bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy Management Optimization of Master–Slave Hybrid Electric Vehicle under Rule‐Based Control Strategy
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Zhang Tiezhu , Hong Jichao , Zhang Hongxin , Yang Jian
Published: July 2022

In response to the imperfections and issues with conventional fuel vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs), this article proposes a master–slave hybrid electric vehicle (MSHEV) with multiple energy sources. The research team establishes the rule‐based control strategy for MSHEV with the aid of reviewing existing theories. The control strategy enables the MSHEV to transition between several working modes. The simulation consequence verifies that the MSHEV has lower power consumption and energy loss than the EV under actual vehicle driving cycle. One of most critical initial steps in ameliorating a vehicle's performance is parameter optimization. This article selects the battery state of charge of MSHEV as the optimization objective and optimizes applicable parameters. Thereafter, an approximate model is constructed based on the Response Surface Model, and an optimization model is built based on the Multi‐Island Genetic Algorithm. The energy management of the optimized MSHEV is more reasonable and the state of charge is further enhanced. The accomplishment of this article is of considerable significance and reference value in the optimization of energy management of hybrid electric vehicles.
Analysis of performance optimization of high‐temperature solid oxide electrolytic cell based on the coupling of flow, heat, and mass transfer and electrochemistry
Authors: Kang Chen , Huaiwu Peng , Junfeng Zhang , Xinxin Xu , Shengchen Zhou , Jingxin Ruan , Biao Li , Yueshe Wang
Published: July 2022

A three‐dimensional (3D) model simulating the flow, heat, and mass transfer characteristics of a high‐temperature solid oxide electrolytic cell (SOEC) is developed based on the coupling of gas flow in channels, the electrochemical reaction in the triple‐phase boundary of electrodes and component diffusion in the porous media in electrodes. The model comprises several equations such as mass equation, momentum equation, energy equation, mass transport equation, and electrochemical reaction equation. The computational fluid dynamics method is adopted to simulate the operating performance (current density distribution, temperature distribution, and gas component distribution) of the 3D electrolytic cell model under different operating conditions (electrolytic voltage, gas temperature at the inlet, flow rate and flow pattern). The simulation results show that gas temperature at the inlet obviously influences electrolytic hydrogen production by SOEC. In the case of lower voltage, a higher temperature can be selected to effectively increase the current density. When the current density is high enough, the supply flow of water vapor needs to be increased to prevent the inhibition reaction of low‐concentration reactants, but this may lead to the reduction of water vapor conversion. In practical operation, a lower voltage and higher gas temperature should be selected, and the flow rate of water vapor appropriately increased to ensure hydrogen production and improve operating efficiency.
Assessment of an adaptive time integration strategy for a high‐order discretization of the unsteady RANS equations
Authors: Ghidoni Antonio , Massa Francesco Carlo , Noventa Gianmaria , Rebay Stefano
Published: July 2022

Many industrial applications, for example, aeronautics, aeroacoustics, and turbomachinery, are characterized by complex turbulent flow problems, whose numerical studies are mostly based on statistical models. These models rely on the Navier–Stokes equations averaged in time, namely the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. RANS unsteady solutions require accurate and efficient time integration strategies, and the choice of the time‐step can have a strong impact on the robustness and efficiency of the simulation. Adaptive time step algorithms can improve considerably the effectiveness of time integration, but in literature little information is available on their application to unsteady RANS equations for high‐Reynolds number turbulent flows. This work aims at reducing this gap, presenting a numerical investigation of the performance of different adaptive temporal strategies applied to linearly implicit Rosenbrock‐type schemes within a high‐order discontinuous Galerkin framework. Several test cases of increasing stiffness and difficulty are considered for both compressible and incompressible turbulent flows.
Deep learning meets decision trees: An application of a heterogeneous deep forest approach in credit scoring for online consumer lending
Authors: Xia Yufei , Guo Xinyi , Li Yinguo , He Lingyun , Chen Xueyuan
Published: July 2022

Online consumer lending has recently been growing rapidly, but it faces high credit risk. For this problem, developing powerful credit scoring models has become an effective solution and can be achieved from three aspects: modeling approach, data source, and evaluation measure. This paper proposes a novel model that departs from those in previous studies in threefold. First, a heterogeneous deep forest model that combines deep learning architecture and tree‐based ensemble classifiers is proposed as the modeling approach. Second, a Bayesian‐based macroeconomic variable optimization method is developed to determine the macroeconomic variables and the corresponding lag term, and the selected macroeconomic variables are used as supplementary data source for modeling. Lastly, a series of capital charge error measures is proposed to evaluate credit scoring models from a regulatory perspective. The proposal is evaluated on multiple large datasets under performance measures on predictive accuracy, profitability, and capital charge errors. Frequentist and Bayesian nonparametric significance tests are used to examine the statistical significance of heterogeneous deep forest and benchmarks. Three main conclusions can be reached from the comparison. First, heterogeneous deep forest significantly outperforms the industry benchmarks over all the evaluation measures. Second, the predictive performance is enhanced after incorporating the selected macroeconomic variables and the corresponding lag, and the result remains robust under cross‐validation and forward‐chaining validation. Third, the capital charge errors reflect the model performance from a regulatory perspective and thus lead to different rankings from those when evaluating predictive accuracy and profitability.
Two sides of the same coin? Revisiting the relationship between burden and positive aspects of caregiving in dementia
Authors: Cheng Sheung‐Tak
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Studies have shown that items on the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) purported to measure self‐criticism do not correlate well with the other items. Examination of item content suggests they may be measuring mixed sentiments—both positive and negative—about caregiving. This study examined whether self‐criticism is related to positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) in a way that is different from caregiver strain, and if so, which types of PAC.

