bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flow recovery after posterior clinoidectomy for surgical clipping of anterior choroidal aneurysm
Authors: Gallardo Federico Carlos , Bottan Juan Santiago , Martin Clara , Carcia Aylen Andrea Targa , Arevalo Roman Pablo , Rubino Pablo Augusto
Published: December 2021

Inadvertent flow alterations in the parent artery during microsurgical clipping might produce postoperative ischemic complications. Intraoperative recognition of such alterations and its correction might improve operative outcomes in these patients. We present the case of a thirty-five-year-old male with an incidental small left anterior choroidal aneurysm. Microsurgical clipping induced an external compression of the anterior choroidal artery against the posterior clinoidal process which was identified in situ through surgical exploration and the loss of arterial doppler signal in the vessel. After failed attempts at clip repositioning, a posterior clinoidectomy was performed to decompress the artery. This resulted in arterial flow recovery. The aneurysm was successfully treated, and a severe ischemic complication was likely avoided. This intraoperative phenomenon has not yet been described in the literature.
NMNAT promotes glioma growth through regulating post-translational modifications of P53 to inhibit apoptosis
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Tao Xianzun , Zhu Yi , Li Chong , Ruan Kai , Diaz-Perez Zoraida , Rai Priyamvada , Wang Hongbo , Zhai R Grace
Published: December 2021

Gliomas are highly malignant brain tumors with poor prognosis and short survival. NAD+has been shown to impact multiple processes that are dysregulated in cancer; however, anti-cancer therapies targeting NAD+synthesis have had limited success due to insufficient mechanistic understanding. Here, we adapted aDrosophilaglial neoplasia model and discovered the genetic requirement for NAD+synthase nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT) in glioma progression in vivo and in human glioma cells. Overexpressing enzymatically active NMNAT significantly promotes glial neoplasia growth and reduces animal viability. Mechanistic analysis suggests that NMNAT interferes with DNA damage-p53-caspase-3 apoptosis signaling pathway by enhancing NAD+-dependent posttranslational modifications (PTMs) poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) and deacetylation of p53. Since PARylation and deacetylation reduce p53 pro-apoptotic activity, modulating p53 PTMs could be a key mechanism by which NMNAT promotes glioma growth. Our findings reveal a novel tumorigenic mechanism involving protein complex formation of p53 with NAD+synthetic enzyme NMNAT and NAD+-dependent PTM enzymes that regulates glioma growth.
Digital storytelling in study abroad: toward a counter-catalogic experience
Authors: Rodríguez Karen
Published: December 2021

This article examines a pilot project incorporating digital storytelling into a short-term study abroad program in the small city of Guanajuato, Mexico. After contextualizing the project’s pedagogical and theoretical concerns, the article examines the resulting stories, underscoring their potential for helping students pay attention to specific sites, to think beyond the usual images one is bombarded with and to spark critical thought. It argues that digital storytelling allows both students and host community members to become authors and representers of their experiences, thus creating a “counter-catalogic” study abroad experience, i.e. one that goes beyond the staid images used to market these experiences abroad. Digital stories afford an exciting mode for thinking about how to create critical, intimate and dialogic encounters with others.
Video Conferencing for Opening Classroom Doors in Initial Teacher Education: Sociocultural Processes of Mimicking and Improvisation
Authors: Wiesemes Rolf , Wang RuoLan
Published: December 2021

In this article, we present an alternative framework for conceptualising video-conferencing uses in initial teacher education and in Higher Education (HE) more generally. This alternative framework takes into account the existing models in the field, but – based on a set of interviews conducted with teacher trainees and wider analysis of the related literature – we suggest that there is a need to add to existing models the notions of ‘mimicking’ (copying practice) and improvisation (unplanned and spontaneous personal learning moments). These two notions are considered to be vital, as they remain valid throughout teachers’ careers and constitute key affordances of video-conferencing uses in HE. In particular, we argue that improvisational processes can be considered as key for developing professional practice and lifelong learning and that video-conferencing uses in initial teacher education can contribute to an understanding of training and learning processes. Current conceptualisations of video conferencing as suggested by Coyle (2004) and Marsh et al. (2009) remain valid, but also are limited in their scope with respect to focusing predominantly on pragmatic and instrumental teacher-training issues. Our article suggests that the theoretical conceptualisations of video conferencing should be expanded to include elements of mimicking and ultimately improvisation. This allows us to consider not just etic aspects of practice, but equally emic practices and related personal professional development. We locate these arguments more widely in a sociocultural-theory framework, as it enables us to describe interactions in dialectical rather than dichotomous terms (Lantolf & Poehner, 2008).
Facilitating practical knowledge by using ECT
Authors: Jentoft Rita
Published: December 2021

