bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the soaking and drying stages for Senia‐type precooked rice
Authors: Vendrell Calatayud Mario , Alcañiz Cosín Diego , De los Reyes Cánovas Ruth , Castelló Gómez María Luisa , Ortolá Ortolá María Dolores
Published: March 2021

Background and objectives

The production of precooked rice has mainly been applied to long rice varieties, while japonica varieties are significantly less represented, especially Spanish varieties. The aim of this paper was to model the water mass flow process in precooked round‐shaped rice (Bahía‐Senia) for the soaking (Peleg model) and drying phases (drying by hot air and by combined hot air and microwaves, Fick, Midili, and Page models). Optical and mechanical properties after drying were recorded. Cooking tests were also performed.

Findings

The results show that optimum soaking process was achieved at 35°C during 20 min. For the drying stage, water loss increases using microwave energy at 2.45 GHz and no variations with air temperature were registered. Thus, the optimal drying conditions were achieved at 40°C combined with microwave during 42 min.

Conclusions

Precooked round rice processing conditions have been established. This treatment would reduce the final cooking time (96 ºC) for the user by 94%, which implies that in only 3 min, the precooked rice would reach the same level of moisture as the control rice after 20 min of cooking.

Significance and novelty

These findings can be used by food industry in selecting the proper soaking and drying conditions that favors the production of precooked round‐shaped rice.
A case of successful pregnancy in a septate uterus after discharge of decidual tissue in the second trimester
Authors: Uomoto Mari , Obata Soichiro , Yumoto Ami , Nakanishi Sayuri , Sasahara Yukiko , Otani Masako , Miyagi Etsuko , Aoki Shigeru
Published: March 2021

In pregnant patients with a divided uterine cavity, the decidual tissue on the nonpregnant side may be discharged prior to the delivery of the fetus. The pregnancy can continue if the uterine contractions and vaginal bleeding are controlled and the fetus is not in distress.
Combustion Model of a Dual‐Fuel Diesel Engine
Authors: Yao Chong , Tyulepberdinova Gulnur , Gu Shengyu
Published: March 2021

A mathematical model is presented for the volumetric combustion of a homogeneous fuel mixture in compression‐ignition and forced‐ignition engines. With careful consideration of all combustion parameters, the profile of the burning rate has a two‐peak structure. A simple nonlinear heat conduction problem was solved to illustrate the importance of including the isobaric process and heat conduction as functions of the temperature. The study shows that, when the pre‐exponential parameter was chosen as a calibrated parameter, the ignition delay time significantly depends on the start of combustion and the pressure in the common rail, while the effect of the engine speed seems less noticeable. The results can be extended to quasi‐sized combustion models.
Yolk‐Shell NiCo2PX as a Bidirectional Catalyst for Liquid‐Solid Processes in Advanced Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Zhang Kun , Zhao Zhenxin , Ren Zhaowei , Wang Xiaomin
Published: March 2021

Expedited conversion by using a catalyst has emerged as one of the most effective methods to suppress the shuttle effects in Li−S batteries. The application of accelerating conversion through bidirectional catalysts to address the adverse effects of the shuttle effect on batteries has caused extensive concern. Here, bimetallic nickel‐cobalt phosphide‐based yolk‐shell spheres loaded on reduced graphene oxide (NiCo2PX/rGO) are designed as bidirectional catalysts, which integrates the merits of NiCo2PX and rGO to facilitate the redox reaction kinetics, resulting in rapid deposition during discharging and fast decomposition during charging of the end products (Li2S). The porous yolk‐shell structure synthesized by the anion exchange method exposes more catalytic sites for massive host‐guest interaction. Based on its unique function and structure, the sulfur cathode with NiCo2PX/rGO delivers a high capacity of 1238.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and maintains a stable discharge capacity of 561.1 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 1 C. This study explores the bidirectional catalysis of polysulfides with bimetallic phosphide materials, which provides a new choice for next‐generation lithium‐sulfur batteries.
The conditional distance autocovariance function
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Pan Wenliang , Li Chengwei , Wang Xueqin
Published: March 2021

The partial autocorrelation function (PACF) is often used in time series analysis to identify the extent of the lag in an autoregressive model. However, the PACF is only suitable for detecting linear correlations. This article proposes the conditional distance autocovariance function (CDACF), which is zero if and only if measured time series components are conditionally independent. Due to the lack of this property, traditional tools for measuring partial correlations such as the PACF cannot work well for nonlinear sequences. Based on the CDACF, we introduce a tool known as an integrated conditional distance autocovariance function (ICDACF), which can test conditional temporal dependence structures of a sequence and estimate the order of an autoregressive process. Simulation studies reveal that the ICDACF can detect the conditional dependence of nonlinear autoregressive models efficiently while controlling for type‐I error rates. Finally, an analysis of a Bitcoin price dataset using the ICDACF demonstrates that our method has considerable advantages over other state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Multi‐dimensional instability of electrostatic solitary waves in a warm multi‐ion dust plasma
Authors: Gao Dong‐Ning , Wu Jian‐Peng , Duan Wen‐Shan
Published: March 2021

