bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal variations and driving factors of the potential wind erosion rate in the Hexi region, PR China
Authors: Lin Jinkuo , Guan Qingyu , Pan Ninghui , Zhao Rui , Yang Liqin , Xu Chuanqi
Published: June 2020

To reduce the damage caused by wind erosion, the accurate evaluation of wind erosion dynamics and revelation of their driving mechanism are crucial. In this study, the revised wind erosion equation was applied for the estimation of the potential wind erosion rate (PWER) from 1982 to 2015 in the Hexi region, China. Geographic detection, variable control, and correlation analysis were used to determine the contributions of climatic factors and land use patterns to wind erosion. The results showed that the PWER decreased remarkably from 1982 to 2015 (annual average of 67.7 t ha−1yr−1for the entire region). Each year a severe and a mild wind erosion period occurred from October to May and from June to September, respectively. Spatially, the PWER was strong in the eastern, western, and northern regions (especially in the west) and less severe in the central and southern regions, and there was a decreasing tendency in 95% of the area. The PWER of Mongolia (north) was highest, while that of Minle was lowest. Climatic factors primarily determined the PWER in Hexi, among which wind speed was the main factor controlling the intensity of wind erosion. The area with a land use inhibiting wind erosion (3,240 km2) was four times larger than that with a land use promoting wind erosion (800 km2). Meanwhile, the total area with a changing land cover was less than 2% of the study area; therefore, this factor did not significantly affect the PWER in the short term.
Flow‐induced reconfiguration of aquatic plants, including the impact of leaf sheltering
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxia , Nepf Heidi
Published: June 2020

Many aquatic plants are flexible and bend in response to current. This reconfiguration can reduce the drag on the plant, both by reducing the frontal area and by creating a more streamlined shape. Previous studies have considered how the buoyancy and rigidity of a plant impact the drag reduction. This study additionally considered how reconfiguration impacts the sheltering between leaves on a plant and how this, in turn, impacts the drag on the plant. The posture and drag of single‐stemmed, leaved plants were studied through a combination of laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling using both plastic Rotala bonsai and live Bacopa caroliniana. The laboratory experiments measured drag and posture on individual plants over a range of channel velocity. The theoretical model calculated plant posture and drag based on a force balance that included buoyancy, the restoring force due to stem stiffness, and leaf drag modified to account for sheltering between leaves. Leaf sheltering was characterized by a sheltering coefficient, Cs, which is a function of the plant posture, leaf angle, leaf spacing, and leaf width. Cs decreased from 1 to a minimum value, Cs0, associated with a fully deflected, horizontal stem posture. Once validated, the model was used to explore a range of leaf configurations, following examples found in real plants. The modeling and experiments revealed conditions for which drag increased with reconfiguration, and also that the drag reached a finite, limiting value for horizontal stem posture. Neither trend has been described in previous reconfiguration models.
Solution‐Processable Copolymers Based on Triphenylamine and 3,4‐Ethylenedioxythiophene: Facile Synthesis and Multielectrochromism
Authors: Neo Wei Teng , Ye Qun , Chua Ming Hui , Zhu Qiang , Xu Jianwei
Published: June 2020

In comparison with traditional inorganic electrochromic materials, organic polymers offer advantages such as fast switching speed, flexibility, lightweightness, low cost and nontoxicity, solution‐processability, and color tunability. Herein, a series of hyper‐branched copolymers are synthesized from triphenylamine and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene with different feed ratios via iron(III) chloride (FeCl3)‐mediated oxidative polymerization. The resultant organic‐soluble polymers are easily processable and their corresponding electrochromic devices are found to be stable with limited degradation upon 2500 cycles. In addition to their facile synthesis to achieve solution‐processable polymers, studies also show that the polymers exhibit multielectrochromic properties and give rise to five colored states upon oxidative‐doping by applying an external voltage between 0 and 2.0 V, providing an interesting example of polymers with unique electrochromic switching among up to five colors, from yellow at the neutral state, to pale green, pale purple, orange, and finally gray.
Photoluminescent Response of Poly(3‐methylthiophene)‐DNA Single Nanowire Correlating to Nucleotide‐Mismatch Locus in DNA–DNA Hybridization
Authors: Park Dong Hyuk , Cui Chunzhi , Ahn Dong June
Published: June 2020

π‐Conjugated polymers have become qualified candidates for biosensing owing to their unique optoelectronic properties and excellent biocompatibility. In this contribution, nucleotide mismatches in DNA hybridization, being variable in position, are reflected in a stark manner by poly(3‐methylthiophene) (P3MT) nanowires (NWs), in which probe DNA sequence is properly functionalized. Selected as the systematic investigation are complementary target DNA (tDNA), random sequence DNA, and three kinds of 1‐mer mismatched tDNAs with different mismatch loci away from the NW's surface. Nanoscale optical observation of the single P3MT NWs in solid states reveals that the more distant the mismatch position is from the surface, the higher the photoluminescence (PL) occurs, while the complementary sequence yields the highest but the random one remains the lowest. Hence, the PL intensity increases with the relative length of the DNA–DNA hybridization from the surface. These results deliver a new basis that π‐conjugated polymers can be potentially applicable to detailed nucleotide analyses as in single nucleotide polymorphism.
Untypically mild phenotype of a patient suffering from Sanfilippo syndrome B with the c.638C>T/c.889C>T (p.Pro213Leu/p.Arg297Ter) mutations in the NAGLU gene
Authors: Pierzynowska Karolina , Mański Arkadiusz , Limanówka Monika , Wierzba Jolanta , Gaffke Lidia , Anikiej Paulina , Węgrzyn Grzegorz
Published: June 2020

