bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved efficiency in eDNA metabarcoding of benthic metazoans by sieving sediments prior to DNA extraction
Authors: He Xiaoping , Sutherland Terri F. , Abbott Cathryn L.
Published: December 2020

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding can be used to rapidly characterize the taxon assemblage of benthic communities in sediments and thus has high potential to complement routine regulatory monitoring of benthic impacts. However, when using DNA extracted directly from subtidal sediments, only a small proportion of metazoan reads are obtained regardless of which available universal primers are used. Developing new metazoan‐specific primers for broad taxonomic amplification is very challenging and may not solve this problem; here, we investigate whether sieving sediments prior to DNA extraction provides a solution. The effect of sieving was tested on 84 sediment samples collected from two salmon farms. Average percentage of metazoan reads was 19.53% and 17.10% in nonsieved samples, and 81.03% and 89.92% in sieved samples at the two sites. Sieving effectively removed Ochrophyta taxa (e.g., seaweed and phytoplankton), but did not remove pelagic metazoans. Average percentage of benthic metazoan reads in sieved samples was 4.1 times of that in nonsieved samples (47.29% versus 11.46%) at one site and 5.7 times (20.03% versus 3.52%) at another. Sieving increased the number of benthic metazoan amplicon sequence variants by 27.67% and 51.30% at the two sites. Relative abundances of only a small fraction of benthic metazoan phyla showed significant differences between sieved and nonsieved samples. These differences can be taken into account when designing a benthic monitoring approach using eDNA metabarcoding. Since sediment sieving can be conducted either in the field or laboratory, and it allows many more samples to be multiplexed on one MiSeq run without compromising sequencing depth of benthic metazoan reads, we suggest this method can greatly increase the efficiency of eDNA metabarcoding for assessing benthic environments.
Moment detection by integrated tactile sensors for partner robot applications
Authors: Fujiyoshi Motohiro , Hata Yoshiyuki , Mima Kazuhiro , Hirano Hideki , Muroyama Masanori , Tanaka Shuji , Nakayama Takahiro
Published: December 2020

This paper reports on moment detection by three integrated tactile sensors that detect 3‐axis forces. In this study, the three integrated tactile sensors were connected along a serial bus and were mounted in a triangle shape on a circuit board. Out‐of‐plane moment applied on the circuit board was measured using the shearing forces and a geometric relationship of the triangle sensor allay. The principle of the proposed moment detection method was demonstrated. The experimental results showed that the sensitivity and the nonlinearity were 1.10 count/N·m and ±16% full scale, respectively. The resolution of the obtained moment was below 0.015 N∙m. The moment detection ability enables the partner robots to grasp objects correctly and to interact softly with human.
Reactive power control of photovoltaic power generation systems by a wide‐area control system for improving transient stability in power systems
Authors: Kawabe Kenichi , Nanahara Toshiya
Published: December 2020

As the installed capacity of renewable energy sources is increasing, the role of inverters is becoming more important in the maintenance of power system stability. Therefore, in this study, we propose the use of a wide area control system (WACS) to control the inverters of photovoltaic (PV) systems in a coordinated manner to improve transient stability. In this method, we select PV systems whose reactive power injections are deemed to suppress the acceleration of the critical generator, based on a time‐domain simulation for each possible fault before the fault occurs. When a fault occurs, we trigger the reactive current injections with the selected PV systems that is, the WACS operates as an event‐based emergency control system. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that this method can further improve transient stability compared with an autonomous reactive current support function that is applied to existing PV inverters. The proposed WACS could be a promising approach to address the transient instability phenomena under unscheduled power flow conditions by periodically updating the control table based on real‐time information.
OUTSTEP‐HF: randomised controlled trial comparing short‐term effects of sacubitril/valsartan versus enalapril on daily physical activity in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Piepoli Massimo F. , Hussain Rizwan I. , Comin‐Colet Josep , Dosantos Ramon , Ferber Philippe , Jaarsma Tiny , Edelmann Frank
Published: December 2020

Aims

OUTSTEP‐HF compared the effect of sacubitril/valsartan vs. enalapril on 6‐min walk test (6MWT) distance, non‐sedentary daytime physical activity and heart failure (HF) symptoms in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods and results

Ambulatory patients (n = 621) with stable symptomatic HFrEF were randomised 1:1 to sacubitril/valsartan (n = 310) or enalapril (n = 311). Changes in physical activity and mean daily non‐sedentary daytime activity from baseline to Week 12 were measured using 6MWT and a wrist‐worn accelerometer device, respectively. After 12 weeks, 6MWT improved by 35.09 m with sacubitril/valsartan [97.5% confidence interval (CI) 27.85, 42.32] and by 26.11 m with enalapril (97.5% CI 18.78, 33.43); however, there was no significant difference between groups [least squares means treatment difference: 8.98 m (97.5% CI −1.31, 19.27); P = 0.0503]. Mean daily non‐sedentary daytime activity decreased by 27 min with sacubitril/valsartan and by 21 min with enalapril [least squares means treatment difference: −6 min (97.5% CI −25.7, 13.4), P = 0.4769] after 12 weeks. 6MWT improved by ≥30 m in 51% of patients in the sacubitril/valsartan group vs. 44% of patients treated with enalapril (odds ratio 1.251, 95% CI 0.895, 1.748). At Week 4, non‐sedentary daytime activity increased by ≥10% in 58% of patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan vs. 64% with enalapril; 58% of patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan reported improved HF symptoms as assessed by patient global assessment vs. 43% with enalapril. However, these differences did not persist at Week 12.

