bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of disease recurrence and survival in patients with multiple myeloma: A German Study Group analysis using a conditional survival approach with long‐term follow‐up of 815 patients
Authors: Schinke Maximilian , Ihorst Gabriele , Duyster Justus , Wäsch Ralph , Schumacher Martin , Engelhardt Monika
Published: May 2020

Background

Unlike the traditional method of overall survival prediction in patients with cancer, conditional survival predicts the survival of patients dynamically throughout the course of disease, identifying how a prognosis evolves over time.

Methods

The authors assessed 815 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma through the German Study Group on Multiple Myeloma (Deutsche Studiengruppe Multiples Myelom; DSMM) incentive. Over 10 variables, including patient‐specific and multiple myeloma–specific parameters, were analyzed at the time of initial diagnosis and repeatedly during follow‐up. The probability of survival for another 5 years was calculated according to disease‐related and host‐related risks. Multivariate Cox models were used to determine baseline and updated prognostic factors for survival.

Results

The median follow‐up and overall survival were 10.3 years and 5.1 years, respectively. When comparing 5‐year conditional survival probabilities from the data derived at the time of initial diagnosis with those updated over time, substantially differing prognoses were observed when follow‐up data were used. Multivariate Cox regression models for cohorts surviving 0 to 5 years demonstrated hazard ratios (HRs) for patients aged <60 years, 60 to 69 years, and >70 years of 1, 1.68, and 3.17, respectively. These HRs for age were found to decline for patients surviving 5 years, as well as for those with advanced stages of disease (II/III) and unfavorable cytogenetics, whereas progressive disease remained an important factor in patients surviving 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, with HRs of 1.85, 2.11, and 2.14, respectively.

Conclusions

To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first analysis of conditional survival in patients with multiple myeloma using both baseline and follow‐up risk parameters, demonstrating that regular risk assessment throughout the course of disease and complete follow‐up provide a more reliable conditional survival estimation than baseline assessment alone.
Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Capsule and Tablet Formulations of Opicapone in Healthy Japanese Subjects: Phase 1 Study
Authors: Nomoto Masahiro , Takeda Atsushi , Iwai Katsuaki , Nishimura Akihisa , Hattori Nobutaka
Published: May 2020

Opicapone, a peripheral, long‐acting catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibitor has been shown to improve wearing‐off phenomenon in randomized, double‐blind studies. This study compared the pharmacokinetic characteristics of opicapone small‐tablet and size 1 capsule formulations after single oral administration to healthy Japanese subjects. In this open‐label, randomized, 2‐way and 2‐period crossover phase 1 study, 48 healthy male subjects (aged 20 to 45 years; body mass index, 18.5 to <30.0 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 2 cohorts (n = 24 each), which were administered opicapone 25 or 50 mg in a tablet‐capsule or capsule‐tablet sequence under fasted conditions. Blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis before opicapone capsule/tablet administration and at regular intervals over 24 hours after administration. Compared with capsules, tablets were associated with higher Cmax and AUClast/0‐∞ values. However, t1/2 and tmax values were similar with opicapone 25‐ and 50‐mg capsules/tablets. Geometric mean ratios (tablets/capsules) of Cmax, AUClast, and AUC0‐∞ were 1.24, 1.18, and 1.19, respectively, for the 25‐mg dose and 1.42, 1.28, and 1.27, respectively, for the 50‐mg dose. Opicapone was well tolerated, and no serious adverse events occurred. A small tablet formulation of opicapone proposed for use in Japanese clinical trials was associated with apparent greater exposure compared with the existing hard capsule formulation, which should be considered when developing opicapone for Japanese patients.
Accounting for spatial trends to increase the selection efficiency in potato breeding
Authors: Andrade Mario Henrique Murad Leite , Fernandes Filho Claudio Carlos , Fernandes Maiara Oliveira , Bastos Abel Jamir Ribeiro , Guedes Marcio Lisboa , Marçal Tiago de Souza , Gonçalves Flavia Maria Avelar , Pinto Cesar Augusto Brasil Pereira , Zotarelli Lincoln
Published: May 2020

A crucial point in agricultural experimentation is to compare treatments with high accuracy. However, agricultural experimentation is prone to field heterogeneity, and a common source of error is the spatial variation between the plots used in an experiment. With plant breeding experiments, the high number of tested genotypes requires breeders to use large areas, which invariably increases the likelihood of spatial variation. The use of models that do not address this variation can lead to errors in selecting the best genotypes. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of two spatial models—first‐order autoregressive (AR1) and spatial analysis of field trials with splines (SpATS)—to control the spatial variation in 30 experiments from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) breeding programs. Specifically, we sought to control for three traits: total tuber yield (TTY), marketable tuber yield (MTY), and tuber specific gravity (SG). The results obtained with the use of spatial models were compared with the base model (independent errors) based on precision, heritability, and the impact on the selection of the best clones. Spatial models were effective in controlling local and global errors and achieved greater accuracy and efficiency over the base model. The spatial approach also showed greater heritability for all analyzed traits. The spatial models led to differences in the clone ranking and consequently in the selection of the best clones. Thus, spatial analysis has the power to make more precise analyses, which leads to more accurate selections and should be used to analyze phenotype data of potato breeding programs.
Platinum‐Decorated Ceria Enhances CO2 Electroreduction in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells
Authors: Feng Weicheng , Song Yuefeng , Zhang Xiaomin , Lv Houfu , Liu Qingxue , Wang Guoxiong , Bao Xinhe
Published: May 2020

