bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precz z maseczkami!? Semantyzacja ideologiczna wybranych słów dyskursu okołopandemicznego związanego z Covid-19
Authors: Duda Beata , Ficek Ewa
Published: January 2022

Przedmiotem artykułu są sposoby społecznego modelowania i negocjowania znaczeń leksemów maseczka oraz maska, występujących w wypowiedziach przeciwników obostrzeń sanitarnych związanych z pandemią Covid-19. Materiał badawczy stanowią komentarze zamieszczane na oficjalnym facebookowym profilu Ministerstwa Zdrowia (jako przestrzeni neutralnej, potencjalnie otwartej dla przedstawicieli różnych wspólnot dyskursywnych) od kwietnia do maja 2020 roku. Teoretyczny, a także metodologiczny punkt odniesienia analiz wyznaczają z kolei lingwistyczne badania nad dyskursem; w celu pełniejszego ujęcia walk semantycznych czy walk wartości toczących się w zajmującym autorki opracowania dyskursie skorzystano również z pewnych ustaleń lingwistyki korpusowej i genologii internetowej. Szczegółowy ogląd wybranych kolokacji wskazanych jednostek (maseczki i maski), ich tekstowych ekwiwalentów, naddatków semantycznych (zna- czeń asocjacyjnych, ekspresywnych) oraz profili znaczeniowych ujawniających się w konkretnych tekstach pozwala stwierdzić, że leksemy te stały się nasemantyzowanymi symbolami, dla przeciwników reżimu sanitarnego mającymi konotacje jednoznacznie pejoratywne. Można je ponadto uznać za słowa sztandarowe współkształtujące dyskursywny obraz świata pandemii.
Morphometric Study of the Mastoid Process and Notch in Dry Human Skulls
Authors: Blessy Sheron , Mohanraj Karthik Ganesh
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Mastoid process is a pyramidal bony projection . It is located in the posterior inferior region of the temporal bone. Mastoid notch is on the medial side of the mastoid process. Clinical significance causing infection of the middle ear could spread to the mastoid area causing mastoiditis.  The aim of the study is to determine the morphometric and morphological analysis of mastoid process and mastoid notch in dry human skull and their clinical implication.

Materials and Methods: The present study was taken from the department of Anatomy in Saveetha Dental College and Hospital by taking 72 dry human skulls. Digital vernier caliper was used to measure the mastoid process and mastoid notch of different parameters. The data was measured and analyzed statistically, using paired sample ‘t’ tests.

Results: The present study shows 0.641 significance in the right and left length of the mastoid process which is not significant. Right breadth and left breadth of the mastoid process of 0.007 and mastoid notch of right and left length 0.00 are significant.

Conclusion: It concludes that the mastoid process and mastoid notch have varied significant differences in the dry human skulls. This study will be helpful in mastoid surgeries.
Quasihexagonal Platinum Nanodendrites Decorated over CoS2‐N‐Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide for Electro‐Oxidation of C1‐, C2‐, and C3‐Type Alcohols
Authors: Logeshwaran Natarajan , Panneerselvam Iyyappa Rajan , Ramakrishnan Shanmugam , Kumar Ramasamy Santhosh , Kim Ae Rhan , Wang Yan , Yoo Dong Jin
Published: January 2022

The development of efficient and highly durable materials for renewable energy conversion devices is crucial to the future of clean energy demand. Herein, cage‐like quasihexagonal structured platinum nanodendrites decorated over the transition metal chalcogenide core (CoS2)‐N‐doped graphene oxide (PtNDs@CoS2‐NrGO) through optimized shape engineering and structural control technology are fabricated. The prepared electrocatalyst of PtNDs@CoS2‐NrGO is effectively used as anodic catalyst for alcohol oxidation in direct liquid alcohol fuel cells. Notably, the prepared PtNDs@CoS2‐NrGO exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance toward alcohol oxidation with higher oxidation peak current densities of 491.31, 440.25, and 438.12 mA mgpt–1 for (methanol) C1, (ethylene glycol) C2, and (glycerol) C3 fuel electrolytes, respectively, as compared to state‐of‐the‐art Pt‐C in acidic medium. The electro‐oxidation durability of PtNDs@CoS2‐NrGO is investigated through cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry tests, which demonstrate excellent stability of the electrocatalyst toward various alcohols. Furthermore, the surface and adsorption energies of PtNDs and CoS2 are calculated using density functional theory along with the detailed bonding analysis. Overall, the obtained results emphasize the advances in effective precious material utilization and fabricating techniques of active electrocatalysts for direct alcohol oxidation fuel cell applications.
Accurate and sensitive probing of onset of micellization based on absolute aggregation‐caused quenching effect
Authors: He Haisheng , Liu Chang , Ming Jiang , Lv Yongjiu , Qi Jianping , Lu Yi , Dong Xiaochun , Zhao Weili , Wu Wei
Published: January 2022

