bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Gender and Health in Islam
Authors: Salehi Ezzatollah , Sadeghi Mehrab , Khoshsorat Azam , Haddadi Behrooz
Published: October 2020

Background: The history of women’s health has been widely debated in jurisprudence and hadith and in general in religious thought, and the great jurists of Islam have addressed it in their practical treatises of the past; thus, attention has been paid to these topics in their books on health and Islam. Objectives: This study was conducted to show the subject of the body and its health, especially that of the female body, based on religious verses and traditions, and to emphasize its importance as a religious duty. Methods: This research has been done by using religious techniques, the Holy Quran, and the narrations of the infallible and their interpretation and explanation. It has also been used in social medicine and medical history of philosophy. Books on women’s psychology have also been taken into consideration. Results: Our results revealed that the Holy Quran and Islamic traditions have special respect and status for women. Female sex personality is taken into note. It is highly recommended for men to observe women and their gender on various occasions. Conclusions: In this study, the philosophy of baths, especially women’s baths, men’s and women’s cleansing, women’s special health, women’s menstruation, women’s menopause, pregnancy, and childbirth were examined from the perspective of the Quran and Islamic traditions. Overall, studies have shown that Islam has paid particular attention to these issues.
Výkonnost podniku v kontextu spokojenosti zákazníka, zpětných toků, kvality, inovací a znalostí
Authors: Klapalová Alena , Suchánek Petr , Škapa Radoslav
Published: October 2020

The subject of the publication is the research of customer satisfaction and its connection with company performance, quality, innovation and knowledge. The main goal is to analyze the mutual relations of the above factors, including their systematization on the basis of empirical findings in companies across industries in the CR. The publication captures a theoretical analysis of the basic relationships of the above quantities and discusses them with the results of the analysis of primary data from companies. The purpose is to clarify to what extent connections assumed in the literature are reflected in the Czech environment and how much they influence the subjective and objective performance of companies. Both types of indicators were used in the construction of models and it was found that results based on them differ and that models within the different indicators also differ.
“Paper Wave”, “Paper Pressing” And “Paper Genocide” As Applicable To The Russian Education System
Authors: Osipov Alexander M. ,   Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Published: October 2020

The article considers the metaphors of “paper wave,” “paper pressing” and “paper genocide” as reflecting the social realities of the Russian education system, which are nonetheless poorly understood in sociolinguistics and mostly tabooed within respectable Russian academia and top-management. The relevancy and applicability of these metaphors are substantiated as their criteria, social contexts, and basic connotations are specified. “Paper genocide” is analyzed in journalistic and academic contexts as a term that reproduces the most significant aspects of genocide but with a social and non-criminal meaning. “Paper genocide” helps draw attention to the most acute social and managerial problem, a deadlock within the contemporary Russian education system.
Healing the Black Sea’s Patrimony: Hospitals, Health and Heritage
Authors: Șerban Oana ,   Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Published: October 2020

The main aim of this paper is to examine the tangible forms of cultural heritage represented by European hospital buildings from states across the Black Sea that are still functional or have been closed, and that are subjected, due to the lack of sustainable financial means for conservation and restoration, to degradation, abandonment, and destruction. For the purpose of this analysis, I will tackle both elements of the operational plan of hospital buildings that have been evaluated and registered as national monuments, from the perspective of their clinical functionality, and the elements of architecture and aesthetic forms behind such structures that embrace medical canons and particularities. Therefore, hospitals will be treated as entities of tangible cultural heritage that develop, through their complementary medical and cultural history, forms of intangible cultural heritage.This wide range of buildings can be reduced to two operational categories: hospital buildings designed from the beginning to fulfil a clinical functionality, and cultural buildings – from ecumenical establishments, castles, or villas, such as hermitages and churches, to military structures, such as garrisons – which have been adapted for historical, social, or political reasons to clinical conversion. I will analyse not only the national constraints, prejudgments, and values that contributed to a certain medical and cultural imaginary of state hospitals as monuments, but also the similar strategies and cultural policies that different states across the Black Sea have adopted in preserving the memory and structure of these buildings. The main question I address is: To what extent is it possible to create a network Black Sea region state hospitals as European cultural monuments, and what advantages might this bring to the attempt to perform a more reflective and inclusive notion of European identity? The current research is designed to be a starting point for the development of transectorial public policies, which could lead to an improvement in standards for quality of life, the infrastructures of medical units, and the preservation of tangible forms of cultural heritage, such as the public state hospitals classified as monuments.
Platonism And Mathematical Explanations
Authors: Pataut Fabrice ,   Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Published: October 2020

