bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of synthesis parameters on the optical and photocatalytic properties of solvo/hydrothermal CuS and ZnS nanoparticles
Authors: Shahi Shima , Saeednia Samira , Iranmanesh Parvaneh , Hatefi Ardakani Mehdi
Published: August 2020

Copper sulfide and zinc sulfide nanostructures were synthesized using a solvo/hydrothermal method and a thio Schiff base ligand, N‐benzylidene ethanethioamide, as a source of sulfide ions. The effects of different synthesis parameters including the type of solvent, temperature, and duration of reactions on the morphology of the CuS and ZnS products were investigated using field emission scanning microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The structural aspects of the samples were characterized using powder X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis. The optical properties of the samples were studied through their optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra. The photocatalytic ability of the as‐synthesized sulfides was explored by studying the colour removal of methylene blue under ultraviolet light irradiation.
The synthesis and modification of highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots for reversible detection of water‐soluble phosphonate‐1‐hydroxyethane‐1,1‐diphosphonic acid by fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Lu Xin , Wang Fengyun , Lei Wu , Xia Mingzhu
Published: August 2020

Photoluminescent (PL) carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were prepared successfully using a facile and green procedure. They exhibited striking blue fluorescence and excellent optical properties, with a quantum yield as high as 61.44%. Due to the fluorescence quenching effect and the stronger complexing ability of the phosphoric acid group of 1‐hydroxyethane‐1,1‐diphosphonic acid (HEDP) to Fe3+, CQDs doped with Fe3+ were adequately constructed as an efficient and sensitive fluorescent probe for HEDP‐specific sensing. The proposed fluorescent probe had a sensitive and rapid response in the range 5–70 μM. Furthermore, quantitative molecular surface (QMS) analysis based on the Multiwfn program was applied to explore the complexation mode of HEDP and metal ions. The distribution of electrostatic potential (ESP), average local ionization energy (ALIE), the minimum value points and the position of the lone pair electrons on the surface of molecular van der Waals were further determined. More strikingly, this experiment achieved the quantitative detection of water‐soluble phosphonate‐HEDP, for the first time using fluorescence spectrometry. It has been proved to be an effective and intuitive sensing method for the detection of HEDP in real samples.
Photoluminescence studies and synthesis of BaSO3Cl2:Ce3+ blue‐emitting lamp phosphor
Authors: Panse V.R. , Zade D.B. , Milind Jog , Dhoble S.J. , Cengiz Korhan
Published: August 2020

The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra of BaSO3Cl2:Ce3+ phosphor were investigated. Excitation wavelength was 323 nm. The phosphor was prepared using a combustion synthesis method. The emission spectrum exhibited a well defined asymmetric band with a maximum at 445 nm for higher emission concentrations. The prepared samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence and Commission Internationale de l'éclairage colour coordinates; emission intensity was related to relative Ce3+ concentration. These developments enabled the rapid and energy‐efficient production of fine particles in the powder form with little expenditure. No additional emission band was observed in the emission spectra, demonstrating that the Ce3+ ion occupied one category of site in the prepared host phosphor.
Colostomy and quality of life after spinal cord injury: systematic review
Authors: Waddell O , McCombie A , Frizelle F
Published: August 2020

Background

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of affected patients. The aim of this review was to determine whether colostomy formation improves QoL in patients with SCI.

Methods

The Cochrane Register, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL were searched using medical subject headings. The search was extended to the reference lists of identified studies,ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry. All clinical trials that included spinal injury and QoL, time spent on bowel care, and patient satisfaction with stoma were assessed.

Results

A total of 15 studies were found (including 488 patients with a stoma), of which 13 were retrospective cross-sectional studies and two were case–control studies, one of which was prospective research. Nine of 11 studies focusing on QoL reported that patients' QoL was improved by the stoma, whereas the remaining two studies found no difference. Time spent on bowel care was significantly reduced in all 13 studies that considered this outcome, with patients reducing the average time spent on bowel care from more than 1 h to less than 15 min per day. All 12 studies assessing patient satisfaction with their stoma reported high patient satisfaction.

Conclusion

Stoma formation improves QoL, reduces time spent on bowel care, and increases independence. Stoma is an option that could be discussed and offered to patients with spinal cord injury.
Elucidating the Performance Limitations of Alkaline Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis: Dominance of Anion Concentration in Membrane Electrode Assembly
Authors: Razmjooei Fatemeh , Farooqui Azharuddin , Reissner Regine , Gago Aldo Saul , Ansar Syed Asif , Friedrich Kaspar Andreas
Published: August 2020

Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) offer a cost‐effective technology for producing green hydrogen. Here, an AEMWE with atmospheric plasma spray non‐precious metal electrodes was tested in 0.1 to 1.0 M KOH solution, correlating performance with KOH concentration systematically. The highest cell performance was achieved at 1.0 M KOH (ca. 0.4 A cm−2 at 1.80 V), which was close to a traditional alkaline electrolysis cell with ≈6.0 M KOH. The cell exhibited 0.13 V improvement in the performance in 0.30 M KOH compared with 0.10 M KOH at 0.5 A cm−2. However, this improvement becomes more limited when further increasing the KOH concentration. Electrochemical impedance and numerical simulation results show that the ohmic resistance from the membrane was the most notable limiting factor to operate in low KOH concentration and the most sensitive to the changes in KOH concentration at 0.5 A cm−2. It is suggested that the effect of activation loss is more dominant at lower current densities; however, the ohmic loss is the most limiting factor at higher current densities, which is a current range of interest for industrial applications.
Chemosensory aerosol assessment of key attributes for tobacco products
Authors: Soares Frederico L.F. , Marcelo Marcelo C.A. , Dias Jailson C. , Juliano Luciana C. , Porte Liliane M.F. , Canova Luciana dos S. , Ardila Jorge A. , Pontes Oscar F.S. , Sabin Guilherme P. , Kaiser Samuel
Published: August 2020

Human sensory evaluation plays an important role in assessing quality and supports commercial product development in many industries. However, sensory evaluation of tobacco products often requires highly trained specialists, is thus expensive, time‐consuming with low throughput capacity. To overcome such limitations, analytical platforms based on chemical fingerprints were proposed and evaluated in this work based on two different tobacco matrices. Using cigarette smoke as an example, the method was capable of predicting sensory attributes through chemical fingerprinting key tobacco and cigarette mainstream aerosol compositions. To achieve this, tobacco samples (comprising flue‐cured Virginia and air‐cured Burley types) and cigarette mainstream smoke samples were evaluated using high‐resolution mass spectrometry. The chemical fingerprint of each sample matrix was related to its respective reference sensory attributes, validated by highly trained panellists, to create predictive models based on partial least squares algorithm. These methodologies were further validated through a blind test with suitable prediction of all sensory attributes for single grade tobacco leaf and commercial blended cigarette smoke. The proposed methodology demonstrated satisfactory accuracy, repeatability and robustness, with prediction errors less than 20% for single grade tobaccos, and less than 11% for commercial products. When compared with human sensory evaluation, it significantly improved analytical capacity (over 100 samples per day) at comparable or improved accuracy. This method could be applied to evaluate other novel tobacco products such as heated tobacco products.
Chemistry, Sustainability and Naturality of Perfumery Biotech Ingredients
Authors: Lecourt Mathilde , Antoniotti Sylvain
Published: August 2020

White biotechnology has emerged in biochemical manufacturing processes to deliver perfumery ingredients satisfying interests of the society for natural, eco‐responsible, and sustainable materials. As a result, an intense R&D activity has taken place on these subjects, resulting in both scientific publications and patent applications reporting combinations of state‐of‐the‐art approaches in biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, biosynthesis elucidation, gene edition and cloning, and analytical chemistry. In this Minireview, a smelly selection of novel biotechnological processes and ingredients from a scientific articles and patents survey covering the last 6 years is presented and analysed in terms of chemistry, sustainability and naturality. Classification has been made between metabolic engineering on one side, allowing either biotechnological synthesis of essential oil surrogates or single molecule ingredients, and on the other side the optimisation of properties of natural complex substances by specific and selective enzymatic modifications of their chemical composition.
Multicentric MFI30 study: Standardization of flow cytometry analysis of CD30 expression in non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Debliquis Agathe , Baseggio Lucile , Bouyer Sabrina , Guy Julien , Garnache‐Ottou Francine , Genevieve Franck , Mayeur‐Rousse Caroline , Letestu Remi , Chapuis Nicolas , Harrivel Véronique , Bennani Hind , Lachot Sebastien , Loosveld Marie , Nicolino‐Brunet Corinne , Pérès Michaël , Roussel Mikael , Veyrat‐Masson Richard , Jacob Marie‐Christine , Drenou Bernard
Published: August 2020

CD30 transmembrane receptor, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, is expressed in different lymphomas. Brentuximab vedotin (BV), a CD30 monoclonal antibody (Ab)‐drug conjugate, is effective in CD30‐positive lymphomas. However, the response to BV is not always correlated to CD30 expression detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The objectives of this study were to standardize and evaluate CD30 intensity by flow cytometry (FCM) in non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas. Twelve centers analyzed 161 cases on standardized cytometers using normalized median fluorescence intensity (nMFI30) of three different Abs, of which one clone can recognize the same epitope as BV. FCM distinguished four groups of cases: negative group (n = 110) which showed no expression with the three clones; high positive group (n = 13) which gave nMFI30 > 5% with all tested clones; dim positive group (n = 17) which showed nMFI30 > 1% with all tested clones and <5% for at least one; discordant group (n = 21) with positive and negative expression of the different clones. In consistency with the literature, CD30 was positive in all anaplastic large cell lymphomas, in some diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas (DLBCL), and in other rare lymphomas. FCM results were concordant with those of IHC in 77% of cases. Discrepancies could be explained by clones‐related differences, microenvironment, or intracytoplasmic staining. Interestingly, FCM was more sensitive than IHC in 11% of cases, especially in DLBCL. Multicenter standardized FCM of specific CD30 could improve case detection and extend the treatment of BV to various CD30‐positive lymphomas.
Utility of p16 and HPV testing in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: An institutional review
Authors: Abdelhakam Dina A. , Huenerberg Katherine A. , Nassar Aziza
Published: August 2020

