bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Application of the 730 and 785 nm Picosecond Titanium Sapphire Lasers for the Treatment of Nevus of Ota
Authors: Loh Tiffany Y. , Wu Douglas C.
Published: March 2021

Background and Objectives

Nevus of Ota is a benign dermal melanocytosis that may pose significant psychosocial distress to patients. Q‐switched nanosecond lasers have traditionally been considered the first‐line treatment but pain, bleeding, and postinflammatory pigmentary alteration are common adverse effects. Picosecond devices have been increasingly used to treat nevus of Ota with promising results. We present two cases demonstrating novel applications of the 730 and 785 nm picosecond titanium sapphire lasers for the treatment of nevus of Ota in two patients with types III and IV skin.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

A 730 and 785 nm picosecond titanium sapphire laser with pulse durations of 250 and 300 picoseconds, respectively, were used to treat two cases of nevus of Ota. Four to seven treatment sessions were conducted at monthly intervals, and follow‐up evaluation was performed 1–3 months following the final treatment session.

Results

Both cases demonstrated greater than 75% clearance following treatment. There were no adverse events or pigmentary alteration noted as a result of picosecond titanium sapphire laser treatment.

Conclusions

The 730 and 785 nm picosecond titanium sapphire lasers are safe and effective for the treatment of nevus of Ota. Lasers Surg. Med. 00:00–00, 2021. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC
Methods to improve quantitative glycoprotein coverage from bottom‐up LC‐MS data
Authors: Chang Deborah , Zaia Joseph
Published: March 2021

Advances in mass spectrometry instrumentation, methods development, and bioinformatics have greatly improved the ease and accuracy of site‐specific, quantitative glycoproteomics analysis. Data‐dependent acquisition is the most popular method for identification and quantification of glycopeptides; however, complete coverage of glycosylation site glycoforms remains elusive with this method. Targeted acquisition methods improve the precision and accuracy of quantification, but at the cost of throughput and discoverability. Data‐independent acquisition (DIA) holds great promise for more complete and highly quantitative site‐specific glycoproteomics analysis, while maintaining the ability to discover novel glycopeptides without prior knowledge. We review additional features that can be used to increase selectivity and coverage to the DIA workflow: retention time modeling, which would simplify the interpretation of complex tandem mass spectra, and ion mobility separation, which would maximize the sampling of all precursors at a giving chromatographic retention time. The instrumentation and bioinformatics to incorporate these features into glycoproteomics analysis exist. These improvements in quantitative, site‐specific analysis will enable researchers to assess glycosylation similarity in related biological systems, answering new questions about the interplay between glycosylation state and biological function.
Insights on the structure–function relationship of human multidrug resistance protein 7 (MRP7/ABCC10) from molecular dynamics simulations and docking studies
Authors: Wang Jing‐Quan , Cui Qingbin , Lei Zi‐Ning , Teng Qiu‐Xu , Ji Ning , Lin Lusheng , Liu Zhijun , Chen Zhe‐Sheng
Published: March 2021

ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters superfamily mediates multidrug resistance in cancer by extruding structurally distinct chemotherapeutic agents, causing failure in chemotherapy. Among the 49 ABC transporters, multidrug resistance protein 7 (MRP7 or ABCC10) is relatively new and has been identified as the efflux pump of multiple anticancer agents including Vinca alkaloids and taxanes. Herein, we construct and validate a homology model for human MRP7 based on the cryo‐EM structures of MRP1. Structure–function relationship of MRP7 was obtained from molecular dynamics simulations and docking studies and was in accordance with previous studies of ABC transporters. The motion patterns correlated with efflux mechanism were discussed. Additionally, predicted substrate‐ and modulator‐binding sites of MRP7 were described for the first time, which provided rational insights in understanding the drug binding and functional regulation in MRP7. Our findings will benefit the high‐throughput virtual screening and development of MRP7 modulators in the future.
Successful retailer strategies in price comparison platforms
Authors: Hackl Franz , Hölzl‐Leitner Michael , Winter‐Ebmer Rudolf , Zulehner Christine
Published: March 2021

The choice of an appropriate e‐commerce strategy for the listing in price comparison platforms (eBay, Amazon, and price search engines) is crucial for the survival of online stores in B2C e‐commerce business. We use a comprehensive dataset from the Austrian price search engine geizhals.at to identify successful e‐commerce strategies with regard to these listing decisions. An e‐commerce strategy is a set of choices including the listing decision, availability decision, and decisions on a price path and shipping cost. We apply cluster analysis to identify the different strategies that have been used by online retailers. Using various success measures such as revenue, clicks, market share, and the survival of firms, as dependent variables in our regression analyses, we present causal evidence on the effectiveness of different e‐commerce strategies.
Corporate innovation and trade credit demand: Evidence from China
Authors: Shahzad Umeair , Liu Jing , Mahmood Faisal , Luo Fukai
Published: March 2021

