bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alcohol consumption and incidence of prostate cancer among Chinese people: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Jinhui , Gao Di , Li Yanhui , Stockwell Tim , Ma Jun 
Published: November 2020

Aims: Meta-analyses have suggested a dose-response relationship between level of alcohol use and risk of prostate cancer, but the populations in the included studies are predominantly Caucasian. Many Chinese language studies have not been included in published reviews and/or meta-analyses. The present meta–analysis accessed research reports in both English and Chinese language sources in order to investigate this relationship specifically among Chinese people.
Methods: Searches in five large Chinese biomedical bibliographic databases were made for case–control and cohort studies of alcohol consumption and prostate cancer incidence and death (ICD–10: C61) up to May 2017. Studies were coded for design, outcome, drinker and non-drinkers, extent of control for confounding and other study characteristics. Mixed models were used to estimate relative risk (RR) of incidence or death from prostate cancer due to alcohol consumption with study level controls for designs, drinker bias and types of drinkers.
Findings: A total of 415 studies were identified of which 25 (20 in Chinese from five Chinese databases and 5 in English from published meta-analyses) satisfied inclusion criteria providing 36 risk estimates of prostate cancer for drinkers versus non-drinkers. There was a total of 36 OR estimates; 27 using patients as controls and 9 using healthy people. Nine studies (14 OR estimates) specified reference abstainers as “never drank” or “no drinking”. Adjusted RR estimates indicated a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among drinkers (RR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.40 – 1.52, t-test P<0.001) compared to non-drinkers. Dose-response relationships (t-test P<0.001) were evident in three studies that assessed level of alcohol intake.
Conclusions: There is a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer incidence among Chinese drinkers than non-drinkers, with some evidence of a dose-response relationship. However, almost all the identified studies suffered from former and/or occasional drinker biases. Few studies had adequate measures of level of alcohol intake and further well-designed studies are required.
Investigating Differential Protective Effects of Marriage on Substance Use by Sexual Identity Status
Authors: Trocki Karen , Mericle Amy , Drabble Laurie A. , Klinger Jamie L. , Veldhuis Cindy B. , Hughes Tonda L. , Karriker-Jaffe Katherine J. 
Published: November 2020

Background: Research suggests that marriage is protective against substance use. However, few studies have examined whether this protective effect differs for sexual minorities, a population at increased risk for substance use. Using data from four waves of the cross-sectional U.S. National Alcohol Survey (NAS; 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015), we investigated whether the protective effects of marriage varied by sexual identity.
Methods: Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to examine independent and interactive effects of current marital status (being married vs. not) and sexual minority status (lesbian/gay/bisexual vs. heterosexual) on high-intensity drinking, alcohol use disorder, and marijuana use in the past year.
Results: Among both women and men, sexual minority status was generally associated with higher odds of these outcomes and marriage was consistently associated with lower odds. Differential effects of marriage by sexual identity with respect to marijuana use were found only among men; marriage was significantly associated with decreased odds of marijuana use among heterosexual men but increased odds among sexual minority men.
Conclusions: Marriage may be less consistently protective against hazardous drinking and marijuana use among sexual minorities than heterosexuals. Findings underscore the importance of both quantitative and qualitative studies designed to better understand disparities in substance use across both sexual identity and relationship statuses.
Preferred Learning Style and Study Characteristics among Undergraduate Clinical Medical Students: A Study in National Defense University of Malaysia
Authors: Ahmed Sheikh Salahuddin , Reddy Sagili Chandrasekhara 
Published: November 2020

