bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aging Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) from otoliths using Fourier‐transformed near‐infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Healy Jordan , Helser Thomas E. , Benson Irina M. , Tornabene Luke
Published: August 2021

For decades, age‐structured stock assessments have been a key component to managing fishery resources worldwide. Fisheries management systems have been under increasing demand to generate a greater volume and quality of age estimates. Traditional aging techniques, which require physical preparation followed by microscopic examination of fish otoliths, are labor‐intensive, expensive, and inherently subjective among individual analysts, making repeatability and precision a challenge. Here we investigated an innovative approach to aging fish from their otoliths using Fourier‐transformed near‐infrared spectroscopy and partial least squares regression models. Models were fit to and validated on spectra and used to microscopically estimate ages of Pacific cod from three years of fishery‐independent otolith data out of the Bering sea. Calibrated and validated models for each year, as well as on an ensemble of the three years, yielded high precision for the multiyear model (R2 = 0.869, RMSE = 0.614, PA = 63%, CV = 7.412), and independent year models (R2 = 0.844–0.891, RMSE = 0.555–0.615, PA = 65%, CV = 6.313–6.775). These metrics of model performance were highly comparable to precision from the traditional microscopic aging approach (R2 = 0.763–0.869, RMSE = 0.639–0.737, PA = 63%–70%, CV = 5.671–6.698). In all cases, a two‐sided Kolmogorov–Smirnov test showed no significant difference between reference and model estimated age distributions. Our results illustrate how Fourier‐transformed near‐infrared spectroscopy can be utilized on otoliths to predict age estimates with substantially greater efficiency, good precision, high repeatability, and no loss in data integrity compared to the traditional microscopic method for aging Pacific cod.
Left atrial conduit flow rate at baseline and during exercise: an index of impaired relaxation in HFpEF patients
Authors: Marino Paolo N. , Zanaboni Jacopo , Degiovanni Anna , Sartori Chiara , Patti Giuseppe , Fraser Alan G.
Published: August 2021

Aims

In healthy subjects, adrenergic stimulation augments left ventricular (LV) long‐axis shortening and lengthening, and increases left atrial (LA) to LV intracavitary pressure gradients in early diastole. Lower increments are observed in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We hypothesized that exercise in HFpEF would further impair passive LV filling in early‐mid diastole, during conduit flow from pulmonary veins.

Methods and results

Twenty HFpEF patients (67.8 ± 9.8 years; 11 women), diagnosed using 2007 ESC recommendations, underwent ramped semi‐supine bicycle exercise to submaximal target heart rate (∼100 bpm) or symptoms. Seventeen asymptomatic subjects (64.3 ± 8.9 years; 7 women) were controls. Simultaneous LA and LV volumes were measured from pyramidal 3D‐echocardiographic full‐volume datasets acquired from an apical window at baseline and during stress, together with brachial arterial pressure. LA conduit flow was computed from the increase in LV volume from its minimum at end‐systole to the last frame before atrial contraction (onset of the P wave), minus the reduction in LA volume during the same time interval; the difference was integrated and expressed as average flow rate, according to a published formula. The slope of single‐beat preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW) quantified LV inotropic state. 3D LV torsion (rotation of the apex minus rotation of the base divided by LV length) was also measurable, both at rest and during stress, in 10 HFpEF patients and 4 controls. There were divergent responses in conduit flow rate, which increased by 40% during exercise in controls (+17.8 ± 37.3 mL/s) but decreased by 18% in patients with HFpEF (−9.6 ± 42.3 mL/s) (P = 0.046), along with congruent changes (+1.77 ± 1.13°/cm vs. −1.94 ± 2.73°/cm) in apical torsion (P = 0.032). Increments of conduit flow rate and apical torsion during stress correlated with changes in PRSW slope (P = 0.003 and P = 0.006, respectively).

Conclusions

In HFpEF, conduit flow rate decreases when diastolic dysfunction develops during exercise, in parallel with changes in LV inotropic state and torsion, contributing to impaired stroke volume reserve. Conduit flow is measurable using 3D‐echocardiographic full‐volume atrio‐ventricular datasets, and as a marker of LV relaxation can contribute to the diagnosis of HFpEF.
Applications of Purine Ring Opening in the Synthesis of Imidazole, Pyrimidine, and New Purine Derivatives
Authors: Leškovskis Kristaps , Zaķis Jānis Miķelis , Novosjolova Irina , Turks Māris
Published: August 2021

Purines, which are regarded as relatively stable heterocyclic systems, can be opened at both pyrimidine and imidazole rings. Purine ring opening also serves as a tool for the preparation of ring‐modified purines through rearrangement/recyclization mechanisms. The obtained imidazole, pyrimidine, and purine derivatives are privileged molecular scaffolds in medicinal and agricultural chemistry. Purine ring‐opening approach is a useful alternative for their synthesis, which competes well with de novo approach or modification of a conserved heterocyclic core. The substitution patterns and groups that activate purines towards ring opening are reviewed. Moreover, mechanistic studies using labelled substrates, which are leading to rearranged purine derivatives are covered. Furthermore, an insight into imidazole ring opening upon exposure of purine system to DNA damaging agents is provided.
Mechanisms of change in acceptance and commitment therapy for primary headaches
Authors: Vasiliou Vasilis S. , Karademas Evangelos C. , Christou Yiolanda , Papacostas Savvas , Karekla Maria
Published: August 2021

Background

Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of behavioural headache interventions, it is not yet known which intervention processes account for treatment responses. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), an emerging behavioural intervention for headaches, proposes psychological flexibility (PF) processes as the mechanisms via which intervention change occurs. This is the first study examining these processes of change variables on headache‐related disability and quality of life (treatment outcome).

