bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regional matters: On the usefulness of regional land‐cover datasets in times of global change
Authors: Tulbure Mirela G. , Hostert Patrick , Kuemmerle Tobias , Broich Mark
Published: December 2021

Unprecedented amounts of analysis‐ready Earth Observation (EO) data, combined with increasing computational power and new algorithms, offer novel opportunities for analysing ecosystem dynamics across large geographic extents, and to support conservation planning and action. Much research effort has gone into developing global EO‐based land‐cover and land‐use datasets, including tree cover, crop types, and surface water dynamics. Yet there are inherent trade‐offs between regional and global EO products pertaining to class legends, availability of training/validation data, and accuracy. Acknowledging and understanding these trade‐offs is paramount for both developing EO products and for answering science questions relevant for ecology or conservation studies based on these data. Here we provide context on the development of global EO‐based land‐cover and land‐use datasets, and outline advantages and disadvantages of both regional and global datasets. We argue that both types of EO‐derived land‐cover datasets can be preferable, with regional data providing the context‐specificity that is often required for policy making and implementation (e.g., land‐use and management, conservation planning, payment schemes for ecosystem services), making use of regional knowledge, particularly important when moving from land cover to actors. Ensuring that global and regional land‐cover and land‐use products derived based on EO data are compatible and nested, both in terms of class legends and accuracy assessment, should be a key consideration when developing such data. Open access high‐quality training and validation data derived as part of such efforts are of utmost importance. Likewise, global efforts to generate sets of essential variables for climate change, biodiversity, or eventually land use, which often require land‐cover maps as inputs, should consider regionalized, hierarchical approaches to not sacrifice regional context. Global change impacts manifest in regions, and so must the policy and planning responses to these challenges. EO data should embrace that regions matter, perhaps more than ever, in an age of global data availability and processing.
Optimization algorithm of digital media sharing platform based on blockchain technology
Authors: Wang Lin
Published: December 2021

In today's big data era, the number of daily data visits on the platform is an incalculable number, which poses a challenge for users' data security. This article aims to study the decentralized blockchain technology, take advantage of the immutable advantages of the blockchain and integrate it into the digital media sharing platform, so as to achieve the optimization and improvement of the algorithm. This paper proposes an algorithm optimization plan for building a digital media sharing platform, adding a user data security backstage on the platform side, combining blockchain technology to design data security maintenance algorithms, and setting relevant parameters to maximize the immutability of data and ensure user data security. The experimental results of this article show that blockchain technology can be fully applied to digital media sharing platforms, and data security can be increased to more than 90%.
Intelligent control of electric automation instrumentation based on blockchain
Authors: Hao Yunhui
Published: December 2021

With the development of society and the continuous improvement of residents' living standards, residents have higher and higher requirements for the technical level of power system. This paper mainly studies how to apply intelligent technology to the research of instrument electrical control. Nowadays, the traditional electrical instruments cannot meet the needs of the public, so the research on intelligent instruments is the most important problem at present. This article uses the RSA public key encryption algorithm based on the public blockchain. In the experimental results of this article, big data shows that from 2016 to mid‐2017, there were 50 merchants using non‐smart technologies in electrified dashboards in 2016. There are 40 merchants using smart technology in electrified dashboards, which is lower than the number of non‐smart control technologies. However, in 2017, the number of merchants using non‐intelligent control was 35, and by November 2017, it was 120, a decrease of 5% from 2016. The number of merchants using smart technology in electrified dashboards is increasing every month, from 45 in January 2016 to 285 in November 2017, an increase of 13% in the same year. This shows that intelligent control is more and more widely used in electrical automation instrument panels. Therefore, the research of a more intelligent control system of electrical automation instruments is a problem that has attracted much attention today.
The effect of iron oxide content on the structural and optical parameters of polyvinyl alcohol/graphene nanocomposite films
Authors: Badawi Ali , Alharthi Sami S. , Althobaiti Mohammed G. , Alharbi Abdulaziz N.
Published: December 2021

The effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) content on the structural and optical parameters of polyvinyl alcohol/graphene (PVA/G) blend has been investigated. Fe2O3 NPs were synthesized by the hydrothermal procedure. Nanocomposite (NC) films of PVA/G filled with different amounts of Fe2O3 NPs were equipped using the solution casting technique. The surface morphology, structural, and optical properties were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and ultraviolet‐visible‐near‐IR (UV‐Vis‐NIR) spectrophotometry techniques, respectively. SEM micrographs reveal the homogenous distribution of Fe2O3 NPs in the PVA/G matrix. The XRD analysis exhibits the formulation of the hematite phase of Fe2O3 NPs and the semi‐crystalline nature of PVA/G NC films. The UV‐Vis‐NIR data analysis shows that the optical properties of the PVA/G blend could be tailored via Fe2O3 NPs filling. Wemple–DiDomenico model is utilized to explore the dispersion parameters of the prepared NCs. A significant effect of Fe2O3 NPs filling is realized on the oscillator and dispersion energies, infinite refractive index, dielectric constant, average oscillator strength and the lattice dielectric constant of the NC films. PVA/G filled Fe2O3 NPs are suggested for different optical and storage applications.
Dyspnoea and large‐volume pleural effusion secondary to a cyst involving the cranial mediastinum in a cat
Authors: Cridge Harry , Zoto Alyssa , Gazzola Krista M. , Goldin Kerry , Corner Sarah
Published: December 2021

