bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Favorable prognostic phenotype in myelodysplastic syndrome with der(1;7)(q10;p10)
Authors: Horio Tomohiro , Enomoto Megumi , Watarai Masaya , Nakano Yuuta , Yamada Saki , Matsumura Saori , Kanasugi Jo , Takasugi Soichi , Nakamura Ayano , Uchino Kaori , Mizuno Shohei , Murakami Satsuki , Yamamoto Hidesuke , Hanamura Ichiro , Takami Akiyoshi
Published: October 2020

Unbalanced translocation der(1;7)(q10;p10) is a characteristic chromosomal abnormality in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The current study revealed that among 13 MDS patients with der(1;7)(q10;p10), seven cases with no apparent dysplasia also had low numbers of myeloblasts in the bone marrow and a 3‐year survival rate of 86%; in contrast, the remaining six cases had a 3‐year survival rate of 0% (P = .003). It was therefore suggested that MDS patients with der(1;7)(q10;p10) are classified into a distinct group with a favorable prognosis and another distinct group with a very poor prognosis.
Leksell Gamma Knife® – The first 1000 patients from the radiation therapist’s perspective
Authors: Jenkins Michael , Lusk Ryan , Foley Heath , Pinkham Mark B , Olson Sarah , Hall Bruce , McBean Angela , Jones Catherine , Foote Matthew
Published: October 2020

The Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) Gamma Knife® Centre of Queensland (GKCoQ) began operations in October of 2015 as a sub‐specialty located within a larger radiation oncology service at PAH. It is uniquely positioned as the only Leksell Gamma Knife® (LGK) treatment unit available in the public hospital system in Australia, and the first and only service in Queensland. The GKCoQ treated the 1000th patient on 23 January 2019.

LGK is a non‐invasive alternative to neurosurgery which uses radioactive cobalt sources to treat a variety of intracranial conditions ranging from tumours and metastases to functional disorders. It is a platform for stereotactic radiosurgery, a highly precise form of radiotherapy utilising very high doses to the target while maximally sparing surrounding normal brain. LGK enables patient planning and treatment to be done in one day as an outpatient procedure. This paper will outline our LGK service and provide insight into the expanded role that radiation therapists have within the multidisciplinary team required to deliver radiosurgery in a timely manner. The training programme and radiation licensing pathway that have been established for radiation therapists will also be described.
The role of low‐level circulation on water vapour transport to central and northern South America: Insights from a 2D Lagrangian approach
Authors: Morales José S. , Arias Paola A. , Martínez J. Alejandro , Durán‐Quesada Ana María
Published: October 2020

The potential role of low‐level circulation on the transport of atmospheric moisture towards Central America and northern South America is studied with the Dynamical Recycling Model (DRM) for the period 1981–2015. The net 2D field for advection of moisture in the DRM is estimated based on two different approaches: from the Vertically Integrated Moisture Flux (VIMF) and from a linear combination of low‐level winds (Ueff). The relative importance of low‐level wind structures is inferred from the comparison of both DRM approaches. The Ueff approach yields larger long‐term estimates of transport from the Pacific compared to the VIMF approach, largely associated with the effect of the low‐level circulation over the eastern Pacific, known as the Choco Jet (CJ). Large differences in the transport estimated by both approaches also appear to be associated with different phases of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO), when differences in the low‐level circulation take place over the eastern Pacific and the tropical Atlantic. Similar differences are found for anomalous activity of the CJ and the Caribbean Low‐level Jet (CLLJ). The differences in the magnitude of long‐term estimates and anomalies from both 2D approaches show that details in vertical wind shear are important for the estimation of water vapour transport. However, the sign of the anomalies and correlation patterns under different circulation regimes were the same for both methods. Furthermore, with both approaches, it is found that variability in the low‐level circulation over the eastern Pacific and the tropical Atlantic is substantially related to changes in the vapour transport towards Central America and northern South America. In addition, the robustness of this signal suggests that a simple 2D tool like the DRM may be effectively used to study transport changes under different regimes, like different ENSO phases or climate change scenarios.
Distinct impacts of two types of South Asian highs on East Asian summer rainfall
Authors: Xue Xu , Chen Wen , Chen Shangfeng , Sun Sisi , Hou Shuangshuang
Published: October 2020

This paper analyses the different relationships between the two types of South Asian highs (SAH)—the southern mode of the SAH (SSAH) and the traditional SAH in its entirety (ESAH)—with respect to the variations in summer rainfall over East Asia. The ESAH is closely related to summer rainfall over northeastern China, whereas the SSAH is closely linked to summer rainfall over the Yangtze River valley, northern China, and Japan. Above‐normal rainfall tends to occur over northeastern China in strong ESAH years, whereas strong SSAH years tend to yield above‐normal rainfall over the Yangtze River valley and Japan together with below‐normal rainfall over northern China. The westerly jet and the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) shifts northward associated with a strengthened ESAH. The related anomalous southwesterly winds to the northwestern side of the WPSH transports abundant water vapour to northeastern China and leads to above‐normal rainfall there. In contrast, the westerly jet shifts southward and WPSH shifts southwestward to the South China Sea associated with a strengthened and southeastward‐shifted SSAH. Accordingly, a cyclonic anomaly appears over Northeast Asia and mid‐latitude western northern Pacific and an anticyclonic anomaly occurs over subtropical western North Pacific. The associated southwesterly wind anomalies over the Yangtze River valley and Japan contributes to above‐normal rainfall over these regions via transporting sufficient amount of water vapour. In addition, the anomalous northerly winds to the western flank of the cyclonic anomaly results in below‐normal rainfall over northern China via carrying drier air southward. Furthermore, the preceding winter ENSO events may play a more important role in the SSAH variation via modulating India Ocean SST.
Climate change impacts on heat stress in Brazil—Past, present, and future implications for occupational heat exposure
Authors: Bitencourt Daniel Pires , Muniz Alves Lincoln , Shibuya Elisa Kayo , de Ângelo da Cunha Irlon , Estevam de Souza João Paulo
Published: October 2020

