bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pleistocene glacial and interglacial ecosystems inferred from ancient DNA analyses of permafrost sediments from Batagay megaslump, East Siberia
Authors: Courtin Jérémy , Perfumo Amedea , Andreev Andrei A. , Opel Thomas , Stoof‐Leichsenring Kathleen R. , Edwards Mary E. , Murton Julian B. , Herzschuh Ulrike
Published: July 2022

Pronounced glacial and interglacial climate cycles characterized northern ecosystems during the Pleistocene. Our understanding of the resultant community transformations and past ecological interactions strongly depends on the taxa found in fossil assemblages. Here, we present a shotgun metagenomic analysis of sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) to infer past ecosystem‐wide biotic composition (from viruses to megaherbivores) from the Middle and Late Pleistocene at the Batagay megaslump, East Siberia. The shotgun DNA records of past vegetation composition largely agree with pollen and plant metabarcoding data from the same samples. Interglacial ecosystems at Batagay attributed to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 17 and MIS 7 were characterized by forested vegetation (Pinus, Betula, Alnus) and open grassland. The microbial and fungal communities indicate strong activity related to soil decomposition, especially during MIS17. The local landscape likely featured more open, herb‐dominated areas, and the vegetation mosaic supported birds and small omnivorous mammals. Parts of the area were intermittently/partially flooded as suggested by the presence of water‐dependent taxa. During MIS 3, the sampled ecosystems are identified as cold‐temperate, periodically flooded grassland. Diverse megafauna (Mammuthus, Equus, Coelodonta) coexisted with small mammals (rodents). The MIS 2 ecosystems existed under harsher conditions, as suggested by the presence of cold‐adapted herbaceous taxa. Typical Pleistocene megafauna still inhabited the area. The new approach, in which shotgun sequencing is supported by metabarcoding and pollen data, enables the investigation of community composition changes across a broad range of taxonomic groups and inferences about trophic interactions and aspects of soil microbial ecology.
An Isolable Phosphaborene Stabilized by an Intramolecular Lewis Base
Authors: Li Jiancheng , Mei Yanbo , Liu Liu Leo
Published: July 2022

Phosphaborenes are P/B analogs of alkynes. Herein, we describe the isolation of a phosphaborene stabilized by an intramolecular Lewis base. This species is achieved via the installation of the phosphaborene with a sterically encumbering phosphino substituent. Although this species features an aromatic P2B three‐membered ring, the ring strain allows the hemi‐labile behavior of the P−B donor‐acceptor bond, thereby exhibiting frustrated Lewis pair reactivity. Our finding paves the way for further exploration of the reactivity patterns of monomeric phosphaborenes.
A UV‐C LED‐based unit for continuous decontamination of the sheath fluid in a flow‐cytometric cell sorter
Authors: Kirsch Jenny , Heinrich Kerstin , Kage Daniel , Glaab Johannes , Grothe Benjamin , Volkmann Konrad v. , Kaiser Toralf
Published: July 2022

Aseptic cell sorting is challenging, especially when a flow‐cytometric cell sorter is not operated in a sterile environment. The sheath fluid system of a cell sorter may be contaminated with germs such as bacteria, yeasts, viruses, or fungi. Thus, a regular chemical cleaning procedure is required to prepare a sorter for aseptic cell sorting by flushing the fluidic system. However, this procedure is time consuming, and most importantly, the researcher can never be sure that the cleaning process was successful. Here we present a method in which the sheath fluid of a cell sorter was decontaminated by irradiation with UV‐C light using a flow‐through principle. Using this principle, we were able to achieve a 5 log reduction of bacteria in the sheath fluid.
The political economy of China's GMO commercialization dilemma
Authors: Xiao Zhihua , Kerr William A.
Published: July 2022

Why has China delayed commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops over the last decade given its heavy public R&D investment in biotechnology and maturing GM capacity? Further, imports of GM products for consumption are allowed while similar domestic GM‐crops cannot be commercialized. The paper analyzes, from a political economy perspective, how the delay of commercialization arises from the government balancing interests and conflicts among vested interests to keep social stability based on comprehensive secondary data and unique primary survey data. Anti‐GMO activists have, over time, been able to shape the public perception of biotechnology. Their efforts have garnered widespread acceptance among interest groups and have been sufficient to raise the specter of underlying social instability, which is always near the top of mind for China's government. As a result, no movement on commercialization has been made since 2010—more than a decade ago. The failure to commercialize is important because food production would increase considerably if China were able to commercialize GM crops and the resolution of the biotechnology issue has broad implications for food security.
Prognostic value of computed tomography scan detection of cartilage invasion in advanced laryngeal cancer treated with primary total laryngectomy
Authors: Lee Maxwell Y. , Lee Jonathan , Stock Sarah , Belfiglio Mario , Matia Brian , Koyfman Shlomo , Joshi Nikhil P. , Burkey Brian B. , Lamarre Eric , Prendes Brandon , Scharpf Joseph , Lorenz Robert R. , Woody Neil M. , Adelstein David J. , Geiger Jessica L. , Chute Deborah J. , Ku Jamie A.
Published: July 2022

Background

We sought to determine whether detection of cartilage invasion (CI) by computed tomography predicts oncologic outcomes after primary total laryngectomy.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study comparing oncologic outcomes between radiologic versus pathologic diagnosis.

