bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismic ratcheting of eccentric gravity loaded moment‐resisting frame buildings
Authors: Yeow Trevor Zhiqing , Kusunoki Koichi
Published: December 2022

Structures may predominantly inelastically deform in a single direction during earthquakes and incur greater damage. This behavior is known as seismic ratcheting and can be caused by eccentric gravity loads. Code clauses were introduced in Canada and New Zealand to amplify displacements obtained from static analysis methods to consider seismic ratcheting effects. However, such clauses are based on analyses of reinforced concrete (RC) wall or single‐degree‐of‐freedom (SDOF) structures, and methods to mitigate seismic ratcheting behavior were not explicitly provided. In this study, parametric analyses of steel and RC moment resisting frame buildings were performed to evaluate the adequacy of code clauses, identify parameters which influence seismic ratcheting behavior, and propose methods to mitigate such behavior. It was found that the New Zealand code underestimated the displacement increase for RC buildings, though it was able to envelope the displacement increase for steel buildings while the Canadian code was conservative. Additionally, the displacement increase was found to be sensitive to the building's post‐yield behavior and ground motion properties. However, assumptions of these properties during design may not be reflective of the actual building and seismic conditions, indicating that a reliable estimate of the increase in displacement is difficult to obtain. Instead, employing mitigation measures to reduce seismic ratcheting effects, such as designing to higher seismic demands, adding a secondary structural system to increase the building's post‐elastic stiffness, or providing more balanced lateral strengths after adjusting for eccentric gravity load effects are better measures to counter seismic ratcheting effects caused by eccentric gravity loads.
An improved affine arithmetic‐based optimization method for district energy systems with uncertainties
Authors: Liu Tianjie , Jiao Wenling , Tian Xinghao , Zhang Xin
Published: December 2022

In the process of the district energy system (DES) operation and dispatching, there are various uncertainties brought by the strong coupling of equipment and the fluctuation of internal and external surroundings, and these uncertain parameters are often correlated. In this paper, an improved affine arithmetic‐based method is proposed to solve the economic dispatching problem of DES with correlated uncertainties. First, an optimal dispatching model considering economic and environmental factors is constructed. An affine algorithm is introduced and interval arithmetic is used to improve the problem of interval extension and high‐order noise element. Taking a classical DES system as an example, the optimal dispatching of the system is analyzed using deterministic method, interval method, and proposed method. The application effect of the proposed method under different uncertainties scale and amplitude is also discussed. The results show that the proposed method can effectively reduce the width of target value interval compared with the traditional interval optimization method, which can further contribute to the optimal operation decision.
Numerical study of temperature–pressure coupling model for the horizontal well with a slim hole
Authors: An Jintao , Li Jun , Huang Honglin , Liu Gonghui , Chen Sainan , Zhang Geng
Published: December 2022

Horizontal wells with a slim hole (HW‐SH), characterized by high productivity, high environmental protection, and low cost are gradually being introduced into oil and gas extraction processes in high‐temperature and high‐pressure formations. However, the HW‐SH annulus is narrow, and the distributions of temperature and pressure in the wellbore are very different from those of conventional horizontal wells. Furthermore, the mud properties change under the influence of high temperature and pressure. In this study, a numerical model of the transient temperature‐pressure coupling field in an HW‐SH wellbore was developed based on high‐temperature and high‐pressure performance tests of mud, combined with the characteristics of a narrow annulus in HW‐SH. Subsequently, the effects of the ground temperature gradient, displacement, drill pipe speed, annulus size, and joint size on the temperature‐pressure coupling field were analyzed. Measured data from the HW‐SH drilled in the Mahu field in China were used to validate the developed model. The results showed that the ground temperature had a significant effect on the mud density and rheological properties. As the temperature increased, the mud density decreased, and its rheological properties improved. Although pressure also has a large effect on density, it has a negligible effect on the rheological properties of the mud. The coupled temperature‐pressure field model for HW‐SH considering the effects of the temperature and narrow annulus can predict the annulus temperature and pressure with an accuracy of up to 97%. The ground temperature gradient has the greatest influence on the HW‐SH annular temperature, larger than that of the displacement. In addition, the annular size, rotation speed of the drill pipe, and joint size have almost no influence on the annular temperature. Compared to those of conventional horizontal wells, the rotational speed, annulus size, and joint size of the HW‐SH have a greater impact on the annulus pressure.
Natural gas‐fueled multigeneration for reducing environmental effects of brine and increasing product diversity: Thermodynamic and economic analyses
Authors: Ehyaei M. A. , Kasaeian M. , Abanades Stéphane , Razmjoo Armin , Afshari Hamed , Rosen Marc A. , Das Biplab
Published: December 2022

