bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Neurological Disorders
Authors: Andrzejewska Anna , Dabrowska Sylwia , Lukomska Barbara , Janowski Miroslaw
Published: February 2021

Neurological disorders are becoming a growing burden as society ages, and there is a compelling need to address this spiraling problem. Stem cell‐based regenerative medicine is becoming an increasingly attractive approach to designing therapies for such disorders. The unique characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) make them among the most sought after cell sources. Researchers have extensively studied the modulatory properties of MSCs and their engineering, labeling, and delivery methods to the brain. The first part of this review provides an overview of studies on the application of MSCs to various neurological diseases, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other less frequently studied clinical entities. In the second part, stem cell delivery to the brain is focused. This fundamental but still understudied problem needs to be overcome to apply stem cells to brain diseases successfully. Here the value of cell engineering is also emphasized to facilitate MSC diapedesis, migration, and homing to brain areas affected by the disease to implement precision medicine paradigms into stem cell‐based therapies.
Whole genome sequencing of 45 Japanese patients with intellectual disability
Authors: Abe‐Hatano Chihiro , Iida Aritoshi , Kosugi Shunichi , Momozawa Yukihide , Terao Chikashi , Ishikawa Keiko , Okubo Mariko , Hachiya Yasuo , Nishida Hiroya , Nakamura Kazuyuki , Miyata Rie , Murakami Chie , Takahashi Kan , Hoshino Kyoko , Sakamoto Haruko , Ohta Sayaka , Kubota Masaya , Takeshita Eri , Ishiyama Akihiko , Nakagawa Eiji , Sasaki Masayuki , Kato Mitsuhiro , Matsumoto Naomichi , Kamatani Yoichiro , Kubo Michiaki , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Natsume Jun , Inoue Ken , Goto Yu‐Ichi
Published: February 2021

Intellectual disability (ID) is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors, originating before the age of 18 years. However, the genetic etiologies of ID are still incompletely elucidated due to the wide range of clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been applied as a single‐step clinical diagnostic tool for ID because it detects genetic variations with a wide range of resolution from single nucleotide variants (SNVs) to structural variants (SVs). To explore the causative genes for ID, we employed WGS in 45 patients from 44 unrelated Japanese families and performed a stepwise screening approach focusing on the coding variants in the genes. Here, we report 12 pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants: seven heterozygous variants of ADNP, SATB2, ANKRD11, PTEN, TCF4, SPAST, and KCNA2, three hemizygous variants of SMS, SLC6A8, and IQSEC2, and one homozygous variant in AGTPBP1. Of these, four were considered novel. Furthermore, a novel 76 kb deletion containing exons 1 and 2 in DYRK1A was identified. We confirmed the clinical and genetic heterogeneity and high frequency of de novo causative variants (8/12, 66.7%). This is the first report of WGS analysis in Japanese patients with ID. Our results would provide insight into the correlation between novel variants and expanded phenotypes of the disease.
Visible Light Photocatalytic Trifluoromethylation/SET Oxidation/Cycloaddition Sequences of 2‐Vinyl Phenols: Multicomponent Synthesis of 4H‐Chromenes
Authors: Jang Jihoon , Kim Dae Young
Published: February 2021

Visible light‐mediated photocatalytic trifluoromethylation, single electron transfer (SET) oxidation, and cycloaddition cascades of 2‐vinyl phenols with Umemoto's reagent and malononitrile were developed. This approach provided the multicomponent synthesis of trifluoromethylated 4H‐chromenes via the in situ generation of o‐quinone methides, followed by sequential cyclization.
Ethnicity‐based name partitioning for author name disambiguation using supervised machine learning
Authors: Kim Jinseok , Kim Jenna , Owen‐Smith Jason
Published: February 2021

In several author name disambiguation studies, some ethnic name groups such as East Asian names are reported to be more difficult to disambiguate than others. This implies that disambiguation approaches might be improved if ethnic name groups are distinguished before disambiguation. We explore the potential of ethnic name partitioning by comparing performance of four machine learning algorithms trained and tested on the entire data or specifically on individual name groups. Results show that ethnicity‐based name partitioning can substantially improve disambiguation performance because the individual models are better suited for their respective name group. The improvements occur across all ethnic name groups with different magnitudes. Performance gains in predicting matched name pairs outweigh losses in predicting nonmatched pairs. Feature (e.g., coauthor name) similarities of name pairs vary across ethnic name groups. Such differences may enable the development of ethnicity‐specific feature weights to improve prediction for specific ethic name categories. These findings are observed for three labeled data with a natural distribution of problem sizes as well as one in which all ethnic name groups are controlled for the same sizes of ambiguous names. This study is expected to motive scholars to group author names based on ethnicity prior to disambiguation.
Unequal childhoods: A case study application of Lareau’s ‘accomplishment of natural growth’ in British working‐class and poor families
Authors: Wilson Suzanne , Worsley Aidan
Published: February 2021

