bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Target priority based optimisation of radar resources for networked air defence systems
Authors: Tuncer Ozgur , Cirpan Hakan Ali
Published: April 2022

Air Defence System (ADS) effectiveness relies not only on weapon and sensor performances but also on effective usage of those resources. In an ADS Network, several ADS are deployed in an overlapping coverage in order to increase the protection of defended assets (DA). Limited tracking capacity of ADS fire control radars leads to a limited engagement capability of the whole ADS network. In this paper, a radar resource optimisation algorithm is proposed for networked ADS fire control radars in order to apply an adaptive tracking strategy for threatening targets under the constraint of tracking capacity limitation for each fire control radar. Threat posed by the targets is calculated using a Fuzzy Logic System (FLS) that takes into account the variables related to threat as well as DAs. An optimisation strategy is utilised in order to select the minimum number of tracking radars that will minimise the cost function formed by tracking quality metrics related to threat priorities and Bayesian Cramér–Rao lower bound (BCRLB). Proposed algorithm dynamically selects target tracking quality and minimises tracking resources in an ADS by utilising surrogate optimisation suitable for real‐time implementation. Simulation results are given in order to show the improvement in defence effectiveness of networked ADS.
Medikamentensicherheit bei Kindernotfällen – die Leitlinie ist da!
Authors: Bittner Sebastian
Published: April 2022

Auch unter pandemischen Bedingungen werden weiterhin Leitlinien entwickelt und veröffentlicht. Pünktlich zu Ostern 2021 hatte der Hase keine Eier, sondern eine aktuell fertiggestellte und publizierte S2k-Leitlinie „Medikamentensicherheit bei Kindernotfällen“ ins Nest gelegt. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Leitlinie und ihre relevanten Inhalte vor.
Pflegevisite
Authors: Groß Anika
Published: April 2022

Wartezeiten zum Lernen nutzen – das ist die Idee der One Minute Wonder. Wir stellen in loser Reihe OMWs zu verschiedenen Themen vor.
Preclinical Safety Evaluation: Acute and Repeated-Dose Toxicity of a
New Intranasal Recombinant Vector Vaccine TB/FLU-04L Against
Tuberculosis
Authors: Stosman Kira , Sivak Konstantin , Aleksandrov Andrey , Buzitskaya Zhanna , Rassokha Tatyana , Stukova Marina
Published: April 2022

Background Vaccination against tuberculosis is one of the most successful
medical measures to reduce morbidity and mortality. The BCG vaccine has been in
use for more than 100 years, but its efficacy is still controversial. New
vaccine candidates may offer better protection than available BCG vaccine. In
this work, we studied the acute and the repeated-dose toxicity study of a new
vector vaccine TB/Flu-04L against tuberculosis.

Materials and Methods The study was conducted on 60 BALB/c mice
and 150 Wistar rats. The vaccine was administered intranasally and intravenously
for the acute toxicity study. For the repeated-dose toxicity study, rats were
intranasally immunized by 6.5 log10 TCID50 or 7.5
log10 TCID50 three times with 21-day intervals.
Mortality, temperature, body weight, food and water consumption, hematological
and biochemical parameters, urine analysis, as well as cardiovascular,
respiratory, and central nervous system parameters were evaluated. A macroscopic
examination of internal organs was performed.

Results The TB/FLU-04L vaccine did not cause death among the mice
and rats in the acute toxicity study. There were no pathological abnormalities
in animal condition, behavior, food and water consumption, temperature, and body
weight during the observation period. The results suggest that intranasal
repeated-dose administration of the TB/FLU-04L vaccine does not exhibit
significant toxicity in rats.

Hematological and biochemistry analysis and the histological examination
identified no toxicity-associated changes.

Conclusions The toxicity study in mice and rats showed that the intranasal
vector vaccine TB/FLU-04L had no toxic effect. The tests confirm no
adverse effects for laboratory animals in the studied parameters.
Das akute Koronarsyndrom in der präklinischen Notfallmedizin
Authors: Schieffer Bernhard , Kreutz Julian , Markus Birgit , Schäfer Ann-Christin
Published: April 2022

Das akute Koronarsyndrom (ACS) ist eine häufige Arbeitsdiagnose in der präklinischen Notfallmedizin. Durch den potenziell lebensbedrohlichen Verlauf sind eine schnelle Diagnostik und
Einleitung von Therapiemaßnahmen entscheidend. Dabei stehen extrahospital antithrombotische Medikamente und eine Therapie der Begleitsymptomatik im Vordergrund. Ein zügiger Transport in die
Klinik für eine perkutane Koronarintervention (PCI) ist notwendig.
A Lucky Case of Successful Free Fibula Osteocutaneous Flap Harvest in Peronea Arteria Magna
Authors: Rosli Mohamad Aizat , Wan Sulaiman Wan Azman , Halim Ahmad Sukari
Published: April 2022

