bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precipitation measurements by manual and automatic rain gauges and their influence on homogeneity of long‐term precipitation series
Authors: Valík Adam , Brázdil Rudolf , Zahradníček Pavel , Tolasz Radim , Fiala Rostislav
Published: October 2020

The introduction of automatic instruments for precipitation measurements may have resulted in some differences in results from those taken by previous manual instruments. In the station network of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) this replacement process began in the 1990s, when precipitation measurements taken by the METRA 886 rain gauge gave way to automatic tipping‐bucket rain gauges, the MR3H and later the MR3H‐FC. Continuous simultaneous measurement by both types of rain gauge at the Brno‐Žabovřesky and Ostrava‐Poruba stations in the 2000–2019 period enable differences in recorded daily precipitation totals to be compared. Only those days upon which at least one of the two types of rain gauge recorded precipitation are analysed herein. Although the highest proportion of differences in daily precipitation totals lies between −0.1 and 0.1 mm, there is a distinct tendency towards higher totals in positive deviations as measured by the manual METRA 886, that is, tipping‐bucket rain gauges generally record lower precipitation totals then the ‘standard’ manual rain gauge (the MR3H‐FC undervalues totals to a greater extent than the MR3H). The design and construction of tipping‐bucket rain gauges are reflected in overvaluation of precipitation days with smaller totals and undervaluation of days with high totals when compared with the METRA 886. Series combining measurements by METRA 886 and by tipping‐bucket rain gauges (as held in the CHMI database) and series measured by the METRA 886 alone were created, homogenized and analysed in terms of long‐term fluctuations and annual variations. Homogenisation of precipitation series based on combined measurements leads to generally undervalued totals compared with those measured only by the METRA 886. Results are discussed with respect to other similar articles, sources of errors in both types of precipitation measurement, and with regard to the homogenisation of precipitation series.
Elongation and orientation pattern of the medial patellofemoral ligament during lunging
Authors: Wang Cong , Kernkamp Willem A. , Li Changzhao , Hu Hai , Li Pingyue , Tsai Tsung‐Yuan
Published: October 2020

Unfavorable clinical outcomes after medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction, such as early osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint, were considered to be associate with tunnel malpositioning. Length change studies have found that small changes in the femoral position can cause great changes in elongation trends. Further studying the MPFL kinematics may help us to understand the consequences of tunnel malpositioning and optimize the reconstruction techniques. Fifteen healthy subjects were studied with a combined computed tomography and biplane fluoroscopic imaging technique during a lunge motion. Five femoral and three patellar attachments were used to simulate different MPFL bundles. Kinematics of MPFL was defined as elongation and orientation changes (i.e., deviation angle and elevation angle). The mean deviation angle was 28.7° (95% confidence interval, 28.0°–29.4°) at full extension and remained nearly unchanged up to 60° of flexion, and increased to 56.5° (54.1°–58.9°) at 110°. The elevation angle decreased linearly from 12.6° (9.3°–15.9°) at full extension to −86.2° (−92.7–79.7°) at 110° of flexion. The MPFL was most stretched anteriorly and laterally relative to femur from full extension to 30° of flexion and remained near isometric beyond 30°. The current study found that proximal and anterior femoral attachments caused excessive lateral stretching of the MPFL at deeper flexion angles. Such abnormal MPFL kinematics may subsequently cause overconstraint and increased cartilage pressures of the medial patellofemoral joint.
Role of YAP1 gene in proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, and apoptosis of human periodontal ligament stem cells induced by TNF‐α
Authors: Dong Tao , Sun Xuemin , Jin He
Published: September 2020

Background

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs in periodontal tissues and can cause tooth loosening and loss in severe cases. As the main effector of downstream of Hippo signaling pathway, yes‐related protein 1 (YAP1) plays an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of YAP1 in periodontitis has not been reported.

Methods

Cell activity was detected by Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8). YAP1 was overexpressed by cell transfection, and then RT‐qPCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of YAP1. The cell proliferation was determined by clone formation assay, and the expression of proliferation‐related proteins was determined by western blot. The cell differentiation was detected by ELISA kit of alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and alizarin red staining. Finally, western blot was used to detect the expression of differentiation‐related protein and Hippo signaling pathway‐related proteins. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.

Results

With the increase of concentration induced by TNF‐α, the cell survival rate of human periodontal ligament stem cells (HPDLSCs) decreased significantly. After the overexpression of YAP1, cell proliferation and proliferation‐related protein expression increased. Overexpression of YAP1 can improve the differentiation and the formation of osteoblasts of HPDLSCs induced by TNF‐α. The expression of Hippo signaling pathway‐related proteins transcriptional coactivators with PDZ binding domains (TAZ), TEA domain family member (TRED) increased and proliferation‐related protein P27 decreased, whereas there was no significant change in the expression of MST1.