Climate change has caused an increased occurrence of heat waves. As a result of rising temperatures, implications for health and the environment have been more frequently reported. Outdoor labour activities deserve special attention, as is the case with agricultural and construction workers exposed to extreme weather conditions, including intense heat. This paper presents an overview of heat stress conditions in Brazil from 1961 to 2010. It also presents computer‐simulated projections of heat stress conditions up to the late 21st century. The proposed climate analysis drew on historical weather data obtained from national weather stations and on reanalysis data, in addition to future projections with the ETA (regarding the model's unique vertical coordinate) regional forecast model. The projections took into consideration two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)—the 4.5 and 8.5 climate scenarios, namely, moderate and high emissions scenarios, respectively. Heat stress was inferred based on the wet‐bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index. The results of this climate analysis show that Brazilian outdoor workers have been exposed to an increasing level of heat stress. These results suggest that future changes in the regional climate may increase the probability of heat stress situations in the next decades, with expectations of WBGT values greater than those observed in the baseline period (1961–1990). In terms of spatial distribution, the Brazilian western and northern regions experienced more critical heat stress conditions with higher WBGT values. As a response to the increased frequency trends of hot periods in tropical areas, urgent measures should be taken to review public policies in Brazil. Such policies should include actions towards better working conditions, technological development to improve outdoor labour activities, and employment legislation reviews to mitigate heat impacts on occupational health.
Influence of Hydrogen Bonding on Low Critical Micellar Concentration Value and Formation of Giant Vesicle of Triazole‐Contained Amphiphile
Authors: Zul Nurul Faiezin , Tajuddin Hairul Anuar , Ahmad Noraini , Zainal Abidin Zul Hazrin , Sadidarto Ahmad Bayhaki , Abdullah Zanariah
Published: October 2020

An amphiphile molecule consisting of triazole moiety has been thoroughly investigated using different approaches in its aqueous condition. The studies have discovered the explicit function of its heteroaromatic ability in molecular self‐assembling. From the fluorescence evidence, the triazole‐based amphiphile has shown that the aggregation‐induced emission behavior is mainly due to the triazolyl. It suggests that the triazole is directly involved in the self‐assembling mechanism through an intermolecular interaction. This interaction can be verified by the shifting of proton frequency of the triazole, which is clearly shown by the constant frequency of the proton above the critical micellar concentration (CMC) value. The frequency suggests the establishing hydrogen bond that occurred between the hydrogen and the second nitrogen of the adjacent triazole. These results are consistent with the micellization of the molecule which was determined at a very low CMC value (0.1 mM). The absorbance and optical polarizing microscopy results also support the evidence of the growth of giant vesicles produced from the neutralization of the amphiphile. The formation of stable giant vesicles at neutral pH demonstrates the immediate strong hydrogen bonding connections within the triazoles layer in the bilayer. The discovery reveals that internal hydrogen bonds formed from a heteroaromatic with the appropriate molecular arrangement can promote self‐aggregation and enhance overall stability.
Evaluation of Renal Microperfusion in Diabetic Patients With Kidney Injury by Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound
Authors: Wang Yiru , Li Nan , Tian Xiaoqi , Lin Lin , Liang Shuyuan , Zhao Ping , Dong Zheyi , Wang Qian , Li Qiuyang , Tang Jie , Luo Yukun
Published: October 2020

Objectives

To conduct a quantitative analysis of renal microvascular perfusion in diabetic patients with kidney injury using contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods

A total of 172 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and kidney injury were recruited from May 2017 to November 2019. After collection of clinical characteristics, a CEUS examination was performed after injection of the contrast agent SonoVue (Bracco SpA, Milan, Italy). Time‐intensity curves and renal perfusion parameters were analyzed. Ultrasound‐guided renal biopsy was performed. The patients were divided into a diabetic nephropathy (DN) group and a nondiabetic renal disease (NDRD) group according to renal pathologic results. The discrimination of perfusion parameters between the groups was analyzed statistically with SPSS version 19.0 software (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to illustrate the diagnostic performance of indicators.

Results

Ninety‐eight patients, including 45 with DN (29 male; mean age ± SD, 57.76 ± 10.47 years) and 53 with NDRD (40 male; mean age, 48.7 ± 13.88 years) were included in this study. The peak enhancement (PE), wash‐in the area under the curve (AUC), wash‐in rate, wash‐in perfusion index, wash‐out AUC, wash‐in and wash‐out AUC, and wash‐out rate were significantly different between the groups (P < .05). There were no differences in time‐related parameters between the DN and NDRD groups (P > .05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the AUC for PE was 0.727, and PE lower than 7712.426 had diagnostic potential, with sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 40% in discriminating between NDRD and DN.

