bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A model partnership for communication and dissemination of scientific recommendations for pregnant women during the emergency response to the Zika virus outbreak: MotherToBaby and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Authors: Harris‐Sagaribay Lorrie , Chambers Christina D. , Perrotta Kirstie , Polen Kara D. , Honein Margaret A. , Wasternack Elizabeth
Published: August 2020

Background

During the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak, an urgent need existed for strong partnerships to disseminate Zika‐related information to pregnant women and women of child‐bearing age.

Methods

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with MotherToBaby, a national organization experienced in providing information about exposures during pregnancy to healthcare providers and the public, to disseminate accurate information about ZIKV infection during pregnancy. Partnership activities included regular information sharing, cross‐linking information for the public, and promoting common messaging. Following the ZIKV outbreak, we reviewed common inquiries received as well as key strategies and lessons learned from the partnership.

Results

Between June 2016 and June 2019, MotherToBaby received 5,387 Zika‐related inquiries from the public and health care providers. The majority (90%) of inquires came from preconception, pregnant, and breastfeeding women. Concerns about travel, pregnancy, sexual transmission, and preconception guidelines comprised the top information requests. Live chat was the preferred method of communication for Zika‐related inquiries. Key strategies and lessons learned from this partnership included: capitalizing on existing nationwide infrastructure and expertise, prominently referring to partners as a resource, promoting shared messaging using online resources and social media, holding regular calls to share information, and collecting data to identify common questions and revise messaging.

Conclusions

This examination of strategies, lessons learned, and metrics from MotherToBaby and CDC's partnership during the ZIKV outbreak can be applied to future partnerships to address emerging public health threats.
Introducing climate change into the biochemistry and molecular biology curriculum
Authors: Jakubowski Henry V. , Bock Nicholas , Busta Lucas , Pearce Matthew , Roston Rebecca L. , Shomo Zachery D. , Terrell Cassidy R.
Published: August 2020

Our climate is changing due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases from the production and use of fossil fuels. Present atmospheric levels of CO2 were last seen 3 million years ago, when planetary temperature sustained high Arctic camels. As scientists and educators, we should feel a professional responsibility to discuss major scientific issues like climate change, and its profound consequences for humanity, with students who look up to us for knowledge and leadership, and who will be most affected in the future. We offer simple to complex backgrounds and examples to enable and encourage biochemistry educators to routinely incorporate this most important topic into their classrooms.
Automated sample preparation for the detection and confirmation of hypoxia‐inducible factor stabilizers in urine
Authors: De Wilde Laurie , Roels Kris , Deventer Koen , Van Eenoo Peter
Published: August 2020

As hypoxia‐inducible factor stabilizers (HIFs) can artificially enhance an athlete's erythropoiesis, the World Anti‐Doping Agency prohibits their use at all times. Every urine sample for doping control analysis has to be evaluated for the presence of HIFs and therefore sensitive methods that allow high sample throughput are needed. Samples suspicious for the presence of HIFs need to be confirmed following the identification criteria established by the World Anti‐Doping Agency. Previous work has shown the advantages of using turbulent flow online solid‐phase extraction (SPE) procedures to reduce matrix effects and retention time shifts. Furthermore, the use of online SPE allows for automation and high sample throughput. Both an initial testing procedure (ITP) and a confirmation method were developed and validated, using online SPE liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), with limits of detection between 0.1 ng/ml (or possibly lower) and 4 ng/ml (or higher for GSK360a) and limits of identification between 0.1 ng/ml (or possibly lower) and 1.17 ng/ml. The ITP only takes 6.5 min per sample. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first ITP and confirmation methods that include more than three HIFs without the need for manual sample preparation.
Introducing a delivery system for melanogenesis inhibition in melanoma B16F10 cells mediated by the conjugation of tyrosine ammonia‐lyase and a TAT‐penetrating peptide
Authors: Behzadipour Yasaman , Sadeghian Issa , Ghaffarian Bahraman Ali , Hemmati Shiva
Published: August 2020

Hyperpigmentation disorders negatively influence an individual's quality of life and may cause emotional distress. Over the years, various melanogenesis inhibitors (mainly tyrosinase inhibitors) have been developed, most of which with low efficacy or high toxicity. Although metabolic engineering by deviation in the flux of substrate is of considerable interest, trials to develop a melanogenesis inhibitor based on L‐tyrosine (L‐Tyr) restriction are missing. We propose a novel proteinaceous melanogenesis inhibitor called tyrosine ammonia‐lyase (TAL), an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L‐Tyr to p‐coumaric acid and ammonia. Since the cell membrane can act as a barrier for intracellular protein delivery, we have covalently conjugated a recombinant TAL enzyme from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RsTAL) to a trans‐activator of transcription (TAT) cell‐penetrating peptide (CPP) to afford the intracellular delivery. The heterologously expressed TAT‐RsTAL fusion protein was delivered successfully into B16F10 melanocytes as confirmed by the direct fluorescence microscopy with increased intensity from 30 to 180 min. TAT‐RsTAL showed sufficient intracellular activity of about 0.83 ± 0.04 and 0.34 ± 0.03 nmol•mg−1•s−1 for the native and inclusion body‐extracted conjugates, respectively. The conjugate inhibited melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 cells in a time‐dependent manner. Melanin accumulation was inhibited by 12.7 ± 6.2%, 28.2 ± 5.7%, and 33.9 ± 2.9% compared to the nontreated control groups after 24, 48, and 72 hr of incubation, respectively. L‐Tyr restriction had no significant effect on the cell viability up to a concentration of 100 μgml−1 even after 72 hr. According to the observed hypopigmentary effect of the conjugate in this study, TAT‐RsTAL can be suggested as a melanogenesis inhibitor for further investigations.
CRISPR‐Cas9 mediated engineering of Bacillus licheniformis for industrial production of (2R,3S)‐butanediol
Authors: Song Chan Woo , Rathnasingh Chelladurai , Park Jong Myoung , Kwon Mina , Song Hyohak
Published: August 2020