Study of dust ion acoustic waves in a magnetized dusty plasmas composed of negatively or positively charged static dust, positive and negative ions, as well as kappa distribution electrons is presented. The Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) equation is derived via reductive perturbation technique. The solitary wave solution of ZK equation is given and the multi‐dimensional instability of these solitary waves is investigated via small k perturbation method. The instability criterion and growth rate relying on obliqueness, superthermality, positive ion thermal pressure, relative ion number density, magnetic field strength, and direction cosines are discussed for five cases. The results are beneficial to understand different nonlinear characteristics of unstable electrostatic disturbances in laboratory and space plasmas.
Effects of age, sex, and ENSO phase on foraging and flight performance in Nazca boobies
Authors: Howard Jennifer L. , Tompkins Emily M. , Anderson David J.
Published: March 2021

Age‐related changes in survival and reproduction are common in seabirds; however, the underlying causes remain elusive. A lack of experience for young individuals, and a decline in foraging performance for old birds, could underlie age‐related variation in reproduction because reproductive success is connected closely to provisioning offspring. For seabirds, flapping flight during foraging trips is physiologically costly; inexperience or senescent decline in performance of this demanding activity might cap delivery of food to the nest, providing a proximate explanation for poor breeding success in young and old age, respectively. We evaluated the hypothesis that young and old Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a Galápagos seabird, demonstrate deficits in foraging outcomes and flight performance. We tagged incubating male and female adults across the life span with both accelerometer and GPS loggers during the incubation periods of two breeding seasons (years), during the 2015 El Niño and the following weak La Niña. We tested the ability of age, sex, and environment to explain variation in foraging outcomes (e.g., mass gained) and flight variables (e.g., wingbeat frequency). Consistent with senescence, old birds gained less mass while foraging than middle‐aged individuals, a marginal effect, and achieved a slower airspeed late in a foraging trip. Contrary to expectations, young birds showed no deficit in foraging outcomes or flight performance, except for airspeed (contingent on environment). Young birds flew slower than middle‐aged birds in 2015, but faster than middle‐aged birds in 2016. Wingbeat frequency, flap–glide ratio, and body displacement (approximating wingbeat strength) failed to predict airspeed and were unaffected by age. Sex influenced nearly all aspects of performance. Environment affected flight performance and foraging outcomes. Boobies' foraging outcomes were better during the extreme 2015 El Niño than during the 2016 weak La Niña, a surprising result given the negative effects tropical seabirds often experience during extreme El Niños.
An annotated set of audio recordings of Eastern North American birds containing frequency, time, and species information
Authors: Chronister Lauren M. , Rhinehart Tessa A. , Place Aidan , Kitzes Justin
Published: March 2021

Acoustic recordings of soundscapes are an important category of audio data that can be useful for answering a variety of questions, and an entire discipline within ecology, dubbed “soundscape ecology,” has risen to study them. Bird sound is often the focus of studies of soundscapes due to the ubiquitousness of birds in most terrestrial environments and their high vocal activity. Autonomous acoustic recorders have increased the quantity and availability of recordings of natural soundscapes while mitigating the impact of human observers on community behavior. However, such recordings are of little use without analysis of the sounds they contain. Manual analysis currently stands as the best means of processing this form of data for use in certain applications within soundscape ecology, but it is a laborious task, sometimes requiring many hours of human review to process comparatively few hours of recording. For this reason, few annotated data sets of soundscape recordings are publicly available. Further still, there are no publicly available strongly labeled soundscape recordings of bird sounds that contain information on timing, frequency, and species. Therefore, we present the first data set of strongly labeled bird sound soundscape recordings under free use license. These data were collected in the Northeastern United States at Powdermill Nature Reserve, Rector, Pennsylvania, USA. Recordings encompass 385 minutes of dawn chorus recordings collected by autonomous acoustic recorders between the months of April through July 2018. Recordings were collected in continuous bouts on four days during the study period and contain 48 species and 16,052 annotations. Applications of this data set may be numerous and include the training, validation, and testing of certain advanced machine‐learning models that detect or classify bird sounds. There are no copyright or propriety restrictions; please cite this paper when using materials within.
Development of an Electrochemical Sensor for Selective Determination of Dopamine Based on Molecularly Imprinted Poly(p‐aminothiophenol) Polymeric Film
Authors: Ermiş Nihal , Tinkiliç Nihat
Published: March 2021

In this study, a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor (MIP/DA) was investigated for selective and sensitive determination of dopamine (DA) by electrochemical polymerization of p‐aminothiophenol in the presence of DA on gold electrode. According to electrochemical behaviour of the sensor, gained through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), MIP/DA sensor showed distinctive electron transfer characteristics in comparison to the non‐imprinted (NIP/DA) sensor. Besides the MIP/DA sensor showed high selectivity for dopamine through its analyte specific cavities. The sensor had a broad working range of 5.0×10−8–2.0×10−7 M with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.8×10−8 M and the developed sensor was successfully applied for determination of dopamine in pharmaceutical samples.
Assessment of magnetite as a sediment tracer in the study of ephemeral gully erosion: Application and distribution in the soil
Authors: Zubieta Elena , Larrasoaña Juan C. , Aldaz Alaitz , Casalí Javier , Giménez Rafael
Published: March 2021

