bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meta‐analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies with multiple thresholds: Comparison of different approaches
Authors: Zapf Antonia , Albert Christian , Frömke Cornelia , Haase Michael , Hoyer Annika , Jones Hayley E. , Rücker Gerta
Published: January 2021

Methods for standard meta‐analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies are well established and understood. For the more complex case in which studies report test accuracy across multiple thresholds, several approaches have recently been proposed. These are based on similar ideas, but make different assumptions. In this article, we apply four different approaches to data from a recent systematic review in the area of nephrology and compare the results. The four approaches use: a linear mixed effects model, a Bayesian multinomial random effects model, a time‐to‐event model and a nonparametric model, respectively. In the case study data, the accuracy of neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin for the diagnosis of acute kidney injury was assessed in different scenarios, with sensitivity and specificity estimates available for three thresholds in each primary study. All approaches led to plausible and mostly similar summary results. However, we found considerable differences in results for some scenarios, for example, differences in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of up to 0.13. The Bayesian approach tended to lead to the highest values of the AUC, and the nonparametric approach tended to produce the lowest values across the different scenarios. Though we recommend using these approaches, our findings motivate the need for a simulation study to explore optimal choice of method in various scenarios.
Synthesis, Antibacterial Activity, and Structure–Activity Relationship of Fusaric Acid Analogs
Authors: Zhang Qing‐Yan , Yang Fei‐Yu , Liao Shang‐Gao , Wang Bing , Li Rui , Dong Yong‐Xi , Zhou Meng , Yang Yuan‐Yong , Xu Guo‐Bo
Published: January 2021

Forty‐one fusaric acid analogs possessing a pyridine carboxylic acid scaffold have been synthesized. The antibacterial activity results demonstrated that compounds 5b, 7b, 8c, and 8d displayed strong antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4–16 μg/mL. Molecular docking study indicated that these compounds have strong hydrogen‐bonding interactions with TyrRS. Meanwhile, 8c and 8d showed promising antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027. Compound 4 exhibited pronounced antibacterial activities against a clinically isolated multidrug‐resistant strain of Escherichia coli (MIC: 64 μg/mL as compared 64 μg/mL of levofloxacin and 1024 μg/mL of ceftriaxone sodium). Moreover, compound 17e displayed strong synergistic antibacterial effect with levofloxacin against the multidrug‐resistant strain, decreasing the MIC value of levofloxacin to 1/16 of its original MIC. No obvious cytotoxic activities against LO2 was observed for compounds 4, 5b, 8c, 8d, 17d, and 17e at 50 μM. The preliminary structure–activity relationship of fusaric acid analogs was also discussed.
An experience of automated assessment in a large‐scale introduction programming course
Authors: Zampirolli Francisco A. , Borovina Josko João M. , Venero Mirtha L. F. , Kobayashi Guiou , Fraga Francisco J. , Goya Denise , Savegnago Heitor R.
Published: January 2021

The 2020 pandemic imposed new demands on teaching practices to support student's distance learning process. In this context, automated assessment (AA) is a pivotal resource that offers immediate and automatic feedback on students' programming tasks. Although the literature provides several contributions regarding AA of Programming Exercises (PEs), very few works discuss the automatic generation of personalized PE. This study reports our experience in applying a new proposal for AA‐PE in an Introduction to Programming (IP) course for a large group of students. This proposal's key feature is the ability to apply AA‐PE and parameterized unified exams to different programming languages by using the open‐source tools MCTest and Moodle (with virtual programming lab [VPL] plugin). During the first quarter of 2019, teachers of 19 of 44 IP‐FF (face‐to‐face) classes embraced our approach as a component in their pedagogical intervention. These classes achieved a higher pass rate (67.5%) than those that did not adopt our AA solution (59.1%), whereas the standard deviation was quite the same (22.5% and 21.3%, respectively). Additionally, preliminary results revealed a strong linear correlation (r = .93) between the pass rate and the average grade of the AA‐PE. In IP‐BL (blended learning), two classes used our method in the exams, with 171 students and a pass rate of 70.4%. These results corroborate previous works that continuous assessment combined with immediate feedback can contribute to students' learning process.
One‐stage surgery for both hepatic and left ventricular hydatid cysts using transthoracic route
Authors: Lahdhili Hatem , Lajmi Mokhles , Messaoudi Houssem , Ragmoun Wafa , Chenik Slim
Published: January 2021

Hydatid disease is a major health problem. Multiorgan involvement including the heart and the liver is a very rare presentation. Management of multivisceral hydatidosis through a sole incision should be considered when possible. Median sternotomy is considered in our case.
Eltrombopag and its beneficial role in management of ulcerative Colitis associated with ITP as an upfront therapy case report
Authors: Abdelmahmuod Elabbass A. , Ali Elrazi , Ahmed Mohanad A. , Yassin Mohamed A.
Published: January 2021

Eltrombopag can be used safely as upfront medication in the management of ulcerative colitis as well as ITP, and it showed a beneficial effect in both disorders.
Is it just a simple pneumonia?
Authors: Ferreira Filipa Coroado , Vasconcelos Andreína , Rabadão Tiago , Teixeira Mariana , Aveiro Marcelo , Rodrigues Bárbara
Published: January 2021

