bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review on equivalence‐based procedures to teach food‐portion estimation skills
Authors: Díaz Melissa , Garcia Yors , Mahoney Amanda
Published: February 2023

This review involved a systematic analysis of equivalence‐based instruction (EBI) that aimed to improve food‐size interventions in diverse populations. Systematic searches identified seven studies published since 2010 that met inclusion criteria. These studies were analyzed according to their participants, design, setting, content taught, training structures, training protocol, testing format, treatment integrity, and outcomes. Results showed EBI procedures for teaching food estimation skills have been mostly implemented with adults. The type of content taught in the identified studies included carbohydrate ranges, portion size with food and non‐food items, measuring cups and nutritional content of calories. Majority of included studies used one‐to‐many training structure and simultaneous protocols for teaching stimulus relations. Five studies completed a generalization probe and three studies reported treatment integrity data. Overall, all participants demonstrated skill acquisition of novel relations between food and portion measurement aides. Recommendations for future research and clinical applications of EBI in teaching food portion estimation are presented.
Quantifying deliberate practice using auto‐graded questions: Analyzing multiple metrics in a chemical engineering course
Authors: Chapman Kayla E. , Davidson Megan E. , Azuka Nneka , Liberatore Matthew W.
Published: February 2023

Interactive digital technologies provide a mechanism to capture big data for higher education faculty to monitor student progress in real‐time. By measuring both performance and perseverance using auto‐graded problems, this learning analytics research examines several tenets of deliberate practice. Specifically, online homework problems integrated into an interactive textbook for chemical engineering titled Material and Energy Balances zyBook were examined. Across three cohorts totaling over 250 students and 84,000 questions, the fraction correct, attempts before correct, and attempts after correct provided metrics to examine question type and order. Fraction correct and attempts before correct varied with statistical significance as a function of question type and order, including many differences having medium and large effect sizes. Multiple choice questions led to the highest fraction correct and the least number of attempts before correct, while questions requiring multiple numeric responses led to the lowest success and the largest number of attempts before correct. Next, multiple metrics were aggregated into a deliberate practice score, to broadly quantify problem difficulty. Fraction correct, modified correct, first quartile attempts before correct, and median attempts before correct were combined at different thresholds leading to a deliberate practice score between 0 and 8. Questions with higher deliberate practice scores were disproportionality used for practice (61% of attempts on 13% of questions); practice attempts do not receive course credit. Overall, combining metrics in a deliberate practice score exhibits the potential to optimize the length of homework assignments and give students more credit for solving more challenging auto‐graded problems.
Subpoenas and the new registrar, Part 1
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: February 2023

34 CFR §99.31 (a) (9)

An educational … institution may disclose personally identifiable information from the education records of a student without the written consent of…(that) student if the disclosure is…

(9) To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena; Provided that the educational … institution makes a reasonable effort to notify the … student of the order or subpoena in advance of compliance therewith…

(From the originally approved FERPA regulations, published in Part II of the Federal Register, Thursday, June 17, 1976 (Vol. 41, No, 118).)
PerimetryNet: A multiscale fine grained deep network for three‐dimensional eye gaze estimation using visual field analysis
Authors: Yu Shuqing , Wang Zhihao , Zhou Shuowen , Yang Xiaosong , Wu Chao , Wang Zhao
Published: February 2023

Three‐dimensional gaze estimation aims to reveal where a person is looking, which plays an important role in identifying users' point‐of‐interest in terms of the direction, attention and interactions. Appearance‐based gaze estimation methods could provide relatively unconstrained gaze tracking from commodity hardware. Inspired by medical perimetry test, we have proposed a multiscale framework with visual field analysis branch to improve estimation accuracy. The model is based on the feature pyramids and predicts vision field to help gaze estimation. In particular, we analysis the effect of the multiscale component and the visual field branch on challenging benchmark datasets: MPIIGaze and EYEDIAP. Based on these studies, our proposed PerimetryNet significantly outperforms state‐of‐the‐art methods. In addition, the multiscale mechanism and visual field branch can be easily applied to existing network architecture for gaze estimation. Related code would be available at public repositoryhttps://github.com/gazeEs/PerimetryNet.
Balancing Attraction and Repulsion: The Influence of London Dispersion in [10]Cycloparaphenylene‐Fullerene Complexes
Authors: Volkmann Jannis , Kohrs Daniel , Wegner Hermann A.
Published: February 2023

Herein we present a systematic study of the influence of different alkyl chains in malonyl ester fullerene adducts with [10]cycloparaphenylene ([10]CPP]) and a tert‐butyl (tBu) ester‐substituted [10]CPP analogue. The association constants between the nanoring hosts and the fullerene guests were determined by fluorescence quenching experiments. The trends in association were rationalized by an interplay of repulsion arising from an extended volume and London dispersion as an attractive counterpart.
Enantioselective Transformations from Nitriles to NH2‐α‐Tertiary Amines
Authors: Li Qing , Shi Yinrui , Ma Yina , Ding Liuyang , Li Xiang , Li Jiuling , Guo Yafei , Fan Baomin
Published: February 2023

