bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atlas of Musculoskeletal Stem Cells with the Soft and Hard Tissue Differentiation Architecture
Authors: Yin Zi , Lin Junxin , Yan Ruojin , Liu Richun , Liu Mengfei , Zhou Bo , Zhou Wenyan , An Chengrui , Chen Yangwu , Hu Yejun , Fan Chunmei , Zhao Kun , Wu Bingbing , Zou Xiaohui , Zhang Jin , El‐Hashash Ahmed H. , Chen Xiao , Ouyang Hongwei
Published: October 2020

Although being of utmost importance for human health and mobility, stem cell identity and hierarchical organization of musculoskeletal progenitors remain largely unexplored. Here, cells from E10.5, E12.5, and E15.5 murine limbs are analyzed by high throughput single‐cell RNA sequencing to illustrate the cellular architecture during limb development. Single‐cell transcriptional profiling demonstrates the identity and differentiation architecture of musculoskeletal stem cells (MSSC), soft and hard tissue progenitors through expression pattern of musculoskeletal markers (scleraxis [Scx], Hoxd13, Sox9, and Col1a1). This is confirmed by genetic in vivo lineage tracing. Moreover, single‐cell analyses of Scx knockout mice tissues illustrates that Scx regulates MSSC self‐renewal and proliferation potential. A high‐throughput and low‐cost multi‐tissues RNA sequencing strategy further provides evidence that musculoskeletal system tissues, including muscle, bone, meniscus, and cartilage, are all abnormally developed in Scx knockout mice. These results establish the presence of an indispensable limb Scx+Hoxd13+ MSSC population and their differentiation into soft tissue progenitors (Scx+Col1a1+) and hard tissue progenitors (Scx+Sox9+). Collectively, this study paves the way for systematically decoding the complex molecular mechanisms and cellular programs of musculoskeletal tissues morphogenesis in limb development and regeneration.
Brønsted Acid Doping of P3HT with Largely Soluble Tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane for Highly Conductive and Stable Organic Thermoelectrics Via One‐Step Solution Mixing
Authors: Suh Eui Hyun , Oh Jong Gyu , Jung Jaemin , Noh Sung Hoon , Lee Taek Seong , Jang Jaeyoung
Published: October 2020

Molecular doping is essential for improving the thermoelectric properties of conjugated polymers, but dopants of low solubility either restrict the formation of high quality films or complicate fabrication steps. Although a highly soluble molecular dopant, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (BCF), has been sporadically studied, its potential has not yet been fully explored. Herein, particularly intriguing effects of Brønsted acid doping with BCF‐water complexes for poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are reported, which can facilitate substantial increases in electrical and thermoelectric properties with remarkable doping stabilities. Interestingly, a unique polymorph of P3HT with interdigitated alkyl chains (called type II) is observed in the Brønsted acid doping with BCF‐water complexes. Moreover, the doped P3HT shows conformational change to the quinoid structure, enabling increased backbone planarity. As a result, the Brønsted acid‐doped P3HT films exhibit outstanding electrical conductivities, thermoelectric power factors, and figure‐of‐merit of up to 33.0 S cm−1, 28.3 µW m−1 K−2, and 0.034, respectively. These values are at least an order of magnitude higher than those of P3HT films doped with a conventional molecular dopant, 7,7,8,8‐tetracyano‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoroquinodimethane. The Brønsted acid doping with BCF‐water complexes also affords excellent air stabilities of P3HT films, which potentially provides a strong comparative advantage over existing highly reactive salt‐type dopants, such as FeCl3.
Structure and dynamics of fractal‐like particles made by agglomeration and sintering
Authors: Eggersdorfer Maximilian L. , Goudeli Eirini
Published: October 2020

The growth of silica nanoparticles by agglomeration and viscous flow sintering is studied from free molecular to transition regime by off‐lattice event‐driven (ED) simulations. Coagulation by simultaneous agglomeration and sintering takes place at high temperature environments, where sintering and collision rates are comparable. The effect of temperature on aggregate mobility and gyration radii, particle morphology, and collisional enhancement is elucidated. The ratio between the characteristic sintering time and characteristic collision time controls the particle size and structure, quantified by the mass fractal dimension. The aggregate morphology depends solely on the ratio of characteristic times and is insensitive to the process temperature. When sintering is negligible, the overall collision frequency is 90% larger than that predicted by the classic Fuchs collision kernel for monodisperse agglomerates, in agreement with experiments. The ED‐obtained quasi‐self‐preserving size distributions are consistent with mobility size distributions measured in hot‐wall reactors and flame sprays.
Understanding initial zeolite oligomerization steps with first principles calculations
Authors: Freeman Emily E. , Neeway James J. , Motkuri Radha Kishan , Rimer Jeffrey D. , Mpourmpakis Giannis
Published: October 2020

