bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 and Social Control
Authors: Chriss James J.
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again brought into relief and tension the delicate balancing act modern governments must strike in assuring individual liberties of its citizens, while at the same time dealing with infectious diseases and other public health risks. It is not clear how best to strike this balance, or how to judge which countries are doing an adequate job and which others are failing (on either or both fronts). What is clear, however, is that by virtue of it being available to the state, public health is based not merely on medical expertise but also on power, insofar as it part of the regulative apparatus of the administrative state which can be implemented by decree at the behest of the executive.
The new Italian emigration between necessity and choice: “Cordless workers” in Athens
Authors: Moffa Grazia
Published: January 2021

Statistics show that the new Italian emigration presents a plurality of directions: alongside the resumption of flows in the direction of the more traditional destinations, there are now migratory currents in the most diverse directions, including areas that are weak or lagging behind Italy. This novelty opens new interesting questions for the sociology of migration. This contribution highlights the necessity to face the study of �mobility� through interpretative approaches capable of grasping the pluralistic material and immaterial �spaces� designed by the new migratory trajectories. Therefore, we explore the South-South direction, which has remained at the margins of research and debate, trying to add a new piece to the increasingly complex picture of the Italian presence abroad. In the first part of the paper we will focus on some theoretical and demographic aspects considered relevant for the study of the new Italian emigration, with the aim of bringing out the complexity of the phenomenon. In the second part, after a brief methodological note, the results of a qualitative research carried out on the new Italian emigration to Athens will be presented in order to grasp its specific aspects.
A Cultural Perspectıve to Leadership Practices in Balkans
Authors: Doğar Nizamettin
Published: January 2021

The question of whether a single leader type will emerge as one of the possible effects of globalization has required research on the subject. In the context of culture, Hofsthede, Brodbeck et al, and GLOBE studies, revealing that different leadership characteristics come to the fore in different geographies with cultural influences, refuting the claim that a uniform leader model will emerge with globalization. Among the aforementioned studies, GLOBE studies went a little further and claimed that leadership is actually a function of culture. Leadership research in the Balkans, which is a tangle of cultures with its complex ethnic structure, is relatively less included in the literature. The main purpose of this article is; Despite this problem arising from the Cold War period, how the leadership styles are in the Balkans is to examine the relationship between Balkan style leadership and culture. At the same time, the article has a secondary purpose that questions whether the claim that “there is not a single Balkans” is also valid for leadership practices when it comes to culture. Literature review and observation method were used in the research. The observations mainly include the observations made in Albania between the years of 2012-2015. On the other hand,the literature review is based on the data obtained primarily from local studies about each country in the Balkans. The results obtained emphasize that when it comes to leadership in the Balkan countries, the first thing is that political leadership is understood, which draws attention to autocratic leadership from the socialist administration period. In the context of business leadership, it shows that autocratic leadership was effective in the 10-year transition period after the Cold War, and that transformational leadership began to come to the fore in the 2000s at varying speed and rate according to institutions and countries. As a result of the investigations, the article shows that quite similar leadership characteristics stand out for the Balkans, the culture of democracy has not yet fully settled in this context, the avoidance of uncertainty in social codes, the autocratic administration still has an important place as a reflection of cultural dimensions such as the distance of power, on the other hand, willingness to change with new generations, more democratic leadership expectations increase and transformational leadership comes to the fore with the change in geography. Although the article has limitations in terms of containing observations specific to one country, it supports the claims in terms of including the local research results of the countries and is considered to contribute to the literature for the Balkans where limited research is available.
Mutifocal image scanning microscopy based on double-helix point spread function engineering
Authors: Li Si-Wei , Lin Dan-Ying , Zou Xiao-Hui , Zhang Wei , Chen Dan-Ni , Yu Bin , Qu Jun-Le ,   Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China,   Institute of Aeronautical Equipment, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Zhuhai 519000, China
Published: January 2021

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a powerful imaging tool providing high resolution and optical sectioning. In its standard optical configuration, a pair of confocal pinholes is used to reject out-of-focus light. The diffraction limited resolution can be broken by reducing the confocal pinhole size. But this comes at the cost of extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The limited SNR problem can be solved by image scanning microscopy (ISM), in which the single-point detector of a regular point-scanning confocal microscopy is substituted with an array detector such as CCD or CMOS, thus the two-fold super-resolution imaging can be achieved by pixel reassignment and deconvolution. However, the practical application of ISM is challenging due to its limited image acquisition speed. Here, we present a hybrid microscopy technique, named multifocal refocusing after scanning using helical phase engineering microscopy (MRESCH), which combines the double-helix point spread function (DH-PSF) engineering with multifocal structured illumination to dramatically improve the image acquisition speed. In the illumination path, sparse multifocal illumination patterns are generated by a digital micromirror device for parallel imaging information acquisition. In the detection path, a phase mask is introduced to modulate the conventional PSF to the DH-PSF, which provides volumetric information, and meanwhile, we also present a digital refocusing strategy for processing the collected raw data to recover the wild-filed image from different sample layers. To demonstrate imaging capabilities of MRESCH, we acquire the images of mitochondria in live HeLa cells and make a detailed comparison with those from the wide-field microscopy. In contrast to the conventional wide-field approach, the MRESCH can expand the imaging depth in a range from –1 μm to 1 μm. Next, we sample the F-actin of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells to characterize the lateral resolution of the MRESCH. The results show that the MRESCH has a better resolution capability than the conventional wide-field illumination microscopy. Finally, the proposed image scanning microscopy can record three-dimensional specimen information from a single multi-spot two-dimensional scan, which ensures faster data acquisition and larger field of view than ISM.
Toeplitz-block sensing matrix based on bipolar chaotic sequence
Authors: Gan Hong-Ping , Zhang Tao , Hua Yi , Shu Jun , He Li-Jun ,   School of Software, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China,   Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China,   School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China,   College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Published: January 2021

