bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and practices toward amiodarone cross-reactivity with iodine: a cross-sectional pilot study
Authors: Alshehab Nura Abdullah , Alhumaid Munirah Abdullah , Alabdulwahed Mohammed Abdulrazaq , Almulhim Abdulaziz Saleh
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Iodine is a vital mineral of the human body that acts by maintaining the health of the thyroid gland. Research has shown that iodine-rich food allergy (i.e., seafood allergy) is not caused by iodine itself; instead, it is caused by other proteins including tropomyosin and parvalbumin in shellfish and fish, respectively. Amiodarone is a commonly used antiarrhythmic agent containing a significant amount of iodine.

Objective

This study’s objective was to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and practices toward the misconception of iodine allergy and the cross-reactivity with amiodarone.

Methods

In February 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted by sending out an online survey to three pharmaceutical organizations (Saudi Pharmaceutical Society, Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association, and Oman Pharmaceutical Society). Additionally, an electronic questionnaire was administered to pharmacists attending the Dubai International Pharmaceuticals and Technologies Conference and Exhibition 2020 (DUPHAT). Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, when appropriate, were used to compare categorical variables. The statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS software.

Results

Data were collected from 66 respondents. However, only 61 (92.4%) were included in the final analysis following the exclusion of incomplete responses. The mean age of participants was 35 ± 8.48 years. The majority of participants did not have the Board of Pharmacy Specialties Certification (54.1%). Moreover, (41%) of participants licensed as pharmacists with more than 10 years of initial pharmacy licensure. Forty-three (70.5%) of participants had the misconception that iodine allergy should be considered before amiodarone administration, 20/32 (62.5%) of whom considered iodine allergy alone thought that premedication with corticosteroids and/or antihistamines is necessary. Concerning iodine allergy and amiodarone use, there was no significant difference in knowledge between the pharmacists who have board certification and those who did not.

Conclusion

Pharmacists’ misconception concerning iodine allergy and cross-reactivity with amiodarone was evident. Implementation of educational programs targeting pharmacists is necessary to correct these misconceptions.
Trends in Performance Using Early Speech Perception Test in Typically Developing Tamil-Speaking Children
Authors: Dawson Gladys Prathiba , Arunachalam Ravikumar , Boominathan Prakash , Yathiraj Asha
Published: July 2022

Background and Objectives: The study attempted to trace age-related changes in speech perception in typically developing children (≥3 to ≤6 years) using the “Early Speech Perception (ESP)” in Tamil. The test was developed in line with the original English version of ESP but adapted to suit the linguistic requirement of the Tamil language.Subjects and Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, the test was administered to 205 children with normal hearing who were classified into three age groups (≥3 to ≤4, >4 to ≤5, and >5 to ≤6 years). The developed test had three subtests (syllable categorization, bisyllable word identification, and trisyllable word identification).Results: All three age groups obtained perfect or near-perfect scores on the three subtests of ESP. There was no significant difference observed between the two adjacent age groups (≥3 to ≤4 vs. >4 to ≤5 years, >4 to ≤5 vs. >5 to ≤6 years) for all three subtests. However, significant differences were seen only between the youngest and the oldest age groups for the three subtests (≥3 to ≤4 vs. >5 to ≤6 years).Conclusions: The results indicated that ESP in Tamil can be performed effectively in all the three age groups studied.
Morphometric Analysis of Chilenahalli Micro-watershed in the North-eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques
Authors: Adarsha . , Murukannappa . , Ashoka H. G.
Published: July 2022

The structure and landform of watershed and their associated stream networks are described mainly by their morphometric parameters and Watershed analysis based on morphometric parameters is very important for watershed planning, since it gives an idea about the basin characteristics regarding slope, topography, soil condition, runoff characteristics, surface water potential and quantify the linear, areal and relief aspects of watershed. Geographic information system and remote sensing techniques were employed for the identification of morphological features, drainage pattern and its planning in basin area. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) 30m resolution was used to digitize study watershed and generate drainage pattern and analysis done using GIS software and excel spreadsheet. The study reveals that Chilenahalli micro-watershed designated as 4thstream order and drainage indicate dendritic pattern with mature geomorphic stage and stream order verifies the Horton’s law of stream number. The Mean Bifurcation Ratio was found to be 4.46, which indicates low rainfall, shallow weathering and low dissection of the valley and it shows low to medium relief aspect during investigation of the basin. This can be visualised using DEM, relief ratio, ruggedness number, and slope maps of the study area. The drainage density was found to be 2.13 km/km2which indicate a low class Dd value, thereby indicating a poorly drained watershed with low response to hydrological parameters. The texture ratio of the micro-watershed is 3.52, which indicated coarse texture of drainage basin and the values of Form Factor, Circulatory ratio and Elongation ratio may imply an oval shape of the basin with a slightly elongated main stream and the length of overland flow values in this study is 0.23 km which shows moderate infiltration and percolation characteristics of soil. The study which also helps in planning erosion control strategy, prioritization of watershed and management practices for soil and rainwater conservation. The research study helps to formulate the selection and adoption of crop management practices by preparing soil map of the watershed in future.
Herbal Medicine Products Sold in Nigeria: A Pilot Survey
Authors: Adigwe Obi Peter , Fatokun Omolola Temitope , Benefit Esievo Kevwe , Ibrahim Jemilat Aliyu , Adzu Bulus , Isimi Christianah Yetunde
Published: July 2022

Background: The use of herbal medicine is believed to be on the increase. There is a gradual shift from the use of crude drugs to well packaged, developed and registered herbal medicinal product. Evidence of this trend in Nigeria is seen in the increasing number of herbal medicine products on store shelves.

