bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the aggregate effects of global uncertainty: Evidence from an emerging economy
Authors: Ahiadorme Johnson Worlanyo
Published: December 2021

This paper empirically examines the aggregate effects of global uncertainty using monthly South African data. The empirical analysis is implemented in the context of vector autoregressions (VAR), augmented with various proxies for economic and financial indicators. The evidence shows that global uncertainty shocks are a significant source of economic fluctuations—they are estimated to significantly explain the cyclical downturn and exert negative impact on the financial and stock markets. These results are consistent with the view that uncertainty shocks are an important exogenous source of cyclical fluctuations and the reactions in the financial market play an important role in the impact of uncertainty shocks on the real economy. The evidence shows that uncertainty is important to the inflation dynamics while inflation and output co‐move negatively conditional on uncertainty shocks.
Understanding carbonate factories through palaeoecological and sedimentological signals – Tribute to Luis Pomar
Authors: Brandano Marco , Mateu‐Vicens Guillem , Baceta Juan Ignacio
Published: December 2021

The carbonate factories, their controlling factors and their palaeoecological and sedimentological signals recorded in sedimentary successions are key elements for understanding the evolution of carbonate platform systems. Luis Pomar has dedicated most of his academic life to the study of carbonate rocks and carbonate factories. The idea for this special issue to celebrate Pomar’s career arose during a session at the 34th International Association of Sedimentologists meeting held in Rome, entitled ‘Understanding carbonate factories through palaeoecological and geochemical signals’. The proposal encountered great response among participants, and additional contributions followed an email invitation to other specialists. This issue contains a variety of papers on carbonate sedimentology and carbonate factories. Here, an introduction that contextualizes the papers and key concepts discussed in this thematic issue is provided. It reviews Luis Pomar’s major achievements in carbonate sedimentology and discusses the evolution of the concept of the carbonate factory and the series of palaeoecological and sedimentological signals used to characterize the wide spectrum of carbonate depositional systems found in the natural world.
Multi‐drug‐resistant tuberculosis clusters in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, 2013–2016: A spatial analysis
Authors: Mashamba M. A. , Tanser F. , Afagbedzi S. , Beke A.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To identify spatial clusters with unusually high levels of MDR‐TB, which are highly unlikely to have arisen by chance in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

Methods

Home addresses of all MDR‐TB patients were collected from four MDR‐TB facilities from 2013 to 2016. We mapped all addresses, linking them to the nearest ward with population estimates. A spatial analysis was conducted using kernel density in ArcGIS to estimate and map the distribution of the disease and used Gertis‐Ord Gi to test for significant clustering.

Results

A total of 4065 MDR‐TB patients were mapped. Ten significant clusters (p‐value <0.05) were found across the province in six sub‐districts: Mbombela, Nkomazi, Emalahleni, Govan Mbeki, Lekwa and Mkhondo. Mbombela has the highest number of significant clusters. The central region did not have any MDR‐TB clusters.

Conclusion

There is clear evidence of MDR‐TB clustering in Mpumalanga. This calls for concentrated TB prevention efforts and proper allocation of resources. Further investigations are needed to identify MDR‐TB predictors.
Clinical techniques in veterinary dermatology Regional anaesthesia of the canine and feline nose
Authors: Veres‐Nyéki Kata Orsolya
Published: December 2021

Local anaesthesia techniques are now essential parts of the multimodal analgesic approach applied in the care of small animals. The sensory innervation of the nose is provided by the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve, so nasal pain can be prevented or alleviated by blocking branches of this nerve. Maxillary or infraorbital nerve block can be used if invasive procedures are performed on the nose of the canine and feline patients. Clear anatomical landmarks facilitate the placements of these blocks, which impose relatively low risk to the patients. These blocks do not require any advanced equipment and all necessary material is widely available in small animal veterinary practices. The total dose of the local anaesthetic agents should be calculated precisely to avoid toxicity.
MRI features of canine hemangiosarcoma affecting the central nervous system
Authors: Mallol Claudia , Gutierrez‐Quintana Rodrigo , Hammond Gawain , Schweizer‐Gorgas Daniela , De Decker Steven , Novellas Rosa , Espada Yvonne , Oevermann Anna , Ortega Maria , Parry Andrew , Coelho Ana Maria , Gonçalves Rita , Stalin Catherine , Brocal Josep
Published: December 2021

