bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pilot study on the applicability of boron‐doped diamond electrodes for tooth whitening
Authors: Klär Virgilia , Palarie Victor , Burkovski Andreas , Karl Matthias , Grobecker‐Karl Tanja
Published: May 2022

Objectives

While various approaches are available for tooth whitening, the basic concept employs the use of peroxides in the form of gels, which are applied to tooth surfaces. Previous studies have shown that reactive oxygen species acting as potent disinfectants can be produced using boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrodes for the electrolysis of water. With these electrodes being applicable, for example, for endodontic treatment, it was the goal of this pilot study to use such electrodes for tooth whitening.

Material and Methods

Two groups (n = 10) of intact clinical crowns were obtained by horizontally cutting off roots of extracted human teeth. The crowns were either bleached by applying a commercially available agent based on 40% hydrogen peroxide or were immersed in saline undergoing electrolysis with BDD electrodes. Whitening of specimens was judged on standardized photographs by examiners with three different levels of experience. Statistical analysis was based on Gwet's AC2 coefficient with quadratic weights, Shapiro–Wilk tests, and two‐way analysis of variance of aligned rank transformed data (level of significance set at α = .05).

Results

Levels of reliability ranging from fair to substantial were recorded for single persons while the level of reliability ranged between fair and moderate for groups of raters. The level of experience had no significant effect on the ratings (p = .2500). The bleaching method had a significant effect on ratings (p = .0005) with BDD electrodes showing less effect.

Conclusions

Bleaching by applying BDD electrodes was possible, but was not as effective as the use of commercially available in‐office whitening gel. A potential explanation may be seen in different concentrations of reactive oxygen species.
Research on aging state detection of reactor turn‐to‐turn insulation under high‐frequency square wave voltage excitation
Authors: Ma Li , Xie Fan , Zhang Bo , Qiu Dongyuan , Xiao Wenxun
Published: May 2022

In power electronic equipment, magnetic devices are important parts, and their working condition and reliability are closely related to turn‐to‐turn insulation. With the increasing application of high‐frequency square wave voltage in the fields of frequency conversion technology and motor control, the high voltage stress on magnetic devices will accelerate insulation aging, so it is necessary to monitor the aging state of turn‐to‐turn insulation. At present, researchers mainly detect insulation aging by detecting partial discharge signal. However, this method cannot realize the early monitoring of aging, and the measurement cost is high and the accuracy is low. Therefore, for the dry‐type core reactor with epoxy resin as the insulation medium, this paper proposes a turn‐to‐turn insulation aging state detection method under high‐frequency square wave voltage excitation. According to the relationship between the turn‐to‐turn insulation aging state of the reactor and its parasitic capacitance, the turn‐to‐turn insulation aging degree of the reactor is predicted by measuring and analyzing the phase information of high‐frequency components of the current signal. Finally, the measuring principle and method are introduced and verified by experiments.
A power‐line communication system employing median filtering for power control enhancement of wind generators
Authors: Pereira Samuel C. , Conde Eliomar R. , Luz‐de‐Almeida Luiz A. , Filho Alfeu J. Sguarezi , Capovilla Carlos E. , Casella Ivan R. S.
Published: May 2022

The monitoring and control of renewable energy sources are extremely important to guarantee the operability of the system and the quality of the energy generated. Communication technologies play an important role in the success of these systems and, among them, power‐line communication (PLC) has shown itself to be a very promising and economically viable solution, as it uses the existing power infrastructure to transmit the monitoring and control information. In this context, this paper proposes a communication system based on the G3‐PLC standard associated with a median filter (MDF) to improve the robustness of the control operation of a wind power generation system (WPGS) composed of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) and a predictive controller. The MDF is employed to attenuate impulsive noise and distortions, caused by the degrading effects of the PLC channel, being possible to recover corrupted control information without the need to retransmit data packets. The complete system, that is, WPGS, G3‐PLC, and MDF, was modeled in a computational environment and analyzed over a realistic PLC channel model. Simulation results showed that the system is capable of operating with good quality, reducing latency, and enabling real‐time communication even under severe channel conditions.
Incarceration of a colonoscope in an inguinal hernia: A report of two cases
Authors: Abe Yuno , Ohya Yuki , Nakahara Osamu , Chiyonaga Suguru , Maeda Yuto , Ichikawa Ryo , Imamura Miyuki , Yamabe Satoshi , Morinaga Takeshi , Tsuji Akira , Hayashida Shintaro , Iizaka Masayoshi , Sasaki Masato , Inomata Yukihiro
Published: May 2022

We report two cases of the rare complication of a colonoscope incarcerated in an inguinal hernia. The first patient was a 73‐year‐old man in whom a colonoscope was incarcerated in a left inguinal hernia on attempted withdrawal. The incarcerated colonoscope was successfully reduced manually under fluoroscopic guidance. The hernia was subsequently repaired using an extraperitoneal approach followed by a successful colonoscopy. The second patient was a 74‐year‐old man in whom the colonoscope became incarcerated in a left inguinal hernia on insertion. Similar to the first case, the colonoscope was manually reduced under fluoroscopy and the entire colonoscopy was then uneventfully performed. An advanced sigmoid cancer was identified and treated with sigmoidectomy. The hernia resolved after this operation. When a colonoscope becomes incarcerated in an inguinal hernia, the manual reduction should be attempted. Subsequent colonoscopy can be safely performed under certain circumstances.
Crop performance is predicted by soil microbial diversity across phylogenetic scales
Authors: Lankau Richard A. , George Isabelle , Miao Max
Published: May 2022