Conclusions

The quantification of CEUS parameters can discriminate DN in diabetic patients with kidney injury. The PE and AUC may be feasible parameters.
Predicting atrazine concentrations in waterbodies across the contiguous United States: The importance of land use, hydrology, and water physicochemistry
Authors: Beaulieu Marieke , Cabana Hubert , Taranu Zofia , Huot Yannick
Published: October 2020

Atrazine contamination is ubiquitous in North American surface waters, but the dependency of the herbicide's distribution on landscape and within‐lake processes is currently poorly known. We sought to identify novel predictors of atrazine and to build a coherent framework to model its concentration in waterbodies through the development of binomial‐gamma hurdle models and LASSO regression models. We constructed models for over 900 waterbodies in the contiguous United States using data from the 2012 U.S. EPA National Lake Assessment, the 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture CropScape and the Global HydroLAB HydroLAKES databases. Atrazine was detected in 32% of U.S. waterbodies, with a mean concentration of 0.17 μg L−1when detected. The two‐part hurdle model explained as much as 75% of the variance in atrazine across a spatially and temporally heterogeneous landscape. Three predictors explained 31% of the variability in atrazine detection in U.S. waterbodies, where the proportion of corn + soy cultures in the watershed was the most important variable. Once atrazine was detected, our models explained an additional 29% of the variability in atrazine concentrations, where the estimated areal weight of atrazine application (kg atrazine km2) in the watershed was the most important predictor. Spatially, water quality variables associated with eutrophication were linked to increased levels of atrazine contamination while cooler water temperatures and natural lakes and landscapes were associated with decreased levels of contamination. Our results suggest that changes in land‐use practices may be the most effective way to mitigate atrazine contamination in waterbodies.
The loss of mixotrophy in Alexandrium pseudogonyaulax: Implications for trade‐offs between toxicity, mucus trap production, and phagotrophy
Authors: Blossom Hannah E. , Hansen Per Juel
Published: October 2020

Two important competitive traits in protists, particularly in harmful algal bloom forming species, are lytic toxicity and mixotrophy. This study focuses on Alexandrium pseudogonyaulax, a dinoflagellate species that is both toxic and mixotrophic, and in addition uses a mucus trap to immobilize and capture potential prey. A single strain of A. pseudogonyaulax was subcultured and grown under two different conditions; one subculture was grown autotrophically, while the other was periodically offered algal prey. After 3 yr, the substrain that was fed remained an avid mixotroph, while the autotrophically grown substrain almost completely lost its ability to feed. The emergence of these two “substrains,” with different nutritional strategies, allowed us to investigate possible trade‐offs between lytic toxicity, mixotrophy, and mucus trap production. Both substrains were still capable of producing mucus traps, and successfully captured other cells. Although the nonfeeding substrain lost its ability to feed, it was more lytic than the feeding substrain, which may suggest a trade‐off between lytic toxicity and feeding ability. However, this increased toxicity was not enough to outcompete other faster growing competitors such as Teleaulax acuta and Heterocapsa rotundata. In contrast, the feeding substrain was able to inhibit the growth of these same competing species. The results indicate that for A. pseudogonyaulax, the benefits of phagotrophy far outweigh those of lytic toxicity or the mucus trap alone. The nonfeeding strain used here provides evidence of the loss of mixotrophy under culture conditions, highlighting one of the obstacles in the study of mixotrophic protists.
Reflective Band Memory Effect of Cholesteric Polymer Networks Based on Washout/Refilling Method
Authors: Zhang Dongdong , Shi Weiting , Cao Hui , Chen Yinjie , Zhao Limin , Gan Ping , Yang Zhou , Wang Dong , He Wanli
Published: October 2020

The method of washout/refilling is applied to a polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal. Polymer networks are prepared with different concentrations of monomers under different polymerization conditions. By refilling different solvents or liquid crystals into the polymer network, reflective bands with different central wavelength and bandwidth are observed. It is confirmed that the polymer network can reproduce the initial reflection band of cholesteric phase, and corresponding explanations are given. When polymers have denser networks and smaller micropores, it shows better memory effects on the reflective band. These results can be potentially used in reflective displays, optical shielding films, diffraction gratings, sensors, and so on.
PVA/Agar Interpenetrating Network Hydrogel with Fast Healing, High Strength, Antifreeze, and Water Retention
Authors: Han Xin , Li Mengyu , Fan Zewen , Zhang Yu , Zhang Huihui , Li Qiaoling
Published: October 2020

