bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health literacy and fear among Iranian medical students due to COVID‐19: An observational study
Authors: Pourfridoni Mohammad , Khan Moien AB , Daneshi Salman , Vazirinasab Habibe , Nosrati Zahra , Daneshi‐Maskooni Milad
Published: April 2022

Introduction

The coronavirus disease of the 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has created a sense of fear due to uncertainties in medical students’ personal and professional lives. Medical education is challenging and poses a more significant academic and emotional rigor when compared with other professional programs. With the COVID‐19 having limited treatment options, health literacy (HL) is crucial for managing and responding to the pandemic. This research aims to examine the impact of HL on COVID‐19‐associated fear among Iranian medical students.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted measuring the HL and fear of COVID‐19 using validated scales. Two hundred and seventy‐eight survey responses were received and analyzed descriptively by using SPSS software inferential statistics.

Results

Mean age of participants was 22.93 ± 5.427 years. The correlation between students’ total health literacy (HELIA) scores and their fear of COVID‐19 (FCV‐19S) scores was −0.279 (p value = .019). The FCV‐19S has a negative correlation with total HELIA in the group of females and males, single and married people, bachelor and MD students, and students living in rural areas and urban areas. The negative correlation of FCV‐19S with total HELIA in males and students who reside in rural areas was the only one that was not significant. In associate degree students, the correlation between FCV‐19S and total HELIA was positive but not significant. Education grades had a significant impact on FCV‐19S. Furthermore, the place of residence also had a significant impact on FCV‐19S. However, the gender and marital status did not significantly impact FCV‐19S.

Conclusions

The present study showed that students with higher HL scores had lesser fear of COVID‐19. The key stakeholders require several positive strategies to reduce fear and improve health, and such vital policies will assist in improving the students’ health and achieving the sustainable developmental goals.
The effects of daily step goals of 10,000, 12,500, and 15,000 steps per day on neural activity to food cues: A 24‐week dose‐response randomized trial
Authors: Compton Sharla E. , Larson Michael J. , LeCheminant James D. , Tucker Larry A. , Bailey Bruce W.
Published: April 2022

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different levels of sustained physical activity on neural reflections of attention allocated toward food cues in first year college women.

Methods

Seventy‐nine first‐year college women (18.6 ± 0.5 years) were recruited to participate in the study. Women were randomly assigned to a daily step goal of 10,000, 12,500, or 15,000 for 24 weeks. Once during weeks 16–24, participants were shown pictures of plated meals or flowers with the neural response measured using the P300 and late positive potential (LPP) components of the scalp‐recorded event‐related potential. Diet was assessed using the automated 24‐h recall.

Results

Both the P300 and LPP amplitudes were significantly more positive to food versus flower pictures (ps < .001). There was no interaction between step group and picture condition for the P300 and LPP. However, the 12,500‐step group showed a significantly elevated LPP amplitude in comparison to the other groups for both food and flowers (F(2,74) = 8.84; p < .001). The effect size for the combined results (food and flowers) was 0.56 between 10,000 and 12,500‐step groups, and 0.75 between the 12,500‐ and 15,000‐step groups. In addition, the 12,500 group reduced caloric consumption over the course of the intervention (t(1,74) = 3.35, p = .001, dz = 0.59).

Conclusion

Habitual physical activity of 10,000, 12,500, or 15,000 steps per day does not preferentially alter neural reflections toward food cues compared to flowers. There may be a nonlinear response to pleasant visual cues, with 12,500 steps per day eliciting higher LPPs than either 10,000 or 15,000.
Antibody glycation during a Chinese hamster ovary fed‐batch process is following a constrained second order reaction
Authors: Pappenreiter Magdalena , Lhota Gabriele , Vorauer‐Uhl Karola , Sissolak Bernhard
Published: April 2022

Glycation on lysine side chains of recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAb) is a well‐known phenomenon in manufacturing processes of biopharmaceuticals that potentially alter the efficacy of the therapeutic protein. In the present study, we report kinetic studies of glycation formation of the model protein Adalimumab, relative to glucose and non‐glycated protein in six Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) fed batch cultivations. We developed an in vivo model from glycation kinetic studies that is capable of estimating the reaction rate constant in static and dynamic bioprocesses, respectively. As anticipated, pseudo first order reactions with respect to present glucose concentration or non‐glycated mAb were not sufficient to describe the glycation formation during the bioprocesses. However, second order reactions did not reveal linear relationship of glycated mAb to the product of glucose and non‐glycated mAb either, suggesting that a reconsideration of the kinetic equation was necessary. With the introduction of a constraint using only the newly formed product (mAbΔt), the second‐order reaction was successfully implemented. In addition, it is shown that the process knowledge derived from dynamic can be transferred to static experiments and vice versa. Hence, intensified design of experiments (iDoE) can be an applicable and useful tool in product quality studies in cell culture processes.
Genuine Pores in a Stable Zinc Phosphite for High H2 Adsorption and CO2 Capture
Authors: Chen Ju‐Ying , Chen Sheng‐Yu , Chen Wei‐Ting , Yin Mu‐Chien , Wang Chih‐Min
Published: April 2022

