bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alkali metal modified iron‐nickel oxygen carrier to produce hydrogen‐rich synthesis gas by chemical looping gasification with pine sawdust
Authors: Wang Pengcheng , Pu Ge , Liu Qiwen , Xiong Weicheng
Published: October 2020

In the research of biomass chemical looping gasification technology, the production of hydrogen‐rich synthesis gas has received increasing attention. In this paper, iron‐nickel oxygen carriers were prepared by the mechanical and impregnation method. Chemical looping gasification experiments were performed with pine sawdust in a self‐built fixed‐bed reactor to prepare hydrogen‐rich synthesis gas. Experimental results showed that for the iron‐nickel oxygen carrier with a loading ratio of 3% NiO under reaction conditions of 800°C, ratio of steam content to biomass (S/B) of 1.25, and ratio of lattice oxygen to biomass (O/B) of 0.2, the volume fraction of hydrogen in the synthesized gas reached 43.06%; correspondingly, the carbon conversion rate was 78.22%, the low calorific value of syngas was 7.49 MJ/Nm3, and the gas production rate was 1.25 Nm3/kg. After modification of the iron‐nickel oxygen carrier with a mass ratio of 5% K2CO3, the volume fraction of hydrogen in the prepared synthesis gas increased to 47.83%, the corresponding carbon conversion rate was 85.44%, and the low‐level calorific value was 7.95 MJ/Nm3. The gas production rate was 1.49 Nm3/kg.
Resource allocation in sparse code multiple access‐based systems for cloud‐radio access network in 5G networks
Authors: Farhadi Zavleh Armin , Bakhshi Hamidreza
Published: October 2020

In this paper, downlink joint user association, codebook assignment and power allocation for a Sparse Code Multiple Access (SCMA)‐based in Cloud Radio Access Network (C‐RAN) are investigated. The main aim of this paper is to accomplish a resource allocation to achieve the maximum total sum rate subject to SCMA limitation, total available power in Radio Remote Head (RRH), fronthaul constraint, users association, user power constraint, and Quality of Service requirements for each user with low complexity. To solve the recommended problem an iterative algorithm considering Successive Convex Approximation is utilized. The main problem is separated into two subproblems of joint user association and codebook assignment and power allocation. By defining a new binary variable for user association and codebook assignment and a new constraint for the user association, the joint user association and codebook assignment subproblem becomes an Integer Linear Programming. Then user association and codebook assignment subproblem solved with the help of the CVX toolbox and MOSEK solver. Furthermore, to solve the power allocation subproblem, Successive Convex Approximation with Low Complexity is applied. Then the power allocation subproblem solved by subgradient method for the Lagrange dual problem. In the simulation results, the effectiveness of the recommended optimization algorithm and resource allocation method are shown and compared to Non‐Orthogonal Multiple Access and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access.
The orphan nuclear receptor NR0B2 could be a novel susceptibility locus associated with microsatellite‐stable, APC mutation‐negative early‐onset colorectal carcinomas with metabolic manifestation
Authors: Lam Kuen Kuen , Sethi Raman , Tan Grace , Tomar Swati , Lo Michelle , Loi Carol , Tang Choong Leong , Tan Emile , Lai Poh San , Cheah Peh Yean
Published: October 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a high incidence cancer and major cause of cancer mortality. Though disease‐causing tumor suppressors for major syndromes are well characterized, about 10% of CRC is familial but without mutations in known tumor suppressors. We exhaustively screened 100 polyposis families for APC germline mutations and identified 13, which are APC mutation‐negative, microsatellite‐stable (MSS), and with undetectable mutation in known tumor suppressors. Whole exome sequencing in three probands uncovered two with germline frameshift NR0B2 mutations, c.293_301delTTGGGTTGGinsAC and c.227delT. Sanger Sequencing identified a third proband with NR0B2 c.157_166delCATCGCACCT frameshift mutation. All three mutations deleted the C‐terminus activation/repression domain of NR0B2, thus are loss‐of‐function mutations. Real‐time RT‐PCR performed on tumor and matched mucosa of one patient revealed that NR0B2 downstream targets, SMAD3 was derepressed while GLI1 was downregulated in the colonic mucosa compared to healthy controls. Truncated NR0B2 molecule was predicted to have weakened binding with interacting partners SMAD3, GLI1, BCL2, and RXRα, implying perturbation of TGF‐β, Hedgehog, anti‐apoptotic and nuclear hormone receptor signaling pathways. Immunostaining also revealed nuclear retention of the most severely truncated NR0B2 molecule compared to the wildtype. Microsatellite and sequencing analysis did not detect loss of wildtype allele in probands' tumors. The patient who acquired somatic KRAS mutation progressed rapidly whist the other two patients manifested with late‐onset obesity and diabetes. We propose that haploinsufficiency of NR0B2 is associated with a novel CRC syndrome with metabolic phenotypes.
Rare variants association testing for a binary outcome when pooling individual level data from heterogeneous studies
Authors: Sofer Tamar , Guo Na
Published: October 2020

