bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rivers under pressure: Interdisciplinary feasibility analysis of sustainable hydropower
Authors: Iho Antti , Soininen Niko , Vehviläinen Iivo , Koljonen Saija , Artell Janne , Belinskij Antti
Published: June 2022

Global biodiversity loss is most severe in freshwaters, particularly in river ecosystems. Hydropower is one of the main culprits. While being promoted as a carbon free source of renewable energy, hydropower disrupts the flow, habitats, and biota of rivers. Environmental policies and programs seek to mitigate the damage hydropower causes. Any policy action aiming at making the utilization of our rivers more sustainable must be ecologically, economically, and legally feasible. We show that the interdisciplinary feasibility of mitigation measures divides existing facilities into three categories (i) large facilities in which biodiversity mitigation measures are needed but electricity generation and balancing the electricity grid should remain as their main focus, (ii) small facilities in which dam removal and full scale river restoration measures can be taken by assisting the facilities to seize operations, preferably just before their next big investments, and (iii) medium facilities where benefits and trade‐offs associated with alternative paths should be analyzed case‐by‐case to determine the most feasible path forward. Policy action is feasible in all three categories but in different ways: requiring fish passes in the case of large facilities, helping remove dams and restoring the rivers in the case of small facilities, and focusing cost–benefit analysis efforts on the non‐trivial group of the medium sized facilities.
The two‐phase amphiphilic preconcentration based on surfactants to enrich phenolic compounds from diluted plant extracts and rat urine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography
Authors: Yu Ya‐Ling , Shi Min‐Zhen , Zhu Si‐Chen , Cao Jun
Published: June 2022

A novel technology by two‐phase amphiphilic preconcentration based on surfactants was established for enriching phenolic compounds by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) was combined with the anionic analytes that existed in the sample solution before injection. The boundary was formed between CTAC and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the background solution when the sample solution was injected into the capillary, where the analytes bound inside micelles were released due to the stronger electrostatic force between SDS and CTAC. This procedure accelerated the separation of analytes from CTAC and greatly improved the enrichment efficiency. The optimal conditions were obtained after a series of optimizations, and the sensitivity enrichment factors of the four analytes were in the range of 39–93 compared to typical injections in capillary zone electrophoresis. Good linearity for matrix‐matched calibrations was established for all analytes with R2 values of 0.9993–0.9997. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) for kaempferol, quercetin, salvianolic acid C, and salvianolic acid B were 0.0166, 0.0292, 0.0215, and 0.0195 µg/ml, respectively. The intracapillary RSDs of the analytes ranged from 0.8% to 1.3% for migration time and from 0.4% to 1.8% for peak areas. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of phenolic compounds, the main compounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., and had been validated for the determination of spiked recoveries in rat urine.
Leaching and Transformation of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Polyfluoroalkyl Phosphate Diesters in Unsaturated Soil Column Studies
Authors: Weidemann Eva , Lämmer René , Stahl Thorsten , Göckener Bernd , Bücking Mark , Breuer Jörn , Kowalczyk Janine , Just Hildegard , Boeddinghaus Runa S. , Gassmann Matthias
Published: June 2022

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally ubiquitous, anthropogenic substances with adverse effects on organisms, which shows the need to study their environmental fate and leaching behavior. In the present soil columns study, the leaching behavior and fate of nontransformable and transformable (precursors) were investigated. Ten nontransformable PFAS in two different soils, two precursors and two field soils, which were already contaminated with a mixture of PFAS, and two uncontaminated controls, were set up for a time span of 2 years. At the end of the study, the molecular balance could not be closed for nontransformable PFAS. This effect was positively correlated to the fluorinated carbon chain length. The precursors, which were both polyfluoroalkyl phosphate diesters (diPAP), had different transformation products and transformation rates, with a higher rate for 6:2 diPAP than 8:2 diPAP. After 2 years, amounts of diPAP were still found in the soil with no significant vertical movement, showing high adsorption to soils. Transformation products were estimated to be simultaneously formed. They were predominantly found in the percolation water; the amounts left in soil were negligible. Up to half of the initial precursor amounts could not be balanced and were considered missing amounts. The results of contaminated field soil experiments showed the challenge to estimate PFAS leaching without knowing all occurring precursors and complex transformation dynamics. For this purpose, it was shown that a broad examination of contaminated soil with different analytical methods can help with qualitative estimations of leaching risks. For a better quantitative estimation, analytical determination of more PFAS and a quantification of the missing amounts are needed. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2065–2077. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Pain‐related reorganization in the primary somatosensory cortex of patients with postherpetic neuralgia
Authors: Li Hong , Li Xiaoyun , Wang Jiyuan , Gao Fei , Wiech Katja , Hu Li , Kong Yazhuo
Published: June 2022