Objectives: The aim of the survey was to examine and document herbal medicine products sold in retail stores, pharmacies, generally closed and open markets in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and neighbouring localities.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study using open ended semi-structured questionnaires and data collection tool was employed; descriptive and inferential statistics were done.

Results and Discussion: Open markets primarily stocked crude drugs (95.7%). In the open markets, only 26.1% of stalls had herbal medicine products. Over 70% of herbal medicines consumed in the FCT were administered orally. Sixty-eight percent of herbal medicine products were made in Nigeria with indications centred around bitters and detoxification (26.4%), fertility and aphrodisiac (16.7%), diabetes and cardiovascular disease (10%). Only 39.3% of products had a form of NAFDAC registration/listing. In the open markets, a huge gap exists in the knowledge of branding, packaging and registration of herbal medicines.

Conclusion: There is a need to educate traditional medicine practitioners on the essence of drug development and packaging to improve acceptability, national relevance and international recognition. Herbal medicine producers must be further enlightened on the registration requirements and encouraged to register their products.
Hysteretic sediment fluxes in rainfall‐driven soil erosion: Particle size effects
Authors: Cheraghi Mohsen , Jomaa Seifeddine , Sander Graham C. , Barry D. A.
Published: July 2022

A detailed laboratory study was conducted to examine the effects of particle size on hysteretic sediment transport under time‐varying rainfall. A rainfall pattern composed of seven sequential stepwise varying rainfall intensities (30, 37.5, 45, 60, 45, 37.5, and 30 mm h−1), each of 20 min duration, was applied to a 5 m × 2 m soil erosion flume. The soil in the flume was initially dried, ploughed to a depth of 20 cm and had a mechanically smoothed surface. Flow rates and sediment concentration data for seven particle size classes (<2, 2–20, 20–50, 50–100, 100–315, 315–1000, and >1000 µm) were measured in the flume effluent. Clockwise hysteresis loops in the sediment concentration versus discharge curves were measured for the total eroded soil and the finer particle sizes (<2, 2–20, and 20–50 µm). However, for particle sizes greater than 50 µm, hysteresis effects decreased and suspended concentrations tended to vary linearly with discharge. The Hairsine and Rose (HR) soil erosion model agreed well with the experimental data for the total eroded soil and for the finer particle size classes (up to 50 µm). For the larger particle size classes, the model provided reasonable qualitative agreement with the measurements although the fit was poor for the largest size class (>1000 µm). Overall, it is found that hysteresis varies amongst particle sizes and that the predictions of the HR model are consistent with hysteretic behavior of different sediment size classes.
Oral Cancer Cells Release Vesicles that Cause Pain
Authors: Dubeykovskaya Zinaida A. , Tu Nguyen Huu , Garcia Paulina D. Ramírez , Schmidt Brian L. , Albertson Donna G.
Published: July 2022

Oral cancer pain is attributed to the release from cancers of mediators that sensitize and activate sensory neurons. Intraplantar injection of conditioned media (CM) from human tongue cancer cell line HSC‐3 or OSC‐20 evokes nociceptive behavior. By contrast, CM from noncancer cell lines, DOK, and HaCaT are non‐nociceptive. Pain mediators are carried by extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from cancer cells. Depletion of EVs from cancer cell line CM reverses mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. CM from non‐nociceptive cell lines become nociceptive when reconstituted with HSC‐3 EVs. Two miRNAs (hsa‐miR‐21‐5p and hsa‐miR‐221‐3p) are identified that are present in increased abundance in EVs from HSC‐3 and OSC‐20 CM compared to HaCaT CM. The miRNA target genes suggest potential involvement in oral cancer pain of the toll like receptor 7 (TLR7) and 8 (TLR8) pathways, as well as signaling through interleukin 6 cytokine family signal transducer receptor (gp130, encoded by IL6ST) and colony stimulating factor receptor (G‐CSFR, encoded by CSF3R), Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3). These studies confirm the recent discovery of the role of cancer EVs in pain and add to the repertoire of algesic and analgesic cancer pain mediators and pathways that contribute to oral cancer pain.
Development of a Scalable Fabrication Concept for Sustainable, Programmable Shape‐Morphing Metamaterials
Authors: Schwarz Angela , Lichti Tobias , Wenz Franziska , Scheuring Benedikt M. , Hübner Christof , Eberl Christoph , Elsner Peter
Published: July 2022

Programmable materials are a novel development, in which specialized production processes are used to introduce a framework of information capabilities into the inner structure of materials. Since the design and fabrication of programmable materials are still challenging, this aims to introduce a design and fabrication concept to pave the way toward industrial application. Herein, complex shape morphing has been implemented in the sense that the shape changes in response to external conditions, following a predefined program. First, the feasibility of a fabrication concept for uniform metamaterials with auxetic behavior is presented. A material with a predetermined nonuniform inner structure that deforms to a symmetrical shape has been developed and fabricated according to this concept. More complex behavior can be implemented by facilitating optimization methods to find inner structures according to a target shape. Lastly, an optimized and producible design for asymmetrical shape morphing is described to demonstrate the applicability of the approach.
A Generalizable Approach to Direct the Self‐Assembly of Functional Blue‐Phase Liquid Crystals
Authors: Emeršič Tadej , Bagchi Kushal , Martínez‐González José A. , Li Xiao , de Pablo Juan J. , Nealey Paul F.
Published: July 2022

