bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of alginate based micro‐gels via electro fluid dynamics to construct microphysiological cell culture systems
Authors: Cruz‐Maya Iriczalli , Altobelli Rosaria , Marrese Marica , Guarino Vincenzo
Published: April 2021

In the last decade, different technological approaches have been proposed for the fabrication of micro‐gels as cell carriers to investigate in vitro response. Among them, electro fluid dynamic atomization (EFDAs) is emerging as a highly versatile process that allows atomizing polymer solutions at the micrometric size scale by the application of high voltage electric field. Here, we propose to revisit the process configuration to optimize the fabrication of sodium alginate micro‐gels with different physical and mechanical properties and validate their use for in vitro culture with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). By optical microscopy, we explored the strict correlation between particle morphology and process parameters, that is, voltage, flow rate, electrode gap and needle diameter. Meanwhile, by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, we investigated basic differences in terms of physical (i.e., swelling) and mechanical properties (i.e., stiffness), ascribable to alginates solutions with different concentrations. Lastly, in vitro tests confirmed the effect of physical properties of microgels on the biological response of hMSCs cultured onto the surface. In perspective, the integration of alginate with peculiar extracellular matrix (ECM) components (i.e., proteins, mineral phase) may contribute to assign specific biological functionalities to the microgels in order to reproduce 3D models to investigate in vivo‐like behavior of cells.
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Yechieli Raphael L. , Mandeville Henry C. , Hiniker Susan M. , Bernier‐Chastagner Valerie , McGovern Susan , Scarzello Giovanni , Wolden Suzanne , Cameron Alison , Breneman John , Fajardo Raquel Davila , Donaldson Sarah S.
Published: April 2021

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a heterogeneous disease both in presentation and histology. Improvements in a multimodality therapy resulted in the improved overall survival for patients with a low‐risk and intermediate‐risk disease but not for patients with a metastatic disease. We reviewed and contrasted the North American and European practice patterns, though ultimately the principles of staging, surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are similar in both Children's Oncology Group and International Society of Paediatric Oncology treatment approaches. Efforts are underway to investigate improved local control rates in higher risk patients using radiation dose escalation strategies, and delayed primary excision in select cases. The prognostic significance of imaging‐based chemotherapy response, proton therapy, novel biomarkers, and targeted drugs will be determined in upcoming clinical trials.
Palliative radiation therapy for children with cancer
Authors: Tsang Derek S. , Vargo John Austin , Goddard Karen , Breneman John C. , Kalapurakal John A. , Marcus Karen J.
Published: April 2021

Radiation therapy (RT) is often used as a palliative treatment for children with recurrent malignant disease to ameliorate or prevent symptoms. However, no guidelines exist regarding the clinical indications or dose fractionation for palliative RT. The goal of this report is to provide guidelines for the use of palliative RT in children with cancer. In this guideline, appropriate indications for palliative RT, recommended dose‐fractionation schedules, relevant toxicities, and avenues for future research are explored. RT is an effective palliative treatment for bone, brain, liver, lung, abdominopelvic and head‐and‐neck metastases, spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, and bleeding. Single‐fraction regimens (8 Gy in one fraction) for children with short life expectancy are recommended for simple, uncomplicated bone metastases and can be considered for some patients with lung or liver metastases. A short, hypofractionated regimen (20 Gy in five fractions) may be used for other indications to minimize overall burden of therapy. There are little data supporting use of more prolonged fractionation regimens, though they may be considered for patients with very good performance status. Future research should focus on response and outcomes data collection, and to rigorously evaluate the role of stereotactic body RT in well‐designed, prospective studies.
Radiation therapy for infants with cancer
Authors: Shen Colette J. , Perkins Stephanie M. , Bradley Julie A. , Mahajan Anita , Marcus Karen J.
Published: April 2021

The clinical outcomes for infants with malignant tumors are often worse than older children due to a combination of more biologically aggressive disease in some cases, and increased toxicity—or deintensification of therapies due to concern for toxicity—in others. Especially in infants and very young children, finding the appropriate balance between maximizing treatment efficacy while minimizing toxicity—in particular late side effects—is crucial. We review here the management of malignant tumors in infants and very young children, focusing on central nervous system (CNS) malignancies and rhabdomyosarcoma.
Interrater agreement for sonographic stomach position classification in fetal diaphragmatic hernia across the North American Fetal Therapy Network
Authors: Abbasi Nimrah , Ryan Greg , Ruano Rodrigo , Sanz Cortes Magda , Ye Xiang Y. , Shah Prakesh S. , Filly Roy , Benachi Alexandra , Johnson Anthony ,   NAFTNet
Published: April 2021

Objective

To evaluate inter‐rater agreement for sonographic classification of stomach position (as a surrogate for liver herniation) in fetal left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (LCDH) among: (i) fetal medicine specialists from the North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet) centers within and without the fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO) consortium and in comparison to an expert external reviewer (ER1); and (iii) among two expert ERs (ER1 and ER2).