Studies on functional and structural changes in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) have provided important insights into neural mechanisms underlying several chronic pain conditions. However, the role of S1 plasticity in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) remains elusive. Combining psychophysics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we investigated whether pain in PHN patients is linked to S1 reorganization as compared with healthy controls. Results from voxel‐based morphometry showed no structural differences between groups. To characterize functional plasticity, we compared S1 responses to noxious laser stimuli of a fixed intensity between both groups and assessed the relationship between S1 activation and spontaneous pain in PHN patients. Although the intensity of evoked pain was comparable in both groups, PHN patients exhibited greater activation in S1 ipsilateral to the stimulated hand. Pain‐related activity was identified in contralateral superior S1 (SS1) in controls as expected, but in bilateral inferior S1 (IS1) in PHN patients with no overlap between SS1 and IS1. Contralateral SS1 engaged during evoked pain in controls encoded spontaneous pain in patients, suggesting functional S1 reorganization in PHN. Resting‐state fMRI data showed decreased functional connectivity between left and right SS1 in PHN patients, which scaled with the intensity of spontaneous pain. Finally, multivariate pattern analyses (MVPA) demonstrated that BOLD activity and resting‐state functional connectivity of S1 predicted within‐subject variations of evoked and spontaneous pain intensities across groups. In summary, functional reorganization in S1 might play a key role in chronic pain related to PHN and could be a potential treatment target in this patient group.
Special issue “The advance of solid tumor research in China”: 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET/CT for evaluating primary and metastatic lesions in different histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Li Yilin , Zheng Rongliang , Zhang Yijun , Huang Chaoyun , Tian Li , Liu Ruiqi , Liu Yang , Zhang Zhiling , Han Hui , Zhou Fangjian , He Liru , Dong Pei
Published: June 2022

Conventional imaging examinations are not sensitive enough for the early detection of recurrent or metastatic lesions in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. We aimed to explore the role of 68Ga‐prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)‐11 positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in the detection of primary and metastatic lesions in such patients. We retrospectively analyzed 50 RCC patients who underwent 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET/CT from November 2017 to December 2020. We observed a higher median accuracy and tumor‐to‐background maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) ratio (TBR) of 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET/CT in clear cell RCC (ccRCC; 96.57% and 6.00, respectively) than in non‐clear cell RCC (ncRCC; 82.05% and 2.99, respectively). The accuracies in detecting lesions in the renal region, bone, lymph nodes and lungs in ccRCC were 100.00%, 95.00%, 98.08% and 75.00%, respectively, and those in the renal region, bone and lymph nodes in ncRCC were 100.00%, 86.67% and 36.36%, respectively. The median TBRs of the lesions from the above locations were 0.38, 10.96, 6.69 and 13.71, respectively, in ccRCC and 0.13, 4.02 and 0.73, respectively, in ncRCC. The PSMA score evaluated with immunohistochemistry was correlated with the SUVmax (P = .046) in RCC. Higher PSMA scores were observed in ccRCC than in ncRCC (P = .031). 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET/CT resulted in changes in clinical management in 12.9% (4/31) of cases because of the discovery of new metastases not detected with conventional imaging. These results indicate that 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET/CT is a promising method for the detection of metastatic lesions in ccRCC, especially for those in the bone and lymph nodes.
Randomized multicenter phase II trial of prophylactic irradiation of para‐aortic lymph nodes in advanced cervical cancer according to tumor hypoxia: Korean Radiation Oncology Group (KROG 07‐01) study
Authors: Yoon Meesun , Lee Hyo Kyung , Park Eun Young , Kim Jin Hee , Lee Jong Hoon , Kim Young Seok , Kim Hak Jae , Kim Hunjung , Yoo Chong Woo , Lee Sun , Hong Eun Kyung , Kim Tae Hyun , Kim Tae‐Sung , Seo Sang‐soo , Kang Sokbom , Chang Suk‐Joon , Shin Hye Jin , Uong Tung Nguyen Thanh , Lee Semin , Kim Joo‐Young
Published: June 2022

We conducted a prospective phase II study on whether extended‐field irradiation (EFI) confers survival benefits depending on hypoxic markers in locally advanced uterine cervical cancer (LAUCC). RNA‐seq was performed to identify immune and hypoxic gene signatures. A total of 288 patients were randomized to either EFI or pelvic radiotherapy (PRT). All patients completed chemoradiotherapy. Overall, significantly higher 5‐year para‐aortic recurrence free survival (PARFS) rate occurred in EFI (97.6%) than in PRT group (87.2%), with marginal tendency to improve disease‐free survival (DFS; 78% vs 70%, P = .066). Subgroup analyses were performed based on carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9)‐only positive, CA9/hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) double positive and CA9 negative. In the CA9‐only positive, EFI successfully increased 5‐year PARFS (100% vs 76.4%, P = .010), resulting in significantly improved long‐term DFS (85.7% vs 54.7%, P = .023) compared to the PRT, while there was no such benefit of EFI in the CA9/HIFs double positive. RNA‐seq analysis identified distinct immunehigh subgroup with negative correlation with hypoxia gene signatures (R = −.37, P < .01), which showed a higher 5‐year DFS than the immunelow (P = .032). Hypoxia‐related genes were upregulated in the CA9/HIFs double positive compared to CA9 negative (P < .05). Only 17.4% of patients in CA9‐negative group showed immunelow signatures, while 40.0% of patients in the double‐positive group exhibited immunelow signatures. In conclusion, EFI improved PARFS significantly in all patients, but therapeutic efficacy of EFI in terms of improved DFS was solely observed in CA9‐only positive LAUCC, and not in CA9/HIFs double‐positive subgroup. RNA‐seq analysis suggested that hypoxia‐induced immunosuppression may be related to treatment resistance in LAUCC.
Progressive dysbiosis of human orodigestive microbiota along the sequence of gastroesophageal reflux, Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Hao Yuhan , Karaoz Ulas , Yang Liying , Yachimski Patrick S. , Tseng Wenzhi , Nossa Carlos W. , Ye Weimin , Tseng Mengkao , Poles Michael , Francois Fritz , Traube Morris , Brown Stuart M. , Chen Yu , Torralba Manolito , Peek Richard M. , Brodie Eoin L. , Pei Zhiheng
Published: June 2022