Soils contain diverse living communities that provide key ecosystem functions in agroecosystems. In many systems, ecosystem functions are positively related to the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of the community. Despite calls to incorporate microbial diversity in measures of soil health, whether increased microbial diversity per se can predict increased crop health and productivity has rarely been documented. Here, we used microbial communities from commercial potato fields varying in diversity and composition, and experimentally assessed their ability to promote crop yield under low or high nutrient conditions and to suppress a soil‐borne pathogen. Across two independent sets of communities, we found that yields under low nutrient conditions were predicted by high initial microbial diversity measured at broad phylogenetic levels, consistent with greater niche complementarity among unrelated taxa leading to greater total resource use. However, disease suppression was inconsistently linked to diversity and was explained as well or better by microbial composition rather than diversity per se. Ecosystem multifunctionality was predicted by high diversity at broad to intermediate phylogenetic scales. These results indicate that the diversity of microbial taxa may influence multiple soil functions; however, the mechanisms underlying the diversity–function relationships may vary.
Tandem Pauson‐Khand Reaction Using Carbon Dioxide as the C1‐Source
Authors: Shyshkanov Serhii , Vasilyev Dmitry V. , Abhyankar Kedar A. , Stylianou Kyriakos C. , Dyson Paul J.
Published: May 2022

We describe the use of CO2 as a promising C1 source instead of CO in the tandem Pauson‐Khand reaction. The reaction is achieved by combining the reduction of CO2 to CO using a metal organic framework (MOF) catalyst with homogeneous rhodium catalysts for the cycloaddition step. A range of substrates were converted in moderate to good yields.
Deformable, transparent, high‐performance, room‐temperature oxygen sensors based on ion‐conductive, environment‐tolerant, and green organohydrogels
Authors: Lin Yuanqing , Wu Zixuan , Li Chunwei , Ding Qiongling , Tao Kai , Zhai Kankan , Chen Meiwan , Zilberman Meital , Xie Xi , Wu Jin
Published: May 2022

We present green organohydrogel‐based stretchable (up to 700% strain), transparent, and room‐temperature O2 sensors with impressive performance, including drying and freezing tolerances, high sensitivity, broad detection range (100 ppm‐100%), long‐term stability, low theoretical detection limit (0.585 ppm), linearity, and the capability to real‐time monitor human respiration by directly attaching on human skin. A facile solvent replacement approach is employed to partially exchange water with natural and edible xylitol/sorbitol molecules, generating stable, green and tough organohydrogels. Compared with the pristine hydrogel counterpart, the organohydrogel‐based O2 sensors feature higher stability, prolonged life time (140 days) and the ability to work over a wide range of temperatures (−38 to 65°C). The O2 sensing mechanism is elucidated by investigating the redox reactions occurred at the electrode‐hydrogel interface. This work develops a facile strategy to fabricate stretchable, transparent, and high‐performance O2 sensor using stable and green organohydrogels as novel transducing materials for practical wearable applications.

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Experimental investigation on the unsteady pressure pulsation and vibration of a nuclear pump test loop
Authors: Zhou Qiang , Li Hongkun , Dong Jiannan , Zhong Zuowen , Sun Shiwen
Published: May 2022

The nuclear reactor coolant pump (RCP) is the key equipment of the Pressurized Water Reactor, of which the coolant circulation inherently brings flow fluctuation and, therefore, flow‐induced vibration exists, which is detrimental to the safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. Experiments were carried out on a nuclear pump test loop to investigate the characteristics of pressure pulsation and vibration under various rotational speeds and operational temperatures. Signals of pressure pulsation and vibration synchronously measured from the sensors located among the test loop and the bottom of the motor were analyzed by the Root Mean Square and the Fast Fourier Transform methods. Pronounced pressure pulsation peaks corresponding to the blade passage frequency and its higher harmonics are captured, and pressure pulsation amplitude variations are closely associated with the sensor positions and operating conditions. Vibration magnitude along the outlet direction of the nuclear RCP is the largest and increases with the increasing rotational speed but not the operating temperature. Finally, a coherent analysis was conducted between the vibration at the bottom of the motor and the unsteady pressure pulsation in the test loop. This study can provide meaningful scientific guidance in practical engineering applications.
Optimal allocation of distributed generation with the presence of photovoltaic and battery energy storage system using improved barnacles mating optimizer
Authors: Selim Ali , Kamel Salah , Zawbaa Hossam M. , Khan Baseem , Jurado Francisco
Published: May 2022

