bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in Physical Performance of Futsal Players During Congested Fixtures
Authors: Ribeiro João Nuno , Monteiro Diogo , Gonçalves Bruno , Brito João , Sampaio Jaime , Travassos Bruno
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To investigate the match-to-match variation of physical performance during official congested fixtures in elite futsal players. Methods: Physical performance was measured by external and internal load metrics in 12 elite male futsal players. Two periods with 3 matches within 4 days were analyzed. The variation in physical performance of the players during matches was analyzed using the latent growth curve modeling that estimated interindividual and intraindividual growth paths. Results: Playing time had a significant effect on physical performance growth with significant paths of interindividual and intraindividual variability. Players who competed for more time revealed lower initial levels (ie, first match) of total distance covered (β = −0.62), high-speed running (β = −0.18), accelerations (β = −0.31), decelerations (β = −0.44), and session rate of perceived exertion (β = 0.81) than players who competed for less time (P < .05). In addition, players who competed for more time revealed higher increases in total distance covered (β = 0.47), high-speed running (β = 0.16), and session rate of perceived exertion (β = 0.66) and lower increases in accelerations (β = −0.21) and decelerations (β = −0.58) than players who competed for less time from the first to the third match (P < .05). Conclusions: Congested fixtures did not affect physical performance in elite futsal players. Playing time showed to be a key performance factor. There was a considerable heterogeneity in the responsiveness to physical performance over congested fixtures, suggesting an analysis of individual variability to evaluate real changes in match performance, training intensity, and workload.
Harmony COVID-19: A ready-to-use kit, low-cost detector, and smartphone app for point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection
Authors: Panpradist Nuttada , Kline Enos C. , Atkinson Robert G. , Roller Michael , Wang Qin , Hull Ian T. , Kotnik Jack H. , Oreskovic Amy K. , Bennett Crissa , Leon Daniel , Lyon Victoria , Gilligan-Steinberg Shane D. , Han Peter D. , Drain Paul K. , Starita Lea M. , Thompson Matthew J. , Lutz Barry R.
Published: December 2021

A unique four-plexed RT-LAMP test kit operated by health workers can provide faster, more sensitive results than laboratory tests.
CLN7 is an organellar chloride channel regulating lysosomal function
Authors: Wang Yayu , Zeng Wenping , Lin Bingqian , Yao Yichuan , Li Canjun , Hu Wenqi , Wu Haotian , Huang Jiamin , Zhang Mei , Xue Tian , Ren Dejian , Qu Lili , Cang Chunlei
Published: December 2021

The disease-associated protein CLN7 forms an organellar chloride channel and regulates lysosomal calcium signaling and function.
Closing the loop on female fertility
Authors: Woodruff Teresa K.
Published: December 2021

Discovery of a previously unidentified pituitary protein could provide innovative therapeutic options to regulate female fertility.
Efficacy of Organic Peroxyacids for Eliminating Biofilm Preformed by Microorganisms Isolated from Dairy Processing Plants
Authors: Goetz Coralie , Larouche Jules , Velez Aristizabal Maribel , Niboucha Nissa , Jean Julie
Published: December 2021

Biofilm-forming microorganisms are a major issue in the food industry, including the dairy industry, because of their negative impact on product quality. Biofilms are difficult to remove by clean-in-place (CIP) procedures commonly used in processing plants and may be less sensitive to sanitizers.
Characterization of a Novel Fructosyltransferase from Lactobacillus crispatus, InuCA, That Attaches to the Cell Surface by Electrostatic Interaction
Authors: Zhang Jie , Li Lili , Gu Shujie , Teng Kunling , Ren Jinwei , Liu Guoxia , Zhong Jin
Published: December 2021

L. crispatus
is one of the most important species in human vaginal microbiotas, and its persistence is strongly negatively correlated with vaginal diseases. Our research reveals that a novel inulosucrase, InuCA, is present in
L. cirspatus
.
Modifying the ASPECT Survey to Support the Validity of Student Perception Data from Different Active Learning Environments
Authors: Naibert Nicole , Shortlidge Erin E. , Barbera Jack
Published: December 2021

Measuring a student’s perception of active learning activities may provide valuable insight into their engagement and subsequent performance outcomes. A recently published measure, the Assessing Student Engagement in Class Tool (ASPECT), was developed to assess student perceptions of various active learning environments.
Multilocus Sequence Typing of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Competently Depicts the Population Structure of the Species
Authors: Nedergaard Signe , Jensen Anne B. , Haubek Dorte , Nørskov-Lauritsen Niels
Published: December 2021

We developed a multilocus sequence typing scheme (MLST) for
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
based on seven housekeeping genes,
adk
,
atpG
,
frdB
,
mdh
,
pgi
,
recA
, and
zwf
. A total of 188 strains of seven serotypes were separated into 57 sequence types.
Magmatic sill formation during dike opening
Authors: Liu Zhonglan , Buck W. Roger
Published: December 2021

The origin of horizontal magma-filled sills is disputed, particularly for extensional settings where the opening of vertical dikes is the predicted mode of magma intrusion. We simulate long-term extension followed by short-term dike opening in a two-dimensional viscoelastic medium representing a plate spreading center. We show that dike opening in extensionally stressed lithosphere can reduce sublithospheric vertical stresses enough for sill opening given three conditions: (1) the Maxwell time of the asthenosphere is <5× the time interval between dike episodes; (2) the average density of the lithosphere is not much greater than the magma density; and (3) the depth of an axial valley is smaller than a few hundred meters. This mechanism explains the presence of sills along much of the axis of faster-spreading ridges and their absence along slower-spreading centers where thick dense lithosphere and/or sizeable axial valleys exist.
Isometric exercise versus high-intensity interval training for the management of blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Edwards Jamie , De Caux Anthony , Donaldson James , Wiles Jonathan , O'Driscoll Jamie
Published: December 2021

Objective

We aimed to compare the efficacy of isometric exercise training (IET) versus high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in the management of resting blood pressure (BP).

