bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimum wage increases and agricultural employment of locals and guest workers
Authors: Smith Dana J. , Ifft Jennifer , Kim Ejin
Published: September 2022

We estimate the impact of the minimum wage on US farm worker employment by exploiting state‐level variation in recent minimum wage increases. A $1.00 increase in the minimum wage decreases the likelihood of employment for an individual farm worker by around one percentage point, with the effect concentrated among native and naturalized US citizens. However, we find no evidence of a relationship between minimum wage and either the number of farm workers or guest workers. The difference between these results may be due to lower international migration to high minimum wage states. Citizenship and immigration status can influence the impact of labor market regulations on the farm workforce.
The right to dream: A cross‐sectional look at poverty alleviation programs
Authors: Daher Marianne , Tomicic Alemka , Rosati Antonia , Campero María José
Published: September 2022

Studies on social programs reveal the absence of a cross‐sectional perspective capable of identifying common aspects that improve the living conditions of their participants while also contributing to poverty alleviation. To detect such elements, we examined the transformations in the experiences and meanings associated with poverty and its alleviation by conducting semistructured interviews and focus groups with participants and intervention team members that implemented six social programs in Chile and Peru. We conducted a descriptive and relational analysis guided by Grounded Theory, which revealed three overarching elements: notions of poverty, notions of the overcoming of poverty, and changes necessary for overcoming poverty. Lastly, based on a complex view of poverty and considering the contributions of community psychology, we propose that interventions in this field must create meaningful relational spaces that restore participants' objective and subjective rights, such as the right to dream.
Tutorial Education Program at a dental school in Southern Brazil: A transforming experience
Authors: Tondolo Gabriela Cabral , Hartmann Camila Segatto , Klein Giovanna Leal , Souza Hanna Thayrine Mello , de Oliveira Jessica Carvalho , Tôrres Luísa Helena do Nascimento
Published: September 2022

Background

The Tutorial Education Program (PET), regulated in 2005 by Law no. 11.180/2004, in addition to transforming higher education in Brazil, has been an essential component for the development of academic students, expanding the education perspective.

Aims

This article aims to report the actions developed regarding these three pillars and the experience of undergraduate dentistry students, who are members of the Tutorial Education Program at the Federal University of Santa Maria.

Methods

Through teaching, research, and extension activities, which are the structuring pillars of Brazilian universities, PET enables the improvement of education and pedagogical projects in higher education courses.

Results

With regard to teaching and the search for knowledge construction, the group has been conducting six projects focused on dental students, in the form of lectures and workshops, as well as innovated the teaching‐learning process through the preparation of video classes and the monitoring of freshmen students. Regarding the production of new knowledge through research, three projects focused on dental trauma, xerostomia, and the impact of COVID‐19 on the teaching of dental students. As an exchange between community and university, in the extension pillar, the group participates in three projects aimed at blood donation, divulgation of the university, and the elderly public. During the 2020 pandemic, the group made adaptations and created new actions.

Conclusion

Therefore, the activities planned and performed by the Tutorial Education Program have developed its members’ skills and contributed to improvements in the quality of Brazilian higher education.
How does brain structure and function on MRI differ in children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental coordination disorder, and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
Authors: Kangarani‐Farahani Melika , Izadi‐Najafabadi Sara , Zwicker Jill G.
Published: September 2022

Aim

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the neural similarities and differences in brain structure and function, measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in children with neurodevelopmental disorders that commonly co‐occur to understand if and how they have shared neuronal characteristics.

Method

Using systematic review methodology, the following databases were comprehensively searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and ProQuest from the earliest record up to December 2021. Inclusion criteria were (1) peer‐reviewed studies, case reports, or theses; (2) children under 18 years of age with at least one of the following neurodevelopmental disorders: autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and their co‐occurrence; and (3) studies based on MRI modalities (i.e., structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging [DTI], and resting‐state fMRI). Thirty‐one studies that met the inclusion criteria were included for quality assessment by two independent reviewers using the Appraisal tool for Cross‐Sectional Studies (AXIS).

Results

Studies compared brain structure and function of children with DCD and ADHD (n = 6), DCD and ASD (n = 1), ASD and ADHD (n = 17), and various combinations of these co‐occurring conditions (n = 7). Structural neuroimaging (n = 15) was the most commonly reported modality, followed by resting‐state (n = 8), DTI (n = 5), and multimodalities (n = 3).

