bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metakaolin‐based geopolymer for mercury removal from model wastewater
Authors: Santos Ilídio Deocleciano Salomão Dos , Bao Shen Xu , Musah Baba Imoro
Published: August 2022

Mercury is recognized as a serious hazard, nature bioaccumulative and persistent to the environment. Developing a low‐cost, effective, eco‐friendly adsorbent for removing mercury constitutes an urgent task. In this study, metakaolin‐based geopolymer (MKG) was synthesized and applied to remove mercury from model wastewater by adsorption. The samples were characterized by X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). They confirmed the synthesis of geopolymer due to the mass loss (LOI), crystallinity, peak changes, increase in surface area, and pore size. The highest removal efficiency recorded was 65.1%, with a corresponding adsorption capacity of 38.1 mg/g for MKG in 50 mg of dosage, 50 mg/L initial concentration, at a temperature of 25°C, contact time of 5 h and optimal pH of 3. The kinetic studies showed that mercury removal increased with the contact time until equilibrium after an hour. The adsorption equilibrium data were best described by Freundlich, whereas the pseudo‐second‐order model best fitted the adsorption kinetics. This may be indicative that chemisorption controlled the adsorption process. The stability studies of MKG adsorbent within the four reagents revealed that MKG has good stability in water, followed by 10% HCl, 3M NaCl, and 5% NaOH. In contrast, the desorption revealed the MKG represented the highest desorption efficiency in 10% HCl, followed by 3M NaCl, deionized water and 5% NaOH, respectively. The highest desorption efficiency was 96.83% for 10% HCl, followed by 91.83% for 3M NaCl, 82.55% for H2O, and 50.72% for 5% NaOH.

Practitioner Points

A low‐cost metakaolin‐based geopolymer (MKG) was synthesized and applied as an adsorbent for removing Hg(II).

The most dominant mechanism involved in the removal process of Hg(II) was chemisorption.

The maximum adsorption capacity obtained in this study was 38.1 mg/g.

Hg(II) removal is influenced by pH zeta potential and temperature.

MKG shows good potential for the effective removal of mercury from modeled wastewater.
Introduction to the National Health Insurance of Taiwan
Authors: Po-Chang Lee
Published: August 2022

This chapter provides an overview of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system. In 1995, major social insurance programmes, such as labour insurance, government employee health insurance and farmers’ insurance, were merged and enlarged to form the NHI to deliver universal health coverage. Since its inception, the payment system of the NHI is the fee-for-service method. Moreover, most of the health care is provided by private sectors, and there are no restrictions on patients seeking medical care. Owing to the high medical accessibility, the volume of outpatient services is high, and the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has to develop various measures to maintain its financial stability. Several strategies have been implemented by the NHIA for health equity, and the NHI MediCloud system, the NHI card and ‘My Health Bank’ were provided to ensure patients’ safety and enhance healthcare quality.
Coverage of Advanced Treatments and Medical Devices
Authors: (Mary) Tai Hsueh-Yung , Chang Yu-Pin
Published: August 2022

This chapter is primarily about the rationale and decision-making process of including advanced treatments (immuno-oncology therapy, hepatitis B and C medications), tests (next-generation sequencing, NGS) and medical devices in the benefits package of the National Health Insurance.

Because of the high prevalence of hepatic cirrhosis and advancement in treatment, Taiwan aims to expand the coverage of hepatitis B treatment and eradicate hepatitis C by 2025. This chapter documents the history and achievements in the expansion of reimbursed indications. As for NGS, although it is recognized as essential for personalized oncology treatment, it requires regulation support to expand its coverage.

The chapter ends with discussion in detail regarding why and how National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) expanded its coverage for medical devices as well as strategies used to improve price transparency for out-of-pocket medical devices.
Kompetenzrahmen: Digitale Kompetenzen in der öffentlichen Verwaltung
Authors: Catakli Derya
Published: August 2022

Wie in den ersten Teilen der Ausarbeitung aufgezeigt werden konnte, sind im Umgang mit digitalen Technologien und Anwendungen zusätzliche digitale Kompetenzen erforderlich, die sich nicht in fachlichen Kompetenzen erschöpfen, sondern auch methodischer, sozialer oder personaler Art sein können. Durch die hauptsächlichrechtlichen, prozessualen und strukturellen Vorgaben, denen die Verwaltung unterworfen ist, bietet sich ein abgesteckter Rahmen, innerhalb dessen digitale Kompetenzen konkretisiert werden können.
Digitale Kompetenzen in der Personalakquise
Authors: Catakli Derya
Published: August 2022

In den vorigen Kapiteln wurden die Grundlagen digitaler Technologien und damit verknüpfter Kompetenzen erläutert. Die digitale Transformation der Verwaltung wurde unter v.a. rechtlichen und strategischen, strukturellen und personellen Aspekten untersucht. Die gefundenen Erkenntnisse wurden zu einem Kompetenzrahmen kondensiert, der digitale Kompetenzen in der Verwaltung in der Breite abdeckt.
Fazit
Authors: Catakli Derya
Published: August 2022

