bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complexity and Challenges of the Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Long COVID
Authors: O’Hare Ann M. , Vig Elizabeth K. , Iwashyna Theodore J. , Fox Alexandra , Taylor Janelle S. , Viglianti Elizabeth M. , Butler Catherine R. , Vranas Kelly C. , Helfand Mark , Tuepker Anaïs , Nugent Shannon M. , Winchell Kara A. , Laundry Ryan J. , Bowling C. Barrett , Hynes Denise M. , Maciejewski Matthew L. , Bohnert Amy S. B. , Locke Emily R. , Boyko Edward J. , Ioannou George N. ,   VA COVID Observational Research Collaboratory (CORC)
Published: November 2022

Importance

There is increasing recognition of the long-term health effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection (sometimes called long COVID). However, little is yet known about the clinical diagnosis and management of long COVID within health systems.

Objective

To describe dominant themes pertaining to the clinical diagnosis and management of long COVID in the electronic health records (EHRs) of patients with a diagnostic code for this condition (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] code U09.9).

Design, Setting, and Participants

This qualitative analysis used data from EHRs of a national random sample of 200 patients receiving care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with documentation of a positive result on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 between February 27, 2020, and December 31, 2021, and an ICD-10 diagnostic code for long COVID between October 1, 2021, when the code was implemented, and March 1, 2022. Data were analyzed from February 5 to May 31, 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

A text word search and qualitative analysis of patients’ VA-wide EHRs was performed to identify dominant themes pertaining to the clinical diagnosis and management of long COVID.

Results

In this qualitative analysis of documentation in the VA-wide EHR, the mean (SD) age of the 200 sampled patients at the time of their first positive PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 in VA records was 60 (14.5) years. The sample included 173 (86.5%) men; 45 individuals (22.5%) were identified as Black and 136 individuals (68.0%) were identified as White. In qualitative analysis of documentation pertaining to long COVID in patients’ EHRs 2 dominant themes were identified: (1) clinical uncertainty, in that it was often unclear whether particular symptoms could be attributed to long COVID, given the medical complexity and functional limitations of many patients and absence of specific markers for this condition, which could lead to ongoing monitoring, diagnostic testing, and specialist referral; and (2) care fragmentation, describing how post–COVID-19 care processes were often siloed from and poorly coordinated with other aspects of care and could be burdensome to patients.

Conclusions and Relevance

This qualitative study of documentation in the VA EHR highlights the complexity of diagnosing long COVID in clinical settings and the challenges of caring for patients who have or are suspected of having this condition.
Robust Carbonaceous Nanofiber Aerogels from All Biomass Precursors
Authors: Hu Bi‐Cheng , Zhang Hao‐Ran , Li Si‐Cheng , Chen Wen‐Shuai , Wu Zhen‐Yu , Liang Hai‐Wei , Yu Hai‐Peng , Yu Shu‐Hong
Published: November 2022

Aerogels, a type of fascinating material with very low density and high surface area, show many unique properties and unlimited applications. To boost their practical applications, it is necessary to develop efficient, controllable, and low‐cost methods to produce high‐performance aerogels on a large‐scale, preferably in a sustainable way. Here, a general strategy is reported for controllable fabrication of a family of carbonaceous nanofiber aerogels (CNFAs) by biomass‐derived nanofibers template‐directed hydrothermal carbonization method. Abundant functional groups are exposed on the surface of the prepared carbonaceous nanofibers. Importantly, in contrast to traditional nature biopolymer‐based aerogels, a superior combination of good recoverability and high strength is achieved for the CNFAs by adjusting the synthetic parameters. The successful synthesis of such fascinating materials provides an excellent platform for design and construction of devices for fast water treatment. The synthetic strategy and sustainable concept presented in this work will open a new way to prepare advanced aerogels with unique properties for wide applications.
Unraveling and Overcoming Platinum Drug‐Resistant Cancer Tumors with DNA Nanostructures
Authors: Yu Yingjie , Zhang Linghao , Qin Zhaohui , Karges Johannes , Xiao Haihua , Su Xin
Published: November 2022

All chemotherapeutic treatments worldwide (>50%) use platinum‐based compounds. Despite their clinical success, an increasing number of platinum drug‐resistant tumors are reported, limiting the therapeutic application of these compounds. While various kinds of strategies are pursued to circumvent resistances, there remains a lack of understanding of how cancer cells develop platinum drug resistances. Within this study, the involvement of the DNA repair enzyme apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) in the occurrence of platinum drug resistance is directly visualized in living cells by a DNA tetrahedron‐based molecular probe. Capitalizing on this biochemical insight, the suppression of the expression of APE1 in cancer cells is realized using a DNA tetrahedron‐based RNA interference technique, presenting a novel strategy to overcome platinum drug resistance. This study presents the first example of Pt(IV) complex loaded tumor aptamer‐modified DNA tetrahedrons with an APE1 specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) strand for suppression of APE1 expression and therapeutic treatment of patient‐derived platinum drug‐resistant lung cancer tumors.
High Cationic Dispersity Boosted Oxygen Reduction Reactivity in Multi‐Element Doped Perovskites
Authors: Li Wenhuai , Li Mengran , Guo Yanan , Hu Zhiwei , Zhou Chuan , Brand Helen E. A. , Peterson Vanessa K. , Pao Chih‐Wen , Lin Hong‐Ji , Chen Chien‐Te , Zhou Wei , Shao Zongping
Published: November 2022