Compressed sensing is a revolutionary signal processing technique, which allows the signals of interest to be acquired at a sub-Nyquist rate, meanwhile still permitting the signals from highly incomplete measurements to be reconstructed perfectly. As is well known, the construction of sensing matrix is one of the key technologies to promote compressed sensing from theory to application. Because the Toeplitz sensing matrix can support fast algorithm and corresponds to discrete convolution operation, it has essential research significance. However, the conventional random Toeplitz sensing matrix, due to the uncertainty of its elements, is subject to many limitations in practical applications, such as high memory consumption and difficulty of hardware implementation. To avoid these limitations, we propose a bipolar Toeplitz block-based chaotic sensing matrix (Bi-TpCM) by combining the intrinsic advantages of Toeplitz matrix and bipolar chaotic sequence. Firstly, the generation of bipolar chaotic sequence is introduced and its statistical characteristics are analyzed, showing that the generated bipolar chaotic sequence is an independent and identically distributed Rademacher sequence, which makes it possible to construct the sensing matrix. Secondly, the proposed Bi-TpCM is constructed, and it is proved that Bi-TpCM has almost optimal theoretical guarantees in terms of the coherence, and also satisfies the restricted isometry condition. Finally, the measurement performances on one-dimensional signals and images by using the proposed Bi-TpCM are investigated and compared with those of its counterparts, including random matrix, random Toeplitz matrix, real-valued chaotic matrix, and chaotic circulant sensing matrix. The results show that Bi-TpCM not only has better performance for these testing signals, but also possesses considerable advantages in terms of the memory cost, computational complexity, and hardware realization. In particular, the proposed Bi-TpCM is extremely suitable for the compressed sensing measurement of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems with multiple inputs and single output, such as the joint parameter and time-delay estimation for finite impulse response. Moreover, the construction framework of the proposed Bi-TpCM can be extended to different chaotic systems, such as Logistic or Cat chaotic systems, and it is also possible for the proposed Bi-TpCM to derive the Hankel blocks, additional stacking of blocks, partial circulant blocks sensing matrices. With these block-based sensing architectures, we can more easily implement compressed sensing for various compressed measurement problems of LTI systems.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Vitamin D Insufficiency among Adults with Epilepsy at University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Mohorjy Doaa K. , Ramadan Iman Kamal , Abalkhail Bahaa A. , Jaamal Khalid M.
Published: January 2021

Background: Vitamin D is essential for bone physical condition, and vitamin D insufficiency may add to further autoimmune diseases, infections or even cancer. Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs have been predominantly linked with osteoporosis hazard proved their impacts on vitamin D. The study aim was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency and the covariates associated with it among the adult epileptic patients attending King Fahd neurology outpatient clinics.

Subjects and Methods: 297 adult epilepsy patients joined this cross-sectional study at King Fahd Hospital in 2017. Vitamin D level was considered as deficiency (<10ng/ml), insufficiency (<30ng/ml), or normal (≥30ng/ml). Antiepileptic drugs were sorted out according to their enzyme inducing criteria.

Results: 87.88% adult epileptic patients were between 18 – 50 years of age, more than half were females, married, and with higher degree of education, less than half received monthly income of less than 5,000 SR, nearly two third were either smokers or ex-smokers. Multiple linear regression model for predictors of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency declared that; enzyme induced antiepileptic drugs, polytherapy, and smoking were significantly correlated with vitamin deficiency and insufficiency (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is widespread among adult epileptic patients. Screening of vitamin D level should be taken into consideration as part of the regular follow up of epileptic patients.
Digital Collaborative Framework for Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme and Sustainability in Federal Polytechnic Offa, Nigeria
Authors: Otunola AbdulAkeem O. , Alabi Abdullateef O. , Abdullateef A. T. , Lawal M. K. , Olanipekun N. O.
Published: January 2021