An uncommon example of stable mixed‐ligand zinc phosphite with genuine pores has been synthesized by using zinc metal, inorganic phosphite acid, thio‐functionalized O‐donor (2,5‐thiophenedicarboxylate, TPDC), and tetradentate N‐donor [1,2,4,5‐tetrakis(imidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene, TIMB] units assembled into one crystalline structure according to a hydro(solvo)thermal method. This is a very rare case of a metal phosphite incorporating both N‐ and O‐donor ligands. The tetradentate TIMB linker bound to zinc atoms of the isolated zincophosphite hexamers to form a 3D open‐framework structure by crosslinking structural components of 1D chains and 2D layers. Here, the TPDC ligand acts as a monodentate binding model to functionalize its porous structure with the uncoordinated S atom and COO− group. Interestingly, this compound demonstrates the highest H2 storage capacity among organic–inorganic hybrid metal phosphates (and phosphites), and a good CO2 capture at 298 K compared with the majority of crystalline materials. The possible adsorption sites and selectivity for CO2 over H2, N2, and CO at 298 K were calculated by using density functional theory (DFT), the ideal adsorption solution theory (IAST), and fitting experimental pure‐component adsorption data.
Chemical absorption of CO2 in alkaline solutions using an intensified reactor
Authors: Azizi Fouad , Kaady Lynn , Al‐Hindi Mahmoud
Published: April 2022

Capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from point sources is critical for a sustainable chemical industry. Several techniques have already been developed and the race is ongoing to meet more stringent limitations at lower operating costs. This study presents the capability of a novel, flexible reactor to achieve high absorption rates at very low power consumption. CO2 absorption in an aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution was used as a benchmark. An air–CO2 stream made of 30% v/v CO2 was injected co‐currently with the aqueous alkaline solution in a tubular reactor equipped with woven mesh mixers. The removal efficiencies were measured along the length of the reactor, which operated at total mean flow velocities ranging between 1–2 m/s and gas phase holdups between 10%–30%. Four different mixer geometries were also tested, and the results were analyzed based on the operating conditions and reactor design configurations. While these studies can be further optimized and potentially applied in carbon capture operations, it was found that more than 96.5% of the CO2 could be removed using different combinations of mixer geometry and operating conditions. This high removal efficiency was reached within a residence time of 400 ms at a low cost of 23.65 .
Divergent Synthesis of Core m1, Core m2 and Core m3 O‐Mannosyl Glycopeptides via a Chemoenzymatic Approach
Authors: Li Tianlu , Zhang Youqin , Li Tong , Zhuang Haoru , Wang Fengshan , Wang Ning , Schmidt Richard R. , Peng Peng
Published: April 2022

Comprehensive Summary

O‐Mannosylation plays a vital role in the regulation of a variety range of biological processes, for instance, brain and muscle development. However, the precise function remains largely unknown due to its innate heterogeneity. In this regard, it is still welcome to develop efficient methods to access diverse structurally‐defined glycopeptides. In this study, a diversity‐oriented assembly of O‐mannosyl α‐dystroglycan (α‐DG) glycopeptides has been achieved via a chemoenzymatic strategy. This strategy features (i) gram scale divergent synthesis of core m1, core m2 and core m3 mannosylated amino acids from judiciously designed protecting group strategies and chemical glycosidation; (ii) efficient glycopeptide assembly via the optimized microwave‐assisted solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS); and (iii) enzymatic elaboration of the core glycan structures to install galactosyl and sialyl‐galactosyl moieties. The efficiency and flexibility of this chemoenzymatic approach was demonstrated with the construction of 12 glycopeptides with different core m1, core m2 and core m3 mannosyl glycans, including a core m2 glycopeptide bearing a heptasaccharide for the first time.
Protecting‐Group‐Free One‐Step Palladium‐Catalyzed Coupling on C25 of Cucurbitacin B Expands Chemical Diversity with Improved Cytotoxicity against A549 Cells
Authors: Zhuo Ning , Ma Jie , Cao Lei , Chen Linhai , Nan Fajun
Published: April 2022

Comprehensive Summary

The natural product cucurbitacin B has been widely studied because of its multiple biological activities, especially its potent antitumor effects. However, modifications of cucurbitacin B are mainly focused on the C2 and C16 site, studies on the C25 acetoxy group are still limited. We successfully developed a palladium‐catalyzed allylic coupling of cucurbitacin B with boronic acids, providing a one‐step approach to expand the chemical diversity of the C25 position. Our method was protecting‐group‐free, showing a good functional group tolerance and a wide substrate scope under mild reaction conditions. A library of 29 derivatives was prepared, compounds 2q and 2u showed higher cytotoxicity against A549 cells than cucurbitacin B, compounds 2n and 2o maintained potency, and the introduced hydroxyl and amino groups could be further derived.
Kinetic Resolution of 1,2‐Diaminesvia Organocatalyzed Asymmetric Electrophilic Aminations of Anilines
Authors: Xie Jinglei , Guo Zheng , Liu Wei , Zhang Dekun , He Yu‐Peng , Yang Xiaoyu
Published: April 2022

