bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Problematic Internet usage, personality, loneliness, and psychological well‐being in emerging adulthood
Authors: Dalton Francesca , Cassidy Tony
Published: December 2020

The current study explored the relationship between problem Internet use, personality, loneliness, and well‐being in emerging adulthood. An online survey using questionnaires assessed 673 emerging adults (247 males and 426 females) aged between 18 and 25 years on measures of problem Internet use, personality, loneliness and well‐being. Results show that problematic Internet use is directly related to emotional stability, conscientiousness, loneliness and well‐being. This relationship holds which ever direction of relationship between the personality variables and problematic Internet use is posited. It is argued that understanding the risk and protective factors for problem Internet use is particularly important at this emerging adult stage where attitudes, traits and behavior are malleable. There is a need for more longitudinal data on problem Internet use in emerging adulthood in order to prevent it leading to more serious pathology.
“A victim/survivor needs agency”: Sexual assault survivors’ perceptions of university mandatory reporting policies
Authors: Holland Kathryn J. , Cipriano Allison E. , Huit T. Zachary
Published: December 2020

In institutions of higher education, mandatory reporting policies require certain employees to report students’ sexual assault disclosures to university officials, even if the student does not want to report. It is commonly assumed that these policies will benefit survivors, but there is a paucity of research to substantiate this assumption. The current study examined college sexual assault survivors’ perceptions of mandatory reporting policies, including three specific policy approaches (Universal, Selective, Student‐Directed). Interviews were conducted with 40 college sexual assault survivors and thematic analysis was used to analyze these data. Results found that the mandatory reporting policy approaches that survivors prefer, which limit the number of mandatory reporters and offer more autonomy and flexibility, do not align with the policy approaches most frequently implemented within institutions of higher education (i.e., Universal). Survivors anticipated more harms resulting from mandatory reporting than benefits (e.g., pushing survivors into disclosures before they are ready, increasing stress and anxiety, discouraging help‐seeking from trusted sources of support on campus). Survivors lacked substantive knowledge of their university's mandatory reporting policy. Findings suggest that policy makers at institutional, state, and federal levels should consider survivors’ perspectives when crafting such policies and institutions should increase educational efforts about mandatory reporting.
Review of pharmacological options for the treatment of Chagas disease
Authors: Lascano Fernanda , García Bournissen Facundo , Altcheh Jaime
Published: December 2020

Chagas disease (CD) is a worldwide problem, with over 8 million people infected in both rural and urban areas. CD was first described over a century ago, but only two drugs are currently available for CD treatment: benznidazole (BZN) and nifurtimox (NF). Treating CD‐infected patients, especially children and women of reproductive age, is vital in order to prevent long‐term sequelae, such as heart and gastrointestinal dysfunction, but this aim is still far from being accomplished. Currently, the strongest data to support benefit–risk considerations come from trials in children. Treatment response biomarkers need further development as serology is being questioned as the best method to assess treatment response. This article is a narrative review on the pharmacology of drugs for CD, particularly BZN and NF. Data on drug biopharmaceutical characteristics, safety and efficacy of both drugs are summarized from a clinical perspective. Current data on alternative compounds under evaluation for CD treatment, and new possible treatment response biomarkers are also discussed. Early diagnosis and treatment of CD, especially in paediatric patients, is vital for an effective and safe use of the available drugs (i.e. BZN and NF). New biomarkers for CD are urgently needed for the diagnosis and evaluation of treatment efficacy, and to guide efforts from academia and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate the process of new drug development.
Mental contrasting with implementation intentions increases study time for university students
Authors: Clark Melinda , Miller Anthony , Berry Jamie , Cheng Ken
Published: December 2020

Background

Goal setting is a core aspect of human behaviour that drives action. The intention to achieve one's goals, however, does not necessarily translate into desired outcomes. Although the mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) strategy has demonstrated strong efficacy, limited investigations have been conducted in a university academic goal‐setting context.

Aims

The current study sought to investigate the efficacy of MCII in facilitating academic goal attainment in university students.

Method

Fifty‐eight students from Macquarie University, Australia, were randomly allocated to either MCII or stress management training, and were assessed on their progress towards the target goal of increased hours of study four weeks later. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) facilitated the generation of tailored specific goals and was the primary outcome measure.

Results

An analysis of covariance indicated that students trained in MCII achieved significantly better goal outcomes than those trained in stress management for both broad (p = .038) and course‐ or unit‐specific (p = .005) study goals.