Methods/Design

The baseline data of two Alzheimer caregiver intervention studies were merged (N = 225). Based on previous factor analysis, 2 ZBI items formed the self‐criticism measure while 16 ZBI items measured global strain. PAC was assessed by coding caregivers' narratives about positive gains into seven themes (relationship gains, growth, insights, competence/mastery, purpose, emotional rewards, and miscellaneous).

Results

Global strain was mildly associated with fewer total PAC, in a way consistent with the literature, and with less competence/mastery. However, self‐criticism was associated with stronger relationship gains and purpose. Younger caregivers reported more relationship gains but less emotional rewards. Longer caregiving duration was associated with more growth, but the reverse was true for chronic illnesses. Additionally, relationship closeness was associated with more emotional rewards, whereas care‐recipient neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional impairment were associated with fewer relationship gains and emotional rewards respectively.

Conclusion

Thinking one is not doing enough may indicate feelings of inadequacy/guilt but may also signal devotion to the relative and a sense of purpose in the caregiving role. Analyzing total burden and PAC scores may obscure the relationships between their components.
Association between white matter microstructure and cognitive function in patients with methamphetamine use disorder
Authors: Zhou Yanan , Hu Yang , Wang Qianjin , Yang Zhi , Li Jinguang , Ma Yuejiao , Wu Qiuxia , Chen Shubao , Yang Dong , Hao Yuzhu , Wang Yunfei , Li Manyun , Peng Pu , Liu Tieqiao , Yang Winson Fu Zun
Published: July 2022

Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) has been associated with broad neurocognitive impairments. While the cognitive impairments of MUD have been demonstrated, the neuropathological underpinnings remain inadequately understood. To date, the published human diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies involving the correlation between diffusion parameters and neurocognitive function in MUD are limited. Hence, the present study aimed to examine the association between cognitive performance and white matter microstructure in patients with MUD. Forty‐five patients with MUD and 43 healthy controls (HCs) completed their demographic information collection, cognitive assessments, and DTI imaging. DTI images were preprocessed to extract fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) of various fiber tracts. Univariate tests were used to examine group differences in cognitive assessments and DTI metrics. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between these two metrics. The results revealed that patients with MUD had lower subset scores of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), which reflects five cognitive domains: processing speed, attention, verbal learning, visual learning, problem‐solving. Patients with MUD also had significantly higher AD, MD, and RD values of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus than HCs. Furthermore, the RD value of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus was a significant predictor of processing speed and problem‐solving ability, as shown by the digit‐symbol coding test and NAB‐Mazes scores, respectively. Findings extended our understanding of white matter microstructure that is related to neurocognitive deficits in MUD and provided potential targets for the prevention and treatment of this chronic disorder.
Cilia beating modulated radiating ternary nanofluids flow in a corrugated asymmetric channel with electromagnetohydrodynamic and momentum slip
Authors: Saleem Najma , Munawar Sufian , Tripathi Dharmendra , Afzal Farkhanda , Afzal Deeba
Published: July 2022

A mathematical model is presented to study the cilia beating modulated radiated ternary nanofluid flow between two cilia‐carpeted walls propagating with an applicable phase difference to show the asymmetric nature of the pumping. To regulate further the cilia‐based pumping, electroosmosis, and magnetohydrodynamics mechanisms are considered in this model. Ternary nanofluid is considered with TiO2, SiO2, and Al2O3 nanoparticles dispersed in pure blood. The momentum slip condition is employed to derive the model solution. Thermal radiation and buoyancy effects are also taken into consideration. Mathematica NDSolve is utilized to simulate the numerical results for the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles under the influence of the emerging parameters. Moreover, entropy generation and variation in Nusselt and Bejan numbers are computed for better thermal analysis. A comparative thermal analysis for unary, binary, and ternary nanofluids is also made. The results indicate that the trihybrid nanofluid offers an 8.5% increase in the heat transfer rate as compared to the conventional fluid. Furthermore, the Brownian motion is responsible for the enhancement in fluid temperature, while electric double layer thickness helps in increasing heat transfer irreversibility around the channel lower wall. It is found that the total entropy of the system at the channel upper and lower space is minimized in the case of ternary fluid rather than conventional fluid. The promising results of the present model reflect huge applications in biomedical engineering, particularly in designing thermal cilia‐based microfluidic devices.
Compensation layer‐added federated learning receiver: Design and implementation
Authors: Islam Tasnim Nishat , Sabuj Saifur Rahman
Published: July 2022

