bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bundle sheath suberisation is required for C4 photosynthesis in a Setaria viridis mutant
Authors: Danila Florence R. , Thakur Vivek , Chatterjee Jolly , Bala Soumi , Coe Robert A. , Acebron Kelvin , Furbank Robert T. , von Caemmerer Susanne , Quick William Paul
Published: February 2021

C4 photosynthesis provides an effective solution for overcoming the catalytic inefficiency of Rubisco. The pathway is characterised by a biochemical CO2 concentrating mechanism that operates across mesophyll and bundle sheath (BS) cells and relies on a gas tight BS compartment. A screen of a mutant population of Setaria viridis, an NADP-malic enzyme type C4 monocot, generated using N-nitroso-N-methylurea identified a mutant with an amino acid change in the gene coding region of the ABCG transporter, a step in the suberin synthesis pathway. Here, Nile red staining, TEM, and GC/MS confirmed the alteration in suberin deposition in the BS cell wall of the mutant. We show that this has disrupted the suberin lamellae of BS cell wall and increased BS conductance to CO2 diffusion more than two-fold in the mutant. Consequently, BS CO2 partial pressure is reduced and CO2 assimilation was impaired in the mutant. Our findings provide experimental evidence that a functional suberin lamellae is an essential anatomical feature for efficient C4 photosynthesis in NADP-ME plants like S. viridis and have implications for engineering strategies to ensure future food security.
ELAVL1a is an immunocompetent protein that protects zebrafish embryos from bacterial infection
Authors: Ni Shousheng , Zhou Yang , Song Lili , Chen Yan , Wang Xia , Du Xiaoyuan , Zhang Shicui
Published: February 2021

Previous studies have shown that ELAVL1 plays multiple roles, but its overall biological function remains ill-defined. Here we clearly demonstrated that zebrafish ELAVL1a was a lipoteichoic acid (LTA)- and LPS-binding protein abundantly stored in the eggs/embryos of zebrafish. ELAVL1a acted not only as a pattern recognition receptor, capable of identifying LTA and LPS, as well as bacteria, but also as an effector molecule, capable of inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Furthermore, we reveal that the C-terminal 62 residues of ELAVL1a positioned at 181–242 were indispensable for ELAVL1a antibacterial activity. Additionally, site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the hydrophobic residues Val192/Ile193, as well as the positively charged residues Arg203/Arg204, were the functional determinants contributing to the antimicrobial activity of rELAVL1a. Importantly, microinjection of rELAVL1a into embryos markedly promoted their resistance against pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila challenge, and this pathogen-resistant activity was considerably reduced by co-injection of anti-ELAVL1a antibody or by knockdown with morpholino for elavl1a. Collectively, our results indicate that ELAVL1a is a maternal immune factor that can protect zebrafish embryos from bacterial infection. This work also provides another angle for understanding the biological roles of ELAVL1a.
Multiplexed labeling of cellular proteins with split fluorescent protein tags
Authors: Tamura Ryo , Jiang Fangchao , Xie Jin , Kamiyama Daichi
Published: February 2021

Self-complementing split fluorescent proteins (split FP1-10/11) have become an important labeling tool in live-cell protein imaging. However, current split FP systems to label multiple proteins in single cells have a fundamental limitation in the number of proteins that can be simultaneously labeled. Here, we describe an approach to expand the number of orthogonal split FP systems with spectrally distinct colors. By combining rational design and cycles of directed evolution, we expand the spectral color palette of FP1-10/11. We also circularly permutate GFP and synthesize the β-strand 7, 8, or 10 system. These split GFP pairs are not only capable of labeling proteins but are also orthogonal to the current FP1-10/11 pairs, offering multiplexed labeling of cellular proteins. Our multiplexing approach, using the new orthogonal split FP systems, demonstrates simultaneous imaging of four distinct proteins in single cells; the resulting images reveal nuclear localization of focal adhesion protein Zyxin.
Enhancing ductility in bulk metallic glasses by straining during cooling
Authors: Mota Rodrigo Miguel Ojeda , Lund Ethen Thomas , Sohn Sungwoo , Browne David John , Hofmann Douglas Clayton , Curtarolo Stefano , van de Walle Axel , Schroers Jan
Published: February 2021

Most of the known bulk metallic glasses lack sufficient ductility or toughness when fabricated under conditions resulting in bulk glass formation. To address this major shortcoming, processing techniques to improve ductility that mechanically affect the glass have been developed, however it remains unclear for which metallic glass formers they work and by how much. Instead of manipulating the glass state, we show here that an applied strain rate can excite the liquid, and simultaneous cooling results in freezing of the excited liquid into a glass with a higher fictive temperature. Microscopically, straining causes the structure to dilate, hence “pulls” the structure energetically up the potential energy landscape. Upon further cooling, the resulting excited liquid freezes into an excited glass that exhibits enhanced ductility. We use Zr44Ti11Cu10Ni10Be25 as an example alloy to pull bulk metallic glasses through this excited liquid cooling method, which can lead to tripling of the bending ductility.
Natural variability is a large source of uncertainty in future projections of hypoxia in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Markus Meier H. E. , Dieterich Christian , Gröger Matthias
Published: February 2021