Water scarcity threatens human life and it is likely to be a main concern in the next century. In this work, a novel multigeneration system (MGS) is introduced and assessed with energy, exergy, and economic analyses. This MGS includes a gas cycle, multieffect distillation, an absorption refrigeration cycle, a heat recovery steam generator, and electrodialysis. Electrodialysis is integrated into this configuration to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen chloride from brine to prevent its release to the environment with harmful impacts. The other products are electricity, cooling, and demineralized water. For the evaluation of the proposed system, one computer code is provided in engineering equation solver software. For physical properties calculation, the library of this software is used. The MGS produces 614.7 GWh of electrical energy, 87.44 GWh of cooling, 12.47 million m3 of demineralized water, and 0.092 and 0.084 billion kg of sodium hydroxide and hydrogen chloride over a year. Energy and exergy evaluations demonstrate that the MGS energy and exergy efficiencies are 31.3% and 18.7%, respectively. The highest and lowest value of exergy destruction rate is associated with the combustion chamber and pump, respectively. The economic evaluation indicates that the net present value of this proposed system is 3.8 billion US$, while the internal rate of return and payback period, respectively, are 0.49 and 2.1 years.
Study on performance and flow loss of reactor coolant pump with different laws of guide vane angle
Authors: Ye Daoxing , Zhai Fengli , Luo Yimin , Wu Jinchen , Chen Junlin , Lai Xide
Published: December 2022

To study the influence of different laws of guide vane angle on the performance of reactor coolant pump (RCP), five models of RCP with different guide vane were designed, and the three‐dimensional numerical calculation was carried out. Based on the entropy production theory, analysis of flow loss at part‐load, design, and the over‐load flow rate was investigated. The results show that under the design flow and over‐load flow condition, the head, and efficiency of the DY4 (RCP model of the fourth guide vane variation) model are the highest, and the best efficiency occurs at the design flow rate. Compared with the DY1 (RCP model of the first guide vane variation) model, the efficiency of RCP is increased by 3.68%. At design flow and over‐load flow, the distribution of pressure and velocity streamlines of the DY4 model pump is uniform and stable, the flow loss ratio in the guide vane and volute is the lowest, and the high‐value area is small. Under the condition of part‐load flow rate, the pump head and efficiency of DY5 (RCP model of the fifth guide vane variation) model are the highest, and the highest efficiency appears at 0.8Qd which is 1.69% higher than the best efficiency value of DY4. At the part‐load flow rate, the static pressure values in the guide vane and volute of the DY5 model pump are significantly higher than that of other models. The velocity change in the flow channel is uniform, and the flow loss in the guide vane and volute is the lowest. Compared with the part‐load flow rate condition, the hydraulic performance of the DY5 model pump under design flow rate and over‐load flow condition is lower than that of other models.
Optimal sequential decision rule for cooperative spectrum sensing of CUAVNs
Authors: Wu Jun , Li Pei , Bao Jianrong
Published: December 2022

Cognitive radio (CR) technology is beneficial for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to access the spectrum resources needed for communication. Then, in order to integrate CR technology into UAVs without causing excessive interference to the primary users (PUs), cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) is used as a key function of CR technology to detect the PUs for the UAV's available spectrum. However, the flexible locations of UAVs may significantly degrade the performance and efficiency of CSS within them. Hence, on the basis of a cognitive UAV networks (CUAVN) framework, we propose an internal cooperation paradigm to achieve the cooperative gain of CSS within an UAV. Furthermore, we convert the decision rule as an optimal stopping problem to optimize the decision rule for CSS. The optimization problem is carried out by the error probability regarding the PU presence of the phenomenon and the stopping time required to reach a global decision about the PU status. By optimizing the error probability respectively under the condition of a fixed sensing time, the optimization problem is transformed into an optimal stopping problem and solved by Markov stopping theory. Following this, we further determine a pair of thresholds in the optimal sequential decision rule from the minimal cost function. At last, numerical simulation results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the optimal sequential detection rule, and corroborate that in contrast to the external cooperative paradigm, the superiority of the internal cooperative paradigm under various network environments and parameters, in terms of the CSS performance and the stopping time.
An investigation on conjugated linoleic acid content, fatty acid composition, and physicochemical characteristics of Iranian Kurdish butter oil
Authors: Faraji Sarabmirza Rezgar , Joolaei Ahranjani Parham , Rashidi Ladan , Mousavi Mohammad , Khodaiyan Faramarz , Rashidi Nodeh Hamid
Published: December 2022

In this study, physicochemical and quality properties, fatty acid composition, and triglyceride composition of Iranian Kurdish butter oil (IKBO) obtained from yogurt drink (doogh) butter were investigated. Local doogh butter, prepared from cow's (CIKBO) and ewe's milk (EIKBO), was utilized as the raw material for this purpose. The free fatty acids (FFA) and peroxide values of IKBOs of the cow (CIKBO) and ewe (EIKBO) were obtained at 0.41 ± 0.01 and 0.39 ± 0.01 (g Oleic acid 100/g oil), and 1.32 ± 0.00 and 1.35 ± 0.00 (meq O2 kg/oil), respectively. The amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFAs): 70.27 ± 0.62 and 72.13 ± 0.84 (g/100 g), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs): 19.37 ± 0.74 and 20.56 ± 0.97 (g/100 g), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): 1.22 ± 0.12 and 2.75 ± 0.38 (g/100 g) were obtained in CIKBO and EIKBO, respectively. The significant majority of the fatty acids (FAs) in the examined CIKBO and EIKBO were myristic (CIKBO: 13.76 ± 0.02 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 14.83 ± 0.07 (g/100 g)), palmitic (CIKBO: 33.14 ± 0.28 (g 100/g) and EIKBO: 31.86 ± 0.02 (g/100 g)), stearic (CIKBO: 8.27 ± 0.06 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 7.95 ± 0.06 (g/100 g)), capric (CIKBO: 4.83 ± 0.03 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 6.75 ± 0.01 (g/100 g)), and oleic acids (CIKBO: 15.37 ± 0.12 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 17.83 ± 0.02 (g/100 g)). The average of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in EIKBO (2.20 ± 0.22 (g/100 g)) was higher than that in CIKBO (0.92 ± 0.25 (g/100 g)) (p < .05). Therefore, EKIBO is considered the superior natural supply of CLA.
Evaluation of remotely sensed global evapotranspiration data from inland river basins
Authors: Liu Zhaofei
Published: December 2022