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

PubMed (MEDLINE), the Cochrane library and SPORTDiscus were systematically searched.

Eligibility criteria

Randomised controlled trials published between 1 January 2000 and 1 September 2020. Research trials reporting the effects of IET or HIIT on resting BP following a short-term intervention (2–12 weeks).

Results

38 studies were analysed (18 IET and 20 HIIT), including 1583 (672 IET and 911 HIIT) participants, of which 612 (268 IET and 344 HIIT) were controls.

IET produced significantly greater reductions in resting BP compared with HIIT with systolic, diastolic and mean BP effect sizes of 8.50 mm Hg vs 2.86 mm Hg (Q=17.10, p<0.001), 4.07 mm Hg vs 2.48 mm Hg (Q=4.71, p=0.03) and 6.46 mm Hg vs 3.15 mm Hg (Q=4.21, p=0.04) respectively. However, HIIT reduced resting heart rate significantly more than IET (3.17bpm vs 1.34bpm, Q=7.63, p=0.006).

Conclusion

While both modes are efficacious, IET appears to be the superior mode of exercise in the management of resting BP. However, HIIT may achieve wider physiological benefits, with greater reductions in resting heart rate.
Conceptualising sustainability in the surgical work of non-governmental organisations in low and middle-income countries : a scoping review protocol
Authors: Goettke Emma , Coultas Clare , White Michelle , Leather Andrew J M
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Sustainability remains poorly defined in global surgery, yet is, nevertheless, crucial to the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) aimed at strengthening access to, and quality of, surgical and anaesthesia care. The objective of this protocol is to outline a scoping review that maps what is known in the literature about sustainability in NGO surgical work in LMICs.

Methods

The application of Arksey and O’Malley’s six-stage methodological framework is described: identifying research questions; identifying relevant publications; selecting publications; charting the data; reporting results; and stakeholder consultation. The review will include all study designs, as well as editorials, commentaries, sources of unpublished studies and grey literature. Three electronic databases will be searched. Two reviewers will use predefined and iteratively refined selection criteria based on the ‘Population–Concept–Context’ framework to independently screen titles and abstracts of citations from the search. Disagreements will be resolved together by the reviewers. Full-text screening will also be carried out independently by two reviewers. Disagreements at this stage will be resolved with a third party. The search strategy for grey literature will include searching in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and the websites listed in a surgical NGO database. Further relevant citations will be identified by screening the reference lists of the included papers.

Ethics and dissemination

This review will undertake a secondary analysis of data already collected and does not require ethical approval. The results will be disseminated through journals and conferences targeting surgical NGO stakeholders and global health academics.
Relationship between self-care activities, stress and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-cultural mediation model
Authors: Luis Elkin , Bermejo-Martins Elena , Martinez Martín , Sarrionandia Ainize , Cortes Cristian , Oliveros Edwin Yair , Garces María Sol , Oron José Victor , Fernández-Berrocal Pablo
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To examine the mediation role of self-care between stress and psychological well-being in the general population of four countries and to assess the impact of sociodemographic variables on this relationship.

Design

Cross-sectional, online survey.

Participants

A stratified sample of confined general population (N=1082) from four Ibero-American countries—Chile (n=261), Colombia (n=268), Ecuador (n=282) and Spain (n=271)—balanced by age and gender.

Primary outcomes measures

Sociodemographic information (age, gender, country, education and income level), information related to COVID-19 lockdown (number of days in quarantine, number of people with whom the individuals live, absence/presence of adults and minors in charge and attitude towards the search of information related to COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale-10, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale-29 and Self-Care Activities Screening Scale-14.

Results

Self-care partially mediates the relationship between stress and well-being during COVID-19 confinement in the general population in the total sample (F(3,1078)=370.01, p<0.001, R2=0.507) and in each country. On the other hand, among the evaluated sociodemographic variables, only age affects this relationship.

Conclusion

The results have broad implications for public health, highlighting the importance of promoting people’s active role in their own care and health behaviour to improve psychological well-being if stress management and social determinants of health are jointly addressed first. The present study provides the first transnational evidence from the earlier stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, showing that the higher perception of stress, the less self-care activities are adopted, and in turn the lower the beneficial effects on well-being.
Colorectal cancer in adolescents and young adults with Lynch syndrome: a Danish register-based study
Authors: Durhuus Jon Ambæk , Therkildsen Christina , Kallemose Thomas , Nilbert Mef
Published: December 2021

Objective

To assess clinicopathological predictors and prognosis in early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) in Lynch syndrome with comparison to patients diagnosed from age 40 and up.