Conclusion

After 12 weeks of treatment, there was no significant benefit of sacubitril/valsartan on either 6MWT or daytime physical activity measured by actigraphy compared with enalapril.
Visible‐Light‐Driven CO2 Reduction Catalyzed by a Dinuclear Nickel Complex
Authors: Wang Jia‐Wei , Sun Jia‐Kai , Liu Dong‐Cheng , Jiang Long
Published: December 2020

The utilization of synergy between two metal sites in dinuclear metal catalysts for CO2 reduction remains challenging. Herein, for the first time, we employ a dinuclear nickel complex as a molecular catalyst for visible‐light‐driven CO2 reduction with 99 % selectivity toward CO production. The photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the results of electrochemical measurements and fluorescent quenching experiments.
Pincer Chemistry and Catalysis
Authors: van Koten Gerard , Hollis T. Keith , Morales‐Morales David
Published: December 2020

This themed collection highlights the different and versatile applications of pincer metal compounds in modern chemistry, ranging from chemical biology to catalysis, including the activation of small molecules, diverse organic synthesis applications and electrochemistry. These works serve as an illustration of the richness and state of the art of current research in pincer metal chemistry and catalysis, amply demonstrating the abundant opportunities and future prospects of the field.
Stereoselective Synthesis of Oxabicyclic Pyrrolidines of Medicinal Relevance: Merging Chemoenzymatic and Catalytic Methods
Authors: Hocine Sofiane , Montagnon Claire , Reddy Vakiti Jithender , Fourquez Jean‐Marie , Hanessian Stephen
Published: December 2020

Two approaches to the synthesis of an oxabicyclic pyrrolidine‐6‐one are described using enzymatic resolution and gold‐mediated catalysis as key steps toward enantiopure compounds previously reported as racemic mixtures. Addition of Grignard reagents to the ketone afforded a variety of diversified tertiary alcohols of interest for their reported pharmacological activities.
The perils of succor: The European Union's financial role in the Western Balkans during COVID‐19
Authors: Shehaj Albana
Published: December 2020

The Western Balkans' response to the first wave of COVID‐19 was efficient and swift. The countries’ capacity to mitigate the crisis has been vastly facilitated by EU fiscal disbursements. The funds have enabled governments to implement health and economic policies that counteract the crisis' socioeconomic repercussions. In this article, I examine the temporal effects of EU conditionality on the health outcomes and democratic governance of Balkan states. Identifying three features of the domestic political context—government accountability, the strength of opposition parties, and judicial system effectiveness—I assess the likelihood of divergent effects of the funds on health and democratic outcomes. I argue that while beneficial in the short term, in the long run, the EU funds risk enabling state capture and inadvertently jeopardizing the Western Balkans' post‐pandemic democratic prospects. I empirically substantiate my argument by examining the relationship between prior EU allocations (Instrument for Pre‐Accession Assistance) and clientelism in WB states during 2007–2017.
The validity of the fifth and the 10th Body Mass Index percentile as weight cut‐offs for anorexia nervosa in adolescence: No evidence from quantitative and network investigation of psychopathology
Authors: Monteleone Alessio Maria , Mereu Alberta , Cascino Giammarco , Ruzzi Valeria , Castiglioni Maria Chiara , Patriciello Giuseppina , Criscuolo Michela , Pellegrino Francesca , Vicari Stefano , Zanna Valeria
Published: December 2020

Objective

Although the fifth Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile is the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders ‐5 weight cut‐off criterion to diagnose anorexia nervosa (AN) in children and adolescents, its validity has not been proved, and the 10th percentile value is often applied. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic validity of these weight cut‐offs.

Method

We compared general and eating‐disorder (ED) specific psychopathology in 380 adolescents with AN or atypical AN. They were grouped first with respect to the fifth BMI percentile and then with respect to the 10th BMI percentile and differences between groups were analysed. Network analyses on psychopathological symptoms were also conducted.

Results

Adolescents with BMI above the fifth and the 10th percentile reported more severe ED specific symptomatology compared to those with BMI below these cut‐offs. No significant differences emerged between groups neither in general psychopathology nor in the network structure of psychopathology.