There are few works where magnetic tracers are used for the assessment of water erosion, focusing on the traceability of sediments over the soil surface and in small areas (i.e., for laminar erosion survey). The main limitation of magnetic tracers is associated with its preparation and application, as the tracer is typically mixed with a large amount of soil and then spread manually over experimental sites susceptible to erosion. In gully erosion studies, the experimental sites (field areas where a gully is expected to develop) can be quite large. Consequently, the high volume/weight of the material (soil + tracer) to be prepared, transported, and applied renders this technique unfeasible. Moreover, eroded channels can reach a depth of several centimeters, requiring the tracer to be (re)located in the soil profile ideally at this same depth. This work presents a novel technique for the application and distribution of magnetite in the soil profile to track sediments in gully erosion assessments. Experiments were carried out in microplots, where a mixture of magnetite and water was applied over the soil surface using a backpack sprayer. Redistribution of the tracer in the soil profile was carried out with different conventional tillage implements. The control plots were subjected to the same experiments, but using a soil–tracer mixture (conventional technique). The application technique proposed herein enables a correct application of magnetite over large areas, being a promising alternative to the conventional technique. Hoeing tillage implements, such as the rotavator, ensure an approximately homogeneous redistribution of tracer in the soil profile when good soil moisture content is present.
Blockchain‐based privacy‐preserving valet parking for self‐driving vehicles
Authors: Fang Yunyi , Zhao Yanqi , Yu Yong , Zhu Hui , Du Xiaojiang , Guizani Mohsen
Published: March 2021

The valet parking provides convenience for users and thus is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. However, this valet parking service incurs the risks of location information leakage and vehicle theft. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a blockchain‐based privacy‐preserving valet parking protocol (B‐park) for self‐driving vehicles. The protocol guarantees the privacy of users while providing transparency and auditability of the valet parking service. We define the system model of privacy‐preserving valet parking for self‐driving vehicles in blockchain setting and formalize its security properties including anonymity, conversion blindness, nonframeability, and traceability. We provide a concrete construction of B‐park as well based on a new variant of Pointcheval‐Sanders group signature. Then, we demonstrate that our protocol is secure in the random oracle model. Finally, we evaluate the performance of B‐park to demonstrate its effectiveness and practicability.
The pro‐inflammatory microRNA miR‐155 influences fibrillar β‐Amyloid1‐42 catabolism by microglia
Authors: Aloi Macarena S. , Prater Katherine E. , Sopher Bryce , Davidson Stephanie , Jayadev Suman , Garden Gwenn A.
Published: March 2021

Microglia are the innate immune cells of the central nervous system that adopt rapid functional changes in response to Damage Associated Molecular Patterns, including aggregated β‐Amyloid (Aβ) found in Alzheimer's disease (AD). microRNAs (miRNAs) are post‐transcriptional modulators that influence the timing and magnitude of microglia inflammatory responses by downregulating the expression of inflammatory effectors. Recent studies implicate miR‐155, a miRNA known to regulate inflammatory responses, in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders including multiple sclerosis, ALS, familial Parkinson's disease, and AD. In this work, we asked if miR‐155 expression in microglia modifies cellular behaviors in response to fibrillar Aβ1‐42 (fAβ1‐42), in vitro. We hypothesized that in microglia, miR‐155 expression would impact the internalization and catabolism of extracellular fAβ1‐42. Primary microglia stimulated with lipopolysaccharide demonstrate fast upregulation of miR‐155 followed by delayed upregulation of miR‐146a, an anti‐inflammatory miRNA. Conditional overexpression of miR‐155 in microglia resulted in significant upregulation of miR‐146a. Conditional deletion of miR‐155 promoted transit of fAβ1‐42 to low‐pH compartments where catabolism occurs, while miR‐155 overexpression decreases fAβ1‐42 catabolism. Uptake of fAβ1‐42 across the plasma membrane increased with both up and downregulation of miR‐155 expression. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that inflammatory signaling influences the ability of microglia to catabolize fAβ1‐42 through interconnected mechanisms modulated by miR‐155. Understanding how miRNAs modulate the ability of microglia to catabolize fAβ1‐42 will further elucidate the role of cellular players and molecular crosstalk in AD pathophysiology.
The economic theory of cost‐effectiveness thresholds in health: Domestic and international implications
Authors: Moradpour Javad , Hollis Aidan
Published: March 2021

Public health insurers often use an implicit or explicit cost‐effectiveness threshold to determine which health products and services should be insured. We challenge the convention of a single threshold. For competitively provided products and services, prices are determined by cost; but for products with market power, patentees will increase the price according to the perceived threshold. As a result, a change in the threshold affects the prices of all patented products, including those which would have been developed even at a lower threshold. The insurer can increase efficiency by reducing the threshold for patented products, even accounting for the effect on innovation. We also model a multi‐country setting, in which thresholds for patented products will fall below the globally cooperative solution because each country does not recognize the positive externality of its own spending on innovative medicines. We show that this tragedy of the commons problem can be partly corrected through referencing other countries' thresholds, but only when the countries have similar willingness to pay.
Extending stimulus preference assessment with the operant demand framework
Authors: Gilroy Shawn P. , Waits Jodie A. , Feck Cassie
Published: March 2021

