bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The clinical dilemma of JAK inhibitor failure in myelofibrosis: Predictive characteristics and outcomes
Authors: Mascarenhas John O. , Verstovsek Srdan
Published: April 2022

Two Janus‐associated kinase inhibitors (JAKi) (initially ruxolitinib and, more recently, fedratinib) have been approved as treatment options for patients who have intermediate‐risk and high‐risk myelofibrosis (MF), with pivotal trials demonstrating improvements in spleen volume, disease symptoms, and quality of life. At the same time, however, clinical trial experiences with JAKi agents in MF have demonstrated a high frequency of discontinuations because of adverse events or progressive disease. In addition, overall survival benefits and clinical and molecular predictors of response have not been established in this population, for which the disease burden is high and treatment options are limited. Consistently poor outcomes have been documented after JAKi discontinuation, with survival durations after ruxolitinib ranging from 11 to 16 months across several studies. To address such a high unmet therapeutic need, various non‐JAKi agents are being actively explored (in combination with ruxolitinib in first‐line or salvage settings and/or as monotherapy in JAKi‐pretreated patients) in phase 3 clinical trials, including pelabresib (a bromodomain and extraterminal domain inhibitor), navitoclax (a B‐cell lymphoma 2/B‐cell lymphoma 2‐xL inhibitor), parsaclisib (a phosphoinositide 3‐kinase inhibitor), navtemadlin (formerly KRT‐232; a murine double‐minute chromosome 2 inhibitor), and imetelstat (a telomerase inhibitor). The breadth of data expected from these trials will provide insight into the ability of non‐JAKi treatments to modify the natural history of MF.
Brain‐wide mapping of inputs to the mouse lateral posterior (LP/Pulvinar) thalamus–anterior cingulate cortex network
Authors: Leow Yi Ning , Zhou Blake , Sullivan Heather A. , Barlowe Alexandria R. , Wickersham Ian R. , Sur Mriganka
Published: April 2022

The rodent homolog of the primate pulvinar, the lateral posterior (LP) thalamus, is extensively interconnected with multiple cortical areas. While these cortical interactions can span the entire LP, subdivisions of the LP are characterized by differential connections with specific cortical regions. In particular, the medial LP has reciprocal connections with frontoparietal cortical areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ACC plays an integral role in top‐down sensory processing and attentional regulation, likely exerting some of these functions via the LP. However, little is known about how ACC and LP interact, and about the information potentially integrated in this reciprocal network. Here, we address this gap by employing a projection‐specific monosynaptic rabies tracing strategy to delineate brain‐wide inputs to bottom‐up LP→ACC and top‐down ACC→LP neurons. We find that LP→ACC neurons receive inputs from widespread cortical regions, including primary and higher order sensory and motor cortical areas. LP→ACC neurons also receive extensive subcortical inputs, particularly from the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC). Sensory inputs to ACC→LP neurons largely arise from visual cortical areas. In addition, ACC→LP neurons integrate cross‐hemispheric prefrontal cortex inputs as well as inputs from higher order medial cortex. Our brain‐wide anatomical mapping of inputs to the reciprocal LP‐ACC pathways provides a roadmap for understanding how LP and ACC communicate different sources of information to mediate attentional control and visuomotor functions.
Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of a Generic and a Branded Pazopanib Tablet in Healthy Chinese Subjects
Authors: Liu Lihua , Li Xin , Liu Yujie , Li Yuan , Deng Yang , Zhang Ping , Tu Shengqing , Wang Keli , Xu Bing
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence of two pazopanib tablet formulations in healthy Chinese subjects. A randomized, open‐label, single‐dose, two‐period, two‐sequence, crossover study was conducted under fasting conditions. A total of 32 eligible subjects were randomly administered a single dose of a 200‐mg generic or branded pazopanib tablet with a 16‐day washout period. Blood samples were collected before and up to 72 hours after dosing. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed with noncompartmental analysis. Safety assessments included physical examinations, laboratory tests, and adverse events reporting. Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) from zero to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0‐t), and AUC from zero to infinity (AUC0‐∞) were similar between the generic and branded products (all P > .05). The 90% confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratio of the test/reference products for Cmax, AUC0‐t, and AUC0‐∞ were 89.1%–117.1%, 81.9%–108.5%, and 82.4%–109.6%, respectively. There were no serious adverse events during the study. The newly developed generic pazopanib tablet was bioequivalent to the reference product under fasting conditions. Both formulations were well tolerated in healthy Chinese volunteers.
KMFA2 based QoS improvement for multi‐channel IoT networks
Authors: Shankhpal Shilpa V. , Savadatti Hanumantha Brahmananda
Published: April 2022