The free fibula flap (FFF) is based on the peroneal artery (PA) system, and it is well known that several anatomical variations of the lower limb vascular system exist, including peronea arteria magna (PAM). PAM is a rare congenital variation in which both anterior tibial artery and posterior tibial artery are either aplastic or hypoplastic, and as a result, PA will be the dominant blood supply to the foot. This variation was described as type III-C in Kim-Lippert's Classification of the Infra-Popliteal Arterial Branching Variations. The awareness of its existence is crucial as it often precludes FFF from being harvested due to the risk of significant limb ischemia and limb loss. Despite some literature reporting donor site complications and impending limb loss following FFF harvest in PAM, preoperative vascular mapping before FFF transfer remains controversial among the microsurgeons. We present a case with an incidental intraoperative finding of PAM that had a successful FFF harvest by luck, without preoperative vascular mapping.
Lessons learnt applying a systemic functional model to teaching and learning in school contexts over the last thirty years
Authors: Dare Brian , Polias John
Published: April 2022

In this paper we look back at our work over the last thirty years as education consultants in a range of educational contexts in which we sought to promote an explicit, language-based approach to teaching and learning. We trace our pathway from the earliest days of meeting systemic functional theory and its potential application in education to recent times where we now are able to offer a suite of professional development programmes designed to build the capacity of teachers and students to understand how language works to make meaning. We reflect on the many challenges of re-contextualising such an elaborate model of language in educational contexts: challenges that embrace the pedagogical, the political and the logistical among others. The intent is to highlight the affordances we have seen while working closely with teachers over the years in the hope that others will be inspired to continue the work.
On the Waldschmidt constant of square-free principal Borel ideals
Authors: Camps Moreno Eduardo , Kohne Craig , Sarmiento Eliseo , Van Tuyl Adam
Published: April 2022

Fix a square-free monomial

m
∈
S
=

K

[

x
1

,
…
,

x
n

]

m \in S = \mathbb {K}[x_1,\ldots ,x_n]

. The square-free principal Borel ideal generated by

m
m

, denoted

sfBorel
⁡
(
m
)

\operatorname {sfBorel}(m)

, is the ideal generated by all the square-free monomials that can be obtained via Borel moves from the monomial

m
m

. We give upper and lower bounds for the Waldschmidt constant of

sfBorel
⁡
(
m
)

\operatorname {sfBorel}(m)

in terms of the support of

m
m

, and in some cases, exact values. For any rational

a
b

≥
1

\frac {a}{b} \geq 1

, we show that there exists a square-free principal Borel ideal with Waldschmidt constant equal to

a
b

\frac {a}{b}

.
Fast heritability estimation based on MINQUE and batch training
Authors: Tang Mingsheng , Hou Tingting , Tong Xiaoran , Shen Xiaoxi , Zhang Xuefen , Wang Tong , Lu Qing
Published: April 2022

Heritability, the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in unrelated individuals, is an important measure of the genetic contribution to human diseases and plays a critical role in studying the genetic architecture of human diseases. Linear mixed model (LMM) has been widely used for SNP heritability estimation, where variance component parameters are commonly estimated by using a restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method. REML is an iterative optimization algorithm, which is computationally intensive when applied to large-scale datasets (e.g. UK Biobank). To facilitate the heritability analysis of large-scale genetic datasets, we develop a fast approach, minimum norm quadratic unbiased estimator (MINQUE) with batch training, to estimate variance components from LMM (LMM.MNQ.BCH). In LMM.MNQ.BCH, the parameters are estimated by MINQUE, which has a closed-form solution for fast computation and has no convergence issue. Batch training has also been adopted in LMM.MNQ.BCH to accelerate the computation for large-scale genetic datasets. Through simulations and real data analysis, we demonstrate that LMM.MNQ.BCH is much faster than two existing approaches, GCTA and BOLT-REML.
Determination of Venetoclax Concentration in Plasma Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Yasu Takeo , Gando Yoshito , Nomura Yuka , Kosugi Nobuharu , Kobayashi Masayuki
Published: April 2022

Venetoclax is an oral B-cell lymphoma-2 protein inhibitor. It is a key drug for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. However, venetoclax is administered at a fixed dose, irrespective of body surface area or weight. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of venetoclax varies widely between individuals and is influenced by diet. Therefore, individualized dosing using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may help to optimize treatment in clinical practice. In this study, we aimed to develop a simple method to determine venetoclax concentrations in plasma. The analysis required the extraction of a 50-μL plasma sample and precipitation of proteins using acetonitrile extraction. Venetoclax and the internal standard (12.5-μg/mL ibrutinib) were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The calibration curve was linear over the plasma venetoclax concentration range 0.25–10 μg/mL with a coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.9999. The coefficients of intra-day and inter-day validation were 0.8–4.1% and 1.3–3.3%, respectively. The assay accuracy was −2.8 to 1.6%, and the recovery was >97.2%. These results demonstrate a very simple, novel and sensitive HPLC-UV-based method for determining the concentration of plasma venetoclax, and confirm its applicability to the TDM of venetoclax in a clinical setting.
Novel somatic PBX1 mosaicism likely masking syndromic CAKUT in an adult with bilateral kidney hypoplasia
Authors: Petzold Friederike , Jin Wenjun , Hantmann Elena , Korbach Katharina , Schönauer Ria , Halbritter Jan
Published: April 2022

Background

Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are characterized by vast phenotypic heterogeneity and incomplete penetrance. Although CAKUT represent the main cause of pediatric chronic kidney disease, only ∼20% can be explained by single-gene disorders to date. While pathogenic alterations of PBX1 were recently associated with a severe form of syndromic CAKUT, most CAKUT patients survive childhood and adolescence to reach end-stage kidney disease later in life. Although somatic mosaicism is known to attenuate severity in other kidney diseases, it has rarely been described or systematically been assessed in CAKUT.