Conclusions

The fifth BMI percentile does not discriminate psychopathology severity in adolescents with AN. From the psychopathology perspective, our findings suggest that adolescents with atypical AN deserve the same clinical and research attention as those with full AN. Future studies are needed to identify a more accurate definition of underweight in adolescents.
Red‐coated rocks on the seashore: The esthetics and geology of prehistoric rock art in Alta, Arctic Norway
Authors: Tansem Karin , Storemyr Per
Published: December 2020

Research suggests that the World Heritage rock engravings in Alta, Northern Norway, were made along the seashore over a period of 5000 years. The postglacial rebound and consequent land uplift have caused a continuous displacement of the shoreline, now situating the earliest rock art panels up to 26 m above sea level. By examining the rock surfaces at Hjemmeluft and other sites, using field observations and geological analyses, we found that the pronounced red bedrock surfaces in the current seashore zone are composed of inorganic iron films related to a high content of magnetite in the native sandstone. Coupled with an interpretation of regional environmental history, we also found that it is highly likely that the rock art was originally carved on rocks with red iron films, rocks that are now generally gray. Due to the land uplift and subsequent covering of the rock art with lichen, moss, and turf, the red color has waned at the rock art sites. This knowledge may renew interpretation and understanding of the location of rock art in Alta and may have implications for conservation and management.
Active DNA demethylation—The epigenetic gatekeeper of development, immunity, and cancer
Authors: Prasad Rahul , Yen Timothy J. , Bellacosa Alfonso
Published: December 2020

DNA methylation is a critical process in the regulation of gene expression with dramatic effects in development and continually expanding roles in oncogenesis. 5‐Methylcytosine was once considered to be an inherited and stably repressive epigenetic mark, which can be only removed by passive dilution during multiple rounds of DNA replication. However, in the past two decades, physiologically controlled DNA demethylation and deamination processes have been identified, thereby revealing the function of cytosine methylation as a highly regulated and complex state—not simply a static, inherited signature or binary on‐off switch. Alongside these fundamental discoveries, clinical studies over the past decade have revealed the dramatic consequences of aberrant DNA demethylation. In this review we discuss DNA demethylation and deamination in the context of 5‐methylcytosine as critical processes for physiological and physiopathological transitions within three states—development, immune maturation, and oncogenic transformation; and we describe the expanding role of DNA demethylating drugs as therapeutic agents in cancer.
Palaeoenvironmental conditions of the formation of sediments of the Early Pliocene of Ukrainian Plain and the vegetation cover dynamics
Authors: Sirenko Olena
Published: December 2020

The palaeoenvironmental conditions of Pliocene sedimentation were rather different in the southern, central, and northeastern parts of Ukraine. In the southern regions, the transgressional–regressional phases of the Kimmerian marine basin influenced the vegetation cover. The Pliocene vegetation of the central and northeastern regions is driven by long‐term and short‐term climatic changes. The reconstruction of Early Pliocene vegetation is carried out according to the results of spore‐pollen analysis of Lower Pliocene marine and continental deposits exposed in 12 sections located within the Ukrainian Plain. Pollen data show, that regardless of the differences in palaeoenvironmental conditions in the studied regions, the general patterns of changes in vegetation composition of the plain part of Ukraine during the Early Pliocene can be clearly traced. The presently obtained patterns are closely related to global geological and climatic events. The Pliocene climatic optimum is timed to the middle Kimmerian. At that time, warmth‐loving broadleaf taxa occurred in the vegetation of the Ukrainian Plain. The developments of the Neogene vegetation of Ukraine clearly reflect the graduate cooling from the Miocene to Pliocene, and from the Early to Late Pliocene. In the composition of the Late Pliocene vegetation of Ukraine, thermophilic elements decreased in comparison to the Early Pliocene.
Prediction of brain age and cognitive age: Quantifying brain and cognitive maintenance in aging
Authors: Anatürk Melis , Kaufmann Tobias , Cole James H. , Suri Sana , Griffanti Ludovica , Zsoldos Enikő , Filippini Nicola , Singh‐Manoux Archana , Kivimäki Mika , Westlye Lars T. , Ebmeier Klaus P. , de Lange Ann‐Marie G.
Published: December 2020

The concept of brain maintenance refers to the preservation of brain integrity in older age, while cognitive reserve refers to the capacity to maintain cognition in the presence of neurodegeneration or aging‐related brain changes. While both mechanisms are thought to contribute to individual differences in cognitive function among older adults, there is currently no “gold standard” for measuring these constructs. Using machine‐learning methods, we estimated brain and cognitive age based on deviations from normative aging patterns in the Whitehall II MRI substudy cohort (N = 537, age range = 60.34–82.76), and tested the degree of correspondence between these constructs, as well as their associations with premorbid IQ, education, and lifestyle trajectories. In line with established literature highlighting IQ as a proxy for cognitive reserve, higher premorbid IQ was linked to lower cognitive age independent of brain age. No strong evidence was found for associations between brain or cognitive age and lifestyle trajectories from midlife to late life based on latent class growth analyses. However, post hoc analyses revealed a relationship between cumulative lifestyle measures and brain age independent of cognitive age. In conclusion, we present a novel approach to characterizing brain and cognitive maintenance in aging, which may be useful for future studies seeking to identify factors that contribute to brain preservation and cognitive reserve mechanisms in older age.
Determinants of stock market returns in emerging markets: The linkage between institutional quality and macro liquidity
Authors: Nguyen Canh P. , Schinckus Christophe , Su Thanh D. , Chong Felicia H. L.
Published: December 2020

