bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of packaging and ripeness on plantain flour characteristics during storage
Authors: Honfo Fernande G. , Togbe Euloge C. , Dekker Matthijs , Akissoe Noël
Published: July 2022

The increasing implication of plantain flour in various food formulations calls for the need to evaluate the effects of ripening stage, packaging materials, and storage duration on its proximal composition and functional properties. For this study, plantain flours were produced from the cultivar Alloga at unripe and semiripe stage 3. They were stored both in transparent polyethylene bags and in an opaque aluminum foil. Physicochemical analyses and functional characterization of the plantain flour were performed on samples taken prior to storage and on monthly basis for 6 months during storage. Ash and carbohydrate contents decreased while the yellowness and redness increased with ripening. Pasting viscosity drastically decreased with ripening. During storage, significant differences in color and among most functional characteristics were observed as a consequence of both storage duration and packaging materials. Based on this research, flour from semiripe plantain could be recommended for use in formulations requiring low viscosity. Besides, it is suggested to store plantain flours in opaque containers to reduce the variability in its properties, thus maintaining its original quality.
Impact of vitamin D on maternal and fetal health: A review
Authors: Arshad Rizwan , Sameen Aysha , Murtaza Mian Anjum , Sharif Hafiz Rizwan , Iahtisham‐Ul‐Haq  , Dawood Sahifa , Ahmed Zahoor , Nemat Arash , Manzoor Muhammad Faisal
Published: July 2022

The role of vitamin D in improving maternal health and reducing the risk of developmental disorders in fetus has been an important domain of research since the past few years. Vitamin D, owing to its immunomodulatory, anti‐inflammatory, developmental roles, and regulating calcium homeostasis, is predicted to have a significant influence on maternal and fetal health status. Several observational studies and clinical trials, determining the impact of vitamin D on gestational diabetes, C‐section, postpartum depression, pre‐eclampsia, miscarriages, and preterm delivery, have been elaborated in this review. In addition, fetal birth defects including neurological development, reduced birth weight, respiratory infections, bone development, and altered anthropometrics have also been summarized with available evidences. Other important mechanisms related to the roles of vitamin D in the body are also explained. Furthermore, recent studies determining the effect of vitamin D at genetic level will also help in understanding and future design of research in the area of maternal and fetal health.
Study on the differences in aroma components and formation mechanisms of “Nasmi” melon from different production areas
Authors: Shao Xupeng , He Weizhong , Fan Yingying , Shen Qi , Mao Jiancai , Li Meihua , Hu Guozhi , Liu Fengjuan , Wang Cheng
Published: July 2022

Aroma is an important factor that guides consumers in purchasing and is thus very important in melon research. To our knowledge, the number of studies with a focus on the aroma differences of the same melon variety in different production areas is largely limited. In this study, the differences in aroma components of “Nasmi” melons from two different production regions were analyzed using gas‐phase ion migration spectroscopy. Transcriptome sequencing was performed for analyzing fragrance‐related genes. Results showed that there were significant differences in the aroma components between products from the two regions. The total amount of aroma compounds from the Turpan region (TT) was 1.7 times higher than that from the Altay region (AT). Through the analysis of transcriptome data, the key genes encoding melon aroma components in different regions were identified as ethanol dehydrogenase, 3‐hydroxyl‐coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase, acyl‐CoA oxidase, long‐chain acyl‐CoA synthetase, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and acetyl‐CoA acyltransferase. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) showed that the verified genes were similar to the transcriptome. In this study, the main aroma components of the same variety of melon that differed in different production areas and the key genes causing these differences were identified. In addition, the aroma metabolic pathway of melon in different regions was preliminarily elucidated. These results could provide a theoretical basis for further study of the formation mechanism of melon aroma and breeding.
Regional gene expression patterns are associated with task‐specific brain activation during reward and emotion processing measured with functional MRI
Authors: Komorowski Arkadiusz , Murgaš Matej , Vidal Ramon , Singh Aditya , Gryglewski Gregor , Kasper Siegfried , Wiltfang Jens , Lanzenberger Rupert , Goya‐Maldonado Roberto
Published: July 2022

The exploration of the spatial relationship between gene expression profiles and task‐evoked response patterns known to be altered in neuropsychiatric disorders, for example depression, can guide the development of more targeted therapies. Here, we estimated the correlation between human transcriptome data and two different brain activation maps measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy subjects. Whole‐brain activation patterns evoked during an emotional face recognition task were associated with topological mRNA expression of genes involved in cellular transport. In contrast, fMRI activation patterns related to the acceptance of monetary rewards were associated with genes implicated in cellular localization processes, metabolism, translation, and synapse regulation. An overlap of these genes with risk genes from major depressive disorder genome‐wide association studies revealed the involvement of the master regulators TCF4 and PAX6 in emotion and reward processing. Overall, the identification of stable relationships between spatial gene expression profiles and fMRI data may reshape the prospects for imaging transcriptomics studies.
Mental health effects of education
Authors: Kondirolli Fjolla , Sunder Naveen
Published: July 2022