This paper proposes an improved version of Barnacles mating optimizer (BMO) for solving the optimal allocation problem of distribution generator (DGs) in radial distribution systems (RDSs). BMO is a recent bioinspired optimization algorithm that mimics the intelligence behavior of Barnacles' mating. However, like with any metaheuristic optimization approach, it may face issues such as local optima trapping and low convergence rate. Hence, an improved BMO is adopted based on the quasi oppositional (QOBMO) and the chaos maps theories (CQOBMO). The two improvement methods are applied to increase the convergence performance of the conventional BMO. To prove the efficiency of the improved QOBMO and CQOBMO algorithms, 23 benchmark functions are used, and the accomplished results are compared with the conventional BMO. Then, the improved algorithm is applied to minimize the total power and energy losses in the distribution systems considering the uncertainty of DG power generation and time‐varying load demand. The uncertainty of DG is represented using photovoltaic‐based DG (PVDG). The improved method is employed to find the optimal power scheduling of PVDG and battery energy storage (BES) during 24 h. Two standard IEEE RDS (IEEE 33‐bus and IEEE 69‐bus) are used to simulate the case studies. Finally, the obtained results show that significant loss reductions (LRs) are achieved using the improved BMO where LRs reach 65.26%, and 68.86% in IEEE 33‐bus and 69‐bus, respectively, in the case of PVDG integration. However, using PVDG and BES the energy loss reductions reach 64% and 67.80% in IEEE 33‐bus and 69‐bus, respectively, which prove the efficiency of the improved BMO algorithm in finding the optimal solutions obtained so far.
Maroons: Blackgirlhood in Plain Sight
Authors: Dill LeConté J.
Published: May 2022

Historically and globally, Black people have engaged in practices of maroonage to resist bondage and re‐make free homes and communities. In this article, I offer maroons as a keyword and assert that Blackgirls are present‐day maroons in plain sight who resist structural bondage and re‐make practices of survivance in the pursuit of freedoms on an everyday basis. Through the article, I share and analyze ethnographic data as well as poetry and lyrics written by Blackgirls and womxn who enact their/our resistance and maroonage in plain sight.
Yogurt fortification by microencapsulation of beetroot extract (Beta vulgaris L.) using maltodextrin, gum arabic, and whey protein isolate
Authors: Yousefi Shima , Kavyanirad Mohammad , Aminifar Mehrnaz , Weisany Weria , Mousavi Khaneghah Amin
Published: May 2022

The effect of three different coating materials, including maltodextrin (MD, 9.95–20.05%), gum arabic (GA, 4.98–10.02%), and whey protein isolate (WPI, 4.95–15.05%), was optimized in order to produce high‐quality beetroot extract powder (BEP) using response surface modeling (RSM). Beetroot extract (BE) was encapsulated using MD, GA, and WPI by implementing a spray‐drying method. The highest total phenolic content (TPC) was obtained at 15% MD, 7.5% GA, and 10% WPI. The same results were achieved for antioxidant activity. Increasing the MD and GA contents resulted in reducing the moisture adsorption of microencapsulated BEP.
Physical, Psychological and Social Secondary Consequences of the COVID‐19 Pandemic in Turkish University Students
Authors: Örgev Cemil , Kınalı Gülşah
Published: May 2022

This study aims to investigate the effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic on university students and their families. A total of 274 students participated in this study. A questionnaire is developed regarding the physical, psychological, and social effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and sent to the students via e‐mail. According to the results of the study, students who contracted COVID‐19 experienced significantly higher musculoskeletal pain (MSP) (p = 0.01). Students with increased propensity for harmful habits experienced significantly more MSP (p = 0.01). Anxiety levels of students who experienced MSP were significantly higher (p = 0.01). Students living in an inadequate home environment were significantly more prone to harmful habits (p = 0.01). The anxiety level of the students who experienced domestic unrest was high (p = 0.02). The home environment of students with economic difficulties was significantly inadequate (p = 0.01). The anxiety levels of the students whose participation in sports and art activities decreased, were high (p = 0.04). The home environment of the students who reported that they were positively affected by distance education was significantly inadequate (p = 0.03). The authors suggest that physiotherapy, nutrition and psychological assistance services should be provided to students, scholarship opportunities and extracurricular activities (art and sports activities) should be increased.
Amplifying Lateral Flow Assay Signals for Rapid Detection of COVID‐19 Specific Antibodies
Authors: Alhabbab Rowa Y. , Alfaleh Mohamed A. , Alsulaiman Reem M. , Alamri Sawsan S. , Eyouni Mais S. , ElAssouli M‐Zaki , Abuzenadah Adel M. , Hashem Anwar M.
Published: May 2022

Rapid lateral flow immune‐assays are point‐of‐care diagnostic tools that are easy to use, cheap, and do not need centralized infrastructure. Therefore, these devices are appealing for rapid detection of the humoral immune responses to infections, particularly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). The novel technique introduced here uses a complex of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 N‐protein antibodies conjugated to gold nanoparticles that are bound to five SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein conjugated to gold nanoparticles to amplify the signals obtained from the conjugated SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein and to enhance the assay detection limit. To validate the performance of the adopted lateral flow, serum from SARS‐CoV‐2 seropositive individuals and prepandamic negative samples are tested and compared to a validated enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein specific IgG and IgM antibodies. The data shows that the designed lateral flow assay has an excellent sensitivity and specificity upon detecting IgM and IgG antibodies by applying only 2 µL from the serum sample to the adopted strips. Taken together, the developed lateral flow immunoassay assay provides a rapid, specific, and highly sensitive means to detect the immune responses against SARS‐CoV‐2 with only 2 µL from the serum sample.
Uncovering shape signatures of resting‐state functional connectivity by geometric deep learning on Riemannian manifold
Authors: Dan Tingting , Huang Zhuobin , Cai Hongmin , Lyday Robert G. , Laurienti Paul J. , Wu Guorong
Published: May 2022