Coastal seas worldwide suffer from increasing human impact. One of the most severe environmental threats is excessive nutrient pollution from land, which causes oxygen depletion and harmful algal blooms. In 2018, the semi-enclosed Baltic Sea was determined to contain the largest hypoxic area among the world’s coastal seas, with a size equal to the Republic of Ireland. In this study, ensemble modelling was used to investigate whether climate change will intensify hypoxia in the Baltic Sea and whether nutrient load abatement strategies would counteract this scenario. We analysed the largest ensemble of scenario simulations for the Baltic Sea currently available (including different boundary conditions) and estimated the magnitude of various sources of uncertainty. The results showed that natural variability was a larger source of uncertainty than previously considered. The earliest time and appropriate location to detect a trend above the background noise were estimated. A significant decrease in hypoxia can be achieved by further reductions in nutrient loads implemented in combination with existing measures.
The role of chemical synthesis in developing RiPP antibiotics
Authors: Rowe Sam M. , Spring David R.
Published: February 2021

This tutorial review discusses the potential of ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) as antimicrobials and looks at the chemical synthesis of three classes of RiPP: lasso peptides, cyclotides, and lanthipeptides.
Towards controlling the reversibility of anionic redox in transition metal oxides for high-energy Li-ion positive electrodes
Authors: Yu Yang , Karayaylali Pinar , Sokaras Dimosthenis , Giordano Livia , Kou Ronghui , Sun Cheng-Jun , Maglia Filippo , Jung Roland , Gittleson Forrest S. , Shao-Horn Yang
Published: February 2021

Transition metal d-states and oxygen p-states overlap and oxygen lattice integrity dictates the oxygen redox reversibility in metal substituted Li2RuO3 positive electrodes for Li-ion batteries.
Preparation of a polymer nanocomposite via the polymerization of pyrrole : biphenyldisulfonic acid : pyrrole as a two-monomer-connected precursor on MoS2 for electrochemical energy storage
Authors: Kim Wonbin , Lee Hong-Joon , Yoo Seung Jo , Kim Trinh Cuc , Ahmad Zubair , Lee Jae-Suk
Published: February 2021

The close-packed crystal structure of the conducting polymer growth in the nanocomposite material from P(Py:BPDSA:Py) and MoS2.
A Schiff base ligand for photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization
Authors: Xu Xiaoling , Hong Mei , Bao Chunyang , Wang Yan , Chen Jing , Li Die , Wang Tianheng , Zhang Qiang
Published: February 2021

A claw-type Schiff base, tris[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-2-iminoethyl]amine (Py3Tren), is used as an active ligand for photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (Photo-ATRP).
Regularities of element migration based on rock spectral features: a case study of the Liwu copper deposit
Authors: Wang Jiaxian , He Li , He Zhengwei , Hou Yun , Wang Chaowei , Zhang Chengjiang
Published: February 2021

This study used portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry and hyperspectral imaging for analysing regularities of element migration.
Determination of seven tetracyclines in milk by dissolvable layered double hydroxide-based solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Yang Yi , Zhang Jing , Li Yongxin , Yin Shuo , Jiang Yang , Sun Chengjun
Published: February 2021

A dissolvable layered double hydroxide-based solid-phase extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed for the analysis of seven tetracyclines in milk samples.
Pd-Catalyzed sp3C–H alkoxycarbonylation of 8-methylquinolines using Mo(CO)6as a CO surrogate
Authors: Talukdar Kangkan , Sarkar Tanumay , Roy Subhasish , Punniyamurthy Tharmalingam
Published: February 2021

Pd(ii)-Catalyzed three-component sp3C–H alkoxycarbonylation of 8-methylquinonlines is developed using Mo(CO)6as a CO source with the substrate scope, functional group tolerance and natural product modification.
Development of accurate coarse-grained force fields for weakly polar groups by an indirect parameterization strategy
Authors: Song Junjie , Wan Mingwei , Yang Ying , Gao Lianghui , Fang Weihai
Published: February 2021

An indirect coarse-grained force field parameterization strategy for weakly polar groups.
Pt nanoparticles utilized as efficient ultraviolet plasmons for enhancing whispering gallery mode lasing of a ZnO microwire via Ga-incorporation
Authors: Ma Kunjie , Zhou Xiangbo , Kan Caixia , Xu Juan , Jiang Mingming
Published: February 2021

Pt nanoparticles serving as efficient ultraviolet plasmons can be utilized to enhance whispering gallery ode lasing of a hexagon-shaped ZnO microwire via Ga-incorporation.
Developing a triple helix approach for CO2 utilisation assessment
Authors: McCord Stephen , Armstrong Katy , Styring Peter
Published: February 2021

We propose a new screening-type social impact assessment for developing CDU technologies; the method can be used as a standalone assessment or integrated with TEA and LCA to create a holistic sustainability study to enhance effective decision making.
Aqueous synthesis of composition-tuned defects in CuInSe2 nanocrystals for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H2 evolution
Authors: Qu Senlin , Yuan Xin , Li Yu , Li Xingyang , Zhou Xiujuan , Xue Xiaogang , Zhang Kexiang , Xu Juan , Yuan Changlai
Published: February 2021

