bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation on the properties of poly (L‐lactic acid) vascular stent after accelerated in vitro degradation
Authors: Cheng Jie , Su Junjie , Tian Yuan , Hu Xue , Zhao Gutian , Ni Zhonghua
Published: September 2022

Poly (L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) vascular stents are promising to be used to treat vascular stenosis. However, the degradation of these implanted stents has a great influence on the mechanical properties. In this work, we studied the factors that can influence the mechanical properties by accelerating the degradation of PLLA stents with crimping and expansion in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at 70°C. The typical influence factors such as the real‐time weight‐average molecular weight (Mw), crystallinity, surface morphologies, and mass loss of these samples were analyzed in detail. Results showed that radial strength of the stents increased from 877 to 1204 mmHg after accelerated degradation for 2 days and then decreased to almost 0 mmHg after 10 days. Meanwhile, radial stiffness showed an upward trend which is caused by the decrease in Mw, increase in crystallinity and local damage during the crimping and expansion process. Moreover, negligible mass loss of stents was observed in this period and the bulk degradation behavior predominated in the whole process.
An analysis on tensile and flexural loading response for unidirectionalCFRPlaminate with cutout/hole: Geometrical design effect on the material strength
Authors: Gupta Savita , Pal Snehanshu , Ray Bankim Chandra
Published: September 2022

A comparative analysis has been done on CFRP laminate to understand the design aspect of cutouts under tensile and flexural loading. Detailed analysis of strength, modulus, and variance in failure mechanism has been done to assess the relationship between material strength and design under two different loading conditions. Longitudinal and cross ply stacking sequences are considered. Tensile loading is found to be more detrimental than flexural loading for composite laminate with hole. SEM and optical micrographs have been analyzed to perceive the failure mechanisms of laminates under two different loading conditions. Mode I dominated delamination and mode II dominated delamination are found to be prevalent in OHT (open hole tensile) and OHF (open hole flexural) failure, respectively.
Production of clove extract loaded pullulan and whey protein nanofibers as antioxidant and antibacterial agent
Authors: Zambak Özlem , Özkal Ayşe , Özkal Sami Gökhan
Published: September 2022

In this study, clove extract loaded nanofibers consisting of pullulan and whey protein were produced by electrospinning method in order to improve antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Diameters of the produced nanofibers varied between 215.7 and 536.8 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results showed that there was a close interaction between the obtained nanofibers and clove extract. Although the antioxidant activity of the nanofibers varied between 1535 and 4174 μmol TE/g dm, the antioxidant activity of the clove extract loaded nanofibers tended to increase when compared to their polymer solutions. The total phenolic content of the nanofiber samples varied between 4.93 and 45.05 mg GAE/g dm. It has been determined that clove extract loaded nanofibers showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC29113) and Micrococcus luteus (NCIMB). As a result, it was seen that the addition of clove extract improved the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the fibers and these fibers could be a potential coating and packaging material that could have a potential use in food preservation.
Regulating substrate preference of phosphatase by reshaping the “cap domain” for multi‐enzymatic biosynthesis of high‐purity monosaccharides
Authors: Tang Xiao‐Ling , Xu Ke‐Xin , Geng Yu‐Heng , Wang Wen‐Hao , Diao Hong‐Juan , Zheng Ren‐Chao , Zheng Yu‐Guo
Published: September 2022

Phosphatases are a class of enzymes catalyzing the cleavage of monophosphate ester bonds from the phosphorylated substrates. They have important applications in construction of in vitro multi‐enzymatic system for monosaccharides. However, the enzymes generally show substrate ambiguity, which has become a bottleneck for efficient biosynthesis of target products with high purity. In this study, semirational design was performed on phosphatase from Thermosipho atlanticus (Ta‐PST). The hotspot amino acid residues forming a “cap domain” were identified and selected for saturation mutagenesis. The mutant F179T and F179M showed improved substrate preference toward fructose‐6‐phosphate and mannose‐6‐phosphate, respectively. Coupling with other enzymes involved in the multi‐enzymatic system under optimized conditions, the application of F179T led to fructose yield of 80% from 10 g/L maltodextrin and the ratio between the target product and by‐product glucose was increased from 2:1 to 19:1. On the other hand, the application of F179M led to mannose yield of 59% with ratio of mannose to the by‐products glucose and fructose increased from 1:1:1 to 14:2:1. Moreover, the molecular understanding of the beneficial substitution was gained by structural analysis and molecular dynamic simulations, giving important guidance to regulate the enzyme's substrate preference.
Corporate sustainability and performance: An efficiency perspective
Authors: Erbetta Fabrizio , Bruno Clementina , Pirovano Carolina
Published: September 2022

