bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water surface reflection characteristics and power generation of bifacial PV modules
Authors: Lu Wei , Tian Jiehua
Published: November 2020

The power generation characteristics of bifacial PV module on water surface are complicated. This paper proposed a water surface reflectivity model, which takes the light reflection characteristics on the calm water surface and the fluctuating water surface into consideration. The experimental data shows that the average absolute difference between actual water surface reflectivity and simulation data is 0.88%. A power generation model of the bifacial PV module was proposed on the basis of considering of the background reflectivity and the feature of bifacial PV module. The experimental data shows that the average absolute difference between actual PV power generation and simulation data is 2.1%. An approximate power generation enhancement ratio was proposed to estimate the power generation of bifacial PV module. Experimental results show that the average absolute difference between the approximate data and the actual data is 0.7%.
The influence of the outlet position and substrate on the nitrogen purification of vertical flow constructed wetlands
Authors: Xu Qiaoling , Wang Ping , Zhang Feng , Wang Li
Published: November 2020

To investigate the influence of outlet location on nitrogen removal in Vertical Flow Wetlands (VFWS), three VFWS, that were, wetland H (planting Pennisetum Hydridum), wetland X (planting Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and wetland CK (no planting) were constructed. High, medium and low water outlets were set in each wetland, namely A, B and C. The main results were as followed: TN (total nitrogen) removal efficiency of A, B, C in H wetland was 61.3%, 55.4%, 53.2 %, and variance analysis was 100.2, 137.1, 177.8. A, B, C in X wetland was 58.3%, 56.6%, 50.2%, and variance analysis was 55.6, 68.8, 116.4. A, B, C in CK wetland was 53.1%, 51.5%, 50.2%, and variance analysis was 131.9, 188.7, 275.4, respectively. The content of nitrogen and urease activity in the substrate decreased with increasing of substrate depth. These results indicated that planting Pennisetum Hydridum and Pennisetum purpureum Schum. In VFW and appropriately raising outlet position could help improve nitrogen removal efficiency and obtain relatively stable effluent quality, and the upper substrate (0-10 cm) was the main site for nitrogen interception and purification. It can provide theoretical basis for the scientific construction and management of VFW.
Study on the capability of a bacterial strain for aniline degradation under some specific circumstances
Authors: Yuan Bowen , Wang Yun , Pan Rongbing
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the study is to explore the characteristics of a laboratory cultured bacterial strain Delftia sp. named AD1 for aniline degradation. Several degradation conditions were studied to provide information for biological treatment of aniline-containing wastewater. The bacterial strain AD1 is salt-tolerant, and the most suitable salt concentration for the growth of AD1 and the biodegradation of aniline is 5% (NaCl w/v), but when the salinity surpasses 5%, the growth of AD1 and the biodegradation of aniline could be restricted. The copper ion (Cu2+) had the most significant restriction impact on the growth of AD1, but up to 99.9% of aniline (initial concentration: 600mg/L) can be degraded under the effect of heavy metal ion. Both the single bacterial strain AD1 and mixed bacterial strains (AD1 and nitrifying bacteria) can efficiently degrade aniline, and the degradation rate of aniline for both groups reached 99.9%. However, the mixed bacterial strains did not show palpable advantage of the speed of aniline degradation over single bacterial strain AD1. Though nitrifying bacteria in the mixed bacterial strains was expected to degrade the ammonia nitrogen produced in aniline biodegradation process, there was no conspicuous difference in the concentration of ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen between the samples of single bacterial strain AD1 and mixed bacterial strains.
The indication of soil microorganism to wetland restoration in Three River Source Area
Authors: Ling Jiankang , Mao Xufeng , Wei Xiaoyan , Tan Wenjia , Wu Yi , Zhang Yanchun , Bao Xianxia , Tong Lingling
Published: November 2020

Post-assessment of wetland restoration projects offers insight into project efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. In order to evaluate the wetland restoration in three river source area, Qinghai Province, 16SrRNA high-throughput sequencing, OTU analysis, Alpha diversity analysis, etc., were used to analyze the soil microorganisms in the three restoration measures. Then, the species distribution and species richness cluster information were obtained. Compared with the wetland without any restoration measures, the results showed that the soil health index in three plots was higher or lower, which was specifically reflected in: replanting plot > rodent control plot > enclosure plot. Finally, the health status of alpine meadow wetland was comprehensively analyzed. The results in this work can offer reference for the restoration and protection of meadow wetland in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The Effects of Epoxidised Natural Rubber (ENR-50) on Cure Characteristics and Tensile Properties of Recycled Natural Rubber Catheter Filled Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) Vulcanizates
Authors: Zakaria Muhammad Salihin , Zulkepli Nik Noriman , Nordin Razif Muhammed , Halim Khairul Anwar Abdul , Hanafi Hafizuddin
Published: November 2020