Practical skills constitute essential knowledge in occupational therapy. The knowledge is situation- and experience-based, generated from within the situation. In a particular program for educating Palestinian Occupational Therapists in Gaza, facilitating such knowledge proved to be difficult. Due to travel restrictions and an unstable political situation, teachers and students were separated. Educational communication technology (ECT) like videoconferences, internet and videos became new and necessary tools. This article is based on results from an action research project which followed the process of using flexible forms of learning and developing an internet based learning programme named Ergonet. The learning process of the students using it was examined with the aim of answering the following research question: How can flexible forms of learning be developed and used to facilitate practical knowledge in Occupational Therapy education? The development and implementation of Ergonet as a supporting device in students’ learning of practical skills is described through the experience of the teachers involved. The results indicate how rote-learning and lack of reflective and critical thinking, firmly established among Palestinian students, have been challenged and changed by the didactic use of Ergonet.
Distance learning students in -communities of practice-
Authors: Fredskild Trine Ungermann
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of the distance learning programme on learning processes in nursing education. It was the purpose to highlight the differences and similarities in the traditional nursing programme vs. the distance learning programme. Empirically, the article builds on a comparative study of two Danish nursing schools and three different nursing classes, including one based on the distance learning programme. The three different nursing classes cover the ways of studying in nursing education in Denmark. Observations were conducted with the classes as a whole. Interviews were conducted with 7 students from the distance learning programme, 6 from the traditional programme and 5 from the credit transfer class. The interpretative approach was selected to form the background of this study. The observation, as well as the interview guide was formed on the basis of Etienne Wengers theory: “Learning in communities of practice”. The analysis was based on concepts from the same theoretical background, as the observations and interviews. Findings from the study show that the distance-learning students have a selective and targeted way of engaging in communities of practice. Findings in relation to age, to being well prepared and feeling responsible for own learning, in relation to doing a self study and to knowledge forms, seem to have precise relevance for the differences between the ways of studying in nursing education.
Enhanced Serpent algorithm using Lorenz 96 Chaos-based block key generation and parallel computing for RGB image encryption
Authors: Elshoush Huwaida T. , Al-Tayeb Banan M. , Obeid Khalil T.
Published: December 2021

This paper presents a new approach to enhance the security and performance of the Serpent algorithm. The main concepts of this approach is to generate a sub key for each block using Lorenz 96 chaos and then run the process of encryption and decryption in ECB parallel mode. The proposed method has been implemented in Java, openjdk version “11.0.11”; and for the analysis of the tested RGB images, Python 3.6 was used. Comprehensive experiments on widely used metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method against differential attacks, brute force attacks and statistical attacks, while achieving superb results compared to related schemes. Moreover, the encryption quality, Shannon entropy, correlation coefficients, histogram analysis and differential analysis all accomplished affirmative results. Furthermore, the reduction in encryption/decryption time was over 61%. Moreover, the proposed method cipher was tested using the Statistical Test Suite (STS) recommended by the NIST and passed them all ensuring the randomness of the cipher output. Thus, the approach demonstrated the potential of the improved Serpent-ECB algorithm with Lorenz 96 chaos-based block key generation (BKG) and gave favorable results. Specifically, compared to existing encryption schemes, it proclaimed its effectiveness.
Metabarcoding prey DNA from fecal samples of adult dragonflies shows no predicted sex differences, and substantial inter-individual variation, in diets
Authors: Morrill André , Kaunisto Kari M. , Mlynarek Julia J. , Sippola Ella , Vesterinen Eero J. , Forbes Mark R.
Published: December 2021

Sexes often differ in foraging and diet, which is associated with sex differences in size, trophic morphology, use of habitats, and/or life history tactics. Herein, strikingly similar diets were found for adult sexes of a dragonfly (Leucorrhinia intacta), based on comparing 141 dietary taxa identified from the metabarcoding of mitochondrial DNA archived in feces. Arthropods in > 5% of samples included five species of dipterans, two hemipterans, two spider species and one parasitic mite. The mite was not traditional prey as its presence was likely due to DNA contamination of samples arising through parasitism or possibly via accidental consumption during grooming, and therefore the mite was excluded from diet characterizations. Common prey species were found with statistically indistinguishable frequencies in male and female diets, with one exception of an aphid more often found in male diets, although this pattern was not robust to corrections for multiple statistical tests. While rare prey species were often found in diets of only one sex, instances of this were more frequent in the more oft-sampled females, suggesting sampling artefact. Sexes did not differ in the mean prey species richness in their diets. Overall, sexes showed statistically indistinguishable diets both on a prey species-by-species basis and in terms of multivariate characterizations of diet composition, derived from presence-absence data of prey species analyzed via PERMANOVA and accumulation curves. Males and females may have similar diets by being both opportunistic and generalist predators of arthropods, using the same foraging habitats and having similar sizes and flight agilities. Notably, similarities in diet between sexes occur alongside large interindividual differences in diet, within sexes. Researchers intending on explaining adaptive sex differences in diet should consider characteristics of species whose sexes show similar diets.
Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Decorated Indium Hydroxide Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization and Its Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Chong C. Y. , Lee T.  H. W. , Juan J. C. , Johan Mohd Rafie , Loke C. F. , Ng K. H. , Lai J. C. , Lim Teck Hock
Published: December 2021

