bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Willingness to invest and the assurance of corporate social responsibility reports
Authors: Pratoomsuwan Thanyawee , Chiaravutthi Yingyot
Published: July 2022

Recent research has found that the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) information on investment decisions will be eliminated when it is explicitly assessed, especially when CSR is not related to core business activities (immaterial CSR issues). We thus extend prior research by investigating whether (1) CSR assurance increases investors' willingness to invest when CSR performance is material or immaterial to core business activities and (2) CSR assurance moderates the effect of explicit assessment and CSR information on investment judgment. A 2 × 2 × 2 between‐subjects experiment was conducted using 213 professional investors. Overall, our results suggest that investors' willingness to invest is greater when positive CSR is verified by third‐party assurance in both material and immaterial CSR conditions. In addition, CSR assurance has a significant effect on investment judgment when immaterial CSR performance is explicitly assessed. As the affect‐as‐information heuristic (i.e., heuristic processing) is likely to be removed when CSR performance is explicitly assessed, the results of this study indicate that the affect heuristic is only eliminated when immaterial CSR is not assured, suggesting that CSR assurance moderates the effect of explicit assessment on investment judgment. Consistent with systematic‐heuristic theory, our results thus confirm that the systematic processing of CSR information does not necessarily attenuate affect heuristic processing; rather, these two processing modes can co‐occur. Our results concerning the impact of CSR assurance on positive CSR information inform firms that third‐party assurance affects investment judgment, especially for parties who consider purchasing these services, for example, managers or audit committee members. As CSR assurance is not mandatory, the audit profession could also be interested in our findings, as they might encourage firms to assure their nonfinancial information to enhance disclosure credibility. The inconclusive results on how CSR assurance affects investment judgment warrant further investigation of this issue in other reporting environments in different countries. Nevertheless, our findings contribute to the CSR literature by identifying novel aspects of the value of CSR assurance in different contexts, that is, the moderating role of CSR assurance and the explicit assessment of CSR information during investment decisions.
Seamless transfer control for dual‐mode grid‐connected inverter with automatic PCC voltage regulation
Authors: Li Xiao , Liu Yushan , Yuan Haiwen
Published: July 2022

Distributed generators are more expected with the capability to continue supporting power to local critical loads in both intended and unintended islanding conditions, in addition to its house‐keeping functions of grid‐connected condition. With this purpose, this paper proposes a control strategy of single‐phase grid‐connected inverter with both decoupled power control capability for grid‐connected mode and load voltage regulation capability for standalone mode. It also enables automatic voltage regulation on point of common coupling, which enables seamless transfer after islanding occurrence. An impedance model is disclosed to analyze the operation mechanism during transient state, with further investigations on both the effect of system parameters in different modes and the system operating features. Simulation and experimental results are provided to evaluate its effectiveness.
The ecology of dialogic interactions towards sustainability of school‐based curriculum development
Authors: Wang Li‐Yi , Chen Victor Der‐Thanq , Neo Wei‐Leng
Published: July 2022

The 21st century education requires schools to provide students with better support in their learning. One way to facilitate this change is through school‐based curriculum development (SBCD). Much in the literature talked about SBCD outcomes on respective key stakeholders in schools, but little has been said about the interactions amongst the stakeholders in the process of implementing SBCD. This study examined the interactions amongst school leaders, key personnel and teachers in implementing curriculum innovation in a newly founded government school in Singapore. The findings reveal that the dialogic interactions amongst the stakeholders were reflexively shaping and shaped by the culture of collective sharing and learning in the school. These dynamic, reflexive interactions were coexisting and interplaying with the chains linking one with another, forming an ecology of dialogic interactions amongst the stakeholders. We argue that with an effective enactment of distributed leadership, top‐down visioning could be embraced and practised by teachers, and the ecology of dialogical interactions has great potential to sustain SBCD in schools.
A novel out‐of‐band emission suppression method in future wireless communications employing filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing waveform
Authors: Chen Hao , Wen Jiangang , Hua Jingyu , Ni Zhengwei , Li Feng , Zou Yuanping
Published: July 2022