Internet of Things (IoT) networks are designed to obtain the best possible end‐user experience. This experience is measured in terms of security and speed of operation. In order to achieve high security, encryption, and authentication algorithms are proposed by researchers. The speed of operation is generally measured using the network's response time, and it can be improved using light‐weighted algorithms for data processing and actuation. Most of these techniques are applied at the application level, making the network ineffective in its originally deployed form. Moreover, due to the addition of security and data processing layers, the overall IoT network's QoS reduces, reducing the end user's experience. In order to remove these issues, this work proposes a novel kernel‐level multi‐channel fuzzy‐authentication and aggregation framework (KMFA2). The KMFA2 framework can solve authentication issues by using a kernel‐level lightweight and secure authentication protocol for all IoT devices. KMFA2 also enables the IoT devices to possess multi‐channel capabilities, with inbuilt aggregation capabilities. The overall implementation is carried out on the NS2 tool. The proposed KMFA2 protocol is tested on different IoT networks, and it is observed that the protocol improves the QoS by almost 10% and simplifies security using the authentication framework. The comparisons were performed with state‐of‐the‐art IoT deployments.
Modified generalized confidence interval for the stress‐strength reliability from exponentiated Weibull distribution
Authors: Wang Zhanzhong , Bai Xuchao , Li Jiajun
Published: April 2022

In this article, we study the inference for the exponentiated Weibull stress‐strength reliability. Based on the assumption that stress and strength variables follow the three‐parameter exponentiated Weibull distributions with unequal scale and shape parameters, the maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrap‐p confidence interval for the reliability are derived. Additionally, based on the proposed modified generalized pivotal quantity, we obtain two point estimators and a modified generalized confidence interval for the reliability. Monte Carlo simulations are adopted to compare the performances of the proposed methodology. Finally, a real data analysis is provided for the illustrative purpose.
Bridging the gap between self‐assessment and faculty assessment of clinical performance in restorative dentistry: A prospective pilot study
Authors: Alfakhry Ghaith , Mustafa Khattab , Alagha M. Abdulhadi , Milly Hussam , Dashash Mayssoon , Jamous Issam
Published: April 2022

Purpose/Objectives

The current study was undertaken to investigate whether self‐assessment of clinical skills of undergraduate dental students could be bridged with faculty assessment by deliberate training over an extended period. A secondary aim was to explore students' perception of self‐assessment and its effect on their learning and motivation.

Material and Methods

A prospective pilot study was conducted at the Department of Restorative Dentistry at Damascus University. Sixteen students participated in the study, ranging in age between 22 and 23 years. A modified Direct Observation of Procedural Skills form with a grading rubric was used to register and guide students' self‐assessment; both were pretested on four students before the study. In total, four clinical encounters were completed by each student. Students were trained on how to conduct proper self‐assessment before and after each clinical encounter. A postcourse questionnaire was used to investigate students' perception of self‐assessment.

Results

Bias in self‐assessment decreased consistently after each encounter, and the difference in bias between the first (bias = 0.77) and the last encounter (bias = 0.21) was significant with a medium effect size (p = .022, d = 0.64). The percentage of disconfirming performance dimensions decreased from 39.7% to 26.9%. Students' ability to exactly pinpoint strengths improved consistently and significantly. However, their ability to pinpoint areas of improvement was volatile and showed no significant difference. Bland–Altman graph plots showed higher levels of agreement between self‐assessment and faculty assessment. Moreover, students' perception of self‐assessment was very positive overall.

Conclusions

These findings suggest the possibility that the gap between self‐assessment and faculty assessment could be bridged through deliberate training. Future longitudinal research using a larger sample size is still required to further explore whether self‐assessment can be actively bridged with faculty assessment by deliberate training.
Catalytic Conversion of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural to High‐Value Derivatives by Selective Activation of C−O, C=O, and C=C Bonds
Authors: Wang Yueqing , Wang Hongxing , Kong Xiao , Zhu Yulei
Published: April 2022

With increasing concern for reducing CO2 emission and alleviating fossil resource dependence, catalytic transformation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a vital platform compound derived from C6 sugars, holds great promise for producing value‐added chemicals. Among several well‐established catalytic systems, hydrogenation and oxidation processes have been efficiently adopted for upgrading HMF. This Review covers recent advances in the development of thermocatalytic conversion of HMF into value‐added chemicals. The advances of metal‐catalyzed hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, ring‐opening, decarbonylation, and oxidation involving selective activation of C−O, C=O, and C=C groups are described. The roles played by nature of metals, supports, additives, synergy of metal–acid sites, and metal–support interaction are also discussed at the molecular level. Finally, an outlook is provided to highlight major challenges associated with this huge research area.
A noncooperative game‐theoretic approach applied to the service selection in the vehicular cloud
Authors: Hichri Yamina , Dahi Soumaya , Fathallah Habib
Published: April 2022

