bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non‐oxidative Methane Coupling over Silica versus Silica‐Supported Iron(II) Single Sites
Authors: Šot Petr , Newton Mark A. , Baabe Dirk , Walter Marc D. , van Bavel Alexander P. , Horton Andrew D. , Copéret Christophe , van Bokhoven Jeroen A.
Published: March 2020

Non‐oxidative CH4 coupling is promoted by silica with incorporated iron sites, but the role of these sites and their speciation under reaction conditions are poorly understood. Here, silica‐supported iron(II) single sites, prepared via surface organometallic chemistry and stable at 1020 °C in vacuum, are shown to rapidly initiate CH4 coupling at 1000 °C, leading to 15–22 % hydrocarbons selectivity at 3–4 % conversion. During this process, iron reduces and forms carburized iron(0) nanoparticles. This reactivity contrasts with what is observed for (iron‐free) partially dehydroxylated silica, that readily converts methane, albeit with low hydrocarbon selectivity and after an induction period. This study supports that iron sites facilitate faster initiation of radical reactions and tame the surface reactivity.
A Modular Synthesis of Antitumor Macrolide (–)‐Lasonolide A†
Authors: Yang Lin , Lin Zuming , Zheng Kuan , Kong Luyao , Hong Ran
Published: March 2020

Summary of main observation and conclusion

Lasonolide A was identified as a potent antitumor macrolide towards various cancer cell lines. The two tetrahydropyrans bearing multiple stereogenic centers as well as the polyene linkage attracted a dozen synthetic research groups to launch the total synthesis. Based on the synthetic methods developed in our group, namely, the hydroboration of allene and its subsequent allylation as well as the iterative hydroboration of allene and oxidation, the polyol subunits were efficiently constructed and then integrated into the final target. A new Julia olefination reagent, double‐headed sulfone, was designed to promote the rapid coupling of two aldehydes bearing multiple functional groups to secure the whole carbon framework. Another highlight of our approach is the application of a traceless protecting group, 9‐BBN (9‐borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane), to hide the secondary alcohol for debenzylation, and for the first time, to mask the carboxylic acid for Julia olefination under strong basic conditions.
A study on giant panda recognition based on images of a large proportion of captive pandas
Authors: Chen Peng , Swarup Pranjal , Matkowski Wojciech Michal , Kong Adams Wai Kin , Han Su , Zhang Zhihe , Rong Hou
Published: March 2020

As a highly endangered species, the giant panda (panda) has attracted significant attention in the past decades. Considerable efforts have been put on panda conservation and reproduction, offering the promising outcome of maintaining the population size of pandas. To evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management strategies, recognizing individual pandas is critical. However, it remains a challenging task because the existing methods, such as traditional tracking method, discrimination method based on footprint identification, and molecular biology method, are invasive, inaccurate, expensive, or challenging to perform. The advances of imaging technologies have led to the wide applications of digital images and videos in panda conservation and management, which makes it possible for individual panda recognition in a noninvasive manner by using image‐based panda face recognition method.

In recent years, deep learning has achieved great success in the field of computer vision and pattern recognition. For panda face recognition, a fully automatic deep learning algorithm which consists of a sequence of deep neural networks (DNNs) used for panda face detection, segmentation, alignment, and identity prediction is developed in this study. To develop and evaluate the algorithm, the largest panda image dataset containing 6,441 images from 218 different pandas, which is 39.78% of captive pandas in the world, is established.

The algorithm achieved 96.27% accuracy in panda recognition and 100% accuracy in detection.

This study shows that panda faces can be used for panda recognition. It enables the use of the cameras installed in their habitat for monitoring their population and behavior. This noninvasive approach is much more cost‐effective than the approaches used in the previous panda surveys.
Association of soluble interleukin‐2 receptor α and tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 with heart failure: The Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Bakhshi Hooman , Varadarajan Vinithra , Ambale‐Venkatesh Bharath , Meyghani Zahra , Ostovaneh Mohammad R. , Durda Peter , Wu Colin O. , Tracy Russell P. , Cushman Mary , Bluemke David A. , Lima João A.C.
Published: March 2020

Aims

Soluble tumour necrosis factor‐α receptor 1 (sTNF‐αR1) and interleukin‐2 receptor α (sIL‐2Rα) predict incident heart failure (HF) in the elderly population. However, the association of these biomarkers with HF in a multi‐ethnic asymptomatic population is unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of sTNF‐αR1 and sIL‐2Rα with incident HF in a multi‐ethnic population of middle age and older participants.