This article identifies that the institutional framework of a country and its liquidity are the main key drivers of stock market returns. To study this, we used the worldwide governance indicators as proxies to measure institutional quality. We apply the Sys‐GMM to model the correlational relationship of our variables. Our analysis for both institutional quality and macro liquidity in this study differs from the mainstream literature. In this paper, we modelled the stock market returns by adding the quality of a country's institutional framework and the country's liquidity level (measured by M2 account of money supply) to redefine classical models found in the mainstream literature. Sys‐GMM is applied for a panel of 34 emerging countries between 2002 and 2013. We observed an excess of liquidity for the country's level positively affects stock market returns in these countries. This positive influence is actually enhanced through the development of an adequate institutional framework. In this context, a high national liquidity volatility, as it is often observed in emerging countries, is not necessarily a bad thing for the financial markets and their influence can actually be enhanced through an adequate institutional structure to promote long‐term wealth for the society's well‐being and not only the wealth resulting from temporary capital market returns.
Comparison of cytotoxicity of Ag/ZnO and Ag@ZnO nanocomplexes to human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro
Authors: Yan Dejian , Xue Zhiyong , Li Shuang , Zhong Cheng
Published: December 2020

Novel metal and metal oxide‐based nanocomplexes are being developed due to their superior properties compared with nanoparticles (NPs) based on single composition. In this study, we synthesized Ag‐coated ZnO (Ag/ZnO) and Ag‐doped ZnO (Ag@ZnO) NPs. The cytotoxicity and mechanisms associated with the synthesized NPs were investigated to understand the influence of Ag positions on biocompatibility of the NPs. After exposure to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), Ag/ZnO, Ag@ZnO, and ZnO NPs all significantly induced cytotoxicity, but the cytotoxic effects of Ag/ZnO and Ag@ZnO NPs were more modest in comparison with ZnO NPs. At cytotoxic concentrations, all NPs significantly induced intracellular Zn ions, which suggested a role of excessive Zn ions on cytotoxicity of NPs. All types of NPs significantly induced the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress genes including DNA damage‐inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), X‐box binding protein 1 (XBP‐1), and ER to nucleus signaling 1 (ERN1), but Ag/ZnO and Ag@ZnO NPs were less effective to induce DDIT3 and XBP‐1 expression compared with ZnO NPs. Not surprisingly, only ZnO NPs significantly induced the expression of caspase 3. Combined, the results from this study showed that Ag/ZnO and Ag@ZnO NPs were less cytotoxic and less potent to induce ER stress gene expression compared with ZnO NPs, but there were no significant differences between Ag/ZnO and Ag@ZnO NPs. Our results may provide novel understanding about the biocompatibility of Ag–ZnO nanocomplexes.
Cerium oxide nanoparticles elicit antitumourigenic effect in experimental breast cancer induced by N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosourea and benzo(a)pyrene in female Wistar rats
Authors: Adebayo Olayinka A. , Akinloye Oluyemi , Adaramoye Oluwatosin A.
Published: December 2020

The use of cerium oxide nanoparticles [CeO2NPs] in the biomedical field has continued to gain prominence due to its potent antioxidant property. This study was designed to assess the antitumorigenic effect of CeO2NPs in rats administered N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosourea [NMU] and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Twenty four female Wistar rats were equally assigned into four groups and treated with normal saline (control), [NMU + BaP], [NMU + BaP+CeO2NPs], and [NMU + BaP + vincristine]. Animals were pretreated with NMU and BaP three times (age 7, 10, and 13 weeks). Thereafter, vincristine and CeO2NPs were administered twice and three times per week, respectively, for 13 weeks. Results showed that the administration of NMU and BaP increased serum nitric oxide [NO] and myeloperoxidase [MPO] by 220% and 132%, respectively, whereas the activities of aspartate and alanine aminotransferases and level of total bilirubin remained unchanged. Furthermore, mammary inflammatory [NO and MPO] and oxidative stress (LPO) markers were increased by 37%, 19%, and 24%, respectively. Mammary superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, and glutathione‐S‐transferase were significantly decreased in [NMU + BaP]‐administered rats by 165%, 146%, 35%, and 36%, respectively. Immunohistochemistry showed downregulation of Bax, p53, and caspase‐3, while histology revealed the presence of malignant epithelial cells with pyknotic nuclei and high nucleocytoplasm in [NMU + BaP]‐administered rats. Treatment with CeO2NPs attenuated oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation and restored the cytoarchitecture of the tissue. Overall, CeO2NPs show an antitumourigenic effect in experimental breast cancer by targeting pathways linked to inflammation and apoptosis.
Establishment of improved review criteria for hematology analyzers in cancer hospitals
Authors: Wang Xiaoyan , Wang Xu , Ge Peng , Zhao Xiaoqiang , Chen Chong , Hu Shusheng , Ren Li
Published: December 2020

Background

Although hematologic review criteria for general hospitals have been established, they may be insufficient for cancer hospitals. This study aimed to establish the appropriate review criteria for hematology analyzers in cancer hospitals.

Methods

A total of 1003 samples from our hospital were randomly selected for blood smear preparation and microscopic review. The review criteria of the International Consensus Group for Hematology Review (ICGH) and Chinese consensus group were used to obtain the review, true‐negative (TN), true‐positive (TP), false‐negative (FN), and false‐positive (FP) rates, as well as the triggered rules. Our review criteria were established by comparing flag or numeric value information of TP and FP samples, adjusting rules to obtain better efficiency, a low slide review rate, and an acceptable FN rate.