Bacillus lichenformis is an industrially promising generally recognized as safe (GRAS) strain that can be used for the production of a valuable chemical, 2,3‐butanediol (BDO). Conventional gene deletion vectors and/or methods are time‐consuming and have poor efficiency. Therefore, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)‐Cas9 mediated homologous recombination was used to engineer a newly isolated and UV‐mutagenized B. licheniformis 4071–15 strain. With the help of a CRISPR‐Cas9 system, this one‐step process could be used for the deletion of ldh gene within 4 days with high‐efficiency exceeding 60%. In addition, the sequential deletion of target genes for engineering studies was evaluated, and it was confirmed that a triple mutant strain (ldh, dgp, and acoR) could be obtained by repeated one‐step cycles. Furthermore, a practical metabolic engineering study was carried out using a CRISPR‐Cas9 system for the stereospecific production of (2R,3S)‐BDO. The predicted (2R,3R)‐butanediol dehydrogenase encoded by the gdh gene was selected as a target for the production of (2R,3S)‐BDO, and the mutant was successfully obtained. The results show that the stereospecific production of (2R,3S)‐BDO was possible with the gdh deletion mutant, while the 4071–15 host strain still generated 26% of (2R,3R)‐BDO. It was also shown that the 4071–15 Δgdh mutant could produce 115 g/L of (2R,3S)‐BDO in 64 hr by two‐stage fed‐batch fermentation. This study has shown the efficient development of a (2R,3S)‐BDO producing B. licheniformis strain based on CRISPR‐Cas9 and fermentation technologies.
Regulating CRISPR/Cas9 Function through Conditional Guide RNA Control
Authors: Brown Wes , Zhou Wenyuan , Deiters Alexander
Published: August 2020

Conditional control of CRISPR/Cas9 has been developed by using a variety of different approaches, many focusing on manipulation of the Cas9 protein itself. However, more recent strategies for governing CRISPR/Cas9 function are based on guide RNA (gRNA) modifications. They include control of gRNAs by light, small molecules, proteins, and oligonucleotides. These designs have unique advantages compared to other approaches and have allowed precise regulation of gene editing and transcription. Here, we discuss strategies for conditional control of gRNA function and compare effectiveness of these methods.
Characteristics of cardiac catheterization laboratory directors at the 2017 U.S. News & World Report top 100 U.S. cardiovascular hospitals
Authors: Murugiah Karthik , Annapureddy Amarnath R. , Khera Rohan , Lansky Alexandra , Curtis Jeptha P.
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) is a focal point for cardiovascular programs and the CCL director represents the key personnel. We outline profiles of CCL directors at the 2017 U.S. News & World Report top 100 U.S. cardiovascular hospitals.

Methods

Using hospital websites, LinkedIn, Healthgrades, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data 2017, and Scopus, we described CCL directors (in 2017) by age, gender, years since medical graduation, international medical school graduate (IMG) status, academic rank, provider clinical focus, and Hirsch (h)‐index.

Results

Nearly all CCL directors were male (97%). The median age (interquartile range [IQR]) was 53 (49–61) years and median (IQR) years since medical school graduation was 28 (23–35) years. Over a third of CCL directors (39.4%) were IMGs and 38.4% had completed fellowship training at the same facility where they were CCL director. The median (IQR) h‐index was 11 (6–22). Of the 69.7% CCL directors who held faculty positions, 60.9% were professors and 30.4% were associate professors. From Medicare data, 45.5% performed only percutaneous coronary interventions, 41.4% performed structural interventions, 3.0% peripheral interventions, and 2.0% performed both structural and peripheral. CCL directors at the top 25 hospitals had higher h‐indexes, and more likely to have completed fellowship training at their own institution.

