bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-throughput Screening Computation for Discovery of Porous Zeolites for Hydrogen Storage
Authors: Yeo Byung Chul
Published: June 2022

Hydrogen is considered an attractive energy resource because it is eco-friendly in contrast with fossil fuels. Hydrogen storage remains as essential technology for increasing the use of the hydrogen in applications such as hydrogen vehicles and fuel cells. Hydrogen storage requires retaining a high density of hydrogen molecules at ambient temperature in a suitable tank. Zeolites are one of the promising hydrogen storage materials, but experimentally investigating them for hydrogen storage is difficult since the number of the zeolites in the largescale material database has been increasing. In the present study I developed an efficient method of exploring potential zeolites in the database that had high volumetric hydrogen storage capacity. To do this I employed a high-throughput screening approach to automatically construct a zeolite database for hydrogen storage in the Inorganic Crystal Structural Database (ICSD). Also, I performed grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations to estimate hydrogen adsorption isotherms at operating ambient temperatures, to determine the volumetric hydrogen storage capacity of the zeolites. Finally, I found 10 top ranked materials in the zeolite database for H2 storage, and I calculated Pearson’s correlation coefficient to revealed the linear correlations between the hydrogen storage capacities and 3 structural characteristics (i.e., surface area, largest cavity diameter, pore limiting diameter). Furthermore, I investigated atom species in the 10 materials to show the relation between the hydrogen storage capacities and chemical elements. In future works, I expect the method can be easily applied to accelerate the discovery and design of porous materials for storing CO2 or toxic gases.
Women and Covid-19. The Perspective of Spanish Female Social Workers during the First Wave of the Pandemic
Authors: BURGOS-SERRANO Emilio , MUNOZ-MORENO Rocio , MORILLA-LUCHENA Aleix , VAZQUEZ-AGUADO Octavio
Published: June 2022

This paper aims to analyse the impact of Covid-19 on women professionals in social services in Spain and to determine which variables may have affected them to a greater or lesser extent. The consequences of the pandemic are not gender-neutral, so it is particularly relevant to know the perspective of this highly feminised professional group, which continued to carry out its essential activity during the hardest moments of the pandemic. For this purpose, a sample of 466 women professionals in the sector was obtained in fieldwork carried out between 1 and 19 April 2020. The results showed that social workers perceived great difficulty in continuing to carry out their functions in this context, as well as a notorious affectation both personally and professionally, with the youngest, those with the least seniority in the organisation and those with dependent children being the most affected in some of the different aspects analysed.
Interaction between Surrogate Mother and Intended Mother: Sociological Aspects in Surrogacy
Authors: SILVERN Racheli , COJOCARU Stefan
Published: June 2022

The surrogacy phenomenon has existed since ancient biblical times in which the barren Sarrai offers her maid Hagar to her husband Abraham to have a child with her. This relationship formed between Hagar and Sarrai, created conflicts that exist to this day. This article was written as part of the doctoral thesis, and aims to present the nature of the relationship that exists between the Israeli intended mothers and the Israeli surrogates, the intended mothers who have chosen to apply for surrogacy outside the country’s borders, and examine the relationship between the surrogates who were all Israelis to the Israeli intend mothers. The subject was explored in sociological aspects, according to Symbolic interaction Theory, which is a sociological theory that was presented to the American sociology by George Herbert Mead at the 1920s. The method that was approach is the qualitative method. The present study comprised of 70 women residing in Israel. The women’s ages ranged between 22 and 64 (M = 36.59, SD = 8.53). The women were sampled from two different groups. The first group comprised of 34 intended mothers who underwent a surrogacy process (41.4%). The second group comprised of 36 surrogate mothers who have undergone a pregnancy for other couples (51.4%). Analysis of the content done on the data collected from the interviews revealed two main themes - Emotions and Values involved in the interaction between the intended mother’s and the surrogate. This study opens the door to a variety of emotions and values that involve and guide the interaction between the two groups of mothers and allows a rare glimpse into the depths of the souls of women who are unable to have a child and women who are willing to fulfill another woman’s dream and, thus, sometimes, their altruistic aspirations.
Mediators’ Skills for Trust Building Inventory. A Psychometric Networks Approach
Authors: RIERA ADROVER Joan Albert , SESE Albert , MONTANO Juan Jose
Published: June 2022

Trust building depends both on therapeutic alliance construction and the quality of the intervention. Although trust-building has received much attention in the literature, there are hardly any validated tools to assess it. In order to cover this gap, the main goal of this work is to present a psychometric inventory for measuring both the skills for building a therapeutic alliance and the skills for intervention through a mediation process. 170 subjects, mediators and clients, voluntarily participated in the validation study. An advanced approach by means of psychometric networks was used to estimate and test the two-factor hypothesized model: 1) Skills for building a therapeutic alliance, and 2) Skills for the intervention in the mediation process. An Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) with the Triangulated Maximally Filtered Graph (TMFG) was implemented for estimating the inventory latent network with all items. Further bootstrapping techniques were used for assessing the latent structure stability. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) over the best fitted EGA model was applied with a robust estimator (WLSMV). Reliability analyses for the best-fitted model were also implemented. Results indicated a stable and well-fitted two-factor latent network model, which was also confirmed by CFA: (2scaled = 216.84, df = 169, p = .008, RMSEA = .039, CFI = .986, TLI = .984). All reliability indices for the two-factor model obtained adequate values (above .80) and all items provided adequate psychometric behavior. This new inventory can be useful for developing improvement professional practice training programs, and also for enriching mediation-related higher education curricula.
Bone Marrow Microenvironment-On-Chip for Culture of Functional Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Authors: Sharipol Azmeer , Lesch Maggie L. , Soto Celia A. , Frisch Benjamin J.
Published: June 2022

