bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One‐Step Synthesis of Photoaffinity Probes for Live‐Cell MS‐Based Proteomics
Authors: Fallon David J. , Lehmann Stephanie , Chung Chun‐wa , Phillipou Alex , Eberl Christian , Fantom Ken G. M. , Zappacosta Francesca , Patel Vipulkumar K. , Bantscheff Marcus , Schofield Christopher J. , Tomkinson Nicholas C. O. , Bush Jacob T.
Published: July 2021

We present a one‐step Ugi reaction protocol for the expedient synthesis of photoaffinity probes for live‐cell MS‐based proteomics. The reaction couples an amine affinity function with commonly used photoreactive groups, and a variety of handle functionalities. Using this technology, a series of pan‐BET (BET: bromodomain and extra‐terminal domain) selective bromodomain photoaffinity probes were obtained by parallel synthesis. Studies on the effects of photoreactive group, linker length and irradiation wavelength on photocrosslinking efficiency provide valuable insights into photoaffinity probe design. Optimal probes were progressed to MS‐based proteomics to capture the BET family of proteins from live cells and reveal their potential on‐ and off‐target profiles.
The impact of climate change on policy‐relevant indicators of temperature extremes in the United Kingdom
Authors: Arnell Nigel W. , Freeman Anna
Published: July 2021

Climate change will increase the frequency of heatwaves in the United Kingdom and reduce the frequency of cold spells. This paper evaluates the effect of changes in climate as represented by UKCP18 climate projections on a series of indicators of heat and cold extremes relevant to policy in the United Kingdom. These indicators are expressed in terms of current critical thresholds beyond which alerts are issued or specific actions implemented, rather than impacts on health and well‐being. The frequency and duration of heatwave and heat–health alerts increase under all scenarios, with the greatest absolute number of events in the south and east of England where the chance of hot weather events affecting worker productivity doubles by the 2020s. Cold weather events – triggering health and social care plans and benefit payments – will become less frequent, but the effects of climate change on cold events are much smaller than on hot events and they will continue to occur. Until at least the 2040s, the projected effects of climate change do not depend strongly on the assumed change in global emissions, and the range in possible changes is primarily determined by uncertainty in the change in temperature in the United Kingdom for a given emissions pathway. Beyond the 2050s, the impacts are strongly dependent on future emissions. Impacts in a high‐emissions world will be considerably larger than in low‐emissions world. The projected increase in heatwave alerts, and the duration and intensity of heatwaves, implies not only a need to review heatwave emergency planning arrangements – looking in particular at what should become regarded as ‘normal’ summer weather – but also increased efforts to reduce vulnerability to extreme heat events. At the same time, cold weather events will still continue to occur with a sufficient frequency that plans need to be maintained.
Presentation, patterns of care, and outcomes of patients with prostate cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa: A population‐based registry study
Authors: Seraphin Tobias Paul , Joko‐Fru Walburga Yvonne , Hämmerl Lucia , Griesel Mirko , Mezger Nikolaus Christian Simon , Feuchtner Jana Cathrin , Adoubi Innocent , Egué Marcel Dieu‐Donné , Okerosi Nathan , Wabinga Henry , Hansen Rolf , Vuma Samukeliso , Lorenzoni Cesaltina , Coulibaly Bourama , Odzebe Sévérin W. , Buziba Nathan Gyabi , Aynalem Abreha , Liu Biying , Medenwald Daniel , Mikolajczyk Rafael T. , Efstathiou Jason Alexander , Parkin Donald Maxwell , Jemal Ahmedin , Kantelhardt Eva Johanna
Published: July 2021

Background

Although prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men of sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), little is known about its management and survival. The objective of the current study was to describe the presentation, patterns of diagnosis, treatment, and survival of patients with PCa in 10 countries of SSA.

Methods

In this observational registry study with data collection from 2010 to 2018, the authors drew a random sample of 738 patients with PCa who were registered in 11 population‐based cancer registries. They described proportions of patients receiving recommended care and presented survival estimates. Multivariable Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios comparing the survival of patients with and without cancer‐directed therapies (CDTs).

Results

The study included 693 patients, and tumor characteristics and treatment information were available for 365 patients, 37.3% of whom had metastatic disease. Only 11.2% had a complete diagnostic workup for risk stratification. Among the nonmetastatic patients, 17.5% received curative‐intent therapy, and 27.5% received no CDT. Among the metastatic patients, 59.6% received androgen deprivation therapy. The 3‐ and 5‐year age‐standardized relative survival for 491 patients with survival time information was 58.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.5%‐67.7%) and 56.9% (95% CI, 39.8%‐70.9%), respectively. In a multivariable analysis, survival was considerably poorer among patients without CDT versus those with therapy.