Hemangiosarcoma is the most common metastatic tumor involving the brain in dogs but detailed published descriptions of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features are lacking. The objective of this multi‐center, retrospective case series study was to describe MRI characteristics of canine hemangiosarcoma affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Medical records of seven referral institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Dogs were included if they had a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma affecting the CNS and undergone an MRI of the brain and/or vertebral column. Lesions were independently evaluated by two observers. Twenty dogs met the inclusion criteria and one dog had both intracranial and intramedullary hemangiosarcoma. Consistent MRI features included heterogeneous (17/21) lesions in all sequences with mainly mixed signal intensity (12/21), presence of susceptibility artifact on T2*w (15/16), associated moderate to severe perilesional edema (21/21), and moderate to strong (20/21) heterogeneous (14/21) or ring‐like (6/21) contrast enhancement. Intracranial hemangiosarcoma was frequently multiple and intra‐axial, affecting consistently the telencephalon and no differences in MRI features were found between primary and metastatic hemangiosarcoma. This is the first MRI description of primary intracranial hemangiosarcoma and primary intracranial epithelioid hemangiosarcoma. Vertebral hemangiosarcomas were segmental poorly marginated polyostotic and highly aggressive lesions invading the thoracic vertebral canal and paraspinal tissues. Epidural hemangiosarcomas were single and well‐marginated lesions in the thoracolumbar and/or lumbar region. Intramedullary hemangiosarcomas were cervical, metastatic in origin, and frequently (3/4) accompanied by intracranial lesions. These described MRI features will aid early identification of hemangiosarcoma guiding subsequent diagnostics and therapeutics.
Autonomous Control and Transportation of Underslung Load With Single and Dual Lift Helicopter Systems
Authors: Dhiman Kuldeep K. , Kothari Mangal , Abhishek
Published: December 2021

This paper discusses the development of a single-lift and dual-lift helicopter underslung load transportation system for practical applications. A control law is developed to damp the load swing and stabilize the oscillation while performing the transportation task. For the dual-lift system, the load transportation is achieved by using a load distribution controller, developed for this purpose, to maintain equal load distribution among the vehicles. The load damping and load distribution controllers require accurate measurement of load states, which is achieved through the design and development of innovative, simple, and lightweight sensors units, namely, load tension measurement unit (LTMU) and load swing measurement unit (LSMU). LTMU sensor consists of a unique design that utilizes a flexi-force sensor, capable of measuring compressive load, for measurement of cable tension. The cable inclination in the longitudinal and lateral directions is measured by the LSMU sensor. These units are integrated with the helicopter autopilot for autonomous flight. The performance of the developed system is experimentally validated in the outdoor environment with single and dual-lift systems.
Staphylococcal Phages Adapt to New Hosts by Extensive Attachment Site Variability
Authors: Leinweber Helena , Sieber Raphael N. , Larsen Jesper , Stegger Marc , Ingmer Hanne
Published: December 2021

A growing number of humans are being infected by antibiotic resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
originating from livestock. The preference of
S. aureus
for humans or animals is in part determined by factors encoded by viruses (phages) that reside in the bacterial genome.
OXA-23 β-Lactamase Overexpression in Acinetobacter baumannii Drives Physiological Changes Resulting in New Genetic Vulnerabilities
Authors: Colquhoun Jennifer M. , Farokhyfar Marjan , Hutcheson Anna R. , Anderson Alexander , Bethel Christopher R. , Bonomo Robert A. , Clarke Anthony J. , Rather Philip N.
Published: December 2021

Acinetobacter baumannii
has become a serious pathogen in both hospital and community settings. The β-lactam class of antibiotics is a primary treatment option for
A. baumannii
infections, and expression of β-lactamases is the most frequent mechanism of resistance in this bacterium.
The Extracellular Milieu of
Toxoplasma
's Lytic Cycle Drives Lab Adaptation, Primarily by Transcriptional Reprogramming
Authors: Primo Vincent A. , Rezvani Yasaman , Farrell Andrew , Murphy Connor Q. , Lou Jingjing , Vajdi Amir , Marth Gabor T. , Zarringhalam Kourosh , Gubbels Marc-Jan
Published: December 2021

It has been well established that prolonged
in vitro
cultivation of
Toxoplasma gondii
augments progression of the lytic cycle. This lab adaptation results in increased capacities to divide, migrate, and survive outside a host cell, all of which are considered host-independent virulence factors.
Supplemental Material: A red bole zircon record of cryptic silicic volcanism in the Deccan Traps, India
Authors: O'Connor Liam , Szymanowski Dawid , al. et
Published: December 2021

Data tables, analytical protocols, and additional discussion.
Alkaptonuria: clinical manifestations and an updated approach to treatment of a rare disease
Authors: Roopnarinesingh Ryan Curtis , Donlon Noel Edward , Reynolds John V
Published: December 2021

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with a global incidence of 1 in 250 000 to 1 million people worldwide. It results from a deficiency of the enzyme homogentisic acid (HGA) oxidase which when absent, leads to an accumulation of HGA. Without this enzymatic degradation, HGA deposits in connective tissues resulting in pigmentation (ochronosis), plaque formation and accelerated cartilage destruction. With this, many patients who suffer from AKU develop ochronotic arthropathies, tendon ruptures, fractures, and chronic joint pain. Similarly, patients can develop cardiac valvular dysfunction and interstitial renal disease. Our two cases highlight the array of pathologies seen in AKU and, in light of newly published research, give us a platform from which we can discuss the developments in management of this rare disease.
Successful treatment of smouldering Human T cell Leukemia Virus Type1 associated bronchiolitis and alveolar abnormalities with amplified natural killer therapy
Authors: Nagai Kenjiro , Nagai Sho , Hara Yu
Published: December 2021