Graduate training is one of the core courses offered in all polytechnics systems in Nigeria, each polytechnic gives orientation programmes and deploys students for industrial training once a year. These processes of pen on paper method throw serious challenges because of time authorization and time frame. Placement of undergraduate students looking for relevant Industrial Training (IT) attachment is becoming worrisome. This research tends to provide a web based solution called Digital Collaborative Framework (DCF) for Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and sustainability in Federal Polytechnic Offa, Nigeria. This is to bridge the gap between educational institutions and the industries subject to training and re-training perspectives. The stakeholders can easily turn DCF into e-administrative tools, then allow students to get industrial placement relevant to their field of studies. The research proposed to develop a productive web application using Codeigniter Php framework. This research will serve as a cloud database to students, staff and other stakeholders and create access to examine, monitor and measure students’ performance at the end of the (SIWES) scheme.
Economic Contribution to Household Dependence through Ocimum basilicum L. Cultivation: An Important Plant for Health and Livelihood Security in Kashmir Valley (J & K), India
Authors: Bhat G. M. , Majeed Huzaifa , Islam M. A. , Rashid Megna , Pala Nazir A. , Fatima Shahnaz
Published: January 2021

The present study was conducted during the year 2018-19 in the Srinagar and Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley (J & K). The study was aimed to access the collection, consumption and economic contribution of Ocimum basilicum to household income and employment. The study was conducted using a well-structured questionnaire covering various aspects of the study. The total average yield/annum/family of Ocimum basilicum was recorded 3 kg. The average consumption/annum and sale/annum was 0.5 kg and 2.5 kg respectively. The household characteristics influencing the Ocimum basilicum livelihood in the locality averaged for the sample population indicated the preponderance of middle aged persons (55.9), low literate people (2.1) having large sized families (1.76), marginal sized landholdings (1.28), owning 6-10 livestock (1.76) were engaged mainly in agriculture (2.95) with family labour of mostly 3 members (2.45) and earning gross annual income of ₹60704.26 The total average gross income generated  within the sample households was ₹450.00 with the total average net income generation of ₹379.48 and the total average employment of 11.21 man-days by a single household. The structure of household average gross annual income, consisting of all off-farm and on-farm sources among the surveyed population, was ₹60704.26 which was differentiated as horticulture (37.70%) followed by agriculture (26.13%), livestock (21.93%), service (11.31%), business (1.65), basil based cottage industry (0.74%), wage labour (0.41%) and others (0.13%). The livelihood security from Ocimum basilicum L. depends on multitude of various socio-economic factors and cultivation practices and knowledge. The extensive cultivation of this plant may have more positive impact on the livelihood of the local communities.
Toxic Metal Contamination of Locally Produced Tobacco in Tamale Metropolis in Northern Region of Ghana
Authors: Sebiawu G. E. , Mensah N. J. , Amankwah E. , Antwi-Akomeah S.
Published: January 2021

The study was to analyze and determine the toxic metal contamination level of locally produced tobacco sold in the Tamale Metropolis of Northern region. The study was carried out at the Tamale Metropolis of Northern region of Ghana within a period of 12 months. The study focused on the analyses of five (5) toxic metal contaminants in twelve (12) variant locally produced tobacco sold in various spots within the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Toxic metals including As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Cr were analyzed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The mean recorded concentrations of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Cr were respectively in the ranges of 0.184 ± 0.011 to 0.515 ± 0.015 µg/kg, 0.0420 ± 0.010 to 3.100 ± 0.000 µg/kg, 0.176 ± 0.016 to 0.291 ± 0.009 µg/kg, 1.169 ± 0.019 to 3.195 ± 0.019 µg/kg and 1.600 ± 0.116 to 3.880 ± 0.369 µg/kg. The mean concentrations of As and Pb measured in all samples tested were below their respective WHO permissible limits of 4.00 ppm and 10.00 ppm. In the case of Cd, mean concentrations measured for all locally produced tobacco tested were above the WHO permissible limits of 0.30 ppm. For the metal Hg, levels measured in 75% of tested locally produced tobacco were slightly above the WHO permissible limit of 0.20 µg/kg. Cr levels measured in 30% of tested locally produced tobacco were below the WHO permissible limits of 2.00 µg/kg. The very presence of these metals typically raises health concerns on consumption in the instances where their levels exceeded permissible guideline limits. The study revealed that Cd, Hg and Cr levels in the locally produced tobacco studied were found to exceed the WHO permissible limits for human consumption by plant uptake with As and Pb levels well below their permissible thresholds. The analyzed locally produced tobacco essentially poses a threat of heavy metal toxicity to consumers via bioaccumulation and bio-concentration in human tissues.
Smallholder Farmers’ Vulnerability to Impact of Climate Change in Central Bhutan
Authors: Rinzin Pema , Sonam Thubten , Tshering Sangay , Chapagai Purna Prasad
Published: January 2021

