bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are native and non‐native pollinator friendly plants equally valuable for native wild bee communities?
Authors: Seitz Nicola , vanEngelsdorp Dennis , Leonhardt Sara D.
Published: October 2020

Bees rely on floral pollen and nectar for food. Therefore, pollinator friendly plantings are often used to enrich habitats in bee conservation efforts. As part of these plantings, non‐native plants may provide valuable floral resources, but their effects on native bee communities have not been assessed in direct comparison with native pollinator friendly plantings. In this study, we performed a common garden experiment by seeding mixes of 20 native and 20 non‐native pollinator friendly plant species at separate neighboring plots at three sites in Maryland, USA, and recorded flower visitors for 2 years. A total of 3,744 bees (120 species) were collected. Bee abundance and species richness were either similar across plant types (midseason and for abundance also late season) or lower at native than at non‐native plots (early season and for richness also late season). The overall bee community composition differed significantly between native and non‐native plots, with 11 and 23 bee species being found exclusively at one plot type or the other, respectively. Additionally, some species were more abundant at native plant plots, while others were more abundant at non‐natives. Native plants hosted more specialized plant–bee visitation networks than non‐native plants. Three species out of the five most abundant bee species were more specialized when foraging on native plants than on non‐native plants. Overall, visitation networks were more specialized in the early season than in late seasons. Our findings suggest that non‐native plants can benefit native pollinators, but may alter foraging patterns, bee community assemblage, and bee–plant network structures.
Modeling mycorrhizal fungi dispersal by the mycophagous swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
Authors: Danks Melissa A. , Simpson Natalie , Elliott Todd F. , Paine C. E. Timothy , Vernes Karl
Published: October 2020

Despite the importance of mammal‐fungal interactions, tools to estimate the mammal‐assisted dispersal distances of fungi are lacking. Many mammals actively consume fungal fruiting bodies, the spores of which remain viable after passage through their digestive tract. Many of these fungi form symbiotic relationships with trees and provide an array of other key ecosystem functions. We present a flexible, general model to predict the distance a mycophagous mammal would disperse fungal spores. We modeled the probability of spore dispersal by combining animal movement data from GPS telemetry with data on spore gut‐retention time. We test this model using an exemplar generalist mycophagist, the swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor). We show that swamp wallabies disperse fungal spores hundreds of meters—and occasionally up to 1,265 m—from the point of consumption, distances that are ecologically significant for many mycorrhizal fungi. In addition to highlighting the ecological importance of swamp wallabies as dispersers of mycorrhizal fungi in eastern Australia, our simple modeling approach provides a novel and effective way of empirically describing spore dispersal by a mycophagous animal. This approach is applicable to the study of other animal‐fungi interactions in other ecosystems.
Ti (IV) modified vinyl phosphate magnetic nanoparticles for simultaneous preconcentration of multiple arsenic species from chicken samples followed by HPLC‐ICP‐MS analysis
Authors: Xu Qiuyue , Chen Beibei , He Man , Hu Bin
Published: October 2020

Ti (IV)‐modified vinyl phosphate magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2@KH570‐PO4‐Ti (IV)) was prepared for simultaneous extraction of multiple arsenic species, followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)– inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) analysis. Inorganic arsenic (iAs), dimethyl arsenic acid (DMA), monomethyl arsenic acid (MMA), p‐amino phenyl arsenic acid (p‐ASA), 4‐hdroxyphenylarsenic acid (4‐OH), phenyl arsenic acid (PAA), and 3‐nitro‐4‐hydroxyphenylarsenic acid (ROX) were investigated as interest analytes. It was found that they were quantitatively adsorbed on Fe3O4@SiO2@KH570‐PO4‐Ti (IV) at pH 5, and desorbed completely with 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution. Enrichment factor of 100‐fold was obtained by consuming 100 mL sample solution. Under the optimal conditions, the method combining MSPE with HPLC‐ICP‐MS presented a linear range of 1–5000 ng/L for seven arsenic species. The limits of detection were 0.39, 0.60, 0.23, 1.85, 0.54, 0.48, and 0.84 ng/L for DMA, MMA, p‐ASA, iAs, 4‐OH, PAA, ROX, with the relative standard deviations (c = 10 ng/L, n = 7) of 3.6, 3.9, 5.5, 12.4, 6.1, 5.8, 5.0, respectively. The accuracy of the method was validated by analyzing BCR 627 Tuna fish. The application potential of the method was further evaluated by chicken muscle and liver samples. No target arsenic species were detected in these samples, and good recoveries (80.6–123%) were obtained for the spiked samples at low, medium, and high concentration levels.
What is wrong with post‐fire soil erosion modelling? A meta‐analysis on current approaches, research gaps, and future directions
Authors: Lopes A.R. , Girona‐García A. , Corticeiro S. , Martins R. , Keizer J.J. , Vieira D.C.S.
Published: October 2020

In the near future, a higher occurrence of wildfires is expected due to climate change, carrying social, environmental, and economic implications. Such impacts are often associated with an increase of post‐fire hydrological and erosive responses, which are difficult to predict. Soil erosion models have been proven to be a valuable tool in the decision‐making process, from emergency response to long‐term planning, however, they were not designed for post‐fire conditions, so need to be adapted to include fire‐induced changes.