CO2 electroreduction by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) can not only attenuate the greenhouse effect, but also convert surplus electrical energy into chemical energy. The adsorption and activation of CO2 on the cathode play an important role in the SOEC performance. La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ−Ce0.8Sm0.2O2−δ (LSCF–SDC; SDC=samarium‐doped ceria) is a promising SOEC cathode. However, its electrocatalytic activity still needs to be improved. In this study, Pt/SDC interfaces are constructed by decorating Pt nanoparticles onto the SDC surface. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the polarization resistance of the SOEC is decreased from 0.308 to 0.120 Ω cm2, and the current density is improved from 0.913 to 1.420 A cm−2 at 1.6 V and 800 °C. Physicochemical characterizations suggest that construction of the Pt/SDC interfaces increases the oxygen vacancy concentration on the cathode and boosts CO2 adsorption and dissociation, which leads to enhanced CO2 electroreduction performance in SOECs.
Tuning of the Oxygen Species Linker on the Surface of Polymeric Carbon Nitride to Promote the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Performance
Authors: Lei Qin , Chen Rongzhi , Zhao Yurong , Chen Huanyu , Long Xinxin , Tan Jihua , Wang Xinming
Published: May 2020

Polymeric carbon nitrides (CNs) have been identified as attractive photocatalysts owing to their comparatively low cost and facile modification of their electronic structure. Herein, we report an effective strategy to tune the surface oxygen species linking site of polymeric CN, achieving more effective charge separation. A high photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of approximately 10225 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm) and an impressive apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 5.7 % at 430 nm were recorded. Specifically, thermal treatment under a H2 and then an air atmosphere allowed the oxygen species linker on the surface of CN to be changed from −C=O to N=C−OH and then −C−O−C−, resulting in unbalanced charge distribution, which significantly enhanced the photogenerated charge separation, further contributing to the high hydrogen production performance. This linker regulation strategy may provide a new path for the development of highly efficient photocatalysts.
Time and space transition characteristics of DC electric field stress in oil‐pressboard composite insulation systems
Authors: Nakane Ryuichi , Kato Katsumi , Hayakawa Naoki , Okubo Hitoshi
Published: May 2020

In AC/DC converter transformers under DC application, the electric field distributions are distorted due to the accumulated charge on pressboard. However, the time‐dependent characteristics of DC electric field stress in oil has not yet been clarified in detail. In this paper, we investigated the time and electric field space transition characteristics of DC electric field distributions in oil‐pressboard composite insulation systems. As a result, we quantitatively clarified that DC electric field stress strongly depends on the elapsed time and the location in the electric field space in oil. In particular, it was found that the most severe electric field stress in oil may emerge during the time transition process.
Study on numerical design method of frozen inert gas plasma MHD generators
Authors: Ito Soshi , Fujino Takayasu , Takahashi Toru , Okuno Yoshihiro
Published: May 2020

A numerical design method to determine basic specifications of high‐performance frozen inert gas plasma (FIP) MHD generators is proposed. To validate the proposed method, time‐dependent, two‐dimensional (r‐z)MHD numerical analyses are performed for several FIP MHD generators with different thermal inputs (30, 100, 300, or 1000 MW) designed by the proposed method. The numerical results indicate that the designed FIP MHD generators with the thermal input of 100 MW or more are able to be operated with the performance approximately same as the designed one. For the designed MHD generator with the thermal input of 30 MW; however, the performance shown by the MHD numerical analysis is considerably lower than the designed one. For such a case, the performance can be improved by operating the MHD generator under an applied magnetic flux density larger and an inlet ionization degree lower than those designed values.
“1984”: What Orwell could not predict. Proteomic analysis of his scripts
Authors: Saravayskaya Yana , Zilberstein Gleb , Zilberstein Roman , Zilberstein Svetlana , Maor Uriel , D'Amato Alfonsina , Righetti Pier Giorgio
Published: May 2020

George Orwell, fighter for the Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War, was shot through the throat by a sniper on 20th May 1937 and nearly killed. After receiving only a summary external treatment, on the 29th, he was cured in a Barcelona hospital where he was infected by the Koch bacillus. After fleeing from Spain on 23rd June 1937, he repaired to his cottage in Wallington, Hertfordshire, wherefrom he wrote a letter to Sergey Dynamov, Editor of Soviet journal “Foreign Literature.” This typewritten letter was analyzed by application of five EVA strips (ethylene vinyl acetate studded with strong cation and anion and with C8 and C18 resins; four on the corners and one over his signature), searching for biological traces. Upon elution of the captured biologicals, trypsin digestion and Orbitrap Fusion trihybrid mass spectrometer analyses, three of the five strips yielded clear traces of six unique proteins (via proteotypic peptides) of the tuberculosis bacterium. Additionally, MALDI TOF analysis of saliva of a tuberculosis patient and the EVA strip eluates gave a spectrum of 14 peptide bands (Mr 2700 to 6700 Da range) coincident between the two samples, thus, fully confirming Orwell's pathology. These results are attributed to saliva traces on Orwell's fingertips and to the fact that the letter was written on 2nd July 1937, when Orwell's pathology was at its peak.
Copper Selenide–Derived Copper Oxide Nanoplates as a Durable and Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Hou Xiyan , Lee Husileng , Lu Liangjie , Wu Xiujuan , Sun Licheng
Published: May 2020

