bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unveiling the electronic structures and optical properties of alkaline‐earth oxides–modified silicate glasses
Authors: Li Neng , Kang Tian , Shi Zuhao , Liu Yuling , Deng Tengfei
Published: August 2022

The electronic structure, interatomic bonding, and optical properties of mixed alkaline‐earth metal oxides MO (M = Mg, Ca) on amorphous silica glasses were calculated by combined ab initio molecular dynamics and the orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbitals approaches. With the addition of alkaline‐earth metal oxides, the original structural network model is destroyed, nonbridging oxygen is generated, and the covalent bonding is reduced, which reduces the total bond order density for silicate glass. The complex dielectric function plot shows that there are three distinct peaks in the imaginary part of the original silica glasses, and the last two peaks level off with the modification of alkaline earth oxides.
Effects of different extrusion temperatures on physicochemical, rheological and digestion properties of rice flour produced in a pilot‐scale extruder
Authors: Lai Sixing , Zhang Tingting , Wang Yong , Ouyang Kefan , Hu Hao , Hu Xing , Xiong Hua , Zhao Qiang
Published: August 2022

This research was to study the effects of different die temperatures (125, 135, 145, 155, 165 °C) on the physicochemical, rheological, structural properties and in vitro digestion characteristics of extruded rice flour. In this work, the moisture content of feed rice flour was controlled at 18% (w/w, on a dry basis). A twin‐screw with 65 mm diameter was used. Feed rate and screw speed were set at 120 kg h−1 and 120 rad min−1 respectively to control variables. The results indicated that the water solubility index improved but the water absorption index reduced at a higher temperature. The total starch content reduced as the temperature increased, but the amylose content was insusceptible to the temperature. Average particle size significantly decreased after extrusion due to the damage of starch granules. The water dispersion system of the extruded rice flour possessed more liquid characteristics than that of raw rice flour. Steady shear analysis revealed that the flow was in a shear thinning behaviour, and apparent viscosity was improved by extrusion but negatively related to extrusion temperature. Crystal type of starch turned from A to V after extrusion. The interaction among rice flour components was mainly non‐covalent and could be enhanced by extrusion. The ratio of 1047/1022 cm−1 reflected that the ordered structure was destroyed by extrusion, which was further confirmed by the differential scanning calorimeter result. In addition, the digestibility of extruded rice flour was improved. The in vitro digestibility of protein increased from 75.77% to 86.44% and resistant starch content significantly decreased as extrusion temperature increased.
Neighbourhood socio‐economic environment predicts adiposity and obesity risk in children under two
Authors: Conrey Shannon C. , Burrell Allison R. , Brokamp Cole , Burke Rachel M. , Couch Sarah C. , Niu Liang , Mattison Claire P. , Piasecki Alexandra , Payne Daniel C. , Staat Mary A. , Morrow Ardythe L.
Published: August 2022

Background

Neighbourhood socio‐economic environment (SEE) is associated with obesity in older children and adults, but little is known about this relationship in younger children. Breastfeeding is an important preventative of adiposity in childhood, but its relationship with neighbourhood SEE is unknown.

Aims

We assessed differences in adiposity and obesity in children before age two by neighbourhood SEE, controlling for family socio‐demographics and breastfeeding duration.

Materials and Methods

Family socio‐demographics, child body mass index z scores (BMIz), and breastfeeding duration were collected at periodic study visits from participants in PREVAIL (n = 245), a birth cohort in Cincinnati, OH. Addresses were assigned a Deprivation Index score, a validated measure of SEE, and dichotomized into highest SEE (least deprived quartile of scores) and not highest SEE (remaining quartiles). Longitudinal and Poisson models assessed differences in BMIz by SEE over the second year of life and obesity risk at age two, respectively (highest SEE, reference), while attenuation of obesity risk by breastfeeding duration was tested in mediation models.

Results

Residing outside of the highest SEE neighbourhoods was associated with an increased BMIz of 0.04 (95%CI 0.02, 0.06) per month of life and increased obesity risk at age two (aRR: 3.7, 95%CI 1.2, 16.2), controlling for family socio‐demographics. Breastfeeding duration attenuated >9% of the obesity risk attributable to SEE (mediated RR: 3.4, 95%CI 1.1, 14.8).