Methods

Forty‐eight physicians from 26 NAFTNet centers and 2 ERs were asked to assess 13 sonographic clips of isolated LCDH and classify stomach position as “intra‐abdominal,” “anterior left chest,” “mid to posterior left chest,” or “retro‐cardiac" based on the classification published by Basta et al.8 Interrater agreement was assessed by determining proportion of stomach position ratings concordant amongst NAFTNet participants and ER1. Agreement for stomach position between ERs was calculated using kappa statistics.

Results

Agreement for stomach position was 69% (39%–85%; n = 19) and 54% (23%–92%; n = 29) among FETO and non‐FETO NAFTNet participants, respectively, when compared to ER1. Most disagreement in stomach position was related to a discrepancy of one position. ERs were in agreement for stomach position in 5 of 13 cases (38.5%) and inter‐rater agreement was highest for “anterior” stomach position.

Conclusion

Interrater agreement for stomach position assessment in CDH was poor across NAFTNet and indeed amongst expert reviewers.
3Dprintability of highly ductile poly(ethylene glycol‐co‐cyclohexane‐1,4‐dimethanol terephthalate)‐EMAAblends
Authors: Silva Philipe A. P. , da Silva Aline Bruna , Erbetta Cynthia D'. Avila Carvalho , Santos João Paulo Ferreira , de Sousa Ricardo Geraldo , Oréfice Rodrigo Lambert
Published: April 2021

In this work, ionomers were employed to improve the adhesion between 3D printed layers of poly(ethylene glycol‐co‐cyclohexane‐1,4‐dimethanol terephthalate) (PETG), a commonly used polymer in 3D printing. The printability, rheology, and mechanical properties of PETG were tailored by incorporating poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid) neutralized with sodium (EMAA), a soft ionomer. PETG/EMAA polymer blends were prepared by melt extrusion to yield filaments for 3D fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing in different compositions by weight: 70/30, 50/50, and 30/70. The filaments and 3D printed samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, rheological and tensile tests. The results revealed that the interaction between PETG and EMAA favored the production of 3D printed samples with enhanced adhesion of layers, ductility, and toughness compared to neat PETG. Increases of 83.5 times in toughness and 86.4 times in ductility were achieved. The blends 30/70 and 50/50 presented the best printability in terms of adhesion between printed layers and mechanical properties.
Registration of spring malting barley germplasm ARS84‐27, ARS98‐31, and ARS10‐82
Authors: Hu G. , Evans C. P. , Satterfield K. , Ellberg S.
Published: April 2021

Germplasm lines are the most important genetic resources for cultivar development. ARS84‐27 (Reg. no. GP‐212, PI 693601), ARS98‐31 (Reg. no. GP‐213, PI 693602), and ARS10‐82 (Reg. no. GP‐214, PI 693603) are three high‐yield and good malting quality two‐rowed spring malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) germplasm lines developed by the USDA‐ARS breeding program at Aberdeen, ID. All three germplasm lines were evaluated in 27 irrigated and 14 dryland trials. ARS10‐82 had significantly higher yield than all the checks, and ARS98‐31 and ARS84‐27 were competitive with the best check cultivar ‘Voyager’ (Busch Agricultural Resources). Malting evaluation results showed acceptable quality profiles with specific quality traits including high extract, low protein content, and low beta‐glucan for the years tested. They are all classified as moderately resistant to Fusarium head blight infection with low deoxynivalenol (DON) levels.
Social support and siblings of children with cancer: A scoping review
Authors: Wawrzynski Sarah E. , Schaefer Megan R. , Schvaneveldt Nena , Alderfer Melissa A.
Published: April 2021

Objective

Social support is essential in healthy adjustment to life stressors. This scoping review examines how social support has been conceptualized, operationalized, and studied among siblings of children with cancer. Gaps in the current literature are identified, and future research directions are proposed.

Methods

A rigorous systematic scoping review framework guided our process. Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for literature regarding social support and siblings of children with cancer. After screening, 57 articles were identified (n = 26 quantitative, n = 21 qualitative, and n = 10 multi‐method) and their content extracted for summarization.

Results

The majority of studies (n = 43, 75.4%) were descriptive; 14 (24.6%) included interventions, and of those, four were experimental. Few studies used a clearly defined theoretical framework, or validated tools to measure social support. Studies explored perceived social support needs of siblings, the provision and availability of formal support through interventions and related outcomes, and informal family social supports. A variety of support types were found to be helpful to siblings in different ways.

Conclusions

Social support is a prevalent topic in the literature regarding siblings of children with cancer. It is unclear what types of support are most important due to how it has been conceptualized and measured. Despite some methodological limitations, greater levels of social support have been linked to better adaptation among siblings of children with cancer. Future work is warranted to identify the most beneficial types of support for siblings based on their age, developmental stage, and the cancer trajectory.
Association between cancer stigma and job loss among cancer survivors
Authors: Shim Sungkeun , Kang Danbee , Bae Ka Ryeong , Lee Woo Yong , Nam Seok Jin , Sohn Tae Sung , Jeong Byong Chang , Sinn Dong Hyun , Kweon Sun Seog , Shim Young Mog , Cho Juhee
Published: April 2021

Objective

Previous qualitative studies found cancer stigma was associated with work discrimination and job loss among cancer patients. This study aims to quantify the association between cancer stigma and job loss among cancer survivors.