Ontological parsimony requires that if we can dispense with A when best explaining B, or when deducing a nominalistically statable conclusion B from nominalistically statable premises, we must indeed dispense with A. When A is a mathematical theory and it has been established that its conservativeness undermines the platonistic force of mathematical derivations (Field), or that a nonnumerical formulation of some explanans may be obtained so that the platonistic force of the best numerical-based account of the explanandum is also undermined (Rizza), the parsimony principle has been respected.Since both derivations resorting to conservative mathematics and nonnumerical best explanations also require abstract objects, concepts and principles, ontological parsimony must also be required of nominalistic accounts. One then might of course complain that such accounts turn out to be as metaphysically loaded as their platonistic counterparts. However, it might prove more fruitful to leave this particular worry to one side, to free oneself, as it were, from parsimony thus construed and to look at other important aspects of the defeating or undermining strategies that have been lavished on the disposal of platonism.Two aspects are worthy of our attention: epistemic cost and debunking arguments. Our knowledge that good mathematics is conservative is established at a cost, and so is our knowledge that nominalistic proofs play a theoretical role in best explanations. I will suggest that the knowledge one must acquire to show that nominalistic deductions and explanations do play their respective theoretical role involves some question-begging assumptions regarding the nature of proofs. As for debunking, even if the face value content of either conservative or platonistic mathematical claims didn’t figure in our explanation of why we hold the mathematical beliefs that we do, we could still be justified in holding them so that the distinction between nominalistic deductions and explanations and platonistic ones turns out to be invidious with respect to the relevant propositional attitude, i.e., with respect to belief.
Method for express diagnostics of resonant properties of wood aged in buildings
Authors: Ilyich Fedyukov , Sergeyevna Chernova
Published: October 2020

New method and technical solutions for nondestructive express diagnostics and targeted selection of spruce wood with unique dendro-acoustic properties aged in buildings are presented. Flow charts of equipment and ways of its application to identify resonant properties of wood in different parts of a building, including the walls made of round timbers, ceiling and floor boards are given. The proposed ways of wood quality diagnostics in buildings has its advantages over conventional methods.
Developing and Writing Language Objectives
Authors: Staples Megan , Truxaw, Mary P. , Cruz Vanessa
Published: October 2020

A process of analyzing student work to identify language‐related areas of strength and growth is used to articulate language goals that complement content goals.
Beyond Hooks: Real‐World Contexts as Anchors for Instruction
Authors: Stephan Michelle L. , Reinke, Luke T. , Cline Julie K.
Published: October 2020

Effective teachers offer students the chance to learn new mathematics through solving contextual problems that ground reasoning and support transitioning to abstract thinking.
Cybersecurity framework version 1.1 manufacturing profile
Authors: Zimmerman Timothy , Tang CheeYee , Lubell Joshua , Cichonski Jeffrey , Pease Michael , McCarthy John
Published: October 2020

This document provides the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Version 1.1 implementation details developed for the manufacturing environment. The “Manufacturing Profile” of the CSF can be used as a roadmap for reducing cybersecurity risk for manufacturers that is aligned with manufacturing sector goals and industry best practices. This Manufacturing Profile provides a voluntary, risk-based approach for managing cybersecurity activities and reducing cyber risk to manufacturing systems. The Manufacturing Profile is meant to enhance but not replace current cybersecurity standards and industry guidelines that the manufacturer is embracing.
Peculiarities of the genre of wordless novel in Europe and the United States on the example of works of Frans Masereel and Lynd Ward
Authors: Dedyukhina Polina Vladimirovna
Published: October 2020

The object of this research is the wordless novel – a genre at the confluence of literature and fine art that appeared in Europe in the late 1910s. Most of the time, the author of the narrative in wordless novel is the artist himself, and the compositions has no verbally foundation. Verbal function is performed by a visual component. The visual component is  illustrative, but independent and performs verbal functions. Frans Masereel – the founder of the genre and originator of the term, and Lynd Ward – the artist who contributed to proliferation of the genre in the United States, are two most prominent figures with in the genre of wordless novel. For other artists it was more of an experiment, therefore namely the works of Masereel and Ward were selected for this analysis. The main conclusions are associated with the peculiarities of literary language of wordless novels, the specificity of which is substantiated by the need to solve the tasks of the opposite in its essence verbal language, without having any suitable tools. Images in the wordless novels are narrative, and exist to the fullest only within the framework of the series. Moreover, these images are processed through experience of the text. Although the very idea of the genre consists in carrying out narrative without using words, it does not distort the verbal component. It is rather being transformed, shifting to inner layers of the image, and acquiring an implicit character. The article analyzes the key visual tools used by the artists in creation of wordless novels.
The problems of professional piano education in China: description and summary
Authors: Chen Yanan
Published: October 2020