Discussion

In the PREVAIL Cohort, residing outside of the highest SEE neighbourhoods predicted a significant increase in BMIz and obesity risk in children before age two, a relationship that was partially mediated by breastfeeding duration.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding support may play an important role in reducing obesity rates in children in lower SEE neighbourhoods.
Successful cerebral intravascular thrombectomy stops the heart stopping
Authors: Yong Vivien T. Y. , Caldwell James , Ershad Shakiya , Roxburgh Richard H.
Published: August 2022

A 65‐year‐old man presented with an acute ischaemic stroke due to right posterior cerebral artery occlusion, complicated by episodes of sinus arrest in the absence of intrinsic cardiac disease. His neurological deficits and sinus node dysfunction resolved following mechanical thrombectomy. We believe this to be a novel case where thrombectomy resulted in successful treatment of cerebral ischaemia mediated cardiac autonomic dysfunction.
Approved gene therapies in Australia: coming to a store near you
Authors: Mallik Shreyashee , Bailey Charles G. , Rasko John E. J.
Published: August 2022

Gene therapy has been promising paradigm‐shifting advances in medical science for over two decades. Broadly, it is defined as a human therapy in which an existing defective gene function is added to, replaced, edited or disrupted to achieve a clinical benefit, up to and including a potential lifelong cure. Although originally set out to treat monogenic disorders, gene therapy has since been utilised to treat neoplasia, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as infections. The realisation of this therapy has been dependent on the achievement of fundamental milestones in medicine, from determining the human genome sequence to identifying effective vehicles for the gene of interest, ultimately facilitating gene delivery in humans. In this review, six approved gene and cell therapies available in Australia are described. Their efficacy, adverse effects, limitations and eligibility are discussed, as well as an overview of cost and future directions.
Risk factors associated with 30‐day unplanned hospital readmission for patients with mental illness
Authors: Zhou Huaqiong , Ngune Irene , Albrecht Matthew A. , Della Phillip R.
Published: August 2022

Unplanned hospital readmission rate is up to 43% in mental health settings, which is higher than in general health settings. Unplanned readmissions delay the recovery of patients with mental illness and add financial burden on families and healthcare services. There have been efforts to reduce readmissions with a particular interest in identifying patients at higher readmission risk after index admission; however, the results have been inconsistent. This systematic review synthesized risk factors associated with 30‐day unplanned hospital readmissions for patients with mental illness. Eleven electronic databases were searched from 2010 to 30 September 2021 using key terms of 'mental illness', 'readmission' and 'risk factors'. Sixteen studies met the selection criteria for this review. Data were synthesized using content analysis and presented in narrative and tabular form because the extracted risk factors could not be pooled statistically due to methodological heterogeneity of the included studies. Consistently cited readmission predictors were patients with lower educational background, unemployment, previous mental illness hospital admission and more than 7 days of the index hospitalization. Results revealed the complexity of identifying unplanned hospital readmission predictors for people with mental illness. Policymakers need to specify the expected standards that written discharge summary must reach general practitioners concurrently at discharge. Hospital clinicians should ensure that discharge summary summaries are distributed to general practitioners for effective ongoing patient care and management. Having an advanced mental health nurse for patients during their transition period needs to be explored to understand how this role could ensure referrals to the general practitioner are eventuated.
Impact of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue on satisfaction with life in Serbian and Polish nurses: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Milutinović Dragana , Marcinowicz Ludmila , Jovanović Nina Brkić , Dragnić Nataša
Published: August 2022

Aims and objectives

To evaluate demographic and occupational factors of professional life on life satisfaction among nurses in Serbia and Poland.

Background

Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, as aspects of a nurse's professional life, may affect their satisfaction with life in general. However, most studies on this topic have been conducted in Asian countries, and because there are differences in health care system performance across countries amid a global shortage of nurses, it is necessary to investigate professional quality of life in the European nursing context.

Methods

This multicenter, comparative, and correlational study was conducted on a sample of 669 hospital nurses in Serbia and Poland. The survey data were collected between November 2019 and February 2020 using the Demographic and Occupational Questionnaire (DOQ), Professional Quality‐of‐Life Scale (ProQOL‐5), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). STROBE Statement guidelines for cross‐sectional studies were followed.

Results

Most nurses from both countries reported having moderate compassion satisfaction, moderate risk for compassion fatigue, and an average life satisfaction. The predictive factors of life satisfaction that most stand out include country of origin, financial situation, education, job satisfaction, and compassion fatigue.

Discussion and conclusion

Quality of professional life is significantly affected by shift duration, age, work experience, and job satisfaction. Negative aspects of professional life are significant predictors of life satisfaction.

Implications for nursing policy

The findings of this study indicate a need for implementing flexible shift patterns and enhancing interventions that will improve job satisfaction and compassion satisfaction while reducing the risk of compassion fatigue.
Enhancing governance practice for better performance of credit union cooperatives in Thailand
Authors: Kumkit Tidarat , Gan Christopher , Anh Dao Le Trang , Hu Baiding
Published: August 2022

Credit union cooperatives (CUCs) are member‐owned financial organisations that aim to improve the members’ living standards in Thailand. The success of Thailand CUCs is significantly associated with their good governance practices. This study provides an overview of Thailand CUCs’ governance practices and examines the impact of governance on the performance of Thailand CUCs. The study finds Thailand CUCs’ success varies in terms of financial and social performance. The results suggest that Thailand CUCs’ performance is affected by members’ participation, the board of directors, the management team, as well as the organisations’ age and size. This study extends the current limited knowledge on the governance‐performance nexus of Thailand CUCs in the literature, thus helping Thailand policymakers and practitioners boost both the financial and social performance of the CUCs in Thailand.
Imaging and plate counting to quantify the effect of an antimicrobial: A case study of a photo-activated chlorine dioxide treatment
Authors: Parker Albert E. , Miller Lindsey , Adams Jacob , Pettigrew Charles , Buckingham-Meyer Kelli , Summers Jennifer , Christen Andres , Goeres Darla
Published: August 2022

Aim

To assess removal versus kill efficacies of antimicrobial treatments against thick biofilms with statistical confidence.