Conclusions

Results highlight the efficacy of using MCII and GAS in combination to promote increased study time for university students.
Evolution of peptide nucleic acid with modifications of its backbone and application in biotechnology
Authors: Das Anuradha , Pradhan Biswaranjan
Published: December 2020

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are getting prodigious interest currently in the biomedical and diagnostic field as an extremely powerful tool because of their potentiality to hybridize with natural nucleic acids. Although PNA has strong affinity and sequence specificity to DNA/RNA, there is a considerable ongoing effort to further enhance their special chemical and biological properties for potential application in numerous fields, notably in the field of therapeutics. The toolbox for backbone modified PNAs synthesis has been extended substantially in recent decades, providing a more efficient synthesis of peptides with numerous scaffolds and modifications. This paper reviews the various strategies that have been developed so far for the modification of the PNA backbone, challenging the search for new PNA systems with improved chemical and physical properties lacking in the original aegPNA backbone. The various practical issues and limitations of different PNA systems are also summarized. The focus of this review is on the evolution of PNA by its backbone modification to improve the cellular uptake, sequence specificity, and compatibility of PNA to bind to DNA/RNA. Finally, an insight was also gained into major applications of backbone modified PNAs for the development of biosensors.
Selection of a new peptide homing SK‐BR‐3 breast cancer cells
Authors: Pereira Ana Cláudia , Ferreira Débora , Santos‐Pereira Cátia , Vieira Tatiana F. , Sousa Sérgio F. , Sales Goreti , Rodrigues Lígia R.
Published: December 2020

Breast cancer diagnosis remains a challenge, mostly due to its heterogeneity. This reality translates in delayed treatments, increasing treatment aggressiveness and lower chances of overall survival. The conventional detection techniques, although becoming increasingly sophisticated each year, still lack the ability to provide reliable conclusions without being time consuming, expensive, and uncomfortable for the patients. The identification of novel biomarkers for breast cancer research is therefore of utmost relevance for an early diagnosis. Moreover, breast cancer‐specific peptide moieties can be used to develop novel targeted drug delivery systems. In this work, we used phage display to identify a novel peptide with specificity to the SK‐BR‐3 breast cancer cell line. Cytometry assays confirmed its specificity, while bioinformatics and docking studies predicted the potential biomarkers at the SK‐BR‐3 cells' surface. These findings can be potentially useful in the clinical context, contributing to more specific and targeted therapeutic solutions against HER2‐positive breast cancer subtypes.
Two centuries of distribution data: detection of areas of endemism for the Brazilian angiosperms
Authors: Gomes‐da‐Silva Janaína , Forzza Rafaela Campostrini
Published: December 2020

Brazil has high levels of biodiversity and has received strong criticism for the increasing country‐wide deforestation that threatens it. Although a significant percentage of land area in Brazil is protected, the areas are insufficient and unevenly distributed. Many studies have contributed to the biogeographical knowledge of Brazilian flora, but no endemicity analysis (EA) has been conducted including all endemic angiosperms. We investigated the spatial component, drawing on a huge and taxonomically diverse dataset based on 827 016 records collected over the last two centuries. We conducted an EA for 15 034 species from 173 families using an optimality criterion with 2° and 3° grid sizes, in order to search for distributional concordance, to identify the biogeographical units and discuss the implications for conservation. Six analyses were run for basal angiosperms, monocots and eudicots. The EA recovered 66 consensus areas (CAs). The concordance of CAs enabled the identification of five best‐supported areas of endemism––three in the Atlantic and Parana Forest and two areas in the Cerrado province––supported by species of 120 families. The age of divergence for some genera that contributed significantly to the identification of areas recovered in the Cerrado coincides with the recent, <10 Ma, estimated age of that province. By contrast, the areas in the Atlantic and Parana Forest are supported by genera with earlier diversification >30 Ma, supporting an ancient origin. Most areas in the Atlantic Forest are partially superimposed with the limits of the protected areas, however, big gaps were identified in the Cerrado. Protecting Brazilian biomes was at the heart of Brazil’s environmental policy. Regrettably, this scenario has radically changed based on misleading divergences in conservation policy. Areas of endemism are pivotal for biodiversity conservation due to the common evolutionary history shared by their endemic taxa. Thus, we hope that these congruent patterns of endemism support the establishment of biodiversity priorities.
Changes in the surface topography and element proportion of clinically failed SLA implants after in vitro debridement by different methods
Authors: Tong Zian , Fu Renjie , Zhu Weijun , Shi Jue , Yu Mengfei , Si Misi
Published: December 2020

Objective

To evaluate the surface topography and element proportion changes in clinically failed implants after different modalities in vitro debridement and to compare the cleaning effect of different method combinations.

Material and Methods

Thirty clinical failed implants were treated by different debridement methods in vitro as follows: Group 1: physiologic saline irrigation; Group 2: glycine powder air polishing; Group 3: glycine powder air polishing + ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); Group 4: polyetheretherketone (PEEK) tip ultrasonic scaling; and Group 5: PEEK tip ultrasonic scaling + EDTA. The relative contaminated area reduction (RCAR), visual analogue scale (VAS, the higher value means, the better cleaning effect) and surface roughness were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), stereoscopic microscopy (SM) and white light interferometry (WLI). Surface chemistry was determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

Results

Group 4 and Group 5 showed higher RCARs (82.90%, 82.89%), VAS scores (2.61, 2.33) and roughness reductions (−0.85 μm, −1.80 μm). Group 3 attained the highest decrease of C% (carbon, −26.67%), O% (oxygen, −13.71%) and N% (nitrogen, −5.66%), and the highest increase of Ti% (titanium, 49.67%). PEEK remnants were detected on the implant surface of Groups 4 and 5.