The subject of this research is the problems of professional piano education outlined by the Chinese and Russian authors. The article features a level model for description and summarization of the following relevant problems of Chinese piano education:1) locally observed (isolated) problems; 2) problems of insufficient professional qualification of pedagogical personnel; 3) absence of universal theoretical-methodological framework for preparation of the highly qualified personnel; 4) theoretical-methodological problems of fusion of the European fundamentals of pianism with the peculiarities of Chinese traditional culture. The levels are discerned by gradation of the problems from evident and local, i.e. in the experience of students and educators, to more general (abstract) problems, which being theoretical and methodological, manifest as the sources of problems of the previous level. The author reveals the sublevels of the highlighted problematic areas and makes emphasis on interconnectedness of the indicated problems. This leads to the conclusion that the source of difficulties in Chinese piano education lies in the unresolved problem of integration of the international experience of piano education into the educational realities of China. The author believes that the conflict between the national and the European in Chinese pianism could have been overcome by getting rid of the idea of incompatibility of these piano cultures and creating an integrative model of theoretical-methodological fundamentals of professional musical education, which would combine the positions of Chinese and Russian scholars and pedagogues dealing with the theoretical-methodological problematic.
Status of Stingrays (Order Myliobatiformes) Captured 1972–2010 at Two Sites in Onslow Bay, Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina
Authors: SCHWARTZ FRANK J.
Published: October 2020

Eight species of stingrays (Order Myliobatiformes) were collected by trawl and longline 1972–2010 at two Onslow Bay sites, Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina. Three species: Gymnura altavela, Dasyatis say and Myliobatis freminvillei were collected more often during a cooler water peiod 1972–1989; five others, G. micrura, D. sabina, D. americana, Aetobatis narinari and Manta birostris during a warmer water period 1990–2010. Seven other stingray species, known from North Carolina, remain part of its stingray fauna but were not collected. Why some stingray species were more prevalent in cooler or warmer waters than others remains unresolved.
Predicting Weights of Striped Bass Morone Saxatilis in the Roanoke River, North Carolina
Authors: MEADS DANIEL R. , CRAWFORD MAURICE K. , DOCKENDORF KEVIN J.
Published: October 2020

Total length and weight data of striped bass were sampled by boat electrofishing during the months of April and May (2007–2009) in the Roanoke River near Weldon, NC. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used to exclude errors and outliers from the data set; data were then log10 transformed to calculate length-weight regressions for each sex. These regressions predicted the weights of male and female striped bass. Our results were compared to striped bass collected from the B. Everett Jordan Reservoir in 2008 and found significant differences between slopes indicating that applying length-weight equations derived from striped bass collected in reservoirs to estuarine striped bass is inappropriate. The equations developed can be used in an online calculator that would allow anglers to estimate the weight of striped bass caught in the Roanoke River during the spring based on the length of the fish caught.
Nematode Community Structure and Biodiversity in Relation to Submerged Aquatic Vegetation at Currituck Sound, North Carolina
Authors: Goninan Jessica , Lancaster Jeremiah , Abebe Eyualem
Published: October 2020

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in coastal habitats plays critical roles because it protects coastlines, prevents erosion, provides nursery habitat, and dissolved oxygen. Meiobenthic communities in these habitats also play a key role in ecosystems processes. However, currently SAV loss continues unabated globally. Our understanding of the impact this loss has on meiobenthic communities is limited. To assess the impact of SAV cover on nematode communities, we studied nematode communities at Currituck Sound, NC, by comparing communities at an unvegetated and at an SAV site. Nematodes were identified to genus level morphologically. Our results showed that general diversity was low compared to other comparable sites with only 10 genera at both sites. Diversity and community structure were distinct at the two sites indicating that submerged aquatic vegetation may impact community structure of nematodes.
SlMYB102 expression enhances low-temperature stress resistance in tomato plants
Authors: Wang Meiling , Hao Juan , Chen Xiuhua , Zhang Xichun
Published: October 2020

Herein, we identified the tomato SlMYB102 gene as a MYB family transcription factor of the R2R3-MYB subfamily. We additionally determined that the SlMYB102 promoter region contains photoresponsive, abiotic stress-responsive, and hormone-responsive regulatory elements, and we detected higher SlMYB102 expression in the reproductive organs of tomato than that in vegetative organs, with the expression being highest in ripe fruits and in roots. SlMYB102 expression was also shown to be cold-inducible. The protein encoded by SlMYB102 localized to the nucleus wherein it was found to mediate the transcriptional activation of target genes through its C-terminal domain. Overexpression of SlMYB102 in tomato plants conferred enhanced tolerance to cold stress. Under such cold stress conditions, we found that proline levels in the leaves of SlMYB102 overexpressing transgenic plants were higher than those in WT plants. In addition, S1MYB102 overexpression was associated with the enhanced expression of cold response genes including SlCBF1, SlCBF3, SlDREB1, SlDEB2, and SlICE1. We also found that the overexpression of SlMYB102 further enhanced the cold-induced upregulation of SlP5CS and SlAPX2. Taken together, these results suggest that SlMYB102 may be involved in the C-repeat binding transcription factor (CBF) and proline synthesis pathways, thereby improving tomato plant cold resistance.
Lifestyle choices of Brazilian college students
Authors: Martins Bianca G. , Marôco João , Barros Mauro V.G. , Campos Juliana A.D.B.
Published: October 2020

Background

Lifestyle choices reflect the beliefs that individuals attribute to aspects of life. This construct can be assessed with the Individual Lifestyle Profile (PEVI) questionnaire, which measures elements of Nutrition, Physical Activity, Preventive Behaviors, Social Relationships and Stress Management.