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of studies testing different models and adaptations for the prediction of post‐fire soil erosion. However, many of these adaptations are being applied without field validation or model performance assessment. Therefore, this study aims to describe the scientific advances in the last 20 years in post‐fire soil erosion modelling research and evaluate model adaptations to burned areas that aim to include: (i) fire‐induced changes in soil and ground cover; (ii) fire‐induced changes in infiltration; (iii) burn severity; and (iv) mitigation measures in their predictions. This study also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches, suggests potential improvements, and identifies directions for future research.

Results show that studies are not homogeneously distributed worldwide, according to the model type used or by region most affected by wildfire. During calibration, 73% of cases involved model adaptation to burned conditions, and only 21% attempted to accommodate new processes. Burn severity was addressed in 75% of cases, whilst mitigation measures were simulated in 27%. Additionally, only a minor percentage of model predictions were validated with independent field data (17%) or assessed for uncertainties (13%). Therefore, further efforts are required in the adaptation of erosion models to burned conditions, to be widely used for post‐fire management decisions. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Major dietary patterns and food groups in relation to rheumatoid arthritis in newly diagnosed patients
Authors: Mosalmanzadeh Negin , Jandari Sajedeh , Soleimani Davood , Shadmand Foumani Moghadam Mohammad Reza , Khorramrouz Fatemeh , Araste Asie , Molavi Seyed Fatemeh , fakhlaie Reihane , Jokar Mohammadhassan , Rezvani Reza
Published: October 2020

Background

Evidence suggests that dietary patterns might act as environmental triggers in the development of chronic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data regarding the relationship between food patterns and RA are still limited and conflicting. In the current study, the authors aim to evaluate a link between major dietary patterns and RA in new case patients.

Methods

This study was conducted in a case–control manner on 50 patients with newly diagnosed RA and 100 healthy individuals living in Mashhad, Iran. The individuals’ dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The major dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis based on data from FFQ. Multivariable‐adjusted logistic regression models were used to measure the associations between patterns and RA.

Results

Three major dietary patterns were identified. High‐level adherence to Western pattern had a positive association with RA (multivariable‐adjusted OR tertile 3 vs. 1:1.95; 95% CI: 1.09–3.92; p‐trend: .046), while the healthy pattern was inversely related to RA (multivariable‐adjusted OR tertile 3 vs. 1:0.12; 95% CI: 0.03–0.44; p‐trend: .001). No significant association was observed between the traditional pattern and RA.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed that people with dietary behaviors close to the Western dietary pattern are more likely to develop the disease. However, adhering to healthy and well‐balanced dietary patterns rich in whole grains, low‐fat dairies, white meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables, tea, and vegetable oils was found to be inversely correlated with the risk of RA.
MF‐TOWmuT: Testing an optimally weighted combination of common and rare variants with multiple traits using family data
Authors: Gao Cheng , Sha Qiuying , Zhang Shuanglin , Zhang Kui
Published: October 2020

With rapid advancements of sequencing technologies and accumulations of electronic health records, a large number of genetic variants and multiple correlated human complex traits have become available in many genetic association studies. Thus, it becomes necessary and important to develop new methods that can jointly analyze the association between multiple genetic variants and multiple traits. Compared with methods that only use a single marker or trait, the joint analysis of multiple genetic variants and multiple traits is more powerful since such an analysis can fully incorporate the correlation structure of genetic variants and/or traits and their mutual dependence patterns. However, most of existing methods that simultaneously analyze multiple genetic variants and multiple traits are only applicable to unrelated samples. We develop a new method called MF‐TOWmuT to detect association of multiple phenotypes and multiple genetic variants in a genomic region with family samples. MF‐TOWmuT is based on an optimally weighted combination of variants. Our method can be applied to both rare and common variants and both qualitative and quantitative traits. Our simulation results show that (1) the type I error of MF‐TOWmuT is preserved; (2) MF‐TOWmuT outperforms two existing methods such as Multiple Family‐based Quasi‐Likelihood Score Test and Multivariate Family‐based Rare Variant Association Test in terms of power. We also illustrate the usefulness of MF‐TOWmuT by analyzing genotypic and phenotipic data from the Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes study. R program is available at https://github.com/gaochengPRC/MF-TOWmuT.
Impact of treatment delay on survival of oral/oropharyngeal cancers: Results of a nationwide screening program
Authors: Su William Wang‐Yu , Lee Yi‐Huah , Yen Amy Ming‐Fang , Chen Sam Li‐Sheng , Hsu Chen‐Yang , Chiu Sherry Yueh‐Hsia , Fann Jean Ching‐Yuan , Lee Yi‐Chia , Chiu Han‐Mo , Hsiao Shu‐Chun , Hsu Tsui‐Hsia , Chen Hsiu‐Hsi
Published: October 2020

Background

To assess the impact of treatment delay on survival of oral/oropharyngeal cancer (OSCC).

Methods

We followed 5743 OSCCs between 2004 and 2009 from a population‐based screening program and ascertained death until the end of 2012.