Results

Assessment of clear CI versus gestalt CI resulted in 84% versus 48% specificity, 90.9% versus 80.3% positive predictive value (PPV), 60.6% versus 80.3% sensitivity, 44.7% versus 48% negative predictive value (NPV), respectively. Disease‐free survival (DFS) was similar between cT4a and cT3/cT2 patients (p = 0.87). DFS trended towards superiority among pT3/pT2 versus pT4a patients (p = 0.18). DFS was similar among patients with CI on radiologist gestalt versus no CI (p = 0.94). Histologically confirmed CI was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.46 (p = 0.27), gestalt CI 1.13 (p = 0.70), and clear CI 1.61 (p = 0.10) for DFS.

Conclusion

Gestalt determination of CI results in high sensitivity but low specificity, while clear determination of CI results in moderate sensitivity and high specificity.
Mast cells selectively target large cholangiocytes during biliary injury via H2HR‐mediated cAMP/pERK1/2 signaling
Authors: Zhou Tianhao , Meadows Vik , Kundu Debjyoti , Kyritsi Konstantina , Owen Travis , Ceci Ludovica , Carpino Guido , Onori Paolo , Gaudio Eugenio , Wu Nan , Glaser Shannon , Ekser Burcin , Alpini Gianfranco , Kennedy Lindsey , Francis Heather
Published: July 2022

Bile ducts are heterogenous in structure and function, and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) damages specific bile ducts leading to ductular reaction (DR), mast cell (MC) infiltration, increased histamine release, inflammation, and fibrosis. Bile duct ligation (BDL) induces large duct damage via cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/extracellular signal‐related protein kinase (ERK) signaling, and large cholangiocytes express H2 histamine receptor (H2HR). We evaluated how MCs interact with large cholangiocytes during cholestasis. Male wild‐type (WT) and MC‐deficient (Kit

W‐sh
) mice 10–12 weeks of age were subjected to BDL for 7 days. Select Kit

W‐sh
mice were injected with MCs pretreated with control or H2HR antagonist (ranitidine, 25 μm, 48 h) via tail vein injection. In vitro, MC migration toward small mouse cholangiocytes (SMCCs) and large mouse cholangiocytes (LMCCs) treated with lipopolysaccharide or histamine (±ranitidine) was measured. LMCCs were stimulated with MC supernatants pretreated with control, α‐methyl‐dl‐histidine (to block histamine release), or ranitidine. Liver damage, large duct DR/senescence, inflammation, fibrosis, and cAMP/ERK immunoreactivity increased in BDL WT and Kit

W‐sh
+MC mice but decreased in BDL Kit

W‐sh
and Kit

W‐sh
+MC‐H2HR mice. In vitro, MCs migrate toward damaged LMCCs (but not SMCCs) blocked by inhibition of H2HR. Loss of MC histamine or MC‐H2HR decreases LMCC proliferation, senescence, H2HR, and cAMP/ERK levels. Human PSC livers have increased MC number found near DR, senescent ducts, and H2HR‐positive ducts. Conclusion: Infiltrating MCs preferentially interact with large ducts via H2HR signaling promoting biliary and liver damage. Mediation of MCs may be a therapeutic strategy for PSC.
A hybrid design for dose‐finding oncology clinical trials
Authors: Liao Jason J. Z. , Zhou Feng , Zhou Heng , Petruzzelli Lilli , Hou Kevin , Asatiani Ekaterine
Published: July 2022

Identifying the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommending a Phase II dose for an investigational treatment is crucial in cancer drug development. A suboptimal dose often leads to a failed late‐stage trial, while an overly toxic dose causes harm to patients. There is a very rich literature on trial designs for dose‐finding oncology clinical trials. We propose a novel hybrid design that maximizes the merits and minimizes the limitations of the existing designs. Building on two existing dose‐finding designs: a model‐assisted design (the modified toxicity probability interval) and a dose‐toxicity model‐based design, a hybrid design of the modified toxicity probability interval design and a dose‐toxicity model such as the logistic regression model is proposed, incorporating optimal properties from these existing approaches. The performance of the hybrid design was tested in a real trial example and through simulation scenarios. The hybrid design controlled the overdosing toxicity well and led to a recommended dose closer to the true MTD due to its ability to calibrate for an intermediate dose. The robust performance of the proposed hybrid design is illustrated through the real trial dataset and simulations. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed hybrid design can achieve excellent and robust operating characteristics compared to other existing designs and can be an effective model for determining the MTD and recommended Phase II dose in oncology dose‐finding trials. For practical feasibility, an R‐shiny tool was developed and is freely available to guide clinicians in every step of the dose finding process.
Maturation of Epididymal Spermatozoa in the Nondomesticated Guinea Pigs Cavia aperea and Galea musteloides
Authors: COOPER TREVOR G. , WEYDERT SUSANNE , YEUNG CHING‐HEI , KÜNZL CHRISTINE , SACHSER NORBERT
Published: July 2022