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing studies are used to test the association of rare genetic variants with health traits. Many existing WGS efforts now aggregate data from heterogeneous groups, for example, combining sets of individuals of European and African ancestries. We here investigate the statistical implications on rare variant association testing with a binary trait when combining together heterogeneous studies, defined as studies with potentially different disease proportion and different frequency of variant carriers. We study and compare in simulations the Type 1 error control and power of the naïve score test, the saddlepoint approximation to the score test, and the BinomiRare test in a range of settings, focusing on low numbers of variant carriers. We show that Type 1 error control and power patterns depend on both the number of carriers of the rare allele and on disease prevalence in each of the studies. We develop recommendations for association analysis of rare genetic variants. (1) The Score test is preferred when the case proportion in the sample is 50%. (2) Do not down‐sample controls to balance case–control ratio, because it reduces power. Rather, use a test that controls the Type 1 error. (3) Conduct stratified analysis in parallel with combined analysis. Aggregated testing may have lower power when the variant effect size differs between strata.
Quality adjusted life years based on health and consumption: A summary wellbeing measure for cross‐sectoral economic evaluation
Authors: Cookson Richard , Skarda Ieva , Cotton‐Barratt Owen , Adler Matthew , Asaria Miqdad , Ord Toby
Published: October 2020

We introduce a summary wellbeing measure for economic evaluation of cross‐sectoral public policies with impacts on health and living standards. We show how to calculate period‐specific and lifetime wellbeing using quality‐adjusted life years based on widely available data on health‐related quality of life and consumption and normative assumptions about three parameters—minimal consumption, standard consumption, and the elasticity of the marginal value of consumption. We also illustrate how these three parameters can be tailored to the decision‐making context and varied in sensitivity analysis to provide information about the implications of alternative value judgments. As well as providing a general measure for cost‐effectiveness analysis and cost‐benefit analysis in terms of wellbeing, this approach also facilitates distributional analysis in terms of how many good years different population subgroups can expect to live under different policy scenarios.
How does affect relate to job search effort and success? It depends on pleasantness, activation, and core self‐evaluations
Authors: da Motta Veiga Serge P. , Sun Shuhua , Turban Daniel B. , Foo Maw‐Der
Published: October 2020

Although research indicates that affect is related to job search self‐regulation, evidence is mixed. Such mixed results may be because most prior studies examined either the information—pleasantness—function of affect, or the motivation—activation—function of affect, although affect is theorized to serve both functions. Based on the circumplex model of affect, we examine four types of affect based on pleasantness and activation, namely activated and deactivated positive and negative affect. We propose that these four types of affect have different effects on job search processes—effort—and in turn outcomes—number of interviews and job offers. Furthermore, we draw on Hoyle's conditional influence approach (2006, 2010) to propose that how job seekers react to affect depends on individual differences in self‐regulation abilities as indicated by core self‐evaluations (CSEs). In an 8‐week repeated‐measure study, we found that both activated positive and activated negative affect related positively to job search processes and outcomes. These relationships were negative for deactivated positive affect, and nonsignificant for deactivated negative affect. CSE moderated the positive relationships of activated positive and activated negative affect with job search processes and outcomes, such that these relationships were positive only for job seekers high in CSE.
Nanoscale heat transfer investigation of an array of impinging jet systems with different working fluids under crossflow with and without pin fins
Authors: Allauddin Usman , Mohiuddin Rafay , Khan Hafiz Mohammad Usman , Uddin Naseem , Khan Waqar A.
Published: October 2020

In the current numerical study, the thermal and flow field performance of an array of confined multiple jets with air, water, and water‐Al2O3 nanofluid in the maximum crossflow configuration over the target plate with and without pin fins is investigated. The numerical results are validated with the experimental data; it is found that a reasonable prediction related to heat transfer can be made. For this study, steady‐state Reynolds‐averaged Navier‐Stokes simulations with the shear‐stress transport turbulence model in ANSYS Fluent were performed. The simulations are performed with volumetric concentration to 3% and the jet's Reynolds number Re = 15 000 to 35 000. In all cases, the jet outlet‐to‐target plate distance is 3. It is found that the increase in values of the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles results in a decrease of the Nusselt number and an increase of the convective heat transfer coefficient. This is because there is an increase in thermal conductivity of the working fluid with the increase in the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles for the same Reynolds number. About 81.5% and 89.1% enhancement in the average heat transfer flux values is observed for flat and pin fin‐roughened target plates, respectively, for .
Exploring asymmetric relationship between Islamic banking development and economic growth in Pakistan: Fresh evidence from a non‐linear ARDL approach
Authors: Ullah Assad , Zhao Xinshun , Kamal Muhammad Abdul , Riaz Adeel , Zheng Bowen
Published: October 2020