Methods and results

A photo-activated chlorine dioxide treatment (Photo ClO2) was tested in two independent experiments against thick (>100 μm) Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Kill efficacy was assessed by viable plate counts. Removal efficacy was assessed by 3D confocal scanning laser microscope imaging (CSLM). Biovolumes were calculated using an image analysis approach that models the penetration limitation of the laser into thick biofilms using Beer's Law. Error bars are provided that account for the spatial correlation of the biofilm's surface. The responsiveness of the biovolumes and plate counts to the increasing contact time of Photo ClO2 were quite different, with a massive 7 log reduction in viable cells (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.2, 7.9) but a more moderate 73% reduction in biovolume (95% CI: [60%, 100%]). Results are leveraged to quantitatively assess candidate CSLM experimental designs of thick biofilms.

Conclusions

Photo ClO2 kills biofilm bacteria but only partially removes the biofilm from the surface. To maximize statistical confidence in assessing removal, imaging experiments should use fewer pixels in each z-slice, and more importantly, at least two independent experiments even if there is only a single field of view in each experiment.

Significance and impact of study

There is limited penetration depth when collecting 3D confocal images of thick biofilms. Removal can be assessed by optimally fitting Beer's Law to all of the intensities in a 3D image and by accounting for the spatial correlation of the biofilm's surface. For thick biofilms, other image analysis approaches are biased or do not provide error bars. We generate unbiased estimates of removal and assess candidate CSLM experimental designs of thick biofilms with different pixilations, numbers of fields of view and number of experiments using the included design tool.
Predictors of psychological resilience trajectories in patients with knee arthroplasty: A longitudinal study
Authors: Shan Yawei , Liu Xiaoyu , Chen Weijia , Chen Ru , Jin Lijuan , Sun Huimin , Lu Haiying
Published: August 2022

Aims

To identify the different classes of total knee arthroplasty patients according to the heterogenous trajectories of psychological resilience and investigate the predictors for different patterns of resilience.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Methods

A total of 210 patients with total knee arthroplasty from March to December 2021 were included. Baseline assessment (T0) data were collected before surgery and included demographic, biological (clinical characteristics), psychological (psychological resilience, self‐efficacy, psychological distress, hope, medical coping mode) and social (social support) factors. Resilience measurements were repeated at 3 days after surgery (T1), the date of discharge (T2), and 1 month (T3) and 3 months (T4) after discharge. Latent growth mixture modelling was employed to define different resilience trajectories. Predictors of class membership were identified using multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Data from 198 patients were analysed. Three latent classes were identified with similar patterns in different intercepts, showing a significant decrease in resilience from admission (T0) to 3 days after surgery (T1) followed by an increase from T1 to T4. The three trajectories of psychological resilience were named the stable‐resilience class (65.66%), high‐resilience class (17.68%), and low‐resilience class (16.66%). Multinomial logistic regression showed that compared with the stable‐resilience class, the high‐resilience class was predicted by having a higher level of hope, having higher education, living in urban areas and having more children, while the low‐resilience class was predicted by having lower levels of self‐efficacy and hope, living in semirural areas, and having more children.

Conclusions

The three trajectories indicated that surgery was the major stressor influencing patients' psychological resilience and that patients in the low‐resilience class needed to be intervened.

Impact

Predictors of patients in different classes provide evidence for the identification of vulnerable populations and lay a foundation for future research contributing to the development of targeted interventions for improving patients' psychological resilience.

No patient or public contribution but the time points of investigation were decided based on our interviews with 12 total knee arthroplasty patients.
Cell delivery systems: Toward the next generation of cell therapies for type 1 diabetes
Authors: Dang Hoang Phuc , Chen Hui , Dargaville Tim R. , Tuch Bernard E.
Published: August 2022