Conclusion

TNF‐α can inhibit proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of HPDLSCs, which can be ameliorated by the YAP1 gene through the Hippo signaling pathway. Our paper suggested that YAP1 may be a potential therapeutic target for periodontitis.
Fecal metabolomics based on mass spectrometry to investigate the mechanism of qishen granules against isoproterenol‐induced chronic heart failure in rats
Authors: Liu Shuxin , Pi Zifeng , Liu Zhiqiang , Song Fengrui , Liu Shu
Published: October 2020

Qishen granules, derived from clinical experience formula, has been widely used to improve and treat myocardial ischemic chronic heart failure in China. However, the mechanism of action of Qishen granules in the treatment of chronic heart failure is unclear. This study aimed to discover potential biomarkers of isoproterenol‐induced chronic heart failure rats and investigate the potential mechanism of Qishen granules treatment of chronic heart failure. The fecal metabolomics method based on ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze the therapeutic effect and metabolic changes of Qishen granules on chronic heart failure rats. Totally, 17 potential biomarkers were identified, involving bile acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, inflammatory response, and amino acid metabolism. For bile acid metabolism, we selected 12 bile acids (two of which were potential biomarkers in nontargeted metabolomics) for quantitative analysis. The quantitative results of bile acids showed that after Qishen granules treatment, the contents of bile acids such as ursodeoxycholic acid and glycodeoxycholic acid were similar to those of health group. This study helps to understand the pathogenesis of isoproterenol‐induced chronic heart failure and the therapeutic mechanism of Qishen granules from the perspective of metabolic pathways.
Grassland greening on the Mongolian Plateau despite higher grazing intensity
Authors: Miao Lijuan , Sun Zhanli , Ren Yanjun , Schierhorn Florian , Müller Daniel
Published: September 2020

Changes in land management and climate alter vegetation dynamics, but the determinants of vegetation changes often remain elusive, especially in global drylands. Here we assess the determinants of grassland greenness on the Mongolian Plateau, one of the world's largest grassland biomes, which covers Mongolia and the province of Inner Mongolia in China. We use spatial panel regressions to quantify the impact of precipitation, temperature, radiation, and the intensity of livestock grazing on the normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) during the growing seasons from 1982 to 2015 at the county level. The results suggest that the Mongolian Plateau experienced vegetation greening from 1982 to 2015. Precipitation and animal density were the most influential factors contributing to higher NDVI on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. Our results highlight the dominant effect of climate variability, and especially of the precipitation variability, on the grassland greenness in Mongolian drylands. The findings challenge the common belief that higher grazing pressure is the key driver for land degradation. The analysis exemplifies how representative wall‐to‐wall results for large areas can be attained from exploring space–time data and adds empirical insights to the puzzling relationship between grazing intensity and vegetation growth in dryland areas.
Bacterioplankton dynamics driven by interannual and spatial variation in diatom and dinoflagellate spring bloom communities in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Camarena‐Gómez María Teresa , Ruiz‐González Clara , Piiparinen Jonna , Lipsewers Tobias , Sobrino Cristina , Logares Ramiro , Spilling Kristian
Published: October 2020

In parts of the Baltic Sea, the phytoplankton spring bloom communities, commonly dominated by diatoms, are shifting toward the co‐occurrence of diatoms and dinoflagellates. Although phytoplankton are known to shape the composition and function of associated bacterioplankton communities, the potential bacterial responses to such a decrease of diatoms are unknown. Here we explored the changes in bacterial communities and heterotrophic production during the spring bloom in four consecutive spring blooms across several sub‐basins of the Baltic Sea and related them to changes in environmental variables and in phytoplankton community structure. The taxonomic structure of bacterioplankton assemblages was partially explained by salinity and temperature but also linked to the phytoplankton community. Higher carbon biomass of the diatoms Achnanthes taeniata, Skeletonema marinoi, Thalassiosira levanderi, and Chaetoceros spp. was associated with more diverse bacterial communities dominated by copiotrophic bacteria (Flavobacteriia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria) and higher bacterial production. During dinoflagellate dominance, bacterial production was low and bacterial communities were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, mainly SAR11. Our results suggest that increases in dinoflagellate abundance during the spring bloom will largely affect the structuring and functioning of the associated bacterial communities. This could decrease pelagic remineralization of organic matter and possibly affect the bacterial grazers communities.
Early Predictors of Short‐Term Prognosis in Acute and Acute Severe Autoimmune Hepatitis
Authors: Biewenga Maaike , Inderson Akin , Tushuizen Maarten E. , Crobach A. Stijn L.P. , van Hoek Bart
Published: September 2020

