bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Biography of the Pixel
Authors: Smith Alvy Ray
Published: August 2021

The pixel as the organizing principle of all pictures, from cave paintings to Toy Story.

The Great Digital Convergence of all media types into one universal digital medium occurred, with little fanfare, at the recent turn of the millennium. The bit became the universal medium, and the pixel—a particular packaging of bits—conquered the world. Henceforward, nearly every picture in the world would be composed of pixels—cell phone pictures, app interfaces, Mars Rover transmissions, book illustrations, videogames. In A Biography of the Pixel, Pixar cofounder Alvy Ray Smith argues that the pixel is the organizing principle of most modern media, and he presents a few simple but profound ideas that unify the dazzling varieties of digital image making.

Smith's story of the pixel's development begins with Fourier waves, proceeds through Turing machines, and ends with the first digital movies from Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky. Today, almost all the pictures we encounter are digital—mediated by the pixel and irretrievably separated from their media; museums and kindergartens are two of the last outposts of the analog. Smith explains, engagingly and accessibly, how pictures composed of invisible stuff become visible—that is, how digital pixels convert to analog display elements. Taking the special case of digital movies to represent all of Digital Light (his term for pictures constructed of pixels), and drawing on his decades of work in the field, Smith approaches his subject from multiple angles—art, technology, entertainment, business, and history. A Biography of the Pixel is essential reading for anyone who has watched a video on a cell phone, played a videogame, or seen a movie. 400 pages of annotations, prepared by the author and available online, provide an invaluable resource for readers.
Good Ethics and Bad Choices
Authors: Blumenthal-Barby Jennifer S.
Published: August 2021

An analysis of how findings in behavioral economics challenge fundamental assumptions of medical ethics, integrating the latest research in both fields.

Bioethicists have long argued for rational persuasion to help patients with medical decisions. But the findings of behavioral economics—popularized in Thaler and Sunstein's Nudge and other books—show that arguments depending on rational thinking are unlikely to be successful and even that the idea of purely rational persuasion may be a fiction. In Good Ethics and Bad Choices, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby examines how behavioral economics challenges some of the most fundamental tenets of medical ethics. She not only integrates the latest research from both fields but also provides examples of how physicians apply concepts of behavioral economics in practice.

Blumenthal-Barby analyzes ethical issues raised by “nudging” patient decision making and argues that the practice can improve patient decisions, prevent harm, and perhaps enhance autonomy. She then offers a more detailed ethical analysis of further questions that arise, including whether nudging amounts to manipulation, to what extent and at what point these techniques should be used, when and how their use would be wrong, and whether transparency about their use is required. She provides a snapshot of nudging “in the weeds,” reporting on practices she observed in clinical settings including psychiatry, pediatric critical care, and oncology. Warning that there is no “single, simple account of the ethics of nudging,” Blumenthal-Barby offers a qualified defense, arguing that a nudge can be justified in part by the extent to which it makes patients better off.
Effect of components on the properties of composite materials
Authors: Kudinov V.V. , Korneeva N.V. , Krylov I.K.
Published: August 2021

Methods for the creation and characteristics of composite materials reinforced with carbon, aramid and UHMWPE-fibers based on polymer matrices are considered. The properties of more than 50 composite materials are given. Technologies for their production from wound nonwoven and woven fiber reinforcements are proposed, with regulation of activation, composition and arrangement of components in the material. Experimental methods for studying polymer com- posites, such as wet-pull-out (W-P-O), full-pull-out (F-P-O) and impact break (IB) have been deve­loped. It allows one to study the interfacial interaction of components during the creation of CM, regulate the activation of fibers by non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma and fluo­ rination, and analyze mechanisms of deformation and destruction of CM, in statics and upon impact with the help of uniform universal samples. Monograph – reference book is intended for scientific and engineering staff, teachers, stu- dents, graduate students, and inventors involved in the development, production and use of poly­ mer composite materials.
The APC10 subunit of the anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome orchestrates NLRP3 inflammasome activation during the cell cycle
Authors: Huang Siyu , Wan Pin , Huang Shanyu , Liu Siyu , Xiang Qi , Yang Ge , Shereen Muhammad Adnan , Pan Pan , Wang Jun , Liu Weiyong , Wu Kailang , Wu Jianguo
Published: August 2021

The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a crucial role in the innate immune response. During cell division, NLRP3 inflammasome activation must be strictly controlled. In this study, we discover that the anaphase‐promoting complex subunit 10 (APC10), a substrate recognition protein of the anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), is a critical mediator of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. During interphase, APC10 interacts with NLRP3 to promote NLRP3 inflammasome activation, whereas during mitosis, APC10 disassociates from the NLRP3 inflammasome to repress inflammatory responses. This study reveals a distinct mechanism by which APC10 serves as a switch for NLRP3 inflammasome activation during the cell cycle.
Discriminant Analysis with Biomedical Examples
Authors: Wernecke Klaus‐D. , Lüttke Constanze D. , Multmeier Jan , von Schild Marie , Krannich Alexander
Published: August 2021