A simple and scalable liquid-based method was developed to produce a nanocomposite photocatalyst which was comprised of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (4-5 nm) decorated indium hydroxide nanorods (mean width 33 nm and average aspect ratio 2-3). The nanocomposite was produced at 25 ℃ in water via a hydroxide-induced co-precipitation ensued by a cathodic reduction during which the non-magnetic Fe(OH)3 intermediate was reduced to magnetic Fe3O4 at 20 V within 1 h. The incorporation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles served to bestow magnetic recoverability to the photocatalyst and helped enhance visible light absorption simultaneously. Interestingly, the addition of Fe3+ led to the formation of In(OH)3 nanorods rather than the commonly observed nanocubes. In comparison to the In(OH)3 system having a band gap of 4.60 eV), the band gap of the Fe3O4/In(OH)3 nanocomposite produced was determined to be 2.85 eV using the Tauc’s plot method. The effective reduction in band gap is expected to allow better absorption of visible light which in turns should help boost its photocatalytic performance. The Fe3O4/In(OH)3 nanocomposite was structurally characterized using a combination of PXRD, FESEM, EDS, and TEM and its paramagnetic property was proven with a positive mass susceptibility measured to be 1.30´10−5 cm3.g−1. Under visible light, a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 83% was recorded within 1 hr for the nanocomposite using methylene blue as a dye. The photocatalytically-active Fe3O4/In(OH)3 should have good potential in visible-light driven waste water degradation once further optimized. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Electrocatalysis in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells
Authors: Rizo Rubén , García Gonzalo
Published: December 2021

The study and development of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFC), and consequently, the ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR) is of paramount importance for clean energy production. In this sense, many publications have been dedicated to the use of Pt as a catalyst for this reaction, in which a large fraction of them seek to address the improvement of the Pt catalyst by its combination with a second metal. Consequently, herein, we summarize and discuss the most relevant EOR mechanistic from the last decades that shed light on a general mechanism for the EOR on Pt electrode. Additionally, different surface structure and chemical phenomena described for Pt‐based electrodes, such as strain, ligand effects, and bifunctional effects, are featured by citing and discussing the most relevant studies on Pt‐based bimetallic systems for the EOR.
Hexagonal Phase Ni3Fe Nanosheets toward High‐Performance Water Splitting by a Room‐Temperature Methane Plasma Method
Authors: Wei Guijuan , Shen Yongli , Zhao Xixia , Wang Ying , Zhang Weiqing , An Changhua
Published: December 2021

In addition to tuning the size and shape, exploring highly efficient and cost‐effective catalysts with active metastable phase represents an alternative strategy to improve electrocatalytic water splitting performance. However, it still remains a big challenge to synthesize unconventional crystal structures under mild conditions. Herein, a facile CH4 plasma assisted strategy to synthesize hexagonal close‐packed (hcp) Ni3Fe/C porous nanosheets by in situ topology reduction of Ni3Fe‐LDH nanosheets is successfully developed. Compared with its face‐centered cubic phase counterpart (fcc‐Ni3Fe/C), the resulting hcp‐Ni3Fe/C catalyst exhibits much enhanced activity with overpotentials of 70 and 201 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, respectively. Moreover, a small cell voltage of 1.54 V is realized to drive overall water splitting. Theoretical calculations further reveal that hcp‐Ni3Fe allows energetically favorable adsorption and dissociation of H2O molecules. This work presents a new strategy for designing advanced metastable phase electrocatalysts with high performance for energy and environmentally relevant reactions.
Temperature‐Dependent CAT‐Like RGD‐BPNS@SMFN Nanoplatform for PTT‐PDT Self‐Synergetic Tumor Phototherapy
Authors: Song Luping , Chen Bo , Qin Zhiguo , Liu Xin , Guo Zhanhang , Lou Hongchao , Liu Hui , Sun Wei , Guo Chunxian , Li Changming
Published: December 2021

Phototherapies such as photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are considered as alternatives for tumor remedies, because of their advantages of precise spatial orientation, minimally invasive, and nonradiative operation. However, most of phototherapeutic agents still suffer from low photothermal conversion efficacy and photodynamic performance, poor biocompatibility, and intratumor accumulation. Herein a biocompatible and target‐deliverable PTT–PDT self‐synergetic nanoplatform of RGD‐BPNS@SMFN based on temperature‐dependent catalase (CAT)‐like behavior for tumor elimination is presented. The homogeneously dispersible nanoplatform is designed and fabricated through anchoring spherical manganese ferrite nanoparticles (SMFN) to black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNS), followed by arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptide modification. The nanoplatform exhibits excellent targeting ability and enhanced photonic response in comparison to plain BPNS and SMFN in vitro and in vivo. It is found that PTT and PDT have a self‐synergetic behavior by means of the dual phototherapy mode interaction. The self‐synergetic mechanism is mainly ascribed to PTT‐promoted inherent CAT‐like activity in the nanoplatform, which remodels the tumor hypoxia microenvironment and further ameliorates the PDT efficiency, providing promising high performance nanoplatform for synergetic dual mode phototherapy, enriching the design for the antitumor nanozyme.
Thickness‐Dependent Energy‐Level Alignment at the Organic–Organic Interface Induced by Templated Gap States
Authors: Hagenlocher Jan , Broch Katharina , Zwadlo Matthias , Lepple Daniel , Rawle Jonathan , Carla Francesco , Kera Satoshi , Schreiber Frank , Hinderhofer Alexander
Published: December 2021