Conclusions

This study shows that a large proportion of patients with PCa in SSA are not staged or are insufficiently staged and undertreated, and this results in unfavorable survival. These findings reemphasize the need for improving diagnostic workup and access to care in SSA in order to mitigate the heavy burden of the disease in the region.
Chlorides, other Halides, and Pseudo‐Halides as Additives for the Fabrication of Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Cheng Fei , Zhang Jie , Pauporté Thierry
Published: July 2021

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attracting a tremendous attention from the scientific community due to their excellent power conversion efficiency, low cost, and great promise for the future of solar energy. The best PSCs have already achieved a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.5 % after an unprecedented rapid performance rise. However, high requirements with respect to large area, high‐efficiency devices, and stability are still the challenges. Major efforts, especially for achieving a high degree of chemical control, have been made to reach these targets. The use of halide additives has played a critical role in improving the efficiency and stability. The present paper reviews the important breakthroughs in PSC technologies made by using halide additives, especially chloride, and pseudo‐halide additives for the preparation of the perovskite layers, other layers, and interfaces of the devices. These additives help perovskite (PVK) crystallization and layer morphology control, grain boundary reduction, bulk and interface defects passivation, and so on. Normally, these halide additives play different roles depending on their categories and their location. Herein, recent progresses made due to additives employment in every possible layer of PSCs are reviewed, with focus on chloride, other halides, and pseudo‐halides as additives in PVK films, halide additives in carrier transport layers, and at PVK‐contact interfaces. Finally, an outlook of engineering of these additives in PSC progress is given.
Recent progress in plasmonic nanoparticle‐based biomarker detection and cytometry for the study of central nervous system disorders
Authors: Peng Fei , Jeong Sinyoung , Ho Alexander , Evans Conor L.
Published: July 2021

Neurological disorders affect hundreds of millions of people around the world, are often life‐threatening, untreatable, and can result in debilitating symptoms. The high prevalence of these disorders, which feature biochemical or structural abnormalities in neuronal systems, has spurned innovations in both rapid and early detection to assist in the selection of appropriate treatment strategies to improve the patients' quality of life. Plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs), a versatile and promising class of nanomaterials, are widely utilized in numerous imaging techniques, drug delivery systems, and biomarker detection methods. Recently, PNP‐based nanoprobes have attracted considerable attention for the early diagnosis of neurological disorders. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), with high local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signals, have been particularly well exploited as probes for dynamic biomarker detection, with quantification sensitivity demonstrated down to the single‐molecule level. In this review, we will discuss the possibilities of PNPs in the methodological development for rapid neurological disease identification. In addition, we will also describe a new digital cytometry method that combines dark‐field imaging and machine learning for precise biomarker enumeration on single cells. The aim of this review is to attract researchers working on the future development of new plasmonic nanoprobe‐based strategies for the diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Transformation of multicolour flow cytometry data with OTflow prevents misleading multivariate analysis results and incorrect immunological conclusions
Authors: Folcarelli Rita , van Staveren Selma , Tinnevelt Gerjen , Cadot Emily , Vrisekoop Nienke , Buydens Lutgarde , Koenderman Leo , Jansen Jeroen , van den Brink Oscar F.
Published: July 2021

The rapid evolution of the flow cytometry field, currently allowing the measurement of 30–50 parameters per cell, has led to a marked increase in deep multivariate information. Manual gating is insufficient to extract all this information. Therefore, multivariate analysis (MVA) methods have been developed to extract information and efficiently analyze the high‐density multicolour flow cytometry (MFC) data. To aid interpretation, MFC data are often logarithmically transformed before MVA. We studied the consequences of different transformations of flow cytometry data in datasets containing negative intensities caused by background subtractions and spreading error, as logarithmic transformation of negative data is impossible. Transformations such as logicle or hyperbolic arcsine transformations allow linearity around zero, whereas higher (positive and negative) intensities are logarithmically transformed. To define the linear range, a parameter (or cofactor) must be chosen. We show how the chosen transformation parameter has great impact on the MVA results. In some cases, peak splitting is observed, producing two distributions around zero in an actual homogeneous population. This may be misinterpreted as the presence of multiple cell populations. Moreover, when performing arbitrary transformation before MVA analysis, biologically relevant and statistically significant information might be missed. We present a new algorithm, Optimal Transformation for flow cytometry data (OTflow), which uses various statistical methods to optimally choose the parameter of the transformation and prevent artifacts such as peak splitting. Arbitrary or unconsidered transformation can lead to wrong conclusions for the MVA cluster methods, dimensionality reduction methods, and classification methods. We recommend transformation of flow cytometry data by using OTflow‐defined parameters estimated per channel, in order to prevent peak splitting and other artifacts in the data.
Facile N‐Formylation of Amines on Magnetic Fe3O4−CuO Nanocomposites
Authors: Mishra Kanchan , Datta Khanal Hari , Rok Lee Yong
Published: July 2021

A facile, eco‐friendly, efficient, and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst is synthesized by immobilizing copper impregnated on mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles. The surface chemistry analysis of Fe3O4−CuO nanocomposites (NCs) by XRD and XPS demonstrates the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and CuO nanoparticles, providing mass‐transfer channels for the catalytic reaction. TEM images clearly indicate the impregnation of CuO onto mesoporous Fe3O4. This hydrothermally synthesized eco‐friendly and highly efficient Fe3O4−CuO NCs are applied as a magnetically retrievable heterogeneous catalyst for the N‐formylation of wide range of aliphatic, aromatic, polyaromatic and heteroaromatic amines using formic acid as a formylating agent at room temperature. The catalytic activity of the NCs for N‐formylation is attributable to the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and CuO nanoparticles. The N‐formylated product is further employed for the synthesis of biologically active quinolone moieties.
Simultaneous solid–liquid separation and primary purification of clavulanic acid from fermentation broth of Streptomyces clavuligerus using salting‐out extraction system
Authors: Wang Xu‐Dong , Hu Chun‐Yan , Qin Chao , Dong Yue‐Sheng , Ying Guo‐Qing , Xiu Zhi‐Long , Su Zhi‐Guo
Published: July 2021