Methods

Data originated from a Randomized Clinical Trial evaluating the efficacy of ACT for primary headaches. Ninety‐four individuals with primary headaches (M = 43 y; 84% females; M headache frequency/month = 9.30) were randomized to either an ACT‐based or a Wait‐list control group (N = 47 in each). Participants completed questionnaires related to their headache experiences and PF processes at pre‐ (T1), post‐treatment (T2), and 3‐month follow‐up (T3).

Results

Following a bootstrapped cross product of coefficients approach, results demonstrated mediating effects of headache acceptance, cognitive defusion, avoidance of headache, and mindfulness in the ACT group compared to control on parameters of headache‐related disability and quality of life at post and 3‐month follow‐ups.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that changes in certain PF processes lower disability and improve quality of life in headache sufferers, supporting that ACT works via its proposed mechanisms of change. Interventions for headache management may be optimized if they target increases in headache acceptance, defusion from thoughts, and mindfulness.

Significance

Psychological flexibility (PF) guides the ACT approach, an emerging behavioral headache intervention that focuses on optimizing head pain adjustment via flexible responses to pain. It targets at increasing daily functioning rather than preventing or controlling headache episodes. Pain acceptance, cognitive defusion, and mindfulness act as processes of functional change in ACT, lowering disability and increasing daily functioning and quality of life. These components can upgrade the established effectiveness of behavioral headache interventions with personalized, modularized therapeutic targets that can help headache sufferers re‐establish optimal daily functioning even in fluctuating and persistent headache episodes.

Trial registration

clinical trials.gov registry (NCT02734992).
Performance Evaluation of H2/Air Premixed Combustion in a Suddenly Expanded Microcombustor with Wall Fin
Authors: Qamareen Arees , Alam Shahood S. , Ansari Mubashshir A.
Published: August 2021

Herein, a 2D, axisymmetric microcombustor with a backward‐facing step and triangular wall fin is considered for enhancement of combustor performance. The outer wall temperature, combustor efficiency, and pressure characteristics of the microcombustor are numerically investigated with a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism and conjugate heat transfer. The proposed microcombustors with variable blockage ratios, wall fin shapes, and locations are analyzed with respect to flow and combustion interaction, along with heat flux exchange between the flame and combustor wall. Combustion performance is also evaluated by means of the amount of heat transferred through the combustor wall, conversion ratio of input chemical energy to exploitable heat, and OH mass fraction distributions. Standard k–ε turbulence along with 9 species and the 19‐step combustion reaction scheme is implemented using the eddy dissipation concept (EDC) model in the numerical study. The results indicate that the wall fin blockage ratio alters the reaction zone and improves combustor performance significantly at lower inlet velocities (4–20 m s−1). The fin location and shape are observed to influence the temperature distribution. However, the higher blockage ratio adversely impacts the combustion characteristics at the higher inlet velocity, that is, 48 m s−1.
Optimization of engine operating variables on performance and emissions characteristics of biogas fuelled CI engine by the design of experiments: Taguchi approach
Authors: Mahla Sunil Kumar , Goyal Tarun , Goyal Deepam , Sharma Himanshu , Dhir Amit , Goga Geetesh
Published: August 2021

Biogas obtained from renewable resources is a viable solution for solving energy scarcity and environmental degradation. A single‐cylinder 4‐stroke natural aspirated variable compression ratio research engine was fuelled with biogas as primary and diesel as a pilot injection in this work. Experiments were designed based on Taguchi L9 OA (orthogonal array) choosing biogas flow rate, compression ratio, and engine load as input factors, while brake thermal efficiency (BTE), BSEC, CO, HC, NOx, and smoke were targeted responses. The effects level of factors on responses was analysed by using MINITAB software. The higher value of raw data and S/N ratios for BTE was observed with low biogas flow rate, higher compression ratio, and full engine load. On the other hand, lower raw data and high S/N ratio analysis for emissions characteristics (CO, HC, NOx, and smoke) were achieved in the order of rank, that is, engine load > biogas flow rate > compression ratio. With the analysis of results, optimum levels of various factors were evaluated. These results showed that the Taguchi method design was an effective tool for optimizing the elements in terms of combustion performance and emissions characteristics.
Statistical QoS guarantees of a device‐to‐device link assisted by a full‐duplex relay
Authors: Waqas Haider Shah Syed , Li Rongpeng , Mahboob Ur Rahman Muhammad , Noor Mian Adnan , Aman Waqas , Crowcroft Jon
Published: August 2021

