bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous network flow and Petri nets characterize multilayer complex networks
Authors: Ademovic Tahirovic Alma , Angeli David , Strbac Goran
Published: March 2022

Interacting subsystems are commonly described by networks, where multimodal behaviour found in most natural or engineered systems found recent extension in form of multilayer networks. Since multimodal interaction is often not dictated by network topology alone and may manifest in form of cross-layer information exchange, multilayer network flow becomes of relevant further interest. Rationale can be found in most interacting subsystems, where a form of multimodal flow across layers can be observed in e.g., chemical processes, energy networks, logistics, finance, or any other form of conversion process relying on the laws of conservation. To this end, the formal notion of heterogeneous network flow is proposed, as a multilayer flow function aligned with the theory of network flow. Furthermore, dynamic equivalence is established with the framework of Petri nets, as the baseline model of concurrent event systems. Application of the resulting multilayer Laplacian flow and flow centrality is presented, along with graph learning based inference of multilayer relationships over multimodal data. On synthetic data the proposed framework demonstrates benefits of multimodal flow derivation in critical component identification. It also displays applicability in relationship inference (learning based function approximation) on multimodal time series. On real-world data the proposed framework provides, among others, multimodal flow interpretation of U.S. economic activity, uncovering underlying empirical steady state probability distribution, as well as inherent network (economic) robustness.
Prognostic nomograms for predicting overall survival and cancer-specific survival in patients with angiosarcoma, a SEER population-based study
Authors: Jiang Ting , Ye Zixiang , Shao Tianyu , Luo Yiyang , Wang Binbin
Published: March 2022

Angiosarcoma (AS) is a kind of highly aggressive cancer with high occurrence and mortality rates. This study aimed to establish a comprehensive and validated prognostic nomogram with various clinical indicators in non-metastatic AS patients after surgery. Data of non-metastatic AS patients diagnosed after surgery between 2010 and 2015 was retrieved from the surveillance epidemiology and end results database. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to identify the independent prognostic factors associated with survival to construct the predictive nomogram of 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates. Concordance-index (C-index), calibration plots and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to evaluate the predictive ability of the nomograms. 251 patients in total were divided into the training group (N = 177) and the validation group (N = 74). After the multivariate Cox regression analysis, gender, AJCC stage group 7th ed, T, N stage 7th ed, histologic grade and primary site were statistically identified as independent factors with OS and CSS (P < 0.05). We incorporated the significant factors above and age into nomograms. The C-index of the nomograms for OS and CCS in the training cohort was 0.757 (95%CI 0.697–0.817) and 0.762 (95%CI 0.702–0.822), meanwhile, the C-index of those in the validation cohort was 0.749 (95%CI 0.668–0.830) and 0.756 (95%CI 0.676–0.836) respectively. The results of calibration plots and ROC curve showed the nomograms qualified to measure the risk and prognosis. Our study has developed novel and practical nomograms for predicting prognosis in patients with non-metastatic AS after surgery contributing to cancer management.
Examinations the optical, mechanical, and shielding properties of Ag2O doped B2O3–Bi2O3–SrF2–Na2O glasses for gamma ray shield applications
Authors: Abouhaswa A. S. , Almurayshid Mansour , Almasoud Fahad , Sayyed M. I. , Mahmoud K. A.
Published: March 2022

A series of five glass samples have a chemical composition of (55-x) B2O3 + 5 Bi2O3 + 20SrF2 + 20Na2O + xAg2O with varied doping ratios x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mol% were fabricated using the melt quenching technique to study the effect of B2O3 replacement by Ag2O on the physical, mechanical, optical and gamma-ray shielding capacity of the fabricated glasses. The Cary 5000 UV–Vis–NIR measured the optical absorption in the wavelength range between 200 and 3000 nm. Based on the measured optical absorption, energy (direct/indirect) bandgap and Urbach energy were calculated. Moreover, the measured samples density, molar volume, packing density, dissociation energy, and mechanical properties for the fabricated glasses were calculated using the concepts of the Makishima-Mackenzie model. In this regard, the microhardness was decreased from 4.070 to 3.931 GPa with raising the Ag2O concentration. The effect of B2O3 replacement on the shielding capacity was also evaluated using the Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation results showed that the replacement of B2O3 causes a significant increase in the shielding parameters like linear attenuation coefficient and radiation shielding capacity. The best radiation shielding properties were achieved for a glass sample with 4 mol% Ag2O compound. Its linear attenuation coefficient varied between 8.091 and 0.134 cm−1, raising the gamma photon energy between 0.059 and 2.506 MeV.
The association between the non-HDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio and 28-day mortality in sepsis patients: a cohort study
Authors: Chang Le , Chen Xinglin , Lian Cheng
Published: March 2022

