bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional relationship between woody plants and insect communities in response to Bursaphelenchus xylophilus infestation in the Three Gorges Reservoir region
Authors: Wang Zhuang , Zhao Lijuan , Liu Jiaqi , Yang Yajie , Shi Juan , Wen Junbao , Gao Ruihe
Published: June 2021

To study the effect of the invasion of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus on the functional relationship between woody plants and insect communities, the populations of tree species and insect communities were investigative in the Masson pine forests with different infestation durations of B. xylophilus. In this study, the number of Pinus massoniana began to decrease sharply, whereas the total number of other tree species in the arboreal layer increased gradually with the infestation duration of B. xylophilus. The principal component analysis ordination biplot shows that there was a significant change in the spatial distribution of woody plant species in different Masson pine forest stands. Additionally, a total of 7,188 insect specimens were obtained. The insect population showed an upward trend in stand types with the increase of pine wilt disease infection periods, which demonstrated that the insect community had been significantly affected by the invasion of B. xylophilus. However, the insect diversity indexes were not significantly different among Masson pine forest stands. The structure of insect functional groups changed from herbivorous (He) > omnivorous (Om) > predatory (Pr) > parasitic (Pa) > detritivorous (De) in the control stand to He > Pa > Om, De > Pr after B. xylophilus infestation in the forests. The results showed that the populations of He, Pa, and De increased after the invasion of B. xylophilus, but the populations of Pr decreased. Moreover, the redundancy analysis ordination biplots reflected the complicated functional relationship between woody plant communities and insects after the invasion of B. xylophilus. The present study provides insights into the changes in the community structure of woody plants and insects, as well as the functional relationship between woody plant communities and insect communities after invasion of B. xylophilus.
Re‐evaluating the prevalence and factors characteristic of catecholamine secreting head and neck paragangliomas
Authors: Smith Joshua D. , Ellsperman Susan E. , Basura Gregory J. , Else Tobias
Published: June 2021

Introduction

We sought to characterize the prevalence and factors characteristic of head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) that secrete catecholamines to inform best practices for diagnosis and management.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study from 2000 to 2020 at a single‐institution tertiary centre. One‐hundred fifty‐two patients (182 tumours) with HNPGLs with at least one measurement of urine or plasma catecholamines and/or catecholamine metabolite levels prior to treatment were included. We differentiated and characterized those patients with increased level(s) of any nature and those with ‘clinically significant’ versus ‘clinically insignificant’ catecholamine production.

Results

Thirty‐one (20.4%) patients had increased catecholamine and/or catecholamine metabolite levels. In most patients, these levels were ≤5‐fold above the upper limit of the reference range. Four of these 31 patients with increased levels were ultimately found to have an additional catecholamine secreting mediastinal paraganglioma or pheochromocytoma. Fourteen of 31 patients with HNPGL were deemed clinically significant secretors of catecholamines based on hyper‐adrenergic symptoms and/or profound levels of normetanephrines. This cohort was enriched for patients with paragangliomas of the carotid body or cervical sympathetic chain and those with SDHB genetic mutations. Ultimately, the prevalence of clinically significant catecholamine secreting Hangs was determined to be 9.2% and 7.7% based on a per‐patient and per‐tumour basis, respectively.

Conclusions

The rate of catecholamine excess in the current cohort of patients with HNPGLs was higher than previously reported. Neuroendocrine tumours of any anatomic subsite may secrete catecholamines, although not all increased laboratory level(s) are indicative of clinically significant catecholamine secretion causing symptoms or warranting adrenergic blockade.
Derivation of an electronic frailty index for predicting short‐term mortality in heart failure: a machine learning approach
Authors: Ju Chengsheng , Zhou Jiandong , Lee Sharen , Tan Martin Sebastian , Liu Tong , Bazoukis George , Jeevaratnam Kamalan , Chan Esther W.Y. , Wong Ian Chi Kei , Wei Li , Zhang Qingpeng , Tse Gary
Published: June 2021

Aims

Frailty may be found in heart failure patients especially in the elderly and is associated with a poor prognosis. However, assessment of frailty status is time‐consuming, and the electronic frailty indices developed using health records have served as useful surrogates. We hypothesized that an electronic frailty index developed using machine learning can improve short‐term mortality prediction in patients with heart failure.

Methods and results

This was a retrospective observational study that included patients admitted to nine public hospitals for heart failure from Hong Kong between 2013 and 2017. Age, sex, variables in the modified frailty index, Deyo's Charlson co‐morbidity index (≥2), neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and prognostic nutritional index at baseline were analysed. Gradient boosting, which is a supervised sequential ensemble learning algorithm with weak prediction submodels (typically decision trees), was applied to predict mortality. Variables were ranked in the order of importance with a total score of 100 and used to build the frailty models. Comparisons were made with decision tree and multivariable logistic regression. A total of 8893 patients (median: age 81, Q1–Q3: 71–87 years old) were included, in whom 9% had 30 day mortality and 17% had 90 day mortality. Prognostic nutritional index, age, and NLR were the most important variables predicting 30 day mortality (importance score: 37.4, 32.1, and 20.5, respectively) and 90 day mortality (importance score: 35.3, 36.3, and 14.6, respectively). Gradient boosting significantly outperformed decision tree and multivariable logistic regression. The area under the curve from a five‐fold cross validation was 0.90 for gradient boosting and 0.87 and 0.86 for decision tree and logistic regression in predicting 30 day mortality. For the prediction of 90 day mortality, the area under the curve was 0.92, 0.89, and 0.86 for gradient boosting, decision tree, and logistic regression, respectively.

