bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in the spike and membrane proteins of SARS-CoV-2 identified by immunoinformatics prediction and immunoassay
Authors: Polyiam Kanokporn , Phoolcharoen Waranyoo , Butkhot Namphueng , Srisaowakarn Chanya , Thitithanyanont Arunee , Auewarakul Prasert , Hoonsuwan Tawatchai , Ruengjitchatchawalya Marasri , Mekvichitsaeng Phenjun , Roshorm Yaowaluck Maprang
Published: October 2021

SARS-CoV-2 continues to infect an ever-expanding number of people, resulting in an increase in the number of deaths globally. With the emergence of new variants, there is a corresponding decrease in the currently available vaccine efficacy, highlighting the need for greater insights into the viral epitope profile for both vaccine design and assessment. In this study, three immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) were identified by immunoinformatics prediction, and confirmed by ELISA with sera from Macaca fascicularis vaccinated with a SARS-CoV-2 RBD subunit vaccine. Further immunoinformatics analyses of these three epitopes gave rise to a method of linear B cell epitope prediction and selection. B cell epitopes in the spike (S), membrane (M), and envelope (E) proteins were subsequently predicted and confirmed using convalescent sera from COVID-19 infected patients. Immunodominant epitopes were identified in three regions of the S2 domain, one region at the S1/S2 cleavage site and one region at the C-terminus of the M protein. Epitope mapping revealed that most of the amino acid changes found in variants of concern are located within B cell epitopes in the NTD, RBD, and S1/S2 cleavage site. This work provides insights into B cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 as well as immunoinformatics methods for B cell epitope prediction, which will improve and enhance SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development against emergent variants.
Near and long-term perspectives on strategies to decarbonize China’s heavy-duty trucks through 2050
Authors: Khanna Nina , Lu Hongyou , Fridley David , Zhou Nan
Published: October 2021

China needs to drastically reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from heavy-duty trucks (HDTs), a key emitter in the growing transport sector, in order to address energy security concerns and meet its climate targets. We address existing research gaps by modeling feasibility, applicability, and energy and emissions impacts of multiple decarbonization strategies at different points in time. China still relies heavily on coal power, so impacts of new HDT technologies depend on the timing of their introduction relative to progress toward non-fossil power. We use a bottom-up model to simulate HDT energy consumption and CO2 emissions through 2050. Results show that beginning to deploy battery electric and fuel-cell HDTs as early as 2020 and 2035, respectively, could achieve significant and the largest CO2 emissions reduction by 2050 with a decarbonized power sector. However, viable near-term strategies—improving efficiency and logistics, switching to liquefied natural gas—could halve HDTs’ current diesel consumption and CO2 emissions by 2050. Our results underscore the need for a mix of near- and long-term policy and technology options to decarbonize China’s HDTs.
The West Pacific Gradient tracks ENSO and zonal Pacific sea surface temperature gradient during the last Millennium
Authors: Zinke J. , Browning S. A. , Hoell A. , Goodwin I. D.
Published: October 2021

Small changes in Pacific temperature gradients connected with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence the Walker Circulation and are related to global climate anomalies. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to develop robust indices of their past behavior. Here, we reconstruct the difference in sea surface temperature between the west and central Pacific during ENSO, coined the West Pacific Gradient (WPG), based on the Last Millennium Paleo Hydrodynamics Data Assimilation. We show that the WPG tracks ENSO variability and strongly co-varies with the zonal gradient in Pacific sea surface temperature. We demonstrate that the WPG strength is related to significant atmospheric circulation and precipitation anomalies during historical El Niño and La Niña events by magnifying or weakening droughts and pluvials across the Indo-Pacific. We show that an extreme negative WPG coupled to a strong zonal Pacific temperature gradient is associated with enhanced megadroughts in North America between 1400 CE and the late sixteenth century. The twentieth century stands out in showing the most extreme swings between positive and negative WPG conditions over the past Millennium. We conclude that the WPG is a robust index together with ENSO indices to reveal past changes in Pacific zonal sea surface temperature gradient variability.
A mutant wfs1 zebrafish model of Wolfram syndrome manifesting visual dysfunction and developmental delay
Authors: Cairns G. , Burté F. , Price R. , O’Connor E. , Toms M. , Mishra R. , Moosajee M. , Pyle A. , Sayer J. A. , Yu-Wai-Man P.
Published: October 2021