Functional neural activities manifest geometric patterns, as evidenced by the evolving network topology of functional connectivities (FC) even in the resting state. In this work, we propose a novel manifold‐based geometric neural network for functional brain networks (called “Geo‐Net4Net” for short) to learn the intrinsic low‐dimensional feature representations of resting‐state brain networks on the Riemannian manifold. This tool allows us to answer the scientific question of how the spontaneous fluctuation of FC supports behavior and cognition. We deploy a set of positive maps and rectified linear unit (ReLU) layers to uncover the intrinsic low‐dimensional feature representations of functional brain networks on the Riemannian manifold taking advantage of the symmetric positive‐definite (SPD) form of the correlation matrices. Due to the lack of well‐defined ground truth in the resting state, existing learning‐based methods are limited to unsupervised methodologies. To go beyond this boundary, we propose to self‐supervise the feature representation learning of resting‐state functional networks by leveraging the task‐based counterparts occurring before and after the underlying resting state. With this extra heuristic, our Geo‐Net4Net allows us to establish a more reasonable understanding of resting‐state FCs by capturing the geometric patterns (aka. spectral/shape signature) associated with resting states on the Riemannian manifold. We have conducted extensive experiments on both simulated data and task‐based functional resonance magnetic imaging (fMRI) data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) database, where our Geo‐Net4Net not only achieves more accurate change detection results than other state‐of‐the‐art counterpart methods but also yields ubiquitous geometric patterns that manifest putative insights into brain function.
Numerical investigation of MHD flow of Williamson nanofluid with variable viscosity pasting a wedge within porous media: A non‐Darcy model approach
Authors: Mishra Pankaj , Kumar Dhirendra , Dharmendar Reddy Y. , Shankar Goud B.
Published: May 2022

The present analysis is done for the investigation of the effect of various physical parameters on magnetohydrodynamic Williamson nanofluid boundary layer flow past a wedge through porous media taking a non‐Darcy–Falkner–Skan model with consideration of varying wall temperature, variable viscosity, the effect of Brownian motion, and thermophoresis in the presence of heat source. The corresponding governing equations under the appropriate boundary conditions are first converted into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) in view of similarity transformations. Application of shooting method has been made to deal with these ODEs, and the effects of various parameters on nondimensional velocity, temperature, and concentration are investigated through graphs. Also, the effects of various parameters on surface skin friction, heat, and mass transfer rates are analyzed and are shown in Table 3. It has been noticed that heat and mass transfer rates are enhanced with variable viscosity coefficient and reduced with Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameters. As a significant outcome, the skin friction is found to be increased with increasing values of the Williamson parameter while it is found to be decreased with increasing value of variable viscosity coefficient. At last, validation of the current findings is attended to after comparing with similar results obtained earlier.
Representation of hydrological processes in a rural lowland catchment in Northern Germany usingSWATandSWAT+
Authors: Wagner Paul D. , Bieger Katrin , Arnold Jeffrey G. , Fohrer Nicola
Published: May 2022

The latest version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) features several improvements compared with previous versions of the model, for example, the definition of landscape units that allow for a better representation of spatio‐temporal dynamics. To evaluate the new model capabilities in lowland catchments characterized by near‐surface groundwater tables and extensive tile drainage, we assess the performance of two SWAT+ model setups in comparison to a setup based on a previous SWAT model version (SWAT3Swith a modified three groundwater storage model) in the Kielstau catchment in Northern Germany. The Kielstau catchment has an area of about 50 km2, is dominated by agricultural land use, and has been thoroughly monitored since 2005. In both SWAT+ setups, the catchment is divided into upland areas and floodplains, but in the first SWAT+ model setup, runoff from the hydrologic response units is summed up at landscape unit level and added directly to the stream. In the second SWAT+ model setup, runoff is routed across the landscape before it reaches the streams. Model results are compared with regard to (i) model performance for stream flow at the outlet of the catchment and (ii) aggregated as well as temporally and spatially distributed water balance components. All three model setups show a very good performance at the catchment outlet. In comparison to a previous version of the SWAT model that produced more groundwater flow, the SWAT+ model produced more tile drainage flow and surface runoff. Results from the new SWAT+ model confirm that the representation of routing processes from uplands to floodplains in the model further improved the representation of hydrological processes. Particularly, the stronger spatial heterogeneity that can be related to characteristics of the landscape, is very promising for a better understanding and model representation of hydrological fluxes in lowland areas. The outcomes of this study are expected to further prove the applicability of SWAT+ and provide useful information for future model development.
Precision health diagnostic and surveillance network uses S gene target failure (SGTF) combined with sequencing technologies to track emerging SARS‐CoV‐2 variants
Authors: Guerrero‐Preston Rafael , Rivera‐Amill Vanessa , Caraballo Karem , Rodríguez‐Torres Sebastian , Purcell‐Wiltz Ana , García Andrea A. , Torres Raphael S. , Zamuner Fernando T. , Zanettini Claudio , MacKay Matthew J. , Baits Rachel , Salgado Daisy , Khullar Gaurav , Metti Jessica , Baker Timothy , Dudley Joel , Vale Keilyn , Pérez Gabriela , De Jesús Lorena , Miranda Yaima , Ortiz Denise , García‐Negrón Amanda , Viera Liliana , Ortiz Alberto , Canabal Jorge A. , Romaguera Josefina , Jiménez‐Velázquez Ivonne , Marchionni Luigi , Rodríguez‐Orengo José F. , Baez Adriana , Mason Christopher E. , Sidransky David
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic revealed a worldwide lack of effective molecular surveillance networks at local, state, and national levels, which are essential to identify, monitor, and limit viral community spread. SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern (VOCs) such as Alpha and Omicron, which show increased transmissibility and immune evasion, rapidly became dominant VOCs worldwide. Our objective was to develop an evidenced‐based genomic surveillance algorithm, combining reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and sequencing technologies to quickly identify highly contagious VOCs, before cases accumulate exponentially.

