bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted resequencing showing novel common and rare genetic variants increases the risk of asthma in the Chinese Han population
Authors: Liu Juan , Deng Yanhan , Yu Bo , Mo Biwen , Luo Liman , Yang Jingping , Zhang Xiaoju , Wang Zheng , Wang Yingnan , Zhu Jing , Yang Hua , Fang Shirong , Cheng Zhenshun , Li Jingping , Shu Ying , Luo Guangwei , Xiong Weining , Wei Jianghong , Li Zongzhe
Published: May 2021

Background

Although studies have identified hundreds of genetic variants associated with asthma risk, a large fraction of heritability remains unexplained, especially in Chinese individuals.

Methods

To identify genetic risk factors for asthma in a Han Chinese population, 211 asthma‐related genes were first selected based on database searches. The genes were then sequenced for subjects in a Discovery Cohort (284 asthma patients and 205 older healthy controls) using targeted next‐generation sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis and statistical association analyses were performed to reveal the associations between rare/common variants and asthma, respectively. The identified common risk variants underwent a validation analysis using a Replication Cohort (664 patients and 650 controls).

Results

First, we identified 18 potentially functional rare loss‐of‐function (LOF) variants in 21/284 (7.4%) of the asthma cases. Second, using burden tests, we found that the asthma group had nominally significant (p < 0.05) burdens of rare nonsynonymous variants in 10 genes. Third, 23 common single‐nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with the risk of asthma, 7/23 (30.4%) and 9/23 (39.1%) of which were modestly significant (p < 9.1 × 10−4) in the Replication Cohort and Combined Cohort, respectively. According to our cumulative risk model involving the modestly associated alleles, middle‐ and high‐risk subjects had a 2.0‐fold (95% CI: 1.621–2.423, p = 2.624 × 10−11) and 6.0‐fold (95% CI: 3.623–10.156, p = 7.086 × 10−12) increased risk of asthma, respectively, compared with low‐risk subjects.

Conclusion

This study revealed novel rare and common genetic risk factors for asthma, and provided a cumulative risk model for asthma risk prediction and stratification in Han Chinese individuals.
Oppression and resistance: An analysis of Muslims' experiences of structural violence
Authors: Saleem Rakhshanda , Morrill Zenobia , Brodt Madeline , Pagan‐Ortiz Marta E.
Published: May 2021

Discrimination and vilification of Muslims in the United States have historical and political roots. This study explores everyday incidents of marginalization and oppression through the framework of structural violence. Structural violence refers to the systemic inequalities embedded within societal structures that create and support these oppressive conditions. In this community‐engaged qualitative study, 10 self‐identified Muslims from the northeastern United States were interviewed to understand their lived experiences of structural violence. Using thematic analysis, seven themes were identified: Racialized and xenophobic Islamophobia; normalized violence against Muslims and fear of safety; exclusion, marginalization, and subjugation through policies; Muslims as spokespersons for Islam; Intersecting marginalized identities and oppression; challenges of navigating Muslim identities; resilience and resistance through faith, activism, and community. This study aims to understand and contextualize the experiences of Muslims within a systemic and geopolitical framework. Another critical objective is to promote a discourse to address how academics and clinicians reproduce and maintain structural violence and to instead engage in socially transformative approaches embedded in the principles of decolonizing and mutually‐liberating cross‐struggle solidarity. These must be cultivated through community‐informed intersectional collaborative strategies for dismantling oppressive structures and promoting agency, resilience, activism, and resistance.
The physiology of fish in acidic waters rich in dissolved organic carbon, with specific reference to the Amazon basin: Ionoregulation, acid–base regulation, ammonia excretion, and metal toxicity
Authors: Morris Carolyn , Val Adalberto L. , Brauner Colin J. , Wood Chris M.
Published: May 2021

Although blackwaters, named for their rich content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), are often very poor in ions and very acidic, they support great fish biodiversity. Indeed, about 8% of all freshwater fish species live in the blackwaters of the Rio Negro watershed in the Amazon basin. We review how native fish survive these harsh conditions that would kill most freshwater fish, with a particular focus on the role of DOC, a water quality parameter that has been relatively understudied. DOC, which is functionally defined by its ability to pass through a 0.45‐µm filter, comprises a diverse range of compounds formed by the breakdown of organic matter and is quantified by its carbon component that is approximately 50% by mass. Adaptations of fish to acidic blackwaters include minimal acid–base disturbances associated with a unique, largely unknown, high‐affinity Na+ uptake system that is resistant to inhibition by low pH in members of the Characiformes, and very tight regulation of Na+ efflux at low pH in the Cichliformes. Allochthonous (terrigenous) DOC, which predominates in blackwaters, consists of larger, more highly colored, reactive molecules than autochthonous DOC. The dissociation of protons from allochthonous components such as humic and fulvic acids is largely responsible for the acidity of these blackwaters, yet at the same time, these components may help protect organisms against the damaging effects of low water pH. DOC lowers the transepithelial potential (TEP), mitigates the inhibition of Na+ uptake and ammonia excretion, and protects against the elevation of diffusive Na+ loss in fish exposed to acidic waters. It also reduces the gill binding and toxicity of metals. At least in part, these actions reflect direct biological effects of DOC on the gills that are beneficial to ionoregulation. After chronic exposure to DOC, some of these protective effects persist even in the absence of DOC. Two characteristics of allochthonous DOC, the specific absorbance coefficient at 340 nm (determined optically) and the PBI (determined by titration), are indicative of both the biological effectiveness of DOC and the ability to protect against metal toxicity. Future research needs are highlighted, including a greater mechanistic understanding of the actions of DOCs on gill ionoregulatory function, morphology, TEP, and metal toxicity. These should be investigated in a wider range of native fish Orders that inhabit one of the world's greatest biodiversity hotspots for freshwater fishes.
Thermoregulatory strategies of three reclusive lizards (genus Xantusia) from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico, under current and future microenvironmental temperatures
Authors: Arenas‐Moreno Diego M. , Lara‐Resendiz Rafael A. , Domínguez‐Guerrero Saúl F. , Pérez‐Delgadillo Ana G. , Muñoz‐Nolasco Francisco J. , Galina‐Tessaro Patricia , Méndez‐de la Cruz Fausto R.
Published: May 2021