Abstract: The physiological changes occurring in spermatozoa in the male reproductive tract of 2 nondomesticated species of South American guinea pigs with different mating systems were studied. Cavia aperea, the wild ancestor of the domesticated guinea pig, has a polygynous mating system, whereas Galea musteloides exhibits promiscuous mating behavior. The epididymis of both species resembled that of the domesticated guinea pig, with a swathe of tubule convolutions (linking the 2 major parts of the organ) that was of smaller size in Cavia but not Galea. Higher relative epididymal weight was demonstrated in the promiscuous species. During their journey through the epididymis, spermatozoa from Galeadeveloped their potential for motility expression more proximally than did those of Cavia, but motility developed into forward progression in the same region in both species. The maximal velocities exhibited by mature Caviasperm in vitro were greater than those of Galea.Spermatozoa from Cavia were twice the length of those from Galea, they had larger heads, and the acrosomes of single sperm were more sensitive to disruption during morphological preparation. Only in Cavia did agglutination of sperm into rouleaux occur, after the potential for motility had been developed. Migration of the cytoplasmic droplet along the midpiece occurred in the same regions in both species and before agglutination in Cavia. It is suggested that the male's reproductive strategy (polygyny vs promiscuity) dictates the size of the testis and epididymis, whereas the female's reproductive physiology (induced ovulation vs cyclicity) influences the posttesticular development of sperm morphology and motility in the epididymis.
σ versus π‐radical: Tuning the electronic nature of neutral carbon (I) compounds with three non‐bonding electrons
Authors: Muhasina Puthan Veetil , Parameswaran Pattiyil
Published: July 2022

The bonding and reactivity of the hypo‐coordinated compounds with one, two, and four non‐bonding electrons namely, carbon‐centered free radical, carbenes, and carbones were well earlier established. Here, we report stability, bonding and reactivity of compounds RCL, where R is one‐electron donor group (R = CH3 (a), CHO (b), and NO2 (c)) and L is two‐electron donor ligand (L = cAAC (1), CO (2), NHC (3) and PMe3 (4)), having three non‐bonding electrons. The ground states of molecules exist in a doublet with a lone pair of electrons and an unpaired electron at the central carbon atom (C1). The spin hops over from π‐ to σ‐type orbitals is observed as the π‐acceptor strength of the donor ligand increases. The replacement of the methyl group by CHO and NO2 indicate that the cAAC and CHO substituted compounds gives a σ‐radical except in compound 2c. These molecules show very high proton affinity and exothermic reaction energy for the hydrogen atom addition indicating dual reactivity namely, radical and lone pair reactivity.
Costs and benefits of cooperative learning as a universal school‐based approach to adolescent substance use prevention
Authors: Van Ryzin Mark J. , Cil Gulcan , Roseth Cary J.
Published: July 2022

Substance use during early adolescence implies a greater likelihood of abuse and dependence in later adolescence or adulthood. In turn, substance abuse and dependence are linked to a variety of maladaptive long‐term health‐related outcomes that imply significant individual and societal costs. In this paper, we evaluated an approach to substance use prevention that relies on the vital role of peers, who comprise a key risk factor for adolescent substance use. This approach (i.e., cooperative learning, CL) focuses on interrupting the process of deviant peer clustering and providing at‐risk youth with the opportunity to build social skills and cultivate friendships with low‐risk youth. In addition to testing the efficacy of CL in reducing the number of students who become regular substance users, we also conducted a cost–benefit analysis. Using four waves of data from a cluster‐randomized trial (N = 15 middle schools, 1890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White, 13.9% of students were receiving special education services), we found that significantly lower percentages of students in the intervention (CL) schools became regular users of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. We estimated that the reduction in substance use associated with the implementation of CL resulted in total lifetime benefits of between $1027 and $4621 per student (in 2019 dollars), or between $8.79 and $39.54 for each dollar invested in CL. Benefit/cost ratios would go up to $22.54–$101.39 per dollar invested with the continual implementation of CL, assuming retraining every 5 years. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Assessment of the Effect of Organ Impairment on the Pharmacokinetics of 2′‐MOE and Phosphorothioate Modified Antisense Oligonucleotides
Authors: Wang Yanfeng , Diep John K. , Yu Rosie Z. , Hurh Eunju , Karwatowska‐Prokopczuk Ewa , Schneider Eugene , Henry Scott , Bhanot Sanjay , Geary Richard S.
Published: July 2022

The pharmacokinetics (PK) of 2′‐O‐methoxyethyl and phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), with or without N‐acetyl galactosamine conjugation, have been well characterized following subcutaneous or intravenous drug administration. However, the effect of organ impairment on ASO PK, primarily hepatic or renal impairment, has not yet been reported. ASOs distribute extensively to the liver and kidneys, where they are metabolized slowly by endo‐ and exonucleases, with minimal renal excretion as parent drug (<1%–3%). This short review evaluated the effect of organ impairment on ASO PK using 3 case studies: (1) a phase 1 renal impairment study evaluating a N‐acetyl galactosamine–conjugated ASO in healthy study participants and study participants with moderate renal impairment, (2) a phase 2 study evaluating an unconjugated ASO in patients with end‐stage renal disease; and (3) a phase 3 study evaluating an unconjugated ASO, which included patients with mild hepatic or renal impairment. Results showed that patients with end‐stage renal disease had a mild increase (≈34%) in total plasma exposure, whereas mild or moderate renal impairment showed no effect on plasma PK. The effect of hepatic impairment on ASO PK could not be fully evaluated due to lack of data in moderate and severe hepatic impairment study participants. Nonetheless, available data suggest that mild hepatic impairment had no effect on ASO exposure.
Heterogeneous genetic and non‐genetic mechanisms contribute to response and resistance to azacitidine monotherapy
Authors: Symeonidou Vasiliki , Metzner Marlen , Usukhbayar Batchimeg , Jackson Aimee E. , Fox Sonia , Craddock Charles F. , Vyas Paresh
Published: July 2022

