bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structural binding perspectives of common plasticizers and a flame retardant, BDE‐153, against thyroxine‐binding globulin: potential for endocrine disruption
Authors: Sheikh Ishfaq Ahmad , Beg Mohd Amin 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe human exposure to diverse endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has increased dramatically over several decades with very adverse health effects. Plasticizers and flame retardants constitute important classes of EDCs interfering in endocrine physiology including the thyroid function. Thyroxine (T4) is an important hormone regulating metabolism and playing key roles in developmental processes. In this study, six phthalate and nonphthalate plasticizers and one flame retardant (BDE‐153) were subjected to structural binding against thyroxine‐binding globulin (TBG). The aim was to understand their potential role in thyroid dysfunction using structural binding approach. The structural study was performed using Schrodinger's induced fit docking, followed by binding energy estimations of ligands and the molecular interaction analysis between the ligands and the amino acid residues in the TBG ligand‐binding pocket. The results indicated that all the compounds packed tightly into the TBG ligand‐binding pocket with similar binding pattern to that of TBG native ligand, T4. A high majority of TBG interacting amino acid residues for ligands showed commonality with native ligand, T4. The estimated binding energy values were highest for BDE‐153 followed by nonphthalate plasticizer, DINCH, with values comparable with native ligand, T4. The estimated binding energy values of other plasticizers DEHP, DEHT, DEHA, ATBC, and TOTM were less than DINCH. In conclusion, the tight docking conformations, amino acid interactions, and binding energy values of the most of the indicated ligands were comparable with TBG native ligand, T4, suggesting their potential for thyroid dysfunction. The results revealed highest potential thyroid disruptive action for BDE‐153 and DINCH.
In situ off‐line extracorporeal photopheresis conducted in a real‐life situation at a Hemobiotherapy Department in France: A comparison of costs vs on‐line procedure
Authors: Azar Nabih , Ouzegdouh Maya , Choquet Sylvain , Goncalves Natalia , Leblond Véronique 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe off‐line extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) procedure requires photosensitization in an external cell therapy laboratory as per the French regulatory requirement. This regulation results in higher time and costs compared with the on‐line alternative performed entirely at the patient's bedside. Recently, full in situ execution of the off‐line procedure has been implemented in the Pitié‐Salpêtrière Hospital Hemobiotherapy Department (Paris, France). This report summarizes the center's experience regarding the organizational and costs impacts of this change compared with the on‐line procedure.Material and methodsECP was broken down into stages, and several procedures were monitored prospectively in real‐life settings. The total costs associated with both procedures were the sum of the fixed costs and variable costs related to all stages of the procedures, nursing‐time costs, property costs, and patient‐related production loss costs.ResultsEight off‐line ECP and fourteen on‐line ECP procedures were monitored during five consecutive days. Procedure duration was not different (median 137.5 vs 154.0 minutes, P = .29). Times and costs associated with nursing were higher but offset by lower fixed costs of the off‐line ECP. Total direct costs per procedure associated with using the off‐line ECP were significantly lower than those of the on‐line procedure (459.6 ± 7.1 EUR vs 953.8 ± 6.5 EUR; P = .0002). Similar results were observed when including the costs of patient production loss.ConclusionsAs a competitive time procedure, the in situ off‐line method proved to be cost‐efficient by effectively offering similar patient treatment per year compared with the on‐line procedure.