Zeolites are porous aluminosilicate materials that find various applications in the chemical industry in separations, catalysis, ion exchange, and so forth. However, despite their widespread use, the reaction mechanisms occurring during zeolite growth are still unclear. Herein, we use density functional theory calculations to gain insights into the thermodynamics of oligomerization, which constitute the initial steps of zeolite growth. By taking into consideration solvent and temperature effects, our results demonstrate that the growth of aluminosilicate systems is significantly more exothermic than their pure silicate counterparts. Under pH neutral conditions, water prefers to dissociate on the early‐growth‐stage aluminosilicate complexes rather than desorb, thus generating potential Brønsted acid sites on the oligomers. Additionally, (alumino)silicate growth pathways are evaluated in the presence of Na+ cation, as well as the Ca2+ cation for the pure silicate pathway. The presence of cations increases the exothermicity of growth, with Ca2+ exhibiting the most energetically favorable growth environment for the silicate systems. Importantly, we demonstrate through reaction extent analysis that the presence of cations modulates the speciation of the formed oligomers, with Na+ favoring linear species in addition to the generally preferred cyclic ones. Overall, this work provides a fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics of complex reaction paths that occur during early stages of zeolite growth and suggests that the initial growth steps can have significant impact on the final zeolite structure.
Safe, Scalable, Inexpensive, and Mild Nickel‐Catalyzed Migita‐Like C−S Cross‐Couplings in Recyclable Water
Authors: Yu Tzu‐Yu , Pang Haobo , Cao Yilin , Gallou Fabrice , Lipshutz Bruce H.
Published: October 2020

A new approach to C−S couplings is reported that relies on nickel catalysis under mild conditions, enabled by micellar catalysis in recyclable water as the reaction medium. The protocol tolerates a wide range of heteroaromatic halides and thiols, including alkyl and heteroaryl thiols, leading to a variety of thioethers in good isolated yields. The method is scalable, results in low residual metal in the products, and is applicable to syntheses of targets in the pharmaceutical area. The procedure also features an associated low E Factor, suggesting a far more attractive entry than is otherwise currently available, especially those based on unsustainable loadings of Pd catalysts.
Enhanced epoxidation of soybean oil by novel Al2O3–ZrO2–TiO2 solid acid catalyst
Authors: Wei Xiaoli , Cheng Qianwei , Sun Tingguang , Tong Shan , Meng Luli
Published: October 2020

This study aims to develop highly efficient, recyclable solid catalysts for the epoxidation of vegetable oils. An Al2O3–ZrO2–TiO2 solid acid catalyst was prepared by a co‐precipitation/impregnation method and characterised through scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analyses. The solid acid catalyst with a high surface area and typical slit pore adsorption was successfully synthesised. Al2O3–ZrO2–TiO2 also exhibits high stability and improved catalytic efficiency in the epoxidation of soybean oil. An oil conversion rate of 86.6%, which is higher than that of conventional catalysts, was obtained with a catalyst loading of 0.8 wt% and was maintained at 76.6% even after recycling the catalyst three times. The performance of the solid catalyst was slightly superior to that of H2SO4. Therefore, this novel catalyst may potentially be applicable in catalysing soybean oil epoxidation.
Resonance and the experience of relevance
Authors: Ruthven Ian
Published: October 2020

In this article, I propose the concept of resonance as a useful one for describing what it means to experience relevance. Based on an extensive interdisciplinary review, I provide a novel framework that presents resonance as a spectrum of experience with a multitude of outcomes ranging from a sense of harmony and coherence to life transformation. I argue that resonance has different properties to the more traditional interpretation of relevance and provides a better system of explanation of what it means to experience relevance. I show how traditional approaches to relevance and resonance work in a complementary fashion and outline how resonance may present distinct new lines of research into relevance theory.
Analysis of human hippocampal volumetry in relation to pattern separation ability in healthy young subjects
Authors: Usugi Ryoichi , Nishimura Masahiko , Ishiuchi Shogo
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Hippocampal dentate gyrus related to pattern separation has attracted attention as an area for neurogenesis. However, the associations between the pattern separation and the volumes of hippocampal subfields in humans remain unknown.

Methods

58 young adults were examined the memory task (pattern separation, pattern completion) and the hippocampal volumes. Subjects were asked to determine whether the visual image is a new stimulus, or a similar but different stimulus (pattern separation), or the same stimulus (pattern completion), compared to preceding stimuli, and response time and correct response were measured. The volumes of the whole brain, hippocampus 6 subfields and perihippocampus 5 subfields, were measured using FreeSurfer 6.0.

Results

Negative associations between the pattern separation task and the volumes of whole brain areas were found in bilateral cerebellar cortex, fourth ventricle, left hippocampus, left thalamus, left ventral diencephalon, and brainstem. Simple linear regression analysis revealed a significant association with the left hippocampal‐amygdaloid transition area only, while no significant associations were found in any of the subfield volumes when adjusted with covariates.