International authors have argued that social class inequalities can influence parental engagement in education. Lareau argued that middle‐class families possess the resources to actively cultivate their children to succeed academically, whereas working‐class and poor families feel they lack such resources and allow their children to develop limited and passive relations with school. This article applies a core element of Lareau’s typology of child rearing to examine disadvantaged British mothers’ experience of engaging with schools. A study involving 77 parents and caregivers of secondary school children, considered disadvantaged, sought to understand the experiences of parental engagement in primary and secondary education. Selective case studies have been chosen from this larger study, using a thematic analysis, to understand how these mothers interpreted their experiences of engaging with secondary education, their feelings of frustration, powerlessness and distance from secondary school. The stories presented illustrate that the ‘accomplishment of natural growth’ provides a contemporary class analysis framework to interpret the experiences of some disadvantaged British parents. Recommendations are made advising how Lareau’s typology of child rearing can inform policy and practice in the British education system and recommendations for future research are made with the purpose of promoting equal access to educational engagement and opportunities.
Qualitative, quantitative, and pharmacokinetic study on the absorbed components of Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume in rat plasma based on molecular networking combined with quadrupole time‐of‐flight LC/MS and triple quadrupole LC/MS
Authors: Wang He Chen , Li Tian Jiao , Bao Yong Rui , Wang Shuai , Meng Xian Sheng
Published: February 2021

Isolation and screening of different compounds from plant extracts are always the key for natural drug research, and the absorbed prototype components have been considered as potential active ingredients. UHPLC combined with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (Q‐TOF‐LC/MS) has been widely used in the research of natural drugs; however, we still need a more effective tool to compare and treat from a raw data. In this study, we provided a fast analytical method to measure the absorbed prototype components and their metabolites both qualitatively and quantitatively based on molecular networking (MN). For example, in Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume, a total of eight absorbed prototype components in rat plasma were identified. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic study was also successfully performed on the eight absorbed prototype components in rat plasma. Our findings have provided important information on the investigation of A. japonica in vivo. More importantly, the MS network analysis pattern serves as an integral solution for qualitative and quantitative determination of phytochemical compounds in natural drugs.
Modulating Nrf2 transcription factor activity: Revealing the regulatory mechanisms of antioxidant defenses during hibernation in 13‐lined ground squirrels
Authors: Tessier Shannon N. , Breedon Sarah A. , Storey Kenneth B.
Published: February 2021

Mammalian hibernators undergo major behavioural, physiological and biochemical changes to survive hypothermia, ischaemia‐reperfusion and finite fuel reserves during days or weeks of continuous torpor. During hibernation, the 13‐lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) undergoes a global suppression of energetically expensive processes such as transcription and translation, while selectively upregulating certain genes/proteins to mitigate torpor‐related damage. Antioxidant defenses are critical for preventing damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during torpor and arousal, and Nrf2 is a critical regulator of these antioxidant genes. This study analysed the relative protein expression levels of Nrf2, KEAP1, small Mafs (MafF, MafK and MafG) and catalase and the regulation of Nrf2 transcription factors by post‐translational modifications (PTMs) and protein‐protein interactions with a negative regulator (KEAP1) during hibernation. It was found that a significant increase in MafK during late torpor predicated an increase in relative Nrf2 and catalase levels seen in arousal. Additionally, Nrf2‐KEAP1 protein‐protein interactions and Nrf2 PTMs, including serine phosphorylation and lysine acetylation, were responsive to cycles of torpor‐arousal with peak responses occurring during arousal. These peaks seen during arousal correspond to a surge in oxygen consumption, which causes increased ROS production. Thus, these regulatory mechanisms could be important during hibernation because they provide mechanisms for mitigating the deleterious effects of oxidative stress by modifying Nrf2 expression and function in an energetically inexpensive manner.
An unusual cause of shunt failure requiring multidisciplinary treatment
Authors: Omar Nidal B. , Riley Kristen O.
Published: February 2021

Rarer etiologies of shunt malfunction may be difficult to detect, can present insidiously, and often require a multidisciplinary approach to safely and effectively address.
Thrombocytosis in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia during treatment with all‐trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide
Authors: Habibi Maryam , Manouchehri Ardekani Reza , Motedayyen Hossein
Published: February 2021

Thrombocytosis is an unusual side effect of all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) treatment that occurs in some patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).
An adrenal incidentaloma caused by synchronous and isolated metastasis
Authors: Yamamoto Koichiro , Oka Kosuke , Honda Hiroyuki , Hasegawa Kou , Hanayama Yoshihisa , Watanabe Tomofumi , Tominaga Yusuke , Takamoto Atsushi , Hara Takayuki , Otsuka Fumio
Published: February 2021

We report a patient with adrenal incidentaloma due to synchronous and isolated metastasis from lung cancer, which is a relatively rare condition. Close checkups for incidentaloma in oncologic patients are mandatory, leading to successful operation.
Progress and perspective of interface design in garnet electrolyte‐based all‐solid‐state batteries
Authors: Feng Junrun , Gao Zhonghui , Sheng Lin , Hao Zhangxiang , Wang Feng R.
Published: February 2021