Comprehensive Summary

An efficient kinetic resolution (KR) protocol for 1,2‐diamines has been developed through asymmetric electrophilic aminations of anilines enabled by chiral phosphoric acid catalysis. A wide array of substituted 1,2‐diamines were compatible with this method, generating both the recovered staring materials and the amination products with high enantioselectivities (withs‐factor up to 218). Notably, this method is amenable to the kinetic resolution of 1,2‐diamines bearing α‐tertiary amine moieties, which represents the first KR of this type of 1,2‐diamines. Facile removal of the introduced hydrazine group and oxidative cleavage of theN‐aryl group to release the free primary amine demonstrate the value of this method.
DeePOF: A hybrid approach of deep convolutional neural network and friendship to Point‐of‐Interest (POI) recommendation system in location‐based social networks
Authors: Safavi Sadaf , Jalali Mehrdad
Published: April 2022

Today, millions of active users spend a percentage of their time on location‐based social networks like Yelp and Gowalla and share their rich information. They can easily learn about their friends' behaviors and where they are visiting and be influenced by their style. As a result, the existence of personalized recommendations and the investigation of meaningful features of users and Point of Interests (POIs), given the challenges of rich contents and data sparsity, is a substantial task to accurately recommend the POIs and interests of users in location‐based social networks (LBSNs). This work proposes a novel pipeline of POI recommendations named DeePOF based on deep learning and the convolutional neural network. This approach only takes into consideration the influence of the most similar pattern of friendship instead of the friendship of all users. The mean‐shift clustering technique is used to detect similarity. The most similar friends' spatial and temporal features are fed into our deep CNN technique. The output of several proposed layers can predict latitude and longitude and the ID of subsequent appropriate places, and then using the friendship interval of a similar pattern, the lowest distance venues are chosen. This combination method is estimated on two popular datasets of LBSNs. Experimental results demonstrate that analyzing similar friendships could make recommendations more accurate and the suggested model for recommending a sequence of top‐k POIs outperforms state‐of‐the‐art approaches.
An automated clinical decision support system for predicting cardiovascular disease using ensemble learning approach
Authors: Kannan Sridharan
Published: April 2022

With the vast advancements in the medical domain, earlier prediction of disease plays a substantial role in enhancing the healthcare quality and assists in taking better decisions making during emergency times. Most of the existing research concentrates on modeling an automated prediction model for heart disease and the risk factors. Nevertheless, accurate classification is a vital challenge in heart disease diagnosis where the managing of high‐dimensional data increases the execution time of existing classifiers. In this paper, a new ensemble model has been proposed with the aid of random subspace and K‐nearest neighbor (RSS‐KNN) scheme for earlier prediction of heart disease. Primarily, the proposed scheme implements an isolation‐based outlier removal mechanism to eradicate the noises and outliers in the distributed data. Subsequently, the essential features are identified using RSS by varying the testing and training errors in the evaluation phase. The extracted features are then fed into KNN for the accurate classification of heart disease. Finally, an enhanced squirrel optimizer has been employed in the proposed scheme to obtain the global results which balance the exploration as well as exploitation issues and eliminate the over‐fitting problems. The simulation results manifest that the accuracy (without features) of the proposed ensemble RSS‐KNN scheme in the UCI ML dataset is 97.65%, accuracy (with features) is 98.56%, and specificity is 98.10% when compared with existing state‐of‐the‐art classifiers.
Application of a metaheuristic gradient‐based optimizer algorithm integrated into artificial neural network model in a local geoid modeling with global navigation satellite systems/leveling measurements
Authors: Konakoglu Berkant , Aydemir Salih Berkan , Kutlu Onay Funda
Published: April 2022

In the present article, the efficiency of a new hybrid learning method, named artificial neural network with gradient‐based optimizer algorithm (ANN‐GBO), is investigated to determine a local geoid. The outcomes of the assessed method are compared with classical ANN (without GBO), some metaheuristic‐based ANN models and other study results (interpolation methods). Four commonly used performance metrics, root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute relative error (MARE) and coefficient of determination () have been used to assess the applied methods. Assessment of predictions revealed that ANN‐GBO yielded the best results (RMSE: 10.51 cm, MAE: 8.26 cm, MARE: 0.27 cm, and : 0.9622). The outcomes of the work clearly show that the ANN‐GBO approach has the lowest prediction error compared with ANN. It can be said that the GBO algorithm enhances the ANN capability in local geoid modeling. It may be recommended to optimize the weights of the ANN with GBO for high prediction accuracy. This research can be extended to other regions.
Effect of Preparation Conditions on the Morphology and Catalytic Performance of Nickel Phosphate Nanotubes
Authors: Ping Chengxin , Chen Xiaojuan , Qin Fan , Ma Weihua
Published: April 2022

Nickel phosphate nanotubes are synthesized by a hydrothermal method under different conditions with cetyltrimethyl ammonia bromide (CTAB) as a soft template and urea as an assistant agent. The structure and morphology are characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐Ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, etc. Nickel phosphate nanotubes with different morphologies and structures are prepared at different pH values, crystallization time, molar ratios of Ni to P, CTAB to P, and urea to P. The TEM and SEM results show that the prepared nickel phosphate nanotubes seem like tremella or coral, which consist of nanotubes with a diameter of about 8 nm, length of about 200 nm, a rounded channel, and an open end. The formation process of nanotubes is deduced to be the self‐assembly of nickel phosphate growing along with CTAB. Nickel phosphate nanotubes show special catalytic performance in the isomerization reaction of epoxy propane. The reaction products are mainly propanal, allyl alcohol, and acetone, with a molar ratio of about 5:3:2 and the propylene oxide conversion and selectivity for propanal at 300 ℃ are 74.1% and 49.4%, respectively.
Proliferative and anti‐apoptotic fractions in maturing hematopoietic cell lineages and their role in homeostasis of normal bone marrow
Authors: Mestrum Stefan G. C. , Vanblarcum Roanalis B. Y. , Drent Roosmarie J. M. , Boonen Bert T. , van Hemert Wouter L. W. , Ramaekers Frans C. S. , Hopman Anton H. N. , Leers Math P. G.
Published: April 2022