Background

Sanfilippo syndrome B (or mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB [MPS IIIB]) is a severe inherited metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the NAGLU gene, encoding α‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase. Dysfunction of this enzyme results in impaired degradation of heparan sulfate, one of glycosaminoglycans, and accumulation of this complex carbohydrate in lysosomes. Severe symptoms occurring in this disease are related to progressive neurodegeneration and include extreme hyperactivity, sleeping problems, aggressive‐like behavior, reduced fear, and progressive mental and cognitive deterioration. No cure is currently available for Sanfilippo disease.

Methods

Clinical characterization of the patient's symptoms has been performed. Biochemical analyses included glycosaminoglycan level determination and measurement of α‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase activity. Molecular analyses included exome sequencing and detailed analysis of the NAGLU gene. Psychological tests included assessment of attention, communication and behavior.

Results

We describe a patient with an untypically mild phenotype, who was diagnosed at the age of 13 years. Many cognitive, communication, and motoric functions were preserved in this patient, contrary to vast majority of those suffering from MPS IIIB. The patient is a compound heterozygote (c.638C>T/c.889C>T) in the NAGLU gene, and relatively high residual activity (about 25%) of α‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase was measured in serum (while no activity of this enzyme could be detected in dry blood spot).

Conclusions

We suggest that the mild phenotype might arise from the partially preserved function of the mutant enzyme (p.Pro213Leu), suggesting the genotype‐phenotype correlation in this case.
A Short‐Term Western Diet Impairs Cholesterol Homeostasis and Key Players of Beta Amyloid Metabolism in Brain of Middle Aged Rats
Authors: Spagnuolo Maria Stefania , Pallottini Valentina , Mazzoli Arianna , Iannotta Lucia , Tonini Claudia , Morone Barbara , Ståhlman Marcus , Crescenzo Raffaella , Strazzullo Maria , Iossa Susanna , Cigliano Luisa
Published: June 2020

Scope

Cholesterol homeostasis is crucial for brain functioning. Unhealthy nutrition can influence cerebral physiology, but the effect of western diets on brain cholesterol homeostasis, particularly at middle age, is unknown. Given the link between brain cholesterol alteration and beta amyloid production, the aim is to evaluate whether a diet rich in fat and fructose affects the protein network implicated in cholesterol synthesis and shuttling between glial cells and neurons, as well as crucial markers of beta amyloid metabolism.

Methods and results

Middle aged rats are fed a high fat–high fructose (HFF) or a control diet for 4 weeks. Inflammatory markers and cholesterol levels significantly increase in hippocampus of HFF rats. A higher activation of 3‐hydroxy 3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme‐A reductase, coupled with lower levels of apolipoprotein E, LXR‐beta, and lipoproteins receptors is measured in hippocampus from HFF rats. The alteration of critical players of cholesterol homeostasis is associated with increased level of amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and nicastrin, and decreased level of insulin degrading enzyme.

Conclusions

Overall these data show that a western diet is associated with perturbation of cholesterol homeostasis in middle aged rats, mostly in hippocampus. This might trigger molecular events involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.
Cone‐beam CT‐derived relative stopping power map generation via deep learning for proton radiotherapy
Authors: Harms Joseph , Lei Yang , Wang Tonghe , McDonald Mark , Ghavidel Beth , Stokes William , Curran Walter J. , Zhou Jun , Liu Tian , Yang Xiaofeng
Published: June 2020

Purpose

In intensity‐modulated proton therapy (IMPT), protons are used to deliver highly conformal dose distributions, targeting tumors, and sparing organs‐at‐risk. However, due to uncertainties in both patient setup and relative stopping power (RSP) calculation, margins are added to the treatment volume during treatment planning, leading to higher doses to normal tissues. Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are taken daily before treatment; however, the poor image quality of CBCT limits the use of these images for online dose calculation. In this work, we use a deep‐learning‐based method to predict RSP maps from daily CBCT images, allowing for online dose calculation in a step toward adaptive radiation therapy.

Methods

Twenty‐three head‐and‐neck cancer patients were simulated using a Siemens TwinBeam dual‐energy CT (DECT) scanner. Mixed‐energy scans (equivalent to a 120 kVp single‐energy CT scan) were converted to RSP maps for treatment planning. Cone‐beam computed tomography images were taken on the first day of treatment, and the planning RSP maps were registered to these images. A deep learning network based on a cycle‐GAN architecture, relying on a compound loss function designed for structural and contrast preservation, was then trained to create an RSP map from a CBCT image. Leave‐one‐out and holdout cross validations were used for evaluation, and mean absolute error (MAE), mean error (ME), peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR), and structural similarity (SSIM) were used to quantify the differences between the CT‐based and CBCT‐based RSP maps. The proposed method was compared to a deformable image registration‐based method which was taken as the ground truth and two other deep learning methods. For one patient who underwent resimulation, the new planning RSP maps and CBCT images were used for further evaluation and validation.