Traditional self‐healing hydrogels have great application prospects in biological engineering because of their extremely high water content, but their durability cannot be easily guaranteed. Therefore, developing a rapid self‐healing hydrogel with long‐lasting water retention capacity is still a significant challenge. A high‐strength and fast self‐healing hydrogel with an interpenetrating double network based on polyvinyl alcohol/agar‐ethylene glycol (PVA/agar‐EG) is proposed. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and agar are designed for the construction of the interpenetrating network. Furthermore, the introduction of a borate‐bonding dynamic action mode affords the hydrogel with extraordinary mechanical strength and rapid self‐healing. The addition of EG as a traveling solvent enables the sample to retain water and prevents freezing in harsh environments, including at high temperatures of 80 °C and extremely low temperatures of −40 °C. Additionally, owing to the intelligent remolding ability of the PVA/agar‐EG hydrogel, the material can be recycled to prolong the service life of the hydrogel. Overall, the PVA/agar‐EG hydrogel developed in this study can provide a new general strategy for the development of intelligent self‐healing devices, and hydrogels can be applied in complex environmental engineering.
Unilateral frontalis muscle paralysis reanimated by contralateral frontalis muscle through sural nerve graft connecting the two muscles (muscle‐nerve‐muscle neurotization technique)—A case report
Authors: Chang Yung Chia , Vanz Ricardo Luiz , Aurenção Juliana Calvet , Burgues Tamsin , Schanaider Alberto
Published: October 2020

Paralysis of the frontalis muscle is extremely difficult to reverse. The best treatment for facial paralysis reanimation which preserves spontaneity and muscle specificity is end‐to‐end neurorrhaphy through cross‐face nerve grafting. However, it is rarely possible. Muscle‐nerve‐muscle (MNM) neurotization consists of an interposition of a nerve graft connecting the normal muscle to the denervated muscle. The axons of the muscle with intact innervation grow inside a neural graft towards the paralyzed muscle resulting in neurotization. The purpose of this report is to present a case of frontalis muscle paralysis reanimated by MNM neurotization. A 65‐year‐old female patient presented complete facial paralysis after temporomandibular joint surgery. Five months afterwards, the patient spontaneously recovered facial muscle movements except the frontalis muscle. Definitive paralysis of the frontalis muscle was diagnosed after 11 months, and MNM neurotization was chosen and performed. Three strings of sural nerve were placed in separated tunnels in the subcutaneous plane, through small skin incisions to connect the two bellies of frontalis muscle bilaterally, and then sutured into the muscle pocket of each side. The patient presented voluntary and synchronic contraction of the bilateral frontalis muscle, 4 months after neurotization. Electroneuromyography confirmed muscle contraction by contralateral stimulation. Despite its efficacy still being researched, it is a very promising technique for the reanimation of small muscles in facial paralysis.
Oscillation and basis properties for the equation of vibrating rod at one end of which an inertial mass is concentrated
Authors: Mehrabov Vuqar A.
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we consider an eigenvalue problem for ordinary differential equations of fourth order with spectral parameter in the boundary conditions. This problem describes the bending vibrations of a homogeneous rod, in cross sections of which the longitudinal force acts, the left end of which is fixed and on the right end an inertial mass is concentrated. We study the oscillation properties of the eigenfunctions and their derivatives, and we use these properties to establish sufficient conditions for the subsystems of eigenfunctions of this problem to form a basis in the space Lp, 1 < p < ∞.
A method for predictive modeling of tumor regression for lung adaptive radiotherapy
Authors: Kavanaugh James , Roach Michael , Ji Zhen , Fontenot Jonas , Hugo Geoffrey D.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to create a decision support methodology to predict when patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment for locally advanced lung cancer would potentially benefit from adaptive radiotherapy. The proposed methodology seeks to eliminate the manual subjective review by developing an automated statistical learning model to predict when tumor regression would trigger implementation of adaptive radiotherapy based on quantified anatomic changes observed in individual patients on‐treatment cone beam computed tomographies (CTs). This proposed process seeks to improve the efficacy and efficiency of both the existing manual and automated adaptive review processes for locally advanced stage III lung cancer.

Methods

A predictive algorithm was developed as a decision support tool to determine the potential utility of mid‐treatment adaptive radiotherapy based on anatomic changes observed on 1158 daily CBCT images across 43 patients. The anatomic changes on each axial slice within specified regions‐of‐interest were quantified into a single value utilizing imaging similarity criteria comparing the daily CBCT to the initial simulation CT. The range of the quantified metrics for each fraction across all axial slices are reduced to specified quantiles, which are used as the predictive input to train a logistic regression algorithm. A “ground‐truth” of the need for adaptive radiotherapy based on tumor regression was evaluated systematically on each of the daily CBCTs and used as the classifier in the logistic regression algorithm. Accuracy of the predictive model was assessed utilizing both a tenfold cross validation and an independent validation dataset, with the sensitivity, specificity, and fractional accuracy compared to the ground‐truth.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity for the individual daily fractions ranged from 87.9%–94.3% and 91.9%‐98.6% for a probability threshold of 0.2–0.5, respectively. The corresponding average treatment fraction difference between the model predictions and assessed ART “ground‐truth” ranged from −2.25 to −0.07 fractions, with the model predictions consistently predicting the potential need for ART earlier in the treatment course. By initially utilizing a lower probability threshold, the higher sensitivity minimizes the chance of false negative by alerting the clinician to review a higher number of questionable cases.

Conclusions

The proposed methodology accurately predicted the first fraction at which individual patients may benefit from ART based on quantified anatomic changes observed in the on‐treatment volumetric imaging. The generalizability of the proposed method has potential to expand to additional modes of adaptive radiotherapy for lung cancer patients with observed underlying anatomic changes.
Eigenmode analysis of the scattering matrix for the design of MRI transmit array coils
Authors: Kazemivalipour Ehsan , Sadeghi‐Tarakameh Alireza , Atalar Ergin
Published: October 2020

Purpose

To obtain efficient operation modes of transmit array (TxArray) coils using a general design technique based on the eigenmode analysis of the scattering matrix.