Hematopoiesis takes place in the bone marrow and is supported by a complex cellular and molecular network in the bone marrow microenvironment. Commonly used models of the human bone marrow microenvironment include murine models and two-dimensional and three-dimensional tissue cultures. While these model systems have led to critical advances in the field, they fail to recapitulate many aspects of the human bone marrow. This has limited our understanding of human bone marrow pathophysiology and has led to deficiencies in therapy for many bone marrow pathologies such as bone marrow failure syndromes and leukemias. Therefore, we have developed a modular murine bone marrow microenvironment-on-chip using a commercially available microfluidic platform. This model includes a vascular channel separated from the bone marrow channel by a semi-porous membrane and incorporates critical components of the bone marrow microenvironment, including osteoblasts, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. This system is capable of maintaining functional hematopoietic stem cells in vitro for at least 14 days at frequencies similar to what is found in the primary bone marrow. The modular nature of this system and its accessibility will allow for acceleration of our understanding of the bone marrow.
A Review of Enzyme-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Applicability in the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Alarifi Sulaiman A. , Mustafa Ayyaz , Omarov Kamal , Baig Abdul Rehman , Tariq Zeeshan , Mahmoud Mohamed
Published: June 2022

Enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) techniques are used in several disciplines and for a wide range of applications. In the oil and gas industry, EICP is a relatively new technique and is actively used for enhanced oil recovery applications, removal of undesired chemicals and generating desired chemicals in situ, and plugging of fractures, lost circulation, and sand consolidation. Many oil- and gas-bearing formations encounter the problem of the flow of sand grains into the wellbore along with the reservoir fluids. This study offers a detailed review of sand consolidation using EICP to solve and prevent sand production issues in oil and gas wells. Interest in bio-cementation techniques has gained a sharp increase recently due to their sustainable and environmentally friendly nature. An overview of the factors affecting the EICP technique is discussed with an emphasis on the in situ reactions, leading to sand consolidation. Furthermore, this study provides a guideline to assess sand consolidation performance and the applicability of EICP to mitigate sand production issues in oil and gas wells.
Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People With Type 1 Diabetes: Results of an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
Authors: Schmid Fabienne , Schmitt Andreas , Hermanns Norbert , Kulzer Bernhard , Ehrmann Dominic
Published: June 2022

Aims

Psychological distress due to living with diabetes, demanding self-management tasks, impacts on life, and risks of complications is common among people living with diabetes. COVID-19 could pose a new additional risk factor for psychological distress in this group. This study aimed to analyze levels of COVID-19-related burdens and fears, variables explaining these levels, and associations with the concurrent 7-day COVID-19 incidence in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

A total of 113 people with T1D (58% women; age: 42.3 ± 9.9 years) participated in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study between December 2020 and March 2021. The participants reported daily levels of COVID-19-related burdens and fears over 10 consecutive days. Global ratings of COVID-19-related burdens and fears were assessed using questionnaires, as were current and previous levels of diabetes distress (PAID), acceptance (DAS), fear of complications (FCQ), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and diabetes self-management (DSMQ). Current levels of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms were compared with pre-pandemic ratings gained during an earlier study phase. Associations between burdens and fears, psychosocial and somatic aspects, and the concurrent 7-day incidence rate were analyzed using multilevel regression.

Results

Diabetes distress and depressive symptoms reported during the pandemic were comparable to pre-pandemic levels (PAID: p = .89; CES-D: p = .38). Daily EMA ratings reflected relatively low mean COVID-19-related burdens and fears in everyday life. However, there was substantial day-to-day variation per person indicating higher burdens on specific days. Multilevel analyses showed that daily COVID-19-related burdens and fears were significantly predicted by pre-pandemic levels of diabetes distress and diabetes acceptance but were not associated with the concurrent 7-day incidence rate nor with demographic and medical variables.