Background

In the US, 60% to 80% of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). However, until recently, no consensus existed about when and how to test for HPV in patients with head and neck cancers. We aimed to evaluate the use of p16 and HPV testing at our institution because p16 immunohistochemistry is reportedly a reliable surrogate marker for HPV detection in OPSCCs.

Methods

We identified all cases at our institution of primary or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck with a concurrent p16 immunostain analysis from January 1, 2013, through August 31, 2018. Patient demographic data, tumor characteristics, p16 result, and any HPV result (in situ hybridization and E6 and E7 RNA test) were captured.

Results

We identified 104 patients. Most primary tumors (53/57 [93.0%]) and metastases (40/47 [85.1%]) were positive for p16. Thirty‐seven cases (35.6%) had reflex high‐risk HPV (HR HPV) testing performed. Of the 35 p16‐positive cases, 6 had discrepant HR HPV results (p16+/HPV−). We identified 47 p16 immunostains that were performed on lymph nodes with primary tumors of unknown origin. Most were cytology cases (34/47 [72.3%]), and most were p16 positive (40/47 [85.1%]). Neither tumor differentiation nor tumor keratinization was predictive of p16 positivity. Tumors with basaloid differentiation were universally p16 positive.

Conclusion

p16 immunohistochemistry accurately identifies HPV‐positive OPSCC. Cytology specimens have an important role in characterizing SCC of unknown origin. HR HPV testing is not routinely required, and results may be discrepant with p16 findings.
Differential sensitivity to species‐ and race‐based information in the development of attention orienting and attention holding face biases in infancy
Authors: Hunter Brianna K. , Markant Julie
Published: August 2020

Experience‐based biases in face processing can reflect both attention orienting biases that support efficient selection of faces from competing stimuli and attention holding biases that allow for detailed encoding of selected faces. It is well established that infants demonstrate both species‐ and race‐based biases in attention holding. Fewer studies have found species‐based, but not race‐based, orienting biases in infancy but these studies examined species‐ and race‐based biases separately and measured overall orienting without examining attention to distractors. The present study directly compared 6‐ and 11‐month‐old infants’ species‐ and race‐based biases in attention holding and orienting to faces. We measured infants’ duration of looking and frequency/speed of orienting to own‐race, other‐race, and monkey faces in multi‐item search arrays, and their frequency of orienting to faces and distractors during search. Infants showed expected species‐ and race‐based biases in attention holding but only a species‐based bias in overall orienting. However, they also showed reduced orienting to salient distractors in the context of own‐race faces. These results suggest that orienting mechanisms mediating face selection are robustly driven by species information while orienting to faces versus distractors during search may also reflect prior learning about frequently experienced own‐race faces.
Evaluate the comparability of two automated liquid handling systems for clinical toxicology assays
Authors: Yang Yifei K. , Reichman Heather A. , Bankhead Corey D. , McNamee Jason A.
Published: August 2020

Automated liquid handling (ALH) platforms are increasingly implemented in clinical laboratories to improve analytical reproducibility and replace manual handling during sample analysis. In clinical toxicology laboratories, ALH platforms are primarily utilized to perform sample preparation and extraction prior to subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). When performing analysis with complex human biological matrices, verifying the performance characteristics of ALH platforms is required to ensure the assays' accuracy and reproducibility. Here, we evaluated and compared the analytical performances of Perkin Elmer JANUS® and Tecan Fluent® ALH systems in parallel, based on their performance in two toxicology assays designed to identify and quantify various opiates, semisynthetic opiates, and their metabolites. The comparability of the instrument platforms was evaluated by comparing assay analytical measuring range, total analytical imprecisions, and patient samples measurement when the ALH platforms are incorporated as part of the clinical assay's workflow. We have shown that both ALH platforms meet quality and performance criteria suitable for clinical toxicology assays. Nevertheless, the two platforms exhibit biases when measuring unknown patient samples. Such variations in their analytical performances may cause discrepancies when comparing results obtained from two different ALH platforms. In conclusion, it is important to consider how variations in ALH platform performances can affect patient results interpretation when implementing them in clinical laboratories.
Plasmonic chip enhanced fluorescence biosensor in the back illumination system
Authors: Tawa Keiko , Nakayama Takuya , Kintaka Kenji
Published: August 2020