We analyze the role of education as a determinant of mental health. To do this, we leverage the age‐specific exposure to an educational reform as an instrument for years of education and find that the treated cohorts gained more education. This increase in education had an effect on mental health more than 2 decades later. An extra year of education led to a lower likelihood of reporting any symptoms related to depression (11.3%) and anxiety (9.8%). More educated people also suffered less severe symptoms – depression (6.1%) and anxiety (5.6%). These protective effects are higher among women and rural residents. The effects of education on mental well‐being that we document are potentially mediated through better physical health, improved health behavior and knowledge, and an increase in women's empowerment.
Research on the magnetic resonance imaging brain tumor segmentation algorithm based on DO‐UNet
Authors: Huang Tongyuan , Liu Yao
Published: July 2022

With the social and economic development and the improvement of people's living standards, smart medical care is booming, and medical image processing is becoming more and more popular in research, of which brain tumor segmentation is an important branch of medical image processing. However, the manual segmentation method of brain tumors requires a lot of time and effort from the doctor and has a great impact on the treatment of patients. In order to solve this problem, we propose a DO‐UNet model for magnetic resonance imaging brain tumor image segmentation based on attention mechanism and multi‐scale feature fusion to realize fully automatic segmentation of brain tumors. Firstly, we replace the convolution blocks in the original U‐Net model with the residual modules to prevent the gradient disappearing. Secondly, the multi‐scale feature fusion is added to the skip connection of U‐Net to fuse the low‐level features and high‐level features more effectively. In addition, in the decoding stage, we add an attention mechanism to increase the weight of effective information and avoid information redundancy. Finally, we replace the traditional convolution in the model with DO‐Conv to speed up the network training and improve the segmentation accuracy. In order to evaluate the model, we used the BraTS2018, BraTS2019, and BraTS2020 datasets to train the improved model and validate it online, respectively. Experimental results show that the DO‐UNet model can effectively improve the accuracy of brain tumor segmentation and has good segmentation performance.
Long‐term outcomes of surgical approaches for bilateral hepatolithiasis: A real‐world six‐decade experience at a single center
Authors: Zhang Jie , Xu Zhi , Wang Lixin , Hou Chunsheng , Wang Gang , Cui Long , Zhang Lingfu , Ling Xiaofeng , Xiu Dianrong
Published: July 2022

Background

Bilateral hepatolithiasis is an intractable disease and repeated attacks of acute cholangitis seriously threaten patient health. The surgical approaches evolve along with gradually greater understanding of its pathophysiology.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study for bilateral hepatolithiasis from January 1958 to December 2018. Before May 1993 (Group A, n = 70), three surgical approaches were adopted: 37 patients with common bile duct exploration (CBDE), 29 with choledochoenterostomy (CE) and four with partial hepatectomy (PH). After June 1993 (Group B, n = 150), 101 patients underwent Oddi sphincter‐preserved cholangioplasty with hepatico‐subcutaneous stoma (OSPCHS), and 16 with CBDE, 21 with CE, 12 with PH. The perioperative and long‐term outcomes were compared.

Results

After 1993, the cholangitis recurrence rate significantly decreased from 49.2% to 20.9%, and the stone recurrence rate from 76.3% to 37.1% (both P < .001). Also, the stone‐/cholangitis‐free durations were prolonged significantly (median: 50.8 vs 26.4/49.6 vs 16.2 months, both P < .001). Preoperative cholangitis was an independent risk factor for stone recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.863, P = .018), and residual stone for cholangitis recurrence (HR = 2.838, P < .001). OSPCHS and PH were protective surgical approaches for recurrent stone (CBDE: reference; OSPCHS: HR = .469, P = .016, PH: HR = .219, P = .018) and cholangitis (CBDE: reference; OSPCHS: HR = .421, P = .010, PH: HR = .283, P = .093).

Conclusions

For bilateral hepatolithiasis, the management should focus on hepatobiliary lesion eradication and Oddi sphincter function preservation.
Imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine as a promising scaffold for the development of antibacterial agents
Authors: Mishra Nilima Priyadarsini , Mohapatra Seetaram , Das Tapaswini , Nayak Sabita
Published: July 2022

The fascinating molecular structure and versatile bioactivity of imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine scaffold attracts the scientific community to develop new imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine based antibacterial agent in current situation. This systematic review provides a deep insight into the recent advances of imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine derivatives and its antibacterial activities from 2010 to 2021. Moreover, the structure–activity relationship and synthetic approaches are also cautiously summarized throughout the review which affords a clear vision for the medicinal chemists to design new antibacterial agents.
Neat multicomponent assembly of highly functionalized Acenaphtho[1,2‐b]pyrroles, in vitro evaluation for antioxidant and cytotoxic activities
Authors: Vinodhini Chandrasekar , Kiruthika Selvarangam E. , Perumal Paramasivan Thirumalai , Chitra Krishnan
Published: July 2022