The growing attention to corporate sustainability has favoured the emergence of paradigms aimed at understanding the interaction between the economic and the environmental sustainability dimensions. While a win‐win paradigm initially arose basically aimed at emphasizing the potential synergies between these two objectives, an alternative vision based on a logic of trade‐off has subsequently emerged, foreseeing that improvement in one perspective can often be harmful to the other. Focusing on the EU energy production industry, this study adopts a data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach with the aim to assess whether mutual impact there exists between the economic and the environmental sides reflecting a win‐win or a trade‐off relationship. Furthermore, as prioritizing sustainability indicators has been recognized in the ongoing debate as a useful way to build effective sustainability practices, our assessment of the mutual impact accommodates the possibility that the resulting evidence may change when priority is placed, alternatively, to the economic or the environmental sustainability concern. The results show how the environmental goal enters in a trade‐off relationship with the economic one when priority is placed on the environmental dimension. This casts doubts on the feasibility of a spontaneous path towards the strengthening of renewable sources.
Efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy on overall survival in patients with lymph node‐positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Is oral chemotherapy promising?
Authors: Fang Shuogui , Zhong Jian , Mai Zihang , Li Tong , Xie Xiuying , Fu Jianhua
Published: September 2022

Background

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pathological lymph node‐positive (pN+) resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. We aimed to explore whether adjuvant chemotherapy could improve the overall survival (OS) of patients with pN+ ESCC and whether oral chemotherapy could be used as an alternative to intravenous chemotherapy.

Methods

The patients were divided into two groups: a surgery plus chemotherapy group (S + CT group, 400 patients) and a surgery alone group (S group, 582 patients). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to create patient groups that were balanced across several covariates (n = 331 in each group). The survival rates of patients receiving oral chemotherapy (69 patients with S‐1 and 68 patients with tegafur tablets) and intravenous chemotherapy (263 patients) were compared using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

In the overall study cohort, the 3‐year OS was significantly higher in the S + CT group than in the S group (66.3% vs. 49.9%, p < 0.001). These data were confirmed in the matched groups (3‐year OS, 72.9% vs. 62.0%, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in the matched samples showed that adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.50–0.76, p < 0.001). Patients who received oral chemotherapy had a similar OS as patients who received intravenous chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Adjuvant chemotherapy could significantly improve the OS of patients with pN+ ESCC, and oral chemotherapy drugs might be a better option because of their similar efficacy but fewer side effects than intravenous chemotherapy. This conclusion warrants further study in prospective, randomized controlled trials.
Economic and sustainability benefits of the United States Golf Association's research investment in putting green construction, naturalized rough, and turfgrass breeding
Authors: Thompson Cole , Kridel Donald J. , Kenna Michael P.
Published: September 2022

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has invested more than US$45 million into turfgrass and environmental research since 1983. We recently projected a $1.03 billion annual benefit to the U.S. golf industry from the USGA's investment in the three areas of water, fertilizer, and pesticide management research. However, the effort also has improved putting green construction techniques (PGCT), encouraged the incorporation of naturalized roughs (NR), and improved turfgrass cultivars (ITC). Our objective was to estimate the golf industry's financial benefit from the USGA's investment in these additional three areas. Data were collected from an online survey focused on the benefits associated with golf facilities’ adoption of research‐based management practices. Multiple econometric models were developed for PGCT, NR, and ITC that used data from the survey. All three research areas have been widely adopted throughout the U.S. golf industry. Across the three areas studied, modeling indicated a total annual financial benefit of $886.9 million to the golf industry. Further, the total annual financial benefit from all six areas is $1.92 billion. Compared with an estimated yearly Green Section budget of roughly $10 million, this is a healthy return on the USGA's investment and demonstrates the importance of research investment to the sustainability of the golf industry.
Facile Synthesis of Liquid Crystal Dimers Bridged with a Phosphonic Group
Authors: Wang Dalin , Liu Jiang , Zhao Weiguang , Zeng Yongming , Huang Jianjia , Fang Jianglin , Chen Dongzhong
Published: September 2022

Liquid crystal (LC) dimers with well‐defined composition and structure arouse broad attentions for their exhibiting LC properties beyond conventional low molar mass mesogens and serving as fascinating model compounds for LC polymers. Here in this work, a series of LC dimers bridged with a phosphonic group have been synthesized through a facile free radical mediated addition reaction between hypophosphorous acid and vinyl terminated cyanobiphenyl mesogens with variant length alkyl spacers. In addition, two esterified derivatives and a group of mono‐addition homologues with a terminal phosphonic acid group have also been prepared for comparison study. All the newly synthesized compounds exhibit monotropic nematic (N) phase with typical schlieren textures except for the LC dimer with the longest eleven‐methylene spacer, which surprisingly shows twist‐bend nematic (NTB) phase directly from the isotropic state upon cooling. Moreover, the thermal transition properties such as the nematic‐isotropic transition temperatures and associated entropy changes of the series LC dimers display a modest odd‐even effect. Furthermore, both the LC dimers and the mono‐addition homologues in N phase are quite easy to achieve homeotropic alignment upon annealing thanks to the supramolecular interactions between the introduced phosphonic acid group and the hydroxylated glass surface. This work thus provides a novel synthesis strategy for a class of LC materials bridged with a phosphonic acid group prone to further functionalization, which may serve as promising vertical alignment agents and pave the way for developing a new kind of functionalized LC materials of NTB phase.
Fused Bis(hemi‐indigo): Broad‐Range Wavelength‐Independent Photoswitches
Authors: Berdnikova Daria V. , Kriesche Bernhard M. , Paululat Thomas , Hofer Thomas S.
Published: September 2022