The effect of epoxidised natural rubber (ENR-50) on cure characteristics and tensile properties (tensile strength, modulus at 100% elongation and elongation at break) of recycled natural rubber catheter filled ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) vulcanizates were studied. The scorch time, t2 of EPDM/NRr blends with and without ENR-50 increased as NRr content increased while the cure time, t90 is decreased. However, with the presence of ENR-50 in EPDM/NRr blends, the t2 was longer and t90 was shorter than the uncompatibilized EPDM/NRr blends. The minimum torque, ML, of EPDM/NRr blend with and without ENR-50 relatively increased while maximum torque, MH, decreased with increasing NRr content. With the presence of ENR-50, the compatibilized EPDM/NRr blends exhibit a lower value of ML and MH compared with uncompatibilized blends. The incorporation of ENR-50 in EPDM/NRr blends enhanced the tensile strength and tensile modulus of compatibilized EPDM/NRr blends compared to uncompatibilized EPDM/NRr blends. The elongation at break (Eb) of compatibilized EPDM/NRr blends is lower than the uncompatibilized EPDM/NRr blends at all blend ratios. This indicated that ENR 50 improved the curing characteristics and tensile properties of the compound.
Structural, electronic and thermoelectric properties of SrTiO3 ceramic doped by lanthanum using first principles
Authors: Adewale Akeem Adekunle , Chik Abdullah , Zaki Ruhiyuddin Mohd
Published: November 2020

The Sr0.92La0.08TiO3 model compound was studied by means of the first-principles method grounded on the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave with the local orbital method as implement in WIEN2k. The structures, electronic and thermoelectric properties of the model compound are examined. Geometry optimization of Sr0.92La0.08TiO3 compound structure reveals the lattice constant of 3.9451 Å, which is the same as un-doped SrTiO3. The direct bandgap of 2.48 eV (Γ-Γ) was measured from computed electronic band structure and its displayed density of states for Sr0.92La0.08TiO3 sample. Transport properties were calculated using BoltzTraP code as implemented in the WIEN2k code. The results were analyzed as a function of the variable temperatures, the density of state and chemical potential. Temperature and density of state variation with transport properties are in the same trend. Chemical potential proves material as n-type via Seebeck coefficient. The thermoelectric performance ZT of 0.05 was obtained at room temperature, while maximum value of 3.79 was recorded at 1200 K.
The Effect of Modified Jackfruit (Artocarpus Heterophyllus Lam.) Seed Starch on the Properties of Poly Lactic Acid
Authors: Abdullah Nur Amira Sahirah , Wahab Mohamad Kahar Ab
Published: November 2020

This work investigates the effect of the modified jackfruit seed starch with silane coupling agent on the properties of polylactic acid (PLA). Jackruit seed starch will converted into thermoplastic like in the presence of glycerol as plasticizer. The physicochemical properties and thermal stability of the native and modified jackfruit seed starch blends with PLA were comparatively investigated. The structural changes after modification was analyzed by using Fourier Transmission Infra-red technique. Its confirmed the successful of the silane treatment from the newly peak observed at 1020 cm−1 and 1105 cm−1 for Si-O-Si and starch-O-Si bonds, respectively. For tensile strength, the value shows slightly decrese with the increasing of jackfruit seeds starch content. However the tensile properties for silane treatment shows the better improvement as compared to untreated counterpart. In the case of plasticized jackfruit seed starch, the elongation at break value increase with filler loading due to the ductile behavior of the blends system. The modification of the starch with silane coupling agent gives better interfacial adhesion between starch and PLA matrix while the glycerol gives the ductility and hydrophobicity to the starch and gives better elongation at break for the PLA/starch blends. The thermal stability of the silane treated PLA/starch blends was also improved as compared to the native PLA/starch blends.
Effect of Photoetching Process onto Immobilized PANI/TiO2Films Towards Photocatalytic Degradation of RR2 dye
Authors: Razak Sharin , Salleh Nazry , Nawawi Wan Izhan , Natar Nadiah
Published: November 2020

Polyaniline (PANI) and P-25 Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was fabricated as immobilized P-25TiO2/PANI/ENR/PVC film and reported on the photocatalytic study. PANI and TiO2was immersed into the organic solvent and being coated onto glass plates under influenced of ENR/PVC polymeric binder by using a dip-coating method. It was found that, the removal of RR2 dye nearly good as suspension system after the pre-irradiation process. Based on COD and BET results, it showed that the optimum time of etching process was 7 hours irradiation time. This pre-irradiation process enhanced the removal of dye due to leached out of excessive binder and also exhibit visible light active after insertion of PANI into the immobilized system.
Low temperature prepared N doped TiO2 photodegradation of janus green B
Authors: Othman Siti Aisyah , Zainon Siti Nurjannah , Abdullah Mohd Fauzi , Nawawi Wan Izhan , Ikhwan Syahirul , Razak Sharin
Published: November 2020

N doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) was prepared under low temperature calcination of TiO2 Degussa P25 powder and urea at various mixing ratios. Muffle furnace was used as heating media with the temperature used in the range of 300 to 500 °C. The prepared N doped TiO2 was characterized by using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was observed that N doped TiO2 prepared at 0.5 g urea under the 400 °C calcination process (named as U2-400) is the optimum photocatalyst sample with the highest rate removal of Janus green B (JG) dye. The U2-400 had goes the photodegradation rate removal at 0.1071 min−1 where it is 3.5 times faster compared to unmodified TiO2 sample. The high photodegradation rate removal for U2-400 was due to the N incorporated with TiO2 in U2-400 photocatalyst which narrowed the bandgap energy from 3.2 to 3.0 eV as observed by UV-Vis DRS spectra. This shows the U2-400 sample has increased its photocatalytic activity since it has become more active under wider an optical response compared to the unmodified TiO2
Optimization of Injection Moulding Processing Parameters for LDPE/RH Composites Tensile Strength Through Full Factorial Experiment
Authors: Jaya Haliza , Zulkepli Nik Noriman , Omar Mohd Firdaus , Rahim Shayfull Zamree Abd , Halim Khairul Anwar Abdul
Published: November 2020