Probing the onset of micellization, or determining the critical micelle concentration (CMC), is of crucial importance while remains to be challenged by growing demand for extraordinary sensitivity and accuracy. Although fluorometry has attracted wide attention owing to its superiority in simplicity and sensitivity over other methods, the presence and fluctuation of background fluorescence of conventional fluorescent probes undermine the accuracy of CMC determination. Herein, a series of novel fluorescent probes without background fluorescence at a concentration below CMC owing to absolute aggregation‐caused quenching (aACQ) are utilized for sensitive and accurate measurement of CMC. The aACQ probes aggregate spontaneously and instantly in an aqueous environment owing to molecular π–π stacking with fluorescence quenching absolutely. Therefore, the absence of background fluorescence at a concentration below CMC clears relevant interference associated with conventional fluorophores. In this study, the new method is applied for versatile surfactants with CMCs ranging from nanomolar to millimolar concentrations, especially copolymers with ultralow CMC. The higher sensitivity and accuracy are highlighted by comparison with conventional probes.
Photothermocatalytic System Designed by Facet‐heterojunction to Enhance the Synergistic Effect of Toluene Oxidation
Authors: Luo Yusheng , Chi Zhili , Zhang Jinlong , Tian Baozhu
Published: January 2022

It is very essential to improve the activity and selectivity of photothermocatalysis (PTC) by tailoring the microstructures of photothermocatalytic materials. Herein, we exploit a facet‐heterojunction strategy to fabricate photothermocatalysts, by which CdS−Au‐{001}BiOCl{110}‐MnOx is constructed by respectively depositing CdS−Au on the {001} facets and MnOx on {110} facets of BiOCl nanosheets. This material exhibits excellent activity for toluene oxidation and near 100 % selectivity from toluene to carbon dioxide under full‐spectrum sunlight irradiation. The conversion rate of toluene under PTC condition is significantly enhanced by 47.5, 1.8 and 1.7 times compared with that of sole PC, TC and the sum of TC and PC. There is a synergistic effect between photocatalysis and thermocatalysis, in which the S‐scheme photocatalyst CdS−Au‐{001}BiOCl produces high‐energy active species to activate toluene and accelerate the cycle conversion of lattice oxygen and oxygen vacancy in MnOx.
Ethical remediation practices addressing values conflicts: A delphi study
Authors: Taylor Rouse Kerrie E. , Doughty Horn Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study was to create concrete, practical recommendations for remediation with students struggling to effectively counsel members of the LGBTQ+ populations as a result of faith‐based values conflicts that are both effective and ethical. A panel of seven experts in counselor education participated in this Delphi study.
Hard Carbon Derived from Graphite Anode by Mechanochemistry and the Enhanced Lithium‐Ion Storage Performance
Authors: Wang Xiaotong , Chen Jingjing , Dong Chenlong , Wang Dajian , Mao Zhiyong
Published: January 2022

Graphite is the mainstream anode material for commercial lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), but the low theoretical capacity (372 mAh g−1) becomes the bottleneck to further increase the energy density of LIBs. Herein, hard carbon derived from graphite with enhanced lithium‐ion storage performance is demonstrated by environmentally friendly and simply mechanochemical method. With the mechanochemical treatment, the commercial graphite transferred into hard carbon materials with controllable morphology and defect density. As an optimal exemplification, the obtained hard carbon serving as anode delivers significantly enhanced lithium storage capacity of 629.8 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.2 A g−1, which is nearly double of the pristine graphite anode. The enhanced lithium storage performance of hard carbon anode is attributed to the presence of numerous defects induced by mechanochemical process, serving as the active sites to improve capacity during the Li insertion and extraction process. Our work broadens the avenue for graphite anode to further increase the energy density of LIBs.
Multiscale modeling of passive material influences on deformation and force output of skeletal muscles
Authors: He Xiaolong , Taneja Karan , Chen Jiun‐Shyan , Lee Chung‐Hao , Hodgson John , Malis Vadim , Sinha Usha , Sinha Shantanu
Published: January 2022

Passive materials in human skeletal muscle tissues play an important role in force output of skeletal muscles. This paper introduces a multiscale modeling framework to investigate how age‐associated variations on microscale passive muscle components, including microstructural geometry (e.g., connective tissue thickness) and material properties (e.g., anisotropy), influence the force output and deformations of the continuum skeletal muscle. We first define a representative volume element (RVE) for the microstructure of muscle and determine the homogenized macroscale mechanical properties of the RVE from the separate mechanical properties of the individual components of the RVE, including muscle fibers and connective tissue with its associated collagen fibers. The homogenized properties of the RVE are then used to define the elements of the continuum muscle model to evaluate the force output and deformations of the whole muscle. Conversely, the regional deformations of the continuum model are fed back to the RVE model to determine the responses of the individual microscale components. Simulations of muscle isometric contractions at a range of muscle lengths are performed to investigate the effects of muscle architectural changes (e.g., pennation angles) due to aging on force output and muscle deformation. The correlations between the pennation angle, the shear deformation in the microscale connective tissue (an indicator for the lateral force transmission), the angle difference between the fiber direction and principal strain direction and the resulting shear deformation at the continuum scale, as well as the force output of the skeletal muscle are also discussed.
Multi‐catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of 1,3‐Diols Containing a Tetrasubstituted Fluorinated Stereocenter
Authors: Shao Na , Monnier Valérie , Charles Laurence , Rodriguez Jean , Bressy Cyril , Quintard Adrien
Published: January 2022