Organic molecules, containing one or more amine chiral centers, are very common to see in natural products and medicines. Although a large number of methods have been developed to afford enantiopure amines, most of the known approaches are limited with various reasons. For example, many methodologies start from nitrogen protected and activated substrates, which usually need multistep operations and seriously decrease the atom economy. Here we disclose a new catalytic strategy from commercial nitriles to high enantioselective α‐tertiary primary amines in up to 90 % yield and 95 % enantiomeric excess. This transformation firstly undergoes an addition process of organolithium reagents to nitriles to generate the imine intermediates in situ. Subsequently, the most challenging step is by employing copper catalytic enantioselective addition of AllylBpin to the imine intermediates to form the final amines in one pot.
Polyaniline/Carbon Nanotube‐Modified Carbon Felt for Accelerating Underwater Microbial Gas Production to Enhance Power Generation
Authors: Du Xuanzhe , Li Ping , Guan Zhibin , Wen Yumei
Published: February 2023

Harvesting energy from bubbles produced by seafloor microorganisms to power underwater devices is a promising method. However, the slow gas production rate under natural conditions hinders the practical application of this technology. Herein, we synthesized polyaniline/carboxyl multiwalled carbon nanotube/carbon felt (PANI/c‐MWCNT/CF) by dip‐coating and in‐situ chemical polymerization for accelerating gas production rate from underwater anaerobic digestion. The optimal WNCNTS addition dosage in modified CF was determined to be 0.5 g/L. Compared with the control group, the PANI/c‐MWCNT/CF improved the gas production yield and rate by 48% and 59%, respectively. Furthermore, after seven days of continuous experiments, the high gas production rate was maintained, demonstrating that the PANI/c‐MWCNT/CF is durable and stable. This study supplies enough gas for the underwater bubble energy harvester, removing environmental constraints on subsea in‐situ power generation and opening up a broad prospect for the power supply to underwater equipment.
Multilayer self‐attention residual network for code search
Authors: Hu Haize , Liu Jianxun , Zhang Xiangping
Published: February 2023

Software developers usually search existing code snippets in open source code repositories to modify and reuse them. Therefore, how to get the right code snippet from the open‐source code repository quickly and accurately is the focus of current software development research. Nowadays, code search is one of the solutions. To improve the accuracy of source code feature information representation and the accuracy of code search. A multilayer self‐ attention residual network‐based code search model (MSARN‐CS) is proposed in this paper. In the MSARN‐CS model, not only the weight of each word in the code sequence unit is considered but also the effect of embedding between code sequence units is calculated. In addition, an optimization model of residuals is introduced to compensate for the loss of information in the code sequences during the model training. To verify the search effectiveness of the MSARN‐CS model, three other baseline models are compared on the basis of extensive source code data. The experimental results show that the MSARN‐CS model has better search results compared with the baseline model. For parameter Recall@1, the experimental result of MSARN‐CS model was 9.547, which as 100.90%, 73.87%, 60.37%, and 2.55% better compared to CODEnn, CRLCS, SAN‐CS‐ and SAN‐CS, respectively. For the parameter Recall@5, the results improved by 26.67%, 36.23%, 36.21%, and 1.63%, respectively, and for the parameter Recall@10, the results improved by 13.92%, 25.70%, 20.78%, and 2.23%, respectively. For the parameter mean reciprocal rank, the results improved by 52.89%, 76.17%, 63.38%, and 3.88%, respectively. For the parameter normalized discounted cumulative gain, the results improved by 54.22%, 60.55%, 50.28%, and 3.30%, respectively. The MSARN‐CS model proposed in the paper can effectively improve the accuracy of code search and enhance the programming efficiency of developers.
Improved Performance of All‐Inorganic Perovskite Light‐emitting Diodes via Nanostructured Stamp Imprinting
Authors: Zhang Hai‐Jing , Liu Yue‐Feng , Zheng Xin , Feng Jing
Published: February 2023

Halide perovskites are emerging emitters with excellent optoelectronic properties. Contrary to the large grain fabrication goal in perovskite solar cells, perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) based on small grain enable efficient radiative recombination because of relatively higher charge carrier densities due to spatial confinement. However, achieving small‐sized grain growth with superior crystal quality and film morphology remains a challenge. In this work, we demonstrated a nanostructured stamp thermal imprinting strategy to boost the surface coverage and improve the crystalline quality of CsPbBr3 film, particularly confine the grain size, leading to the improvement of luminance and efficiency of PeLEDs. We improved the thermal imprinting process utilizing the nanostructured stamp to selectively manipulate the nucleation and growth in the nanoscale region and acquire small‐sized grain accompanied by improved crystal quality and surface morphology of the film. By optimizing the imprinting pressure and the period of the nanostructures, appropriate grain size, high surface coverage, small surface roughness and improved crystallization could be achieved synchronously. Finally, the maximum luminance and efficiency of PeLEDs achieved by nanostructured stamp imprinting with a period of 320 nm are 67600 cd/m2 and 16.36 cd/A, respectively. This corresponds to improvements of 123 % in luminance and 100 % in efficiency, compared to that of PeLEDs without the imprinting.
Statistical Equivalence of Quantum Chemical Methods for Energy Distribution in Water Clusters
Authors: Tokmachev Andrey M.
Published: February 2023