Purpose: Learning clinical science depends on the learning style and characteristics of the student as well as the learning environment and teaching characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the preferred methods of learning style and study characteristics of undergraduate senior clinical medical students.
Methods: This study was conducted among 89 medical students of 4th and 5th year of the Faculty of Medicine and Defense Health, National Defense University of Malaysia, from 1st November 2019 to 31st July 2020. Each of the students was given a structured questionnaire for their responses to determine their preferred learning style and study characteristics.
Results: The mean age of the students was 23.5 years (range 23-27 years). A combination of various methods of learning style that included reading/writing, hearing, seeing (observing), and practicing of skills was used in 69.7% of students. Preference of learning from making and reviewing notes of class teachings was 98.9%; e-learning 53.9%; memorizing key features 71.9%; and silent study 94.3% of students. Learning by a discussion with fellow students was preferred by 65.2% and interactions in the class were preferred by 56.2% of students. Observing skill demonstration by a teacher was preferred by 77.5% of students. Learning of a clinical skill by practicing on a real patient was preferred by 94.4% of students.
Conclusion: A combination of various learning styles is preferred by the majority of students for their learning. The students prefer to take and review class notes, study silently, use e-learning uploaded materials, interact in the class and learn a clinical skill by practicing on a real patient rather than simulated patients or mannequins. The preference of the student learning style and their choice should be taken into account for constructing teaching methods to achieve a better academic outcome.
GC-MS Analysis and Antimicrobial Spectrum of Stem Bark Extracts of Ficus sycomorus
Authors: Saheed Yunusa , Nasir Mustapha Usman , Abbas Baballe , Bello Rabi Yakubu 
Published: November 2020

Aim: This work investigated the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy of methanolic extract and antimicrobial spectrum of acetone and aqueous crude extracts of Ficus sycomorus stem bark.
Place and Duration of the Study: Department chemistry research laboratory and microbiology laboratory, Yobe State University, Damaturu between April 2019 and August, 2019.
Methodology: Pure isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysentariae, proteus spp, Pseudomonas auruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia and a fungi, Candida albicans were collected from National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau State. The plant was collected and the extract was used in preliminary phytochemical screening, GC-MS analysis and reconstituted for antimicrobial activities testing.
Results: The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed presence of saponin, flavonoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycoside and tannin. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of heterocyclic members of pyrazole, imidazole, triazole, thiazole and 1, 3-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis (2-hethylhexyl) ester. Acetone extract showed the greatest antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Shigella spp while the aqueous extract produced antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans. Both acetone and aqueous extracts of both stem bark extracts did not exhibit any activity against Escherichia coli. All the extracts were tested at 100mg/ml concentration. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) (125 – 250 mg/ml) of both extracts were higher than those of ciprofloxacin (5.0 mg/ml).
Conclusion: There is scientific basis for the uses of F. sycomorus in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases as prescribed earlier on and stronger basis for recommendation for its cautious use for the presence of 2-ethylhexyl which could be Carcinogenic. This is first study to identify 2-ethylhexyl from F. sycomorus stem bark extract and recommend cautious use.
Diagnosis performance assessment of the secondary protection for a 68‐bus power system
Authors: Salman Mustafa , Eva Wu N. , Qin Qiu 
Published: November 2020

SummaryThis article concerns the assessment of diagnosis performance of a recently developed secondary protection (SP) applied to the IEEE 16‐machine 68‐bus test system subject to primary protection (PP) misoperations on transmission short circuit faults. A PP may fail to trip or falsely trip a line. Such PP misoperations have been known to be a main culprit of modern day blackouts. The function of the SP is to take a timely corrective action before a misoperation causes instability through on‐line diagnosis and stability assessment. Its feasibility hinges on the effective utilization of networked advanced digital relays. We have recently built a full set of diagnosis filters with sensor‐localized dynamic transmission circuit models representative of all anticipated line contingencies in the 68‐bus system and computed the postfault stability regions for the contingencies. The sensor‐localized circuit partition drastically reduces the processing and communication complexity of diagnosis. This work evaluates the diagnosis performance of the SP's multiple‐model filters (MMF) using hybrid simulations driven by both randomly generated discrete events of PP misoperations and the governing dynamics of rotor angles of the 16 interconnected synchronous generators. Of the 1000 independent replications of simulation conditioned on each type of randomly generated misoperations, a 98% correct diagnosis rate is achieved. Each diagnosis conclusion is reached by the SP's MMF scheme within a few tens of a millisecond from the onset of a PP misoperation following a random transmission short circuit fault. This suggests that the SP can circumvent a large percentage of potential blackouts cost‐effectively.
Regulating Oxygen Substituents with Optimized Redox Activity in Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide for Aqueous Zn‐Ion Hybrid Capacitor
Authors: Shao Yanyan , Sun Zhongti , Tian Zhengnan , Li Shuo , Wu Guiqing , Wang Menglei , Tong Xiaoling , Shen Fei , Xia Zhou , Tung Vincent , Sun Jingyu , Shao Yuanlong 
Published: November 2020