Conclusion

Within the limitation of the present in vitro design, PEEK tip ultrasonic scaling was more effective in eliminating visible contamination, while glycine powder air polishing combined with EDTA treatment was more conducive to expose the original surface element distribution. Both methods have their own advantages in decontamination, but none of them could reconstruct the surface as the pristine implant.
Risks to large marine protected areas posed by drifting fish aggregation devices
Authors: Curnick David J. , Feary David A. , Cavalcante Geórgenes H.
Published: December 2020

Mapping and predicting the potential risk of fishing activities to large marine protected areas (MPAs), where management capacity is low but fish biomass may be globally important, is vital to prioritizing enforcement and maximizing conservation benefits. Drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) are a highly effective fishing method employed in purse seine fisheries that attract and accumulate biomass fish, making fish easier to catch. However, dFADs are associated with several negative impacts, including high bycatch rates and lost or abandoned dFADs becoming beached on sensitive coastal areas (e.g., coral reefs). Using Lagrangian particle modeling, we determined the potential transit of dFADs in a large MPA around the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. We then quantified the risk of dFADs beaching on the archipelago's reefs and atolls and determined the potential for dFADs to pass through the MPA, accumulate biomass while within, and export it into areas where it can be legally fished (i.e., transit). Over one‐third (37.51%) of dFADs posed a risk of either beaching or transiting the MPA for >14 days, 17.70% posed a risk of beaching or transiting the MPA for >30 days, and 13.11% posed a risk of beaching or transiting the MPA for >40 days. Modeled dFADs deployed on the east and west of the perimeter were more likely to beach and have long transiting times (i.e., posed the highest risk). The Great Chagos Bank, the largest atoll in the archipelago, was the most likely site to be affected by dFADs beaching. Overall, understanding the interactions between static MPAs and drifting fishing gears is vital to developing suitable management plans to support enforcement of MPA boundaries and the functioning and sustainability of their associated biomass.
Beyond regulations at DNA levels: A review of epigenetic therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells
Authors: Zhang Shunhao , Gong Yanji , Li Chunjie , Yang Wenbin , Li Longjiang
Published: December 2020

In the past few years, the paramount role of cancer stem cells (CSCs), in terms of cancer initiation, proliferation, metastasis, invasion and chemoresistance, has been revealed by accumulating studies. However, this level of cellular plasticity cannot be entirely explained by genetic mutations. Research on epigenetic modifications as a complementary explanation for the properties of CSCs has been increasing over the past several years. Notably, therapeutic strategies are currently being developed in an effort to reverse aberrant epigenetic alterations using specific chemical inhibitors. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of CSCs and their role in cancer progression, and provide an overview of epigenetic alterations seen in CSCs. Importantly, we focus on primary cancer therapies that target the epigenetic modification of CSCs by the use of specific chemical inhibitors, such as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors and microRNA‐based (miRNA‐based) therapeutics.
20‐HETE synthesis inhibition attenuates traumatic brain injury–induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis via the SIRT1/PGC‐1α pathway: A translational study
Authors: Cui Wenxing , Wu Xun , Shi Yingwu , Guo Wei , Luo Jianing , Liu Haixiao , Zheng Longlong , Du Yong , Wang Ping , Wang Qiang , Feng Dayun , Ge Shunnan , Qu Yan
Published: December 2020

Objectives

20‐hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20‐HETE) is a metabolite of arachidonic acid catalysed by cytochrome P450 enzymes and plays an important role in cell death and proliferation. We hypothesized that 20‐HETE synthesis inhibition may have protective effects in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and investigated possible underlying molecular mechanisms.

Materials and methods

Neurologic deficits, and lesion volume, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and cell death as assessed using immunofluorescence staining, transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting were used to determine post‐TBI effects of HET0016, an inhibitor of 20‐HETE synthesis, and their underlying mechanisms.

Results

The level of 20‐HETE was found to be increased significantly after TBI in mice. 20‐HETE synthesis inhibition reduced neuronal apoptosis, ROS production and damage to mitochondrial structures after TBI. Mechanistically, HET0016 decreased the Drp1 level and increased the expression of Mfn1 and Mfn2 after TBI, indicating a reversal of the abnormal post‐TBI mitochondrial dynamics. HET0016 also promoted the restoration of SIRT1 and PGC‐1α in vivo, and a SIRT1 activator (SRT1720) reversed the downregulation of SIRT1 and PGC‐1α and the abnormal mitochondrial dynamics induced by 20‐HETE in vitro. Furthermore, plasma 20‐HETE levels were found to be higher in TBI patients with unfavourable neurological outcomes and were correlated with the GOS score.