The focus of this study was to explore the association between the non-HDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol (non-HDLc/HDLc) ratio and mortality in septic patients. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with sepsis in the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD) from 208 distinct ICUs across the United States between 2014 and 2015 that explored. All-cause mortality within 28 days after ICU admission. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the risk of death. Of the 724 patients with a median age of 68 years, 43 (5.94%) died within 28 days after ICU admission. When the non-HDLc/HDLc ratio was < 3.3, the mortality rate decreased with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.60 (95% CI 0.37–0.99, P = 0.043) for every 1 increment in the non-HDLc/HDLc ratio. When the non-HDLc/HDLc ratio was ≥ 3.3, the mortality rate increased with an adjusted OR of 1.28 (95% CI 1.01–1.62, P = 0.039) for every one increment in the non-HDLc/HDLc ratio. For patients with sepsis, the association between the non-HDLc/HDLc ratio and the 28-day mortality risk was a U-shaped curve. A higher or lower non-HDLc/HDLc ratio was associated with an increased risk of 28-day mortality.
Emergency department utilization in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a nationwide population-based study
Authors: Choi You-Jung , Kim Bongseong , Lee Hyun-Jung , Lee Heesun , Park Jun-Bean , Lee Seung-Pyo , Han Kyungdo , Kim Yong-Jin , Kim Hyung-Kwan
Published: March 2022

Despite the increasing burden of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) on healthcare resources, data on emergency department (ED) utilization in HCM are lacking. This nationwide population-based study extracted 14,542 HCM patients from the National Health Insurance Service database between 2015–2016, and investigated their ED utilization during a one-year period. The reason for ED utilization was defined as the primary diagnosis upon discharge from EDs. The clinical outcome was defined as hospitalization or all-cause mortality within 90 days after the ED visits. A total of 3209 (22.1%) HCM patients visited EDs within a one-year period (mean age, 66.8 ± 13.8 years; male, 57.4%). The majority (71.1%) of HCM patients who visited the EDs were aged ≥ 60 years. The ED utilization rate was higher in women than in men (26.3% versus 19.7%, P < 0.001). Cardiovascular diseases were the most common reason for ED visits (n = 1333, 41.5%). Among HCM patients who visited EDs, 1195 (37.2%) were hospitalized, and 231 (7.2%) died within 90 days. ED visits for cardiovascular disease was associated with a higher 90-day all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 2.72; 95% confidence interval 1.79–4.12). These findings would serve as a basis for future research to establish medical policies on ED utilization in HCM.
Gene-based association tests using GWAS summary statistics and incorporating eQTL
Authors: Cao Xuewei , Wang Xuexia , Zhang Shuanglin , Sha Qiuying
Published: March 2022

Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successfully applied to a variety of complex diseases and identified many genetic variants underlying complex diseases via single marker tests, there is still a considerable heritability of complex diseases that could not be explained by GWAS. One alternative approach to overcome the missing heritability caused by genetic heterogeneity is gene-based analysis, which considers the aggregate effects of multiple genetic variants in a single test. Another alternative approach is transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS). TWAS aggregates genomic information into functionally relevant units that map to genes and their expression. TWAS is not only powerful, but can also increase the interpretability in biological mechanisms of identified trait associated genes. In this study, we propose a powerful and computationally efficient gene-based association test, called Overall. Using extended Simes procedure, Overall aggregates information from three types of traditional gene-based association tests and also incorporates expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) information into a gene-based association test using GWAS summary statistics. We show that after a small number of replications to estimate the correlation among the integrated gene-based tests, the p values of Overall can be calculated analytically. Simulation studies show that Overall can control type I error rates very well and has higher power than the tests that we compared with. We also apply Overall to two schizophrenia GWAS summary datasets and two lipids GWAS summary datasets. The results show that this newly developed method can identify more significant genes than other methods we compared with.
A pavement distresses identification method optimized for YOLOv5s
Authors: Guo Keyou , He Chengbo , Yang Min , Wang Sudong
Published: March 2022

Automatic detection and recognition of pavement distresses is the key to timely repair of pavement. Repairing the pavement distresses in time can prevent the destruction of road structure and the occurrence of traffic accidents. However, some other factors, such as a single object category, shading and occlusion, make detection of pavement distresses very challenging. In order to solve these problems, we use the improved YOLOv5 model to detect various pavement distresses. We optimize the YOLOv5 model and introduce attention mechanism to enhance the robustness of the model. The improved model is more suitable for deployment in embedded devices. The optimized model is transplanted to the self-built intelligent mobile platform. Experimental results show that the improved network model proposed in this paper can effectively identify pavement distresses on the self-built intelligent mobile platform and datasets. The precision, recall and mAP are 95.5%, 94.3% and 95%. Compared with YOLOv5s and YOLOv4 models, the mAP of the improved YOLOv5s model is increased by 4.3% and 25.8%. This method can provide technical reference for pavement distresses detection robot.
An attempt to valorize the only black meat chicken breed of India by delineating superior functional attributes of its meat
Authors: Sharma Rekha , Sehrawat Renuka , Ahlawat Sonika , Sharma Vivek , Parmar Alka , Thakur M. S. , Mishra A. K. , Tantia M. S.
Published: March 2022

