bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does human papillomavirus modify the risk of oropharyngeal cancer related to smoking and alcohol drinking? A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Arif Rawan T. , Mogaddam Meaad A. , Merdad Leena A. , Farsi Nada J.
Published: August 2022

Objective

To synthesize evidence for interactions of traditional oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) risk factors—tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking—with human papillomavirus (HPV).

Data Sources

MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ProQuest, and Global Health were searched with no restrictions on language or publication date.

Methods

All case–control studies assessing interactions between these factors in OPSCC were considered. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale for case–control studies. The main outcome was the OR for developing OPSCC for the following interactions: (1) HPV and smoking, (2) HPV and alcohol drinking, and (3) HPV, alcohol drinking, and smoking. Interactions were assessed from stratified analysis (by HPV status) and/or joint effect analysis (synergy index and multiplicative index).

Results

The search provided 3084 relevant studies, of which 9 were included. In the stratified analysis, the OR of developing OPSCC among smokers with HPV was less than that among smokers without HPV. A similar pattern was observed for alcohol drinking. This effect persisted among smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers with HPV compared with those without HPV. Joint effect analysis on the additive scale showed sub‐additive antagonistic interactions between HPV and smoking, and between HPV and alcohol. On the multiplicative scale, sub‐multiplicative interactions were found between HPV and smoking, and HPV and alcohol.

Conclusions

This meta‐analysis suggests a negative directed interaction of HPV and smoking; and HPV and heavy alcohol drinking in the development of primary OPSCC on stratified analysis and joint effect analysis.

Level of Evidence

3A.
Surgical ergonomics: Assessment of surgeon posture and impact of training device during otolaryngology procedures
Authors: Leung Karen L. , Segal Rachel M. , Bernstein Jeffrey D. , Orosco Ryan K. , Reid Chris M.
Published: August 2022

Objective

To identify factors associated with cervical‐thoracic spine posture in otolaryngology surgeries and evaluate the efficacy of a commercially available posture‐training device in enhancing surgeon ergonomics.

Methods

Over 3 months, neck and spine posture from individuals performing otolaryngology surgeries was recorded using UpRight Go 2™. Average baseline posture was first recorded and biofeedback was later introduced to attempt to correct posture. The proportion of time spent in upright/neutral cervical‐thoracic spine posture was correlated with surgeon and procedure characteristics and compared to proportion of upright posture time after biofeedback intervention.

Results

The proportion of upright operating time was significantly different between procedure subtypes and surgical approaches with best performance in rhinology procedures and worst performance in head and neck surgeries (90% vs. 62%; both p < .001). Female gender, shorter stature, and use of sitting stools were associated with greater proportion of surgery spent upright (all p < .05). Loupes use was associated with less time in upright posture (p < .001). With biofeedback intervention, 8 of 10 subjects demonstrated an average of 5% improvement in operating upright, with most improvement found when performing laryngology procedures (7%) and least improvement in head and neck procedures (2%).

Conclusions

While surgeon posture varies across otolaryngology surgeries, sitting and minimizing the use of loupes may help promote a more ergonomic operating environment and improve surgeon posture. Although the efficacy of biofeedback intervention from a commercially available posture‐training device differs among otolaryngologists, exploration of alternative interventions and incorporation of an ergonomics curriculum is warranted to address postural issues experienced by many surgeons.

Level of Evidence

3.
Increased microbial and substrate complexity result in higher molecular diversity of the dissolved organic matter pool
Authors: Chen Qi , Lønborg Christian , Chen Feng , Gonsior Michael , Li Yunyun , Cai Ruanhong , He Chen , Chen Jiaxin , Wang Yu , Shi Quan , Jiao Nianzhi , Zheng Qiang
Published: August 2022

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) represents one of the largest reduced carbon pools on Earth. Diverse microbial metabolic activities play important roles in shaping this pool. However, the links between changing DOM substrates and microbial communities and its influence on the microbial produced DOM remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how the addition of substrates with different complexity (glucose, laminarin, and Synechococcus‐derived DOM) impacted the production of new DOM by an individual opportunist Alteromonas strain and a coastal natural microbial community. Our experiments reveal that the microbial complexity was more important than the substrate in shaping the molecular composition of DOM. Furthermore, our results showed that the DOM composition played a larger role in shaping the microbial compositions than the concentrations of DOM and inorganic nutrients. Combined our network analysis revealed that complex substrates resulted in higher molecular diversity of the microbial produced DOM, sustained a higher microbial diversity, and maintained a more diverse association between microbial communities and DOM molecules. Overall, the present study indicate that the microbial diversity contributes to DOM molecular diversity and vice versa, highlighting the importance of microbial–substrate interactions in shaping the marine DOM pool.
High‐Fidelity Far‐Field Microscopy at λ/8 Resolution
Authors: Xu Ning , Liu Guoxuan , Tan Qiaofeng
Published: August 2022