Planar organic heterostructures are widely explored and employed in photovoltaic cells, light‐emitting diodes, and bilayer field‐effect transistors. An important role for device performance plays the energy level alignment at the inorganic–organic and organic–organic interfaces. In this work, incremental ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and real‐time X‐ray scattering experiments are used to thoroughly investigate the thickness‐dependent electronic and structural properties of a perfluoropentacene (PFP)‐on‐[6]phenacene heterostructure. For both materials an incremental increase of the material work function (positive interface dipole) is found. For [6]phenacene, this can be assigned to a thickness‐dependent change of molecular arrangement evident from a change of the unit cell volume and a consequential alteration of the ionization energy. In the case of PFP the interface dipole stems from charge transfer from the substrate into unoccupied molecular orbitals resulting in an electrostatic potential on the surface. The magnitude of this potential can be correlated with an increased gap state density resulting from templated structural defects mediated by the bottom layer.
Leaf and canopy stomatal resistance, aerodynamic resistance, and evapotranspiration of irrigated continuous no‐till and disk‐till maize
Authors: Sharma Vivek , Irmak Suat
Published: December 2021

The impact of no‐till (NT) management as compared with conventional tillage practices (e.g., disk till [DT]) on plant stomatal behavior in relation to model estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and plant physiological functions has not been sufficiently evaluated. This research investigated the effects of NT and DT management on maize (Zea mays L.) physiological parameters and ETc losses. We also tested the methodology to estimate ETc using a one‐step Penman–Monteith (PM) model with measured variable resistance from scaled‐up leaf stomatal resistance (RL) to canopy resistance (RC) with Bowen Ratio Energy Balance System (BREBS)‐measured ETc. Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) explained 76 and 79% of the variability in RL for NT and DT maize, respectively, which varied with growth stage. Disk‐till maize RL was 29, 5, 25, and 4% higher than NT maize RL during the vegetative, tasseling and silking, reproductive, and near‐physiological‐maturity stages, respectively. The seasonal average scaled‐up RC values for NT and DT maize were 102.4 and 128.6 s m–1, respectively. The PM‐estimated ETc correlated strongly with the BREBS‐measured ETc, with the PM model estimates being 8 and 6% within the BREBS measurements on an hourly and daily basis, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to develop the response curves (PPFD vs. RL) for maize for different growth stages under NT and DT. The analyses presented here can provide invaluable data and information for plant physiology research, crop modeling, determining crop response to different management, and environmental drivers.
Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) in chronic rhinosinusitis with comparison to primary ETD: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Tiffany , Shih Michael C. , Edwards Thomas S. , Nguyen Shaun A. , Meyer Ted A. , Soler Zachary M. , Schlosser Rodney J.
Published: December 2021

Background

Otologic symptoms consistent with Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) are common in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), but can also occur independently of CRS as primary ETD. It is unclear if CRS+ETD is similar to primary ETD or how treatment outcomes compare.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA). Any study describing ETD in CRS was included. Primary ETD studies were limited to those with preoperative and postoperative Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ‐7) scores in ETD treated only with Eustachian tube balloon dilation (ETBD).

Results

Sixteen studies were included: nine studies with 1336 consecutive patients with CRS and seven studies with 161 patients with primary ETD. In studies with specific data, 225 (47.2%) patients with CRS had a score >14.5, consistent with ETD. In CRS+ETD, baseline mean ± standard deviation (SD) ETDQ‐7 score was 20.7 ± 8.4 and did not differ by polyp status. In primary ETD, mean ETDQ‐7 score was significantly higher than CRS+ETD (29.5 ± 8.1, p < 0.0001). Regarding treatment outcomes, CRS+ETD treated with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) alone resulted in mean ETDQ‐7 in the normal range (13.2 ± 5.3), with a mean change of −7.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], −10.82 to −3.99) (p < 0.00001). Patients with primary ETD treated with ETBD had postoperative ETDQ7 scores of 14.9 ± 7.5 with mean change of −13.9 (95% CI, −18.01 to −9.88), p < 0.00001.

Conclusion

ETD is noted in approximately half of patients with CRS. Outcomes of CRS+ETD treated with ESS alone are similar to those of patients with primary ETD treated with ETBD.
Outcomes of dupilumab treatment versus endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Authors: Dharmarajan Harish , Falade Oluleke , Lee Stella E. , Wang Eric W.
Published: December 2021

Background

Outside of SINUS‐24 (A Controlled Clinical Study of Dupilumab in Patients With Bilateral Nasal Polyps) and SINUS‐52 (Controlled Clinical Study of Dupilumab in Patients With Nasal Polyps), there are limited data on the efficacy of dupilumab in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The objective was to compare dupilumab with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) in patients with CRSwNP by assessing the change in nasal polyp and Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22) scores postintervention.