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) has drastically increased in the United States since 1970s for unclear reasons. We hypothesized that the widespread usage of antibiotics has increased the procarcinogenic potential of the orodigestive microbiota along the sequence of gastroesophageal reflux (GR), Barrett's esophagus (BE) and EA phenotypes. This case control study included normal controls (NC) and three disease phenotypes GR, BE and EA. Microbiota in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, and rectum were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Overall, we discovered 44 significant pairwise differences in abundance of microbial taxa between the four phenotypes, with 12 differences in the mouth, 21 in the esophagus, two in the stomach, and nine in the rectum. Along the GR→BE→EA sequence, oral and esophageal microbiota were more diversified, the dominant genus Streptococcus was progressively depleted while six other genera Atopobium, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Ralstonia, Burkholderia and Lautropia progressively enriched. In NC, Streptococcus appeared to control populations of other genera in the foregut via numerous negative and positive connections, while in disease states, the rich network was markedly simplified. Inferred gene functional content showed a progressive enrichment through the stages of EA development in genes encoding antibiotic resistance, ligands of Toll‐like and NOD‐like receptors, nitrate‐nitrite‐nitric oxide pathway and acetaldehyde metabolism. The orodigestive microbiota is in a progressive dysbiotic state along the GR‐BE‐EA sequence. The increasing dysbiosis and antibiotic and procarcinogenic genes in the disease states warrants further study to define their roles in EA pathogenesis.
Pregnancy duration and ovarian cancer risk: A 50‐year nationwide cohort study
Authors: Husby Anders , Wohlfahrt Jan , Melbye Mads
Published: June 2022

A woman's reproductive history is strongly associated with her risk of ovarian cancer. However, it is unclear how pregnancies of different duration impact a woman's ovarian cancer risk, and therefore, what part of a pregnancy explains the protective effect. Using a cohort of all Danish women followed from 1968 to 2018, with prospectively registered information on reproductive history (eg, gestational duration of pregnancies, tubal ligation and resection and hormonal pharmaceutical use), we investigated the effect of pregnancy duration on ovarian cancer risk. We adjusted for potential confounders, such as age at pregnancy and time since pregnancy, using log‐linear Poisson regression to isolate the effect of pregnancy duration on ovarian cancer risk. Among 2.5 million Danish women with 4.4 million pregnancies, a pregnancy was associated with a reduction of ovarian cancer risk of 21% (95% CI, 14%‐28%), 26% (95% CI, 21%‐31%), 12% (95% CI, 7%‐17%) and 3% (95% CI, −5% to 11%) compared to one less, for the first, second, third and fourth pregnancy, respectively (P < .001 for heterogeneity), with similar effects of induced abortions, spontaneous abortions and childbirths. Sensitivity analysis of age at pregnancy, time since pregnancy and other potential confounders did not change these findings. The reduced ovarian cancer risk associated with pregnancy is primarily driven by the first three pregnancies, with similar effects of induced abortion, spontaneous abortions and childbirth, suggesting that mainly exposure to early pregnancy factors, and not pregnancy duration, protect against ovarian cancer.
Methods of induction of labor after cesarean with no prior vaginal delivery—Perinatal outcomes
Authors: Levin Gabriel , Tsur Abraham , Burke Yechiel Z. , Meyer Raanan
Published: June 2022

Objective

To study the association between the method of induction of labor (IOL) and perinatal outcomes, among women undergoing labor after cesarean (LAC) with no prior vaginal delivery.

Method

A retrospective study including all women with no prior vaginal delivery undergoing IOL for LAC between March 2011 and January 2021. Oxytocin administration following prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM), oxytocin administration only, extra‐amniotic balloon, and amniotomy were compared.

Results

Overall, 363 women met the inclusion criteria: extra‐amniotic balloon (157, 43.3%), oxytocin following PROM (95, 26.2%), amniotomy (72, 19.8%), and oxytocin (39, 10.7%). LAC success rate did not differ among study groups (P = 0.114), varying between 62.1% and 79.5%. There were three uterine ruptures (0.8%) in the entire cohort. The rate of uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, and the composite of both were similar in all study groups. Neonatal outcomes did not differ between study groups, with composite adverse neonatal outcomes varying between 7.4% in the oxytocin following PROM to 1.9% in the extra‐amniotic balloon group (P = 0.141). The following factors were independently associated with LAC success: taller maternal height, lower body mass index, earlier gestational age, and epidural analgesia.