Results

The hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality from OSCC were 1.46 (1.30‐1.65) and 1.18 (1.04‐1.33) in univariable and multivariable analyses, respectively, for treatment delay longer than 6 weeks compared with that shorter than 3 weeks. The corresponding figures were 1.12 (1.01‐1.24) and 1.00 (0.91‐1.11) for treatment delay between 3 and 6 weeks. Advancing age (1.01), higher stage (stage II: 1.84, stage III: 2.97, stage IV: 6.33), cancer in tongue (1.37), or hard palate (1.63) had higher HR of mortality (P < .05). However, treatment at medical center had a lower mortality (0.83, 0.75‐0.91) than local/regional hospital.

Conclusions

Treatment delay longer than 6 weeks for OSCCs detected via a population‐based screening program had unfavorable survival.
Pharmacotherapy for Weight Loss in Cirrhosis and Liver Transplantation: Translating the Data and Underused Potential
Authors: Brown Sara A. , Izzy Manhal , Watt Kymberly D.
Published: October 2020

Background and Aims

Thirty percent of patients with cirrhosis are obese and the prevalence of obesity increases after transplant to >40% post‐transplant. There are currently four weight loss medications approved by the FDA for treatment of obesity (orlistat, phentermine‐topiramate, naltrexone‐bupropion, and liraglutide). The aim of this review was to investigate the data on the use of these weight loss medications and alternative medicines in patients with cirrhosis and in liver transplant recipients (LTRs).

Approach and Results

While there is paucity of data for these medications in patients with cirrhosis and LTRs, Liraglutide appears to be generally safe in view of its pharmacokinetic properties. Phentermine‐topiramate seems to have the highest weight loss potential but special consideration should be given to neuropsychiatric disorders, cardiovascular comorbidities, and drug interactions. There are emerging data on use of alternative medicines for weight loss but more data are needed.

Conclusions

The use of weight loss medications is feasible in this patient population but the decision of which medication to prescribe should be individualized based on the degree of renal and hepatic impairment, other co‐morbidities, and concomitant medications.
Association between HLA gene polymorphisms and mortality of COVID‐19: An in silico analysis
Authors: Tomita Yusuke , Ikeda Tokunori , Sato Ryo , Sakagami Takuro
Published: October 2020

Introduction

The emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 has caused global public health and economic crisis. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is a critical component of the viral antigen presentation pathway and plays essential roles in conferring differential viral susceptibility and severity of diseases. However, the association between HLA gene polymorphisms and risk for COVID‐19 has not been fully elucidated. We hypothesized that HLA genotypes might impact on the differences in morbidity and mortality of COVID‐19 across countries.

Methods

We conducted in silico analyses and examined an association of HLA gene polymorphisms with prevalence and mortality of COVID‐19 by using publicly available databases.

Results

We found that a possible association between HLA‐A*02:01 and an increased risk for COVID‐19. HLA‐A*02:01 had a relatively lower capacity to present SARS‐CoV‐2 antigens compared with other frequent HLA class I molecules, HLA‐A*11:01 or HLA‐A*24:02.

Conclusion

This study suggests that individuals with HLA‐A*11:01 or HLA‐A*24:02 genotypes may generate efficiently T‐cell‐mediated antiviral responses to SARS‐CoV‐2 compared with HLA‐A*02:01. The differences in HLA genotypes may potentially alter the course of the disease and its transmission.
Key factors of the net interest margin of European and US banks in a low interest rate environment
Authors: Hanzlík Petr , Teplý Petr
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we contribute to the literature by examining the determinants of net interest margin (NIM) of European and US banks in a zero lower bound situation while controlling for important institutional design factors. We analyse a large sample of annual data on 629 European banks and 526 US during the 2011–2016 period, which also covers periods of zero and negative rates in many of the observed countries. We test three hypotheses and come to three main conclusions. First, NIM is significantly influenced by the different institutional designs of capital‐based (the UK and the US) and bank‐based financial markets (continental Europe). Second, there are differences in NIM caused by bank size. Finally, we show significant differences by bank type: savings banks, real estate and mortgage banks, and cooperative banks report consistently lower NIMs than commercial banks and bank holdings. Contrary to other researchers, we observe a negative relationship between NIM and the yield curve slope.
Computer‐based training to teach observers to accurately score problem behavior using fast forwarding at 5x normal speed
Authors: Machado Mychal A. , Luczynski Kevin C.
Published: October 2020

The current study evaluated whether a computer‐based training program could improve observers' accuracy in scoring discrete instances of problem behavior at 5x normal speed using a multiple‐baseline design across subjects. During pretraining and posttraining, observers attempted to score multiple examples of problem behavior at 5.0x without feedback. During training, participants scored multiple examples of problem behavior at 5.0x with automated feedback. Researchers measured omission (missing problem behavior) and commission (scoring other behavior as problem behavior) errors and the total duration of scoring time to determine the observers' accuracy and efficiency, respectively. After training, all participants scored instances of problem behavior with less than 11% error using 5.0x. The time required to score the videos across 90‐min observations was reduced by 66%. Results extend previous evaluations of fast forwarding by demonstrating that the training program could be used to teach observers to accurately score problem behavior using a speed faster than 3.5x.
Miniaturized all fiber probe for optical coherence tomography and pH detection of biological tissue
Authors: Chen Minghui , Wang Jianping , Tan Weijie , Feng Yuanyuan , Zheng Gang
Published: October 2020

