bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical spectrum of high-titre GAD65 antibodies
Authors: Budhram Adrian , Sechi Elia , Flanagan Eoin P , Dubey Divyanshu , Zekeridou Anastasia , Shah Shailee S , Gadoth Avi , Naddaf Elie , McKeon Andrew , Pittock Sean J , Zalewski Nicholas L
Published: February 2021

Objective

To determine clinical manifestations, immunotherapy responsiveness and outcomes of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD65) neurological autoimmunity.

Methods

We identified 323 Mayo Clinic patients with high-titre (>20 nmol/L in serum) GAD65 antibodies out of 380 514 submitted anti-GAD65 samples (2003–2018). Patients classified as having GAD65 neurological autoimmunity after chart review were analysed to determine disease manifestations, immunotherapy responsiveness and predictors of poor outcome (modified Rankin score >2).

Results

On review, 108 patients were classified as not having GAD65 neurological autoimmunity and 3 patients had no more likely alternative diagnoses but atypical presentations (hyperkinetic movement disorders). Of remaining 212 patients with GAD65 neurological autoimmunity, median age at symptom onset was 46 years (range: 5–83 years); 163/212 (77%) were female. Stiff-person spectrum disorders (SPSD) (N=71), cerebellar ataxia (N=55), epilepsy (N=35) and limbic encephalitis (N=7) could occur either in isolation or as part of an overlap syndrome (N=44), and were designated core manifestations. Cognitive impairment (N=38), myelopathy (N=23) and brainstem dysfunction (N=22) were only reported as co-occurring phenomena, and were designated secondary manifestations. Sustained response to immunotherapy ranged from 5/20 (25%) in epilepsy to 32/44 (73%) in SPSD (p=0.002). Complete immunotherapy response occurred in 2/142 (1%). Cerebellar ataxia and serum GAD65 antibody titre >500 nmol/L predicted poor outcome.

Interpretation

High-titre GAD65 antibodies were suggestive of, but not pathognomonic for GAD65 neurological autoimmunity, which has discrete core and secondary manifestations. SPSD was most likely to respond to immunotherapy, while epilepsy was least immunotherapy responsive. Complete immunotherapy response was rare. Serum GAD65 antibody titre >500 nmol/L and cerebellar ataxia predicted poor outcome.
Efficacy of belimumab in two serologically distinct high disease activity subgroups of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: post-hoc analysis of data from the phase III programme
Authors: Maslen Toni , Bruce Ian N , D'Cruz David , Ianosev Mihaela , Bass Damon L , Wilkinson Christel , Roth David A
Published: February 2021

Objective

To assess the appropriateness of expanded serological activity eligibility criteria for belimumab use in the UK systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) population (and possibly other countries), which includes patients with either anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) positivityorhypocomplementaemia rather than both criteria.

Methods

This post-hoc analysis used data from three randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III belimumab trials: BLISS-52 (BEL110752;NCT00424476), BLISS-76 (BEL110751;NCT00410384) and BLISS-SC (BEL112341;NCT01484496). Patients with SLE were stratified by high disease activity (HDA): HDA1, Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-SLE Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) score ≥10, low complementandpositive anti-dsDNA; and HDA2, SELENA-SLEDAI ≥10 and either low complementorpositive anti-dsDNA.

Results

This analysis included 660 HDA1 patients (n=396 on intravenous treatment; n=264 on subcutaneous treatment) and 969 HDA2 patients (n=532 on intravenous treatment; n=437 on subcutaneous treatment). Significant improvements were observed at week 52 with belimumab versus placebo, irrespective of subgroups or drug formulations, in SLE Responder Index (SRI) 4 response (OR (95% CI): HDA1 intravenous 2.7 (1.8 to 4.1); HDA2 intravenous 2.3 (1.61 to 3.26); HDA1 subcutaneous 2.2 (1.22 to 3.85); HDA2 subcutaneous 1.8 (1.17 to 2.74)); proportion of patients achieving ≥4-point reduction in SELENA-SLEDAI score (OR (95% CI): HDA1 intravenous 2.6 (1.7 to 3.9); HDA2 intravenous 2.1 (1.49 to 3.03); HDA1 subcutaneous 2.3 (1.30 to 4.14); HDA2 subcutaneous 1.9 (1.21 to 2.84)); patients with no worsening in Physician Global Assessment (OR (95% CI): HDA1 intravenous 2.0 (1.3 to 3.1); HDA2 intravenous 1.7 (1.17 to 2.45); HDA1 subcutaneous 2.3 (1.18 to 4.40); HDA2 subcutaneous 1.8 (1.11 to 2.92)); and risk of severe flares (HR (95% CI): HDA1 intravenous 0.6 (0.37 to 0.81); HDA2 intravenous 0.6 (0.43 to 0.86); HDA1 subcutaneous 0.52 (0.30 to 0.92); HDA2 subcutaneous 0.59 (0.37 to 0.94)).

