bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Species assemblage networks identify regional connectivity pathways among hydrothermal vents in the Northwest Pacific
Authors: Brunner Otis , Chen Chong , Giguère Thomas , Kawagucci Shinsuke , Tunnicliffe Verena , Watanabe Hiromi Kayama , Mitarai Satoshi
Published: December 2022

The distribution of species among spatially isolated habitat patches supports regional biodiversity and stability, so understanding the underlying processes and structure is a key target of conservation. Although multivariate statistics can infer the connectivity processes driving species distribution, such as dispersal and habitat suitability, they rarely explore the structure. Methods from graph theory, applied to distribution data, give insights into both connectivity pathways and processes by intuitively formatting the data as a network of habitat patches. We apply these methods to empirical data from the hydrothermal vent habitats of the Northwest Pacific. Hydrothermal vents are “oases” of biological productivity and endemicity on the seafloor that are imminently threatened by anthropogenic disturbances with unknown consequences to biodiversity. Here, we describe the structure of species assemblage networks at hydrothermal vents, how local and regional parameters affect their structure, and the implications for conservation. Two complementary networks were formed from an extensive species assemblage dataset: a similarity network of vent site nodes linked by weighted edges based on their pairwise assemblage similarity and a bipartite network of species nodes linked to vent site nodes at which they are present. Using these networks, we assessed the role of individual vent sites in maintaining network connectivity and identified biogeographic sub‐regions. The three sub‐regions and two outlying sites are separated by their spatial arrangement and local environmental filters. Both networks detected vent sites that play a disproportionately important role in regional pathways, while the bipartite network also identified key vent sites maintaining the distinct species assemblages of their sub‐regions. These regional connectivity pathways provide insights into historical colonization routes, while sub‐regional connectivity pathways are of value when selecting sites for conservation and/or estimating the multivent impacts from proposed deep‐sea mining.
Teaching the process of science with primary literature: Using the CREATE pedagogy in ecological courses
Authors: Smith Kevin G. , Paradise Christopher J.
Published: December 2022

There have been numerous calls for improved pedagogical practices in biological education, and there is a clear need for such improvements in ecology and related curricula. Most ecology‐related texts lack pedagogy and are designed to be content‐rich. National initiatives, such asVision & Change,provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence‐based active learning, and taking a more conceptual and science practice skills approach. Biology education research is rich with evidence‐based teaching practices, which reveal that active learning approaches implemented in thoughtful ways lead to strong learning gains relative to lecture‐based course delivery. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence‐based active pedagogical practices into one approach to STEM education that focuses heavily on the process of science and science practice skills rather than content delivery by replacing the textbook with selected journal articles. The approach focuses on deep reading and analysis of primary literature; immersing students in the literature is an advantage of the pedagogy. CREATE was developed and tested in other biological disciplines (genetics and molecular biology) that have long been at the forefront of pedagogical best practices in biology. We transformed two upper‐level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses. We provide examples of assignments, student work, and assessments of the approach, illustrating the various ways CREATE can be successfully implemented. The approach can be adopted in part, to ease into it and test it out, or in whole. We recommend that ecology teachers consider making their courses more active, if they have not already done so; adopting pedagogical practices embedded within CREATE can be a way to achieve active learning. The CREATE approach and other evidence‐based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments.
Heart failure: an update from the last years and a look at the near future
Authors: Riccardi Mauro , Sammartino Antonio Maria , Piepoli Massimo , Adamo Marianna , Pagnesi Matteo , Rosano Giuseppe , Metra Marco , von Haehling Stephan , Tomasoni Daniela
Published: December 2022

In the last years, major progress occurred in heart failure (HF) management. Quadruple therapy is now mandatory for all the patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction. Whilst verciguat is becoming available across several countries, omecamtiv mecarbil is waiting to be released for clinical use. Concurrent use of potassium‐lowering agents may counteract hyperkalaemia and facilitate renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor implementations. The results of the EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in Patients With chrOnic heaRt Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR‐Preserved) trial were confirmed by the Dapagliflozin in Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction (DELIVER) trial, and we now have, for the first time, evidence for treatment of also patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction. In a pre‐specified meta‐analysis of major randomized controlled trials, sodium–glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors reduced all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality, and HF hospitalization in the patients with HF regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction. Other steps forward have occurred in the treatment of decompensated HF. Acetazolamide in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Volume Overload (ADVOR) trial showed that the addition of intravenous acetazolamide to loop diuretics leads to greater decongestion vs. placebo. The addition of hydrochlorothiazide to loop diuretics was evaluated in the CLOROTIC trial. Torasemide did not change outcomes, compared with furosemide, in TRANSFORM‐HF. Ferric derisomaltose had an effect on the primary outcome of CV mortality or HF rehospitalizations in IRONMAN (rate ratio 0.82; 95% confidence interval 0.66–1.02; P = 0.070). Further options for the treatment of HF, including device therapies, cardiac contractility modulation, and percutaneous treatment of valvulopathies, are summarized in this article.
Spontaneous coronary hematoma concomitant with myocarditis: the first report of double cardiac complication of dengue
Authors: Corré Jérôme , Vally Shamir , Boiron Philippe , Bouillaud Yoann , Travers Jean‐Yves
Published: December 2022