The emergence of far‐field super‐resolution microscopy has rejuvenated the possibility for nanoscale imaging. Approaches to far‐field super‐resolution that utilize point scanning often depend on spatially reducing the size of the focused spot. However, the focused spot always achieves high resolution at the expense of extremely low light efficiency for the probing mainlobe and high‐intensity sidelobes, which limits the applications in nanoscale imaging and might cause misinterpretation of samples. Here, a sharp probing spot is reported with the diffraction efficiency of 3.76% at the resolution of 38% of the Airy spot size assisted by the 2D multilevel diffractive optical element (DOE) experimentally. The diffraction efficiency of DOE is improved by at least two orders of magnitude at the same resolution by breaking the limitation of circular 0–π binary structure superoscillatory lens. To eliminate the influence of the high‐intensity sidelobes, high‐fidelity images are reconstructed based on the modified deconvolution algorithm by virtue of the prior knowledge. Finally, high‐fidelity far‐field microscopy (HiFi‐FM) is constructed and experimental results show that HiFi‐FM allows the resolution of spatially complex samples better than 69 nm while acquiring high fidelity.
Polymer‐Wrapped Perovskite Single Crystal for Surface Passivation and Robust Stability
Authors: Zhu Yongqi , Liu Yuxue , Jin Bowen , Shi Yang , Wu Zixin , Cao Jinguo , Li Haijin , Wu Congcong
Published: August 2022

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) emerging as a promising semiconducting material have shown superiority in optoelectronic applications. Currently, polycrystalline perovskite thin films are dominantly employed; while owing to the existence of grain boundary, the polycrystalline films typically have charge transport issues. To overcome these limitations, a perovskite single crystal (SC) is synthesized and applied owing to the more superior bulk charge transport properties compared with its polycrystalline counterpart. Nevertheless, due to the defective nature of the crystal surface, the surfaces of single crystals remain the bottleneck that not only induces stability issues but also causes interfacial charge carrier recombination. In this work, triple cation perovskite single crystals, FA0.8MA0.15Cs0.05PbI3 (denoted as FAMACs) are synthesized, and a facile surface modification strategy is reported for single crystals by polymer monolayer coupling, which shows high effectiveness for improving stability and reducing surface trap state density for single crystals. The polymer‐wrapped single crystals exhibit robust stability and a well‐passivated surface, which shows an order of magnitude lower trap density compared with those of unmodified single crystals and achieves a high responsivity of 5.069 A W−1 when used in photodetector applications.
Competition between Heterogeneous Nucleation and Flow‐Induced Crystallization of Polyamide 66 and Its Carbon Nanotube Composites
Authors: Gohn Anne M. , Zhang Xiaoshi , McHale Alexander , Androsch René , Rhoades Alicyn M.
Published: August 2022

Both heterogeneous nucleation and flow‐induced entropy reduction are the two well‐known factors that accelerate polymer crystallization. However, the interplay of nucleation and flow‐induced acceleration is still poorly understood. This work investigates the nucleating effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT) on both the quiescent and flow‐induced crystallization kinetics of polyamide 66 (PA 66). The quiescent crystallization study indicates that CNT acts as a powerful nucleant, as suggested by the fact that the critical cooling rate to bypass crystallization and create the amorphous glassy state changes from 1000 K s−1 in PA 66 neat resin to a rate faster than 4000 K s−1 in the PA 66 nanocomposites. The flow‐induced crystallization study indicates PA 66 onset crystallization time and morphology depend on the shear work introduced by rotational rheometry. A combined acceleration effect from CNT nucleants and flow‐induced crystallization (FIC) persists when the CNT loading is under the saturation limit. However, if CNT loading meets the saturation limit, specific shear work shows no impact on the crystallization time, providing evidence that the role of the FIC acceleration effect no longer exists when nucleant acceleration dominates the crystallization of PA 66.
A Biocompatible 4D Printing Shape Memory Polymer as Emerging Strategy for Fabrication of Deployable Medical Devices
Authors: He Wenyang , Zhou Dong , Gu Hao , Qu Ruisheng , Cui Chaoqiang , Zhou Yanyi , Wang Yu , Zhang Xinrui , Wang Qihua , Wang Tingmei , Zhang Yaoming
Published: August 2022

The rapid development of 4D printing provides a potential strategy for the fabrication of deployable medical devices (DMD). The minimally invasive surgery to implant the DMD into the body is critical, 4D printing DMD allows the well‐defined device to be implanted with a high‐compacted shape and transformed into their designed shape to meet the requirement. Herein, a 4D printing tissue engineering material is developed with excellent biocompatibility and shape memory effect based on the photocrosslinked polycaprolactone (PCL). The fast thiol‐acrylate click reaction is applied for photocrosslinking of the acrylates capped star polymer (s‐PCL‐MA) with poly‐thiols, that enable the 3D printing for the DMD fabrication. The cell viability, erythrocyte hemolysis, and platelet adhesion results indicate the excellent biocompatibility of the 4D printing polymer, especially the biological subcutaneous implantation results confirm the promote tissue growth and good histocompatibility. A 4D printing stent with deformable shape and recovery at a temperature close to human body temperature demonstrated the potential application as DMD. In addition, the everolimus is loaded to the polymer (ps1‐PCL) through host‐guest coordination with β‐cyclodextrin as the core of the star polymer, which shows sustained drug release and improved body's inflammatory response.
Carbon performance and corporate financial performance: The moderating role of consumer awareness of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Sun Zhao‐Yong , Li Meng‐Jie , Li Dongdong
Published: August 2022