Kadaknath, the only black chicken indigenous to India, faces the threat of extinction due to declining numbers. Its meat is used in tribal medicine for invigorating and health-promoting properties. Expectations of immune-boosting and therapeutic properties in its meat are creating a buzz these days. Thus, Kadaknath meat was explored and further compared with the commercial Cobb 400 broiler (Cobb) for the functional traits that might be contributing towards proclaimed pharmacological benefits. Birds (n = 20/ group) were raised under similar management conditions and the two primal chicken meat cuts (breast and thigh) were collected at the marketing age. Kadaknath meat was found to be an enriched source of functional biomolecules (carnosine, anserine, creatine). Its breast meat carnosine content was more than double of the Cobb broiler, 6.10 ± 0.13 and 2.73 ± 0.1 mg/ g of wet tissue, respectively. Similarly, the thigh meat of Kadaknath was a significantly (P < 0.05) richer source of carnosine. The genetic background was a key determinant for muscle carnosine content as a significant abundance of CARNS1 and SLC36A1 expression was identified in the Kadaknath breast. The superior functional property of Kadaknath meat was established by the antioxidant capacity established by the Oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay and a stronger ability to inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The identification of fairly unknown nutritional and functional advantages of Kadaknath meat could potentially change the paradigm with its meat consumption. It will help in developing a brand name for Kadaknath products that will propel an increase in its market share and ultimately conservation of this unique but endangered poultry germplasm.
On track to achieve no net loss of forest at Madagascar’s biggest mine
Authors: Devenish Katie , Desbureaux Sébastien , Willcock Simon , Jones Julia P. G.
Published: March 2022

Meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals requires reconciling development with biodiversity conservation. Governments and lenders increasingly call for major industrial developments to offset unavoidable biodiversity loss but there are few robust evaluations of whether offset interventions ensure no net loss of biodiversity. We focus on the biodiversity offsets associated with the high-profile Ambatovy mine in Madagascar and evaluate their effectiveness at delivering no net loss of forest. As part of their efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss, Ambatovy compensate for forest clearance at the mine site by slowing deforestation driven by small-scale agriculture elsewhere. Using a range of methods, including extensive robustness checks exploring 116 alternative model specifications, we show that the offsets are on track to avert as much deforestation as was caused by the mine. This encouraging result shows that biodiversity offsetting can contribute towards mitigating environmental damage from a major industrial development, even within a weak state, but there remain important caveats with broad application. Our approach could serve as a template to facilitate other evaluations and so build a stronger evidence-base of the effectiveness of no net loss interventions.
Quality of life and metabolic outcomes after total pancreatectomy and simultaneous islet autotransplantation
Authors: Ludwig Stefan , Distler Marius , Schubert Undine , Schmid Janine , Thies Henriette , Welsch Thilo , Hempel Sebastian , Tonn Torsten , Weitz Jürgen , Bornstein Stefan R. , Ludwig Barbara
Published: March 2022

Background

Pancreas surgery remains technically challenging and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Identification of predictive risk factors for complications have led to a stratified surgical approach and postoperative management. The option of simultaneous islet autotransplantation (sIAT) allows for significant attenuation of long-term metabolic and overall complications and improvement of quality of life (QoL). The potential of sIAT to stratify a priori the indication for total pancreatectomy is yet not adequately evaluated.

Methods

The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the potential of sIAT in patients undergoing total pancreatectomy to improve QoL, functional and overall outcome and therefore modify the surgical strategy towards earlier and extended indications. A center cohort of 24 patients undergoing pancreatectomy were simultaneously treated with IAT. Patients were retrospectively analyzed regarding in-hospital and overall mortality, postoperative complications, ICU stay, hospital stay, metabolic outcome, and QoL.

Results

Here we present that all patients undergoing primary total pancreatectomy or surviving complicated two-stage pancreas resection and receiving sIAT show excellent metabolic outcome (33% insulin independence, 66% partial graft function; HbA1c 6,1 ± 1,0%) and significant benefit regarding QoL. Primary total pancreatectomy leads to significantly improved overall outcome and a significant reduction in ICU- and hospital stay compared to a two-stage completion pancreatectomy approach.

Conclusions

The findings emphasize the importance of risk-stratified pancreas surgery. Feasibility of sIAT should govern the indication for primary total pancreatectomy particularly in high-risk patients. In rescue completion pancreatectomy sIAT should be performed whenever possible due to tremendous metabolic benefit and associated QoL.
Data management matters
Authors: Willoughby Cerys , Frey Jeremy Graham
Published: March 2022

The implementation of good data management practices are essential to ensure that scientific data is findable, accessible and usable for verification and reuse.
Ultrafast ring-opening copolymerization of lactide with glycolide toward random poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymers by an organophosphazene base and urea binary catalysts
Authors: Shen Yong , Li Dong , Kou Xinhui , Wang Rui , Liu Fusheng , Li Zhibo
Published: March 2022

Random PLGA copolymers with tunable monomer sequence lengths were prepared by one-pot ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of LA with GA using an organophosphazene base/urea binary catalyst.
Iridium(iii)–Cp*-(imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)phenol analogues as hypoxia active, GSH-resistant cancer cytoselective and mitochondria-targeting cancer stem cell therapeutic agents
Authors: Kar Binoy , Shanavas Shanooja , Nagendra Apoorva H. , Das Utpal , Roy Nilmadhab , Pete Sudhindra , Sharma S Ajay , De Sourav , Kumar S K Ashok , Vardhan Seshu , Sahoo Suban K. , Panda Debashis , Shenoy Sudheer , Bose Bipasha , Paira Priyankar
Published: March 2022