Climate change carries immense threat to the livelihood and food security of smallholder farmers in Bhutan and it is therefore crucial to enhance their adaptive capacity.  However, building resiliency to climate impact require information on vulnerability of the system of interest. Therefore, this study assessed smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to impacts of climate change and variability in central regions (Bumthang and Trongsa) of Bhutan. Data was collected from 247 randomly selected households by administering a pre-tested survey questionnaire. Data was analyzed using composite index approach (LVI) and IPCC framework approach (LVI-IPCC). The LVI analysis revealed that Bumthang was more vulnerable in terms of Socio-demographic profile (0.55), social networks (0.45), health (0.31) and natural disasters and climate variability (0.47) compared to Trongsa. Whereas, Trongsa was more vulnerable in terms of livelihood strategies (0.31) and water (0.13). Vulnerability score on the food component was same for both the districts (0.27). Overall, Bumthang was more vulnerable compared to Trongsa on both LVI (Bumthang: 0.36, Trongsa: 0.34) and LVI-IPCC (Bumthang: 0.24, Trongsa: 0.13) analysis. The findings could be used for designing micro-level context specific interventions to enhance smallholder farmers’ adaptive capacity to impacts of climate change in central Bhutan.
Statistical Analysis of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Rate Using a Weibull-Exponential Inverse Exponential Distribution
Authors: Chama Adana’a Felix , Omoboriowo Emmanuel Remi , Onwuka Gerald Ikechukwu , Ieren Terna Godfrey
Published: January 2021

Distribution functions, their properties and interrelationships play a significant role in modeling naturally occurring phenomena. Numerous standard distributions have been extensively used over the past decades for modeling data in several fields, however, generalizing these standard distributions has produced several compound distributions that are more flexible compared to the baseline distributions. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that leads to a continuous decay of the human body immune system. Over the past few years, the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been on a non-decreasing trend in Nigeria and hence becoming a threat to the health of the nation. The Weibull generalized family of distributions has been efficient in developing new continuous probability distributions with additional two shape parameters. In this paper, a Weibull-based model has been proposed and it is called “a Weibull-Exponential Inverse Exponential distribution”. The properties, estimation of parameters and application of the new distribution are presented and discussed in this paper. Adequate application and investigation of the new model was done using a dataset on the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and the result was compared with that of other competing models.
Organizational Climate at the University of Eastern Philippines Pedro Rebadulla Memorial Campus Catubig, Northern Samar
Authors: Lluz Lyra Paz P. , Basibas Aveliza T. , Estudillo Alfie E.
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to assess organizational school climate of University of Eastern Philippines, Pedro Rebadulla Memorial Campus, Catubig Northern .Samar for school year: 2017-2018.  It aimed to identify the perception of faculty  towards organizational  climate in terms of:  Supportive Behavior; Directive Behavior ; Engaged Behavior;  Intimate Behavior; and Frustrated Behavior; determine  the standardized scores of organizational climate;  and determine  the general openness index  among employees in the workplace.  Moreover, this study was conducted to improve the organizational climate of the institution by getting or assessing the supportive, directive, engaged, and frustrated behavior from the respective respondents.

This study used a standardized questionnaire which is called the “Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) adopted from Wayne K Hoy (1991). It is an instrument used to measure important aspects of teacher-teacher and dean-teacher interactions. Along with this, the study was designed with descriptive methodology which involves the analysis of the organizational climate of the university for the school year 2017-2018 and to determine the climate openness of the school specifically focusing on the dimensions or subtest covered by the Organizational Climate Questionnaire (OCDQ-RS).

This study found out that the organizational climate was higher than 84% of the schools from the normative samples, and the openness index of the organizational climate scored 380.9 The University falls below the average range for openness.  Finally, it is recommended that the University should conduct an intervention on how improve the openness index of the organizational climate.
Study on the Effect of Shading on Performance of Leafy Vegetables
Authors: Habib Zannatul Firdaus Binte , Hassan Md. Rashedul , Naher Nazmun , Halim Abdul
Published: January 2021

A field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from March, 2019 to June, 2019. The aim of the study was to select best summer leafy vegetables, suitable for holding under different shade condition in agroforestry systems. The selected vegetables were also grown in control i.e., open field condition or in full sunlight. The vegetables were Indian Spinach, Stem Amaranth, and Red Amaranth and treatments were T0= planting summer leafy vegetables under full sunlight, T1= planting summer leafy vegetables under 50% shade condition (reduced light intensity) and T2 = planting summer leafy vegetables under 75% shade condition (reduced light intensity). The experiment was laid out following single factor RCBD design. Three replications were used for each treatment for each crop. During the study period maximum light intensity reduction was recorded in Red Amaranth (48.28%) in 75% shade condition and minimum light intensity was reduced in case of Indian Spinach (26.14%) under 50% shade condition. The reduced light intensity had substantial effects on various growth parameters of the summer leafy vegetables. From the experiment, significant result was observed in all morphological characteristics for all leafy vegetables under reduced light intensity. Apart from this, highest yield was found in Stem Amaranth (22.33 ton/ha) and Indian Spinach (13.83 ton/ha) in 75% shade condition. Highest yield of Indian Spinach (19.40 ton/ha), Stem Amaranth (27.25 ton/ha) and Red Amaranth (11.30 ton/ha) was recorded under full sunlight. Considering shade condition, Stem Amaranth and Indian Spinach were best suitable for growing in Agroforestry systems.
Global Trends of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Impacts on Biodiversity: Spillover, Diversity and the Role of Bats in Evolutionary Relationships as Zoonotic Virus Reservoirs
Authors: Júnior Diniz Pereira Leite , Dantas Elisangela Santana de Oliveira , Costa Gisela Lara da , Pereira Ronaldo Sousa , Bonci Mário Mendes , Ramos Regina Teixeira Barbieri , Pires Rodrigo Antônio Araújo , Melhem Marcia de Souza Carvalho , Felippe Paulo Anselmo Nunes , Paula Claudete Rodrigues
Published: January 2021