Blue phases (BPs) are soft and stimuli‐responsive photonic crystals that are interesting for sensing, display, and lasing applications. Polycrystallinity has, however, limited both the study and applicability of BPs. Continuum simulations, which lack molecule‐specific details, predict that striped chemical patterns, consisting of alternating homeotropic and planar regions, can be used to nucleate single crystals of BPs. Here it is experimentally demonstrated that, independent of the chemistry and complexity of the BP forming material, chemical patterns direct the self‐assembly of BPs; these results indicate that a general, thermodynamics‐based continuum description of BP self‐assembly is adequate for a broad range of materials. When the pattern periodicity equals the BPII unit cell size, single crystals with (100) orientation form for all studied materials. Chemical patterns also promote the growth of BPI crystals with (110) orientation. Importantly, the self‐assembly of a photopolymerizable BP is directed and thermally stable, UV‐polymerized single crystals are prepared. The ability to create arbitrarily large, polymeric photonic single crystals with uniform lattice orientation, may have broad implications for optical applications.
Efficient and Chiral Electroluminescence from In‐Plane Heterostructure of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers
Authors: Wada Naoki , Pu Jiang , Takaguchi Yuhei , Zhang Wenjin , Liu Zheng , Endo Takahiko , Irisawa Toshifumi , Matsuda Kazunari , Miyauchi Yuhei , Takenobu Taishi , Miyata Yasumitsu
Published: July 2022

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are attractive materials for future optoelectronic applications because of their excellent electrical, optical, and quantum (spin‐valley) properties. In particular, in‐plane heterostructures based on TMDC monolayers provide opportunities to directly modulate band structures and lattice strains by the spatial distribution of constituent elements, leading to efficient control of their carrier transport and recombination. However, it is still challenging to create light‐emitting devices using such in‐plane heterostructures because of the technical difficulties associated with sample/device fabrication. This study demonstrated interfacial electroluminescence (EL) in diverse TMDC monolayer in‐plane heterostructures. Various combinations of large‐area, single‐crystalline in‐plane heterostructures with sharp interfaces are grown by chemical vapor deposition, followed by the adoption of electrolyte‐based light‐emitting devices to observe EL. The fine heterostructures enabled the capture of the linear‐shaped EL fixed along the junction interfaces. Significantly, the WS2/WSe2 in‐plane heterostructures exhibited circularly polarized EL with polarizability of 10% at room temperature. This can be explained by the interfacial strain‐mediated electronic structure evolution, in which the combination of electric fields and strain‐induced valley drifts realizes selective EL from the K/K’ valley. These findings pave the way for expanding the potential of monolayer in‐plane heterostructures for use in functional optoelectronic devices.
Ionic Liquid Stabilized Perovskite Solar Modules with Power Conversion Efficiency Exceeding 20%
Authors: Wang Yulong , Yang Yufei , Li Neng , Hu Min , Raga Sonia R. , Jiang Yang , Wang Chao , Zhang Xiao‐Li , Lira‐Cantu Monica , Huang Fuzhi , Cheng Yi‐Bing , Lu Jianfeng
Published: July 2022

Metal‐halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exhibit outstanding power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) when fabricated as mm‐sized devices, but creation of high‐performing large‐area modules that are stable on a sufficiently long timescale still presents a significant challenge. Herein, the quality of large‐area perovskite film is improved by using ionic liquid additives via forming a new Pb‐N bonding between the ionic liquid and Pb2+. This new bond can be modulated by a critical screening of the anion structure of the ionic liquid. The selected ionic liquid effectively reduces the defects of the perovskite films and markedly elongate their carrier lifetimes. As a result, a champion PCE of 24.4% for small‐area (0.148 cm2) devices and 20.4% for larger‐area (10.0 cm2) modules under AM 1.5G irradiation is achieved. More importantly, the modified devices retain 90% of their peak PCE after aging for 1900 h at 65 ± 5 °C (ISOS‐T‐1) and 80% after continuous light soaking for 750 h. The non‐encapsulated modules maintained 80% of their peak PCE after 1100 h of aging in the air with a relative humidity of 35 ± 5% and temperature of 25 ± 5 °C under dark (ISOS‐D‐1), showing great potential for future commercialization.
Electro‐Optic Effect of ZnO Microcavity and Active Dynamic Lasing Mode Modulation
Authors: Li Zhuxin , Zhao Jie , Liu Wei , Zhu Yizhi , Chen Jinping , Xu Wenxiong , Xia Chuansheng , Wang Ru , Cui Qiannan , Shi Zengliang , Xu Chunxiang
Published: July 2022