Earth‐abundant transition metal–based nanomaterials play a signiﬁcant role in oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Among them, copper has attracted signiﬁcant attention due to its excellent electrocatalytic activity, low price, and abundance. Herein, a nanostructured copper oxide (CuO‐A) is generated in situ from a cuprous selenide (Cu2Se) precursor under oxygen evolution reaction conditions. The as‐prepared CuO‐A/copper foam (CF) electrode delivers a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 297 mV with good stability for over 50 h in 1 m KOH solution, which is superior to most recently reported copper‐based water oxidation catalysts. The high catalytic performance of CuO‐A is mainly attributed to the improved surface area offered by the morphology reconstruction during the in situ transformation process. As a result, it paves a way to synthesize effective and stable transition metal oxide catalysts via the in situ conversion of transition metal chalcogenides for energy conversion and storage applications.
Joint altitude, power control, and bandwidth allocation optimization for unmanned aerial vehicle‐enabled reliable communications
Authors: Wang Lei , Hu Bo , Wang Feng , Chen Shanzhi , Cui Jian
Published: May 2020

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as aerial relays have found many applications in the current communication network. Since the air‐to‐ground (AtG) link differs from the terrestrial link, ensuring a reliable AtG transmission remains to be a meaningful issue. This article investigates that a UAV works as an aerial relay to forward information from multiple access points to multiple remote base stations in an emergency situation. Using the full‐duplex decode‐and‐forward relaying mode, we formulate a problem to minimize the maximum outage probability among all links, jointly optimizing the UAV altitude, power control, and bandwidth allocation. The outage probability function takes into account the line‐of‐sight probability‐based AtG fading and the self‐interference introduced by full‐duplex relaying, both of which make our formulated problem nonconvex. We reformulate the outage probability function into a more tractable function. Then, we decouple the original problem into two subproblems, that is, altitude optimization as well as power control and bandwidth allocation. Each subproblem is solved by the successive convex optimization technique, and an overall iteration algorithm is proposed to solve the original problem based on the block coordinate descent theory. Simulation results reveal the reliability gain of our proposed algorithm compared with our designed benchmark. Besides, the optimal UAV three‐dimensional location that minimizes the global min‐max outage probability is found by numerical simulations. Finally, the average throughput gain can also be obtained by our proposed algorithm.
Can we reduce phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields by stimulating soil biota?
Authors: Susser Jessica R. , Pelini Shannon L. , Weintraub Michael N.
Published: May 2020

When fertilizer phosphorus (P) is applied to soils, the P can run off fields and cause harmful algal blooms. Due to its chemistry, much of the added P that does not run off can bind to soil particles and become inaccessible to plants. In natural systems, microbial and faunal decomposers can increase soil P accessibility to plants. We tested the hypothesis that this may also be true in agricultural systems, which could increase P application efficiency and reduce runoff potential. We stimulated soil fauna with sodium (Na+) and microbes with carbon (C) by adding corn (Zea mays L.) stover and Na+ solution to plots in conventionally managed corn fields in northwestern Ohio. Stover addition increased microbial biomass by 65 ± 12% and respiration by 400–700%. Application of stover with Na+ increased soil detritivore fauna abundance by 51 ± 20% and likely did not affect the other invertebrate guilds. However, soil biological activity was low compared with natural systems in all treatments and was not correlated with instantaneous measures of P accessibility, though cumulative P accessibility over the course of the growing season was correlated with microbial phosphatase activity (slope = 1.01, p < .01) and respiration (slope = 0.42, p = .02). Therefore, in agricultural systems, treatments to stimulate decomposers already in those systems may be ineffective at increasing soil P accessibility in the short term, but in the long term, higher microbial activities can be associated with higher soil P accessibility.
Diagnostic performance of immunochromatography assay for rapid detection of IgM and IgG in coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Choe Jung‐Yoon , Kim Ji‐Won , Kwon Hyun Hee , Hong Hyo‐Lim , Jung Chi Young , Jeon Chang‐Ho , Park Eun‐Jin , Kim Seong‐Kyu
Published: May 2020