Optimal process setting implementation critically influences productivity, quality, and cost of production in the injection moulding industry. Precedently, trial and error method were the most common method for the production engineers to identify the optimal process parameter setting. Inappropriate injection moulding parameter settings can lead to poor production and quality. This paper presents a statistical technique on the optimization of injection moulding process parameters through Design of Experiments method. In this study, an understanding of the injection moulding process and consequently its optimization is carried out by Design of Experiment method based on three parameters (melt temperature, packing pressure, and cooling time) which influence the tensile strength of rice husk reinforced low density polyethylene composites. Statistical results and analysis are used to provide better interpretation of the experiment. The models are form from analysis of variance and the model passed the tests for normality and independence assumptions.
The Correlation between Palm Shell Char Properties and the Production of Metallic Iron in EAF Steelmaking Slag Reduction Reaction
Authors: Ismail Anis Nadhirah , Yunos Nur Farhana M. , Sri Raj Rajeswari M. , Idris M. A.
Published: November 2020

Palm shells wastes generated from oil palm processing are in abundance in landfills every year thereby posing environmental problems. Enormous amount of wastes generated by agro-industry has previously studied as carbon source in steelmaking hence providing solution to environmental problems. This paper studied on the conversion of palm shell waste into carbon material via physical and chemical activation method for metallic iron extraction. Physical char was prepared by pyrolyzed in nitrogen atmosphere at 450ºC while chemical char was impregnated in phosphoric acid before pyrolyzed. Composite pellets of EAF slag (43.18 %Fe2O3) with physical and chemical char were rapidly heated at temperature 1550ºC within 20 minutes under argon flow. All reduced samples were analyzed on the weight loss, degree of reduction, iron recovery and phase analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that chemical/slag showed higher weight loss (38.8%) and excellent degree of reduction (29.94%) compared to physical/slag due to higher volatile matter content (9.8%) and larger surface area (562.14m2/g). It was found that the production of metallic iron particles after the reduction process and indicated that chemical char achieved higher iron recovery (15.48%) compared to physical char due to higher total carbon content (60.28%). XRD and Rietveld refinement analysis confirmed that the iron phase was a major component in metallic iron particles for physical/slag and chemical/slag samples. This elucidated that the iron oxides in EAF slag was completely reduced into iron by using palm shell chars as carbon materials. This finding indicates that palm shell chars potentially act as carbon materials in steelmaking applications according to their good characteristics.
Phase formation and microstructure analyses of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ-BaCe0.54Zr0.36Y0.1O2.95composite material prepared by solid state mixing method
Authors: Samat Abdullah Abdul , Pisor Muhammad Syafiq Amsyar Ahmad , Tajudin Meor Ahmad Faris Meor Ahmad , Nawi Mohd Al-Hafiz Mohd , Darus Murizam , Osman Nafisah , Baharuddin Nurul Akidah
Published: November 2020

A composite material of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ-BaCe0.54Zr0.36Y0.1O2.95(LSC-BCZY) was prepared by mixing sol-gel derived LSC and BCZY powders in different weight percentage (wt%) ratio of LSC to BCZY (LSC:BCZY). The prepared composite powders were denoted as S1 (30:70), S2 (50:50) and S3 (70:30). The powders were characterized by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and porosity analyzer and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer. XRD analysis confirmed that all of the powders were not pure enough due to the presence of impurity phases such as barium carbonate (BaCO3) and strontium carbonate (SrCO3) and unknown phases. S1 powder has the highest amount of impurity phases (81.19 %) and the largest BET surface area (4.82 m2g−1). All of the powders formed typical clump-like network structure as proven by SEM analysis. EDX analysis revealed that the elemental compositions of La, Sr and Zr were deviated from their nominal mole fractions in all powders due to the Zr-rich clusters formation. The results indicate that the formation of pure and homogenous LSC-BCZY composite powder prepared by solid state mixing method requires further modification and improvement of the preparation method.
Tin and germanium substitution in lead free perovskite solar cell: current status and future trends
Authors: Azhari Ayu Wazira , Then Faith Shi Xin , Halin Dewi Suriyani Che , Sepeai Suhaila , Ludin Norasikin Ahmad
Published: November 2020

Tin and germanium-based perovskite solar cell is gaining interest in lead-free perovskite solar cells as it is less toxic as compared to lead but possess almost all the characteristics of a perfect solar cell materials. Within 5 years, the reported efficiency of tin-based solar cells has increased from 6.4% to 9%. Although facing with stability issues as it is easily oxidised in ambient air, several studies have proven that the stability issues can be reduced. One of it is by using cesium as the ‘A’ cation. On the other hand, although studies on germanium-based perovskite solar cells are rarely conducted, promising results are shown when it is alloyed with tin producing narrower bandgaps and better stability owing to the protection of the GeO2 surface layer.
Preliminary study on the effect of Ni addition on tin (Sn) whisker growth from lead-free solder coating
Authors: Hashim Aimi Noorliyana , Salleh Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd , Ramli Muhammad Mahyiddin , Yee Khor Chu , Mokhtar Noor Zaimah Mohd
Published: November 2020