Device‐to‐device (D2D) communication is a promising technique to enhance the spectral efficiency for 5G and beyond cellular networks. Traditionally, D2D communication was considered solely as communication directly between two closely‐located devices, without any support from the available network infrastructure; however, this understanding limits the advantages of D2D communication. Relay‐assisted D2D communication was later proposed to allow devices to exchange data and extend coverage via relay strategy for transmission distance extension and capacity improvements. This work aims to determine the statistical quality‐of‐service (QoS) guarantees of a D2D link assisted by a full‐duplex relay by employing a commonly used analytical tool, the effective capacity (EC). We provide a closed‐form expression for the EC of relay‐assisted D2D communication, in which both the transmitter and the relay devices operate under individual QoS constraints. We also provide an analysis of the impact of mode selection on the EC of relay‐assisted D2D. Additionally, for the mode selection, we propose a novel multiple features‐based mechanism by utilizing all the features of a wireless link. We further provide a closed‐form solution for the non‐convex calibration problem of the optimal weights for these underlying features. Finally, simulation results demonstrate how the quality of self‐interference cancellation techniques impacts the EC of the relay‐assisted D2D. The results also show that the performance of our proposed mode selection mechanism with optimal weights outperforms the traditional mode selection mechanism.
Modeling crystallization kinetics for selective laser sintering of polyamide 12
Authors: Soldner Dominic , Steinmann Paul , Mergheim Julia
Published: August 2021

Selective laser sintering (SLS) of polymers represents a widely used additive manufacturing process, where the part quality depends highly on the present thermal conditions. One distinct feature of SLS is the existence of separate temperature regions for melting and crystallization (solidification) and that the process optimally operates within said regions. Typically a crystallization model, such as the Nakamura model, is used to predict the degree of crystallization as a function of temperature and time. One limitation of this model is the inability to compute negative rates of the crystallization degree during remelting. As we will show in this work, such an extension is necessary, considering the varying temperature fields appearing in SLS. To this end, an extension is proposed and analyzed in detail. Furthermore, a dependency of the temperature and crystallization fields on the size of geometrical features is presented.
Compensating Customers for Power Outages: A Bad Regulatory Policy?
Authors: Costello Kenneth W.
Published: August 2021

Few people doubt that the United States will continue experiencing long‐lasting, highly damaging electric power outages—like outages from Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the Texas Blackout, record‐breaking heat waves causing wildfires and infrastructure damage, and more tornadic activity and severe hurricanes in Florida and other coastal states. Many weather experts believe that hurricane strength, precipitation intensity, thunderstorm frequency, and winter storm activity—all partially attributed to climate change—will continue to escalate in the future. These occurrences will likely lead to more frequent and longer‐lasting power outages with the potential to inflict significant harm on businesses, individuals and local economies.
Enabling the Next Generation Smart Grid
Authors: Aweh Amanda
Published: August 2021

On March 31, 2021, the Biden administration released the American Jobs Plan, a $2.65 trillion dollar plan over eight years to invest in physical infrastructure including roads, railways, bridges, manufacturing, jobs, and healthcare. A significant portion of the plan focuses on investments in electric grid and high‐speed broadband internet, recommending $100 billion to bring high‐speed broadband to all Americans. A bi‐partisan version of the plan, at a lower $1.2 trillion investment, was announced on June 24th which maintained $65 billion of investment in broadband, paving the way for approval and significant expansion of highspeed internet access across the US.
The Uncertain World of Natural Gas Infrastructure
Authors: Smead Richard G.
Published: August 2021

A very interesting combination of court decisions came out in June, regarding natural gas infrastructure, its justification and the rights of its developers. One court decision would make it more difficult to prove the need for a natural gas pipeline. The other decision would make it easier for a pipeline with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) certificate to condemn rights‐of‐way, even across state land when the state does not support the build‐out of natural gas pipelines. In other words, one decision is restrictive for new pipeline infrastructure, while the other decision is supportive. The dueling decisions impact two significant issues regarding the authorization of new natural gas infrastructure development; (1) whether firm contracts are sufficient to prove supply need, and (2) how broad the right of eminent domain conferred by a FERC certificate can be.
Hydroamination of Dihapto‐Coordinated Benzene and Diene Complexes of Tungsten: Fundamental Studies and the Synthesis of γ‐Lycorane
Authors: Wilson Katy B. , Nedzbala Hannah S. , Simpson Spenser R. , Ericson Megan N. , Westendorff Karl S. , Chordia Mahendra D. , Dickie Diane A. , Harman W. Dean
Published: August 2021