Conclusions

The principle “bigger is better”—an idea that the larger the volume the better the function—could not be applied to the relation between the pattern separation ability and the dentate gyrus.
Identifying functionally relevant candidate genes for inflexible ethanol intake in mice and humans using a guilt‐by‐association approach
Authors: Martins de Carvalho Luana , Fonseca Pablo A. S. , Paiva Isadora M. , Damasceno Samara , Pedersen Agatha S. B. , da Silva e Silva Daniel , Wiers Corinde E. , Volkow Nora D. , Brunialti Godard Ana L.
Published: October 2020

Gene prioritization approaches are useful tools to explore and select candidate genes in transcriptome studies. Knowing the importance of processes such as neuronal activity, intracellular signal transduction, and synapse plasticity to the development and maintenance of compulsive ethanol drinking, the aim of the present study was to explore and identify functional candidate genes associated with these processes in an animal model of inflexible pattern of ethanol intake. To do this, we applied a guilt‐by‐association approach, using the GUILDify and ToppGene software, in our previously published microarray data from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum of inflexible drinker mice. We then tested some of the prioritized genes that showed a tissue‐specific pattern in postmortem brain tissue (PFC and nucleus accumbens (NAc)) from humans with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In the mouse brain, we prioritized 44 genes in PFC and 26 in striatum, which showed opposite regulation patterns in PFC and striatum. The most prioritized of them (i.e., Plcb1 and Prkcb in PFC, and Dnm2 and Lrrk2 in striatum) were associated with synaptic neuroplasticity, a neuroadaptation associated with excessive ethanol drinking. The identification of transcription factors among the prioritized genes suggests a crucial role for Irf4 in the pattern of regulation observed between PFC and striatum. Lastly, the differential transcription of IRF4 and LRRK2 in PFC and nucleus accumbens in postmortem brains from AUD compared to control highlights their involvement in compulsive ethanol drinking in humans and mice.
Chemo‐Geographic Variations in Wild Population of Asteriscus graveolens in Israel Based on Volatile Composition Analyses
Authors: Ben‐Gera Hadas , Bensimon Mashraki Keren , Sharma Reena , Shachter Alona , Chaimovitsh David , Gonda Itay , Nitzan Nadav , Dudai Nativ
Published: October 2020

Asteriscus graveolens is an aromatic desert shrub which holds medicinal potential. This species belongs to the Asteraceae family and is endemic to the Mediterranean region. In the present study, wild plants were sampled from eleven locations throughout southern Israel and the volatile profiles from leaves and flowers were analyzed using GC/MS. Three methods for volatile sampling were tested for a representative population: solvent extraction (methyl tert‐butyl ether), hydrodistillation of the essential oil and headspace solid‐phase microextraction. In all methods, the majority of volatiles were characterized as oxygenated mono‐ and sesquiterpenes. Only solvent extraction was able to detect asteriscunolides that were previously reported as anticancer molecules. Hence, that method was chosen for further analyses. The leaves were dominated by three asteriscunolide isomers, cis‐chrysanthenyl acetate and intermedeol. The flowers were dominated by bisabolone, 6‐hydroxybisabol‐2‐en‐1‐one, cis‐chrysanthenyl acetate, epi‐α‐cadinol, and germacrene‐D. k‐Means clustering analysis of these data divided the population into four clusters that significantly differ in their volatile composition as was further demonstrated by MANOVA analysis. Geographically, A. graveolens populations growing in Israel were found to be chemically diverse with unique varieties in the Dead Sea basin and the Arava region. This work demonstrates that chemo‐geographic variation of volatile composition exists within A. graveolens population growing in Israel, so future research evaluating the medicinal potential of that plant should take this into consideration.
Quest for the Crypto‐phosphoproteome
Authors: Ahn Seungmin , Jung Hoyoung , Kee Jung‐Min
Published: October 2020

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most studied post‐translational modifications (PTMs). Despite the remarkable advances in phosphoproteomics, a chemically less‐stable subset of the phosphosites, which we call the crypto‐phosphoproteome, has remained underexplored due to technological challenges. In this Viewpoint, we briefly summarize the current understanding of these elusive protein phosphorylations and identify the missing pieces for future studies.
Real‐Time Carbon Monoxide Detection using a Rotating Gold Ring Electrode: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Wu Kuang‐Hsu , Zhang Qingran , Lin Yangming , Ali Mohammad A. , Zhao Shenlong , Heumann Saskia , Centi Gabriele
Published: October 2020

Rotating ring‐disc electrodes (RRDEs) offer a powerful electroanalytical method for studying electrochemical reactions with continuous real‐time feedback capabilities. However, its use in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) sees very limited success despite the method being a sensible choice. Here, we assess the use of commercial polycrystalline Pt and Au ring electrodes for the selective detection of CO in a near‐neutral NaHCO3 electrolyte (pH=7.5) and their suitability for real‐time monitoring during the CO2RR. Our results show that the commercial Pt ring electrode, as a highly sensitive detector, cannot discriminate among most of C1 reduction products such as H2, CO, formate, formaldehyde and methanol, whereas the Au ring electrode can satisfy many criteria for real‐time CO detection but the poor sensitivity of the polycrystalline electrode prohibits the practical use for quantitative purpose. A set of design principles for the Au‐based ring electrode is put forward in order to endow RRDEs the capability of rapid real‐time detection of CO in CO2 electroreduction.
Risk factors and electrocardiogram characteristics for mortality in critical inpatients with COVID‐19
Authors: Li Lingzhi , Zhang Shudi , He Bing , Chen Xiaobei , Wang Shihong , Zhao Qingyan
Published: October 2020

Background

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has spread worldwide.