GSH-resistant, hypoxia active iridium(iii)–Cp*-(imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)phenol complexes were developed as highly cytoselective anticancer agents and mitochondria-targeting CSC therapeutic agents.
Synthesis of 1-pyrroline derivatives via cyclization of terminal alkynes with 2-azaallyls
Authors: Zi Quanxing , Cong Jielun , Li Lun , Yin Meng , Zhao Jingfeng , Li Liang , Yang Xiaodong
Published: March 2022

A transition-metal-free synthesis of 1-pyrroline derivatives via the cyclization of terminal alkynes with 2-azaallyls is presented, which provides an efficient method for the synthesis of medicinally polysubstituted and functionalized pyrrolines.
N-doping induced lattice-strained porous PdIr bimetallene for pH-universal hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis
Authors: Mao Qiqi , Deng Kai , Wang Wenxin , Wang Peng , Xu You , Wang Ziqiang , Li Xiaonian , Wang Liang , Wang Hongjing
Published: March 2022

Porous N-PdIr bimetallene was synthesized by an efficient and universal two-step method for pH-universal hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis.
Case Study: Using H5P to design and deliver interactive laboratory practicals
Authors: Unsworth Amanda J. , Posner Mareike G.
Published: March 2022

We describe the use of HTML5P (H5P) content collaboration framework to deliver an interactive, online alternative to an assessed laboratory practical on the Biomedical Cell Biology unit at the Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K. H5P is free, open-source technology to deliver bespoke interactive, self-paced online sessions. To determine if the use of H5P affected learning and student attainment, we compared the student grades among three cohorts: the 18/19 cohort who had ‘wet’ laboratory classes, the 19/20 cohort who had ‘wet’ laboratory classes with additional video support and the 20/21 cohort who had the H5P alternative. Our analysis shows that students using the H5P were not at a disadvantage to students who had ‘wet’ laboratory classes with regard to assessment outcomes. Student feedback, mean grade attained and an upward trend in the number of students achieving first-class marks (≥70%), indicate H5P may enhance students’ learning experience and be a valuable learning source augmenting traditional practical classes in the future.
Test Your Health at Home: Comparing Online Screening Tests of Hearing, Cognition, and Cardiovascular Health
Authors: Goodwin Maria V. , Hogervorst Eef , Maidment David W.
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which validated online screening measures of cognitive impairment, psychosocial well-being, and cardiovascular health are associated with a validated hearing screener in a sample of adults based in the United Kingdom.

Method:

Sixty-one adults (43 female;
M
age
= 44.7 years) participated in a cross-sectional study delivered remotely. Participants completed the hearWHO smartphone application, a digits-in-noise hearing screener, and the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-M), a screening tool for cognitive impairment. Psychosocial well-being (social isolation and loneliness) and cardiovascular health were assessed through self-report.

Results:

Separate independent analyses of variance, with age, gender, and education as covariates, demonstrated participants who failed the hearWHO screener had poorer scores on the TICS-M, engaged in less physical activity, and reported more sedentary behavior and greater social isolation. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that lower TICS-M scores, having obtained less education, identifying as female, and reporting greater sedentary behavior and social isolation were the strongest predictors of lower hearWHO scores.

Conclusions:

The results from this study suggest that poorer hearing, as measured by the hearWHO screener, is independently associated with having worse cognitive function, more time spent being sedentary, and greater social isolation. Thus, this study demonstrates the potential of online screening measures to identify additional health conditions that confer risk to chronic disease as hearing loss manifests. This could help to inform the development of tailored treatment and support to improve an individual's readiness to seek help for and manage both their general and hearing health.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19251956
Individual Differences in the Development of Gendered Speech in Preschool Children: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Munson Benjamin , Lackas Natasha , Koeppe Kiana
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

We evaluated whether naive listeners' ratings of the gender typicality of the speech of children assigned male at birth (AMAB) and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) were different at two time points: one at which children were 2.5–3.5 years old and one when they were 4.5–5.5 years old. We also examined whether measures of speech, language, and inhibitory control predicted developmental changes in these ratings.

Method:

A group of adults (
N
= 80) rated single-word productions of 55 AMAB and 55 AFAB children on a continuous scale from “definitely a boy” to “definitely a girl.” Children's productions were taken from previous longitudinal study of phonological development and vocabulary growth. As part of that study, children completed a battery of standardized and nonstandardized tests at both time points.

Results:

Listener ratings for AMAB and AFAB children were significantly different at both time points. The difference was larger at the later time point, and this was due entirely to changes in the ratings of AMAB children's speech. A measure of language production and a measure of inhibitory control predicted developmental changes in these ratings, albeit only weakly, and not in a consistent direction.