Islamic banking has gleaned considerable attention recently owing to its quantum growth. This study examines the asymmetric association between Islamic banking development (IBD) and economic growth (EG) in Pakistan that spans 2007Q1 to 2017Q4. We apply the non‐linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model of Shin et al., (2014). Our findings confirm co‐integration between IBD and EG in Pakistan. The positive (negative) shocks of IBD have significant positive (negative) association with EG in the long‐run; however, only positive shocks have significant positive relationship with EG in the short run. We observe that the interconnection between IBD‐EG is asymmetric/non‐linear in the long‐run, whereas symmetric/linear in the short run. We conclude that unlike the linear models, the non‐linear models provide realistic results by capturing hidden asymmetries, thereby assisting policymakers in useful decision making.
Nitrogen application affects grain yield by altering the soil moisture and nitrate‐N of maize/wheat cropping system in dryland areas of northwest China*
Authors: Qiang Shengcai , Zhang Fucang , Zhang Yan , Yan Shicheng , Fan Junliang , Xiang Youzhen
Published: October 2020

Few studies have investigated the effects of N application in a wheat/maize rotation system on soil moisture, residual nitrate‐N (NR), growth, grain yield (GY) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in northwest China under dryland conditions. A five‐season (June 2013–October 2015) field experiment was conducted using N fertilizer rates of 0, 86, 172 and 258 kg ha−1 during the summer maize growing season, and 0, 105, 210 and 315 kg ha−1 during the winter wheat growing season. Soil NR increased sharply as N rates rose, but soil moisture storage decreased. Summer maize under the high N treatment suffered from increased NR levels and low soil water at the vegetative stage. The dry matter levels increased as the N supply rose during the wheat season. When the N application rate was below 210 and 172 kg N ha−1 for wheat and maize, respectively, yield increased as the N application rose, but excessive N applications negatively affected maize and wheat grain yields. NUE decreased significantly as time progressed and N rates increased. The most appropriate N rates were 172 kg N ha−1 for maize and 210 kg N ha−1 for wheat, which led to relatively good soil moisture uptake and NR conditions.
Product defect recognition and mechanical assembly intelligent system based on ubiquitous clouds and social internet of things
Authors: Wu Feng , Yao Jie
Published: October 2020

Product defect recognition and mechanical assembly intelligent system based on the visual analysis machine and social Internet of Things with clouds is researched in this paper. The design verification example of the spherical mechanism assembly shows that the design defect immune recognition model based on the assembly constraint relationship between the core parts reduces the repeated modeling during product verification. The novelty of model has three highlights. (a) The stereoscopic function can be measured by stereoscopic sharpness, which is the minimum parallax that the eye can distinguish. (b) The analyzer also dynamically verifies the construction tree according to the dynamic characteristics of the monitor. Since the monitor pushes the parent node and the child node of the modified node onto the stack. (c) The social Internet of Things with clouds are combined for the implementation. Compared with the other state‐of‐the‐art models, the proposed can guarantee the robustness.
Ubiquitous measurement methods of long‐term nursing bed resource allocation based on multi‐sensor social internet of things
Authors: Li Xingjiang , Zhao Xiaodong , Bai Jie
Published: October 2020

This article starts from the service population of long‐term care beds and estimates the spatial distribution of long‐term care beds in the area. At the same time, combined with the spatial distribution of beds in the area, the supply of long‐term care beds is based on the division of service areas. Long‐term care institutions are facilities for the care and care of disabled elderly people. The beds are long‐term care beds, and the clients are mainly elderly people who cannot take care of themselves. The demand for long‐term care beds is mainly related to the number of elderly people. The elderly population in this article mainly refers to the resident population aged 60 and above. Based on the layout map of the resident population aged 60 and above, combined with the area of the administrative divisions of the village committees, the population density of each village committee is calculated to produce a schematic diagram. We use the data connection analysis model and the pattern finding algorithm to optimize the traditional methodologies.
Protein palmitoylation and its pathophysiological relevance
Authors: Jin Jiayu , Zhi Xiuling , Wang Xinhong , Meng Dan
Published: October 2020

Protein palmitoylation, in which C16 fatty acid chains are attached to cysteine residues via a reversible thioester linkage, is one of the most common lipid modifications and plays important roles in regulating protein stability, subcellular localization, membrane trafficking, interactions with effector proteins, enzymatic activity, and a variety of other cellular processes. Moreover, the unique reversibility of palmitoylation allows proteins to be rapidly shuttled between biological membranes and cytoplasmic substrates in a process usually controlled by a member of the DHHC family of protein palmitoyl transferases (PATs). Notably, mutations in PATs are closely related to a variety of human diseases, such as cancer, neurological disorders, and immune deficiency conditions. In addition to PATs, intracellular palmitoylation dynamics are also regulated by the interplay between distinct posttranslational modifications, including ubiquitination and phosphorylation. Understanding the specific mechanisms of palmitoylation may reveal novel potential therapeutic targets for many human diseases.
Outcomes Associated With 4‐Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Administration to Reverse Oral Factor Xa Inhibitors in Bleeding Patients
Authors: Highsmith Emily A. , Morton Celia , Varnado Sara , Donahue Kevin R. , Sulhan Suraj , Lista Annette
Published: October 2020