Methods of quantum chemistry are instrumental in understanding molecular structures and properties. However, the results demonstrate significant variability, which is difficult to predict and rationalize. The fundamental question is whether some molecular systems exhibit properties invariant with respect to the computational method. The idea explored here is that collective properties of statistical ensembles should be more robust than characteristics of individual molecules and their arbitrary sets. This effect is demonstrated for the complete set of hydrogen‐bond topologies of the dodecahedral water cluster (H2O)20. Non‐Gaussian energy distributions produced by various methods have the same functional form despite strong differences in mean values and standard deviations. The conclusion is tested on methods of different complexity and origin employing a number of criteria. A linear mapping between the energies produced by different methods is discussed. The significance of the results is in establishing a collective equivalence property of quantum chemical methods.
Theoretical Study of the Hydroxyl‐Radical‐Initiated Degradation Mechanism, Kinetics, and Subsequent Evolution of Methyl and Ethyl Iodides in the Atmosphere
Authors: Liu Xiang‐Huan , Bai Feng‐Yang , Meng Ting‐Ting , Ni Shuang , Zhao Zhen
Published: February 2023

The degradation and transformation of iodinated alkanes are crucial in the iodine chemical cycle in the marine boundary layer. In this study, MP2 and CCSD(T) methods were adopted to study the atmospheric transformation mechanism and degradation kinetic properties of CH3I and CH3CH2I mediated by ⋅OH radical. The results show that there are three reaction mechanisms including H‐abstraction, I‐substitution and I‐abstraction. The H‐abstraction channel producing ⋅CH2I and CH3C ⋅ HI radicals are the main degradation pathways of CH3I and CH3CH2I, respectively. By means of the variational transition state theory and small curvature tunnel correction method, the rate constants and branching ratios of each reaction are calculated in the temperature range of 200–600 K. The results show that the tunneling effect contributes more to the reaction at low temperatures. Theoretical reaction rate constants of CH3I and CH3CH2I with ⋅OH are calculated to be 1.42×10−13 and 4.44×10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at T=298 K, respectively, which are in good agreement with the experimental values. The atmospheric lifetimes of CH3I and CH3CH2I are evaluated to be 81.51 and 26.07 day, respectively. The subsequent evolution mechanism of ⋅CH2I and CH3C ⋅ HI in the presence of O2, NO and HO2 indicates that HCHO, CH3CHO, and I‐atom are the main transformation end‐products. This study provides a theoretical basis for insight into the diurnal conversion and environmental implications of iodinated alkanes.
Anisotropic 1H STD‐NMR Spectroscopy: Exploration of Enantiomer‐Polypeptide Interactions in Chiral Oriented Environments
Authors: Gouilleux Boris , Moussallieh François‐Marie , Lesot Philippe
Published: February 2023

The front cover artwork is provided by Dr. Philippe Lesot's group (NMR in Oriented Media, ICMMO, UMR CNRS 8182) at Université Paris‐Saclay, France. The image shows four pieces of a puzzle: the magnet of an NMR spectrometer, the principle of the 1H STD‐NMR experiment and the 3D helical structure of the poly‐γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate polymer leading to a chiral liquid‐crystalline phase that discriminates the enantiomers of a model chiral solute (1‐phenethyl alcohol). Putting these pieces of the puzzle together allows us to identify the hydrogen sites of each enantiomer interacting with the polypeptide side chain. These new outcomes are a further step towards a global understanding of the chiral recognition that occurs in such media. Read the full text of the Research Article at 10.1002/cphc.202200508.
Iron‐Cobalt‐Cerium Multimetallic Oxides Derived from Prussian Blue Precursors: Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis
Authors: Wu Yaqiong , Kong Yuxuan , Du Binjie , Liu Tian , Ying Shuanglu , Xiong Dengke , Yi Fei‐Yan
Published: February 2023

Exploring non‐precious metal‐based electrocatalysts is still challenging in 21stcentury. In this work, a series of hexagonal bipyramidal Ce‐based PBA materials as precursors with different Fe/Co metal ratios, namely as CeFexCo1−x‐PBA, are successfully constructed via co‐precipitation method and converted into corresponding metal oxides (denoted as FexCo1−xCeOy) via thermal treatment. Then, they as electrocatalysts realize highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Especially, as‐synthesized Fe0.7Co0.3CeOyelectrocatalyst shows very low overpotentials of 320 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2and the Tafel slop of 98.4 mV dec−1in 1 M KOH with remarkable durability for 24 h, which was due to the synergistic effect of multi‐metal FeCoCe centers. Furthermore, a two‐electrode cell of Fe0.7Co0.3CeOy/NF||Pt/C/NF realizes outstanding overall water splitting with a voltage of only 1.71 V at 10 mA cm−2and remarkable long‐term durability, that is even superior to benchmark IrO2/NF||Pt/C/NF counterpart.
Bis(acyl)phosphide ‐ Ambidentate Ligands for the Synthesis of Group 14 and 15 Main Group Element Compounds
Authors: Widera Anna , Conti Riccardo , Schrader Erik , Aebli Marcel , Wörle Michael , Grützmacher Hansjörg
Published: February 2023