A 7‐year‐old female spayed domestic shorthair cat presented for dyspnoea and haemoptysis. Point‐of‐care ultrasound revealed pleural effusion. Fluid analysis noted proteinaceous fluid rich in small lymphocytes. A mediastinal mass was present on radiographs. CT revealed a fluid attenuating structure within the left thyroid gland. Right‐sided thyroid tissue was not identified. A fluid attenuating structure with associated amorphous soft tissue was present within the mediastinum. Aspirates were consistent with cystic fluid. A surgical cystectomy was performed. Histopathology of the left thyroid structure revealed a cystic thyroid follicular adenoma. The cystic structure involving the cranial mediastinum was suspected to represent an ectopic parathyroid cyst. Alternative differentials such as a branchial remnant could not be ruled out. Immunohistochemistry of the ectopic endocrine tissue associated with the cyst was negative for thyroglobulin and calcitonin. Parathyroid hormone immunohistochemistry was unavailable for confirmation. Post‐operative hypothyroidism and hypocalcemia were medically managed. Surgical cystectomy resulted in the resolution of pleural effusion.
Highly diverged lineages of Saccharomyces paradoxus in temperate to subtropical climate zones in China
Authors: He Peng‐Yu , Shao Xu‐Qian , Duan Shou‐Fu , Han Da‐Yong , Li Kuan , Shi Jun‐Yan , Zhang Ri‐Peng , Han Pei‐Jie , Wang Qi‐Ming , Bai Feng‐Yan
Published: December 2021

The wild yeast Saccharomyces paradoxus has become a new model in ecology and evolutionary biology. Different lineages of S. paradoxus have been recognized across the world, but the distribution and genetic diversity of the species remain unknown in China, where the origin of its sibling species S. cerevisiae lies. In this study, we investigated the ecological and geographic distribution of S. paradoxus through an extensive field survey in China and performed population genomic analysis on a set of S. paradoxus strains, including 27 strains, representing different geographic and ecological origins within China, and 59 strains representing all the known lineages of the species recognized in the other regions of the world so far. We found two distinct lineages of S. paradoxus in China. The majority of the Chinese strains studied belong to the Far East lineage, and six strains belong to a novel highly diverged lineage. The distribution of these two lineages overlaps ecologically and geographically in temperate to subtropical climate zones in China. With the addition of the new China lineage, the Eurasian population of S. paradoxus exhibits higher genetic diversity than the American population. We observed more possible lineage‐specific introgression events from the Eurasian lineages than from the American lineages. Our results expand the knowledge on ecology, genetic diversity, biogeography, and evolution of S. paradoxus.
Volume and macroscopic scalar curvature
Authors: Braun Sabine , Sauer Roman
Published: December 2021

We prove the macroscopic cousins of three conjectures: (1) a conjectural bound of the simplicial volume of a Riemannian manifold in the presence of a lower scalar curvature bound, (2) the conjecture that rationally essential manifolds do not admit metrics of positive scalar curvature, (3) a conjectural bound of$$\ell ^2$$ℓ2-Betti numbers of aspherical Riemannian manifolds in the presence of a lower scalar curvature bound. The macroscopic cousin is the statement one obtains by replacing a lower scalar curvature bound by an upper bound on the volumes of 1-balls in the universal cover.
Experiences with alternative online lectures in medical education in obstetrics and gynecology during the COVID-19 pandemic—possible efficient and student-orientated models for the future?
Authors: Riedel Maximilian , Eisenkolb Gabriel , Amann Niklas , Karge Anne , Meyer Bastian , Tensil Maria , Recker Florian , Dobberkau Anna Maria , Riedel Fabian , Kuschel Bettina , Klein Evelyn
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed an eminent challenge for medical teachers worldwide. Face-to-face lectures and seminars were no longer possible, and alternatives had to be found. E-learning concepts quickly emerged as the only practicable solutions and also offered the opportunity to evaluate whether traditional face-to-face lectures could be translated into an online format, independent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We offered an e-learning program consisting of lecture notes, screencasts with audio narration, and online webinars that covered topics normally taught in traditional lectures and seminars. To evaluate the learning behavior and quality of our e-learning program, we drafted a questionnaire that students completed at the end of the 2020 summer semester that had been designed to enable a comparative analysis of the different e-learning modules.

Results

Voluntary participation in the online courses was high. Survey analysis revealed high satisfaction with and a distinctive preference for the format, even under regular, COVID-19-independent conditions. In general, a positive appraisal of e-learning—especially as a substitute for regular lectures—was found. Students also reported higher studying efficiency. Exam results were equal to those of previous semesters.