Methods

A retrospective matched cohort study compared 54 patients who had CRSwNP treated with dupilumab with 54 patients who had CRSwNP treated with FESS; both cohorts were treated with topical corticosteroids. The primary end points were change in nasal polyp score and overall SNOT‐22 score. Secondary end points were change in SNOT‐22 domain scores and SNOT‐22 olfaction score.

Results

Patients who underwent FESS had a greater improvement in nasal polyp score (5.18 ± 2.01) compared with patients treated with dupilumab (4.27 ± 1.98, p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in terms of the change in overall SNOT‐22 score. Patients treated with dupilumab had greater improvement in the extranasal rhinologic SNOT‐22 domain scores (4.87 ± 3.91) compared with patients treated with FESS (2.93 ± 4.32, p = 0.02). There was a greater improvement in the SNOT‐22 olfaction scores for patients treated with dupilumab (2.35 ± 2.17) compared with patients treated with FESS (1.48 ± 2.24, p = 0.04). Patients taking dupilumab were followed on average for 12.20 months and patients treated with FESS were followed for 17.90 months.

Conclusion

Overall, both therapies are effective at reducing symptoms in patients with CRSwNP according to SNOT‐22. Patients treated with dupilumab reported improved olfaction and decreased cough, postnasal drainage, and thick nasal drainage as compared with patients treated with FESS, while patients treated with FESS had a greater reduction in polyp burden.
Essential Oil, Aroma, and Fatty Acid Profiles of Five Endemic Salvia Taxa from Turkey with Chemometric Analysis
Authors: Ertas Abdulselam , Akdeniz Mehmet , Yener Ismail , Ozturk Mehmet , Tokul Olmez Ozge , Firat Mehmet , Kolak Ufuk
Published: December 2021

The essential oil, aroma, and fatty acid compositions of Salvia cerino‐pruinosa var. cerino‐pruinosa, S. cerino‐pruinosa var. elazigensis, S. pseudeuphratica, S. rosifolia, and S. kurdica collected in 2015, 2016, and 2017 were analysed by GC‐FID, GC/MS/Head Space and GC/MS. The results were evaluated chemometrically for principal component analyses and hierarchical clustering analyses using Minitab program. The main components of their essential oils have been determined as germacrene‐D (41.79 % highest for these species), camphor (55.80 %), linalool (33.38 %), caryophyllene oxide (32.99 %), 1,8‐cineole (26.30 %) and geraniol acetate (31.63 %), while for aroma 1,8‐cineole (45.95 % highest for these species), camphor (58.54 %), D‐limonene (40.83 %), linalool (27.67 %) and cis‐linalool oxide (25.87 %). Oleic (72.65 % highest for these species), erucic (44.61 %), 2‐palmitoleic (42.17 %) and nervonic (32.61 %) acids were determined as major components of their fatty acids. According to the PCA and HCA, the essential oil components of these Salvia taxa unaffected by the years, and accordingly, the Salvia taxa grouped among themselves.
Successful management of massive lamotrigine extended‐release intoxication in a dog
Authors: McLaine Alexis S. , Yaxley Page E. , Young Anda A. , Cooper Edward S.
Published: December 2021

A 3‐year‐old spayed female Siberian Husky presented for evaluation following ingestion of approximately 429 mg/kg of lamotrigine extended‐release. She demonstrated severe neurologic and cardiac signs and was treated with lipid emulsion, anticonvulsants, antiarrhythmics and aggressive decontamination and supportive care. She was successfully discharged from the hospital 5 days later.
Germline TP53 c.566C>T mutation incidentally diagnosed during treatment for acute myeloid leukemia: A case report
Authors: Sato Hiroshi , Matsuo Seiki , Ando Yukiko , Imamura Yuko , Hirose Masaya
Published: December 2021

TP53 mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are associated with poor outcomes. The number of somatic and/or germline genetic tests for therapy is increasing. Patients with such incidental findings should undergo adequate genetic counseling.
Co‐Doping Strategies to Improve the Electrochemical Properties of LixMn2O4 Cathodes for Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Tyagi Ramavtar , Lanjan Amirmasoud , Srinivasan Seshasai
Published: December 2021

Four novel cathode electrode materials with improved material properties have been derived from the Lithium Manganese Oxide spinel using co‐doping strategies. Specifically, Aluminum, Nickel, Magnesium, and Yttrium were selected as the primary dopant to replace a fraction of Mn3+ (5 %), and S2− was selected as the secondary dopant to replace 1 % of O2−. A combination of quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics was used to study the fracture mechanics of the new materials for various State of Charge values, and improved performance is validated with experimental data. The results show that lattice constant values for all the doped structures decrease by 1.87 %–2.07 %. Overall, with co‐doping, the diffusion properties improved, and activation energy required for Li+ vacancy migration reduced (0.21–0.25 eV). We conclude that with reduced inter‐atomic distance, the overall life of the LMO spinel can be improved. The Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations to study the macro‐scale behaviour of these new materials shows a reduction in intercalation induced stress and heat generation.
Light‐Assisted Ullmann Coupling of Phenols and Aryl Halides: The Synergetic Effect Between Plasmonic Copper Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes from Various Sources
Authors: Ji Rongrong , Jie Xiangyu , Zhou Yiwei , Wang Yuanhui , Li Bing , Liu Xuguang , Zhao Jian
Published: December 2021

