bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating Organizational Learning and Adaptations for Improved Disaster Response Towards “Resilient Hospitals:” An Integrative Literature Review
Authors: Mohtady Ali Heba , Ranse Jamie , Roiko Anne , Desha Cheryl
Published: August 2022

Background:

For hospitals, learning from disaster response efforts and adapting organizational practices can improve resilience in dealing with future disruptions. However, amidst global disruptions by climate change, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and other disasters, hospitals’ ability to cope continues to be highly variable. Hence, there are increasing calls to improve hospitals’ capabilities to grow and adapt towards enhanced resilience.

Aim:

This study aims two-fold: (1) to characterize the current state of knowledge about how hospitals are gaining knowledge from their responses to disasters, and (2) to explore how this knowledge can be applied to inform organizational practices for hospital resilience.

Method:

This study used Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for data collection and framework for data analysis, Covidence software, and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords relevant to “hospitals,” “learn,” “disaster response,” and “resilience.” The quality appraisal used an adapted version of the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT).

Results:

After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality appraisal, out of the 420 articles retrieved, 22 articles remained for thematic and content analysis. The thematic analysis included the hospital’s functional (operational) and physical (structural and non-structural) sections. The content analysis followed nine learning areas (Governance and Leadership, Planning and Risk Assessment, Surveillance and Monitoring, Communication and Network Engagement, Staff Practices and Safety, Equipment and Resources, Facilities and Infrastructure, Novelty and Innovation, and Learning and Evaluation).

On applying the Deming cycle, only four studies described a completed learning cycle wherein hospitals adapted their organizational structures using the prior experience and evaluation gained in responding to disaster(s).

Conclusions:

There is a gap between hospitals’ organizational learning and institutionalized practice. The conceptualized Hybrid Resilience Learning Framework (HRLF) aims to guide the hospitals’ decision makers in evaluating organizational resilience and knowledge.

In the face of disasters, both the stressful factors and the coping strategies that affect the health care workers (HCWs) should be substantially considered.
Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomised controlled trial and outcomes in routine care
Authors: Allen Adrian R. , Smith Jessica , Hobbs Megan J. , Loughnan Siobhan A. , Sharrock Maria , Newby Jill M. , Andrews Gavin , Mahoney Alison E. J.
Published: August 2022

Background:

Despite its potential scalability, little is known about the outcomes of internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when it is provided with minimal guidance from a clinician.

Aim:

To evaluate the outcomes of minimally guided iCBT for PTSD in a randomised control trial (RCT, Study 1) and in an open trial in routine community care (Study 2).

Method:

A RCT compared the iCBT course (n=21) to a waitlist control (WLC, n=19) among participants diagnosed with PTSD. The iCBT group was followed up 3 months post-treatment. In Study 2, treatment outcomes were evaluated among 117 adults in routine community care. PTSD symptom severity was the primary outcome in both studies, with psychological distress and co-morbid anxiety and depressive symptoms providing secondary outcomes.

Results:

iCBT participants in both studies experienced significant reductions in PTSD symptom severity from pre- to post-treatment treatment (within-group Hedges’ g=.72–1.02), with RCT findings showing maintenance of gains at 3-month follow-up. The WLC group in the RCT also significantly improved, but Study 1 was under-powered and the medium between-group effect favouring iCBT did not reach significance (g=0.64; 95% CI, –0.10–1.38).

Conclusions:

This research provides preliminary support for the utility of iCBT for PTSD when provided with minimal clinician guidance. Future studies are needed to clarify the effect of differing levels of clinician support on PTSD iCBT outcomes, as well as exploring how best to integrate iCBT into large-scale, routine clinical care of PTSD.
L' étude écologique du commerce de détail
Authors: Vandevelde Maurice G.
Published: August 2022

Dans le cadre de l'application de la technique écologique, il a semblé utile de présenter des éléments d'analyse qui ont pu être dégagés d'une étude antérieure portant sur la localisation du commerce de détail à Schaerbeek, commune de l'agglomération bruxelloise. D'une part le processus de cette étude peut donner des indications pour d'autres recherches et d'autre part des études théoriques de la structure spatiale des établissements commerciaux de détail pourraient fournir notamment des principes directeurs concernant un aménagement urbain rationnel et des bases structurelles pour l'implantation des maisons commerciales. En outre, ces recherches peuvent mettre en évidence des données servant à l'évaluation de la valeur locative et de la valeur de reprise d'un établissement commercial; jusqu'ici dans ce domaine les décisions sont trop souvent fondées sur des appréciations subjectives, incomplètes et même parfois incohérentes.
La situation économique du Congo belge
Authors: Masoin Maurice
Published: August 2022

La dernière analyse de la situation économique du Congo belge publiée au mois d’août 1948 dans ce bulletin, s’exprimait en ces termes : « L’économie congolaise offre à la crise des points faibles et des facteurs de résistance. Point faible est sa dépendance étroite de l’evolution des cours des matières premières. Facteur de résistance est le mouvement fondamental d’expansion qui emporte la Colonie du stade d’exploitation à celui de peuplement, avec les activités que comporte cette transformation et les débouchés qu’elle promet.