Conclusion

Both acceptance of and satisfaction with our e-learning modules were high, and students displayed increased demand for this kind of e-learning format. We, therefore, conclude that e-learning offerings could serve as reasonable, efficient, student-orientated substitutes for certain medical courses, especially lectures. These curricular adaptations would correlate with the high digitalization seen in students’ everyday lives. This correlation may also hold true independent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the proximal tibial epiphysis is suitable for statements as to the question of majority: a validation study in forensic age diagnostics
Authors: Wittschieber Daniel , Chitavishvili Natia , Papageorgiou Ismini , Malich Ansgar , Mall Gita , Mentzel Hans-Joachim
Published: December 2021

Determining majority plays a key role for forensic age diagnostics in living individuals. Recent data suggest that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the proximal tibial epiphysis (PTE) may be a suitable alternative or at least an additional tool to clarify whether an individual has reached majority. However, the reference data situation is still sparse. Hence, the present dual center study retrospectively analyzed routine MRI of the knee in 413 cases (214 males and 199 females) of a Western Caucasian population aged between 12 and 25 years. MRI was performed at 1.5 and 3.0 T clinical scanners using T1- and T2-weighted sequences. The classification system by Vieth et al. (Eur Radiol 2018; 28:3255–3262) was applied for determining the ossification stages of the PTE. Intra-observer agreement was “very good” (κ = 0.931), and inter-observer agreement was “good” (κ = 0.798). Minimum ages above the age of 18 years were observed with the final stage (stage 6) in either sex (20.27 years in males and 18.55 years in females). The results are not in contradiction with the previous data and can be considered a strong and valuable support of the so far existing database. Therefore, the investigation of the PTE using routine MRI (either at 1.5 or 3.0 T) could be taken into consideration for application in forensic age estimation practice in near future.
Role of social benefits for future long-term sickness absence, disability pension and unemployment among individuals on sickness absence due to mental diagnoses: a competing risk approach
Authors: Ropponen Annina , Narusyte Jurgita , Wang Mo , Kärkkäinen Sanna , Mather Lisa , Blom Victoria , Bergström Gunnar , Svedberg Pia
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To investigate associations between social benefits and disability pension (DP), long-term sickness absence (LTSA, ≥ 90 days), or unemployment among Swedish twins with sickness absence (SA) due to mental diagnoses.

Methods

This population-based prospective twin study included register data on first incident SA spell (< 90 days) due to mental diagnoses (ICD 10 codes F00-F99) during the follow-up 2005–2016. SA < 90 days due to other diagnoses than mental diagnoses or any other social insurance benefit was identified for the preceding year of the first incident SA spell due to mental diagnoses (coded yes/no). Comparing those with any previous social benefits vs without, cumulative incidence curve to compare time to an event, and Cox proportional hazards models for cause-specific hazard ratios (HR, 95% confidence intervals, CI) treating first incident DP, LTSA and unemployment as competing risks were modeled.

Results

During follow-up, 21 DP, 1619 LTSA, and 808 unemployment events took place. Compared to those without, those with at least one benefit had a higher risk for DP (HR 5.03; 95%CI 1.80, 14.01), LTSA (1.67; 1.50, 1.84) and unemployment (1.24; 1.03, 1.50). The cumulative incidence for DP was very low, < 1%, for LTSA 80% with any previous social benefits vs. 60% without, and for unemployment ≤ 5%.

Conclusion

Social benefits received during the preceding year of SA due to mental diagnoses (< 90 days) predict DP, LTSA, and unemployment. Hence, previous social benefits may provide means for early identification of persons at risk for exit from labor market.
Molecular diffusion in ternary poly(vinyl alcohol) solutions
Authors: Majerczak Katarzyna , Squillace Ophelie , Shi Zhiwei , Zhang Zhanping , Zhang Zhenyu J.
Published: December 2021

The diffusion kinetics of a molecular probe—rhodamine B—in ternary aqueous solutions containing poly(vinyl alcohol), glycerol, and surfactants was investigated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. We show that the diffusion characteristics of rhodamine B in such complex systems is determined by a synergistic effect of molecular crowding and intermolecular interactions between chemical species. The presence of glycerol has no noticeable impact on rhodamine B diffusion at low concentration, but significantly slows down the diffusion of rhodamine B above 3.9% (w/v) due to a dominating steric inhibition effect. Furthermore, introducing surfactants (cationic/nonionic/anionic) to the system results in a decreased diffusion coefficient of the molecular probe. In solutions containing nonionic surfactant, this can be explained by an increased crowding effect. For ternary poly(vinyl alcohol) solutions containing cationic or anionic surfactant, surfactant—polymer and surfactant—rhodamine B interactions alongside the crowding effect of the molecules slow down the overall diffusivity of rhodamine B. The results advance our insight of molecular migration in a broad range of industrial complex formulations that incorporate multiple compounds, and highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate additives and surfactants in formulated products.
Groundwater flow modeling in the basaltic hard rock area of Maharashtra, India
Authors: Pande Chaitanya B. , Moharir Kanak N. , Singh Sudhir Kumar , Elbeltagi Ahmed , Pham Quoc Bao , Panneerselvam Balamurugan , Varade Abhay M. , Kouadri Saber
Published: December 2021