The enantioselective construction of fluorohydrins featuring a tetrasubstituted stereocenter embedded in complex frameworks represents an important challenge. Herein, we report a multicatalytic strategy enabling the stereoselective preparation of a new type of scaffold containing such a challenging fluorohydrin motif. The sequence is based on an organocatalyzed fluorination of α‐disubstituted aldehydes followed by a diastereoselective copper‐catalyzed decarboxylative aldol reaction. Reduction of the generated β‐hydroxy ketone followed by a Lewis base‐catalyzed kinetic resolution enables the isolation of original fluorinated 1,3‐diols with perfect diastereo‐ and enantio‐control.
Fabrication of Coral‐Shaped MoS2@Ni(Mn)VOX Electrocatalyst for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Zhang Bingqian , Li Yanan , Yi Jiaxin , Zhang Yi , Li Xuchun , Cong Yanqing
Published: January 2022

Electrochemical hydrogen production is considered as one of the most significant ways to develop clean energy in the future. Herein, the self‐supporting electrocatalyst of MoS2@Ni(Mn)VO
X
is fabricated on 3D nickel foam (NF) by a facile two‐step electrodeposition approach. The optimal MoS2@Ni(Mn)VO
X
electrode shows an ultralow overpotential of 61 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 35.1 mV dec−1 in 1 m KOH, which is superior to NF, MoS2@NF, NiVO
X
, Ni(Mn)VO
X
, or MoS2@NiVO
X
. The uniformly dispersed coral‐shaped heterostructure exposes more active sites and makes the charge transfer rate faster. The outstanding synergistic effect of MoS2 and transition metal oxides of Ni, Mn, and V also contribute to the enhanced activity of the catalyst. Benefiting from these, MoS2@Ni(Mn)VO
X
shows superior alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction activity and long‐term stability. Herein, a novel catalyst for highly efficient hydrogen evolution in alkaline media is provided.
Application of Al2O3/water nanofluid as the coolant in a new design of photovoltaic/thermal system: An experimental study
Authors: Zamen Mohammad , Kahani Mostafa , Rostami Behzad , Bargahi Mojtaba
Published: January 2022

A new geometry of photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) system is introduced in this study, and the application of Al2O3/water nanofluid as the coolant on the electrical and thermal behavior of a solar system is experimentally evaluated. To intensify the thermal ability of the solar collector, a serpentine half‐pipe cooling system is designed and fabricated behind the solar panel for better cooling. The cells of the panel are assembly on a 3‐mm‐thick aluminum plate, and the Tedlar removes from the system to maximize the heat transfer in the cooling section. A special layer arrangement for the composite panel is used to minimize thermal resistance of the system. Different concentrations of nanofluid samples (0.05–0.5 wt.%) prepared. To increase the stability of prepared nanofluids, suitable surfactants are also used. Based on the obtained results, adding the nanoparticles to the pure water can remarkably raise the efficiency of the PVT apparatus. The best behavior of the solar collector is observed for 0.5 wt.% of nanofluid samples. 126.71% and 7.38% enhancement in terms of thermal and electrical efficiency can be gained by the application of nanofluid in the system compared with pure water, respectively. The best obtained value of the overall efficiency is around 93.73% for the studied system. The maximum temperature rise for water and nanofluid is around 5.5 and 9.1°C, respectively, which confirms the better cooling ability of PVT system by nanofluid compared with water.
Effects of Episodic Exposure to High-pH Water on Survival of Atlantic Salmon Eggs and Juveniles: Results from Laboratory and Field Studies
Authors: Foldvik Anders , Holthe Espen , Bremset Gunnbjørn , Solem Øyvind
Published: January 2022

Although effects of acidification on salmonid fish are well studied and documented, effects of episodic high pH have rarely received attention. In the present study, we investigated effects of high-pH events on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) using both field and laboratory data. Effects of an episodic high-pH event on juvenile densities in a Norwegian river were studied using data from several electrofishing surveys conducted both before and after the event. Effects of high pH on survival of eggs were studied by exposing eggs to a range of high-pH treatments for different durations. Juvenile densities from the field study showed that the high-pH event had little or no effect on the cohort that had been exposed to pH 9.7–10.3 during the egg stage. This finding was in accordance with the laboratory experiment that showed no excess mortality on eggs until pH was >12. The high-pH event occurred in March during low winter flows, and densities of older juveniles in May were significantly lower in the affected area compared to controls upstream. In June and September the difference was not significant, but there was a clear spatial trend indicating that the event had a negative effect on densities of older juvenile salmon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:771–780. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Importance of semantic interoperability in smart agriculture systems
Authors: Khatoon P Salma , Ahmed Muqeem
Published: January 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects people with real‐world objects to exchange data. It is performed using services and devices present in the user's activities based on the IoT. Based on a common vocabulary or mappings, knowledge and information can be exchanged by different agents, services, and devices in this scenario. The heterogeneous sources can be represented and integrated by an ontology. The Semantic Web offers semantic interoperability that facilitates communication between heterogeneous devices and technology platforms. The state‐of‐the‐art of IoT semantic interoperability is assessed and reviewed in this work. The importance and challenges of interoperability are discussed in detail with an in‐depth analysis of the requirements. IoT based semantic interoperability model is discussed with semantic annotations of data required for heterogeneous IoT devices. Additionally, it has been presented which Semantic Web technologies are incorporated, and the challenges have been studied in this research area. Agriculture is a domain where IoT applications have a lot of potentials. The market is filled with several devices that collect data from the farms and send it to the cloud. Semantic Web technology for applications in agriculture has been discussed in detail with data integration. Semantic resources for agriculture have been enlisted with linked data hubs and semantic data standards. The article aims to address the need and requirement of IoT with semantic interoperability in the field of agriculture. The use of IoT interoperability in agriculture can bring long term benefits to the farmers and increase productivity while reducing the overall costs incurred.
Effect of air fryer frying temperature on the quality attributes of sturgeon steak and comparison of its performance with traditional deep fat frying
Authors: Liu Li , Huang Pan , Xie Wei , Wang Jinlin , Li Yujin , Wang Haiyan , Xu He , Bai Fan , Zhou Xiaodong , Gao Ruichang , Zhao Yuanhui
Published: January 2022