A facile one‐pot multicomponent route for the synthesis of acenaphtho[1,2‐b] pyrroles from acenaphthenequinone using amines and activated alkynes is reported. The method involves the formation of a zwitterionic intermediate through Huisgen dipolar cycloaddition reaction of amines and activated alkynes. The solvent free method was found to be superior than conventional methods in terms of reaction resulted in excellent yields in the presence of electron releasing and halogen containing substituents on the primary aromatic amine and on altering the alkyl substituents of the acetylenic ester. Antioxidant activity of the titled derivatives (4a‐j) was investigated by the Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. Compounds 4b and 4j showed relative radical scavenging potential comparable to that of ascorbic acid (IC50 = 25.20 μg/mL). Cell growth inhibition testing was carried out using 3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in two different human cancer cell lines colon (HT‐ 29) and breast (MCF‐7). Compound 4j is comparatively effective against HT‐29 cells (GI50 = 23.6 ± 0.11) in comparison with standard 5‐FU (GI50 = 25.5 ± 0.29) and also moderately effective against MCF‐7 cells (GI50 = 10.3 ± 0.12) in comparison with standard Doxorubicin (GI50 = 2.6 ± 0.06) among the other evaluated derivatives. The results revealed the promising lead compounds 4j for further optimization toward the discovery and development of new anti‐cancer agents.
Chaotic simplex moth swarm algorithm for optimization of alternative energy integrated power grid including static synchronous series compensator
Authors: Banerjee Dhiman , Roy Provas Kumar , Panda Gautam Kumar
Published: July 2022

An optimal power flow (OPF) model is developed in this paper, which includes three highly volatile energy sources: wind energy, photovoltaic energy, and electric vehicle as a vehicle to grid energy source. An interpretable probabilistic approach is implemented to estimate the power generation from the mentioned energy sources using different probability distribution functions. A single static synchronous series compensator is optimally configured and positioned in the combined grid power system to achieve balanced operation. This significant uncertainty imposed OPF model is solved by blending (a) chaotic mapping technique, and (b) Nelder–mead simplex method with conventional moth swarm algorithm (MSA) and the modified version of MSA is called chaotic simplex MSA (CSMSA). Proposed CSMSA's performance is evaluated analytically using extensive simulation approaches that include six different power‐related simulation instances considering IEEE 30 and 118‐bus test grid systems. The strength of the proposed CSMSA is examined by comparing its performance to five outstanding metaheuristic techniques.
Impact of searching clinical trials registers in systematic reviews of pharmaceutical and non‐pharmaceutical interventions: Reanalysis of meta‐analyses
Authors: Alqaidoom Zainab , Nguyen Phi‐Yen , Awadh Maryam , Page Matthew J.
Published: July 2022

Systematic reviewers are advised to search trials registers to minimise risk of reporting biases. However, there has been little research on the impact of searching trials registers on the results of meta‐analyses. We aimed to evaluate the impact of searching clinical trials registers for systematic reviews of pharmaceutical or non‐pharmaceutical interventions. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index, and Education Collection for systematic reviews with meta‐analyses indexed from 2 November to 2 December 2020. A random sample of systematic reviews was initially drawn, and for reviews which considered randomised trials eligible for inclusion, which had not searched a trials register, we searched ClinicalTrials.gov, EudraCT, ANZCTR, and the WHO ICTRP search portal for eligible trials. We compared meta‐analytic effect estimates before and after including results from additional trials identified. We found additional trials for 63% (63/101) of eligible reviews; however, trials with results that could contribute to a meta‐analysis were identified for only 20% (20/101) of the reviews. On average, there was no difference in the meta‐analytic effect estimates before versus after adding the new trials. In summary, searching clinical trial registers led to identification of additional trials for many reviews; however, very few trials had results available for inclusion in meta‐analyses. Including results from the new trials led to no change in the meta‐analytic estimates, on average. Trials registers would be even more valuable to systematic reviewers if more trialists made use of them (i.e., registered their trials and posted results in a timely manner).
Comparing methods for handling missing covariates in meta‐regression
Authors: Lee Jihyun , Beretvas S. Natasha
Published: July 2022

Meta‐analysts often encounter missing covariate values when estimating meta‐regression models. In practice, ad hoc approaches involving data deletion have been widely used. The current study investigates the performance of different methods for handling missing covariates in meta‐regression, including complete‐case analysis (CCA), shifting‐case analysis (SCA), multiple imputation (MI), and full information maximum likelihood (FIML), assuming missing at random mechanism. According to the simulation results, we advocate the use of MI and FIML than CCA and SCA approaches in practice. In addition, we cautiously note the challenges and potential advantages of using MI in the meta‐analysis context.
5,291‐ppi OLED display enabled by monolithic integration of C‐axis‐aligned crystalline IGZO FET and Si CMOS
Authors: Kato Kiyoshi , Kobayashi Hidetomo , Shishido Hideaki , Isa Toshiyuki , Aoyama Tomoya , Jimbo Yasuhiro , Hodo Ryota , Kusunoki Koji , Kunitake Hitoshi , Yamazaki Shunpei
Published: July 2022

For the first time in the world, we have fabricated an organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) display that monolithically integrates Si CMOS and oxide semiconductor FETs (OSFETs). OSFETs can be monolithically stacked on Si CMOS. With this OS/Si monolithic stack technology, we have fabricated driver circuits with Si CMOS and pixel circuits with OSFETs. This enables displays to have thin bezels. In addition, fabricating pixel circuits with OSFETs, which have higher breakdown voltage than Si CMOS, allows the use of tandem OLED devices that require high driving voltage. This enables an OLED display with a pixel density over 5,000 ppi.
Impact of resection margin status on survival after operation for pancreatic head cancer with extrapancreatic nerve plexus invasion
Authors: Konishi Takanori , Takano Shigetsugu , Furukawa Katsunori , Takayashiki Tsukasa , Kuboki Satoshi , Suzuki Daisuke , Sakai Nozomu , Hosokawa Isamu , Mishima Takashi , Ohtsuka Masayuki
Published: July 2022

Background

Extrapancreatic nerve plexus (PL) invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an important factor for determining resectability and surgical method. We sought to clarify the characteristics of PDAC with PL invasion and clinical impact of the resection margin status on prognosis for PDAC with PL invasion.