Conclusions:

The gender typicality of AMAB and AFAB children's speech is perceptibly different for children as young as 2.5 years old. Developmental changes in perceived gender typicality are driven by changes in the speech of AMAB children. The learning of gendered speech is not constrained or facilitated by overall speech and language skill.
A Midsagittal-View Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Growth and Involution of the Adenoid Mass and Related Changes in Selected Velopharyngeal Structures
Authors: Perry Jamie L. , Haenssler Abigail E. , Kotlarek Katelyn J. , Fang Xiangming , Middleton Shea , Mason Robert , Kuehn David P.
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The adenoids, or pharyngeal tonsils, consist of a pad of lymphoid tissue, located on the posterior pharyngeal wall of the nasopharynx. During childhood, the adenoid pad serves as a contact site for the soft palate to assist with velopharyngeal closure during oral speech. During adenoidal involution, most children are able to maintain appropriate velopharyngeal closure necessary for normal speech resonance. The purpose of this study is to determine age-related trends of normal adenoid growth and involution from infancy through adulthood.

Method/Description:

Lateral view magnetic resonance imaging was used to analyze velopharyngeal variables among 270 participants, between 3 months and 34 years of age. The velopharyngeal measures of interest included velar length, effective velar length, pharyngeal depth, adenoid height, adenoid thickness, adenoid depth, and adenoid area. Participants were divided into four age groups for statistical comparison.

Results:

There was a statistically significant difference (
p
< .05) in all linear and area measurements between the four age groups. Adenoid depth reached peak growth at age 4 years, whereas adenoid height and adenoid thickness peaked at 8 years of age. Qualitatively, adenoid growth progresses in an anterior and inferior direction whereas involution occurs in a posterior and superior direction.

Conclusions:

This study contributes to the knowledge of time specific changes across an age span for adenoid growth and involution and presents a visualization of the shape and growth trends of adenoids. A new sequence of involution is reported beginning first with adenoid depth, followed by adenoid height at a slightly faster rate than adenoid thickness.
A novel spoke‐type PM motor with asymmetric rotor for low torque pulsation under MTPA control condition
Authors: Liu Zeyu , Hu Yan , Zhang Bingyi , Feng Guihong , Wu Jiacheng
Published: March 2022

This article presents a novel asymmetric spoke‐type rotor structure. It is used to reduce rotor magnetic flux leakage, torque ripple and no‐load back‐EMF distortion rate while increasing the motor output torque. The traditional method of optimizing torque pulsation is the inverse cosine function, which gives a sinusoidal distribution of the air‐gap magnetic field under no‐load conditions of the motor. The fundamental wave magnetic field of the air‐gap synthetic magnetic field under the load is offset from the no‐load air‐gap magnetic field. This paper presents the design theory and method of the new type of the asymmetric rotor. Asymmetric spatial harmonics are introduced to the rotor so that the motor has a sinusoidal distribution of the rated load air‐gap field under MTPA control. In order to verify the superiority of the new rotor, the performance of four different spoke‐type rotor structure motors under the same pole‐slot combination was compared. Finally, an experimental prototype is built to verify the theoretical reliability against the design of this paper.
Ovalbumin loaded CuS nanoparticle for tumour modulation and enhanced immunotherapy of osteosarcoma
Authors: Cui Xintao , Rong Jiesheng , Cong Chunlei
Published: March 2022

The CuS nanoparticle was firstly synthesized and then loaded with ovalbumin (OVA) as a platform (CuS/OVA) for combination of photothermal and immunogenic therapy of osteosarcoma. The CuS with photothermal activity was able to generate heat under laser irradiation to kill cancer cells. Moreover, the enzymatic activity was shown to exert the potential to catalyse the degradation of H2O2 in the tumour microenvironment to alleviate the hypoxia condition. Due to this tumour modulation effect, the delivered antigen OVA can be effectively presented to the dendritic cell (DC) for enhanced immunotherapy of osteosarcoma.
Robust control strategies for a two‐stage soft‐switching heating power supply of silicon growth furnace
Authors: Guo Xin
Published: March 2022

As a key element of the silicon growth furnace, the heating power supply plays an important role to form the required thermal field for mono‐silicon growth. The performance of the heating power supply system is critical to implement the function, which is determined by both hardware topology and control strategies. In this paper, a novel two‐stages soft‐switching power supply topology is employed to improve the efficiency of the power supply system. Meanwhile, the robust control methods are proposed for both stages converter to achieve high power factor (PF), low total harmonic distortion (THD) and stable output DC voltage under parameters uncertainty or load perturbation. The simulation and experiment results show the correctness of analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed methods. The robust control strategies combined with the advanced soft switching topology improve the system performance for the practical applications.
Performance of coherent‐state quantum target detection in the context of asymmetric hypothesis testing
Authors: Spedalieri Gaetana , Pirandola Stefano
Published: March 2022

Due to the difficulties of implementing joint measurements, quantum illumination schemes that are based on signal‐idler entanglement are difficult to implement in practice. For this reason, one may consider quantum‐inspired designs of quantum lidar/radar where the input sources are semi‐classical (coherent states) while retaining the quantum aspects of the detection. The performance of these designs could be studied in the context of asymmetric hypothesis testing by resorting to the quantum Stein’s lemma. However, here the authors discuss that, for typical finite‐size regimes, the second‐ and third‐order expansions associated with this approach are not sufficient to prove quantum advantage.
Interferometric ISAR imaging under squint model using phase cancellation compensation method of combined processing data
Authors: Tian Biao , Chen Chengzeng , Liu Yang , Guo Rui
Published: March 2022