The thermal quality of the habitat is key for the regulation of body temperature in terrestrial ectotherms and, therefore, permits them to carry out their fundamental biological activities. In thermally heterogeneous environments, ectotherms might follow different behavioral or physiological strategies to maintain their body temperature within biologically adequate boundaries, for which they depend on microhabitat selection. These aspects are, thus, relevant in the context of habitat degradation and land‐use change. In this study, we characterized the thermal ecology of three lizard species (genus Xantusia) that differ in microhabitat use along the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. We made three predictions: (1) the three species will follow different thermoregulatory strategies according to habitat thermal quality; (2) the thermal requirements and tolerances of these species will match the environmental or microenvironmental thermal conditions; and (3) due to their habitat and range restriction, the species studied will be highly vulnerable to climate change. Our results indicate the existence of thermoregulatory mechanisms in Xantusia to face thermal heterogeneity, including behavioral thermoregulation by choosing different microhabitats, shifts in activity periods, and adaptation to particular high thermal quality microhabitats. Furthermore, despite their association to specific microhabitats and specialized physiology, the studied species will not be adversely affected by climate change, as the increased microenvironmental temperatures will lead to a higher habitat thermal quality and lower costs of thermoregulation. However, we do not discard other indirect adverse effects of climate change not considered in this study.
SARS‐CoV‐2 rapid antigen test: Fast‐safe or dangerous? An analysis in the emergency department of an university hospital
Authors: Holzner Carola , Pabst Dirk , Anastasiou Olympia Evdoxia , Dittmer Ulf , Manegold Randi Katrin , Risse Joachim , Fistera David , Kill Clemens , Falk Maximilian
Published: May 2021

The use of Antigen point of care tests (AgPOCT) might be an essential tool to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Manufacturer information indicates a specificity of about 95% and there is a growing interest to use these tests area‐wide. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify whether AgPOCT can be used safely for “rule‐in” (detection of positive patients) and for “rule‐out” (valid negative testing). Two thousand three hundred and seventy‐five patients received polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and AgPOCT for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) regardless of symptoms. The positive predictive value of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients was compared with a cut‐off threshold cycle (C
t) value of ≤30 and in total. Five hundrded and fifty‐one patients tested positive for the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus by PCR, of whom 35.2% presented without symptoms. In all patients, regardless of their symptoms or C
t values, a sensitivity of 68.9% and a specificity of 99.6% were calculated for AgPOCT. In patients with C
t values ≤30, a sensitivity of 80.5% (95% confidence interval: ±1.62) and a specificity of 99.6% were shown for all tests (symptomatic/asymptomatic). Highly infectious patients (C
t ≤ 20), regardless of symptoms, were reliably detected by the AgPOCT. In infectious patients with C
t values ≤30, the test has a sensitivity of about 80% regardless of COVID‐19 typical symptoms, which is apparently less than the 96.52% specificity indicated by the manufacturer. Relevant improvement in test sensitivity by querying the patients who are symptomatic and asymptomatic is also not feasible. We strongly suggest that we critically question the use of AgPOCT for “rule‐out,” as they only provide a supposed safety.
Artificial intelligence methods applied to financial assets price forecasting in trading contexts with low (intraday) and very low (high‐frequency) time frames
Authors: Petrelli Donata , Cesarini Fabrizio
Published: May 2021

Financial price fast forecasting for high‐frequency algorithmic trading can be improved profitably by using simplified artificial intelligence models. There are several different methodologies for working in algorithmic trading, each specific to the context. The method proposed here is designed to prioritize better performance. The methodology uses a combination of different artificial intelligence techniques, some of which have been revised and simplified to maximize performance. The forecasting part is assigned to a formula based on the Petrelli‐Cesarini (2018) index, specifically designed to speed up the calculation, allowing its use in operating environments with low time frames and high‐frequency trading.
Fabrication and characterization of dextran/zein hybrid electrospun fibers with tailored properties for controlled release of curcumin
Authors: Luo Shiyuan , Saadi Abdullah , Fu Kai , Taxipalati Maierhaba , Deng Lingli
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the use of biopolymer electrospun nanofibers for various food applications due to the biocompatibility, biodegradability, and high loading capacity. Herein, we fabricated and characterized novel hybrid electrospun fibers from dextran (50%, w/v) and zein (0–30%, w/v) solutions, and the effects of various zein concentrations on the properties of the hybrid electrospun fibers were investigated.