In amplified natural killer (ANK) cell immunotherapy, NK cells are extracted from the patient’s blood, cultured for enhancing its anticancer effects and amplified before they are returned to the body. Here, we administered ANK therapy to an 81-year-old female patient diagnosed with smouldering human T cell leukaemia virus-associated bronchioloalveolar disorder. After eight sessions of twice-weekly NK cell infusion, the bilateral diffuse granular shadows on a CT scan and the overall respiratory function improved markedly. Later, the patient received outpatient treatment without serious side effects. Thus, ANK therapy may be safe for elderly patients owing to its infrequent side effects.
Treatment-induced sarcoidosis in a patient with metastatic clear cell ovarian cancer
Authors: DeCarli Kathryn , Masel Rebecca , Hsu Andrew , Lopresti Mary
Published: December 2021

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease that commonly presents with lung or lymphatic system manifestations. Diagnosis is often delayed due to variable clinical presentation. This is a case of a patient with metastatic clear cell ovarian cancer who developed disease reoccurence after definitive treatment with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. She was treated with multiple lines of therapy, including investigational agents. During this time, she developed mediastinal lymphadenopathy and hypercalcaemia. Due to suspicion that her presentation was not a manifestation of her malignancy, she underwent two lymph node biopsies revealing granulomatous disease. She was initiated on prednisone for management of sarcoidosis, which led to radiologic, laboratory and symptomatic improvement. Although the precipitating factor for this patient’s sarcoidosis cannot be definitively determined, nivolumab is a possible culprit. This case highlights the importance of a broad differential diagnosis when a patient undergoing antineoplastic treatment develops mediastinal lymphadenopathy or hypercalcaemia.
Reducing surgical site infections and mortality among obstetric surgical patients in Tanzania: a pre-evaluation and postevaluation of a multicomponent safe surgery intervention
Authors: Ernest Edwin Charles , Hellar Augustino , Varallo John , Tibyehabwa Leopold , Bertram Margaret Mary , Fitzgerald Laura , Katoto Adam , Mshana Stella , Simba Dorcas , Gwitaba Kelvin , Boddu Rohini , Alidina Shehnaz , Giiti Geofrey , Kihunrwa Albert , Balandya Belinda , Urassa David , Hussein Yahya , Damien Caroline , Wackenreuter Brendan , Barash David , Morrison Melissa , Reynolds Cheri , Christensen Alice , Makuwani Ahmed
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Despite ongoing maternal health interventions, maternal deaths in Tanzania remain high. One of the main causes of maternal mortality includes postoperative infections. Surgical site infection (SSI) rates are higher in low/middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Tanzania, compared with high-income countries. We evaluated the impact of a multicomponent safe surgery intervention in Tanzania, hypothesising it would (1) increase adherence to safety practices, such as the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC), (2) reduce SSI rates following caesarean section (CS) and (3) reduce CS-related perioperative mortality rates (POMRs).

Methods

We conducted a pre-cross-sectional/post-cross-sectional study design to evaluate WHO SSC utilisation, SSI rates and CS-related POMR before and 18 months after implementation. Our interventions included training of inter-professional surgical teams, promoting use of the WHO SSC and introducing an infection prevention (IP) bundle for all CS patients. We assessed use of WHO SSC and SSI rates through random sampling of 279 individual CS patient files. We reviewed registers and ward round reports to obtain the number of CS performed and CS-related deaths. We compared proportions of individuals with a characteristic of interest during pre-implementation and post implementation using the two-proportion z-test at p≤0.05 using STATA V.15.

Results

The SSC utilisation rate for CS increased from 3.7% (5 out of 136) to 95.1% (136 out of 143) with p<0.001. Likewise, the proportion of women with SSI after CS reduced from 14% during baseline to 1% (p=0.002). The change in SSI rate after the implementation of the safe surgery interventions is statistically significant (p<0.001). The CS-related POMR decreased by 38.5% (p=0.6) after the implementation of safe surgery interventions.

Conclusion

Our findings show that our intervention led to improved utilisation of the WHO SSC, reduced SSIs and a drop in CS-related POMR. We recommend replication of the interventions in other LMICs.
Modelling the cost-effectiveness of essential and advanced critical care for COVID-19 patients in Kenya
Authors: Kairu Angela , Were Vincent , Isaaka Lynda , Agweyu Ambrose , Aketch Samuel , Barasa Edwine
Published: December 2021

Background

Case management of symptomatic COVID-19 patients is a key health system intervention. The Kenyan government embarked to fill capacity gaps in essential and advanced critical care (ACC) needed for the management of severe and critical COVID-19. However, given scarce resources, gaps in both essential and ACC persist. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of investments in essential and ACC to inform the prioritisation of investment decisions.

Methods

We employed a decision tree model to assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of investment in essential care (EC) and investment in both essential and ACC (EC +ACC) compared with current healthcare provision capacity (status quo) for COVID-19 patients in Kenya. We used a health system perspective, and an inpatient care episode time horizon. Cost data were obtained from primary empirical analysis while outcomes data were obtained from epidemiological model estimates. We used univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of the results.