This study investigates the linkage between trade credit demand and corporate innovation. The estimations are robust to a series of covariates, fixed‐effect, instrumental variable modeling, and the difference‐in‐difference approach. Our findings reveal that the nexus between enterprise innovation and trade credit demand is positive and statistically significant. The said attachment is more visible in private, financially constrained, small, and high‐tech enterprises. The study also found that innovative firms relied heavily on trade‐credit financing after the financial crisis of 2008. Managers should carefully design trade‐credit agreements because operating suppliers have an important role in the enterprises' radical growth activities.
The impact of time‐varying sea surface temperature on UK regional atmosphere forecasts
Authors: Mahmood Sana , Lewis Huw , Arnold Alex , Castillo Juan , Sanchez Claudio , Harris Chris
Published: March 2021

A new approach to improve the ocean surface boundary condition used in regional numerical weather prediction is proposed. Typically, regional atmosphere forecast systems assume a fixed sea surface temperature during a simulation. The study assesses the use of ocean temperature from an operational regional ocean model as an evolving lower boundary in a kilometre‐scale regional atmosphere configuration centred on the UK. Simulations of a winter and two five day duration summer case studies associated with anomalously warm temperatures are considered. The largest impact is found in summer, when a growing cold bias in mean temperature over land compared with observations is apparent when using a fixed global‐scale analysis lower boundary condition. The mean error is improved by 0.1 K when using a fixed temperature boundary condition from a kilometre‐scale regional ocean model initial condition. When using hourly surface temperature data from the same regional ocean model, the error is improved by 0.5 K for this case. Prediction of daytime maximum air temperature is also improved during the summer heat wave cases. A winter case study shows marginal improvement over the ocean and negligible changes over land. These results are confirmed in longer duration experiments using an hourly cycling regional forecast system with data assimilation for summer and winter periods. A systematic and statistically significant improvement of near‐surface temperature verification relative to the observations over land is demonstrated for both summer and winter using the new approach. This study supports future operational implementation of a time‐varying lower boundary for regional numerical weather prediction.
Sub‐ppb nitrogen dioxide detection based on resonant photoacoustic spectroscopy
Authors: Sun Yi , Liu Qiang , Zha Shenlong , Qiu Xuanbing , Chang Hong , Feng Shiling , Guo Guqing , He Xiaohu , He Qiusheng , Li Chuanliang
Published: March 2021

A photoacoustic spectroscopy sensor for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) detection was presented based on a high‐power broadband blue diode laser emitting at 446 nm. An optical chopper was replaced by a transistor transistor logic modulation signal generated by the signal generator to reduce mechanical noise. The detection limit of NO2 sensor system reached to 46 ppt by the Allan variance analysis on the benefit of reflection‐enhanced. A continuous detection of NO2 in the atmosphere for 48 h was implemented in collaboration with an adaptive Kalman filter for lessening the noise in the measurement. The experimental results were highly consistent with the data of the China National Environmental Monitoring Center, demonstrating the accuracy and reliability of our NO2 sensor system. This work provides a promising method for NO2 and other atmospheric pollution gasses.
ReUINet: A fast GNL distortion correction approach on a 1.0 T MRI‐Linac scanner
Authors: Shan Shanshan , Li Mao , Li Mingyan , Tang Fangfang , Crozier Stuart , Liu Feng
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The hybrid system combining a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner with a linear accelerator (Linac) has become increasingly desirable for tumor treatment because of excellent soft tissue contrast and nonionizing radiation. However, image distortions caused by gradient nonlinearity (GNL) can have detrimental impacts on real‐time radiotherapy using MRI‐Linac systems, where accurate geometric information of tumors is essential.

Methods

In this work, we proposed a deep convolutional neural network‐based method to efficiently recover undistorted images (ReUINet) for real‐time image guidance. The ReUINet, based on the encoder‐decoder structure, was created to learn the relationship between the undistorted images and distorted images. The ReUINet was pretrained and tested on a publically available brain MR image dataset acquired from 23 volunteers. Then, transfer learning was adopted to implement the pretrained model (i.e., network with optimal weights) on the experimental three‐dimensional (3D) grid phantom and in‐vivo pelvis image datasets acquired from the 1.0 T Australian MRI‐Linac system.

Results

Evaluations on the phantom (768 slices) and pelvis data (88 slices) showed that the ReUINet achieved improvement over 15 times and 45 times on computational efficiency in comparison with standard interpolation and GNL‐encoding methods, respectively. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative results demonstrated that the ReUINet provided better correction results than the standard interpolation method, and comparable performance compared to the GNL‐encoding approach.

Conclusions

Validated by simulation and experimental results, the proposed ReUINet showed promise in obtaining accurate MR images for the implementation of real‐time MRI‐guided radiotherapy.
High‐resolution sodium imaging using anatomical and sparsity constraints for denoising and recovery of novel features
Authors: Zhao Yibo , Guo Rong , Li Yudu , Thulborn Keith R. , Liang Zhi‐Pei
Published: March 2021

Purpose

To develop and evaluate a novel method for reconstruction of high‐quality sodium MR images from noisy, limited k‐space data.

Theory and Methods

A novel reconstruction method was developed for reconstruction of high‐quality sodium images from noisy, limited k‐space data. This method is based on a novel image model that contains a motion‐compensated generalized series model and a sparse model. The motion‐compensated generalized series model enables effective use of anatomical information from a proton image for denoising and resolution enhancement of sodium data, whereas the sparse model enables high‐resolution reconstruction of sodium‐dependent novel features. The underlying model estimation problems were solved efficiently using convex optimization algorithms.