Interpretation

Evidence indicated that the neural correlates of the co‐occurring conditions were more widespread and distinct compared to a single diagnosis. The majority of findings (77%) suggested that each neurodevelopmental disorder had more distinct neural correlates than shared neural features, suggesting that each disorder is distinct despite commonly co‐occurring with each other. As the number of papers examining the co‐occurrence of ASD, DCD, and/or ADHD was limited and most findings were not corrected for multiple comparisons, these results must be interpreted with caution.
A case of disseminated intravascular coagulation of sepsis that caused extreme‐thrombocytopenia treated at a remote‐island‐hospital
Authors: Takeshita Kazuyoshi , Izumisato Tsuyotoshi , Takane Toru , Nishihara Kazuro
Published: September 2022

Sepsis is a critical syndrome and DIC often develops in severe septicemia. However, cares for severe patients are limited in remote hospitals. In addition, bad weather often makes medical evacuation difficult in such areas. A 66‐year‐old man had urinary tract infection by Escherichia coli, followed by septic shock and DIC rapidly just 2 days after the onset. He recovered in 3 weeks without any massive bleeding. Immediate insertion of the central venous catheter to maintain stable hemodynamics and Gram‐staining for selecting antibiotics were considered essential techniques for the survival of sepsis patients even in remote hospitals.
On the mean subtree order of trees under edge contraction
Authors: Luo Zuwen , Xu Kexiang , Wagner Stephan , Wang Hua
Published: September 2022

For a tree , the mean subtree order of is the average order of a subtree of . In 1984, Jamison conjectured that the mean subtree order of decreases by at least 1/3 after contracting an edge in . In this article we prove this conjecture in the special case that the contracted edge is a pendant edge. From this result, we have a new proof of the established fact that the path has the minimum mean subtree order among all trees of order . Moreover, a sharp lower bound is derived for the difference between the mean subtree orders of a tree and a proper subtree (of ), which is also used to determine the tree with second‐smallest mean subtree order among all trees of order .
Molecularly imprinted voltammetric sensor sensibilized by nitrogen‐vacancy graphitized carbon nitride and Ag‐MWCNTs towards the detection of acetaminophen
Authors: Ren Shufang , Cheng Shounian , Wang Qingtao , Zheng Zhixiang
Published: September 2022

The overdose of acetaminophen (AP) can cause serious acute liver injury even the irreversible liver necrosis. The quantitative detection of AP is of great significance not only for clinical applications but also for the quantity control of its pharmaceutical formulations. In this paper, a sensitive molecularly imprinted voltammetric sensor towards AP was constructed based on synergistic enhancement of nitrogen‐vacancy graphitized carbon nitride (NV‐g‐C3N4) and carboxylated MWCNTs loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag‐MWCNTs). The powder X‐Ray diffraction spectrum, field emission scanning and transmission electron microscopes, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectrum were used to characterize the composites. The results show that NV‐g‐C3N4 and Ag‐MWCNTs closely embedded each other, forming loose porous hybrid structure by hydrogen bond. The prepared sensor molecular imprinting polymer (MIP)/C3N4/Ag‐CNTs/GCE shows a strong synergistic enhancement of electroanalytical response by CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) tests when compared with NV‐g‐C3N4/GCE, Ag‐CNTs/GCE, and MIP/GCE. Through the optimization of the ratio of monomer and template, electropolymerization cycle, elution cycle, incubation time, and pH, linear ranges of 0.007‐5 and 5‐100 μM were found with the limit of detection of 2.33 nM by DPV. Moreover, its selectivity towards AP was satisfied when compared with detection towards ascorbic acid, dopamine, and glucose. The recovery range of 96.3%‐100.5% was obtained in the spiked human serum and urine samples with the SD below 3.0%. In addition, the prepared sensor shows great detecting robustness with good anti‐interference, reproducibility, and stability.
PreliminaryMRIStudy of Extracellular Volume Fraction for Identification of Lymphovascular Space Invasion of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Wang Wei , Fan Xiaofei , Yang Jie , Wang Xuemei , Gu Yu , Chen Mingxin , Jiang Yueluan , Liu Lin , Zhang Mengchao
Published: September 2022

Background

Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is a risk factor for poor prognosis of cervical cancer. Preoperative identification of LVSI is very difficult.

Purpose

To evaluate the potential of extracellular volume (ECV) fraction based on T1 mapping in preoperative identification of LVSI in cervical cancer compared with dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI (DCE‐MRI).

Study Type

Retrospective.

Subjects

A total of 79 patients (median age 54 years) with cervical cancer were classified into LVSI group (n = 29) and without LVSI group (n = 50) according to postoperative pathology.

Field Strength/Sequence

A 3‐T, noncontrast and contrast‐enhanced T1 mapping performed with volume interpolated breath hold examination (VIBE) sequence, DCE‐MRI applied with 3D T1‐weighted VIBE sequence.

Assessment

Regions of interest along the medial edge of the lesion were drawn on slices depicting the maximum cross‐section of the tumor. The noncontrast and contrast‐enhanced T1 value of the tumor and arteries in the same slice were measured, and ECV was calculated from T1 values. The parametric maps (Ktrans,kep, andve) derived from DCE‐MRI standard Toft's model were evaluated.

Statistical Tests

ECV,Ktrans,kep, andvebetween groups with and without LVSI were compared using Student'st‐test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and DeLong test were used to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of ECV,Ktrans,kep, andvefor differentiating LVSI.P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The ECV andKtransof the LVSI group were significantly higher than that of non‐LVSI group (52.86% vs. 36.77%, 0.239 vs. 0.176, respectively), and no significant differences inKeporvevalues were observed (P = 0.071 andP = 0.168, respectively). The ECV fraction showed significantly higher area under ROC curve thanKtransfor differentiating LVSI (0.874 vs. 0.655, respectively).