Compared with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), oral factor Xa inhibitors are associated with at least equivalent efficacy and a lower incidence of major bleeding. Despite this benefit, bleeding remains the most common adverse event. Prior to the approval of andexanet alfa, alternative agents such as 4‐factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F‐PCC) were utilized for reversal. This was a retrospective, descriptive study conducted on patients 18 years of age or older who received 4F‐PCC for reversal of oral factor Xa inhibitors‐associated bleeding. Patients were excluded if they received a VKA or dabigatran in the previous 48 hours. A subgroup analysis comparing 4F‐PCC with andexanet alfa was conducted on patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the ANNEXA‐4 trial. The primary end point of this study was to evaluate the incidence of hemostasis and associated dosing strategies in patients receiving 4F‐PCC for reversal of oral factor Xa inhibitors‐associated bleeding. Thirty‐eight patients were included, and 28 patients (74%) achieved hemostasis. The median dose of 4F‐PCC was 50 units/kg. In patients who achieved hemostasis, the median dose was 50 units/kg, and in those who failed to reach hemostasis, a median dose of 30 units/kg was seen. Within the subgroup analysis, there was no difference in overall rates of hemostasis between the 4F‐PCC and andexanet alfa groups. Remaining a reasonable option to utilize for reversal of oral factor Xa inhibitors is 4F‐PCC, especially when andexanet alfa is unavailable, with 50 units/kg appearing to be the most effective dose to achieve hemostasis. Further studies are needed to determine a preferential agent.
Suitability of the thawed algae for transmission electron microscopy study: Ultrastructural investigation on Coccomyxa melkonianiiSCCA 048
Authors: Isola Michela , Soru Santina , Loy Francesco , Malavasi Veronica , Isola Raffaella , Cao Giacomo
Published: October 2020

Morphological and ultrastructural investigations are crucial for the identification and characterization of species such as microalgae, microorganisms that greatly change their morphology and physiology during their life cycle. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an excellent tool for the ultrastructural observation of cells and their components. To date, limited ultrastructural studies have been carried out on microalgae, due to the difficulties in sample preparation. The aim of this work is to establish an appropriate fixation method that allows to better preserve the algal ultrastructure and test the suitability of the thawed algae for TEM observation. Fresh and thawed algae (Coccomyxa melkonianii SCCA 048) were fixed with different TEM fixation methods (a mix of glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde for several incubation times, sometimes preceded by a prefixation in cold methanol). The ultrastructural images obtained from fresh algae were compared to those obtained from frozen biomass. The best morphological results were achieved by fixing fresh algae in 1% paraformaldehyde and 1.25% glutaraldehyde for 5 hr. Pretreating with frozen methyl alcohol reduced fixation time to 2 hr. Both fresh and frozen algae ultrastructure were rather well preserved also with 1% paraformaldehyde and 1.25% glutaraldehyde for 2 hr. Ultrastuctural morphological images of the thawed algae demonstrated that also frozen samples can be used in TEM research, widening specimen suitability by means of this technique.
Improvement in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy after pembrolizumab‐induced immune reconstruction inflammatory syndrome in a patient with follicular lymphoma
Authors: Dufour Inès , Duprez Thierry , Wertz Marie , Saussoy Pascale , Ackermans Nathalie , El Sankari Souraya , van Pesch Vincent , Van Den Neste Eric
Published: October 2020

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) may develop in follicular lymphoma patients treated with bendamustine‐rituximab. In this report, treatment with pembrolizumab successfully inhibited the clinical progression of PML by promoting radiologically demonstrated immune restoration inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), allowing complete clearance of the virus. These findings may further support the use of pembrolizumab in PML with special consideration for the potential occurrence of IRIS.
Differential alterations of insular cortex excitability after adolescent or adult chronic intermittent ethanol administration in male rats
Authors: Luo Yi‐Xiao , Galaj Ewa , Ma Yao‐Ying
Published: October 2020

Adolescent alcohol drinking, primarily in the form of binge‐drinking episodes, is a serious public health concern. Binge drinking in laboratory animals has been modeled by a procedure involving chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) administration, as compared with chronic intermittent water (CIW). The prolonged effects of adolescent binge alcohol exposure in adults, such as high risk of developing alcohol use disorder, are severe but available treatments in the clinic are limited. One reason is the lack of sufficient understanding about the associated neuronal alterations. The involvement of the insular cortex, particularly the anterior agranular insula (AAI), has emerged as a critical region to explain neuronal mechanisms of substance abuse. This study was designed to evaluate the functional output of the AAI by measuring the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons from male rats 2 or 21 days after adolescent or adult CIE treatment. Decreases in intrinsic excitability in AAI pyramidal neurons were detected 21 days, relative to 2 days, after adolescent CIE. Interestingly, the decreased intrinsic excitability in the AAI pyramidal neurons was observed 2 days after adult CIE, compared to adult CIW, but no difference was found between 2 versus 21 days after adult CIE. These data indicate that, although the AAI is influenced within a limited period after adult but not adolescent CIE, neuronal alterations in AAI are affected during the prolonged period of withdrawal from adolescent but not adult CIE. This may explain the prolonged vulnerability to mental disorders of subjects with an alcohol binge history during their adolescent stage.
Temporal and spatial variation of the transitional climate zone in summer during 1961–2018
Authors: Wang Qiulin , Wang Lin , Huang Gang , Piao Jinling , Chotamonsak Chakrit
Published: October 2020