Results

The proposed method has been evaluated using both simulation and experimental data obtained from phantoms, healthy human volunteers, and tumor patients. Results showed a substantial improvement in spatial resolution and SNR over state‐of‐the‐art reconstruction methods, including compressed sensing and anatomically constrained reconstruction methods. Quantitative tissue sodium concentration maps were obtained from both healthy volunteers and brain tumor patients. These tissue sodium concentration maps showed improved lesion fidelity and allowed accurate interrogation of small targets.

Conclusion

A new method has been developed to obtain high‐resolution sodium images with good SNR at 3 T. The proposed method makes effective use of anatomical prior information for denoising, while using a sparse model synergistically to recover sodium‐dependent novel features. Experimental results have been obtained to demonstrate the feasibility of achieving high‐quality tissue sodium concentration maps and their potential for improved detection of spatially heterogeneous responses of tumor to treatment.
Investigating plasma volume expanders as novel macromolecular MRI‐CEST contrast agents for tumor contrast‐enhanced imaging
Authors: Consolino Lorena , Irrera Pietro , Romdhane Feriel , Anemone Annasofia , Longo Dario Livio
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate two clinically approved plasma volume expanders (dextran 70 and voluven) as macromolecular MRI‐chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast agents to assess tumor vascular properties.

Methods

CEST contrast efficiency of both molecules (6% w/v) was measured in vitro at various irradiation saturation powers (1‐6 μT for 5 s) and pH values (range, 5.5‐7.9) and the exchange rate of hydroxyl protons was calculated. In vivo studies in a murine adenocarcinoma model (n = 4 mice for each contrast agent) upon i.v. injection provided CEST‐derived perfusion tumor properties that were compared with those obtained with a gadolinium‐based blood‐pool agent (Gd‐AAZTA‐Madec).

Results

In vitro measurements showed a marked CEST contrast dependency to pH, with higher CEST contrast at lower pH values for both molecules. The measured prototropic exchange rates confirmed a base‐catalyzed exchange rate that was faster for dextran 70 in comparison to voluven. Both molecules showed a similar CEST contrast increase (ΔST% > 3%) in the tumor tissue up to 30 min postinjection, with heterogeneous accumulation. In tumors receiving both CEST and T1‐weighted agents, a voxel‐by‐voxel analysis indicated moderate spatial correlation of perfusion properties between voluven/dextran 70 and Gd‐AAZTA‐Madec, suggesting different distribution patterns according to their molecular size.

Conclusions

The obtained results showed that both voluven and dextran 70 can be exploited as MRI‐CEST contrast agents for evaluating tumor enhancement properties. Their increased accumulation in tumors and prolonged contrast enhancement promote their use as blood‐pool MRI‐CEST agents to examine tumor vascularization.
Surface modification on ammonium polyphosphate and its enhanced flame retardancy in thermoplastic polyurethane
Authors: Zhang Jingfan , Wang Huqun , Sun Wenxiang , Zhang Zhiyuan , Li Hongfei , Zhang Sheng , Sun Jun , Gu Xiaoyu
Published: March 2021

Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) is an effective flame retardant in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). In order to further enhance the flame retardant efficiency of APP, it was coated with graphene oxide (GO) and melamine formaldehyde (MF) successively, by using 5 wt% end product of MF‐GO@APP in TPU, the sample produced little dripping during burning and reached UL‐94V‐0 grade, peak smoke production rate was reduced from 0.132 m2/s in TPU to 0.051 m2/s, that was 61.4% decrease. Neat TPU burned out with little residue left, but by the help of 5 wt% MF‐GO@APP, 24.4 wt% of char was left. These results were tried to be analyzed as relative higher heat conductivity of GO, in heating GO transferred more heat to APP and MF, resulting in earlier degradation of APP and MF, the decomposed product of MF and APP cross‐linked together to form more compact char above substrate. MF‐GO@APP acted as an integrated intumescent flame retardant.
Creep behavior of latania natural fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites at elevated temperatures
Authors: Ghorbani Javad , Daghigh Vahid , Rahmati Sadegh , Mahdian Mahdi , Daghigh Hamid
Published: March 2021

Unique properties of natural fibers have made them strong sustainable materials in reinforcing composites. Latania natural fibers, recently compared to jute natural fibers, have shown a better mechanical performance in reinforcing polymer composites. Latania natural fiber‐reinforced epoxy (LFRE) laminated composites were studied under creep loads at elevated temperatures. The creep tests were performed at temperatures of 80 and 100°C and were subjected to 35% of the ultimate tensile strength. The failure time, initial strain, strain rate, and Larson–Miller constant for specimens were evaluated. The results suggested that change in temperature affected both the initial strain and the failure time. Scanning electron microscopy images were used to investigate the failure mechanisms of LFRE composites subjected to creep loads. The results of this study can be used as a benchmark in designing bio‐composite structures in which latania natural fibers are used.
Twenty‐four‐hour pretreatment with low dose (0.25 mg/kg/dose) versus high dose (0.5 mg/kg/dose) dexamethasone in reducing the risk of postextubation airway obstruction in children: A randomized open‐label noninferiority trial
Authors: Parajuli Biraj , Baranwal Arun K. , Kumar‐M Praveen , Jayashree Muralidharan , Takia Lalit
Published: March 2021

Objective

Multidose dexamethasone pretreatment reduces risk of postextubation airway obstruction (PEAO). However, its optimal dose is not known. We planned to compare 24 h pretreatment with low‐dose dexamethasone (LDD) (0.25 mg/kg/dose) versus high‐dose dexamethasone (HDD) (0.5 mg/kg/dose) in reducing risk of PEAO.

