bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Desulfoplanaceae
Authors: Watanabe Miho , Fukui Manabu , Kuever Jan
Published: March 2021

De.sul.fo.pla.na.ce'ae. N.L. fem. n.
Desulfoplanes
type genus of the family; suff. ‐
aceae
ending to denote a family; N.L. fem. pl. n.
Desulfoplanaceae
the family of
Desulfoplanes
.

Desulfobacterota / Desulfovibrionia / Desulfovibrionales / Desulfoplanaceae

Cells are vibrio shaped and occur singly or in pairs. Stain Gram‐negative. Endospores are not observed. Motile. Strict anaerobe with a respiratory or fermentative type of metabolism. Chemoorganoheterotrophic and chemolithoheterotrophic. Simple organic compounds serve as electron donors and carbon sources and are incompletely oxidized to acetate. Growth on H
2
and formate requires acetate as an organic carbon source. Sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate serve as terminal electron acceptors and are reduced to H
2
S. Mesophilic. The major menaquinone and polar lipids are not known. The major cellular fatty acids are C
16:0
and C
18:0
. The family currently accommodates a single genus
Desulfoplanes
, which are found in anoxic sediments of brackish lakes or marine environments polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons.

DNA G + C content (mol%)
: 49.8 (genome).

Type genus
:
Desulfoplanes
Watanabe et al. 2015
VP
.
“
Aminidesulfovibrio
”
Authors: Galushko Alexander , Kuever Jan
Published: March 2021

A.mi.ni.de.sul.fo.vi'brio. N.L. n.
aminum
, amine; N.L. masc. n.
Desulfovibrio
, a bacterial genus name; N.L. masc. n.
Aminidesulfovibrio
, a
Desulfovibrio
‐like bacterium loving amines.

Desulfobacterota / Desulfovibrionia / Desulfovibrionales / Desulfovibrionaceae / “Aminidesulfovibrio”

Cells are vibrio‐shaped, 0.2 × 3.0–4.0 μm. Occur singly or in pairs. Spore formation is not observed. Stain Gram‐negative. Cells are motile. Strictly anaerobic, having both respiratory and fermentative types of metabolism. Chemoorganoheterotrophs, using lactate, pyruvate, ethanol, and certain amino acids as electron donors and carbon sources. In the presence of sulfate, organic acids are oxidized to acetate and amino acids are oxidatively deaminated to acetate and various iso‐ and methylated fatty acids. H
2
can serve as an electron donor in the presence of acetate as an organic carbon source (chemolithoheterotrophic growth). Formate also serves as an electron donor for growth in the presence of acetate. Sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate serve as terminal electron acceptors and are reduced to sulfide. In the absence of an external electron acceptor, growth may occur by fermentation of pyruvate and some amino acids. Thiosulfate and sulfite are disproportionated to sulfate and sulfide. Desulfoviridin is present. Mesophilic, the temperature range for growth is 25 to 40°C with an optimum at 35°C. Neutrophilic, the pH range for growth is 6.7 to 8.0 and with an optimum at 7.5. NaCl is not required for growth. Media containing a reductant are required for growth. Occur in anaerobic sludge of a dairy wastewater treatment plant.

DNA G + C content (mol%)
: 66.2 (genome).

Type species
:
“
Aminidesulfovibrio aminophilus
”
Waite et al. 2020 (basonym:
Desulfovibrio aminophilus
Baena et al. 1998, VL69).
Megalodesulfovibrio
Authors: Galushko Alexander , Kuever Jan
Published: March 2021

Me.ga.lo.de.sul.fo.vi'brio. Gr. masc. adj.
megas
, big; N.L. masc. n.
Desulfovibrio
, a bacterial genus name; N.L. masc. n.
Megalodesulfovibrio
, a large
Desulfovibrio
‐like bacterium.

Desulfobacterota / Desulfovibrionia / Desulfovibrionales / Desulfovibrionaceae / Megalodesulfovibrio

Cells are vibrio‐shaped, 1.0–1.5 × 5.0–11.0 μm. Occur singly or in pairs. Spore formation is not observed. Stain Gram‐negative. Cells are motile by a single polar flagellum. Strictly anaerobic, having both respiratory and fermentative types of metabolism. Chemoorganoheterotrophs, using lactate, pyruvate, ethanol, glycerol (one species), fumarate, succinate, and malate as electron donors and carbon sources; organic compounds are incompletely oxidized to acetate. Alcohols might be oxidized to their corresponding carboxylic acids but often fail to support growth. H
2
can serve as an electron donor in the presence of acetate as an organic carbon source (chemolithoheterotrophic growth). Formate is used in the presence of acetate. Sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, and sulfur (one species) serve as terminal electron acceptors and are reduced to sulfide. Desulfoviridin is present. Fumarate and haloaromatic compounds are used by one species. In the absence of an external electron acceptor, growth may occur by fermentation of pyruvate, malate (one species), or fumarate (one species). Mesophilic, the optimum temperature for growth is 30–35°C. NaCl is not required for growth. Media containing a reductant are required for growth. Occur in anoxic marine sediments, sewage sludge plants, and anaerobic bioreactors.

DNA G + C content (mol%)
: 63.0–63.3 (LC, genome).