« L’expansion fondamentale suffirait-elle à compenser les répecussions d’une crise conjoncturelle ? Cela dépendra des rapports de force de l’une et de l’autre ».

L’on pourrait placer l’évolution des derniers mois sous le signe de cette réponse. Certains prix agricoles ont marqué un fléchissement, tandis que les prix des matières métalliques continuaient à faire preuve d’une certaine fermeté. Cependant, la production a continué à se développer ou s’est tout au moins stabilisée dans la plupart des secteurs de la production.

Dans l’ensemble, les revenus coloniaux enregistrèrent de nouveaux progrès.

Le fait est particulièrement marqué par l’évolution de la balance commerciale.

Quant à la balance des paiements, elle bénéficie en outre d’apports de capitaux assez importants.

Tous les indices financiers reflètent cette évolution favorable : les résultats budgétaires, le volume de la circulation monétaire.

Telle est la note générale qui se dégagera de l’analyse de la situation
Le commerce extérieur de la Belgique en 1948 et au début de 1949
Authors: Jussiant Jean
Published: August 2022

L’évolution du commerce extérieur de la Belgique, comme celle de toute l’économie belge, a été bien meilleure, durant l’année 1948, que l’on ne pouvait s’y attendre au début de celle-ci. A ce moment, en effet, les perspectives paraissaient peu favorables pour notre pays.

Les difficultés pour obtenir le payement de nos ventes à l’étranger ne faisaient que s’aggraver et le rythme de nos exportations dans de nombreuses directions s’en trouvait affecté.

Le manque de devises « dures » entravait les achats de nos principaux clients, car la politique d’assainissement monétaire que nous avions suivie n’avait pas seulement assuré la solidité du franc belge, elle l’avait classé parmi les monnaies rares. D’autre part, nous nous trouvions dans l’impossibilité d’accorder de nouveaux crédits à nos principaux acheteurs, sous peine d’abandonner la logique de la politique suivie. Avec 13 milliards de francs, soit 7 % de notre revenu national de l’année, le montant de ces crédits avait en effet atteint la limite de nos possibilités. Toute augmentation des exportations sans paiement, qui correspondent à ces crédits, aurait fait renaître la pression vers l’inflation dans le pays, tout en permettant à des économies étrangères de procéder à des investissements que nous refusions à nos propres activités, pour éviter cette même inflation.

Les importations, de leur côté, demeuraient aux chiffres élevés correspondant au redressement de notre économie et au rétablissement du standard de vie de la population à un niveau équivalent à celui d’avant-guerre.
A scoping review of best practices in home enteral tube feeding
Authors: Byrnes Cliona , Mockler David , Lyons Linda , Loane Dorothy , Russell Edel , Bennett Annemarie E.
Published: August 2022

Aims:

To review the experiences of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and service users on the provision and receipt of home enteral nutrition (HEN) in primary care settings, respectively.

Backgrounds:

HEN supports the nutritional needs of service users in primary care settings who are unable to meet their nutritional requirements through oral intake alone. While HEN supports service users to remain in their home, the provision of HEN services can be variable. The prevalence of HEN is increasing as health systems shift delivery of care from acute to primary care settings, and therefore the evolving needs of HCPs and service users in relation to HEN deserve exploration.

Methods:

Quantitative and qualitative studies were included if they described (1) practices that support best outcomes in adults on HEN and residing in their own homes and/or (2) service user and HCP experiences of HEN. Studies on the economics of HEN were included. Databases searched included MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Publications up to March 2021 were included. A descriptive analytical approach was used to summarise the findings.

Findings:

Key themes included the importance of initial education to enable service users to adapt to HEN and the need for support from knowledgeable HCPs. Access to support from HCPs in primary care was limited, and some HCPs felt their knowledge of HEN was inadequate. Service users highlighted the significant impact of HEN on daily living and emphasised the need for support from a HEN team. HEN services were also associated with reduced hospital admissions, lengths of stay in hospital, and costs of hospitalisation.

Conclusions:

A specialist HEN service can manage enteral nutrition-related complications, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, and improve quality of care and patient satisfaction. Further education of HCPs is needed on the provision of HEN.
A longitudinal qualitative study of the UK general practice workforce experience of COVID-19
Authors: Burn Emily , Fisher Rebecca , Locock Louise , Smith Judith
Published: August 2022

Background:

The COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to significant re-organisation of general practice in the United Kingdom and around the world. The general practice workforce has led changes to their services, often dealing with high levels of uncertainty. The way in which many practitioners consult has shifted significantly, and there has been an increase in the number of phone and online consultations. We know very little about how those working in general practice experienced the service reorganisation introduced in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim:

The aim of this project was to describe the changes in the delivery of general practice in the United Kingdom in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, to explore primary care practitioners’ and managers’ experiences of change within general practice during this time and investigate shifts in perceptions of professional identities.

Method:

We conducted a longitudinal qualitative study that captured narrative accounts from 17 primary care practitioners and managers across England and Scotland. Each participant submitted narrative accounts in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic using self-recorded or written contributions, or via an interview if preferred. These were analysed using a grounded theory approach, with thematic coding used to construct common themes.