We reported the case of a 33‐year‐old male who presented a dengue infection complicated by spontaneous coronary artery intramural hematoma associated with acute myocarditis. The initial presentation was a typical acute coronary syndrome with ST‐segment elevation. Coronary angiography and endocoronary optical coherence tomography confirmed the diagnosis of left anterior descending artery intramural hematoma. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed not only typical ischaemic injury but also lesions of acute myocarditis confirmed by native T1‐ and T2‐mapping, sub‐epicardial late gadolinium enhancement and pericardial effusion. This case highlights the multiple cardiac damages caused by dengue virus, their possible association (coincidental or linked?), and the impact of multimodal imaging on diagnosis and management.
How a stable greenhouse effect on Earth is maintained under global warming
Authors: Feng Jing , Paynter David , Menzel Raymond
Published: December 2022

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases that absorb and emit thermal energy.
In a warming climate, GHGs modulate the thermal cooling to space from
the surface and atmosphere, which is a fundamental feedback process that
affects climate sensitivity. Previous studies have stated that the
thermal cooling to space with global warming is primarily emitted from
the surface, rather than the atmosphere. Using a millennium-length
coupled general circulation model (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Laboratory’s CM3) and accurate line-by-line radiative transfer
calculations, here we show that the atmospheric cooling to space
accounts for 12 % to 50 % of Earth’s clear-sky longwave feedback
parameter from the poles to the tropics. The atmospheric cooling to
space is an efficient stabilizing feedback process because water vapor
and non-condensable GHGs tend to emit at higher temperatures with
surface warming as the thermodynamic structure of the atmosphere
evolves. A simple yet comprehensive model is proposed in this study for
predicting the clear-sky longwave feedback over a wide range of surface
temperatures. It achieves good spectral agreement when compared to
line-by-line calculations. Our study provides a theoretical way for
assessing Earth’s climate sensitivity, with important implications for
Earth-like planets.
An improved blockchain based encryption scheme for secure routing in wireless sensor network using machine learning technique
Authors: Meena Uma , Sharma Promila
Published: December 2022

A secure routing scheme plays an integral role in ensuring the secure routing and efficiency of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Recently, many studies have been undertaken to improve the data aggregation process, data security, and routing security. However, these approaches are highly suffered due to major limitations like time complexity, malicious attacks, and data insecurity. This research aims to develop an improved blockchain based encryption scheme for secure routing in wireless sensor networks using machine learning techniques. An improved artificial quantum beetle swarm neural network approach is proposed to perform the data aggregation among the sensor nodes. The cosine equivalent function and packet density correlation degree approach is emphasized to perform clustering in sensor nodes. The cluster head (CH) is selected based on the similarity of each sensor node. The Kalman filtering technique is introduced to filter out the data from unwanted malicious. This technique helps to filter the data before it is sent to the CH. Blockchain‐based encryption scheme is emphasized for data security by preventing malicious attacks during data transmission. The enhanced differential evaluation based firefly routing protocol is presented to maintain secure routing by choosing the optimal routing for the protected data transmission. Performance metrics such as latency, throughput, routing performance, energy consumption, FPR, blockchain (BC) computational performance, dead sensor count and average hop count are analyzed and compared with existing techniques. In an experimental scenario, the proposed approach achieves a maximum packet delay of 500 slots, throughput of 581 times/s, a latency of 0.31 ms, a computation complexity of 0.6, and a routing complexity of 2081 ms with a BC computation time of 95 ms. The performance of the proposed approach shows a better result than other existing approaches.
Bendamustine and rituximab is well‐tolerated and efficient in the treatment of indolent non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma in elderly: A single center observational study
Authors: Kotchetkov Rouslan , Drennan Ian R. , Susman David , DiMaria Erica , Gerard Lauren , Nay Derek , Prica Anca
Published: December 2022

Bendamustine and rituximab (BR) is a preferred first‐line therapy for indolent non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL); however, few reports on BR performance in elderly patients are available to date. We compared safety and efficacy of BR in patients ≥70 years (elderly) vs <70 years (younger) treated at our institution. Among 201 patients, 113 were elderly (median age: 77 years), including 38 patients ≥80 years, and 88 were younger (median age: 62 years). Elderly patients had more bone marrow involvement by lymphoma, anemia, ECOG status 3 and high‐risk disease follicular lymphoma (P < .05 for all). Fifty‐four percent of elderly received full dose of bendamustine vs 79.5% of younger patients. More elderly patients (54%) vs younger (43.2%) experienced treatment delay. Less elderly proceeded to rituximab maintenance. Overall, the number of adverse events per patient and transformed B‐Cell lymphoma/secondary malignancies were similar between groups. Elderly patients had less febrile neutropenia, rituximab‐associated infusion reactions, but more herpes zoster reactivation. There were more deaths in the elderly (37.2%) vs younger (10.2%) groups (P < .001), mainly due to non‐lymphoma‐related causes. With median follow‐up of 42 months [4.0‐97.0] disease‐free survival for the elderly was similar to younger patients. There was no difference between patients <80 and ≥80 years (P = .274). In conclusion, the real‐world elderly patients have more advanced disease and higher ECOG status. BR is well‐tolerated; elderly patients had lower incidence of febrile neutropenia. Dose reduction and treatment delays are common, but BR efficacy was not affected even in very old patients (≥80 years).
Front Cover
Authors: Guezzi Nizar , Lee Changho , Le Thanh Dat , Seong Hyojin , Choi Kang‐Ho , Min Jung‐Joon , Yu Jaesok
Published: December 2022