Postobstructive pneumonia is a pulmonary infiltrate distal to a bronchial obstruction. It presents a diagnostic challenge, and full attention should be on recognition of this entity, identify, and treating the obstructive lesion and secondary infection. In adults, malignancy is the main cause; however, others etiologies must be investigated.
Optical management in organic photovoltaic devices
Authors: Yang Cheng , Zhao Chao , Sun Yang , Li Qicong , Islam Md. Rasidul , Liu Kong , Wang Zhijie , Qu Shengchun , Wang Zhanguo
Published: January 2021

Due to their potentials in light‐weight, flexible, and semitransparent devices, organic photovoltaics are of great significance in the field of renewable energy. However, the narrow intrinsic absorption spectrum of organic materials hinders the full utilization of solar energy. To fabricate a highly efficient opaque solar cell, it is greatly necessary to modify the optical properties of the device to improve light absorption. In addition, the growing interest in building‐integrated photovoltaics drives the development of semitransparent devices. The preparation of semitransparent solar cells with excellent performance imposes high requirements on the high efficiency and appropriate visible light transmittance of effective optical management. In this review, the recent research progress of optical management in organic photovoltaics is reviewed, including the design of light‐absorbing materials, the modification of different layers, adding a light‐trapping structure, and changing the light absorption capabilities of specific materials, so as to provide strategies of how to improve the performance of organic photovoltaic devices and present the prospect of the area.
Luminescent PMMA Films and PMMA@SiO2 Nanoparticles with Embedded Ln3+ Complexes for Highly Sensitive Optical Thermometers in the Physiological Temperature Range**
Authors: Mara Dimitrije , Kaczmarek Anna M. , Artizzu Flavia , Abalymov Anatolii , Skirtach Andre G. , Van Hecke Kristof , Van Deun Rik
Published: January 2021

In recent years, luminescent materials doped with Ln3+ ions have attracted much attention for their application as optical thermometers based on both downshifting and upconversion processes. This study presents research done on the development of highly sensitive optical thermometers in the physiological temperature range based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films doped with two series of visible Ln3+ complexes (Ln3+=Tb3+, Eu3+, and Sm3+) and SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) coated with these PMMA films. The best performing PMMA film doped with Tb3+ and Eu3+ complexes was the PMMA[TbEuL1tppo]1 film (L1=4,4,4‐trifluoro‐1‐phenyl‐1,3‐butadionate; tppo=triphenylphosphine oxide), which showed good temperature sensing of Sr=4.21 % K−1 at 313 K, whereas for the PMMA films doped with Tb3+ and Sm3+ complexes the best performing was the PMMA[TbSmL2tppo]3 film (L2=4,4,4‐trifluoro‐1‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐1,3‐butadionate), with Sr=3.64 % K−1 at 313 K. Additionally, SiO2 NPs coated with the best performing films from each of the series of PMMA films (Tb–Eu and Tb–Sm) and their temperature‐sensing properties were studied in water, showing excellent performance in the physiological temperature range (PMMA[TbEuL1tppo]1@SiO2: Sr=3.84 % °C at 20 °C; PMMA[TbSmL2tppo]3@SiO2: Sr=3.27 % °C at 20 °C) and the toxicity of these nanoparticles on human cells was studied, showing that they were nontoxic.
Single‐Point Mutant Inverts the Stereoselectivity of a Carbonyl Reductase toward β‐Ketoesters with Enhanced Activity
Authors: Li Aipeng , Wang Ting , Tian Qing , Yang Xiaohong , Yin Dongming , Qin Yong , Zhang Lianbing
Published: January 2021

Enzyme stereoselectivity control is still a major challenge. To gain insight into the molecular basis of enzyme stereo‐recognition and expand the source of antiPrelog carbonyl reductase toward β‐ketoesters, rational enzyme design aiming at stereoselectivity inversion was performed. The designed variant Q139G switched the enzyme stereoselectivity toward β‐ketoesters from Prelog to antiPrelog, providing corresponding alcohols in high enantiomeric purity (89.1–99.1 % ee). More importantly, the well‐known trade‐off between stereoselectivity and activity was not found. Q139G exhibited higher catalytic activity than the wildtype enzyme, the enhancement of the catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) varied from 1.1‐ to 27.1‐fold. Interestingly, the mutant Q139G did not lead to reversed stereoselectivity toward aromatic ketones. Analysis of enzyme–substrate complexes showed that the structural flexibility of β‐ketoesters and a newly formed cave together facilitated the formation of the antiPrelog‐preferred conformation. In contrast, the relatively large and rigid structure of the aromatic ketones prevents them from forming the antiPrelog‐preferred conformation.
(o‐Phenylenediamino)borylstannanes: Efficient Reagents for Borylation of Various Alkyl Radical Precursors
Authors: Suzuki Kensuke , Nishimoto Yoshihiro , Yasuda Makoto
Published: January 2021

Invited for the cover of this issue are Kensuke Suzuki, Yoshihiro Nishimoto and Makoto Yasuda from Osaka University. The image depicts a circus trapeze act, with different elements of the picture representing components of the borylation reaction reported in this work. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202004692.
Im Innern der Glasnadeln
Authors: Groß Michael
Published: January 2021