Results

The CBCT‐based RSP generation method was evaluated on 23 head‐and‐neck cancer patients. From leave‐one‐out testing, the MAE between CT‐based and CBCT‐based RSP was 0.06 ± 0.01 and the ME was −0.01 ± 0.01. The proposed method statistically outperformed the comparison DL methods in terms of MAE and ME when compared to the planning CT. In terms of dose comparison, the mean gamma passing rate at 3%/3 mm was 94% when three‐dimensional (3D) gamma index was calculated per plan and 96% when gamma index was calculated per field.

Conclusions

The proposed method provides sufficiently accurate RSP map generation from CBCT images, allowing for evaluation of daily dose based on CBCT and possibly allowing for CBCT‐guided adaptive treatment planning for IMPT.
Exploring the role of online health information and social media in the illness experience of arthritis‐related fatigue: A focus group study
Authors: Muir Julia , Hegarty Roisin S.M. , Stebbings Simon , Treharne Gareth J.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Online health information (OHI) and social media have become prominent health resources for people with arthritis‐related fatigue. More research is needed to understand how OHI and online social support may influence illness experiences and patient–practitioner relationships in people with arthritis‐related fatigue. The present study aimed to explore how OHI and social media shape these experiences by using an inductive qualitative analysis.

Method

Seven focus groups were conducted with 21 participants aged 28–77 diagnosed with a range of rheumatic diseases. Within the focus groups, participants were asked questions about OHI, online social support and the role of OHI in their health care. The focus groups were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a combination of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and thematic analysis.

Results

The analysis resulted in three themes: (a) how online social support changes illness experiences, (b) communicating fatigue to health professionals using OHI and (c) health care experiences online. These themes provide insight into the ways people with arthritis‐related fatigue benefit from online social support, use OHI to support communication with health professionals and how they share health care for arthritis in online spaces.

Conclusion

This research expanded on previous literature addressing the role of OHI and social media in the illness experience of arthritis‐related fatigue. As technology use is increasing, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of social distancing, it is critical to address the role of OHI and social media in health care. In this study, OHI and social media played a prevalent role in the health care of many participants.
Outcomes Associated With Early vs Late Initiation of Exclusive Enteral Feeding Regimens Following Laparoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement in the Pediatric Patient
Authors: Jones Cory Wyatt , Smith Justin Robert , Paton Elizabeth A. , Harrell Camden R. , Huang Eunice Yuee‐Dean , Corkins Mark R.
Published: June 2020

Objectives

Despite frequent placement of pediatric laparoscopic gastrostomy tubes (GTs), no rigorous evaluation of initial feeding and advancement regimens exists. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether early enteral feeding after GT placement is associated with increased symptoms, procedural complications, or length of stay (LOS).

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, the records of all patients at a tertiary care pediatric hospital who had gastrostomy placement were reviewed. Only patients fed exclusively via gastrostomy were included. Feeding was monitored starting with the first postoperative feed and subsequently in 24‐hour increments. Adverse events were recorded based on clinical documentation.

Results

A total of 480 patients met inclusion criteria. Patients who started feeds between 24 and 36 hours had a shorter LOS compared with those who started at 36–48 hours (P = .0072) or >48 hours (P < .0001). Patients requiring ≥60 hours to reach goal feeds had significantly longer LOS than the other groups. There was no difference in the distribution of the LOS based on percentage of goal feeds initiated. Patients who required ≥60 hours to attain goal feeds had the most feeding complications.

Conclusions

More aggressive feeding advancement and earlier initiation of feeds were associated with decreased LOS without an associated increase in adverse clinical events.
Muscle Mass Loss in the Older Critically Ill Population: Potential Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: McKendry James , Thomas Aaron C. Q. , Phillips Stuart M.
Published: June 2020

Skeletal muscle plays a critical role in everyday life, and its age‐associated reduction has severe health consequences. The pre‐existing presence of sarcopenia, combined with anabolic resistance, protein undernutrition, and the pro‐catabolic/anti‐anabolic milieu induced by aging and exacerbated in critical care, may accelerate the rate at which skeletal muscle is lost in patients with critical illness. Advancements in intensive care unit (ICU)–care provision have drastically improved survival rates; therefore, attention can be redirected toward other significant issues affecting ICU patients (e.g., length of stay, days on ventilation, nosocomial disease development, etc.). Thus, strategies targeting muscle mass and function losses within an ICU setting are essential to improve patient‐related outcomes. Notably, loading exercise and protein provision are the most compelling. Many older ICU patients seldom meet the recommended protein intake, and loading exercise is difficult to conduct in the ICU. Nevertheless, the incorporation of physical therapy (PT), neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and early mobilization strategies may be beneficial. Furthermore, a number of nutrition practices within the ICU have been shown to improve patient‐related outcomes ((e.g., feeding strategy [i.e., oral, early enteral, or parenteral]), be hypocaloric (∼70%–80% energy requirements), and increase protein provision (∼1.2–2.5 g/kg/d)). The aim of this brief review is to discuss the dysregulation of muscle mass maintenance in an older ICU population and highlight the potential benefits of strategic nutrition practice, specifically protein, and PT within the ICU. Finally, we provide some general guidelines that may serve to counteract muscle mass loss in patients with critical illness.
Multicolor low‐rank preconditioner for general sparse linear systems
Authors: Zheng Qingqing , Xi Yuanzhe , Saad Yousef
Published: June 2020