Inorganic solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) are nonflammable alternatives to the commercial liquid‐phase electrolytes. This enables the use of lithium (Li) metal as an anode, providing high‐energy density and improved stability by avoiding unwanted liquid‐phase chemical reactions. Among the different types of SSEs, the garnet‐type electrolytes witness a rapid development and are considered as one of the top candidates to pair with Li metal due to their high ionic conductivity, thermal, and electrochemical stability. However, the large resistances at the interface between garnet‐type electrolytes and cathode/anode are the major bottlenecks for delivering desirable electrochemical performances of all‐solid‐state batteries (SSBs). The electrolyte/anode interface also suffers from metallic dendrite formation, leading to rapid performance degradation. This is a fundamental material challenge due to the poor contact and wettability between garnet‐type electrolytes with electrode materials. Here, we summarize and analyze the recent contributions in mitigating such materials challenges at the interface. Strategies used to address these challenges are divided into different categories with regard to their working principles. On one hand, progress has been made in the anode/garnet interface, such as the successful application of Li‐alloy anode and different artificial interlayers, significantly improving interfacial performance. On the other hand, the desired cathode/garnet interface is still hard to reach due to the complex chemical and physical structure at the cathode. The common methods used are nanostructured cathode host and sintering additives for increasing the contact area. On the basis of this information, we present our views on the remaining challenges and future research of electrode/garnet interface. This review not only motivates the need for further understanding of the fundamentals, stability, and modifications of the garnet/electrode interfaces but also provides guidelines for the future design of the interface for SSB.
NSERC discovery grants and a tribute to Leo A. Behie
Authors: Patience Gregory S. , Patience Brendan A.
Published: February 2021

The scope of chemical engineering continues to evolve and has become ever more multifaceted. It encompasses traditional fields like polymers, thermodynamics, transport processes, control, and environmental science, but has expanded to include biotechnology, biomedical, food technology, materials, and numerical techniques like artificial neural networks and discrete element methods. In fact, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) combines chemical engineering and materials in the same evaluation group to award competitive funding for the Discovery Grant. Prof. Leo Behie's career reflected the change in the scope of chemical engineering. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Prof. Behie's research included hydrodynamics of fluidized beds and deriving the kinetics of the Claus reaction. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, he contributed to biotechnology. In the 2000s and 2010s, his areas of expertise related to biomedical engineering comprising stem cell research and a focus on Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The common denominator for most of his research was reactor technology. In 2014, Prof. Behie quipped that chemical engineering was dead and many North American departments shared this tenet and added various scientific fields to recognize the emerging synergies. Here, we show that chemical engineering is a vibrant and growing field. We demonstrate in what way it is changing and describe how NSERC evaluates research dossiers for the Discovery Grants. We describe the relationship between the hindex and the number of citations and confirm that bibliometrics has only a minor role in the Discovery Grant award.
The Guerbet Reaction Network – a Ball‐in‐a‐Maze‐Game or: Why Ru‐MACHO‐BH is Poor in Coupling two Ethanol to n‐Butanol
Authors: Ohligschläger Andreas , van Staalduinen Nils , Cormann Carsten , Mühlhans Jan , Wurm Jan , Liauw Marcel A.
Published: February 2021

The Guerbet reaction from two alcohols to a long‐chain alcohol and water requires a redox catalyst and a strong base in homogeneous liquid systems. Especially, the reaction from ethanol to n‐butanol is a challenging example of the reaction that suffers from low yields and selectivities in comparison with reactions of higher alcohols. The most important side reactions are the polymerization of acetaldehyde to C6+‐components and the saponification of ethyl acetate under consumption of the base. This work pursues the systematic kinetic investigation of the Guerbet reaction network by experiments with isolated subsystems of the network. In‐situ‐infrared spectroscopy is applied to determine time‐resolved concentration profiles. Adapted kinetic models of the single steps are integrated into a microkinetic model of the whole network. The simulation of the reaction network reveals dependencies between temperature, hydrogen pressure, initial concentrations and the yield and selectivity of n‐butanol. Finally, it is shown that Ru‐MACHO does not lead to high yields in the reaction, because the dehydrogenation to ethyl acetate exhibits a too low activation barrier.
Extending collaborative filtering recommendation using word embedding: A hybrid approach
Authors: Vuong Nguyen Luong , Nguyen Tri‐Hai , Jung Jason J. , Camacho David
Published: February 2021