The paper detects the association between carbon performance (CP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) and the moderating role of consumer awareness (CA) of corporate social responsibility (CSR). We find that CP has consistent positive impacts on CFP in the short and long term, whereas CA has opposite moderating effects on CFP. These results indicate that companies should increase corporate value by improving CP. In addition, improving CA of CSR is an effective way to promote CFP.
Differences in Sex‐Specific Frequency of Glucocerebrosidase Variant Carriers and Familial Parkinsonism
Authors: Ortega Roberto A. , Bressman Susan B. , Raymond Deborah , Ozelius Laurie J. , Katsnelson Viktoriya , Leaver Katherine , Swan Matthew C. , Shanker Vicki , Miravite Joan , Wang Cuiling , Bennett Steffany A.L. , Saunders‐Pullman Rachel
Published: August 2022

Background

Although men and women with the LRRK2 G2019S variant appear to be equally likely to have Parkinson's disease (PD), the sex‐distribution among glucocerebrosidase (GBA) variant carriers with PD, including limited to specific variant severities of GBA, is not well understood. Further, the sex‐specific genetic contribution to PD without a known genetic variant is controversial.

Objectives

To better understand sex differences in genetic contribution to PD, especially sex‐specific frequencies among GBA variant carriers with PD (GBA PD) and LRRK2‐G2019S variant carriers with PD (LRRK2 PD).

Methods

We assess differences in the sex‐specific frequency in GBA PD, including in subsets of GBA variant severity, LRRK2 PD, and idiopathic PD in an Ashkenazi Jewish cohort with PD. Further, we expand prior work evaluating differences in family history of parkinsonism.

Results

Both idiopathic PD (267/420 men, 63.6%) (P < 0.001) and GBA PD overall (64/107, 59.8%) (P = 0.042) were more likely to be men, whereas no difference was seen in LRRK2 PD (50/99, 50.5%) and LRRK2/GBA PD (5/10, 50%). However, among GBA PD probands, severe variant carriers were more likely to be women (15/19 women, 79.0%) (P = 0.005), whereas mild variant carriers (44/70 men, 62.9%) (P = 0.039) and risk‐variant carriers (15/17 men, 88.2%) (P = 0.001) were more likely to be men.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that the male‐sex predominance present in GBA PD overall was not consistent across GBA variant severities, and a female‐sex predominance was present among severe GBA variant carriers. Therefore, research and trial designs for PD should consider sex‐specific differences, including across GBA variant severities. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
The uncertainty principle for the octonion Fourier transform
Authors: Zayed Mohra , El Haoui Youssef
Published: August 2022

The octonion Fourier transform (OFT) is a hypercomplex Fourier transform that generalizes the quaternion Fourier transform. However, in octonion algebra, there are two major obstacles that are presented in the loss of associativity and commutativity. Researchers have been trying to extend the results of the Euclidean Fourier transform to quaternion‐valued signals using special techniques to overcome these two problems. In this context, we intend to generalize the Heisenberg uncertainty principles associated with covariance and Hardy's uncertainty principle for octonion multivector valued signals over
using the polar form of an octonion, the quaternion decomposition, and the relationship between the OFT and the three‐dimensional (3D)‐Clifford‐Fourier transform.
Mathematical analysis of autonomous and non‐autonomous age‐structured reaction‐diffusion‐advection population model
Authors: Huo Jiawei , Yuan Rong
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we study an age‐structured reaction‐diffusion‐advection population model. First, we use a non‐densely defined operator to the linear age‐structured reaction‐diffusion‐advection population model in a patchy environment. By spectral analysis, we obtain the asynchronous exponential growth of the population model. Then we consider nonlinear death rate and birth rate, which all depend on the function related to the generalized total population, and we prove the existence of a steady state of the system. Finally, we study the age‐structured reaction‐diffusion‐advection population model in non‐autonomous situations. We give the comparison principle and prove the eventual compactness of semiflow by using integrated semigroup. We also prove the existence of compact attractors under the periodic situation.
Fully distributed consensus of nonlinear fractional multi‐agent systems based on combined event‐triggered mechanism
Authors: Li Qiaoping , Yue Chao
Published: August 2022

This article focuses on the fully distributed leader‐following consensus problem of nonlinear fractional multi‐agent systems via event‐triggered control technique. The main intention of this article is to design a novel event‐triggered mechanism, which not only takes into account both the relative error and the absolute error of the samples but also ensures that the event triggering time series of each agent are independent of each other, thus effectively reducing the interaction frequency of network data. Subsequently, a fully distributed event‐triggered consensus protocol for the leader‐following fractional chaotic multi‐agent systems is proposed, and the sufficient conditions of consensus are attained via fractional Lyapunov functional approach. Finally, two simulation experiments are presented to illustrate that the proposed event‐based consensus protocol can effectively reduce the frequency of actuator data update while ensuring desired consensus performance.
Design of monopulse antenna loaded with Fabry–Perot cavity
Authors: Lu Kuo , Kou Na , Yu Shixing , Ding Zhao , Zhang Zhengping
Published: August 2022