Methods

We introduce the concept of modal reflected power and excitation eigenmodes, which are calculated as the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of SHS, where the superscript H denotes the Hermitian transpose. We formulate the normalized reflected power, which is the ratio of the total reflected power to the total incident power of TxArray coils for a given excitation signal as the weighted sum of the modal reflected power. By minimizing the modal reflected power of TxArray coils, we increase the excitation space with a low total reflection. The algorithm was tested on 4 dual‐row TxArray coils with 8 to 32 channels.

Results

By minimizing the modal reflected power, we designed an 8‐element TxArray coil to have a low reflection for 7 out of 8 dimensions of the excitation space. Similarly, the minimization of the modal reflected power of a 16‐element TxArray coil enabled us to enlarge the dimension of the excitation space by 50% compared with commonly employed design techniques. Moreover, we demonstrated that the low total reflected power for some critical excitation modes, such as the circularly polarized mode, can be achieved for all TxArray coils even with a high level of coupling.

Conclusion

Eigenmode analysis is an efficient method that intuitively provides a quantitative and compact representation of the coil’s power transmission capabilities. This method also provides insight into the excitation modes with low reflection.
Estimation of earthquake local site effects using microtremor observations for the Garhwal–Kumaun Himalaya, India
Authors: Pudi Ramesh , Roy Priyom , Martha Tapas R. , Kumar K. Vinod
Published: October 2020

The Garhwal–Kumaun region of the Himalaya encompassing the state of Uttarakhand, India, has experienced several earthquakes in the past. Damage due to earthquakes is controlled by local site conditions, primarily resonance frequency and wave amplification from the ground. We present local site parameters with their site geology for 37 sites using ambient noise data. Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio technique is used to estimate the spectral ratio curves. Based on the type of curve, sites are classified into four classes, viz. clear peak, broad peak, double and multi‐peak, and flat H/V curve. Sites seen with clear or broad peaks are located on either soil or weathered rocks, thus indicating large impedance contrast and sharp discontinuity with large velocity contrast. Multiple peaks are observed in either soil or boulder bed and reveal large impedance contrast, probably representing shallow and thick strata. Sites with flat curves are found on weathered/phyllite/granite gneiss/granite schist rock types within highly dissected hilly areas. Fourteen sites have a peak frequency >6 Hz with a dominance of broad and clear peaks in the Lesser and Higher Himalayan regions. On the contrary, foothills and part of Siwalik sites exhibited a peak frequency between 1.14 and 4.94 Hz. The results demonstrate that sites with thick soil cover and boulder bed areas, that is, Doon valley and foothills, show low‐frequency peaks and hard rock or shallow bedrock sites, that is, Lesser and Higher Himalaya exhibit a higher frequency range. The estimated H/V amplitude and peak frequency values have shown a good correlation with site geology and geomorphology.
Neuropathic pain is associated with poor health‐related quality of life in adolescents with sickle cell disease: A preliminary report
Authors: Román Marisa E. , Highland Janelle , Retherford Dawn , Pan Amy Y. , Panepinto Julie A. , Brandow Amanda M.
Published: October 2020

Background

Neuropathic pain is associated with poor health‐related quality of life (HRQL) in pain conditions other than sickle cell disease (SCD); this relationship in SCD is unknown. We investigated this relationship and hypothesized neuropathic pain is associated with poor HRQL in adolescents with SCD.

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional study of patients with SCD ages 13‐18 years during baseline health. Primary outcome was HRQL, assessed by the PedsQL SCD Module (child self‐report, parent proxy report). PedsQL is scored from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better HRQL. Neuropathic pain was assessed using the painDETECT questionnaire (scored 0‐38); higher scores indicated greater likelihood of neuropathic pain. All completed both PedsQL SCD Module and painDETECT questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used and associations between painDETECT and PedsQL Total Score, Pain Impact, Pain and Hurt, and Pain Management and Control Scores were determined via Pearson correlation. Significance was P < .05.

Results

Twelve patients were enrolled. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 15 (14‐16.5) years, 75% were female, and 83% were on hydroxyurea. Higher painDETECT scores were significantly associated with lower PedsQL SCD Module child self‐report Pain and Hurt Scores (r = −0.68, P = .01). Higher painDETECT scores were also significantly associated with lower PedsQL parent proxy‐report Total Scores (r = −0.64, P = .03) and Pain and Hurt Scores (r = −0.67, P = .02).

Conclusions

These data suggest that adolescents with SCD and neuropathic pain have poor HRQL even in their baseline state of health. Prospective, larger studies are needed to confirm this preliminary finding and explore a multimodal approach for pain assessment in SCD.
Atmospheric‐pressure plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition of nanocomposite thin films from ethyl lactate and silica nanoparticles
Authors: Milaniak Natalia , Laroche Gaétan , Massines Françoise
Published: October 2020