Serologic assays have been developed to detect infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of an immunochromatography‐based assay of human serum for COVID‐19. The present study enrolled 149 subjects who had been tested by real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) for COVID‐19 and were classified into two groups: 70 who were positive for COVID‐19 and 79 who were negative for COVID‐19 based on RT‐PCR. An immunochromatography‐based COVID‐19 immunoglobulin G (IgG)/immunoglobulin M (IgM) rapid test on the sera of the study population was applied to measure the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve compared to RT‐PCR, with a 95% confidence interval (CI). IgM or IgG antibodies were detected in 65 subjects (92.9%) classified as positive for COVID‐19 and in three subjects (3.8%) classified as negative for COVID‐19. The sensitivity and specificity percentages for IgM or IgG antibodies were 92.9% (95% CI: 84.1‐97.6) and 96.2% (95% CI: 89.3‐99.2), respectively, with 95.6% PPV and 93.8% NPV. The PPV rapidly improved with increasing disease prevalence from 19.8% to 96.1% in the presence of either IgM or IgG, while the NPV remained high with a change from 99.9% to 93.1%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.945 (95% CI: 0.903‐0.988) for subjects with either IgM or IgG positivity. In conclusion, the immunochromatography‐based COVID‐19 IgG/IgM rapid test is a useful and practical diagnostic assay for detection of COVID‐19, especially in the presence of IgM or IgG antibodies.
Relieved drought in China under a low emission pathway to 1.5°C global warming
Authors: Yue Xu , Tian Chenguang , Lei Yadong
Published: May 2020

Drought is detrimental to both natural systems and human societies. Although definitions of drought vary among different indices, the frequency of drought is likely to enhance in a strong warming climate either because of increased temperature or decreased precipitation. However, for a low warming target such as 1.5°C, drought tendency is uncertain as it depends on the competition between evapotranspiration and precipitation, both of which may show only moderate changes. In this study, future changes of self‐calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) in China are projected for the periods of 1.5°C global warming under two different scenarios based on outputs from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). Compared to present day, national average scPDSI decreases by 0.04 ± 0.53 at a high emission scenario but increases by 0.20 ± 0.60 at a low emission scenario to the same 1.5°C global warming. Even with large uncertainties, the multi‐model ensemble scPDSI significantly increases by 0.52 ± 1.07 in the Southeast from the high to low emission scenarios. Such relieved drought is mainly attributed to the increased regional precipitation, which is likely caused by reductions in aerosols following emission regulations. Consequently, an associated control of both carbon and air pollution emissions helps retain the warming target globally and relieve drought risks regionally.
Quantitative analysis of intervertebral disc degeneration using Q‐space imaging in a rat model
Authors: Nakashima Daisuke , Fujita Nobuyuki , Hata Junichi , Komaki Yuji , Suzuki Satoshi , Nagura Takeo , Fujiyoshi Kanehiro , Watanabe Kota , Tsuji Takashi , Okano Hideyuki , Jinzaki Masahiro , Matsumoto Morio , Nakamura Masaya
Published: May 2020

The degree of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is qualitatively evaluated on T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI). However, it is difficult to assess subtle changes in IVD degeneration using T2WI. Q‐space imaging (QSI) is a quantitative diffusion‐weighted imaging modality used to detect subtle changes in microenvironments. This study aimed to evaluate whether QSI can detect the inhibitory effects of the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) in IVD degeneration. We classified female Wistar rats into control, puncture, and NAC groups (n = 5 per group). In the puncture and NAC groups, IVDs were punctured using a needle. The antioxidant NAC, which suppresses the progression of IVD degeneration, was orally administered in the NAC group 1 week prior to puncture. The progression and inhibitory effect of NAC in IVD degeneration were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): IVD height, T2 mapping, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and QSI. MRI was performed using a 7‐Tesla system with a conventional probe (20 IVDs in each group). QSI parameters that were assessed included Kurtosis, the probability at zero displacement (ZDP), and full width at half maximum (FWHM). IVD degeneration by puncture was confirmed by histology, IVD height, T2 mapping, ADC, and all QSI parameters (P < .001); however, the inhibitory effect of NAC was confirmed only by QSI parameters (Kurtosis and ZDP: both P < .001; FWHM: P < .01). Kurtosis had the largest effect size (Kurtosis: 1.13, ZDP: 1.06, and FWHM: 1.02) when puncture and NAC groups were compared. QSI has a higher sensitivity than conventional quantitative methods for detecting the progressive change and inhibitory effect of NAC in IVD degeneration.
Preharvest application of prohydrojasmon affects color development, phenolic metabolism, and pigment‐related gene expression in red pear (Pyrus ussuriensis)
Authors: Wang Xiaoqian , Cao Xiaoyun , Shang Ye , Bu Haidong , Wang Tianye , Lyu Deguo , Du Guodong
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Peel color is an economically relevant trait that influences the appearance and quality of red pear, whose red color is due to anthocyanin accumulation. Prohydrojasmon (PDJ), which has similar effects to endogenous jasmonates, was developed as a commercial bioregulator, particularly to improve fruits coloring. However, little information is available about the effect of PDJ on pears. This study investigated the effects of preharvest PDJ treatments on color development, phenolic compounds accumulation, and related gene expression in the red pear cultivar ‘Nanhong’. The treatments were performed during the pre‐color‐change period by spraying 50 or 100 mg L−1 of PDJ on fruits.

RESULTS

Preharvest PDJ treatments had a significant effect on color development, without affecting other quality parameters such as total soluble solids and fruit acidity. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that concentrations of anthocyanins and flavonols were enhanced in the peel after PDJ treatments, particularly when a concentration of 100 mg L−1 was used, whereas those of hydroxycinnamates and flavanols were decreased. After PDJ application, the transcription levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes PAL, CHS, CHI, ANS, F3H, and UFGT were enhanced, especially under the higher PDJ concentration tested. In addition, anthocyanin accumulation in the peels of PDJ‐treated fruits was found to be positively correlated with the upregulation of the regulatory gene MYB114.