Hypothesis

The possible risk factors that lead to death in critical inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) are not yet fully understood.

Methods

In this single‐center, retrospective study, we enrolled 113 critical patients with COVID‐19 from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University between February 1, 2020 and March 15, 2020. Patients who survived or died were compared.

Results

A total of 113 critical patients with COVID‐19 were recruited; 50 (44.3%) died, and 63 (55.7%) recovered. The proportion of patients with ventricular arrhythmia was higher in the death group than in the recovery group (P = .021) and was higher among patients with myocardial damage than patients without myocardial damage (P = .013). Multivariate analysis confirmed independent predictors of mortality from COVID‐19: age > 70 years (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.03‐3.28), initial neutrophil count over 6.5 × 109/L (HR 3.43, 95% CI 1.84‐6.40), C‐reactive protein greater than 100 mg/L (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.04‐3.59), and lactate dehydrogenase over 300 U/L (HR 2.90, 95% CI 1.26‐6.67). Immunoglobulin treatment (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.21‐0.73) can reduce the risk of death. Sinus tachycardia (HR 2.94, 95% CI 1.16‐7.46) and ventricular arrhythmia (HR 2.79, 95% CI 1.11‐7.04) were independent ECG risk factors for mortality from COVID‐19.

Conclusions

Old age (>70 years), neutrophilia, C‐reactive protein greater than 100 mg/L and lactate dehydrogenase over 300 U/L are high‐risk factors for mortality in critical patients with COVID‐19. Sinus tachycardia and ventricular arrhythmia are independent ECG risk factors for mortality from COVID‐19.
Pathfinders in oncology from the first clinical use of single‐agent chemotherapy to the introduction of mammography
Authors: Hajdu Steven I.
Published: October 2020

During the period from 1942 to 1962, treatment attempts with single‐agent chemotherapy such as nitrogen mustard and urethan gained limited application. However, the groundbreaking success with aminopterin in the treatment of patients with pediatric acute leukemia and methotrexate in the treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma established single‐agent chemotherapy as a pioneering contribution to oncology. The landmark discovery that early‐stage Hodgkin disease is curable with radiation made radiotherapy into an essential specialty of oncology. Although radical surgical treatment dominated the field of surgery, the excision of localized cancers with or without adjuvant radiation emerged as new modality in therapy. Cytopathology and surgical pathology became new fields in medicine and pathologists became an integral part of the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care of patients with cancer. The discovery of multiple new drugs demonstrated promising results and widened the field of oncology from the laboratory to the clinic. In the etiology of cancer, precancerous conditions were named and carcinoma of the lung was definitively linked to cigarette smoking. All things considered, the progress made between 1942 and 1962 came about through the dedicated work of many individuals. However, there were 7 distinguished pathfinders (2 pathologists, 1 pediatric pathologist–oncologist, 1 radiation therapist, 1 physician‐actuary, 1 gynecologist‐oncologist, and 1 chemist) who, despite their different backgrounds, interests, and sex, made groundbreaking contributions to oncology.
Detecting community change in Arctic marine ecosystems using the temporal dynamics of environmental DNA
Authors: Sevellec Maelle , Lacoursière‐Roussel Anaïs , Bernatchez Louis , Normandeau Eric , Solomon Eric , Arreak Andrew , Fishback LeeAnn , Howland Kimberly
Published: October 2020

Large‐scale biomonitoring of Arctic coastal marine communities is essential to track temporal changes in ecosystems. Despite the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) as an innovative coastal biomonitoring tool, important questions remain pertaining to its temporal and spatial variation and how this may affect the evaluation of ecosystem changes over time in hydrodynamic ecosystems. In this study, we used eDNA metabarcoding of coastal water samples in two Canadian Arctic ports to evaluate the potential of eDNA to detect temporal transition in marine coastal communities. We sequenced eDNA from approximately 20 surface water samples collected each month (N ≈ 150 samples) covering the transition period between summer and late fall using four different universal primer pairs (two pairs of COI mitochondrial genes and two pairs of 18S rRNA genes). Our results from both primer pairs highlighted a significant transition from the summer to the fall marine community. We also observed a putative link between eDNA peaks of read abundance and timing for different life stages (e.g., spawning and larvae) of several species with the most abundant sequence reads. As such, our results show that temporal variation must be considered in ensuring comprehensive coastal biomonitoring with eDNA. Although much remains to be investigated about the ecology of eDNA, our results contribute to fundamental knowledge on the origin of eDNA and highlight the importance of considering temporal variation in developing guidance for coastal biomonitoring with this approach.
Efficacy of chemical factors on production and extraction of biodiesel by microalgae
Authors: Ananthi V. , Pugazhendhi Arivalagan , Arun Alagarsamy
Published: October 2020