Objective

The objective of this study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the PEVI applied to a sample of Brazilian university students, identifying the prevalence of each lifestyle component according to participants’ age, sex, weight status, course area/field and economic stratum and to estimate the contribution of these characteristics on physical and psychological lifestyle.

Methods

The PEVI data was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, using the indexes chi-square per degrees of freedom ratio (χ2/df), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). First-order and second-order models (physical and psychological lifestyle) were tested. Prevalences of lifestyle components were calculated and compared by participants’ age, sex, weight status, course area/field and economic stratum. A hypothetical causal structural model was elaborated to investigate the impact of sample characteristics on physical and psychological lifestyles. This model was evaluated considering the global fit to the data (χ2/df, CFI, TLI and RMSEA) and the hypothetical causal trajectories (β) (α = 5%).

Results

A sample of 1,303 students was used. The mean age was 20.9 (standard deviation = 2.8) years, 66.8% of participants were females, 63.4% had weights in the normal range and 73.7% were students of the social and exact sciences. The PEVI data showed an adequate fit for both the first- (χ2/df = 2.03, CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.04) and second-order (χ2/df = 2.25; CFI = 0.97; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.04) models. There was a higher prevalence of unfavorable physical and psychological lifestyle choices among females, among underweight and obese individuals, in older students and in those with lower economic strata. Moreover, negative behaviors in physical lifestyle were more prevalent in students from human/social/exact sciences and worse psychological lifestyle was observed among health sciences students. These results were confirmed by a structural model.

Conclusion

The PEVI data presented validity and reliability. Negative lifestyle choices had high prevalence among students. Moreover, individual characteristics had different impact on physical and psychological lifestyle choices.
Effect of Sodium Substitution on Sensory and Quality Parameters in Mango Pickle
Authors: Mani Arghya , Paul Prodyut Kumar
Published: October 2020

Aims: An intensive study was conducted so as to find out the best salt combinations when NaCl was partially replaced with KCl and CaCl2 while curing mango pieces. Mango pickle contains 15-20% salt, the consumption of which cause hypertension and high blood pressure. This is due to excess sodium ion (Na+) consumption.

Study Design: D-Optimal Quadratic Mixture Design using Response Surface Methodology was adopted with 3 mixture components to get 16 mixture combinations of salts.

Methodology: 16 runs were formulated depicting diverse salt mixtures and pickle samples were cured using these 16 different brine formulations. After pickling, the final sample were analyzed for water drawing capacity (g/100g salt), hardness of cured sample (N), water activity (aw), sodium and potassium concentration in pickle (in ppm) and organoleptic properties based on hedonic scale.

Results: The result shows that water drawing capacity was maximum (102.692) in the 6th run and minimum (58.364) in 2nd run. Hardness of cured sample (in N) was maximum (8.470) in11th run and minimum (6.998) in 9th run. Water activity was maximum in 9th run (0.974) and minimum (0.968) in the 2nd run. Na concentration in pickle (ppm) was highest in the 14th run (408.715) and lowest in 2nd run (68.715). K concentration in final pickle (ppm) was maximum in 6th run (472.222) and minimum in 9th run (28.744). Organoleptic properties based on hedonic scale was evaluated, it was found that run number 14 and 12 have maximum score of 7.429 and 7.393 respectively whereas Run-1 and Run-2 showed minimum score of 6.552 and 6.616 respectively.

Conclusion: Numerical optimization revealed that formulation with 0.5 fractions NaCl and 0.5 fractions KCl is having the maximum desirability of 0.658. Another formulation with NaCl 57.1% and KCl with 42.9% is having a desirability of 0.64. This formulation can also be adopted for the purpose of commercialization.
Association of Quadriceps Strength Symmetry and Surgical Status With Clinical Osteoarthritis Five Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture
Authors: Arhos Elanna K. , Thoma Louise M. , Grindem Hege , Logerstedt David , Risberg May Arna , Snyder‐Mackler Lynn
Published: October 2020

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine the association of quadriceps strength symmetry and surgical status (anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] reconstruction or nonoperative management) with early clinical knee osteoarthritis (OA) 5 years after ACL injury or reconstruction.

Methods

In total, 204 of 300 athletes were analyzed 5 years after ACL injury or reconstruction. Quadriceps strength was measured and reported as a limb symmetry index. We identified participants with early clinical knee OA using the criteria that 2 of 4 Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales score ≤85%. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using logistic regression and adjusted for age, sex, meniscal injury, and body mass index to examine the associations of quadriceps strength and surgical status with clinical knee OA.