Clavulanic acid (CA) is usually used together with other β‐lactam antibiotics as combination drugs to inhibit bacterial β‐lactamases, which is mainly produced from the fermentation of microorganism such as Streptomyces clavuligerus. Recently, it is still a challenge for downstream processing of low concentration and unstable CA from fermentation broth with high solid content, high viscosity, and small cell size. In this study, an integrated process was developed for simultaneous solid–liquid separation and primary purification of CA from real fermentation broth of S. clavuligerus using salting‐out extraction system (SOES). First, different SOESs were investigated, and a suitable SOES composed of ethanol/phosphate was chosen and further optimized using the pretreated fermentation broth. Then, the optimal system composed of 20% ethanol/15% K2HPO4 and 10% KH2PO4 w/w was used to direct separation of CA from untreated fermentation broth. The result showed that the partition coefficient (K) and recovery yield (Y) of CA from untreated fermentation broth were 29.13 and 96.8%, respectively. Simultaneously, the removal rates of the cells and proteins were 99.8% and 63.3%, respectively. Compared with the traditional method of membrane filtration or liquid–liquid extraction system, this developed SOES showed the advantages of simple operation, shorter operation time, lower process cost and higher recovery yield of CA. These results demonstrated that the developed SOES could be used as an attractive alternative for the downstream processing of CA from real fermentation broth.
A hierarchical integrative group least absolute shrinkage and selection operator for analyzing environmental mixtures
Authors: Boss Jonathan , Rix Alexander , Chen Yin‐Hsiu , Narisetty Naveen N. , Wu Zhenke , Ferguson Kelly K. , McElrath Thomas F. , Meeker John D. , Mukherjee Bhramar
Published: July 2021

Environmental health studies are increasingly measuring multiple pollutants to characterize the joint health effects attributable to exposure mixtures. However, the underlying dose‐response relationship between toxicants and health outcomes of interest may be highly nonlinear, with possible nonlinear interaction effects. Existing penalized regression methods that account for exposure interactions either cannot accommodate nonlinear interactions while maintaining strong heredity or are computationally unstable in applications with limited sample size. In this article, we propose a general shrinkage and selection framework to identify noteworthy nonlinear main and interaction effects among a set of exposures. We design the hierarchical integrative group least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (HiGLASSO) to (a) impose strong heredity constraints on two‐way interaction effects (hierarchical), (b) incorporate adaptive weights without necessitating initial coefficient estimates (integrative), and (c) induce sparsity for variable selection while respecting group structure (group LASSO). We prove sparsistency of the proposed method and apply HiGLASSO to an environmental toxicants dataset from the LIFECODES birth cohort, where the investigators are interested in understanding the joint effects of 21 urinary toxicant biomarkers on urinary 8‐isoprostane, a measure of oxidative stress. An implementation of HiGLASSO is available in the higlasso R package, accessible through the comprehensive R archive network.
Interactions between the hippocampus and fronto‐parietal regions during memory encoding in early childhood
Authors: Geng Fengji , Xu Wenwen , Riggins Tracy
Published: July 2021

The neural mechanisms underlying memory encoding have received much attention in the literature. Research in adults and school‐age children suggest that the hippocampus and cortical regions in both frontal and parietal areas are involved in successful formation of memories. Overall, the hippocampus has been shown to interact with fronto‐parietal regions to collaboratively support successful memory encoding for both individual items as well as item details (such as the source or color in which the item was originally encountered). To date, only one study has investigated neural regions engaged during memory encoding in children younger than 8 years of age, which is unfortunate since early childhood is a period of dramatic improvement in memory. This previous study indicated that both the hippocampus and cortical regions are involved during the encoding of subsequently remembered item details (i.e., sources). However, this study reported few interactions between these regions, and it did not explore item memory at a more general level. To fill these gaps, this article reanalyzed data from the previous report, aiming to examine the neural correlates of item memory during encoding in early childhood (4–8 years) and interactions between the hippocampus and fronto‐parietal regions during encoding. Consistent with research in older individuals, both the hippocampus and fronto‐parietal regions were found to participate in item memory encoding. Additionally, functional connectivity between hippocampus and fronto‐parietal regions was significantly related to both subsequent item memory and subsequent source memory. Taken together, these findings suggest that not only the activation of individual brain regions (hippocampus and fronto‐parietal regions) but also the functional connections between these regions are important for memory encoding. These data add to the growing literature providing insight into how the hippocampus and cortical regions interact to support memory during development.
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax in COVID‐19 patients: A tertiary care experience
Authors: Shaikh Nissar , Al Ameri Gamal , Shaheen Muhsen , Abdaljawad Wael I. , Al Wraidat Mohammad , Al Alawi Abdul Aziz S. , Ali Husain S. , Mohamed Ahmed S. , Daeri Hazem , Khatib Mohamad Y. , Elshafei Moustafa S. , Nashwan Abdulqadir J.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

COVID‐19 can occasionally complicate into spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) and/or spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SM). This study aims at exploring the occurrence of SP and or SM, risk factors, and outcomes in COVID‐19 patients.