Conclusions

The electronic frailty index based on co‐morbidities, inflammation, and nutrition information can readily predict mortality outcomes. Their predictive performances were significantly improved by gradient boosting techniques.
Intraoperative ECMO assistance during TAVI for aortic insufficiency in an Asian patient with LVAD support
Authors: Chang Hsiao‐Huang , Chen Po‐Lin , Chen Ying‐Hwa , Leu Hsin‐Bang , Kuo Chia‐Cheng , Wu Nai‐Yuan
Published: June 2021

A 69‐year‐old male underwent concomitant left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and aortic valve repair procedure for moderate aortic insufficiency (AI). Due to recurrence of symptomatic heart failure and post‐repair AI deterioration from trivial to moderate‐to‐severe insufficiency 2 months later, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was arranged. During TAVI, intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used to maintain stable haemodynamics and to ensure a safe environment for prosthesis deployment. Postoperative 5 month follow‐up revealed no AI and no paravalvular leakage.
Micro flow photochemical synthesis of Ca‐sensitive fluorescent sensor particles
Authors: Kronfeld Klaus‐Peter , Ellinger Thomas , Köhler Johann Michael
Published: June 2021

Fluorescence probes have widely been used for detecting and imaging Ca2+‐enriched parts of cells but more rarely for quantitative determination of concentrations. In this study we show how this can be achieved by a novel approach using hydrogel particles. In a microfluidic co‐flow arrangement spherical droplets were generated from an aqueous solution of acrylamide, N,N'‐methylenebisacrylamide crosslinker and photoinitiator and subsequently photo‐cured in situ yielding gel particles in a sub millimeter range. These particles were separated, dried under reduced pressure and re‐swollen in water containing Rhod‐5N tri potassium salt as calcium ion selective fluorescence probe. After that the particles were dried again and stored for further investigations. Upon exposure of dried particles to calcium chloride solutions they swell and take up Ca2+‐ions forming a strong fluorescing complex with Rhod‐5N. Thus, fluorescence intensity increases with calcium ion concentration. Up to ca. 0.50 mM the enhancement effect is strong and then becomes considerably weaker. The intensity‐concentration‐dependence is well described by an equation derived from the equilibrium of the formation of a 1:1 Ca2+:Rhod‐5N complex. The particles allow for a fast optical determination of Ca2+‐concentrations up to 0.50 mM in analyte volumes down to below 10 μL.
Free‐rocking tests of a freestanding object with variation of center of gravity
Authors: Huang Baofeng , Pan Qihao , Lu Wensheng , Shen Fan
Published: June 2021

Freestanding nonstructural objects are very common in various infrastructure systems, but their dynamic properties with variations in the center of gravity (CG) are not yet fully understood. To investigate the dynamic properties of a freestanding object as its CG is varied, a steel frame model was fabricated using movable steel plates. Two scenarios, with varying and fixed CG, were considered in the free rocking tests. The experimental rotation responses generally matched the analytical responses in the initial cycles, and the discrepancy increased as the height of the CG (hcg) increased. The magnitude of the quarter period exhibited a similar trend. When the CG was fixed, the resulting magnitude of the quarter period varied slightly with hcg, indicating that the CG is one of the primary parameters affecting the quarter period. When the CG was varied, the experimental energy reduction factor was generally larger than the analytical results computed using the methods suggested in the literature, and it was scattered around the fixed CG value. The magnitude of the damping ratio was also scattered as the quarter cycle number increased, and it slightly decreased as hcg increased. An equivalent rectangular rigid block model with an equivalent height (heq) was employed to compute the geometric and dynamic parameters of the steel frame. The accuracy of this measure was investigated in terms of the quarter period and energy reduction factor. This work is beneficial for understanding the rocking behavior of freestanding objects.
An examination of social group memberships in patients with eating disorders, carers, and healthy controls
Authors: Rowlands Katie , Willmott Daniel , Cardi Valentina , Clark Bryan Danielle , Cruwys Tegan , Treasure Janet
Published: June 2021

This study compared the quantity and quality of social group memberships in patients with anorexia nervosa (n = 30), carers of patients with anorexia nervosa, unrelated to those patients (n = 30), and two cohorts of healthy controls (n = 60) age‐matched to these focal groups. A secondary aim was to examine the associations between the quality of group relationships and severity of eating disorder and depression symptoms in patients; and depression symptoms in carers. Participants completed the online Social Identity Mapping Tool, which was used to measure the quantity and quality of social group memberships (e.g., number of social groups, number of groups rated ‘highly positive’). Participants also completed self‐report measures of clinical symptoms. Compared to controls, patients reported fewer social groups when eating disorder‐related groups were included, and significantly fewer social groups, and community groups in particular, when eating disorder‐related groups were excluded. Number of positive groups was negatively associated with severity of eating disorder and depression symptoms in patients when eating disorder‐related groups were excluded. Carers reported fewer groups overall, fewer family groups, and fewer positive and supportive groups compared to healthy controls. There was a weak association between the number of positive groups and the severity of depression symptoms in carers. Positive group memberships might play a protective role towards developing more severe eating disorder and depression symptoms.
Cooperative interactions among females can lead to even more extraordinary sex ratios
Authors: Iritani Ryosuke , West Stuart A. , Abe Jun
Published: June 2021