In order to achieve flexible configuration and asynchronous transmission of different subbands (SBs), SB filters are utilized in filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (f‐OFDM) systems to isolate different SBs efficiently. Nevertheless, the price is the insertion of some intrinsic interference.Therefore, the suppression of the out‐of‐band emission (OOBE) between SBs is essential for the system performance improvement of f‐OFDM. According to the system structure of f‐OFDM, an optimization design model based on active interference cancelation (AIC) is proposed in this study, and the optimization design model is solved through second order cone programming. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed AIC algorithm in OOBE suppression is verified by computer simulations. To the whole system, the OOBE suppression also means the decrease of inter‐SB interference (ITBI). In addition, the influences of main parameters, such as the number of the cancelation carriers (CCs), on the OOBE suppression performance of the proposed AIC algorithm, are simulated and analyzed. Moreover, some intrinsic characteristics of the proposed algorithm in parameter configuration are revealed in terms of power spectral density (PSD) and bit error ratio (BER).
ONUs' load model for one‐to‐many mode matching scenario in multi‐standard virtual passive optical network
Authors: Gong Guiyu , Gan Chaoqin , Tong Liya , Zhu Yifan
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a load model of ONUs is proposed under the condition of one‐to‐many mode matching scenario in multi‐standard virtual passive optical network. By founding the load model of ONUs, the minimum number of loaded ONUs can be realized to reduce the total wavelength tuning times of MT‐ONUs (Mode Transformation ONU). By integrating this model and the optimal combination algorithm, the maximum utilization of the target bandwidth can be carried out. By constructing an establishment and release mechanism of mode matching pairs, frequent switching of working mode of MT‐ONUs can be avoided to effectively lift the operating efficiency and the stability of system and further reduce the number of MT‐ONUs. Simulations show that when the matching bandwidth ratio is between 0.4 and 1, the utilization of total matching bandwidth is greater than 0.95. Finally, by comparison and analysis, the effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated.
Attempting genetic inference from directional asymmetry during convergent hindlimb reduction in squamates
Authors: Swank Samantha , Elazegui Ethan , Janidlo Sophia , Sanger Thomas J. , Bell Michael A. , Stuart Yoel E.
Published: July 2022

Loss and reduction in paired appendages are common in vertebrate evolution. How often does such convergent evolution depend on similar developmental and genetic pathways? For example, many populations of the threespine stickleback and ninespine stickleback (Gasterosteidae) have independently evolved pelvic reduction, usually based on independent mutations that caused reduced Pitx1 expression. Reduced Pitx1 expression has also been implicated in pelvic reduction in manatees. Thus, hindlimb reduction stemming from reduced Pitx1 expression has arisen independently in groups that diverged tens to hundreds of millions of years ago, suggesting a potential for repeated use of Pitx1 across vertebrates. Notably, hindlimb reduction based on the reduction in Pitx1 expression produces left‐larger directional asymmetry in the vestiges. We used this phenotypic signature as a genetic proxy, testing for hindlimb directional asymmetry in six genera of squamate reptiles that independently evolved hindlimb reduction and for which genetic and developmental tools are not yet developed: Agamodon anguliceps, Bachia intermedia, Chalcides sepsoides, Indotyphlops braminus, Ophisaurus attenuatuas and O. ventralis, and Teius teyou. Significant asymmetry occurred in one taxon, Chalcides sepsoides, whose left‐side pelvis and femur vestiges were 18% and 64% larger than right‐side vestiges, respectively, suggesting modification in Pitx1 expression in that species. However, there was either right‐larger asymmetry or no directional asymmetry in the other five taxa, suggesting multiple developmental genetic pathways to hindlimb reduction in squamates and the vertebrates more generally.
Determination of glutathione in blood via capillary electrophoresis with pH‐mediated stacking
Authors: Ivanov Alexander Vladimirovich , Popov Mikhail Aleksandrovich , Aleksandrin Valery Vasil'evich , Kozhevnikova Lubov Mikhailovna , Moskovtsev Alexey Aleksandrovich , Kruglova Maria Petrovna , Vladimirovna Silina Ekaterina , Aleksandrovich Stupin Victor , Kubatiev Aslan Amirkhanovich
Published: July 2022

A new approach has been developed for the direct determination of reduced (glutathione [GSH]) and oxidized (glutathione disulfide [GSSG]) GSH in whole blood by means of capillary electrophoresis. Its features include GSH‐stabilizing sample preparation, the use of an internal standard, and pH‐mediated stacking. Blood stabilized with acid citrate and K3EDTA was treated with acetonitrile with N‐ethylmaleimide, and then the analytes were extracted with diethyl ether. The total analysis time was 8 min using a 50‐µm (i.d.) by 32.5‐cm (eff. length) silica capillary. The background electrolyte was 0.075‐M citrate Na pH 5.8 with 200‐µM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and 5‐µM sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the separation voltage was −14 kV. The quantification limit (S/N = 15) of the method was 1.5 µM for GSSG. The accuracy levels of GSH and GSSG analysis were 104% and 103%, respectively, and between‐run precision levels were 2.6% and 3.2%, respectively. Analysis of blood samples from healthy volunteers (N = 24) showed that the levels of GSH and GSSG and the GSH/GSSG ratio in the whole blood were 1.05 ± 0.14 mM, 3.9 ± 1.25 µM, and 256 ± 94, respectively. Thus, the presented approach can be used in clinical and laboratory practice.
Aluminum Steam Oxidation in the Framework of Long‐Term Energy Storage: Experimental Analysis of the Reaction Parameters Effect on Metal Conversion Rate
Authors: Barelli Linda , Trombetti Lorenzo , Di Michele Alessandro , Gammaitoni Luca , Asenbauer Jakob , Passerini Stefano
Published: July 2022