The federated learning‐based symbol detection technique has attracted much attention recently due to its application of processing data at the network edge (ie, mobile user equipment) in a distributed manner. In this regard, the federated receiver is presently being promoted as a replacement for and improvement on the conventional model‐based receiver. This paper proposes an average pooling with compensation layer and an average pooling with dense layers‐added federated receiver for symbol detection in a downlink fading channel. In average pooling with a compensation scheme, the average of the input data is extracted and then ripples of the data are minimized by multiplying the weight coefficient in the compensation layer. In average pooling with dense scheme, two pooling schemes, such as average pooling and max‐pooling, are incorporated into dense layers with various activation functions. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate that the proposed compensation layer‐added federated receiver outperforms the conventional federated receiver.
Central nervous system cholesterol metabolism in health and disease
Authors: Ho Wan Y. , Hartmann Hannelore , Ling Shuo‐Chien
Published: July 2022

Cholesterol is a ubiquitous and essential component of cellular membranes, as it regulates membrane structure and fluidity. Furthermore, cholesterol serves as a precursor for steroid hormones, oxysterol, and bile acids, that are essential for maintaining many of the body's metabolic processes. The biosynthesis and excretion of cholesterol is tightly regulated in order to maintain homeostasis. Although virtually all cells have the capacity to make cholesterol, the liver and brain are the two main organs producing cholesterol in mammals. Once produced, cholesterol is transported in the form of lipoprotein particles to other cell types and tissues. Upon formation of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) during embryonic development, lipoproteins cannot move between the central nervous system (CNS) and the rest of the body. As such, cholesterol biosynthesis and metabolism in the CNS operate autonomously without input from the circulation system in normal physiological conditions. Nevertheless, similar regulatory mechanisms for maintaining cholesterol homeostasis are utilized in both the CNS and peripheral systems. Here, we discuss the functions and metabolism of cholesterol in the CNS. We further focus on how different CNS cell types contribute to cholesterol metabolism, and how ApoE, the major CNS apolipoprotein, is involved in normal and pathophysiological functions. Understanding these basic mechanisms will aid our ability to elucidate how CNS cholesterol dysmetabolism contributes to neurogenerative diseases.
Preparation and mechanical optimization of a two‐layer silk/magnesium wires braided porous artificial nerve guidance conduit
Authors: Zhao Jingyuan , Zhang Shujun , Duan Lirong , Yao Ruotong , Yan Yixin , Wang Tian , Wang Jing , Zheng Zhaozhu , Wang Xiaoqin , Li Gang
Published: July 2022

Peripheral nerve injures have long been a tricky problem in surgery and a feasible treatment is the transplantation of nerve guidance conduits (NGCs). This study presents a two‐layer composite NGC with fair mechanical properties and good biocompatibility. The inner layer was made of degummed silk yarns/magnesium wires using braiding technology, and the outer layer was made from mixed solution of silk fibroin/chitosan (SF/CS) using freeze‐drying treatment. Orthogonal experimental design was applied to rationally design the braided structural layer and obtain the optimal combination of technical process parameters. Meanwhile, the SF/CS porous outer layer was optimized from three concentrations of SF/CS solution. In vitro and in vivo study suggested that the textile‐forming scaffold exhibited good biocompatibility and no toxicity. During 4 weeks' degradation, the skeleton of conduits retained its shape, and magnesium ions released from degraded magnesium wires contributed to sustainable release and uniform dispersion, proliferation and adhesion of Schwann cells, indicating potential approach in the development of NGCs.
Teriparatide and Osteosarcoma Risk: History, Science, Elimination of Boxed Warning, and Other Label Updates
Authors: Krege John H , Gilsenan Alicia W , Komacko John L , Kellier‐Steele Nicole
Published: July 2022