Methods and results

The multi‐ethnic study of atherosclerosis is a prospective population‐based study of 6814 participants aged 45–84 years who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at enrolment. We included 2869 participants with available sTNF‐αR1 or sIL‐2Rα level measurement at baseline multi‐ethnic study of atherosclerosis exam (2000–2002). We used Cox proportional‐hazards model to investigate the association between sTNF‐αR1 and sIL‐2Rα with incident HF after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcium score measured by cardiac computed tomography. Among the included participants, the mean (standard deviation) age was 61.6 (10.2) years and 46.7% were men. The median (interquartile range) sTNF‐αR1 and sIL‐2Rα were 1293 (1107–1547) and 901 (727–1154) pg/mL. During a median follow‐up of 14.2 (interquartile range: 11.7–14.8) years, 130 participants developed HF. In multivariable analysis, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval, P value) of incident HF for each standard deviation increment of log‐transformed sTNF‐αR1 and sIL‐2Rα was 1.43 (1.21–1.7, P ≤ 0.001) and 1.26 (1.04–1.53, P = 0.02), respectively. Excluding participants with interim coronary heart disease, we found a statistically significant association between sTNF‐αR1 and HF with hazard ratio of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.11 to 1.74, P = 0.005) and sIL‐2Rα and HF showing a hazard ratio of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 1.76, P = 0.007).

Conclusions

sTNF‐αR1 and sIL‐2Rα are associated with a higher risk of incident HF in a multi‐ethnic cohort without a previous history of cardiovascular disease.
Takotsubo syndrome in a heart transplant recipient with poor cardiac sympathetic reinnervation
Authors: Miyake Ryo , Ohtani Kisho , Hashimoto Toru , Yada Ryoko , Sato Tasuku , Shojima Yoko , Hayashidani Shunji , Higo Taiki , Tsutsui Hiroyuki
Published: March 2020

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, is characterized by transient left ventricular apical ballooning in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Catecholamine‐induced cardiac injury or vasospasm has been implicated in this pathophysiology. We present a case of a 67‐year‐old man 10 years after heart transplantation diagnosed with TTS. Sympathetic reinnervation could not be detected by iodine‐123 meta iodobenzylguanidine uptake, suggesting that TTS can occur in the absence of functional sympathetic nerve systems reconstruction.
Where is the optimum? Predicting the variation of selection along climatic gradients and the adaptive value of plasticity. A case study on tree phenology
Authors: Gauzere Julie , Teuf Bertrand , Davi Hendrik , Chevin Luis-Miguel , Caignard Thomas , Leys Bérangère , Delzon Sylvain , Ronce Ophélie , Chuine Isabelle
Published: March 2020

Many theoretical models predict when genetic evolution and phenotypic plasticity allow adaptation to changing environmental conditions. These models generally assume stabilizing selection around some optimal phenotype. We however often ignore how optimal phenotypes change with the environment, which limit our understanding of the adaptive value of phenotypic plasticity. Here, we propose an approach based on our knowledge of the causal relationships between climate, adaptive traits, and fitness to further these questions. This approach relies on a sensitivity analysis of the process-based model Phenofit, which mathematically formalizes these causal relationships, to predict fitness landscapes and optimal budburst dates along elevation gradients in three major European tree species. Variation in the overall shape of the fitness landscape and resulting directional selection gradients were found to be mainly driven by temperature variation. The optimal budburst date was delayed with elevation, while the range of dates allowing high fitness narrowed and the maximal fitness at the optimum decreased. We also found that the plasticity of the budburst date should allow tracking the spatial variation in the optimal date, but with variable mismatch depending on the species, ranging from negligible mismatch in fir, moderate in beech, to large in oak. Phenotypic plasticity would therefore be more adaptive in fir and beech than in oak. In all species, we predicted stronger directional selection for earlier budburst date at higher elevation. The weak selection on budburst date in fir should result in the evolution of negligible genetic divergence, while beech and oak would evolve counter-gradient variation, where genetic and environmental effects are in opposite directions. Our study suggests that theoretical models should consider how whole fitness landscapes change with the environment. The approach introduced here has the potential to be developed for other traits and species to explore how populations will adapt to climate change.
Refined foraminiferal biostratigraphy of upper Wordian, Capitanian, and Wuchiapingian strata in Hambast Valley, Abadeh region (Iran), and paleobiogeographic implications
Authors: Shahinfar Sima , Yousefi Yeganeh Bizhan , Arefifard Sakineh , Vachard Daniel , Payne Jonathan L.
Published: March 2020

The foraminiferal biostratigraphy and precise geological ages of the late Wordian, Capitanian, and Wuchiapingian strata in the Abadeh region of Iran have remained poorly constrained, despite evidence that they contain one of the most complete marine records of this important time interval. The purpose of this study is to provide a more complete documentation about the foraminiferal community preserved in these deposits, to assess their correlation with other Tethyan shelves, and to address implications for paleobiogeography. The foraminifers and calcareous algae from two measured stratigraphic sections allowed us to re‐evaluate the biostratigraphy of the poorly studied upper part of the Surmaq Formation and the entire Abadeh Formation in the Hambast Valley, Abadeh region, Iran. Foraminiferal assemblages consist of 72 species belonging to 34 genera. Calcareous algae and botanical incertae sedis include seven species from four genera, of which two species are new: Eogoniolina kordeae n. sp. and Sphairionia stellata n. sp. Four foraminiferal biozones are identifed in both sections: upper Wordian‐lower Capitanian Altineria bacillaeformis‐Baisalina pulchra‐“Hemigordius” aff. japonicus‐Sphairionia stellata Zone, upper Capitanian Baisalina cf. guizhouensis‐Hemigordius giganteus Zone, uppermost Capitanian Hemigordius irregulariformis Zone, and Wuchiapingian Pseudodunbarula‐Codonofusiella kwangsiana‐Reichelina cf. changhsingensis Zone. According to the foraminiferal assemblages, the beginning of the Wuchiapingian is placed at the lower part of the subunit 4b, which is contrary to the previous study reporting the base of unit 5 of the Abadeh Formation or the base of the unit 6 of the Hambast Formation as lower Wuchiapingian. Coeval biozones have been described in Transcaucasia in the former USSR. The similarity of foraminiferal assemblages in the Abadeh region and Transcaucasia reveals a proximity between these two regions, at least during Capitanian and Wuchiapingian time. Furthermore, the resemblance of foraminiferal faunas between Abadeh region and South China is more likely through palaeocurrent gyres, which facilitated the faunal exchange between these two regions despite their great geographic distances.
Complications Associated With Anesthesia Services in Endoscopic Procedures Among Patients With Cirrhosis
Authors: Lieber Sarah R. , Heller Benjamin J. , Howard Christopher W. , Sandler Robert S. , Crockett Seth , Barritt Alfred Sidney
Published: March 2020