Data Conclusion

ECV measurements based on T1 mapping might improve the discrimination between patients with and without LVSI in cervical cancer, showing better performance for this purpose than DCE‐MRI.

Evidence Level

2

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2
SARS‐CoV‐2‐encoded inhibitors of human LINE‐1 retrotransposition
Authors: Li Yan , Yang Jiaxin , Shen Siyu , Wang Wei , Liu Nian , Guo Haoran , Wei Wei
Published: September 2022

The ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is causing a devastating impact on public health worldwide. However, details concerning the profound impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 on host cells remain elusive. Here, we investigated the effects of SARS‐CoV‐2‐encoded viral proteins on the intracellular activity of long interspersed element 1 (L1) retrotransposons using well‐established reporter systems. Several nonstructural or accessory proteins (Nsps) of SARS‐CoV‐2 (i.e., Nsp1, Nsp3, Nsp5, and Nsp14) significantly suppress human L1 mobility, and these viral L1 inhibitors generate a complex network that modulates L1 transposition. Specifically, Nsp1 and Nsp14 inhibit the intracellular accumulation of L1 open reading frame proteins (ORF1p), whereas Nsp3, Nsp5, and Nsp14 repress the reverse transcriptase activity of L1 ORF2p. Given recent findings concerning the roles of L1 in antiviral immune activation and host genome instability, the anti‐L1 activities mediated by SARS‐CoV‐2‐encoded inhibitors suggest that SARS‐CoV‐2 employs different strategies to optimize the host genetic environment.
Frequency of different types of El Niño events under global warming
Authors: Alizadeh Omid , Qadimi Morteza , Zolghadrshojaee Mona , Irannejad Parviz
Published: September 2022

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant natural climate pattern that influences the global climate on subdecadal timescales. Thus, a better understanding of the impacts of global warming on the characteristics of ENSO events offers large socioeconomic benefits. Changes in the frequency of the eastern Pacific (EP), central Pacific (CP) and total El Niño events are analysed in the future period (2051–2100) under the two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) scenarios (i.e., SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5) compared to the historical period (1951–2000) using outputs of eight models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Types of El Niño events are diagnosed based on pattern correlation coefficients (PCCs) between monthly sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and the first two leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes of SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific. Based on the ensemble of models, the number of total El Niño events decreases by 26 and 16% under the SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios, respectively, in the future compared to the historical period. A smaller decrease in the number of total El Niño events under the faster warming rate of the SSP5‐8.5 scenario suggests that the response of ENSO dynamics to global warming is not linear. Analysis of the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature, version 5 (ERSSTv5) dataset during the period 1951–2020 indicates that the ratio of the number of CP El Niño to EP El Niño has substantially increased over the past two decades. Nevertheless, under both the SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios in the future period, the ratio of the number of CP El Niño to EP El Niño does not change considerably compared to that in the historical period. This suggests that the recent increase in the frequency of CP El Niño could be a result of multidecadal variations rather than anthropogenic global warming.
Five decades of sarcoma care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Authors: Brennan Murray F. , Singer Samuel
Published: September 2022

Early studies of the management of soft tissue sarcoma at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were influenced by development of robust prospective long‐term databases. Increasing capacity for molecular diagnostics has identified a myriad of subtypes with definable natural history. Accurate identification of tissue‐specific risk of recurrence and disease‐specific survival have increasingly allowed selective use of surgery, radiation therapy, and target‐specific cytotoxic and immune therapies.
Twisted Light in a Single‐Crystal Fiber: Toward Undistorted Femtosecond Vortex Amplification
Authors: Zhao Yongguang , Zheng Changsheng , Huang Zixuan , Gao Qinggang , Dong Jifei , Tian Kangzhen , Yang Zhiyong , Chen Weidong , Petrov Valentin
Published: September 2022

Intense femtosecond optical vortices with spatially structured amplitude and spiral phase front give rise to novel phenomena in light–matter interactions and strong‐field physics. However, current femtosecond vortex sources exhibit a poor power handling capability and amplification remains an open challenge due to a number of inherent technical difficulties. Here, it is demonstrated that a single‐crystal fiber laser amplifier is particularly well‐suited to directly amplify a femtosecond optical vortex without pulse stretching and compression in the time domain, while still maintaining the spatial properties associated with a clear central singularity and a spiral phase front, i.e., a well‐defined amount of orbital angular momentum (OAM).The optical nonlinearity experienced by such twisted light is verified to be substantially weaker compared to a fundamental mode beam where supercontinuum generation and spatial distortion are observed. The simple design and straightforward power scaling capability pave the way toward ultrahigh‐intensity femtosecond singular laser sources with an arbitrary topological charge. Such ultrafast OAM light sources are expected to help reveal complex physical phenomena in light–matter interactions and expand the applications to attoscience with X‐ray vortices, laser plasma acceleration, and micromachining.
High‐contrast visualization of human skin cancers with combined reflectance confocal and moxifloxacin‐based two‐photon microscopy: An ex vivo study
Authors: Park Won Yeong , Kim Bumju , Chun Ji Hyun , Hong Seung‐Mo , Oh Byung Ho , Kim Ki Hean
Published: September 2022