Presentation of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) can differ from nonacute to acute autoimmune hepatitis (A‐AIH) with jaundice and acute severe autoimmune hepatitis (AS‐AIH) with jaundice and coagulopathy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the short‐term prognosis of different presentations of AIH and the influence of liver function improvement on short‐term prognosis. In this single‐center retrospective cohort study, AIH patients with repeatedly tested liver function at diagnosis and during at least 1 year of follow‐up were included. A‐AIH was defined as bilirubin >45 µmol and international normalized ratio (INR) <1.5. AS‐AIH was defined as bilirubin level >45 µmol/L and INR ≥1.5. Of the 81 included patients, 17 (21%) presented with A‐AIH, and 14 (17%) presented with AS‐AIH. After the start of immunosuppressive therapy, bilirubin, albumin, and INR normalized in 70%, 77%, and 69%, respectively, in a median of 2.6 months, 3 months, and 4 weeks, respectively, in patients with A‐AIH and AS‐AIH. Liver transplantation (LT)–free survival rate was 100% in nonacute AIH, 94% in A‐AIH, and 57% in AS‐AIH at 12 months after diagnosis. An increase of INR or bilirubin at 2 weeks was the best predictive factor for the need of LT within 12 months with a Youden’s index of 0.85. A‐AIH was present in 21%, and AS‐AIH was present in 17% of AIH patients. In the majority of patients, bilirubin, albumin, and INR normalized in the first months of treatment. Deterioration of liver function after 2 weeks of treatment should lead to rapid evaluation for LT and consideration of second‐line medication.
Further results on the in situ anaerobic corrosion of carbon steel and copper in compacted bentonite exposed to natural Opalinus Clay porewater containing native microbial populations
Authors: Reddy Bharti , Padovani Cristiano , Smart Nick R. , Rance Andrew P. , Cook Angus , Milodowski Antoni , Field Lorraine , Kemp Simon , Diomidis Nikitas
Published: September 2020

Since 2012, a long‐term in situ corrosion experiment (IC‐A) is being conducted in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland to investigate the corrosion behaviour of candidate canister materials in conditions representative of the Swiss concept for the disposal of high‐level waste and spent nuclear fuel. To date, carbon steel and various types of copper coatings have been retrieved after different exposure periods of up to 3 years, and characterised to establish the composition of the corrosion product, the morphology of the corroded surface, the nature of the interaction between the metal and the surrounding bentonite, and the microbial populations in the bentonite and surrounding porewater. For carbon steel specimens, a complex corrosion product was identified, consisting predominantly of magnetite. Much less alteration on either the metal or the bentonite was observed in the case of copper samples. Low average anaerobic corrosion rates were measured for carbon steel and a very modest amount of alteration was identified on copper. The density and the initial form of the bentonite had a small influence on the rate of corrosion, across all materials. This paper summarises the results of the experimental programme obtained to date and discusses the relationship observed between exposure time and the evolution of the metal–bentonite interface for both carbon steel and copper.
Overview of anaerobic corrosion of carbon steel radioactive waste packages in alkaline media in support of the Belgian supercontainer concept
Authors: Kursten Bruno , Smart Nick R. , Senior Nicholas A. , Macdonald Digby D. , Caes Sébastien , de Souza Valdir , Gaggiano Roberto
Published: October 2020

The so‐called supercontainer concept is currently being considered as the reference design for the final disposal of vitrified high‐level radioactive waste and spent fuel in Belgium. It comprises a prefabricated Portland cement‐based buffer that completely surrounds a carbon steel overpack. In this highly alkaline environment (pH ~13.6), and under normal conditions (i.e., without the ingress of aggressive species), the carbon steel overpack will be protected by a passive oxide film, which is expected to result in very low uniform corrosion rates. Considering the long timescales applicable to waste disposal, determining accurate and reliable estimates of the uniform corrosion rate under anoxic conditions forms a very important part of the safety and feasibility strategy. It is also crucial to demonstrate that no other form of corrosion apart from uniform corrosion takes place. This paper presents the progress of the research that has been made since the LTC2016 Workshop (Toronto, Canada) on uniform corrosion, pitting corrosion and stress corrosion cracking behaviour of P355 QL2 grade carbon steel exposed to an artificial concrete pore water solution.
Atmospheric corrosion behavior of 7A09 aluminum alloy exposed to an industrial environment
Authors: Wang Ling , Wang Bin , Luo Laizheng , Jiang Hua , Liu Jie
Published: September 2020

The corrosion behavior of 7A09 alloys exposed to an industrial atmosphere for 36 months was studied by weight loss method, morphology observation, electrochemical method, and loss in mechanical properties. Under the condition of exposure to an industrial atmosphere, the 7A09 alloy suffers obvious pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion (IGC), and a charge transfer process controls the corrosion reaction. The corrosion rate presents a decreasing tendency with exposure time, which is mainly due to the enhancement of the protective ability of the corrosion product layer. The occurrence of IGC of this alloy is mainly caused by the preferential dissolution of the grain boundary precipitates Mg(ZnAlCu)2 and the precipitate‐free zone along grain boundaries, and which leads to the reduction of the mechanical properties. In addition, the morphology and composition of the corrosion product layer were identified, and the corrosion mechanism was also discussed.
Joint pricing and stocking decisions for a newsvendor problem with loss aversion and reference point effect
Authors: Qiu Ruozhen , Yu Yue , Sun Minghe
Published: September 2020