Silicateine sind seit über 20 Jahren als Enzyme der Biomineralisation von Siliciumdioxid bekannt, haben sich aber der Kristallisation im Labor und damit der Strukturanalyse widersetzt. Jetzt konnten Forscher die Struktur anhand von natürlichen Kristallen im Innern der Glasnadeln von Schwämmen ermitteln.
Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Steroidal Glycoconjugates as Potential Antiproliferative Agents
Authors: Du Zhichao , Li Guolong , Ge Haixia , Zhou Xiaoyang , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2021

To systematically evaluate the impact of neoglycosylation upon the anticancer activities and selectivity of steroids, four series of neoglycosides of diosgenin, pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone and estrone were designed and synthesized according to the neoglycosylation approach. The structures of all the products were elucidated by NMR analysis, and the stereochemistry of C20‐MeON‐pregnenolone was confirmed by crystal X‐ray diffraction. The compounds′ cytotoxicity on five human cancer cell lines was evaluated using a Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay, and structure–activity relationships (SAR) are discussed. 2‐deoxy‐d‐glucoside 5 k displayed the most potent antiproliferative activities against HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 1.5 μM. Further pharmacological experiments on compound 5 k on HepG2 cells revealed that it could cause morphological changes and cell‐cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and then induced the apoptosis, which might be associated with the enhanced expression of high‐mobility group Box 1 (HMGB1). Taken together, these findings prove that the neoglycosylation of steroids could be a promising strategy for the discovery of potential antiproliferative agents.
Metabolic syndrome risk components and mortality after triple‐negative breast cancer diagnosis in postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Pan Kathy , Mortimer Joanne , Chlebowski Rowan T. , Luo Juhua , Yan Jessica E. , Yost Susan E. , Kroenke Candyce H. , Adams‐Campbell Lucile , Nassir Rami , Sun Yangbo , Shadyab Aladdin H. , Vitolins Mara Z. , Saquib Nazmus , Wild Robert A. , Manson JoAnn E. , Nelson Rebecca A.
Published: January 2021

Background

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a high recurrence risk and poor clinical outcomes. Associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk components and mortality in postmenopausal women with TNBC were examined in the Women's Health Initiative.

Methods

Five hundred forty‐four postmenopausal women were diagnosed with nonmetastatic TNBC. Baseline risk components included a high waist circumference (≥88 cm), high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes. Groups were categorized by the number of MetS risk components: none, 1 or 2, or 3 or 4. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) across groups were computed with multivariable adjusted Cox models. Outcomes included breast cancer–specific mortality and breast cancer overall mortality (breast cancer followed by death from any cause). Variables in the multivariable model included age at TNBC diagnosis; race/ethnicity; income; education; clinical/observational trial status; history of oral contraceptive, hormone, and/or statin use; cancer stage; and chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment status.

Results

Of the 544 participants with TNBC, 33% had no MetS risk components (n = 178), 59% had 1 or 2 risk components (n = 323), and 8% had 3 or 4 risk components (n = 43). After a median follow‐up from diagnosis of 8.3 years, multivariable results showed that women with 3 or 4 risk components had a nonsignificantly higher risk of breast cancer mortality (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 0.94‐4.47 trend P = .114) and a significantly higher risk of overall mortality (HR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.22‐3.71; trend P = .006) versus women with 0 risk components.

Conclusions

Postmenopausal women with TNBC and 3 or 4 MetS risk components have a nonsignificantly higher breast cancer mortality risk and a significantly higher overall mortality risk, likely because of negative influences of metabolic risk factors on several causes of death.
A new efficient multi‐task applications mapping for three‐dimensional Network‐on‐Chip based MPSoC
Authors: Gaffour Khadidja , Benhaoua Mohammed Kamel , Benyamina Abou El Hassan , Singh Amit Kumar
Published: January 2021

Three‐dimensional Network‐on‐Chip (3D NoC) is a promising solution for solving 2D NoC problems while optimizing the system's performance. Mapping applications in 3D NoC is a crucial step as it has a significant impact on overall system performance. Moreover, multi‐task supported processing elements (PEs) are needed to run multiple applications and provide more scalability. Most of the existing 3D mapping approaches consider only the single‐task platform. In this paper, we propose an efficient multi‐task mapping algorithm targeting regular 3D NoC that allows an incremental mapping and parallel execution of many applications onto different partitions on the 3D NoC. The proposed mapping algorithm is composed of three main steps aiming to reduce the communications overhead, exploiting the benefits of vertical links and improving the performances. The algorithm has been evaluated with various random and realistic benchmarks and compared with existing mapping algorithms for 3D NoC. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed mapping strategy achieves significant performance in terms of communication cost, energy consumption and execution time.
Cover Feature: DFT and IsoStar Analyses to Assess the Utility of σ‐ and π‐Hole Interactions for Crystal Engineering (2/2021)
Authors: Jonathan Mooibroek Tiddo
Published: January 2021

The front cover artwork is is provided by Tiddo J. Mooibroek. The image shows the IsoStar distributions of carbonyl fragments around several σ‐ and π‐hole donors. Such analyses and DFT calculations were used to assess the utility of several σ‐/π‐hole interactions for crystal engineering. Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/cphc.202000927.
Stem Cell−Laden Coaxially Electrospun Fibrous Scaffold for Regenerative Engineering Applications
Authors: Nagiah Naveen , Franchi Federico , Peterson Karen , Rodriguez‐Porcel Martin
Published: January 2021