AbstractFunctionalizing carbon cathode surfaces with oxygen functional groups is an effective way to simultaneously tailor the fundamental properties and customize the electrochemical properties of aqueous Zn‐ion hybrid capacitors. In this work, the oxygen functional groups of chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are systematically regulated via a series of reductants and varied experimental conductions. Carboxyl and carbonyl have been proven to significantly enhance the aqueous electrolyte wettability, Zn‐ion chemical adsorption, and pseudocapacitive redox activity by experimental study and computational analysis. The rGO cathode produced through hydrogen peroxide assisted hydrothermal reduction exhibits a specific capacitance of 277 F g−1 in 1 m ZnSO4 after optimization of surface oxygen functional groups. In addition, a quasi‐solid‐state flexible Zn‐ion hybrid capacitor (ZHC) with a polyacrylamide gel electrolyte and a high loading mass of 5.1 mg cm−2 are assembled. The as‐prepared quasi‐solid state ZHC can offer a superior areal capacitance of 1257 mF cm−2 and distinguished areal energy density of 342 µW h cm−2. The significant enhancement of redox activity and Zn‐ion storage capability by regulating the oxygen functional groups can shed light on the promotion of electrochemical charge storage properties even beyond protic electrolyte systems.
100 m Long Thermally Drawn Supercapacitor Fibers with Applications to 3D Printing and Textiles
Authors: Khudiyev Tural , Lee Jung Tae , Cox Jason R. , Argentieri Eric , Loke Gabriel , Yuan Rodger , Noel Grace H. , Tatara Ryoichi , Yu Yang , Logan Frannie , Joannopoulos John , Shao‐Horn Yang , Fink Yoel 
Published: November 2020