Materials and Methods

All patients with COVID‐19, which complicated into SP and/or SM at Hamad Medical Corporation (the principal public healthcare provider in Qatar) from March to September 2020, were retrospectively enrolled. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by CXR and CT. Between‐group comparisons were performed by using Chi‐square and t‐test. Differences were considered statistically significant at P ≤ .05.

Results

A total of 1100 patients were admitted, and 43 patients developed SP, SP + SM, or SM. Most patients were males (42/97.9%), and the most common comorbidity was diabetes mellitus (13/30.2%). All patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and most patients had low lung compliance at the time of developing SP or SM. Twenty‐two of the patients developed SP (51.2%), 11 patients had both SP and SM (25.6%), and 10 patients had SM only (23.3%). There was no significant difference in the development of SP or SM and patients' gender or blood group or whether patients were on invasive or noninvasive ventilation or even the mortality (P > .05). Lung compliance was significantly (P < .05) lower in patients complicated with SP and or SM. Patients with SP required significantly higher (P < .001) chest drain insertion.

Conclusion

Patients with severe COVID‐19 pneumonia can complicate into SP and SM. These complications are more common in male diabetic patients. Patients with ARDS and having low lung compliance are at a higher risk of developing SP, SP + SM, or SM.
Multidecadal variability of the Tonle Sap Lake flood pulse regime
Authors: Chen Aifang , Liu Junguo , Kummu Matti , Varis Olli , Tang Qiuhong , Mao Ganquan , Wang Jie , Chen Deliang
Published: July 2021

Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) is one of the world's most productive lacustrine ecosystems, driven by the Mekong River's seasonal flood pulse. This flood pulse and its long‐term dynamics under the Mekong River basin's (MRB) fast socio‐economic development and climate change need to be identified and understood. However, existing studies fall short of sufficient time coverage or concentrate only on changes in water level (WL) that is only one of the critical flood pulse parameters influencing the flood pulse ecosystem productivity. Considering the rapidly changing hydroclimatic conditions in the Mekong basin, it is crucial to systematically analyse the changes in multiple key flood pulse parameters. Here, we aim to do that by using observed WL data for 1960–2019 accompanied with several parameters derived from a Digital Bathymetry Model. Results show significant declines of WL and inundation area from the late 1990s in the dry season and for the whole year, on top of increased subdecadal variability. Decreasing (increasing) probabilities of high (low) inundation area for 2000–2019 have been found, in comparison to the return period of inundation area for 1986–2000 (1960–1986). The mean seasonal cycle of daily WL in dry (wet) season for 2000–2019, compared to that for 1986–2000, has shifted by 10 (5) days. Significant correlations and coherence changes between the WL and large‐scale circulations (i.e., El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)), indicate that the atmospheric circulations could have influenced the flood pulse in different time scales. Also, the changes in discharge at the Mekong mainstream suggest that anthropogenic drivers may have impacted the high water levels in the lake. Overall, our results indicate a declining flood pulse since the late 1990s.
Hidden blood loss and its risk factors in patients undergoing conventional laparoscopic surgery and laparoendoscopic single‐site surgery for ovarian cystectomy
Authors: Chen Qiuyu , Zhu Sennan , Wang Danhan , Chen Miaomiao , Zhao Yu , Zhang Qiong
Published: July 2021

Objective

To quantify the volume of hidden blood loss (HBL) between conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) and laparoendoscopic single‐site surgery (LESS) for ovarian cyst and to explore its risk factors.

Methods

A total of 310 patients who underwent CLS or LESS were enrolled in this study. The Nadler formula and Gross formula were used to calculate each patient's estimated blood volume and total blood loss, multiple linear regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors.

Results

The HBL in LESS was more than in CLS (P = 0.000). Operative time (p = 0.015), pre‐hematocrit (P = 0.002), pre‐hemoglobin (P = 0.015), and pelvic adhesions (P = 0.037) were positively correlated with HBL in CLS. Intraoperative bleeding (P = 0.026), operative time (P = 0.000), pre‐hematocrit (P = 0.042), CA125 (P = 0.047), and cyst volume (P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for HBL in LESS.

Conclusion

A large amount of HBL occurs in ovarian cystectomy surgery and cannot be ignored in clinical work; fully and correctly understanding HBL and exploring its causes can ensure the safety and improve the prognosis of patients.
Effects of shading and micro‐spray of canopy on photosynthetic characteristics, quality and yield of drip‐irrigated grapes*
Authors: Zheng Ming , Bai Yungang , Zhang Jianghui , Liu Hongbo , Cai Junshe , Bai Shijian , Ding Bangxin , Ding Ping
Published: July 2021