Conclusions

There are very few women CCL directors at the top U.S. cardiovascular hospitals. A third of the CCL directors were IMGs. A significant proportion of CCL directors primarily performed structural interventions and trained at the same institution, more so at the top 25 hospitals.
Environmentally Friendly Binders for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Jin Biyu , Li Yao , Qian Jie , Zhan Xiaoli , Zhang Qinghua
Published: August 2020

Lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs) have attracted the battery community's attention in recent years because of the ultra‐high theoretical specific capacity and energy density. To realize the commercial application of LSBs, issues including lithium polysulfide shuttle effects, insulating active materials, and large volume changes are urgently to be solved, especially LSBs with high sulfur loading suffering from more serious capacity fading. Developing environmentally friendly and multifunctional binders would not only overcome the problems existing in LSBs but could also satisfy the requirements for green materials. In this Review, we first conclude the required characteristics for binders in LSBs, then summarize the research progress of ecofriendly binders in detail, as well as outstanding binders applied in high‐sulfur‐loading electrodes. Finally, the challenges and development direction of binders for future industrial applications in LSBs are also highlighted.
Sequence Decoding of 1D to 2D Self‐Assembling Cyclic Peptides
Authors: Díaz Sandra , Insua Ignacio , Bhak Ghibom , Montenegro Javier
Published: August 2020

The inherent ability of peptides to self‐assemble with directional and rationally predictable interactions has fostered a plethora of synthetic two‐dimensional (2D) supramolecular biomaterials. However, the design of peptides with hierarchical assembly in different dimensions across mesoscopic lengths remains a challenging task. We here describe the structural exploration of a d/l‐alternating cyclic octapeptide capable of assembling one‐dimensional (1D) nanotubes in water, which subsequently pack laterally to form giant 2D nanosheets up to 500 μm long with a constant 3.2 nm thickness. Specific amino acid mutations allowed the mapping of structure–assembly relationships that determine 2D self‐assembly. Nine peptide modifications were studied, revealing key features in the peptide sequence that nanosheets tolerated, while a total of three peptide variants included modifications that compromised their 2D arrangement. These lessons will serve as guide and inspiration for new 2D supramolecular peptide designs.
Supramolecular Chemistry of Titanium Oxide Clusters
Authors: Liu Caiyun , Wang Yifeng
Published: August 2020

Titanium oxide clusters (TOCs) have been emerging as a new type of inorganic molecular entities of supramolecular chemistry. Herein, a perspective on the structures and functionalities of TOCs over the past three decades is given and the paramount roles of TOCs in serving supramolecular chemistry are demonstrated. Four types of supramolecular assemblies based on TOCs are reviewed, namely, TOC hosts for ion inclusion, mechanically interlocked molecular systems built from cyclic TOCs, reactivities of surface sites toward ligand exchange, and hierarchical structures of TOCs. The principles and advantages of TOCs toward each application are fully discussed, along with structural analyses. Following this path, more functional TOC‐based supramolecular systems may be designed and synthesized in the future, which, in turn, will certainly enhance research into both supramolecular and coordination chemistry of titanium.
COST Action 620 Approach: Application to a Karst Aquifer, SE Mexico
Authors: González‐Herrera Roger , Albornoz‐Euán BethSua , Sánchez‐Pinto Ismael , Zetina‐Moguel Carlos
Published: August 2020

The EU Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action 620 Group approach is applied to evaluate the risk of groundwater contamination of a karstic aquifer located southeast of Mexico, to get information of potentially threatened areas. Subsurface contaminant loads, the aquifer vulnerability, as well as, the interaction between them are considered to define the aquifer risk to contamination. The hazard and risk indexes are calculated from an inventory of contaminant sources, creating their maps using geographic information system. Under the COST 620 approach, any method can be used to analyze aquifer vulnerability to contamination and new ones can be developed. This allows to model the karst groundwater vulnerability to contamination in the study area, applying a modified version of the DRASTIC method, where considerations are given to hydraulic conductivity and land use, as parameters in the model. The results indicate a more conservative differentiation when compared to similar studies carried out in the study area with the moderate vulnerability class occupying the greatest extent. Areas of high hazard and risk are in the main urban areas.
Photoreceptors in skate are arranged to allow for a broad horizontal field of view
Authors: Mäthger Lydia M , Zhao Kevin , Herbst Lena
Published: August 2020

Studying retinal specializations offers insights into eye functionality and visual ecology. Using light microscopic techniques, including retinal whole‐mounts, we investigated photoreceptor densities in the retina of the skate Leucoraja erinacea. We show that photoreceptors are not sized or oriented in the same way, and that they are not evenly distributed across the retina. There was a dorsally located horizontal visual streak with increased photoreceptor density, with additional local maxima in which densities were highest. Photoreceptors were longest and thinnest inside this visual streak, becoming shorter and thicker toward the periphery and toward the ventral retina. Furthermore, in the peripheral retinal parts, photoreceptors (particularly the outer segments) were noticeably tilted with respect to the retinal long axis. In order to understand how photoreceptors are tilted inside the eye, we used computerized tomography (CT) and micro‐CT, to obtain geometrical dimensions of the whole skate eye. These CT/micro‐CT data provided us with the outlines of the skate eye and the location of the retina and this enabled us to reconstruct how photoreceptors tilt in an intact eye. Findings were analyzed relative to previously published ganglion cell distributions in this species, showing a posteriorly located retinal area with photoreceptor: ganglion cell convergence as low as 39:1. Some peripheral areas showed ratios as high as 391:1. We frame our findings in terms of the animal's anatomy: body and eye shape, specifically the location of the tapetum, as well as the visual demands associated with lifestyle and habitat type. A speculative function in polarization sensitivity is discussed.
Experimental drug shown to reduce adverse effects of Rosiglitazone
Authors: Idris Iskandar
Published: August 2020