Electro‐optic effect, as a physical effect of electric field modulating refractive index, is widely applied to modulate lasing modes dynamically. However, the modulation is operated passively in general. It means that the lasing is generated in a resonance cavity and the modes are regulated externally in different materials and spaces. It will be highly favorable for optoelectronic integration and other applications when a gain medium with electro‐optic effect is applied to design an optical microcavity, integrating optical pumping and electro‐optic modulation. In this work, a hexagonal ZnO microrod is pumped optically to generate UV lasing with an electric field applied to modulate dynamically the resonance wavelength. When the electric field is parallel to the ZnO C‐axis, the refractive index variation is correlated linearly with the electric field strength (Pockels effect). When the electric field is perpendicular to the ZnO C‐axis, the refractive index variation shows a quadratic increase tendency with the increase of the electric field strength (Kerr electro‐optic effect). The whispering‐gallery lasing modes are dynamically modulated by applying an electric field successfully. In one word, lasing generation and modulation are integrated in the same microcavity based on both 1st and 2nd order electro‐optic effect.
Flash Nanoprecipitation Offers Large‐Format Full‐Color and Dual‐Mode Fluorescence Patterns for Codes‐in‐Code Encryption and Anti‐Counterfeiting
Authors: Gao Yifan , Wang Min , Zhang Zhen , Liu Yaming , Zhang Jiaheng , Li Mingyu , Ji Hongjun , Zhao Weiwei , Wang Junyou , Feng Huanhuan
Published: July 2022

Fluorescent materials are used broadly for anti‐counterfeiting, including currency, passports, identity cards, and other secure documents. However, a universal procedure to print fluorescent materials is still missing due to the wide variety of properties found in fluorescent materials. Here, flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) is reported as a universal procedure for fast‐fabricating large‐scale fluorescent nanoparticles to construct cutting‐edge‐level encryption in anti‐counterfeiting, such as full‐color and dual‐mode “codes‐in‐code” large‐format fluorescent patterns. The large‐format fluorescent patterns are printed with a commercial inkjet printer. They exhibitd high concealment and environmental durability for daily use. The security labels of the 2021 Chinese Racing Pigeon Association (CRPA) certificate are then industrially fabricated based on this universal procedure. The monochrome fluorescent pattern is also upgraded into a full‐color fluorescent pattern for evolutionary encryption and anti‐counterfeiting. Finally, a “codes‐in‐code” dual‐mode encryption is realized in the UV bands. The results lead to cutting‐edge and high‐security anti‐counterfeiting technology, which will broaden the use of fluorescent materials in anti‐counterfeiting due to its universality.
The pleiotropic effects of α‐thalassemia on HbSS and HbSC sickle cell disease: Reduced erythrocyte cation co‐transport activity, serum erythropoietin, and transfusion burden, do not translate into increased survival
Authors: Brewin John N. , Nardo‐Marino Amina , Stuart‐Smith Sara , El Hoss Sara , Hanneman Anke , Strouboulis John , Menzel Stephan , Gibson John S. , Rees David C.
Published: July 2022

α‐Thalassemia is one of the most important genetic modulators of sickle cell disease (SCD). Both beneficial and detrimental effects have been described previously. We use a 12‐year data set on a large cohort of patients with HbSS (n = 411) and HbSC (n = 146) to examine a wide range of these clinical and laboratory associations. Our novel findings are that α‐thalassemia strongly reduces erythrocyte potassium chloride co‐transporter (KCC) activity in both HbSS and HbSC (p = .035 and p = .00045 respectively), suggesting a novel mechanism through which α‐thalassemia induces a milder phenotype by reducing red cell cation loss. This may be particularly important in HbSC where reduction in mean cell hemoglobin concentration is not seen and where KCC activity has previously been found to correlate with disease severity. Additionally, we show that α‐thalassemia not only increases hemoglobin in patients with HbSS (p = .0009) but also reduces erythropoietin values (p = .0005), demonstrating a measurable response to improved tissue oxygenation. We confirm the reno‐protective effect of α‐thalassemia in patients with HbSS, with reduced proteinuria (p = .003) and demonstrate a novel association with increased serum sodium (p = .0004) and reduced serum potassium values (p = 5.74 × 10−10). We found patients with α‐thalassemia had a reduced annualized transfusion burden in both HbSS and HbSC, but α‐thalassemia had no impact on annualized admission rates in either group. Finally, in a larger cohort, we report a median survival of 62 years in patients with HbSS (n = 899) and 80 years in those with HbSC (n = 240). α‐thalassemia did not influence survival in HbSS, but a nonsignificant trend was seen in those with HbSC.
Fibrous dysplasia in cardio‐facio‐cutaneous syndrome: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Dong Xiaoao , Png Nicholas C. Y. , Fortier Marielle V. , Lim Jiin Ying , Wong Kenneth P. L. , Choo Jonathan T. L. , Tan Ene Choo , Jamuar Saumya Shekhar
Published: July 2022