Type species
:
Megalodesulfovibrio gigas
Waite et al. 2020
VP
(Basonym:
Desulfovibrio gigas
Le Gall 1963
AL
).
Nitratidesulfovibrio
Authors: Galushko Alexander , Kuever Jan
Published: March 2021

Ni.tra.ti.de.sul.fo.vi'brio. N.L. masc. n.
nitras
, ‐
atis
, nitrate; N.L. masc. n.
Desulfovibrio
, a bacterial genus name; N.L. masc. n.
Nitratidesulfovibrio
, nitrate‐reducing
Desulfovibrio
‐like bacterium.

Desulfobacterota / Desulfovibrionia / Desulfovibrionales / Desulfovibrionaceae / Nitratidesulfovibrio

Cells are vibrio‐shaped, 0.4–0.8 × 2.0–4.0 μm. Occur singly or in pairs. Spore formation is not observed. Stain Gram‐negative. Cells are motile by a single polar flagellum. Strictly anaerobic, having both respiratory and fermentative types of metabolism. Chemoorganoheterotroph, using lactate, pyruvate, fumarate (some species), and malate (one species) as electron donors and carbon sources; organic compounds are incompletely oxidized to acetate. Alcohols are oxidized to their corresponding carboxylic acids. H
2
can serve as an electron donor in the presence of acetate as an organic carbon source (chemolithoheterotrophic growth) by most species. Formate is also used with acetate by most species. Sulfate and sulfite and thiosulfate in all species tested serve as terminal electron acceptors and are reduced to sulfide. Desulfoviridin is present. Nitrate is used by two species and reduced to ammonia. Fumarate is used by one species. In the absence of an external electron acceptor, growth may occur by fermentation of pyruvate or fumarate. Mesophilic, the optimum temperature for growth is 34–37°C. Neutrophilic, the optimum pH for growth is 6.6–7.4. NaCl is not required for growth. Media containing a reductant are required for growth. Occur in various anoxic habitats, such as termite guts, aquifer, river sediment, and soil.

DNA G + C content (mol%)
: 63.3–69.0 (
T
m
, LC, genome).

Type species
:
Nitratidesulfovibrio vulgaris
Waite et al. 2020
VP
(Basonym:
Desulfovibrio vulgaris
Postgate and Campbell 1966
AL
).
“
Frigididesulfovibrio
”
Authors: Galushko Alexander , Kuever Jan
Published: March 2021

Fri.gi.di.de.sul.fo.vi'brio. L. masc. adj.
frigidus
, cold; N.L. masc. n.
Desulfovibrio
, a bacterial genus name; N.L. masc. n.
Frigididesulfovibrio
, a
Desulfovibrio
‐like bacterium from the cold environment.

Desulfobacterota / Desulfovibrionia / Desulfovibrionales / Desulfovibrionaceae / “Frigididesulfovibrio”

Cells are curved rods, 0.4–0.6 × 1.6–3.0 μm. Occur singly or in pairs. Spore formation is not observed. Stain Gram‐negative. Cells are motile by a single polar flagellum. Strictly anaerobic, having both respiratory and fermentative types of metabolism. Chemoorganotrophs, using lactate, pyruvate, fumarate, ethanol (one species), or malate (one species) as electron donors and carbon sources; organic compounds are incompletely oxidized to acetate. H
2
and formate can serve as electron donors in the presence of acetate as an organic carbon source (chemolithoheterotrophic growth). Sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, and sulfur serve as terminal electron acceptors and are reduced to sulfide. In the absence of an external electron acceptor, growth may occur by fermentation of pyruvate or fumarate. One species can grow by disproportionation of sulfite. Mesophilic and psychrotolerant (temperature range for growth is from 0 to 33°C), the optimum temperature is 28°C. Desulfoviridin is present. Media containing a reductant are required for growth. Occur in anoxic parts of freshwater.

DNA G + C content (mol%)
: 36.9–53.5 (genome).

Type species
:
“Frigididesulfovibrio cuneatus”
Waite et al. 2020

(basonym:
Desulfovibrio cuneatus
Sass et al. 1998, VL67).
Zintl Compounds
Authors: Janka Oliver , Kauzlarich Susan M.
Published: March 2021

The term “Zintl phase” refers to a class of compounds and is used to recognize contributions to the field of solid‐state inorganic chemistry by Eduard Zintl. Zintl phases were initially defined as a subgroup of intermetallic phases, where the anions or anionic network could be considered formally to be valence satisfied. In the historical description, these compounds are formed from electropositive elements from groups 1, 2 that, in a formal sense, donate their electrons to the electronegative elements from groups 13, 14, and 15, which use them to form the correct number of bonds such that each element has a filled shell (Zintl–Klemm–Busmann concept). The initial definition has been expanded from the binary phases to include ternary phases and further enlarged to include transition metals and rare earth elements in some cases. The compounds that make up this class are described along with the corresponding Zintl anions arising from solution chemistry. Recent results in the field such as their application as nonlinear optical materials, topological insulators, thermoelectrics, and as precursors for novel materials are also described.
Superhard Materials: Advances in the Search and Synthesis of New Materials
Authors: Pangilinan Lisa E. , Hu Shanlin , Akopov Georgiy , Cabrera Sabina C. , Yeung Michael T. , Mohammadi Reza , Tolbert Sarah H. , Kaner Richard B.
Published: March 2021