CONCLUSION

Preharvest treatments with PDJ could be a useful tool to improve fruits coloring and increase phenolic content in pear. These findings also improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with PDJ‐regulated anthocyanin accumulation in pear fruits.
In‐pixel temperature sensor for high‐luminance active matrix micro‐light‐emitting diode display using low‐temperature polycrystalline silicon and oxide thin‐film‐transistors
Authors: Chen Yuanfeng , Lee Suhui , Kim Hyunho , Lee Jiseob , Geng Di , Jang Jin
Published: May 2020

We propose an in‐pixel temperature sensor using low‐temperature polycrystalline silicon and oxide (LTPO) thin‐film transistor (TFTs) for high‐luminance active matrix (AM) micro‐light‐emitting diode (LED) displays. By taking advantage of the different off‐current characteristics of p‐type LTPS TFTs and n‐type a‐IGZO TFTs under temperature change, we designed and fabricated a temperature sensor consists of only LTPO TFTs without additional sensing component or material. The fabricated sensor exhibits excellent temperature sensitivity of up to 71.8 mV/°C. In addition, a 64 × 64 temperature sensor array with 3T sensing pixel and integrated gate driver has also been fabricated, which demonstrates potential approach for maxing out the performance of high‐luminance AM micro‐LED display with real‐time in‐pixel temperature monitoring.
Assessing Population Viability of Black Bears using Spatial Capture‐Recapture Models
Authors: Hooker Michael J. , Chandler Richard B. , Bond Bobby T. , Chamberlain Michael J.
Published: May 2020

The Central Georgia Bear Population (CGP) is the least abundant and most isolated of Georgia's 3 American black bear (Ursus americanus) populations. Beginning in 2011, changes to regulations governing harvest of the CGP resulted in an increase in female bear harvest, creating concern that future harvest could be an important influence on population viability. Hence, our objective was to assess viability of the CGP under various levels of female mortality. During 2012–2016, we used barbed‐wire hair snares to collect bear hair samples from within the range of the CGP in Georgia, USA. We used microsatellite genotyping to identify individual bears and created robust‐design, spatial detection histories for all female bears detected. We fit open population spatial capture‐recapture (SCR) models to the detection histories in a Bayesian framework. We used the Widely Applicable Information Criterion (WAIC) to rank models that varied with respect to sources of variation in detection probability, survival, andper capitarecruitment, and used the model with the lowest WAIC to forecast dynamics of the CGP 50 years into the future under various levels of female mortality. We assessed the 50‐year extinction probability under a continuation of mortality levels documented during 2012–2016, and under incremental increases in female mortality above this baseline. The top model included density‐dependentper capitarecruitment, annual variation in detection probability, and a trap‐level behavioral response. Abundance increased from 106 (95% CI = 86–132) females in 2012 to 136 (95% CI = 113–161) females in 2013 and remained relatively stable thereafter. Annual female survival was 0.75 (95% CI = 0.69–0.82) and did not vary among years. Theper capitarecruitment rate decreased over time as density increased, and was 0.49 (95% CI = 0.33–0.66) during the first time interval and 0.29 (95% CI = 0.20–0.38) during the final time interval. Annual growth rate () was 1.28 (95% CI = 1.07–1.52) between 2012 and 2013 but decreased throughout the study, ending at 1.04 (95% CI = 0.93–1.17). Forecasts indicated continuation of the female mortality levels experienced from 2012–2016 were sustainable over 50 years, with the estimated extinction risk being <0.001%. Increasing annual harvest by 5 females introduced a negligible increase in the 50‐year probability of extinction, but harvesting an additional 10 females/year caused extinction risk to rise to 1.15%. We recommend that harvest regulations are structured such that mortality rates remain at current levels or do not increase by more than an annual average of 5 females above levels observed during our study. Furthermore, we recommend that managers continue to monitor the population so that harvest regulations and population models can be refined over time. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Micelles with a Loose Core Self‐Assembled from Coil‐g‐Rod Graft Copolymers Displaying High Drug Loading Capacity
Authors: Huang Qijing , Xu Zhanwen , Cai Chunhua , Lin Jiaping
Published: May 2020

High drug loading capacity is one of the critical demands of micellar drug‐delivery vehicles; however, it is a challenging work. Herein, it is demonstrated that micelles self‐assembled from poly(ethylene glycol)‐graft‐poly(γ‐benzyl‐l‐glutamate) (PEG‐g‐PBLG) coil‐g‐rod graft copolymers display high drug‐loading capacity for doxorubicin (DOX) model drugs. As revealed by a combination study of experiments and dissipative particle dynamics simulations, the high drug‐loading capacity of the micelles is related to the loose core structure of the micelles. In these micelles, the hydrophobic PBLG grafts randomly disperse in the micelle core due to their rigid nature and the coil‐g‐rod topology of the graft copolymers, which results in a loose core of the micelles. The structure of the graft copolymer, including the length of rod grafts, the length of coil backbone, and the grafting ratio of the rod grafts affecting the arrangement of the rod grafts in the micelle core has influence on the drug‐loading capacity of the micelles. Besides, the strong π–π stacking interaction between graft copolymers and DOX also plays an important part in achieving high drug‐loading capacity. In vitro studies reveal that these drug‐loaded micelles show good biocompatibility, and the DOX can be gradually released from the micelles.
Theoretical Limit of the Color‐Change Sensitivity of a Composite Resin Dosimeter Film Based on Spiropyran/BaFCl : Eu2+/Polystyrene
Authors: Kinashi Kenji , Tsuchida Hayato , Sakai Wataru , Tsutsumi Naoto
Published: May 2020