In this study, the influence of air‐frying temperature on the physical properties of sturgeon steaks was explored. Meanwhile, the comparison of traditional deep fat frying (TF) and air fryer frying (AFF) methods on the quality, flavor, and digestibility of sturgeon steaks were investigated. The results indicated that along with the increase of temperature (130, 160, and 190℃) for 15 min, the moisture content of AFF sturgeon steak surface decreased dramatically while that of interior was well preserved. The applied texture property analysis exhibited that AFF sturgeon steak showed the enhanced elasticity, low hardness, and soft texture. The results indicated that AFF sturgeon steak contained higher essential amino acid content than TF sturgeon steak. More flavor compounds (aldehydes, alcohols, and esters) were produced after AFF than TF. Although the digestibility of fried sturgeon steaks decreased after frying, AFF sturgeon steaks were digested rapidly in the stomach and intestine. Conclusively, AFF sturgeon steaks exhibited a crispy texture, appealing flavor, and low oil content. This work provides a certain reference for the suitable frying methods in the processing industry of sturgeon products.
Knapping quality of local versus exotic Upper Mercer chert (Ohio, USA) during the Holocene
Authors: Lewis Angela R. , Williams Jeremy C. , Buchanan Briggs , Walker Robert S. , Eren Metin I. , Bebber Michelle R.
Published: January 2022

Stone that fractured conchoidally was an important resource for prehistoric hunter‐gatherers. In recent years, archaeologists have come to realize that rather than defining stone “quality” simply and implicitly as “high” or “low,” a stone's quality can be best defined in several different explicit and often quantitative ways involving production, function, or social benefits. Here, we examine the stone quality—defined as “fracture predictability”—of Upper Mercer chert when it is locally versus nonlocally acquired by prehistoric people in Ohio, USA. By quantitatively assessing silicon dioxide (SiO2) content and loss on ignition, we compared stone tools from a site at the Upper Mercer outcrop (n = 42) to those found at archaeological sites over 100 km north of it (n = 126). Our results showed that the former on average were of significantly higher quality than the latter. We conclude with a consideration of factors that could cause this difference in quality, suggesting that the lower quality of Upper Mercer chert in northern Ohio might be explained by northern people's decreased familiarity with it during the Archaic period and by their decreased access to it during the Woodland and Late Precontact periods.
Causes of changes in actual evapotranspiration and terrestrial water storage over the Eurasian inland basins
Authors: Liu Zhaofei
Published: January 2022

The climate of the Eurasian inland basins (EIB) is characterized by limited precipitation and high potential evapotranspiration, making water storage in the EIB vulnerable to global warming and human activities. There is increasing evidence regarding varying trends in water storage across different regions; however, a consistent conclusion on the main attributes of these trends is lacking. Based on the hydrological budget in a closed inland basin, the main attributes of changes in actual evapotranspiration (AET) and terrestrial water storage (TWS) were identified for the EIBs and each closed basin. In the EIB and most of its closed basins (13/16), the TWS and AET showed significantly decreasing and non‐significant increasing trends, respectively. The primary cause underlying the significantly decreasing TWS in the EIB was the increase in AET. Approximately 70% of the increase in AET was attributed to increased irrigation diversions from groundwater and glacial melt runoff. At the basin scale, similar to the EIB, changes in AET were the predominant factor driving changes in TWS in most basins, with the exception of the Balkhash Lake basin (BLB), Iran inland river basin (IIRB), Qaidam basin (QB) and Turgay River basin (TuRB). In these basins, changes in precipitation largely contributed to the TWS changes. The AET consumption of other water resources was the main factor contributing to AET changes in seven of the 16 basins, including the Aral Sea, Caspian Sea, Junggar, Monglia Plateau, Qiangtang Plateau and Tarim River basins. The increase in precipitation contributed more than 60% of the increasing AET in four of the 16 basins, particularly in the Helmand River basin and QB (>90%). Changes in precipitation and consumption by other water supply sources contributed to approximately half of the AET changes in the other five basins, including the Inner Mongolia Plateau basin, Issyk‐Kul Sarysu basin, BLB, IIRB and TuRB.
Agricultural exposure and risk of soft tissue sarcomas and gastrointestinal stromal sarcoma in the AGRIculture and CANcer (AGRICAN) cohort
Authors: Renier Marine , Busson Amandine , Boulanger Mathilde , Piel Clément , Pons Romain , Tual Séverine , Amadéo Brice , Meryet‐Figuiere Matthieu , Marcotullio Elisabeth , Clin Bénédicte , Baldi Isabelle , Lebailly Pierre ,   The AGRICAN Group
Published: January 2022

Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors whose incidence is nearly 5 per 100 000 inhabitants in Europe. Their causes are poorly understood, although occupational exposures (especially farming and pesticides) are suspected. The AGRICAN cohort is a prospective study of 181 842 individuals enrolled in 2005 to 2007 who completed an enrolment questionnaire with data on lifelong agricultural exposure. Associations between agricultural exposure and sarcoma overall, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and myomatous and fibrous sarcoma together, were analyzed with a Cox model. Until 2015, 188 incident cases of sarcoma were identified. Increased risks were observed (a) among cattle farmers working <10 years (HR<10years = 2.45, 95% CI 1.36‐4.43) and breeding ≥50 livestock (HR≥50animals = 3.84, 95% CI 1.60‐9.22), especially if involved in animal care and building disinfection, (b) in greenhouse production (HR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.01‐3.30) and (c) in field‐grown vegetable production (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 0.96‐2.32). Concerning histological subtypes, GIST were positively associated with pesticide use in vineyards (HR = 2.24, 95% CI 0.95‐5.30). For myomatous and fibrous sarcoma, the only increase was seen in field‐grown vegetable production (HR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.16‐4.85). In AGRICAN, the risk of sarcomas was increased in several farming activities with differences according to histological subtype.
Excessive osteoclast activation by osteoblast paracrine factor RANKL is a major cause of the abnormal long bone phenotype in Apert syndrome model mice
Authors: Shin Hye‐Rim , Kim Bong‐Soo , Kim Hyun‐Jung , Yoon Heein , Kim Woo‐Jin , Choi Je‐Yong , Ryoo Hyun‐Mo
Published: January 2022

The fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/FGF receptor (FGFR) signaling pathway plays important roles in the development and growth of the skeleton. Apert syndrome caused by gain‐of‐function mutations of FGFR2 results in aberrant phenotypes of the skull, midface, and limbs. Although short limbs are representative features in patients with Apert syndrome, the causative mechanism for this limb defect has not been elucidated. Here we quantitatively confirmed decreases in the bone length, bone mineral density, and bone thickness in the Apert syndrome model of gene knock‐in Fgfr2S252W/+ (EIIA‐Fgfr2S252W/+) mice. Interestingly, despite these bone defects, histological analysis showed that the endochondral ossification process in the mutant mice was similar to that in wild‐type mice. Tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining revealed that trabecular bone loss in mutant mice was associated with excessive osteoclast activity despite accelerated osteogenic differentiation. We investigated the osteoblast–osteoclast interaction and found that the increase in osteoclast activity was due to an increase in the Rankl level of osteoblasts in mutant mice and not enhanced osteoclastogenesis driven by the activation of FGFR2 signaling in bone marrow‐derived macrophages. Consistently, Col1a1‐Fgfr2S252W/+ mice, which had osteoblast‐specific expression of Fgfr2 S252W, showed significant bone loss with a reduction of the bone length and excessive activity of osteoclasts was observed in the mutant mice. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that the imbalance in osteoblast and osteoclast coupling by abnormally increased Rankl expression in Fgfr2S252W/+ mutant osteoblasts is a major causative mechanism for bone loss and short long bones in Fgfr2S252W/+ mice.
Accuracy and Challenges in the Vesical Imaging‐Reporting and Data System for Staging Bladder Cancer
Authors: Meng Xiaoyan , Hu Henglong , Wang Yanchun , Feng Cui , Hu Daoyu , Liu Zheng , Kamel Ihab R. , Li Zhen
Published: January 2022

Background

The Vesical Imaging‐Reporting and Data System (VI‐RADS) scoring system has been widely used to stage bladder cancer (BCa) since 2018.

Purpose

To describe the characteristics of cases with discordant T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) scores in patients with BCa and further verify the accuracy of the VI‐RADS scoring system and the necessity of dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) sequence.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Subjects

A total of 106 patients (include 16.5% female) with bladder cancer.

Sequence

T2WI (fast spin echo), DWI (echo planer imaging), and DCE (gradient echo).

Assessment

Some cases are difficult to score according to the system, mainly when the T2WI (category 4) and DWI (category 2) sequence scores are discordant, termed the discordant group below. The complementary group will be termed concordant group. Each MRI sequence was reviewed respectively according to the 5‐point VI‐RADS scoring system by three observers. The diagnostic ability of sequences for evaluating muscle invasion by BCa was calculated using histopathology as the reference standards.

Statistical Tests

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, DeLong test, intraclass correlation coefficient. A P value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant.

Results

Fourteen cases (13.2%) had discordant VI‐RADS scoring system. In the discordant group, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of DCE was 0.875, while the T2WI and DWI showed limited diagnostic performance (AUCs = 0.50). In the concordant group, there was no significant difference in diagnostic efficacy between the overall VI‐RADS (AUC: 0.950) and the combination of T2WI and DWI (AUC: 0.946) (P = 0.56). Among all patients, the AUC of overall VIRADS was 0.939 with a 3 or greater cutoff value.