Wavelength‐independent conversion of organic photoswitches in the photostationary state is a rare phenomenon that opens up a way for many practical applications. In this work, three fused bis(hemi‐indigo) derivatives with different substitution patterns were synthesized and their photoswitching was investigated by optical spectroscopy, real‐time NMR spectroscopy and TD‐DFT calculations. We disclosed that the Z‐E photoisomerization of the meta‐bis(hemi‐indigo) derivative was remarkably independent of the irradiation wavelength from UV up to yellow light. The wavelength‐independent forward photoswitching together with the inhibited backward photoisomerization, high thermal stability of the photoinduced isomers as well as significant overlap between the photoswitch absorption and the solar spectrum allows to suggest bis(hemi‐indigo) derivatives as promising candidates for molecular solar thermal energy storage (MOST) systems.
Denn die Drüse dankt's
Authors: Emden Markus , Hild Pitt , Kallinna Kirsten , Murer Livia
Published: September 2022

Anliegen der in loser Folge erscheinenden Versuche ist es, Impulse für chemische Versuche zu geben, die gefahrlos zu Hause mit haushaltsüblichen Gegenständen durchgeführt werden können. Sie können damit als Quelle für das gemeinsame Ausprobieren mit Kindern dienen, zum Beispiel in Kindergärten oder an Schulen sowie zur Verwendung bei Tagen der offenen Tür. Ein Stückweit sind sie zu verstehen als Antwort auf den oft gehörten Satz: „Ach, Du bist Chemiker/in? Dann mach doch mal eben ein Experiment.“
Integration of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Safety, and Efficacy into Model‐Informed Dose Selection in Oncology First‐in‐Human Study: A Case of Roblitinib (FGF401)
Authors: Wilbaux Mélanie , Yang Shu , Jullion Astrid , Demanse David , Porta Diana Graus , Myers Andrea , Meille Christophe , Gu Yi
Published: September 2022

Model‐informed dose selection has been drawing increasing interest in oncology early clinical development. The current paper describes the example of FGF401, a selective fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) inhibitor, in which a comprehensive modeling and simulation (M&S) framework, using both pharmacometrics and statistical methods, was established during its first‐in‐human clinical development using the totality of pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers, and safety and efficacy data in patients with cancer. These M&S results were used to inform FGF401 dose selection for future development. A two‐compartment population PK (PopPK) model with a delayed 0‐order absorption and linear elimination adequately described FGF401 PK. Indirect PopPK/PD models including a precursor compartment were independently established for two biomarkers: circulating FGF19 and 7α‐hydroxy‐4‐cholesten‐3‐one (C4). Model simulations indicated a close‐to‐maximal PD effect achieved at the clinical exposure range. Time‐to‐progression was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method which favored a trough concentration (Ctrough)–driven efficacy requiring Ctrough above a threshold close to the drug concentration producing 90% inhibition of phospho‐FGFR4. Clinical tumor growth inhibition was described by a PopPK/PD model that reproduced the dose‐dependent effect on tumor growth. Exposure–safety analyses on the expected on‐target adverse events, including elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and diarrhea, indicated a lack of clinically relevant relationship with FGF401 exposure. Simulations from an indirect PopPK/PD model established for alanine aminotransferase, including a chain of three precursor compartments, further supported that maximal target inhibition was achieved and there was a lack of safety‐exposure relationship. This M&S framework supported a dose selection of 120 mg once daily fasted or with a low‐fat meal and provides a practical example that might be applied broadly in oncology early clinical development.
Sixteen logic functions in a single electronic circuit
Authors: Cerda Baltazar , Campos‐Canton Isaac , Delgado‐Aranda Finees , Soubervielle‐Montalvo Carlos , Tristán‐Hernández Edgar
Published: September 2022

This paper introduces an electronic circuit capable of generating a set of functions, some of them known in digital systems as the logical operators AND, OR, XOR, and so on. Using two inputs,
and
, the circuit provides 16 possible output combinations. The main idea of the electronic design is based on an RC network, operational amplifiers, and voltage comparators. On the other hand, mathematically, the stable system response is used as a surface where
and
are coordinate axes forming a plane, which intersects this surface, and the output
can be seen as a circle surrounding some fixed points over this plane. The mathematical approach on this paper is intended as a groundwork for a multiple input reconfigurable logic gate that could be embedded in more complex systems. The procedure to obtain an XOR gate, represented by the
function, is explained to illustrate the circuit behavior. Results of the 16 implemented functions are shown in Appendices B and C.
Brain reward response in adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa is moderated by changes in body weight and sweetness perception
Authors: Frank Guido K. W. , Shott Megan E. , Pryor Tamara , Swindle Skylar , Stoddard Joel
Published: September 2022

Objective

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric illness with complex etiology. Recently, we found elevated striatal brain response to sweet taste stimuli in adolescents and young adults with AN. Here, we tested the hypothesis that nutritional rehabilitation normalizes prediction error activation, a measure for dopamine‐related reward circuit response, to salient caloric taste stimuli in AN.