Materials with superior hardness can be categorized as ultrahard (Vickers hardness,
H
v
 ≥ 80 GPa) and superhard (
H
v
 ≥ 40 GPa). These materials are commonly used as cutting tools and abrasives in the machining and manufacturing industries. With its extreme hardness, diamond is the best known and most used ultrahard material for industrial applications. However, it is ineffective at cutting and drilling ferrous alloys due to diamond's high reactivity with iron and poor thermal stability in air. Additionally, the synthesis of diamond requires both high pressure (HP) and high temperature, making it an expensive process. These limitations have driven the search for alternative superhard materials that are capable of cutting steels and other materials at lower costs. This article reviews the concept of hardness and summarizes advancements in the synthesis and mechanical properties of hard materials. It begins with a review of methods to measure hardness, adding HP diffraction methods to more conventional hardness measurements. It then considers new ultrahard materials that exist within the B–C–N ternary system, with hardness approaching diamond but improved chemical stability. Finally, it surveys superhard nitrides, oxides, and borides as potential alternative materials, focusing on transition metal boride systems where the synthesis can be readily achieved at ambient pressure and scaled for industrial applications. We hope that this article serves as an overview of hard materials and guide for the comparison of data reported in the literature.
Lewis Superacids
Authors: Thorwart Thaddäus , Greb Lutz
Published: March 2021

Lewis acids (LAs) play a prominent role in all domains of chemistry. The present contribution deals with a “super” class of LAs. As a starting point for a meaningful discussion, a more general treatise of the concept of Lewis acidity is required. Lewis acidity is a multi‐dimensional property that depends on a delicate interplay of steric and electronic factors during the interaction with a reference Lewis base or a substrate. Accordingly, various methods that gauge the strength and effectiveness of LAs on various grounds have been developed, as will be discussed in the first part of this work. Different scaling methods do not necessarily show the same trend. In turn, there is no reason to believe that one single parameter is sufficient to describe the full character of a LA. Based on the nature of the Lewis acidity scaling methods and the factors that cause the computed or measured output, a classification into “global”, “effective”, and “intrinsic” groups is made. With this framework in mind, the fluoride ion affinity (FIA) is chosen as a firm “global” parameter to discuss a broad range of LAs within the second part of this contribution. LAs that exceed the FIA of SbF
5
are termed Lewis superacids (LSAs). Accordingly, LAs that reach or exceed this threshold are collected and discussed. The clear focus is on neutral LAs of the p‐block elements, but reference will also be given for cationic Lewis acidic compounds. The majority of those compounds can be found in group 13 and for the heavier group 15 elements. Beyond, this summary touches strong Lewis acidity of d‐block metals and Lewis acidity in alternative media.
Emerging Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals and Their Theranostic Pairs
Authors: Carbo‐Bague Imma , Ramogida Caterina F.
Published: March 2021

Nuclear medicine is a rapidly evolving multidisciplinary research field that has been intensively investigated in the past decades. The successful clinical application of various metal‐based radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and therapy is based on the modular assembly of the drug complex through the popular bifunctional chelate (BFC) strategy. In targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT), potent radiation is selectively delivered to the cancer cells using radiopharmaceuticals that incorporate therapeutic radiometals which emit
α
‐particles,
β
−
‐particles, or Meitner–Auger electrons (MAEs). Radiotheranostics is an emerging concept that connects nuclear imaging (via positron emission tomography (PET) or single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)) and therapy for personalized cancer diagnosis and treatment. This article outlines the fundamentals of radiopharmaceutical design and radiotheranostics and presents a general description of the therapeutic emissions accompanied by literature examples of the most promising radionuclides;
212
Pb,
213
Bi,
225
Ac,
227
Th, and
149
Tb for
α
therapy;
47
Sc,
67
Cu,
77
As, and
161
Tb for
β
−
therapy; and
119
Sb,
135
La, and
197m/g
Hg for MAE therapy. A comparison of the currently used or proposed theranostic pairs of each radiometal is presented.
Accuracy of surface‐guided patient setup for conventional radiotherapy of brain and nasopharynx cancer
Authors: Lee Sang Kyu , Huang Sheng , Zhang Lei , Ballangrud Ase M. , Aristophanous Michalis , Cervino Arriba Laura I. , Li Guang
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the accuracy of surface‐guided radiotherapy (SGRT) in cranial patient setup by direct comparison between optical surface imaging (OSI) and cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT), before applying SGRT‐only setup for conventional radiotherapy of brain and nasopharynx cancer.

Methods and Materials

Using CBCT as reference, SGRT setup accuracy was examined based on 269 patients (415 treatments) treated with frameless cranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) during 2018‐2019. Patients were immobilized in customized head molds and open‐face masks and monitored using OSI during treatment. The facial skin area in planning CT was used as OSI region of interest (ROI) for automatic surface alignment and the skull was used as the landmark for automatic CBCT/CT registration. A 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) couch was used. Immediately after CBCT setup, an OSI verification image was captured, recording the SGRT setup differences. These differences were analyzed in 6DOFs and as a function of isocenter positions away from the anterior surface to assess OSI‐ROI bias. The SGRT in‐room setup time was estimated and compared with CBCT and orthogonal 2D kilovoltage (2DkV) setups.