This study extended earlier research on stimulus preference (SP) and reinforcer efficacy (RE) using the behavioral economic concept of elasticity. The elasticity of demand for different items can be used to simultaneously compare RE across stimuli and schedules of reinforcement. Highly preferred stimuli were identified via SP assessments and evaluated using progressive‐ratio reinforcer assessments. Reinforcers were then evaluated across the ranges of elasticity in individual reinforcer evaluations. Results indicated that schedules associated with the ranges of elasticity (e.g., inelastic vs. elastic) corresponded with rates of the targeted behavior (i.e., work) and these trends were consistent with behavioral economic predictions. These findings encourage further inquiry and replication of operant demand methods to identify potential boundary conditions for stimuli identified using SP assessments. Discussion is provided regarding the efficiency of reinforcer assessment and the utility of schedules found to exist in the elastic and inelastic ranges.
Experimental speciation study of natural gas oxidation using a single pulse shock tube
Authors: Mehta Jai M. , Brezinsky Kenneth
Published: March 2021

An experimental shock tube study of natural gas (NG) oxidation for several NG samples was carried out at nominal reaction pressures of 50–60 atm and temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1750 K over a nominal reaction time of 2.5 ms. As NG has no standard specified composition, various samples of NGs taken from the gas supply system across the United States were studied near stoichiometric conditions. In addition, a speciation study at equivalence ratios ranging from fuel lean (φ ≈ 0.5) to pyrolysis of a representative NG sample was carried out to provide a comprehensive but nonexhaustive set of experimental data, which will be useful in optimizing chemical kinetic models for NG. Temperature‐dependent species yields measured in these experiments were compared with predictions from four well established chemical kinetic models. The agreement with model predictions was found to be largely inconsistent from experiment to experiment, reinforcing the need for optimization of models using comprehensive experimental data before their use predicting the oxidation products of NG.
Development of a Mechanically Strong Nondegradable Protein Hydrogel with a Sponge‐Like Morphology
Authors: Wang Ya , Fu Rongzhan , Ma Xiaoxuan , Li Xian , Fan Daidi
Published: March 2021

Protein‐based hydrogels are important functional materials with many potential applications. However, the relatively small pore size and poor mechanical properties substantially limit their application. Here a superporous bovine serum albumin (BSA) hydrogel is prepared with high porosity and interconnectivity by using BSA and 1,2,7,8‐diepoxyoctane (DEO). The equilibrium water contents of hydrogels can reach 76.5%. Moreover, the BSA hydrogels show excellent mechanical properties and excellent deformation recoverability, with a maximum compression modulus of 50 MPa at 75% strain and no residual strain generated after 500 cyclic compression tests. The resulting BSA hydrogel has excellent biocompatibility for cell adherence and is nonbiodegradable for 40 weeks. More importantly, the BSA hydrogel exhibits excellent hemostatic ability, with hemostatic times in a rabbit ear artery and rabbit liver of 33 and 28 s, respectively. Therefore, BSA hydrogels have potential applications as painless nonadherent wound dressings and implant materials for plastic surgery.
First reported case of Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy (Malattia Leventinese/autosomal dominant drusen) in Scandinavia
Authors: Sheyanth Inger Norlyk , Lolas Ihab Bishara , Okkels Henrik , Kiruparajan Ligor Pradeep , Abildgaard Søren Kromann , Petersen Michael Bjørn
Published: March 2021

Background

Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy (DHRD)/malattia leventinese (ML) is an autosomal dominant, progressive retinal disorder characterized by massive central retinal drusen often partly coalescent forming a characteristic honeycomb‐like pattern. Debut of vision loss often occurs in early to mid‐adulthood, and the degree varies. A single variant in EFEMP1: c.1033C>T (R345W) has been identified as the cause in all cases.

Methods

Following DNA isolation, exome sequencing was performed in seven genes associated with flecked retina. Direct sequencing was used for variant verification.

Results

We report the first Scandinavian case of molecular genetically verified DHRD/ML: a 57‐year‐old woman debuting with vision loss and metamorphopsia. On both eyes, ophthalmological findings included massive hard drusen in the macular region and nasal to the optic disc as well as macular hyperpigmentation. Secondary choroidal neovascularizations were identified on both eyes, and anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor was administered, without effect.

Conclusion

Molecular genetic investigation revealed heterozygosity for the known pathogenic missense variant in EFEMP1: c.1033C>T (R345W) previously reported in relation to DHRD/ML. Family history revealed no other cases of similar visual impairment suggesting a de novo mutation. Furthermore, there was no correlation between the unique DHRD/ML haplotypes reported in the literature and our patient.
Generalized form of fractional order COVID‐19 model with Mittag–Leffler kernel
Authors: Aslam Muhammad , Farman Muhammad , Akgül Ali , Ahmad Aqeel , Sun Meng
Published: March 2021

An important advantage of fractional derivatives is that we can formulate models describing much better systems with memory effects. Fractional operators with different memory are related to the different type of relaxation process of the nonlocal dynamical systems. Therefore, we investigate the COVID‐19 model with the fractional derivatives in this paper. We apply very effective numerical methods to obtain the numerical results. We also use the Sumudu transform to get the solutions of the models. The Sumudu transform is able to keep the unit of the function, the parity of the function, and has many other properties that are more valuable. We present scientific results in the paper and also prove these results by effective numerical techniques which will be helpful to understand the outbreak of COVID‐19.
Numerical investigation of variable‐order fractional Benjamin–Bona–Mahony–Burgers equation using a pseudo‐spectral method
Authors: Heydari Mohammad Hossein , Razzaghi Mohsen , Avazzadeh Zakieh
Published: March 2021