Remotely sensed (RS) evapotranspiration (ET) data sets have been widely evaluated and applied at regional scale. However, the research is relatively insufficient on inland basins. RS global ET data sets were evaluated in 19 major inland basins around the world in this study. Monthly ET was estimated by using water balance (ET_WB), as well as multi‐source precipitation and total water storage anomaly data sets from each basin. The main attributes of the ET changes were identified in each basin. The accuracy of 10 ET products was evaluated by monthly ET_WB series over the entire study region and at the basin scales. Results showed that precipitation changes were the main cause of ET changes in most basins (i.e., 11/19). The impacts of human activities, mainly because of increased irrigation diversion, dominated the ET changes in the five basins located in the western and northern regions of the Eurasian inland basin. Accurate estimated ET series in inland basins with a regular unimodal or U distribution of mean monthly ET were also obtained; this was not the case for basins with irregular seasonal ET variations. In general, ET products exhibited accurate monthly ET estimates in most inland basins, but their accuracy was reduced at the Helmand River, Iranian inland rivers, Qaidam, and Turpan Basins. All products tended to underestimate ET, except for the Penman–Monteith–Leuning product. Overall, the global land surface satellite and global land evaporation Amsterdam model products performed the best in inland basins, while the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS; MOD16A2) and surface energy balance system (SEBS) products performed relatively poorly. In addition, all products except SEBS and MOD16A2 could capture the spatial ET distribution in inland basins, and the spatial correlation coefficient ranged between 0.83 and 0.93. In general, an ensemble of optimized ET products could improve the accuracy of simulated monthly ET and reduce the uncertainty of the simulated series over the entire study region and at the basin scales.
Threatened species are disproportionately important interactors in a seed dispersal network in Southeast Asia
Authors: Albert‐Daviaud Aurélie , McConkey Kim R. , Jha Nidhi , Fontaine Colin , Kitamura Shumpei , Nathalang Anuttara , Savini Chution , Savini Tommaso , Forget Pierre‐Michel
Published: December 2022

Southeast Asia is a conservation priority region due to its high biodiversity—including megafauna—and high rates of defaunation, which has negative impacts on key ecological processes such as seed dispersal. Yet, seed dispersal interactions at the community level have rarely been described in this region. This is a major knowledge gap because medium‐size and large animals are disproportionately affected by defaunation and they also have critical roles as seed dispersers. Hence, community‐wide studies that encompass a full range of animal body sizes across diverse regions are required, to enable an improved understanding of defaunation impacts. Here, we (a) describe a highly diverse Southeast Asian seed dispersal network (Khao Yai National Park, Thailand), (b) assess the role of body size in identifying important animals and (c) determine if threatened species are disproportionately important in the network. The network is highly nested and modular, with species phylogeny, body size and seed size having a major influence on modularity; mammals and birds occupied different modules. Generalist species playing important roles in the network were mainly medium or large‐sized. However, the largest disperser (elephants) played a relatively minor role in seed dispersal in this community, and bulbuls were important despite their small size. Many threatened animal species were important within the network as connector species and through their interactions with a larger number of plant species. Consequently, the resilience of this biodiversity hotspot is at threat by the potential nonrandom loss of the most important seed dispersers.
Evaluation of field water balance‐based deficit irrigation strategies for seasonal sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in a semiarid Indian plain
Authors: Dingre S. K. , Gorantiwar S. D.
Published: December 2022

The impact of deficit irrigation (DI) on sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) growth, yield and quality was investigated in field experiments during 2015–2017. The treatments included applying water deficit at three levels (0%, 30% and 60%) during three growth stages (development, mid‐season and end) in order to investigate the impact of a specific water deficit during each growth stage separately. The experiment included 27 treatments replicated twice in a randomized block design. Irrigation scheduling was based on the field soil water balance in the root zone and the water deficit that needed to be provided in the respective treatments. The study found that as the water deficit increased, the growth, yield characteristics and sugarcane yield decreased. Deficit‐free irrigation throughout the season registered maximum cane yield (174 t ha−1). Water deficits of 30% and 60% throughout the season reduced sugarcane yield by 14% and 40.7%, respectively, compared with the condition without water deficit. Based on the statistical comparison of yields, the mid‐season stage was identified as the most sensitive stage, followed by the development and end stages according to DI criteria. A water deficit applied at the end of the season had only a minor impact on yield. Without significant yield loss, an irrigation strategy for deficit conditions of 0% water deficit in the development stage, 30% in mid‐season and 60% at the end stage was found to be sufficient. Sugarcane quality parameters did not change substantially when there was a water deficit.
Increasing the utility of performance audit reports: Using textual analytics tools to improve government reporting
Authors: Duan Huijue Kelly , Hu Hanxin , Yoon Yangin (Ben) , Vasarhelyi Miklos
Published: December 2022