Background and Objectives

Precise determination of cancer margin during skin cancer surgery is crucial for complete resection and further clinical prognosis. Although reflection confocal microscopy (RCM) has been used for perioperative guiding, its reflection contrast has limitations in detecting cancer cells in the dermis. We previously developed combined reflection confocal (RC) and moxifloxacin‐based two‐photon (MB‐TP) microscopy for sensitive cancer detection by using multiple contrast mechanisms. In this study, the performance of combined microscopy was characterized in various skin cancer specimens and compared with standard methods.

Materials and Methods

Seven human skin specimens in total including two normal ones, three basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), and two squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) were collected and imaged in fresh condition. Moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution was topically instilled for cell labeling for 3–5 minutes, then mosaic imaging with the combined microscopy was conducted. The imaged specimens were imaged again after exogenous nuclear labeling for comparison and then processed for standard hematoxylin and eosin histology.

Results

Combined RC and MB‐TP microscopy visualized both cell and extracellular matrix structures of the skin specimens with multiple contrasts of reflection, moxifloxacin fluorescence, autofluorescence, and second harmonic generation. It distinguished normal cell structures in the skin dermis such as hair follicles, sebaceous and eccrine glands from BCC nests, and SCCs based on cell organization. Normal cell structures had organized cell arrangements for their functions, while cancer cell structures had dense and disorganized cell arrangements. Cellular features found by combined microscopy images were confirmed by both TP microscopy with nuclear labeling and histological examination.

Conclusions

The imaging results showed the potential of combined microscopy for sensitive cancer detection and in vivo guiding of skin cancer surgery.
Poly(ε‐Caprolactone) Substrates with Micro/Nanohierarchical Patterned Structures for Cell Culture
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Jiang Ni , Gan Zhihua
Published: September 2022

A simple, efficient and controllable one‐step template method is proposed to fabricate poly(ε‐caprolactone) substrates with micro/nanohierarchical patterned structures. Two kinds of geometric patterns with and without nanowires, i.e., hexagonal and strip with controllable island size and spacing are designed and fabricated. Furthermore, the influence of geometric patterns, island size, island spacing, and patterned nanowires (pNW) on the growth behavior of MG‐63 cells is studied in terms of cell density, distribution, proliferation, morphogenesis, and cellular alignment. It is found that MG‐63 cells prefer to adhere and grow on the substrate with smaller island size or spacing. Moreover, unlike the hexagonal structure, the strip structure can guide cellular alignment on its surface. In addition, the microisland structures and the pNW play different roles in promoting cell proliferation, distribution, and morphogenesis. It is concluded that the growth behavior of MG‐63 cells can be well controlled by precisely adjusting the micro/nanostructure of the substrate surface. A simple and effective method is provided here for the regulation of cell growth behavior.
A modified strain gradient beam constraint model
Authors: Arhami Mohammad , Moeenfard Hamid
Published: September 2022

The objective of the present paper is to develop a modified strain gradient beam constraint model (MSGBCM) to improve the modeling accuracy of small‐scale compliant mechanisms. First, a simple nano/micro flexure beam under the effect of end loads is considered. The virtual work principle is employed to formulate the nonlinear load–displacement behavior of the system, based on the modified strain gradient theory. It is observed that as the size of the structure becomes smaller, the elements of the elastic stiffness and load stiffening matrices severely deviate from their corresponding values in the beam constraint model (BCM). A closed‐form nonlinear strain energy expression is also derived for nano/micro flexure beams in terms of their tip displacements. This energy expression is utilized to model the nonlinear load–displacement relationships of small‐scale parallelogram (P) flexures. Moreover, analytical formulas are derived for the axial, transverse, and rotational stiffness values of P‐flexures. The most important observation is that in the small‐scale P‐flexures, the axial stiffness loss of small‐scale P‐flexures resulted from the movement of the stage in the transverse direction, may be seriously overestimated by BCM. The developed MSGBCM can be easily extended for investigating the static and dynamic behavior of more complicated micron and submicron size flexures.
Theoretical comparison of energy‐resolved and digital‐subtraction angiography
Authors: Aubert Sarah , Cunningham Ian A. , Tanguay Jesse
Published: September 2022

Background

X‐ray coronary angiography is a sub‐optimal vascular imaging technique because it cannot suppress un‐enhanced anatomy that may obscure the visualization of coronary artery disease.

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the theoretical image quality of energy‐resolved x‐ray angiography (ERA) implemented with spectroscopic x‐ray detectors (SXDs), which may overcome limitations of x‐ray coronary angiography.