Methods

A total of 28 individuals with AN (age = 16 ± 2 years; body mass index [BMI] = 16 ± 1) who previously underwent brain imaging while performing a taste prediction error task using sucrose as salient caloric stimulus, participated in a second brain imaging scan (BMI = 18 ± 1) after intensive specialized eating disorder treatment (41 ± 15 days). A total of 31 healthy controls (age = 16 ± 3 years; BMI = 21 ± 2) were also studied on two occasions.

Results

At baseline, individuals with AN demonstrated an elevated salience response in bilateral caudate head and nucleus accumbens, and right ventral striatum. At the second scan, elevated response was only found in the right nucleus accumbens. A moderator analysis indicated that greater increase in BMI and greater decrease in sweetness perception predicted lesser prediction error response at the second scan in AN.

Conclusion

Consistent with the previously reported monetary stimulus–response, elevated taste prediction error response in AN was largely absent after weight restoration. This study indicates that changes in BMI and sweet taste perception are independent moderators of change of brain salience response in adolescents and young adults with AN. The study points toward dynamic changes in the brain reward circuitry in AN and highlights the importance of nutrition and weight restoration in that process.

Public Significance Statement

AN is a severe psychiatric illness. Biological factors that integrate neurobiology and behavior could become important targets to improve treatment outcome. This study highlights the importance of weight normalization and taste perception the normalization of brain function, and food type or taste‐specific interventions could help in the recovery process. Furthermore, the study suggests that food‐related and nonfood‐related reward processing adapts to illness state in AN.
Temporal refuges of a subordinate carnivore vary across rural–urban gradient
Authors: Malhotra Rumaan , Lima Samantha , Harris Nyeema C.
Published: September 2022

Animals exhibit variation in their space and time use across an urban–rural gradient. As the top‐down influences of apex predators wane due to human‐driven declines, landscape‐level anthropogenic pressures are rising. Human impacts can be analogous to apex predators in that humans can drive increased mortality in both prey species and carnivores, and impact communities through indirect fear effects and food subsidies. Here, we evaluate the time use of a common mesocarnivore across an urban–rural gradient and test whether it is influenced by the intensity of the use of a larger carnivore. Using multiple camera‐trap surveys, we compared the temporal response of a small carnivore, the raccoon (Procyon lotor), to the larger coyote (Canis latrans) in four study areas across Michigan that represented a gradient of pressure from humans. We found that raccoon time use varied by study area and was most unique at the rural extreme. Raccoons consistently did not shift their activity pattern in response to coyotes in the study area with the highest anthropogenic pressures despite the considerable interannual variation, and instead showed stronger responses to coyotes in more rural study areas. Temporal shifts were characterized by raccoons being more diurnal in areas of high coyote activity. We conclude that raccoons may shift time use in the presence of coyotes, dependent on the level of anthropogenic pressure. Our results highlight that the variation in raccoon time use across the entirety of the urban–rural gradient needed to be considered, as anthropogenic pressures may dominate and obscure the dynamics of this interaction.
Applying the structural causal model framework for observational causal inference in ecology
Authors: Arif Suchinta , MacNeil M. Aaron
Published: September 2022

Ecologists are often interested in answering causal questions from observational data but generally lack the training to appropriately infer causation. When applying statistical analysis (e.g., generalized linear model) on observational data, common statistical adjustments can often lead to biased estimates between variables of interest due to processes such as confounding, overcontrol, and collider bias. To overcome these limitations, we present an overview of structural causal modeling (SCM), an emerging causal inference framework that can be used to determine cause‐and‐effect relationships from observational data. The SCM framework uses directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to visualize researchers' assumptions about the causal structure of a system or process under study. Following this, a DAG‐based graphical rule known as the backdoor criterion can be applied to determine statistical adjustments (or lack thereof) required to determine causal relationships from observational data. In the presence of unobserved confounding variables, an additional rule called the frontdoor criterion can be employed to determine causal effects. Here, we use simulated ecological examples to review how the backdoor and frontdoor criteria can return accurate causal estimates between variables of interest, as well as how biases can arise when these criteria are not used. We further provide an overview of studies that have applied the SCM framework in ecology. SCM, along with its application of DAGs, has been widely used in other disciplines to make valid causal inferences from observational data. Their use in ecology holds tremendous potential for quantifying causal relationships and investigating a range of ecological questions without randomized experiments.
Emerging Carbon Nanotube‐Based Nanomaterials for Stable and Dendrite‐Free Alkali Metal Anodes: Challenges, Strategies, and Perspectives
Authors: Liu Zhongxiu , Liu Yong , Miao Yingjie , Liu Guilong , Yu Renhong , Pan Kunming , Wang Guangxin , Pang Xinchang , Ma Jianmin
Published: September 2022