Aluminum is a promising material as an alternative green energy carrier thanks to its very high volumetric energy density and full recyclability. Aluminum oxidation with steam in the temperature range of 600–900 °C is investigated as an innovative and promising methodology for aluminum conversion resulting in hydrogen and heat production. Reaction times, hydrogen production rate and yield are assessed varying operational parameters such as temperature, steam to aluminum ratio, and gas hourly space velocity within the reactor. The conversion yield of aluminum is assessed at 73.13% at 900 °C and ambient pressure, with reaction times comparable with the one reported in the literature for water oxidation in batch‐pressurized reactors. Moreover, over 750 °C, alumina is produced in microparticles, allowing reactor operating times up to 1 h without incurring in the clogging effect. The obtained results are promising for the continuous operating condition of a future full‐scale reactor.
Simulation and application analysis of gravel packing in deepwater HT/HP wells
Authors: Yu Yi , Jiang Donglei , Wang Heng , Diao Huan , Xiao Tan , Zhou Shengtian
Published: July 2022

Gravel packing is one of the main sand control methods for deep‐water high‐temperature and high‐pressure (HT/HP) reservoirs. According to the specific characteristics of deep‐water HT/HP and multichannel, considering the influence of slurry flowing through long‐distance multichannel and the slurry temperature alternation along the flow path, based on α–β wave packing theory, a coupling model of gravel packing in deep‐water HT/HP horizontal wells is established. The packing simulation algorithm and calculation process are designed to realize the gravel packing temperature pressure simulation and multistage refined friction calculation of deep‐water HT/HP horizontal wells. The influence of each packing parameter on the packing process is fully studied. Furthermore, the application simulation of the A10H well of the South China Sea deepwater HP well is carried out. The simulation results show that in the slurry injection stage and α wave packing stage, the packing pressure is low and the residual pressure window is large. In the β wave packing stage, the packing pressure increases rapidly, the residual pressure window shrinks rapidly, and finally, at the end of β wave packing, the residual pressure window becomes narrow. The viscosity of carrier fluid has a significant impact on the pressure window of packing operation. For the design pump rate of 5.6 bpm, the packing cannot be completed with 5.0 cp viscosity carrier fluid. For the carrier fluid with high viscosity, the multi‐β wave packing technique of pump reduction control pressure at the end of the β wave packing stage is used, and this process is simulated in this paper. Considering three constraints: not sand packed in the drilling string, without premature bridging in the α wave packing stage, and α and β wave packing pressure control conditions, the safe range of pump rate is determined under different operation safety margin conditions, which can provide technical support for on‐site operation.
Technology‐Enhanced Items and Model–Data Misfit
Authors: Eckerly Carol , Jia Yue , Jewsbury Paul
Published: July 2022

Testing programs have explored the use of technology‐enhanced items alongside traditional item types (e.g., multiple‐choice and constructed‐response items) as measurement evidence of latent constructs modeled with item response theory (IRT). In this report, we discuss considerations in applying IRT models to a particular type of adaptive testlet referred to as a branching item. Under the branching format, all test takers are assigned to a common question, and the assignment of the next question relies on the response to the first question through deterministic rules. In addition, the items at both stages are scored together as one polytomous item. Real and simulated examples are provided to discuss challenges in applying IRT models to branching items. We find that model–data misfit is likely to occur when branching items are scored as polytomous items and modeled with the generalized partial credit model and that the relationship between the discrimination of the routing component and the discriminations of the subsequent components seemed to drive the misfit. We conclude with lessons learned and provide suggested guidelines and considerations for operationalizing the use of branching items in future assessments.
Understanding the inventor team size: A view from “The Rice Theory”
Authors: Zhao Yixin , Zong Qingqing
Published: July 2022

The inventor is a vital input in acquiring new technologies. Collaboration among inventors is an essential topic for scholars. Talhelm et al. proposed The Rice Theory, highlighting the cultural differences between rice and wheat regions. This paper explores the differences in inventor team size under rice and wheat cultures using invention patent data in China. The results of ordinary least square estimation and instrumental variable estimation indicate that the size of inventor teams under rice culture is significantly smaller than that under wheat culture by 0.558–0.721 persons. Using the Chinese Qinling–Huaihe line, this paper constructs a regression discontinuity (RD) design. The local average treatment effect estimation confirms the difference in rice and wheat cultures. Subsequently, we demonstrate the significant existence of this difference through lots of robustness checks. We try to explain the phenomenon from the perspective of “The Rice Theory” by arguing that inventors in rice regions may be more inclined to collaborate but with a smaller inventor team size. This paper demonstrates the cultural differences in the performance of inventor team size, informing our understanding of input in research and development (R&D) activities.
Development of a novel low‐background noise blood loop model for testing blood‐contacting biomaterials and medical devices in fresh human blood
Authors: Cahalan Patrick , Hegy Michael , Cahalan Linda , Curry Ben , Ubl Samantha , Jeffers Hannah , Wolf Michael F.
Published: July 2022

