bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applications of Metal–Organic Frameworks‐Based Membranes in Separation
Authors: Liu Hui , Yu Shouwu , Wang Ziyang , Xiao Shujuan
Published: October 2021

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of organic–inorganic hybrid microporous crystalline materials formed by the self‐assembly of inorganic metal ions and organic ligands. Due to their high specific surface area, tunable pore structures, good thermal stability, and exceptional porosity, MOFs are introduced as novel fillers for incorporation in the polymeric matrix to form composite membranes for different applications. In this review, the synthesis methods of MOFs and the preparation methods of MOFs‐based membranes are summarized, focusing on the application of MOFs‐based membranes in water purification. In addition, the perspectives of MOFs‐based membranes in the separation field are proposed.
Diamond Radiation Detector with Built‐In Boron‐Doped Neutron Converter Layer
Authors: Miyake Taku , Nakagawa Hisaya , Masuzawa Tomoaki , Yamada Takatoshi , Nakano Takayuki , Takagi Katsuyuki , Aoki Toru , Mimura Hidenori
Published: October 2021

Herein, a radiation detector made of polycrystalline diamond with a boron (B)‐doped neutron converter layer is presented. The detector is fabricated by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique, and consists of an undoped free‐standing polycrystalline diamond layer and a B‐doped polycrystalline diamond top layer that serves as an electrical contact and a converter for neutron‐alpha conversion. Characterization of the diamond films and detector operation is presented. The results indicate that the B‐doped layer acts as an effective neutron‐alpha converter, whereby neutron detection is demonstrated in particle‐counting mode using a multichannel analyzer.
Structural and Synthetic Modification of Graphitic Foams and Dendritic Graphitic Foams for Thermal Management
Authors: Jia Qianru , Liu Yifei , Fan Donglei Emma , Shi Li
Published: October 2021

The performances of porous graphitic foams in flexible electronic, electrochemical, and thermal management devices can be enhanced by increasing the interfacial charge or heat transport between the 3D graphitic network and the functional materials filled into the pore space. Herein, an investigation of the effects of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) conditions on the structure and thermal conductivities of both graphitic foams grown from reticular Ni foams and dendritic graphitic foams (DGFs) synthesized from electrodeposited dendritic Ni foams is reported. A room‐temperature solid thermal conductivity () up to 800 W m−1 K−1 is obtained from the graphitic foams (GF) with less than 1% volume fraction. In comparison, the DGFs, which provide a large increase of the specific surface area for enhanced interfacial heat transfer, achieve an effective thermal conductivity of 2.5 ± 0.2 W m−1 K−1 because of an enhanced volume fraction to about 5% despite a compromised around 200 W m−1 K−1 due to the increased defect density. Through systematical variations of the catalyst template morphology and CVD conditions, this work reveals the distinct roles of catalyst surface curvature and graphitic strut thickness in controlling the properties of GFs and DGFs for thermal management.
A landscape level analysis of entrepreneurship and sustainable energy transitions: Evidences from Gujarat, India
Authors: Haldar Stuti
Published: October 2021

In accordance with India's sustainable energy targets of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy (RE) installed capacity by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030, the role of private sector actors has become increasingly important. As presently, 96 percent of the total installed RE utilities in India are privately owned; this makes sustainability driven entrepreneurship the core of India's energy sector transition. It is vital to explore various individual and firm level, policy and market related factors that enable entrepreneurs to induce innovative RE technologies in the existing conventional energy regime in India. So, this study adopts a multi‐level perspective approach to understand what and how processes at the landscape level (national, sub‐national policy, and international concerns) interplay with niche (sustainability driven entrepreneurs) and regime (existing fossil fuel regime) to create windows of opportunities for sociotechnical transition from conventional to clean energy. This empirical study incorporates structured interviews with 54 RE entrepreneurs operating in Gujarat, to understand the role of policy and international factors in facilitating innovation and firm growth in this sector. As Gujarat contributes around 12 percent to the total RE basket in India and with its culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, ranks among the top 10 states in terms of Ease of Doing Business (2019) the study area has been delimited to this Indian state. The study finds that despite having policy regulations such as tax incentives, Renewable Purchase Obligations, safe‐guard duties, and financial subsidies to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the RE sector, the profitability of these entrepreneurs is low. Moreover, there are loopholes in implementation of policies which further impede growth of RE entrepreneurship hence leading to hindrance in adoption and diffusion of clean energy technologies in India.
Principles and Recent Advances in Biosensors for Pathogens Detection
Authors: Nesakumar Noel , Lakshmanakumar Muthaiyan , Srinivasan Soorya , Jayalatha JBB Arockia , Balaguru Rayappan John Bosco
Published: October 2021

Foodborne and waterborne diseases caused by pathogens pose a serious threat to human life, and the detection of such pathogens in food, water, and beverages has gained paramount importance in view of the increasing number of pathogenic diseases in recent times. Standard and traditional analytical techniques employed for the recognition of deadly pathogens, including polymerase chain reaction‐based techniques, immunology‐based assays, culture and colony counting techniques, require several hours or perhaps even a few days for the results. All these techniques, despite being quite sensitive, are time‐intensive. Therefore, several researchers are focusing on the development of rapid pathogen detection techniques. Although the most advanced biosensing technologies exhibit potential approaches, significant research and testing is an urgent need to design innovative biosensors. Novel bioanalytical approaches for the recognition and quantification of target pathogens are being designed and developed to enhance the characteristics of biosensors, including rapid response, selectivity, and sensitivity. In this context, we not only provide an overview of the types of biorecognition elements employed for the detection of pathogens, but also discuss in detail the traditional approaches, biomolecular techniques, the latest advances in the detection and quantification of foodborne and waterborne pathogens, with particular emphasis on biosensors.
Improved Extraction of Rare Earths of La, Ce, Pr, and Nd by Optimizing the Structure of Phenoxyacetic Acid
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Li Rui , Guo Chuanglong , Chen Xueling , Sun Junmei , Zhi Yonggang , Zhang Bo
Published: October 2021