Reactions are described for complexes of the form WTp(NO)(PMe3)(η2‐arene) and various amines, where the arene is benzene or benzene with an electron‐withdrawing substituent (CF3, SO2Ph, SO2Me). The arene complex is first protonated to form an η2‐arenium species, which then selectively adds the amine. The resulting η2‐5‐amino‐1,3‐cyclohexadiene complexes can then be subjected to the same sequence with a second nucleophile to form 3‐aminocyclohexene complexes, where up to three stereocenters originate from the arene carbons. Alternatively, 1,3‐cyclohexadiene complexes containing an ester group at the 5 position (also prepared from an arene) can be treated with acid followed by an amine to form trisubstituted 3‐aminocyclohexenes. When the amine is primary, ring closure can occur to form a cis‐fused bicyclic γ‐lactam. Highly functionalized cyclohexenes can be liberated from the tungsten through oxidative decomplexation. The potential utility of this methodology is demonstrated in the synthesis of the alkaloid γ‐lycorane. An enantioenriched synthesis of a lactam precursor to γ‐lycorane is also described. This compound is prepared from an enantioenriched version of the tungsten benzene complex. Regio‐ and stereochemical assignments for the reported compounds are supported by detailed 2D‐NMR analysis and 13 molecular structure determinations (SC‐XRD).
Application of multimedia models for understanding the environmental behavior of volatile methylsiloxanes: Fate, transport, and bioaccumulation
Authors: Whelan Michael J. , Kim Jaeshin
Published: August 2021

Multimedia fate and transport models (MFTMs) describe how chemicals behave in the environment based on their inherent properties and the characteristics of receiving systems. We critically review the use of MFTMs for understanding the behavior of volatile methylsiloxanes (VMS). MFTMs have been used to predict the fate of VMS in wastewater treatment, rivers, lakes, marine systems, and the atmosphere, and to assess bioaccumulation and trophic transfers. More widely, they have been used to assess the overall persistence, long-range transport potential (LRTP), and the propensity for atmosphere–surface exchange. The application of MFTMs for VMS requires particularly careful selection of model inputs because the properties of VMS differ from those of most organic compounds. For example, although n-octanol/water partition coefficient (KOW) values are high, air:water partition coefficient (KAW) values are also high and n-octanol/air partition coefficient (KOA) values are relatively low. In addition, organic carbon/water partition coefficient (KOC) values are substantially lower than expectations based on KOW. This means that most empirical relationships between KOC and KOW are not appropriate. Good agreement between modeled and measured concentrations in air, sediment, and biota indicates that our understanding of environmental fate is reasonable. VMS compounds are “fliers” that principally partition to the atmosphere, implying high LRTP, although they have low redeposition potential. They are degraded in air (half-lives 3–10 days) and, thus, have low overall persistence. In water, exposure can be limited by hydrolysis, volatilization, and partitioning to sediments (where degradation half-lives are likely to be high). In food webs, they are influenced by metabolism in biota, which tends to drive trophic dilution (i.e., trophic magnification factors are often but not always <1). Key remaining uncertainties include the following: (i) the strength and direction of the temperature dependence for KOC; (ii) the fate of atmospheric reaction products; and (iii) the magnitude of emissions to wastewater. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:599–621. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

KEY POINTS

We critically review the use of MFTMs as a framework for understanding the environmental behavior of volatile methylsiloxanes (VMS). Careful selection of model inputs is needed because the properties of VMS differ from those of most organic compounds which means that some empirical estimation methods are not appropriate. Key remaining uncertainties include: (i) the strength and direction of the temperature-dependence of partition coefficients; (ii) the fate of atmospheric reaction products; (iii) the magnitude of emissions to wastewater and (iv) the extent to which trophic transfer is influenced by metabolism.
The influence of the activation function in a capsule network for brain tumor type classification
Authors: Adu Kwabena , Yu Yongbin , Cai Jingye , Asare Isaac , Quahin Jennifer
Published: August 2021

Capsule network's hierarchical framework (CapsNets) consists of an initial standard convolution layer that uses an activation function at its core. The rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation function is widely used in CapsNet and brain tumor classification tasks among several existing activation functions. However, ReLU has some shortcomings where the zero derivatives of the function cause failure of neuron activation. Furthermore, the performance accuracy obtained by the ReLU with CapsNet on brain tumor classification is unsatisfactory. We proposed a new activation function called parametric scaled hyperbolic tangent (PSTanh), which enhances the conventional hyperbolic tangent by avoiding vanishing gradient, provides a small gradient with the introduction of and parameters, and enables faster optimization. Eight standard activation functions (i.e., tanh, Memrister‐Like Activation Function (ReLU), Leaky‐ReLU, PReLU, ELU, SELU, Swish, ReLU‐Memrister‐Like Activation Function (RMAF), and the proposed activation) are analyzed and compared in brain tumor classification tasks. Furthermore, extensive experiments are conducted using MNIST, fashion‐MNIST, CIFAR‐10, CIFAR‐100, and ImageNet datasets trained on CapsNets models and deep CNN models (i.e., AlexNet, SqueezeNet, ResNet50, and DenseNet121). The brain tumor's experimental results based on CapsNet and CNN model show that the proposed PSTanh activation achieves better performance than other functions.
Improving auditor performance evaluations: The impact on self‐esteem, professional skepticism, and audit quality
Authors: Blix Leslie H. , Chui Lawrence C. , Pike Byron J. , Robinson Shani N.
Published: August 2021