Cardio‐facio‐cutaneous (CFC) syndrome (OMIM #:115150, 615278, 615279, 615280) is a rare genetic condition caused by variants in the RAS/mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway. Up to 75% of cases are caused by mutations in the BRAF gene, whereas KRAS gene mutation has only been reported in <2% of cases. CFC syndrome is characterized by cardiac abnormalities, distinctive craniofacial dysmorphism, and various cutaneous abnormalities. Musculoskeletal and orthopedic manifestations are also prevalent in patients with CFC syndrome, among which the most common are skeletal deformities and joint laxities. Dysplastic bone disorders, on the other hand, have not been reported in CFC syndrome before. We report on a case of symmetrical polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (FD) in a patient with CFC syndrome with the KRAS(NM_004985.5):c.57G>C; p.Leu19Phe variant. The FDs were incidentally picked up, and patient was conservatively managed and remained asymptomatic on follow‐up. The same variant was reported previously in a patient with Oculoectodermal Syndrome (OES), who developed polyostotic non‐ossifying fibroma (NOF). This case explores FD as a possible new clinical feature of CFC syndrome, and when linked to the historical case of OES, explores whether the KRAS(NM_004985.5):c.57G>C; p.Leu19Phe mutation may potentially contribute to the development of dysplastic bone lesions in patients with this particular mutation.
Human Endogenous Retrovirus K Envelope in Spinal Fluid of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Is Toxic
Authors: Steiner Joseph P. , Bachani Muzna , Malik Nasir , DeMarino Catherine , Li Wenxue , Sampson Kevon , Lee Myoung‐Hwa , Kowalak Jeffery , Bhaskar Manju , Doucet‐O'Hare Tara , Garcia‐Montojo Marta , Cowen Maria , Smith Bryan , Reoma Lauren Bowen , Medina Julie , Brunel Joanna , Pierquin Justine , Charvet Benjamin , Perron Hervé , Nath Avindra
Published: July 2022

Objective

Human endogenous retroviruses have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Expression of human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV‐K) subtype HML‐2 envelope (Env) in human neuronal cultures and in transgenic mice results in neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration, and mice expressing HML‐2 Env display behavioral and neuromuscular characteristics resembling ALS. This study aims to characterize the neurotoxic properties of HML‐2 Env.

Methods

Env neurotoxicity was detected in ALS cerebrospinal fluid and confirmed using recombinant Env protein in a cell‐based assay and a mouse model. The mechanism of neurotoxicity was assessed with immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry and Western blot, and by screening a panel of inhibitors.

Results

We observed that recombinant HML‐2 Env protein caused neurotoxicity resulting in neuronal cell death, retraction of neurites, and decreased neuronal electrical activity. Injection of the Env protein into the brains of mice also resulted in neuronal cell death. HML‐2 Env protein was also found in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with sporadic ALS. The neurotoxic properties of the Env and the cerebrospinal fluid could be rescued with the anti‐Env antibody. The Env was found to bind to CD98HC complexed to β1 integrin on the neuronal cell surface. Using a panel of compounds to screen for their ability to block Env‐induced neurotoxicity, we found that several compounds were protective and are linked to the β1 integrin pathway.

Interpretation

HERV‐K Env is released extracellularly in ALS and causes neurotoxicity via a novel mechanism. Present results pave the way for new treatment strategies in sporadic ALS. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:545–561
Theorie der Alterung von Niederschlägen durch Umlösen (Ostwald‐Reifung)
Authors: Wagner Carl
Published: July 2022

Die Theorie der Alterung eines schwerlöslichen Niederschlags wie AgBr durch Umlösen entsprechend der höheren Löslichkeit von kleinen Teilchen gegenüber derjenigen von großen Teilchen wird quantitativ entwickelt. Es werden Gleichungen für die zeitliche Änderung der Größen‐Verteilungsfunktion, der mittleren Teilchengröße und der Teilchenzahl bei diffusionsbestimmtem und bei reaktionsbestimmtem Stoffübergang mitgeteilt.
Colour‐switchable and photoluminescent polyvinyl chloride for multifunctional smart applications
Authors: Elsawy Hany , Sedky Azza , Abou Taleb Manal F. , El‐Newehy Mohamed H.
Published: July 2022

Recycled polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste was used to prepare transparent materials with long‐lasting phosphorescence, photochromic activity, hydrophobicity, strong optical transmission, ultraviolet (UV) light protection, and stiffness. Lanthanide‐activated aluminate (LaA) microparticles were prepared using a high temperature solid‐state procedure, and were subjected to top‐down grinding technology to produce lanthanide–aluminate nanoparticles (LaAN). Laminated PVC bottles were shredded into a transparent plastic matrix, which was combined with LaAN and drop casted to produce smart materials for various applications. Smart windows and photochromic film for smart packaging can be made from recycled PVC waste by immobilizing it with various ratios of LaAN. Long‐lasting phosphorescent translucent PVC smart windows and films need LaAN to be evenly dispersed in PVC without clumping. Different analytical methods were used to assess the material's morphological structure and chemical composition. Photoluminescence and decay spectra were all used to investigate the luminescence characteristics. In addition, the mechanical performance was studied. According to Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage laboratory colour measurements, this transparent PVC smart material becomes bright green under UV rays and turns a greenish‐yellow in the dark. The PVC luminescence was observed to exhibit apparent emission bands at 429 and 513 nm when excited at 367 nm. Improvements were monitored in UV shielding and hydrophobicity when increasing the phosphor concentration. LaAN‐immobilized PVC exhibited reversible photochromism. The present approach can be applied to various applications such as anticounterfeiting films for smart packaging, smart windows, and warning light marks.
Tertiary lymphoid structures in lung adenocarcinoma: characteristics and related factors
Authors: Ren Fangping , Xie Mei , Gao Jie , Wu Chongchong , Xu Yang , Zang Xuelei , Ma Xidong , Deng Hui , Song Jialin , Huang Aiben , Pang Li , Qian Jin , Yu Zhaofeng , Zhuang Guanglei , Liu Sanhong , Pan Lei , Xue Xinying
Published: July 2022

Objective

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are found in a variety of malignancies and affect the growth of tumors, but few studies have addressed their role in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). We aimed to evaluate clinical features associated with TLSs in patients with LAC.