Results

The status quo option is more costly and less effective compared with investment in EC and is thus dominated by the later. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of investment in essential and ACC (EC+ACC) was US$1378.21 per disability-adjusted life-year averted and hence not a cost-effective strategy when compared with Kenya’s cost-effectiveness threshold (US$908).

Conclusion

When the criterion of cost-effectiveness is considered, and within the context of resource scarcity, Kenya will achieve better value for money if it prioritises investments in EC before investments in ACC. This information on cost-effectiveness will however need to be considered as part of a multicriteria decision-making framework that uses a range of criteria that reflect societal values of the Kenyan society.
The influence of menopause and cardiorespiratory fitness on lipoprotein particles in midlife women
Authors: Serviente Corinna , Chalvin Melody , Witkowski Sarah
Published: December 2021

Lipoprotein particles may provide better information about cardiovascular risk than standard cholesterol measures for women. Whether lipoprotein subclasses change with menopausal stage is unclear. Given the high prevalence of low cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife women and benefit of cardiovascular disease risk, it is also important to understand the effect of fitness on lipoprotein profiles. This study evaluated the influence of menopausal status and fitness on lipoprotein particles in healthy midlife women. Lipoprotein particles were measured in high- (n = 25) and low- (n = 13) fit perimenopausal and late postmenopausal women, and in high-fit premenopausal (n = 10), perimenopausal (n = 12), and late postmenopausal women (n = 13). There were larger low-density lipoprotein particles (LDL-P; 21.7 ± 0.06 vs. 21.3 ± 0.1 nm, p = 0.002), more large LDL-P (623.1 ± 32.8 vs. 500.2 ± 52.6 nmol/L, p = 0.045), and fewer small LDL-P (145.5 ± 31.4 vs. 311.5 ± 44.7 nmol/L, p = 0.001) in the high-fit group vs. the low-fit group. High-density lipoprotein particles (HDL-P) were larger (10.1 ± 0.1 vs. 9.7 ± 0.1 nm, p = 0.002) in the high-fit group, with more large (14.8 ± 0.7 vs. 11.0 ± 0.9 μmol/L, p = 0.002), medium (12.9 ± 0.8 vs. 8.4 ± 0.9 μmol/L, p = 0.002) HDL-P, and fewer small HDL-P (10.2 ± 1.1 vs. 15.4 ± 1.6 μmol/L, p = 0.009) compared with the low-fit group. High-fit postmenopausal women had more large LDL-P (662.9 ± 47.5 nmol/L) compared with premenopausal women (479.1 ± 52.6 nmol/L, p = 0.035), and more HDL-P (40.2 ± 1.1 µmol/L) compared with premenopausal (34.9 ± 1.5 μmol/L, p = 0.023) and perimenopausal women (35.4 ± 1.3 μmol/L, p = 0.033). High fitness positively influences lipoprotein particles in healthy perimenopausal and late postmenopausal women. In healthy fit women, menopause may not have a large influence on lipoprotein particles.

Novelty: In highly fit women, menopause may not have a negative influence on lipoprotein particle subclasses. High fitness is associated with a less atherogenic lipoprotein profile in perimenopausal and late postmenopausal women.
Does vacuum saturation work for the higher-dimensional vacuum condensates in the QCD sum rules?
Authors: Wang Zhi-Gang
Published: December 2021

In the QCD sum rules for the tetraquark (molecular) states, the higher-dimensional vacuum condensates play an important role in extracting the tetraquark masses. We carry out the operator product expansion up to the vacuum condensates of dimension-10 and observe that the vacuum condensates of dimensions 6, 8 and 10 have the same expressions but opposite signs for the [Formula: see text]-type and [Formula: see text]-type four-quark currents, which make their influences distinguishable, and they are excellent channels to examine the vacuum saturation approximation. We introduce a parameter [Formula: see text] to parametrize the derivation from the vacuum saturation or factorization approximation, and choose two sets of parameters to examine the influences on the predicted tetraquark masses, which can be confronted to the experimental data in the future. In all the channels, smaller value of the [Formula: see text] leads to better convergent behavior in the operator product expansion, which favors the vacuum saturation approximation.
Local-Activity and Simultaneous Zero-Hopf Bifurcations Leading to Multistability in a Memristive Circuit
Authors: Messias Marcelo , Reinol Alisson de Carvalho
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we consider a memristive circuit consisting of three elements: a passive linear inductor, a passive linear capacitor and an active memristive device. The circuit is described by a four-parameter system of ordinary differential equations. We study in detail the role of parameters in the dynamics of the system. Using the existence of first integrals, we show that the circuit may present a continuum of stable periodic orbits, which arise due to the occurrence of infinitely many simultaneous zero-Hopf bifurcations on a line of equilibria located in the region where the memristance is negative and, consequently, the memristive device is locally-active. These bifurcations lead to multistability, which is a difficult and interesting problem in applied models, since the final state of a solution depends crucially on its initial condition. We also study the control of multistability by varying a parameter related to the state variable of the memristive device. All analytical results obtained were corroborated by numerical simulations.
Bifurcation of a Mathematical Model for Tumor Growth with Angiogenesis and Gibbs–Thomson Relation
Authors: Xu Shihe , Bai Meng , Zhang Fangwei
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a mathematical model for solid vascular tumor growth with Gibbs–Thomson relation is studied. On the free boundary, we consider Gibbs–Thomson relation which means energy is expended to maintain the tumor structure. Supposing that the nutrient is the source of the energy, the nutrient denoted by [Formula: see text] satisfies [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a constant representing the ability of the tumor to absorb the nutrient through its blood vessels; [Formula: see text] is concentration of the nutrient outside the tumor; [Formula: see text] is the mean curvature; [Formula: see text] denotes adhesiveness between cells and [Formula: see text] denotes the exterior normal derivative on [Formula: see text] The existence, uniqueness and nonexistence of radially symmetric solutions are discussed. By using the bifurcation method, we discuss the existence of nonradially symmetric solutions. The results show that infinitely many nonradially symmetric solutions bifurcate from the radially symmetric solutions.
Design of a New 3D Chaotic System Producing Infinitely Many Coexisting Attractors and Its Application to Weak Signal Detection
Authors: Liu Bing , Ye Xiaolin , Hu Gang
Published: December 2021