This article describes discriminant analysis. First, a brief overview is provided followed by exploratory data analysis, discussions of allocation rules and their error rates, Bayes allocation rules, discrimination using normal models, nonparametric discrimination, logistic discriminant analysis, discrimination using artificial networks, tree‐based models, further methods of discrimination, and judging reliability. Finally, a section on software packages concludes the article. Numerous examples from medical applications support the understanding of the procedures presented.
Unsupervised and Semisupervised Learning
Authors: Li Jia , Pisztora Vincent A.
Published: August 2021

Methodologies for unsupervised and semisupervised learning are reviewed. For unsupervised learning, or clustering, the focus is on mixture‐model‐based approaches under both the classic and mode association frameworks. High‐dimensional data pose a major challenge for clustering. We thus discuss in detail variable selection and the hidden Markov model on variable blocks, which exploits a graph structure to simplify the dependence among variables. We also present topics that emerged relatively recently such as clustering distributional data under the Wasserstein metric and uncertainty assessment for cluster analysis. Semisupervised learning has attracted growing interest in the machine learning community in recent years. We review foundational approaches including self‐training, semisupervised generative models, and graphical models. We then describe in greater depth entropy minimization, consistency regularization, and mixup augmentation, methods that are utilized in state‐of‐the‐art models such as MixMatch.
Stochastic Control of Dam Discharges
Authors: Yoshioka Hidekazu
Published: August 2021

Dam is a dynamical system receiving stochastic inflows while releasing controlled outflows. Its optimal control requires considering a state constraint on the stored water volume and should use an objective function considering both human activities and downstream environmental management. In addition, the system dynamics are not always known exactly. We briefly explain a robust modeling framework of dam discharges based on a dynamic programming approach and constrained viscosity solutions with a demonstrative computational example. We focus on a single problem rather than reviewing diverse examples because it has key features that stochastic control in real applications encounters.
Cortical microstructural changes associated with treated aphasia recovery
Authors: Chang Allen J. , Wilmskoetter Janina , Fridriksson Julius , McKinnon Emilie T. , Johnson Lorelei P. , Basilakos Alexandra , Jensen Jens H. , Rorden Chris , Bonilha Leonardo
Published: August 2021

Objectives

To investigate the hypothesis that language recovery in post‐stroke aphasia is associated with structural brain changes.

Methods

We evaluated whether treatment‐induced improvement in naming is associated with reorganization of tissue microstructure within residual cortical regions. To this end, we performed a retrospective longitudinal treatment study using comprehensive language‐linguistic assessments and diffusion MRI sequences optimized for the assessment of complex microstructure (diffusional kurtosis imaging) to evaluate the relationship between language treatment response and cortical changes in 26 individuals with chronic stroke‐induced aphasia. We employed elastic net statistical models controlling for baseline factors including age, sex, and time since the stroke, as well as lesion volume.

Results

We observed that improved naming accuracy (Philadelphia Naming Test) was statistically associated with increased post‐treatment microstructural integrity in the left posterior superior temporal gyrus. Moreover, increase in microstructural integrity in the left middle temporal gyrus and left inferior temporal gyrus was specifically associated with a decrease in semantic paraphasias. This longitudinal relationship between brain tissue integrity and language improvement was not observed in other non‐language related brain regions.

Interpretation

Our findings provide evidence that structural brain changes in the preserved left hemisphere regions are associated with treatment‐induced language recovery in aphasia and are part of the mechanisms supporting language and brain injury recovery.
Modifying Li@Mn6 Superstructure Units by Al Substitution to Enhance the Long‐Cycle Performance of Co‐Free Li‐Rich Cathode
Authors: Li Zhibo , Li Yiwei , Zhang Mingjian , Yin Zu‐Wei , Yin Liang , Xu Shenyang , Zuo Changjian , Qi Rui , Xue Haoyu , Hu Jiangtao , Cao Bo , Chu Mihai , Zhao Wenguang , Ren Yang , Xie Lin , Ren Guoxi , Pan Feng
Published: August 2021

As one of the most promising cathodes for Li‐ion batteries, Li‐rich layered oxides suffer from low Coulombic efficiency, severe capacity fading, and voltage decay, which are related to the aggregated Li@Mn6 superstructure units. Herein, a Co‐free Li‐rich oxide Li[Li1/4Mn1/2Ni1/6Al1/12]O2 through Al substitution of Co in Li[Li1/4Mn1/2Ni1/6Co1/12]O2, is designed. Combining the average structural refinement with the detailed local structural/chemical analysis, it is found that the introduced Al ions occupy the Mn sites in Li@Mn6 superstructure units, which further induces the partial replacement of the central Li ions in Li@Mn6 units by Ni2+. The modified superstructure units stabilize the anionic framework and suppress structural degradation during long‐term cycling. A superior cyclability (a capacity retention of 91.4% after 500 cycles at 1 C) is achieved. This work not only deepens the understanding into the mechanism of Al substitution, but also provides a novel route to design high‐performance Li‐rich cathodes by modifying the local functional units.
Analysis of energetics and economics of sub‐ambient hybrid post‐combustion carbon dioxide capture
Authors: DeWitt Stephen J. A. , Awati Rohan , Octavio Rubiera Landa Héctor , Park Jongwoo , Kawajiri Yoshiaki , Sholl David S. , Realff Matthew J. , Lively Ryan P.
Published: August 2021