Findings:

Participants’ narratives describe the challenges COVID-19 presented to general practice. Responses mirror the shifts in the pandemic and its management – from an initial sense of autonomy but uncertainty, to a period of stability and patients’ increasing frustration. The re-organisation of general practice has affected practitioners’ views of their work and their role as clinicians. Participants’ narratives were framed profoundly by the importance of their relationships with patients. This analysis of practitioners’ and managers’ narratives highlights the need for further exploration of how to support the general practice workforce’s well-being longer term in a context of increased demand and significant change.
In Search of the ‘Oriental Origin’: Rameau, Rousseau and Chinese Music in Eighteenth-Century France
Authors: Jiang Qingfan
Published: August 2022

This article offers a fresh perspective on the study of the eighteenth-century musical dialogue between China and France, not as an episode of exotic encounter but as an intellectual movement that profoundly shaped how scholars conceived of music and the study of its theories within an increasingly integrated world. Taking Jean-Philippe Rameau's and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's explorations into the origins of music as an example, I foreground the importance of Chinese music in the formation of their influential concepts of the corps sonore and of the unity of music and language respectively. While these two thinkers made two opposing claims about the origins of music, both used Chinese music as key evidence to support their arguments. Moreover, certain Jesuit missionaries, particularly Jean-Joseph-Marie Amiot, played a crucial role in the global transmission of musical knowledge that enabled French thinkers like Rameau and Rousseau to incorporate music beyond Western Europe. Ultimately, this article reverses the Eurocentric narrative that tends to trace the influence of ‘Western music’ on other parts of the world by showing how Chinese music exerted a major impact on musical debates in France. Situating the study of eighteenth-century music in a global context, I demonstrate what we commonly recognize as ‘Western music theory’ was shaped by knowledge from the East.
Henry Adams’s Protean Views of the American Empire, 1890–1905
Authors: de Jesús Cortés Ángel
Published: August 2022

In the history of the Gilded Age and its geopolitics, Henry Adams has a reputation for being an imperialist. While not universally subscribed to by historians, this characterization has waxed sufficiently as to eclipse Adams’s more complex, even contradictory, record on the American Empire. The evidence I will marshal will not prove that Adams was actually an anti-imperialist, but it will reveal the protean nature of Adams’s views of the American Empire. To get a grip on this relatively unexamined aspect of Adams’s thought, I will analyze his correspondence during the last decade of the nineteenth century in which he criticized the extension of American power across the Pacific, particularly in regard to its political economy, religion, and civilization. With the onset of the American Filipino War, Adams raged at the news of American atrocities. This paper shows that Adams’s outrage was part of an incipient civilizational ideology, one that neither materialized into an attachment to the anti-imperialist cause nor accepted the vaunted superiority of the West. Even though Adams possessed no principle to guide his thinking on the empire, his pessimistic evaluation of the extension of American power is enough to reconsider his reputation as an imperialist.
Teaching Queer History in the GAPE Classroom
Authors: Trump Brian M.
Published: August 2022

Digitization of archival materials has made it easier not only to analyze queer history during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, but also to include these sources in the classroom. For instructors interested in incorporating queer history into their classrooms, this piece highlights specific examples of these queer primary sources and what they reveal about the queer past. Focusing specifically on criminal statutes, legal records, newspaper articles, medical discourse, and firsthand accounts, this introduction to queer archival sources emphasizes how these sources can be incorporated into class lectures and discussions, as well as directing attention to where similar examples can be found online in digital archives and databases.
L’évolution économique de la sidérurgie belge de 1830 à 1913
Authors: Wibail Amé
Published: August 2022

On sait que la courbe de la production sidérurgique reflète assez fidèlement la situation générale de la conjoncture économique tant au point de vue de la rapidité qu’à celui de l’amplitude de ses oscillations. Ce fait seul suffirait à justifier l’objet de cette étude; mais pour notre pays en particulier il s’y ajoute le fait que la sidérurgie est une industrie de base de notre économie par son ancienneté aussi bien que par son importance propre et l’élan qu’elle a maintes fois donné à d’autres industries comme les charbonnages et même les transports.

L’histoire nous apprend que le fer était connu des Gaulois avant les invasions romaines et employé par eux sur une assez grande échelle. Notre sol était en effet très riche en matières premières : on y trouvait en abondance le minerai de fer sous forme de filons, de couches épaisses ou de grands amas facilement exploitables. L’immense forêt qui recouvrait notre région fournissait le combustible (bois, puis charbon de bois) à tel point que le « charbon de mine » qui était connu et exploité depuis longtemps ne servait encore chez nous en 1825, dans la métallurgie du fer, que comme source de chaleur pour le travail de la forgerie.
Leveraging Pre‐Storm Soil Moisture Estimates for Enhanced Land Surface Model Calibration in Ungauged Hydrologic Basins
Authors: Crow Wade T. , Dong Jianzhi , Reichle Rolf H.
Published: August 2022