This study presents a simple, but robust and efficient denoising technique for fast optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy system (OR‐PAM). Impulsive noise and background noise in photoacoustic images are common issues of OR‐PAM system when laser power is limited. Our developed multi‐stage adaptive noise reduction technique efficiently and robustly removes the noises under noisy data acquisition conditions, providing a strong foundation for photoacoustic microscopy with limited laser power.

Further details can be found in the article by Nizar Guezzi, Changho Lee, Thanh Dat Le, Hyojin Seong, Kang‐Ho Choi, Jung‐Joon Min, and Jaesok Yu (e202200164).

image
Induced expression of miR‐1250‐5p exerts tumor suppressive role in triple‐negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Shuaib Mohd , Kumar Shashank
Published: December 2022

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, and it has a prevalence rate of 15%–20% among all breast cancer cases in younger women. Still, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis are not entirely understood. In the previous study, we identified that microRNA (miR)‐1250‐5p is significantly down‐expressed in TNBC cells. Thus, in the present study, we explore the functional anticancer role of miR‑1250‑5p in the transient mimic transfected TNBC cells. 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to examine the effect of miR‐1250‐5p on cell viability of TNBC (MDA‐MB‐231 and MDA‐MB‐453) cells. The confocal microscopy, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis techniques were used to assess the effect of miR‐1250‐5p on cancer hallmarks in test cells. Induced miR‑1250‐5p expression in MDA‐MB‐231 and MDA‐MB‐453 cells decreased cell viability in a time‐dependent manner. Increased miR‑1250‐5p expression levels significantly decreased cell cycle G1/S phase transition markers (Cyclin D1 and CDK4) at messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in TNBC cells compared to scrambled sequence transfected cells. Transient transfection of TNBC cells with miR‐1250‐5p mimic increased apoptosis in TNBC cells by increasing the level of active caspase (Caspase 8 and Caspase 3) of the intrinsic pathway. Apoptosis‐related morphological changes were also observed in the test cells. Further, the induced expression of miR‐1250‐5p significantly decreased epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) by altering the mRNA and protein levels of E‐cadherin and Vimentin. Moreover, results of confocal microscopy revealed increased reactive oxygen species generation, and decreased mitochondria membrane potential in miR‐1250‐5p mimic transient transfected TNBC cells. In conclusion, miR‑1250‐5p acts as tumor suppressor in TNBC cells and its induction by therapeutics might be a novel strategy for the disease treatment.
Comparison of Maintenance Dose Predictions by Warfarin Dosing Algorithms Based on Chinese and Western Patients
Authors: Deng Jiexin , Wang Yi , An Xiaokang
Published: December 2022

Warfarin has a long record of safe and effective clinical use, and it remains one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic conditions even in the era of direct oral anticoagulants. To address its large interindividual variability and narrow therapeutic window, the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium has recommended using pharmacogenetic dosing algorithms, such as the ones developed by the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium (IWPC) and by Gage et al, to dose warfarin when genotype information is available. In China, dosing algorithms based on local patient populations have been developed and evaluated for predictive accuracy of warfarin maintenance doses. In this study, percentage deviations of doses predicted by 15 Chinese dosing algorithms from that by IWPC and Gage algorithms were systematically evaluated to understand the differences between Chinese and Western algorithms. In general, dose predictions by Chinese dosing algorithms tended to be lower than those predicted by IWPC or Gage algorithms for the most prevalent VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genotypes in the Chinese population. The extent of negative prediction deviation appeared to be largest in the younger age group with smaller body weight. Our findings are consistent with previous reports that Asians have a higher sensitivity to warfarin and require lower doses than Western populations.
Climbing the economic ladder: The role of microfinance institutions in promoting entrepreneurship in Pakistan
Authors: Bros Catherine , Fareed Fozan , Lochard Julie
Published: December 2022