The composition and defect tolerance of CuInSe2 (CISe) quantum dots (QDs) provide a scaffold to design defects via tailoring the elemental ratio or distributions for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution (PHE).
Efficient Fe–Nx/C electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction derived from porphyrin-encapsulated zeolitic imidazolate frameworks
Authors: Park Jungwon , Kim Byung Hoon , Kim Miyeon , Mun Junyoung , Lee Chang Yeon
Published: February 2021

Carbon-supported porphyrin-encapsulated and -functionalized zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) were pyrolyzed to afford an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Carbon nitride quantum dots tethered on CNTs for the electrochemical detection of dopamine and uric acid
Authors: Posha Biyas , Asha Narayanan , Sandhyarani N.
Published: February 2021

A 0D–1D CNQDs/f-CNT architecture composed of 0D CNQDs tethered on a 1D functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (f-CNT) network was used for dopamine sensing.
“Fishing” nano–bio interactions at the key biological barriers
Authors: Rong Jinyu , He Yuan , Tang Juanjuan , Qiao Ruxia , Lin Sijie
Published: February 2021

Understanding nano–bio interactions is pivotal to the safe implementation of nanotechnology for both biological and environmental applications.
In situ growth of a tubular MoS2 membrane on a ceramic tube with improved organic solvent nanofiltration performance
Authors: Liu Tongtong , Qin Zhenping , Liu Qiaohong , Li Xuejian , Liu Yue , An Quan-Fu , Guo Hongxia
Published: February 2021

A MoS2 tubular ceramic membrane was prepared successfully via a straightforward in situ hydrothermal method and demonstrated excellent organic solvent nanofiltration properties and high stability.
It's not just a phase; ubiquitination in cytosolic protein quality control
Authors: Baker Heather A. , Bernardini Jonathan P.
Published: February 2021

The accumulation of misfolded proteins is associated with numerous degenerative conditions, cancers and genetic diseases. These pathological imbalances in protein homeostasis (termed proteostasis), result from the improper triage and disposal of damaged and defective proteins from the cell. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a key pathway for the molecular control of misfolded cytosolic proteins, co-opting a cascade of ubiquitin ligases to direct terminally damaged proteins to the proteasome via modification with chains of the small protein, ubiquitin. Despite the evidence for ubiquitination in this critical pathway, the precise complement of ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases that modulate this process remains under investigation. Whilst chaperones act as the first line of defence against protein misfolding, the ubiquitination machinery has a pivotal role in targeting terminally defunct cytosolic proteins for destruction. Recent work points to a complex assemblage of chaperones, ubiquitination machinery and subcellular quarantine as components of the cellular arsenal against proteinopathies. In this review, we examine the contribution of these pathways and cellular compartments to the maintenance of the cytosolic proteome. Here we will particularly focus on the ubiquitin code and the critical enzymes which regulate misfolded proteins in the cytosol, the molecular point of origin for many neurodegenerative and genetic diseases.
Soft pneumatic gripper integrated with multi‐configuration and variable‐stiffness functionality
Authors: Yuan Zean , Wu Li , Xu Xiangjian , Chen Rui
Published: February 2021

Soft grippers are compliant and self‐adaptive, and can be highly compatible with the surrounding environment in grasping tasks. Currently, most soft pneumatic grippers are developed with a single grasping configuration, which leads to poor universality for different objects. Additionally, the oscillation caused by actuator's elastic bodies will result in poor stability during grasping and transportation, which can be improved by stiffness enhancement. A four‐fingered soft pneumatic gripper is proposed by integrating multi‐configuration and variable‐stiffness functionality. The multi‐configuration was realised by using the motion characteristics of a tangent mechanism. Meanwhile, a damping method based on electrorheological fluids was applied on a pneumatic actuator to improve the grasping stability. Besides, a machine vision technique was adopted to automatically adjust the grasping posture during manipulation. As a result, the proposed multi‐configuration gripper can self‐adaptively grasp different shapes of objects, especially two classical types, a pen canister as the flat cylinder and a cuboid box as the long cylinder. In addition, the electrorheological variable‐stiffness method was manifested to be applicable for reducing pneumatic finger vibration. This research is expected to improve the versatility and grasping stability of soft pneumatic grippers.
Channel covariance matrix based secret key generation for low‐power terminals in frequency division duplex systems
Authors: Wan Zheng , Huang Kaizhi , Lou Yangming , Chen Yajun
Published: February 2021

The existing secret key generation (SKG) techniques are not applicable for frequency division duplex (FDD) Internet of Things networks due to the low power constraints and limited computing resources. This letter proposes a SKG scheme based on the channel covariance matrix in FDD systems. First of all, a novel algorithm is proposed for inferring the downlink channel covariance matrix from the observed uplink channel covariance matrix with the aid of the transformation matrix. Then, a complete SKG scheme for low‐power terminals in FDD systems is designed to generate keys from the downlink channel covariance matrix. Finally, simulation results show that this scheme can generate high‐agreement secret keys in FDD systems. Compared with the loopback mechanism‐based SKG scheme, this scheme is suitable for low‐power terminals and can achieve significant performance improvement in terms of the key disagreement ratio.
Algebraic analysis of the structural properties of parametric linear time‐invariant systems
Authors: Menini Laura , Possieri Corrado , Tornambè Antonio
Published: February 2021