Methods

A total of 242 patients with pancreatic head cancer who underwent pancreatectomy were evaluated. Clinicopathological data and patient survival were analyzed.

Results

Pathological PL invasion was observed in 68 patients (28.1%). Patients with PL invasion had significantly shorter disease‐free survival (DFS) and showed trends toward worse overall survival (OS) than those without PL invasion. While multivariate analysis revealed that PL invasion was not an independent prognostic factor, PL invasion was associated with extensive venous invasion and a high percentage of lymph node metastases, both of which were independent factors affecting DFS and OS. Among patients with PL invasion, there was no significant difference in DFS and OS between the R0 and R1 resection groups.

Conclusions

PL invasion is a common pathological feature of aggressive PDAC with high propensity for invasiveness and metastatic potential. The microscopic resection margin status may not affect the survival of pancreatic head cancer patients with PL invasion.
Neoepitope fragments as biomarkers for different phenotypes of intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Cui Shangbin , Li Wenyue , Teixeira Graciosa Q. , Neidlinger‐Wilke Cornelia , Wilke Hans‐Joachim , Haglund Lisbet , Ouyang Hongwei , Richards R. Geoff , Grad Sibylle , Alini Mauro , Li Zhen
Published: July 2022

Background

During the intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration process, initial degenerative events occur at the extracellular matrix level, with the appearance of neoepitope peptides formed by the cleavage of aggrecan and collagen. This study aims to elucidate the spatial and temporal alterations of aggrecan and collagen neoepitope level during IVD degeneration.

Methods

Bovine caudal IVDs were cultured under four different conditions to mimic different degenerative situations. Samples cultured after 1‐ or 8‐days were collected for analysis. Human IVD samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). After immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of Aggrecanase Cleaved C‐terminus Aggrecan Neoepitope (NB100), MMP Cleaved C‐terminus Aggrecan Neoepitope (MMPCC), Collagen Type 1α1 1/4 fragment (C1α1) and Collagenase Cleaved Type I and II Collagen Neoepitope (C1,2C), staining optical density (OD)/area in extracellular matrix (OECM) and pericellular zone (OPCZ) were analyzed. Conditioned media of the bovine IVD was collected to measure protein level of inflammatory cytokines and C1,2C.

Results

For the bovine IVD sections, the aggrecan MMPCC neoepitope was accumulated in nucleus pulposus (NP) and cartilage endplate (EP) regions following mechanical overload in the one strike model after long‐term culture; as for the TNF‐α induced degeneration, the OECM and OPCZ of collagen C1,2C neoepitope was significantly increased in the outer AF region after long‐term culture; moreover, the C1,2C was only detected in conditioned medium from TNF‐α injection + Degenerative loading group after 8 days of culture. LDH patients showed higher MMPCC OECM in NP and higher C1,2C OECM in AF region compared with AIS patients.

Conclusions

In summary, aggrecan and collagen neoepitope profiles showed degeneration induction trigger‐ and region‐specific differences in the IVD organ culture models. Different IVD degeneration types are correlated with specific neoepitope expression profiles. These neoepitopes may be helpful as biomarkers of ECM degradation in early IVD degeneration and indicators of different degeneration phenotypes.
Gold Nanoparticle Embedded Stimuli‐Responsive Functional Glycopolymer: A Potential Material for Synergistic Chemo‐Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer Cells
Authors: Bhattacharya Koushik , Das Subhayan , Kundu Moumita , Singh Sudarshan , Kalita Uddhab , Mandal Mahitosh , Singha Nikhil K.
Published: July 2022

Photodynamic therapy has emerged as a noninvasive treatment modality for several types of cancers. However, conventional hydrophobic photosensitizers (PS) suffer from low water solubility and poor tumor‐targeting ability. Therefore, PS modified with glycopolymers can offer adequate water solubility, biocompatibility, and tumor‐targeting ability due to the presence of multiple sugar units. In this study, a well‐defined block copolymer poly(3‐O‐methacryloyl‐d‐glucopyranose)‐b‐poly(2‐(4‐formylbenzoyloxy)ethylmethacrylate) (PMAG‐b‐PFBEMA) containing pendant glucose and aldehyde units is synthesized via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization method. A water‐soluble PS (toluidine blue O; TBO) and a potent anticancer drug, Doxorubicin (Dox) are introduced to the polymer backbone via acid‐labile Schiff‐base reaction (PMAG‐b‐PFBEMA_TBO_Dox). The PMAG‐b‐PFBEMA_TBO_Dox is then anchored on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via electrostatic interaction. This hybrid system exhibits excellent reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating ability under exposure of 630 nm light‐emitting diode along with triggered release of Dox under the acidic pH of tumor cells. The in vitro cytotoxicity study on human breast cancer cell line, MDA MB 231, for this hybrid system shows promising results due to the synergistic effect of ROS and Dox released. Thus, this glycopolymer‐based dual (chemo‐photodynamic) therapy model can work as potential material for future therapeutics.
Corrosion challenges towards a sustainable society
Authors: Bender Roman , Féron Damien , Mills Douglas , Ritter Stefan , Bäßler Ralph , Bettge Dirk , De Graeve Iris , Dugstad Arne , Grassini Sabrina , Hack Theo , Halama Maros , Han En‐Hou , Harder Thomas , Hinds Gareth , Kittel Jean , Krieg Romina , Leygraf Christofer , Martinelli Laure , Mol Arjan , Neff Delphine , Nilsson Jan‐Olov , Odnevall Inger , Paterson Steve , Paul Shiladitya , Prošek Tomáš , Raupach Michael , Revilla Reynier I. , Ropital François , Schweigart Helmut , Szala Elizabeth , Terryn Herman , Tidblad Johan , Virtanen Sannakaisa , Volovitch Polina , Watkinson David , Wilms Marc , Winning George , Zheludkevich Mikhail
Published: July 2022