Environmental concerning factors responsible for carbon dioxide emissions and depletion of petroleum based fuel are the driving factors for the search of alternative fuels like biodiesel. The growth of microalgal cells and their metabolic activity toward lipid production could be controlled by the nutrient factors employed in production media. The lipid accumulation ability of the microalgal strains could be influenced by the deprivation of vital chemicals like carbon, nitrogen, calcium and magnesium. In the part of commercializing microalgal based biodiesel, cost effective measures in oil extraction and downstream processes have to be considered. Huge varieties of microalgal cellular pretreatment methods are employed to enhance cellular disintegration so as to facilitate oil extraction by structural modification of carbohydrates present in cell wall. The diversified methods used for microalgal pretreatment encompass chemical, thermal, biological, mechanical or combinatorial approaches. Among all the pretreatment methods chemical methods are greatly advantageous while concerning the feasibility in energy and time consumption. Combinatorial approaches like thermochemical pretreatment or microwave assisted extraction methods are very successful in terms of feasible energy production under limited time consumption. Above all, genetic engineered microbes which could be able to withstand suitable pretreatment methods were developed. This present review tried to explore the activity of chemical parameters and also delineate the nutrient deprivation factors involving in the cellular metabolism of microalgal biomass for lipid production.
Air‐interface virtualization using filter bank multicarrier and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing configurations
Authors: Saad Malik Muhammad , Bhatti Farrukh Aziz , Zafar Adnan , Jangsher Sobia , Kim Dongkyun , Maqsood Moazam
Published: October 2020

Mobile networks have to cater for diverse services that have distinct requirements in terms of bandwidth, latency, and so on. Network virtualization is a key technology that efficiently utilizes the network resources to meet these service requirements. In this work, we investigate radio virtualization for creating fine‐grained network slices using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) combinations; the two are individually referred to as virtual radios (VRs). Using universal software radio peripherals (USRPs), we experimentally analyze multiple configurations of VRs including OFDM‐OFDM, OFDM‐FBMC, and FBMC‐FBMC. An extensive performance comparison is done on the basis of error rate, spectral efficiency, interference power, and computational complexity of the VR configurations that are confined within an operational bandwidth. An increase in transmit power of the VRs is theoretically expected to decrease the error rate, but there is also an increase in adjacent channel interference. Therefore, after a certain decrease in error rate with increase in transmit power, an inflection point is reached after which the error rate starts to increase. Of the three combinations, FBMC‐FBMC gives the lowest error rate (at the highest transmit power), that is, 10% and 18% lower than OFDM‐FBMC and OFDM‐OFDM, respectively. However, FBMC‐FBMC also has the highest complexity. We conclude that this air‐interface virtualization framework allows the network to use the waveform configuration that is best suited to a particular set of services, while considering the pros and cons of the individual waveforms.
Flavonoids mitigate neurodegeneration in aged Caenorhabditis elegans by mitochondrial uncoupling
Authors: Cho Injeong , Song Hyun‐Ok , Cho Jeong Hoon
Published: October 2020

Dietary supplementation of flavonoids has been shown to reduce the severity of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease by their antioxidant effects. However, their low bioavailabilityin vivo raises the question of how much their antioxidant capacity actually contributes to the mitigating effects. The physicochemical properties of flavonoids suggest they could function as mitochondrial uncouplers. Moreover, mitochondrial uncoupling alleviated neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans during aging in previous research. Therefore, we investigated whether various flavonoids (fisetin, quercetin, apigenin, chrysin, catechin, and naringenin) could reduce neuronal defects by mitochondrial uncoupling in C. elegans. Both neuronal defects and mitochondrial membrane potential were reduced in aged worms in nearly all of the flavonoid treatments suggesting that flavonoids may reduce neurodegeneration in C. elegans. However, there was no significant reduction of neuronal defects in mitophagy‐deficient pink‐1/pdr‐1 double mutants under flavonoid treatments. These results suggest that flavonoids could function as mitochondrial uncouplers to mitigate neurodegeneration in aged C. elegans, possibly via a PINK1/Parkin mitophagy process.
Building the algorithm commons: Who discovered the algorithms that underpin computing in the modern enterprise?
Authors: Thompson Neil C. , Ge Shuning , Sherry Yash M.
Published: October 2020

Research Summary

The reach of the modern enterprise relies on the power of information technology (IT) tools such as sensors, databases, and machine learning. But tool improvements must be fueled by increased computing power (e.g., faster hardware) or getting more productivity from existing systems (e.g., through better computer algorithms). New research has uncovered that this second source, algorithm progress, is more important than previously realized—sometimes orders of magnitude more important than hardware—and thus could be an important technological stepping‐stone to give competitive advantage to a country's firms. Analyzing this “Algorithm Commons” reveals that the United States has been the largest contributor to algorithm progress, with universities and large private labs (e.g., IBM) leading the way, but that U.S. leadership has faded in recent decades.