A novel extractant, 2‐(2‐heptanoylphenoxy)acetic acid (HA), was synthesized and applied to extract La, Ce, Pr, and Nd from the hydrochloric acid solution. The extraction parameters including pH, temperature, concentrations of HA and chloride ion were investigated and discussed in detail. The extraction mechanism was studied with Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. Compared with the extractant of sec‐octylphenoxy acetic acid (CA12), HA showed excellent performance and different extraction order in extracting La, Ce, Pr, and Nd. All the rare‐earth metals (REs) were extracted by the cation exchange mechanism and loaded as REs(A)3. The stripping test showed that the loaded REs in the organic phase can be effectively stripped with sulfuric acid at medium acidity. This work revealed that HA is an effective extractant for REs.
Hydrogen production by Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Substances Using Iron‐Containing Metal‐Ceramic Composites Under UV and Visible‐Light Irradiation
Authors: Artyukh Ivan A. , Bolgaru Konstantin A. , Dychko Konstantin A. , Bavykina Anastasiya V. , Sastre Francesc , Skvortsova Lidia N.
Published: October 2021

Metal‐ceramic composites with ceramic matrix modified with semiconductors (SiN‐SiC and TiN) were synthetized by Self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis (SHS) technology. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to determine the phase composition of the composites based on the nitrides of silicon, titanium, vanadium, and boron. Surface morphology of the composites was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the surface iron content was estimated using an energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometer for SEM (EDX‐SEM). Optical properties of the composites were studied, and the band gap values of ceramic matrix semiconducting components were calculated. The comparative evaluation of photocatalytic efficiency of the composites has been done for hydrogen production from solutions of organic substances (HCOOH, H2C2O4, malic acid, citric acid, sucrose, and N2H4) under UV and visible light irradiation. It has been shown, that the high efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light irradiation depends on the composition of ceramic matrix containing semiconducting constituents, the nature of organic substances used, and the addition of H2O2 to the solution causing a photo‐Fenton reaction. Also, the effect of eosin on photosensitization of the process was studied. The system of VN/N2H4 has been established to exhibit the highest efficiency of hydrogen production (300–560 μmol h−1 g−1).
Photocatalytic Degradation of Malachite Green Dye Using Zinc Sulfide Nanostructures
Authors: Thomas Susmi Anna , Kadam Sujit Anil , Ma Yuan‐Ron , Aravind Arun
Published: October 2021

Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) get important attention as a semiconductor photocatalyst among other transition metal sulfides due to its fascinating and extraordinary properties. Here ZnS nanoparticles are synthesized by hydrothermal method using zinc acetate and sodium sulfide as precursors. The structural properties of ZnS was studied by using X‐Ray Diffraction technique (XRD).Exact fitting and crystal information of the sample was obtained from Rietveld refinement with Crystallographic Open Database (COD). It shows that ZnS follows cubic structure without any impurity peaks. Crystallite size and lattice strain values are calculated by using Williamson‐Hall (W−H) Plot method. As temperature increases, the particle size also going to increases due to atomic diffusion phenomena. Tauc plot indicates that the bandgap values decreases with increasing temperature. Accurate determination of bandgap values was analyzed by Boltzmann fitting using sigmoid function. Chemical states of elements were obtained with X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).Surface morphology and elemental analysis of ZnS nanoparticles was determined from Field Emission Scanning Electron Spectroscopy (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Then the photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency of synthesized particles for Malachite Green (MG) dye was evaluated. From the studies it was found that ZnS is an efficient photocatalyst and it can be used as a perfect future material to avoid the water pollution.
Serendipitous Formation of a Zwitterionic Imidazolium Molecule from α‐Diimine with Glyoxal as Unusual Cyclization Agent
Authors: Biancalana Lorenzo , Bresciani Giulio , Marchetti Fabio , Pampaloni Guido
Published: October 2021

Imidazolium compounds have determined a profound impact on chemistry, and several synthetic methods to access them are well established. Here, we report the serendipitous discovery of the unprecedented route to a zwitterionic imidazolium molecule with the two nitrogen atoms substituted with 4‐cyclohexanecarboxylic acid: to build the five‐membered ring, glyoxal plays the double role of source for C2 and, unusually, C1 units, the latter via thermal decomposition affording carbon monoxide as side‐product. Compound I1 was characterized by elemental analysis, multinuclear NMR, IR and ESI‐MS spectroscopy.
Efficient Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye and Antibacterial Performance of Shape Controlled RuO2 Nanocomposites
Authors: Singh Amanvir , Kaushik Vikas , Chahal Surjeet , Goswami Arkaja , Nain Sonia
Published: October 2021