Methods

We conducted an in-depth phenotypic characterization of the index patient and his family using targeted next-generation sequencing, segregation analysis and workup of mosaicism with DNA isolated from peripheral blood cells, oral mucosa and cultured urinary renal epithelial cells (URECs).

Results

Somatic mosaicism was identified in a 20-year-old male with sporadic but mild syndromic renal hypoplasia. He was found to carry a novel de novo truncating variant in PBX1 [c.992C>A, p.(Ser331*)]. This variant was detected in 26% of sequencing reads from blood cells, 50% from oral mucosa and 20% from cultured URECs.

Conclusions

PBX1-associated CAKUT is characterized by a wealth of de novo mutations. As in de novo cases, mutations can occur intra- or post-zygotically and genetic mosaicism might represent a more common phenomenon in PBX1 disease, accounting for variable expressivity on a general basis. Consequently we suggest ruling out somatic mosaicism in sporadic CAKUT, notably in attenuated and atypical clinical courses.
Gestational Exposure to Perchlorate in the Rat: Thyroid Hormones in Fetal Thyroid Gland, Serum, and Brain
Authors: Gilbert Mary E , Hassan Iman , Wood Carmen , O’Shaughnessy Katherine L , Spring Stephanie , Thomas Susan , Ford Jermaine
Published: April 2022

Iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. Perchlorate is an environmental contaminant that interferes with iodine uptake into the thyroid gland to reduce thyroid hormone synthesis. As thyroid hormones are critical for brain development, exposure to perchlorate during pregnancy is of concern for the developing fetal brain. In this study, we (1) define profiles of thyroid hormone in the maternal and fetal compartments of pregnant rats in response to inhibition of the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) by perchlorate and (2) expand inquiry previously limited to serum to include fetal thyroid gland and brain. Perchlorate was added to the drinking water (0, 1, 30, 300, and 1000 ppm) of pregnant rat dams from gestational days (GD) 6–20. On GD20, blood, thyroid gland, and brain were collected from the fetus and dam for thyroid hormone and molecular analyses. Thyroid gland and serum thyroid hormones were dose-dependently reduced, with steeper declines evident in the fetus than in the dam. The thyroid gland revealed perturbations of thyroid hormone-action with greater sensitivity in the fetus than the dam. Thyroid hormones and thyroid hormone-responsive gene expression were reduced in the fetal cortex portending effects on brain development. These findings are the first quantitative assessments of perchlorate-induced deficits in the fetal thyroid gland and fetal brain. We provide a conceptual framework to develop a quantitative NIS adverse outcome pathway for serum thyroid hormone deficits and the potential to impact the fetal brain. Such a framework may also serve to facilitate the translation of in vitro bioactivity to the downstream in vivo consequences of NIS inhibition in the developing fetus.
Autobiographical memory predicts postsurgical pain up to 12 months after major surgery
Authors: Waisman Anna , Kleiman Valery , Slepian P. Maxwell , Clarke Hance , Katz Joel
Published: April 2022

Recent cross-sectional studies have identified differences in autobiographical memory (AM) among individuals with chronic pain, but the temporal relationship between the 2 is unknown. Moreover, AM has yet to be studied in patients undergoing major surgery. This study addressed these gaps by conducting a prospective, longitudinal study of memory performance, postsurgical pain, and psychosocial factors in 97 adult participants scheduled for major surgery. Memories were evaluated using the Autobiographical Memory Test before and one month after surgery when participants were asked to recall personal events related to positive and pain-related word cues. Responses were coded for level of specificity, emotional valence, and surgery-related content. Questionnaires assessing presence/absence of pain and psychological functioning were administered before and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Generalized estimating equations modelled pain at each postsurgical time point with memory variables as predictors. As hypothesized, higher numbers of specific pain memories recalled before surgery predicted lower odds of pain across all time points (OR = 0.58, 95% CI [0.37-0.91]). Participants who took longer to recall pain memories before surgery (OR = 2.65, 95% CI [1.31-5.37]) and those who produced more surgery-related content at the one-month assessment (OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.02-1.68]) had greater odds of reporting postsurgical pain up to 12 months later. These findings indicate that presurgical AM biases are risk factors for development and maintenance of postsurgical pain. To the extent that these biases are causal, presurgical interventions that modify the quality and content of patients' memories may prove to be promising strategies in the prevention of chronic postsurgical pain.
POU-M2 promotes juvenile hormone biosynthesis by directly activating the transcription of juvenile hormone synthetic enzyme genes in
Bombyx mori
Authors: Cai Rui , Tao Gang , Zhao Ping , Xia Qingyou , He Huawei , Wang Yejing
Published: April 2022