Financial inclusion has received widespread attention from policymakers and researchers in recent years and is viewed in most macroeconomic studies as an engine of economic growth. By contrast, analyses at the micro‐level have largely focused on microcredit rather than microfinance and reached more ambiguous conclusions. In particular, the literature concurs on the modesty of the impact of such programmes on poverty, if any. In this paper, we examine the effect of access to microfinance rather than microcredit only, as other financial services, such as savings for instance, can be put to the same use as credit by loosening constraints on investment or helping poor households to withstand shocks. Using nationally representative micro‐data from Pakistan, we provide evidence that having geographical access to a microfinance institution raises the likelihood for an individual to move from a low‐earning occupation such as being a salaried employee, farm worker or even a housewife to a more profitable entrepreneurship status. The effect is stronger in poorer regions, even after accounting for the nonrandom opening of financial branches. We conclude that financial inclusion should be further regarded as an effective ally in the fight against poverty.
mTOR signaling regulates Zika virus replication bidirectionally through autophagy and protein translation
Authors: Liu Bin , Zhang Yahui , Ren Hao , Yao Qiufeng , Ba Jianbo , Luan Jie , Zhao Ping , Qin Zhaoling , Qi Zhongtian
Published: December 2022

Zika virus (ZIKV) reemerged in 2016 and attracted much more attention worldwide. To date, the limited knowledge of ZIKV interactions with host cells in the early stages of infection impedes the prevention of viral epidemics and the treatment of ZIKV disease. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway plays an essential role in the regulation of autophagy and protein synthesis during multiple viral infections. This study aimed to investigate the functional role of mTOR signaling in ZIKV replication in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Immunoblotting demonstrated that ZIKV infection inhibited mTORC1 signaling, enhancing autophagy but obstructing protein translation. Drugs or siRNA for interfering with mTOR signaling molecules were utilized to demonstrate that AKT/TSC2/mTORC1 signaling was involved in ZIKV infection and that autophagy promoted ZIKV production, but viral protein expression was regulated by mTORC1 signaling. Moreover, confocal microscopy indicated a robust correlation between autophagy and viral RNA transcription. This study clarifies the dual functions of mTOR signaling during ZIKV infection and provides theoretical support for developing potential anti‐ZIKV drugs based on mTOR signaling molecules and deeper insights to better understand the mechanism between ZIKV and host cells.
On the convergence properties of sampling Durrmeyer‐type operators in Orlicz spaces
Authors: Costarelli Danilo , Piconi Michele , Vinti Gianluca
Published: December 2022

Here, we provide a unifying treatment of the convergence of a general form of sampling‐type operators, given by the so‐called sampling Durrmeyer‐type series. The main result consists of the study of a modular convergence theorem in the general setting of Orlicz spaces . From the latter theorem, the convergence in , in , and in the exponential spaces can be obtained as particular cases. For the completeness of the theory, we provide a pointwise and uniform convergence theorem on , in case of bounded continuous and bounded uniformly continuous functions; in this context, we also furnish a quantitative estimate for the order of approximation, using the modulus of continuity of the function to be approximated. Finally, applications and examples with graphical representations are given for several sampling series with special kernels.
Effect of Recycled Graphite as an Antistatic Agent on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Properties of Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)
Authors: Zaggo Henrique M. , Braga Natália F. , Anjos Erick G. R. dos , Montagna Larissa S. , Antonelli Eduardo , Passador Fabio R.
Published: December 2022

Recycling graphite waste can bring economic offers and environmental protection. This study investigates the use of recycled graphite (RG) from aerospace sector components as an antistatic agent. Mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/RG composites are investigated to develop a composite with suitable characteristics for antistatic packaging applications. First, the RG is purified by thermal treatment to eliminate any impurities and residual oils, and the purified recycled graphite (PRG) is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, the PRG is used as an antistatic filler and added in different concentrations in the PTT matrix by melt processing using an extruder. The compatibilizer agent maleic anhydride grafted PTT (PTT‐g‐MA) is added to the system to improve filler interaction and distribution into the matrix. Thus, the addition of different contents of PRG (1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 wt%) with and without compatibilizer agent (2:1, PRG:PTT‐g‐MA) in the PTT matrix is investigated by thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. The addition of 10 wt% of PRG in the PTT decreases eight decades in the electrical resistivity compared to neat PTT, being suitable for application as antistatic packaging.
Fully Automated Instrument for Solution Viscosity in Polymeric Materials
Authors: del Hierro Pilar , Boyron Olivier , Ortín Alberto
Published: December 2022

The determination of the solution viscosity of polymeric materials is very important to the industry, both to research and manufacturing, since it can be used to estimate molar mass, thus providing valuable information relating to the physical properties of polymers. The relative viscosity of a dilute polymer solution to that of the pure solvent itself is measured, and from this, the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer can be calculated. Due to the popularity of dilute solution viscosity measurements and the availability of those methods in many manufacturing laboratories, this method has been traditionally used to specify and to control production grades. The operation of a new fully automated instrument for determining solution viscosity is described in detail here. A series of applications are presented demonstrating the operation of this method, including for the first time water‐soluble polymers (maltodextrins) and other ambient temperature soluble polymers (cellulose esters) in addition to other polymers requiring elevated temperature and organic solvents for dissolution and analysis (polyolefins, PET).
Evaluation of Shape Memory in Poly(lactic acid)/ thermoplastic Polyurethane Filaments with Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Nanoplatelets
Authors: de Moura Nayara Koba , Morgado Guilherme Ferreira de Melo , Martins Eduardo Ferreira , Escanio Camila Alves , Esposito Elisa , Marini Juliano , Passador Fabio Roberto
Published: December 2022