Oxygen‐ion conducting perovskite oxides are important functional materials for solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen‐permeable membranes operating at high temperatures (>500 °C). Co‐doped perovskites have recently shown their potential to boost oxygen‐related kinetics, but challenges remain in understanding the underlying mechanisms. This study unveils the local cation arrangement as a new key factor controlling oxygen kinetics in perovskite oxides. By single‐ and co‐doping Nb5+ and Ta5+ into SrCoO3‐δ, dominant factors affecting oxygen kinetics, such as lattice geometry, cobalt states, and oxygen vacancies, which are confirmed by neutron and synchrotron X‐ray diffraction as well as high‐temperature X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, are controlled. The combined experimental and theoretical study unveils that co‐doping likely leads to higher cation dispersion at the B‐site compared to single‐doping. Consequently, a high‐entropy configuration enhances oxygen ion migration in the lattice, translating to improved oxygen reduction activity.
Influence of 2‐hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan on sedimentation and volume change behavior of cohesive soil sediments
Authors: Qiu Yu , Hu Haixiang , Lu Zheng , Tang Chuxuan , Yao Hailin
Published: November 2022

The 2‐hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC), introducing the functional quaternary ammonium group to the structure of Chitosan, has greatly broadened the application prospect. The influence on natural cohesive soil has rarely been considered. The sedimentation tests for the natural soil in HACC solutions and the HACC‐treated soils in distilled water are considered to analyze the change of sedimentation behaviors in this paper. Moreover, the potential change on the surface of soil particles, the change in particle size distribution, X‐ray diffraction of Ca‐montmorillonite/HACC, and scanning electron microscopy images are investigated to explain the reasons for the results. Results indicate that the surface potential of soil particles achieved reversal, and the particle size had significant agglomeration. The adsorption of HACC results in the rapid sedimentation of the treated soils in water. HACC has a significant influence on setting time and final volume. HACC cannot inhibit the interlayer swelling of Ca‐montmorillonite. The dehydration process can promote the aggregation effect of the treated soils. The specific effects provided an essential train of thought to solve soil problems.
Effect of natural biomass fillers on the stability, degradability, and elasticity of crop straws liquefied polyols‐based polyurethane foams
Authors: Zhang Jingmiao , Hori Naruhito , Takemura Akio
Published: November 2022

Oilseed rape straw (OS), rice straw (RS), wheat straw (WS), and corn stover (CS) particles were used to reinforce bio‐polyols based polyurethane (PU) foams. The influence of crop straws (XS) fillers on the stability in water, degradability in soil, thermal stability, and elasticity of foams were investigated. The incorporation of OS and CS particles in the PU matrix increased the stability of reinforced foams in water, while the addition of WS and RS particles made foams lower stability in water. PU foams reinforced by XS particles displayed mass reductions up to 53.8% after burying in soil for 250 days. The reinforced foams were more stable under heating but the enhancement of thermal stability trended to disappear after water immersion or soil burying. The reinforced foams showed better elasticity that incorporations of OS and CS made PU foams higher height recovery percentage, while RS and WS made the recovery percentage decline firstly and then enhance during three times compressions. All these four XS particles are suitable to modify bio‐based PU foams, especially OS and CS particles appear to be more outstanding in preparing foams with higher stability in water, degradability in soil, thermal stability, and elasticity than RS and WS particles.
Effect of hyperbranched poly(trimellitic glyceride)/oxidized starch composite sizing agent on the adhesion of polyester yarns
Authors: Zhang Kang , Ouyang Haishun , He Yixuan , Wang Xinquan , Lin Yi , Zhu Puxin , Cheng Fei , Tang Kewen
Published: November 2022

Oxidized starch is an environmentally friendly sizing agent, but lacks adhesion to polyester yarns. In this study, hyperbranched poly(trimellitic glyceride)/oxidized starch (PTG/OS) as the composite sizing agent is used for sizing polyester yarns. The properties of sizing film, sizing paste, and sizing yarns are studied. When PTG content ranges from 2 to 10 wt%, tensile strength of PTGs/OS films are higher than that of oxidized starch film, and increase as molecular weight of PTG increase. Tensile strength of OS, PTG‐1/OS, PTG‐2/OS, and PTG‐3/OS films with 10 wt% PTG is 20.5, 22.4, 23.8, and 27.6 MPa, respectively. Apparent viscosity and viscosity stability of PTG/OS paste increases with the increase of PTG molecular weight. Breaking force, elongation at break and work‐to‐break of sizing polyester yarns by PTG/OS increase with the increase of PTG content in composite sizing agents, and the improvement on the tensile properties of sizing polyester yarns by PTG/OS becomes better with increase of PTG molecular weight. It is attributed to the stronger affinity among oxidized starch, PTG and polyester, which is verified by FT‐IR, XPS, and SEM. Oxidized starch blended hyperbranched poly(trimellitic glyceride) has the potential application for sizing polyester yarns in weaving process.
Effect of heat‐treatment on compressive response of 3D printed continuous carbon fiber reinforced composites under different loading directions
Authors: Xiang Jiangyang , Liu Yisen , Wang Jin , Wang Kui , Peng Yong , Rao Yanni , Matadi Boumbimba Rodrigue
Published: November 2022