The reactivity of the bis(acyl)phosphide ion [P(COR)2]− (BAP−, R=Ph, Mes) with silicon halides SiX4 (X=Cl, Br) and pnictogen chlorides ECl3 (E=As, Sb and Bi) was investigated. The reaction with SiX4 leads to the hexacoordinate silanes SiX2(BAP)2 in which BAP− is coordinated in the chelating κ2‐O,O′ mode, analogously to acac−. Unexpectedly, the coordination behaviour of BAP− differs from the one of acac− in the interpnictogen compounds E(BAP)3 (E=As, Sb) in which the formation of E−P bonds is favoured over κ2‐O,O′ chelation via the oxygen centres. Finally, the reaction of BiCl3 with three equivalents of Na(BAP) leads to the formation of red, crystalline Bi2(BAP)4, an air stable dibismuthine, as product of a redox reaction.
Emergency‐line calls as an indicator to assess human–wildlife interaction in urban areas
Authors: Pop Mihai I. , Gradinaru Simona R. , Popescu Viorel D. , Haase Dagmar , Iojă Cristian I.
Published: February 2023

Human–wildlife interactions (HWIs) are increasingly common human disturbances as development continues to remove wildlife habitats. Documenting HWI is critical for environmental protection agencies to develop strategies and management decisions that meet the needs of both people and wildlife. However, evaluation of the frequency and types of HWI at broad spatial scales (e.g., national or regional level) can be costly and difficult to implement by managers. In this study, we apply a novel method for the evaluation of patterns of HWI in urban areas by using publicly available data from emergency calls (ECs) placed by inhabitants of Romania's urban areas. We used information from 4601 ECs placed at the Romanian National Emergency Call System 112, which consisted of (1) wildlife species, (2) spatial location, (3) date and time, and (4) a short description of the emergency. Of the 318 analyzed cities, 300 cities documented ECs on HWI between 2015 and 2020, with roe deer and brown bear being the most frequently mentioned species. We recorded an increasing trend in HWI‐related ECs in 73% of the urban areas over the five‐year period. We mapped the large‐scale distribution of HWI by species and type of interactions in order to capture variations at the national level. Further, we analyzed the social and the biophysical factors potentially influencing the occurrence and frequency of HWI. The results showed that social factors have the same effect on all species, while the effect of the biophysical factors varied between species. Particularly, the presence of large natural habitats, represented by forests, influenced the number of calls only for brown bears. Seminatural landscapes with agricultural land have a different influence in terms of effect and significance for the considered species. Our results suggest that publicly available data from ECs can be used for the rapid assessment of HWI and for evaluating trends and predictors of HWI at broad spatial scales.
Immunization with excretory‐secretory molecules of intestinal nematodes induces antigen‐specific protective memory Th2 cell responses
Authors: Yordanova Ivet A. , Elizalde‐Velázquez Luis E. , Hartmann Susanne
Published: February 2023

Parasitic nematodes infect more than 1 billion people in the global south. The development of effective antihelminthic vaccines is a crucial tool for their future elimination. Protective immune responses to nematodes depend on Gata3+ Th2 cells, which can also be induced by nematode‐released products. Whether these nematode products induce antigen‐specific long‐lived memory T cells and thereby confer protection against a challenge infection is not known yet. Hence, we set out to characterize the formation of memory Th2 cells induced by immunization with Heligmosomoides polygyrus excretory‐secretory (HES) products, infection‐induced versus immunization‐induced recall responses to a challenge infection, and whether HES‐induced memory T cells show protective properties following adoptive transfer. Our results show that 8 weeks postimmunization, HES induces long‐lived functional memory Th2 cells at the site of immunization in the peritoneal cavity. Following a H. polygyrus challenge infection, HES‐immunized mice display MHC‐II‐dependent antigen‐specific Th2 cytokine responses in the gut‐draining lymph nodes, comparable to those induced by a prior natural infection. Moreover, adoptive transfer of sorted memory CD4+ T cells from HES‐immunized donors reduces female worm fecundity following a challenge H. polygyrus infection in recipient mice, highlighting a protective role for immunization‐induced memory T cells.
Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Direct Reductive Amination of Carbonyl Compounds for the Synthesis of Amines: An Overview
Authors: Jose Jisna , Diana Elizabeth J. , Kanchana U. S. , Mathew Thomas V.
Published: February 2023

Reductive amination is a valuable method for amine synthesis that has been the topic of a century‘s worth of in‐depth study in both academia and industry. Amines and their derivatives serve as incredibly adaptable building blocks for a broad array of organic substrates and are significant precursors for a myriad of advanced chemicals, physiologically active compounds, agrochemicals, biomolecules, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. The creation of innovative catalytic processes for the long‐term and selective synthesis of amines from readily accessible and environmentally benign reagents remains a top priority in chemical research. Both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts have been designed with success to enable these reactions to explore new amines. Ruthenium catalysts are employed in reductive amination owing to their stability, selectivity, versatility, low toxicity, and high efficiency. This review comprehensively overviews the Ru‐catalyzed reductive amination processes and includes the literature from 2009 to 2022.
Commercially available foods for young children (<36 months) in Australia: An assessment of how they compare to a proposed nutrient profile model
Authors: Scully Maree , Schmidtke Andrea , Conquest Libby , Martin Jane , McAleese Alison
Published: February 2023

Issue addressed

To assess the nutritional composition of commercially available foods (CAFs) for infants and toddlers sold in Australia to determine whether they meet World Health Organization (WHO) Europe's proposed standards for nutritionally appropriate foods for children <36 months.