Design

National, retrospective register-based case–control study.

Setting

Danish national hereditary CRC register.

Participants

Individuals with Lynch syndrome diagnosed with CRC from January 1950 to June 2020. The analysis was based on 215 early-onset CRCs diagnosed between 15 and 39 years of age and 574 CRCs diagnosed at age 40–88 years.

Main outcome measures

Clinical and histopathological characteristics and survival. Confounding variables were analysed by Cox analysis.

Results

27.2% of the tumours in the Danish Lynch syndrome cohort were diagnosed under age 40. Disease-predisposing alterations inMLH1andMSH2were overrepresented in the age 15–39 cohort compared with patients diagnosed over age 40. CRCs diagnosed under age 40 showed an adverse stage distribution with 36.2% stage III–IV tumours compared with 25.8% in the over age 40 group. However, young patients diagnosed with early-stage tumours did have a significantly better prognosis compared with early-stage tumours in the older age group.

Conclusions

Early-onset CRC in Lynch syndrome is primarily linked to alterations inMLH1andMSH2and displays an adverse stage distribution. These observations serve as a reminder of surveillance, symptom awareness and rapid diagnostic handling of CRC in young adults with Lynch syndrome.
Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from six national phone surveys
Authors: Kanyanda Shelton , Markhof Yannick , Wollburg Philip , Zezza Alberto
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To estimate the willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine in six sub-Saharan African countries and identify differences in acceptance across countries and population groups.

Design

Cross-country comparable, descriptive study based on a longitudinal survey.

Setting

Six national surveys from countries representing 38% of the sub-Saharan African population (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda).

Participants

Respondents of national high-frequency phone surveys, aged 15 years and older, drawn from a nationally representative sample of households.

Main outcome measures

Willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if an approved vaccine is provided now and for free, disaggregated by demographic attributes and socioeconomic factors obtained from national household surveys. Correlates of and reasons for vaccine hesitancy.

Results

Acceptance rates in the six sub-Saharan African countries studied are generally high, with at least four in five people willing to be vaccinated in all but one country. Vaccine acceptance ranges from nearly universal in Ethiopia (97.9%, 95% CI 97.2% to 98.6%) to below what would likely be required for herd immunity in Mali (64.5%, 95% CI 61.3% to 67.8%). We find little evidence for systematic differences in vaccine hesitancy by sex or age but some clusters of hesitancy in urban areas, among the better educated, and in richer households. Safety concerns about the vaccine in general and its side effects specifically emerge as the primary reservations toward a COVID-19 vaccine across countries.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that inadequate demand is unlikely to represent the key bottleneck to reaching high COVID-19 vaccine coverage in sub-Saharan Africa. To turn intent into effective demand, targeted information, sensitisation and engagement campaigns bolstering confidence in the safety of approved vaccines and reducing concerns about side effects will be crucial to safeguard the swift progression of vaccine rollout in one of the world’s poorest regions.
Hyperbaric oxygen as an adjuvant treatment for patients with COVID-19 severe hypoxaemia: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cannellotto Mariana , Duarte Mariano , Keller Guillermo , Larrea Ramiro , Cunto Eleonora , Chediack Viviana , Mansur Mariela , Brito Daniela M , García Elizabeth , Di Salvo Héctor E , Verdini Fabrizio , Domínguez Cecilia , Jorda-Vargas Liliana , Roberti Javier , Di Girolamo Guillermo , Estrada Esteban
Published: December 2021

Background

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy has been proposed to treat hypoxaemia and reduce inflammation in COVID-19. Our objective was to analyse safety and efficacy of HBO2in treatment of hypoxaemia in patients with COVID-19 and evaluate time to hypoxaemia correction.

Methods

This was a multicentre, open-label randomised controlled trial conducted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between July and November 2020. Patients with COVID-19 and severe hypoxaemia (SpO2≤90% despite oxygen supplementation) were assigned to receive either HBO2treatment or the standard treatment for respiratory symptoms for 7 days. HBO2treatment was planned for ≥5 sessions (1 /day) for 90 min at 1.45 atmosphere absolute (ATA). Outcomes were time to normalise oxygen requirement to SpO2≥93%, need for mechanical respiratory assistance, development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and mortality within 30 days. A sample size of 80 patients was estimated, with a planned interim analysis after determining outcomes on 50% of patients.

Results

The trial was stopped after the interim analysis. 40 patients were randomised, 20 in each group, age was 55.2±9.2 years. At admission, frequent symptoms were dyspnoea, fever and odynophagia; SpO2was 85.1%±4.3% for the whole group. Patients in the treatment group received an average of 6.2±1.2 HBO2sessions. Time to correct hypoxaemia was shorter in treatment group versus control group; median 3 days (IQR 1.0–4.5) versus median 9 days (IQR 5.5–12.5), respectively (p<0.010). OR for recovery from hypoxaemia in the HBO2group at day 3 compared with the control group was 23.2 (95% CI 1.6 to 329.6; p=0.001) Treatment had no statistically significant effect on acute respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation or death within 30 days after admission.

Conclusion

Our findings support the safety and efficacy of HBO2in the treatment of COVID-19 and severe hypoxaemia.