It has been widely confirmed that alloying significantly can mitigate the formation of tin (Sn) whiskers and consequently became a possible candidate as a lead-free alloys coating material in the microelectronics industry. In this study, the effect of 0.05 wt.% Ni addition on the formation and growth of Sn whisker in Sn-0.7Cu solder coatings have been investigated under continuous mechanically stress induced at room temperature. It is clearly found that Ni addition have significantly enhanced stress relaxation by reducing the growth rate of formation Sn whiskers in Sn-0.7Cu solder coatings. The morphology of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 interfacial IMC was more refine and thinner with a fine scallop-shaped interfacial intermetallic layer purposely to lower the compressive stress of Sn coating and extend the nucleation period, thus mitigating the formation and growth of Sn whiskers.
Design and wear resistance analysis of bionic roller for folding of automobile body cover parts based on pearl shell surface texture
Authors: Zhang Bang-Cheng , Zhang Zi-Qiang , Sun Jian-Wei , Shao Chen
Published: November 2020

In order to improve the forming quality of automobile body cover parts, the trundle attrition between the roller and panel in a roll-wrap robot has been investigated to minimize the frictional losses. This paper presents a design scheme of bionic roller structure based on the surface texture of pearl shell. The microstructure of pearl shell surface is analyzed and the mapping model of pearl shell surface structure is established. Meanwhile, the best texture type is determined by simulation analysis and theoretical formula. Based on the optimal texture type, the optimized roller structure is simulated and analyzed by utilizing the golden section method to determine the best depth-to-width ratio. The roller model is made by 3D laser marking mechanism. The validty of the theory and design method is verified by the correspoding experiments. By comparing the simulation and experimental analysis data, it can be seen that the vertical stripe bionic roller achieves the optimal performance when the depth-to-width ratio is 0.382. Compared with the ordinary roller, the maximum principal stress at the node is reduced by 2038.5 N, the frictional loss energy during movement is reduced by 8.43 × 108J, the wear mass is reduced by 285.63%, the wear depth is reduced by 47.4%.
Design and simulation of C2N based solar cell by SCAPS-1D software
Authors: Zhou Xiangyu , Han Junfeng
Published: November 2020

Recently, a novel nitrogenated holey two-dimensional material, C2N, has been successfully synthesized via a simple wet-chemical reaction. Its merits have drawn much attention from the scientists. However, to the best of our knowledge, few reported works employed C2N as photovoltaic materials and the practical solar cells based on C2N have not been fabricated in lab. In this work, we carried out simulation using Scaps-1D to investigate the influences of different parameters on the C2N based solar cell. By varying the acceptor density, layer thickness, defect density of C2N and changing different N layers coupling with C2N, we found out that suitable acceptor density, around 1015cm−3, large layer thickness of C2N and low defect density were key factors to obtain high-performance solar cells. Small band offset also played an importance role in enhancing the performance of photovoltaic materials. With optimized parameters, C2N coupling with CdS as heterojunction can achieve an efficiency of over 17%. This work may provide valuable insights into future design of C2N based solar cells.
Analytical study of heat and mass transfer in MHD flow of chemically reactive and thermally radiative Casson nanofluid over an inclined stretching cylinder
Authors: Walelign Tadesse , Haile Eshetu , Kebede Tesfaye , Walelgn Assaye
Published: November 2020

The main purpose of this study is to give a mathematical analysis of heat and mass transfer in a boundary layer flow of Casson fluid over an inclined stretching cylinder in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles. The effects of Casson parameter, curvature of the cylinder, angle of inclination, Buoyancy force, external magnetic field, thermal radiation, Joule heating, viscous dissipation, heat source and chemical reaction are taken into account. Appropriate transformations are incorporated to convert the governing partial differential equations and the boundary conditions suitable for computation. The elegant optimal homotopy analysis method is used to obtain analytic approximations for the resulting system of nonlinear differential equations. The features of flow characteristics such as velocity, temperature and concentration profiles in response to the variations of the emerging parameters are simulated and examined in detail. Extensive analysis is also made to explore the influences of relevant constraints on the rates of momentum, heat and mass transfer near the surface of the cylinder. Among the many outputs of the study, it is found that increasing the non-Newtonian Casson parameter can slowdown the flow velocity and enhance the temperature and concentration profiles. It is also revealed that significant enhancement of wall friction and mass transfer rate can be achieved by increasing the curvature of the cylinder. Further, the analytic approximations obtained by implementing the optimal homotopy analysis method to the present model are in close agreements with previous studies under common assumptions.
Nonlocal mechanisms of attosecond interferometry in three-dimensional systems
Authors: Jelovina Denis , Scrinzi Armin , Jakob Wörner Hans , Schild Axel
Published: November 2020