Arising global health problems have drawn significant interest in the researcher's community to fabricate multifunctional nanocomposites that could directly or indirectly treat polluted water. Herein, a simple but cost‐effective method is proposed for the fabrication of flower‐shaped RuO2 NPs (nanoparticles) on SWCNTs (single‐walled carbon nanotubes). The synthesized composite acts as a one‐stop solution for eliminating harmful dyes and pathogens from potable water. The structural, morphological, and chemical compositions of RuO2/SWCNT were carefully investigated and the observations revealed that crystalline RuO2 NPs possessing quantum dot range sizes were homogeneously decorated on the inner as well as exterior cavities of activated SWCNTs. The nanocomposite proved as an efficient photocatalyst against MB (methylene blue) dye and colourless phenol. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of RuO2, SWCNT, and RuO2/SWCNT is 57%, 21%, and 92.6% respectively against MB dye. Colourless phenol degradation and scavenging studies were performed to rule out the photosensitization effect and examine the role of active species during photodegradation respectively. Moreover, when the residual remains of the composite after degradation experiments were used as an antibacterial agent, it proved most lethal against E. coli and L. monocytogenes with 13.7±0.45 and 12.5±0.15 mm diameter of ZOI respectively at rather low doses (0.07 mg/mL). Finally, the synthesized composite could reduce the industrial cost of application and also influence the engineering and logical fabrication of nanocomposites for their reusability and multifunctional proficiencies.
Green Synthesis of Ag NP‐Decorated Poly(dopamine) Microcapsules for Antibacterial Applications
Authors: Hu Qiyan , Zhou Zhiyuan , Gao Liwen , Zhou Naijun , Chen Yuanyan , Wang Shaozhen
Published: October 2021

The ability to synthesize Ag nanoparticle‐based composites under gentle conditions shows the promise to produce versatile antimicrobial agents. Herein, we report a green method for the synthesis of Ag NP‐decorated poly(dopamine) (Ag NP‐PDA) microcapsules. The synthesis involves the use of ZIF‐8 crystals as self‐sacrificed templates to produce PDA microcapsules followed by in situ reduction of Ag+ to Ag0 to form Ag NPs with catechol groups of the PDA microcapsules. The formation mechanism is supported by the results from transmission electron microscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We show that the as‐prepared Ag NP‐PDA microcapsule composites exhibit low cytotoxicity towards L929 cells but effective antimicrobial activity towards both E. coli and S. aureus. These results suggest the possibility of our method to prepare combined nanocomposite antimicrobial agents by loading additional antibiotics on the surface or into the microcapsule of the PDA support.
Unravelling the Occurrence of Mediator‐Blood Protein Interactions via the Redox Catalysis of the Physiological Gasotransmitter Hydrogen Sulfide
Authors: Ward Haydn J. , Ward Rhys A. , Lawrence Nathan S. , Wadhawan Jay D.
Published: October 2021

Ferrocenemethanol is employed as an aqueous, homogeneous redox mediator for hydrogen sulfide. The reaction is seen to follow an EC’ mechanism over the range 6≤pH≤9, with bisulfide reacting four times more rapidly than hydrogen sulfide. In the presence of 10 vol.% hæmolysed blood, greater concentrations of sulfide (as H2S or as HS−) are required to achieve the same degree of redox catalysis, compared with the absence of the blood proteins, at both pH 7 and pH 9. It is suggested that this phenomenon derives from a ferrocenemethanol/blood protein interaction, which is first titrated by the sulfide species. This can give rise to a titration‐based electroanalytical assay for sulfide in blood, whilst being important for blood‐based electrochemical bioassays involving hydrophilic ferrocene derivatives.
Vertically Aligned MoS2 Nanosheets on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Sheets for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Zhong Lin , Cheng Hao , Zhou Hu , Chen Boyuan , Zhuang Yongyue , Chen Junfeng , Yuan Aihua
Published: October 2021

Fabrication of two‐dimensional electrocatalysts with low cost and high efficiency is of great significance for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is one of the most promising alternatives to Pt‐based HER catalysts, however its electrocatalytic performance is greatly limited by insufficient active edge sites and poor conductivity. Herein, ZIF‐8‐derived nitrogen‐doped carbon sheet (NCS) is utilized as the support, and the heterostructure of NCS@MoS2 is assembled by a facile hydrothermal reaction between MoS2 precursor and NCS. This is the first example of NCS‐supported MoS2 structures for HER application. The results show that defect‐rich MoS2 ultrathin nanosheets are uniformly and vertically aligned on NCS, and the dispersion degree of MoS2 can be well controlled by adjusting the surface modification of NCS. As expected, the optimized catalyst possesses a superior catalytic performance to pristine MoS2 evidenced by a low overpotential (250 mV) to afford 10 mA cm−2, and a small Tafel slope (74 mV dec−1) with good stability in acidic media. The intriguing HER activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of abundantly exposed active sites and high conductivity.
Explaining the Efficiencies of Mass‐Produced p‐Type Cz‐Si Solar Cells by Interpretable Machine Learning
Authors: Wasmer Sven , Hübener Kati , Klöter Bernhard
Published: October 2021

It is shown how at Q CELLS, interpretable machine learning algorithms are used to understand the energy conversion efficiencies of mass‐produced Q.ANTUM solar cells based on p‐type Czochralski silicon (Cz‐Si) wafers. For this end, the data of a 1 week ramp‐up of over half a million cells acquired utilizing our TRA.Q single‐wafer‐tracking system are used. These consist of over 300 single information points per cell and feature inline measurements, path‐ and tool‐related information, process data as well as the final I–V characteristics. In the analysis, using machine learning algorithms, it is focused on understanding how the many different input features influence the solar cell efficiency over time by using additive feature impacts. As sources of variation are spread over several features, special attention is paid to correlated features in a hierarchical clustering approach. Finally, with the model achieving a high Pearson's coefficient of correlation of 0.84 between true and predicted values for the holdout validation data set, subtle hourly cell efficiency fluctuations in the order of 0.01%abs are explained. Features are identified which are relevant for short‐term changes in the efficiency and others which influence the efficiency on a general level and do not show temporal changes.
Recent Progress on Metallic Bismuth‐Based Photocatalysts: Synthesis, Construction, and Application in Water Purification
Authors: Wu Shanshan , Xu Zhaofen , Zhang Junlei , Zhu Mingshan
Published: October 2021