Methods

For this study, we used the data from a face‐to‐face cross sectional survey conducted at two cancer hospitals in Seoul and Hwasun in South Korea from October 2017 to March 2018. Cancer stigma was assessed using a validated questionnaire which consists of 12 items in three domains: (a) impossibility of recovery; (b) stereotypes; and (c) discrimination. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between cancer stigma and job loss adjusting age, sex, marital status, education, job type, residence area, cancer site, stage, comorbidity, time since diagnosis, and self‐efficacy.

Results

Among 433 cancer survivors, 24.0% lost their jobs after cancer, and 20.7% experienced discrimination at work. Of total, 21.7% of the survivors agreed that it was difficult to treat cancer regardless of highly developed medical science. Survivors with stigma on impossibility of recovery and stereotypes were 3.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.76, 5.44]) and 2.10 (95% CI: [1.20, 3.67]) times more likely to lose a job than survivors without cancer stigma. Survivors with discrimination experience at work had 1.98 (95% CI: [1.05, 3.74]) times higher risk of losing a job than survivors without it.

Conclusions

Survivors with cancer stigma were more likely to lose their jobs than survivors without cancer stigma. Considering its social and economic impact on job loss, comprehensive interventions for working cancer survivors as well as public campaigns against cancer stigma would be necessary.
Respiratory setback associated with extubation failure in extremely preterm infants
Authors: Gupta Dhruv , Greenberg Rachel G. , Natarajan Girija , Jani Sanket , Sharma Amit , Cotten Michael , Thomas Ronald , Chawla Sanjay
Published: April 2021

Background and Objectives

Extubation failure in preterm infants is associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity. There is limited evidence to suggest if the increased morbidities are due to inherent differences among infants who fail or succeed; or whether these are due to a true respiratory setback among those who fail extubation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the respiratory status of infants who fail extubation and to assess the time taken for these infants to achieve pre‐extubation respiratory status.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of infants with birth weight ≤ 1250 g who were born between January 2009 and December 2016. Infants were eligible if they failed first elective extubation. Extubation failure was defined as need for re‐intubation within 5 days of extubation. Ventilator settings, blood gas parameters, respiratory severity score (RSS), and ventilation index (VI) were used to assess the respiratory status of infants.

Results

Out of 384 infants, 76% were successful and 24% failed extubation. Among those who failed extubation 91%, 77%, and 56% infants remained intubated at 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days, respectively. Respiratory status was worse at 24 and 72 h after re‐intubation when compared to pre‐extubation levels. The median times for RSS and VI to reach pre‐extubation levels were 4 and 7 days, respectively.

Conclusion

Among preterm infants, failed elective extubation is associated with a significant setback in the respiratory status. Infants who fail an extubation attempt may not achieve pre‐extubation respiratory status for many days after reintubation.
Parthenogenesis in UK field populations of the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, exposed to the mating disruptor Isonet T
Authors: Grant Charles , Jacobson Rob , Bass Chris
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta is a damaging pest of tomato crops worldwide. In the UK T. absoluta is controlled using an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy that includes pheromone‐based mating disruption. However, some growers have reported a loss of efficacy of this technology, and there are concerns that T. absoluta may evolve resistance via changes in its capacity to reproduce asexually. In this study we investigated the reproductive capacity of virgin populations of T. absoluta collected from a UK glasshouse before (EVH2016) and after (EVH2019) the introduction of the mating disrupter Isonet T.

RESULTS

In line with earlier reports, we demonstrate that UK populations of T. absoluta can reproduce parthenogenetically, and observed a small but significant increase in the rate of parthenogenesis associated with the use of Isonet T. Marked differences in several other life history traits associated with reproduction were also observed between the two virgin populations, with the EVH2019 strain producing fewer eggs, a delayed onset of egg laying and increased lifespan.

CONCLUSION

The low rate of parthenogenetic reproduction seen in this study is unlikely to result in loss of efficacy of mating disruption. However, the observed changes in longevity and egg laying may allow T. absoluta to persist for longer within the crop, and, together with the increased rate of parthenogenesis, may reflect selection from the use of Isonet T. Thus, regular monitoring of the reproductive capacity of UK populations should be conducted, and mating disruption used only as part of IPM to avoid the emergence of resistance. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Strategies for discovering resistance‐breaking, safe and sustainable commercial herbicides with novel modes of action and chemotypes
Authors: Hachisu Shuji
Published: April 2021