A monopulse antenna loaded with Fabry–Perot resonator (FPRC) of X‐band for the application of monopulse radars is designed, fabricated, and measured in this letter. The proposed antenna is composed of an FPRC, a feed source that integrates aperture‐coupled microstrip antennas with a sum–difference comparator. The simulation and measurement have demonstrated that the aperture efficiency of the antenna reaches 46%, and the measured gain of the sum beam is 14.8 dBi which is 4.4 dBi higher than the monopulse antenna without an FPRC. The null depth of the difference beam is under −20 dB. The proposed monopulse antenna is of low‐profile, low cost, and simple structure, which can be applied in radar and wireless communication systems.
Design of negative refractive index 3D metamaterial split ring resonator for IoT applications
Authors: Khouser G. Husna , Choukiker Yogesh K.
Published: August 2022

This article presents the unique 3D metamaterial split ring resonator (3D‐MTM SRR) with a high negative refractive index at 2.45 GHz frequency. It is integrated with two layers: one square bracket structure printed on the backside of the substrate and another dual split ring with an air gap placed above the substrate. Both structures are coupled with metallic vias, which serve as connecting vias to create the 3D‐MTM SRR. Simulation and experiment results show good agreement for a high negative refractive index and the effective medium ratio of −30 and 6.16, respectively. To fully comprehend the resonance phenomena of the proposed 3D‐MTM, an analogous circuit analysis is carried out. Thus, the unique properties of 3D‐MTM SRR allow development of the high‐performance radio frequency devices for IoT applications.
Automated measurement of spine indices on axial MR images for lumbar spinal stenosis diagnosis using segmentation‐guided regression network
Authors: Pang Chunlan , Su Zhihai , Lin Liyan , Lin Guoye , He Ji , Lu Hai , Feng Qianjin , Pang Shumao
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Automated measurement of spine indices on axial magnetic resonance (MR) images plays a significant role in lumbar spinal stenosis diagnosis. Existing direct spine indices measurement approaches fail to explicitly focus on the task‐specific region or feature channel with the additional information for guiding. We aim to achieve accurate spine indices measurement by introducing the guidance of the segmentation task.

Methods

In this paper, we propose a segmentation‐guided regression network (SGRNet) to achieve automated spine indices measurement. SGRNet consists of a segmentation path for generating the spine segmentation prediction and a regression path for producing spine indices estimation. The segmentation path is a U‐Net‐like network which includes a segmentation encoder and a decoder which generates multilevel segmentation features and segmentation prediction. The proposed segmentation‐guided attention module (SGAM) in the regression encoder extracts the attention‐aware regression feature under the guidance of the segmentation feature. Based on the attention‐aware regression feature, a fully connected layer is utilized to output the accurate spine indices estimation.

Results

Experiments on the open‐access Lumbar Spine MRI data set show that SGRNet achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance with a mean absolute error of 0.49 mm and mean Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.956 for four indices estimation.

Conclusions

The proposed SGAM in SGRNet is capable of improving the performance of spine indices measurement by focusing on the task‐specific region and feature channel under the guidance of the segmentation task.
Experiences of health management among people at high risk of stroke in China: A qualitative study
Authors: Guo Lina , Guo Yuanli , Booth Jo , Wei Miao , Wang Lin , Zhu Yiru , He Yu , Liu Yanjin
Published: August 2022

Background

Effective health management of people at high risk of stroke in China is challenging.

Aim

To explore and identify the experiences of health management among people at high risk of stroke in order to provide a foundation for a targeted health management strategy for this special group.

Design

A qualitative, descriptive study based on interviews.

Methods

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 31 people at high risk of stroke. The interviews were collated and analysed using Colaizzi’s seven‐step method.

Results

A total of 31 people at high risk of stroke were included, and the ages ranged from 40 to 86, with an average age of 60.71 (SD = 11.55). The experiences of health management were categorized into three themes. Theme 1: Facing many ongoing problems in health management, limited knowledge, lack of confidence and poor compliance. Theme 2: Accumulated some value experiences of coping with problems of health management, becoming active learners, promoting social interaction and enhancing self‐health management. Theme 3: Sensitivity to multiple influencing factors, the severity of disease and complexity of disease management, family income and economic burden and the value of social support.