Wolfram syndrome (WS) is an ultra-rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder defined by early-onset diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy. The majority of patients harbour recessive mutations in the WFS1 gene, which encodes for Wolframin, a transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum protein. There is limited availability of human ocular and brain tissues, and there are few animal models for WS that replicate the neuropathology and clinical phenotype seen in this disorder. We, therefore, characterised two wfs1 zebrafish knockout models harbouring nonsense wfs1a and wfs1b mutations. Both homozygous mutant wfs1a−/− and wfs1b−/− embryos showed significant morphological abnormalities in early development. The wfs1b−/− zebrafish exhibited a more pronounced neurodegenerative phenotype with delayed neuronal development, progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and clear evidence of visual dysfunction on functional testing. At 12 months of age, wfs1b−/− zebrafish had a significantly lower RGC density per 100 μm2 (mean ± standard deviation; 19 ± 1.7) compared with wild-type (WT) zebrafish (25 ± 2.3, p < 0.001). The optokinetic response for wfs1b−/− zebrafish was significantly reduced at 8 and 16 rpm testing speeds at both 4 and 12 months of age compared with WT zebrafish. An upregulation of the unfolded protein response was observed in mutant zebrafish indicative of increased endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mutant wfs1b−/− zebrafish exhibit some of the key features seen in patients with WS, providing a versatile and cost-effective in vivo model that can be used to further investigate the underlying pathophysiology of WS and potential therapeutic interventions.
Impaired placental mitophagy and oxidative stress are associated with dysregulated BNIP3 in preeclampsia
Authors: Zhou Xiaobo , Zhao Xue , Zhou Wei , Qi Hongbo , Zhang Hua , Han Ting-li , Baker Philip
Published: October 2021

Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe multisystem pregnancy complication characterized by gestational hypertension and proteinuria. Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) is a mediator of mitophagy and has been proven to be associated with PE, but the mechanism is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of BNIP3 in PE. Placentae from preeclamptic and normal pregnancies were analyzed by western-blot and transmission electron microscopy to quantify the level of BNIP3 expression and observe the organelle morphologies. Trophoblast cells with knockdown BNIP3 were analyzed by western-blot, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, migration and invasion assays. BNIP3 expression was suppressed in PE patients. Impaired autophagy and increased mitochondrial damage were observed in PE placentae when compared with normal placentae. Suppression of BNIP3 inhibited Beclin-1 expression and reduced the transformation of LC3-I to LC3-II. In the knockdown BNIP3 group, p62 was overexpressed, ROS accumulated and the apoptotic process was elevated under oxidative stress condition. The knockdown of BNIP3 reduced the colocalization of GFP-LC3 and mitochondria. The findings of this study suggest that dysregulated BNIP3 is associated with impaired mitophagy, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in PE. The study provides new insights into the role of BNIP3 in the pathophysiology of PE.
Association between baseline LH/FSH and live-birth rate after fresh-embryo transfer in polycystic ovary syndrome women
Authors: Su Nian-jun , Huang Cui-yu , Liu Jie , Kang De-ying , Wang Song-lu , Liao Liu-jun , Yang Jin-di , Zhang Xi-qian , Liu Feng-hua
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to retrospectively analyse the effect of the baseline luteinising hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (bLH/FSH) on the live-birth rate per fresh-embryo transfer cycle (LBR/ET) in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who received a fresh-embryo transfer. A total of 424 patients with PCOS who underwent the first cycle of in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fresh-embryo transfer at our hospital was enrolled. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, along with curve fitting and a threshold effect analysis, were performed. Baseline LH/FSH levels were a significant (P < 0.05) independent risk factor affecting live birth. In the first IVF/ICSI antagonist treatment cycles, LBR/ET after fresh-embryo transfer was relatively flat, until bLH/FSH was 1.0; thereafter, it started to decrease by 17% for every 0.1-unit bLH/FSH increase. Considering the decline in LBR/ET, it is recommended that PCOS women with bLH/FSH > 1.0 carefully consider fresh-embryo transfer during their first IVF/ICSI.
Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy improves liver function compared with endoscopic variceal ligation
Authors: Hayashi Tsuguru , Watanabe Tatsuyuki , Shibata Michihiko , Kumei Shinsuke , Oe Shinji , Miyagawa Koichiro , Honma Yuichi , Harada Masaru
Published: October 2021

Liver function is a most important prognostic factor in patients with liver cirrhosis. Also, portal hypertension is a fatal complication of liver cirrhosis and variceal treatment is indispensable. However, changes of liver functions after endoscopic variceal treatments are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognosis and liver functions after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL). A total of liver cirrhotic 103 patients who underwent prophylactic EIS and EVL were enrolled. Overall survival rate was higher in EIS group than EVL group (p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that EIS was a negative factor for death (HR: 0.46, 95% confidence interval: 0.24–0.88, p = 0.02). Liver functions were assessed by blood test taken at before and 3 months after treatment. In EIS group, albumin and prothrombin time improved (p < 0.01), leading to improvement of Child–Pugh score, ALBI score and MELD score (p < 0.05). However, these did not improve in EVL group. EIS was a significant factor related to the elevated value of albumin after treatment in linear regression analysis (estimated regression coefficient: 0.17, 95% confidence interval: 0.05–0.29, p = 0.005). These results revealed that EIS could improve liver functions and prognosis.
Human m6A-mRNA and lncRNA epitranscriptomic microarray reveal function of RNA methylation in hemoglobin H-constant spring disease
Authors: Ruan Heyun , Yang Fang , Deng Lingjie , Yang Dongmei , Zhang Xiaoli , Li Xueyu , Pang Lihong
Published: October 2021