Conclusions

The inhibition of 20‐HETE synthesis represents a novel strategy to mitigate TBI‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis by regulating the SIRT1/PGC‐1α pathway.
The long non‐coding RNA landscape in triple‐negative breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Wenwen , Guan Xiaoxiang , Tang Jinhai
Published: December 2020

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer that has a higher risk of distant recurrence and metastasis, leading to a relatively aggressive biological behaviour and poor outcome. So far, the clinical management of TNBC is challenging because of its heterogeneity and paucity of specific targeted therapy. Recently, various studies have identified a lot of differently expressed long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in TNBC. Those lncRNAs have been reported to play important roles in the multistep process of TNBC tumorigenesis. Here, we review the biological characteristics of lncRNAs, and present the current state of knowledge concerning the expression, function and regulation of lncRNAs in TNBC. Accumulating studies explored the potential lncRNAs‐based therapeutics in TNBC, including the techniques of genetic modification using antisense oligonucleotides, locked nucleic acid and RNA nanotechnology. In current review, we also discuss the future prospects of studies about lncRNAs in TNBC and development of lncRNA‐based strategies for clinical TNBC patients.
Incipient resistance to an effective pesticide results from genetic adaptation and the canalization of gene expression
Authors: Yin Xiaoshen , Martinez Alexander S. , Perkins Abigail , Sparks Morgan M. , Harder Avril M. , Willoughby Janna R. , Sepúlveda Maria S. , Christie Mark R.
Published: December 2020

The resistance of pest species to chemical controls has vast ecological, economic, and societal costs. In most cases, resistance is only detected after spreading throughout an entire population. Detecting resistance in its incipient stages, by comparison, provides time to implement preventative strategies. Incipient resistance can be detected by coupling standard toxicology assays with large‐scale gene expression experiments. We apply this approach to a system where an invasive parasite, sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), has been treated with the highly effective pesticide 3‐trifluoromethyl‐4‐nitrophenol (TFM) for 60 years. Toxicological experiments revealed that lamprey from treated populations did not have higher survival to TFM exposure than lamprey from untreated populations, demonstrating that full‐fledged resistance has not yet evolved. In contrast, we find hundreds of genes differentially expressed in response to TFM in the population with the longest history of exposure, many of which relate to TFM’s primary mode of action, the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, and subsequent depletion of ATP. Three genes critical to oxidative phosphorylation, ATP5PB, PLCB1, and NDUFA9, were nearly fixed for alternative alleles in comparisons of SNPs between treated and untreated populations (FST > 5 SD from the mean). ATP5PB encodes subunit b of ATP synthase and an additional subunit, ATP5F1B, was canalized for high expression in treated populations, but remained plastic in response to TFM treatment in individuals from the untreated population. These combined genomic and transcriptomic results demonstrate that an adaptive, genetic response to TFM is likely driving incipient resistance in a damaging pest species.
Maternal Mediation in the Context of Fathers' Incarceration and Reentry
Authors: Arditti Joyce A. , McGregor Casey , Dennison Susan , Johnson Shawnice , Besemer Kirsten
Published: December 2020

Objective

We sought to develop grounded theory regarding how mothers who share children with an incarcerated father mediate between men and their offspring.

Background

Mothers' mediation can be situated at the intersection of theirmotherworkand theirprison work.Motherwork(Collins, 1994) refers to the paid and unpaid labor that mothers on the margins do to support their families and foster their children's survival.Prison work(Codd, 2007) involves the invisible labor of supporting persons during their incarceration and reentry. A focus on maternal mediation as a proximal process that bears on justice‐involved families acknowledges the inherent tension between these domains.

Method

We conducted a secondary analysis of interview data from 16 Australian mothers who had at least one child whose father had a history of incarceration.

Results

We identified four patterns of maternal mediation: facilitation, monitoring, constraint, and disengagement. These types connected to aspects of women'smotherwork, as well as the intensity of their efforts to support children's fathers.

Conclusion

Mediation is a form of women'sprison‐motherwork, which reflects complex and shifting strategies that are influenced by children's developmental needs and preferences, mothers' feelings about children's fathers and their importance in children's lives, and time.

Implications

Women would benefit from having specialized support and counseling throughout their partner's (or former partner's) carceral confinement and reentry.
Second sialic acid‐binding site of influenza A virus neuraminidase: binding receptors for efficient release
Authors: Du Wenjuan , de Vries Erik , van Kuppeveld Frank J. M. , Matrosovich Mikhail , de Haan Cornelis A. M.
Published: December 2020