Conclusions

This study explored the experiences of health management among people at high risk of stroke, and these findings are of great significance in the primary prevention of stroke.
Revisiting the differential diagnosis of the lucent bone lesion: A case of fibrous dysplasia discovered in a Polish medieval osteological collection
Authors: Haydar Syed M. A. , Sheikh Adnan , Ouellette Hugue , Mallinson Paul , Munk Peter L.
Published: August 2022

In the short report published by Siek and Spinek, the femoral metaphyseal lesion in question was described as potentially the first described case of a simple bone cyst (SBC) from a Polish background. However, on review of the single radiograph available, we feel the primary and differential diagnoses offered are misleading from a radiographic perspective, with the imaging features overall favoring fibrous dysplasia—probable cystic subtype. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a histological diagnosis would not be possible in skeletonized remains, the diagnosis must rest on opinion‐based radiology. In this commentary, we illustrate why fibrous dysplasia is the most likely radiological diagnosis and describe why the differentials offered in the original article should not be entertained.
A population model‐based linear‐quadratic Gaussian compensator for the control of intravenously infused alcohol studies and withdrawal symptom prophylaxis using transdermal sensing
Authors: Yao Mengsha , Luczak Susan E. , Saldich Emily B. , Rosen I. Gary
Published: August 2022

An output feedback linear‐quadratic Gaussian compensator (combined controller and state estimator) for the regulation of intravenous‐infused alcohol studies and treatment using a noninvasive transdermal alcohol biosensor is developed. The design is based on a population model involving an abstract semilinear parabolic hybrid reaction‐diffusion system involving coupled partial and ordinary differential equations with random parameters known only up to their distributions. The scheme developed is based on a weak formulation of the model equations in an appropriately constructed Gelfand triple of Bochner spaces wherein the unknown random parameters are treated as additional spatial variables. Implementation relies on a Galerkin‐based approximation and convergence theory and an abstract formulation involving linear semigroups of operators. The model is fit and validated using laboratory collected human subject data and the method of moments. The results of numerical simulations of controlled intravenous alcohol infusion are presented and discussed.
Polyvinylidene fluoride‐natural graphite flexible composite films: Formation of graphite nanosheets, electroactive phase, analysis of electrical and thermal properties
Authors: Ayyappan J. , Menon Niranjan Haridas , Sabu Aleena , Ramanujam B. T. S.
Published: August 2022

Solution blending technique has been employed to synthesize polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)‐natural graphite composite films. The surface tension of the solvent has been observed to play an important role in the reduction of graphite particle size and their dispersion in the polymer matrix as N‐N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) employed PVDF‐x wt% natural graphite (x = 3, 5) films exhibit higher conductivity than that of N‐N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) employed films of same composition. The dispersion of probe sonicated graphite particles in PVDF matrix has been observed to be better when DMAc solvent is used in comparison to DMF employed composite as revealed by optical microscope images. The electrical percolation threshold in PVDF‐natural graphite composites is identified below 0.5 wt% natural graphite due to remarkable reduction in the particle size of graphite which improved the network formation between them. FESEM analysis confirms the formation of graphite nanosheets. The coexistence of non‐polar α and electroactive γ phases of PVDF in the composites is confirmed by FTIR, XRD, and DSC analyses. Maximum fraction of γ phase, as calculated from FTIR, is 88% in PVDF‐3 wt% natural graphite composite. Thermal annealing of PVDF‐3 wt% natural graphite at 120°C for 5 h results in enhanced electroactive γ phase in the nanocomposite. The onset degradation temperature of PVDF is increased by 4°C in PVDF‐5 wt% natural graphite suggesting enhanced thermal stability of the composite. Room temperature I–V characteristics of PVDF‐x wt% natural graphite (x = 5, 7) composite supports space charge limited conduction to be the dominant mechanism of charge transport.
Compaction behavior of 3D woven preforms with hybrid fibers and under different process parameters
Authors: Hu Peili , Shan Zhongde , Zang Yong , Sun Zheng , Wang Shaozong , Huang Hao
Published: August 2022

The reinforced fibers of three‐dimensional (3D) composites are interwoven in space and have better inter‐laminar properties than two‐dimensional (2D) laminates, and have great application prospects in high‐tech fields. Flexible‐oriented 3D woven technology is an emerging technology for weaving 3D composite preforms, especially suitable for manufacturing large‐thickness and complex preform architectures, and the compaction behavior of preforms has an important influence on its performance. In this paper, using this technology, different types of 3D preforms were woven and subjected to systematic compaction experiments, to explore the effects of different fiber hybrid modes and process parameters on the compaction behavior. It is found that, increasing the number of cycles, wetting and sizing the fibers are all beneficial to improve the compaction ability, but reduce the stress relaxation and recovery ratios. The stress relaxation of the hybrid fiber preform is mainly affected by the carbon fiber. Reducing the dispersion of different fiber bundles is beneficial to decrease the recovery ratio. The research results provide experimental and theoretical reference for the rapid and efficient weaving of hybrid fiber composite preforms in the future.
Effects of meso‐ and micro‐scale defects on hygrothermal aging behavior of glass fiber reinforced composites
Authors: Sukur Emine Feyza , Elmas Sinem , Seyyednourani Mahsa , Eskizeybek Volkan , Yildiz Mehmet , Sas Hatice S.
Published: August 2022