The thalassemia of Hemoglobin H-Constant Spring disease (HbH-CS) is the most common type of Thalassemia in non-transfusion thalassemia. Interestingly, the clinical manifestations of the same genotype of thalassemia can be vastly different, likely due to epigenetic regulation. Here, we used microarray technology to reveal the epigenetic regulation of m6A in modifiable diseases and demonstrated a role of BCL2A1 in disease regulation. In this study, we revealed that methylating enzyme writers including METTL16, WTAP, CBLL1, RBM15B, and ZC3H13 displayed low expression and the demethylating enzyme ALKBH5, along with reader proteins including IGF2BP2 and YTHDF3 exhibited high expression. In addition, BCL2A1 was hypo-methylated and showed low expression. We also revealed that the BCL2A1 methylation level and IGF2BP2 expression were negatively correlated. Additionally, the mRNAs expression between ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2 were positively correlated. In HbH-CS, most genes were hypo-methylated. This included BCL2A1, which may play an important role in the process of red blood cell differentiation and development of HbH-CS. Moreover, the mRNA-M6A methylation status may be regulated by the demethylating enzyme ALKBH5 via IGF2BP2.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for DSM-5 anxiety disorders
Authors: Haller Heidemarie , Breilmann Pascal , Schröter Marleen , Dobos Gustav , Cramer Holger
Published: October 2021

This meta-analysis systematically reviewed the evidence on standardized acceptance-/mindfulness-based interventions in DSM-5 anxiety disorders. Randomized controlled trials examining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) were searched via PubMed, Central, PsycInfo, and Scopus until June 2021. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for primary outcomes (anxiety) and secondary ones (depression and quality of life). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. We found 23 studies, mostly of unclear risk of bias, including 1815 adults with different DSM-5 anxiety disorders. ACT, MBCT and MBSR led to short-term effects on clinician- and patient-rated anxiety in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) versus TAU alone. In comparison to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), ACT and MBCT showed comparable effects on both anxiety outcomes, while MBSR showed significantly lower effects. Analyses up to 6 and 12 months did not reveal significant differences compared to TAU or CBT. Effects on depression and quality of life showed similar trends. Statistical heterogeneity was moderate to considerable. Adverse events were reported insufficiently. The evidence suggests short-term anxiolytic effects of acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions. Specific treatment effects exceeding those of placebo mechanisms remain unclear. Protocol registry: Registered at Prospero on November 3rd, 2017 (CRD42017076810).
Latent negative precipitation for the delineation of a zero-precipitation area in spatial interpolations
Authors: Lee Taesam , Shin Ju-young
Published: October 2021

The spatial interpolation of precipitation has been employed in a number of fields, including by spatially downscaling the Global Circulation Model (GCM) to a finer scale. Most precipitation events become more sporadic when the coverage area increases (i.e., a portion of the points experience zero precipitation). However, spatial interpolations of precipitation generally ignore these dry areas, and the interpolated grids are filled with certain precipitation amounts. Subsequently, no delineation of dry and wet regions can be made. Therefore, the current study suggested a novel approach to determine dry areas in spatial interpolations of precipitation events by assigning latent negative precipitation (LNP) to points with observed precipitation values of zero. The LNP-assigned points are then employed in a spatial interpolation. After that, the dry region can be determined using the negative region (i.e., points with zero precipitation). The magnitude of LNP can be defined by multiplying the precipitation values of neighboring stations by a tuning parameter. The LNP method and the tuning parameter are tested on weather stations covering South Korea. The results indicate that the proposed LNP method can be suitable for the spatial interpolation of precipitation events by delineating dry and wet regions. Additionally, the tuning parameter plays a special role in that it increases in value with longer precipitation durations and denser networks. A value of 0.5–1.5 can be suggested for the tuning parameter as a rule of thumb when high accuracy for final products of interpolated precipitation is not critical. For future studies, the LNP model derived herein can be tested over much larger areas, such as the United States, and the model can also be easily adopted for other variables with spatially sporadic values.
Morphodynamics facilitate cancer cells to navigate 3D extracellular matrix
Authors: Eddy Christopher Z. , Raposo Helena , Manchanda Aayushi , Wong Ryan , Li Fuxin , Sun Bo
Published: October 2021

Cell shape is linked to cell function. The significance of cell morphodynamics, namely the temporal fluctuation of cell shape, is much less understood. Here we study the morphodynamics of MDA-MB-231 cells in type I collagen extracellular matrix (ECM). We systematically vary ECM physical properties by tuning collagen concentrations, alignment, and gelation temperatures. We find that morphodynamics of 3D migrating cells are externally controlled by ECM mechanics and internally modulated by Rho/ROCK-signaling. We employ machine learning to classify cell shape into four different morphological phenotypes, each corresponding to a distinct migration mode. As a result, we map cell morphodynamics at mesoscale into the temporal evolution of morphological phenotypes. We characterize the mesoscale dynamics including occurrence probability, dwell time and transition matrix at varying ECM conditions, which demonstrate the complex phenotype landscape and optimal pathways for phenotype transitions. In light of the mesoscale dynamics, we show that 3D cancer cell motility is a hidden Markov process whereby the step size distributions of cell migration are coupled with simultaneous cell morphodynamics. Morphological phenotype transitions also facilitate cancer cells to navigate non-uniform ECM such as traversing the interface between matrices of two distinct microstructures. In conclusion, we demonstrate that 3D migrating cancer cells exhibit rich morphodynamics that is controlled by ECM mechanics, Rho/ROCK-signaling, and regulate cell motility. Our results pave the way to the functional understanding and mechanical programming of cell morphodynamics as a route to predict and control 3D cell motility.
An adapted dorsal skinfold model used for 4D intravital followed by whole-mount imaging to reveal endothelial cell–pericyte association
Authors: Seynhaeve Ann L. B. , ten Hagen Timo L. M.
Published: October 2021