Nachdem die gesamte Ausarbeitung die aufgeworfenen Fragen jeweils punktuell beleuchtet hat, ist im folgenden letzten Teil ein Gesamtresümee zu ziehen. Zunächst werden die grundlegenden Forschungsfragen beantwortet und die gefundenen Ergebnisse beleuchtet, um sodann Schlüsse für die Verwaltung, insbesondere die vorherrschende Einstellungspraxis, und für die nachfolgende Forschung zu ziehen.
Skalierbarkeit von PROFINET over TSN für ressourcenbeschränkte Geräte
Authors: Leßmann Gunnar , Gamper Sergej , Albrecht Janis , Schriegel Sebastian
Published: August 2022

Industrie 4.0 erfordert eine flexible und von der Feldebene (Sensoren und Aktoren) bis in das Internet durchgängige und skalierbare Kommunikationslösung. IEEE 802.1 Ethernet TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) und Single Pair Ethernet werden als Netzwerktechnologien gesehen, welche dazu einen wichtigen Beitrag leisten können. Zu den Protokollen, die auf Basis dieser skalierbaren Ethernet-Netzwerke genutzt werden können oder genutzt werden, gehören Profinet und OPC UA. Ein SPE-fähiges Gerät sollte mit einem Prozessorsystem mit wenigen kByte Speicher auskommen, da ein solches System u. U. sehr preissensitiv ist und aufgrund der begrenzten Wärmeabgabemenge nur sehr wenig Energie aufnehmen darf. Entsprechend muss neben der Netzwerktechnologie auch das genutzte Protokoll skalierbar sein. Sowohl Profinet als auch OPC UA beinhalten bereits heute Skalierungsmöglichkeiten durch Profile. Die Grenzen dieser Profile und Vorschläge zur Erweiterung dieser Grenzen werden im Beitrag diskutiert.
Systematic Test Environment for Narrowband IoT Technologies
Authors: Sebastian Jubin E. , Sikora Axel
Published: August 2022

Spatially Distributed Wireless Networks (SDWN) are one of the basic technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT) and (Industrial) Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. These SDWN for many of these applications has strict requirements such as low cost, simple installation and operations, and high potential flexibility and mobility. Among the different Narrowband Wireless Wide Area Networking (NBWWAN) technologies, which are introduced to address these categories of wireless networking requirements, Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is getting more traction due to attractive system parameters, energy-saving mode of operation with low data rates and bandwidth, and its applicability in 5G use cases. Since several technologies are available and because the underlying use cases come with various requirements, it is essential to perform a systematic comparative analysis of competing technologies to choose the right technology. It is also important to perform testing during different phases of the system development life cycle. This paper describes the systematic test environment for automated testing of radio communication and systematic measurements of the performance of NB-IoT.
Concept for Rule-Based Information Aggregation in Modular Production Plants
Authors: Geng Christoph , Moriz Natalia , Bunte Andreas , Trsek Henning
Published: August 2022

In the context of Industrie 4.0, (Self-)adapting Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) offer a solution for production facilities to adapt to changing market requirements. The operation of a CPPS requires information of the entire plant at any time, which can usually be derived by aggregating the individual information of the production modules of a CPPS (information models). Even if the information models are designed following standardized guidelines, the aggregation of these individual information models often needs to be done manually, which requires a lot of effort and is error prone. To achieve an automated information aggregation, this paper presents a novel concept for modular production plants. The main aspect of the concept is the use of a Rule Engine for the processing of information models in order to create aggregated plant information. This Rule Engine uses a classification method for plant components in order to enable standardization. The challenge of this work is to design a Rule Engine that is suitable for different aspects of CPPS.
Automatische Bewertung und Überwachung von Safety & Security Eigenschaften: Strukturierung und Ausblick
Authors: Ehrlich Marco , Trsek Henning , Benk Stefan , Harder Dimitri , Kleen Philip , Schriegel Sebastian , Jasperneite Jürgen
Published: August 2022

Um die Sicherheit von industriellen Fertigungsanlagen von der Entwicklung über den Betrieb bis zur Entsorgung zu gewährleisten, werden bestimmte regulative und normative Anforderungen gestellt. Durch die Vernetzung und die weiteren Entwicklungen im Rahmen der Industrie 4.0 wird der manuelle Aufwand zum Erreichen dieser Sicherheit immer größer und nahezu nicht mehr durchführbar, gerade für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen. Deswegen untersucht diese Arbeit die vorhandenen Problemstellungen genauer und gibt einen Ausblick auf die möglichen Lösungen in diesem Bereich. Das Ziel ist eine (teil-)automatisierte Sicherheitsbetrachtung von modularen Fertigungsanlagen mit Bezug auf Safety und Security.
Stability Problem for the Nonlinear Functional Equation
Authors: Badora Roman
Published: August 2022

We discuss on the stability for functional equations in a single variable. We will prove the theorem about the stability of the nonlinear functional equation from which we can derive the result obtained by T. Trif (Publ Math Debrecen 60:47–61, 2002) on the stability of the linear functional equation.
Heart rate variability and atrial fibrillation in the general population: a longitudinal and Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Geurts Sven , Tilly Martijn J. , Arshi Banafsheh , Stricker Bruno H. C. , Kors Jan A. , Deckers Jaap W. , de Groot Natasja M. S. , Ikram M. Arfan , Kavousi Maryam
Published: August 2022

Background

Sex differences and causality of the association between heart rate variability (HRV) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population remain unclear.