Immunoprotection and oxygen supply are vital in implementing a cell therapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Without these features, the transplanted islet cell clusters will be rejected by the host immune system, and necrosis will occur due to hypoxia. The use of anti‐rejection drugs can help protect the transplanted cells from the immune system; yet, they also may have severe side effects. Cell delivery systems (CDS) have been developed for islet transplantation to avoid using immunosuppressants. CDS provide physical barriers to reduce the immune response and chemical coatings to reduce host fibrotic reaction. In some CDS, there is architecture to support vascularization, which enhances oxygen exchange. In this review, we discuss the current clinical and preclinical studies using CDS without immunosuppression as a cell therapy for T1D. We find that though CDS have been demonstrated for their ability to support immunoisolation of the grafted cells, their functionality has not been fully optimized. Current advanced methods in clinical trials demonstrate the systems are partly functional, physically complicated to implement or inefficient. However, modifications are being made to overcome these issues.
Giving up on the objective of providing goal‐concordant care: Advance care planning for improving caregiver outcomes
Authors: Fried Terri R.
Published: August 2022

The merits and effectiveness of advance care planning (ACP) continue to be debated a full 30 years after the passage of the Patient Self‐Determination Act. This act gave patients the right to create advance directives, with the objective of ensuring that the care they received at the end of life was consistent with their preferences and goals. ACP has definitively moved beyond the completion of advance directives to encompass the identification of a healthcare agent and the facilitation of communication among patients, surrogates, and clinicians. Nonetheless, the provision of goal‐concordant care remains a primary objective for ACP. This article argues that this cannot and should not be the objective for ACP. Patients' goals change, and the provision of goal‐concordant care is sometimes incompatible with other critical determinants of appropriate care. Instead, ACP should focus on the objective of improving caregiver outcomes. Surrogate decision‐making by caregivers is associated with an elevated risk of post‐traumatic stress disorder and other adverse outcomes, and these outcomes can be improved with ACP. ACP focused on caregivers involves helping caregivers to understand how they can help to shape the final chapter in a patient's life story, preventing caregivers from making promises they cannot keep, and preparing them to use all relevant information at the time decisions need to be made.
Assessment of serum chemerin levels in acanthosis nigricans: A case–control study
Authors: Afify Ahmed Abdelfattah , Fathy Ghada , Elzawahry Menna , Taha Sara Ibrahim
Published: August 2022

Background

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is an asymptomatic skin condition linked to several underlying systemic conditions. Chemerin is an adipokine that increases during inflammatory disorders such as metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Aims

This case–control study investigates the link between AN and the underlying MetS and serum levels of chemerin in individuals with obesity.

Patients/Methods

Twenty‐five adults with AN and obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 30 kg/m2), 25 adults with obesity but no AN, and 25 healthy controls (BMI < 30 kg/m2) had their lipid profiles and serum chemerin concentrations examined.

Results

The neck (80.0%) and axilla (68.0%) were the most common sites of AN. In participants with obesity, either alone or with AN, serum chemerin concentrations were significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.001). Participants with obesity and AN had significantly higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐c), and serum chemerin levels (p < 0.001), and significantly lower high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐c) levels (p < 0.001) when compared to participants with obesity alone. All participants with obesity and AN (100%) and 88% of those with obesity alone had MetS. Logistic regression revealed that systolic blood pressure >130 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure >85 mmHg, waist circumference >90 cm, TG >150 mg/dl, HDL‐c <45 mg/dl, fasting blood glucose >100 mg/dl, and serum chemerin >300 ng/ml were significant (p < 0.05) risk factors for AN.

Conclusions

Acanthosis nigricans is a non‐invasive and reliable sign of the underlying MetS and increased serum chemerin levels among individuals with obesity.
Panthers and Lions
Authors: Feller Yaniv
Published: August 2022

Shaul Magid's Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical (2021) stresses the American character of Kahane's thought. This review analyzes this claim in two ways. First, it offers a transnational perspective on Kahane's philosophy. Second, it examines Magid's concept of neo‐Kahanism in light of Kahane's legacy in Israel.
Lower cold tolerance of tropical Porites lutea is possibly detrimental to its migration to relatively high latitude refuges in the South China Sea
Authors: Huang Wen , Yang Enguang , Yu Kefu , Meng Linqing , Wang Yonggang , Liang Jiayuan , Huang Xueyong , Wang Guanghua
Published: August 2022

As high temperature stress due to climate change threatens tropical corals, cooler areas at relatively high latitudes may be potential refuges. Tolerance to low temperatures is critical in determining whether corals can successfully migrate to higher latitudes. However, the physiological and molecular adaptations that protect corals from low temperature stress are unclear. In this study, scleractinian Porites lutea samples from the tropical Xisha Islands (XS) and subtropical Daya Bay (DY) in the South China Sea were subjected to a reduction in ambient temperature from 26 to 12°C. Differences in physiological changes and gene expression were analysed. P. lutea from both XS and DY exhibited physiological bleaching under low temperature stress, and the Symbiodiniaceae density, Fv/Fm, and chlorophyll‐α content were significantly reduced. Symbiosome antioxidative stress and metabolic enzyme activity first increased and then decreased. RNA‐seq analysis showed that the host responded to low temperature stress by activating immune, apoptotic, and autophagic pathways and reducing metabolic levels. Nevertheless, Symbiodiniaceae lacked the physiological regulatory capacity to adapt to low temperatures. The lower cold tolerance of XS tropical P. lutea may attribute to lower oxidative stress resistance, lower photosynthetic capacity, worse energy supply, and higher susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections and diseases in XS corals. The difference in cold tolerance may result from genetic differences between the geographic populations and is possibly detrimental to the migration of tropical coral to relatively high latitude refuges. This study provides a theoretical basis for anthropogenically assisted coral migration as a response to global change.
Rhythmic serious games as an inclusive tool for music‐based interventions
Authors: Dalla Bella Simone
Published: August 2022