Endothelial cells and pericytes are highly dynamic vascular cells and several subtypes, based on their spatiotemporal dynamics or molecular expression, are believed to exist. The interaction between endothelial cells and pericytes is of importance in many aspects ranging from basic development to diseases like cancer. Identification of spatiotemporal dynamics is particularly interesting and methods to studies these are in demand. Here we describe the technical details of a method combining the benefits of high resolution intravital imaging and whole-mount histology. With intravital imaging using an adapted light weight dorsal skinfold chamber we identified blood flow patterns and spatiotemporal subtypes of endothelial cells and pericytes in a 4D (XYZ, spatial+T, time dimension) manner as representative examples for this model. Thereafter the tissue was extracted and stained as a whole-mount, by which the position and volumetric space of endothelial cells as well as pericytes were maintained, to identify molecular subtypes. Integration of the two imaging methods enabled 4D dissection of endothelial cell–pericyte association at the molecular level.
A deep learning model for gastric diffuse-type adenocarcinoma classification in whole slide images
Authors: Kanavati Fahdi , Tsuneki Masayuki
Published: October 2021

Gastric diffuse-type adenocarcinoma represents a disproportionately high percentage of cases of gastric cancers occurring in the young, and its relative incidence seems to be on the rise. Usually it affects the body of the stomach, and it presents shorter duration and worse prognosis compared with the differentiated (intestinal) type adenocarcinoma. The main difficulty encountered in the differential diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinomas occurs with the diffuse-type. As the cancer cells of diffuse-type adenocarcinoma are often single and inconspicuous in a background desmoplaia and inflammation, it can often be mistaken for a wide variety of non-neoplastic lesions including gastritis or reactive endothelial cells seen in granulation tissue. In this study we trained deep learning models to classify gastric diffuse-type adenocarcinoma from WSIs. We evaluated the models on five test sets obtained from distinct sources, achieving receiver operator curve (ROC) area under the curves (AUCs) in the range of 0.95–0.99. The highly promising results demonstrate the potential of AI-based computational pathology for aiding pathologists in their diagnostic workflow system.
Cross-cultural asymmetries in oculomotor interference elicited by gaze distractors belonging to Asian and White faces
Authors: Zhang Xinyuan , Dalmaso Mario , Castelli Luigi , Fu Shimin , Galfano Giovanni
Published: October 2021

The averted gaze of others triggers reflexive attentional orienting in the corresponding direction. This phenomenon can be modulated by many social factors. Here, we used an eye-tracking technique to investigate the role of ethnic membership in a cross-cultural oculomotor interference study. Chinese and Italian participants were required to perform a saccade whose direction might be either congruent or incongruent with the averted-gaze of task-irrelevant faces belonging to Asian and White individuals. The results showed that, for Chinese participants, White faces elicited a larger oculomotor interference than Asian faces. By contrast, Italian participants exhibited a similar oculomotor interference effect for both Asian and White faces. Hence, Chinese participants found it more difficult to suppress eye-gaze processing of White rather than Asian faces. The findings provide converging evidence that social attention can be modulated by social factors characterizing both the face stimulus and the participants. The data are discussed with reference to possible cross-cultural differences in perceived social status.
Convolutional neural network for classification of eight types of arrhythmia using 2D time–frequency feature map from standard 12-lead electrocardiogram
Authors: Jeong Da Un , Lim Ki Moo
Published: October 2021

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are widely used for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmia based on the deformation of signal shapes due to changes in various heart diseases. However, these abnormal signs may not be observed in some 12 ECG channels, depending on the location, the heart shape, and the type of cardiac arrhythmia. Therefore, it is necessary to closely and comprehensively observe ECG records acquired from 12 channel electrodes to diagnose cardiac arrhythmias accurately. In this study, we proposed a clustering algorithm that can classify persistent cardiac arrhythmia as well as episodic cardiac arrhythmias using the standard 12-lead ECG records and the 2D CNN model using the time–frequency feature maps to classify the eight types of arrhythmias and normal sinus rhythm. The standard 12-lead ECG records were provided by China Physiological Signal Challenge 2018 and consisted of 6877 patients. The proposed algorithm showed high performance in classifying persistent cardiac arrhythmias; however, its accuracy was somewhat low in classifying episodic arrhythmias. If our proposed model is trained and verified using more clinical data, we believe it can be used as an auxiliary device for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias.
A study of preparing silver iodide nanocolloid by electrical spark discharge method and its properties
Authors: Tseng Kuo-Hsiung , Yeh Chu-Ti , Chung Meng-Yun , Lin Yur-Shan , Qui Ning
Published: October 2021