Methods

12,334 participants free of AF from the population-based Rotterdam Study were included. Measures of HRV including the standard deviation of normal RR intervals (SDNN), SDNN corrected for heart rate (SDNNc), RR interval differences (RMSSD), RMSSD corrected for heart rate (RMSSDc), and heart rate were assessed at baseline and follow-up examinations. Joint models, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, were used to determine the association between longitudinal measures of HRV with new-onset AF. Genetic variants for HRV were used as instrumental variables in a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary-level data.

Results

During a median follow-up of 9.4 years, 1302 incident AF cases occurred among 12,334 participants (mean age 64.8 years, 58.3% women). In joint models, higher SDNN (fully-adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24, 1.04–1.47,p = 0.0213), and higher RMSSD (fully-adjusted HR, 95% CI 1.33, 1.13–1.54,p = 0.0010) were significantly associated with new-onset AF. Sex-stratified analyses showed that the associations were mostly prominent among women. In MR analyses, a genetically determined increase in SDNN (odds ratio (OR), 95% CI 1.60, 1.27–2.02,p = 8.36 × 10–05), and RMSSD (OR, 95% CI 1.56, 1.31–1.86,p = 6.32 × 10–07) were significantly associated with an increased odds of AF.

Conclusion

Longitudinal measures of uncorrected HRV were significantly associated with new-onset AF, especially among women. MR analyses supported the causal relationship between uncorrected measures of HRV with AF. Our findings indicate that measures to modulate HRV might prevent AF in the general population, in particular in women.

Graphical abstract

AF; atrial fibrillation,GWAS; genome-wide association study, IVW; inverse variance weighted,MR; Mendelian randomization, MR-PRESSO; MR-egger and mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier,RMSSD; root mean square of successive RR interval differences,RMSSDc; root mean square of successive RR interval differences corrected for heart rate,SDNN; standard deviation of normal to normal RR intervals,SDNNc; standard deviation of normal to normal RR intervals corrected for heart rate,WME; weighted median estimator.

aRotterdam Studyn=12,334

bHRV GWASn=53,174

cAF GWASn=1,030,836
Resolving disputed subspecies distribution limits, and revealing intraspecific intergradation, in the Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus using citizen science and museum data
Authors: Martinez Nicolas , Kirwan Guy M. , Schweizer Manuel
Published: August 2022

Contact zones with hybridization are documented for several Palearctic bird taxa. However, their extent is still poorly understood in many cases, including the Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Nominate P. p. phoenicurus breeds across most of the species’ range, whereas P. p. samamisicus is restricted to the south-eastern part. Their precise distributions are disputed as is the existence and prevalence of hybridization between them within potential contact zones in the Balkans, Turkey and the Caucasus region. Adult males differ by the presence (samamisicus) or absence (phoenicurus) of a white wing patch; however, there is variation and white is lacking in most second-calendar-year males of both subspecies. Further, male samamisicus is thought to be darker on the mantle. We map the occurrence of pre-defined states in these two characters during the breeding season across the species’ range based upon photos in online citizen science databases, subsequently complemented by an examination of museum specimens to refute or verify the pattern inferred from photos. We demonstrate that the extent of white in the wing varies throughout the range, but nevertheless is geographically structured. Adult breeders with a large white wing patch and black mantle occurred only in Greece, southern Bulgaria, Turkey, Crimea, and the Caucasus to Iran, which should be considered the breeding range of samamisicus. Earlier reports of intermediates and/or phoenicurus breeding there perhaps reflect confusion with second-year male samamisicus. Broad areas in the Balkans and north of the Black Sea were revealed as zones of intraspecific intergradation. Employing citizen science data enabled us to acquire a much larger sample than by using museum material alone. Although photographs from citizen science databases are unlikely to ever completely replace museum specimens, our approach of combining both types of data could prove a model for similar future research.
Associations of Duration of Preadoption Out-of-home Care, Genetic Risk for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Adoptive Family Functioning with Later Psychiatric Disorders of Adoptees
Authors: Myllyaho Toni , Siira Virva , Wahlberg Karl-Erik , Hakko Helinä , Taka-Eilola Tiina , Läksy Kristian , Tikkanen Ville , Roisko Riikka , Niemelä Mika , Räsänen Sami
Published: August 2022

The objective was to examine the impacts of duration of preadoption out-of-home care and adoptive family functioning on later psychiatric morbidity of adoptees with high (HR) and low (LR) genetic risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The study uses nationwide data from the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia. The study population in this substudy consisted of 43 h adoptees and 128 LR adoptees. Of these adoptees, 90 had spent 0–6 months and 81 over 6 months in preadoption out-of-home care. The family functioning of adoptive families was assessed based on Global Family Ratings and psychiatric disorders on DSM-III-R criteria. The results showed that among the adoptees with over 6 months in preadoption out-of-home care, the likelihood for psychiatric disorders was significantly increased in HR adoptees compared to LR adoptees. In adoptees with 6 months or less in preadoption out-of-home care, an increased likelihood for psychiatric disorders was found among those living in adoptive families with dysfunctional processes. These findings indicate that especially for HR children, a well-functioning early caregiving environment is crucial in terms of subsequent mental wellbeing. The results emphasize that when adoption is necessary, early placement and well-functioning adoptive family environment are beneficial to children.
Life at the academic coalface: validation of a holistic academic workload estimation tool
Authors: Kenny John , Fluck Andrew Edward
Published: August 2022

