bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combining a Standardized Batch Test with the Biotic Ligand Model to Predict Copper and Zinc Ecotoxicity in Soils
Authors: Tiberg Charlotta , Smolders Erik , Fröberg Mats , Gustafsson Jon Petter , Kleja Dan Berggren 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Extraction of soil samples with dilute CaCl2 solution in a routinely performed batch test has potential to be used in site-specific assessment of ecotoxicological risks at metal-contaminated sites. Soil extracts could potentially give a measure of the concentration of bioavailable metals in the soil solution, thereby including effects of soil properties and contaminant “aging.” We explored the possibility of using a 0.001 M CaCl2 batch test combined with biotic ligand models (BLMs) for assessment of ecotoxicity in soils. Concentrations of Cu2+ and Zn2+ in soil extracts were linked to responses in ecotoxicity tests (microbial processes, plants, and invertebrates) previously performed on metal-spiked soils. The batch test data for soils were obtained by spiking archived soil materials using the same protocol as in the original studies. Effective concentration values based on free metal concentrations in soil extracts were related to pH by linear regressions. Finally, field-contaminated soils were used to validate model performance. Our results indicate a strong pH-dependent toxicity of the free metal ions in the soil extracts, with R2 values ranging from 0.54 to 0.93 (median 0.84), among tests and metals. Using pH-adjusted Cu2+ and Zn2+ concentrations in soil extracts, the toxic responses in spiked soils and field-contaminated soils were similar, indicating a potential for the calibrated models to assess toxic effects in field-contaminated soils, accounting for differences in soil properties and effects of contaminant “aging.” Consequently, evaluation of a standardized 0.001 M CaCl2 batch test with a simplified BLM can provide the basis for an easy-to-use tool for site-specific risk assessment of metal toxicity to soil organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1540–1554. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Abstract
A standardized batch test evaluated by a simplified biotic ligand model approach could provide a useful tool to improve site specific assessment of metal ecotoxicity in soil. EC50 = median effective concentration.
Developing Novel Biointerfaces: Using Chlorhexidine Surface Attachment as a Method for Creating Anti‐Fungal Surfaces
Authors: Bryant Jack A. , Riordan Lily , Watson Rowan , Nikoi Naa Dei , Trzaska Wioleta , Slope Louise , Tibbatts Callum , Alexander Morgan R. , Scurr David J. , May Robin C. , de Cogan Felicity 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThere is an increasing focus in healthcare environments on combatting antimicrobial resistant infections. While bacterial infections are well reported, infections caused by fungi receive less attention, yet have a broad impact on society and can be deadly. Fungi are eukaryotes with considerable shared biology with humans, therefore limited technologies exist to combat fungal infections and hospital infrastructure is rarely designed for reducing microbial load. In this study, a novel antimicrobial surface (AMS) that is modified with the broad‐spectrum biocide chlorhexidine is reported. The surfaces are shown to kill the opportunistic fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans very rapidly (<15 min) and are significantly more effective than current technologies available on the commercial market, such as silver and copper.
Build and they will come: A follow‐up evaluation of outdoor exercise equipment in Western Australia
Authors: Leavy Justine E. , Jancey Jonine , Crawford Gemma 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIssue addressedIn Australia, the role of local governments authorities (LGAs) are diverse, ranging from waste collection to the provision of recreational facilities, such as parks. One strategy to improve parks is outdoor exercise equipment (OEE), and provide free, community‐based physical activity opportunities. We undertook an observational study to capture a profile and behaviour of park visitors and OEE users in 2012 and 2019.MethodsWe compared observational data at two parks using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) in March and June 2012 and 2019. Data were collected 6:30‐7:30 AM and 5:30‐6:30 PM weekdays; 8:30‐9:30 AM and 3:30 to 4:30 PM weekends. Two trained staff collected data concurrently.ResultsTotal n = 1654 visitors were observed, most at Park One (68.0%; n = 1117), half were male (50.9%; n = 841). There were significant differences in the gender of visitors across the two parks (P < 0.001). Most visitors observed were young adults (42.6%; n = 705; P < 0.001). In 2012, 3.9% (n = 65) of all observed park visitors used the OEE, in 2019, this increased to 4.8 % (n = 78).ConclusionsThe adage ‘Build it, and they will come’ did not resonate with the two parks' local community. The key challenge is attracting people to local parks making OEE use attractive and easy.So what?There is a demand for the provision of active environments that are accessible and inexpensive. LGAs may hold the key to delivering this infrastructure supported by diverse strategies to engage and promote the benefits of being physically active for all ages.