Recent advancements in the automotive area have aided in the development of smart vehicles with high processing, computing, and storage capabilities. These resources are leveraged to cope with the demands of consumer vehicles such as data analysis, optimization, and decision‐making. The first and foremost step in establishing this paradigm of computing so‐called vehicular cloud is the service selection. Nonetheless, vehicles' high mobility and the network's rapidly changing topology have addressed new challenges such as instability of resources, making their management complicated. Therefore, the vehicular cloud requires robust and efficient resource management solutions to be developed. In this article, we present a game theory‐based framework for vehicular resource selection where provider vehicles and consumer vehicles play a game against each other until reach equilibrium in order to enable consumer vehicles to select the most suitable provider vehicles that meet their requirements in terms of service quality and cost. Furthermore, a thorough study was carried out in order to study the interaction between players and predict their future behaviors. As this interaction will result in a pure and mixed equilibrium state, the convergence of the proposed theoretic model for both equilibrium states is rigorously demonstrated under certain assumptions. Effective search algorithms based on the best responses are designed to compute the pure and mixed Nash equilibrium. The suggested approach's verification is evaluated based on the satisfaction of the players and has shown better performance comparing previous algorithms.
A case of eosinophilic cholangitis without bile duct stenosis diagnosed by bile duct biopsy
Authors: Ukita Kentaro , Izumikawa Koichi , Ishihama Sawako , Nishiyama Masashi , Sakakihara Ichiro , Wato Masaki , Takaguchi Koichi
Published: April 2022

Eosinophilic cholangitis (EC) is a rare benign disease that is often misdiagnosed as a malignancy due to the development of biliary stricture. This disease is generally diagnosed by liver biopsy or surgery. Herein, we report a case of EC diagnosed in an 86‐year‐old Japanese woman, who presented with fever, elevated eosinophil count, and elevated liver enzyme level, based on intraductal ultrasound evaluation showing bile duct wall thickening and bile duct biopsy of the same site. We diagnosed this case as EC based on the triad of wall thickening of the biliary system, histopathological findings of eosinophilic infiltration of the biliary tract, and reversibility of biliary abnormalities without treatment. Bile duct biopsy during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is rarely used to confirm the diagnosis of EC without bile duct stenosis. For EC and cholecystitis associated with eosinophilia, bile duct biopsy under ERCP, which is less invasive, should be considered. This patient was older than the previously reported patients, and the value of a minimally invasive diagnosis was high.
A single LC‐MS/MS validated method for tulathromycin quantification in plasma, seminal plasma, and urine to be applied in a pharmacokinetic study in bull
Authors: Barbarossa Andrea , Bardhi Anisa , Gazzotti Teresa , Mari Gaetano , Pagliuca Giampiero
Published: April 2022

Tulathromycin is a macrolide antibiotic generally used for the treatment of respiratory diseases in cattle and swine. This work proposes an improvement of a previously published LC‐MS/MS method for tulathromycin determination in pig serum, here validated in three different bull matrices: plasma, seminal plasma, and urine. The approach is based on a quick protein precipitation with acetonitrile, filtration, and sample dilution before injection, allowing to rapidly process large batches of samples. Analytes separation was obtained using a BEH C18 (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) column, maintained at 40°C with a chromatographic run of 5 min. The method was fully validated over concentration ranges suitable for field levels of tulathromycin found in each matrix (0.01–1 μg/ml for plasma, 0.05–5 μg/ml for seminal plasma, and 0.1–10 μg/ml for urine), showing good linearity during each day of testing (R2 always >0.99). Accuracy and precision were within ±15% at all QC concentrations in all the three matrices. Furthermore, the use of tulathromycine‐d7 as internal standard mitigated the potential impacts of matrix effect. The validated technique was successfully applied to samples collected during a pharmacokinetic study in bulls, allowing to monitor tulathromycin concentrations over time in the three matrices. To our knowledge, this is the first validated approach for LC‐MS/MS quantification of tulathromycin in seminal plasma and urine.
Reevaluating trophic discrimination factors (Δδ13CandΔδ15N) for diet reconstruction
Authors: Stephens Ryan B. , Ouimette Andrew P. , Hobbie Erik A. , Rowe Rebecca J.
Published: April 2022

Stable isotope analysis is increasingly being used to assess diet and trophic positions of animals. Such assessments require estimates of trophic discrimination factors (TDFs)—offset between the isotopic composition of diet and animal tissues—with imprecise applications of TDFs leading to biased conclusions in resource use. Because TDFs are unavailable for most species, ecologists often apply values from taxonomically similar species or use trophic step increases of approximately 1‰ for carbon (TDF‐δ13C) and 3‰ for nitrogen (TDF‐δ15N). Such practices may yield inaccuracies since TDFs vary greatly, even within a species. To better understand the factors that influence TDFs, we conducted a meta‐analysis of TDF‐δ13C and TDF‐δ15N for mammals and quantified variation in relation to consumer type (herbivore, omnivore, carnivore) and diet source (C3‐based, C4‐based, marine‐based, mixture). Additionally, to guide TDF choice, we used an isotopic data set of small mammal tissues and diet items to assess how predicted dietary contributions vary with TDFs estimated using (1) taxonomic relatedness, (2) consumer type and diet source, or (3) values derived from wild animals eating natural diets. Our meta‐analysis revealed that metabolic routing and interactions between consumer class, dietary source, and the protein versus energy content of diets best explained variation in TDF‐δ13C values (−1.5‰ to 7.3‰), whereas consumer class best explained variation in TDF‐δ15N values (−0.5‰ to 7.1‰). Our test of methods to estimate TDFs indicated that ecologists should avoid relying on taxonomic relatedness when selecting TDF‐δ13C because mixed‐diet lab studies may produce misleading results for herbivores and omnivores. Additionally, field‐derived estimates could help fill TDF gaps where diets within a consumer class are absent. Overall, we suggest that using standard TDF trophic step values should be abandoned, because feeding studies are often poor proxies for natural diets, particularly for herbivores and omnivores. Instead, we make recommendations on how to select TDFs, along with a range of TDF‐δ13C and TDF‐δ15N values depending on diet source, consumer class, and tissue type. Use of these more refined recommendations and TDF values in isotopic assessments will improve estimates of diets and trophic interactions in natural systems, leading to a better understanding of ecological interactions and communities.
Utkin et al.'s dataset on specific leaf area
Authors: Utkin Anatoly , Ermolova Lyudmila , Utkina Irina , Dulepova Natalia , Rosbakh Sergey
Published: April 2022