Methods

Deidentified data were obtained from 508,969 patients tested for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) with the TaqPath COVID‐19 RT‐PCR Combo Kit (ThermoFisher) in four CLIA‐certified clinical laboratories in Puerto Rico (n = 86,639) and in three CLIA‐certified clinical laboratories in the United States (n = 422,330).

Results

TaqPath data revealed a frequency of S Gene Target Failure (SGTF) > 47% for the last week of March 2021 in both, Puerto Rico and US laboratories. The monthly frequency of SGTF in Puerto Rico steadily increased exponentially from 4% in November 2020 to 47% in March 2021. The weekly SGTF rate in US samples was high (>8%) from late December to early January and then also increased exponentially through April (48%). The exponential increase in SGFT prevalence in Puerto Rico was concurrent with a sharp increase in VOCs among all SARS‐CoV‐2 sequences from Puerto Rico uploaded to Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISAID) (n = 461). Alpha variant frequency increased from <1% in the last week of January 2021 to 51.5% of viral sequences from Puerto Rico collected in the last week of March 2021.

Conclusions

According to the proposed evidence‐based algorithm, approximately 50% of all SGTF patients should be managed with VOCs self‐quarantine and contact tracing protocols, while WGS confirms their lineage in genomic surveillance laboratories. Our results suggest this workflow is useful for tracking VOCs with SGTF.
Reactive oxygen species generated by infrared laser light in optical tweezers inhibits the germination of bacterial spores
Authors: Malyshev Dmitry , Robinson Nicholas Finlay , Öberg Rasmus , Dahlberg Tobias , Andersson Magnus
Published: May 2022

Bacterial spores are highly resistant to heat, radiation and various disinfection chemicals. The impact of these on the biophysical and physicochemical properties of spores can be studied on the single‐cell level using optical tweezers. However, the effect of the trapping laser on spores' germination rate is not fully understood. In this work, we assess the impact of 1064 nm laser light on the germination of Bacillus thuringiensis spores. The results show that the germination rate of spores after laser exposure follows a sigmoid dose‐response relationship, with only 15% of spores germinating after 20 J of laser light. Under anaerobic growth conditions, the percentage of germinating spores at 20 J increased to 65%. The results thereby indicate that molecular oxygen is a major contributor to the germination‐inhibiting effect observed. Thus, our study highlights the risk for optical trapping of spores and ways to mitigate it.
Drug‐Drug Interactions of Artemisinin‐Based Combination Therapies in Malaria Treatment: A Narrative Review of the Literature
Authors: Hernandez Maldonado Joyce , Grundmann Oliver
Published: May 2022

Artemisinin is an antimalarial compound derived from the plant Artemisia annua L., also known as sweet wormwood. According to the World Health Organization, artemisinin‐based combination therapy (ACT) is an essential treatment for malaria, specifically Plasmodium falciparum, which accounts for most malaria‐related mortality. ACTs used to treat uncomplicated malaria include artemether‐lumefantrine, artesunate‐amodiaquine, artesunate‐mefloquine, artesunate‐sulphadoxine‐pyrimethamine, and dihydroartemisinin‐piperaquine. Although the mechanism of action and clinical capabilities of artemisinin in malaria treatment are widely known, more information on the potential for drug interactions needs to be further investigated. Some studies show pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions with HIV antiviral treatment but few studies have been conducted on most other drug classes. Based on known genotypes of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, CYP2B6 and CYP3A are primarily involved in the metabolism of artemisinin and its derivatives. Reduced functions in these enzymes can lead to subtherapeutic concentrations of the active metabolite, dihydroartemisinin, that may cause treatment failure, which has been shown in some studies with cardiovascular, antibiotic, and antiparasitic drugs. Although the clinical importance remains unclear to date, clinicians should be aware of potential drug‐drug interactions and monitor patients on ACT closely.
Synthesis of methyl glycolate via low‐temperature hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate over an efficient and stable Ru/activated carbon catalyst
Authors: Zheng Hongyan , Xue Yanfeng , Niu Yulan , Gao Xiaoqing , Wang Yueqing , Ding Guoqiang , Zhu Yulei
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Syngas to dimethyl oxalate (DMO) followed by hydrogenation to methyl glycolate (MG) is considered to be an environmentally friendly and economical route. However, the catalyst with super performance and low cost for this route is still challenging. In this work, a simple and low‐lost fabrication method was developed to prepare a Ru/activated carbon (AC) catalyst and was used for DMO hydrogenation to MG under mild reaction conditions.