A global transition towards more sustainable, affordable and reliable energy systems is being stimulated by the Paris Agreement and the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This poses a challenge for the corrosion industry, as building climate‐resilient energy systems and infrastructures brings with it a long‐term direction, so as a result the long‐term behaviour of structural materials (mainly metals and alloys) becomes a major prospect. With this in mind “Corrosion Challenges Towards a Sustainable Society” presents a series of cases showing the importance of corrosion protection of metals and alloys in the development of energy production to further understand the science of corrosion, and bring the need for research and the consequences of corrosion into public and political focus. This includes emphasis on the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions, on the lifetime of infrastructures, implants, cultural heritage artefacts, and a variety of other topics.
Strong Hydrophobic and Ultraviolet Reflective Film from Fluorinated Polyisoprene with Microphase Separation via Thiol–Epoxy Click Chemistry
Authors: Liu Huan , Cheng Shihong , Yang Yadong , Wang Chunlin , Zhu Shijiang , Zhao Fuchun
Published: July 2022

Polyisoprene is widely used in the industrial production of tires, thermoplastic elastomers, pressure sensitive adhesives, coatings, plasticizers, lubricants, and other functional materials. However, due to the inherent molecular defect of containing many unsaturated double bonds, polyisoprene exhibits relatively weak environmental endurance, especially under extreme environmental conditions. To incorporate the excellent features of fluorinated polymer such as tough environmental endurance, a new type of fluorinated polyisoprene is tailored and a facile procedure of introducing fluoroalkyl side chains onto polyisoprene backbone is carried out via epoxidation and thiol–epoxy click chemistry under mild conditions. The results demonstrate that fluorinated alkyl side chains are successfully clicked onto backbone chains of polyisoprene and the corresponding film exhibits a microphase separation structure. As for the fluorinated polyisoprene film after the introduction of fluoroalkyl groups, the water contact angle enhances significantly from 79.4° to 114.8° and the UV reflectivity improves markedly. In addition, the surface chemical constituents confirm that the incorporated fluoroalkyl groups have a tendency to migrate and enrich spontaneously onto the film surface.
Compact planar ultra‐wideband pattern diversity antenna
Authors: Ellis Mubarak S. , Nourinia Javad , Ghobadi Changiz , Mohammadi Bahman
Published: July 2022

A two‐port planar ultra‐wideband (UWB) pattern diversity antenna is proposed in this letter. The design consists of an array of two rotated identical monopole antennas and two feeding ports with 0° in‐phase and 180° out‐of‐phase excitations. The single monopole antenna includes a circular patch, a rectangular truncated ground plane and a fork‐shaped feeding structure. In this antenna, a modified partial common ground plane is used to enhance the input matching, increase the isolation between antenna elements and improve the desired radiations. The measured results show an |S11| < −10 dB bandwidth ranging from 2 to over 20GHz, with conical and broadside beams, high efficiency, and good isolation across the entire UWB band. Also, the proposed antenna exhibits a smaller footprint, larger bandwidth, and more straightforward design compared with the existing designs. To the best of authors’ knowledge, all these characteristics have never been presented in previously reported UWB pattern diversity antennas.
Challenges of working from home during the COVID‐19 pandemic for women in the UAE
Authors: Kooli Chokri
Published: July 2022

This study explored the experiences of working from home among women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the lockdown. Adopting the interpretative philosophical approach, this study conducts semi‐structured interviews with sixteen (16) randomly selected women actively employed in different sectors in the UAE economy. The analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis to derive the themes and sub‐themes emerging from the coded data. The research finds that most of the challenges are associated with spillover from work, affecting family time, and invading personal space. The research concluded that women working remotely faced issues linked to glitches, malfunctions, and knowledge deficiencies. The third most identified challenge to working from home was the distractions that come with the conscious attempt to divide attention between work and family, trying to stop one from interfering with the other. However, the research observed some notable advantages including workplace flexibility and control, as well as the opportunity to work from the comfort of the home. The findings also revealed the mixed feelings to continue working from home and its impact on the career progression of women in the UAE.
A compendious review on fatigue properties of the bio‐nanocomposites
Authors: Aravind Dhandapani , Senthilkumar Krishnasamy , Chandrasekar Muthukumar , Senthil Muthu Kumar Thiagamani , Ganesan C. , Parameswaranpillai Jyotishkumar , Rajini Nagarajan , Siengchin Suchart , Varagunapandiyan Natarajan
Published: July 2022