In public accounting, the performance evaluation process involves assessing and communicating feedback to employees. In the financial statement audit setting, in particular, supervisors provide feedback to subordinates frequently throughout a fiscal year. Prior research finds that performance evaluations are based largely on the subordinate's work outcomes, such as task completion and budgeted hours, and also are related to employee satisfaction/dissatisfaction and an increase/decrease in overall job performance. Utilizing psychology theories, we investigate whether a manager's feedback tone (supportive/non‐supportive) and evaluation focus (tasks/goals) influence auditors’ self‐esteem as well as their corresponding professional skepticism, including their search for evidence. Based on an experiment with 118 experienced auditors, we find that supportive and goal‐focused performance evaluations, independently, lead to higher self‐esteem. This elevated self‐esteem translates into desirable auditor attributes, such as greater professional skepticism and an increase in search for evidence and audit quality. Our results are valuable to practice, as firms attempt to train and retain their employees through the performance evaluation process.
Laterodorsal tegmentum–ventral tegmental area projections encode positive reinforcement signals
Authors: Coimbra Bárbara , Domingues Ana Verónica , Soares‐Cunha Carina , Correia Raquel , Pinto Luísa , Sousa Nuno , Rodrigues Ana João
Published: August 2021

The laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is a brainstem nucleus classically involved in REM sleep and attention, and that has recently been associated with reward‐related behaviors, as it controls the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, modulating dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. To further understand the role of LDT–VTA inputs in reinforcement, we optogenetically manipulated these inputs during different behavioral paradigms in male rats. We found that in a two‐choice instrumental task, optical activation of LDT–VTA projections shifts and amplifies preference to the laser‐paired reward in comparison to an otherwise equal reward; the opposite was observed with inhibition experiments. In a progressive ratio task, LDT–VTA activation boosts motivation, that is, enhances the willingness to work to get the reward associated with LDT–VTA stimulation; and the reverse occurs when inhibiting these inputs. Animals abolished preference if the reward was omitted, suggesting that LDT–VTA stimulation adds/decreases value to the stimulation‐paired reward. In addition, we show that LDT–VTA optical activation induces robust preference in the conditioned and real‐time place preference tests, while optical inhibition induces aversion. The behavioral findings are supported by electrophysiological recordings and c‐fos immunofluorescence correlates in downstream target regions. In LDT–VTA ChR2 animals, we observed an increase in the recruitment of lateral VTA dopamine neurons and D1 neurons from nucleus accumbens core and shell; whereas in LDT–VTA NpHR animals, D2 neurons appear to be preferentially recruited. Collectively, these data show that the LDT–VTA inputs encode positive reinforcement signals and are important for different dimensions of reward‐related behaviors.
Does attentional focus modulate affective information processing in male violent offenders with psychopathic traits?
Authors: Scheeff Jonathan , Schneidt Alexander , Schönenberg Michael
Published: August 2021

Antisocial and psychopathic individuals are characterized by a reduced responsivity to affective information. Yet, the role of attentional processes as possible modulator of these deficits is poorly understood. The current study investigated early and late processing of emotional stimuli in a sample of incarcerated offenders while manipulating the attentional focus. Twenty‐seven male violent offenders with psychopathic traits and 27 healthy controls completed two experimental tasks while electroencephalography (EEG) data were collected. Task 1 assessed indirect processing of emotional or neutral distractors during a perceptual judgment task, while Task 2 measured direct processing of the emotional or neutral stimuli and required participants to rate the stimuli regarding valence and arousal. EEG data indicated no differences in early stage processing (early posterior negativity) between the experimental groups. However, we found significant group differences with regard to the late processing stage (late positive potential, LPP). Controls showed increased LPP amplitudes in Task 2 as compared to Task 1, indicating that task demands (i.e., attentional focus) had an effect on the processing of the emotional stimuli. In contrast, LPP amplitudes in the violent offender group were largely unaffected by task demands, suggesting specific late alterations in the neural processing of emotional stimuli. In sum, this study provides new evidence for a modulatory impact of attention on affective information processing in male violent offenders with psychopathic traits.
Effect of adjunctive systemic antibiotics on microbial populations compared with scaling and root planing alone for the treatment of periodontitis: A pilot randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lu Hongye , He Lu , Jin Dongsiqi , Zhu Yunxuan , Meng Huanxin
Published: August 2021

Background

To investigate the microbial shift after periodontitis being treated by scaling and root planing (SRP) with or without adjunctive antibiotics, and to assess the relationship between oral microbiota and systemic factors.

Methods

A 6‐month pilot randomized controlled trial recruited 14 subjects with severe periodontitis, divided into test group and control group to receive full‐mouth SRP with or without amoxicillin (500 mg) and metronidazole (200 mg) (three times a day for 7 days). Clinical examination, collection of subgingival plaque and saliva, and blood tests were performed at baseline pre‐treatment, 3 months, and 6 months post‐treatment. The V3V4 region of 16S DNA was sequenced; taxonomic assignment was based on the Human Oral Microbiome Database.

