bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tolerance of Muslim minority identity enactment: The roles of social context, type of action and cultural continuity concern
Authors: Velthuis Evi , Van der Noll Jolanda , Verkuyten Maykel
Published: February 2022

There have been strong debates in many European countries about religious identity enactment of Muslims, with the wearing of the headscarf in public places being a central symbolic topic. This study investigated the importance of the context (private versus three public contexts) for tolerance of Muslim identity enactment (e.g., the wearing of headscarves) among a national sample of Dutch majority group members. Using an experimental design, it was found that tolerance was highest in the private context, followed by the street context and then the contexts of work. Furthermore and in all contexts, tolerance of Muslims persuading others to start enacting their religious identity in a similar way was lower than tolerance of identity enactment itself. Moreover, both types of tolerance were found to differ by context only for majority members who were highly concerned about the continuity of their ingroup's cultural identity (i.e., cultural continuity). It is concluded that context‐related and action‐related variance, as well as cultural continuity, are important for majority members' tolerance of Muslim minority identity enactment.
Navigating privacy concerns through societal benefits: A case of digital contact tracing applications
Authors: Jahari Siti Aqilah , Hass Ashley , Hass Danielle , Joseph Mathew
Published: February 2022

Digital contact tracing (DCT) applications, as a type of location‐based application, have been employed in many countries to help mitigate the spread of the COVID‐19 virus. However, the emergence of DCTs has amplified concerns over privacy issues as consumers are confronted with the ethical dilemma that arises regarding serving public and private interests. In other words, to what extent are consumers willing to negotiate their privacy concerns to gain perceived social benefits? Drawing on Social Exchange Theory as the theoretical lens to examine interpersonal relations between the government and consumers, this study investigates the extent to which consumers' perceived social benefits (e.g., reciprocity, trust, and reputation) mediate the relationship between privacy concerns and the intention to use DCT applications. Based on 269 usable responses, the results revealed that government trust was insignificant in mediating the relationship between privacy concerns and intention to use the DCT application. Rather, the expected reciprocal benefits and reputation enhancement were found to have significant mediating effects. Perceived government regulation was also found to moderate the relationship between privacy concerns and government trust. The paper concludes with suggestions for practitioners and policymakers on the plausible strategies to encourage the adoption of DCT applications.
Simulation of Morphology Evolution in Spray Drying of Suspensions by a Meshfree Approach
Authors: Säckel Winfried , Nieken Ulrich
Published: February 2022

Spray drying is a widely used process to obtain solid porous products from a liquid feed. Whereas the product's morphology is important for its further processing, established one‐dimensional single droplet models are limited in predicting the final structure depending on drying conditions and functional additives as binders. A novel approach based on a meshfree method is employed to calculate the final morphology from first principles by accounting for physical effects like surface tension and wetting. Generation of dense porous products and buildup of hollow particles with a porous crust can be modelled, depending on the model parameters.
Adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma and use of the 21‐gene recurrence score: A National Cancer Database analysis
Authors: Weiser Roi , Polychronopoulou Efstathia , Hatch Sandra S. , Haque Waqar , Ghani Hafiz A. , He Jing , Kuo Yong‐fang , Gradishar William J. , Klimberg V. Suzanne
Published: February 2022

Background

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is traditionally considered less responsive to chemotherapy. Although the Oncotype recurrence score (RS) has been validated to identify high‐risk patients who benefit from chemotherapy, some studies have questioned its relevance in patients with ILC. The objective of this study was to better characterize potential use of the RS in these patients.

Methods

The National Cancer Database was used to identify women with stage I through III, T1 through T3, N0 or N1, hormone receptor‐positive, HER2‐negative ILC or invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) who had an available RS between 2010 and 2016. Multivariable Cox regression was used to model the effect of variables on 5‐year overall survival (OS). The Kaplan‐Meier method was used to estimate OS according to the RS, nodal status, and chemotherapy.

Results

In total, 15,763 patients with ILC and 100,070 with IDC were identified. The mean age of patients with ILC and IDC was 59.2 ± 9.1 and 57.2 ± 9.8, respectively. A lower percentage of patients with ILC versus those with IDC had a high RS, defined as >25 (6.6% vs 16.0%; P < .0001). ILC patients with a high RS who had N0 or N1 disease received approximately 10% less chemotherapy compared with similar patients who had IDC. The results indicated that the RS had statistically significant prognostic value for patients with ILC. In addition, an absolute OS advantage was correlated with the receipt of chemotherapy by patients with ILC who had a high RS with N0 or N1 disease.

Conclusions

Patients with ILC who have a high RS are treated less often with chemotherapy compared with similar patients who have IDC. Nevertheless, the RS has a prognostic as well as a predictive value in ILC, with an association between OS benefit and chemotherapy receipt in patients who have ILC with a high RS, especially if they have N1 disease.

Lay Summary

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a subtype of breast cancer comprising about 15% of cases.

The Oncotype recurrence score (RS) is a genetic test of breast tumors that helps predict which patients might benefit from chemotherapy.

Some have doubted the relevance of the RS for patients with ILC.