Hamilton's local mate competition theory provided an explanation for extraordinary female-biased sex ratios in a range of organisms. When mating takes place locally, in structured populations, a female-biased sex ratio is favored to reduce competition between related males, and to provide more mates for males. However, there are a number of wasp species in which the sex ratios appear to more female biased than predicted by Hamilton's theory. It has been hypothesized that the additional female bias in these wasp species results from cooperative interactions between females. We investigated theoretically the extent to which cooperation between related females can interact with local mate competition to favor even more female-biased sex ratios. We found that (i) cooperation between females can lead to sex ratios that are more female biased than predicted by local competition theory alone, and (ii) sex ratios can be more female biased when the cooperation occurs from offspring to mothers before dispersal, rather than cooperation between siblings after dispersal. Our models formally confirm the verbal predictions made in previous experimental studies, which could be applied to a range of organisms. Specifically, cooperation can help explain sex ratio biases in Sclerodermus and Melittobia wasps, although quantitative comparisons between predictions and data suggest that some additional factors may be operating.
Exploring residual CO2 trapping in Heletz sandstone using pore‐network modeling and a realistic pore‐space topology obtained from a micro‐CT scan
Authors: Rasmusson Kristina , Rasmusson Maria , Tatomir Alexandru , Tsang Yvonne , Niemi Auli
Published: June 2021

Geological storage of CO2 in deep saline aquifers mitigates atmospheric emissions. In situ storage is facilitated by several trapping mechanisms including residual trapping, which plays a major role in the containment of CO2. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of residual trapping is crucial for planning storage projects. Of special interest is the relationship between the initial and residual CO2 saturations—the so‐called IR curve, needed for predictive macroscopic‐scale simulations.

This study aims to improve the understanding of residual trapping in sandstone from the Heletz site, where extensive field experiments have been performed, by using 3D‐image analysis on core sample CT‐data. This was done to gain knowledge on physical properties (such as radius, coordination number, aspect ratio, shape factor of pores, and pore connectivity) of importance to residual CO2 trapping. Pore‐network flow modeling on a network representation, with the extracted pore‐space topology, was employed to estimate the IR curve.

The core sample exhibited pores with a large range of coordination numbers, a mean aspect ratio of 1.4, and shape factors mostly corresponding to triangular cross‐sections. The estimated IR curve was monotonic, fitting an Aissaoui‐type trapping model, displaying a lower sensitivity to the advancing contact angle than previously thought, and indicating a good ability to residually trap CO2.

This study provides the first report of values for the three above mentioned properties for Heletz sandstone, and the first estimate of an IR curve for CO2/brine in Heletz sandstone based on pore‐network modeling on a network with a topology retrieved from a core‐sample CT‐scan. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zhuotingoxylon liaoi gen. et sp. nov., a silicified coniferous trunk from the Changhsingian (Permian) of southern Bogda Mountains, northwestern China
Authors: Wan Mingli , Yang Wan , Wang Keyu , Liu Lujun , Wang Jun
Published: June 2021

A silicified trunk, Zhuotingoxylon liaoi Wan, Yang, Wang, Liu et Wang gen. et sp. nov., is described from the uppermost part of Guodikeng Formation in South Taodonggou section, Turpan–Hami Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwestern China. It is characterized by a solid pith, endarch primary xylem and pycnoxylic wood. The pith is composed of parenchyma and sclereids. Radial walls of primary xylem tracheids have spiral and scalariform thickenings. Secondary xylem consists of thick‐walled tracheids and parenchymatous rays. Uniseriate rounded pits with oval apertures are distributed on radial tracheidal walls separately. Cell walls of rays are homogeneous and smooth. Rays are 1–10 cells high in tangential section. Cross‐field pits are cupressoid. There are 1–4 bordered pits with slit‐like to oval apertures in each cross‐field. Based on the anatomical features of the pith and xylems, it is proposed that the new stem has a coniferous affinity. The new fossil stem adds to the knowledge of vascular plant diversity close to the Permian–Triassic boundary.
Does pay for individual performance truly undermine employee creativity? The different moderating roles of vertical and horizontal collectivist orientations
Authors: Zhang Yong , He Wei , Long Lirong , Zhang Junwei
Published: June 2021