Conclusion

Broadening the HDA population to include either low complementorpositive anti-dsDNA, rather than both, would enable more UK patients to receive SLE treatment and experience improved clinical outcomes.
Association between Physical Activity and Inflammatory Markers in Community-Dwelling, Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Cho So Mi Jemma , Lee Hokyou , Shim Jee-Seon , Jeon Justin Y , Kim Hyeon Chang
Published: February 2021

Physical activity has been known to deter inflammatory process; yet, the evidence is scarce in healthy, middle-aged population. We assessed the association between physical activity and inflammatory biomarkers, including high sensitivity (hs) C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-1α, -1β, -6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α, -β, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP) -1, -3. Functional and leisure-time physical activity was assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Inflammatory biomarkers were measured by multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Compared to highly physically active participants based on total metabolic equivalent of task, the most sedentary group had significantly higher odds ratio (OR) and [95% confidence interval (CI)] for ≥75th percentile of TNF-α (1.64 [1.10-2.44]), TNF-β (1.50 [1.09-2.07]), IL-1β (2.14 [1.49-3.09]), hsIL-1β (1.72 [1.15-2.58]), IL-6 (1.84 [1.24-1.73]), hsIL-6 (2.05 [1.35-3.12]), and MCP-1 (1.91 [1.28-2.87]) levels. Results for IL-1α and MCP-3 were inconsistent, as the least active group had lower odds for above the median IL-1α (0.65 [0.49-0.95]) and MCP-3 (0.71 [0.54-0.93]) yet higher odds for ≥75th percentile IL-1α (2.36 [1.63-3.42]) and MCP-3 (2.44 [1.63-3.64]) levels. Based on duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sedentary participants had significantly higher odds for above median (1.40 [1.13-1.73]) and ≥75th percentile (1.33 [1.00-1.77]) IL-1β compared to those fulfilling the guideline recommendation. Subgroup analyses showed minimal sex differences. Routine inflammatory assessment may help to achieve primordial prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
NOVELTY
●Healthy, middle-aged adults with physically active lifestyle were generally at lower odds for elevated inflammatory status.
●The associations persisted regardless of sex, age, comorbidities, adiposity, and diet.
Do lake-specific characteristics mediate the temporal relationship between walleye growth and warming water temperatures?
Authors: Massie Danielle L. , Hansen Gretchen J.A. , Li Yan , Sass Greg G. , Wagner Tyler
Published: February 2021

Walleye (Sander vitreus) population declines have been linked to climate change, but it is unclear how the growth of this cool-water species may be affected by warming water temperatures. Because warming rates vary among lakes, it is uncertain whether lake characteristics may mediate the temperature effects on walleye growth or may vary as a result of differences in lake habitat or productivity. In this study, we (i) quantified walleye annual growth from 1983 to 2015 in 61 lakes in midwestern United States; (ii) estimated the relationship between annual early life growth (ω; mm·year–1) and water growing degree days (GDD); and (iii) identified lake characteristics affecting loge(ω)–GDD relationships. On average, ω estimates significantly increased with increasing GDD; however, this relationship varied in direction and magnitude among lakes. We estimated an 84% posterior probability of a negative effect of water clarity on the loge(ω)–GDD relationship, suggesting that water clarity may mediate the effect of warming water temperatures by affecting the magnitude and direction of the loge(ω)–GDD relationship. Our results provide insights into the conservation of cool-water species in a changing environment and identify lakes characteristics in which walleye growth may be more resilient to climate change.
Contemporary status, distribution, and trends of mixedwoods in the northern United States
Authors: Vickers Lance A. , Knapp Benjamin O. , Kabrick John M. , Kenefic Laura S. , D’Amato Anthony W. , Kern Christel C. , MacLean David A. , Raymond Patricia , Clark Kenneth L. , Dey Daniel C. , Rogers Nicole S.
Published: February 2021

As interest in managing and maintaining mixedwood forests in the northern United States (US) grows, so does the importance of understanding their abundance and distribution. We analyzed Forest Inventory and Analysis data for insights into mixedwood forests spanning 24 northern US states from Maine south to Maryland and westward to Kansas and North Dakota. Mixedwoods, i.e., forests with both hardwoods and softwoods present but neither exceeding 75%–80% of composition, comprise more than 19 million hectares and more than one-quarter of the northern US forest. They are most common in the Adirondack – New England, Laurentian, and Northeast ecological provinces but also occur elsewhere in hardwood-dominated ecological provinces. These mixtures are common even within forest types nominally categorized as either hardwood or softwood. The most common hardwoods within those mixtures were species of Quercus and Acer, and the most common softwoods were species of Pinus, Tsuga, and Juniperus. Although mixedwoods exhibited stability in total area during our analysis period, hardwood saplings were prominent, suggesting widespread potential for eventual shifts to hardwood dominance in the absence of disturbances that favor regeneration of the softwood component. Our analyses suggest that while most mixedwood plots remained mixedwoods, harvesting commonly shifts mixedwoods to either hardwood- or softwood-dominated cover types, but more specific information is needed to understand the causes of these shifts.
Validation of an optical potential for incident and emitted low-energy $$\alpha $$-particles in the $$A\sim 60$$ mass range
Authors: Avrigeanu V. , Avrigeanu M.
Published: February 2021