Use of an experimental drug with Rosiglitazone shown to reduce similar degree of insulin sensitization without the known adverse effects of Rosiglitazone.
Rear‐edge, low‐diversity, and haplotypic uniformity in cold‐adapted Bupleurum euphorbioides interglacial refugia populations
Authors: Cho Won‐Bum , So Soonku , Han Eun‐Kyeong , Myeong Hyeon‐Ho , Park Jong‐Soo , Hwang Seung‐Hyun , Kim Joo‐Hwan , Lee Jung‐Hyun
Published: August 2020

The high genetic diversity of rear‐edge refugia populations is predicted to have resulted from species repeatedly migrating to low latitudes during glacial periods over the course of Quaternary climate change. However, several recent empirical studies of cold‐tolerant plants revealed the opposite pattern. We investigated whether current habitats of the cold‐adapted and range‐restricted Bupleurum euphorbioides in the Baekdudaegan, South Korea, and North Korea could be interglacial refugia, and documented how their rear‐edge populations differ genetically from those of typical temperate species. Phylogeographic analysis and ecological niche modeling (ENM) were used. The genetic structure was analyzed using microsatellite markers and chloroplast DNA sequences. The congener B. longiradiatum was included as a typical temperate plant species. Despite having almost identical life history traits, these congeneric species exhibited contrasting patterns of genetic diversity. ENM revealed an apparent maximum range contraction during the last interglacial. In contrast, its range expanded northward to the Russian Far East (Primorsky) during the Last Glacial Maximum. Thus, we hypothesize that B. euphorbioides retreated to its current refugia during interglacial periods. Unlike populations in the central region, the rear‐edge populations were genetically impoverished and uniform, both within populations and in pooled regional populations. The rear‐edge B. euphorbioides survived at least one past interglacial, contributing to the species’ genetic diversity. We believe that such genetic variation in the cold‐adapted B. euphorbioides gives the species the necessary adaptations to survive an upcoming favorable environment (the next glacial), unless there is artificial environmental change.
Contrasting CO2 and water vapour fluxes in dry forest and pasture sites of central Argentina
Authors: Nosetto Marcelo D. , Luna Toledo Emanuel , Magliano Patricio N. , Figuerola Patricia , Blanco Lisandro J. , Jobbágy Esteban G.
Published: August 2020

The dry forests of South America are a key player of the global carbon cycle and the regional water cycle, but they are being intensively deforested. We used eddy covariance measurements to compare the temporal patterns of CO2 and water vapour fluxes and their relationships with environmental variables in dry forest and pastures sites of central Argentina. Ecosystem fluxes showed clear contrasts in magnitude, timing and response to environmental controls between ecosystems. The dry forest displayed higher daily gross primary productivity (GPP, 10.6 vs. 7.8 g CO2 m−2 d−1) and ecosystem respiration (Reco, 9.1 vs. 7.0 g CO2 m−2 d−1) and lower net ecosystem exchange (NEE, −1.5 vs. −0.7 g CO2 m−2 d−1) than the pasture. These differences were explained by a lower tolerance of the pasture to cool temperatures and drought. The lowest NEE rates were observed between 26°C and 34°C in the pasture, but below this range, NEE increased sharply, switching to a carbon source with temperatures <20°C. By contrast, the dry forest remained as a strong carbon sink down to 18°C. The pasture also showed a stronger drop of GPP with drought compared with the dry forest, becoming a carbon source with soil wetness <25% of soil available water. Rainfall was strongly coupled with GPP in both ecosystems, but the dry forest responded to longer rainfall integration periods. This study helps to understand how ecosystems can respond to climate change, improve global scale modelling and increase the productivity and resilience of rangelands.
Voltage control for microchip capillary electrophoresis analyses
Authors: Bosma Rick , Devasagayam Jasen , Eswar Rahul , Albuquerque Iasmin de França , Collier Christopher M.
Published: August 2020

This paper presents an inexpensive and easy‐to‐implement voltage sequencer instrument for use in microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE) actuation. The voltage sequencer instrument takes a 0–5 V input signal from a microcontroller and produces a reciprocally proportional voltage signal with the capability to achieve the voltages required for MCE actuation. The unit developed in this work features four independent voltage channels, measures 105 × 143 × 45 mm (width × length × height), and the cost to assemble is under 60 USD. The system is controlled by a peripheral interface controller and commands are given via universal serial bus connection to a personal computer running a command line graphical user interface. The performance of the voltage sequencer is demonstrated by its integration with a fluorescence spectroscopy MCE sensor using pinched sample injection and electrophoretic separation to detect ciprofloxacin in samples of milk. This application is chosen as it is particularly important for the dairy industry, where fines and health concerns are associated with the shipping of antibiotic‐contaminated milk. The voltage sequencer instrument presented represents an effective low‐cost instrumentation method for conducting MCE, thereby making these experiments accessible and affordable for use in industries such as the dairy industry.
A metaheuristic approach for source traffic grooming in elastic optical networks
Authors: Miladić‐Tešić Suzana , Marković Goran , Nonković Nikola , Radojičić Valentina
Published: August 2020