A novel low volume blood loop model (Ension Triad System [ETS]) incorporating pulsatile flow and a proprietary low‐activation blood‐contacting surface (Ension bioactive surface [EBS]) enabling high signal‐to‐noise performance is described. The ETS system incorporates a test chamber that allows direct comparison of material samples or finished medical devices such as catheters with varying compositions and/or surface treatments. ETS performance is presented from two independent organizations (Medtronic and MLM Labs) and includes results for hemolysis (pfHgb), platelet count, platelet activation (βTG), coagulation (TAT), inflammation (PMN Elastase, PMN CD112b, and monocyte CD112b) and immune response (SC5b‐9) were made on: (1) the EBS‐treated system itself without a test material (No Material, NM); (2) the EBS‐treated system with an idealized untreated catheter (UC); and (3) the EBS‐treated system with the prototype catheter treated with the EBS surface treatment (CC). The untreated catheter (UC) was associated with significant elevation of all activation marker levels (pfHgb excluded). The EBS‐treated catheter, in direct comparison to the UC and NM catheters, appeared invisible with respect to the activation markers (all markers statistically different than the UC and equivalent to the NM control). Based on these data, we conclude that using a relatively small surface area test sample and a small volume of fresh human blood, the high signal‐to‐noise performance of the ETS system demonstrates comprehensive and statistically significant material differences in the major ISO 10993‐4 categories of blood interaction. These data underscore the important benefit of minimal confounding of test/device responses with non‐test‐material/model‐related responses. ETS offers a practical alternative to the common one‐test‐category‐at‐a‐time approach when assessing blood/medical device interactions.
Usefulness of colestimide for diarrhea in postoperative Crohn's disease
Authors: Hojo Aya , Kobayashi Taku , Matsubayashi Mao , Morikubo Hiromu , Miyatani Yusuke , Fukuda Tomohiro , Asonuma Kunio , Sagami Shintaro , Nakano Masaru , Matsuda Takahisa , Hibi Toshifumi
Published: July 2022

Background and Aim

Crohn's disease (CD) often causes intractable diarrhea after intestinal resection. Anion exchange resins have been reported to be effective in patients with bile acid diarrhea after distal ileectomy; furthermore, bile acid metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CD. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of colestimide in the management of postoperative CD, and to compare its impact between patients with and those without ileocecal resection.

Methods

Postoperative CD patients prescribed colestimide for diarrhea between April 2017 and December 2020 were retrospectively evaluated for changes in the total Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI), each CDAI component including diarrhea frequency/week, albumin, and C‐reactive protein (CRP) was evaluated before and after the administration of colestimide. Furthermore, comprehensive patient and physician assessments were reviewed from medical records during the first outpatient visit as a global clinical judgment after the initiation of colestimide therapy.

Results

A total of 24 patients were included, of whom 17 had a previous history of ileocecal resection. Significant improvement was noted in CDAI and diarrhea frequency only in the ileocecal resection group (CDAI: 114.5 ± 52.7 and 95.4 ± 34.8, P < 0.05; diarrhea frequency/week 23.8 ± 14.1 and 15.4 ± 11.2, P < 0.05, respectively). There was no significant improvement in other CDAI components, albumin level, or CRP level in either group. In the global clinical judgment, 13 and 4 patients in the ileocecal and non‐ileocecal resection groups, respectively, were judged as “effective,” with an overall efficacy rate of 70.8%.

Conclusion

Colestimide is effective for diarrhea in patients with postoperative CD, especially after ileocecal resection.
Overview of Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)
Authors: Kabi Arup K. , Pal Maynak , Gujjarappa Raghuram , Malakar Chandi C. , Roy Mithun
Published: July 2022

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) caused the ongoing pandemic named COVID‐19 which causes a serious emergency on public health hazards of international concern. In the face of a critical medical emergency, repositioning of drugs is one of the most authentic options to design an adequate treatment for infected patients immediately. In this strategy, Remdesivir (Veklury), Hydroxychloroquine appears to be the drug of choice and garnered unprecedented attention as potential therapeutic agents against the pandemic realized worldwide due to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. These are the breathtaking instances of possible repositioning of drugs, whose pharmacokinetics and optimal dosage are familiar. In this review, we provide an overview of these medications, their synthesis, and the possible mechanism of action against SARS‐CoV‐2.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of healthcare workers with COVID‐19 pre‐ and postvaccination
Authors: Filho Fábio F. D. , Chaves Eunice B. M. , D'Avila Karen Gomes , Neyeloff Jeruza L. , dos Santos Rodrigo Pires , Silva Denise R.
Published: July 2022