Results

The periodontal condition significantly improved in both groups; the test group showed a greater improvement in plaque index, probing depth, and bleeding index than the control group. The test group demonstrated significantly lower microbial richness and diversity, and less abundant Porphyromonas than the control group at 3 months for both subgingival microbiome and salivary microbiome. However, the microbial differences narrowed within 6 months. The subgingival and salivary microbiota shifted synergistically. Glucose was positively related to subgingival Porphyromonas; mean platelet volume was positively related to subgingival Leptotrichia.

Conclusions

Systemic administration of amoxicillin and metronidazole along with SRP had an advantage over SRP alone in clinical improvement and infection control in both the subgingival region and saliva 3 months post‐treatment. Microbial advantage nearly disappeared at 6 months; however, the clinical advantage lasted longer. The use of antibiotics also has potential benefits for systemic inflammation and glucose.
Rapid diagnosis of lung cancer and glioma based on serum Raman spectroscopy combined with deep learning
Authors: Chen Chen , Wu Wei , Chen Cheng , Chen Fangfang , Dong Xiaogang , Ma Mingrui , Yan Ziwei , Lv Xiaoyi , Ma Yuhua , Zhu Min
Published: August 2021

Lung cancer and glioma are common malignancies worldwide and pose a serious threat to human health. There may be a certain correlation between lung cancer patients and glioma patients in serum composition, but to date, no study on the classification and correlation of lung cancer and glioma is available. In this paper, the differences and relationships between lung cancer and glioma were analyzed from serum Raman spectra. The existing detection methods of lung cancer and glioma are time consuming and expensive, so we propose a method based on patient serum Raman spectra combined with deep learning, which can screen lung cancer and glioma accurately with speed and low cost. In this study, features were extracted from the original spectral data of patients with lung cancer, glioma, and control subjects. By adding different decibels of white Gaussian noise to the training set for data enhancement, the enhanced training set data were imported into a multilayer perceptron (MLP), recursive neural network (RNN), convolutional neural network (CNN), and AlexNet using fivefold cross‐validation to build the diagnostic model. The results show that PLS‐AlexNet is the best model. The accuracy of this model in the binary classification experiment of lung cancer and control subjects, lung cancer and glioma, and glioma and control subjects were 99%, 95.2%, and 100%, respectively, and the experimental accuracy of the AlexNet triclassification algorithm is also above 85%. This method has great potential in clinical diagnosis of diseases.
Inhibition of Sulfate‐Reducing Bacteria by Para‐amino‐N‐((1‐Alkylpyridin‐1‐Ium Bromide)‐4‐Yl) Benzamide Surfactants and Surfactant‐Coated Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Azzam Eid M. S. , Sami Radwa M. , Alenezi Khalaf M. , Haque Ashan , El Moll Hani , Soury Raoudha A. , Ismail Abdallah R.
Published: August 2021

In the present work, we report the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) coated with the surfactants para‐amino‐N‐((1‐decylpyridin‐1‐ium bromide)‐4‐yl) benzamide and para‐amino‐N‐((1‐dodecylpyridin‐1‐ium bromide)‐4‐yl) benzamide (P10 and P12, respectively). P10 and P12‐coated AgNP were stable, as confirmed by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and other surface activity parameters. Both P10 and P12 and the coated AgNP formulations were investigated for their activity against sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). Overall, our results showed the importance of coating AgNP with surfactants (P10 and P12) in the design and development of new biocides against SRB.
Use of multifrequency (C‐band and L‐band) SAR data to monitor peat subsidence based on time‐series SBAS InSAR technique
Authors: Umarhadi Deha Agus , Avtar Ram , Widyatmanti Wirastuti , Johnson Brian Alan , Yunus Ali P. , Khedher Khaled Mohamed , Singh Gulab
Published: August 2021

Peatlands in tropical regions like Indonesia are undergoing irreversible subsidence due to changes in land use (e.g., deforestation) and land management practices (e.g., drainage alteration), resulting in massive amounts of soil carbon loss. Several satellite‐borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors are operating concurrently at different frequencies, providing potentially useful data for monitoring surface motion over tropical peatlands. This study focused on the capability of C‐band (SENTINEL‐1) and L‐band (PALSAR‐2) SAR data to monitor the surface changes in the tropical peatlands area of Bengkalis Island, Indonesia, by applying time‐series interferometric SAR (InSAR) with the small baseline subset (SBAS) technique. The average vertical velocity measured by SENTINEL‐1 and PALSAR‐2 for the period of 2018–2019 was −1.41 and −2.65 cm yr−1, respectively. We also explored the potential of groundwater level (GWL) data converted to vertical displacement for validating SBAS InSAR. PALSAR‐2 performed the best, exhibiting lower RMSE values for each land use compared to SENTINEL‐1, with an overall RMSE of 1.383 and 1.988 cm yr−1, respectively. Also, the subsidence rates of SENTINEL‐1 were underestimated, showing a significantly lower mean subsidence difference (0.96 cm yr−1) than the reference. Our GWL‐based subsidence data offered an alternative validation method for InSAR‐based subsidence estimation. Therefore, the integration of time‐series InSAR and GWL data can provide crucial information for monitoring the degradation of tropical peatlands.
Anticancer Effect of Statins in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Hae Lim , Lee Sung Won , Jang Jeong Won , Bae Si Hyun , Choi Jong Young , Yoon Seung Kew , Choi Ho Joong , Na Gun Hyung , You Young Kyoung , Park Il Young , Kim Dong Goo
Published: August 2021