Methods

A cross‐sectional retail audit of infant (n = 177) and toddler (n = 73) foods found in‐store and online at three major Victorian supermarkets was conducted in August/September 2019. Products were grouped according to WHO Europe's food categories and their nutrient content assessed against specific composition standards applicable to their category. The presence of added sugar in each product was also recorded.

Results

Most infant products (71%) were soft‐wet spoon‐able, ready‐to‐eat foods whereas the most prevalent category for toddler products was dry finger foods and snacks (71%). Overall, just one‐third of CAFs met all the nutrient recommendations for their category, with infant foods more likely to be compliant than toddler foods (43% vs. 10%; P < .001). Around 9 in 10 infant (93%) and toddler (89%) CAFs contained added sugar according to the Public Health England definition of ‘free’ sugars.

Conclusions

There is considerable scope to improve the nutritional composition of Australian CAFs for both infants and toddlers, to reduce harmful sugars in these foods and to improve the energy density of them. For CAFs marketed as suitable for toddlers there is also considerable scope to reduce the sodium content.

So what?

These findings support the need for stronger regulation of CAFs for infants and toddlers to better promote healthy eating patterns and taste preferences in young children.
Requirements for improving social capital among faculty members of medical universities: A multicenter qualitative study
Authors: Keshavarzi Mohammad Hasan , Shahabi Saeed , Kalateh Sadati Ahmad , Hashempour‐Sadeghian Maryam , Zarei Leila , Ardekani Ali , Akbary Ali , Zakeri Mohammadreza , Heydari Seyed Taghi , Bagheri Lankarani Kamran
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Social capital is critical to organizational dynamics, particularly in developing countries. This study explored strategies for enhancing social capital among faculty members at seven medical universities in the south of Iran.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted in 2021. We used a purposeful sampling technique to recruit faculty members and conducted individual semi‐structured interviews with them. Thematic analysis was used to analyze and describe the collected data.

Results

A total of 49 faculty members (34 males; 15 females) participated in this study. The participants expressed satisfaction with their affiliations with medical universities. Social capital was related to the feeling of belonging to the organization, as well as to interpersonal and intra‐organizational relations. Social capital was associated with three components: empowerment, organizational policy change, and organizational identification. Additionally, a dynamic relationship between the individual, interpersonal, and macro‐organizational levels reinforced the organization's social capital. This means that, just as the macro‐organizational level affects the members' identities, the members' activism affects the macro‐organizational level.

Conclusion

To strengthen the organization's social capital, managers should work on the mentioned components at the individual, interpersonal, and macro‐organizational levels.
Challenges of implementing diagnostic‐related groups and healthcare promotion in Iran: A strategic applied research
Authors: Asadi Farkhondeh , Sabahi Azam , Ramezanghorbani Nahid , Emami Hassan
Published: February 2023

Background and Aim

Implementing the diagnostic‐related groups (DRGs) promotes the efficiency of healthcare. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the challenges facing implementing the DRGs in Iran.

Methods

The present study is a strategic applied research conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the challenges facing DRGs were extracted through a literature review. Then the collected data is entered into a checklist consisting of five sections including technological, cultural, organizational, strategic, and natural challenges. In the second phase, data were collected by purposive sampling and semistructured interviews with 10 managers of the Medical Services Organization of Tehran, Iran. Data analysis was performed by conventional content analysis using MAXQDA software and descriptive using SPSS software version 19.

Results

The challenges facing the implementing DGRs from the experts' perspective included technological, organizational, nature, strategic, and cultural in order of priority. The three main fundamental challenges were reported; lack of integrating the DGRs with health information system (70%), frequent changes of management (70%), reducing the quality of care following early patient discharge (60%).