The ecological sustainable development and planning of groundwater resources is an excessive challenge for many countries currently facing water insufficiency. The main focus of this work was to determine the direction of groundwater flow, head value, and water level using the steady-state finite difference model (MODFLOW software) in basaltic formations in Maharashtra, India. The MODFLOW model was integrated with ground data using Geographic Information System (GIS) for sustainable groundwater resource management in the hard rock terrain. The MODFLOW-2005 model simulated the interaction between heads and time in 2014–18 by steady-state conditions. In this present study, four observation wells were selected. During the field survey, four observation wells have been monitored regularly as per the Central Groundwater Board guidelines. MODFLOW software has been conceptualized as a double-layered rigid and fractured aquifer area feast over 18,312 m × 11,265 m area. This research demonstrates that the integration of GIS, conventional fieldwork, and mathematical model can  support to understand groundwater demand and supply in a better way.
Using Twitter to track immigration sentiment during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Rowe Francisco , Mahony Michael , Graells-Garrido Eduardo , Rango Marzia , Sievers Niklas
Published: December 2021

Large-scale coordinated efforts have been dedicated to understanding the global health and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the rapid spread of discrimination and xenophobia against specific populations has largely been neglected. Understanding public attitudes toward migration is essential to counter discrimination against immigrants and promote social cohesion. Traditional data sources to monitor public opinion are often limited, notably due to slow collection and release activities. New forms of data, particularly from social media, can help overcome these limitations. While some bias exists, social media data are produced at an unprecedented temporal frequency, geographical granularity, are collected globally and accessible in real-time. Drawing on a data set of 30.39 million tweets and natural language processing, this article aims to measure shifts in public sentiment opinion about migration during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results show an increase of migration-related Tweets along with COVID-19 cases during national lockdowns in all five countries. Yet, we found no evidence of a significant increase in anti-immigration sentiment, as rises in the volume of negative messages are offset by comparable increases in positive messages. Additionally, we presented evidence of growing social polarization concerning migration, showing high concentrations of strongly positive and strongly negative sentiments.
Preoperative in-hospital mortality in neonates with critical CHD
Authors: Delany Dennis R. , Chowdhury Shahryar M. , Corrigan Corinne , Buckley Jason R.
Published: December 2021

Objective:

Data regarding preoperative mortality in neonates with critical CHD are sparse and would aid patient care and family counselling. The objective of this study was to utilise a multicentre administrative dataset to report the rate of and identify risk factors for preoperative in-hospital mortality in neonates with critical CHD across US centres.

Study design:

The Pediatric Health Information System database was utilised to search for newborns ≤30 days old, born 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2018, with an ICD-9/10 code for d-transposition of the great arteries, truncus arteriosus, interrupted aortic arch, or hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Preoperative in-hospital mortality was defined as patients who died prior to discharge without an ICD code for cardiac surgery or interventional catheterisation.

Results:

Overall preoperative mortality rate was at least 5.4% (690/12,739) and varied across diagnoses (d-TGA 2.9%, TA 8.3%, IAA 5.5%, and HLHS 7.3%) and centres (0–20.5%). In multivariable analysis, risk factors associated with preoperative mortality included preterm delivery (<37 weeks) (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.8–2.9; p < 0.01), low birth weight (<2.5 kg) (OR 3.8, 95% CI: 3.0–4.7; p < 0.01), and genetic abnormality (OR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2–2.2; p < 0.01). Centre average surgical volume was not a significant risk factor.

Conclusion:

Approximately 1 in 20 neonates with critical CHD suffered preoperative in-hospital mortality, and rates varied across diagnoses and centres. Better understanding of the factors that drive the variation (e.g. patient factors, preoperative care models, surgical timing) could help identify patient care improvement opportunities and inform conversations with families.
Being in Control of Noise Levels Improves the Perception of Airplane	Seat Comfort
Authors: Bouwens Joyce , Fasulo Luisa , Hiemstra-van Mastrigt Suzanne , Schultheis Udo W. , Naddeo Alessandro , Vink Peter
Published: December 2021

Abstract. The aviation industry is constantly making compromises when designing comfortable airplane cabins. Providing passengers with a pleasant acoustic environment without adding weight to the cabin structure is a field of tension that challenges cabin interior designers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether noise levels affect the comfort and physical discomfort experienced by airplane passengers, and whether control influences comfort perception. To this end, 30 participants experienced three conditions (silence, aircraft engine noise at 75 dB, and the same noise with the ability to use earplugs), and comfort and discomfort were measured using a questionnaire. It was concluded that aircraft engine noise negatively affected the airplane passengers’ comfort experiences. Having the ability to control this noisy environment with earplugs resulted in the lowest reported physical discomfort.
Radiative Transfer Simulations for the Observed Decrease of Radio Brightness Temperature of Venus With Increasing Decimeter Wavelengths: Possible Existence of a Reflective or Quasi‐Conductive Subsurface
Authors: Antony Tinu , Suresh Raju C. , Mohan Nithin , Swarup Govind , Oberoi Divya , Krishna Moorthy K.
Published: December 2021