The increasing demands for higher spectrum efficiency have made elastic optical networks (EON) to be an interesting area for the research community. The possibility that some network parameters are changed according to different types of services allows that optical paths can be established using just enough spectrum as needed. Since individual optical paths have to be separated by guard bands, a large part of the available spectrum is wasted. The efficient utilization of available network capacity is among network operators' major concerns and therefore, traffic engineering techniques that provide additional capacity on the existing infrastructure are of the interest. As such, the traffic grooming technique has been analyzed in this article. By applying the grooming technique, the basic problem in EONs, namely routing and spectrum allocation is extended and made more complex, especially in the case of realistic networks. Compared to electrical traffic grooming applied in traditional wavelength division multiplexing networks, traffic grooming directly at the optical layer is an attractive option for EON because it provides the opportunity to groom several same source connections into one transmitter and in such a way eliminating the guard bands. In this article, we solve the grooming problem in EON with static traffic demands using the bee colony optimization metaheuristic approach. The objective is to serve all traffic demands such that spectrum savings are maximized and total spectrum usage is minimized. The results indicate considerable spectrum savings compared to the scenario without grooming and a significant improvement considering some referenced grooming algorithms.
Cytokine‐related genes play critical roles in extrafollicular growth of follicular lymphoma cells
Authors: Yoshida Noriaki , Miyoshi Hiroaki , Arakawa Fumiko , Nakashima Kazutaka , Kawamoto Keisuke , Seto Masao , Ohshima Koichi
Published: August 2020

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a germinal center‐derived B‐cell lymphoma that is known to proliferate in the intrafollicular region. However, lymphoma cells can be identified in the extrafollicular regions, which are related to disease dissemination. We purified the intrafollicular and extrafollicular regions of FL cells by laser microdissection and conducted microarray analysis in order to characterize the gene expression profiles of FL cells from both regions. BCL2 and genes of germinal B‐cell markers clearly separated intrafollicular and extrafollicular regions of reactive follicular hyperplasia, suggesting the adequacy of the current analysis. In FL cases, cytokine‐related genes were significantly enriched in extrafollicular regions compared with those in the intrafollicular regions. In intrafollicular regions of FL, cell‐cycle–related genes were enriched. We found that the FL cells in the extrafollicular region more strongly expressed IL3RA and CXCL12 than those of intrafollicular regions. The cytokines might be also derived from stroma cells in the extrafollicular regions, which may initiate activation and migration of the tumor cells to this region. Our results suggest that FL cell interaction with surrounding stroma cells plays an important role in the pathophysiology of FL and that such interactions should be a good target for therapy.
Quality and quantity of price elasticity of cigarette in Iran
Authors: Homaie Rad Enayatollah , Pulok Mohammad Habibullah , Rezaei Satar , Reihanian Anita
Published: August 2020

Objective

Effectiveness of tax policies to control cigarette consumption largely depends on the sensitivity of cigarette demand due to price change. Price elasticity is the measurement of this responsiveness. The main objective of this study is to measure quantity, and quality price elasticity of demand (PED) and cross‐price elasticity of demand (XED) for Iranian and non‐Iranian cigarette brands in Iran.

Methods

This study used data from the 2017 Iranian household income and expenditures survey conducted in all 31 provinces of Iran. A total of 39,864 households were included in the survey. PED of quantity and quality and XED were estimated using restricted, unrestricted and quintile regression models.

Results

Our results s show that the Iranian and non‐Iranians brands cigarettes were price inelastic and elastic, respectively. XED between Iranian and non‐Iranian brands was positive suggesting households' preference for Iranian brands of cigarettes over non‐Iranian brands. Quintile regression results suggest that PED varied between −1.20 and −0.91 across the distribution of quantity demanded.

Conclusion

Imposing tax could be a useful policy tool to control smoking initiation and intensity in Iran. However, the effectiveness of such policy would depend on the better governance of taxation imposed on different brands of cigarettes.
Parental coping with childhood cancer and its relationship with self‐construal: A survey in southeast Iran
Authors: Ghorbani Fereshteh , Iranmanesh Sedigheh , Razban Farideh , Dehghan Mahlagha
Published: August 2020

Background

Childhood cancer is a major challenge for parapets. Parents are one of the main sources of emotional support for their child, but their ability to provide proper care during their child's illness and treatment depends entirely on the way they manage to cope with diagnosis and its outcomes. Parents' coping pattern seems to be affected by their perception of themselves or their surroundings.

Aim

To investigate parents' coping strategies with childhood cancer and its relation with self‐construal.