By using techniques borrowed from algebraic geometry, some tests are proposed to certify structural properties (such as reachability, observability, controllability, constructibility, stabilisability, and detectability) of discrete‐time and continuous‐time linear time‐invariant systems. These results are then generalised for linear time‐invariant systems depending polynomially on some real parameters, by exploiting the notion of Gröbner cover. The main innovation of the proposed results with respect to existing techniques is that they provide exact certificates for the structural properties of linear time‐invariant systems. Examples of application are given all throughout the study to illustrate and validate the theoretical results.
Diagnosis of brain tumours by MRI binarisation with variable fuzzy level
Authors: Shirali Armaghan , Shiri Nabiollah
Published: February 2021

Brain tumour detection is still a challenging problem both in medical and image processing. In this study, two scenarios are applied to diagnose human brain tumours, classical image processing (CIP) and a new algorithm called binary image with variable fuzzy level (BIVFL). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) process from the BraTs 2019 database. Edge detection and prognosis area cropping are parts of the high‐computational CIP algorithm. For the CIP, the best filter is the combination of the horizontal and vertical modes of the Prewitt filter. In the BIVFL, by changing the fuzzy level for binarisation images two clusters are filled with tumour and no tumour areas, and the tumour area is extracted in various accuracies. Sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy of the BIVFL are varied according to the fuzzy level, and the best value of sensitivity is 0.9, but the value of three other parameters is 1 for an interval of fuzzy levels. The BIVFL is a simple and fast tumour area extraction algorithm, and also it is easy to implement with digital signal processors. Histogram and power signal‐to‐noise ratio of the BIVFL is remarkable.
Design and implementation of image kernels using reversible logic gates
Authors: Raveendran Sithara , Edavoor Pranose Jose , Yernad Balachandra Nithin Kumar , Moodabettu Harishchandra Vasantha
Published: February 2021

This study presents the implementation of image kernels used for filtering and enhancing the images using reversible logic gates, a first in reversible logic literature. Image enhancement/filtering is achieved by performing convolution of an image with a filter kernel. This work proposes reversible logic based design and implementation of six filter kernels. The filter kernels implemented are Gaussian blur, Laplacian outline, Sobel, Emboss, Sharpen and Prewitt edge detection. The kernels are implemented individually using reversible logic gates and the designs are measured in terms of quantum cost, garbage outputs, ancilla inputs and gate count. The functional verification is carried out using standard images on Kintex 7 FPGA platform. The filtered images from the proposed design have an average structural similarity index of 0.92.
Colon cancer prediction using 2DReCA segmentation and hybrid features on histopathology images
Authors: Babu Tina , Singh Tripty , Gupta Deepa
Published: February 2021

Since histopathological images exist in various forms, performing segmentation on these images is tedious. While in cancer‐free colon tissue, epithelial cells generally have an elliptical shape; their structure alters in a malignant tissue. This study proposes a technique consisting of colon biopsy image segmentation and a hybrid set of features for classification, and is evaluated on multiple databases with various levels of magnifications. This study presents a novel image segmentation method with multi‐level thresholding based on Rényi's two‐dimensional entropy with a cultural algorithm (2DRCA). Based on the entropy, elliptical epithelial cells, being the region of interest, are identified from the segmented background. After successful segmentation, shape descriptors are extracted with morphological operations. Two sets of texture features (grey‐level co‐occurrence matrix and block‐wise elliptical local binary pattern) are calculated based on pre‐processed grey‐scale colon images. The proposed hybrid feature vector set, then concatenates the extracted features for training and testing with a random forest classifier. The proposed segmentation and classification model is evaluated by considering four data sets consisting of various colon images at different magnifications. In addition, it is evaluated by multiple performance measures and compared with existing techniques.
Research on adaptive local feature enhancement in convolutional neural networks
Authors: Sun Tongfeng , Shao Changlong , Liao Hongmei , Ding Shifei , Xu Xinzheng
Published: February 2021

Local feature extraction is one of the key characteristics of convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This study proposes an adaptive local feature enhancement (ALFE) model with a low‐frequency general appearance‐enhancement operator and a high‐frequency local detail enhancement operator to improve local features of CNNs. Through supervised training, the model could adaptively adjust enhancement parameters and achieve a global‐local enhancement of training images and CNNs. The performance of ALFE was first preliminarily evaluated with a self‐built CNN on CIFAR‐10 data set in different conditions of image augmentation and feature pooling. CNNs with ALFE could increase the top‐1 accuracy compared against CNNs in the same conditions, and nearly reach the same level of performance for different pooling approaches. With only two extra adjustable parameters, this model could effectively avoid overfitting, without affecting the convergence speed of CNN. In addition, the extra burden of network complexity could be neglected. Further, experiments of three existing popular CNNs (AlexNet, VGGNet and ResNet) with ALFE were carried out on dogs versus cats, Tiny ImageNet, and SVHN data sets, respectively. The results show that ALFE is feasible for the existing popular CNN models, improving their top‐1 accuracies without changing their convergence speeds.
MPA‐Net: multi‐path attention stereo matching network
Authors: Sang Haiwei , Yang Zuliu , Yang Xiaowei , Zhao Yong
Published: February 2021