RESULTS

The Ru/AC catalyst showed the best performance in the low‐temperature hydrogenation of DMO to MG compared to Ru/SiO2 and Ru/Al2O3. A series of characterization results showed that the super catalytic properties of Ru/AC catalyst might be attributed to the higher dispersion of Ru on support and its smallest nanoparticles size, weak surface acidity and electron‐deficient state of Ru species. The key parameters such as Ru loading, temperature, weight hourly space velocity, and pressure, were comprehensively investigated. MG selectivity of 94.6% with DMO conversion of 97.2% were obtained over the 4.0 Ru/AC catalyst at 90 °C. The 4.0Ru/AC catalyst showed excellent stability and there was no obvious deactivation after 1032 h test.

CONCLUSIONS

The Ru/AC catalyst is effective for the DMO hydrogenation to MG under mild conditions and has great promise for industrial applications because of its low cost, simple preparation, high efficiency, and long life. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
The ratio of creatinine and cystatin C estimated glomerular filtration rates as a surrogate marker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing hepatic resection
Authors: Harimoto Norifumi , Araki Kenichiro , Yamanaka Takahiro , Hagiwara Kei , Ishii Norihiro , Tsukagoshi Mariko , Watanabe Akira , Takizawa Makiko , Yokobori Takehiko , Shirabe Ken
Published: May 2022

Background

The ratio of creatinine and cystatin C estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRcre/eGFRcys) is significantly positively correlated with sarcopenia. However, there are no published reports on the relationship between eGFRcre/eGFRcys and long‐term prognosis in patients after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

A total of 157 patients who had undergone curative hepatic resection for HCC were retrospectively reviewed. Cystatin C levels were measured in serum samples that had been frozen after collection at surgery. We aimed to investigate the significance of cystatin C in prognostic value following hepatic resection for HCC.

Results

The best cut‐off eGFRcre/eGFRcys value for overall survival after hepatic resection for HCC was 1.0025. High eGFRcre/eGFRcys was significantly associated with poor liver function, low skeletal muscle mass, large tumor size, large ascitic volume, worse overall and recurrence‐free survival. The eGFRcre/eGFRcys was significantly related to severe recurrence patterns (multiple liver recurrences, distant metastasis).

Conclusions

Preoperative eGFRcre/eGFRcys can predict overall and recurrence‐free survival in HCC patients undergoing hepatic resection. The eGFRcre/eGFRcys is a simple and reliable surrogate marker that indicates eligibility for hepatic resection for HCC.
Gait biomechanics phenotypes among total knee arthroplasty candidates by machine learning cluster analysis
Authors: Young‐Shand Kathryn L. , Roy Patrice C. , Dunbar Michael J. , Abidi Syed S. R. , Astephen Wilson Janie L.
Published: May 2022

Knee osteoarthritis patient phenotyping is relevant to developing targeted treatments and assessing the treatment efficacy of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to identify clusters among TKA candidates based on demographic and knee mechanic features during gait, and compare gait changes between clusters postoperatively. TKA patients underwent 3D gait analysis 1‐week pre (n = 134) and 1‐year post‐TKA (n = 105). Principal component analysis was applied to frontal and sagittal knee angle and moment waveforms, extracting major patterns of variability. Age, sex, body mass index, gait speed, and frontal and sagittal pre‐TKA angle and moment PC scores previously identified as relevant to TKA outcomes were standardized (mean = 0, SD = 1, [134 × 15]). Multidimensional scaling and machine learning‐based hierarchical clustering were applied. Final clusters were validated by examining intercluster differences pre‐TKA and gait feature changes (PostPCscore – PrePCscore) by k‐way Χ2 and ANOVA tests. Four TKA candidate phenotypes yielded optimum clustering metrics, interpreted as higher and lower functioning clusters that were predominantly male and female. Higher functioning clusters pre‐TKA (clusters 1 and 4) had more dynamic sagittal flexion moment (p < 0.001) and frontal plane adduction moment (p < 0.001) loading/un‐loading patterns during stance. Post‐TKA, higher functioning clusters demonstrated less knee mechanic improvements during gait (flexion angle p < 0.001; flexion moment p < 0.001). TKA candidates can be characterized by four clusters, predominately separated by sex and knee joint biomechanics. Post‐TKA knee kinematics and kinetics improvements were cluster‐specific; lower functioning clusters experienced more improvement. Cluster‐based patient profiling may aid in triaging and developing OA management and surgical strategies meeting group‐level function needs.
Generative adversarial network‐based single‐pixel imaging
Authors: Zhao Ming , Li Fengqiang , Huo Fengyue , Tian Zhiming
Published: May 2022

