bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collective Asymmetric Total Synthesis of C‐11 Oxygenated Cephalotaxus Alkaloids
Authors: Kim Jae Hyun , Jeon Hongjun , Park Choyi , Park Soojun , Kim Sanghee
Published: March 2021

While numerous studies pertaining to the total synthesis of Cephalotaxus alkaloids have been reported, only two strategies have been reported to date for the successful synthesis of the C‐11 oxygenated subset, due to the additional synthetic challenge posed by the remote C‐11 stereocenter. Herein, we report the collective asymmetric total synthesis of C‐11 oxygenated Cephalotaxus alkaloids using a chiral proline both as a starting material and as the only chirality source. A tetracyclic advanced intermediate was synthesized in a highly stereoselective manner from l‐proline in 8 steps involving sequential chirality transfer steps such as a diastereoselective N‐alkylation, stereospecific Stevens rearrangement and intramolecular Friedel–Crafts reaction via an unusual O‐acyloxocarbenium intermediate. From a common intermediate, the asymmetric total synthesis of six C‐11 oxygenated Cephalotaxus alkaloids was completed by a series of oxidation state adjustments.
Magnetite@MCM‐41 nanoparticles as support material for Pd‐N‐heterocyclic carbene complex: A magnetically separable catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction
Authors: Akkoç Mitat , Buğday Nesrin , Altın Serdar , Yaşar Sedat
Published: March 2021

The Magnetite@MCM‐41@NHC@Pd catalyst was obtained with Pd metal bound to the NHC ligand anchored to the surface of Fe3O4@MCM‐41. It was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy disperse X‐ray analysis (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The amount of Pd in the Magnetite@MCM‐41@NHC@Pd was measure by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES) analysis. The catalytic activity of Magnetite@MCM‐41@NHC@Pd heterogeneous catalyst done on Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of aryl halides with different substituted arylboronic acid derivatives. All coupling reactions afforded excellent yields and up to 408404 Turnover Frequency (TOF) h−1 in the presence of 2 mg of Magnetite@MCM‐41@NHC@Pd catalyst (0.0564 mmol g−1, 0.01127 mmol% Pd) at room temperature in 2‐propanol/H2O (1:2). Moreover, Magnetite@MCM‐41@NHC@Pd catalyst was recover by applying the magnet and reused for another reaction. The catalyst showed excellent structural and chemical stability and reused ten times without a substantial loss in its catalytic performance.
Time and volume‐ratio effect on reusable polybenzoxazole nanofiber oil sorption capacity investigated via machine learning
Authors: Oflaz Kamil , Oflaz Zarina , Ozaytekin Ilkay , Dincer Kevser , Barstugan Rabia
Published: March 2021

Diesel oil sorption capacities (DOSCs) of polybenzoxazole/polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber mats with four different groups (‐O‐, ‐S‐S‐, phenylene and diphenylene) in the main chain structures were investigated. Different experimental duration and diesel‐oil/tap‐water volume ratio pairs were used for diesel oil sorption. No degradation was observed in the nanofiber mat structures after diesel oil sorption. The characterizations of polybenzoxazole (PBO) nanofibers with high diesel oil selectivity were performed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x‐ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and contact angle measurement analysis. According to the result of characterizations, superoleophilic and superhydrophobic nanofiber mats show high water contact angle value in the range of 132–140∘and show high separation efficiency. In this study, we integrated ensemble gradient boosting model (XGBoost) to predict the DOSC of sorbent nanofiber and obtain an optimal set of conditions to maximize the DOSC. The predicted PBO‐E sorbent at the 0.5 ratio of diesel‐oil/tap‐water measured at the end of the 3rd minute showed the most reliable and stable diesel oil sorption with at least 9.39 and at most 12.33 g/g sorbent with 95% of confidence.
CircRNA circ_0006892 regulates miR‐24/PHLPP2 axis to mitigate cigarette smoke extract‐induced bronchial epithelial cell injury
Authors: Zhang Chenying , Gu Shuangshuang , Kang Xiuwen
Published: March 2021

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway disorder mainly resulted from cigarette smoke exposure. The dysregulated circular RNAs (circRNAs) are relevant to the pathogenesis of COPD. This study aims to explore the function and mechanism of circRNA hsa_circ_0006892 (circ_0006892) in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)‐induced bronchial epithelial injury. The lung tissues were collected from 17 nonsmokers and 23 smokers with COPD. The bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS‐2B and 16HBE) were stimulated via CSE. Circ_0006892, microRNA‐24 (miR‐24), and PH domain and leucine‐rich repeat protein phosphatase 2 (PHLPP2) abundances were examined via a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or Western blot. Cell viability, apoptosis, and inflammatory response were assessed via cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8), flow cytometry, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The target relationship of miR‐24 and circ_0006892 or PHLPP2 was tested via dual‐luciferase reporter analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull‐down. Circ_0006892 expression was reduced in lung tissues of smokers with COPD and CSE‐stimulated bronchial epithelial cells. Circ_0006892 overexpression alleviated CSE‐induced viability reduction and promotion of apoptosis and inflammatory response. MiR‐24 was bound via circ_0006892, and miR‐24 overexpression reversed the effect of circ_0006892 on CSE‐induced injury. PHLPP2 was targeted via miR‐24, and miR‐24 knockdown mitigated CSE‐induced viability reduction and promotion of apoptosis and inflammatory response via regulating PHLPP2. Circ_0006892 could promote PHLPP2 expression via regulating miR‐24. Circ_0006892 attenuated CSE‐induced bronchial epithelial cell apoptosis and inflammatory response via regulating miR‐24/PHLPP2 axis.
An investigation into the anthropogenic effect of biomass energy utilization and economic sustainability on environmental degradation in E7 economies
Authors: Gyamfi Bright Akwasi , Ozturk Ilhan , Bein Murad A. , Bekun Festus Victor
Published: March 2021

Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study focuses on the need for responsible and clean energy consumption, climate change mitigation, and sustainable economic growth. To this end, the study investigates the connection between biomass energy consumption, real GDP, investment in the energy sector, and CO2 emissions in the emerging (E7) countries – China, India, Brazil, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Indonesia and Turkey – for the period 2000–2018. The study uses a battery of techniques, namely Pooled Mean Group‐autoregressive distributed lag, ordinary least square, dynamic ordinary least square, Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (PMG‐ARDL, OLS, DOLS FMOLS) and causality estimators, to measure the robustness of the conceptualized relationship among the variables of interest. Empirical results show that conventional energy from fossil fuel sources is a driver of CO2 emissions within the E7 economies. On the other hand, biomass energy consumption and investments in the energy sector decrease CO2 emissions. Furthermore, a feedback causality relationship between biomass energy consumption and CO2 emissions is observed. Similarly, a feedback causality relationship is seen between economic growth and biomass energy consumption. Our study's empirical findings reveal that biomass energy consumption mitigated CO2 emissions in the E7 economies that were examined, suggesting the pivotal role for biomass energy consumption in creating an eco‐friendly environment and environmental sustainability. This requires investment from the private sector, stakeholders, and government administrators in cleaner energy technologies initiatives like biomass. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Quercetin prevents cadmium chloride‐induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis by downregulating the transcription ofmiR‐21
Authors: Alshammari Ghedeir M. , Al‐Qahtani Wahidah H. , AlFaris Nora A. , Alzahrani Nadiah S. , Alkhateeb Mahmoud A. , Yahya Mohammed Abdo
Published: March 2021

This study investigated if cadmium chloride (CdCl2)‐induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis and the protective effect of quercetin (QUR) are mediated modulating the activity of miR‐21, a known hepatic lipogenic and fibrotic miRNA. Male rats (n = 8/group) were divided as control, control + QUR (50 mg/kg; orally), CdCl2(10 moml/L; drinking water), CdCl2 + miR‐21 antagomir (inhibitor) (16 mg/kg/first 3 days), and CdCl2 + QUR (50 mg/kg). Treatments were conducted for 20 weeks, daily. All treatments showed no effect on fasting glucose and insulin levels. Administration of either miR‐21 or QUR prevented CdCl2‐induced hepatic damage, as well as lipid droplets and collagen deposition. They also reduced serum levels of ALT and AST and decreased serum and hepatic levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low‐density lipoproteins in CdCl2‐treated rats. Concomitantly, they reduced hepatic levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, interleukin‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α, suppressed the activation of NF‐kb P65, and increased hepatic levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). These effects were associated with reduced expression of SREBP1, TGF‐β1, Smad3, and collagen1 A and increased expression of PPARα, CPT1, and smad7. Interestingly, QUR significantly lowered levels of miR‐21 and increased the protein levels and activity of Nrf2, as well as levels of GSH and SOD in the livers of both the control and CdCl2‐treated rats. Of note, levels of Nrf2 were negatively correlated with the transcription of miR‐21. In conclusion: QUR prevents CdCl2‐induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis mainly through attenuating its ability to upregulate miR‐21, at least, by upregulation of Nrf2.
Relationships between hope and mental health among women in prison
Authors: Wai‐Ming Mak Vivian , Man‐Yin Ho Samuel , Li Wing‐Ling , Ka‐Yan Pau Barbara
Published: March 2021

Background

Previous research with non‐offenders has linked a higher dispositional cognition of hope to lower levels of psychological symptoms and demonstrated mediating effects of attentional biases on the relationship between hope and psychological symptoms, but this has not been explored among offenders.

Aims

Our aim was to investigate associations between a dispositional cognition of hope and habitual attentional processing styles and distress among women in prison. We hypothesised that higher levels of hope would be associated with more attention to positive information and less to negative information in the surroundings and, in turn, lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in women in prison.

Method

In a cross‐sectional study, we recruited consenting women serving a prison sentence who had been referred to psychological services. Participants completed a set of self‐rating inventories individually, which scaled their levels of hope, attention to positive and negative information and symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.