Grapes are prone to midday depression of photosynthesis (MDP) under the action of high temperature and strong light, which can reduce the accumulation of organic matter, resulting in a decline in yield and quality. In this study, the grapes in Shanshan County, Xinjiang, China, were taken as an example to implement shading and micro‐spray measures. Shading degrees of 0, 15 and 30% were combined with micro‐spray flow rates of 20, 30 and 40 L h−1. Nine treatments and one control treatment (the control treatment is without shading and mist spraying) were designed through a combination of the shading and micro‐spray conditions. The photosynthetic prediction model of the multivariate nonlinear model was constructed and had high simulation accuracy. The decline of air temperature at the top of the canopy increased as the degree of shading and the amount of micro‐spray increased; MDP could be eliminated under the combined conditions of shading and micro‐spray. The mean daily net CO2 assimilation rate (An) increased by more than 0.53 μmol m−2 s−1. The combination of shading and micro‐spray conditions significantly increased fruit size and promoted greenness. The WP1 (15% and 40 L h−1) treatment had the highest mean daily An and the largest fruit volume. The vitamin C (VC) content of WP1 treatment was the highest, 4.13 mg kg−1, which was 1.2 times that of the control (CK) treatment. The yield of the WP1 treatment was the highest, which was 19.7% higher than that of the CK treatment. Thus, the WP1 treatment was the optimal treatment for promoting the An of grape leaves and improving the fruit quality of grapes. This research could provide a reference for improving the photosynthesis, fruit quality and yield of grapes and alleviating the photosynthetic MDP of crops.
A comparison of re‐presentation and modified chin prompt to treat different topographies of liquid expulsion
Authors: Ibañez Vivian F. , Peters Kerri P. , Vollmer Timothy R.
Published: July 2021

Treatment of one behavior in the chain of consumption might be associated with the emergence of other problematic behaviors. For example, some children with feeding disorders expel liquid. Moreover, the form in which children expel liquid might vary and influence whether a treatment to reduce liquid expulsion will result in clinically meaningful outcomes. In the current investigation, we first identified topographies of liquid expulsion (e.g., forceful, run out) for each child. We then compared and evaluated the effects of 2 procedures, a modified chin prompt and re‐presentation, on the liquid expulsion of 3 children with feeding disorders. For 2 participants, expulsion decreased to clinically meaningful levels with a modified chin prompt or re‐presentation. However, for 1 participant, expulsion decreased to clinically meaningful levels only when we combined the modified chin prompt and re‐presentation as part of a treatment package. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying the effects of a modified chin prompt and re‐presentation, in addition to areas for future research.
Long noncoding RNA DARS‐AS1 regulates TP53 ubiquitination and affects ovarian cancer progression by modulation miR‐194‐5p/RBX1 axis
Authors: Zhou Ming , Cheng Hao , Fu Yulan , Zhang Jun
Published: July 2021

Background

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor with a poor prognosis, its underlying mechanism is still unclear.

Objective

In this study, long noncoding RNA DARS‐AS1 was studied to identify its function in the development of ovarian cancer.

Methods

Perform functional experiments to detect the effects of DARS‐AS1 on the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of ovarian cancer cells A2780. The luciferase report, immunoprecipitation (IP) experiment, and ubiquitination level determination verify that RBX1 ubiquitination and mediate the degradation of tumor suppressor gene TP53.

Results

Knockdown of DARS‐AS1 can inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, and the application of miR‐194‐5p inhibitors can prevent this process. Luciferase and IP experiments showed that DARS‐AS1 regulates the expression of RBX1 by binding to miR‐194‐5p, and RBX1 mediates its degradation through ubiquitination of TP53.
The Clevo case: A timeline of IFRS “Reluctance”
Authors: Hsu Yu‐Lin , Reid Gavin C.
Published: July 2021

There is an ongoing policy debate over whether the adoption of IFRS should be mandatory. All Taiwanese listed companies had to adopt IFRS from 2013, but they could choose to adopt earlier in 2012. Surprisingly, given cross‐national comparisons, not one Taiwanese company adopted early. This is an extreme example of policy “reluctance.” We explore this unique setting, by analyzing a leading reluctant Taiwanese company, Clevo. It was widely known as a potential early adopter but withdrew at the last minute. This paper illustrates how a firm which perceived net benefits would be incentivized to adopt IFRS early, but then how uncertainties in regulations could stall such intentions. Through discussing how the accounting regulators responded to this firm's actions (and vice versa), this paper helps us to understand better the prerequisites for effective policy design and corporate decision‐making in the context of IFRS adoption and implementation. This paper, using a qualitative research method, will also add to exiting IFRS literature which mainly focuses on quantitative analysis.
Efficacy of endoscopic large balloon dilation extended for 2 minutes in bile duct stone removal: A multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Nakahara Kazunari , Michikawa Yosuke , Suetani Keigo , Sato Junya , Igarashi Yosuke , Sekine Akihiro , Kobayashi Shinjiro , Matsuda Koji , Otsubo Takehito , Itoh Fumio
Published: July 2021

Background/Purpose

There is no evidence regarding the optimal balloon dilation time during endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD). The study aim was to evaluate the efficacy of 2‐minute extended balloon dilation for EPLBD.

Methods

Two hundred and five patients who underwent EPLBD during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for bile duct stones at three tertiary centers were included in the analysis. Clinical outcomes and the adverse events were compared between the 0‐minute group (n = 94, balloon deflated immediately after waist disappearance) and the 2‐minute group (n = 111, balloon dilation maintained for 2 minutes after waist disappearance). The risk factors of post‐ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) after EPLBD were assessed.