Conclusions

All examined IOL methods with an unfavorable cervix carried similar outcomes. The clinical practice should be individualized.
Recurrence of renal cell carcinoma after simultaneous radical nephrectomy and cadaver renal transplant
Authors: Inoue Shinya , Shioya Akihiro , Kunii Kenshirou , Suga Kodai , Morita Nobuyo , Chikazawa Ippei , Tanaka Tatsuro , Miyazawa Katsuhito
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Generally, renal transplantation is contraindicated in cancer patients, and a certain follow‐up period is required. We report a case of late recurrence of renal cell carcinoma in a patient who underwent simultaneous radical nephrectomy and cadaver renal transplantation due to renal cell carcinoma observed during renal transplantation after 12 years.

Case presentation

Incidental renal cell carcinoma was found in a 48‐year‐old man during kidney transplantation who subsequently underwent simultaneous cadaver kidney transplantation and radical nephrectomy. Twelve years after transplantation, he developed an anterior mediastinal tumor, a lung tumor which was resected and a right adrenal gland mass which was resected along with the right kidney. Currently, he is being treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors owing to the metastasis in the left adrenal gland.

Conclusion

In patients with metastatic carcinoma undergoing renal transplant, the indications for surgical procedures and choice of immunosuppressants should be carefully considered.
SKMAT‐U‐Net architecture for breast mass segmentation
Authors: Sannasi Chakravarthy S. R. , Rajaguru Harikumar
Published: June 2022

Being a deadly disease, breast cancer provides higher global mortality among women. The challenge in employing ultrasound imaging for breast cancer diagnosis lies in the segmentation part. Thus, the work intends to segment the breast cancer ultrasound images using the deep learning approach. The U‐shaped convolution neural network, U‐Net, has become popular and efficient for biomedical image segmentation. Specifically, the paper proposes an improved version, SKMAT‐U‐Net, where a selective kernel (SK) utilizes an attention mechanism to adjust the receptive fields of the network and combine feature maps extricated with dilated and standard convolution operations. Next, based on the conventional cross‐entropy loss function, four attention loss functions are integrated to form the Mixed Attention Loss Function (MAT) based U‐Net. Thus, the SKMAT‐U‐Net model is proposed to segment the lesions effectively in breast ultrasound images. The results obtained indicated that the proposed U‐Net model provides a better Dice score (0.929) than others.
Detecting inference attacks involving sensor data in a multi‐database context: Issues & challenges
Authors: Lachat Paul , Bennani Nadia , Rehn‐Sonigo Veronika , Brunie Lionel , Kosch Harald
Published: June 2022

Nowadays applications produce and manage data of individual among which some may be sensitive and must be protected. Moreover, with the advent of smart applications, sensor data are produced by IoT devices in a huge quantity and sent to servers in the vicinity to be stored and processed. Meanwhile, newly discovered inference channels involving sensor data gives insights on personal data and raises new threats on individuals privacy. They escape the vigilance of traditional inference detection systems devoted to protecting personal data stored locally in a database. In this paper, we motivate the need of a distributed inference detection system acting in a general multi‐database context and we highlight the issues that such a system would face.
Microscopic investigations of Ocotea paranaensis―A Brazilian endemic and endangered species
Authors: Gribner Caroline , Barbosa Vanessa , Monteiro Luciane Mendes , Swiech Juliane Nadal Dias , Raman Vijayasankar , Manfron Jane , Miguel Obdulio Gomes , Montrucchio Deise Prehs , de Fátima Gaspari Dias Josiane
Published: June 2022

This article describes the morpho‐anatomies of the leaves and stems of Ocotea paranaensis Brotto, Baitello, Cervi & Santos (Lauraceae) using light and scanning electron microscopy. The main anatomical features characterizing the species are the presence of simple non‐glandular trichomes in the leaves and stems, large secretory cells in the leaves, flat‐convex petioles with two small lateral ribs, brachysclereids in the stem cortex and pith, and the presence of starch grains and various types of calcium oxalate crystals in the pith. Histochemical tests indicated the presence of lignin in stone cells, fibers, and xylem. Lipophilic contents were found in the secretory cells. Phenolic compounds were detected in the epidermis, hypodermis, phloem, and xylem. The present study's findings can contribute to the taxonomy and authentication of O. paranaensis.

Research highlights

This article is the first morpho‐anatomical study of Ocotea paranaensis.

Anatomy and histochemistry of the leaves and stems were studied by light microscopy, FESEM and EDS.

The findings of this study would aid in the species identification and taxonomy.
Formation potential and source contribution of secondary organic aerosol from volatile organic compounds
Authors: Jookjantra Peemapat , Thepanondh Sarawut , Keawboonchu Jutarat , Kultan Vanitchaya , Laowagul Wanna
Published: June 2022