Specific leaf area (SLA; one‐sided leaf area per unit of dry mass) is a key trait indicating plant growth strategy and its responses to changing environments. Despite its high relevance for ecological research and recent efforts to mobilize the trait data, information on SLA in many plant lineages and biogeographic regions is still underrepresented. To assist in closing this gap, we translated and digitized a large dataset on SLA titled the Surface areas of forest plants by Anatoly I. Utikin, Lyudmila S. Ermolova, and Irina A. Utkina, published in Russian in 2008 (Nakua, Moscow, Russia) and previously not accessible to the great majority of people in the international research community. The book contains a compendium of SLA values collected by A. Utkin and his colleagues published between 1918 and 2006 containing research on ~1100 gymnosperm species from 562 genera and 139 families. Additionally, Utkin et al. provided useful information on the SLA ranges and SLA responses to changing illumination for several species. Also, the dataset contains ~200 references to research on SLA conducted between 1918 and 2006. The dataset is ready to use in various trait analyses. There are no copyright or proprietary restrictions for research or teaching purposes. The authors would appreciate notification when and how the data are used.
Characterization of a novel microfluidic platform for the isolation of rare single cells to enable CTC analysis from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients
Authors: Stiefel Janis , Freese Christian , Sriram Ashwin , Alebrand Sabine , Srinivas Nalini , Sproll Christoph , Wandrey Madita , Gül Désirée , Hagemann Jan , Becker Jürgen C. , Baßler Michael
Published: April 2022

Detailed examination of tumor components is leading‐edge to establish personalized cancer therapy. Accompanying research on cell‐free DNA, the cell count of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patient blood is seen as a crucial prognostic factor. The potential of CTC analysis is further not limited to the determination of the overall survival rate but sheds light on understanding inter‐ and intratumoral heterogeneity. In this regard, commercial CTC isolation devices combining an efficient enrichment of rare cells with a droplet deposition of single cells for downstream analysis are highly appreciated. The Liquid biopsy platform CTCelect was developed to realize a fully‐automated enrichment and single cell dispensing of CTCs from whole blood without pre‐processing. We characterized each process step with two different carcinoma cell lines demonstrating up to 87 % enrichment (n = 10) with EpCAM coupled immunomagnetic beads, 73 % optical detection and dispensing efficiency (n = 5). 40 to 56.7 % of cells were recovered after complete isolation from 7.5 ml untreated whole blood (n = 6). In this study, CTCelect enabled automated dispensing of single circulating tumor cells from HNSCC patient samples, qPCR‐based confirmation of tumor‐related biomarkers and immunostaining. Finally, the platform was compared to commercial CTC isolation technologies to highlight advantages and limitations of CTCelect. This system offers new possibilities for single cell screening in cancer diagnostics, individual therapy approaches and real‐time monitoring.
Experiment and numerical simulation investigation on cavitation evolution and damage in the throttling section of pressure reducing valve
Authors: Duan Aoqiang , Wang Chao , Xu Jian , Gao Shuaiqi , Liu Xiaofei , Jin Haozhe , Ou Guofu
Published: April 2022

For the phenomenon of widespread and serious cavitation damage in the throttling section of pressure reducing valve under high temperature and high pressure in the chemical technology process of petroleum and coal, according to actual coordination structure widely applied between the valve core and valve seat, the cavitation throttling section with symmetrical contraction and expansion was made, and the visualized cavitation water tunnel experimental apparatus was designed and constructed. The cavitation evolution process with time under different cavitation numbers σ was recorded by the high‐speed photography, the variation law of cavitation damage length and area with time was investigated by using aluminum film as cavitation damage carrier. Based on the experimental cavitation characteristic length L*, the evaporation coefficient Fv, and condensation coefficient Fc in the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri cavitation numerical model were modified, and the cavitation damage region was predicted by the gas phase condensation rate of numerical simulation. The results show that with the decrease of cavitation number, the characteristic length of cavitation strip increases; the cavitation characteristic length fluctuates greatly at σ = 1.22, and there are cavitation cloud periodic formation, shedding, collapse, and disappearance at the tail of the cavitation strip on the upper valve seat; the cavitation damage length of the upper and lower valve seat remains unchanged with time, and the cavitation damage area increases approximately linearly with time; the initial position and length of cavitation damage predicted by the gas phase condensation rate are basically consistent with the experimental results, which verifies the accuracy of the modified numerical simulation.
Opportunities for Energy and Climate Sectors in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Authors: Zeitler Elizabeth
Published: April 2022