This paper proposes a new interferometric inverse synthetic aperture radar (InISAR) image registration method under squint model based on phase cancellation compensation of combined processing data. Firstly, the residue translational motion component (RTMC) in range profile and the mismatching in the ISAR images induced by joint motion compensation with the same parameters to each antenna are analysed. Then, the RTMC compensation is applied to re‐align the range profile sequences of the received antenna. The phase cancellation compensation is carried out to eliminate the mismatching in the range and azimuth direction, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that the mismatching between the ISAR images can be compensated effectively, achieving high quality InISAR 3D images consequently.
Observational constraints on gas disc sizes in the protoplanetary discs of multiple systems in the Taurus region
Authors: Rota A. A. , Manara C. F. , Miotello A. , Lodato G. , Facchini S. , Koutoulaki M. , Herczeg G. , Long F. , Tazzari M. , Cabrit S. , Harsono D. , Ménard F. , Pinilla P. , van der Plas G. , Ragusa E. , Yen H.-W.
Published: March 2022

The formation of multiple stellar systems is a natural by-product of the star-formation process, and its impact on the properties of protoplanetary discs and on the formation of planets is not yet fully understood. To date, no detailed uniform study of the gas emission from a sample of protoplanetary discs around multiple stellar systems has been performed. Here we analyse new ALMA observations of the molecular CO gas emission at a ~21 au resolution, specifically targeting discs in eight multiple stellar systems in the Taurus star-forming regions. 12CO gas emission is detected around all primaries and in seven companions. With these data, we estimate the inclination and the position angle (PA) for all primary discs and for five secondary or tertiary discs, and measure the gas disc radii of these objects with a cumulative flux technique on the spatially resolved zeroth moment images. When considering the radius, including 95% of the flux as a metric, the estimated size of the gas disc in multiple stellar systems is found to be on average ~4.2 times larger than the size of the dust disc. This ratio is higher than what was recently found in a population of more isolated and single systems. On the contrary, when considering the radius including 68% of the flux, no difference between multiple and single discs is found in the distribution of ratios. This discrepancy is due to the sharp truncation of the outer dusty disc observed in multiple stellar systems. The measured sizes of gas discs are consistent with tidal truncation models in multiple stellar systems assuming eccentricities of ~0.15–0.5, as expected in typical binary systems.
Funktionelle Neuroanatomie der Depression
Authors: Kammer Thomas
Published: March 2022

Zur funktionellen Neuroanatomie der Depression gehört schon lange die Einsicht, dass es kein „Depressionszentrum“ gibt, sondern vielmehr Bereiche von grauer Substanz (kortikale Areale und subkortikale Kerne), die durch Nervenfaserbündel verbunden sind und daher oft als „Netzwerke“ oder „Schaltkreise“ bezeichnet werden. In den letzten Jahrzehnten ist es besonders durch die funktionelle Bildgebung möglich geworden, diese Netzwerke sowohl bei gesunden Probanden als auch bei Patienten mit Depression darzustellen, und Änderungen in der funktionellen Verknüpfung der Netzwerke zu identifizieren, die im Zusammenhang mit der Psychopathologie stehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist auch das Verständnis gewachsen, wie Hirnstimulationsverfahren wie die tiefe Hirnstimulation (THS) oder die repetitive transkranielle Magnetstimulation (rTMS) durch Modulation der Netzwerkfunktion ihre therapeutische Wirkung entfalten. In einem Rückblick wird die Entwicklung der funktionellen Bildgebung sowie der Hirnstimulationsverfahren nachgezeichnet und es werden aktuelle Entwicklungen des Einsatzes dieser Verfahren erörtert. Neuere Studien zur rTMS-Behandlung postulieren, dass der optimale Stimulationsort in Abhängigkeit von der psychopathologischen Ausprägung der Depression ausgewählt werden kann, unter Berücksichtigung der veränderten Konnektivität. Im Bereich der THS ist ein Fallbericht erschienen, in dem zunächst ein Mapping mit 10 implantierten Elektroden durchgeführt wurde. Verschiedene Stimulationsorte haben zu reproduzierbaren instantanen Veränderungen der Psychopathologie geführt. Die Patientin ist nun mit einer Closed-loop-Stimulation chronisch versorgt, die über Aktivität der rechten Amygdala geregelt wird.
Leveraging Potential of Nanotherapeutics in Management of Diabetic
Foot Ulcer
Authors: Pandey Supriya , Shaif Mohammad , Ansari Tarique M , Shamim Arshiya , Kushwaha Poonam
Published: March 2022

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are the most common complications associated with
diabetes mellitus. DFUs are displayed as open sores or wounds located on the
bottom of the foot as a secondary complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). DFUs
are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and can subsequently
lead to hospitalization and lower limb amputation if not recognized and treated
on time. An immense challenge to conventional treatments is caused by the
chronic nature of diabetic foot syndrome and it has led to the emergence of
nanotechnology-based therapeutics. The greatest advantages of these
nanotherapeutics are their unique biological, chemical, and physical properties.
The present review highlights the augmentation of bacterial infections relating
to delayed healing of DFUs and the potential of nanotherapeutics such as
polymeric nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, siRNA-based nanoparticles,
lipid nanoparticles, and nanofibers in accelerating wound healing in diabetic
foot ulcers.
Using Restricted Bond Rotations to Enforce Excited-State Behavior of Organic Molecules
Authors: Sivaguru Jayaraman , Kandappa Sunil Kumar , Ahuja Sapna , Singathi Ravichandranath , Valloli Lakshmy Kannadi , Baburaj Sruthy , Parthiban Jayachandran
Published: March 2022