In this present work, a review of fatigue strength on bio‐nano composites was presented. Generally, the biocomposites possessed higher fatigue strength than the conventional materials. Because the propagation in biocomposites can be arrested due to their internal structure, whereas the damages occur in the matrix and/or at the fiber/matrix interface region. In the case of conventional materials, the cracks would rapidly grow until a catastrophic failure occurs. Thus, the S–N curves of composites show a flatter curve when compared to the conventional materials. In terms of fatigue properties, conventional fiber‐reinforced composites (e.g., glass and carbon‐reinforced composites) were more extensively studied than bio‐based reinforced composites. Examining the fatigue properties of materials is significant for all engineering‐based applications. Because the fatigue failures can occur below the ultimate tensile strength of materials. However, the fatigue performance of the composites can be enhanced by improving the fiber‐matrix interfacial bonding resulting from surface treatment of fibers and incorporating nanofillers within the matrix, and so forth. Since the nanocomposites have a larger surface area and aspect ratio, they are preferred to use in many applications: aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, construction, and building, electronics, marine, and packing industries. Thus, this chapter starts with the unique advantages of bio‐nano composites. Then, the fatigue properties of bio‐nano composites, the significance of the S–N diagram, and the pattern of fatigue testing were discussed. In order to understand the fatigue behavior, several factors such as structure, fillers, fabrication techniques, and so forth were included. Challenges of fatigue strength of biocomposites were also summarized.
Advancing quantification methods for polyphenols in brown seaweeds—applying a selective qNMR method compared with the TPC assay
Authors: Wekre Marie Emilie , Hellesen Brunvoll Sondre , Jordheim Monica
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Brown seaweeds are a sustainable biomass with a potential for various industrial applications. Polyphenols are an important contributor to this potential.

Objective

The aim was total quantification of polyphenols in brown seaweeds from different tidal zones, using a selective 1H quantitative NMR (qNMR) method, comparing the results with the colorimetric Folin–Ciocalteu total phenolic content (TPC) assay.

Method

qNMR was performed with integration of selected peaks in the aromatic region (7–5.5 ppm). Deselection of non‐polyphenolic 1H signals was based on information from 2D (1H‐13C, 1H‐15N) NMR spectra. 13C NMR phlorotannin characterisation facilitated the average number of protons expected to be found per aromatic ring used for the 1H quantification.

Results

Selective qNMR and the TPC assay showed similar results for the three sublittoral growing species from the Laminariaceae; lower amounts for Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria digitata (qNMR: 0.4%–0.6%; TPC: 0.6%–0.8%, phloroglucinol equivalents (PGE), dry weight (DW)) and higher amounts for Saccharina latissima (qNMR: 1.2%; TPC: 1.5%, PGE, DW). For the eulittoral Fucaceae, Fucus vesiculosus (qNMR: 1.1%; TPC: 4.1%; PGE, DW) and Ascophyllum nodosum (qNMR: 0.9%; TPC: 2.0%; PGE, DW), the TPC results were found to be up to three times higher than the qNMR results. The 13C NMR characterisation showed the highest phlorotannin polymerisation degree for F. vesiculosus.

Conclusion

The TPC assay provided similar polyphenolic amounts to the selective qNMR method for sublittoral species. For eulittoral growing species, the TPC method showed amounts up to three times higher than the qNMR method—most likely illustrating the lack of selectivity in the TPC assay.
Enhanced properties of poly(silylene phenylether arylacetylene) by a side cyano group
Authors: Li Chuan , Ma Manping , Tang Junkun , Yuan Qiaolong , Huang Farong
Published: July 2022

Poly(silylene arylacetylene) resin is a type of thermosetting resin with high heat resistance and good mechanical performance. A cyano group was introduced into a 1,3‐bis(4‐ethynylphenoxy)benzene, and thus a poly(silylene phenylether arylacetylene) with a side cyano group (PCNSA‐MP) was obtained by the polymerization of 2,6‐bis‐(4‐ethynylphenoxy)benzonitrile and dichlormethylphenylsilane under a catalyst. The structures and properties of PCNSA‐MP and poly(silylene phenylether arylacetylene) (PSEA‐MP) resins and the mechanical properties of T300/resin composites were studied. The results show that both PCNSA‐MP and PSEA‐MP resins possess good heat resistance. Especially, the PCNSA‐MP resin with the cyano group exhibits lower curing temperature, better heat resistance, and higher mechanical properties as compared with PSEA‐MP resin. The Td5 of the cured PCNSA‐MP resin arrives at 491°C and there is no significant glass transition below 450°C for the resin. The flexural strengths of the cured PCNSA‐MP resin and T300/ PCNSA‐MP composite reach 55.2 MPa and 433.8 MPa, respectively.
Forced expiratory flows and diffusion capacity in infants born from mothers with pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Ren Clement L. , Slaven James E. , Haas David M. , Haneline Laura S. , Tiller Christina , Hogg Graham , Bjerregaard Jeffrey , Tepper Robert S.
Published: July 2022

Rationale

Animal models suggest pre‐eclampsia (Pre‐E) affects alveolar development, but data from humans are lacking.