In this study, the authors show that the RS is relevant for patients who have ILC.

The RS has the potential of predicting the risk of recurrence and identifying patients with ILC who might benefit from chemotherapy.
Non‐invasive monitoring of multiple wildlife health factors by fecal microbiome analysis
Authors: Pannoni Samuel B. , Proffitt Kelly M. , Holben William E.
Published: February 2022

Fecal microbial biomarkers represent a less invasive alternative for acquiring information on wildlife populations than many traditional sampling methodologies. Our goal was to evaluate linkages between fecal microbiome communities in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) and four host factors including sex, age, population, and physical condition (body‐fat). We paired a feature‐selection algorithm with an LDA‐classifier trained on elk differential bacterial abundance (16S‐rRNA amplicon survey) to predict host health factors from 104 elk microbiomes across four elk populations. We validated the accuracy of the various classifier predictions with leave‐one‐out cross‐validation using known measurements. We demonstrate that the elk fecal microbiome can predict the four host factors tested. Our results show that elk microbiomes respond to both the strong extrinsic factor of biogeography and simultaneously occurring, but more subtle, intrinsic forces of individual body‐fat, sex, and age‐class. Thus, we have developed and described herein a generalizable approach to disentangle microbiome responses attributed to multiple host factors of varying strength from the same bacterial sequence data set. Wildlife conservation and management presents many challenges, but we demonstrate that non‐invasive microbiome surveys from scat samples can provide alternative options for wildlife population monitoring. We believe that, with further validation, this method could be broadly applicable in other species and potentially predict other measurements. Our study can help guide the future development of microbiome‐based monitoring of wildlife populations and supports hypothetical expectations found in host‐microbiome theory.
Favorable spring conditions can buffer the impact of winter carryover effects on a key breeding decision in an Arctic‐breeding seabird
Authors: Steenweg Rolanda J. , Crossin Glenn T. , Hennin Holly L. , Gilchrist H. Grant , Love Oliver P.
Published: February 2022

The availability and investment of energy among successive life‐history stages is a key feature of carryover effects. In migratory organisms, examining how both winter and spring experiences carryover to affect breeding activity is difficult due to the challenges in tracking individuals through these periods without impacting their behavior, thereby biasing results.

Using common eiders Somateria mollissima, we examined whether spring conditions at an Arctic breeding colony (East Bay Island, Nunavut, Canada) can buffer the impacts of winter temperatures on body mass and breeding decisions in birds that winter at different locations (Nuuk and Disko Bay, Greenland, and Newfoundland, Canada; assessed by analyzing stable isotopes of 13‐carbon in winter‐grown claw samples). Specifically, we used path analysis to examine how wintering and spring environmental conditions interact to affect breeding propensity (a key reproductive decision influencing lifetime fitness in female eiders) within the contexts of the timing of colony arrival, pre‐breeding body mass (body condition), and a physiological proxy for foraging effort (baseline corticosterone).

We demonstrate that warmer winter temperatures predicted lower body mass at arrival to the nesting colony, whereas warmer spring temperatures predicted earlier arrival dates and higher arrival body mass. Both higher body mass and earlier arrival dates of eider hens increased the probability that birds would initiate laying (i.e., higher breeding propensity). However, variation in baseline corticosterone was not linked to either winter or spring temperatures, and it had no additional downstream effects on breeding propensity.

Overall, we demonstrate that favorable pre‐breeding conditions in Arctic‐breeding common eiders can compensate for the impact that unfavorable wintering conditions can have on breeding investment, perhaps due to greater access to foraging areas prior to laying.
Influence of seascape spatial pattern on the trophic niche of an omnivorous fish
Authors: Santos Rolando O. , James W. Ryan , Nelson James A. , Rehage Jennifer S. , Serafy Joseph , Pittman Simon J. , Lirman Diego
Published: February 2022

Habitat fragmentation of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) transforms the spatial pattern of seascapes by changing both the total area and spatial configuration of the habitat patches. The ecological effects of SAV seascapes are most often assessed using metrics of biological community composition (e.g., species and assemblage changes). We know considerably less about the effects of seascape structure on ecological processes such as food web function and energy flow. Here, we assess the difference in the trophic niche of Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides, a generalist omnivore) across a spatial gradient of SAV from continuous to highly fragmented seascapes in Biscayne Bay (Miami, Florida, USA). The Bay seascapes are influenced by freshwater management practices that alter the distribution of SAV habitat and fish species abundance, diversity, and community assemblage. We combined SAV seascape maps with stable isotope and hypervolume analyses to determine how trophic niche size and overlap varied with changes in the seascape. We observed similar resource use across the seascape, but trophic niche size increased in more fragmented SAV seascapes, suggesting diversification of trophic roles and energy flow pathways. Pinfish collected from more continuous SAV habitats had smaller trophic niche size and higher trophic levels. Both trophic response metrics manifested a threshold response that depended on distinct SAV spatial characteristics (amount vs. spatial configuration) and environmental conditions. Our results suggest that habitat fragmentation of SAV seascape structure has ecological implications that could affect energy flow with cascading consequences for food web stability and ecosystem functioning.
Prognostic significance of serum chloride level in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Seo Masahiro , Watanabe Tetsuya , Yamada Takahisa , Yano Masamichi , Hayashi Takaharu , Nakagawa Akito , Nakagawa Yusuke , Tamaki Shunsuke , Yasumura Yoshio , Sotomi Yohei , Hikoso Shungo , Nakatani Daisaku , Fukunami Masatake , Sakata Yasushi ,   Osaka CardioVascular Conference (OCVC)‐Heart Failure investigators
Published: February 2022