Results

Two hundred and three women participated. Their average age was 35.68 years (range 21–67 years). Over half were recidivists (170, 58%). Overall, the higher the level of hope they had, the lower were the ratings of their psychological symptoms. Positive attentional bias was associated with higher hope and lower psychological distress. In contrast, negative attentional bias was related to lower hope and higher psychological distress ratings. In statistical models, both attentional biases appeared to be partial mediators of the relationship between hope and psychological distress.

Conclusions

Our findings among women in prison were consistent with those in non‐forensic populations and not previously studied among prisoners. They suggest that it would be worth evaluating interventions to modify attentional styles as they may have value in increasing hope and reducing psychological symptoms and perhaps also harmful behaviours in this vulnerable population.
Recent Progress on Copper‐Based Electrode Materials for Overall Water‐Splitting
Authors: Rajput Anubha , Kundu Avinava , Chakraborty Biswarup
Published: March 2021

Exponential increase in fossil fuel consumption demands an immediate alternative for a sustainable development. Furthermore, fossil fuel combustion releases a large quantity of CO2 every day. In the quest for an alternative, although hydrogen is found to be a potent fuel with zero carbon waste, bulk‐scale hydrogen production via steam reforming or partial oxidation of hydrocarbons produces tons of CO and CO2 as waste. Perhaps, hydrogen production by means of electrocatalytic water splitting remains a viable and less energy‐intensive approach. However, the potential bottlenecks of the water splitting are the large thermodynamic barrier and sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) associated with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a comparatively straight‐forward reaction. Efforts over the last few decades have made it possible to design very reactive noble‐metal‐based catalysts, using Pt, IrO2, and RuO2, which dramatically diminish the working potential and enhance the rate of water oxidation. Nonetheless, the scarcity of these rare‐earth metals precludes their physical implication and leads to the design of active transition‐metal catalysts like CoOx and FeNi(O)OH as key alternatives. However, copper, a highly conductive and one of the earth's most abundant metals, has not much been explored for electrode materials. Lately, copper‐based materials have been employed as successful catalysts for not only the OER and HER (individual half‐cell reactions), but also for overall water splitting (OWS) through the design of bifunctional copper catalysts. This review summarizes the recent developments of copper‐based electrode materials for electrocatalytic water splitting, with emphasis on OER, HER, and OWS studies. Moreover, Cu materials are categorized by means of counter anions present and based on their catalytic activity (mono‐ and/or bi‐functional behavior). Future scope and challenges to develop active Cu‐based materials, as non‐noble and earth abundant catalysts for sustainable energy studies, are highlighted.
Highly Active, Entirely Biobased Antimicrobial Pickering Emulsions
Authors: Leclercq Loïc , Tessier Jérémie , Nardello‐Rataj Véronique , Schmitzer Andreea‐Ruxandra
Published: March 2021

We present the development of surfactant‐free, silica‐free and fully biobased oil‐in‐water antimicrobial Pickering emulsions, based on the self‐assembly of β‐cyclodextrin and phytoantimicrobial oils (terpinen‐4‐ol or carvacrol). Undecylenic acid (UA), derived from castor oil, can be used as bio‐based drug to treat fungal infection, but is less effective than petroleum‐based drugs as azole derivatives. To maximize its antifungal potential, we have incorporated UA in fully biobased Pickering emulsions. These emulsions are effective against fungi, Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. The carvacrol emulsion charged with UA is +390 % and +165 % more potent against methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA), compared to UA and azole‐based commercial formulations. Moreover, this emulsion is up to +480 % more efficient that UA ointment against C. albicans. Finally, remarkable eradication of E. coli and MRSA biofilms was obtained with this environmental‐friendly emulsion.
Phase 1b trial of isatuximab, an anti‐CD38 monoclonal antibody, in combination with carfilzomib as treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Martin Thomas G. , Shah Nina , Richter Joshua , Vesole David H. , Wong Sandy W. , Huang Chiung‐Yu , Madduri Deepu , Jagannath Sundar , Siegel David S. , Biran Noa , Wolf Jeffrey L. , Parekh Samir , Cho Hearn J. , Munster Pamela , Richard Shambavi , Ziti‐Ljajic Samira , Chari Ajai
Published: March 2021

Background

Isatuximab (Isa), an anti‐CD38 monoclonal antibody, and carfilzomib (K), a next‐generation proteasome inhibitor (PI), both have potent single‐agent activity in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).

Methods

This phase 1b study evaluated the combination of Isa and K in 33 patients with RRMM. Isa was administered by intravenous infusion in 3 dosing cohorts: dose level 1 (Isa at 10 mg/kg biweekly), dose level 2 (DL2; Isa at 10 mg/kg weekly for 4 doses and then biweekly), and dose level 3 (Isa at 20 mg/kg weekly for 4 doses and then biweekly) and all patients received K (20 mg/m2 intravenously for cycle 1, days 1 and 2, and then 27 mg/m2 for all subsequent doses). A standard 3+3 dose‐escalation design was used, no dose‐limiting toxicity was observed, and the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. An expansion cohort of 18 patients was enrolled at DL2 to further evaluate safety and efficacy. Responses were assessed with the International Myeloma Working Group response criteria, and patients continued treatment until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Results

With a median follow‐up of 26.7 months, in this heavily pretreated population with a median of 3 prior lines (refractory to PIs and immunomodulatory drugs, 76%; refractory to K, 27%), the overall response rate was 70% (stringent complete response/complete response, 4; very good partial response, 8; partial response, 11). The median progression‐free survival was 10.1 months, and the 2‐year survival probability was 76%. The most common treatment‐related adverse events (grade 2 or higher) were anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hypertension, and infection. Infusion reactions were common (55%) but did not limit dosing.