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are a major cause of human respiratory tract infections and cause significant disease and mortality. Human IAVs originate from animal viruses that breached the host species barrier. IAV particles contain sialoglycan receptor‐binding hemagglutinin (HA) and receptor‐destroying neuraminidase (NA) in their envelope. When IAV crosses the species barrier, the functional balance between HA and NA needs to be adjusted to the sialoglycan repertoire of the novel host species. Relatively little is known about the role of NA in host adaptation in contrast to the extensively studied HA. NA prevents virion aggregation and facilitates release of (newly assembled) virions from cell surfaces and from decoy receptors abundantly present in mucus and cell glycocalyx. In addition to a highly conserved catalytic site, NA carries a second sialic acid‐binding site (2SBS). The 2SBS preferentially binds α2,3‐linked sialic acids and enhances activity of the neighboring catalytic site by bringing/keeping multivalent substrates in close contact with this site. In this way, the 2SBS contributes to the HA‐NA balance of virus particles and affects virus replication. The 2SBS is highly conserved in all NA subtypes of avian IAVs, with some notable exceptions associated with changes in the receptor‐binding specificity of HA and host tropism. Conservation of the 2SBS is invariably lost in human (pandemic) viruses and in several other viruses adapted to mammalian host species. Preservation or loss of the 2SBS is likely to be an important factor of the viral host range.
KIcandKIIcmeasurement for hot mix asphalt mixtures at low temperature: Experimental and theoretical study using the semicircular bend specimen with different thicknesses
Authors: Xiongzhou Yuan , Yuze Tian , Qinglin Liu , Song Liu , Qianwen Dou , Aliha M.R.M.
Published: December 2020

Pure mode I and mode II fracture toughness of asphalt mixture was investigated both experimentally and theoretically using vertical edge crack semicircular bend (SCB) specimen with symmetric and asymmetric bottom loading spans. The thickness of SCB specimen was considered in the range from 30 to 70 mm, and the fracture toughness tests were performed at three subzero temperatures (−5°C, −15°C and −25°C). The results showed thatKIcandKIIcare increased by reducing the test temperature. The thickness had no sound effect on the fracture toughness, but the thickness of 50 mm was more suitable for fracture study on this material. The fracture load of mode II specimen was significantly greater than the mode I fracture load at the same testing condition. The fracture toughness ratio (KIIc/KIc) that varies in the range between 1 and 1.4 was predicted theoretically using three well‐known stress/strain‐based fracture criteria.
Discriminating climate, land‐cover and random effects on species range dynamics
Authors: Taheri Shirin , García‐Callejas David , Araújo Miguel B.
Published: December 2020

Species are reportedly shifting their distributions poleward and upward in several parts of the world in response to climate change. The extent to which other factors might play a role driving these changes is still unclear. Land‐cover change is a major cause of distributional changes, but it cannot be discarded that distributional dynamics might be at times caused by other mechanisms (e.g. dispersal, ecological drift). Using observed changes in the distribution of 82 breeding birds in Great Britain between three time periods 1968–72 (t1), 1988–91 (t2) and 2007–2011 (t3), we examine whether observed bird range shifts between t1‐t2 and t1‐t3 are best explained by climate change or land‐cover change, or whether they are not distinguishable from what would be expected by chance. We found that range shifts across the rear edge of northerly distributed species in Great Britain are best explained by climate change, while shifts across the leading edge of southerly distributed species are best explained by changes in land‐cover. In contrast, at the northern and southern edges of Great Britain, range dynamics could not be distinguished from that expected by chance. The latter observation could be a consequence of boundary effects limiting the direction and magnitude of range changes, stochastic demographic mechanisms neither associated with climate nor land‐cover change or with complex interactions among factors. Our results reinforce the view that comprehensive assessments of climate change effects on species range shifts need to examine alternative drivers of change on equal footing and that null models can help assess whether observed patterns could have arisen by chance alone.
Enrichment of deoxynivalenol and establishment of online early warning treatment system for drinking water
Authors: Liu Qianyu , Yang Panpan , Du Wenqi , Dong Dongli , Yang Guang , Tang Shuze
Published: December 2020

An online monitoring and early warning system was established to detect drinking water pollution from deoxynivalenol (DON). Flow injection chemiluminescence was selected as online monitoring tool for its low detection limit, fast detection process and broad linear range. The toxigenic strain of Fusarium graminearum (GDMCC3.507, freeze‐dried powder) was incubated and grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture medium under constant temperature of 26 °C for 5 days. Different culture conditions were investigated to determine the most suitable conditions to culture the fungi and enrich DON that produced by Fusarium graminearum. Powder activated carbon (PAC) was used to remove DON in drinking water. A dynamic threshold X ± 5SD was established to detect DON in drinking water effectively. Calculation of standard curve indicated that 6 mg DON could be easily extracted from 100 mg corn culture medium. Emergency detoxification was achieved by PAC and the removal rate reached 76% after 50 min of adsorption process. Once the chemiluminescence intensity exceeded the X ± 5SD value of the exact point during the monitoring process, the tap water was estimated to have excessive toxin. The establishment of this emergency system could provide a basis for dealing with sudden pollution of drinking water.
Financing a risk‐averse manufacturer in a pull contract: early payment versus retailer investment
Authors: Yang Chen , Fang Weiguo , Zhang Baofeng
Published: December 2020