Single‐pixel imaging can reconstruct two‐dimensional images of a scene with only a single‐pixel detector. It has been widely used for imaging in nonvisible bandwidth (e.g., near‐infrared and X‐ray) where focal‐plane array sensors are challenging to be manufactured. In this paper, we propose a generative adversarial network‐based reconstruction algorithm for single‐pixel imaging, which demonstrates efficient reconstruction in high speed and higher reconstruction quality compared with other state‐of‐the‐art deep learning‐based reconstruction methods. We also co‐optimize sampling masks and reconstruction pipeline to enhance the performance. We verify the proposed method with both synthetic and real‐world experiments and demonstrate a good quality of reconstruction of a real‐world plaster using a 5% sampling rate.
Thermal plasticity of coral reef symbionts is linked to major alterations in their lipidome composition
Authors: T. Botana Marina , Chaves‐Filho Adriano B. , Inague Alex , Z. Güth Arthur , Saldanha‐Corrêa Flavia , Müller Marius N. , Sumida Paulo Y. G. , Miyamoto Sayuri , Kellermann Matthias Y. , Valentine Raymond C. , Yoshinaga Marcos Y.
Published: May 2022

Coral bleaching caused by ocean warming is leading to worldwide coral decline. The physiological processes underlying this ecological event are still incompletely understood, although previous research has suggested oxidative stress as major player in the impairment of symbiont thylakoid membranes and in symbiosis breakdown. Lipids are interesting targets of investigation, given their susceptibility to thermal and oxidative stresses. Here, an untargeted lipidomic approach was employed to examine changes in lipidome and pigments of three coral reef symbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) after a heat shock in in vitro experiments. The acute thermal stress induced species‐specific changes in lipidome and pigments compositions of both heat sensitive and tolerant symbionts. Heat sensitivity was characterized by a steep and steady decline in cell densities over time (4 and 240 h after heat shock). At the membrane level, heat sensitive symbiont displayed a quantitative decrease in glycolipids linked to polyunsaturated fatty acids, followed by enrichment in oxidized lipids and sphingolipids. Despite showing distinct adaptations, the two heat tolerant symbionts were characterized by the preservation of membrane lipids after heat shock, particularly glycolipids. This finding suggests the action of powerful antioxidant systems, preventing the escalation of oxidized lipids concentration in thylakoid membranes under thermal stress. Although limited by the examination of free‐living symbionts, our study provides a solid baseline for the investigation of lipidome and pigments alterations of Symbiodiniaceae in response to heat stress. Novel potential lipid biomarkers linked to thermal stress are suggested. In particular, oxidized lipids—which are implicated in coral symbiosis establishment and breakdown—appear as attractive targets for further research.
Local well‐posedness of a critical inhomogeneous Schrödinger equation
Authors: Saanouni Tarek , Peng Congming
Published: May 2022

In this note, one studies the inhomogeneous Schrödinger equation

Indeed, the local existence of solutions is established for a data
, where
and
is the Sobolev critical exponent given by the equality
. In particular, one considers the mass‐critical regime:
and the energy critical regime:
. In order to use Strichartz estimates without loss of regularity, one considers spherically symmetric data. To the authors' knowledge, the local well‐posedness of the inhomogeneous fractional Schrödinger equation (FINLS) in the critical Sobolev spaces remains open. In fact, the method used in proving the existence of solutions in the subcritical regime is no more applicable in the critical one. For more efficiency to handle the spatially decaying factor
in the source term, we approach to the matter in a weighted Lebesgue space which seems to be more suitable to perform a finer analysis for this problem. The novelty here is to consider the critical regime. This works follows some ideas which treat the Laplacian case. The non‐local fractional Laplacian gives some serious complications and make the problem more difficult. The present study is a natural extension of the existing literature about the well‐posedness of the FINLS in Sobolev spaces.
Measurement‐based validation of a commercial Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm for electron beams
Authors: Pittomvils Geert , Bogaert Evelien , Traneus Erik , Thysebaert Pieternel , De Wagter Carlos
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This work presents the clinical validation of RayStation's electron Monte Carlo code by the use of diodes and plane parallel radiation detectors in homogenous and heterogeneous tissues. Results are evaluated against internationally accepted criteria.

Methods

The Monte Carlo–based electron beam dose calculation code was validated using diodes, air‐ and liquid‐filled parallel radiation detectors on an Elekta linac with beam energies of 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 MeV. Treatment setups with varying source‐to‐skin distances, different applicators, various cutouts, and oblique beam incidences were addressed, together with dose prediction behind lung‐, air‐, and bone‐equivalent inserts. According to NCS (Netherlands Commission for Radiation Dosimetry) report 15 for nonstandard treatment setups, a dose agreement of 3% in the δ1 region (high‐dose region around Zref), a distance‐to‐agreement (DTA) of 3 mm or a dose agreement of 10% in the δ2 region (regions with high‐dose gradients), and 4% in the δ4 region (photon tail/low‐dose region) were applied. During validation, clinical routine settings of 2 × 2 × 2‐mm3 dose voxels and a statistically dose uncertainty of 0.6% (250 000 histories/cm2) were used.

Results

RayStation's electron Monte Carlo code dose prediction was able to achieve the tolerances of NCS report 15. Output predictions as a function of the SSD improve with energy and applicator size. Cutout data revealed no field size or energy dependence on the accuracy of the dose prediction. Excellent agreement for the oblique incidence data was achieved and a maximum of one voxel difference was obtained for the DTA behind heterogeneous inserts.