A novel learning‐based end‐to‐end network for stereo matching, named Multi‐path Attention Stereo Matching (MPA‐Net), is introduced in this study. Different from existing methods, the multi‐path attention aggregation module is designed firstly, named MPA, which is a unified structure using three different parallel layers with a respective attention mechanism to extract the multi‐scale informational features. Secondly, the method of cost volume construction, which differs from the traditional stereo matching methods, is extended. And then, the absolute difference between two input features is calculated. Furthermore, a u‐shaped structure with 3D attention gate is selected as the encoder‐decoder module. Specifically, the module is used to fuse the encoding features to their corresponding decoding features under the supervision of the authors' attention gate with skip‐connection, and thus exploit more significant information for matching cost regularisation and disparity prediction. Finally, specific experiments are conducted to evaluate their network on SceneFlow, KITTI2012 and KITTI2015 data sets. The results show that their method achieves a better improvement in disparity maps prediction compared with some existing state‐of‐the‐art methods on KITTI benchmark.
Image dehazing method via a cycle generative adversarial network
Authors: Zhao Chao‐Yue , Jia Rui‐Sheng , Liu Qing‐Ming , Sun Hong‐Mei , Sun Hai‐Bin
Published: February 2021

Aiming at the problems of colour distortion and residual dehazing in the existing image dehazing methods when processing outdoor images, a method of image dehazing based on the cycle generative adversarial network is proposed. Taking the cycle generative adversarial network as the overall framework of the model, firstly, the neural network is trained to obtain the mapping relationship between haze images and haze‐free images. Secondly, to accelerate the convergence speed of network training, using residual structure to improve network stability and reduce parameters. Then, a new loss function is proposed, fusing the Wasserstein distance into adversarial loss and cycle consistency loss, which reduces the deviation between the generated dehaze image and the real haze‐free image, and alleviating the problems of colour distortion and haze removal residue. Finally, use the optimised bounded ReLU (BReLU) activation function instead of the original activation function to improve the transmittance reflecting the haze depth information. The experimental results demonstrated that, compared with the comparison method, the proposed method improves the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, structure similarity, information entropy, and average gradient, and has an achieved better performance in dehazing.
Retinal vessel segmentation based on task‐driven generative adversarial network
Authors: Chen Zhiyuan , Jin Wei , Zeng Xingbin , Xu Liang
Published: February 2021

Retinal vessel segmentation has important application value in clinical diagnosis. If experts manually segment the retinal vessels, the workload is heavy, and the result is strong subjectively. However, some existing automatic segmentation methods have the problems of incomplete vessel segmentation and low‐segmentation accuracy. In order to solve the above problems, this study proposes a retinal vessel segmentation method based on task‐driven generative adversarial network (GAN). In the generative model, a U‐Net network is used to segment the retinal vessels. In the discriminative model, multi‐scale discriminators with different receptive fields are used to guide the generative model to generate more details. On the other hand, in view of the uncontrollable characteristics of the data generated by the traditional GAN, a task‐driven model based on perceptual loss is added to traditional GAN for feature matching, which makes the generated image more task‐specific. Experimental results show that the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the proposed method on data set digital retinal images for vessel extraction are 96.83, 80.66, 98.97 and 0.9830%, respectively.
Incipient fault diagnosis method for DC–DC converters based on sensitive fault features
Authors: Yu Yang , Jiang Yueming , Liu Yanlong , Peng Xiyuan
Published: February 2021

DC–DC converters play an important role in electrical systems. The fault state of a DC–DC converter has a major impact on the operation of the back‐end components and the entire electrical system. Therefore, the fault diagnosis is very necessary when the fault state of DC–DC is in the early stage. It can decrease the likelihood of happening the serious faults that may result in the enormous economic loss. To effectively diagnose the incipient fault in DC–DC converters, an incipient fault diagnosis method based on sensitive fault features is proposed. Firstly, for each type of the incipient fault, this study obtains the statistical features in time domain and the wavelet analysis local energy values in the frequency domain of the output. Then to further improve the incipient fault diagnosis accuracy, this study removes the redundant fault features based on overlap calculation, the unique fault features for each type of incipient fault will be selected. Finally, these sensitive fault features are used to build support vector data description models, which can diagnose the incipient faults. Simulation and hardware experimental results validate the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Advantages of variable‐speed pumped storage plants in generating phase‐modulation mode: rapidity and stability
Authors: Hu Kuangqing , Deng Yuwen , Chen Diyi
Published: February 2021