We present a novel all‐fiber probe with 710‐μm outside diameter for combined optical coherence tomography and pH detection. In cancer surgery, a significant challenge is how to completely remove the malignant tumor without cutting too much normal tissue. The difference between cancer tissue and normal tissue not only lies in morphology and structure but also in tissue pH, where malignant tissue has a lower pH. This dual‐modality probe combined optical coherence tomography and pH detection of biological tissue, is expected to determine whether the tissue is cancerous quickly and accurately. The probe utilizes a typical three‐segment structure (double‐clad fiber ‐ no‐core fiber ‐ graded‐index fiber). We obtained a lateral resolution of ~10.6 μm, a working distance of ~506 μm and a pH measurement accuracy of 0.01 pH unit for the probe. The performance of the all‐fiber probe was verified through an ex vivo experiment using the porcine brain specimen.
Mechanically Driven Counter-Regulation of Cortical Bone Formation in Response to Sclerostin-Neutralizing Antibodies
Authors: Gerbaix Maude , Ammann Patrick , Ferrari Serge
Published: October 2020

Sclerostin (Scl) antibodies (Scl-Ab) potently stimulate bone formation, but these effects are transient. Whether the rapid inhibition of Scl-Ab anabolic effects is due to a loss of bone cells’ capacity to form new bone or to a mechanostatic downregulation of Wnt signaling once bone strength exceeds stress remains unclear. We hypothesized that bone formation under Scl-Ab could be reactivated by increasing the dose of Scl-Ab and/or by adding mechanical stimuli, and investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in this response, in particular the role of periostin (Postn), a co-activator of the Wnt pathway in bone. For this purpose, C57Bl/6, Postn−/− and Postn+/+ mice were treated with vehicle or Scl-Ab (50 to 100 mg/kg/wk) for various durations and subsequently subjected to tibia axial compressive loading. In wild-type (WT) mice, Scl-Ab anabolic effects peaked between 2 and 4 weeks and declined thereafter, with no further increase in bone volume and strength between 7 and 10 weeks. Doubling the dose of Scl-Ab did not rescue the decline in bone formation. In contrast, mechanical stimulation was able to restore cortical bone formation concomitantly to Scl-Ab treatment at both doses. Several Wnt inhibitors, including Dkk1, Sost, and Twist1, were upregulated, whereas Postn was markedly downregulated by 2 to 4 weeks of Scl-Ab. Mechanical loading specifically upregulated Postn gene expression. In turn, Scl-Ab effects on cortical bone were more rapidly downregulated in Postn−/− mice. These results indicate that bone formation is not exhausted by Scl-Ab but inhibited by a mechanically driven downregulation of Wnt signaling. Hence, increasing mechanical loads restores bone formation on cortical surfaces, in parallel with Postn upregulation. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: A new option for tissue engineering
Authors: Li Kai‐De , Wang Yi , Sun Quan , Li Mei‐Sheng , Chen Jin‐Long , Liu Lei
Published: October 2020

Background

The source and availability of cells for tissue engineering in large scale research or clinical trials requires special attention. We propose the idea of applying rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for this purpose.

Methods

Here, the structure of the rabbit umbilical cord was analyzed and compared to that of human umbilical cord, both macroscopically and histologically. Next, we isolated, cultured and identified the proliferative activity and immunological characteristics of rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in vitro using mixed lymphocyte reaction, flow cytometry and an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic scaffolds seeded with rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in rat cranial defect models using multiple techniques, including radiological, histological and immunohistochemistry.

Results

In vitro studies demonstated a high level of proliferation and multi‐lineage differentiation potential in rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. Rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells exibited low immunogenicity properties and immune suppression capability with respect to both the allogeneic and xenogeneic immune response. The results of the in vivo study showed that rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could promote osteogenesis in heterogeneous hosts.

Conclusions

The rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells may be a new source for tissue engineering.
Measuring Brown Fat Using MRI and Implications in the Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Yu Qian , Huang Shan , Xu Ting‐Ting , Wang Yuan‐Cheng , Ju Shenghong
Published: October 2020

Metabolic syndrome is presently becoming a global health concern. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has the potential for managing the risk factors of metabolic syndrome by adjusting plasma lipids and glucose. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive and radiation‐free imaging modality for BAT research and clinical applications in both animals and humans. In the past decade, MRI technologies for detecting and characterizing BAT have developed rapidly, with progress in MRI sequencing and the emerging understanding of BAT. In this review, we focus on the main MRI methods for BAT including currently used imaging techniques and new methods and their implications for the symptoms and complications of metabolic syndrome.