Conclusions

Treatment with Isa plus K was well tolerated with no unexpected toxicity. The combination was effective despite the enrollment of heavily pretreated patients with RRMM.

Lay Summary

This phase 1b study was designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of isatuximab and carfilzomib in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.

Thirty‐three patients were treated: 15 in dose escalation and 18 in dose expansion. Patients received an average of 10 cycles.

The treatment was safe and effective. No unexpected toxicity or drug‐drug interactions were noted. Seventy percent of the subjects responded to therapy, and the progression‐free survival was 10.1 months.
Web service classification based on information gain theory and bidirectional long short‐term memory with attention mechanism
Authors: Zhang Xiangping , Liu Jianxun , Cao Buqing , Shi Min
Published: March 2021

With the increasing number of Web services, Web service discovery for service‐oriented application development has become more important. Clustering or classifying Web services according to their functionalities is an effective way for Web service discovery. Extracting latent topic features from service description by exploiting topic model can improve the accuracy of service classification. However, most of them simply treat the description document as a set of flat word features without considering the varying importance of different features as well as sequential relations between features. In this article, we proposed a Web service classification approach based on information gain theory and bidirectional long short‐term memory with attention mechanism for accuracy Web service classification by considering fine‐grained factors implicit in Web service description. The comparative experiments are performed on ProgrammableWeb dataset, and show that the proposed method achieves a significant improvement compared with baseline methods.
Unsupervised feature extraction with convolutional autoencoder with application to daily stock market prediction
Authors: Xie Li , Yu Sheng
Published: March 2021

Due to the volatility and noise of the stock market, accurately obtaining the trend of the stock market is a challenging problem, and gets the attention of many researchers and speculators. Recently, convolutional neural network (CNN) has been used to automatically learn effective features and predict stock market trends. In CNN‐based methods reported so far, less focus has been paid to time series information of the stock, but is very crucial for stock forecasting. In this study, an unsupervised feature extraction method with convolutional autoencoder (CAE) with application to daily stock market prediction is proposed, which has a higher prediction than traditional models. The proposed method mainly consists of the data processing part, unsupervised feature learning part, and the support vector machine model part. Data processing part includes time series data transform into two‐dimensional data and data normalization. CAE network‐based unsupervised feature learning is designed by fusing convolution and autoencoder. In order to verify the performance of the model, various initial financial and economic variables of stock indices are chosen for prediction experiments. The experimental results on different stock indices demonstrate a significant improvement in prediction's performance compared with the baseline methods.
Fine‐scale foraging behavior reveals differences in the functional roles of herbivorous reef fishes
Authors: Semmler Robert F. , Brandl Simon J. , Keith Sally A. , Bellwood David R.
Published: March 2021

Efforts to understand and protect ecosystem functioning have put considerable emphasis on classifying species according to the functions they perform. However, coarse classifications based on diet or feeding mode often oversimplify species' contributions to ecological processes. Behavioral variation among superficially similar species is easily missed but could indicate important differences in competitive interactions and the spatial scale at which species deliver their functions. To test the extent to which behavior can vary within existing functional classifications, we investigate the diversity of foraging movements in three herbivorous coral reef fishes across two functional groups. We find significant variation in foraging movements and spatial scales of operation between species, both within and across existing functional groups. Specifically, we show that movements and space use range from low frequency foraging bouts separated by short distances and tight turns across a small area, to high frequency, far‐ranging forays separated by wide sweeping turns. Overall, we add to the burgeoning evidence that nuanced behavioral differences can underpin considerable complementarity within existing functional classifications, and that species assemblages may be considerably less redundant than previously thought.
Watching the days go by: Asymmetric regulation of caterpillar development by changes in photoperiod
Authors: Lindestad Olle , Aalberg Haugen Inger M. , Gotthard Karl
Published: March 2021