The increase of renewable energy generation penetration rate exerts a passive impact on the power system. A pumped‐storage plant (PSP) is a proper technology to depress power fluctuation and regulate the frequency of the power system. Variable‐speed PSP (VSPSP) is a relatively novel technology and has unique advantages when participating in power and frequency regulation. This study focuses on the generating phase modulation of VSPSP and fixed‐speed PSP (FSPSP). The integrated hydraulic‐mechanical‐electrical models of FSPSP and VSPSP are built and vector control theory is introduced in the model of VSPSP. Based on these two models, this study analyses operational performance and power response under generating phase‐modulation mode. The results reveal that the power regulation ability of VSPSP is more accurate and rapid. In addition, the operation of VSPSP is not restricted by a stability limit and the range of power regulation is expanded. Eventually, it could be observed that weak coupling between the mechanical and electrical system in VSPSP helps to increase efficiency and prolong life‐span of pumped‐turbine. The results and conclusions obtained from this study help to mitigate power fluctuation and improve strategies of power regulation of hybrid power systems with PSP.
Accurate partial discharge localisation using a multi‐deep neural network model trained with a novel virtual measurement method
Authors: Zaki Atta Ul Munim , Hu Yue , Jiang Xiuchen
Published: February 2021

Time difference of arrival‐based localisation method has been extensively used by researchers for the partial discharge (PD) diagnosis despite being time‐inefficient and sensitive to time delay estimation. Most of the contemporary work focuses on overcoming these problems by using data‐driven approaches and/or statistical simulation methods. When used simultaneously, statistical simulation‐based methods facilitate the data‐driven approaches in terms of providing them with large amounts of data during the testing phase. However, the present work introduces a novel training phase strategy for a multi‐deep neural network model (MDNNM). In this method, ‘N’ number of randomly generated PD sources in 3‐D space are obtained statistically through virtual measurement method (VMM). Time delays amongst sensors, for the received ultra‐high frequency signals from these ‘N’ PDs, are used in training of the MDNNM. This enhances the model's PD detection ability, as the obtained time delays realise the measurement error beforehand; and consequently, the model learns to predict the PD coordinates accurately. After applying this MDNNM trained with a novel VMM practically, the experimental results show that a location accuracy of 1° can be obtained for a system error value of time difference up to 10 ns.
A new energy aware cluster head selection for LEACH in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Pour Sina Einavi , Javidan Reza
Published: February 2021

Internet of Things (IoTs) as a new network pattern for the intelligent world usually uses wireless sensor networks (WSNs) as a perception layer which consisted of numerous number of sensor nodes scattered in the environment to gather intended information. The selected information then is sent to a base station (BS) to be sent to cloud server for further processing. Since the energy of sensor nodes is limited, the most significant challenge in these networks is reducing the energy consumption of the network. It is proved that dividing the network to clusters can significantly reduce the energy consumption. One of the most popular clustering protocols in WSNs is the Low‐Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH). In this protocol, cluster heads (CHs) are selected randomly which results in poor performance in real scenarios. In this article, a new energy aware CH selection algorithm is proposed which selects CHs based on the residual energy, the position and centrality of nodes. It uses a variable range upon which the centrality and the number of neighbours of each node are calculated. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms LEACH, Multi‐hope Routing with LEACH (MR‐LEACH) and Enhanced Multi‐hop LEACH (EM‐LEACH) in terms of reducing energy consumption, increasing network lifetime and improving network reliability.
Impact of baryons in cosmic shear analyses with tomographic aperture mass statistics
Authors: Martinet Nicolas , Castro Tiago , Harnois-Déraps Joachim , Jullo Eric , Giocoli Carlo , Dolag Klaus
Published: February 2021

NonGaussian cosmic shear statistics based on weak-lensing aperture mass (Map) maps can outperform the classical shear two-point correlation function (γ-2PCF) in terms of cosmological constraining power. However, reaching the full potential of these new estimators requires accurate modeling of the physics of baryons as the extra nonGaussian information mostly resides at small scales. We present one such modeling based on the Magneticum hydrodynamical simulation for the KiDS-450 and DES-Y1 surveys and a Euclid-like survey. We compute the bias due to baryons on the lensing PDF and the distribution of peaks and voids in Map maps and propagate it to the cosmological forecasts on the structure growth parameter S8, the matter density parameter Ωm, and the dark energy equation of state w0 using the SLICS and cosmo-SLICS sets of dark-matter-only simulations. We report a negative bias of a few percent on S8 and Ωm and also measure a positive bias of the same level on w0 when including a tomographic decomposition. These biases reach ∼5% when combining Map statistics with the γ-2PCF as these estimators show similar dependency on the AGN feedback. We verify that these biases constitute a less than 1σ shift on the probed cosmological parameters for current cosmic shear surveys. However, baryons need to be accounted for at the percentage level for future Stage IV surveys and we propose to include the uncertainty on the AGN feedback amplitude by marginalizing over this parameter using multiple simulations such as those presented in this paper. Finally, we explore the possibility of mitigating the impact of baryons by filtering the Map map but find that this process would require suppressing the small-scale information to a point where the constraints would no longer be competitive.
Tumortherapie und Kinderwunsch
Authors: Krome Susanne
Published: February 2021

Die Leitlinien der amerikanischen Gesellschaft für Onkologie (ASCO) sehen vor, dass die Betreuung junger Tumorpatienten Informationen zu Infertilität und fertilitätserhaltenden Techniken enthalten sollten. Trotzdem bleiben 50 % der Frauen mit Malignomen uninformiert. Die qualitative Studie mit Interviews von 22 Spezialisten ergab einen Eindruck, welche Faktoren für die fehlende Adhärenz verantwortlich sind.
Autosomal-dominante polyzystische NierenerkrankungManagement im Kindes- und Jugendalter
Authors: Liebau Max C.
Published: February 2021