The plasmonic chip, which has wavelength‐size grating pattern coated with a thin silver or gold film, is applied to a sensitive biosensor because it can provide the enhanced fluorescence excited by the surface plasmon field. We have already reported on the sensitive immunodetection with the plasmonic sensor chip under the illumination system from top panel of a plasmonic chip. In this study, the structure of a biosensor chip was optimized for the illumination system from rear panel and the detection sensitivity of the system under the back illumination was compared with that for the other conditions, including the top illumination system.
Shedding light on environmentally transmitted parasites: lighter conditions within lakes restrict epidemic size
Authors: Shaw Clara L. , Hall Spencer R. , Overholt Erin P. , Cáceres Carla E. , Williamson Craig E. , Duffy Meghan A.
Published: August 2020

Parasite fitness depends on a successful journey from one host to another. For parasites that are transmitted environmentally, abiotic conditions might modulate the success of this journey. Here we evaluate how light, a key abiotic factor, influences spatiotemporal patterns of zooplankton disease where light varies seasonally, across lakes, and with depth in a lake. In an in situ experiment using those three sources of variation, we tested sensitivity of spores of two parasites to ambient light. Infectivity of both parasites was lower when exposed to ambient light in comparison to parasites exposed to otherwise similar conditions in the dark. The more sensitive parasite (the fungus, Metschnikowia) was damaged even under lower ambient light during late fall (November). With this differential sensitivity established, we evaluated links between light environment and natural outbreaks in lakes. Consistent with the incubations, epidemics of the less sensitive parasite (the bacterium, Pasteuria) started earlier in the fall (under higher ambient light), and both parasites had smaller outbreaks in more transparent lakes. Overall, light environment may impact the timing and size of disease outbreaks. Outbreaks could thus become exacerbated by human activities that darken waters, including lake browning associated with climate change and eutrophication.
Mortality risk in dilated cardiomyopathy: the accuracy of heart failure prognostic models and dilated cardiomyopathy‐tailored prognostic model
Authors: Dziewięcka Ewa , Gliniak Matylda , Winiarczyk Mateusz , Karapetyan Arman , Wiśniowska‐Śmiałek Sylwia , Karabinowska Aleksandra , Dziewięcki Marcin , Podolec Piotr , Rubiś Paweł
Published: August 2020

Aims

The aims of this paper were to investigate the analytical performance of the nine prognostic scales commonly used in heart failure (HF), in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and to develop a unique prognostic model tailored to DCM patients.

Methods and results

The hospital and outpatient records of 406 DCM patients were retrospectively analysed. The information on patient status was gathered after 48.2 ± 32.0 months. Tests were carried out to ascertain the prognostic accuracy in DCM using some of the most frequently applied HF prognostic scales (Barcelona Bio‐Heart Failure, Candesartan in Heart Failure‐Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity, Studio della Streptochinasi nell'Infarto Miocardico‐Heart Failure, Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization and Survival Study in Heart Failure, Meta‐Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure, MUerte Subita en Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Organized Program to Initiate Lifesaving Treatment in Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure, Seattle Heart Failure Model) and one dedicated to DCM, that of Miura et al. At follow‐up, 70 DCM patients (17.2%) died. Most analysed scores substantially overestimated the mortality risk, especially in survivors. The prognostic accuracy of the scales were suboptimal, varying between 60% and 80%, with the best performance from Barcelona Bio‐Heart Failure and Seattle Heart Failure Model for 1–5 year mortality [areas under the receiver operating curve 0.792–0.890 (95% confidence interval 0.725–0.918) and 0.764–0.808 (95% confidence interval 0.682–0.934), respectively].Based on our accumulated data, a self‐developed DCM prognostic model was constructed. The model consists of age, gender, body mass index, symptoms duration, New York Heart Association class, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke, abnormal liver function, dyslipidaemia, left bundle branch block, left ventricle end‐diastolic diameter, ejection fraction, N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide, haemoglobin, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and pharmacological and resynchronisation therapy. This newly created prognostic model outperformed the analysed HF scales.

Conclusions

An analysis of various HF prognostic models found them to be suboptimal for DCM patients. A self‐developed DCM prognostic model showed improved performance over the nine other models studied. However, further validation of the prognostic model in different DCM populations is required.
Talus slope geomorphology investigated at multiple time scales from high‐resolution topographic surveys and historical aerial photographs (Sanetsch Pass, Switzerland)
Authors: Hendrickx Hanne , De Sloover Lars , Stal Cornelis , Delaloye Reynald , Nyssen Jan , Frankl Amaury
Published: August 2020