The phase 3 trials of the bone anabolic drug teriparatide were prematurely terminated because of a preclinical finding of osteosarcoma in rats treated with high doses of teriparatide for near lifetime. Even so, results from these and subsequent clinical trials showed efficacy and tolerability. Based on the phase 3 results and additional preclinical investigations, Forteo (teriparatide) was approved for use in the United States with an indication for the treatment of osteoporosis in patients at high risk for fracture, a boxed warning regarding potential risk of osteosarcoma, a 2‐year lifetime limitation of use, other risk mitigations, and a requirement to assess for risk of osteosarcoma in humans treated with teriparatide. Subsequent investigations included five real‐world studies directed at assessing a connection between teriparatide and osteosarcoma risk in humans. The early studies did not identify an increased risk of osteosarcoma but were inadequate to sufficiently characterize risk, given the low incidence of this rare form of bone cancer. Learning from these efforts, two studies were undertaken using claims data to identify large cohorts of patients treated with teriparatide and assess whether these patients were found to have osteosarcoma by linking pharmacy claims data with data from cancer registries. These studies showed no increase in osteosarcoma in patients using teriparatide compared with unexposed groups, as well as to the expected population‐based background incidence of the disease. Based on this real‐world evidence and the totality of data collected from postmarketing use and other clinical investigations, the label was updated in 2020. The changes included addition of information from large observational studies using real‐world evidence, removal of the boxed warning, and a revision of the 2‐year lifetime limitation. Thus, observational studies with large sample sizes using real‐world data can provide supportive evidence to facilitate regulatory decisions including the elimination of a boxed warning. © 2022 Eli Lilly and Company. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Clinical value of YKL‐40 in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis: A cross‐sectional study and a systematic review
Authors: Cui Beibei , Chen Yuehong , Luo Fengming , Lin Sang , Liu Huan , Huang Yupeng , Zhou Yueyuan , Tian Yunru , Yin Geng , Xie Qibing
Published: July 2022

Introduction

We performed a cross‐sectional study to investigate the clinical usefulness of YKL‐40 in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and conducted a systematic review to summarize the clinical value of YKL‐40 in patients with polymyositis (PM)/DM.

Materials and methods

A cross‐sectional study and a systematic review were performed to study the clinical value of YKL‐40 in patients with PM/DM. Serum YKL‐40 level was detected using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and its association with clinical and laboratory parameters was analyzed. In the systematic review, electronic databases of OVID Embase, OVID Medline, and web of science were searched to collect studies that reported clinical use of YKL‐40 in patients with PM/DM.

Results

In the cross‐sectional study, serum YKL‐40 level was higher in patients with DM than in healthy controls (median [interquartile range]: 84.09 [52.72–176.4] ng/ml versus 27.37 [12.30–53.58] ng/ml, p < 0.0001). Serum levels of YKL‐40 were associated with the course of DM (r = −0.469, p < 0.001), CRP (r = 0.303, p = 0.043), CK (r = 0.263, p = 0.037), and global disease activity (r = 0.628, p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.835 (95% confidence interval 0.751–0.920). In the systematic review, a total of four studies were included with moderate to high quality. Serum level of YKL‐40 has the possibility for diagnosing PM/DM, identifying PM/DM patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) or rapid progress ILD, and predicting death.

Conclusion

Serum YKL‐40 level is a possible useful biomarker for PM/DM diagnosis and may be used to predict prognosis.
Treatment of different dairy wastewater with Chlorella sorokiniana: removal of pollutants and biomass characterization
Authors: Iliopoulou Athanasia , Zkeri Eirini , Panara Anthi , Dasenaki Marilena , Fountoulakis Michail S , Thomaidis Nikolaos S , Stasinakis Athanasios S
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND

There is a continuous need for the development of novel processes for the sustainable management of dairy wastewater. The use of microalgae for wastewater decontamination and production of valuable biomass seems a promising alternative; however, limited information currently exists on the chemical characteristics of the biomass cultivated in effluents from the dairy industry. In this paper, experiments were carried out with the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana and different types of dairy effluents (raw dairy wastewater, anaerobically treated dairy wastewater, cheese whey). The collected biomass was characterized for the existence of proteins, starch, lipids, lutein, β‐carotene, polyphenolic compounds and amino acids.

RESULTS

The removal of chemical oxygen demand and NH4‐N was higher than 91% and 80%, respectively, for all types of dairy effluents, while the removal of total phosphorus ranged between 20% and 84%. The protein, starch and lipid contents of the microalgal biomass ranged between 28.6% and 52.8%, 10.5% and 13.3%, and 36.8% and 40.2%, respectively. The concentration of lutein increased after treatment, reaching values up to 508 mg kg−1, whereas amino acid concentrations were decreased due to nitrogen inefficiency. The biomass cultivated in anaerobically treated dairy wastewater was characterized by the higher total phenolic content; tyrosol concentration reached 20.2 mg kg−1.