The extant literature has generated inconclusive findings concerning the effect of pay for individual performance (PFIP) on creativity. Supplementing self‐determination theory with compensation‐activation theory, we theorized and tested the moderating roles of individual cultural values of vertical and horizontal collectivist orientations on the relationship between PFIP and employee creativity as mediated by intrinsic motivation. The empirical results of two field studies provided convergent support for the intrinsic motivation mechanism underlying the positive relationship between PFIP and employee creativity among individuals with high vertical (but not horizontal) collectivist orientations. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences in cultural values in understanding how extrinsic rewards affect creativity.
The Media World of ISIS
Authors: Ajjoub Orwa
Published: June 2021

The Islamic State group (IS) has grabbed the world's attention as one of the most dangerous and gruesome terrorist organizations in history. The group has been studied from different disciplines such as political science, history, and theology. Michael Krona and Rosemary Pennington's edited volume, The Media World of ISIS, is an attempt by media studies scholars to explore different aspects and dimensions of the IS usage of media.
Inside Front Cover
Authors: Le Gratiet Aymeric , Bendandi Artemi , Sheppard Colin J. R. , Diaspro Alberto
Published: June 2021

Many of the most important resolution improvements in polarization‐based techniques are based on the reduction of scattering effects. However, the determination of the coherency matrix elements from the experimental Mueller matrix can take advantage of scattering measurements to obtain additional information on the structural organization of a sample. This formalism can pave the way to quantify the biological changes of zebrafish along the embryonic development at the cellular scale.

Further details can be found in the article by Aymeric Le Gratiet, Artemi Bendandi, Colin J. R. Sheppard, and Alberto Diaspro (e202000494).

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Inside Front Cover
Authors: Wu Nanshou , Yi Min , Guan Caizhong , Wang Mingyi , Zhang Zhang , Yang Xulun , Li Hongyi , Han Dingan , Zeng Yaguang , Tang Zhilie
Published: June 2021

Motion correction is an important issue in ophthalmic optical coherence tomography (OCT). We present a novel method combining normalized cross‐correlation, polynomial fitting and shortest path faster algorithm to correct cross‐sectional motion artifacts in retinal volumes. The results demonstrate that our method effectively corrects motion artifacts in OCT volumes and may have potential application value in the evaluation of ophthalmic diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and so on.

Further details can be found in the article by Nanshou Wu, Min Yi, Caizhong Guan, Mingyi Wang, Zhang Zhang , Xulun Yang, Hongyi Li, Dingan Han, Yaguang Zeng, and Zhilie Tang (e202000443).

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Effects of relative centrifugation force on L‐PRF: An in vivo submandibular boney defect regeneration study
Authors: Tovar Nick , Benalcázar Jalkh Ernesto B. , Ramalho Ilana S. , Rodriguez Colon Ricardo , Kim Heoijin , Bonfante Estevam A. , Torroni Andrea , Coelho Paulo G. , Witek Lukasz
Published: June 2021

Properties and composition of leukocyte‐ and platelet‐rich fibrin (L‐PRF) clots may be largely affected by centrifugation protocols (function of relative centrifugal force [RCF]), which may impact biological potential repair in bone regeneration. The present in vivo study sought to assess the effect of the RCF on the composition of L‐PRF clots, as well as to compare the repair potential of L‐PRF clots obtained with different RCF protocols in submandibular boney defects using PLGA scaffolds for bone regeneration. Complete blood count and volumetric evaluations were performed on L‐PRF clots obtained through centrifugation for 12 min at 200, 400, and 600 RCF‐clot centrifugation speeds. These evaluations were completed from blood collected immediately prior to any surgical procedures. The in vivo portion comprised of three submandibular unilateral, full thickness, osteotomies (~0.40cm3) which were created in the submandibular region of six sheep, using rotary instrumentation under continuous irrigation. Subsequently, poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds were enveloped in a L‐PRF membrane from one of the three spinning speeds (n = 6/RCF) and inserted into the defect (sites were interpolated to avoid site bias). Six‐weeks after surgery, the mandibles were harvested en bloc and prepared for volumetric and histomorphometric evaluations. Membranes harvested from 600 RCF produced significantly larger L‐PRF clots (6.97g ± 0.95) in comparison to the lower 200 RCF (5.7g ± 0.95), with no significant differences between 600 and 400, and from 400 and 200 RCF. The three tested RCFs did not alter the platelet count of the L‐PRF clot. For the in vivo component, quantitative bone regeneration analyses demonstrated significantly higher values obtained with L‐PRF membranes extracted post 600 RCF (27.01 ± 8%) versus 200 RCF (17.54 ± 8%), with no significant differences regarding 400 RCF (~23 ± 8%). At the qualitative histological analyses, L‐PRF membranes obtained at 600 and 400 RCFs yielded improved healing throughout the defect, where the L‐PRF sourced from the lowest speed, 200 RCF, presented healing primarily at the margins along with the presence of connective tissue at the central aspect of the surgical defect. Higher 600 RCF yielded larger L‐PRF clots/membranes, resulting in enhanced bone repair potential in association with PLGA scaffolds for the treatment of critical size bone defects.
Segmental maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7q in a patient with congenital chloride diarrhea
Authors: Lyu Juanjuan , Huang Zhuo , Chen Hongbo , Sun Xiaomei , Liu Ying , Yuan Chuanjie , Ye Li , Yu Dan , Wu Jin
Published: June 2021

Background

The main symptoms of congenital chloride diarrhea (CCD) main symptoms are watery diarrhea, hypochloremia, and hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis. Silver–Russell syndrome (SRS) is a heterogeneous imprinting disorder characterized by severe intrauterine retardation, poor postnatal growth, and facial dysmorphism.