Health and well‐being benefits of e‐bike commuting for inactive, overweight people living in regional Australia
Authors: Anderson Carina C. , Clarkson Danielle E. , Howie Virginia A. , Withyman Cathie J. , Vandelanotte Corneel 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIntroductionPedal‐assisted electric‐bikes (e‐bikes) are bicycles fitted with electric motors. Motorised functions on e‐bikes only operate when the user pedals, allowing riders a moderate amount of physical activity. This study aimed to explore the mental and physical health and well‐being impacts related to ebike usage for inactive overweight or obese individuals living in regional Australia.MethodsTwenty inactive, overweight/obese people who seldom cycled were provided with an ebike over a 12‐week period. Individual semi‐structured interviews conducted at the end of the trial generated data about participants’ experiences of using ebikes. Inductive thematic analysis of interview data using Thomas (2006) data analysis framework and NVivo 12 software was undertaken.ResultsData analysis revealed that e‐cycling improved participants’ mental and physical well‐being and that they felt happier when riding an e‐bike.ConclusionsRiding an e‐bike can improve mental and physical health, happiness and overall sense of well‐being. Greater uptake of e‐bikes would have positive health implications for the wider community. Results from this study can be used to inform active transport policy.So what?Our study demonstrated that encouraging active transport in the form of e‐cycling can improve the overall health and well‐being of overweight and obese Australians. More specifically, e‐cycling demonstrated a positive impact on mental health well‐being.
The single‐cell transcriptional landscape of lung carcinoid tumors
Authors: Bischoff Philip , Trinks Alexandra , Wiederspahn Jennifer , Obermayer Benedikt , Pett Jan Patrick , Jurmeister Philipp , Elsner Aron , Dziodzio Tomasz , Rückert Jens‐Carsten , Neudecker Jens , Falk Christine , Beule Dieter , Sers Christine , Morkel Markus , Horst David , Klauschen Frederick , Blüthgen Nils 
Published: March 2022

AbstractLung carcinoid tumors, also referred to as pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors or lung carcinoids, are rare neoplasms of the lung with a more favorable prognosis than other subtypes of lung cancer. Still, some patients suffer from relapsed disease and metastatic spread. Several recent single‐cell studies have provided detailed insights into the cellular heterogeneity of more common lung cancers, such as adeno‐ and squamous cell carcinoma. However, the characteristics of lung carcinoids on the single‐cell level are yet completely unknown. To study the cellular composition and single‐cell gene expression profiles in lung carcinoids, we applied single‐cell RNA sequencing to three lung carcinoid tumor samples and normal lung tissue. The single‐cell transcriptomes of carcinoid tumor cells reflected intertumoral heterogeneity associated with clinicopathological features, such as tumor necrosis and proliferation index. The immune microenvironment was specifically enriched in noninflammatory monocyte‐derived myeloid cells. Tumor‐associated endothelial cells were characterized by distinct gene expression profiles. A spectrum of vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes predominated the stromal microenvironment. We found a small proportion of myofibroblasts exhibiting features reminiscent of cancer‐associated fibroblasts. Stromal and immune cells exhibited potential paracrine interactions which may shape the microenvironment via NOTCH, VEGF, TGFβ and JAK/STAT signaling. Moreover, single‐cell gene signatures of pericytes and myofibroblasts demonstrated prognostic value in bulk gene expression data. Here, we provide first comprehensive insights into the cellular composition and single‐cell gene expression profiles in lung carcinoids, demonstrating the noninflammatory and vessel‐rich nature of their tumor microenvironment, and outlining relevant intercellular interactions which could serve as future therapeutic targets.
A defect of amphiregulin release predicted longer survival independently of YAP expression in patients with pleural mesothelioma in the IFCT‐0701 MAPS phase 3 trial
Authors: Maille Elodie , Levallet Jérôme , Dubois Fatéméh , Antoine Martine , Danel Claire , Creveuil Christian , Mazieres Julien , Margery Jacques , Greillier Laurent , Gounant Valérie , Moro‐Sibilot Denis , Molinier Olivier , Léna Hervé , Monnet Isabelle , Bergot Emmanuel , Langlais Alexandra , Morin Franck , Scherpereel Arnaud , Zalcman Gérard , Levallet Guénaëlle 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe Hippo pathway effector YAP is dysregulated in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). YAP's target genes include the secreted growth factor amphiregulin (AREG), which is overexpressed in a wide range of epithelial cancers and plays an elusive role in MPM. We assayed the expression of YAP and AREG in MPM pathology samples and that of AREG additionally in plasma samples of patients from the randomized phase 3 IFCT‐0701 Mesothelioma Avastin Cisplatin Pemetrexed Study (MAPS) using immunohistochemistry and ELISA assays, respectively. MPM patients frequently presented high levels of tumor AREG (64.3%), a high cytosolic AREG expression being predictive of a better prognosis with longer median overall and progression‐free survival. Surprisingly, tumor AREG cytosolic expression was not correlated with secreted plasma AREG. By investigating the AREG metabolism and function in MPM cell lines H2452, H2052, MSTO‐211H and H28, in comparison with the T47D ER+ breast cancer cell line used as a positive control, we confirm that AREG is important for cell invasion, growth without anchorage, proliferation and apoptosis in mesothelioma cells. Yet, most of these MPM cell lines failed to correctly execute AREG posttranslational processing by metalloprotease ADAM17/tumor necrosis factor‐alpha‐converting enzyme (TACE) and extracell secretion. The favorable prognostic value of high cytosolic AREG expression in MPM patients could therefore be sustained by default AREG posttranslational processing and release. Thus, the determination of mesothelioma cell AREG content could be further investigated as a prognostic marker for MPM patients and used as a stratification factor in future clinical trials.