Managerial Summary

Companies are increasingly tackling problems with big data and sophisticated analysis techniques (e.g., Machine Learning). To meet the increased computational demands of these approaches, the capability of computers must improve. One important technique for doing this is to redesign algorithms, the recipes that computers follow to perform calculations. As a result, firms that develop better algorithms, or get access to them first, can get important advantages over their competitors. This paper shows that it is U.S. corporations and U.S. universities that have produced most of the important algorithm improvements, and thus suggests that better algorithms may have been a source of advantage for U.S. multinationals.
Cumulative suppressive index as a predictor of relapse free survival and overall survival in Human Papilloma Virus‐negative oral squamous cell carcinomas with negative resection margins
Authors: Hum Lauren , Bethmann Daniel , Feng Zipei , Chang Shu‐Ching , Eckert Alexander , Ballesteros‐Merino Carmen , Keschke Claudia , Kappler Matthias , Bifulco Carlo B. , Wickenhauser Claudia , Seliger Barbara , Fox Bernard A. , Bryan Bell Richard
Published: October 2020

Background

This study aimed to analyze margin status and the impact of the immune elements on recurrence in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), employing a prognostic biomarker, cumulative suppressive index (CSI), which reflects FoxP3+, PD‐L1+, and CD8+ cell spatial relationships in the tumor microenvironment.

Methods

Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the interactive effect of the margin by CSI discrepancy (high, 3‐4 vs low, 0‐2) on recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in 119 patients with stage I to IVA OSCC.

Results

In cases with negative margins, multivariable analysis showed high CSI was significantly associated with worse RFS (HR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.03, 6.49], P = .04) and OS (HR = 5.49, 95% CI [1.48, 20.35], P = .01) compared to low CSI. However, high CSI was not significantly associated with recurrence in cases with positive margins.

Conclusions

Immune architecture analysis can augment our current histopathological risk assessment of margin status.
Hall and ion‐slip effects on MHD free convection flow of rotating Jeffrey fluid over an infinite vertical porous surface
Authors: Hari Babu B. , Srinivasa Rao P. , Varma S. V. K.
Published: October 2020

An attempt has been made to explore Hall and ion‐slip effects on an unsteady magnetohydrodynamic rotating flow of an electrically conducting, viscous, incompressible, and optically thick radiating Jeffrey fluid past an impulsively vertical moving porous plate. Analytical solutions of the governing equations are obtained by Laplace transform technique. The analytical expressions for skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are also evaluated. The velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions are displayed graphically in detail. From engineering point of view, the changes in skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are observed with the computational results presented in a tabular manner. It is observed that the effects of rotation and Hall current tend to accelerate secondary velocity and decelerate primary velocity throughout the boundary layer region. Thermal and concentration buoyancy forces tend to accelerate both velocity components. Thermal radiation and thermal diffusion tend to enhance fluid temperature throughout the boundary layer region. Rotation and Jeffrey fluid parameters tend to enhance both stress components.
Aggregated residual transformation network for multistage classification in diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Sambyal Nitigya , Saini Poonam , Syal Rupali , Gupta Varun
Published: October 2020

Diabetic Retinopathy is a retinal abnormality which is characterized by progressive damage to the retina, eventually leading to irreversible blindness. In this paper, we propose an aggregated residual transformation‐based model for automatic multistage classification of diabetic retinopathy. The proposed model obtains 99.68% overall classification accuracy, 99.68% sensitivity, 99.89% specificity and 99.68% precision without overfitting on the MESSIDOR dataset. Further, the model obtains an accuracy of 99.89% for stage 0, 99.89% for stage 1, 99.68% for stage 2 and 99.89% for stage 3 of diabetic retinopathy. In comparison to residual network, the model shows an overall accuracy gain of 0.52%. The model also ensures an overall improvement of more than 6% in accuracy, 1.2% in sensitivity and 2.43 % in specificity when compared to best results reported in the literature. The proposed work outperforms the existing methods and achieves state‐of‐the‐art results for the multistage classification of diabetic retinopathy.
Retracted: Multi‐data multiple gray clustering analysis based on layered mining for ubiquitous clouds and social internet of things
Authors: Wang Mingling
Published: October 2020

At present, the research on data mining technology in our country mainly focuses on the basic algorithm. Many research results of data mining technology have not been applied in the actual engineering field. However, in many areas, the demand for data mining technology is urgent, such as network finance, industry, municipal public management, and communications engineering. The important research topics of data mining technology include cluster analysis. Cluster analysis is to sort out irregular data. The key to the research of data clustering is clustering algorithms. This article will elaborate on the data mining technology and the process of cluster analysis based on layered mining for the ubiquitous clouds and social Internet of Things. The proposed model will effectively promote the performance of the models.
Discovery of novel pyrazole derivatives as a potent anti‐inflammatory agent in RAW264.7 cells via inhibition of NF‐ĸB for possible benefit against SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Masih Anup , Agnihotri Amol K. , Srivastava Jitendra K. , Pandey Nidhi , Bhat Hans R. , Singh Udaya P.
Published: October 2020

