumar Saraswati
Published: July 2021

Preoperative staging of suspicious axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) allows patients to be triaged to ALN dissection or to sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) and cytology of ALN is moderately sensitive but its clinical utility relies heavily on the cytologist’s experience. We proposed that the 5-h automated GeneXpert system-based prototype breast cancer detection assay (BCDA) that quantitatively measures DNA methylation in ten tumor-specific gene markers could provide a facile, accurate test for detecting cancer in FNA of enlarged lymph nodes. We validated the assay in ALN-FNA samples from a prospective study of patients (N = 230) undergoing SLNB. In a blinded analysis of 218 evaluable LN-FNAs from 108 malignant and 110 benign LNs by histology, BCDA displayed a sensitivity of 90.7% and specificity of 99.1%, achieving an area under the ROC curve, AUC of 0.958 (95% CI: 0.928–0.989; P < 0.0001). Next, we conducted a study of archival FNAs of ipsilateral palpable LNs (malignant, N = 72, benign, N = 53 by cytology) collected in the outpatient setting prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Using the ROC-threshold determined in the prospective study, compared to cytology, BCDA achieved a sensitivity of 94.4% and a specificity of 92.5% with a ROC-AUC = 0.977 (95% CI: 0.953–1.000; P < 0.0001). Our study shows that the automated assay detects cancer in suspicious lymph nodes with a high level of accuracy within 5 h. This cancer detection assay, scalable for analysis to scores of LN FNAs, could assist in determining eligibility of patients to different treatment regimens.
Drop tower tests of Taiji-1 inertial sensor substitute
Authors: Min Jian , Wang Zuo-Lei , Li Yun-Peng , Tao Wen-Ze , Li Cun-Hui , Lei Jun-Gang , Xi Dong-Xue , Fan Da , Wang Jun-Biao
Published: July 2021

Taiji-1, which is the first technical verification satellite of China’s Space Gravitational Wave Detection Program, was successfully launched on August 31, 2019. The mission aimed to investigate the key technologies used in space gravitational wave detection. The inertial sensor, which was one of the main payloads, measured the residual acceleration of the satellite, and verified the drag-free control technology. Its performance was crucial to the success of the Taiji-1 mission. To ensure its performance in orbit, the inertial sensor was fully evaluated prior to launch. Owing to the gravitational acceleration on the ground, it is impossible to verify all the properties of the inertial sensor in a routine laboratory. A feasible method to conduct such tests is to use a drop tower. To guarantee the safety of the inertial sensor, a substitute was used with similar structure and circuit design. A total of 20 falls in three groups were completed, a set of research methods was established, and the importance of conducting simulations before the drop tests was verified. For the first time, the switch of different circuit gains in a drop tower test has been achieved and the National Microgravity Laboratory of China (NMLC) drop tower’s residual accelerations in three dimensions were measured. The results demonstrated that the microgravity level of the drop tower can reach about 58 μg0in the fall direction and 13 μg0along the horizontal axes.
Low temperature chemical sintering of inkjet-printed Zn nanoparticles for highly conductive flexible electronic components
Authors: Majee Subimal , Karlsson Mikael C. F. , Wojcik Pawel Jerzy , Sawatdee Anurak , Mulla Mohammad Yusuf , Alvi Naveed ul Hassan , Dyreklev Peter , Beni Valerio , Nilsson David
Published: July 2021

This study illustrates an innovative way to fabricate inkjet-printed tracks by sequential printing of Zn nanoparticle ink and curing ink for low temperature in situ chemical sintering. Employing chemical curing in place of standard sintering methods leads to the advantages of using flexible substrates that may not withstand the high thermal budgets of the standard methods. A general formulation engineering method is adopted to produce highly concentrated Zn ink which is cured by inkjet printing an over-layer of aqueous acetic acid which is the curing agent. The experimental results reveal that a narrow window of acid concentration of curing ink plays a crucial role in determining the electrical properties of the printed Zn nanoparticles. Highly conductive (~105 S m−1) and mechanically flexible printed Zn features are achieved. In addition, from systematic material characterization, we obtain an understanding of the curing mechanism. Finally, a touch sensor circuit is demonstrated involving all-Zn printed conductive tracks.
Foldable and washable textile-based OLEDs with a multi-functional near-room-temperature encapsulation layer for smart e-textiles
Authors: Jeong So Yeong , Shim Hye Rin , Na Yunha , Kang Ki Suk , Jeon Yongmin , Choi Seungyeop , Jeong Eun Gyo , Park Yong Cheon , Cho Ha-Eun , Lee Junwoo , Kwon Jeong Hyun , Im Sung Gap , Choi Kyung Cheol
Published: July 2021

Wearable electronic devices are being developed because of their wide potential applications and user convenience. Among them, wearable organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) play an important role in visualizing the data signal processed in wearable electronics to humans. In this study, textile-based OLEDs were fabricated and their practical utility was demonstrated. The textile-based OLEDs exhibited a stable operating lifetime under ambient conditions, enough mechanical durability to endure the deformation by the movement of humans, and washability for maintaining its optoelectronic properties even in water condition such as rain, sweat, or washing. In this study, the main technology used to realize this textile-based OLED was multi-functional near-room-temperature encapsulation. The outstanding impermeability of TiO2 film deposited at near-room-temperature was demonstrated. The internal residual stress in the encapsulation layer was controlled, and the device was capped by highly cross-linked hydrophobic polymer film, providing a highly impermeable, mechanically flexible, and waterproof encapsulation.
Alpha dose rate and decay dose impacts on the long-term alteration of HLW nuclear glasses
Authors: Tribet Magaly , Marques Caroline , Mougnaud Sarah , Broudic Véronique , Jegou Christophe , Peuget Sylvain
Published: July 2021