This study investigates the joint pricing and stocking decisions for a loss‐averse retailer with reference point effect under stochastic demand. By solving an expected utility maximization model developed based on the prospect theory, the optimal pricing and stocking decisions are derived and compared with those of the classical newsvendor. The results show that the optimal decisions significantly depend on the loss aversion coefficient, optimism level, and reference effect strength. Smaller loss aversion coefficient and lower optimism level lead to higher expected utilities. In particular, a loss‐averse retailer with a smaller loss aversion coefficient benefits from a higher reference effect strength and vice versa.
Differences in the Presentation and Progression of Parkinson's Disease by Sex
Authors: Iwaki Hirotaka , Blauwendraat Cornelis , Leonard Hampton L. , Makarious Mary B. , Kim Jonggeol J. , Liu Ganqiang , Maple‐Grødem Jodi , Corvol Jean‐Christophe , Pihlstrøm Lasse , van Nimwegen Marlies , Smolensky Luba , Amondikar Ninad , Hutten Samantha J. , Frasier Mark , Nguyen Khanh‐Dung H. , Rick Jacqueline , Eberly Shirley , Faghri Faraz , Auinger Peggy , Scott Kirsten M. , Wijeyekoon Ruwani , Van Deerlin Vivianna M. , Hernandez Dena G. , Gibbs Raphael J. , Day‐Williams Aaron G. , Brice Alexis , Alves Guido , Noyce Alastair J. , Tysnes Ole‐Bjørn , Evans Jonathan R. , Breen David P. , Estrada Karol , Wegel Claire E. , Danjou Fabrice , Simon David K. , Andreassen Ole A. , Ravina Bernard , Toft Mathias , Heutink Peter , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Weintraub Daniel , Barker Roger A. , Williams‐Gray Caroline H. , van de Warrenburg Bart P. , Van Hilten Jacobus J. , Scherzer Clemens R. , Singleton Andrew B. , Nalls Mike A.
Published: October 2020

Background

Previous studies reported various symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with sex. Some were conflicting or confirmed in only one study.

Objectives

We examined sex associations to PD phenotypes cross‐sectionally and longitudinally in large‐scale data.

Methods

We tested 40 clinical phenotypes, using longitudinal, clinic‐based patient cohorts, consisting of 5946 patients, with a median follow‐up of 3.1 years. For continuous outcomes, we used linear regressions at baseline to test sex‐associated differences in presentation, and linear mixed‐effects models to test sex‐associated differences in progression. For binomial outcomes, we used logistic regression models at baseline and Cox regression models for survival analyses. We adjusted for age, disease duration, and medication use. In the secondary analyses, data from 17 719 PD patients and 7588 non‐PD participants from an online‐only, self‐assessment PD cohort were cross‐sectionally evaluated to determine whether the sex‐associated differences identified in the primary analyses were consistent and unique to PD.

Results

Female PD patients had a higher risk of developing dyskinesia early during the follow‐up period, with a slower progression in activities of daily living difficulties, and a lower risk of developing cognitive impairments compared with male patients. The findings in the longitudinal, clinic‐based cohorts were mostly consistent with the results of the online‐only cohort.

Conclusions

We observed sex‐associated contributions to PD heterogeneity. These results highlight the necessity of future research to determine the underlying mechanisms and importance of personalized clinical management. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Hyers‐Ulam‐Rassias stability results for some nonlinear fractional integral equations using the Bielecki metric
Authors: Subashmoorthy R. , Balasubramaniam P.
Published: October 2020

In this article, the Bielecki metric on the space
is used to analyze the different types of stability results of nonlinear fractional integral equation with delay in its corresponding fractional boundary value problems. Sufficient conditions are obtained to prove stability results for fractional nonlinear Volterra and Fredholm integral equations with delay, given by Ulam, Hyer, and Rassias. Further, those stability results are extended to the fractional integral equations where the domain of integration is an unbounded interval. Two numerical examples are provided to assert the obtained stability results.
A compact flexible fractal ultra‐wideband antenna with band notch characteristic
Authors: Zou Qiang , Jiang Shiyu
Published: September 2020

A compact flexible fractal ultra‐wideband antenna with band notch characteristic is presented. The antenna is printed on a 12.5 μm flexible polyimide substrate, and an impedance bandwidth of 15.48 GHz (3.6‐19.08 GHz) is achieved along with an overall antenna size of 20.5 × 13.9 mm2. The design of the hexagonal radiator in the fourth iteration effectively enhances the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. By arranging two symmetrical complementary split ring resonators on the ground plane, the band rejection of the X‐band uplink frequency from 7.9 to 8.41 GHz is achieved. The average gain of the antenna can reach 3 dBi in the pass band, while the gain in the notch band is greatly reduced to below 0 dBi. Compared with the existing structure, the antenna has a larger bandwidth and a smaller size. Furthermore, the antenna is tested under bending effects. Test results show that this antenna can be used for integration on flexible electronic devices.
Artificial intelligence‐based framework in evaluating intrafraction motion for liver cancer robotic stereotactic body radiation therapy with fiducial tracking
Authors: Liang Zhiwen , Zhou Qichao , Yang Jing , Zhang Lian , Liu Dong , Tu Biao , Zhang Sheng
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aimed to design a fully automated framework to evaluate intrafraction motion using orthogonal x‐ray images from CyberKnife.