This article introduces a new local variable‐order (VO) fractional differentiation called the VO conformable fractional derivative. This derivative is employed to define the VO time fractional Benjamin–Bona–Mahony–Burgers (BBMB) equation. A pseudo‐spectral algorithm using the Chebyshev cardinal functions (CCFs) is adopted to find a numerical solution for this equation. The presented method with the help of the CCFs derivative matrices (which are obtained in this research) turns problem solving into solving an algebraic system of equations. The proposed approach is applied on some test problems, and its accuracy is examined in terms ofL∞andL2error norms. A numerical comparison is performed between the achieved results of the method with the results obtained from the cubic B‐spline method and the hybrid method generated using the quintic Hermite approach and the finite difference technique.
Bimetallic Pd/Sn‐based Nanoparticles and their Catalytic Properties in the Semihydrogenation of Diphenylacetylene
Authors: Dietrich Christine , Chen Si , Uzunidis Georgios , Hähsler Martin , Träutlein Yannick , Behrens Silke
Published: March 2021

Multimetallic nanoparticles often enhance the catalytic performance of their monometallic counterparts by increasing reaction rates, catalyst selectivity, and/or stability. A prerequisite for understanding structure‐ and composition‐associated properties, however, is the careful design of multimetallic nanoparticles with various structures and compositions. Here, bimetallic Pd/Sn‐based nanoparticles are prepared with a tunable composition and structure exploiting ionic liquids (ILs) as reaction medium (i. e., methyltrioctylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide). The nanoparticles are obtained in a one‐pot synthetic procedure by reducing the metal salt precursors with triethylborohydride in the IL. The results show that the reaction parameters, in particular the nature and ratio of the Pd2+/Sn2+ precursors as well as the reaction temperature, influence NP formation and composition. X‐ray diffraction with Rietveld analysis and transmission electron microscopy are employed to determine NP size and phase composition. Under optimized reaction conditions Pd2Sn or PdSn nanocrystals are formed as single‐phase products after introducing an additional annealing step at 200 °C. Nanocrystals with intermetallic composition reveal enhanced catalytic properties in the semihydrogenation of diphenylacetylene which was used as a model reaction.
Effect of severe renal impairment on pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of lemborexant
Authors: Landry Ishani , Aluri Jagadeesh , Hall Nancy , Filippov Gleb , Dayal Satish , Moline Margaret , Reyderman Larisa
Published: March 2021

The primary aim of this study was to examine the effect of severe renal impairment (SRI) on the pharmacokinetics of lemborexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of insomnia. A phase 1 multicenter, single‐dose, open‐label, parallel‐group study was conducted in subjects with SRI not requiring dialysis (estimated glomerular filtration rate 15–29 ml/min/1.73 m2; n = 8) compared with demographically matched healthy subjects with normal renal function (n = 8). Plasma levels of lemborexant and its metabolites were measured over 240 h following a single oral 10‐mg dose administered in the morning. Relative to subjects with normal renal function, lemborexant maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was similar, whereas area under the plasma concentration–time curve from zero to time of last quantifiable concentration (AUC(0‐t)) and AUC from zero to infinity (AUC(0‐inf)) were about 1.5‐fold higher in subjects with SRI. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) were 104.8 (77.4–142.0), 150.5 (113.2–200.3), and 149.8 (113.1–198.6) for Cmax, AUC(0‐t), and AUC(0‐inf), respectively. In both groups, the median lemborexant time to Cmax (tmax) was 1 h, and the mean unbound fraction of lemborexant was ~7%. For the M4, M9, and M10 metabolites, Cmax was reduced ~20% and exposure (AUC(0‐t) and AUC(0‐inf)) was ~1.4‐ to 1.5‐fold higher in subjects with SRI versus healthy subjects; tmax was delayed ~1.5–2 h for M4 and M10. All treatment‐emergent adverse events were mild or moderate. Lemborexant pharmacokinetics were not sufficiently altered to warrant a dose adjustment for subjects with renal impairment.
Characteristics of Multi‐Quantum‐Well Laser Diodes with Surface Electrode Structure Directly Bonded to InP Template on SiO2/Si Substrate
Authors: Han Xu , Tsushima Koki , Shirai Takuto , Ishizaki Takahiro , Shimomura Kazuhiko
Published: March 2021

The lasing characteristics of separate‐confinement‐heterostructure multi‐quantum‐well (SCH‐MQW) laser diodes (LDs) grown on InP templates bonded to a SiO2/Si substrate using the hydrophilic bonding method are investigated. The layers of the SCH seven‐quantum‐well‐structured LD are grown by low‐pressure metal–organic vapor‐phase epitaxy. After the pulsed power supply of a high‐mesa waveguide is tested with a surface electrode structure, the LD grown on an InP/SiO2/Si substrate is found to exhibit superior lasing characteristics compared to an LD grown on an InP/Si substrate, and the threshold current density is equivalent to that of a surface‐electrode‐structured LD grown on an InP substrate. The slope efficiency of the LD grown on the InP/SiO2/Si substrate is compared with that of an LD grown on an InP/Si substrate.
Etchless Fabrication of High‐Quality Refractory Titanium Nitride Nanostructures
Authors: Panos Stavros , Tselekidou Despina , Kassavetis Spyros , Fekas Ilias , Arvanitidis John , Christofilos Dimitris , Karfaridis Dimitrios , Dellis Spilios , Logothetidis Stergios , Patsalas Panos
Published: March 2021

