bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Efficacy of Treatment Methodologies of Bovine Cutaneous Papillomatosis Using Combined Therapy: A Case Report
Authors: Singh R. K. , Chandra Naresh , Kumar Ajit , Soni Yogesh , Choudhary Govind Kumar
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Bovine papillomatosis (BP) is a chronic contagious proliferative disease of cattle which is characterized by warts or papilloma that occur mostly in cutaneous form and less frequently in mucosal form as exophytic papilloma.

Aims:  The aim of the present study was to see the effect of combined therapeutic approach for the treatment of bovine cutaneous Papillomatosis in animals.

Presentation of Case: A case of bovine papillomatosis in a cow and its treatment with the autogenous vaccine, Auto-hemotherapy, Homeopathic and Allopathic medicines is presented. A four to five years old female Holstein Friesian cross bred cow was presented with signs of various sizes of cauliflower growth and pedunculated cutaneous warts on neck, shoulder and teat having pain, bleeding and interference in milking. On the basis of history and clinical signs it was diagnosed as bovine papillomatosis. The vaccine was prepared from sample collected from older wart growths under aseptic conditions, minced, suspended in normal saline, filtered through muslin cloth and treated with formalin. The animal was treated with a dose of 5 ml subcutaneously and revaccinated at 7 day intervals for four weeks. The animal was also treated with its own blood and repeated once in a week. The animal was treated with homeopathic medicine Thuja-mother tincture and Thuja 200X and allopathic medicine Levamisol at dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day on days 1,3,5,7,9 and 16 by per oral route, single shot of Ivermectin (S/C) @ 200µg/kg body wt .  The animal was recovered completely in six weeks.

Discussion and Conclusion: Since the single treatment strategy is not so effective and recovery is very poor and recurrence is possible. On the basis of our study it is concluded that the combined therapy is suggested for an effective treatment of Bovine cutaneous Papillomatosis.
Assessing Effects of Business Innovations on Financial Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Kenya: A Case of SMEs in Garissa County
Authors: Shurie Muhumed Buthul , Olando Clement O.
Published: November 2020

Despite the significant positive impact of small and medium-sized enterprises on the economic growth and employment generation, small business enterprises in Kenya are continuously collapsing. The high rate of collapse in threatening their contribution to Kenya’s gross domestic product. Although empirical studies from developed economies have revealed business innovations as the appropriate approach to addressing financial performance of small business, there is scanty documentation on business innovations as being a key determinant of the financial performance of small medium enterprise in Kenya. hence this study which assessed the manner in which the business innovations affects financial performance of Kenyan small medium enterprises. Adopting descriptive research design, the research used the 258 small medium enterprises in Garissa County as its target population from where a sample population of 155 respondents was selected using stratified proportionate random sampling. Data was collected from primary sources using a questionnaire and analysed using quantitative analysis approach to yield descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics with help of SPSS software Version 21.0. The study concludes that at 0.05 (5%) significance level, each of; financial institutional innovation, financial product innovations has positive and moderate statistically significant effect on financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya while each of; marketing innovation and financial process innovations has a statistically strong positively significant effect on the financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya. The research recommends that the financial performance in Kenya should; actively embark on adopting financial institutional innovations for improving their financial performance, embrace financial product innovations, develop and acquire marketing resources and appreciated and support modern financial process innovations.
Nursing Students’ First Clinical Experience with a Dying Patient or the Dead: A Phenomenological Study
Authors: Kwakye Isaac Nyarko , Antwi James , Essel Cynthia , Yeboah Prince Appiah
Published: November 2020

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore nursing students’ first clinical experience with a dying patient or the dead.

Study Design: The study employed a qualitative case study design involving six students, homogenous in nature and purposively selected from the nursing department of a private university in Accra. We used in-depth interviews to solicit for lived experiences of the participants and the field data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis technique.

Results: Seven themes emerged from the analysis; reasons for choosing nursing as a profession, emotional and psychological effects, coping strategies, preparation of the student before clinical placement, access to counselling and future thoughts about nursing. Productive and unproductive forces are used to illustrate the experiences of the students. The results showed that nursing students were inadequately prepared for their first clinical practice and experienced varied negative emotional and psychological effects such as fear and stress. Some of the students were unable to cope with their experiences and as a result wanted to quit the training while others were able to accept the situation due to their personal disposition.

Conclusion: The authors recommend that students should be given adequate orientation or preparation before clinical placement and where possible, counselling services should be made available to them before, during and after their clinical placement both at the hospital and in the school.
Discovery of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors through Molecular Docking as Novel Anticancer Agents
Authors: Alharbi Ahmed , Alshammari Waleed Mansi , Alreshidi Turki A. K.
Published: November 2020

The cancer is the world's most silent and life-threatening diseases, which may arise in most common people without any indication at any age and result in uncontrolled growth and metastasis. In the current manuscript, we targeted the discovery of novel carbonic anhydrase IX inhibitors. The discovery is based on computational techniques based on direct and indirect drug design. We screened nearly 500000 compounds from the zinc database to identify the top 1000 compounds with indirect drug design techniques while the top 200 were docked for the interactions and scoring functions. The top 12 out of these were reported in the manuscript, which showed higher binding scores than the standard compounds with selectivity based on interaction. These leads may be the future drugs for anticancer agents through carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
Secukinumab and Sustained Reduction in Fatigue in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Long‐Term Results of Two Phase III Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Kvien Tore K. , Conaghan Philip G. , Gossec Laure , Strand Vibeke , Østergaard Mikkel , Poddubnyy Denis , Williams Nicole , Porter Brian , Shete Abhijit , Gilloteau Isabelle , Deodhar Atul
Published: November 2020

Objective

To investigate the longer‐term effects of secukinumab 150 mg on fatigue in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the MEASURE 1 study (up to 3 years) and the MEASURE 2 study (up to 2 years).