CONCLUSION

Chlorella sorokiniana can efficiently remove the major pollutants from effluents of dairy industry, while the produced biomass is a source of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. Additionally, it contains important amounts of pigments, phenolic compounds and amino acids. Further research is required for the conditions that achieve optimal biochemical characteristics of the produced biomass. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
The adsorptive behaviour of electrospun hydrophobic polymers for optimized uptake of estrogenic sex hormones from aqueous media: kinetics, thermodynamics, and reusability study
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Asabuwa Ngwabebhoh Fahanwi , Šopík Tomáš , Lovecká Lenka , Kimmer Dušan , Sedlařík Vladimír
Published: July 2022

Background

Estrogenic hormones as micropollutants in water systems cause severe adverse effects on human health and marine life, leading to fatal diseases, such as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Electrospun polymers have proven high stability and impressive performance in adsorption removal. In this study, electrospun polysulfone (PSU), polyvinylidene fluoride, and polylactic acid were prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier‐transform intrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), surface area measurement X‐Ray diffraction (XRD), and porometry.

Results

Nanofibers possess a mean fiber diameter of 149–183 nm and a specific surface area of 1.6–6.3 m2/g. The adsorption efficiency of the simultaneous removal of estrone (E1), 17β‐estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α‐ethinylestradiol (EE2) in a mixed concentration was investigated using high performace liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicate that spun PSU fibers exhibited the highest removal of all four estrogens, with a maximum removal efficiency of 71.2%, 65.9%, 56.9%, and 36.1% and adsorption capacity of 0.508, 0.703, 0.550, and 0.354 mg/g for E1, EE2, E2, and E3, respectively. Additionally, the adsorption was optimised by varying parameters, such as concentration of adsorbate, pH, adsorbent dosage, and temperature, to statistically analyse one‐way variance using ANOVA. The pseudo‐second‐order is best fitted for E1, EE2, and E2, while the pseudo‐first‐order is best for E3. The Langmuir–Freundlich isothermal model was most suitable for evaluation, and the thermodynamics depicted the adsorption to be exothermic and spontaneous.

Conclusion

The results indicate that spun PSU can be an efficient adsorbent in the simultaneous elimination of estrogens from wastewater and it exhibits a high regeneration performance of over 60% after six adsorption–desorption cycles. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Using the Pesticide Toxicity Index to show the potential ecosystem benefits of on‐farm biobeds
Authors: Fatema Marufa , Farenhorst Annemieke , Sheedy Claudia
Published: July 2022

The influent and effluent of two single‐cell biobeds (Province of Alberta, Canada) and two dual cell‐biobeds (Province of Saskatchewan, Canada) were monitored during a number of growing seasons. A total of 59 unique pesticide active ingredients were detected, with all biobed influent samples (n = 54) and 93% of effluent samples (n = 54) containing pesticide mixtures. About one‐half of the effluent samples in both single‐cell (56%) and dual‐cell (45%) biobeds contained active ingredients that have Groundwater Ubiquity Score (GUS) values >2.8 and so were more likely to move through the biomatrix materials into effluent. The Pesticide Toxicity Index (PTI) calculated for aquatic indicator species (i.e., vascular and nonvascular plants, invertebrates, and fish) was always larger for influent samples (e.g., median PTI >500 for invertebrates in dual‐cell biobed) than effluent samples (i.e., median PTI <1). As such, this study demonstrates the potential ecosystem benefits of the broad adoption of on‐farm biobeds in the Canadian Prairies for recycling tank rinsate as a strategy to accelerate a green economy. Although biobeds were highly effective in reducing the concentrations for pesticides with a wide range of soil organic carbon coefficient and half‐life values, the biobed effectiveness was relatively poor for the herbicides clopyralid, diclofop, fluroxypyr, and imazethapyr. Clopyralid (3.02), fluroxypyr (3.70), and imazethapyr (3.90) all have relatively high GUS values (>2.8) and are thus more likely to be detected in effluent than active ingredients with smaller GUS values. This suggests that further improvements in biosystem design need to be made for optimizing the recycling of these pesticides.
Pegylated interferon‐α‐2b combined with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, and hepatitis B vaccine treatment for naïve HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B patients: A prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled study
Authors: Lian Jiangshan , Kuang Wei , Jia Hongyu , Lu Yingfeng , Zhang Xiaoli , Ye Chanyuan , Gu Jueqing , Lv Yan , Yu Jiong , Zhang Yimin , Lu Xiaoqing , Zhao Yingren , Yang Dongliang , Wang Kai , Zhao Ping , Yu Yanyan , Bai Lang , Zhang Jiming , Zhang Xinxin , Yang Yida
Published: July 2022