Methods

We modeled the large‐area signal‐difference‐to‐noise (SDNR) of contrast‐enhanced vasculature in ERA images and compared with that of digital‐subtraction angiography (DSA), which served as a gold standard vascular imaging technique. To this end, we used calibrated numerical models of the response of cadmium telluride SXDs including the effects of charge sharing, electronic noise, and energy thresholding. Our models assumed zero scatter, no pulse pile up and small signals such that image contrast is approximately linear in the area density of contrast agents. For DSA, we similarly modeled x‐ray detection by cesium iodide energy‐integrating detectors using validated numerical models. For ERA, we investigated iodine and gadolinium (Gd) contrast agents, two‐material and three‐material decompositions, analog charge summing for charge sharing correction, and optimized image quality with respect to the tube voltage and energy thresholds assuming cadmium telluride SXDs with three energy bins.

Results

Our analysis reveals that a three‐material decomposition using iodine contrast agents will require x‐ray exposures that are approximately 400 times those of DSA to achieve the same SDNR as DSA in coronary applications, and is therefore not feasible in a clinical setting. However, three‐material decompositions with Gd contrast agents have the potential to provide SDNR that is ∼45% of that of DSA for matched patient air kerma. For two‐material decompositions that suppress soft‐tissue, ERA has the potential to produce images with SDNR that is 50%–75% of that of DSA for matched patient air kermas but lower levels of tube loading. Achieving these SDNR levels will require the use of analog charge summing for charge sharing correction, which increased SDNR by up to a factor of 1.7 depending on the contrast agent and whether or not a two‐material or three‐material decomposition was assumed.

Conclusions

We conclude that three‐material ERA implemented with Gd contrast agents and two‐material ERA implemented with either iodine or Gd contrast agents, should be investigated as alternatives to DSA in situations where motion artifacts preclude the use of DSA, such as in coronary imaging.
In vivo animal study of the magnetic navigation system for capsule endoscope manipulation within the esophagus, stomach, and colorectum
Authors: Sun Hongbo , Liu Jianhua , Wang Qiuliang , Lai Chunxiao , Chi Wenqiang , Niu Chaoqun , Wang Lei , Teng Zhifan , Shi Yang , Tian Peilong
Published: September 2022

Background/purposes

Magnetic navigation capsule endoscopy (MNCE) is considered to be an important means to realize the controllable and precise examination of capsule endoscopy (CE) in the unstructured gastrointestinal (GI) tract. For the current magnetic navigation system (MNS), due to the limitation of workspace, driving force, and control method of the CE, only clinical application in the stomach has been realized, whereas the examination of other parts of the GI tract is still in the experimental stage. More preclinical studies are needed to achieve the multisite examination of the GI tract.

Methods

Based on the MNS (Supiee) developed in the laboratory, an X‐ray imaging system with magnetic shielding and a commercial CE are integrated to form the MNCE system. Then, in vivo GI tract experiments with a porcine model are performed to verify the clinical feasibility and safety of this system. Moreover, the effects of different control modes on the efficiency and effect of GI tract examination are studied.

Results

Animal experiments demonstrate that with the MNCE system, it is convenient to achieve steering control in any direction and multiple reciprocating movements of CE in the GI tract. Benefiting from the flexibility of the three basic control modes, the achieved swing movement pattern of CE can effectively reduce the inspection time. It is demonstrated that the esophageal examination time can be reduced from 13.2 to 9.2 min with a maximum movement speed of 5 mm/s.

Conclusion

In this paper, the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the MNCE system for a one‐stop examination of the in vivo GI tract (esophagus, stomach, and colorectum) is first demonstrated. In addition, complex movement patterns of CE such as the swinging are proved to effectively improve examination efficiency and disease detection rates. This study is crucial for the clinical application of the MNCE system.
Model‐based image reconstruction with wavelet sparsity regularization for through‐plane resolution restoration in T2‐weighted spin‐echo prostate MRI
Authors: Borisch Eric A. , Froemming Adam T. , Grimm Roger C. , Kawashima Akira , Trzasko Joshua D. , Riederer Stephen J.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose is to develop a model‐based image‐reconstruction method using wavelet sparsity regularization for maintaining restoration of through‐plane resolution but with improved retention of SNR versus linear reconstruction using Tikhonov (TK) regularization in high through‐plane resolution (1 mm) T2‐weighted spin‐echo (T2SE) images of the prostate.

Methods

A wavelet sparsity (WS)–regularized image reconstruction was developed that takes as input a set of ≈80 overlapped 3‐mm‐thick slices acquired using a T2SE multislice scan and typically 30 coil elements. After testing in contrast and resolution phantoms and calibration in 6 subjects, the WS reconstruction was evaluated in 16 consecutive prostate T2SE MRI exams. Results reconstructed with nominal 1‐mm thickness were compared with those from the TK reconstruction with the same raw data. Results were evaluated radiologically. The ratio of magnitude of prostate signal to periprostatic muscle signal was used to assess the presence of noise reduction. Technical performance was also compared with a commercial 3D‐T2SE sequence.

Results

The new WS reconstruction was assessed as superior statistically to TK for overall SNR, contrast, and multiple evaluation criteria related to sharpness while retaining the high (1 mm) through‐plane resolution. Wavelet sparsity tended to provide improved overall diagnostic quality versus TK, but not significantly so. In all 16 studies, the prostate‐to‐muscle signal ratio increased.