Medical sutures are used in tissues to join the edges of wounds to help a healing process or stabilize implants. The patient's feverish state can lead to premature suture rupture, due to the increase in body temperature and the swelling due to an inflammatory process in the wound. Some materials can adapt to body temperature and may prevent this disruption, being polymers with shape memory an alternative for this application, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The addition of carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) can induce antimicrobial activity since the wound and/or suture tend to facilitate the proliferation of microorganisms, which can harm or avoid the healing process. In this work, PLA/TPU (60/40) and nanocomposites with 2 wt% of GNP and hybrids with 1 wt% of MWCNT and 1 wt% of GNP are prepared using the extrusion process. The samples are characterized by tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, shape memory, and antimicrobial activity. The polymer blend and nanocomposites present an average shape recovery (≈6.5% in length) and the addition of nanofillers induced antimicrobial activity, being these materials promising for application in antimicrobial sutures with shape memory.
Development of Bacterial Cellulose Membranes Incorporated with Plant Extracts
Authors: Neves Eduarda Zeni , Kumineck Junior Sandro Rogério , Katrucha Graziéli Paulino , Silveira Victória Fonseca , Silveira Márcia Luciane Lange , Pezzin Ana Paula Testa , Schneider Andréa Lima dos Santos , Garcia Michele Cristina Formolo , Apati Giannini Pasiznick
Published: December 2022

A new generation of functional healing membranes has been researched to avoid infection and improve wound healing, combining wound moisture maintenance properties, exudate removal, antimicrobial activity, and the absence of side effects. Thus, this work aims to synthesize wound dressing membranes of bacterial cellulose (BC) incorporated with different plant extracts with antimicrobial properties. The BC membranes are synthesized by the bacterium Komagataeibacter hansenii and are associated with the extracts through the ex situ incorporation technique. The barbatimão extract presents the most significant total phenolic content and antimicrobial activity of the extracts researched. The determination of tannins and flavonoids confirms the extracts’ incorporation into the samples’ structure. The thermogravimetric analysis of the membranes incorporated with the extracts shows a reduction in the thermal stability relative to BC. The results show a good final extract for developing healing membranes with antimicrobial properties.
Non‐isothermal Crystallization Kinetics, Thermal, and Rheological Behavior of Linear/Branched Polypropylene Blends
Authors: Macedo Thatiana C. P. , Campos Diego A. T. , Lima Tiago N. , Rego José Kaio M. A. , Ito Edson N. , Ueki Marcelo M.
Published: December 2022

This work aims at evaluating the rheological and thermal properties and non‐isothermal crystallization kinetics of blends of linear homopolymer polypropylene (HPP) and branched polypropylene (BPP). Two linear polypropylene's of different melt flow index (MFI) are used: H301 (10 g per 10 min) and H604 (1.5 g per 10 min); and one BPP (2 g pr 10 min). The rheological result shows that the H301/BPP blends have an increase in complex viscosity proportional to the addition of BPP amount, while for the H604/BPP blends, it is observed a higher influence of H604 on rheological properties. With the addition of 25 wt% of BPP, the strain hardening behavior is observed in the extensional rheology tests of the polymer blend. The DSC results show that the melt temperature and the crystallinity content in blends with BPP are affected by the molecular weight (MW) of the linear polymer. Results suggest that Pseudo‐Avrami/Jeziorny and Mo models can be used to predict the experimental results of crystallization kinetics of the blends with sufficient precision for all systems studied, regardless of MW. Therefore, it is possible to use the blends of HPP/BPP in processes that demand a combination of rheological properties, such as high strain hardening, and fast crystallization.
Mimics or Multiplicity: 2 Cases of Rare Neurological Conditions Discovered Following Presentation with Richardson's Syndrome Phenotype
Authors: Lyons Shane , Lynch Timothy , Walsh Richard , O'Dowd Sean
Published: December 2022

Background

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)–Richardson's syndrome (RS) presents with a distinctive clinical phenotype of supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, parkinsonism, postural instability with falls, and cognitive impairment. Several rare neurological conditions have been described that mimic PSP, and the co‐occurrence of dual pathologies has also been described.

Cases

In this article, we present 2 cases of patients who presented with a parkinsonian phenotype suggestive of PSP‐RS. In 1 case, a family history and early levodopa‐induced chorea led to testing for Huntington's disease, and a pathogenic HTT mutation was found. In the second case, magnetic resonance imaging findings led to genetic confirmation of a pathogenic FMR1 mutation.