This study conducts a pilot test analyzing reports from New York, New Jersey, and California and uses textual analytics to reengineer government performance audit reporting. It advocates a performance audit database that can facilitate easier access and extract relevant information from lengthy reports in a timely manner. The study presents a framework to identify the commonalities and differences in terminologies used by sampled states, evaluates and extracts relevant content from the reports according to Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards requirements, and constructs a taxonomy specific to government performance audits. Furthermore, this study investigates the disclosure quality by examining linguistic and similarity features, such as report length, specificity, readability, comprehensibility, and content similarity. This paper raises attention to a key legislative task that requires reporting reforms.
A formula and numerical study on Ewald 1D summation
Authors: Pan Cong
Published: December 2022

Ewald summation is famous for its successful applications in molecular simulations for systems under 2 dimensional periodic boundary condition (2D PBC, e.g., planar interfaces) and systems under 3D PBC (e.g., bulk). However, the extension to systems under 1D PBC (like porous structures and tubes) is largely hindered by the special functions in the formula. In this work, a simple approximation of Ewald 1D sum is introduced with its error rigorously controlled. To investigate the impacts on the efficiency and accuracy by different parts, a pairwise potential is calculated for a series of screening parameters () and radial distances () between two point charges. A mapping between the sum of trigonometric functions in Ewald 1D method and the sum of specific vectors further reveals the different converging speeds of different Fourier parts. When choosing Å−1, it is appropriate to ignore the insignificant parts in the sum to accelerate the method.
LncRNA LINC00534 regulates cell proliferation and migration via the miR‐494‐3p/PTEN axis in HTR‐8/SVneo cells
Authors: Song Xuejing , Zhang Xinxin , Xia Qing , Li Chunyan , Zhang Yanrong , Huang Yu , Meng Li , Wang Chunhua , Li Jingyun , Long Wei
Published: December 2022

Background

LncRNA LINC00534 has been found to be differentially expressed in placental tissue samples of preeclampsia (PE), but the exact mechanism is still unclear.

Methods

In vitro assays were carried out in HTR‐8/SVneo cells using various methods, including cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8), transwells, flow cytometry, and Western blotting (WB) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RNA pull‐down and bioinformatics analysis were applied to examine other potential underlying mechanisms involved.

Results

We found that there was a high expression of LINC00534 in the placental tissues of patients with PE. LINC00534 overexpression (OE) significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration as well as accelerated cell apoptosis in HTR8/SVneo cells. The knockdown of LINC00534 produced an opposite trend. Mechanistically, LINC00534 promoted the expressions of PTEN (Phosphatase and tensin homolog) through decreasing miR‐494‐3p. Further rescue studies showed that LINC00534 played a role by targeting mir‐494‐3p, which controlled the growth and migration of HTR‐8/SVneo trophoblast cells via regulating PTEN/PI3K/AKT (Phosphatidylinositol3‐kinase/protein kinase B). Moreover, lncRNA pull‐down assay identified 198 potential bound proteins for LINC00534. Those proteins were mostly involved in RNA processing and modification, posttranslational modification, protein turnover, and chaperones.

Conclusion

Overall, by suppressing HTR8/SVneo cell growth and migration via the miR‐494‐3p/PTEN axis and other mechanisms, LINC00534 offers new insight into PE pathogenesis.
Maternal ApoE genotype and risk of recurrent pregnancy loss: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Cargnin Sarah , Agnusdei Francesca , Shin Jae Il , Terrazzino Salvatore
Published: December 2022

Background

In order to clarify the role of the maternal apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), we herein performed an updated systematic review and meta‐analysis to reevaluate the evidence on this association.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed, Web of Knowledge and the Cochrane library up to September 2022. Methodological study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the credibility of significant pooled odds ratios (ORs) was estimated by the false positive report probability and the Bayesian false discovery probability.

Results

Twelve studies published from 2009 to 2022 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In the overall analysis, the ε4 allele was found to confer an increased risk of RPL compared to the ε3 allele (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.00–2.55, p = 0.049) and women carrying the ApoE ε4 allele displayed a higher risk of RPL compared with those carrying the ε2 and ε3 alleles (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06–2.87, p = 0.028). Subgroup analysis based on subjects’ ethnicity revealed that these associations were restricted to the Asian population (ε4 allele vs. ε3 allele, OR 5.93, 95% CI 1.79–19.61, p = 0.004; ε4 allele carriers vs. carriers of ε2 and ε3 alleles, OR 8.42, 95% CI 1.47–48.12, p = 0.017). None of the associations detected were found to be noteworthy under false positive report probability or Bayesian false discovery probability at a prior probability of 0.001.