The ultimatum bargaining game: An adaptation for teaching ethics
Authors: Bertolami Charles N. , Opazo Cristián , Janal Malvin N. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPurposeThe ultimatum bargaining game has been devised by economists to measure fairness and generosity during negotiations. This study sought to adapt the game to classroom application with the intent of (a) determining whether the known outcomes would be replicated given modifications needed to make the game suitable as an educational tool and (b) sharing the resulting self‐appraisal with students themselves.MethodsA total of 452 first‐year dental students participated in this adaptation as part of a classroom exercise. Students, identified as donors, were allocated an imaginary stake of $100 and asked to share some amount of it with a recipient classmate by making a nonnegotiable, one‐time offer. If the offer is accepted, the donor student retains any residual amount. If the offer is rejected, neither the donor nor recipient receives anything. The question being tested is whether student fairness and/or generosity change when the preferred donor status is assigned at random versus on the basis of an earned property entitlement represented here by a higher‐class rank.Results and ConclusionWhen status as Group A donors was established at random, the majority of students offered their fictitious Group B counterpart the fairest possible amount of $50 (70.4% in 2020 and 61% in 2018). However, when students were told that their status as Group A donors would be established based on their ranking in the upper half of the class, the percentage offering the fairest amount declined to 49.5% in 2020 and to 51.8% in 2018. This outcome was available for immediate disclosure to students during the classroom session; it was consistent with results previously reported for the ultimatum bargaining game; and it showed that when a property entitlement is perceived as having been earned (manifested by a higher‐class rank), fairness and generosity decline.
Morphological differences between anemophilous and entomophilous pollen
Authors: Lu Xiaojian , Ye Xiufen , Liu Jiaxi 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn order to provide a palynological guide for the identification of insect‐carrying pollen grains, we studied the pollen grains of 10 anemophilous species and 10 entomophilous species in the Beijing urban area using light and scanning electron microscopies. We found that anemophilous pollen grains are small, spheroidal, or oblate spheroidal, while entomophilous pollen grains are medium and oblate. Comparison of the exine thickness and surface ornamentation showed that anemophilous pollen grains have significantly thinner exine and smoother surface ornamentation than entomophilous pollen grains. The results also revealed pollen characteristics adaptive to different pollination types. Overall, our study indicated that pollen morphology might be helpful for preliminary identification of anemophilous and entomophilous pollen.
Goal setting for nutrition and body weight in rehabilitation nutrition: position paper by the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Nutrition (secondary publication)
Authors: Wakabayashi Hidetaka , Yoshimura Yoshihiro , Maeda Keisuke , Fujiwara Dai , Nishioka Shinta , Nagano Ayano 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe most important nutrition goals in rehabilitation nutrition are improving function and quality of life, and they are useful to set body weight goals to further improve these aspects. In this paper, we clarified our position, as the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Nutrition, on body weight goal setting. Body weight goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, and Timed). The standard amount of energy accumulation/deficit needed to gain/lose 1 kg body weight is 7500 kcal. In other words, if the nutrition goal is set at 1 kg body weight gain per month, daily energy accumulation can be calculated as approximately 250 kcal. It is necessary to reconcile the rehabilitation goal setting, the content, quantity, and quality of physical activity and exercise therapy, and the patient's general condition and intentions to set nutrition goals. Body weight goal setting is more variable than rehabilitation goal setting, and it is important to confirm the degree of achievement through rehabilitation nutrition monitoring.
Access to dental care and blood pressure profiles in adults with high socioeconomic status
Authors: Del Pinto Rita , Monaco Annalisa , Ortu Eleonora , Czesnikiewicz‐Guzik Marta , Muñoz Aguilera Eva , Giannoni Mario , D'Aiuto Francesco , Guzik Tomasz J. , Ferri Claudio , Pietropaoli Davide 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundReduced access to dental care may increase cardiovascular risk; however, socioeconomic factors are believed to confound the associations. We hypothesized that the relation persists despite economic wellness and high education, with reduced access to dental care affecting cardiovascular risk at least in part through its effect on blood pressure (BP), possibly mediated by systemic inflammation.MethodsWe first assessed the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics related to last dental visit timing (≤ or >6 months; self‐reported) using national representative cross‐sectional data. Then, the association of last dental visit timing with clinic BP was selectively investigated in highly educated, high income participants, further matched for residual demographic and clinical confounders using propensity score matching (PSM). The mediating effect of systemic inflammation was formally tested. Machine learning was implemented to investigate the added value of dental visits in predicting high BP over the variables included in the Framingham Hypertension Risk Score among individuals without an established diagnosis of hypertension.ResultsOf 27,725 participants included in the population analysis, 46% attended a dental visit ≤6 months. In the PSM cohort (n = 2350), last dental visit attendance >6 months was consistently associated with 2 mmHg higher systolic BP (P = 0.001) and with 23 to 35% higher odds of high/uncontrolled BP compared with attendance ≤6 months. Inflammation mildly mediated the association. Access to dental care improved the prediction of high BP by 2%.ConclusionsDental care use impacts on BP profiles independent of socioeconomic confounders, possibly through systemic inflammation. Regular dental visits may contribute to preventive medicine.