Level of Evidence

5

Technical Efficacy Stage

2
Aufeis fields as novel groundwater‐dependent ecosystems in the arctic cryosphere
Authors: Huryn Alexander D. , Gooseff Michael N. , Hendrickson Patrick J. , Briggs Martin A. , Tape Ken D. , Terry Neil C.
Published: October 2020

River aufeis (ow′ fīse) are widespread features of the arctic cryosphere. They form when river channels become locally restricted by ice, resulting in cycles of water overflow and freezing and the accumulation of ice, with some aufeis attaining areas of ~ 25 + km2 and thicknesses of 6+ m. During winter, unfrozen sediments beneath the insulating ice layer provide perennial groundwater‐habitat that is otherwise restricted in regions of continuous permafrost. Our goal was to assess whether aufeis facilitate the occurrence of groundwater invertebrate communities in the Arctic. We focused on a single aufeis ecosystem (~ 5 km2 by late winter) along the Kuparuk River in arctic Alaska. Subsurface invertebrates were sampled during June and August 2017 from 50 3.5‐cm diameter PVC wells arranged in a 5 × 10 array covering ~ 40 ha. Surface invertebrates were sampled using a quadrat approach. We documented a rich assemblage of groundwater invertebrates (49 [43–54] taxa, [95% confidence limits]) that was distributed below the sediment surface to a mean depth of ~ 69 ± 2 cm (± 1 SE) throughout the entire well array. Although community structure differed significantly between groundwater and surface habitats, the taxa richness from wells and surface sediments (43 [35–48] taxa) did not differ significantly, which was surprising given lower richness in subsurface habitats of large, riverine gravel‐aquifer systems shown elsewhere. This is the first demonstration of a rich and spatially extensive groundwater fauna in a region of continuous permafrost. Given the geographic extent of aufeis fields, localized groundwater‐dependent ecosystems may be widespread in the Arctic.
Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNC)–Latex Nanocomposites: Effect of CNC Hydrophilicity and Charge on Rheological, Mechanical, and Adhesive Properties
Authors: Pakdel Amir Saeid , Niinivaara Elina , Cranston Emily D. , Berry Richard M. , Dubé Marc A.
Published: October 2020

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), a sustainable nanomaterial, are in situ incorporated into emulsion‐based pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs). Commercially available CNCs with different surface hydrophilicity and surface charge (CNC101 and CNC103 from CelluForce) are used to explore their role in PSA property modification. Viscosity measurements and atomic force microscopy reveal differences in degree of association between the CNCs and the latex particles depending on the surface properties of the CNCs. The more hydrophilic and higher surface charge CNCs (CNC101) show less association with the latex particles. Dynamic strain sweep tests are used to analyze the strain‐softening of the nanocomposites based on CNC type and loading. The CNC101 nanocomposites soften at lower strains than their CNC103 counterparts. This behavior is confirmed via dynamic frequency tests and modeling of the nanocomposites’ storage moduli, which suggest the formation of CNC aggregates of, on average, 3.8 CNC101 and 1.3 CNC103 nanoparticles. Finally, PSA properties, i.e., tack, peel strength, and shear strength, simultaneously increase upon addition of both CNC types, although to different extents. The relationship between the PSA properties and CNC surface properties confirms that the less hydrophilic CNCs lead to improved CNC dispersion in the PSA films and therefore, enhance PSA properties.
Influence of Ta2O5 Doping on Electrical and Dielectric Properties of Nanocrystalline NiCuZn Spinel Ferrite
Authors: Patil A. D. , Kamble S. R. , Ramshetti R. S. , Jadhav S. P. , Algude S. G. , Patil A. B. , Shinde T. J. , Patange Sunil M.
Published: October 2020

The nanocrystalline Ni0.4Cu 0.3Zn0.3Fe2O4ferrite is prepared by sol–gel method by doping Ta2O5 (0 to 10 wt%). This paper presents effect of Ta2O5 doping on electrical and dielectric properties of nanocrystalline NiCuZn ferrite. The XRD patterns of the synthesized samples reveal single phase cubic structure and show the secondary phase of FeTaO4 with increasing Ta2O5 composition. From FESEM, agglomeration of spherical particles is observed. Direct current electrical resistivity is measured by two probe method. The investigated ferrite samples exhibits semiconducting nature property as resistivity decreased with the increase in temperature. The variation of dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent for all samples are presented as a function of the frequency. The result also shows that as frequency is increased there is an increase in alternating current conductivity at room temperature.
Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Using Hibiscus cannabinus Leaf Extract and Their Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Kharade Suvarta , Mane‐Gavade Shubhangi , Mali Sunil , Shirote Suryakant , Malgave Sandip , Nikam Gurunath
Published: October 2020

The article presents an eco‐friendly approach for the biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from an aqueous AgNO3 solution by using the Hibiscus cannabinus leaf extract (HCLE) as reducing and stabilizing agent. Reduction of Ag+ ions by HCLE is examined by UV–Visible absorption spectra. The surface plasmon resonance band is observed at 420–460 nm. To recognize the functional group responsible for reduction of Ag+ ions, the HCLE is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Spherical shaped AgNPs with average particles size 20 nm is confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. The biosynthesized AgNPs displayed distinctive antibacterial activities against both gram positive and gram negative microorganisms. The AgNPs synthesized using HCLE have the potential application in the field of biomedicine.
Cobalt‐Doped Nickel Aluminate Nanomaterials Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Properties
Authors: Patil Prakash S. , Dhivare Ravindra S. , Mirgane Sunil R. , Pawar Bharat G. , Mane Tanaji R.
Published: October 2020