This study employed an electric discharge machine (EDM) and the Electrical Spark Discharge Method (ESDM) to prepare silver iodide nanocolloid (AgINC). Povidone–iodine (PVP-I) was dissolved in deionized water to create a dielectric fluid. Silver material was melted using the high temperature generated by an electric arc, and the peeled-off material was reacted with PVP-I to form AgI nanoparticles (AgINPs). Six discharge pulse wave parameter combinations (Ton–Toff) were employed, and the resultant particle size and suspension of the prepared samples were examined. The results revealed that AgINPs were successfully created using the ESDM. When Ton–Toff was set at 90–90 μs, the zeta potential of the AgINC was − 50.3 mV, indicating excellent suspension stability. The AgINC particle size was 16 nm, verifying that the parameters yielded AgINPs with the smallest particle size distribution and highest zeta potential. Ultraviolet–visible spectrum analyser was performed to analyse the samples, and the spectra indicated that the characteristic wavelength was 420 nm regardless of the Ton–Toff values. X-ray diffraction analysis determined that the AgINPs exhibited two crystal structures, namely β-AgI and Ag. Transmission electron microscopy was performed and revealed that the particles were irregularly shaped and that some of the larger particles had aggregated. The crystal structure was determined to be a mixture of Ag and β-AgI, with a lattice spacing of 0.235 nm and 0.229 nm, respectively. The lattice spacing of the Ag was 0.235 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the prepared AgINC were composed of only Ag and I; no additional chemical elements were detected.
Estimation of current and post-treatment retinal function in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy using artificial intelligence
Authors: Pfau Maximilian , van Dijk Elon H. C. , van Rijssen Thomas J. , Schmitz-Valckenberg Steffen , Holz Frank G. , Fleckenstein Monika , Boon Camiel J. F.
Published: October 2021

Refined understanding of the association of retinal microstructure with current and future (post-treatment) function in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (cCSC) may help to identify patients that would benefit most from treatment. In this post-hoc analysis of data from the prospective, randomized PLACE trial (NCT01797861), we aimed to determine the accuracy of AI-based inference of retinal function from retinal morphology in cCSC. Longitudinal spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) data from 57 eyes of 57 patients from baseline, week 6–8 and month 7–8 post-treatment were segmented using deep-learning software. Fundus-controlled perimetry data were aligned to the SD-OCT data to extract layer thickness and reflectivity values for each test point. Point-wise retinal sensitivity could be inferred with a (leave-one-out) cross-validated mean absolute error (MAE) [95% CI] of 2.93 dB [2.40–3.46] (scenario 1) using random forest regression. With addition of patient-specific baseline data (scenario 2), retinal sensitivity at remaining follow-up visits was estimated even more accurately with a MAE of 1.07 dB [1.06–1.08]. In scenario 3, month 7–8 post-treatment retinal sensitivity was predicted from baseline SD-OCT data with a MAE of 3.38 dB [2.82–3.94]. Our study shows that localized retinal sensitivity can be inferred from retinal structure in cCSC using machine-learning. Especially, prediction of month 7–8 post-treatment sensitivity with consideration of the treatment as explanatory variable constitutes an important step toward personalized treatment decisions in cCSC.
Contracting COVID-19: a longitudinal investigation of the impact of beliefs and knowledge
Authors: Moore Courtney A. , Ruisch Benjamin C. , Granados Samayoa Javier A. , Boggs Shelby T. , Ladanyi Jesse T. , Fazio Russell H.
Published: October 2021

Recent work has found that an individual’s beliefs and personal characteristics can impact perceptions of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain individuals—such as those who are politically conservative or who endorse conspiracy theories—are less likely to engage in preventative behaviors like social distancing. The current research aims to address whether these individual differences not only affect people’s reactions to the pandemic, but also their actual likelihood of contracting COVID-19. In the early months of the pandemic, U.S. participants responded to a variety of individual difference measures as well as questions specific to the pandemic itself. Four months later, 2120 of these participants responded with whether they had contracted COVID-19. Nearly all of our included individual difference measures significantly predicted whether a person reported testing positive for the virus in this four-month period. Additional analyses revealed that all of these relationships were primarily mediated by whether participants held accurate knowledge about COVID-19. These findings offer useful insights for developing more effective interventions aimed at slowing the spread of both COVID-19 and future diseases. Moreover, some findings offer critical tests of the validity of such theoretical frameworks as those concerning conspiratorial ideation and disgust sensitivity within a real-world context.
Modeling of abnormal grain growth in (111) oriented and nanotwinned copper
Authors: Gusak A. M. , Chen Kuan-Ju , Tu K. N. , Chen Chih
Published: October 2021