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorizes and appropriates funds for significant changes to transportation, energy, water, and broadband infrastructure in the United States. The IIJA has several provisions that will impact energy and climate change mitigation. Notable within the IIJA are the provisions for electric grid infrastructure and resiliency; electric vehicle charging; clean energy technologies, including clean hydrogen; and carbon management.
Tokenizing Carbon Offsets
Authors: de Ramos Kevin Monte
Published: April 2022

In the last column, “Engaging Technologies Emerge,” this author introduced how blockchain technologies have evolved to connect communities seeking to support one another. As it turns out, the article itself also displayed the ability to connect communities. This author received correspondence from companies using these technologies to fund renewable generation and spawn conservation initiatives.
Frequency‐dependent modulation of neural oscillations across the gait cycle
Authors: Zhao Mingqi , Bonassi Gaia , Samogin Jessica , Taberna Gaia Amaranta , Pelosin Elisa , Nieuwboer Alice , Avanzino Laura , Mantini Dante
Published: April 2022

Balance and walking are fundamental to support common daily activities. Relatively accurate characterizations of normal and impaired gait features were attained at the kinematic and muscular levels. Conversely, the neural processes underlying gait dynamics still need to be elucidated. To shed light on gait‐related modulations of neural activity, we collected high‐density electroencephalography (hdEEG) signals and ankle acceleration data in young healthy participants during treadmill walking. We used the ankle acceleration data to segment each gait cycle in four phases: initial double support, right leg swing, final double support, left leg swing. Then, we processed hdEEG signals to extract neural oscillations in alpha, beta, and gamma bands, and examined event‐related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) across gait phases. Our results showed that ERD/ERS modulations for alpha, beta, and gamma bands were strongest in the primary sensorimotor cortex (M1), but were also found in premotor cortex, thalamus and cerebellum. We observed a modulation of neural oscillations across gait phases in M1 and cerebellum, and an interaction between frequency band and gait phase in premotor cortex and thalamus. Furthermore, an ERD/ERS lateralization effect was present in M1 for the alpha and beta bands, and in the cerebellum for the beta and gamma bands. Overall, our findings demonstrate that an electrophysiological source imaging approach based on hdEEG can be used to investigate dynamic neural processes of gait control. Future work on the development of mobile hdEEG‐based brain–body imaging platforms may enable overground walking investigations, with potential applications in the study of gait disorders.
Differential microbial assembly processes and co‐occurrence networks in the soil‐root continuum along an environmental gradient
Authors: Zhong Yangquanwei , Sorensen Patrick O. , Zhu Guangyu , Jia Xiaoyu , Liu Jin , Shangguan Zhouping , Wang Ruiwu , Yan Weiming
Published: April 2022

Microorganisms of the soil‐root continuum play key roles in ecosystem function. The Loess Plateau is well known for its severe soil erosion and thick loess worldwide, where mean annual precipitation (MAP) and soil nutrients decrease from the southeast to the northwest. However, the relative influence of environmental factors on the microbial community in four microhabitats (bulk soil, rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and endosphere) in the soil‐root continuum along the environmental gradient in the Loess Plateau remains unclear. In this study, we investigated 82 field sites from warm‐temperate to desert grasslands across the Loess Plateau, China, to assess the bacterial diversity, composition, community assembly, and co‐occurrence networks in the soil‐root continuum along an environmental gradient using bacterial 16S recombinant DNA amplicon sequencing. We discovered that the microhabitats explained the largest source of variations in the bacterial diversity and community composition in this region. Environmental factors (e.g., MAP, soil organic carbon, and pH) impacted the soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane bacterial communities, but their effects on the bacterial community decreased with increased proximity to roots from the soil to the rhizoplane, and the MAP enlarged the dissimilarity of microbial communities from the rhizosphere and rhizoplane to bulk soil. Additionally, stochastic assembly processes drove the endosphere communities, whereas the soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane communities were governed primarily by the variable selection of deterministic processes, which showed increased importance from warm‐temperate to desert grasslands. Moreover, the properties of the microbial networks in the rhizoplane community indicate more stable networks in desert grasslands, likely conferring the resistance of microbial communities in higher stress environments. Collectively, our results showed that the bacterial communities in the soil‐root continuum had different sensitivities and assembly mechanisms along an environmental gradient. These patterns are shaped simultaneously by the intertwined dimensions of proximity to roots and environmental stress change in the Loess Plateau.
The Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Estradiol—A Preliminary Study
Authors: White C. Michael , Ferraro‐Borgida Melissa J. , Fossati Andrea T. , McGill Carol C. , Ahlberg Alan W. , Feng Yue Jin , Heller Gary V , Chow Moses S. S.
Published: April 2022