The effect of the Chinese government policies on outward foreign direct investment by domestic enterprises: A policy analysis
Authors: Peirong Pan , Al‐Tabbaa Omar 
Published: November 2021

AbstractChina has issued several policies aimed at driving domestic enterprises to engage in outward foreign direct investments. By analyzing these policies, their impact appeared to have a double‐edged sword effect. As China's capital inflows remained far more significant than capital outflows, the Chinese government has issued several policies, including the “Go globally” strategy and the “The Belt and Road” initiative aimed at driving domestic enterprises to engage in outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Using policy analysis technique, we analyze the OFDI‐related advantages that can be achieved to domestic enterprises under the influence of government policies to identify their impact. While the analysis shows that the Chinese government policies promoting OFDI for enterprises, stimulating domestic enterprises to expand globally also negatively impacts the OFDIs themselves.
Remarks on infinite factorials and cardinal subtraction in ZF$\mathsf{ZF}$
Authors: Shen Guozhen 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe factorial of a cardinal , denoted by , is the cardinality of the set of all permutations of a set which is of cardinality . We give a condition that makes the cardinal equality provable without the axiom of choice. In fact, we prove in that, for all cardinals , if and there is a permutation without fixed points on a set which is of cardinality , then .
Boundedness in a three‐dimensional chemotaxis‐Stokes system modeling coral fertilization with arbitrarily slow p‐Laplace diffusion
Authors: Liu Ji 
Published: November 2021

AbstractA chemotaxis‐Stokes system modeling coral fertilization under the effects of p‐Laplace diffusion is investigated in spatially three‐dimensional setting. By making appropriate use of certain conditional estimates for chemotactic signal gradient and the fluid velocity, we prove global existence and boundedness under a mild assumption that , which extends previous results derived in [8].
Transcriptional repression of E‐cadherin in nickel‐exposed lung epithelial cells mediated by loss of Sp1 binding at the promoter
Authors: Zhang Xiaoru , Tanwar Vinay Singh , Jose Cynthia C , Lee Hyun‐Wook , Cuddapah Suresh 
Published: November 2021

AbstractE‐cadherin plays a central role in the stability of epithelial tissues by facilitating cell‐cell adhesion. Loss of E‐cadherin expression is a hallmark of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), a major event in the pathogenesis of several lung diseases. Our earlier studies showed that nickel, a ubiquitous environmental toxicant, induced EMT by persistently downregulating E‐cadherin expression in human lung epithelial cells and that the EMT remained irreversible postexposure. However, the molecular basis of persistent E‐cadherin downregulation by nickel exposure is not understood. Here, our studies show that the binding of transcription factor Sp1 to the promoter of E‐cadherin encoding gene, CDH1, is essential for its expression. Nickel exposure caused a loss of Sp1 binding at the CDH1 promoter, resulting in its downregulation and EMT induction. Loss of Sp1 binding at the CDH1 promoter was associated with an increase in the binding of ZEB1 adjacent to the Sp1 binding site. ZEB1, an EMT master regulator persistently upregulated by nickel exposure, is a negative regulator of CDH1. CRISPR‐Cas9‐mediated knockout of ZEB1 restored Sp1 binding at the CDH1 promoter. Furthermore, ZEB1 knockout rescued E‐cadherin expression and re‐established the epithelial phenotype. Since EMT is associated with a number of nickel‐exposure‐associated chronic inflammatory lung diseases including asthma, fibrosis and cancer and metastasis, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms associated with nickel pathogenesis.