Introduction: It is possible that the evolution of man is associated with manifestations of microscopic beings that have accompanied him since ancient times. Emerging infectious diseases have been warning for decades that habitat fragmentation and degradation, antropization effects, animal trafficking increase the risk of diseases spreading from wildlife to human populations.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to review the current events about the pandemics that occurred on the planet and the current situation of bat involvement, their high degree of ecological plasticity that these beings present with the emergence and spread of viruses.

Methodology: Review the current knowledge about viral diversity, host condition and possible mammalian reservoirs in the face of pandemics and the close relationship of bats with humans and other possibly incriminated species. Given the epidemics of the last century, it is possible to observe that the increased interaction between humans and wild animals has facilitated the emergence of viral strains of importance for public health.

Results: Given the reports argued by the scientific community, bats may be responsible for the air cycle of viral diseases, being considered of great importance in the study of epidemiology. Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has come to test the ability of humans to face a threat that may be repeated in the future. As part of nature, bats cannot be framed as precursors of viral agents. The knowledge obtained, associated with investment in science, research and education, will put us one step ahead of future pandemic events.
15‐Deoxy‐Δ12,14‐prostaglandin J2 binds and inactivates STAT3 via covalent modification of cysteine 259 in H‐Ras‐transformed human breast epithelial cells
Authors: Kim Su‐Jung , Cho Nam‐Chul , Han Bitnara , Kim Kyeojin , Hahn Young‐Il , Kim Kwang Pyo , Suh Young Ger , Choi Bu Young , Na Hye‐Kyung , Surh Young‐Joon
Published: January 2021

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been considered as a potential target for development of anticancer therapeutics. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which the cyclopentenone prostaglandin, 15‐deoxy‐Δ12,14‐prostaglandin J2 (15d‐PGJ2) functions as an allosteric inhibitor of STAT3. 15d‐PGJ2 inhibits phosphorylation, dimerization, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activity of STAT3 in H‐Ras‐transformed human mammary epithelial cells (MCF10A‐Ras) through the Michael addition reaction at cysteine 259 of STAT3. Comparative studies with 15d‐PGJ2 analogues reveal that both C12‐C13 and C9‐C10 double bonds conjugated to the carbonyl group in the cyclopentenone ring of 15d‐PGJ2 are essential for STAT3 binding. Antiproliferative and pro‐apoptotic activities of 15d‐PGJ2 in MCF10A‐Ras cells are attributable to covalent modification of STAT3 on Cys259, and mimic the effects induced by mutation of this amino acid.
Unlocking a closed system: dosimetric commissioning of a ring gantry linear accelerator in a multivendor environment
Authors: Saini Amarjit , Tichacek Chris , Johansson William , Redler Gage , Zhang Geoffrey , Moros Eduardo G. , Qayyum Muqeem , Feygelman Vladimir
Published: January 2021

The Halcyon™ platform is self‐contained, combining a treatment planning (Eclipse) system TPS) with information management and radiation delivery components. The standard TPS beam model is configured and locked down by the vendor. A portal dosimetry‐based system for patient‐specific QA (PSQA) is also included. While ensuring consistency across the user base, this closed model may not be optimal for every department. We set out to commission independent TPS (RayStation 9B, RaySearch Laboratories) and PSQA (PerFraction, Sun Nuclear Corp.) systems for use with the Halcyon linac. The output factors and PDDs for very small fields (0.5 × 0.5 cm2) were collected to augment the standard Varian dataset. The MLC leaf‐end parameters were estimated based on the various static and dynamic tests with simple model fields and honed by minimizing the mean and standard deviation of dose difference between the ion chamber measurements and RayStation Monte Carlo calculations for 15 VMAT and IMRT test plans. Two chamber measurements were taken per plan, in the high (isocenter) and lower dose regions. The ratio of low to high doses ranged from 0.4 to 0.8. All percent dose differences were expressed relative to the local dose. The mean error was 0.0 ± 1.1% (TG119‐style confidence limit ± 2%). Gamma analysis with the helical diode array using the standard 3%Global/2mm criteria resulted in the average passing rate of 99.3 ± 0.5% (confidence limit 98.3%–100%). The average local dose error for all detectors across all plans was 0.2% ± 5.3%. The ion chamber results compared favorably with our recalculation with Eclipse and PerFraction, as well as with several published Eclipse reports. Dose distribution gamma analysis comparisons between RayStation and PerFraction with 2%Local/2mm criteria yielded an average passing rate of 98.5% ± 0.8% (confidence limit 96.9%–100%). It is feasible to use the Halcyon accelerator with independent planning and verification systems without sacrificing dosimetric accuracy.
Kellgren/Lawrence Grading in Cohort Studies: Methodological Update and Implications Illustrated Using Data From a Dutch Hip and Knee Cohort
Authors: Macri Erin M. , Runhaar Jos , Damen Jurgen , Oei Edwin H. G. , Bierma‐Zeinstra Sita M. A.
Published: January 2021

Objective

The Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) is a cohort of middle‐aged individuals with hip or knee pain. Radiographs were assigned Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) scores under different conditions at each follow‐up visit for 10 years. We aimed to describe and consolidate each scoring approach, then illustrate implications of their use by comparing baseline K/L scores assigned using 2 of these approaches, and evaluating their respective associations with joint replacement and incident radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA).