The theoretical limit of the color‐change sensitivity of a composite resin dosimeter film based on 6‐nitro BIPS/BaFCl : Eu2+/polystyrene under X‐ray exposure has been estimated. Each photophysical and photochemical process occurring inside the composite resin dosimeter was quantitatively determined, and the obtained values were used to estimate the theoretical limit of the color‐change sensitivity for the composite resin dosimeter. The values obtained were 70.6 % for the X‐ray absorption efficiency, 13 % for the fluorescence quantum yield, 73.5 % for the UV absorption efficiency and 37.6 % for the photochemical quantum yield. Assuming that the figure‐of‐merit is their product, its value is estimated to be 2.5 %, which contributes to the chromaticity difference and leads to a color‐change sensitivity of 100 mGy. The figure‐of‐merit of a structurally optimized composite dosimeter was estimated to be 1.9 times that of the dosimeter without structural optimization, which showed a sensitivity of 100 mGy. We predicted that the structurally optimized composite resin dosimeter film, which eliminates optical losses due to the structure, will be able to detect X‐ray exposure doses on the order of approximately 28 mGy.
Hydrolytic, thermal, and UV stability of urea‐formaldehyde resin/thermally activated montmorillonite nanocomposites
Authors: Samaržija‐Jovanović Suzana , Jovanović Vojislav , Petković Branka , Jovanović Tijana , Marković Gordana , Porobić Slavica , Papan Jelena , Marinović‐Cincović Milena
Published: May 2020

Urea‐formaldehyde resin (F/U ratio of 0.8)/thermally activated montmorillonite (UF/ΔTK10) nanocomposite was synthesized. The hydrolytical, thermal, and UV radiation stability of UF/ΔTK10 nanocomposites are determined. UF hybrid nanocomposites have been irradiated with UV light with a wavelength of 254 nm and 366 nm, and after that, their radiation stability was evaluated. The free formaldehyde (FA) percentage in all prepared samples was determined. The sample was characterized by using X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), nonisothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential thermal gravimetry (DTG), with infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Crosslinked UF/ΔTK10 nanocomposite shows the highest resistance to acid hydrolysis after UV irradiation at a wavelength of 254 nm. The values for T5% are identical for the unirradiated and UV irradiated (wavelength of 366 nm) UF/ΔTK10 nanocomposite. It can be concluded that this sample is thermally most stable and shows good resistance to UV irradiation.
Is it time for routine prenatal serological screening for congenital cytomegalovirus?
Authors: Leruez‐Ville Marianne , Ville Yves
Published: May 2020

Congenital CMV infection (cCMV) is the most prevalent congenital infection, main non‐genetic cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and major cause of neurological disability. Despite the burden of cCMV, no Public Health body recommends universal serology screening in pregnancy. This was explained by gaps in knowledge of epidemiology, diagnosis, prognosis and the absence of any validated treatment. Over 10 years, progress has been made in our understanding of cCMV following primary maternal infection. Risk factors have been identified and quantified, notably it is now well recognized that among maternal primary infections only those occurring in the first trimester may lead to long‐term sequelae. Algorithms combining IgG, IgM, and IgG avidity detection with serological assays adapted on high throughput platforms have demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose maternal primary infection. The prognostic value of prenatal imaging combining ultrasound and MRI has been validated by many studies. Finally, recent data from a randomized controlled study demonstrated the efficacy of early antiviral therapy to prevent vertical transmission. Whether CMV serology screening in the first trimester of pregnancy meets the WHO's criteria for a screening program will therefore be reviewed.
Unveiling the Dynamical Assembly of Magnetic Nanocrystal Zig‐Zag Chains via In Situ TEM Imaging in Liquid
Authors: Arciniegas Milena P. , Castelli Andrea , Brescia Rosaria , Serantes David , Ruta Sergiu , Hovorka Ondrej , Satoh Akira , Chantrell Roy , Pellegrino Teresa
Published: May 2020