Methods

Parent‐offspring trio whole‐exome sequencing was used to identify the causal variants. Sequencing reads were mapped to the reference of human genome version hg19. Sanger sequencing was performed as a confirmatory experiment.

Results

The proband was a patient with SRS caused by maternal uniparental disomy 7. The CCD of the proband was caused by homozygous variant c.1515–1 (IVS13) G>A; both mutated alleles were inherited from her mother.

Conclusion

We report the first clinical case of CCD and SRS occurring together. Patients with milder phenotypes may be difficult to diagnose in early stage, but close monitoring of potential complications is important for identification.
Case report: Chorionic bump detected in the third trimester
Authors: Mirghani Hisham M. , Wadhwa Neelam , Jahangir Fareeda , Abdel Hak Oruba Waleed , Uppal Shweta
Published: June 2021

A chorionic bump (CB) is a focal irregular bulge in the surrounding choriodecidual due to hematoma. The incidence of CB is between 1.5 and 7 per 1000 pregnancies. The presence of a chorionic bump is associated with a significantly higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. CB often decreases in size with time and rarely persists beyond the first trimester. Our case report presents and discusses a chorionic bump diagnosed in the third trimester. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CB to reported in the third trimester.
Future projection of low flows in the Chungju basin, Korea and their uncertainty decomposition
Authors: Lee Moon‐Hwan , Qiu Liying , Ha Subin , Im Eun‐Soon , Bae Deg‐Hyo
Published: June 2021

Low flow projections in response to global warming and the uncertainty decomposition into different components are performed with the focus on the Chungju basin, South Korea. Four downscaled climate simulations, two bias correction methods, and two hydrological models with two different potential evapotranspiration computation methods are applied to constitute the 32 ensemble members (4 × 2 × 4) of low flows projections. An analysis of the variance is used to decompose the total variance in the low flow projections into the contribution from three different sources. The result shows that hydrological models, particularly their structures, are the key factor that affects the low flow projections. They contribute more than 85% of the total uncertainty, and the projected change of low flow using different hydrological models can be of opposite signs, even under the same climate input data. On the other hand, the uncertainties related to climate simulation and bias correction are much smaller, comprising around 10 and 2%, respectively. The possible mechanisms behind the large uncertainty of projected low flow are investigated by comparing the relevant hydrological variables obtained from different hydrological simulations. The different representations in the hydrological models for the freezing of the soil layer during winter, which will undergo large changes as temperature increases, are likely to affect the projected change in low flow greatly. The difference in potential evapotranspiration methods also affects the low flow projections, but its contribution is relatively weaker than the effects of the hydrological model structure.
A 17 ka multi‐proxy paleoclimatic record on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau: implications for the northernmost boundary of the Asian summer monsoon during the Holocene
Authors: Wang Haipeng , Hu Yu , Zhang Xu , Lv Feiya , Ma Xueyang , Wu Duo , Chen Fahu , Zhou Aifeng , Hou Juzhi , Chen Jianhui
Published: June 2021

Knowledge of the paleoclimatic record of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) can potentially improve our understanding of the evolution of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM). However, the history of climate change and inferred spatial extent of the ASM on the NETP since the last deglaciation remain unclear. Here, we use several environmental proxies from the sediments of Hala Lake (beyond the modern limit of ASM), including chironomids, loss‐on‐ignition, grain size and element data, to explore the climatic history of the NETP and the northern boundary of the ASM since the last deglaciation. The results document a series of climatic events during the deglaciation, including Heinrich Event 1, the Bølling–Allerød interstadial and the Younger Dryas event. The records also reveal the timing of the megathermal and precipitation maximum, the lake‐level maximum, and strongest chemical weathering, which occurred during ~10–7 ka. The inferred precipitation maximum during the early Holocene in the Hala Lake basin, which can be verified by the simulated precipitation change, is consistent with that in typical Indian summer monsoon (ISM) regions, suggesting that the ISM has penetrated into Hala Lake basin at that time. The monsoon‐dominated climate in the Hala Lake basin during the early Holocene and the westerlies‐dominated climate in the arid central Asia indicate that the maximum areal extent of the ASM on the NETP since the last deglaciation lay to the northwest of Hala Lake basin. In combination with other published records, the northernmost boundary of the ASM over China since the last deglaciation has been tentatively delineated, to shed some lights on this long‐standing debate.
Large field‐of‐view holographic display method with speckle noise suppression based on time multiplexing
Authors: Liu Su‐Juan , Ma Ning‐Tao , Zhai Feng‐Xiao , Liu Nan‐Nan , Li Ping‐Ping , Hao Yun‐Qi , Wang Di
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we propose a method to enlarge the field of view (FOV) in holographic display with speckle noise suppression. Different from the traditional method, several subcomputer‐generated holograms (sub‐CGHs) with large size are generated in the proposed method. Through pixel separation, the recorded object is separated into multiple object point groups. The information of each object point group is recorded on different sub‐CGHs with independent initial random phases. In the holographic reconstruction, three spatial light modulators (SLMs) in a planar configuration are used to load the sub‐CGHs. The image is reconstructed through time multiplexing. The FOV is enlarged because the light distribution size of each image point is increased. Meanwhile, the speckle noise of the image is suppressed through the average effect and the separation of the adjacent image points. Experimental results prove the feasibility of the proposed method.
Carbon nanoparticles combined with indocyanine green for sentinel lymph node detection in endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Liang Sichen , Wang Zhiqi , Chen Jiayu , Yang Xin , Liang Xudong , Sun Xiuli , Li Xiaowei , Zhou Rong , Li Yi , Wang Jianliu
Published: June 2021