Attosecond interferometry (AI) is an experimental technique based on ionizing a system with an attosecond pulse train in the presence of an assisting laser. This assisting laser pulse provides multiple pathways for the photoelectron wave packet to reach the same final states, and interference of these pathways can be used to probe the properties of matter. The mechanism of AI is well-understood for isolated atoms and molecules in the gas phase, but not so much in the condensed phase, especially if the substrate under study is transparent. Then, additional pathways open up for the electron due to (laser-assisted) scattering from neighbouring atoms. We investigate to what extent these additional pathways influence the measured photoionization delays with the help of 1D and 3D model systems. In both cases, we find that the total delay can be expressed as the sum of a local (photoionization) delay and a non-local delay, which contains the effect of electron scattering during transport. The 1D system shows that the non-local delay is an oscillatory function of the distance between the sites where ionization and scattering take place. A similar result is obtained in 3D, but the modulation depth of the non-local delay is found to strongly depend on the effective scattering cross section. We conclude that attosecond interferometry of disordered systems like liquids at low photon energies (20–30 eV) is mainly sensitive to the local delay, i.e. to changes of the photoionization dynamics induced by the immediate environment of the ionized entity, and less to electron scattering during transport through the medium. This conclusion also agrees with the interpretation of recent experimental results.
Bio-inspired deposition of electrochemically exfoliated graphene layers for electrical resistance heating applications
Authors: Utech Toni , Pötschke Petra , Simon Frank , Janke Andreas , Kettner Hannes , Paiva Maria , Zimmerer Cordelia
Published: November 2020

Electrochemically exfoliated graphene (eeG) layers possess a variety of potential applications, e.g. as susceptor material for contactless induction heating in dynamic electro-magnetic fields, and as flexible and transparent electrode or resistivity heating elements. Spray coating of eeG dispersions was investigated in detail as a simple and fast method to deposit both, thin conducting layers and ring structures on polycarbonate substrates. The spray coating process was examined by systematic variation of dispersion concentration and volume applied to heated substrates. Properties of the obtained layers were characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopy, SEM and Confocal Scanning Microscopy. Electrical conductivity of eeG ring structures was measured using micro-four-point measurements. Modification of eeG with poly(dopamine) and post-thermal treatment yields in the reduction of the oxidized graphene proportion, an increase in electrical conductivity, and mechanical stabilization of the deposited thin layers. The chemical composition of modified eeG layer was analyzed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy pointing to the reductive behavior of poly(dopamine). Application oriented experiments demonstrate the direct electric current heating (Joule-Heating) effect of spray-coated eeG layers.
Unconventional endocytosis and trafficking of transferrin receptor induced by iron
Authors: Gammella Elena , Lomoriello Irene Schiano , Conte Alexia , Freddi Stefano , Alberghini Alessandra , Poli Maura , Sigismund Sara , Cairo Gaetano , Recalcati Stefania
Published: November 2020

An unconventional endocytic regulatory process that directs TfR1 to lysosomal degradation in response to iron is reported. This mechanism may represent a novel posttranslational control to prevent iron overload.
Development and validation of an aetiology in delirium diagnostic support tool
Authors: Eeles Eamonn , Huang Lisa , Dakin Lucy , Ling Carolina , Dunn Erin , Fraser Jon , Dissanayaka Nadeeka N
Published: November 2020

Background

recognition of the multifactorial causes of delirium represents a clinical challenge.

Objectives

to develop and show proof of principle of a diagnostic support tool (DST) for identification of causes of delirium.

Methods

stage 1—development of the aetiology in delirium-diagnostic support tool (AiD-DST); stage 2—validation of the AiD-DST against reference standard diagnosis, based on clinical assessment from two independent consultant geriatricians.

Results

a series of eight steps AiD-DST were formulated by an expert group to identify possible causes of delirium. Forty inpatients admitted to a general medical unit with a consultant physician/geriatrician diagnosis of delirium were recruited, consented and reviewed against the AiD-DST. Mean age was 85.1 (standard deviation 7.9) years and 26 (65%) of participants were female. Participants had multiple chronic co-morbidities [median Charlson Comorbidity Index 7; interquartile range (IQR 6–9)] and median number of medications was 8 (IQR 6–11.75). Median number of causes of delirium detected on AiD-DST was 3 (IQR 3–4) versus 5 (IQR 3–6) using the reference standard diagnosis, with sensitivity of 88.8% (95% confidence interval, 81.6–93.9%) and specificity of 71.8% (63–79.5%).

Conclusions

the aetiology in delirium DST shows promise in the identification of cause(s) in delirium.
RCSB Protein Data Bank 1D tools and services
Authors: Segura Joan , Rose Yana , Westbrook John , Burley Stephen K , Duarte Jose M
Published: November 2020

Motivation

Interoperability between polymer sequences and structural data is essential for providing a complete picture of protein and gene features and helping to understand biomolecular function.

Results

Herein, we present two resources designed to improve interoperability between the RCSB Protein Data Bank, the NCBI and the UniProtKB data resources and visualize integrated data therefrom. The underlying tools provide a flexible means of mapping between the different coordinate spaces and an interactive tool allows convenient visualization of the 1-dimensional data over the web.

Availabilityand implementation

https://1d-coordinates.rcsb.org and https://rcsb.github.io/rcsb-saguaro.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MOVICS: an R package for multi-omics integration and visualization in cancer subtyping
Authors: Lu Xiaofan , Meng Jialin , Zhou Yujie , Jiang Liyun , Yan Fangrong
Published: November 2020

Stratification of cancer patients into distinct molecular subgroups based on multi-omics data is an important issue in the context of precision medicine. Here, we present MOVICS, an R package for multi-omics integration and visualization in cancer subtyping. MOVICS provides a unified interface for 10 state-of-the-art multi-omics integrative clustering algorithms, and incorporates the most commonly used downstream analyses in cancer subtyping researches, including characterization and comparison of identified subtypes from multiple perspectives, and verification of subtypes in external cohort using two model-free approaches for multiclass prediction. MOVICS also creates feature rich customizable visualizations with minimal effort. By analysing two published breast cancer cohort, we signifies that MOVICS can serve a wide range of users and assist cancer therapy by moving away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to patient care.