Aims

The prognostic value of serum chloride level has been reported primarily in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and hence, there is limited evidence in patients of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This study was conducted to clarify the relationship between serum chloride level and clinical outcomes in patients with HFpEF with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

Methods and results

Patient data were extracted from The Prospective mUlticenteR obServational stUdy of patIenTs with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (PURSUIT HFpEF) study, a prospective multicentre observational registry for ADHF‐HFpEF in Osaka. The data of 870 patients were analysed after excluding patients with in‐hospital death, missing follow‐up data, missing data of serum chloride level, or on chronic dialysis therapy. The primary endpoint of this study was all‐cause mortality. At discharge, right ventricular systolic dysfunction was significantly associated with the lowest tertile of serum chloride level after multivariable adjustment (P = 0.0257). During a mean follow‐up period of 1.8 ± 1.0 years, 186 patients died. Cox multivariable analysis showed that serum chloride level at discharge (P = 0.0017) was independently associated with all‐cause mortality after multivariable adjustment of major confounders, whereas serum sodium level was no longer significant (P = 0.6761). Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis revealed a significantly increased risk of mortality stratified by the tertile of serum chloride level [29% vs. 19% vs. 16%, P = 0.0002; hazard ratio (HR): 2.09 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.31 to 3.34), HR: 1.03 (95% CI: 0.65 to 1.64)].

Conclusions

Serum chloride level was useful for the prediction of poor outcome in ADHF patients with preserved ejection fraction.
Investigation of Self‐Discharge Behavior on Electrical Double‐Layer Capacitors by Hybrid Mechanism Simulation
Authors: Fan Lingling , Yang Chongyang , An Zhongxun , Chen Yigang
Published: February 2022

Self‐discharge (SD) of electrical double‐layer capacitors (EDLCs) has become an important issue that will cause voltage decay and energy loss. Herein, the SD profiles of EDLCs with a three‐electrode test cell (Ag/Ag+ as reference electrode) in 1 mol L−1 tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile are examined, coupled with the potential record of the positive and negative electrodes. The results show that the negative electrode should be mainly responsible for the SD process in the capacitors regardless of the mass ratio of the electrodes. The hybrid mechanism model, combined with the activation‐controlled faradaic process, diffusion process, and ohmic leakage process, can be utilized to explain the SD mechanism of the cell, positive electrode, and negative electrode showing that the main contribution arises from the effect of activation‐controlled faradaic process. The initial voltage is the driving force of the faradaic process in SD for high energy state, and its contribution decreases with the decrease of initial voltage. The higher temperature exacerbates the voltage variation from both faradaic and diffusion process, while the contribution proportion from the diffusion process is more significant with temperature.
Seismic surface wave attenuation by resonant metasurfaces on stratified soil
Authors: Zeng Chao , Zhao Chunfeng , Zeighami Farhad
Published: February 2022

This study aims to theoretically and numerically investigate the dispersion relations of Rayleigh waves propagating through vertical oscillators periodically distributed on stratified media. The classical elastodynamics theory and an effective medium approximation method are adopted to describe the dynamic behavior of metasurfaces and hybridization between the local oscillators and the foundational surface wave modes. The Abo‐zena algorithm and delta‐matrix method are combined to simplify the Eigen equation to overcome the accuracy problem in solving the closed‐form dispersion laws and improve the computational efficiency. Subsequently, plane‐strain finite element (FE) models with three configurations are developed to confirm the analytical predictions and obtain further insight into the resonator‐Rayleigh wave coupling mechanism. The numerical results are in good agreement with the analytical solutions, revealing that only the foundational mode is strongly coupled with the vertical resonators at resonance, while the surface wave band gap reported in homogeneous media is crossed by the remaining higher‐order surface modes. The attenuation performance and mechanical behavior of a finite‐length metasurface are investigated, and it is demonstrated that the output surface ground motion can be significantly reduced in a narrow frequency band near resonance. Moreover, a graded resonant metasurface with decreasing frequency is simulated to assess the feasibility of broadband attenuation. In summary, the aforementioned analytical framework and numerical simulation results show that the vertical oscillators placed atop a stratified soil system can be designed as resonant metasurfaces for shielding seismic surface waves to protect multiple large infrastructures or special structures from earthquake hazards.
Exploring changes in alexithymia throughout intensive dialectical behavior therapy for eating disorders
Authors: Reilly Erin E. , Brown Tiffany A. , Arunagiri Vinushini , Kaye Walter H. , Wierenga Christina E.
Published: February 2022

Objective

Alexithymia is proposed as a prominent clinical feature of eating disorders (EDs). However, despite theoretical reason to believe that alexithymia could interfere with the success of treatments, few studies have tested whether alexithymia changes over the course of treatment. The goals of the current study were to evaluate (a) changes in alexithymia over the course of intensive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for EDs, and (b) associations between alexithymia and ED symptoms over time.