Background and Aims

Anesthesia services for endoscopic procedures have proliferated with the promise of increased comfort and safety. Cirrhosis patients are higher risk for sedation, yet limited data are available describing anesthesia complications in this population.

Approach and Results

This cross‐sectional study utilized the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry, a multicenter quality‐improvement database from 2010 to 2015. Patients with cirrhosis undergoing an endoscopy were identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD‐9)/Current Procedures Terminology (CPT) codes. The outcome of interest was serious anesthesia‐related complication defined as cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, drug related, patient injury, death, or unexpected admission. A mixed‐effects multivariate logistic regression model determined odds ratios (ORs) between variables and serious complications, adjusting for potential confounders. In total, 9,007 endoscopic procedures were performed among patients with cirrhosis; 92% were esophagogastroduodenoscopies. The majority (81%) were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class ≥3, and 72% had a history of hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, varices, hepatorenal syndrome, or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis identified by ICD‐9/CPT codes. In total, 87 complications were reported, 33 of which were serious. Frequency of serious complications was 0.4% or 378.6 per 100,000 procedures (95% confidence interval [CI], 260.8, 531.3). The majority of serious complications were cardiovascular (21 of 33), including 15 cardiac arrests. Serious complications were significantly associated with ASA 4/5 (OR, 3.84; 95% CI, 1.09, 13.57) and general anesthesia (OR, 4.71; 95% CI, 1.20, 18.50), adjusting for age, sex, ASA class, anesthesia type, inpatient status, portal hypertension history, and variable complication reporting practices.

Conclusions

Anesthesia complications among endoscopic procedures in cirrhosis are rare overall. Serious complications were predominantly cardiac and associated with sicker patients undergoing general anesthesia. The complexity of end‐stage liver disease may warrant more intensive care during endoscopic procedures, including anesthesia monitoring.
Experimental investigation of Al2O3–MgO hot hybrid nanofluid in a plate heat exchanger
Authors: Bhattad Atul
Published: March 2020

Exergy–energy analysis of the plate heat exchanger is experimentally performed with different Al2O3–MgO hybrid nanofluid (HyNf) as a hot fluid. There were six combinations of fluids, namely, deionized (DI) water, ethylene glycol–DI water brine (1:9 volume ratio), propylene glycol–DI water brine (1:9 volume ratio), base fluids and their respective Al2O3–MgO (4:1 particle volume ratio) HyNfs of 0.1% total volume concentration. The effects of different flow rates and hot inlet temperatures on the heat transfer rate, heat transfer coefficient, pump work, irreversibility, and performance index (PI) are investigated. It is witnessed that the heat transfer rate, heat transfer coefficient, pump work, and irreversibility enhances with the flow rate and nanoparticle suspension. While the PI declines with a rise in the flow rate, the heat transfer rate, heat transfer coefficient, PI, and irreversibility rise up maximum for MgO–alumina (1:4) DI water HyNf upto 11.8%, 31.7%, 11.1%, and 4.05%, respectively. The pump work enhances upto 1.6% for MgO–alumina (1:4)/EG–DI water (1:9) HyNf.
Newtonian heating effect on laminar flow of Casson fluids: Thermal analysis
Authors: Kotha Gangadhar , Munagala Venkata Subba Rao , Damerla Vijaya Kumar , Gorla Rama Subba Reddy
Published: March 2020

In the present study, free convective, laminar flow of Casson fluid is investigated numerically over a nonlinear stretched sheet to observe the characteristics of heat transfer in the presence of Newtonian heating. Nonlinear differential equations are derived from the present flow by utilizing the appropriate transformations. Thereafter, for the linear stretching case, an exact solution is applied for the momentum equation, and for the nonlinear stretching case, a convergent numerical technique, SRM, is applied. Computations of SRM and exact solutions are displayed through graphs. For various physical parameters, variation in velocity profile is observed by means of numerical computations and presented graphically. For checking the accuracy and convergence of the proposed method, outcomes are validated with the available outcomes in the literature and compared. The outcomes demonstrate that the velocity profile is reduced for the nonlinear stretching parameter effect, and, with increasing , the temperature is decreased and there is a reduction in the thickness of the thermal boundary layer.
Implant system for treatment of the orbital floor defects of blowout fractures in the maxillofacial region using polypropylene yarn and bioactive bone cement
Authors: Wekwejt Marcin , Etmańska Damroka , Halman Aleksandra , Pałubicka Anna , Świeczko‐Żurek Beata , Gajowiec Grzegorz
Published: March 2020