Farmers need to manage weeds to grow and harvest crops that are essential to our food and energy supply, and herbicides are the most important tool in the farmers' armory to combat weeds. There is now a crisis in agriculture that has been brought about by herbicides being rendered ineffective by resistant weeds or withdrawn from the market due to safety concerns. Efficacious herbicides with novel modes of action (MoAs) and chemotypes are urgently needed to control resistant weeds and satisfy public and regulators' stringent requirements for safe and sustainable products. This article explores the main strategies being deployed by academic and industrial institutions to discover the next generation of commercial herbicides: phenotypic and in vitro target based approaches. There are early signs that much needed innovation and herbicidal products with novel MoAs are on the horizon from start‐ups and established agrochemical companies. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
The impact of sublethal permethrin exposure on susceptible and resistant genotypes of the urban disease vector Aedes aegypti
Authors: Rigby Lisa M , Johnson Brian J , Peatey Christopher L , Beebe Nigel W , Devine Gregor J
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

In urban environments, some of the most common control tools used against the mosquito disease vector Aedes aegypti are pyrethroid insecticides applied as aerosols, fogs or residual sprays. Their efficacy is compromised by patchy deployment, aging residues, and the evolution and invasion of pyrethroid‐resistant mosquitoes. A large proportion of mosquitoes in a given environment will therefore receive sublethal doses of insecticide. The potential impact of this sublethal exposure on the behaviour and biology of Ae. aegypti carrying commonly reported resistance alleles is poorly documented.

RESULTS

In susceptible insects, sublethal exposure to permethrin resulted in reductions in egg viability (13.9%), blood avidity (16.7%) and male mating success (28.3%). It caused a 70% decrease in the lifespan of exposed susceptible females and a 66% decrease in the insecticide‐resistant females from the parental strain. Exposure to the same dose of insecticide in the presence of the isolated kdr genotype resulted in a smaller impact on female longevity (a 58% decrease) but a 26% increase in eggs per female and a 37% increase in male mating success. Sublethal permethrin exposure reduced host‐location success by 20–30% in all strains.

CONCLUSION

The detrimental effects of exposure on susceptible insects were expected, but resistant insects demonstrated a less predictable range of responses, including negative effects on longevity and host‐location but increases in fecundity and mating competitiveness. Overall, sublethal insecticide exposure is expected to increase the competitiveness of resistant phenotypes, acting as a selection pressure for the evolution of permethrin resistance. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Monoclonal antibody therapy efficacy can be boosted by combinations with other treatments: Predictions using an integrated Alzheimer’s Disease Platform
Authors: Karelina Tatiana , Lerner Stepan , Stepanov Alexandr , Meerson Mark , Demin Oleg
Published: April 2021

For many years, clinical research in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has focused on attempts to identify the most explicit biomarker, namely amyloid beta. Unfortunately, the numerous therapies that have been developed have failed in clinical practice. AD arises as a consequence of multiple factors, and as such it requires a more mechanistic analytical approach than statistical modeling. Quantitative systems pharmacology modeling is a valuable tool for drug development. It utilizes in vitro data for the calibration of parameters, embeds them into physiologically based structures, and explores translation between animals and humans. Such an approach allows for a quantitative study of the dynamics of the interactions between multiple factors or variables. Here, we present an overview of the quantitative translational model in AD, which embraces current preclinical and clinical data. The previously published description of amyloid physiology has been updated and joined with a model for tau pathology and multiple intraneuronal processes responsible for cellular transport, metabolism, or proteostasis. In addition, several hypotheses regarding the best correlates of cognitive deterioration have been validated using clinical data. Here, the amyloid hypothesis was unable to predict the aducanumab clinical trial data, whereas simulations of cognitive impairment coupled with tau seeding or neuronal breakdown (expressed as caspase activity) matched the data. A satisfactory validation of the data from multiple preclinical and clinical studies was followed by an attempt to predict the results of combinatorial treatment with targeted immunotherapy and activation of autophagy using rapamycin. The combination is predicted to yield better efficacy than immunotherapy alone.
Heteroepitaxial Hexagonal (00.1) CuFeO2 Thin Film Grown on Cubic (001) SrTiO3 Substrate Through Translational and Rotational Domain Matching
Authors: Luo Sijun , Harrington George F. , Wu Kuan-Ting , Pergolesi Daniele , Lippert Thomas
Published: April 2021

Heteroepitaxy of complex oxide thin films is a significant challenge when a large mismatch in the lattice parameters (>8%) and difference in the crystallographic symmetry coexist between the film and substrate. Herein, the heteroepitaxial growth of a hexagonal delafossite CuFeO2 thin film with (00.1) orientation on a cubic perovskite (001) SrTiO3 substrate through translational and rotational domain matching epitaxy is reported. The rotational in‐plane domain orientation relationships are CuFeO2 [11.0]//SrTiO3 [110] and CuFeO2 [2.0]//SrTiO3 [110] with about 10% in‐plane lattice mismatch. The 14.8 nm‐thick (00.1) CuFeO2 thin film shows high‐crystalline quality with a full width at half maximum of rocking curve of about 0.24° and exhibits a possible indirect optical bandgap of 1.43 eV or direct optical bandgap of 1.94 eV. Herein, not only a model system demonstrating translational and rotational domain matching heteroepitaxy of complex oxides is reported, but also a way to thin‐film heterostructures integrating hexagonal delafossite with cubic perovskite materials for functional oxide devices is opened.
Recruitment strategies for sarcopenia trials: lessons from the LACE randomized controlled trial
Authors: Witham Miles D. , Achison Marcus , Aspray Terry J. , Avenell Alison , Band Margaret M. , Donnan Peter T. , George Jacob , Hapca Adrian , Hume Cheryl , Kemp Paul , Pilvinyte Kristina , Sayer Avan A. , Smith Karen T. , Struthers Allan D. , Sumukadas Deepa
Published: April 2021