Method

A mixed‐diagnostic group of patients with EDs (N = 894) completed the Eating Disorders Examination—Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS‐20) throughout intensive treatment and at various lengths of follow‐up (6, 12, 24 months).

Results

Results suggested that even after controlling for relevant covariates, there were significant decreases in alexithymia from intake to discharge and discharge to follow‐up. Models exploring changes in self‐reported ED symptoms indicated that TAS‐20 scores significantly related to ED symptoms across timepoints, such that greater alexithymia was associated with greater severity of symptoms.

Conclusions

Altogether, findings support an association between alexithymia and ED symptoms over treatment and suggest that emotion‐focussed therapies like DBT may result in decreases in alexithymia. Future research should explore whether this effect is consistent across therapies without an emotional focus.
Integrating healthcare for follow‐up of adult COVID‐19 patients in an outpatient clinic: A matter of cooperation
Authors: Klinkert Aryan F. , Baptista Lopes Vania , van Baar Janwillem M. , Broeders Mariëlle E. A. C. , van Rijswijk H. N. A. J. (Rein) , Cornegé‐Blokland Esther , Siegers‐Siebelink Corrie , Kerckhoffs Angèle P. M. , Keijsers Carolina J. P. W.
Published: February 2022

Rationale, aims, and objectives

A large number of patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) need outpatient follow‐up after hospitalization. As these patients may experience a broad range of symptoms, as do patients infected with the related SARS‐CoV‐1 virus, we set up a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic involving pulmonologists, internists, and geriatricians. Patients were allocated to a specialist based on symptoms reported on a self‐developed questionnaire of expected symptoms of COVID‐19. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this outpatient clinic.

Methods

In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients who presented to the outpatient clinic for follow‐up after hospitalization for COVID‐19 up to 31 August 2020, were reviewed.

Results

In total, 266 patients were seen at the outpatient clinic at least once. Overall, 100 patients were seen by a pulmonologist, 97 by an internist, and 65 by a geriatrician. A referral between these 3 medical specialists was needed for only 14 patients (5.3%). Fifty patients were seen by a psychologist, mostly those with a HADS score >10. Only 5 (2.2%) of the 221 patients who were not directly referred to a psychologist based on triage needed psychological support. Forty‐eight patients (18%) were also seen by a physiatrist.

Conclusion

Identifying which medical specialist (pulmonologist, internist, and/or geriatrician) should see patients attending a post‐COVID outpatient clinic based on patient‐reported symptoms proved an effective approach to managing the flow of post‐COVID patients.
Physical fitness in patients with bipolar disorder compared with a population‐based sample
Authors: Kheradmand Ali , AbediYekta Amir Hossein , Safarzadeh Hannaneh , Ganjalikhani Maryam
Published: February 2022

Background

This study aimed to evaluate physical fitness and body composition in a sample including hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder and to compare them with a population‐based sample.

Methods

In this comparative observational study, 40 bipolar patients and 40 healthy subjects in Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2019 were assessed. The physical fitness items such as body mass index (BMI), body fat, push‐up test, curl‐up test, VO2 peak, and sit and reach test were compared across the groups. Young Mania Rating Scale for assessing the severity of bipolar disease and WHODAS2.0 for the estimation of global performance were done in the case group.

Results

The results of this study demonstrate that sit and reach test, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percent were similar across the studied groups. The push‐up test, curl‐up test, and VO2 peak (P = .001) were significantly lower in the case group. In the case group, only the push‐up test was associated with the severity of bipolar disorder and decreased performance.

Conclusion

Lower push‐up and curl‐up can indicate an increase in both back and neck pains in these patients. Low VO2 peak in these patients increases the risk of heart disease and mortality rates in bipolar patients. The push‐up test can be used as a screen test to estimate the severity of the bipolar disorder.
Behavior of counterpoise correction in many‐body molecular clusters of organic compounds: Hartree–Fock interaction energy perspective
Authors: Nguyen Anh L. P. , Izgorodina Ekaterina I.
Published: February 2022

The counterpoise (CP) correction by Boys and Bernardi has been well accepted as a reliable strategy to account for basis set superposition error (BSSE) in intermolecular complexes. The behavior of the CP correction was thoroughly studied in individual molecules of molecular complexes. This work studies the performance of the CP correction in many‐body clusters including three‐body clusters of organic compounds in the 3B‐69 dataset. Additionally, we used crystal structures of polymorphs of benzene, aspirin, and oxalyl dihydrazide (ODH) to construct a many‐body cluster dataset, abbreviated as the MBC‐36 dataset, consisting of two, four and eight molecules, and 16 molecules in the case of benzene. A series of Dunning's basis sets—cc‐pXZ and aug‐cc‐pXZ (X = D and T)—were used to predict CP‐corrected Hartree–Fock (HF) interaction energies of the 3B‐69 and MBC‐36 datasets. The CP‐corrected interaction energies were found to be basis‐set independent, whereas the non‐CP corrected interaction energies were found not to a follow a smooth exponential fitting as previously found for electronic energies of individual molecules. This observation was attributed to the presence of non‐additive induction forces in some clusters. Two 2 × 2 × 2 supercells of benzene polymorphs were constructed to explore the local nature of BSSE effects. A cut‐off radius of 10 Å was demonstrated to be sufficient to fully recover these effects. Although the behavior of CP correction was found to be non‐conventional in many‐body clusters of organic compounds, the use of a small basis set such as cc‐pVDZ showed excellent performance in the prediction of HF interaction energies.
Analysis of laboratory and serological test results in patients with acute brucellosis during follow‐up
Authors: Ta Na , Yu Ruiping , Liang Hanwei , Zhang Wenqiang , Song Litao , Fan Menguang , Wen Yongjun
Published: February 2022