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a key constituent of fine particulate matter, can be formed through the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, information on its relevant emission sources remains limited in many cities, especially concerning different types of land use. In this study, VOC concentration in Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR), Thailand, was continuously collected for 24 h by 6‐L evacuated canister and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry following USEPA TO15, and the formation of SOA was evaluated through the comprehensive direct measurements and speciation of ambient VOCs. Finally, source contribution of VOCs to SOA formation was characterized using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. The results revealed the abundant group of VOCs species in the overall BMR was oxygenated VOCs, accounting for 49.97–57.37%. The SOA formation potential (SOAP) ranged from 1,134.33 to 3,143.74 μg m−3. The VOC species contributing to the highest SOAP was toluene. Results from the PMF model revealed the dominant emission source of VOCs that greatly contributed to SOA was vehicle exhaust emission. Industrial combustion was the main source of VOC emission contributing to SOA in industrial areas. Sources of fuel evaporation, biomass burning, and cooking were also found in the study areas but in small quantities. The results of this study elucidated that different emission sources of VOCs contribute to SOA with respect to different types of land use. Findings of this study highlight the necessity to identify the contribution of potential emission sources of SOA precursors to effectively manage urban air pollution.
Figures do matter: A literature review of 4587 robotic pancreatic resections and their implications on training
Authors: Levi Sandri Giovanni B. , Abu Hilal Mohammed , Dokmak Safi , Edwin Bjørn , Hackert Thilo , Keck Tobias , Khatkov Igor , Besselink Marc G. , Boggi Ugo ,   for the E‐AHPBA Innovation & Development Committee
Published: June 2022

Background

The use of robotic assistance in minimally invasive pancreatic resection is quickly growing.

Methods

We present a systematic review of the literature regarding all types of robotic pancreatic resection (RPR). Our aim is to show for which procedures there is enough experience to permit safe training and provide an estimation of how many centers could serve as teaching institutions.

Results

Sixty‐four studies reporting on 4587 RPRs were analyzed. A total of 2598 pancreatoduodenectomies (PD) were reported by 28 centers from Europe (6/28; 21.4%), the Americas (11/28; 39.3%), and Asia (11/28; 39.3%). Six studies reported >100 robot PD (1694/2598; 65.2%). A total of 1618 distal pancreatectomies (DP) were reported by 29 centers from Europe (10/29; 34.5%), the Americas (10/29; 34.5%), and Asia (9/29; 31%). Five studies reported >100 robotic DP (748/1618; 46.2%). A total of 154 central pancreatectomies were reported by six centers from Europe (1/6; 16.7%), the Americas (2/6; 33.3%), and Asia (3/6; 50%). Only 49 total pancreatectomies were reported. Finally, 168 enucleations were reported in seven studies (with a mean of 15.4 cases per study). A single center reported on 60 enucleations (35.7%). Results of each type of robotic procedure are also presented.

Conclusions

Experience with RPR is still quite limited. Despite high case volume not being sufficient to warrant optimal training opportunities, it is certainly a key component of every successful training program and is a major criterion for fellowship accreditation. From this review, it appears that only PD and DP can currently be taught at few institutions worldwide.
Recurrent metabolic alkalosis following ketone body treatment of adult mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency: A case report
Authors: Stolwijk Nina N. , Langeveld Mirjam , Jacobs Bart A. W. , Vogt Liffert , Haverkamp Jorien A. , Ferdinandusse Sacha , Hollak Carla E. M.
Published: June 2022

Recent studies have reported the potential for the therapeutic use of ketones in the form of ketone salts (KSs) in pediatric patients with fatty acid oxidation disorders (FAODs). We report a case of ketone salt administration in an adult patient with mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency (MTPD), an ultra‐rare inborn error of the fatty acid metabolism. This patient was treated with oral KSs during an episode of sepsis of unknown origin. Before KS supplementation was initiated, he had developed severe rhabdomyolysis as well as a respiratory insufficiency that did not respond to emergency treatment aimed at stabilizing the metabolic decompensation by promoting anabolism. Therefore, KS supplementation was attempted twice to support his energy production and help regain metabolic stability. In both instances, KS supplementation led to a considerable metabolic alkalosis, which prompted its discontinuation. This adverse event could have been caused by an increase in extracellular sodium load due to KS administration. Therefore, the clinical applicability of KSs in adults may be limited. Alternative chemical forms of beta‐hydroxybutyrate (βHB), such as ketone esters, might provide a more acceptable safety profile for future research into the therapeutic benefits of ketone body supplementation in adult patients with FAODs.
Impaired serological response to COVID‐19 vaccination following anticancer therapy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Tang Kefu , Wei Zhiying , Wu Xi
Published: June 2022

Owing to the high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐related morbidity and fatality rate among patients with cancer, the introduction of COVID‐19 vaccines is of profound significance in this fragile population. Accumulating data suggested that oncologic patients, especially those with anticancer therapy have an impaired immune response to COVID‐19 vaccination. However, the exact effect of anticancer treatments on postvaccination response has not been elucidated yet. We, therefore, conducted a meta‐analysis to evaluate the impact of treatments on response to COVID‐19 vaccination in patients with cancer. A total of 39 studies were finally included comprising 11 075 oncologic patients. Overall, we found the humoral response was significantly decreased in patients undergoing anticancer treatments (odds ratio [OR] = 2.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.04–3.18) compared with those without active treatment. The seroconversion rates were significantly lower in patients with chemotherapy (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 2.28–4.05), targeted therapy (OR = 4.72, 95% CI: 3.18–7.01) and steroid usage (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.57–3.07), while there was no significant association between immunotherapy or hormonal therapy and seroconversion after vaccination. Subgroup analyses showed therapies with anti‐CD20 antibody (OR = 11.28, 95% CI: 6.40–19.90), B‐cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor (OR = 5.76, 95% CI: 3.64–9.10), and Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (OR = 6.86, 95% CI: 4.23–11.15) were significantly correlated with the risk of negative humoral response to vaccination. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that specific oncologic therapies may significantly affect serological response to COVID‐19 vaccines in patients with cancer. Thus, an adapted vaccination strategy taking the influence of active treatment into account is in need, and further research on the effect of the third dose of vaccine and the role of postvaccination cellular response in oncologic patients is also needed.
Instrumental and sensory analyses of fruit quality attributes of grafted grape tomatoes in high tunnel organic production systems
Authors: Gong Tian , Zhang Xuelian , Brecht Jeffrey K. , Serrano Tamara , Sims Charles A. , Colee James , Zhao Xin
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND

‘Vegetative’ and ‘generative’ tomato rootstock types have been proposed based on their different effects on tomato scion growth performance; however, their impacts on fruit quality have not been characterized. No study has been conducted in which the effects of rootstock on grape tomato quality attributes were assessed using sensory and instrumental methods of evaluation. Here, we conducted two experiments to examine the influence of ‘DR0141TX’, ‘Estamino’, and ‘Multifort’ rootstocks (vegetative, generative, and uncharacterized, respectively) on fruit quality properties of determinate and indeterminate grape tomato scions under organic production in high tunnels, including color, size, firmness, dry matter content, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, and consumer sensory attributes.

RESULTS

In both experiments, grafting ‘Sweet Hearts’ indeterminate grape tomato onto ‘DR0141TX’, ‘Estamino’, or ‘Multifort’ increased fruit size and led to negligible effects on sensory attributes and instrumental measurements of fruit quality attributes. For ‘BHN 1022’ determinate grape tomato, rootstocks did not exhibit any major impact on fruit quality attributes in Experiment 1. However, fruit quality was compromised by grafting per se and rootstocks, especially ‘Multifort’, in Experiment 2, as reflected by reduced SSC, TA, and SSC/TA and lower scores for overall appearance, overall acceptability, tomato flavor, overall texture, and sweetness.

CONCLUSION

In general, ‘vegetative’ and ‘generative’ rootstocks showed comparable effects on sensory evaluations and instrumental measurements of grape tomato quality attributes for both indeterminate and determinate scions. More research is needed to better characterize rootstock effects on fruit quality, including the flavor‐related compounds under different growing conditions. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Spatial and temporal dynamics of desertification and its driving mechanism in Hexi region
Authors: Zhang Jun , Guan Qingyu , Du Qinqin , Ni Fei , Mi Jimin , Luo Haiping , Shao Wenyan
Published: June 2022

Investigating the spatio‐temporal patterns of desertification and its driving mechanisms is crucial for efforts to improve the ecology and environment and combat desertification. Based on meteorological and satellite remote sensing data, this paper analyzed the dynamic characteristics of desertification in the Hexi region of arid and semiarid land in Northwest China from 2000 to 2018 using a dimidiate pixel model; revealed the relationship between desertification evolution characteristics and climatic variations and anthropogenic events based on the change characteristics of net primary productivity (NPP); and then clarified the response of desertification to climatic variations and anthropogenic events using a geodetector model. Outcomes show that: (1) overall desertification in Hexi region is at a serious level, but during the study period, severe desertification decreased, mainly concentrated in the east and southwest, and non‐desertification increased, mainly near the Qilian Mountains and Shule River basin; (2) there were both spatial and temporal dynamics during the study period, with severe desertification decreasing by 11% and moderate, light, and non‐desertification increasing by 3%, 5%, and 3% respectively; (3) during 2000–2005, human activities, climate change, and their joint contribution to desertification reversal were similar, i.e., 23%, 40%, and 36%, and the former two contributed equally to desertification expansion, 38% and 41%, respectively; climate change predominated in desertification reversal in 2005–2010 and 2015–2018, while human activities predominated in desertification expansion; human activities predominated in desertification reversal and climate change predominated in desertification expansion in 2010–2015. This research can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for ecological and environmental management and sustainable socio‐economic development in arid and semiarid regions.
Neonates with acute liver failure have higher overall mortality but similar posttransplant outcomes as older infants
Authors: Antala Swati , Whitehead Bridget , Godown Justin , Hall Matt , Banc‐Husu Anna , Alonso Estella M. , Taylor Sarah A.
Published: June 2022