Uni-modal, not bi-modal, of abnormal grain growth has been observed in (111) oriented and nano-twinned Cu films. Because of the highly anisotropic microstructure, our kinetic analysis and calculation showed that it is the mobility which dominates the uni-modal growth, in which the lateral growth rate can be two orders of magnitude higher than the vertical growth rate. As a consequence, the abnormal grain growth has been converted from bi-modal to uni-modal.
Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity, and molecular docking analysis of NHC precursors and their Ag-NHC complexes
Authors: Üstün Elvan , Şahin Neslihan , Çelik Cem , Tutar Uğur , Özdemir Namık , Gürbüz Nevin , Özdemir İsmail
Published: October 2021

A series of novel silver(i)-NHC complexes are synthesized and characterized. The anticandidal activity of some complexes was found to be similar to that of Flucanozol.
Hollow ZnO nanorices prepared by a simple hydrothermal method for NO2 and SO2 gas sensors
Authors: Minh Luu Hoang , Thuy Thu Pham Thi , Thanh Bui Quang , Hanh Nguyen Thi , Thu Hanh Do Thi , Van Toan Nguyen , Hung Chu Manh , Van Duy Nguyen , Van Tong Pham , Hoa Nguyen Duc
Published: October 2021

Hollow ZnO nanorices with an ultrathin shell show excellent response to NO2 and SO2 gases.
One-pot synthesis of conjugated triphenylamine macrocycles and their complexation with fullerenes
Authors: Lu Ying-Bo , Kanehashi Shinji , Minegishi Kazushi , Wang Shu-Ping , Cheng Jin , Ogino Kenji , Li Shijun
Published: October 2021

Cyclic triphenylamine (TPA) oligomers synthesized by C–N coupling were found to be capable of complexing with fullerenes, and the applications in optoelectronic devices were investigated by using the fabricated ITO/PEDOT:PSS/active layer/Au devices.
Nitrogen doped carbon for Pd-catalyzed hydropurification of crude terephthalic acid: roles of nitrogen species
Authors: He Limin , Wang Yangdong , Gao Huanxin , Liu Zhicheng , Xie Zaiku
Published: October 2021

Pd on N doped activated carbon exhibited increased activity and stability in 4-CBA hydrogenation relative to Pd catalysts without N doping. Higher dispersion of Pd0 and facile activation of H2 accounted for the better activity of Pd/NC.
A continuous flow process for biaryls based on sequential Suzuki–Miyaura coupling and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction
Authors: Ichitsuka Tomohiro , Fujii Tatsuya , Kobune Marina , Makino Takashi , Kawasaki Shin-ichiro
Published: October 2021

A continuous flow process for the production of biaryls based on the seamless coupling of a packed-bed reactor (synthesis module) and a rapid supercritical CO2 extraction system (extraction module) is reported.
Coordination modulated on-off switching of flexibility in a metal–organic framework
Authors: Albalad Jorge , Peralta Ricardo A. , Huxley Michael T. , Tsoukatos Steven , Shi Zhaolin , Zhang Yue-Biao , Evans Jack D. , Sumby Christopher J. , Doonan Christian J.
Published: October 2021

Stimuli-responsive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit dynamic structural changes upon exposure to external stimuli. Here the coordination geometry of a post-synthetically added metal ion drastically changes the adsorption properties.
Diversity of self-propulsion speeds reduces motility-induced clustering in confined active matter
Authors: de Castro Pablo , M. Rocha Francisco , Diles Saulo , Soto Rodrigo , Sollich Peter
Published: October 2021

Mixtures of active particles with more diverse swim speeds form smaller persistence-induced clusters. Their average cluster size is equal to that of one-component systems whose swim speed is the harmonic mean of the swim speeds of the mixture.
Effects of structural modification of (alkyldiene-imidazolium bromide)-based gemini monomers on the formation of the lyotropic bicontinuous cubic phase
Authors: Li Patrick , Reinhardt Maria I. , Dyer Samantha S. , Moore Kara E. , Imran Omar Q. , Gin Douglas L.
Published: October 2021

Seven homologues of an amphiphilic gemini monomer were synthesized; and four of them (highlighted in red in the table) were found to form a bicontinuous cubic (Q) phase with glycerol or water and could be radically cross-linked with phase retention.
Designing and Implementing a Comprehensive Telehealth Aural Rehabilitation Program for Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients
Authors: Mosley Cornetta L.
Published: October 2021

Purpose:

A comprehensive aural rehabilitation (AR) program incorporates sensory management, perceptual training, counseling, and instruction. However, the process of designing and implementing such a program is inconsistent across clinical sites, and additional information regarding the use of teleaudiology to implement AR services is needed. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to describe the process of creating and implementing a comprehensive teleaudiology AR program for older adults who use cochlear implants (CIs) at the University of South Alabama (USA) Speech & Hearing Center.