RESULTS

When zein was added at low concentrations (5% and 10%), dextran and zein showed poor miscibility, as reflected by significantly decreased viscosity of the solutions, and the poor mechanical properties of the derived fiber membranes. When zein was added at medium concentrations (15–25%), hydrogen bonds were formed between dextran and zein molecules, as indicated by the red shift of Fourier‐transform infrared bands and β‐sheet to α‐helix structural transformations. The fiber membranes electrospun from a solution with 25% zein showed the most hydrophobic surface, with a water contact angle of 116.9°. The homogenous dispersion of dextran and zein resulted in improved mechanical properties for fibers electrospun from a solution with 30% zein. Curcumin encapsulating dextran/zein electrospun fibers exhibited effective radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power, along with the desired controlled release behavior for curcumin delivery.

CONCLUSION

Food grade dextran/zein hybrid electrospun fibers demonstrated tunable properties, and appear to be promising as delivery systems for bioactive and edible antimicrobial food packaging. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Doubly‐Resonant Enhancement of Second Harmonic Generation from a WS2 Nanomesh Polymorph with a Modified Energy Landscape
Authors: Murphy Alexander W. A. , Liu Zichen , Gorbach Andrey V. , Ilie Adelina , Valev Ventsislav K.
Published: May 2021

Although transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs, e.g., WS2, WSe2, MoS2, MoSe2) have emerged as highly promising 2D materials for nonlinear optics, they are limited by intrinsically small light‐matter interaction length and (typically) flat‐lying geometries. The first hyperspectral multiphoton analysis of a tridimensional webbed network of densely‐packed stacks (of 1–5 layers) of twisted and/or fused 2D nanosheets of WS2, referred to as “nanomesh”, is presented here. The optical second harmonic generation (SHG) is mapped across the three characteristic spectral features (A, B, and C) and two‐photon luminescence and third harmonic generation signatures are established. Compared to flat‐lying WS2 layers, the nanomesh is highly efficient, broadband, and robust against degradation (with main enhancement originating from the C feature, spreading from 850 to 1100 nm), and scalable in terms of growth. The origin of these spectral differences is assigned to hotspots, whose location changes depending on the wavelength of illumination. The main SHG enhancements result from double resonances in an energy landscape modified by in‐built defects (e.g., vacancies and their passivated variants, or grain boundaries) that induce intra‐bandgap energy levels. These characteristics establish the nanomesh as a prime candidate for integration into quantum optical technologies, such as miniaturized devices on chip.
A novel grid regression demodulation method for radiographic grid artifact correction
Authors: Yu Yongjian , Wang Jue
Published: May 2021

Purpose

In x‐ray radiography, the commonly used antiscatter grid for enhancing image quality causes artifacts in the form of periodic noises, such as shadows, cutoff, and Moiré fringes. Software degridding is traditionally performed via linear or homomorphic filtering in the spectral domain. These methods inevitably result in image blurring, information loss, and distortion, thus hindering detection and assessment of diseases. We seek effective and practical solutions for grid artifact correction based on spatial‐domain analysis toward high‐quality imaging.

Methods

By analyzing the physical process of grid artifact formation, we track down the root of the problem associated with spectral filtering. We propose the grid regression demodulation (GRD). The degridding cost is forged as a functional of the latent x‐ray photon image and parametric grid model characterizing grid transmission property. Regularization on the grid spectra is incorporated. We devise optimization algorithms for artifact correction and grid pattern estimation. GRD decouples the partially overlapped spectra of the grid and anatomy, and removes the artifacts independently, thus restoring the underlying clinically relevant data.

Results

Method efficacy is demonstrated using simulated and real data. GRD effectively preserves image edges, textures, and patterns while removing grid artifacts. For the known ground truth setting, GRD gives a near‐perfect correction. For real data, GRD is capable of correcting not only the primary grid artifacts, but also the higher grid harmonic artifacts while keeping image content unaltered, which is unachievable by the other methods. Our method has low residual errors and exhibits a successful demodulation effect without introducing additional artifacts, while ringing or cilia artifacts are present in the others.

Conclusions

The proposed method outperforms the prevalent transform techniques for correcting grid artifacts in digital radiography. It is self‐sustained and self‐adaptive to a range of targets and beam quality. Our approach is advantageous in restoring the latent image while suppressing grid noises. It retrieves the true scale factor of the degridded data, which is unattainable via any spectral filtering techniques. This work unlocks a promising venue to improve and upgrade low‐dose medical radiographic imaging technology.
Influence of polypyrrole nanospheres on the direct current dielectric properties of LDPE
Authors: Zhang Chengcheng , Ren Qiang , Cheng Dahu , Li Chunyang , Yang Jiaming , Zhao Hong
Published: May 2021