This work focuses on a two‐level supply chain with a pull contract, where the retailer acts as a leader and the capital‐constrained manufacturer as a follower who undertakes the inventory risk. In the presence of demand uncertainty, the manufacturer is risk‐averse, and the risk is measured by the semideviation method. To finance the capital‐constrained manufacturer, we investigate two collaborative supply chain finance schemes: retailer's early payment (EP) financing and retailer investment (RI) financing. We characterize the manufacturer's optimal production quantity and the retailer's wholesale price under EP and RI. Under the two financing schemes, the manufacturer obtains a higher utility when his risk aversion degree is moderate, while the retailer is worse off in the presence of a higher risk aversion degree. Under RI, both optimal production quantity and wholesale price decrease in the proportion of dividends shared by the manufacturer. For the manufacturer (or the retailer or the total supply chain), we derive the associated parameter region in which RI achieves a higher performance than EP. When RI and EP are available, there exists a common parameter region in which RI is preferred by the manufacturer, retailer, and total supply chain.
Natural radiole damage and regeneration in the feather duster worm Schizobranchia insignis
Authors: Brown Shannon D. , Emlet Richard B.
Published: December 2020

The feather duster worm Schizobranchia insignis is an abundant marine annelid found subtidally and in the low intertidal of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. As in other sabellids, the anterior appendages, used for feeding and respiration, can be damaged by physical or biological means. Limited information is available on the regeneration of radioles leading us to study this process on a worm with radioles that dichotomously branch. First, we documented the occurrence of natural radiole damage in two populations of S. insignis found at environmentally distinct sites: a subtidal marina and an intertidal, rocky bench. All 21 worms collected from the exposed intertidal bench had branchial crown damage, whereas 15 of 22 worms (68%) sampled in the marina exhibited natural radiole damage. In the laboratory, we observed radiole regeneration on individuals of S. insignis from the marina by removing a single radiole. Radiole regrowth was a continuous process in which functionality was restored through radiole bifurcation, elongation, and the development of internal support structures. The regrowth of a single radiole of S. insignis took more than 35 days. However, in one of our studies, after 21 days, although not all individuals recovered, four of 12 worms (33%) had completed bifurcation. Pointed tips on the distal‐most branches signified the end of bifurcation. During recovery, individuals of S. insignis did not consistently regenerate the same number of branches observed prior to damage. In addition, a majority of the radiole elongation during recovery occurred after branching. The radiole regeneration in Eudistylia vancouveri, a closely related species found in the marina, was observed to compare regeneration in co‐occurring species. We found that the radiole regeneration in E. vancouveri was less complex because of the absence of branching. Since Schizobranchia is the only genus in which radioles are branched, our study of S. insignis provides a unique examination of natural radiole damage and regrowth.
Prevention of pressure injury in the operating room: Heels operating room pressure injury trial
Authors: Eberhardt Thaís Dresch , de Lima Suzinara Beatriz Soares , de Avila Soares Rhea Silvia , Silveira Lidiana Batista Teixeira Dutra , Rossarola Pozzebon Bruna , Reis Cassia Ribeiro , dos Santos Karla Priscilla Paulino , Alves Paulo Jorge Pereira
Published: December 2020

The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of multi‐layered silicone foam (intervention) compared with transparent polyurethane film (control) in preventing heel pressure injuries caused by surgical positioning of individuals undergoing elective surgery. It was designed an intra‐patient, open, parallel, randomised controlled trial was conducted in a university hospital in southern Brazil, from March 2019 to February 2020, with patients undergoing elective surgeries of cardiac and gastrointestinal specialties. The patients who met the selection criteria constituted, simultaneously, a single group receiving the intervention and active control, through paired analysis of the cutaneous sites (right heel and left heel). The outcome was the occurrence of PI, within the follow‐up period was 72 hours. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR‐5GKNG5. There was analysis of 135 patients/270 heels, with an overall incidence of 36.7%. The pressure injury incidence was significantly lower in the intervention group (26.7%), compared with the control group (P = .001); relative risk of 0.57. In the intervention group, the estimated pressure injury‐free time (survival) was 57.5 hours and in the control group, 43.9 hours. It was concluded that Multi‐layered silicone foam (intervention) is more efficacious than transparent polyurethane film (control) in the prevention of pressure injuries caused by surgical positioning of individuals undergoing elective surgery.
Evaluation of the National Task Group‐Early Detection Screen for Dementia: Sensitivity to ‘mild cognitive impairment’ in adults with Down syndrome
Authors: Silverman Wayne , Krinsky‐McHale Sharon J. , Lai Florence , Diana Rosas H. , Hom Christy , Doran Eric , Pulsifer Margaret , Lott Ira , Schupf Nicole ,   The Alzheimer’s Disease in Down Syndrome (ADDS) Consortium
Published: December 2020

Background

The accuracy of the National Task Group‐Early Detection Screen for Dementia (NTG‐EDSD) was evaluated in a sample of 185 adults with Down syndrome (DS), emphasizing ‘mild cognitive impairment (MCI‐DS)’.