Conclusions

These observations raised the possibility that HD and fragile‐X tremor‐ataxia syndrome may on occasion present with PSP‐RS. Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, is the co‐occurrence of 2 rare neurodegenerative conditions. Neuropathological studies of cases involving complex phenotypes in rare genetic conditions are required to better understand the likely pathologies in cases such as these.
On the use of graph centralities to compute generalized inverse of singular finite element operators: Applications to the analysis of floating substructures
Authors: Bovet Christophe
Published: December 2022

This article introduces a robust and affordable method to compute nullspace and generalized inverse of finite element operators involved in dual domain decomposition methods. The methodology relies on the operator partial factorization and on the analysis of a well chosen Schur complement. The sparse linear operator is interpreted as a network and graph centrality measures are used to select the condensation variables. Eigenvector, Katz and Page Rank centralities are evaluated. An extension to deal with symmetric indefinite systems arising from mixed finite elements is also presented. The approach is assessed on highly heterogeneous problems and one industrial application is presented: the numerical homogenization of solid propellant.
Comparison of two instruments for hypertension self‐care assessments among older adults from China
Authors: Zhao Qiao , Guo Yujie , Gu Lipei , Yang Lei
Published: December 2022

Aim

To test and compare the Self‐Care of Hypertension Inventory (SC‐HI) and Hypertension Self‐Care Profile (HBP SCP) among older patients with hypertension in China.

Design

A cross‐sectional observational study.

Methods

A convenience sampling of 220 older adults (120 male patients and 100 female patients) with hypertension and a mean age of 73.74 years was surveyed using the Chinese version of SC‐HI, the Chinese version of HBP SCP and the Chinese version of Exercise of Self‐Care Agency Scale (ESCA) during July‐September 2019. Psychometric analyses and Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses were performed on the collected data.

Results

The Cronbach's α of SC‐HI and HBP SCP was 0.858 and 0.953, respectively. The Pearson's coefficients between the SC‐HI total score and the ESCA total score, the HBP SCP total score and the ESCA total score were 0.494 and 0.700, respectively. The satisfactory sensitivity, specificity, cut‐off point and Area under the curve of SC‐HI were 0.8292, 0.5495, 120.5 and 0.754, respectively. As for HBP SCP, the values were 0.7907, 0.7582, 169.5 and 0.838, respectively. There was no significant difference between these two scales. Each has its own characteristics. However, the HBP SCP is more precise and effective for measuring self‐care ability in older patients.
Eight‐hour time‐restricted eating does not lower daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates: A randomized control trial
Authors: Parr Evelyn B. , Kouw Imre W. K. , Wheeler Michael J. , Radford Bridget E. , Hall Rebecca C. , Senden Joan M. , Goessens Joy P. B. , van Loon Luc J. C. , Hawley John A.
Published: December 2022

Objective

This study aimed to assess the impact of time‐restricted eating (TRE) on integrated skeletal muscle myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) rates in males with overweight/obesity.

Methods

A total of 18 healthy males (age 46 ±  5 years; BMI: 30 ± 2 kg/m2) completed this exploratory, parallel, randomized dietary intervention after a 3‐day lead‐in diet. Participants then consumed an isoenergetic diet (protein: ~1.0 g/kg body mass per day) following either TRE (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) or an extended eating control (CON; 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) protocol for 10 days. Integrated MyoPS rates were measured using deuterated water administration with repeated saliva, blood, and muscle sampling. Secondary measures included continuous glucose monitoring and body composition (dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry).

Results

There were no differences in daily integrated MyoPS rates (TRE: 1.28% ± 0.18% per day, CON: 1.26% ± 0.22% per day; p = 0.82) between groups. From continuous glucose monitoring, 24‐hour total area under the curve was reduced following TRE (−578 ± 271 vs. CON: 12 ± 272 mmol/L × 24 hours; p = 0.001). Total body mass declined (TRE: −1.6 ± 0.9 and CON: −1.1 ± 0.7 kg; p < 0.001) with no differences between groups (p = 0.22). Lean mass loss was greater following TRE compared with CON (−1.0 ± 0.7 vs. −0.2 ± 0.5 kg, respectively; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Consuming food within an 8‐hour time‐restricted period does not lower daily MyoPS rates when compared with an isoenergetic diet consumed over 12 hours. Future research should investigate whether these results translate to free‐living TRE.
Simultaneously improving the hydrophobic property and flame retardancy of aluminum hypophosphite using rare earth based coupling agent for epoxy composites
Authors: Wang Yaofei , Piao Junxiu , Ren Jinyong , Feng Tingting , Wang Yaxuan , Liu Wei , Dong Huixin , Chen Wenjiao , Jiao Chuanmei , Chen Xilei
Published: December 2022