This paper investigated the effects of heat‐treatment and loading directions on compressive properties of 3D printed continuous carbon fiber reinforced composites (CCFRC). After heat‐treatment at different conditions, specimens with different stacking sequences were compressed under different loading directions. The effect of heat‐treatment on the porosity and crystallinity of composites was investigated. The porosity of short carbon fiber reinforced composites decreased but that of CCFRC increased after heat‐treatment at 200°C. The compressive properties of specimens were investigated in combination with changes in porosity and crystallinity. It was found that the compressive properties of composites usually increased with decreasing porosity induced by heat‐treatment. While the fiber direction was parallel to the applied loading direction, the yield strength of C‐CCFRC and S‐CCFRC increased from 208.1 to 281.6 MPa and from 218.5 to 264.4 MPa, respectively, though the porosity increased. After heat‐treatment at 100°C for 4 h, the crack initiation of CCFRCs was delayed during compressive tests. Besides, heat‐treatment could change failure modes of CCFRC after heat‐treatment at 200°C for 4 h. More specifically, heat‐treatment at 200°C for 4 h could result in delamination and a decrease in energy absorption of C‐CCFRC (from 7.23 to 4.05 J).
Nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for solid‐state lithium‐ion batteries with enhanced electrochemical properties
Authors: Liu Rong , Zhang Genyan , Li Ying , Zhang Jinfang
Published: November 2022

Solid‐state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have attracted significant attention owing to their improvement in high energy density and high safety performance. However, the low lithium‐ion conductivity of SPEs at room temperature restricts their further application in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we propose a novel poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐based nanocomposite polymer electrolytes by blending boron‐containing nanoparticles (BNs) in the PEO matrix (abbreviated as: PEO/BNs NPEs). The boron atom of BNs is sp2‐hybridized and contains an empty p‐orbital that can interact with the anion of lithium salt, promoting the dissociation of the lithium salts. In addition, the introduction of the BNs could reduce the crystallinity of PEO. And thus, the ionic conductivity of PEO/BNs NPEs could reach as high as 1.19 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 60°C. Compared to the pure PEO solid polymer electrolyte (PEO SPEs), the PEO/BNs NPEs showed a wider electrochemical window (5.5 V) and larger lithium‐ion migration number (0.43). In addition, the cells assembled with PEO/BNs NPEs exhibited good cycle performance with an initial discharge capacity of 142.5 mA h g−1 and capacity retention of 87.7% after 200 cycles at 2 C (60°C).
Preparation and anti‐migration performance of ethylene propylene diene terpolymer composites modified with GO‐SiO2 hybrid nanomaterials
Authors: Lu Zhehong , Hu Yubing , Zhang Tengyue , Li Hao , Bai Haoran , Zhang Guangpu , Guo Fan , Jiang Wei
Published: November 2022

The anti‐migration ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) inhibitor coating was prepared by using EPDM as a composite matrix and silicon‐functionalized graphene oxide (GO‐SiO2) as modifiers to prevent the migration of energetic plasticizers in propellants. The anti‐migration performance at different temperatures was analyzed by investigating the diffusion of dioctyl sebacate (DOS) using thermal analysis and immersion tests. After adding 1.0 wt% GO‐SiO2, the overall performance of the inhibitor coating was the best, and the concentration of DOS that migrated into the inhibitor coating at 30°C was reduced from 45.1% to 38.8% (13.9% decrease). The results confirmed that the introduction of GO‐SiO2 prevented the migration of dioctyl sebacate to the EPDM inhibitor coating. The scanning electron microscopy results showed that GO‐SiO2 was well‐dispersed in the inhibitor coating, and the tensile strength increased from 1.80 to 2.11 MPa. Migration kinetics analysis showed that the anti‐migration performance was closely related to the crosslink density.
Assessing national HAA9 occurrence and impacts of a potential HAA9 regulation
Authors: Samson Carleigh C. , Seidel Chad J.
Published: November 2022

The US Environmental Protection Agency is tasked with proposing revisions to Microbial and Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproducts rules (DBPR) by 2025. Disinfection byproducts are currently regulated by the Stage 2 DBPR, inclusive of total trihalomethane and five haloacetic acids (HAA5). EPA's Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR4) included monitoring for HAA5, six brominated haloacetic acids (HAA6Br), and nine haloacetic acids (HAA9). UCMR4 and state‐managed compliance data were utilized to assess the potential impacts of regulating HAA9. HAA9 modeling techniques were validated and applied for greater representation of smaller systems. Outcomes suggest a HAA9 maximum contaminant level (MCL) equivalent to the HAA5 MCL by number of public water systems (PWSs) implicated would be between 72–77 μg/L. An additional 395 PWSs (2%) not currently implicated by Stage 2 DBPR would have compliance challenges if HAA9 is regulated with an MCL equal to the 60 μg/L HAA5 MCL.
Mental health symptoms and sleep quality of asymptomatic/mild SARS‐CoV‐2 infected individuals during the Omicron wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Shanghai China
Authors: Hou Zhenghua , Huang Yingzi , Ma Shaolei , Feng Hui , Fu Cuiping , Li Han , Yuan Yuexing , Yuan Yonggui
Published: November 2022

Objective

To investigate mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and sleep status) and their associated factors among people infected with the SARS‐CoV‐2 omicron variant during the quarantine period in Shanghai.