Fractures in the craniofacial region are a serious problem in terms of treatment. The most reasonable solution is the use of individual implants dedicated to a specific patient. The aim of this study was to develop the implant system specifically for treatment of the orbital floor defects of blowout fractures of maxillofacial region, using polypropylene yarn and bone cement. Three types of bone cement were used to fix the polypropylene yarn: unmodified, antibiotic‐loaded, and modified with nanometals. The following research was carried out: selection of cement production parameters, assessment of the curing time, measurement of polymerization temperature, an analysis of microstructure and surface topography, evaluation of wettability, measurement of microhardness, and studies of bactericidal effectiveness. The research confirms the possibility of using bone cement and polypropylene yarn for an individual implant, dedicated to the fractures treatment in the maxillofacial region. Moreover, the bactericidal properties of the proposed modifications for bone cement have been verified; hence, bioactive cements are recommended for use in the case of infectious complications.
Conditionalities of Public Microfinance and the Rural Poor: Voices From the Below
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammad Shahjahan , Ahmmed Faisal , Hossain Md. Ismail
Published: March 2020

This paper examines microfinance conditionalities of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board in Bangladesh from clients' and providers' perspectives based on a qualitative case study. The study reveals that the credit is less poor focus in terms of amount and disbursement procedure. Additionally, group liability and cooperatives are used as tactics for surveillance and punishment instead of invigorating collective effort. Saving and share work as disciplinary instruments instead of capital accumulation. Besides, service is regarded as a conditional commodity, and skill development becomes individual responsibility. The study implies listening to the voice of the poor and redesigning antipoverty programmes based on the need felt by them. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Editorial for “Deep‐Learning Detection of Cancer Metastasis to the Brain on MRI”
Authors: Sun Hongfu
Published: March 2020

Level of Evidence

5

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1237–1238.
Predictors of long‐term survival in patients with hepatic resection of colorectal metastases: Analysis of a Brazilian Cancer Center Cohort
Authors: Vaz da Silva Diego G. , Ribeiro Heber S. C. , Arra Dante A. S. M. , Torres Silvio M. , Diniz Alessandro L. , Godoy André L. , Farias Igor C. , Costa Wilson L. , Coimbra Felipe J. F.
Published: March 2020

Background

Hepatic metastases are a major cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer. A comprehensive assessment of the prognostic factors associated with long‐term survival could improve patient selection for surgical approaches and decrease morbidity and futile locoregional treatments.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases at a single center from 2000 to 2012.

Results

To identify factors associated with 5‐ and 10‐year overall (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS), we analyzed 280 patients and 150 patients in the 5‐ and 10‐year cohorts, respectively. Only seven relapses occurred after 5 years of follow‐up, and no relapses occurred after 10 years. Multivariable analysis indicated that bilobar disease and extra‐hepatic disease before hepatectomy were independent 5‐ and 10‐year predictors of OS, and major postoperative complications predicted OS in the 5‐year survival cohort only. Our analysis indicated that prognostic factors associated with DFS included some confounders and was therefore inconclusive.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results suggest that the predictors of 5‐ and 10‐year OS rates of colorectal cancer patients with hepatic metastases are similar, differing only by postoperative complications that influenced exclusively 5‐year survival. Since no relapse occurred 10 years after hepatic resection, oncological remission is likely.
Study on the Effects of Potential Affecting Factors on the Midurethral Volume by High‐Frequency 3‐Dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound
Authors: Yue Song , Xuan Yinghua , Wang Jingjing , Yang Liman , An Yuanyuan , Wu Qingqing
Published: March 2020

Objectives

The anatomic integrity of the female mid urethra is an important factor for urinary continence. However, the associations between the urethral volume and potential affecting factors still remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of potential factors, including age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), parity number, delivery mode, and menopause, on the midurethral volume to assist in more‐accurate evaluations of urethral anatomy and urinary continence mechanisms in clinical practice.

Methods

A total of 244 women were included in this study. All patients had no incontinence symptoms and underwent transvaginal ultrasound examinations. Detailed histories and demographic data were collected. Urethral volumes were acquired, and volume parameters were measured offline, including the urethral sphincter volume (USV), midurethral complex volume (CV), and inner core volume (ICV). Correlations were analyzed by the Spearman test. For categorical variables, an analysis of variance, Mann‐Whitney tests, or Kruskal‐Wallis tests were used to estimate associations of potential affecting factors and volumes.