This paper reports on research exploring the academic workload and performance practices of Australian universities. This research has identified a suite of activities associated with teaching, research and service, each with an associated time value (allocation). This led to the development of the academic workload estimation tool (AWET). In 2020, to validate the findings, we contacted academics willing to participate further and conducted interviews. We used the AWET to estimate workload for each individual for the previous year and compared it to the workload allocated according to their institutional workload model. Discrepancies were then discussed to ascertain to what extent the AWET was able to capture their work. In general, the participants thought the AWET provided a more realistic estimate of their actual work and highlighted how much is underestimated or unaccounted for by the workload models used within their institutions. It also showed how academic performance policies, focussed primarily on research output, disadvantaged many individuals because they ignored or minimised many scholarly, teaching and service-related tasks inherent in the academic role. Overall, the findings showed the AWET was a useful tool to discuss academic work and assisted them to better capture the complexity and extent of what they did. We offer the AWET as a validated approach for academics to estimate their workload in a holistic and transparent manner. We suggest its implementation institution-wide, along with an aligned performance policy, will facilitate negotiation of reasonable performance expectations. This will rebuild trust in the processes and improve a university’s effectiveness.
On the description of the microdomains within carbon fiber precursory mesophase pitch: a mesoscopic continuum approach
Authors: Florindo Caio César Ferreira , Papenfuss Christina , Bassi Adalberto Bono Maurizio Sacchi
Published: August 2022

The present paper proposes a mesoscopic continuum approach in order to describe the behavior of microdomains within carbon fiber precursory mesophase pitch. The microdomains are assumed to have an orientation, which is determined by the average orientation of the particles that form it. On the mesoscopic space, balance equations for the microdomains are presented. Evolution equations for the density and for the orientation of the crystalline microdomains are proposed. In order to determine the temporal variation of the microdomain density, it was deduced a quite simple relation between mass production, critical density of microdomains and a mesoscopic operator acting on the orientation distribution function. As presented in the present work, the mass production can be determined by the crystallization kinetics theory via the steady-state nucleation rate. Specific forms for the mesoscopic operator are proposed in this work, although they may be extended to other models that describe oriented microstructures. There are not yet enough experimental data to test the mesoscopic model deduced here, but in turn, it is presented as a new tool for experimental studies, since it can estimate the time rate of microdomain property changes. Possible extensions of this model could be applied to describe mechanical and rheological properties of carbon fibers.
The information inelasticity of habits: Kahneman’s bounded rationality or Simon’s procedural rationality?
Authors: Khalil Elias L.
Published: August 2022

Why would decision makers (DMs) adopt heuristics, priors, or in short “habits” that prevent them from optimally using pertinent information—even when such information is freely-available? One answer, Herbert Simon’s “procedural rationality” regards the question invalid: DMs do not, and in fact cannot, process information in an optimal fashion. For Simon, habits are the primitives, where humans are ready to replace them only when they no longer sustain a pregiven “satisficing” goal. An alternative answer, Daniel Kahneman’s “mental economy” regards the question valid: DMs make decisions based on optimization. Kahneman understands optimization not differently from the standard economist’s “bounded rationality.” This might surprise some researchers given that the early Kahneman, along with Tversky, have uncovered biases that appear to suggest that choices depart greatly from rational choices. However, once we consider cognitive cost as part of the constraints, such biases turn out to beoccasionalfailures of habits that are otherwise optimal on average. They are optimal as they save us the cognitive cost of case-by-case deliberation. While Kahneman’s bounded rationality situates him in the neoclassical economics camp, Simon’s procedural rationality echoes Bourdieu’s “habitus” camp. To abridge the fault line of the two camps, this paper proposes a “two problem areas hypothesis.” Along the neoclassical camp, habits satisfy wellbeing, what this paper calls “substantive satisfaction.” Along the Bourdieu camp, habits satisfy belonging, love, and bonding with one’s environment, what this paper calls “transcendental satisfaction.”
Unveiling the role of entrepreneurial knowledge and cognition as antecedents of entrepreneurial intention: a meta-analytic study
Authors: Liao Ying-Kai , Nguyen Vu Huu Anh , Caputo Andrea
Published: August 2022

Although entrepreneurial intention has been regarded as one of the most important drivers of creativity, innovation, and performance in firms, a comprehensive framework that integrates the relevant influential factors has yet to be developed. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior and the social cognitive career theory, this study investigates the critical antecedents, mediators, and moderators of entrepreneurial intention. A meta-analytic approach is employed to validate the proposed hypotheses, and 89 primary studies with a total sample size of 51,919 are analyzed. The results indicate the existence of differences in the manner in which entrepreneurial knowledge influences cognitive antecedents in the individuals who participate in new ventures. Furthermore, personal attitude and self-efficacy play a vital role in predicting entrepreneurial intention. Demographic characteristics (such as age, gender, and education background) significantly moderate the relationship between cognitive antecedents and entrepreneurial intention, indicating that men tend to adopt more entrepreneurial behaviors than women, that older individuals with more positive attitudes have a higher propensity to start ventures than younger ones, and that those with higher education attainment tend to have lower self-employment. These findings offer several recommendations. They could provide valuable references for further academic work, which should aim to extend and validate them. The findings are also very beneficial for professional experts tasked with the design of effective programs for enhancing entrepreneurial behavior.
Bosutinib in Japanese patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia: final 3-year follow-up results of a phase 2 study
Authors: Ono Takaaki , Hino Masayuki , Matsumura Itaru , Fujisawa Shin , Ishizawa Kenichi , Sakaida Emiko , Sekiguchi Naohiro , Ono Chiho , Aizawa Mana , Tanetsugu Yusuke , Koide Yuichiro , Takahashi Naoto
Published: August 2022