Background

Sarcopenia is rarely diagnosed and is not recorded electronically in routine clinical care, posing challenges to trial recruitment. We describe the performance of four components of a strategy to efficiently recruit participants with sarcopenia to a trial of perindopril and/or leucine for sarcopenia: primary care vs. hospital recruitment, a comparison of central vs. local telephone pre‐screening, performance of a questionnaire on physical function conducted as part of the pre‐screening telephone call, and performance of bioimpedance measurement to identify low muscle mass.

Methods

Hospital‐based recruitment took place through inpatient and outpatient geriatric medicine services. Local research nurses reviewed medical notes and approached potentially eligible patients. Primary care recruitment reviewed primary care lists from collaborating practices, sending mailshots to patients aged 70 and over who were not taking angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors. Telephone pre‐screening was conducted either by research nurses at each site or centrally by Tayside Clinical Trials Unit. The 10‐point SARC‐F questionnaire was used for pre‐screening. De‐identified recruitment information was held on a central electronic tracking system and analysed using SPSS. Bioimpedance was measured using the Akern BIA 101 system, with the Sergi equation used to estimate lean mass.

Results

Fourteen UK sites recruited to the trial. The 1202 sets of notes in hospital‐based care were reviewed at these sites; 7 participants (0.6% of total notes screened) were randomized. From primary care, 13 808 invitations were sent; 138 (1.0% of total invited) were randomized. 633/2987 primary care respondents were pre‐screened centrally; the mean number of calls per respondent was 2.3. For 10 sites where central and local pre‐screening could be compared, the conversion rate from pre‐screening to randomization was 18/588 (3.1%) for centralized calls, compared with 73/1814 (4.0%) for local pre‐screening calls (P = 0.29). A weak relationship was seen between higher (worse) SARC‐F score at screening and lower likelihood of progression to randomization (r = −0.08, P = 0.03). Muscle mass estimates generated using the Sergi equation were systematically biased, and a recalibrated equation for bioimpedance‐estimated muscle mass was derived.

Conclusions

Primary care recruitment led to higher response rates and overall numbers randomized than hospital‐based recruitment. Centralized pre‐screening saved local research nurses' time but did not improve conversion to randomization. SARC‐F did not help to target screening activity in this sarcopenia trial, and a recalibration of the equation for estimating muscle mass from bioimpedance measures may improve accuracy of the screening process.
Discrete‐time design and applications of uncertainty and disturbance estimator
Authors: Padmanabhan Ram , Shetty Maithili , Chandar T. S.
Published: April 2021

This article proposes a discrete‐time design for the robust control technique of uncertainty and disturbance estimator (UDE), with studies on applications to real‐world systems. Despite the ease of implementation of discrete‐time strategies, almost all prior work on UDE is for designing continuous‐time control laws, with no general, complete research for discrete‐time design. To design an appropriate discrete‐time control law, a novel digital filter similar to the original analog filter for disturbance estimation is designed, a discrete‐time error‐based control law is derived, and a detailed stability analysis is provided. However, most real‐world, physical systems are nonlinear and continuous‐time in nature. Thus, the techniques of sampling and digital‐analog (D/A) conversion are used, enabling the control of linear, time‐invariant as well as a class of nonlinear, continuous‐time systems using discrete‐time UDE. The considered nonlinear system is for the phenomenon of wing‐rock motion. Simulations are performed for the proposed techniques, and results indicate highly accurate stabilization and tracking performance, with excellent disturbance rejection. In particular, it is seen that the proposed control law is less sensitive to initial values of the error when compared to the original continuous‐time UDE law.
Observer‐based predictor for a susceptible‐infectious‐recovered model with delays: An optimal‐control case study
Authors: Castaños Fernando , Mondié Sabine
Published: April 2021

We propose an observer for a susceptible‐infectious‐recovered epidemic model. The observer is then uplifted into a predictor to compensate for time delays in the input and the output. Tuning criteria are given for tuning gains of the predictor, while the estimation‐error stability is ensured using Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functionals. The predictor's performance is first evaluated in combination with a time‐optimal control. It is shown that the predictor nearly recovers the performance level of the delay‐free system. Finally, the predictor is evaluated using real data from a covid epidemic.
Upper tail for homomorphism counts in constrained sparse random graphs
Authors: Bhattacharya Sohom , Dembo Amir
Published: April 2021