Conclusions

This study observed no increase in diabetes distress and depressive symptoms during the pandemic in people with T1D. The participants reported low to moderate levels of COVID-19-related burdens. COVID-19-related burdens and fears could be explained by pre-pandemic levels of diabetes distress and acceptance but not by demographic and clinical risk variables. The findings suggest that mental factors may constitute stronger predictors of COVID-19-related burdens and fears than objective somatic conditions and risks in middle-aged adults with T1D.
Temperature Controls Onset and Period of NF-κB Oscillations and can Lead to Chaotic Dynamics
Authors: Heltberg Mathias , von Borries Mads , Bendix Poul Martin , Oddershede Lene B. , Jensen Mogens H.
Published: June 2022

The transcription factor NF-κB plays a vital role in the control of the immune system, and following stimulation with TNF-α its nuclear concentration shows oscillatory behaviour. How environmental factors, in particular temperature, can control the oscillations and thereby affect gene stimulation is still remains to be resolved question. In this work, we reveal that the period of the oscillations decreases with increasing temperature. We investigate this using a mathematical model, and by applying results from statistical physics, we introduce temperature dependency to all rates, resulting in a remarkable correspondence between model and experiments. Our model predicts how temperature affects downstream protein production and find a crossover, where high affinity genes upregulates at high temperatures. Finally, we show how or that oscillatory temperatures can entrain NF-κB oscillations and lead to chaotic dynamics presenting a simple path to chaotic conditions in cellular biology.
Ubiquitin Binding Protein 2-Like (UBAP2L): is it so NICE After All?
Authors: Guerber Lucile , Pangou Evanthia , Sumara Izabela
Published: June 2022

Ubiquitin Binding Protein 2-like (UBAP2L, also known as NICE-4) is a ubiquitin- and RNA-binding protein, highly conserved in metazoans. Despite its abundance, its functions have only recently started to be characterized. Several studies have demonstrated the crucial involvement of UBAP2L in various cellular processes such as cell cycle regulation, stem cell activity and stress-response signaling. In addition, UBAP2L has recently emerged as a master regulator of growth and proliferation in several human cancers, where it is suggested to display oncogenic properties. Given that this versatile protein is involved in the regulation of multiple and distinct cellular pathways, actively contributing to the maintenance of cell homeostasis and survival, UBAP2L might represent a good candidate for future therapeutic studies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge and latest advances on elucidating UBAP2L cellular functions, with an aim to highlight the importance of targeting UBAP2L for future therapies.
Development of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Rapid Detection System Based on Platinum Microelectrode
Authors: Zhai Jiali , Ji Piyou , Xin Yu , Liu Yifan , Qu Qianwen , Han Wentong , Zhao Guangtao
Published: June 2022

Rapid and highly sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in blood could effectively improve the diagnostic sensitivity of colorectal cancer. In this work, a platinum microelectrode (PtμE) modified with gold nanoparticles was developed as a microsensor for the detection of CEA. As the recognition element, a CEA aptamer modified with sulfhydryl could be conjugated onto the surface of the PtμEs/Au. The quantitative analysis of the concentration of CEA [CEA] by the prepared PtμEs/Au aptasensor was carried out through square wave voltammetry. Under the optimized conditions, the PtμEs/Au aptasensor exhibits a linear response toward [CEA] in the range of 1.0 × 10–11—1.0 × 10–7 g/ml (S = 5.5 nA/dec, R2 = 0.999), and the detection limit is 7.7 × 10–12 g/ml. The PtμEs/Au aptasensor also has good selectivity against other types of proteins existing in blood. The availability of the developed assay toward [CEA] in blood samples was investigated, and the results agreed well with those obtained through electrochemiluminescence provided by the hospital, and the volume of the blood sample for detection is only 20 μl. Herein, the proposed detection system could be used for the quantitative analysis of CEA in blood, with the advantages of high sensitivity, short time, and low cost. Moreover, the PtμEs/Au aptasensor has a potential application in clinical diagnosis.
The Development and Progression of Micro-Nano Optics
Authors: Wang Yong , Yang Jie , Wang Zhiwei , Kong Xiaofei , Sun Xiangyu , Tian Jingjing , Zhang Xiushuo , Zhao Xiaolong , Liu Yanping , Li Hongsheng , Su Yuqing , Hao Xiaorui , Xu Jing
Published: June 2022

Micro-Nano optics is one of the most active frontiers in the current development of optics. It combines the cutting-edge achievements of photonics and nanotechnology, which can realize many brand-new functions on the basis of local electromagnetic interactions and become an indispensable key science and technology of the 21st century. Micro-Nano optics is also an important development direction of the new optoelectronics industry at present. It plays an irreplaceable role in optical communication, optical interconnection, optical storage, sensing imaging, sensing measurement, display, solid-state lighting, biomedicine, security, green energy, and other fields. In this paper, we will summarize the research status of micro-nano optics, and analyze it from four aspects: micro-nano luminescent materials and devices, micro-nano optical waveguide materials and devices, micro-nano photoelectric detection materials and devices, and micro-nano optical structures and devices. Finally, the future development of micro-nano optics will be prospected.
Identification and Characterization of Three Spore Wall Proteins of Enterocytozoon Bieneusi
Authors: Meng Xinan , Ye Haojie , Shang Ziyu , Sun Lianjing , Guo Yaqiong , Li Na , Xiao Lihua , Feng Yaoyu
Published: June 2022