Methods

To investigate the mental health symptoms among participants with SARS‐CoV‐2 omicron infection, an anonymous online survey questionnaire was used. The survey panel included the 9‐item Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), 7‐item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD‐7), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and 22‐item Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS). Group comparisons and correlation analyses were employed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of patients and factors related to depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results

A total of 960 participants completed the survey. Of the total respondents, 583 participants (60.7%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 34.33 (9.21) years (95% CI: 33.74–34.91). The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among the participants was 13.7% (n = 151, 95% CI: 11.6%–15.7%) and 8.6% (n = 90, 95% CI: 6.9%–10.3%), respectively. Age‐stratified analysis showed that the prevalence of anxiety among the 36‐ to 45‐year‐old group (12.9%; n = 35, 8.9%–16.9%) was significantly higher than that of the 18‐ to 15‐year‐old group (7.4%; n = 42, 5.3%–9.6%, p = .011). Spearman's correlation analyses showed that rumination (assessed by the RRS) was significantly and positively correlated with depression (rho = .706, p < .001) and anxiety symptoms (rho = .758, p < .001).

Conclusion

The results suggest that female and middle‐aged populations manifest higher susceptibility to mental health distress during the current Omicron wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Population‐specific psychological crisis intervention is warranted to improve the quality of epidemic prevention methods and to promote the mental well‐being of the public.
A Fragrance Prediction Model for Molecules Using Rough Set‐based Machine Learning
Authors: Tiew Shie Teck , Chew Yick Eu , Lee Ho Yan , Chong Jia Wen , Tan Raymond R. , Aviso Kathleen B. , Chemmangattuvalappil Nishanth G.
Published: November 2022

In this work, a novel machine learning based methodology was developed to predict fragrance from the molecular structure and the effect of the subjects attributes on odour perception. As fragrance is linked to the molecular structure and interactions, topological indices are used to develop a predictive model. Rough set‐based machine learning is used to generate rule‐based models that link the topology of fragrant molecules and dilution to their respective odour characteristics. The results show that the generated models are effective in determining the odour characteristic of molecules.
Semi‐uniform deployment of mobile robots in perfect ℓ$$ \ell $$‐ary trees
Authors: Shibata Masahiro , Tixeuil Sébastien
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we consider the problem of semi‐uniform deployment for mobile robots in perfect ‐ary trees. This problem requires robots to spread in the tree so that, for some positive integer and some fixed integer , each node of depth is occupied by a robot. Robots have an infinite visibility range but are opaque, and each robot can emit a light color visible to itself and other robots, taken from a set of colors, at each time step. Then, we clarify the solvability of the semi‐uniform deployment problem, focusing on the number of available light colors. First, we consider robots with . In this setting, we show that there is no collision‐free algorithm to solve the problem. Next, relax the number of available light colors, that is, we consider robots with . In this setting, we propose a collision‐free algorithm that can solve the problem. From these results, we can show that the semi‐uniform deployment problem can be solved when , and our proposed algorithm is optimal with respect to the number of used light colors (i.e., 2).
Does board diversity encourage an environmental policy focused on resource use, emission reduction and innovation? The case of companies in Latin America
Authors: de Abreu Mônica Cavalcanti Sá , Soares Romulo Alves , Daniel‐Vasconcelos Victor , Crisóstomo Vicente Lima
Published: November 2022

This study aims to identify the effect of board diversity on environmental policy in Latin American companies. This research focuses on 11 industrial sectors in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile that took into consideration a broader extension of environmental policy, involving practices regarding resource use, emissions reduction, and innovation. Drawing on corporate governance (CG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) relationships, a regression analysis was conducted with 1214 firm‐year observations from 181 companies. Our results indicate that the predominantly weak CG in Latin America might favour the use of manipulative environmental policy decisions. Board diversity does not have a relevant influence on CSR activities, as environmental issues are only taken into account so far as the cost of natural resources, while issues such as environmental innovation and reducing emission are not part of the agenda. In Brazil and Chile, independent directors have no significant effect on environmental policy decisions, while in Mexico, a less independent board grants managers greater discretion to establish an environmental policy, whereas in all three countries, board gender diversity has no significant effect. The theoretical insights drawn from this study reinforce that board composition, as an internal CG mechanism, is insufficient to overcome the institutional voids and give protagonist to sustainability issues in Latin America, reiterating the need for more robust CG mechanisms to coerce CSR.
Computational screening of Cs based vacancy‐ordered double perovskites for solar cell and photocatalysis applications
Authors: Ye Xinyu , Liu Anmin , Gao Liguo , Zhang Chu , Yan Lijing , Wen Shizheng , Ma Tingli
Published: November 2022

The toxicity of lead ions in halide perovskite absorbing materials is the main bottleneck for practical application. To replace the traditional lead halide perovskites by environmental friendly double perovskite, computational tools based on density functional theory were employed to predict the intrinsic properties of potential double perovskites to efficiently and rapidly find more double perovskites with properties suitable for optoelectronic applications. Screening homovalent alternatives for B and X‐site ions in vacancy‐ordered double perovskite Cs2BX6 for solar cell applications and photocatalyst was done using Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof and Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof functional with spin‐orbit coupling. Three empirical factors and formation enthalpy were used to evaluate the stability of 30 materials at different temperatures. Finally, the Cs‐based vacancy‐ordered double perovskites with suitable bandgap for optoelectronic applications can thus be obtained. Using computational techniques, this study can also provide theoretical guidance for the rational design of possible double perovskite materials with improved photocatalytic characteristics.