Semiconductor photocatalysis technology is considered to be a promising technique to solve increasingly serious environmental pollution. Metallic bismuth (Bi)‐based photocatalysts have received much attention due to their extensive applications in environmental remediation because metallic Bi can function as a cocatalyst or a direct plasmonic photocatalyst to accelerate the photogenerated charge separation and thus improve their photocatalytic activity. In the last decade, enormous efforts have been made to seek excellent metallic Bi‐based photocatalysts as well as reveal the corresponding photocatalytic reaction mechanism for the degradation of organic pollutants in water. Herein, the unique electronic and optical properties and main synthesis methods of metallic Bi, as well as the detailed strategies and technology routes are timely summarized and discussed to enhance the photocatalytic activity of metallic Bi‐based photocatalysts in water purification. Finally, the future development and challenges of metallic Bi‐based photocatalysts are briefly discussed, summarized, and prospected.
Equivalent mutant identification using hybrid wavelet convolutional rain optimization
Authors: Jammalamadaka Kiran , Parveen Nikhat
Published: October 2021

Mutation testing is a significant software testing approach that identifies the faults present in the source codes and the potentiality of the test cases in detecting the mutated codes. In this testing approach, equivalent mutant detection is complicated as the test cases will not identify the mutated codes from the source program. To overcome this problem, the article proposes a novel hybrid strategy known as the hybrid wavelet convolutional rain optimization (HWCRO) to classify the equivalent mutants present in the source codes accurately. The proposed technique considers three different classes of equivalent mutants based on the RIPR model and exactly identifies the mutated code. Initially, the features such as the semantic similarity and the information entropy are extracted, and these features are given as the input to the wavelet convolutional neural network (wCNN) classifier. The dimensions of the features are reduced in the convolutional layers using the wavelet function, which enhances the classifier's performance. To improve the classification accuracy, the loss function is minimized with an adaptive rain optimization algorithm (ROA) that iteratively tunes the parameter of wCNN. The proposed approach is compared with the existing classification techniques based on the parameters such as precision, recall, f1‐score, and accuracy, and the simulation results yielded 85.17% accuracy value for the proposed approach.
An unusual shark assemblage from the Ladinian–Carnian interval of South China
Authors: Li Jiachun , Sun Zuoyu , Cuny Gilles , Ji Cheng , Jiang Dayong , Zhou Min
Published: October 2021

A detailed taxonomic study of a diverse chondrichthyan fauna from the Ladinian–Carnian (Middle–Late Triassic) interval at Nimaigu locality in Guizhou Province, South China is presented. Six taxa are described, two of which are assigned to Elasmobranchii incertae sedis (aff. Rosaodus sp., Rosaodus xingyiensis gen. et sp. nov.) and three to the Euselachii (Euselachii gen. et sp. indet., Favusodus orientalis gen. et sp. nov., Keichouodus nimaiguensis gen. et sp. nov.), while the last one represents a possible Holocephali (aff. Arctacanthus sp.). Their stratigraphic distribution is documented on a bed‐by‐bed basis. This fauna is unusual because it is dominated by sharks with a cladodont‐like dentition (which were barely known after the end‐Permian mass extinction), and because it is almost devoid of durophagous euselachians, which makes it different from all other contemporaneous shark faunas worldwide. Transitional features are documented between ‘cladodont’ teeth and those of neoselachian sharks, which provide new insights into the replacement pattern of ancient sharks by modern ones.
Referral care paths for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease—Gearing up for an ever more prevalent and severe liver disease
Authors: van Dijk Anne‐Marieke , Schattenberg Jörn M. , Holleboom Adriaan G. , Tushuizen Maarten E.
Published: October 2021

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly prevalent and potentially severe liver disease, emphasizing the need for implementation of widely supported care paths for patients at risk for advanced stages of NAFLD. In particular, the distinction of patients with a progressive and/or advanced, fibrotic NAFLD from those with simple steatosis requires improvement, as well as the awareness for NAFLD among health care professionals. Broad acceptance and implementation of interdisciplinary care paths in the near future will bring enhanced identification of those patients that benefit from surveillance, intensive lifestyle management, and empirical or investigational pharmacotherapy and enhance our epidemiological grasp of NAFLD in relation to lifestyle, genetic background, and cardiometabolic comorbidities related to NAFLD.
CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED TRANSPORT
Authors: Mitteregger Mathias , Bruck Emilia M. , Soteropoulos Aggelos , Stickler Andrea , Berger Martin , Dangschat Jens S. , Scheuvens Rudolf , Banerjee Ian
Published: October 2021

At least since the turn of the millennium, it has become clear that Europe’s cities are facing a rising number of increasingly demanding challenges. Climate change and global technological development are two considerable global drivers that are also governing social change in Europe. These two significant aspects require us to re-examine fundamental questions concerning urban development.
ACTION PLANS
Authors: Mitteregger Mathias , Bruck Emilia M. , Soteropoulos Aggelos , Stickler Andrea , Berger Martin , Dangschat Jens S. , Scheuvens Rudolf , Banerjee Ian
Published: October 2021