Design and process‐induced defects in fiber‐reinforced polymers (FRPs) lead to fracture nucleation due to the stress concentrations. In addition to the degradation in mechanical properties, defects can accelerate aging of FRPs and limit their service life. Efforts to understand the impact of defects have largely focused on the mechanical performance of FRPs. However, their impact on aging performance has not yet been extensively investigated. Here, we report the effect of the meso‐scale (missing yarn) and micro‐scale (micro‐crack) defects on the hygrothermal aging behavior of FRPs. Missing yarn defects were generated by pulling‐out yarns in warp and weft directions of glass fabric. Then, micro‐cracks were induced in composite laminates by acoustic emission controlled tensile loading/unloading. After exposing samples to the hygrothermal aging, we found that meso‐scale defects deteriorate mechanical/thermomechanical performance, reaching 30% decrease in the flexural strength. Notably, even though increasing micro‐crack density reduces the moisture saturation time, the aging time is reported as a more predominant design parameter, deteriorating the mechanical performance for micro‐crack‐induced FRPs.
Mechanical and tribological properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced polyetheretherketone composite coatings by flame‐spraying method
Authors: Li Yupeng , Wei Lai , Man Zhiqiang , Liu Sihang , Wang Sai , Lei Mingkai
Published: August 2022

The carbon fiber‐reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) composite coatings with two types of short CFs, that is, 300‐ and 600‐mesh, each in the contents of 10 and 30 wt% are deposited in comparison with the pure PEEK coatings by using a flame spraying method, respectively. The 300‐mesh CFs with intact morphology and the 600‐mesh CFs preserving fractured shape and higher graphitization degree are selected as the reinforced fillers in the CF/PEEK composite coatings. The flame‐sprayed CF/PEEK composite coatings show the increased porosity with the higher CF contents. The adding of CFs in the flame‐sprayed CF/PEEK composite coatings limits the thermal degradation of PEEK and restrains the PEEK crystallization showing low crystallinity degree and small crystallite size. The composite coatings in 10 wt% CF content exhibit the optimized nanoindentation behavior and tribological property. The 300‐mesh CFs with large length and intact morphology in flame‐sprayed CF/PEEK composite coatings lead to the increased surface hardness by 1.31 times over that of the pure PEEK coatings. The 600‐mesh CFs with higher graphitization degree contribute to better tribological property of flame‐sprayed CF/PEEK composite coatings with an order of magnitude lower specific wear rate.
Glucosamine and lower mortality and cancer incidence: Selection bias in the observational studies
Authors: Suissa Karine , Hudson Marie , Suissa Samy
Published: August 2022

Background

Glucosamine is a widely used supplement to treat joint pain and osteoarthritis despite inconclusive randomized trial results on its effectiveness. In contrast, observational studies associate glucosamine with significant reductions in mortality and cancer incidence. We evaluated the extent of bias, particularly selection bias, to explain these surprising beneficial effects.

Methods

We searched the literature to identify all observational studies reporting on the effect of glucosamine use on major outcomes.

Results

We identified 11 observational studies, reporting a mean 16% reduction in all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.84, 95% CI: 0.81–0.87) with glucosamine use, as well as significant reductions in cancer incidence and other major diseases including cardiovascular, respiratory and diabetes. We show that these significant effects can result from selection bias due to collider stratification, as all studies used “prevalent” cohorts, where glucosamine use started before cohort entry, and where subjects agreed to join the cohorts. Our illustration of the bias using the UK Biobank publication involving a half‐million subjects shows how a true rate ratio of mortality of 1.0 in the population can result in a biased rate ratio of 0.82 in the prevalent cohort.

Conclusions

The observational studies reporting significant reductions in mortality, cancer incidence and other outcomes with glucosamine were affected by selection bias from collider stratification. In the absence of properly conducted observational studies that circumvent this bias by considering “new users”, the studies to date cannot support the prescription of this supplement as a preventive measure for mortality, cancer, and other chronic diseases.
3D beam shaping methods for ultrashort‐pulsed laser material processing
Authors: Brodsky Alexander , Kaplan Natan
Published: August 2022

Ultrashort‐pulse (USP) lasers enable microlevel manipulation of material surfaces and work on the bulk of transparent materials with almost no thermal effects. One major bottleneck that is limiting the processing speed with USP lasers is the effective spreading of laser energy in the processed material. Diffractive optical elements (DOE) are a leading method of solving this bottleneck. In this article, we review the concept of 3D diffractive light shaping for USP lasers and show its usefulness in various industrial USP laser applications.
Tethered drug release from model contact lenses
Authors: Lasowski Frances , Rambarran Talena , Rahmani Vida , Sheardown Heather D
Published: August 2022