A consistent set of statistical-model input parameters, validated by analysis of various independent data, makes possible the assessment of an $$\alpha $$
α
-particle optical model potential [Phys. Rev. C 90, 044612 (2014)] also for nucleon-induced $$\alpha $$
α
-emission within the $$A \sim 60$$

A
∼
60

mass-number range. The advantage of recent data for low-lying states feeding is taken as well. Consideration of additional reaction channels leading to increase of the $$\alpha $$
α
-emission beyond the statistical predictions has concerned the pickup direct interaction and Giant Quadrupole Resonance similar features.
Supervised Detection of Connector Lock Events with Optical Microphone Data
Authors: Bricher David , Müller Andreas
Published: February 2021

In manufacturing industry, one of the main targets is to increase automation and ultimately to avoid failures under all circumstances. The plugging and locking of connectors is a class of tasks which is yet hard to be automatized with sufficiently high process stability. Due to the variation of plugging positions and external disturbances, e.g. occlusion due to cables, the quality assessment of plugging processes has emerged as a challenging task for image-based systems. For this reason, the proposed approach analyzes the inherent acoustic connector locking properties in combination with different neural network architectures in order to correctly identify connector locking signals and further to distinguish them from other machining events occurring in assembly plants. For this specific task, highly sensitive optical microphones have been applied for data acquisition. The proposed experiments are carried out under laboratory conditions as well as for the more complex situation in a real manufacturing environment. In this context, the usage of multimodal neural network architectures achieved highest levels in classification performance with accuracy levels close to 90%.
Effective cones of cycles on products of projective bundles over curves
Authors: Karmakar Rupam
Published: February 2021

Let [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a smooth complex projective curve and let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] be two vector bundles over [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we compute the pseudo effective cones of higher co-dimension cycles on [Formula: see text].
THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ON INDUSTRIAL EXPORTS OF CHINA
Authors: CHEN SIZHUO
Published: February 2021

This study analyzes the effects of industrial revitalization in developed countries on China’s industrial exports. Using a rich panel dataset and a difference-in-difference method, I find empirical evidence consistent with the hypothesis that industrial revitalization policies in developed countries discourage China’s industrial exports, and these effects have become more apparent over time. This finding is robust to other proxy variables for industrial revitalization policies and robustness checks.
Efficient, second-order in time, and energy stable scheme for a new hydrodynamically coupled three components volume-conserved Allen–Cahn phase-field model
Authors: Yang Xiaofeng
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we establish a new hydrodynamically coupled phase-field model for three immiscible fluid components system. The model consists of the Navier–Stokes equations and three coupled nonlinear Allen–Cahn type equations, to which we add nonlocal type Lagrange multipliers to conserve the volume of each phase accurately. To solve the model, a linear and energy stable time-marching method is constructed by combining the stabilized-Invariant Energy Quadratization (S-IEQ) approach and the projection method. The well-posedness of the scheme and its unconditional energy stability are rigorously proved. Several numerical simulations in 2D and 3D are carried out, including spinodal decomposition, dynamical deformations of a liquid lens and rising liquid drops, to validate the model and demonstrate the efficiency and energy stability of the proposed scheme, numerically.
INSIDER TRADING WITH TEMPORARY PRICE IMPACT
Authors: BARGER WESTON , DONNELLY RYAN
Published: February 2021

We model an informed agent with information about the future value of an asset trying to maximize profits when the agent’s trades are subjected to a transaction cost as well as a market maker tasked with setting fair transaction prices. In a single auction model, equilibrium is characterized by the unique root of a particular polynomial. Analysis of this polynomial with small levels of risk-aversion and transaction costs reveal a dimensionless parameter which captures several orders of asymptotic accuracy of the equilibrium behavior. In a continuous time analogue of the single auction model, incorporation of a transaction costs allows the informed agent’s optimal trading strategy to be obtained in feedback form. Linear equilibrium is characterized by the unique solution to a system of two ordinary differential equations, of which one is forward in time and one is backward. When transaction costs are in effect, the price set by the market maker in equilibrium is not fully revealing of the informed agent’s private signal, leaving an information gap at the end of the trading interval. When considering vanishing transaction costs, the equilibrium trading strategy and pricing rules converge to their frictionless counterparts.
On solutions for a class of fractional Kirchhoff-type problems with Trudinger–Moser nonlinearity
Authors: de Souza Manassés , Severo Uberlandio B. , Luiz do Rêgo Thiago
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we prove the existence of at least three nontrivial solutions for the following class of fractional Kirchhoff-type problems: [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a constant, [Formula: see text] is a bounded open interval, [Formula: see text] is a continuous potential, the nonlinear term [Formula: see text] has exponential growth of Trudinger–Moser type, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] denotes the standard Gagliardo seminorm of the fractional Sobolev space [Formula: see text]. More precisely, by exploring a minimization argument and the quantitative deformation lemma, we establish the existence of a nodal (or sign-changing) solution and by means of the Mountain Pass Theorem, we get one nonpositive and one nonnegative ground state solution. Moreover, we show that the energy of the nodal solution is strictly larger than twice the ground state level. When we regard [Formula: see text] as a positive parameter, we study the behavior of the nodal solutions as [Formula: see text].
Derived categories of functors and quiver sheaves
Authors: Gneri P. O. , Jardim M. , Silva D. D.
Published: February 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be small category and [Formula: see text] an arbitrary category. Consider the category [Formula: see text] whose objects are functors from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] and whose morphisms are natural transformations. Let [Formula: see text] be another category, and again, consider the category [Formula: see text]. Now, given a functor [Formula: see text] we construct the induced functor [Formula: see text]. Assuming [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to be abelian categories, it follows that the categories [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are also abelian. We have two main goals: first, to find a relationship between the derived category [Formula: see text] and the category [Formula: see text]; second relate the functors [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We apply the general results obtained to the special case of quiver sheaves.
Error analysis of the kernel regularized regression based on refined convex losses and RKBSs
Authors: Sheng Baohuai , Zuo Lan
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we bound the errors of kernel regularized regressions associating with [Formula: see text]-uniformly convex two-sided RKBSs and differentiable [Formula: see text] uniformly smooth losses. In particular, we give learning rates for the learning algorithm with loss [Formula: see text]. Also, we show a probability inequality and with which provide the error bounds for kernel regularized regression with loss [Formula: see text] The discussions are comprehensive applications of the uniformly smooth function theory, the uniformly convex function theory and uniformly convex space theory.
Mantle rocks in East Antarctica
Authors: Foley Stephen F. , Andronikov Alexandre V. , Halpin Jacqueline A. , Daczko Nathan R. , Jacob Dorrit E.
Published: February 2021