Neonatal acute liver failure (ALF) carries a high mortality rate; however, little data exist on its peritransplant hospital course. This project aimed to identify factors associated with outcomes in neonates with ALF using large multicenter databases. Patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision/International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes for liver failure (2004–2018) from linked Pediatric Health Information System and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients databases were assigned to two groups: neonates aged ≤30 days or older infants aged 31–120 days at admission. Billing data were used to assign diagnoses and assess patient comorbidities (sepsis, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, total parenteral nutrition, intensive care unit, and cardiac/renal/respiratory failure). Statistical analysis included Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis and univariate and multivariate analyses with the Cox proportional hazards model. We identified 1807 neonates and 890 older infants. Neonates had significantly lower survival to 90 days (p = 0.04) and a lower rate of liver transplantation (2.0% vs. 6.4%; p < 0.001). Common risk factors associated with death or transplant were present between groups: diagnosis, respiratory failure, cardiac failure, and renal failure. Among neonates versus older infants who received a transplant, there was no significant differences in posttransplant lengths of stay (median 38 vs. 32 days; p = 0.53), posttransplant mortality (15% vs. 11%; p = 0.66), or graft loss (9.7% vs. 8.1%; p = 0.82). We present the largest multicenter study on peritransplant outcomes in neonatal ALF and show similar risk factors for death or transplant in neonates compared with older infants. Despite lower transplantation rates, neonates demonstrate similar posttransplant outcomes as older infants. Further studies are needed to better risk stratify neonates eligible for transplant and improve outcomes.
Dual Function of β‐Hydroxy Dithiocinnamic Esters: RAFT Agent and Ligand for Metal Complexation
Authors: Farh Micheal K. , Gruschwitz Franka V. , Ziegenbalg Nicole , Abul‐Futouh Hassan , Görls Helmar , Weigand Wolfgang , Brendel Johannes C.
Published: June 2022

The reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) process has become a versatile tool for the preparation of defined polymers tolerating a large variety of functional groups. Several dithioesters, trithiocarbonates, xanthates, or dithiocarbamates have been developed as effective chain transfer agents (CTAs), but only a few examples have been reported, where the resulting end groups are directly considered for a secondary use besides controlling the polymerization. Herein, it is demonstrated that β‐hydroxy dithiocinnamic esters represent a hitherto overlooked class of materials, which are originally designed for the complexation of transition metals but may as well act as reversible CTAs. Modified with a suitable leaving group (R‐group), these vinyl conjugated dithioesters indeed provide reasonable control over the polymerization of acrylates, acrylamides, or styrene via the RAFT process. Kinetic studies reveal linear evolutions of molar mass with conversion, while different substituents on the aromatic unit has only a minor influence. Block extensions prove the livingness of the polymer chains, although extended polymerization times may lead to side reactions. The resulting dithiocinnamic ester end groups are still able to form complexes with platinum, which verifies that the structural integrity of the end group is maintained. These findings open a versatile new route to tailor‐made polymer‐bound metal complexes.
Entrepreneurial human capital, equity concentration and firm performance: Evidence from companies listed on China's Growth Enterprise Market
Authors: Hu Jitao , Hu Longying , Hu Mingzhu , Dnes Antony
Published: June 2022

In this work, a sample of firms listed on China's Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) is employed to investigate the impact of human capital and equity concentration on firm performance. It shows that entrepreneurs' education level, industry experience and technical professional background have a positive impact on firm performance. Moreover, the higher the equity concentration, the better a firm's performance. Entrepreneurs with rich industry experience and a technical professional background tend to collect and condense equity, thereby increasing equity concentration. These findings reveal the relationship between entrepreneurial human capital and ownership concentration and enrich research on firm performance.
NAT2 and CYP2E1 polymorphisms and antituberculosis drug‐induced hepatotoxicity in Peruvian patients
Authors: Jaramillo‐Valverde Luis , Levano Kelly S. , Tarazona David D. , Capristano Silvia , Zegarra‐Chapoñan Roberto , Sanchez Cesar , Yufra‐Picardo Velia M. , Tarazona‐Santos Eduardo , Ugarte‐Gil Cesar , Guio Heinner
Published: June 2022

Background

In Peru, 32,970 people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in 2019. Although TB treatment is effective, 3.4%–13% is associated with significant adverse drug reactions (ADR), considering drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) as the most prevalent. Among the first‐line anti‐TB drugs, isoniazid (INH) is primarily responsible for the occurrence of DILI. INH is metabolized in the liver by the enzymes N‐acetyltransferase‐2 (NAT2) and Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1). Based on the previous studies, we hypothesized that the interactions between slow CYP2E1 genotype and NAT2 slow acetylators will induce DILI in TB patients.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, all 377 participants completed their anti‐TB treatment, and we genotyped SNPs: rs1041983, rs1801280, rs1799929, rs1799930, rs1208, and rs1799931 for NAT2 and rs3813867 and rs2031920 for CYP2E1.

Results

We found that rapid, intermediate, and slow NAT2 acetylator were 15%, 38%, and 47%, respectively, in the general population. Intermediate NAT2 acetylator is the least prevalent among patients with adverse reactions (p = 0.024). We did not confirm our hypothesis, however, we found that the combination of intermediate NAT2 acetylators and CYP2E1 c1/c1 genotype significantly protected (OR = 0.16; p = 0.049) against the development of DILI in our population.