Consider the upper tail probability that the homomorphism count of a fixed graph H within a large sparse random graph Gn exceeds its expected value by a fixed factor . Going beyond the Erdős–Rényi model, we establish here explicit, sharp upper tail decay rates for sparse random dn‐regular graphs (provided H has a regular 2‐core), and for sparse uniform random graphs. We further deal with joint upper tail probabilities for homomorphism counts of multiple graphs (extending the known results for ), and for inhomogeneous graph ensembles (such as the stochastic block model), we bound the upper tail probability by a variational problem analogous to the one that determines its decay rate in the case of sparse Erdős–Rényi graphs.
Identification of phosphorus index improvements through model comparisons across topographic regions in a small agricultural watershed in Vermont (USA)
Authors: Twombly Cameron R. , Faulkner Joshua W. , Collick Amy S. , Easton Zachary M.
Published: April 2021

Many U.S. states require farmers to evaluate the risk of P loss from farm fields using P site assessment tools, such as the Phosphorus Index (P‐Index). The simplicity of the P‐Index allows for users with various backgrounds to utilize the tool; however, the P‐Index may be limited in its ability to reliably predict P losses across variable farm terrain, for instance where saturation‐excess runoff generation dominates. The objective of this study was to identify potential improvements that could be made to the Vermont P‐Index (VT P‐Index) by comparing VT P‐Index predictions of P loss with those of a model that considers topographic controls on P transport. Scenarios with varying P management strategies were developed and modeled for corn (Zea mays L.) silage production fields in a small agricultural watershed (360 ha) located in Vermont using both the VT P‐Index and a modified version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Modeled outputs from both the VT P‐Index and SWAT were aggregated based on topographic index (TI) class and compared for the directional agreement of P risk assessments and relative annual average dissolved and particulate P losses. The P‐Index nutrient management recommendations gave higher P loss risk ratings than SWAT for 94% of the 120 unique scenario combinations simulated. Results from this study suggest that the VT P‐Index could improve its ability to support farm nutrient management planning by incorporating topographic controls on runoff production into its estimation of P transport.
Suspended MoS2 Photodetector Using Patterned Sapphire Substrate
Authors: Liu Xinke , Hu Shengqun , Luo Jiangliu , Li Xiaohua , Wu Jing , Chi Dongzhi , Ang Kah‐Wee , Yu Wenjie , Cai Yongqing
Published: April 2021

The introduction of patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) has been regarded as an effective method to improve the photoelectric performance of 2D layered materials in recent years. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an intriguing transition metal 2D materials with splendid photoresponse owing to a direct‐indirect bandgap transition at monolayer, shows promising optoelectronics applications. Here, a large‐scale, continuous multilayer MoS2 film is prepared on a SiO2/Si substrate and transferred to flat sapphire substrate and PSS, respectively. An enhanced dynamic distribution of local electric field and concentrated photon excitons across the interface between MoS2 and patterned sapphire substrates are revealed by the finite‐difference time‐domain simulation. The photoelectric performance of the MoS2/PSS photodetector is improved under the three lasers of 365, 460, and 660 nm. Under the 365 nm laser, the photocurrent increased by 3 times, noise equivalent power (NEP) decreases to 1.77 × 10−14 W/Hz1/2 and specific detectivity (D*) increases to 1.2 × 1010 Jones. Meanwhile, the responsivity is increased by 7 times at 460 nm, and the response time of the MoS2/PSS photodetector is also shortened under three wavelengths. The work demonstrates an effective method for enhancing the optical properties of photodetectors and enabling simultaneous detection of broad‐spectrum emissions.
Phase Tailoring of Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskite at Fixed Large Spacer Cation Ratio
Authors: Guo Jia , Shi Zejiao , Xia Junmin , Wang Kaiyang , Wei Qi , Liang Chao , Zhao Dandan , Zhang Zhipeng , Chen Shula , Liu Tanghao , Mei Shiliang , Hui Wei , Hong Guo , Chen Yonghua , Xing Guichuan
Published: April 2021

Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) metal halide perovskites are considered as promising optoelectronic materials due to their good environmental stability and desirable optoelectronic properties. However, the phase composition and ordering in the deposited film, with a fixed ratio of large organic spacer cation in the precursor solution, are hard to be further tailored for specific optoelectronic applications. Herein, it is shown that even with a fixed spacer cation ratio, the phase composition and ordering can still be largely regulated by utilizing different crystallization kinetics of various cations with the inorganic octahedral lead halide. By using two different short cations to compete with the large spacer cation, the phase composition can be continuously tailored from thin multiple quantum wells (MQWs) dominated to 3D perovskite dominated. The phase ordering can be reversed from small n phases’ prior to large n phases’ prior near the substrate. Finally, with the same amount of large spacer cation protection, the perovskite can be tailored for both high‐performance electroluminescence and photovoltaics with favorable energetic landscape for the corresponding desired first‐order excitonic recombination and second‐order free electron–hole recombination, respectively. This exploration substantially contributes to the understanding of precise phase engineering in RP perovskite and may provide a new insight into the design of multiple functional devices.
Efficient Electron Transfer from Electron‐Sponge Polyoxometalate to Single‐Metal Site Metal–Organic Frameworks for Highly Selective Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Sun Ming‐Liang , Wang Yi‐Rong , He Wen‐Wen , Zhong Rong‐Lin , Liu Qing‐Zhi , Xu Shiyou , Xu Jing‐Mei , Han Xiao‐Long , Ge Xueying , Li Shun‐Li , Lan Ya‐Qian , Al‐Enizi Abdullah M. , Nafady Ayman , Ma Shengqian
Published: April 2021