Only three localities of mantle xenoliths are known from all of East Antarctica, occurring at the Jetty Peninsula (Lambert–Amery Rift), Vestfold Hills and Gaussberg volcano. The latter two are spinel-facies peridotites, whereas the Jetty Peninsula rocks also include garnet-spinel lherzolites; all come from Indo-Antarctica. The mantle xenoliths of Jetty Peninsula and Vestfold Hills contain abundant geochemical and mineralogical evidence for multiple enrichment events that are attributed to infiltration of melts and their fluid products. Many of these episodes are spatially related to precursory activity along major trans-lithospheric structures that eventually led to the separation of India from Antarctica. Mantle rocks also occur at Schirmacher Oasis (Dronning Maud Land) and Haskard Highlands (Shackleton Ranges) as blocks tectonically emplaced in high-grade crustal rocks. These show varying degrees of alteration due to reaction with silicic crustal rocks or hydrous fluids: none correspond to unchanged mantle compositions. Geophysical surveys are our only information on the mantle lithosphere beneath the inland ice, and these can be used to infer the locations of thicker lithosphere probably related to cratons by southward extrapolation of coastal geological correlations. Intense local modification of the mantle lithosphere by melt infiltration and fluid movements may influence the large-scale images derived from geophysical data, and may be incorrectly interpreted as homogeneous compositions.
Indexing Highly Repetitive String Collections, Part II
Authors: Navarro Gonzalo
Published: February 2021

Two decades ago, a breakthrough in indexing string collections made it possible to represent them within their compressed space while at the same time offering indexed search functionalities. As this new technology permeated through applications like bioinformatics, the string collections experienced a growth that outperforms Moore’s Law and challenges our ability of handling them even in compressed form. It turns out, fortunately, that many of these rapidly growing string collections are highly repetitive, so that their information content is orders of magnitude lower than their plain size. The statistical compression methods used for classical collections, however, are blind to this repetitiveness, and therefore a new set of techniques has been developed to properly exploit it. The resulting indexes form a new generation of data structures able to handle the huge repetitive string collections that we are facing. In this survey, formed by two parts, we cover the algorithmic developments that have led to these data structures.

In this second part, we describe the fundamental algorithmic ideas and data structures that form the base of all the existing indexes, and the various concrete structures that have been proposed, comparing them both in theoretical and practical aspects, and uncovering some new combinations. We conclude with the current challenges in this fascinating field.
Machine Learning for Sleep Apnea Detection with Unattended Sleep Monitoring at Home
Authors: Kristiansen Stein , Nikolaidis Konstantinos , Plagemann Thomas , Goebel Vera , Traaen Gunn Marit , Øverland Britt , Aakerøy Lars , Hunt Tove-Elizabeth , Loennechen Jan Pål , Steinshamn Sigurd Loe , Bendz Christina Holt , Anfinsen Ole-Gunnar , Gullestad Lars , Akre Harriet
Published: February 2021

Sleep apnea is a common and strongly under-diagnosed severe sleep-related respiratory disorder with periods of disrupted or reduced breathing during sleep. To diagnose sleep apnea, sleep data are collected with either polysomnography or polygraphy and scored by a sleep expert. We investigate in this work the use of supervised machine learning to automate the analysis of polygraphy data from the A3 study containing more than 7,400 hours of sleep monitoring data from 579 patients. We conduct a systematic comparative study of classification performance and resource use with different combinations of 27 classifiers and four sleep signals. The classifiers achieve up to 0.8941 accuracy (kappa: 0.7877) when using all four signal types simultaneously and up to 0.8543 accuracy (kappa: 0.7080) with only one signal, i.e., oxygen saturation. Methods based on deep learning outperform other methods by a large margin. All deep learning methods achieve nearly the same maximum classification performance even when they have very different architectures and sizes. When jointly accounting for classification performance, resource consumption and the ability to achieve with less training data high classification performance, we find that convolutional neural networks substantially outperform the other classifiers.
Gretch
Authors: Kaushik Anirudh Mohan , Pekhimenko Gennady , Patel Hiren
Published: February 2021

Data-dependent memory accesses (DDAs) pose an important challenge for high-performance graph analytics (GA). This is because such memory accesses do not exhibit enough temporal and spatial locality resulting in low cache performance. Prior efforts that focused on improving the performance of DDAs for GA are not applicable across various GA frameworks. This is because (1) they only focus on one particular graph representation, and (2) they require workload changes to communicate specific information to the hardware for their effective operation.