Conclusion

We propose that the presence of NAT2 intermediate and CYP2E1 c1/c1 genotype could help in therapeutic drug monitoring, and optimize its therapeutic benefits while minimizing its risk for side effects or toxicity.
On the new spectral conjugate gradient‐type method for monotone nonlinear equations and signal recovery
Authors: Abubakar Auwal Bala , Mohammad Hassan , Kumam Poom , Rano Sadiya Ali , Ibrahim Abdulkarim Hassan , Kiri Aliyu Ibrahim
Published: June 2022

We present a new approach for constructing a spectral conjugate gradient‐type method for solving nonlinear equations. The proposed method uses an approximate optimal step size together with the memoryless Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) formula to generate a new choice of the spectral conjugate gradient‐type direction that satisfies the sufficient descent condition without line search requirement. The global convergence of the method is achieved under some mild assumptions. Numerical experiments on both nonlinear monotone equations and signal reconstruction problems reveal the efficiency of the new approach.
Ensemble learning for the partial label ranking problem
Authors: Alfaro Juan C. , Aledo Juan A. , Gámez José A.
Published: June 2022

Thepartial label rankingproblem is a general interpretation of thepreference learningscenario known as thelabel rankingproblem, the goal of which is to learnpreference classifiersable to predict acomplete ranking with tiesover the finite set oflabelsof theclass variable. In this paper, we useunsupervised discretizationtechniques (equal‐frequencyandequal‐widthbinning) to heuristically select the threshold for the numerical features in the algorithms based on induction ofdecision trees(partial label ranking treesalgorithm). Moreover, we adapt the most well‐knownaveraging(bootstrap aggregatingandrandom forests) andboosting(adaptive boosting)ensemblemethods to the partial label ranking problem, in order to improve the robustness of the built classifiers. We compare the proposed methods with thenearest neighbors‐based algorithm (instance based partial label ranking) over the standard benchmark datasets, showing that our versions of the ensemble methods are superior in terms of accuracy. Furthermore, they are affordable in terms of computational efficiency.
Geometric algebra methods in volumetric accuracy analysis
Authors: Navrátilová Barbora , Byrtus Roman , Holub Michal
Published: June 2022

With the help of plane geometric algebra, we see volumetric errors as pure geometric objects. We use this identification to expand errors with respect to Abbe's principle into the whole working space with respect to some additional conditions. We show that geometric algebra helps us to understand errors in kinematics chains. We demonstrate our approach on a model example.
Effect of Resveratrol Content in Red Wine on Circulating Sex Hormone‐Binding Globulin: Lessons from a Pilot Clinical Trial
Authors: Briansó‐Llort Laura , Simó‐Servat Olga , Ramos‐Perez Lorena , Torres‐Torronteras Javier , Hernandez Cristina , Simó Rafael , Selva David M.
Published: June 2022

Scope

Low sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) levels are associated with higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies have shown that red wine has beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease. In this work if resveratrol content in red wine increases SHBG levels is explored.

Methods and results

A pilot study aims at testing the effect of drinking for 14 days two types of red wine with different resveratrol content is conducted in 26 healthy volunteers. SHBG levels and several biochemical parameters are measured at the beginning and the end of every period. Results show that consumption of both wines does not change body mass index or biochemical markers of liver injury. The low resveratrol wine does not modify the lipid profile or SHBG levels. By contrast, red wine with high resveratrol content significantly reduces total cholesterol in both men and women. Finally, red wine with high resveratrol content increases circulating SHBG in women but not in men.

Conclusions

Red wine rich in resveratrol reduces total cholesterol in men and women and increases SHBG only in women. Further research aims at investigating the potential SHBG role enhancement mediated by resveratrol regarding cardiovascular protection that presents women in comparison with men seems warranted.
A wideband low‐profile dual‐polarized wide beam‐width antenna
Authors: Yang Jiangjun , Li Jianying , Yang Guangwei
Published: June 2022

A wideband and wide beam‐width dual‐polarization with a low‐profile and simple structure is presented in this letter. The proposed antenna comprises two pairs of bending plates, the feed part that includes the probe and the copper disk, and two series of feeding networks. A couple of the bending plates can be used to form the horizontal and vertical currents to broaden the antenna's beam width. To radiate a symmetrical wide beam pattern, a series feeding network is applied to guarantee a symmetrical current distribution on the bending plates. Therefore, the proposed wide beam capability has been analyzed and verified with a dual‐polarization antenna. A low‐profile dual‐polarization antenna is demonstrated, which can realize the half‐power beam‐width more than 180° and 100° in the E‐ and H‐plane in the whole operating frequency band (22.3%), respectively. Furthermore, the port isolation is lower than −35 dB in the most frequency band. The prototype is fabricated and characterized, yielding good performance within the overall operational bandwidth. The measured results align very well with the simulated results. The proposed wideband antenna is a promising candidate for wireless communication systems because of the dual‐polarization and wide beam‐width.
A case of schizophrenia with congenital color vision deficiency: From the perspective of color universal design to promote medication adherence
Authors: Miyazaki Kensuke , Uchiyama Michiko , Tsushima Chieko , Fujimoto Kentarou
Published: June 2022

Color‐blindness, or more accurately, color vision deficiency (CVD), which is the inability or decreased ability to distinguish different colors, is one of the commonest visual disorders. Patients with schizophrenia usually have multiple types of visual processing impairments, including color vision impairments. Here, we present a case of schizophrenia with congenital CVD. The patient was aware of his color deficiency since elementary school. We assessed his ability to distinguish medicines based on their color, including those that he had been previously prescribed. Although he could distinguish all of the tablets, he could not distinguish the color of the blister packs, specifically that of the bromazepam 2 mg pack (green) from the 1 mg pack (red). This case suggests that CVD patients might misunderstand the color of medications, which might lead to medication errors, or poor drug adherence. The color universal design principle should be considered when designing tablets and their blister packs, in order to improve medication adherence.