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common microsporidian pathogen in farm animals and humans. Although several spore wall proteins (SWPs) of other human-pathogenic microsporidia have been identified, SWPs of E. bieneusi remain poorly characterized. In the present study, we identified the sequences of three E. bieneusi SWPs from whole genome sequence data, expressed them in Escherichia coli, generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against one of them (EbSWP1), and used the mAb in direct immunofluorescence detection of E. bieneusi spores in fecal samples. The amino acid sequence of EbSWP1 shares some identity to EbSWP2 with a BAR2 domain, while the sequence of EbSWP3 contains a MICSWaP domain. No cross-reactivity among the EbSWPs was demonstrated using the polyclonal antibodies generated against them. The mAb against EbSWP1 was shown to react with E. bieneusi spores in fecal samples. Using chromotrope 2R staining-based microscopy as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the direct immunofluorescence for the detection of E. bieneusi were 91.4 and 73.7%. Data generated from the study could be useful in the characterization of E. bieneusi and immunological detection of the pathogen.
CT295 Is Chlamydia trachomatis’ Phosphoglucomutase and a Type 3 Secretion Substrate
Authors: Triboulet Sébastien , N’Gadjaga Maimouna D. , Niragire Béatrice , Köstlbacher Stephan , Horn Matthias , Aimanianda Vishukumar , Subtil Agathe
Published: June 2022

The obligate intracellular bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis store glycogen in the lumen of the vacuoles in which they grow. Glycogen catabolism generates glucose-1-phosphate (Glc1P), while the bacteria can take up only glucose-6-phosphate (Glc6P). We tested whether the conversion of Glc1P into Glc6P could be catalyzed by a phosphoglucomutase (PGM) of host or bacterial origin. We found no evidence for the presence of the host PGM in the vacuole. Two C. trachomatis proteins, CT295 and CT815, are potential PGMs. By reconstituting the reaction using purified proteins, and by complementing PGM deficient fibroblasts, we demonstrated that only CT295 displayed robust PGM activity. Intriguingly, we showed that glycogen accumulation in the lumen of the vacuole of a subset of Chlamydia species (C. trachomatis, C. muridarum, C. suis) correlated with the presence, in CT295 orthologs, of a secretion signal recognized by the type three secretion (T3S) machinery of Shigella. C. caviae and C. pneumoniae do not accumulate glycogen, and their CT295 orthologs lack T3S signals. In conclusion, we established that the conversion of Glc1P into Glc6P was accomplished by a bacterial PGM, through the acquisition of a T3S signal in a “housekeeping” protein. Acquisition of this signal likely contributed to shaping glycogen metabolism within Chlamydiaceae.
Immune Memory After Respiratory Infection With Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Revealed by in vitro Stimulation of Murine Splenocytes With Inactivated Pneumococcal Whole Cells: Evidence of Early Recall Responses by Transcriptomic Analysis
Authors: Moscardini Isabelle Franco , Santoro Francesco , Carraro Monica , Gerlini Alice , Fiorino Fabio , Germoni Chiara , Gholami Samaneh , Pettini Elena , Medaglini Donata , Iannelli Francesco , Pozzi Gianni
Published: June 2022

The in vitro stimulation of immune system cells with live or killed bacteria is essential for understanding the host response to pathogens. In the present study, we propose a model combining transcriptomic and cytokine assays on murine splenocytes to describe the immune recall in the days following pneumococcal lung infection. Mice were sacrificed at days 1, 2, 4, and 7 after Streptococcus pneumoniae (TIGR4 serotype 4) intranasal infection and splenocytes were cultured in the presence or absence of the same inactivated bacterial strain to access the transcriptomic and cytokine profiles. The stimulation of splenocytes from infected mice led to a higher number of differentially expressed genes than the infection or stimulation alone, resulting in the enrichment of 40 unique blood transcription modules, including many pathways related to adaptive immunity and cytokines. Together with transcriptomic data, cytokines levels suggested the presence of a recall immune response promoting both innate and adaptive immunity, stronger from the fourth day after infection. Dimensionality reduction and feature selection identified key variables of this recall response and the genes associated with the increase in cytokine concentrations. This model could study the immune responses involved in pneumococcal infection and possibly monitor vaccine immune response and experimental therapies efficacy in future studies.
The Gut Microbiota (Microbiome) in Cardiovascular Disease and Its Therapeutic Regulation
Authors: Rahman Md. Mominur , Islam Fahadul , -Or-Rashid Md. Harun , Mamun Abdullah Al , Rahaman Md. Saidur , Islam Md. Mohaimenul , Meem Atkia Farzana Khan , Sutradhar Popy Rani , Mitra Saikat , Mimi Anjuman Ara , Emran Talha Bin , Fatimawali  , Idroes Rinaldi , Tallei Trina Ekawati , Ahmed Muniruddin , Cavalu Simona
Published: June 2022

In the last two decades, considerable interest has been shown in understanding the development of the gut microbiota and its internal and external effects on the intestine, as well as the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as metabolic syndrome. The intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in human health and disease. Recent studies revealed that the gut microbiota can affect the host body. CVDs are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and patients favor death over chronic kidney disease. For the function of gut microbiota in the host, molecules have to penetrate the intestinal epithelium or the surface cells of the host. Gut microbiota can utilize trimethylamine, N-oxide, short-chain fatty acids, and primary and secondary bile acid pathways. By affecting these living cells, the gut microbiota can cause heart failure, atherosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial fibrosis, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery disease. Previous studies of the gut microbiota and its relation to stroke pathogenesis and its consequences can provide new therapeutic prospects. This review highlights the interplay between the microbiota and its metabolites and addresses related interventions for the treatment of CVDs.
U-Shaped Association Between Blood Pressure and Mortality Risk in ICU Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: The MIMIC-III Database
Authors: Shao Ying , Hu Jinzhu
Published: June 2022

Background

Existing evidence on the association between blood pressure (BP) and mortality risk in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is scarce.