Methods

Patients with active AS were randomized to secukinumab or placebo in MEASURE 1 (10 mg/kg intravenous [IV] followed by 150 mg subcutaneous) and MEASURE 2 (150 mg subcutaneous). Patients were naive to treatment with anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF‐naive) therapy or had an inadequate response/intolerance to anti‐TNF therapy (anti‐TNF‐IR). Fatigue was measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT‐F) scale. Relationships between fatigue response and baseline characteristics and clinical/laboratory variables were explored.

Results

Significant improvements in FACIT‐F scores from baseline were observed with secukinumab across both studies versus placebo at week 16 (P < 0.05). Improvements were sustained through week 156 (MEASURE 1) and week 104 (MEASURE 2). Significantly more patients reported fatigue responses (FACIT‐F improvement ≥4; observed data) with secukinumab 150 mg than with placebo at week 16 in both MEASURE 1 (P < 0.05) and MEASURE 2 (P < 0.01). Fatigue responses were achieved by 75.6% of patients receiving secukinumab at week 156 (MEASURE 1) and 81.4% at week 104 (MEASURE 2); these results were consistent in patients who were anti‐TNF‐naive (74.3% and 84.6%, respectively) and anti‐TNF‐IR (81.3% and 75.0%, respectively). Baseline characteristics did not predict improvement in fatigue consistently. Fatigue responses were moderately to strongly correlated with responses in several clinical measures, including the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) 20%/40% improvement, ASAS5/6 responses, the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score with C‐reactive protein level, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, and the Short Form 36 health questionnaire scores.

Conclusion

Secukinumab provided rapid and sustained improvements in fatigue for up to 3 years, regardless of prior anti‐TNF exposure.
Monopsonists, Disruptive Innovation and Food Security: The Case of High‐Value Commodity
Authors: Mishra Ashok K. , Kumar Anjani , Joshi Pramod K. , Dsouza Alwin
Published: November 2020

Private firms in monopsony undertake disruptive innovation like contract farming (CF), where the firm invests in the food supply chain, provides credit, assumes the risk, and implements management strategies. This study investigates the impact of monopsonist involvement in CF and its impact on food security indicators among smallholders. Findings reveal that the monopsonist CF structure for ginger processing in Nepal increases the market price by about 18%, yields by 10%, and profits by 66%. However, the impact varies with farm size. Small farms (≤0.51 hectares (ha)) engaged in CF have higher yields (18%), earn higher profits (81%), and receive higher market prices (12%) than small noncontract ginger producers. Contrary to popular belief, disruptive innovation in value chains by monopsonists could lead to higher yields, the market price received, and profitability for both small and large farmers.
Human adaptation to climate change: An introduction to the special issue
Authors: Pisor Anne C. , Jones James H.
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Despite our focus on adaptation and human responses to climate, evolutionary and biological anthropologists (EBAs) are largely absent from conversations about contemporary “climate‐change adaptation,” a term popular in other disciplines, the development world, and related policy decisions. EBAs are missing a big opportunity to contribute to impactful, time‐sensitive applied work: we have extensive theoretical and empirical knowledge pertinent to conversations about climate‐change adaptation and to helping support communities as they cope. This special issue takes a tour of EBA contributions to our understanding of climate‐change adaptation, from data on past and contemporary human communities to theoretically informed predictions about how individuals and communities will respond to climate change now and in the future. First, however, we must establish what wemeanby “climate change” and “adaptation,” along with other terms commonly used by EBAs; review what EBAs know about adaptation and about human responses to climate change; and identify just a few topics EBAs study that are pertinent to ongoing conversations about climate‐change adaptation. In this article, we do just that.

Conclusion

From our work on energy use to our work on demography, subsistence, social networks, and the salience of climate change to local communities, EBAs have an abundance of data and theoretical insights to help inform responses to contemporary climate change. We need to better reach the climate community and general public with our contributions.
High expression levels of circulating microRNA‐122 and microRNA‐222 are associated with obesity in children with Mayan ethnicity
Authors: González‐Arce Larissa Michelle , Lara‐Riegos Julio César , Pérez‐Mendoza Gerardo José , Rubí‐Castellanos Rodrigo , Vega‐Marcín Miguel , Valencia‐Pacheco Guillermo , Torres‐Romero Julio César , González‐Herrera Lizbeth
Published: November 2020

Objectives

High expression levels (HELs) of microRNA‐122 (miR‐122) or microRNA‐222 (miR‐222) have been associated with insulin resistance (IR), which leads to the development of obesity. The association between HELs of circulating miR‐122 and miR‐222 and the risk of obesity was evaluated in Mexican school‐aged children, where childhood obesity is the primary cause of morbidity.