Nanocomposite coatings are made by atmospheric‐pressure plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition from ethyl lactate (EL) and silica nanoparticles (NPs) in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) using frequency‐shift keying (FSK) to alternate between 1‐ and 15‐kHz voltages. In situ plasma Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thin film FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and profilometry show that (i) 1 kHz DBD mainly deposits NPs, 15 kHz only polymerizes EL; (ii) the EL polymerization rate is the same in FSK and continuous modes; (iii) despite the 50/50 contribution of both frequencies, the NP deposit is three times faster in FSK mode than in 1 kHz DBD and compared with 1 and 15 kHz coatings, in the nanocomposite, NP Si–O–Si and EL C═O bonds per unit length are equal to 68% and 34%, respectively. In situ FTIR detects SiO2 NPs, their functionalization, and the formation of CO2.
Utilizing Bayesian predictive power in clinical trial design
Authors: Harari Ofir , Hsu Grace , Dron Louis , Park Jay J. H. , Thorlund Kristian , Mills Edward J.
Published: October 2020

The Bayesian paradigm provides an ideal platform to update uncertainties and carry them over into the future in the presence of data. Bayesian predictive power (BPP) reflects our belief in the eventual success of a clinical trial to meet its goals. In this paper we derive mathematical expressions for the most common types of outcomes, to make the BPP accessible to practitioners, facilitate fast computations in adaptive trial design simulations that use interim futility monitoring, and propose an organized BPP‐based phase II‐to‐phase III design framework.
Effect of topical marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) on atopic dermatitis in children: A pilot double‐blind active‐controlled clinical trial of an in‐silico‐analyzed phytomedicine
Authors: Naseri Vahedeh , Chavoshzadeh Zahra , Mizani Azadeh , Daneshfard Babak , Ghaffari Farzaneh , Abbas‐Mohammadi Mahdi , Gachkar Latif , Kamalinejad Mohammad , Jafari Hajati Razieh , Bahaeddin Zahra , Faghihzadeh Soghrat , Naseri Mohsen
Published: October 2020

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing eczematous skin disease, which primarily affects infants and young children. Due to the side effects of commonly used drugs for its treatment, the development of safer therapeutic strategies is needed. There are many reports on the topical use of marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) for a range of skin diseases in Persian medicine. The main aim of the present investigation was evaluating the efficacy of marshmallow in children with mild‐to‐moderate atopic dermatitis. Another aim of the study was screening the anti‐allergic and anti‐inflammatory potential of phytocomponents against target proteins, including TNF‐alpha, IL6, and PDEs A, B, and D enzymes with PDB IDs: 2AZ5, 1P9M, 3I8V, 4KP6, and 1Y2K, respectively, along with their respective standard ligands using computational docking analysis. A pilot clinical trial was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of Althaea officinalis in children with AD. The diagnosis of AD was made according to the criteria of Hanifin and Rajka. Children between 3 months and 12 years old were participated in this trial and randomly allocated into two parallel intervention and control groups. The intervention group used Althaea officinalis 1% ointment while the positive control group used Hydrocortisone 1% ointment twice a day for a week and after that, three times per week for a period of 3 weeks. The severity of AD was measured using the SCORAD score at the end of each assessment visits. A total number of 22 patients completed the study. A significant decrease of the SCORAD score was observed in both groups. At the end of the study, this score change, which indicates the improvement of the patients was significantly higher in the intervention group in comparison to the baseline (p‐value = .015) and week 1 (p‐value = .018). In the docking analysis of the study, 33 phytochemical compounds were identified, which were docked into the active site of IL6, TNF‐alpha, and human PDE4 isoenzymes. Affinity toward the selected enzymes was significantly higher in glycosylated compounds. The results of this pilot study showed that the efficacy of Althaea officinalis 1% ointment in a decrease of disease severity is more than Hydrocortisone 1% in children with AD. However, further studies are needed to confirm this finding. Moreover, the docking analysis revealed that the inhibitory activity of compounds with free hydroxyl groups such as glycosylated compounds was better than others, probably due to the hydrogen bond interaction of hydroxyl groups of the ligands with the enzymes.
A molecular electron density theory study for [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of1‐pyrroline‐1‐oxide with disubstituted acetylenes leading to bicyclic 4‐isoxazolines
Authors: Mohammad‐Salim Haydar A. , Acharjee Nivedita , Domingo Luis R. , Abdallah Hassan H.
Published: October 2020

The [3 + 2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions of 1‐pyrroline‐1‐oxide with acetylene and with a series of four symmetrically disubstituted acetylenes (XC ≡ CX, X = CH3, NH2, OH, F), leading to 4,5‐disubstituted bicyclic 4‐isoxazolines, have been studied within molecular electron density theory at the B3LYP‐D3/6‐311++G(d,p) computational level. These 32CA reactions take place through aone‐stepmechanism, with activation enthalpies in toluene between 24.4 (X = NH2) and 12.9 (X = F) kcal mol−1. Due to the strong exergonic character of these 32CA reactions, between −12.0 and −47.6 kcal mol−1, they are irreversible. The 32CA reaction of difluoroacetylene, involving fluorine as the most electronegative atom of this series attached to the acetylene carbons, presents the lowest activation enthalpy due to the increase of the polar character of this 32CA reaction, evidenced by the analysis of the global electron density transfer at the corresponding transition state structure. The topological analysis of the electron localization function along the reaction paths of these 32CA reactions allows us to characterize them as the zwitterionic‐type ones. The formation of the new CC and CO single bonds takes place at the end of the reactions through the coupling ofpseudoradicalcenters.
Exact bounds for robust stability of output feedback controlled fractional‐order systems with single parameter perturbations
Authors: Zhang Qing‐Hao , Lu Jun‐Guo , Chen Yangquan
Published: October 2020