Data conclusion

The DCE was crucial in the discordant group for evaluating muscle‐invasiveness, while DCE may not be necessary for the concordant group. The VI‐RADS scoring system performed with overall good diagnostic performance in evaluating muscle‐invasiveness in BCa patients.

Evidence Level

4

Technical Efficacy

Stage 3
Clinical features and oncological outcomes of primary female urethral cancer
Authors: Lee Wonchul , Yu Jesang , Lee Jae‐Lyun , Kim Young Seok , Hong Bumsik
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Investigation of the clinical features and treatment outcomes of primary female urethral cancer (FUC) at a single institution.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 32 FUC patients during 1997–2017. We investigated preoperative risk factors predicting overall (overall survival [OS]) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and reviewed clinical features, treatment modality, and oncologic outcomes according to pathology. The median follow‐up duration and age was 56 months (range: 4–229) and 61 years (range: 15–82), respectively.

Results

The median OS and RFS were 70 and 16 months, respectively. A total of 19 (59.4%) patients received systemic chemotherapy, including 14 (43.8%) who received radiation therapy. Further, 22 patients (68.8%) underwent surgery. On univariate analysis, >T2, N+, and tumor size ≥3 cm were associated with poorer OS. There were 15 cases of distant metastasis and five local recurrences. Outcomes were poorest in adenocarcinoma (AC), moderate in clear cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma, and best in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Conclusion

Female urethral lesions should be carefully examined to exclude FUC. Distal urethral SCC was responsive to surgical excision, but proximal urethral AC had poor oncological outcome even after extensive treatment. Due to the heterogeneity and poor prognosis of FUC, multimodal treatment is mandatory.
Early continuous blood purification affects TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 in patients with severe acute pancreatitis via inhibiting TLR4 signaling pathway
Authors: Chen Zhi‐Peng , Huang Hai‐Ping , He Xiao‐Yan , Wu Bao‐Zhen , Liu Yong
Published: January 2022

To exploit whether early continuous blood purification (CBP) inhibits the Toll‐like receptors 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway in the peripheral blood of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and whether it affects the abundance of inflammatory factors; 130 SAP patients were randomly selected and divided into Groups B and C. Both groups received conventional treatment. Among them, Group C was given early CBP treatment. Another 60 healthy cases in physical examination at the same time were selected as Group A. The abundances of TLR4 and inflammatory factors were detected before and after treatment. Compared with Group B, (1) the symptoms in Group C improved more markedly; (2) protein contents of TLR4 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) in Group C diminished more signally; (3) the abundances of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), cytokine interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), and cytokine interleukin 6 (IL‐6) in Group C decreased (p < 0.05); and (4) the abundance of TLR4 in Group C was positively correlated with those of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 after treatment (all p < 0.001). Early CBP inhibits TLR4 signaling pathway in SAP patients and attenuates the abundance of inflammatory factors to a certain extent, which may provide a new clinical treatment strategy for SAP.
Enhanced predictive corrosion modeling of crevice evolution at e‐coat defects under cyclic climate conditions
Authors: Wagner Benjamin , Mittelbach Andreas , Geiß Paul L.
Published: January 2022

E‐coated galvanized steel sheets are widespread parts of the automotive industry. Hence, the undermining of the organic coating due to defects is a crucial issue. The delamination of an e‐coating is simulated for different cyclic climate conditions using the finite element method to predict the corrosion behavior over several weeks. A semiempirical mixed potential theory model is developed incorporating the time‐of‐wetness, the temperature, and the effect of corrosion products. Furthermore, the spatial orientation of the sheets is considered in the simulation. The trends of experimental delamination widths of corrosion tests are well described by the simulation.
Global weighted regularity estimates for higher‐order elliptic and parabolic systems
Authors: Bui The Quan , Le Xuan Truong
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we prove the weighted Lorentz and weighted Orlicz estimates for the weak solutions to the higher‐order parabolic systems with the leading coefficients satisfying a small bounded mean oscillation (BMO) norm condition. As a by‐product, we obtain the weighted estimates for the higher‐order elliptic systems.
Using Surrogate Taxa to Inform Response Methods for Invasive Grass Carp in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Authors: Fischer Jason L. , Nathan Lucas R. , Buszkiewicz John , Colm Julia , Drake D. Andrew R. , DuFour Mark R. , Kočovský Patrick M. , Marson David , Smyth Eric R. B. , Young Ryan , Robinson Kelly F.
Published: January 2022