Methods

We compared baseline K/L scores assigned to hips and knees using 2 scoring approaches: 1) assigned by senior researchers to baseline images alone and 2) assigned by trained readers, with images read paired and in known sequence with up to 10 years of follow‐up radiographs (Poisson regression). We evaluated the associations of baseline ROA (any: K/L grade ≥1; established: K/L ≥2) with joint replacement, and of K/L 1 joints with incident established ROA (survival analysis).

Results

Of 1,002 participants (79% women, mean ± SD age 55.9 ± 5.2 years, body mass index 26.2 ± 4.0 kg/m2), the second scoring approach had 2.4 times (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.8–3.1 for knees) and 2.9 times (95% CI 2.3–3.7 for hips) higher prevalence of established ROA than the first approach. Established hip ROA had a higher risk of joint replacement using the first approach (hazard ratio [HR] 24.2 [95% CI 15.0–39.8] versus second approach HR 7.7 [95% CI 4.9–12.1]), as did knees (HR 19.3 [95% CI 10.3–36.1] versus second approach HR 4.8 [95% CI 2.4–9.6]). The risk of incident ROA did not differ by approach.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that evaluating ROA prevalence and predicting outcomes depends on the scoring approach.
Resist‐ and Etching‐Free Patterning Mediated by Predefined Photosensitive Polyimide for Two‐Dimensional Semiconductor‐Based Photodetectors
Authors: Lim Yi Rang , Park Hyunjin , Bae Garam , Seo Min Ki , Yun Hye‐Won , Yoo Sungmi , Myung Sung , Lim Jongsun , Lee Sun Sook , An Ki‐Seok , Won Jong Chan , Song Wooseok , Kim Yun Ho
Published: January 2021

Even though molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) possesses superb features, its practical application in optoelectronics is hindered by the lack of a reliable synthetic route for producing large‐scale two‐dimensional (2D) MoS2 with spatial homogeneity and a pertinent patterning technique that can be used to realize 2D MoS2‐based photodetector arrays. To resolve these issues, the effectiveness of an unprecedented combination of a solution‐based synthetic route with resist‐ and etching‐free patterning of 2D MoS2 mediated by pre‐defined photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) for realizing 2D MoS2‐based photodetector arrays is demonstrated. A solution‐based large‐area compatible approach is adopted for the synthesis of MoS2. Comprehensive structural and chemical analysis of the MoS2 synthesized by altering the concentration of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate is performed to determine the optimum conditions for enhancing the photoelectrical responses of MoS2‐based photodetectors. It is ascertained that the photocurrent of MoS2‐based photodetectors fabricated by PSPI‐assisted patterning is unequivocally greater than that of photodetectors produced via the conventional photolithography process owing to the absence of photoresist residues associated with impeding photon absorption and providing scattering centers of photogenerated carriers.
Enhanced Electrical Performance of Van der Waals Heterostructure
Authors: Xu Lei , Wang Yun‐Yuan , Hsiao Chih‐Hsiang , Ni I‐Chih , Chen Mei‐Hsin , Wu Chih‐I
Published: January 2021

In this study, a novel van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure field‐effect transistor (FET) using vdW stacking as next‐generation device architecture is demonstrated. The MoS2/WS2 heterostructure FET exhibits a large improvement in the drain current and field‐effect mobility (from 43.3 to 62.4 cm2 V−1 s−1) compared with single MoS2 FET. Such significant enhancement is mainly due to the charge‐transfer effect. The vdW self‐encapsulation effect in the device channel also helps to reduce the Schottky barrier height from 120 to 52 meV at the contact interface. Finally, the WS2/MoS2/WS2 double heterostructure FETs further boosts the mobility up to 102.5 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature (25 °C) and 169.7 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 30 K. The much higher mobility exhibited at the lower temperature indicates the suppression of Coulomb scattering. Thus the electrical performance of the double‐heterostructure FETs can be further enhanced.
Toward High Efficiency Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes: Role of Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Dan‐Dan , Xu Jian‐Long , Sun Hong‐Bo
Published: January 2021