Conclusions:

A comprehensive teleaudiology AR program may be successfully designed and implemented for older adult populations. Information provided in this clinical focus article may serve as a guide or example for other trained health care professionals looking to create an in-person or telehealth AR program for older adults who use CIs.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16755289
Experimental study on a robust interaction control with unknown environments
Authors: Park Sang Hyun , Jin Maolin , Kang Hyunah , Kang Sang Hoon
Published: October 2021

The non‐linear bang‐bang impact control (NBBIC) had been proposed two decades ago as a promising robot interaction control to deal with free‐space motion, impact, and the constrained‐space motion without changing controller structure and gains. It does not need robot and environment dynamics except for an estimate of inertia matrix, and utilize the most recent control input and acceleration to compensate for the robot and environment dynamics and disturbances. Recently, the stability for multi‐degree‐of‐freedom robots was completely proved. Hence, the experimental verification of its performance and utility remains. Thus, this study has verified the performance of NBBIC in comparison with other controllers using an industrial robot and shown that the performance of NBBIC was comparable to or better than that of other controllers. Further, experimentally, it has been demonstrated that NBBIC can be used for human‐robot and multi‐robot cooperation. Thus, it is expected that NBBIC is used for many of the interaction tasks.
Explicit FDTD method based on iterated Crank–Nicolson scheme
Authors: Shibayama Jun , Nishio Tomomasa , Yamauchi Junji , Nakano Hisamatsu
Published: October 2021

An implicit Crank–Nicolson procedure can be replaced with an explicit iteration process. An explicit finite‐difference time‐domain method based on the iterated Crank–Nicolson scheme that has been widely used for solving Einstein's equations is newly developed. The formulation is presented with two iterations and its stability condition is also derived. Numerical results are found to agree well with those obtained from the traditional explicit finite‐difference time‐domain method, showing the validity of the present iterated Crank–Nicolson–finite‐difference time‐domain method.
A dual fuzzy logic controller‐based active thermal control strategy of SiC power inverter for electric vehicles
Authors: Wang Wei , Song Qiang , Li Yiting , Zhang Nianzhong
Published: October 2021

Thermal stress is one of the most important factors leading to power module failure. Under the load condition of high current with low fundamental frequency or largely changed load current, it would cause high junction temperature swing amplitude (JTSA) of chips, which could accelerate the failure of power module. To address this issue, this paper proposes a dual fuzzy logic controller‐based active thermal control (ATC) strategy to reduce the JTSA of chips in cases of variable power profiles. Two fuzzy logic controllers are designed to reduce the JTSA of chips by adjusting the switching frequency and pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy, respectively. One fuzzy logic controller is designed to reduce the transient JTSA of chips, which is done by changing the switching frequency according to the fundamental frequency and transient JTSA. The other one is to reduce the mean JTSA of chips, which is implemented by regulating the switching frequency and PWM modes according to the mean junction temperature and its variation. The minimum one is selected as the switching frequency of power inverter. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed ATC strategy is verified by simulation and experimental results.
Evaluation of use effective microorganisms (EM) with different feeding strategies on growth performance, body chemical composition and economic efficiency of monosex Nile tilapiaOreochromis niloticusjuveniles
Authors: Abdel-Aziz Mohamed F. , Abdel-Tawwab Yaseen A. , Sadek Mohamed F. , Yones Abdel Moneim M.
Published: October 2021

A factorial trial was conducted to detect the effect of different feeding strategies of supplementation of effective microorganisms (EM) liquid on the growth performance, feed utilization, body chemical composition and economic efficiency of monosex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles. Three experimental treatments were formulated a basal diet without any addition of EM (control; A), a diet supplemented with 2% EM (B), and a diet supplemented with 4% EM (C). All treatments were offered to fish through two different strategies of feeding the meal: 2/3 in the morning and 1/3 in the afternoon or 1/3 in the morning and 2/3 in the afternoon. Each treatment was replicated three times. Juveniles Nile tilapia with an average initial body weight of 3.85 ± 0.22 g (± SE) were randomly stocked at a rate of 90 juveniles per 1.5 m3tank. Fish growth performance and feed utilization significantly (P≤ 0.05) increased with increasing EM supplementation and were positively affected by different feeding strategies. Moreover, the economic evaluation showed that there were more benefits by when using the 4% EM diet and feeding 2/3 of daily meal in the morning.
Quelle taxonomie des maladies inflammatoires en rhumatologie ?
Authors: Messer Laurent , Felten Renaud , Duret Pierre-Marie , Gottenberg Jacques Eric , Widawski Laura , Meyer Alain , Lomo Myazhiom Aggée Célestin , Spielmann Lionel , Sibilia Jean
Published: October 2021

La pratique clinique de la médecine nécessite la reconnaissance de la maladie dont souffre le patient par le médecin. Pour cela, celui-ci rationnalise les signes permettant d’isoler une entité réaliste et de la classer dans la nosologie de référence. Contrairement à d’autres pratiques, le modèle biomédical utilise la méthodologie scientifique du recensement, dans une logique de classification pour définir les maladies. Du fait de son processus de simplification, ce modèle néglige les cas de transition ou les cas complexes. En rhumatologie, ce raisonnement classifiant est mis à l’épreuve par le manque d’objectivité et de spécificité des éléments sur lesquels s’appuie le clinicien pour construire le diagnostic, mais aussi par la complexité des mécanismes physiopathologiques des maladies rhumatismales. Ces maladies peuvent en effet se confondre ou s’intriquer, pour aboutir alors à la description de nouvelles entités non envisagées dans les classifications. Nous présentons dans cette revue les difficultés rencontrées au cours de l’exercice de la médecine dans ces contextes, et comment, à partir d’un cas concret, vécu, celles-ci peuvent donner naissance à la proposition d’un nouveau taxon1.
Effect of pretreatment on the extraction of valuable metal from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite by ammonium sulfate roasting
Authors: Bian Zhenzhong , Feng Yali , Li Haoran , Zhang Qian , Xu Chenglong , Li Haosheng , Li Zhengyao
Published: October 2021