Availability and implementation

MOVICS package and online tutorial are freely available at https://github.com/xlucpu/MOVICS.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ivermectin Accelerates Circulating Nonstructural Protein 1 (NS1) Clearance in Adult Dengue Patients: A Combined Phase 2/3 Randomized Double-blinded Placebo Controlled Trial
Authors: Suputtamongkol Yupin , Avirutnan Panisadee , Mairiang Dumrong , Angkasekwinai Nasikarn , Niwattayakul Kannika , Yamasmith Eakkawit , Saleh-arong Fadhil A-hamad , Songjaeng Adisak , Prommool Tanapan , Tangthawornchaikul Nattaya , Puttikhunt Chunya , Hunnangkul Saowalak , Komoltri Chulaluk , Thammapalo Suwich , Malasit Prida
Published: November 2020

Background

Dengue is the most significant mosquito-borne viral disease; there are no specific therapeutics. The antiparasitic drug ivermectin efficiently inhibits the replication of all 4 dengue virus serotypes in vitro.

Methods

We conducted 2 consecutive randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in adult dengue patients to evaluate safety and virological and clinical efficacies of ivermectin. After a phase 2 trial with 2 or 3 days of 1 daily dose of 400 µg/kg ivermectin, we continued with a phase 3, placebo-controlled trial with 3 days of 400 µg/kg ivermectin.

Results

The phase 2 trial showed a trend in reduction of plasma nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) clearance time in the 3-day ivermectin group compared with placebo. Combining phase 2 and 3 trials, 203 patients were included in the intention to treat analysis (100 and 103 patients receiving ivermectin and placebo, respectively). Dengue hemorrhagic fever occurred in 24 (24.0%) of ivermectin-treated patients and 32 (31.1%) patients receiving placebo (P = .260). The median (95% confidence interval [CI]) clearance time of NS1 antigenemia was shorter in the ivermectin group (71.5 [95% CI 59.9–84.0] hours vs 95.8 [95% CI 83.9–120.0] hours, P = .014). At discharge, 72.0% and 47.6% of patients in the ivermectin and placebo groups, respectively had undetectable plasma NS1 (P = .001). There were no differences in the viremia clearance time and incidence of adverse events between the 2 groups.

Conclusions

A 3-day 1 daily dose of 400 µg/kg oral ivermectin was safe and accelerated NS1 antigenemia clearance in dengue patients. However, clinical efficacy of ivermectin was not observed at this dosage regimen.
Environmental Contamination of Contact Precaution and Non-Contact Precaution Patient Rooms in Six Acute Care Facilities
Authors: Tanner Windy D , Leecaster Molly K , Zhang Yue , Stratford Kristina M , Mayer Jeanmarie , Visnovsky Lindsay D , Alhmidi Heba , Cadnum Jennifer L , Jencson Annette L , Koganti Sreelatha , Bennett Christina P , Donskey Curtis J , Noble-Wang Judith , Reddy Sujan C , Rose Laura J , Watson Lauren , Ide Emma , Wipperfurth Tyler , Safdar Nasia , Arasim Maria , Macke Colleen , Roman Patti , Krein Sarah L , Loc-Carrillo Catherine , Samore Matthew H
Published: November 2020

Background

Environmental contamination is an important source of hospital multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) transmission. Factors such as patient MDRO contact precautions (CP) status, patient proximity to surfaces, and unit type likely influence MDRO contamination and bacterial bioburden levels on patient room surfaces. Identifying factors associated with environmental contamination in patient rooms and on shared unit surfaces could help identify important environmental MDRO transmission routes.

Methods

Surfaces were sampled from MDRO CP and non-CP rooms, nursing stations, and mobile equipment in acute care, intensive care, and transplant units within 6 acute care hospitals using a convenience sampling approach blinded to cleaning events. Precaution rooms had patients with clinical or surveillance tests positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae or Acinetobacter within the previous 6 months, or Clostridioides difficile toxin within the past 30 days. Rooms not meeting this definition were considered non-CP rooms. Samples were cultured for the above MDROs and total bioburden.

Results

Overall, an estimated 13% of rooms were contaminated with at least 1 MDRO. MDROs were detected more frequently in CP rooms (32% of 209 room-sample events) than non-CP rooms (12% of 234 room-sample events). Surface bioburden did not differ significantly between CP and non-CP rooms or MDRO-positive and MDRO-negative rooms.