This article presents a multilevel parallel preconditioning technique for solving general large sparse linear systems of equations. Subdomain coloring is invoked to reorder the coefficient matrix by multicoloring the adjacency graph of the subdomains, resulting in a two‐level block diagonal structure. A full binary tree structure is then built to facilitate the construction of the preconditioner. A key property that is exploited is the observation that the difference between the inverse of the original matrix and that of its block diagonal approximation is often well approximated by a low‐rank matrix. This property and the block diagonal structure of the reordered matrix lead to a multicolor low‐rank (MCLR) preconditioner. The construction procedure of the MCLR preconditioner follows a bottom‐up traversal of the tree . All irregular matrix computations, such as ILU factorizations and related triangular solves, are restricted to leaf nodes where these operations can be performed independently. Computations in nonleaf nodes only involve easy‐to‐optimize dense matrix operations. In order to further reduce the number of iteration of the Preconditioned Krylov subspace procedure, we combine MCLR with a few classical block‐relaxation techniques. Numerical experiments on various test problems are proposed to illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed approach for solving large sparse symmetric and nonsymmetric linear systems.
Childhood Hyperlipidemia and its Association with Early Growth Among Full‐Term–Born Children at 5 to 6 Years of Age in China
Authors: Li Weiqin , Leng Junhong , Wang Shuting , Wang Leishen , Wang Shuo , Zhang Tao , Qiao Yijuan , Mi Jie
Published: June 2020

Objective

This study’s aim was to assess the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and its association with birth weight and BMI at 2 years of age and 5 to 6 years of age in full‐term–born children.

Methods

A population‐based, large‐scale survey of hyperlipidemia was conducted. Information on 12,701 children aged 5 to 6 years was retrospectively collected from electronic health care records.

Results

The rate of high total cholesterol (≥5.18 mmol/L) and/or high triglycerides (≥1.70 mmol/L) was 10.2%. The multivariate‐adjusted odds ratios of high total cholesterol and/or triglycerides were 1.33 (1.04‐1.69), 1.00, and 0.95 (0.81‐1.11) based on birth weight groups (small for gestational age [SGA], appropriate for gestational age, and large for gestational age); 1.06 (0.77‐1.45), 1.00, and 0.99 (0.88‐1.11) based on BMI groups at around 2 years of age (<10th, 10th to <75th, and ≥75th percentiles); and 1.56 (1.08‐2.25), 1.00, and 1.71 (1.44‐2.03) based on BMI groups at 5 to 6 years of age (<−2 SD, −2 SD to <2 SD and ≥2 SD), respectively. In the SGA group, hyperlipidemia was not associated with BMI at 2 years of age but was significantly associated with having underweight or obesity at 5 to <6 years of age.

Conclusions

SGA infants are at an increased risk for childhood hyperlipidemia, and catch‐up growth before the age of 2 years would not affect this risk. For SGA infants, having underweight or obesity after 2 years of age can increase the risk of childhood hyperlipidemia.
The acquirement of desirable dielectric properties of carbon nanofiber composites based on the controlled crystallization
Authors: Su Yaotian , Chen Dongli , Zeng Juanjuan , Sui Gang , Lan Jinle , Yang Xiaoping
Published: June 2020

This study focused on uncovering the relationship among nanofiller, crystallization behavior, and dielectric property of polymer composites. The effects of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and heat treatment on the crystalline structures and dielectric properties of the semi‐crystalline polymers were analyzed by using high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a matrix, which is a representative of non‐polar polymer and contains only one crystal structure. The experimental results showed that the degree of crystallinity, size distribution of crystallity, and relative amount of different crystal planes in the HDPE matrix were changing due to the addition of CNFs. With the increase of CNF loading, the dielectric constant, dielectric loss and AC conductivity of the HDPE composites were increased, presenting a typical percolation characteristic, and the dependence of the dielectric constant on frequency became more obvious. All kinds of electronic transmission, polarization effect, and relaxation behaviors in CNF/HDPE composite system were deeply analyzed. After heat treatment, the degree of crystallinity of HDPE composites was decreased with the enhanced cooling rate. For the CNF/HDPE composites with nanofiller content slightly higher than the percolation threshold, the significant increase of the dielectric constant and the dramatical reduction of the dielectric loss over a wide frequency range were realized simultaneously through rapid cooling treatment. The research indicated that a general commercial polymer material with excellent dielectric properties, which exhibited a high dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss, can be obtained by a simple technical approach different from traditional fabrication method of threshold composites.
Effects of bilayer nanofibrillar scaffolds containing epidermal growth factor on full‐thickness wound healing
Authors: Golchin Ali , Nourani Mohammad Reza
Published: June 2020