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss or seroconversion is an ideal treatment endpoint for patients with chronic hepatitis B but is rarely achievable in  hepatitis B e‐antigen (HBeAg)‐positive patients using existing treatment strategies. In this study, the effect of pegylated interferon (peg‐IFN) alfa‐2b plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF), and hepatitis B vaccine was evaluated. This randomized controlled trial was conducted at nine liver centers in Chinese university hospitals from May 2018 to July 2020. Patients (n = 303) enrolled were randomly administered peg‐IFN‐α‐2b combined with TDF, GM‐CSF, and hepatitis B vaccine (experimental group); peg‐IFN‐α‐2b plus TDF (control group 2); or interferon‐α‐2b alone (control group 1). The primary efficacy endpoint was HBsAg seroconversion at 48 weeks and the secondary endpoint included safety. No differences in baseline HBsAg levels were observed among the groups. The primary endpoint was achieved in three (3.0%), one (1.03%), and one (1.19%) patient in the experimental group, control group 2, and control group 1, respectively. The incidence of HBsAg seroconversion at week 48 was not significantly different among the three groups (p = 0.629). However, the decrease in serum levels of HBsAg at week 48 was significantly higher in the experimental and control group 2 compared with that in control group 1 (p = 0.008 and 0.006, respectively). No significant difference between the experimental and control group 2 was observed (p = 0.619). Adverse events were not significantly different among the groups except for the lower incidence of neutropenia in the experimental group. Peg‐IFN‐α‐2b combined with TDF, GM‐CSF, and hepatitis B vaccine is not superior to peg‐IFN‐α‐2b combined with TDF in HBeAg‐positive naïve patients. Clinical Trials Registration: ChiCTR1800016173.
Climatology of sea‐effect snow in Finland
Authors: Olsson Taru , Luomaranta Anna , Nyman Henri , Jylhä Kirsti
Published: July 2022

Convective sea‐effect snowfall, in the form of snowbands, is observed over the northern Baltic Sea annually. Quasi‐stationary snowbands may last up to several days over the sea and, depending on the wind direction, move towards the coast. This study provides climatology of spatial and temporal occurrence of snowbands in Finland for a 48‐year period (1973–2020). We used a set of detection criteria together with ERA5 reanalysis at off‐shore areas and FMIClimGrid gridded observational data for on‐shore areas to find the days favouring snowband formation. Only those snowband days (SBD) when snow reached the Finnish coastal mainland were considered. The total annual number of SBDs in Finland varied from 6 to 40 with an average of 16. SBDs were detected most frequently over the Gulf of Bothnia near the western coast of the country. The largest increase in snow depth (SDI) during an SBD (67 cm/day) also took place on the western coast, although the long‐term mean of SDI (3–5 cm/day) was highest over the southern coast. Throughout the country, November and December showed the highest frequency of SBDs. However, between the periods 1973–1996 and 1997–2020, the seasonal cycle of SBDs shifted 1 month forward from late autumn to mid‐winter as the decrease in the number of SBDs during December as well as the increase during January and February were statistically significant in Finland. In northern Baltic Sea, long‐term increases in monthly means of sea surface temperature (SST) and air temperature at the atmospheric level of 850 hPa (T850) were in line with the decadal changes in the occurrence of SBDs. The increasing trend in SST favours the formation of snowbands but in late autumn the probability for snowband formation decreased because even larger increases in T850 resulted in diminishing differences between SST and T850.
Deciphering the chemical constituents of Shengjiang Xiexin decoction by ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole/orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry and the impact of 20 characteristic components on multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 in the vesicular transport assay
Authors: Guan Huanyu , Li Pengfei , Wang Qian , Zeng Fanli , Wu Jiashuo , Zhang Fangqing , Liao Shanggao , Shi Yue
Published: July 2022

Shengjiang Xiexin decoction, a traditional Chinese medical formula, has been utilized to alleviate the delayed‐onset diarrhea induced by irino tecan. However, the chemical constituents of this formula and the activities of its constituents remain unclear. In this study, ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole/orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry was employed to comprehensively analyze the chemical constituents of Shengjiang Xiexin decoction. A total of 270 components, including flavonoids, coumarins, triterpenoids, alkaloids, diarylheptanoids and others, were identified or characterized. Multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 is an efflux transporter responsible for regulating drug absorption. A total of 20 characteristic components from the formula were selected to evaluate their effects on the function of multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 using the vesicular transport assay. Glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid were identified as potential multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 inhibitors, while 9 flavonoid aglycones increased the uptake of the substrate [3H]‐estradiol 17‐β‐glucuronide in the vesicles. This was the first systematic investigation of the chemical constituents from Shengjiang Xiexin decoction and the effect of its characteristic components on the transporter. The results offered a basis for further exploring the detoxification mechanisms of this formula and its interactions with other drugs.
Intranasal Anticholinergics for Treatment of Chronic Rhinitis: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Pang Jonathan C. , Vasudev Milind , Du Amy T. , Nottoli Madeline M , Dang Katherine , Kuan Edward C.
Published: July 2022

Objective

Topical intranasal anticholinergics are commonly prescribed for the relief of chronic rhinitis and associated symptoms, warranting thorough assessment of the supporting evidence. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of anticholinergic nasal sprays in the management of allergic and non‐allergic rhinitis symptom severity and duration.

Methods

A search encompassing the Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Scopus databases was conducted. Primary studies describing rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and/or postnasal drip outcomes in rhinitis patients treated with an anticholinergic spray were included for review.