Adsorption of CO2 from post‐combustion flue gas is one of the leading candidates for globally impactful carbon capture systems. This work focused on understanding the opportunities and limitations of sub‐ambient CO2 capture processes utilizing a multistage separation process. A hybrid process design using a combination of pressure‐driven separation of CO2 from flue gas (e.g., adsorption‐ or membrane‐based separation) followed by CO2‐rich product liquefaction to produce high‐purity (>99%) CO2 at pipeline conditions is considered. The operating pressure of the separation unit is a key cost parameter and also an important process variable that regulates the available heat removal necessary to reach the sub‐ambient operating conditions. The economic viability of applying pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes using fiber sorbent contactors with internal heat management was found to be most influenced by the productivity of the adsorption system, with productivities as high as 0.015 /kgsorb−1 sec−1 being required to reduce costs of capture below $60/ton CO2 captured. This analysis was carried out using a simplified two‐bed process, and thus there is opportunity for further cost reduction with exploration of more complex cycle designs. Three exemplar fiber sorbents (MIL‐101(Cr), UiO‐66, and zeolite 13X) were considered for application in the sub‐ambient process of PSA unit. Among the considered sorbents, zeolite 13X fiber composites were found to perform better at ambient temperatures as compared to sub‐ambient. MIL‐101(Cr) and UiO‐66 fiber composites had improved purity, recovery, and productivity at colder temperatures reducing costs of capture as low as $61/ton CO2. Future economic improvement could be achieved by reducing the required operating pressure of the PSA unit and pushing the Pareto frontier closer to the final pipeline requirement via a combination of PSA cycle design and material selection.
Technical note: Artificial Resynthesis Technology for the experimental formation of dental microwear textures
Authors: Krueger Kristin L. , Chwa Evan , Peterson Alexandria S. , Willman John C. , Fok Alex , van Heel Bonita , Heo Young , Weston Michael , DeLong Ralph
Published: August 2021

Dental microwear formation on the posterior dentition is largely attributed to an organism's diet. However, some have suggested that dietary and environmental abrasives contribute more to the formation process than food, calling into question the applicability of dental microwear to the reconstruction of diet in the fossil record. Creating microwear under controlled conditions would benefit this debate, but requires accurately replicating the oral environment. This study tests the applicability of Artificial Resynthesis Technology (ART 5) to create microwear textures while mitigating the challenges of past research. ART 5 is a simulator that replicates the chewing cycle, responds to changes in food texture, and simulates the actions of the oral cavity. Surgically extracted, occluding pairs of third molars (n = 2 pairs) were used in two chewing experiments: one with dried beef and another with sand added to the dried beef. High‐resolution molds were taken at 0, 50, 100, 2500, and 5000 simulated chewing cycles, which equates to approximately 1 week of chewing. Preliminary results show that ART 5 produces microwear textures. Meat alone may produce enamel prism rod exposure at 5000 cycles, although attrition cannot be ruled out. Meat with sand accelerates the wear formation process, with enamel prism rods quickly obliterated and “pit‐and‐scratch” microwear forming at approximately 2500 cycles. Future work with ART 5 will incorporate a more thorough experimental protocol with improved controls, pH of the simulated oral environment, and grit measurements; however, these results indicate the potential of ART 5 in untangling the complex variables of dental microwear formation.
Advances in Treatment of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Bernard‐Valnet Raphaël , Koralnik Igor J. , Du Pasquier Renaud
Published: August 2021

Progressive multifocal encephalopathy (PML) is a severe demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by JC virus (JCV), which occurs in immunocompromised individuals. Management of PML relies on restoration of immunity within the CNS. However, when this restoration cannot be readily achieved, PML has a grim prognosis. Innovative strategies have shown promise in promoting anti‐JCV immune responses, and include T‐cell adoptive transfer or immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. Conversely, management of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, particularly in iatrogenic PML, remains a major challenge. In this paper, we review recent development in the treatment of PML. ANN NEUROL 2021;90:865–873
Generation of α‐Boryl Radicals by H. Transfer and their Use in Cycloisomerizations
Authors: Shi Shicheng , Salahi Farbod , Vibbert Hunter B. , Rahman Maleeha , Snyder Scott A. , Norton Jack R.
Published: August 2021

Carbon‐centered radicals can be stabilized by delocalization of their spin density into the vacant p orbital of a boron substituent. α‐Vinyl boronates, in particular pinacol (Bpin) derivatives, are excellent hydrogen atom acceptors. Under H2, in the presence of a cobaloxime catalyst, they generate α‐boryl radicals; these species can undergo 5‐exo radical cyclizations if appropriate double bond acceptors are present, leading to densely functionalized heterocycles with tertiary substituents on Bpin. The reaction shows good functional group tolerance with wide scope, and the resulting boronate products can be converted into other useful functionalities.
A Simple Gas–Solid Treatment for Surface Modification of Li‐Rich Oxides Cathodes
Authors: Ye Zhengcheng , Zhang Bin , Chen Ting , Wu Zhenguo , Wang Daqiang , Xiang Wei , Sun Yan , Liu Yuxia , Liu Yang , Zhang Jun , Song Yang , Guo Xiaodong
Published: August 2021