Technologies, such as mobile devices or sets of connected sensors, provide new and engaging opportunities to devise music‐based interventions. Among the different technological options, serious games offer a valuable alternative. Serious games can engage multisensory processes, creating a rich, rewarding, and motivating rehabilitation setting. Moreover, they can be targeted to specific musical features, such as pitch production or synchronization to a beat. Because serious games are typically low cost and enjoy wide access, they are inclusive tools perfectly suited for remote at‐home interventions using music in various patient populations and environments. The focus of this article is in particular on the use of rhythmic serious games for training auditory–motor synchronization. After reviewing the existing rhythmic games, initial evidence from a recent proof‐of‐concept study in Parkinson's disease is provided. It is shown that rhythmic video games using finger tapping can be used with success as an at‐home protocol, and bring about beneficial effects on motor performance in patients. The use and benefits of rhythmic serious games can extend beyond the rehabilitation of patients with movement disorders, such as to neurodevelopmental disorders, including dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder.
Pollination syndrome accurately predicts pollination by tangle‐veined flies (Nemestrinidae: Prosoeca s.s.) across multiple plant families
Authors: Pauw A.
Published: August 2022

The idea that a syndrome of floral traits predicts pollination by a particular functional group of pollinators remains simultaneously controversial and widely used because it allows plants to be rapidly assigned to pollinators. To test the idea requires demonstrating that there is an association between floral traits and pollinator type.

I conducted such a test in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, by studying the pollination of eight plant species from six families that flower in spring and have scentless, actinomorphic, upwards‐facing flowers, with orbicular petals all held in the same plane. The petals are brilliant‐white with red‐purple nectar guides. The tubes are short and hold small volumes of concentrated nectar, except in the rewardless Disa fasciata (Orchidaceae). Pollinators were photographed and captured, pollen loads were analysed and pollination networks were constructed.

Consistent with the pollination syndrome hypothesis, the species with the defined syndrome shared a small group of pollinators. The most frequent pollinators belonged to a clade of four tangle‐veined fly species with relatively short proboscises (Nemestrinidae: Prosoeca s.s.), while functionally similar Bombyliidae and Tabanidae played minor roles. Among the four Prosoeca species, only Prosoeca westermanni has been described, a result that highlights our ignorance about pollinators.

The demonstration of an association between the syndrome of traits and pollination by this group of flies explains the repeated evolution of the syndrome across multiple plant families, and allows prediction of pollinators in additional species. More generally, the result validates the idea that the traits of organisms determine their ecology.
Populus × canescens root suberization in reaction to osmotic and salt stress is limited to the developing younger root tip region
Authors: Grünhofer Paul , Stöcker Tyll , Guo Yayu , Li Ruili , Lin Jinxing , Ranathunge Kosala , Schoof Heiko , Schreiber Lukas
Published: August 2022

Populus is a valuable and fast‐growing tree species commonly cultivated for economic and scientific purposes. But most of the poplar species are sensitive to drought and salt stress. Thus, we compared the physiological effects of osmotic stress (PEG8000) and salt treatment (NaCl) on poplar roots to identify potential strategies for future breeding or genetic engineering approaches. We investigated root anatomy using epifluorescence microscopy, changes in root suberin composition and amount using gas chromatography, transcriptional reprogramming using RNA sequencing, and modifications of root transport physiology using a pressure chamber. Poplar roots reacted to the imposed stress conditions, especially in the developing younger root tip region, with remarkable differences between both types of stress. Overall, the increase in suberin content was surprisingly small, but the expression of key suberin biosynthesis genes was strongly induced. Significant reductions of the radial water transport in roots were only observed for the osmotic and not the hydrostatic hydraulic conductivity. Our data indicate that the genetic enhancement of root suberization processes in poplar might be a promising target to convey increased tolerance, especially against toxic sodium chloride.
Bifurcation analysis for axisymmetric capillary water waves with vorticity and swirl
Authors: Erhardt André H. , Wahlén Erik , Weber Jörg
Published: August 2022