Estradiol USP was extemporaneously compounded for intravenous administration. Eight postmenopausal women were randomized to receive one of four estradiol dosages. Serum estradiol concentrations were determined at frequent intervals after single bolus dosing. The concentration‐time profile was stripped and fit, and pharmacokinetic values were generated. Approximate dosage proportionality was seen with area under the curve, the terminal half‐life was 27.45 ± 5.65 minutes, and volume of distribution was very low (0.082 ± 0.015 L/kg). Estradiol was well tolerated by all study participants.
An advantageous imaging perspective for quantitative evaluation of 7075 aluminum alloy grain boundary precipitates using scanning electron microscope
Authors: Li Dong , Tu Siyu , Chen Jian , Gagné Marc‐Olivier
Published: April 2022

7075 Aluminum alloy (AA7075) samples undergone four aging sequences were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmitted electron microscope (TEM). The measurements results validate the correlation between stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance and the size and inter‐distance of the grain boundary precipitates (GBPs). To evaluate the size and inter‐distance of GBPs, we demonstrate in this study a highly efficient SEM imaging technique that can unfold grain boundary in a two‐dimensional view. Compared to TEM, imaging with backscattered electrons in SEM (SEM‐BSE) is more advantageous for GBPs presentation and measurements. The major reason is that about 900 times more sampling area can be imaged with SEM from the same specimen for TEM observation, thus enabling frequent appearances of GBPs at normal top view perspective, a planar view best for GBPs quantitative analysis but not well‐documented. The acceleration tension of SEM for imaging was optimized at 10 kV with an information depth of around 330 nm.

Research Highlights

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging using backscattered electrons is efficient for AA7075 grain boundary precipitate imaging.

The precipitate size and inter‐distance can be more accurately measured with the perspective of normal top view under SEM than transmitted electron microscope.
Short‐time ventricular tachycardia ablation for cardiac sarcoidosis using coherent map
Authors: Hiruma Takashi , Sekiguchi Yukio , Nagase Takahiko , Nitta Junichi , Isobe Mitsuaki
Published: April 2022

A 69‐year‐old woman with isolated cardiac sarcoidosis was hospitalized for frequent appropriate implantable converter defibrillator therapies for ventricular tachycardia (VT) despite of favorably controlled condition with oral prednisolone. The patient underwent urgent catheter ablation with CARTO 3D mapping system. Although the voltage map, activation map, and propagation map during VT could not visualize the tachycardia circuit, the coherent map clarified entrance and exit sites of the tachycardia circuit with slow or nonconducting (SNO) zones, which seemed like a figure‐of‐eight circuit. Considering the risk of VT termination or acceleration to rapid unstable VT, neither entrainment nor pacing studies were performed. The VT was terminated near the exit site of the isthmus where tiny pre‐systolic potential was detected. Any diastolic potentials could not be detected. This meant that the critical isthmus might be located at the epicardium or deep incite of the left‐ventricular myocardium where the coherent map showed as SNO zones. We should recognize coherent map as artificial that may represent VT circuit as if complete endocardial reentry even if not. The procedural time from mapping to termination of VT was only 22 minutes. The patient has been free from any cardiovascular events after the procedure. Coherent map might be feasible for revealing the critical isthmus of hemodynamically stable VTs without using electrophysiological techniques, including entrainment, pacing study, and voltage map during own beats, and would enable us to achieve successful VT ablation in a short time.
Macabeo (Viura) grape response to climate variability in areas located at different elevations in the Rioja Designation of Origin
Authors: Ramos María Concepción , Martínez de Toda Fernando
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

This research aims to analyse the influence of climatic conditions on phenology and grape composition of Macabeo, which is one of the white varieties authorized in Rioja DOCa. Phenological dates for flowers separated and harvest, and grape composition were evaluated for the period 2008–2020 in five plots, located at different elevations (457–650 m a.s.l.). Grape parameters were related to temperature and water deficit recorded along the growing cycle.

RESULTS

High variability in the weather conditions were recorded during the period analysed, with differences in the average growing season maximum temperature of up to 2.5 °C among years and about 2 °C among locations. Differences in the average growing season precipitation of about 200 mm among years and up to 60 mm among locations were recorded. That high variability could explain the differences in grape composition observed among years and among zones. The lowest sugar contents were recorded at the highest elevation, while acidity in that area was the highest. Although the relationship was only significant in one plot, probable volumetric alcoholic degree increased with increasing maximum temperature. Titratable acidity and malic acid decreased with increasing maximum temperature, the change being higher in the plots located at the highest elevation. Both titratable acidity and malic acid were significantly affected by water deficits recorded during the growing season, and in particular that recorded after floowering.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that under warmer scenarios a decrease in titratable acidity and in malic acid might be expected for this variety, but with differences among zones located at different elevations. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Air transport and tourism flows to islands: A panel analysis for southern European countries
Authors: Mazzola Fabio , Cirà Andrea , Ruggieri Giovanni , Butler Richard
Published: April 2022