Cataract grading method based on deep convolutional neural networks and stacking ensemble learning
Authors: Elloumi Yaroub 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe cataract is the most common cause of severe vision impairment or blindness worldwide. A periodical diagnosis is recommended in order to prevent cataract severity, where screening might be feasibly ensured through fundus images. In this paper, we propose a CAD system to efficiently grade the cataract from fundus images. For such a need, an ensemble learning framework is put forward where the knowledge of three convolutional deep neural networks is stacked in order to perform an efficient cataract prediction. The main contributions of this work are given as follows: (1) Preprocessing and data augmentation of fundus images are carried out to ensure the robustness of the cataract grading; (2) The well‐known DL architectures (Inception‐V3, MobileNet‐V2 and NasNet‐Mobile) are fine‐tuned and learned as base classifiers; (3) An Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) is performed as a meta classifier to stack the predictions of base classifiers. The evaluation is conducted using a dataset of 590 fundus images selected from two public databases. The suggested framework achieves 94.07% accuracy, 94.37% sensitivity, 93.62% specificity, 95.71% precision and 95.04% F‐measure for cataract grading. The experimentation proves that the proposed framework successfully grades fundus images into cataract severity. Moreover, stacking ensemble learning allows achieving a performance that significantly surpasses the ones realized by each DL architecture, applied separately.
Nitrogen rate, irrigation and rainfall impacts on groundwater nitrate levels in sandy coastal golf courses
Authors: Petrovic A. Martin , Cambareri Thomas C. , Barnes LaJan , Cohen Stuart 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThere have been concerns over fertilizer nitrogen (N) applied to turfgrass areas affecting groundwater quality in sandy coastal areas since the 1970s . Extensive amount of small‐scale research studies has determined the major factors that contribute to excessive nitrate‐N leaching from turfgrass ecosystems. There are limited data on large‐scale groundwater monitoring of turfgrass sites, such as golf courses, which are related to management inputs. There are land‐use regulations limiting the amount of fertilized turfgrass in coastal area in the United States which assume a linear relationship between the amounts of N applied and leached. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long‐term impact of yearly variations in N application rate, irrigation amounts, and seasonal precipitation on groundwater quality on golf courses in critical groundwater recharge areas. Two golf courses, The Bridge and Sebonack Golf Club, in this study are in eastern Long Island, NY with systematic groundwater monitoring for NO3–N. Each golf course follows best management practices (BMP) including limitations on amount, rate, source and timing of N applications as well as controlled irrigation based on on‐site evapotranspiration measurements. The results of this study clearly show that on golf courses in sandy critical groundwater recharge areas that follow BMP, the amount of N applied is not related to NO3–N levels in groundwater. Rainfall amounts more closely followed NO3–N levels in groundwater, thus abnormally high rainfall can result in higher NO3–N levels. Implementing fertilizer BMP can be very effective in protecting groundwater quality.
An exploratory QUALquan comparison of patient‐centeredness priorities in outpatient Care for Patients and Pharmacists
Authors: Olson Anthony W. , Isetts Brian J. , Stratton Timothy P. , Vaidyanathan Rajiv , Hillman Lisa A. , Schommer Jon C. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIntroductionEvidence‐based practice is necessary for improving chronic disease prevention, reduction, and management while simultaneously lowering care costs. Patient‐centeredness encompasses one of three essential and overlapping components of evidence‐based practice, the others being clinical expertise and scientific/research evidence. While patient‐centered care was placed at the center of the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP), few studies investigate the concept's meaning in outpatient pharmacist care.ObjectivesThis study explores the meaning of patient‐centeredness from the perspectives of patients and their pharmacists participating in outpatient care consistent with the PPCP, and compares the elements that matter most between these two groups.MethodsData for this exploratory QUALquan mixed methods study were collected via in‐depth interviews designed to elicit perceptions of what matters to patients in pharmacist care from a purposive sample of adult patients with multiple chronic conditions and their outpatient pharmacists in the United States. Data were assessed using directed content analysis informed by 40 seminal patient‐centeredness concepts from the health professional literatures of medicine, nursing, and health policy.ResultsData analysis produced 13 distinct superordinate concepts representing the meaning of patient‐centeredness in the context of the PPCP. The perceived importance of the patient‐centeredness superordinate concepts was generally consistent between patients and pharmacist groups except for “Therapeutic Alliance,” “Care Coordination and Integration,” and “Care Experience.”ConclusionThis study's superordinate concepts of patient‐centeredness adds clarity for what matters to patients in pharmacist care encounters, key elements for organizing team‐based systems to meet the unique needs of each patient, and upstream factors that can facilitate or prevent patient‐centered care. Future research should assess the reproducibility of the findings, explore reasons behind patient‐pharmacist priority differences, and evaluate the resulting impact.