Stem cell−based therapies for various ailments have attracted significant attention for over a decade. However, low retention of transplanted cells at the damaged site has hindered their potential for use in therapy. Tissue engineered grafts with fibrillar structures mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) can be potentially used to increase the retention and engraftment of stem cells at the damaged site. Moreover, these grafts may also provide mechanical stability at the damaged site to enhance function and regeneration. Among all the methods to produce fibrillar structures developed in recent years, electrospinning is a simple and versatile method to produce fibrous structures ranging from a few nanometers to micrometers. Coaxial electrospinning enables production of a mechanically stable core with a cell‐binding sheath for enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation. Furthermore, this process provides an alternative to functionalized engineered scaffolds with specific compositions. The present article describes the protocol for developing a polycaprolactone (PCL) core and gelatin/gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) sheath laden with stem cells for various regenerative engineering applications. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

This article was corrected on 18 July 2022. See the end of the full text for details.

Basic Protocol 1: Uniaxial PCL electrospinning

Basic Protocol 2: Coaxial electrospinning

Support Protocol 1: Scaffold characterization for Basic Protocols 1 and 2

Basic Protocol 3: Cell seeding on uniaxial and coaxial electrospun scaffolds and MTS assay

Support Protocol 2: Preparation of scaffold with cells for scanning electron microscopy
Phase Transition and Dielectric Response Originating from Disorder‐Order Transition in the In‐Based Organic‐Inorganic Hybrid Material [NH3(CH2)5NH3][InCl5(H2O)] ⋅ H2O
Authors: Zhang Yin‐Qiang , Li Min , Xu Guan‐Cheng
Published: January 2021

The new organic‐inorganic hybrid material [NH3(CH2)5NH3][InCl5(H2O)] ⋅ H2O (1) was successfully synthesized and the reversible phase transition with Curie temperature of 239.2 K was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement. Moreover, the variable‐temperature single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that the title compound crystallizes in the Pnma at 280 K. As the temperature drops below Tc, the space group of 1 transforms to the P21/n. Structural analyses reveal that the disorder‐order transformation of the organic [NH3(CH2)5NH3]2+ cation accounts for the phase transition of compound 1. And the dielectric property shows an anomaly near Tc as well. These findings will promote the exploration and construction of the indium(III) based phase transition materials.
Synthesis of (±)‐epi‐Jungianol by the Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Propargyl Claisen Rearrangement/Hydroarylation Cascade Reaction of Propargyl Vinyl Ethers
Authors: Rinaldi Antonia , Langé Vittoria , Scarpi Dina , Occhiato Ernesto G.
Published: January 2021

The synthesis of (±)‐epi‐jungianol was successfully carried out by the gold(I)‐catalyzed propargyl Claisen rearrangement/hydroarylation cascade reaction of suitably substituted propargyl vinyl ethers as the key step to form the indane skeleton. Two routes were compared, which involved substrates with a different degree of substitution on the vinyl moiety. The one based on a propargyl vinyl ether bearing an unsubstituted vinyl moiety, despite entailing two additional steps, provided the final compound in a higher overall yield. A method for the preparation of acid sensitive propargyl vinyl ethers with an α‐alkyl‐substituted vinyl moiety and their reactivity under gold catalysis is also reported.
Enhancement of heat extraction from solar ponds by using twisted coil‐tubes
Authors: J.H. Rawa Muhyaddin , A. Al‐Turki Yusuf , H. Abu‐Hamdeh Nidal , Khoshvaght‐Aliabadi Morteza , Alimoradi Ashkan
Published: January 2021

Generally, coil‐tubes are utilized to extract heat from solar ponds. There are different coil‐tubes in which their thermal and hydraulic characteristics depend on configuration and geometrical parameters. In this study, the performance of three well‐known coil‐tubes, namely helical, colubrine, and spiral, as the core of solar ponds is investigated at both smooth and twisted forms. Moreover, different levels of coil‐pitches and twist‐lengths are examined to explore the effects of geometrical parameters. First, the validity of the results is checked by the previous correlations proposed for the coil‐tubes. A good agreement is found, so that the average absolute deviation is about 6%. The results show that the heat extraction is affected by the configuration of coil‐tubes so that at the same geometrical parameters and operating conditions, the highest values are obtained for the spiral coil‐tube and the helical and colubrine coil‐tubes come in the second and third, respectively. It is found that, in all cases, twisting walls lead to higher rates of heat extraction. The enhancement range for the helical, colubrine, and spiral coil‐tubes is 0.3–19.8%, 0.3–46.1%, and 0.6–27.0%, respectively. At the same time, the pumping power augments in the range of 1.0–31.7%, 0.6–70.1%, and 0.4–43.5%. Furthermore, the models with lower level of coil‐pitch and twist‐length provide higher values of heat extraction and pumping power. At the considered ranges, the greatest overall performance is obtained for the colubrine coil‐tube with high coil‐pitch and twist‐length, which presents the performance index of 1.14.
Validation of brownie baking step for controlling Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Unger Phoebe , Channaiah Lakshmikantha H. , Singh Arshdeep , Singh Sekhon Amninder , Babb Monipel , Yang Yaeseol , Michael Minto
Published: January 2021