To study the effect of nano conducting materials on the direct current (DC) dielectric properties of low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypyrrole nanospheres are prepared by the soft template method and then melt‐blended with LDPE to obtain LDPE/polypyrrole nanocomposites. The micro‐structure, space charge distribution, thermally stimulated depolarization current, DC conductivity and DC breakdown strength of the nanocomposites are investigated. The results show there is interaction between polypyrrole nanospheres and LDPE, which will not affect the crystal structure of LDPE, but slightly increase the crystallinity of LDPE/polypyrrole nanocomposites. Polypyrrole nanospheres can introduce deep traps in LDPE to capture space charge carriers, which will suppress the accumulation of space charges in LDPE and reduce the DC conductivity. The DC breakdown strength of LDPE/polypyrrole nanocomposites is improved slightly by adding a small amount of polypyrrole nanospheres.
General dental practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes on children’s pain and pain management—A questionnaire survey
Authors: Krekmanova Larisa , Nilsson Stefan , Hakeberg Magnus , Klingberg Gunilla , Robertson Agneta
Published: May 2021

The aim was to study general dental practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes on pain and pain management in children and adolescents, using a multidimensional questionnaire. There is little information on dentists’ views on pain in children. The research question was how attitudes and knowledge may correlate to the dentists’ age, sex, years of professional experience, the proportion of working time devoted to treating children and adolescents, as well as being a parent. At the time of the study, 387 general dentists working for the Public Dental Service participated in a web‐based, multidimensional validated questionnaire holding the categories (A) views on the care of children in pain, (B) physiology, (C) pain alleviation, (D) medication, (E) sociology/psychology, (F) Pain assessment instruments and methods, (G) non‐medication methods of pain alleviation, and (H) documentation of pain management. The age categories were given as; below 25, 25‐35, 36‐45, 46‐55 years, and older than 55 years of age. 71% of the responders were female. The dentists’ age cohort, as well as the years of professional experience, tended to make a difference as to the pain interventions in children and adolescents (P < 0.03). The female dentists, in comparison to the male dentists, conveyed different pain treatment strategies (P < 0.03). The proportion of working time devoted to treating children and adolescents, as well as being a parent, did not show significant differences regarding pain strategies. Associations were observed between the age of the dentists studied, the number of years as professionals and the knowledge and attitudes that benefit children's pain treatment. Being a parent was not significant. In this studied group, female dentists displayed significantly more care regarding pain management, than did their male colleagues. Furthermore, the study highlighted the need for a short questionnaire, user‐friendly yet with retained multidimensionality.
Markov chain to analyze web usability of a university website using eye tracking data
Authors: Zammarchi Gianpaolo , Frigau Luca , Mola Francesco
Published: May 2021

Web usability is a crucial feature of a website, allowing users to easily find information in a short time. Eye tracking data registered during the execution of tasks allow to measure web usability in a more objective way compared to questionnaires. In this work, we evaluated the web usability of the website of the University of Cagliari through the analysis of eye tracking data with qualitative and quantitative methods. Performances of two groups of students (i.e., high school and university students) across 10 different tasks were compared in terms of time to completion, number of fixations and difficulty ratio. Transitions between different areas of interest (AOI) were analyzed in the two groups using Markov chain. For the majority of tasks, we did not observe significant differences in the performances of the two groups, suggesting that the information needed to complete the tasks could easily be retrieved by students with little previous experience in using the website. For a specific task, high school students showed a worse performance based on the number of fixations and a different Markov chain stationary distribution compared to university students. These results allowed to highlight elements of the pages that can be modified to improve web usability.
Detection and Removal of Arsenite from Water Using Bis‐Urea Supramolecular Polymer and Dipeptide Adsorbent
Authors: Nandi Sujay Kumar , Kumar Santosh , Chowdhury Srayoshi Roy , Ibukun Ibukun‐Olamilekan Joseph , Haldar Debasish
Published: May 2021

Arsenic is one of the most toxic element and contaminant of groundwater. Arsenic enters into the groundwater from natural deposits through various industrial and agricultural activities. Though arsenic can present in different oxidation states starting from−3 to +5, the trivalent As(III) (arsenite) is most toxic. A cost‐effective, easy‐to‐use in‐field arsenite sensor in aqueous media has been developed. The (6‐ureido‐pyridine‐2‐yl)‐urea has been synthesized via simple one‐pot synthesis by treating 2,6‐diaminopyridine with potassium cyanate at 80 °C. The bis‐urea can selectively sense arsenite and form a light yellow color supramolecular polymer in aqueous media even in the presence of other biologically and environmentally important ions. Various analytical techniques were employed to study the arsenite sensing, and the detection limit was found to be 73.6 nM. The immediate, accurate, selective, naked‐eye detection of arsenite makes it suitable for in‐field water testing. We have also developed a device packed with dipeptide and silica that can remove 71.1 % arsenite‐ supramolecular polymer in a single touch in 5 minutes. Notably, the filter can be used upto five cycles efficiently. The results demonstrate the potential of the bis‐urea supramolecular polymer and dipeptide adsorbent for the efficient and sustainable remediation of arsenite contamination.
Unstable and Stable Thermal Hysteresis Under Thermal Triangle Waves
Authors: Arisawa Mieko , Iwamoto Rina , Yamaguchi Masahiko
Published: May 2021