Bosutinib has been evaluated for treatment of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) in several clinical studies, including in Japan. This open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of bosutinib at a starting dose of 400 mg once daily in Japanese patients (n = 60) with newly diagnosed CP-CML. The minimum follow-up period was 3 years and median duration of treatment was 35.9 months. At study completion, 60% of patients were still on treatment. Cumulative rates of major molecular response (MMR), molecular response4 (MR4), and MR4.5 at any time were 70.0%, 53.3%, and 48.3%, respectively. No patient who achieved MMR or MR4 had a confirmed loss of response. No patient experienced on-treatment transformation to accelerated/blast phase or died within 28 days of the last bosutinib dose. Any-grade treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 100% (grade ≥ 3: 81.7%) of patients. The most common TEAEs were diarrhea (86.7%), increased alanine aminotransferase (55.0%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (46.7%). No new safety signals emerged during the follow-up period. Bosutinib continues to demonstrate a favorable benefit/risk profile and is an important treatment option for Japanese patients with newly diagnosed CP-CML. Optimal management of TEAEs during initial treatment with bosutinib should be prioritized.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03128411.
Adaptive hierarchical hyper-gradient descent
Authors: Jie Renlong , Gao Junbin , Vasnev Andrey , Tran Minh-Ngoc
Published: August 2022

Adaptive learning rate strategies can lead to faster convergence and better performance for deep learning models. There are some widely known human-designed adaptive optimizers such as Adam and RMSProp, gradient based adaptive methods such as hyper-descent and practical loss-based stepsize adaptation (L4), and meta learning approaches including learning to learn. However, the existing studies did not take into account the hierarchical structures of deep neural networks in designing the adaptation strategies. Meanwhile, the issue of balancing adaptiveness and convergence is still an open question to be answered. In this study, we investigate novel adaptive learning rate strategies at different levels based on the hyper-gradient descent framework and propose a method that adaptively learns the optimizer parameters by combining adaptive information at different levels. In addition, we show the relationship between regularizing over-parameterized learning rates and building combinations of adaptive learning rates at different levels. Moreover, two heuristics are introduced to guarantee the convergence of the proposed optimizers. The experiments on several network architectures, including feed-forward networks, LeNet-5 and ResNet-18/34, show that the proposed multi-level adaptive approach can significantly outperform many baseline adaptive methods in a variety of circumstances.
Comparative analysis of complement C3 and C4 serum levels for outcome prediction in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis
Authors: Tampe Désirée , Baier Eva , Hakroush Samy , Tampe Björn
Published: August 2022

Background

The activation of the complement system contributes essentially to the pathogenesis of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated renal vasculitis. We here aimed to directly compare levels of C3 and C4 for outcome prediction in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis.

Methods

Serum levels of complement components C3 and C4 were directly compared in association with clinical and outcome data in a retrospective cohort of ANCA-associated renal vasculitis.

Results

As compared to poor outcome prediction by low levels of complement C3 (p = 0.0093), low levels of complement C4 did not associate with early requirement of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) or death (p = 0.2396). In the subgroup that experienced KRT or death, low C3 levels identified 11/14 (78.6%, p = 0.0071) and C4 levels 9/14 (64.3%, p = 0.1786) cases. Interestingly, 2/14 (14.3%) patients that experienced KRT or death had isolated C4 lowering, and combining low C3 and/or C4 levels identified 13/14 (92.3%, p < 0.0001) cases in this subgroup. Non-superiority to predict poor outcome by low C3 and/or C4 as compared to C3 alone in the total cohort was attributed to 4/24 (16.7%) patients with isolated C4 lowering in the subgroup that did not experience KRT or death.

Conclusion

While low levels of complement C3 were superior in predicting poor outcome in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis, a minor fraction with poor outcome had isolated C4 lowering not captured by serum C3 measurements. Therefore, detailed knowledge of distinct complement components contributing to kidney injury could be of relevance to improve current strategies targeting the complement system in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis.