Talus slopes are common places for debris storage in high‐mountain environments and form an important step in the alpine sediment cascade. To understand slope instabilities and sediment transfers, detailed investigations of talus slope geomorphology are needed. Therefore, this study presents a detailed analysis of a talus slope on Col du Sanetsch (Swiss Alps), which is investigated at multiple time scales using high‐resolution topographic (HRT) surveys and historical aerial photographs. HRT surveys were collected during three consecutive summers (2017–2019), using uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements. To date, very few studies exist that use HRT methods on talus slopes, especially to the extent of our study area (2 km2). Data acquisition from ground control and in situ field observations is challenging on a talus slope due to the steep terrain (30–37°) and high surface roughness. This results in a poor spatial distribution of ground control points (GCPs), causing unwanted deformation of up to 2 m in the gathered UAV‐derived HRT data. The co‐alignment of UAV imagery from different survey dates improved this deformation significantly, as validated by the TLS data. Sediment transfer is dominated by small‐scale but widespread snow push processes. Pre‐existing debris flow channels are prone to erosion and redeposition of material within the channel. A debris flow event of high magnitude occurred in the summer of 2019, as a result of several convective thunderstorms. While low‐magnitude (<5,000 m3) debris flow events are frequent throughout the historical record with a return period of 10–20 years, this 2019 event exceeded all historical debris flow events since 1946 in both extent and volume. Future climate predictions show an increase of such intense precipitation events in the region, potentially altering the frequency of debris flows in the study area and changing the dominant geomorphic process which are active on such talus slopes. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cooperative NOMA system with incremental relaying and energy harvesting: Performance analysis and optimization
Authors: Reshma K. , Babu A. V.
Published: August 2020

This article investigates the outage performance of incremental relaying based energy harvesting non‐orthogonal multiple access (IR‐EH‐NOMA) system. Firstly, we describe the IR‐EH‐NOMA protocol considering downlink user assisted relaying and power splitting (PS) based EH strategy. We derive analytical expressions for the outage probabilities experienced by the downlink users and the system outage probability of IR‐EH‐NOMA network, in the presence of imperfect successive interference cancellation (I‐SIC). For comparison, we derive the corresponding outage expressions for the conventional cooperative relaying based NOMA network with EH (CR‐EH‐NOMA network) as well. We provide extensive numerical and Monte‐Carlo simulation results to establish the supremacy of IR‐EH‐NOMA system over CR‐EH‐NOMA system in terms of the outage performance. We separately derive analytical expressions for (i) the optimal power allocation (OPA) factor at the source and (ii) the optimal power splitting (OPS) factor at the relay that minimizes the asymptotic system outage probability of the considered networks. With the help of numerical and simulation investigations, we establish that the system outage of the considered networks improve significantly when OPA and OPS factors are selected according to the criterion described in the article. The analytical results are validated by extensive simulation studies.
Ensemble machine learning approaches for webshell detection in Internet of things environments
Authors: Yong Binbin , Wei Wei , Li Kuan‐Ching , Shen Jun , Zhou Qingguo , Wozniak Marcin , Połap Dawid , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: August 2020

The Internet of things (IoT), made up of a massive number of sensor devices interconnected, can be used for data exchange, intelligent identification, and management of interconnected “things.” IoT devices are proliferating and playing a crucial role in improving the living quality and living standard of the people. However, the real IoT is more vulnerable to attack by countless cyberattacks from the Internet, which may cause privacy data leakage, data tampering and also cause significant harm to society and individuals. Network security is essential in the IoT system, and Web injection is one of the most severe security problems, especially the webshell. To develop a safe IoT system, in this article, we apply essential machine learning models to detect webshell to build secure solutions for IoT network. Future, ensemble methods including random forest (RF), extremely randomized trees (ET), and Voting are used to improve the performances of these machine learning models. We also discuss webshell detection in lightweight and heavyweight computing scenarios for different IoT environments. Extensive experiments have been conducted on these models to verify the validity of webshell intrusion. Simulation results show that RF and ET are suitable for lightweight IoT scenarios, and Voting method is effective for heavyweight IoT scenarios.
Combining partial transmit sequences and selective mapping to reduce computational complexity of selective mapping techniques
Authors: Liang Hsin‐Ying , Chu Hung‐Chi , Cheng Yu‐Huei
Published: August 2020

Both selective mapping (SLM) and partial transmit sequences (PTSs) are multiple signal representation (MSR) techniques used to reduce the peak to average power ratio (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Given the same number of candidate signals, SLM is superior to PTS in improving PAPR performance. However, SLM is associated with greater computational complexity, as more inverse discrete Fourier transforms (IDFTs) are required for SLM in comparison with PTS. To address this issue, this study proposes an improved SLM scheme, which divides available subcarriers into two parts, with one part used in PTS and the other in SLM. The proposed method determines whether PTS or SLM is to be used by input signals by setting an adaptive threshold, which can reduce the number of IDFTs accumulated over the implementation of SLM following a large number of OFDM signal transmissions. Statistical analysis of the simulation results show that after a large number of OFDM signals are transmitted, the proposed method not only reduces the number of IDFTs accumulated, but also allows each transmit signal to have PAPR‐reduction performance equivalent to that of conventional SLM schemes.
VIX futures and its closed‐form pricing through an affine GARCH model with realized variance
Authors: Wang Qi , Wang Zerong
Published: August 2020