Wound healing refers to a complex, dynamic process in the body, especially the skin, which influences the quality of life of millions of people each year. Electrospinning is an efficient and economic technique for the production of micro‐ to nano‐fibrillar constructs as drug delivery systems with biomedical applications. In this study, we designed an electrospun bilayer fibrillar scaffold immobilized with epidermal growth factor (EGF), using polycaprolactone (PCL) as the upper layer and chitosan (CS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the lower layer of wound dressing. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to characterize the scaffolds. The water uptake, release potency, and toxicity of scaffolds were evaluated, and also then DAPI staining and MTT assay after seeding adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells. Finally, the effects of the scaffolds on the wound healing process were investigated in a mouse model of full‐thickness skin injury. The results of SEM demonstrated continuous, smooth, bead‐free, and randomly aligned fibers. The average diameter of CS/PVA nanofibers was 238.36 ± 36.99, and the mean diameter of PCL nanofibers was 1271.79 ± 428.49 nm. The scaffolds were capable of cell seeding and supported their growth and proliferation. Furthermore, in the comparison between designed composite as dressing patch and control group (Vaseline), our composite demonstrated significant differences, so that EGF‐immobilized patch efficiently accelerated wound closure and improved histological healing in an in vivo full‐thickness wound healing mouse model. The present results suggest the potential of the designed electrospun bilayer fibrillar scaffold containing EGF for the treatment of full‐thickness wounds and skin regeneration.
Synthesizing Systems Biology Knowledge from Omics Using Genome‐Scale Models
Authors: Dahal Sanjeev , Yurkovich James T. , Xu Hao , Palsson Bernhard O. , Yang Laurence
Published: June 2020

Omic technologies have enabled the complete readout of the molecular state of a cell at different biological scales. In principle, the combination of multiple omic data types can provide an integrated view of the entire biological system. This integration requires appropriate models in a systems biology approach. Here, genome‐scale models (GEMs) are focused upon as one computational systems biology approach for interpreting and integrating multi‐omic data. GEMs convert the reactions (related to metabolism, transcription, and translation) that occur in an organism to a mathematical formulation that can be modeled using optimization principles. A variety of genome‐scale modeling methods used to interpret multiple omic data types, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and meta‐omics are reviewed. The ability to interpret omics in the context of biological systems has yielded important findings for human health, environmental biotechnology, bioenergy, and metabolic engineering. The authors find that concurrent with advancements in omic technologies, genome‐scale modeling methods are also expanding to enable better interpretation of omic data. Therefore, continued synthesis of valuable knowledge, through the integration of omic data with GEMs, are expected.
Participation in Physical Activity at Time of Presentation to a Specialty Concussion Clinic Is Associated With Shorter Time to Recovery
Authors: Coslick Alexis M. , Chin Kaitlyn E. , Kalb Luther G. , Slomine Beth S. , Suskauer Stacy J.
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Novel research suggests that children engaging in physical activity during recovery from concussion may recover more rapidly.

Objective

To determine if level of physical activity at presentation to a rehabilitation‐based concussion specialty clinic predicted days from injury to recovery.

Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

A concussion sub‐specialty clinic at an academic institution.

Patients

Retrospective review of medical records between September 2015 and February 2017 identified 178 children ages 6‐17 years (mean age = 13.7 years; standard deviation [SD] = 2.7 years) who presented within 60 days of concussion and were ultimately deemed recovered and cleared to progress to full return to high‐risk activities.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Physical activity at initial visit was classified as none‐to‐light (79%) versus moderate‐to‐heavy (21%). A doubly robust, inverse probability of exposure weighted linear regression model was used to examine the relationship between physical activity level and days to recovery, while adjusting for 10 demographic and clinical variables.

Results

Children participating in moderate‐to‐heavy activity at initial evaluation in concussion clinic averaged recovery 21 days quicker (95% confidence interval [CI] −27.1, −15.5, P < .001) than children who were engaging in none‐to‐light activity. This finding did not change when removing children who were deemed recovered at the first visit (who may have initiated physical activity after becoming asymptomatic).

Conclusions

These data add to growing evidence that progressive physical activity during recovery from concussion does not appear to be harmful. Physical activity represents a modifiable variable in recovery, and physicians can potentially expedite symptomatic recovery by recommending noncontact physical activity as tolerated during concussion recovery.
Buying time: Drug repurposing to treat the host in COVID‐19H
Authors: Martin Jennifer H. , Clark Julian , Head Richard
Published: June 2020

In 2016 Fedson stated …. “For almost two decades, leading scientists and health officials have warned that we must prepare for a potentially devastating global pandemic of an infectious disease. Initial concern was focused on …H5N1…. More recently…a devastating outbreak of Ebola virus..(and) several other emerging viruses are believed to seriously threaten global health and global security. To prepare, scientists have been urged to discover new vaccines and treatments for these emerging viruses. At the same time, political leaders have been urged by global health experts to invest millions in a “top down” restructuring of the global health system. This article takes a different view. It focuses on an alternative approach to the scientific discovery of treatments for individual patients, reviews the mechanisms of action and clinical experience with specific drugs that might be useful, and considers whether or not recent lessons regarding this “bottom up” approach to treatment have been learned”.