Method

Knowledgeable informants were interviewed with the NTG‐EDSD, and findings were compared to an independent dementia status rating based on consensus review of detailed assessments of cognition, functional abilities and health status (including physician examination).

Results

Results indicated that sections of the NTG‐EDSD were sensitive to MCI‐DS, with one or more concerns within the ‘Memory’ or ‘Language and Communication’ domains being most informative.

Conclusions

The NTG‐EDSD is a useful tool for evaluating dementia status, including MCI‐DS. However, estimates of sensitivity and specificity, even for detecting frank dementia, indicated that NTG‐EDSD findings need to be supplemented by additional sources of relevant information to achieve an acceptable level of diagnostic/screening accuracy.
Connecting the dots: Understanding the interrelated impacts of type, quality and children's awareness of design features and the mathematics content learning goals in digital math games and related learning outcomes
Authors: Bullock Emma P. , Roxburgh Allison L. , Moyer‐Packenham Patricia S. , Bektas Elif , Webster Joseph S. , Bullock Kathleen A.
Published: December 2020

This study focused on an examination of how type, quality and children's awareness of design features in digital math games, along with an awareness of the mathematics goals of the game, were related to learning outcomes. We conducted a parallel conversion mixed methods study with 45 students in Grades 3 and 4 (ages 9–10). Students participated in clinical interviews using three digital math games. The results suggest a moderated mediation relationship in which the quality of the design features moderated the mediating impact of children's awareness of the game's design features, specifically when the child was aware of the mathematics content learning goal (MCLG) of the game. These findings show how important it is that design features are of high quality in a digital math game, and how this is intertwined with children's awareness of the features and the MCLG. When these variables intertwined in just the right way, the interactions between the children and the digital math game afforded mathematical learning growth.
Cost‐effective cellulase production, improvement strategies, and future challenges
Authors: Bhati Nikita , Shreya  , Sharma Arun Kumar
Published: December 2020

The most abundant biopolymer accessible on earth is lignocellulose. The hydrolysis of lignocelluloses is completed through enzyme groups such as ligninases, hemicelluloses, and cellulases as independently and together called lignocellulolytic enzymes. This review is focused on dealing with enhanced production of cellulose using modern techniques like strain improvement, consolidated bioprocessing, metabolic engineering, and recombinant technology, and defines the technology to boost the enzyme activity and its yield. Furthermore, the restrains linked with the production of cellulolytic enzyme and the direction of upcoming research to offer a complete strategy to improve cellulase yield with novel properties for industrial application at cost‐effective levels are mentioned.

Practical applications

Cellulase is a complex enzyme consisting of an endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and β‐D‐glucosidase which acts in combination to release a small unit of glucose. Cellulase has vast potential in the industrial sector especially in the food and beverage as well as paper and pulp industries. The parameters such as strain improvement and heterologous gene expression are involved to enhance the cellulase production. This review discusses the cost‐effective production of cellulolytic enzyme and also emphasizes the limitations and future prospects of this enzyme production on a large scale.
Nanoscale morphology and fractal analysis of TiO2 coatings on ITO substrate by electrodeposition
Authors: Amâncio Moíses Amaral , Pinto Erveton Pinheiro , Matos Robert Saraiva , Nobre Francisco Xavier , Brito Walter Ricardo , da Fonseca Filho Henrique Duarte
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we introduced an advanced discussion of the 3D morphology of TiO2 coatings deposited on ITO substrate by electrodeposition under different deposition times. Atomic force microscopy was applied for obtaining topographic images of the samples. The images were processed using the MountainsMap 8.0 commercial software according to ISO 25178‐2:2012. Moreover, fractal theory was applied to study the surface microtexture of coatings. The morphology was affected by the deposition time, where the grain size decreased with the increase of the time, making film's surfaces smoother. In addition, the surface roughness exhibited a random behaviour, but does not presented significant difference between samples. The fractal dimension showed similar values for all coatings. In contrast, surface texture isotropy also exhibited random behaviour. However, advanced fractal parameters revealed that when the deposition time increased, the coatings microtexture has become uniform and less porous. Furthermore, all coatings presented high topographic uniformity, regardless of deposition time. These results revealed that the morphology and microtexture of TiO2‐based coatings can be controlled by the deposition time.