Results

The SGRT setup difference (magnitude) is found to be 1.0 ± 2.5 mm and 0.1˚±1.4˚ on average among 415 treatments and within 5 mm/3˚ with greater than 95% confidence level (P < 0.001). Outliers were observed for very‐posterior isocenters: 15 differences (3.6%) are >5.0mm and 9 (2.2%) are >3.0˚. The setup differences show minor correlations (|r| < 0.45) between translational and rotational DOFs and a minor increasing trend (<1.0 mm) in the anterior‐to‐posterior direction. The SGRT setup time is 0.8 ± 0.3 min, much shorter than CBCT (5 ± 2 min) and 2DkV (2 ± 1 min) setups.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that SGRT has sufficient accuracy for fast in‐room patient setup and allows real‐time motion monitoring for beam holding during treatment, potentially useful to guide radiotherapy of brain and nasopharynx cancer with standard fractionation.
Enhancement of Photovoltaic Current through Dark States in Donor‐Acceptor Pairs of Tungsten‐Based Transition Metal Di‐Chalcogenides
Authors: Roy Sayan , Hu Zixuan , Kais Sabre , Bermel Peter
Published: April 2021

As several photovoltaic materials experimentally approach the Shockley–Queisser limit, there has been a growing interest in unconventional materials and approaches with the potential to cross this efficiency barrier. One such candidate is dark state protection induced by the dipole–dipole interaction between molecular excited states. This phenomenon has been shown to significantly reduce carrier recombination rate and enhance photon‐to‐current conversion, in elementary models consisting of few interacting chromophore centers. Atomically thin 2D transition metal di‐chalcogenides (TMDCs) have shown great potential for use as ultra‐thin photovoltaic materials in solar cells due to their favorable photon absorption and electronic transport properties. TMDC alloys exhibit tunable direct bandgaps and significant dipole moments. In this work, the dark state protection mechanism has been introduced to a TMDC based photovoltaic system with pure tungsten diselenide (WSe2) as the acceptor material and the TMDC alloy tungsten sulfo‐selenide (WSeS) as the donor material. Our numerical model demonstrates the first application of the dark state protection mechanism to a photovoltaic material with a photon current enhancement of up to 35% and an ideal photon‐to‐current efficiency exceeding the Shockley–Queisser limit.
Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer and periampullary lesions
Authors: Shyr Yi‐Ming , Wang Shin‐E , Chen Shih‐Chin , Shyr Bor‐Uei , Shyr Bor‐Shiuan
Published: March 2021

Pancreaticoduodenectomy, so‐called “Whipple operation,” is a time‐consuming and technically demanding complex operation. Traditionally, this procedure has been performed most usually by open approach, which results in a large and painful wound. With the introduction of laparoscopic and robotic surgery, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as a worldwide trend to improve wound cosmesis and to minimize wound pain. Although MIS for pancreaticoduodenectomy has also been attempted at some centers, the role of MIS, either robotic or laparoscopic approach, has not been well‐established for complex pancreaticoduodenectomy. Given that laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy has been limited by its technical complexity and the high level of advanced laparoscopic skills required for pancreatic reconstruction, a robotic surgical system is introduced to overcome several limitations related to the laparoscopic approach. Providing high‐quality three‐dimensional (3‐D) vision, high optical magnification, articulation of robotic instruments, greater precision with suture targeting, and elimination of surgeon tremor, robotic surgical systems innovatively perform more delicate and complex procedures involving extensive dissection and suturing techniques such as pancreaticoduodenectomy. Although associated with longer operative time, robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) has been claimed to have the benefits of less delayed gastric emptying, less blood loss, shorter length of postoperative stay, and lower wound infection rate, as compared with the traditional open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD). Moreover, RPD seems to be not only technically feasible but also justified without compromising the survival outcomes for pancreatic head and ampullary adenocarcinomas. Therefore, RPD could be recommended not only to surgeons but also to patients in terms of surgical feasibility, surgical outcomes, and patient satisfaction.
Respiratory health and silicosis in artisanal mine workers in southern Brazil
Authors: Souza Tamires P. , van Tongeren Martie , Monteiro Inês
Published: March 2021

Background

Artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) are an important source of employment in southern Brazil. Mining workers are frequently exposed to unhealthy work conditions which increase the risk of occupational diseases. In this study, we assessed the association of sociodemographic factors and the occupational history of artisanal mining workers with the risk of adverse respiratory outcomes.

Methods

The study was conducted with 258 artisanal mining workers in southern Brazil, who were exposed to dust (mainly crystalline silica) in their work. Information on sociodemographic variables and occupational histories was collected between 2017 and 2018. To estimate the worker's exposure to inhalable dust we use the Advanced REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals) Tool (ART).