The transitional climate zone (TCZ) over East Asia is an interface area between monsoon circulation and westerly circulation, making it highly susceptible to natural disasters and climate change. This study explores the spatial–temporal variation of the summer (May–September) TCZ during 1961–2018 and its response to monsoon rainy season. The summer Aridity Index (AI) instead of annual amount is used to recognize summer TCZ, with similar domain produced. However, differing from the annual total, the summer evaporation remains stable during the whole period, despite global warming. Hence, the summer TCZ has experienced little significant long‐term trends toward wetter or drier, since it is predominantly driven by precipitation that shows no clear tendency. The EOF decomposition reveals three key patterns accounting for 58.2% of the total variance: spatially uniform, south–north dipole and meridional tripole, which shows the complexity of spatial‐temporal variation in TCZ. TCZ is characterized by interdecadal mutations and periodical oscillations of 3 or 8 years. There exist remarkable 3 years interannual periods, with the greatest contribution stemming from the south‐central part of TCZ. In comparison, the northeast part exhibits a significant interdecadal band of about 8 years, which promotes the regime shift from wet to dry in the late 1990s over TCZ. Furthermore, the onset, retreat, and duration of the rainy season of TCZ in response to summer monsoon are examined, based on EEMD filtered 4 mm/day precipitation. All three indicators are subjected to strong interannual dispersion, without any significant overall trends. Only the retreat date of the western part of TCZ (100–110°E) is significantly correlated with the onset date. Dry‐wet condition in TCZ is more closely associated with the duration length of the monsoon influence. And we also notice that the westmost part of TCZ shows a greater sensitivity to monsoon activity than the east part.
Prognostic Factors in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancers Metastatic to the Cervical Spine
Authors: Yin Linda X. , Puccinelli Cassandra L. , Van Abel Kathryn , Kasperbauer Jan L. , Price Daniel L. , Janus Jeffrey R. , Ryder Mabel , Moore Eric J.
Published: October 2020

Objectives

The spine is the most common site of bone metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The role of surgery in the management of cervical spine (C‐spine) metastases (CSpM) has not been adequately explored.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral center from 2002 to 2018. Inclusion criteria were pathologic diagnosis of DTC and imaging/pathologic diagnosis of CSpM. Statistical analysis utilized t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for categorical variables. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan–Meier curves with univariate and multivariate Cox regressions.

Results

Fifty patients with DTC and CSpM were identified. Of those, 16 underwent surgical resection of the C‐spine, whereas 34 did not. The most common presenting symptom was neck pain (N = 37, 74%). Patients in the surgery group were more likely to report a subjective improvement of symptoms (P < .01) and to have local (P < .01) and systemic (P = .04) disease control. Five‐year overall survival was 44.7% for the surgery group (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.1–69.3) and 11.1% (95% CI: 2.1–28.8) for the nonsurgery group (P = .01). The strongest risk factor for improved overall survival after C‐spine metastasis was local disease control at the C‐spine (multivariate hazard ratio [HR] = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12–0.85, P = .02). Surgical intervention was significantly associated with improved survival on both univariate (HR = 0. 35, 95% CI: 0.15–0.82, P = .02) and multivariate (HR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14–0.98, P = .04) analysis.

Conclusion

Surgical management of CSpM in differentiated thyroid cancers is associated with significantly improved local disease control and overall survival. Referral to spine surgeons should be considered after diagnosis.

Level of Evidence

IV. Laryngoscope, 131:E1741–E1747, 2021
SARS‐CoV‐2 Presence in the Saliva, Tears, and Cerumen of COVID‐19 Patients
Authors: Hanege Fatih M. , Kocoglu Esra , Kalcioglu Mahmut T. , Celik Serdal , Cag Yasemin , Esen Fehim , Bayindir Eray , Pence Sadrettin , Alp Mese Emine , Agalar Canan
Published: October 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

The emergence of a new coronavirus strain (SARS‐CoV‐2) in December 2019 from China led to a global pandemic. The lack of herd immunity against this virus and the possibility of viral spread from asymptomatic individuals is still a major challenge for the prevention of viral transmission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of the virus in different bodily secretions as a potential source of viral spread among patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2.

Study Design

Cross Sectional Study.

Methods

The study included 38 COVID‐19 patients with a positive real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) test result for SARS‐CoV‐2, obtained from the combined nasopharyngeal–oropharyngeal swab samples. Saliva, tear, and cerumen samples were taken from the patients within 72 hours of the first RT‐PCR test. SARS‐CoV‐2 N1 and N2 gene regions were studied with single‐step RT‐PCR in all samples.