Nanosphere lithography has emerged as an efficient route to produce plasmonic nanostructures. Herein, the processes of nanosphere lithography and reactive magnetron sputtering that seem incompatible for a variety of reasons are reviewed and explained. However, understanding the physical obstacles of this combination enables us to identify a window of process parameters that make the deposition of well‐defined trigonal nanoislands of titanium nitride (TiN) feasible. TiN is used as a case study because it is a very good representative of refractory conductive nitrides, such as ZrN, HfN, NbN, and TaN. A UV ozone step is used to confine the triple‐junction vias of the polystyrene mask, and the reactive magnetron sputtering parameters are fine‐tuned to increase the directionality of deposited species, in particular the substrate‐to‐target distance is maximized to improve geometrical directionality, and a negative bias voltage is used to guide the ionic species deep into the vias. The proposed process produces well‐defined TiN nanoislands with low concentration of point defects that have similar structure with continuous films of high electrical conductivity and plasmonic performance.
Effects of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine treatment on non‐SARS‐CoV2 viral infections: A systematic review of clinical studies
Authors: Cui Xizhong , Sun Junfeng , Minkove Samuel J. , Li Yan , Cooper Diane , Couse Zoe , Eichacker Peter Q. , Torabi‐Parizi Parizad
Published: March 2021

Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been used as antiviral agents for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV2) infection. We performed a systematic review to examine whether prior clinical studies that compared the effects of CQ and HCQ to a control for the treatment of non‐SARS‐CoV2 infection supported the use of these agents in the present SARS‐CoV2 outbreak. PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science (PROSPERO CRD42020183429) were searched from inception through 2 April 2020 without language restrictions. Of 1766 retrieved reports, 18 studies met our inclusion criteria, including 17 prospective controlled studies and one retrospective study. CQ or HCQ were compared to control for the treatment of infectious mononucleosis (EBV, n = 4), warts (human papillomavirus, n = 2), chronic HIV infection (n = 6), acute chikungunya infection (n = 1), acute dengue virus infection (n = 2), chronic HCV (n = 2), and as preventive measures for influenza infection (n = 1). Survival was not evaluated in any study. For HIV, the virus that was most investigated, while two early studies suggested HCQ reduced viral levels, four subsequent ones did not, and in two of these CQ or HCQ increased viral levels and reduced CD4 counts. Overall, three studies concluded CQ or HCQ were effective; four concluded further research was needed to assess the treatments' effectiveness; and 11 concluded that treatment was ineffective or potentially harmful. Prior controlled clinical trials with CQ and HCQ for non‐SARS‐CoV2 viral infections do not support these agents' use for the SARS‐CoV2 outbreak.
Cyclic behaviour of laterally skewed special moment frame connections having composite concrete slabs
Authors: Dominguez Damaso , Prinz Gary S.
Published: March 2021

This study presents a numerical investigation into the cyclic performance of skewed special moment frame (SMF) connections that include composite concrete slabs. The study uses advanced finite element simulations to investigate the behaviour of shallow (W14×), medium (W24×) and deep (W33×) steel column sections with three levels of beam skew (10, 20 and 30 degrees) for both bare‐steel and composite (steel‐concrete) construction. To account for complex torsional boundary conditions that may affect the skewed connection response, prequalification‐type analyses were conducted considering the middle storey of a three‐storey, two‐way moment frame configuration. In the analyses, all skewed configurations achieved at least 0.04 rad of connection rotation during the cyclic loading protocol prior to a 20 % reduction in moment capacity. When a composite concrete slab was added, column twisting and column flange yielding increased at large skew angles (30 degrees) during positive moment cycles.
Effects of cyclic carbonation and chloride ingress on durability properties of mortars containing Trass and Pumice natural pozzolans
Authors: Kazemian Maziar , Sedighi Saeed , Ramezanianpour Ali Akbar , Bahman‐Zadeh Farnaz , Ramezanianpour Amir Mohammad
Published: March 2021

With an increase in CO2 emission, corrosion of reinforcement as a result of carbonation has become more significant to researchers besides corrosion due to chloride ion ingress. Many structures are exposed to coupled effects of carbonation and chloride attack; therefore, investigating the effect of this combined attack on the durability of concrete is a vital subject. Also, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) has become more common due to their contribution to concrete's properties. In this study, the combined effect of chloride attack and carbonation on the durability of mortars containing SCMs was studied. Two natural pozzolans (Pumice and Trass) were used as cement replacements in mortar mixtures with three w/b ratios of 0.485, 0.44, and 0.4. Four exposure conditions, namely normal (immersed in lime‐saturated water), chloride attack, carbonation, and cyclic carbonation and chloride attack were considered. Compressive strength, carbonation and chloride penetration depth, capillary water absorption, surface electrical resistivity, and chloride diffusion tests were performed. The results indicate that while carbonation depth is reduced in the combined attack environment, it imposed a more severe corrosive condition in comparison to pure immersion in saline water by increasing the diffusion coefficient up to 500%. Also, addition of pozzolans showed the potential to reduce the diffusion coefficient of the mortars as much as 76% pointing out that mortars without pozzolans were more vulnerable to this combined attack environment. Furthermore, cement replacement with Trass and reduction of w/b showed to be beneficial in reducing the destructive effects of the combined environment.
Factors associated with owned‐dogs’ vaccination against rabies: A household survey in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Authors: Savadogo Madi , Tialla Dieudonné , Ouattara Boris , Dahourou Laibané D. , Ossebi Walter , Ilboudo Sidwatta G. , Combari Alima H. B. , Tarnagda Zékiba , Alambedji Rianatou B.
Published: March 2021