Now with a new virus and pandemic upon us, Fedson's 2016 comments appear chilling, are cause for reflection on what we have learnt and importantly offer focus on an immediate opportunity in the area of treating the host (Fedson DS, Ann Transl Med, 2016;4:421).
Flag on the play, delay of game
Authors: Herber John W.
Published: June 2020

Many process safety systems are aimed at attaining and maintaining normal operation. How to maintain a safe process during abnormal operation is more difficult to assess. Initiating events that could cause abnormal operation are varied and they are easily overlooked or discarded as highly improbable. There is a netherworld when operations are suspended or the process is on hold. Hold can be a distillation unit that is placed on total reflux or a reactive process where the process is not at reaction conditions; perhaps reactant additions have been suspended. The assumption is that the process remains at a static condition until we want it to resume. The proverb, “Time and tide waits for no man” should have also included chemical reactions. While some upset causes are not preventable, they can be anticipated and plans developed to safely manage the process until normal operation can resume. Maintenance activities are also prone to increased risk due to delayed or suspended operations. All of these situations have warning signs that can be recognized, but only if an effort is made to assess the situation and develop plans to safely manage the process through the delay.
Azotobacter chroococcum inoculation can improve plant growth and resistance of maize to armyworm, Mythimna separata even under reduced nitrogen fertilizer application
Authors: Song Yingying , Liu Jiawen , Chen Fajun
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Nitrogen (N) is essential to crop yield improvement and it can change crops' ability to defend against herbivores. To maximize economic yield, a higher amount of N‐fertilizer is often applied than the minimum required. Azotobacter is a good alternative to reduce N fertilizer application. In this study, we studied the yield and secondary defensive chemicals of maize, as well as the response of the key maize insect pest, Mythimna separata, as fed on maize plants inoculated with Azotobacter chroococcum and cultivated at different N fertilizer rates (i.e. the control rate of nitrogen fertilizer (CR), 80%CR and 60%CR) from 2018 to 2019.

RESULTS

A. chroococcum inoculation just positively increased yield production of maize at 80%CR. Moreover, reduced N‐fertilizer application and A. chroococcum inoculation had opposite impacts on the foliar contents of jasmonic acid (JA), isoleucine conjugate of JA (JA‐Ile) and DIMBOA in maize, and they both negatively decreased the pupation rate and fecundity, and positively increased the eclosion rate and approximate digestibility (AD) of M. separata (P < 0.05). Furthermore, reduced N‐fertilizer application negatively prolonged larval life‐span, and decreased pupal weight, relative growth rate (RGR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) of M. separata even A. chroococcum inoculation had positive effects on these indexes of M. separata (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These results help in understanding of the effects of low‐level N‐fertilizer and A. chroococcum inoculation on maize production and maize resistance to insects. This will be conducive to the integrated control of agricultural pests. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Distributed finite‐time fault‐tolerant error constraint containment algorithm for multiple ocean bottom flying nodes with tan‐type barrier Lyapunov function
Authors: Qin Hongde , Chen Hui , Sun Yanchao
Published: June 2020

The ocean bottom flying node (OBFN) is a special autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for seabed resource exploration. In this article, unmodeled uncertainties, thruster faults, and ocean disturbances are considered. The trajectory errors are constrained. Based on the directed topology, the distributed finite‐time fault‐tolerant error constraint containment control problem for multiple OBFN systems is solved, while only a part of follower OBFNs can measure the state of leaders. By using the backstepping method and a tan‐type barrier lyapunov function (BLF), a novel form of virtual controller is constructed. Neural network is employed to approximate and compensate the general disturbances. And the upper bound of the estimation error is dealt with by proposing an adaptive law. Besides, the trajectory errors can be constrained to a small neighborhood of zero in finite time. In other words, follower OBFNs can reach the convex hull consisted of leaders in finite time. The effectiveness of the designed algorithm is shown by presenting numerical experiment.
Dislocation‐Free and Atomically Flat GaN Hexagonal Microprisms for Device Applications
Authors: Khalilian Maryam , Bi Zhaoxia , Johansson Jonas , Lenrick Filip , Hultin Olof , Colvin Jovana , Timm Rainer , Wallenberg Reine , Ohlsson Jonas , Pistol Mats‐Erik , Gustafsson Anders , Samuelson Lars
Published: June 2020

III‐nitrides are considered the material of choice for light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers in the visible to ultraviolet spectral range. The development is hampered by lattice and thermal mismatch between the nitride layers and the growth substrate leading to high dislocation densities. In order to overcome the issue, efforts have gone into selected area growth of nanowires (NWs), using their small footprint in the substrate to grow virtually dislocation‐free material. Their geometry is defined by six tall side‐facets and a pointed tip which limits the design of optoelectronic devices. Growth of dislocation‐free and atomically smooth 3D hexagonal GaN micro‐prisms with a flat, micrometer‐sized top‐surface is presented. These self‐forming structures are suitable for optical devices such as low‐loss optical cavities for high‐efficiency LEDs. The structures are made by annealing GaN NWs with a thick radial shell, reforming them into hexagonal flat‐top prisms with six equivalents either m‐ or s‐facets depending on the initial heights of the top pyramid and m‐facets of the NWs. This shape is kinetically controlled and the reformation can be explained with a phenomenological model based on Wulff construction that have been developed. It is expected that the results will inspire further research into micron‐sized III‐nitride‐based devices.
Modular Molecular Self‐Assembly for Diversified Chiroptical Systems
Authors: Wang Zhuoer , Zhang Heng , Hao Aiyou , Zhao Yanli , Xing Pengyao
Published: June 2020