A 1 : 1 mixture of aminomethylenehelicene (P)‐tetramer with C16 alkyl groups (P)‐1‐C16 and (M)‐pentamer (M)‐2 in fluorobenzene forms hetero‐double‐helices, and the processes of formation and dissociation exhibit thermal hysteresis on cooling and heating. When thermal triangle waves with repeated cooling and heating cycles are applied, unstable thermal hysteresis appears, which becomes a stable thermal hysteresis after sufficient numbers of cycles. The phenomenon of middle‐range stable thermal hysteresis is observed in this case. Properties of unstable and stable thermal hysteresis are examined under various thermal triangle waves.
Flexible Light‐to‐Frequency Conversion Circuits Built with Si‐Based Frequency‐to‐Digital Converters via Complementary Photosensitive Ring Oscillators with p‐Type SWNT and n‐Type a‐IGZO Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Jeong Jinheon , Seo Seung Gi , Yu Seung‐Myeong , Kang Yunha , Song Junyoung , Jin Sung Hun
Published: May 2021

In this study, as system‐level photodetectors, light‐to‐frequency conversion circuits (LFCs) are realized by i) photosensitive ring oscillators (ROs) composed of amorphous indium‐gallium‐zinc‐oxide/single‐walled carbon nanotube (a‐IGZO/SWNT) thin film transistors (TFTs) and ii) phase‐locked‐loop Si circuits built with frequency‐to‐digital converters (PFDC). The 3‐stage ROs and logic gates based on a‐IGZO/SWNT TFTs successfully demonstrate its performance on flexible substrates. Herein, along with the advantage of scalability, a‐IGZO films are used as photosensitive n‐type TFTs and SWNTs are employed as photo‐insensitive p‐type TFTs for better photosensitivity in circuit level. Through the controlling a post‐annealing condition of a‐IGZO film, responsivities and detectivities of a‐IGZO TFTs are obtained as 36 AW−1 and 0.3 × 1012 Jones for red, 93 AW−1 and 3.1 × 1012 Jones for green, and 194 AW–1 and 11.7 × 1012 Jones for blue. Furthermore, as an advanced demonstration for practical application of LFCs, a unique circuit (i.e., PFDC) is designed to analyze the generated oscillation frequency (fosc) from the LFC device and convert it to a digital code. As a result, the designed PFDC can exactly count the generated fosc from the flexible a‐IGZO/SWNT ROs under light illumination with an outstanding sensitivity and assign input frequencies to respective digital code.
Do you speak my language? The effect of sharing a teacher's native language on student achievement
Authors: Seah Kelvin K. C.
Published: May 2021

Using a data set from the United States that allows each student to be matched with two of his/her subject teachers, this study exploits variation in whether the student shares the same native language as the teacher across two academic subjects, within‐student, to identify the effect of assignment to a teacher of the same native language. The effect is examined separately for students who are native Spanish speakers and for students who are native English speakers. I find that, unconditional on teacher ethnicity, assignment to a native Spanish‐speaking teacher is associated with worse achievement for native Spanish‐speaking students in certain subjects. However, once differences in teacher ethnicity are controlled for, these negative effects disappear. For native English‐speaking students, assignment to a language‐congruent teacher has no impact on achievement. There is evidence that native language affinity could be an important mechanism through which student‐teacher ethnic interactions work.
Adsorption and Sustained‐Release Capacity of Glyphosate on Microporous Corn Starch
Authors: Dong Xiaoting , Bai Yifan , Ma Xian , Xue Pengli , Zhang Yan , Bian Liujiao
Published: May 2021

Glyphosate is a non‐selective, residue‐free herbicide that can pollute soil and water sources due to its extensive use and long‐term accumulation. The adsorption and release processes of glyphosate on corn microporous starch microspheres are studied. The results reveal that the adsorption capacities of glyphosate on native corn starch, corn microporous starch, and corn microporous starch with xanthan gum increase in turns. Further, the maximum adsorption capacity of the corn microporous starch with xanthan gum reaches 138.89 mg g−1 at 283 K. Moreover, the adsorption of glyphosate follows the Langmuir isothermal adsorption equation and quasi‐secondary adsorption kinetic model on the three corn starches, which are all spontaneous exothermic processes controlled by enthalpy change. In the desorption process, glyphosate is slowly released on corn microporous starch with the addition of 0.02% xanthan gum with a cumulative release of ≈61% ± 3.17% after 48 h. The release kinetics follows the Ritger–Peppas release model, which is consistent with the Fick diffusion mechanism. These results indicate that the corn microporous starch with 0.02% xanthan gum is a well controlled‐ and sustained‐release carrier of glyphosate. This study provides some useful insight into the development of glyphosate sustained‐release preparations with high loading and long sustained‐release performance.
Mechanical and durability characteristics of sustainable concrete modified with partial substitution of waste foundry sand
Authors: Ahmad Jawad , Aslam Fahid , Zaid Osama , Alyousef Rayed , Alabduljabbar Hisham
Published: May 2021