In this work, we propose a hardware-only solution to improving the performance of DDAs for GA across multiple GA frameworks. We present a hardware prefetcher for GA called Gretch, that addresses the above limitations. An important observation we make is that identifying certain DDAs without hardware-software communication is sensitive to the instruction scheduling. A key contribution of this work is a hardware mechanism that activates Gretch to identify DDAs when using either in-order or out-of-order instruction scheduling. Our evaluation shows that Gretch provides an average speedup of 38% over no prefetching, 25% over conventional stride prefetcher, and outperforms prior DDAs prefetchers by 22% with only 1% increase in power consumption when executed on different GA workloads and frameworks.
AI education matters
Authors: Neller Todd W.
Published: February 2021

In this column, we introduce the next AAAI/EAAI-2022 mentored undergraduate research challenge: AI-Assisted Game Design (AIAGD). We survey a number of AIAGD applications, provide references, and make suggestions for undergraduates to engage in this open-ended, creative research challenge.
NSF AI institute for research on trustworthy ai in weather, climate, and coastal oceanography
Authors: McGovern Amy
Published: February 2021

NSF AI Institutes

In 2019, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a new national investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a network of national AI institutes. Each institute will serve as a nexus of collaboration to create next-generation theory and applications of AI and to work synergistically with academia and industry. In the fall of 2020, NSF announced 5 new NSF AI institutes and 2 additional institutes funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Each institute is funded for approximately $20M over 5 years to make significant advances in foundational and applied AI research.
Review—The Emerging Technologies for Producing Low-Cost Titanium
Authors: Reddy Ramana G. , Shinde Pravin S. , Liu Aimin
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a thorough review of various technologies to obtain titanium and its alloys and their discussion concerning their merits and demerits. Titanium and its alloys are ideal advanced structural materials because of their excellent properties such as high corrosion resistance, exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, bio-compatible, non-magnetic and mechanical properties. As a result, such materials are served extensively for several engineering applications that include wind turbines, auto industries, biomedical implants, aerospace industry, marine structures, and many others. However, the low yield and higher cost production of the current employed energy-intensive Kroll process restricts the widespread use of titanium and its alloys. Numerous alternative extraction processes have been developed during the last few decades to produce titanium and its alloys in a more accessible and cost-effective way. Amid growing demand for titanium in the market, it is necessary to consider the impact of technological innovations that can reduce titanium production cost. Recent research and developments on the electrochemical reduction method of titanium production from molten salts or ionic liquids have shown promising results. This paper reviews the developments on titanium production and its alloys by various techniques, including but not limited to molten salt electrolysis processes, such as the FFC-Cambridge process, the OS process, the USTB process, and ionic-liquid electrolysis.
Silica Template as a Morphology-Controlling Factor for Attachment of CuO Nanoparticles on 3D-Ni-Foam as a New Enzyme-Free Electrochemiluminescence Probe for Glucose Detection
Authors: Kamyabi Mohammad Ali , Moharramnezhad Mohsen , Hajari Nasim
Published: February 2021

A new enzyme-free electrochemiluminescence glucose sensor was fabricated based on luminol and copper oxide nanoparticles modified Ni-foam electrode. The silica templates were applied as a morphology-adjusting factor to insert the copper oxide nanoparticles on the Ni-foam surface. The copper oxide nanoparticles were deposited by the pure electrochemical assay. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized for consideration of the surface characterization of the fabricated electrode. The modified nickel foam electrode (CuONPs/Ni-foam) was successfully utilized for the determination of glucose via the ultrasensitive ECL tool. For the proposed sensor, the wide linear dynamic range and the low limit of detection were obtained from 2.9 × 10−13 to 2.6 × 10−7 M and 4.2 × 10−14 M, respectively. Due to excellent proficiency towards accurate detection of glucose, the ECL sensor as an applicable platform was applied for quantitative analysis of the glucose in blood serum samples.
Quantitative Analysis of Solid Electrolyte Interphase and Its Correlation with The Electrochemical Performance of Lithium Ion Batteries Using Concentrated LiPF6/propylene Carbonate
Authors: Aoki Yasuhito , Oda Shiho , Oda Mami , Ogawa Miyuki , Ishihama Taihei , Doi Takayuki , Inaba Minoru
Published: February 2021