Despite long‐standing efforts, hydrologists still lack robust tools for calibrating land surface model (LSM) streamflow estimates within ungauged basins. Using surface soil moisture estimates from the Soil Moisture Active Passive Level 4 Soil Moisture (L4_SM) product, precipitation observations, and streamflow gauge measurements for 617 medium‐scale (200–10,000 km2) basins in the contiguous United States, we measure the temporal (Spearman) rank correlation between antecedent (i.e., pre‐storm) surface soil moisture (ASM) and the storm‐scale runoff coefficient (RC; the fraction of storm‐scale precipitation accumulation converted into streamflow). In humid and semi‐humid basins, this rank correlation is shown to be sufficiently strong to allow for the substitution of storm‐scale RC observations (available only in basins that are both lightly regulated and gauged) with high‐quality ASM values (available quasi‐globally from L4_SM) in streamflow calibration procedures. Using this principle, we define a new, basin‐wise LSM streamflow calibration approach based on L4_SM alone and successfully apply it to identify LSM configurations that produce a high rank correlation with observed RC. However, since the approach cannot detect RC bias, it is less successful in identifying LSM configurations with low mean‐absolute error.
P Waves Emerged From Ambient Noise Cross‐Correlation Post the 2018 Kı̄lauea Eruption Revealing Middle Crust Velocity Discontinuities Beneath the Island of Hawai'i
Authors: Wei XiaoZhuo , Shen Yang
Published: August 2022

Empirical Green Functions (EGFs) obtained from ambient noise cross‐correlation are important for imaging and monitoring underground structures. The EGFs on the Island of Hawai'i in different years are similar at low frequencies (0.1–0.4 Hz), but very different at high frequencies (0.4–1.0 Hz): Only the EGFs after the 2018 Kı̄lauea eruption show clear P waves. Grid search reveals a strong noise source near the Kı̄lauea summit before the eruption, which contaminated the EGFs but became silent after the eruption. Modeling of the P waves identifies the direct arrival and post‐critical reflections from two velocity discontinuities at 4.7 and 7.2 km depth beneath the island, which we interpret as the base of volcanic edifices and deposits and the boundary between basaltic dikes and gabbros, respectively. The P waves in EGFs could provide valuable high‐resolution constraints for monitoring deep magmatic changes and imaging the volcano structures.
Evaluation of Polar Winter Mesopause Wind in WACCMX+DART
Authors: Harvey V. Lynn , Pedatella Nick , Becker Erich , Randall Cora
Published: August 2022

This work evaluates zonal winds in both hemispheres near the polar winter mesopause in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) with thermosphere‐ionosphere eXtension combined with data assimilation using the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) (WACCMX+DART). We compare 14 years (2006–2019) of WACCMX+DART zonal mean zonal winds near 90 km to zonal mean zonal winds derived from Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) geopotential height measurements during Arctic mid‐winter. 10 years (2008–2017) of WACCMX+DART zonal mean zonal winds are compared to SABER in the Antarctic mid‐winter. It is well known that WACCM, and WACCM‐X, zonal winds at the polar winter mesopause exhibit a strong easterly (westward) bias. One explanation for this is that the models omit higher order gravity waves (GWs), and thus the eastward drag caused by these GWs. We show for the first time that the model winds near the polar winter mesopause are in closer agreement with SABER observations when the winds near the stratopause are weak or reversed. The model and observed mesosphere and lower thermosphere winds agree most during dynamically disturbed times often associated with minor or major sudden stratospheric warming events. Results show that the deceleration of the stratospheric and mesospheric polar night jet allows enough eastward GWs to propagate into the mesosphere, driving eastward zonal winds that are in agreement with the observations. Thus, in both hemispheres, the winter polar night jet speed and direction near the stratopause may be a useful proxy for model fidelity in the polar winter upper mesosphere.
Patterns and Regulation of Hypolimnetic CO2 and CH4 in a Tropical Reservoir Using a Process‐Based Modeling Approach
Authors: Soued C. , Prairie Y. T.
Published: August 2022

Hypolimnetic waters and sediments of lakes and reservoirs are active sites of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) production and accumulation. These potent carbon greenhouse gases (C‐GHG) can be emitted to the atmosphere during water column mixing and, for hydropower reservoirs, through deep water discharge from the outflow. Deep CO2 and CH4 concentrations are regulated by sediment‐water flux, aerobic respiration, methanogenesis, CH4 oxidation, and vertical diffusion. These processes are interlinked but have mostly been studied individually, making their relative importance and interactions difficult to disentangle. In this study, we combined empirical observations with an integrative process‐based modeling to examine ecosystem‐scale dynamics of CO2 and CH4 in the deep layer of a permanently stratified reservoir located on the tropical Borneo Island (Malaysia). Oxygen (O2) was a key modulator of deep CO2 and CH4 metabolism, and shaped their spatial and temporal patterns within the reservoir. Our model reproduced the shape of the vertical profiles of gas concentration and isotopic signature, and suggested that deep C‐GHG stocks reached a steady‐state about 10 years after impoundment. Vertical gas diffusivity was the most determinant parameter controlling reservoir deep C‐GHG accumulation through its direct effect on gas transport and its interaction with water column metabolism through O2 regulation. Model results highlighted the interactions, relative importance, and uncertainties of processes controlling deep C‐GHG fluxes. This case study offers an in‐depth comprehension of C‐GHG storage and emissions in a tropical system, as well as a mechanistic framework transferable to other lakes and reservoirs.
Manipulation of single cells via a Stereo Acoustic Streaming Tunnel (SteAST)
Authors: Yang Yang , Pang Wei , Zhang Hongxiang , Cui Weiwei , Jin Ke , Sun Chongling , Wang Yanyan , Zhang Lin , Ren Xiubao , Duan Xuexin
Published: August 2022