Conclusions

The accuracy of RayStation's Monte Carlo–based electron beam dose prediction for Elekta accelerators is confirmed for clinical treatment planning that is not only performed within an acceptable timeframe in terms of the number of histories but also addresses for homogenous and heterogeneous media.
Health disparities and access to advanced therapy for overactive bladder
Authors: Roselli Nicole , Mckay Elishia , Nauheim Jennifer , Halani Priyanka K. , Abraham Nitya E.
Published: May 2022

Aims

Refractory overactive bladder (OAB) is among the most common reasons for referral to specialists in voiding dysfunction. Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in prevalence, severity, and management of OAB, presenting care barriers for marginalized patients. We aim to explicate these disparities and explore the factors that led to their existence and persistence. We will additionally offer suggestions to mitigate such disparities and approach equitable care for our patients.

Methods

This is a narrative review of pertinent articles related to health disparities in OAB. Articles on OAB prevalence stratified by race and ethnicity, and variations in treatment patterns for patients of marginalized backgrounds were identified from the PubMed database. We also included a review of evidence from governmental and historical sources to provide sociocultural context.

Results

Patients from marginalized backgrounds are underrepresented in OAB literature. There appear to be differences in symptom severity and prevalence based on race. OAB severity seems closely entwined with social determinants of health. Patients from marginalized populations experience numerous care barriers impeding the treatment of OAB. Finally, White patients are more likely to receive advanced management for OAB.

Conclusions

Numerous health disparities exist in the diagnosis and management of OAB. This review is grounded in societal context: health injustice in the United States ultimately stems from systemic racism. Improving our understanding of care disparities and the systems that allow them to persist will bring us closer to equity and allow our patients from marginalized backgrounds to obtain the evidence‐based care they deserve.
A multimodal pipeline using NMR spectroscopy and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry imaging from the same tissue sample
Authors: Tressler Caitlin M. , Ayyappan Vinay , Nakuchima Sofia , Yang Ethan , Sonkar Kanchan , Tan Zheqiong , Glunde Kristine
Published: May 2022

NMR spectroscopy and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) are both commonly used to detect large numbers of metabolites and lipids in metabolomic and lipidomic studies. We have demonstrated a new workflow, highlighting the benefits of both techniques to obtain metabolomic and lipidomic data, which has realized for the first time the combination of these two complementary and powerful technologies. NMR spectroscopy is frequently used to obtain quantitative metabolite information from cells and tissues. Lipid detection is also possible with NMR spectroscopy, with changes being visible across entire classes of molecules. Meanwhile, MALDI MSI provides relative measures of metabolite and lipid concentrations, mapping spatial information of many specific metabolite and lipid molecules across cells or tissues. We have used these two complementary techniques in combination to obtain metabolomic and lipidomic measurements from triple‐negative human breast cancer cells and tumor xenograft models. We have emphasized critical experimental procedures that ensured the success of achieving NMR spectroscopy and MALDI MSI in a combined workflow from the same sample. Our data show that several phospholipid metabolite species were differentially distributed in viable and necrotic regions of breast tumor xenografts. This study emphasizes the power of combined NMR spectroscopy–MALDI imaging to advance metabolomic and lipidomic studies.
Pathologies of a horse skeleton from the early medieval stronghold in Gdańsk (Poland)
Authors: Makowiecki Daniel , Janeczek Maciej , Pasicka Edyta , Rozwadowska Aleksandra , Ciaputa Rafał , Kocińska Maria Karolina
Published: May 2022

The study presents an analysis of a horse skeleton discovered in the timber and earth frame of the rampart surrounding the ducal stronghold in Gdańsk. The body of the animal was deposited sometime from the beginning of the 11th to the mid‐12th century. The male horse was aged 8–9 years old and had an estimated withers height of 128 cm (12.6 hands). The dentition and lesions on the skull suggest that the horse was used for riding. Two types of skeletal injuries are visible—the first resulted from the use of the horse and is visible on the skull, teeth, vertebrae, and limb bones. Such bone lesions are described in modern literature on equine medicine; therefore, their aetiology and clinical manifestation are described. The second group of injuries are lesions located in topographically distant areas: the skull, thoracic vertebrae, ribs, and limb bones. Their common feature is a proliferative periosteal reaction. Their aetiology cannot be definitely stated on the basis of the available material. They may be considered an effect of mechanical load‐bearing resulting from the excessive use of the horse but also may reflect a generalized infection.
Development of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties for automotive industry application
Authors: Dehury Janaki , Mohanty Jyoti Ranjan , Nayak Subhakanta , Dehury Swarnaprabha
Published: May 2022

In this research, a newly explored natural fiber named sea purslane fiber (SP) was applied as a reinforcing material with widely used thermosetting polymer epoxy polymer. Chemical treatments on the fibers were done with NaOH followed by acrylic acid treatment. Reinforcing acrylic acid treated and untreated SP fibers at variable weight percentages of fiber loading, variety of composite samples (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt%) were developed. The mechanical characteristics of the composites were found to improve initially with increasing filler content until reaching the optimum (20 wt%) fiber loading, after which they began to fall. At 20 wt% filler loading various properties like physical & chemical (density, water absorption, X‐ray diffraction), mechanical (tensile, flexural, impact, micro‐hardness) and thermal (thermogravimetric analysis) properties were examined and compared with untreated fiber reinforced composites. It was noticed that the treated fiber composites reveal better result as compared with untreated fibers composites. The findings provide manufacturers and engineers with a broad concept of how to use this composite to reduce weight, particularly in automotive applications.