The charge and discharge performance of graphite negative and LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) positive electrodes in highly concentrated 4.45 mol kg−1 LiPF6/propylene carbonate electrolyte solution was investigated to clarify the chemical species in the surface film formed on both electrode surfaces, and compared with those obtained with conventional 1 mol l−1 LiPF6/ethylene carbonate + dimethyl carbonate electrolyte solution. For the graphite negative electrode, the total electrons consumed to form surface film was well correlated with irreversible capacity, and total mole number and chemical species of the surface film were also correlated with interfacial resistance. In the conventional electrolyte solution, the reductive decomposition of solvents progressed preferentially, while LiPF6 decomposed to form surface film in the concentrated electrolyte solution. While both organic- and inorganic-based surface films can achieve high coulombic efficiency and high capacity retention over charge/discharge cycles, the inorganic-based surface film resulted in a significant increase in interfacial resistance. As for the NCM523 positive electrode in the concentrated electrolyte solution, the formation of inorganic-based surface film and a remarkable increase in interfacial resistance were observed clearly, as with the graphite electrode. However, there was no direct correlation among mole number of chemical species in surface films formed, their chemical composition and interfacial resistance.
An Ammonium Solvate Ionic Liquid
Authors: Kawata Kio , Kitada Atsushi , Fukami Kazuhiro , Saimura Masayuki , Nagata Takashi , Katahira Masato , Murase Kuniaki
Published: February 2021

The first example of ammonium (NH4
+) solvate ionic liquids (ILs) is reported. The compound is ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide-18-crown-6 (1/1), i.e. [NH4
+][Tf2N–]−18C6 (1/1), where Tf represents SO2CF3. Raman spectra, NMR spectra, and DFT calculations support the conclusion that the compound can be described as an ammonium solvate IL [NH4
+·18C6][Tf2N–], which consists of 18C6-coordinated NH4
+ cations and Tf2N– anions. The conductivity of the ammonium solvate IL reaches as high as 10 mS cm–1 at 150 °C. The negligible volatility below 200 °C is confirmed by thermogravimetry. Compared with a hydronium (H3O+) solvate IL [H3O+·18C6][Tf2N–], the ammonium solvate IL shows better thermal stability, which strongly suggests long residence time of 18C6 with NH4
+ cation. The stability may lead to the vehicular-type translational motions of NH4
+ cations with 18C6 solvents as proved by their self-diffusion coefficients. The findings regarding this ammonium solvate IL can provide the guidelines to design new NH4
+ or proton conductors for ammonium ion batteries and fuel cells, which work at medium-low temperatures of 150 °C–200 °C.
The Effect of Hybrid-Lattice Micro Post Arrays on Flow Field of Semi-Packed Gas Chromatography Column
Authors: Hu Zhou , Wang Minchang , Zhang Liqiang , Jiao Jiwei , Ge Daohan
Published: February 2021

In this paper, a hybrid-lattice array of micro post structure was proposed to deal with the velocity fluctuation in the channel of traditional semi-packed micro gas chromatography column. Its flow field was analyzed by using COMSOL software. According to the differences in the six types of microarray structures and the distribution of the flow velocity field of each structure, a triangular-quadrangular hybrid lattice array structure 1 is determined, which can most effectively improve the uniformity of the velocity field. The hybrid-lattice array microstructures proposed in this paper can effectively improve the velocity field distribution in the channel of semi-packed micro gas chromatography column. It provides a theoretical basis for the structural design of new micro gas chromatographic columns.
Mitochondria-cytokine crosstalk following skeletal muscle injury and disuse: a mini-review
Authors: Qualls Anita E. , Southern W. Michael , Call Jarrod A.
Published: February 2021

Skeletal muscle mitochondria are highly adaptable, highly dynamic organelles that maintain the functional integrity of the muscle fiber by providing ATP for contraction and cellular homeostasis (e.g., Na+/K+ ATPase). Emerging as early modulators of inflammation, mitochondria sense and respond to cellular stress. Mitochondria communicate with the environment, in part, by release of physical signals called mitochondrial-derived damage-associated molecular patterns (mito-DAMPs) and deviation from routine function (e.g., reduced ATP production, Ca2+ overload). When skeletal muscle is compromised, mitochondria contribute to an acute inflammatory response necessary for myofibril regeneration; however, exhaustive signaling associated with altered or reduced mitochondrial function can be detrimental to muscle outcomes. Here, we describe changes in mitochondrial content, structure, and function following skeletal muscle injury and disuse and highlight the influence of mitochondria-cytokine crosstalk on muscle regeneration and recovery. Although the appropriate therapeutic modulation following muscle stressors remains unknown, retrospective gene expression analysis reveals that interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) are significantly upregulated following three unique muscle injuries. These cytokines modulate mitochondrial function and execute bona fide pleiotropic roles that can aid functional recovery of muscle, however, when aberrant, chronically disrupt healing partly by exacerbating mitochondrial dysfunction. Multidisciplinary efforts to delineate the opposing regulatory roles of inflammatory cytokines in the muscle mitochondrial environment are required to modulate regenerative behavior following skeletal muscle injury or disuse. Future therapeutic directions to consider include quenching or limited release of mito-DAMPs and cytokines present in cytosol or circulation.
Resting-state functional network models for posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Tu Joseph W.
Published: February 2021