Methods

Anthropometric data, biochemical parameters, and caloric intake were obtained in 50 children with obesity and 49 children with normal weight. The expression of circulating miR‐122 and miR‐222 was measured by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction amplification. Data were analyzed using Student t test, Pearson correlation coefficient, associations with chi‐square, and multiple linear and logistic regressions with SPSS software v.23.

Results

The mean relative expression for miR‐122 and miR‐222 was 0.33 and 5.65, respectively, for children with obesity and 0.22 and 3.16, respectively, for children with normal weight. The expression of miR‐122 and miR‐222 was 1.47 and 1.78‐fold higher, respectively, in children with obesity (P = 0.001 and P = 0.025). HELs of both miR‐122 and miR‐222 were associated with body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHR), fat percentage, serum high‐density lipid levels, triglycerides (TGs), and metabolic index (MI) (P < .001).

Conclusions

The HELs of circulating miR‐122 conferred a 3.85‐fold increase in the risk for obesity, whereas the HELs of both miR‐122 and miR‐222 conferred a 3.11‐fold increase in the risk for obesity, which were also associated with higher anthropometric or biochemical parameters, such as BMI, WHR, fat percentage, serum high‐density lipid levels, TGs, and MI, in Mayan children.
The Fifty Percent Machines—A Short History of Influence Machines and an Elementary Theory of Their Efficiency: An Attempt
Authors: Dörfel Günter , Weihreter Ernst
Published: November 2020

Presenting the devices invented by Toepler, Holtz, Wimshurst, and Wommelsdorf, the history of the influence machines, the progress made, and the remaining deficits are discussed. The theoretical considerations published in the literature lack generalizable statements on the efficiency. Based on R. W. Pohl's model (1927), an elementary analysis is made, with the result that the upper limit of the theoretically achievable efficiency of influence machines is only 50%.
Genetically Encoded and Biologically Produced All‐DNA Nanomedicine Based on One‐Pot Assembly of DNA Dendrimers for Targeted Gene Regulation
Authors: Lu Jingxiong , Hu Pengchao , Cao Lingyan , Wei Zixiang , Xiao Fan , Chen Zhe , Li Yan , Tian Leilei
Published: November 2020

All‐DNA nanomedicines have emerged as potential anti‐tumor drugs. DNA nanotechnology provides all‐DNA nanomedicines with unlimited possibilities in controlling the diversification of size, shape, and loads of the therapeutic motifs. As DNA is a biological polymer, it is possible to genetically encode and produce the all‐DNA nanomedicines in living bacteria. Herein, DNA‐dendrimer‐based nanomedicines are designed to adapt to the biological production, which is constructed by the flexible 3‐arm building blocks to enable a highly efficient one‐pot DNA assembly. For the first time, a DNA nanomedicine, D4‐3‐As‐DzSur, is successfully genetically encoded, biotechnologically produced, and directly self‐assembled. The performance of the biologically produced D4‐3‐As‐DzSur in targeted gene regulation has been confirmed by in vitro and in vivo studies. The biological production capability will fulfill the low‐cost and large‐scale production of all‐DNA nanomedicines and promote clinical applications.
Efficient Catalysts for the Green Synthesis of Adipic Acid from Biomass
Authors: Deng Weiping , Yan Longfei , Wang Binju , Zhang Qihui , Song Haiyan , Wang Shanshan , Zhang Qinghong , Wang Ye
Published: November 2020

Green synthesis of adipic acid from renewable biomass is a very attractive goal of sustainable chemistry. Herein, we report efficient catalysts for a two‐step transformation of cellulose‐derived glucose into adipic acid via glucaric acid. Carbon nanotube‐supported platinum nanoparticles are found to work efficiently for the oxidation of glucose to glucaric acid. An activated carbon‐supported bifunctional catalyst composed of rhenium oxide and palladium is discovered to be powerful for the removal of four hydroxyl groups in glucaric acid, affording adipic acid with a 99 % yield. Rhenium oxide functions for the deoxygenation but is less efficient for four hydroxyl group removal. The co‐presence of palladium not only catalyzes the hydrogenation of olefin intermediates but also synergistically facilitates the deoxygenation. This work presents a green route for adipic acid synthesis and offers a bifunctional‐catalysis strategy for efficient deoxygenation.
Hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene based waterborne polyurethane acrylate emulsions: Synthesis, characterization, and damping property
Authors: Li Songsong , Deng Yunjiao , Fu Zhongyu , Zhang Huixuan , Zhou Chao , Jiao Yuhang
Published: November 2020