Background

The laboratory test results and serum‐specific antibodies of patients with acute brucellosis initial infection were followed up and analyzed.

Methods

70 patients in Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with acute brucellosis were followed up for 360 days. Serum samples were collected at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days after diagnosis and analyzed by Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), colloidal gold test paper (GICA), and test tube agglutination test (SAT). The serum‐specific antibodies IgG and IgM were detected.

Results

RBPT results: False negative (‐) gradually increased with the extension of the course of disease, with the largest change in 30–60 days after diagnosis, and the constituent ratio increased by 12.9%. GICA results: The false negative increased with the course of disease, and the constituent ratio of false negative was 20.0% after 180 days of diagnosis. SAT results: 1:100 positive showed a ladder like decrease with the increase in the course of disease, and the largest decrease was 90–180 days, with a decrease of 34.3% in the constituent ratio. 360 days after diagnosis, the constituent ratio of positive was only 14.3%. During the follow‐up period, the IgG average value fluctuated and the average IgM value decreased.

Conclusion

The false‐negative results of RBPT, GICA, and SAT increased with the course of disease, and the false‐negative rates were higher than 20% after half a year. IgM level is beneficial to the early diagnosis of brucellosis, while IgG level is helpful to the judgment of brucellosis stage.
A simple and reliable bile acid assay in human serum by LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Shen Ying , Liu Ke , Luo Xia , Guan Qing , Cheng Liming
Published: February 2022

Background

Bile acids, as important signaling molecules and regulatory factors acting on glucose, lipid, and energy metabolism, are always involved in liver, biliary, and intestinal diseases. Development and validation of a simple liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method for determination of bile acids is significant for the routine clinical testing.

Methods

Fifty microlitre of serum was mixed with 10 μl of the internal standard working solution and then 140 μl of methanol for protein precipitation. After centrifuged, the supernatant was directly used for LC‐MS/MS analysis.

Results

Good separation of all bile acid species was achieved. The method was validated with consistent linearity for individual bile acids, good recovery, low carryover, satisfactory sample stability, and analytical specificity against hemolysis, lipemia, and bilirubinemia. The intra‐day and the inter‐day imprecision values were in the range of 1.53%–10.63% and 3.01%–13.98%, respectively. No obvious matrix effect was observed. The reference intervals of bile acids in adults have been established for the clinical testing.

Conclusions

The low sample volume, simple sample preparation, good separation of all species, and satisfying validation results make this LC‐MS/MS approach suitable for usage as a high‐throughput assay in routine clinical laboratories.
Stepping in and up to meet community needs: How community‐based college access and success programs responded to COVID‐19
Authors: Case Amanda S. , Kang Ellice , Krutsch Jacqueline , Bhojwani Jaya , Fanok Sophie , Contreras Stephanie
Published: February 2022

The current study uplifts the efforts of community‐based college access and success programs (CAS) to support the college preparation, matriculation, and persistence of underserved students during COVID‐19. Fifty‐eight CAS across the United States completed an online survey that gathered information about organizational demographics, COVID‐19 challenges, responses to challenges, and communication with constituents and funding needs during COVID‐19. Results suggested CAS faced multiple challenges due to COVID‐19 that affected the organization, staff, and constituents. Results also revealed organizations of varying sizes, locations, and demographics responded to challenges by revising existing programming for students, creating new programming for students and caretakers, and updating staff policies to meet ongoing and emergent needs despite limited resources. CAS are essential service providers for students who are under‐ and mis‐served in formal education systems. Recommendations are provided for how such organizations can be invested in and better prepared for future disruptions.
Early pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation and continuation among pregnant and postpartum women in antenatal care in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Joseph Davey Dvora Leah , Mvududu Rufaro , Mashele Nyiko , Lesosky Maia , Khadka Nehaa , Bekker Linda‐Gail , Gorbach Pamina , Coates Thomas J. , Myer Landon
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and effective prevention strategy to reduce women's risk of HIV in pregnancy and postpartum. Effective PrEP protection requires daily PrEP adherence, but little is known about maternal PrEP continuation and factors that influence PrEP use.