The rapid development of nanotechnology for the last 30 years has enabled a rapid expansion in the applications of functional nanoparticles (NPs) on optoelectronic devices. Especially, NPs are of high significance in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) as they provide feasible solutions to the enduring challenges related to higher device efficiency. The use of NPs with designed structure and functionality is demonstrated, indicative of their great application potentials in OLEDs. Herein, the recent advances in OLEDs with the utilization of functional NPs are summarized. Starting with a brief overview about the unique properties of NPs, comprehensive roles of NPs in OLEDs, which include improving carrier injection abilities, local surface plasmonic resonance, light scattering, and magnetic field effects, are discussed together with their latest research progresses. Furthermore, one‐component and multicomponent heterostructured NPs with multifunctional capabilities in OLEDs are overviewed. Following the summarization of the roles of NPs in OLEDs and their latest research progress, a brief conclusion and outlook regarding the future research directions of highly efficient OLEDs by incorporation of NPs are provided.
Current Advances in Black Phosphorus‐Based Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Liu Wenxin , Dong Alideertu , Wang Bing , Zhang Han
Published: January 2021

Cancer has been one of the major threats to the lives of human beings for centuries. Traditional therapy is more or less faced with certain defects, such as poor targeting, easy degradation, high side effects, etc. Therefore, in order to improve the treatment efficiency of drugs, an intelligent drug delivery system (DDS) is considered as a promising solution strategy. Due to their special structure and large specific surface area, 2D materials are considered to be a good platform for drug delivery. Black phosphorus (BP), as a new star of the 2D family, is recommended to have the potential to construct DDS by virtue of its outstanding photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and biodegradable properties. This tutorial review is intended to provide an introduction of the current advances in BP‐based DDSs for cancer therapy, which covers topics from its construction, classified by the types of platforms, to the stimuli‐responsive controlled drug release. Moreover, their cancer therapy applications including mono‐, bi‐, and multi‐modal synergistic cancer therapy as well as the research of biocompatibility are also discussed. Finally, the current status and future prospects of BP‐based DDSs for cancer therapy are summarized.
Self‐Activated Cascade‐Responsive Sorafenib and USP22 shRNA Co‐Delivery System for Synergetic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy
Authors: Xu Shengjun , Ling Sunbin , Shan Qiaonan , Ye Qianwei , Zhan Qifan , Jiang Guangjiang , Zhuo Jianyong , Pan Binhua , Wen Xue , Feng Tingting , Lu Haohao , Wei Xuyong , Xie Haiyang , Zheng Shusen , Xiang Jiajia , Shen Youqing , Xu Xiao
Published: January 2021

Resistance to sorafenib severely hinders its effectiveness against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cancer stemness is closely connected with resistance to sorafenib. Methods for reversing the cancer stemness remains one of the largest concerns in research and the lack of such methods obstructs current HCC therapeutics. Ubiquitin‐specific protease 22 (USP22) is reported to play a pivotal role in HCC stemness and multidrug resistance (MDR). Herein, a galactose‐decorated lipopolyplex (Gal‐SLP) is developed as an HCC‐targeting self‐activated cascade‐responsive nanoplatform to co‐delivery sorafenib and USP22 shRNA (shUSP22) for synergetic HCC therapy. Sorafenib, entrapped in the Gal‐SLPs, induced a reactive oxygen species (ROS) cascade and triggered rapid shUSP22 release. Thus, Gal‐SLPs dramatically suppressed the expression of USP22. The downregulation of USP22 suppresses multidrug resistance‐associated protein 1 (MRP1) to induce intracellular sorafenib accumulation and hampers glycolysis of HCC cells. As a result, Gal‐SLPs efficiently inhibit the viability, proliferation, and colony formation of HCC cells. A sorafenib‐insensitive patient‐derived xenograft (PDX) model is established and adopted to evaluate in vivo antitumor effect of Gal‐SLPs. Gal‐SLPs exhibit potent antitumor efficiency and biosafety. Therefore, Gal‐SLPs are expected to have great potential in the clinical treatment of HCC.
Nucleic acid–based aggregates and their biomedical applications
Authors: Tian Run , Wang Zhaoran , Liu Jianbing , Jiang Qiao , Ding Baoquan
Published: January 2021

The more than three decades of research in nucleic acid nanotechnology has led to the thrilling progress in rationally designed structures and artificial molecular devices with programmable functions and various applications. Nucleic acid–based aggregates feature precise molecular recognition and sequence programmability, versatility, as well as marked biocompatibility, providing promising candidates for biomedical applications. In this minireview, we summarize the recent, successful efforts to construct and employ nucleic acid–based aggregates for biomedical applications, including drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensing, cell analysis, and combined cancer therapy. We also discuss the remaining challenges and opportunities in the field.
Development and implementation of a hybrid scale up model for a batch high shear wet granulation operation
Authors: Sen Maitraye , García Muñoz Salvador
Published: January 2021

The high shear wet granulation (HSWG) operation consists of several rate processes influenced by the raw material properties, process operational parameters, and equipment design. Their combined effect determines the granule attributes. In literature, these rate processes have been modeled using different dimensionless numbers and their correlations. Each of these dimensionless numbers represent only certain rate processes. Since many of these rate processes occur at the same time, it is necessary to simultaneously model them to account for all the important degrees of freedom. Most of the HSWG scale up approaches in literature calculate scale up conditions based on a single rate process or operating parameter of interest that can lead to sub‐optimal process design. We present the development of a hybrid HSWG scale up model accounting simultaneously for all the rate processes. The approach was successfully implemented to scale up the HSWG operation across laboratory, pilot, and commercial scales.
Development of a filtered reaction rate model for reactive gas–solid flows based on fine‐grid simulations
Authors: Huang Zheqing , Wang Lingxue , Zhou Qiang
Published: January 2021