Results

Study participants were all men, with an average age of 40 years. Median crude dust exposure estimated by ART was 13.2 mg/m³ and median crude crystalline silica exposure was 1.6 mg/m3. The prevalence ratio (PR) for self‐reported silicosis was 3.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.39–7.17) in workers with 20 years or more of mining work. Factors associated with silicosis were age, pack‐years of tobacco use, and body mass index. Smokers were over twice as likely to report respiratory symptoms.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that a high prevalence of silicosis and other associated diseases in mining workers is associated with both unhealthy work environment conditions and the health profile of workers. This study is an important step for understanding health outcomes from work in ASM.
Impact on the personality of engineering students based on project‐based learning
Authors: Salankar Nilima , Koundal Deepika , Hu Yu‐Chen
Published: March 2021

In an engineering study, the project/knowledge application module has a great weightage where students get an opportunity for the application of knowledge. Project evaluation consists of the following phases: documentation, presentation, teamwork, and leadership. This study has used the entire duration of the project assessment process for the evaluation of personality changes along with the academic assessment for the duration of 2 years. The intervention used for the evaluation is strongly correlated with five factors (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) of the OCEAN model. Statistical and descriptive tests are used for the assessment of the relationship of interventions on academic performance, personality development, and placement activity with 95% confidence. The survey has been conducted at the end of 2 years to validate the obtained results on the basis of interventions. From the results, it has been found that students can actually work upon personality enhancement till the 7th semester whereas the improvement in learning and analytical skills is a continuous process and the students in the 8th semester have shown significant variation in these two assessed parameters. Thus, the proposed intervention approach is an appropriate tool, which helps students to improve their personality at five factors of the OCEAN model results in 360° enhancement in the personality along with academic performance.
Chromosome 22q11.21 and 11p15.4 microdeletions confirmed by high‐throughput sequencing analysis in one patient with asymmetric cry syndrome: Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Pang Yonghong , Yu Yang , Deng Xiaoyi , Liu Qian , Yan Junmei , Gao Xiangyu
Published: March 2021

Healthcare providers treating newborns with asymmetric cry syndrome should consider 22q11.2 microdeletion within the differential diagnosis list and order appropriate genetic testing.
Application of reactive extraction for the separation of pseudomonic acids: Influencing factors, interfacial mechanism, and process modelling
Authors: Lazar Roxana Georgiana , Blaga Alexandra Cristina , Dragoi Elena Niculina , Galaction Anca Irina , Cascaval Dan
Published: March 2021

Mupirocin (a mixture of A, B, C, and D pseudomonic acids—four complex, similar structures) is an antibiotic belonging to the monocarboxylic acid class, used to cure infections caused by bacteria (Gram‐positive), especially methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Its biotechnological production and separation need constant attention, as improving antibiotics is important in the pharmaceutical industry. This is the first study regarding pseudomonic acids separation through reactive extraction; the experiments were focused on finding a proper combination of extractant and diluent for optimization of the separation yield. The pH influence (4–9) and extractant (TOA and Amberlite LA‐2, 5–20 g/L) concentration dissolved in n‐heptane (green solvent) have been analyzed, obtaining the maximum extraction yield (88.78%) at pH 4, 20 g/L extractant, and 10% octanol added to the organic solvent. The addition of the phase modifier, 1‐octanol, improved the extraction yield by 2.6 times for Pseudomonic acid A due to interactions of formed complexes with the phase modifier that improves its solubility. The experimental results for determining the mechanism of the interfacial reaction showed that, regardless of the pH value and solvent polarity (modified by the addition of 1‐octanol), only one molecule of Pseudomonic acid A and extractant react at the aqueous‐organic interface. In addition, the system was modelled and optimized with a methodology combining artificial neural networks (ANN) and differential evolution.
The effect of particle size on flow in a continuous oscillatory baffled reactor using CFD
Authors: Jimeno Guillermo , Lee Yeaw Chu , Ni Xiong‐Wei
Published: March 2021

Experimental and numerical characterizations of flow in continuous oscillatory baffled reactors (COBR) have mainly been based on single phase in past decades. By coupling a primary Eulerian liquid phase with a secondary discrete Lagrangian phase consisting of solid particles of given density and size, this work investigates the effects of particle size on axial dispersion, evaluates residence times and velocities of particles, and quantifies the oscillation dampening caused by the presence of solid particles in a COBR.
Perspectives on Virtual (Remote) Clinical Trials as the “New Normal” to Accelerate Drug Development
Authors: Alemayehu Demissie , Hemmings Robert , Natarajan Kannan , Roychoudhury Satrajit
Published: April 2021

Although the digital revolution has transformed many areas of human endeavor, pharmaceutical drug development has been relatively slow to embrace the emerging technologies to enhance efficiency and optimize value in clinical trials. The topic has garnered even greater attention in the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak, which has caused unprecedented disruption in the conduct of clinical trials and presented considerable challenges and opportunities for clinical trialists and data analysts. In this paper, we highlight the potential opportunity with virtual or digital clinical trials as viable options to enhance efficiency in drug development and, more importantly, in offering diverse patients easier and attractive means to participate in clinical trials. Special reference is made to the implication of artificial intelligence and machine‐learning tools in trial execution and data acquisition, processing, and analysis in a virtual trial setting. Issues of patient safety, measurement validity, and data integrity are reviewed, and considerations are put forth with reference to the mitigation of underlying regulatory and operational barriers.
Adaptive Neuro‐Fuzzy Inference System‐Particle swarm optimization‐based clustering approach and hybrid Moth‐flame cuttlefish optimization algorithm for efficient routing in wireless sensor network
Authors: Pattnaik Satyajit , Sahu Pradip Kumar
Published: March 2021