Conclusions

Model‐based WS‐regularized reconstruction consistently provides improved SNR in high (1 mm) through‐plane resolution images of prostate T2SE MRI versus linear reconstruction using TK regularization.
A robust adiabatic constant amplitude spin‐lock preparation module for myocardial T1ρ quantification at 3 T
Authors: Yang Yuxin , Wang Che , Liu Yuanyuan , Chen Zhongmin , Liu Xin , Zheng Hairong , Liang Dong , Zhu Yanjie
Published: September 2022

T1ρ quantification has the potential to assess myocardial fibrosis without contrast agent. However, its preparation spin‐lock pulse is sensitive to B1 and B0 inhomogeneities, resulting in severe banding artifacts in the heart region, especially at high magnetic field such as 3 T. We aimed to design a robust spin‐lock (SL) preparation module that can be used in myocardial T1ρ quantification at 3 T. We used the tan/tanh pulse to tip up and tip down the magnetization in the spin‐lock preparation module (tan/tanh‐SL). Bloch simulation was used to optimize pulse shape parameters of the tan/tanh with a pulse duration (Tp) of 8, 4, and 2 ms, respectively. The designed tan/tanh‐SL modules were implemented on a 3‐T MR scanner. They were evaluated in phantom studies under three different cases of B0 and B1 inhomogeneities, and tested in cardiac T1ρ quantification of healthy volunteers. The performance of the tan/tanh‐SL was compared with the composite SL preparation pulses and the commonly used hyperbolic secant pulse for spin‐lock (HS‐SL). Feasible pulse shape parameters were obtained using Bloch simulation. Compared with HS‐SL, the quantification error of tan/tanh‐SL was reduced by 27.7% for Tp = 8 ms (mean ∆Q = 126.15 vs. 174.42) and 75.6% for Tp = 4 ms (mean ∆Q = 136.65 vs. 559.53). In the phantom study, tan/tanh‐SL was less sensitive to B1 and B0 inhomogeneity compared with composite SL pulses and HS‐SL. In cardiac T1ρ quantification, the T1ρ maps using tan/tanh‐SL showed fewer banding artifacts than using composite SL pulses and HS‐SL. The proposed tan/tanh‐SL preparation module greatly improves the robustness to B0 and B1 field inhomogeneities and can be used in cardiac T1ρ quantification at 3 T.
Parenting styles and dimensions in parents of children with developmental disabilities
Authors: Marston Emma , Cho Chi C. , Pridham Karen , McPherson Amy C. , Polfuss Michele
Published: September 2022

Parenting influences child development. There is limited research, however, related to parenting children who have developmental disabilities. The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the parenting styles and dimensions of parents of children with developmental disabilities and (2) assess differences in parenting styles and dimensions among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Down syndrome (DS), and spina bifida (SB). Secondary data analysis was conducted from a nationwide cross‐sectional study of 496 parents of children aged 5–16 years with ASD (n = 180), DS (n = 156), or SB (n = 160). Parent scores indicated high use of the authoritative parenting style and associated parenting dimensions, mid‐to‐low use of the permissive parenting style, and low use of the authoritarian parenting style and associated dimensions. Variation in parenting styles and dimensions among parents was primarily related to the child's diagnosis and family income. An unanticipated but positive finding was that parents with lower family incomes had significantly higher scores for the authoritative parenting style. Results from this study can inform future research that might inform clinical practice.
Identifying themes to inform nursing decisions when caring for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on noninvasive ventilation: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Farmer Mary Jo S. , Callahan Christine , Riska Karen , Hughes Ashley M. , Stefan Mihaela S.
Published: September 2022

Prior studies analyzing patient experience with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) found the most impactful interaction that patients remembered was with nurses, however a survey of nurses regarding the management of patients treated with NIV has shown that most nurses felt unprepared to care for these sick patients. Our qualitative descriptive study explored the current nursing experience using NIV as a treatment for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Nine (n = 9) subject matter expert nurses practicing in a variety of clinical settings participated in semi‐structured interviews. The COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research checklist was followed for interview development. Interview transcripts were subsequently analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Themes identified from the interviews pertained to patient assessment, novice nurses' need for clinical support, team communication, and nursing education. Improving interprofessional team communication and collaboration skills, and implementing guidelines for NIV utilization were specified as essential components of NIV education for nurses. Even though the nursing role in the care of AECOPD NIV patient could be institution dependent, the themes presented in our study are useful in identifying opportunities for NIV nursing education and areas for further research. Patient or Public Contribution: Nurses served as interviewees for this study.
In‐plane mechanical properties of thick‐walled polymer‐filled honeycomb composites: Analysis and experiments
Authors: Squibb Carson , Hada Masaki , Philen Michael
Published: September 2022