Li‐rich layered oxides with high capacity are expected to be the next generation of cathode materials. However, the irreversible and sluggish anionic redox reaction leads to the O2 loss in the surface as well as the capacity and voltage fading. In the present study, a simple gas–solid treatment with ferrous oxalate has been proposed to uniformly coat a thin spinel phase layer with oxygen vacancy and simultaneously realize Fe‐ion substitution in the surface. The integration of oxygen vacancy and spinel phase suppresses irreversible O2 release, prevents electrolyte corrosion, and promotes Li‐ion diffusion. In addition, the surface doping of Fe‐ion can further stabilize the structure. Accordingly, the treated Feox‐2 % cathode exhibits superior capacity retention of 86.4 % and 85.5 % at 1 C and 2 C to that (75.3 % and 75.0 %) of the pristine sample after 300 cycles, respectively. Then, the voltage fading is significantly suppressed to 0.0011 V per cycle at 2 C especially. The encouraging results may play a significant role in paving the practical application of Li‐rich layered oxides cathode.
Platinum Modulates Redox Properties and 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural Adsorption Kinetics of Ni(OH)2 for Biomass Upgrading
Authors: Zhou Bo , Li Yingying , Zou Yuqin , Chen Wei , Zhou Wang , Song Minglei , Wu Yujie , Lu Yuxuan , Liu Jilei , Wang Yanyong , Wang Shuangyin
Published: August 2021

Nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) is a promising electrocatalyst for the 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation reaction (HMFOR) and the dehydronated intermediates Ni(OH)O species are proved to be active sites for HMFOR. In this study, Ni(OH)2 is modified by platinum to adjust the electronic structure and the current density of HMFOR improves 8.2 times at the Pt/Ni(OH)2 electrode compared with that on Ni(OH)2 electrode. Operando methods reveal that the introduction of Pt optimized the redox property of Ni(OH)2 and accelerate the formation of Ni(OH)O during the catalytic process. Theoretical studies demonstrate that the enhanced Ni(OH)O formation kinetics originates from the reduced dehydrogenation energy of Ni(OH)2. The product analysis and transition state simulation prove that the Pt also reduces adsorption energy of HMF with optimized adsorption behavior as Pt can act as the adsorption site of HMF. Overall, this work here provides a strategy to design an efficient and universal nickel‐based catalyst for HMF electro‐oxidation, which can also be extended to other Ni‐based catalysts such as Ni(HCO3)2 and NiO.
Rational Surface‐Defect Control via Designed Passivation for High‐Efficiency Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Gu Xiaojing , Xiang Wanchun , Tian Qingwen , Liu Shengzhong (Frank)
Published: August 2021

Iodine vacancies (VI) and undercoordinated Pb2+ on the surface of all‐inorganic perovskite films are mainly responsible for nonradiative charge recombination. An environmentally benign material, histamine (HA), is used to passivate the VI in perovskite films. A theoretical study shows that HA bonds to the VI on the surface of the perovskite film via a Lewis base–acid interaction; an additional hydrogen bond (H‐bond) strengthens such interaction owing to the favorable molecular configuration of HA. Undercoordinated Pb2+ and Pb clusters are passivated, leading to significantly reduced surface trap density and prolonged charge lifetime within the perovskite films. HA passivation also induces an upward shift of the energy band edge of the perovskite layer, facilitating interfacial hole transfer. The combination of the above raises the solar cell efficiency from 19.5 to 20.8 % under 100 mW cm−2 illumination, the highest efficiency so far for inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
A Facile Strategy for Constructing a Carbon‐Particle‐Modified Metal–Organic Framework for Enhancing the Efficiency of CO2 Electroreduction into Formate
Authors: Zhu Zi‐Hao , Zhao Bo‐Hang , Hou Sheng‐Li , Jiang Xiao‐Lei , Liang Ze‐Long , Zhang Bin , Zhao Bin
Published: August 2021

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 by metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has been widely investigated, but insufficient conductivity limits application. Herein, a porous 3D In‐MOF {(Me2NH2)[In(BCP)]⋅2 DMF}n (V11) with good stability was constructed with two types of channels (1.6 and 1.2 nm diameter). V11 exhibits moderate catalytic activity in CO2 electroreduction with 76.0 % of Faradaic efficiency for formate (FEHCOO‐). Methylene blue molecules of suitable size and pyrolysis temperature were introduced and transformed into carbon particles (CPs) after calcination. The performance of the obtained CPs@V11 is significantly improved both in FEHCOO‐ (from 76.0 % to 90.1 %) and current density (2.2 times). Control experiments show that introduced CPs serve as accelerant to promote the charges and mass transfer in framework, and benefit to sufficiently expose active sites. This strategy can also work on other In‐MOFs, demonstrating the universality of this method for electroreduction of CO2.
Rational Selection of Cyanines to Generate Conjugate Acid and Free Radicals for Photopolymerization upon Exposure at 860 nm
Authors: Wang Qunying , Popov Sergey , Feilen Alfred , Strehmel Veronika , Strehmel Bernd
Published: August 2021