Methods

The proposed framework includes three modules: (a) automated fiducial marker detection, (b) three‐dimensional (3D) position reconstruction, and (c) intrafraction motion evaluation. A total of 5927 images from real patients treated with CyberKnife fiducial tracking were collected. The ground truth was established by labeling coarse bounding boxes manually, and binary mask images were then obtained by applying a binary threshold and filter. These images and labels were used to train a detection model using a fully convolutional network (fCN). The output of the detection model can be used to reconstruct the 3D positions of the fiducial markers and then evaluate the intrafraction motion via a rigid transformation. For a patient test, the motion amplitudes, rotations, and fiducial cohort deformations were calculated used the developed framework for 13 patients with a total of 52 fractions.

Results

The precision and recall of the fiducial marker detection model were 98.6% and 95.6%, respectively, showing high model performance. The mean (±SD) centroid error between the predicted fiducial markers and the ground truth was 0.25 ± 0.47 pixels on the test data. For intrafraction motion evaluation, the mean (±SD) translations in the superior–posterior (SI), left–right (LR), and anterior–posterior (AP) directions were 13.1 ± 2.2 mm, 2.0 ± 0.4 mm, and 5.2 ± 1.4 mm, respectively, and the mean (±SD) rotations in the roll, pitch and yaw directions were 2.9 ± 1.5°, 2.5 ± 1.5°, and 3.1 ± 2.2°. Seventy‐one percent of the fractions had rotations larger than the system limitations. With rotation correction during rigid registration, only 2 of the 52 fractions had residual errors larger than 2 mm in any direction, while without rotation correction, the probability of large residual errors increased to 46.2%.

Conclusion

We developed a framework with high performance and accuracy for automatic fiducial marker detection, which can be used to evaluate intrafraction motion using orthogonal x‐ray images from CyberKnife. For liver patients, most fractions have fiducial cohort rotations larger than the system limitations; however, the fiducial cohort deformation is small, especially for the scenario with rotation correction.
Pure sensory neuralgic amyotrophy in COVID‐19 infection
Authors: Cacciavillani Mario , Salvalaggio Alessandro , Briani Chiara
Published: October 2020

See article on pages E8–E9 in this issue.
Variability of symptoms in neuralgic amyotrophy following infection with SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Siepmann Timo , Kitzler Hagen H. , Reichmann Heinz , Barlinn Kristian
Published: October 2020

See article on pages E7–E8 in this issue.
Metastatic Low-Grade Sarcoma with CARS-ALK Fusion Dramatically Responded to Multiple ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: A Case Report with Comprehensive Genomic Analysis
Authors: Jiao Xiao-Dong , Liu Ke , Xu Mingyan , Yu Guanzhen , Liu Danni , Huang Tanxiao , Qin Bao-Dong , Liu Ming , Wu Ying , Ling Yan , Liu Jun , He Xi , Wang Liangzhe , Li Yingmei , Chen Shifu , Zang Yuan-Sheng
Published: September 2020

This article reports a case of advanced metastatic low-grade sarcoma. The patient was diagnosed with an inoperable large (14 × 12 cm) lesion on his neck in September 2015 and underwent two ineffective chemotherapies in the following 4 months. Interestingly, although several pathologists could not agree on the histopathological diagnosis, the precise molecular pathological diagnosis was obtained using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and finally brought excellent therapeutic effects. The patient was detected to have CARS-ALK fusion by NGS and then was successfully treated with crizotinib orally. He received surgical resection of primary and metastatic lesions after tumor shrinkage. The combined treatment brought a durable response for 40 months. Although the tumor recurred in July 2019, the patient has been responding well to the second-line ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor alectinib to date. We performed whole genome sequencing on the patient's primary, metastatic, and recurrent tumors and did comprehensive genomic analysis. Furthermore, our analysis results revealed that a whole genome duplication event might have happened during tumorigenesis of this case.

Key Points

To our best knowledge, this is the first report of a very successful treatment with first- and second-line ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors for CARS-ALK fusion–positive metastatic low-grade sarcoma. Molecular pathological result can guide precision treatment for sarcoma, even when the exact histopathology cannot be obtained. Multiple samples from this patient were analyzed using whole genome sequencing. Results provided detailed genomic characteristics and showed tumor evolution of this low-grade sarcoma case. A whole genome duplication event might have happened during tumorigenesis of this low-grade sarcoma case.
The role of emotional intelligence in agenda setting: A study of social media
Authors: Rahim Rabia , Paracha Sajjad Ahmed , Iqbal Jawad , Imran Muhammad
Published: October 2020

Multiple studies were conducted to measure the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) with respect to Religion, Locality, Medium of Learning, Gender, Occupation, Family, Status, and so forth, however, investigating the role played by emotional intelligence in defusing the effect of agenda setting is rare. In this study, it is investigated whether EI has any role in defusing the agenda setting effect through social media. However, this study used the questionnaire to collect the 300 responses from universities students. The current study has employed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to empirically evaluate the data by using independent sample t‐test which identifies that people with a high level of emotional intelligence defuses the effect of agenda setting and vice versa. Therefore, this study found that Social media influences the opinion of the common person. This research identified a key approach, that is, emotional intelligence that may take part in understanding how agenda setting through social media message can be avoided.
Participation of women in the South Asian microfinance industry: An observation
Authors: Mia Md Aslam
Published: October 2020