Recent developments in clinical flow cytometry allow the simultaneous assessment of proliferative and anti‐apoptotic activity in the different hematopoietic cell lineages and during their maturation process. This can further advance the flow cytometric diagnosis of myeloid malignancies. In this study we established indicative reference values for the Ki‐67 proliferation index and Bcl‐2 anti‐apoptotic index in blast cells, as well as maturing erythroid, myeloid, and monocytic cells from normal bone marrow (BM). Furthermore, the cell fractions co‐expressing both proliferation and anti‐apoptotic markers were quantified. Fifty BM aspirates from femoral heads of patients undergoing hip replacement were included in this study. Ten‐color/twelve‐parameter flow cytometry in combination with a software‐based maturation tool was used for immunophenotypic analysis of Ki‐67 and Bcl‐2 positive fractions during the erythro‐, myelo‐, and monopoiesis. Indicative reference values for the Ki‐67 and Bcl‐2 positive fractions were established for different relevant hematopoietic cell populations in healthy BM. Ki‐67 and Bcl‐2 were equally expressed in the total CD34 positive blast cell compartment and 30% of Ki‐67 positive blast cells also showed Bcl‐2 positivity. The Ki‐67 and Bcl‐2 positive fractions were highest in the more immature erythroid, myeloid and monocytic cells. Both fractions then gradually declined during the subsequent maturation phases of these cell lineages. We present a novel application of an earlier developed assay that allows the simultaneous determination of the Ki‐67 proliferative and Bcl‐2 anti‐apoptotic indices in maturing hematopoietic cell populations of the BM. Their differential expression levels during the maturation process were in accordance with the demand and lifespan of these cell populations. The indicative reference values established in this study can act as a baseline for further cell biological and biomedical studies involving hematological malignancies.
Cellular fibroadenoma versus phyllodes tumors: A pre‐operative diagnostic approach based on radiological and cytological features
Authors: Rana Chanchal , Kamal Nidhi , Mishra Prabhakar , Singh Akanksha , Ramakant Pooja , Mishra Anand , Singh Kulranjan
Published: April 2022

Objective

This study has been designed in an effort to identify the clinico‐radiological and cytological features that could effectively help in differentiating cellular fibroadenoma (CFA) and phyllodes tumors (PT), which have several overlapping characteristics.

Method

Histologically proven cases of CFA and PT were reviewed. Cytological features were assessed and categorized. Clinical and radiological details were also evaluated and he the two groups were compared statistically.

Results

A total of 43 FA and 52 PT were specimens were reviewed. Mean age and tumor size for CFA and PT were 26.05 and 36.94 years, and 3.7 and 6.4 cm, respectively. Univariate analysis and regression models revealed that age >30 years, BIRADS grade of 4 or more, marked cellularity of stromal fragments, more than 30% spindle cells in background cell population and presence of traversing blood vessels in stromal fragments increased the odds of a tumor being phyllodes. The binary logistic regression model was able to predict PT accurately in 87.2% cases (p <  .001).

Conclusion

PT and CFA could be differentiated if cytological findings are cautiously correlated clinically and radiologically. Age, BIRADS category along with assessment of stromal fragments and background population can effectively distinguish between CFA and PT.
Leukemia‐associated transcription factor mllt3 is important for primitive erythroid development in zebrafish embryogenesis
Authors: Germano Giuseppe , Porazzi Patrizia , Felix Carolyn A.
Published: April 2022

Background

MLLT3 (AF9) is a nuclear transcription factor crucial for hematopoietic stem cell and progenitor cell maintenance, but its role during embryonic hematopoiesis remains uncertain. Here, we examine the role of mllt3 in developmental hematopoiesis during embryogenesis using zebrafish.

Results

Cloning, sequencing, phylogenetic, and synteny analyses showed high evolutionary conservation between important functional domains of the zebrafish orthologue of mllt3 and MLLT3 in humans. Quantitative reverse transcription‐PCR and in situ hybridization analyses revealed that mllt3 is maternally supplied and zygotically expressed throughout embryonic development, and that expression is highest between 10 and 24 hours post‐fertilization (hpf) coincident with enrichment in the intermediate cell mass (ICM) and posterior blood island, which are the sites of the primitive and transient definitive hematopoiesis in zebrafish, respectively. Further, we found co‐expression of mllt3 with the early hematopoietic progenitor markers tal1, gata2, and gata1a in the posterior ICM. By investigating zebrafish hematopoietic mutants, we discovered that mllt3 is involved in erythroid precursor formation. By 48‐72 hpf, mllt3 expression proved to be restricted to non‐hematopoietic tissues including head structures, pronephric tubules, and liver primordium.