Results

There were no significant differences in the stone removal rates and hospitalization periods between the two groups. However, the total ERCP procedure time was significantly shorter in the 2‐minute group (40.6 vs 48.9 min, P = .03). The incidence of PEP was 7.4% in the 0‐minute group and significantly lower at 0.9% in the 2‐minute group (P = .04). Multivariate analysis identified without 2‐minute extended EPLBD as a significant risk factor of PEP (OR: 9.9, P = .045).

Conclusions

Extension of EPLBD for 2 minutes helped prevent PEP and shortened the procedure time.
Research on preparation and in vitro evaluation of the dendrimer–peptide nuclear acid conjugate for amplification pretargeting
Authors: Cai Le , He Shuhua , Zheng Xiaobei , Li Jie , Wang Hong , Liu Yuxia , Zhang Lan
Published: July 2021

Amplification pretargeting has the potential to increase the tracer's accumulation in the tumor. This study aimed to develop a three‐step amplification pretargeting strategy in nuclear medicine with a polymer conjugated with multiple copies of peptide nuclear acid (PNA). In this study, the tracer 18F‐labeled complementary PNA (18F‐cPNA) was prepared by click‐chemistry with high radiochemical purity (>99%) and great stability in vitro. The PAMMA dendrimer generation 4 (G4) was conjugated with multiple copies of PNAs. The average number of PNA groups in the G4‐PNA conjugate was determined by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) and the accessibility to the 18F‐cPNA was identified by size‐exclusion high‐performance liquid chromatography (SE‐HPLC). There were approximately 11.7 of 64 carboxyl groups modified with PNAs, of which more than 99% were accessible to 18F‐cPNA. 18F‐cPNA was added to a mixture of CC49‐cPNA and G4‐PNA, and the complex exhibited a single peak on high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as evidence of complete hybridization between 18F‐cPNA and CC49‐cPNA/G4‐PNA. The LS174T tumor cells were incubated with CC49‐cPNA followed by G4‐PNA as an amplification platform before 18F‐cPNA was added to hybridize with CC49‐cPNA/G4‐PNA. Compared with conventional pretargeting without G4‐PNA, the radioactivity signal was amplified about four times, which demonstrated that the dendrimer–PNA conjugate plays a crucial role in signal amplification.
Phosphoproteomic analysis of duck egg yolk provides novel insights into its characteristics and biofunctions
Authors: Arshad Rida , Meng Yaqi , Qiu Ning , Geng Fang , Mine Yoshinori , Keast Russell , Zhu Chunxia
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

Although the importance of phosphorylation in the function of proteins is known, investigation of the protein phosphorylation of duck egg yolk (DEY) is still very limited. This study aimed to conduct a detailed phosphoproteomic study of DEY using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and ultra‐high liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

A total of 253 phosphorylation sites assigned to 66 phosphoproteins were identified in DEY, of which VTG‐1, VTG‐2, and fibrinogen alpha chain were found to be the highly phosphorylated proteins in DEY. The biological functions of the identified phosphoproteins were illuminated through gene ontology analysis, which showed that they were mainly involved in binding, catalytic, immune response, and metabolic activity. S‐X‐E and S‐X‐S were found to be the most conserved serine motifs of phosphorylation in DEY. The comparison of DEY phosphoproteins with those of chicken egg yolk (CEY) revealed that differences mostly involved molecular functions and biological processes. The comparison also revealed a higher phosphorylation level in DEY proteins.

CONCLUSION

The higher phosphorylation level in DEY proteins than that in CEY proteins are supposed to help enhance duck growth performance and biological activities (e.g. antibacterial and antioxidant ability) for better adapting the humid environment the duck lived. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
New MHA CEO commits to eradicating stigma, fighting for equity, social justice
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: July 2021

As Mental Health America's (MHA's) new President and Chief Executive Officer Schroeder Stribling continues to assimilate into her new role, which became effective June 28, she finds that her experience as a social worker and head of a nonprofit providing housing services to women experiencing homelessness, has prepared her well for the task of leading the nation in understanding more about individual mental health and recovery.
Pennsylvania leaders reinforce need to maintain focus on racial inequity
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: July 2021

State leaders in Pennsylvania used last month's commemoration of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to reinforce the importance of addressing racial disparities in access to high‐quality mental health services. A July 23 press event addressed themes articulated in a state Department of Human Services (DHS) report on racial equity, one that also looks inward to where the state agency can do better.
Stationary distribution and periodic solution of a stochastic Nicholson's blowflies model with distributed delay
Authors: Mu Xiaojie , Jiang Daqing , Hayat Tasawar , Alsaedi Ahmed , Ahmad Bashir
Published: July 2021