Design

Stratified (for age and intubation duration) randomized open‐label noninferiority trial.

Setting

Fifteen‐bed pediatric intensive care unit in a lower‐middle‐income country.

Patients

Children (3 months–12 years) intubated for more than or equal to 48 h and planned for first extubation (February 17–March 19). Upper airway conditions, chronic respiratory diseases, chronic NSAID therapy, steroid, or intravenous immunoglobulin in the last 7 days, presence of gastrointestinal bleeding, hypertension, and hyperglycemia were exclusions.

Interventions

LDD (n = 144) or HDD (n = 143) (q6h) for a total of six doses. Extubation was planned immediately after fifth dose. Noninferiority margin was kept at 12% from baseline.
A new l‐arginine oxidase engineered from l‐glutamate oxidase
Authors: Yano Yoshika , Matsuo Shinsaku , Ito Nanako , Tamura Takashi , Kusakabe Hitoshi , Inagaki Kenji , Imada Katsumi
Published: March 2021

The alternation of substrate specificity expands the application range of enzymes in industrial, medical, and pharmaceutical fields. l‐Glutamate oxidase (LGOX) from Streptomyces sp. X‐119‐6 catalyzes the oxidative deamination of l‐glutamate to produce 2‐ketoglutarate with ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. LGOX shows strict substrate specificity for l‐glutamate. Previous studies on LGOX revealed that Arg305 in its active site recognizes the side chain of l‐glutamate, and replacement of Arg305 by other amino acids drastically changes the substrate specificity of LGOX. Here we demonstrate that the R305E mutant variant of LGOX exhibits strict specificity for l‐arginine. The oxidative deamination activity of LGOX to l‐arginine is higher than that of l‐arginine oxidase form from Pseudomonas sp. TPU 7192. X‐ray crystal structure analysis revealed that the guanidino group of l‐arginine is recognized not only by Glu305 but also Asp433, Trp564, and Glu617, which interact with Arg305 in wild‐type LGOX. Multiple interactions by these residues provide strict specificity and high activity of LGOX R305E toward l‐arginine. LGOX R305E is a thermostable and pH stable enzyme. The amount of hydrogen peroxide, which is a byproduct of oxidative deamination of l‐arginine by LGOX R305E, is proportional to the concentration of l‐arginine in a range from 0 to 100 μM. The linear relationship is maintained around 1 μM of l‐arginine. Thus, LGOX R305E is suitable for the determination of l‐arginine.
Theoretical insights into molecular mechanism and energy criteria of PARP‐2 enzyme inhibition by benzimidazole analogues
Authors: Venugopal Pushyaraga P , M Shilpa , Chakraborty Debashree
Published: March 2021

The emergence of poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors targeting a class of PARP enzymes has gained a great interest in cancer therapy. Majority of the PARP inhibitors are not isoform‐selective which may cause unwanted off‐target effects. In the present study, we explore the molecular mechanism and energy requirements for PARP‐2 inhibition. This involves docking studies, frontier molecular orbital analysis, 500 ns molecular dynamics simulation (MD), binding free energy analysis and principal component analysis. The results clearly suggest the importance of hydrogen bonding (Gly429, Gln332, Ser470, Tyr455) and π‐π stacking interactions (His428, Tyr455, Tyr462, Phe463, Tyr473) between residues and the inhibitor. Presence of lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals favors π‐π stacking interactions and highest occupied molecular orbital orbital favors hydrogen‐bonding interactions in the ligands. The stability of most active/PARP‐2 complex is confirmed by hydrogen bonding and π‐π stacking interaction parameters. Molecular‐mechanics Poisson‐Boltzmann surface area energy calculations showed that van der Waals and nonpolar solvation energy terms are crucial components for the stable binding of the ligands. Per residue analysis showed that tyrosine, histidine, and phenyl alanine residues are responsible for hydrophobic interactions with the ligands. Four new inhibitors are designed based on this study and the stability of PARP‐2/inhibitor complex is validated by MD, density functional theory studies, and ADME/toxicity properties. Information from the present study can serve as a basis for designing new isoform‐selective PARP‐2 inhibitors.
A world‐wide analysis of reduced sensitivity to DMI fungicides in the banana pathogen Pseudocercospora fijiensis
Authors: Chong Pablo , Essoh Josué Ngando , Arango Isaza Rafael E , Keizer Paul , Stergiopoulos Ioannis , Seidl Michael F , Guzman Mauricio , Sandoval Jorge , Verweij Paul E , Scalliet Gabriel , Sierotzski Helge , de Lapeyre de Bellaire Luc , Crous Pedro W , Carlier Jean , Cros Sandrine , Meijer Harold J G , Peralta Esther Lilia , Kema Gert H J
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Pseudocercospora fijiensis is the causal agent of the black leaf streak disease (BLSD) of banana. Bananas are important global export commodities and a major staple food. Their susceptibility to BLSD pushes disease management towards excessive fungicide use, largely relying on multisite inhibitors and sterol demethylation inhibitors (DMIs). These fungicides are ubiquitous in plant disease control, targeting the CYP51 enzyme. We examined sensitivity to DMIs in P. fijiensis field isolates collected from various major banana production zones in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the Philippines, Guadalupe, Martinique and Cameroon and determined the underlying genetic reasons for the observed phenotypes.