Methods and Materials

A collection of resected pulmonary nodules in patients with LAC was retrospectively analyzed. TLSs were quantified by their number per square millimeter tumor area (density) and by the degree of lymphocyte aggregation (maturity) in each case. The correlation between TLS density and maturity and clinical features was calculated.

Results

A total of 243 patients were selected, of whom 219 exhibited TLSs. The occurrence of TLSs was correlated with computed tomography (CT) features as follows: pure ground‐glass nodules (pGGNs) (n = 43) was associated with a lower occurrence rate than part‐solid nodules (PSNs) (n = 112) and solid nodules (SNs) were (n = 88) (p = 0.037). TLS density was correlated with age and CT features. Poisson regression showed higher TLS density in PSNs and SNs than in pGGNs (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 3.137; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35–7.27; p = 0.008 and IRR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.02–5.85; p = 0.046, respectively). In addition, TLS density was higher in patients aged under 60 years than in those aged over 60 years (IRR: 0.605; 95% CI: 0.4–0.92; p = 0.018). The maturity of TLSs was higher in patients with higher tumor stages (p = 0.026).

Conclusions

We demonstrated distinct profiles of TLSs in early LAC and their correlations with CT features, age, and tumor stages, which could help understand tumor progression and management.
Augmenting deep land use prediction with randomized simulation
Authors: Chen Liyan , Chen Zhangwu , Lin Lianhui , Ye Qi , Guo Shihui , Lin Juncong
Published: July 2022

Land use information is the basis of various geo‐spatial applications. Traditionally, land use patterns are predicted with agent‐based simulation, suffering from a long convergence process. Deep learning techniques have recently been used for land use classification but not prediction, due to the lack and difficulty of collecting enough training data. This paper proposes a novel paradigm for land use data generation with a randomized simulation strategy. We also design a tailored deep land use prediction model, LUPnet, to demonstrate the usage of the paradigm. Experimental results reveal the effectiveness of our method.
Efficient cloth simulation based on the material point method
Authors: Lv Aoran , Zhu Yuanpeng , Xian Chuhua
Published: July 2022

In this article, we propose a novel cloth simulation method based on the material point method (abbr.
MPM). The response to the cloth strain is characterized by three separated models: the continuous in‐plane hyperelasticity, the discrete bending elastoplasticity, and the continuous frictional contact elastoplasticity. We make use of the moving least squares MPM (abbr. MLS‐MPM) transfer scheme and a discrete bending model to reduce computation overhead. We further extend the hyperelastic bending model to be elastoplastic, which can be further used for the simulation of a wide range of thin shell materials, such as thin metal sheets. A fast and approximate signed distance field generation method for humanoid animation is also proposed. Experimental results demonstrate that our method can efficiently and robustly simulate high‐resolution challenging scenes with hundreds of thousands of triangles.
Evaluation of the Antiproliferative Potential of Eugenia pyriformis Leaves in Cervical Cancer Cells
Authors: De Paula Alves Thiago , Toledo Martins Pereira Mariana , Sardou Charret Thiago , César Thurler Júnior Júlio , Freimann Wermelinger Guilherme , Regina Baptista Andrea , Kaufmann Robbs Bruno , Sawaya Alexandra C. H. F. , D'Ávila Bitencourt Pascoal Vinicius , Cristina Rheder Fagundes Pascoal Aislan
Published: July 2022

Eugenia pyriformis, typically known as uvaia, ubaia, uvaieira, uvalha or uvalha‐do‐campo, is a plant representative of the Myrtaceae family. E. pyriformis decreased HeLa cells proliferation, can induce cell death and reduce cell migration that may be related to metastasis and induction of cell death by apoptosis in vitro assays. Its leaves are used in folk medicine for hypertension control, decreased cholesterol and uric acid, slimming, astringent, and digestive. In this work, the evaluation of the in vitro anticancer potential Cervical Cancer (HeLa cells) and phytochemical analysis in E. pyriformes was performed. It was possible to quantify phenolic compounds and total flavonoids and identify Chlorogenic acid, Quercetrin, and Myricitrin in this species. The crude extract and ethyl acetate fraction inhibited cell viability by 50 % in the dose of 44.42 μg/mL and 40.39 μg/mL, respectively. The induced effector caspase 3/7 activation, which results in apoptosis and the ethyl acetate fraction, decreases cell migration of cancer cell lines; it is responsible for the cleavage of several cellular proteins that will result in the classic phenotype of the apoptotic cell.
Association between immigrant status and advanced cancer patients' location and quality of death
Authors: Tergas Ana I. , Prigerson Holly G. , Shen Megan J. , Dinicu Andreea I. , Neugut Alfred I. , Wright Jason D. , Hershman Dawn L. , Maciejewski Paul K.
Published: July 2022

Background

Cancer patients often prefer to die at home, a location associated with better quality of death (QoD). Several studies demonstrate disparities in end‐of‐life care among immigrant populations in the United States. This study aimed to evaluate how immigrant status affects location and quality of death among patients with advanced cancer in the United States.