Acute myeloid leukaemia is prevalent in older patients that are often ineligible for intensive chemotherapy and treatment options remain limited with azacitidine being at the forefront. Azacitidine has been used in the clinic for decades, however, we still lack a complete understanding of the mechanisms by which the drug exerts its anti‐tumour effect. To gain insight into the mechanism of action, we defined the mutational profile of sequential samples of patients treated with azacitidine. We did not identify any mutations that could predict response and observed lack of a uniform pattern of clonal evolution. Focusing on responders, at remission, we observed three types of response: (1) an almost complete elimination of mutations (33%), (2) no change (17%), and (3) change with no discernible pattern (50%). Heterogeneous patterns were also observed at relapse, with no clonal evolution between remission and relapse in some patients. Lack of clonal evolution suggests that non‐genetic mechanisms might be involved. Towards understanding such mechanisms, we investigated the immune microenvironment in a number of patients and we observed lack of a uniform response following therapy. We identified a higher frequency of cytotoxic T cells in responders and higher frequency of naïve helper T cells in non‐responders.
Perceived burden, psychological distress, and quality of life among family caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia
Authors: Ibrahim Norhayati , Ong Hui Chien , Wahab Suzaily , Che Din Normah , Ahmad Mahadir , Amit Noh , Siau Ching Sin , Mohamad Mohd Suhaimi
Published: July 2022

This study assessed the burden, psychological distress and quality of life (QoL) of Malaysian family caregivers of outpatients with schizophrenia. Of the caregivers (N = 200), 49.5% reported a high burden of care. Higher psychological distress and burden correlated with lower QoL. Older, divorced/widowed, and lower educational level caregivers indicated lower physical QoL. Unemployed caregivers indicated lower mental QoL. There is a need to routinely assess these family caregivers for psychological distress and to provide psychoeducation and counseling.
In‐depth evaluation of machine learning methods for semi‐automating article screening in a systematic review of mechanistic literature
Authors: Kebede Mihiretu M. , Le Cornet Charlotte , Fortner Renée Turzanski
Published: July 2022

We aimed to evaluate the performance of supervised machine learning algorithms in predicting articles relevant for full‐text review in a systematic review. Overall, 16,430 manually screened titles/abstracts, including 861 references identified relevant for full‐text review were used for the analysis. Of these, 40% (n = 6573) were sub‐divided for training (70%) and testing (30%) the algorithms. The remaining 60% (n = 9857) were used as a validation set. We evaluated down‐ and up‐sampling methods and compared unigram, bigram, and singular value decomposition (SVD) approaches. For each approach, Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machines (SVM), regularized logistic regressions, neural networks, random forest, Logit boost, and XGBoost were implemented using simple term frequency or Tf‐Idf feature representations. Performance was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, precision and area under the Curve. We combined predictions of the best‐performing algorithms (Youden Index ≥0.3 with sensitivity/specificity≥70/60%). In a down‐sample unigram approach, Naïve Bayes, SVM/quanteda text models with Tf‐Idf, and linear SVM e1071 package with Tf‐Idf achieved >90% sensitivity at specificity >65%. Combining the predictions of the 10 best‐performing algorithms improved the performance to reach 95% sensitivity and 64% specificity in the validation set. Crude screening burden was reduced by 61% (5979) (adjusted: 80.3%) with 5% (27) false negativity rate. All the other approaches yielded relatively poorer performances. The down‐sampling unigram approach achieved good performance in our data. Combining the predictions of algorithms improved sensitivity while screening burden was reduced by almost two‐third. Implementing machine learning approaches in title/abstract screening should be investigated further toward refining these tools and automating their implementation.
Liquid chromatography‐dielectric barrier discharge ionization mass spectrometry for the analysis of neutral lipids of archaeological interest
Authors: Bouza Marcos , García‐Martínez Julio , Gilbert‐López Bienvenida , Moreno‐González David , Rocío‐Bautista Priscilla , Parras‐Guijarro David , Sánchez‐Vizcaino Alberto , Brandt Sebastian , García‐Reyes Juan F. , Molina‐Díaz Antonio , Franzke Joachim
Published: July 2022

Dielectric barrier discharge ionization has gained attention in the last few years due to its versatility and the vast array of molecules that can be ionized. In this study, we report on the assessment of liquid chromatography coupled to dielectric barrier discharge ionization with mass spectrometry for neutral lipid analysis. A set of different neutral lipid subclasses (triacylglycerides, diacylglycerides, and sterols) were selected for the study. The main species detected from our ionization source were [M‐H2O+H]+, [M+H]+ or [M‐R‐H2O+H]+, attributed to sterol dehydration, protonation or the fragmentation of an acyl chain accompanied by a water loss of the glycerolipids, respectively. In terms of sensitivity, the dielectric barrier discharge displayed overall improved abundances and comparable or better limits of quantitation than atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for both acylglycerols and sterols. As a case study, different archaeological samples with variable content in neutral lipids, particularly triacylglycerides, were studied. The identification was carried out by combining accurate mass and the tentative formula associated with the exact mass, retention time matching with standards, and additional structural information from in‐source fragmentation. The high degree of unsaturation and the presence of sterols revealed the potential vegetal origin of the material stored in the analyzed samples.
Scalar‐Superposition Metasurfaces with Robust Placement of Quantum Emitters for Tailoring Single‐Photon Emission Polarization
Authors: Xue Zeyang , Jia Shangtong , Li Xingqiao , Li Zhi , Gong Qihuang , Chen Jianjun
Published: July 2022