Methods

The PrEP in pregnancy and postpartum (PrEP‐PP) study enrolled consenting pregnant, HIV‐negative women at first antenatal care (ANC) visit with follow‐up through 12 months postpartum. Eligible and consenting women and girls ≥16 years received HIV prevention counselling and were offered PrEP. Interviewers collected socio‐demographic and behavioural data from participants at each visit. We analysed the proportion of women who initiated PrEP and the proportion who continued PrEP after 3 months with associated correlates by estimating the prevalence ratio adjusting fora prioriconfounders.

Results

Between August 2019 and October 2021, we enrolled 1201 pregnant women (median gestation 21 weeks; age 26 years); 84% of women initiated PrEP at their first ANC visit (n= 1014); 55% were married or cohabiting. Overall, 66% of women on PrEP returned for a repeat prescription at 1 month; 58% returned at 3 months (n= 493 of 844). Almost one‐half of women on PrEP reported a side effect at 1 month, mostly nausea/vomiting. Women on PrEP in the first and second trimesters had higher odds of reporting side effects (aOR 2.61; 95% CI 1.17–5.84) versus postpartum women. Women who reported side effects continued with PrEP less than those who did not report side effects (aPR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.77–0.97). Women with ≥1 previous pregnancy (aPR = 0.76; 95% CI 0.57–1.01) or were postpartum (aPR 0.85; 95% CI 0.75–0.97) were less likely to continue PrEP compared to women who were primigravid or pregnant. Women who reported having an HIV+ partner (aPR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.13–1.85) or high HIV risk perception (aPR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.01–1.41) were more likely to continue on PrEP than those who had HIV‐negative partners or low risk perception.

Conclusions

PrEP initiation and early continuation were high in this setting, compared to other studies in women. Being postpartum and experiencing side effects were associated with lower PrEP continuation, presenting opportunities for counselling on early transient side effects. Interventions for postpartum women on PrEP are needed.
DEK, a nuclear protein, is chemotactic for hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells acting through CXCR2 and Gαi signaling
Authors: Capitano Maegan L , Sammour Yasser , Ropa James , Legendre Maureen , Mor-Vaknin Nirit , Markovitz David M
Published: February 2022

Few cytokines/growth modulating proteins are known to be chemoattractants for hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor cells (HPC); stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF1α/CXCL12) being the most potent known such protein. DEK, a nuclear DNA-binding chromatin protein with hematopoietic cytokine-like activity, is a chemotactic factor attracting mature immune cells. Transwell migration assays were performed to test whether DEK serves as a chemotactic agent for HSC/HPC. DEK induced dose- and time-dependent directed migration of lineage negative (Lin–) Sca-1+ c-Kit+ (LSK) bone marrow (BM) cells, HSCs and HPCs. Checkerboard assays demonstrated that DEK's activity was chemotactic (directed), not chemokinetic (random migration), in nature. DEK and SDF1α compete for HSC/HPC chemotaxis. Blocking CXCR2 with neutralizing antibodies or inhibiting Gαi protein signaling with Pertussis toxin pretreatment inhibited migration of LSK cells toward DEK. Thus, DEK is a novel and rare chemotactic agent for HSC/HPC acting in a direct or indirect CXCR2 and Gαi protein-coupled signaling-dependent manner.
Fertilizer combination effects on aggregate stability and distribution of aluminum and iron oxides#
Authors: Anthonio Christian Kofi , Huang Jing , Han Tianfu , Qaswar Muhammad , Liu Kailou , Du Jiangxue , Daba Nano Alemu , Ali Sehrish , Matelele Lehlogonolo Abner , Liu Shujun , Liu Guangrong , Zhang Huimin , Chen Jin
Published: February 2022

Background

One main anthropogenic activity through which aggregate stability and elements are impacted in soils is through fertilization. Inputs of phosphate fertilizers to soils, for instance, have direct impacts on other elements in soils. Organic fertilizer sources are also known to markedly influence the availability of microelements. However, the extent to which different combination ratios of organic and chemical fertilizers affect the availability of these microelements in paddy soil aggregates is not clear.

Aim

Therefore, this study examined aggregate stability and the distribution pattern of various extractable aluminum, and iron oxides as influenced by a long‐term varied combinations of pig manure with chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer in a rice‐managed paddy.

Method

Mehlich 3, dithionite, oxalate, and pyrophosphate solutions were used to extract oxides of Al and Fe in bulk soil, and aggregates under long‐term fertilizer combinations, which included unfertilized CK (control), chemical NPK, 30% chemical NPK + 70% pig manure, 50% chemical NPK + 50% pig manure, and 70% chemical NPK + 30% pig manure in a randomly complete block design.

Results

The highest manure treatment (70% manure) markedly increased total organic carbon (TOC), and total nitrogen (TN) in contrast to other treatments. Soil pH was higher in all manure‐treated fertilizers than in chemical NPK fertilizer likely because organic matter (OM) neutralized the protons. Additionally, the highest manure treatment led to the creation of more macroaggregates (2–0.25 mm), which translated into higher aggregate stability indices such as mean weight diameter (MWD), and geometric mean diameter (GMD) compared to other treatments. It was also noted that the 70% manure treatment in comparison with other treatments, was associated with higher concentrations of extractable Al and Fe oxides. It was, however, not clear if the changes in extractable metals detected in this treatment resulted from OM‐driven redistribution of metals or if the manure contained some Al and Fe itself.