Results

Overall, 197 (19.64%) samples showed positive smear findings. Compared to the ICGH criteria, the slide review rate of the newly established criteria declined from 51.25% to 39.28%, and the TP and TN rates increased from 17.85% and 46.06% to 23.13% and 55.83%, respectively. The FN rate of the newly established criteria was 3.69%. Another set of samples used to validate the newly established criteria yielded the review, FN, and FP rates as 33.49%, 1.86%, and 25.58%, respectively.

Conclusion

The newly established review criteria for hematology analyzers enabled the prompt identification, smear, and further verification of doubtful specimens, without a significant increase in the workload, thus improving the efficiency of the review process. This study provided data support for other cancer hospitals to establish review criteria.
Systematic reporting of computed tomography enterography/enteroclysis as an aid to reduce diagnostic dilemma when differentiating between intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease: A prospective study at a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Israrahmed Amrin , Yadav Rajanikant R , Yadav Geeta , Alpana  , Helavar Rajesh V , Rai Praveer , Jain Manoj Kumar , Gupta Archna
Published: December 2020

Background and Aim

Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) have similar symptomatology and overlapping features on imaging, endoscopy, and histopathology. It is important to differentiate ITB from CD to initiate correct medical management. This prospective study aimed to characterize imaging features on computed tomography enteroclysis/enterography (CTE) that help in differentiating ITB from CD.

Methods

A total of 300 consecutive patients who underwent CTE with the suspicion of small bowel diseases were evaluated. CTE findings were documented on a detailed “CTE case record form” and were correlated with other investigations like endoscopy, histopathological and microbiological examination, and improvement on empirical therapy to arrive at a final diagnosis. Only confirmed cases of ITB/CD were included for further analysis.

Results

Final diagnoses revealed that 61 patients had ITB, 24 had CD, 90 patients had a final diagnosis not related to ITB/CD, and 125 had no bowel‐related diseases. The sensitivity of CTE (ITB vs CD, 90.2 vs 91.6%) was higher than the sensitivity of ileocolonoscopy (ITB vs CD, 87 vs 83.3%). A homogenous pattern of bowel wall thickening and confluent bowel involvement were significantly more common in ITB. Stratified bowel wall thickening with mucosal hyperenhancement, skip lesions in the bowel, and a comb sign were significantly more common in CD. Stratified bowel wall enhancement with an intervening layer of fat was specifically (P < 0.001) seen in patients with CD, and necrotic (P = 0.002) and calcified (P = 0.055) lymph nodes were specifically seen in patients with ITB.

Conclusion

We propose a systematic approach to the radiological differentiation of ITB from CD.
Characterising the arthroplasty in spondyloarthropathy in a large cohort of eighty‐seven patients with alkaptonuria
Authors: Ranganath Lakshminarayan R. , Gallagher James A. , Davidson John , Vinjamuri Sobhan
Published: December 2020

Arthroplasty in the spondyloarthropathy (SPOND) of alkaptonuria (AKU) in incompletely characterised. The aim was to improve the understanding of arthroplasty in AKU through a study of patients attending the National Alkaptonuria Centre (NAC). Eighty‐seven patients attended the NAC between 2007 and 2020. Seven only attended once. Fifty‐seven attended more than once and received nitisinone 2 mg daily. Twenty‐three attended at least twice without receiving nitisinone. Assessments including questionnaire analysis eliciting details of arthroplasty and other surgical treatments for SPOND, 18FPETCT and CT densitometry at the neck of hip and lumbar spine, as well as photographs of the eyes and ears were acquired from patients attending the National Alkaptonuria Centre (NAC) at baseline when 2 mg nitisinone was commenced, and yearly thereafter. Photographs were scored to derive ochronosis scores. Blood and urine samples were collected for chemical analyses. The prevalence of arthroplasty was 36.8%, similar in males and females, occurring especially in the knees, hips and shoulders. Multiple arthroplasties were found in 29 patients (33.3%) in this cohort. Incident arthroplasty was 6.5% in the nitisinone group and 7.1% in the no‐nitisinone group. Incident arthroplasty was 11.3% in the group with baseline arthroplasty and 3.51% in the group without. A strong association of arthroplasty with SPOND (R = 0.5; P << .0001) and ochronosis (R = 0.54; P < .0001) was seen. Nitisinone had no significant effect on incident arthroplasty. Arthroplasty due to ochronosis and SPOND is common in AKU. Nitisinone decreased ochronosis but had no effect on arthroplasty in this cohort.
Clustering by periodontitis‐associated factors: A novel application to NHANES data
Authors: Ghassib Iya H. , Batarseh Feras A. , Wang Hom‐Lay , Borgnakke Wenche S.
Published: December 2020

Background

Unsupervised clustering is a method used to identify heterogeneity among groups and homogeneity within a group of patients. Without a prespecified outcome entry, the resulting model deciphers patterns that may not be disclosed using traditional methods. This is the first time such clustering analysis is applied in identifying unique subgroups at high risk for periodontitis in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES 2009 to 2014 data sets using >500 variables.