Juvenile hormone (JH) plays a key role in preventing larval precocious metamorphosis, maintaining larval state, controlling adult sexual development and promoting insect egg maturation. Genetic studies have shown that POU factor ventral veins lacking regulates JH synthesis to control the timing of insect metamorphosis. However, how POU factor regulates JH synthesis is largely unknown. Here, we found POU-M2 was highly expressed in corpora allata (CA) and specifically localized in the nucleus of CA. The overexpression of POU-M2 promoted the expression of JH synthase genes and kr-h1 and enhanced the activity of JH synthase genes promoter. Further, POU-M2 promoted the transcription of JH acid O-methyltransferase (JHAMT) by directly binding to the key cis-regulatory elements -207, -249 and -453 within the proximal regions of JHAMT promoter. Both the POU domain and homeodomain were vital for the activation of POU-M2 on JHAMT transcription. Our study reveals the mechanism by which POU-M2 regulates JHAMT transcription.
Building a greener dining scene: how do veg-friendly restaurateurs “crop up”?
Authors: Riverola Carla , Dedehayir Ozgur , Harrington Stephen , Velasquez Franco Santiago
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Of all industries, agri-food has one of the largest environmental impacts. Reducing the production and consumption of meat, dairy and seafood, and moving to predominantly plant-based diets, is key to lowering our environmental footprint. Veg-friendly restaurants play a key role in this transition as they have the capacity to build a greener dining scene (e.g. positively change consumer opinions towards vegan food). Hence, the purpose of this paper is to understand the entrepreneurial journey of veg-friendly restaurateurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed an inductive-qualitative approach to analyse 12 veg-friendly restaurants in three countries (Spain, Australia and Colombia). In addition to inspecting available data on the restaurants and their menus, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the restaurateurs to uncover (1) the impact of their venture for customers and society, (2) the drivers to establishing their businesses and (3) the challenges faced and strategies used in the management of veg-friendly restaurants.

Findings

This work recognises veg-friendly restaurateurs as key actors in building a sustainable future through a greener dining scene. The authors uncover the main drivers of the entrepreneurial journey and propose a multi-dimensional approach to identity and passion as key antecedents of entrepreneurial intention. The authors also discuss how social and sustainable entrepreneurship may be the expression of an activist behaviour. Finally, challenges and strategies to manage veg-friendly restaurants are discussed with directions that contribute to both theory and practice.

Originality/value

A switch towards vegan and vegetarian diets has important implications for ecology, society and the economy. While most research has focused on the consumer side, this paper is unique in understanding how veg-friendly restaurants emerge. This is quite distinctive in the literature regarding sustainable restaurants, which until now, has focused on the managers' adoption of sustainable practices rather than the restaurateurs' entrepreneurial journey. This work additionally builds new insights in the entrepreneurship literature, through uncovering the motivations, experiences and challenges of entrepreneurs that, in most cases, show activist attributes.
Simulation of reinforced concrete beam retrofitted with steel angles subjected to flexure
Authors: Shakib Sheikh , Morshed Abu Zakir , Kholil Md Ibrahim , Hossain Md Akhtar
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The study focused on improving stiffness and premature failure, the weaknesses of the other retrofitting techniques and the retrofitted beam. A detailed study regarding the section properties and effective length of the angles was also carried out in this study.

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, a comprehensive study was carried out using a finite element method to investigate the behavior and performance of steel angles as a retrofitting technique subjected to flexure. A model was developed in ABAQUS and validated with the available experimental works. The model was then applied to examine the beams retrofitted with the steel angles.

Findings

From the investigation, the strengthening technique successfully enhanced the flexural capacity and stiffness of the beam. The stiffness of the retrofitted beam achieved more than 2.5 times of the controlled beam. The thickness and flange width of the angles improved both the load capacity and stiffness whereas, web width, having same flange width, improved the stiffness only. This study also illustrates that a premature failure can be minimized by maintaining L/S (length to span) ratio between 0.7 and 1.0 along with the welding to provide the connections between the angles and stirrups.

Practical implications

The developed model and the findings can be used for designing the retrofitting technique for the damaged as well as beams to be increased their capacity.

Originality/value

The research focused on the implication of a new technique of retrofitting, steel angles to improve the stiffness of beam, which is one of the major drawbacks of traditional techniques. Moreover, the research aimed to improve premature failure by bonding the retrofitting materials with the stirrups of the mother beam through welding.
Ranking Season: Combating Commercial Banks' Systemic Discrimination of Consumers
Authors: Packin Nizan Geslevich , Nippani Srinivas
Published: April 2022