Methods

A total of 127 eligible parents participated in this descriptive correlational study.

Results

Medical, social support, and family strategies were respectively helpful for parents. The interdependent self‐construal score was higher than the independent self‐construal score. A significant relationship was found between interdependent self‐construal and social support (P = .01).

Discussion

It seems that individualists and collectivists' cultural context influence the usefulness of coping strategies. These differences should be considered in training of coping strategies.
Use of a cesarean delivery checklist in an African maternity ward to improve management and reduce length of hospital stay†
Authors: Sun Mengyang , Patauli Desire , Bernstein Peter S. , Goffman Dena , Nathan Lisa M.
Published: August 2020

Objective

To create, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a cesarean delivery checklist on maternal and neonatal outcomes in a rural African hospital.

Methods

Based on input from local authorities, WHO’s Safe Surgical Checklist was modified for cesarean delivery and adapted for use in low‐resource settings. Retrospective chart review between April and August 2013 in Kibogora Hospital, Nyamasheke, Rwanda, included the first 100 women undergoing cesarean after checklist implementation and the last 100 women undergoing cesarean before implementation. Checklist utilization was determined and degree of completeness assessed. Outcomes were compared between patients for whom the checklist was utilized and patients for whom the checklist was not utilized, in both pre and post‐implementation groups.

Results

Checklist utilization rate was 83.0% (83/100). Checklist utilization was associated with significant increases in documentation of estimated blood loss (91.6% [76/83] vs 0.9% [1/117], P<0.001) and antibiotic administration before incision (96.4% [80/83] vs 30.8% [36/117], P<0.001). It was also associated with decreased rates of hospitalization longer than the standard 4 days (19.3% [16/83] vs 70.1% [82/117], P<0.001).

Conclusion

Implementation of a cesarean delivery checklist via a culturally specific and resource‐specific strategy resulted in high utilization rates and improved performance in key best practices by healthcare providers.
Disulfiram‐Cotrimoxazole Reaction
Authors: Heelon Mark W. , White Michael
Published: August 2020

The disulfiram‐ethanol reaction is a well‐known clinical phenomenon occurring as a result of acetaldehyde accumulation in the blood. Symptoms usually begin within 5–15 minutes after ingestion of ethanol in patients who have taken disulfiram 3–123 hours earlier, and generally occur in the following order: flushing, sweating, palpitations, dyspnea, hyperventilation, increased pulse rate, fall in blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness. Patients need not experience all these symptoms, and recovery is generally complete. Trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole) is a commonly prescribed antimicrobial agent that may produce a reaction similar to that of disulfiram when taken by patients who drink ethanol. This drug‐chemical interaction may result in accumulation of acetaldehyde in the blood.
Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of circulating CVA16, CVA6 strains and genotype distribution in hand, foot and mouth disease cases in 2017 to 2018 from Western India
Authors: Gopalkrishna Varanasi , Ganorkar Nital
Published: August 2020

Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (HFMD) is a mild exanthematous and febrile disease occurs in children aged ≤10 years old. The present study highlights clinical, epidemiological characteristics, distribution of enterovirus (EV) types, and sub genotypes in HFMD cases reported during 2017 to 2018 in Western India. A total of 93 clinical samples collected from 68 HFMD cases were included. The presence of EV‐RNA was determined by 5'UTR based nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction followed by molecular typing, sub genotyping by VP1/2A junction or VP1, full VP1 gene amplification, and phylogenetic analysis. The study reports 80.64% (75/93) EV positivity and 94.66% (71/75) typing rate, with a predominant circulation of CVA16 and CVA6 strains. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of coxsackievirus (CV)A16 (57.7%), CVA6 (40.8%), and Echo1 (1.4%) strains. EV infections were predominantly observed in children aged 1 to 3 years old (43.9%). Although cases were reported throughout the year, peaked in July (15.8%) and August (24.6%) months and persisted till September (19.3%). All the CVA16 and CVA6 positive strains were genotyped using full VP1 gene amplification. All CVA16 Indian strains (n = 41) were clustered with rarely reported B1c sub genotype and CVA6 strains (n = 29) with E2 sub‐lineage. The study highlights the genetic characteristics of circulating CVA16, CVA6, and Echo1 strains in HFMD cases from Western India. The emergence of CVA16 B1c genotype and sub‐lineage E2 of CVA6 strains and their constant circulation further demands systemic surveillance studies on HFMD from different parts of India to facilitate the rapid diagnosis of CVA16 and CVA6 strains using the molecular and serological based approach and for intervention strategies.
A comparison of meta‐methods for synthesizing indirect effects
Authors: van Zundert Camiel H. J. , Miočević Milica
Published: August 2020