Different cyanines absorbing in the NIR between 750 and 930 nm were applied to study the efficiency of both radical and cationic polymerization in combination with diaryliodonium salt. Variation of the connecting methine chain and structure of the terminal indolium moiety provided a deeper insight in the structure of the cyanine NIR‐sensitizer and the efficiency to generate initiating radicals and conjugate acid. Photophysical studies were pursued by fluorescence spectroscopy providing a deeper understanding regarding the lifetime of the excited state and contribution of nonradiative deactivation resulting in generation of additional heat in the polymerization process. Furthermore, electrochemical experiments demonstrated connection to oxidation and reduction capability as influenced by the structural pattern of the sensitizer. LC–MS measurements provided a deeper pattern about the photoproducts formed. A nonamethine‐based cyanine showed the best performance regarding bleaching in combination with an iodonium salt at 860 nm.
A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the detection of chlorpyrifos contamination in palm‐based fatty acids
Authors: Tay Bonnie Yen Ping , Wai Weng Hong
Published: August 2021

Chlorpyrifos is a Malaysian Pesticide Board‐approved organophosphate insecticide, which may become concentrated during fractionation. The objective of this project was to develop and validate a method to detect and quantify chlorpyrifos in food‐grade fatty acids ingredients, e.g. caprylic‐capric acid mixture and oleic acid (OLA) used to synthesize triacylglyceride based food additives and in the cosmetic industry. A selective ion monitoring gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method with a matrix‐matched calibration curve calibration was selected. The method involved the direct injection of chlorpyrifos spiked into the fatty acids matrix. The percentage recoveries at spiking levels of 0.5, 0.75, 2.5, and 4.0 μg g−1 of chlorpyrifos in OLA and caprylic‐capric acid ranged from 85.7%–101.1% to 97.2%–112%, respectively, with a relative standard deviation of within 11%. The intra‐day and inter‐day precision were deemed acceptable as indicated by an relative SD value of within 10%. A good linear relationship with a coefficient of correlation >0.99 for the matrix‐matched calibration was achieved between 0.5 and 5 μg g−1. The limit of detection and limit of quantification corresponded to 0.5 μg g−1 for OLA and 0.55 μg g−1 for caprylic‐capric acid.
Relating information seeking and use to intellectual humility
Authors: Gorichanaz Tim
Published: August 2021

Virtue epistemology offers a yet‐untapped path for ethical development in information science. This paper presents two empirical studies on intellectual humility (IH), a cornerstone intellectual virtue. Centrally, IH is a matter of being open to the possibility that one may be misinformed or uninformed; it involves accurately valuing one's beliefs according to the evidence. The studies presented in this paper explore the relationship between IH and people's information seeking and use. First, a correlational questionnaire study was conducted with 201 participants considering a recent, real‐life task; second, a concurrent thinkaloud study was conducted with 8 participants completing 3 online search tasks. These studies give further color to prior assertions that people with higher IH engage in more information seeking. The results show, for instance, that those with higher IH may actually favor more easily accessible information sources and that some dimensions of IH, such as modesty and engagement, may be most important to information seeking. These findings offer a nuanced understanding of the relationship between IH and information behavior and practices. They suggest avenues for further research, and they may be applied in educational contexts and sociotechnical design.
Controllability of singular dynamic systems on time scales
Authors: Malik Muslim , Sajid Mohammad , Kumar Vipin
Published: August 2021

In this work, we investigate the controllability of singular dynamic systems on time scales. First, we decompose the consider systems into a slow subsystem and a fast subsystem. After that, we use the Laplace transform and convolution theorem to derive the state response of these two subsystems. Finally, we established some necessary and sufficient conditions for the controllability of the slow subsystem and fast subsystem. At last, we provide an example to illustrate the obtained analytical results.
Stabilization of a wave equation with a distributed control
Authors: Zhu Jing , Liu Xinglan , Zhou Zhongcheng
Published: August 2021

In this paper, a distributed control isproposed to consider the stabilization of a wave equation. First, we transfer the distributed control problem into a boundary control problem via introducing a simple transformation including a new control function. Second, combining with the stabilization controller of the intermediate boundary control system and hidden regularity of the wave equation, we obtain the distributed feedback control of the original wave system. Third, we prove the exponential stability of the closed‐loop wave system. Then, we point out that the presented procedure for the wave system is also valid for the stabilization of the heat equation with a distributed control considered by Tsubakino et al. (2012). Finally, a numerical result is given, which shows the validity of the distributed feedback controller for the wave system designed by backstepping method.
Basic oculomotor function is similar in young children with ASD and typically developing controls
Authors: Avni Inbar , Meiri Gal , Michaelovski Analya , Menashe Idan , Shmuelof Lior , Dinstein Ilan
Published: August 2021

A variety of eye tracking studies have demonstrated that young children with ASD gaze at images and movies of social interactions differently than typically developing children. These findings have supported the hypothesis that gaze behavior differences are generated by a weaker preference for social stimuli in ASD children. The hypothesis assumes that gaze differences are not caused by abnormalities in oculomotor function including saccade frequency and kinematics. Previous studies of oculomotor function have mostly been performed with school‐age children, adolescents, and adults using visual search, anti‐saccade, and gap saccade tasks that are less suitable for young pre‐school children. Here, we examined oculomotor function in 144 children (90 with ASD and 54 controls), 1–10‐years‐old, as they watched two animated movies interleaved with the presentation of multiple salient stimuli that elicited saccades‐to‐targets. The results revealed that the number of fixations, fixation duration, number of saccades, saccade duration, saccade accuracy, and saccade latency did not differ significantly across groups. Minor initial differences in saccade peak velocity were not supported by analysis with a linear mixed model. These findings suggest that most children with ASD exhibit similar oculomotor function to that of controls, when performing saccades‐to‐targets or freely viewing child‐friendly movies. This suggests that previously reported gaze abnormalities in children with ASD are not due to underlying oculomotor deficiencies.