Conclusions

These findings establish a link between mllt3 and primitive erythropoiesis and provide the basis for future functional investigations.
Experimental evolution of a more restrained clutch size when filial cannibalism is prevented in burying beetlesNicrophorus vespilloides
Authors: Rebar Darren , Halliwell Chay , Kemp Rachel , Kilner Rebecca M.
Published: April 2022

The overproduction of offspring is commonly associated with high hatching failure and a mechanism for dispensing with surplus young. We used experimental evolution of burying beetle populationsNicrophorus vespilloidesto determine causality in these correlations. We asked does eliminating the mechanism for killing “spare” offspring cause the evolution of a more restrained clutch size and consequently select for reduced hatching failure?N.vespilloidestypically overproduces eggs but kills 1stinstar larvae through partial filial cannibalism during brood care. We established replicate evolving populations that either could practice filial cannibalism (Full Care) or could not, by removing parents before their young hatched (No Care). After 20+ generations of experimental evolution, we measured clutch size and hatching success. We found that No Care females produced fewer eggs than Full Care females when allowed to breed on a small corpse, a finding not explained by differences in female quality. On larger corpses, females from both populations laid similar numbers of eggs. Furthermore, hatching success was greater in the No Care populations on small corpses. Our results suggest that the adaptive overproduction of offspring depends on a mechanism for eliminating surplus young and that killing offspring, in turn, relaxes selection against hatching failure.
Effects of long‐term nitrogen addition on water use by Cunninghamia lanceolate in a subtropical plantation
Authors: Liu Wenfei , Duan Honglang , Shen Fangfang , Liao Yingchun , Li Qiang , Wu Jianping
Published: April 2022

The deposition of reactive nitrogen (N) has substantially increased in subtropical regions due to human activities. However, the effects of long‐term N addition on the water‐use efficiency of subtropical forests are poorly understood. Here, we conducted an 11‐year experiment in a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolate plantation with four N‐addition levels: N0, N1, N2, and N3 (equivalent to 0, 6, 12, and 24 g N m−2 year−1, respectively). A thermal dissipation probe system was used to calculate sap flow, and plant biomass carbon was assessed by field investigation. The whole‐plant water use and water‐use efficiency were estimated. In addition, the δ13C of tree rings was used to indicate the plant intrinsic water‐use efficiency. The results showed that N3 treatment significantly increased the annual sap flow velocity, especially in summer and winter. Annual water use, plant growth, and water‐use efficiency did not significantly differ among the N treatments, but water use tended to be higher in N3 treatment than in N0 treatment. Furthermore, the significant reduction of δ13C in N3 treatment than in N0 treatment supported the inference that N addition could increase water use. We conclude that long‐term addition of high levels (but not of low levels) of N increased whole‐plant water use in C. lanceolate plantations. Our findings indicate that N deposition accompanied by high temperature and drought events may negatively affect water balance in subtropical forests.
Water Evaporation Triggered Self‐Assembly of MXene on Non‐Carbonized Wood with Well‐Aligned Channels as Size‐Customizable Free‐Standing Electrode for Supercapacitors
Authors: Chen Weimin , Li Zhao , Jiang Feng , Luo Min , Yang Kai , Zhang Daotong , Xu Wangwang , Liu Chaozheng , Zhou Xiaoyan
Published: April 2022

Herein, non‐carbonized wood‐based electrodes and separators with well‐aligned channels and excellent mechanical properties are developed for supercapacitors. To enhance the conductivity and boost the capacitance, Ti3C2 (MXene) nanosheets with high electrical conductivity and excellent electrochemical activity are loaded into the wood cells via self‐assembly triggered by fast evaporating water in Ti3C2 suspension. By the assistance of positive charged polydopamine microspheres with large surface area, the self‐restacking of Ti3C2 nanosheets can be avoided and the high mass loading (50 wt%) can be achieved due to the extra driving force for Ti3C2 absorption. Benefiting from the conductive Ti3C2 nanosheets with massive active sites and the multiple well‐aligned channels in wood with efficient transportation pathways for charge carriers, the as‐designed free‐standing electrode shows a large areal capacitance of 1060 mF cm−2 at 0.5 mA cm−2 and high capacitance retention of 67% at 10 mA cm−2. Also, this electrode is highly size‐customizable, showing a good ability to be industrially processed into various shapes and dimensions. Furthermore, an all‐wood based supercapacitor with Ti3C2/wood composites as two layers of electrodes and a wood slice as the separator is fabricated, presenting a high energy density of 10.5 μW h cm−2 at 389.9 μW cm−2.
Results‐based management of wicked problems? Indicators and comparative evidence from Latin America
Authors: Kirschke Sabrina , Avellán Tamara , Benavides Lucía , Caucci Serena , Hahn Angela , Müller Andrea , Rubio Giraldo Claudia Beatriz
Published: April 2022