Due to unavailability of a specific drug/vaccine to attenuate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the current strategy to combat the infection has been largely dependent upon the use of anti‐inflammatory drugs to control cytokines storm responsible for respiratory depression. Thus, in this study, we discovered novel pyrazole analogs as a potent nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐ĸB) inhibitor. The compounds were assessed for NF‐ĸB transcriptional inhibitory activity in RAW264.7 cells after stimulation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), revealing Compound 6c as the most potent analog among the tested series. The effect of Compound 6c was further investigated on the levels of interleukin‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and interleukin‐6 in LPS‐stimulated RAW267.4 cells by enzyme immunoassay, where it causes a significant reduction in the level of these cytokines. In Western blot analysis, Compound 6c also causes the inhibition of inhibitor kappa B‐α and NF‐κB. It was found to be snugly fitted into the inner grove of the active site of NF‐ĸB by forming H‐bonds and a nonbonded interaction with Asn28 in a docking analysis.
Identification of a stool long non‐coding RNAs panel as a potential biomarker for early detection of colorectal cancer
Authors: Gharib Ehsan , Nazemalhosseini‐Mojarad Ehsan , Baghdar Kaveh , Nayeri Zahra , Sadeghi Hossein , Rezasoltani Sama , Jamshidi‐Fard Arezo , Larki Pegah , Sadeghi Amir , Hashemi Mehrdad , Asadzadeh Aghdaei Hamid
Published: October 2020

Background

The feces of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients contain tumor colonocytes, which constantly shed into the lumen area. Therefore, stool evaluation can be considered as a rapid and low‐risk way to directly determine the colon and rectum status. As long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) alterations are important in cancer cells fate regulation, we aimed to assess the level of a panel of cancer‐related lncRNAs in fecal colonocytes.

Methods

The population study consisted of 150 subjects, including a training set, a validation set, and a group of 30 colon polyps. The expression levels of lncRNAs were evaluated by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). The NPInetr and EnrichR tools were used to identify the interactions and functions of lncRNAs.

Results

A total of 10 significantly dysregulated lncRNAs, including CCAT1, CCAT2, H19, HOTAIR, HULC, MALAT1, PCAT1, MEG3, PTENP1, and TUSC7, were chosen for designing a predictive panel. The diagnostic performance of the panel in distinguishing CRCs from the healthy group was AUC: 0.8554 in the training set and 0.8465 in the validation set. The AUC for early CRCs (I‐II TNM stages) was 0.8554 in the training set and 0.8465 in the validation set, and for advanced CRCs (III‐IV TNM stages) were 0.9281 in the training set and 0.9236 in the validation set. The corresponding AUC for CRCs vs polyps were 0.9228 (I‐IV TNM stages), 0.9042 (I‐II TNM stages), and 0.9362 (III‐IV TNM stages).

Conclusions

These data represented the application of analysis of fecal colonocytes lncRNAs in early detection of CRC.
Polyol and polyurethane foam from cellulose hydrolysate
Authors: Szpiłyk Marzena , Lubczak Renata , Walczak Małgorzata , Lubczak Jacek
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUND

At present the majority of polyurethanes, including polyurethane foams (PUF), are obtained from petrochemical substrates. However, green chemistry policy worldwide and restricted crude oil resources are driving the use of biological substrates to make polyurethanes. Widely available cellulose seems to meet the expectation of a polyol substrate for use in synthesizing polyurethane foams provided that it is converted first into liquid resin with free hydroxyl groups.

RESULTS

Cellulose hydrolysate was functionalized with glycidol and ethylene carbonate to obtain polyol. The product was characterized by infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization–time‐of‐flight spectrometry. The polyol then was used to obtain rigid polyurethane foam. The foam was characterized by physicochemical methods to determine apparent density, water uptake and polymerization shrinkage.

CONCLUSIONS

New polyol was obtained from cellulose hydrolysate by reaction with glycidol and ethylene carbonate in the presence of potassium carbonate as catalyst without solvent. This polyol contains hydroxyalkylated cellulose units incorporated into its structure and is suitable for synthesis of polyurethane foams. The properties of the foam were close to those of typical rigid polyuerethane foams used in industry. The foam showed good thermal resistance. Thermal exposure of obtained foam results in increase of compression strength. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
Modeling and experimental validation of direct contact membrane distillation applied to synthetic dye solutions
Authors: Madalosso Heloísa Bremm , de Sousa Silva Regilene , Merlini Aline , Battisti Rodrigo , Machado Ricardo Antonio Francisco , Marangoni Cintia
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUND

In order to protect water resources and reduce the harmful effects of releasing contaminated wastewater to the environment, the textile industry has increasingly demanded improved water reclamation technologies, such as membrane distillation. In this work, theoretical and experimental investigations were carried out to evaluate the behavior of the operational parameters of a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) setting with a commercial membrane applied to synthetic dye solutions, simulating textile wastewater from the fabric dyeing stage.

RESULTS

The analytical model based on heat and mass transfer correlations specific to textile effluents implemented using Matlab® predicted the permeate flux with good agreement, with errors less than 10% when compared with the experimental values. There was a different trend for reactive and disperse dyes when input variables were changed. In general, increasing all variables led to an increase in permeate flux. An increase of 30 °C in the feed temperature increased by 2.0‐ to 2.3‐fold the permeate flux. Moreover, the simulation showed the influence of the permeate temperature and the membrane interface temperature on the permeate flux, which is not commonly achieved experimentally.