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility and clinical value of the combination of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) and indocyanine green (ICG) for identifying sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in endometrial cancer.

Materials and Methods

About 153 patients with endometrial cancer were recruited from July 2015 to May 2019. All patients underwent SLN biopsy according to the SLN algorithm for surgical staging with ICG and/or CNPs. The detection rate, factors associated with the detection rate, sensitivity, and negative predictive value (NPV) of SLNs were analyzed.

Results

The detection rates of SLNs with the combined method were the highest among the different methods. As calculated per hemipelvis, the sensitivity and NPV with ICG alone or with ICG plus CNPs were 100%. With CNP, tumor Grade 3 and laparoscopy were related to unsuccessful overall SLN mapping while tumor diameter greater than 2 cm and laparoscopy were statistically associated with failed bilateral mapping. With ICG, a higher body mass index was significantly associated with unsuccessful bilateral detection of SLN.

Conclusion

SLN assessment in endometrial cancer is feasible and safe with high sensitivity and high NPV when ICG and CNPs are combined and in low‐risk patients. It is a superior option to use CNPs in laparotomy for patients with endometrial cancer.
A mixed lubrication analysis of a flat‐land thrust bearing with a surface optimisation method
Authors: Zhang Xiaohan , Jackson Robert L.
Published: June 2021

Thrust bearings are widely used in many rotary industrial applications. In this work, a thrust bearing surface under the mixed lubrication regime is analysed and then optimised with aim for use in an injection moulded polymer bearing. A model which couples the mechanical deformation, boundary lubrication and solid contact is developed to investigate the behaviour of the thrust bearing under the load balance condition. This model provides the predictions of important quantities such as load carrying capacity from fluid and solid contact, minimum film thickness and contact pressure. More important, the large‐scale surface geometry is optimised using a quadratic geometry and this large‐scale surface is superimposed with the small‐scale roughness from measured surface to form an optimised surface. This large‐scale geometry might be controlled in the injection moulding process of polymer thrust bearings, whereas it is more difficult to control the roughness. The fluid load carrying capacity for the optimised surface has more than doubled compared to the fluid load carrying capacity for the measured surface.
Thermoplastic Starch Nanocomposites Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions Containing Residual Salt from Neutralization
Authors: Metzger Christoph , Briesen Heiko
Published: June 2021

Sulfuric acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose commonly isolates cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Neutralizing the reactant solution with sodium hydroxide facilitates efficient downstream processing, but residual salt remains in the product. This study examines the reinforcing effects of CNCs from suspensions that contain residual salt on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch nanocomposites. By reinforcing starch films with up to 5 wt% CNCs, stiffness and strength are improved by 118% and 79%, respectively, indicating a good dispersion of CNCs in the starch matrix. Compared to nanocomposites incorporating salt‐free CNCs, the remaining salt has no significant impact on the material's mechanical performance. The results indicate great potential of CNCs containing residual salt as biobased, low‐cost nanofiller in hydrophilic polymer matrices.
Micron‐Scale Soft Actuators Fabricated from Multi‐Shell Polystyrene Particle‐Gold Nanoparticle Nanohybrids
Authors: Vishnosky Nicholas , Gomez Jasmine C. , Kim Spencer T. , Doukmak Emma J. , Grafstein Jeremy , Steinhardt Rachel C.
Published: June 2021

Actuators made of soft matter are needed for a variety of fields ranging from biomedical devices to soft robotics to microelectromechanical systems. While there are a variety of excellent methods of soft actuation known, the field is still an area of intense research activity as new niches and needs emerge with new technology development. Here, a soft actuation system is described, based on a core‐multi‐shell particle, which moves via photothermal expansion. The system consists of a novel polystyrene‐based thermally expandable microsphere, with a secondary shell of a silicate‐silane graft copolymer, to which gold nanoparticles are covalently linked. The gold nanoparticles act as photothermal nano‐transducers, converting light energy into the thermal energy necessary for microsphere expansion, which in turn results in material movement. Actuation is shown in isolated particles in thermal and photothermal regimes using metal ceramic heaters or 520 nm laser illumination, respectively. Macroscale actuation is demonstrated by making a composite material of particles suspended in the transparent elastomer polydimethylsiloxane. The sample demonstrates an inchworm‐like movement by starting from an arched geometry. Overall, this work describes a new particle‐based actuation method for soft materials, and demonstrates its utility in driving the movement of a composite elastomer.
Anomalous Loss of Stiffness with Increasing Reinforcement in a Photo‐Activated Nanocomposite
Authors: Zhu Hongyuan , Lu Tian Jian , Xu Feng , Genin Guy M. , Lin Min
Published: June 2021