Due to the complex set of abiotic and biotic interaction variables in the ecosystems, the dynamics of animal populations are generally considered to be driven in astate‐dependent manner. This paper presents an analysis of a stochastic Nicholson's blowflies model with distributed delay, which consists of the existence and uniqueness of globally positive solution, extinction, existence of positive T‐periodic solution and positive recurrence. Our results suggest that a smaller white noise is necessary to cause the existence of positive T‐periodic solution and positive recurrence of the stochastic model, while a larger white noise will accelerate the extinction of the population. In addition, numerical simulation is used to support our main results.
SCU‐Net: A deep learning method for segmentation and quantification of breast arterial calcifications on mammograms
Authors: Guo Xiaoyuan , O'Neill W. Charles , Vey Brianna , Yang Tianen Christopher , Kim Thomas J. , Ghassemi Maryzeh , Pan Ian , Gichoya Judy Wawira , Trivedi Hari , Banerjee Imon
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Measurements of breast arterial calcifications (BAC) can offer a personalized, non‐invasive approach to risk‐stratify women for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. We aim to detect and segment breast arterial calcifications in mammograms accurately and suggest novel measurements to quantify detected BAC for future clinical applications.

Methods

To separate BAC in mammograms, we propose a lightweight fine vessel segmentation method Simple Context U‐Net (SCU‐Net). Due to the large image size of mammograms, we adopt a patch‐based way to train SCU‐Net and obtain the final whole‐image‐size results by stitching patchwise results together. To further quantify calcifications, we test five quantitative metrics to inspect the progression of BAC for subjects: sum of mask probability metric (), sum of mask area metric (), sum of mask intensity metric (), sum of mask area with threshold intensity metric , and sum of mask intensity with threshold X metric . Finally, we demonstrate the ability of the metrics to longitudinally measure calcifications in a group of 26 subjects and evaluate our quantification metrics compared with calcified voxels and calcium mass on breast CT for 10 subjects.

Results

Our segmentation results are compared with state‐of‐the‐art network architectures based on recall, precision, accuracy, F1 score/Dice score, and Jaccard index evaluation metrics and achieve corresponding values of 0.789, 0.708, 0.997, 0.729, and 0.581 for whole‐image‐size results. The quantification results all show >95% correlation between quantification measures on predicted masks of SCU‐Net as compared to the groundtruth and measurement of calcification on breast CT. For the calcification quantification measurement, our calcification volume (voxels) results yield R2‐correlation values of 0.834, 0.843, 0.832, 0.798, and 0.800 for the metrics, respectively; our calcium mass results yield comparable R2‐correlation values of 0.866, 0.873, 0.840, 0.774, and 0.798 for the same metrics.

Conclusions

Simple Context U‐Net is a simple method to accurately segment arterial calcification retrospectively on routine mammograms. Quantification of the calcifications based on this segmentation in the retrospective cohort study has sufficient sensitivity to detect the normal progression over time and should be useful for future research and clinical applications.
Molecular Spectra and Frequency Patterns of Somatic Mutations in Arab Women with Breast Cancer
Authors: Al-Shamsi Humaid O. , Abu-Gheida Ibrahim , Abdulsamad Ahmed S. , AlAwadhi Aydah , Alrawi Sadir , Musallam Khaled M. , Arun Banu , Ibrahim Nuhad K.
Published: July 2021

Background

The role of somatic mutations in breast cancer prognosis and management continues to be recognized. However, data on the molecular profiles of Arab women are limited.

Materials and Methods

This was a cross-sectional study based on medical chart review of all Arab women diagnosed with breast cancer at a single institution between 2010 and 2018 who underwent next-generation sequencing with Ampliseq 46-Gene or 50-Gene.

Results

A total of 78 Arab women were identified, with a median age at diagnosis of 52.3 years (range: 37–82 years; 38.5% ≤50 years). The majority of patients had stage III or IV disease (74.4%). Next-generation sequencing revealed the following somatic mutation rates: TP53, 23.1%; ATM, 2.6%; IDH1, 2.6%; IDH2, 3.8%; PTEN, 7.7%; PIK3CA, 15.4%; APC, 7.7%; NPM1, 2.5%; MPL, 1.3%; JAK2, 2.5%; KIT, 7.7%; KRAS, 3.8%; and NRAS, 3.8%.

Conclusion

Our study illustrates frequencies of somatic mutations in Arab women with breast cancer and suggests potential variations from estimates reported in the Western population. These data calls for larger epidemiologic studies considering the evolving role of such mutations in prognostication and personalized management.
Investigating socioeconomic inequalities in BMI growth rates during childhood and adolescence
Authors: Killedar Anagha , Lung Thomas , Hayes Alison
Published: July 2021

Background

Many countries report socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity, but when they develop is not well‐characterised. Studies rarely isolate BMI growth rates from overall BMI, perhaps overlooking an important precursor to the observed inequalities in obesity. The objective of this study was to determine the age at which inequalities in BMI growth rates develop in children and whether they are similar across the BMI spectrum.

Methods

Using the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n = 9024), a cohort study, we measured socioeconomic inequalities in annual BMI growth from age 2 to 17 years by age, sex and weight status. We fit a linear model using generalised estimating equations (GEE) to estimate simultaneously the effects of age and weight status on inequalities in BMI growth rate.