The anticancer effect of statins is drawing attention. However, it is unclear whether statin use reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence in patients who undergo liver transplantation (LT) for HCC. Consecutive patients who underwent LT for HCC between 1995 and 2019 were enrolled. The effects of statins on HCC recurrence and mortality were compared between statin user and statin nonuser groups. We performed the analyses in a variety of ways, including inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) methods to balance any confounders and the landmark method to avoid immortal time bias. A total of 430 patients were enrolled, among whom 323 (75.1%) were statin nonusers and 107 (24.9%) were statin users. During a median of 64.9 months (IQR, 26.1‐122.6 months) of follow‐up, 79 patients (18.4%) had HCC recurrence and 111 (25.8%) died. Among those who died, 53 (47.7%) were identified as HCC‐related mortalities. Statin use was a predictor of HCC recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1‐0.6; P = 0.002), all‐cause mortality (adjusted HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2‐0.5; P < 0.001), and HCC‐related mortality (adjusted HR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2‐0.9; P = 0.03). The effects of statin use on clinical outcomes were also identified through IPTW analysis. There was a dose‐dependent relationship between statin use and HCC recurrence. The anticancer effect of statins on HCC recurrence was consistently significant across multivariable‐stratified and sensitivity analyses. Statin use significantly reduced the risk of HCC recurrence and improved the survival of patients who underwent LT for HCC.
Long‐time asymptotics for a coupled thermoelastic plate–membrane system
Authors: Barraza Martínez Bienvenido , Denk Robert , González Ospino Jonathan , Hernández Monzón Jairo , Rau Sophia
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we consider a transmission problem for a system of a thermoelastic plate with (or without) rotational inertia term coupled with a membrane with different variants of damping for the plate and/or the membrane. We prove well‐posedness of the problem and higher regularity of the solution and study the asymptotic behavior of the solution, depending on the damping and on the presence of the rotational term.
Multi‐parametric MRI (mpMRI) for treatment response assessment of radiation therapy
Authors: Wang Chunhao , Padgett Kyle R. , Su Min‐Ying , Mellon Eric A. , Maziero Danilo , Chang Zheng
Published: August 2021

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the modern radiation therapy (RT) workflow. In comparison with computed tomography (CT) imaging, which is the dominant imaging modality in RT, MRI possesses excellent soft‐tissue contrast for radiographic evaluation. Based on quantitative models, MRI can be used to assess tissue functional and physiological information. With the developments of scanner design, acquisition strategy, advanced data analysis, and modeling, multiparametric MRI (mpMRI), a combination of morphologic and functional imaging modalities, has been increasingly adopted for disease detection, localization, and characterization. Integration of mpMRI techniques into RT enriches the opportunities to individualize RT. In particular, RT response assessment using mpMRI allows for accurate characterization of both tissue anatomical and biochemical changes to support decision‐making in monotherapy of radiation treatment and/or systematic cancer management. In recent years, accumulating evidence have, indeed, demonstrated the potentials of mpMRI in RT response assessment regarding patient stratification, trial benchmarking, early treatment intervention, and outcome modeling. Clinical application of mpMRI for treatment response assessment in routine radiation oncology workflow, however, is more complex than implementing an additional imaging protocol; mpMRI requires additional focus on optimal study design, practice standardization, and unified statistical reporting strategy to realize its full potential in the context of RT. In this article, the mpMRI theories, including image mechanism, protocol design, and data analysis, will be reviewed with a focus on the radiation oncology field. Representative works will be discussed to demonstrate how mpMRI can be used for RT response assessment. Additionally, issues and limits of current works, as well as challenges and potential future research directions, will also be discussed.
Human oocyte meiotic maturation is associated with a specific profile of alternatively spliced transcript isoforms
Authors: Cornet‐Bartolomé David , Barragán Montserrat , Zambelli Filippo , Ferrer‐Vaquer Anna , Tiscornia Gustavo , Balcells Susanna , Rodriguez Amelia , Grinberg Daniel , Vassena Rita
Published: August 2021