image
“Fortress Europe is an insult to the values of the EU”: The legitimation of migrant acceptance in the human security speech acts of Members of the European Parliament
Authors: Krotký Jan
Published: November 2022

Scholars agree that securitized discourses mainly drive migration policy. However, to fully understand the migration discourse, it is necessary to look also at the discourse legitimating the acceptance of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Namely, how Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) legitimate the potential acceptance of migrants in EU plenary debates within the human security speech acts that prevail in the European Parliament plenary debates. By exploring legitimation categories, I show that human security discourse might remain part of the exclusion process, similarly to other security concepts and discursive strategies. In other words, the results show that in human security speech acts, MEPs evoke the “language of exclusion practices” containing the victimhood trope and building the “hierarchy of vulnerability.” Moreover, MEPs' efforts to legitimize immigration in this way might be counterproductive. In particular, the article discusses whether attempts to elicit grand emotions such as pity or shame helps to attract the audience.
Chemoproteomic Profiling of O‐GlcNAcylation in Arabidopsis Thaliana by Using Metabolic Glycan Labeling
Authors: Wu Jie , Lei Cong , Li Xilong , Dong Xueyang , Qin Ke , Hong Weiyao , Li Jing , Zhu Yuntao , Chen Xing
Published: November 2022

Protein O‐GlcNAcylation is a ubiquitous posttranslational modification occurring both in animals and plants. While thousands of O‐GlcNAcylated proteins have been identified in animals, the plant O‐GlcNAcylated proteome remains poorly studied. Herein we report the development of a chemoproteomic strategy for profiling of O‐GlcNAcylated proteins in Arabidopsis based on the metabolic glycan labeling (MGL) method. We first demonstrated that both N‐azidoacetylglucosamine (GlcNAz) and N‐azidoacetylgalactosamine (GalNAz) can metabolically label O‐GlcNAc with azides in Arabidopsis seedlings. Arabidopsis UDP‐galactose 4‐epimerases were found to interconvert UDP‐GalNAz and UDP‐GlcNAz, supporting the existence of a GalNAc metabolism pathway. By tagging the azide‐incorporated O‐GlcNAc with alkyne‐biotin via click chemistry, the O‐GlcNAcylated proteins were enriched and analyzed by mass spectrometry. We identified 645 candidate O‐GlcNAcylated proteins in Arabidopsis seedlings, of which 592 were newly identified. The identified O‐GlcNAcylated proteins were enriched in various plant‐specific processes such as hormone responses. By co‐expression of a selected list of the identified proteins with SECRET AGENT, the Arabidopsis O‐GlcNAc transferase, we validated that the MGL‐identified proteins were O‐GlcNAc‐modified. Our work establishes a powerful tool for profiling plant O‐GlcNAylation and provides an invaluable resource for investigating the functional role of O‐GlcNAc in Arabidopsis.
Continuous Variable Quantum Teleportation Network
Authors: Shi Shaoping , Wang Yajun , Tian Long , Li Wei , Wu Yimiao , Wang Qingwei , Zheng Yaohui , Peng Kunchi
Published: November 2022

Quantum network scales the advantages of quantum communication protocols to more than two detached users, which offers great potential to realize the quantum internet. Here, a fully connected continuous‐variable (CV) quantum teleportation network architecture is presented, in which a squeezed state of light distributes each pair of entangled sideband modes to each communication link that bridges any pair of users. The quantum teleportation scheme is similar to standard two‐party ones for each communication link, without sacrificing communication capability and reliability. The demonstration based on CV‐entangled sideband modes opens an innovative possibility to implement many tasks of deterministic quantum information processing.
Structure and Phase Behavior of Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes of PDADMAC and Hydrophobically Modified PAA (HM‐PAA)
Authors: Kuzminskaya Olga , Riemer Sven , Dalgliesh Robert , Almásy László , Hoffmann Ingo , Gradzielski Michael
Published: November 2022

By combining oppositely charged polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and sodium polyacrylate (NaPA), interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) can be formed in aqueous solution. Such IPECs are studied for rather short NaPA and under variation of the Mw of PDADMAC. The focus is on elucidating the effect of having a hydrophobic modification of the NaPA, which is introduced by having 10 mol% of the monomeric units substituted by ones carrying a dodecyl alkyl chain. This modification renders the complexes more hydrophobic, which is seen in the fact that precipitation of the complexes occurs at a lower mixing ratio and the biphasic region is also wider. The structures of the soluble IPECs are studied by a combination of light and neutron scattering (SANS). It is observed that the complexes formed possess typical radii of gyration of ≈30–40 nm, which become somewhat smaller with increasing length of the PDADMAC chain. The SANS data can be described well with the Beaucage model for complexes, where locally small hydrophobic domains of cylindrical shape are formed, whose persistence length decreases with increasing content of NaPA in the complexes. In contrast no such structures are seen for NaPA without the hydrophobic modification. The cylindrical domains are then arranged within larger‐sized clusters of 30–40 nm, which become more compact with reduced length of the PDAMAC chains. The structure of the IPECs is largely determined by the presence of the hydrophobic modification of the NaPA and is further controlled by the length of the hydrophobic modification. Such IPECs of controlled structure, relatively small size, and containing hydrophobic domains are potentially interesting as delivery systems due to having domains of variable polarity.
Experimental optimization of single‐exposure dual‐energy angiography with photon‐counting x‐ray detectors
Authors: Aubert Sarah , Tanguay Jesse
Published: November 2022

Background

Photon‐counting x‐ray detectors may enable single‐exposure dual‐energy (DE) x‐ray angiography.