Conclusion

The results of the present study showed that the DRG system faced with challenges and healthcare officials should apply policies and guidelines to reform the system before changing the reimbursement system in Iran. By considering the leading countries experiences in the nationalizing the DRG system field, the problems and solutions of the system can be identified and aid in the more successful implementation of these systems.
Effect of sulfonamide derivatives of phenylglycine on scopolamine‐induced amnesia in rats
Authors: Ganeshpurkar Ankit , Singh Ravi , Tripathi Pratigya , Alam Qadir , Krishnamurthy Sairam , Kumar Ashok , Singh Sushil K.
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease responsible for dementia and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. In the present study, compounds 30 and 33, developed earlier in our laboratory as selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors, were tested against scopolamine‐induced amnesia to evaluate their pharmacodynamic effect. The efficacy of the compounds was determined by behavioral experiments using the Y‐maze and the Barnes maze and neurochemical testing. Both compounds reduced the effect of scopolamine treatment in the behavioral tasks at a dose of 20 mg/kg. The results of the neurochemical experiment indicated a reduction in cholinesterase activity in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The levels of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase were restored compared to the scopolamine‐treated groups. The docking study on rat butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) indicated tight binding, with free energies of −9.66 and −10.23 kcal/mol for compounds 30 and 33, respectively. The two aromatic amide derivatives of 2‐phenyl‐2‐(phenylsulfonamido) acetic acid produced stable complexes with rat BChE in the molecular dynamics investigation.
Recurrent bacterial meningitis caused by incomplete Type I inner ear malformation: A case report
Authors: Luo Zhong , Cao Piao , Zhang Chun‐Lin , Xu Zu‐Cai , Xu Ping , Liang Tao
Published: February 2023

The incidence of incomplete partition Type I inner ear malformation is very low; therefore, bacterial meningitis caused by this malformation is also rare. Here, we report a case of such a patient. This case is a young female patient, who is 7 years old, began to have recurrent headaches, and after 5 years, also began to have chest and back pain. The doctor diagnosed meningitis, and the anti‐infection treatment was effective. She was followed up annually and continued to have outbreaks repeatedly for 17 years, but the cause of repeated infection was not found. After a detailed diagnosis and treatment in our hospital, the patient was finally diagnosed with incomplete partition Type I inner ear malformation, resulting in repeated bacterial meningitis. The patient recovered well after surgical treatment, and the symptoms did not recur after 1‐year follow‐up.
Financial development, economic growth and the role of fiscal policy during normal and stress times: Evidence for 26 EU countries
Authors: Asteriou Dimitrios , Spanos Konstantinos , Trachanas Emmanouil
Published: February 2023

This article empirically explores the finance‐growth relationship and the performance of the financial system measured by financial depth, accessibility, and efficiency of both financial sectors, that is, institutions and stock markets. It also examines the role of fiscal policy in conjunction with the performance of financial development during both normal and stress times. The data consists of a panel of 26 European Union countries over the period 1990–2020. The results show that during normal times, the finance‐led growth relationship and the stock market are greatly important, while during stress times the relationship becomes insignificant. Interestingly, financial institutions are found to be more effective at promoting growth and there is clear evidence that a potentially dynamic positive effect of institutions to growth is absorbed by macroeconomic shocks. In addition, there is evidence for a threshold at a lower level compared to those previously identified in the literature. This latter finding can be attributed to different measures of financial institutions used and the impact of macroeconomic shocks. The inability of both financial sectors to enhance economic activity seems to exhibit persistence from the occurrence of the global financial crisis until the onset of the recent Covid‐19 pandemic.
An overview of host‐derived molecules that interact with gut microbiota
Authors: Zhang Chenguang , Liu Huifeng , Sun Lei , Wang Yue , Chen Xiaodong , Du Juan , Sjöling Åsa , Yao Junhu , Wu Shengru
Published: February 2023

The gut microbiota comprises bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses that live together and interact with each other and with host cells. A stable gut microbiota is vital for regulating host metabolism and maintaining body health, while a disturbed microbiota may induce different kinds of disease. In addition, diet is also considered to be the main factor that influences the gut microbiota. The host could shape the gut microbiota through other factors. Here, we reviewed the mechanisms that mediate host regulation on gut microbiota, involved in gut‐derived molecules, including gut‐derived immune system molecules (secretory immunoglobulin A, antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, cluster of differentiation 4+ effector T cell, and innate lymphoid cells), sources related to gut‐derived mucosal molecules (carbon sources, nitrogen sources, oxygen sources, and electron respiratory acceptors), gut‐derived exosomal noncoding RNA (ncRNAs) (microRNAs, circular RNA, and long ncRNA), and molecules derived from organs other than the gut (estrogen, androgen, neurohormones, bile acid, and lactic acid). This study provides a systemic overview for understanding the interplay between gut microbiota and host, a comprehensive source for potential ways to manipulate gut microbiota, and a solid foundation for future personalized treatment that utilizes gut microbiota.
Estimation of land surface temperature in agricultural lands using Sentinel 2 images: A case study for sunflower fields
Authors: Nasseri Saeid , Farhadi Bansouleh Bahman , Azari Arash
Published: February 2023

Land surface temperature (LST) is usually calculated based on the thermal bands of satellite images. The present study aimed to estimate LST with reasonable accuracy for on‐time agricultural management by integrating Sentinel 2 with Landsat 8 or MODIS images. For this purpose, LST was first calculated based on Landsat 8 and MODIS images in the Satar Plain located in the western of Kermanshah province, Iran. Then, three methods for LST estimation using Sentinel 2 images were presented and evaluated. In the first method, a relationship was established between LST and elevation and the normalized difference vegetation index. In the second method, LST was determined based on the relationship between Sentinel 2 spectral bands and Landsat‐based LST in sunflower fields and agricultural lands. In the third method, the LST product of the MODIS was downscaled using spectral bands of Sentinel 2. Finally, the results of the three methods were compared with Landsat‐based LST. The results showed that the second method (the relationship between LST and spectral bands of Sentinel 2) with coefficient of determination and root mean square error values of 0.9 and 1.48°C in sunflower fields and 0.625 and 3.85°C in agricultural lands, respectively, has better accuracy than the other two methods.
Associations among migration risk factors, cultural identity conflict, and psychological symptoms among Syrian emerging adults with refugee backgrounds in the Netherlands
Authors: Rahim Haza F. , Mooren Trudy T. M. , Knipscheer Jeroen W. , van den Brink Femke , Chung Joanne M. , Laceulle Odilia M. , Boelen Paul A.
Published: February 2023