Lay Description

An advanced characterization on the micromorphology of 3D morphology, using AFM images, of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) coatings deposited on ITO substrate by electrodeposition under different deposition times. TiO2 is one of the most studied semiconductors to make photovoltaic devices. The versatility of this semiconductor is associated with low toxicity, high photochemical stability, abundance, and the facility to obtain by conventional synthesis routes. The obtention of a homogeneous and stable layer in the semiconductor TiO2 film deposition is a crucial stage in the assembly of sensitized photovoltaic devices. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a technique which can magnify up to a billion times and it uses a tip or probe which touches the sample surface point by point. The tip deflection is interpreted as the surface topography by the software, producing 2D or 3D images that generate several tribological parameters such as roughness in respect to a scanned area, has been a technique widely reported in the morphological characterization, determination of thickness, roughness, and particle size in thin films. Therefore, in this paper, the morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy using MountainsMap commercial software. The main goal was to study the influence of the deposition time on the morphology and microtexture of the material. New parameters such as surface entropy, fractal succolarity and fractal lacunarity were obtained for studying coatings microtexture's complexity.
Indentation probe with optical fibre array‐based optical coherence tomography for material deformation
Authors: Marrese Marica , Paardekam E.J. , Iannuzzi Davide
Published: December 2020

We present a new optomechanical probe for mechanical testing of soft matter. The probe consists of a micromachined cantilever equipped with an indenting sphere, and an array of 16 single‐mode optical fibres, which are connected to an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system that allows subsurface analysis of the sample during the indentation stroke. To test our device and its capability, we performed indentation on a PDMS‐based phantom. Our findings demonstrate that Common Path (CP)‐OCT via lensed optical fibres can be successfully combined with a microindentation sensor to visualise the phantom's deformation profile at different indentation depths and locations in real time.

Lay Description

This work presents a new approach to simultaneously perform micro‐indentation experiments and OCT imaging. An optical fiber array‐based sensor is used to develop a new hybrid tool where micro‐indentation is combined with optical coherence tomography. The sensor is therefore capable of compressing a sample with a small force and simultaneously collecting OCT depth profiles underneath and around the indentation point. This method offers the opportunity to characterize the mechanical properties of soft materials and simultaneously visualize their deformation profile. The ability to integrate OCT imaging with indentation technology is promising for the non‐invasive and precise characterization of different soft materials.
Linking Physiology To Ecological Function: Environmental Conditions Affect Performance And Size Of The Intertidal Kelp Hedophyllum Sessile (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae)
Authors: Burnaford Jennifer L. , Nguyen Tuong‐Vy T. , Henderson Scottie Y. , Van Alstyne Kathryn L.
Published: December 2020

For autogenic ecosystem engineers, body size is an aspect of individual performance that has direct connections to community structure; yet the complex morphology of these species can make it difficult to draw clear connections between the environment and performance. We combined laboratory experiments and field surveys to test the hypothesis that individual body size was determined by disparate localized physiological responses to environmental conditions across the complex thallus of the intertidal kelp Hedophyllum sessile, a canopy‐forming physical ecosystem engineer. We documented substantial (> 40%) declines in whole‐thallus photosynthetic potential (as Maximum Quantum Yield, MQY) as a consequence of emersion, which were related to greater than 10‐fold increases in intra‐thallus MQY variability (as Coefficient of Variation). In laboratory experiments, desiccation and high light levels during emersion led to lasting impairment of photosynthetic potential and an immediate > 25% reduction in area due to tissue contraction, which was followed by complete loss of structural integrity after three days of submersion. Tissue exposed to desiccation and high light during emersion had higher nitrogen concentrations and lower phlorotannin concentrations than tissue in control treatments (on average 1.36 and 0.1x controls, respectively), suggesting that conditions during emersion have the potential to affect food quality for consumers. Our data indicate that the complex thallus morphology of H. sessile may be critical to this kelp’s ability to persist in the intertidal zone despite the physiological challenges of emersion and encourage a more nuanced view of the concept of “sub‐lethal stress” on the scale of the whole individual.
Intertidal Canopy‐forming Seaweeds Modulate Understory Seaweed Photoprotective Compounds
Authors: Roberts Emily A. , Bracken Matthew E.S.
Published: December 2020

Foundation species provide physical structure that enhances the diversity and abundance of associated organisms. Canopy‐forming seaweeds are known to act as foundation species on rocky shores by lowering temperature and desiccation stress. Direct solar radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) light, can also reduce photosynthetic rates in algae, cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. The reduction in UV exposure provided by an algal canopy could therefore be important for understory organisms, including the red alga Chondrus crispus on New England’s (USA) rocky shores, and this relationship may be more important at higher tidal elevations with increased low‐tide exposure time. In field experiments, we investigated the relationship between tidal elevation and an index of C. crispus UV exposure, the concentration of UV‐absorbing pigments. Low on the shore, C. crispus grew without a canopy. Higher on the shore, in the mid‐intertidal zone, C. crispus was found under the canopy‐forming rockweed, Fucus distichus subsp. evanescens. At this elevation, C. crispus was shaded (>50%; >1 m above MLLW). We performed a canopy removal experiment that spanned the mid‐zone where C. crispus and F. distichus subsp. evanescens co‐occur and the low‐zone (no canopy). Following canopy removal in the mid‐zone, UV pigment concentrations increased with tidal elevation. After accounting for the effect of elevation, removal of the algal canopy resulted in UV‐protective pigment concentrations 2‐fold higher than in un‐manipulated control plots. These results suggest that amelioration of solar UV exposure might be another mechanism by which canopy seaweeds, acting as foundation species, facilitate understory seaweeds on rocky shores.