The controlled assembly of colloidal magnetic nanocrystals is key to many applications such as nanoelectronics, storage memory devices, and nanomedicine. Here, the motion and ordering of ferrimagnetic nanocubes in water via liquid‐cell transmission electron microscopy is directly imaged in situ. Through the experimental analysis, combined with molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical considerations, it is shown that the presence of highly competitive interactions leads to the formation of stable monomers and dimers, acting as nuclei, followed by a dynamic growth of zig‐zag chain‐like assemblies. It is demonstrated that such arrays can be explained by first, a maximization of short‐range electrostatic interactions, which at a later stage become surpassed by magnetic forces acting through the easy magnetic axes of the nanocubes, causing their tilted orientation within the arrays. Moreover, in the confined volume of liquid in the experiments, interactions of the nanocube surfaces with the cell membranes, when irradiated at relatively low electron dose, slow down the kinetics of their self‐assembly, facilitating the identification of different stages in the process. The study provides crucial insights for the formation of unconventional linear arrays made of ferrimagnetic nanocubes that are essential for their further exploitation in, for example, magnetic hyperthermia, magneto‐transport devices, and nanotheranostic tools.
Steel Alloy Homogenization During Rheinsahl–Heraeus Vacuum Treatment: Conventional Computational Fluid Dynamics, Recurrence Computational Fluid Dynamics, and Plant Observations
Authors: Pirker Stefan , Puttinger Stefan , Rössler Roman , Lichtenegger Thomas
Published: May 2020

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of steel flow in an Rheinsahl–Heraeus (RH) process are realized by a discrete phase model (DPM) for the driving bubble plumes, a volume of fluid (VoF) method for the free surface in the vacuum chamber (VC), and a large eddy simulations (LES) model for the transport and mixing of steel alloys. CFD simulations are opposed to particle image velocimetry (PIV) analyses of flow pattern at the bath surface in the VC. While simple Reynolds averaged turbulence models fail to reproduce these plant observations, LES agrees fairly well. Furthermore, the steel recirculation rate is compared with empirical correlations from the literature, yielding good agreement with respect to the dependency of the recirculation rate on the gas injection rate. The absolute value of the recirculation rate increases by 15%, in case (realistic) eroded edges are considered instead of a (unrealistic) sharp‐edged geometry. Data‐assisted recurrence CFD (rCFD) is applied to accelerate conventional CFD. The rCFD simulations yield a computational speed‐up of four orders of magnitude, enabling real‐time LES at full grid resolution of three million cells. Titanium homogenization in the steel ladle is addressed by means of rCFD and compared with corresponding plant trials yielding good agreement.
Japanese expatriates' management in global assignments: A review and research agenda
Authors: Dang Quyen T. , Rammal Hussain G.
Published: May 2020

Japanese firms and their management practices (including those related to expatriate management) have been of interest to international business researchers for decades. The international human resource management literature highlights the critical role expatriates' family play in the success or failure of global assignments. However, this issue has not been prominent in the literature on Japanese expatriates, despite the emphasis on collectivism and culture. This study uses the integrative literature review method to consolidate the research on Japanese work practices and expatriation issues in Japanese multinational enterprises, with emphasis on Japanese family issues in expatriate management. Using family systems theory as the analytical lens, we identify themes that have been covered in the literature on Japanese global assignees and their families. Current gaps in the literature are highlighted, and we provide a future research agenda with broad themes that can contribute to the academic writing and practices of Japanese expatriate management.
Non-linear Dynamics in Accelerators
Authors: Herr Werner , Forest Etienne
Published: May 2020

Non-linear effects in accelerator physics are important both during the design stage and for successful operation of accelerators. Since both of these aspects are closely related, they will be treated together in this overview. Some of the most important aspects are well described by methods established in other areas of physics and mathematics. Given the scope of this handbook, the treatment will be focused on the problems in accelerators used for particle physics experiments. Although the main emphasis will be on accelerator physics issues, some of the aspects of more general interest will be discussed. In particular to demonstrate that in recent years a framework has been built to handle the complex problems in a consistent form, technically superior and conceptually simpler than the traditional techniques. The need to understand the stability of particle beams has substantially contributed to the development of new techniques and is an important source of examples which can be verified experimentally. Unfortunately the documentation of these developments is often poor or even unpublished, in many cases only available as lectures or conference proceedings.
Impedance and Collective Effects
Authors: Metral E. , Rumolo G. , Herr W.
Published: May 2020

As the beam intensity increases, the beam can no longer be considered as a collection of non-interacting single particles: in addition to the “single-particle phenomena”, “collective effects” become significant. At low intensity a beam of charged particles moves around an accelerator under the Lorentz force produced by the “external” electromagnetic fields (from the guiding and focusing magnets, RF cavities, etc.). However, the charged particles also interact with themselves (leading to space charge effects) and with their environment, inducing charges and currents in the surrounding structures, which create electromagnetic fields called wake fields. In the ultra-relativistic limit, causality dictates that there can be no electromagnetic field in front of the beam, which explains the term “wake”. It is often useful to examine the frequency content of the wake field (a time domain quantity) by performing a Fourier transformation on it. This leads to the concept of impedance (a frequency domain quantity), which is a complex function of frequency. The charged particles can also interact with other charged particles present in the accelerator (leading to two-stream effects, and in particular to electron cloud effects in positron/hadron machines) and with the counter-rotating beam in a collider (leading to beam–beam effects). As the beam intensity increases, all these “perturbations” should be properly quantified and the motion of the charged particles will eventually still be governed by the Lorentz force but using the total electromagnetic fields, which are the sum of the external and perturbation fields. Note that in some cases a perturbative treatment is not sufficient and the problem has to be solved self consistently. These perturbations can lead to both incoherent (i.e. of a single particle) and coherent (i.e. of the centre of mass) effects, in the longitudinal and in one or both transverse directions, leading to beam quality degradation or even partial or total beam losses. Fortunately, stabilising mechanisms exist, such as Landau damping, electronic feedback systems and linear coupling between the transverse planes (as in the case of a transverse coherent instability, one plane is usually more critical than the other).
Accelerator Engineering and Technology: Accelerator Technology
Authors: Bordry F. , Bottura L. , Milanese A. , Tommasini D. , Jensen E. , Lebrun Ph. , Tavian L. , Burnet J. P. , Bastos M. Cerqueira , Baglin V. , Jimenez J. M. , Jones R. , Lefevre T. , Schmickler H. , Barnes M. J. , Borburgh J. , Mertens V. , Aβmann R. W. , Redaelli S. , Missiaen D.
Published: May 2020