Considering the definitive role of women in microfinance industries, the study has examined the participation of women in various management roles and clients base of the South Asian microfinance market. By so doing, secondary data were obtained from the World Bank database, which incorporated the microfinance information exchange (MIX) dataset for free and easy access to global data on microfinance institutions (MFIs). The data used in this study span the period 2011–2018 (excluding female borrowers), and include six South Asian countries –Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Methodologically, the study relied on descriptive types of analysis in line with the context of the research. The findings revealed a disadvantageous and disproportionate representation of women in various management roles relative to the client base of MFIs. Moreover, average female participation rates (excluding female borrowers) in the South Asian microfinance market in tandem with the female labor force participation rate were observed to be lower than the global average; thereby, raising concerns about the poor gender diversity in this part of the world.
Dual microcapsules based epoxy/polyethyleneimine autonomous self‐healing system for photo‐curable coating
Authors: Tezel Özge , Beyler Çiğil Aslı , Kahraman Memet Vezir
Published: October 2020

Self‐healing coatings were fabricated by adding two different epoxy and polyethyleneimine microcapsules to epoxy‐polyester acrylate resin. The first capsule contained polyethyleneimine and the second capsule contained a commercial epoxy resin. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) microcapsules were prepared by filling PEI into hollow poly(melamine‐urea‐formaldehyde) (PMUF)‐shelled polymeric microcapsules. Epoxy microcapsules were prepared by coating with a poly(urea‐formaldehyde) (PUF)‐shelled material using in‐situ polymerization. Using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the healing agent contents of the microcapsules for epoxy and PEI were determined to be 55% and 49%, respectively. Moreover, using a zeta‐sizer, the mean sizes of the microcapsules for epoxy/PUF and PEI/PMUF were determined to be 185 nm and 377 nm, respectively. Both capsule types were added to the epoxy‐polyester acrylate‐based photo‐curable coating formulation in the amount of 2% by weight. The coating formulation was applied to plexiglass surface, then cured with UV light and artificial scratches were made on the coating surface. At the end of day two, the SEM images revealed that coating successfully self‐healed the scratch.
Morphology and mechanical properties of poly (acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite specimens prepared by fused deposition modeling
Authors: Razavi‐Nouri Mohammad , Rezadoust Amir Masood , Soheilpour Zahra , Garoosi Keyvan , Ghaffarian Seyed Reza
Published: September 2020

In this work, poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene) (ABS) filaments containing 0, 1, 3, and 5 wt% multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were prepared by extrusion. The filaments were then used to make the required specimens with a fused deposition modeling machine. The results obtained from the tensile measurements revealed that with the increase in the layer thickness, the tensile strength of the printed specimens decreased; however, the raster angle did not have any significant effect on the properties. The transmission electron microscope images showed that for the sample containing 3 wt% MWCNT, nanoparticles were reasonably dispersed throughout the matrix. The scanning electron microscope images illustrated that the size of the voids formed within the specimens was increased with increasing of the layer thickness from 0.05 to 0.2 mm. It was also found that the maximum properties could be obtained by using the layer thickness, raster angle and MWCNT concentration of 0.05 mm, 45/−45°, and 3 wt%, respectively. The results showed that both the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the filaments progressively increased with the increase of the nanofiller content in the range studied. It was found that for the constant layer thickness of 0.05 mm, all the specimens printed with single raster angles of 0, 45, and 90° showed higher tensile strength in comparison with their counterparts printed with two raster angles of 0/90° and 45/−45°.
Prediction of process parameters of water‐assisted injection molding based on inverse radial basis function neural network
Authors: Yang Jiangen , Yu Shengrui
Published: September 2020

Because of the introduction of new processing parameters in water‐assisted injection molding (WAIM), processes control has become more difficult. First, design of experiment (DOE) was carried out by using optimized Latin hypercubes (Opt LHS). On the basis of this, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was used to simulate and calculate hollowed core ratios and wall thickness differences of cooling water pipe at different positions. Then inverse radial basis function (RBF) neural network model reflecting the fitting relationship between processing parameters and molding quality was established, and accuracy of the model was detected by cross validation. Finally, expected molding quality was applied to predict processing parameters, and the obtained molding quality under the predicted processing parameters was verified by computer aided engineering (CAE) simulation and experimental methods. The results showed that mean relative precisions of processing parameters such as melt temperature, delay time, short shot size, water pressure, and mold temperature for inverse RBF model were 98.6%, 93.6%, 98.5%, 93.9%, and 97.9%, respectively, which met the accuracy requirements. Furthermore, compared with expected values of hollowed core ratios and wall thickness differences, the average errors of CAE and experiment were 2.3% and 4.9%, respectively.
Opportunities and challenges of pharmacotherapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension in children
Authors: Kam Charissa W. , Ruiz Fadel E.
Published: October 2020