Collaborative filtering recommendation systems, which analyze sets of user ratings, have been applied to various domains and have resulted in considerable improvements in the traditional recommendation system. However, they still have problems with data sparsity and cold‐start of the user ratings. To solve these problems, we present a hybrid recommendation approach by combining collaborative filtering methods and word embedding‐based content analysis. This study focuses on the movie domain, and therefore, the contents of the items are represented as a set of features such as titles, genres, directors, actors, and plots. The main aim of this paper is to understand the content of the movie plot using a word embedding to improve the measurement of similarity of each plot content to other plot content (called plot embedding). To enhance the accuracy in measuring the similarity between movies, we also consider other features such as titles, genres, directors, and actors extracted from movies. In the experiments, the movie dataset was collected by our crowdsourcing platform, which is the OMS platform. The experimental findings indicate that the proposed approach can enhance the efficiency of applied collaborative filtering recommendation systems.
In Vivo Phage Display as a Biomarker Discovery Tool for the Complex Neural Injury Microenvironment
Authors: Martinez Briana I. , Stabenfeldt Sarah E.
Published: February 2021

The heterogeneous injury pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a barrier to developing highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tools. Phage display, a protein‒protein screening technique routinely used in drug development, has the potential to be a powerful biomarker discovery tool for TBI. However, analysis of these large and diverse phage libraries is a bottleneck to moving through the discovery pipeline in a timely and efficient manner. This article describes a unique discovery pipeline involving domain antibody (dAb) phage in vivo biopanning and next‐generation sequencing (NGS) analysis to identify targeting motifs that recognize distinct aspects of TBI pathology. To demonstrate this process, we conduct in vivo biopanning on the controlled cortical impact mouse model of experimental TBI at 1 and 7 days postinjury. Phage accumulation in target tissues is quantified via titers before NGS preparation and analysis. This phage display biomarker discovery pipeline for TBI successfully achieves discovery of temporally specific TBI targeting motifs and may further TBI biomarker research for other characteristics of injury. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

This article was corrected on 19 July 2022. See the end of the full text for details.

Basic Protocol 1: Phage production and purification

Support Protocol: Controlled cortical impact model

Basic Protocol 2: Injection and elution of phage

Basic Protocol 3: Amplicon sequencing and sequence analysis
Genome‐enabled prediction through machine learning methods considering different levels of trait complexity
Authors: Barbosa Ivan de Paiva , da Silva Michele Jorge , da Costa Weverton Gomes , de Castro Sant'Anna Isabela , Nascimento Moysés , Cruz Cosme Damião
Published: February 2021

Genomic‐wide selection (GWS) consists of the use of a large number of molecular markers for the prediction of genetic values and has been shown to be highly relevant for genetic improvement. The objective of this work was to evaluate and compare the predictive performance of statistical (ridge regression‐best linear unbiased predictor [RR‐BLUP] and BayesB) and machine learning methods through GWS in simulated populations with traits presenting different levels of heritability and quantitative trait loci (QTL) numbers in the presence of dominant and epistatic effects. The simulated genome of population F2 was formed by 1,000 individuals and genotyped with 2,010 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Twenty‐six traits were simulated considering QTL numbers ranging from two to 88 and heritabilities of .3 and .6. The selective and predictive performances were evaluated using the multilayer perceptron (MLP), radial basis function (RBF), decision trees (DT), bagging (BA), random forest (RF), and boosting (BO) machine learning models and the classical RR‐BLUP and BayesB methods. A high effect of heritability was observed for the results of selective accuracy when compared to the increased QTL number. In addition, the selective accuracy based on the number of QTL demonstrates that the application of alternative machine learning models, such as RBF, BA, BO, and RF, can be suitable for the analysis according to QTL number. Machine learning methods are powerful tools for predicting genetic values with epistatic gene control in traits with different degrees of heritability and different numbers of controlling genes.
Regional differences in rapid evolution during severe drought
Authors: Anstett Daniel N. , Branch Haley A. , Angert Amy L.
Published: February 2021

Climate change is increasing drought intensity, threatening biodiversity. Rapid evolution of drought adaptations might be required for population persistence, particularly in rear-edge populations that may already be closer to physiological limits. Resurrection studies are a useful tool to assess adaptation to climate change, yet these studies rarely encompass the geographic range of a species. Here, we sampled 11 populations of scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis), collecting seeds across the plants’ northern, central, and southern range to track trait evolution from the lowest to the greatest moisture anomaly over a 7-year period. We grew families generated from these populations across well-watered and terminal drought treatments in a greenhouse and quantified five traits associated with dehydration escape and avoidance. When considering pre-drought to peak-drought phenotypes, we find that later date of flowering evolved across the range of M. cardinalis, suggesting a shift away from dehydration escape. Instead, traits consistent with dehydration avoidance evolved, with smaller and/or thicker leaves evolving in central and southern regions. The southern region also saw a loss of plasticity in these leaf traits by the peak of the drought, whereas flowering time remained plastic across all regions. This observed shift in traits from escape to avoidance occurred only in certain regions, revealing the importance of geographic context when examining adaptations to climate change.
Cytotoxic and immunological responses of fish leukocytes to nodularin exposure in vitro
Authors: Rymuszka Anna , Sieroslawska Anna , Adaszek Łukasz
Published: February 2021