Objectives

In the present study, we examined relations between premigration, perimigration, and postmigration risk factors (i.e., potentially traumatic events [PTEs], postmigration living problems [PMLPs], stressful life events) and psychological symptoms (i.e., anxiety/depression, posttraumatic stress) in Syrian emerging adults with refugee backgrounds; we also tested cultural identity conflict as a possible mediator of these relations. We expected that greater exposure to migration risk factors was associated with more psychological symptoms and that higher cultural identity conflict would contribute to these associations.

Methods

We used data from the first wave of Karakter, a longitudinal study of 158 Syrians with refugee backgrounds (69.0% men, age range 18–35). Participants completed a questionnaire assessing PTEs, PMLPs, stressful life events, cultural identity conflict, and symptoms of anxiety/depression and posttraumatic stress.

Results

Correlational analyses indicated that more PTEs and stressful life events were related to higher levels of cultural identity conflict and more psychological symptoms. Furthermore, greater cultural identity conflict was associated with more psychological symptoms. We did not observe indirect effects of cultural identity conflict in the mediation analyses.

Conclusions

Results suggest that postmigration stressors and cultural identity conflict are associated with psychological symptoms among Syrian emerging adults who have resettled in the Netherlands.
Cardiac remodeling from the fetus to adulthood
Authors: Youssef Lina , Castellani Roberta , Valenzuela‐Alcaraz Brenda , Sepulveda‐Martinez Álvaro , Crovetto Francesca , Crispi Fàtima
Published: February 2023

Prenatal cardiac remodeling refers to in utero changes in the fetal heart that occur as a response to an adverse intrauterine environment. In this article, we will review the main mechanisms leading to cardiac remodeling and dysfunction, summarizing and describing the major pathological conditions that have been reported to be related to this in utero plastic adaptive process. We will also recap the current evidence regarding the persistence of fetal cardiac remodeling and dysfunction, both in infancy and later in adult life. Moreover, we will discuss primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive measures and future clinical and research aspects.
Heteroaggregation of virions and microplastics reduces the number of active bacteriophages in aqueous environments
Authors: Ochirbat Enkhlin , Zbonikowski Rafał , Sulicka Anna , Bończak Bartłomiej , Bonarowska Magdalena , Łoś Marcin , Malinowska Elżbieta , Hołyst Robert , Paczesny Jan
Published: February 2023

The objective of this study is to explore the effects of microplastics on the viability of the bacteriophages in an aqueous environment. Bacteriophages (phages), that is, viruses of bacteria, are essential in homeostasis. It is estimated that phages cause up to 40% of the death of all bacteria daily. Any factor affecting phage activity is vital for the whole food chain and the ecology of numerous niches. We hypothesize that the number of active phages decreases due to the virions’ adsorption on microplastic particles or by the released leachables from additives used in the production of plastic, for example, stabilizers, plasticizers, colorants, and reinforcements. We exposed three diverse phages, namely, T4 (tailed), MS2 (icosahedral), and M13 (filamentous), to 1 mg/mL suspension of 12 industrial‐grade plastics [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, high‐impact polystyrene, poly‐ε‐caproamide, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, poly(methyl methacrylate), polypropylene, polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl chloride] shredded to obtain microparticles of radius ranging from 2 to 50 μm. The effect of leachables was measured upon exposure of phages not to particles themselves but to the buffer preincubated with microplastics. A double‐overlay plaque counting method was used to assess phage titers. We employed a classical linear regression model to verify which physicochemical parameters (65 variables were tested) govern the decrease of phage titers. The key finding is that adsorption mechanisms result in up to complete scavenging of virions, whereas leachables deactivate up to 50% of phages. This study reveals microplastic pollution's plausible and unforeseen ecotoxicological effect causing phage deactivation. Moreover, phage transmission through adsorption can alter the balance of the food chain in the new environment. The effect depends mainly on the zeta potentials of the polymers and the phage type.
The prevalence of thiamine deficiency among elderly nursing home residents: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Uchida Nozomu , Ishida Mayumi , Sato Izumi , Yoshioka Akira , Takahashi Takao , Furuya Daisuke , Ebihara Yasuhiro , Ito Hiroshi , Onishi Hideki
Published: February 2023

Background

Although thiamine deficiency (TD) can lead to Wernicke encephalopathy, the characteristics associated with TD in the elderly have not yet been clarified. We sought to clarify the frequency of TD among an institutionalized elderly population with a controlled dietary intake and to identify possible factors related to TD.