RESULTS

We observed a continuous range of sensitivity towards the DMI fungicides difenoconazole, epoxiconazole and propiconazole with clear cross‐sensitivity. Sequence analyses of PfCYP51 in 266 isolates showed 28 independent amino acid substitutions, nine of which correlated with reduced sensitivity to DMIs. In addition to the mutations, we observed up to six insertions in the Pfcyp51 promoter. Such promoter insertions contain repeated elements with a palindromic core and correlate with the enhanced expression of Pfcyp51 and hence with reduced DMI sensitivity. Wild‐type isolates from unsprayed bananas fields did not contain any promoter insertions.

CONCLUSION

The presented data significantly contribute to understanding of the evolution and global distribution of DMI resistance mechanisms in P. fijiensis field populations and facilitate the prediction of different DMI efficacy. The overall reduced DMI sensitivity calls for the deployment of a wider range of solutions for sustainable control of this major banana disease. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Soybean β‐conglycinin and catfish cutaneous mucous p22 glycoproteins deteriorate sporangial cell walls of Pseudoperonospora cubensis and suppress cucumber downy mildew
Authors: Atallah Osama O , Osman Ali , Ali Mohamed AS , Sitohy Mahmoud
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Cucumber plants suffer from a serious threatening disease, downy mildew, throughout the growing seasons irrespective of the weather temperature. The causal agent, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, tends to evolve rapidly upon sequential applications of chemical fungicides and generate new progeny possessing tolerance to such fungicides. Glycoproteins represent an environmentally safe alternative for chemically synthetized fungicides and do not trigger fungicide resistance. We studied the antifungal activity of four glycoproteins namely soybean β‐conglycinin, chickpea vicilin, duck egg ovomucin and catfish p22 against P. cubensis. Ten commercial fungicides of different chemical groups were used as positive controls of glycoprotein treatments.

RESULTS

The results revealed that soybean β‐conglycinin and catfish p22 glycoproteins possess significant antifungal activity against P. cubensis. The amount of disease suppression caused by β‐conglycinin and p22 was comparable to the highly efficient chemical fungicides containing copper oxychloride, cymoxanil and fosetyl Al as active ingredients. Vicilin and ovomucin were less efficient biocides as they gave moderate suppression of disease severity. However, all tested glycoproteins provided full protection for the newly emerged cucumber leaves. Microscopic examination of glycoprotein‐treated leaves inferred the ability of catfish p22 and soybean β‐conglycinin to disrupt the integrity of sporangial cell walls of P. cubensis rendering them non‐viable compared to untreated ones. Expression levels of total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were elevated upon glycoproteins application, which infers their involvement in disease suppression.

CONCLUSION

This report emphasizes the direct and indirect roles of glycoproteins in safe management of cucumber downy mildew disease. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Inoculum reduction and vector control on the temporal progress of citrus variegated chlorosis incidence
Authors: Bassanezi Renato B , Primiano Isabela V , Moreira Alécio S
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) is an important citrus disease caused by the sharpshooter‐transmitted bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca. Information about the efficacy of its disease management is bounded to either inoculum reduction or vector control. This study aimed to assess the role of different frequencies of roguing of symptomatic trees combined with different chemical control programs for the sharpshooters on CVC temporal progress. The experimental area was set up in October 2005 and had a 3 × 3 factorial design. Symptomatic tree removal intervals were every 28, 56, and 112 days to May 2012. Vector control treatments were no control, program A (PA), and program B (PB). Contact insecticides were sprayed every 28 (PA) or 14 (PB) days. Trees within both programs were treated with systemic and foliar insecticides to October 2008. After this, systemic insecticides were discontinued and only foliar treatments were applied. The number of diseased trees and the sharpshooter population were assessed to April 2015.

RESULTS

Detection of the first symptomatic trees was similar for all treatments and occurred, on average, in month 50 after planting. Sharpshooter population and cumulative disease incidence were similar for all roguing intervals and between vector control programs, differing in plots with no control. We observed a reduction over 85% in disease incidence for both PA and PB compared with no control.