Nodularin (NOD) is a cyclic peptide released by bloom‐forming toxic cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena commonly occurring in brackish waters throughout the world. Although its hepatotoxic effects are well known, other negative effects of NOD have not yet been completely elucidated. The present study aims were to evaluate and compare the cytotoxic and immunotoxic effects of the toxin on primary leukocytes (from head kidney [HK]) and stable fish leukocytes (carp leucocyte cell line [CLC] cells). The cells were incubated with the cyanotoxin at concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, 0.05, or 0.1 μg/ml. After 24 h of exposure, the concentrations ≥0.05 μg/ml of toxin resulted in cytotoxicity in the primary cells, while in CLC cells, the toxic effect was obtained only with the highest concentration. Similarly, depending on the concentration, exposure to NOD causes a significant inhibition of chemotaxis of the phagocytic abilities of primary leukocytes and a significant reduction in the proliferation of lymphocytes isolated from the HKs. Moreover, CLC cells and HK leukocytes incubated with this toxin at all the mentioned concentrations showed an increased production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. NOD also evidently influenced the expression of genes of cytokine TNF‐α and IL‐10 and, to a minor extent, IL‐1β and TGF‐β. Notably, the observed changes in the mRNA levels of cytokines in NOD‐exposed cells were evident, but not clearly dose‐dependent. Interestingly, NOD did not affect the production and release of IL‐1β of the CLC cells. This study provides evidence that NOD may exert cytotoxicity and immune‐toxicity effects depending on cell type and toxin concentration.
Antibiofilm effects of titanium surfaces modified by laser texturing and hot‐pressing sintering with silver
Authors: Gonçalves Inês M. R. , Herrero Esteban R. , Carvalho Oscar , Henriques Bruno , Silva Filipe S. , Teughels Wim , Souza Júlio C. M.
Published: February 2021

Peri‐implant diseases are one of the main causes of dental implant failure. New strategies for dental implants manufacturing have been developed to prevent the accumulation of bacteria and related inflammatory reactions. The main aim of this work was to develop laser‐treated titanium surfaces covered with silver that generate a electrical dipole to inhibit the oral bacteria accumulation. Two approaches were developed for that purpose. In one approach a pattern of different titanium dioxide thickness was produced on the titanium surface, using a Q‐Switched Nd:YAG laser system operating at 1064 nm. The second approach was to incorporate silver particles on a laser textured titanium surface. The incorporation of the silver was performed by laser sintering and hot‐pressing approaches. The anti‐biofilm effect of the discs were tested against biofilms involving 14 different bacterial strains growth for 24 and 72 hr. The morphological aspects of the surfaces were evaluated by optical and field emission guns scanning electronical microscopy (FEGSEM) and therefore the wettability and roughness were also assessed. Physicochemical analyses revealed that the test surfaces were hydrophilic and moderately rough. The oxidized titanium surfaces showed no signs of antibacterial effects when compared to polished discs. However, the discs with silver revealed a decrease of accumulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia strains. Thus, the combination of Nd:YAG laser irradiation and hot‐pressing was effective to produce silver‐based patterns on titanium surfaces to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacterial species. The laser parameters can be optimized to achieve different patterns, roughness, and thickness of the modified titanium layer regarding the type and region of the implant.
The effect of different types of lactose monohydrate on the stability of acetylcholinesterase immobilized on carriers designed to detect nerve agents
Authors: Zeman Jiří , Pavloková Sylvie , Vetchý David , Pitschmann Vladimír
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Maintaining the stability of an immobilized enzyme during storage is generally very problematic. However, various substances have been reported to have a positive effect on enzyme stability. These include reducing disaccharide lactose, which is used in carriers in the form of pellets with immobilized cholinesterase. These carriers serve as a filling for detection tubes (biosensor), which are used for detecting nerve agents, wherein the detection itself is based on a colorimetric Ellman's reaction. To date, however, no study has been performed on the effect of different types of lactose monohydrate on the properties of such carriers.

RESULTS

The effect of five different types of lactose monohydrate on carrier properties and enzyme stability was examined. The lactose powders used differed in the particle size distribution, shape, compactability and flowability. The carriers were prepared in triplicate and subjected to a 24‐month stability test under three storage conditions, with the results being statistically analyzed by analysis of variance, principal component analysis and t‐test. Samples containing lactose with spherical particles were more resistant to degradation by heat and moisture than samples containing crystalline particles; in addition they had higher hardness and better sensitivity. All samples were also tested with soman after 24 months of storage and were found to retain very good sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

Samples containing spherical types of lactose proved to be more stable in some critical parameters compared to the samples with lactose in the form of single crystals, which are currently used in commercially available detection tubes. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
A comparison of hypothesis tests for homogeneity in meta‐analysis with focus on rare binary events
Authors: Zhang Chiyu , Wang Xinlei , Chen Min , Wang Tao
Published: February 2021