A new kinds of waterborne polyurethane acrylate (WPUA) dispersions were synthesized based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), 1, 4‐butanediol (1, 4‐BDO), polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMG), dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), and methyl methacrylate (MMA) as main raw materials. The influence of the HTPB content on the particle size, storage stability of the WPUA dispersions and the damping property of cured films were studied by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively. It can be found the WPUA dispersions have a good stability and the damping temperature range of loss tangent (tan δ) >0.3 reaches a maximum (−26.6–79.14°C) when the content of HTPB is 20%. The HTPB based WPUA could be applied to damping material.
Forecast Impact of FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 GNSS Radio Occultation Measurements
Authors: Ruston Benjamin , Healy Sean
Published: November 2020

The FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 GNSS‐RO mission was launched on June 25, 2019, and it has provided a large increase in the number of GNSS‐RO observations available for operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) in the latitude band between ±40°. A key aim of this mission has been to improve the GNSS‐RO measurement quality in the lower and middle troposphere. In this study, we summarize the impact of the FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 measurements in two independent NWP systems, which are now assimilating these measurements operationally. These are the United States Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) and the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Integrated Forecasting System (IFS). Both systems employ a 4‐dimensional variational system (4D‐Var), and assimilate GNSS‐RO bending angles. The experiments cover the period January to March 2020. The impact of the FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 measurements is assessed using improvements in short‐range forecast departures to other observations such as radiosonde and radiances, forecast error statistics against a verifying analysis, and adjoint based Forecast Sensitivity to Observation Impact (FSOI) estimates. The FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 measurement has a clear impact on stratospheric temperatures and winds in the tropics. A novel finding is that the measurements also improve the tropical tropospheric humidity fit to radiosondes, and the fit to tropospheric radiances sensitive to humidity. To date, the impact of GNSS‐RO on humidity has been difficult to demonstrate in well constrained, operational NWP systems assimilating the full suite of observations. The results are achieved with a conservative assimilation approach which extended the quality control and observation error assignments used for the previous COSMIC receivers; further, possible improvements to the assimilation strategy are noted.
A novel strategy of selective gene delivery by using a uniform magnetic field
Authors: Dateki Minori , Imamura Osamu , Arai Masaaki , Shimizu Hidehisa , Takishima Kunio
Published: November 2020

The application of a magnetic field to enhance the transfection efficiency has been reported to be mainly dependent on the magnetic force generated by a magnetic field gradient to attract paramagnetic bead‐conjugated carrier and polynucleotide complexes. This strategy has the advantage of targeting a point or an area on the culture vessel. However, it is difficult to target deeply placed tissues in vivo. Uniform magnetic field‐correlated effect is applicable to such a purpose. Here, we attempted to establish a novel procedure for uniform magnetic field‐dependent enhancement of transfection efficiency. We examined the effect of a 1.5 mT uniform magnetic field on cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and transfection efficiency mediated by a ROS‐sensitive transfection carrier. Our experimental results revealed that a 1.5 mT uniform magnetic field transiently decreased cellular ROS levels and strongly enhanced transfection efficiency mediated by polyethylenimine (PEI). The uniform magnetic field‐dependent enhancement of PEI‐mediated in vivo transfection was confirmed in the livers of mice. Local intensification of a uniform magnetic field in a culture dish resulted in selective gene delivery into cells on the target area. Although further examination and improvement are necessary for this procedure, our findings provide a novel option for spatial control of gene delivery.
The chromatographic behaviour of new double‐labelled oligodeoxynucleotide probes containing azaphthalocyanine dye as a quencher with respect to evaluation of their purity
Authors: Kučera Radim , Sčensná Anna , Miletín Miroslav , Zimčík Petr
Published: November 2020

The influence of experimental conditions on chromatographic behaviour of promising oligodeoxynucleotide double‐labelled molecular probes containing an azaphthalocyanine macrocycle as a perspective dark quencher was studied. A recently introduced new stationary phase based on styrene‐divinylbenzene copolymer was tested. The planar and hydrophobic structure of the azaphthalocyanine is considerably different from those of currently used fluorophores and quenchers. Thus, the most challenging issue was the separation of the double‐labelled probe from its main impurity represented by a mono‐labelled probe, containing only the azaphthalocyanine macrocycle. The absorbance measurement cannot simply determine this impurity, and its presence fundamentally compromises the biological assay. The commonly used gradient elution was not suitable and isocratic conditions seemed to be more appropriate. The azaphthalocyanine moiety influences the properties of the modified oligodeoxynucleotides substantially, and thus their chromatographic behaviour was determined predominantly by this quencher. Acetonitrile was the preferred organic solvent for the analysis of probes containing the azaphthalocyanine quencher and the effect of ion‐pairing reagents was dependent on the probe structure. The temperature seemed to be an effective parameter for fine‐tuning of the separation and mass transfer improvement. Generally, our findings could be helpful in method development for purity evaluation of double‐labelled oligodeoxynucleotide probes and semipreparative methods.
Distributions of eight bioactive components in rat tissues administered Marsdenia tenacissima extract orally detected through UPLC–MS/MS
Authors: Li SiYu , Pei WenHan , Guo Tailin , Zhang Hui
Published: November 2020

Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Wight et Arn. (M. tenacissima) is considered an anticancer medicine in traditional Chinese medicine, which is extensively used in clinical application since it has great therapeutic effects. Currently, although a number of articles have examined M. tenacissima in terms of its pharmacology and quality control, few have investigated the in vivo mechanism of M. tenacissima active ingredients. Previously, we have studied the pharmacokinetics of eight active ingredients after oral administration of M. tenacissima extracts in rat plasma. This study constructed a new scientific ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) approach to simultaneously quantify the contents of tenacissosides B, G, H and I, cryptochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and caffeic acid in rats orally administered M. tenacissima extract. The proposed approach was successfully used for investigating the distributions of those eight analytes in rat tissues, with digoxin being used as an internal control. The Eclipse Plus C18 RRHD column was used for determination at a column temperature of 30°C. The mobile phase system consisted of acetonitrile and water (supplemented with 0.1% formic acid) under optimal gradient elution conditions. Afterwards, this approach was validated according to the requirements for the analysis of biological samples developed by the US Food and Drug Administration, including precision, accuracy, stability and matrix effects. Based on tissue distribution analysis, those eight analytes showed rapid distribution within all the tested tissues. With regard to organic acid distribution, it followed the order stomach > liver > kidney > small intestine > lung > spleen > heart, whereas the four steroids followed the order stomach > lung > spleen > small intestine > liver > kidney > heart. The present study lays the theoretical foundation for the use and development of M. tenacissima in clinical practice.
Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry applications for quantification of endogenous sex hormones
Authors: Gravitte Amy , Archibald Timothy , Cobble Allison , Kennard Benjamin , Brown Stacy
Published: November 2020

Liquid chromatography, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, presents a powerful tool for the quantification of the sex steroid hormones 17‐β estradiol, progesterone and testosterone from biological matrices. The importance of accurate quantification with these hormones, even at endogenous levels, has evolved with our understanding of the role these regulators play in human development, fertility and disease risk and manifestation. Routine monitoring of these analytes can be accomplished by immunoassay techniques, which face limitations on specificity and sensitivity, or using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. LC–MS/MS is growing in capability and acceptance for clinically relevant quantification of sex steroid hormones in biological matrices and is able to overcome many of the limitations of immunoassays. Analyte specificity has improved through the use of novel derivatizing agents, and sensitivity has been refined through the use of high‐resolution chromatography and mass spectrometric technology. This review highlights these innovations, among others, in LC–MS/MS steroid hormone analysis captured in the literature over the last decade.
Clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint blockades and the underlying immune escape mechanisms in squamous and adenocarcinoma NSCLC
Authors: Tian Yaru , Zhai Xiaoyang , Yan Weiwei , Zhu Hui , Yu Jinming
Published: November 2020

Immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have changed the standard of care of squamous and adenocarcinoma non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Whereas detailed researches regarding ICBs in the two major histological subtypes are rare. In order to uncover the clinical efficacy differences between squamous and adenocarcinoma NSCLC and better understand the underlying immune‐regulatory mechanisms, we compared the survival benefits of ICBs between the two subtypes by revealing phase 3 randomized trials and attempted to uncover the immune‐regulatory discrepancy. Generally, compared with nonsquamous NSCLC, squamous NSCLC benefited more from ICBs in Keynote 024, CheckMate 026, CheckMate 227 and CheckMate 017 and similar in OAK, but less in Keynote 010 and PACIFIC. We revealed that the tumor mutation burden (TMB) level, the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME), chemokines, and oncogenic driver alterations within the two subtypes may contributed to the clinical outcomes of ICBs. We prospected that the combinations of ICBs with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and antiangiogenic therapy could be promising strategies to re‐immunize the less immunogenic tumors and further enhance the efficacy of ICBs.
Electrochemical Characterization of Nanostructured LiMn2O4 Composite in Lithium‐Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors
Authors: Zheng Xiaowen , Li Shuo , Yang Yuan , Chen Lina , Si Pengchao
Published: November 2020

A nanostructured spinel LiMn2O4 and graphene composite fabricated by using a simple one‐step method exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as the cathode for aqueous hybrid supercapacitors. The specific capacitance of commercial LiMn2O4 is enhanced five‐fold with a scan rate that is also enhanced 20 times in 1 M Li2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. In addition, the use of water‐in‐salt electrolyte (5 M LiTFSI) greatly improves the electrochemical performance of the hybrid devices, owing to the larger working window. A high energy density of 202 Wh kg−1 at power densities of 171 W kg−1 and 20 Wh kg−1 at 2571 W kg−1 were obtained in 5 M LiTFSI. This work provides two strategies to achieve high‐performance LiMn2O4‐based cathodes and highly concentrated electrolyte for hybrid supercapacitors in actual applications.
Functionalization of Contacted Carbon Nanotube Forests by Dip Coating for High‐Performance Biocathodes
Authors: Singh Meenakshi , Nolan Hugo , Tabrizian Maryam , Cosnier Serge , Düsberg Georg S. , Holzinger Michael
Published: November 2020