At the single-cell level, cellular parameters, gene expression and cellular function are assayed on an individual but not population-average basis. Essential to observing and analyzing the heterogeneity and behavior of these cells/clusters is the ability to prepare and manipulate individuals. Here, we demonstrate a versatile microsystem, a stereo acoustic streaming tunnel, which is triggered by ultrahigh-frequency bulk acoustic waves and highly confined by a microchannel. We thoroughly analyze the generation and features of stereo acoustic streaming to develop a virtual tunnel for observation, pretreatment and analysis of cells for different single-cell applications. 3D reconstruction, dissociation of clusters, selective trapping/release, in situ analysis and pairing of single cells with barcode gel beads were demonstrated. To further verify the reliability and robustness of this technology in complex biosamples, the separation of circulating tumor cells from undiluted blood based on properties of both physics and immunity was achieved. With the rich selection of handling modes, the platform has the potential to be a full-process microsystem, from pretreatment to analysis, and used in numerous fields, such as in vitro diagnosis, high-throughput single-cell sequencing and drug development.
M2-like tumor-associated macrophages transmit exosomal miR-27b-3p and maintain glioblastoma stem-like cell properties
Authors: Zhao Guifang , Ding Lijuan , Yu Hongquan , Wang Weiyao , Wang Huan , Hu Yao , Qin Lingsha , Deng Guangce , Xie Buqing , Li Guofeng , Qi Ling
Published: August 2022

There is growing evidence supporting the implications of exosomes-shuttled microRNAs (miRs) in the phenotypes of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), whilst the role of exosomal miR-27b-3p remains to be established. Herein, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of M2 tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-derived exosomal miR-27b-3p on the function of GSCs. Clinical glioblastoma (GBM) specimens were obtained and GSCs and M2-TAMs were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and exosomes were separated from M2-TAMs. It was observed that M2-TAM-derived exosomes promoted the stem-like properties of GSCs. Gain- and loss- of function assays were then conducted to explore the effects of exosomal miR-27b-3p and the miR-27b-3p/MLL4/PRDM1 axis on GSC phenotypes. A xenograft tumor model of GBM was further established for in vivo substantiation. Inhibition of miR-27b-3p in M2-TAMs reduced exosomal miR-27b-3p transferred into GSCs and consequently diminished GSC viability in vitro and tumor-promoting effects of GSCs in vivo. The interaction among miR-27b-3p, mixed linked leukemia 4 (MLL4), positive regulatory domain I (PRDM1) was validated by dual-luciferase and ChIP assays. MLL4 positively regulated PRDM1 expression by inducing methylation in the PRDM1 enhancer region and ultimately reduced IL-33 expression. miR-27b-3p targeted MLL4/PRDM1 to activate IL-33 and maintain the stem-like function of GSCs. In conclusion, our study elucidated that M2-TAM-derived exosomal miR-27b-3p enhanced the tumorigenicity of GSCs through the MLL4/PRDM1/IL-33 axis.
Extrapyramidal symptoms predict cognitive performance after first-episode psychosis
Authors: Lindgren Maija , Therman Sebastian , Avellan Anna , From Tiina , Hietala Jarmo , Holm Minna , Ilonen Tuula , Kieseppä Tuula , Laurikainen Heikki , Salokangas Raimo K. R. , Suvisaari Jaana
Published: August 2022

Extrapyramidal (EP) symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia are common side effects of most antipsychotics, and may associate with impaired performance in neurocognitive testing. We studied EP symptoms in first-episode psychosis (FEP;n = 113). Cognitive testing and EP symptoms (three items of the Simpson-Angus Scale) were assessed at baseline and follow-up (mean follow-up time 12 months). Mild EP symptoms were present at treatment onset in 40% of the participants. EP symptoms were related with lower performance in neurocognitive testing at baseline and at follow-up, especially among those with nonaffective psychotic disorder, and especially in tasks requiring speed of processing. No associations between EP symptoms and social cognition were detected. In linear regression models, when positive and negative symptom levels and chlorpromazine equivalents were accounted for, baseline EP symptoms were associated with worse baseline global neurocognition and visuomotor performance. Baseline EP symptoms also longitudinally predicted global, verbal, and visuomotor cognition. However, there were no cross-sectional associations between EP symptoms and cognitive performance at follow-up. In sum, we found both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between EP symptoms and neurocognitive task performance in the early course of psychosis. Those without EP symptoms at the start of treatment had higher baseline and follow-up neurocognitive performance. Even mild EP symptoms may represent early markers of long-term neurocognitive impairment.
Nucleotide imbalance decouples cell growth from cell proliferation
Authors: Diehl Frances F. , Miettinen Teemu P. , Elbashir Ryan , Nabel Christopher S. , Darnell Alicia M. , Do Brian T. , Manalis Scott R. , Lewis Caroline A. , Vander Heiden Matthew G.
Published: August 2022