Radiometric observations of Venus have revealed a monotonic decrease of brightness temperature (Tb) in the decimeter wavelength regime. Such a decrease has also been independently reported by the observations using interferometric radio‐telescopes, like the Very Large Array (VLA) in the USA and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in India. In this work, we have carried out microwave radiative transfer (RT) simulations of thermal emission from the Venusian surface at decimeter wavelengths to examine the role of subsurface properties of Venusian regolith in the continuous reduction of Tb at the microwave‐radiowave spectral domain. These simulations are compared against spectral microwave measurements by GMRT over a wide decimeter wavelength regime ranging from ∼23–128 cm. Good agreements are obtained for simulations that consider a two‐layer Venusian surface (a low‐loss medium overlaid over a reflecting/lossy medium) a situation that would arise if the subsurface layer has high dielectric properties due to the presence of semiconducting mineral assemblages such as pyrites, ferroelectric minerals, magnetite–hematite, magnetite–pyrite or magnetite–hematite–pyrite equilibrium assemblages. The thickness of the top layer, the possibilities of the formation of such layers and their geological and chemical evolutions are also discussed.
Saturn's Weather‐Driven Aurorae Modulate Oscillations in the Magnetic Field and Radio Emissions
Authors: Chowdhury M. N. , Stallard T. S. , Baines K. H. , Provan G. , Melin H. , Hunt G. J. , Moore L. , O’Donoghue J. , Thomas E. M. , Wang R. , Miller S. , Badman S. V.
Published: December 2021

The Cassini spacecraft revealed that Saturn's magnetic field displayed oscillations at a period originally thought to match the planetary rotation rate but later found not to. One of many proposed theories predicts that a polar twin‐cell neutral weather system drives this variation, producing observable differences in flows within Saturn's ionosphere. Here, using spectral observations of auroral emission lines taken by the Keck Observatory's Near Infrared Echelle Spectrograph (Keck‐NIRSPEC) in 2017, we derive ion line‐of‐sight velocity maps after grouping spectra into rotational quadrants matching phases of the planetary magnetic field. We measure 0.5 km s−1 wind systems in the ionosphere consistent with predicted neutral twin‐vortex flow patterns. These findings demonstrate that neutral winds in Saturn's polar regions cause the rotational period, as determined via the magnetic field, to exhibit differences and time variabilities relative to the planet's true period of rotation in a process never before seen within planetary atmospheres.
Emergent Constraints on Future Expansion of the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool
Authors: Park In‐Hong , Yeh Sang‐Wook , Min Seung‐Ki , Son Seok‐Woo
Published: December 2021

The latest climate models realistically simulate the present‐day climate Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) area, but there is considerable inter‐model spread in future projections. Here we show a strong negative relationship between the present‐day of IPWP area and its future change. When using this “emergent relationship” to constrain future IPWP area change, inter‐model spread of future projections is reduced by more than half compared to raw projections. This emergent constraint is found to be due to the negatively skewed distribution of sea surface temperature (SST) over the Indo‐Pacific Ocean as well as a negative SST‐shortwave radiation feedback in the western Pacific, which leads to a large IPWP expansion in climate models having a small IPWP area in the present‐day climate. This result indicates that a more accurate simulation of the IPWP area in the present‐day climate is crucial to reliable future projections of the tropical climate.
Ni–citric acid coordination polymer as a practical catalyst for multicomponent reactions
Authors: Koolivand Mostafa , Nikoorazm Mohsen , Ghorbani-Choghamarani Arash , Azadbakht Reza , Tahmasbi Bahman
Published: December 2021

Coordinative polymers (CP) are a subclass of Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with porous microstructures which have been widely synthesized in recent years and applied in various fields especially in catalysis science. In this work Coordinative polymers (CP) of nickel and citric acid (CA) was prepared as a new catalyst (Ni-CP) and applied in organic multicomponent reactions. The obtained catalyst was characterized by SEM, WDX, EDS, AAS, FT-IR, XRD and BET analysis. N2adsorption–desorption isotherms indicate good BET surface area for Ni-CP; therefore can be employed as an efficient catalyst in multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of polyhydroquinoline and 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives. Finally, this catalyst was recovered and reused several consecutive times.
The activity of the intrinsically water-soluble enzyme ADAMTS13 correlates with the membrane state when bound to a phospholipid bilayer
Authors: Kamenac Andrej , Obser Tobias , Wixforth Achim , Schneider Matthias F. , Westerhausen Christoph
Published: December 2021