This paper studies the forecasting of volatility index (VIX) and the pricing of its futures by a generalized affine realized volatility model proposed by Christoffersen et al. This model is a weighted average of a GARCH and a pure realized variance (RV) model that incorporates each volatility component into the new dynamics. We rewrite the VIX in terms of both volatility components and then derive closed‐form formulas for the VIX forecasting and its futures pricing. Our empirical studies find that a unification of the GARCH and the RV in the modeling substantially improves the forecasting of this index and the pricing of its futures.
Forrestfield Airport Link Project – Challenges and TBM solution
Authors: Bäppler Karin , Strässer Michael
Published: August 2020

A large number of successfully completed tunnelling projects in sensitive environments and airport areas show the highest technical and quality standards of mechanized tunnelling technology, mastering project challenges and individual tasks in the interest of customers, clients and the environment. The Forrestfield Airport Link, currently under construction in Perth, Australia, is one of these projects tackling challenges in an airport area sensitive to any kind of settlement and subsurface conditions. The paper highlights the project challenges that require a well‐adapted TBM concept and experience with the use of variable density TBM technology from the manufacturer's point of view.
Digitalisierung und IoT im maschinellen Tunnelbau – Ein integraler Ansatz
Authors: Hegemann Felix , Stascheit Janosch , Maidl Ulrich
Published: August 2020

The article presents a platform approach, in which the almost complete linking of machine data analysis, Building Information Modelling, document management system and digital ground models can be carried out in real time during a mechanised tunnel drive. All processes of mechanised tunnelling are digitalised and further processed in various applications in real time. The subsequent examples should demonstrate that there are now practically no application limits to the digitalisation of tunnel construction sites. Furthermore the potential and limits of artificial intelligence and machine learning are presented.
An international systematic review of dementia caregiving interventions for Chinese families
Authors: Ma Kris Pui Kwan , Saw Anne
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Older Asians and Chinese are among the least studied populations in the dementia caregiving literature. This review seeks to critically synthesize the literature on intervention characteristics, components and tailoring strategies for dementia family caregivers in Chinese communities globally.

Methods

Five electronic databases (PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar) were searched for articles published between 1980 and July 2018. The protocol of this review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019132800).

Results

Twenty‐nine unique interventions across 39 papers met inclusion criteria. Results from descriptive and thematic syntheses revealed that most interventions were psychoeducational, CBT‐based, multicomponent, structured, and less than a year in duration. Disease education, management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, stress coping techniques, and referral to community resources were frequently included in interventions. Community‐, culture‐ and language‐focused strategies were used to tailor interventions. The most common tailoring strategies were: (a) using community networks and media for outreach and recruitment; (b) making translations and language adaptations to the intervention materials; and (c) focusing on trust and therapeutic alliance. Most interventions produced desired outcomes, particularly reducing caregiver burden and increasing self‐efficacy.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first review to date that systematically synthesized the characteristics and tailoring of dementia caregiving interventions for Chinese families globally. Current findings suggest that most interventions are effective, although many only superficially address Chinese culture. Future research should incorporate Chinese values and cross‐cultural challenges into caregiving interventions for deep‐level adaptations that could potentially be more effective to engage and support Chinese caregivers.
Executive functioning of older adults with bipolar disorder
Authors: Omer Elad , Braw Yoram , Amiaz Revital , Ravona‐Springer Ramit
Published: August 2020

Abstarct

Objectives

Despite their impact on daily functioning, we have limited understanding of the executive functioning of older adults with bipolar disorder (OABD). Even less is known about the possible differences in the executive functioning of OABD and older adults with unipolar depression (OADEP).

Methods

After excluding acutely ill patients, the executive functioning of OABD was compared to that of OADEP and healthy controls (n = 22, n = 20, n = 22; respectively). Cognitive insight, a sub‐domain of executive functioning, was operationalized as the discrepancy between the participants' self‐reported cognitive functioning and appraisals that were made by their care partners. To complement the cognitive profiling, the groups were compared in information processing speed, verbal memory, and visual‐spatial memory.

Results

OABD were impaired in several cognitive domains compared to healthy controls, most prominently in executive functioning and memory. OABD had poorer executive functioning and visual‐spatial memory than OADEP. The findings also tentatively point toward intact cognitive insight among OABD, while OADEP seem to have a heightened level of awareness of their cognitive impairment.