Alkali metals (Li, Na, and K) are promising candidates for high‐performance rechargeable alkali metal battery anodes due to their high theoretical specific capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, the actual application of alkali metal anodes is impeded by the challenges of alkali metals, including their high chemical reactivity, uncontrolled dendrite growth, unstable solid electrolyte interphase, and infinite volume expansion during cycling processes. Introducing carbon nanotube‐based nanomaterials in alkali metal anodesis an effective solution to these issues. These nanomaterials have attracted widespread attention owing to their unique properties, such as their high specific surface area, superior electronic conductivity, and excellent mechanical stability. Considering the rapidly growing research enthusiasm for this topic in the last several years, we review recent progress on the application of carbon nanotube‐based nanomaterials in stable and dendrite‐free alkali metal anodes. The merits and issues of alkali metal anodes, as well as their stabilizing strategies are summarized. Furthermore, the relationships among methods of synthesis, nano‐ or microstructures, and electrochemical properties of carbon nanotube‐based alkali metal anodes are systematically discussed. In addition, advanced characterization technologies on the reaction mechanism of carbon nanotube‐based nanomaterials in alkali metal anodes are also reviewed. Finally, the challenges and prospects for future study and applications of carbon nanotube‐based AMAs in high‐performance alkali metal batteries are discussed.
Epilepsy surgery program in a resource‐limited setting in Vietnam: A multicentered collaborative model
Authors: Le Viet‐Thang , Thuy Le Minh‐An , Nguyen Duc Hue , Tang Loc Ngoc Phuong , Pham Tuan Anh , Nguyen Anh Minh , Nguyen Minh Kien , Van Ngo Tan , Tran Thanh Trung , Van Le Tuan , Jallon Pierre , Lim Kheng‐Seang
Published: September 2022

Objective

Although epilepsy surgery is more effective than medical therapy for drug‐resistant patients, it is underutilized in both high‐income and low‐ and middle‐income countries. In light of our efforts to establish an epilepsy surgery program in a resource‐limited setting, this study aimed to determine the outcome of the epilepsy surgery program in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam.

Methods

In 2018, we developed the HCMC epilepsy core multidisciplinary team with members from various hospitals and centers. The team typically included neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and nursing specialists. Presurgical evaluations were performed for patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy, fulfilling the ILAE criteria, with an epileptogenic lesion (mesial temporal sclerosis, low‐grade gliomas, or focal cortical dysplasia). All epilepsy surgeries were performed in two epilepsy surgery centers in HCMC between 2018 and 2021. The patients were followed up for at least 12 months.

Results

Fifty‐two patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy underwent presurgical evaluation, of which 35 underwent surgery. Among the 52 patients, 20 (38.5%) underwent surgery after showing concordance among the results of standard presurgical assessments such as semiology, scalp interictal or ictal electroencephalography, and brain imaging. Among the 26 people with epilepsy who required more advanced evaluations, 15 underwent surgery with intraoperative electrocorticography to delineate the optimal resection borders. The outcomes of Engel Class I and Class II were achieved in 29/35 (82.8%) and 6/35 (17.2%) patients, respectively.

Significance

The epilepsy surgery program with a multicentered collaborative model in a resource‐limited setting showed favorable outcomes in HCMC, Vietnam.
Geoarchaeological characterisation of a Younger Dryas site in the Alpine uplands: Cornafessa rock shelter (Italy)
Authors: Angelucci Diego E. , Patauner Erica , Duches Rossella
Published: September 2022

The effects of the Younger Dryas (YD) fluctuation on Late Pleistocene hunter‐gatherers' settlement and subsistence systems in the southern Alps are poorly known. This is primarily due to the scarcity of archaeological sites dating from the YD, in contrast with the extensive evidence available from the lateglacial interstadial and the early Holocene. Here, we present the initial stratigraphic, chronologic and geoarchaeological data collected from Cornafessa rock shelter, a new site located in the Lessini massif of the Italian Alps, at an elevation of 1240 m. The site was occupied during both the YD and the early Holocene. The YD archaeological deposit is clearly recognisable within the fairly uniform lateglacial and Holocene clastic succession. Geoarchaeological data indicate that the YD deposit corresponds to an occupation surface, which was formed during short visits to the site by late Epigravettian hunter‐gatherer groups, who settled in the sheltered area and performed distinct activities.
Sequence stratigraphy of the upper Oligocene–middle Miocene succession in west–central Sinai, Egypt
Authors: Ayyad Haitham M. , Hewaidy Abdel Galil A. , Farouk Sherif , Samir Ahmed , Bazeen Youssef S.
Published: September 2022