We study steady axisymmetric water waves with general vorticity and swirl, subject to the influence of surface tension. This can be formulated as an elliptic free boundary problem in terms of Stokes' stream function. A change of variables allows us to overcome the generic coordinate‐induced singularities and to cast the problem in the form “identity plus compact,” which is amenable to Rabinowitz's global bifurcation theorem, whereas no restrictions regarding the absence of stagnation points in the flow have to be made. Within the scope of this new formulation, local curves and global families of solutions, bifurcating from laminar flows with a flat surface, are constructed.
Optimization of electro‐oxidation and electro‐Fenton techniques for the treatment of oilfield produced water
Authors: Al‐Ameri Wahbi , Elhassan Ahmed , Maher Ragaei
Published: August 2022

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes are the most promising methods for destroying and degrading organic and inorganic pollutants present in produced water effluents. This study presents the electro‐oxidation process using graphite electrodes and electro‐Fenton process using iron electrodes for the treatment of real produced water. The effect of operating parameters such as current density on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was addressed. The result showed that electro‐Fenton process was more efficient than electro‐oxidation process where it gave 98% as maximum COD removal efficiency with energy consumption of 1.9 kWh/dm3 at H2O2 concentration of 12 mM, current density of 10 mA/cm2, temperature of 25°C, pH of 3, and treatment time of 80 min compared with 96.9% as maximum COD removal efficiency with energy consumption of 3 kWh/dm3 at pH of 6, current density of 10 mA/cm2, temperature of 40°C, and reaction time of 80 min when using electro‐oxidation process. These results demonstrated that electrochemical technologies are very promising methods for the treatment of produced water from oil/gas industry, so it can be safely disposed of or effectively reused for injection and irrigation.
Singular Gauduchon metrics
Authors: Pan Chung-Ming
Published: August 2022

In 1977, Gauduchon proved that on every compact hermitian manifold $(X, \omega )$ there exists a conformally equivalent hermitian metric $\omega _\mathrm {G}$ which satisfies $\mathrm {dd}^{\mathrm {c}} \omega _\mathrm {G}^{n-1} = 0$. In this note, we extend this result to irreducible compact singular hermitian varieties which admit a smoothing.
Effects of physiotherapy interventions for home-based rehabilitation on physical function after primary total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Prill Robert , Kayaalp Mahmut Enes , Królikowska Aleksandra , Becker Roland , Ayeni Olufemi , Langaufová Alena , Klugar Miloslav
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The objective of this review is to provide a systematic and transparent overview of the effects of common physiotherapy techniques and exercises for the rehabilitation of patients following total knee arthroplasty.

Introduction:

Many protocols exist for the rehabilitation of patients after total knee arthroplasty, but there is a lack of systematic evidence on rehabilitation components, including precise exercise descriptions and their parameters. This review will fill in some of the gaps in reporting on scientific rehabilitation protocol components and the evaluation of their effectiveness.

Inclusion criteria:

We will include randomized controlled trials investigating active and passive physiotherapy techniques and exercises employed after primary total knee arthroplasty, and which report concrete parameters, such as dosage, duration, frequency, intensity, and function-related measurements. We will exclude other study types and randomized controlled trials reporting on techniques and exercises without precise descriptions.

Methods:

This review will aim to find both published and unpublished studies. The key information sources to be searched are MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), PEDro, Cochrane CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full texts; assess the methodological quality; and extract the data. We will perform narrative synthesis, followed by meta-analyses for pooled studies, where possible.

Systematic review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42022309185
Transition-to-practice programs for newly graduated advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Batchelder Heather R. , Tuttle Brandi , Barnes Hilary , Covelli Asefeh Faraz , Everett Christine , Jackson George L. , Anglin Lorraine , Pate Nathalie Ortiz , Morgan Perri
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The objective of this scoping review is to map the evidence on transition-to-practice programs for newly graduated advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, and describe how they differ. Additional objectives include summarizing what outcomes are evaluated and what gaps remain within the literature. By consolidating this information, health care administrators may more easily reference transition-to-practice methods to enhance their own programs for advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants.z

Introduction:

Transition to practice involves 2 program types: onboarding and postgraduate training. However, no existing reviews describe the state of the literature regarding these program types, and how they compare with regard to location, setting, and outcomes. Because transition-to-practice programs may improve workforce outcomes, understanding how these programs differ, and what gaps exist, is needed to help these programs grow.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will include articles describing transition to practice for advanced practice registered nurses and/or physician assistants, including onboarding and fellowship/residency programs. Articles will be included regardless of geographic location if they take place within a professional, clinical setting.