Many insects possess the plastic ability to either develop directly to adulthood, or enter diapause and postpone reproduction until the next year, depending on environmental cues (primarily photoperiod) that signal the amount of time remaining until the end of the growth season. These two alternative pathways often differ in co‐adapted life‐history traits, for example, with slower development and larger size in individuals headed for diapause. The developmental timing of these differences may be of adaptive importance: If traits diverge early, the potential for phenotypic differences between the pathways is greater, whereas if traits diverge late, the risk may be lower of expressing a maladaptive phenotype if the selective environment changes during development. Here, we explore the effects of changes in photoperiodic information during life on pupal diapause and associated life‐history traits in the butterfly Pararge aegeria. We find that both pupal diapause and larval development rate are asymmetrically regulated: While exposure to long days late in life (regardless of earlier experiences) was sufficient to produce nondiapause development and accelerate larval development accordingly, more prolonged exposure to short days was required to induce diapause and slow down prediapause larval development. While the two developmental pathways diverged early in development, development rates could be partially reversed by altered environmental cues. Meanwhile, pathway differences in body size were more inflexible, despite emerging late in development. These results show how several traits may be shaped by the same environmental cue (photoperiod), but along subtly different ontogenies, into an integrated phenotype.
Noncovalent Interactions between Stacked Arenes in 1,8‐Bis‐(1‐naphthyl)‐naphthalenes
Authors: Chiarucci Michel , Mazzanti Andrea , Righi Paolo , Bencivenni Giorgio , Mancinelli Michele
Published: March 2021

A number of 1,8‐bis(1‐naphthyl)‐naphthalenes, bearing different substituents in the 1‐naphthyl moieties have been prepared to investigate the noncovalent interactions between the stacked arenes. The best geometries were determined by means of DFT calculations, and experimentally checked by NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). High temperature NMR spectroscopy allowed for the determination of the balance between dispersive and electrostatic contributions (ratio between two diastereomericsyn/antiisomers of compounds1–6), while ECD analysis of thesynisomers of compounds3–5allowed for a deeper insight on the electrostatic contributions that drive the geometry between the interacting rings. The two rings preferentially adopt a parallel displaced geometry, whose interaction energy is strongly influenced by the electrostatic features of the two naphthyl rings, and that dispersive forces play a very minor role.
Health workforce response to Covid‐19: What pandemic preparedness planning and action at the federal and state levels in Germany?
Authors: Köppen Julia , Hartl Kimberly , Maier Claudia B.
Published: March 2021

Introduction

The Covid‐19 pandemic has required countries to prepare their health workforce for a rapid increase of patients. This research aims to analyse the planning and health workforce policies in Germany, a country with a largely decentralised workforce governance mechanism.

Methods

Systematic search between 18 and 31 May 2020 at federal and 16 states on health workforce action and planning (websites of ministries of health, public health authorities), including pandemic preparedness plans and policies. The search followed World Health Organisation (WHO) Europe's health workforce guidance on Covid‐19. Content analysis was performed, informed by the themes of WHO.

Results

The pandemic preparedness plans consisted of no or limited information on how to expand and prepare the health workforce during pandemics. The 16 states varied considerably regarding implementing strategies to expand health workforce capacities. Only one state adopted a policy on task‐shifting despite a federal law on task‐shifting during pandemics.

Conclusions

Planning on the health workforce, its capacity and skill‐mix during pandemics was limited in the pandemic response plans. Actions during the peak of the pandemic varied considerably across states, were implemented ad hoc and with limited planning. Future action should focus on integrated planning and evaluation of workforce policies.
The effects of slope shape and polyacrylamide application on runoff, erosion and nutrient loss from hillslopes under simulated rainfall
Authors: Ao Chang , Zeng Wenzhi , Yang Peiling , Xing Weimin , Lei Guoqing , Wu Jingwei , Huang Jiesheng
Published: March 2021

Natural hillslopes are mostly composed of complex slope shapes, which significantly affect soil erosion. However, existing studies have mainly focused on uniform slopes to simplify complex hillslopes, and the mechanisms responsible for the influence of slope shape on soil and nutrient losses are still not well understood, especially in the application of soil improvers to reduce soil loss. To investigate the effects of slope shape and polyacrylamide (PAM) application on runoff, soil erosion and nutrient loss, this study conducted artificial field rainfall experiments involving two PAM application rates and nine slope shapes. The results indicate that the average amount of soil loss from convex slopes was 1.5 and 1.3 times greater than that from concave and uniform slopes, respectively, and the average amount of ammonia nitrogen loss and phosphate loss increased by 24.0%–58.6%. Soil and nutrient losses increased as the convexity of the convex slopes increased. For runoff, there was little difference between concave and convex slopes, but the runoff amount for both slopes was greater than that for uniform slopes. After PAM application, the soil loss decreased by more than 90%, and the nutrient loss decreased by 28.2%–68.1%. The application of PAM was most effective in reducing soil erosion and nutrient loss from convex slopes, and it is recommended to appropriately increase the PAM application rate for convex slopes. A strong linear relationship between ammonia nitrogen and phosphate concentrations and sediment concentrations was found in the runoff on slopes with no PAM application. However, this linear relationship weakened for slopes with PAM application. The findings of this study may be valuable for optimizing nonpoint source pollution management in basins.
Regulation of peatland evaporation following wildfire; the complex control of soil tension under dynamic evaporation demand
Authors: Kettridge Nicholas , Lukenbach Maxwell C. , Hokanson Kelly J. , Devito Kevin J. , Petrone Richard M. , Mendoza Carl A. , Waddington James Michael
Published: March 2021