A novel hydrophobic rare earth‐based aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) was prepared using rare earth aluminate coupling agent (REA) in a ball mill with a one‐step mechanochemistry method, and used as flame retardant for epoxy resin. It has been found that RaAHP‐4 (AHP was modified by 4 wt% REA) exhibited excellent hydrophobic properties with the water contact angle of 94.58°. The effect of RaAHP‐2 (AHP was modified by 2 wt% REA) and RaAHP‐4 on the flame retardancy, thermal stability, and hydrophobic properties of EP/6RaAHP‐2 and EP/6RaAHP‐4 composites were investigated. It has been found RaAHP‐2 and RaAHP‐4 can significantly improve the flame retardant performance of EP/6RaAHP‐2 and EP/6RaAHP‐4 composites. And the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) values of EP/6RaAHP‐4 were reduced by 50.44% and 35.59% compared with pure EP, respectively. Moreover, the maximum peak value of CO production rate from EP/6RaAHP‐4 decreased by 62.64% compared with that from EP/6AHP. The excellent flame retardant effect of EP/6RaAHP‐4 composites was obtained because RaAHP‐4 changed the formation of the char residue layer during the combustion process. In comparison, the compactness, expansion degree, and carbonization quality of the char residue layer from the samples with RaAHP‐2 or RaAHP‐4 have been significantly improved, which acted as a valuable barrier for heat and mass transfer. The above results showed that the one‐step synthesis method had high potential application in the large‐scale production of hydrophobic AHP.
Solid‐state shear pulverization of post‐industrial ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene: Particle morphology and molecular structure modifications toward conventional mechanical recycling
Authors: Johnson Riggs W. , Scopelliti Haley R. , Herrold Nathan T. , Wakabayashi Katsuyuki
Published: December 2022

Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is one of the most prominent high‐performance thermoplastics for biomedical, leisure, and coating applications. Large‐scale recycling of UHMWPE is extremely difficult due to the high melt viscosity of the material as well as its exceptional chemical resistance and impact strength. There is a need for a commercially scalable methodology that can process the waste feedstock for mechanical recycling while sustaining the outstanding physical properties of the material. Solid‐state shear pulverization (SSSP) is a continuous, twin‐screw extruder‐based processing technique in which the low‐temperature application of shear and compressive forces impart changes in structure at different length scales to overcome the challenges of difficult‐to‐recycle polymers. This paper investigates the use of SSSP in mechanically recycling post‐industrial scrap UHMWPE (rUHMWPE) material from a local ski and snowboard manufacturer. The SSSP‐processed particles are flat, micron‐scale flakes with enhanced surface area, which can sinter very quickly when compression molded. The molded rUHMWPE samples in turn exhibit enhanced ductility and toughness compared to the as‐received scrap material, based on the tunable mechanochemical modification of the ethylene chains.
First Observation of the Scintillation Cascade in Tb3+‐Doped Quaternary Garnet Ceramics
Authors: Korzhik Mikhail , Retivov Vasilii , Dosovitskiy Georgiy , Dubov Valery , Kamenskikh Irina , Karpuk Petr , Komendo Ilia , Kuznetsova Daria , Smyslova Valentina , Mechinsky Vitaly , Vasil'ev Andrei
Published: December 2022

A mechanism of firefly high‐scintillation light yield (LY) of Tb‐doped quaternary (Gd, Y)3Al2Ga3O12 garnet ceramics is reported. Through measurements with the synchrotron source, the high efficiency of the luminescence excitation, providing a quantum yield Q > 1 below the photon multiplication energy range, is defined. The excitation efficiency reaches two at the excitation energy slightly above 2Eg. The cascade of photons is explained by combining three factors: first, the high quantum yield Q ≈ 1 of the luminescence at excitation in lower mixed states 4f75d1 with high spin (HS) and low spin (LS); second, the cross‐relaxation 4f7(6P)5d1(HS) → 4f7(8S)5d1(HS) provides the excitation of 4f8(7F0) →4f8(5D1,4) transition of the 4f8 configuration of the same or neighboring Tb ion, which is followed by the luminescence from 5D1,4; and finally, the relaxation of 4f7(8S)5d1‐5(HS) configuration into the excited 4f8 configuration occurs with future emission from 4f8(5D1,4) states. This cascade forms the final stage of the scintillation in the compound being studied and provides a LY twice as high compared with the material when doped with Ce.
Event‐triggered adaptive tracking containment control of nonlinear multiagent systems with unmodeled dynamics and prescribed performance
Authors: Jiang Hao , Wang Xiaomei , Niu Ben , Wang Huanqing , Liu Xinyu
Published: December 2022

This article concentrates on the event‐triggered adaptive tracking containment control problem for a class of nonlinear multi‐agent systems (MASs) with unmodeled dynamics and prescribed performance. In order to deal with the design difficulties which are aroused by unknown nonlinearities and unmodeled dynamics, the properties of Gaussian function and some novel dynamics signals are used in this paper. Meanwhile, a relative threshold‐based event‐triggered mechanism is adopted such that the system communication burden is reduced under the condition of limited communication resources. It's shown the proposed tracking containment control protocol can ensure that the outputs of the followers converge to the convex hull spanned by the multiple leaders's outputs, all signals of the closed‐loop systems are uniformly ultimately bounded and the Zeno behavior can be effectively avoided. Finally, the simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed containment control protocol.
Reregulated mitochondrial dysfunction reverses cisplatin resistance microenvironment in colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Yonghui , Ma Xiaodong , Zhou Wenhui , Liu Chang , Zhang Hongbo
Published: December 2022