This work focuses on the use of electrically contacted carbon nanotube forests as an electrode material for the bioelectrocatalytic reduction of oxygen to water. The forests are directly grown by chemical vapor deposition on a conductive tantalum layer, which provides enough mechanic stability during several functionalization and enzyme immobilization steps. A pyrene bis‐anthraquinone derivative (pyr‐(AQ)2) was attached via π‐stacking throughout the forest and was used as an anchor molecule for oriented immobilization of laccase. This led to high‐performance biocathodes for oxygen reduction via direct electron transfer with absolute maximum current densities up to 0.84 mA cm−2 at 0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl. The morphological changes during the wet chemical processes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealing cellular patterning of the forest structure. Despite these changes, the forest remained attached and electrically connected to the tantalum layer. The resulting bioelectrodes performed with satisfying stabilities under constant discharge conditions and kept 75 % of its initial performances after one week.
The Effect of the Coordination Environment of Atomically Dispersed Fe and N Co‐doped Carbon Nanosheets on CO2 Electroreduction
Authors: Tuo Jinqin , Zhu Yihua , Jiang Hongliang , Shen Jianhua , Li Chunzhong
Published: November 2020

Single‐atom metal and nitrogen co‐doped carbon catalysts have caused an extensive research boom for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The diversity of metal‐N coordination environment at high temperature limits the accurate study of electrocatalytic active sites. In this work, Fe porphyrin is anchored on a nitrogen‐doped graphene substrate through the coordination between Fe and N atoms to form atomically dispersed Fe and N co‐doped graphene nanosheets. The confinement anchoring effect of the nitrogen‐doped graphene substrate prevents Fe atoms from agglomerating into Fe nanoparticles. Apart from that, the different Fe‐N coordination environments and their catalytic effects on CO2RR are investigated by temperature changes. Electrochemical tests and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the atomically dispersed saturated Fe‐N coordination catalyst have excellent performance for CO2RR and the Faradaic efficiency towards CO can up to 97 % at a potential of −0.5 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE).
Intercalation‐Induced Reversible Electrochromic Behavior of Two‐Dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene in Organic Electrolytes
Authors: Li Jianmin , Wang Xuehang , Sun Weiwei , Maleski Kathleen , Shuck Christopher E. , Li Ke , Urbankowski Patrick , Hantanasirisakul Kanit , Wang Xiaofeng , Kent Paul , Wang Hongzhi , Gogotsi Yury
Published: November 2020

MXenes, a large family of two‐dimensional materials, have attracted tremendous attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Reversible ion intercalation between MXene layers allows modification of the optical, thermal, magnetic, and chemical properties. The electrochemical charge/discharge of MXenes in aqueous electrolytes was reported to lead to reversible electrochromic behavior. In this work, the electrochromic effect of semitransparent Ti3C2Tx MXene film was probed by electrochemical intercalation of Li ions. Correspondingly, a peak shift of 100 nm was observed in the UV‐vis spectrum. By combining in‐situ Raman spectroscopy, in‐situ X‐ray diffraction, and density functional theory calculations, we show that the electrochromic shift is primarily due to the formation of robust O−Li bonds and the emerging bands induced changes of inter‐band excitations. Understanding the mechanism of electrochromic behavior in Ti3C2Tx lays the foundations of designating 2D materials with durable, controllable, and efficient intercalation‐induced electrochromic behaviors.
Stuffed Tridymite Structures: Synthesis, Structure, Second Harmonic Generation, Optical, and Multiferroic Properties
Authors: Bhim Anupam , Sutter Jean‐Pascal , Gopalakrishnan Jagannatha , Natarajan Srinivasan
Published: November 2020

The stuffed tridymite structure Ba(Zn/Co)1−xSi1−xM2xO4 (M=Al3+ and Fe3+) is explored for the possible multiferroic behavior and to develop new inorganic colored materials. The compounds were synthesized by employing conventional solid‐state chemistry methods in the temperature range 1100–1175 °C for 24 h. The powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and Rietveld refinement studies indicate that the compounds stabilize in the P63 space group (no. 173). The refinement results were also rationalized by employing Raman spectroscopic studies. The compounds were found to be second harmonic generation (SHG) active and show weak ferroelectric behavior. The co‐substitution of Co2+ and Fe3+ in the structure gives rise to a weak ferromagnetic behavior to the compound, BaCo0.75Si0.75Fe0.5O4, making it a multiferroic material. The optical studies on the prepared compounds exhibited blue color (Co2+ in Td geometry), purple color (Ni2+ in Td geometry), and simultaneous substitution of Co2+ and Fe3+ gives rise to blue‐green color owing to metal‐to‐metal charge transfer (MMCT) effect.
Rational Design of High‐Relaxivity EuII‐Based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Low‐Oxygen Environments
Authors: Bailey Matthew D. , Jin Guo‐Xia , Carniato Fabio , Botta Mauro , Allen Matthew J.
Published: November 2020