Pathogens, such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, can survive under the dry environment of flour for extended periods of time and could multiply when flour is hydrated to prepare batter or dough. Therefore, inactivation of these pathogens during the cooking/baking step is vital to ensure the microbiological safety of bakery products such as brownies. The aim of this research was to validate a simulated commercial baking process as a kill‐step for controlling Salmonella and L. monocytogenes in brownies and to determine thermal inactivation parameters of these pathogens in brownie batter. Independent studies were conducted in a completely randomized design for each pathogen. All‐purpose flour was inoculated with a 5‐serovar Salmonella and 3‐strain L. monocytogenes cocktails. For baking validation, brownie batters were prepared from inoculated flour, and cooked in the oven set at 350°F (176.7°C) for 40 min followed by 15 min of ambient air cooling. For calculating D‐values, brownie batter was transferred into thermal‐death‐time disks, sealed, and placed in hot‐water baths. The samples were held for pre‐determined time intervals in hot‐water baths and immediately transferred to cold‐water baths. Microbial populations were enumerated using injury‐recovery media. At the end of baking, Salmonella and L. monocytogenes populations decreased by 6.3 and 5.9 log CFU/g, respectively. D‐values of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes cocktails were 53.4 and 37.5 min at 64°C; 27.2 and 16.9 min at 68°C; 10.7 and 9.1 min at 72°C; and 4.6 and 7.3 min at 76°C; respectively. The z‐values of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes cocktails were 11.1 and 16.4°C, respectively. This study can be used as a supporting document for the validation of similar brownie baking processes to control Salmonella and L. monocytogenes. The data from this study can also be employed for developing basic prediction models for the survival and thermal resistance of these pathogens during brownie baking step.
Does increasing health care access reduce disability insurance caseloads? Evidence from the rural United States
Authors: Anstreicher Garrett
Published: January 2021

This paper leverages the expansion of the United States' Community Health Center program over the 21st century to investigate whether improved access to health care reduces disability insurance (DI) participation at the county level. I find that the introduction of a health center that specializes in mental health and substance abuse services is associated with a 0.09 to 0.40 percentage point reduction in working‐age DI enrollment in rural counties. A cost‐benefit analysis indicates that the money saved from reduced program participation can account for more than a third of the cost the federal government faces in funding well‐targeted health care access initiatives.
Redefining risk of contralateral cervical nodal disease in early stage oropharyngeal cancer in the human papillomavirus era
Authors: Smith Andrew W. , Gallitto Matthew , Lehrer Eric J. , Wasserman Isaac , Gupta Vishal , Sharma Sonam , Liu Jerry T. , Posner Marshall , Misiukiewicz Krzysztof , Westra William H. , Genden Eric M. , Haidar Yarah , Yao Mike , Teng Marita S. , Miles Brett A. , Bakst Richard L.
Published: January 2021

Background

The optimal extent of surgery and/or radiation to the contralateral lymph node region is unknown in early‐stage human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

Methods

To investigate the pathologic incidence of and risk factors for contralateral nodal disease (CND) in cT1‐T2 HPV‐related OPSCC treated with transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and bilateral neck dissection (BND), the records of 120 patients were reviewed.

Results

Eleven patients displayed pathologic contralateral nodal disease (pCND), including 7.1% of tonsil and 10.9% of base of tongue (BOT) cases. Medial hemistructure involvement and cN2 disease were significantly associated with pCND. Zero cN0 patients had pCND, and on multivariate analysis only cN classification remained significantly associated with pCND. Four percent of BOT patients and 2% of tonsil patients with a well‐lateralized primary and cN0/N1 neck demonstrated pCND.

Conclusions

HPV‐related OPSCC that are cN0‐N1 have exceedingly low rates of pCND. Well‐lateralized HPV‐related BOT primaries with limited clinical nodal disease may be candidates for ipsilateral only treatment.
Role of the reuniens and rhomboid thalamic nuclei in anxiety‐like avoidance behavior in the rat
Authors: Linley Stephanie B. , Athanason Alexandria C. , Rojas Amanda K.P. , Vertes Robert P.
Published: January 2021

The nucleus reuniens (RE) and rhomboid (RH) nuclei of the ventral midline thalamus are reciprocally connected with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus (HF) and serve as key intermediaries between these structures, regulating cognitive and emotional behaviors. Regarding affective behavior, several recent reports have described the involvement of RE/RH in the acquisition and retention of conditioned fear, but little is known regarding their role (RE/RH) in anxiety‐like behaviors. We examined the role of RH/RE on avoidance and defensive behaviors in male Long Evans rats using the elevated plus maze (EPM). We found that the reversible suppression of RE/RH with muscimol increased avoidance behavior to the open arms of the plus maze as shown by: (a) significant reductions in open arm entries; (b) reductions in the mean duration of time spent in the open arms; and (c) significant increases in retreats during open arm exploration. This was coupled with decreases in the number of head dips in the maze. Consistent with these behavioral effects, a single exposure of naïve rats to the plus maze produced significant increases in c‐fos expression selectively in RE and RH of midline thalamic nuclei. We posit that RE/RH normally acts to optimize adaptive responses to anxiety‐eliciting situations, and disruptions of RE/RH produce severe deficits in coping behaviors—or as shown here increases in avoidance/defensive behaviors. In sum, the present results establish a novel role for RE/RH in anxiety‐like avoidance behavior. In addition to its role in attention, working memory, and executive control, RE/RH also regulates adaptative responses to not only fear but also to anxiogenic stimuli. As such, dysfunction of RE/RH may contribute to the amalgamation of symptoms common to many mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD.
Enhancement of condensate water quantity and coefficient of performance of an air conditioning system: An experimental study
Authors: Meher Raghavarapu Satya , Jaikumar Sagari
Published: January 2021