Trial registration number

NCT04477954.
Quantification of clot spatial heterogeneity and its impact on thrombectomy
Authors: Liu Yang , Brinjikji Waleed , Abbasi Mehdi , Dai Daying , Arturo Larco Jorge L , Madhani Sarosh Irfan , Shahid Adnan H , Mereuta Oana Madalina , Nogueira Raul G , Kvamme Peter , Layton Kennith F , Delgado Almandoz Josser E , Hanel Ricardo A , Mendes Pereira Vitor , Almekhlafi Mohammed A , Yoo Albert J , Jahromi Babak S , Gounis Matthew J , Patel Biraj , Fitzgerald Seán , Doyle Karen , Haussen Diogo C , Al-Bayati Alhamza R , Mohammaden Mahmoud , Pisani Leonardo , Rodrigues Gabriel Martins , Thacker Ike C , Kayan Yasha , Copelan Alexander , Aghaebrahim Amin , Sauvageau Eric , Demchuk Andrew M , Bhuva Parita , Soomro Jazba , Nazari Pouya , Cantrell Donald Robert , Puri Ajit S , Entwistle John , Kadirvel Ramanathan , Cloft Harry J , Kallmes David F , Savastano Luis
Published: December 2021

Background

Compositional and structural features of retrieved clots by thrombectomy can provide insight into improving the endovascular treatment of ischemic stroke. Currently, histological analysis is limited to quantification of compositions and qualitative description of the clot structure. We hypothesized that heterogeneous clots would be prone to poorer recanalization rates and performed a quantitative analysis to test this hypothesis.

Methods

We collected and did histology on clots retrieved by mechanical thrombectomy from 157 stroke cases (107 achieved first-pass effect (FPE) and 50 did not). Using an in-house algorithm, the scanned images were divided into grids (with sizes of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 mm) and the extent of non-uniformity of RBC distribution was computed using the proposed spatial heterogeneity index (SHI). Finally, we validated the clinical significance of clot heterogeneity using the Mann–Whitney test and an artificial neural network (ANN) model.

Results

For cases with FPE, SHI values were smaller (0.033 vs 0.039 for grid size of 0.4 mm, P=0.028) compared with those without. In comparison, the clot composition was not statistically different between those two groups. From the ANN model, clot heterogeneity was the most important factor, followed by fibrin content, thrombectomy techniques, red blood cell content, clot area, platelet content, etiology, and admission of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA). No statistical difference of clot heterogeneity was found for different etiologies, thrombectomy techniques, and IV-tPA administration.

Conclusions

Clot heterogeneity can affect the clot response to thrombectomy devices and is associated with lower FPE. SHI can be a useful metric to quantify clot heterogeneity.
Atrial fibrillation and clinical outcomes 1 to 3 years after myocardial infarction
Authors: Carnicelli Anthony P , Owen Ruth , Pocock Stuart J , Brieger David B , Yasuda Satoshi , Nicolau Jose Carlos , Goodman Shaun G , Cohen Mauricio G , Simon Tabassome , Westermann Dirk , Hedman Katarina , Andersson Sundell Karolina , Granger Christopher B
Published: December 2021

Objective

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and myocardial infarction (MI) are commonly comorbid and associated with adverse outcomes. Little is known about the impact of AF on quality of life and outcomes post-MI. We compared characteristics, quality of life and clinical outcomes in stable patients post-MI with/without AF.

Methods/results

The prospective, international, observational TIGRIS (long Term rIsk, clinical manaGement and healthcare Resource utilization of stable coronary artery dISease) registry included 8406 patients aged ≥50 years with ≥1 atherothrombotic risk factor who were 1–3 years post-MI. Patient characteristics were summarised by history of AF. Quality of life was assessed at baseline using EQ-5D. Clinical outcomes over 2 years of follow-up were compared. History of AF was present in 702/8277 (8.5%) registry patients and incident AF was diagnosed in 244/7575 (3.2%) over 2 years. Those with AF were older and had more comorbidities than those without AF. After multivariable adjustment, patients with AF had lower self-reported quality-of-life scores (EQ-5D UK-weighted index, visual analogue scale, usual activities and pain/discomfort) than those without AF. CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 was present in 686/702 (97.7%) patients with AF, although only 348/702 (49.6%) were on oral anticoagulants at enrolment. Patients with AF had higher rates of all-cause hospitalisation (adjusted rate ratio 1.25 [1.06–1.46], p=0.008) over 2 years than those without AF, but similar rates of mortality.

Conclusions

In stable patients post-MI, those with AF were commonly undertreated with oral anticoagulants, had poorer quality of life and had increased risk of clinical outcomes than those without AF.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials:NCT01866904.
Derivation of the set of the fundamental interactions from first principles
Authors: Voltr Jiri
Published: December 2021

Global conservation laws require the fundamental interactions to be processes which transfer information from one particle to another. Therefore, in order to show what types of interactions may exist, we derive from the very first principles a set of the most fundamental information transfers and their basic properties. Within these information transfers, we identify candidates for gravitational, electromagnetic and strong scattering, and also for weak decay. We do it by taking the characteristic properties of each fundamental interaction, such as confinement or parity violation, and by using them to rule out information transfers without these properties. The found mapping then makes possible to study the information transfers in order to get knowledge about the corresponding fundamental interactions.
A special Higgs challenge: measuring the mass and production cross section with ultimate precision at FCC-ee
Authors: Azzurri Paolo , Bernardi Gregorio , Braibant Sylvie , d’Enterria David , Eysermans Jan , Janot Patrick , Li Ang , Perez Emmanuel
Published: December 2021