Conclusions

OABD have a unique profile of cognitive impairment compared to OADEP. It is characterized by a more severe cognitive impairment, accompanied by relatively intact cognitive insight. The findings may help clarify the cognitive profile of OABD and assist in the development of cognitive rehabilitation programs tailored to their needs. They should, however, be considered preliminary and await further research.
Intraoperative dexmedetomidine for prevention of postoperative delirium in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Xin Xi , Chen Jing , Hua Wei , Wang Haiyun
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Delirium is the most common postoperative neurological complication and some evidence suggests that dexmedetomidine is associated with a decreased incidence of delirium. This study is designed to assess the effect of dexmedetomidine on postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods

Sixty geriatric patients with MCI were enrolled and ramdomly divided into two groups by a computer‐generated randomisation sequence: dexmedetomidine group (D group) and normal saline group (C group). Patients in D group received a loading dose of 0.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine over 10 minutes before anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous infusion of 0.4 μg·kg−1·h−1 until 30 minutes before the end of surgery; equal volume of normal saline was given in C group. Blood samples were extracted to detect the concentration of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) before anesthesia induction (T1), before suture (T2), and 30 minutes after surgery (T3). Postoperative recovery times were recorded. Delirium was assessed with the 3‐Minute Diagnostic Interview for confusion assessment method during the first 7 days postoperatively.

Results

POD occurred in 10 (33.3%) of 30 patients in C group, and in 3 (10%) of 30 patients given dexmedetomidine (odds ratio [OR] 0.222, 95% CI 0.054‐0.914; P = 0.028). The serum concentrations of TNF‐α, MMP‐9, and GFAP were significantly increased and IL‐10 was decreased in the C group than in the D group at T2 and T3. No differences were observed between groups in the level of HO‐1. Analysis using random‐effect multivariable logistic regression indicated that POD was associated with GFAP (odds ratio [OR] 16.691, 95% CI 2.288‐121.746; P = 0.005). The positive predictive ability of the multivariate logistic regression model tested by ROC analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.713 (95% CI, 0.584‐0.842).

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine can alleviate POD in elderly patients with MCI and may be related to reduce the neuroinflammation by lowering the permeability of blood‐brain barrier.
Harmonization of diffusionMRIdata sets with adaptive dictionary learning
Authors: St‐Jean Samuel , Viergever Max A. , Leemans Alexander
Published: August 2020

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging can indirectly infer the microstructure of tissues and provide metrics subject to normal variability in a population. Potentially abnormal values may yield essential information to support analysis of controls and patients cohorts, but subtle confounds could be mistaken for purely biologically driven variations amongst subjects. In this work, we propose a new harmonization algorithm based on adaptive dictionary learning to mitigate the unwanted variability caused by different scanner hardware while preserving the natural biological variability of the data. Our harmonization algorithm does not require paired training data sets, nor spatial registration or matching spatial resolution. Overcomplete dictionaries are learned iteratively from all data sets at the same time with an adaptive regularization criterion, removing variability attributable to the scanners in the process. The obtained mapping is applied directly in the native space of each subject toward a scanner‐space. The method is evaluated with a public database which consists of two different protocols acquired on three different scanners. Results show that the effect size of the four studied diffusion metrics is preserved while removing variability attributable to the scanner. Experiments with alterations using a free water compartment, which is not simulated in the training data, shows that the modifications applied to the diffusion weighted images are preserved in the diffusion metrics after harmonization, while still reducing global variability at the same time. The algorithm could help multicenter studies pooling their data by removing scanner specific confounds, and increase statistical power in the process.
Apheresis medicine in the era of advanced telehealth technologies: An American Society for Apheresis position paper Part I: Understanding the basic technologies and apheresis medicine practice models
Authors: Linz Walter , Andrzejewski Chester , Wu Ding Wen , Li Yanhua , Roberts Timothy , Ipe Tina , Ricci Kristin , Knight Susan , Hodjat Parsa , Reddy Ramakrishna L. , Hofmann Jan
Published: August 2020

The wide spread availability and use of sophisticated high‐speed telecommunication networks coupled with inexpensive and easily accessible computing capacity have catalyzed the creation of new tools and strategies for healthcare delivery. Such tools and strategies are of value to apheresis medicine (AM) practitioners if they improve delivery of patient care, enhance safety during a therapeutic apheresis (TA) intervention, facilitate care access, advance technical capabilities of apheresis devices, and/or elevate quality performance within TA programs. In the past several years, healthcare delivery systems' adoption of telecommunication technologies has been fostered by organizational financial and quality improvement objectives. More recently, adoption of telehealth technologies has been catalyzed by the COVID‐19 pandemic as these technologies enhance both patient and provider safety in an era of social distancing. These changes will also influence the delivery of TA services which now can be generally viewed in a tripartite model format comprised of traditional hospital‐based fixed site locales, mobile TA operations and lately an evolving telemedicine remote management model now reffered to as telapheresis (TLA). This communication developed by the Public Affairs and Advocacy Committee of the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) and endorsed by its Board of Directors, reviews and describes various aspects of established and evolving electronic technologies related to TLA and the practice of AM. In subsequent companion publications, additional aspects to TLA will be explored and ASFA's vision of reasonable, regulatory compliant and high‐quality TLA practices will be expounded.
FUS‐induced circular RNA ZNF609 promotes tumorigenesis and progression via sponging miR‐142‐3p in lung cancer
Authors: Liu Shaoxia , Yang Ningning , Jiang Xu , Wang Jian , Dong Junqiang , Gao Yonghua
Published: August 2020