Media outlets, as well as specialist engineering and science journals, have repeatedly been stating that connected and automated driving will soon be possible on all public roads. But in recent years, doubt has increasingly been cast on this supposed certainty. The analysis conducted as part of this research also suggests that the development of technologies for CA vehicles and infrastructures is moving more slowly than initially anticipated.
Endokrine und neuroendokrine Tumoren
Authors: Riss Philipp , Scheuba Katharina , Strobel Oliver
Published: October 2021

Endokrine Tumoren und hier im Speziellen neuroendokrine Neoplasien des Gastrointestinaltraktes (GEP-NETs), Phäochromozytome (PCs), Paragangliome (PGL) und Schilddrüsentumoren sind Paradebeispiele für die Bedeutung von Molekularpathologie und Molekularbiologie für Diagnostik, Klassifikation und letztendlich auch die (chirurgische) Therapie dieser Erkrankungen. Bei GEP-NETs erfolgt das Grading anhand des Ki-67-Index. Dieser bestimmt die Art der molekularen Bildgebung (DOTA [1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecan‑1,4,7,10-tetraessigsäure]/DOPA [3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanin]/FDG[Fluordesoxyglukose]-PET[Positronenemissionstomographie]/CT [Computertomographie]), die mögliche Therapie (chirurgisch und/oder Radiopeptidtherapie), antiproliferative und symptomkontrollierende Therapie mit Somatostatinanaloga und letztendlich auch die Prognose. PC/PGL können hereditär auftreten (MEN2A [multiple endokrine Neoplasie Typ 2A], VHL [Von-Hippel-Lindau-Tumorsuppressor], NF1 [Neurofibromatose Typ 1], SDH[Succinat-Dehydrogenase]-Mutationen), was die chirurgische Therapie und die präoperative Medikation maßgeblich beeinflusst. Die molekulare Bildgebung hat einen hohen Stellenwert und kann bei grenzwertiger Biochemie wegweisend sein. Auch Nebennierenrindenkarzinome können genetisch determiniert sein. Bei Schilddrüsentumoren ist v. a. die Pathologie der C‑Zelle (C-Zell-Hyperplasie, medulläres Schilddrüsenkarzinom) hervorzuheben. Bei hereditärer Erkrankung (FMTC [familiäres medulläres Schilddrüsenkarzinom], MEN[multiple endokrine Neoplasie]2) ist häufig eine frühe prophylaktische Operation notwendig und verhindert das Auftreten von fortgeschrittenen Karzinomen. Aber auch die Bestimmung des Resektionsausmaßes bei follikulären Läsionen bzw. die Unterscheidung zwischen „non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features“ (NIFTPs) und follikulären Varianten des papillären Schilddrüsenkarzinoms kann mithilfe spezifischer Marker erfolgen. Insgesamt hat die Molekularpathologie eine zunehmende Bedeutung bei diesen Entitäten und ist auch Inhalt laufender Forschungsprojekte.
Age, time from injury to surgery and hop performance after primary ACLR affect the risk of contralateral ACLR
Authors: Cristiani Riccardo , Forssblad Magnus , Edman Gunnar , Eriksson Karl , Stålman Anders
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To evaluate factors affecting the risk of contralateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) within 5 years of primary ACLR.

Methods

Primary ACLRs performed at Capio Artro Clinic, Stockholm, Sweden, during the period 2005–2014, were reviewed. The outcome of the study was the occurrence of contralateral ACLR within 5 years of primary ACLR. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify preoperative [age, gender, body mass index (BMI), time from injury to surgery, pre-injury Tegner activity level], intraoperative [graft type, medial meniscus (MM) and lateral meniscus (LM) resection or repair, cartilage injury] and postoperative [limb symmetry index (LSI) for quadriceps and hamstring strength and single-leg-hop test performance at 6 months] risk factors for contralateral ACLR.

Results

A total of 5393 patients who underwent primary ACLR were included. The incidence of contralateral ACLR within 5 years was 4.7%. Univariable analysis revealed that age ≥ 25 years, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, time from injury to surgery ≥ 12 months and the presence of a cartilage injury reduced the odds, whereas female gender, pre-injury Tegner activity level ≥ 6, quadriceps and hamstring strength and a single-leg-hop test LSI of ≥ 90% increased the odds of contralateral ACLR. Multivariable analysis showed that the risk of contralateral ACLR was significantly affected only from age ≥ 25 years (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.28–0.58; P < 0.001), time from injury to surgery ≥ 12 months (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.30–0.75; P = 0.001) and a single-leg-hop test LSI of ≥ 90% (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.04–2.34; P = 0.03).

Conclusion

Older age (≥ 25 years) and delayed primary ACLR (≥ 12 months) reduced the odds, whereas a symmetrical (LSI ≥ 90%) 6-month single-leg-hop test increased the odds of contralateral ACLR within 5 years of primary ACLR. Knowledge of the factors affecting the risk of contralateral ACLR is important when it comes to the appropriate counselling for primary ACLR. Patients should be advised regarding factors affecting the risk of contralateral ACLR.