Utilizing light and plastic wastes as resources to turn the wasted phenols and hazardous aryl halides into value added chemicals seems to be an attractive idea for alleviating the energy crisis and environmental problems. In this work, plasmonic copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were loaded onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from various sources including commercial CNTs and those derived from plastic wastes. Under visible‐light irradiation, the catalyst could efficiently convert phenols and aryl halides to diaryl ethers. Similar with commercial CNTs, excellent activity is also achieved when utilizing CNTs derived from different kinds of plastic wastes as support for the system. Further investigation shows that the visible‐light irradiation and light‐excited plasmonic Cu NPs are necessary to inhibit the phenol degradation on CNTs and in turn promote the cross‐coupling of phenol and aryl halides. Compared with metal oxides and other carbon materials, the excellent capability of CNTs to absorb light, to convert light to heat, and to adsorb both two reactants simultaneously are critical to enhance the activity of Cu NPs, achieving high yields of diaryl ethers. This study could provide a novel strategy for catalyst design and generate a more economically sustainable process.
Sol‐Gel Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Using a Protein Crystal Template
Authors: Korpi Antti , Kostiainen Mauri A.
Published: December 2021

Mesoporous materials are useful for a wide range of applications, but control over the dimensions of the porous structure in this size regime remains challenging. Protein cages possess regular shape and many of them fall into the mesoporous size‐region, making them potential template materials for inorganic matrices. Here, apoferritin single crystals are used as templates for the production of mesoporous silica. The high free volume and large pore size of the crystals enable silica precursor hydrolysis and condensation inside them and thus templated growth of a silica matrix. Apoferritin can be removed by calcination to yield solid state structures with the crystalline periodicity retained in the mesopores. We foresee that the method is applicable also for other protein cages, enabling production of mesoporous silica with various pore dimensions.
Automatic selection of the number of clusters using Bayesian clustering and sparsity‐inducing priors
Authors: Valle Denis , Jameel Yusuf , Betancourt Brenda , Azeria Ermias T. , Attias Nina , Cullen Joshua
Published: December 2021

Clustering is a ubiquitous task in ecological and environmental sciences and multiple methods have been developed for this purpose. Because these clustering methods typically require users to a priori specify the number of groups, the standard approach is to run the algorithm for different numbers of groups and then choose the optimal number using a criterion (e.g., AIC or BIC). The problem with this approach is that it can be computationally expensive to run these clustering algorithms multiple times (i.e., for different numbers of groups) and some of these information criteria can lead to an overestimation of the number of groups. To address these concerns, we advocate for the use of sparsity‐inducing priors within a Bayesian clustering framework. In particular, we highlight how the truncated stick‐breaking (TSB) prior, a prior commonly adopted in Bayesian nonparametrics, can be used to simultaneously determine the number of groups and estimate model parameters for a wide range of Bayesian clustering models without requiring the fitting of multiple models. We illustrate the ability of this prior to successfully recover the true number of groups for three clustering models (two types of mixture models, applied to GPS movement data and species occurrence data, as well as the species archetype model) using simulated data in the context of movement ecology and community ecology. We then apply these models to armadillo movement data in Brazil, plant occurrence data from Alberta (Canada), and bird occurrence data from North America. We believe that many ecological and environmental sciences applications will benefit from Bayesian clustering methods with sparsity‐inducing priors given the ubiquity of clustering and the associated challenge of determining the number of groups. Two R packages, EcoCluster and bayesmove, are provided that enable the straightforward fitting of these models with the TSB prior.
Trait‐based inference of ecological network assembly: A conceptual framework and methodological toolbox
Authors: Marjakangas Emma‐Liina , Muñoz Gabriel , Turney Shaun , Albrecht Jörg , Neuschulz Eike Lena , Schleuning Matthias , Lessard Jean‐Philippe
Published: December 2021

The study of ecological networks has progressively evolved from a mostly descriptive science to one that attempts to elucidate the processes governing the emerging structure of multitrophic communities. To move forward, we propose a conceptual framework using trait‐based inference of ecological processes to improve our understanding of network assembly and our ability to predict network reassembly amid global change. The framework formalizes the view that network assembly is governed by processes shaping the composition of resource and consumer communities within trophic levels and those dictating species’ interactions between trophic levels. To illustrate the framework and show its applicability, we (1) use simulations to explore network structures emerging from the interactions of these assembly processes, (2) develop a null model approach to infer the processes underlying network assembly from observational data, and (3) use the null model approach to quantify the relative influence of bottom‐up (resource‐driven) and top‐down (consumer‐driven) assembly modes on plant–frugivore networks along an elevational gradient. Simulations suggest that assembly processes governing the formation of pairwise interactions have a greater influence on network structure than those governing the composition of communities within trophic levels. Our case study further shows that the mode of network assembly along the gradient is mainly bottom‐up controlled, suggesting that the filtering of plant traits has a larger effect on network structure relative to the filtering of frugivore traits. Combined with increasingly available trait and interaction data, the framework provides a timely toolbox to infer assembly processes operating within and between trophic levels and to test competing hypotheses about the assembly mode of resource–consumer networks along environmental gradients and among biogeographic regions. It is a step toward a more process‐based network ecology and complete integration of multitrophic interactions in the prediction of future biodiversity.
A proposed strategy for anticoagulation therapy in noncompaction cardiomyopathy
Authors: Chimenti Cristina , Lavalle Carlo , Magnocavallo Michele , Alfarano Maria , Mariani Marco Valerio , Bernardini Federico , Della Rocca Domenico Giovanni , Galardo Gioacchino , Severino Paolo , Di Lullo Luca , Miraldi Fabio , Fedele Francesco , Frustaci Andrea
Published: December 2021

Noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCCM) is a rare condition characterized by prominent trabeculae, deep intertrabecular recesses, and a left ventricular myocardium with a two‐layered structure, characterized by a spongy endocardial layer and a thinner and compacted epicardial one. NCCM can be isolated or associated with other congenital heart diseases and complex syndromes involving neuromuscular disorders and facial dysmorphisms. To date, more than 40 genes coding for sarcomeric, cytoskeletal, ion channels, and desmosomal proteins have been identified. Clinical presentation is also highly variable, ranging from no symptoms to end‐stage heart failure (HF), lethal arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, or thromboembolic events. In particular, the prevalence of thromboembolism in NCCM patients appears to be higher than that of a similar, age‐matched population without NCCM. Thromboembolism has a multifactorial aetiology, which is linked to genetic, as well as traditional cardiovascular risk factors. In previous studies, atrial fibrillation (AF) was observed in approximately 25–30% of adult NCCM patients and embolism had a cardiac source in ~63–69% of cases; therefore, AF represents a strong predictor of adverse events, especially if associated to HF and neuromuscular disorders. Left ventricular dysfunction is another risk factor for thromboembolism, as a result of blood stagnation and local myocardial injury. Moreover, it is not completely clarified if the presence of deep intertrabecular recesses causing stagnant blood flow can constitute per se a thrombogenic substrate even in absence of ventricular dysfunction. For the clinical management of NCCM patients, an appropriate stratification of the thromboembolic risk is of utmost importance for a timely initiation of anticoagulant therapy. The aim of the present study is to review the available literature on NCCM with particular attention on thromboembolic risk stratification and prevention and the current evidence for oral anticoagulation therapy. The use of direct oral anticoagulants vs. vitamin K antagonists is also discussed with important implications for patient treatment and prognosis.
A Comparison of Four Different Electrode Matrices on the Performance of Amperometric Hydrogen Peroxide (Bio)Sensors
Authors: Tunca Kubilay , Öztürk Funda , Erden Pınar Esra
Published: December 2021

A comparison of the analytical performances of four different (bio)sensor designs in H2O2 determination is discussed. The (bio)sensor designs developed were based on the use of (i) multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP), prussian blue (PB); (ii) MWCNT, ZnONP, PB and ionic liquid (IL); (iii) MWCNT, ZnONP and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and (iv) MWCNT, ZnONP, HRP and IL modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A performance comparison of (bio)sensors showed that the one based on HRP/IL‐MWCNT‐ZnONP/GCE showed the best analytical characteristics with a linear dynamic range of 9.99×10−8–7.55×10−4 M, detection limit of 1.37×10−8 M and sensitivity of 17.00 μA mM−1.
MWLP‐DP: Mobile war‐fighters location prediction for dark phase in Internet of Battlefield Things
Authors: Kumar Sumit , Kumar Shrawan , Lobiyal Daya Krishan
Published: December 2021

In a battlefield, a base station is always interested to track the real‐time location of moving war‐fighters and other armaments because of its strategic importance. The base station estimates their real‐time location by using the collected localization‐essentials information like hop‐counts matrix of the nodes. This information is collected at the base station in active phase through satellite communication among the base station and the sink nodes. In the harsh environment of the battlefield, if this satellite communication breaks accidentally or purposefully then the whole network is disconnected from the base station, and the network enters into the dark phase. In this dark phase, the base station wants to localize the mobile war‐fighters and other armaments also. It motivates us to propose a novel method MWLP‐DP: mobile war‐fighters location prediction for dark phase in Internet of Battlefield Things to localize the moving war‐fighters. It works in two stages: localization of sink nodes (LSN) and localization of blind nodes (LBN). In LSN, by using geometric Brownian motion (GBM), the mobility pattern of the sink nodes is analyzed. The stochastic nature of GBM needs repeated trials to ascertain the locations of the sink nodes. Further, computational efforts are reduced by finding the optimum counts of repeated trials of GBM using the central limit theorem for localizing the sink nodes. In LBN, the localization of remaining nodes (blind nodes) is inspired by the DV‐Hop using the location of sink nodes obtained in LSN stage. Further, the erroneous distance estimations between the node pairs are optimized through linear programming to reduce localization error. The simulation shows that the proposed MWLP‐DP localizes the sink nodes and blind nodes in the dark phase with 89% and 64% average accuracy, respectively.
Reconfigurable intelligent surface aided coordinated multipoint transmission for the simultaneous wireless information and power transfer non‐orthogonal multiple access network
Authors: Sparjan Romera Joan , Thirunavukkarasu Manimekalai , Thangavelu Laxmikandan
Published: December 2021