Due to nanometric hotspots in a metallic nanoantenna or phase sensitivities in a metasurface, precise placement of a quantum emitter is rigorously required to tailor single‐photon emission, which considerably increases alignment and fabrication difficulties. Here, a scalar‐superposition metasurface is proposed to achieve robust placement of a quantum emitter and meanwhile tailor the single‐photon emission to a desired polarization (e.g., linear, circular, or elliptical polarization). In this metasurface, the far‐field interference of the scattered fields from all unit nanostructures can be simplified as a scalar‐superposition process. As a result, the emission polarization state is insensitive to the phase or the position of the quantum emitter. The simualtion and experiment show that the placement accuracy of the quantum emitter relative to the center of the metasurface is released to about 3λ (wavelength), which is dozens of times greater than that in previous works. This high placement robustness together with the deflection effect of emission directions of the metasurfaces further enable to tailor the polarization of multiple single‐photon emission spots. The strategy of the scalar‐superposition metasurfaces with robust placement makes the nanostructure design and alignment easy, and it also might provide new possibilities for realizing multifunctional and novel quantum nanophotonic devices.
The searching artificial intelligence: Consumers show less aversion to algorithm‐recommended search product
Authors: Xie Zhaohan , Yu Yining , Zhang Jing , Chen Mingliang
Published: July 2022

Though artificial intelligence (AI) recommendation is a hot topic in recent marketing research, previous research has shown a convergent tendency for aversion to AI recommendation. It is imperative to find ways to promote AI usage and reduce consumers’ AI aversion. This study fills this void by exploring the effect of AI (vs. human) recommenders on consumers’ preferences for search versus experience products in the context of e‐commerce. Two studies provide convergent evidence that consumers show less avoidance of algorithms when recommending search products compared to experience products. A behavioral experiment (Study 1, N = 112) validates that consumers are less likely to purchase experience products recommended by AI, while there are no significant differences between AI versus human recommenders when recommending search products. Using event‐related potential (ERP), a further consumer neuroscience study (Study 2, N = 26) shows that consumers have a higher level of cognitive conflict (i.e., a larger magnitude of N2) when AI (vs. human) recommends experience products, while the effect disappears for search products. This paper shows that for search products, marketers can obtain similar evaluations using AI recommenders, which is relatively cheaper and more time‐saving compared with human recommenders. Therefore, our work provides important implications for theory and practice on e‐commerce and marketing communication.
Linguistic Abnormalities in Isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
Authors: Šubert Martin , Šimek Michal , Novotný Michal , Tykalová Tereza , Bezdíček Ondřej , Růžička Evžen , Šonka Karel , Dušek Petr , Rusz Jan
Published: July 2022

Background

Patients with synucleinopathies frequently display language abnormalities. However, whether patients with isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) have prodromal language impairment remains unknown.

Objective

We examined whether the linguistic abnormalities in iRBD can serve as potential biomarkers for conversion to synucleinopathy, including the possible effect of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), speaking task, and automation of analysis procedure.

Methods

We enrolled 139 Czech native participants, including 40 iRBD without MCI and 14 iRBD with MCI, compared with 40 PD without MCI, 15 PD with MCI, and 30 healthy control subjects. Spontaneous discourse and story‐tale narrative were transcribed and linguistically annotated. A quantitative analysis was performed computing three linguistic features. Human annotations were compared with fully automated annotations.

Results

Compared with control subjects, patients with iRBD showed poorer content density, reflecting the reduction of content words and modifiers. Both PD and iRBD subgroups with MCI manifested less occurrence of unique words and a higher number of n‐grams repetitions, indicating poorer lexical richness. The spontaneous discourse task demonstrated language impairment in iRBD without MCI with an area under the curve of 0.72, while the story‐tale narrative task better reflected the presence of MCI, discriminating both PD and iRBD subgroups with MCI from control subjects with an area under the curve of up to 0.81. A strong correlation between manually and automatically computed results was achieved.