Nucleotide metabolism supports RNA synthesis and DNA replication to enable cell growth and division. Nucleotide depletion can inhibit cell growth and proliferation, but how cells sense and respond to changes in the relative levels of individual nucleotides is unclear. Moreover, the nucleotide requirement for biomass production changes over the course of the cell cycle, and how cells coordinate differential nucleotide demands with cell cycle progression is not well understood. Here we find that excess levels of individual nucleotides can inhibit proliferation by disrupting the relative levels of nucleotide bases needed for DNA replication and impeding DNA replication. The resulting purine and pyrimidine imbalances are not sensed by canonical growth regulatory pathways like mTORC1, Akt and AMPK signalling cascades, causing excessive cell growth despite inhibited proliferation. Instead, cells rely on replication stress signalling to survive during, and recover from, nucleotide imbalance during S phase. We find that ATR-dependent replication stress signalling is activated during unperturbed S phases and promotes nucleotide availability to support DNA replication. Together, these data reveal that imbalanced nucleotide levels are not detected until S phase, rendering cells reliant on replication stress signalling to cope with this metabolic problem and disrupting the coordination of cell growth and division.
Understanding structure–properties relationships of porphyrin linked to graphene oxide through π–π-stacking or covalent amide bonds
Authors: Lewandowska-Andralojc Anna , Gacka Ewelina , Pedzinski Tomasz , Burdzinski Gotard , Lindner Aleksandra , O’Brien Jessica M. , Senge Mathias O. , Siklitskaya Aleksandra , Kubas Adam , Marciniak Bronislaw , Walkowiak-Kulikowska Justyna
Published: August 2022

Two graphene oxide nanoassemblies using 5-(4-(aminophenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin (TPPNH2) were fabricated by two synthetic methods: covalent (GO-CONHTPP) and noncovalent bonding. GO-CONHTPP was achieved through amide formation at the periphery of GO sheets and the hybrid material was fully characterized by FTIR, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM. Spectroscopic measurements together with theoretical calculations demonstrated that assembling TPPNH2 on the GO surface in DMF-H2O (1:2, v/v) via non-covalent interactions causes changes in the absorption spectra of porphyrin, as well as efficient quenching of its emission. Interestingly, covalent binding to GO does not affect notably neither the porphyrin absorption nor its fluorescence. Theoretical calculations indicates that close proximity and π–π-stacking of the porphyrin molecule with the GO sheet is possible only for the non-covalent functionalization. Femtosecond pump–probe experiments revealed that only the non-covalent assembly of TPPNH2 and GO enhances the efficiency of the photoinduced electron transfer from porphyrin to GO. In contrast to the non-covalent hybrid, the covalent GO-CONHTPP material can generate singlet oxygen with quantum yields efficiency (ΦΔ = 0.20) comparable to that of free TPPNH2 (ΦΔ = 0.26), indicating the possible use of covalent hybrid materials in photodynamic/photothermal therapy. The spectroscopic studies combined with detailed quantum-chemical analysis provide invaluable information that can guide the fabrication of hybrid materials with desired properties for specific applications.
Artificial intelligence inferred microstructural properties from voltage–capacity curves
Authors: Sun Yixuan , Ayalasomayajula Surya Mitra , Deva Abhas , Lin Guang , García R. Edwin
Published: August 2022

The quantification of microstructural properties to optimize battery design and performance, to maintain product quality, or to track the degradation of LIBs remains expensive and slow when performed through currently used characterization approaches. In this paper, a convolution neural network-based deep learning approach (CNN) is reported to infer electrode microstructural properties from the inexpensive, easy to measure cell voltage versus capacity data. The developed framework combines two CNN models to balance the bias and variance of the overall predictions. As an example application, the method was demonstrated against porous electrode theory-generated voltage versus capacity plots. For the graphite|LiMn$$_2$$

2

O$$_4$$

4

chemistry, each voltage curve was parameterized as a function of the cathode microstructure tortuosity and area density, delivering CNN predictions of Bruggeman’s exponent and shape factor with 0.97 $$R^2$$

R
2

score within 2 s each, enabling to distinguish between different types of particle morphologies, anisotropies, and particle alignments. The developed neural network model can readily accelerate the processing-properties-performance and degradation characteristics of the existing and emerging LIB chemistries.
Implementation of HILIC-UV technique for the determination of moxifloxacin and fluconazole in raw materials and pharmaceutical eye gel
Authors: Yosrey Eman , Elmansi Heba , Sheribah Zeinab A. , Metwally Mohammed El-Sayed
Published: August 2022