Environmental problems are often wicked, shaped by conflicts, complexity, and uncertainty. Research is called here to design effective management approaches adapted to these specific features of environmental problems. However, management approaches hardly account for both result‐orientation and the respective management needs in the face of wicked problems. By combining the results‐based management literature with an analytic understanding of wickedness, we identify 12 indicators for an effective management along four management stages (inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes) and three dimensions of wicked problems (goal diversity, system complexity, and uncertainty). An interview‐based demonstration of the concept in the Latin American context suggests a chain of effects regarding the stages, which differs slightly concerning dimensions of wicked problems. A lack of resources results here in limited activities, outputs, and outcomes to address problems, which is further substantiated by diverse challenges throughout the results‐chain. While these patterns are pertinent for all dimensions of wicked problems, we also find varying challenges for addressing conflicts, complexity, and uncertainty. These results call for more rigorous analysis at the policy capacity level and along the dimensions of wickedness as a starting point for achieving effective policies to address wicked environmental problems at the outcome level.
Renal replacement therapy as a therapeutic option for right heart failure in severe pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Shimbo Mai , Hatano Masaru , Ishii Satoshi , Saito Akihito , Yagi Hiroki , Minatsuki Shun , Maki Hisataka , Amiya Eisuke , Takeda Norifumi , Komuro Issei
Published: April 2022

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressively life‐threatening disease that causes right heart failure (RHF). Renal dysfunction frequently complicates PAH with RHF and is associated with a worse prognosis. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) may be a therapeutic option, although its efficacy and safety are unclear. We describe a 30‐year‐old male with severe PAH who developed renal insufficiency and diuretic‐refractory volume overload complicated with RHF but was successfully managed with intermittent RRT via a subcutaneously fixed superficial artery for 4 years. RRT led to haemodynamic stability, which enabled us to carefully de‐titrate parenteral PAH drugs without worsening RHF. This case highlights that RRT may be a potential alternative for haemodynamic and volume control of refractory fluid retention complicated with RHF in severe PAH cases. Further studies are warranted to gain more insight into patient selection and the optimal timing of RRT in PAH patients with deteriorating RHF.
Quality of life assessed 6 months after hospitalisation for acute heart failure: an analysis from REPORT‐HF (international REgistry to assess medical Practice with lOngitudinal obseRvation for Treatment of Heart Failure)
Authors: McNaughton Candace D. , McConnachie Alex , Cleland John G. , Spertus John A. , Angermann Christiane E. , Duklas Patrycja , Tromp Jasper , Lam Carolyn S.P. , Filippatos Gerasimos , Dahlstrom Ulf , Dickstein Kenneth , Schweizer Anja , Perrone Sergio V. , Hassanein Mahmoud , Ertl Georg , Obergfell Achim , Ghadanfar Mathieu , Collins Sean P.
Published: April 2022

Aims

Recovery of well‐being after hospitalisation for acute heart failure (AHF) is a measure of the success of interventions and the quality of care but has rarely been quantified. Accordingly, we measured health status after discharge in an international registry (REPORT‐HF) of AHF.

Methods and results

The analysis included 4606 patients with AHF who survived to hospital discharge, had known vital status at 6 months, and were enrolled in the United States of America, Russian Federation, or Western Europe, where the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) was administered. Median age was 69 years (quartiles 59–78), 40% were women, and 34% had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%, and 12% patients died by 6 months. Of 2475 patients with a follow‐up KCCQ, 28% were ‘alive and well’ (KCCQ >75), while 43% had poor health status (KCCQ ≤50). Being ‘alive and well’ was associated with new‐onset AHF, LVEF <40%, younger age, higher baseline KCCQ, country, and race. Associations were similar for increasing health status, with the exception of country and addition of comorbidities.

Conclusion

In this international global registry, health status recovery after AHF hospitalisation was highly variable. Those with the best health status at 6 months were younger, had new‐onset heart failure, and higher baseline KCCQ; nearly one‐third of survivors were ‘alive and well’. Investigating reasons for changes in KCCQ after hospitalisation might identify new therapeutic targets to improve patient‐centred outcomes.
Neural tissue engineering: From bioactive scaffolds and in situ monitoring to regeneration
Authors: Gong Bowen , Zhang Xindan , Zahrani Ahmed Al , Gao Wenwen , Ma Guolin , Zhang Liqun , Xue Jiajia
Published: April 2022

Peripheral nerve injury is a large‐scale problem that annually affects more than several millions of people all over the world. It remains a great challenge to effectively repair nerve defects. Tissue engineered nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) provide a promising platform for peripheral nerve repair through the integration of bioactive scaffolds, biological effectors, and cellular components. Herein, we firstly describe the pathogenesis of peripheral nerve injuries at different orders of severity to clarify their microenvironments and discuss the clinical treatment methods and challenges. Then, we discuss the recent progress on the design and construction of NGCs in combination with biological effectors and cellular components for nerve repair. Afterward, we give perspectives on imaging the nerve and/or the conduit to allow for the in situ monitoring of the nerve regeneration process. We also cover the applications of different postoperative intervention treatments, such as electric field, magnetic field, light, and ultrasound, to the well‐designed conduit and/or the nerve for improving the repair efficacy. Finally, we explore the prospects of multifunctional platforms to promote the repair of peripheral nerve injury.
Interfacial wettability and mass transfer characterizations for gas–liquid–solid triple‐phase catalysis
Authors: Shi Run , Shang Lu , Zhou Chao , Zhao Yunxuan , Zhang Tierui
Published: April 2022