The FCC-ee offers powerful opportunities to determine the Higgs boson parameters, exploiting over $$10^6$$

10
6

$${ \hbox {e}^+\hbox {e}^- \rightarrow \hbox {ZH}}$$

e
+

e
-

→
ZH

events and almost $$10^5$$

10
5

$${ \hbox {WW} \rightarrow \hbox {H}}$$

WW
→
H

events at centre-of-mass energies around 240 and 365 GeV. This essay spotlights the important measurements of the ZH production cross section and of the Higgs boson mass. The measurement of the total ZH cross section is an essential input to the absolute determination of the HZZ coupling—a “standard candle” that can be used by all other measurements, including those made at hadron colliders—at the per-mil level. A combination of the measured cross sections at the two different centre-of-mass energies further provides the first evidence for the trilinear Higgs self-coupling, and possibly its first observation if the cross section measurement can be made accurate enough. The determination of the Higgs boson mass with a precision significantly better than the Higgs boson width (4.1 MeV in the standard model) is a prerequisite to either constrain or measure the electron Yukawa coupling via direct $${ \hbox {e}^+\hbox {e}^- \rightarrow \hbox {H}}$$

e
+

e
-

→
H

production at $$\sqrt{s} = 125$$

s

=
125

 GeV. Approaching the statistical limit of 0.1% and $${\mathcal {O}}(1)$$

O
(
1
)

 MeV on the ZH cross section and the Higgs boson mass, respectively, sets highly demanding requirements on accelerator operation (ZH threshold scan, centre-of-mass energy measurement), detector design (lepton momentum resolution, hadronic final state reconstruction performance), theoretical calculations, and analysis techniques (efficiency and purity optimization with modern tools, constrained kinematic fits, control of systematic uncertainties). These challenges are examined in turn in this essay
Trade or Trick?
Authors: Xia Pengcheng , Wang Haoyu , Gao Bingyu , Su Weihang , Yu Zhou , Luo Xiapu , Zhang Chao , Xiao Xusheng , Xu Guoai
Published: December 2021

The prosperity of the cryptocurrency ecosystem drives the need for digital asset trading platforms. Beyond centralized exchanges (CEXs), decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are introduced to allow users to trade cryptocurrency without transferring the custody of their digital assets to the middlemen, thus eliminating the security and privacy issues of traditional CEX. Uniswap, as the most prominent cryptocurrency DEX, is continuing to attract scammers, with fraudulent cryptocurrencies flooding in the ecosystem. In this paper, we take the first step to detect and characterize scam tokens on Uniswap. We first collect all the transactions related to Uniswap V2 exchange and investigate the landscape of cryptocurrency trading on Uniswap from different perspectives. Then, we propose an accurate approach for flagging scam tokens on Uniswap based on a guilt-by-association heuristic and a machine-learning powered technique. We have identified over 10K scam tokens listed on Uniswap, which suggests that roughly 50% of the tokens listed on Uniswap are scam tokens. All the scam tokens and liquidity pools are created specialized for the "rug pull" scams, and some scam tokens have embedded tricks and backdoors in the smart contracts. We further observe that thousands of collusion addresses help carry out the scams in league with the scam token/pool creators. The scammers have gained a profit of at least $16 million from 39,762 potential victims. Our observations in this paper suggest the urgency to identify and stop scams in the decentralized finance ecosystem, and our approach can act as a whistleblower that identifies scam tokens at their early stages.
Xatu: Richer Neural Network Based Prediction for Video Streaming
Authors: Nam Yun Seong , Gao Jianfei , Bothra Chandan , Ghabashneh Ehab , Rao Sanjay , Ribeiro Bruno , Zhan Jibin , Zhang Hui
Published: December 2021

The performance of Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) algorithms for video streaming depends on accurately predicting the download time of video chunks. Existing prediction approaches (i) assume chunk download times are dominated by network throughput; and (ii) apriori cluster sessions (e.g., based on ISP and CDN) and only learn from sessions in the same cluster. We make three contributions. First, through analysis of data from real-world video streaming sessions, we show (i) apriori clustering prevents learning from related clusters; and (ii) factors such as the Time to First Byte (TTFB) are key components of chunk download times but not easily incorporated into existing prediction approaches. Second, we propose Xatu, a new prediction approach that jointly learns a neural network sequence model with an interpretable automatic session clustering method. Xatu learns clustering rules across all sessions it deems relevant, and models sequences with multiple chunk-dependent features (e.g., TTFB) rather than just throughput. Third, evaluations using the above datasets and emulation experiments show that Xatu significantly improves prediction accuracies by 23.8% relative to CS2P (a state-of-the-art predictor). We show Xatu provides substantial performance benefits when integrated with multiple ABR algorithms including MPC (a well studied ABR algorithm), and FuguABR (a recent algorithm using stochastic control) relative to their default predictors (CS2P and a fully connected neural network respectively). Further, Xatu combined with MPC outperforms Pensieve, an ABR based on deep reinforcement learning.
Phosphorus Acquisition and Utilization in Plants
Authors: Lambers Hans
Published: December 2021

Tremendous progress has been made on molecular aspects of plant phosphorus (P) nutrition, often without heeding information provided by soil scientists, ecophysiologists, and crop physiologists. This review suggests ways to integrate information from different disciplines.