Objective

Assess the impact of Pre‐E on airway function, diffusion capacity, and respiratory morbidity in preterm and term infants born from mothers with Pre‐E.

Methods

Infants born from mothers with and without Pre‐E were recruited for this study; term and preterm infants were included in both cohorts. Respiratory morbidity in the first 12 months of life was assessed through monthly phone surveys. Raised volume rapid thoracoabdominal compression and measurement of diffusion capacity of the lung to carbon monoxide (DLCO) were performed at 6 months corrected age.

Measurements and Main Results

There were 146 infants in the Pre‐E cohort and 143 in the control cohort. The Pre‐E cohort was further divided into nonsevere (N = 41) and severe (N = 105) groups. There was no significant difference in DLCO and DLCO/alveolar volume among the three groups. Forced vital capacity was similar among the three groups, but the nonsevere Pre‐E group had significantly higher forced expiratory flows than the other two groups. After adjusting for multiple covariates including prematurity, the severe Pre‐E group had a lower risk for wheezing in the first year of life compared to the other two groups.

Conclusions

Pre‐E is not associated with reduced DLCO, lower forced expiratory flows, or increased wheezing in the first year of life. These results differ from animal models and highlight the complex relationships between Pre‐E and lung function and respiratory morbidity in human infants.
Preclinical anti‐angiogenic and anti‐cancer activities of BAY1143269 in glioblastoma via targeting oncogenic protein expression
Authors: Wan Weifeng , Zhang Xin , Huang Changren , Chen Ligang , Yang Xiaobo , Bao Kunyang , Peng Tangming
Published: July 2022

Glioblastoma angiogenesis is critical for tumor growth, making it an appealing target for treatment development. BAY1143269 is a novel inhibitor of mitogen‐activated protein kinase interacting serine/threonine‐protein kinase 1 (MKN1) and has potent anti‐cancer activity. We identified BAY1143269 as an angiogenesis inhibitor, by in vitro and in vivo glioblastoma angiogenesis models. BAY1143269 inhibited the capillary network formation of glioblastoma microvascular endothelial cells (GMECs), particularly the early stage of tubular structure formation. It also inhibited migration and proliferation, and induced apoptosis of GMECs isolated from glioblastoma patients. We found that BAY1143269 acted on GMECs by suppressing the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and eIF4E‐mediated expression of oncogenic proteins, including those involved in cell cycle, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), and pro‐survival. In addition, BAY1143269 suppressed eIF4E phosphorylation, inhibited proliferation, and induced apoptosis of glioblastoma cells. Interestingly, it reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in tumor cells and culturing medium, demonstrating the inhibitory effect of BAY1143269 on tumor proangiogenic microenvironment. We finally challenged BAY1143269 on the glioblastoma xenograft mice model and observed a significant tumor growth reduction without toxicity in mice receiving oral BAY1143269. Immunoblotting analysis demonstrated significantly less phosphorylated‐eIF4E (p‐eIF4E), cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) (microvascular endothelial cell marker), and VEGF in tumors from drug‐treated mice. In summary, the inhibition of glioblastoma angiogenesis with BAY1143269 may provide an alternative approach for anti‐glioblastoma therapy.
Optical Study of Few‐Layer Graphene Treated by Oxygen Plasma
Authors: Niu Yao-kai , Bi Kai-xi , Li Qian-nan , Zhou Si-yuan , Mu Ji-liang , Tan Li-gang , Mei Lin-yu
Published: July 2022

Oxygen plasma treatment is often used to clean the surface or etch graphene for functional structures. Some unique properties such as photoluminescence (PL), energy bandgap engineering, and so on are presented in single‐layer graphene (SLG). Compared with SLG, few‐layer graphene (FLG) has higher luminescence intensity, slower decay rate, and better controllability. It is more universal in the application of new optoelectronic devices and transparent electrodes. So, a systematic study is provided to analyze the mechanism between chemical vapor deposition of few‐layer graphene and oxygen plasma process based on the optical characterization method. Surface morphology, structural defects, resistance change, chemical state, and PL are traced and investigated under different oxygen plasma treatment times. The CO and CO bonds on the surface of the FLG appear to increase and then decrease with oxygen plasma etching based on X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization. A linear square resistance change is presented from 1.4 to 4.8 kΩ sq−1. Besides that, an obvious redshift–blueshift change is produced in fluorescence characteristic spectra. Herein, comprehensive research on the influencing mechanism of graphene and oxygen treatment is exhibited, which provides the potential to construct optoelectronic devices.
Large datasets, bias and model‐oriented optimal design of experiments
Authors: Pesce Elena , Porro Francesco , Riccomagno Eva
Published: July 2022