Results

In all, 21% of participants met the KOOS criteria for clinical knee OA. For every 1% increase in quadriceps limb symmetry index, there was a 4% lower odds of clinical OA (adjusted OR [ORadj] 0.96 [95% CI 0.93–0.99]) at 5 years. Surgical status was not associated with clinical knee OA (ORadj 0.58 [95% CI 0.23–1.50]).

Conclusion

More symmetric quadriceps strength, but not surgical status, 5 years after ACL injury or reconstruction was associated with lower odds of clinical knee OA.
Room Temperature Polariton Lasing in Ladder‐Type Oligo(p‐Phenylene)s with Different π‐Conjugation Lengths
Authors: Wei Mengjie , Fang Mei , Rajendran Sai Kiran , Lai Wen-Yong , Turnbull Graham A. , Samuel Ifor D. W.
Published: October 2020

Polariton lasing is coherent emission that originates from macroscopic accumulation of polariton population in the ground state and is a promising route toward efficient coherent light sources as population inversion is not necessary. Unlike most Wannier–Mott excitons in inorganic semiconductors, Frenkel excitons created in organic semiconductors have high oscillator strength and high exciton binding energy, which sustain stable exciton–polaritons at room temperature. Herein, room temperature polariton lasing from a novel class of ladder‐type oligo(p‐phenylene)s is demonstrated. The polariton lasers exhibit a nonlinear increase of their spectrally integrated emission, a reduction in spectral linewidth, blueshift of emission peaks, and long‐range spatial coherence when the pump fluence is increased above threshold. By tuning the π‐conjugation length of the molecular structure, the polariton lasing wavelength can be changed from 430 to 457 nm. Optically pumped thresholds of 12 and 17 μJ cm−2 are observed, which are among the lowest values reported for polariton lasing in organic semiconductors.
Immobilization of CO2 at Room Temperature Using the Specific Sub‐NM Space of 1D Uneven‐Structured C60 Polymer Film
Authors: Nakaya Masato , Kitagawa Yasutaka , Watanabe Shinta , Teramoto Rena , Era Iori , Nakano Masayoshi , Onoe Jun
Published: October 2020

Immobilization and reuse of CO2 are urgent tasks for sustaining the global environment. Here it is demonstrated that CO2 can be immobilized by reaction with H2O at room temperature (RT) in the specific sub‐nm space of 1D uneven‐structured C60 polymer (1D polymer) film, even though the reaction does not occur at RT in the gas phase (activation energy: 2 eV). First‐principles calculations reveal that the CO2 molecule is stacked as a bridge between the concave portions of adjacent 1D polymer frameworks via locally induced Coulomb interactions. Such induced charge polarization activates CO2 both by weakening its double‐bonds and by lowering its lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy due to the bending motion. In addition, the flexible π orbitals of the 1D polymer provide the optimal Coulomb field to stabilize the transition state of the CO2 + H2O reaction remarkably. These factors work together to make the reaction possible at RT.
Phylogenetic analysis of fossil flowers using an angiosperm‐wide data set: proof‐of‐concept and challenges ahead
Authors: Schönenberger Jürg , von Balthazar Maria , López Martínez Andrea , Albert Béatrice , Prieu Charlotte , Magallón Susana , Sauquet Hervé
Published: October 2020

Premise

Significant paleobotanical discoveries in recent decades have considerably improved our understanding of the early evolution of angiosperms and their flowers. However, our ability to test the systematic placement of fossil flowers on the basis of phylogenetic analyses has remained limited, mainly due to the lack of an adequate, angiosperm‐wide morphological data set for extant taxa. Earlier attempts to place fossil flowers phylogenetically were, therefore, forced to make prior qualitative assessments of the potential systematic position of fossils and to restrict phylogenetic analyses to selected angiosperm subgroups.

Methods

We conduct angiosperm‐wide molecular backbone analyses of 10 fossil flower taxa selected from the Cretaceous record. Our analyses make use of a floral trait data set built within the framework of the eFLOWER initiative. We provide an updated version of this data set containing data for 28 floral and two pollen traits for 792 extant species representing 372 angiosperm families.

Results

We find that some fossils are placed congruently with earlier hypotheses while others are found in positions that had not been suggested previously. A few take up equivocal positions, including the stem branches of large clades.

Conclusions

Our study provides an objective approach to test for the phylogenetic position of fossil flowers across angiosperms. Such analyses may provide a complementary tool for paleobotanical studies, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of fossil phylogenetic relationships in angiosperms. Ongoing work focused on extending the sampling of extant taxa and the number of floral traits will further improve the applicability and accuracy of our approach.
Nocturnal peripheral vasoconstriction predicts the frequency of severe acute pain episodes in children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Chalacheva Patjanaporn , Ji Yunhua , Rosen Carol L. , DeBaun Michael R. , Khoo Michael C. K. , Coates Thomas D.
Published: October 2020