This paper proposes a new 3D chaotic system, which can produce infinitely many coexisting attractors. By introducing a boosted control of cosine function to an original chaotic system, as the initial conditions periodically change, the proposed chaotic system can spontaneously output infinitely many chaotic sequences of different amplitudes in two directions in the phase plane. This means that the proposed system can output more key information as a pseudo-random signal generator (PRSG). This is of great significance in the research of weak signal detection. In comparison with the original chaotic system, the chaotic behavior of the proposed system is obviously enhanced due to the introduction of the boosted control function. Then, by adding the mathematical models of a weak signal and a noise signal to the proposed chaotic system, a new chaotic oscillator, which is sensitive to the weak signal, can be restructured. With the change of weak signal amplitude and angular frequency, the dynamical state of the detection system will generate a big difference, which indicates that the weak signal can be detected successfully. Finally, the proposed chaotic system model is physically realized by DSP (Digital Signal Processing), which shows its feasibility in industrial implementation. Especially, since a third-order chaotic system is the lowest-dimensional continuous system that can generate infinitely many coexisting attractors, the proposed chaotic system is of great value in the basic research of chaos.
Quantum Entanglement of Free Particles
Authors: Tsekov Roumen
Published: December 2021

In this paper, the Schrödinger equation is solved for many free particles and their quantum entanglement is studied via correlation analysis. Converting the Schrödinger equation in the Madelung hydrodynamic-like form, the quantum mechanics is extended to open quantum systems by adding Ohmic friction forces. The dissipative evolution confirms the correlation decay over time, but a new integral of motion is discovered, being appropriate for storing everlasting quantum information.
ARE WE HAPPY TOGETHER? A META-ANALYTIC REVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF OPEN INNOVATION ON FIRM PERFORMANCE
Authors: ODURO STEPHEN , VINCENZO STREPPONE , MANFO CLAUDIANE SOLANGE NGWIKEM , NGUAR KOT DAVID ADHAL
Published: December 2021

The study draws on dynamic capabilities theory and evidence-based research to provide the first meta-analysis on the open innovation (OI)–firm performance relationship from 2003 to 2020. Both subgroup and meta-analytic regression analyses were employed to analyse 106 independent peer-reviewed articles, encompassing 557,642 firms and 138 effects. Results showed a positive, significant relationship between OI and overall firm performance ([Formula: see text]= 0.20) while revealing numerous contingencies. Particularly, we found that the effect of OI on non-financial performance ([Formula: see text]= 0.20) is larger than that on financial performance ([Formula: see text]= 0.19), while the disaggregate results revealed that inbound OI has the strongest effect on firm performance ([Formula: see text]= 0.23), followed by outbound OI ([Formula: see text]= 0.19) and coupled OI ([Formula: see text]= 0.14). Furthermore, it was found that the mixed results are driven by both contextual factors (i.e., firm size, culture, study region, sector, and industry intensity) and measurement moderators (i.e., study measure and data type). Both the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are elucidatedly discussed.
New record of
Zhangsolva
Nagatomi and Yang, 1998 (Diptera, Zhangsolvidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and its implications
Authors: Zhang Qingqing , Zhang Junfeng
Published: December 2021

Zhangsolva
is the type genus of the extinct long proboscis family Zhangsolvidae, originally known as a compression fossil from the Laiyang Formation, China. Here we describe a new species
Zhangsolva burmensis
sp. nov in Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. Antennae of zhangsolvids are discussed, and a proposed antennal segmentation of
Zhangsolva cupressa
is given. Anatomical features of the proboscis are interpreted based on exceptional preservation of the holotype, which are identical to flower-visiting bombyliid flies. This discovery provides important characters for further phylogenetical analysis of the Zhangsolvidae and important evidence for the proboscis function in pollination.
The Importance of Molybdenum(IV) Active Sites in Promoting Electrochemical Reduction of N2 to NH3 with MoFe Bimetallic Catalysts
Authors: Li Kai , Li Yan , Jiang Kun , Li Tao , Liu Yun-Quan , Li Shuirong , Wang Duo , Ye Yueyuan
Published: December 2021