Metal‐based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging present a promising avenue to image hypoxia. EuII‐based contrast agents have a unique biologically relevant redox couple, EuII/III, that distinguishes this metal for use in hypoxia imaging. To that end, we investigated a strategy to enhance the contrast‐enhancing capabilities of EuII‐based cryptates in magnetic resonance imaging by controlling the rotational dynamics. Two dimetallic, EuII‐containing cryptates were synthesized to test the efficacy of rigid versus flexible coupling strategies. A flexible strategy to dimerization led to a modest (114 %) increase in contrast enhancement per Eu ion (60 MHz, 298 K), but a rigid linking strategy led to an excellent (186 %) increase in contrast enhancement despite this compound′s having the smaller molecular mass of the two dimetallic complexes. We envision the rigid linking strategy to be useful in the future design of potent EuII‐based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.
Flexibilität als Schlüssel zu effizienten Prozessen der Zukunft?
Authors: Riese Julia
Published: November 2020

No abstract.
Energy‐aware decision‐making for dynamic task migration in MEC‐based unmanned aerial vehicle delivery system
Authors: Li Rui , Li Xuejun , Xu Jia , Jiang Frank , Jia Zhaohong , Shao Di , Pan Lei , Liu Xiao
Published: November 2020

Nowadays, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in many smart systems such as smart logistics, smart agriculture, and environmental monitoring systems. However, the limited computing capability and restricted battery lifetime of existing UAVs could significantly impact the quality of service (QoS) of UAV‐based smart systems and the quality of experience (QoE) of end users. Recently, Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) which provisions computing resources close to the mobile end devices has become a promising solution. However, since high‐speed UAV often flies through the signal range of the different edge nodes, the interruption of services in the MEC‐based UAV delivery system is a critical issue. A challenging question is when and how to perform dynamic task migration among the edge nodes to ensure service continuity. In this paper, we investigate the task migration issue for multiple UAVs in the MEC‐based UAV delivery system. Specifically, we propose an energy‐aware decision‐making strategy for the dynamic task migration named GAD to optimize the UAV energy consumption. Given the real‐time system status and QoS constraints, and through a dynamic two‐tier decision‐making mechanism, GAD can efficiently make the task migration decision from four candidate decisions, viz. No Migration, Data Migration Only, Cold Migration, and Live Migration. Experimental results based on a real‐world scenario show that our strategy can well outperform other baseline strategies in various metrics including the flying distances and the energy consumption of UAVs.
Memory allocation anomalies in high‐performance computing applications: A study with numerical simulations
Authors: Gomes Antônio Tadeu A. , Molion Enzo , Souto Roberto P. , Méhaut Jean‐François
Published: November 2020

A memory allocation anomaly occurs when the allocation of a set of heap blocks imposes an unnecessary overhead on the execution of an application. This overhead is particularly disturbing for high‐performance computing (HPC) applications running on shared resources—for example, numerical simulations running on clusters or clouds—because it may increase either the execution time of the application (contributing to a reduction on the overall efficiency of the shared resource) or its memory consumption (eventually inhibiting its capacity to handle larger problems). In this article, we propose a method for identifying, locating, characterizing and fixing allocation anomalies, and a tool for developers to apply the method. We experiment our method and tool with a numerical simulator aimed at approximating the solutions to partial differential equations using a finite element method. We show that taming allocation anomalies in this simulator reduces both its execution time and the memory footprint of its processes, irrespective of the specific heap allocator being employed with it. We conclude that the developer of HPC applications can benefit from the method and tool during the software development cycle.
High‐dimensionaldata classification model based on random projection andBagging‐support vector machine
Authors: Sun Yujia , Platoš Jan
Published: November 2020

Aiming at the long training time when classifying high‐dimensional data, a parallel classification model is proposed based on random projection and Bagging‐support vector machine (SVM) to process high‐dimensional data. The model first uses random projection to project the input data into the low‐dimensional space. Then, we used the Bagging method to construct multiple training data subsets and used SVM to train the training subset in parallel and generate several subclassifiers. Finally, various classifiers vote to determine the category of the test sample. The model has been verified using two standard datasets. The experimental results show that the model can significantly improve the training speed and classification performance of high‐dimensional data with little accuracy loss.
Population data mobility retrieval at territory of Czechia in pandemic COVID‐19 period
Authors: Platos Jan , Kromer Pavel , Voznak Miroslav , Snasel Vaclav
Published: November 2020

This article describes the methodology and the possibilities of collecting operation data in a mobile network provider. First, the architecture and the principles used in the system are described. The precision analysis of the population commuting in the region and during the pandemic and nonpandemic times. Moreover, several ideas about further utilization of the data will be formulated and described. Finally, a graph‐based approach that describes the creation of the community structure between the people and the means of its analysis.
Analysis of the mylohyoid nerve in elderly Japanese cadavers for dental implant surgery
Authors: Koga Shintaro , Sato Iwao , Li Zhong‐Lian , Miyaso Hidenobu , Kawata Shinichi , Itoh Masahiro
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Injury to the mandibular nerve (MN) branches may cause pain and irregular occlusal movement during mastication after mandibular dental treatments. Growing evidence indicates that the calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) plays a key role in the development of peripheral sensitization and the associated enhanced pain, suggesting it may be a sign to ensure a safe and reliable dental implant treatment. Our focus was on the distribution of the MN branches and their communication with the lingual nerve (LN), the localized expression of CGRP, and the identification of a pain area related to the mylohyoid muscle (MM) fascia in the mandibular floor.