The capability of peatland ecosystems to regulate evapotranspiration (ET) following wildfire is a key control on the resilience of their globally important carbon stocks under future climatic conditions. Evaporation dominates post‐fire ET, with canopy and sub‐canopy removal restricting transpiration and increasing evaporation potential. Therefore, in order to project the hydrology and associated stability of peatlands to a diverse range of post‐fire weather conditions and future climates the regulation of evaporation must be accurately parameterised in peatland ecohydrological models. To achieve this, we measure the surface resistance (rs) to evaporation over the growing season one year post‐fire within four zones of a boreal peatland that burned to differing depths, relatingrsto near surface soil tensions. We show that the magnitude and temporal variability inrsvaries with burn severity. At the peatland scale,rsand near‐surface tension correlates non‐linearly. However, at the point scale no relationship was evident between temporal variations inrsand near‐surface tension across all burn severities; in part due to the limited fluctuation in near‐surface tensions and the precision ofrsmeasurements. Where automated measurements enabled averaging of errors, the relationship between near‐surface tension andrsswitched between periods of strong and weak correlation within a burned peat hummock. This relationship, when strong, deviated from that obtained under steady state laboratory conditions; increases inrswere more sensitive to fluctuations in near‐surface tension under dynamic field conditions. Calculating soil vapour densities directly from near‐surface tensions is shown to require calibration between peat types and provides little if any benefit beyond the derivation of empirical relationships betweenrsand measured soil tension. Thus, we demonstrate important spatiotemporal fluctuations in post‐firersthat will be key to regulating post‐fire peatland hydrology, but highlight the complex challenges in effectively parameterising this important underlying control of near‐surface tensions within hydrological simulations.
Irrelevant actions, goal demotion and explicit instruction: A study of overimitation
Authors: Taniguchi Yuuki , Sanefuji Wakako
Published: March 2021

Overimitation is imitating relevant and irrelevant actions to achieve a final goal (Lyons et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2007, 104(50), 19751–19756). We investigated whether the order of demonstration (the irrelevant action is demonstrated before or after the final goal) induces overimitation when using explicit instruction (saying the instrumental goal). We employed a between‐subjects design with 48 five‐year‐olds. In the before condition, the irrelevant action towards the sub‐apparatus was performed, followed by the action relevant to the final goal with the main apparatus. In the after condition, the experimenter performed the irrelevant action after the final goal. Results indicated that overimitation occurred when irrelevant actions were demonstrated after the goal using explicit instruction. This may mean that children's overimitation is affected by goal demotion, which is created through the order of demonstration of the irrelevant actions. This highlights how goal demotion affects children's overimitation and clarifies how children perceive intentionality in the action sequence, including irrelevant actions.
Measurement error in earnings data: Replication of Meijer, Rohwedder, and Wansbeek's mixture model approach to combining survey and register data
Authors: Jenkins Stephen P. , Rios‐Avila Fernando
Published: March 2021

Meijer, Rohwedder, and Wansbeek (MRW, Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, 2012) developed methods for prediction of a single earnings figure per worker from mixture factor models fitted using earnings data from multiple linked data sources. MRW applied their method using parameter estimates of Kapteyn and Ypma's mixture factor model (KY, Journal of Labour Economics 2007) fitted to earnings data for Swedish workers aged 50+. First, we replicate MRW's empirical analysis using the Swedish model estimates. Second, we check the generality of their empirical finding with a new application. Using estimates of a KY model fit to a linked dataset on earnings for UK employees of all ages, we confirm that MRW's principal findings about the performance of their various predictors of true earnings also hold in this different setting.
Heparin‐modified alginate microspheres enhance neovessel formation in hiPSC‐derived endothelial cells and heterocellular in vitro models by controlled release of vascular endothelial growth factor
Authors: Munarin Fabiola , Kabelac Carly , Coulombe Kareen L.K.
Published: March 2021

A formidable challenge in regenerative medicine is the development of stable microvascular networks to restore adequate blood flow or to sustain graft viability and long‐term function in implanted or ischemic tissues. In this work, we develop a biomimetic approach to increase the binding affinity of the extracellular matrix for the class of heparin‐binding growth factors to localize and control the release of proangiogenic cues while maintaining their bioactivity. Sulfate and heparin moieties are covalently coupled to alginate, and alginate microspheres are produced and used as local delivery depots for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Release of VEGF from sulfate‐alginate and heparin‐alginate bulk hydrogels and microspheres was sustained over 14 days. In vitro evaluation with human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐derived endothelial cells and aortic ring assay in a chemically defined hydrogel demonstrates development of primitive three‐dimensional vessel‐like networks in the presence of VEGF released from the chemically modified alginate microspheres. Furthermore, our results suggest that the sulfate groups available on the chemically modified alginate microspheres promote some new vessel formation even in VEGF‐free samples. Based on this evidence, we conclude that sulfate‐ and heparin‐alginate hydrogels are adaptive and bioactive delivery systems for revascularization therapy and translational vascular tissue engineering.
Bone substitutes and photobiomodulation in bone regeneration: A systematic review in animal experimental studies
Authors: Magri Angela Maria Paiva , Parisi Júlia Risso , de Andrade Ana Laura Martins , Rennó Ana Claudia Muniz
Published: March 2021