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been associated with lung cancer (LC), one of the most common cancers, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of the specific correlation with LC carcinogenesis remain unveiled. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction was applied to examine the level of circZNF609. LC cells were transfected with silenced circZNF609 by siRNAs, and cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were evaluated to reflect the influences of circZNF609 knockdown in LC. Biotin‐coupled circRNA capture, FISH and luciferase reporter assays were performed to study the relationship between circZNF609 and miR‐142‐3p. In current work, it was discovered that circZNF609 functioned as an onco‐circRNA, which exhibited high expression as well as facilitated the proliferation and migration in LC cells. Next, we discovered that FUS RNA‐binding protein, which could bind to the ZNF609 pre‐mRNA, induced circZNF609 formation, and increased circZNF609 expression in LC. Furthermore, circZNF609 was verified to sponge and sequester miR‐142‐3p; circZNF609 enhanced LC cell proliferative and migrative ability via targeting miR‐142‐3p. Finally, G protein subunit beta 2 (GNB2) was figured out to involve in circZNF609/miR‐142‐3p axis‐induced LC development. Conclusively, the results indicated that FUS‐induced circZNF609 exerts promotional effects on LC cell proliferation and migration through modulation of the miR‐142‐3p/GNB2 axis, which could offer new insight for understanding LC.
Corneal endothelial expansion using human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell‐derived conditioned medium
Authors: Duan Sujuan , Zhang Yanyan , Yuan Fangxiu , Jiang Alan , Sang Yi , Huang Guofu
Published: August 2020

Rabbit corneal endothelial cells are frequently used in pharmacological experiments and are useful for corneal transplant experiments. We performed the present study to analyze the effect of conditioned medium (CM) derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) on the growth of rabbit corneal endothelial cells (RCECs) and to establish a program for expansion of RCECs in vitro. RCECs were cultured using a CM derived from HUMSCs (HUMSCs‐CM) in vitro. The proliferation ability of RCECs cultured in the presence of HUMSCs‐CM was evaluated by conducting 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2‐H‐tetrazolium bromide, colony formation, and scratch migration assays. The proliferation ability of RCECs maintained in HUMSCs‐CM was significantly enhanced as compared to RCECs cultivated in the control group. Immunofluorescence indicated that zonula occludens‐1 (ZO‐1) and N‐cadherin were located at intercellular junctions. Real‐time PCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that the CEC‐relative functional markers were expressed in RCECs maintained in HUMSCs‐CM. Flow cytometry analyses demonstrated that HUMSCs‐CM promoted the G0/G1 entrance to the S phase in RCECs. Our results demonstrated that HUMSCs‐CM induced the proliferation of RCECs in vitro and maintained the necessary characteristic phenotypes. The expanded RCECs may provide a promising cell source for experimental research and clinical therapy.
Macro‐ and micromorphological remodeling of olfactory organs throughout the ontogeny of the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Różański Józef J. , Żuwała Krystyna D.
Published: August 2020

This article studies the morphological remodeling of olfactory organs in the fire salamander (Salamandridae, Caudata), from the larval stages of ontogeny to the adult and throughout the course of the annual cycle. The fire salamander exhibits adaptations to the aquatic environment during premetamorphic life and terrestrial adaptations after metamorphosis. During adulthood, the annual activity of this species is divided into three seasonal periods: a breeding period, a nonbreeding period, and hibernation. We observed significant differences in morphology of olfactory organs between developmental stages as well as between each period within the annual cycle. For the first time in caudates, we examined the morphology of olfactory organs during the winter period (wintering larvae, hibernating adults). The results show that the remodeling of olfactory organs during the life of the fire salamander occurs both on macro‐ and micromorphological levels. Macromorphological ontogenetic variability includes the shape of the main olfactory chamber (MOC) and the distribution of olfactory epithelium (OE) in the MOC and in the vomeronasal organ (VNO). In larvae, the vomeronasal epithelium (VNE) is in a separate cavity, while in the post‐metamorphic stages of ontogeny, the VNE occurs in the diverticulum of the MOC. In adult fire salamanders, both olfactory organs are most developed during the breeding season and reduced during hibernation. The VNE and OE in the MOC are also reduced during hibernation. Micro‐morphological changes included different types/subtypes of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the OE in particular stages of ontogeny and periods within the annual cycle, for example, ciliate ORNs are present in the VNE only in the larval stages and giant ORNs occur only in nonbreeding adults. Also, there was a variable set of types of olfactory supporting cells in the VNO of the fire salamander during pre‐ and postmetamorphic life stages.