Analysis of rare binary events is an important problem for biomedical researchers. Due to the sparsity of events in such problems, meta‐analysis that integrates information across multiple studies can be applied to increase the efficiency of statistical inference. Although it is critical to examine whether the effect sizes are homogeneous across all studies, a comprehensive review of homogeneity tests has been lacking, and in particular, no attention has been paid to infrequent dichotomous outcomes. We systematically review statistical methods for homogeneity testing. By conducting an extensive simulation analysis and two case studies, we examine the performance of 30 tests in meta‐analysis of rare binary outcomes. When using log‐odds ratio as the association measure, our simulation results suggest that there is no uniform winner. However, we recommend the test proposed by Kulinskaya and Dollinger (BMC Med Res Methodol, 2015, 15), which uses a gamma distribution to approximate the null distribution, for its generally good performance; for very rare events coupled with small within‐study sample sizes, in addition to the Kulinskaya–Dollinger test, we further recommend the conditional score test based on the random‐effects hypergeometric model proposed by Liang and Self (Biometrika, 1985, 72:353–358). One should be cautious about the use of the Wald tests, the Lipsitz tests (Biometrics, 1998, 54:148–160), and tests proposed by Bhaumik et al (J Am Stat Assoc, 2012, 107:555–567).
Moisture‐sensitive metal–organic framework constructed from cobalt and 4‐(4‐pyridyl) benzoic acid for dispersive solid‐phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in apple
Authors: Peng Fan , Tan Yuyan , Zhang Shanshan , Yu Xiaofang , Chen Huaixia , Dang Xueping , Liu Xiaolan
Published: February 2021

A moisture‐sensitive metal‐organic framework CoII(pybz)2·2DMF was synthesized and applied as the adsorbent of dispersive solid‐phase extraction. The structure changed after water treatment due to the fact that two chelate carboxylate groups on the skeleton were transformed to monodentate because of the coordination of water molecules. The material showed good adsorption for fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene in water because of the π–π conjugation and π‐complexation effects. Coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography, a dispersive solid‐phase extraction method of determining the content of fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene in apple samples was established after optimizing the extraction conditions. Methanol containing 4% acetic acid was used as the effective eluent. The linearities were 0.5–1000 μg/kg for fluorene, phenanthrene and 5–1000 μg/kg for fluoranthene, pyrene. The limits of detection were 0.06–0.6 μg/kg, and the recoveries were 94.4–116.4%. The method has a high sensitivity for the determination of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in apple samples.
Germination alters the microstructure, in vitro protein digestibility, α‐glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV inhibitory activities of bioaccessible fraction of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds
Authors: Ohanenye Ikenna Christian , Sun Xiaohong , Sarteshnizi Roghayeh Amini , Udenigwe Chibuike C.
Published: February 2021

Germination was investigated as a bioprocess for enhancing the digestibility and bioactivity of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). Pigeon pea seeds were germinated for 0, 4, 24 and 48 h. Electrophoresis revealed that the 7S vicilin subunits were the most abundant proteins in control and germinated seeds. FTIR showed a loss of β sheet and a gain of α‐helix contents, and microscopy showed cell wall degradation in germinated seeds. Germination decreased the seed protein yield due to partial hydrolysis of proteins. After in vitro digestion, 48‐h germination increased the protein digestibility‐corrected amino acid score of the pigeon pea flour and isolated protein. Germination also enhanced the inhibitory activity of the seed digesta against α‐glucosidase but not dipeptidyl peptidase IV. Taken together, germination could be used to enhance the nutritional quality and bioactivity of pigeon pea towards improving its future utilization as novel healthy food for mitigating food insecurity.
Design of Perfused PTFE Vessel‐Like Constructs for In Vitro Applications
Authors: Estermann Manuela , Spiaggia Giovanni , Septiadi Dedy , Dijkhoff Irini Magdelina , Drasler Barbara , Petri‐Fink Alke , Rothen‐Rutishauser Barbara
Published: February 2021

Tissue models mimic the complex 3D structure of human tissues, which allows the study of pathologies and the development of new therapeutic strategies. The introduction of perfusion overcomes the diffusion limitation and enables the formation of larger tissue constructs. Furthermore, it provides the possibility to investigate the effects of hematogenously administered medications. In this study, the applicability of hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes as vessel‐like constructs for further use in perfused tissue models is evaluated. The presented approach allows the formation of stable and leakproof tubes with a mean diameter of 654.7 µm and a wall thickness of 84.2 µm. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip acts as a perfusion bioreactor and provides sterile conditions. As proof of concept, endothelial cells adhere to the tube's wall, express vascular endothelial cadherin (VE‐cadherin) between neighboring cells, and resist perfusion at a shear rate of 0.036 N m−2for 48 h. Furthermore, the endothelial cell layer delays significantly the diffusion of fluorescently labeled molecules into the surrounding collagen matrix and leads to a twofold reduced diffusion velocity. This approach represents a cost‐effective alternative to introduce stable vessel‐like constructs into tissue models, which allows adapting the surrounding matrix to the tissue properties in vivo.
Relationship of ITPKA expression with the prognosis of breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Jie , Zhang Sujie , Li Xiaoyan , Pi Hongying
Published: February 2021

Background

Breast cancer (BC) represents a most common cancer among women worldwide. The outcomes of this disease remain dismal due to frequent recurrence and metastasis. Inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate‐3‐kinase‐A (ITPKA) plays an important role in regulating calcium signaling and actin dynamics. The dysregulation of ITPKA has been observed in several human cancers. The present study aimed to assess ITPKA expression and its prognostic value in BC.