CONCLUSION

These results support systematic control of sharpshooters as an efficient strategy for reducing CVC progress. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Analysing migrants' ageing in place as embodied practices of embedding through time: ‘Kilburn is not Kilburn any more’
Authors: Ryan Louise , Kilkey Majella , Lőrinc Magdolna , Tawodzera Obert
Published: March 2021

There is growing attention to how people navigate and make sense of particular places through the ageing process. Against this backdrop, there is increasing research on ageing in contexts of migration. Although much of this research focuses on retirement and return migration, comparatively less is known about migrants who remain in the destination society, especially in advanced old age. Drawing on qualitative data, we analyse the experiences of three groups of ageing migrants who have been less visible in research and policy (Caribbean, Irish, and Polish) and of those living in two U.K. sites (London and Yorkshire). Using the concept of embedding, we analyse migrants' identifications with and attachment to particular places over time. In so doing, we highlight not only how migrants negotiate dynamic local places through embodied ageing processes but also how these negotiations may be mediated by wider sociopolitical events including Brexit and the ‘Windrush scandal’.
Population responses to the 1976 South Dakota drought: Insights for wider drought migration research
Authors: McLeman Robert , Fontanella Francesca , Greig Clara , Heath George , Robertson Colin
Published: March 2021

Droughts on the North American Great Plains once led to elevated levels of out‐migration from rural areas. Large‐scale drought migration has not been observed since the 1950s due to changes in land management and agricultural systems that lessened farm‐level vulnerability to drought. Have droughts had less observable population impacts in subsequent decades? Here, we present findings from an investigation of an unusually severe, localised drought that struck eastern South Dakota in 1976 and caused staggering financial losses to farms. County‐level population and net migration rates show an anomalous increase of migration into drought‐affected counties by male migrants in the age group 30–35 years, likely being return migrants coming to help on the family farm. Newspaper archives and interviews with retired farmers suggest that few people moved away during the 1976 drought; most adapted instead by selling off their livestock herds and taking on greater debt. However, a commonly expressed view is that the drought ‘softened up’ area farmers, increasing their vulnerability to interest rates that quadrupled in the three following years. The early 1980s saw high rates of farm failures, unemployment and population decline in counties that experienced the worst impacts of the 1976 drought, suggesting the drought had a lag effect on population patterns. The findings from this case study are consistent with the ‘lessening hypothesis’ that social and technological innovations reduce economic and population impacts of recurrent climatic risks but elevate vulnerability to less frequent, unusually severe events.
Eddy memory as an explanation of intraseasonal periodic behaviour in baroclinic eddies
Authors: Moon Woosok , Manucharyan Georgy E. , Dijkstra Henk A.
Published: March 2021

The baroclinic annular mode (BAM) is a leading‐order mode of the eddy kinetic energy in the Southern Hemisphere exhibiting oscillatory behaviour at intraseasonal time‐scales. The oscillation mechanism has been linked to transient eddy–mean flow interactions which remain poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the finite memory effect in eddy‐heat flux dependence on the large‐scale flow can explain the origin of the BAM's oscillatory behaviour. We represent the eddy memory effect by a delayed integral kernel that leads to a generalized Langevin equation for the planetary‐scale heat equation. Using a mathematical framework for the interactions between planetary‐ and synoptic‐scale motions, we derive a reduced dynamical model of the BAM – a stochastically forced oscillator with a period proportional to the geometric mean between the eddy memory time‐scale and the diffusive eddy equilibration time‐scale. Our model provides a formal justification for the previously proposed phenomenological model of the BAM and could be used to explicitly diagnose the memory kernel and improve our understanding of transient eddy–mean flow interactions in the atmosphere.
Review of studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus–2 pathogenesis in human organoid models
Authors: Egilmezer Ece , Rawlinson William D
Published: March 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is the cause of Covid‐19 which was classified as a global pandemic in March 2020. The increasing global health and economic burden of SARS‐CoV‐2 has necessitated urgent investigations into the pathogenesis of disease and development of therapeutic and vaccination regimens. Human trials of vaccine and antiviral candidates have been undertaken, but basic pathogenetic studies are still required to inform these trials. Gaps in understanding of cellular infection by, and immunity to, SARS‐CoV‐2 mean additional models are required to assist in improved design of these therapeutics. Human organoids are three‐dimensional models that contain multiple cell types and mimic human organs in ex vivo culture conditions. The SARS‐CoV‐2 virus has been implicated in causing not only respiratory injury but also injury to other organs such as the brain, liver and kidneys. Consequently, a variety of different organoid models have been employed to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of disease due to SARS‐CoV‐2. Data on these models have not been systematically assembled. In this review, we highlight key findings from studies that have utilised different human organoid types to investigate the expression of SARS‐CoV‐2 receptors, permissiveness, immune response, dysregulation of cellular functions, and potential antiviral therapeutics.
All Si3N4 Nanowires Membrane Based High‐Performance Flexible Solid‐State Asymmetric Supercapacitor
Authors: Yin Xuemin , Li Hejun , Han Liyuan , Meng Jiachen , Lu Jinhua , Song Qiang
Published: March 2021