In this work, by combining the superiority of polyoxometalates (POMs) and catalytic single‐metal site Co of metalloporphyrin, a series of mixed‐valence POM‐based metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) composites is synthesized by a post‐modification method. The electron‐transfer property of POM@PCN‐222(Co) composite is significantly enhanced owing to the directional electron‐transfer from POM to single‐metal site Co in PCN‐222(Co). In particular, H‐POM@PCN‐222(Co) gives a high Faradaic efficiency of 96.2% for electroreduction of CO2 into CO and good stability over 10 h. DFT calculations confirm that the directional electron transfer, which accelerates the multi‐electron transfer from the electrode to active single‐metal site Co, enriches the electron density of the Co center, and ultimately reduces the energy of the rate‐determining step, thus increasing the catalytic activity of CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). This work therefore suggests some new insight for the design of efficient electrocatalysts for CO2RR.
ARTful: A model for user‐defined schedulers targeting multiple high‐performance computing runtime systems
Authors: Santana Alexandre , Freitas Vinicius , Castro Márcio , Pilla Laércio L. , Méhaut Jean‐François
Published: April 2021

Global schedulers are components in parallel runtime libraries that distribute the application's workload across physical resources. More often than not, applications showcase dynamic load imbalance and require customized scheduling solutions to avoid wasting resources. Some libraries lack support for user‐defined schedulers and developers resort to unofficial extensions that are harder to reuse and maintain. We propose a global scheduler software design, entitled ARTful model, to create user‐defined solutions with minimal alterations in the runtime library. Our model uses a component‐based design to separate components from the runtime library and the scheduling policy implementation. The ARTful modeldescribes the interface of a portable scheduler library, allowing policies to operate on different runtime libraries. We study the overhead induced by our design through our ARTful library implementation metaprogramming‐oriented global scheduling library using workload‐aware scheduling policies. We experiment with two different policies from OpenMP and Charm++ runtime systems, also presenting evaluations of the policies outside of their original library context. We observe that our portable schedulers can sometimes perform decisions faster than their native counterparts with negligible overhead in the execution times of synthetic applications and molecular dynamics kernels.
Separating the evaluative from the descriptive
Authors: Willemsen Pascale , Reuter Kevin ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: April 2021

Thick terms and concepts, such as honesty and cruelty, are at the heart of a variety of debates in philosophy of language and metaethics. Central to these debates is the question of how the descriptive and evaluative components of thick concepts are related and whether they can be separated from each other. So far, no empirical data on how thick terms are used in ordinary language has been collected to inform these debates. In this paper, we present the first empirical study, designed to investigate whether the evaluative component of thick concepts is communicated as part of the semantic meaning or by means of conversational implicatures. While neither the semantic nor the pragmatic view can fully account for the use of thick terms in ordinary language, our results do favour the semanticist interpretation: the evaluation of a thick concept is only slightly easier to cancel than semantically entailed content. We further discovered a polarity effect, demonstrating that how easily an evaluation can be cancelled depends on whether the thick term is of positive or negative polarity.
A genomics resource for genetics, physiology, and breeding of West African sorghum
Authors: Faye Jacques M. , Maina Fanna , Akata Eyanawa A. , Sine Bassirou , Diatta Cyril , Mamadou Aissata , Marla Sandeep , Bouchet Sophie , Teme Niaba , Rami Jean‐Francois , Fonceka Daniel , Cisse Ndiaga , Morris Geoffrey P.
Published: April 2021

Local landrace and breeding germplasm is a useful source of genetic diversity for regional and global crop improvement initiatives. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in western Africa (WA) has diversified across a mosaic of cultures and end uses and along steep precipitation and photoperiod gradients. To facilitate germplasm utilization, a West African sorghum association panel (WASAP) of 756 accessions from national breeding programs of Niger, Mali, Senegal, and Togo was assembled and characterized. Genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) was used to generate 159,101 high‐quality biallelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with 43% in intergenic regions and 13% in genic regions. High genetic diversity was observed within the WASAP (π = .00045), only slightly less than in a global diversity panel (GDP) (π = .00055). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) decayed to background level (r2 < .1) by ∼50 kb in the WASAP. Genome‐wide diversity was structured both by botanical type and by populations within botanical type with eight ancestral populations identified. Most populations were distributed across multiple countries, suggesting several potential common gene pools across the national programs. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of days to flowering (DFLo) and plant height (PH) revealed eight and three significant quantitative trait loci (QTL), respectively, with major height QTL at canonical height loci Dw3 and SbHT7.1. Colocalization of two of eight major flowering time QTL with flowering genes previously described in U.S. germplasm (Ma6 and SbCN8) suggests that photoperiodic flowering in West African sorghum is conditioned by both known and novel genes. This genomic resource provides a foundation for genomics‐enabled breeding of climate‐resilient varieties in WA.
Mapping of seed quality traits in the C genome of Brassica napus by using a population carrying genome content of B. oleracea and their effect on other traits
Authors: Rahman Habibur , Kebede Berisso
Published: April 2021