Conclusions

CP room surfaces are contaminated more frequently than non-CP room surfaces; however, contamination of non-CP room surfaces is not uncommon and may be an important reservoir for ongoing MDRO transmission. MDRO contamination of non-CP rooms may indicate asymptomatic patient MDRO carriage, inadequate terminal cleaning, or cross-contamination of room surfaces via healthcare personnel hands.
Factors Associated With Anxiety Symptoms in Australian Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children
Authors: Long Johanna , Attuquayefio Tuki , Hudson Jennifer L
Published: November 2020

Deaf/deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems, with growing evidence that they may experience greater anxiety symptoms than hearing peers. The present study investigated whether Australian children with varying degrees of hearing loss experienced increased anxiety symptoms compared to hearing children. Furthermore, we examined whether child anxiety symptoms were associated with known risk factors including psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression in parents, age at detection, early intervention and device fitting, type of hearing device, and peer problems. Participants were 65 parents of children with hearing loss aged between 4 and 11 years old (M = 6.05, SD = 1.60) seeking treatment for hearing loss at a specialized hearing clinic in Australia. Based on parent reports, we found that the children with hearing loss had fewer anxiety symptoms than their hearing peers (using normative data). Psychological distress of parents was the only factor that uniquely associated with child anxiety. Parents of children with hearing loss were found to experience greater emotional distress compared to parents of hearing children. This suggests parents may require additional support to cope with the social and economic strains associated with childhood hearing loss.
A comparison of the clinical efficacy of echocardiography and magnetic resonance for chronic aortic regurgitation
Authors: Postigo Andrea , Pérez-David Esther , Revilla Ana , Raquel Ladrón Abia , González-Mansilla Ana , Prieto-Arévalo Raquel , Espinosa M Ángeles , López-Jimenez Rosa Ana , Sevilla Teresa , Urueña Noelia , Martínez-Legazpi Pablo , Oliver José M , Fernández-Avilés Francisco , J. Alberto San Román , Bermejo Javier
Published: November 2020

Aims

Timing surgery in chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) relies mostly on echocardiography. However, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) may be more accurate for quantifying regurgitation and left ventricular (LV) remodelling. We aimed to compare the technical and clinical efficacies of echocardiography and CMR to account for the severity of the disease, the degree of LV remodelling, and predict AR-related outcomes.

Methods and results

We studied 263 consecutive patients with isolated AR undergoing echocardiography and CMR. After a median follow-up of 33 months, 76 out of 197 initially asymptomatic patients reached the primary endpoint of AR-related events: 6 patients (3%) were admitted for heart failure, and 70 (36%) underwent surgery. Adjusted survival models based on CMR improved the predictions of the primary endpoint based on echocardiography: R2 = 0.37 vs. 0.22, χ2 = 97 vs. 49 (P < 0.0001), and C-index = 0.80 vs. 0.70 (P < 0.001). This resulted in a net classification index of 0.23 (0.00–0.46, P = 0.046) and an integrated discrimination improvement of 0.12 (95% confidence interval 0.08–0.58, P = 0.02). CMR-derived regurgitant fraction (<28, 28–37, or >37%) and LV end-diastolic volume (<83, 183–236, or >236 mL) adequately stratified patients with normal EF. The agreement between techniques for grading AR severity and assessing LV dilatation was poor, and CMR showed better reproducibility.

Conclusions

CMR improves the clinical efficacy of ultrasound for predicting outcomes of patients with AR. This is due to its better reproducibility and accuracy for grading the severity of the disease and its impact on the LV. Regurgitant fraction, LV ejection fraction, and end-diastolic volume obtained by CMR most adequately predict AR-related events.
The MARVEL trial: a phase 2b randomised placebo-controlled trial of oral MitoQ in moderate ulcerative colitis
Authors: Gwyer Findlay Emily , Sutton Greg , Ho Gwo-Tzer
Published: November 2020

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory disease of the large bowel which is characterised by dysregulated immunity and death to epithelial cells in the bowel, leading to prolonged inflammation. This can ultimately lead to surgery to remove the large bowel, with a risk of cancer developing if inflammation persists. Current therapies – which target the incoming immune cells or the cytokines they produce – are improving significantly but they are expensive and are immunosuppressive, leading to risk of infection. Here, we discuss a new trial which targets an early inducer of inflammation – the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mitochondria. Previous work has shown that excessive mitochondrial ROS induces inflammatory signalling through the cGAS-STING pathway, leading to dysregulated immunity and death of epithelial cells. In this MARVEL trial (Mitochondrial Anti-oxidant therapy to Resolve Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis) individuals with an active UC flare-up will be given a mitochondrial anti-oxidant (MitoQ) or placebo tablet in addition to standard medical treatment, in order to suppress inflammation as it develops. This phase 2b trial will repurpose MitoQ, which has been previously tested in other large trials in different disease settings, and will measure clinical response and markers of inflammation over 24 weeks. It is hoped that this trial will develop a new target for UC through re-purposing a relatively cheap, non-toxic and well-characterised drug.
DNAM1 and TIGIT balance the T cell response, with low T cell TIGIT expression corresponding to inflammation in psoriatic disease
Authors: Jacobs Marleen E , Pouw Juliëtte N , Olde Nordkamp Michel A , Radstake Timothy R D J , Leijten Emmerik F A , Boes Marianne
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Signals at the contact site of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cells help orchestrate the adaptive immune response. CD155 on APCs can interact with the stimulatory receptor DNAM1 or inhibitory receptor TIGIT on T cells. The CD155/DNAM1/TIGIT axis is under extensive investigation as immunotherapy target in inflammatory diseases including cancer, chronic infection and autoimmune diseases. We investigated a possible role for CD155/DNAM1/TIGIT signaling in psoriatic disease.