The objective of the present work is to increase the quantity of condensate water from atmospheric air during the air conditioning (A/C) process by using two techniques: increasing moisture content in atmospheric air by adding steam and passing compressed air instead of atmospheric air, respectively. The experiment was performed with both capillary valve and thermostatic expansion valve operations for assessing the volume flow rates (VFRs) of condensate and coefficient of performance (COP) concerning the air A/C arrangement. The control valve operated for the steam supply case was at half valve opening and one‐fourth opening, respectively. The R‐22 refrigerant was used in this study. From this study, it was perceived that the condensate water quantity was increased by adding the moisture to the inlet air for the A/C system simultaneously with the usage of compressed air. Furthermore, the COP of the system was also compared to normal atmospheric air admission conditions. The compressed air and steam admission to the A/C system has shown a tremendous increase in COP together with the VFR of the system rather than atmospheric air admission conditions.
The impact of IFRS complexity on analyst forecast properties: The moderating role of high quality audit
Authors: Miah Muhammad Shahin , Jiang Haiyan , Rahman Asheq , Stent Warwick
Published: January 2021

This paper examines the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards (hereafter IFRS) complexity on analyst forecast properties including forecast errors, forecast dispersion and forecast revision. Because high‐quality audit is likely to moderate the effect of complexity on analyst forecast properties, Industry Specialization (ISP) as a proxy for high quality audit is introduced as a moderating variable in this paper. The complexity of individual IFRS standards is measured based on IFRS reconciliation statements capturing the adjustments on accounts affected by the changes in accounting standards. We analyze 322 companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Our results suggest that all IFRS standards are not equally complex. A few standards are relatively more complex. These standards have a positive effect on analyst forecast errors, forecast dispersion and forecast revision. In addition, we find that high quality audit (proxied by city‐level industry specialist auditors) can mitigate the adverse impact of IFRS complexity on analyst forecast errors but not on forecast dispersion and revision. More interestingly, the mitigating effect of high quality audit is restricted to only a group of companies exposed to a higher level of aggregate IFRS complexity. The findings of our study contribute to the IFRS literature by identifying the most complex accounting standards. Secondly, this study provides an ex‐ante experiment in IFRS adoption, which can be used by adopting countries to understand the impact of IFRS on the analyst forecasts. Finally, our study helps regulators to understand the effects of the complexity of accounting standards on users of financial statements.
RaspberryPi‐Arduino (RPA) powered smart mirrored and reconfigurable IoT facility for plant science research
Authors: Arunachalam Ajay , Andreasson Henrik
Published: January 2021

Continuous monitoring of crops is critical for the sustainability of agriculture. The effects of changes in temperature, light intensity, humidity, pH, soil moisture, gas intensities, etc. have an overall impact on the plant growth. Growth chambers are environmental controlled facilities which needs to be monitored round‐the‐clock. To improve both the reproducibility, and maintenance of such facilities, remote monitoring plays a very pivotal role. An automated re‐configurable & persistent mirrored storage‐based remote monitoring system is developed with low‐cost open source hardwares and softwares. The system automates sensors deployment, storage (database, logs), and provides an elegant dashboard to visualize the real‐time continuous data stream. We propose a new smart AGRO IoT system with robust data acquisition mechanism, and also propose two software component nodes, (i.e., Mirroring and Reconfiguration) running as an instance of the whole IoT facility. The former one is aimed to minimize/avoid the downtime, while the latter one is aimed to leverage the available cores, and better utilization of the computational resources. Our system can be easily deployed in growth chambers, greenhouses, CNC farming test‐bed setup, cultivation plots, and further can be also extended to support large‐farms with either using multiple individual standalone setup as heterogeneous instances of this facility, or by extending it as master‐slave cluster configuration for communication as a single homogeneous instance. Our RaspberryPi‐Arduino (RPA) powered solution is scalable, and provides stability for monitoring any environment continuously at ease.
Push–pull effect to improve the electronic and optical properties of [7] circulene
Authors: Dana Payam , Shamlouei Hamid Reza , Maleki Afsaneh , Shirvan Sadif A.
Published: January 2021