Methods:

The scoping review will follow the JBI approach. Databases to be searched include MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Scopus, and Web of Science. All included manuscripts will be screened by two reviewers and relevant data will be extracted. These data will summarize what transition to practice programs are used, how they differ, and what gaps exist.
Interface Effects on the Viscoelastic Properties of PDMS/SiO2 Particle-Reinforced Nanocomposites
Authors: Huang Yezeng , Shi Wei , Guo Hanlin , Chao Cezhou , Liu Mingjie , Dong Leiting
Published: August 2022

Polydimethylsiloxane/silica (PDMS/SiO2) particle-reinforced nanocomposites prepared at the present study are typical viscoelastic materials. Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the SiO2 nanoparticles, the interface effects on the overall properties of the nanocomposites cannot be ignored. In order to investigate the interface effects on the viscoelastic properties of the nanocomposites, a multiscale model is established in the present study, combining the molecular dynamics (MD) model of the interface at the nanoscale and the unit cell model of the nanocomposites at the mesoscale. In the MD model of the interface, the viscoelastic properties of the interphase region influenced by the interface are found to be different from that of the pure PDMS matrix and the bulk SiO2. Because the polymer chains subject to different restrictions existing in the interphase region, this region can possess high stiffness and damping properties simultaneously. The interphase parameters can be determined by the inverse multiscale simulation method, taking advantage of both the numerical model and the experimental results. Due to the interface effects, as demonstrated by the unit cell model, the dynamic shear moduli of the nanocomposites can be simultaneously improved by several times to an order of magnitude higher than that of the matrix, in consistent with experimental results. Thus, the mechanism of the interface effects enhancing the viscoelastic properties of the PDMS/SiO2 nanocomposites can be revealed in the present study, which can be useful for the design of viscoelastic nanocomposites with high stiffness and damping properties.
Variational Embedding of Measured Data in Physics-Constrained Data-Driven Modeling
Authors: Masud Arif , Goraya Shoaib
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a physics-constrained data-driven method that variationally embeds measured data in the modeling and analysis framework. The physics-based model is augmented with sparse but high-fidelity data through a variationally derived loss function. The structure of the loss function is analyzed in the context of variational correction to the modeled response wherein loss function penalizes the difference in the modeled response from the measured data that represents the local response of the system. The variationally embedded measured data (VEMD) method results in forward simulations that are not only driven by boundary and initial conditions but are also augmented by real measurements taken at only a small number of observation points. In the context of forward simulations, the proposed approach can be seen as inducing inductive biases that exploit the difference between the computed and measured quantities in the parametric space. With the help of a model problem, we show that the proposed method learns from the sparse high-fidelity datasets while preserving conservation properties of the balance laws. Method is applied to a non-smooth model problem and the mathematical attributes of the formulation are investigated in the context of high-fidelity sparse datasets.
High-Fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of In-Serviced Shrouded High-Pressure Turbine Rotor Blades
Authors: Carta Mario , Ghisu Tiziano , Shahpar Shahrokh
Published: August 2022

In-service deterioration can lead to undesired shape variations on high-pressure turbine rotor blades. This can have a significant impact on efficiency, power generation, and component life. Loss of power production from the high-pressure turbine rotor causes engine over-throttling to compensate for the lower performance. This will in turn worsen the operating conditions and ultimately reduce the life of the component. The aim of this study is to provide a high-fidelity flow simulation of in-serviced shrouded high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades of a modern Jet Engine. Shape variation effects on the aerodynamic performance of several shrouded HPT blades with a different number of in-service hours have been investigated. In order to establish a digital model of the shape variation, a novel reverse-engineering procedure is carried out to come up with a parametrized definition of each blade's variations from nominal including any observable damage. The investigation is conducted by means of an in-house, full 3D steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulation of the flow around a series of damaged rotor blade geometries, which are obtained through high-resolution optical blue-light “Gesellschaft für Optische Messtechnik” (GOM) scans. The analysis shows that the aerodynamic performance of the HPT rotor blades under investigation is primarily sensitive to shroud damage, which is found to account for efficiency losses often greater than 3%, and for more than 80% of the total performance loss. A secondary role on efficiency is found to be played by the blade shape deviation. A highly linear correlation is found between HPT stage efficiency and a combination of shroud damage parameters.
A nonlinear constitutive model for entangled symmetric dendrimers
Authors: Xiong Zhongqiang , Yu Wei
Published: August 2022

An orientation-stretch-coupled constitutive equation is suggested for symmetric Cayley tree-like dendrimers, which can self-consistently describe the linear relaxation spectrum and nonlinear viscoelastic behavior. The molecular stress is determined by orientation-stretch-coupled conformation tensors of all segments. The linear relaxation spectrum is determined according to hierarchical arm retraction with branch point hopping and dynamic tube dilation. Under strong flows, the orientation relaxation time and the stretch relaxation time are affected by the convective constraint release effect and branch point withdrawal. The coupling between segmental orientation and stretch in each generation is represented in the evolution of the coupled conformation tensor, while the possible stretch coupling among different generations is ignored. The predictions on both linear and nonlinear rheological behaviors are consistent with experiments, proving the rationality in treating coupling problems.
The extinct shark
Otodus megalodon
was a transoceanic superpredator: Inferences from 3D modeling
Authors: Cooper Jack A. , Hutchinson John R. , Bernvi David C. , Cliff Geremy , Wilson Rory P. , Dicken Matt L. , Menzel Jan , Wroe Stephen , Pirlo Jeanette , Pimiento Catalina
Published: August 2022