Recently, much attention has been drawn in the development of flexible energy storage devices due to the increasing demands for flexible/portable electronic devices with high energy density, low weight, and good flexibility. Herein, vertically oriented graphene nanosheets (VGNs) are in situ fabricated on the surface of free‐standing and flexible Si3N4 nanowires (NWs) membrane by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), which are directly used as flexible nanoscale conductive substrates. NiCo2O4 hollow nanospheres (HSs) and FeOOH amorphous nanorods (NRs) are finally prepared on Si3N4NWs@VGNs, which are served as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. Profiting from the structural merits, the synthesized Si3N4NWs@VGNs@NiCo2O4HSs and Si3N4NWs@VGNs@FeOOHNRs membrane electrodes exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance. Using Si3N4NWs membrane as the separator, the assembled all Si3N4NWs membrane‐based flexible solid‐state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with a wide operating potential window of 1.8 V yields the outstanding energy density of 96.3 Wh kg−1, excellent cycling performance (91.7% after 6000 cycles), and good mechanical flexibility. More importantly, this work provides a rational design strategy for the preparation of flexible electrode materials and broadens the applications of Si3N4NWs in the field of energy storage.
Nonhalogenated‐Solvent‐Processed High‐Performance All‐Polymer Solar Cell with Efficiency over 14%
Authors: Zhang Jiabin , Jia Tao , Tan Ching-Hong , Zhang Kai , Ren Minrun , Dong Sheng , Xu Qinghua , Huang Fei , Cao Yong
Published: March 2021

Rapid developments in material design have led to significant breakthroughs in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of all‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) in recent years. However, most of these devices are processed using halogenated solvents. Here, nonhalogenated solvent o‐xylene (o‐XY)‐processed all‐PSCs based on PBDB‐T:PJ1 are studied. Interestingly, it is found that the efficiency of the all‐PSCs can be greatly improved to 14.34% by simply increasing the spin‐coating speed during device processing. Careful studies reveal that this improvement could be attributed to the stronger centrifugal force (resulting from a higher spin‐coating speed), shorten the film formation time, and inhibit the excessive aggregation of PJ1. Consequently, a blend film with more reasonable domain size is formed. Based on these findings, another polymer acceptor PJ2, which bears a similar backbone to PJ1 but contains an additional thiophene spacer, is designed. PJ2 exhibits a much weaker aggregation ability and is used as a compatibilizer to improve the miscibility between the PBDB‐T and PJ1. Eventually, PBDB‐T:PJ1:PJ2‐based ternary all‐PSCs with a best PCE of 14.28% but processed under more mild conditions are obtained. These results may provide guidelines for future industrial fabrication of large‐area all‐PSCs.
Dual Passivation Strategy for High Efficiency Inorganic CsPbI2Br Solar Cells
Authors: Zhou Dingjian , Huang Jincheng , Liu Jun , Yan Huibo , Zhang Jianfeng , Zhang Meng , Liang Guangxing , Lu Lei , Zhang Xiuwen , Xu Ping , Kwok Hoi-Sing , Li Guijun
Published: March 2021

Inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells have achieved incredible progress in recent years. However, the power conversion efficiency of the inorganic perovskite solar cells is still low compared with their hybrid counterparts due to the inescapable nonradiative losses from the charge recombination. Herein, a strategy is demonstrated to minimize the nonradiative recombination loss in CsPbI2Br solar cells by establishing a synergetic passivation from the mutual effect of alkali‐ and alkylammonium‐salt. Accordingly, a sequential passivation process employing KBr and phenethylammonium chloride overcomes their limited passivation effect in one single step. This dual passivation is beneficial to an improved CsPbI2Br film with reduced trap defects, enlarged grain size, as well as to form an ultrathin low‐dimensional perovskite surface layer. As a result, a very high power conversion efficiency of 16.9% is obtained for inorganic CsPbI2Br solar cells. The proposed dual passivation scheme provides a feasible route not only for the design of high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells but also for other perovskite‐related optoelectronic devices.
Biostratigraphy and taxonomy of Drumian (middle Cambrian) agnostid trilobites of the Manuels River Formation, Avalonian Newfoundland, Canada
Authors: Hildenbrand Anne , Austermann Gregor , Ifrim Christina , Bengtson Peter
Published: March 2021

New, accurately located and well‐preserved agnostid trilobite material has been collected from the type locality of the Drumian (middle Cambrian, Miaolingian) Manuels River Formation, Newfoundland, Canada. The well‐exposed grey to black shales containing the fauna were deposited on the former microcontinent Avalonia. Four interval zones for the succession are proposed, namely, the Tomagnostus fissus, Hypagnostus parvifrons, Ptychagnostus atavus and Ptychagnostus punctuosus zones. The Tomagnostus fissus and Ptychagnostus atavus zones are distinct from each other, which leads to a significantly shorter and stratigraphically higher Ptychagnostus atavus Zone compared with other sections (Scandinavia, South China, Utah and Nevada, Greenland). Specimens of Ptychagnostus atavus, however, occur abundantly, with 107 specimens identified in a short interval of the succession. The Ptychagnostus punctuosus Zone can be correlated globally. The faunal assemblage is comparable to that of Scandinavia, Greenland and England. Ptychagnostus affinis is recorded for the first time from Avalonia. The 1408 collected specimens were assigned to the suborders Agnostina and Eodiscina and to the families Peronopsidae and Ptychagnostidae, and Condylopygidae and Eodiscidae, respectively, with the following species: Peronopsis fallax (Linnarsson), Peronopsis scutalis (Hicks), Hypagnostus parvifrons (Linnarsson), Ptychagnostus punctuosus (Angelin), Ptychagnostus affinis (Brøgger), Ptychagnostus atavus (Tullberg), Tomagnostus fissus (Lundgren), Tomagnostus perrugatus (Grönwall), Pleuroctenium granulatum (Barrande) and Eodiscus punctatus (Salter).
Damage and Cracking Prediction of AISI 410 Martensitic Stainless Steel at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Zhang Yu , Guo Biao , Li Qiang , Li Xiao , Jian Jie , Jin Yingrong , Ao Jinqing
Published: March 2021