Methods

Questionnaire, examination, and laboratory data (33 tables) for >1,000 variables were merged from 14,072 respondents who underwent clinical periodontal examination. Participants with ≥6 teeth and available data for all selected categories were included (N = 1,222). Data wrangling produced 519 variables. k‐means/modes clustering (k = 2:14) was deployed. The optimal k‐value was determined through the elbow method, formula = ∑ (xi2) – ((∑ xi)2 /n). The 5‐cluster model showing the highest variability (63.08%) was selected. The 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) and 2018 European Federation of Periodontology/AAP periodontitis case definitions were applied.

Results

Cluster 1 (n = 249) showed the highest prevalence of severe periodontitis (43%); 39% self‐reported “fair” general health; 55% had household income <$35,000/year; and 48% were current smokers. Cluster 2 (n = 154) had one participant with periodontitis. Cluster 3 (n = 242) represented the greatest prevalence of moderate periodontitis (53%). In Cluster 4 (n = 35) only one participant had no periodontitis. Cluster 5 (n = 542) was the systemically healthiest with 77% having no/mild periodontitis.

Conclusion

Clustering of NHANES demographic, systemic health, and socioeconomic data effectively identifies characteristics that are statistically significantly related to periodontitis status and hence detects subpopulations at high risk for periodontitis without costly clinical examinations.
Combining high‐protein ingredients from pseudocereals and legumes for the development of fresh high‐protein hybrid pasta: enhanced nutritional profile
Authors: Hoehnel Andrea , Bez Jürgen , Petersen Iben L , Amarowicz Ryszard , Juśkiewicz Jerzy , Zannini Emanuele , Arendt Elke K
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

The fortification of wheat‐based staple foods, such as pasta, with pseudocereal and legume flours has received growing research interest in recent years. While it is associated with many challenges regarding technological and sensory quality of the products, it promises a substantial improvement of the nutritional value of pasta. However, investigations of the nutritional quality of fortified pasta often focus on the carbohydrate/starch fraction, and information on changes in protein quality is relatively scarce. This study evaluates the nutritional profile of a high‐protein hybrid pasta (HPHP) formulation in which a combination of three high‐protein ingredients (HPIs) from buckwheat, faba bean and lupin is used to partially replace wheat semolina. The formulation's macronutrient composition, protein quality and the content of antinutritional compounds are assessed in comparison to regular wheat pasta.

RESULTS

The HPHP formulation represents a more favourable macronutrient profile compared to regular wheat pasta, particularly in relation to the isocaloric replacement of wheat starch by non‐wheat protein. Furthermore, a more balanced amino acid profile, improved N utilisation and increased protein efficiency ratio (in vivo) were determined for HPHP, which conclusively suggests a substantially enhanced protein quality. The cooking process was shown to significantly reduce levels of vicine/convicine and trypsin inhibitor activity originating from HPIs. The small remaining levels seem not to adversely affect HPHP's nutritional quality.

CONCLUSION

This significant upgrade of pasta's nutritional value identifies HPHP, and similar hybrid formulations, as a healthy food choice and valuable alternative to regular wheat pasta, specifically for a protein supply of adequate quality in mostly plant‐based diets. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
Modified cyclodextrin type and dehydration methods exert a significant effect on the antimicrobial activity of encapsulated carvacrol and thymol
Authors: López‐Miranda Santiago , Berdejo Daniel , Pagán Elisa , García‐Gonzalo Diego , Pagán Rafael
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

The antimicrobial activity of essential oils and their constituents has led to increasing interest in using them as natural preservative agents. However, their high sensitivity to light and oxygen, their volatility and their low aqueous solubility are all obstacles to their application in the food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industries. Encapsulation in cyclodextrins (CDs) is a solution for the application of such essential oils.

RESULTS

The complexation of carvacrol and thymol with hydroxypropyl (HP)‐α‐, HP‐β‐ and HP‐γ‐CD, the behavior of the solid complexes prepared by freeze‐drying and spray‐drying methods and the antibacterial activity of solid complexes were studied. Kc values of HP‐α‐ and HP‐γ‐CD complexes with carvacrol (118.4 and 365.7 L mol−1) and thymol (112.5 and 239.7 L mol −1) were far lower than those observed for HP‐β‐CD complexes with carvacrol (2268.2 L mol −1) and thymol (881.6 L mol −1). The lower stability of HP‐α‐ and HP‐γ‐CD complexes increased the release of compounds, thereby affecting the antimicrobial activity of carvacrol and thymol to a lesser extent than complexation with HP‐β‐CD, normally used in the encapsulation of carvacrol and thymol. HP‐β‐CD encapsulation of carvacrol and thymol markedly reduced their antimicrobial activity. The freeze‐drying method barely affected the antimicrobial activity of carvacrol and thymol after encapsulation, while spray drying could be considered for the production of solid complexes in combination with the appropriate CD.