Pediatric pulmonary hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease that carries a poor prognosis if left untreated. Although there are published guidelines for the treatment of children with pulmonary hypertension, due to the limited number of robust pediatric clinical trials, recommendations are often based on limited data or clinical experience. Furthermore, many practical aspects of care, particularly for the pediatric patient, are learned through experience and best navigated with a multidisciplinary team. While newer PAH therapies have been approved for adults, there is still limited but expanding experience in pediatrics. This new information will help improve the targets of goal‐oriented therapy. Lastly, this review highlights practical aspects in the use of the different therapies available for the treatment of pediatric pulmonary hypertension.
Small Flux Superpotentials for Type IIB Flux Vacua Close to a Conifold
Authors: Álvarez‐García Rafael , Blumenhagen Ralph , Brinkmann Max , Schlechter Lorenz
Published: October 2020

We generalize the recently proposed mechanism by Demirtas, Kim, McAllister and Moritz[1] for the explicit construction of type IIB flux vacua with to the region close to the conifold locus in the complex structure moduli space. For that purpose tools are developed to determine the periods and the resulting prepotential close to such a codimension one locus with all the remaining moduli still in the large complex structure regime. As a proof of principle we present a working example for the Calabi‐Yau manifold .[24]
Structural fluctuations and mechanical stabilities of the metamorphic protein RfaH
Authors: Seifi Bahman , Aina Adekunle , Wallin Stefan
Published: September 2020

RfaH is a compact two‐domain bacterial transcription factor that functions both as a regulator of transcription and an enhancer of translation. Underpinning the dual functional roles of RfaH is a partial but dramatic fold switch, which completely transforms the ~50‐amino acid C‐terminal domain (CTD) from an all‐α state to an all‐β state. The fold switch of the CTD occurs when RfaH binds to RNA polymerase (RNAP), however, the details of how this structural transformation is triggered is not well understood. Here we use all‐atom Monte Carlo simulations to characterize structural fluctuations and mechanical stability properties of the full‐length RfaH and the CTD as an isolated fragment. In agreement with experiments, we find that interdomain contacts are crucial for maintaining a stable, all‐α CTD in free RfaH. To probe mechanical properties, we use pulling simulations to measure the work required to inflict local deformations at different positions along the chain. The resulting mechanical stability profile reveals that free RfaH can be divided into a “rigid” part and a “soft” part, with a boundary that nearly coincides with the boundary between the two domains. We discuss the potential role of this feature for how fold switching may be triggered by interaction with RNAP.
Protective effect of tolvaptan against cyclophosphamide‐induced nephrotoxicity in rat models
Authors: El‐Shabrawy Mohamed , Mishriki Amal , Attia Hisham , Emad Aboulhoda Basma , Emam Mohamed , Wanas Hanaa
Published: September 2020

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a chemotherapeutic agent which is extensively used in the treatment of multiple neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases like breast cancer, lymphomas, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis. Dose‐limiting side effects, mainly nephrotoxicity is a major problem hindering its use in the clinical practice. CP induces nephrogenic syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis mostly via the activation of arginine vasopressin V2 receptors. Moreover, CP produces reactive metabolites which is responsible for augmentation of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Tolvaptan (TOL) is a selective vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist used in the treatment of clinically significant hyponatremia, volume overload in heart failure, and liver cirrhosis with edema. The present study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of TOL in CP‐induced nephrotoxicity. Twenty‐four adult male albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, TOL group that treated daily with tolvaptan (10 mg/kg/d, orally), CP group where CP was administered intraperitoneally 75 mg/kg on days 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, and 21 of study, and the CP + TOL group where animals were treated with TOL daily with (10 mg/kg/d, orally) for 22 days with concomitant administration of CP as described before. Coadministration of TOL with CP induces significant improvement in the level of urine volume, serum Na+, serum osmolarity, urinary creatinine, and free water clearance in addition to significant reduction of body weight, serum creatinine, urea, serum K+, blood pressure, urine osmolarity, and the fractional excretion of sodium as compared to CP‐treated group. In addition, coadministration of TOL significantly reduced MDA, the marker of lipid peroxidation, and different pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Histopathological changes showed improvement in the signs of nephrotoxicity with the coadministration of TOL. Also, co‐treatment with TOL significantly decreased the level of markers of apoptosis as caspase‐3 and Bax with increased expression of antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 in renal tissue as compared to CP‐treated group.
Fabrication of (Au, Mn)/ZnPc/Ag Interfaces as Radiowave/Microwave Band Filters
Authors: Qasrawi Atef Fayez , Zyoud Hadeel Mohammad
Published: October 2020