Lay Summary

This study demonstrates that children with ASD perform similar eye movements to those of controls when freely observing movies or making eye movements to targets. Similar results were apparent across groups in the number of eye movements, their accuracy, duration, and other measures that assess eye movement control. These findings are important for interpreting previously reported differences in gaze behavior of children with ASD, which are likely due to atypical social preferences rather than impaired control of eye movements.
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling of acetaminophen in preterm neonates—The impact of metabolising enzyme ontogeny and reduced cardiac output
Authors: Olafuyi Olusola , Abbasi Mohammad Yaseen , Allegaert Karel
Published: August 2021

In preterm neonates, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models are suited for studying the effects of maturational and non‐maturational factors on the pharmacokinetics of drugs with complex age‐dependent metabolic pathways like acetaminophen (APAP). The aim of this study was to determine the impact of drug metabolising enzymes ontogeny on the pharmacokinetics of APAP in preterm neonates and to study the effect of reduced cardiac output (CO) on its PK using PBPK modelling. A PBPK model for APAP was first developed and validated in adults and then scaled to paediatric age groups to account for the effect of enzyme ontogeny. In preterm neonates, CO was reduced by 10%, 20%, and 30% to determine how this might affect APAP PK in preterm neonates. In all age groups, the predicted concentration‐time profiles of APAP were within 5th and 95th percentile of the clinically observed concentration‐time profiles and the predicted Cmax and AUC were within 2‐folds of the reported parameters in clinical studies. Sulfation accounted for most of APAP metabolism in children, with the highest contribution of 68% in preterm neonates. A reduction in CO by up to 30% did not significantly alter the clearance of APAP in preterm neonates. The model successfully incorporated the ontogeny of drug metabolising enzymes involved in APAP metabolism and adequately predicted the PK of APAP in preterm neonates. A reduction in hepatic perfusion as a result of up to 30% reduction in CO has no effect on the PK of APAP in preterm neonates.
Further evaluation of contingency modeling to increase consumption of nutritive foods in children with autism and food selectivity
Authors: Flanagan JeNell , Penrod Becky , Silbaugh Bryant C.
Published: August 2021

Research suggests contingency modeling with differential reinforcement of alternative behavior can increase consumption of nonpreferred foods in some children with feeding problems. The current study further evaluated the effectiveness of this treatment with three children with food selectivity and autism. Participants first observed a positive reinforcement contingency in which the confederate model accessed preferred items and edibles contingent on consuming all of the target foods on their plate. If the participant imitated the model and consumed all of their food, they too received access to the same preferred items and edibles. When this contingency was ineffective for two participants, the confederate and feeder modeled nonremoval of the spoon, which increased consumption for both participants. We conclude with a discussion of potential underlying mechanisms for the effects and future research.
Promoting reciprocal conversations in children with autism using text‐message prompting
Authors: Canestaro Vida M. , Akers Jessica S. , O'Guinn Nicole
Published: August 2021

Script training has been shown to be an effective intervention for enhancing conversation skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One area to which additional research should be dedicated is the effectiveness of different script delivery modalities. In the current study, we evaluated the use of text‐message prompting via an Apple Watch® to increase appropriate conversations for three children with ASD. Our results suggest that the text‐message prompting was effective in increasing initiations and responses for two participants. Although the results are less clear for the third participant, we did observe an increase in the total number of initiations and responses following the intervention.
Eosinophil counts as a relevant prognostic marker for response to nivolumab in the management of renal cell carcinoma: a retrospective study
Authors: Herrmann Tressie , Ginzac Angeline , Molnar Ioana , Bailly Sébastien , Durando Xavier , Mahammedi Hakim
Published: August 2021

Background

Despite improvements in the management of renal cell carcinomas (RCC) with the advent of immunotherapy, only a few patients respond to these treatments. Predictors of response to nivolumab are currently being investigated but are still lacking.

Aim of the study

To evaluate eosinophil levels and their variations during treatment as an accurate biomarker for outcome in metastatic RCC treated with nivolumab.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was carried out for patients with metastatic RCC treated with nivolumab. Absolute eosinophil counts, their variation, and relative change were evaluated at six weeks. Relative eosinophil change was categorized in three groups (≥10%‐decrease, no change, ≥10%‐increase). Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine whether eosinophils and their variations were prognostic markers for response at the first scan evaluation, progression‐free survival, and overall survival.