CONCLUSIONS

It was thus demonstrated that HP‐α‐ and HP‐γ‐CD are very suitable alternatives for the encapsulation of carvacrol and thymol with the purpose of preserving their bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Chondrosarcoma local recurrence in the Cancer Registry of Norway cohort (1990–2013): Patterns and impact
Authors: Thorkildsen Joachim , Norum Ole‐Jacob , Myklebust Tor A. , Zaikova Olga
Published: December 2020

Background

There appears to be an association between local recurrence (LR) and risk of metastasis and death in central conventional chondrosarcoma (CCCS) of bone, but this has not been quantified in modern cohorts at a subtype level.

Methods

We identified nonmetastatic cases of CCCS (N = 180) from the Cancer Registry of Norway. We present prognostic analysis of LR accounting for immortal time bias by descriptive statistics and multivariable Cox models.

Results

Of 40 LR, one case demonstrated upgrading while two dedifferentiation. LR was associated with increased risk of metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.1 [confidence interval, 1.5–10.7]) and death (HR = 9.3 [5.0–17.5]) overall. LR was associated with significant increased risk of metastasis for those with a soft tissue component, axial location, malignancy grade 2, but not atypical cartilaginous tumor's, appropriately treated curettage patients, intramedullary tumors, grade 1 histology, extremity location or “Oslo low risk” group status. We found an increased risk of death for all groups except for those treated by appropriate curettage or belonging to the “Oslo low risk” group. About 50% of LR CCCS were asymptomatic and revealed by routine follow‐up.

Conclusions

Upgrading of LR for CCCS was a seldom event. LR was associated with significant increased risk of metastasis and death overall, but not for appropriately treated curettage patients or “Oslo low risk” status.
Improvement of the corrosion characteristics of 1.4713 ferritic steel in 0.1 M sulfuric acid by heat treatment and Al2O3–TiO2 coating
Authors: Stevanović Dimitrije , Dimitrijević Stevan P. , Kamberović Željko , Parežanin Vladimir , Dimitrijević Silvana B.
Published: December 2020

This study addresses the influence of heat treatment and alumina coating on the corrosion of EN 1.4713 steel in 0.1 mol dm−3 sulfuric acid. The corrosion characteristics of three different samples are examined using the open circuit potential measurements, Tafel extrapolation, linear polarization resistance, weight‐loss method, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results showed that the application of the weight‐loss method yielded similar values to the electrochemical method in the first 24 h. A decrease in corrosion rate, in a similar manner, was observed for all three samples. The largest deacceleration was obtained for the alumina/titania‐coated sample. It was obtained that the heat treatment significantly increased the corrosion resistance, but only in the first 24 h. The alumina/titania coating decreases the corrosion rate by approximately 30 times at the beginning of the corrosion exposure and by nearly 300 times after 240 h. This coating could have a significant influence on construction design, which uses ferritic stainless steel as the material.
LCST and UCST Transition of Poly(DMAEMA‐b‐MEO2MA) Copolymer in KHP Buffer
Authors: Kim Byoungjae , Kwon Minho , Mohanty Aruna Kumar , Cho Hong Y. , Paik Hyun‐jong
Published: December 2020

Block copolymers of poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) and poly(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (poly(DMAEMA‐b‐MEO2MA)) are successfully prepared by sequential reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and evaluated its thermoresponsive behavior in acidic potassium hydrogen phthalate buffer. Individual block of the corresponding block copolymers exhibits lower critical solution temperature (LCST) transition whereas the synthesized block copolymers are found to exhibit dual thermoresponsive behavior: LCST at low temperatures due to the MEO2MA block and upper critical solution temperature (UCST) at high temperatures due to phthalate crosslinked protonated PDMAEMA block. The agglomeration at LCST is effectively enhanced by the ion–ion interactions within the chains. However, at higher temperature the hydrophobicity by the low hydration due to inter‐ionic interactions is disrupted at UCST, resulting in a transparent solution. The temperature‐dependent phase transition of the copolymer (i.e., from micelles to agglomerates, and reversibly to micelles) is confirmed using dynamic light scattering, UV–visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The unique dual thermoresponsive behavior upon heating and cooling cycles is found to exhibit very small hysteresis. The morphological transformation during LSCT and UCST‐type phase transition is explained via a proposed schematic illustration.
Solid Polymer Electrolytes from Copolymers Based on Vinyl Dimethyl Phosphonate and Vinylidene Fluoride
Authors: Bai Lu , Webhi Mohammad , Dolphijn Guillaume , Améduri Bruno , Gohy Jean‐François
Published: December 2020

Solid polymer electrolytes are prepared by mixing various amounts of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide with poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐vinyl dimethyl phosphonate) statistical copolymers with different compositions. Such copolymers are obtained by conventional radical copolymerization of vinylidene fluoride (VDF) with vinyl dimethyl phosphonate (VDMP) initiated by peroxides. A morphological study of the obtained solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) shows that only samples prepared from the copolymer with the lower amount of VDMP (16 mol%) result in the formation of homogeneous electrolytes while aggregates of lithium salts are observed for the other copolymers. The best ionic conductivity values are accordingly observed for the copolymers with the lower VDMP amount and are reaching 5 × 10−3 mS cm−1 at 100 °C. The dependence of the ionic conductivity versus temperature suggests that the ionic conductivity is controlled by the motion of polymer segments. Indeed, the ionic conductivity can be increased by adding a small amount of trimethylphosphate plasticizer and can reach 1.9 × 10−2 mS cm−1 at 20 °C. Finally, the prepared SPEs exhibit a high electrochemical stability and a good resistance to flame because of the presence of fire‐retardant phosphate groups in their structure.
Do outsiders listen to insiders? The role of government support in market reactions to earnings announcements
Authors: Gao Weiwei , Cao Ting , Huang Zhen
Published: December 2020