Membrane-associated enzymes have been found to behave differently qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of activity. These findings were highly debated in the 1970s and many general correlations and reaction specific models have been proposed, reviewed, and discarded. However, new biological applications brought up the need for clarification and elucidation. To address literature shortcomings, we chose the intrinsically water-soluble enzyme a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) and large unilamellar vesicles with a relative broad phase transition. We here present activity measurements of ADAMTS13 in the freely dissolved state and the membrane associated state for phosphocholine lipids with different acyl-chain lengths (13:0, 14:0 and 15:0) and thus main phase transition temperatures. While the freely dissolved enzyme shows a simple Arrhenius behavior, the activity of membrane associated ADAMTS13 in addition shows a peak. This peak temperature correlates with the main phase transition temperature of the used lipids. These findings support an alternative theory of catalysis. This theory predicts a correlation of the membrane associated activity and the heat capacity, as both are susceptibilities of the same surface Gibb’s free energy, since the enzyme is attached to the membrane.
Modeling of CO2 adsorption capacity by porous metal organic frameworks using advanced decision tree-based models
Authors: Abdi Jafar , Hadavimoghaddam Fahimeh , Hadipoor Masoud , Hemmati-Sarapardeh Abdolhossein
Published: December 2021

In recent years, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been distinguished as a very promising and efficient group of materials which can be used in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. In the present study, the potential ability of modern and powerful decision tree-based methods such as Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Random Forest (RF) was investigated to predict carbon dioxide adsorption by 19 different MOFs. Reviewing the literature, a comprehensive databank was gathered including 1191 data points related to the adsorption capacity of different MOFs in various conditions. The inputs of the implemented models were selected as temperature (K), pressure (bar), specific surface area (m2/g) and pore volume (cm3/g) of the MOFs and the output was CO2 uptake capacity (mmol/g). Root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.5682, 1.5712, 1.0853, and 1.9667 were obtained for XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, and RF models, respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed that among all investigated parameters, only the temperature negatively impacts the CO2 adsorption capacity and the pressure and specific surface area of the MOFs had the most significant effects. Among all implemented models, the XGBoost was found to be the most trustable model. Moreover, this model showed well-fitting with experimental data in comparison with different isotherm models. The accurate prediction of CO2 adsorption capacity by MOFs using the XGBoost approach confirmed that it is capable of handling a wide range of data, cost-efficient and straightforward to apply in environmental applications.
A quinoline–benzothiazole-based chemosensor coupled with a smartphone for the rapid detection of In3+ ions
Authors: Shaji Leyana K. , Kumar S. K. Ashok
Published: December 2021

A high-performance colorimetric probe (L) for the selective recognition of In3+via LMCT and can detect as low as 2.3 ppb. Besides, Test paper strips and smartphone integrated RGB methods used to detect the In3+ in water samples.
Distinctive optical transitions of tunable multicolor carbon dots
Authors: Shim Hyeong Seop , Kim Jun Myung , Jeong Seonghyun , Ju Youngwon , Won Sung Jae , Choi Jeongyun , Nam Sangwon , Molla Aniruddha , Kim Joohoon , Song Jae Kyu
Published: December 2021

In three types of carbon dots, the excitation-independent emission and the single exponential decay show the single chromophore-like nature in each type of carbon dots, suggesting the distinctive electronic structures.
Aqueous broadband photopolymerization on microreactor arrays: from high throughput polymerization to fabricating artificial cells
Authors: Zhou Yue , Gu Chuan , Zheng Lifang , Shan Fangjian , Chen Gaojian
Published: December 2021

Microreactor arrays combining ZnO and polyaniline are fabricated onto the bottom of multi-well plates to catalyze broadband sunlight-driven open-to-air polymerization in aqueous media.
An organophotocatalytic late-stage N–CH3oxidation of trialkylamines toN-formamides with O2in continuous flow
Authors: Mandigma Mark John P. , Žurauskas Jonas , MacGregor Callum I. , Edwards Lee J. , Shahin Ahmed , d'Heureuse Ludwig , Yip Philip , Birch David J. S. , Gruber Thomas , Heilmann Jörg , John Matthew P. , Barham Joshua P.
Published: December 2021

An N–CH3-selective trialkylamine oxidation toN-formamides is reported in continuous flow using gaseous O2. A novel, enhanced-solubility dicyanoanthracene organophotocatalyst switched the photochemical mechanism from electron to energy transfer.
Multi-variable Bayesian optimization for a new composition with high Na+ conductivity in the Na3PS4 family
Authors: Seo Jung Young , Shim Sunggeun , Lee Jin-Woong , Lee Byung Do , Park Sangwon , Park Woon Bae , Han Suyeon , Pyo Myoungho , Sohn Kee-Sun
Published: December 2021

A Bayesian optimization (BO) algorithm is employed to discover new Na3PS4 compositions with a high σion in a multi-dimensional co-doped search space.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of the differences in the efficiency and stability of all-polymer solar cells
Authors: Wu Qiang , Wang Wei , Chen Zeng , Xia Xinxin , Gao Mengyuan , Shen Hao , Zhu Haiming , Lu Xinhui , Ye Long , Xia Jianlong , Min Jie
Published: December 2021

This work provides an in-depth insight into the rational selection of the PDs–PAs pair and fine-tuning of the active layer morphology, which is conducive to understanding the miscibility–morphology–function relations.
Understanding Burden in Caregivers of Adults With Dysphagia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rangira Daniella , Najeeb Hiba , Shune Samantha E. , Namasivayam-MacDonald Ashwini
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

A previous review suggested that dysphagia is negatively associated with burden in caregivers of community-dwelling older adults. Other literature suggests similar patterns of burden may be found across adult patient populations. The current study, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, was conducted to determine the impact of dysphagia on caregivers of adults, regardless of etiology.