Level of evidence

Level III.
Characterisation of contact twinning for cerussite, $$\hbox {PbCO}_3$$, by single-crystal NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Zeman Otto E. O. , Steinadler Jennifer , Hochleitner Rupert , Bräuniger Thomas
Published: October 2021

Cerussite, $$\hbox {PbCO}_3$$

PbCO
3

, like all members of the aragonite group, shows a tendency to form twins, due to high pseudo-symmetry within the crystal structure. We here demonstrate that the twin law of a cerussite contact twin may be established using only $$^{207}$$

207

Pb-NMR spectroscopy. This is achieved by a global fit of several sets of orientation-dependent spectra acquired from the twin specimen, allowing to determine the relative orientation of the twin domains. Also, the full $$^{207}$$

207

Pb chemical shift tensor in cerussite at room temperature is determined from these data, with the eigenvalues being $$\delta _{11} = (-2315\pm 1)$$

δ
11

=

(
-
2315
±
1
)

 ppm, $$\delta _{22} = (-2492 \pm 3)$$

δ
22

=

(
-
2492
±
3
)

 ppm, and $$\delta _{33} = (-3071 \pm 3)$$

δ
33

=

(
-
3071
±
3
)

 ppm.
Phase I/II study to assess the clinical pharmacology and safety of single ascending and multiple subcutaneous doses of PF-06881894 in women with non-distantly metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Yao Hsuan-Ming , Jones Sarah Ruta , Morales Serafin , Moosavi Shahrzad , Zhang Jeffrey , Freyman Amy , Ottery Faith D.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and safety of single and multiple doses of PF-06881894 (pegfilgrastim-apgf; Nyvepria™), a biosimilar to reference pegfilgrastim (Neulasta®), in women with non-distantly metastatic breast cancer.

Methods

In Phase I (Cycle 0) of this Phase I/II study, the PD response (absolute neutrophil count [ANC]; CD34 + count), PK profile, and safety of a single 3- or 6-mg subcutaneous dose of PF-06881894 were assessed in chemotherapy-naïve patients before definitive breast surgery. In Phase II (Cycles 1–4), the PD response (duration of severe neutropenia [DSN, Cycle 1], ANC [Cycles 1 and 4]) and PK profile (Cycles 1 and 4) of single and multiple 6-mg doses of PF-06881894 concomitant with chemotherapy and after definitive breast surgery were assessed.

Results

Twenty-five patients (mean age 59 years) were enrolled (Cycle 0, n = 12; Cycles 1–4, n = 13). In Cycle 0, PD responses and PK values were lower with 3-mg versus 6-mg PF-06881894. In Cycles 1 and 4, mean DSN was 0.667 days after single or multiple 6-mg doses of PF-06881894, respectively. In Cycle 4 versus Cycle 1, PD responses were more robust; PK values (mean area under the curve, maximum concentration) were lower; and clearance values were higher. The safety profile of PF-06881894 was similar to that for reference pegfilgrastim.

Conclusion

PF-06881894 as a single 3- or 6-mg dose prior to definitive surgery, or multiple 6-mg/cycle doses postoperatively, with/without myelosuppressive chemotherapy, was consistent with the clinical pharmacology and safety profile of reference pegfilgrastim.

Trial registration

October 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02650193. EudraCT Number: 2015-002057-35.
Co-clustering of Time-Dependent Data via the Shape Invariant Model
Authors: Casa Alessandro , Bouveyron Charles , Erosheva Elena , Menardi Giovanna
Published: October 2021

Multivariate time-dependent data, where multiple features are observed over time for a set of individuals, are increasingly widespread in many application domains. To model these data, we need to account for relations among both time instants and variables and, at the same time, for subject heterogeneity. We propose a new co-clustering methodology for grouping individuals and variables simultaneously, designed to handle both functional and longitudinal data. Our approach borrows some concepts from thecurve registrationframework by embedding theshape invariant modelin thelatent block model, estimated via a suitable modification of the SEM-Gibbs algorithm. The resulting procedure allows for several user-defined specifications of the notion of cluster that can be chosen on substantive grounds and provides parsimonious summaries of complex time-dependent data by partitioning data matrices into homogeneous blocks. Along with the explicit modelling of time evolution, these aspects allow for an easy interpretation of the clusters, from which also low-dimensional settings may benefit.
Künstliche Intelligenz-unterstützte Behandlung in der Rheumatologie
Authors: Hügle Thomas , Kalweit Maria
Published: October 2021

Computergesteuerte klinische Entscheidungssysteme finden seit Längerem Einzug in die Praxis. Deren primäre Ziele sind die Verbesserung der Behandlungsqualität, Zeitersparnis oder Fehlervermeidung. Meist handelt es sich um regelbasierte Algorithmen, die in elektronische Patientenakten integriert werden, z. B. um Medikamenteninteraktionen zu erkennen. Durch künstliche Intelligenz (KI) können klinische Entscheidungssysteme disruptiv weiterentwickelt werden. Aus Daten wird durch maschinelles Lernen konstant neues Wissen geschaffen, um individuelle Krankheitsverläufe bei Patienten vorherzusagen, Probleme schneller zu erkennen, Phänotypen zu identifizieren oder die Therapieentscheidung zu unterstützen. Solche Algorithmen für rheumatologische Erkrankungen gibt es bereits. Am weitesten fortgeschritten hierbei sind die automatisierte Bilderkennung sowie Vorhersagen zum Krankheitsverlauf bei der rheumatoiden Arthritis. Von nutzerfreundlichen, durch Schnittstellen vernetzten KI-Entscheidungssystemen kann aber noch nicht gesprochen werden. Zudem sind die Algorithmen oft noch nicht genügend validiert und reproduzierbar. Anstatt die KI-unterstützte Wahl der Behandlung dem Arzt oder der Ärztin vorzugeben, wird KI eher als hybride Entscheidungsunterstützung dienen – immer unter Einbezug sowohl des Experten als auch des Patienten. Es gibt zudem ein großes Bedürfnis nach Sicherheit durch nachvollziehbare und auditierbare Algorithmen, um die Qualität und Transparenz von KI-unterstützten Therapieempfehlungen nachhaltig zu gewährleisten.
Telemedizinische Betreuung und IT-gestützte Verfahren in der Rheumatologie
Authors: McCutchan Rick , Bosch Philipp
Published: October 2021

Hintergrund

Die COVID-19-Pandemie, aber auch die immer größere werdende Beanspruchung des Gesundheitssystems führen dazu, dass die Weiterentwicklung von telemedizinischen Angeboten auch in der Rheumatologie in den Vordergrund gerückt ist.