In general, bone fractures are able of healing by itself. However, in critical situations such as large bone defects, poor blood supply or even infections, the biological capacity of repair can be impaired, resulting in a delay of the consolidation process or even in non‐union fractures. Thus, technologies able of improving the process of bone regeneration are of high demand. In this context, ceramic biomaterials‐based bone substitutes and photobiomodulation (PBM) have been emerging as promising alternatives. Thus, the present study performed a systematic review targeting to analyze studies in the literature which investigated the effects of the association of ceramic based bone substitutes and PBM in the process of bone healing using animal models of bone defects. The search was conducted from March and April of 2019 in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases. After the eligibility analyses, 16 studies were included in this review. The results showed that the most common material used was hydroxyapatite (HA) followed by Biosilicate associated with infrared PBM. Furthermore, 75% of the studies demonstrated positive effects to stimulate bone regeneration from association of ceramic biomaterials and PBM. All studies used low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) device and the most studies used LLLT infrared. The evidence synthesis was moderate for all experimental studies for the variable histological analysis demonstrating the efficacy of techniques on the process of bone repair stimulation. In conclusion, this review demonstrates that the association of ceramic biomaterials and PBM presented positive effects for bone repair in experimental models of bone defects.
Advanced cancer is also a heart failure syndrome: a hypothesis
Authors: Anker Markus S. , Sanz Ana Pardo , Zamorano José L. , Mehra Mandeep R. , Butler Javed , Riess Hanno , Coats Andrew J.S. , Anker Stefan D.
Published: March 2021

We present the hypothesis that advanced stage cancer is also a heart failure syndrome. It can develop independently of or in addition to cardiotoxic effects of anti‐cancer therapies. This includes an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias. We suggest the pathophysiologic link for these developments includes generalized muscle wasting (i.e. sarcopenia) due to tissue homeostasis changes leading to cardiac wasting associated cardiomyopathy. Cardiac wasting with thinning of the ventricular wall increases ventricular wall stress, even in the absence of ventricular dilatation. In addition, arrhythmias may be facilitated by cellular wasting processes affecting structure and function of electrical cells and conduction pathways.

We submit that in some patients with advanced cancer (but not terminal cancer), heart failure therapy or defibrillators may be relevant treatment options. The key points in selecting patients for such therapies may be the predicted life expectancy, quality of life at intervention time, symptomatic burden, and consequences for further anti‐cancer therapies.

The cause of death in advanced cancer is difficult to ascertain and consensus on event definitions in cancer is not established yet. Clinical investigations on this are called for. Broader ethical considerations must be taken into account when aiming to target cardiovascular problems in cancer patients.

We suggest that focused attention to evaluating cardiac wasting and arrhythmias in cancer will herald a further evolution in the rapidly expanding field of cardio‐oncology.
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L‐NAME activates inducible NOS/NO system and drives multidimensional regulation of Na+/K+‐ATPase in ionocyte epithelia of immersion‐stressed air‐breathing fish (Anabas testudineus Bloch)
Authors: Peter M. C. Subhash , Gayathry R.
Published: March 2021

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in Na+ homeostatic control in water‐breathing fishes. It is, however, uncertain whether air‐breathing fish relies on NO to coordinate Na+/K+‐ATPase (NKA)‐driven Na+ transport during acute hypoxemia. We, thus, examined the action of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L‐NAME on NO availability, inducible NOS (iNOS) protein abundance and the regulatory dynamics of NKA in osmoregulatory epithelia of Anabas testudineus kept at induced hypoxemia. As expected in nonstressed fish, in vivo L‐NAME (100 ng g−1) challenge for 30 min declined NO production in serum (40%) and osmoregulatory tissues (average 51.6%). Surprisingly, the magnitude of such reduction was less in hypoxemic fish after L‐NAME challenge due to the net gain of NO (average 23.7%) in these tissues. Concurrently, higher iNOS protein abundance was found in branchial and intestinal epithelia of these hypoxemic fish. In nonstressed fish, L‐NAME treatment inhibited the NKA activity in branchial and intestinal epithelia while stimulating its activity in renal epithelia. Interestingly in hypoxemic fish, L‐NAME challenge restored the hypoxemia‐inhibited NKA activity in branchial and renal epithelia. Similar recovery response was evident in the NKAα protein abundance in immunoblots and immunofluorescence images of branchial epithelia of these fish. Analysis of Nkaα1 isoform transcript abundance (Nkaα1a, α1b, α1c) also showed spatial and preferential regulation of Nkaα1 isoform switching. Collectively, the data indicate that L‐NAME challenge activates iNOS/NO system in the branchial ionocyte epithelia of hypoxemia‐stressed Anabas and demands multidimensional regulation of NKA to restore the Na+ transport rate probably to defend against acute hypoxemia.
Sirolimus versus cyclosporine in haploidentical stem cell transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil as graft‐versus‐host disease prophylaxis
Authors: Hernani Rafael , Piñana José Luis , Pérez Ariadna , Quintero Abdiel , Montoro Juan , Hernández‐Boluda Juan C. , Carretero Carlos , Balaguer‐Roselló Aitana , Guerreiro Manuel , Lorenzo Ignacio , Aguilar Cristóbal , Giménez Estela , Navarro David , Sanz Miguel A. , Sanz Jaime , Solano Carlos
Published: March 2021