Chemotherapy is one of the most basic and important treatments for malignant tumors. However, most chemotherapeutic drugs suffer from the resistance of tumor cells and lead to chemotherapy failure. Multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumor cells is the main obstacle to chemotherapy failure. The generation of MDR is not only the result of the performance of tumor cells, but the tumor microenvironment (TEM) also plays an important role in this process. The simultaneous dual intervention of cancer cells and the TEM has the potential to provide surprising results in overcoming MDR tumor therapy. Therefore, in this study, we designed a folate acid ligand‐modified nanoparticle (FA‐NPs) with a size of about 145 nm targeting multidrug‐resistant colorectal cancer and successfully co‐loaded cisplatin and Tris(2‐chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP). FA‐NPs can enrich tumor sites through receptor‐mediated endocytosis. In vitro mechanism studies have shown that nanoparticles can reverse cisplatin resistance mainly by further increasing the level of reactive oxygen species in tumor cells, breaking the homeostasis of the internal environment, then trigging mitochondrial stress, regulating drug resistance‐related pathways, and improving the tumor drug resistance microenvironment; finally, the cisplatin recovers the antitumor effect with assistance from TCPP.
APP constraint analysis approach to select mobile devices for compatibility crowdtesting
Authors: Yang Sen , Hui Zhanwei , li Hui , Zheng Changyou , Huang Yifan
Published: December 2022

The compatibility issues caused by Android fragmentation have become a vital task in the development of Android applications. To locate those issues, thousand of crowd testers run apps on different devices with different configurations to achieve the largest coverage, which might be costly and time‐consuming. Since existing approaches to selecting optimal devices are device‐side analysis without the information of the internal structures of apps, app‐side analysis that flags the essential devices for testers has remained elusive. To mitigate this gap of compatibility crowdtesting, this paper proposes an app constraint analysis approach named CompatDroid to generate the optimal device set to guide crowd testers. By evaluating 46 benchmark apps on 14 SDK versions, the optimal device sets are successfully generated, and CompatDroid only needs no more than 7 Android versions to achieve almost the same code coverage (i.e., 33.13%) testing on all 14 android versions (i.e., 34.65%) in 36 of 46 apps, which indicates that it can drastically reduce the consumption of test resources while losing little test coverage. On a larger dataset, CompatDroid successfully analyzes 98.3% of 645 apps, in which the median number of the optimal SDK versions set is 2.5 versions, and 68.92% of those apps contain the constraints of SDK version (i.e., SDK version) while 84.86% of them do not have the constraints of hardware information (i.e., model name and manufacture name).
Western U.S. multistate research project on “water movement in soils”: A retrospective
Authors: Hopmans Jan W. , Green Timothy R. , Young Michael H.
Published: December 2022

To prioritize agricultural research in the United States and to improve its competitiveness globally, Multistate Research Funds (MRFs) were set aside under the Research and Marketing Act of 1946. To implement the act, Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) Directors in the western United States met regularly to evaluate, fund, and review multistate research projects (MRPs), with membership of AES scientists named by the Technical Committee. This article highlights the history of research collaboration in the soil and vadose zone scientific community that was initiated in the western United States. The scientific interactions that started in 1958 with 10 scientists in western land‐grant universities and the USDA to address “Water Movement in Soil” have grown in membership and scope through successive 5‐yr projects. We highlight the value of such collaboration and the scientific advances in soil science and vadose zone hydrology.
An evaluation of the role of US consumer's institutional trust for food eco‐label preferences
Authors: Mosier Samantha L.
Published: December 2022

Demand for sustainable food products has continued to grow in the past decade. Consumers have not only expressed more interest in environmentally friendly products, but producers have been willing to expand and market sustainable products. As a signal, eco‐labels are intended to communicate about specific environmental product properties from producers to consumers. Because eco‐labels communicate credence properties, trust plays a significant mediating factor, as information asymmetry is present. Consumers must rely on producers acting in good faith to provide accurate claims while consumers must simultaneously avoid misinterpretation of the label. Building upon previous research on the role of trust in eco‐label preferences, this exploratory study seeks to evaluate how US consumers' level of trust in three major institutions (US government, corporations, and non‐profit organizations) to protect the environment shapes their preference for six major eco‐labels in the market (Fairtrade, local, natural, non‐genetically modified organism [GMO], organically grown, and certified organic). The analysis utilizes 2016 survey data obtained from the Natural Marketing Institute. The aim is to provide a basis in which to further examine institutional mechanisms for improving label signaling, which could minimize consumer skepticism and potentially increase environmentally conscious consumerism. In addition to confirming the profile for typical eco‐label consumers, the results demonstrate that trust in non‐profit organizations is positively associated with expressed preferences for certified Fairtrade and certified organic foods. Trust in government is a significant explanatory factor for natural labeling preferences whereas those that express very high interest in organic labels indicated trust in corporations.