Modeling of drug resistance: Comparison of two hypotheses for slowly proliferating tumors on the example of low‐grade gliomas
Authors: Bodnar Marek , Foryś Urszula 
Published: November 2021

Acquired drug resistance (ADR) syndrome is one of the most important features associated with tumor treatment and it is therefore a topic of intensive studies. We present two simple mathematical models reflecting different mechanisms of ADR with some Darwinian effects included. These effects allow bi‐directional flow between resistant and sensitive compartments, meaning that not only sensitive cells become resistant but also resistant cells may become sensitive again. Basing on this mathematical approach, we conclude that, for constant continuous treatment, if there is no flow back to the sensitive compartment, then once resistant cells appear, sensitive cells are eventually eliminated, independently of the mechanism of acquiring the resistance. However, with bi‐directional flow, the situation is a little better as the sensitive cells are not completely eliminated, although they are still outcompeted by the resistant ones. Moreover, if the therapy is stopped, resistant cells become dominated by sensitive cells and the situation changes. We discuss these mechanisms for slowly proliferating tumors on the example of gliomas.
Clinical suitability of deep learning based synthetic CTs for adaptive proton therapy of lung cancer
Authors: Thummerer Adrian , Seller Oria Carmen , Zaffino Paolo , Meijers Arturs , Guterres Marmitt Gabriel , Wijsman Robin , Seco Joao , Langendijk Johannes Albertus , Knopf Antje‐Christin , Spadea Maria Francesca , Both Stefan 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPurposeAdaptive proton therapy (APT) of lung cancer patients requires frequent volumetric imaging of diagnostic quality. Cone‐beam CT (CBCT) can provide these daily images, but x‐ray scattering limits CBCT‐image quality and hampers dose calculation accuracy. The purpose of this study was to generate CBCT‐based synthetic CTs using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and investigate image quality and clinical suitability for proton dose calculations in lung cancer patients.MethodsA dataset of 33 thoracic cancer patients, containing CBCTs, same‐day repeat CTs (rCT), planning‐CTs (pCTs), and clinical proton treatment plans, was used to train and evaluate a DCNN with and without a pCT‐based correction method. Mean absolute error (MAE), mean error (ME), peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, and structural similarity were used to quantify image quality. The evaluation of clinical suitability was based on recalculation of clinical proton treatment plans. Gamma pass ratios, mean dose to target volumes and organs at risk, and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) were calculated. Furthermore, proton radiography simulations were performed to assess the HU‐accuracy of sCTs in terms of range errors.ResultsOn average, sCTs without correction resulted in a MAE of 34 ± 6 HU and ME of 4 ± 8 HU. The correction reduced the MAE to 31 ± 4HU (ME to 2 ± 4HU). Average 3%/3 mm gamma pass ratios increased from 93.7% to 96.8%, when the correction was applied. The patient specific correction reduced mean proton range errors from 1.5 to 1.1 mm. Relative mean target dose differences between sCTs and rCT were below ± 0.5% for all patients and both synthetic CTs (with/without correction). NTCP values showed high agreement between sCTs and rCT (<2%).ConclusionCBCT‐based sCTs can enable accurate proton dose calculations for APT of lung cancer patients. The patient specific correction method increased the image quality and dosimetric accuracy but had only a limited influence on clinically relevant parameters.