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to experimentally optimize the energy thresholds and tube voltage for single‐exposure DE x‐ray angiography.

Methods

We optimized single‐exposure DE x‐ray angiography using the iodine signal‐difference‐to‐noise ratio (SDNR) per root patient air kerma (κ) as a figure of merit. We measured the iodine SDNR by imaging an iodine stepwedge immersed in a water tank with a depth of 30 cm in the direction of x‐ray propagation. The stepwedge was imaged using tube voltages ranging from 90 to 150 kV and a cadmium telluride (CdTe) x‐ray detector with two energy bins and analog charge summing for charge sharing suppression. The energy threshold that separates the two energy bins was varied from approximately 35 keV to approximately 75% of the maximum energy of the x‐ray beam. Curve fitting was used to determine the threshold that maximized . The effect of scatter was determined from measurements of the scatter‐to‐primary ratios (SPRs) of the low‐energy and high‐energy images and a semi‐empirical model of the relationship between SDNR and SPR. Using the optimal parameters, we imaged a phantom with vessel‐simulating structures and background clutter.

Results

The optimal energy thresholds increased monotonically from ∼50 to ∼85 keV over the range of tube voltages considered. For tube voltages greater than 90 kV, the optimal energy thresholds consistently allocated approximately two thirds of all detected primary photons to the low energy bin; this ratio was preserved without scatter. Consistent with prior modeling studies, increased monotonically with tube voltage from 90 to 150 kV; at 150 kV was approximately 38% higher than that at 90 kV for an iodine area density of ∼50 mg/cm2. Scatter reduced SDNR by approximately 25% for SPRs of ∼1 and 0.4 in low‐energy and high‐energy images, respectively.

Conclusions

Achieving optimal image quality in single‐exposure DE angiography with photon‐counting x‐ray detectors will require high tube voltages (i.e., >130 kV) and, for thick patients, energy thresholds that allocate approximately two thirds of all primary photons to the low‐energy image. Future work will compare the image quality of singe‐exposure photon‐counting and kV‐switching approaches to DE x‐ray angiography.
Identification of the heterogeneous conductivity in an inverse heat conduction problem
Authors: Ciarbonetti Angel A. , Idelsohn Sergio , Spies Ruben D.
Published: November 2022

This work deals with the problem of determining a nonhomogeneous heat conductivity profile in a steady‐state heat conduction boundary‐value problem with mixed Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions over a bounded domain in , from the knowledge of the state over the whole domain. We develop a method based on a variational approach leading to an optimality equation which is then projected into a finite dimensional space. Discretization yields a linear although severely ill‐posed equation which is then regularized via appropriate ad‐hoc penalizers resulting a in a generalized Tikhonov–Phillips functional. No smoothness assumptions are imposed on the conductivity. Numerical examples for the case in which the conductivity can take only two prescribed values (a two‐materials case) show that the approach is able to produce very good reconstructions of the exact solution.
Impacts of news media coverage on Canadian medical crowdfunding campaigns
Authors: Snyder Jeremy , Crooks Valorie A. , Cole Tyler
Published: November 2022

While donation‐based crowdfunding for health‐related purposes raises hundreds of millions of dollars yearly, most campaigns fail to meet their fundraising goals. Crowdfunding campaigners are advised to seek traditional news media coverage of their campaigns to increase donor interest and fundraising success. In this study, we seek to better understand what happens to donor behavior via donation‐based crowdfunding campaigns after they receive news media coverage. While research has focused on the impact of social media sharing on donation‐based crowdfunding, academic analyses of the impact of news media coverage is largely speculative. We searched the Newsstream and Factiva databases for Canadian news coverage of domestic donation‐based health‐related crowdfunding campaigns. This news coverage was paired with the crowdfunding campaign reported on in the story. Campaign text and daily fundraising totals and donor amounts were recorded for the 7 days before and after publication of the news article. The authors identified emergent patterns in this data around the amplification of personal information from the crowdfunding campaign to a wider audience and inclusion of new personal details. This process identified 17 relevant pairs of news stories and crowdfunding campaigns over a review period of just under 5 months in 2021–22. These campaigns raised a total of CAD$443,134 (median CAD$20,030) out of a total goal of CAD$772,500 (median CAD$40,000) or 57.4% of the requested funds. Median campaign donations and donor numbers increased for the 3 days following publication of the news article. Our exploratory analysis shows a relationship between crowdfunding campaigns that receive news media coverage and the numbers of donations and total amount donated shortly after this coverage. Campaigners may feel pressure to participate in news media coverage in order to reach their fundraising goals. Media coverage has implications for campaign recipient privacy and the equitable distribution of health‐related funding. This exploratory analysis establishes the need for additional research on this topic.
Strategies to improve communication about neurocognitive impacts in pediatric oncology: Quality improvement findings
Authors: Ruble Kathy , Paré‐Blagoev Juliana , Carey Lisa B. , Milla Kimberly , Thornton Clifton P. , Henegan Sydney , Jacobson Lisa A.
Published: November 2022

Background

Neurocognitive deficits are common among children who receive central nervous system (CNS)‐directed therapy for childhood cancer. Parents report that they lack information from and communication with oncology providers about neurocognitive impacts of therapy. Furthermore, oncology providers report they lack training and institutional support to appropriately address the neurocognitive needs of these patients/families.