Vaccines are the most effective strategy to control the spread of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19). Data on COVID‐19 among healthcare workers (HCW) pre‐ and postvaccination are limited. This study aims to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of HCW with COVID‐19 pre‐ and postvaccination. Retrospective cohort study. All HCWs with suspected COVID‐19 were included. Demographic data, occupation, symptoms, work in COVID‐19 area, and vaccination status were collected. There were 22 267 HCW visits for suspected COVID‐19; 7879 (35.4%) tested positive, and 14 388 (64.6%) tested negative. Fever, cough, fatigue, and dyspnea were positive predictors of COVID‐19, and sore throat, headache, coryza, work in a COVID‐19 area, and COVID‐19 vaccination were negative predictors. Of the total number of visits, 41.2% were from vaccinated HCW and 58.8% were from unvaccinated HCW. Among HCWs with COVID‐19, 84 (1.1%) required hospitalization, 11 (0.1%) in an intensive care unit (ICU), with three (0.04%) deaths. Six hospitalizations occurred in vaccinated HCWs, being of short duration, with no need for ICU admission and no deaths. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection prevalence was high among HCW, and vaccinated HCW had fewer hospitalizations, need for ICU, and deaths. Therefore, vaccines may attenuate COVID‐19 severity, and efforts must be concentrated to ensure adequate vaccination for HCW.
Reconstruction and variability of high daily erythemal ultraviolet doses and relationship with total ozone, cloud cover, and albedo in Novi Sad (Serbia)
Authors: Malinović‐Milićević Slavica , Radovanović Milan M. , Mijatović Zoran , Petrović Marko D.
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a method previously developed for reconstructing daily erythemal ultraviolet (UVery) doses in Novi Sad (Serbia) was improved and used for estimating daily UVery over the period 1971–2018. The proposed new method uses reanalysed total ozone column (TOC) data and snow cover as an input and is based on the empirical relationship between relative sunshine duration and relative UVery doses. Introducing reanalysed TOC data and snow cover data significantly improved the quality and accuracy of the reconstructed UVery time series, particularly in the winter season. The reconstructed time series revealed the statistically significant increase in summer and winter UVery in the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s (+8.78% and + 13.14% per decade, respectively), which was linked to the statistically significant decline in TOC (−4.13 and −7.36% per decade, respectively). The study focuses on days with high erythemal UV dose (highUVery), which is defined based on the 90th percentile of the daily UVery for each month. Moreover, the influence of low TOC, low cloud cover conditions, and high surface albedo on highUVery was analysed on a seasonal basis. The results of this study show that highUVery days increased from the 1980s, particularly strongly in the period of TOC depletion. A fraction of highUVery days in the last two decades was large (12.29%), which is higher than in the previous periods (6.97 and 8.68% in the period before and during TOC depletion, respectively). The occurrence of highUVery days was influenced mostly by low cloud cover (89.71% of days), and low TOC (82.23% of days). In the winter season, high surface albedo influenced the appearance of 19.18% of highUVery days. However, overall the interaction of low cloud cover and low TOC in all seasons most often led to the appearance of highUVery days.
Protective effect of surfactant modified phytosterol oleogels on loaded curcumin
Authors: Li Junhua , Zhai Jiali , Chang Cuihua , Yang Yanjun , Drummond Calum J. , Conn Charlotte E.
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND

Oleogels represent one of the most important carriers for the delivery of lipophilic nutraceuticals. Phytosterols (PS), plant‐derived natural sterol compounds, are preferred for oleogel preparation due to their self‐assembly properties and health function. However, the relationship between the physical properties of PS‐based oleogels and the chemical stability of loaded bioactive compounds is still unclear.

RESULTS

The influence of lecithin (LC) and glycerol monostearate (GMS) on the physical properties of PS‐based oleogels made of liquid coconut oil and the stability of curcumin as a model bioactive loaded in the oleogels was investigated. Results showed that the flow consistency index was much higher for GMS‐containing oleogels than that for LC‐containing oleogels. The optical microscopy and X‐ray scattering analysis showed that the addition of GMS in the PS oleogels promoted the formation of a crystal mixture with different crystal polymorph structures, whereas LC addition promoted the formation of needle‐like crystals of PS. Using curcumin as a model lipophilic nutraceutical, the GMS‐enriched PS oleogels with high crystallinity and flow consistency index exhibited a good retention ratio and scavenging activity of the loaded curcumin when stored at room temperature.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that enhancing the firmness of oleogels made from PS and liquid coconut oil is beneficial to the retention and chemical stability of a loaded bioactive (curcumin). The findings of the study will boost the development of PS‐based oleogel formulations for lipophilic nutraceutical delivery. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Axial hypersensitivity is associated with aberrant nerve sprouting in a novel model of disc degeneration in female Sprague Dawley rats
Authors: Lillyman David J. , Lee Fei San , Barnett Evie C. , Miller Tyler J. , Alvaro Moreno Lozano , Drvol Henry C. , Wachs Rebecca A.
Published: July 2022

Chronic low back pain is a global socioeconomic crisis and treatments are lacking in part due to inadequate models. Etiological research suggests that the predominant pathology associated with chronic low back pain is intervertebral disc degeneration. Various research teams have created rat models of disc degeneration, but the clinical translatability of these models has been limited by an absence of robust chronic pain‐like behavior. To address this deficit, disc degeneration was induced via an artificial annular tear in female Sprague Dawley rats. The subsequent degeneration, which was allowed to progress for 18‐weeks, caused a drastic reduction in disc volume. Furthermore, from week 10 till study conclusion, injured animals exhibited significant axial hypersensitivity. At study end, intervertebral discs were assessed for important characteristics of human degenerated discs: extracellular matrix breakdown, hypocellularity, inflammation, and nerve sprouting. All these aspects were significantly increased in injured animals compared to sham controls. Also of note, 20 significant correlations were detected between selected outcomes including a moderate and highly significant correlation (R = 0.59, p < 0.0004) between axial hypersensitivity and disc nerve sprouting. These data support this model as a rigorous platform to explore the pathobiology of disc‐associated low back pain and to screen treatments.
Soil microbial‐mediated sulfur cycle and ecological network under typical desert halophyte shrubs
Authors: Li Wenjing , Lv Guanghui , Hu Dong
Published: July 2022