Hydrogels are commonly doped with stiff nanoscale fillers to endow them with the strength and stiffness needed for engineering applications. Although structure–property relations for many polymer matrix nanocomposites are well established, modeling the new generation of hydrogel nanocomposites requires the study of processing–structure–property relationships because subtle differences in chemical kinetics during their synthesis can cause nearly identical hydrogels to have dramatically different mechanical properties. The authors therefore assembled a framework to relate synthesis conditions (including hydrogel and nanofiller mechanical properties and light absorbance) to gelation kinetics and mechanical properties. They validated the model against experiments on a graphene oxide (GO) doped oligo (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (OEGDA), a system in which, in apparent violation of laws from continuum mechanics, doping can reduce rather than increase the stiffness of the resulting hydrogel nanocomposites. Both model and experiment showed a key role light absorbance‐dominated gelation kinetics in determining nanocomposite mechanical properties in conjunction with nanofiller reinforcement, with the nanofiller's attenuation of chemical kinetics sometimes outweighing stiffening effects to explain the observed, anomalous loss of stiffness. By bridging the chemical kinetics and mechanics of nanocomposite hydrogels, the authors' modeling framework shows promise for broad applicability to design of hydrogel nanocomposites.
Virginia seeks improved child services through primary care provider training
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: June 2021

Knowing that the first sign of a mental health problem in a child may come to light in a pediatrician's office, Virginia officials have followed the lead of other states that are equipping these physicians to address issues such as depression and anxiety head‐on in their practices.
MHA releases first state, county data to analyze suicide risk
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: June 2021

Rather than wait the typical year or two following the release of federal or state data in order to assess the mental health effects and develop policy or programs to address a crisis, Mental Health America (MHA) last month released its first‐ever state‐ and county‐level data analyzing suicide risk during the pandemic. The “real‐time” analysis examines the results of 750,000 individuals who took a depression screen on MHA's website in 2020.
Breast augmentation using a free lateral thoracic artery perforator flap from the contralateral breast: A case report
Authors: Sharp Olivia L. , Köhler Guido , Haywood Richard M. , Masud Dhalia
Published: June 2021

When performing breast reconstruction, reduction of the contralateral breast is often required to achieve symmetry. The tissue that would otherwise be discarded from the reduced breast has been utilized as a free flap. This has the benefit of minimizing donor site morbidity, and combining the principles of “spare‐part‐surgery” and replacing “like‐with‐like.” The purpose of this paper is to report the procedure, outcome, and potential controversies of using a free lateral thoracic artery perforator flap for contralateral breast reconstruction. We present a 32‐year‐old with congenital breast asymmetry previously corrected with an implant. The patient required tertiary breast reconstruction for capsular contracture, and a simultaneous left breast reduction. There was no history of breast cancer. The reconstruction proceeded as follows; the right sided breast implant was removed. On the left breast, a wise pattern reduction with a superomedial pedicle was instigated. Intraoperatively, four perforating arteriovenous pedicles perfusing the reduced tissue were identified; of which the lateral thoracic artery perforator was selected. The flap weight was 296 g. The lateral thoracic pedicle was anastomosed to the right internal mammary vessels. The flap survived completely. The post‐operative course was uneventful and without complication. The patient was followed up for 1 year and was pleased with the final result. The application of the LTAP free flap may cautiously be extended to oncological breast reconstruction. For patients to be suitable, they would need a large remaining breast to provide adequate tissue for reconstruction, up‐to‐date breast screening and a low risk of developing breast cancer in the future.
Evaluation of sensation in volume reduction techniques of a wrap‐around flap
Authors: Matsusue Takeo
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Because the subcutaneous tissue of the great toe is thicker than that of the finger, the reconstructed finger tends to have bulging pulp when reconstructing with wrap‐around flap (WAF) surgery. Secondary pulp plasty and thinning of the WAF are used to solve this cosmetic problem. This study aimed to examine the effect of these surgical techniques on sensation.

Methods

A single‐center retrospective study was conducted on posttraumatic patients who underwent digit reconstruction by WAF procedure by the same surgeon from February 2014 to June 2019. WAF cases were divided into three groups: a conventional WAF Group (A), a secondary pulp plasty (B), and a thin WAF Group (C). The Semmes–Weinstein monofilament test (SWMT) and two‐point discrimination were used for examination.

Results

All flaps survived; no cases developed partial flap necrosis. The sensation at the last follow‐up in each group was good, achieving 4.31 (diminished protective sensation) or better in SWMT. The median SWMTs at the last follow‐up were 4.08, 3.61, and 3.42 in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Groups A and C showed a significant difference (p = .01). No significant differences were observed between groups A and B (p = .20) or between Groups B and C (p = .40). Static two‐point discriminations (s2PDs) at the last follow‐up were 14 ± 2.9 mm, 13 ± 3.7 mm, and 14 ± 1.5 mm in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Moving two‐point discriminations (m2PDs) at the last follow‐up were 13 ± 4.5 mm, 12 ± 3.6 mm, and 14 ± 1.7 mm in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Both s2PD and m2PD did not differ significantly (p = .37 and .47, respectively).