Herein, zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) layers are used as an active material to fabricated radiowave/microwave band filters. The thin layers of ZnPc are coated onto Au and Mn thin‐film substrates to form ohmic and Schottky interfaces, respectively. The Au/ZnPc and Mn/ZnPc devices are structurally and electrically characterized by means of X‐ray diffraction and impedance spectroscopy techniques in the frequency domain of 0.01–1.80 GHz, respectively. The structural investigations show that both interfaces exhibit strained structures of the monoclinic phase of ZnPc. It is also observed that while the Au/ZnPc/Ag devices display negative capacitance (NC) effects in the microwave region above 1.46 GHz, the Mn/ZnPc/Ag devices show resonance–antiresonance capacitive response in the radiowave region accompanied with NC effects in the range of 0.06–1.80 GHz. In addition, analyses of the reflection coefficient spectra have shown the ability of the (Mn, Au)/ZnPc/Ag interfaces to behave as a typical high‐/low‐bandpass filters. The filters can be operated in microwaves and radiowave ranges. The return loss spectral investigations on these filters have shown their ability to reach the market standards.
1/f  Noise and Dark Current Correlation in Midwave InAs/GaSb Type‐II Superlattice IR Detectors
Authors: Ramos David , Delmas Marie , Ivanov Ruslan , Höglund Linda , Costard Eric , Hellström Per-Erik , Malm Gunnar
Published: September 2020

Herein, results from noise and dark current density studies on InAs/GaSb type‐II superlattice IR detectors are presented. The activation energy of the dark current density is used to identify the dominating dark current mechanisms (generation–recombination (GR), tunneling, or diffusion dark current) as a function of temperature and bias. The bias evolution of the power spectral density (PSD) is measured in dark conditions for several temperatures. At the operating bias of the detectors, the arrays show a white noise–dominated spectrum up to 100 K with a minor 1/f contribution (corner frequency around 10 Hz), while for higher temperatures the spectra are 1/f dominated. The 1/f noise component is compared to the dominating dark current mechanism in the same temperature and bias regimes. A strong correlation between the 1/f noise component and the dominating dark current (I) is found, with the PSD proportional to I for tunneling currents and I2 for GR and diffusion currents. Very low noise coefficients of αGR = 4.8 × 10−9 Hz−1, αdiff = 1.9 × 10−10 Hz−1, and αtun = 2.1 × 10−16 A Hz−1 are observed for these detectors.
Roles of plant‐derived bioactive compounds and relatedmicroRNAsin cancer therapy
Authors: Zou Heng , Li Yanli , Liu Xiaomin , Wu Zong , Li Jingjing , Ma Zhongliang
Published: October 2020

Plant‐derived bioactive compounds, often called phytochemicals, are active substances extracted from different plants. These bioactive compounds can release therapeutic potential abilities via reducing antitumor drugs side effects or directly killing cancer cells, and others also can adjust cancer initiation and progression via regulating microRNAs (miRNAs) expression, and miRNA can regulate protein‐coding expression by restraining translation or degrading target mRNA. A mass of research showed that plant‐derived bioactive compounds including tanshinones, astragaloside IV, berberine, ginsenosides and matrine can inhibit tumor growth and metastasis by rescuing aberrant miRNAs expression, which has influence on tumor progression, microenvironment and drug resistance in multifarious cancers. This review aims to provide a novel understanding of plant‐derived bioactive compounds targeting miRNAs and shed light on their future clinical applications.
An evaluation of methods for normalizing diffusion‐based covariance operators in variational data assimilation
Authors: Weaver Anthony T. , Chrust Marcin , Ménétrier Benjamin , Piacentini Andrea
Published: September 2020

Developing effective ways to model and cycle the background‐error covariance matrix is an active area of research in data assimilation. An important aspect of this problem when using a filter to model the background‐error correlations is the computation of normalization factors to ensure that the diagonal elements of the modelled correlation matrix are all equal to one. Updating the parameters of a flow‐dependent correlation model on each assimilation cycle requires updating the normalization factors, which is costly using traditional methods such as randomization. In this article, we discuss the normalization problem within the context of a diffusion filter‐based covariance model used for background‐error modelling in a variational data assimilation system for the global ocean. We evaluate various methods for estimating normalization factors when the diffusion tensor of the correlation model is derived from an ensemble of ocean states. Our results show that estimates produced using inexpensive methods derived from analytical considerations of the diffusion equation can have significant errors, especially near boundaries. Estimates obtained using randomization with a small sample size (∼100) are more accurate in a globally averaged sense but are noisy and can have unacceptably large errors locally. Next, we focus on the specific problem of accounting for flow‐dependent correlation parameters in the vertical component of the diffusion operator only, which is especially important near the surface for the assimilation of sea surface temperature observations. Remarkably accurate estimates are obtained by approximating the normalization matrix as a separable product of two normalization matrices: one computed using randomization with the horizontal diffusion operator only and the other computed using randomization with the vertical diffusion operator only. If the parameters of the horizontal component of the diffusion operator are static, then only the normalization factors of the flow‐dependent vertical component need to be recomputed on each cycle. This result is of significant practical interest since the vertical diffusion operator employs an inexpensive direct solver and thus can be applied on each cycle with a large random sample to obtain a good approximation of the normalization matrix.