Aim

This study aimed to assess the associations between blood pressure (BP) and risks of in-hospital and all-cause mortality in ICU patients with AF.

Methods

A total of 2,345 records of patients with AF whose BP was monitored after admission to the ICU were obtained from the MIMIC-III database. Incidences were calculated for endpoints (hospital mortality, 7-day mortality, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality). We performed smooth curve and logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between BP and the risk of each endpoint.

Results

Smooth curve regression showed that systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) followed U-shaped curves with respect to endpoints (hospital mortality, 7-day mortality, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality). The incidence of these endpoints was lowest at 110/70/55 mm Hg. There was an increased risk of 1-year mortality observed with BP > 110/70/55 mm Hg (SBP, odds ratio [OR] = 1.008, 95% CI 1.001–1.015, p = 0.0022; MBP, OR = 1.010, 95% CI 1.005–1.016, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age, sex, and medical history. In contrast, an inverse association between BP and the risk of 1-year mortality was observed with BP ≤ 110/70/55 mm Hg (SBP, OR = 0.981, 95% CI 0.974–0.988, p < 0.001; MBP OR = 0.959, 95% CI 0.939–0.979, p < 0.001; and DBP, OR = 0.970, 95% CI 0.957–0.983, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

We observed a U-shaped association between BP and in-hospital/all-cause mortality in ICU patients with AF. However, the underlying causes need to be investigated.
Relationship Between Length and Curvature of Ascending Aorta and Type a Dissection
Authors: Sun Lianjie , Li Xiao , Wang Guoqing , Sun Jianchao , Zhang Xiaoming , Chi Honghui , Cao Huihui , Ma Wanteng , Yan Zhisheng , Liu Gaoli
Published: June 2022

Background

Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) has a rapid onset and high mortality. Currently, aortic diameter is the major criterion for evaluating the risk of TAAD. We attempted to find other aortic morphological indicators to further analyze their relationships with the risk of type A dissection.

Methods

We included the imaging and clinical data of 112 patients. The patients were divided into three groups, of which Group 1 had 49 patients with normal aortic diameter, Group 2 had 22 patients with ascending aortic aneurysm, and Group 3 had 41 patients with TAAD. We used AW Server software, version 3.2, to measure aorta-related morphological indicators.

Results

First, in Group 1, the univariate analysis results showed that ascending aortic diameter was correlated with patient age (r2 = 0.35) and ascending aortic length (AAL) (r2 = 0.43). AAL was correlated with age (r2 = 0.12) and height (r2 = 0.11). Further analysis of the aortic morphological indicators among the three groups found that the median aortic diameter was 36.20 mm in Group 1 (Q1–Q3: 33.40–37.70 mm), 42.5 mm in Group 2 (Q1–Q3: 41.52–44.17 mm) and 48.6 mm in Group 3 (Q1–Q3: 42.4–55.3 mm). There was no significant difference between Groups 2 and 3 (P > 0.05). Group 3 had the longest AAL (median: 109.4 mm, Q1–Q3: 118.3–105.3 mm), followed by Group 2 (median: 91.0 mm, Q1–Q3: 95.97–84.12 mm) and Group 1 (81.20 mm, Q1–Q3: 76.90–86.20 mm), and there were statistically significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.05). The Aortic Bending Index (ABI) was 14.95 mm/cm in Group 3 (Q1–Q3: 14.42–15.78 mm/cm), 13.80 mm/cm in Group 2 (Q1–Q3: 13.42–14.42 mm/cm), and 13.29 mm/cm in Group 1 (Q1–Q3: 12.71–13.78 mm/cm), and the difference was statistically significant in comparisons between any two groups (P < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that aortic diameter + AAL + ABI differentiated Group 2 and Group 3 with statistical significance (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.834), which was better than aortic diameter alone (AUC = 0.657; P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We introduced the new concept of ABI, which has certain clinical significance in distinguishing patients with aortic dissection and aneurysm. Perhaps the ascending aortic diameter combined with AAL and ABI could be helpful in predicting the occurrence of TAAD.
The Impact of the Three Gorges Reservoir on Water Exchange Between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake
Authors: Zhang Peipei , Mao Jingqiao , Tian Mingming , Dai Lingquan , Hu Tengfei
Published: June 2022