The paper presents the effect of pretreatment on the ammonium sulfate roasting behavior of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite. The effects of the several parameters included pretreatment temperature, time and atmosphere upon the extraction efficiency of V, Ti and Fe were investigated. Under the conditions of a pretreatment temperature of 900 °C, a time of 2h and an air flow of 4 L/min, the extraction efficiency of V, Ti and Fe reached 92.56%, 11.25% and 78.72%, respectively. The study of the valence state changes of V and Fe before and after pretreatment found that pretreatment was beneficial to increase the content of acid soluble V(IV) and V(Ⅴ), and enrich Ti species. XRD, SEM-EDS and FTIR were deeply clarified the influence of pretreatment on the evolution characteristics of the mineral phase. Additionally, the difficulty of pyrolysis between the intermediate Ti species and ammonium sulfate was analyzed by thermodynamic simulation.
Occupational radiation doses among nurses working in several medical departments in Saudi Arabia: a five-year national study
Authors: Shubayr N. , Alashban Y.
Published: October 2021

There has been an increase in the numbers of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, which, in turn, has increased the occupational radiation doses delivered to healthcare practitioners. The aim of this study is to estimate a baseline for the occupational effective doses for five consecutive years (2016–2020) among nurses working in several medical departments in Saudi Arabia. A total of 3249 nurses were monitored from 2016 to 2020. Occupational effective doses were estimated using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100 chip) made of lithium fluoride (Li natural) LiF:Mg.Ti materials. An analysis of the dosimetry data revealed that the overall mean annual effective dose (MAED), range of the effective doses and the mean collective effective dose for nurses in selected departments during the study period were 0.85 mSv, 0.06–13.07 mSv and 46.51 man-mSv, respectively. The MAEDs for nurses were obtained from various departments, including the operating room (OR; 0.81 mSv), general X-ray (0.90 mSv), cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath-lab; 0.97 mSv), endoscopy (0.79 mSv), computed tomography (CT; 0.77 mSv), fluoroscopy (0.81 mSv), dentistry (0.92 mSv), angiography (0.91 mSv), nuclear medicine (1.01 mSv), urology (0.68 mSv), radiotherapy (0.67 mSv) and mammography (0.77 mSv). The MAED for cath-lab nurses was significantly higher than that for OR, CT and endoscopy nurses. The occupational doses among nurses in Saudi Arabia were below the recommended dose limit of 20 mSv. However, to further reduce the occupational dose, we recommend training and continuing education in radiation protection for nurses involved in radiological procedures.
Robust sustainable multi-period hub location considering uncertain time-dependent demand
Authors: Khaleghi Amir , Eydi Alireza
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a mathematical programming model for designing a sustainable continuous-time multi-period hub network considering time-dependent demand. The present model can be used in situations where the distribution of parameters related to the demand function is unknown, and we only can determine the range of changes of these parameters. To model these conditions, we consider interval uncertainty for the demand function parameters. The proposed model is a nonlinear multi-objective model. The objectives of the model cover economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability. These objectives include minimizing total costs, minimizing emissions, and maximizing fixed and variable job opportunities. We linearize the model by using some linearization techniques, and then, with the help of Bertsimas and Sim’s method, we construct a robust counterpart of the model. We also present some valid inequalities to strengthen the formulation. To solve the proposed model, we use Torabi and Hassini method. From solving the proposed model, network design decisions and the best time to implement decisions during the planning horizon are determined. To validate the model, we solve a sample problem based on the Turkish dataset and compare the designed network in two cases: in the first case, the demand function parameters take nominal values, and in the second case, the value of these parameters can change up to 20% of their nominal values. The results show that in the second case, the total capacity selected for hubs and hub links is greater than the first case. To investigate changes in objective functions to parameters level of conservatism and probability of constraints violation, we perform sensitivity analysis on these parameters in both single-objective and multi-objective optimization cases and report the results.
Total Synthesis of Citreochlorol Monochloro Analogues via a Catalytically Enantioselective Carbonyl Allylation
Authors: Lin Cheng-Kun , Hsieh Bing-Han , Wu Chun-Fu
Published: October 2021

An efficient synthetic route to citreochlorol analogues, halogenated polyketide secondary metabolites, is described. The key features are Krische’s enantioselective carbonyl allylation, IBr-promoted cyclization, and regioselective epoxide opening. The importance of the route lies in accessing a versatile epoxy ether that enables the formation of citreochlorol monochloro derivatives.