Results

Among the studied samples, the highest positivity rate was in saliva (76.3%) followed by tears (55.3%) and cerumen (39.5%). Viral load in saliva was also significantly higher compared to tears and cerumen (P < .001), while there was no significant difference between tears and cerumen. Higher viral load in combined nasopharyngeal–oropharyngeal swab samples was associated with higher viral load in tears, but not in saliva or cerumen. Half of the saliva, tear, and cerumen samples obtained from asymptomatic patients contained SARS‐CoV‐2 genome.

Conclusions

The virus was detected in the saliva, tears, and cerumen samples of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The potential role of these bodily fluids on viral spread needs to be studied.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E1677–E1682, 2021
Advances in Exosomes‐Based Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Gutierrez‐Millan Carmen , Calvo Díaz Clara , Lanao José M. , Colino Clara I.
Published: October 2020

Exosomes, a subgroup of extracellular vesicles, are important mediators of long‐distance intercellular communication and are involved in a diverse range of biological processes such as the transport of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Researchers, seeing the problems caused by the toxic effects and clearance of synthetic nanoparticles, consider exosomes as an interesting alternative to such nanoparticles in the specific and controlled transport of drugs. In recent years, there have been remarkable advances in the use of exosomes in cancer therapeutics or for treating neurological diseases, among other applications. The objective of this work is to analyze studies focused on exosomes used in drug delivery system, present and future applications in this field of research are discussed based on the results obtained.
Stress and Mindfulness in Parkinson's Disease: Clinical Effects and Potential Underlying Mechanisms
Authors: van der Heide Anouk , Meinders Marjan J. , Speckens Anne E.M. , Peerbolte Tessa F. , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Helmich Rick C.
Published: October 2020

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are very vulnerable to the negative effects of psychological distress: neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, are highly prevalent in PD; motor symptoms (such as tremor) typically worsen in stressful situations; and dopaminergic medication is less effective. Furthermore, animal studies of PD suggest that chronic stress may accelerate disease progression. Adequate self‐management strategies are therefore essential to reduce the detrimental effects of chronic stress on PD. Mindfulness‐based interventions encourage individuals to independently self‐manage and adapt to the challenges created by their condition. In PD, emerging clinical evidence suggests that mindfulness‐based interventions may reduce psychological distress and improve clinical symptoms, but insight into the underlying mechanisms is lacking. In this viewpoint, we provide a systematic overview of existing mindfulness trials in PD. Furthermore, we discuss the cerebral mechanisms involved in acute and chronic stress, and the impact of mindfulness‐based interventions on these networks. In addition, we delineate a hypothetical mechanistic framework of how chronic stress may increase the susceptibility for neuropsychiatric symptoms in PD and may potentially even influence disease progression. We end with offering recommendations for future research. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Small molecules targeting cyclooxygenase/prostanoid cascade in experimental brain ischemia: Do they translate?
Authors: Jiang Jianxiong , Yu Ying
Published: October 2020

Acute brain ischemia accounts for most of stroke cases and constitutes a leading cause of deaths among adults and permanent disabilities in survivors. Currently, the intravenous thrombolysis is the only available medication for ischemic stroke; mechanical thrombectomy is an emerging alternative treatment for occlusion of large arteries and has shown some promise in selected subsets of patients. However, the overall narrow treatment window and potential risks largely limit the patient eligibility. New druggable targets are needed to innovate the treatment of brain ischemia. As the rate‐limiting enzyme in the biosyntheses of prostanoids, cyclooxygenase (COX), particularly the inducible isoform COX‐2, has long been implicated in mechanisms of acute stroke‐induced brain injury and inflammation. However, the notion of therapeutically targeting COX has been diminished over the past two decades due to significant complications of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems caused by long‐term use of COX‐2 inhibitor drugs. New treatment strategies targeting the downstream prostanoid signaling receptors regulating the deleterious effects of COX cascade have been proposed. As such, a large number of selective small molecules that negatively or positively modulate these important inflammatory regulators have been evaluated for neuroprotection and other beneficial effects in various animal models of brain ischemia. These timely preclinical studies, though not yet led to clinical innovation, provided new insights into the regulation of inflammatory reactions in the ischemic brain and could guide drug discovery efforts aiming for novel adjunctive strategies, along with current reperfusion therapy, to treat acute brain ischemia with higher specificity and longer therapeutic window.
Autoantibodies in Japanese patients with ocular myasthenia gravis
Authors: Nagaishi Akiko , Narita Tomoko , Woodhall Mark , Jacobson Leslie , Waters Patrick , Irani Sarosh R. , Vincent Angela , Matsuo Hidenori
Published: October 2020

Introduction

The majority of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) initially present with ocular symptoms, but it is difficult to predict which cases will remain as ocular MG (OMG) or will progress to generalized MG. Herein we evaluated the serologic profile of Japanese OMG and its relationship with clinical features.

Methods

Seventy‐three patients with OMG from five Japanese myasthenia gravis (MG) centers were enrolled. Live cell‐based assays (CBAs) were used to determine the presence of autoantibodies (Abs) to clustered adult (2α, β, δ, ε) and fetal (2α, β, δ, γ) acetylcholine receptor (AChR) isoforms, muscle‐specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK), and lipoprotein receptor–related protein‐4 (LRP4).