Conclusions

This updated meta‐analysis highlights an association between maternal ApoE genotype and RPL risk in Asians, but not in Caucasians. Further case–control studies are warranted in women of Asian ancestry to exclude the possibility of false‐positive findings.
What can we do about patients presenting with myeloma and severe renal failure? Observations from the UK MERIT plasma exchange trial
Authors: Behrens Judith , Gaskin Gill , Iggo Neil , Barratt Jonathan , Tighe Jane , Soutar Richard , Cook Gordon , Drake Mary , Morris Curly , Drayson Mark
Published: December 2022

Myeloma patients presenting with renal failure continue to have a poor prognosis despite significant advances in anti‐myeloma therapy. MERIT was a randomised clinical trial (RCT), set up to evaluate if mechanical reduction of elevated free light chain levels (FLC) would result in clinical benefit. Completion of the planned seven plasma exchanges (PEs) in the first 14 days failed to show, for the exchange group, a greater reduction in FLC or any improvement in dialysis independence at 100 days or subsequently. To improve prognosis for these patients requires earlier diagnosis and prompt anti‐myeloma therapy with effectiveness guided by frequent FLC monitoring.
The macroeconomic implications of disease pandemics in developing countries: An application of Covid‐19 in Uganda
Authors: Kabajulizi Judith
Published: December 2022

This study examines the economy‐wide implications of infectious diseases, taking the case of the Covid‐19 pandemic in Uganda. Covid‐19 containment measures generated social and economic consequences. We employ a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model to evaluate the implications on the economy. We design scenarios to mimic the containment policies via labour supply, labour productivity, government healthcare spending and remittance inflows. Results indicate that growth in sector output declines when compared to the no‐Covid‐19 baseline. However, export growth rates are predicted to be higher. Increased government healthcare spending induces expansion in the healthcare output, but the sectors that produce the intermediate inputs for healthcare production do not grow in tandem. Household welfare declines, and the loss is largest among the top quintile households in both rural and urban areas. Policymakers should revisit Uganda's industrial policy towards domestic production of intermediate inputs to critical domestic sectors such as healthcare. Also, accelerate rural infrastructure development particularly the road network, to facilitate an integrated rural economy induced by the shift in labour and enterprise towards rural areas.
FROM THE VOLLEYBALL COURT TO THE BOARDROOM: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR BUILDING A HIGH‐PERFORMANCE TEAM
Authors: Murray Sean
Published: December 2022

Leadership lessons learned are presented from the U.S. men’s volleyball team of the early 1980s. The team’s coach was preparing the players for the Los Angeles Olympics, and things were not going well. He and his collaborators took steps to move the team to eventual greatness, which are presented in detail. These include working with two pioneering sports psychologists, including the author’s father. The coaches and psychologists “met to discuss how to improve the team’s resilience and get the players to believe and trust in one another.” They began working with a then relatively unknown, but now well‐known organization, Outward Bound. This led them to “design a three‐week course, snowshoeing and hiking over 100 miles, carrying 70‐pound packs, traversing over 11,000 feet in the Abajo mountains, and navigating the labyrinthine Canyonlands National Park.” This training for physical and mental toughness, endurance and resilience was key to eventual success. The author writes: “The team had gone from perennial underachiever to becoming the best in the world at what they did. And the core players from this team went on to win the World Cup, the World Championships, and a second consecutive gold medal at the 1988 Olympics, proving that the performance in Los Angeles wasn’t a fluke.”
HOW DEMOCRATIZATION IS REDEFINING YOUR ORGANIZATION, CAREER, AND LIFE
Authors: Lytle Ben
Published: December 2022

The author takes a close look at forces shaping the future for leaders in all sectors. He describes the research he has conducted for a three‐part Potentialist book series, to be published between 2022 and 2024. He describes the term “potentialism,” as saying that it “became a practice of looking at life through a lens of opportunity in my personal life and the organizations and people I led. It involves gaining the broadest possible perspective by looking back at history and forward to the future and then applying the improved perspective to make better decisions.” In particular he looks at democratization as it applies to a number of people and fields: organizations, institutions, and individuals/consumers. They are affected in various ways, including in his words: Adaptive Response Differences, Rapid Adoption by Individuals and Consumers, Disruption, and Deinstitutionalization. He summarizes changes on the horizon for areas, which in his words, are information and knowledge, creative content, consumer goods, educational institutions, and news media. Also in his words, the characteristics of democratization will play out in the following ways: consumer first; Informed, Integrative choice, Customization/Personalization, Direct and Instant, Collaborative, and Maturational. “A leader’s visionary role has never been more urgent or essential,” he concludes.
Infection Microenvironment‐Sensitive Photothermal Nanotherapeutic Platform to Inhibit Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection
Authors: Zhao Yu , Yang Jiaying , Hao Danli , Xie Ran , Jia Lingyu , Yang Miyi , Ma Hai , Wang Pengqian , Yang Weipeng , Sui Feng , Zhao Haiyu , Chen Yanjun , Zhao Qinghe
Published: December 2022