The basic model of SCD physiology states that vaso‐occlusion occurs when hemoglobin S‐containing red blood cells (RBC) undergo sickling before they escape the capillary into a larger vessel. We have shown that mental stress, pain and cold, and events reported by patients to trigger SCD vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC), cause rapid and significant decrease in blood flow, reducing the likelihood that RBC could transit the microvasculature before sickling occurs. However, the critical link between decrease in microvascular blood flow and the incidence of future sickle VOC has never been established experimentally in humans. Using data from centrally adjudicated, overnight polysomnograms (PSG), previously collected in a prospective multi‐center cohort sleep study, we analyzed the beat‐to‐beat amplitudes of vasoconstriction reported by the fingertip photoplethysmogram in 212 children and adolescents with SCD and developed an algorithm that detects vasoconstriction events and quantifies the magnitude (Mvasoc), duration, and frequency of vasoconstriction that reflect the individual's inherent peripheral vasoreactivity. The propensity to vasoconstrict, quantified by median Mvasoc, predicted the incidence rate of post‐PSG severe acute vaso‐occlusive pain events (P = .006) after accounting for age and hemoglobin. Indices of sleep‐disordered breathing contributed to median Mvasoc but did not predict future pain rate. Median Mvasoc was not associated with vaso‐occlusive pain events that occurred prior to each PSG. These results show that SCD individuals with high inherent propensity to vasoconstrict have more frequent severe acute pain events. Our empirical findings are consistent with the fundamental SCD hypothesis that decreased microvascular flow promotes microvascular occlusion.
A simplified force model for mixed traffic simulation
Authors: Han Yi , Chao Qianwen , Jin Xiaogang
Published: October 2020

We present a simplified force‐based heterogeneous traffic simulation model to facilitate consistent adjustment of the parameters involved. Different from previous work which requires the adjustment of multiple ad hoc parameters to produce satisfactory results, our approach can achieve similar results by using clear and meaningful parameters to simulate interactions between various kinds of road users. To simulate diverse and realistic motions of road users, we parameterize the coefficients of the force model for better detailed motion control. Our approach is also scalable to new types of road users, and facilitates an object‐oriented implementation with high performance. We validate our framework with extensive experiments.
Electronic Fine‐tuning of Ruthenium(II) Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts with Ethanol as the Hydrogen Source
Authors: Weingart Pascal , Sun Yu , Thiel Werner R.
Published: October 2020

A series of ruthenium(II) complexes bearing tridentate N,N’‐diallyl‐2,6‐di(5‐butylpyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine ligands was synthesized and characterized. Introduction of substituents in the 4‐position of the pyrazole rings tune the electron density at the ruthenium center, which was proved by correlation of the 31P NMR chemical shifts with the σp parameters of the Hammett equation. The structural elucidation of a phosphine‐free ruthenium(II) complex proves that one of the allyl side‐chains undergoes chelating coordination to the ruthenium site to realize a 18 VE center. This compound is the starting point for complexes of the type (N,N,N)Ru(L)(Cl)2 bearing ligands L other than triphenylphosphine. The ruthenium(II) complexes were investigated for their activity in the transfer hydrogenation with ethanol as the hydrogen source. Here the logarithms of the measured turn‐over frequencies (TOF) correlate with the σp parameters of the Hammett equation in terms of a linear free‐energy relationship.
Advances on the Use of Graphene as a Label for Electrochemical Biosensors
Authors: Bonanni Alessandra
Published: October 2020

Invited for this month's cover picture is Alessandra Bonanni from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). The cover picture shows an artistic vision of nano‐graphene oxide used as a label for biosensing. Read the full text of the Minireview at 10.1002/celc.202000521.
Gramicidin‐S‐Inspired Cyclopeptidomimetics as Potent Membrane‐Active Bactericidal Agents with Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Hu Chengfei , Wen Quan , Huang Shuhui , Xie Saisai , Fang Yuanying , Jin Yi , Campagne Rémy , Alezra Valérie , Miclet Emeric , Zhu Jinhua , Wan Yang
Published: October 2020

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising antibacterial agents often hindered by their undesired hemolytic activity. Inspired by gramicidin S (GS), a well‐known cyclodecapeptide, we synthesized a panel of antibacterial cyclopeptidomimetics using β,γ‐diamino acids (β,γ‐DiAAs). We observed that peptidomimetic CP‐2 displays a bactericidal activity similar to that of GS while possessing lower side‐effects. Moreover, extensive studies revealed that CP‐2 likely kills bacteria through membrane disruption. Altogether, CP‐2 is a promising membrane‐active antibiotic with therapeutic potential.
Tricepyridinium‐inspired QACs yield potent antimicrobials and provide insight into QAC resistance
Authors: Garrison Michelle A. , Mahoney Andrew R. , Wuest William M.
Published: October 2020