Heterogeneous catalysis is inseparable from interfacial mass transfer and chemical reaction processes determined by the structure and microenvironment. Different from high‐temperature thermochemical processes, photo‐ and electrocatalysis operated at mild conditions often involve both gas and liquid phases, making it important but challenging to characterize the reaction process typically occurring at the gas–liquid–solid interface. Herein, we review the scope, feasibility, and limitation of ten types of currently available technologies used to characterize interfacial wettability and mass transfer properties of various triple‐phase catalytic reactions. The review summarizes techniques from macroscopic contact angle measurement to microscopic environment electron microscopy for investigating the wettability‐controlled structure of triple‐phase interfaces. Experimental and computational methods in revealing the interfacial mass transfer process have also been systematically discussed, followed by a perspective on the opportunities and challenges of advanced characterization methods to help understand the fundamental reaction mechanism of triple‐phase catalysis.
Nanomaterials‐assisted metabolic analysis toward in vitro diagnostics
Authors: Yang Jing , Huang Lin , Qian Kun
Published: April 2022

In vitro diagnostics (IVD) has played an indispensable role in healthcare system by providing necessary information to indicate disease condition and guide therapeutic decision. Metabolic analysis can be the primary choice to facilitate the IVD since it characterizes the downstream metabolites and offers real‐time feedback of the human body. Nanomaterials with well‐designed composition and nanostructure have been developed for the construction of high‐performance detection platforms toward metabolic analysis. Herein, we summarize the recent progress of nanomaterials‐assisted metabolic analysis and the related applications in IVD. We first introduce the important role that nanomaterials play in metabolic analysis when coupled with different detection platforms, including electrochemical sensors, optical spectrometry, and mass spectrometry. We further highlight the nanomaterials‐assisted metabolic analysis toward IVD applications, from the perspectives of both the targeted biomarker quantitation and untargeted fingerprint extraction. This review provides fundamental insights into the function of nanomaterials in metabolic analysis, thus facilitating the design of next‐generation diagnostic devices in clinical practice.
Antimicrobial activity and safety features assessment of Weissella spp. from environmental sources
Authors: Fhoula Imene , Boumaiza Mohamed , Tayh Ghassan , Rehaiem Amel , Klibi Naouel , Ouzari Imene‐Hadda
Published: April 2022

Weissella strains have been reported to be useful in biotechnological and probiotic determinations, and some of them are considered opportunistic pathogens. Given the widespread interest about antimicrobial susceptibilities, transmission of resistances, and virulence factors, there is little research available on such topics for Weissella. The aim of this study was to assess the safety aspects and antimicrobial potential of 54 Weissella spp. strains from different environmental sources. Antibiotic susceptibility, hemolytic activity, horizontal transfer, and antibacterial activity were studied, as well as the detection of biogenic amine BA production on decarboxylase medium and PCR was performed. All the strains were nonhemolytic and sensitive to chloramphenicol and ampicillin. Several strains were classified as resistant to fusidic acid, and very low resistance rates were detected to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, streptomycin, lincomycin, erythromycin, and rifampicin, although all strains had intrinsic resistance to vancomycin, nalidixic acid, kanamycin, and teicoplanin. Two BA‐producing strains (W. halotolerans FAS30 and FAS29) exhibited tyrosine decarboxylase activity, and just one W. confusa FS077 produced both tyramine and histamine, and their genetic determinants were identified. Ornithine decarboxylase/odc gene was found in 16 of the Weissella strains, although 3 of them synthesize putrescine. Interestingly, eight strains with good properties displayed antibacterial activity. Conjugation frequencies of erythromycin from Bacillus to Weissella spp. varied in the average of 3 × 10−9 transconjugants/recipient. However, no tetracycline‐resistant transconjugant was obtained with Enterococcus faecalis JH2‐2 as recipient. The obtained results support the safe status of Weissella strains, derived from environmental sources, when used as probiotics in animal feed.
Testosterone and cortisol responses to ß‐hydroxy ß‐methylbutryate consumption and exercise: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhao Li , Mohammad Mohamad
Published: April 2022

Background

β‐hydroxy β‐methylbutryate (HMB) is a metabolite of leucine amino acid and it has several ergogenic benefits. Previous studies also showed that it may affect beneficially the testosterone and cortisol concentration in athletes. Due to the contradiction results between studies, we aimed to conduct this meta‐analysis to assess the HMB supplementation effect on testosterone and cortisol in trained athletes.

Methods

Scopus, Medline, and Google scholar were systematically searched up to August 2021. The Cochrane Collaboration tool for evaluating the risk of bias was applied for assessing the studies' quality. Random‐effects model, weighted mean difference (WMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for estimating the overall effect. Between‐study heterogeneity was evaluated applying the chi‐squared and I2 statistic.

Results

Seven articles were included in the meta‐analysis. Although the meta‐analysis generally showed that HMB consumption did not have any effect on the cortisol and testosterone concentration (p > .05), subgroup analysis based on the exercise type showed a significant decrease in the cortisol concentration in resistance training exercises (WMD = −3.30; 95% CI: −5.50, −1.10; p = .003) and a significant increase in the testosterone concentration in aerobic and anaerobic combined sports (WMD = 1.56; 95% CI: 0.07, 3.05; p = .040).