We investigate whether government support influences investors' perceptions of firms' financial disclosure. We find that earnings announcements from firms receiving more subsidies are perceived as more reliable by outsiders, eliciting stronger market reactions. Further analysis indicates that this positive effect is more pronounced when firms have poorer corporate governance and greater information asymmetry. Supplementary analysis shows that government support enhances investors' reactions through three possible channels: improving firms' earnings quality, investment efficiency, and market competitiveness. There are implications for the informativeness of firms' financial disclosures and the mechanism that government support on investors' attitude towards the released information.
Genetic and Environmental Factors in Parkinson's Disease Converge on Immune Function and Inflammation
Authors: Kline Elizabeth M. , Houser Madelyn C. , Herrick Mary K. , Seibler Philip , Klein Christine , West Andrew , Tansey Malú G.
Published: December 2020

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD) is a movement disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and aggregation of the protein α‐synuclein. Patients with iPD vary in age of symptom onset, rate of progression, severity of motor and non‐motor symptoms, and extent of central and peripheral inflammation. Genetic and environmental factors are believed to act synergistically in iPD pathogenesis. We propose that environmental factors (pesticides and infections) increase the risk for iPD via the immune system and that the role of PD risk genes in immune cells is worthy of investigation. This review highlights the major PD‐relevant genes expressed in immune cells and key environmental factors that activate immune cells and, alone or in combination with other factors, may contribute to iPD pathogenesis. By reviewing these interactions, we seek to enable the future development of immunomodulatory approaches to prevent or delay onset of iPD. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Bounded perturbation resilience of viscosity proximal algorithm for solving split variational inclusion problems with applications to compressed sensing and image recovery
Authors: Pakkaranang Nuttapol , Kumam Poom , Suleiman Yusuf I. , Ali Bashir
Published: December 2020

Split variational inclusion problems are core and useful technique that connects many important problems in nonlinear analysis. This paper proposes a resolvent‐based superiorization method for solving split variational inclusion problems, and some strong convergence theorems are proved under some mild conditions. Superiorization iterative procedures are simple yet powerful method that interlaces two algorithmic procedures under the assumption that one of the algorithmic procedure called the basic algorithm is resilient to the disturbances of its iterates caused by the activities of the other algorithm called perturbations. The numerical results in this paper show that our results are improvements and extensions of the corresponding results announced by many others.
Femoral angle development and locomotor progression in children from 18th and 19th century London
Authors: Swan Karen R. , Ives Rachel , Humphrey Louise T.
Published: December 2020

The external geometry of the human femur changes markedly during early ontogeny as children learn to sit, crawl, stand, and eventually walk. Here we examine the pattern of femoral angle development in a sample of children from 18th and 19th century London and evaluate how angular changes correspond to key stages of childhood locomotor development. Metaphyseal bicondylar angle (BCA) and neck‐shaft angle (NSA) measurements were collected from radiographs of a documented archeological sample of 112 children aged from birth to 8.5 years. Ontogenetic patterns were assessed by using a local regression (LOESS) to fit curves to each angle parameter according to chronological age and femur length, and group comparisons were made between successive locomotor stages. The results demonstrate an increase in BCA throughout growth, which accelerates rapidly between the ages of 1 and 2 years when children first start to walk with an immature waddling gait. NSA was observed to increase during the first few months after birth, followed by a rapid decline at about 7 months and a steady decline during the second year when children learn to walk. The findings from this study contribute to the current literature on femoral angle development and provide an insight into femur development in children from industrial London. Further research is required to ascertain whether this pattern of NSA development is specific to the studied population.
Dynamics of autonomy support leadership on Gen‐Y employees in the Nigerian Public Service
Authors: Ogunmokun Oluwatobi , Eluwole Kayode K. , Ikhide Juliet E. , Lasisi Taiwo T.
Published: December 2020

Public service motivation is empirically proven to satisfy the psychological needs of public service employees (PSEs). However, with the new generation of PSEs, ever‐changing demands and innovations are constantly altering the drivers of career satisfaction and well‐being. Hence, drawing on the basic psychological needs theory (BPNT), this study proposes an empirical model that investigates the determinants of the Gen‐Y of PSEs' well‐being and career satisfaction. Analysis of data from 217 Gen‐Y public service workers suggests that autonomous‐supportive leadership influences the employees' well‐being and career satisfaction through the fulfillment of certain basic psychological needs. These findings not only theoretically elucidate the intricacies of the relationship between autonomy‐supportive leadership, well‐being, and career satisfaction of Nigerian Gen‐Y PSEs; it also highlights the need for leadership style changes in the Nigerian public service. As unfortunately, the negative impact of the characteristic authoritarian leadership (which is relics of colonial and military governments) will be amplified among the new generation of employees.