Results

The search yielded 1,029 unique abstracts, of which 12 studies (n = 2,024) met inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis and 9 (n = 1,920) for meta‐analysis. Median follow‐up was 4 weeks and ipratropium bromide was the most extensively trialed anticholinergic. Compared to placebo, anticholinergic treatment was demonstrated to significantly reduce rhinorrhea severity scores (standardized mean difference [95% CI] = −0.77 [−1.20, −0.35]; −0.43 [−0.72, −0.13]) and duration (−0.62 [−0.95, −0.30]; −0.29 [−0.47, −0.10]) in allergic and non‐allergic rhinitis patients respectively. Benefit was less consistent for nasal congestion, postnasal drip, and sneezing symptoms. Reported adverse effects included nasal mucosa dryness or irritation, epistaxis, headaches, and pharyngitis, though comparison to placebo found significantly greater risk for epistaxis only (risk ratio [95% CI] = 2.19 [1.22, 3.93]).

Conclusion

Albeit treating other symptoms with less benefit, anticholinergic nasal sprays appear to be safe and efficacious in reducing rhinorrhea severity and duration in both rhinitis etiologies. This evidence supports their continued use in the treatment of rhinitis‐associated rhinorrhea.

Level of Evidence

1 Laryngoscope, 133:722–731, 2023
Induced Circular Dichroism and Circularly Polarized Luminescence for Block Copolymers with Chiral Communications
Authors: Puneet Puhup , Shao Sheng‐Wei , Ho Rong‐Ming
Published: July 2022

Many sophisticated chiral materials are found in living organisms, giving specific functions and required complexity. Owing to the remarkable optical properties of chiral materials, they have drawn significant attention for the development of synthetic materials to give optical activities for appealing applications. In contrast to a top‐down approach, the bottom‐up approach from self‐assembled systems with chiral host–achiral guest and achiral guest–chiral host for induced circular dichroism and induced circularly polarized luminescence has greatly emerged because of its cost‐effective advantage with easy fabrication for mesoscale assembly. Self‐assembled hierarchical textures with chiral sense indeed give significant amplification of the dissymmetry factors of absorption and luminescence (gabs and glum), resulting from the formation of well‐ordered superstructures and phases with the building of chromophores and luminophores. By taking advantage of the microphase separation of block copolymers via self‐assembly, a variety of well‐defined chiral nanostructures can be formed as tertiary superstructures that can be further extended to quaternary phases in bulk or thin film. In this article, a conceptual perspective is presented to utilize the self‐assembly of chiral block copolymers with chiral communications, giving quaternary phases with well‐ordered textures at the nanoscale for significant enhancement of dissymmetry factors.
Environmental, Health, and Legislation Considerations for Rational Design of Nonreactive Flame‐Retardant Additives for Polymeric Materials: Future Perspectives
Authors: Reynolds Karina J. , Zagho Moustafa M. , Robertson Mark , Qiang Zhe , Nazarenko Sergei
Published: July 2022

Increasing polymer usage has demanded functional additives that decrease fire hazards for end users. While traditional flame‐retardant (FR) additives, such as halogenated, phosphorus, and metal hydroxides, greatly reduce flammability and associated fire hazards, research has continually exposed a litany of health and environmental safety concerns. This perspective aims to identify the key components of a successful FR additive and address material, environmental, and health concerns of existing additives. Legislation surrounding FRs and persistent organic pollutants is also discussed to highlight political perception that has resulted in the increased chemical regulations and subsequent banning of FR additives. Finally, future directions of this field regarding nonreactive additives, focusing on the use of bioinspired materials and transition metal chemistries to produce alternatives for polymers with efficacies surpassing traditional additives are presented.
The SARS‐CoV‐2 main protease (Mpro): Structure, function, and emerging therapies for COVID‐19
Authors: Hu Qing , Xiong Yuan , Zhu Guang‐Hao , Zhang Ya‐Ni , Zhang Yi‐Wen , Huang Ping , Ge Guang‐Bo
Published: July 2022

The main proteases (Mpro), also termed 3‐chymotrypsin‐like proteases (3CLpro), are a class of highly conserved cysteine hydrolases in β‐coronaviruses. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that 3CLpros play an indispensable role in viral replication and have been recognized as key targets for preventing and treating coronavirus‐caused infectious diseases, including COVID‐19. This review is focused on the structural features and biological function of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) main protease Mpro (also known as 3CLpro), as well as recent advances in discovering and developing SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro inhibitors. To better understand the characteristics of SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro inhibitors, the inhibition activities, inhibitory mechanisms, and key structural features of various 3CLpro inhibitors (including marketed drugs, peptidomimetic, and non‐peptidomimetic synthetic compounds, as well as natural compounds and their derivatives) are summarized comprehensively. Meanwhile, the challenges in this field are highlighted, while future directions for designing and developing efficacious 3CLpro inhibitors as novel anti‐coronavirus therapies are also proposed. Collectively, all information and knowledge presented here are very helpful for understanding the structural features and inhibitory mechanisms of SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro inhibitors, which offers new insights or inspiration to medicinal chemists for designing and developing more efficacious 3CLpro inhibitors as novel anti‐coronavirus agents.
A tunable reflection‐type filtering phase shifter using SISL technology
Authors: Yang Jianteng , Ma Kaixue , Fu Haipeng , Wang Yongqiang , Chen Xiong , Yan Ningning
Published: July 2022