Material and Methods

In this study, MM samples from 440 sides of 303 human cadavers aged 61–103 years were examined microscopically and immunohistochemically. These data were further evaluated by the use of principal component analysis.

Results

A complex but weak attachment site was identified for the fascia of the MM. CGRP expression was mainly located in small vessels and was scattered throughout the whole fascia of the MM. Communication between the MN and LN was found in 62.5% (275/440) of the samples. The results from the principal component analysis showed that the positive contributions were from the descending branch in the premolar region (correlation coefficient value R = 0.665), the ascending branch in the molar region (R = 0.709) and the intermediate branch of the digastric branch (R = 0.720) in component 1. In the fascia off the MM, strongly labeled CGRP‐positive cells were also found around the blood vessels and the nerve.

Conclusions

The findings reported in this study indicate that there is a risk of damage when pulling the fascia off the MM at the border of the molar and premolar regions during dental implant surgery.
H2 Activation with Co Nanoparticles Encapsulated in N‐Doped Carbon Nanotubes for Green Synthesis of Benzimidazoles
Authors: Lin Chuncheng , Wan Weihao , Wei Xueting , Chen Jinzhu
Published: November 2020

Co nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated in N‐doped carbon nanotubes (Co@NC900) are systematically investigated as a potential alternative to precious Pt‐group catalysts for hydrogenative heterocyclization reactions. Co@NC900 can efficiently catalyze hydrogenative coupling of 2‐nitroaniline to benzaldehyde for synthesis of 2‐phenyl‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole with >99 % yield at ambient temperature in one step. The robust Co@NC900 catalyst can be easily recovered by an external magnetic field after the reaction and readily recycled for at least six times without any evident decrease in activity. Kinetic experiments indicate that Co@NC900‐promoted hydrogenation is the rate‐determining step with a total apparent activation energy of 41±1 kJ mol−1. Theoretical investigations further reveal that Co@NC900 can activate both H2 and the nitro group of 2‐nitroaniline. The observed energy barrier for H2 dissociation is only 2.70 eV in the rate‐determining step, owing to the presence of confined Co NPs in Co@NC900. Potential industrial application of the earth‐abundant and non‐noble transition metal catalysts is also explored for green and efficient synthesis of heterocyclic compounds.
Sustainable Catalytic Synthesis of Diethyl Carbonate
Authors: Putro Wahyu S. , Ikeda Akira , Shigeyasu Shinji , Hamura Satoshi , Matsumoto Seiji , Lee Vladimir Ya. , Choi Jun‐Chul , Fukaya Norihisa
Published: November 2020

New sustainable approaches should be developed to overcome equilibrium limitation of dialkyl carbonate synthesis from CO2 and alcohols. Using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and CO2 with Zr catalysts, we report the first example of sustainable catalytic synthesis of diethyl carbonate (DEC). The disiloxane byproduct can be reverted to TEOS. Under the same conditions, DEC can be synthesized using a wide range of alkoxysilane substrates by investigating the effects of the number of ethoxy substituent in alkoxysilane substrates, alkyl chain, and unsaturated moiety on the fundamental property of this reaction. Mechanistic insights obtained by kinetic studies, labeling experiments, and spectroscopic investigations reveal that DEC is generated via nucleophilic ethoxylation of a CO2‐inserted Zr catalyst and catalyst regeneration by TEOS. The unprecedented transformation offers a new approach toward a cleaner route for DEC synthesis using recyclable alkoxysilane.
Utility of cell block preparation in diagnosis of paediatric abdominal neoplasms
Authors: Kanjilal Banhisikha , Das Ram Narayan , Chatterjee Uttara , Sengupta Moumita , Sarkar Ruchirendu , Saha Koushik
Published: November 2020

Background

Paediatric abdominal neoplasms are fairly common. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is used for the initial evaluation of paediatric abdominal neoplasms. However, sometimes FNA interpretation can be difficult on limited material, owing to tumour heterogeneity and overlapping features. Therefore, we attempted to obtain additional information using cell block (CB) preparation from residual aspiration material along with immunohistochemistry (IHC) to enhance the diagnostic accuracy.

Aim

To evaluate the correlation between CB preparation and FNAC in diagnosis of paediatric abdominal tumours with the help of an extended panel of IHC markers and to highlight some of the diagnostic difficulties.

Materials and methods

A total of 113 cases of paediatric abdominal masses were studied. In addition to routine FNA smears, CBs were prepared from the residual material for IHC analysis as considered appropriate.

Results

This study included a total of 113 children with abdominal masses. Histopathology following surgical resection was available in 53 cases. Histology was taken as gold standard to measure the diagnostic accuracy with reference to sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value and negative predictive value. The Sn of FNA alone was 87.5% and Sp was 97.78%. The Sn and Sp increased with use of CB alone and were 100% and 97.78% respectively. The highest Sn and Sp were observed when CB was combined with IHC where both the values were 100%.

Conclusion

CB with IHC is a useful adjunct to the routine FNA smears that further contributes to enhance the accuracy of the cytopathological diagnosis and is useful for choosing pre‐operative chemotherapeutic regimen.