Methods

Data were derived from Coping with Cancer, a federally funded multi‐site prospective study of advanced cancer patients and caregivers. The sample of patients who died during the study period was weighted (Nw = 308) to reduce statistically significant differences between immigrant (Nw = 49) and nonimmigrant (Nw = 259) study participants. Primary outcomes were location of death, death at preferred location, and poor QoD.

Results

Analyses adjusted for covariates indicated that patients who were immigrants were more likely to die in a hospital than home (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65–6.71) and less likely to die where they preferred (AOR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.20–0.90). Furthermore, immigrants were more likely to have poor QoD (AOR, 5.47; 95% CI, 2.70–11.08).

Conclusions

Immigrants, as compared to nonimmigrants, are more likely to die in hospital settings, less likely to die at their preferred location, and more likely to have poor QoD.

Lay summary

Cancer patients typically prefer to die in their own homes, which is associated with improved quality of death.

However, disparities in end‐of‐life care among immigrant populations in the United States remain significant.

Our study found that immigrants are less likely to die in their preferred locations and more likely to die in hospital settings, resulting in poorer quality of death.
A cooperative multi‐agent offline learning algorithm to scheduling IoT workflows in the cloud computing environment
Authors: Gholami Hadi , Rezvan Mohammad Taghi
Published: July 2022

Regarding the problem of workflow scheduling in cloud environments, users want the workflow to be processed at a suitable time while cloud providers want to increase resource utilization. This article proposes a cooperative multi‐agent offline learning algorithm called CMOL for minimizing makespan and energy consumption. This algorithm schedules a workflow that is represented by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) and assigns them to virtual machines (VMs). Multiple parallel agents interact and cooperate based on an algorithm in three steps of research, improvement, and selection to meet the imposed constraints of deadline and energy. Depending on the number of DAG levels, there is the same number of specialist agents who use strategies to create a Pareto feasible solution and simultaneously gain experience in the first two steps. The parallel agents exploit the extracted knowledge to improve the solution obtained by ensembling their experience in the selection step. To compare the efficiency of CMOL, two algorithms based on multi‐agent systems and one algorithm based on single‐agent are developed. The performance of the four algorithms is investigated on different real‐world workflows and compared on various sizes. Computational results reveal the competitiveness of CMOL and its relative superiority compared with others.
Preface to Special Issue on Green Conversion of HMF
Authors: Albonetti Stefania , Hu Changwei , Saravanamurugan Shunmugavel
Published: July 2022

In this Editorial, Guest Editors Stefania Albonetti, Changwei Hu, and Shunmugavel Saravanamurugan introduce the Special Issue of ChemSusChem on Green Conversion of HMF. The significance of and enormous challenges for the sustainable transformation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural are reviewed, and the contents of the Special Issue with highly interesting contributions from scientists around the world are outlined.
Substantial intraspecific trait variation across a hydrological gradient in northern Australian fishes
Authors: Luiz Osmar J. , Olden Julian D. , Kennard Mark J. , Crook David A. , Douglas Michael M. , Saunders Thor M. , Wedd Dion , Adair Brendan , King Alison J.
Published: July 2022

Trait‐based models of ecological communities and ecosystem functioning often fail to account for intraspecific variation in functional traits, assuming that intraspecific variability is negligible compared with interspecific variability. However, this assumption remains poorly tested across vertebrate animals where past studies routinely describe species according to mean trait values without explicit consideration of individual trait variability. We assessed nine functional traits for 4254 individuals belonging to 15 freshwater fish species from 11 families in northern Australia, including body elongation, body shape, caudal peduncle throttle, eye size, eye position, gape shape, gape size, mouth position, and pectoral fin length. We quantified the extent and geography of intraspecific trait variability and its relationship with riverine hydrologic regimes using a structured sampling design. Using a combination of single‐ and multi‐trait analyses, we demonstrate that intraspecific trait variability can contribute up to 70% of the total trait variability depending on the attribute considered and averaged 31% across all traits. The magnitude of intraspecific trait variability also varied across the hydrological permanency gradient. Fish assemblages in intermittent streams subjected to frequent environmental disturbance had high intraspecific trait variability, most likely due to strong abiotic filters limiting interspecific divergence. Conversely, assemblages in perennial rivers with less harsh environmental filters but with a larger pool of species expressed lower intraspecific trait variability: This is most likely due to stronger resource competition (biotic filter), which promotes specialization of resource use and, consequently, interspecific divergence. Our study provides the first evidence of intraspecific trait variability driven by a disturbance gradient for an animal group and points to the need for additional research into the functional importance of intraspecific variability in animal ecology. A better understanding of the patterns, drivers, and implications of intraspecific trait variability will help guide mechanistic‐based predictions of the effects of environmental changes on community assemblage and ecosystem processes.
Use of environmental DNA to detect the myxozoan endoparasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in large Norwegian lakes
Authors: Oredalen Tone Jøran , Mo Tor Atle , Jenkins Andrew , Haugan Natalie , Sæbø Mona
Published: July 2022