This article investigates exact robust stability bounds of output feedback controlled fractional‐order systems with the commensurate order and single parameter perturbations in all system coefficient matrices. First, a sufficient and necessary condition for robust asymptotical stability of such systems is obtained by using the Kronecker product. Then the maximal upper bounds and minimum lower bounds for robust asymptotical stability are established, respectively, without conservatism by transforming such problems into checking whether the matrix with single parameter perturbations is nonsingular or not. Finally, two numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed results.
Macro and microscopic visual imaging tools to investigate metal reducing bacteria in soils
Authors: Scott Brian , Baldwin Andrew H. , Yarwood Stephanie , Castañeda Carmen , Latorre Borja , Rabenhorst Martin C.
Published: October 2020

Indicator of Reduction In Soils (IRIS) technology is an important tool for identifying hydric soils, but it does not allow the user to monitor in real time. IRIS uses metal‐oxide coatings on a polyvinyl chloride surface that, under anaerobic conditions, are removed to varying degrees over a 4‐wk incubation period, during which time the user is not cognizant of the outcome. We document the viability of an alternative IRIS approach using clear‐IRIS tubes, made from cellulose acetate butyrate, that can be continuously monitored in situ with a Wi‐Fi–enabled video camera. This work shows that IRIS and clear‐IRIS tubes are statistically equivalent. Manganese‐oxide coated clear‐IRIS tubes correlated well with IRIS tubes (r = .79) and ferrous‐oxide had a high correlation (r = .97). A time‐series analysis showed that rain‐driven soil saturation induced IRIS metal‐oxide reduction and controlled the rate. Clear‐IRIS tubes enable remote sensing of metal‐oxide removal over time.
Mechanical and tribological properties of DLC coatings deposited by plasma‐based ion implantation and deposition method on polyoxymethylene
Authors: Hirayama Yuki , Nakamura Morimasa , Matsuoka Takashi
Published: October 2020

Polyoxymethylene (POM, polyacetal) is one of the most popular plastics for machine elements, especially in Japan. However, it is difficult to use it under severe operating conditions such as high speed and high contact pressure. Diamond‐like carbon (DLC) coatings were well known to be tribological and functional coatings. However, both POM and DLC coatings are difficult to adhere them each other. In the present paper, DLC coatings are deposited by plasma‐based ion implantation and deposition (PBIID) method on POM substrate, and validity of DLC coatings on POM was investigated through friction and mechanical tests. When gas pressure was 0.2 and 0.8 Pa, hardness and adhesion properties of DLC coating deposited under gas pressure of 0.5 Pa were lower compared with under 0.2 and 0.8 Pa. For preparing DLC coatings having hard and good adhesion properties, relatively thin substrate was suitable. A correlation between relative humidity in the laboratory and friction coefficient was confirmed while DLC coatings remain on the substrate.
Design of an Automated Electrochemical Biosensor Modified with Phenylboronic Acid to Study Glycoprotein Immobilization
Authors: Ölçer Zehra
Published: October 2020

It is important that biosensor surface chemistry assays because of the easy immobilization of biological sensing molecules on the chip surface and especially not damage of these molecules through surface effects. Boronic acid modified self‐assembled monolayers can be formed on gold electrodes and used immobilizations of glycoproteins. Glycoproteins which have short oligosaccharides exist in various cellular events with different functions and serve in many cellular events as cell surface recognition. It was successfully fabricated a new phenylboronic acid self‐assembled layer on gold electrodes for immobilization of glycoproteins, where 4‐aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) is covalently bound to the 11‐mercapto‐1‐undecanol (MUOL) layer with glutaraldehyde linkage. The specific binding of glycoprotein with self‐assebled layer was studied using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a model protein. All the experiments, voltametric and amperometric measurements were carried out during microfluidic flow first time using automated new biosensor device that enabled fast and easy modification of electrode surface with boronic acid and immobilization of the HRP protein in a short period of time.
Electrochemical Assay for Extremely Selective Recognition of Fructose Based on 4‐Ferrocene‐Phenylboronic Acid Probe and β‐Cyclodextrins Supramolecular Complex
Authors: Casulli Maria Antonietta , Taurino Irene , Hashimoto Takeshi , Carrara Sandro , Hayashita Takashi
Published: October 2020

The aim of the present paper is to highlight a novel electrochemical assay for an extremely‐selective detection of fructose thanks to the use of a supramolecular complex between β‐cyclodextrins (β‐CDs) and a chemically modified ferrocene with boronic acid named 4‐Fc‐PB/natural‐β‐CDs. Another kind of β‐CDs, the 4‐Fc‐PB/3‐phenylboronic‐β‐CDs, is proposed for the detection of glucose. The novel electrochemical probe is fully characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, while the superior electrochemical performance is assessed in terms of sensitivity and detection limit. The novelty of the present work consists in the role of CDs that for the first time are employed in electrochemistry with a unique detection mechanism based on specific chemical interactions with the target molecule by the introduction of proper binding groups. A highly selective detection of fructose is obtained and it is believed that the proposed mechanism of detection represents a new way to electrochemically sense other molecules by varying the combination of specific groups of the supramolecular complex. The findings are of impactful importance since a quick, easy, cheap, and extremely selective detection of fructose is not yet available in the market, here achieved by using electrochemical methods which are a very growing field.
In Situ Growing Chromium Oxynitride Nanoparticles on Carbon Nanofibers to Stabilize Lithium Deposition for Lithium Metal Anodes
Authors: Xiao Jian , Xiao Nan , Liu Chang , Li Hongqiang , Pan Xin , Zhang Xiaoyu , Bai Jinpeng , Guo Zhen , Ma Xiaoqing , Qiu Jieshan
Published: October 2020