To overcome the low faradaic efficiency (FE) of single Mo or Fe based electrocatalysts in nitrogen reduction reactions (NRR) due to the competition from the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a series of bimetallic MoFe compound catalysts were prepared under an NH3 atmosphere through a facile precipitation-pyrolysis method. The formed tetravalent Mo was found to be capable of inducing better electronic interactions between the surface nitrogen species and the Fe metal groups, thus improving the FE. It was demonstrated that the prepared ternary MoFe-N catalyst exhibited a remarkable FE of 33.26 % and a high NH3 yield rate of 33.31 μg h−1 mg−1
cat. for NRR, which was believed to have been caused by an obvious change in the valence of Mo that resulted in a lower HER activity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis further revealed that thermal processing under an NH3 atmosphere formed the Mo(IV) active sites in Mo–N bond, which led to a significant suppression in HER activity. Finally, through the study of the surface hydrogenation mechanism, it was concluded that the synergistic effect of the adsorbed H* and Mo active sites was the main reason for the improved performance of NRR.
Electrochemical Ozone Generation Using Compacted High Pressure High Temperature Synthesized Boron Doped Diamond Microparticle Electrodes
Authors: Wood Georgia F. , Terrero Rodríguez Irina M. , Tully Joshua J. , Chaudhuri Shayantan , Macpherson Julie V.
Published: December 2021

Electrochemical ozone production (EOP) from water is an attractive, green technology for disinfection. Boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), have been widely adopted for EOP due to their wide anodic window in water and excellent chemical and electrochemical stability. High pressure high temperature (HPHT) synthesis, an alternative growth technique used predominantly for the high-volume synthesis of nitrogen doped diamond microparticles, has been seldom employed for the production of conductive BDD electrodes. In this paper, we demonstrate, for the first time, the use of BDD electrodes fabricated from HPHT conductive BDD microparticles for EOP. The BDD microparticles are first compacted to produce freestanding solid electrodes and then laser micromachined to produce a perforated electrode. The compacted HPHT BDD microparticle electrodes are shown to exhibit high EOP, producing 2.23 ± 0.07 mg L−1 of ozone per ampere of current, at consistent levels for a continuous 20 h period with no drop off in performance. The HPHT electrodes also achieve a reasonable current efficiency of 23%, at a current density of 770 mA cm−2.
Construction of In2S3/Ag-Ag2S-AgInS2/TNR Nanoarrays with Excellent Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Qi Shihan , Yin Zhuangzhuang , Liu Zhu , Xu Kang , Zhang Miao , Sun Zhaoqi
Published: December 2021

In this work, a novel and efficient In2S3/Ag-Ag2S-AgInS2/TNR photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal and wet chemical method. The In2S3/Ag-Ag2S-AgInS2/TNR has a greatly increased range of light absorption with sustained absorption intensity compared to the unmodified TNR arrays. In the photoelectrochemical test, the best transient photocurrent of the sample can reach 350 μA cm−2, which is 23.3 times higher than TNR (15 μA cm−2). In the photocatalytic degradation test of MO, In2S3/Ag-Ag2S-AgInS2/TNR exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency which could reach 91.7%, 5.5 times higher than that of TNR (16.7%), much higher than many previously reported photocatalysts. The outstanding photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties of the samples is primarily owing to the formation of the core–shell structure and the synergistic effect of the composite material, which effectively facilitate the separation and migration of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and inhibit their recombination, thus enhancing the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance.
A Segmented Cell Measuring Technique for Current Distribution Measurements in Batteries, Exemplified by the Operando Investigation of a Zn-Air Battery
Authors: Kube Alexander , Meyer Jens , Kopljar Dennis , Wagner Norbert , Friedrich Kaspar Andreas
Published: December 2021

A transimpedance amplifier circuit as well as an instrumental amplifier circuit were used to measure current densities of a zinc-air battery with an integrated segmented current collector foil. Error calculation showed that the transimpedance amplifier is superior to the used instrumental amplifier, but both methods provide valuable and consistent results. They both showed comparable results with operando insight into the current distribution of the battery. The knowledge about those distributions is essential to avoid fast degradation of battery materials and irreversible capacity loss due to heterogeneous dissolution of the anode during discharge. In this work we showed that oxygen starvation as well as gas flow rate leads to large current gradients. It was also demonstrated that heterogeneous current distributions on cathode side induces also a heterogenous dissolution behavior on the anode, resulting in irreversible capacity loss.
LPS versus Poly I:C model: comparison of long-term effects of bacterial and viral maternal immune activation on the offspring
Authors: Bao Mian , Hofsink Naomi , Plösch Torsten
Published: December 2021