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an increasingly used noninvasive and cost‐effective method for species detections in surveillance studies. The myxozoan endoparasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae is the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease (PKD) in salmonid fish. PKD is a potentially lethal disease of freshwater salmonids when water temperatures exceed 12–14°C for prolonged periods. Periodically, high mortality and decline in farmed and wild salmonid populations in Europe and North America have been reported in the last decades. The aim of this study was to use eDNA as a method to detect Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae from large, deep, dimictic Norwegian lakes. Such habitats are expected to become increasingly important for cold‐water salmonids with global warming. Samples were collected from five lakes in southeastern Norway, and parasite DNA was detected by qPCR. eDNA from T. bryosalmonae was detected in four of the five lakes surveyed. These findings corresponded with the detection of T. bryosalmonae DNA in salmonid kidneys in four of the lakes in a previous survey. The detection of parasites from eDNA varied between years and stations within the same lake, revealing a changing and apparently stochastic spatial distribution of parasite DNA from year to year. Nonetheless, by sampling multiple sites throughout the lakes, we were able to detect T. bryosalmonae at the lake level in both survey years. Strategies for eDNA sampling in deep, dimictic lakes are discussed.
Loss of control as a transdiagnostic feature in obesity‐related eating behaviours: A systematic review
Authors: Catania Justin , Spirou Dean , Gascoigne Michael , Raman Jayanthi
Published: July 2022

Objective

Emerging evidence suggests that loss of control (LOC) may present as a common feature across disordered eating behaviours. However, there has been limited research on the transdiagnostic nature of LOC in this area. The primary aim of this study was to systematically review disordered eating behaviours and measures of LOC in clinical and non‐clinical populations.

Method

Electronic searches of the relevant databases were conducted. Selected articles were screened for eligibility and assessed for methodological quality.

Results

Thirty‐four studies met inclusion criteria. Findings demonstrated that LOC was associated with disordered eating behaviours across bariatric populations, eating disorder populations, and community populations. Specifically, LOC was associated with binge eating (subjective and objective episodes), grazing, night eating, and emotional or stress eating. Findings also revealed that LOC was inconsistently operationalised across studies, with varied approaches to measuring the construct.

Conclusion

Overall, the findings from this review provide support for LOC as a transdiagnostic feature of disordered eating behaviours. Future studies should utilise robust multi‐method assessments to measure the severity of LOC, which may provide greater insight into how LOC manifests across different eating disorder presentations.
The quantitative evaluation of fault sealing during the Cenozoic in Gaoyou Depression, Subei Basin
Authors: Yu Wenquan
Published: July 2022

The quantitative evaluation of fault sealing is conducted based on comprehensive analysis of mechanism and type analysis of fault seal, fault seal evaluation, and case study analysis. The results indicate that the properties of fault sealing are the interaction of fault order, net‐to‐gross ratio, fault activity, mud distribution on fault walls, fault dip, and buried depth. In addition, there are three types of fault sealing, including juxtaposition seal, fault rock seal, and cementation seal. Furthermore, the opening and closing of faults play an essential role in controlling hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. Finally, the fault sealing plays a controlling role in reservoir preservation.
The demand for health turns 50: Reflections
Authors: Grossman Michael
Published: July 2022

The year 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of my demand for health model in “On the Concept of Health Capital and the Demand for Health,” Journal of Political Economy 80(2): 223–255, and in The Demands for Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation, NBER Occasional Paper 119 New York: Columbia University Press for the NBER. To mark that occasion, this editorial focuses on the history of the model and its impacts on the field of health economics.
Great expectations: The construct validity of the violation‐of‐expectation method for studying infant cognition
Authors: Stahl Aimee E. , Kibbe Melissa M.
Published: July 2022

The violation‐of‐expectation method has been used in thousands of studies examining the breadth and depth of preverbal infants' knowledge and cognitive capacities. In this commentary, we review evidence that supports the violation‐of‐expectation method as an important tool for infant research that has strong construct validity. We show that this method reveals infants' expectations, produces reliable results across study designs and stimuli, and is grounded in theories of learning. We support and encourage the use of this method to continue to unveil the scope and sophistication of infant cognition.
Susceptibility to SARS‐Cov‐2 infection and risk for severe COVID‐19 in patients with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy
Authors: Gedeborg Rolf , Loeb Stacy , Styrke Johan , Kiiski‐Berggren Ritva , Garmo Hans , Stattin Pär
Published: July 2022

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been hypothesized to protect against COVID‐19, but previous observational studies of men with prostate cancer on ADT have been inconsistent regarding mortality risk from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Using data from the Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden (PCBaSe), we identified a cohort of 114 547 men with prevalent prostate cancer on the start of follow‐up in February 2020, and followed them until 16 December 2020 to evaluate the association between ADT and time to test positive for COVID‐19. Among men testing positive for COVID‐19, we used regression analyses to estimate the association between ADT and risk of COVID‐19‐related hospital admission/death from any cause within 30 days of the positive test. In total, 1695 men with prostate cancer tested positive for COVID‐19. In crude analyses, exposure to ADT was associated with a 3‐fold increased risk of both testing positive for COVID‐19 infection and subsequent hospital admission/death. Adjustment for age, comorbidity and prostate cancer risk category substantially attenuated the associations: HR 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1‐1.5) for testing positive for COVID‐19, and OR 1.4 (95% CI: 1.0‐1.9) for risk of subsequent hospital admission/death. In conclusion, although these results suggest increased risks of a positive COVID‐19 test, and COVID‐19‐related hospital admission/death in men on ADT, these findings are likely explained by confounding by old age, cancer‐associated morbidity and other comorbidities being more prevalent in men on ADT, rather than a direct effect of the therapy.