Methods

By flow cytometry, we analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with psoriasis (n = 20) or psoriatic arthritis (n = 21), and healthy individuals (n = 7). We measured CD155, TIGIT, and DNAM1 expression on leukocyte subsets and compared activation-induced cytokine production between CD155-positive and CD155-negative APCs. We assessed the effects of TIGIT and DNAM1 blockade on T cell activation, and related the expression of CD155/DNAM1/TIGIT axis molecules to measures of disease activity.

Results

High CD155 expression associates with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production in myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DC). In CD1c+ myeloid DC, activation-induced CD155 expression associates with increased HLA-DR expression. CD8 T cells – but not CD4 T cells – express high levels of TIGIT. DNAM1 blockade decreases T cell pro-inflammatory cytokine production, while TIGIT blockade increased T cell proliferation. Finally, T cell TIGIT expression shows an inverse correlation with inflammation biomarkers in psoriatic disease.

Conclusion

CD155 is increased on pro-inflammatory APCs, while the receptors DNAM1 and TIGIT expressed on T cells balance the inflammatory response by T cells. In psoriatic disease, low TIGIT expression on T cells is associated with systemic inflammation.
Vertebrae-Based Body Length Estimation in Crocodylians and Its Implication for Sexual Maturity and the Maximum Sizes
Authors: Iijima Masaya , Kubo Tai
Published: November 2020

Synopsis

Body size is fundamental to the physiology and ecology of organisms. Crocodyliforms are no exception, and several methods have been developed to estimate their absolute body sizes from bone measurements. However, species-specific sizes, such as sexually mature sizes and the maximum sizes were not taken into account due to the challenging maturity assessment of osteological specimens. Here, we provide a vertebrae-based method to estimate absolute and species-specific body lengths in crocodylians. Lengths of cervical to anterior caudal centra were measured and relations between the body lengths (snout–vent and total lengths [TLs]) and lengths of either a single centrum or a series of centra were modeled for extant species. Additionally, states of neurocentral (NC) suture closure were recorded for the maturity assessment. Comparisons of TLs and timings of NC suture closure showed that most extant crocodylians reach sexual maturity before closure of precaudal NC sutures. Centrum lengths (CLs) of the smallest individuals with closed precaudal NC sutures within species were correlated with the species maximum TLs in extant taxa; therefore, the upper or lower limit of the species maximum sizes can be determined from CLs and states of NC suture closure. The application of the current method to noncrocodylian crocodyliforms requires similar numbers of precaudal vertebrae, body proportions, and timings of NC suture closure as compared to extant crocodylians.
Test Utilization Proposal for Reflex Bilirubin Testing: Why Order Two Tests When One Will Do?
Authors: Katzman Brooke M , Karon Brad S
Published: November 2020

Background

Reflex testing algorithms are effective tools to reduce unnecessary laboratory testing. Direct (conjugated) bilirubin (DB) and total bilirubin (TB) are often ordered together at our institution. Therefore, the objective of our study was to evaluate the potential impact of performing reflex testing for DB when TB is elevated.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of test orders (patients ≥18 years of age) for DB, TB, or for both DB and TB on the same accession number received in our stat laboratory from January through April 2017. The orders were binned into 4 categories depending on the results from each individual test: (a) DB normal and TB normal, (b) DB normal and TB high, (c) DB high and TB normal, and (d) DB high and TB high. The percentage of orders and median (range) test result for each category was calculated.

Results

During the months evaluated, a total of 4828 stat orders were placed for DB, TB, or both DB and TB. A total of 4296 stat orders (89%) were placed with both DB and TB on the same accession number for 4158 unique patients. Of those orders, the vast majority of tests (87.3%) contained normal results for both analytes; only 12.7% of orders contained ≥1 abnormal result.

Conclusions

The majority of all bilirubin tests ordered stat for emergency department and hospitalized patients have values within the reference interval. Consequently, if reflex testing were executed on elevated TB, a large number of DB tests could be avoided.
Detection of 30 Fentanyl Analogs by Commercial Immunoassay Kits
Authors: Wharton Rebekah E , Casbohm Jerry , Hoffmaster Ryan , Brewer Bobby N , Finn M G , Johnson Rudolph C
Published: November 2020

Health-care workers, laboratorians and overdose prevention centers rely on commercial immunoassays to detect the presence of fentanyl; however, the cross-reactivity of fentanyl analogs with these kits is largely unknown. To address this, we conducted a pilot study evaluating the detection of 30 fentanyl analogs and metabolites by 19 commercially available kits (9 lateral flow assays, 7 heterogeneous immunoassays and 3 homogenous immunoassays). The analogs selected for analysis were compiled from the Drug Enforcement Administration and National Forensic Laboratory Information System reports from 2015 to 2018. In general, the immunoassays tested were able to detect their intended fentanyl analog and some closely related analogs, but more structurally diverse analogs, including 4-methoxy-butyryl fentanyl and 3-methylfentanyl, were not well detected. Carfentanil was only detected by kits specifically designed for its recognition. In general, analogs with group additions to the piperidine, or bulky rings or long alkyl chain modifications in the N-aryl or alkyl amide regions, were poorly detected compared to other types of modifications. This preliminary information is useful for screening diagnostic, forensic and unknown powder samples for the presence of fentanyl analogs and guiding future testing improvements.