Graphical abstract
Molybdenum Oxynitride Atomic Nanoclusters Bonded in Nanosheets of N-Doped Carbon Hierarchical Microspheres for Efficient Sodium Storage
Authors: Pan Xiaona , Xi Baojuan , Lu Huibing , Zhang Zhengchunyu , An Xuguang , Liu Jie , Feng Jinkui , Xiong Shenglin
Published: August 2022

Transition metal nitrides have attracted considerable attention as great potential anode materials due to their excellent metallic conductivity and high theoretical specific capacity. However, their cycling performance is impeded by their instability caused by the reaction mechanism. Herein, we report the engineering and synthesis of a novel hybrid architecture composed of MoO2.0N0.5 atomic nanoclusters bonded in nanosheets of N-doped carbon hierarchical hollow microspheres (MoO2.0N0.5/NC) as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries. The facile self-templating strategy for the synthesis of MoO2.0N0.5/NC involves chemical polymerization and subsequent one-step calcination treatments. The design is beneficial to improve the electrochemical kinetics, buffer the volume variation of electrodes during cycling, and provide more interfacial active sites for sodium uptake. Due to these unique structural and compositional merits, these MoO2.0N0.5/NC exhibits excellent sodium storage performance in terms of superior rate capability and stable long cycle life. The work shows a feasible and effective way to design novel host candidates and solve the long-term cycling stability issues for sodium-ion batteries.
Regional variation in tax compliance and the role of culture
Authors: Guerra Alice , Harrington Brooke
Published: August 2022

This research note analyzes the role of culture on individuals’ tax compliance by focusing on regional differences within a single country: Italy. Southern Italy has long been a focus of research interest, not only for its high rates of tax evasion, but for a host of other social and political ills, all usually attributed to regional culture. Our laboratory tax compliance experiment, conducted in provinces of the northern and southern regions, reveals that taxpayers in the north and south generally behaved alike both in terms of average compliance rates and individuals’ sensitivity to changes in tax structures—except for lower responsiveness to greater redistribution of tax revenues among subjects in Salerno than those in Bologna. This suggests the limited explanatory power of culture in tax compliance in favor of institutional explanations.
Blended structural optimization for wire-and-arc additively manufactured beams
Authors: Laghi Vittoria , Palermo Michele , Bruggi Matteo , Gasparini Giada , Trombetti Tomaso
Published: August 2022

Current manufacturing techniques in the construction sector are slow, expensive and constrained in terms of architectural shapes. In other manufacturing sectors (such as automotive and aerospace) the use of automated construction systems significantly improved the safety, speed, quality and complexity of products. To realize real-scale structural elements for construction applications without ideally any geometrical constraints either in size or shape, the most suitable manufacturing solution for metallic elements is a directed energy deposition (DED) process referred to as wire-and-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). The main advantage of WAAM relies on the possibility to create new shapes and forms following the breakthrough design tools for modern architecture as algorithm-aided design. At the same time, the printed part ensures high structural performances with reduced material use with respect to the conventional solution. The study presents a new approach called “blended” structural optimization, which blends topology optimization with basic principles of structural design and manufacturing constraints proper of WAAM technology, towards the realization of new efficient structural elements. The approach is applied to the case study of a I-type stainless steel beam on a multi-storey frame building. The approach could pave the way towards an efficient use of WAAM process to produce a new generation of structurally optimized elements for construction, with a more conscious use of the optimization tools and an efficient application of metal 3D printing.
Safe Shelter: A Case for Prioritizing Housing Quality in Climate Adaptation Policy by Remotely Sensing Roof Tarps in the San Francisco Bay Area
Authors: Velterop Emma , Uzkent Burak , Suckale Jenny
Published: August 2022

The number and intensity of climate‐related hazards are increasing globally, but some communities are much more heavily impacted than others by the same event. One factor among many is housing quality because an intact house is a household's first line of defense against the wrath of nature. By taking the San Francisco Bay Area as a proof‐of‐concept, we develop a deep‐learning algorithm to show that blue roof tarps, used in the area as semipermanent fixtures to reduce roof leakage, can serve as a proxy for poor‐quality housing. Our cascading structure of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) operates in a coarse‐to‐fine manner by first identifying buildings and then classifying them as containing a blue roof tarp or not, achieving a recall of 89.6% and a precision of 34.3% in our study area. Our work suggests that up to 5% of houses are of poor quality in some low‐to‐intermediate income communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, the percentage of poor‐quality houses varies by an order of magnitude even in communities with a comparable median income or social vulnerability index, suggesting that prioritizing climate adaptation investments based on these common indicators could be ineffective. Our work emphasizes the value of a community‐centric approach to improving housing quality and reducing the disproportional impacts of not only one but multiple climate hazards.
Community Scientists Recover Micrometeorites from Lake Michigan
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: August 2022

A team of scientists, educators, and teenagers discovered the objects, some of which may have been delivered by a fireball that streaked across the sky in 2017.
Functional antagonism between CagA and DLC1 in gastric cancer
Authors: Hinsenkamp Isabel , Köhler Jan P. , Flächsenhaar Christoph , Hitkova Ivana , Meessen Sabine Eberhart , Gaiser Timo , Wieland Thomas , Weiss Christel , Röcken Christoph , Mowat Michael , Quante Michael , Taxauer Karin , Mejias-Luque Raquel , Gerhard Markus , Vogelmann Roger , Meindl-Beinker Nadja , Ebert Matthias , Burgermeister Elke
Published: August 2022