Methods

A parent/provider stakeholder informed, quality improvement (QI) project was conducted to educate providers about neurocognitive impacts, increase parent/provider communication, and improve adherence to supportive care guidelines for neuropsychological assessment for children receiving CNS‐directed therapy. A 1‐h Continuing Medical Education (CME) course was developed to educate providers about neurocognitive impacts and their relation to schooling. A provider‐focused electronic medical record (EMR) strategy was used to deliver parent stakeholder‐informed return‐to‐school “roadmaps,” with prompts to scaffold parent/provider communication and enhance documentation of findings.

Results

Hospital‐based CME sessions were attended by 76% (41 out of 54) of providers from our institution. Among the 34 who completed both pretest and posttest, the mean knowledge score improved from 56% at pretest to 74% at posttest. Compliance with the EMR strategy was 80% and there was a 42% increase in neuropsychological assessment referrals.

Conclusions

We conclude that this QI project is an example of a successful parent/provider stakeholder collaboration that achieved demonstrable positive change in the areas of provider knowledge, patient/provider communication, and alignment of neuropsychological assessment referrals with existing guidelines. Our results confirm that improving knowledge, communication, and compliance with neuropsychological standards of care is possible with this evidence‐based approach.
Prosopanche: A remarkable genus of parasitic plants
Authors: Hatt Sebastian A. , Cameron Duncan D. , Grace Olwen M. , Rocamundi Nicolás , Cocucci Andrea A. , Martel Carlos , Thorogood Chris J.
Published: November 2022

Prosopanche is a poorly known genus of parasitic plants from South and Central America. Growing almost entirely underground with a complete lack of leaves, plants of Prosopanche bear more resemblance to fungi than plants and have many remarkable aspects to their life history and ecology that require further investigation. Here, we provide an up‐to‐date revision of the current state of understanding of Prosopanche, including taxonomy, biogeography, plant‐pollinator ecology and host‐parasite interactions. We discuss the untapped research potential of this group of plants and recommend the Prosopanche as an ideal candidate for exploring the evolutionary origins of parasitism among flowering plants.
Constitutive overexpression of EPSPS by gene duplication is involved in glyphosate resistance in Salsola tragus
Authors: Yanniccari Marcos , Palma‐Bautista Candelario , Vázquez‐García José Guadalupe , Gigón Ramón , Mallory‐Smith Carol Ann , De Prado Rafael
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND

Glyphosate‐resistant Salsola tragus accessions have been identified in the USA and Argentina; however, the mechanisms of glyphosate resistance have not been elucidated. The goal of this study was to determine the mechanism/s of glyphosate resistance involved in two S. tragus populations (R1 and R2) from Argentina.

RESULTS

Both glyphosate‐resistant populations had a six‐fold lower sensitivity to glyphosate than the S population (i.e. resistance index). No evidence of differential absorption, translocation or metabolism of glyphosate was found in the R1 and R2 populations compared to a susceptible population (S). No 5‐enolpyruvylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase (EPSPS) mutations were detected, but S. tragus R1 and R2 plants had ≈14‐fold higher EPSPS gene relative copy number compared to the S counterpart. In R1 and R2, EPSPS duplication entailed a greater constitutive EPSPS transcript abundance by approximately seven‐fold and a basal EPSPS activity approximately three‐fold higher than the S population.

CONCLUSION

The current study reports EPSPS gene duplication for the first time as a mechanism of glyphosate resistance in S. tragus populations. The increase of glyphosate dose needed to kill R1 and R2 plants was linked to the EPSPS transcript abundance and level of EPSPS activity. This evidence supports the convergent evolution of the overexpression of the EPSPS gene in several Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae species adapted to drought environments and the role of gene duplication as an adaptive advantage for plants to withstand stress. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Concurrent administration of benzodiazepines and opioids
Authors: Lam Y. W. Francis
Published: November 2022

Mortality risk associated with concurrent use of benzodiazepines and opioids has been well‐documented in the research literature, but typically the information has been related to pharmacologically more potent opioids, such as morphine and oxycodone. Investigators recently conducted a population‐based study to evaluate mortality risk associated with long‐term concurrent use of benzodiazepines and less potent opioids, such as codeine and tramadol.
Tumor Microenvironment‐Activated Hydrogel Platform with Programmed Release Property Evokes a Cascade‐Amplified Immune Response against Tumor Growth, Metastasis and Recurrence
Authors: Gong Songlin , Liang Xiuqi , Zhang Miaomiao , Li Lu , He Tao , Yuan Yuan , Li Xinchao , Liu Furong , Yang Xi , Shen Meiling , Wu Qinjie , Gong Changyang
Published: November 2022