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) operation has profoundly altered the hydrological regimes and ecosystem in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin. Its impacts on the river flow regime, sedimentation, lake level decline, and biodiversity have been extensively studied. However, the quantitative influence of the TGR on the downstream water exchange between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake is lacking attention. In this study, we developed a machine learning model to investigate the river–lake water exchange variations under the TGR operation in typical hydrological years, compared with the natural scenario (i.e., no TGR). The results show that the machine learning model could provide a fast and accurate approach to identify the long-distance impact of reservoirs. The operation of the TGR has significant effects on the water exchange between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake in the impounding period, with a 10,000 m³/s decrease in reservoir discharge approximately causing a 4,000 m³/s decrease in river–lake water exchange in the dry year and a decrease of 6,000 m³/s and 8,000 m³/s in reservoir discharge causing an increase of 4,000 m³/s and 6,000 m³/s in the normal year and the wet year, respectively. The TGR effect varies with different hydrological conditions of the river and lake, showing longer time range (from May to October) and greater degree (1.5 times the change rate in other years) in the wet year. The TGR operation is beneficial to the water maintenance of the lake in the dry year and flood control in the lake area in the wet year. This study provides a constructive approach and valuable information for decision making in water resource management and ecosystem protection in large river–lake systems.
Seasonal Variations of Chemical Weathering and CO2 Consumption Processes in the Headwater (Datong River Basin) of the Yellow River Draining the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Yang Liu , Zhang Fei , Hu Yadan , Zhan Yun , Deng Li , Huang Huayu , Sun Hui , Wei Yaben , Li Xiangliang
Published: June 2022

The Yellow River basin covers contrasting tectonics, climate, and vegetation settings. To explore the seasonal chemical weathering differences from the upstream to downstream of the Yellow River basin, we collected weekly river waters from the Datong River draining the Tibetan Plateau in 2017. Our results show remarkably seasonal variations of major ions. A forward model was employed to quantify the contribution of silicate, carbonate, and sulfide oxidation/evaporite and atmospheric input to the cations, which yielded the contributions of 9.21 ± 1.57%, 46.07 ± 1.4%, 21.46 ± 1.03%, and 23.26 ± 1.72%, respectively, indicating a dominated carbonate weathering to the river chemistry. The significant correlation between the carbonate weathering rate and runoff suggests a critical runoff control on chemical weathering in the Datong River catchment. A comprehensive comparison between the upper and middle-lower reaches of the Yellow River basin shows a declined silicate weathering and CO2 consumption rate (ØCO2sil) from the upstream to downstream. In contrast, the physical erosion rate shows an increased trend, with the most prominent increase in the midstream Loess Plateau. A further comparison between the Yellow River draining the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau shows 4.5 times higher ØCO2sil but 9.5 times lower erosion rate. In conclusion, we propose that the runoff, rather than erosion, plays a central role on chemical weathering in the Yellow River basin, which provides insight for in-depth understanding the surficial weathering and the global carbon cycle.
Evidence of Hydrocarbon Generation and Overpressure Development in an Unconventional Reservoir Using Fluid Inclusion and Stable Isotope Analysis From the Early Triassic, Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Authors: Kingston Andrew , Ardakani Omid H. , Watt Elizabeth , Samson Iain M.
Published: June 2022

Deep burial of sedimentary basins results in the development of complex diagenetic environments influenced by pressure, temperature, and metasomatic chemical processes. Fracture systems resulting from deep tectonic-related burial can provide archives of physio-chemical characteristics during burial helping unravel diagenetic events such as hydrocarbon migration and paleobarometry. The Early Triassic Montney Formation in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin is a highly productive unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir that has undergone multiple phases of tectonic-related burial and uplift resulting in the formation of a series of calcite-filled fracture systems. These fracture systems occur as vertical to sub-vertical fractures, brecciated zones, and horizontal bedding-plane parallel fractures that are rich in co-occurring, but not co-genetic aqueous and petroleum fluid inclusion assemblages. Fluid inclusion microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy, and stable isotope analysis of these fracture systems and host rock reveals paleobarometric and temperature conditions during fracture formation. Vertical fractures formed at temperatures exceeding 142°C during peak burial associated with the Laramide orogeny ∼50 Ma. Similarities in modeled oxygen isotope values of calcite parent fluids and pore water implicate locally sourced carbonate in fracture calcite. Therefore, low permeability and closed system-like conditions were prevalent throughout initial fracture formation and cementation. Petrographic analysis of brecciated and horizontal fractures show evidence of hydrocarbon generation and migration into fracture-filling calcite. Modeling of petroleum inclusion paleobarometry indicates entrapment pressures approaching or even exceeding lithostatic pressure consistent with the development of overpressure associated with the thermal maturation of organic matter following peak burial. Combined use of aqueous and petroleum fluid inclusions in this deeply buried sedimentary system offers a powerful tool for better understanding diagenetic fluid flow, the timing of hydrocarbon migration/maturation, and helps constrain the pressure-temperature history important for characterizing economically important geologic formations.
Noninvasive Chromosome Screening for Evaluating the Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Recurrent Pregnancy Loss or Repeated Implantation Failure
Authors: Xi Haitao , Qiu Lin , Yao Yaxin , Luo Lanzi , Sui Liucai , Fu Yanghua , Weng Qiuyi , Wang Jing , Zhao Junzhao , Zhao Yingzheng
Published: June 2022