When soil P availability is very low, P-mobilizing strategies are more effective than mycorrhizal strategies. Soil parameters largely determine how much P roots can acquire from P-impoverished soil, and kinetic properties of P transporters are less important. Changes in the expression of P transporters avoid P toxicity.

Plants vary widely in photosynthetic P-use efficiency, photosynthesis per unit leaf P. The challenge is to discover what the trade-offs are of different patterns of investment in P fractions. Less investment may save P, but are costs incurred? Are these costs acceptable for crops? These questions can be resolved only by the concerted action of scientists working at both molecular and physiological levels, rather than pursuing these problems independently.
Review—Concentration Measurements In Molten Chloride Salts Using Electrochemical Methods
Authors: Williams Tyler , Shum Rankin , Rappleye Devin
Published: December 2021

The electrochemical measurement of concentration in molten chloride salts is a valuable tool for the control of existing and potential industrial processes, recycling of precious materials and energy production. The electrochemical techniques commonly used to measure concentration and each techniques’ associated theory are discussed. Practices which improve measurement accuracy and precision are set forth. Exceptionally accurate and precise measurements published in the literature are evaluated based on their performance in specified concentration ranges. The strengths and weaknesses of the most accurate measurements are briefly explored. Chronopotentiometry (CP) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) are accurate and precise with low concentration measurements. SWV was accurate at low concentrations, even in multi-analyte mixtures. CP was accurate for only single analyte mixtures. Open-circuit potentiometry (OCP) is accurate and precise in single-analyte mixtures but yields large errors in multianalyte mixtures. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and normal pulse voltammetry (NPV) are accurate and precise across all concentration ranges. NPV is exceptionally well suited for measurements in melts with multiple electroactive species.
Effects of Metallic Impurities in Alkaline Electrolytes on Electro-Oxidation of Water and Alcohol Molecules
Authors: Zhou Yongfang , Shen Yi , Li Hongying
Published: December 2021

The presence of metallic impurities in the electrolyte greatly affects electrocatalytic performance. A systematic study on this topic can not only provide guidance for rigorous practices on electrochemical measurements, but also in-depth fundamental understanding on the mechanisms of the electrochemical reactions. Herein, nine types of metallic ions including Cu2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, Fe2+, Co2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Ce3+ and Al3+ are intentionally introduced into the electrolytes with a controlled manner and their effects on electro-oxidation of water, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and glycerol are investigated in details. Among these metal ions, Co2+ has the most pronounced effects on H2O electro-oxidation while Cu2+ species displays superior activity toward HMF and glycerol electro-oxidation, but negligible effects on H2O electro-oxidation. Such a unique feature of Cu2+ can also be noted from electro-oxidation of other small molecules, such as ethylene glycol, ethanol and furfural. More importantly, the effects of metallic impurities are independent of the composition of the electrodes, only rely on the pH of the electrolytes. In-situ electrochemical Raman spectroscopy, control electrochemical experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses reveal that the origin of impurity effects is attributed to the formation of hydroxides during the electrochemical measurements.
Improving Corrosion Behavior of Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramic Coating Reinforce with GO-TiO2 Hybrid Material
Authors: Bian Da , Ni Zifeng , Qian Shanhua , Zhao Yongwu
Published: December 2021

To further enhance the corrosion resistance of chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coating, TiO2 was grafted on the surface of GO to enhance the interfacial adhesion between GO and the coating. SEM results show that the presence of TiO2 on GO creates a good interfacial adhesion between GO and the coating. In addition, EIS experiments were carried out to investigate the performance of the coatings on the corrosion resistance. The result indicates that the corrosion resistance is enhanced with the introduction of GO-TiO2 hybrid material. Beside of the influence of GO on the corrosion resistance, the good interfacial adhesion between GO and the coating with the presence of TiO2 hybrid material can consume more fracture energy to stop the crack propagation, which leads to the high corrosion resistance.
Review—Latest Trends and Advancement in Porous Carbon for Biowaste Organization and Utilization
Authors: Kulkarni Kunal , Chadha Utkarsh , Yadav Shreya , Tarun D M , K G Thenmukilan , Bhardwaj Preetam , Singh Shalu , Latha Srinivasan , Ray Arun Kumar , Badoni Badrish , Srinivasa Rao Nalamala , Banavoth Murali , Sonar Prashant
Published: December 2021

Bio-derived activated porous carbon is readily used because it exhibits high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, high stability, environment-friendly nature, and easy availability. All of these properties make it a unique and a perfect applicant for energy storage devices. Biowastes such as corncobs, walnut shells, human hair, jute, oil seeds, and bamboo are utilized as precursors in manufacturing porous carbon. The use of bio materials is preferred because of their abundance and biodegradable nature. The production of porous carbon was carried out through pyrolysis with the help of acid, primarily KOH, as the active substance. The ambient temperature for conducting pyrolysis is 400-800oC. Pyrolysis can be either fast or slow, with fast pyrolysis being helpful in most experiments. Food wastes like peels and shells are among the most significant biowaste sources alongside farm waste like rice husks, coconut shells, etc., which are not just waste and can be utilized for sustainable living. The porous carbon is formed from food waste from toxicity reducer in wastewater to for a supercapacitor or a bio anode in a microbial fuel cell. It is oneway sustainable development and is now highly economical. Moreover, in scientific aspects, their validity in a field and lowered expenses in some cases, the benefits of their usage may vary. This paper aims to extensively review all of the research conducted for Bio-waste utilization and its conversion to porous carbon for further use in super capacitance applications
Safety of Anlotinib Capsules Combined with PD-1 Inhibitor Camrelizumab in the Third-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Their Effect on Serum Tumor Markers
Authors: Wang Yinhua , Shi Xiuhua , Qi Qinghua , Ye Bin , Zou Zhaoling
Published: December 2021