The recent disbursement of COVID‐19 pandemic‐related federal relief funds to businesses and individuals under the CARES Act exposed significant problems in the U.S. system of money and payments. U.S. banks' wealth maximization objectives clashed with the federal government's goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The discriminatory, self‐interested behavior of banks, which essentially served as the federal government's long arm in these transactions, worsened the pandemic‐induced economic crisis for many, especially women and minorities, and intensified racial injustice. The U.S. government's inability in 2020 to successfully execute its stimulus plan and give all its intended recipients the benefits it had designated due to the role played by banks begs the question: Should U.S. banks be subject to any legal obligations when they help the government execute its fiscal goals? This article argues that U.S. banks should help advance the federal government's fiscal policy, including the DEI social agenda, especially during critical junctures such as the economic crisis instigated by COVID‐19, and proposes an agency theory approach to mandate the implementation of government social policy goals among commercial banks via a CAMELS rating‐like system that includes social goals, such as DEI. This DEI rating system would create public consequences for noncomplying banks, including depositors withdrawing their funds from lower‐rated banks and redepositing them in top‐rated banks, resulting in higher‐rated DEI banks overtaking lower‐rated banks. This DEI rating system will also provide an incentive for banks to compete for more diversity and inclusion, which would solve many of the systemic discrimination‐related issues that led to economic inequality and intensified the 2020–2021 crisis. Lastly, DEI‐based scores could help prevent banks from finding themselves on the losing side of the growing public banking movement in the United States, enabling banks to reposition themselves and avoid future radical changes in the banking industry.
Be there on time: Spatial‐temporal regularities guide young children’s attention in dynamic environments
Authors: Shalev Nir , Boettcher Sage , Wilkinson Hannah , Scerif Gaia , Nobre Anna C.
Published: April 2022

Children's ability to benefit from spatiotemporal regularities to detect goal‐relevant targets was tested in a dynamic, extended context. Young adults and children (from a low‐deprivation area school in the United Kingdom; N = 80; 5–6 years; 39 female; ethics approval did not permit individual‐level race/ethnicity surveying) completed a dynamic visual‐search task. Targets and distractors faded in and out of a display over seconds. Half of the targets appeared at predictable times and locations. Search performance in children was poorer overall. Nevertheless, they benefitted equivalently from spatiotemporal regularities, detecting more predictable than unpredictable targets. Children's benefits from predictions correlated positively with their attention. The study brings ecological validity to the study of attentional guidance in children, revealing striking behavioral benefits of dynamic experience‐based predictions.
Evaluation of accuracy of salivary gland fine needle aspirates using the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology
Authors: Ahuja Sana , Malviya Avneesh
Published: April 2022

Context

The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) is a standardised six‐tier reporting format aimed at ensuring better communication and improved patient management.

Aims

The main objectives of our study were to classify salivary gland fine needle aspirates into six categories of the MSRSGC and assess risk of malignancy (ROM), specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value.

Settings and design

This retrospective study covered a period of three years from January 2017 to December 2020.

Materials and methods

All salivary gland FNAs performed in the above period were retrieved and classified into six categories based on the Milan system. Histopathological diagnosis was also retrieved wherever available.

Statistical analysis

Using histopathological diagnosis as the gold standard, ROM was calculated. Specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy were also assessed.

Results

Out of the 202 salivary gland FNAs, histopathological diagnosis was available in 102 cases. ROM for the Non‐Diagnostic, Non‐Neoplastic, Atypia of Undetermined Significance (AUS), Benign, Salivary Gland Neoplasm of Uncertain Malignant Potential (SUMP), Suspicious for Malignancy (SM), and Malignant categories was 30%, 8.3%, 25%, 3.9%, 33.3%, 71.4%, and 93.3% respectively. Highest specificity and diagnostic accuracy were achieved when only Malignant and SM were considered as positive results. Maximum sensitivity was observed when AUS, SUMP, SM, and Malignant were included in positive test results.

Conclusion

The MSRSGC is an excellent system for accurately classifying salivary gland FNAs with better reproducibility of reports and enhanced communication between pathologist and surgeon.
Coupled magnetic nanoparticle‐mediated isolation and single‐cell image recognition to detect Bacillus' cell size in soil
Authors: Rong Nan , He Shiying , Li Bei , Lin Xiangui , Liu Xiaoling , Yu Yongjie , Feng Youzhi
Published: April 2022

Microbial morphology fundamentally constrains how species interact with their environment, and hence ultimately affects their niche. However, the methodology of functional microbes in the soil ecosystem is still poorly studied since it is difficult to capture and identify the active monospecific community from the complicated environment and enormous number of microbial species in soils. To comprehensively reveal the morphology of active microbes in soil ecosystem, magnetic nanoparticle‐mediated isolation (MMI) and single‐cell image recognition (SCIR) were employed to study soil active Bacillus community, which functionally boosted the soil fertility in organic fertilisation compared to mineral fertilisation and unfertilised control treatments in our previous study. The results showed that MMI and SCIR can efficiently isolate active Bacillus from soil particles and other microorganisms. High throughput sequencing showed that the captured Bacillus showed similar community structure in different long‐term fertilisation soils, while SCIR revealed that the active Bacillus was greater in number and larger in size in organic fertilisation treatment compared to mineral fertilisation and unfertilised control treatments. Our study demonstrates that the combination of MMI and SCIR is a potentially powerful tool to capture and identify the morphology of active and functional microbes in the soil ecosystem.
Geographic differences in community oncology provider and practice location characteristics in the central United States
Authors: Ellis Shellie D. , Thompson Jeffrey A. , Boyd Samuel S. , Roberts Andrew W. , Charlton Mary , Brooks Joanna Veazey , Birken Sarah A. , Wulff‐Burchfield Elizabeth , Amponsah Jonah , Petersen Shariska , Kinney Anita Y. , Ellerbeck Edward
Published: April 2022

Purpose

How care delivery influences urban‐rural disparities in cancer outcomes is unclear. We sought to understand community oncologists’ practice settings to inform cancer care delivery interventions.