The transition from a transcriptionally active state (GV) to a transcriptionally inactive state (mature MII oocytes) is required for the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence. We hypothesize that the expression of specific genes at the in vivo matured (MII) stage could be modulated by posttranscriptional mechanisms, particularly regulation of alternative splicing (AS). In this study, we examined the transcriptional activity of GV oocytes after ovarian stimulation followed by oocyte pick‐up and the landscape of alternatively spliced isoforms in human MII oocytes. Individual oocytes were processed and analyzed for transcriptional activity (GV), gene expression (GV and MII), and AS signatures (GV and MII) on HTA 2.0 microarrays. Samples were grouped according to maturation stage, and then subgrouped according to women's age and antral follicular count (AFC); array results were validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Differentially expressed genes between GV and MII oocytes clustered mainly in biological processes related to mitochondrial metabolism. Interestingly, 16 genes that were related to the regulation of transcription and mitochondrial translation showed differences in alternatively spliced isoform profiles despite not being differentially expressed between groups. Altogether, our results contribute to our understanding of the role of AS in oocyte developmental competence acquisition.
Unconditionally stable exponential time differencing schemes for the mass‐conserving Allen–Cahn equation with nonlocal and local effects
Authors: Jiang Kun , Ju Lili , Li Jingwei , Li Xiao
Published: August 2021

It is well known that the classic Allen–Cahn equation satisfies the maximum bound principle (MBP), that is, the absolute value of its solution is uniformly bounded for all time by certain constant under suitable initial and boundary conditions. In this paper, we consider numerical solutions of the modified Allen–Cahn equation with a Lagrange multiplier of nonlocal and local effects, which not only shares the same MBP as the original Allen–Cahn equation but also conserves the mass exactly. We reformulate the model equation with a linear stabilizing technique, then construct first‐ and second‐order exponential time differencing schemes for its time integration. We prove the unconditional MBP preservation and mass conservation of the proposed schemes in the time discrete sense and derive their error estimates under some regularity assumptions. Various numerical experiments in two and three dimensions are also conducted to verify the theoretical results.
The effect of combining plyometrics exercises and balance exercises in improving dynamic balance among female college athletes: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Al Attar Wesam Saleh A. , Husain Mohamed A.
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Plyometrics and balance exercises have been shown to reduce the incidence of lower limb injury. The effects of combining these exercises on dynamic balance have not been investigated.

Objective

To evaluate the effect of plyometrics, balance exercises, and a combination of both exercises on postural stability among female athletes compared to those who did not perform any specific exercise (control).

Design

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Sports medicine laboratory.

Participants

Two hundred female athletes (mean age 21.9 ± 2.4 years) were assigned randomly to a plyometrics exercise group (n = 50), a balance exercise group (n = 50), a combination of both exercises group (n = 50), or a control group (n = 50). One hundred seventy‐nine female college athletes completed the study.

Interventions

Plyometrics exercises, balance exercises, and a combination of both exercises.

Outcome Measures

Limits of stability, which was assessed using the Biodex Stability System to evaluate the performance of the dynamic balance. It was measured pre‐ and post‐intervention after 6 weeks.

Results

There were no differences in baseline data between groups (p = .557). All groups showed significant improvement in limits of stability (p < .001). The most marked improvement in the limits of stability was shown in the combination group compared to the control group (MD = 4.1%, 95% CI [2.8, 5.3], p < .001).

Conclusions

Combining plyometrics and balance exercises significantly increases the dynamic balance performance post‐intervention among female athletes compared to the control group.
Post‐COVID‐19 aphantasia
Authors: Gaber Tarek A‐Z K , Eltemamy Marwa
Published: August 2021

Despite the fact that the term aphantasia was coined only 6 years ago, such fascinating neurological condition has captured the imagination of the neuroscience community. The condition is congenital in most cases but can be very distressing when suddenly acquired. The authors report a case of acquired aphantasia following a case of mild COVID‐19 hoping to raise awareness of the possibility of such uncommon neuropsychological syndromes to follow mild cases of COVID‐19 infections.
Artificial intelligence as an aid to diagnosing dementia: an overview
Authors: Dashwood Mark , Churchhouse Gabrielle , Young Matilda , Kuruvilla Tarun
Published: August 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing huge promise in assisting with early diagnosis of dementia, which would yield clear benefits in optimising the quality of life of those with dementia and their carers. In this review, the authors provide an overview of AI technology, its applications and implications for clinical practice. Consideration is given to ethical issues and future challenges.
Editorial introduction: Social and spatial inequalities in health and mortality: The analysis of longitudinal register data from selected European countries
Authors: Keenan Katherine , Kulu Hill , Cox Fiona
Published: August 2021

Health inequalities—systematic differences in health outcomes between social groups and across spatial units—are ubiquitous, but not necessarily inevitable. They are the product of a complex interplay of social and economic processes operating at various scales. The unequal pattern of infection and death seen in the Covid‐19 pandemic has served to highlight the stark social gradient in health that exists within many European countries. Although the complex social determinants of health have been studied for many decades, there is still a great deal of work to do to elucidate explanations for health inequalities across time and space. To rise to the challenge, we need high‐quality, representative data capable of capturing multi‐scalar longitudinal processes. This special issue brings together eight new studies which all use national population register data linked with various other sources of administrative data (e.g., residence, tax and health records) to investigate different vectors of inequalities in health and mortality, covering spatial, socioeconomic, ethnic and migrant status. This editorial outlines their contributions, argues for the invaluable role of population register data to understand health inequalities and suggests promising future research avenues.