Objective. To explore the safety of anlotinib capsules combined with the PD-1 inhibitor (camrelizumab) in the third-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their effect on serum tumor markers. Methods. 88 patients with advanced NSCLC treated in the Oncology Department of our hospital from December 2018 to December 2019 were selected as research subjects and randomly and equally split into the single treatment group (STG) and combined treatment group (CTG). The levels of serum tumor markers after treatment were detected in both groups, and the incidence of adverse reactions during treatment was recorded. Results. Compared with the STG, CTG achieved obviously higher total effective rate (

P

 < 0.05), lower total incidence of adverse reactions (

P

 < 0.05), lower levels of serum tumor markers and average CFS score (

P

 < 0.001), and higher average KPS score (

P

 < 0.001). Conclusion. Application of anlotinib capsules combined with the PD-1 inhibitor (camrelizumab) in the third-line treatment of advanced NSCLC can effectively reduce the levels of serum tumor markers and cancer fatigue degree of patients, with a better effect than that of simple anlotinib treatment. In addition, further research of the combined treatment is helpful to establish a better therapeutic regimen for patients with advanced NSCLC.
p53 Immunohistochemistry Patterns Are Surrogate Biomarkers for TP53 Mutations in Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Authors: Li Junjie , Wang Jing , Su Dan , Nie Xiu , Liu Yueping , Teng Lianghong , Pang Junyi , Wu Huanwen , Liang Zhiyong
Published: December 2021

Aims. The aim of this study was to establish p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC) patterns to predict TP53 mutations in gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs) and to determine whether p53 IHC patterns could be used for the differential diagnosis of neuroendocrine neoplasms. Methods. TP53 gene sequencing and p53 IHC were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from 92 patients diagnosed with GI-NENs from five medical centers. Results. The cohort included 35 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors and 57 poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. Gene sequencing revealed 38 wild-type TP53 and 54 TP53 mutations. p53 expression was interpreted as follows: pattern A, p53 was absent from all tumor cells; pattern B, scattered and weak p53 expression in 1-20% of tumor cells; and pattern C was subclassified as pattern C1: variable p53 staining intensity in 21-60% of tumor cells and tumor cell nests with focal strong positive p53 staining and pattern C2: strong p53 staining in more than 60% of tumor cells. p53 IHC patterns were evaluated as a binary classifier where pattern B predicted wild-type TP53, and patterns A and C predicted TP53 mutations. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of this binary classification to predict TP53 status were 0.963, 0.868, and 0.924, respectively. p53 IHC patterns were also correlated with TP53 mutation types. Most cases with pattern A harboured loss-of-function (LOF) mutations, whereas patterns B and C tended to indicate wild-type TP53 and gain-of-function (GOF) mutations, respectively. Furthermore, most of the well-differentiated NETs showed pattern B, whereas pattern C2 was more common in poorly differentiated NECs. Finally, staining interpretation between different observers also yielded high reproducibility. Conclusions. p53 IHC patterns may be used as predictors of TP53 gene mutations and therefore could be potential surrogate markers for TP53 mutations in GI-NENs and could distinguish between well-differentiated NETs and poorly differentiated NECs.
MicroRNA-300 Inhibits the Proliferation and Metastasis of Cervical Cancer Cells via Posttranscriptional Suppression of G Protein-Coupled Receptor 34 (GPR34)
Authors: Wang Mei , Tian Ying , Miao Lin , Zhao Wenxia
Published: December 2021

Cervical cancer is one of the dominant gynecological disorders which has poor prognosis and often diagnosed at advanced stages where it becomes nearly impossible to effectively manage this disorder. MicroRNA-300 (miR-300) has dual role in human tumorogenesis. However, characterization of its regulatory action has not been made in cervical cancer. The molecular role of miR-300 in cervical cancer was thus explored in the present study with prime focus on elucidating its mechanism of action. The results showed significant (P < 0.05) downregulation of miR-300 in cervical cancer. Overexpression of miR-300 in cervical cancer cells inhibited their proliferation in vitro by inducing apoptosis. Cervical cancer cells overexpressing miR-300 also showed decreased rates of migration and invasion. G protein-coupled receptor 34 (GPR34) was found to be the functional regulatory target of miR-300 in cervical cancer. GPR34 was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Silencing of GPR34 inhibited the growth of the cervical cancer cells. However, overexpression of GPR34 could prevent the tumor-suppressive effects of miR-300 on cervical cancer cells. Collectively, the results of the current study are indicative of the tumor-suppressive regulatory role of miR-300 in cervical cancer and suggestive of the potential therapeutic value of miR-300/GPR34 molecular axis.
Prospects and Challenges of the Drug Delivery Systems in Endometriosis Pain Management: Experimental and Theoretical Aspects
Authors: Toma Bogdan Florin , Socolov Razvan , Popa Ovidiu , Socolov Demetra , Nica Irina , Agop Maricel , Vasincu Decebal , Grigore Mihaela , Ochiuz Lacramioara
Published: December 2021