Fragestellung

Welche Evidenz existiert zu telemedizinischen Angeboten in der Rheumatologie?

Material und Methode

Es erfolgt ein narrativer Review zu bestehenden Arbeiten über Telemedizin in der Rheumatologie.

Ergebnisse

Elektronische „patient reported outcomes“ (ePROs) können von PatientInnen von zu Hause aus bestimmt und dem betreuenden Rheumatologen elektronisch geschickt werden. ePROs könnten in Zukunft dabei helfen zu entscheiden, wann eine klinische Visite notwendig ist. Telemedizinische Visiten wurden bereits durchgeführt bei gut eingestellten PatientInnen mit rheumatischen Erkrankungen mit guten Ergebnissen hinsichtlich Sicherheit und Krankheitsverlauf im Vergleich zu konventionellen Face-to-face-Visiten. Telemedizinische Visiten stellen ein interessantes Tool für Terminpriorisierung und Triage dar, wobei automatisierte, algorithmusbasierte Applikationen derzeit für die klinische Routine noch zu ungenau sind. Die Rolle von Smartphone-Applikationen in der Betreuung von PatientInnen mit rheumatischen Erkrankungen ist noch unklar.

Diskussion

Telemedizin stellt eine interessante Option für bestimmte PatientInnengruppen mit rheumatischen Erkrankungen dar. Abgesehen von Forschung an Effektivität und Sicherheit telemedizinischer Maßnahmen, müssen Entscheidungsträger klare Regeln vorgeben, wie Telemedizin eingesetzt werden soll, um dem individuellen Patienten die bestmögliche Behandlung zukommen zu lassen.
Apps in der Rheumatologie
Authors: Strunz Patrick-Pascal , Maire Maxime Le , Heusinger Tobias , Hammel Ludwig , Gernert Michael , Schwaneck Eva C. , Callhoff Johanna , Portegys Jan , Schmalzing Marc , Tony Hans-Peter , Froehlich Matthias
Published: October 2021

Hintergrund

Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen (DiGA) halten in vielen Bereichen der Medizin Einzug und haben das Potenzial, die Patientenversorgung zu revolutionieren. In der Rheumatologie wäre der Einsatz bei der axialen Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in Form einer Trainings- und Bewegungs-App denkbar. In einer repräsentativen Umfrage unter Patienten mit axSpA sollte daher ermittelt werden, ob eine solche App aktuell benötigt wird.

Methodik

Durchführung einer anonymen Onlinebefragung bei axSpA-Patienten der Deutschen Vereinigung Morbus Bechterew e. V. mittels eines Fragebogens; Datenauswertung mittels Excel und GraphPad Prism.

Ergebnisse

Es nahmen 435 axSpA-Patienten an der Befragung teil. Von den Befragten sehen 84 % die Entwicklung einer speziell auf axSpA abgestimmten Bewegungs-App als notwendig an und genauso viele wollen diese auch nutzen. Patienten unter 60 Jahre, Patienten unter 60-Jahre mit Biologika- oder Januskinase-Inhibitor-Therapie und Patienten mit häufigen Rückenschmerzen geben im Vergleich zur jeweiligen Kontrollsubgruppe einen höheren Bedarf an (jeweils p < 0,001).

Schlussfolgerung

Die Entwicklung einer Bewegungs-App für die axSpA wird von einem Großteil der Betroffenen als notwendig angesehen, wobei jüngere und intensiver medikamentös therapierte Patienten einen höheren Bedarf zu haben scheinen.
Prostatic tissue: an unexpected finding in a mature ovarian teratoma
Authors: Pecorella Irene , Framarino dei Malatesta Maria Luisa , Riganelli Lucia , Ciardi Gaia , Porpora Maria Grazia
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Prostatic
tissue in an ovarian teratoma is an unusual finding, whose initiation in a 46, XX karyotype tissue is yet to be clarified. We present a case from our files and review the literature for this intriguing finding.

Methods

Unstained histology sections of the ovarian teratoma containing prostatic tissue were evaluated using immunohistochemistry for PSA and androgen receptor.

Results

Both PSA and androgen receptor immunostainings were positive in the prostatic tissue. From the literature review, it appears that most of the patients (74%) with similar findings were either pregnant or experiencing a miscarriage, menopausal or infertile at presentation, showing that an imbalanced hormone status is frequently associated with the presence of male structures in ovarian teratomas.
Splenorenal shunt for reconstruction of the gastric and splenic venous drainage during pancreatoduodenectomy with resection of the portal venous confluence
Authors: Al-Saeedi Mohammed , Frank-Moldzio Leonie , Contin Pietro , Mayer Philipp , Loos Martin , Schmidt Thomas , Schneider Martin , Müller-Stich Beat P. , Berchtold Christoph , Mehrabi Arianeb , Hackert Thilo , Büchler Markus W. , Strobel Oliver
Published: October 2021

Background

Resection of the portal venous confluence is frequently necessary for radical resection during pancreatoduodenectomy for cancer. However, ligation of the splenic vein can cause serious postoperative complications such as gastric/splenic venous congestion and left-sided portal hypertension. A splenorenal shunt (SRS) can maintain gastric and splenic venous drainage and mitigate these complications.