In situ tumor vaccines (ITV) have been recognized as a promising antitumor strategy since they contain the entire tumor‐specific antigens, avoiding tumor cells from evading immune surveillance due to antigen loss. However, the therapeutic benefits of ITV are limited by obstacles such as insufficient antigen loading, inadequate immune system activation, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME). Herein, a tumor microenvironment‐activated hydrogel platform (TED‐Gel) with programmed drug release property is constructed for cascaded amplification of the anti‐tumor immune response elicited by ITV. Both doxorubicin (Dox) and cytosine‐phosphate‐guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG) are released first, in which Dox induces immunogenic tumor cell death causing additional tumor antigen release and leading the dying primary tumor cells into autologous tumor vaccine, and the released CpG promotes antigen presenting cell activation. Subsequently, the decomposed scaffold materials in conjunction with CpG, turn the anti‐inflammatory M2‐like macrophages into the M1 type, reversing the immunosuppressive TME. With decomposition of the TED‐Gel, large amounts of macromolecule anti‐PD‐L1 antibodies are liberated, reinvigorating the exhausted effector T cells. In vivo studies demonstrate that TED‐Gel significantly inhibits the primary, distant and rechallenged tumor growth. Overall, the simple and powerful TED‐Gel provides an alternative strategy for the future development of tumor vaccines with broad application.
MXene‐Derived Metal‐Organic Framework@MXene Heterostructures toward Electrochemical NO Sensing
Authors: Tan Yi , Yang Li , Zhai Dong , Sun Lanju , Zhai Shengliang , Zhou Wei , Wang Xiao , Deng Wei‐Qiao , Wu Hao
Published: November 2022

The electrochemical sensing of nitric oxide (NO) molecules by metal‐organic framework (MOF) catalysts has been impeded, to a large extent, owing to their poor electrical conductivity and weak NO adsorption. In this work, incomplete in situ conversion of V2CTx (T = terminal atoms) MXene to MOF is adopted, forming MOF@MXene heterostructures, which outperform MXene and MOF monocomponents toward electrochemical NO sensing. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicate metal‐like electronic characters for the heterostructure benefiting from the dominating contribution of the V 3d orbitals of the metallic MXene. Moreover, plane‐averaged charge density difference shows substantial charge redistribution occurs at the heterointerfaces, producing a built‐in field, which facilitates charge transfer. Besides, molecular mechanics‐based simulated annealing calculation reveals greatly enhanced adsorption energies of NO molecules on the heterointerfaces than that on separate MOFs and MXenes. Hence, the facilitated charge transfer and preferential NO adsorption are responsible for the dramatically promoted performance toward NO sensing. The prudent design of MOF@MXene heterostructure may spur advanced electrocatalysts for electrochemical sensing.
A Water‐Driven and Low‐Damping Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Agricultural Debris for Smart Agriculture
Authors: Dai Shufen , Li Xunjia , Jiang Chengmei , Shao Yuzhou , Luo Jianjun , Ying Yibin , Ping Jianfeng
Published: November 2022

The rapid progress in distributed electronics in agriculture depends on a wide range of energy supplies, such as cables and batteries. However, cable installation and maintenance are inconvenient in the agricultural environment, and the massive use of batteries will cause high replacement costs and serious environmental issues. To mitigate these problems, a water flow‐driven and high‐performance triboelectric nanogenerator based on agricultural debris (including derelict plant fibers and recycled greenhouse film) (AD‐TENG) is developed. The precisely designed air gap and plant fiber‐based dielectric brushes enable minimized frictional resistance and sustainable triboelectric charges, resulting in low damping and high performance for the AD‐TENG. After nano‐morphology modifications of the dielectric layer, the maximum power density of the AD‐TENG increases by 64 times and reaches ≈1.24 W m−2. The practical application demonstrates that the AD‐TENG realizes the recycling of agricultural debris to achieve harvesting low‐frequency and low‐speed water‐flow energy. Besides, the AD‐TENG can be used to power agricultural sensors and develop the automatic irrigation system, which alleviates the energy consumption problem of agriculture and contributes to the realization of automated and informative intelligent agriculture.
Novel High Current‐Carrying Quasi‐1D Material: Nb2PdS6
Authors: Cho Sooheon , Jeong Byung Joo , Choi Kyung Hwan , Lee Bom , Jeon Jiho , Lee Sang Hoon , Kim Bum Jun , Lee Jae‐Hyun , Oh Hyung‐Suk , Yu Hak Ki , Choi Jae‐Young
Published: November 2022

A quasi‐one‐dimensional van der Waals metallic nanowire Nb2PdS6 is synthesized, and its electrical characteristics are analyzed. The chemical vapor transport method is applied to produce centimeter‐scale Nb2PdS6 crystals with needle‐like structures and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) confirms their high crystallinity. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals the crystal orientation and atomic arrangement of the specific region with atomic resolution. The electrical properties are examined by delaminating bulk Nb2PdS6 crystals into a few nanometer‐scale wires onto 100 nm‐SiO2/Si substrates using a mechanical exfoliation process. Ohmic behavior is confirmed at the low‐field measurements regardless of their thickness variation, and 4.64 nm‐thick Nb2PdS6 shows a breakdown current density (JBD) of 52 MA cm−2 when the high electrical field is delivered. Moreover, with further exfoliation down to a single atomic chain, the JBD of Nb2PdS6 is predicted to have a value of 527 MA cm−2. The breakdown of Nb2PdS6 proceeds due to the Joule heating mechanism, and the Nb2PdS6 nanowires are well fitted to the 1D thermal dissipating model.