Four recent articles were examined for their use of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging on participants with posttraumatic symptoms. Theory-driven computations were complemented by the novel use of network metrics, which revealed reduced global centrality and higher efficiency within the default mode network for participants with posttraumatic symptoms. Data-driven methods from other studies revealed associations between functional networks and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and clusters of functional activation corresponding to different PTSD presentations.
Investigation on the Temperature Distribution of Asphalt Overlay on the Existing Cement Concrete Pavement in Hot‐Humid Climate in Southern China
Authors: Li Zuzhong , Zhang Yayun , Fa Chunguang , Zou Xiaoming , Xie Haiwei , Chen Huaxin , He Rui
Published: February 2021

Temperature is known to be one of the most important factors affecting the design and performance of asphalt concrete pavement. The distresses of asphalt overlay are closely related to its temperature, particularly in Guangxi, a hot‐humid‐climate region in China. This research is to analyze the impact of meteorological factors on temperature at 2 cm depth in asphalt overlay by ReliefF algorithm and also obtain the temperature prediction model using MATLAB. Two test sites were installed to monitor the temperatures at different pavement depths from 2014 to 2016; meanwhile, the meteorological data (including air temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, and relative humidity) were collected from the two meteorological stations. It has been found that the temperature at 2 cm depth experiences greater temperature variation, and the maximum and minimum temperatures of asphalt overlay, respectively, occur at 2 cm depth and on the surface. Besides, the results of ReliefF algorithm have also shown that the temperature at 2 cm depth is affected significantly by solar radiation, air temperature, wind speed, and the relative humidity. Based on these analyses, the prediction model of maximum temperature at 2 cm depth is developed using statistical regression. Moreover, the data collected in 2017 are used to validate the accuracy of the model. Compared with the existing models, the developed model was confirmed to be more effective for temperature prediction in hot‐humid region. In addition, the analysis of rutting depth and overlay deformation for the two test sections with different materials is done, and the results have shown that reasonable structure and materials of asphalt overlay are vital to promote the high‐temperature antideforming capability of pavement.
A Real-Time Structured Output Tracker with Scale Adaption for Visual Target Tracking
Authors: Yang Kaiyun , Wu Xuedong , Xu Jingxiang
Published: February 2021

The structured output tracking algorithm is a visual target tracking algorithm with excellent comprehensive performance in recent years. However, the algorithm classifier will produce error information and result in target loss or tracking failure when the target is occluded or the scale changes in the process of tracking. In this work, a real-time structured output tracker with scale adaption is proposed: (1) the target position prediction is added in the process of target tracking to improve the real-time tracking performance; (2) the adaptive scheme of target scale discrimination is proposed in the structured support to improve the overall tracking accuracy; and (3) the Kalman filter is used to solve the occlusion problem of continuous tracking. Extensive evaluations on the OTB-2015 benchmark dataset with 100 sequences have shown that the proposed tracking algorithm can run at a highly efficient speed of 84 fps and perform favorably against other tracking algorithms.
[Retracted] Potential Factors for Psychological Symptoms at Three Months in Patients with Young Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Xu Dongjuan , Chu Xi , Wang Kun , Wei Lianyan , Xu Yunyun , Huang Xiaomin , Li Jinna , Xu Lina , Yin Lu , Liu Hong , Liu Xiaolei , Leng Haixia , Xue Qing , Peng Mao , Jia Longbin , Wang Hongxing
Published: February 2021

Objective. Psychological status plays a vital role in the recovery in young ischemic stroke patients. However, few reports on the psychological symptoms in Chinese young ischemic stroke patients have been published. In the present study, we aimed to outline the psychological status of young ischemic stroke patients and its risk factors at three months after their stroke. Methods. 364 patients with young ischemic stroke and 384 age‐matched healthy controls were consecutively recruited from our study hospitals of the mainland of China between June 2018 and November 2020. Social demographic and clinical data were collected from all enrolled participants in the acute stage of their stroke, and their psychological variables were assessed via the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL‐90‐R) at three‐month timepoint after their stroke. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to identify the independent factors for psychological variables in patients. Results. Compared with healthy controls, patients with young ischemic stroke had significantly higher total score of SCL‐90‐R and all subscale total scores (p < 0.01 or 0.05). 22.3% (81/364 cases) in young ischemic stroke patients had psychological abnormalities. Compared with young ischemic stroke patients without psychological symptoms (n = 283), patients with psychological symptoms (n = 81) had higher rate of married status (p = 0.03), rate of hypertension (p = 0.01), infarct size (p = 0.01), and the family dysfunction (p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the family dysfunction (odds ratio [OR], 2.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.71 to 3.54, p < 0.01), having hypertension (OR, 3.27, 95% CI: 1.92 to 4.27, p = 0.02), and ≥20mm3 infarct size (OR, 2.39, 95% CI: 1.53 to 3.45, p < 0.01) were independent factors for having psychological abnormalities in patients with young ischemic stroke at three months after their stroke. Single (OR, 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.54, p = 0.01), poor family function (OR, 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.45, p = 0.03), and ≥20mm3 infarct size (OR, 1.74, 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.13, p = 0.02) were independent factors for having depression in patents with psychological symptoms. The family dysfunction (OR, 2.32, 95% CI: 1.51 to 2.80, p < 0.01) and hypertension (OR, 2.41, 95% CI: 1.54 to 3.46, p = 0.03) were independent factors for emerging somatization and anxiety in patients with psychological symptoms, respectively. Conclusions. At three months after their stroke, young ischemic stroke patients had psychological problems and risk factors for developing them.
Association between Clinical Characteristics and Laboratory Findings with Outcome of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Report from Northeast Iran
Authors: Sobhani Sahar , Aryan Reihaneh , Kalantari Elham , Soltani Salman , Malek Nafise , Pirzadeh Parisa , Yarahmadi Amir , Aghaee Atena
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first discovered in December 2019 in China and has rapidly spread worldwide. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and their association with the outcome of patients with COVID-19 can be decisive in management and early diagnosis. Data were obtained retrospectively from medical records of 397 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between February and May 2020 in Imam Reza Hospital, northeast Iran. Clinical and laboratory features were evaluated among survivors and nonsurvivors. The correlation between variables and duration of hospitalization and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) was determined. Male sex, age, hospitalization duration, and admission to ICU were significantly related to mortality rate. Headache was a more common feature in patients who survived (