Die autosomal-dominante polyzystische Nierenerkrankung (ADPKD) ist die häufigste genetische Ursache einer dialysepflichtigen chronischen Nierenerkrankung. Die ADPKD wird in den meisten Fällen durch Varianten in zwei Genen versursacht und ist typischerweise klinisch charakterisiert durch einen langsam fortschreitenden zystisch-fibrotischen Umbau der Nieren mit verschiedenen extrarenalen Manifestationen. Symptome werden oft erst im Erwachsenenalter bemerkt, der Prozess der Zystenbildung in der Niere beginnt aber bereits im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Für erwachsene Patienten mit rasch fortschreitender Erkrankung konnte eine erste zielgerichtete pharmakologische Therapie etabliert werden, welche allerdings mit substantiellen Nebenwirkungen einhergeht. Für Kinder- und Jugendärzte ist es daher wichtig, ein ausgewogenes Maß zwischen wachsamer Beobachtung und Diagnostik einer Erkrankung zu finden.
Frühes und fortgeschrittenes NSCLC
Authors: Arnheim Katharina
Published: February 2021

Neue Studienergebnisse beim frühen und fortgeschrittenen nicht-kleinzelligen Lungenkarzinom (NSCLC), die Ende 2020 vorgestellt wurden, können das Vorgehen im klinischen Alltag verändern.
Hirnmetastasen
Authors: Kretzschmar Alexander
Published: February 2021

Durch den zunehmenden klinischen Einsatz von Immun-Checkpoint-Inhibitoren (ICI) sind inzwischen eine Reihe unterschiedlicher Nebenwirklungen im klinischen Alltag aufgefallen. Auch ein erhöhtes Risiko für epileptische Anfälle ist bereits diskutiert worden und erscheint pathomechanistisch plausibel. Eine retrospektive Kohortenstudie von Patienten am Universitätsklinikum bestätigte jetzt eine gesteigerte Inzidenz eines Status epilepticus bei Patienten mit Hirnmetastasen unter ICI-Therapie. Diese Patienten hatten außerdem ein höheres Sterberisiko nach Status epilepticus als Patienten ohne ICI-Therapie.
Potenzial des Ultraschalls bei allogener Stammzelltransplantation und transplantationsassoziierten Komplikationen
Authors: Trenker Corinna , Dietrich Christoph F. , Klein Stefan , Safai Zadeh Ehsan , Sohlbach Kristina , Neubauer Andreas , Burchert Andreas , Görg Christian
Published: February 2021

Die allogene hämatopoietische Stammzelltransplantation (allo-SZT) stellt eine komplexe Therapie mit vielen auch gastrointestinalen Nebenwirkungen und Komplikationen dar. Eine frühzeitige Diagnose und Behandlung von mit allo-SZT assoziierten Komplikationen ist daher von großer Bedeutung, um das Überleben dieser Patienten zu verbessern. Die Sonografie stellt eine schnell verfügbare Methode dar, die am Krankenbett durchgeführt werden kann. In den Händen eines sonografieerfahrenen Untersuchers können wichtige transplantationsbedingte Komplikationen sofort diagnostiziert oder ausgeschlossen werden. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es, den diagnostischen und klinischen Wert von Ultraschall vor, während und nach der allo-SZT darzustellen.
Restart of Anticoagulant Therapy and Risk of Thrombosis, Rebleeding, and Death after Factor Xa Inhibitor Reversal in Major Bleeding Patients
Authors: Milling Truman J. , King Ben , Yue Patrick , Middeldorp Saskia , Beyer-Westendorf Jan , Eikelboom John W. , Crowther Mark , Xu Lizhen , Verhamme Peter , Siegal Deborah M. , Connolly Stuart J. ,   on behalf of the ANNEXA-4 Investigators
Published: February 2021

Background Lack of data on balancing bleeding and thrombosis risk causes uncertainty about restarting anticoagulants after major bleeding. Anticoagulant reversal trials offer prospectively gathered data after major bleeding with well-documented safety events and restarting behavior.

Objectives To examine the relationship of restarting anticoagulation with thrombosis, rebleeding, and death.

Methods This is a posthoc analysis of a prospective factor Xa inhibitor reversal study at 63 centers in North America and Europe. We compared outcomes of restarted patients with those not restarted using landmark and time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models. Outcomes included thrombotic and bleeding events and death and a composite of all three.

Results Of 352 patients enrolled, oral anticoagulation was restarted in 100 (28%) during 30-day follow-up. Thirty-four (9.7%) had thrombotic events, 15 (4.3%) had bleeding events (after day 3), and 49 (14%) died. In the landmark analysis comparing patients restarted within 14 days to those not, restarting was associated with decreased thrombotic events (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.112; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.001–0.944; p = 0.043) and increased rebleeding (HR = 8.39; 95% CI: 1.13–62.29; p = 0.037). The time-dependent Cox model showed evidence for a reduction in a composite (thrombotic events, bleeding, and death) attempting to capture net benefit (HR = 0.384; 95% CI: 0.161–0.915; p = 0.031).