Results

The slope (SII) and relative (RII) indexes of inequality for annual BMI growth were greatest in middle childhood (age 4–11 years) (SII 0.25, RII 1.83 (boys) 1.78 (girls)) and were moderate during adolescence (age 10–17 years) (SII 0.11, RII 1.16 [boys] 1.15 [girls]). In early childhood, there was little evidence of inequality in annual BMI growth except in children with obesity. In middle childhood and adolescence, inequalities were greater at higher weight status. The GEE indicated that both weight status (P < 0.001) and age period (P < 0.001) affected inequalities in BMI growth rates.

Conclusions

Inequalities in annual BMI growth were strongest in middle childhood, and widest in children at the upper end of the BMI spectrum. This could signify a key age bracket to intervene clinically and at a public health level and improve inequalities in childhood obesity.
Rapid conversion to virtual obesity care in COVID‐19: Impact on patient care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and training
Authors: Lohnberg Jessica A. , Salcido Lianne , Frayne Susan , Mahtani Naina , Bates Cheryl , Hauser Michelle E. , Breland Jessica Y.
Published: July 2021

Objective

The COVID‐19 pandemic presents challenges to maintaining interdisciplinary collaboration while transitioning care to telehealth environments. This paper describes how an intensive weight management clinic rapidly transitioned from in‐person only to a telehealth environment.

Method

As a program evaluation project, changes to clinic procedures were tracked on a weekly basis. Patients were invited to complete phone surveys after clinic appointments from 1 May 2020 to 31 July 2020. The survey included 12 items rated on a 5‐point scale (“strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”).

Results

Adaptations included converting team meetings and clinical training to phone/video platforms and transferring a complex patient tracking system to an interactive virtual format. Fifty‐eight patients completed phone surveys (81% response rate). All “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they were satisfied with telehealth care; 51% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that telephone visits were as good as in‐person visits; and 53% preferred phone appointments even after pandemic restrictions are eased.

Conclusions

It is feasible to rapidly transition to a telehealth clinic when supported by infrastructure and resources of a national, integrated healthcare system. Patient preferences include access to both telehealth and in‐person services. A blended telehealth/in‐person model that maintains interdisciplinary collaboration and training is necessary even after the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Spray‐free polypropylene composites reinforced by coupling agent treated jute fiber
Authors: Shi Yi‐Cheng , Guan Ji‐Peng , Wu Ji‐Na , Yang Ya‐Ru , Yang Yu‐Rong , Lv Hong‐Xia , Shen Xiao‐Jun , Wang Hong‐Quan
Published: July 2021

In this work, jute fiber and aluminum (Al) powder were used synergistically to improve the mechanical properties and color of polypropylene (PP) composites, which can be used as spray‐free materials. The effect of jute fiber and Al powder on the mechanical properties of PP composites was systematically investigated. The results show that jute fiber and Al powder can significantly improve the tensile strength and impact strength of PP. Compared with pure PP, the tensile strength, impact strength, and elastic modulus of jute/Al/PP composites were increased by 55.1%, 78.9%, and 263%, respectively. Compared with Al/PP spray‐free materials, they were increased by 11.2%, 9.07%, and 103%, respectively. Statistical analysis by one‐way analysis of variance confirmed that Al powder and jute fiber have significant improvement on the mechanical properties of PP composites.
Risk of fall‐related injury and all‐cause hospitalization of select concomitant central nervous system medication prescribing in older adult persistent opioid users: A case‐time‐control analysis
Authors: Moran Kellyn M. , Calip Gregory S. , Lee Todd A. , Koronkowski Michael J. , Lau Denys T. , Schumock Glen T.
Published: July 2021

Background

Concomitant use of central nervous system (CNS) medications frequently occurs in older adults with persistent opioid use. The risks of adverse outcomes associated with combinations of opioids, sedative hypnotics, or skeletal muscle relaxants have not been sufficiently described in this population.

Objective

To compare the overall and incremental risk of (1) fall‐related injury and (2) all‐cause hospitalization associated with sedative hypnotics and skeletal muscle relaxants among older persistent opioid users.

Methods

A case‐time‐control study was conducted using administrative claims of adults ages ≥66 years with a history of persistent (≥90 days) opioid use. Cases included those with first (1) emergency department, hospital, or outpatient visit for a fall‐related injury, or (2) all‐cause hospitalization. Exposure to CNS medications prior to the case event versus earlier periods, and the risk associated with CNS drug class combinations and sequence of use, was estimated using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for time trends and time‐varying covariates.

Results

Among 140,101 older persistent opioid users, 20,723 experienced fall‐related injury and 39,444 were hospitalized during follow‐up. Skeletal muscle relaxant use was associated with an increased risk of fall‐related injury (Odds ratio [OR] 1.28) and all‐cause hospitalization (OR 1.11). Statistically significant associations were observed for the joint effects of interactions involving skeletal muscle relaxants on fall‐related injury (with opioid: OR 1.25; with sedative hypnotic: OR 1.24), and interactions involving opioids on all‐cause hospitalization (with sedative hypnotic: OR 1.10; with skeletal muscle relaxant: OR 1.17). The addition of a skeletal muscle relaxant to an opioid regimen was associated with a 25% increased risk of fall‐related injury. Additions of other CNS medications did not have apparent incremental effects on the risk of all‐cause hospitalization.

Conclusion

The excess risks of fall‐related injury and hospitalization associated with various combinations of CNS medications among older persistent opioid users should be considered in therapeutic decision making. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.