Results

The mean age, height, weight, and BMI ± SD of the patients were 35.42 ± 9.88 years, 161.50 ± 4.96 cm, 60.72 ± 11.42 kg, and 23.29 ± 4.20 kg/m2, respectively. Among potential affecting factors, age had a weak correlation with the USV, CV, and ICV (P = .031, .003, and .004; r = 0.140, 0.193, and 0.187), whereas parity numbers significantly affected the USV, CV, and ICV (P = .014, .021, and .026). The urethral volume became larger with increasing parity. Height (P = .391, .637, and .647), weight (P = .077, .130, and .245), BMI (P = .583, .592, and .643), delivery mode (P = .483, .171, and .104), and menopausal status (P = .611, .717, and .830) had no significant impact on the midurethral volume data (USV, CV, and ICV).

Conclusions

The midurethral volume tended to increase with age and parity in continent women.
Molecular characterization of hemophilia B patients in Colombia
Authors: Parrado Jara Yolima A. , Yunis Hazbun Luz K. , Linares Adriana , Yunis Londoño Juan J.
Published: March 2020

Background

Hemophilia B (HB) is a coagulation disorder with an X‐linked recessive inheritance pattern, caused by plasma FIX deficiency. In Colombia, HB is considered a rare and high‐cost disease, with 362 males reported in 2017.

Methods

Here, we characterized 20 HB apparently unrelated families by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing.

Results

Fourteen unique variants were identified: seven missense, three nonsense, one variant in the 3′ UTR region, two large deletions >50 bp, and one intronic substitution that affects splicing c.520+13A>G that was present in 7/20 patients (35%). All these variants have been previously reported in the literature, except for exons 3 and 4, deletions, present in one patient. The genotype‐phenotype association correlates with the reported in the literature, with the exception of one patient.

Conclusion

This molecular analysis allowed us to establish the causal variant of HB in 100% of patients, to provide the appropriate genetic counseling to each of the families, and to propose a more cost‐effective carrier analysis. Here, we reported the first variants in Colombian population with Hemophilia B, finding a new variant and one intron recurrent variant present in 35% of patients.
An Afrocentric critique of China's security concerns in Africa: The cases of Mali and South Sudan
Authors: Rapanyane Makhura Benjamin , Sethole Florence R.
Published: March 2020

China's security concerns in Africa has recently become a subject of much academic debate. Most of the academic studies on this subject have wrongly assumed a continental standpoint, which does not take into contemplation the distinctive national captivates of China toward each distinctive African State. Such analytic discourse analysis were also heavily subjected to North [ern] angled perspectives as expressed in either liberal or realist contextual lens, views, and critics. Despite this, the Scholarly discourse on the security concerns of China towards Mali and South Sudan have not been proportionately apprehended. Based on the alternative Afrocentric perspective, this article seeks to employ Mali and South Sudan as test cases to critique the Security Concerns of China toward Mali and South Sudan. The central argument of this article is that, China's Security Concerns towards Mali and South Sudan can best be understood when located within the context of mineral resources complex. Methodologically, this article is based on document review and interdisciplinary discourse analysis in their comprehensive form.
Crystallinity in quasi‐alternating cycloolefin copolymers: Overcoming brittleness
Authors: Moon Seung Hyun , Park Kyung Lee , Baek Jun Won , Lee Hyun Ju , Choi Ji‐Hwan , Lee Yeonju , Lee Bun Yeoul
Published: March 2020

Cycloolefin copolymers (COCs, which are produced via ethylene/cycloolefin copolymerization) and cycloolefin polymers (COPs, which are synthesized by a rather complicated two‐step process via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization and subsequent hydrogenation) are commercialized materials used especially widely in optical applications. Although a COP can be used after processing into a film, films made from conventional COCs are too brittle. Optical‐grade COCs and COPs are generally known as amorphous polymers. By contrast, here, a quasi‐alternating ethylene/norbornene copolymer (norbornene content 56 mol%), prepared from a constrained‐geometry Hf complex, shows some melting (Tm) signals in a broad temperature range (150–200°C) in the first heating scan of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) when the samples are prepared by precipitation from a toluene solution. In the second heating scan, only glass transition (Tg) signals are observed at ~140°C with disappearance of Tm signals. The quasi‐alternating ethylene/norbornene copolymer has better mechanical properties (greater elongation at break) than random congeners, which do not show any melting signal, though elongation at break is still inferior to that of the COP which shows the melting signal in the first heating scan of DSC. The enhanced mechanical properties of the quasi‐alternating ethylene/norbornene copolymer and commercial‐grade COP may be ascribed to semicrystallinity observed in the first heating scan.
Development of a multivariable risk model integrating urinary cell DNA methylation and cell‐free RNA data for the detection of significant prostate cancer
Authors: Connell Shea P. , O'Reilly Eve , Tuzova Alexandra , Webb Martyn , Hurst Rachel , Mills  Robert , Zhao Fang , Bapat Bharati , Cooper Colin S. , Perry Antoinette S. , Clark Jeremy , Brewer Daniel S.
Published: March 2020

Background

Prostate cancer exhibits severe clinical heterogeneity and there is a critical need for clinically implementable tools able to precisely and noninvasively identify patients that can either be safely removed from treatment pathways or those requiring further follow up. Our objectives were to develop a multivariable risk prediction model through the integration of clinical, urine‐derived cell‐free messenger RNA (cf‐RNA) and urine cell DNA methylation data capable of noninvasively detecting significant prostate cancer in biopsy naïve patients.