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) has inherent merits over RP-HPLC in the analyzing of hydrophilic substances. Accordingly, an innovative HILIC-UV methodology is proposed for the simultaneous estimation of ethyl paraben (PRN), fluconazole (FLZ) and moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MOX) in raw materials and pharmaceutical eye gel. The separation process was conducted using Waters XBridge™ HILIC column (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm particle size) at room temperature. Isocratic mobile phase containing acetonitrile: 0.1% triethylamine buffer (90:10, v/v, pH 5.0), was pumped at flow rate 1.0 mL/min and detected at 260 nm. Under these optimized conditions, PRN, FLZ and MOX showed rectilinear relationships with the concentration ranges (0.5–6.0), (5.0–50.0) and (5.0–60.0) μg/mL, respectively. The developed method offered at least fivefold increase in sensitivity within shorter time than the reported methods. Three greenness assessment tools namely: Analytical eco-scale, GAPI and AGREE were exploited to investigate the method's impact on the environment and conduct a comparative study with the reported methods. International council of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines have been followed to calculate validation parameters. The statistical comparison between results of the suggested method and the comparison method showed no discrepancy confirming accuracy of the method.
Systems of axon-like circuits for self-assembled and self-controlled growth of bioelectric networks
Authors: Deaton Russell , Garzon Max , Yasmin Rojoba
Published: August 2022

By guiding cell and chemical migration and coupling with genetic mechanisms, bioelectric networks of potentials influence biological pattern formation and are known to have profound effects on growth processes. An abstract model that is amenable to exact analysis has been proposed in the circuit tile assembly model (cTAM) to understand self-assembled and self-controlled growth as an emergent phenomenon that is capable of complex behaviors, like self-replication. In the cTAM, a voltage source represents a finite supply of energy that drives growth until it is unable to overcome randomizing factors in the environment, represented by a threshold. Here, the cTAM is extended to the axon or alternating cTAM model (acTAM) to include a circuit similar to signal propagation in axons, exhibiting time-varying electric signals and a dependence on frequency of the input voltage. The acTAM produces systems of circuits whose electrical properties are coupled to their length as growth proceeds through self-assembly. The exact response is derived for increasingly complex circuit systems as the assembly proceeds. The model exhibits complicated behaviors that elucidate the interactive role of energy, environment, and noise with electric signals in axon-like circuits during biological growth of complex patterns and function.
Research on cavitation effect of microtextured array
Authors: Jiang Yuanyuan , Yan Zhijun , Zhang Shengwei , Shen Ziyu , Sun Haocheng
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the surface texture parameters and distribution patterns are studied by numerical simulation and experiment. First, a three-dimensional micro-textured CFD fluid lubrication model with cavitation effect is established, and different texture arrays are designed to study the influence of different distribution modes on bearing capacity, friction coefficient and pressure distribution of the oil film. Then, the simulation results are further analyzed and verified by the visualized plane slider experimental platform, and the formation rules of cavitation bubbles in the micro-textured array, as well as the influences of the surface shape and different distribution modes of the micro-textured array on the cavitation bubbles are discussed. The results show that the existence of cavitation is one of the main reasons for the microtexture to increase the bearing capacity of the oil film, which cannot be ignored in the simulation study. The texture array with single symmetric orientation is the best to improve the oil film bearing capacity, and the bearing performance is the best when the texture inclination angle is 26.6°.The friction coefficient of the asymmetrically oriented textured array is 29.4% lower than that of the non-textured sample.The results in the experiment are consistent with the simulation.
Game-theoretic link relevance indexing on genome-wide expression dataset identifies putative salient genes with potential etiological and diapeutics role in colorectal cancer
Authors: Baruah Vishwa Jyoti , Neog Bora Papori , Sarmah Bhaswati , Mahanta Priyakshi , Sarmah Ankumon , Moretti Stefano , Kumar Rajnish , Borkotokey Surajit
Published: August 2022

Diapeutics gene markers in colorectal cancer (CRC) can help manage mortality caused by the disease. We applied a game-theoretic link relevance Index (LRI) scoring on the high-throughput whole-genome transcriptome dataset to identify salient genes in CRC and obtained 126 salient genes with LRI score greater than zero. The biomarkers database lacks preliminary information on the salient genes as biomarkers for all the available cancer cell types. The salient genes revealed eleven, one and six overrepresentations for major Biological Processes, Molecular Function, and Cellular components. However, no enrichment with respect to chromosome location was found for the salient genes. Significantly high enrichments were observed for several KEGG, Reactome and PPI terms. The survival analysis of top protein-coding salient genes exhibited superior prognostic characteristics for CRC. MIR143HG, AMOTL1, ACTG2 and other salient genes lack sufficient information regarding their etiological role in CRC. Further investigation in LRI methodology and salient genes to augment the existing knowledge base may create new milestones in CRC diapeutics.
A framework to analyze opinion formation models
Authors: Devia Carlos Andres , Giordano Giulia
Published: August 2022