In the prospect of deep geological disposal, the long-term behavior of high-level nuclear glasses has to be investigated regarding alpha radiation induced by long-life minor actinides. The present study focuses on the effects of alpha radiation on the long-term chemical reactivity of R7T7-type glasses, by separately considering the alpha dose rate and the alpha decay dose. Old SON68 glasses doped with 238/239PuO2 or 244CmO2 were studied to simulate high alpha dose rates corresponding to an early water ingress and a high level of alpha decay doses corresponding to long-term disposal conditions. A part of the 238/239Pu-doped glass block was annealed to fully recover the irradiation-induced damage accumulated since the glass was fabricated and to dissociate the effect of the alpha dose rate from that of the alpha decay dose. The glasses were then leached under static conditions at 90 °C for several years. The results showed that the residual alteration rate is not affected by the alpha dose rate over a wide range of dose rate values expected under disposal conditions: this glass remained relatively insensitive to the alpha radiolysis phenomena at the glass–water interface. However, over the duration of the experiments, the residual alteration rate of the damaged 238/239Pu-doped glass was enhanced compared to that of the annealed glass. This result is in agreement with those obtained on the 244Cm-doped glass and with reported values in the literature on simplified externally irradiated glasses, indicating that the ballistic effects of the recoil nuclei are responsible for this increase in the residual alteration rate.
Electric vehicle charging stations in the workplace with high-resolution data from casual and habitual users
Authors: Asensio Omar Isaac , Lawson M. Cade , Apablaza Camila Z.
Published: July 2021

Problems of poor network interoperability in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, where data about real-time usage or consumption is not easily shared across service providers, has plagued the widespread analysis of energy used for transportation. In this article, we present a high-resolution dataset of real-time EV charging transactions resolved to the nearest second over a one-year period at a multi-site corporate campus. This includes 105 charging stations across 25 different facilities operated by a single firm in the U.S. Department of Energy Workplace Charging Challenge. The high-resolution data has 3,395 real-time transactions and 85 users with both paid and free sessions. The data has been expanded for re-use such as identifying charging behaviour and segmenting user groups by frequency of usage, stage of adoption, and employee type. Potential applications include but are not limited to simulating and parameterizing energy demand models; investigating flexible charge scheduling and optimal power flow problems; characterizing transportation emissions and electric mobility patterns at high temporal resolution; and evaluating characteristics of early adopters and lead user innovation.
New evidence of arsenic translocation and accumulation in Pteris vittata from real-time imaging using positron-emitting 74As tracer
Authors: Kohda Yi Huang-Takeshi , Qian Zhaojie , Chien Mei-Fang , Miyauchi Keisuke , Endo Ginro , Suzui Nobuo , Yin Yong-Gen , Kawachi Naoki , Ikeda Hayato , Watabe Hiroshi , Kikunaga Hidetoshi , Kitajima Nobuyuki , Inoue Chihiro
Published: July 2021

Pteris vittata is an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator plant that accumulates a large amount of As into fronds and rhizomes (around 16,000 mg/kg in both after 16 weeks hydroponic cultivation with 30 mg/L arsenate). However, the sequence of long-distance transport of As in this hyperaccumulator plant is unclear. In this study, we used a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) for the first time to obtain noninvasive serial images of As behavior in living plants with positron-emitting 74As-labeled tracer. We found that As kept accumulating in rhizomes as in fronds of P. vittata, whereas As was retained in roots of a non-accumulator plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Autoradiograph results of As distribution in P. vittata showed that with low As exposure, As was predominantly accumulated in young fronds and the midrib and rachis of mature fronds. Under high As exposure, As accumulation shifted from young fronds to mature fronds, especially in the margin of pinna, which resulted in necrotic symptoms, turning the marginal color to gray and then brown. Our results indicated that the function of rhizomes in P. vittata was As accumulation and the regulation of As translocation to the mature fronds to protect the young fronds under high As exposure.
Spatiotemporal effects of urban sprawl on habitat quality in the Pearl River Delta from 1990 to 2018
Authors: Wu Jiansheng , Li Xuechen , Luo Yuhang , Zhang Danni
Published: July 2021

Since the implementation of the Chinese economic reforms. The habitat quality of coastal has gradually deteriorated with economic development, but the concept of "ecological construction" has slowed the negative trend. For quantitative analysis of the correlation between the Pearl River Delta urban expansion and changes in habitat quality under the influence of the policy, we first analyzed the habitat quality change based on the InVEST model and then measured the impact of construction land expansion on the habitat quality through habitat quality change index (HQCI) and contribution index (CI) indicators. Finally, the correlation between urbanization level and habitat quality was evaluated using geographically weighted regression (GWR) and the Self-organizing feature mapping neural network (SOFM). The results indicated that: (1) during the study period from 2000 to 2020, habitat quality declined due to urban sprawl, indicating a deterioration of ecological structure and function, and the decrease was most significant from 2000 to 2010. (2) The urbanization index had a negative effect on the habitat quality, but the negative effect have improved after 2000, reflecting the positive effect of policies such as "ecological civilization construction" (3) The implementation degree of ecological civilization varies greatly among cities in the study area: Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan, and Zhongshan have the best level of green development. These results reflect the positive role of policies in the prevention of damage to habitat quality caused by economic development and provide a reference for the formulation of sustainable urban development policies with spatial differences.