Results

Thirty‐four of 73 (46.5%) serum samples were positive for Abs against both the adult‐type and fetal‐type AChR, as expected, but 7 (9.6%) and 2 (2.7%) were positive only for fetal or adult AChR‐Abs, respectively. Four (5.4%) samples were positive for MuSK‐Abs, but two of these also contained antibodies to fetal AChR or LRP4. Twenty‐six (35.6%) samples were seronegative.

Discussion

Abs against fetal‐specific AChR, MuSK, and LRP4 are found in some patients with OMG. Future studies attempting to predict conversion from ocular symptoms to generalized MG may benefit from measurement of these antibodies.
Nutrition Support Therapies on the Medication Administration Record: Impacts on Staff Perception of Nutrition Care
Authors: Citty Sandra W. , Bjarnadottir Ragnhildur I. , Marlowe Belinda Lee , Jones Shannon , Lucero Robert J. , Garvan Cynthia Wilson , Kamel Amir Y. , Westhoff Lynn , Keenan Gail
Published: October 2020

Background

It has been reported that many hospitals in the United States have fragmented and ineffective ordering, administration, documentation, and evaluation/monitoring of nutrition therapies. This paper reports on a project to investigate if perceived hospital staff awareness and documentation of nutrition support therapies (NSTs) improves by including them as part of the medication administration record (MAR).

Methods

Surveys were conducted with nursing staff, physicians, and dietitians before and after adding NSTs to the MAR to evaluate the perceived impact on the outcome of interest. The outcomes of interest include nurses’ perception of ease of finding information, awareness of an order, and ability to assess administration and documentation and dietitian, nurse, and physician staff perceptions of impact of intervention on aspects of the nutrition care process.

Results

After adding NST to the MAR, nursing staff perceived improvement in knowing that their patient had an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) order (P = .01), when and how much product was last administered (P = .01), and documentation of the type of product consumed (P = .01) and volume of product consumed (P = .01). The majority of dietitian and nurses surveyed reported perceived improvement in placing and finding ONS orders, in administration of ONS, in ability to evaluate patient nutrition status, and in ONS intake and a positive impact on clinical practice.

Conclusion

Inclusion of NST in the MAR presents an innovative solution to enhance staff awareness of ordered therapies and perception of improved documentation of nutrition interventions for hospitalized patients.
Selected psychological predictors of medication adherence in the older adults with chronic diseases
Authors: Gruszczyńska Magdalena , Wyszomirska Julia , Daniel‐Sielańczyk Anna , Bąk‐Sosnowska Monika
Published: October 2020

Aim

The main goal of the study was to assess the significance of selected psychological factors related to the adherence to medication recommendations among the older adults with chronic diseases.

Design

It was designed as a cross‐sectional study, aimed at assessing the importance of selected psychological factors in complying with medication recommendations among older adults.

Methods

The study involved 345 older adults with chronic diseases, assessed the importance of selected psychological factors, such as: health locus of control, stress coping and mindfulness in adhering to medication recommendations older persons. To answer the research questions, we performed frequency analyses, basic descriptive statistics analyses together with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Student's t tests for independent samples, monofactorial analysis of variance in the intergroup diagram, analysis correlation with the Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman's rank correlation ρ analysis and stepwise linear regression analysis.

Results

The study identified psychological predictors of medication adherence, which explained 12% of the variability. An emotion‐oriented coping proved to be the most important factor. Additionally, powerful other health locus of control and mindful attention were shown to have a positive effect.
Study of highly porous poly‐l‐lactide‐based composites with chitosan and collagen
Authors: Antipova Christina G. , Lukanina Ksenia I. , Krasheninnikov Sergey V. , Malakhov Sergey N. , Kamyshinsky Roman A. , Grigoriev Timofei E. , Chvalun Sergey N.
Published: October 2020

Increased interest in the field of tissue engineering promotes the development of biomaterial design. Aspiration to reconstruct native extracellular matrix architecture (ECM) expands the number of applying approaches in polymer scaffold development. In the present work, we proposed a combination of electrospinning and lyophilization techniques to produce materials with ECM‐like morphology based on poly‐l‐lactide fiber matrix with natural bio‐adequate fillers (collagen and chitosan). Morphology, mechanical properties, and hydrophilicity of the developed biomaterials were studied. The introduction of the collagen filler enhanced the strength and Young's modulus of the composites by 190% and 80%. The same characteristics of the chitosan‐containing material were increased by 430% and 340%, respectively. It exceeded the collagen ones, which was caused by the better chitosan penetration into the fiber matrix and, as a result, the percolation network formation. The possibility of material wettability improving was shown.
Injuries Associated with Crutch Use: A Narrative Review
Authors: Manocha Ranita H. K. , MacGillivray Megan K. , Eshraghi Mehdi , Sawatzky Bonita J.
Published: October 2020