The filtered reaction rate for the coarse‐grid simulations of reactive gas–solid flows can be obtained via a correction to its microscopic reaction rate. The correction term is defined as the mesoscale effectiveness factor ηΔ, which is the ratio of the reaction rate obtained from the fine‐grid simulations to that obtained from the coarse‐grid simulations. The considered reaction is an isothermal, solid‐catalyzed surface reaction with a power law reaction rate model. The simulation results show that the mean ηΔ is almost invariant with the reaction orders at the same Damköhler number. A closure correlation for the mean ηΔ is formulated. However, the standard deviation of ηΔ is found to be quite large. A presumed probability density function model is proposed to capture the fluctuating properties of ηΔ. The predictability of the closure correlations are evaluated via performing the filtered two fluid model simulations in circulating fluidized beds of ozone decomposition.
Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage facilitates endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage in patients with acute cholecystitis
Authors: Hsieh Meng‐Shu , Shih Hsiang‐Yao , Hsu Wen‐Hung , Yu Fang‐Jung , Wang Yao‐Kuang , Wu Jeng‐Yih
Published: January 2021

Drainage of gallbladder is important for the management of acute cholecystitis in inoperable elderly patients. Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) is an ideal option because this internal drainage has more advantages such as life convenience, no need for exchange of the tube and low possibility of tube dislodgement, compared with external drainage such as percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD). However, ETGBD is challenging because it demands competence in ERCP skills. Moreover, for patients with biliary tract infection, the biliary tract is inflamed, edematous and full of sticky dirty bile, causing selective cannulation into cystic duct more difficult and low successful rates of ETGBD. Herein, we hypothesized that the drainage with PTGBD attenuates the biliary inflammation and facilitates the subsequent ETGBD. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective study to compare the clinical outcomes, procedure outcomes and complications of ETGBD in patients of cholecystitis with and without prior PTGBD. Nineteen patients of acute cholecystitis were retrospectively included. Ten of them had no PTGBD while nine of them had PTGBD based on clinical conditions. All of them underwent ETGBD either for drainage or for infectious source control or for converting external drainage to internal drainage. Basic demographics, laboratory data, procedure time, technical success, early clinical success and complications were compared in both groups. Baseline demographics, pre‐procedural laboratory data (bilirubin, C‐reactive protein) were similar in both groups. ETGBD was technically successful in eight of the nine patients with PTGBD, superior to those without prior PTGBD (88.9% vs 70%, P = .31). The early clinical success rates of PTGBD group were both 100%. The procedure time of ETGBD was shorter in PTGBD group (28.4 minutes vs 39.4 minutes, P = .09). The rates of significant post‐ERCP hyperamylasemia/hyperlipasemia was lower in PTGBD group (22.2% vs 30.0%, P = .7). On the analysis of logistic regression, the odd ratio of technical success was 3.4 in PTGBD group. Our study demonstrated that ETGBD was easier to perform in patients with PTGBD. After the infection source is controlled with PTGBD, selective cannulation into cystic duct seems to be easier to manipulate. Beside higher technical success rate, ETGBD in patients with PTGBD required shorter procedure time and contributed to less complications. Although the statistics was not significant, yet the trend toward to the superiority in PTGBD group was confirmed. Consequently, PTGBD possibly facilitates ETGBD insertion in patients with acute cholecystitis.
Root vascular traits differ systematically between African savanna tree and grass species, with implications for water use
Authors: Wargowsky Isabel K. , NeSmith Julienne E. , Holdo Ricardo M.
Published: January 2021

Premise

Belowground functional traits play a significant role in determining plant water‐use strategies and plant performance, but we lack data on root traits across communities, particularly in the tropical savanna biome, where vegetation dynamics are hypothesized to be strongly driven by tree–grass functional differences in water use.

Methods

We grew seedlings of 21 tree and 18 grass species (N = 5 individuals per species) from the southern African savanna biome under greenhouse conditions and collected fine‐root segments from plants for histological analysis. We identified and measured xylem vessels in 539 individual root cross sections. We then quantified six root vascular anatomy traits and tested them for phylogenetic signals and tree–grass differences in trait values associated with vessel size, number, and hydraulic conductivity.

Results

Grass roots had larger root xylem vessels than trees, a higher proportion of their root cross‐sectional area comprised vessels, and they had higher estimated axial conductivities than trees, while trees had a higher number of vessels per root cross‐sectional area than grasses did. We found evidence of associations between trait values and phylogenetic relatedness in most of these traits across tree species, but not grasses.

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis that grass roots have higher water transport capacity than tree roots in terms of maximum axial conductivity, consistent with the observation that grasses are more “aggressive” water users than trees under conditions of high soil moisture availability. Our study identifies root functional traits that may drive differential responses of trees and grasses to soil moisture availability.