Conclusion This analysis provides modest evidence that restarting anticoagulation in factor Xa inhibitor-associated major bleeding patients is correlated with reduced risk of thrombotic events and increased risk of rebleeding. There is low-level evidence of net benefit for restarting. A randomized trial of restarting would be appropriate.
Guiding the Facial Rejuvenation Journey: Fulfilling the Complete Role of Surgeon and Aesthetic Practitioner
Authors: Beaty Mark M.
Published: February 2021

The facial plastic surgeon's role today includes more than provision of procedural excellence. To provide excellent quality of care effective planning and guidance for patients through the aesthetic journey is needed. Methods for the delivery of this level of care are presented and discussed.
The Iliac Crest Osteomuscular Flap for Bony Reconstruction: Beast or Beauty? A Reassessment of the Value and Donor Site Morbidity in the CAD/CAM Era
Authors: Hilven Paulien H. , Vranckx Jan J.
Published: February 2021

Background The iliac crest bone flap (ICBF), based on the deep circumflex iliac artery, has a bad reputation regarding donor site morbidity. However, the ICBF has an ideal curvature and shape for occlusion-based hemimandibular reconstructions with rapid dental rehabilitation and for vertical class III maxillary reconstructions that require bony support and muscular bulk to fill cavities and to provide intraoral lining. Is this notorious donor site reputation still valid with modern flap procurement using computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and recipient-site closure techniques?

Methods We performed a literature search of the public databases PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Web of Science for papers using mesh keywords related to donor site morbidity of the ICBF. We report three illustrative case reports using our current protocols for oncologic bony resection and reconstruction, using in-house CAD/CAM and three-dimensional printing to procure a tight-fit ICBF and minimizing donor site morbidity.

Results We found 191 articles in the PubMed database of which we considered 176 nonrelevant. Cochrane Library and Google Scholar database searches resulted in the inclusion of 11 additional papers. The second search resulted in 172 articles of which we used five after excluding nonrelevant papers. Accurate preoperative (CAD/CAM) planning, preservation of the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), and paying attention to thoroughly donor site closure make the ICBF a very valuable option for accurate maxillofacial reconstructions with very acceptable comorbidities. This corresponds with our clinical findings.

Conclusion Dogma never is a good teacher; it remains elementary that routine “knowledge” is (re)questioned. Donor site morbidity of the ICBF is comparable to other bone flaps. The shape and bone stock of the ICBF is ideal and often may be first choice. In combination with CAD/CAM planning, the ICBF is an excellent option for specific maxillofacial reconstructions.
Correction: A behavioral analysis of whistleblowing at Japanese firms
Authors: Asaoka Daisuke
Published: February 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00744-7
Two-band superconductivity in a Mo–Re alloy with an equal concentration of the components
Authors: Tarenkov V. , Shapovalov A. , Boliasova O. , Belogolovskii M. , Kordyuk A.
Published: February 2021

An observed correlation between the critical temperature of a superconducting transition in high-temperature superconductors and a proximity of their electronic structure to the topological Lifshitz transition needs to be verified on simple model materials. Here we show that such an object could be a Mo–Re alloy with an equal concentration of constituent elements. We present new evidence of the presence of two energy gaps in this material, obtained using point-contact spectroscopy, and argue that the studied Mo–Re alloy can be used for implementing new quantum effects associated with the phase difference of electron wave functions from the different bands.
On the theory of ideal Bose-gas
Authors: Bugrij A. I. , Loktev V. M.
Published: February 2021

Ideal Bose-gas with finite particle number N is investigated. It is shown that the well-known Bose–Einstein distribution of particles over their quantum states consists of two terms — Bose–Einstein term and an additional N-dependent one. The statement that the chemical potential of the ideal Bose-gas should be negative requires to be also corrected. It is obtained that the analytically calculated observables rather slowly approach the thermodynamic limit following the law N−1/3lnN.
Effect of deviation from stoichiometry on transport and mechanical properties of Bi2Se3 polycrystals
Authors: Menshikova S. I. , Rogacheva E. I.
Published: February 2021

The dependences of electrical conductivity, the Hall coefficient, the Seebeck coefficient, thermoelectric power factor and microhardness of Bi2Se3 polycrystals on the degree of deviation from stoichiometry 59.9–60.0 at. % Se and temperature (77–300 K) were obtained. The samples exhibited n-type conductivity in the studied ranges of compositions and temperatures. The boundaries of the Bi2Se3 homogeneity region were estimated. A non-monotonic behavior of the concentration dependences of the properties in the studied composition range, associated with a change in the phase composition and defect structure under the deviation from stoichiometry, was observed. The calculation of the power coefficient in the temperature dependence of electron mobility showed that in a stoichiometric Bi2Se3, electrons are predominantly scattered by acoustic phonons, and under the deviation from stoichiometry the contribution of impurity scattering increases. Based on the experimental data, the Fermi energy EF was calculated in the approximation of the relaxation time and within the framework of the single-band model with a quadratic dispersion law. The obtained values of EF showed that both in stoichiometric and non- stoichiometric Bi2Se3, the conduction is mainly due to electrons in the lower conduction subband.