Air transport is an essential component of the tourism industry, and the number, frequency, and capacity of flight connections may influence the level of tourism demand, especially for island destinations. This paper evaluates the influence of air transport on tourism arrivals to selected islands in seven southern European Union countries to determine the nature of the relationship between tourist arrivals and air transport, specifically, whether air transport services generate tourism demand or merely enable touristic flows. The paper uses panel data and applies an econometric model with justifications for endogeneity and dynamic issues. Results show a moderate impact of transport infrastructures on generating additional tourist arrivals; however, the model shows that air transport is a prerequisite to developing tourism demand and is not the only determinant in increasing tourist arrivals. Tourist arrivals appear more a determinant than a consequence of changes in‐flight connections.
Intron retention by a novel intronic mutation in DKC1 gene caused recurrent still birth and early death in a Chinese family
Authors: Guo Qiufang , Zhang Ping , Ying Wenjing , Wang Yaqiong , Zhu Jitao , Li Gang , Wang Huijun , Wang Xiaochuan , Lei Caixia , Zhou Wenhao , Sun Jinqiao , Wu Bingbing
Published: April 2022

Background

DKC1, the dyskerin encoding gene, functions in telomerase activity and telomere maintenance. DKC1 mutations cause a multisystem disease, dyskeratosis congenita (DC), which is associated with immunodeficiency and bone marrow failure.

Methods

In this research, we reported a novel intronic mutation of DKC1 causing dyskerin functional loss in a Chinese family. Whole exome sequence (WES) of the proband and validation by sanger sequencing help us identify a pathogenic DKC1 mutation. Minigene splicing assays were performed to evaluate functional change of DKC1.

Results

A pathogenic DKC1 intronic mutation(c.84 + 7A > G) was identified in the proband, which was inherited from heterozygous mother and not reported before. We detected the novel transcript with a 7 bp intron retention through minigene splicing assay. The newly spliced transcript is so short that would be degraded by nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay in vitro and we infer that the novel DKC1 mutation would influences normal physiological function of dyskerin.

Conclusions

Our study identified a novel intronic mutation, which expands the spectrum of pathogenic DKC1 gene mutations and can be used in molecular diagnosis. The mutant allele was transmitted to the next generation with high frequency in the family and causes still birth or early death.
Evaluation of optical genome mapping for detecting chromosomal translocation in clinical cytogenetics
Authors: Dai Peng , Zhu Xiaofan , Pei Yanzheng , Chen Peng , Li Jingjing , Gao Zhi , Liang Yu , Kong Xiangdong
Published: April 2022

Background

Balanced reciprocal translocation is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities in humans that may lead to infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, or having children with physical or mental abnormalities. Karyotyping and FISH are traditional detection approaches with a low resolution. Bionano optical genome mapping (OGM) developed in recent years can be used to analyze chromosomal abnormalities at a higher resolution, providing the possibility of more in‐depth analyses of balanced chromosome translocations.

Methods

To evaluate the feasibility of OGM to detect chromosome balanced translocations, 10 genetic outpatients were collected and detected simultaneously by karyotype analysis, FISH, CNV‐seq, and Bionano OGM in this study.

Results

The results showed that the karyotypes of the patients were detected by karyotype analysis, FISH, and Bionano OGM, but one patient with karyotype t(Y,19) was not correctly detected by OGM. There were not find any chromosome abnormality by CNV‐seq. More importantly, OGM allowed the location of the mutation to the gene level, which is important for aiding diagnoses, compared to karyotype analysis, and FISH.

Conclusions

This study shows that OGM can be a high adjunctive diagnostic method for detecting balanced chromosome translocations, but the accuracy and precision of OGM detecting mutations need to be gradually improved in telomere and centromere regions.
Oblique and eccentric bearing capacity of embedded strip footings using the method of rigorous characteristics
Authors: Li Chengchao , Jiang Pengming
Published: April 2022

The ultimate bearing capacity of strip footings is achieved by establishing the statically and kinematically admissible slip line field. The method of rigorous characteristics is applied to address the coupling of stress and velocity fields. Meanwhile, the stress discontinuity line is presented to account for the shear strength of embedded soils. The failure mechanism can be determined by solving the boundary value problems, and such the approach avoids the predefined slip surface. The proposed solutions show good agreement with the existing results, and they are mostly located between the upper and lower bound solutions of numerical limit analysis. The results demonstrate that the obliquely or eccentrically loaded boundary conditions sharply decrease the ultimate bearing capacity. Besides, the negligence of shear strength of embedded soils underestimates the ultimate bearing capacity of strip footings, and the associated flow rule yields the larger bearing capacity because of the overestimated soil strength.
US Water Infrastructure Investment Long Overdue
Authors: Qureshi Naeem
Published: April 2022

The United States has underinvested in water infrastructure for decades. Outdated water and wastewater systems across the nation are struggling to keep up with their infrastructure needs while utilities are burdened with expanding regulatory requirements and intensifying climate change scenarios.
Mobile DMA Unit Provides a Proactive Leakage Management Strategy
Authors: Jenks Bradley W. , Papa Fabian
Published: April 2022

To overcome the financial and operational barriers often associated with district metered areas in North America, and to develop relevant benchmarking metrics, a multiyear water loss testing program using a mobile testing unit was undertaken in Ontario, Canada.
How measurements affected by medication use are reported and handled in observational research: A literature review
Authors: Choi Jungyeon , Dekkers Olaf M. , le Cessie Saskia
Published: April 2022

Purpose

In epidemiological research, measurements affected by medication, for example, blood pressure lowered by antihypertensives, are common. Different ways of handling medication are required depending on the research questions and whether the affected measurement is the exposure, the outcome, or a confounder. This study aimed to review handling of medication use in observational research.