To address the dendrite growth and interface instability of high‐capacity Li metal anode, heterogeneous seed‐decorated 3D host materials are expected to suppress the growth of Li dendrites. The physical stability and chemical reactivity of these nanoseeds are the decisive conditions for long cycling lithium metal batteries. Herein, carbon nanofibers decorated with uniform CrO0.78N0.48 nanoparticles (ACrCFs) are synthesized by a novel in situ growing method, where the size, composition, distribution, and migration behavior of these nanoparticles are controlled by the introduction of asphaltene. As the 3D host materials for Li anodes, ACrCFs exhibit an excellent lithiophilicity, a superior mixed ion‐electron conductivity, and abundant electrochemical active sites. Thus, the ACrCF‐modified Li anodes deliver a smooth Li morphology, low nucleation overpotential (10.4 mV), superior cyclic stability with 320 stable cycles (Coulombic efficiency, >98.0%) at 1 mA cm−2, and excellent plating/stripping stability over 1000 h. Notably, no obvious detachment or chalking of these nanoparticles occur during the cycling process. The full cell with LiFePO4 cathode also delivers a better rate capability with more stable cycling performance. The homogeneous CrO0.78N0.48 nanoparticles achieved by this in situ growing method also promise a facile method for the potential applications of transition‐metal oxynitride for high energy density battery systems.
Modulation of Single Atomic Co and Fe Sites on Hollow Carbon Nanospheres as Oxygen Electrodes for Rechargeable Zn–Air Batteries
Authors: Jose Vishal , Hu Huimin , Edison Eldho , Manalastas William , Ren Hao , Kidkhunthod Pinit , Sreejith Sivaramapanicker , Jayakumar Anjali , Nsanzimana Jean Marie Vianney , Srinivasan Madhavi , Choi Jinho , Lee Jong‐Min
Published: October 2020

Efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are required for metal air batteries, to replace costly metals, such as Pt and Ir/Ru based compounds, which are typically used as benchmarks for ORR and OER, respectively. Isolated single atomic sites coordinated with nitrogen on carbon supports (M‐N‐C) have promising performance for replacement of precious metal catalysts. However, most of monometallic M‐N‐C catalysts demonstrate unsatisfactory bifunctional performance. Herein, a facile way of preparing bimetallic Fe and Co sites entrapped in nitrogen‐doped hollow carbon nanospheres (Fe,Co‐SA/CS) is explored, drawing on the unique structure and pore characteristics of Zeolitic imidazole frameworks and molecular size of Ferrocene, an Fe containing species. Fe,Co‐SA/CS showed an ORR onset potential and half wave potential of 0.96 and 0.86 V, respectively. For OER, (Fe,Co)‐SA/CS attained its anodic current density of 10 mA cm–2 at an overpotential of 360 mV. Interestingly, the oxygen electrode activity (ΔE) for (Fe,Co)‐SA/CS and commercial Pt/C‐RuO2 is calculated to be 0.73 V, exhibiting the bifunctional catalytic activity of (Fe,Co)‐SA/CS. (Fe,Co)‐SA/CS evidenced desirable specific capacity and cyclic stability than Pt/C‐RuO2 mixture when utilized as an air cathode in a homemade Zinc‐air battery.
BUGSJS: a benchmark and taxonomy of JavaScript bugs
Authors: Gyimesi Péter , Vancsics Béla , Stocco Andrea , Mazinanian Davood , Beszédes Árpád , Ferenc Rudolf , Mesbah Ali
Published: October 2020

JavaScript is a popular programming language that is also error‐prone due to its asynchronous, dynamic, and loosely typed nature. In recent years, numerous techniques have been proposed for analyzing and testing JavaScript applications. However, our survey of the literature in this area revealed that the proposed techniques are often evaluated on different datasets of programs and bugs. The lack of a commonly used benchmark limits the ability to perform fair and unbiased comparisons for assessing the efficacy of new techniques. To fill this gap, we propose BugsJS, a benchmark of 453 real, manually validated JavaScript bugs from 10 popular JavaScript server‐side programs, comprising 444k lines of code (LOC) in total. Each bug is accompanied by its bug report, the test cases that expose it, as well as the patch that fixes it. We extended BugsJS with a rich web interface for visualizing and dissecting the bugs' information, as well as a programmable API to access the faulty and fixed versions of the programs and to execute the corresponding test cases, which facilitates conducting highly reproducible empirical studies and comparisons of JavaScript analysis and testing tools. Moreover, following a rigorous procedure, we performed a classification of the bugs according to their nature. Our internal validation shows that our taxonomy is adequate for characterizing the bugs in BugsJS. We discuss several ways in which the resulting taxonomy and the benchmark can help direct researchers interested in automated testing of JavaScript applications. © 2021 The Authors. Software Testing, Verification & Reliability published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.