In the present research, an electron donor‐acceptor (push‐pull) compound based on [7] circulene was studied using density functional theory (DFT) methods. The electron donor and acceptor units were attached to [7] circulene to improve optical properties. It was demonstrated that the band gap of [7]circulene molecule was lowered in electron donor and acceptor groups' presence, also the CN‐CIR7‐NHLi and CF3‐CIR7‐NHLi molecules have the lowest values of the band gap. It was observed that the optical properties of [7]circulene molecule was improved in the presence of electron donor and acceptor units. Between these units, the ‐CN and ‐CF3 as electron acceptors and ‐NHLi substituents as electron donor groups have higher enhancements on optical properties of circulene which is corresponding to the results obtained for energy gap values. The electric dipole moment (𝜇D) and the charge transfer, the electronic properties, polarizability (α), and first hyperpolarizability (β) values of the investigated molecules have been also computed. The results of this research may be useful in designing new materials applicable as improved photosensitizer and photodynamic therapy. All calculations and analyses are carried out by using DFT and dependent time DFT (TD‐DFT) with the B3LYP/6–311G (d,p) model in the Gaussian 09 software packages.
Consumers—Especially Women—Avoid Buying From Firms With Higher Gender Pay Gaps
Authors: Schlager Tobias , Mohan Bhavya , DeCelles Katherine , Norton Michael
Published: January 2021

We document a unique driver of consumer behavior: the public disclosure of a firm’s gender pay gap. Four experiments provide causal evidence that when firms are revealed to have gender pay gaps, consumers are less willing to pay for their goods, a reaction driven by consumer perceptions of unfairness. Unlike reactions to CEO‐to‐worker wage gaps, this effect varies by consumers’ gender: Compared to men, women show larger decreases in purchase intentions toward firms with gender pay gaps. Social media data, from before and after the United Kingdom legally mandated many firms to disclose their gender pay gaps, further demonstrate that gender pay gaps correlate with negative consumer reactions; once again, women are more likely than men to express negative sentiments online in response to pay gap‐related topics. Although we show that firms consumers will punish firms with their wallets, we also observe boundary conditions: When decisions incur a sufficient cost to the self—such as when needing a ride‐share when rain is very likely—the negative effects of gender gap disclosure are attenuated.
Antimycotic nail polish based on humic acid‐coated silver nanoparticles for onychomycosis
Authors: Dantas Ketheleen N M , Andrade Lucas R , Lisboa Erika , Santana Victoria L , Santos André L S , Mello Thaís P , Sangenito Leandro S , Lima Álvaro S , Fricks Alini T , Begnami Andreza F , Cano Amanda , Zielinska Aleksandra , Soares Cleide M F , Souto Eliana B , Severino Patrícia
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

The objective of this work was the development of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coated with humic acid (HA) and their incorporation into an enamel for antifungal activity. AgNPs were synthesized by chemical reduction using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and coated with HA. Uncoated AgNPs were synthesized as control. AgNPs and HA‐AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Size of AgNPs and HA‐AgNPs was recorded within the nano range, showing HA‐AgNPs’ higher stability than non‐coated particles by presenting a single plasmatic band around 400 nm.

RESULTS

Thermal analysis showed conjugated endothermic peaks, which confirms the compatibility of HA‐AgNPs. FTIR depicted absorptions between 1300 and 1000 cm−1 (CC, ArH, respectively), demonstrating that HA is adsorbed onto AgNPs. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that HA does not alter the reduction in mass loss of AgNPs, while it was found by XRD that adding HA promoted the formation of more amorphous AgNPs. The effectiveness of HA‐AgNPs was evaluated against three different fungal species. Minimum inhibitory concentration assays showed that ~0.5 mmol L−1 AgNPs was able to inhibit dermatophyte species growth. HA‐AgNPs were incorporated into a commercial enamel at a concentration of 8% and their organoleptic characteristics, drying time, centrifugation test and thermal stress were evaluated. Enamels with AgNPs kept their physicochemical properties over 21 days of storage.

CONCLUSION

HA‐AgNP nail polish is thus proposed as an innovative material for onychomycosis infections. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Investigation of biomass production and harvesting of Isochrysis sp. using experimental design methodologies
Authors: Lee Yu‐Ru , Chen I‐Li , Chen Jen‐Jeng
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Microalgal biodiesel is one of the best promising candidates as an alternative liquid fuel in response to the energy crisis. The timely development of cost‐effective and environmentally friendly culture systems for enhancing microalgae production on a commercial scale is extremely important. In this study, the effects of the process variables temperature, LED light source (blue, white, red), light intensity and aeration rate on biomass production, and the effects of the renewal rate and cycle time on the culture harvest of the marine microalga Isochrysis sp. were investigated using Box–Behnken design (BBD) and central composite design (CCD), respectively.

RESULTS

The biomass productivity and lipid content of Isochrysis sp. significantly depended on temperature. Maximum biomass productivity was achieved under white LED light. The optimal conditions for biomass production of Isochrysis sp. with economic cost and energy consumption were a culture temperature of 35 °C, white LED illumination, light intensity 182 μmol m−2 s−1 and an aeration rate of 1.0 L L−1 min−1. A medium renewal rate of 30% and a culture harvest cycle time of three days resulted in the highest biomass productivity for Isochrysis sp. The respective biomass productivities predicted by the models were in good agreement with the results obtained in photobioreactor experiments.