Canine vaccination is an effective means for rabies control, a minimum of 70% dog rabies vaccination coverage is required in endemic areas. According to previous investigations, this recommended coverage is always not achieved in Burkina Faso. This study was carried out to investigate reasons for poor vaccination coverage in canine population. Using a structured questionnaires, a cross‐sectional survey was conducted in the city of Bobo Dioulasso to capture data on drivers that affect dog owners’ individual decision to vaccinate or not their dogs. Through a house‐to‐house approach, 239 questionnaires were administrated to dog owners during face to face interviews. The results indicated dog rabies vaccination coverage of 25.9%. Dog breed, origin and confinement status had a significant association with vaccination status (p < 0.05). Owners of exotic and cross‐bred dogs were more likely to adopt vaccination compared to owners of local‐bred dogs. Dogs of bought origin were significantly more likely to be vaccinated among all dogs. Household characteristics including age of owners, level of education, employment status, means of transportation, perception of vaccination cost and level of knowledge about rabies were significantly associated with the vaccination status (p < 0.05). The oldest dog owners, the owners having high level of education, having a car as means of transportation, having good knowledge of rabies and dog rabies vaccination, being employed and perceiving vaccination cost as affordable were more likely to vaccinate their dogs. Combining community awareness and free dog rabies vaccination approaches could improve the vaccination coverage.
Hot melt extrusion: An emerging manufacturing method for slow and sustained protein delivery
Authors: Zheng Yi , Pokorski Jonathan K.
Published: March 2021

With the rapid development of the biopharmaceutical industry, an increasing number of new therapeutic protein products (TPPs) have been approved by the FDA and many others are under pre‐clinical and clinical evaluation. A major limitation of biopharmaceuticals is their limited half‐life when administered systemically. A one‐time, implantable, sustained protein delivery device would be advantageous in order to improve the quality of life of patients. Hot melt extrusion (HME) is a mature technology that has been extensively used for a broad spectrum of applications in the polymer and pharmaceutical industry and has achieved success as evidenced by a variety of FDA‐approved commercial products. These commercial products are mostly for sustained delivery of small molecule therapeutics, leaving a significant gap for HME formulation of therapeutic proteins. With the increasing need of sustained TPP delivery, HME shows promise as a downstream processing method due to its high efficiency and economic value. Several challenges remain for the application of HME in protein delivery. Progress of HME for protein delivery, challenges encountered, and potential solutions will be detailed in this review article.

This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants

Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus‐Based Structures
Empowerment and Health Promotion in Hospitals
Authors: Tveiten Sidsel
Published: March 2021

Health promotion in hospitals may be an unusual concept to many—experience seems to show that public health and health promotion are considered to be the remit of the local authority. However, hospitals also have responsibility for health promotion. This chapter enlightens empowerment as a concept, a process and an outcome and relates empowerment to health and health promotion in hospitals. Supervision as an empowerment-based intervention is described. The central principles of empowerment can be connected with the central elements of the theory of salutogenesis, recognising patients’ self-consciousness and participation as described at the end of the chapter.
Health Promotion Among Individuals Facing Chronic Illness: The Unique Contribution of the Bodyknowledging Program
Authors: Heggdal Kristin
Published: March 2021

This chapter offers an oversight of the concept of chronic illness and the meaning of health promotion in this context. Bodyknowledging is a theory describing patients’ process of health promotion in chronic illness that has been used as a theoretical frame for a new health intervention; the Bodyknowledging Program (BKP). This program is outlined as the aim of BKP is to activate and strengthen patients’ resources for health in chronic illness. Outcomes for patients and implications for practice are discussed.
Anhang
Authors: Baum Sarah , Elsasser Peter , Ermisch Nils , Goetzke Roland , Henseler Martin , Hoymann Jana , Kreins Peter , Weller Priska
Published: March 2021

In Kapitel 7 werden die betrachteten Maßnahmen detailliert beschrieben, ihr Beitrag zu den untersuchten Strategien Klimaschutz, Bioenergie, Natur- und Umweltschutz sowie Klimaanpassung eingeordnet und die zentralen Modellannahmen dargelegt. Für den Sektor Forstwirtschaft werden auch die verwendeten Maßnahmenvarianten für die Simulation der Strategien veranschaulicht.
Die offiziellen Statistiken zu Forschung, Entwicklung und Innovation
Authors: Kladroba Andreas , Buchmann Tobias , Friz Katharina , Lange Marcel , Wolf Patrick
Published: March 2021

Eine Möglichkeit, Forschung und Entwicklung sowie Innovation zu messen, stellen die offiziellen Statistiken zu FuE und Innovation dar. In diesem Kapitel werden die Vorgehensweisen beider Erhebungen kurz aufgezeigt.
Monetäre Indikatoren
Authors: Kladroba Andreas , Buchmann Tobias , Friz Katharina , Lange Marcel , Wolf Patrick
Published: March 2021