Methods

ITPKA expression was examined via quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. In addition, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to evaluate prognostic value of ITPKA in BC.

Results

Upregulated ITPKA expression was found in BC samples, according to both qRT‐PCR and IHC analyses (all p < .05). ITPKA expression was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = .021) and TNM stage (p = .009). Moreover, BC patients with high expression of ITPKA had poor overall survival compared with those with low expression (log‐rank p < .05). Cox analysis verified that ITPKA expression was an independent prognostic factor for BC patients (HR = 4.239, 95%CI = 2.221–8.093 and p = .000).

Conclusion

BC cases show increased expression of ITPKA. ITPKA may act as an independent prognostic biomarker in BC.
HYFI: Hybrid filling of the dead‐time gap for faster zero echo time imaging
Authors: Froidevaux Romain , Weiger Markus , Rösler Manuela B. , Brunner David O. , Pruessmann Klaas P.
Published: February 2021

The aim of this work was to improve the SNR efficiency of zero echo time (ZTE) MRI pulse sequences for faster imaging of short‐T2 components at large dead‐time gaps. ZTE MRI with hybrid filling (HYFI) is a strategy for retrieving inner k‐space data missed during the dead‐time gaps arising from radio‐frequency excitation and switching in ZTE imaging. It performs hybrid filling of the inner k‐space with a small single‐point‐imaging core surrounded by a stack of shells acquired on radial readouts in an onion‐like fashion. The exposition of this concept is followed by translation into guidelines for parameter choice and implementation details. The imaging properties and performance of HYFI are studied in simulations as well as phantom, in vitro and in vivo imaging, with an emphasis on comparison with the pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) technique. Simulations predict higher SNR efficiency for HYFI compared with PETRA at preserved image quality, with the advantage increasing with the size of the k‐space gap. These results are confirmed by imaging experiments with gap sizes of 25 to 50 Nyquist dwells, in which scan times for similar image quality could be reduced by 25% to 60%. The HYFI technique provides both high SNR efficiency and image quality, thus outperforming previously known ZTE‐based pulse sequences, in particular for large k‐space gaps. Promising applications include direct imaging of ultrashort‐T2 components, such as the myelin bilayer or collagen, T2 mapping of ultrafast relaxing signals, and ZTE imaging with reduced chemical shift artifacts.
Factors associated with fluoroscopy‐guided placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes
Authors: Guo Weiying , Zheng Ruipeng , Xue Suyang , Lv Bin , Zhang Haifeng
Published: February 2021

Background

Feeding by nasoenteral tube (NET) is safe and effective for supporting the nutrition needs of patients with inadequate oral intake. However, during insertion of the NET with fluoroscopic guidance, both the professional staff and patients are exposed to radiation. To improve the success rate of NET placement and minimize radiation exposure, this retrospective study evaluated potential factors associated with successful fluoroscopy‐guided NET placement and short total fluoroscopy time (TFT) among Chinese patients.

Methods

An assessment was conducted among patients (n = 348) who received NET placement by physicians under fluoroscopic guidance. Multivariate logistic regression models and linear models were used to validate factors that affected the success of placement and TFT.

Results

NET was placed successfully in 319 patients (91.7%), with a median TFT of 6.1 (interquartile range [IQR], 4.9–9.9) minutes. The median TFT of patients with unsuccessful placement was 15.4 (IQR, 12.7–20.9) minutes. Factors associated with successful placement included lack of upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery history and normal peristalsis of the upper GI tract (P ≤ .015). The TFT was significantly influenced by upper GI surgery history and characteristics of the upper GI tract (P ≤ .025). The professional title or experience of the operators had no association with successful NET placement or TFT.

Conclusions

NET placement under fluoroscopic guidance had a high success rate. Factors that are crucial for planning the approach include a history of upper GI surgery, the dynamic status of the upper GI tract, and features of the upper GI tract.
Research on safety in home care for older adults: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Cao Songmei , Huang Huanhuan , Xiao Mingzhao , Yan Lei , Xu Wenxin , Tang Xumeng , Luo Xiaoqin , Zhao Qinghua
Published: February 2021

Aim

This study aimed to describe and visualize the current research state and collaborative networks in home care safety for older adults over the past 11 years to analyse the gaps of research and future research trends.