Synthesizing findings about the indirect (mediated) effect plays an important role in determining the mechanism through which variables affect one another. This simulation study compared six methods for synthesizing indirect effects: correlation‐based MASEM, parameter‐based MASEM, marginal likelihood synthesis, an adjustment to marginal likelihood synthesis, and univariate, and two‐parameter sequential Bayesian methods. This paper provides an empirical example and code for using all methods compared in the simulation study. The methods were compared on (relative) bias, precision, and RMSE of the point estimates and the power, coverage, and type I error rates of the interval estimates. The factors in the simulation were the methods, the strength of the indirect effect, the measurement level of the independent variable, and the number of studies available for synthesis. Correlation‐based MASEM had the lowest bias out of all methods and produced interval estimates with the best statistical properties. The precision of the point estimates and the RMSE was marginally different across methods. Marginal likelihood synthesis had the highest power but performed poorly in terms of coverage and type I error rates. The adjusted marginal likelihood synthesis and two‐parameter sequential Bayesian methods performed adequately in terms of bias and power, and the adjusted marginal likelihood synthesis had higher power than the sequential Bayesian method. Correlation‐based MASEM performed best out of the six methods. Guidelines for optimal practices when synthesizing indirect effects (eg, required number of studies, type of results reported) are provided, as well as suggestions for further methodological research.
Chemical and sensorial characterization of spray dried hydroSOStainable almond milk
Authors: Lipan Leontina , Rusu Bogdan , Simon Elemer L , Sendra Esther , Hernández Francisca , Vodnar Dan C , Corell Mireia , Carbonell‐Barrachina Ángel
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

Water scarcity is a worldwide problem that leads to environmental and economic issues. Agriculture is one of the main consumers of water for irrigation and fertilization and almond is the major tree nut crop in the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, there is a continuous growing demand for healthy, vegan and sustainable products. Consequently, the present study aimed to chemically characterize almond milk powder enriched with probiotics manufactured from hydroSOStainable almonds (i.e. generated under water stress conditions). Almond milk powder enriched with probiotic bacteria was produced with almonds grown under optimal irrigation conditions (100% of the crop evapotranspiration) and was chemically compared to the samples made from hydroSOStainable almonds. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), minerals, organic acids and sugars, fatty acids, and descriptive sensory analysis were evaluated.

RESULTS

The results showed that almond milk powder produced from hydroSOStainable almonds had a higher content of TPC, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), PUFAs/saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ratio and PUFAs/monounsaturated fatty acids ratio, as well as almond and nutty flavors. Moderate and sustained deficit irrigation leads to powders with a higher content of PUFAs and PUFAs/SFAs ratio, which are parameters of utmost importance for health.

CONCLUSION

Using these strategies, between 66% and 76% of the irrigation water can be saved, producing hydroSOStainable almond milk powder higher in TPC and PUFAs, as well as positive sensory attributes, compared to that from fully irrigated almonds. These findings may have a positive impact in both agriculture and food industry, allowing water savings and high quality and sustainable food products to be obtained. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Antigenic activity and epitope analysis of β‐conglycinin hydrolyzed by pepsin
Authors: Hu Jinqiang , Yuan Luyang , An Guangjie , Zhang Junsong , Zhao Xuewei , Liu Yang , Shan Jinjin , Wang Zhangcun
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

Soybean is among the ‘big eight’ allergenic foods, and β‐conglycinin, the main antigenic protein of soybean, has high levels of antigenic activity. Why the antigenic activity of soybean β‐conglycinin is not eliminated by enzymatic hydrolysis is not clear. In this study, changes in the molecular composition and antigenicity of β‐conglycinin hydrolyzed by pepsin were analyzed and it was determined whether complete sequential epitopes exist in the resulting hydrolysates. The nature and antigenic activity of protein subunits obtained after β‐conglycinin hydrolysis were also assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

RESULTS

The residual antigenic activity of β‐conglycinin was 52%, α′‐ and α‐subunits completely disappeared, the 49 kDa fraction partially disappeared, and peptides measuring 27 and 23 kDa were newly formed after 60 min of enzymatic hydrolysis. Prolonged enzymatic hydrolysis did not result in remarkable changes in these peptides; thus, the peptides show some resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. The amino acid sequences of the peptide chains were analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption / ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry and aligned with the related sequences in the corresponding protein and antigen databases. Ten complete sequential epitopes were identified in the residual 49 kDa fraction, of these epitopes, two were from α‐subunits and eight were from β‐subunits.

CONCLUSION

The presence of complete sequential epitopes in hydrolysates obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean is an important reason for the incomplete disappearance of the antigenic activity of β‐conglycinin. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
The anti‐tussive, anti‐inflammatory effects and sub‐chronic toxicological evaluation of perilla seed oil
Authors: Zhang Hui‐Xing , Tian Yi‐Hong , Guan Jian , Xie Qiang‐Min , Zhao Yu‐Qing
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

Perilla seed oil (PSO) is the main constituent of perilla seeds currently being used in the food industry, however it also has great clinical potential in the regulation of lung function as a nutrition supplement because of the high content of α‐linolenic acid (ALA). In this study, the pharmacological activities including anti‐tussive, expectorant and anti‐inflammatory effect of PSO were performed. Furthermore, the 90‐day sub‐chronic oral toxicity with a 30 day recovery period was evaluated in Wistar rats.