In diesem Kapitel werden die FuE-Ausgaben bzw. FuE-Aufwendungen als Indikatoren der FuE-Erhebung und der Innovationserhebung genutzt. Vorteile monetärer Indikatoren sind (1) Anwendbarkeit in allen Sektoren, (2) vollständige und überschneidungsfreie Erfassung aller FuE-Aktivitäten einschließlich der erfolglosen Forschung, (3) Aggregierbarkeit und (4) Kompatibilität mit anderen Erhebungen. In Form von Steckbriefen werden die wichtigsten Eigenschaften und Anwendungsgebiete der Indikatoren beschrieben.
Drittmittel
Authors: Kladroba Andreas , Buchmann Tobias , Friz Katharina , Lange Marcel , Wolf Patrick
Published: March 2021

In diesem Kapitel werden die Drittelmittelzuweisung und die Drittmittelherkunft als Indikatoren genutzt und es wird auf Probleme hingewiesen, die damit einhergehen können. In Form von Steckbriefen werden die wichtigsten Eigenschaften und Anwendungsgebiete der Indikatoren beschrieben.
Entropy bound and unitarity of scattering amplitudes
Authors: Dvali Gia
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We establish that unitarity of scattering amplitudes imposes universal entropy bounds. The maximal entropy of a self-sustained quantum field object of radius R is equal to its surface area and at the same time to the inverse running coupling α evaluated at the scale R. The saturation of these entropy bounds is in one-to-one correspondence with the non-perturbative saturation of unitarity by 2 → N particle scattering amplitudes at the point of optimal truncation. These bounds are more stringent than Bekenstein’s bound and in a consistent theory all three get saturated simultaneously. This is true for all known entropy-saturating objects such as solitons, instantons, baryons, oscillons, black holes or simply lumps of classical fields. We refer to these collectively as saturons and show that in renormalizable theories they behave in all other respects like black holes. Finally, it is argued that the confinement in SU(N) gauge theory can be understood as a direct consequence of the entropy bounds and unitarity.
Compression and low velocity impact response of wood-based sandwich panels with auxetic lattice core
Authors: Smardzewski Jerzy , Maslej Michał , Wojciechowski Krzysztof W.
Published: March 2021

The research determined the resistance to compression and low velocity impact of wood-based sandwich panels, the face sheet made of high-density fiber board, and high pressure laminate, while its auxetic lattice core was made by 3D printing using LayWood bio-composite filament. The core's auxetic property (i.e. exhibiting negative Poisson's ratio) was observed within the planes parallel to the facings. The ability of particular types of multilayer panels to absorb the energy was also determined. Based on the analysis of the obtained test results, it was proven that the core denoted as B, with inclination angle of the cell ribs $${{\varphi }_{x}=\varphi }_{y}=65^\circ$$

φ
x

=
φ

y

=

65
∘

, shows the highest compressive strength. It was determined that the dynamic load causes a very high overload in high-density fiber board face sheets. This results in damage to the sandwich panel surface and core structure. Cells of type B favorably minimize the differences in absorbed energy when using different face sheets and the energy value for low velocity impact. Taking into account the amount of absorbed energy, the most attractive is the panel with the D-type orthotropic core characterized by an inclination angle of the cell ribs $${\varphi }_{x}= 30^\circ , {\varphi }_{y}=60^\circ$$

φ
x

=

30
∘

,

φ
y

=

60
∘

. The amount of energy absorbed by samples with high-density fiberboard face sheets increases significantly depending on the impactor's energy. For panels with face sheets manufactured from high-pressure laminate, the amount of energy absorbed decreases.
The burden of incontinence in a real-world data environment—insights from a digital patient companion
Authors: von Au Alexandra , Wallwiener Stephanie , Matthies Lina Maria , Friedrich Benjamin , Keim Sabine , Wallwiener Markus , Reisenauer Christl , Brugger Sarah
Published: March 2021

Introduction and hypothesis

Urinary incontinence (UI) has a potentially devastating effect on women’s quality of life (QoL). Conservative treatment by means of pelvic floor muscle training is the first-choice treatment modality. Nowadays, this can be supported by digital apps like pelvina©—a digital health companion pelvic floor course.

Methods

Using pelvina©, UI symptoms and QoL are regularly examined through the questionnaires QUID and SF-6D. Subsequently, we analyzed the incidence and degree of UI and its impact on QoL in 293 users in a real-world environment.

Results

The 293 patients included in this study had a median age of 36 years and a median of two children. Patients were slightly to moderately affected by UI with a QUID of 6 (2–11, maximum 24). Age and number of children were independently associated with the incidence of UI with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.06 (95% CI 1.01–1.12) and aOR of 1.86 (95% CI 1.12–3.08). The severity of UI strongly correlated with impairment of QoL (ρ = 0.866, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The use of real-world data generated by digital health solutions offers the opportunity to gain insight into the reality of patients’ lives. In this article, we corroborate the known associations between number of children and UI as well as the great influence UI has on QoL. This study shows that, in the future, the use of digital apps can make an important contribution to scientific data acquisition and, for example, therapy monitoring.