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can induce multiple inflammations. The biofilm formed by MRSA is resistant to a variety of antibiotics and is extremely difficult to cure, which seriously threatens human health. Herein, a nanoparticle encapsulating berberine with polypyrrole core and pH‐sensitive shell to provide chemo‐photothermal dual therapy for MRSA infection is reported. By integrating photothermal agent polypyrrole, berberine, acid‐degradable crosslinker, and acid‐induced charge reversal polymer, the nanoparticle exhibited highly efficient MRSA infection treatment. In normal uninfected areas and bloodstream, nanoparticles showed negatively charged, demonstrating high biocompatibility and excellent hemocompatibility. However, once arriving at the MRSA infection site, the nanoparticle can penetrate and accumulate in the biofilm within 2 h. Simultaneously, berberine can be released into biofilm rapidly. Under the combined effect of photothermal response and berberine inhibition, 88.7% of the biofilm is removed at 1000 µg mL−1. Moreover, the nanoparticles have an excellent inhibitory effect on biofilm formation, the biofilm inhibition capacity can reach up to 90.3%. Taken together, this pH‐tunable nanoparticle can be employed as a new generation treatment strategy to fight against the fast‐growing MRSA infection.
Chalcogenide‐Doped Anthracenes as Organophotocatalysts for Metal‐Free Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization
Authors: Wang Guangrong , Shao Hui , Ma Jun‐An , Liao Saihu
Published: December 2022

Organocatalytic atom transfer radical polymerization (O‐ATRP) is emerging as a powerful tool for the synthesis of well‐defined, metal‐free polymers, with additional spatiotemporal control by light. Herein, based on the design logic of heteroatom‐doping of polycyclic arenes for photocatalyst development, a series of chalcogenide atom (e.g., O, S, Se, Te)‐doped anthracenes as potential photocatalysts for O‐ATRP is explored. It is found that these heteroatoms have a significant effect on the photophysical and photoredox properties, leading to different performance in the O‐ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA). Upon further optimization, the selenium analogues of N‐aryl phenothiazines are successfully identified as effective photocatalysts for O‐ATRP, which can promote a controlled radical polymerization of MMA.
A finite difference method for a singularly perturbed 2‐D elliptic convection‐diffusion PDEs on Shishkin‐type meshes with non‐smooth convection and source terms
Authors: Shiromani Ram , Shanthi Vembu , Vigo‐Aguiar J.
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with a class of singularly perturbed 2‐D elliptic convection‐diffusion PDEs with non‐smooth convection and source terms. The discontinuity in the convection and source terms portray corner and interior layers in the solution. This type of model problem often appears in modeling various physical phenomena, particularly, in mathematical biology, and thus requires effective numerical techniques for analyzing them computationally. For this purpose, we approximate the considered linear problem by developing an efficient numerical method. The spatial discretization for the numerical method is based on a finite difference scheme. The spatial domain is discretized by appropriate layer‐adapted meshes (S‐mesh and B‐S‐mesh) to accomplish this. The theoretical outcomes are finally supported by extensive numerical experiments, which also include a comparison of the proposed numerical method in terms of the order of accuracy and the computational cost.
Dosimetric impact of a robust optimization approach to mitigate effects from rotational uncertainty in prostate intensity‐modulated brachytherapy
Authors: Morén Björn , Antaki Majd , Famulari Gabriel , Morcos Marc , Larsson Torbjörn , Enger Shirin A. , Tedgren Åsa Carlsson
Published: December 2022

Background

Intensity‐modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) is an emerging technology for cancer treatment, in which radiation sources are shielded to shape the dose distribution. The rotatable shields provide an additional degree of freedom, but also introduce an additional, directional, type of uncertainty, compared to conventional high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy (HDR BT).

Purpose

We propose and evaluate a robust optimization approach to mitigate the effects of rotational uncertainty in the shields with respect to planning criteria.

Methods

A previously suggested prototype for platinum‐shielded prostate 169Yb‐based dynamic IMBT is considered. We study a retrospective patient data set (anatomical contours and catheter placement) from two clinics, consisting of six patients that had previously undergone conventional 192Ir HDR BT treatment. The Monte Carlo‐based treatment planning software RapidBrachyMCTPS is used for dose calculations. In our computational experiments, we investigate systematic rotational shield errors of ±10° and ±20°, and the same systematic error is applied to all dwell positions in each scenario. This gives us three scenarios, one nominal and two with errors. The robust optimization approach finds a compromise between the average and worst‐case scenario outcomes.

Results

We compare dose plans obtained from standard models and their robust counterparts. With dwell times obtained from a linear penalty model (LPM), for 10° errors, the dose to urethra () and rectum ( and ) increase with up to 5% and 7%, respectively, in the worst‐case scenario, while with the robust counterpart, the corresponding increases were 3% and 3%. For all patients and all evaluated criteria, the worst‐case scenario outcome with the robust approach had lower deviation compared to the standard model, without compromising target coverage. We also evaluated shield errors up to 20° and while the deviations increased to a large extent with the standard models, the robust models were capable of handling even such large errors.