Methods

Post‐digital rectal examination urine samples previously analyzed separately for both cellular methylation and cf‐RNA expression within the Movember GAP1 urine biomarker cohort were selected for a fully integrated analysis (n = 207). A robust feature selection framework, based on bootstrap resampling and permutation, was utilized to find the optimal combination of clinical and urinary markers in a random forest model, deemed ExoMeth. Out‐of‐bag predictions from ExoMeth were used for diagnostic evaluation in men with a clinical suspicion of prostate cancer (PSA ≥ 4 ng/mL, adverse digital rectal examination, age, or lower urinary tract symptoms).

Results

As ExoMeth risk score (range, 0‐1) increased, the likelihood of high‐grade disease being detected on biopsy was significantly greater (odds ratio = 2.04 per 0.1 ExoMeth increase, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.78‐2.35). On an initial TRUS biopsy, ExoMeth accurately predicted the presence of Gleason score ≥3 + 4, area under the receiver‐operator characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84‐0.93) and was additionally capable of detecting any cancer on biopsy, AUC = 0.91 (95% CI: 0.87‐0.95). Application of ExoMeth provided a net benefit over current standards of care and has the potential to reduce unnecessary biopsies by 66% when a risk threshold of 0.25 is accepted.

Conclusion

Integration of urinary biomarkers across multiple assay methods has greater diagnostic ability than either method in isolation, providing superior predictive ability of biopsy outcomes. ExoMeth represents a more holistic view of urinary biomarkers and has the potential to result in substantial changes to how patients suspected of harboring prostate cancer are diagnosed.
Study on large‐scale steam explosion of molten aluminum and water
Authors: Shen Zhengxiang , Chen Hu , Lv Zhongjie , Wang Du , Chen Dingyue , Huang Fenglei
Published: March 2020

Explosive interaction can be originated from an inadvertent contract of molten metal and water, and most explosive accidents to date have been reported in the aluminum industry. In most cases, this incident is not a major problem to production, but do occur at some plants. Most previous work at small‐scale experiments by bringing melt droplets into a water pool, with external trigger and controlled condition. These results are difficult to extend to large‐scale events for the effect of scale. A new self‐triggering test setup to deal with ~10 kg molten aluminum for interaction under open condition was designed in this article, and the explosion energetics were first measured quantitatively. Results show that the mild explosion often occurs at relatively high aluminum/water mass ratio. Conversely, an intense explosion is more likely with higher water content. The peak temperature of intense explosion is only 247°C, and the overpressure detected in the surroundings is about 0.113 MPa. It is suggested that the carbon steel with high surface wettability could promote a spontaneous explosion, and the merely addition of metal oxide has little effect on the initiation of explosion. In view of above, two possible explosion scenarios are assessed on the superheated limit theory.
Microcapacitors for Energy Storage: General Characteristics and Overview of Recent Progress
Authors: Hourdakis Emmanouel , Nassiopoulou Androula G.
Published: March 2020

Autonomous sensor systems and networks are of increasing demand toward the realization of the Internet of Things (IoT). In this respect, integrated devices for energy storage and management, such as microcapacitors and microbatteries, are intensively studied. Their integration with Si electronics is highly desirable, as it offers important advantages related to fabrication simplicity and cost reduction. Moreover, microcapacitors as compared with microbatteries offer additional advantages, including a theoretically infinite number of charge/discharge cycles, which makes them more appropriate for truly autonomous systems. They thus constitute the focus herein. Their basic characteristics for use in energy storage are discussed, and their interdependence is demonstrated, along with the demonstration that those characteristics cannot be independently optimized for energy storage. The two types of existing microcapacitors, namely the solid‐state microcapacitors and the microsupercapacitors, are presented in terms of their fabrication and integration schemes and their energy‐storage characteristics. Their advantages and disadvantages for the specific applications are analyzed. The usefulness of solid‐state microcapacitors in the above application, despite their significantly lower capacitance density compared with microsupercapacitors, is demonstrated, attributed to their integration maturity with standard complimentary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) processing, in addition to their larger charging voltages and maximum frequencies of operation.
Tree decompositions of graphs without large bipartite holes
Authors: Kim Jaehoon , Kim Younjin , Liu Hong
Published: March 2020

A recent result of Condon, Kim, Kühn, and Osthus implies that for any , an n‐vertex almost r‐regular graph G has an approximate decomposition into any collections of n‐vertex bounded degree trees. In this paper, we prove that a similar result holds for an almost αn‐regular graph G with any α>0 and a collection of bounded degree trees on at most (1−o(1))n vertices if G does not contain large bipartite holes. This result is sharp in the sense that it is necessary to exclude large bipartite holes and we cannot hope for an approximate decomposition into n‐vertex trees. Moreover, this implies that for any α>0 and an n‐vertex almost αn‐regular graph G, with high probability, the randomly perturbed graph has an approximate decomposition into all collections of bounded degree trees of size at most (1−o(1))n simultaneously. This is the first result considering an approximate decomposition problem in the context of Ramsey‐Turán theory and the randomly perturbed graph model.
Spherically bent mica analyzers as universal dispersing elements for X‐ray spectroscopy
Authors: Joseph Emily S. , Jahrman Evan P. , Seidler Gerald T.
Published: March 2020