Background

The amount of research on safety in home care for older adults is increasing. It is necessary to understand the status of development and main research topics and identify the main contributors and their relationships.

Methods

A total of 2,631 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science. The external characteristics of the publications were summarized with the Web of Science and Histcite. Collaborative networks and keywords were analysed and visually displayed using analysis tools.

Results

The number of articles increased over the years. Articles were identified from 79 countries, 3,630 institutions, 647 journals and 11,691 authors, and complex cooperative relations among them and five research topics were identified.

Conclusion

Research on home care safety for older adults is developing steadily, and this field may be understood to a greater extent in the future. Countries, institutions and scholars need to cooperate more in this research field.

Implications for Nursing Management

This study contributes important information for understanding achievements in the research field of home care safety and provides insights into future research.
The correlation between emotional intelligence and self‐esteem in patients with intestinal stoma: A descriptive‐correlational study
Authors: Saati Maryam , NasiriZiba Fariba , Haghani Hamid
Published: February 2021

Aim

Patients with intestinal stoma would experience some periods of psychological disorders such as self‐esteem disturbances. Self‐esteem is one of the most important factors affecting the patient's mental health. It is suggested that factors such as emotional intelligence could be related to self‐esteem. This study seeks to determine the correlation between emotional intelligence and self‐esteem in patients with an ostomy.

Design

This was a descriptive‐correlational study.

Methods

This study was conducted on 155 patients with intestinal stoma referring to the selected hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences and Iranian Ostomy Association in 2018. The patients were selected using convenience sampling method. The study tools included demographic characteristics form, Rosenberg self‐esteem scale and Schutte emotional intelligence questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS v.16 using descriptive and inferential statistics, including variance analysis and independent t test.

Results

Participants included 79 women and 76 men with the most frequency of age between 50–70 years old. 52.26% of the cases had cancer and 45.81% of the cases had inflammatory bowel disease and other related diseases. Pearson correlation coefficient results showed a positive and significant correlation between total emotional intelligence and self‐esteem (r = .56) (p = <.001).
Staff's perspectives on the organization of homecare services to people with dementia—A qualitative study
Authors: Hoel Kari‐Anne , Rokstad Anne Marie Mork , Feiring Ingvild Hjorth , Lichtwarck Bjørn , Selbæk Geir , Bergh Sverre
Published: February 2021

Aims

The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of homecare staff about the impact of the organization of homecare services for people with dementia.

Design

This study has a qualitative, exploratory design based on a phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach, using individual in‐depth interviews with homecare staff to collect data.

Methods

A convenience sample of 14 homecare staff from five municipalities participated in the study. Main topics introduced: (a) how homecare services for people with dementia are organized and (b) challenges in respondents' everyday practice of caring for people with dementia. Interviews were conducted from October to December 2017.

Results

Three main themes were identified from the interviews. (a) Complexity and need for individualized facilitated homecare services; homecare services were described as complex in regard to both the patient and the service. The complexity of the service made it challenging to tailor the service to the individual patient. (b) The importance of trust and relationships; establishing trust in the relationship between the patient and the staff resulted in better‐quality care. This was crucial for identifying the patient's need for help. (c) Organizational challenges; homecare services could be vulnerable to changes in the organization. Practical tasks and following the daily scheduled task list were often prioritized at the expense of an individually tailored service.
Evolution of medication consumption in a working environment in France: Results of the four waves of the “Drugs and Work” study (1986–2016)
Authors: Herin Fabrice , Othenin Jerome , Jouanjus Emilie , Rousseau Vanessa , Niezborala Michel , Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Previous studies in the working environment have underlined the high prevalence of drug consumption. The aim of this study was to present the main characteristics of this consumption in French workers and to identify changes from the 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016 surveys.

Methods

The design was a repeated cross‐sectional study in 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016. At each wave, demographic and socio‐professional characteristics, self‐reported consumption of medications during the week before the occupational medical visit, and perceived difficult working conditions and extraprofessional problems were collected among a sample of workers. Factors associated with consumption of any drug and of main therapeutic classes were investigated through multivariate logistic regression models, using 2016 as the reference for investigating temporal trends.

Results

Prevalence of use of any drug was significantly higher in 2016, with marked changes observed in comparison with 1986: absolute decrease of psychotropic (−5.1%, p < 0.0001), antibiotics (−2.7%, p < 0.0001) and cardiovascular drug use (−3.8%, p < 0.0001), increase of analgesic use (+8.3%, p < 0.0001). Difficult working conditions, age and female gender were independently associated with analgesic drug use, and extraprofessional problems and female gender associated with psychotropic drug use.

Conclusions

This analysis of self‐reported drug use in the working environment illustrates the global patterns of medication use in a French active population over 3 decades. The favorable development in the level of consumption of psychotropic drugs should not underestimate the attention to be paid to the determinants of chronic consumption, or possible transfers to less stigmatized medications.