Methods

We conducted secondary analysis of a national dataset of providers billing Medicare from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020 in 13 states in the central United States. We used Kruskal‐Wallis rank and Fisher's exact tests to compare physician characteristics and practice settings among rural and urban community oncologists.

Findings

We identified 1,963 oncologists practicing in 1,492 community locations; 67.5% practiced in exclusively urban locations, 11.3% in exclusively rural locations, and 21.1% in both rural and urban locations. Rural‐only, urban‐only, and urban‐rural spanning oncologists practice in an average of 1.6, 2.4, and 5.1 different locations, respectively. A higher proportion of rural community sites were solo practices (11.7% vs 4.0%, P<.001) or single specialty practices (16.4% vs 9.4%, P<.001); and had less diversity in training environments (86.5% vs 67.8% with <2 medical schools represented, P<.001) than urban community sites. Rural multispecialty group sites were less likely to include other cancer specialists.

Conclusions

We identified 2 potentially distinct styles of care delivery in rural communities, which may require distinct interventions: (1) innovation‐isolated rural oncologists, who are more likely to be solo providers, provide care at few locations, and practice with doctors with similar training experiences; and (2) urban‐rural spanning oncologists who provide care at a high number of locations and have potential to spread innovation, but may face high complexity and limited opportunity for care standardization.
Patient‐reported outcomes and patient voices
Authors: Asci Gulay , Ok Ercan
Published: April 2022

Online hemodiafilration (HDF) treatment may be associated with better quality of life due to improved clearance of middle‐molecular‐weight uremic toxins and hemodynamic stability in dialysis patients, in addition to better overall survival.
Two new species of Neoscirula (Acariformes: Cunaxidae) from China
Authors: Chen Jian-Xin , Yao Mao-Yuan , Guo Jian-Jun , Jin Dao-Chao , Yi Tian-Ci
Published: April 2022

This paper reports two new species of genus Neoscirula, namely, N. bambus Chen & Jin sp. nov. from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and N. pananensis Chen & Jin sp. nov. from Zhejiang province, which are described and illustrated. A key to adult females of Neoscirula species of the China is provided.
Draft Genome Sequences of
Sphingomonadaceae
Strains Isolated from a Freshwater Lake
Authors: Shen Shang , Anazawa Tetsunobu , Matsuda Tomonari , Shimizu Yoshihisa
Published: April 2022

We isolated two bacterial strains (
Sphingomonadaceae
family) from Lake Biwa, Japan. Based on whole-genome sequencing results, one strain (BSN-002) was assigned to the
Sphingopyxis
genus and the other (BSN-004) to
Sphingomonas aquatilis
.
Revisiting Rustrela Virus: New Cases of Encephalitis and a Solution to the Capsid Enigma
Authors: Pfaff Florian , Breithaupt Angele , Rubbenstroth Dennis , Nippert Sina , Baumbach Christina , Gerst Sascha , Langner Christoph , Wylezich Claudia , Ebinger Arnt , Höper Dirk , Ulrich Rainer G. , Beer Martin
Published: April 2022

The detection of rustrela virus (RusV)-associated encephalitis in two carnivoran mammal species further extends the knowledge on susceptible species. Furthermore, we provide clinical and pathological data for the two new RusV cases, which were until now limited to the initial description of this fatal encephalitis.
Reference results for the momentum space functional renormalization group
Authors: Beyer Jacob , Profe Jonas B. , Klebl Lennart
Published: April 2022

The functional renormalization group (FRG), an established computational method for quantum many-body phenomena, has been subject to a diversification in topical applications, analytic approximations and numerical implementations. Despite significant efforts to accomplish a coherent standard through benchmarks and the reproduction of previous results, no systematic and comprehensive comparison has been provided until now. While this has not prevented the publication of relevant scientific results we argue that established mutual agreement across realizations will strengthen confidence in the method. To this end, we report explicit implementational details and numerical data reproduced thrice independently up to machine accuracy. To substantiate the reproducibility of our calculations, we scrutinize pillar FRG results reported in the literature, and discuss our calculations of these reference systems. We mean to entice other groups to reproduce and establish this set of benchmark FRG results thus propagating the joint effort of the FRG community to engage in a shared knowledge repository as a reference standard for FRG implementations

Graphical abstract
Correction of Three Sensors in a Magnetic Field Gradiometer
Authors: Yang Li , Xiao Shuting , Tang Xiaoyu , Chen Hui , Zhang Song , Li Caihong
Published: April 2022