Industrial waste has rapidly increased day by day due to the fast‐growing population and usage of products, which dumps unscrupulously, resulting in environmental pollutions. Waste foundry sand (WFS) is one of the industrial solid wastes. River sand is generally used in concrete as a fine aggregate, which is limited (scant), and river excavation for sand leads to environmental deterioration. To resolve these problems, a study was performed on WFS as a partial substitution instead of natural sand in concrete. The effects of WFS on concrete performance were assessed through durability and mechanical performance. The results from experimental tests show that, compared to concrete blends with WFS up to 30% substitution, the control mix strength was only 7.6% (28 days) higher, and this improvement is not too high. In the same manner, concrete mixtures that contain WFS up to 30%, and their durability properties were somewhat same to blank max (control). Test results showed that WFS with a substitutions ratio up to 30% can be successfully used in concrete without disturbing its durability and strength properties.
Lysosome Fe2+ release is responsible for etoposide‐ and cisplatin‐induced stemness of small cell lung cancer cells
Authors: Wang Kangwu , Chen Xiao , Zuyi Wang , Chen Liucheng , Fu Wei
Published: May 2021

Iron metabolism has been shown to hand over cancer stem cell, which is regarded as the root of tumor progression, recurrence and chemoresistance. This study aims to explore whether iron metabolism is involved in etoposide‐ and cisplatin‐induced stemness in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. Here, analysis on tumor‐sphere formation and stemness marker expression is performed to determine whether etoposide and cisplatin can induce SCLC cell stemness. Online dataset analysis is constructed to determine the correlation between iron transportation and the survival of lung cancer patients. Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with rescuing experiments are carried out to reveal the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, the non‐lethal doses of etoposide and cisplatin can induce SCLC cell stemness in a concentration‐dependent manner and reduce the lysosome iron concentration dependent on Ferritin expression, which is positively regulated by HIF‐1α/β. Moreover, HIF‐1α/β can directly bind to Ferritin promoter region. This HIF/Ferritin axis is responsible for etoposide‐ and cisplatin‐induced iron reduction in lysosomes and stemness of SCLC cells. This work demonstrates that iron in lysosomes is essential for etoposide and cisplatin‐induced stemness of SCLC cells, which is regulated by the HIF/Ferritin axis.
Wavelet analysis of soil water state variables for identification of lateral subsurface flow: Lysimeter vs. field data
Authors: Ehrhardt Annelie , Groh Jannis , Gerke Horst H.
Published: May 2021

Preferential and lateral subsurface flow (LSF) may be responsible for the accelerated transport of water and solutes in sloping agricultural landscapes; however, the process is difficult to observe. One idea is to compare time series of soil moisture observations in the field with those in lysimeters, where flow is vertically oriented. This study aims at identifying periods of deviations in soil water contents and pressure heads measured in the field and in a weighing lysimeter with the same soil profile. Wavelet coherency analysis (WCA) was applied to time series of hourly soil water content and pressure head data (15‐, 32‐, 60‐, 80‐, and 140‐cm depths) from Colluvic Regosol soil profiles. The phase shifts and periodicities indicated by the WCA plots reflected the response times to rain events in the same depth of lysimeter and field soil. For many rain events and depths, pressure and moisture sensors installed in the field soil responded earlier than those in the lysimeter. This could be explained by either vertical preferential flow or LSF from upper hillslope positions. Vice versa, a faster response in the lysimeter soil could be indicative for vertical preferential flow effects. Dry weather conditions and data gaps limited the number of periods with elevated soil moisture in 2016–2018, in which LSF was likely to occur. The WCA plots comprise all temporal patterns of time shifts and correlations between larger data time series in a condensed form to identify potentially relevant periods for more detailed analyses of subsurface flow dynamics.
Finite temperature quantum dynamics of complex systems: Integrating thermo‐field theories and tensor‐train methods
Authors: Borrelli Raffaele , Gelin Maxim F.
Published: May 2021

This review provides the fundamental theoretical tools for the development of a complete wave‐function formalism for the study of time‐evolution of chemico‐physical systems at finite temperature. The methodology is based on the non‐equilibrium thermo‐field dynamics (NE‐TFD) representation of quantum mechanics, which is alternative to the commonly used density matrix representation. TFD concepts are extended and integrated with the tensor‐train (TT) numerical tools leading to a novel and powerful theoretical and computational framework for the study of complex quantum dynamical problems. In addition, NE‐TFD techniques are extended to enable the study of dissipative open systems via a new formulation of the hierarchical equations of motion (HEOM) fully integrated with TT methodologies. We demonstrate that the combination of the TFD machinery with computational advantages of TTs results in a powerful theoretical and computational framework for scrutinizing dynamics of complex multidimensional electron‐vibrational systems. We illustrate the validity and the computational advantages of the developed methodologies by applying them to the study of quantum coherence effects in the energy‐transfer processes in antenna systems, to the analysis of fingerprints of vibrational modes in electron‐transfer and charge‐transfer processes in various model and realistic multidimensional molecular systems, as well as to simulation of other fundamental models of physical chemistry.