Helicobacter (H.) pylori-induced gastritis is a risk factor for gastric cancer (GC). Deleted-in-liver-cancer-1 (DLC1/ARHGAP7) inhibits RHOA, a downstream mediator of virulence factor cytotoxin-A (CagA) signalling and driver of consensus-molecular-subtype-2 diffuse GC. DLC1 located to enterochromaffin-like and MIST1+ stem/chief cells in the stomach. DLC1+ cells were reduced in H. pylori gastritis and GC, and in mice infected with H. pylori. DLC1 positivity inversely correlated with tumour progression in patients. GC cells retained an N-terminal truncation variant DLC1v4 in contrast to full-length DLC1v1 in non-neoplastic tissues. H. pylori and CagA downregulated DLC1v1/4 promoter activities. DLC1v1/4 inhibited cell migration and counteracted CagA-driven stress phenotypes enforcing focal adhesion. CagA and DLC1 interacted via their N- and C-terminal domains, proposing that DLC1 protects against H. pylori by neutralising CagA. H. pylori-induced DLC1 loss is an early molecular event, which makes it a potential marker or target for subtype-aware cancer prevention or therapy.
A mid-infrared lab-on-a-chip for dynamic reaction monitoring
Authors: Hinkov Borislav , Pilat Florian , Lux Laurin , Souza Patricia L. , David Mauro , Schwaighofer Andreas , Ristanić Daniela , Schwarz Benedikt , Detz Hermann , Andrews Aaron M. , Lendl Bernhard , Strasser Gottfried
Published: August 2022

Mid-infrared spectroscopy is a sensitive and selective technique for probing molecules in the gas or liquid phase. Investigating chemical reactions in bio-medical applications such as drug production is recently gaining particular interest. However, monitoring dynamic processes in liquids is commonly limited to bulky systems and thus requires time-consuming offline analytics. In this work, we show a next-generation, fully-integrated and robust chip-scale sensor for online measurements of molecule dynamics in a liquid solution. Our fingertip-sized device utilizes quantum cascade technology, combining the emitter, sensing section and detector on a single chip. This enables real-time measurements probing only microliter amounts of analyte in an in situ configuration. We demonstrate time-resolved device operation by analyzing temperature-induced conformational changes of the model protein bovine serum albumin in heavy water. Quantitative measurements reveal excellent performance characteristics in terms of sensor linearity, wide coverage of concentrations, extending from 0.075 mg ml−1 to 92 mg ml−1 and a 55-times higher absorbance than state-of-the-art bulky and offline reference systems.
Adaptation to novel spatially-structured environments is driven by the capsule and alters virulence-associated traits
Authors: Nucci Amandine , Rocha Eduardo P. C. , Rendueles Olaya
Published: August 2022

The extracellular capsule is a major virulence factor, but its ubiquity in free-living bacteria with large environmental breadths suggests that it shapes adaptation to novel niches. Yet, how it does so, remains unexplored. Here, we evolve threeKlebsiellastrains and their capsule mutants in parallel. Their comparison reveals different phenotypic and genotypic evolutionary changes that alter virulence-associated traits. Non-capsulated populations accumulate mutations that reduce exopolysaccharide production and increase biofilm formation and yield, whereas most capsulated populations become hypermucoviscous, a signature of hypervirulence. Hence, adaptation to novel environments primarily occurs by fine-tuning expression of the capsular locus. The same evolutionary conditions selecting for mutations in the capsular genewzcleading to hypermucoviscosity also result in increased susceptibility to antibiotics by mutations in theramAregulon. This implies that general adaptive processes outside the host can affect capsule evolution and its role in virulence and infection outcomes may be a by-product of such adaptation.
Diverse synthesis of α-tertiary amines and tertiary alcohols via desymmetric reduction of malonic esters
Authors: Liu Haichao , Lau Vincent Ho Man , Xu Pan , Chan Tsz Hin , Huang Zhongxing
Published: August 2022

Amines and alcohols with a fully substituted α-carbon are structures of great value in organic synthesis and drug discovery. While conventional methods towards these motifs often rely on enantioselective carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bond formation reactions, a desymmetric method is developed here by selectively hydrosilylating one of the esters of easily accessible α-substituted α-amino- and -oxymalonic esters. The desymmetrization is enabled by a suite of dinuclear zinc catalysts with pipecolinol-derived tetradentate ligands and can accommodate a diverse panel of heteroatom substituents, including secondary amides, tertiary amines, and ethers of different sizes. The polyfunctionalized reduction products, in return, have provided expeditious approaches to enantioenriched nitrogen- and oxygen-containing molecules, including dipeptides, vitamin analogs, and natural metabolites.
A high-resolution Orbitrap Mass spectral library for trace volatile compounds in fruit wines
Authors: Liu Yaran , Li Na , Li Xiaoyao , Qian Wenchao , Liu Jiani , Su Qingyu , Chen Yixin , Zhang Bolin , Zhu Baoqing , Cheng Jinxin
Published: August 2022