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) comprise a large class of surfactants, consumer products, and disinfectants. The recently‐isolated QAC natural product tricepyridinium bromide displays potent inhibitory activity against S. aureus but due to its unique structure, its mechanism of action remains unclear. A concise synthetic route to access tricepyridinium analogs was thus designed and four N‐alkyl compounds were generated in addition to the natural product. Biological analysis of these compounds revealed that they display remarkable selectivity towards clinically‐relevant Gram‐positive bacteria exceeding that of commercially‐available QACs such as cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and benzalkonium chloride (BAC) while having little to no hemolytic activity. Molecular modeling studies revealed that tricepyridinium and shorter‐chain N‐alkyl analogs may preferentially bind to the QacR transcription factor leading to potential activation of the QAC resistance pathway found in MRSA; however, our newly synthesized analogs are able to overcome this liability.
Mechanism toward Turn‐on of Polysaccharide‐Porphyrin Complexes for Fluorescence Probes and Photosensitizers in Photodynamic Therapy in Living Cells
Authors: Hino Shodai , Funada Rikushi , Sugikawa Kouta , Kawasaki Riku , Koumoto Kazuya , Suzuki Toshio , Nagasaki Takeshi , Ikeda Atsushi
Published: October 2020

β‐(1,3‐1,6)‐D‐Glucan, λ‐carrageenan, tamarind gum, and pullulan can dissolve various porphyrin derivatives via the formation of complexes in water using a high‐speed vibration milling method. The aqueous solutions of the resulting complexes exhibit long‐term stability. Despite the adverse effects of the self‐quenching process, notable fluorescence and improved photodynamic activity of the polysaccharide‐complexed porphyrin derivatives were observed in the presence of liposomes, micelles, cyclodextrins, and HeLa cells. It was noted that the type of porphyrins was more important than the type of polysaccharides present in the complex. Porphyrin self‐aggregates were monodispersed in the lipid membranes of the liposomes and lysosomes. The polysaccharide‐complexed porphyrin derivatives showed increased photodynamic activity toward HeLa cells under photoirradiation between 610 and 740 nm.
Circadian Variation in Efficacy of Medications
Authors: Walton James C. , Walker William H. , Bumgarner Jacob R. , Meléndez‐Fernández O. Hecmarie , Liu Jennifer A. , Hughes Heather L. , Kaper Alexis L. , Nelson Randy J.
Published: October 2020

Although much has been learned about circadian clocks and rhythms over the past few decades, translation of this foundational science underlying the temporal regulation of physiology and behavior to clinical applications has been slow. Indeed, acceptance of the modern study of circadian rhythms has been blunted because the phenomenology of cyclic changes had to counteract the 20th century dogma of homeostasis in the biological sciences and medicine. We are providing this review of clinical data to highlight the emerging awareness of circadian variation in efficacy of medications for physicians, clinicians, and pharmacists. We are suggesting that gold‐standard double‐blind clinical studies should be conducted to determine the best time of day for optimal effectiveness of medications; also, we suggest that time of day should be tracked and reported as an important biological variable in ongoing clinical studies hereafter. Furthermore, we emphasize that time of day is, and should be considered, a key biological variable in research design similar to sex. In common with biomedical research data that have been historically strongly skewed toward the male sex, most pharmaceutical data have been skewed toward morning dosing without strong evidence that this is the optimal time of efficacy.
Reproductive compatibility among populations and host‐associated lineages of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.)
Authors: DeVries Zachary C. , Santangelo Richard G. , Booth Warren , Lawrence Christopher G. , Balvín Ondřej , Bartonička Tomáš , Schal Coby
Published: October 2020

As populations differentiate across geographic or host‐association barriers, interpopulation fertility is often a measure of the extent of incipient speciation. The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., was recently found to form two host‐associated lineages within Europe: one found with humans (human‐associated, HA) and the other found with bats (bat‐associated, BA). No unequivocal evidence of contemporary gene flow between these lineages has been found; however, it is unclear whether this is due to an inability to produce viable “hybrid” offspring. To address this question and determine the extent of compatibility between host‐associated lineages, we set up mating crosses among populations of bed bugs based on both their host association (human—HA vs. bat—BA) and geographic origin (North America vs. Europe). Within‐population fecundity was significantly higher for all HA populations (>1.7 eggs/day) than for BA populations (<1 egg/day). However, all within‐population crosses, regardless of host association, had >92% egg hatch rates. Contrary to previous reports, in all interlineage crosses, successful matings occurred, fertile eggs were oviposited, and the F1 “hybrid” generation was found to be reproductively viable. In addition, we evaluated interpopulation genetic variation in Wolbachia among host‐associated lineages. We did not find any clear patterns related to host association, nor did we observe a homogenization of Wolbachia lineages across populations that might explain a breakdown of reproductive incompatibility. These results indicate that while the HA and BA populations of C. lectularius represent genetically differentiated host‐associated lineages, possibly undergoing sympatric speciation, this is in its incipient stage as they remain reproductively compatible. Other behavioral, physiological, and/or ecological factors likely maintain host‐associated differentiation.
Thai Tea Seed Oil and Virgin Olive Oil Similarly Reduce Plasma Lipids: A Pilot Study within a Healthy Adult Male Population
Authors: Suealek Nuchanart , Tharavanij Thipaporn , Hackman Robert M. , Keen Carl L. , Holt Roberta R. , Burawat Benjapun , Chaikan Ammara , Tiengtip Rattana , Rojpibulstit Panadda
Published: October 2020