Crutches are commonly prescribed in physiatric settings to help offload the lower extremities. Crutch use, however, results in abnormal and repetitive weight‐bearing through the upper extremities that may result in secondary injury. This narrative review investigates injury types and risk factors associated with crutch use in order to guide healthcare providers on injury prevention strategies. Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were systematically reviewed for publications between 1950 and 2018 on neurological, musculoskeletal, or vascular complications associated with crutch use. Titles and abstracts (n = 2395) were screened by two authors. Sixty studies were eligible. Articles were reviewed for level of evidence, crutch type, participant characteristics, and injury characteristics. There were 42 axillary crutch studies, 12 forearm crutch studies, and 6 studies that did not specify crutch type. These studies incorporated 622 individuals, and most were case series or case reports (n = 54). Axillary crutch use was most commonly associated with axillobrachial arterial complications due to pressure from the axillary bar (n = 34). Forearm crutch use was most commonly associated with compressive neuropathies due to pressure from the forearm cuff (n = 6). Improper crutch fitting and/or use were identified as contributing factors to injury in 22 cases. Duration of crutch use and medical comorbidities also influenced the types of injuries seen. There are rare but potentially serious complications associated with crutch use. When prescribing crutches, clinicians should ensure they are properly fit, engage in appropriate gait training, be aware of common crutch‐related injuries, and consider potential patient‐specific injury risk factors in order to minimize injury risk.
An alternate energy‐conserved pathway for the Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction
Authors: Yadav Veejendra K.
Published: October 2020

An new overall lower energy pathway for the amine‐catalyzed Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction is proposed from computations at the M06‐2X/6‐311++G(d,p) level of theory. The pathway involves proton‐transfer from the ammonium ion to the alkoxide formed from the aldol reaction through a seven‐membered ring transition state structure followed by highly exothermic Hofmann elimination through a five‐membered ring transition state structure to form the product and also release the catalyst to carry on with the process all over again.
Generating collective online information sharing: The framing effect of questions on response network
Authors: Wu Qian , Goh Dion Hoe‐Lian , Lee Chei Sian
Published: October 2020

Community Question‐Answering (CQA) sites are virtual communities where users participate in collective online information sharing. Questions in CQA sites serve as starting points for information sharing, eliciting a response network (RN), where nodes are the postings, while edges represent the responses between postings. This research employed framing theory to investigate how question frames affected their resulting RNs. Question frames were operationalized as conversational and informational. Social network analysis was conducted to explore the RNs of different question frames for both Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and non‐STEM communities. Results revealed that most RNs of STEM conversational questions were larger in size and had higher centrality, whereas RNs of informational questions comprised closer relationships between postings. However, no significant differences were found in the non‐STEM community. Our research suggests that community moderators and askers should appropriately utilize question frames to organize information sharing inside CQA communities.
Investigating the article processing charge of journals in the gold open access market: A game theory approach
Authors: Yuan Xiaoqun , Wang Qinggong , Jiang Ming , Liu Yeping , Yang Xin
Published: October 2020

As a promising solution for enhancing knowledge communication as well as alleviating financial pressure of institutional libraries, gold open access (gold OA) has attracted wide attention all over the world. But it is a hard work to fully disclose how the equilibrium article processing charge is established in the gold OA market. To deal with this challenge, this paper firstly formulates the competition among journals in this market as a three‐stage Hotelling duopoly game, which is able to reveal its dynamic and competitive features affected by academic reputation, publication delays and article processing charges of journals. Then backward induction is applied to derive the market equilibria. Finally, an empirical study with 1,346 journals is conducted to verify the credibility of the theoretical solutions. The results show that gold OA journal with relatively higher academic reputation and shorter publication delay could charge higher article processing charge. And the publication delays of gold OA journals tend to cluster together in a limited time interval.
An analysis on competency of human‐centered data science employment
Authors: Wu Dan , Lv Siyu , Xu Hao
Published: October 2020

The rapid rise of data science has brought about the problem of talent gaps and concerns about employment competency development. This paper performed a study on the analysis of data science employment market in the information science context with open data from online recruitment website. In addition to basic qualitative analysis and descriptive statistical summarization of advertisement characteristics, it mainly established a competency framework of data science workforce with the method of content analysis. The objective is through market needs to provide guidance for institutions planning for or revising a major in data science, help bridge the gap between the high demand and low supply of data scientists and enable existing data science teams to operate more efficiently. Our working results indicate that the market is looking for ways in which humans can integrate their roles into data science, and these methods depend on the spread of how to use human‐centered data science and its benefits, the operating mechanism of which is explained by our proposed model.
Bibliometric analysis of the Cibermov database on cyber‐activism (2007‐2018)
Authors: López‐Hernández María‐Ángeles , Domínguez‐Delgado Rubén , Tenorio‐Vázquez Irene
Published: October 2020

We carried out a bibliometric study on web activism, given their absence, for the period between 2007 and 2018, using as a source the Cibermov bibliographic database, created by the documentation service linked to the R&D project Cyber‐activism, digital citizenship and new urban movements, funded by the Government of Spain, as a tool for its members.