Bottom‐up multicomponent molecular self‐assembly is an efficient approach to fabricate and manipulate chiral nanostructures and their chiroptical activities such as the Cotton effect and circular polarized luminescence (CPL). However, the integrated coassembly suffers from spontaneous and inherent systematic pathway complexity with low yield and poor fidelity. Consequently, a rational design of chiral self‐assembled systems with more than two components remains a significant challenge. Herein, a modularized, ternary molecular self‐assembly strategy that generates chiroptically active materials at diverse hierarchical levels is reported. N‐terminated aromatic amino acids appended with binding sites for charge transfer and multiple hydrogen bonds undergo the evolution of supramolecular chirality with unique handedness and luminescent color, generating abundant CPL emission with high luminescence dissymmetry factor values in precisely controlled modalities. Ternary coassembly facilitates high‐water‐content hydrogel formation constituted by super‐helical nanostructures, demonstrating a helix to toroid topological transition. This discovery would shed light on developing complicated multicomponent systems in mimicking biological coassembly events.
Bottom‐Up Design of Composite Supraparticles for Powder‐Based Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Canziani Herbert , Chiera Salvatore , Schuffenhauer Thomas , Kopp Sebastian‐Paul , Metzger Florian , Bück Andreas , Schmidt Michael , Vogel Nicolas
Published: June 2020

Additive manufacturing promises high flexibility and customized product design. Powder bed fusion processes use a laser to melt a polymer powder at predefined locations and iterate the scheme to build 3D objects. The design of flowable powders is a critical parameter for a successful fabrication process that currently limits the choice of available materials. Here, a bottom‐up process is introduced to fabricate tailored polymer‐ and composite supraparticles for powder‐based additive manufacturing processes by controlled aggregation of colloidal primary particles. These supraparticles exhibit a near‐spherical shape and tailored composition, morphology, and surface roughness. These parameters can be precisely controlled by the mixing and size ratio of the primary particles. Polystyrene/silica composite particles are chosen as a model system to establish structure–property relations connecting shape, morphology, and surface roughness to the adhesion within the powder, which is accessed by tensile strength measurements. The adhesive properties are then connected to powder flowability and it is shown that the resulting powders allow the formation of dense powder films with uniform coverage. Finally, successful powder bed fusion is demonstrated by producing macroscopic single layer specimens with uniform distribution of nanoscale silica additives.
Nanopore Targeted Sequencing for the Accurate and Comprehensive Detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 and Other Respiratory Viruses
Authors: Wang Ming , Fu Aisi , Hu Ben , Tong Yongqing , Liu Ran , Liu Zhen , Gu Jiashuang , Xiang Bin , Liu Jianghao , Jiang Wen , Shen Gaigai , Zhao Wanxu , Men Dong , Deng Zixin , Yu Lilei , Wei Wu , Li Yan , Liu Tiangang
Published: June 2020

The ongoing global novel coronavirus pneumonia COVID‐19 outbreak has engendered numerous cases of infection and death. COVID‐19 diagnosis relies upon nucleic acid detection; however, currently recommended methods exhibit high false‐negative rates and are unable to identify other respiratory virus infections, thereby resulting in patient misdiagnosis and impeding epidemic containment. Combining the advantages of targeted amplification and long‐read, real‐time nanopore sequencing, herein, nanopore targeted sequencing (NTS) is developed to detect SARS‐CoV‐2 and other respiratory viruses simultaneously within 6–10 h, with a limit of detection of ten standard plasmid copies per reaction. Compared with its specificity for five common respiratory viruses, the specificity of NTS for SARS‐CoV‐2 reaches 100%. Parallel testing with approved real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction kits for SARS‐CoV‐2 and NTS using 61 nucleic acid samples from suspected COVID‐19 cases show that NTS identifies more infected patients (22/61) as positive, while also effectively monitoring for mutated nucleic acid sequences, categorizing types of SARS‐CoV‐2, and detecting other respiratory viruses in the test sample. NTS is thus suitable for COVID‐19 diagnosis; moreover, this platform can be further extended for diagnosing other viruses and pathogens.
The anti‐microbial activities of secosteroids isolated from Physalis angulata
Authors: Cuong Le Canh Viet , Dat Ton That Huu , Nhiem Nguyen Xuan , Cuc Nguyen Thi , Yen Duong Thi Hai , Anh Hoang Le Tuan
Published: June 2020

In this article, four secosteroids, including physalin B (1), physalin D (2), physalin F (3), and physalin G (4) were isolated from the dichloromethane extract of P. angulata growing in Thai Binh, Vietnam by using various chromatographic methods. Their chemical structures were determined by analyses of 1D and 2D‐NMR spectral data as well as comparison with those published in the literature. Anti‐microbial assays showed that compounds 1‐3 exhibited anti‐microbial against a panel of clinically significant microorganisms with MIC values from 32 to 128 μg/mL.
Using oxygen depletion to reduce maize weevils without chemicals in a storage minienvironment
Authors: Van Duong Nguyen , Khanh Le Quoc , Xuan Bui Thanh , Hung Chu Tam , Que Le Xuan
Published: June 2020