AbstractSupercapacitor fibers, with short charging times, long cycle lifespans, and high power densities, hold promise for powering flexible fabric‐based electronics. To date, however, only short lengths of functioning fiber supercapacitors have been produced. The primary goal of this study is to introduce a supercapacitor fiber that addresses the remaining challenges of scalability, flexibility, cladding impermeability, and performance at length. This is achieved through a top‐down fabrication method in which a macroscale preform is thermally drawn into a fully functional energy‐storage fiber. The preform consists of five components: thermally reversible porous electrode and electrolyte gels; conductive polymer and copper microwire current collectors; and an encapsulating hermetic cladding. This process produces 100 m of continuous functional supercapacitor fiber, orders of magnitude longer than any previously reported. In addition to flexibility (5 mm radius of curvature), moisture resistance (100 washing cycles), and strength (68 MPa), these fibers have an energy density of 306 μWh cm−2 at 3.0 V and ≈100% capacitance retention over 13 000 cycles at 1.6 V. To demonstrate the utility of this fiber, it is machine‐woven and used as filament for 3D printing.
A Rationally Designed ICAM1 Antibody Drug Conjugate for Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Huang Jing , Agoston Agoston T. , Guo Peng , Moses Marsha A. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractOutcomes for pancreatic cancer (PC) patients remain strikingly poor with a 5‐year survival of less than 8% due to the lack of effective treatment modalities. Here, a novel precision medicine approach for PC treatment is developed, which is composed of a rationally designed tumor‐targeting ICAM1 antibody‐drug conjugate (ADC) with optimized chemical linker and cytotoxic payload, complemented with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐based molecular imaging approach to noninvasively evaluate the efficiency of ICAM1 ADC therapy. It is shown that ICAM1 is differentially overexpressed on the surface of human PC cells with restricted expression in normal tissues, enabling ICAM1 antibody to selectively recognize and target PC tumors in vivo. It is further demonstrated that the developed ICAM1 ADC induces potent and durable tumor regression in an orthotopic PC mouse model. To build a precision medicine, an MRI‐based molecular imaging approach is developed that noninvasively maps the tumoral ICAM1 expression that can be potentially used to identify ICAM1‐overexpressing PC patients. Collectively, this study establishes a strong foundation for the development of a promising ADC to address the critical need in the PC patient care.
CO2‐facilitated transport membranes prepared by blending polyvinyl alcohol and various water‐absorbing agents
Authors: Ito Fuminori , Nishiyama Yuriko , Sugimoto Rie , Mori Misato , Yamada Hidetaka 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThis study describes the production of a membrane by blending polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and water‐absorbing agents for the selective permeation of CO2 by optimizing the type of water‐absorbing agent and its ratio to PVA. A CO2‐facilitated transport membrane is prepared by adding an aqueous cesium carbonate solution to a coated polymer blend matrix. When sodium polyacrylate (PAANa) is blended with PVA as a water‐absorbing agent, the resulting membrane shows promising heat and pressure resistances and a relatively high CO2/He separation performance. Particularly, the CO2/He selectivity of the membrane composed of PVA, PAANa, and another water‐absorbing agent exceeds 400 under a total pressure of 0.1 MPa and a CO2 partial pressure of 0.08 MPa at 85°C. Moreover, the CO2/He selectivity is approximately 100 even under a total pressure of 0.7 MPa and a CO2 partial pressure of 0.56 MPa. Thus, a high‐performance CO2 separation membrane at 85°C is produced.
Polymerized ionic liquids‐based hydrogels with intrinsic antibacterial activity: Modern weapons against antibiotic‐resistant infections
Authors: Claus Johanna , Jastram Ann , Piktel Ewelina , Bucki Robert , Janmey Paul A. , Kragl Udo 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIn this study, the inherent antibacterial activity of 11 different polymerized ionic liquids (PILs)‐based hydrogels as well as their corresponding monomers was examined in an extensive screening. The methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus Xen 30 (MRSA Xen 30) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Xen 5 (P. aeruginosa Xen 5) were chosen as test microorganisms. Both are typical representatives of gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria, respectively. Six of the 11 tested monomers were able to eradicate more than 80% of P. aeruginosa Xen 5 cells in suspension. Unfortunately, the anionic, neutral and zwitterionic representatives lost their function after polymerization. However, the cationic gels retained their antibacterial activity with nearly 100% eradication of selected microorganisms ‐ even at the smallest amount tested. Bactericidal activity against gram‐positive MRSA Xen 30 was high when the bacteria were treated with the imidazolium‐based monomers. Five of the tested compounds showed rather limited bactericidal activity <50% killed bacteria. The weak antibacterial activities could be significantly increased by crosslinking them to three‐dimensional networks. As a result, all the hydrogels possessed strong killing efficiencies of at least 68% and were able to maintain this activity even at low hydrogel volume fractions. These findings are very promising for the development of new antibacterial materials for medical applications, for example, stent coatings.
Becoming needless: A psychoanalytically informed qualitative study exploring the interpersonal and intrapsychic experiences of longstanding anorexia nervosa
Authors: Blackburn Bríd , O'Connor John , Parsons Harriet 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThis study explored the interpersonal and intrapsychic experiences of individuals living with longstanding anorexia and considered how such experiences might influence barriers to recovery. Six women, aged between 22 and 44, were interviewed on three occasions using a psychoanalytically informed qualitative research design. Three interrelated themes emerged: “all on our own,” becoming needless and “nobody speaks your language.” Interpersonal experiences were characterized by abusive mistreatment, abandonment, and rejection, which, at times, seemed to be re‐enacted with acute health care staff, mental health professionals, and mental health services. Participants developed a conviction of being undeserving and fundamentally flawed, perhaps in a defensive attempt to establish a sense of control and survive these overwhelming experiences potentially operating as a self‐protective enclave. Ultimately, participants seemed to be describing, defending against the pain of relatedness by striving to have no needs. Participants seemed stuck in this state of self‐protection, hampering their ability to develop trust in the therapeutic relationship. Directions for future research and implications for psychotherapeutic work are also discussed.
Biogenic Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with High Antimicrobial and Catalytic Activities using Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa)
Authors: Yong Doreen W. Y. , Lieu Zi Zhao , Cao Xujun , Yong Xin Ee , Wong Jireh Z. L. , Cheong Yuan Shan , Browder Laney K. , Chin Wee Shong 
Published: November 2020