A prominent health issue nowadays is the COVID-19 pandemic, which poses acute risks to human health. However, the long-term health consequences are largely unknown and cannot be neglected. An especially vulnerable period for infection is pregnancy, when infections could have long-term health effect on the child. Evidence suggests that maternal immune activation (MIA) induced by either bacteria or viruses presents various effects on the offspring, leading to adverse phenotypes in many organ systems. This review compares the mechanisms of bacterial and viral MIA and the possible long-term outcomes for the offspring by summarizing the outcome in animal LPS and Poly I:C models. Both models are activated immune responses mediated by Toll-like receptors. The outcomes for MIA offspring include neurodevelopment, immune response, circulation, metabolism, and reproduction. Some of these changes continue to exist until later life. Besides different doses and batches of LPS and Poly I:C, the injection day, administration route, and also different animal species influence the outcomes. Here, we specifically aim to support colleagues when choosing their animal models for future studies.
Risk Chain and Key Hazard Management for Urban Rail Transit System Operation Based on Big Data Mining
Authors: Tang Yongsheng
Published: December 2021

With the promotion of the national transportation power strategy, super large operation networks have become an inevitable trend, and operational safety and risk management and control have become unavoidable problems. Existing safety management methods lack support from actual operational and production data, resulting in a lack of guidance of fault cause modes and risk chains. Large space is available to improve the breadth, depth, and accuracy of hazard source control. By mining multisource heterogeneous operation big data generated from subway operation, this study researches operation risk chain and refined management and control of key hidden dangers. First, it builds a data pool based on the operation status of several cities and then links them into a data lake to form an integrated data warehouse to find coupled and interactive rail transit operation risk chains. Second, it reveals and analyzes the risk correlation mechanisms behind the data and refines the key hazards in the risk chain. Finally, under the guidance of the risk chain, it deeply studies the technologies for refined control and governance of key hidden dangers. The results can truly transform rail transit operation safety from passive response to active defense, improving the special emergency rail transit operation plans, improving the current situation of low utilization of rail transit operation data, but high operation failure rate, and providing a basis for evidence-based formulation and revision of relevant industry standards and specifications.
Correlation of Serum Albumin Level to Lung Ultrasound Score and Its Role as Predictors of Outcome in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Chaudhuri Souvik , Maddani Sagar S. , Rao Shwethapriya , Gauni Sirish , Arjun N. R. , Todur Pratibha , Gupta Nitin
Published: December 2021

Background. There is ambiguity in the literature regarding hypoalbuminemia as a cause of extravascular lung water and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) outcomes. The aim of the study was to determine if low serum albumin on admission leads to lung deaeration and higher lung ultrasound score (LUSS) in ARDS patients. Patients and Methods. It was a prospective observational study in which 110 ARDS patients aged between 18 and 70 years were recruited. Serum albumin level and lung ultrasound score were assessed on the day of ICU admission. Length of ICU stay and hospital mortality were recorded. Results. The mean and standard deviation of serum albumin level in mild, moderate, and severe ARDS was 2.92 ± 0.65 g/dL, 2.91 ± 0.77 g/dL, and 3.21 ± 0.85 g/dL, respectively. Albumin level was not correlated to the global LUSS (Pearson correlation r −0.006,

p
=
0.949

) and basal LUSS (r −0.066,

p
=
0.513

). The cut-off value of albumin for predicting a prolonged length of ICU stay (≥10 days) in ARDS patients was <3.25 g/dL with AUC 0.623,

p
<
0.05

, sensitivity of 86.67%, specificity of 45.45%, and 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.513–0.732], and on multivariate analysis it increased the odds of prolonged ICU stay by 8.9 times (Hosmer and Lemeshow

p

value 0.810, 95% CI [2.760–28.72]). Serum albumin at admission was not a predictor of mortality. LUSS on the day of admission was not useful to predict either a prolonged length of ICU stay or mortality. Basal LUSS contributed about 56% of the global LUSS in mild and moderate ARDS, and 53% in severe ARDS. Conclusion. Serum albumin level was unrelated to LUSS on admission in ARDS patients. Albumin level <3.25 g/dL increased the chances of a prolonged length of ICU stay (≥10 days) but was not associated with an increase in mortality. LUSS on the day of admission could not predict either a prolonged length of ICU stay or mortality. This trial is registered with CTRI/2019/11/021857.
Actor-Critic Traction Control Based on Reinforcement Learning with Open-Loop Training
Authors: Drechsler M. Funk , Fiorentin T. A. , Göllinger H.
Published: December 2021