This article is categorized under:

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Reaction Dynamics and Kinetics

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Statistical Mechanics
Incorporating domain ontology information into clustering in heterogeneous networks
Authors: Huang Yue
Published: May 2021

Clustering of structure‐rich heterogeneous information networks composed of multiple types of objects and relationships, which has become a challenge in data mining. Most of the existing clustering heterogeneous network methods focus on the internal information of the dataset while ignoring the domain knowledge outside the dataset. However, in real‐world scenarios, domain knowledge can often offer valuable information for clustering. In this study, we propose a three‐layer model OntoHeteClus, which is able to cluster multitype objects in star‐structured heterogeneous networks by considering both the dataset itself and the background information quantified via the ontology. OntoHeteClus first evaluates the similarity between central objects according to formalized domain ontology information, based on which central objects are subsequently clustered. Finally, attribute objects are clustered according to the central object clustering result. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the modeling concept and working principle of the proposed method, and experiments on a real‐world dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Structure Discovery and Clustering

Algorithmic Development > Structure Discovery
Evaluating Unmanned Aerial Systems for the Detection and Monitoring of Moose in Northeastern Minnesota
Authors: McMahon Michael C. , Ditmer Mark A. , Isaac Edmund J. , Moore Seth A. , Forester James D.
Published: May 2021

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for wildlife surveying and research has widely expanded in the past decade, but with varying levels of success. Applying UAS paired with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) technology to survey forest‐dwelling species has been particularly challenging because of unreliable animal detection. We describe our application of UAS and FLIR technology to detect GPS‐collared moose (Alces alces) and their calves in the heavily‐forested region of northeastern Minnesota, USA, during 2018 and 2019. We conducted grid‐pattern UAS thermal surveys over GPS‐collared cows during the calving seasons (April to June) of 2018 and 2019 to determine the feasibility of using a FLIR‐equipped UAS for detecting cow moose, and for quantifying the number of calves. We also collected data on environmental and flight characteristic variables to model moose detection. Our best fitting model of moose detection showed increased detection with more cloud cover at the survey site ( = 1.13, SE = 0.43), whereas increased forest canopy ( = −1.10, SE = 0.38), and vegetative greenness (enhanced vegetation index, EVI;  = −1.37, SE = 0.32) both reduced detection success. By adjusting our methodology based on our detection model findings, we increased our adult moose detection success from 25% during our first season, to 85% during our second season, and calf detection from 27% to 79%, respectively. We report on our methodological improvements and identify limitations to UAS‐based wildlife research in forested systems. Overall, we found that UAS with FLIR sensing is a promising tool for quantifying moose calving success, twinning rate, and calf survival, and may be effective for monitoring the reproductive success and survival of other wildlife species in densely forested regions. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.
Figures of the Cosmopolitan Condition: The Wanderer, the Outcast, the Foreigner
Authors: Agier Michel
Published: May 2021

In this chapter, I go through a series of figures embodying the cosmopolitan condition seen as a banal, everyday experience of migrants in urban borderlands. Using ethnographic accounts of migrants’ itineraries and social encounters, the chapter explores a series of urban spaces which are social “borderlands” and their inhabitants: neighbourhoods, squats, camps. Through stories and descriptions of connections and exploitation, settlement and displacement, it investigates the existence of an everyday or banal cosmopolitism experienced by Sudanese, Eritrean, Sri Lankan, Afghan or German dwellers of Beirut, Paris, Patras, and New York. It describes the cosmopolitan condition in the sense of a lived experience, an experience of sharing the world, no matter how inegalitarian and violent this may be.
Big Data as a Creeping Crisis
Authors: Vashishtha Swapnil , Rhinard Mark
Published: May 2021

This chapter examines the mass accumulation of private data in terms of a creeping crisis. The threat at hand—commonly referred to as “Big Data”—pertains to the direct compromising of personal integrity and safety. The chapter explores the driving forces behind this threat, identifies the precursor events or “flare-ups” of the deeper problem, and documents the varying levels of scientific, political, and public attention given to the problem. Our analysis reveals the breadth of the problem and the main challenge to managing it: societies’ deep dependence on the underlying technologies and systems. Addressing this creeping crisis will require substantial government intervention to regulate privacy and effective horizon scanning to track its many possible costs.
Acoustic telemetry reveals strong spatial preferences and mixing during successive spawning periods in a partially migratory common bream population
Authors: Winter Emily R. , Hindes Andrew M. , Lane Steve , Britton J. Robert
Published: May 2021

Partial migration, whereby a population comprises multiple behavioural phenotypes that each have varying tendencies to migrate, is common among many animals. Determining the mechanisms by which these phenotypes are maintained is important for understanding their roles in population structure and stability. The aim here was to test for the temporal and spatial consistency of migratory phenotypes in a common breamAbramis brama(‘bream’) population, and then determine their social preferences and extent of mixing across three successive annual spawning periods. The study applied passive acoustic telemetry to track the movements of bream in the River Bure system of the Norfolk Broads, a lowland wetland comprising highly connected riverine and lacustrine habitats. Analyses revealed that individual migratory phenotype was highly consistent across the 3 years, but this was not predicted by fish sex or length at tagging. During the annual spawning periods, network analyses identified off-channel areas visited by both resident and migrant fish that, in non-spawning periods, were relatively independent in their space use. Within these sites, the co-occurrence of bream was non-random, with individuals forming more preferred associations than expected by chance. These associations were not strongly predicted by similarity in fish length, sex or behavioural phenotype, indicating that the resident and migrant phenotypes mixed during their annual spawning periods. The results suggested these different phenotypes, with spatially distinct resource use in non-spawning periods, comprised a single population, with this having important implications for the management of this wetland resource.
Das quantifizierte EEG im elektroenzephalogrammbasierten Monitoring während Allgemeinanästhesie
Authors: Kaiser H. A. , Knapp J. , Sleigh J. , Avidan M. S. , Stüber F. , Hight D.
Published: May 2021