The selection of good rendezvous points (RPs) is a significant role for M2obile Sink (MS) in the wireless sensor network (WSN). For the mobile sink, the selection of RP is one of the major problems in WSN. The rendezvous points are only selected based on the local information, so the possibility of selecting an optimal sensor node as RP will be extremely low. The next problem is to find the mobile sink path which visits all the RPs. The above problem is comprehended by utilizing an optimization algorithm. In this paper, Adaptive Neuro‐Fuzzy Inference System‐Particle swarm optimization based clustering approach and hybrid Moth‐flame cuttlefish optimization (MFO‐CFO) algorithm for efficient routing in WSN is proposed. Initially, the number of clusters is formed due to the Fuzzy C‐means (FCM) based Ant lion optimization (ALO) clustering approach. An Adaptive Neuro‐Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) based Particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique is presented for best cluster head (CH) selection. Here, residual energy (RE), node degree, and histories are considered as an input parameter to find the optimal cluster head. At last, we use hybrid MFO‐CFO techniques to find the minimum RPs which decreases energy consumption. The performance metrics of end to end (E2E) delay, energy consumption, channel load, throughput, bit error rate (BER), Network Life Time (NLT), packet delivery ratio (PDR), latency, jitter, and packet loss are computed using several nodes. The performance is compared with some existing algorithms such as Genetic Approach (GA), Fuzzy, PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization), Multiple Access Data Gathering using Mobile Sink for Path Constrained Environment (MADGAMSPCE).
Association of cognitive impairment severity with potentially avoidable readmissions: A retrospective cohort study of 8897 older patients
Authors: Mitsutake Seigo , Ishizaki Tatsuro , Tsuchiya‐Ito Rumiko , Furuta Ko , Hatakeyama Akira , Sugiyama Mika , Toba Kenji , Ito Hideki
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Understanding the association between cognitive impairment severity and potentially avoidable readmissions (PARs) in older patients may facilitate the identification of at‐risk individuals who would benefit from readmission prevention measures.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted using claims data linked with routinely collected cognitive impairment assessment results from a general acute care hospital in Tokyo, Japan. Patients were 65 years or age or older who were discharged from the subject hospital to home or a facility between July 2016 and September 2018.

Results

A multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates showed that the odds of PARs within 90 days to the subject hospital for patients with moderate and severe cognitive impairment were 1.418 times (95% confidence interval: 1.005‐2.002) and 2.212 times (95% confidence interval: 1.206‐4.058) higher, respectively, that for patients with normal cognition.

Discussion

Older inpatients with later‐stage cognitive impairment may represent a suitable target population for transitional care programs aimed at reducing readmissions.
Location, but not defensive genotype, determines ectomycorrhizal community composition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings
Authors: Downie Jim , Taylor Andy F. S. , Iason Glenn , Moore Ben , Silvertown Jonathan , Cavers Stephen , Ennos Richard
Published: March 2021

For successful colonization of host roots, ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi must overcome host defense systems, and defensive phenotypes have previously been shown to affect the community composition of EM fungi associated with hosts. Secondary metabolites, such as terpenes, form a core part of these defense systems, but it is not yet understood whether variation in these constitutive defenses can result in variation in the colonization of hosts by specific fungal species.

We planted seedlings from twelve maternal families of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) of known terpene genotype reciprocally in the field in each of six sites. After 3 months, we characterized the mycorrhizal fungal community of each seedling using a combination of morphological categorization and molecular barcoding, and assessed the terpene chemodiversity for a subset of the seedlings. We examined whether parental genotype or terpene chemodiversity affected the diversity or composition of a seedling's mycorrhizal community.

While we found that terpene chemodiversity was highly heritable, we found no evidence that parental defensive genotype or a seedling's terpene chemodiversity affected associations with EM fungi. Instead, we found that the location of seedlings, both within and among sites, was the only determinant of the diversity and makeup of EM communities.

These results show that while EM community composition varies within Scotland at both large and small scales, variation in constitutive defensive compounds does not determine the EM communities of closely cohabiting pine seedlings. Patchy distributions of EM fungi at small scales may render any genetic variation in associations with different species unrealizable in field conditions. The case for selection on traits mediating associations with specific fungal species may thus be overstated, at least in seedlings.
Transcriptome assembly and differential gene expression of the invasive avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum in Hawaiʻi
Authors: Videvall Elin , Paxton Kristina L. , Campana Michael G. , Cassin‐Sackett Loren , Atkinson Carter T. , Fleischer Robert C.
Published: March 2021

The malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum (lineage GRW4) was introduced less than a century ago to the native avifauna of Hawaiʻi, where it has since caused major declines of endemic bird populations. One of the native bird species that is frequently infected with GRW4 is the Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens). To achieve a better understanding of the transcriptional activities of this virulent parasite, we performed a controlled challenge experiment of 15 ʻamakihi that were infected with GRW4. Blood samples containing malaria parasites were collected at two time points (intermediate and peak infection stages) from host individuals that were either experimentally infected by mosquitoes or inoculated with infected blood. We then used RNA sequencing to assemble a high‐quality blood transcriptome of P. relictum GRW4, allowing us to quantify parasite expression levels inside individual birds. We found few significant differences (one to two transcripts) in GRW4 expression levels between host infection stages and between inoculation methods. However, 36 transcripts showed differential expression levels among all host individuals, indicating a potential presence of host‐specific gene regulation across hosts. To reduce the extinction risk of the remaining native bird species in Hawaiʻi, genetic resources of the local Plasmodium lineage are needed to enable further molecular characterization of this parasite. Our newly built Hawaiian GRW4 transcriptome assembly, together with analyses of the parasite's transcriptional activities inside the blood of Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi, can provide us with important knowledge on how to combat this deadly avian disease in the future.
Turning to the dark side: LED light at night alters the activity and species composition of a foraging bat assemblage in the northeastern United States
Authors: Seewagen Chad L. , Adams Amanda M.
Published: March 2021