Sirolimus has emerged as an alternative to calcineurin inhibitors‐based (CNI) graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. This retrospective study compares the outcome of 133 consecutive adult patients with haematological malignancies undergoing haploidentical stem cell transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), combined with cyclosporine A (PTCy–CsA–MMF, n = 67) or sirolimus (PTCy–Sir–MMF, n = 66) as GVHD prophylaxis strategy. The median follow‐up was 48 (range 22–83) and 13 (range 3–33) months, respectively. PTCy–CsA–MMF was associated in multivariate analyses with a higher risk of acute kidney injury (HR 2.1, 95% CI, 1.21–3.57, p = .008) and thrombotic microangiopathy (HR 12.5, 95% CI, 1.66–93.5, p = .014), whereas PTCy–Sir–MMF was associated with a higher risk of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) (HR 10.8, 95% CI, 1.52–77, p = .018), especially late‐onset forms, which totally resolved and none of the patients needed discontinuation of sirolimus. Two SOS‐related deaths were detected, both in the PTCy–CsA–MMF subgroup. Both GVHD prophylaxis strategies were otherwise comparable in terms of engraftment, GVHD incidence and survival.
Peritumoral lymph nodes in pancreatic cancer revisited; is it truly equivalent to lymph node metastasis?
Authors: Byun Yoonhyeong , Lee Kyoung‐Bun , Jang Jin‐Young , Han Youngmin , Choi Yoo Jin , Kang Jae Seung , Kim Hongbeom , Kwon Wooil
Published: March 2021

Background

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is a well‐known poor prognostic factor of pancreatic cancer. LN metastasis, through direct invasion of tumor cell to peritumoral lymph nodes (PTLN), is treated as the same as those which spread through lymphatic channels. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of PTLN invasion on the oncologic outcome of pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Five hundred and six patients who underwent operation for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from 2012 to 2018 were reviewed. PTLN invasion was defined as direct invasion of tumor cells in contact with main tumor.

Results

Among the 506 patients, 112 patients (22.1%) had PTLN invasion. PTLN invasion group (PTLNI) showed better disease‐free survival than regional LN metastasis group (RLNM) and combined LN metastasis group (CLNM) (PTLNI 21 vs RLNM 11 vs CLNM 12 months, P = .003). There was no significant difference between N0 and PTLNI (PTLNI 21 vs N0 23 months, P = .999). In multivariate analysis, conventional LN metastasis was a significant factor compared to N0, but PTLN invasion was not (hazard ratio 0.786 [0.507‐1.220], P = .283).

Conclusion

Because PTLN invasion does not adversely affect survival in the same way as LN metastasis does, pancreatic cancer–may be overstaged if PTLN invasion were dealt in the same manner as a metastatic LN. Therefore, PTLN invasion should be disregarded from current nodal staging system.
Anatomy and evolution of bioluminescent organs in the slimeheads (Teleostei: Trachichthyidae)
Authors: Ghedotti Michael J. , DeKay Hannah M. , Maile Alex J. , Smith W. Leo , Davis Matthew P.
Published: March 2021

Bacterial bioluminescent organs in fishes have a diverse range of tissues of origin, patterns of compartmentalization, and associated light‐conducting structures. The morphology of the perianal, bacterial bioluminescent organ of Aulotrachichthys prosthemius was described previously, but the light organ in other species of slimeheads, family Trachichthyidae, is poorly known. Here, we describe the anatomy of the bioluminescent organs in trachichthyids and places the evolution of this light‐producing system in the context of a new phylogeny of the Trachichthyoidei to test the hypothesis that bioluminescence evolved twice in the suborder and that the light‐producing component derives from the perianal ectoderm. We use gross and histological examination to provide the first description of the bioluminescent organ of Paratrachichthys and four additional species of Aulotrachichthys. Observations also strongly suggest the presence of a perianal bioluminescent organ in Sorosichthys ananasa. The updated phylogeny of the Trachichthyoidei is the first to combine morphological and DNA‐sequence (11‐gene fragments) evidence, and supports a monophyletic Trachichthyidae with component subfamilies Hoplostethinae and Trachichthyinae, supporting continued recognition of the family Anoplogastridae. All bioluminescent trachichthyoids share a similar bioluminescent‐organ structure with elongate chambers filled with bacteria and connected to collecting ducts that, in turn, connect to superficial ducts that lead to and have lining epithelia continuous with the epidermis. In the context of the phylogeny, the bioluminescent organ of trachichthyids is inferred to have evolved as an elaboration of the proctodeum in the ancestor of Aulotrachichthys, Paratrachichthys, and Sorosichthys independently from the structurally similar cephalic bioluminescent organs in Anomalopidae and Monocentridae.