Method:

Five electronic databases were searched using terms based on a review by Namasivayam-MacDonald and Shune (2018) but included all adults rather than only older adults. Searches were limited to English-language empirical studies discussing caregiver burden, included caregivers of adult care recipients, had some care recipients with dysphagia, did not include palliative care, and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Results:

The search yielded 1,112 unique abstracts, of which 17 were accepted. Across studies, caregiver burden was found to increase due to dysphagia in care recipients. Commonly reported dysphagia-related causes of burden included changes in meal preparation, disruption in lifestyle, effects on social life, lack of support, insertion of feeding tubes, and fear of aspiration. In general, dysphagia-related caregiver burden was a common experience across caregivers, regardless of patient population, caregiver age, and relationship between caregiver and care recipient. Meta-analyses suggest 71% of caregivers of adults with dysphagia experience some degree of burden.

Conclusions:

These findings support that dysphagia negatively impacts caregiver burden and suggests sources of burden that clinicians can address within dysphagia management to support caregivers. However, more research is needed to better delineate sources of burden, especially those specific to various dysphagia etiologies, to better meet the needs of our patients.
Liquor klar – Diagnose (un)klar
Authors: Tamò Raphaël , Simons Elisabeth , Huber Lars C.
Published: December 2021

Anamnese Eine 35-jährige Patientin stellte sich mit akuten starken Kopfschmerzen, Photophobie und Fieber vor. Mehrere Mitglieder der Familie der Patientin litten vorgängig an der Hand-Mund-Fuß-Krankheit.

Status und Befunde Klinisch fiel ein prominenter Meningismus auf. Lumbalpunktion und kraniales Computertomogramm waren unauffällig. Im weiteren Verlauf fiel die PCR-Untersuchung des Liquors positiv für Enteroviren-Spezies-RNA aus.

Diagnose und Therapie Bei bestätigter Enteroviren-Meningitis konnte die initial verabreichte antimikrobielle Therapie sistiert und auf weiterführende Diagnostik verzichtet werden.

Verlauf Die Symptome waren rasch und vollständig regredient.

Folgerungen Dieser Fall soll aufzeigen, dass bei typischer Klinik einer Meningitis ohne Liquorpleozytose die Enteroviren-Meningitis auch bei adulten Patienten eine wichtige Differenzialdiagnose darstellt.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ophthalmology Resident Perceptions of Clinical Experience, Surgical Training, and Personal Life
Authors: Shoji Marissa K. , Venincasa Michael J. , Sridhar Jayanth
Published: December 2021

Objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected multiple areas of health care, including residency training programs. Elucidating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on resident clinical experience, surgical training, and wellness is essential to identify areas in which programs can provide additional educational and personal resources to trainees. This study aims to evaluate the experiences of ophthalmology residents during the pandemic.

Design The design is a cross-sectional, nonvalidated survey study. The survey was administered online with data collection from August 22 to August 31, 2020.

Participants Applicants to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute ophthalmology residency program during the 2016 to 2019 application cycles were invited to complete the survey to encompass trainees currently in ophthalmology residency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants who were not training at an ophthalmology residency program during the pandemic were excluded.

Methods This study involved eliciting feedback from ophthalmology residents on the perceived impact of COVID-19 on their residency experiences through survey questions.

Main Outcome Measures Perceived didactic, clinical, surgical, and overall experiences of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, effect on cataract and noncataract surgical case volume, and perceived effects on resident personal life.

Results Responses were obtained from 357 (22.8%) individuals, 193 of which met inclusion criteria (59.1% male, 54.9% aged 30–34). Most participants reported overall worsening of their ophthalmology training experience due to COVID-19 (75.1%), with worsening of clinical training reported by 72.5% of participants and worsening of surgical training reported by 89.1% of participants. There were no significant differences in the perception of the impact of COVID-19 on overall training experience, clinical training experience, or surgical training experience among geographic regions (p = 0.43, p = 0.23, p = 0.27, respectively). A higher percentage of post-graduate year 3 (PGY3) and PGY4 trainees reported worsened clinical (p = 0.003) or surgical (p = 0.03) experience compared with PGY2 trainees. Participants also reported impact on personal life including time spent away from family (52.9%), worsened friendships with co-residents (29.5%), forced changes in living situation (15.0%), and increased expenses (13.5%).

Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted clinical and surgical experience of ophthalmology residents, who also report personal stressors due to the pandemic. Identifying alterations in the ophthalmology residency experience is essential to provide additional resources to support ophthalmology trainees professionally and personally during this time.
Intention to Quit Tobacco Use and its Determinants Among Adolescent Tobacco Users Residing in Slum Areas of Bhubaneswar, India: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Panigrahi Ansuman , Sharma Dheeraj , Maharana Sabita
Published: December 2021

Introduction Intention to quit is the initial step and a strong predictor of quitting tobacco use.