The sulfur (S) cycle is one of the geochemical element cycles in which microorganisms play a key driving role. The microbial function of soil S cycling in response to desert degradation, however, remains largely unknown. We used metagenomics to analyze the characteristics of microbial communities and their functional genes involved in the S cycles under natural water gradients with three typical halophytes shrubs in the Ebinur Lake basin Desert, China. Our results showed that the rhizosphere effect, water gradient, and halophyte type played a major role in shaping the S cycle. On the whole, in the rhizosphere type and low water environment, the functional genes involved in the S cycle had high abundance, and the sulfur oxidizing protein (SOX) system in Alhagi sparsifolia had a high expression level. In the S cycle network structure, as the soil water content decreased, the complexity in S gene networks increased, showing the characteristics of clustering and high connectivity. Indicates the strengthening mode in microbial interactions with the water content. Interestingly, the negative correlation of the network changed with the water content, and there was more competition among communities under the low water gradient and more cooperation under the high water gradient. Through the correlation between environmental factors and the network, nitrate (NO3−) and soil available S (AS) constrained most S gene ecology networks. The key species involved in the S cycle were halophilic microorganisms. These results can enhance the understanding of soil S biogeochemical processes and contribute to the mitigation of desertification by improving soil conservation.
Prairie stream metabolism recovery varies based on antecedent hydrology across a stream network after a bank‐full flood
Authors: Ruffing Claire M. , Veach Allison M. , Schechner Anne , Rüegg Janine , Trentman Matt T. , Dodds Walter K.
Published: July 2022

Intermittent streams are characterized by significant periods of low to no flow, yet are also frequently subjected to flashy, high floods. Floods alter ecosystem function and result in variable successional patterns across the stream network. Yet, the timing of restored function after floods in intermittent stream networks is relatively unexplored. We measured recovery of stream ecosystem function using rates of gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), net ecosystem production (NEP), and the primary production to respiration ratio (P/R) across eight locations in the Kings Creek drainage basin with differing preflood conditions (previously dry [intermittent] or flowing [perennial]) over a 30‐d period following a 2‐yr return interval flood. We found that all metabolic rates (GPP, ER, NEP, P/R) varied primarily by time (days since flood) and antecedent flow, but not spatial network position (i.e., drainage area). Intermittent sites exhibited high rates of ER (0.17–3.33 g dissolved oxygen [DO] m−2d−1) following rewetting compared to perennial sites (0.03–1.17 g DO m−2d−1), while GPP, NEP, and P/R were slower to recover and varied less between sites of differing preflood conditions. Metabolic rates were not strongly influenced by other environmental conditions. A large proportion of variation was explained by the random effect of location. Our results suggest that metabolism is temporally asynchronous and highly heterogenous across intermittent watersheds and that antecedent hydrology (drying prior to rewetting) stimulates heterotrophic activity, likely dependent on terrestrially derived organic matter and nutrient subsidies.
Multiscale unsupervised domain adaptation for automatic pancreas segmentation in CT volumes using adversarial learning
Authors: Zhu Yan , Hu Peijun , Li Xiang , Tian Yu , Bai Xueli , Liang Tingbo , Li Jingsong
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Computer‐aided automatic pancreas segmentation is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases. However, the annotation of pancreas images requires professional doctors and considerable expenditure. Due to imaging differences among various institution population, scanning devices, imaging protocols, and so on, significant degradation in the performance of model inference results is prone to occur when models trained with domain‐specific (usually institution‐specific) datasets are directly applied to new (other centers/institutions) domain data. In this paper, we propose a novel unsupervised domain adaptation method based on adversarial learning to address pancreas segmentation challenges with the lack of annotations and domain shift interference.

Methods

A 3D semantic segmentation model with attention module and residual module is designed as the backbone pancreas segmentation model. In both segmentation model and domain adaptation discriminator network, a multiscale progressively weighted structure is introduced to acquire different field of views. Features of labeled data and unlabeled data are fed in pairs into the proposed multiscale discriminator to learn domain‐specific characteristics. Then the unlabeled data features with pseudodomain label are fed to the discriminator to acquire domain‐ambiguous information. With this adversarial learning strategy, the performance of the segmentation network is enhanced to segment unseen unlabeled data.

Results

Experiments were conducted on two public annotated datasets as source datasets, respectively, and one private dataset as target dataset, where annotations were not used for the training process but only for evaluation. The 3D segmentation model achieves comparative performance with state‐of‐the‐art pancreas segmentation methods on source domain. After implementing our domain adaptation architecture, the average dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the segmentation model trained on the NIH‐TCIA source dataset increases from 58.79% to 72.73% on the local hospital dataset, while the performance of the target domain segmentation model transferred from the medical segmentation decathlon (MSD) source dataset rises from 62.34% to 71.17%.