The calcareous nannofossil and foraminiferal analyses have been integrated to build a detailed chronostratigraphic scheme for the upper Oligocene–middle Miocene succession in the Nukhul–Sudr area, west–central Sinai, Egypt. The palaeoenvironmental conditions of the studied succession were assessed using the palaeoecologic preferences of calcareous nannofossil species, benthic foraminifera, and planktonic/benthic (P/B) ratios. Six complete and two incomplete depositional sequences bounded by seven sequence boundaries have been distinguished in the studied sections based on the integration between chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations as well as the nature of stratigraphic surfaces. Levels suggesting subaerial exposures (such as alluvial fans and polymictic conglomerates) and biostratigraphic breaks were employed to delineate sequence boundaries. The inferred relative sea‐level curve points to palaeodepth change ranging from lagoonal to outer shelf settings during the deposition. The established upper Oligocene–middle Miocene sequence stratigraphic framework demonstrates a more‐or‐less compatible correlation toward the corresponding ones from the neighbouring localities around the eastern rim of the Gulf of Suez. However, the inferred relative sea‐level curve shows significant deviations when compared with the eustasy. These deviations are expressed mainly by several prolonged time gaps and discrepancies in the timing and magnitude of the transgression and regression events. Therefore, the Gulf of Suez rift Basin development and the coincident regional tectonic events are the main controlling factors for the sedimentation regime in west–central Sinai.
Origin of the Tudigou intrusion and associated porphyry Cu mineralization in the southern Qinling, Central China: Implication for regional tectonic setting
Authors: Zhang Zhong‐Yu , Wang Yin‐Hong , Liu Jia‐Jun , Lin Shan‐Yuan , Zhang Fang‐Fang , Bo Zhen‐Yu , Zhang Wei , Gao Jian , Li Hong‐Yu
Published: September 2022

The Tudigou porphyry Cu deposit is located in the central part of the southern Qinling belt. Copper mineralization is closely associated with monzogranite porphyry. Zircon LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating of monzogranite porphyry suggests that the ages of magmatism at Tudigou vary between 150 ± 1 and 148 ± 1 Ma and overlap with the molybdenite Re–Os age of 150–148 Ma, indicating that the Tudigou intrusion and associated mineralization formed during the Late Jurassic. The enrichment in large‐ion lithophile elements, depletion in high‐field‐strength elements, high Ba/Th and La/Yb ratios, and negative correlation between Dy/Yb and La/Sm ratios, together with narrow ranges of εHf(t) values (εHf(t) = −4.0 to +1.4) suggest monzogranite porphyry was derived from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle with minor crustal components contribution, which is also evidenced by the lead isotopic result. The La/Yb ratios of 30 Mesozoic plutons in the southern Qinling belt were used to calculate the Moho depth, which suggests that the magmatism and mineralization in the region occurred during lithosphere thinning in response to the tectonic transition from compression to extension transitional regime. The calculated oxygen fugacity of the Late Mesozoic porphyry deposits in the Qinling–Dabie orogen have identical ΔFMQ values (averaging +1.4 to +2.4). However, the V/Sc ratios (the proxy for water content) are distinct among different deposit sizes, indicating that the dissolved water in the magma plays a critical role in porphyry‐type mineralization.
Potential beneficial effects of masupirdine (SUVN‐502) on agitation/aggression and psychosis in patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease: Exploratory post hoc analyses
Authors: Nirogi Ramakrishna , Jayarajan Pradeep , Benade Vijay , Shinde Anil , Goyal Vinod Kumar , Jetta Satish , Ravula Jyothsna , Abraham Renny , Grandhi Venkata Ramalingayya , Subramanian Ramkumar , Pandey Santosh Kumar , Badange Rajesh Kumar , Mohammed Abdul Rasheed , Jasti Venkat , Ballard Clive , Cummings Jeffrey
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The effects of masupirdine on the neuropsychiatric symptoms were explored.

Methods

Masupirdine (SUVN‐502) was evaluated for its effects on cognition in patients with moderate AD. The prespecified primary outcome showed no drug‐placebo difference. Post hoc analyses of domains of the 12‐item neuropsychiatric inventory scale were carried out.

Results

In a subgroup of patients (placebo, n = 57; masupirdine 50 mg, n = 53; masupirdine 100 mg, n = 48) with baseline agitation/aggression symptoms ≥1, a statistically significant reduction in agitation/aggression scores was observed in masupirdine 50 mg (95% confidence interval (CI), −1.9 to −0.5, p < 0.001) and masupirdine 100 mg (95% CI, −1.7 to −0.3, p = 0.007) treated arms at Week 13 in comparison to placebo and the effect was sustained for trial duration of 26 weeks in the masupirdine 50 mg treatment arm (95% CI, −2.3 to −0.8, p < 0.001). Similar observations were noted in the subgroup of patients (placebo, n = 29; masupirdine 50 mg, n = 30; masupirdine 100 mg, n = 21) with baseline agitation/aggression symptoms ≥3. In the subgroup of patients (placebo, n = 28; masupirdine 50 mg, n = 28; masupirdine 100 mg, n = 28) who had baseline psychosis symptoms and/or symptom emergence, a significant reduction in psychosis scores was observed in the masupirdine 50 mg (Week 4: 95% CI, −2.8 to −1.4, p < 0.001; Week 13: 95% CI, −3.3 to −1.3, p < 0.001) and masupirdine 100 mg (Week 4: 95% CI, −1.4 to 0, p = 0.046; Week 13: 95% CI, −1.9 to 0.1, p = 0.073) treatment arms in comparison to placebo.