Method

We undertook a cross‐sectional study of residents in three nursing homes for the elderly as of June 2020. Blood thiamine concentrations were measured using a high‐performance liquid chromatography method, with TD defined as a concentration of <21.3 ng/mL. Basic data (age, sex, height, weight, and BMI), dietary intake for the previous 3 weeks, degree of care (DOC), degree of independence in daily life for elderly with dementia (DIDLED), and comorbidities were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.

Results

The mean age (±SD) was 86.9 years (±8.29), with 84 residents (70.0%) being female. The DIDLED varied from total independence to long‐term care level 5 (full assistance), with 89.2% suffering dementia. The mean whole blood thiamine value was 36.18 (±17.58) ng/ml, with TD confirmed in 7 (5.8%) of the 120 residents. All TD patients suffered from dementia. No TD was observed in patients with a near‐normal food intake, and no related factors were observed among the other items.

Conclusion

Reduced food intake may at increase the risk of TD and symptoms of TD may be overlooked in those displaying symptoms of dementia; thus, it is important for clinicians working with the elderly to remain aware of the potential for TD.
Sleep‐dependent structural neuroplasticity after a spatial navigation task: A diffusion imaging study
Authors: Villemonteix Thomas , Guerreri Michele , Deantoni Michele , Balteau Evelyne , Schmidt Christina , Stee Whitney , Zhang Hui , Peigneux Philippe
Published: February 2023

Evidence for sleep‐dependent changes in microstructural neuroplasticity remains scarce, despite the fact that it is a mandatory correlate of the reorganization of learning‐related functional networks. We investigated the effects of post‐training sleep on structural neuroplasticity markers measuring standard diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), mean diffusivity (MD), and the revised biophysical neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), free water fraction (FWF), and neurite density (NDI) parameters that enable disentangling whether MD changes result from modifications in neurites or in other cellular components (e.g., glial cells). Thirty‐four healthy young adults were scanned using diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) on Day1 before and after 40‐min route learning (navigation) in a virtual environment, then were sleep deprived (SD) or slept normally (RS) for the night. After recovery sleep for 2 nights, they were scanned again (Day4) before and after 40‐min route learning (navigation) in an extended environment. Sleep‐related microstructural changes were computed on DTI (MD) and NODDI (NDI and FWF) parameters in the cortical ribbon and subcortical hippocampal and striatal regions of interest (ROIs). Results disclosed navigation learning‐related decreased DWI parameters in the cortical ribbon (MD, FWF) and subcortical (MD, FWF, NDI) areas. Post‐learning sleep‐related changes were found at Day4 in the extended learning session (pre‐ to post‐relearning percentage changes), suggesting a rapid sleep‐related remodeling of neurites and glial cells subtending learning and memory processes in basal ganglia and hippocampal structures.
Advances in detecting fruit aroma compounds by combining chromatography and spectrometry
Authors: Hou Xiaolong , Jiang Junmei , Luo Changqing , Rehman Latifur , Li Xiangyang , Xie Xin
Published: February 2023

Fruit aroma is produced by volatile compounds, which can significantly enhance fruit flavor. These compounds are highly complex and have remarkable pharmacological effects. The synthesis, concentration, type, and quantity of fruit aroma substances are affected by various factors, both abiotic and biotic. To fully understand the aroma substances of various fruits and their influencing factors, detection technology can be used. Many methods exist for detecting aroma compounds, and approaches combining multiple instruments are widely used. This review describes and compares each detection technology and discusses the potential use of combined technologies to provide a comprehensive understanding of fruit aroma compounds and the factors influencing their synthesis. These results can inform the development and utilization of fruit aroma substances. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Total abdominal colectomy to facilitate complete cytoreduction in 56 patients with mucinous appendiceal neoplasms with peritoneal metastases
Authors: Sugarbaker Paul H. , Chang David
Published: February 2023

Background

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy are currently the standard of care for management of appendiceal mucinous neoplasms with peritoneal metastases. The goal of the CRS is complete removal of all visible disease through the use of peritonectomy procedures and visceral resections. One of the major resections that may be required is total abdominal colectomy (TAC).

Methods

From a database and secured files of patients having a complete CRS, all patients who had TAC were identified. The clinical and histologic variables associated with these patients were identified and assessed for their impact on overall survival.

Results

The 450 complete CRS with low‐grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms had 26 TAC (5.8%) with a 16.0‐year median survival. The mucinous adenocarcinoma (MACA)‐Intermediate (MACA‐Int) group consisted of 37 patients with 8 patients (21.6%) having TAC that resulted in a median survival of 11.5 years. The 159 complete CRS with MACA had 22 TAC (13.8%) with a median survival of 7.5 years. There was a single mortality with a class 4 adverse event in 5 patients (10.7%). With a class 4 adverse event, survival decreased significantly (p = 0.0006, hazard ratio: 6.2).

Conclusion

Complete CRS required TAC in 56 of 646 patients (8.7%) with appendiceal mucinous neoplasms. With TAC, median survival was 12.0 years. A class 4 adverse event markedly reduced survival.