Spherically‐bent crystal analyzers (SBCAs) see considerable use in very high‐resolution hard X‐ray wavelength dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, often called X‐ray emission spectroscopy (XES). While Si and Ge are the most frequently used diffractive components of SBCAs, we consider here the somewhat classical choice of muscovite mica as the dispersing element. We find that the various harmonics of a highest‐quality mica‐based SBCA show ~5–~40% of the integral reflectivity per unit solid angle of a typical Si or Ge SBCA in the hard X‐ray range, and that the mica SBCA have comparable energy resolution to the traditional SBCAs. Interestingly, the choice of mica comes with a practical benefit: the primary (0,0,2) reflection has sufficiently strong harmonics that are fairly tightly spaced in energy so that they span the complete energy range from ~4 to ~11 keV when used at convenient Bragg angles in a Rowland circle spectrometer. Hence, a single mica SBCA can be used for every K‐shell emission line of three dimensional transition metals and every L‐shell emission line of the lanthanide elements simply by selecting the correct mica (0,0,2) harmonic with a final energy‐dispersive solid state detector. The loss in efficiency is counteracted by an operational efficiency, i.e., the “universal” application of a single analyzer over a very large range of elements. This performance suggests future application of mica SBCAs in both laboratory‐based XES and synchrotron‐based photon‐in, photon‐out spectroscopies in the hard X‐ray range.
Resonant electron impact excitation of highly charged Fe ions studied with a compact electron beam ion trap
Authors: Monobe Masashi , Sakaue Hiroyuki A. , Kato Daiji , Murakami Izumi , Hara Hirohisa , Watanabe Tetsuya , Nakamura Nobuyuki
Published: March 2020

We present extreme ultraviolet spectra of 3s3p–3s3d transitions in Fe14+ observed with a compact electron beam ion trap. The contributions of indirect excitation via a metastable state and resonant excitation are studied by observing the electron energy dependence of the spectra for the energy range of 60–210 eV. The results indicate that the 3s3d 1D2 level is directly excited from the 3s2 ground state whereas the 3s3d 3D3 level has a large contribution of the indirect excitation via the 3s3p 3P2 metastable state. Comparisons with the theoretical excitation cross sections including MNn resonant excitations show good qualitative agreement with the experimental results for the electron energy dependent features.
Assessment of Thermal Stability and Detonation Performance of 4‐Amino‐1,2,4‐triazolium Nitrate as compared to 2,4,6‐Trinitrotoluene for Melt‐cast Explosives
Authors: Keshavarz Mohammad Hossein , Makvandi Leila , Damiri Sajjad
Published: March 2020

4‐Amino‐1,2,4‐triazolium nitrate (4‐ATN) is an energetic and non‐sensitive ionic liquid, which was introduced as a good candidate in previous works for the replacement of 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT) in melt‐cast explosives. Since previous studies used pure nitric acid for nitration of 4‐ATN, the effect of the use of low price industrial nitric acids (50 %, 70 % and 98 %) is investigated on the percent yields of 4‐ATN. The thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC) are done on the synthesized 4‐ATN with impure nitric acid at a heating rate of 10 K·min–1 by the vacuum system. The obtained TGA/DSC curves confirm decomposition of 4‐ATN involving melting and dissociation. Derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves of 4‐ATN at various heating rates are applied to obtain activation energy of thermolysis by several model‐free techniques. The calculated activation energies are in the range 78.7–87.7 kJ·mol–1, which are about 10 kJ·mol–1 more than the reported activation energy of industrial TNT (purity 98.2 %), i.e. 66–70 kJ·mol–1. Assessments of detonation performance of 4‐ATN are also compared with TNT, which show higher detonation performance of 4‐ATN. Thus, 4‐ATN can be used with nitramine compounds as melt‐cast explosives with higher thermal stability and detonation performance than corresponding nitramine compound/TNT explosives.
Erforschung von Erkrankungen in der NAKO Gesundheitsstudie. Die wichtigsten gesundheitlichen Endpunkte und ihre Erfassung
Authors: Ahrens Wolfgang , Greiser Karin H. , Linseisen Jakob , Pischon Tobias , Pigeot Iris
Published: March 2020

Im Mittelpunkt der NAKO Gesundheitsstudie, der bislang größten populationsbezogenen Kohortenstudie in Deutschland, steht die Erforschung von typischen Volkskrankheiten wie Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen, Diabetes, Krebs, neurologischen und psychiatrischen Erkrankungen sowie häufigen Atemwegs- und Infektionserkrankungen. Anhand dieser Kohorte sollen Fragen zum Einfluss von Faktoren, wie z. B. Genen, Umwelteinflüssen und Lebensstil, auf die Krankheitsentstehung beantwortet werden. Ein weiterer Fokus richtet sich auf die frühzeitige Erkennung von sich anbahnenden Erkrankungen anhand subklinischer Marker. Dazu muss ein umfassendes Bild der gesundheitlichen Endpunkte, aber auch aller möglichen Expositionen gewonnen werden.