Sampling method decisions are critical for the effective monitoring and management of fisheries. Deploying the most effective sampling methodologies is particularly important when responding to new invasive species, where early response efforts have the best chances for eradication. In the Laurentian Great Lakes, the invasive Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella is sampled using boat electrofishing and the combination method of boat electrofishing within and around a trammel net enclosure. We conducted a field study to compare the effectiveness of the two methods. We used capture data for surrogate taxa (i.e., Common Carp Cyprinus carpio and buffalo Ictiobus spp.) to compare the two methods because few Grass Carp were collected during the study. The sampling methods were compared within an occupancy modeling framework using an information-criteria model selection approach to evaluate seven alternative models. The base model included sampling method, year, water temperature, and sampling effort as covariates in the detection submodel and assumed that occupancy probability was constant across sites. The other six models built on the base model by including site, water body type (i.e., lentic vs. lotic), and interaction covariates in the detection submodel. The top-performing model, built on the base model, accounted for the influence of water body type and assumed the exchangeability of site effects in the detection submodel. The results indicated that the detection probabilities for both taxa were higher for the combination method than for boat electrofishing, with a median estimated difference in detection probability between the two methods of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.04–0.22) for Common Carp and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.08–0.28) for buffalo. Given that the combination method was more effective for detecting the surrogate taxa, we expect the combination method may be preferable to only boat electrofishing for Grass Carp removal.
Lung function at school age in infants with lower respiratory tract infections with and without wheezing: A birth cohort study
Authors: Rusconi Franca , Lombardi Enrico , Spada Elena , Brescianini Sonia , Culasso Martina , Di Toro Francesca , Frassanito Antonella , Richiardi Lorenzo , Ronfani Luca , Stella Ileana , Gagliardi Luigi
Published: January 2022

Objective

To evaluate the relationship between lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), in the first 2 years of life and lung function at school age in the Piccolipiù birth cohort (Italy).

Methods

Data on LRTI (doctor diagnosis of bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia) and wheezing (≥3 episodes or a diagnosis of asthmatic bronchitis) in the first 2 years of life were obtained from parental questionnaires.

Lung function was assessed at 7 years by spirometry and forced volume vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75%, and at 75% of FVC (FEF25–75 and FEF75) were reported as Z‐scores. The associations between LRTI and spirometric variables were estimated with linear regression models.

Results

Among 877 children studied, 22.1% had LRTI only, 5.4% wheezing only, 13.2% had both, and 59.3% had neither LRTI nor wheezing. Children with LRTI had lower FVC and FEV1 than children without (Z‐score differences: −0.18 [95% confidence intervals: −0.31; −0.06] and −0.15 [−0.27; −0.03]). When children were stratified by history of both LRTI and wheezing, there was no association between LRTI only and spirometric values. Conversely, having had both LRTI and wheezing was inversely associated with all lung function measures: Z‐score differences of −0.24 (−0.42; −0.07); −0.42 (−0.59; −0.24); −0.25 (−0.41; −0.08); −0.37 (−0.54; −0.21); −0.30 (−0.46; −0.14) for FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25–75 and FEF75, respectively.

Conclusion

Infants with wheezing and LRTI, but not those with LRTI only, had reduced lung function at school‐age.
Childhood pertussis is still here: An Asian city's perspectives
Authors: Hon Kam Lun E. , Li Yee Ming Jennifer , Leung Alexander K. C. , Wong Alex H. C. , Leung Karen Ka Yan , Ng Daniel K. K.
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is one of the most common causes of death in childhood. It is also a frequent cause of chronic cough in children, adolescents, and adults.

Methods

Global and Hong Kong perspectives of childhood pertussis were described.

Results

Hong Kong has prided herself in the city's childhood immunization program. There appear to be no major outbreaks of pertussis since the 1960s. Nevertheless, pediatricians may see isolated cases of pertussis or pertussis‐like cases from time to time. Occasionally, infants are severely affected with apneas and managed with ventilator supports in the PICU. Outbreaks of the notifiable disease continue to occur despite a reasonable surveillance system and vaccination program in Hong Kong. Vaccination of mothers, adolescents, and adults are efficacious methods to further reduce the risks of pertussis. Macrolides remain efficacious antibiotics especially used early during the infectious phase. Infants with pertussis may require intensive care support and morbidity is high.

Conclusions

Physicians should be reminded from time to time that outbreaks of pertussis still exist in Hong Kong and in many cities globally.
Redefining the coenzyme A transferase superfamily with a large set of manually annotated proteins
Authors: Hackmann Timothy J.
Published: January 2022

The coenzyme A (CoA) transferases are a superfamily of proteins central to the metabolism of acetyl‐CoA and other CoA thioesters. They are diverse group, catalyzing over a 100 biochemical reactions and spanning all three domains of life. A deeply rooted idea, proposed two decades ago, is these enzymes fall into three families (I, II, and III). Here we find they fall into different families, which we achieve by analyzing all CoA transferases characterized to date. We manually annotated 94 CoA transferases with functional information (including rates of catalysis for 208 reactions) from 97 publications. This represents all enzymes we could find in the primary literature, and it is double the number annotated in four protein databases (BRENDA, KEGG, MetaCyc, UniProt). We found family I transferases are not closely related to each other in terms of sequence, structure, and reactions catalyzed. This family is not even monophyletic. These problems are solved by regrouping the three families into six, including one family with many non‐CoA transferases. The problem (and solution) became apparent only by analyzing our large set of manually annotated proteins. It would have been missed if we had used the small number of proteins annotated in UniProt and other databases. Our work is important to understanding the biology of CoA transferases. It also warns investigators doing phylogenetic analyses of proteins to go beyond information in databases.
Model‐based event‐triggered control of singularly perturbed system with dual event‐triggering mechanism
Authors: Bhandari Manisha , Fulwani Deepak , Gupta Rajeev
Published: January 2022