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a rapidly intensifying form of environmental degradation that can impact wildlife by altering light‐mediated physiological processes that control a broad range of behaviors. Although nocturnal animals are most vulnerable, ALAN's effects on North American bats have been surprisingly understudied. Most of what is known is based on decades‐old observations of bats around street lights with traditional lighting technologies that have been increasingly replaced by energy‐efficient broad‐spectrum lighting, rendering our understanding of the contemporary effects of ALAN on North American bats even less complete. We experimentally tested the effects of broad‐spectrum ALAN on presence/absence, foraging activity, and species composition in a Connecticut, USA bat community by illuminating foraging habitat with light‐emitting diode (LED) floodlights and comparing acoustic recordings between light and dark conditions. Lighting dramatically decreased presence and activity of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), which we detected on only 14% of light nights compared with 65% of dark (lights off) and 69% of control (lights removed) nights. Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) activity on light nights averaged only half that of dark and control nights. Lighting did not affect presence/absence of silver‐haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), but decreased their activity. There were no effects on eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) or hoary bats (L. cinereus), which have been described previously as light‐tolerant. Aversion to lighting by some species but not others caused a significant shift in community composition, thereby potentially altering competitive balances from natural conditions. Our results demonstrate that only a small degree of ALAN can represent a significant form of habitat degradation for some North American bats, including the endangered little brown bat. Research on the extent to which different lighting technologies, colors, and intensities affect these species is urgently needed and should be a priority in conservation planning for North America's bats.
Seizures in Sotos syndrome: Phenotyping in 49 patients
Authors: Fortin Olivier , Vincelette Christian , Khan Afsheen Q. , Berrahmoune Saoussen , Dassi Christelle , Karimi Mitra , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Lu Jun , Davis Kellie , Myers Kenneth A.
Published: March 2021

We aimed to describe the phenotypic spectrum of seizures in Sotos syndrome, a genetic condition involving overgrowth, macrocephaly, dysmorphic features, and learning disability, in which 60%‐90% have NSD1 pathogenic variants. Patients were recruited from clinics and referral from support groups. Those with seizures and a clinical diagnosis of Sotos syndrome were included. Phenotyping data were collected via structured clinical interview and chart review. Forty‐nine patients were included. Twenty had NSD1 testing results available; of these, 15 (75%) had NSD1 pathogenic variants. Seizure onset age ranged from 3 months to 12 years. Staring spells (absence or focal impaired awareness seizure) were the most frequently reported semiology (33/49; 67%), followed by febrile seizures (25/49; 51%) and afebrile bilateral tonic‐clonic seizures (25/49; 51%). Most patients (33/49; 67%) had multiple seizure types. The majority (33/49; 67%) had seizures controlled on a single antiseizure medication or no medication. Nine (18%) had drug‐resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy syndromes included febrile seizures plus, Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome, childhood absence epilepsy, and generalized tonic‐clonic seizures alone. The seizure phenotype in Sotos syndrome most commonly involves staring spells, afebrile tonic‐clonic seizures or febrile convulsions; however, other seizure types may occur. Seizures are typically well‐controlled with medication, but drug‐resistant epilepsy occurs in a minority.
Evaluation of the effects of a load shedding at a lignite power plant
Authors: Prause Jens H. , Koltermann Jan , Meinke Sebastian , Holtz Dorian , Hassel Egon
Published: March 2021

The load‐shedding scenario describes an unscheduled load reduction in a power plant so that it produces only the electricity that is needed by the plant itself. The reason for such a scenario is a collapse of power supply in the transmission network. In the subsequent restoration of the electrical supply, different options are distinguished. An essential part of each option is island operating or black start capable thermal power plants. The load‐shedding scenario is complex and multilayered. If process steam is also decoupled during the load shedding, high exhaust steam temperatures in the turbine stages can lead to plant shutdown. In addition, component damage can be expected in thick‐walled components due to high temperature and pressure amplitudes. Thus, it can be shown in this paper that the lifetime losses are highest at the high‐pressure preheater 6 and at the deheater and that the process heat coupling cannot be operated with constant mass flow under all circumstances. In order to investigate these issues, a detailed model of a lignite power plant has been created, which was developed in Modelica for simulating and comparing scenarios for a variety of applications. The model comprises the entire water‐steam cycle including turbines, preheaters and pumps, as well as a very detailed boiler model including the air supply, coal mills, heating surfaces, and piping. Furthermore, the power plants' control system has been implemented in a very precise way. In addition, the study involves a calculation of lifetime consumption for specific components to evaluate the effects. In summary, it can be stated that this study examines the thermodynamic aspects during a load‐shedding scenario for the first time. It focuses on processes within the power plant and thus differs significantly from other studies on this topic, which approach the issue from the electrical grid side.
Imposing C0 and C1 continuity constraints during CAD‐based adjoint optimization
Authors: Damigos Marios G. , De Villiers Eugene
Published: March 2021