Polymer‐filled honeycomb composites are composite materials that exhibit effective in‐plane moduli greater than either the honeycomb or polymer alone. Previous numerical modeling work by the authors has identified two key mechanisms by which this stiffness amplification is achieved. For thin honeycomb cells, the difference in Poisson's ratio between the infill and honeycomb drives the in‐plane composite behavior. For large cell depths, the volume change of the hexagonal cells, acting on the infill polymer, is the dominant factor in stiffness amplification. This work aims to extend these findings to thick walled honeycombs, and to experimentally validate the model predictions while making comparisons to existing analytic models. A unit cell finite element model is created for the composite, with isotropic material properties for the honeycomb and infill obtained from characterization tests on 3D printed honeycomb wall material and polyurethane elastomer infill materials. An experimental investigation is completed, where both empty and polymer filled honeycomb samples are 3D printed and tested for a range of cell geometries, varying the cell angle, cell depth, and infill polymer, and are testing in two in‐plane loading directions. The results support both the model predictions of the effective Young's moduli and the mechanisms of stiffness amplification previously found, with a maximum percent error of 16.9% found and an amplification factor of the infill modulus of up 16 demonstrated. The improved understanding demonstrated in this work supports the use of these composites in applications where reinforcement of the honeycomb by a polymer, or vice versa, is desired.
Evaluation of SSRT‐Test by Classical Gravimetric Analysis and Optical Topographic Measurement: A Comparative Study
Authors: Bauer Lukas , Benz Maximilian , Klapötke Thomas M. , Selmeier Andreas
Published: September 2022

To establish a database of performance values in the small‐scale shock reactivity test (SSRT), common secondary explosives based on organic nitrates (e. g. PETN) and nitramines (e. g. RDX and HMX) as well as aromatic (e. g. TNT), heteroaromatic (e. g. TKX‐50 and MAD−X1) and open chain systems (e. g. FOX‐7) were investigated. The evaluation of the test results was carried out by two different methods. On the one hand, manually by weighing out the resulting dents with sand, and on the other hand, optically with the aid of a profilometer. The two analysis methods were compared and evaluated with respect to their absolute results and absolute as well as relative standard deviations.
Sublethal effects of chlorfenapyr on Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)
Authors: Jia Biantao , Zhang Junliang , Hong Shanshan , Chang Xiaoli , Li Xianchun
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), is the most destructive pest of cruciferous vegetables worldwide. Chlorfenapyr is an important insecticide for controlling DBM. The impacts of three sublethal doses (LC1, LC10 and LC30) of chlorfenapyr on the chlorfenapyr‐exposed DBM individuals and their unexposed F1 and F2 offspring were investigated in order to reveal the non‐lethal deleterious effects of chlorfenapyr and its potential hormetic effects.

RESULTS

LC1 significantly increased female pupa weight of F0 and F1 generations, and F0 fecundity as well as F1 gross reproduction rate (GRR). The LC1‐elicited rise in emergency rate and fecundity was significantly greater in F0 than in F1. By contrast, LC30 significantly decreased age‐specific survival rates, pupation rate, male pupal weight, emergence rate and fecundity of F0 and F1 generations as well as female adult proportion and GRR, net reproduction rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and finite rate of increase (λ) of F1 generation. The LC30‐induced reductions in pupation rate, adult emergence rate, male and female pupa weight, and fecundity were greater in F1 than in F0. While LC10 elicited only a mild inhibition (extension of pupal duration) in F0, it yielded both deleterious (drops in female proportion and age‐specific survivals) and hormetic effects (ups in male longevity and female fecundity) in F1.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate that the sublethal effects of chlorfenapyr on DBM vary from inhibition to stimulatory hormesis, depending on the dose and generation. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Energy shaping control of underactuated mechanical systems with fluidic actuation
Authors: Franco Enrico , Astolfi Alessandro
Published: September 2022

Energy shaping is a remarkably effective control strategy which can be applied to a wide range of systems, including underactuated mechanical systems. However, research in this area has generally neglected actuator dynamics. While this is often appropriate, it might result in degraded performance in the case of fluidic actuation. In this work we present some new results on energy shaping control for underactuated mechanical systems for which the control action is mediated by a pressurized ideal fluid. In particular, we introduce an extended multi‐step energy shaping and damping‐assignment controller design procedure that builds upon the Interconnection‐and‐damping‐assignment Passivity‐based‐control methodology in a modular fashion to account for the pressure dynamics of the fluid. Stability conditions are assessed with a Lyapunov approach, the effect of disturbances is discussed, and the case of redundant actuators is illustrated. The proposed approach is demonstrated with numerical simulations for a modified version of the classical ball‐on‐beam example, which employs two identical cylinders, either hydraulic or pneumatic, to actuate the beam.
Automatic method of flow direction reasoning for bridging tributaries using adjacency relation
Authors: Li Chengming , Wu Wei , Bai Xiaofei , Yin Yong , Wu Zheng , Zhang Chengcheng
Published: September 2022