The nanoaluminate spinel Ni1‐xCoxAl2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0) is effectively synthesized through the use of glycine fuel utilizing a sol–gel combustion heating technique. Nanostructured nickel aluminates nonmaterials, cobalt aluminates, and their variable part spinel structures are calcinated by diligent temperature. The effect of Co2+ ions on the NiAl2O4 force network has contributed to a significant role in the modification and evolution of thermal, spectroscopic, structural, morphological, elementary, and then catalytic behaviors of cobalt‐doped nickel aluminates. It is observed that the synthesized aluminum content serves as an effective nanocatalyst for the processing of higher‐yielding organic compounds. Such methods are then checked to be effective for analyzing the premeditated processes that generated the majority of outcomes.
An Assay of Electrodeposited Cobalt Oxide Thin Film as a Supercapacitor Electrode
Authors: Gavande Shivani S. , Kulkarni Pramod S. , Patil Vikas B. , Karche Bhanudas R. , Gavande Shubhangi S.
Published: October 2020

The present research work is a humble effort to synthesize cobalt oxide supercapacitive electrode by electrodeposition method via potentiostatic mode of thin film deposition. The cobalt hydroxide material is deposited on stainless steel substrate at room temperature and annealed at 500°C to form cobalt oxide thin film electrode. The structural, morphological, and wettability investigation of the as‐deposited cobalt oxide thin film electrode is done by XRD‐analysis, SEM characterization, and contact angle measurement, respectively. The supercapacitive properties are investigated in aqueous 1M Na2SO4 electrolyte by cyclic voltametry and galvanostatic charge–discharge analysis. The results of the investigations are maximum specific capacitance of 284.4 F g−1 at a scan rate 5 mV s−1, specific energy 4.325 Wh kg−1, specific power 3 kW kg−1, and Coulomb efficiency 53.75%. The results so obtained promote cobalt oxide to be a challenging material for energy storage devices and supercapacitor applications.
Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Ni‐Mg‐Zn‐Co Ferrites
Authors: Patil Sarjerao B. , Davari Anil J. , Patil Devidas R. , Patil Rajendra P.
Published: October 2020

Preparation of Ni‐Mg‐Zn‐Co ferrites having general formula Ni0.5‐x Mgx‐0.01 Zn0.5‐y Coy+0.01 Fe2O4 (where x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and y = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) is carried out by conventional ceramic method. The X‐ray diffraction studies of compositions reveal the formation of single‐phase cubic spinel. The lattice parameter “a,” bond lengths RA, RB, and site radii rA, rB are found to increase linearly with increase in Zn content. The average grain diameter determined from scanning electron microscopy studies is found to increase with Ni content. The magnetic moment (μB) increases on addition of Zn. However, it decreases beyond Zn = 0.4. The lower values of hc and Mr/Ms show the existence of MD particles in the samples. The value of μB lie in the range of 0.85 to 1.09 and saturation magnetization (4πMs) varies between 834 and 1115 emu g‐1. It is observed that μB and Ms increase with Zn content upto Zn = 0.3 and then decrease. The cation distribution is proposed on the basis of site preference energies of the ions. Initial permeability increases slowly to the peak value at a certain temperature and drops abruptly to zero at the Curie temperature. The Curie temperature is found to decrease with increase in Zn content.
Stability and synchronization of fractional‐order delayed multilink complex networks with nonlinear hybrid couplings
Authors: Xu Yao , Wang Qi , Li Wenxue , Feng Jiqiang
Published: October 2020

In this paper, the stability and synchronization problems of fractional‐order delayed multilink complex networks with nonlinear hybrid couplings are investigated simultaneously, where discrete time‐varying delays and distributed time‐varying delays are both taken into account. By virtue of graph‐theoretic approach and Lyapunov method, under feedback control, some criteria are established to guarantee that the underlying networks achieve stability and synchronization. The obtained criteria are related to topological structure of subsystems, control gain, and the upper bound of time‐varying delays. Furthermore, in order to show practicality, the obtained results are applied to fractional‐order delayed multilink competitive neural networks with nonlinear hybrid couplings and fractional‐order Lorenz chaotic delayed coupled systems with nonlinear hybrid couplings, respectively. Finally, two numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of our theoretical results.
Compress‐and‐restart block Krylov subspace methods for Sylvester matrix equations
Authors: Kressner Daniel , Lund Kathryn , Massei Stefano , Palitta Davide
Published: October 2020

Block Krylov subspace methods (KSMs) comprise building blocks in many state‐of‐the‐art solvers for large‐scale matrix equations as they arise, for example, from the discretization of partial differential equations. While extended and rational block Krylov subspace methods provide a major reduction in iteration counts over polynomial block KSMs, they also require reliable solvers for the coefficient matrices, and these solvers are often iterative methods themselves. It is not hard to devise scenarios in which the available memory, and consequently the dimension of the Krylov subspace, is limited. In such scenarios for linear systems and eigenvalue problems, restarting is a well‐explored technique for mitigating memory constraints. In this work, such restarting techniques are applied to polynomial KSMs for matrix equations with a compression step to control the growing rank of the residual. An error analysis is also performed, leading to heuristics for dynamically adjusting the basis size in each restart cycle. A panel of numerical experiments demonstrates the effectiveness of the new method with respect to extended block KSMs.
Parallel performance of algebraic multigrid domain decomposition
Authors: Mitchell Wayne B. , Strzodka Robert , Falgout Robert D.
Published: October 2020