The potential cardiovascular benefit of virgin olive oil (VOO) is widely recognized. However, the use of VOO at very high cooking temperatures makes these oils poorly suited for many Asian dishes. The use of tea seed oil (TSO) is increasing in Thailand, with TSO having a higher smoke point than VOO. The current study examines the effects of daily TSO intake in healthy adults. In a randomized, single‐blind crossover design, 12 men consumed for 3 weeks 40 g day−1 of food prepared with either TSO or VOO as a cooking oil. Plasma lipids, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and oxidant defense enzyme activities are measured before and after each 3‐week intervention period. Gas chromatography analysis of TSO and VOO demonstrates that both oils are equally high in monounsaturated fatty acid. The dietary incorporation of TSO and VOO for three weeks reduces low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) concentrations by 15% and 13%, respectively; with total cholesterol (TC) levels lowered by 10% in both groups. No significant changes in TBARS or antioxidant enzyme activity is observed. These results support the concept that Thai TSO can be utilized as a suitable and healthy alternative oil for high‐temperature cooking in many Thai and Asian diets.

Practical Applications: Tea seed oil from Camellia oleifera grown in Thailand has been recently reported to favorably lower lipid profiles in hamsters fed a high‐fat diet in a manner similar to feeding refined olive oil or grapeseed oil. A pilot crossover trial is conducted to compare the effects of three weeks of daily intake of either TSO or VOO in healthy human adults. Consumption of both oils produced significant reductions in TC and LDL‐C. Thai TSO leads to favorable lipid profiles and is a reasonable choice for many Thai and Asian food recipes.
150 years reliable railway tunnels – Extending the hybrid method for the long‐term safety assessment
Authors: Hellmich Christian , Pichler Bernhard , Heissenberger Roman , Moritz Bernd
Published: October 2020

Quantification of the level of loading of shotcrete supports from measured displacements of NATM‐driven tunnels is common practice in Austria. At construction sites of the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB), a hybrid method developed at the TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) has been successfully applied over the last 15 years. Because OeBB tunnels are designed for a lifetime of 150 years, the long‐term reliability of the support structures is of paramount interest. This provides the motivation for the development of hybrid methods applicable during the entire service life of tunnels, including also inner linings and segmental linings. The required extensions are intended to be carried out within a research program. The paper describes the state‐of‐the‐art and projected future developments.
Further development of condition assessment and structure management of DB Netz AG, by example of tunnels and culverts
Authors: Condic‐Marinovic Tomislav , Thiessen Andrea
Published: October 2020

The aim of this project is to achieve a uniform and comparable method for the technical assessment of the state of structures throughout Germany (for bridges, tunnels, culverts; in general, for underground and support structures). By clustering defects, damage and measures according to their relevance to the technical condition of the structures, it is possible to make a more precise analysis and compare the repair and investment requirements for the system. This makes it easier for DB Netz AG to prioritize work and allocate the necessary resources. For the end user, the new process management and the support for damage assessment provided by the newly introduced damage catalogue, including pictures of the damage, is an essential part of uniform comparability and also ensures the transfer of know‐how necessary for the actual work to be done. The article provides an insight into the progress with the project to date, the current state of the work and an outlook for the introduction of the new procedures for tunnels and culverts.
Division of an Iliac Crest Bone Biopsy Specimen to Allow Histomorphometry, Immunohistochemical, Molecular Analysis, and Tissue Banking: Technical Aspect and Applications
Authors: Picard Sylvain , Mayemba Christian N , Ung Roth‐Visal , Martel Simon , Mac‐Way Fabrice
Published: October 2020

The evaluation of bone complications in chronic kidney disease (CKD) often requires a bone biopsy, the analysis of which can refine the diagnosis of bone defects. Bone histomorphometry performed on sections of the iliac crest biopsy remains the reference procedure for the quantitative assessment of bone health in CKD patients, whereas immunohistochemistry and other molecular biology analyses are indispensable tools for studying the disrupted signaling pathways. Traditionally, the whole iliac crest biopsy was included in methyl‐methacrylate (MMA) and was exclusively used for bone histomorphometry to describe static, dynamic, and structural parameters. Therefore, further molecular analysis of the bone tissue or the need for tissue banking would require a second biopsy to be made, because inclusion in MMA prevents the extraction of good‐quality nucleic acids. In this work, we describe a simple approach to divide a single iliac crest bone biopsy into multiple parts. This allows for simultaneous assessments of histology, immunohistochemistry, biomolecular analysis, and tissue banking while preserving the same bone surface area for histomorphometry. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.