Determining an accurate flow direction is a prerequisite for hydrographic analysis and river generalization. For river networks with complex spatial structures and little semantic information, it has always been a difficult and interesting problem to automatically and objectively determine the flow direction of all rivers. In a river network with many estuaries, tributaries may either be “simple tributaries” that are associated only with a single main channel or “bridging tributaries” that link multiple main channels. The former is large in number, while the latter is few, but both of them are very important in constructing the hierarchical relationship of the whole river network. Existing studies have concentrated on simple tributaries, and flow direction reasoning for bridging tributaries is ignored, leading to a misunderstanding of the spatial structure of river networks. To address this problem, an automatic method of flow direction reasoning for bridging tributaries using adjacency relation (FDR‐BR method) is proposed. First, in view of the insufficient semantic information in actual river data, the principle of “the minority is subordinate to the majority” is adopted to establish two statistical identification criteria for estuaries, and main channels are extracted by using the good continuity feature between river reaches, that is, stroke feature. Second, the Kth‐order adjacency fields are constructed for each main channel based on the topological connection relationships between the main channels and tributaries. Finally, the “split river reaches” are detected from the bridging tributaries, and the spatial adjacency relation is used as a constraint to identify the benchmark main channel of each bridging tributary. The FDR‐BR method is validated using a geographical census dataset for a city in China. In the experimental area, simple river networks with independent main channels account for 91.67% of the networks, and complex river networks with multiple main channels account for 8.33%. For the complex river networks, 77.79% of the tributaries are simple tributaries, while 13.27% are bridging tributaries. The experimental results reveal that for all rivers in the simple river networks and the simple tributaries in the complex river networks, the flow direction reasoning results of FDR‐BR method are consistent with the results of the state‐of‐the‐art Schwenk method, with an accuracy of more than 98%; for the bridging tributaries in the complex river networks, the flow direction reasoning accuracy of the Schwenk method is only 59.3%, while the accuracy of FDR‐BR method reaches 98%, and the results are more realistic.
Revisiting degradation in the XPS analysis of polymers
Authors: Morgan David J. , Uthayasekaran Sharukaa
Published: September 2022

A study on the degradation of both halogenated and non‐halogenated polymers has been made by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy on two different types of common place photoelectron spectrometer. The degradation results herein are compared with the degradation index of Beamson and Briggs, and a notable difference was observed. The effects of neutraliser and spot size on the degradation kinetics are explored and lead to simple recommendations for the successful analysis of damage‐susceptible polymers.
Tailoring the Hinge Residue at the Substrate Access Tunnel Entrance Improves the Catalytic Performance of Industrialized Nitrile Hydratase Toward 3‐Cyanopyridine
Authors: Xia Yuanyuan , Yin Meng , Peplowski Lukasz , Cheng Zhongyi , Zhou Zhemin
Published: September 2022

Nicotinamide is a high‐value chemical that has been widely applied in various aspects of daily life. Nitrile hydratase (NHase) is capable of carrying out biotransformation of nitriles to amides and has shown great potential in the green synthesis of nicotinamide. The high‐molecular mass NHase (H‐NHase) from Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1 has been applied in the industrial‐scale production of acrylamide; however, its activity is not ideal towards aromatic 3‐cyanopyridines, resulting in its substrate preference towards aliphatic nitriles. In this study, a hinge residue at the entrance of the substrate access tunnel of H‐NHase was identified through substrate access tunnel calculations, site‐saturation mutagenesis, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. The corresponding mutant βW48Y showed a 5.9‐fold higher specific activity towards 3‐cyanopyridine than that of its parental enzyme, with better thermostability, proving itself to be a competitive candidate for the industrial production of nicotinamide.
Photothermal Nanozymatic Nanoparticles Induce Ferroptosis and Apoptosis through Tumor Microenvironment Manipulation for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Yuan Haitao , Xia Peng , Sun Xin , Ma Jingbo , Xu Xiaolong , Fu Chunjin , Zhou Hongchao , Guan Yudong , Li Zhifen , Zhao Shanshan , Wang Huifang , Dai Lingyun , Xu Chengchao , Dong Shaohong , Geng Qingshan , Li Zhijie , Wang Jigang
Published: September 2022

It is highly desirable to design a single modality that can simultaneously trigger apoptosis and ferroptosis to efficiently eliminate tumor progression. Herein, a nanosystem based on the intrinsic properties of tumor microenvironment (TME) is designed to achieve tumor control through the simultaneous induction of ferroptosis and apoptosis. CuCP molecules are encapsulated in a liposome‐based nanosystem to assemble into biocompatible and stable CuCP nanoparticles (CuCP Lipo NPs). This nanosystem intrinsically possesses nanozymatic activity and photothermal characteristics due to the property of Cu atoms and the structure of CuCP Lipo NPs. It is demonstrated that the synergistic strategy increases the intracellular lipid‐reactive oxides species, induces the occurrence of ferroptosis and apoptosis, and completely eradicates the tumors in vivo. Proteomics analysis further discloses the key involved proteins (including Tp53, HMOX1, Ptgs2, Tfrc, Slc11a2, Mgst2, Sod1, and several GST family members) and pathways (including apoptosis, ferroptosis, and ROS synthesis). Conclusively, this work develops a strategy based on one nanosystem to synergistically induce ferroptosis and apoptosis in vivo for tumor suppression, which holds great potential in the clinical translation for tumor therapy.