Conclusions

We conclude that robust optimization can be used to mitigate the effects from rotational uncertainty and to ensure the treatment plan quality of IMBT.
Fracture risk and impact in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Liaw Joshua , Billich Natassja , Carroll Kate , Adams Justine , Ryan Monique M. , Yiu Eppie M. , Zacharin Margaret , Simm Peter , Davidson Zoe E.
Published: December 2022

Introduction/Aims

Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are at increased risk of fracture. This study investigated the incidence of fractures, factors contributing to risk of first fracture with emphasis on body mass index (BMI), and the impact of fractures on functional capacity in an Australian cohort of boys with DMD.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study included boys with DMD who attended a pediatric neuromuscular clinic from 2011 to 2018. Information regarding fractures, anthropometry measurements, body composition and functional assessment was collected. Factors associated with first fracture risk were analyzed with Cox‐proportional hazards. Longitudinal analysis of function post‐fracture was also conducted.

Results

This study included 155 boys with DMD. At least one fracture occurred in 71 (45%) boys; overall incidence of fractures was 399‐per‐10,000 persons‐years. The first fracture was vertebral in 55%; 41% had non‐vertebral fractures and 4% had both. Vertebral fractures occurred in significantly older (12.28 vs 9.28 y) boys with longer exposure to glucocorticoids (5.45 vs 2.50 y) compared to non‐vertebral fractures. Boys with a history of fracture(s) had a steeper rate of functional decline (measured by Northstar Ambulatory Assessment score) than those with no recorded fractures.

Discussion

A high fracture burden was observed in a large Australian cohort of boys with DMD. Further investigation is required to understand preventative strategies and modifiable risk factors to reduce the incidence of fractures in DMD. The impact on fractures on ambulatory capacity should be closely monitored.
Dynamics of adipose tissue macrophage populations after gastric bypass surgery
Authors: Palomäki Ville A. , Lehenkari Petri , Meriläinen Sanna , Karttunen Tuomo J. , Koivukangas Vesa
Published: December 2022

Objective

This case–control study aimed to analyze the dynamics of macrophage infiltration in subcutaneous adipose tissue following bariatric surgery or conservative treatment of obesity and to clarify whether these features predict the weight loss outcome after the surgery.

Methods

Subcutaneous tissue samples taken before and 12 months after laparoscopic Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass surgery (n = 39) or conservative (n = 43) treatment for obesity were analyzed. Fat cell size was determined, and with CD68 immunohistochemistry, crown‐like structures (CLS) were counted and single macrophages were quantitated.

Results

A major decline in CLS density from 4.1 (SD 3.5) to 1.1 (SD 0.8) per 1000 fat cells (p < 0.000) was found, regardless of the degree of weight loss after the surgery. Surgery had no effect on the fraction of infiltrating single‐cell macrophages in subcutaneous adipose tissue. The abundance of these macrophage populations before the intervention did not predict the degree of postsurgery weight loss or suboptimal response to the surgery.

Conclusions

The effect of gastric bypass on adipose tissue inflammatory status associates closely with CLS density even in subjects with suboptimal weight loss. The study suggests that factors related to bypass surgery other than weight loss modify the inflammatory response in adipose tissue.
Tirzepatide for the treatment of obesity: Rationale and design of the SURMOUNT clinical development program
Authors: le Roux Carel W. , Zhang Shuyu , Aronne Louis J. , Kushner Robert F. , Chao Ariana M. , Machineni Sriram , Dunn Julia , Chigutsa Farai B. , Ahmad Nadia N. , Bunck Mathijs C.
Published: December 2022

Objective

Obesity is a growing global concern compounded by limited availability of effective treatment options. The SURMOUNT development program aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention compared with placebo on chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 with or without type 2 diabetes.

Methods

The SURMOUNT program includes four global phase 3 trials NCT04184622 (SURMOUNT‐1), NCT04657003 (SURMOUNT‐2), NCT04657016 (SURMOUNT‐3), and NCT04660643 (SURMOUNT‐4). Participants are randomized to once‐weekly subcutaneous tirzepatide versus placebo in a double‐blind manner. The primary end point in all trials is the percentage change in body weight from randomization to end of treatment. Results for the primary end point for SURMOUNT‐1 were published recently and results for the other trials are expected in 2023.

Results

Across trials, participants have a mean age of 44.9 to 54.2 years, are mostly female (50.7% to 69.7%), and have a mean BMI of 36.1 to 38.9.