Conclusions

Linguistic features might provide a reliable automated method for detecting cognitive decline caused by prodromal neurodegeneration in subjects with iRBD, providing critical outcomes for future therapeutic trials. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
On variable‐order Salmonella bacterial infection mathematical model
Authors: Sweilam Nasser H. , Abou Hasan Muner M. , Al‐ Mekhlafi Seham M.
Published: July 2022

In this work, we generalize the multi‐vaccination for COVID‐19 mathematical model to the variable‐order fractional derivative case by replacing the first‐order derivative with the variable‐order fractional Atangana‐Baleanu‐Caputo operator. Moreover, the parameters of the proposed model are dependent on the variable‐order fractional derivative. We use an amended numerical technique to build an asymptotically stable difference scheme. The proposed scheme accurately simulates the behavior of the solution of the presented model. Some properties, boundedness, and positivity of the studied system are proved analytically. The introduced scheme preserves these properties of the analytic solutions. Numerical treatment is run out for testing the reliability, applicability, and simplicity of this scheme. Comparitive study bettween the obtained results using the discretization of Atangana‐Baleanu‐Caputo derivative and nonstandard finite differeance method with the results which obtained using the discretization of the operator Yang‐Abdel‐Cattani is given.
Abelian Lie symmetry algebras of two‐dimensional quasilinear evolution equations
Authors: Bakhshandeh‐Chamazkoti Rohollah
Published: July 2022

We carry out the classification of abelian Lie symmetry algebras of two‐dimensional second‐order nondegenerate quasilinear evolution equations. It is shown that such an equation is linearizable if it admits an abelian Lie symmetry algebra that is of dimension greater than or equal to 5 or of dimension greater than or equal to 3 with rank‐one.
Dissolved organic metabolite extraction from high‐salt media
Authors: Holderman Nicole R. , Ferrer‐González Frank X. , Glushka John , Moran Mary Ann , Edison Arthur S.
Published: July 2022

We describe considerations and strategies for developing a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sample preparation method to extract low molecular weight metabolites from high‐salt spent media in a model coculture system of phytoplankton and marine bacteria. Phytoplankton perform half the carbon fixation and oxygen generation on Earth. A substantial fraction of fixed carbon becomes part of a metabolite pool of small molecules known as dissolved organic matter (DOM), which are taken up by marine bacteria proximate to phytoplankton. There is an urgent need to elucidate these metabolic exchanges due to widespread anthropogenic transformations on the chemical, phenotypic, and species composition of seawater. These changes are increasing water temperature and the amount of CO2 absorbed by the ocean at energetic costs to marine microorganisms. Little is known about the metabolite‐mediated, structured interactions occurring between phytoplankton and associated marine bacteria, in part because of challenges in studying high‐salt solutions on various analytical platforms. NMR analysis is problematic due to the high‐salt content of both natural seawater and culture media for marine microbes. High‐salt concentration degrades the performance of the radio frequency coil, reduces the efficiency of some pulse sequences, limits signal‐to‐noise, and prolongs experimental time. The method described herein can reproducibly extract low molecular weight DOM from small‐volume, high‐salt cultures. It is a promising tool for elucidating metabolic flux between marine microorganisms and facilitates genetic screens of mutant microorganisms.
Handgrip strength: Best practice for a rapid nutrition screening and risk stratification in male patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, a classification and regression tree analysis study
Authors: Shasthry Varsha , Kapoor Puja Bhatia , Tripathi Harshita , Kumar Guresh , Joshi Yogendra Kumar , Benjamin Jaya
Published: July 2022

Background

Rapid nutrition screening (NS) is vital for apt management in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC).

Aim

To identify a quick method of NS having high reliability and prognostic significance.

Methods

NS of patients with ALC was assessed using mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC), handgrip strength (HGS), fat‐free mass index (FFMI), and the Royal Free Hospital‐Global Assessment (RFH‐GA). Baseline clinical and biochemical information were recorded along with 90‐day survival data. The classification and regression tree method was used to classify HGS, MUAC, and FFMI values as well nourished (WN), moderately malnourished (MM), and severely malnourished (SM), and their concordance with RFH‐GA categories was assessed using Kendall tau‐b coefficient. The prognostic proficiency of each method was tested by Cox regression analysis.

Results

According to the RFH‐GA, of 140 male patients with ALC, 13 of 140 (9.3%) were WN, 93 of 140 (66.4%) were MM, and 34 of 140 (26.8%) were SM. HGS has the strongest association with the RFH‐GA (Kendall tau‐b = 0.772; diagnostic accuracy −81.4%). HGS was found to be the independent predictor of 90‐day mortality (26 of 140 [18.6%]; hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88–0.98; P = 0.002) after adjusting for age, body mass index, and disease severity. The hazard of mortality was 8.5‐times higher in patients with ALC with HGS < 22 kg as compared with those with HGS > 29.

Conclusion

HGS is a reliable tool for rapid NS. HGS < 22 kg suggests a high risk for severe malnutrition and is strongly associated with short‐term mortality in male patients with ALC.
Ultralong hydroxyapatite nanofibers/organics composite film for improving its mechanical property: Effect of proportions
Authors: Yan Wen‐xi , Wang Yin‐chuan , Huang Sheng‐yun , Xiao Gui‐yong , Lu Yu‐peng
Published: July 2022