We consider a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) aided coordinated multipoint (CoMP) transmission to enhance the achievable rates of the cell edge users (CEUs) in a downlink non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) network enabled with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). The RIS‐enabled SWIPT‐CoMP‐NOMA network improves the spectral efficiency and counterbalances the rate trade‐off introduced by SWIPT. The distribution model of the effective channel gain plays a vital role in ergodic capacity and outage probability analysis. In this article, we approximate the effective channel gains of the CEUs using the inverse Gaussian (IG) function and validate its accuracy using the well‐known Kolmogorov–Smirnov distance (KSD) test. Using the proposed channel gain model, we derive closed‐form expressions for the ergodic rates and outage probabilities of the CEUs. Using Monte‐Carlo simulations, we confirm the accuracy of the derived analytical expressions and show that the proposed IG function is more accurate than the Gamma function in estimating the outage probability. We also found that the proposed system always offers a higher ergodic rate than the SWIPT‐CoMP‐NOMA system.
Functional roles of the SHCBP1 and KIF23 interaction in modulating the cell‐cycle and cisplatin resistance of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Sun Yonghong , Pan Haixia , He Yanwei , Hu Chunmei , Gu Yi
Published: December 2021

Background

This study aimed to explore the functional roles of Shc SH2‐domain‐binding protein 1 (SHCBP1) and Kinesin Family Member 23 (KIF23) in HPV‐negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods

Bioinformatic analysis was conducted using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE103322. HNSCC cell lines were used for in vitro and in vivo analysis.

Results

SHCBP1 upregulation was associated with unfavorable survival. SHCBP1 knockdown reduced cell proliferation and increased the cisplatin sensitivity of SCC9/SCC25 cells. SHCBP1 interacted with KIF23 via its Nesd homology domain (NHD) domain, which was important for its nucleus localization. SHCBP1 positively modulated KIF23 expression and activated phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, nuclear factor kappa B (NF/κB)‐p65, and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling. KIF23 knockdown abrogated cisplatin resistance induced by SHCBP1 overexpression.

Conclusion

SHCBP1 interacts with KIF23 and cooperatively regulates cell‐cycle progression and cisplatin resistance of HNSCC tumor cells.
Fabrication and characterization of osteogenic function of progenitor cell‐laden gelatin microcarriers
Authors: Nweke Chukwuma E. , Stegemann Jan P.
Published: December 2021

Biomaterial‐based bone regeneration strategies often include a cellular component to accelerate healing. Modular approaches have the potential for minimally‐invasive delivery and the ability to conformally fill complex defects. In this study, spherical gelatin microparticles were fabricated via water‐in‐oil emulsification and were subsequently crosslinked with genipin. Microparticle diameter depended on impeller geometry, and increased stirring rates consistently produced smaller particles with narrower size distributions. Increasing the concentration of gelatin resulted in larger particles with a broader size distribution. Viscoelastic characterization showed that increased gelatin concentration produced stiffer matrices, though the mechanical properties at lower gelatin concentration were more stable across strain rate. Microparticles of 6.0% wt/vol gelatin were then applied as microcarriers for packed‐bed culture of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) at seeding densities of 5.0 × 103, 2.5 × 104, or 5.0 × 104 cells/cm2 of surface area, in either control or osteogenic medium. Cell viability was uniformly high (>90%) across seeding densities over 22 days in culture. MSC number stayed approximately constant in the 5.0 × 103 and 2.5 × 104 cells/cm2 samples, while it dropped over time at 5.0 × 104 cells/cm2. Alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly upregulated in osteogenic conditions relative to controls at day 15, and absolute calcium deposition was strongly induced by days 15 and 22. However, calcium deposition per cell was highest in the lowest cell density, suggesting an inhibitory effect of high cell numbers. These results show that genipin‐crosslinked gelatin microcarriers can be reproducibly fabricated and used as microcarriers for progenitor cells, which may have utility in treating large and complex bone defects.
Dilemmas in the Management of Osteoporosis in Younger Adults
Authors: Herath Madhuni , Cohen Adi , Ebeling Peter R. , Milat Frances
Published: December 2021

Osteoporosis in premenopausal women and men younger than 50 years is challenging to diagnose and treat. There are many barriers to optimal management of osteoporosis in younger adults, further enhanced by a limited research focus on this cohort. Herein we describe dilemmas commonly encountered in diagnosis, investigation, and management of osteoporosis in younger adults. We also provide a suggested framework, based on the limited available evidence and supported by clinical experience, for the diagnosis, assessment, and management of osteoporosis in this cohort. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.