Conclusions

The extensive assessment of once‐weekly tirzepatide in the global SURMOUNT program will detail the clinical effects of this first‐in‐class glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist in chronic weight management.
Precursor‐Directed Synthesis of Apoptosis‐Initiating N‐Hydroxyalkyl Phenylbenzoisoquinolindione Alkaloids
Authors: Chen Yu , Dahse Hans‐Martin , Paetz Christian , Schneider Bernd
Published: December 2022

A precursor‐directed approach to access N‐hydroxyalkyl phenylbenzoisoquinolindiones (PBIQs) has been developed. Incubation of plant material of Xiphidium caeruleum with hydroxylamines of various chain lengths (C2, C4, C6, C8, C10 and C12) resulted in 11 new 5‐hydroxy‐ and 5‐methoxy PBIQs with different N‐hydroxyalkyl side chain lengths. The antiproliferative effect and the cytotoxicity against HUVEC, K‐562, and HeLa cell lines of 26 previously reported PBIQs and the 11 newly synthesized N‐hydroxyalkyl PBIQs was determined for the first time. The results revealed that introducing long‐chain N‐aliphatic amine moieties improved the antiproliferative effect and cytotoxicity of PBIQs when compared to derivatives with N‐amino acids as side chains.
Surface modification of zirconia by various modifiers to investigate its reinforcing efficiency toward nitrile rubber
Authors: Ambilkar Shubham C. , Das Chayan
Published: December 2022

Uniform dispersion of metal oxide‐like zirconia in elastomeric matrix is an essential requisite to deliver proper reinforcement. However, inadequate compatibility between the hydrophobic elastomer and the hydrophilic zirconia surface makes this a difficult task. In this work, three different surface modifiers, namely, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS: a surfactant), 3‐(trimethoxy silyl) propyl methacrylates (MPS: an organosilane), and tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris: an amine buffer) are employed to modify the surface of sol–gel derived in‐situ generated zirconia. Effect of surface modification of zirconia by these different kinds of surface modifiers on zirconia‐filled nitrile rubber (NBR) composite has been critically investigated in terms of thermal, morphological, mechanical, swelling, rheological, and dielectric properties. Temperature of maximum degradation (Tmax) of the NBR gum (439 °C) is improved upon incorporation of all type of modified zirconia while that is maximum for Tris‐modified zirconia‐filled composite (458 °C). Similar trend is observed in stress–strain study where Tensile strength is enhanced up to six times for the filled composites relative to NBR gum (1.03 MPa) and the highest value is shown by Tris‐modified zirconia‐filled composite (6.35). This study reveals that Tris could be a potential surface modifier for metal oxides like zirconia, as an alternate to organosilane, to reinforce the elastomer matrices.
Investigations on interfacial moisture storage and its relation to the mechanical behavior in polymer composites
Authors: Kannan Manikandanbabu , Swaminathan Gowthaman
Published: December 2022

Moisture absorption in composites significantly influence the fiber/matrix interface regions and mechanical properties. Hence, it is very important to quantify the moisture storage in interfaces and correlate it to the mechanical behavior. The novelty of this article is that, for the first time, it explores the correlation of moisture absorption parameters with the mechanical behavior of composites. The paper studies four different types of moisture‐soaked composites—glass fiber/epoxy, carbon fiber/epoxy, ZnO nanowire incorporated glass fiber/epoxy, and ZnO nanowire incorporated carbon fiber/epoxy. One‐dimensional hindered diffusion model (1D HDM) was used for the extraction of moisture absorption parameters. The hindrance coefficient (ratio of bound to unbound moisture) of composites was found to increase proportionately with the increase in the volume of interfacial regions. Only in carbon fiber/epoxy composite, it did not increase proportionately due to the relatively larger degradation of interface. This was correlated well with mechanical test responses wherein carbon fiber/epoxy exhibited anomalous failure modes due to relatively larger degradation of interface. Numerical simulations were also carried out to describe the moisture absorption in composites. Numerical simulations of moisture absorption in composites using time‐varying boundary conditions matched very well with experimental as well as 1D HDM results.
Recent tapering from long‐term opioid therapy and odds of opioid‐related hospital use
Authors: Mazurenko Olena , Blackburn Justin , Zhang Pengyue , Gupta Sumedha , Harle Christopher A. , Kroenke Kurt , Simon Kosali
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The number of patients tapered from long‐term opioid therapy (LTOT) has increased in recent years in the United States. Some patients tapered from LTOT report improved quality of life, while others face increased risks of opioid‐related hospital use. Research has not yet established how the risk of opioid‐related hospital use changes across LTOT dose and subsequent tapering. Our objective was to examine associations between recent tapering from LTOT with odds of opioid‐related hospital use.

Methods

Case‐crossover design using 2014–2018 health information exchange data from Indiana. We defined opioid‐related hospital use as hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits for a drug overdose, opioid abuse, and dependence. We defined tapering as a 15% or greater dose reduction following at least 3 months of continuous opioid therapy of 50 morphine milligram equivalents (MME)/day or more. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Recent tapering from LTOT was associated with increased odds of opioid‐related hospital use (OR: 1.50, 95%CI: 1.34–1.63), ED visit (OR: 1.52; 95%CI: 1.35–1.72), and inpatient hospitalization (OR: 1.40; 95%CI: 1.20–1.65). We found no evidence of heterogeneity of the effect of tapering on opioid‐related hospital use by gender, age, and race. Recent tapering among patients on a high baseline dose (>300 MME) was associated with increased odds of opioid‐related hospital use (OR: 2.95, 95% CI: 2.12–4.11, p < 0.001) compared to patients on a lower baseline doses.

Conclusions

Recent tapering from LTOT is associated with increased odds of opioid‐related hospital use.