Increasing seed oil and protein contents and reducing the content of seed glucosinolates (GSLs) in Brassica oilseed crops are important objectives in breeding. By using an oilseed rape (B. napus L.) doubled‐haploid (DH) population carrying genome content introgressed from Chinese kale (B. oleracea L.), we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for these seed quality traits and investigated their effect on other traits including seed yield. A stable QTL for seed oil content was identified on chromosome C5 at 40–42 Mb position and a QTL for seed GSL content was identified on C9 at 7–8 Mb position. The C5 and C9 QTL alleles for high oil and GSL contents were derived from Chinese kale, demonstrating that high‐oil QTL allele can be found in the parental species of oilseed rape. The low‐GSL QTL allele of C9 exerted a significant positive effect on seed protein content, demonstrating that selection for this QTL allele contributed to higher protein content in canola seed. These two QTL were not affected by field environmental conditions and did not exert a significant effect on days to flowering and seed yield. Thus, the genomic regions and the molecular markers identified in this study should be useful in molecular breeding of the seed quality traits in oilseed rape.
Structural MRI of the basal forebrain as predictor of cognitive response to galantamine in healthy older adults—A randomized controlled double‐blinded crossover study
Authors: Müller Patrick , Vellage Anne‐Katrin , Schmicker Marlen , Menze Inga , Grothe Michel J. , Teipel Stefan J. , Müller Notger G.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Cholinesterase inhibitors can enhance cognitive functions in healthy elderly and delay cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer`s disease (AD). However, not everyone benefits from this treatment (non‐responders). Current studies show clinical meaningful improvements only in one third of AD patients treated with cholinesterase inhibitors.

Methods

Here we investigate structural magnetic resonance imaging of the basal forebrain cholinergic system volume (BFvol) as a potential predictor of cognitive response to a single dose of galantamine in healthy adults (n = 18; 59 to 75 years).

Results

We observed that the cognitive response to galantamine, more specifically the attention‐dependent filtering performance in a delayed match‐to‐sample working memory task, correlated with BFvol: Only participants with high BFvol showed a significant positive effect of galantamine on the ability to filter out distracting information during the working memory encoding process.

Discussion

Future studies need to assess whether BFvol may serve as a predictor of the galantamine response in AD patients, too.
Establishing levels of retained radioactivity in cats receiving radioactive iodine treatment
Authors: Alonzi Consuelo , Peak Kerry , Gower Lou , Walker David John , Johnson Ben
Published: April 2021

Background: Radioactive iodine (RAI) is considered the gold standard treatment for feline hyperthyroidism. Currently exposure limits to radiation are regulated by national legislation, therefore the length of the isolation period in hospital for cats receiving radioactive treatment varies according to the place where the radioactive facility is located. The aim of this study was to establish when retained radioactivity decreases in cats receiving subcutaneous I‐131 to a level that would allow discharge of cats from the hospital while being compliant with current United Kingdom legislation.

Methods: Clinical records of cats treated with subcutaneous I‐131 were retrospectively reviewed. Radioactive emission rates were measured using an external probe. Retained radioactivity below 11 MBq at the point of discharge was required by the initial risk assessment to ensure that a 0.3 mSv dose constraint was maintained for owners following standard cat‐owner contact restrictions. Average retained activity for each treatment regimen at the time of discharge was calculated. The biological half‐life for iodine retention was also calculated.

Results: Overall, an end activity below 11 MBq was reached at day 11 in 49% of cats, and at day 13 in 91% of cats. These cats were allowed to be discharged according to UK legislation, as long as contact restrictions were applied at home for 2 weeks.

Conclusion: Based on our study, an isolation period of 13 days before allowing discharge of cats treated with subcutaneous RAI (I‐131) is compliant with current UK legislation.
Sources of pleasure in veterinary work: A qualitative study
Authors: Clise Madeleine H. , Matthew Susan M. , McArthur Michelle L.
Published: April 2021

Background: Despite the rise in positive psychology within organisational settings, less is known about the positive factors associated with veterinary work and veterinarian well‐being. This qualitative study investigated sources of pleasure for veterinarians.

Method: A subset of archival data from a larger study on veterinary well‐being was analysed. The current study was based on data from 273 veterinarians responding to a Ten Statements Test (TST) and demographic questions. In the TST, participants provided up to 10 responses to the prompt, 'I derive pleasure in my work as a veterinarian when…'.

Results: Using the job demands‐resources model as a framework, a total of 2536 responses were manually coded into themes relating to resources (positive responses) or demands (responses indicating a negative factor). In order of frequency, job resources are related to professional expertise (22%), positive outcomes (20%), job characteristics (19%), relationships (16%), recognition (10%), helping (7%) and personal resources (3%). Top job demands are related to stress and fatigue (17%) and poor work‐life balance (16%).

Conclusion: The results suggest that there are an abundance of positive factors in veterinary work associated with feelings of pleasure, which may support veterinarian well‐being.