Dieser Beitrag konzentriert sich auf die Beschreibung der verschiedenen gesundheitlichen Endpunkte, die in der NAKO Gesundheitsstudie erfasst werden, und der Untersuchungsmodule, die zur tiefgehenden Phänotypisierung der Studienteilnehmerinnen und -teilnehmer eingesetzt werden. Durch die wiederholte Gewinnung von Bioproben und die Durchführung funktioneller Messungen sowie moderner bildgebender Verfahren zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten lässt sich insbesondere die Dynamik physiologischer Veränderungen des individuellen Gesundheitszustands abbilden und der prognostische Wert dieser Veränderungen für die Krankheitsentstehung untersuchen; die daraus gewonnenen Erkenntnisse können die Basis für neuartige Präventionsansätze und die Weiterentwicklung personalisierter Medizin bilden. Neu auftretende Erkrankungen werden sowohl über Selbstangaben der Studienteilnehmer als auch über die Verknüpfung mit Krankenkassen- und Krebsregisterdaten erfasst. Um eine hohe Qualität der so erhobenen Diagnosen zu erreichen, werden zusätzlich Informationen von behandelnden Ärzten eingeholt.
Online help for people with suicidal thoughts provided by charities and healthcare organisations: a qualitative study of users’ perceptions
Authors: Biddle Lucy , Derges Jane , Goldsmith Carlie , Donovan Jenny L. , Gunnell David
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Internet use is common among people with suicidal feelings and a considerable amount of suicide help material is available online. Despite attempts to promote formal help sites (e.g. governmental and charity sector) in internet search results, users’ evaluation of these sites is lacking. This study, therefore, aimed to explore distressed users’ perceptions of formal online help and their experiences of using this in times of crisis.

Methods

In-depth interview study of 53 adults reporting suicide-related internet use.

Results

While highly valued in relation to general mental health problems, formal sites were not perceived to meet the different needs of those experiencing suicidal thoughts, and did not engage individuals in crisis. Sites were criticised for being impersonal, dispassionate, too focused on information-giving, and lacking solutions that were novel or sensitive to reasons why an individual may choose to seek help online. Most participants criticised the tendency for sites to signpost to offline services as their primary response. Participants desired immediacy and responsive online help incorporating ‘live chat’, self-help tools, opportunities to interact with others and lived-experience content. Positive accounts of seeking online help described sites incorporating these features.

Conclusions

Formal online help services should be reappraised to ensure they meet users’ needs for immediacy and responsive help to capitalise upon the opportunity available for suicide prevention.
Common belief in future and restricted past rationality
Authors: Becerril-Borja Rubén , Perea Andrés
Published: March 2020

We introduce the idea that a player believes at every stage of a dynamic game that his opponents will choose rationally in the future and have chosen rationally in a restricted way in the past. This is summarized by the concept of common belief in future and restricted past rationality, which is defined epistemically. Moreover, it is shown that every properly rationalizable strategy of the normal form of a dynamic game can be chosen in the dynamic game under common belief in future and restricted past rationality. We also present an algorithm that uses strict dominance, and show that it selects exactly those strategies that can be chosen under common belief in future and restricted past rationality.
Multiparametric imaging hippocampal neurodegeneration and functional connectivity with simultaneous PET/MRI in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Yan Shaozhen , Zheng Chaojie , Cui Bixiao , Qi Zhigang , Zhao Zhilian , An Yanhong , Qiao Liyan , Han Ying , Zhou Yun , Lu Jie
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The objective of this study is to investigate the hippocampal neurodegeneration and its associated aberrant functions in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients using simultaneous PET/MRI.

Methods

Forty-two cognitively normal controls (NC), 38 MCI, and 22 AD patients were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent 18F-FDG PET/functional MRI (fMRI) and high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans on a hybrid GE Signa PET/MRI scanner. Neurodegeneration in hippocampus and its subregions was quantified by regional gray matter volume and 18F-FDG standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) relative to cerebellum. An iterative reblurred Van Cittert iteration method was used for voxelwise partial volume correction on 18F-FDG PET images. Regional gray matter volume was estimated from voxel-based morphometric analysis with MRI. fMRI data were analyzed after slice time correction and head motion correction using statistical parametric mapping (SPM12) with DPARSF toolbox. The regions of interest including hippocampus, cornu ammonis (CA1), CA2/3/dentate gyrus (DG), and subiculum were defined in the standard MNI space.

Results

Patient groups had reduced SUVR, gray matter volume, and functional connectivity compared to NC in CA1, CA2/3/DG, and subiculum (AD < MCI < NC). There was a linear correlation between the left CA2/3DG gray matter volume and 18F-FDG SUVR in AD patients (P < 0.001, r = 0.737). Significant correlation was also found between left CA2/3/DG-superior medial frontal gyrus functional connectivity and left CA2/3/DG hypometabolism in patients with AD. The functional connectivity of right CA1-precuneus in patients with MCI and right subiculum-superior frontal gyrus in patients with AD was positively correlated with mini mental status examination scores (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that the associations existed at subregional hippocampal level between the functional connectivity measured by fMRI and neurodegeneration measured by structural MRI and 18F-FDG PET. Our results may provide a basis for precision neuroimaging of hippocampus in AD.