Methods

PubMed was searched for etiological studies published between 2015 and 2019 in 15 high‐ranked journals from cardiology, diabetes, and epidemiology. We selected studies that analyzed blood pressure, glucose, or lipid measurements (whether exposure, outcome or confounder) by linear or logistic regression. Two reviewers independently recorded how medication use was handled and assessed whether the methods used were in accordance with the research aim. We reported the methods used per variable category (exposure, outcome, confounder).

Results

A total of 127 articles were included. Most studies did not perform any method to account for medication use (exposure 58%, outcome 53%, and confounder 45%). Restriction (exposure 22%, outcome 23%, and confounders 10%), or adjusting for medication use using a binary indicator were also used frequently (exposure: 18%, outcome: 19%, confounder: 45%). No advanced methods were applied. In 60% of studies, the methods' validity could not be judged due to ambiguous reporting of the research aim. Invalid approaches were used in 28% of the studies, mostly when the affected variable was the outcome (36%).

Conclusion

Many studies ambiguously stated the research aim and used invalid methods to handle medication use. Researchers should consider a valid methodological approach based on their research question.
The effects of nanoclay and carbon nanotube co‐addition on properties of an amorphous polyamide/maleated styrene‐ethylene‐co‐butylene‐styrene blend
Authors: Damman Suzana , Steffen Teresa Tromm , Becker Daniela
Published: April 2022

This work studied the individual and combined addition of natural (MMT‐Na) and modified (MMT‐30B) nanoclays, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to a poly (hexamethylene isophthalamide co‐terephthalamide) (aPA)/styrene‐ethylene/butylene‐styrene (SEBS) blend grafted with maleic anhydride. Their effects on the blend's morphology, thermo‐mechanical properties, and flammability were evaluated. Morphological analysis showed that both clays were located in the aPA matrix, with the MMT‐Na as agglomerates and the MMT‐30B intercalated with exfoliated regions. The CNTs were dispersed and randomly oriented in the aPA matrix. Data obtained through dynamic‐mechanical analysis (DMA) showed that adding 1.0% MMT‐30B and 1.0% CNT increased the storage modulus (E') by 26% and 27%, respectively, while adding both 0.5% MMT‐30B and 0.5% CNT increased E' by 38%, suggesting synergy between the nanoparticles related to mechanical properties. Regarding flammability, since the first burn timing (t1) could not be obtained, none of the samples could be classified according to the UL94 standard. However, qualitatively, a better flammability performance was noticed for the nanocomposites than for the pure blend.
Registration of ‘HighWest’ meadow bromegrass
Authors: Jensen Kevin B. , Winter Damon , Bushman B. Shaun , Robbins Matthew , Getz Megan , Waldron Blair L.
Published: April 2022

The USDA‐ARS announces the release of the meadow bromegrass [Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult. (excluded)] cultivar ‘HighWest’ (Reg. no. CV‐25, PI 698169) for use on irrigated and semi‐irrigated pastures as a rapidly establishing forage grass with excellent dry matter yield (DMY) on sites receiving 350 mm of either annual precipitation or irrigation. Selection emphasis in HighWest meadow bromegrass was on crude protein (CP), DMY regrowth, quality, and seedling emergence from a deep planting depth under irrigation. HighWest has been evaluated in Utah comparing it to meadow bromegrass cultivars ‘Cache’, ‘Arsenal’, ‘Regar’, ‘Admiral’, and ‘Armada’. Genotyping by sequencing demonstrated that HighWest is significantly different genetically from Cache (P < .043), Arsenal (P < .003), Regar (P < .040), Admiral (P < .001), and Armada (P < .028) and grouped closest to Cache and Arsenal, consistent with its breeding pedigree. HighWest had greater (P < .05) percentage seedling emergence frequency at Millville, UT, compared with Arsenal, Regar, Armada, and Admiral. Based on a selection index that combined percentage seedling emergence frequency, DMY, and CP values, HighWest had a greater index value at 2.8 compared with Cache (1.7), Arsenal (−0.6), Regar (−3.2), Armada (−1.5), and Admiral (−1.0). Dry matter yield regardless of harvest date was similar to Cache, Arsenal, Regar, Admiral, and Armada. Forage regrowth of HighWest had CP values 6% greater than Cache. Water‐soluble carbohydrates were 22% greater in HighWest (87.0 g kg−1) than Cache. HighWest provides ranchers with additional plant material that maintains DMY and improves forage regrowth quality over the cultivar Cache.