Drug delivery to the eye remains a challenge due to low compliance and high amounts of drug loss resulting from anatomical barriers. Contact lens‐based delivery systems offer many advantages since their increased corneal residence time can increase drug bioavailability. A releasable, sustained delivery system from a contact lens has been evaluated in the current work. Using a labile lactide spacer, comprised of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate, varying numbers of lactide units and succinic anhydride, a model drug, R‐roscovitine, was covalently incorporated into model silicone lenses (consisting of 80 mol% N,N‐dimethylacrylamide and 20 mol% of a modified silicone). This enabled a greater amount of the drug to remain in the material following extraction with isopropyl alcohol, a common purification procedure used in lens manufacturing. The incorporation of the tether and drug did not substantially alter the bulk properties of the materials, with their water content remaining between 32% and 36% and their transmittance remaining at over 90% at 600 nm. Drug release from these materials exceeded 2 weeks, with the longer lactide tethers showing greater release as expected. This demonstrates that these covalently modified materials have the potential to be used to deliver drugs in a sustained manner. © 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Assessment of anxiety/depression among cancer patients before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Adzrago David , Sulley Saanie , Tagoe Ishmael , Ormiston Cameron K. , Odame Emmanuel A. , Mamudu Lohuwa , Williams Faustine
Published: August 2022

Objective

To assess differences in the prevalence of anxiety/depression symptoms among cancer patients before (2019) and during the COVID‐19 pandemic (2020); and the associations between anxiety/depression and sociodemographic and health behavior factors among cancer patients before and during the pandemic.

Methods

We analyzed data from the 2019 (n = 856) and 2020 (n = 626) Health Information National Trends Survey, a nationally representative survey of United States adults aged ≥18 years. Only adults with a cancer diagnosis were used in the analyses. Anxiety/depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire‐4 (low/none [0–2], mild [3–5], moderate [6–8], and severe [9–12]) and dichotomized as low/none and current anxiety/depression (mild/moderate/severe). Multivariate analysis was performed.

Results

The prevalence of anxiety/depression symptoms among cancer patients was 32.7% before the COVID‐19 pandemic and 31.1% during the pandemic. The odds of anxiety/depression among patients with fair/poor health status was higher during the pandemic relative to before (before: odds ratio [OR] = 1.85 vs. during: OR = 3.89). Participants aged 50–64 years (before: OR = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.11–0.76; during: OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.11–0.97) and ≥65 years (before: OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.05–0.34; during: OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.07–0.47) had lower odds of anxiety/depression before and during the pandemic compared to those aged 35–49 years. Hispanics/Latinos had higher odds of anxiety/depression (OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.11–6.57) before the pandemic and lower odds of anxiety/depression during the pandemic (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.05–1.01) compared to non‐Hispanic Whites. Those who completed high school (before: OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.01–0.42), some college (before: OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.02–0.42), ≥college degree had lower odds of anxiety/depression symptoms (before: OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.01–0.26; during: OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01–0.61) compared to those with less than a high school education.

Conclusion

Our results suggest the need to increase the provision of mental health services to cancer patients at high risk of developing anxiety/depression symptoms, particularly during public health emergencies, to alleviate further health burdens.
Tandem mass tag‐based quantitative proteomic analysis of cervical cancer
Authors: Aljawad Mohammed F. , Faisal Abdul Hussein M. Al , Alqanbar Mohammed F. , Wilmarth Phillip A. , Hassan Basima Q.
Published: August 2022

Background

Cervical cancer is a common cancer in women caused by high‐risk human papillomavirus (Hr‐HPV). Many potential biomarkers have been proposed for precancerous lesions and cancer diagnosis and some of these markers studied for prognosis. This study determined potential biomarkers for cervical cancer diagnosis in regard to HPV genotype by using isobaric labeling quantitative proteomics.

Methods

in the current study, there were 75 formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) uterine cervical samples that used to determine the 14 HPV genotypes and the viral load of each genotype was determined. The tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomic work was performed on four FFPE samples of cervical cancer and four FFPE of control samples. The validation of biomarkers from cervical proteome were evaluated using Immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing.

Results

The most frequent HPV genotype among all other genotypes was HPV 16. There were 2753 proteins quantified by TMT and 336 of these proteins had significant differential abundances. KPNA2, MCM2, COL1A1, and DCN were selected based on functional enrichment analysis and validated by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing. The staining of IHC confirmed the upregulation of KPNA2 and MCM2 expression in cervical neoplasia and the downregulation of DCN and COL1A1 in some cervical cancer group subjects.

Conclusion

The KPNA2 marker was compared to other previously reported biomarkers and is a putative biomarker to be validated in further studies, specifically the relationship with HPV load.
Developing A Novel Small‐Scale Test to Predict Large‐Scale Explosivity
Authors: Hunter Justin , Smith James , Oxley Jimmie
Published: August 2022

There is a need for small‐scale (gram) tests that accurately predicts large‐scale (kilogram) detonation performance of energetic materials. Many attempts have been made to create such tests, but they are either too narrow in scope [1–3] or fail to demonstrate correlation with large‐scale behavior [4–9]. When creating regulations relative to safety and transportation, accurate small‐scale tests are crucial to organizations such as the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Herein is reported small‐scale (15 g) detonation tests which can be reasonably correlated to large‐scale results. The protocol utilizes a
” diameter rate stick, booster to overdrive the sample, seeding with RDX, and evaluation of the run distance to failure using optical techniques. By these means we hope to develop reliable safety information prior to scaleup of production.
Biphasic effects of statins on neuron cell functions under oxygen–glucose deprivation and normal culturing conditions via different mechanisms
Authors: Wang Hui , Chen Yun , Li Ping , Chen Yan , Yu Danfang , Tan Qian , Liu Xiaoli , Guo Zhenli
Published: August 2022