Comparing model predictions with real data is crucial to improve and validate a model. For opinion formation models, validation based on real data is uncommon and difficult to obtain, also due to the lack of systematic approaches for a meaningful comparison. We introduce a framework to assess opinion formation models, which can be used to determine the qualitative outcomes that an opinion formation model can produce, and compare model predictions with real data. The proposed approach relies on a histogram-based classification algorithm, and on transition tables. The algorithm classifies an opinion distribution as perfect consensus, consensus, polarization, clustering, or dissensus; these qualitative categories were identified from World Values Survey data. The transition tables capture the qualitative evolution of the opinion distribution between an initial and a final time. We compute the real transition tables based on World Values Survey data from different years, as well as the predicted transition tables produced by the French-DeGroot, Weighted-Median, Bounded Confidence, and Quantum Game models, and we compare them. Our results provide insight into the evolution of real-life opinions and highlight key directions to improve opinion formation models.
An open-source smartphone app for the quantitative evaluation of thin-layer chromatographic analyses in medicine quality screening
Authors: Hauk Cathrin , Boss Mark , Gabel Julia , Schäfermann Simon , Lensch Hendrik P. A. , Heide Lutz
Published: August 2022

Substandard and falsified medicines present a serious threat to public health. Simple, low-cost screening tools are important in the identification of such products in low- and middle-income countries. In the present study, a smartphone-based imaging software was developed for the quantification of thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analyses. A performance evaluation of this tool in the TLC analysis of 14 active pharmaceutical ingredients according to the procedures of the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) Minilab was carried out, following international guidelines and assessing accuracy, repeatability, intermediate precision, specificity, linearity, range and robustness of the method. Relative standard deviations of 2.79% and 4.46% between individual measurements were observed in the assessments of repeatability and intermediate precision, respectively. Small deliberate variations of the conditions hardly affected the results. A locally producible wooden box was designed which ensures TLC photography under standardized conditions and shielding from ambient light. Photography and image analysis were carried out with a low-cost Android-based smartphone. The app allows to share TLC photos and quantification results using messaging apps, e-mail, cable or Bluetooth connections, or to upload them to a cloud. The app is available free of charge as General Public License (GPL) open-source software, and interested individuals or organizations are welcome to use and/or to further improve this software.
Time course of changes in vision-related quality of life following intravitreal ranibizumab treatment for branch retinal vein occlusion
Authors: Morikawa Shohei , Okamoto Fumiki , Murakami Tomoya , Sugiura Yoshimi , Hiraoka Takahiro , Okamoto Yoshifumi , Oshika Tetsuro
Published: August 2022

To evaluate the vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) treated by intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and to assess subscale items of the VR-QOL. This was prospective, multicenter, open-label, observational study including 38 patients with unilateral BRVO who underwent IVR treatment and 28 age-matched healthy subjects. VR-QOL using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were examined before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. The VFQ-25 composite score and BCVA significantly improved from 3 to 12 months after IVR treatment (P < 0.05), such that there was no significant difference between the BRVO and control groups at 12 months. All subscales of the VFQ-25, except “general health”, significantly improved after treatment, while “near vision” and “mental health” were worse than those in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). Patients with superior BRVO had a lower “near vision” score than healthy subjects after treatment (P < 0.05). BCVA in the treated eye and fellow eye had no significant relationship with the VFQ-25 composite score before and after treatment. The VR-QOL of patients with BRVO improved with IVR treatment and was comparable to that of healthy subjects after 12 months. Superior BRVO particularly affected near vision for a low level.
The tumor and plasma cytokine profiles of renal cell carcinoma patients
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Laajala Essi , Kreutzman Anna , Järvinen Petrus , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Hollmén Maija , Mustjoki Satu
Published: August 2022

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 90% of all renal cancers and is considered highly immunogenic. Although many studies have reported the circulating peripheral cytokine profiles, the signatures between the tumor tissue and matching healthy adjacent renal tissue counterparts have not been explored. We aimed to comprehensively investigate the cytokine landscape of RCC tumors and its correlation between the amount and phenotype of the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). We analyzed the secretion of 42 cytokines from the tumor (n = 46), adjacent healthy kidney tissues (n = 23) and matching plasma samples (n = 33) with a Luminex-based assay. We further explored the differences between the tissue types, as well as correlated the findings with clinical data and detailed immunophenotyping of the TILs. Using an unsupervised clustering approach, we observed distinct differences in the cytokine profiles between the tumor and adjacent renal tissue samples. The tumor samples clustered into three distinct profiles based on the cytokine expressions: high (52.2% of the tumors), intermediate (26.1%), and low (21.7%). Most of the tumor cytokines positively correlated with each other, except for IL-8 that showed no correlation with any of the measured cytokine expressions. Furthermore, the quantity of lymphocytes in the tumor samples analyzed with flow cytometry positively correlated with the chemokine-family of cytokines, CXCL10 (IP-10) and CXCL9 (MIG). No significant correlations were found between the tumor and matching plasma cytokines, suggesting that circulating cytokines poorly mirror the tumor cytokine environment. Our study highlights distinct cytokine profiles in the RCC tumor microenvironment and provides insights to potential biomarkers for the treatment of RCC.