RESULTS

The pharmacological studies demonstrated that PSO inhibited cough frequency induced by capsaicine in mice. PSO also inhibited the leukotriene B4 (LTB4) release from the calcium ionophore A23187‐induced polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to some extent. In this sub‐chronic toxicity study, mortality, clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, hematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, organ weight, necropsy, and histopathology were used to evaluate the toxicity of PSO. Lower body weight and various negative impacts on liver related parameters without histopathological lesion were observed in the 16 g kg−1 groups. No clinically significant changes were discovered in the 4 g kg−1 group during the test period.

CONCLUSION

In summary, PSO exhibited anti‐tussive and anti‐inflammatory activities in vivo and in vitro. These sub‐chronic toxicity studies inferred that the ‘no‐observed adverse effect level’ (NOAEL) of PSO in Wistar rats was determined to be 4 g kg−1. These results may provide a safety profile and a valuable reference for the use of PSO. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of leaf‐to‐fruit ratios on phenolic and sensory profiles of Malbec wines from single high‐wire‐trellised vineyards
Authors: Ahumada Gastón E , Catania Anibal , Fanzone Martin L , Belmonte Marcelo J , Giordano Carla V , González Carina V
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

The single high‐wire system is a free canopy trellis system suitable for warm to hot climates. In a global warming scenario, it arouses as a technological solution since it prevents berry overheating and sunburn. Canopy management practices manipulate leaf‐to‐fruit ratios, affecting berry and wine composition. We aimed to evaluate the phenolic and sensory profiles of Malbec wines from single high‐wire trellised vineyards in a hot region in Mendoza (Argentina) and to assess the effect of varying leaf‐to‐fruit ratios on these attributes. We manipulated leaf‐to‐fruit ratios by varying shoot trimming (experiment 1: 0.45 m, 0.80 m, and untrimmed) and winter pruning severity (experiment 2: 16, 24, 32, and >32 countable buds per meter). We characterized wine attributes by a descriptive analysis, color by the CIELAB space, and global phenolics compounds and anthocyanins by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection.

RESULTS

We found that wines where shoots were trimmed to 0.80 m or left untrimmed had similar and greater intensity of color, violet hue, astringency, and alcohol and a richer aroma profile than wines where shoots were trimmed to 0.45 m. Meanwhile, wines from 16 and >32 buds/m treatments (the latter simulating a box pruning) were similar to each other and had higher color intensity, violet hue, acidity, alcohol, and astringency and a more complex aroma profile than the other pruning treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The best quality wines were achieved by leaving 16 or >32 buds/m and by trimming shoots to 0.80 m or leaving them untrimmed. The modulation of cultural practices in sprawling canopies offers the potential to produce wines with different styles in hot regions. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of Polymer Network Topology on the Electro‐Optical Performance of Polymer Stabilized Liquid Crystal (PSLC) Devices
Authors: Zhou Yong , You Yuxin , Liao Xiaoling , Liu Wei , Zhou Le , Zhang Beibei , Zhao Wei , Hu Xiaowen , Zhang Lanying , Yang Huai , Zhou Guofu , Yuan Dong
Published: August 2020

Polymer‐stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) devices can realize fast switching between transparent and scattering state, and have been widely applied as smart windows and optical shutters. It has many advantages such as high transmittance, high haze value, fast response speed, and low driving voltage. The electro‐optical response of PSLC devices depends on the properties of the liquid crystal molecules and the influence of the polymer network on the motion of the liquid crystal molecules. In this paper, the effect of polymer network morphology on the performance of PSLC devices is systematically studied. By adding mono‐acrylate monomer into the liquid crystal di‐acrylate monomers, the polymer network became softer and sparser after photopolymerization. The threshold voltage and response time of PSLC devices decreased with increasing the mono‐acrylate monomer concentration, but changed to increase after the concentration exceeds 1.8 wt%. This study provides guidelines to optimize of PSLC based optical devices and windows.
Aggregation of incomplete preference rankings: Robustness analysis of the ZMII‐technique
Authors: Franceschini Fiorenzo , Maisano Domenico
Published: August 2020

A common group decision‐making problem is that in which: (a) several judges express their subjective preference rankings regarding some objects of interest and (b) these rankings should then be aggregated into a collective judgement. The authors recently developed an aggregation technique – denominated “ZMII” – aggregating these rankings into a ratio scaling of the objects, which represents the solution to the decision‐making problem of interest. This technique also includes a flexible response mode, which tolerates incomplete rankings and can, therefore, be adapted to various practical contexts, such as quality improvement activities, field surveys, product‐comparison surveys, etc.

The aim of this article is proposing an original approach to verify the robustness of the ZMII‐technique under the influence of various factors, especially those concerned with the degree of “completeness” of preference rankings (e.g., number of objects identified by judges, whether these objects are ordered or not, etc.). The methodology in use relies on the simulation of several thousand decision‐making problems, in order to organically study the effect of the factors of interest. Results show a certain robustness of the ZMII‐technique, even under relatively “unfavourable” practical conditions, characterized by very incomplete preference rankings. Description is supported by instructive examples.