Combining Gleeble hot compression and tensile tests with finite‐element (FE) simulations, this study delivers a robust assessment of the elevated temperature damage and cracking of AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel. The effects of hot deformation parameters on the macroscopic flow and deformation behaviors as well as microscopic damage and fracture characteristics are discussed, determining the critical damage values with the aid of FE calculations. Furthermore, a novel critical damage value model is proposed using the Zener–Hollomon parameter to establish the normalized Oyane fracture criterion coupling hot deformation parameters. The results reveal that the flow stress and tensile load both increase, as the strain rate increases and the temperature decreases and vice versa. The occurrence of localized necking and internal damage cracking causes the tensile load to decline drastically. The hot deformation parameters manipulate not only the plat and dimple fractures, each caused by intergranular and transgranular fractures, but also the internal damage cracking before the final fracture. The established criterion predicts outcomes in good agreement with experimental results. This work provides essential information and a model for the cracking prediction of AISI 410 steel at elevated temperatures, helping to derive a rational hot forming design to prevent cracking.
Valorization of pulp and paper industry wastewater using sludge enriched with nitrogen‐fixing bacteria
Authors: Ospina‐Betancourth Carolina , Acharya Kishor , Allen Ben , Head Ian M. , Sanabria Janeth , Curtis Thomas P.
Published: March 2021

Nitrogen‐fixing bacteria (NFB) can reduce nitrogen at ambient pressure and temperature. In this study, we treated effluent from a paper mill in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and monitored the abundance and activity of NFB with a view to producing a sludge that could work as a biofertilizer. Four reactors were inoculated with activated sludge enriched with NFB and fed with a high C/N waste (100:0.5) from a paper mill. Though the reactors were able to reduce the organic load of the wastewater by up to 89%, they did not have any nitrogen‐fixing activity and showed a decrease in the putative number of NFB (quantified with qPCR). The most abundant species in the reactors treating high C/N paper mill wastewater was identified by Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing as Methyloversatilis sp. (relative abundance of 4.4%). Nitrogen fixation was observed when the C/N ratio was increased by adding sucrose. We suspect that real‐world biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) will only occur where there is a C/N ratio ≤100:0.07. Consequently, operators should actively avoid adding or allowing nitrogen in the waste streams if they wish to valorize their sludge and reduce running costs.

Practitioner points

Efficient biological wastewater treatment of low nitrogen paper mill effluent was achieved without nutrient supplementation.

The sludge was still capable of fixing nitrogen although this process was not observed in the wastewater treatment system.

This high C/N wastewater treatment technology could be used with effluents from cassava flour, olive oil, wine and dairy industries.
Data mining for energy systems: Review and prospect
Authors: Liu Wenxuan , Zhao Junhua , Wang Dianhui
Published: March 2021

An in‐depth study on big data mining is urgently needed for the next‐generation energy systems, which are characterized by a deep integration of cyber, physical, and social components. This paper presents an initial discussion on big data mining and its applications in intelligent energy systems. New progress in big data mining, such as deep learning, transfer learning, randomized learning, granular computing, and multisource data fusion, is introduced first. Some applications of data mining in energy systems, such as load forecasting and modeling, integrated power and transportation system, and electricity market forecasting and simulation, are discussed then. Moreover, some research problems in energy system data mining, such as cyber–physical–social system modeling and super‐resolution perception for smart meter data, which require further attention in the future, are also discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Application Areas > Business and Industry
Sustainable Food Production Systems for Climate Change Mitigation: Indigenous Rhizobacteria for Potato Bio-fertilization in Tanzania
Authors: Aloo Becky Nancy , Mbega Ernest Rashid , Makumba Billy Amendi
Published: March 2021

The global rise in human population has led to the intensification of agricultural activities to meet the ever-rising food demand. The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a crop with the potential to tackle food security issues in developing countries due to its short growth cycle and high nutrient value. However, its cultivation is heavily dependent on artificial fertilizers for yield maximization which culminates in global warming and other environmental problems. There is need, therefore, for its alternative fertilization technologies to mitigate climate change. This study evaluated the potential of indigenous rhizobacteria for potato cropping in Tanzania. Ten potato rhizobacterial isolates belonging to Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Serratia, and Enterobacter genera were obtained from a previous collection from different agro-ecological areas in Tanzania. The isolates were characterized culturally, microscopically, biochemically, and by their carbohydrate utilization patterns. Their in vitro plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as nitrogen fixation, solubilization of phosphates, potassium, and zinc, and production of siderophores, indole acetic acid, and gibberellic acids were then evaluated. Lastly, sterilized potato seed tubers were bacterized with the inoculants and grown in pots of sterile soil in a screen-house using untreated plants as a control experiment. The potato rhizobacterial isolates had varying characteristics and showed varying in vitro PGP activities. The screen-house experiment also showed that the rhizobacterial treatments significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced different parameters associated with potato growth by up to 91% and established the potential of most of the isolates as alternative biofertilizers in potato cropping systems in Tanzania.