This article presents a method for performing adjoint‐based aerodynamic shape optimization by manipulating the standard CAD geometry of the shape to be optimized. A standard CAD file gives access to the boundary representation (BRep) of the shape and consequently its boundary surfaces which are usually trimmed patches. This is a sensible choice as the open format of such files is a requirement for the computation of the shape derivatives. The method addresses the continuity issues that emerge during the update of the shape by imposing up to C1 constraints between different CAD patches. A parameterization scheme based on NURBS surfaces is then defined, in which the aforementioned constraints are inherently satisfied. The proposed method is firstly demonstrated in a simple geometric case and then in the full‐scale optimization of industrial‐like cases such as the S‐section of a cooling duct and the tail surface of a passenger car.
Simulated gastric hydrolysis and developmental toxicity of dibutyltin bis(2‐ethylhexyl thioglycolate) in rats
Authors: Costlow Richard D. , Nasshan Hans , Frenkel Peter , Salsbury Joseph
Published: March 2021

Previously, dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) was the putative toxophore for dibutyltin bis‐alkyl and bis‐thio esters. Recent chemical and toxicological data on dioctyltin bis(2‐ethylhexyl thioglycolate) suggest the thioglycolate esters of alkyltins do not generate the dichloride toxophore. Our results, using 119Sn‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, demonstrated that dibutyltin bis(2‐ethylhexyl thioglycolate) (DBTE) is hydrolyzed to dibutyltin chloro‐(2‐ethylhexyl thioglycolate) (DBTEC) under simulated gastric conditions. No DBTC was detected. DBTE was administered orally to presumed‐pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats in a corn oil vehicle at 2.5, 8.5, and 25.0 mg/kg/day (Gestation Day 5 [GD5] through GD19). There were no maternal deaths, no treatment‐related statistically significant reductions in feed consumption, maternal body weight or weight gain, or adverse gestational outcomes. Maternal thymus weight was significantly reduced in rats at 25 mg/kg. There were no effects on fetal growth, no dose‐dependent pattern of external, visceral, or skeletal malformations, and no increase in anatomical variations. Based on the obtained experimental data, it is concluded here that DBTE forms DBTEC, not DBTC, in the stomach, and DBTE was not teratogenic nor fetotoxic in rats, a species sensitive to DBTC. The maternal no‐observed‐adverse‐effect level (NOAEL) was 8.5 mg/kg/day, and the developmental NOAEL was 25 mg/kg/day, the high dose. The maternal LOAEL was 25 mg/kg/day based on reduced maternal thymus weight.
Connected search for a lazy robber
Authors: Adler Isolde , Paul Christophe , Thilikos Dimitrios M.
Published: March 2021

The node‐search game against a lazy (or, respectively, agile) invisible robber has been introduced as a search‐game analogue of the treewidth parameter (and, respectively, pathwidth). In the connected variants of the above games, we additionally demand that, at each moment of the search, the clean territories are connected. The connected search game against an agile and invisible robber has been extensively examined. The monotone variant (where we demand that the clean territories are progressively increasing) of this game corresponds to the graph parameter of connected pathwidth. It is known that the price of connectivity to search for an agile robber is bounded by 2, that is, the connected pathwidth of a graph is at most twice (plus some constant) its pathwidth. We investigate the study of the connected search game against a lazy robber. A lazy robber moves only when the cops' strategy threatens the vertex that he currently occupies. We introduce two alternative graph‐theoretical formulations of this game, one in terms of connected tree‐decompositions and one in terms of (connected) layouts, leading to the graph parameter of connected treewidth. We observe that the connected treewidth parameter is closed under contractions and prove that for every , the set of contraction obstructions of the class of graphs with connected treewidth at most is infinite. Our main result is a complete characterization of the obstruction set for . We also show that, in contrast to the agile robber game, the price of connectivity is unbounded.
A limit theorem for small cliques in inhomogeneous random graphs
Authors: Hladký Jan , Pelekis Christos , Šileikis Matas
Published: March 2021

The theory of graphons comes with a natural sampling procedure, which results in an inhomogeneous variant of the Erdős–Rényi random graph, called ‐random graphs. We prove, via the method of moments, a limit theorem for the number of ‐cliques in such random graphs. We show that, whereas in the case of dense Erdős–Rényi random graphs the fluctuations are normal of order , the fluctuations in the setting of ‐random graphs may be of order , or . Furthermore, when the fluctuations are of order they are normal, while when the fluctuations are of order they exhibit either normal or a particular type of chi‐square behavior whose parameters relate to spectral properties of . These results can also be deduced from a general setting, based on the projection method. In addition to providing alternative proofs, our approach makes direct links to the theory of graphons.
The lateral line system and its innervation in the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica (Teleostei: Elopomorpha: Anguillidae)
Authors: Nakae Masanori , Kuroki Mari , Sato Mao , Sasaki Kunio
Published: March 2021

The lateral line system and its innervation were examined in the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica. Although the species has seven lateral line canals and 13 superficial neuromast groups, the components are generally similar to those in many other teleosts. The lateral line system of A. japonica is distinctive in having a rostral commissure connecting the left and right supraorbital canals, pouches in the cephalic lateral line canals and superficial neuromasts along the lower lip, and lacking a postotic canal. Four tube‐like elements, two along the supratemporal canal and the other two along the temporal portion of the trunk canal, respectively, are also reported. The functional significance of cephalic lateral line pouches, homologies of the four tube‐like elements, and other distinctive characters are discussed.