Conclusions

Correlations of features across data domains are utilized to train the pancreas segmentation model on unlabeled data domain, improving the generalization of the model. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method enables the segmentation model to make meaningful segmentation for unseen data of the training set. In the future, the proposed method has the potential to apply segmentation model trained on public dataset to clinical unannotated CT images from local hospital, effectively assisting radiologists in clinical practice.
Intrarater and interrater reliability of the first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion resistance test
Authors: Moisan Gabriel , McBride Sean , Isabelle Pier‐Luc , Chicoine Dominic , Walha Roua
Published: July 2022

Background

The first metatarsophalangeal joint plays a fundamental role during the gait cycle. The Hubscher manoeuvre, which consists of passively dorsiflexing the first metatarsophalangeal joint of an individual in relaxed stance and observing the raising of the medial longitudinal arch, is a clinical test thought to examine the function of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. However, the hallux dorsiflexion achieved during this test is not related to hallux dorsiflexion during gait. On the other hand, unlike kinematic tests, results from kinetic tests have been shown to be strongly correlated with dynamic joint biomechanics. Thus, given the need for valid and reliable tests to evaluate the function of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, this study aimed to assess the reliability of a new kinetic test, namely, the first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion resistance test.

Method

Thirty young adults completed two data collection sessions 1 week apart, during which the first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion resistance test was performed. Intrarater and interrater reliability were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), minimal detectable difference (MDD), standard error of the mean (SEM) and limits of agreements (LoA).

Results

For the intrarater reliability, the ICC was 0.77 (p < 0.001), the SEM was 6.5 N, the MDD was 18.1 N and the LoA were −7.9 to 26.9 N. For the interrater reliability, the ICC was 0.86 (p < 0.001), the SEM was 6.9 N, the MDD was 19.0 N and the LoA were −6.4 to 21.8 N.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate good intra and interrater reliability of the first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion resistance test, which provides evidence to support its use in clinical and research contexts. Further work is required to establish the test results' relationship with joint kinetics during gait and to provide normative values in individuals with and without musculoskeletal disorders as well as among different age groups and genders to optimise its utilization in clinical and research settings.
Production of different metal oxide nanoparticle embedded polymer matrix composite structures by the additive manufacturing technology and investigation of their properties
Authors: Aktitiz İsmail , Aydın Kadir , Darıcık Fatih , Topcu Alparslan
Published: July 2022

Metal oxide nano additives are widely used as a second phase modifier as they improve the properties of the matrix materials. Nano additives also supply various advantages for polymers which can be employed in additive manufacturing methods. Among the additive manufacturing methods, stereolithography is one of the most remarkable to produce nano‐modified polymers because of the easy nano modification of the photocurable resins. In the present study, we mixed the metal oxide particles; Fe2O3, ZnO, NiO, Al2O3, TiO2, and MgO with the photocurable epoxy and used the mixtures to print the specimens. We investigated the structural morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the printed specimens with an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, differential thermogravimetric analysis, and microhardness, respectively. Findings proved the dilute agglomeration of the nano additives. Besides, nano additives can improve the thermal stability of the photo‐cured polymer. The microhardness of the Fe2O3 added polymers reached 27.63 HV levels while it was measured as 16.16 HV for the pristine samples (~70% raise was experienced). The maximum degradation temperatures of the polymer nanocomposite structures were measured in the range of 396–420 °C.
Crosslinking starch with Diels–Alder reaction: water‐soluble materials and water‐mediated processes
Authors: Antunes Bruna Fernandes , Ferreira Antonio Gilberto , Amaral André Capaldo , Carvalho Antonio José Felix , Gandini Alessandro , Trovatti Eliane
Published: July 2022

The click Diels–Alder cycloaddition is a one‐step high‐yield reaction that does not require catalysts, does not generate side products and can be performed at mild conditions in an aqueous medium, representing a good method for biomaterials coupling and synthesis. It exploits functional groups that can be grafted onto natural polymers or other molecules and can be used for the preparation of biomaterials such as biocompatible hydrogels, a nascent field of application of the Diels–Alder reaction. If performed in an aqueous medium, at biological pH and body temperature, it can be used in internal body systems for drug and cell release. Here we report the grafting of the furan ring from furfuryl alcohol to chemically oxidized starch and its crosslinking via the Diels–Alder reaction, in aqueous medium, at 37 °C, mimicking the body conditions in vitro. Since the functional groups used in this chemical strategy are sparingly studied for such applications, and their behavior is not described in the literature, the biocompatibility of the crosslinked starch as well as that of the precursor reagents were evaluated by cytotoxicity tests using GM07492 human cells. The results reveal that the furan‐crosslinked starch is a promising candidate for cell encapsulation and delivery within the body. © 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
High‐low refractive index stacks as antireflection coatings on triple‐junction solar cells
Authors: Hou Guo Jiao , García‐Tabarés Elisa , García Iván , Rey‐Stolle Ignacio
Published: July 2022