p
=
0.017

). It was also related to a shorter stay in the hospital (

p
=
0.032

) as opposed to patients who experienced chest pain (

p
=
0.033

). Decreased levels of consciousness and dyspnea were statistically more frequent in nonsurvivors (

p
=
0.003

and

p
=
0.011

, respectively). Baseline white blood cell (WBC) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly higher in nonsurvivors (

p
<
0.001

). Patients with higher WBC and CRP levels were more likely to be admitted to ICU (

p
=
0.009

and

p
=
0.001

, respectively). Evaluating clinical and laboratory features can help clinicians find ways for risk stratifying patients and even make predictive tools. Chest pain, decreased level of consciousness, dyspnea, and increased CRP and WBC levels seem to be the most potent predictors of severe prognosis.
Modulation of Autophagy: A Novel “Rejuvenation” Strategy for the Aging Liver
Authors: Xu Fengming , Tautenhahn Hans-Michael , Dirsch Olaf , Dahmen Uta
Published: February 2021

Aging is a natural life process which leads to a gradual decline of essential physiological processes. For the liver, it leads to alterations in histomorphology (steatosis and fibrosis) and function (protein synthesis and energy generation) and affects central hepatocellular processes (autophagy, mitochondrial respiration, and hepatocyte proliferation). These alterations do not only impair the metabolic capacity of the liver but also represent important factors in the pathogenesis of malignant liver disease. Autophagy is a recycling process for eukaryotic cells to degrade dysfunctional intracellular components and to reuse the basic substances. It plays a crucial role in maintaining cell homeostasis and in resisting environmental stress. Emerging evidence shows that modulating autophagy seems to be effective in improving the age‐related alterations of the liver. However, autophagy is a double‐edged sword for the aged liver. Upregulating autophagy alleviates hepatic steatosis and ROS‐induced cellular stress and promotes hepatocyte proliferation but may aggravate hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, a well‐balanced autophagy modulation strategy might be suitable to alleviate age‐related liver dysfunction. Conclusion. Modulation of autophagy is a promising strategy for “rejuvenation” of the aged liver. Detailed knowledge regarding the most devastating processes in the individual patient is needed to effectively counteract aging of the liver without causing obvious harm.
Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Treg-Specific USP21 Knockout Mice
Authors: Zhang Youxiang , Xiong De-Hui , Li Yangyang , Xu Guina , Zhang Baoxin , Liu Yang , Zhang Shan , Huang Qing , Chen Simin , Zeng Fansheng , Guo Jingyi , Li Bin , Qin Zhiqiang , Zhang Zuping
Published: February 2021

The E3 deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin-specific proteolytic enzyme 21 (USP21) plays vital roles in physiological activities and is required for Treg-cell-mediated immune tolerance. Using a murine model infected with Schistosoma japonicum, we observed that there were more cercariae developed into adults and more eggs deposited in the livers of the USP21fl/flFOXP3Cre (KO) mice. However, immunohistochemistry showed that the degree of egg granuloma formation and liver fibrosis was reduced. In USP21fl/flFOXP3Cre mice, levels of IFN-gamma, IL-4, anti-soluble egg antigen (SEA) IgG and anti-soluble worm antigen preparation (SWAP) IgG increased in blood, as determined using ELISAs and multiplex fluorescent microsphere immunoassays, while the levels of IL-10, lL-17A, IL-23, IL-9, and anti-SEA IgM decreased. In addition, the levels of the USP21 protein and mRNA in the liver and spleen of KO mice decreased. We further observed increased Th1 responses amplified by Tregs (regulatory T cells) and compromised Th17 responses, which alleviated the liver immunopathology. We speculated that these changes were related to polarization of Th1-like Tregs. Our results revealed the roles of USP21 in Treg-cell-mediated regulation of immune interactions between Schistosoma and its host. USP21 may have potential for regulating hepatic fibrosis in patients with schistosomiasis.