Conclusion

The results indicate that HMB supplementation in athletes can reduce the concentration of cortisol in resistance exercises and increase the concentration of testosterone in aerobic and anaerobic combined exercises. Nevertheless, more studies are required to confirm these results.
Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Early Cretaceous granite porphyry in the Taipingtun area, central Great Xing'an Range, NE China
Authors: Tai Baoqiang , Mi Wentian , Wang Genhou , Kong Xu , Li Yingjie , Cheng Jianbo
Published: April 2022

New LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U–Pb geochronology, whole‐rock geochemistry and Hf isotopic data have been studied on the Taipingtun granite porphyry to determine its petrogenesis and constrain the tectonic setting of the central Great Xing'an Range, northeastern China, during the Early Cretaceous. The results of zircon U–Pb dating suggest that the Taipingtun granite porphyry was emplaced during the Early Cretaceous (122–123 Ma). Geochemically, the granite porphyries have high contents of SiO2 (75.76–78.66 wt%) and (K2O + Na2O) (7.14–8.29 wt%), and low Al2O3 (11.09–12.81 wt%) and CaO (0.15–0.29 wt%), indicating peraluminous and high‐K calc‐alkaline features. Additionally, these rocks are characterized by strong Th, U, K, and Rb enrichment; Ba, Sr, P and Ti depletion; high Ga/Al ratios (10,000*Ga/Al = 2.60–4.92) and negative Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.02–0.13). According to the zircon saturation thermometer results, zircon saturation temperatures range from 756 to 959°C with an average of 823°C, displaying high magmatic temperature for the parental magma. Based on these geochemical characteristics, it can be reasonably inferred that the initial composition of the Taipingtun granite porphyry melts exhibited an A‐type magmatic affinity. Furthermore, zircon grains within the Taipingtun granite porphyry have εHf(t) values of 7.12 to 10.99 and TDM2 model ages of 476–726 Ma. The Ba/La (average 3.89), Nd/Th (average 2.25), Zr/Hf (average 22.55), Ti/Zr (average 2.96) and Rb/Sr (average 4.21) values display the characteristics of crust‐derived magmas. Moreover, these rocks have obviously negative Eu anomalies (average 0.13) and relatively high Y (average 37.83 ppm) and Yb (average 4.15 ppm) contents, suggesting the magmas are generated in a low‐pressure environment. Thus, we consider the primary magmas of the Taipingtun granite porphyry may have been predominantly derived from the partial melting of juvenile crustal rocks at low pressure. Combined with the regional geological data, we suggest that the Taipingtun granite porphyry was formed in an extensional tectonic environment, and possibly related to the subducted Palaeo‐Pacific Ocean Plate in the Early Cretaceous.
Infant brain imaging using magnetoencephalography: Challenges, solutions, and best practices
Authors: Clarke Maggie D. , Bosseler Alexis N. , Mizrahi Julia C. , Peterson Erica R. , Larson Eric , Meltzoff Andrew N. , Kuhl Patricia K. , Taulu Samu
Published: April 2022

The excellent temporal resolution and advanced spatial resolution of magnetoencephalography (MEG) makes it an excellent tool to study the neural dynamics underlying cognitive processes in the developing brain. Nonetheless, a number of challenges exist when using MEG to image infant populations. There is a persistent belief that collecting MEG data with infants presents a number of limitations and challenges that are difficult to overcome. Due to this notion, many researchers either avoid conducting infant MEG research or believe that, in order to collect high‐quality data, they must impose limiting restrictions on the infant or the experimental paradigm. In this article, we discuss the various challenges unique to imaging awake infants and young children with MEG, and share general best‐practice guidelines and recommendations for data collection, acquisition, preprocessing, and analysis. The current article is focused on methodology that allows investigators to test the sensory, perceptual, and cognitive capacities of awake and moving infants. We believe that such methodology opens the pathway for using MEG to provide mechanistic explanations for the complex behavior observed in awake, sentient, and dynamically interacting infants, thus addressing core topics in developmental cognitive neuroscience.
Associations of white matter hyperintensities with networks of gray matter blood flow and volume in midlife adults: A coronary artery risk development in young adults magnetic resonance imaging substudy
Authors: Kim William S. H. , Luciw Nicholas J. , Atwi Sarah , Shirzadi Zahra , Dolui Sudipto , Detre John A. , Nasrallah Ilya M. , Swardfager Walter , Bryan Robert Nick , Launer Lenore J. , MacIntosh Bradley J.
Published: April 2022

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are emblematic of cerebral small vessel disease, yet effects on the brain have not been well characterized at midlife. Here, we investigated whether WMH volume is associated with brain network alterations in midlife adults. Two hundred and fifty‐four participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study were selected and stratified by WMH burden into Lo‐WMH (mean age = 50 ± 3.5 years) and Hi‐WMH (mean age = 51 ± 3.7 years) groups of equal size. We constructed group‐level covariance networks based on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and gray matter volume (GMV) maps across 74 gray matter regions. Through consensus clustering, we found that both CBF and GMV covariance networks partitioned into modules that were largely consistent between groups. Next, CBF and GMV covariance network topologies were compared between Lo‐ and Hi‐WMH groups at global (clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, global efficiency) and regional (degree, betweenness centrality, local efficiency) levels. At the global level, there were no between‐group differences in either CBF or GMV covariance networks. In contrast, we found between‐group differences in the regional degree, betweenness centrality, and local efficiency of several brain regions in both CBF and GMV covariance networks. Overall, CBF and GMV covariance analyses provide evidence that WMH‐related network alterations are present at midlife.