Ultralong hydroxyapatite nanofibers (UHANFs) have received much more attention and been widely used in recent years for their inherent size‐dependent properties. However, the intrinsic agglomeration and brittleness of this material limited its application in some aspects. To overcome the agglomeration of UHANFs and instability of the molding slurry, a model was established inspired by the zeta potential and DLVO theory. The model was of utmost importance to provide a theoretical basis to link potential changes and material properties, and the most desirable state was achieved when the solid content was 2 wt%. In addition, the composites of UHANFs and organics could resolve part of the brittleness problem. Herein, we proposed a simple and environment‐friendly approach to manufacturing the biomimetic UHANFs/(chitosan‐gelatin) composite films. The synthesized products with different proportions of UHANFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), swelling, and mechanical studies. The results showed that the ratio of UHANFs to organic matter had a profound influence on the combination properties of the composites. When the UHANFs content reached 70% in the films, the tensile strength and Young's modulus were 66.7% and 70.5% higher than that of samples containing 80% UHANFs. The respectable biological and mechanical properties of these films made them have the potential application in bone defect repair.
Pulmonary hypertension in congenital diaphragmatic hernia: Antenatal prediction and impact on neonatal mortality
Authors: Basurto David , Russo Francesca Maria , Papastefanou Ioannis , Bredaki Emma , Allegaert Karel , Pertierra Africa , Debeer Anne , De Catte Luc , Lewi Liesbeth , Devlieger Roland , De Coppi Paolo , Gratacos Eduard , Gomez Olga , Deprest Jan
Published: July 2022

Objective

To determine the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PAH) in left‐sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH); how we could predict it; and how PAH contributed to the model for mortality prediction.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis in three European centers. The primary outcome was the presence of PAH on postnatal day (d) 1, 7, and at discharge. Studied predictors of PAH were: observed/expected‐lung/head‐ratio (o/e LHR), liver‐herniation, fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO), and gestational age (GA) at delivery. The combined effect of pre‐ and postnatal variables on mortality was modeled by Cox regression.

Results

Of the 197 neonates, 56 (28.4%) died. At d1, 67.5% (133/197) had PAH and 61.9% (101/163) by d7. Overall, 6.4% (9/141) had PAH at discharge. At d1, o/e LHR (odds ratio (OR) 0.96) and FETO (OR 2.99) independently correlated to PAH (areas under the curve [AUC]: 0.74). At d7, PAH significantly correlated only with the use of FETO (OR 3.9; AUC: 0.65). None were significant for PAH at discharge. Combining the occurrence of PAH with antenatal biomarkers improved mortality prediction (p = 0.02), in a model including o/e LHR (HR: 0.94), FETO (HR: 0.35), liver herniation (HR: 16.78), and PAH (HR: 15.95).

Conclusions

Antenatal prediction of PAH was only moderate. The postnatal occurrence of PAH further increases the risk of death. Whereas this may be used to counsel parents in the postnatal period, our study demonstrates there is a need to find more accurate antenatal predictors for PAH.
Cerebro‐placental and umbilico‐cerebral ratios in uncomplicated monochorionic twins: Longitudinal references and comparison with singletons
Authors: Casati Daniela , Zavatta Alice , Cortinovis Ivan , Spada Elena , Faiola Stefano , Laoreti Arianna , Cetin Irene , Lanna Mariano
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Monochorionic twins (MC) are at high risk of adverse outcomes and Doppler investigation of umbilical and cerebral flows is mandatory for their surveillance. The cerebro‐placental (CPR) and umbilico‐cerebral (UCR) ratios are considered non‐invasive measures of fetal adaptation to hypoxemia. We aimed to provide longitudinal references for CPR and UCR from 16 to 37 weeks of gestation that are specific for MC twins, and compare these with singleton charts.

Methods

Longitudinal study of a cohort of consecutive uncomplicated MC twin pregnancies monitored at our unit from 2010 to 2018. The estimated centile curves were obtained estimating the median with fractional polynomials by a multilevel model and the external centiles through the residuals. The comparison with singletons references was made through graphic evaluation.

Results

One‐hundred‐fifty‐two MC pregnancies were included with a median of 10 longitudinal ultrasounds each. References for CPR and UCR in function of gestational age are presented. Compared to singletons, MC twins showed an earlier and greater circulatory redistribution with lower CPR and higher UCR median values.

Conclusions

MC twin‐specific references for CPR and UCR suitable for serial monitoring are presented. The comparison with singleton references demonstrates substantial differences in the hemodynamic balance that must be considered when interpreting findings in MC twins.
A tale of two MOCs: An adventure fable outlining the constant danger of not following proper process safety protocol
Authors: Nelson Pamela , Ruth Lisa
Published: July 2022

One of the process safety management (PSM) concepts that so many have struggled with is management of change. It seems so simple on the surface, but it has resulted in serious incidents. Using a story format, two incidents are recited to illustrate what went wrong with management of change (MOC), and how the incidents could have been avoided. A fairy tale story based on the incidents was created to illustrate the importance of MOC. The fairy tale uses familiar character types and forms to illustrate:

why the change was not recognized;

hazards of uncontrolled changes; and

the importance of MOC in the prevention of process safety incidents.