Objective The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of intention to quit tobacco use among adolescent tobacco users residing in the slum areas of Bhubaneswar, India.

Materials and Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was performed during the year 2017–2018 involving 152 adolescent tobacco users residing in the slums of Bhubaneswar. Multistage cluster random sampling was used to select the study areas.

Results Ninety-three (61.2%) adolescents had the intention to quit tobacco use. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of intention to quit tobacco use was significantly higher in adolescents who used it for less than 5 years' duration (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–5.87), those used first tobacco of the day between 31 and 60 minutes after waking up in the morning (aOR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.17–5.79) or more than 60 minutes after waking up (aOR: 6.69; 95% CI: 2.28–19.61), and those who noticed anti-tobacco messages in any media in the past 30 days (aOR: 2.70; 95% CI: 1.02–7.14).

Conclusion The prevalence of intention to quit tobacco use among slum adolescents of Bhubaneswar is 61.2%, which can be enhanced by incorporating the determinants of the intention to quit tobacco use in the existing anti-tobacco schemes.
Copper electroforming replication process for soft x-ray mirrors
Authors: Yamaguchi Gota , Motoyama Hiroto , Owada Shigeki , Kubota Yuya , Egawa Satoru , Kume Takehiro , Takeo Yoko , Yabashi Makina , Mimura Hidekazu
Published: December 2021

We developed a copper electroforming replication (CER) process to fabricate precise ellipsoidal mirrors for soft x-ray focusing. Some applications of ellipsoidal mirrors in x-ray microscopy require that all components that are close to samples, including the mirrors, are made of non-magnetic materials. In this study, a non-magnetic copper ellipsoidal mirror was fabricated by replicating a figured and super-polished quartz glass mandrel using an electroforming technique. It was found that the CER process has a high replication accuracy of 8 nm. The focusing performance of the mirror was characterized using a soft x-ray free-electron laser with a photon energy of 100 eV. A small focus size of 370 × 400 nm2 was achieved with a high reflectivity of 65%.
Correlation between ferromagnetism and dopant 3d metal-oxygen hybridized state lying at the bottom of conduction band in ZnO-based diluted magnetic semiconductor system
Authors: Tsukahara Takuto , An Satoshi , Otsuru Sho , Tezuka Yasuhisa , Nozawa Shunsuke , Adachi Junichi , Akashi Kenta , Inagaki Yuji , Kawae Tatsuya , Ishii Hirofumi , Liao Yen-Fa , Kida Tetsuya , Suehiro Satoshi , Nantoh Masashi , Ishibashi Koji , Ishiwata Yoichi
Published: December 2021

We systematically investigate the unoccupied electronic states, crystal structure, and magnetism of V- and Mn-doped ZnO nanocrystals (NCs). Post-annealing treatment at 300 °C converts diamagnetic V5+ into magnetic high-spin V3+ ions, which leads to room-temperature ferromagnetism for the V-doped NCs. In contrast, ferromagnetism does not occur for the Mn-doped NCs. Oxygen 1s x-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals that the unoccupied metal-oxygen hybridized state lies near the bottom of the conduction band for the V-doped NCs but lies far above it for the Mn-doped NCs. Therefore, the ferromagnetism in a ZnO-based diluted magnetic semiconductor system can be understood within the framework of the n-type carrier-mediated ferromagnetism model.
Physical based compact model of Y-Flash memristor for neuromorphic computation
Authors: Wang Wei , Danial Loai , Herbelin Eric , Hoffer Barak , Oved Batel , Greenberg-Toledo Tzofnat , Pikhay Evgeny , Roizin Yakov , Kvatinsky Shahar
Published: December 2021

Y-Flash memristors utilize the mature technology of single polysilicon floating gate nonvolatile memories. It can be operated in a two-terminal configuration similar to the other emerging memristive devices, e.g., resistive random-access memory and phase-change memory. Fabricated in production complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology, Y-Flash memristors allow excellent reproducibility reflected in high neuromorphic products yields. Working in the subthreshold region, the device can be programmed to a large number of fine-tuned intermediate states in an analog fashion and allows low readout currents (1 nA ∼ 5 μA). However, currently, there are no accurate models to describe the dynamic switching in this type of memristive device and account for multiple operational configurations. In this paper, we provide a physical-based compact model that describes Y-Flash memristor performance in both DC and AC regimes and consistently describes the dynamic program and erase operations. The model is integrated into the commercial circuit design tools and is ready to be used in applications related to neuromorphic computation.
Constrained Lagrangian dissipative contact dynamics
Authors: de León Manuel , Laínz Manuel , Muñoz-Lecanda Miguel C. , Román-Roy Narciso
Published: December 2021

We show that the contact dynamics obtained from the Herglotz variational principle can be described as a constrained nonholonomic or vakonomic ordinary Lagrangian system depending on a dissipative variable with an adequate choice of one constraint. As a consequence, we obtain the dynamics of contact nonholonomic and vakonomic systems as an ordinary variational calculus with constraints on a Lagrangian with a dissipative variable. The variation of the energy and the other dissipative quantities is also obtained, giving the usual results.