Das Elektroenzephalogramm (EEG) findet im klinischen Alltag der Anästhesie des deutschsprachigen Raumes zunehmend Anwendung. Bei über 90 % der Patienten ändert sich das frontale EEG als Reaktion auf die Gabe der gebräuchlichen Narkotika (Propofol und volatile Narkosegase) in typischer Weise. Eine adäquate Narkosetiefe und angemessene Konzentrationen der Anästhetika im Gehirn erzeugen meist frontale Oszillationen zwischen 8 und 12 Hz (α-Oszillationen) sowie langsame δ‑Wellen zwischen 0,5 und 4 Hz. Die frontale EEG-Ableitung eignet sich gut zur Vermeidung einer unzureichenden Narkosetiefe bzw. einer Überdosierung von Anästhetika. Im Folgenden werden die klinische Interpretation der wichtigsten EEG-Muster und ihr biophysikalischer Hintergrund erläutert. Ebenso werden wichtige Limitationen und „Fallstricke“ für den klinischen Alltag diskutiert, die der Anästhesist kennen sollte, um das EEG als zwar unvollständigen, aber klinisch äußerst wichtigen Parameter des Bewusstseinslevels zu nutzen.
Sex differences in experiences of multiple traumas and mental health problems in the UK Biobank cohort
Authors: Yapp Emma , Booth Tom , Davis Katrina , Coleman Jonathan , Howard Louise M. , Breen Gerome , Hatch Stephani L. , Hotopf Matthew , Oram Siân
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Experiences of reported trauma are common and are associated with a range of mental health problems. Sex differences in how reported traumas are experienced over the life course in relation to mental health require further exploration.

Methods

157,358 participants contributed data for the UK Biobank Mental Health Questionnaire (MHQ). Stratified Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to analyse combinations of reported traumatic experiences in males and females separately, and associations with mental health.

Results

In females, five trauma classes were identified: a low-risk class (58.6%), a childhood trauma class (13.5%), an intimate partner violence class (12.9%), a sexual violence class (9.1%), and a high-risk class (5.9%). In males, a three-class solution was preferred: a low-risk class (72.6%), a physical and emotional trauma class (21.9%), and a sexual violence class (5.5%). In comparison to the low-risk class in each sex, all trauma classes were associated with increased odds of current depression, anxiety, and hazardous/harmful alcohol use after adjustment for covariates. The high-risk class in females and the sexual violence class in males produced significantly increased odds for recent psychotic experiences.

Conclusion

There are sex differences in how reported traumatic experiences co-occur across a lifespan, with females at the greatest risk. However, reporting either sexual violence or multiple types of trauma was associated with increased odds of mental health problems for both males and females. Findings emphasise the public mental health importance of identifying and responding to both men and women’s experiences of trauma, including sexual violence.
Anatomic single vs. double-bundle ACL reconstruction: a randomized clinical trial–Part 1: clinical outcomes
Authors: Irrgang James J. , Tashman Scott , Patterson Charity G. , Musahl Volker , West Robin , Oostdyk Alicia , Galvin Bryan , Poploski Kathleen , Fu Freddie H .
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Compare clinical outcomes of anatomic single-bundle (SB) to anatomic double-bundle (DB) anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). It was hypothesized that anatomic DB ACLR would result in better International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC-SKF) scores and reduced anterior and rotatory laxity compared to SB ACLR.

Methods

Active individuals between 14 and 50 years of age that presented within 12 months of injury were eligible to participate. Individuals with prior injury or surgery of either knee, greater than a grade 1 concomitant knee ligament injury, or ACL insertion sites less than 14 mm or greater than 18 mm were excluded. Subjects were randomized to undergo SB or DB ACLR with a 10 mm-wide quadriceps tendon autograft harvested with a patellar bone block and were followed for 24 months. The primary outcome measures included the IKDC-SKF and KT-1000 (side to side difference) and pivot shift tests. Other secondary outcomes included measures of sports activity and participation, range of motion (ROM) and re-injury.

Results

Enrollment in the study was suspended due to patellar fractures related to harvest of the patellar bone plug. At that time, 57 subjects had been randomized (29 DB) and two-year follow-up was attained from 51 (89.5%). At 24-month follow-up there were no between-group differences detected for the primary outcomes. Twenty-one (77.8%) DB’s and 20 (83.3%) SB’s reported returning to pre-injury sports 2 years after surgery (n.s) Three subjects (2 DB’s, 5.3% of total) sustained a graft rupture and 5 individuals (4 SB’s, 8.8% of total) had a subsequent meniscus injury.

Conclusions

Due to the early termination of the study, there were no detectable differences in clinical outcome between anatomic SB and DB ACLR when performed with a quadriceps tendon autograft with a bone block in individuals with ACL insertion sites that range from 14 to 18 mm.

Level of Evidence

Level 2