Magnets are at the core of both circular and linear accelerators. The main function of a magnet is to guide the charged particle beam by virtue of theLorentz force, given by the following expression:whereqis the electrical charge of the particle,vits velocity, andBthe magnetic field induction. The trajectory of a particle in the field depends hence on the particle velocity and on the space distribution of the field. The simplest case is that of a uniform magnetic field with a single component and velocityvnormal to it, in which case the particle trajectory is a circle. A uniform field has thus a purebendingeffect on a charged particle, and the magnet that generates it is generally referred to as adipole.
E6 motivated UMSSM confronts experimental data
Authors: Frank Mariana , Hiçyılmaz Yaşar , Moretti Stefano , Özdal Özer
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We test E
6 realisations of a generic U(1)′ extended Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (UMSSM), parametrised in terms of the mixing angle pertaining to the new U(1)′ sector,

$$ {\theta}_{E_6} $$

θ

E
6

, against all currently available data, from space to ground experiments, from low to high energies. We find that experimental constraints are very restrictive and indicate that large gauge kinetic mixing and

$$ {\theta}_{E_6} $$

θ

E
6

≈ −π/3 are required within this theoretical construct to achieve compliance with current data. The consequences are twofold. On the one hand, large gauge kinetic mixing implies that the Z′ boson emerging from the breaking of the additional U(1)′ symmetry is rather wide since it decays mainly into WW pairs. On the other hand, the preferred

$$ {\theta}_{E_6} $$

θ

E
6

value calls for a rather specific E
6 breaking pattern different from those commonly studied. We finally delineate potential signatures of the emerging UMSSM scenario in both Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and in Dark Matter (DM) experiments.
Nucleon axial structure from lattice QCD
Authors:   The RQCD collaboration, Bali Gunnar S. , Barca Lorenzo , Collins Sara , Gruber Michael , Löffler Marius , Schäfer Andreas , Söldner Wolfgang , Wein Philipp , Weishäupl Simon , Wurm Thomas
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We present a new analysis method that allows one to understand and model excited state contributions in observables that are dominated by a pion pole. We apply this method to extract axial and (induced) pseudoscalar nucleon isovector form factors, which satisfy the constraints due to the partial conservation of the axial current up to expected discretization effects. Effective field theory predicts that the leading contribution to the (induced) pseudoscalar form factor originates from an exchange of a virtual pion, and thus exhibits pion pole dominance. Using our new method, we can recover this behavior directly from lattice data. The numerical analysis is based on a large set of ensembles generated by the CLS effort, including physical pion masses, large volumes (with up to 963 × 192 sites and Lm

π
= 6.4), and lattice spacings down to 0.039 fm, which allows us to take all the relevant limits. We find that some observables are much more sensitive to the choice of parametrization of the form factors than others. On the one hand, the z-expansion leads to significantly smaller values for the axial dipole mass than the dipole ansatz (

$$ {M}_A^{z-\mathit{\exp}} $$

M
A

z
−
exp

= 1.02(10) GeV versus

$$ {M}_A^{\mathrm{dipole}} $$

M
A
dipole

= 1.31(8) GeV). On the other hand, we find that the result for the induced pseudoscalar coupling at the muon capture point is almost independent of the choice of parametrization (

$$ {g}_P^{\ast z-\mathit{\exp}} $$

g
P

∗
z
−
exp

= 8.68(45) and

$$ {g}_P^{\ast \mathrm{dipole}} $$

g
P

∗
dipole

= 8.30(24)), and is in good agreement with both, chiral perturbation theory predictions and experimental measurement via ordinary muon capture. We also determine the axial coupling constant g

A
.
Distributions in CFT. Part I. Cross-ratio space
Authors: Kravchuk Petr , Qiao Jiaxin , Rychkov Slava
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We show that the four-point functions in conformal field theory are defined as distributions on the boundary of the region of convergence of the conformal block expansion. The conformal block expansion converges in the sense of distributions on this boundary, i.e. it can be integrated term by term against appropriate test functions. This can be interpreted as a giving a new class of functionals that satisfy the swapping property when applied to the crossing equation, and we comment on the relation of our construction to other types of functionals. Our language is useful in all considerations involving the boundary of the region of convergence, e.g. for deriving the dispersion relations. We establish our results by elementary methods, relying only on crossing symmetry and the standard convergence properties of the conformal block expansion. This is the first in a series of papers on distributional properties of correlation functions in conformal field theory.