Predicting short‐term mobile Internet traffic from Internet activity using recurrent neural networks
Authors: Santos Guto Leoni , Rosati Pierangelo , Lynn Theo , Kelner Judith , Sadok Djamel , Endo Patricia Takako 
Published: November 2021

SummaryMobile network traffic prediction is an important input into network capacity planning and optimization. Existing approaches may lack the speed and computational complexity to account for bursting, non‐linear patterns, or other important correlations in time series mobile network data. We compare the performance of two deep learning (DL) architectures, long short‐term memory (LSTM) and gated recurrent unit (GRU), and two conventional machine learning (ML) architectures—Random Forest and Decision Tree—for predicting mobile Internet traffic using 2 months of Telecom Italia data for Milan.K‐Means clustering was used a priori to group cells based on Internet activity, and the Grid Search method was used to identify the best configurations for each model. The predictive quality of the models was evaluated using root mean squared error and mean absolute error. Both DL algorithms were effective in modeling Internet activity and seasonality, both within days and across 2 months. We find variations in performance across clusters within the city. Overall, the DL models outperformed the conventional ML models, and the LSTM outperformed the GRU in our experiments.
Subdivision based isogeometric analysis for geometric flows
Authors: Pan Qing , Rabczuk Timon , Chen Chong 
Published: November 2021

AbstractWe present a new isogeometric analysis (IGA) approach based on extended Loop subdivision scheme for solving various geometric flows defined on subdivision surfaces. The studied flows include the second‐order, fourth‐order, and sixth‐order geometric flows, such as averaged mean curvature flow, constant mean curvature flow, and minimal mean‐curvature‐variation flow, which are generally derived by minimizing the associate energy functionals with ‐gradient flow respectively. The geometric flows are discretized by means of subdivision based IGA, where the finite element space is formulated by the limit form of the extended Loop subdivision for different initial control meshes. The basis functions, consisting of quartic box‐splines corresponding to each subdivided control mesh, are utilized to represent the geometry exactly. For the cases of the evolution of open surfaces with any shape boundary, high‐order continuous boundary conditions derived from the mixed variational forms of the geometric flows should be implemented to be consistent with the isogeometric concept. For time discretization, we adopt an adaptive semi‐implicit Euler scheme. By several numerical experiments, we study the convergence behaviors of the proposed approach for solving the geometric flows with high‐order boundary conditions. Moreover, the numerical results also show the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
A Naphthalimide‐Based Fluorescent Probe for the Detection and Imaging of Mercury Ions in Living Cells
Authors: Lei Shaoyu , Meng Xia , Wang Lizhen , Zhou Jianhua , Qin Dawei , Duan Hongdong 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe selective and efficient monitoring of mercury (Hg2+) contamination found in the environment and ecosystem has been carried out. Thus, a new 1,8‐naphthalimide‐based fluorescent probe NADP for the detection of Hg2+ based on a fluorescence enhancement strategy has been designed and synthesized. The NADP probe can detect Hg2+ with high selectivity and sensitivity and a low detection limit of 13 nm. The detection mechanism was based on a Hg2+‐triggered deprotection reaction, resulting in a dramatic change in fluorescence from colorless to green at physiological pH. Most importantly, biological investigation has shown that the NADP probe can be successfully applied to the monitoring of Hg2+ in living cells and zebrafish with low cytotoxicity.
Functional interface with polyaniline in UHMWPE fiber‐reinforced composites for enhanced interfacial adhesion and damage monitoring
Authors: Zhang Bo , Yin Lijie , Wu Wenting , Tian Ming , Ning Nanying , Zhang Liqun , Wang Wencai 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe interfacial interactions between ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber and polymer determine the overall performance and service life of the fiber reinforced composite materials. In this article, polyaniline (PANI) layer is uniformly deposited on the surface of the UHMWPE fiber after plasma treatment to enhance the interfacial adhesion between UHMWPE fiber and rubber. At the same time, the PANI layer can also form a conductive path at the interface to monitor the damage of the composites in real time. Compared with the untreated UHMWPE fiber, the H pull‐out force of the PANI‐deposited UHMWPE fiber with rubber is increased by 67.9%, which is due to good mechanical interlocking and chemical bond between the fiber and the matrix. Moreover, the electrical resistance change during the fiber pull‐out process has a good correlation with the pull‐out force curve, which provides a new idea for in‐situ monitoring of the damage of composites.