The use of actor-critic algorithms can improve the controllers currently implemented in automotive applications. This method combines reinforcement learning (RL) and neural networks to achieve the possibility of controlling nonlinear systems with real-time capabilities. Actor-critic algorithms were already applied with success in different controllers including autonomous driving, antilock braking system (ABS), and electronic stability control (ESC). However, in the current researches, virtual environments are implemented for the training process instead of using real plants to obtain the datasets. This limitation is given by trial and error methods implemented for the training process, which generates considerable risks in case the controller directly acts on the real plant. In this way, the present research proposes and evaluates an open-loop training process, which permits the data acquisition without the control interaction and an open-loop training of the neural networks. The performance of the trained controllers is evaluated by a design of experiments (DOE) to understand how it is affected by the generated dataset. The results present a successful application of open-loop training architecture. The controller can maintain the slip ratio under adequate levels during maneuvers on different floors, including grounds that are not applied during the training process. The actor neural network is also able to identify the different floors and change the acceleration profile according to the characteristics of each ground.
Shock Reduction Technique on Thin Plate Structure by Wave Refraction Using an Elastic Patch
Authors: Hwang Dae-Hyun , Han Jae-Hung
Published: December 2021

In general, bending waves transfer the largest portion of shock energy in a plate‐like structure. This study proposes a new shock reduction method using an elastic patch designed to defocus the bending waves through the refraction of the waves so that it is possible to effectively reduce the propagating shock for a certain target area. Elastic patches of three different shapes were considered. The shock reduction performance of these patches was analytically, numerically, and experimentally investigated and compared. All results consistently showed that attached patches can effectively reduce passing waves for areas behind patches. Therefore, utilizing the proposed methods, we can reduce the transient shock response at certain target areas of various practical structures without degradation of structural stiffness or strength simply by bonding with an elastic patch.
Pinin Induces Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Regulating m6A Modification
Authors: Qiao Kailiang , Chen Caihong , Liu Haoyang , Qin Yuan , Liu Huijuan
Published: December 2021

Pinin is a moonlighting protein localized in desmosomes and nucleus. It could promote the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. Whether this protein can induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and malignant progression in HCC is unknown. This work found that Pinin prompts EMT in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanism study found that Pinin increases the level of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of RNA by interacting with METTL3, which in turn induces snail1 expression. These findings suggest that Pinin induces EMT by regulating m6A modification and, thus, could be a potential anticancer target for HCC therapy.
Imaging Features and Pathological Analysis of 43 Parotid Basal Cell Adenomas
Authors: Chen Guiqin , Wen Xiaoyi , Chen X. J. , Zhang Lei , Lin Z. T. , Jing Lei , Wang Tiemei
Published: December 2021

Purpose. To investigate the correlation between sonographic and computed tomography and pathological features of basal cell adenomas (BCAs) of the parotid gland. Methods. This retrospective study included 41 patients (43 tumors) with BCAs. The tumors were divided into three types based on their location in the parotid gland and their imaging features. The features of the tumors were analyzed. Results. Imaging manifestations and corresponding pathological results of most BCAs of the parotid glands resembled those of benign parotid gland tumors. Malignant transformation occurred in membranous BCAs and in those with extensive cribriform structures. Type-II and type-III tumors accounted for 82.93% of the total proportion. Thirteen tumors showed cystic degeneration with 30.23%, among which type-III tumors could easily develop cystic degeneration. These cystic areas might correspond to cystic degeneration or focal necrosis. Cystic change was not dependent on the tumor size. The pathological features of the tumors were correlated to their imaging manifestations. Conclusion. Most BCAs of the parotid glands have imaging manifestations similar to those of benign parotid gland tumors. BCAs with extensive cribriform structures and of the membranous type can show malignant transformation and should be treated with caution in clinical practice.
Contemporary Strategies and Outcomes of Dedicated Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Programs: A Prospective Multicentre Registry
Authors: Vanhaverbeke Maarten , Eertmans Ward , Holvoet Wouter , Hendrickx Ief , McCutcheon Keir , Dubois Christophe , Dens Joseph , Bennett Johan
Published: December 2021

Background. The field of CTO PCI is expanding, but successful and safe percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) requires a substantial resource and experience investment. We aimed to assess temporal trends in strategies and outcomes of 2 dedicated programs for CTO PCI. Methods. Between 2011 and 2020, 920 CTO PCI procedures were prospectively included at 2 referral centres in Belgium. Temporal trends were assessed, and logistic regression models were built to identify predictors of outcome. Results. Despite an increase in lesion complexity (the J-CTO score increased from 1.3 in year 1 to 1.7–2.0 in years 8-9,

p
<
0.001

), technical success improved from 70.0% to 85.6% in year 9 (p value for trend <0.001). We observed the most significant improvement starting at years 3-4 (OR 2.3 in year 4 versus year 1,

p
=
0.018

). Together with an increase in success rates and lesions complexity, there was an increase in the use of dual injections, retrograde approaches, the number of balloons and stents, and the use of microcatheters. Conversely, there was a decrease in large bore access, an increase in radial approach, and a shift towards contemporary dissection/reentry techniques. This strategy resulted in a stable major complication rate of 4.7% (p value for trend 0.33). The rate of coronary procedure-related myocardial injury was high (71.0%) and was associated with the use of more intracoronary devices. Conclusions. Three to four years after initiation of a dedicated CTO PCI program with 50 CTO PCIs per year, consistent high technical success and low complication rates are achieved using contemporary strategies.