This retrospective cohort study explores whether noninvasive chromosome screening (NICS) for aneuploidy can improve the clinical outcomes of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) or repeated implantation failure (RIF) in assisted reproductive technology. A total of 273 women with a history of RPL or RIF between 2018 and 2021 were included in this study. We collected data of all oocyte retrieval cycles and single blastocyst resuscitation transfer cycles. For the patients experiencing RPL, NICS reduced the miscarriages rate per frozen embryo transfer (FET), improved the ongoing pregnancies rate and live birth rate: 17.9% vs 42.6%, adjusted OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16–0.95; 40.7% vs 25.0%, adjusted OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.04–3.82; 38.9% vs 20.6%, adjusted OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.28–5.02, respectively. For the patients experiencing RIF, the pregnancy rates per FET in the NICS group were significantly higher than those in the non-NICS group (46.9% vs. 28.7%, adjusted OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.20–6.66). This study demonstrated that the selection of euploid embryos through NICS can reduce the miscarriage rate of patients experiencing RPL and improve the clinical pregnancy rate of patients experiencing RIF. Our data suggested NICS could be considered as a possibly useful screening test in clinical practice.
Impact of Obesity on Vaccination to SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Nasr Michaella-Jana C. , Geerling Elizabeth , Pinto Amelia K.
Published: June 2022

To combat the immense toll on global public health induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), new vaccines were developed. While these vaccines have protected the populations who received them from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, the effectiveness and durability of these vaccines in individuals with obesity are not fully understood. Our uncertainty of the ability of these novel vaccines to induce protective immunity in humans with obesity stems from historical data that revealed obesity-associated immune defects to influenza vaccines. This review analyzes the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in humans with obesity. According to the vaccine safety and efficacy information for the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson formulations, these vaccines showed a similar efficacy in both individuals with and without obesity. However, clinical trials that assess BMI and central obesity showed that induced antibody titers are lower in individuals with obesity when compared to healthy weight subjects, highlighting a potential early waning of vaccine-induced antibodies linked to obesity rates. Thus, the desired protective effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were potentially diminished in humans with obesity when compared to the healthy weight population, but further studies outlining functional implications of the link between obesity and lower antibody titers need to be conducted to understand the full impact of this immune phenomenon. Further, additional research must be completed to truly understand the immune responses mounted against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with obesity, and whether these responses differ from those elicited by previously studied influenza viruses.
Chromatographic Techniques to Separate and Identify Bioactive Compounds in Microalgae
Authors: Kiani Hossein , Aznar Ramón , Poojary Mahesha M. , Tiwari Brijesh K. , Halim Ronald
Published: June 2022

Microalgae are potential sources for the sustainable production of valuable chemicals including polyphenols, pigments, and ω-3 PUFAs. However, successful exploitation of these high value compounds in the food, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors depends greatly on their effective separation, identification, and analysis after recovery from the biomass. The findings of this review paper illustrated that chromatographic methods coupled to different types of detectors have been used as a crucial part of research on microalgal polyphenols, Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (ω-3 PUFAs), and pigments production through identification, measurement, sample preparation, and purification practices. Therefore, it is important to provide a comprehensive review regarding the current research in the field. The basic operating principles, parametric optimisation and detection units of common (liquid chromatography and gas chromatography) and novel chromatographic techniques (counter current chromatography, expanded bed adsorption chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography) used to separate, identify, and quantify polyphenols, PUFAs and pigments from microalgae matrices are comprehensively reviewed.
RETRACTED: PM2.5, Household Income, and Health Hazard: The Role of Economic Integration in the Process of Decarbonization in the Developing Economies
Authors: Jiang Xue , Zhong Shengyang , Munir Farzana , Cai Fenglin
Published: June 2022

The goal of this study is to examine the impact of household income and air pollution on the health of developing-country residents. The panel dataset of twelve developing nations used for this purpose. High levels of fine particulate matter in the air are linked to increased health problems, and lower incomes for households in the economies studied. However, effective environmental management and renewable energy resources have a significant role in controlling the harmful impact of fine particulate matter in the air. It highlights that developing economies could lower the fine particulate matter in the air by strengthening the regional environmental policies and adopting renewable resources. In emerging countries, environmentally friendly strategies and the shift from carbon base to non-carbon-based energy would minimize pollution in the atmosphere and improve the quality of life for inhabitants and other organisms. Improved quality of life and lower levels of fine particulate matter pollution are expected to increase people’s per capita income in the region. Finally, air pollution is a transboundary phenomenon; therefore, strict compliance with environmental protection policies at the regional level is a prerequisite for improved quality of the natural environment.
Influence of Environmental Regulation on Corporate Green Supply Chain Management: The Regulating Effect of Environmental Dynamism
Authors: Wang Songlin , Zhang Xuan
Published: June 2022