A magnetic sensor array is usually used for weak magnetic target detection. This paper presents a vector second-order gradiometer that is arranged in a vertical structure. The measurement accuracy of the gradiometer is affected by the error of each three-axis magnetometer (TAM) and the misalignment error between TAMs. By analyzing the error mechanism of the magnetic gradiometer test system, the corresponding error model for the correction of the gradient of the component is established. The error parameters of the gradiometer were estimated by the proposed method, and the gradient error of the magnetic field and the component gradient error of the magnetic field were corrected. After correction, the gradiometer is used to localize the magnetic target. Simulation results illustrate that the localization error of magnetic targets is reduced by two orders. Thus, this proposed correction method can effectively improve the locating performance of gradiometer.
Zhenzhu Xiaoji Decoction Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis Cell Death in Liver Cancer Cells through AKT/mTOR and JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Sun Yang , Sun Yue , Li Songzhe , Tao Xuelian , Cai Lingyun
Published: April 2022

Background. Liver cancer is one of the most common digestive tumors. The prescription Zhenzhu Xiaoji decoction (ZZXJD) has a certain effect on the growth and survival of primary liver cancer. Object: This article aimed to explore the effect and molecular mechanism of ZZXJD on liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells. Method. The research groups were divided into the model group, ZZXJD group, and cisplatin group. SMMC-7721 cells were treated with different concentrations of ZZXJD-medicated serum for 24 h and 48 h. The cell viability was measured with CCK8 assay, and cell morphology was observed by fluorescence microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Western blot, RT-PCR, and gene chip were used to determine the protein expression level and gene expression level of cells and tumor tissues. Results. ZZXJD inhibited the proliferation activity of SMMC-7721 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The morphological changes of the cell showed apoptosis and autophagy. The gene expression of protein kinase B (AKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) were downregulated compared with the model group

p
<
0.05

. The nude mice experiments confirmed that ZZXJD inhibited the growth of tumors in tumor-bearing mice, and the effect increased with the increase of concentration. Conclusion. ZZXJD induced autophagy and apoptosis of liver cancer cells via inhibiting AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby affecting the growth and survival of liver cancer cells.
Subwavelength Structures on Fused Silica for High-Power Laser Antireflection Applications
Authors: Zhao Yuhang , Mo Yunjie , Li Ruihao , Hou Wenjie , Jiang Shaoji
Published: April 2022

In the field of high-power lasers, subwavelength structures with both high transmittance and high laser damage resistance are required. However, in most of the studies, structural design tends to focus on optical properties. In this study, we research transmittance and surface electric
field together. The surface light intensity, as an important damage factor, is investigated and quantitatively calculated using finite element method. Our results show that the surface light intensity has asymmetry on the front and rear surfaces, and is greatly regulated by the structural
parameters. Based on this study, the subwavelength structures are designed which have both high transmittance and high laser damage resistance. Our research provides a new perspective to design of subwavelength structures, which is important for high-power laser antireflection applications.
Treatment and Nursing Application of a New Heterocycle Compound from Ginkgo biloba Against Sepsis and Complete Chloroplast Genome Analysis
Authors: Huo De-Yuan , Zhao Wei-Di , Liu Jie , Cai Li-Na , Wang Xiao-Hui , Qi Hong-Dan
Published: April 2022

Sepsis is a fatal organ dysfunction that is usually due to imbalance in inflammatory response to infection. Ginkgo biloba is used as traditional medicine because of its active ingredients, such as flavonoids, lactones, ginkgolic acid, ginkgo phenol, tannic acid, bacteriostatic
protein, and polysaccharides. This study extracted G. biloba and assessed its therapeutic effect on sepsis. The quantity of inflammatory cytokines secreted to plasma and the number of apoptotic endothelial cells were determined by ELISA and annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis assay, respectively.
The whole sequence of the chloroplast genome of G. biloba was determined by terminal sequencing with Illumina. The neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree of Ginkgo biloba was also analyzed.
Understanding the role of bond point strain in the mechanical response of nonwoven polypropylene materials
Authors: Garmabi Alireza , Elamin Mohammed A , Bradford Philip D , Pankow Mark
Published: April 2022

A method was developed to study micromechanics of a bond point in nonwoven polypropylene materials. The micromechanical behavior of the thermal bonded nonwovens was studied using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique to understand the bond points deformation during mechanical stretching. An electrospray technique was used as a fast and reliable method to create the speckle pattern on the nonwovens. Various parameters of the electrospraying and their influence on the pattern accuracy and repeatability was studied and the best pattern in terms of dot size and distribution was determined from experimentation. Plasma treatment also proved to be essential to enhance the uniform distribution and adherence of the particles on the surface. Unloaded DIC experiments were carried out and proved the accuracy of technique with errors of lower than 0.5% strain. An automated high-resolution tensile apparatus was built and loaded DIC experiments were carried out using the device. The fabric was tested in Machine Direction (MD) direction and Cross Direction (CD) directions, both showing good correlation with low errors. Average strain values in bond points were plotted against total strain in fabric and the results showed noticeable amounts of strains developed in the bond points, contradictory to most of the FEM models which consider no deformation in the bond points. Results also indicated that in MD direction deformation, bond points can experience more than 30% of the overall strain presented in the fabric.
Longitudinal Location Influences Preference for Daylight Saving Time
Authors: Antle Michael C. , Moshirpour Mahtab , Blakely Patricia R. , Horsley Katelyn , Charlton Colin J. , Hu Victor
Published: April 2022