We review recent literature that proposes to adapt ideas from classical model based optimal design of experiments to problems of data selection of large datasets. Special attention is given to bias reduction and to protection against confounders. Some new results are presented. Theoretical and computational comparisons are made.
A Wiener degradation process with drift‐based approach of determining target reliability index of concrete structures
Authors: Zhang Zhenhao , Liang Gaoming , Niu Qinglei , Wang Fuming , Chen Jigong , Zhao Bing , Ke Lu
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to determine target reliability index based on modeling performance degradation of concrete structures as a stochastic process. First, the Wiener process with drift is used to simulate the degradation process of relative dynamic elastic modulus of concrete, and the drift coefficient and diffusion coefficient of Wiener process are estimated according to the experimental data of degradation of relative dynamic elastic modulus. Then, based on the relations between concrete compressive strength, dynamic elastic modulus, and relative dynamic elastic modulus, the relationship between compressive strength and the amount of degradation of relative dynamic elastic modulus are deduced, and then, the statistical parameters of concrete compressive strength under different service time can be calculated. Finally, based on the established limit state equation of flexural capacity of the weak section and the statistical parameters of compressive strength at different times, the reliability index of a structure under different service life is calculated. On the other hand, according to the drift Wiener process model of relative dynamic elastic modulus degradation of concrete, the time‐varying failure probability of structural durability degradation is calculated based on the first‐passage failure probability formula of drift Wiener process. Taking a concrete plant structure as an example, the time‐varying reliability index calculated based on the limit state equation and the time‐varying failure probability obtained based on the first‐passage failure probability analysis of drift Wiener process are compared, and then the recommended values of target reliability index of structural bearing capacity are comprehensively determined.
Investigation of SGS alloys CoNbMnZ (Z = As, Sb) suitable for dissipationless spintronic devices and thermoelectric technology
Authors: Seh Ab Quyoom , Gupta Dinesh C.
Published: July 2022

The current study examines two quaternary Heusler alloys, CoNbMnZ (Z = As, Sb). The structural optimization displays a Y2‐type structure with a ferromagnetic feature as a stable state. Mechanical characteristics, cohesive, and formation energies further support the stability of these materials. The generalized gradient method band structure depicts the metallic character of both alloys. Upon integrating the modified Becke–Johnson potential to the generalized gradient method, the alloys signify a spin gapless semiconducting nature (SGS). The origin of the spin gapless property is explained using constituent hybridization through schematic representation. Since SGS alloys have zero spin‐flip energy, both holes and electrons display 100% spin polarization, making them ideal candidates for spintronics applications, which is a unique property of these alloys. Both alloys have a magnetic moment 2μB following the Slater–Pauling rule MT = ZT − 24. Furthermore, the computed thermoelectric properties suggest that these alloys are thermo‐efficient, might generate thermoelectric power, and act as green energy materials.
Bayesian network mediation analysis with application to the brain functional connectome
Authors: Zhao Yize , Chen Tianqi , Cai Jiachen , Lichenstein Sarah , Potenza Marc N. , Yip Sarah W.
Published: July 2022

The brain functional connectome, the collection of interconnected neural circuits along functional networks, facilitates a cutting‐edge understanding of brain functioning, and has a potential to play a mediating role within the effect pathway between an exposure and an outcome. While existing mediation analytic approaches are capable of providing insight into complex processes, they mainly focus on a univariate mediator or mediator vector, without considering network‐variate mediators. To fill the methodological gap and accomplish this exciting and urgent application, in the article, we propose an integrative mediation analysis under a Bayesian paradigm with networks entailing the mediation effect. To parameterize the network measurements, we introduce individually specified stochastic block models with unknown block allocation, and naturally bridge effect elements through the latent network mediators induced by the connectivity weights across network modules. To enable the identification of truly active mediating components, we simultaneously impose a feature selection across network mediators. We show the superiority of our model in estimating different effect components and selecting active mediating network structures. As a practical illustration of this approach's application to network neuroscience, we characterize the relationship between a therapeutic intervention and opioid abstinence as mediated by brain functional sub‐networks.
Generalized additive models to analyze nonlinear trends in biomedical longitudinal data using R: Beyond repeated measures ANOVA and linear mixed models
Authors: Mundo Ariel I. , Tipton John R. , Muldoon Timothy J.
Published: July 2022

In biomedical research, the outcome of longitudinal studies has been traditionally analyzed using therepeated measures analysis of variance(rm‐ANOVA) or more recently,linear mixed models(LMEMs). Although LMEMs are less restrictive than rm‐ANOVA as they can work with unbalanced data and non‐constant correlation between observations, both methodologies assume a linear trend in the measured response. It is common in biomedical research that the true trend response is nonlinear and in these cases the linearity assumption of rm‐ANOVA and LMEMs can lead to biased estimates and unreliable inference. In contrast, GAMs relax the linearity assumption of rm‐ANOVA and LMEMs and allow the data to determine the fit of the model while also permitting incomplete observations and different correlation structures. Therefore, GAMs present an excellent choice to analyze longitudinal data with non‐linear trends in the context of biomedical research. This paper summarizes the limitations of rm‐ANOVA and LMEMs and uses simulated data to visually show how both methods produce biased estimates when used on data with non‐linear trends. We present the basic theory of GAMs and using reported trends of oxygen saturation in tumors, we simulate example longitudinal data (2 treatment groups, 10 subjects per group, 5 repeated measures for each group) to demonstrate their implementation in R. We also show that GAMs are able to produce estimates with non‐linear trends even when incomplete observations exist (with 40% of the simulated observations missing). To make this work reproducible, the code and data used in this paper are available at:https://github.com/aimundo/GAMs‐biomedical‐research.