In this article, a new dual event‐triggering mechanism is proposed to implement a distributed model‐based event‐triggered control for a singularly perturbed system (SPS) having structured state space uncertainty. The proposed approach significantly reduces the amount of necessary information exchanged to control the system. Dual event‐triggering mechanism allows the measurements of slow and fast states to be transmitted asynchronously at different rates which is more effective due to the two time‐scale nature of SPSs. Approximate slow and fast systems of the nominal plant are used as the model to reduce the computational demand. The proposed control strategy guarantees that the system states converge to an adjustable region around the equilibrium point and the inter‐event intervals are lower‐bounded by a positive constant. A numerical simulation example is used to illustrate the theoretical results of the article.
Patchiness in flow refugia use by macroinvertebrates following an artificial flood pulse
Authors: Mathers Kate L. , Robinson Christopher T. , Weber Christine
Published: January 2022

Flow refugia, locations that maintain substrate stability and low hydraulic stress during periods of high flow, can ensure riverine resilience in the face of increasing hydrological unpredictability. Despite their known importance, they have been overlooked in recent years with work on drought refugia currently seeing greater attention. Moreover, research on the role of flow refugia during artificial flood pulses in regulated rivers, where flood disturbances are no longer part of the hydrograph, is essentially absent. Here, we compared flow refugia for benthic macroinvertebrates among six habitats (main channel, side channel, riffle, margin, lentic including a floodplain pond, and inundated floodplain) within four different sites in response to an artificial flood pulse. We found that the grain‐size distribution and macroinvertebrate community composition changed at each site following the flood. Macroinvertebrate assemblages became longitudinally homogeneous, but within‐site beta diversity and taxa richness remained temporally stable following the flood pulse, suggesting the presence of flow refugia. In this respect, margin, inundated floodplain and lentic (a floodplain pond) habitats provided important flow refugia locations, particularly for the mobile mayfly Rhithrogena sp. In contrast, low substrate stability in riffle and side channels resulted in limited refugia potential for most taxa. Refuge use was however patchy with high levels of intra‐habitat variability being evident for Rhithrogena sp. and the amphipod Gammarus fossarum in margin and side channel habitats. Further work is required to advance our knowledge of flow refugia in rivers with differing flow regimes to enable their integration into management and restoration schemes.
CarbonIron Electron Transport Channels in Porphyrin–Graphene Complex for ppb‐Level Room Temperature NO Gas Sensing
Authors: Gao Yixun , Wang Jianqiang , Feng Yancong , Cao Nengjie , Li Hao , de Rooij Nicolaas Frans , Umar Ahmad , French Paddy J. , Wang Yao , Zhou Guofu
Published: January 2022

It is a great challenge to develop efficient room‐temperature sensing materials and sensors for nitric oxide (NO) gas, which is a biomarker molecule used in the monitoring of inflammatory respiratory diseases. Herein, Hemin (Fe (III)‐protoporphyrin IX) is introduced into the nitrogen‐doped reduced graphene oxide (N‐rGO) to obtain a novel sensing material HNG‐ethanol. Detailed XPS spectra and DFT calculations confirm the formation of carbon–iron bonds in HNG‐ethanol during synthesis process, which act as electron transport channels from graphene to Hemin. Owing to this unique chemical structure, HNG‐ethanol exhibits superior gas sensing properties toward NO gas (Ra/Rg = 3.05, 20 ppm) with a practical limit of detection (LOD) of 500 ppb and reliable repeatability (over 5 cycles). The HNG‐ethanol sensor also possesses high selectivity against other exhaled gases, high humidity resistance, and stability (less than 3% decrease over 30 days). In addition, a deep understanding of the gas sensing mechanisms is proposed for the first time in this work, which is instructive to the community for fabricating sensing materials based on graphene‐iron derivatives in the future.
Landslide detection using deep learning and object-based image analysis
Authors: Ghorbanzadeh Omid , Shahabi Hejar , Crivellari Alessandro , Homayouni Saeid , Blaschke Thomas , Ghamisi Pedram
Published: January 2022

Recent landslide detection studies have focused on pixel-based deep learning (DL) approaches. In contrast, intuitive annotation of landslides from satellite imagery is based on distinct features rather than individual pixels. This study examines the feasibility of the integration framework of a DL model with rule-based object-based image analysis (OBIA) to detect landslides. First, we designed a ResU-Net model and then trained and tested it in the Sentinel-2 imagery. Then we developed a simple rule-based OBIA with only four rulesets, applying it first to the original image dataset and then to the same dataset plus the resulting ResU-Net heatmap. The value of each pixel in the heatmap refers to the probability that the pixel belongs to either landslide or non-landslide classes. Thus, we evaluate three scenarios: ResU-Net, OBIA, and ResU-Net-OBIA. The landslide detection maps from three different classification scenarios were compared against a manual landslide inventory map using thematic accuracy assessment metrics: precision, recall, and f1-score. Our experiments in the testing area showed that the proposed integration framework yields f1-score values 8 and 22 percentage points higher than those of the ResU-Net and OBIA approaches, respectively.