The chronobiology community advocates ending the biannual practice in many countries of adjusting their clocks to observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). Many governments are actively considering abandoning this practice. While sleep and circadian experts advocate the adoption of year-round standard time, most jurisdictions are instead considering permanent DST. In guiding advocacy, it is useful to understand the factors that lead governments and citizens to prefer the various options. In October 2021, the Canadian province of Alberta conducted a province-wide referendum on adopting year-round DST, in which more than 1 million valid votes were cast. As this referendum was tied to province-wide municipal elections, the results of the referendum were reported at the community level, allowing a geospatial analysis of preference for permanent DST. While the referendum proposal was narrowly defeated (49.8% in favor), a community-level analysis demonstrated a significant East-West gradient, with eastern communities more strongly in favor and western communities more strongly opposed to the year-round DST. Community size and latitudinal position also contributed to preference, with smaller and more northern communities showing more preference for year-round DST. These findings help identify how geospatial location can influence how citizens feel about the various time options and can further help guide public advocacy efforts by the sleep and circadian communities.
Impact of low- and high-risk operators handling irinotecan on the blood contamination of health care workers in oncology day care units
Authors: Pirot C. , Benoist H. , Lagadu S. , Delépée R. , Saint-Lorant G.
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Health care workers handling antineoplastic drugs (ADs) are at risk of mutagenicity and adverse reproductive effects. Despite protective equipment and AD handling guidelines, AD levels are still detected in caregivers in oncology units. This study attempted to assess blood contamination by irinotecan and its metabolites in all health care workers in oncology day hospital units according to activities specific to each employment category.

Methods

The study was performed at two different hospitals: a university hospital and a comprehensive cancer centre. Forty-four participants were categorized according to their daily activity as a high-risk operator (29 nurses/ward aides and 5 cleaning staff) and a low-risk operator (7 doctors and 3 secretaries). The collected blood samples were subjected to UHPLC–MS/MS. The plasma and red blood cell (RBC) levels of irinotecan and its metabolites (SN-38; APC) were determined using a validated analytical method detection test.

Results

Two hundred sixty-four assay results were collected (132 plasma results and 132 RBC results). The comparison between low- and high-risk operator-contaminated workers was not significant (18.33% positive results in low-risk operators vs. 25.98% positive results in high-risk operators; P  =  0.22). This homogeneity showed overall contamination within the unit. Positive results were obtained in 21.43% of physicians, 11.11% of secretaries, 25.86% of nurses/ward aides and 26.67% of cleaning staff. These results could be explained by the lack or failure of personal and collective protective equipment. A lack of protection and inadequate decontamination procedures can result in surface contamination.

Conclusions

This study evaluated blood contamination with irinotecan and its metabolites in health care workers from day hospital care units. Among the 24.24% of contaminations observed in care units, the difference between low- and high-risk operator contamination was not significant ( P  =  0.22). The impact on blood contamination found is the same between low- and high-risk caregivers. This implies that the protective precautions associated with the handling of anticancer drugs must therefore be followed by all staff, including those believed to be at low risk of exposure.
Improving Fecal Immunochemical Test Return Rates: A Colorectal Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Project in a Multisite Federally Qualified Health Center
Authors: Zoellner Jamie M. , Porter Kathleen J. , Thatcher Esther , Allanson Dylan , Brauns Michelle
Published: April 2022

The goal of this quality improvement project was to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates in a multicenter federally qualified health center (FQHC) within the Central Appalachian region of rural, southwestern Virginia. Guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, the objectives were to (1) evaluate implementation processes and effectiveness of an automated electronic medical record patient reminder system to promote fecal immunochemical test (FIT) completion, compared with live telephone reminders delivered by a care coordinator (i.e., usual care), and (2) explore staff perceptions related to improving CRC screening rates. In total, 119 FITs were distributed with 59 assigned to usual care and 60 to the automated groups. In the usual care group, 79% patients with completed protocol returned their FIT; 9% were positive. In the automated reminder group, 76% patients with completed protocol returned their FIT; 10% were positive. There was no significant difference in the number of contacts per patients between the usual care (2.0, SD = 0.82 contacts/patient) and automated (1.8, SD = 0.98 contacts/patient) groups ( p = .248). In total, the usual care and automated groups required 56 and 17 live calls, respectively. Overall, FQHC system–wide CRC screening rates increase from 30.5% to 47.3%. Ten staff interviews revealed perceptions of CRC screening, the QI project, and organizational change processes that may inform future cancer control projects. Researcher and practitioners should consider PDSA quality improvement projects as an initial step to build capacity and improve CRC screening rates, especially when working in FQHC with limited resources to engage in large complex research projects.