Although shark teeth are abundant in the fossil record, their bodies are rarely preserved. Thus, our understanding of the anatomy of the extinct
Otodus megalodon
remains rudimentary. We used an exceptionally well-preserved fossil to create the first three-dimensional model of the body of this giant shark and used it to infer its movement and feeding ecology. We estimate that an adult
O. megalodon
could cruise at faster absolute speeds than any shark species today and fully consume prey the size of modern apex predators. A dietary preference for large prey potentially enabled
O. megalodon
to minimize competition and provided a constant source of energy to fuel prolonged migrations without further feeding. Together, our results suggest that
O. megalodon
played an important ecological role as a transoceanic superpredator. Hence, its extinction likely had large impacts on global nutrient transfer and trophic food webs.
High-efficiency quantitative control of mitochondrial transfer based on droplet microfluidics and its application on muscle regeneration
Authors: Sun Jiayu , Lo Hiu Tung Jessica , Fan Lei , Yiu Tsz Lam , Shakoor Adnan , Li Gang , Lee Wayne Y. W. , Sun Dong
Published: August 2022

Mitochondrial transfer is a spontaneous process to restore damaged cells in various pathological conditions. The transfer of mitochondria to cell therapy products before their administration can enhance therapeutic outcomes. However, the low efficiency of previously reported methods limits their clinical application. Here, we developed a droplet microfluidics–based mitochondrial transfer technique that can achieve high-efficiency and high-throughput quantitative mitochondrial transfer to single cells. Because mitochondria are essential for muscles, myoblast cells and a muscle injury model were used as a proof-of-concept model to evaluate the proposed technique. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that C2C12 cells with 31 transferred mitochondria had significant improvements in cellular functions compared to those with 0, 8, and 14 transferred mitochondria and also had better therapeutic effects on muscle regeneration. The proposed technique can considerably promote the clinical application of mitochondrial transfer, with optimized cell function improvements, for the cell therapy of mitochondria-related diseases.
Phosphorylation of XPD drives its mitotic role independently of its DNA repair and transcription functions
Authors: Compe Emmanuel , Pangou Evanthia , Le May Nicolas , Elly Clémence , Braun Cathy , Hwang Ji-Hyun , Coin Frédéric , Sumara Izabela , Choi Kwang-Wook , Egly Jean-Marc
Published: August 2022

The helicase XPD is known as a key subunit of the DNA repair/transcription factor TFIIH. However, here, we report that XPD, independently to other TFIIH subunits, can localize with the motor kinesin Eg5 to mitotic spindles and the midbodies of human cells. The XPD/Eg5 partnership is promoted upon phosphorylation of Eg5/T926 by the kinase CDK1, and conversely, it is reduced once Eg5/S1033 is phosphorylated by NEK6, a mitotic kinase that also targets XPD at T425. The phosphorylation of XPD does not affect its DNA repair and transcription functions, but it is required for Eg5 localization, checkpoint activation, and chromosome segregation in mitosis. In XPD-mutated cells derived from a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum, the phosphomimetic form XPD/T425D or even the nonphosphorylatable form Eg5/S1033A specifically restores mitotic chromosome segregation errors. These results thus highlight the phospho-dependent mitotic function of XPD and reveal how mitotic defects might contribute to XPD-related disorders.
Shell microelectrode arrays (MEAs) for brain organoids
Authors: Huang Qi , Tang Bohao , Romero July Carolina , Yang Yuqian , Elsayed Saifeldeen Khalil , Pahapale Gayatri , Lee Tien-Jung , Morales Pantoja Itzy E. , Han Fang , Berlinicke Cynthia , Xiang Terry , Solazzo Mallory , Hartung Thomas , Qin Zhao , Caffo Brian S. , Smirnova Lena , Gracias David H.
Published: August 2022

Brain organoids are important models for mimicking some three-dimensional (3D) cytoarchitectural and functional aspects of the brain. Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) that enable recording and stimulation of activity from electrogenic cells offer notable potential for interrogating brain organoids. However, conventional MEAs, initially designed for monolayer cultures, offer limited recording contact area restricted to the bottom of the 3D organoids. Inspired by the shape of electroencephalography caps, we developed miniaturized wafer-integrated MEA caps for organoids. The optically transparent shells are composed of self-folding polymer leaflets with conductive polymer–coated metal electrodes. Tunable folding of the minicaps’ polymer leaflets guided by mechanics simulations enables versatile recording from organoids of different sizes, and we validate the feasibility of electrophysiology recording from 400- to 600-μm-sized organoids for up to 4 weeks and in response to glutamate stimulation. Our studies suggest that 3D shell MEAs offer great potential for high signal-to-noise ratio and 3D spatiotemporal brain organoid recording.