Endometriosis is considered a serious public health issue because of the large number of females affected by this illness. Chronic pain management in patients with endometriosis demands new strategies to increase the life quality of these patients. The development of drug delivery systems represents a new approach in pain treatment among endometriosis patients. Diclofenac sodium, one of the most utilized nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), has its own limitations when being used in formulas such as oral, parental, or local applications. In this paper, a series of four drug release formulations based on chitosan, 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde, and diclofenac sodium salt were prepared in view of the investigation of the drug release ability. The formulations were analyzed from a morphological and supramolecular point of view by scanning electron microscopy and polarized light microscopy. The in vitro drug release ability was investigated by mimicking a physiologic environment. A mathematical model, using the fractal paradigm of motion, is utilized to explain the behaviors of the drug delivery system presented in this paper. These results suggest a great potential of the proposed drug delivery system, based on chitosan and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde to improve the diclofenac sodium salt bioavailability, and it may represent a future treatment formula for endometriosis pain.
Intelligent Building Construction Management Based on BIM Digital Twin
Authors: Jiang Yi
Published: December 2021

In order to improve the construction effect of intelligent buildings, this paper combines the BIM digital twin technology to construct the overall structure of the building construction operation and maintenance system driven by the BIM digital twin. Moreover, this paper conducts intelligent simulation of the construction process of the building and combines the construction process of the intelligent building to apply the BIM digital twin technology to the construction management of the intelligent building. In addition, this paper uses BIM to simulate the construction process. After the construction management plan is developed, BIM can be used to simulate the construction, find the problems in the construction, and formulate a reliable construction management plan in time. Through simulation experiment research, it can be known that the intelligent building construction management model based on BIM digital twin proposed in this paper can help the deployment of intelligent building construction process in many aspects and help improve the efficiency of building construction management.
Deep Learning for Accurate Segmentation of Venous Thrombus from Black‐Blood Magnetic Resonance Images: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Sun Chuanqi , Xiong Xiangyu , Zhang Tianjing , Guan Xiuhong , Mao Huan , Yang Jing , Zhang Xiaoyong , Sun Yi , Chen Hao , Xie Guoxi
Published: December 2021

Objective. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the third‐largest cardiovascular disease, and accurate segmentation of venous thrombus from the black‐blood magnetic resonance (MR) images can provide additional information for personalized DVT treatment planning. Therefore, a deep learning network is proposed to automatically segment venous thrombus with high accuracy and reliability. Methods. In order to train, test, and external test the developed network, total images of 110 subjects are obtained from three different centers with two different black‐blood MR techniques (i.e., DANTE‐SPACE and DANTE‐FLASH). Two experienced radiologists manually contoured each venous thrombus, followed by reediting, to create the ground truth. 5‐fold cross‐validation strategy is applied for training and testing. The segmentation performance is measured on pixel and vessel segment levels. For the pixel level, the dice similarity coefficient (DSC), average Hausdorff distance (AHD), and absolute volume difference (AVD) of segmented thrombus are calculated. For the vessel segment level, the sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), accuracy (ACC), and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) are used. Results. The proposed network generates segmentation results in good agreement with the ground truth. Based on the pixel level, the proposed network achieves excellent results on testing and the other two external testing sets, DSC are 0.76, 0.76, and 0.73, AHD (mm) are 4.11, 6.45, and 6.49, and AVD are 0.16, 0.18, and 0.22. On the vessel segment level, SE are 0.95, 0.93, and 0.81, SP are 0.97, 0.92, and 0.97, ACC are 0.96, 0.94, and 0.95, PPV are 0.97, 0.82, and 0.96, and NPV are 0.97, 0.96, and 0.94. Conclusions. The proposed deep learning network is effective and stable for fully automatic segmentation of venous thrombus on black blood MR images.
[Retracted] An Ensemble Deep Learning Model for Automatic Modulation Classification in 5G and Beyond IoT Networks
Authors: Roy Chirag , Yadav Satyendra Singh , Pal Vipin , Singh Mangal , Patra Sarat Kumar , Sinha G. R.
Published: December 2021

With rapid advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), automatic modulation classification (AMC) using deep learning (DL) techniques has become very popular. This is even more relevant for Internet of things (IoT)‐assisted wireless systems. This paper presents a lightweight, ensemble model with convolution, long short term memory (LSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU) layers. The proposed model is termed as deep recurrent convoluted network with additional gated layer (DRCaG). It has been tested on a dataset derived from the RadioML2016(b) and comprises of 8 different modulation types named as BPSK, QPSK, 8‐PSK, 16‐QAM, 4‐PAM, CPFSK, GFSK, and WBFM. The performance of the proposed model has been presented through extensive simulation in terms of training loss, accuracy, and confusion matrix with variable signal to noise ratio (SNR) ranging from −20 dB to +20 dB and it demonstrates the superiority of DRCaG vis‐a‐vis existing ones.