CONCLUSION

Major factors remarkably influenced the culture conditions and biomass harvesting. The results can offer a promising roadmap for the cost‐effective production of biodiesel using Isochrysis sp. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Edge clique covers in graphs with independence number two
Authors: Charbit Pierre , Hahn Geňa , Kamiński Marcin , Lafond Manuel , Lichiardopol Nicolas , Naserasr Reza , Seamone Ben , Sherkati Rezvan
Published: January 2021

The edge clique cover number of a graph is the size of the smallest collection of complete subgraphs whose union covers all edges of . Chen, Jacobson, Kézdy, Lehel, Scheinerman, and Wang conjectured in 2000 that if is claw‐free, then is bounded above by its order (denoted ). Recently, Javadi and Hajebi verified this conjecture for claw‐free graphs with an independence number at least three. We study the edge clique cover number of graphs with independence number two, which are necessarily claw‐free. We give the first known proof of a linear bound in for for such graphs, improving upon the bou nd of due to Javadi, Maleki, and Omoomi. More precisely we prove that is at most the minimum of and , where is the minimum degree of . In the fractional version of the problem, we improve these upper bounds to . We also verify the conjecture for some specific subfamilies, for example, when the edge packing number with respect to cliques (a lower bound for ) equals , and when contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to where is any fixed graph of order 4.
Subtype‐specific differences in transmission cluster dynamics of HIV‐1 B and CRF01_AE in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Di Giallonardo Francesca , Pinto Angie N , Keen Phillip , Shaik Ansari , Carrera Alex , Salem Hanan , Selvey Christine , Nigro Steven J , Fraser Neil , Price Karen , Holden Joanne , Lee Frederick J , Dwyer Dominic E , Bavinton Benjamin R , Geoghegan Jemma L , Grulich Andrew E , Kelleher Anthony D ,   the NSW HIV Prevention Partnership Project
Published: January 2021

Introduction

The human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV‐1) pandemic is characterized by numerous distinct sub‐epidemics (clusters) that continually fuel local transmission. The aims of this study were to identify active growing clusters, to understand which factors most influence the transmission dynamics, how these vary between different subtypes and how this information might contribute to effective public health responses.

Methods

We used HIV‐1 genomic sequence data linked to demographic factors that accounted for approximately 70% of all new HIV‐1 notifications in New South Wales (NSW). We assessed differences in transmission cluster dynamics between subtype B and circulating recombinant form 01_AE (CRF01_AE). Separate phylogenetic trees were estimated using 2919 subtype B and 473 CRF01_AE sequences sampled between 2004 and 2018 in combination with global sequence data and NSW‐specific clades were classified as clusters, pairs or singletons. Significant differences in demographics between subtypes were assessed with Chi‐Square statistics.

Results

We identified 104 subtype B and 11 CRF01_AE growing clusters containing a maximum of 29 and 11 sequences for subtype B and CRF01_AE respectively. We observed a > 2‐fold increase in the number of NSW‐specific CRF01_AE clades over time. Subtype B clusters were associated with individuals reporting men who have sex with men (MSM) as their transmission risk factor, being born in Australia, and being diagnosed during the early stage of infection (p < 0.01). CRF01_AE infections clusters were associated with infections among individuals diagnosed during the early stage of infection (p < 0.05) and CRF01_AE singletons were more likely to be from infections among individuals reporting heterosexual transmission (p < 0.05). We found six subtype B clusters with an above‐average growth rate (>1.5 sequences / 6‐months) and which consisted of a majority of infections among MSM. We also found four active growing CRF01_AE clusters containing only infections among MSM. Finally, we found 47 subtype B and seven CRF01_AE clusters that contained a large gap in time (>1 year) between infections and may be indicative of intermediate transmissions via undiagnosed individuals.

Conclusions

The large number of active and growing clusters among MSM are the driving force of the ongoing epidemic in NSW for subtype B and CRF01_AE.
Co‐infection of influenza A virus and SARS‐CoV‐2: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Cheng Yuan , Ma Jing , Wang He , Wang Xi , Hu Zhanwei , Li Haichao , Zhang Hong , Liu Xinmin
Published: January 2021

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), has spread across the world and is responsible for over 1,686,267 deaths worldwide. Co‐infection with influenza A virus (IFV‐A) during the upcoming flu season may complicate diagnosis and treatment of COVID‐19. Little is known about epidemiology and outcomes of co‐infection. Data for 213 COVID‐19 patients treated at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan from January 28, 2020 to March 24, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Ninety‐seven of the patients (45.5%) tested positive for anti‐ IFV‐A immunoglobulin M antibodies. The clinical characteristics were described and analyzed for patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection only and patients with SARS‐CoV‐2/IFV‐A co‐infection. Patients with co‐infection showed similar patterns of symptoms and clinical outcomes to patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection only. However, an increased expression of serum cytokines (interleukin‐2R [IL‐2R], IL‐6, IL‐8, and tumor necrosis factor‐α) and cardiac troponin I, and higher incidence of lymphadenopathy were observed in patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection only. Male patients and patients aged less than 60 years in the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection group also had significantly higher computed tomography scores than patients in co‐infection group, indicating that co‐infection with IFV‐A had no effect on the disease outcome but alleviated inflammation in certain populations of COVID‐19 patients. The study will provide a reference for diagnosing and treating IFV‐A and SARS‐CoV‐2 co‐infection cases in the upcoming flu season.