Environmental pollution, resource waste, and ecological imbalance have raised global concerns. Against this backdrop, green supply chain management (GSCM) becomes the focus of corporate sustainable development. Based on the institutional theory, thus study explores the influence of command-and-control environmental regulation (CCER) and market-based environmental regulation (MBER) over GSCM, as well as the regulating effect of environmental dynamism on the influence. A total of 191 valid responses were obtained through a questionnaire survey. The analysis of these responses shows that: CCER and MBER positive affect GSCM; environmental dynamism negatively regulates the correlations of CCER and MBER with GSCM. Based on these findings, theoretical guides and managerial implications were obtained for corporate GSCM.
Hatching Failure in Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) Is Linked to Maternal Identity
Authors: Duchak Thomas J. , Burke Russell L.
Published: June 2022

Wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) have been suffering range-wide population declines since the 1900s. Most monitoring efforts of these turtles involve population surveys to assess population size and viability but relatively few investigate rates of reproductive success. We collected four consecutive years (2013–2016) of wood turtle nesting data at a nesting site in northwestern New Jersey; population-level hatching success was unusually low. Furthermore, annual, intra-individual hatch rates and comparisons between natural and artificial incubation revealed that approximately half of all females usually produced clutches with low (<50%) hatch rates, regardless of incubation conditions. In contrast, the annual hatch rates of other females were either consistently high (>50%) or highly variable, ranging from 0 to 100%. Thus, some adult females are potentially making much larger contributions to the next generation than others. A repeatability analysis suggested that approximately 60% of the hatch rate variability observed in this population can be attributed to maternal identity. The remaining 40% may be attributed to the random environmental factors that are often theorized to be potential reasons for reduced hatch rates in turtle populations (e.g., unsuitable incubation conditions, flooding, desiccation, egg infertility, egg damage due to improper handling by researchers, root and insect predation, and microbial infection). The ultimate causes of this population’s hatching success variability are uncertain, but maternally-linked hatching failure in turtle populations could be associated with inbreeding, infertility, senescence, inadequate maternal diets, or environmental contamination. This study indicates that commonly suggested hypotheses for hatching failure, such as unsuitable incubation conditions or infertility, are unlikely to explain all of the hatch rate variability in some turtle populations. This study also reveals a cryptic conservation implication for vulnerable turtle populations: that the presence of many nesting females and nests does not necessarily assure high or even sustainable reproductive rates. When coupled with the high rates of nest predation and low juvenile survival rates that are common in most turtle populations, the exceedingly low hatch rates observed in this population suggest that recruitment in some turtle populations could be severely hindered even when nests are protected in the field or incubated in laboratory settings.
Capture Order Across Social Bathyergids Indicates Similarities in Division of Labour and Spatial Organisation
Authors: Zöttl Markus , Bensch Hanna M. , Finn Kyle T. , Hart Daniel W. , Thorley Jack , Bennett Nigel C. , Braude Stan
Published: June 2022

The social mole-rats of the family Bathyergidae show elaborate social organisation that may include division of labour between breeders and non-breeders as well as across non-breeders within their groups. However, comparative behavioural data across the taxa are rare and contrasts and similarities between species are poorly understood. Field studies of social bathyergids usually involve capturing all group members until the entire group is captured. Because each animal is only captured once and traps are typically placed in close proximity to active foraging areas, the order in which animals are captured provides an indication of the foraging activity of different individuals and of the spatial organisation of the group within the burrow system. Here, we compare the association of capture order with breeding status, sex, and body mass in four species and subspecies of social bathyergids, which vary in group size and represent all three social genera within the family Bathyergidae. We show that in naked and Damaraland mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber and Fukomys damarensis), male and female breeders are captured later than non-breeders, whereas in two different subspecies of the genus Cryptomys only female breeders are captured later than non-breeders. The effect sizes vary largely and are 10 times larger in naked mole-rats as compared to Fukomys and 3–4 times larger than in Cryptomys. Among non-breeders, sex effects are notably absent in all species and body mass predicted capture order in both naked and Damaraland mole-rats. In naked mole-rats, larger non-breeders were captured earlier than smaller ones, whereas in Damaraland mole-rats intermediate-sized non-breeders were captured first. Our data suggest that there are similarities in behavioural structure and spatial organisation across all social bathyergid species, though the most pronounced differences within groups are found in naked mole-rats.
Wetland Restoration Progress 39 Years After Canal Backfilling
Authors: Turner R. Eugene
Published: June 2022

Dredging to create canals and channels in wetlands is widespread and is a major cause of dramatically high wetland loss rates in coastal Louisiana. The dredged material placed alongside the canal forms continuous levees and can be dragged back into the canal to start wetland restoration (backfilling) but is rarely done. Thirty-three canals backfilled in the 1980s as opportunistic permit requirements were examined to determine their re-vegetation after 39 years. Sixteen of the 33 disturbed areas are now mostly restored to wetlands, and seventeen were compromised by re-dredging and other factors such as being surrounded by other canals or embedded within water level control structures. Success occurred where the natural hydrology was not artificially constrained by these structures. The re-vegetation of these 16 canals were compared to backfilled canals in the Barataria Preserve of the Jean Lafitte Historical National Park. The spoil bank was restored wetland habitat within a few years, and the open water of the canal was 70% re-vegetated after 39 years if there was no soil “plug” placed at the canal entrance during backfilling. Backfilling canals can be done on the 27 thousand abandoned canals across this coast for a low cost compared to other restoration strategies.