Results

Sixty‐five patients aged on average 66 years, 68% men, and 77% with good or intermediate International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk group were included. The median follow‐up was 16.6 months. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached for good prognosis and was 22.5 and 6.5 months for intermediate and poor prognosis, respectively. An increase in eosinophils and relative eosinophil change at six weeks of nivolumab was associated with a good response to immunotherapy (p = 0.012 and p = 0.024 respectively). In the group of patients with a 10%‐decrease in relative change, PFS reduced significantly compared to the other groups (p = 0.0044 with the 10%‐increase group and p = 0.03 with the no‐change group). This relative increase was independent of IMDC risks factors for better OS (HR = 3.3 [1.45–7.4]; p = 0.004). The eosinophil baseline level was not associated with response to treatment.

Conclusion

Eosinophil levels and relative eosinophil change at 6 weeks might be good prognostic markers for response to nivolumab for metastatic RCC, and were associated with better PFS and OS.
Integrative echocardiographic assessment of patients with secondary mitral regurgitation undergoing transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair
Authors: Brugger Nicolas , Kassar Mohammad , Siontis George C. M. , Widmer Sonja , Okuno Taishi , Winkel Mirjam G. , Corpataux Noé , Gräni Christoph , Büllesfeld Lutz , Hunziker Lukas , Pilgrim Thomas , Windecker Stephan , Praz Fabien
Published: August 2021

Objectives

To investigate whether the integrative echocardiographic criteria used in the cardiovascular outcomes assessment of the mitraclip percutaneous therapy (COAPT) for heart failure patients with functional mitral regurgitation study predict outcomes after edge‐to‐edge trancatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) for the treatment of secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR).

Background

Two randomized controlled trials comparing TMVr to medical treatment reported conflicting findings. Differences in patient selection criteria may have contributed to these diverging results.

Methods

Patients undergoing TMVr were stratified following the integrative COAPT echocardiographic criteria in noneligible and eligible patients who were further classified into three tiers according to effective regurgitant orifice (EROA) (Tier 1: EROA ≥ 0.3cm2; Tier 2: EROA 0.2cm2 and 0.29cm2; Tier 3: EROA<0.2cm2) combined with several other severity criteria. We assessed between group differences in all‐cause mortality, successful SMR reduction, and symptom relief from baseline to 2‐year follow‐up.

Results

Between March 2011 and March 2018, 138 patients (mean age 75 years) satisfying the inclusion criteria underwent TMVr for treatment of symptomatic SMR. The mean EROA area was 0.35 ± 0.17 mm2. Ten patients (7%) died within 30 days, 29 (21%) within 12 months, and 41 (30%) within 2 years. After stratification according to the COAPT echocardiographic criteria that were fulfilled in 72% of the studied population, Tier 2 patients (45%), as well as noneligible patients (38%) had a higher mortality rate compared to those in Tier 1 (19%).

Conclusions

SMR patients stratified into tiers according to the COAPT integrative echocardiographic criteria have diverging prognostic and symptomatic benefit after edge‐to‐edge TMVr.
Versatile zero‐ to three‐dimensional carbon for electrochemical energy storage
Authors: Zhao Yuyue , Zhang Yunlu , Wang Ying , Cao Daxian , Sun Xiao , Zhu Hongli
Published: August 2021

Secondary batteries have been widely developed and used in various fields, such as large‐scale energy storage, portable electronics, and electric vehicles. Carbon‐based materials have attracted considerable attention due to their abundance, environmental friendliness, tunable structure, and excellent chemical stability. Beyond the commercial carbon for batteries and supercapacitors, many studies focused on advanced and multifunctional carbon with various structures for electrochemical energy storage. This review summarizes the zero‐ to three‐dimensional carbon‐based materials and reviews their various electrochemical applications based on their structural characteristics. The importance of carbon structures and the relationship between materials' structures and electrochemical performance are discussed. Then, the prospects and potential challenges of using advanced carbon to formulate designs and develop novel carbonaceous materials with high electrochemical performance are further discussed.
Harvesting Light To Produce Heat: Photothermal Nanoparticles for Technological Applications and Biomedical Devices
Authors: Pallavicini Piersandro , Chirico Giuseppe , Taglietti Angelo
Published: August 2021

The photothermal properties of nanoparticles (NPs), that is, their ability to convert absorbed light into heat, have been studied since the end of the last century, mainly on gold NPs. In the new millennium, these studies have developed into a burst of research dedicated to the photothermal ablation of tumors. However, beside this strictly medical theme, research has also flourished in the connected areas of photothermal antibacterial surface coatings, gels and polymers, of photothermal surfaces for cell stimulation, as well as in purely technological areas that do not involve medical biotechnology. These include the direct conversion of solar light into heat, a more efficient sun‐powered generation of steam and the use of inkjet‐printed patterns of photothermal NPs for anticounterfeit printing based on temperature reading, to cite but a few. After an analysis of the photothermal effect (PTE) and its mechanism, this minireview briefly considers the antitumor‐therapy theme and takes an in‐depth look at all the other technological and biomedical applications of the PTE, paying particular attention to photothermal materials whose NPs have joined those based on Au.
Named Data Networking‐based communication model for Internet of Things using energy aware forwarding strategy and smart sleep mode
Authors: Touati Haifa , Aboud Ahmed , Hnich Brahim
Published: August 2021