The growth of main maize weevils Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (SzM) was studied in maize storage minienvironments (MEs) with different oxygen concentration (CO2) ranging from 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 21 %. The obtained results showed that at low oxygen concentrations of 15 %, 10 % and 5 %, the total number of weevils presented in the MEs (alive or dead) at moments of tallying weevils, decreased as a function of CO2. In ME at 5 % oxygen, after 80 testing days there were 90 weevils appeared; but in ME at 21 % oxygen there were 576 weevils appeared. In ME at CO2 = 0 % there was no weevils appeared. Consequently there was not found any dead weevil, in terms of pure mathematics as same as at oxygen concentration of 21 %. It was found that, in the test frame at oxygen concentration range of 5‐21 %, the lower the oxygen concentration in the ME, the lower the number of weevils appeared, and the larger the number of death weevils. However the ME with CO2 = 0 %, where was no weevil SzM appeared, was considered as one of the most suitable for the maize grain preservation without using any chemical.
Coordination complexes of slight tetrylene with platinum(II)‐8‐hydroxyquinolines: Structure and bonding analysis
Authors: Loan Huynh Thi Phuong , Van Duc Hoang , Quy Phan Tu , Thuy Bui Thi Phuong , Van Tat Pham , Quang Duong Tuan , Nhung Nguyen Thi Ai
Published: June 2020

The structure and bonding situation in platinum complexes containing slight tetrylene ligands [{PtCl‐C9H6NO}‐NHE] (Pt‐NHE) with E = C, Si, Ge were examined by DFT calculations with the levels are BP86/def2‐SVP and BP86/def2‐TZVPP. The predicted equilibrium structure of the ligands NHE in Pt‐NHE are bonded in distorted end‐on way to PtCl‐8‐hydroxyquinolines fragment with the bending angle, α, exhibits the biggest value in carbenes systems then slightly decrease from Pt‐NHC to Pt‐NHGe. Bond dissociation energies (BDEs), De (kcal.mol‐1), decrease from the carbene complex to the weaker bonded silylene and germylene manners. The BDE when considering dispersion correction at the BP86‐D3(BJ)/def2‐TZVPP level confirms that Pt‐E bond in Pt‐NHE belongs to the effect of the bulky group in slight tetrylene NHE and Pt(II)‐group fragment which makes the intrinsic Pt‐E bond strength decreases from carbene to germylene complexes. The hybridization of atoms E and Pt have large p characters while the hybridization of atom Pt has greater d character which lead to the Pt‐E bond possesses not only NHE→{PtCl‐C9H6NO} strong σ‐donation but also a significant contribution π‐donation NHE→{PtCl‐C9H6NO} and weak π‐backdonation metal‐ligand NHE←{PtCl‐C9H6NO} in complexes Pt‐NHE.
Preliminary assessment of the sediment quality of Bach Dang estuary using Embryo assay of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas
Authors: Mai Huong , Hue Nguyen Thi , Van Tuan Nguyen , Sinh Le Xuan
Published: June 2020

The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, was used as a bioindicator organism to investigate the sediment quality of at Dinh Vu port and Dong Bai intertidal in the Bach Dang estuary. The embryos of oyster were exposed to sediment contacts for 24 h to quantify the abnormality percentage of the development of D‐shape oyster larvae. In the sediments collected from April to July 2016, the results showed that the low sediment concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 g.L‐1) had higher development defect for oyster embryos. The development of oyster embryos had no affected because the concentration of ammonium and particulate organic carbon were low in Bach Dang estuary.
Chemical constituents from ethyl acetate extract of the stems of Rourea oligophlebia Merr.
Authors: Thuc Dinh Ngoc , Thuy Vu Thi , Mai Vu Thi Ha , Thanh Le Nguyen , Van Quan Vo
Published: June 2020

Rourea oligophlebia (Connaraceae) plant has been traditionally used for the treatment of bleeding and bone fractures. Chemical study on the ethyl acetate extract of the stem of Rourea oligophlebia, collected at Ben En National Park, Thanh Hoa province, have led to the isolation of five compounds including friedelin (1), friedelinol (2), coniferyl alcohol (3), 7α‐hydroxyl‐3β‐sistosterol (4) and scopoletin (5). The structures of these compounds have been elucidated by NMR, MS spectroscopic data and comparison with the reported literatures. This is the first report of chemical study on Rourea oligophlebia stems. Compounds 1‐4 were isolated from Rourea genus for the first time.
Rapid classification of rice in Northern Vietnam by using FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics methods
Authors: Giang Le Truong , Thien Tran Lam Thanh , Yen Dao Hai
Published: June 2020

Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy were used to analyze 42 commercial rice samples from 7 different rice varieties available in Vietnamese market. Infrared data were recorded by attenuated total reflection mode (ATR mode). The obtained data from the analysis were collected and statistically proceeded by the virtue of chemometric method including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Orthogonal Partial Least Square‐Discriminant Analysis (OPLS‐DA). The combination of infrared signal data (FTIR fingerprints) and suitable data processing method brought about the ability to distinguish types of rice examined in this study. When PCA and OPLS‐DA techniques are applied, 100 % of rice samples is correctly classified. The results illustrated that the method utilized in this study has been a quick and powerful tool to successfully classify the varieties of rice on the market contributing to rapid detection of mixing and falsifying the rice categories.