Antireflection coatings (ARCs) are crucial components of high‐efficiency solar cells. A new ARC design philosophy, dubbed high‐low refractive index stacks, has demonstrated good potential to minimize reflection losses for triple‐junction and quadruple‐junction solar cells in simulations. We have implemented such novel ARCs on GaInP/InGaAs/Ge triple‐junction solar cells and compared the experimental performances—external quantum efficiency and reflectivity—with that of identical devices equipping the classic double‐layer ARC. For typical materials such as MgF2/ZnS with ambient glass, the results show that the new design improves the short circuit current by 1.8% at normal incidence and 1.6% and 1% for angles of incidence of 30° and 50°, respectively.
Long‐term delivery of etanercept mediated via a thermosensitive hydrogel for efficient inhibition of wear debris‐induced inflammatory osteolysis
Authors: Lei Kewen , Wang Yang , Peng Xiaochun , Yu Lin , Ding Jiandong
Published: July 2022

Periprosthetic wear debris‐induced aseptic loosening brings great pain to patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) is a pivotal cytokine involved in wear debris‐induced aseptic inflammation and subsequent osteolysis. Herein, we developed an injectable hydrogel system containing etanercept (ETN), a TNF‐α antagonist, to inhibit wear debris‐induced osteolysis. A set of thermosensitive poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA–PEG–PLGA) copolymers with comparable molecular weights but different LA/GA molar ratios were synthesized by us, and their aqueous solutions presented sol‐to‐gel transitions along with the elevation of temperature. The LA/GA ratio not only impacted the phase transition temperature but also controlled the degradation rate of gel in vivo. The hydrogel with an appropriate in vivo degradation rate was employed to load and deliver ETN, and the drug introduction did not influence on its thermo‐induced gelation behavior. The loaded ETN was released from the gel depot in vitro in a sustained manner for up to 30 days. In a mouse bone‐implanted air pouch model, a single injection of the hydrogel formulation and subsequent sustained release of active ETN efficiently neutralized TNF‐α, resulting in significant suppression of titanium particles‐induced aseptic inflammation and subsequent osteolysis, and the effect was pronouncedly superior to that of an ETN solution.
Unmet palliative care needs of a child with cancer in Indonesia
Authors: Vassileva Sofi , Pangarso Alexandra Widita Swipratami , Mulatsih Sri , Sitaresmi Mei , Kaspers Gertjan , Mostert Saskia
Published: July 2022

Key points

Childhood cancer survival varies greatly between high‐income (80%) versus Low and middle‐income countries (LMIC) (<20%). To bridge this gap, provision of aggressive curative treatment has been prioritized in latter countries. Palliative care (PC), by contrast, has received little or no attention

When children who can no longer be cured from cancer continue aggressive treatment, they may suffer unnecessarily from pain, discomfort and low quality‐of‐life during prolonged periods

In many LMIC, families are often not given the opportunity to participate in decision‐making whether they want to extend the life of their children or focus on relieving pain and discomfort

This case report illustrates difficulties that Indonesian families may face when their child is diagnosed with cancer, receives intensive chemotherapy despite poor prognosis and severe side‐effects, and is not informed about choices of treatment children have during final illness

This study highlights the importance to start PC immediately at diagnosis. Both physical and psychosocial wellbeing of patients need to be closely monitored through regular symptom burden assessments. Training on open communication in PC is required in universities and hospitals to enable shared decision‐making and improve quality‐of‐life of children and their families
Uniform binding and negative catalysis at the origin of enzymes
Authors: Noor Elad , Flamholz Avi I. , Jayaraman Vijay , Ross Brian L. , Cohen Yair , Patrick Wayne M. , Gruic‐Sovulj Ita , Tawfik Dan S.
Published: July 2022

Enzymes are well known for their catalytic abilities, some even reaching “catalytic perfection” in the sense that the reaction they catalyze has reached the physical bound of the diffusion rate. However, our growing understanding of enzyme superfamilies has revealed that only some share a catalytic chemistry while others share a substrate‐handle binding motif, for example, for a particular phosphate group. This suggests that some families emerged through a “substrate‐handle‐binding‐first” mechanism (“binding‐first” for brevity) instead of “chemistry‐first” and we are, therefore, left to wonder what the role of non‐catalytic binders might have been during enzyme evolution. In the last of their eight seminal, back‐to‐back articles from 1976, John Albery and Jeremy Knowles addressed the question of enzyme evolution by arguing that the simplest mode of enzyme evolution is what they defined as “uniform binding” (parallel stabilization of all enzyme‐bound states to the same degree). Indeed, we show that a uniform‐binding proto‐catalyst can accelerate a reaction, but only when catalysis is already present, that is, when the transition state is already stabilized to some degree. Thus, we sought an alternative explanation for the cases where substrate‐handle‐binding preceded any involvement of a catalyst. We find that evolutionary starting points that exhibit negative catalysis can redirect the reaction's course to a preferred product without need for rate acceleration or product release; that is, if they do not stabilize, or even destabilize, the transition state corresponding to an undesired product. Such a mechanism might explain the emergence of “binding‐first” enzyme families like the aldolase superfamily.