This letter proposed a novel tunable reflection‐type phase shifter (RTPS) with a filtering function using substrate‐integrated suspended line (SISL) technology. First, a novel 3‐dB branch‐line coupler with a filtering function is designed by using broadside coupling lines. On this basis, the filtering RTPS is realized by combining with a series varactor network. The proposed SISL filtering RTPS can obtain a continuous phase shift range of 104° under 0–30 V DC bias control, which enables multifunctional integration of phase shifters. All circuits are implemented on the SISL platform, which has the advantages of double‐sided wiring, self‐packaging, and low loss.
Prediction of potential severe coronavirus disease 2019 patients based on CT radiomics: A retrospective study
Authors: Xiao Feng , Sun Rongqing , Sun Wenbo , Xu Dan , Lan Lan , Li Huan , Liu Huan , Xu Haibo
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a recently declared worldwide pandemic. Triaging of patients into severe and non‐severe could further help in targeted management. “Potential severe patients” is a category of patients who did not have severe symptoms at their initial diagnosis, but eventually progressed to be severe patients and are easily overlooked in the early stage. This work aimed to develop and evaluate a CT‐based radiomics signature for the prediction of these potential severe COVID‐19 patients.

Methods

One hundred fifty COVID‐19 patients were enrolled and randomly divided into cross‐validation and independent test sets. First, their clinical characteristics were screened using the univariate and multivariate logistic regression step by step. Then, radiomics features were extracted from the lesions on their chest CT images. Subsequently, the inter‐ and intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICC) analysis, minimum‐redundancy maximum‐relevance (mRMR) selection, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were used step by step for feature selection and construction of a radiomics signature. Finally, the screened clinical risk factors and constructed radiomics signature were combined for the combined model and Radiomics+Clinics nomogram construction. The predictive performance of the Radiomics and Combined models were evaluated and compared using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, Hosmer–Lemeshow test and Delong test.

Results

Clinical characteristics analysis resulted in the screening of five clinical risk factors. The combination of ICC, mRMR, and LASSO methods resulted in the selection of ten radiomics features, which made up of the radiomics signature. The differences in the radiomics signature between the potential severe and non‐severe groups in cross‐validation set and test sets were both p < 0.001. All Radiomics and Combined models showed a very good predictive performance with the accuracy and AUC of nearly or above 0.9. Additionally, we found no significant difference in the predictive performance between these two models.

Conclusions

A CT‐based radiomics signature for the prediction of potential severe COVID‐19 patients was constructed and evaluated. Constructed Radiomics and Combined model showed good feasibility and accuracy. The Radiomics+Clinical nomogram, acted as a useful tool, may assist clinicians to better identify potential severe cases to target their management in the COVID‐19 pandemic prevention and control.
Automatic segmentation of hyperreflective dots via focal priors and visual saliency
Authors: Zhang Bo , Ma Lin , Zhao Hui , Hao Yanlei , Fu Shujun , Wang Hong , Li Yuliang , Han Hongbin
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Hyperreflective dots (HRDs) can be observed in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT), which can provide a sensitive marker in the treatment decision process. Quantitative analyses of HRDs are the key to make appropriate decisions on observation, treatment, and retreatment. The purpose of this study is to automatically and accurately segment HRDs in SD‐OCT B‐scans with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods

The authors propose an automatic segmentation algorithm of HRDs via focal priors and visual saliency. The algorithm is divided into three stages: segmentation of retinal layers, calculation of the multiscale local contrast saliency map, and adaptive threshold segmentation. First, a method based on improved graph search is used to segment retinal layers to obtain the region of interest (ROI) and the reflectivity estimation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer; then, the multiscale local contrast saliency map is obtained by using a local contrast measure, which measures the dissimilarity between the current pixels and corresponding neighborhoods; finally, an adaptive threshold is applied to segment HRDs.

Results

Experimental results on 20 SD‐OCT B‐scans demonstrate that our method is effective for HRDs segmentation. The average dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and detection accuracy are 71.12% and 85.07%, respectively.

Conclusions

The proposed method can accurately segment HRDs in SD‐OCT B‐scans with DR and outperforms current state‐of‐the‐art methods. Our method can provide reliable HRDs segmentation to assist ophthalmologists in clinical diagnosis, treatment, disease monitoring, and progression.