The fairy tale story communicates lessons learned from two incidents that resulted from MOC failures.
Finite‐time fault detection for discrete nonlinear systems with time‐varying delays under the dynamic event‐triggered mechanism
Authors: Hu Jun , Chen Weilu , Chen Dongyan , Wu Zhihui , Yu Hui
Published: July 2022

This article is concerned with the finite‐time fault detection (FTFD) problem for discrete networked systems subject to nonlinearities and time‐varying delays under the dynamic event‐triggered mechanism. The dynamic event‐based communication scheme is adopted to improve the efficiency of the bandwidth utilization, reduce the transmission of redundant signals and decrease the transmission pressure of the network. Then, by constructing a new Lyapunov functional and utilizing the appropriate inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are derived under which the addressed augmented system achieves the finite‐time stability and attains a satisfactory performance index. Additionally, the expression forms of the fault detection filter (FDF) parameters are presented based on the solutions to certain matrix inequalities. In the end, a numerical simulation is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed FTFD strategy.
Microstructure and optical properties of W/W‐WxN/WOx multilayer metal‐dielectric solar selective absorbing coating
Authors: Ling Xiaoming , Wang Rui , Wang Weiqi , Nie Wenhao
Published: July 2022

The solar spectrum selective absorption coating (SSAC), as a core component of the concentrated solar power (CSP) system, faces increasingly stringent performance criteria as concentrated solar thermal power production technology advances and becomes more industrialized. Due to atom interdiffusion at the layer border, the current traditional composition and structure of progressive absorption coatings suffer from coating property loss at high temperatures. In this work, W/W‐WxN/WOx SSACs were prepared utilizing a medium frequency reactive magnetron sputtering approach with transition metal nitride as the absorption layer and WOx film with superior intrinsic absorption as the antireflection layer. The optical properties, structural composition, and thermal stability of the coatings were evaluated and characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer (UV‐vis), X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), and thermal emission meter, and the coatings' failure model and failure mechanism were established and explained. The experimental results demonstrated that the coating had outstanding spectrally selective absorption performance with an absorbance of 0.90 and thermal emissivity of 0.08 under air circumstances, as well as high thermal stability at 250°C and 20 h.
Synergistic Antibacterial and Anticorrosive Effect of Polysulfone Nanofibers Embedded with Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles for Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion of Nickel
Authors: Deniz Furkan , Nazır Hasan , Keskin Nalan Oya San
Published: July 2022

Due to water‐repellency property and nanoparticle functionalization, nanofibers hold great potential of anti‐bacterial and anti‐corrosive properties. This study examines electrospinning technology to coatings polysulfone and embedded biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) polysulfone nanofibers (PSU−Nf) onto nickel for anti‐bacterial and anti‐corrosive protection. The anti‐corrosion performances of the hydrophobic nanofibers coated nickel surfaces were analyzed by weight loss, Tafel polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The antibacterial activity of nanofibers was analyzed using Pseudomonas aeruginosa which is a model biofilm bacterium. Results showed that the presence of AgNPs on the nanofibers reduces the cell counts. In addition, obtained electrochemical results confirmed the successful corrosion protection of PSU‐Nfs which corrosion current values of PSU−Nf coated Ni samples for 3 d is nearly 10 times smaller (12.1 μA cm−2) than that of bare Nickel (170 μA cm−2) samples. The EIS data agree with the polarization data that charge transfer resistance (Rct) showed a significant increase after Nf coatings. As a result, metal coated with PSU nanofibers and AgNPs embedded PSU‐Nfs has corrosion protection in both artificial seawater with and without biofilm bacteria. Further, due to environmentally friendly approach, electrospinning has the potential of using surface protection instead of toxic pretreatments and coatings.
Base‐Free I2‐Catalyzed Robust Synthesis of Multi‐Functionalized Aniline Scaffolds through Mild and Operationally Simple One‐Pot Domino Protocol
Authors: Sarkar Prabhat , Mukhopadhyay Chhanda
Published: July 2022

A proficient, simple and feasible synthetic protocol was developed for the synthesis of polysubstituted 2,6‐dicyanoaniline derivatives by one‐pot domino approach towards the reaction between phenylethylidine malononitriles and benzyl amines as our starting components catalyzed by I2at room temperature in MeCN:H2O (5 : 1) solvent mixture. Moreover, the choice of readily available starting materials having broad substrate scope under mild and operationally simple reaction conditions are the prominent advantages of this strategy.
Electrochemical Reactivity Investigation of Urea Oxidation Reaction in Nichrome/Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanofibers Synthesized by CVD Method
Authors: Todankar Bhagyashri , Yaakob Yazid , Kalita Golap , Tanemura Masaki
Published: July 2022

Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) catalysts are being extensively studied due to the affordability, effortlessness of storage and shipment, non‐toxic and non‐combustible characteristics of urea. Additionally, urine and urea‐containing wastes are being explored as fuels, sources for generating electricity and treating waste water simultaneously in urea fuel cells (UFC). Herein, we report the urea oxidation reaction detected for nitrogen (N) doped carbon nanofibers (CNFs) grown on nichrome (NiCr) foil by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and study its various electrochemical parameters to determine its capability as urea fuel cell catalyst. Nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) metal particles were observed inside the CNFs structure as an alloy. Ni has been reported to be the most promising catalysts among transition metal catalysts. In this study, we have explored the possibility of a bimetallic transition metal/nitrogen doped carbon supported catalyst to overcome the large overpotentials exhibited by individual Ni‐based catalysts for urea oxidation. The Tafel slope was found to be 640 mV/dec with diffusion coefficient D equal to 4.312×10−13 cm2/s and the anodic transfer coefficient equal to 0.472. The charge transfer impedance was also calculated at 0 V and 0.4 V (onset potential) from the Nyquist plots. Our study revealed that NiCr NCNFs (Nichrome/nitrogen doped carbon nanofibers) exhibited significant UOR in variable molar concentrations of urea in 1 M KOH, making it a suitable candidate for urea oxidation reaction.