Conclusion

Further research is warranted to explore the potential beneficial effects of masupirdine on NPS.
Evaluating the implementation of user embracement in the healthcare system of Jaboatão dos Guararapes city, Brazil
Authors: de Lima Barros Litian Oliveira , Nunes Diniz George Tadeu , Silva Fabiana Brito , de Araújo Oliveira Sydia Rosana
Published: September 2022

Background

The advent of the Family Health Strategy required healthcare teams to strengthen bonding and accountability towards users. In this sense, humanisation has been the key to a successful care provision and to the acceptance of interventions that can meet demands. Our study aimed to evaluate the implementation of user embracement in Family Health Units of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Methods

The studied population belonged to 48 Family Health teams. Eighty‐five healthcare workers with higher education answered the questionnaire, and the registration forms of 272 users were examined, from which sociodemographic information was gathered. These data were analysed according to the degree of vulnerability. Questionnaire results were collected and tabulated using the HCMaps software. Dimensions were analysed through a Likert‐type grading scale ranging from 1 to 5. This is an evaluative, cross‐sectional study with a quantitative approach, considering the dimensions proposed in the RE‐AIM framework.

Results

User embracement was considered unsatisfactory, as were Reach and Adoption. The Effectiveness, Implementation, and Maintenance dimensions yielded satisfactory results. The main ones were the perception of user embracement as a screening process, and the delimitation of open slots and/or schedules.

Conclusions

The study shows that user embracement has been effective in strengthening bonds, reducing queues, and solving demands. However, the potential user embracement sustainability and implementation have been hampered by factors related to the Adoption of the intervention.
Exposures to pesticides and risk of cancer: Evaluation of recent epidemiological evidence in humans and paths forward
Authors: Cavalier Haleigh , Trasande Leonardo , Porta Miquel
Published: September 2022

Knowledge of the role in cancer etiology of environmental exposures as pesticides is a prerequisite for primary prevention. We review 63 epidemiological studies on exposure to pesticides and cancer risk in humans published from 2017 to 2021, with emphasis on new findings, methodological approaches, and gaps in the existing literature. While much of the recent evidence suggests causal relationships between pesticide exposure and cancer, the strongest evidence exists for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and colorectal cancer (CRC), diseases in which the observed associations were consistent across several studies, including high‐quality prospective studies and those using biomarkers for exposure assessment, with some observing dose‐response relationships. Though high‐quality studies have been published since the IARC monograph on organophosphate insecticides in 2017, there are still gaps in the literature on carcinogenic evidence in humans for a large number of pesticides. To further knowledge, we suggest leveraging new techniques and methods to increase sensitivity and precision of exposure assessment, incorporate multi‐omics data, and investigate more thoroughly exposure to chemical mixtures. There is also a strong need for better and larger population‐based cohort studies that include younger and nonoccupationally exposed individuals, particularly during developmental periods of susceptibility. Though the existing evidence has limitations, as always in science, there is sufficient evidence to implement policies and regulatory action that limit pesticide exposure in humans and, hence, further prevent a significant burden of cancers.
Competition, stability, and institutional environment: The case of dual banking economies
Authors: Azmi Wajahat , Anwer Zaheer , Ali Mohsin , Mohamad Shamsher
Published: September 2022

We measure the impact of competition and institutional quality on stability for dual banking economies. Our sample comprises 492 banks (109 Islamic and 383 conventional banks) from 17 countries with dual‐banking systems. The sample period is from 2005 to 2020. The estimations are performed using Two Step System Generalized Method of Moments approach. Our findings reveal heterogeneous effect of competition on stability. We found the evidence of competition‐stability paradigm in case of full sample as well as for Islamic banks. There is no effect of competition on the stability of conventional banks. Furthermore, there is no evidence of size effect in the competition‐stability results. The impact of legal institution is insignificant. We also observe that better quality of political and the economic institutions increases the bank stability. We attribute these findings to the conjecture that better political and/or legal institutions improve bank stability by reducing information asymmetry and adverse selection. Finally, we find the evidence that political, legal and economic dimensions of institutions have differential effect on competition‐stability relationship. The findings are robust to alternative definitions of competition, stability and different methodological approaches.
The resource reallocation effect of monetary policy
Authors: Zhang Jiarui , Shi Yingying
Published: September 2022

This paper studies the heterogeneous responses of firms to monetary policy shocks and the possible adverse effect of expansionary monetary policy on resource reallocation. Using Chinese firm‐level data, we find that when expansionary monetary shock hits the economy, less productive firms are more responsive than productive firms in terms of resource accumulation. We identify two mechanisms for this effect. First, less productive firms accumulate net worth more slowly. They have higher leverage ratio and are more sensitive to monetary policy changes (the intensive margin). Second, monetary expansion relaxes borrowing constraints, which enables unproductive firms to survive. The congestion effect prevents resources from allocating to more productive firms. Our finding is robust even if we use private firm subsamples or avoid the massive fiscal stimulus in China around 2009. We provide a simple model of firm dynamics to capture these effects.
A lightweight deep learning model for retinal optical coherence tomography image classification
Authors: Mathews Mili Rosline , Anzar Sharafudeen Thaha Mohammed
Published: September 2022