This account highlights the role of restricted bond rotations in influencing the excited-state reactivity of organic molecules. It highlights the photochemical reactivity of various organic molecules and the design strategies that could be exploited by chemists to utilize restricted bond rotations to uncover new excited-state reactivity and to achieve selectivity.

1 Introduction.

2 NEER-Principle and Restricted Bond Rotations in the Excited State

3 [2+2]-Photocycloaddition of Enamides

4 [3+2]-Photocycloaddition vs. Paternò–Büchi Reaction of Enamides

5 Divergent Photoreactivity of Enones Dictated by Restricted Bond Rotations: Norrish–Yang reactions vs. 6π-Photocyclization

6 Divergent Photoreactivity of Imides with Alkenes: [2+2]-Photocycloaddition vs. Photoene Reaction

7 Summary and Outlook
Combined Anticoagulant Therapy for Prevention of Preeclampsia and Small for Gestational Age Neonates: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Kontovazainitis Christos-Georgios , Gialamprinou Dimitra , Katsaras Georgios N. , Pouliakis Abraham , Theodoridis Theodoros , Mitsiakos Georgios
Published: March 2022

Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) aims to compare the efficacy of combining low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and aspirin against aspirin alone in preventing preeclampsia (PE) and small for gestational age (SGA) neonates in women at moderate and high risks.

Study Design The included studies were nonrandomized and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) enrolling women at moderate and high risks for developing preeclampsia. PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Grey literature (including ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched.

Results Out of 4,762 records, 7 nonrandomized studies and 12 RCTs (enrolling 545 and 1,677 women, respectively) were selected. Although the studies were clinically heterogeneous, the conduction of quantitative analysis was feasible. Regarding RCTs, the odds of early-onset preeclampsia was reduced by 89% (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01–0.93, p = 0.04) in women with thrombophilia, the incidence of SGA neonates below the 5th percentile by 48% (pooled OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28–0.96, p = 0.04) in women with a history of preeclampsia and/or SGA neonates, and the incidence of SGA neonates below the 10th percentile by 31% (pooled OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50–0.96, p = 0.03) in the whole population.

Conclusion Concerning the whole studied population, combined anticoagulant therapy is not superior to aspirin alone. However, it may be more effective in preventing early-onset preeclampsia regarding women with thrombophilia, SGA neonates below the 5th percentile regarding women with a history of preeclampsia and/or SGA, and SGA neonates below the 10th percentile in moderate- or high-risk women. The above mixed but promising results need to be envisaged with caution due to the clinical heterogeneity of the included studies which is the main limitation of our research. Nevertheless, the strict and narrow inclusion search criteria, and the appropriate subgroup analysis are its main strengths. More RCTs with homogeneous populations and stricter inclusion criteria are needed to confirm these results.

Key Points
Discontinuation of Oxytocin in the Second Stage of Labor and its Association with Postpartum Hemorrhage
Authors: MacGregor Caitlin , Plunkett Beth , Adams Marci , Silver Richard
Published: March 2022

Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate whether patients with oxytocin discontinued during the second stage of labor (≥30 minutes prior to delivery) had a lower rate of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) compared with those with oxytocin continued until delivery or discontinued <30 minutes prior to delivery.

Study Design Retrospective cohort study was performed from August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2019. Singleton pregnancies of 24 to 42 weeks gestation were included if they reached the second stage of labor and received oxytocin during labor. Patients on anticoagulants were excluded. Patients with oxytocin discontinued ≥30 minutes prior to delivery represented STOPPED and those with oxytocin continued until delivery or discontinued <30 minutes prior to delivery represented CONTINUED. Patient data were abstracted from the electronic medical record. The primary outcome was PPH (≥1,000 mL blood loss). Univariable analyses were performed to compare groups. Multi-variable logistic regression was performed to adjust for prespecified confounders. Planned sub-group analyses by the route of delivery were performed.

Results Of 10,421 total patients, 1,288 had oxytocin STOPPED and 9,133 had oxytocin CONTINUED. There were no significant differences in age, race, or ethnicity, body mass index, public insurance, gestational diabetes, or pregnancy-induced hypertension between STOPPED and CONTINUED. The PPH rate was 15.2 and 5.7% in STOPPED and CONTINUED, respectively (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, STOPPED remained at higher odds for PPH (adjusted odds ratio 2.859, 95% confidence interval 2.394, 3.414, p < 0.001). Among cesarean deliveries only, there was no significant difference in the rate of PPH between STOPPED and CONTINUED (38.0 vs. 36.4%, respectively, p = 0.730). However, among vaginal deliveries, the rate of PPH was actually lower in STOPPED than CONTINUED (3.4 vs. 5.2%, respectively, p = 0.024).