Conclusion

The 70% manure treatment increased TOC, TN, pH, and aggregate stability indices (higher MWD and GMD). This fertilizer treatment was also associated with more extractable Al and Fe oxides. For more sustainable rice‐managed paddies, the 70% manure treatment should be considered over the other fertilizer combinations.
Soil health, soil genetic horizons and biodiversity#
Authors: Costantini Edoardo A. C. , Mocali Stefano
Published: February 2022

Maintaining or recovering soil health is becoming a goal of many policies carried out at national, continental and global scales to promote global health. This viewpoint is aimed at stressing the relevance of a holistic approach to soil health assessment and monitoring, which is not only related to soil functional biodiversity but also considers the genetic horizons of the soil profile and not just the topsoil. We highlight that soil health has different connotations depending on the environmental setting and may show high spatial and temporal dynamics. Although the biological activity is often concentrated in the surficial horizon, we report increasing evidence that deep soil horizons host relevant biological communities, which are regulated by soil conditions that are usually different from those present in the topsoil. The processes responsible for the formation of surface and subsurface soil genetic horizons produce soil features that select the presence of organisms. The natural self‐organization of soil features is at the basis of the soil classification systems and of their ability to differentiate soil taxa and appreciate pedodiversity. Examples are reported of surface and deep soil genetic horizons as an important interpretative tool of soil functional biodiversity and soil health. Therefore, the assessing and monitoring of soil health should not be carried out at fixed depth, but according to soil genetic horizons. We conclude that the loss of the natural self‐organization of genetic horizons is a form of soil health degradation.
Blueberry by‐product as a novel food ingredient: physicochemical characterization and study of its application in a bakery product
Authors: Irigoytia Maria Belén , Irigoytia Karen , Sosa Natalia , de Escalada Pla Marina , Genevois Carolina
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Industrial blueberry juice processing results in a significant amount of by‐product, the so called pomace, which could represent a nutritionally valuable source of fibre and bioactive compounds to enhance either technological or nutritional characteristics of foods. The aim of this study was to obtain novel ingredients based on blueberry by‐product, applying different drying methods: convective (CD), freeze drying (FD) and vacuum drying (VD). The powders were physicochemically, functionally and nutritionally characterized. Finally, its application to formulate muffins in replacing 10–20–30% of wheat flour was studied to evaluate the effect on textural, colour and sensorial characteristics.

RESULTS

CD reduced the hydration and functional properties when compared to FD and VD. The powders were characterized by a high content of dietary fibre (273 ± 5 g kg−1) and good retention and bioaccessibility of antioxidant compounds (39–85% range). The powder addition to formulate muffin decreased lightness and chromaticity, without differences due to the drying process. The texture parameters were reduced with 10% of ingredient addition; meanwhile, 20–30% showed similar values to the muffin control. Sensorial evaluation presented good overall acceptability (>6 ± 2 on a 9‐point hedonic scale) and some specific attributes showed a significant drop in overall acceptability, recommending its optimization according to penalty analysis.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that functional ingredients rich in fibre and bioactive compounds may be obtained from an industrial by‐product, giving added value and avoiding or reducing their loss; this could also be a promising vehicle to incorporate dietary fibre and bioactive compounds into bakery goods. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
OpenLDAT—A system for the measurement of display latency metrics
Authors: Dossena Federico , Trentini Andrea
Published: February 2022

The OpenLDAT project (short for Open Latency Display and Analysis Tool) is a system composed of a self‐buildable device and an open‐licensed application to measure several display latency metrics. The most interesting metric is total system latency: the time between an action happening in the physical world, like a mouse being clicked, and the result being displayed on the screen, such as a muzzle flash from a weapon in a videogame. There is currently no similar device on the market, and this type of measurement is traditionally done manually using a modified mouse and a high speed camera, but OpenLDAT can measure it automatically using a built‐in test, or interactively, allowing testing of virtually any game or application, potentially on a separate machine. In addition to system latency, OpenLDAT can also measure more traditional metrics, such as pixel response times.
Development of novel thin‐film solid‐phase microextraction materials based on deep eutectic solvents for preconcentration of trace amounts of parabens in surface waters
Authors: Werner Justyna , Zgoła‐Grześkowiak Agnieszka , Grześkowiak Tomasz
Published: February 2022

A green and sensitive thin‐film solid‐phase microextraction method based on deep eutectic solvent was developed that enables simultaneous isolation, preconcentration, and determination of parabens in surface waters. Six new deep eutectic solvents were synthesized and used directly to prepare thin‐film coatings on a stainless steel mesh support. Among the compounds obtained, the highest efficiency in the extraction of parabens was found for a material consisting of trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride and n‐docosanol in a molar ratio of 1:2. For the proposed method, parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of parabens, such as the coating material, the desorption solvent, the volume of the sample, the pH of the sample, the extraction and desorption time, and the salting‐out effect, were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the proposed method allowed us to achieve good precision between 3.6 and 6.5% and recovery ranging from 68.1 to 91.4%. The limits of detection range from 0.018 to 0.055 ng/mL.
A case of livedoid vasculopathy, a thrombotic occlusive vasculopathy
Authors: Huot Anais , Maniu Christa‐Maria , Bogiatzi Sofia , Hohl Daniel , Alberio Lorenzo , Stalder Gregoire
Published: February 2022

Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is a rare thrombotic occlusive vasculopathy presenting with chronic relapsing‐remitting bilateral painful skin ulcerations predominating on the ankles and dorsal surface of the feet. LV can be idiopathic or secondary to endothelial dysfunction, rheological disorder, haemostatic or fibrinolytic pathology. We describe the case of a 49‐year‐old patient with LV and summarise the current knowledge on epidemiology, risk factors, and treatment of this rare condition. It is important to differentiate LV from vasculitic disorders, the management of the latter being based on immunosuppression, whereas the treatment of LV is based on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy.
Long‐term data reveal effects of climate, road access, and latitude on mountain goat horn size
Authors: Martchenko Daria , White Kevin S. , Shafer Aaron B. A.
Published: February 2022

Potential negative artificial selection on horn size is a concern for many harvested ungulates. The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) has distinct black horns, but targeting animals based on horn size in the field can be challenging. We analyzed over 23,000 horn records that included base circumference and total length, from which we also derived horn volume, from mountain goats harvested in Alaska, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories from 1980 to 2016. We tested 3 potential drivers of horn size variation: geographical location, environmental conditions, and artificial selection. We found no support for a latitudinal effect with surprisingly little variation across the sampling distribution. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation had the largest effect outside age in the model, suggesting a role of climate in shaping variation. Mountain goats harvested closer to roads had larger horns, indicating that ease of access might allow hunters to be more selective, though the effect size was small. Our findings reinforce the value of accurate and complete record keeping on horn size, age, and sex of harvested animals, and highlight the importance of explicitly considering climate and accessibility when devising management strategies for the mountain goat.
Effect of alloyed Cr on corrosion behavior of low‐alloy steel in wet atmosphere
Authors: Yuan Rui , Wu Huibin , Gu Yang
Published: February 2022

The effect of 1.5% Cr on the corrosion resistance of low‐alloy steel in a simulated mine environment was studied. To clarify the effect of Cr on the corrosion of low‐alloy steel in the wet environment at the initial stage of corrosion, salt spray corrosion tests were performed to simulate the corrosion process in the field, and the bare steel and corrosion products were characterized. The results showed that the addition of 1.5% Cr reduced the surface potential and the kinetic tendency of the corrosion reaction, making the corrosion rate at the initial stage of the test lower than anticipated. An increase in Cr content significantly elevates the level of α‐FeOOH. The corrosion product film (CPF) had a bilayer structure, with α‐FeOOH of Cr‐rich and Cr(OH)3 were found in the inner layer and at the junction of the inner and outer layer. The CPF had a dense structure that effectively reduced electrochemical reaction activity and improved corrosion resistance.
Does green credit policy promote innovation: A case of China
Authors: Xie Qiaoxin , Zhang Yu , Chen Lei
Published: February 2022

This paper constructs a quasi‐natural experiment based on the implementation of the “Green Credit Guidelines” policy in 2012 in China and analyzes the impact of the green credit policy on enterprises' innovation. The results show that the implementation of the green credit policy has a negative impact on enterprises' innovation. In terms of corporate heterogeneity, the negative effect of green credit policy on enterprises' innovation is greater for state‐owned and high‐leverage enterprises. Furthermore, mechanism analysis results reveal that credit financing cost is an important intermediary for green credit policy to affect corporate innovation but non‐credit financing channels are not obvious.
An economic analysis of information security outsourcing with competitive firms
Authors: Gao Xing , Gong Siyu
Published: February 2022

Nowadays, firms may outsource information security operation to a managed security service provider (MSSP). Constructing a game‐theoretic model, this paper examines the strategic interaction between a MSSP and a strategic hacker in the presence of two competitive firms. We find that the MSSP's equilibrium benefit increases with the firms' loss due to user inconvenience and competition intensity when they remain high. It shows that technology similarity may benefit or harm the MSSP, dependent on its investment efficiency. Interestingly, we reveal that the hacker's benefit first decreases and then increases with technology similarity when its learning ability remains moderate.
Three types of periodic solutions of new (3 + 1)‐dimensional Boiti–Leon–Manna–Pempinelli equation via bilinear neural network method
Authors: Qiao Ji‐Mei , Zhang Run‐Fa , Yue Rong‐Xian , Rezazadeh Hadi , Seadawy Aly R.
Published: February 2022

In the paper, we search for some analytical solutions for a new (3 + 1)‐dimension Boiti–Leon–Manna–Pempinelli (BLMP) equation. Based on the Hirota bilinear method, bilinear neural network framework expands to more than one hidden layer to construct test functions. By using the symbolic computation software Maple, periodic‐type I, II, and III solutions of the new (3 + 1)‐dimension BLMP equation are obtained. Besides, the evolution and dynamical characteristics of these solutions derived via the appropriate real values are also exhibited.