The overall aroma is an important factor of the sensory quality of fruit wines, which attributed to hundreds of volatile compounds. However, the qualitative determination of trace volatile compounds is considered to be very challenging work. GC-Orbitrap-MS with high resolution and high sensitivity provided more possibilities for the determination of volatile compounds, but without the high-resolution mass spectral library. For accuracy of qualitative determination in fruit wines by GC-Orbitrap-MS, a high-resolution mass spectral library, including 76 volatile compounds, was developed in this study. Not only the HRMS spectrum but also the exact ion fragment, relative abundance, retention indices (RI), CAS number, chemical structure diagram, aroma description and aroma threshold (ortho-nasally) were provided and were shown in a database website (Food Flavor Laboratory, http://foodflavorlab.cn/). HRMS library was used to successfully identify the volatile compounds mentioned above in 16 fruit wines (5 blueberry wines, 6 goji berry wines and 5 hawthorn wines). The library was developed as an important basis for further understanding of trace volatile compounds in fruit wines.
A global dataset for prevalence of Salmonella Gallinarum between 1945 and 2021
Authors: Zhou Xiao , Kang Xiamei , Zhou Kun , Yue Min
Published: August 2022

Pullorum disease and fowl typhoid are among the most significant poultry diseases worldwide. However, the global burden of these diseases remains unknown. Most importantly, the parameters contributing to the prevalence of Salmonella Gallinarum variants are not well documented. Therefore, in this study, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of the global prevalence of Salmonella Gallinarum during 1945–2021. In total, 201 studies were identified for qualitative analysis (>900 million samples). The meta-analysis was subjected to over 183 screened studies. The global prevalence of S. Gallinarum (percentage of positive samples in total samples) was 8.54% (95% CI: 8.43–8.65) and showed a V-shaped recovery over time. Pullorum disease is most common in Asia, particularly in eastern China. Further investigations on chicken origin samples revealed significant differences in S. Gallinarum prevalence by gender, breed, raising mode, economic use, and growth stage, indicating a critical role of vertical transmission. Together, this study offered an updated, evidence-based dataset and knowledge regarding S. Gallinarum epidemics, which might significantly impact decision-making policy with targeted interventions.
The gill transcriptome of threatened European freshwater mussels
Authors: Gomes-dos-Santos André , Machado André M. , Castro L. Filipe C. , Prié Vincent , Teixeira Amílcar , Lopes-Lima Manuel , Froufe Elsa
Published: August 2022

Genomic tools applied to non-model organisms are critical to design successful conservation strategies of particularly threatened groups. Freshwater mussels of the Unionida order are among the most vulnerable taxa and yet almost no genetic resources are available. Here, we present the gill transcriptomes of five European freshwater mussels with high conservation concern:Margaritifera margaritifera,Unio crassus,Unio pictorum,Unio mancusandUnio delphinus. The final assemblies, with N50 values ranging from 1069–1895 bp and total BUSCO scores above 90% (Eukaryote and Metazoan databases), were structurally and functionally annotated, and made available. The transcriptomes here produced represent a valuable resource for future studies on these species’ biology and ultimately guide their conservation.
Measurement of foliar H2O2 concentration can be an indicator of riparian vegetation management
Authors: Asaeda Takashi , Rahman Mizanur , Vamsi-Krishna Lekkala , Schoelynck Jonas , Rashid Md Harun
Published: August 2022

Riparian vegetation is frequently exposed to abiotic stress, which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by strong differences in a river’s hydrological conditions. Among different ROS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is relatively steady and can be measured appropriately. Thus, the quantification of plant H2O2can be used as a stress indicator for riparian vegetation management. The current study examines the spatial distribution of plants by riparian vegetation communities across the elevation gradient of riparian zones through quantification of environmental stress using foliar H2O2concentration. The treesSalixspp.,Robinia pseudoacacia,Ailanthus altissimawithJuglans mandshurica, and the herbsPhragmites australis,Phragmites japonica, andMiscanthus saccharifloruswere selected for this study. Leaf tissues were collected to analyze H2O2concentration, meanwhile riparian soil was sampled to measure total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and moisture content. The H2O2concentration of tree species increased with higher soil moisture content, which was negatively correlated forSalixand herb spp., in which H2O2concentration always decreased with high soil moisture. In this study, we found a unique significant interaction between soil moisture content and H2O2concentration, both positively or negatively correlated relationships, when compared with other parameters, such as TN or TP concentrations or TN: TP in riparian soil. The species-specific distribution zones can be explained by the H2O2concentration in the plant for gravelly and sandy channels on a theoretical range of soil moisture. Each species’ H2O2concentration was estimated through derived equations and is directly related to an elevation above the channel. The comparison with the observed distribution of plant elevations in the field indicated that all species showed a spatial distribution that acts as species-specific elevations where H2O2concentrations stayed below 40 μmol/gFW. Hence, the present study suggests that foliar H2O2concentration can be a useful benchmark for the distribution potentiality of riparian vegetation.
MnO2/DNAzyme-mediated ratiometric fluorescence assay of acetylcholinesterase
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Ping , Xu Wang , Wang Jian-Hua , Shu Yang
Published: August 2022

A ratiometric fluorescent probe (MnO2/DNAzyme) is constructed. In the presence of AChE, the product thiocholine reduces MnO2 to Mn2+. The released H1 strands hybridizes with H2 strands to activate DNAzyme and cause cleavage of DNA-F signal probe.
N-heterocyclic carbene and cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene adducts of plumbanes and plumbylenes
Authors: Philipp Michael S. M. , Bertermann Rüdiger , Radius Udo
Published: August 2022

The synthesis and characterization of NHC and cAACMeligated Pb(ii) and Pb(iv) compounds are presented.