Conclusion The rate of PPH was higher in patients with oxytocin STOPPED compared with CONTINUED. However, among vaginal deliveries, there was a significantly lower rate of PPH in STOPPED. These disparate findings may be explained by the variable impact of second-stage oxytocin on PPH as a function of delivery type.

Key Points
Surgical Treatment Compared to Conservative Treatment in Remission of Pain and Hyposthesia in Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – Systematic Review
Authors: Magalhães Marcelo José da Silva de , Ribeiro Iara Cristina Vieira , Cardoso Márcio de Mendonça , Gepp Ricardo de Amoreira
Published: March 2022

Introduction Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is caused by compression of the posterior tibial nerve.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of surgical treatments compared to conservative treatments in reducing the symptoms of the syndrome.

Methods The PubMed, Lilacs, Cochrane Library, and PEDro databases were used for this review.

Results Only 11 articles were selected.

Conclusion The most common causes of TTS identified were presence of ganglia, bone prominence causing a talocalcaneal collision, trauma, varicose and idiopathic veins. The main symptom was pain in the medial plantar region and paresthesia that can radiate to the fingers or to the calf. Most patients have a positive Tinel sign upon physical examination. Electrodiagnostic test usually shows the presence of latency in sensory nerve conduction. There is no consensus suggesting that a longer time between diagnosis and surgical treatment leads to worse prognosis. In the group of operated patients, the ones who benefited most from the procedure were those who had a structure such as ganglion, cysts, or varicosities causing compression. The most cited surgical complications were postsurgical wound infection, wound dehiscence, and calcaneus hypoesthesia. Regarding surgical techniques, the release of the posterior tibial nerve via endoscopy had a favorable outcome in relation to the symptoms of pain and hypoesthesia, with no reports of infection of the operative site in the articles identified in this review. We observed a rate of good or excellent pain control of 68% (n = 204) for open surgery (n = 299), 100% (n = 8) for endoscopic surgery (n = 8), and 7% (n = 2) for conservative treatment (n = 28).
Association of Admission Time and Mortality in STEMI Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Dharma Surya , Kamarullah William , Sabrina Adelia Putri
Published: March 2022

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were admitted during off-hours and treated with primary angioplasty associated with an increased risk of mortality compared with those admitted during regular working hours. We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed, SCOPUS, Europe PMC, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases that was finalized on March 15, 2021. The primary outcome was mortality comprising early (in-hospital), midterm (30 days to 1 year), and long-term mortality (>1 year). A total of 384,452 patients from 56 studies were included. The overall mortality of acute STEMI patients admitted during off-hours and regular hours were 6.1 and 6.7%, respectively. Patients admitted during off-hours had similar risk of early, midterm, and long-term mortality compared to those admitted during regular working hours ([relative risk or RR = 1.07, 95% confidence interval or CI, 1.00–1.14, p = 0.06; I 2 = 45%, p = 0.0009], [RR = 1.00, 95% CI, 0.95–1.05, p = 0.92; I 2 = 13%, p = 0.26], and [RR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.86–1.04, p = 0.26; I 2 = 0%, p = 0.76], respectively). Subgroup analyses indicated that the results were consistent across all subgroups ([women vs. men], [age >65 years vs. ≤65 years], and [Killip classification II to IV vs. Killip I]). Funnel plot was asymmetrical. However, Egger's test suggests no significance of small-study effects (p = 0.19). This meta-analysis showed that patients with acute STEMI who were admitted during off-hours and treated with primary angioplasty had similar risk of early, midterm, and long-term mortality compared with those admitted during regular working hours.
Psychopathological Aspects in Children with Epilepsy and Its Contributing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study from India
Authors: Azad Chandrika , Guglani Vishal , Siddiqui Anam , Singh Sukhvinder
Published: March 2022

Background Children with epilepsy (CWE) are at high risk of psychopathological problems because of neurobiological, social, and treatment factors.

Objectives This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of psychopathological problems in CWE and their contributing factors.

Methods This cross-sectional study was done in pediatric neurology clinic and outpatient department of a government medical college in Northern India. Children between the ages of 4 and 14 years with intelligence quotient > 70 were enrolled; for CWE, the criteria were antiepileptic drugs therapy for more than 6 months and for controls it was being free from any chronic illness. Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule (CPMS) was used for assessing psychopathological problems.

Results A total of 135 CWE and 70 controls were enrolled, groups were similar in respect of age, gender, socioeconomic status, and family history. CWE group had significantly high mean ± standard deviation CPMS scores (13.68 ± 10.57) as compared with controls (9.75 ± 7.97) (p < 0.0001). These scores were particularly high in sectors of low intelligence, conduct disorder, psychotic symptoms, and depression. Academic performance was significantly poor in CWE (39%) versus controls (6%) (p 0.042). Age of onset, duration, type, and etiology of epilepsy had no significant relation with CPMS scores. Polytherapy and treatment with valproate were associated with high CPMS scores (p 0.005 and 0.045).

Conclusion Psychopathological problems are frequently associated with epilepsy in children and antiepileptic drug therapy might contribute to it.