Conclusions

Secondary pulp plasty and thinning of WAF for finger reconstruction did not impact sensation.
A front‐fixing method for American option pricing on zero‐coupon bond under the Hull and White model
Authors: Company Rafael , Egorova Vera N. , Jódar Lucas , Peris Jorge
Published: June 2021

A new efficient numerical method is proposed for valuation of American option on zero‐coupon bond using Hull and White model. By applying the front‐fixing transformation suggested by Holmes and Yang, the original free boundary problem is transformed into a new fixed boundary partial differential equation (PDE) problem, where the optimal stopping boundary is one of the unknowns of the problem. The numerical finite difference scheme for the transformed problem is constructed. Stability and convergence rate is studied empirically. Numerical simulation of the computation of both the option price and the optimal stopping boundary are illustrated with examples and the comparison with the Hull and White tree method.
Analytical solution of integro‐differential equations describing the process of intense boiling of a superheated liquid
Authors: Alexandrova Irina V. , Ivanov Alexander A. , Alexandrov Dmitri V.
Published: June 2021

In this article, an approximate analytical solution of an integro‐differential system of equations is constructed, which describes the process of intense boiling of a superheated liquid. The kinetic and balance equations for the bubble‐size distribution function and liquid temperature are solved analytically using the Laplace transform and saddle‐point methods with allowance for an arbitrary dependence of the bubble growth rate on temperature. The rate of bubble appearance therewith is considered in accordance with the Dering–Volmer and Frenkel–Zeldovich–Kagan nucleation theories. It is shown that the initial distribution function decreases with increasing the dimensionless size of bubbles and shifts to their greater values with time.
Reliable methods to look for analytical and numerical solutions of a nonlinear differential equation arising in heat transfer with the conformable derivative
Authors: Hosseini Kamyar , Sadri Khadijeh , Mirzazadeh Mohammad , Ahmadian Ali , Chu Yu‐Ming , Salahshour Soheil
Published: June 2021

The main purpose of this paper is to conduct a complete study on analytical and numerical solutions of a nonlinear differential equation arising in heat transfer with the conformable derivative. To this end, the governing model, which is about the cooling of a lumped system with a variable specific heat, is considered, and its analytical and numerical solutions are obtained through adopting a group of well‐designed techniques such as the homotopy analysis method, the operational collocation method based on Jacobi polynomials, and the finite difference method. To show the effectiveness of the schemes, comparisons are given in two‐dimensional postures demonstrating an agreement between analytical and numerical solutions. In the end, the effect of the parameter α on the dynamical features of the obtained solutions is investigated graphically.
FDRN: A fast deformable registration network for medical images
Authors: Sun Kaicong , Simon Sven
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Deformable image registration is a fundamental task in medical imaging. Due to the large computational complexity of deformable registration of volumetric images, conventional iterative methods usually face the tradeoff between the registration accuracy and the computation time in practice. In order to boost the performance of deformable registration in both accuracy and runtime, we propose a fast unsupervised convolutional neural network for deformable image registration.

Methods

The proposed registration model FDRN possesses a compact encoder–decoder network architecture which employs a pair of fixed and moving images as input and outputs a three‐dimensional displacement vector field (DVF) describing the offsets between the corresponding voxels in the fixed and moving images. In order to efficiently utilize the memory resources and enlarge the model capacity, we adopt additive forwarding instead of channel concatenation and deepen the network in each encoder and decoder stage. To facilitate the learning efficiency, we leverage skip connection within the encoder and decoder stages to enable residual learning and employ an auxiliary loss at the bottom layer with lowest resolution to involve deep supervision. Particularly, the low‐resolution auxiliary loss is weighted by an exponentially decayed parameter during the training phase. In conjunction with the main loss in high‐resolution grid, a coarse‐to‐fine learning strategy is achieved. Last but not least, we involve a proposed multi‐label segmentation loss (SL) to improve the network performance in Dice score in case the segmentation prior is available. Comparing to the SL using average Dice score, the proposed SL does not require additional memory in the training phase and improves the registration accuracy efficiently.

Results

We evaluated FDRN on multiple brain MRI datasets from different aspects including registration accuracy, model generalizability, and model analysis. Experimental results demonstrate that FDRN performs better than the state‐of‐the‐art registration method VoxelMorph by 1.46% in Dice score in LPBA40. In addition to LPBA40, FDRN obtains the best Dice and NCC among all the investigated methods in the unseen MRI datasets including CUMC12, MGH10, ABIDE, and ADNI by a large margin.

Conclusions

The proposed FDRN provides better performance than the existing state‐of‐the‐art registration methods for brain MR images by resorting to the compact autoencoder structure and efficient learning. Additionally, FDRN is a generalized framework for image registration which is not confined to a particular type of medical images or anatomy.