Algebraic multigrid (AMG) is a widely used scalable solver and preconditioner for large‐scale linear systems resulting from the discretization of a wide class of elliptic PDEs. While AMG has optimal computational complexity, the cost of communication has become a significant bottleneck that limits its scalability as processor counts continue to grow on modern machines. This article examines the design, implementation, and parallel performance of a novel algorithm, algebraic multigrid domain decomposition (AMG‐DD), designed specifically to limit communication. The goal of AMG‐DD is to provide a low‐communication alternative to standard AMG V‐cycles by trading some additional computational overhead for a significant reduction in communication cost. Numerical results show that AMG‐DD achieves superior accuracy per communication cost compared with AMG, and speedup over AMG is demonstrated on a large GPU cluster.
Mapping of social enterprises in Gujarat: Opportunities and challenges ahead
Authors: Ambati Nageswara Rao
Published: October 2020

Social entrepreneurship is a rising field of academic and practical activity worldwide and social entrepreneurs become drivers of inclusive growth and sustainable development and also provide opportunities for new models of social business to bring changes in the lives of communities those who are living at the bottom of the pyramid. Recognizing the importance and diversity of social entrepreneurial organizations (not for profits, for profits, and hybrid), this study chooses to map the existing social enterprises that have a social, economic, and environment goals and also look at the existing social enterprise ecosystem in Central Gujarat. The main contribution of this paper is to evaluate the opportunities and challenges of social entrepreneurial activities in Central Gujarat, India. Moreover, analysis and discussion would help the researcher to draw reasonable conclusions, provide a number of insights on lessons and challenges with which a social enterprise sector can be expected to face in near future.
Height, weight, and cardiovascular effects of stimulants on children with brain tumors
Authors: Khan Raja B. , Bano Maha , Wang Fang , Haitao Pan , Christensen Anthony , Smith Jessica , Simmons Andrea , Sadighi Zsila S.
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Children with brain tumors may develop inattention, slow processing, and hypersomnia. Stimulant medications improve these problems, but their effect on growth, heart rate, and blood pressure (BP) are inadequately explored.

Procedure

We retrospectively studied children with brain tumors treated at our institution that had data available for 1 year pre and 2 years on stimulant treatment. Tumor location, gender, radiation treatment (RT), age at RT, drug type, and hormone therapy were variables of interest.

Results

We identified 65 children (35 males) that fulfilled eligibility criteria. Focal RT was utilized in 58; 11 additionally had whole brain RT; and seven received no RT. Thirty were treated for hypersomnia and inattention, eight for hypersomnia alone, and rest for inattention. Modafinil was the first drug in 18 (27.7%), and methylphenidate in the others. Forty‐seven (72.3%), 45 (69.2%), and 49 (75.4%) were on thyroxine, cortisone, and growth hormones, respectively. There was no difference in pre‐ and post‐stimulant body mass index (BMI), heart rate, and BP. There was also no difference between modafinil and methylphenidate groups. Rate of height acquisition slowed on stimulants (P = .0096). Thyroxine treatment correlated with increase in BMI after stimulants (P = .04). Younger age (P = .0003) and higher prestimulant BMI (P = .0063) correlated with increased heart rate on stimulants, while higher age at RT (P =.016) correlated with elevated systolic BP on stimulants. No associations were found with height acquisition and diastolic BP.

Conclusion

Stimulants are well tolerated by children with brain tumors that are appropriately managed for endocrine deficiencies, but may reduce the trajectory of height attainment.
Training pediatric hematologist/oncologists for capacity building in Ethiopia
Authors: Hailu Daniel , Fufu Hordofa Diriba , Adam Endalew Haileyesus , Karimi Mutua Doreen , Bekele Wondwessen , Bonilla Miguel , Çeliker Mahmut Yasar , Challinor Julia , Dotan Amit , Habashy Catherine , Kumar Prasanna N. , Rodriguez‐Galindo Carlos , Wali Rabia Muhammad , Weitzman Sheila , Broas Julie , Korones David N. , Alexander Thomas B. , Shad Aziza T.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

A considerable barrier to global pediatric oncology efforts has been the scarcity and even absence of trained professionals in many low‐ and middle‐income countries, where the majority of children with cancer reside. In 2013, no dedicated pediatric hematology‐oncology (PHO) programs existed in Ethiopia despite the estimated annual incidence of 6000‐12000 cases. The Aslan Project initiative was established to fill this gap in order to improve pediatric cancer care in Ethiopia. A major objective was to increase subspecialty PHO‐trained physicians who were committed to practicing locally and empowered to lead programmatic development.

Methods

We designed and implemented a PHO training curriculum to provide a robust educational and clinical experience within the existing resource‐constrained environment in Ethiopia. Education relied on visiting PHO faculty, a training attachment abroad, and extraordinary initiative from trainees.

Results

Four physicians have completed comprehensive PHO subspecialty training based primarily in Ethiopia, and all have remained local. Former fellows are now leading two PHO centers in Ethiopia with a combined capacity of 64 inpatient beds and over 800 new diagnoses per year; an additional former fellow is developing a pediatric cancer program in Nairobi, Kenya. Two fellows currently are in training. Program leadership, teaching, and advocacy are being transitioned to these physicians.