CONCLUSIONS

The hybrid modeling supported by extensive experimental validation accurately predicted the permeate flux in DCMD to recover water from synthetic dye solutions containing reactive and disperse black dyes. DCMD is a promising technology for recovering textile wastewater containing these dyes, as it can use the waste heat from the hot effluent discharge. Therefore, this work can contribute towards the scaling up of DCMD, aiding in predicting and optimizing the operational variables. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
The influence of medical insurance on obstetrical care
Authors: Vallejo Manuel C. , Shapiro Robert E. , Lilly Christa L. , Nield Linda S. , Ferrari Norman D.
Published: October 2020

Maternal and obstetrical outcomes vary widely within the United States. The impact of insurance type on health care disparities and its influence on obstetrical care and maternal outcome is not clear. We report the impact of health care insurance on obstetrical and maternal outcomes in a tertiary care health care system. Our maternal quality care database (n = 4199) was queried comparing commercial insurance to government sponsored insurance from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018. Parturients with commercial insurance were older, weighed more, presented with less gravidity and parity, had more advanced gestation, and had a higher neonatal 5‐minute Apgar score than government insured parturients. Additionally, government insured parturients were less likely to be admitted for induction with oxytocin, receive labor epidural analgesia, and have a primary caesarean delivery. Similarly, government insured parturients were more likely to be of African American descent, be a current known smoker, have a positive urine drug screen, and receive a general anesthetic. We conclude obstetrical and maternal health care disparities exist based on medical insurance type.
The modulation of westerlies‐monsoon interaction on climate over the monsoon boundary zone in East Asia
Authors: Chen Jie , Huang Wei , Feng Song , Zhang Qiong , Kuang Xueyuan , Chen Jianhui , Chen Fahu
Published: October 2020

Monsoon boundary zone (MBZ) is a transitional zone between the arid Central Asia (ACA) and humid Asia monsoon area, located in North China‐Mongolia. During boreal summer, both the mid‐latitude westerlies and East Asian Summer monsoon (EASM) play essential roles in the precipitation variations in the MBZ, via causing anomalous cold air mass from the west and warm/humid air from the south to the MBZ. In this study, we defined a summer westerly index (SWI) over the key westerly domain (35°‐42.5°N, 80°‐100°E) and an EASM index (EASMI) over the key EASM domain (25°‐35°N, 107.5°‐125°E) to investigate westerlies‐monsoon interaction and their effect on MBZ climate. The results show that westerlies and EASM have a synergistic effect on the precipitation in the MBZ and this synergistic effect could be amplified by the westerlies‐monsoon interaction. The westerlies and EASM interaction could induce a local cyclonic anomaly in the MBZ, this cyclonic anomaly further intensifies the westerlies and monsoon flow through a dynamical amplification, favours the precipitation in the MBZ. The MBZ precipitation also contributes to maintain the cyclonic anomaly via the latent heating release. The interannual variability of westerlies is largely modulated by the mid‐latitude Silk Road pattern (SRP) and the meridional displacement of the Asian westerly jet (AWJ), and the EASM variability is mainly modulated by El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the combined effects from these mid‐latitude circulation systems and tropical SST contribute to the climate variability in MBZ.
Cemented short‐stem total hip arthroplasty: Characteristics of line‐to‐line versus undersized cementing techniques using a validated CT‐based finite element analysis
Authors: Azari Fahimeh , Sas Amelie , Kutzner Karl P. , Klockow Andreas , Scheerlinck Thierry , van Lenthe G. Harry
Published: October 2020

Short stems are becoming increasingly popular in total hip arthroplasty as they preserve the bone stock and simplify the implantation process. Short stems are advised mainly for patients with good bone stock. The clinical use of short stems could be enlarged to patients with poor bone stock if a cemented alternative would be available. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the mechanical performance of a cemented short stem and to compare the “undersized” cementing strategy (stem one size smaller than the rasp) with the “line‐to‐line” technique (stem and rasp with identical size). A prototype cemented short stem was implanted in eight pairs of human cadaveric femora using the two cementing strategies. Four pairs were experimentally tested in a single‐legged stance condition; stiffness, strength, and bone surface displacements were measured. Subject‐specific nonlinear finite element models of all the implanted femora were developed, validated against the experimental data, and used to evaluate the behavior of cemented short stems under physiological loading conditions resembling level walking. The two cementing techniques resulted in nonsignificant differences in stiffness and strength. Strength and stiffness as calculated from finite element were 8.7 ± 16% and 9.9 ± 15.0% higher than experimentally measured. Displacements as calculated from finite element analyses corresponded strongly (R
2 ≥ .97) with those measured by digital image correlation. Stresses during level walking were far below the fatigue limit for bone and bone cement. The present study suggests that cemented short stems are a promising solution in osteoporotic bone, and that the line‐to‐line and undersized cementing techniques provide similar outcomes.