Silk fibroin microfiber‐reinforced polycaprolactone composites with enhanced biodegradation and biological characteristics
Authors: Bojedla Sri Sai Ramya , Chameettachal Shibu , Yeleswarapu Sriya , Nikzad Mostafa , Masood Syed H. , Pati Falguni 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThere is an enormous demand for bone graft biomaterials to treat developmental and acquired bony defects arising from infections, trauma, tumor, and other conditions. Polycaprolactone (PCL) has been extensively utilized for bone tissue engineering but limited cellular interaction and tissue integration are the primary concerns. PCL‐based composites with different biomaterials have been attempted to improve the mechanical and biological response. Interestingly, a few studies have tried to blend PCL with aqueous silk fibroin solution, but the structures prepared with the blend were mechanically weak due to phase mismatch. As a result, silk microparticle‐based PCL composites have been prepared, but the microfibers‐reinforced composites could be superior to them due to significant fiber–matrix interaction. This study aims at developing a unique composite by incorporating 100–150 μm long (aspect ratio; 8:1–5:1) silk‐fibroin microfibers into the PCL matrix for superior biological and mechanical properties. Two silk variants were used, that is, Bombyx mori and a wild variant, Antheraea mylitta, reported to have cell recognizable Arginine–Glycine–Aspartic acid (RGD) sequences. A. mylitta silk fibroin microfibers were produced, and composites were made with PCL for the first time. The morphological, tensile, thermal, biodegradation, and biological properties of the composites were evaluated. Importantly, we tried to optimize the silk concentration within the composite to strike a balance among the cellular response, biodegradation, and mechanical strength of the composites. The results indicate that the PCL‐silk fibroin microfiber composite could be an efficient biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.
Sensation seeking and adolescent drinking: Do protective behavioral strategies lower risk?
Authors: Doumas Diana M. , Russo G. Michael , Miller Raissa , Esp Susan , Mastroleo Nadine R. , Turrisi Rob 
Published: March 2022

AbstractUsing a cross‐sectional design, we examined protective behavioral strategies (PBS) as a moderator of the relationship between sensation seeking and hazardous drinking and alcohol‐related consequences among high school seniors (N = 212). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated sensation seeking was a significant predictor of binge drinking (β = 0.65, p < 0.001), prepartying (β = 0.71, p < 0.001), gaming (β = 0.75, p < 0.001), and alcohol‐related consequences (β = 0.69, p < 0.001). Further, PBS moderated these relationships such that among high sensation seeking adolescents, PBS use was associated with better outcomes, including lower levels of binge drinking (β = −0.37, p < 0.01), prepartying (β = −0.44, p < 0.01), gaming (β = −0.31, p < 0.05), and alcohol‐related consequences (β = −0.53, p < 0.001). We discuss counseling implications, including assessment and harm reduction strategies focusing on PBS to reduce hazardous drinking among high sensation seeking adolescents.
Exploring school counseling during the first wave of COVID‐19
Authors: Villares Elizabeth , Starrett Angie , Limberg Dodie 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn the wake of the COVID‐19 outbreak, school counselors played an essential role in helping students, teachers, and families pivot to new learning environments and implemented services to promote students’ academic, social‐emotional, and career development. In this study, we analyzed school counselors’ (N = 589) delivery of program services and their individual and school characteristics to identify four approaches to school counseling: reactive, universal, consultative/collaborative, and comprehensive during the first wave of the pandemic. School counselors in the reactive profile spent most of their time engaged in noncounselor‐duties and reported the highest levels of burnout. Conversely, counselors belonging to the comprehensive profile devoted the most time to delivering consultation, coordination, counseling, and curriculum services and limited engagement in noncounseling‐related duties. This study emphasizes the importance of defining the school counselors’ roles and responsibilities and the extent to which school counselors were able to deliver their school counselor services during the global pandemic.