While there is a growing interest in the use of statins, HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors, to treat neurodegenerative diseases, statins are associated with conflicting effects within the central nervous system (CNS) without clear evidence of the underlying mechanisms. This study systematically investigated effects of four statins (atorvastatin, pitavastatin, cerivastatin, and lovastatin) on neuronal cells under pathological condition using an in vitro model depicting ischemic injury, as well as tested under physiological condition. All four statins at micromolar concentrations display toxic effects on neuron cells under physiological condition. Atorvastatin and cerivastatin but not pitavastatin or lovastatin at nanomolar concentrations display protective effects on neuron cells under ischemic injury condition, via decreased ischemic injury‐induced oxidative stress, oxidative damage, and inflammation. Mechanistically, atorvastatin, pitavastatin, and lovastatin induces neuron cell apoptosis via prenylation‐independent manner. Other mechanisms are involved in the pro‐apoptotic effect of cerivastatin. Prenylation is not involved in the protective effects of statins under ischemic injury condition. Our work provides better understanding on the multiple differential effects of statins on neuron cells under physiological condition and ischemic injury, and elucidate their underlying mechanisms, which may be of relevance to the influence of statins in CNS.
Combined docking and machine learning identify key molecular determinants of ligand pharmacological activity on β2 adrenoceptor
Authors: Jiménez‐Rosés Mireia , Morgan Bradley Angus , Jimenez Sigstad Maria , Tran Thuy Duong Zoe , Srivastava Rohini , Bunsuz Asuman , Borrega‐Román Leire , Hompluem Pattarin , Cullum Sean A. , Harwood Clare R. , Koers Eline J. , Sykes David A. , Styles Iain B. , Veprintsev Dmitry B.
Published: August 2022

G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are valuable therapeutic targets for many diseases. A central question of GPCR drug discovery is to understand what determines the agonism or antagonism of ligands that bind them. Ligands exert their action via the interactions in the ligand binding pocket. We hypothesized that there is a common set of receptor interactions made by ligands of diverse structures that mediate their action and that among a large dataset of different ligands, the functionally important interactions will be over‐represented. We computationally docked ~2700 known β2AR ligands to multiple β2AR structures, generating ca 75 000 docking poses and predicted all atomic interactions between the receptor and the ligand. We used machine learning (ML) techniques to identify specific interactions that correlate with the agonist or antagonist activity of these ligands. We demonstrate with the application of ML methods that it is possible to identify the key interactions associated with agonism or antagonism of ligands. The most representative interactions for agonist ligands involve K972.68×67, F194ECL2, S2035.42×43, S2045.43×44, S2075.46×641, H2966.58×58, and K3057.32×31. Meanwhile, the antagonist ligands made interactions with W2866.48×48 and Y3167.43×42, both residues considered to be important in GPCR activation. The interpretation of ML analysis in human understandable form allowed us to construct an exquisitely detailed structure‐activity relationship that identifies small changes to the ligands that invert their pharmacological activity and thus helps to guide the drug discovery process. This approach can be readily applied to any drug target.
Fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition and N‐arachidonoylethanolamine modulation by isoflavonoids: A novel target for upcoming antidepressants
Authors: Zada Wahid , VanRyzin Jonathan W. , Perez‐Pouchoulen Miguel , Baglot Samantha L. , Hill Matthew N. , Abbas Ghulam , Clark Sarah M. , Rashid Umer , McCarthy Margaret M. , Mannan Abdul
Published: August 2022

Modulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a novel putative target for therapeutic intervention in depressive disorders. Altering concentrations of one of the principal endocannabinoids, N‐arachidonoylethanolamine, also known as anandamide (AEA) can affect depressive‐like behaviors through several mechanisms including anti‐inflammatory, hormonal, and neural circuit alterations. Recently, isoflavonoids, a class of plant‐derived compounds, have been of therapeutic interest given their ability to modulate the metabolism of the endogenous ligands of the ECS. To determine the therapeutic potential of isoflavonoids, we screened several candidate compounds (Genistein, Biochanin‐A, and 7‐hydroxyflavone) in silico to determine their binding properties with fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the primary degrative enzyme for AEA. We further validated the ability of these compounds to inhibit FAAH and determined their effects on depressive‐like and locomotor behaviors in the forced swim test (FST) and open field test in male and female mice. We found that while genistein was the most potent FAAH inhibitor, 7‐hydroxyflavone was most effective at reducing immobility time in the forced swim test. Finally, we measured blood corticosterone and prefrontal cortex AEA concentrations following the forced swim test and found that all tested compounds decreased corticosterone and increased AEA, demonstrating that isoflavonoids are promising therapeutic targets as FAAH inhibitors.