Purpose

This study describes the surgical technique, postoperative course, and surgical outcomes of SRS after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Methods

Ten patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy and SRS between September 2017 and April 2019 were evaluated. After resection an end-to-side anastomosis between the splenic vein and the left renal vein was performed. Postoperative shunt patency, splenic volume, and any SRS-related complications were recorded.

Results

The rates of short- and long-term shunt patency were 100% and 60%, respectively. No procedure-associated complications were observed. No signs of left-sided portal hypertension, such as gastrointestinal bleeding or splenomegaly, and no gastric/splenic ischemia were observed in patients after SRS.

Conclusion

SRS is a safe and effective measure to mitigate gastric congestion and left-sided portal hypertension after pancreatoduodenectomy with compromised gastric venous drainage after resection of the portal venous confluence.
Effects of ambient temperature during the nestling stage on a stress indicator in nestling pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca
Authors: Skwarska Joanna , Podstawczyńska Agnieszka , Bańbura Mirosława , Glądalski Michał , Kaliński Adam , Markowski Marcin , Wawrzyniak Jarosław , Zieliński Piotr , Bańbura Jerzy
Published: October 2021

Long-term and short-term changes in ambient temperature can cause stress in birds, leading to changes in the level of hematological parameters. The H:L ratio (heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) is a hematological index that allows for the assessment of the stress induced by environmental changes, including weather conditions. In this paper, we examined the influence of temperatures and the sum of precipitation on the health of nestling pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) by using the H:L ratio reflecting the body’s response to stress. All examined temperature indicators influenced the H:L ratio, yet the average value of daily minimum temperature during the first 12 days of nestling life had the strongest influence, maximum temperature had the weakest effect, while precipitation had no significant influence. Our research indicates that even a small increase in temperature caused a stress reaction in nestling pied flycatchers, which was reflected by an increase in the H:L ratio. The increase in the stress index (H:L ratio) was probably a result of poor weather conditions (precipitation, low temperature), which prevented the adult birds from actively foraging and properly feeding the nestlings.
A machine learning-based clustering approach to diagnose multi-component degradation of aircraft fuel systems
Authors: Liu Haochen , Zhao Yifan , Zaporowska Anna , Skaf Zakwan
Published: October 2021

Accurate fault diagnosis and prognosis can significantly reduce maintenance costs, increase the safety and availability of engineering systems that have become increasingly complex. It has been observed that very limited researches have been reported on fault diagnosis where multi-component degradation are presented. This is essentially a challenging Complex Systems problem where features multiple components interacting simultaneously and nonlinearly with each other and its environment on multiple levels. Even the degradation of a single component can lead to a misidentification of the fault severity level. This paper introduces a new test rig to simulate the multi-component degradation of the aircraft fuel system. A machine learning-based data analytical approach based on the classification of clustering features from both time and frequency domains is proposed. The scope of this framework is the identification of the location and severity of not only the system fault but also the multi-component degradation. The results illustrate that (a) the fault can be detected with accuracy > 99%; (b) the severity of fault can be identified with an accuracy of almost 100%; (c) the degradation level can be successfully identified with the R-square value > 0.9.
Solid-phase synthesis of imprinted nanoparticles as artificial antibodies against the C-terminus of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor: exploring a viable alternative for bioanalysis
Authors: Gómez-Caballero Alberto , Elejaga-Jimeno Ainhoa , García del Caño Gontzal , Unceta Nora , Guerreiro Antonio , Saumell-Esnaola Miquel , Sallés Joan , Goicolea M. Aránzazu , Barrio Ramón J.
Published: October 2021

The production of artificial anti-CB1 antibodies in nanoparticle format is described using the solid-phase imprinting approach. Instead of whole protein imprinting, a linear C-terminus sequence of the receptor comprising 15 amino acids (458-KVTMSVSTDTSAEAL-472) has been used as template, in accordance with the epitope imprinting approach. This sequence is located intracellularly, and it is involved in coupling to Gi/o proteins, being responsible for CB1 receptor desensitisation and internalisation. Developed molecularly imprinted materials were found to be in the nanometre scale, with a particle size of 126.4 ± 10.5 nm at pH 3 (25 ºC) and spherical shape. It was also observed that the size was sensible to temperature changes being reduced to 106.3 ± 15.2 nm at 35 °C. Lower critical solution temperature of this polymer was found to be ≈ 33.4 °C. The affinity and selectivity of the artificial antibody were assessed through dot blot and Western blot experiments. For the latter, recombinant fusion proteins GST-CB1414-472 and GST-CB1414-442 were produced to work respectively as target and negative control proteins. The control protein did not carry the target epitope for being devoid of last 30 amino acids at the C-terminus. The results demonstrated that the anti-CB1 material recognised selectively the target protein, thanks to the presence of the 15-amino acid sequence selected as epitope, which revealed that binding occurred at the C-terminus of the receptor itself. The methodology presented may pave the way for the development of novel imprinted nanomaterials for other proteins included in the superfamily of the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR).

Graphical abstract