Conclusions

Despite myriad challenges, a subspecialty PHO training program was successfully implemented in a low‐income country. PHO training in Ethiopia is approaching sustainability through human resource development, and is accelerating the growth of dedicated PHO services where none existed 7 years ago.
An investigation of spitefulness in violent offenders: Associations with the dark triad and emotion dysregulation
Authors: Rogier Guyonne , Roberti Alessandra , Garofalo Carlo , Velotti Patrizia
Published: October 2020

Background

Spitefulness is the inclination to inflict harm to someone else even at one's own expenses. The development of a self‐report measure (the Spitefulness Scale [SS]) has fostered the investigation of the relationships between spitefulness and aggression‐related variables.

Objective

The present study aims to investigate the construct of spitefulness in violent offenders. Through a translation/back‐translation procedure, the SS was translated into Italian, and its psychometric properties were examined.

Method

A sample of 249 male violent offenders and 172 male community participants filled out the SS, the Self‐Report Psychopathy Scale‐IV, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Dirty Dozen Scale.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis results supported the unidimensional factor structure of the SS. Further results indicated that the scale had good internal consistency and met criteria for configural invariance, partial weak invariance and partial strong invariance across samples. Correlational analyses evidenced positive and significant associations between the SS scores and measures of the dark triad and emotion dysregulation. The offender sample scored significantly higher than the community sample on the SS.

Conclusion

Results support the internal structure and construct validity of the SS, suggesting its potential utility for the study of the construct of spitefulness in violent offenders. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Wilsonian Meaning of Quantum Error Correction
Authors: Gómez César
Published: October 2020

We sketch a recipe to define renormalization group transformations based on Kadanoff‐Wilson block packing using a quantum error correction code. In such a case the RG transformations of the couplings are determined by the error matrix of the QEC code. In order to define the RG transformation of couplings we use Weinberg's sum rule for an error Källen Lehman function. We define an error beta function that for holographic AdS codes is conjectured to be zero. For holographic codes the relation between Weinberg's sum rule for the error Källen Lehman function and bulk locality is briefly discussed.
Androgen receptor signaling‐targeted therapy and taxane chemotherapy induce visceral metastasis in castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Iwamoto Hiroaki , Izumi Kouji , Shimada Takashi , Kano Hiroshi , Kadomoto Suguru , Makino Tomoyuki , Naito Renato , Yaegashi Hiroshi , Shigehara Kazuyoshi , Kadono Yoshifumi , Mizokami Atsushi
Published: October 2020

Background

Visceral metastasis (VM), an important poor prognostic factor of prostate cancer (PC), is not commonly observed in castration sensitive status but is often observed after castration‐resistant progression. However, the site, timing of emergence, and incidence of VM in castration‐resistant patients have not yet been fully elucidated.

Methods

Demographic, surgical, pathological, and follow‐up data of PC patients treated at Kanazawa University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed using their medical charts. From this data, risk factors of VM and survival of patients with VM were elucidated.

Results

Of 1364 patients, 21 (1.5%) had VM at diagnosis. Of 179 (13.1%) castration‐resistant patients, 55 experienced emergence of new VM during treatment course. Incidence of new VM, especially nonlung, such as liver and adrenal metastases, increased significantly in proportion with the number of prescribed treatments. Multivariate analysis revealed that T stage, M stage, age, and treatment history with androgen receptor (AR) signaling‐targeted agents and/or taxanes significantly increased the risk of VM. Compared with the group with VM at diagnosis, survival after diagnosis of VM following treatment was significantly shorter.

Conclusion

Although sequential use of new AR signaling‐targeted agents and taxanes for castration‐resistant PC (CRPC) is a standard treatment strategy, it often results in development of VM. Elucidating the mechanisms of VM are essential to improve survival in patients with CRPC.
Can soy isoflavones plus soy protein change serum levels of interlukin‐6? A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Gholami Ali , Baradaran Hamid Reza , Hariri Mitra
Published: October 2020

In the present review, we aimed to summarize the effect of soy isoflavones plus soy protein on circulating interlukin‐6 (IL‐6) in adult participants. Databases including ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched up to 23 March 2020. The mean change from baseline of IL‐6 concentrations and its SD for intervention and comparison groups were used to calculate the effect size. If the heterogeneity test was statistically significant, DerSimonian and Laird random effects model was used. Cochran's Q test and I‐squared statistic were also used to compute the statistical heterogeneity of the intervention's effects. Eighteen studies were known to be eligible for systematic review and 14 studies were selected for meta‐analysis. Our meta‐analysis results indicated a non‐significant effect in serum IL‐6 concentrations compared to the comparison group (WMD = 0.03 pg/ml, 95% CI: −0.06, 0.12; p = .459). In subgroup analysis, based on soy isoflavones dosage, it was observed that this combination could reduce IL‐6 levels in studies that used isoflavones with dose >84 mg/day (WMD = −0.12 pg/ml 95% CI: −0.24, −0.004; p = .042, I2 = 82.7%) and in articles with a good quality (WMD = −0.15 pg/ml 95% CI: −0.24, −0.05; p = .003, I2 = 62.3%). Performing well‐designed intervention studies using a high dose of soy isoflavones is recommended to confirm the beneficial effects of soy ingredients on IL‐6.