Automated retinal disease detection and grading is one of the most researched areas in medical image analysis. In recent years, Deep Learning models have attracted much attention in this field. Hence, in this paper, we present a Deep Learning‐based, lightweight, fully automated end‐to‐end diagnostic system for the detection of the two major retinal diseases, namely diabetic macular oedema (DME) and drusen macular degeneration (DMD). Early detection of these diseases is important to prevent vision impairment. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the main imaging technique for detecting these diseases. The model proposed in this work is based on residual blocks and channel attention modules. The performance of the model is evaluated using the publicly available Mendeley OCT dataset and the Duke dataset. We were able to achieve a classification accuracy of 99.5% in the Mendeley test dataset and 94.9% in the Duke dataset with the proposed model. For the application, we performed an extensive evaluation of pre‐trained models (LeNet, AlexNet, VGG‐16, ResNet50 and SE‐ResNet). The proposed model has a much smaller number of trainable parameters and shows superior performance compared to existing methods.
A multimethod examination of hope and adolescent STEM career expectancies
Authors: Alexander Brittany L. , Janssen Jayley , Fraser Ashely M. , Bryce Crystal I. , Fabes Richard A.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are growing rapidly and understanding adolescent's interest and hope for pursuing a STEM career is essential for additional growth and opportunity collectively and individually. Hope is a cognitive–motivational construct that includes three components: hopeful future expectations (HFEs), intentional self‐regulation (ISR), and connection, and is associated with academic achievement and career pursuit; it has not been examined in relation to STEM. This study fills a gap in the literature by taking a multimethod approach to understanding the association between adolescents' hope and STEM career interests.

Methods

Participants were 639 middle‐ and high‐school adolescents in the southwestern United States who quantitatively reported their hope and STEM career interests and provided qualitative descriptions of reasons for wanting to pursue a STEM career.

Results

Quantitatively, HFEs significantly and positively predicted STEM career interest. Relations were examined by gender and school level. For middle‐school girls, ISR significantly predicted STEM career interest, for middle‐school boys and high‐school girls, HFEs positively significantly predicted STEM career interest, but results of high‐school boys were nonsignificant. Qualitatively, adolescents mentioned reasons aligning with HFEs and ISR as motivations for pursuing a STEM career, as well as prosocial motivations. Additionally, they discussed their interest in a STEM career as a way to pursue other goals such as financial stability.

Discussion

Findings highlight the possibility of hope as a malleable motivation for STEM career pursuit. Our findings support the components of hope as a salient associate of early STEM career interest, with adolescents who have high HFEs and ISR being particularly apt to say they would like to pursue a STEM career. Our results support the active development of hope among US adolescents as a catalyst toward personal and global success.
A computational approach for modeling electronic circular dichroism of solvated chromophores
Authors: Monti Marta , Stener Mauro , Aschi Massimiliano
Published: September 2022

The present study consists in a novel computational protocol to model the UV‐circular dichroism spectra of solvated species. It makes use of quantum‐chemical calculations on a series of conformations of a flexible chromophore or on a series of chromophore/solvent clusters extracted from molecular dynamic simulations. The protocol is described and applied to the aqueous cationic tripeptide GAG+ and to the aqueous neutral decapeptide (GVGVP)2. The protocol has proven able to: (i) properly consider the conformational motion of solute in the given environment; (ii) give the actual statistical weight of each conformational state; (iii) provide a reliable quantum mechanical method able to reproduce the spectral features. Temperature effects on conformations and spectral properties are properly taken into account. The role of explicit solvent on the conformational analysis and the spectra calculation is discussed. The comparison of the calculated circular dichroism spectra with experimental ones recorded at different temperatures represents a strict validation test of the method.
Integrated chemo‐ and biocatalytic processes: a new fashion toward renewable chemicals production from lignocellulosic biomass
Authors: Chen Zhu , Wang Yuguang , Cheng Haina , Zhou Hongbo
Published: September 2022

Concerns over climate change and environmental pollution resulting from petroleum refining has spurred the exploitation of green replacements for producing chemicals and fuels. Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals represents a promising alternative to petroleum refining. Biological and chemical catalysis are two leading routes for lignocellulose variolization, but strategies relying simply on biological or chemical conversion have shown limitations. Integrating biocatalysts with chemocatalysts could leverage the inherent strengths of both while circumventing their respective disadvantages, benefiting product yield and selectivity, and reducing cost and waste generation. This review focuses on the coupled chemocatalytic and biocatalytic synthesis of renewable chemicals from polysaccharides and their derived platform chemicals. In addition, strategies for producing value‐added products from lignin via integrated chemical depolymerization and biological conversion are highlighted. The techno‐economics of integrating chemocatalysts and biocatalysts in producing chemicals in the context of biorefinery are also discussed. Finally, perspectives on designing integrated chemical and biological catalysis for renewable chemicals production are provided. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).