AbstractSilver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely sought after for a variety of biomedical and environmental applications due to their antimicrobial and catalytic properties. We present here a green and simple synthesis of AgNPs utilizing traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. The screening of 20 aqueous herb extracts shows that Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa) had the most promising potential in producing AgNPs of 30±6 nm, with narrow size distribution and high crystallinity. The antimicrobial activities of these AgNPs conducted on E. coli cells were found to be superior in comparison to poly(vinylpyrrolidone)‐capped AgNPs synthesized using common chemical method. Additionally, the AgNPs obtained possess excellent catalytic performance in the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol. We compared the phytochemical and FTIR spectral analyses of the herb extract before and after synthesis, in order to elucidate the phytochemicals responsible for the reduction of Ag+ ions and the capping of the AgNPs produced.
The Erosion of Immunity Defenses in Water Contamination Cases
Authors: McCall Kara L. , Binder Matt 
Published: November 2020

Key TakeawaysGovernmental entities and officials have long relied on immunity defenses when facing litigation; protection is not guaranteed, however.It helps to understand the principles of different kinds of immunities, including exceptions, interpretations, and applications.Certain recent water contamination cases involving municipalities and utilities illustrate the complexities and new trends regarding immunity defenses.
Global Perspectives on Water Reuse: North America and India
Authors: Kumar Arun , Goyal Kirti 
Published: November 2020

Key TakeawaysThe global water reuse market is expected to reach US$22.3 billion by the year 2021, with a growth rate of 13.1%.The epicenter of the water reuse market is shifting from North America to Asia, with a significant increase in China's reuse capacity.Strict policies and a regulatory framework have a direct influence on the success of water reuse projects.
LncRNA MALAT1 accelerates non‐small cell lung cancer progression via regulating miR‐185‐5p/MDM4 axis
Authors: Wang Dan , Zhang Suhong , Zhao Min , Chen Fengling 
Published: November 2020

AbstractNon‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the commonest malignancy with high death rate around the world. LncRNA metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is greatly overexpressed in multifarious cancers, including NSCLC. However, the precise mechanism of MALAT1 in NSCLC tumorigenesis is blurry. This paper aims to investigate the theory of MALAT1 action in NSCLC progression. The levels of MALAT1, microRNA (miR)‐185‐5p, and mouse double minute 4 protein (MDM4) were measured by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) or western blot. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were, respectively, determined by 3‐(4, 5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2, 5‐diphenyl‐2‐H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and flow cytometry. Cell migratory and invasive abilities were inspected by transwell assay. The binding relationship between miR‐185‐5p and MALAT1 or MDM4 was confirmed by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. The impacts of MALAT1 on tumor growth in vivo were measured by a xenograft experiment. We found MALAT1 and MDM4 were upregulated and MALAT1 positively regulated the MDM4 expression. MALAT1 and MDM4 deletion significantly hindered the proliferation, metastasis, and expedited the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. MDM4 overexpression partly overturned the influence of MALAT1 downregulation on cell development. Moreover, miR‐185‐5p, as a target of MALAT1, could directly target MDM4, and miR‐185‐5p upregulation exerted inhibitory effects on NSCLC cells. Besides, knockdown of MALAT1 inhibited tumor growth in vivo through miR‐185‐5p/MDM4 axis in NSCLC. Collectively, MALAT1 contributed to proliferation, migration, invasion, and impeded apoptosis by regulating the MDM4 expression mediated by miR‐185‐5p in NSCLC cells.