Named data networking (NDN) has emerged as a promising communication paradigm, proposed to deal with the shortcomings of the traditional IP‐based model. NDN introduces new name‐based routing, receiver‐based service, caching, and self‐certifying contents features that obviously improve data delivery efficiency and reliability. Moreover, NDN offers lightweight forwarding rules that suits constrained devices. These features makes NDN as highly promising communication model for the Internet of Things (IoT). On the other hand, one of the widely adopted networking specification for IoT is the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. This latter proposes interesting energy saving functionalities. To take full advantages of the two technologies, we propose an NDN over IEEE 802.15.4 communication solution that meets the requirements of low‐data rate and low‐power‐consumption monitor and control IoT applications. The proposed solution includes two modules: a reliable energy‐aware forwarding strategy that selects the next hop forwarder based on its residual energy level and a sleep mode scheduling algorithm that schedules the sleep/wake‐up mode according to the role of the node in the forwarding and the path repair processes. Extensive simulations and analyses have been conducted to confirm the viability and effectiveness of our proposal in terms of energy consumption, network lifetime, delivery ratio, retrieval delay, and scalability.
Feasible Tuning of Surface OVs on (001) TiO2 for Superior Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation Activity
Authors: Bao Liang , Bao Qinyu , Zhang Huaiwei , Yuan Yongjun
Published: August 2021

A feasible tuning method for oxygen vacancies was realized by annealing under 3 atm H2 with (001)‐exposed TiO2 nanosheets. The colored TiO2 sample exhibits an excellent N2 photo‐fixation rate owing to the abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs) thus demonstrating that annealing with high pressure H2 is exceedingly efficient for tuning surface OVs.
Relating Bond Strength and Nature to the Thermodynamic Stability of Hypervalent Togni‐Type Iodine Compounds
Authors: Oliveira Vytor Pinheiro , Marcial Bruna Luana , Machado Francisco B. C. , Kraka Elfi
Published: August 2021

The bond strength and nature of a set of 32 Togni‐like reagents have been investigated at the M062X/def2‐TZVP(D) level of theory in acetonitrile described with the SMD continuum solvent model, to rationalize the main factors responsible for their thermodynamic stability in different conformations, and trifluoromethylation capabilities. For the assessment of bond strength, we utilized local stretching force constants and associated bond strength orders, complemented with local features of the electron density to access the nature of the bonds. Bond dissociation energies varied from 31.6 to 79.9 kcal/mol depending on the polarizing power of the ligand trans to CF3. Based on the analysis of the Laplacian of the density, we propose that the charge‐shift bond character plays an important role in the stability of the molecules studied, especially for those containing I−O bonds. New insights on the trans influence and on possible ways to fine‐tune the stability of these reagents are provided.
Amorphous Molecular Materials for Directed Supercontinuum Generation
Authors: Dehnen Stefanie , Schreiner Peter R. , Chatterjee Sangam , Volz Kerstin , Rosemann Nils W. , Pilgrim Wolf‐Christian , Mollenhauer Doreen , Sanna Simone
Published: August 2021

Molecular compounds of the general formula [(RT)4E6] (R=organic or organometallic substituent; T=C, Si, Ge, Sn; E=CH2, S, Se), hence adamantane derivatives and inorganic‐organic hybrid compounds based on a heteroadamantane structure exhibit a non‐linear optical response upon radiation with a continuous‐wave near‐infrared laser. The effect depends on the compounds’ habitus, which itself depends on the elemental composition of the cluster core, and on the nature of the organic substituents. A combination of these parameters that cause the material to be intrinsically amorphous leads to supercontinuum generation and thus to the emission of a broad spectrum, potentially appearing as white light. Notably, the emission essentially retains the driving laser's directionality. For crystalline samples, second harmonic generation is observed instead, which points to a close relationship of the optical properties and the intermolecular order. Variation of R, T, and E allows further fine‐tuning of the emitted spectra. We present all studies made in regards to these effects and our overarching conclusions derived from them.
Elevated serum triglyceride levels at first prenatal visit is associated with the development of gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Hu Ming , Gu Xiaohan , Niu Yang , Lu Wenyi , Huang Cuihua , Tang Qingya , Wu Jiang
Published: August 2021

Aims

While several studies have indicated that maternal serum lipid profiles are associated with the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the results have been inconsistent. This study aimed to explore the relationship between maternal lipids profiles at first prenatal visit and GDM and determine the optimal cut‐off values of possible trimester‐specific variables in predicting GDM.

Materials and Methods

Clinical data of women with singleton pregnancies who delivered in Xinhua Hospital between January 2016 and January 2017 were collected from electronic databases. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the potential risk factors of GDM (specific to the trimester at first prenatal visit), including age, body mass index (BMI), and serum lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the cut‐off values of significant variables.

Results

Among the 2191 pregnant women included, 315 (14.38%) were diagnosed with GDM. Of these, 880 (40.16%) had their first prenatal visit before 14 gestational weeks. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that both FPG and triglyceride (TG) levels in the first and second trimesters were associated with a high risk of GDM (p < 0.05). The ROC curve showed that serum TG levels >1.235 mmol/L and >1.525 mmol/L in the first and second trimesters, respectively, were significantly associated with the development of GDM (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

TG levels at first prenatal visit is associated with GDM risk. Different TG cut‐off values should be applied in the different trimesters of pregnancy for GDM screening.